《Nameless King》


 Chapter 1 The One Stronger Than Fate

    Amidst the dark clouds, thunderps could be heard, and blue shes of lightning could be seen. But it was nothingpared to the catastrophe that had befallen people. Humanity was consumed by despair. Very soon, they would face imminent doom.


    "Eh. Today it will destroy thest part of this world." Mumbled a tall man with thick ck hair and green eyes like emeralds.


    He stared at the dark fog in the distance with a calm face. It was Wain Norheim. He was the best assassin in the world and the only man without a soul.


    Click.


    Wain opened the engraved lighter and brought the crimson me to hisst cigarette.


    After a second, he blew out a puff of smoke and quietly muttered, "This will be thest time before I die."


    Then certain information appeared on the retina of his eye.


    [Wain Norheim


    Level: 0


    Race: Human


    Soul: None


    Title: None


    Strength: 7 / Agility: 9 / Vitality: 6 / Stamina: 8 / Energy: ?]


    "Looks like I''ll never get a soul even before I die..."


    He stood on the roof of a high-rise building, his ck coat billowing in the wind. Wain turned his gaze to the massive generator in the city''s center.


    The strongest of those fortunate enough to be here and not be consumed by the fog were not going to ept their fate.


    ''This fog destroyed the entire world in minutes. Some hastily created generator can''t stop such a disaster.''


    Everyone was afraid of death. Wain had no fear, but he felt a strange admiration for the unshakable power that could destroy an entire world so quickly.


    When the world changed, Wain was the only one without a soul. From someone who could decide the fate of entire countries, he became a mere recluse.


    This dark fog would destroy thest part of the world and all of Wain''s frustration about the fate of this life.


    Wain discarded his smoked cigarette and went down to the first floor. He decided to head for that fog himself. He wanted to see up close a power beyond any fantasy.


    As Wain strolled toward the fog, the thunder suddenly increased. It was unnatural, even for a mighty storm.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The whole ground shook. Wain turned around and saw hundreds of lightning striking the generator. The structure began to overload, and dozens of people tried to fix it, but it was toote.


    The generator exploded and destroyed the central part of the city and many people instantly. But, that was only part of the explosion. The main energy turned into a beam that headed towards the fog.


    Then Wain saw a blue portal form where the beam hit. The dark fog parted to the side, and another world was visible behind it. He immediately ran there, Wain guessed what was happening, but he couldn''t believe it.


    The dozens of survivors of the generator explosion also headed toward the portal. It was theirst hope.


    As Wain approached the scene, he saw a strange scene. A multitude of people in leather armor emerged from the portal. They were armed with swords and axes.


    "Judging by their displeased and puzzled faces, they don''t understand what''s going on either, but they''re inhabitants of another world. Moreover, some of them have fire axes or ice swords. It seems that even other worlds have received souls."


    Suddenly one of the warriors attacked a mere man and chopped him in two without emotion, with a cold face.


    ? Then Wain grinned, "It''s been a long time since Ist shed blood.


    Then an engraved knife forged from the meteorite was in Wain''s hands.


    "I don''t know how skilled these warriors are, but the difference between us is like earth and heaven." Wain pronounced and sprinted toward the warriors.


    They spared no one, their swords already sprinkled with blood, but they did not know that the reaper of this world already had his de to their throats.


    Wain turned into a deadly whirlwind and masterfully decapitated three warriors in a matter of seconds. Only a few men beside him fought, but they could do nothing against the other world''s inhabitants.


    Of all those who survived, Wain was the strongest, as before.


    His knife was instantly drenched with blood, and the number of men he killed increased by the second. One of the warriors shouted something pointing his lightning sword at Wain, but Wain''s knife stabbed into his head a secondter.


    They were not prepared to face such a dangerous and skilled opponent. Wain could easily twist someone''s neck and then turn around and stab them through the heart.


    After a while, no one was left on the battlefield but Wain. The warriors killed all the men, and Wain killed them. In just a few minutes, he had killed over twenty people.


    "Which one?"


    Wain turned toward the portal, but what he saw dumbfounded him. The portal closed before Wain''s eyes, and the dark mist began to destroy the world with increased speed.


    Wain thought this was the end, and he would be thest to be taken by this mist to the world of the dead. But, suddenly, the space in front of him began to distort.


    After a few seconds, Wain saw a soul. It was so dark that the abyss was a bright daypared to it.


    At that moment, several messages appeared on Wain''s retina.


    [You have received your Main Soul]


    [Your Soul Altar is activated]


    [Soul of Nameless King<sub> </sub>


    Rating: Legendary]


    While Wain was trying to figure out what was happening, a dark soul flew into his body.


    [To be a Nameless King, no one must know your name. However, for a man of that status, it is impossible. But, there is another way to obtain such a title. Everyone who knew of your greatness and your identity must be dead.


    You must remain thest person in this world, and so you became a Nameless King. Last and forgotten. Millions of lives must be burned so that you do not lose but increase your greatness and confirm your status.


    You are the Nameless King, a being for whom even the course of fate does not matter. You will always remain great, even if the world is destroyed. Your path is unshakable]


    Crackle.


    Suddenly several dark as abyss bone arms emerged from beneath the ground. They slid into the mist and slowly opened a passage into another dimension. The passage seemed to have no end. All Wain could see was an emptiness.


    "Hahaha, this is crazy, but I like it! The whole world had to die for me to get a soul, unbelievable!" Smirking, Wain said and headed down the aisle.


    That''s when some strange messages appeared before his eyes. He had never heard of anything like this before.


    [Error!]


    [Error!]


    [Error!]


    [Error!]


    [Erro...]


    Wain was puzzled, but that couldn''t make him stop. He stepped forward steadily until he eventually sawnd in the distance.


    By then, the strange messages had stopped appearing. Wain emerged from the tunnel and found himself in an unusual terrain.


    Outwardly it looked like an ashy desert. It was a vast area with several dried up, ck, creepy trees.


    Wain took a handful of ashes in his hands and saw many small bones and remains of other creatures among this'' sand. Countless lives have been cut short in this ce.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly Wain felt an indescribable pressure. He had never felt anything like it. It was as if a mountain hade crashing down on him.


    A secondter, he saw a creature in the sky. Itnded in front of Wain, and the pressure increased several times.


    It was a giant creature that looked like a wolf, forty meters tall. It had sharp fangs and ws, and its gaze could topple anyone into hell.


    This wolf also had tworge, demonic wings. He could create a tornado or cause a storm at sea with one simple sweep.


    This wolf was not the ruler of thesends. He was the guardian of this world. He was supposed to protect this world from anyone who tried to invade it.


    The wolf''s aura was terrifying, but Wain did not flinch. He was surprised but not afraid. Wain was great, but not because of the soul he received. On the contrary, because Wain was unwavering, he became the one who received the Nameless King''s soul.


    Rooooaaaaaaaaaar!


    The wolf roared furiously. Its roar was like a bugle that marked the beginning of the apocalypse. Dozens of trees were ripped out of the ground with their roots, and stone blocks were wiped to dust.


    At that moment, another message appeared on Wain''s retina.


    [Received Skill - Destruction Sword]


    "I was beginning to think I wouldn''t get my Soul skill. Well, let''s see what it can do." Wain muttered, and suddenly his aura increased several times.


    A long, ck, tinum-engraved sword appeared in the sky next to Wain. It was two meters long. A dark, eerie, ancient aura emanated from the sword.


    At Wain''smand, the sword struck the guardian of this world like dark lightning. But, the sword could not cut through the wolf''s skin. There was no way the skill he had just gained could do any damage to the creature that had guarded this world for thousands of years.


    Wain tried to attack again, but the wolf struck the ground with its paw, creating a shockwave. That caused the dark sword to fly away and plunge into the ground next to Wain.


    The wolf headed toward Wain the next moment, each step shaking the ground and leaving a deep mark on it.


    "How am I supposed to kill it?" Wain muttered.


    Even in this situation, he felt no fear. Unlike this wolf, he was not the keeper of his world. He was its judge.


    Wain loved to enjoy the battles, but now he had to do the impossible.


    A white particle flew out before the tunnel that Wain came out of should have closed.


    It was the remaining essence of the Wain''s world. It headed for the sole surviving upant. Then the Wain''s world was utterly destroyed. The fogpletely engulfed the world and the tunnel closed.


    That white particle flew into the sword next to Wain then an unimaginable aura began to emanate from the weapon.


    It was all the power of the rest of the world that would disappear in a few moments. The dark energy swept all around, and the sword grew sharply in size.


    Wain swung his arm, and the sword instantly copsed on the wolf like a meteorite. This attack was thest manifestation of Wain''s world power. When this attack was over, thest bit of his world would disappear from this reality.


    The wolf felt the fear of the weapon approaching him for the first andst time. The Destruction Sword sliced the guardian of this world''s body in two in the blink of an eye.


    This attack created a devastating wave that spread hundreds of kilometers away. The oceans went wild, and the ash was scattered hundreds of meters around.


    Wain watched this scene and felt his blood boil. He didn''t know it, but the murder of the guardian had caused this world to change. This reality could not withstand such a change without consequences.


    A wave of chaotic events engulfed this world after the appearance of someone stronger than fate.

 Chapter 2 Expulsion Of The World

    "AHAHAHAHA, this is incredible! This wolf was no ordinary monster. He was clearly from the big leagues." Wain eximed.


    The scene of killing the Guardian of this world made his blood boil. At that moment, he felt the ecstasy of killing that he had already forgotten.


    Bam.


    The two halves of the Guardian of the world''s body fell to the ashy ground, and crimson blood flooded everything within a dozen meters radius.


    Wain strolled toward the wolf. He wasn''t interested in the wolf''s flesh or its scattered organs. Wain wanted what he''d been robbed of. He was going to take the creature''s Soul for himself. Everyone in this world was a soul eater.


    "Atst, I can do it." Wain said, looking at the hovering gray Soul.


    It emanated an ancient aura and a terrifying pressure. It was the Soul of a being who had watched this world for millions of years. But, now the Guardian had been killed by the one from whom it was supposed to protect this world.


    Wain touched the gray Soul, and it moved into its vault.


    Wain wanted to know more about his trophy, and the next moment he saw an interface in front of him with a gray soul inside.


    [Soul of the Guardian of Peace, Great Wolf Farkas


    Chronicle: Primary(???)


    Rating: Legendary]


    "Eh, it''s a pity that when a creature dies, the Chronicle of its Soul is limited to the power of its new owner. Otherwise, though, someone could kill one powerful creature and be a god right away."


    He wanted to move the Soul of the Keeper of the World into his Soul Altar and gain the appropriate bonuses and ability. But, the moment he tried to do so, Wain again saw many strange messages in front of him.


    [Error!]


    [Error!]


    [Error!]


    [The World is against your presence, this world is trying to banish you]


    [You are a mistake. You should not exist. The threads of creation are trying to destroy you]


    Then Wain felt a pressuree over him, the power of which could not be described in words. This world and creation itself were trying to destroy him.


    The Guardian failed in his task, so the world decided to banish Wain. The Guardian''s Soul that Wain had just received was destroyed, and his body slowly began to deteriorate.


    ''What the hell!'' thought Wain, feeling his bones cracking. He didn''t even have the strength to utter a word.


    ''Bastards! I just got a taste of new life and a thirst for blood as you try to take it away from me! I''ll kill you! Destroy! I''ll tear you to pieces!'' Wain growled to himself.


    [Your emotions, desires, and behavior are consistent with your status. You are the Nameless King, which means that your path is unshakable]


    [The special effect of your main Soul, Nameless King, has been activated]


    The next moment, a colossal amount of dark energy began to emanate from Wain''s body. This darkness slowly spread around.


    Wain felt the pressure on him ease, but it was more like confusion than truth. The forces of this world and creation were not going to let Wain out of their grip. It was as if an invisible hand had grabbed him and pinned him to the ground.


    The darkness stopped spreading from his body, and Wain saw another message.


    [The special effect of your main Soul, Nameless King, was suppressed.]


    Wain''s rage began to increase exponentially. With every second, he wanted to get rid of this pressure more and more.


    Suddenly new streams of darkness gushed from Wain''s body, and more messages appeared in front of him.


    [Error!]


    [The special effect of your main Soul, Nameless King, brought down the power of the world with its own pressure]


    [Error!]


    [To preserve the integrity of space and time, your essence and the essence of this world will resolve their conflict using the potential of your souls]


    Suddenly the pressure increased, and the amount of darkness increased several times. The darkness turned into a huge pir that reached the heavens in the blink of an eye.


    That''s when Wain''s consciousness was transported to a different space.


    ...


    When Wain killed the Guardian, strange changes began to ur worldwide. People felt the ground shake. None of the people living in the world knew what had happened.<sub> </sub>


    But when they saw a pir of darkness pierce the heavens a few minutester, they all realized that the day of judgment for all humanity hade, in other words, the apocalypse. Darkness engulfed everything and turned the clear sky ck.


    All witnessed the beginning of a new era of humanity. An era of blood, brutality, betrayals and alliances, crumbling hopes and blessings, weakness and immense power.


    It would not be wrong for anyone to say that with his first murder in this world, Wain marked the beginning of a new era.


    ...


    When Wain''s consciousness shifted, he found himself in the midst of a vast expanse. Behind him was a blurry, dark silhouette somewhat resembling a human. It was enormous, over a hundred meters in height.


    Opposite him, Wain saw shapeless energy of mostly white color. Wain''s opponent was the world, and it was the personification of that world.


    Their battle was about to begin in a second, but Wain didn''t know what to do until he saw another message.


    [Due to circumstances and your power, one of the Nameless King''s Forms is forcibly activated]


    Immediately after this message, much dark energy headed towards Wain''s body. It gradually turned into special equipment that significantly strengthened Wain. That was the effect of this form. Moreover, Wain''s body also changed slightly.


    Wain was now wearing ck, lightweight armor. It looked elegant and terrifying at the same time. This armor was simr to the armor of the King of Darkness but with certain differences.


    Darkness emanated from every piece of the armor, spreading slowly in a plume around it. Wain could create a wave of darkness more like a real tsunami with a simple flick of his hand. On his head was a ck tiara with eerie, sparse prongs.


    Wain''s hair was much longer, reaching his waist, and his eyes had changed their color from green to ck. They were as deep as the abyss.


    Thest part of his transformation was his weapon.


    ''If I am going to fight the very essence of the world, I need the right weapon.''


    The next moment a swirl of darkness formed in front of Wain and gradually turned into a long sword. This sword had no handguard, its hilt was wrapped in ck bandages, and its de was perfectly straight.


    Wain grinned and gripped the sword tightly.


    Now he was as ready for battle as the essence of the world. Unlike Wain, the essence of the world had no form. Behind Wain was a dark silhouette representing the Soul of Nameless King. On some side, the world essence was outnumbered.


    The oue of their battle would not be decided by force in the usual sense of the word. In this battle, the one whose desires prove superior to others would win.


    In such a battle, even a mere human has a chance to win if he has enough strength. The one whose spirit was stronger would win. Of course, trying to defeat the world was sheer madness.


    The white energy representing the essence of the world shone brightly. It was ready to attack. A secondter, thousands of spheres were created from the energy, which simultaneously shot a beam toward Wain.


    "Fine, let''s settle this in one fell swoop. You''re against my being here, but it doesn''t matter to me. I''ll stay here by force, and you can''t stop me." Wain spoke coldly and prepared to counterattack. There was no fear in his voice, only a boundless desire to win.


    His sword was covered in the darkness that looked like dark mes.


    Wain was calm and collected despite the beams of energying toward him. One attack had to contain all his feelings and desires. That attack was himself.


    Wain raised the sword above his head and unemotionally brought it down. Wain didn''t need to be a skilled swordsman or repel each beam by slicing them with his sword. None of this could express his feelings and desires. It was skill, but it was not enough to win the battle against the world.


    A simple swing was all his power.


    When Wain brought down his sword, even this space shook. The next moment, waves of pir-like darkness descended upon the white rays, engulfing thempletely. It looked as if the darkness was infinite.


    The essence of the world couldn''t handle it and began to retreat gradually. At that moment, Wain felt better than ever.


    He had defeated powerful opponents many times, but this fight was very different.


    Wain gripped his sword tightly in his hand and muttered quietly, "So this is what power souls can provide, and all this time, I''ve been deprived of that enjoyment. It''s time to make up for the lost time."


    He swung his sword, and the darkness engulfed the entire space.


    The battle between the two entities was over, and Wain had been given the right to be in this world by force.


    After a few seconds, Wain''s consciousness returned to his body. Everything was as before. His body was perfectly fine. But, the Soul of the Guardian of this world was irrevocably destroyed.


    "Damn, because the world wanted to destroy me, I couldn''t get such a powerful soul. It''s actually disappointing."


    After calming down anding to his senses, Wain looked around. He wondered where he should go and where he even found himself. The ashy desert with creepy trees and bones sticking out of the ground didn''t look like a lively ce.


    Wain decided to learn more about his soul skill, the Destruction Sword, but something else caught his attention. To his surprise, he saw another skill listed.


    [Nameless King''s Forms (Primary Chronicle Active Skill, Legendary Rating) <Blocked>]


    [This skill carries incredible power. To use it, you must possess the power of the living and the dead. To unlock this skill, the following conditions must be met -


    [You must obtain the me of the Dead]

 Chapter 3 The Island Of None

    "Hmm? I have to get the me of the Dead to unlock the skill - Nameless King''s Forms? But, where will I find it?" Wain muttered. He was puzzled by the situation.


    Wain decided that he would figure it out as he went along and decided to check the description of another skill he had after getting a soul - Nameless King.


    [Destruction Sword (Primary Chronicle Active Skill, Common Rating)


    You can summon a sword partlyposed of darkness and control it at will. Range - 50 meters]


    ''Not bad, I''ll have to develop this skill if possible. But, first, I need to find someone and kill them. Without many souls, I won''t be able to do anything.'' Thought Wain.


    He saw nothing around him that reminded him of human civilization, not even ruins or abandoned houses. He was in a lifeless, ashy desert.


    Wain sighed and decided to go forward. He had nothing with him except his knife and small, folding binocrs. If he did not find food and water sources soon, he would die of exhaustion.


    ''Force the essence of the world to retreat and then die of dehydration three dayster. That would be some unfunny joke.'' Thought Wain as he continued walking forward for three hours straight.


    The only vegetation in this ashy desert was the few dry trees. There wasn''t a drop of moisture in them, much less any fruit.


    Wain continued onward, pondering the events that had transpired. Initially, he thought the dark mist would kill him, but in the end, he was able to force his way through to the other world and even gain a soul. This meant that his journey wasn''t over yet. It was just beginning.


    Two hourster, Wain saw a lizard of abnormal size in the distance. It was about a meter high and three meters wide.


    ''Is it some mutant, or are there monsters in this world too?'' Thought Wain looking at the lizard. It was trying to dig something up in the ashy sand at that moment. It was an unsessful endeavor, for all it could find were bones.


    ''I was lucky. My dinner was waiting for me on the way.'' Said Wain to himself and used the Destruction Sword.


    Since the range of this skill was 50 meters, Wain created a sword right over the lizard. By the time the reptile suspected something, it was already toote. The dark sword copsed on the lizard and easily cut off its head.


    Wain smiled and headed toward the reptile''s carcass. In addition to food, he would also get a soul. Barring the soul of the Guardian of this world, this would be the first soul he would receive.


    Whooosh.


    A white, tiny soul flew out of the lizard''s body and into Wain''s body. He immediately looked at the spoils he received.


    [Soul of the Ash Lizard(Damaged)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Common]


    Of course,pared to the Nameless King''s soul, this soul was trash, but such souls could also be of considerable benefit.


    ''Damaged? Maybe I should use it?'' Thought Wain.


    In this world, creature souls were globally divided into three categories: Whole, Damaged, and Destroyed.


    Each category of soul differed in its effect. For example: if you crush some Whole soul, there is a chance of getting a skill or item. Perhaps the skill or item would have something inmon with the soul of the killed creature, or perhaps it would be very different.


    Each soul also gave its owner specific bonuses and one ability. Of course, this was only the beginning. A soul could be made much stronger and more variable. But, at this point, there was a nuance that Wain was well aware of.


    If he put this soul into his Soul Altar, in case he didn''t need it anymore, he would have to destroy it, and he wouldn''t get any bonuses. Wain doubted that the soul of some weak lizard was worth his attention.


    "Too bad I can only have one extra soul for now. Well, let''s see what I get." Mumbled Wain and crushed the soul.


    [You have acquired the Soul of the Ash Lizard]


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Ash Lizard level 2. Agility+2, Stamina+1]


    [You have reached level 1. You get 3 status points to distribute freely]


    Wain would not get a stat boost when using Destroyed Soul, only Soul Essence. That was the main difference between the two categories of souls.


    "Not bad, pity I can''t get a skill or item by crushing a Damaged Soul. Speaking of which, it''s time to look at my status. There must have been a lot of changes." Wain muttered, and an image appeared in front of him the next moment.


    [Wain Norheim


    Level: 1


    Race: Human


    Soul: Nameless King


    Additional Soul: None


    Title: None<sub> </sub>


    Status Points: 3


    Strength: 7 / Agility: 11 / Vitality: 6 / Stamina: 9 / Energy: 77]


    ''Why is the Energy parameter so high?'' Wain thought to himself.


    Unlike the other characteristics, Energy had a special purpose. It was a parameter that determined the power of the skills a person used and the time of action. The more Energy people had, the longer you could fight. Previously, everyone except Wain had this parameter since he was the only one who didn''t have a soul. But, now, this parameter was finally open.


    "There was so much power lurking in me, understandably." Wain was not surprised.


    There was no limit to his self-confidence. After all, he was the one who had the power to decide the fates of entire countries before the world changed.


    Wain swung his hand, and the dark sword cut the dried wood into several bars. Wain could control the sword with his mind, but manual control was more urate and quicker. It was a matter of practice and experience.


    Next, Wain gutted the Ash Lizard and quickly lit a fire. With his survival skills, such a thing was easy to do.


    By the time the Ash Lizard meat was roasted to a crisp, it was already dark, and the blue moon was illuminating the ashynds.


    Wain happily ate the very juicy and tasty meat and regained his strength. But, the water problem was still fundamental.


    When Wain had eaten about half of it, he saw some silhouette heading in his direction.


    ? ''Does someone live here? Is it a person?'' Warned Wain. He had not seen a single hint of human presence in several hours of traveling through this area.


    The figure heading toward Wain was dressed in a gray, half torn cloak, and in his hands was a simple wooden staff on which he leaned.


    "Good afternoon, young man." A hoarse voice was heard.


    The speaker was an old man in his seventies. But he didn''t look human. He had gray skin,pletely white eyes, and ck fingernails. Moreover, he had two short horns on his head, one of which was broken.


    Wain nodded and said, "What do you want?"


    Immediately after, Wain used the Destruction Sword. The dark sword loomed over the old man''s head. Wain was not about to let his guard down.


    The old man crouched next to Wain and said, "My name is Marakt Ronik. What is your name?" He was not embarrassed by the sword looming over him.


    "Wain Norheim," He answered briefly, staring intently at Marakt.


    Cough. Cough. Cough.


    The old man coughed a few times then said, "Wain, do you mind if I join you? I haven''t eaten anything in days."


    "Why would I help you?" Wain asked.


    "In return, I''ll tell you more about this ce. You know, it''s not often you meet new people here, or rather never. I was shocked to see someone building a fire and roasting a lizard on the fire. You probably don''t know anything about this ce." Marakt said confidently.


    ''This old man isn''t easy. I doubt he''s lying. He knew at a nce that I wasn''t from around here. That''s not surprising, though.'' Wain thought and handed the old man a piece of meat strung on a knife. But, the Destruction Sword continued to hang over Marakt''s head like a sword of Damocles.


    Marakt nodded and dly took up his meal. The lizard wasrge enough to feed several people.


    "Speak," Wain said stiffly.


    "Well, well, don''t be so impatient. Without intrigue, there won''t be any interest." Proimed Marakt and swallowed another piece of meat.


    Wain waved his finger, and the Destruction Sword began to swing from side to side like a pendulum.


    "Okay, let''s get started. Wain, I''ll start by saying that the ce we''re on is an ind. It''s not very big. You can get around it in about a week. But, it''s not an ordinary ind. It doesn''t exist."


    "What do you mean?" Wain asked.


    "You must have seen a dark pir that pierced the sky a few hours ago. I don''t know what it was. The whole world has seen that pir, all those who live in other parts of this world. But, they will never find that ind in their lives. It is impossible. Otherwise, some traveler would havee here a long time ago."


    "But how is that possible? And can I get off this ind?" Wain asked.


    The prospect of remaining in an ashy desert where the asional giant lizard could be found did not appeal to him. He had to find a way to the people here. Otherwise, his journey would end here.


    "Khe, khe, this ind does not exist because it is both in the world of the living and the world of the dead. Otherwise, this ind is also called the Isle of the Damned."


    Marakt swallowed a piece of meat and quietly said, "Everyone knows the way to escape from here, but it requires fulfilling impossible conditions.


    Wain looked at the old man with interest.


    "To get out of the Isle of the Damned, one mustbine both the energy of the living and the energy of the dead. To do so, the living must receive the me of the Dead, which lies in the bowels of this ind."

 Chapter 4 The Damned

    ''The mes of the Dead...'' Wain thought. This was exactly what he needed to unlock the Nameless King''s Forms skill.


    Moreover, the general conditions were the same. To get out of the Isle of the Damned, Wain also needed to possess the living and dead energy.


    "Why hasn''t anyone taken this me you speak of yet? You don''t look like a dead man." Wain asked.


    Marakt smiled strangely and, with a slight bitterness in his voice, said, "You''re right, I''m not dead, but I''m not alive either."


    Wain looked at him, puzzled. He didn''t understand how he could be in such a situation.


    The old man sighed and said, "You can see perfectly well that I am not human, though once upon a time I was. At that time, we fought for kingdoms and our hearts. But, hundreds of years have passed since then. I am neither alive nor dead. I am cursed like everyone else here. So are you. We can''t leave this ind even if we get the me of the Dead. There''s no way we can get the energy of the living. We are destined to wander this lifelessnd forever."


    ''A cruel fate.'' Thought Wain.


    "Marakt, where is the me of the Dead? How can I get to it? I still want to try." Wain believed Marakt''s words, but unlike the old man, he was alive.


    "Eh, I once met a rookie like you, and he even managed to get to the me of the Dead. But his body couldn''t take it. You must understand that we are cursed and here for some reason. Perhaps this is our punishment for past sins." Marakt spoke with regret.


    "Better to die than lead such a miserable existence, show me." Coldly said Wain, and the Destruction Sword began to gradually lower.


    The old man sighed and said, "To the north of the ind, you will see the ruins. As far as I know, the me of the Dead is located there."


    Wain nodded and headed silently in the direction indicated. He could not dy. He had to get off this ind as soon as possible and join the inhabitants of this world.


    When Wain had already moved more distance, Marakt muttered quietly, "None of us want to live like this, but no matter how much we try, we can''t die."


    The old man stood up, and under his cloak, you could see that there was a wide hole in his chest. It was a wound ipatible with life.


    ...


    After about a couple of kilometers, Wain encountered another Ash Lizard. This lizard was sleeping quietly, not even aware that the dark sword was hovering over its head.


    Wain swung his hand, and the lizard was killed. The white soul immediately flew out of her body and hovered in the air.


    "Eh, why do these souls always have to go after them on their own," Wain muttered grudgingly. But, suddenly, the white soul flew toward him on its own and entered his body.


    [Soul of the Ash Lizard(Whole)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Common]


    ''What? The soul flew itself to me? But I''ve never heard of such a thing. What''s more, this Whole Soul, great.''


    The chances of getting a Whole Soul were rather slim. As with thest soul, Wain wouldn''t put this soul into his Soul Altar. He would use it and try to get a skill or item.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Ash Lizard level 2. Agility+4, Stamina+2]


    [You have leveled up to level 2. You get 3 status points to distribute freely]


    This time Wain got twice as many status points, although this lizard was no different from the previous one. But, the integrity of its soul was different, which is why there was such a difference. But, Wain was lucky to get something else besides stats.


    In Wain''s hands was a book made from the hide of some lizard. He knew what it was.


    "So this is my first Skill Book," Wain muttered and put his palm on the book.


    [Lizard''s Dash (Primary Chronicle Active Skill, Common Rating)


    Lizards are fast and nimble creatures, and you get a piece of their power. You can make a quick dash in one direction and cross the five meter mark almost instantly. After applying Agility + 5 for 30 seconds]


    This was the first skill Wain had ever received, but he could also understand that this skill was pretty good for its Rating. In the past world, he had gathered a lot of information about souls and skills, hoping that he would find a way to awaken his soul.


    ''An active skill with a passive effect, not bad at all. Five Agility is quite a lot. I could kill a few people in those thirty seconds.'' Thought Wain.


    The next moment the Skill Book turned into aplex rune and moved into Wain''s inventory. If Wain wanted to use this skill, he had to move it to his Soul Altar.


    At this point, Wain could only have three active skills. There were no restrictions on passive skills, but they didn''t have the same vivid effect as active skills. These restrictions existed because of Wain''sck of power.


    If he tried to move in his Soul Altar, the fourth active skill, his body would be torn apart. He had to get stronger to get more abilities.


    Wain didn''t hesitate and mentally moved the skill rune into his Soul Altar. Wain felt a rush of strength, and the necessary knowledge filled his mind.


    "Alright, it''s time to put this to the test."


    There was a dried tree not far from Wain, and it was the one he had chosen as his target.


    Whoooosh.


    Soul Essence headed toward Wain''s feet, and he was a blur the next moment. In less than a second, he reached the tree. It wasn''t teleportation. It was a rapid dash to one side. As evidenced by the smooth trail on the ashy sand.<sub> </sub>


    ''Agility has improved. I feel like I''m getting a little faster.'' Thought Wain and moved on.


    His first skill was nothing unique or unusual. But, Wain was still extremely pleased.


    ...


    "The old man said the ruins are to the north, but I''ve been walking for quite some time, but I haven''t found anything," Wain muttered.


    He looked around and saw a man in a long cloak walking toward him. This man walked past Wain. He was just wandering among this ashy desert like a hermit.


    "Wait, where is the me of the Dead?" Wain asked.


    "Another one." A hoarse voice was heard, "The ruins are over that hill." He answered briefly, pointing in the direction.


    Wain nodded and headed toward the hill. He didn''t notice it, but the man in the cloak had his head hanging apart from his neck.


    ...


    "There they are," Wain said contentedly, looking at the ruins buried beneath the ash.


    The entrance was in front of a hill and looked like a circr staircase going deep down. There were no monsters around, so Wain made his way there without fear.


    Wain wasn''t afraid of scary monsters or dangerous opponents, and it wasn''t because of his boundless self-confidence.


    He had only encountered two very weak lizards in all that time. Wain was sure he could kill them even without using the skill. In his opinion, Ash Lizards were just too big lizards.


    Dim, green torches lighted the descent into the ruins. Various drawings and carvings on the walls gave the ce an ancient aura.


    "Hmm, what''s that?" Wain muttered, looking at the stone tablet. Strange symbols were written on it, but Wain could read them to his surprise.


    "When the ash burns again, the savior of the damned will go to the frosty shore to his guide."


    Wain paid no attention to this phrase and moved on. He decided it was some ancient prophecy.


    After a couple of turns, Wain found himself in a spacious room. There he saw the bodies of the dead lying against the walls.


    ''Their skin is gray, just like that old man''s, but they don''t have horns, and they look dead. It''s all weird.'' Thought Wain and one of the corpses began to rise slowly the next moment.


    It opened its green eyes and stared intimidatingly at Wain.


    Wain used the Lizard''s Dash and instantly got in front of the reanimated dead man and smashed his head into the wall.


    [Soul of Hollow(Destroyed)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Common]


    ''These creatures are called Hollow, curious.'' Wain thought and crushed the white soul.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Hollow level 1.]


    Since it was Destroyed Soul, he only acquired Soul Essence. He couldn''t get a stat boost, much less an item.


    "I wonder how much Soul Essence I would need to use to improve a skill or additional soul?" Wain wondered.


    But, he didn''t have time to think. About ten Hollows rose and slowly headed in his direction. They reminded him of zombies, they were just as dumb and slow.


    Whoooosh.


    Wain waved his hand, and a dark sword appeared in the air. Then Wain twirled his finger in a circle, and the sword began to spin at great speed. It was like a sharp disc.


    ''I''m getting more and more used to this skill.'' Thought Wain and sent the dark sword slicing heads with a wave of his hand.


    A few secondster, Wain emerged from a room full of corpses. Blue blood flowed from the severed heads and quickly covered the entire floor.


    Wain walked through corridors that were lit by dim torches. In several passages, he encountered no Hallow, but he saw many ruined statues and ancient frescoes.


    ''Marakt said that the me of the Dead is here. But when I find it, what will I have to do?'' Pondered Wain.


    "§¡? What is it?" Wain muttered as he walked into the great hall.


    In the center of the room was an anvil, embraced by a massive pir of green me. Around the anvil flew several spirits resembling cksmiths. They struck the anvil every second with spirit hammers, and the mes red even brighter.


    The enchanting ringing of the spirit hammers reached Wain''s ears, and then the guardian of that tomb began to awaken.

 Chapter 5 The Flame Of The Dead

    Wain was not stupid and realized that the strange, green me emanating from the anvil was the me of the Dead. There was no other exnation Wain could find.


    ''It all adds up. I don''t see any exits from this room, which means the end of the ancient ruin''s here. Moreover, these spirits in cksmiths and their hammers are real magic. They both exist and don''t exist at the same time.'' Wain thought.


    ? The smith spirits had no problem flying through the walls like ghosts, but their hammer blows on the anvil amplified the green mes for real.


    Wain wanted to get closer to the me of the Dead, but suddenly he saw a statue not far from the green me begin to break apart partially. Wain ignored the statue in the form of a knight holding a sword with both hands. He thought it was a rare, ancient piece preserved in its integrity.


    "So this knight is the guardian of this me... It looks like Marakt had me a little fooled. Getting the me of the Dead isn''t as easy as he said, okay." Wain muttered.


    While the stoneyer of the statue was breaking and the knight was getting free, Wain decided to attack immediately. He used the Destruction Sword, and a dark sword appeared next to him.


    Wain swung his arm, and the sword flew towards the knight. Wain was not going to wait for his opponent toe to his senses and be ready to fight. In this case, Wain had no intention of feigning knightly nobility.


    Crackling.


    When the Destruction Sword almost reached the statue, the knight instantly shattered the remains of the stoneyer and knocked the sword aside. Wain wasn''t surprised. He didn''t think it would be that easy. He continued to swing his arm, and the dark sword came crashing down on the knight.


    However, the knight had no problem fending off each attack. He was a master swordsman, and such attacks were no more dangerous than mosquito bites.


    Suddenly, the knight turned around and attacked with all his might. He swung the Wain''s dark sword aside, and the de sank deep into the stone walls of the ruins.


    "Damn, this doesn''t work, but I don''t want to go near that knight at all. He looks extremely dangerous." Wain muttered.


    The knight was dressed in ck, metallic armor with sharp spikes on his shoulders. The helmet was pointed upward, and dark energy emanated, leaving a trail behind it. There were also many different symbols made in red colors on the armor.


    One look at this knight was enough to understand that only death could be expected from him.


    The knight walked slowly toward Wain. Every step he took was heavy and loud. The constant sound of hammers hitting the anvil gave this scene an eerie aura.


    Wain armed himself with his knife forged from the meteorite and prepared for battle. Just then, a dark sword flew out of the wall and froze in the air beside him.


    Wain rightly thought that he had handled the knife better than anyone else in his past world. But, due to natural circumstances, he had never yet fought using a sword or with an opponent with a sword.


    ''His sword is several times longer and heavier than my knife, and for some reason, I am sure this knight is incredibly strong. I wouldn''t be able to swing my sword back with such force. However, my knife is many times lighter, and I''m faster.'' Wain thought.


    Their battle would represent the confrontation between agility and strength. Which one of them would win would depend solely on their skills.


    The knight bent down, put his sword out in front of him, and lunged at Wain like an arrow. The knight instantly reached Wain and lunged at him with his sword.


    Whoooosh.


    Wain jumped aside and stabbed the knight''s armor multiple times. Simultaneously, the dark sword came down on the knight from the other side.


    He tried to run the knight over with multiple attacks, but the knight swung the dark sword sharply to the side and attacked Wain from top to bottom.


    Wain did a backward somersault past the edge of the knight''s sword and stared intently at the knight''s armor.


    ''My knife only left a couple of scratches on his armor. I''ll never be able to prate his defense that way. I need to be riskier.'' Thought Wain and dashed at the knight.


    He came close to the knight and barely dodged his lightning sword. Wain bent down, plunged his knife into the knight''s armpit, and then retreated.


    Drip. Drip. Drip.


    Blue blood dripped onto the floor and onto the knight''s ck armor. Wain managed to inflict his opponent''s first, serious wound.


    Rugged armor could protect its wearer from almost anything, but the knight''s armor had a few unprotected ces. One of which was the armpit. It was impossible to protect this ce with armor not to hinder the knight''s movements.


    Other than that, there was another ce that was left unprotected.


    Wain swung his hand, and the dark sword sliced through the knight''s flesh at the back of his knee. Blue blood poured onto the stone floor, and the knight fell to his knees. Wain assumed that the knight''s body was simr to the structure of the human body.


    ''Great, now he definitely won''t be able to get up, at least not for a while.'' Thought Wain and attacked the knight again.


    However, to his surprise, the knight could get to his feet and parry Wain''s blows. The knight''s blows were powerful and heavy. Wain could feel his hands trembling due to the significant recoil.


    Unlike Wain, the knight was protected by sturdy armor and could fight even with serious wounds. He was gradually winning. But, Wain could fight not only with a knife but also with a sword.


    The dark sword stabbed into the knight''s left leg. Wain''s past idea was not quite up to his expectations. He could not stop the knight because his body structure was different from that of a human.<sub> </sub>


    But, he could cut the knight''s legs off through the back gaps. Wain had a flying sword, so it was pretty easy to do.


    In just a few seconds, the dark sword inflicted numerous wounds on the knight, a few more cuts, and the knight should have lost his legs, but he wasn''t about to give up so easily.


    The knight, in a rage, began to swing his weapon and gradually destroy the Wain''s dark sword. More cracks appeared on the dark sword with each blow until the weapon was finally destroyed. The shards of the sword disintegrated into space and turned into dark particles.


    The knight turned around, he was about to attack Wain, but it was toote.


    When Wain saw that the knight was trying to destroy his sword, he rushed towards his opponent. There was another weakness in the knight''s armor that Wain couldn''t get to before. It was a wide gap in his helmet, through which the knight could see perfectly well what was going on around him. The knight was distracted, and Wain decided to take advantage of it.


    He plunged his knife into the gap and thereby pierced the knight''s head. Wain twisted the de in his enemy''s skull, and thest bits of life left the knight''s body.


    [You killed the Last Knight Level 9]


    Wain breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the blue soul that flew out of the knight''s body. The soul entered Wain''s body, and he immediately looked at its description.


    [Soul of Last Knight (Whole)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Rare]


    ''Rare Soul? Not bad, not bad at all. I think I can put it on my Soul Altar.''


    Wain concentrated, and his consciousness was transported to another space. In that space was his Soul Altar in the center of which was the soul of Nameless King. It was his main soul and could not be reced without critical damage to his life.


    But, Wain could put another soul into his Soul Altar, unfortunately only one so far. If he wanted to put another additional soul, he would have to destroy this one. He needed to be much stronger so that new possibilities would open up before him.


    At Wain''s wish, the blue soul went to his Soul Altar and took its ce. At the same time, Wain felt a surge of strength and saw several messages.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Last Knight level 9. Strength+5, Agility+3, Vitality +2, Stamina +1]


    [You have leveled up to level 3. You get 3 status points to distribute freely]


    [You have leveled up to level...]


    [You have leveled up to level 5. You get 3 status points to distribute freely]


    The enemy Wain fought was very powerful, so he got a lot of bonuses. After killing one powerful enemy, he immediately gained multiple levels.


    [Last Knight''s soul became your additional soul]


    [The Last Knight remained the only one of thousands like him. The Last Knight continued to defend the me no matter what. Only death could make him drop his sword from his hands. You have gained the soul of the Last Knight and can be an equally great swordsman.


    When using swords, your attack power increases by 30%. Any skills that use a sword deal 10% more damage]


    Wain was pleased with the description, but it wasn''t everything.


    [Received Rare Skill - Fencing the Last Knight]


    [Fencing the Last Knight (Primary Chronicle Passive Skill, Rare Rating)


    You be skilled enough to wield the sword as if you had been trained for years. Depending on your training, you will progress faster and deepen your swordsmanship]


    ''Very good. It''s a soulpletely focused on sword reinforcement. I''ve never fought with swords before, but the world has changed, which means it''s well worth considering changing my primary weapon.''


    Wain swung his knife a few times and grudgingly muttered, ''As I thought, it looks like my knife doesn''t count as a sword. Rather, it is ssified as a dagger."


    He stretched out his hand, and the next moment a dark sword appeared before him. Wain wanted to try out the effects of the soul and passive skill in action.


    Wain concentrated and threw a few blows into the air. He smiled and said, "That''s another thing, but I still don''t have enough skill. The Rating and Chronicle skill is too low. Moreover, I''m not used to this type of weapon yet."


    The dark sword hovered in the air, and Wain looked at the me of the Dead.


    "It''s time to get it for me and get out of here."

 Chapter 6 Guide To The World Of Humanity

    Wain came to these ruins to get the me of the Dead, but a knight attacked him that Wain sessfully dealt with and even got a strong soul. There were many different souls in this world, some weaker, some stronger. But, the souls in Soul Altar needed to bepetently synchronized.


    At this point, Wain had two souls, Nameless King, and Last Knight. Wain did not yet fully know all the features and abilities of his main soul, but this soul gave him the skill, Destruction Sword. His second soul increases his sword mastery through a passive skill and increases the damage of all skills interacting with the sword.


    These were examples of great synergy between the two souls. This was one of the reasons why Wain decided to put a soul into his Soul Altar rather than crushing it to get a skill or item.


    Step.


    Wain walked slowly toward the me of the Dead. Even though the me was huge, he didn''t feel the heating from it. On the contrary, Wain felt the temperature drop, and he became colder with each passing second. As he approached the green me, cold steam came out of his mouth as he breathed, as if he were in snowynds.


    "I see, so this is how I''m supposed to get the me of the Dead. It''s easier than I thought." Mumbled Wain looking at the ring lying on the anvil.


    It was from this ring that the me of the Dead emanated. The smiths'' hammers were not striking the anvil but precisely at that ring. Wain had not noticed it from afar, but now that he got closer, everything became clear.


    From the outside, the ring looked rather unusual. It was abination of ck and green, but the most remarkable detail was the patterns on the ring. They were in the form of weeping spirits as if they were trying to escape their imprisonment.


    Wain did not hesitate to reach for the ring. He wasn''t afraid that something might happen to him. It just didn''t make sense. Even if Marakt''s words were a lie and anyone who received the me of the Dead would die, that wasn''t the worst case scenario yet.


    Wain realized that there was no way to get off this ind from talking to the old man. Getting the me of the Dead was the only option. He didn''t want to live the rest of his life hunting lizards on an ashy ind with nothing but death and destruction. Compared to that, death was a better option.


    When Wain''s hand almost touched the ring, it slowly became covered in a thinyer of ice. An incredible coldness emanated from the ring, as if from the depths of the underworld.


    Wain didn''t stop and eventually put the ring on his ring finger. Simultaneously, the green mes turned into a whirlwind that consumed the ring. The spirits depicted on the ring glowed brightly and then went out again. Wain saw several messages.


    [You have received the Ring of Damned.]


    [Ring of Damned (Primary Chronicle, Legendary Rating)


    This ring encases innumerable cursed souls. It burned them with its me, time after time until it lost all its heat. This ring is in both the world of the dead and the world of the living, and the souls of the damned belong to neither of these two worlds.


    It is a third world that should not have existed. It appeared in this ring because of the terrible fate of the damned souls. The owner of the ring has the right to use this space, which no one but him can enter]


    "That sounds very interesting. This ring is indeed unusual." Mumbled Wain.


    He wanted to use the ring, but suddenly the ruins trembled. Wain didn''t understand what was happening.


    A crackle.


    p One of the walls was retractable, and behind it was a passageway leading to the top. Wain did not hesitate and ran towards the exit. After about a minute, he was on the north shore of the Isle of the Damned.</anda>


    This shore was covered in a thinyer of ice that crunched beneath his feet, but that wasn''t what caught Wain''s attention at that moment.


    "The ind...is on fire?!" Wain eximed, looking at the green mes gradually covering the entire ind. Wain couldn''t believe it, but the cold, green mes caused the ashes to ignite. When all the ash burned again, this ind would be destroyed and disappear into the threads of history.


    Then Wain remembered the prophecy he had read in the ancient ruins. He dashed toward the shore. If it was true, there must be a guide waiting to guide him to the world of the living.


    But when Wain ran to the ice-covered shore, he saw no one. It was empty, not a hint of any human being or other creature.


    ''What the fuck? Am I going to have to die here? Wain thought to himself.


    But, the guide was already waiting for him, hidden from Wain''s sight.


    Suddenly the ashy sand parted in different directions, and a bony hand in a ck robe appeared from beneath the ground. The skeleton slowly climbed out of the sand, after which it waved its hand.<sub> </sub>


    Hundreds of spirits flew out of the water and quickly turned into a dark boat with a long oar. The skeleton climbed onto the boat, took hold of the oar, and gestured for Wain toe aboard.


    "Wow, that''s just like a real Charon." Smirking, Wain said.


    When they were about ten meters from the shore, Wain turned around and saw the gray ind engulfed green mes. It grew smaller by the second, gradually dying away.


    In the distance, Wain saw Marakt staring at the horizon and several other people, or rather the damned and prisoners of this ind. They looked at Wain with a slight smile and relief as if thanking him.


    After countless years, they would finally be free. The heavy shackles of an immortal but dreary life would fall from their shoulders, and their souls would beid to rest.


    Before Wain''s eyes, the mes engulfed Marakt and the other damned, as well as thest pieces of this ind. As the green mes extinguished and the ind of the damned vanished forever from this world, Wain felt an unusual surge of strength.


    [You received the Title - "Savior of the Damned.]


    [Savior of the Damned]


    The Isle of the Damned has existed since time immemorial. It was a fundamental mistake, for there should have been no ce in this world that belonged to neither the world of the dead nor the world of the living. The souls that went there were captured. You became the one who saved the damned. You let the mes burn them and gave them freedom.


    Most curses will have no effect against you.]


    Wain did not expect that he would receive the Title. He knew that some people managed to get Titles before the dark mist appeared and destroyed his world. But, only a small number of people were able to do that. To do so, it was necessary to do something unique and unusual. The most powerful Titles were given for actions that no one else, ever, could repeat.


    ''Hmm, I wonder how powerful this effect is, and what exactly is meant by the concept of a curse?'' Wain wondered.


    A curse could be called quite a few things, from a harmless spell from a chatan to a terrible curse from a powerful witch. Wain had yet to find out how effective and powerful his newfound Title was.


    As the skeleton paddled and took Wain into the world of the living, he remembered that he wanted to use the Ring of Damned. He wondered what the ring''s effect was and what mysteries it held.


    Wain concentrated, and his consciousness was in a vast space a secondter. Various souls were flying around the ce as if they were in a haunted house. Wain didn''t pay any attention to them, for he was in a real state of excitement at that moment.


    "Huh, something tells me I can use this space for my own purposes."


    In the next moment, Wain''s consciousness came out of that space. He picked up his knife and re-entered the space. After a couple of these maniptions, the knife remained in the space inside the ring. Wain had heard of such things being able to alter and manipte space, but as far as he knew, no one in his world had been able to obtain such an item. Such things were more like a myth than truth. However, the Isle of the Damned was also a myth now. Moreover, it had never existed.


    Wain floated calmly in the endless waters, waiting for where his guide would take him. Unlike the rest of humanity, Wain did not yet know that the world had changedpletely less than a day ago. Many dubbed the apocalypse event, and they were not far from the truth. But, it would be more urate to call it the beginning of a new era.


    About twelve hours had passed since Wain had entered this world and killed the Guardian of Peace. All of humanity realized how the world has changed in that time, and many people have already died. Chaos wasn''t over. It was just beginning to grow and build up its power. Wain missed the prelude but could taste the main course.


    "§¡? What is it?" Wain muttered, seeing the ground in the distance.


    He immediately pulled out his folding binocrs and used them. Wain saw tall houses, simr to those in his world, only more advanced and technologically advanced. But, some of the buildings were damaged, and streams of smoke from the fire could be seen in the city.


    "Are they having a war or some terrorist attack here?" Wain muttered, puzzled.


    He didn''t know that he was the cause of what was happening. But, Wain was very d anyway. He finally felt he could escape death. When he was on the Isle of the Damned, he felt the pressure all the time. It seemed to him that even though he had escaped the dark mist, death was still following him.


    But, now that he saw people, he realized that this was only the beginning of his long adventure.


    At the same moment, Wain saw a message he had forgotten about because of the intense events surrounding the Isle of the Damned.


    [Skill - Nameless King''s Forms partially unlocked]

 Chapter 7 The Apocalypse

    Too much has happened in a short period of time, so Wain forgot that the condition for unlocking the unusual skill was to get the me of the Dead. Wain won''t reach the city until a few minutester, so he set about learning the unlocked skill.


    [Nameless King''s Forms (Primary Chronicle Active Skill, Legendary Rating)


    ]


    [First Form - Codex of Light and Darkness unlocked]


    [Codex of Light and Darkness


    This is the first form. It perfectlybines the bnce of light and darkness. You received this form because it also incorporates the energies of life and death. During the activation of this form, all your stats will increase by 10%, after which they will be perfectly equalized. This effect affects all stats without any exceptions. Some of the abilities of this form will be clear when you use it]


    ''Hmm, I have yet to find out how strong this form is inbat, but the effect of increasing characteristics and equating them sounds very interesting. The average of my stats is just over ten, but if you don''t count Energy. Since this characteristic is much higher than the others. Moreover, thanks to the high Energy, all my skills are much stronger.'' Wain thought.


    By that time, the boat had alreadye ashore. The guide took his oar out of the bottom and gestured for Wain toe ashore.


    Wain sighed and muttered, "Well, it''s time for a new adventure. Here by the sounds of battle, I''vee for the fun part."


    He stood up, patted the skeleton in the ck robe on the shoulder, and stepped ashore. Simultaneously, the guide disappeared beneath the ground, and the boat turned into spirits and evaporated into thin air.


    In appearance, it was the most ordinary, touristy shore. Wain saw lounge chairs,rge umbres, and soda cans all around him. It was very simr to his previous world.


    The beach was not veryrge in area. Wain had to walk about fifty yards forward, climb the stairs, and he would find himself in the city.


    "Finally, normal sand that glistened pleasantly in the sun. The ashy sand that the Isle of the Damned was covered with made me feel estranged." Wain pronounced and headed toward the stairs.


    Suddenly the sand began to part in his path. Arge w appeared out of the sand the next moment, and then a huge crab emerged. It was about two meters tall, and its ws were rigid enough to break an iron beam in two.


    "What? What store did you escape from, big guy?" Smirking, Wain asked.


    Unfortunately, the crab had no intention of talking. He quickly headed toward Wain, threateningly flicking his ws.


    "Hmmm, you know it''s a good thing you showed up here. I love crab meat. What''s more, I haven''t eaten anything in over ten hours. It''s not good to stay hungry." Wain said calmly.


    This crab could easily have killed a bear, but Wain was not afraid. He didn''t flinch when he met the Guardian of this world, so the overgrown crab was nothing more than lunch in his eyes. All Wain had to do was use the cutlery and begin the tasting.


    A ck sword appeared in the air next to Wain and instantly stabbed into the crab''s head, effortlessly slicing through its shell.


    The Destruction Sword could not prate the wool of a giant wolf or the armor of the Last Knight, but this crab was much weaker. The Dark Sword went through the shell like a red-hot knife through butter.


    Wain swung his arm, and the sword gave the crab several more precise cuts, incapacitating it. The huge crab fell right in front of Wain, and its ws still continued to twitch.


    [You killed the Giant Crab Level 3]


    The next moment, a white soul flew out of the crab''s body and prated Wain''s body.


    [Soul of Giant Crab(Destroyed)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Common]


    "Destroyed? What a pity. That crab would probably have given me some defensive skill or item. Whatever." Wain muttered and crushed a soul.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Giant Crab level 3]


    "This crab wasn''t strong, but here''s what I wonder. Are crabs that size normal for this world? I highly doubt it. Otherwise, there would be no loungers on this beach, or it would be very well protected."


    Wain wondered. He was trying to figure out what was going on here. When he was first approaching this town, he thought there had been some terrorist attack or a war in general. But, with the appearance of this crab, he dismissed that theory.


    "Has... has the same thing happened to this world that happened to mine now?" Wain muttered.


    Before the appearance of the dark mist that destroyed Wain''s world, incredible changes had happened to his world.<sub> </sub>


    New continents appeared on the, and countless monsters and various creatures. Then every human was given a soul and a way to be much stronger.


    But, half a year after that, a dark mist appeared. Humans had not yet had time to be strong enough to resist it if that was even possible.


    ''It''s pretty interesting. I thought it was a normal world, or there was already a system of souls in this world, but it happened less than a day ago, from the looks of it. About the time I came to this world, maybe because a portal connected the two worlds and something like this happened? Okay, it''s even better. I would have been too bored in a simple world. Moreover, judging by the technological progress, this world is about the same level as mine.'' Wain thought and swung his arm.


    The dark sword severed the crab''s phnges and cut them neatly open, revealing beautiful crab meat. Wain would have cooked this ingredient in any other case, but he had no time for it now.


    He took a fewrge chunks and enjoyed the freshest possible taste of the crab meat.


    "This meat tastes so much better than regr crab. Great, I haven''t eaten anything this delicious and refreshing in a long time."


    When Wain had had enough and ate a few phnges, he headed further toward the stairs. Wain snapped his fingers and the dark sword floating in the air disappeared. His control over this skill got better each time. The process was natural, like some training.


    Booom.


    Suddenly there was a deafening explosion and one of the twenty-story buildings tilted. It slowly began to fall toward Wain. He didn''t stop moving forward and continued up the stairs.


    Bam.


    When Wain was halfway up, the building fell with a rumble a few feet away from him. He knew that''s where it would fall, so he didn''t even stop. The frame of the building was solid, so even with the fall, the building was not destroyed.


    Wain didn''t even pay attention to it, but suddenly something caught his eye. A man''s body was falling out of the window. He was dead. The man was dressed in a formal style. He looked like the most ordinary office worker.


    But that wasn''t what interested Wain. It was the pack of cigarettes that had fallen out of the man''s pocket.


    Wain picked it up, opened it, put the cigarette to his mouth, and used his lighter.


    The Crimson me lit the cigarette, and a few secondster, Wain exhaled a puff of smoke.


    "Nice..." Wain muttered and took another puff.


    "A lot of people say they can''t quit smoking. Does that mean they have no willpower? Maybe, but many of them are probably just kidding themselves and don''t really want to quit. They artificially create the forbidden fruit out of it in order to have more fun..." Wain muttered.


    "Help..." Suddenly Wain heard a hoarse voice.


    He looked into one of the rooms in the fallen building and saw the injured girl. As the building copsed, ss shattered, and one of therge shards embedded itself in her leg. But, she wasn''t asking for medical attention. She was shaking with fear.


    Wain looked at her and said, "Baby, the world has changed. If you want to survive, pull out the shard of ss and, through the pain, go forward and get stronger. Be strong or die."


    He wasn''t going to help whoever he didn''t know. Whether this girl lived or not was of no concern to him at all.


    After a couple of seconds, Wain continued up the stairs and reached the very end. There he saw a strange scene.


    The roads were ruined, and there were no people in sight. But in the distance, he saw huge insects and zombie-like creatures. Something simr had happened in his past world, but it was new to him. After all, on the day of the apocalypse in his world, he was on an ind.


    "Okay, I don''t feel like fighting insects. Are there people in this world at all who decided to fight instead of hiding? Some of them must have gotten a mighty soul." Wain thought.


    Wain looked around but did not find anything interesting. He decided to walk down the main street and find his way there.


    But as soon as Wain took a step, the ground shook as if an earthquake was about to happen. The next moment Wain saw a huge worm crawling out of the ground in the northern part of the city. It didn''t look like an ordinary earthworm.


    Its body was covered with thick chitin and numerous protective tes. Its mouth was like a wormhole of hundreds of teeth. Moreover, it was huge, for even now, when only half of its body showed out, it was taller than some buildings.


    The worm moved its head sideways as if looking for its target, and it found it.


    The worm headed to the east of the city. Wain smiled and tossed the unfinished cigarette aside.


    ''If the worm is headed that way, that''s where all the interesting stuff is happening.'' Thought Wain and followed the worm.

 Chapter 8 The Power Of Souls

    Wain followed the giant worm to the east of the city. Wain wanted to see the people who had found the strength to fight for their lives during the apocalypse. On his way to the eastern part of the city, Wain encountered several opponents on his way.


    They were weak zombies and several overgrown insects. Unfortunately, all the souls Wain received were of Destroyed quality. He got some Soul Essence, but he didn''t get a stat boost or an item.


    However, it didn''t bother Wain that much at the time. His main target was a huge worm that attacked people in the east.


    ...


    "Wow, they''re pretty well prepared. They even found guns," thought Wain when he saw the people and the position they were in.


    The people tried to defend themselves by building roadblocks and barricades. They also had several submachine guns with which they defended themselves. A few people had pistols, shotguns, and rifles, which they used to st away zombies.


    ''I see. The apocalypse only happened a few hours ago. All they had time to do was arm themselves with what they had on hand and try to fight back. They haven''t even noticed that souls are floating over the bodies of dead zombies'' Wain pondered.


    Unfortunately, Wain couldn''t take those souls. In his world, some people had tried to take the souls of creatures that other people had killed, but they hadn''t seeded. People decided that this was how the new world was set up, and it couldn''t be changed.


    Wain did not notice a single person trying to fight the monsters.


    ''Didn''t they get their souls? No, that''s impossible. They probably haven''t activated their Soul Altar yet'' Thought Wain.


    To activate their Soul Altar, they had to kill any other creature. Usually, it wasn''t hard to do because it wasn''t hard to kill a simple zombie if you had a weapon.


    ''Most likely, these people armed with assault rifles have already activated their Soul Altar, but they don''t understand what''s going on. It''s pretty hard to navigate in this kind of chaos. Moreover, if I were them, I wouldn''t approach the monsters either. They are much safer with a machine gun than with a soul skill when you''re trying to defeat a monster.''


    Unlike Wain, these people were confused. They didn''t have time to learn how to use their soul. They had to fight back first. Moreover, a lot of Main Souls was pretty useless. This could be fixed, but not on the first day of the apocalypse.


    While Wain was monitoring the situation, the mostmon zombie approached him from behind. Wain spotted it and instantly used the Lizard''s Dash. Wain armed himself with a knife, reached the zombie in the blink of an eye and severed its head.


    "Huh, that skill is pretty good after all. I shortened the distance so quickly that he didn''t even have time to notice." Wain muttered, and a white soul flew into his body the next moment.


    [You killed the Zombie Level 1]


    [Soul of Zombie(Destroyed)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Common]


    ''Damn, another Destroyed Soul, well, considering the amount of zombies, it''s no wonder.'' Wain thought and crushed the soul.


    The more were creatures of a certain species, the less likely its soul would be Whole. This rule worked in reverse as well. Such a rule brought some bnce and fairness to this world. After all, otherwise, everything would have depended on luck.


    Two different people could kill a powerful monster, and one of them would get Destroyed Soul, and the other would get Whole. It was possible and given the rule, but with a much smaller chance.


    Luck was a powerful force in all worlds, but not the only one. It should not hold the heavens. It should only be one of the pirs.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Zombie level 1]


    [You get Common Rating Spiritual Box]


    ''What? I got the Spiritual Box? It looks like luck is on my side today.''


    When a person used Destroyed Soul, they only received Soul Essence, but there was one exception to this rule. Every type of soul could give a Spiritual Box when crushed, and it didn''t matter if Whole, Damaged, or Destroyed Soul was used.


    The chance was minimal, and one should not expect the Spiritual Box to contain a weapon or a skill capable of overthrowing the gods. The Spiritual Box could not contain a skill or a full-fledged weapon. There were expendable items in the Spiritual Box.


    In some ways, the existence of such a system was very logical. The reaction of someone who used Whole Soul and got a pill or bomb instead of a weapon would not have been very good. He would have been very disappointed, and luck would have decided too much.


    Wain looked at the white box in his hand and smiled. The next moment he crushed it and got his item.<sub> </sub>


    To Wain''s surprise, it appeared to be a small syringe filled with a blue liquid. Wain thought it was medicine, and he wasn''t far from the truth.


    [Antidote to Infection(Primary Chronicle, Common Rating)


    This cure will be able to cure a person of a zombie infection. The medicine is designed for exactly one person. Otherwise, the infection will not be stopped]


    The description was simple but very clear. It was no secret that if a zombie hurt a person, he was already infected and would soon be a zombie.


    "Not bad, not bad at all. Even though I''m very strong, I don''t have any protective or healing powers. This little syringe might save my life." Wain muttered and quickly transferred the syringe to the Ring of Damned.


    For the first time, Wain felt how lucky he was to receive such an object. This ring was convenient and practical. Wain had made a fantastic achievement and had been rewarded ordingly.


    Wain looked at the roadblock and saw a sad scene. The men could not cope with the hordes of monstersing their way. Moreover, a giant worm had already destroyed one such roadblock a few dozen meters away from them.


    ''Hmm, judging by the building behind them, these people decided to go to the hospital and settle down there. It''s a pretty good solution. The hospital has water and even food and plenty of medicine. But, there are too many people here, and the monsters can sense it,'' Wain reasoned.


    Wain thought that these people would die if they couldn''t adapt quickly. They had to use their skills and souls to stand up to the monsters, not machine guns and rifles.


    While Wain pondered, the worm headed sharply toward this roadblock. Wain didn''t mind fighting the worm, but he wouldn''t do it alone. He knew that he would not defeat such a powerful creature without damage now.


    Wain would walk out of here if no one were strong among the roadblock or the hospital people. He wasn''t going to sacrifice himself to save others.


    "He''s moving this way! Attack him with everything you''ve got!" Shouted one man and threw a bunch of grenades toward the worm. Other men did the same.


    There was a deafening explosion, and hundreds of pieces of shrapnel pounded into the monster''s flesh. Moreover, the giant worm was seriously wounded, a piece of its flesh was destroyed. But, this wound was not fatal. The monster could continue fighting without any problems.


    Bullets could not pierce its tough chitin and tes. These men''s days were numbered.


    The worm swallowed more than ten people in the blink of an eye. Its jaws twisted, and hundreds of teeth turned into a huge blender. It was a horrible death.


    Snap.


    Wain pulled out a cigar and lit it on fire. He was disappointed, an entire roadblock had been destroyed, and none of the people even tried to use their powers.


    ''Are the people in this world some wimps? Why the fuck didn''t they do anything? Wain grumbled to himself.


    He watched as the worm destroyed the barricades and killed innocent people for nothing. However, the onlyw that worked in this world now was thew of the jungle. The strongest survived, and the weakest did not simply be its fodder but its strength as well.


    Wain extinguished his cigarette and was about to leave when there was another explosion suddenly.


    Several fireballs the size of a fist rained down on the worm. The monster''s flesh caught fire, and its blood caked.


    "Has someone finally figured out what''s going on?" Mumbled Wain looking at the girl shooting fireballs toward the worm.


    The girl had long red hair and green eyes. She was dressed in simple, casual clothes, and she didn''t look more than twenty. Wain figured she was a student.


    ''Wow, she''s pretty good. Apparently, her Energy parameter is pretty high. But, if she kills the worm now, I won''t get any reward, that''s not good.'' Wain thought and decided to take action.


    Wain understood that the worm was quite strong, so he decided to use the most powerful thing he had.


    He was going to use Nameless King''s Forms. This skill was still blocked. Wain had yet to unleash its full power. But, the first form, the Codex of Light and Darkness, was avable to him.


    Soul Essence headed toward Wain''s body, and he activated the skill at that moment.


    That''s when his body began to transform. His hair became much longer and reached to his waist. It became white like freshly fallen snow.


    He wore armor as dark as the abyss. It looked light,fortable, and practical. Thest detail was the gloves and boots made of white energy. The gloves had sharp ws, and the boots were very tall and bulky, reaching to knees.

 Chapter 9 Risk

    During the Codex of Light and Darkness, all Wain characteristics were increased by 10%, then equalized with each other. Such a system embodied the perfect bnce of light and darkness in many mythologies and ideologies.


    After Wain''s appearance stopped changing, he decided to look at his stats.


    [Wain Norheim


    Level: 5


    Race: Human


    Soul: Nameless King


    Additional Soul: Last Knight


    Title: Savior of the Damned


    Status Points: 15


    Strength: 28 / Agility: 28 / Vitality: 28 / Stamina: 28 / Energy: 28]


    ''Not bad. If you don''t count Energy, which is about three times less, all my other stats have more than doubled. I feel like I''ve gotten a lot faster and stronger.'' Wain thought.


    Before he applied the Codex of Light and Darkness, Energy was 77, and because it was such a big stat, the other stats had also gone up a lot. For Wain, this skill was perfect.


    "I feel so light and confident. I guess that''s what''s called perfect bnce. Okay, it''s time to cut this worm into sashimi."


    Wain swung his hand, and the dark sword appeared in midair. The de flew toward the giant worm and deeply embedded itself in its flesh. The sword was sharp enough to prate the worm''s armor.


    The monster was about to kill the girl who attacked it with fireballs, but it couldn''t help but react to the other man slicing through its flesh and blood. The worm turned sharply and dashed toward Wain.


    Whooooooosh.


    The dark sword came out of the worm''s body and flew toward Wain. He stretched his arm forward and gripped the sword tightly.


    Wain had no intention of dodging. When he saw the worm killing people, an interesting idea came to him. He could fight the worm for a long time inflicting numerous wounds, but Wain wanted to end it quickly without any risks. That''s why he was going to do something hazardous.


    ''When it swallows its prey, its teeth begin to clench and rotate, even given my stats, I won''t survive being in such a meat grinder of teeth. But, that means I just have to get past this unpleasant stage,'' Thought Wain and got into a stance.


    He bent down a little and put his sword out in front, holding it firmly with both hands.


    "Come on,e here if you''re strong enough. I''ll cut you into pieces, and you''ll squeal in fear and agony!"


    When the distance between the giant worm and him was less than three meters, Wain sprang into action.


    He used Lizard''s Dash and instantly crossed the five meter mark. Wain''s body turned into a blur, and the next moment he was behind the worm''s toothy mouth.


    The monster didn''t realize what had happened and tried to eat Wain, its teeth twisted and narrowed, but the monster''s fate was already sealed.


    Crackle.


    Wain chopped and shed at the flesh inside the worm like a madman. He ran forward and used all his swordsmanship. Wain swung his sword several times a second, and his armor was already drenched in blood.


    Rooooooooooooar!


    Worm roared with the pain and agony he was experiencing at that moment. But, there was nothing he could do. Wain was mercilessly destroying him from within. The monster tried to flex his muscles and crush him, but Wain was not about to give in to such pathetic exertions.


    Wain made a final cut and came out the other end. On the outside, the monster sustained no wounds, but it was no different from mincemeat on the inside. After such an attack, not even the most resilient opponent would have survived.


    Wain''s entire body was covered in the monster''s dark red blood. He was covered from head to toe, and his dark sword waspletely red.


    [You killed the Giant Worm Level 7]


    A white soul flew out of the monster''s body and prated Wain''s chest.


    [Soul of Giant Worm (Damaged)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Common]


    "Damn, I''m out of luck. I was hoping I could get Whole Soul. Well, there''s nothing I can do about that." Wain muttered to himself and crushed the soul.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Giant Worm level 7. Strength+4, Vitality+3]<sub> </sub>


    [You have leveled up to level 6. You get 3 status points to distribute freely]


    Wain was a bit frustrated, he wanted to get some item or skill, but in the end, he had to settle for a small increase in stats and a level upgrade.


    Wain took a deep breath and revoked the Code of Light and Darkness. This skill had given him tremendous power, but he was exhausted in thest few seconds. The dozens of attacks he had made while in this form had put a great strain on his body.


    His hair was short and ck again, and his dark armor and light gloves and boots were gone.


    "Wow, the blood is gone too. That''s a pleasant surprise." Said Wain contentedly. Only a few smeared drops of blood remained on his face, which he quickly cleaned up.


    When Wain turned toward the roadblock, he saw the people''s shocked faces. They forgot about the monster and that the apocalypse had begun. Wain''s power made them stare at him as if hypnotized.


    The girl who had been shooting fireballs before quickly ran up to him and said, "Thank you for saving us. Where did you get that power from?"


    Wain smirked and said, "Don''t you know yourself? I just used the power of my soul. What''s your name?"


    When the girl heard his answer, she was slightly surprised. She was asking this question to confirm her hypothesis. She wanted to know if other people got their powers the same way she did.


    "My name is Anita Corvo. I''m a student. Nice to meet you." Politely she replied.


    "Wain Norheim." Wain said briefly and, looking at the zombies walking in their direction, said, "I think we should move behind the roadblock and talk."


    Anita nodded and followed Wain.


    He wanted to ask her for general information about the current situation. Moreover, Wain needed aputer to get a rough idea of how this world worked.


    The rest of the people stared at them for a while, then came to their senses and continued attacking the zombies and insects with renewed vigor. The power of Wain raised their morale. They realized that they had the strength to withstand this test of fate. Unfortunately, they didn''t know that fate had nothing to do with it. Whoever had set all this up unknowingly walked only a few meters away from them.


    "Anita, do you know what''s going on here?" Asked Wain a somewhat silly question.


    The girl looked at him puzzled and asked, "Have you not noticed that the apocalypse has begun?"


    "Huh, I was just a little busy, and when I got free, I saw crowds of monsters and people killed in the street. Honestly, it was unexpected, and I''d like to know all the details." Said Wain.


    In disbelief, the girl looked at Wain but decided to tell him anyway. She couldn''t think of an activity that would cause him to miss the beginning of the apocalypse.


    "Anyway, I don''t know exactly when it happened, but a little over ten hours had passed since the apocalypse. At that moment, a pir of darkness was seen in the distance, and the clear sky turned ck. That''s when zombies began to appear from under the ground, insects turned into monsters, and most other creatures began to mutate. I don''t know much, but I can say with certainty that unprecedented changes began to ur when the darkness dispersed throughout the world. Something like this has never happened before."


    There was fear in Anita''s voice but also a delight. Wain could sense it.


    ''Hm, unlike those frightened people at the barricades, she''s excited about the beginning of the apocalypse. From the looks of it, her life hasn''t been the best, to say the least. What''s more, given her strength, she''s got a pretty strong soul. She''s lucky.'' Wain thought.


    Regardless of what happened in the world, there were always those who benefited or lost. For many, the apocalypse was the ultimate nightmaree true. But, for some, the apocalypse was the end of their never-ending nightmare.


    "I get it. It''s not an easy situation. Anita, are you familiar with this hospital? I need aputer." Wain said calmly.


    "Yes, I''ve been here several times. I''ll show you out." Said Anita and walked forward.


    Normally she acted cold and aloof. But, she understood that Wain could kill her at any moment if she wanted to. Moreover, she was grateful to Wain for saving her from the worm. Of course, that wasn''t Wain''s main goal, but Anita couldn''t know that.


    Wain followed Anita, but suddenly some man ran up to him. He had seen how Wain had dealt with the worm and was very impressed.


    "Hello, how did you do that?" With a pleasant smile, the man said, trying to hug Wain. He wanted to get close to someone who possessed such enormous power.


    But, in response, Wain pushed his hand aside and said coldly, "Don''t you dare touch me.


    Wain hated being touched, especially by strangers.


    Wain moved on, but the man didn''t want to give up. He decided that without a strong ally, he could not survive.


    "I''m sorry I..." He tried to start another way, but Wain was unable to talk.


    He didn''t like annoying people, especially those so brazen as to touch him.


    He abruptly grabbed the man by the arm and threw him over himself. It was a simple movement, but the man''s arm was dislocated and broken.


    "I think I made it clear to you to stay away from me." Said Wain with an icy stare at the man.


    He turned and followed Anita.

 Chapter 10 The New World

    Everyone saw Wain mercilessly break the man''s arm, but no one dared object. At this point, he and Anita were the only ones at this roadblock who could fight monsters.


    Anita asked, "Wain, don''t we need to help them when they entered the hospitalpound. You''re very strong, and I can kill monsters that aren''t particrly powerful. We should help them, shouldn''t we?"


    Wain smirked and said, "Bring me to theputer and then you can go off and fight for humanity. But if you were sure you wanted to help them, you wouldn''t be asking me."


    Anita answered nothing and just kept walking forward. Wain saw hundreds of people sitting in fear when they entered the main hall. Some of them were originally in this hospital, but many came running here after the apocalypse began.


    Since the apocalypse started less than a day ago, people had not yet had time to line up any units, rules, and so on. There was only chaos and terror all around. No one was paying attention to Anita and Wain passing by.


    After a while, Wain was already sitting at hisputer. For starters, he wanted to watch thetest news.


    ''The apocalypse has started, but not long ago, the monsters weren''t supposed to destroy all the radio towers. I should still have ess to the, and journalists should be reporting from the scene.'' Wain thought.


    He was right and pretty quickly found dozens of news stories about strange monsters, people with superpowers, murdered celebrities, and so on. The situation was no different worldwide, so Wain decided to find out more interesting information.


    He had to figure out what he was on in the first ce, how advanced this world was and how big it was.


    ...


    "This is... unexpected..."  Wain muttered after ten minutes of searching.


    ''As I suspected, the development of this world slightly surpasses that of my own. The most powerful weapons mentioned in the media areser sters. In my world, scientists have only tried to create something like that. But, this world hasn''t gone far. I think the progress here is 10-20 years ahead of my world. It''s not critical, I''ll have no trouble getting used to this world.'' Wain thought.


    Moreover, simpler technologies likeputers were no different from those in his world. But that wasn''t what Wain expected to find out at all. He was struck by the information he found about this.


    ''This is at least ten timesrger than mine, but there aren''t that many countries. If my were that big, it would have about two thousand countries. But here, there are only a hundred. However, that''s not all...'' Wain thought.


    Besides the fact that this was huge, there was also one inexplicable phenomenon in this world. At the world''s borders, there was a dark barrier that did not allow sunlight in. Moreover, even from the satellites, it was impossible to see anything, and strangely enough, the satellites would self-destruct just a couple of hours after taking off into orbit.


    ''I found a news story that said that after the apocalypse began, the dark barrier disappeared. Which means this is even bigger than it was. It''s kind of crazy... The is called Restanta, ironically.''


    Wain also remembered something he hadn''t thought of at first.


    ''Anita said that the apocalypse began after seeing a pir of darkness reach the heavens. That''s what most news reports say, but it hasn''t been established exactly where this surge of energy urred...''


    Wain realized that it was very likely that people had seen that dark pir that emanated from his body when he fought the entity of the world. It was hard for Wain to realize that he was most likely the cause of the beginning of the apocalypse.


    ''I started the apocalypse? No, I started a new era, for life goes on, only the rules of this world have changed.'' Thought Wain and left the room.


    The city Wain was in was called Overion. It was a partly middle ss tourist town. But ording to Wain, in his world, such a city would be high ss.


    Wain didn''t see Anita, he assumed she was headed to fight, but Wain was in no hurry to show off her abilities. He decided to go up to the roof and look at the city from above, for starters.


    ...


    "Hmm,pared to the rest of the buildings in this town, this hospital is a really good ce. I see a military base and some big stores a few kilometers away. There are a lot of weapons at the military base, but it''s useless. Moreover, we''re already surrounded..." Mumbled Wain looking at the crowds of monsters around the hospital.


    Luckily these monsters were weak. Like humans, they needed time to get stronger. Compared to humans, monsters have several advantages and disadvantages.


    They had souls just like humans, and they could even get other creatures'' souls, but they had a much moreplicated process than humans. But, unlike humans, monsters didn''t need to kill to get stronger. However, without absorbing the Soul Essence of other creatures, their progress was very slow.


    They mutated and gained new abilities, but they could not choose from several options like humans. That was one of the main differences.


    "It''s a shame that the Destruction Sword only has a range of 50 meters. I would have been able to kill these monsters from afar. Speaking of which, do I have enough Soul Essence to improve any skill or soul?" Wain muttered.


    Not only did Soul Essence increase a person''s level when they destroyed souls to be stronger. But, it could also be Used to improve skills and souls.


    The system didn''t say how much Soul Essence a person had or needed to improve a skill, but Wain knew the approximate values.


    ''Hmm, as far as I know, to improve a Common Rating skill, I need to kill ten to fifty Primary Rating creatures, but that''s assuming their souls are Common Rating. As I walked to this hospital, I killed quite a few zombies, but I don''t think I got much Soul Essence for their souls. However, the worm I recently killed definitely gave me a lot of Soul Essence. What''s more, I killed Last Knight, and his soul was Rare Rating''. Wain thought and decided to check his guess.<sub> </sub>


    Wain opened the system and looked at the list of avable upgrades. To his surprise, he had enough Soul Essence to improve one skill.


    [You can improve Lizard''s Dash skill]


    Wain didn''t have enough Soul Essence to improve the rest of his skills.


    ''Hmm, Destruction Sword is also a Common Rating skill, but I can''t improve it. But it is logical because, despite the same Rating, this skill is much stronger.'' Wain thought.


    He hadn''t been able to improve a skill before and had no information about it. Now he would be doing it for the first time.


    Wain decided to develop Lizard''s Dash because he thought it was a pretty useful skill. He could drastically shorten or increase the distance with someone. It could be used both to escape and to attack.


    Moreover, Wain was just curious to see how the skill improved.


    [You used 90% of your Soul Essence. The Lizard''s Dash skill is ready to develop. Choose one of two ways]


    At the exact moment, two options appeared before Wain.


    [Improve Chronicle skill]


    [Improve Skill Rating]


    Wain didn''t know which to choose. He didn''t expect to see so many subtleties when developing a skill.


    But, Wain could find out from the system at any time. So he spent the next few minutes reading the skill development manual.


    "Hmm, I see. It turned out to be easier than I thought." Wain muttered.


    There was a significant difference between the two options. If Wain decided to improve the skill Chronicle, the skill would be much more powerful. The Primary Chronicle would change to the First Chronicle, but the Skill Rating would remain the same. Moreover, in this case, Wain could not decide exactly how to improve the skill since there was only one option when improving the Chronicle.


    On the other hand, if Wain decided to increase his skill rating, his skill would be stronger but not as powerful as in the first option. But, he would have a choice of at least two options.


    ''If I choose the second option, I could decide how to improve the skill myself. At least I''d have a choice. Moreover, as I understand it, the higher the Rating of the skill, the stronger it will be after the increase Chronicle.'' Wain thought.


    Wain decided rather quickly to improve the Rating of Lizard''s Dash. In his opinion, it was much better to act prospectively than to try to get a skill that would only be strong for the moment.


    [You decided to improve the Rating of the skill]


    [Choose one of the suggested options]


    The next moment in front of Wain, three suggested options appeared.


    [Strong Lizard''s Dash]


    [Speedy Lizard''s Dash]


    [Lightning Lizard''s Dash]


    ''Three choices at once? Not bad.'' Wain thought. He was about to choose one of the options, but suddenly he frowned.


    [Strong Lizard''s Dash (Primary Chronicle, Rare Rating)


    This is an enhanced version of Lizard''s Dash. You can ram other targets during the dash, thanks to your immense strength. The addition will create a shockwave at the end of the dash that will knock your target aside. After applying the skill: Strength +10 for 30 seconds]


    [It is possible to develop the skill if the following conditions are met-


    [Strength above 30 points, not including external factors: 16/30]

 Chapter 11 Ruthless Choice

    Wain did not know that he would have to fulfill any conditions to develop the skill. This was a surprise to him.


    ''It wasn''t mentioned in the manual... What''s more, I can''t improve the Chronicle of skill now. I have to choose one of the three options offered and fulfill the condition.'' Thought Wain and looked at the description of the next evolution option.


    [Speedy Lizard''s Dash(Primary Chronicle Active Skill, Rare Rating)


    This is an enhanced version of Lizard''s Dash. Thanks to your increased dexterity, the dash''s length, and speed are much greater. You can now cover a distance of ten meters in less than one second. After application: Agility + 10 for 30 seconds]


    [It is possible to develop the skill if the following conditions are met-


    [Agility above 30 points, no external factors: 18/30]


    Wain could choose one of these options and develop the skill right now. He did not have enough Strength or Agility, but he had 18 Status Points. He had no problem increasing Strength or Agility up to 30 points.


    But, he was curious to see what the third evolution option was all about. The name wasn''t the mostmon.


    [Lightning Lizard''s Dash(Primary Chronicle Active Skill, Rare Rating)


    This is an enhanced version of Lizard''s Dash. Unlike the normal skill version, your speed and dash strength will increase significantly. During the dash, you will emit electric charges. The electric charges will explode at the end of the dash, creating an electric discharge. The target in front of you will be attacked and take some damage. You can cover a distance of ten meters in less than a second]


    After using, no bonuses were given for this skill, but Wain immediately wanted to choose this one. With lightning energy, this skill was bing like some kind of spell, which Wain liked. But when he looked at the prerequisites, he frowned.


    [It is possible to develop the skill if the following conditions are met-


    [Any Rare Rating Whole Soul of monster with the lightning attribute: 0/1 is required]


    Wain didn''t expect to see something like this. He didn''t think the condition could be Soul, much less with a certain Rating and wholeness.


    "Hmm, I can improve Lizard''s Dash right now if I choose one of the previous options. But, I like thest one best. Oddly enough, to improve it, I must meet the most difficult condition offered." Mumbled Wain and closed the system.


    He decided there was no point in developing a skill if that was not the highest possible maximum. Lightning Lizard''s Dash was definitely the strongest variation of the three.


    "But, where do I look for Whole Soul with the lightning attribute?" Wain pondered.


    He looked at the monsters heading toward the hospital but didn''t see any that fit. They were only weak, simple monsters.


    "Hmm, for a monster to get any attribute, whether it''s lightning, fire, water, or other, it must either evolve or appear in a suitable environment..." Proimed Wain was looking at the houses in the distance.


    "I didn''t notice it at first, but it looks like the monsters have already managed to destroy the generators that provide power to this city. I don''t see any lightsing on in even a single apartment building. However, every light bulb in this hospital works without any problem." Wain reasoned.


    He concluded that the hospital had its generator. It was the source of electricity, hence the attribute of lightning.


    "But, electricity alone isn''t enough. I need the monster to appear under certain conditions, to be endowed with the attribute of lightning." Wain muttered.


    His gaze fell on the men running away in the distance. One of them stumbled and fell. He managed to get up and run away from the crowd of zombies. But, one monster managed to wound him. The wound was not deep, it was a simple scratch, but the man was already infected.


    Wain mmed his fist against his palm as if he had an idea in his head and said, "Right! I just need to create a lightning zombie, easy peasy!"


    With those words, Wain turned around and headed for the hospital wards. He was sure that one of the people here had been infected and was on the verge of turning into a zombie. Depending on the severity of his injury, the transformation could take anywhere from thirty minutes to three days. That meant he had to find a severely wounded person with signs of infection.


    It didn''t take long to find that man. There was a middle-aged man in one of the rooms, bleeding and all alone. Wain walked up to him and knocked him out with one sharp blow to the neck.


    Wain raised him on his back and headed toward the generator. Wain didn''t know where the generator was, but the maps showed the ce. Only service personnel could go in there, but those rules weren''t working right now.


    Wain walked for a while until he got to the specified location, but it wasn''t as easy as he thought.


    "Stop! Who are you?" Said one of the two men standing in the aisle.


    ''I see, so they had the brains to send someone to guard the generator. Thought Wain looking at them.


    One of the men looked at the man on Wain''s back and said, ''This is no ce for wounded people. Take this man to the ward.''


    Wain nodded and said, "Sure, I''m just lost, but I''ll stay here anyway."<sub> </sub>


    The next moment a dark sword appeared between the two guards, and Wain swung his arm.


    Two heads fell to the floor, and blood flooded the corridor. Wain walked past the lying bodies, carefully stepping over the pools of blood. Unlike killing monsters, killing people didn''t give a person a soul.


    He muttered to himself, "Eh, humans have be the only creatures without souls of their own. Not surprising, though, considering how terrible we are..."


    Wain opened the door and saw a functioning generator. All Wain had to do was wait a few minutes before the man turned into a zombie. And then send electricity into his body through the wires. The method was rather ruthless but straightforward.


    Wain put the man''s body close to the generator and went to clean up after himself. He carried the two men''s bodies to an inconspicuous ce and quickly cleaned up the bloody footprints. Wain was very experienced at this. He was a master at it.


    "He''s bleeding and probably just recently came to this hospital. It''s only a couple of minutes before he turns. I have to be prepared for the unexpected. I doubt a lightning zombie will be as strong as a normal zombie. It will be times stronger." Mumbled Wain.


    Crackle.


    After a couple of minutes of waiting, Wain saw the man''s body begin to shrivel and partially dpose. It was a sign that the man had entered the first phase of his transformation into a zombie.


    Wain immediately began to act. He cut off many wires and brought them to the man. He didn''t care that it could have had a harmful effect on the operation of the generator or put it out of action altogether. The most important thing at the time was to get the soul he needed.


    Wain was not going to spare a zombie. He used as much electricity as he could, and Wain saw a strange change at one point.


    Electric sparks spun into the man''s flesh and headed for his head. At the same moment, the transformation into a monster wasplete.


    Wain bounced to the side and looked curiously at the result.


    Just as he had anticipated, the man had turned into a zombie, but not an ordinary one. This zombie was one and a half times taller, had electric shocks running all over his body, and his eyes looked as if they were made of lightning.


    Roooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaar!


    The Lightning Zombie roared and pounced on Wain. However, Wain didn''t attack him back. He just ducked.


    Wain wasn''t sure if he should kill this zombie now. He doubted something.


    ''Hmm, to develop Lizard''s Dash into Lightning Lizard''s Dash, I need a Rare Rating Whole Soul with the lightning attribute. I''ll definitely get the soul with the lightning attribute if I kill this zombie. Furthermore, I doubt there are many Lightning zombies at this point, so I''m 99% sure I''ll get the Whole Soul. However, this zombie doesn''t look unique or strong enough for its soul to be Rare Rated. I need to fix that.'' Wain thought and dodged another zombie attack.


    The next moment, a dark sword appeared behind the zombie, instantly slicing the monster''s Achilles tendons in his legs.


    As the zombie slowly crawled toward him, unable to get to his feet, Wain headed toward the corpses of the guards he had killed.


    "What''s going on here?!" Suddenly, however, a man burst into the room with a bat in his hands.


    Then the man''s gaze fell on Wain dragging two headless bodies behind him with a calm expression on his face.


    "Today is definitely not your day," Wain said calmly.


    The man didn''t understand what was happening, but it was already a foregone conclusion. Wain swung his hand, and the dark sword pierced the man''s heart.


    Wain smirked as he looked at the zombie and said, "Dinner is served. I have prepared a real banquet especially for you!"


    For the next few minutes, Wain watched without emotion as the zombies devoured the corpses of men. The monsters grew stronger by devouring the flesh of others, thereby gaining Soul Essence. The more of a creature had, the faster the monster became stronger.


    ''Hmm, there''s quite a bit of Soul Essence in those three. After all, they haven''t even killed any monsters yet and haven''t awakened their Soul Altar.'' Thought Wain.


    He came to that conclusion because none of them had used any skill. However, Wain killed them too quickly for them to offer any resistance.


    "I need to help him. He needs to get strong enough, so I don''t get my hands dirty for nothing." Wain muttered and headed for the wires.


    It was a real challenge for the zombie. He had to eat people and at the same time absorbrge amounts of electricity that Wain was forcibly transmitting to him.


    "Aahahaha, I like that. I feel like a mad scientist. But, this is just the beginning."

 Chapter 12 The Lightning Attribute

    While all humanity trembled in fear of the monsters and were terrified of the apocalypse and some people tried to fight the monsters with their souls, Wain was busy killing people and making the monster stronger.


    After about ten minutes, the lightning zombie ate all three people and absorbed huge electricity. Because of Wain''s actions, some devices and lights in the hospital stopped working. His actions de-energized about a third of the hospital. But, he was pleased with the result.


    "Great, he''s gotten a lot stronger. I''m sure his soul will be Rare Rated. Attack!" Said Wain looking at the zombie.


    The monster''s appearance had changed considerably. It grewrger, and its hair turned blue and electrified. He stared at Wain with rage. On the one hand, the zombie grew stronger, but he spent hisst minutes in agony. He felt like he was swimming in the cauldron of hell, and Wain stirred that cauldron.


    The zombie roared and lunged at Wain. He became much faster and shortened the distance of five meters in just a second. Wain ducked and punched the monster in the stomach with all his might, but the zombie didn''t even flinch, and Wain felt his arm go numb.


    ''Unbelievable, his skin has be many times more powerful. My Strength setting is 16, I''m about three times stronger than a normal human, and that''s not counting my skills. Okay, I should have expected something like that. Otherwise, it would have been too easy.'' Thought Wain, and a dark sword appeared beside him.


    The weapon copsed on the zombie, but the monster managed to react and repelled the sword with its sharp ws. Wain struck the monster again and bounced to the side.


    He swung his arm, and the dark sword flew into his hands. Wain decided that the best solution would be to fight the zombie in closebat in this situation. His knife certainly couldn''t cut through such tough skin, and what''s more, he had a skill that greatly improved his swordsmanship.


    "Last time I cut that worm like crazy, but that''s a different situation now. That zombie is fast and strong enough to kill me in a few blows." Mumbled Wain and got ready to fight.


    The next moment the zombie turned into a sh of lightning and attacked Wain. The lightning zombie was a fast and dangerous opponent, but Wain also had his tricks.


    He thrust his sword forward and used Lizard''s Dash. The zombie''s ws almost hit Wain, but he moved out of harm''s way at thest moment. The monster''s ws ended up sinking deeply into the concrete walls, and Wain made a deep cut in the monster''s side.


    "Damn, you''re too tough. It felt like I was trying to cut through hardened steel." Wain said grudgingly and used Lizard''s Dash once more.


    He began to attack the monster in the back with all his might, inflicting several deep wounds.


    Whooosh.


    The monster turned around and began to attack Wain with great speed. But, he had no problem blocking all of the monster''s lunges. The zombie''s ws could not break or blunt the ck sword. Their stamina and skill in closebat decided everything at that moment.


    Wain dodged another blow and plunged the dark sword deep into the monster''s stomach. Wain put all his strength into this attack. He barely managed to prate the monster''s tough skin.


    But, the zombie did not die from this. It only vomited blood and tried to attack Wain again. However, Wain was not about to let the zombie hurt himself. He used Lizard''s Dash and got to the wall.


    The zombie''s back hit the concrete wall, and the dark sword stuck deep in the wall. The zombie didn''t expect such an attack. It was stunned for a second. Wain took advantage of this small hitch.


    ''His skin is callous, and I can''t prate it with simple blows, even the Destruction Sword has a hard time cutting through his flesh, but he has unprotected ces.'' Wain thought, and the next moment he pressed his fingers tightly together.


    His palms turned into two sharp spears that strode toward the zombie''s eyes.


    Crackling.


    Wain bounced aside, and the monster roared in pain. Wain smirked and, looking at the two blue eyes in his hands, muttered, "Not bad. I''ll keep it for luck like a trinket. He moved them to the Ring of the Damned with his mind and snapped his finger.


    The dark sword disintegrated into many pieces and disappeared but then reappeared in Wain''s hands.


    ''Hmm, I''ve already used several skills in a short period of time. I feel like I''m starting to get tired. But it looks like my opponent won''t be able to stand on his feet for much longer.'' Thought Wain looking at the zombie.


    He had robbed him of his eyes, and the monster had no other way of seeing the world. It had to find Wain by smell or sound alone.


    Wain did not attack. He decided to do the smart thing. He pulled out a lighter and threw it to the side.


    Click.


    The zombie heard the sound and instantly reacted. His ws became electrified, and he was ready to tear Wain apart. But, it could only cut through the air.


    Simultaneously, Wain pierced the monster''s throat and swung the sword, turning the zombie''s flesh into a bloody mess.


    But, even that couldn''t kill the zombie. It was a surprisingly resilient creature.


    "Damn, how many times do I have to wound you before you die?" Proimed Wain and stabbed the zombie''s head about ten times with his sword.<sub> </sub>


    He attacked it until the monster let out itsst breath. Wain smiled; he was satisfied, but not because he could defeat the monster. It was so obvious.


    When Wain killed the zombie, a blue soul flew out of its body. This meant that she was Rare Rated. If, as Wain supposed, it was Whole Soul, he could improve the skill.


    The soul entered his body. Wain picked up the lighter from the floor and looked up the information about the soul.


    [Soul of Lightning Zombie(Whole)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Rare]


    ''Great, I did the right thing in deciding to create the Lightning Zombie myself. This guy was probably the first and currently the only such monster. In that case, the probability of getting a Whole Soul was 100%.'' Wain thought.


    Of course, he wouldn''t use that soul or put it on his Soul Altar. He needed that soul for a more important purpose.


    He went to the upgrade menu, chose Lizard''s Dash, and then the third option, which he needed this soul for.


    [Lightning Lizard''s Dash(Primary Chronicle Active Skill, Rare Rating): The following conditions must be met to obtain this skill.


    [Any Rare Rating Whole Soul of a monster with the lightning attribute: 1/1 is required]


    [Conditions met. Do you want to use soul with Lightning attribute and develop Lizard''s Dash to Lightning Lizard''s Dash?]


    ''Yes.'' Said Wain to himself, and a panel appeared in front of him with all the conditionally appropriate souls.


    ''Oh, so I can choose which soul to use, that''s good. I thought the choice would be random." Mumbled Wain and chose the Soul of Lightning Zombie.


    He only had one matching soul, so he didn''t have much to choose from. But, such an opportunity could be used in the future. He could spend less promising souls instead of more valuable or rare ones.


    [A soul with the lightning attribute was chosen. Starting skill development.]


    The next moment, a soul and a rune denoting Lizard''s Dash flew out of Wain''s body. They merged, and the slightly altered rune returned to his Soul Altar.


    [Lizard''s Dash (Primary Chronicle Active Skill, Common Rating) ¡ú Lightning Lizard''s Dash (Primary Chronicle Active Skill, Rare Rating)


    Wain decided to use his new skill right away. This was the first time he was improving a skill, and it seemed very interesting to him.


    Soul Essence moved toward his body, and electric shocks appeared around his legs. Wain''s silhouette blurred, and he was across the room a secondter. After a jerk, the umted electrical charge surged outward and destroyed part of the wall.


    Wain turned around and saw behind him the t line left behind by the jerk due to the high temperature of the lightning.


    "Unbelievable, this is so much better than the previous option. I made the right decision to develop the skill in this particr direction. I wonder what improvements I''ll make next?" Mumbled Wain and left the room.


    He headed for theputer room. He took a phone from his desk when he got there, with apact sr panel. Next, Wain headed into the main room, but suddenly the whole building shook.


    Wain thought there was an earthquake, but he saw three huge worms around the hospital when he looked out the window.


    ''Damn, there are too many people here, no wonder the worms wanted to attack this hospital. There''s a real feast of hundreds of people here for them. I need getting to get out of here.'' Thought Wain and ran out of the hospital.


    At this moment, he could not deal with three giant worms even if he used the Code of Light and Darkness.


    The other people also tried to run out, but the worms had already copsed their massive bodies onto the hospital building. Dozens of people were crushed and eaten. Some died because they were caught in the rubble.


    "Phew, they don''t give a second''s rest. The beginning of the apocalypse is a dangerous time indeed, but maybe it''s for the best." Mumbled Wain running into the narrow alleys.


    Hundreds of people ran out of the hospital, and the monsters that came close were distracted by them. It was a good opportunity to run away and figure out a future action n.

 Chapter 13 Blast

    The giant worms destroyed more than half the hospital in less than one minute. The building was veryrge and sturdy, but it was as easy as a house of cards for the worms to break it.


    Wain was the first to run out of the hospital, so he was safe. Before he ran into the alley, he looked back and saw two people fighting worms. It was hard to call it a fight, though. It was more like ants trying to move a mountain.


    One of the two was Anita, and the other was a guy in a blue cloak.  He had a blue bow in his hand to shoot energy arrows at the worms.


    ''Hmm, this guy''s soul has something to do with the bow. It would be nice to have some sort of long-rangebat skill too. Unfortunately, until I evolve, I won''t have more than one additional soul. But, I still have two slots for active skills.


    While Wain pondered, one worm attacked the guy with the bow. It raised its tail high and swatted the man like a fly. When Anita saw that her partner''s body had been turned into a pancake, she ran away in fear.


    Those who had awakened their souls could kill zombies or weak insect monsters. But, they had to be much stronger to fight the giant worms. However, people with powerful souls and skills like Wain could fight such monsters on the first day of the apocalypse.


    ''I need to get to the armory before someone else robs it. Thanks to my miracle ring, I can carry dozens of grenades. As long as the monsters haven''t gotten too strong yet, powerful weapons will work against them.'' Thought Wain and opened the map on his phone.


    He didn''t know if there were any gun stores in this town, but the people at the outpost had machine guns and pistols.


    Wain looked at the map and smiled, ''Great, not only is there a gun store in this town, but there are also two shooting ranges. One of the shooting ranges is quite close by, but there''s no point in going there. That''s probably where the people in the hospital got their guns from.''


    The gun store was two kilometers away. It was close enough, but it was dangerous to walk even a hundred meters in an apocalypse. Wain, however, was not worried. He had tried many times in his world to get a soul and killed weak monsters relying on his skills.


    "Okay, let''s go." Proimed Wain and ran forward as fast as he could.


    Many monsters were moving along the roads, and anyone who darede out of hiding should have moved slowly and not attracted attention. But Wain didn''t think so. It was much safer to sprint through the danger zone than to stay in it for a long time.


    Moreover, he was strong enough to handle sudden idents.


    "Heree the first contenders for death." Said Wain looking at the zombies walking toward him.


    They were slow and weak, but Wain could be stronger with their souls. One of his most important tasks was to level up. The higher his level, the stronger he woulde to the point of evolving.


    Wain swung his hand, and the dark sword headed towards the zombie. A secondter, the heads of three zombies were already on the ground, and Wain saw several messages.


    [You killed the Zombie Level 1]


    [You killed the Zombie Level 3]


    [You killed the Zombie Level 2]


    Three white souls flew into Wain''s body, and he immediately crushed them. Unfortunately, they were all Destroyed, but that was the most likely scenario considering the sheer number of zombies.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Zombie level 1]


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence...]


    ''I wonder how many simple zombies I have to kill to get to the next level?'' Thought Wain.


    After a couple of minutes, he saw a gun store in the distance, but something made Wain frown. There was another man on his way to the gun store, and there was a whole crowd of zombies running after him.


    He ran faster than Wain into the store and closed the door. Wain was left outside, alone among dozens of zombies, but he wasn''t going to back down. He just had to get into the store.


    Crackle.


    Wain kicked the door with all his might and kicked it out of the doorway.


    "What are you doing?! They''re going to kill us now!" The man eximed. He didn''t expect anyone else to burst into the store suddenly.


    Wain looked at him threateningly, and the man realized that Wain had no intention of having a dialogue. He grabbed a gun from a nearby shelf and pointed it at Wain.


    "Stay back. I''ll shoot!" His hands trembled, he was afraid, but he had enough determination to murder for survival.


    But, Wain was not going to stop. He stepped forward confidently.


    When the distance between them was reduced to one meter, the guy pulled the trigger, but no shot was fired.<sub> </sub>


    "Idiot, it''s not loaded." Said Wain and sharply snatched the gun from his hands.


    Wain mmed the butt of the gun into the guy''s head with all his might. He was instantly knocked out and bleeding from his head. Then Wain picked him up and threw him outside the gun store, leaving him to be eaten by zombies.


    But, the zombies would eat him in just a minute. Wain needed something to block the exit. He lifted the door and moved some cabs. The zombies would eventually break through such an arbitrary barricade, but Wain wasn''t going to stay here for long.


    He quickly grabbed all the weapons he could find and moved them into the Ring of the Damned.


    ''There are no professional rifles here, only the mostmon variants, but there are plenty of powerful pistols and an extensive range of grenades.'' Thought Wain moved a bag of grenades and a couple of ammo packs into the ring.


    Wain was already picking up thest weapon from the warehouse, and in thest box, he found something interesting. It was arge pistol, no less powerful than a massive revolver.


    ''Wow, not bad. Engraved frame, erged magazine, and a huge caliber. Just the thing'' thought Wain.


    Crackle.


    By then, the zombies had already burst into the store, Wain wanted to run out the back door, but he changed his mind at thest moment.


    ''I''ve got at least twenty zombiesing my way. It''s a real feast of souls. I shouldn''t miss out on something like this.'' Thought Wain looking behind the monsters walking slowly in his direction.


    Wain grinned, and two grenades appeared in his hands. They were some of the most powerful ones Wain had found in this store. He threw them into the midst of the zombies and disappeared behind the wall.


    Booom.


    There was a deafening explosion. It was so powerful that the building shook and dust sprinkled from above. A severed zombie head rolled in front of Wain. The next moment, more than twenty white souls entered Wain''s body.


    He saw multiple messages and began to look through each soul.


    "Wow, looks like I got lucky this time." Among all the souls were all Destroyed except one.


    [Soul of Zombie(Whole)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Common]


    Wain did not hesitate to crush it as well as all the other souls.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence...]


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence...]


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Zombie level 3. Strength+2, Agility+2, Stamina+2, Vitality+2]


    Zombies were monsters without any specialization. They were not good at defense or attack. Zombies were bad at everything, which is why Wain got all kinds of stats, but little by little.


    [You get Common Rating Soul Chest]


    "Did I get Soul Chest? Great!" Wain eximed.


    The Soul Chest was an item that could only be obtained using Whole Soul. As the name implied, inside this chest was some equipment. It could be a weapon, armor, or even costume jewelry with special properties.


    Wain decided to see what kind of item he would get right away. The Soul Chest looked like a small, white wood chest. It originallyes into the system like a card, but Wain could activate it, and the Soul Chest would appear in front of him.


    ''Hmm, it''s small. Perhaps it contains some costume jewelry? Though that''s unlikely, what''s in there then?'' thought Wain.


    Often by the size of the Soul Chest, one could guess what kind of item was in there. If the chest was massive, it was logical to assume a weapon or even a whole set of armor. If the chest was small, it was more likely to contain costume jewelry, which was what Wain thought.


    Wain didn''t wait for more intrigue and opened the chest. He wasn''t expecting something incredible because he got a white chest by crushing the soul of a pathetic zombie. But, the excitement made his blood boil.

 Chapter 14 Zombies On A Plate

    Wain opened the Soul Chest with anticipation. Wain was surprised, for the small item that fits this chest was a glove. It was a single glove, not a pair.


    This glove was green in color and looked rather creepy. Moreover, on the side of the palm was a drawing in the shape of the closed mouth of some monster. This drawing looked very natural.


    Wain took the glove in his hands and saw detailed information about the item at the exact moment.


    [Zombie Glove (Primary Chronicle, Common Rating)


    This glove is made of dense zombie flesh and is quite difficult to destroy, as the tissues naturally overgrow. But unfortunately, this gauntlet provides rather mediocre protection. However, it has a special effect.


    If blood gets on the drawing of the closed mouth, a real mouth will open on the glove, which is supposed to swallow some creature''s brains. After this mouth absorbs the brains of three different creatures, it will create a random potion. This effect can be used only once every seven days]


    ''An equipment with a special effect? Not bad, but the effect is kind of weird. If I want to get a potion, I have to turn into a zombie for a while. They''re so fond of human brains, aren''t they?'' Wain thought and put on his glove.


    Then he pulled out his knife and made a neat cut on the glove. He was curious to see how zombies'' recovery effect was famous for working. As Wain expected, before his eyes, part of the gauntlet recovered.


    "Hmm, perhaps this could somehow be used to shield me from numerous but very weak attacks. For now, I have no way to regenerate except naturally." Wain muttered.


    Wain didn''t know where he was going, but one thing was obvious - he had to get stronger, and for that, he was willing to do anything.


    For Wain to get stronger, he had to get stronger souls, which meant he had to kill stronger monsters.


    ''At the beginning of the apocalypse, strong monsters only appear in two ces. Either in natural areas like wilderness, volcanoes or ciers, or crowded ces.'' Wain thought, looking around.


    The streets were empty. Only in the distance did he see a few zombies walking slowly somewhere. Wain was about to look at the map on his phone to determine his next destination. But, suddenly, the whole ground shook.


    Wain didn''t know what was happening, but the shaking was so violent that some of the ground rose, and the buildings next to him began to copse.


    "Fuck!" Shouted Wain as he watched the five-story building plummet toward him.


    He quickly used Lightning Lizard''s Dash and his silhouette blurred. He was transformed into an electric bolt of lightning for a moment.


    Bam.


    A building copsed near Wain, but that didn''t interest him. At that moment, his attention was fixed on something more incredible.


    An enormous worm, more reminiscent of a world-eater, had emerged from the center of the city. If the previous worms Wain had encountered could destroy arge hospital, this one was capable of destroying an entire castle. There were sharp spikes and sturdy tes all over its body. He could easily drill a mine that was tens of kilometers long with his body.


    Fortunately, the colossal worm didn''t pay attention to Wain or anyone else. It headed north to other areas. But, because of its huge body and abrupt movements, Overion, where Wain was located, was divided into fourrge parts.


    Between each part was now a veritable canyon several tens of meters thick and more than a hundred meters deep.<sub> </sub>


    Wain realized that thendscape here had just been changed, so he decided to take a closer look at the changes. He jumped onto the copsed building and climbed to the top ten secondster, and looked at Overion from above.


    "Clearly, fate itself has decided to help me with my choice. There''s no way I''m getting to one of the other three parts now. I''ll have to stay here for a while." Wain muttered.


    Overion was now not an entire city, but like fourrge, equal inds. Bridges had to be built to cross the ten-meter canyons or needed special skills.


    p Wain looked carefully at the rifts, then looked at the map.</anda>


    "I see, so now I''m in the eastern part of Overion." Mumbled Wain and took out a cigarette and lit it.


    He scrupulously searched for the right ce and found it rather quickly. Wain''s choice was one university on the outskirts of town. Overion was only partly a tourist spot, it had a beautiful beach, but it was mostly an ordinary town with its infrastructure.


    But, he chose this university for several important reasons. First, there was a big shop nearby. At this point, groceries were as crucial as souls.


    Secondly, the university was close to the beach and the wilderness, a mix of forest and jungle. It was a great location with people and the right conditions for strong monsters to emerge.


    Wain wasn''t going to be in the business of saving humanity. It was a futile endeavor. No matter what happened in this world, there would be those who would survive, and those people would be the strongest. Wain was well aware of how this world would evolve in the next few years.


    "Many people will die, but that''s not a problem. It''s inevitable. Then those who gained strong souls and killed powerful monsters will make themselves known. Such people will grow even stronger, while many others will not even activate their Soul Altar." Wain muttered and exhaled a puff of smoke.


    He understood that the strongest people would gain more power over time, other people would follow them, and the weakest would obey them. The strongest people in the new world would create their bases, ns, organizations, and maybe even cities.


    This was all going to happen very soon. Once people realized that change was irreversible and no one would help them. They would begin to search among themselves for leaders and those strong enough to protect them.


    Wain wasn''t interested in leading others or being the head of some small n. But, he wasn''t against bing a judge of the world again. He would be the one whose name would make the leaders of millions tremble.


    In his world, he was powerful and influential enough to decide the fates of entire countries. Of course, this was impossible to pull off alone. After all, he was a man, not a god. Many people chose to obey Wain as their leader, even if he didn''t ask them to.


    Wain didn''t like it, but he realized that such people could be useful. They were doing petty and dirty work on which Wain didn''t want to waste his time.


    "Now I have a strong soul and limitless possibilities. What''s more, this world is huge. There are probably more than a hundred billion people living here." Mumbled Wain and went downstairs.


    The ce Wain was heading to was called the University of the Bright Sun. It was a rather strange name for an educational institution, but in Wain''s opinion, it was better.


    It was pretty far away, so it would take Wain at least half an hour to get there.


    "Hmm, there will probably be a lot of monsters near the university. Actually, that''s good news for me. But, I need something to eat. I have plenty of weapons but no food or water at all." Mumbled Wain and looked at the map to see where the nearest shop was.

 Chapter 15 Zombie Brains

    The nearest shop was only a hundred meters away. Wain ran there, on the way, he encountered a zombie. Initially, Wain wanted to pass by. He saw no point in wasting precious energy on such weak monsters.


    He could use the Destruction Sword and other skills quite a few times, except for the Codex of Light and Darkness. But, still, he was getting a little tired. Wain got a paltry amount of Soul Essence by killing a simple zombie. He would have to kill at least a hundred regr zombies to get to the next level, which was long and unsafe.


    But, Wain remembered the effect of his new item. He wanted to see what kind of potion the Zombie Glove would give him. So Wain used Lightning Lizard''s Dash and turned it into a lightning discharge.


    It instantly reached the zombie, and an electric charge burst from Wain''s body at the end of the dash. It shattered the zombie''s body into many pieces, its head flying several meters away.


    Wain smiled, approached the head, and shattered the skull with one mighty blow. Then he dropped a drop of blood on the Zombie Glove.


    Just as the item''s description said, the closed-mouth pattern began to materialize. In the palm of Wain''s hand, there was now a real, creepy mouth. It opened wide, wanting to swallow something.


    Wain brought the gauntlet close to the zombie''s brain, and the mouth began to devour it. It was a rather unpleasant sight to behold.


    ''Huh, usually zombies tend to eat people''s brains. As far as I know, they like it a lot, but now I''m the one who eats zombies'' brains. But to get the potion, I have to devour the flesh of two other creatures besides the zombies. Luckily, there are plenty of mutated insects around''. Wain thought.


    When the Zombie Glove had absorbed enough brain, the jaws closed and turned back into a simple pattern. Wain smiled and headed further toward the shop ce.


    This was now the first time he had used an item he had received from Soul Chest. The Zombie Glove was Common Rating, but Wain was lucky to be an item with a unique effect.


    Half a minuteter, Wain was already approaching the shop ce, and to his surprise, it was already upied. The windows were boarded up with wooden boards. And a makeshift barricade of tables and other furniture had been created in front of the door.


    ''So someone decided to hide in there? Hmm, okay, well then I''ll go in and visit. I hope they won''t mind.'' Thought Wain, and a dark sword appeared next to him.


    Wain waved his hand, and the Destruction Sword sliced the boards apart, opening a doorway inside. Wain tried to do it as quietly as possible so the monsters wouldn''t run into the noise. He didn''t want to be trapped in the store and fight off the monsters in this situation.


    When Wain went to the window, a man pointed a gun at him at once. He was a simple looking guy with short ck hair. You could see in his eyes that he was afraid, but like everyone else, he wanted to survive. His name was n Tuin.


    "Go away," n said quietly. He thought Wain was a mugger and wanted to take their ce, and he was partly right.


    Wain put his index finger to his mouth and whispered, "That''s right, don''t make any noise, but I''m not leaving here."


    He swung his hand, and the dark sword flew instantly to n''s throat.


    Wain smiled and said, "Let''s talk?"


    n had no choice but to put the gun down and let Wain inside. He didn''t want to die. He was willing to do anything to survive.


    Inside, Wain saw several other people. There were five people in total, not counting n: three men and two girls, one of whom looked like a high school student.


    The Destruction Sword was around n''s neck, preventing him from moving. n looked at Wain and said, "Why did youe here? What do you want?"


    Wain replied, "Don''t get so worked up. I have no use for attacking you. I just came for this."


    He took a candy bar from the shelf and showed it to n. Wain didn''t take all the food in the store. It just wasn''t necessary. He picked up the most calorie-dense and fast-eating foods.


    One of the girls looked at the sword at n''s throat and said in a trembling voice, "Where...did...you get...this power?"


    Wain smirked and replied, "Each of you can get your power. But, to do so, you must stop hiding and kill at least one monster. Come on, you two, stop hiding here and shivering in fear. You''ll be eaten sooner orter anyway. If you all die, this world will be too boring. You''ve had plenty of opportunities, but instead of getting stronger, you''ve decided to hide out here and eat cereal. Shame on you."


    Wain took a green apple from the basket and headed for the exit. He had aplished his main goal; the rest was of no interest to him. The fate of the people in this shop depended only on themselves.


    "Wait, take me with you. I can be useful." Suddenly one man said. He was tall, with an athletic build.


    Wain did not react to his words and continued walking forward.


    The man didn''t like being ignored, so he tried to grab Wain''s shoulder. But when his palm almost touched Wain, he abruptly turned around and grabbed his arm.


    "I''m not deaf, and I heard you just fine. But, you''re a useless piece of shit who didn''t even have the guts to activate his Soul Altar. Don''t bother me."


    Wain looked at the others and muttered, "You''re not the only one here, though."


    "Motherfucker! You think because you''re lucky, you can belittle others?! You''re as human as we are!" The man said menacingly and attacked Wain sharply.<sub> </sub>


    He struck his fist with all his might, aiming for his enemy''s head.


    Crackle.


    Wain tightened his grip, and a loud crunch was heard. Wain broke the man''s arm, but that didn''t stop him. Wain smirked and took a step to the side to dodge the blow, his fist flying in front of his face.


    Whooooooosh.


    Wain then struck back with his fist to the face.


    "Stop!" Shouted n, but it was toote.


    At this moment, Wain''s Strength was 18, while the average person''s stats were 5. That meant that Wain was now almost four times stronger than his opponent.


    So Wain shattered man''s skull in one blow, leaving his opponent no chance.


    Everyone was shocked, they didn''t expect Wain to decide to kill him. The girls could hardly contain themselves from screaming in fear. But, they had not yet seen the worst of it.


    Wain put the glove to the flesh, and it began to devour. The man was a separate race, which meant that he was also subject to the special effect of the Zombie Glove.


    When Wain was finished, he headed for the exit.


    "You monster..." One of the girls said with horror in her voice.


    Wain shook his head, "No, I''m what monsters fear." Wain walked out of the mart and headed in the direction of the university.


    The people in the shop were very impressed. They weren''t expecting some man to barge in on them, take some of their food, and kill one of them.


    n was the most surprised of all. He clutched his gun tightly and said, "No, he''s right."


    "Huh? What are you talking about?" Said one of the girls.


    n looked at her seriously and said, "What are we going to aplish just sitting here? Every one of us has heard these strange messages about getting a soul. Only those worthy will survive. The rest will perish in agony and despair."


    n took all the magazines of ammo he had with him and followed Wain out of the shop. He was afraid, but he could find the strength to try to adapt and be stronger.


    He had a gun and fortitude. It was more than enough to kill the zombies and activate his Soul Altar.


    ''When the damn apocalypse started, I saw a message saying that I got a soul. My soul is called Bounty Hunter, and it''s Epic Rating. I wonder how good is that?'' Thought n cautiously as he moved through the city''s streets, looking for a suitable opponent.


    ...


    Wain was heading toward the university and was looking at his new glove.


    ''Hmm, this Common Rating item, I wonder how strong the Rare Rating items will be or even higher?''


    Wain knew of six types of Rating items, souls, skills, and so on.


    Of course, the weakest was the Common Rating, but even such items could be useful. Next was the Rare Rating. Then the Epic Rating, such items or souls were received by very few people.


    Above the Epic Rating was the Heroic Rating. ording to Wain''s information, only a few people in one city got souls with a Heroic Rating.


    Of course, even the Common Rating could be upgraded to a Heroic Rating. But, those who received such rare and strong souls had an initial advantage over other people.


    A better Heroic Rating was the Ascendant Rating. As far as Wain knew, there were only a few people in each country who received such strong souls or items in his world.


    In his world, the Ascendant Rating was considered the highest and most powerful for one simple reason. No one had ever heard of Legendary Rating. Moreover, no one had time to upgrade their skills to a Legendary Rating because the dark mist appeared.


    ''Hmm, my soul and ring are Legendary Ratings, but what happens if I somehow improve their Rating? Is that even possible?'' Wain pondered as he approached the university.

 Chapter 16 More People, More Enemies

    Wain had almost reached the university building. He had a few turns to make. But, suddenly, on his way, he saw a mutated insect. Wain decided to fight it, as he needed one more creature for the Zombie Glove to give him a random potion.


    The mutated insect was arge and. Ants were everywhere, so Wain was not surprised to encounter one species. The ant was huge, two meters tall, and over three meters long. It was digging through piles of garbage, trying to find something, and not paying attention to what was going on around it.


    ''Great, you''ll be my third victim.'' Thought Wain and waved his hand.


    A ck sword appeared next to him and flew toward the ant. Wain wanted to deal with the monster from afar. But, suddenly, the ant''s tendrils hissed, and it turned toward Wain.


    The ant put its front paws out in front of it and easily beat back the Destruction Sword flying at it. Wain was surprised that the ant was able to block this attack. He was sure that the dark sword was sharp enough to chop the ant into small pieces.


    "So that''s how he was able to do it, I see," Wain muttered, looking at the ant''s front paws.


    Its were armored and covered with strong, small tes. During the apocalypse, monsters didn''t just get bigger and stronger, but their bodies changed as well. Moreover, this was only the beginning, just like with humans.


    Wain tried to attack a few more times, but he was unsessful. The ant masterfully blocked each attack and threw the Destruction Sword aside.


    ''Hmm, I won''t get anywhere at this rate. I''ll have to change my fighting style. Wain swung his arm, and the sword flew into his hand.


    Wain took a slow step towards the ant. The monster was just as aggressive. It wanted to tear Wain apart.


    When the distance between the ant and Wain had shortened enough, Wain decided to use the effect of surprise. He used Lightning Lizard''s Dash and turned it into a lightning bolt.


    The ant didn''t have time to keep track of Wain''s incredible speed. So when the ant realized that Wain had disappeared from his sight, Wain had already pierced his head with his sword.


    Crackle.


    Wain struck a few more swift blows so that the ant would not survive, after which he shattered the ant''s head and brought the Zombie Glove to the ant''s flesh.


    The jaws opened wide and began to devour the ant''s flesh slowly. After a while, the jaws closed.


    But, after a couple of seconds, the jaws opened again. After all, all the conditions had been met, and Wain would receive a potion.


    From the creepy mouth slowly emerged, an oblong sk. Such sks were used to store reagents in chemicalboratories. The sk was filled with a liquid, dark brown.


    ? [Ant Power Potion (Primary Chronicle, Common Rating)


    Ants are known for their great Strength - they can easily lift an object several times their own weight. Drink this potion, and you will increase your Strength by 10 points within five minutes.]


    ''Not bad, moreover if I use the Codex of Light and Darkness, I can increase all my characteristics by two units with this potion.'' Wain thought and moved the potion to the Ring of the Dead.


    He was pleased with the potion he received. The effect was simple but quite useful. But, Wain was frustrated that the Zombie Glove could only be used once every seven days. Now, he would not be able to get the potion.


    Next, the white soul of an ant flew into Wain''s body.


    [Soul of Ant (Destroyed)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Common]


    Ants were one of the mostmon insects. So unless it was some mutated ant species, there was even less chance of getting Whole Soul than there was of killing a zombie.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Ant Level 4]


    "Huh, I wonder what would happen to me if I got into an ant colony? There must be hundreds or more of them there. I can find a huge number of souls there." Proimed Wain and went on his way.


    In a minute, he had already seen the University of the Bright Sun. It was aplex of ratherrge buildings, but they were all in the same area, making it easy for the monsters to surround the university.


    A high wall surrounded the university, and barricades in the passageways. But, the people there did not attempt to kill the monsters. It seemed strange to Wain.


    ''Did they lock themselves inside, and that''s it? Maybe they don''t have weapons, but at this rate, they''ll all be killed.'' Thought Wain looking at the pile of monsters.<sub> </sub>


    They mainly were zombies, but there were also a lot of mutated insects. Even though Wain was within sight of them, they didn''t attack him. He was alone, and the university had hundreds of students and other people outside the walls.


    Wain wondered what he should do in this situation. He didn''t want to break into many monsters to get into the university.


    ''Damn, there aren''t any unique specimens here. That''s disappointing. However, it''s still too little time since the apocalypse began.'' Thought Wain looking at the monsters.


    Suddenly, Wain smiled and said, ''Looks like I got lucky. I''vee at the most interesting time.''


    Wain saw the main gate open, and a small group of people appeared from behind the barricade. It consisted entirely of students. There were twelve of them. But they had no firearms with them, and some of them had swords and axes in their hands.


    ''I chose this ce for a reason, after all. There''s a big shop next to this uni, and it looks like they decided to make a foray. What''s more, judging by their confident faces, they''ve each awakened their Soul Altar.'' Wain thought as he watched them closely.


    He was curious to see what kind of powers these students possessed. Ahead of them all walked a guy with a long katana in his hand.


    ''He was lucky to be able to get such a powerful weapon. I wonder what kind of monster he killed? He''s their leader. What''s the Rating of his main Soul?'' Thought Wain.


    The guy''s name was Gisle Enge. He was walking ahead, and when the monster attacked him, he instantly sliced it in two. Then, his katana became coated with an energy sheath, and he swung his weapon. A blue wave of energy headed towards the zombies, easily slicing them apart.


    ''I see, apparently, his soul is some mixture of magic and physical power. Usually, such souls are at least Rare Rating.'' Wain pondered as he watched the squad cut their way forward.


    The rest of the group was just as sessful fighting and killing zombies. It was no surprise since zombies were the weakest monsters. They were nothing more than expendable material, necessary for people to activate their Soul Altar.


    Among them were people with magical powers, archers, and shooters. One guy with a big build had a big, massive shield. And his skin was strong enough that zombies couldn''t even scratch it.


    Besides Gisle, the girl with long, golden hair and blue eyes killed the most zombies. She was dressed in her usual student clothes and had a short, wooden staff in her hand.


    ''Most of them have some object. That means either they''ve killed quite a few monsters already and got a few Whole Souls, or they''re just lucky.'' Wain thought.


    Wain wanted to wait for the right moment to join their group in battle. He needed other people for information and not just about this world.


    After the apocalypse began, something was happening every second in the world. The world was gradually changing and taking on apletely different appearance. Wain should have been aware of these events, at least those happening in this part of town.


    But, things did not go ording to Wain''s n. Suddenly he heard buildings copsing behind him. Wain turned around and saw the monster behind him and muttered, "Yeah, you always annoyed me."


    Wain stared at the vast, four meter long flea. Almost everyone had encountered these insects, but they looked like tiny ck dots hopping from ce to ce to most. But, up close, the flea, especially the mutated one, looked very creepy, like a fiend from hell.


    However, because of the extreme differences in body structure, all insects seemed nasty up close, even butterflies, which people adored.


    Wain wanted to attack, but suddenly the flea disappeared from his sight andnded on a small store on a nearby street. The weight of the insect wasrge enough to destroy the building.


    Wain hoped the flea would jump away, but instead, the insect just stared at the group of students and Wain. It was as if the flea was assessing people.


    Wain did not want to fight the flea as he considered them very dangerous opponents. Of themon insects, fleas had the strongest legs and were the real record holders in the distance and jumping speed.


    A group of students also noticed the flea and decided to unite, they could defend themselves from the attack of this dangerous foe. But, the flea ended up looking at Wain and jumped in his direction.


    Even though he was alone, the flea''s instincts told her that he was a more dangerous and stronger opponent, which meant that defeating him would make her that much stronger.


    Everyone in this world now sought power, and insects were no exception.


    Wain didn''t expect the flea to decide to attack him, but he wasn''t going to fight it alone. He smirked and ran toward the group of students.


    The fleanded a few feet away from him, destroying the asphalt, then jumped again. The students didn''t expect something like this to happen, but regardless, they wanted to help Wain.


    "Hurry up!" Shouted one of the students looking at Wain.


    He saw the flea almost reach Wain and, in half a second, crush him with its massive body. However, before the insectnded, Wain''s body was covered in electric shocks, and he turned into a sh of lightning.

 Chapter 17 Massacre Of The Jumper

    Wain used Lightning Lizard''s Dash and turned into a lightning discharge. This way, he avoided being attacked by a mutated flea, which a secondternded on the spot where Wain had just been.


    "Hey kids, what should we do? Run or fight?" Asked Wain, looking at Gisle, but he wasn''t going to run away. He wanted to kill whoever dared to attack him.


    Gisle looked at Wain in surprise, then gathered his thoughts and said confidently, "We now have thirteen people with superpowers. If we run away, it is unlikely that our cowardice will allow us to survive in this world."


    The next moment his katana glowed brightly, and after a swing, the energy de headed towards the flea. Gisle attacked immediately. He was not going to let this monster escape.


    However, the flea quickly jumped, trying to crush the entire group of students at once. Wain and the others bounced to the side, bypassing the blow. But, one man didn''t get far enough away, and the flea caught him.


    "No!" Shouted Gisle. He tried to help him, but as soon as he took three steps, the flea grabbed the guy''s body with its powerful jaws and then swallowed.


    "Minus one," Wain muttered and waved his hand. A dark sword appeared beside him, and the weapon flew swiftly toward the monster.


    <o>,m Flea managed to dodge by jumping aside to another building, but Wain wasn''t about to let it go. He moved his finger, and the sword changed its direction, chasing the monster.</o>


    The students were surprised. They each only had one skill, but Wain had two, as a minimum.


    Wain looked at the students and said, "What are you standing around for? Everyone who can fight at long range attacks the flea with me. The rest of you defend us from the zombies. Come on, pace yourselves, or you''ll be their lunch."


    His words brought the students to their senses, and they did as Wain said. Four men stood beside him, each with some long-range attack. The most effective was the guy with the longbow. He had no active abilities, but his uracy wasparable to that of a sniper.


    The monster tried to dodge, but there were too many attacks. Most of them went nowhere, but the flea still took some pretty serious wounds. The monster had two options: run away or try to kill all the group members.


    If the monster killed and ate thirteen people at once with Soul Altar activated, it woulde close to a state to evolve.


    So despite the great danger, the flea tried once more to attack the group of students. It jumped in their direction dodging all attacks.


    The students quickly reacted and bounced aside, but someone stayed in ce. It was Wain. His sword couldn''t catch up to the flea when it was in flight, but he had a n of his own.


    Wain smirked and snapped his finger. Simultaneously, the Destruction Sword disintegrated into dark particles and disappeared, and then the sword appeared in Wain''s hands.


    The students looked at him with surprised eyes. In their opinion, Wain''s actions were truly suicidal.


    When the flea almost fell on Wain, electric shocks went through his body, and he turned into lightning.


    Gisle watched Wain attack the flea and blinked. The next thing he saw was the insect''s body torn apart, and Wain covered in blood from head to toe with a white soul in his hand.


    [Soul of Flea (Damaged)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Common]


    Wain smiled and crushed the soul gaining Soul Essence.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Flea level 7. Strength + 2, Vitality +1]


    ''Damn, I still haven''t leveled up. It''s getting harder and harder each time I do it. I need stronger opponents, or I''ll be standing in one ce for a long time yet.'' Thought Wain.


    A girl with blond hair and amber eyes approached Wain. Her name was Rita in, and she had a soul with magical powers. She looked at him in surprise and asked, "Where did you get such power?"


    All the other students were just as eager to hear the answer to this question. Wain raised his eyebrows as if in surprise and said, "You kids are asking too stupid questions. We each got our powers in the same pattern. I just killed more monsters."


    All the while, they were being protected from the zombies by the second section of students. Some of them were armed with shields and heavy weapons.<sub> </sub>


    Realizing that the danger had passed, Gisle said, "All talkter. We have an important mission. We need to get to the shop quickly and safely."


    The other students nodded and moved on. Some of them were frightened because of the death of one of them, but others were calm and collected. They understood that death was inevitable in a world like this, and they had to do whatever it took to survive.


    "Are you with us?" Asked Gisle looking at Wain.


    Wain only nodded and walked forward. This group of students seemed like a good option for him to learn more about this world before the apocalypse and about this city.


    He had to be aware of what was going on more than that. For that, it would be good to be in touch with powerful people who would soon have power.


    ''Normally, when I needed some information, I would always turn to informants, but it was too early for such people to show up. The world needs to calm down a bit first and prepare itself for the challenges ahead.'' Wain thought as he walked with the students towards the marketce.


    Even in his world after the appearance of souls, several continents had appeared on the. Some people had tried to sneak into these ces, but they had failed. The continents that appeared were inhabited by monsters too strong, and even the strongest humans died.


    But, the Wain came to, called Restanta, was ten timesrger than his home. Moreover, it was only a fraction, for the rest was hidden by a dark barrier that was gone after the apocalypse began.


    ''I wonder if there are new continents on this world as well? If so, this world has be incredibly huge. It''s several times bigger than my, plus the dark barrier and plus the continents. It''s unbelievable.'' Wain thought with a wave of his hand.


    The Destruction Sword flew around him, destroying many zombies nearby. Arge number of souls were constantly flying into his body, and Wain felt like he was about to go to the next level.


    "What''s your name?" Rita asked. She looked at Wain often. Rita was under a great impression of his strength.


    "Wain Norheim."


    "Why do souls fly into your body themselves?" Rita asked another question.


    Wain sighed and said, "It''s an effect of one of my passive skills. Girl, you ask too many questions. Don''t annoy me."


    Wain''sst words were harsh and cold. Rita nodded and swallowed in fear.


    "How much further do we have to go?" Wain asked Gisle.


    Gisle killed another zombie and calmly replied, "Not much longer, about three minutes. You''re not from around here?"


    Wain grinned and said, "I came from far away and wanted a break from the hustle and bustle of the city. But, all of a sudden, I''m in the middle of nowhere. However, I''m not surprised. Life always has surprises."


    Gisle nodded.


    Thus, Wain saw a massive, red building on the next street in a couple of minutes. It was one of thergest and most popr shop in Overion.


    No one was injured the entire way, even though zombies attacked them from time to time. Their group was not attacked by a whole horde of zombies, for only twenty of them.


    The monsters were interested in them, but most of the zombies and mutated insects were headed in the direction of the densely popted areas where people were hiding.


    "Okay, let''s go, take only the essentials. Grut, how much can you carry?" Gisle turned to a guy with arge build and arge shield in his hand.


    Grut scratched his head and said, "Seventy kilos for sure, but if you need anything else I''ll try my best here."


    Despite his appearance, Grut was a rather shy man. He spoke rather quietly and had to get close enough to hear everything.


    Gisle nodded and said, "Fine, then go ahead."

 Chapter 18 Infection

    Gisle was a simple student before the apocalypse and was interested in swordsmanship. In the world of Wain, no one was fencing in the usual sense of the word. There were only tournaments where people fought with swords, but not with katanas or big two-handed swords.


    However, this world was slightly more technologically advanced than the world of Wain. Partial full immersion games were very popr here. A person did not move into the game world, but his game character exactly repeated his actions from life.


    Thanks to this, it was possible to hold fencing tournaments without harming your health. Of course, such fencing was notparable to real fencing, but it was the closest option avable.


    When the apocalypse began, Gisle was one of the first to kill a monster and activate his Soul Altar. He had never led anyone, but so far as a leader, he had given no reason to doubt himself.


    "Let''s go." Said Gisle and their group walked into the marketce. But, as soon as they entered the shop, they had to defend themselves against arge number of zombies.


    ''There are so many zombies here... so the people who were in this market decided to stay here even after the apocalypse started. What''s more, it looks like we''re not the only ones here.'' Wain thought, looking at the passageway to another room in the distance.


    The room they were fighting in was empty. There was no food on the shelves, only zombies standing around waiting for their victims toe to them.


    Wain immediately realized what had happened.


    "Gisle, there are not only zombies in this ce, but other people, look over there." Said Wain.


    Gisle cut off one zombie''s head and looked where Wain was pointing. He saw a solid barricade in front of the only passageway to another part of the mart. Moreover, the esctors to the second floor had been destroyed. It was no longer possible to go up to them.


    "I see. There''s no food here either. I doubt zombies eat anything but brains and meat. Wain, where do you think the people are?"


    Wain sighed and said quietly, "It''s obvious, they''re where all the food is - in the warehouse."


    Wain swung his hand, and the dark sword pierced the heart of one zombie, then severed its arms and head. Each time Wain got better at controlling his skill.


    Within a minute, they killed almost all the zombies, but suddenly something happened that none expected.


    A zombie badly wounded one guy. He was very unlucky because the zombie looked dead but suddenly pounced on him and made a big cut on his arm.


    Everyone in the group knew this was the end for him. The apocalypse had only recently begun, but they all knew that being infected was a fate worse than death.


    Gisle walked up to the guy and brought his katana high above his head. His hands were trembling, he didn''t want to do such a terrible thing, but he had no other choice.


    "Gisle, I don''t want to die." He tried to stop him.


    Gisle averted his eyes to the side and said with difficulty, "But, I have no other choice. Do you want to be one of them?"


    ''Huh, that''s drama.'' Thought to himself Wain.


    At the same time, Rita looked at the white box in her hands in surprise. She got it after crushing one of the zombie souls.


    Wain could have saved this guy, but he wouldn''t do it. This man was nothing to him. What''s more, he only had one syringe designed for one person. This guy was one of many who would die because of inattention or bad luck.


    Gisle was about to put down his katana and kill his partner, but suddenly Rita''s voice was heard, "Wait! I can save him!"


    The de of the katana stopped a centimeter from the student''s skin. Gisle turned and looked at Rita, puzzled.


    The girl unclenched her fist, and everyone saw the small syringe in her hands.


    "AHAHAHAH." Suddenlyughed Wain, "Looks like luck is on your side today kid, the chances of someone getting the medicine at a time like this were minimal."


    Gisle uttered, "Wain? Rita? You know what it is."


    Wain didn''t answer, he left it to Rita. The girl smiled and said, "Yes, this medicine cures zombie infections. I got this syringe after I opened the white box. I got it after I crushed a soul."


    Gisle breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Great, everything worked out just fine. Then, what are you waiting for, cure him."


    Rita nodded and ran over to the injured boy. She injected a syringe into his vein and used the entire contents.<sub> </sub>


    "Wain, how do you know what it is?" Gisle asked seriously. He was d that Wain had joined them. But, now, he assumed that Wain had the medicine with him. Gisle had to find out.


    "I had the same syringe, but I had to use it to survive. Otherwise, I would have be a zombie by now and hunted you down." Calmly Wain said.


    He answered naturally, and it was impossible to convict him of lying.


    "Phew. Sorry, the whole situation made me too nervous." Said Gisle.


    "Never mind, the guy''s all right now. We need food, and for that, we''re going to have to tear down these barricades." Said Wain pointing toward the aisle.


    Gisle nodded and said, "Grut, can you handle it?"


    "Yes," replied Grut, "But, there''s no way to rebuild those barricades. Are you sure?"


    "Of course, we have no other option. There''s not a crumb left here." Gisle said confidently.


    ''Can this guy alone destroy these barricades? He''s pretty big, but he probably has some suitable skill.'' Thought Wain looking behind Grut.


    The young man approached a random barricade and put hisrge shield forward. The next moment the shield glowed a faint, yellow glow, and Grut dashed forward sharply. His shield was powerful and massive, so the barricade created from tables and chairs could not stop him.


    ''He has a tough skin that zombies can''t prate, arge shield, and a skill that meshes well with the shield. Grut probably has a rare defensive type soul.'' Thought Wain.


    Crackle.


    The barricades were shattered as the passageway to the other room was opened. The group headed there, but that room was just as empty.


    "They had taken everything to the warehouse, decided to keep food and other items in one ce. Most likely, all the people are there, and some of them have superpowers." Proimed Wain.


    Gisle nodded, "Then let''s keep going until we find the warehouse."


    The group went forward. Wain asked Gisle, "What will you do if they don''t want to share food with us?"


    Of course, Gisle knew that''s exactly what would happen. During an apocalypse, no one would give up the most important things for survival: water and food. Moreover, most people were afraid and could act irrationally.


    "I''ll try to negotiate first," Gisle replied.


    Wain smirked and said, "And then?"


    His words implied that the people in the warehouse would refuse anyway. It was inevitable.


    Suddenly Gisle''s eyes turned icy, and he said, "After they refuse us, we''ll take the food by force. They can''t do anything to us."


    Wain didn''t answer anything and just walked on. That answer suited him fine. He wasn''t going to deal with spineless people. Either the others would die, or they would.


    After a while, they reached another barricade. It was many timesrger than thest one, and various building materials were used to reinforce it.


    "There''s the warehouse." Mumbled Wain.


    Gisle calmly said, "Grut, would you be so kind as to clear the passageway of all the debris?"


    The guy nodded, and his shield glowed brightly. He tugged toward the barricade and shattered it again. Despite all the fortifications, to Grut and his shield, it was no stronger than a house of cards. Grut could even break through a concrete wall if he wanted to.


    Behind the ruined barricade was a huge room where, before the apocalypse, all the food and various goods anyone could buy were stored.


    "Freeze!" A loud voice came from a middle-aged man. He had a gun in his hand and was clearly unfriendly.


    Behind him stood about fifty people, most of them trembling with fear. They were the lucky ones who had survived and remained in the store.

 Chapter 19 The Crypt

    "Wait, we don''t want to fight!" Gisle said loudly and stepped forward. He would first try to resolve this matter peacefully, as he had said before.


    "What am I to talk to you about? Isn''t it clear that you came here for supplies?" Said the man firmly holding the gun.


    Four more men came out of the crowd, each armed with some edged weapon at the same moment. Some with a bat, some with a knife or a hammer. They were also highly aggressive.


    "Yes, we do need supplies. But, we''re not going to take everything. Put aside your fear and think logically. Fifty people won''t eat all the food in such a big store. It will go bad! We only need some of it."


    ''Gisle speaks quite convincingly, and his words make sense, but they don''t seem capable of thinking rationally.'' Thought Wain looking at the man with the gun.


    He pondered something but then shouted, ''Don''t try to trick me, I don''t want to kill you, but I''ll do it if you don''t leave. The end of the world has begun, and I will do anything to survive!"


    "Listen to me!" Said Gisel, he tried to change the man''s mind, but he was having no luck.


    Some might say that the man acted very foolishly, but that was only true if Gisel wasn''t fooling him. If a group of students took as much as they could carry, there would be enough food for everyone.


    But, there was also the possibility that when Gisel came close, he would kill them and take all the food for himself. In that case, the man''s actions, on the contrary, made sense.


    "I''ve run out of patience. I give you five seconds to get out of here!" The man shouted and began to count.


    Gisel frowned and prepared for battle, as did the other students. They had superpowers, souls, and powerful weapons, but they were still mortal. If they were shot in the head, they would die like normal people.


    When the man had almost finished counting to the end and was ready to attack, something happened that no one could have expected. Suddenly a dark sword appeared over the man, the people behind him noticed it, but they didn''t have time to warn him.


    The sword fell down and sliced the man''s body in two. Then Wain stepped forward and slipped his hand with the ring under his ck cloak. The next second, a massive, ck pistol appeared in his hand.


    Wain instantly fired four shots, and four men fell with their heads blown off. The caliber of this gun and its firepower was enormous.


    Everyone was shocked. Wain tucked the gun under his cloak with a calm face and moved it to the Ring of Damned.


    Wain looked at the people near the supplies and said coldly, "If you want to live, step aside. I''m not the most patient man."


    Gisle himself could not have acted so cruelly, but he had no qualms about Wain. After all, if not for his equanimity and drastic actions, one of them would have been injured. Either way, a battle was inevitable, so it was the best option left for them.


    Hearing Wain''s words, the men stepped aside and stayed away from the supplies. They knew that there was no way they could beat twelve people with special abilities.


    Moreover, they were terrified of Wain''s skills. Even without his abilities, he could kill them with a pistol. Wain shot at an excellent level.


    Gisle and the other students began to sort out the supplies. They put the food into their bags, filling thempletely. Each of them had to carry at least twenty kilograms of food.


    Wain stepped aside and watched intently. He opened a pack of cigarettes, pulled out a cigar, and used a lighter.


    Wain blew out a puff of smoke and thought to himself, ''I''ve killed enough monsterstely. Perhaps I can improve some other skill?''


    The next moment a system window appeared in front of him, but the list of skills or souls he could improve was nk.<sub> </sub>


    Wain sighed in frustration. He had to kill more to get stronger souls.


    ''The idea of going to the ant colony doesn''t seem as crazy to me now as it used to. There''s a beach and a forest near the university, so I''ll have to go to the woods. I''ll probably be able to encounter a lot of dangerous monsters there before they get out of the area.'' Thought Wain.


    After a while, a group of students finished gathering supplies. Each of them had arge bag with lots of food. Grut had three bags full of food.


    Gisle was smart, so they took only the best and mostpact foods. Chips and simr foods didn''t make sense. They took up too much space and usually weighed no more than two hundred grams.


    <o>,m However, as Gisle said, there was plenty of food left over. They couldn''t carry it all away if they wanted to, and what''s more, they weren''t so cruel as to leave fifty people without food.</o>


    "Let''s go." Said Gisle and headed for the exit.


    Wain put out his cigarette and followed them, but suddenly the whole building shook. Wain thought some huge worm-like monster was attacking them. People thought an earthquake had started, but they were all wrong.


    Suddenly, the warehouse floor copsed with all the people and the mountain of food. Wain and the others ran toward the hole that had formed. At the bottom, they saw an expanse of space.


    The fall was not high, so most people were not hurt. Moreover, their fall was cushioned by the mountain of food. They tried to climb up through the wreckage, but suddenly everyone there saw something strange.


    Unbeknownst them, a dark fog appeared in the warehouse and headed downstairs.


    ''What the fuck is going on here?'' Wain thought to himself. He couldn''t mistake this dark fog for anything else. It was definitely the fog that had destroyed his world.


    This time, however, the dark mist had a very different purpose. It would develop this world, not destroy it.


    The dark mist prated the ground, and the ground trembled again. The floor copsed again, and Wain and a group of students fell to the bottom. Each of them managed to react andnd carefully, none of them injured. But, that was only the beginning.


    Suddenly, a structure began to crawl out of the ground. No one, including Wain, understood what was happening. It was something none of them had ever encountered before.


    The structure was made of dark and purple materials. It looked eerie and intimidating. When it camepletely out of the ground, Wain thought to himself, ''Is this a crypt?''


    This structure looked a lot like a crypt. But, only very scary and with a strange aura emanating from it.


    The entrance to the crypt was a massive, ck gate with the image on it of some unknown creatures. Above the gate, arge, oval-shaped crystal glowed brightly on top of the crypt. It was white and only one.


    Wain didn''t know what it meant, but images of white souls immediately appeared in his mind.


    ''This white crystal...it looks like white souls, does that mean it''s some kind of indicator ofplexity?''


    Wain realized that this ce was not to be expected to do any good. He assumed that there might be monsters or other hostile creatures inside. It wasn''t hard to guess before that.


    ''There are also strange streaks under the crystal. There are ten in all, but only four of them glow. If the crystal denotesplexity, what do these stripes mean? While Wain was thinking, suddenly, the gate to the crypt opened.

 Chapter 20 Death As Routine

    When the gates to the crypt opened, everyone felt an eerie cold and terrifying aura. These gates seemed like the entrance to hell, where only death and suffering awaited them. For some creatures, though, hell was home, not a nightmare.


    "We have to get out of here, fast!" Gisle said loudly.


    The other students nodded and began to climb up. Other people followed, but one man stood still and waited to see what would happen next.


    "Wain! Let''s go!" Shouted Gisle, not understanding why Wain was standing still.


    Gisle tried to go back and take Wain with him. He could not lose such a powerful ally, but suddenly the dark mist reappeared. It created a dome around Wain and the crypt. Gisle tried to cut through the dark fog and pass inside, but he failed.


    He thought something bad would happen to Wain, but he didn''t know yet that this was only the beginning. Gradually the dome began to grow until it covered half the warehouse area. The dome grew too fast, so no one had time to escape beyond its limits.


    At that moment, everyone saw a message in front of them.


    [You have entered the Dungeon Zone - Crypt of Demonic Ants]


    ''Dungeon? What the hell is going on here?'' Wain thought. There was nothing like this in his past world. Moreover, he had never heard of the dark mist affecting his world in any way. It only destroyed his world in minutes, and that was it.


    Gradually the dome of dark mist began to weaken, and if one had enough firepower, it could be destroyed and escape, but it was not the dark mist that was the main threat.


    "Wain! Get out of there!" Shouted Gisle.


    Wain shook his head and said, "No, I don''t think that would be profitable."


    Immediately after his words, several massive ant-like creatures emerged from the dark crypt. These ants reminded Wain of the ant he had recently killed. But, they were bigger, stronger, and scarier. They had dark purple skin, red eyes, and tworge horns on their heads. Their paws also had sharp growths that looked like sharp des.


    One of the ants approached Wain, but he did not attack him. The ant seemed to sniff Wain and try to see how strong he was.


    Even though there was a big monster in front of him, Wain didn''t panic. He opened his lighter with a calm face and lit it, exhaling a puff of smoke into the ant''s face. Wain was puzzled. He wanted to understand the situation he was in. Perhaps he was the first person in this world to encounter such a phenomenon.


    When the cloud of smoke reached the ant, he shook his head from side to side, getting rid of the smoke, and jumped up.


    The ant passed Gisle but did not attack him. The guy didn''t understand what was going on. He began to think that these creatures were not their enemies but inhabitants of another world or something simr. But the situation was a little moreplicated.


    When the ant saw the people running away from him, his eyes glowed brightly, and he attacked them. It began to tear them apart and devour them mercilessly. The humans tried to get out, but they were too weak to destroy the dark dome.


    In ten minutes, the dome wouldpletely disappear, but for now, the people who hadn''t activated their Soul Altar weren''t strong enough to break through the dome. Wain and Gisle could do it together and get out of here, but Wain wasn''t going to do that.


    "What?! Why did they attack them but get past us?" Gisle and several other students wondered. Ant didn''t pay any attention to them.


    "I see." Mumbled Wain and, looking at the ant, said, "They''re just scouts. They''re not allowed to attack us."


    Everyone knew that ants were some of the most organized creatures in the entire world. Even military men in armies were not as efficient as ants. These insects performed their tasks unquestioningly and knew exactly their mission and authority. They were the perfect military that anymander would dream of.<sub> </sub>


    Wain was just as surprised when an ant passed him, but hearing the screams upstairs, he realized the reasons.


    ''Apparently, the job of these ants is to explore the area and eliminate those they can fight. That means that stronger opponents are waiting for me inside the Dungeon.'' Thought Wain.


    In each ant colony, there were several roles into which the ants were divided. Naturally, it was the scouts who explored the new terrain. They had to report all the information to others and deal with those who were weak enough. That is why these ants bypassed Wain and Gisle, and the other students. The other ants would deal with them. It was not the work of the scouts.


    Gisle wasn''t going to watch any more innocent people get eaten alive and said loudly, "Kill them, Grut, try to break that barrier!"


    The students nodded and attacked the ants heading towards the humans. Grut ran up to the dome and activated his skill. He tried to break through the dark barrier with all his might, but he only partially seeded.


    Grut thought, ''I hit with all my might, but all I got was a small crack? I can''t do it alone.''


    Grut turned around and asked Gisle for help. Simultaneously, the antennae of one of the ants glowed, and waves of energy began to emanate from them. Thus he transmitted information to the other ants and down the chain.


    "Wain! Help us break the dome!" Said Gisle, but when he looked in his direction, he saw Wain throw away his smoked cigarette and go inside the crypt.


    ''What the hell is he doing? Thought Gisle and attacked the nearest ant.


    The ant scouts were among the weakest, and they outmaneuvered Gisle because he was strong. Therefore, when Gisle''s katana was coated with energy and swung to create an energy de, he easily killed one ant. However, the other students were not as strong.


    But, they couldn''t leave innocent people to die and escape. They were not as ruthless, and it was hard to know if that was a plus or a minus during the apocalypse.


    Gisle took one more look at the crypt then ran towards Grut. He didn''t know what was inside the crypt or the Dungeon and didn''t want to know. Gisle wanted to get out of here in the first ce.


    ...


    While the students fought outside, Wain went inside the crypt. The gate was a kind of portal leading to another dimension in which their of the demonic ants was located.


    Wain wasn''t the only one who could enter the Dungeon. Anyone could do so.


    ''Hmm, when this crypt appeared, a message appeared in front of me that I was in Dungeon territory. The size of the dark dome probably limits it. But, I''m sure it''s not a limit, just a starting point.'' Wain thought.


    Wain understood that their world was not a game, though the soul system made it look like one. So he decided that the ant colony could evolve and get bigger and stronger.


    ''In a way, I''m lucky to be in the ce where Dungeon appeared. But, what happens if the Dungeon appears in some hidden ce, like among the mountains? Surely there are no people there. Would the terrain adjust to the crypt and its new inhabitants?'' Thought Wain stepping forward.


    When Wain passed through the gate, he found himself in a long, dark cave. It was lit by a few purple crystals hanging from above like stctites.


    Wain decided to enter this Dungeon for several reasons. Firstly he was curious to know what it was. He considered himself strong enough, so he was not afraid that curiosity would ruin him.


    Second, this Dungeon was exactly what he needed at the moment. He needed souls, lots of souls, and therefore lots of monsters. The ant colony was one of the best options. Ants were known not only for their organization but also for theirrge numbers.

 Chapter 21 Workers

    Thirty seconds after Wain entered the dungeon, he encountered his first opponents. These ants were different from the previous ones. They were slightly smaller, the growths on their paws were not as sharp, but they were several times more.


    At that moment, they were digging something into the walls of the cave. They were small pebbles that they were carrying somewhere. When Wain saw them, he pulled his gun out of its ring and shot one of them in the head.


    The ant''s head exploded like a watermelon, and the white soul headed for Wain.


    [Soul of Demonic Ant-Man (Destroyed)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Common]


    When the other ants saw Wain, they quickly ran away. It was theirir, but they had orders not to fight anyone. Their task was only to gather resources. It was up to the other ants to deal with the invaders. The worker ants would only attack Wain if he approached the center of their. But, before that, he had to fight some pretty serious opponents.


    "What a big guy, they''ve got a real army here," Wain muttered as he looked at the big anting his way.


    It was the Sentinel Ant, his attacking abilities were not as great as the Soldier Ant, but his defense was high. He would fight Wain and hold him back while the other ants bombard Wain from afar.


    Behind the Sentinel Ants were four Arrow Ants, each with an ample supply of acid in their belly, which they could fire in any direction. Wain was surprised by this kind of organization, even in ants.


    "Let''s see how well you shoot." Mumbled Wain and fired four urate shots.


    However, the Arrow Ants were able to dodge thanks to their instincts. They ducked, and the massive bullets flew a few centimeters from their bodies.


    In the next moment, each of the ants fired a bulletposed of acid. The bullets flew very fast, but Wain had no trouble dodging. His stats were much higher than those of a mere human. He was very fast and agile.


    "Damn, I thought I''d be able to conserve a full supply of energy before I got to the center of their." Mumbled Wain and used the Destruction Sword.


    The dark sword appeared over the Arrow Ants and chopped their heads off in a couple of seconds. Wain swung his arm, and the dark sword came down on the Sentinel Ants, but to his surprise, the sword could not prate the monster''s sturdy armor.


    Wain tried to wound the Sentinel Ant by aiming at the less protected areas, but he was unsessful. At the same time, the monster ran toward him. Its front paws were veryrge and strong. It was going to grab Wain with them and crush him.


    Wain could have used Lightning Lizard''s Dash and tried to hurt the monster that way, but he didn''t want to waste extra energy. He had another way to kill this ant without serious energy loss.


    When the Sentinel Ant almost reached Wain, the Ring of Damned glowed, and a grenade appeared in Wain''s hands.


    At the veryst moment, he dodged the ant''s massive paws and shoved the grenade into its mouth. The effect was immediate, and a few secondster, the monster''s head exploded into pieces.


    "I didn''t go to the gun store for nothing after all. Unlikely bullets would have harmed this ant, but it can''t survive the explosion of a grenade inside its body." Wain said contentedly, looking at the soul flying toward him.


    [Soul of Demonic Sentinel Ant (Damaged)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Common]


    ''Great, at least something useful.'' Wain thought and crushed the soul.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Demonic Sentinel Ant level 7. Strength +2, Stamina +2]


    ''Not bad, I''m getting stronger and stronger. But, given their numbers, I''ll probably have to kill quite a few of these ants to get a lot of characteristics. Thought Wain and moved on.


    The worker ants ran away. They weren''t going to fight Wain until they received a direct order from the leadership.<sub> </sub>


    Wain had quite a few weapons, but he only had twenty grenades. He had to spend them wisely because rifles couldn''t prate the tough armor of even an ordinary, mutated ant.


    ''I need to improve the Destruction Sword somehow. Increasingly I encounter creatures whose armor I can''t prate. In that case, I have no use for swordsmanship if my weapon cannot wound my opponent.'' Thought Wain.


    The next moment he saw a horde of Demonic Antsing towards him. Among them were several Sentinel Ants and quite a few Soldier Ants. They were smaller than the Sentinel Ants, but they had powerful jaws and sharp forelegs.


    The Sentinel Ants would take attacks on themselves, while the Soldier Ants would attack Wain. Their jaws were powerful enough to cut Wain in two.


    ''Hmm, there are about twenty of them, and five of them are Sentinel Ants. I''ll have to spend all my grenades on killing them.'' Thought Wain, and the ring on his hand glowed brightly.


    Five grenades appeared in his hand, and he threw them all in the direction of the ants. Then he did the same, using up all the remaining grenades. Wain was not going to risk himself to save an extra grenade.


    The grenades were consumables that Wain didn''t mind wasting at the right moment.


    Secondster, several explosions rang out. The cave shook, stone shards and purple crystals broke off and fell down. Many Demon Ants were killed, but two Soldier Ants survived.


    "They had their backs to the Sentinel Ants and therefore were able to survive. Isn''t it selfish to expose arade to a blow to survive yourself?" Wain said with a smirk and swung his hand.


    The dark sword stabbed into the heads of the surviving ants one by one and killed them.


    Unfortunately, Wain didn''t get a single soul above the quality of Destroyed. However, when he crushed thest soul, he saw several messages.


    [You have leveled up to level 7. You get 3 status points to distribute freely]


    [You get Common Rating Spiritual Box]


    Wain assumed that he should have leveled up soon, but he didn''t expect to get the Spiritual Box now.


    Wain immediately opened a small, white box, and he received a sphere, ck and green, with various patterns on it.


    [Demonic Ant''s Acid Bomb (Primary Chronicle, Common Rating)


    This bomb is filled with a very corrosive acid rare Demonic Ant. This acid can melt even very strong steel. All creatures whose Stamina is less than 25 will take heavy damage. st Radius - 10 meters]


    Wain tossed the bomb overhead, then caught it and moved it to the Ring of Damned.


    "Not bad, that''s what I need," Wain said contentedly and moved on.


    He was pleased with the item he received. Expendable items couldn''tpare in usefulness to any equipment or skill, but they mostly didn''t require energy to use. By using this bomb, Wain would kill many enemies without expending his energy. Sure, he only had one bomb, but it was enough to win some battle.


    Wain spent the next ten minutes fighting the ants attacking him. They were not serious opponents, and Wain dealt with them easily, although he used Lightning Lizard''s Dash a few times.


    Eventually, Wain stopped facing the ants. He didn''t know the reason but decided to move on through the cave.


    ''I''ve already fought quite a few ants, but it doesn''t feel like a whole colony. I keep walking down one cave, and I haven''t yet encountered any branches or passages to other caves. It''s very strange.'' Wain thought and suddenly came to a vertical descent.


    This descent was at a 90-degree angle and was perfectly straight, except for the small bumps left by the ants'' paws.


    "If I go down now, I probably won''te back up the same way. Unlike ants, I can''t climb walls... although... I do have one option." Wain muttered and waved his hand.


    He decided to descend, but the descent was very deep over thirty meters. Even considering his stats, Wain would not survive a fall from such a great height.

 Chapter 22 Ant Knights

    Wain summoned the Destruction Sword and then plunged it into the ground below him. The de slid effortlessly into the solid rock of the cave. Wain smiled. If his sword weren''t sharp enough, he wouldn''t have been able to go down.


    Perhaps another man would have chosen to go back and out of the Dungeon, but Wain was certainly not that man. If he didn''t make the most of the opportunities he was given, he wouldn''t be strong.


    He had a unique and powerful soul, but the rest depended on his own actions. If he dyed or missed fortunate moments, other people in this world could overtake him.


    ''Hm, when I arrived at Overion, it had been about twelve hours since the apocalypse. I searched for ancient ruins and sailed a spirit boat to the human world during that time. That means that I''m already behind in progresspared to some people in this world.''


    About a hundred billion people were living in this world. Wain understood that there would be many talented and genuine people among that number of people. Many of them would receive very rare souls, and some would be very powerful because of their intelligence or skills.


    After Wain made sure that his n would work, he clutched his dark sword tightly and jumped down. As he fell, he thrust his sword as hard as he could into the sheer wall and thus slowed his fall.


    He did not stop falling as under Wain''s weight, the sword cut through the solid rock, but the speed of the fall was greatly reduced. After a few seconds, Wainnded down and turned around to see something incredible.


    In front of him was a huge room, the size of which was difficult to describe. It was the central room of the Demonic Ant colony. This room was shaped like a sphere, and many ants were crawling on the ceiling.


    This was where the Worker Ants escaped when Wain attacked them.


    "I see, so that''s why no one attacked me. They were waiting for me here, decided to end things in their main base." Mumbled Wain looking at the two antsing his way.


    He walked towards them as well. Wain looked around and realized that the two ants in front of him were special. They weren''t as big as the Sentinel Ants, but they were several times stronger.


    They were Knights Ants, who, like everyone else, were subordinate to the queen. They were her guards, but now they had to deal with an intruder.


    The Demonic Ant Queen stood behind them on a tall spire in the center of the room. She was muchrger than the other ants, even the Sentinel Ants seemed small inparison.


    The knight ants had sharp front paws, and the rest of their limbs were also real weapons. Their two red horns glowed brightly, and they had sturdy, red tes and nearly imprable chitin all over their bodies.


    They looked fiercely at Wain and were about to attack him. All they were waiting for was amand from the queen.


    "Looks like you will be my most serious opponents since the Last Knight. It looks like I''m going to have to do my best." Mumbled Wain and prepared for battle by thrusting his sword forward.


    Wain was ready for a serious battle. If he had a chance to win, he never backed down.


    ''Hmm, actually, the situation is pretty bad. These two ants are very strong. Their auras are very threatening and strong. But, they''re not the only problem I have to face.'' Thought Wain.<sub> </sub>


    He didn''t know how strong the queen was. Usually, an ant queen was not a strong fighter in nature, but Wain doubted that this queen was just as helpless. Moreover, there were more than three hundred other ants in this room.


    Many of them were Worker Ants, but Sentinel Ants and Soldier Ants were also plentiful.


    ''It''s a good thing they don''t attack all at once. They think these two red ants can handle me. But when I kill them, they won''t keep order anymore and will attack me all at once.'' Thought Wain preparing for the attack of the Ant-Knights.


    Whoooosh.


    One of the Ant-Knights rushed toward Wain and tried to grab him with his powerful jaw and crush him. But, Wain bounced aside in time. However, he was attacked by another ant right after that.


    Wain skillfully blocked this blow with his sword, but he had to block the other ant''s blow a momentter.


    The knight ants were not only stronger than the others, but they also worked well as a team. Theyplimented each other''s attacks andbined them for maximum effectiveness.


    ''Damn, they were starting to speed up.'' Wain thought, watching the attacks of the Ant Knights.


    With each passing second, their attacks became faster and more deadly. The longer the two ants fought, the stronger they became. That was their specialty. They were also able to adapt quickly and gradually got used to Wain''s fighting style.


    They could see at what point he was blocking their attacks and at what angle. However, Wain was not so simple that some two ants could overwhelm him with a hail of attacks.


    Suddenly Wain turned into a sh of lightning and bounced back ten meters. Simultaneously, the Ant-Knights saw a green bomb fly in their direction.


    They didn''t have time to defend or react. A momentter, the acid bomb exploded.


    Arge amount of acid poured out on them. Moreover, the st radius was big enough to hit several Ant Workers standing aside.


    Their bodies couldn''t withstand something like that, so they were melted in a matter of seconds. Their souls headed towards Wain, flying into his body.


    Wain purposely used Lightning Lizard''s Dash to avoid being hit by the bomb. Drops of acid fell in front of his feet, melting stone.


    "Phew, that was dangerous, but it looks like it''s not over yet." Mumbled Wain looking at the two Ant-Knights.


    They took some pretty serious damage. Almost all of the red tes on their bodies were corroded by acid. But, they were still alive. One powerful bomb was not enough to kill such strong creatures.

 Chapter 23 The Power Of Ants

    Wain diligently conserved his strength and energy to fight all the ants at once. He understood that the Ant-Knights were not his final opponent. But, he didn''t expect them to be able to move and fight after being hit by an acid bomb.


    ''Hmm, they survived, but the tes on their bodies melted, and they sustained some wounds. Perhaps I can wound them now. The Destruction Sword should be sharp enough to cut through their flesh.'' Thought Wain and prepared to block attacks.


    Normally, he liked to attack himself, but it was best to wait for the right moment to attack in this situation. He had a n to kill the two ants without using his trump card.


    The knight ants attacked Wain with lightning speed. As before, they intelligentlybined their attacks, trying to understand Wain''s weaknesses. But, Wain had much morebat experience than the Overgrown Ants.


    He had a firm grip on his sword and reacted instantly to every lunge. The ants'' attacks were powerful, and Wain''s hands gradually went numb. Then he decided it was time to act.


    Wain swung his sword and knocked the ant''s paw aside, creating a small gap. The second tried to attack him, but Wain ducked and somersaulted forward. Then he blocked another attack and cut off the front paw of one of the ants with a sharp swing of his sword.


    Destruction Sword was a unique skill whose main advantage was not the call of the sword but the fact that it could be controlled remotely. Wain wanted to take advantage of this feature, but he couldn''t stay unarmed. Then he decided he needed to find another weapon, if only for a few minutes.


    Then Wain let go of the Destruction Sword and sent the sword toward the second ant with a wave of his hand. At the same time, Wain grabbed the severed paw of the ant and thrust it firmly into the head of the first ant.


    So while the second ant was blocking Destruction Sword attacks, Wain used the ant''s weapon against the insect itself.


    Wain struck several powerful blows, turning the first ant''s head into a bloody mess. Insects were extremely resilient creatures, and Wain had to make sure that one of his opponents was definitely dead.


    Then Wain bounced to the side and brought the Destruction Sword back. Now in his left hand was a dark sword, and in his right hand was the paw of an ant that looked more like a sharp de.


    The remaining Ant-Knight was wary, he knew that there was no way he could defeat Wain without his partner. Ant-Knight turned and looked at the queen. He had to get further instructions from her.


    The ant queen stared at Wain intently. She did not expect that a mere human could kill one of her strongest warriors.


    Suddenly the queen opened her jaws wide, and a loud sound like a sharp ng was heard throughout the room. It was so loud that Wain had to cover his ears to keep his eardrums from bursting.


    ''What the fuck is going on here. What''s the queen doing?'' Wain thought to himself.


    The next moment, the Ant-Knight stepped aside, making room for the queen. The ant queen jumped off the spire andnded a few feet away from Wain.


    ''In the distance, she seemed big, but now I realize that the queen of ants is incredibly huge.'' Thought Wain.


    After a couple of seconds, the ringing stopped, and the horns of all the Demonic Ants shone brightly. But, the ants were not looking toward Wain, but toward the queen. Red energy began to emanate from their horns and headed toward the queen.


    Wain immediately realized what was happening, ''So the queen was using some skill. The other ants are transferring their powers to her. But does she really think I''m going to let her do that?''


    Thought Wain and swung his fingers. The Destruction Sword went into motion and flew toward the queen like ck lightning.


    Wain wasn''t surprised that such a powerful creature as the Demonic Ant Queen had the skill. Monsters, like humans, had souls, and they could grow stronger and evolve as well.


    Moreover, monsters were more prone to evolution than humans, but they did not have as many options as humans in most cases. Since humans originally didn''t have souls of their own.


    Wain wouldn''t let the ant queen get the energy and be stronger. But, when the Destruction Sword almost reached the queen, the Ant-Knight appeared in front of her. He blocked the sword protecting the queen.


    "Damn." Proimed Wain. He didn''t expect Ant-Knight to defend the queen despite his wounds.<sub> </sub>


    The Ring of Damned glowed brightly, and a massive pistol appeared in Wain''s hands. Wain fired several shots. The massive bullets quickly reached Ant-Knight. The monster was seriously wounded but continued to stand and defend the queen.


    Wain quickly reloaded and was about to kill Ant-Knight. But, suddenly, the Sentinel Ant ran out of the general formation and stood in front of the Ant-Knight.


    "They''re protecting each other, and it looks like I''m already toote." Mumbled Wain looking at the queen.


    Various tattoos appeared on her body that glowed red. The horns on the queen''s head lengthened, and her jaw became several times bigger. After that, the horns of the other ants faded.


    The ants gave most of their strength to the queen to deal with Wain and protect the colony.


    The queen looked at Wain and roared furiously. She was going to tear him apart and eat him.


    Wain smirked and tossed aside the ant''s paw. He knew this moment woulde, so he was ready to use his most powerful skill.


    Suddenly arge amount of Soul Essence appeared beside him, and his appearance changed. His hair became longer and changed its color from ck to white. He wore ck armor and white gloves and boots.


    He used the Code of Light and Darkness. Thest time Wain used this skill was when he fought a huge worm. Then he had to use a lot of power to kill the monster, wasting a lot of energy.


    ''There are several hundred of them here, but the Worker Ants are very weak. The biggest problem will be coping with the queen.'' Thought Wain and checked his status. After using the Code of Light and Darkness, his stats should have increased and equalized with each other.


    [Wain Norheim


    Level: 7


    Race: Human


    Soul: Nameless King


    Additional Soul: Last Knight


    Title: Savior of the Damned


    Status Points: 21


    Strength: 33 / Agility: 33 / Vitality: 33 / Stamina: 33 / Energy: 33]


    ''Not bad. Judging that the Ant Knights could survive the acid bomb explosion, their Stamina is just under twenty-five. If you don''t count the queen, I''m the strongest now.'' Thought Wain.


    Suddenly the Ant Queen began to move. She attacked Wain at lightning speed, unleashing a barrage of attacks on him.


    But Wain was much stronger now. His silhouette became a blur, and he was behind the queen in a second. Then, like a madman, he began attacking her, slicing her paws apart.


    The Ant Queen did not expect Wain to be several times stronger suddenly. His strength and speed increased at least twofold. The Ant Queen tried to grab Wain with her jaws. But he didn''t even dodge. Wain threw the dark sword aside and gripped the queen''s jaws tightly with both hands.

 Chapter 24 Breaking The Balance

    After Wain used the Code of Light and Darkness, his Strength became thirty-three points. He thought the queen''s stats were just over thirty, so he decided to use brute force.


    Wain reacted quickly and gripped the queen''s jaws tightly. She tried to squeeze them and cut Wain in two but failed. Wain wouldn''t let her do it, but he was having a hard time holding back her attack.


    ''Damn, it looks like her stats are a little higher than mine, a little more, and she''ll clench her jaws.'' Wain thought and immediately used another skill.


    Electric shocks went through his body, and he turned into a sh of lightning. The queen''s jaws snapped shut, but Wain was no longer in that ce. He bounced to the side and then attacked the queen again.


    After Wain realized that their stats were equal, he decided to attack melee. The dark sword flew around Wain and attacked the queen.


    Wain''s attacks were powerful enough to destroy the queen''s tough chitin gradually. When the ant queen realized that she was losing, she used herst trump card.


    The ant queen roared furiously, and all the other ants attacked Wain at once. More than three hundred ants of varying strength attacked him simultaneously.


    Wain was ready for this. He knew that the queen would order the other ants to attack him when she had no more options.


    The Worker Ants also attacked wain. They were the weakest but also the most numerous. More than twenty monsters tried to attack Wain, but suddenly he disappeared from their sight.


    The next moment, the ants saw a white sh, and their bodies were cut into several pieces.


    The queen looked warily at Wain. His aura began to change. It seemed somehow strange and creepy. This aura was noting from the skill Wain was using but from himself.


    The next moment Wain turned around and looked at the queen of the ants with an insane look. There was a strange smirk on his face, and then he brought the dark sword de to his mouth and licked off the scarlet blood.


    Usually, when Wain fought, he behaved calmly and judiciously. But, sometimes, during dangerous battles, Wain let his emotions run wild.


    Wain loved to fight. He loved the smell of blood and the sound of his enemies'' flesh being torn. When many ants attacked him at once, Wain chopped them apart and felt his blood boiling.


    Then the queen roared furiously in his direction, and more than thirty ants attacked Wain. He smiled viciously and turned into a deadly whirlwind that destroyed everything in its path. Severed heads and body parts flew off to the sides, and rivers of blood appeared wherever Wain passed.


    Such an adversary was incredibly dangerous for ants, for Wain was fast and deadly. Each attack killed at least one ant, and it was impossible to hit him with any attack.


    Despite the fact that ants were rather small creatures, it was much easier for them to fight againstrge opponents. A huge enemy could not kill them all at once because there were usually so many ants. While the big enemy was trying to get rid of a few dozen ants, theirrades, numbered in the hundreds, would poison or snack the target to death.


    But, the ants could not win if their attacks did not reach the target. Over time, Wain killed about a quarter of all the ants. Most of them were ve Ants. Then he also killed a few Soldier Ants and even Sentinel Ants.


    After another ten seconds ofbat, Wain saw several messages.


    [Your state does not match the ideal skill bnce - the Codex of Light and Darkness]


    [Because of your state, darkness absorbs light and begins to dominate this duo. Along with the increase of darkness, so does the change of stats]


    The next moment, light gauntlets and boots began to be absorbed by the darkness. Wain was surprised by the change. He immediately looked at his status.


    [Wain Norheim


    Level: 7


    Race: Human<sub> </sub>


    Soul: Nameless King


    Additional Soul: Last Knight


    Title: Savior of the Damned


    Status Points: 21


    Strength: 41 / Agility: 41 / Vitality: 41 / Stamina: 41 / Energy: 1]


    What? Energy is down to one, but my other stats have gone up? Hmm, is this the effect of the darkness taking over the light? Great!'' Wain thought to himself and turned into a sh of lightning.


    He killed one ant after another, consuming their souls. Wain didn''t have time to use those souls to get Soul Essence, so they stayed in his inventory.


    After a minute, Wain''s armor was practically ck, his gaze was insane, and he had a crazy grin on his face. He was covered in blood from head to toe, and his white hair became Crimson. He looked contentedly at the hundreds of corpses in front of him.


    The only one who survived was the queen of the ants. She tried to attack and kill him. But, Wain easily dodged and used Lightning Lizard''s Dash to tear her body apart. He had inflicted many wounds on her before, so he managed to kill her.


    "Phew, that was hard, but I haven''t had this much fun in a long time." Mumbled Wain trying to catch his breath.


    He had expended more energy, and his body was under great strain. As Wain entered this strange state, he became stronger and more agile. But he also tired faster.


    Wain looked around for a way out. He didn''t cancel the skill as he wasn''t sure he was safe yet.


    In the distance, Wain saw a small passageway. That''s where he decided to head.


    ''This Dungeon turned out to be quite difficult. I wonder if I hadn''te here, would all those ants havee out and started building their colony already in the city? Hmm, that might be a problem, but it could also be used to my advantage.'' Wain pondered.


    When Wain passed through the passageway, he found himself in a strange room. The room was made of ck material with a glowing blue stone.


    In the center of the room was arge, white chest. It was made of white wood and had several different patterns carved into it.


    Wain smiled and muttered, "So this is my reward for this ordeal. I wonder what I''m going to get?"


    He stepped closer to the chest and wanted to undo the Code of Light and Darkness. Wain thought that all the dangers were behind him and all he had to do was collect his reward.


    But, for some reason, Wain was unsure of the correctness of his actions. His instincts told him that the danger had not yet passed.


    "Hmm, I killed all the ants, and this room looks safe. But, I still feel a strange, creepy aura." Mumbled Wain.


    Then Wain''s gaze fell upon the white, unremarkable chest of loot. Wain''s eyes turned icy, and he brought his sword down on the chest at lightning speed.


    As the dark de almost reached the chest, arge, creepy eye suddenly opened on it, and the chest grew ugly arms and legs. The chest bounced to the side and stared intently at Wain.


    "Unbelievable, I''ve only heard of such things in stories and tales. So you''re a Mimic?" Mumbled Wain looking at the living chest.

 Chapter 25 Eyes And Jaws

    Wain is used to trusting his instincts. Moreover, his instincts had gotten much better ever since the apocalypse began, and he has obtained a soul. Wain didn''t believe that danger coulde from the chest, but he simply had no other options.


    ''Unbelievable, instead of a bounty chest, I met Mimic. But, is it supposed to be like this? I must have acted too lightly, though. I thought I''d defeated all my opponents and was entitled to a reward. But is life really that simple? I''d forgotten it wasn''t a game.'' Wain thought and prepared for battle.


    After the battle with the ants, he did not have much strength left, but he had to deal with one enemy. Moreover, he wondered how the living chest would fight him.


    Suddenly the chest opened, and Wain saw a not very pleasant sight. His reward was supposed to be arge number of sharp teeth and a huge, long tongue. If any living creature got into that mouth, it would be torn apart.


    Wain was about to attack, but suddenly Mimic''s silhouette blurred. The next moment Wain saw a tongue rushing toward him. He tried to cut him with his sword, but Mimic''s tongue snatched his sword.


    Mimic then kicked Wain in the stomach and sent him flying. Wain hit the wall and red at his enemy.


    ''I couldn''t cut through his tongue because of mere saliva? Moreover, this blow was powerful. If not for my armor, my rib cage would have been broken.'' Wain thought.


    He swung his hand, and a dark sword appeared beside him. Wain acted cautiously. He was human and could die if his head was bitten off, and Mimic could easily do that.


    But, suddenly, strange things began to happen to the walls in this room. The passage was instantly covered with a strange liquid, ck and viscous like ink. This liquid covered all the walls and the ceiling, and then Wain saw creepy mouths with white teeth appear on the walls.


    They slowly began to close and open while snapping their teeth. As time passed, they elerated and became like the sounds of a swarm of locusts.


    "What the hell!" Proimed Wain.


    It was like some nightmaree true. But, Wain quickly concentrated and focused all his attention on his opponent. Those mouths were creepy, but they couldn''t kill him, unlike Mimic.


    However, suddenly the walls began to move, or rather the ink became more and more, making it seem like the walls hade into motion. The jaws were slowly but surely approaching Wain.


    Moreover, Mimic also didn''t understand what was happening. He was supposed to kill Wain and get his power, but instead, the two of them were trapped in some kind of trap.


    "Huh, it looks like there were two traps in the same room. That sounds more like a joke than the truth." Mumbled Wain and turned into lightning.


    He instantly reached Mimic and started attacking him with all his might. Wain understood that Mimic was a dangerous opponent and an aggressive fighting style was too risky, but it was the fastest option.


    Wain knew that if there were any way he could get out of this room, it would only be if he defeated Mimic. So he would fight as hard as he could without fear of being seriously wounded. At that moment, the most important thing was to survive and nothing else.


    Mimic also understood the seriousness of the situation and began to fight with all his might. His mouth opened wide and his long tongue headed for Wain.


    Wain jumped aside and attacked with his sword. Mimic tried to dodge, but suddenly Wain grabbed his arm, preventing him from moving. The next moment he thrust his sword de deep into Mimic''s flesh and swung the de upwards.


    Thus he cut Mimic almost in half, and the monster fell to the ground.


    "Now, what am I supposed to do?" Wain thought, but suddenly Mimic''s jaws slid open, and he wed at Wain''s leg with a death grip.<sub> </sub>


    Wain didn''t expect such an attack from an opponent he had just ripped open, but Wain reacted instantly.


    He cut off Mimic''s head, then used his hands to loosen his death grip and toss the toothy chest into the wall from behind everyone.


    That''s when Wain saw how dangerous the jaws in the walls are. They ate Mimic in an instant without leaving a trace of him.


    "What? That''s not normal..." Wain muttered as he watched the jaws devour Mimic''s soul as well.


    Mimic''s soul was blue, which meant it was Rare Rated. Wain was hurt that he had lost such a soul. But what surprised him more was that some creature could eat the soul.


    After he defeated Mimic, Wain thought that he would figure out how to get out of this room, but no. No exit or hidden passageway opened.


    The toothy jaws gradually closed in on Wain, and he decided to stop them himself. He fired weapons at them and chopped the ink apart with his sword, but nothing worked. Even if he destroyed some of the jaws, they regenerated very quickly.


    After a few seconds, Wain ran out of strength and could no longer maintain the Code of Light and Darkness.


    ''Damn, the situation couldn''t be worse. I can barely move my right leg, and I have no idea how to deal with these jaws. I need to think of something right away.'' Wain thought.


    He looked coldly at the toothy mouths, then smiled and muttered, ''When the usual ways don''t work, I have to go for something more unusual and radical.''


    Wain''s aura increased the next moment, and he attacked the toothy mouths like a distraught beast. He dipped his bare hands into the ink while his body was being devoured alive and tried to pull one of the jaws out.


    Wain fought more fiercely and ignored his wounds. Dark energy gradually began to emanate from his body, which transformed into arge silhouette of jaws.


    "Kill!" Wain''s voice rumbled, and in a fit of rage, he bit off part of the mouth and dark ink.


    The moment it did, arge eye, very much like a human eye, opened in the center of the room. The purple pupil of this eye glowed brightly, and this room began to copse gradually.


    The jaws and ink shattered into small shards just as the big eye did. Wain did not understand what was happening, but suddenly his body began to copse as well.


    Wain frowned and muttered to himself, "I got into this world by doing things others can''t even imagine..."


    "I can''t die!" Wain shouted, and his aura increased several times.


    That''s when his body stopped disintegrating, and he realized he was in a strange space. All around him was pitch-ck darkness and an unusual door.


    "It''s getting more and more like some kind of madness..." Mumbled Wain looking at the dark ink door. There were more than a hundred open eyes on that door.

 Chapter 26 The Seal Of Darkness

    Wain didn''t know what ce he found himself in, but it was obvious that it was some space. All around him was darkness and one eerie door of ink and open eyes.


    "Apparently, this is my way out of here." Thought Wain and headed toward the door.


    When he got close enough to it, all the eyes stared at him intently. A terrifying aura emanated from them, capable of making any man tremble with fear. Wain was not afraid, but he was not calm either. At that moment, he felt a feeling called Wrath.


    He clenched his fist tightly, then punched in the eye on the door with all his might. It burst, flooding Wain with blood, but then two eyes appeared in its ce.


    "I don''t know what''s going on here, but my body is bleeding because of you bastards!" Wain said furiously and kicked the door with all his might.


    At the exact moment, the door opened, and Wain broke off part of the door with his blow. More than thirty eyes, along with the ink, flew aside and were left floating in the darkness.


    Wain was in great pain to make that blow, but he didn''t care about the pain at the time. He had learned to tolerate pain long ago, especially in situations like this.


    "And where does this road lead?" Wain muttered, looking at the passage behind the door.


    The passage was dark, and there was no telling how long it was. Behind that door could be a curse, or it could be a blessing. But in any case, Wain had no choice but to go inside.


    Wain stepped forward, and as he passed through the door, the ink and eyes began to disintegrate into tiny shards. These shards then headed toward Wain and instantly prated his chest.


    It happened much faster than snapping fingers. What''s more, those shards turned into a strange seal that moved into his Soul Altar. The next moment Wain saw a message.


    [Seal of Darkness received]


    "Seal of Darkness? What is that?" Wain muttered, trying to understand what had just happened. He couldn''t even react to those shards. Moreover, he had never heard of any seals that moved in Soul Altar. It was something unknown.


    Wain shook his head and moved on. His main concern right now was getting out of here. Everything else was of secondary importance. Wain walked for quite a long time, or so he thought.


    Wain felt as if he had been walking for over three hours, but in fact, it hadn''t even been three minutes. He was tired and wounded, it was hard to even move around in such a state.


    But, before long, Wain finally saw a change. In the distance, he saw a simple, wooden door as if it led to some house or establishment. Wain smiled and headed toward it.


    This door was the first, normal thing he had seen in a while. The strange ink and Mimic being trapped with him was something mystical.


    Wain went to the door and slowly opened it. Even now, he kept his guard up and was prepared for any eventuality. Until he got back to town, he could not feel safe.


    When Wain opened the door, he froze in shock. He expected to see a way out of this strange ce or a more serious challenge. But, instead, he saw a bar in front of him.


    Wain went inside and looked around. It looked like a small but very luxurious bar for upscale guests. Most furniture and decorations were made of expensive leather and rare wood.


    The interior furnishings were pleasant to look at but not pretentious, and it also emphasized the importance of the ce.<sub> </sub>


    Wain stepped forward, and drops of his blood poured onto the small carpet at the entrance. Then Wain looked at the bar. There, to his surprise, was a man.


    He was a tall blond man with long, light hair below his shoulders. He wore a white shirt and a ck jacket. It was standard bartender attire in many establishments. He had blue eyes and an iron chain around his neck.


    At that moment, he was wiping the ss with a linen cloth. He looked at Wain calmly, then gestured for him toe to the counter.


    Wain was puzzled, but he did not feel threatened by this ce. On the contrary, he felt very good and safe. It seemed strange to Wain, but he had no reason to think otherwise. His instincts didn''t tell him anything either.


    So Wain slowly walked over to the barstool pouring drops of blood onto the wooden floor, and sat down on a high chair.


    At that moment, the man stopped rubbing his ss and set it down in front of Wain. The man bowed lightly and calmly said, "Hello Wain Norheim, my name is Sven Hellem. I am pleased to wee you. Is there something you want? There''s a wide assortment here."


    ''How does he know my name? This guy is obviously not easy. What''s more, I still don''t know where I am.'' Wain thought.


    He looked at the blood trail left behind him and smirked, "Sorry, looks like you''re going to have to clean up."


    Sven smiled and calmly said, "It doesn''t matter, so what can I get you?"


    Wain sighed and said, "Pour me something that will make me feel better. Right now, I feel like I''ve been to hell in the middle of a war."


    "Understood, then one wound healing cocktail would be perfect for you. It takes quite a while to prepare, so you''ll have to wait a bit." Sven said calmly.


    Then he pulled out arge, tall ss and ced it in front of Wain.


    At first, Wain didn''t notice it, but this bar was anything but ordinary. There were different bottles of all kinds of alcohol in the bar and small jars with organs in them. Moreover, besides organs, there were also parts of monsters, such as horns, ws, eyes, scales, and so on.


    ''This bar is half like a potions and decoctions room. It''s like it''s a witch''s cottage.'' Wain thought.


    Sven took one jar and pulled a small heart out of it. It was dark and didn''t look human. Sven put on ck gloves and held the heart over the ss. Then he squeezed the heart with force, squeezing the purple liquid out of it.


    <o>,m Wain raised an eyebrow in surprise but did not interrupt Sven. He was curious to see what would happen next.</o>


    ''Hmm, I wonder what kind of cocktail he''s going to make me. I''ve certainly never had one of those before.'' Wain thought.


    He would drink what Sven was going to make him because he had no other option anyway. Wain didn''t even have the strength left to use his weakest skill, and in the event of a battle, he was unlikely to win. He had to regain his strength first.


    Moreover, Wain decided to trust his instincts. They had not failed himst time, so he had no reason to doubt his actions. Even though this ce was very strange.

 Chapter 27 Territories Of Darkness

    After Sven squeezed the ck heart, he set it aside and picked up another jar. This jar contained many small, pink scales. They didn''t look like fish scales, more like the scales of some reptile.


    Sven took a mortar and pestle from the shelf and began to turn these scales into a fine dust as if he were preparing spices for some dish. Then he took a small sk of amber liquid and poured it into the crushed scales.


    At the exact moment, the dust mixed with the amber liquid. Sven then took the strange, purple triangr-shaped berries and squeezed their juice into this mixture. He then took out an engraved lighter and lit this mixture. After a couple of seconds, the liquid turned green, and he added it to the purple liquid in the ss.


    Wain was surprised by the resulting cocktail, but that wasn''t the end of it. The ss was only half full. Sven took the whiskey bottle and poured this into the ss, filling it. The cocktail was almost ready, and there was only onest move to make.


    Sven opened a small box and took out a tiny, white berry that looked like a snowball. He tossed it into the cocktail, after which the temperature all around went down, and the topyer was covered with a thin icy crust.


    Sven moved the ss toward Wain and calmly said, "Please, Dead Star Cocktail, ready."


    Wain smirked and said, "Interesting name, but the ingredients and method of preparation is something out of the ordinary."


    Sven said nothing and just waited for Wain to try it. Once all the ingredients were mixed, the color of the cocktail turned a gentle blue. But, the closer it got to the bottom, the darker the color became.


    Wain slowly took the ss and saw his hand slowly begin to ice. Wain quickly brought the ss to his mouth and drained it in less than ten seconds.


    "Not bad, not bad at all." Said Wain. He was pleased with the cocktail he drank.


    The Dead Star was a very strong drink with a unique vor that Wain had never seen before. It meant a lot, as he was an expert in good and rare liquor. But, the taste was not the most important part of this cocktail. The main effect Wain saw after a couple of seconds.


    "Wow, my wounds are healing on their own with incredible speed." Mumbled Wain looking at his leg. The torn tissue was healing quickly, and there were no scars or bruises left.


    Sven smiled and said, "Isn''t that what you wanted?"


    "Of course, you couldn''t wish for a better cocktail. Would you be so kind as to pour the strongest whiskey possible?" Said Wain.


    Sven did as he said, and secondster, Wain enjoyed the amber liquid.


    "Okay, we''re done with the forey. Tell me, what is this ce, how did I get here, and how do I get out? Moreover, how do you know my name? We''ve definitely never met before," said Wain seriously.


    Sven smiled and calmly said, "I recognized your name because of my special ability. I can recognize a little bit of information about who I''m looking at."


    Wain nodded and thought, ''Not a bad skill, but I think he recognized more than just my name. That would be too easy.''<sub> </sub>


    "Mr. Wain, before I answer the other questions. I want to ask you something. You got the Seal of Darkness, didn''t you?" Sven said calmly.


    ''I see. He knows about this seal. So everything that happened before has to do with this ce and maybe personally with Sven.'' Wain thought.


    ''Yes, after I went through the creepy door, the splinters came into me, and I saw a message to that effect.'' Slowly Wain said.


    "Good, then I must tell you the purpose of this seal and what the meaning of this ce is."


    Sven continued, "This ce is in the World of Darkness. It''s not a real world like the one you live in. The World of Darkness is the name of a space that consists of several other confined spaces with their own functionality."


    Wain took a sip of whiskey and continued listening to Sven.


    "You got here by going through a special ordeal. I don''t arrange these trials. It''s the will of the World of Darkness that does everything. Trials can appear anywhere, but more often than not, they are dangerous or hidden ces that are very difficult to get to."


    "A trial..." Wain muttered. "What happens if someone doesn''t pass a test? What''s more, how does pass them?"


    Wain managed to survive and get out of the trap, but he didn''t understand how the system worked. He didn''t know exactly what he had done to get out of the room with dozens of jaws.


    "Trials are tailored to each person individually. So whether a person passes the test or not depends not on their luck but on their spirit and their desire to survive. The test is different for each person. Moreover, the same applies to the conditions for passing the test. In the end, the participant must receive the Seal of Darkness." Sven exined in detail.


    Sven sighed and said, "Naturally, if you don''t pass the trial, the only oue is death. Furthermore, your souls will be devoured, and the very essence of your existence will be destroyed. You will never be able to return to this world again."


    "I see," Wain said briefly. "I got the seal, but what do I need it for? What is its function?"


    Sven said calmly, "The Seal of Darkness is a reward for passing a test. With it, you can enter the World of Darkness areas without first passing the test. These areas are briefly referred to as Void. However, each of these territories is incredibly dangerous. Compared to this, the trial is an easy walk."


    ''Hmm, when you think about it, what I recently experienced can hardly be called a full ordeal. It was short, and it was over in a few actions. That doesn''t change the fact that I could have died there, though. I wonder what dangers will await me in the Voids?'' Wain thought.


    "What useful things are in the Voids and how to get there?" Wain asked.


    From Sven''s words, he understood that these areas were very dangerous. But, where there was danger, there were incredible opportunities.

 Chapter 28 The Bartender

    Sven calmly said, "Voids are hazardous areas, which are home to powerful creatures, as well as not simple climatic conditions. Moreover, in these areas often ur a variety of natural disasters. But the higher the danger, the higher the rewards. Wain, how did you get into the test room?"


    Wain shrugged and answered, "I went into a strange crypt, killed almost half a thousand huge ants, and then headed into the room where a chest was waiting for me. I thought I would get a reward, but it was a trap, for it was not a chest but a Mimic. Then as I understand it, the trial of the World of Darkness began."


    Sven was surprised, "Yeah, that''s not the usual situation. Trial of the World of Darkness sometimes appears in Dungeon territory, but you still met Mimic. You''re really out of luck."


    Wain nodded weakly and said, "Sven, what do you know about Dungeons? This is the first time I''ve encountered something like this."


    "I don''t think I''ll tell you any more than you know. Dungeons are areas created because of arge umtion of Soul Essence in one ce. Dungeons are very simr to Voids. Only they are more frequent and less dangerous. Dungeons are altered ces or spaces influenced by Soul Essence.


    Sven sighed and continued, "Dungeons can be destroyed as you did. In that case, after eradicating all the monsters, the remaining Soul Essence will gather in one spot and be your reward. This can be anything. Depends on the amount of Soul Essence and luck. The same goes for Voids. Only as I said before, the difficulty is much higher there, and these territories tend to be bigger."


    "What happens if a Dungeon, for example, appeared in a deep forest and no one found it?" Wain asked. He was curious about this.


    "In that case, the monsters woulde out of the Dungeon and gradually increase their territory of influence. The Dungeon will constantly get stronger and bigger. Sometimes this can lead to a real catastrophe. Of course, if you destroy a sprawling Dungeon, the reward will be appropriate." Said Sven.


    "Damn, in that case, I''m really out of luck. I met Mimic and the test of the World of Darkness at the same moment in my first Dungeon." Said Wain.


    Sven nodded and said, "Yes, but usually, meeting a Mimic is huge luck. These creatures are unique. They can absorb the souls of others and store them within themselves. Thus increasing the total Soul Essence of the entire Dungeon. This means that if you manage to defeat Mimic, the reward will be better than usual. However, you have passed the test of the World of Darkness, and that is the most important thing."


    Wain took a cigarette out of the pack and lit it. He blew out a puff of smoke and said, "Dungeons are exciting things. It might be better to let some Dungeons evolve properly before destroying them."


    Sven said, "Most people would like to destroy all Dungeons. Your thoughts are rather cynical."


    Wain grinned and said, "They''re cowards, but I''m not the only one. I''m sure that soon some Dungeons will be protected instead of destroyed. It might even be a real business. Sven, so how do I find Voids?"


    "Usually, Voids are either in dungeons or hidden ces that are hard to get into. Unlike Dungeons, the entrance to which is a crypt, maze, or ruin of some kind. Normally the entrance to a Void is like a dark door made of ink. The entrance to a Void is mostly hidden in space gaps." Sven said calmly.


    Wain nodded and asked, "How do I get into the Void, and what can I get if I destroy everyone there?"


    "It''s simple. You need the Seal of Darkness, and that''s it. When youe to the entrance of the Void, your seal will activate, and you will be able to pass into the space where the dark door is. Getting the reward is the same way as in Dungeons. Arge amount of leftover Soul Essence will turn into some item or even a soul. However, in Voids, you can find a lot more than one good reward at the end."


    p Sven sighed and continued, "In Voids, you can find various ores, powerful monsters, and their souls, as well as other rewards. Moreover, in some Voids, you can find neutral creatures in addition to monsters. They may bring you some benefit."</anda>


    "I see." Calmly said Wain and asked, "This bar, is it a Void too?"


    Sven smiled and said, "Yes, unlike Dungeons, where there are always monsters, sometimes the Void is a neutral zone. This Void is very small. It''s a very ordinary bar. These are special zones that are very rare to find. But, the first time, after getting the Seal of Darkness, everyone gets into such, safe zones."<sub> </sub>


    ''I see, so there are other ces besides this bar. I wonder what other neutral zones there are. These Voids look like something very curious.'' Wain thought.


    "Then, who are you?" Asked Wain.


    Sven smirked, "Isn''t it obvious? I''m just a simple bartender. But, I''m also a part-time informer and trader."


    "You''re not a bad bartender. What do you sell?" Asked Wain.


    "Lots of things, but you can hardly buy anything now. The World of Darkness uses onemon currency. It''s not money or materials of any kind. It''s souls, but not ordinary souls. The currency of the World of Darkness is called Void Soul." Sven muttered.


    "And how do I get Void Soul?" Wain asked.


    Sven smiled and quickly answered, "It''s simple. You have to trade your souls and get a certain amount of Void Soul for them. But, I should warn you, you might need more than a few hundred souls to get just one Void Soul."


    Wain nodded and said, "Then how much Void Soul can I trade my souls for, and what can I buy from you with it?"


    "I trade a variety of goods. But, for starters, put your hand forward. I need to know exactly how many souls you have and how strong they are. Don''t worry. I won''t be able to see the souls that are in your Soul Altar." Sven said quickly.


    "Good," Wain replied briefly and reached forward.


    Sven grabbed his hand, after which a faint, blue glow appeared. Sven''s eyes lit up, and after a few seconds, he let go of Wain''s hand.


    At that moment, Wain thought, ''Hmm, he looks calm, so he''s not fooling me. He really hasn''t seen my Soul Altar. That''s good.''


    "Wain, you really destroyed an entire Dungeon yourself. Impressive, since it''s been less than a day since the apocalypse began. All your souls are enough to get one Void Soul." Sven said.


    Wain was surprised and said slowly, "You weren''t joking when you said Void Souls are hard to get. They do cost a lot of money. What can I buy with one Void Soul?"


    Sven smiled and gestured with two fingers, "Even with one Void Soul, you can buy several things, but I think there are two of the best options. The first is this."


    Said Sven and the ring on his hand glowed the next moment, and a ck bomb with many silver cells appeared in the palm of his hand.


    "What is it?" Wain muttered.


    "It''s a special bomb that gets stronger from the number of souls inserted into the cells. There are only a hundred cells. The more powerful the souls, the stronger the explosion will be. If you put in enough rare souls, you can create an explosion more powerful than a nuclear bomb."

 Chapter 29 The Second Offer

    "Hmm, this bomb looks interesting, but there''s no point in me buying it if I don''t have a hundred extra souls. This bomb only costs so cheap because, without souls, it''s just a shell that has no firepower." Said Wain.


    Sven nodded, moved the bomb into the ring, and said, "Then I''m sure my second offer will suit you. For one Void Soul, I will activate your Seal of Darkness."


    Wain raised an eyebrow and asked, "Isn''t my seal already activated?"


    Sven shook his head, "No. Right now, your seal is only working at half strength. You''ll be able to enter the Void, but if your seal isn''t activated, you''ll have a very hard time knowing where the passageway is. After all, it would help if you first got into the space gap and then went through the door. If your seal is activated, you can understand where this ce is if you are a few meters away. You will feel a special aura."


    "I see, well then I want to trade my souls for one Void Soul and activate my seal," Wain said seriously.


    He quickly made this decision since an activated seal would give him many possibilities. He could afford to spend a few hundred ant souls for the ability to pass in Voids. In his opinion, it was the right decision with an investment for the future.


    Wain reached forward again, and he handed Sven all of his souls. This could be done by the power of thought, as the souls were stored as cards in his inventory.


    Then Sven smiled, clenched his hand into a fist, and opened it. Wain saw a small, gray soul in the palm of Sven''s hand. It looked like purgatory, with nothing but endless emptiness. It was one Void Soul, the currency of the World of Darkness.


    Sven nodded and said, "To activate the seal, I will have to use a piece of the power of the World of Darkness, so my aura may seem terrifying to you."


    Sven moved Void Soul into the ring and touched Wain''s arm the next moment. Dark energy slowly began to emanate from Sven''s body. His aura increased with each second, and Wain felt the whole bar shake in one moment.


    The energy wasn''t scary, but it was terrifying in its power. Wain, however, was not afraid. He had met the Guardian of this world before, and his aura was far more terrifying.


    Then Sven''s eyes turned ck, and his hair seemed toe alive. The dark energy slowly made its way toward Wain. At that moment, the seal in his Soul Altar glowed brightly and then went out.


    Sven came to his senses and calmly said, "All set."


    Wain nodded. He looked around and realized that the ce looked somehow different now.


    ''I see, so this is the energy of the World of Darkness. This is it. This is how I''ll be able to figure out where the spatial rifts and entrances to the Void are.''


    ''Sven, I still have onest question. How do I get out of here, and can I get in again?"


    "Now, you can find your own way out of here without any problems. Just study the aura around you. You will appear in the ce you came from. But, sometimes, this rule doesn''t work. It all depends on the zone. Wain, you cane back here and ask me something or buy something. But, it''s not that easy to do. Here take this." Said Sven and tossed Wain a coin.


    It was a ck, small, round coin with the image of a tall ss with a star on top.


    Wain looked at Sven, puzzled.


    "This coin is something like a key to this bar. Without this coin, you can''t get into this bar. Coins, amulets, or other things are usually only found in neutral areas like this bar. In vast Voids with crowds of monsters and natural cataclysms, you can''t get into with a key, because it just doesn''t exist. Of course, there are exceptions." Sven exined in detail.


    "How do I get in here if I need it?" Asked Wain.<sub> </sub>


    "It''s not very easy. You can''te here at any time because you have to get into the spatial rift of the World of Darkness to get here. When you got here, you went through the dark door too, didn''t you?" Sven asked.


    Wain nodded.


    "So, now if you get into the spatial rift again, there''s a door to my bar. If you don''t have that coin, the door won''t appear. You can go into my space and thene back again and choose another door. So you don''t have to be afraid to go into neutral areas first and then go intobat Voids." Said Sven.


    ? "I see, then, see youter. Thanks for the drink." Said Wain calmly and headed for the exit of the bar.


    As Sven said, he focused on the energy of the World of Darkness and realized which direction he needed to go. It was much easier than he thought.


    Click.


    The front door mmed shut, and Wain found himself outside the bar. At the same moment, Sven began breathing heavily and leaned on the bar with both hands. His whole body was shaking, and his back was drenched with cold sweat.


    He muttered, "What kind of soul was that...? What had this man done to receive such a soul? What thoughts lurked in his mind...?"


    ...


    When Wain walked out of the bar, he found himself back in the spatial rift. There were only two doors. One led back to the bar, and the other was the exit from the World of Darkness.


    Wain went through the inky door again with a hundred eyes and found himself in the room where he killed Mimic.


    Wain took a deep breath and said with relief, "Phew, that was too sudden. This world is simr to mine, but there are many differences here as well. The world of Darkness, Voids, Dungeons, and that''s probably not all. This world is far more expansive than I could have imagined."


    Then Wain headed for the exit. The corpses of the Demonic Ants in the main hall were still there. Wain walked calmly among the hundreds of bodies he had cut up. This wasn''t the first time he''d done something like this. Of course, he killed people, not ants, before. Otherwise, he would not have been able to survive, as if now.


    After a while, Wain reached the exit of the Dungeon. Unfortunately, because of the test of the World of Darkness, he did not receive his reward, and he even had to sell all his souls to Sven. But, Wain did not regret it.


    ''Hmm, I killed all the monsters. What happens to the Dungeon next? Will it disappear, or will it stay here forever?'' thought Wain as he left the Dungeon.


    Wain returned to the big store where this crypt appeared. Wain quickly went up to the top, looked around, and saw a strange sight.


    There were more than fifty corpses of scout ants lying around. Moreover, there were human corpses next to the insect corpses.


    "Hmm, there was also a battle here. It seems that while I was fighting inside, all the Scout Ants came out. However, no one from the Gisle group died. Only the people who were hiding here died." Wain muttered.


    Wain was about to leave, but suddenly he saw an ant''s head chained high to the wall with a long knife. Wain stepped closer and saw a simple note on the knife.


    "Waiting at the university..." Wain muttered as he read the note.

 Chapter 30 University

    Wain came out of the store and headed in the direction of the university. He already knew the way, so he got to the right ce in just a couple of minutes.


    There were many monsters around the university as before, but the passages were locked, and so far, the monsters couldn''t break through them. Wain needed to get to the university. There was no point in him fighting the zombies.


    He had a n to do it. He quickly ran forward, straight toward the crowd of zombies. When the monsters spotted him and turned in his direction, Wain jumped high and went over their heads. His speed and skill were enough to do it. Then when he got close to the fence, he jumped from behind all his strength while cracking the zombie''s head open and climbed on top.


    "Hmm, where exactly should I go? Where is the Gisle group?" Mumbled Wain looking at the university.


    There were many buildings on the campus, but two particrlyrge buildings were the main ones. Wain realized that Gisle was probably somewhere there. But, he could not look all over the university.


    However, Gisle had provided for that. In the distance, near the entrance to the west building, Wain saw Rita. This girl was making sure the monsters didn''t break-in.


    Wain smiled and headed towards the girl. Rita quickly spotted Wain and smiled. Even though Wain was rough and cold, he seemed cool and strong to her. She wasn''t wrong, though.


    "Wain!" Rita said loudly. They were worried that he wasn''ting back. They needed such a strong ally, so for thest hour, Gisle had been very worried.


    Wain nodded quietly and asked, "Where''s Gisle?"


    The girl frowned a little but then answered, "He''s on the first floor right now, getting ready for an attack."


    "Attack? There are plenty of monsters around, but they''re weak. It doesn''t look like they''ll break through the barricades anytime soon." Slightly surprised, Wain said.


    Rita shook her head, "He''s getting ready to fight the students from the east corps. Gisle became our leader, but only half of the students decided to follow him. The rest have joined Rafe Mason. He is the head of the eastern corps. Gisle wanted to join forces, but Rafe was serious. He wants to be in charge here and then deal with the monsters afterward."


    "Is he strong?" Wain asked.


    Rita nodded, "Yes, that''s why so many have followed him. What''s more, as far as I know, he''s been secretly involved in underground fights, in a secret arena near the uni. Tourists often visit Overion to rx on the beach, but manye here to watch the fights. At his weight and age, he was one of the best. Rafe is also known for his aggressiveness."


    "You know a lot about him." Said Wain.


    "Well, it''s not that hard to find out, considering that we''re in the same group, or rather studied," Rita said modestly. Wain knew she was holding something back, but it didn''t matter.


    "I get the gist of the situation. Take me to Gisle." Wain said calmly.


    Rita nodded and headed into the building. At that moment, she was reced by another person.


    Wain was curious to see what would happen next. Gisle could lead people and be a great leader. In the future, Wain could take advantage of this. But if he lost to Rafe, so be it.


    Wain had no intention of obeying anyone or being the head of any team. It wasn''t in his interest. Wain was what famous leaders and heads of criminal organizations were afraid of.<sub> </sub>


    He didn''t lead millions. He gathered information and took advantage of the resources of individuals who had enormous power. In a way, Wain was a ruler in his world, for it was up to him whether or not one would live.


    But, Wain did not seem this definition was correct. In his opinion, a ruler could be considered someone who led many people, gave orders, and developed a n, an organization, or an entire country. He was not a ruler. He was a judge or a reaper, for they were the ones who decided matters of life and death.


    If Gisle grew stronger and increased his influence, more people would follow him. This meant that he would have more opportunities, more resources, and of course, more information.


    Therefore, if Wain were someone, Gisle would respect or fear, he could get information without wasting his time and energy directing others. This was the main advantage of being a judge.


    Wain was something of a gray cardinal, and that role suited him. He didn''t set out to lead others from the shadows. He didn''t mind if his power and influence were known to all. But that was unlikely.


    Since the heads of organizations were subordinate to him, they were not interested in their subordinates knowing about it. Therefore, the situation was that all leaders of organizations and ns in his world knew about him. They feared or respected him. But, their subordinates and often even their most trusted persons were unaware of Wain''s existence.


    Wain was never interested in power. The most important thing to him was strength. Of course, these two things often ovepped. That is why many people, despite Wain''s reluctance, followed him.


    ''Hmm, if Gisle does not meet my expectations and loses, then I will have to intimidate Rafe since he will now be in charge in this territory. It would be better if Gisle wins, intimidation works well and quickly, but sometimes the system fails.'' Wain thought as he approached Gisle''s room.


    "Wain?" Gisle muttered in surprise. ''"Great, I was worried you were already dead. What happened in that creepy crypt?"


    Wain shrugged and calmly replied, "Nothing interesting. Lots of monsters that are already dead. If I hadn''t killed them, they would havee out. Nothing more to tell."


    Gisle nodded and said, "You already know the situation?"


    ? "Yes, you have a battle to fight for the throne and the crown, don''t you?" With a slight smile on his face, Wain said.


    "That''s right, Rafe, this idiot doesn''t understand that there''s no point in fighting for the right to rule. We must unite, mop up the monsters around the university. Awaken the Soul Altar of all students and then conquer and subdue other territories. We don''t have time for the pathetic semnce of civil wars." Gisle said coldly.


    Wain smiled and nodded, "You''re right. But, the voice of logic and rationality speaks for you. However, you don''t seem to understand people''s desires very well. Now, this is the most opportune moment to gain power and might during the apocalypse. Rafe doesn''t care about progress, he wants power first, and you are in his way. Even if his actionster lead to the copse, it doesn''t matter now. People will go for whoever is stronger, not whoever has better leadership abilities."


    Gisle smirked and said, "I see you know this stuff. Have you ever had to leadrge groups of people before?"


    "Not really. You could say I''ve interacted with those who have led people." Smiling weakly, Wain replied.


    Gisle looked out the window at the main square and muttered quietly, "Looks like it''s time."


    Rafe and his subordinates were already waiting for him. He was ready for battle. He wanted to win and be in charge as soon as possible.

 Chapter 31 The Change

    Gisle took his katana with him and headed downstairs. His team followed him. They would support him and protect him if Rafe decided to cheat him. They were to fight one on one. It was fair and straightforward. But, Rafe might have tried to win by not using fair methods.


    Wain went to the window and looked at Rafe. He was a tall guy with short, brown hair. He had amber eyes.


    ''Hmm, Rita said he was in underground fights, but his body doesn''t look like that kind of fighter. He''s pretty thin, to be honest, I expected him to be huge and muscr. That''s more of a stereotype than the truth, though. Brute strength is only one of the few factors that make up true power''. Thought Wain.


    He headed downstairs, as did the others. He was curious to watch the fight and see who would win. Wain wanted Gisle to win because he would have to spend time intimidating Rafe if he won.


    Wain knew that there were two ways to make a man obey him. The man had to respect him and tremble at his power, or he had to fear him as his worst nightmare.


    But, Wain considered intimidation a less reliable, though quicker, option. After all, if a person fears him, he would try to betray Wain at a good opportunity.


    As Wain walked down, he decided to check the list of skills he could improve. Most of the souls he got from killing the Demonic Ants he gave to Sven. But, before he faced the test of the World of Darkness, he managed to use some souls and gain Soul Essence.


    The skill improvement window appeared in front of Wain, but as before, it was empty. However, when Wain checked his skills, he saw something strange. He could unlock Nameless King''s Forms.


    [Nameless King''s Forms (Primary Chronicle Active Skill, Legendary Rating)


    ]


    [This skill hides forms of incredible power and limitless potential. You partially unlocked this skill and got the first form - Code of Light and Darkness form. But, this is only the beginning. It is only the first step on the way to true power.


    In order to unlock the next form, you need to fulfill the following conditions -


    [Swordsman''s Soul Required - 0/1]


    ''What? Swordsman''s soul? What does that mean? Perhaps I can use any soul of a creature that fights with a sword?'' Wain was puzzled. Dozens of questions instantly appeared in his mind.


    But, after a couple of seconds, his Seal of Darkness glowed brightly again. At that moment, Wain felt a strange aura emanating from the north.


    Wain turned in that direction, and despite the dozens of buildings blocking his view, he could see the outline of a passage. Wain immediately realized what had happened.


    "Sven said that thanks to the activated Seal of Darkness, I would be able to sense where the spatial rifts are so that I could get to where the entrance to the Void and Neutral Zones is. But, he said that this effect only works for a few meters. Perhaps it''s a special effect of Nameless King''s Forms, and the seal acts as apass?" Wain muttered.


    ? Wain decided that his theory might be correct. When he thought about finding the right soul to fulfill the condition, he immediately felt a strange energy.


    ''Hmm, that''s good. So I''ll always know where to find the materials I need to unlock the next forms of the skill. But, the soul I need seems to be in Void. Moreover, Sven said that Voids are either in hidden ces or in Dungeons. Judging by the distance, this ce is within the eastern zone of the city, which means that the Void is in the Dungeons''. Wain thought.


    He was pleased with the open opportunity to unlock the next form. The Codex of Light and Darkness was an incredibly powerful skill, thanks to which he could be much stronger for a short time.


    Wain decided that he would go there as soon as the battle between Gisle and Rafe was over. He had to know who would be in charge at the university.<sub> </sub>


    ''There are many promising people at the university, but they are all afraid and don''t even fight. As I understand it, only the Gisle group and the Rafe people have already awakened their Soul Altars. The others are just wasting their time and their potential.'' Wain thought as he came to the main square between the two buildings.


    Gisle was already standing in front of Rafe, holding his katana firmly in his hands. Gisle didn''t try to negotiate. He knew it was useless. So he was ready to fight and even kill Rafe if necessary.


    Rafe, on the other hand, looked rxed. He was confident of his victory, and this duel seemed fun to him.


    Many people gathered around, almost all of the students, but so were the teachers. They were divided into two equal parts, one supporting Gisle and the other supporting Rafe.


    "Gisle, give up. If you leave the university right now, I won''t pursue you." Smirking, Rafe said.


    "Shut your mouth," Gisle said coldly, and his katana became coated with ayer of energy.


    Rafe smiled and prepared to fight. His weapons were knuckles. They were the mostmon knuckles from the store, not from Soul Chest. Then red energy began to emanate from Rafe, and his aura began to increase. His eyes turned blood red, and all of his muscles tensed and his veins swelled.


    His knuckles became covered in a thin, red sheath. Moreover, three spikes of this energy grew on his knuckles.


    ''Looks like his soul is great for battles, especially one-on-one. No wonder he''s considered the strongest by most students.'' Thought Wain and lit a cigarette.


    He stood in the distance and calmly watched the fight. At that moment, Rita came up to him and asked, "Wain, who do you think will win?"


    Wain exhaled a puff of smoke and said, "Whoever is worthy of living and fighting."


    The next moment Gisle attacked Rafe. He decided to attack first and end this battle quickly. But, Rafe was not so easy to lose in the first seconds of the fight. He deftly dodged the de of his katana and thenunched a lightning strike at Gisle.


    Gisle didn''t have time to dodge, and Rafe''s fist sank into his stomach. Gisle threw up a mouthful of blood simultaneously but quickly came to his senses and counterattacked with a swing of his katana. The energy de flew toward Rafe.


    But Rafe wasn''t even going to dodge. He clenched his hands into fists and put them against each other like a shield. The energy de hit the knuckles, but it couldn''t destroy them. The red energy absorbed the blue de and Gisle''s attack dissipated.


    "Gisle, I warned you. It would be best if you had gone for good. We can''t move on without one single ruler. And it definitely shouldn''t be you!" Shouted Rafe and lunged toward Gisle.


    Gisle wiped his mouth of blood and calmly said, "I wanted to solve everything amicably. But you only understand thenguage of force. Then I''ll show you how pathetic you and your soul are."


    Gisle put his katana out in front of him and closed his eyes the next moment. No one understood what Gisle was doing. In a second, Rafe would get to him and attack again from all his strength.


    ''Rafe is strong, but he is overconfident and will soon lose. After all, it looks like Gisle has never used his soul skill yet.'' Thought Wain.

 Chapter 32 The Perfect Cut

    When Rafe almost reached his opponent, Gisle opened his eyes at thest moment. He brought his katana down at lightning speed. His movement was so swift that no one present noticed it.


    That swing created a windde that instantly went through Rafe''s body, cutting the energy cover and him into two equal parts. Moreover, the windde went further and sliced through one of the smaller buildings.


    Everyone froze in shock. No one could have imagined that this fight would end so quickly and in such away. They didn''t expect any of them to really die. But Gisle and Rafe were serious.


    When Gisle realized that this was the only option, he decided to end it all in one powerful attack. Rafe didn''t stand a chance of surviving. The windde went through theyer of energy and his flesh like a red-hot knife through butter.


    p. p. p.


    But, suddenly, the silence was broken by a measured p as if to greet the winner. Everyone looked in surprise at the tall man in the ck cloak. He slowly pped his hands together, smiling weakly.


    Then everyone else repeated after Wain, and a hail of apuse erupted. Just now, Gisle hadmitted a brutal murder for which a day ago he would have been imprisoned. But, now, in a time of apocalypse, their fight was not a vition of thew. It was a duel by a diator in the middle of a coliseum under the gaze of onlookers.


    ''I didn''t expect Gisle to have such a trump card stashed away. He knew he would win before the fight began, yet he still initially wanted to settle. He''s trying to find an opportunity to strengthen his group.'' Thought Wain.


    At this moment, all the people could only have three active skills. Wain only had one active skill, Lightning Lizard''s Dash. That meant he could have two more active skills. His Soul Altar couldn''t hold any more, at least not yet.


    However, there is no limit to the skills obtained from souls, whether main soul or additional soul. So even though Wain has Destruction Sword and Nameless King''s Forms, which were active skills, he could have two more active non-soul skills.


    Initially, Wain thought that the energy de Gisle had used before was his Main Soul skill, but that turned out not to be the case.


    ''The whole time, he was using the skill he got from the Skill Book. However, perhaps he has some powerful additional soul. It''s quite possible.'' Thought Wain.


    When people stopped pping, Gisle stuck his katana in the ground and said loudly, "Less than 24 hours ago, there was an apocalypse, and all we have to think about is how to survive. However, if anyone doesn''t agree with the results of the battle, they cane out and fight me."


    Gisle chose to show his survival-oriented stance right off the bat. However, he also let the others know that he would lead the whole process as long as he was the strongest.


    "Damn, Rafe turned out to be weak, but then we''ll take care of it. Suddenly said one guy who was standing behind Rafe during the fight.


    He was one of those who believed the most in Rafe''s unshakable strength, but when hismander lost, he did not despair. On the contrary, he thought this was his chance.


    He instructed his associates and, more than five men the next moment simultaneously attacked Gisle. If they killed him now, they could control the others together.


    Gisle prepared for the fight. He did not expect to be attacked by several men at once. Suddenly, however, he saw something terrifying.<sub> </sub>


    A dark shadow with a massive sword in its hands appeared in front of the attackers. The silhouette lightning swung its weapon several times, after which the six chopped bodies up fell to the ground. Only one guy was left alive, the one who started the attack.


    Wain walked up to him with an icy stare and plunged his hand into his chest, ripping out his heart from the other side.


    "I''m sorry, but the show is over. You bunch of clowns will bring this ce down, and then I''ve only wasted my time." Wain said in an eerie voice and crushed the heart.


    Wain was interested in this university because, in his opinion, it could be one of the most important ces in Overion. At this point, he could not go to other parts of the city, much less to other cities. First, he had to find a way to cross the canyons.


    Therefore, this university could be the main point where all information and resources would be sent. It would all happen under Gisle''s direction, and Wain could take advantage of that. But, he didn''t see a future for the ce if people like that ran it.


    Gisle, like everyone else, froze in shock. At that moment, Gisle thought, ''I knew Wain was strong. He certainly has some powerful soul. What''s more, he doesn''t look like a simple man who came here to rest. Gotta keep a good rtionship with him.''


    These thoughts were the beginning of the respect and awe before the power that Wain reflected on. It was a solid beginning that would make Wain a unique person to Gisle.


    Gisle wanted to say something, but suddenly a scream was heard in the distance. Everyone turned around and saw that the main gate had been broken. The monsters were heading quickly toward the people.


    Gisle said loudly, "Everyone who can''t fight gets on top. Most of the monsters around the university are zombies, and they are very slow. Build barricades and wait for help. The rest who can fight, be careful, and pay attention. If a zombie hurts you, you''re dead."


    Wain looked at the crowd of monsters and thought to himself, ''They managed to destroy the main barricade. Zombies and small insects aren''t strong enough to do that. But it looks like I can see who''s to me for everything.''


    He looked at the massive creature, over seven meters tall behind the zombies. It looked like an enormous blob of flesh with huge, front paws that looked like two hammers. Because of its strength and size, this creature had no problem destroying a house and any barricade.


    "It looks like a mutated monster. They are slowly beginning to appear." Mumbled Wain and ran towards the monsters.


    It was unexpected that the monster attack happened now, but it had to happen sooner orter. There were more and more monsters, and they had to be killed to maintain the bnce. After all, the mutations weren''t over. They were beginning.


    This was an excellent opportunity for Wain. He thought he could get enough Soul Essence if he killed all the ants in the Dungeon, but he ended up having to trade all the souls for one Void Soul.


    Wain wanted to go to a ce where he could get the soul he needed to unlock the next form. But, before that, he wanted to improve some skills, get some new gear, or increase his level.


    So he was the first to attack the monsters, but it would be difficult for him to deal with such a horde of monsters alone. After all, more than a thousand monsters of varying strength had umted around the university in a few hours. And now, all of them were heading for the main passageway.

 Chapter 33 Blood And Souls

    When Gisle saw Wain running forward, he quicklymanded and headed toward the monsters. This would be their first test after he became the sole leader.


    Then Wain thought, ''I''m lucky, I''ll get a lot of Soul Essence, and also Gisle will strengthen his position. That means that the leader here is unlikely to change, so I haven''t wasted some of my time on them for nothing.''


    The next moment Soul Essence appeared around Wain''s body, and his appearance changed once again. He used the Codex of Light and Darkness. Wain had already fully recovered thanks to the cocktail Sven had prepared for him. So he decided to use his most powerful skill to kill as many monsters as possible.


    Moreover, the monsters were not to destroy the university''s buildings and kill all those who hadn''t activated their Soul Altar yet. But, the main goal was souls and Soul Essence.


    The next moment a dark sword appeared in Wain''s hands, and he turned into a white sh of death. He killed one zombie after another, methodically cutting off their heads. One by one, the white souls headed for his body.


    Gisle and the others weren''t going to stand idly by. Most of the monsters that attacked were zombies. At this point, they were the mostmon type of monster and also one of the weakest.


    They were killing zombies every second, but they did not forget safety. Zombies couldn''t kill them, they were too weak for that, but any wound led to infection. Zombies were somewhat like poisonous insects. With their weak bodies, these insects could not do anything to their enemies. But the presence of the poison made them deadly to their enemies.


    Wain also didn''t get damaged by monsters. He had an antidote against infection, but he was never careless. However, zombies couldn''t even see him, he was too fast. When he used the Code Light and Darkness, all of his stats became 33. That meant that he was about seven times more powerful than the average human in every way.


    [You killed the Zombie Level 3]


    [You killed the Zombie Level 5]


    [You killed the Giant Bee Level 4]


    [You killed...]


    ''Hmm, the average zombie level is up a bit. Moreover, there are also a lot of mutated insects. But I don''t understand anything. Why is this huge monster standing in the distance, watching the battle? Moreover, he broke the barricades and stepped back. It''s too strange.'' Wain thought as he sliced up another zombie with his sword.


    Thest time he fought the Demonic Ants, he was more aggressive and enjoyed the battle. At that moment, his blood was boiling, and he wanted to make a real massacre. It was also because of the deadly danger of the situation.


    But, it was different now. The zombies he was killing couldn''t fight him back. Wain was calm and even rxed. He felt as if he were on the training ground and attacking dummies, not destroying crowds of zombies. Then he saw several messages.


    [Your current state is not the perfect bnce of light and darkness.]


    [Because of your condition, light absorbs darkness and begins to dominate this duo. Along with the increase of lightes a redistribution of characteristics]


    The next moment Wain felt his movements be slower and his attacks weaker.


    ''Am I getting weaker? What''s going on?'' Wain muttered to himself and opened his status.


    [Wain Norheim<sub> </sub>


    Level: 7


    Race: Human


    Soul: Nameless King


    Additional Soul: Last Knight


    Title: Savior of the Damned


    Status Points: 21


    Strength: 5 / Agility: 5 / Vitality: 5 / Stamina: 5 / Energy: 145]


    ''What? All my stats have gotten so small, but Energy has increased to unbelievable heights. Hmm,st time darkness defeated light, Energy dropped to 1, and other stats went up. Now it''s the opposite.'' Wain thought.


    His stats have dropped to the average human before the apocalypse. Except for his skills, Wain is now no different in terms of power than people who haven''t activated their Soul Altar.


    However, Energy was a special stat on which the power of his skills depended. This meant that most of his active skills were now stronger.


    ''Hmm, Destruction Sword will probably get sharper and faster, but I''m already killing those zombies with one blow. However, I have another powerful and useful skill. Wain thought, and his body glowed with lightning.


    The amount of Energy also affected the number of skills a person could use before he was exhausted. This meant that if before Wain could use a skill for example, ten times, now this number increased several times.


    Wain used Lightning Lizard''s Dash and turned into a terrifying lightning bolt. Everyone heard loud peals of thunder and looked in the direction of the sounds.


    They saw a multitude of blue shes carry from one ce to another. Wain used Lightning Lizard''s Dash time after time. Now he could use this skill many times.


    An electrical discharge was created with each sh that tore the zombies apart. Thus, Wain wiped out over two hundred zombies in just thirty seconds. Dozens of souls flew into his body.


    As time passed, Wain began to enjoy such power, and then the bnce between darkness and light was struck again. At that moment, his stats became equal again because of the Code of Light and Darkness effects.


    Wain looked at the hundreds of zombie corpses around him and muttered, "Hundreds of deaths are only necessary for one man to climb just one step in the infinite path. This world has indeed be a cruel ce. It used to be even more horrible, though."


    He swung his sword, knocking away the clinging blood, and walked slowly toward the giant monster. Along the way, Wain killed attacking zombies and insects. Some monsters passed him, but Gisle and his men killed them.


    By then, Wain''s soul count had exceeded three hundred.

 Chapter 34 The Puppeteer

    Wain killed about a third of all the monsters and decided to head for the big monster that broke the barricade. This monster was called Bonecrusher. It was huge, and its front paws looked like massive hammers.


    ''This monster must be many times stronger than zombies and simple mutated insects. But he''s still standing in one ce, and I don''t know why. However, if I kill it, it won''t matter.'' Wain thought.


    Wain got close to Bonecrusher and immediately attacked. The monster spotted him and sprang into action. It put its massive paws forward and blocked Wain''s attacks.


    ''Damn, his front paws are as strong as a shield. It''s going to be a problem to prate them. Then I should change tactics.'' Thought Wain and jumped up sharply.


    Many people thought that the bigger their enemy was, the stronger he was. Of course, this was true in some cases, but by no means always. Moreover, the small ones had a great advantage over the big ones. They were faster and could attack their huge enemy in ces he could not defend.


    So Wain decided to jump on Bonecrusher''s head. He thought that the monster would not reach him there because of itsrge but not flexible paws.


    However, when Wain''s feet touched the monster''s head, suddenly, many bloody spikes appeared from the monster''s body. But, Wain did not jump back. The spikes were short, and he knew how to dodge this attack.


    Wain sharply stabbed the Destruction Sword into the monster''s flesh, jumped up, and grabbed on the sword with one hand. It was as if he was standing on the sword upside down. It wasn''t hard to make such a move, given his physical prowess.


    Bonecrusher realized that Wain had somehow managed to dodge his blow. So he pressed his paws to his body and rolled forward like a snowball.


    Wain was surprised by the actions of his enemy. Despite the fact that Bonecrusher wasrge and looked like a big ball of meat, he proved to be quite a mobile and varied opponent.


    "You decided topete with me in speed? Come on!" Wain said loudly, and instead of bouncing off to the side, he started running in the opposite direction. Moreover, he was cutting the monster''s flesh with his dark sword, inflicting numerous wounds.


    Bonecrusher was spinning pretty fast like a wheel, but Wain''s speed and dexterity were enough to stay in one ce. It looked strange from the outside, but Bonecrusher was in real agony at that moment. The monster thought he could crush Wain in this way, but instead, it received many wounds.


    Wain thought that he could easily defeat Bonecrusher this way, as he inflicted more and more wounds on the monster with each passing second. At one point, however, Bonecrusher stopped, and Wain felt as if an invisible whip had been tied around his neck.


    But, it was not just a feeling. In an instant, the invisible whip tightened, and Wain flew back several meters.


    Wain quickly regrouped, fell to his feet, and stepped back to a safe distance. He was confused. He didn''t understand what had just happened.


    ''What was that? It wasn''t my imagination. Someone tied a whip around my neck and pulled me out of there. But, who did it?'' Thought Wain looking around carefully.


    Bonecrusher did not attack Wain. The monster stood still, but its actions made sense. For, a secondter, a faint glow appeared around its wounds, and its flesh began to heal, and its wounds began to heal.


    At that moment, Wain smirked and muttered, "I see, so that''s why he didn''t attack with the other monsters. There''s someone else here, and he''s a covert puppeteer."<sub> </sub>


    Wain came to this conclusion because it exined the recent whish attack. If his enemy was invisible or had some ability to conceal himself, it was no surprise.


    However, Wain could not see the hidden puppeteer. Moreover, he did not even know roughly what his enemy looked like or where he might be. This made it much more difficult to find.


    ''Hmm, I''ve been whipped, which means the puppeteer must be somewhere in that direction.'' Thought Wain looking behind Bonecrusher''s back.


    He decided that this was the most likely one of all the possibilities. Most of the puppeteers weren''t very strong. They made up for it by controlling the bodies of others. Therefore, standing behind the huge Bonecrusher was pretty safe.


    The next moment Wain dashed toward where he assumed the puppeteer was. Wain thought he could sense his enemy''s aura up close.


    As Wain approached Bonecrusher, the monster immediately attacked him. Wain easily dodged the strong but slow blows.


    However, once Wain was in ce, he could not detect the puppeteer. He tried to feel the aura or energy waves, but nothing worked.


    Then Wain decided to close his eyes and concentrate as much as possible on his goal. If he could not find the puppeteer now, he could hardly defeat Bonecrusher. After all, such big opponents were very hardy, and they needed to do a lot of damage before dying. But, if such monsters were to be treated by someone from afar, the fight could be endless.


    ''I can''t see him, and I can''t feel his aura either. He is very well hidden. However, I can try to hear him. My hearing is better now than most animals and insects before the apocalypse.'' Wain thought.


    Bonecrusher tried to attack Wain while he wasn''t paying attention to him. But when the monster''s attack almost reached Wain, he stepped forward. The hammer-like paw plunged deep into the ground behind Wain. There were many cracks in the ground, and a shockwave went out from the impact.


    The next moment Wain opened his eyes and smilingly said, "Found it."


    Wain''s body was electrified, and he turned into lightning. Momentster, he thrust his dark sword into the void, but suddenly scarlet blood spurted from the void. That''s when the puppeteer''s disguise began to fade.


    Wain abruptly ran away to the side, taking the puppeteer with him. He didn''t want to be interrupted by Bonecrusher. He would deal with that big piece of meat a littleter, and no one would interfere with him anymore.


    When Wain stepped back to a safe distance, he looked carefully at the already dead puppeteer. To his surprise, it was a zombie, but that wasn''t exactly true.


    Everyone knew that zombies could infect people if they were wounded. In that case, the person would be a zombie after some time. However, what happens if a zombie wounds a person who has already activated his Soul Altar and received some initial abilities?


    It was simple. That person would simply be a zombie, only with superpowers. This zombie would be much stronger than the others and have the abilities he already had before turning.


    "I see, so this man had such powerful abilities before he became a zombie. He was unlucky that some zombie was able to damage him. Otherwise, a great future would have awaited him." Wain thought, and a white soul flew out of the zombie''s body at the same moment.

 Chapter 35 The End Of The Battle

    When the white soul flew into Wain''s body, he saw detailed information about it.


    [Soul of Puppeteer(Whole)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Common]


    ''Great, is Whole Soul. I hope I get something useful.'' Thought Wain and crushed the soul.


    Even though it was Whole Soul, there was no guarantee that Wain would get an item or skill. In this case, it all depended on luck.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Puppeteer level 9. Energy +6.]


    [You have leveled up to level 8. You get 3 status points to distribute freely]


    [You get Common Rating Soul Chest]


    "Wow, this is unexpected. I increased my Energy by 6 points. That''s impressive. What''s more, I got Soul Chest. It looks like I''m fortunate today." Mumbled Wain.


    Compared to the other stats, It was much harder to increase Energy. When a person used Damaged Soul or Whole Soul, they would increase some stats. This process was not random. It all depended on what creature''s soul the person used.


    If a person killed a fast and strong but weakly protected monster. He would most likely get a Strength and Agility boost. But by crushing the soul of such a monster, a person is unlikely to increase his Vitality and Stamina.


    Energy was slightly different from the other stats, so a person had to kill rather rare and unusual monsters to increase this stat. These monsters'' strength had to be concentrated not on their bodies but on their skills.


    Of course, all monsters that evolved at least once had some skill. But, they also had very strong bodies. To increase Energy, a monster had to have powerful skills, or its body had to be weaker than its skills. This happened very rarely.


    This problem disappeared when the monsters evolved several times. In that case, it was possible to increase Energy in quite a few situations.


    Then Wain decided to see what was in the Soul Chest. Bonecrusher was far away and wasn''t paying attention to Wain as he moved away to a ce that was out of the monster''s field of vision.


    The next moment, a tiny, white chest appeared in the palm of Wain''s hand. He was surprised, he had never heard of a Soul Chest being so small.


    "It''s so small that not even a ring or a bracelet could fit in it. Perhaps so an earring?" Wain thought.


    The size of the Soul Chest adjusted to what was inside. Last time Wain had thought there would be some costume jewelry inside the Soul Chest, but he was wrong. Now, however, he had no other guesses. Only an earring could fit in such a small chest.


    However, when Wain opened the Soul Chest, he did not see an earring like that. A small, gray stone looked like a crystal.<sub> </sub>


    Wain looked at this stone in surprise, and when he took it in his hands, a description appeared in front of him.


    [Ghost Crystal (Primary Chronicle, Common Rating)


    [This crystal is a special material that can give objects a special property that makes them practically invisible. This crystal also has other magical properties in addition to partial invisibility]


    "I got the material, not the object? Strange, I never heard of such a thing. However, this is a different world, and a lot can be different here. Moreover, even in my world a small part of the events and things that appeared after the appearance of souls has been investigated." Mumbled Wain.


    Wain had mixed feelings. He expected to get some weapon or armor on the one hand. But, instead, he got material. On the other hand, this crystal had unusual properties, which Wain could not recognize.


    ''Hmm, I won''t be able to find a use for this crystal at the moment. I need a person whose soul is connected with cksmithing or some craft. Most likely, such people haven''t even activated their Soul Altar yet. It will be a long time before I can use their services. First, the world needs to go back to normal. If I can call it that,'' Wain thought.


    He put the Phantom Crystal into the Ring of Damned and stepped out of the hiding ce. Wain was left to deal with Bonecrusher, after which the monster attack would be suppressed.


    "Judging by the number of monsters left, Gisle and his team are working well together. While I was dealing with the puppeteer, they killed over four hundred zombies. Less than a third of the total remains." Wain muttered and ran toward Bonecrusher.


    When Bonecrusher spotted Wain again, he roared furiously and headed in his direction. The monster wanted to kill Wain for causing him so much pain.


    Wain smirked, and when he got to the monster, he used Lightning Lizard''s Dash. Thus Wain dodged Bonecrusher''s attack and left a long, deep cut and electric shock burns on the monster''s body.


    Bonecrusher could regenerate without the puppeteer''s help, but it was quite a long process. It would take him at least ten minutes to heal deep wounds. Of course,pared to humans without skills, it was very fast. But, in a fight, especially against a dangerous opponent like Wain, ten minutes wasparable to an eternity.


    Wain began to attack Bonecrusher with all his might. The monster tried to defend itself, but Wain''s attacks were too fast and strong. He made one cut after another, and the whole monster''s body was flooded with blood.


    Because of the bloody spikes, Wain could not climb the monster''s back, but he had a way to defeat such arge opponent easily. Wain would inflict numerous wounds on him and wait for Bonecrusher to die from bleeding.


    Bonecrusher understood that he could not defeat Wain. He was too fast and too strong. Throughout their battle, he had not yet hit Wain once. If this continued, the monster would die. So Bonecrusher made the only decision that would help him survive - escape.


    People were afraid of monsters, and that fear was understandable. Monsters were strong, dangerous, and cruel. They could kill people by the hundreds and devour them alive. Monsters were a real nightmare for humanity. But that didn''t mean they didn''t have fear and couldn''t be afraid of someone.


    Many people were very afraid of spiders. But, in fact, these insects could even die of fear because they had a weak nervous system. This did not change that spiders were some of the strongest predators in the insect world. But, even they could feel fear of creatures that were a thousand times stronger than them.


    Bonecrusher tried to run away, but Wain would not let him. Wain quickly got to the monster and inflicted several deep cuts on its legs. Eventually, Bonecrusher fell, destroying several small buildings with his massive body.


    Bonecrusher tried to get up but failed. He was too big for his shredded legs to hold his body. Previously Bonecrusher had protected his weaknesses, but when he decided to run away, he left his legs unprotected, which Wain took advantage of.


    Wain paced slowly toward the helpless monster and smiled predatorily. He lowered his weapon down, and the end of the dark sword shed through the stone, causing sparks to appear, and the screeching sound it made was terrifying.

 Chapter 36 New People

    Wain slowly approached Bonecrusher. When the monster saw Wain''s merciless eyes, he trembled with fear. No one wanted to die, and even creatures like monsters were no exception. Death, however, did not care for the wishes of others.


    Wain thrust his sword sharply into Bonecrusher''s head and delivered more than ten shing blows to one point. He realized that this monster was very tenacious, so he would have to make many attacks before Bonecrusher finally died.


    After a few seconds, Wain finally stopped attacking when the Destruction Sword was already covered in blood. Bonecrusher died, and a blue soul flew out of his body. Wain smiled, and the soul entered his body.


    [Soul of Bonecrusher (Whole)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Rare]


    ''Wow, Whole Soul, didn''t see thating. I hope I get some skills. This guy was very strong and robust. Maybe I can get some skin strengthening or even regeneration.'' Thought Wain.


    He wanted to crush the soul, but suddenly something caught his attention. When Bonecrusher fell and destroyed several buildings, it created a lot of noise. The monsters didn''t pay attention to it since they were all on campus now. But, the noise also attracted the attention of people hiding nearby.


    Several people came out of one building that looked like a small candy store. They had seen Wain kill Bonecrusher and, of course, were very impressed. There were only ten of them. Among them were seven men and three women.


    Wain canceled Code Light and Darkness and approached these people. Their conversation was inevitable anyway. Moreover, Wain hoped there would be someone useful among them.


    "Please help us." Said one man who stepped forward. They were all afraid and unable to defend themselves.


    Wain asked, "How long have you been hiding here?"


    "Since the beginning of the apocalypse, these monsters have been too dangerous. We''re lucky we managed to survive." Quietly the man muttered.


    ''Fear is okay, but they''re useless. There''s no point in helping them. They would only be a waste of resources and time.'' Thought Wain.


    "I take it you haven''t killed any monsters yet or activated your Soul Altars?" Asked Wain.


    If one of them had the guts to kill a monster, it meant that in the long run, that person could be useful.


    But, as he expected, everyone shook their heads.


    "You are very strong, and it looks like you came from that university. Would you please take us with you? We can''t fight, but we will do our best." The man asked.


    Wain wanted to say something, but suddenly, another man''s voice interrupted him.


    "Wait, one of us killed a monster. That''s her." He pointed to a girl of short stature with a pretty face.


    She had short, shoulder-length pink hair and blue eyes. She had a small knife in her hand, but Wain found the weapon interesting.


    He approached the girl and asked, "What''s your name?"


    The girl calmly replied, "Lea Cazal."


    Lea looked a little over sixteen. She was still in high school, and the sudden onset of the apocalypse had turned her life upside down.


    Wain pointed to the blue knife in Lea''s hands and asked, "Nice to meet you. My name is Wain Norheim. Where did you get that weapon? Did you really kill a monster?"


    The girl nodded and said, "I killed a zombie by ident. I just threw everything I could get my hands on at him. This knife... I made it myself."<sub> </sub>


    At that moment, Wain''s eyes lit up, and he asked smilingly, "That''s the effect and skill of your soul, am I right?"


    Lea nodded weakly.


    Wain looked at the others and said, "We already have a lot of people with strong fighting souls. I''m not the only one who can kill monsters. So, it would be nice if some of you turned out to have support souls or souls rted to some craft."


    "I''m sorry, but I don''t have the right soul for you." Said one of them.


    The other people shook their heads the same way.


    "I see, craft souls really aren''t verymon." Calmly said Wain.


    Wain walked over to Lea, took her hand, and slowly walked forward. The girl tried to show that she was brave, but she was scared too. So when the man who had just killed a huge monster took her by the hand, she felt safe.


    ''I was lucky. Most likely, Lea''s soul is connected to cksmithing. It''s one of the most coveted craftsmen, especially at the beginning of the apocalypse.'' Thought Wain.


    "Thank you." Said one man and followed Wain. The others did the same. They were d that Wain had decided to help them.


    Wain didn''t answer anything. He decided that these people would be Gisle''s problem. He wouldn''t help them, but he had no reason to stop them from surviving either. Wain walked forward with Elsa, and something alerted him.


    ''Hmm? Was he that big when I fought him?'' Wain pondered, looking at Bonecrusher''s corpse.


    The monster''s corpse grew steadilyrger and was several times its former size within seconds. The flesh began to tear apart, and Wain realized what was about to happen. He grabbed Lea and quickly ran out of there.


    Then the monster''s flesh reached its terminus, and it exploded, destroying everything around it. The only people who managed to survive were Wain and Lea. The girl was shocked, and she thanked fate that Wain was with her and saved her.


    "Phew, that was dangerous. Are you okay?" Wain asked.


    "Yeah." The girl nodded weakly and got to her feet.


    They were already outside the walls of the university, and a second ago, her life might have ended because of the monster''s suicide attack. She was in shock, but she tried to control herself.


    Lea turned around and saw hundreds of dead zombies and small insects.


    ''Take it easy, Lea, take it easy. They''re all dead already. What''s more, Wain is next to me. He can easily protect me.'' Said the girl to herself.


    Wain took a cigarette out of the pack and smoked. He looked at the murdered monsters and muttered, ''Gisle did a good job. This ce is safe now."


    "Wain, are you in charge here?" Lea asked.


    Wain shook his head and said, "No, Gisle is in charge here. I''ll only show up here once in a while if I need it."


    "Is he stronger than you?" Asked the girl.


    "Is he stronger than me? I haven''t met anyone stronger than me yet. That''s enough questioning. Let''s go." Proimed Wain and headed on his way.


    He needed to talk to Gisle. Wain was going to head north, to the ce where he could sense the energy of the World of Darkness. He had to get the soul he needed to unlock the second form of the Nameless King''s Forms skill.


    Gisle was going to organize the rest of the people. But, Wain wanted Gisle to pay special attention to Lea. After all, she was the person who could create weapons and equipment.

 Chapter 37 The Rescue

    Wain walked past the corpses of hundreds of monsters heading toward Gisle. Lea walked beside him, she might have fought for her life, but that didn''t mean she wasn''t afraid. Unlike Wain, she was a simple schoolgirl, and killing was something forbidden and insane to her.


    "Did something happen?" Wain muttered to himself, looking at the group of people in the distance.


    In the center of the group was Gisle with a frown on his face. Wain didn''t like it. If something happened to Gisle, all his efforts to make a good base out of this ce would go to waste.


    "Wain!" Rita said loudly when she saw him. She didn''t even notice Lea walking beside him.


    Rita could see that she was rmed about something.


    "What''s wrong?" Wain asked.


    "Gisle... he... he was hurt by a zombie... and none of us have any medicine," Rita said in a trembling voice.


    Wain walked over to Gisle and looked at him. A zombie left a deep wound on Gisle''s left arm, but not a normal zombie, a mutated zombie. Gisle fought well and was able to kill his opponent, but he made a mistake at one point.


    "Wain, I see you have dealt with the remaining monsters." Proimed Gisle as if there was no problem at all.


    "You''re out of luck today. Considering your wound, you''ll turn into a zombie in a few hours." Wain said calmly, looking at Gisle''s hand.


    Gisle nodded and said, "Yeah, it looks like my journey ends here. Damn, I''m really unlucky. We killed so many zombies and couldn''t get a single cure. The chances of getting that box are awfully slim."


    Wain shook his head and said, "Not really. Someone in this battle was luckier than the rest of us."


    Wain smiled, and suddenly there was a syringe of blue liquid in his hands. The eyes of Gisle and the others widened in surprise. Without any exnation, they knew what it was.


    Gisle smiled and nodded weakly. Then Wain tossed him the syringe, and a secondter, the blue liquid flowed through Gisle''s veins. The infected cells began to heal, and Gisle felt much better.


    Last time Wain decided to keep the antidote to the infection for himself. He saw no point in giving such a valuable item to a useless person. This situation, however, was different. Wain could give the cure to keep Gisle alive. It was profitable. After all, if Gisle were to die, all of Wain''s efforts would waste.


    "Wain, have you brought recruits to us?" Asked Gisle looking at Lea.


    Wain nodded, "Yes when you get this ce in order I need to talk to you about something. Lea, you too."


    Gisle and Lea nodded. When the threat passed, Gisle began handing out instructions. They were to rebuild the barricades and gradually expand their holdings. But, first, Gisle had to assign duties. This would take quite some time.


    While the others were busy rebuilding the base, Wain had lunch on the roof of the university. He had lost a lot of strengthtely. He needed to recover.


    ''Hmm, when I drank the cocktail prepared by Sven, I healed my wounds andpletely replenished my energy reserves. Simple food from stores doesn''tpare to that cocktail.'' Thought Wain as he ate a green apple.


    He looked north and saw a vast park in the distance. This park was near a rift caused by a giant worm''s actions. The huge canyon was only a few dozen yards from the park.


    From there, Wain could feel the eerie aura of the World of Darkness. Moreover, his seal pulsed as if confirming his thoughts.


    "This park is very far away. I can see some monsters there, but even though binocrs, I can''t see the entrance to the Dungeon. It''s definitely hidden somewhere." Wain muttered.


    Wain decided to use the Soul of Bonecrusher. He wanted some skill that would strengthen his body.<sub> </sub>


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Bonecrusher level 10. Stamina+5, Vitality+7]


    Wain felt his body grow stronger and stronger. Stamina and Vitality, in general, were the stats responsible for defense. But, there were significant differences between them.


    Vitality determines the regeneration rate and the total amount of damage a person could withstand. Stamina determines the strength of a person''s body, as well as his endurance. Wain believed that these stats should be about the same points.


    There was no point in high regeneration if a person''s skin and flesh were as strong as jelly. There was also no point in having a solid defense if any wound person received could cause a person to bleed to death.


    Aside from the increase in stats, Wain got something else as well.


    [You get Rare Rating Soul Chest]


    "I got Soul Chest again? Eh, that''s good, but I wanted the skill. However, I could have gotten nothing at all." Wain muttered.


    He decided not to hesitate to see what was in the chest. This would be his first Rare Rating Soul Chest. Wain used the card, and a huge chest appeared in front of him the next moment.


    "Yeah, now I''m really disappointed," Wain muttered.


    The size of the chest wasparable to that of arge closet. Such a chest must have held massive and heavy weapons. Wain wouldn''t mind arming himself with arge, two-handed sword, but he doubted that such a weapon would be in this chest.


    Wain opened the lid of the blue chest with a creak and saw the contents. Inside was a massive hammer. It looked clumsy but very powerful. It was made of material simr to the bones of ancient creatures. The left side of the hammer was pointed, while the right side was perfectly t and round.


    The next moment several notices appeared before Wain.


    [Bonecrusher (Primary Chronicle, Rare Rating)


    This hammer is perfect for the slow but strong spirit and body. Bonecrusher exists for destroying structures and the skulls of enemies. This weapon was created from the bones of a particrly tenacious creature, so almost nothing can destroy this hammer. Moreover, it is also a bloodthirsty weapon, which will be stronger upon contact with blood.


    When using Bonecrusher, the owner gains Strength+3, Stamina +5, Vitality+7]


    ''Huh, what an original name.'' Thought Wain looking at the three meter hammer in front of him.


    "It''s a great weapon for a strong and well-protected person. What''s more, this weapon has a passive effect and quite a big stat boost. However, this weapon won''t work for me." Wain muttered, slung the hammer on his shoulder, and headed downstairs.


    Wain didn''t like to fight with hammers, especially ones this big. This type of weapon didn''t suit his fighting style. When he tried to use the hammers, he felt slow and weak.


    He needed something faster and more varied. A weapon like this hammer would constrain his movements and prevent him from fighting at his full strength.


    ''Hmm, we''ll have to discuss the current situation with Gisle. There are quite a few people at this university who haven''t even activated their Soul Altars yet. There might be people with craft souls among them, it''s unlikely, but it would be a big deal.'' Wain thought.


    Wain considered himself lucky to have found Lea. Of course, he could have met someone with a soul connected with cksmithingter, but the sooner it happened, the better.


    In the future, while he was still at Overion, he would be able to go to the university and use Lea''s services.

 Chapter 38 The Perfectionist

    When Wain came downstairs, he headed toward Gisle. At that moment, the young man was talking to Grut about something, Lea was sitting not far from them eating caramel candy.


    "Gisle!" Said Wain heading in his direction. The trio immediately turned around at his voice and saw Wain walking in their direction with arge hammer. They were surprised that Wain suddenly had such a weapon.


    "Oh, Grut, just the man I was looking for, catch," Wain said smiling and, with a slight wave of his hand, threw the massive hammer in Grut''s direction. This weapon weighed at least fifty kilograms. Wain was strong enough to lift it without any problem.


    Grut didn''t expect such a thing, but he managed to react and caught the hammer with one hand. He immediately looked at the description of the hammer and said quietly, "Thank you..."


    "You''re wee. I don''t need that hammer anyway. At least you use it to your advantage." Wain said quietly.


    Wain really had no use for that hammer. But, he could give it to Grut, thereby making him stronger and improving his attitude towards himself. He gave the hammer to progress move faster. It was an investment.


    "Gisle, I need to talk to you. Lea, you''reing with us, too." Said Wain looking at the girl.


    Gisle nodded and headed after Wain. Lea finished herst candy and reluctantly followed them. Half a minuteter, the three of them were sitting at the round table. Gisle and Wain were focused, and Lea counted the birds flying through the sky.


    "Gisle, I called you here to talk about many things. But, first, I must tell you my attitude toward the present situation." Said Wain.


    Gisle nodded.


    "Most of my actions and assistance are driven by mercantile interest. I don''t know any of you yet enough for us to be friends. Therefore, I look at the situation only from the side of profit. Also, I am not part of your team. I am a loner. This ce can be useful, and this base can be the main in Overion. So I will help you with some points, as it is profitable. I hope you understand that." Wain said seriously.


    "Of course." Briefly replied Gisle. He wasn''t surprised to hear Wain say such a thing. It was obvious from the very first minutes. But, Gisle did not consider it a minus. Even before the apocalypse, such people were not umon. Moreover, he couldn''t me Wain for anything. He had helped them a lot as it was.


    "Okay, now to business." Said Wain and looked at Lea, "That sweet tooth''s name is Lea, and the knife in her hand she didn''t get from Soul Chest, she created it herself."


    Gisle was surprised. He didn''t know people like that existed.


    "Lea, what kind of soul do you possess?" Wain asked seriously.


    Slowly, the girl said, "My soul is called the Perfectionist Smith."


    "Just as I thought, you are a cksmith after all. That''s great. What''s the Rating of your main soul?" Wain asked. A lot depended on Lea''s answer. However, having a personal cksmith on the first day of the apocalypse was already a huge sess. Even if Lea''s Soul Rating turned out to be Common, Wain would not be disappointed.


    "It says here - Heroic..." Lea muttered uncertainly. She didn''t know if it was a good score or not, so she was a little worried.<sub> </sub>


    Gisle looked at her in surprise and then shifted his gaze to Wain and said, "Heroic? I don''t know what that Rating is."


    Wain smiled and said, "It''s one of the best possible choices. At the beginning of the apocalypse, I was fortunate and got some rare things and skills. So, I can tell you that Heroic Rating is incredibly good. It''s much better than Rare Rating or even Epic Rating. Lea, you can be an incredible smith in the future."


    "That means I''m a genius!" Joyfully Lea said, but Wain immediately snapped his finger on her forehead. It was rather painful.


    "It''s too early to rejoice. Just because you have a rare soul doesn''t mean anything yet. It all depends on yourself, your skills, and a little bit of luck. Don''t forget that besides the main soul, you can still have an additional soul and some active skills. Tell me, how did you create this knife, and what is your soul''s ability?" Said Wain.


    He was curious to know what skill Lea received. Wain thought the title, cksmith Perfectionist, was very curious. However, he expected nothing less from Heroic Rating Soul.


    "Honestly, I haven''t quite figured out how my skill works yet. But, I can safely say that it''s very simr to a cksmith''s skill from some game. I can upgrade and build weapons and armor. In doing so, I can use both rare ores and monster parts. But, this skill has one fatal w..." Said Lea.


    "And what is that w?" Asked Wain.


    Many rather strong and rare skills had side effects as well. The Code of Light and Darkness, which is Wain''s most powerful skill, also fell into this category. Wain gained tremendous power but wasted a lot of energy and strength.


    Lea said uncertainly, "I think it has something to do with the name of my soul because my w is perfection."


    "What does that mean?" Asked Wain.


    "It means that the weapons or other equipment I create will either be real garbage or a consummate masterpiece." Proimed Lea.


    "Yeah... not an easy situation," Said Gisle.


    "This effect really fits the name of your soul. Lea, do you know what the sess of a masterpiece outfit depends on?" Asked Wain.


    Lea nodded and said, "I''m not exactly sure, but the description says it depends on a lot of factors. The quality of the item created is influenced by my skills, luck, the difficulty of processing materials, and their rarity. The same goes for other ingredients. Moreover, when I use my skill, I can spend souls. This also increases the chance of creating a masterpiece. But still, the most important thing is my skills."


    "I see the factors are indeed many, and your skill seems problematic. However, I''m sure that if you can create a weapon that any perfectionist would be satisfied with, such a masterpiece will serve you well." Proimed Wain.


    Gisle nodded satisfactorily, and Lea breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn''t stupid, and she knew that if she proved useless, Gisle or Wain would throw her out to be eaten by monsters.


    She had to try her best to prove her worth. Moreover, Wain''s words about the great rarity of her soul encouraged Lea.

 Chapter 39 The Cook And The Farmer

    "Lea, give me your dagger. I want to check something." Said Wain looking at Lea.


    The girl nodded and handed the blue dagger into Wain''s hands. He immediately looked up the information about the item.


    [Spoiled Kitchen Knife (Primary Chronicle, Common Rating)


    It was originally a simple kitchen knife used for cooking. However, an inexperienced and unskilled smith decided to ruin it by turning it into the trash. During use, all stats of the owner drop by 5 points]


    ''What? That''s the worst description I''ve ever seen. Moreover, I feel how I became weaker. Five points of each stat is a lot at the beginning of the apocalypse. However...'' Wain thought, and the next moment brought the knife''s point to his palm.


    Even though the knife''s description was not the best, to say the least, Wain cut his skin easily.


    "Hmm, it looks like your soul is very powerful indeed. The description says that this knife is the worst garbage possible. However, even so, it is sharp enough to harm me. The sharpness of this weapon surpasses the katanas created by skilled smiths before the apocalypse." Wain said earnestly and put the knife aside.


    Gisle took the knife in his hands and said in amazement, "This is incredible. Since this is the first weapon Lea has created, it''s likely to be the worst. That said, you can kill zombies and mutated insects with this knife in just a few attacks."


    Wain nodded.


    Lea joined the conversation and said, "When the apocalypse started, two zombies attacked my house. One I killed by throwing various things and cutlery at him. But the other one practically managed to hit me. I grabbed the nearest knife and used my skill because of fright. After that, I sliced the zombie apart with a slight movement of my hand."


    "It''s scary to imagine what your soul considers a masterpiece if that knife is garbage." Calmly Wain said and, looking at Gisle seriously, said, "Gisle, this girl could be one of the greatest cksmiths of the new world. It would help if you did everything for her development. When Ie here I will help with that too. A good cksmith is more valuable than a ton of gold."


    Gisle nodded.


    "Lea, you must try your best, or I''ll have to deal with you personally. I hope you understand what that means?" Wain said coldly, and Lea shuddered at his creepy aura.


    "You shouldn''t bully her. It won''t do any good. You''d make a bad teacher, Wain." Said Gisle.


    "I agree. I''m not a good teacher. Okay, Lea has been dealt with, now on to other business. Gisle, I''m going north soon, and I don''t know when I''ll be back. No need to send anyone up there or look for me. I''ll take care of things myself." Said Wain.


    "Understood." Briefly replied Gisle.


    "Okay, and one more thing. I already said that Lea needs special treatment, but you also have to interview every student at this university. You have to find out what kind of souls they have. There are quite a few people here, so most likely, some of them will have craft souls." Said Wain.


    "Do you think there are more cksmiths here?" Asked Gisle.


    Wain nodded and said, "Not just cksmiths. Any craft souls are extremely useful. They can be cksmiths, tailors, jewelers, appraisers, and so on. Even souls like cooks, bartenders, and fishermen are incredibly useful."<sub> </sub>


    "Cooks? What can they do that''s so useful?" Gisle asked. He understood what jewelers or tailors could do, but cooks seemed like something useless to him during the apocalypse.


    "You''re thinking too narrowly. Souls aren''t just some skills or the ability to cook meat well. People souls that have something to do with cooking will cook dishes that increase stats and beyond. Also, just because a person has a craft soul doesn''t mean they are weak inbat. I''m sure chefs will have skills in the future that enhance their attacks with a kitchen knife or something like that." Wain exined in detail.


    "Understandably, it makes sense that the same applies to other craft souls as well. I used to y many different games, and craft souls are somewhat simr. A team of five people withbat souls will be weaker than a team of three with one person with craft souls." Gisle suggested.


    "Yes, so when you find out which people in this university have craft souls, you''ll need to keep an eye on them. You also need to divide responsibilities and rights and pretty rigidly. There''s no use for people who don''t have the guts to activate their Soul Altars. It''s garbage." Wain said harshly.


    "You''re pretty categorical. I agree with you, though, but it''s too early to conclude. I''ll wait a week, and if in that amount of time a person doesn''t find the strength to activate his Soul Altar, he''ll be nothing more than an assistant in a dirty job for life." Said Gisle.


    "So be it." Proimed Wain, took a cigarette out of the pack, and smoked.


    All the while, Lea sat at the same table and heard their conversation. She dared not interfere with it. After all, the only thought in her mind at that moment was that she was lucky. She understood that Wain was a hard and cold man. Moreover, Gisle, the leader, was not naive, kindly fool either. Each of them understood that there was no room for sentiment andpassion during the apocalypse.


    "Wain, you talked about craft souls, but there''s someone we need more than the rest." Said Gisle.


    "And who is that?" Asked Wain exhaling a puff of smoke.


    "It''s a farmer. At this point, finding someone with a soul connected to farming is even more important than having someone with a cksmith''s soul." Gisle said confidently, looking at the forest in the distance.


    "Hmm, you''re right. The food in the stores is not endless. Moreover, most food will go bad in a couple of weeks. You can eat monster meat, though, but that can''t be called a steady supply of food. What''s more, not all monsters can be eaten." Said Wain.


    "I think I know what direction we need to go in. We have to take over part of the forest near the university and equip it for fields. At the same time, we should find a farmer and also develop other people with craft souls. People withbat souls should do killing monsters." Pronounced Gisle. He was talking to himself and thinking out loud. He understood that Wain would only help him if he wanted it himself.


    ''The forest... will have to go there after I get the soul I need. There doesn''t seem to be anything else of interest besides this forest and the beach on the east side of Overion. I''ll have to think about how to get across the canyons left by that giant worm.'' Wain thought, looking at the smoke billowing in the air.


    "Oh, Wain, I wanted to give you something." Said Gisle, walking over to the dresser and pulling out a walkie-talkie from the drawer. He tossed it to Wain.


    "A walkie-talkie? Do they still work?" Asked Wain.


    Gisle nodded, "Yeah, if you''re not too far away, use it, and you can reach me. However, given your strength, it''s unlikely you''ll need it."


    Wain smiled and hid the radio under his cloak. He moved it to the Ring of Damned.

 Chapter 40 Options

    Wain and Gisle discussed a few more things, and then each went about their business. Gisle gave instructions and assembled a team to clean up and take over the immediate area. Wain headed for the exit of the campus.


    "Right, I forgot about the souls. I wanted to see what skill and how I could improve." Proimed Wain and opened the inventory where there were hundreds of souls.


    Most of them belonged to weak zombies and mutated insects. Among these souls was not a single Rare Rated soul. Moreover, all of these souls were Destroyed. Wain did not receive a stat boost, but only a huge amount of Soul Essence.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Zombie level 4.]


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Giant Bee level 3.]


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Mosquito level 6.]


    [You have acquir...]


    A momentter, Wain received a colossal amount of Soul Essence. He felt that it would be more than enough to improve some skill.


    Then Wain opened the skill improvement menu and was pleasantly surprised by what he saw.


    [You can improve a skill - Destruction Sword]


    [You can improve the soul - Last Knight]


    For starters, Wain wanted to improve the Destruction Sword, a skill he used all the time. Wain was willing to go to great lengths to make this skill an even more deadly weapon than it is now.


    Wain decided to improve Destruction Sword, and the next, he felt a huge amount of Soul Essence being redirected into the skill.


    [You have used 30% of your total Soul Essence. The Destruction Sword skill is ready to develop. Choose one of two ways]


    [Improve Chronicle skill]


    [Improve Skill Rating]


    Naturally, Wain wanted to improve the Rating of Destruction Sword, because then he had more development options to choose from. And also, in the long run, it was much better than to improve Chronicle, even though the skill has Common Rating.


    [You decided to improve the Rating of the skill]


    [Choose one of the suggested options]


    In the next moment, five different options appeared before Wain. When a person chose to improve the Rating of skill, he was offered at least two options to develop the skill. It could have been three, four, or even five different options. It all depended on the situation.


    Also, the number of improvement options offered had nothing to do with the power of the skill itself. A weak skill could have five options, while a strong one had only two, or vice versa.


    [Massive Destruction Sword]


    [Double Destruction Sword]


    [Defensive Destruction Sword]<sub> </sub>


    [Sword of Massacre]


    [sma Destruction Sword]


    ''There are quite a few different choices this time. I need to approach this choice as carefully as possible. This skill is one of the mainponents of my fighting style.'' Thought Wain and opened the description of the first skill of the five.


    [Massive Destruction Sword (Primary Chronicle, Rare Rating)


    This is an enhanced version of the skill - Destruction Sword. The dark sword will be huge enough to be used to cut through entire rocks. Its length will increase up to four meters. To use this skill, you need a lot of strength. Not everyone will lift a sword, which weighs more than two hundred kilograms. Also, the human body must be strong enough to withstand the power of such a weapon.


    [It is possible to develop the skill if the following conditions are met -


    [Strength and Stamina above 30 points without external factors: 22/30, 21/30]


    ''Hmm, that''s not a bad improvement. Moreover, the conditions for the development of this skill are quite serious. At the moment, I have 24 Status Points. If I want, I can increase Strength and Stamina to 30 points and develop the skill in this direction. But, this skillcks uniqueness. Moreover, a four-meter sword is too cumbersome a weapon. I think other options would suit me better.'' Wain thought and moved on to the next skill.


    [Double Destruction Sword (Primary Chronicle, Rare Rating)


    This skill allows you to summon two of the same Destruction Sword. However, the swords must be within 20 meters of each other for maximum effectiveness. Otherwise, their power will drop by a factor of three. The range of the skill is 40 meters. Moreover, you need perfect control and prolonged training to use this skill.


    [It is possible to develop this skill if the following conditions are met - None]


    "What? Does this skill have no conditions to develop? I can get this skill right now, but is it worth it?" Wain pondered.


    There were no conditions because using this skill was extremely difficult. Wain wasn''t fully used to operating one sword yet, but if there were two, the difficulty would increase many times over. Moreover, he would have to keep an eye on the distance between the swords and make sure they didn''t crash into each other. It sounded simple, but it was challenging.


    Also, he had to fight, dodge, attack, and counterattack simultaneously. It was as if he would be controlling three people at once.


    Wain decided to forgo this option and look at the description of the following skill.


    [Defensive Destruction Sword (Primary Chronicle, Rare Rating)


    This skill calls for a modified version of the Destruction Sword. The sword besrger, and its length reaches three meters. Also, closer to the guard, the de bes wider. Thus, the lower half of the sword resembles a shield. Moreover, this part is protected by an additionalyer of metal, which can withstand most Primary Chronicle monster attacks.


    [It is possible to develop the skill if the following conditions are met -


    [Strength, Agility, Vitality, Stamina should be higher than 25 points without taking into ount external factors. 22/25, 20/25, 22/25, 21/25]


    Wain could use his Status Points and increase the stats to the right values, but he didn''t see any point in it. He didn''t like the skill. It didn''t suit his fighting style. If Wain''s weapon of choice were half shield, half sword, he would have to defend himself most of the fight.


    Wain was adept at blocking and parrying enemy attacks, but he didn''t want to base his fighting style on blind defense. In that case, he would have to wait for a good moment for the enemy to make a mistake and take advantage of it. Wain liked to fight differently.


    He preferred to create his own lucky moments and fight fast and active pace. That way, he could overwhelm his enemy with force and destroy him with a barrage of attacks.


    "Hmm, those three options weren''t bad, but they all look kind of ordinary. I want something more interesting and vivid, and the next option seems to suit me better than the previous one." Mumbled Wain and opened the description of the next skill.

 Chapter 41 The Final Choice

    [Sword of Massacre (Primary Chronicle, Rare Rating)


    This skill summons a cruel weapon called - Sword of Massacre. This sword is a long, red de. On one side, the de of this sword is sharp as a razor, but on the other side, it looks like a saw with curved teeth. With such a weapon, you can easily cut and tear the flesh of any opponent.


    Moreover, this weapon can bestow incredible strength, but it also contains great danger. The more blood the weapon absorbed, the stronger it became, but the increasing strength increases the burden on the owner''s body. If a person is not strong enough, his body will be overloaded, and his heart will burst.


    When used, it increases all stats except Energy by 10 points. If the skill is used continuously for over an hour, all stats are reduced by 99%.


    [It is possible to develop this skill if the following conditions are met -


    [Any Soul of a mad creature - 0/1]


    "This skill is indeed times more interesting than the previous ones. What''s more, I need to know how to use it. I can be much stronger with this sword, but I can also get wounded and die. In any case, a ten point increase in all stats is something unbelievable." Mumbled Wain.


    He was very impressed by the Sword of Massacre. However, that was exactly what he had expected from the skill with that name.


    "However, the conditions for developing this skill are unclear to me. What does Soul of a mad creature mean? Where am I going to find a crazy monster? Last time, I created a lightning zombie myself, but to create a crazy monster... I don''t have any idea." Wain muttered slightly disappointedly.


    Wain decided to think about itter. First of all, he wanted to see a description of thest skill. Only after he knew the strength of all five skills would he decide which one he would study. There was no point in acting hastily and rashly in this case.


    [sma Destruction Sword (Primary Chronicle, Rare Rating)


    This skillbines several different powers and significantly changes the Destruction Sword. The sword bes slightly shorter and narrower. Its length decreases from two meters to one and a half meters. A dark sma appears on the sword de, but it is not hot. It is incapable of melting anything or even heating anything.


    The dark sma is as cold as ice from the far corners of hell. sma will freeze the flesh of enemies and destroy their cells from within. This skill will give its wielder powerparable to a demon of destruction. Sword will be several times faster, sharper, and deadlier.


    [It is possible to develop the skill if the following conditions are met -


    [Energy must be higher than 30 points without regard to external factors - 83/30. Also needed the following souls: any Soul with the fire attribute, any soul with the darkness attribute, any soul with the poison attribute]


    The description of the skill struck wain. Originally Wain thought he would choose the Sword of Massacre, but now he has changed his mind. The sma Destruction Sword seemed perfect for him.<sub> </sub>


    ''It is an excellent and powerful skill. But, the number of conditions and theirplexity frighten me. Fortunately, one of the conditions I''ve already met. My Energy was initially very high. But, where do I find three different souls?'' Wain pondered.


    Although all five offered were Rare Rated, they were not unique in power and utility. The sma Destruction Sword was better than the Massive or Defensive Destruction Sword.


    Within a Rare Rating, the strength of skill could vary greatly. One skill could be a Rare Rating because it was only slightly stronger and more unique than most Common Rating skills. But, at the same time, another Rare Rating skill came close to almost bing Epic Rating.


    Therefore, Defensive Destruction Sword had rtively easy conditions to developpared to the conditions that had to be met to get sma Destruction Sword.


    "Hmm, I need three different souls. Luckily, it looks like their Rating and condition don''t matter. That makes things a lot easier. Otherwise, it would have taken me months to find them all. I''d have to look for rare monsters with the right attribute. However, perhaps I can create a suitable monster myself." Wain muttered.


    Thest time he needed a soul with the attribute of lightning, Wain created a suitable monster himself. He waited until the infected man began to turn into a zombie and then stuck dozens of live wires from the generator into him.


    Wain had several ideas on getting the Soul with the fire attribute. He thought it was possible to create a fire monster. But, he could hardly create a monster with the attribute of darkness or poison. He needed special skills or tools to do so. That meant he would have to find such monsters somewhere.


    "Okay, at least I''ve made up my mind. When I collect all the souls, I need I''ll have a very powerful skill. Now it''s time to get out of here and head for the park." Mumbled Wain looking at the monsters gradually approaching the walls of the university.


    He wanted to see how he could improve his soul, Last Knight, but Wain decided to do it after finding a safe ce in town. It took him quite a while to choose and read the skill descriptions, and during that time, monsters began to appear near the university.


    Wain didn''t want to have to kill hundreds of monsters again to get a few yards ahead. He didn''t have time for that, so he decided to move out now.


    The park Wain was going to was about ten kilometers away. It wasn''t very far. A normal person could walk that distance in two or three hours, depending on various factors. But, during an apocalypse, even a road of a hundred meters could be deadly.


    "Hmm, most of the roads are still partially intact, and there are unbroken cars near the university. I can use the car to get to that park faster. No, that''s too risky, though. If I have an ident because of some monster, I''ll be surrounded by zombies while I get out of the car. If any of them hurt me, I could die." Wain muttered, standing on a high fence.


    Wain looked at one building about twenty meters from the university and thought to himself, ''I could easily climb the stairs up there. Moreover, Overion is quite a densely popted city. There are a lot of buildings and a developed infrastructure. Maybe by jumping on the buildings, I can get to the park.''


    The next moment Wain ran toward the building of his choice. After the recent battle, there were very few monsters around. A couple of insects flew in his direction, but they were shed by a dark sword a secondter. The white souls instantly flew into Wain''s body.

 Chapter 42 Fire, Darkness, Death

    Wain climbed the stairs to the roof of the building and looked around. The park was quite far away, and Wain wanted to make it safely. The best option, in his opinion, was to move around by jumping onto the roofs of buildings.


    Right now, thanks to his stats, he could jump up several meters. It was more than enough to move around on the roofs of buildings.


    Wain walked to the edge of a building and easily jumped to another. Then he continued to do the same with his eyes on the sides.


    ''It''s pretty safe from above, but even here, I can be attacked. What''s more, I''m jumping over single-story buildings. There are high-rise buildings next to the park. That''s where I have to go downstairs. I wonder what awaits me there? Apparently, the soul I want is in the Void''. Wain thought.


    After a while, Wain climbed to the roof of a tall building and stopped. He didn''t see any monsters or other threats around, so he decided to see how he could improve the soul here.


    Wain opened the improvement menu and saw the line he wanted.


    [You can improve your soul - Last Knight]


    He decided to improve his soul, after which several messages appeared in front of him.


    [You have used 60% of the total amount of your Soul Essence. Soul - Last Knight is ready to evolve. Choose one of two ways]


    [Improve Chronicle skill]


    [Improve Skill Rating]


    ''Hmm, I can improve Chronicle, and my additional soul will be incredibly powerful. Most likely, none of the monsters here will be able to harm me anytime soon. But, in the future, I''ll have a lot of problems because of it. Probably should improve Chronicle, only after I have already improved the Rating skill or soul''. Wain thought and chose the appropriate option.


    [You''ve decided to improve your Soul Rating]


    [Choose one of the suggested options]


    The next moment, three different options appeared in front of Wain. Unlike Destruction Sword or Lizard''s Dash, Soul of Last Knight''s original rating was Rare. This meant that after improvement, his additional soul would be Epic Rating. It was infrequent, and such souls could give incredible powers.


    [ming Knight]


    [Knight of Death]


    [ck Thunder''s Renegade]


    Wain immediately looked at the description of the first option.


    [ming Knight (Primary Chronicle, Epic Rating)


    Your mes can melt even the toughest metal and burn flesh and blood of unwanted sinners. Your fire is as relentless as the breath of hell from its hottest corners. At your will, any of your weapons will burst into mes, red-hot to an insane degree. You are the one whose heart beats as fiercely as your me burns during battle.


    All fire damageing from you is increased by 45%. All iing fire damageing at you is reduced by 40%. Also, all iing ice damage is reduced by 50%]


    [It is possible to develop your soul if the following conditions are met -


    [Requires any Epic Rating Whole Soul with fire attribute - 0/1]<sub> </sub>


    "That sounds a lot more serious than anything I''ve seen before. Hmm, I can''t seem to know what skill I''ll get if I choose this option. What''s more, I don''t know if I''ll get a new skill or if the old one will change." Wain muttered.


    When all the people in Wain''s world got souls, he also tried to get his soul. Thus Wain learned about many things and details concerning souls, but he didn''t know everything. Moreover, there was hardly anyone who knew everything.


    ''I also need to find such a rare soul somewhere. To do that, I would need to kill at least a twice-evolved monster. It is unlikely that such creatures have already appeared, and even if they have, they have appeared in special zones such as volcanoes. Finding a suitable soul at the moment would be problematic''. Thought Wain.


    Wain was pleased with the description and effects of the ming Knight, but he wanted to see the next two choices before making his choice. Each of these souls was Epic Rating, so there were no bad or good choices here.


    [Knight of Death (Primary Chronicle, Epic Rating)


    The Death Knight is a creature capable to some extent of resisting such a great force as death. Moreover, death is partly your ally. With your power, you will be able to summon long dead creatures to your aid. An aura of death will emanate from your body, greatly reducing the effectiveness of all healing abilities. This aura will affect both allies and enemies.


    All attacks with the death attribute deal 25% more damage. All attacks with the attribute of darkness deal 10% more damage. Increased resistance to poisons by 15%]


    [It is possible to develop a soul if the following conditions are met -


    [Two souls are needed - One any Epic Rating Soul with darkness attribute, one any Epic Rating Soul with death attribute: 0/1, 0/1]


    "This is definitely a mighty soul. Knight of Death... this soul is oriented to fight alone, but I will also summon allies. The conditions for obtaining this soul are different, but it''s not clear whether they''re easier or harder..." Wain pondered.


    ''I need two souls, not one. The conditions are much harder on this side, but unlike the conditions for getting a ming Knight, the state of the soul is not affected. I can use two Destroyed Souls. But, I have to find two monsters with the right attribute and the right amount of evolution somewhere.'' Wain thought.


    The description of Soul of Death Knight said that Wain could summon dead creatures to his aid. It could be a passive effect of the soul or mean that Wain would gain a skill associated with it.


    Wain opened the description of the third skill with curiosity.


    [ck Thunder''s Renegade (Primary Chronicle, Epic Rating)


    You are a knight who has decided to renounce the world. You were caught in a mad vortex during your wanderings with a hundred ck lightning bolts. At that moment, you realized that this was what you had been missing. You are as fast and crushing as thunder, and your heart is as ck as the merciless lightning in that vortex.


    Your sword moves with the speed of lightning, the darkness your faithful ally elerating your body. Your mind is cold, and you are ruthless.


    Damage from lightning and darkness is increased by 15%. Your damage has been increased by 13%. Your attack speed is increased by 11%]


    [It is possible to develop your soul if the following conditions are met -


    [Requires any Epic Rating Whole Soul with Lightning and Darkness attribute: 0/1]


    "It looks like I''ve made my choice, but... the conditions to develop into this soul are incredibly difficult. I need to find an Epic Soul with a certain state, but this soul must have two attributes. Honestly, I''ve never heard of such souls..." Mumbled Wain.


    He was a little confused this time. In the past times, he had roughly understood where he could get the souls he needed, but now he didn''t know what to do.


    ''Hmm, for a monster to get some attribute, it has to evolve, or it has to appear under special conditions. Moreover, to increase the chances of a particr attribute, the monster must preferably be in the right area when it evolves. I can drag the monster into a fire zone, and that way, the monster gets a fire attribute. Or I can go to the fire zone and find a suitable monster there. But, what are the conditions for a monster''s soul to have two attributes at once?'' Pondered Wain.

 Chapter 43 The Fire

    After Wain made up his mind, he continued on his way to the park. By this point, he had moved less than a third of the way, but in all that time, no trouble had urred. Wain watched as the asional mutated insect attacked fleeing humans and devoured them alive. But, nothing was happening to attract Wain''s attention.


    Wain jumped over another house and looked at a moving car in the distance.


    "Looks like someone decided to use the vehicle. But, they don''t know yet that there''s a dead end of copsed buildings ahead of them." Mumbled Wain looking at the car''s course.


    Then he realized he''d made the right decision not to use the vehicle. It was quick but not safe. Wain was very strong, and he knew it, but that didn''t mean he had to act carelessly. The force was made up of many factors, which were only effective at certain times and in certain situations. But, all of thembined to help a man survive and move on.


    Wain was about to move on, but suddenly a monster attacked the car and caused the vehicle to crash into a gas station. There was a deafening explosion, and bright mes erupted in the distance at the same moment.


    Wain turned around, but he saw nothing unusual. He didn''t expect the car to crash into the gas station and explode, but there was nothing for him to do there.


    He jumped to the next building, but suddenly he heard a loud roar.


    Roooooooooooooooaaaaaar!


    To Wain''s surprise, this roar came from the direction of the gas station.


    ''That''s definitely not a human voice. Hmm, maybe I can get a soul with the attribute of fire there?'' Thought Wain looking at the gas station engulfed in mes.


    Monsters could appear for a long time, over several years, but could appear because of a single event in just a few seconds. It depended on many factors, but the main one was the presence and state of Soul Essence.


    Wain realized that the fire explosion had caused a monster to appear in the center of the hearth. Perhaps it had been there originally, and the explosion caused its body to change, but perhaps it only appeared after the explosion.


    Wain headed towards the blown up gas station, quickly jumping from one building to another. To get the sma Destruction Sword, he needed three souls. One of which had to have the fire attribute. There was no restriction on condition or soul Rating.


    So even if some fire zombie showed up at the gas station, that would be enough. But, if Wain''s enemy happens to be a powerful monster that got the power of fire because of the explosion, then he won''t mind fighting such an enemy. The stronger his enemy was, the more stats and Soul Essence he would get. After all, one of the most important tasks for Wain was to level up and get close to the evolutionary stage. This would be his first big step toward true power.


    As Wain approached the gas station, he saw the monster that let out that furious roar. This monster looked like the demon from hell that many stories tell about.


    The monster was about two meters tall. It had red skin and ck, burning tes all over its body. It had two crooked horns on its head, but its eyes were cold and calm. Bright fire emanated from his feet, easily melting the concrete beneath the monster.


    "Hmm, it doesn''t look like a zombie. It looks like something more serious. The different variations of monsters are almost endless. He looks pretty strong, but not so strong that I have a problem with him." Wain muttered and jumped onto the next building.


    At that moment, the distance between him and the gas station had shrunk to forty meters. This meant that standing on the roof of the building, he could attack the monster using the Destruction Sword.


    Wain snapped his finger, and a massive, dark sword appeared over the monster''s head. The weapon came down on the fire demon, but the monster noticed the impending threat at thest moment. However, it did not react sharply to this attack. Instead, the monster took half a step back, and the Destruction Sword plunged into the ground in front of him.<sub> </sub>


    "It has excellent instincts, but it''s not enough." Proimed Wain and swung his arm.


    The dark sword flew out of the ground and struck the monster again. This time the fire demon did not dodge. Instead, the long ws on its arms caught fire, and it attacked back.


    To Wain''s surprise, the dark sword could not withstand high temperatures, and the Destruction Sword was melted. This was the first time Wain had ever seen any elemental influence on his sword.


    "Hmm, it looks like this battle won''t be as easy as I thought it would be. I''m facing a rather problematic opponent." Mumbled Wain, and a massive pistol appeared in his hand the next moment.


    Wain fired several precise shots into various parts of the monster''s body. But, the fire demon just continued to stand still. Bullets flew off its tes, fell to the ground, and melted beneath its feet.


    "In that case, let''s try to change the target." Proimed Wain and fired a few more shots.


    He understood that the bullets could not prate the tes on the body of the fire demon. However, that was why Wain was now aiming precisely at the monster''s eyes. Wain was urate enough to shoot at the same point several times in a row from this distance.


    The monster saw the trajectory of the bullets and so swung his hand sharply. The fiery ws sliced the bullets apart and melted them instantly.


    ''By the looks of it, not only is it powerful and tough, but it''s also pretty smart. Damn, smart monsters are a whole new level of difficulty.'' Thought Wain and jumped off the building.


    He tried to kill the monster from afar, but it didn''t work. His only option was to fight the monsters in closebat. However, there were several problems with that. The biggest of which was the incredibly hot mes emanating from the monster.


    Thanks to its high Stamina rating, Wain''s body was strong enough to withstand that temperature for a while. But, Destruction Sword melted because of this fire, not instantly, but quickly enough. However, if the monster''s fiery ws collided with the dark sword, the weapon would melt in seconds.


    "This monster is superior to me because of its fire, but that doesn''t mean it doesn''t have any weaknesses," Wain muttered.


    The next moment the fire demon attacked Wain. He bounced sideways past the monster''s fire ws. The ws mmed into the wall of the house and partially melted it. The monster abruptly pulled its ws from the wall and looked at Wain.


    He slowly stepped away from the monster to the side at that moment. The fire demon thought that Wain was trying to escape, and of course, it wasn''t going to let it do that.


    The fire demon lunged toward Wain, leaving a trail of fire behind it. However, Wain wasn''t going to dodge. It decided to take advantage of the fire monster''s main weakness - water.


    After all, Wain wasn''t trying to escape. He approached a fire hydrant on a nearby road, not far from a gas station. When the monster almost reached Wain, he shattered the fire hydrant, and a stream of water rushed upward.


    The fire demon had not expected something like this to happen. His whole body was covered in water and partially extinguished. The mes tried to ignite again, but it was impossible while the water was continuously poured on the monster.

 Chapter 44 Fire Soul

    The monster did not expect the sudden appearance of a massive torrent of water. It realized toote that Wain was trapping it. The monster quickly realized that it could not defeat Wain without fire, so it tried to retreat, but Wain was not about to let it go anywhere.


    He grinned and said, "Do you really think you can get away from me?"


    The next moment, Wain''s body shimmered with blue electrical discharges, and he turned into lightning. Wain instantly reached the monster and pierced its body with a Destruction Sword. Of course, Wain risked using Lightning Lizard''s Dash while under the flow of water. However, he could easily withstand even a fairly powerful electric shock.


    The monster tried to destroy the Destruction Sword stuck in his body, but it failed. Without its fire, it could not get rid of the dark sword.


    Wain abruptly pulled out his sword and cut the monster''s legs the next moment. Because of these wounds, the monster could not move properly. All it could do was crawl. Wain didn''t hesitate and quickly cut off the fire demon''s head.


    Wain didn''t know what this monster was still capable of, and he didn''t want to test it. In most situations, Wain preferred to act quickly and decisively.


    "Okay, I have aplished one of the three points for improving the Destruction Sword." Said Wain, but after a second, he frowned, "Why didn''t his soule out of his body? I definitely killed him."


    Wain tried to attack the monster again, but suddenly the horns on the monster''s head shone brightly, and there was a deafening explosion. Wain instantly used Lightning Lizard''s Dash to move out of range of the st.


    In front of him, the monster''s torso began to rise, even though its head was a meter away. Wain could not approach the monster and kill it because, at that moment, arge amount of me was emanating from the monster''s body. If Wain had gotten closer, he would have been burned alive, even considering his stats.


    Gradually, the mes began to diminish. At that moment, the monster''s torso lowered and joined its head. The arms twisted and set the head in its proper ce. That''s when the horns on the monster''s head stopped glowing, after which they shattered into tiny fragments.


    "This monster had a special ability. By sacrificing its horns, it could repair almost any wound once. I didn''t expect such a thing to be possible at all." Wain muttered.


    He usually tried to anticipate all the most likely oues of a duel. But, he couldn''t know everything. Many enemies had abilities that he couldn''t even think of. Unfortunately, Wain had no way of knowing that these horns had such an unusual purpose. Initially, he thought that the monster would use these horns to attack, but that was not the case.


    By the time the mes around the monster weakened enough for Wain to get close enough, the water had stopped flowing from the fire hydrant. There were no other such devices nearby. Moreover, Wain realized that the monster was quite clever and would not fall for such a trap again.


    Wain was trying to figure out how he could overpower the monster, noticing that something had changed.


    ''Hmm, I don''t see any protective tes on its body anymore. Also, the wound I inflicted on it is already healed. It looks like it traded its protection and horns to be reborn from the ashes like a phoenix.'' Wain thought.


    Wain could no longer use water to put out the fire on the monster''s body. But, he could take advantage of his enemy''s emerging vulnerability.


    ''His mes are very powerful. But my body can withstand that temperature for about three seconds, then my skin and my flesh will start to burn.'' Wain thought and prepared for battle. He had a rather dangerous n, but Wain was sure he would seed.


    After the monster recovered, it looked fiercely at Wain and lunged sharply in his direction. The monster''s ws burst into bright mes, and it tried to cut Wain apart.<sub> </sub>


    Wain didn''t dodge. Instead, he blocked a pair of ws with a swing of the Destruction Sword. The sword began to melt at the same moment, but Wain created some space for the next attack. It took him half a second to take this action.


    Then Wain took a step forward, approached the monster up close, and again summoned the Destruction Sword. It took him one second to do that.


    The final chord was a lightning-quick, vertical sword swing that ripped through the monster''s belly. Then Wain turned into a sh of lightning and withdrew safely.


    "Phew, that was dangerous," Wain muttered, feeling how badly his skin was heated. He would have suffered severe burns if he had stayed within range of the fire for even half a second longer.


    The monster could not survive such a serious wound. It copsed to the ground, exhausted, after which the blue soul flew out of its body. It could no longer recover as before. That time was the first and thest.


    [Soul of Fire Demon (Damaged)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Rare]


    ''Not bad, just two more souls left to get, and I can improve the Destruction Sword. More and more enemies are capable of resisting this skill with each passing hour.'' Wain thought, and the ring on his finger glowed.


    A pack of cigarettes and a lighter appeared in Wain''s hands. He lit the cigarette then moved the lighter back into the ring. Wain exhaled a puff of smoke, looking at the burning gas station.


    "That''s quite a ring you''ve got there." Suddenly a voice sounded.


    Wain turned and saw a tall guy with short red hairing around the corner. He was looking at the Ring of Damned with a smirk.


    Wain said nothing, he didn''t want to be distracted by such trivialities.


    "You''re trying to seem cool, right? Tell you what, you give me that ring, and I won''t touch you." Said the guy.


    "Decided that if you can''t take someone else''s soul, you''ll take the gear?" Wain said with a smirk.


    The guy frowned and got ready to fight. He had seen Wain fight a fire demon and knew his opponent was strong. However, he was confident that he could defeat Wain in hand-to-handbat.

 Chapter 45 A Creature Scarier Than A Monster

    The guy who decided to attack Wain was named Aitor Menendez. He, like many people, had already activated his Soul Altar and killed quite a few monsters. However, he preferred to get stronger in every way possible.


    He could increase his power by killing monsters, but he could also get stronger with the help of other people. Unfortunately, he couldn''t get a soul or Soul Essence when a human killed a human. Furthermore, a person couldn''t steal the souls that another person got from killing monsters.


    However, there was no barrier to one person being able to rob another. Just as before the apocalypse, people could rob other people. It was easy, fast, and efficient.


    Aitor had not originally nned to attack Wain. After all, Wain was very strong, and Aitor would get nothing if he attacked Wain. But, when he saw the lighter appear in Wain''s hands and then disappear and his ring glow simultaneously, Aitor changed his mind. He couldn''t pass up this opportunity.


    He didn''t know what the ring was or how Wain got it, but it didn''t matter. Aitor understood the functionality of this ring, and that was enough.


    ''If I can get this ring, I won''t have to worry about how much stuff I can carry. He''s a lucky bastard to be able to get such a thing.'' Aitor thought to himself and rushed towards Wain.


    Aitor''s soul was entirely focused on hand-to-handbat. Thanks to the effect of his soul, he had already killed over fifty monsters with his bare hands and had never been wounded. After he got his soul, he became times more skilled than the best melee masters in this world.


    Wain looked at Aitor running toward him with a calm face. Wain didn''t know what this guy was thinking, but he didn''t feel threatened by him.


    ''His aura is so weak and unstable... Perhaps he has a strong soul for being so sure of himself, but he himself is  nothing.'' Wain thought.


    The next moment Aitor attacked. He punched his fist, aiming for Wain''s stomach. His attack was swift and deadly. No human could have reacted to such a blow.


    In Wain''s mind, however, the blow was slow and clumsy. He lifted one foot above the ground, then turned 90 degrees, thereby dodging the blow.


    Wain then tossed his cigarette in the air, grabbed Aitor by the hair, and struck him lightning quick with his knee to the face. That single blow knocked out several of Aitor''s teeth. But Wain wasn''t going to stop there.


    He instantly delivered a crushing punch to Aitor''s stomach. This blow was so powerful that the young man threw up a mouthful of blood and flew several feet away, crashing into a garbage can.


    Wain grabbed the falling cigarette on the fly, brought it to his mouth, and blew out a puff of smoke. His attacks were too fast and powerful for Aitor to react to. Although Aitor was better at hand-to-handbat than the most skilled masters because of his soul, he could not match Wain.


    First, Wain surpassed Aitor in total stats. This was obvious since he killed many more monsters. But, even without the stats, Wain''s skill was many times greater than Aitor''s, even with his soul.


    Before the apocalypse began in his world, he was the best assassin, and his skills didn''t go anywhere. On the contrary, he honed his skills even better when he fought monsters as a simple man without superpowers to get his soul.


    Wain walked slowly toward Aitor. By this point, the guy was already on his feet. Moreover, he had no intention of running away. He knew from the beginning that defeating Wain would not be easy.


    ''Damn, what was that all about? I didn''t even realize what had happened. There will be my grave if he hits me a couple more times. It looks like I''ll have to use my skill.'' Aitor thought.


    Besides the main soul, Aitor also managed to get one pretty strong skill. He thought he could manage without using his skill, but now he realizes that was a big mistake. His skill gave him tremendous power, but it also hurt his body badly. Even if he wins and takes the ring back, it would take him a long time to recover.


    When Aitor made his final decision, his aura began to increase. His skin began to roughen and coated with a thinyer of metal. Moreover, iron spikes appeared on his arms and legs, which could easily tear the flesh of most monsters.


    "Not bad, boy, not bad. It looks like you got pretty lucky." Wain muttered, staring serenely at Aitor.


    "Shut up. You''ll be dead in two seconds!" Aitor said furiously and lunged toward Wain.


    Wain waved his hand, and the dark sword flew toward the young man. Aitor instantly reacted and dodged the sword, but when he turned towards Wain, he saw a massive fist in front of him.<sub> </sub>


    Crack.


    There was a loud crunch and the metalyer instantly shattered. There were also many cracks across Aitor''s skull. Wain had put quite a lot of force into this punch.


    Aitor thought he would faint, but he had the strength toe to his senses. At that moment, he was no longer thinking about winning. He wanted to escape and survive. Even though he was using his skill, Wain''s bare fist was many times stronger.


    However, Wain was not about to let go of whoever dared to attack him. Wain turned around andnded a precise kick to Aitor''s knee. A cracking sound was heard, and Aitor''s left leg was broken. Wain then attacked Aitor in the chest, thereby breaking his rib cage.


    Aitor fell to the ground, exhausted. He was still alive and looking at the calm Wain. Aitor wanted to start begging for mercy, but he didn''t have the strength even to do that. He knew Wain was about to kill him, but he had no idea what awaited him.


    Wain exhaled a club of smoke and lowered it to Aitor. He looked into his eyes full of fear and said, "Boy, haven''t you been told that greed doesn''t do you any good? Although, that rule only works for wimps."


    Wain then shook off the ash from his cigarette, and his hand went to Aitor''s eyes. At that moment, there was a pitying cry throughout the neighborhood over the terrible agony Aitor was experiencing.


    After a couple of seconds, Wain left the gas station and headed toward the park again. He had no further business in the ce.


    Suddenly a strong wind blew in, and his ck cloak fluttered in the wind. Behind him, someone might have seen a decapitated body whose head was slung on a road pole. The eyes on the head were scorched out.


    "Eh, too bad all the stores are already looted. I only have a few cigarettes left. Something needs to be done about that." Mumbled Wain as he climbed up the building.


    Several people in one of the buildings saw what was going on in the blown up gas station. Each of them trembled with fear, for they had witnessed what this world was like now.


    They saw a horrible monster like a demon from hell, but then they saw a creature scarier than that demon, and that creature spared no one.


    ...


    Wain hopped around the buildings, gradually approaching the park from which a strange aura emanated. He kept a close eye on the surroundings and pondered his next ns.


    ''Hmm, I got lucky with this spontaneous gas station explosion and the appearance of a fire demon. So I got one of the three souls to get the sma Destruction Sword. But, getting the soul with the fire attribute was the easiest. Where do I find a soul with the poison attribute, and even more so, where do I find a soul with the darkness attribute?'' Wain thought.


    ''Poisons... Where can I find arge number of different poisons? In some factory? Perhaps... but I don''t like that option. Moreover, there don''t seem to be any factories in the eastern part of Overion, at least the big ones. Perhaps I should look for a ck market here?'' Wain pondered.


    He knew better than anyone that anything was possible to find on the ck market, from simple things to rare and forbidden stuff. Of course, drugs, poisons, chemicals, contraband goods were abundant in such ces.


    Wain didn''t expect that if he found a ck market here, there would be a monster with the attribute of poison waiting for him. However, because he would find a lot of poison there, he could create a poison monster from some insect or zombie himself.


    Wain did not know if there was a ck market on the eastern side of the Overion, but he was sure there was. There was a dark side to even the brightest star. It was inevitable. Moreover, the brighter the light, the deeper the darkness.


    But, Wain also had another option. The dark market would help him find or create a monster with the poison attribute in the city, but that was not the only solution to this problem.


    ''There is a forest near the university. It is almost impossible to find poisonous insects in the city, but the forest is the territory of animals and insects, not people. Therefore, I can find poisonous insects and get the soul I need. But, it would be better if I could find a ck market. Besides insects, there are other dangerous foes in the forest that I will encounter.''

 Chapter 46 Darkness And Cyborgs

    Wain had identified ces where he could theoretically get a soul with the poison attribute, but in order to get the sma Destruction Sword, he needed one more soul.


    ''Thest soul I need is a soul with the attribute of darkness. But, darkness is a matter that is unknown to the world before the apocalypse. Where should I look for a monster with such souls?'' Wain pondered, jumping from building to building.


    He thought for a long time and, at one point, looked up at the bright sun in the sky. That''s when Wain realized that the answer was just around the corner.


    ''Huh, looks like I was too stupid. It''s obvious that night is the dwelling ce of all dark creatures. At this time, I will be able to find the right monster, at least I hope so.'' Wain thought.


    It had not yet been a full twenty-four hours since the apocalypse began. It was less than three hours until sunset. It was summer on this at the moment, so the day was long and the nights short.


    ''Hmm, I also need one soul with double attribute. If I can find a soul with the lightning and darkness attribute, I can get the Soul of ck Thunder''s Renegade. Perhaps I should wait for a thunderstorm at night, then the two elements will merge, and a suitable monster might appear somewhere'' Thought Wain.


    After a while, he saw a park in the distance. At that moment, Wain decided to slow down and stop on the roof of a building. He wanted to get a good look at the creatures he would fight. Moreover, he needed to find a spatial discontinuity.


    Wain pulled out his folding binocrs and looked closely at the monsters in the park.


    "Are those robots...?" Wain muttered.


    Wain looked at creatures very simr to robots, but not ordinary ones. They were robotic samurai, their bodies covered with armor, and they had long, electric katanas. But, in fact, these creatures were robots only partially. They were cyborgs - beings whobined the world of machines and robots with the world of flesh and blood. They were biological organisms containing various mechanisms.


    "No, I see flesh under theyer of armor, these are cyborgs, and there are many such monsters in this park. It''s definitely a Dungeon, and it''s already sprawling, but I don''t see an entrance to the main space." Mumbled Wain.


    He tried to concentrate, and his Seal of Darkness shed brightly again. Wain sensed the direction of the energy, but he couldn''t know exactly where the passage was, only the approximate location.


    "From the looks of it, I need to head toward the center of the park. If the spatial rift is in the Dungeon, then the entrance to the Dungeon is somewhere in the center of the park." Wain muttered.


    He looked at the samurai robots wandering through the park and frowned. Wain didn''t know how strong these creatures were, but they looked strong, and there were quite a few of them.


    Moreover, each robot was slightly different from the others. Some were shorter and smaller, some were bigger and taller, but the differences were not critical. The robots also had armor of varying density and strength, but their weapons were most important.


    Most of the samurai robots were armed with katanas, mostly electric, but some had axes or hammers.


    "Hmm, ording to the map, there is a smallke in the center of the park. That''s where I should go." Mumbled Wain and jumped off the building.


    Wain walked slowly towards the park. The monsters noticed him, but despite that, they didn''t attack. Wain thought this was strange, then he stepped forward and found himself in the park. At the same time, Wain saw an unusual message.


    [You have entered the area of the Robot Samurai Nest]


    "Nest? What is that? Isn''t it a Dungeon?" Wain muttered. He tried to figure out where he was, but he didn''t have time to think.


    As he entered the park, two robotic samurai immediately ran toward him. They both had electric katanas, which they synchronously brought down on Wain.


    When their des almost reached Wain, he turned into blue lightning. The robotic samurai''s attacks hit through the air, but Wain did not flee. Instead, he used Lightning Lizard''s Dash to attack.


    As he whizzed past the two Samurai robots, he punched them in the stomach with his fist as hard as he could. Since he was using Lightning Lizard''s Dash, his speed was tremendous, and blows were crushing.


    Under the pressure of Wain''s fists, the armor on the robotic samurai''s bodies crumpled like a sheet of paper. The two monsters flew backwards and barely got to their feet. But, at that moment, Wain swung his hand, and a suddenly appeared dark sword cut off their heads.


    Two white souls flew into his body.


    [Soul of White Robot Samurai (Destroyed)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Common]


    Wain immediately crushed these souls and gained some Soul Essence.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of White Robot Samurai level 9]<sub> </sub>


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of White Robot Samurai level 8]


    [You have leveled up to level 9. You get 3 status points to distribute freely]


    "Oh, I''ve leveled up. Great I didn''t expect it to happen so soon. However, the further it goes, the harder it gets. I need an incredible amount of Soul Essence to get to level 15. Compared to that, getting to level 9 is easy." Wain muttered.


    He headed further toward theke. Wain didn''t have a goal of killing all the samurai robots. He had more important tasks than just umting Soul Essence.


    Only if hepleted all of his tasks, which was unlikely he would focus on harvesting Soul Essence.


    To Wain''s surprise, some monsters didn''t attack him. They watched him intently but didn''t dare to attack. Wain didn''t know what the reason was, but then he realized.


    A massive robotic samurai was walking towards him over three meters tall. He had arge hammer in his hands, and his armor was dark red. More than ten in, white samurai robots headed toward Wain at the same moment.


    He prepared for battle and was already ready to activate the Code of Light and Darkness, but the samurai robots had no intention of attacking him.


    They stood around Wain and the big robot and stuck their katanas into the ground. It was like some ritual. Then, the red robot samurai pointed his hammer at Wain then struck the ground.


    "So you''re challenging me to a fight? Okay, I ept your challenge!" Said Wain and simrly thrust his weapon into the ground.


    The white robot samurai''s katanas then became electrified, and the red robot samurai raised his hammer high. He did not hesitate and instantly brought his weapon down on Wain.


    Wain bounced to the side, but then he realized that the arena was limited because of the white robot samurai. However, this was a minus and a plus simultaneously because the red robot samurai would not be able to go outside the peculiar arena either.


    Wain''s opponent was quiterge, but he did not see this battle as dangerous. He saw many unprotected ces in the armor of the red robot samurai. All he had to do was get close and attack into the gaps between the armor.


    When the red samurai struck the hammer once more, Wain stepped back a few meters and then abruptly climbed up the hammer. Thus he ran toward the monster''s head. The robot samurai tried to throw Wain off but failed, so he made a rather unusual decision.


    The robot samurai threw the hammer upwards. He hoped that this would cause Wain to lose his bnce and fall. But, Wain was not confused. He jumped off the hammer andnded on the robot''s head. Wain then began to deliver numerous blows to weaknesses.


    First, Wain punched through the robotic part of the monster, and then he got to the flesh. As Wain turned the monster''s flesh into a bloody mess, the red robot samurai fell to the ground with a rumble.


    The blue soul flew out of the monster''s body and into Wain''s chest.


    [Soul of Red Robotic Samurai (Damaged)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Rare]


    Wain immediately crushed the soul.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Red Robotic Samurai level 11. Strength+3, Vitality+2]


    [You get Rare Rating Spiritual Box]


    "Wow, I got the Rare Spiritual Box. That''s interesting." Mumbled Wain looking at the small, blue box in his hand.


    He wasn''t worried about being attacked by the other monsters, because to his surprise, the robotic samurai were quite noble creatures. He defeated one of their strongest fighters in a fair one-on-one fight.


    So instead of attacking Wain like monsters or humans, they pulled their katanas from the ground and went away. The behavior of these creatures was unique, but Wain had nothing toin about. On the contrary, he liked this system. He didn''t have to waste his energy on any little thing. He could go and kill strong and powerful opponents.


    Wain looked around and saw that most of the robot knights weren''t even looking at him now.


    ''Hmm, they seem to have some rigid hierarchy operating in this ce. First, I beat the weakest robots, then some stronger ones. Does this mean I''ll have to fight someone even stronger next? So I won''t be attacked by white or red samurai robots anymore?" Wain muttered thoughtfully.


    He didn''t know if that was the rule among robot samurai or if it was all the fault of this area called Nest he was in.

 Chapter 47 The Lake

    Wain decided not to hesitate to open the Rare Rating Spiritual box. He was curious to know what was in it.


    He opened the box and saw a small scroll with a red hammer on it. Wain knew what it was.


    "So I got a skill scroll, not bad. It can be used to attack the enemy suddenly." Mumbled Wain and looked at the description of the item.


    [Skill Scroll - Strike Hammer (Primary Chronicle, Rare Rating)


    When you use this scroll, an energy hammer will be created over your chosen target. It isrge and powerful enough to pierce armor and cause irreparable damage to creatures below level 10. After falling, the energy hammer explodes, creating a massive explosion destroying everything around it at a distance of two meters.


    This skill can be used a limited number of times, after which the item will disappear: 3/3]


    Wain smiled and headed on, the park was veryrge, so it would take Wain some time before he got to theke. In the meantime, Wain pondered about this park and the monsters that appeared here.


    ''Last time I fought the Demon Ants, the entrance to the Dungeon was the crypt. Since the Dungeon appeared in front of me, the ants haven''t had time to settle on the areas around it. But I don''t see any entrance here. Perhaps I haven''t found it yet, but it may not exist at all. After all, this time, it said I was in the territory of the Nest. What is this?'' Wain pondered.


    He walked along the park''s practically untouched paths among the many robotic samurai. As he had assumed earlier, the white and red robot samurai no longer touched him. But, so far, Wain has met no other adversaries, though he has been walking for quite some time.


    ''The Nest...I need to figure out how this ce is different from the Dungeon...'' thought Wain.


    He looked around, and at that moment, an interesting idea urred to him, ''Perhaps the Nest is different from the Dungeon in that there is no space in which the main base is located? Perhaps this park that the Samurai robots took over is their main base?"


    ''If I''m right, then everything makes sense. The boss and most of the monsters are in the Dungeon itself. Not all monsterse out. But, Sven said that Dungeons grow and get bigger over time. If the Nest is a Dungeon with no hidden space, then I won''t see a crypt or anything like that anywhere.'' Wain thought.


    The Nest really didn''t have a hidden space where the main monster would be. The Nest was somewhat simr to the Dungeon but also had significant differences.


    Firstly, like Dungeon, Nest appeared because of arge umtion of Soul Essence in one ce. The location could be anything. It depended on many factors. Secondly, the Nest grew faster, as monsters didn''t waste time exploring the area and getting out of the closed space.


    But, the Nest, unlike the Dungeon, was poorly protected from attacks from the outside. There was only one entrance to the Dungeon space, and monsters could prepare for attackers and arrange passageway defenses.


    Moreover, the Nest was not protected from various weather conditions. During the apocalypse, various natural disasters could appear from time to time in many different ces. Therefore, some hurricanes could destroy the Nest if the monsters weren''t strong enough to withstand the storm.


    Wain strolled quietly through the park and paid no attention to the dozens of robotic samurai that were strong enough to kill dozens of people in a couple of seconds.


    ''I wonder why these strange monsters showed up here? Judging by the fact that they have flesh and blood like humans, they are some kind of cyborgs. Is there a reason these particr monsters appeared in this park, or does it happen by ident?'' Wain thought.


    He walked forward a few more meters and suddenly heard a rumbling noise in the distance. He turned around and saw a group of five men fighting against one robotic samurai. Such monsters Wain had never met before, for he was blue. He had only fought white and red robot samurai before.


    The blue samurai was even taller than the red one. He had a massive axe in his hand, and his armor was very strong and bulky. Such an opponent was tough to defeat, but the group of five gradually managed.


    "And they have a pretty good team. There is one man who takes the hit. One person attacks in closebat, and two people attack from afar. What''s more, they''re fortunate. They have support." Said Wain as he looked at the fighting group of men.


    One guy stood behind his fourrades. He had a special ability with which he reinforced a man with a shield, which blocked the attacks of the robot samurai.


    Wain paid no attention to them and moved on. Other people''s affairs were of little interest to him, he had to get to theke, and he had only a little way to go.


    He waited for his opponent toe to him, and he did not have to wait long. A minuteter, a blue robot samurai appeared in front of him. Just like thest time, other robots samurai approached them. They lined up in a circle, creating a kind of arena.


    The blue robot samurai bowed and then pointed his axe at Wain. Wain smiled, thrust his dark sword forward, and prepared for battle.


    ''Huh, these monsters are more polite than many humans. This ce really is amazing. I wonder what I''ll see in the middle of the park?'' Wain thought<sub> </sub>


    The next moment the monster''s axe glowed brightly, and it swung its weapon toward Wain. A bright de flew out of the axe and flew toward Wain.


    Wain didn''t block this de. He didn''t know how strong it was or if it could destroy the Destruction Sword. So he just bounced to the side and used Lightning Lizard''s Dash.


    Wain wanted to attack the Samurai robot''s weaknesses, but the monster anticipated such an attack. It bounced to the side and plunged the axe into the ground. The next moment, a pir of light burst from beneath the ground, practically wounding Wain.


    "It looks problematic. I need to be more careful. However, I''ve got some moves, too." Wain muttered, and the Ring of Damned glowed brightly.


    A scroll with the picture of a red hammer appeared in his hands. The next moment Wain used some Soul Essence, and the skill scroll shed brightly.


    At the same time, a red, energetic hammer formed in the air that came crashing down on the robot samurai in a sh. The monster didn''t have time to react. It didn''t expect that Wain had such an attack in his arsenal.


    The energy hammer came crashing down on the samurai robot, followed by a deafening explosion. It was so powerful that a small crater appeared in the ground, and some white samurai robots were killed.


    To Wain''s surprise, the blue robot samurai was still alive, but his condition was critical.


    "You are interesting creatures. You have shown me respect, and so I will do the same. I will kill you quickly and beautifully." Said Wain and approached the monster.


    Wain then gripped the Destruction Sword tightly and pierced his enemy''s heart with the sword. The robotic samurai were only part robots, with flesh and blood, and organs under ayer of mechanized armor. Their body structure was not much different from that of a human.


    The next moment the blue soul entered Wain''s body.


    [Soul of Blue Robotic Samurai (Destroyed)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Rare]


    ''Eh, it''s Destroyed Soul, what a pity, I could have gotten some good item or skill had it been Whole Soul''. Thought Wain and crushed the soul.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Blue Robotic Samurai level 10.]


    Just likest time, the robotic samurai dispersed in different directions. Every battle in this park was like a ritual of sorts.


    After Wain dealt with the blue robot samurai, he moved on. Theke was in the center of the park, but many trees were growing around theke. They wererge, and their crowns very dense. Therefore, Wain could not see what was in theke through such a denseyer of wood.


    As Wain walked toward theke, he was no longer attacked by any robot samurai. Wain decided that he had defeated all the strong opponents, and only the boss, who was in charge of this Nest, was left.


    ''Hmm, Sven said that after clearing the Dungeon, a human gets a reward. Do I get a reward if I kill all the robot samurai? Or doesn''t that rule apply to Nests?'' Wain thought.


    However, he wouldn''t waste his time killing more than half a thousand samurai robots anyway. These monsters were far more powerful than zombies or even Demon Ants. It would take too much time and effort to kill them all.


    After a while, Wain reached the dense wall of trees behind which theke was hidden. Before that, Wain activated the Seal of Darkness a few more times, and he made sure he had to go in that direction.


    "§¡? What''s going on?" Surprised Wain watched as suddenly hundreds of samurai robots headed toward theke. They were not in an aggressive mood. Rather they wanted to watch the uing battle as they had several times before.


    All samurai robots, without exception, were heading toward theke. Among them were white, red, and even blue. They all wanted to see with their own eyes how their leader, who was at that moment in the center of the park, would fight.


    Wain also realized this and thought to himself, ''If their leader is there and they''re all going there, that means it''s about to fight someone. It looks like that group of people got to theke before I did.''

 Chapter 48 The Strongest Color

    Wain, along with the samurai robots, made his way through a denseyer of trees. He was a littlete, and he would fight the leader of the Samurai robotster. He would be a spectator first and then a participant in the battle.


    "I wonder if that group can defeat their leader?" Wain muttered.


    Then he stepped forward and passed through ayer of trees. Then Wain saw for the first time theke, which was the main attraction of this park. Theke was small but crystal clear and perfectly round. It looked like a crystal disk among the trees.


    Around theke was a small path on which the robotic samurai stood. They stuck their weapons in the ground and stared intently at their leader.


    At that moment, their leader was in the center of theke. To Wain''s surprise, this creature could stand on the water. Their boss was also a cyborg. His color was ck. He was not as big as the red or blue robot samurai. He was about two meters tall.


    The ck robot samurai sat on the water in a lotus pose with a long, ck sword with some built-in mechanism floating in front of it.


    Wain turned around and saw a group of people who had recently fought against the blue robot samurai on the other side of theke. Some of them were wounded, but overall they were still able to fight.


    "Hmm, judging by the aura of that robot samurai, they don''t stand a chance. He is much stronger than the blue samurai robot. This opponent is on apletely different level. What? Is there someone else here?" Wain muttered, looking at the girl in the distance.


    The girl had long, ck hair reaching her waist, blue eyes, and tall ck boots. She was also wearing a ck cloak, but unlike Wain''s, her cloak wasn''t clothing. It was the gear she''d gotten from Soul Chest. The cloak had small, protective tes on it.


    Her weapon was a long, white rapier with a guard shaped like the wing of a fallen angel. She stared at the ck robot samurai with a calm face, not even noticing that there were other people here.


    When Wain looked at her, however, a strange connection formed between them. They both felt it, and at that moment, an aura involuntarily began to emanate from their bodies.


    ''I see. It looks like she got the Seal of Darkness too. That''s impressive, though it was obvious that other people had passed the test of the World of Darkness besides me.'' Thought Wain and grinned.


    He decided to release even more of his aura, thus intimidating the girl. She tried to resist it and resist Wain''s pressure, but she failed. She frowned and prepared to fight, but at that moment, Wain smiled and shifted his gaze to the center of theke. He was teasing her. There was no point in him fighting her.


    The girl''s name was Teresa Gimenez. She hadn''t expected to meet any other people here, and Wain''s aura made her fearful.


    ''I didn''t expect to meet anyone else here. What''s more, he has the Seal of Darkness too, and judging by his aura, he''s stronger than me. Damn, why is there always a problem.'' Teresa Thought.


    She hade to this park to fight a powerful opponent and gain a valuable soul. Now she had rivals in the cause.


    Wain looked at the ck samurai robot and thought to himself, ''There is an eerie aura emanating from this monster, but it is not connected to the World of Darkness or the entrance to Void. The spatial rift seems to be in or under theke. I can feel the energy emanating from there.''


    Suddenly the ck robot samurai stood up and grabbed his sword floating in the air. Then he turned and looked at the group of five, at Teresa and then at Wain. He didn''t look at them in random order. It depended on which one of them got here first.


    Then the ck robot samurai pointed at the group of five with his sword as if calling them to them.


    "This monster is somehow capable of standing on water, but none of us are likely to have such skills. Does it really want us to fight it in theke?" Proimed Wain. In his mind, the actions of the ck samurai robot made no sense, but that was not the case.


    Suddenly the ck robot samurai plunged his sword into the water, after which many ck threads appeared all over theke''s surface. It was like a massive cobweb thatpletely covered the entireke.


    Then he pointed his sword again at the group of five men. They looked at each other and then came out into a kind of arena. To their astonishment, they could now stand on the water, or rather on thousands of thin threads.<sub> </sub>


    They immediately prepared for battle and began to wait for the ck robot samurai to attack.


    "I thought he was going to make theme out one by one. Is it fair when a noble duel involves six contestants at once, five of whom are on the same side?" Wain muttered.


    The ck robot samurai was confident in his strength. Moreover, it was in his interest to fight with strong opponents. He understood that if the people in the group fought separately, they would surely lose. Therefore, he decided that he would fight them all at once.


    A good team could act as one. But, if the people in the team didn''tmunicate well with each other, it was a real failure. To defeat such a dangerous opponent as the ck robot samurai, they had to give it their all.


    A guy with arge shield in his hands stepped forward. As in previous battles, he intended to block their enemy''s attacks and protect his allies.


    Beside him stood the melee attackers, and behind them were two men capable of attacking from a distance. Behind them, all stood a guy who was supposed to help the man with the shield with his skills.


    "Their formation is pretty good, but they will probably lose. Their whole tactic is designed for their opponent to attack them head-on. But, if robot samurai quickly deal with the people in the second row, their whole formation will be destroyed and destabilized." Calmly Wain said, carefully watching theing battle.


    When all the participants were ready, the ck robot samurai raised his sword high in the air, and at the exact moment, all the other robot samurai activated their weapons. An electromaic barrier appeared around theke, which could withstand the explosion of a very powerful bomb. The head of the samurai robots didn''t want anyone to interfere with their fight. This park andke were his domain and his arena.


    The ck robot samurai gestured for the group of humans to attack. They looked at each other and then nodded. The man with the shield rushed towards the ck robot samurai. He intended to block the monster''s attacks and draw all its attention to himself.


    Next to him ran two men, holding a sword and the other a club with spikes. They were quiterge and strong in appearance.


    The ck robot samurai put his sword out in front of him the next moment, but he was not looking at the three men running in his direction. He was looking at the two people standing behind them. They had to attack the monster from afar.


    ''What is he doing?'' Wain thought to himself. He believed that the ck robot samurai was supposed to block the attacks of the three people in front of him, then counterattack and kill them. However, Wain did not know that the ck robot samurai''s sword was not a full sword.


    Click.


    Suddenly there was a loud click, and the mechanism on the robot samurai''s sword came into motion. Then the air next to the sword vibrated, and a small, invisible projectile flew toward the man with the big bow in his hands.


    The next moment the man''s head was exploded, and his body fell to the ground. The Soul Essence umted by this man went towards the ck robot samurai, making him a little stronger.


    ''Huh, so much for the noble duel. Just shot one of them, but what exactly was that...?'' Wain pondered.


    No bullet or projectile didn''t fly out of the mechanism on the ck robot samurai''s sword. All Wain saw was a ripple in the air as if left by a flying bullet. Moreover, Wain did not see a shell casing fall at the feet of the robot samurai. That meant that the robot samurai had fired something else.


    "Hmm, maybe his weapon doesn''t have any projectile at all, and my eyes don''t deceive me. But, then it turns out to be some air bullet or kic bullet?" Wain muttered thoughtfully.


    ''Hmm, as far as I know, there was one creature in my world that used a simr technique. It was a creature of the crustacean family. It had asymmetrical ws, one of which was several timesrger than the other. This sea creature could squeeze its paw with incredible speed, creating a kind of shot that was faster than a pistol shot. There seems to be a simr mechanism at work here.'' Wain thought, staring intently at the ck robot samurai''s sword.


    This development dumbfounded the members of the group. They didn''t expect something like this to happen. Some of them started trembling with fear, but suddenly their group leader said loudly, "Don''t retreat! We must defeat him, or we will die ourselves. We knew what we were getting into. Let''s go!"


    It was the man with the shield. After his fiery speech, he activated his skill. His shield began to heat up rapidly, then burst into a scarlet me. Then the fire shrunk to a single point and exploded. All the firepower of this explosion was directed at the ck robot samurai. It was like a bomb whose explosion could be directed to one side.

 Chapter 49 The Other Step

    The ck robot samurai did not expect to be attacked with an explosion. But that didn''t mean he couldn''t block the attack. He put his sword out in front of him, covering the most important parts of his body with it. Thus, after the st wave had passed, someone could see the redness on the armor of the ck robot knight. Because of the high temperature, his armor was red-hot, but it did not begin to melt.


    ''He was able to withstand such a powerful attack with almost no damage. Moreover, his sword was only slightly heated. It is made of stronger and higher quality materials than the roboticyer of his body. This is impressive. The Destruction Sword probably won''t be able to cut through his armor, much less his sword''. Wain thought.


    Immediately after that, the ck robot samurai was attacked by two people with cold weapons in their hands. They attacked him with all their might and used their skills which significantly elerated them. However, they were too slow and weak for the robot samurai.


    He blocked each of their blows with one hand, then bounced to the side, and each heard a loud click again. At the exact moment, the head of one of them was blown off.


    ''Apparently, he can''t use this move often. He has to wait a while, like reloading a gun. That''s a good thing because even I can''t take a hit from that kic bullet without serious consequences.'' Wain pondered.


    ? Wain didn''t expect anyone but him to decide to head to the center of the park and challenge the head of the Samurai robots. But, he was content with the current state of affairs. Since he was watching the fight, he could get valuable information without risking himself.


    Wain valued information very much. He believed that during a battle, information could be even more important than strength or equipment. If he knew his opponent''s strengths and weaknesses, he had a better chance of winning. On the contrary, if he was unaware of some lethal technique of his enemy, he might die forck of information.


    Less than a minute has passed since the battle began, but the ck robot samurai has already killed two group members. There were only three of the men left, and you could see the desperation and fear in their eyes. They understood that it was impossible to escape from here, as hundreds of robotic samurai were around the arena. But, they saw no way to defeat the ck samurai robot. This adversary was much stronger than they had anticipated.


    The rest of the group tried to attack with everything they had. But, the ck robot samurai lunged at them, and a momentter, the two severed heads fell. The only one left alive was the guy who was helping the man with the shield from afar. He had no attacking abilities other than his bare fists. So all he had to do was humbly wait for his death.


    The ck robot samurai slowly paced toward the surviving member of the group. At that moment, Teresa approached Wain. He looked at her calmly.


    Teresa seemed confident in her strength, but she still held her rapier firmly in her hand in case Wain decided to attack her.


    "Don''t you want to team up?" Asked Teresa was looking at the ck robot samurai. Pretty soon, he would kill the remaining group member, and then it would be Teresa''s turn to fight.


    "Haven''t you ever heard of knight''s honor? These guys built an arena for us and expected us to fight one-on-one with their boss." Wain said with a smirk.


    He wasn''t going to team up with Teresa. He didn''t see any point in it. Sure, the two of them would have an easier time defeating the ck robot samurai. But, only one of them could get the soul of such a powerful creature.


    Wain was sure that at the crucial moment, Teresa would stab him in the back. Of course, he didn''t know what kind of person she was, good or bad, but that didn''t matter. After all, that was exactly what Wain himself would do.


    Moreover, if Teresa fought first, the ck robot samurai would spend a lot of energy on her, and it would be a little easier for Wain to defeat his enemy.


    "I see you''re a joker. This robot samurai doesn''t mind having several people fighting against him at once. Isn''t this the perfect opportunity to team up and kill him? Judging by your energy, you also got the seal, and you''re powerful." Teresa tried to change Wain''s mind.


    "That''s out of the question. When ites to soul distribution, you will betray me, or I will betray you. In this case, I am inclined to obey their rules and fight one-on-one. That is my final decision." Wain''sst words sounded eerie and cold.


    Teresa swallowed and smirked, "So you want to fight one-on-one? Have it your way!"


    She turned and stepped aside. Wain shook his head and looked out over theke. By that moment, the ck robot samurai had already finished massacring his opponent. The guy''s body was chopped in two, and his blood poured into part of the crystal clear water.


    Then several white samurai robots entered the arena and removed the corpses from the ck web covering theke. They cleared the arena for the next challenger.


    When everything was ready, the ck robot samurai turned around and pointed his sword at Teresa. She was to be his next opponent, but the girl was not going to fight alone. She knew how to assess her strength and understood that she would be mortally wounded even if she won. One strong soul of an unknown condition was not worth such a risk.<sub> </sub>


    So when the ck robot samurai pointed his sword at Teresa, the girl shook her head and said, "I refuse to fight, I pass that right to him!"


    ''Huh, she''s got brains.'' Wain thought. He didn''t expect Teresa to dare do something like that. But, it didn''t make much of a difference.


    Wain understood that if Teresa refused to fight, it meant that she was unsure of her strength. In other words, even if she fought before Wain, she couldn''t do much damage to the ck robot samurai.


    Wain just shrugged it off. He wanted the ck robot samurai''s soul for himself anyway. Even if Teresa fought first and almost defeated the monster, Wain would join the battle and kill everyone who stood in his way.


    When the ck robot samurai was refused his offer, he pointed his sword at Wain. Each of them had the right to refuse to fight if they wanted to. That was one of their rules.


    Wain smirked and stepped onto the crystal surface of theke. The ck web had no problem supporting his weight. He could fight to stand on the water as well as onnd.


    Teresa watched him intently.


    ''Perhaps I can get the soul of this robotic samurai. But, if this guy can defeat the monster without taking serious damage, I won''t get the soul. He''ll just kill me.'' Teresa thought.


    She hade here to get stronger, but survival had always been a priority for her. Money, strength, skills, power, to her mind, none of it was worth giving up her life for.


    Teresa was used to acting only when she was sure of sess. The only time she acted rashly was during the trial of the World of Darkness.


    Thanks to this kind of thinking, Teresa has survived so far and gained a few useful things.


    ''I wonder what ordeal he had to go through to get the Seal of Darkness? Also, what ce did he go to after that?'' Thought Teresa looking at Wain preparing for battle.


    During her trial, she barely survived but still managed to find a way out of that situation and get the Seal of Darkness. She barely had enough strength to get to the safe zone. She was practically bleeding out.


    When Wain stepped onto the surface of theke, he immediately summoned the Destruction Sword. Wain understood that this sword wouldn''t be able to prate the armor of the ck robot samurai. But, the dark sword could easily cut through the flesh hiding under the armor.


    Wain had two options. He could use the Code of Light and Darkness and use that skill to defeat the ck robot samurai. But, after fighting this monster, Wain would go to the bottom of theke. He had to find the spatial rift where the passageway to Void was hidden.


    He could sense the energy of the world of darkness, but he had to get close to the energy source to know the exact location. So, Wain decided to save his most powerful skill forter.


    If he were to use the Code of Light and Darkness now, he would waste much energy. Wain had another option on how to defeat the ck robot samurai.


    He had a skill scroll with two more charges left in it. Wain was willing to use the two explosive hammers to defeat the ck robot samurai without wasting much of his strength. Wain also had something else he was going to use in this battle.


    Wain slipped his hand under his cloak then a small sk of brown liquid appeared in his hand. He didn''t want Teresa to know about the magical effects of his ring. Wain had obtained this potion long ago, but now was the moment to use it.


    It was the Ant Power Potion, which, once used, increased Strength by ten points for five minutes. Wain pulled out the wooden plug and quickly drank the potion. At that time, Wain''s Strength was 25 points. But after using the potion, it went up to 35.

 Chapter 50 Death Of Samurai

    The first item Wain received was his glove with a drawing of a creepy creature''s mouth. When it came into contact with blood, the drawing began to live and turned into a real mouth. Wain absorbed the flesh of three different creatures to obtain a random potion, which turned out to be an Ant Power Potion.


    Previously Wain had no reason to use this potion, but now he decided that the moment hade. Wain also prepared a skill scroll and hung it on his belt. He did this so that Teresa wouldn''t find out about the effect of his ring.


    Then Wain prepared for battle and brought his sword forward. He gestured to the ck robot samurai, thus telling the monster to attack first.


    ''Most likely, I will use the two explosive hammers to kill it when the moment is right. But, it''s unlikely that this web can withstand an explosion of such power. I certainly won''t be able to fight in the water, which means I should only use the skill scroll if I''m sure I can kill it.'' Wain thought.


    The ck robot samurai nodded and, the next moment, attacked Wain. The robot''s silhouette blurred, and a momentter, he appeared in front of Wain. He didn''t expect the robot to be so fast, but he still managed to react to the attack.


    Wain blocked the attack with his sword, but suddenly he saw the ck samurai robot''s sword slowly cut through the Destruction Sword. Wain immediately pushed the monster aside and bounced back several meters.


    ''Damn, I knew his sword was made of solid materials, but I didn''t think the situation would be this bad. If he threw a few more powerful blows, it would shred my sword to pieces. Of course, I can summon the Destruction Sword again, but that won''t make any sense. I have to think of something.'' Wain thought.


    It was still too early to use the skill scroll and summon explosive hammers. Wain had to wound his opponent first seriously.


    Then Wain looked at the ck robot samurai and realized something, ''Looks like I was too stupid. Considering the distance, I could throw him off. I can easily fight him with my bare hands. Thanks to drinking the Ant Power Potion, my strength is nowparable to his or even superior. I must take advantage of it''.


    Wain drank this potion to increase his fighting power generally. Initially, he hadn''t considered using his power as a weapon. But when the ck robot samurai partially shed through the Destruction Sword, Wain decided to change his fighting style.


    He swung his arm, and the Destruction Sword soared through the air. Wain then got into a fighting stance and prepared to attack. He was very skilled in hand-to-handbat, but he had never fought a robot with a big sword in his hands before.


    Wain swung his arm, and the Destruction Sword flew like ck lightning towards the robot samurai. The monster did not dodge this attack. Instead, the ck robot samurai thrust his sword forward as if aiming at Wain.


    Wain instantly realized what the robot samurai was about to do, and a momentter, there was a loud click. Wain arched at top speed, and the kic bullet flew right in front of his face.


    Unlike the previous contestants, Wain managed to survive this crushing shot. But he was hit a little. That shot left a deep scratch on his face and scarlet blood slowly flowed from it.


    When the Destruction Sword reached the monster, the ck robot samurai simply grabbed the sword with his hand and chopped it into several pieces.


    ''That was bloody dangerous. Luckily I had enough speed and reflexes to dodge that shot. If it had hit me, I''d be at the bottom of thatke.'' Thought Wain, and the next moment there were many electric shocks on his body.


    While the ck robot samurai were fighting a group of five people, Wain managed to figure out that the monster couldn''t make several kic shots in a row. Therefore, Wain decided to make the most of this time. He had to inflict severe wounds on the ck robot samurai as quickly as possible and kill it by summoning explosive hammers.


    Wain turned into blue lightning and instantly got to his opponent. The robot samurai reacted and brought his sword down on Wain. But, suddenly, the Destruction Sword appeared between Wain and the robot samurai. Wain summoned this sword to block the robot''s attack.


    The robot samurai''s sword copsed on the Destruction Sword, knocking it aside, but the monster''s attack did not hit Wain. This is exactly what Wain wanted to achieve with his skill. Wain then grabbed the robot by the arm and threw it over himself.


    The ck robot samurai was only slightly taller than Wain, so he could easily do it. The monster didn''t expect Wain to have the strength to do this, so he failed to react in time to this grab.


    After Wain knocked the robot samurai to the ground, he began to beat him with all his might. The ck robot samurai tried to block the attacks by defending himself with his sword, seeding.


    But, in time, Wain began to elerate. Moreover, Wain hit the monster several times, leavingrge dents on its armor.


    Wain''s blows were very powerful, and the ck robot samurai knew that Wain would turn him into scrap metal if this continued. So the monster took desperate action.


    The robot samurai threw his sword aside and received more than five blows to the chest instantly. But, the monster was ready for it. Then he put his arms out in front of him and threw Wain aside. The robot samurai''s armor was badly dented and nearly punctured in some ces, but he could escape from the barrage of blows.


    The robot samurai then grabbed his sword and pointed it at Wain.<sub> </sub>


    ''Again?!'' Wain thought to himself. He didn''t expect the reload to be so fast.


    A momentter, there was a loud click, and a dark sword began to appear in front of Wain. He tried to dodge but only partially seeded.


    When the ck robot samurai fired, a kic bullet flew out of the mechanism on the sword and flew towards Wain at lightning speed. As Wain had time to react and take measures to defend himself, the kic bullet mmed into the Destruction Sword that appeared. But, the sword could not withstand such a powerful projectile.


    The Destruction Sword shattered into multiple fragments, one of which embedded itself in Wain''s left shoulder. Fortunately, the kic bullet lost most of its power due to the collision with the Destruction Sword.


    Wain pulled therge splinter of the sword from his shoulder and frowned at his opponent.


    ''I didn''t get a very serious wound, it will heal in a few hours, and there''s hardly any bleeding, but I might not survive the next attack.'' Thought Wain and used Lightning Lizard''s Dash again.


    He had about ten seconds before the robot samurai could use that powerful shot again by his calctions. Wain didn''t know if he could kill the monster at that time, but he had another n to defend himself against the kic shot. He had to get the sword away from the robot.


    When Wain got to the robot samurai, he began to attack him furiously, aiming for the monster''s right hand. It was in this hand that the robot samurai held his ck sword.


    The monster tried to block Wain''s attacks and counterattack. But, Wain dodged masterfully. The robot samurai realized Wain''s n, so he tried to keep his hand out of the way. But then Wain started punching the robot in the chest.


    Protecting one ce, the Samurai robot left the other unprotected. Thus ten seconds passed, Wain inflicted numerous wounds on the robot samurai, but suddenly there was a loud click.


    At that very moment, however, Wain used Lightning Lizard''s Dash and ripped off the robot''s badly damaged sword arm on the run. Wain was able to take the robot''s deadly weapon for himself.


    Realizing what had happened, the robot samurai ran at full speed toward Wain.


    "It''s a shame to destroy thiske, but it can''t be helped," Wain muttered and took the skill scroll in his hands.


    The next moment the image on the scroll shed brightly twice, and then the scroll burned. Wain would no longer be able to use the item.


    Then in the sky, two red energy hammers appeared above the robot samurai, raining down on him likeets.


    There was a deafening explosion that caused a giant pir of water over five meters high to rise. The shockwave from the explosion spread out over several tens of meters, making the trees around it sway.


    The ck web covering the surface of theke was instantly destroyed, and Wain, along with the robot samurai, fell down. Such a powerful explosion created a massive crater at theke''s bottom, and most of the water poured out beyond theke.


    The water trickled down in small streams. Wain stood at the edge of the crater and looked at the nearly dead robot samurai. To his surprise, the monster had survived, but it was near death.


    Wain pointed a ck sword at the robot samurai. He wanted to use the mechanism and finish the robot off with a kic shot.


    As Wain aimed, the robot samurai looked at him, and then suddenly, the ck sword flew out of Wain''s hands and headed for the monster.


    "No!" Shouted Wain. He didn''t want to lose such a powerful weapon, but he could no longer stop what was about to happen next.


    The ck sword hovered over the robot samurai, like a Damocles sword, and then there was a loud click. At that moment, the robot samurai let out hisst breath, and the ck sword exploded, destroying the rest of his body.


    At the same moment, the pink soul flew out of his body and headed towards Wain.

 Chapter 51 Mastery

    When a person received a soul, he could initially understand the Rating of the soul he received by its color. White meant Common Rating. Blue meant a Rare Rating. Pink meant Epic Rating.


    So when Wain saw a pink soul flying toward him, he smiled. He didn''t expect to be able to get Epic Soul after defeating this monster.


    ''Fuck, what was that! Where did that guy get that kind of power!? Teresa thought to herself. She hadn''t expected the fight to end up almostpletely destroying theke. The torrents of water nearly knocked her back, and some of the Samurai robots were incapacitated.''


    She thought she could join the battle at thest moment and take the soul of the ck robot samurai for herself, but she could barely stay on her feet because of the st wave. Now Teresa had no desire to quarrel with Wain or get in his way.


    Then the pink soul flew into Wain''s body.


    [Soul of ck Robot Samurai (Whole)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Epic]


    ''Great, it''s Whole Soul. As far as I understand, this robot samurai has no particr attribute. So his soul won''t be suitable for my skill and soul development. However, in any case, I can''t pass up the chance to get an Epic Rating equipment or item.'' Thought Wain.


    He looked at his defeated opponent and muttered, "He could no longer survive, so he decided to kill himself like a true samurai. In one of the eastern countries in my world, such a tradition was quite popr in the Middle Ages."


    Then Wain looked at the pink soul that had appeared in his hand. He wanted to crush it, but suddenly several messages appeared before him.


    [You have been given the Title - Fighter]


    [Fighter


    You fought a very powerful opponent one-on-one and managed to win. Your spirit and willpower deserve respect. Despite the unpredictable twists and turns during the battle, you still managed to find your way to victory.


    During the battle, you will always be focused and collected]


    "Hmm? Isn''t it useless?" Mumbled Wain looking at the description of the title he received. He felt that this title did not give him anything useful. On the contrary, in Wain''s opinion, this title had quite a few side effects.


    When Wain thought about it, several strange messages appeared before him. Nothing like this he had ever seen before.


    [Error!]


    [Your skills and prowess exceed the effects of the title you received. Effects and title will be changed to match your power]


    People could get a skill not only by killing monsters. Moreover, skills could not always match a person in quality.


    For example, if a student who had never held an army knife in his life got a passive skill that increased his skills to the level of a special forces team member, that would be a strong enhancement.


    But what would have happened if the special forces officer had received such a skill? Such a skill would have been of no use to him because his own abilities were superior to the effects he would get from the skill. In that case, the system would tweak the skill to be strong enough and useful enough tost that person.


    Since Wain could maintain judgment inbat when he wanted it, this title was too weak for him. The system could not allow a man to get a thing that was useless to him.


    [Fighter Title Destroyed]


    [You gained the Title - Echo of Samurai]


    [Echo of Samurai


    Your focus duringbat is almost unattainable. However, you are just as free to give free rein to your emotions, turning into a real demon on the battlefield. When fighting a creature that has something inmon with the samurai, you have realized that you can reach a greater depth of your emotions during battle.


    Under certain conditions, in battles, you can enter a unique trance-like state]


    "Wow, now that''s a lot more interesting. But, what exactly do I have to do to enter this trance?" Wain muttered.


    Then he crushed a pink soul.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of ck Robot Samurai level 13. Strength+5, Agility+5, Vitality+5, Stamina+5, Energy+5]<sub> </sub>


    [You have leveled up to level 10. You get 3 status points to distribute freely]


    ''Unbelievable, I got a huge amount of Soul Essence and an increase in all my stats. Even the Energy stat was increased. Epic Rating Soul is a whole other level.'' Thought Wain, and the next moment his eyes widened in surprise.


    [You received the Epic Rating Skill Book]


    Thest time Wain received a Skill Book was when he was on the ind of the damned. Not much time had passed since then, but a huge number of different events had happened. Therefore, it seemed to Wain that an eternity had passed since that moment.


    When a person crushed a Whole Soul, he could get a Soul Chest or a Skill Book, but the chances of getting a Skill Book were slightly less. So Wain had already gotten several Soul Chests and only one Skill Book.


    Wain looked at the pink book and put his hand on it. The next moment, dozens of symbols entered his head, providing him with all the knowledge he needed.


    [Kic Shot (Primary Chronicle Active Skill, Epic Rating)


    You can create a kic shot that gathered energy at one point. The speed of this shot will beparable to the speed of lightning and the power of a fallinget. However, every great force has its recoil. You must be careful and strong enough to withstand the power of this shot]


    "AHAHAHA." Suddenly Wainughed. He was upset when the ck robot samurai killed himself with his sword, and then his weapon exploded. Wain thought he had forever lost the capacity to wield the power the robot samurai had practically finished him off with.


    "Great, I got the Epic Rating Skill, and still so powerful and easy to use. I definitely didn''te here for nothing." Joyfully said Wain.


    Teresa looked at Wain unhappily. She bit her lip and thought to herself, ''Damn, I thought that after I passed the test of the World of Darkness, I could consider myself the strongest in this town. But, this guy... he''s on a whole other level.''


    Then Teresa''s body trembled. Wain looked at her with a vicious look and pointed his hand at her as if he had a gun. She didn''t know what he was going to do, but her instincts told her that death had already put a scythe to her throat.


    The next moment, however, Wain smirked and put his hand down. He was joking and decided to make fun of Teresa for a bit.


    ''Hmm, I destroyed most of theke, but where does the energy of the World of Darknesse from?'' Wain thought.


    Wain tried to concentrate and find the source of energy, but suddenly something strange began to happen.


    Above every robot samurai near theke appeared a tall pir of light stretching to the sky. Then Wain saw a message in front of him.


    [The King of the Nest has been defeated. The strongest will be the new king of this area and the head of all samurai robots living here.]


    The next moment the robots samurai split into pairs and began to fight each other. It was like some kind of chaos, but also acting ording to certain rules.


    ''I wonder if I can be the new king of this Nest? However, even if I could, I don''t need to. Once I get into the Void and get the soul of a swordsman, I''m out of this park. Defeating every one of them will be too much of a problem.'' Thought Wain, and at that moment, a blue robot samurai approached him.


    The monster pointed his axe at Wain, challenging him to a fight.


    In response, Wain shook his head and said, ''I will not fight for the title of king. I am not interested in that position. You must choose your head from someone of your own."


    The robot samurai did not expect Wain to refuse, but it was his right. So, the monster nodded and headed out to find a rival. Everyone wanted to be king and get certain perks for it.


    "This world never ceases to amaze me. I wonder what I''ll see in Void? It must be more impressive than this gathering of cyborgs." Mumbled Wain and concentrated on finding the spatial rift.


    As before he could feel waves of energy emanating from beneath theke, Wain looked carefully at the bottom of theke and noticed something that looked like a b of stone.


    It was originally hidden by water and ayer of earth, but after the explosion that Wain created by summoning the two hammers, part of the stone b became visible.


    ''Hmm? Is there some structure under thiske? Why build something under theke? Moreover, this b looks new and solid. It''s not some part of the sewer. Anyway, it doesn''t matter, as long as I know where I''m going.'' Thought Wain and took a slow step toward the b.


    ''What is he doing?'' Thought Teresa. She was still in the park and watching Wain closely. She thought he was hiding some secrets that made him so strong. Moreover, she also wondered what might be under theke.


    When Wain approached the stove, he ced his palms on it. Then he drew his hand back and struck a single point with all his might. An ordinary man would not have been able to prate the stone b with his bare hands, but at that moment, Wain''s Strength was equal to 40, taking into ount the potion''s effect. He was about eight times stronger than an ordinary man.


    Bam.


    His blow sent a small shockwave through the b and caused many cracks in the b. Then Wain struck a few more times and then heard a loud crack. The stone b began to copse, revealing a passage into the unknown gradually.

 Chapter 52 The Laboratory

    When Wain destroyed part of the stone b, he jumped down. Teresa also followed him. Unlike Wain, Teresa could not feel the aura of the World of Darkness at such a distance. Wain could feel strange energy only because the necessaryponent to unlock the second form was there.


    Wain didn''t know how, but his skill, Nameless King''s Forms, somehow interacted with the Seal of Darkness. This was unexpected, but it was one big plus for Wain.


    When Wain went downstairs, he was in the middle of a strange room. It didn''t look abandoned or dirty. It was perfectly clean. But, the furnishings inside were strange. It was something like a hospital room.


    "What is this ce?" Teresa muttered. She had already joined Wain.


    "Decided toe down? I thought you''d run off with your tail between your legs." Smirking, Wain said.


    "I never run away. I just found this ce very interesting, that''s all." Said Teresa.


    She was telling the truth, but only partly. In fact, she was curious to see where Wain would go and what he would find there.


    Wain nodded and, the next moment, grabbed Teresa by the throat. The girl could barely breathe. He looked at her coldly and said, "If you disturb me, I''ll snap your neck and throw you to the monsters. Nod if you understand."


    Teresa nodded and said, "I won''t stand in your way..."


    Then Wain loosened his grip, and Teresa fell to the floor. She greedily gulped air, trying to recover. She understood that Wain was not the kindest man in the world, but she didn''t expect him to do something like that.


    "What''s your name?" Wain asked.


    "Teresa Gimenez." Quickly the girl answered.


    "Wain Norheim. I take it you don''t know what this ce is either?" Asked Wain.


    Teresa shook her head, "No, I am very well aware of many secret and secret ces in this town, but I have never heard of any hospital under theke. Maybe it''s not a hospital, but some kind ofb, I have no idea."


    "Aboratory... Hmm, that sounds curious. I wonder what kind of experiments people did here?" Wain muttered.


    "By the way, you said you knew a lot of secret ces in Overion. Before the apocalypse, were you involved with the government?" Asked Wain.


    Teresa didn''t know whether Wain should have told the truth or not. But finally, she put all doubts aside and said, "Before the apocalypse, I was an assassin for hire."


    Wain looked at her in surprise and asked, "I hope you''re kidding. Am I right?"


    Teresa didn''t understand this strange reaction to her answer and just shook her head. Wain looked at Teresa and muttered, "Yeah, if people like you work as assassins, this world would end sooner orter. What a shame."


    As the consummate assassin in his world, Wain thought Teresa''s skills were mediocre. He saw that she was afraid of him because of her menacing aura, and she failed to react to his outburst. In his opinion, Teresa was a terrible killer.


    But that was Wain''s opinion. He was the best, and it was only natural that everyone else was worse than him. Teresa''s skills were at a high level, and she was known in the criminal part of Overion.


    Teresa answered nothing and rose to her feet, shaking off the dust.


    She frowned and looked at Wain and asked, "What were you before the apocalypse?"


    Wain grinned and said, "Judge and reaper all in one. Okay, we''re done talking."


    Then he headed for the exit of the room. Teresa was outraged at the way Wain was acting, but she could do nothing about it. She could count on her finger the people who had the right to behave disrespectfully toward her. But, what Wain was doing was out of line.


    When Wain left the room, he found himself in a hallway several dozen feet long. Wain frowned as he could smell the metallic smell of blood permeating everything around him. Moreover, he sawrge bloody footprints and even someone''s flesh on the floor.


    "Looks like you didn''t know about this ce for a reason," Wain muttered to Teresa.


    She nodded and said, "I''ve never heard of thisb. That means that what the scientists were doing is top secret, even for people like me."


    ''Hmm, zombies couldn''t have gotten here. That means some monster showed up right in theb. We need to find out what happened here.'' Thought Wain and headed on his way.


    He also checked where the energy of the World of Darkness wasing from. ording to his senses, the spatial rift was quite far away, maybe even at the end of thisb.


    After a while, Wain and Teresa entered a room with many dead bodies. They knew from the clothes of these people that they were maintenance staff and quite a few scientists. They were responsible for the experiments going on here.<sub> </sub>


    ''Perhaps they were trying to create some mutants, and the apocalypse began at that moment? In that case, a mutant got the power of a soul. That could be problematic.'' Thought Wain.


    "A monster appeared here? It doesn''t look like a human did it. Their bodies are torn up like some beast attacked them." Mumbled Teresa.


    "We''ll find out soon enough." Said Wain and headed into another room.


    After a while, he stopped and said, "Looks like we''vee to the main hall of this underground hell."


    Wain looked at the many massive pods. Each one was shattered, and he was terrified to imagine what kind of creatures hade out of there. Wain was now certain that mutation experiments had been conducted here.


    Crackling.


    Suddenly, Wain and Teresa heard a muffled rattle in the distance. They immediately headed there. The closer they got, the stronger it got. Then they came to a dark room. There was nothing to be seen, only the strong smell of blood.


    Wain decided to go in there. He was sure that whatever monster attacked him would be able to react and fend off the attack.


    Wain stepped forward, and suddenly he saw a glint in the darkness. The next moment a paw with sharp ws appeared out of the darkness. It was going to rip Wain to shreds like the other people in thisb.


    However, Wain was prepared for such a thing. He easily managed to react and grabbed the wed paw. Wain then clenched his fist with force andunched an attack.


    "Stop!" Teresa suddenly shouted. Wain managed to react, and his fist stopped a millimeter from his attacking enemy.


    "What the hell!" Wain muttered as he looked at the person he was just about to kill.


    It was a girl, a little over fourteen years old, but she couldn''t be called a full-fledged human being. She had shoulder-length, ck hair and amethyst eyes. But, her arms and legs looked like the paws of a monster.


    Wain loosened his grip and threw the girl to the floor. He swung his arm, and instantly, the Destruction Sword appeared beside him. The dark sword approached the girl''s throat, and Wain coldly asked, "Who are you, and what is this ce?"


    The girl did not answer. She only gritted her teeth at Wain like a wild beast. Wain was ready to kill this girl, but suddenly Teresa stopped him again.


    "Stop. Can''t you see that she is afraid herself?" Said Teresa and walked over to the girl.


    She put aside her rapier to show her benevolent intentions. Teresa then took the girl by her monstrous hand and gently said, "We won''t hurt you. I promise. Tell us who you are and what''s going on here?"


    The girl looked at Teresa and calmed down a little. But she didn''t speak. Then Wain waved his hand, and the Destruction Sword disappeared. He took out a cigarette and smoked.


    ''Looks like it''s going to be a while. I need to leave it to Teresa. I''m too impatient. I''d have killed that girl by now if it wasn''t for her.'' Thought Wain.


    He was curious to know what was going on in thisb and who this girl was. This situation seemed to him something abnormal.


    While Teresa tried to convince the girl to talk to them, Wain pondered the current situation.


    ''She is human, at least she was. Now the most urate description of her condition is that of a mutant. Her hands and feet don''t look human. The skin on her hands and feet is red, and she has sharp, ck ws on her fingers.''


    ''Moreover, her teeth look like vampire fangs. I wonder if she''s the only one here or if there are a lot of girls like her here. She''s also very young, judging by her appearance.'' Wain thought.


    He had originally thought that animal experiments were being conducted in thisboratory. He didn''t expect to find ab where mutants were created identally.


    ''Hmm, when you think about it that way, this girl was made stronger than most humans and even monsters that appear at the beginning of the apocalypse because of mutation.''


    ''But, she must still have gotten a soul, am I right? She probably hasn''t activated her Soul Altar yet, since it looks like there are no monsters in thisb, only humans''. Thought Wain.


    The situation this girl found herself in was truly unique. Because of the experiments, her physical indicators were at an unbelievable level for a human. But, since she was still human, though not quite normal, she was also given a soul and the ability to activate her Soul Altar.


    ''If there are still suchboratories in this world, such people could be a new race. And most likely, they will be superior to mere humans.''


    ''But, they need to survive first. Even if there are other suchbs in this world, the total number of such mutants won''t be huge. Perhaps I should refer them to Gisle?''

 Chapter 53 Mutants

    "So, what''s your name?" Teresa asked. After about ten minutes of coaxing, the girl was ready to make contact.


    A lot of it was Wain''s fault since he scared her a lot. But, Teresa''s entreaties worked. This girl was a mutant but also human and a teenager whose life was like hell.


    In fact, on some level, Wain was her savior. After all, it was because of him that the apocalypse began, and thanks to that, now she would no longer have to endure cruel experiments.


    But, of course, she couldn''t have known that. At that moment, there was a hurricane of thoughts and various emotions in her head. Over the past few hours, she had broken free from the shackles she had been shackled in since birth and then plunged into a bloody massacre.


    The girl looked at the smoking Wain, then at the smiling Teresa, and said, "My name is Number-07."


    "Not a bad name," Wainmented with a chuckle.


    "Shut up." Said Teresa looking at Wain, and turned to the girl, "Honey, do you mind if I call you Epta?"


    The girl nodded and said, "What''s your name?"


    "My name is Teresa, and he is..." She looked at Wain, and he said quietly, "Wain Norheim."


    Teresa looked at Epta and asked, "What is this ce? And what happened here?"


    But when she asked that, Epta''s face darkened, and she was silent again.


    "I thought you knew how tomunicate with children." Said Wain and exhaled a puff of smoke. "You''re asking her the obvious things she doesn''t want to talk about. Isn''t it clear what was going on here? Look at her arms and legs, all done by those who are now gutted lying in the halls. Epta, tell me, did you get a soul?"


    That was one of the questions Wain wanted to know the answer to.


    "Yes, then we were able to get out of the pods..." Epta said quietly. It was painful for her to remember what had happened.


    "We? How many of you? All of you girls?" Asked Wain several questions at once.


    "Yes, me and the others who were in the pods... There were boys and girls among us, but there were many more boys. There were twelve of us girls and about thirty of us boys." Said Epta.


    She didn''t really want to talk about it, but she understood that Teresa and Wain had no hostile intentions toward her. Wain practically killed her, but it was a misunderstanding since she attacked him first.


    ''So there were boys in the experiment too... I thought for some reason they only chose girls, I see.'' Thought Wain.


    "Then take us to your friends. We can help." Said Wain.


    "Okay, but boys... Yesterday the men in white coats took them all away and gave them some pills. After that, they went crazy..." Epta said in a trembling voice.


    ''I see. They decided to test the drug on the boys first. They were probably more resilient, but suddenly the apocalypse started, and things didn''t go ording to n.'' Thought Wain.


    "Are the other girls okay?" Asked Wain.


    Epta nodded and said, "Yes, we were attacked by mad boys, and I decided to lure them in and take their attention away from me. I tricked them, but I had to hide here. I know where the others are, but we could run into the boys at any moment."


    Wain shrugged and said, "It doesn''t matter. Just take us there."


    Epta nodded and headed into the other room. Wain and Teresa followed her. Wain had to go deep into theb anyway. So he didn''t mind saving the mutant girls along the way.


    Wain nned to direct them to Gisle. If Gisle got such useful people under hismand, he would take over territories much faster. It would take him no more than an hour to rescue the mutant girls.


    But, at the same time, Gisle would develop the university more quickly while Wain went about his business. This was another investment, though Wain was curious to see what these girls were capable of.


    After a while, Epta stopped them and said quietly, "There''s one of the mutants around the corner. I can hear it."


    ''She has pretty good powers. Even I couldn''t hear anything, even though my stats are very high at the moment.'' Thought Wain.


    Teresa and Epta prepared for battle. Wain looked rxed at the dark corridor. He wanted to see Teresa and Epta in action. He wanted to see how strong they were.


    Then a monster-like creature came around the corner, but with a human body. It had once been a boy of fifteen, but now all that was left was a shell.


    There were four ghastly, de-like growths growing out of his back, and his arms were like massive axes. He could never be the same again. His body was as impossible to restore as his sanity.


    When the mutant spotted them, he pounced on Teresa at lightning speed. She seemed a more alien object to him than Epta, who was also a mutant.<sub> </sub>


    Teresa bounced to the side andnded more than five blows in one ce in less than two seconds. Her weapon was a rapier, a rather weak but swift and light weapon. What''s more, the rapier was perfect for a single-point attack.


    It wounded the mutant deeply but not enough to kill it. The mutant attacked sharply, but suddenly Epta appeared in front of it. She began to attack her enemy with lightning speed, cutting his chest into many pieces. With each blow, she tore out a piece of the mutant''s flesh with her sharp ws.


    Finally, she dodged another attack and ripped its head off in one swift movement.


    ''Impressive.'' Thought Wain.


    He looked at the corpse of the dead mutant and thought, ''No soul hase out of him, which means that he is still considered human to some extent. Maybe if we came here a weekter, he''d be a full-fledged monster by now.''


    Wain and Teresa walked past the corpse and moved on. But, suddenly, Wain noticed that Epta wasn''t with them, and there was a chomping sound behind them.


    He turned around and saw Epta greedily eating mutant flesh. Teresa was horrified by this unpleasant sight, and Wain asked with a wry smile on his face, "Epta, what are you doing?"


    The girl looked at Wain in surprise and said, "I''m eating, can''t you see."


    Wain sighed slightly and asked, "Do they always feed you like this?"


    Epta nodded, shoving another piece of bloody flesh into her mouth.


    "I see," Wain said briefly and slipped his hand under his cloak. Then he pulled out a candy bar and tossed it to the girl.


    Epta caught the chocte bar and asked incredulously, "What is it?"


    "It''s chocte. Your new best friend." Wain said with a smirk.


    The three of them walked down the dim hallways for the next few minutes, which were lit by a few surviving light bulbs. Wain and Teresa remained silent while Epta enjoyed the chocte. She had never eaten anything so delicious before.


    When she had finished everything, she looked at Wain, but she never dared to say anything. Despite her looks and somewhat bestial actions, Epta was a humble person.


    "Would you like some more?" Asked Wain without stopping.


    Epta only nodded weakly. Then Wain slipped his hand under his cloak again, pulled out three candy bars, and tossed them to Epta.


    "Do you have a portable ck hole hidden under your cloak?" Asked Teresa.


    "I have to store food somewhere. I suggest you do the same." With a shrug, Wain replied.


    They walked forward for a while until they reencountered a mutant. This time there were three of them. Wain wasted no time and simply summoned the Destruction Sword. The dark sword cut them into meat cubes in just a few seconds, and they moved on.


    At that moment, Teresa looked at Wain and then at Epta. She hated to realize that she was the weakest of the three of them despite being an assassin for hire.


    ''When I told Wain that I was a killer, he onlyughed at me. What''s more, I hate to admit it but considering his power, he has every right. Who was he, then, before the apocalypse?'' Teresa pondered.


    She could ept that Epta, who was a mutant, was stronger than she was. But, she could not understand who Wain was to get such skills.


    "More guests, Epta, if you deal with them, I''ll give you two more choctes." Said Wain pointing at the two mutants walking in their direction.


    The girl eagerly agreed and, shoving the candy bars in her mouth, fearlessly attacked the mutants. Their strength did not vary much, but unlike these mutants, Epta did not lose her mind.


    She fought against big pieces of meat incapable of even thinking. So, after ten seconds, the two mutants turned into tattered corpses, and Epta got her well-deserved reward.


    "Epta, how far to go?" Wain asked.


    "No, the other girls had to hide in the main hall. We were sometimes brought there all at once. There''s a big, sturdy white door. That''s probably where they are. We have to turn around, and we''ll end up in a big hallway at the end of which is this door." Epta answered.


    Wain nodded. After a minute, they reached the right ce, and after Wain turned the corner, he saw hell. Dozens of corpses were lying on the white floor. Blood poured over almost the entire wide hallway that looked more like a hall.


    At the end of the corridor, Wain saw arge door next to over twenty mutants. They tried to break through the door and get inside, but they were having no luck.


    "They''re in there." Said Epta. She was a little afraid of so many opponents, but she didn''t show it.


    "Good, that''s just where I needed to go."

 Chapter 54 Hate

    "Can we handle them?" Teresa asked.


    Wain nodded, "Of course, they''re nothing more than insects. We''re lucky we''ll be fighting in the corridor."


    The next moment more than twenty mutants noticed Wain''s presence and ran toward him. Teresa and Epta prepared for battle, but Wain paced rxedly forward.


    He could fight these mutants for a long time by shredding them with Destruction Sword, but he could take advantage of the territorial advantage and kill them all at once.


    When the distance between the mutants and Wain was reduced to ten meters, he stood as if he was preparing to run a marathon. Wain bent down and put one foot forward. Teresa and Epta looked at him puzzled, but then electric shocks began to appear across Wain''s body.


    Then Wain turned into blue lightning and shed through the crowd of mutants. The force of the electrical discharge was enough to tear the mutants'' bodies apart and flood the walls of the white corridor with scarlet blood.


    In just one movement, Wain killed a huge number of mutants. Had they not been in the corridor, Wain would not have been able to do so. But since the mutants were attacking him from one direction, he decided to use the most appropriate skill for the situation.


    Wain slowly made his way toward the massive, white door behind which were the other two mutants. Crimson blood dripped from his ck cloak, leaving bloody trails behind him.


    Teresa and Epta nced at each other, then ran after him. They were ready for a fierce battle, but Wain handled everything quickly and efficiently.


    "Epta, are you sure your friends are there?" Asked Wain pointing to the white door.


    ? The girl nodded.


    "Good," Wain answered briefly, and with all his might, punched the door with his fist. However, he could not kick it open. Moreover, there was hardly any damage left on the door.


    "What kind of material is this? Even a shot from a tank couldn''t prate this door." Wain said in amazement.


    "I''ll destroy it." Suddenly Teresa said and stood in front of the door.


    Wain stepped aside and looked at Teresa curiously. He was curious to see what this girl was capable of. She had never used a skill before.


    Teresa put the rapier in front of her and closed her eyes. She was focused, and Wain could feel her aura increase. Then Teresa''s hand turned into a blur, and in a split second, the rapier''s de mmed into the door. Her attack wasn''t very powerful, but it was incredibly fast.


    "Not bad," Wain said briefly, watching as many cracks appeared on the door.


    Teresa drew her weapon to the side and lightly struck the door as if knocking on it. At the same moment, the door shattered into many pieces, and the passage was opened.


    Wain, Teresa, and Epta went inside. There they met the remaining mutant girls. Just as Epta had said, there were eleven of them and twelve with her.


    "Number-07? Who''s that?" One of them asked cautiously. Outwardly she was not much different from an ordinary girl, except for one important detail. She had a third eye, with a sharp pupil like a cat''s.


    Epta happily ran to her and hugged her.


    "I was afraid I wouldn''t see you again. This is Wain and Teresa, they helped me get here, and they also want to help you." Said Epta.


    "What''s your name?" Asked Wain turning to the girl with three eyes.


    "Number-02." The girl answered cautiously. She had long, blue hair and green eyes.


    "Now, your name is Dyo. Is there anyone else here besides you?" Wain asked.


    He wasn''t going to question these girls about what was done to them and what they had experienced. It was all obvious. Moreover, Wain assumed that each girl was treated differently.


    Epta had monster-like hands and feet with sharp ws, Dyo had a third eye and yet unknown abilities to Wain. One of the girls had wings like an angel.


    Another had her whole body covered in thin scales like a snake. Some had sharp, de-like growths growing out of their backs, some had several rows of sharp teeth. Each of the girls was unique in some way.


    Dyo nodded and said, "No, all the girls are here, luckily we were able to survive, unlike the boys..."


    Dyo didn''t know what was happening behind the door, but she could see the tattered corpses lying behind Wain. She didn''t me Wain, as she understood that the boys had lost their minds and even tried to kill them.


    Wain looked around and saw a passage to another room in the distance, but an energy barrier blocked it.


    "What is in there? Why is the entrance blocked?" Wain asked.


    Dyo and the other girls'' faces darkened, and she said, "That''s where they are... When the fighting started, they quickly ran into the most protected sector and hid there."


    Wain nodded and headed toward that passageway. When he got fairly close, he focused on the energy of the World of Darkness.


    ''Most likely, that room is thest one in thisb, and it looks like that''s where the spatial rift is. Anyway, I wanted to see the people who managed to turn people into mutants anyway.''<sub> </sub>


    "Is there any way to destroy this barrier?" Wain asked.


    Dyo shook her head, "We''ve tried, but it''s too strong. What''s more, it''s sma. If you touch it, your hand will turn to ash."


    Then Dyo''s third eye opened, and one of the boxes in the room flew into the energy barrier. Her ability was telekinesis.


    "I totally forgot to ask, did you all get souls?"


    The girls were surprised by his question but nodded. Wain nodded satisfactorily. He was d that his theory was correct.


    ''I need to send these girls to Gisle, but to do that, they have to start trusting me, at least a little bit. All right, then, that''s what we''ll do.'' Thought Wain.


    "Epta, Dyo, and the rest of you, I just want to ask you one question." Wain then pointed his hand toward the energy barrier and smirked, "You want to tear these bastards to shreds and make them experience suffering that is forbidden even in hell?! I expect a simple answer from you!"


    His voice was powerful and strong. From Wain came a clear intent to kill and a genuine desire to destroy everything around him.


    This awakened a feeling in the girls concealed by fear. They once again felt a rush of hatred on an incredible scale, pure and merciless.


    At that moment, Wain felt an eerie chill, but it came not from the girls but the corner of the room. It seemed to Wain that there was pitch-ck darkness there.


    When he looked closely, he saw that a girl with short ck hair and blue eyes was sitting there.


    Outwardly she didn''t look much different from a normal person, but below the elbows, her hands were dark, and strange energy emanated from them in a plume.


    "Who are you?" Asked Wain turning to this girl.


    "Number-00, what name will you give me?"


    Wain approached the girl and looked intently into her azure eyes.


    "You are special. Your hatred knows no bounds, and the darkness emanating from you isparable to the emptiness of purgatory. Your name is now Zero!" Wain proimed.


    "Will you kill them?" Asked Zero.


    Wain smiled broadly and said, "They will beg for mercy, but the right to kill them, I will leave to you."


    Zero nodded, and Wain headed for the energy barrier. He summoned the Destruction Sword and tried to cut through the barrier. But like Dyo had said, doing so was problematic.


    The Dark Sword melted instantly, even though the material the sword consisted of was solid.


    Wain nodded and stepped back. Usually, it would have been impossible to get through this barrier, but Wain had a different opinion.


    He looked in which direction the passageway went and then put his hand against the wall, after which he began to beat furiously at one point.


    He didn''t need to go through the barrier or disable it in order to go forward. He could simply use his inhuman strength and make a passageway in the wall.


    The materials this room consisted of were reinforced, but with enough strength, they could be broken through.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    With each blow of Wain, the room shook, and sturdy pieces of stone flew aside. Teresa and the mutant girls didn''t think Wain would have such an unusual and primitive solution to the problem.


    After about a minute, Wain pped his palms together, shaking off the dust, and said, "Done!"


    Teresa instantly headed after him. The mutant girls hesitated for a while, but when they saw Zero follow Wain, they decided and follow her.


    Zero was the strongest of them all. Unlike the other girls, she was always dressed not in a white robe but ck. This once again emphasized her highpatibility with darkness.


    As they walked down the long corridor, she approached Wain and asked, "What do we need these souls for? What does it mean?"


    "It''s simple. Kill one monster, they are outside thisb, and you activate your Soul Altar and get your soul''s ability and the corresponding effects. It''s notplicated. You''ll figure it out on your own." Wain replied.


    Zero just nodded silently. She was as confused as the others. Too many different things had happened in thest few hours. Moreover, unlike the people in the city, she and the other mutant girls do not yet know what happened to the world.


    However, they have been in thisboratory since birth. For them, the new world after the apocalypse would be the only one they have ever seen.


    Wain asked, "Zero, what soul did you get, and what is it Rating?"

 Chapter 55 Torture

    "My soul?" Mumbled Zero.


    "Yes, what is it called?" Repeated his question to Wain.


    "My soul is called the Apostle of Darkness. The rating of my soul is Ascendant." Answered Zero.


    At the same moment, Wain''s eyes shone brightly, and he smiled contentedly, ''Unbelievable, she has an Ascendant Rating Soul. There are many more people in this world than in mine, but an incredibly small number of people can get such a soul in the beginning.''


    ''Moreover, this girl is a mutant and has superpowers even without a soul. She needs apetent mentor, and she can turn this world upside down.''


    Wain was not going to mentor Zero. That task he would leave to Gisle. The man had yet to give Wain any reason to be disappointed in him.


    "Not bad. Zero, you have a lot of potentials. Once you''re outside, you can quickly be much stronger." Said Wain.


    Teresa heard their conversation. She thought to herself, ''Ascendant Rating? What is that? Wain seems to know about it. Damn, I realize more and more every time that the gulf between us is huge. He is stronger and has more information. I need to work harder to keep up with him even more.''


    They had been walking down the corridor for some time, and suddenly mechanisms came out of the walls. Wain knew at once what it was.


    "Turrets?" Wain said in amazement.


    He realized that the situation they were in was very dangerous. Even though his stats were several times that of a mere human, Wain was not yet capable of withstanding around hit. Moreover, the turrets wererge, and so the caliber of the projectiles was not small.


    There was a loud click, and more than twenty bullets flew toward them, capable of prating even the tank''s tough armor. Wain was ready to activate the Code of Light and Darkness, but suddenly the bullets glowed blue and stopped in front of Wain and Teresa''s face.


    Wain turned around and saw a lot of energying from Dyo, and her third eye was open. Then she waved her hand, and the bullets changed direction. The bullets flew toward the turrets and quickly destroyed them. Several explosions shook the corridor.


    Then Dyo fell to her knees and breathed heavily. Her third eye was bleeding. She was not wounded, but it was hard on her body. She needed to rest for about an hour, and she would be fine.


    ''She stopped so many projectiles at tremendous speed and was able to redirect them sharply. That''s impressive. No wonder she got such a powerful kickback. I wonder if they get stronger and increase their stats, will their superpowers derived from the mutation be as powerful?'' Wain thought.


    ''Teresa, help Dyo.'' Said Wain and walked on.


    ''You! He still dares tomand!'' Teresa was indignant to herself, but she nodded anyway and lifted Dyo into her arms.


    After a while, they reached another door. Wain wanted to ask something, but Zero beat him to it, ''It''s here. They must be there, and they probably won''t give up so easily."


    Her voice was cold and sounded like an eerie scraping of metal. She wanted to kill them more than anyone else.


    Wain nodded and kicked the door open with a sharp kick. There was no point in waiting or preparing. They had to go in and kill them.


    Behind the door, Wain saw what he expected. At the end of the room, among the massive equipment, stood ten men. Each of them was dressed in a white robe. Their ages varied, including young men and older men.


    But, there was no fear on their faces. They were surprised that the girls were able to sneak in here. Moreover, they had never seen Wain and Teresa before; these people were an unknown variable.


    Next to the scientists were two massive pods. In each were creepy looking creatures. One looked like a mixture of a wolf and some nocturnal monster. It had thick, ck fur, sharp ws, and an elongated mouth with many teeth.


    The second creature was a mixture of a scorpion and a lizard. It had three tails that had a poisonous sting at the tip, but its torso was like a lizard. This creature also had many needles on its head, ready to fly out of its body at any moment.


    "Who are you?" Asked loudly from the scientists.


    "Wrong question," Wain said calmly. "Who are you, and what do you do here?"


    The scientists didn''t answer, and Wain wasn''t going to wait for them. He slipped his hand under his cloak, and the next moment there was a massive pistol in his hand.


    Bang. Bang. Bang.


    Wain instantly fired three times, and the heads of the three scientists behind him exploded.


    "I repeat my question. What are you doing here?"


    The scientists were not expecting such drastic measures, and some of them shuddered in fear. Although they were conducting human experiments to turn them into monsters, they were ordinary people and rather cowardly.


    They reveled in power. Since the girls and boys could do nothing to them, they were nothing more than test subjects. But, things were different now. Theirst defense measure was an energy wall and turrets, but Wain and Dyo easily dealt with that problem.


    "AHAHA." Suddenly one young manughed and said, "Isn''t it obvious. We turned them into creatures superior to humans. If not for the cataclysm that urred many hours ago, we would have been able to advance our experiments much longer..."<sub> </sub>


    Bang.


    "You talk too much." Said Wain shooting the man in the head. He knew it all without him.


    "Zero, I''m sorry, I won''t kill anyone else. I can be too hotheaded sometimes." Calmly said Wain hiding the gun under his cloak.


    "That''s all right. The important thing is that he''s alive," Zero said coldly, looking at the middle-aged man standing in the center. He was the only one who wasn''t still trembling in fear of the ruthless Wain.


    The man sighed and said, "We''re really out of luck, but in this emergency, we were able to create them."


    He looked at the creatures in the sks, "Originally, they were just test animals, but suddenly they started mutating drastically. Most likely rted to the recent cataclysm, good thing we had time to sedate and enhance them."


    Then he walked over to one of the pods and said, "If it''s fate''s will, I''m taking you with me to hell!"


    He waved his hand to press the red button that would awaken the creatures in the pods, but...


    Wain didn''t like waiting.


    Bang.


    Another round flew out of the massive pistol. Therge projectile hit exactly in the palm of his hand, turning it into bloody slivers.


    "Zero, it''s time. They''re all yours, everyst one of them. The rest of you, you should join in too, isn''t that what you wanted so badly?" Wain said with a smirk.


    "You bastard!" The man shouted furiously. He tried to press the button with his other hand, but suddenly there was a ck sh in front of him, it was Zero.


    Her speed was incredible, she was only slightly inferior to Wain, and she hadn''t even activated her Soul Altar yet.


    When Zero appeared in front of the man, arge amount of darkness came out of her hands. The next moment that darkness turned into a sharp, short de. It began to inflict many wounds on the man.


    To defend himself, the man covered himself with his arm and fell to the floor. Then Zero grabbed the de tightly with both hands and want thrust it into the man''s head, but suddenly something stopped her.


    She turned around and saw Wain holding her hand tightly. She looked at him coldly, "What are you doing?"


    Arge amount of darkness began to emanate from Zero''s hand, and her aura increased rapidly. She thought that Wain had tricked her and that he would save this scientist, so she was ready to attack him.


    "Zero, calm down. I''m just used to keeping the promises I make." Wain said calmly.


    Zero looked at him, puzzled. She didn''t understand what Wain was trying to say.


    "I promised you that these people would suffer like hell. But, if you were to put a de in his head now, would it be like revenge? It would be a real disappointment to you and to me. If you can''t get your hatred out in full, you can go to a master at it. Saying that revenge is a dish to be served cold, but we''ll heat it to magma temperature!" Said Wain.


    Zero calmed down and nodded. She thought to herself, ''He''s right, I''ll never have this opportunity again. I must make the most of it.''


    "What do you advise me to do?" Asked Zero.


    Wain smirked and looked at the scientist with a devilish look, "First, you need to break his knees, that way, he can''t escape."


    Crack.


    Zero did as he said, and a secondter, there was a loud scream from the scientist in pain.


    "Now, you can do whatever you want with him. But, I don''t advise you to kill him too soon. Zero, you can make needles out of this darkness, can''t you?" Asked Wain.


    The girl nodded, and her de turned into several regr-sized needles.


    "I used to do this kind of thing a lot, so I can advise you to stick those needles right there." Said Wain pointing at the scientist''s fingers.


    The man shuddered in fear, but there was nothing he could do. Wain smiled wickedly and looked at him with eyes burning with interest, and Zero looked like a ruthless punisher.


    But if Zero was like a demon out of hell, then Wain was a real devil giving instructions to an inexperienced demon.


    For the next few hours, Wain advised Zero on various tortures and how to administer them. All the while, there were screams of agony in the hall.

 Chapter 56 Darkness And Poison

    Initially, Zero and the other girls wanted just to kill their tormentors. But, after they saw what Zero was doing under Wain''s guidance, they changed their minds. Zero tortured the chief scientist in every way possible. The needles were just a warm-up before the real test of fortitude.


    Wain was a very experienced man in this business, which any inquisitor would envy. Following his advice, Zero ensured that the schr did not bleed out, was in incredible pain, and remained conscious.


    It was a bnce that only a true devil and a consummate master of torture could achieve.


    The final chord was the cutting off of the skin while the scientist was still alive. Even Teresa shuddered at such a gruesome scene. As an assassin for hire, she had often seen people tortured.


    But, Wain was able to impress her. Moreover, Wain himself did not even touch the man. Everything was done by Zero, who was obsessed with hatred for this man.


    The other girls were simrly not quick to massacre their victims. They were not as cruel and skilled as Zero under Wain, but they made the scientists experience incredible torment.


    When it was over, and the scientists were killed, Wain asked with a smile on his face, "Well? Are you satisfied?"


    Zero looked at her bloody hands, then at her disemboweled body and smiling said, "Oh yes, I''m satisfied, I''ve never felt better."


    Wain wanted to say something, but several messages appeared before him at that moment.


    [You have received the Title - Mentor Inquisitor.]


    [Mentor Inquisitor


    Every day people explore different fields and learn many new things. Some try to figure it out for themselves, but most need a wise mentor to tell them what to do.


    You know your profession wlessly, but it is very specific. It is challenging to find such a skilled and unsurpassed master in torture. Your field is narrow but rare and creepy.


    You will teach your students faster if your goals and interests are the same.


    As a master in such a terrifying field, your aura matches your skills and spirit]


    ''Wow, I''m certainly unlikely to teach anyone else. This case was more the exception than the rule, but an aura boost wouldn''t hurt.'' Wain thought.


    The next moment an eerie aura began to emanate from his body without his knowledge. It was the instant effect of his new Title. Wain hadn''t expected it as the others.


    Usually, an aura was something invisible and intangible. But at that moment, Teresa and the mutant girls saw the silhouette of death with a bloody scythe above Wain.


    An incredible pressure came over each of them, and it became hard for them to breathe. When Wain realized that he was doing this, he hurriedly suppressed his aura.


    "What was that?" Teresa said, surprised, trying to catch her breath.


    Wain shrugged and said, "It was nothing. I just got a new Title."


    ''A new Title? He has a Title?! Moreover, since he put it that way, it''s not his first Title, but I don''t have one yet... Damn, it''s too dangerous to be around this guy for long, or my self-esteem will fall below the plinth.'' Thought Teresa once again marveling at the power of Wain.


    "Which one of you is in charge?" Asked Wain turning to the girls. All the girls looked silently in Zero''s direction.


    Wain nodded and said, "Zero, there is a huge world full of wonders and dangers waiting for you outside. There are monsters everywhere, ready to tear you apart at any moment. Also outside is full of people like these scientists. You and your friends can go anywhere you want, but you can go to a ce where you will be weed as your own."


    Zero thought for a while, then asked, "What is this ce?"


    "It''s a university in the south, ah, you don''t know what it is or where it is, my mistake..." Mumbled Wain.


    He looked at Teresa and asked, "Are you a loner, or are you seeking refuge?"


    "Solitary, but right now, I wouldn''t mind resting in a safe ce. I could take those girls there. You''re talking about the University of the Bright Sun, aren''t you?" Said Teresa.


    "Yes. Gisle''s in charge there. Tell him you''re from me, let him help these girls get settled in and get them jobs." Wain replied.


    Teresa nodded and asked, "What do you intend to do next? Is this the end of theb? Are you not going back to the university?"<sub> </sub>


    Wain smiled and said, "Maybe I will, butter. I have more important things to do right now."


    He wanted to concentrate and find a spatial rift leading to Void, but first, he wanted to deal with another problem.


    Wain looked at the monsters in the pods and pulled a gun from under his cloak. He aimed it at their heads and was ready to shoot but suddenly stopped. Wain wanted to kill them while they slept, but he changed his mind.


    ''Hmm, that scientist said these creatures started mutating after the cataclysm happened. He was talking about the moment when the apocalypse began in this world. That means these creatures are monsters...'' Wain pondered.


    But that wasn''t the reason why he didn''t shoot. He could have just killed these monsters while they slept and gotten some Soul Essence, but his attention was drawn to the syringes around the pods.


    ''There are many syringes around the capsule of this strange wolf-like creature, but what are they filled with?'' Wain thought.


    There was a dark substance in these syringes, but it didn''t look like liquid.


    ''Is it dark matter??? This world is a little ahead of mine in development. No one in my world has managed to create mutants yet, that''s for sure. Perhaps these scientists got dark matter from somewhere? There have been attempts on my world to extract this substance''. Wain pondered.


    Then he looked at the capsule with the creature resembling a lizard with three scorpion tails. The syringes connected to this capsule were filled with a green liquid. Wain decided they were various poisons.


    ''If I press the button and the liquid from these syringes goes to these monsters, will they be possessors of the attribute of darkness and the attribute of poison?'' thought Wain.


    To get the sma Destruction Sword, he needed two more souls: one soul with the poison attribute and one soul with the darkness attribute.


    Initially, he thought he would have to go into the woods to kill poisonous insects and wait until nightfall to find the right monster. But, now he had the opportunity to get the two souls he needed. All he had to do was push a button and kill those monsters.


    But, to do that, Wain had to wake up these monsters. They seemed pretty strong to him because they had evolved since the apocalypse began and were mutants at that. Moreover, the substance and liquid in the syringes would make them stronger.


    He could kill them now without using the syringes, but in that case, Wain risked getting nothing. He was soon to go to Void, and Wain wanted to be fully prepared for this challenging journey.


    ''I need to find out exactly what substances are in these syringes, but how do I can know it?'' Wain thought to himself. Then he looked around and saw Dyo. She had not yet recovered, but she could stand on her own feet.


    "Dyo, can you use your powers to find out what substances are in these syringes?" Wain asked.


    The girl looked at the syringes and, after a while, nodded, "Yes, it''s not hard."


    Then he closed his eyes except for the third and concentrated. After a couple of seconds, she said, "There are some caustic substances on the right I don''t quite understand, but something creepy and scary on the left."


    ''Yeah, the description isn''t the most eloquent, but it''s enough. Thought Wain and said, "Thank you."


    Wain then walked over to the panel where there was a button that the chief scientist wanted to press. He turned around and said, "I''m going to wake up these monsters. Go away or stand in the distance and watch. If you get in my way, I''ll kill you."


    Everyone nodded and walked back to the entrance. Of course, no one left. Everyone was curious to see how Wain would fight. The man''s full strength remained a secret even to Teresa, who had seen Wain in battle several times before.


    Wain did not know how strong these monsters were, but he felt that he would not deal with them in ordinary ways.


    ''When I fought the head of the Samurai robots, I wasted a potion and a skill scroll. I wanted to conserve energy before going to Void, but I can''t pass up an opportunity like this. It would be better to sit here and rest for an hour or two and then go to Void''. Wain thought.


    He decided to use his most powerful weapon and deal with the monsters without injury. In his opinion, it was effective and profitable.


    So before he pressed the button, his aura began to increase rapidly. Then his hair grew longer and changed its color from ck to white. Wain also got the appropriate armor.


    Then Wain decided to release his aura with his newly obtained Title fully. Everyone in the room felt the pressure again, making it difficult to breathe.


    "Unbelievable..." Zero muttered. She was genuinely fascinated by Wain''s ferocity and his overwhelming power.


    "Yeah... I definitely shouldn''t piss this guy off. He''s got so many skills, and after all, this is just the beginning. I shudder to imagine how powerful he''ll be in a few months or even weeks." Teresa muttered.


    Then Wain pressed a button, and the liquids from the syringes began to overflow through the tubes into the monsters. Wain felt their auras increase, and the monsters opened their eyes after a few seconds.

 Chapter 57 The Kick

    As the poison and dark matter headed for the creatures'' bodies, they began to wake up, and their auras intensified.


    Wain waited until the syringes were empty and instantly attacked the venomous lizard. He thought this monster was more dangerous than the dark wolf, as he had no defense against the poison.


    However, before Wain''s attack should have reached the lizard, the monster opened its eyes and instantly got out of the pod.


    The same thing happened to the dark wolf. The two monsters quickly realized that Wain was their enemy. They teamed up and attacked Wain.


    Wain smirked and said, "You are nothing but a pathetic puppy who dared to open his mouth!"


    Wain turned into blue lightning the next moment and inflicted a deep wound on the monster''s chest. But, suddenly, darkness began to emanate from the wolf''s body, which quickly healed it.


    Wain was surprised and tried to attack in the same ce again, but he had to dodge the poisonous projectiles flying in his direction.


    Then the lizard and the wolf attacked Wain furiously. They attacked him in every way possible and even managed to overwhelm him. All Wain could do was defend himself and wait for the right moment to attack.


    Wain was not weak. On the contrary, he was powerful, but these creaturesbined the strength of a mutant and a monster, surpassing most current creatures in strength.


    Zero and Teresa, who watched Wain fight, couldn''t even keep track of their action.


    ''Damn it, I can''t see anything!" thought Teresa. To her, this fight was like many ck and white shes after each one appeared, destroying the part of this room.


    Wain blocked a swift strike from the dark wolf, and a massive cut appeared on the wall behind him because of the shockwave. Then the same thing happened after the lizard attacked with its three tails.


    ''Even considering my current stats, I can barely block every one of their attacks. What''s more, this wolf doesn''t let me get close to the lizard. But, I can''t concentrate all my attention on a wolf that regenerates in less than three seconds. Damn.'' Thought Wain as he fought off another blow.


    Then his body shimmered with electric shocks, and he turned into blue lightning. He wounded the dark wolf deeply again, but Wain didn''t turn around this time. He headed toward the lizard.


    Wain had to get rid of the dangerous, venomous enemy first. That was his priority. He tried to cut the lizard with his sword, but suddenly the monster dodged, preventing Wain from doing so.


    Then Wain abruptly turned around and pointed his hand in the direction of the lizard. Wain decided to use a newly acquired skill - Kic Shot. It was his most powerful skill at the moment, aside from Code of Light and Darkness.


    Wain didn''t know how powerful the recoil would be, but it didn''t matter at the time. He had to kill these monsters no matter what it cost him.


    Tremble.


    The air around Wain''s hand vibrated, and then there was a loud click. It was the sound of his bones, which could hardly withstand such a powerful shot without damage.


    At the exact moment, the kic bullet flew toward the lizard. It instantly reached him, and the monster''s head was blown up. The lizard could not dodge, even though it was a swift creature.


    A blue soul flew out of the already dead lizard''s body and into Wain''s body.


    [Soul of Poison Lizard (Whole)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Common]


    ''Whole Soul, not bad, but I won''t save it forter. I will need to use this soul to gain a skill.'' Thought Wain and prepared to fight the dark wolf.


    However, the monster was in no hurry to attack. It stared at Wain fiercely, and its eyes glowed brightly. Wain didn''t understand what was happening, but then he saw his hands turn to stone.


    ''What the hell!'' Wain thought to himself and turnedpletely to stone. No matter how experienced and careful Wain was inbat, he could not have known that this wolf possessed such a unique ability from myths and legends.


    Wain knew of only one creature capable of turning anyone into stone with a single nce, and that creature was only part of the ancient story.


    "We have to help him," Epta whispered. She couldn''t bear to watch the dark wolf approach Wain.


    Zero nodded and was already ready to act, but suddenly a huge amount of energy began to emanate from Wain''s body.


    Not only was it a unique power, but it was one of the oldest and strongest curses. However, Wain was not afraid of any curse, for he was the one who put an end to the Ind of the Damned.


    [Activated the effect of your title - Savior of the Damned


    The curse of petrification has been lifted and will no longer affect you if no power changes are detected]<sub> </sub>


    Then the stoneyer covering Wain''s body began to crack and instantly disintegrated into many pieces. Wain could move again, but he was in no hurry to attack.


    He looked coldly at the dark wolf and said slowly, "I wanted to kill you and take your soul, but now you will experience true torment. I will skin you and gouge out your brazen eyes!"


    The darkness absorbed the next moment Wain''s aura and armor began to change. He saw several messages in front of him.


    [Your state does not match the ideal skill bnce - the Codex of Light and Darkness.]


    [Because of your state, darkness absorbs light and begins to dominate this duo. Along with the increase of darkness, so does the change of stats]


    This had already happened when he fought against the Demonic Ants. But, now Wain was angry. He wanted to kill the dark wolf, not to get a soul, but to cause this monster pain and suffering.


    <o>,m It should have taken about one second for the points from Energy to move to other stats.</o>


    So when Wain saw these messages, he immediately used Kic Shot again, the invisible bullet headed towards the wolf with lightning speed. When Energy bes 1, even this skill bes too weak to use.


    But, the monster had time to react and partially dodged. The kic bullet hit its paw and ripped it off, but a secondter, a new paw was created from the darkness no worse than the previous one.


    ''Is he immortal?'' Wain thought and lunged toward the dark wolf.


    Wain didn''t use Kic Shot anymore. This skill had too much recoil to use several times in a row.


    If Wain had used Kic Shot for the third time in such a short period, his bones and skin would not survive it. He wouldn''t die, but his arm would definitely be broken.


    He could not afford such a severe injury. Wain didn''t know what else this monster was capable of. He had to be prepared for any surprises.


    Roooooooooooaaaaaaaar!


    The dark wolf roared furiously and pounced on Wain in response. The monster''s sharp ws rained down on Wain, but he ducked and dodged at thest moment. Wain clenched his sword tightly and turned into a deadly vortex slicing the monster''s flesh apart.


    ''What?!''


    To his surprise, even such numerous and severe wounds healed instantly. Wain assumed that this monster''s regeneration had some limit or that if it inflicted many wounds, it would take a long time to heal. But, neither of Wain''s theories proved true.


    The dark wolf attacked Wain. He blocked the monster''s sharp ws with his sword but was suddenly struck in the side with his tail. Wain flew back several meters from this attack, but he quickly regrouped and got into a fighting stance.


    ''I need toe up with another n. I can try chopping his head off, that should work, but the wolf doesn''t set up that area to be hit. I need to distract him.'' Thought Wain, and the Destruction Sword flew towards the monster the next moment.


    The dark wolf easily repelled the weapon with a powerful paw strike, but suddenly Wain appeared in front of it. He put his hand over his head and the Destruction Sword appeared in an instant.


    Then he brought his sword down on the monster''s neck with all his might, cutting it off. Wain took a great risk, for the monster''s ws almost reached him and even cut through some of his armor.


    "Phew, that was dangerous," Wain muttered, but suddenly his eyes widened in shock.


    Threads of darkness began to appear between the monster''s neck and head. Wain couldn''t believe what he was seeing.


    Before his eyes, the monster was recovering from having its head cut off. But Wain wasn''t going to let that happen.


    Bam.


    He kicked the monster''s severed head hard to the other side of the room. Then ran up to the monster''s head and grabbed its lower and upper jaws.


    Cracking.


    A loud cracking sound was heard. Wain gradually tore the monster''s head in two like some wild animal. He had no other option than to prevent this monster from regenerating endlessly.


    When Wain was done with the head, he continued to cut the dark wolf''s body into many pieces. Wain did not know the full potential of this monster and did not want to check.


    After about a minute, Wain''s entire body was covered in blood, and the wolf''s carcass was cut into thousands of pieces.


    When the dark wolf stopped regenerating and finally died, Wain saw a blue soul flying towards it. He smiled contentedly.


    The venomous lizard proved to be a reasonably easy opponent, but Wain had spent a lot of energy killing the dark wolf. It was one of the hardest to kill in recent memory.

 Chapter 58 Plasma Destruction Sword

    [Soul of Dark Wolf (Whole)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Rare]


    ''Another Whole Soul, not surprisingly. The creatures were unique, and it would be a long time before there were monsters like them to lower the chance of getting a Whole Soul.'' Wain thought.


    Then he opened the skill enhancement menu and selected the sma Destruction Sword.


    ? [sma Destruction Sword (Primary Chronicle Active Skill, Rare Rating): All conditions for this skill are met.


    [Energy: 88/33, any soul with fire attribute: 1/1, any soul with darkness attribute: 1/1, any soul with poison attribute: 1/1]


    [Do you want to use the necessary materials and upgrade your Destruction Sword skill to sma Destruction Sword?]


    ''Yes.'' Said Wain, and the next moment a panel of souls appeared in front of him.


    They were Soul of Fire Demon, Soul of Dark Wolf, and Soul of Poison Lizard. With these souls, Wain would be able to make his first skill many times stronger.


    The next moment, three different souls flew out of Wain''s body and a rune signifying the Destruction Sword. Then they came close to each other and became one whole, turning into another rune, more powerful andplex. This rune flew into Wain''s body, and he saw another message.


    [You have gained the skill - sma Destruction Sword]


    Wain immediately decided to try out a new skill. He concentrated, and Soul Essence began to umte at one point.


    Then a dark sword began to appear in front of him. It was simr to its former version but also had significant differences.


    The de became shorter and towards the end. Now it looked like a medium-sized two-handed sword. It was more convenient to fight for people who preferred a fast fighting style with such a weapon.


    This sword had a square handguard and a hilt wrapped in gray bandages. There were several decorative lines on the sword''s body made of tinum. But, the most important change was the dark matter on the edge of the sword de.


    It was sma, but not ordinary sma, but a unique sma. This sma was ck as the abyss and just as cold. It froze its enemies, not burned them.


    Wain gripped the sword tightly and then swung it quickly through the concrete wall. A thinyer of ice appeared on the solid concrete, and cold steam emanated from the resulting crack.


    "Not bad," Wain muttered contentedly. He couldn''t wait to get the materials he needed to improve his soul. Slowly, Wain was taking a step toward true power.


    p. p. p.


    Suddenly there was a loud p behind him. Wain turned around and saw Zero pping her hands. She looked at Wain and his new skill with eyes burning with curiosity.


    Wain canceled the Code of Light and Darkness and headed toward Teresa and the mutant girls.


    "That was hard," Wain said with a smile.


    "Are you going back to the university?" Teresa asked.


    Wain shook his head, "No, a littleter, I need to rest first. I didn''t expect these monsters to be so strong, especially that feisty pup. I need to rest and regain my strength. Even though this ce is strewn with corpses, it''s safer up here than up there."


    Teresa nodded and turned to the girls, "Honey, follow me, and I''ll lead you to safety."


    The girls nodded and followed her. Wain said afterward, "Zero, Epta, Dyo, and the rest. You are now your troop called the Apostles. In honor of your leader and honor of your number."


    Zero smiled and headed after Teresa. She would have liked to be with Wain more, but she realized that Wain preferred to act alone for the most part. Of course, he could team up with someone if necessary. It wasn''t a problem.


    But, everyone had their preferences when traveling. Some always liked to act together, but some wanted to take things into their own hands.


    Everyone was different, and while some liked to be in the middle of the noisypany, some preferred to take time for themselves and their own thoughts.<sub> </sub>


    When the girls and Teresa left, Wain leaned against the wall and copsed, exhausted. Then the Ring of Damned glowed brightly, and a variety of food appeared beside Wain. For the next two hours, Wain ate and drank nonstop. He had to recover as best he could.


    ''In about an hour, the order will begin, and very soon, it will be night. I need to get back from Void before night passes. Maybe I''ll get lucky and find a monster with the attribute of lightning and darkness.'' Thought Wain.


    Then he stood up and stretched himself. He looked at his hands and muttered, ''Kic Shot is a powerful skill, but I can''t use it more than twice. However, if I can find somewhere to channel the energy, like the head of the robots samurai, then I can use this skill much more often."


    Wain decided that he needed a very strong and durable firearm. In that case, he would use Kic Shot a few more times.


    Then Wain headed toward the torn head of the dark wolf. He didn''t pay attention to one detail during the battle, but now he remembered it. Wain decided to take the monster''s eyes for himself. They remained intact, and Wain thought that they mighte in handy for him at some point.


    "Huh, I already have two pairs of different eyes in my ring. Maybe I should start collecting them." Wain muttered.


    He also thought that maybe he had rushed it when he used the Dark Wolf''s soul for the skill. After thinking about it, Wain could have also crushed that soul and tried to get some skill or item, but he realized that it wasn''t worth it.


    It was not certain that he would have gotten the item or skill even if it was Whole Soul. Also, he might have gotten an item or skill that wasn''t much use to him. Also, Wain needed the enhanced Destructions Sword as soon as possible. Therefore, he did not consider it a mistake.


    Wain then stood in the center of the room and concentrated. Wain considered that he was ready to go to Void. He had regained a full supply of strength, and he wasn''t going to wait any longer.


    His Seal of Darkness activated and began actively pulsing. Wain sensed the direction of the World of Darkness energy and headed toward the source.


    The energy wasing from the eastern wall of this hall. Wain slowly approached the right ce. With each step, Seal of Darkness pulsed stronger.


    Then when Wain got close enough, he put his palm on the wall. As he did so, his seal glowed brightly and went out again. After that, part of the wall began to turn into the ink Wain was already familiar with.


    Wain smiled and stepped inside. He decided to walk through this ink to get into a spatial rift. After doing so, Wain found himself in a ce he was already familiar with.


    "It''s empty again and a creepy door there, but this time there''s also a door leading to Sven''s bar," Wain muttered, looking at the wooden door standing to the side.


    Like Sven had said earlier, Wain could head to the bar first and then head to the Void.


    ''Hmm, I wouldn''t mind sitting at the bar, but I have no reason to go there. I don''t have many souls, and I won''t get any Void Soul. I don''t think he''ll give me a free cocktail the second time around.'' Wain thought.


    He figured that he would prepare and umte enough souls to get some Void Soul when he needed to go to Sven for information and some gear. Otherwise, there was no point in him going back to the bar.


    So Wain decided to head for the creepy inky door. It was the entrance to the Void, but before that, Wain decided to check again where the soul he needed to unlock the second form was.


    He concentrated and felt the energy of the World of Darkness emanating from the creepy door. He also felt vibrations that told him he was going in the right direction.


    Wain approached the ink door and was about to open it to get into the Void. He was curious to know what kind of journey and dangers awaited him. However, when he practically touched the door, he felt an unimaginable pressure.


    Wain''s breathing becamebored for a second. Then he bounced sharply to the side.


    ''What''s going on here! Are there any enemies in the spatial rift?'' Thought Wain. He was confused. But then his eyes widened in surprise.


    Suddenly, out of the darkness, massive, bony hands appeared behind the door of ink. They tore through the ink door in one motion. Then, the bones began to transform into a strange arch with a terrifying aura.


    Then the archway was filled with two massive bs. It looked like the entrance to some crypt or ritual hall. Some very creepy and ancient ce.


    There was a loud creaking sound, and the two bs came into motion, gradually opening Wain''s passage further. The bs opened before him like a door.


    Beyond this gate, Wain saw nothing but darkness, and from this archway, a coldness emanated as if from hell or an even scarier ce. Wain was surprised and even shocked. He did not know what this gate was or why it had reced the door leading into the Void.


    ''Sven had not mentioned such a thing, and most likely, he had no purpose of deceiving or hiding anything from me. It just doesn''t make sense. But, then, what is it? Moreover, I feel that the soul I need is there. The Seal of Darkness keeps pulsing.'' Wain thought.


    He concentrated and made sure once more that the soul he needed was hidden behind that gate. After a while, Wain sighed and stepped forward. He wasn''t going to back down. No matter what awaited him behind that gate, he would get the soul he needed.

 Chapter 59 The Fog

    Wain stepped forward and stepped into that eerie gate, exuding abnormal cold. Like thest time, there was only darkness around Wain again. He walked forward for a very long time. It seemed to him that at least several days had passed.


    However, this was an illusion. In fact, only a few minutes had passed. Wain realized this as he never once felt thirsty or hungry during such a long journey.


    At one moment, Wain took a step, and the space around him began to change. It all shook, and in an instant, the darkness changed to one of nature''s mostmon phenomena: fog.


    "What? Where am I?" mumbled Wain, puzzled.


    Wain looked beneath his feet and sawnd and green grass, nothing unusual, but the fog around him was thick. Wain could only see a few meters around him.


    "Just like thest time, I found myself in some zone. But, is it Void or is it something else?" Wain muttered.


    ''It''s not like what Sven told me. Perhaps it''s something deeper and rarer? Or even Sven doesn''t know of the existence of such gates? Ah, too many questions, yet so few answers.'' Wain thought.


    "At least I''m standing on the ground, though. I need to find a way out of here and get soul, after which to get out of here. That doesn''t sound very difficult." Mumbled Wain.


    Wain focused on his goal, namely the Swordsman''s Soul, which he needed to discover the second form. This was where the energy he felt led him.


    ''Damn, I don''t know where I''m going. Perhaps the energy flows are blocked by this fog. But, I feel that the soul I need is in this space. It definitely is.'' Proimed Wain.


    Wain turned around and decided to choose his path at random. In any case, he could see nothing and had no way of knowing which way he had to go. First, he had to figure out what was around and then make ns.


    "It''s pretty chilly out here, but I can''t see anything but grass and this fog. Hopefully, it''ll be over soon." Wain muttered.


    At one point, he saw a tree in the distance. Wain approached it but didn''t notice anything strange. However, as Wain was about to leave, he heard a muffled crack and sounds of movement.


    Wain turned around and saw the treee to life. He didn''t immediately attack, Wain assumed the tree might be friendly, and it turned out that way, to his surprise.


    But the tree didn''t talk or anything like that. It moved on its roots as if on its feet to another ce, and then its leaves on the crown became golden and brightly lit. Then glowing leaves began to fall from the branches and fly in different directions.


    "It''s very strange, but that''s not what''s important. I hadn''t noticed it before, but there''s less fog near this tree. This tree can be used as a safe zone for more visibility if someone attacks me here." Mumbled Wain.


    Most of the leaves headed to the left, where Wain decided to go. But, before he did, he left a big mark on the ground. He wondered if this tree would be here when he returned.


    After a while, Wain began to see more golden leaves. Each one was headed in one direction. But, Wain was not going to hurry. He walked forward in a measured step and kept his eyes on his surroundings.


    He admired the beautiful golden glow gradually disappearing into the dense fog, but he was mindful of his safety. Wain was a stranger in this area and thus the easiest victim.


    After about five minutes, Wain reached the spot where all the golden leaves had umted. To his surprise, it was an azure pond. The gold leavesnded around it, gave their power to the ground, and then quickly rotted away.


    But, there was more than just a pond.


    "Hmm? Are those some debris? Why are they floating in the air? What kind of ce was I lucky enough to be in?" Mumbled, Wain was looking up.


    Above the pond floated a multitude of stone debris as if from some ancient ruin or road. It was strange, but nothing more, until Wain noticed something.


    "At the very top, just above the pond, is a pristine piece. There''s a golden glowing from it, but I can''t see what''s there. I need to check it out." Said Wain.


    He then walked over to the wreck hovering below everyone else and jumped abruptly onto it. Wain wanted to jump on the next one, but suddenly the wreckage began to fall, and Wain was along with it.


    "What the hell?" Wain said grudgingly, but as soon as he stepped off the wreckage, he flew up again to the same height.


    ''I see. It looks like it won''t be as easy as I thought. If that''s how it works here, it makes sense to go upstairs and find out what''s glowing there. It reminds me of a challenge.'' Thought Wain.


    Wain began to count the number of debris. There were a lot of them, but he needed to know the exact number to make tactics.<sub> </sub>


    ''There is only 31 debris, but the higher they are, the greater the distance between them. It will be easy to climb the first fifteen debris, but further up, the difficulty increases. Fortunately, there is no fear of falling as a pond at the bottom.'' Wain muttered to himself and jumped onto the first rubble again.


    Then Wain quickly jumped from one splinter to another until he gradually reached the twentieth. But as he tried to jump to the twenty-first, the debris suddenly rose a little higher.


    Wain hadn''t expected that, but he managed to react and grabbed onto the ledge, then climbed sharply to the top and jumped onto the next debris.


    Wain knew that he would have quickly jumped to the top if he had used Code of Light and Darkness. But, in his mind, it was too silly to waste so much energy on a simple jump over flying rocks.


    With some difficulty, but Wain eventually made it to thest piece, from which he jumped to the final part. Unlike the soaring debris, this ce didn''t fall if he stood on it for a while.


    "So this is what I climbed up here for?" Wain muttered, looking at the yellow crystal in the center of the small, stone altar.


    Wain decided to touch the crystal, and at the exact moment, the rubble stirred. Wain looked around. He was puzzled. It looked like some magic or a very tricky mechanism.


    ''Am I sinking?'' Wain noticed that the main tform and the rest of the wreckage were approaching the pond smoothly.


    Then the main tform with the crystal touched the water and hovered over the pond. The rest of the wreckage made up four stone bridges leading from the tform to the ground outside the pond.


    "Beautiful," Wainmented and removed his palm from the crystal. Just then, a pir of light flew out of the crystal, piercing the mist and clouds.


    ''And what does all this mean?'' Wain wondered as he looked around. Suddenly, he noticed a few blue ones among the many golden leaves. They had definitely fallen off from other trees and had been brought here by ident.


    "I see, most likely if I follow the path of the blue leaves, I will reach the territory of the next challenge. When Iplete all the trials, something will likely happen, and maybe I''ll find my way out of this fog. But, should I do that?" Wain muttered.


    Wain also had another option. He could have just walked into the fog and thus hoped to get out of this area and into some other ce. But, Wain gave up on that idea right away. There were too many downsides.


    It was dangerous, and he wasn''t sure he could find his way out that way. In fact, going straight one way was tough, especially when there was fog all around the man.


    Wain could not see anything, the height of the ground asionally changed, and asionally trees moved around. In such crazy conditions, it was impossible not to get lost without reference points.


    But, Wain could not hope for any signs, for the only signs in this foggy field were the running trees. It was not the most reliable source.


    "All right, then, I''ll follow the trail of blue leaves. Apparently, they''re flying in from the north. Hopefully, there aren''t too many trials in this ce." Said Wain and followed the trail of blue leaves.


    ...


    In the courtyard of a Japanese-style manor house, not far from the misty forest. A silhouette sat, brewing green tea and looking in wonderment toward the mist. In the courtyard were several sakura trees, their pink petals fluttering in the wind.


    The silhouette stared intently at a beam in the sky breaking through the fog.


    "Could it be that someone was able to get in here...?"


    ...


    After a while, Wain reached the second test. As he had anticipated earlier, the blue leaves led him to the right ce. The second test was located in a clearing and was a massive tform with a blue crystal in the center.


    ''All I have to do is put my palm against the crystal. But, it can''t be that easy, I''m sure.'' Thought Wain and picked up a small pebble from the ground.


    He threw it on the tform, but nothing happened. Then, Wain stepped on the tform, and over twenty spheres simultaneously rose into the air. But, they immediately fell back into ce as Wain anticipated it and instantly retreated after he took the first step onto the tform.


    "I see, I don''t know what these spheres do, but they probably won''t let me touch the crystal so easily. Otherwise, though, it would be too easy and boring."

 Chapter 60 Gold, Blue, Red

    Wain stared intently at the spheres that flew out of the circr tform. The altar with the blue crystal is quite far away from Wain. He could not use Lightning Lizard''s Dash and get to the crystal in one step.


    He had to get past the spheres somehow, but first, Wain had to find out their functionality.


    Wain stepped back onto the tform, and the spheres went up. Wain waited for half a second and saw the core in those spheres glow brightly, and the next moment a multitude of beams headed in his direction. Wain ducked to dodge the attacks and stepped off the tform.


    He looked at the small pits on the ground that had appeared after the rays hit and muttered, "I can take one ray hit, but not twenty. Hmm, I just need to destroy them."


    Wain immediately summoned the sma Destruction Sword as the spheres flew out of the tform again. He swung his hand and a dark sword covered in ck sma flew towards one of the spheres.


    However, it wasn''t as simple as Wain thought. The orb simply ducked and fired a beam in return.


    Wain stepped back and thought, ''Damn, I probably won''t be able to destroy them with sma Destruction Sword. Those spheres are too fast, and they understand what I want to do. If I use Kic Shot, I can destroy the sphere. It won''t be able to dodge. But... there''s no point in destroying one or two spheres, and I don''t have the strength for more.''


    "The best option is to run to the crystal and dodge the shots. I can also block some shots with my sma Destruction Sword. If I use Lightning Lizard''s Dash, I can easily get to the crystal without damage." Wain muttered.


    Then he walked to the edge of the tform, and electrical discharges appeared on his body. Wain instantly crossed the ten meter mark, and then twenty spheres flew out of the tform. One of them instantly attacked Wain. A golden beam flew toward him.


    But, Wain blocked it with a swing of his sword and ran on. Three stepster, ten beams flew at Wain. He ducked and somersaulted forward. Then he turned sharply, and the beam flew in front of his eyes.


    So after a couple of seconds, Wain finally reached the altar with the blue crystal. It wasn''t challenging, but a simple person without skills and great stats at the moment would definitely die.


    There were already many small craters around the tform, partially altering the surface.


    Wain put his hand to the blue crystal, and the spheres stopped attacking it. They returned to their ces, and the various signs and drawings on the tform glowed brightly. They transmitted their energy to the crystal.


    Then a beam of light flew out of the crystal, piercing the mist and the clouds above it. Everything happened just likest time.


    "Great," Wain muttered and looked around. He needed to find the next challenge, and the leaves of the living trees were to help him do it.


    After waiting for a while, Wain saw a red leaf fly by. It was another sign, and Wain immediately went in that direction.


    "I hope this will be thest test. I need to get the Swordsman''s soul, but I don''t even know where to go for now, and I''m trying to get out of this fog. This is just the beginning." Mumbled Wain.


    After a while, Wain reached a ce that looked like a cave. The entrance was in the middle of a clearing and went deep down. Red leaves flew in, so Wain had no choice but to go there.


    Wain walked through the cave for quite a long time, but eventually, he got to the right ce. It was a long stone road, at the end of which was a red crystal on an altar. But, at the beginning of the roady a massive, human-sized bell. Wain could tell by the appearance of the bell how heavy and sturdy it was.


    Wain walked past the bell and headed toward the red crystal along the stone road. He thought someone would attack him at one point, but it did not happen. Then Wain put his palm on the red crystal, but it didn''t activate.


    "What? Why isn''t it working?" Wain muttered. He looked around and saw a spot perfect for the bell. Wain needed to take the bell there. It was the most obvious solution.


    Wain shrugged his shoulders and headed toward the bell. All his muscles tensed, and he struggled to lift the bell.


    "Damn, how much does it weigh? A ton?!" Wain said indignantly and stepped forward. But as he did so, jets of fire came out of the walls. Wain immediately stepped back and ced the bell on the ground.


    "Looks like I''ll have to walk to the crystal tolerating this fire. Hmm, I can cover myself with the bell, but it will get just as hot in time. I have no other option, though." Wain muttered and raised the bell again.


    This time Wain covered himself with the bell so that the mes could not reach him. Wain was willing to get burns on his palms if it was worth it. But, Wain thought he could get away from wounds if he quickly got the bell to the red crystal.


    As Wain stepped onto the stone road, jets of me erupted again from the stone walls. The bell gradually heated up, but Wain did not feel this heat for the first half of the journey. He had other problems.


    ''I can barely hold this bell. I need to hold on a little longer.'' Wain muttered to himself and took another step forward.


    When Wain was two-thirds through, he felt the inside getting very hot, and gradually the whole bell was heating up. Wain kept his hands near the very top. It was getting hotter slower than the main body.


    But with one-tenth of the way to the end, Wain felt his hands begin to heat up dramatically. Thanks to his Stamina, Wain could withstand it, but a normal person would have already gotten severe burns.<sub> </sub>


    Bam.


    Wain made onest dash and rattled the hammer into ce. It wasn''t easy, but Wain could cope with another challenge.


    He looked at his palms and muttered, "It''s not pleasant, but such faint burns shouldn''t stop me from fighting. Given my Vitality, they will heal in an hour."


    Wain then walked over to the red crystal and ced his palm on it. Then another beam pierced through ayer of mist and clouds.


    Nothing happened after that, so Wain thought he had some more testing to do.


    When he stepped outside, however, he saw an energy sphere high in the sky. It was visible even through the dense fog.


    Three beams from the crystals went into that sphere and filled it with energy. Then after a while, it grew to a gigantic size and immediately narrowed to a small point.


    This sphere slowly descended downward until it reached the ground. Then a path of light appeared on the ground as if pointing to a way out of this ce covered in dense fog.


    Wain smiled and headed forward. After three trials, he had finally achieved something and was ready to go to his next goal.


    After a while, Wain emerged from the fog. He looked around and saw that tall mountains surrounded him. There was nothing near him, but he noticed a structure of some kind up ahead.


    He saw some sakura trees and person in the yard of this structure. Wain decided to go there. He had no other options.


    ''Does someone live here?'' Wain pondered as he approached the gate. He wasn''t sure what this area was. But Sven had told him that Void sometimes had neutral creatures even if it wasn''t a neutral area.


    Wain walked inside and saw a figure sitting at a wooden table. This person was drinking recent, brewed green tea.


    A sma sword appeared in Wain''s hands. He did not yet know if this silhouette was an enemy or a friend. Then he took a step and slowly headed forward.


    "There is no need to be afraid. I am not the enemy." Suddenly a woman''s voice rang out.


    Wain smirked and said, "I''m not afraid of anything or anyone. How can I be sure you won''t attack me?"


    The girl smiled and, without turning around, said, "At the very least, I would have attacked you by now, and I wouldn''t have started our acquaintance by talking."


    "Makes sense." Said Wain and headed toward the girl. But, the sma sword kept flying by his side. The girl''s word that she wasn''t the enemy wasn''t enough to make him let his guard down.


    Wain sat down in a wooden chair and unceremoniously poured himself some green tea. He took a sip and asked, "Who are you, and what is this ce?"


    The girl smiled and answered briefly, "My name is Agnes Rygh, and I''ve been the watcher of this area for several decades."


    "A few decades? You look good for your years." Wain said with a smirk.


    He realized that, most likely, this girl was not human, and she could live much longer than the average human.


    What''s more, once humans got souls, they could also increase their lifespan. It depended on their skills, souls, stats, and even equipment.


    Agnes had short ck hair and amber eyes. She wore a ck and white kimono and tall, wooden geta. She had a tattoo of a dragon on her neck. Agnes was tall and looked quite strong.


    Agnes said nothing and took a cup of green tea. She took a sip then said, "I will answer all your questions if I know the answer myself. Because I''ve been waiting a long time for someone toe here. But, before that, I''ll tell you something."


    Wain looked at her questioningly.


    "I don''t know how or why you came here, but you''d better leave, or only death will await you. This ce is dangerous."

 Chapter 61 Pagoda

    "Is that a threat?" Asked Wain, and the dark sword swung from side to side like a pendulum.


    Agnes shook her head, "That''s advice. I don''t know how you got here, but it doesn''t matter. I''ve been waiting a long time for someone like you. But, what purpose did youe here for?"


    Wain didn''t answer right away. He concentrated on the Swordsman''s soul, which he needed. As before, Wain felt a fluctuation of energy and looked toward the source of that energy.


    Wain saw in the distance a tall pagoda. This building was so tall that its top was hidden behind the clouds. From there, the energy Wain felt emanated when he was still on the campus.


    He smiled and pointed his hand to the top of the pagoda and said, "That way."


    Agnes'' eyes went wide, and she said anxiously, "I''ve been waiting for someone toe here, but I strongly advise you to reconsider. If you go there, you will die most horribly."


    "You''re a bad negotiator." Said Wain and sipped his green tea, "I only came here to go to the top of this pagoda. There''s nothing else for me here, is there?"


    Agnes said nothing, she just lowered her eyes as if she were wondering about something.


    "Agnes, you''ve repeated several times that you were waiting for someone like me. I take it you weren''t exactly waiting for me, but for anyone who coulde here, am I right?" Asked Wain.


    Agnes nodded.


    "Then what is your role? You said you''re the watcher, but it''s obvious that you have a fear of that pagoda." Said Wain.


    He tried to figure out what was happening there and why Agnes acted that way. If she was his enemy, she should have attacked him by now.


    If she was a mere watcher, she shouldn''t have been giving Wain any advice, much less waiting for someone toe into the area. It all sounded strange and iprehensible to Wain.


    "I, as a watcher, am obligated to wait here and wee anyone who could get here. You''ve been through the trials since you could get out of that fog, haven''t you?" Agnes asked.


    "Trials? That''s too loud a word. It was a little warm-up. It wasn''t a test. It was a mini-game. Interesting, a little dangerous, but nothing more." Wain replied quickly.


    "I see. My role is to guide the people who get here to that pagoda. It is my duty as a watcher, but... as time went on, I gave up on that endeavor." Said Agnes.


    "Why?" Wain inquired.


    "You''re not the first one who''s been here. Many who came here as you did were sessfully tested, and then I sent them to the pagoda. But none of them came back. I don''t want to be the one to send innocents to their deaths anymore." Said Agnes.


    Wain smirked, "I''m certainly not innocent, even the opposite. How many people have died in this pagoda?"


    Agnes'' face darkened, and she said quietly, "Nine thousand nine hundred and ny-nine."


    "Not bad. It''s a nice number, it would be nice to make it round, but I''m afraid that''s never going to happen." Said Wain as he finished his tea.


    "You decided to go there after all?" Said Agnes.


    Wain took out a cigarette and smoked, "Well yes, why not? What''s more, you warned me several times not to go there. But, at the same time, you didn''t exin how to get out of here."


    "That''s..." Agnes muttered uncertainly. "The only way to get out of this ce is to get the pearl of the soul."


    "Where is it located?"


    Agnes answered nothing and simply looked in the direction of the pagoda.


    "Then what was the point of talking me out of it? Even if you don''t want to send me to my death, I still have no other choice if I want to get out of here. I''m not going to stay here until I die." Abruptly Wain replied.


    "I believe there is another way. As the watcher of this territory, I have quite a lot of power and can control souls to some extent. If you are strong enough and can help me, perhaps we can create a soul pearl." Agnes said confidently.


    "How long will it take?" Asked Wain.


    "Not very long. We can get it done pretty quickly. We''ll need about ten years." Agnes said confidently.


    Wain looked at her in surprise. He thought Agnes was joking, but you could tell from her face that she was confident in her idea.<sub> </sub>


    "Wait, I realize that maybe ten years is nothing to you. But I''m a simple man. What''s more, I''m not in a situation at the moment to spend even ten hours just for nothing, let alone ten years." Wain replied, blowing out a puff of smoke.


    Agnes looked at him in surprise. She hadn''t expected Wain to say ''no'' so quickly. Her n was effective and, most importantly, very quick in her mind.


    "But, this is a great way for you to get out of here alive! Why do you decide to go to your death?"


    "Shut up. You talk too much. The thing I need is there, that''s more than enough. Also, I''m not going to wait ten years. I''ll be out of here in a few hours." Coldly said Wain.


    Agnes didn''t answer anything. She just stared at Wain in silence. This man seemed strange to her. She tried to keep him from certain death, but he wouldn''t listen to her.


    ''They''re all like that...none of them listened to me, but also none of them came back.'' Agnes thought to herself.


    "When I get the pearl of the soul, what do I do?" Asked Wain. He had to find out how to get out of this ce.


    "Before that, I have to answer your first question and tell you what this ce is. This little space is one of the zones of Purgatory." Agnes said coldly.


    "Purgatory? Does it have something to do with the World of Darkness?" Wain asked. He had not yet heard of such a ce called Purgatory. Sven hadn''t told him anything about it.


    "So you know about the World of Darkness... That''s not surprising, though. Some of those who were here before you were also familiar with the World of Darkness." Agnes muttered.


    She took a sip of green tea and continued, "Yes, Purgatory is connected to the World of Darkness, but the connection is fragile and unstable. The Purgatory zones are some of the most hidden corners of the World of Darkness. Often the Purgatory zones are even more dangerous than the Voids. These ces are alsoplicated to get into."


    Agnes sighed and continued, "Gates to the Purgatory zone appear very rarely in spatial rifts. Even I don''t know how it works, even though I''ve been here for a very long time."


    "I see. So what do I do with the soul pearl?" Wain asked.


    He hadn''t expected that such a ce existed in the World of Darkness. Purgatory was a separate space, and so had its zones. The more Wain learned about this world, the more it became like a web made up of millions of threads.


    "You need to bring this pearl here. I will put it on the altar and activate the portal with which to get out of here." Said Agnes.


    "What makes this pearl so special?"


    "You can only get out of Purgatory with a pure and untainted soul. There are no people or beings with crystal-clear souls, without sins, evil thoughts, and deeds. These souls are the pure energy on which a certain part of the Purgatory zone or the entire zone is held."


    "Are you saying that after the portal is created and I leave here, this area of Purgatory will be destroyed?"


    Agnes nodded her head, "Yes, but not always. Sometimes a pure soul is just a key, and from using it, the Purgatory zone will not be destroyed. Since it is a tiny area, once the portal is created, the ce will begin to be destroyed."


    "I see. I need to get the soul pearl, give it to you, and get out of here. It sounds simple. But, what happens to you?" Wain asked. He was curious to know the watcher''s role in such a case.


    "One of my main tasks is to save the soul jewel. After that, I will cease to be the watcher of this ce and go after the person who could retrieve the pearl. That person will be my master." Agnes said seriously. This role had been left to her by her ancestors. She took it seriously.


    Wain nodded, shook off the ashes, and stood up, "After I get the soul pearl and you open the portal, you can do whatever you want. But, I don''t need any subordinates. They''re too much trouble. Just do your job, and that will be enough."


    Agnes wanted to object, but Wain had already left. All she had to do was wait for Wain and hope that he would be the one to survive ande back.


    "This man, he''s so sure of himself, and this confidence is not ostentatious. It''s based on something substantial. But, why?" Agnes muttered.


    She had an ambiguous opinion of Wain, but from this man came boundless confidence. Agnes decided to check out what Wain''s secret was.


    As the watcher of one of Purgatory''s zones, though very small, she had some special abilities. She, like Sven, could look into another person''s Soul Altar and see their main soul.


    Then Agnes''s eyes glowed brightly. In this mode, she could see the souls of other beings. Moreover, this skill also had a special function.


    Depending on the strength of a person''s soul, Agnes saw different amounts of aura and its density. The stronger a person''s soul was, the more aura came out of him.


    She found it hard to breathe when she looked at Wain in this mode. His body emanated unreadable and endless darkness.

 Chapter 62 The Way To Heaven

    When Agnes looked at Wain to see the power of his soul, at first, she thought she was blind. She found it hard to breathe, and all she could see was the pitch-ck darkness emanating from Wain''s body.


    It seemed to Agnes that she was in the center of the abyss, in its farthest and darkest corners. Because of such a dense and boundlessyer of darkness, she could not even see Wain''s Soul Altar.


    But that didn''t stop her. Agnes wanted to see the soul in his Soul Altar, no matter what it cost her.


    She concentrated and tried to prate that darkness, but suddenly she saw a massive silhouette. It looked like an insurmountable peak, something beyond herprehension.


    The silhouette pointed its hand toward her and squeezed it forcefully. That''s when Agnes began to gasp. It wasn''t a physical impact. The silhouette''s hand squeezed her soul as if in a tight vice that could not be released.


    All Agnes could do was undo her skill. Whereupon she copsed exhausted to the ground and tried to catch her breath. She had never experienced anything like this before. In the dozens of years she had been here, she had never seen a soul so horrible.


    At this time, Wain emerged from the courtyard and headed toward the pagoda. The pagoda was three kilometers away. It was not very far, and Wain would get there very quickly by running.


    ''Hmm, I need to get to the very top. Exactly where are the soul and the pearl of the soul I need? I''m sure it won''t be easy. An eerie and ancient aura emanates from this pagoda. Even the area around it looks as if I should expect nothing but death there''. Wain thought.


    After a while, Wain approached the entrance to the pagoda. It was a huge and tall building. Wain was going to go upstairs as fast as he could.


    But, even on the first floor, enemies were waiting for him. They were beingsposed of dark energy. They looked like knights from the Middle Ages. They were equipped in the same armor. Each of these monsters had a weapon, which they dragged along the ground, making an eerie rattle.


    There were only ten of these creatures on the first floor. A single ck sphere hovered above each of their heads.


    ''Judging by the height of this pagoda, there are over a hundred stories. Does it make sense for me to fight them?'' Wain thought.


    He understood that there was an insanely strong opponent waiting for him at the very top. Therefore, he had to save as much strength as possible.


    Moreover, apart from his stats and his skills, Wain had nothing. He had already spent all his expendable items, which in theory could help him defeat the enemy at the top.


    Wain decided to do just that: he wanted to get past these dark knights. But as he entered the pagoda grounds, a dark mist appeared in the hall.


    The dark mistpletely enveloped the entire room, thus closing off all exits. Wain tried to break the fog with his sword and get out, but he was unsessful. Moreover, one of the knights had already attacked him by that time.


    Wain abruptly turned around and sliced the monster apart with a single swing. The sma Destruction Sword was many times more powerful than its previous version. As the de sliced the dark knight''s body in two, its flesh froze due to the cold, ck sma at the sword''s tip.


    The white soul instantly flew into Wain''s body.


    [Soul of Fallen Knight (Destroyed)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Common]


    ''Nothing worthwhile. I can leave it for now and not use it.'' Wain thought.


    Wain didn''t wait long and decided to deal with all the knights quickly. He swung his arm, and his sma sword shattered nine knights in a matter of seconds. Nine white souls flew into Wain''s body, and then the dark fog dissipated.


    "I made it past the first floor of a hundred. Killing monsters on all floors will be problematic. I need to get to the top another way." Mumbled Wain and walked out of the pagoda.


    He came up with a n to get to the top without killing monsters on every floor. The method was straightforward. Wain wanted to climb to the top floor from the outside.


    Wain jumped to the top of the first floor and didn''t notice anything out of the ordinary. But when he tried to jump up to the second floor, a dark fog appeared and threw Wain aside. He tried to cut through the dark fog and climb higher, but he failed.


    "Yeah, hoping for such a simple solution was too naive, though. Hmm, then I need to conserve energy, or perhaps I can rest on the floors? I still have food and water." Mumbled Wain and made his way down to the first floor.


    He went up to the second floor. A dark fog reappeared behind him when he did.


    There were exactly the same dark knights on the second floor, but there were twenty of them this time.


    Nothing but the number had changed. Like thest time, Wain swung his arm a couple of times, and the sma sword sliced the dark skeletons apart.<sub> </sub>


    Twenty white souls flew into Wain''s body at once. All of them were Destroyed, but Wain was not upset.


    "If I kill all the monsters on a hundred floors, I''ll get a huge amount of Soul Essence. Maybe I can level up once or twice before I get to the top." Mumbled Wain.


    Following Wain headed to the third floor. There was nothing of interest there. Knight was not twenty, but thirty. That was the end of the differences. Exactly the same situation was on the fourth and fifth floors.


    Altogether, Wain had already gained one hundred and fifty souls. In some ways, that was a lot, but Wain didn''t think so. All of those souls were Common Rating. Moreover, the dark knights were very weak opponents.


    Two monsters in strength could be considered Common Rating, but that didn''t mean they were equally strong. One of them could be much stronger than the other. This meant that for the soul of the stronger monster, one would get more Soul Essence.


    So even though Wain killed a hundred and fifty knights and got a lot of Common Rating Souls, he wouldn''t get very much Soul Essence.


    Wain did not rest. He spent almost no energy killing these monsters. The sma sword hovered around him. Not even a scratch appeared on the sword, so for now, Wain had nothing to worry about.


    ''But, it''s only five stories out of a hundred. I wonder what awaits me next? Am I about to face six dozen knights at once? That would be too boring, wouldn''t it?'' Wain pondered as he ascended to the sixth floor.


    To his surprise, there was only one opponent on the sixth floor. It was a broad knight with arge axe in his hands. Unlike the knights on the lower floors, two ck spheres were flying over his head.


    ''Perhaps these spheres signify theplexity of the monster? I''m going to check it out now.'' Thought Wain and swung his hand.


    The sma sword flew toward the knight, but unlike the previous ones, this monster managed to react to this attack. The knight stepped aside to avoid the sma sword, but it didn''t save him for long.


    Wain swung his arm, and the weapon pierced the monster and then sliced it in two.


    "He''s stronger, but not by much. Those knights were no different from dolls. Perhaps even an ordinary man without superpowers could defeat them. It''s only the sixth floor, though. I''ll probably start meeting dangerous opponents on the seventieth or eightieth floor." Mumbled Wain and went on.


    From the seventh to the tenth floor inclusive, was nothing dangerous. The number of wide knights was just increasing, but Wain was not a problem. In total, for these floors, he got fifteen souls of these knights.


    They were also Common Rating, but they contained more Soul Essence since these monsters were slightly stronger.


    When Wain went up to the eleventh floor, he was surprised. Since there were no tforms between the eleventh and twenty-first floors, only a tall, circr staircase up.


    Wain looked around and noticed various paintings on the walls up to the twenty-first floor. They were nothing more than decorations, but Wain didn''t think so.


    ''There was nothing like that on the previous floors. There''s no logic to it. These paintings are some trap.'' Thought Wain and swung his hand.


    To Wain''s surprise, as the sword pierced the painting, three creepy ghosts flew out of the painting. They were angry and furious that Wain had disturbed them. But, Wain didn''t care about the feelings of such pathetic creatures.


    p He swung his arm, and the sma sword swiftly shattered the three ghosts. The three white souls flew into Wain''s body.</anda>


    [Soul of Ghost


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Common]


    "Ghosts... That already sounds pretty interesting, but they are insanely weak." Wain muttered and began to destroy one painting after another.


    After a couple of seconds, more than a hundred ghosts were flying toward him. A normal person would probably be scared of them, but anyone who could kill a mutated zombie wouldn''t be afraid of them.


    When the distance between Wain and the ghosts shrank, he swung his arm, and the sma sword began to cut the monsters apart.


    Some ghosts tried to escape through the walls, but Wain reacted in time and prevented them from doing so.


    "Dummies," Wain said coldly and began to climb the stairs. More than a hundred white souls flew into his body.

 Chapter 63 The Fall

    After killing the ghosts, Wain continued onward. There was nothing of interest on the thirtieth and fortieth floors. There were massive ghosts but in smaller numbers.


    These creatures could not withstand even one hit from the sma Destruction Sword. They were too weak. So before long, Wain passed the fiftieth floor and headed for the fifty-first floor.


    In that time, he had gotten over two hundred souls from the ghosts, and his total number of souls was already approaching five hundred.


    Wain didn''t know what to expect next. Even though he was halfway through the floors of this pagoda, he had yet to encounter a single strong opponent.


    "Looks like I finally met someone strong." Proimed Wain was looking at the enemy on the fifty-first floor.


    It was a tall knight in ck armor. Three ck spheres were flying above his head. This knight was equipped with a massive, two-handed sword with a serrated de.


    There were two holes in his shoulder pads, and spirits burst forth like white mes. There were more of them with each passing second, and in an instant, they all returned to their proper ce to begin the cycle again.


    The knight looked powerful and dangerous. Wain stepped forward and swung his arm to point the sma sword toward the monster.


    However, when the de of the sword almost reached the monster, the dark knight turned into a blur, and the next moment a shadow fell over Wain. He looked up and saw the massive knight rushing toward him, the monster ready to slice Wain in two.


    Wain did not expect such arge opponent to have such tremendous speed. He quickly used Lightning Lizard''s Dash and dodged the monster''s attack.


    Wain swung his arm once more, but the dark knight again dodged by leaping towards Wain. Each such attack by the knight left a significant cut in the ground. His attacks were so powerful that there were cracks in the stone floor.


    "If this continues, he will destroy everything here, and it will be bad for me. Given his strength, he won''t care if he falls from this height, but it could be trouble for me." Wain muttered and forced the sma sword back into his hands.


    Then Wain pointed the sword at the dark knight as if aiming. Wain was going to use the same technique as the ck robot samurai. His sword didn''t have a special mechanism, but it had the right skill for it.


    <o>,m The dark knight understood what Wain was trying to do and so decided to attack first. The monster jumped again and brought his massive sword down on Wain. But Wain was in no hurry to dodge. He stood, pointing his sword at the monster.</o>


    Then the air around Wain''s arm and the sma sword vibrated. It was in preparation for the powerful shot that came momentster. There was a loud click, and the kic bullet flew toward the monster.


    The knight did not have time to react to this attack. The kic bullet was too fast and reached the monster in an instant. The bullet hit the monster''s left shoulder.


    The ck armor was crumpled and destroyed, as was some of the monster''s flesh.


    However, such a severe wound did not even stop him. He felt no pain, his task was to kill anyone who ascended to his floor.


    Wain bounced to the side, avoiding the knight''s crushing attack. Wain looked at his sword and muttered, "Even though I used the sma Destruction Sword, I still felt a powerful recoil. Moreover, I can see that there are several cracks on the sword. Kic Shot is a really traumatic skill.''


    Because Wain destroyed the knight''s shoulder, all the spirits that were there broke free in an instant. There were more than a thousand of them. It seemed to Wain that they upied the whole space. However, they were not dangerous. The spirits just floated slowly in the air.


    Suddenly the knight''s aura began to increase, and his helmet half-opened, like the jaws of a wild beast. The monster sucked up all the escaped spirits in a second and then red angrily at Wain.


    Wain prepared to block the monster''s next attack, but suddenly he saw energy gathering in front of the knight''s helmet. The white energy quickly transformed into a small sphere from which a deadly beam flew out.


    Wain instantly used Lightning Lizard''s Dash and dodged this attack. He felt that otherwise, he would have been mortally wounded.


    The beam was so powerful that it had no problem prating the pagoda wall and even the ck mist. This beam was seen by Agnes, who was in the manor house in the distance.


    "Fuck, if I hadn''t dodged it, it would have wiped the powder off me. It''s crazy, but it looks like he got a little weaker." Mumbled Wain.


    The knight lunged in his direction, and Wain blocked the monster''s vertical attack. Then their battle turned entirely to closebat.


    Sparks from the sword des'' contact flew apart, and more cuts and cracks appeared on the ground.


    But, Wain was calm. As he suspected after the knight lost half his spirits, he was considerably weaker. Wain had no problem blocking every monster attack and was even gradually winning.<sub> </sub>


    ''Thanks to the sma on my sword, I am gradually freezing his weapons. If this continues, in one moment, he will be unarmed.'' Thought Wain and blocked another blow.


    Then Wain bounced back and threw the sword at the monster with all his might. The knight reacted and knocked the sma sword aside, but he saw a sh of lightning and Wain in front of him the next moment.


    Wain abruptly grabbed the knight by the arm and quickly knocked him to the ground. The creature weighed several hundred kilograms, so the stone floor gradually began to copse when the knight fell.


    But that didn''t stop Wain. He started punching furiously at the knight''s chest, trying to kill him. The monster tried to throw Wain off. But at that moment, it was hindered by the sma sword that acted as a protector for Wain.


    With each Wain''s blow struck, the knight''s armor crumpled more and more, but so did the floor. It was all part of Wain''s n. He wasn''t going to give his opponent a chance to get out of this situation.


    When the stone floor was almost destroyed and was ready to fall, Wain put his palms together to form a hammer-like shape and hit the knight in the chest with all his might.


    Wain then used Lightning Lizard''s Dash, reached the room''s end, and plunged his sma sword into the wall.


    The knight tried to get up and kill Wain, the monster was able to survive hisst attack, but Wain was ready for it. However, when the knight took a step, the stone floor could not withstand such pressure and copsed to the bottom.


    The knight fell as well. He had nothing to grab onto to stop his fall. Wain held on to his sword with one hand and looked coldly at the dark knight.


    He pointed his hand at the monster, and then there was a loud click. The kic bullet instantly reached the monster, and the knight''s flesh was torn apart. There was no way the monster could dodge while it was in the fall.


    Then the blue soul flew out of the knight''s body and headed towards Wain.


    [Soul of Spirit Knight (Destroyed)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Rare]


    It was only one soul, but there was tremendous power in it. Wain had a much harder time defeating this one foe than the hundreds of weak knights and ghosts before it.


    "Phew, that was problematic. I hope this floor was special, some boss room. If there are several monsters like that on the other floors, I won''t be able to make it to the top." Mumbled Wain and climbed up the wall.


    Because of his stats, Wain was much stronger than the average person. So he dug his fingers into the stone walls like climbing hooks and slowly climbed to the next floor.


    As Wain expected on the fifty-second floor, the opponents were different, and many more. They were carnivorous nts. They had spiky vines with a sharp de on end.


    ''Did I get into a garden?'' Thought Wain looking around.


    This floor was very different from the previous one. All around were various nts and trees. If Wain hadn''t seen the stone staircase behind him, he would have thought he had entered another dimension. Even the temperature on that floor was different.


    ''Hmm, maybe I should kill them and rest here for a few minutes. This ce looks quite suitable. After using Kic Shot twice, my arms are a little sore.'' Wain thought and stepped forward.


    At the same moment, the carnivorous nts attacked him. In addition to the deadly vines they also had horrible mouths. They could eat arge beast like a bear alive. A strong man like Wain with many souls was the perfect target for them.


    But, they posed no danger to Wain. These nts were no more dangerous to him than dandelions.


    Wain waved his hand, and a minuteter, the cut-up and frozen nts were lying around him. These creatures were incapable of reacting and dodging his attack. They looked more like dumb puppets than dangerous and intelligent opponents.


    Then Wain leaned against one of the trees. He took a rest and put his thoughts in order. He didn''t need much time to recover and prepare for the next fight.


    ''I have almost five hundred souls. Now is a good time to use them all. Maybe I can level up and get a Spiritual Box. That might help me in the battle against the monsters on the final floors.'' Thought Wain, and hundreds of white souls appeared around him the next moment.

 Chapter 64 Nectar

    Wain received arge amount of Soul Essence and saw dozens of messages in front of him. Nearly half a thousand souls hovered around Wain. In an instant, he clenched his fist, and one by one, those souls began to copse.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Ghost level 5.]


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Fallen Knight level 7.]


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence...]


    Eventually, Wain saw one of the cherished messages.


    [You have leveled up to level 11. You get 3 status points to distribute freely]


    ''I already have quite a few status points, but it''s too early to use them. I must save them until I meet my opponents at the top.'' Wain thought.


    On the one hand, Wain acted foolishly because he could use status points before entering the pagoda to increase his stats significantly and be much stronger. But, Wain had a different logic.


    The only strong opponent he encountered was the Spirit Knight on the fifty-first floor. So far, Wain has handled all opponents without using status points.


    Wain expected the opponent on thest floor to be incredibly strong. So Wain preferred to leave the status points when he fought the final monster. Because then he would understand his opponent''s fighting style and make the most of the status points.


    If Wain didn''t have enough strength to win, he would use all the status points to increase Strength. If the final opponent had powerful attacks, Wain would increase Vitality or Stamina to survive a few hits.


    Of course, if Wain encounters an opponent before the 100th floor that he cannot defeat without being seriously wounded, he would use status points.


    In addition to the fact that Wain has leveled up and gained a lot of Soul Essence, he also gained something else.


    [You get Common Rating Spiritual Box]


    [You get Common Rating Spiritual Box]


    To his surprise, Wain received two Spiritual Boxes. The odds on this item were pretty slim. He Wain expected to get one Spiritual Box if he crushed several hundred souls.


    ''I got lucky. I hope there''s something useful inside. These Spiritual Boxes fell out when I used the souls of the carnivorous nts. Perhaps I''ll get some vegetation rted items?'' Wain thought and immediately opened one of the Spiritual Boxes.


    After that, a small square sk with some gold dust appeared in the palm of Wain''s hand. Wain couldn''t tell at a nce what it was and opened the item''s description.


    [Healing Nectar sk (Primary Chronicle, Common Rating)


    Small sk with nectar which can boost one''s regeneration for three minutes. It doesn''t cure poisoning or cure negative effects]


    ''Pretty understandable and straightforward description. The effectsts three minutes for one battle is more than enough. The effect doesn''t seem to be very strong, but it''s better than nothing. I have no way to heal my wounds except with this sk.'' Wain thought.


    He moved the nectar sk to the Ring of Damned and opened the second Spiritual Box. He got a green bomb covered in a viscous, green substance.


    [Slime Bomb (Primary Chronicle, Common Rating)


    A vessel filled with sticky slime. When exploded, arge amount of mucus is scattered around for a distance of five meters. This substance is tough to get off, but the slime is extremely weak for fire. This slime is capable of slowing most enemies below level 13]


    "Not bad. If there''s someone fast on the upper floors, I could use this bomb. I didn''t use all those souls for nothing now." Mumbled Wain and headed to the next floor.


    During this little rest, he had fully recovered his strength. His arms no longer hurt, and he had enough energy to fight a long battle to the death.


    Until the seventieth floor, Wain did not encounter any serious opponents. He had to fight many carnivorous nts and their various variations.


    He encountered a nt that shot explosive seeds at him on the sixty-fifth floor.


    It didn''t seem very dangerous from the outside, but it wasn''t. If Wain hade under fire, he would have been seriously injured and burned, but this flower was too slow and had no defense. Wain quickly dealt with it using the sma Destruction Sword.


    On the seventieth floor, a more serious opponent awaited Wain. There was only one, and it was a massive, stone golem with crystal outgrowths on its back.


    ''He looks very slow. I shouldn''t have any trouble dealing with him.'' Thought Wain and ran toward the golem.


    The golem reacted to Wain''s attack, but the monster was very slow. The golem turned around and brought its massive fists down on Wain, but Wain was already on the other side.<sub> </sub>


    The golem was made entirely of stone, except for the core inside its body. Therefore, this monster had virtually no weaknesses. The golem had no muscles, no tendons, no organs, no bones.


    Such an opponent could be problematic for Wain since he knew how to exploit his enemy''s weaknesses, but, in this case, it didn''t matter.


    Whooosh.


    Wain sharply thrust the sma sword into the golem''s side and took a broad swing. The monster felt no pain, so it struck Wain again with its powerful arms. Wain bounced to the side and cut off the golem''s arms in one motion.


    The stone arms rumbled to the ground, and that''s when the monster realized he was in a critical position. The crystals on its back glowed brightly, and beams of energy shot out in all directions. It was a dangerous attack, but Wain figured out how to get away from it.


    Wain ran up to the golem and covered himself with the monster''s body. He had nothing to fear since he had already cut off the golem''s arms. Wain began to inflict numerous wounds on the golem.


    The sma sword easily cut through the dense stone, which could withstand several powerful explosions.


    When the monster realized that Wain was safe, the monster decided to eat him. The golem''s mouth opened wide, and it tried to swallow Wain.


    ''He was harder than I thought.'' Wain muttered to himself and pointed his sma sword at the monster.


    There was a loud click the next moment, and a powerful kic bullet destroyed the golem''s head. Wain decided to use this skill since the golem was might.


    Wain thought it would save a lot more energy than running around the golem and inflicting numerous wounds.


    Then the golem fell to the ground with a thunderous crash and disintegrated into many stone fragments. A blue soul flew toward Wain.


    [Soul of Stone Golem (Destroyed)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Rare]


    Wain didn''t wait and immediately crushed the soul.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Stone Golem level 11.]


    "He was quite strong. There are thirty more floors to go, after which I will climb to the very top. Hopefully, I won''t encounter too strong opponents before the final monster." Wain muttered and headed for the next floor.


    Wain encountered no more powerful enemies from the seventieth floor to the ny-sixth floor. He fought dark knights, carnivorous nts, and red wolves.


    These enemies were weak and numerous. Wain had no problem dealing with them by improving his mastery over the sma Destruction Sword.


    For these floors, Wain collected approximately three hundred souls and used them all along the way. He didn''t get a Spiritual Box or level up, but he did get arge amount of Soul Essence. In the future, Wain wanted to improve Kic Shot.


    Wain thought this skill had great potential. Of course, Kic Shot had the big disadvantage of having a significant kickback, but Wain was sure that this problem could be solved in the future. He was counting on Lea to create something for him after a while.


    "Hmm, given a chance, we should look into finding people with craft souls. Perhaps, in the future, Gisle''s University will be more than just the main base at Overion. In theory, it could be one of the trade centers on the east side of this." Mumbled Wain.


    He was lucky to have found Lea and saved the mutant girls. They would help progress greatly. Wain''s idea was that if there were many people with craft souls in the university or other territories captured by Gisle, it would be a very lucrative business.


    Wain believed that the apocalypse was not the end of the world, it was a new era, and he was entirely right.


    ''First, people would try to survive or be as strong as possible by killing monsters. Then small bases will be set up that will gradually grow. These will be safe ces reminiscent of the old cities.'' Wain thought.


    ''After that, powerful people wille into y. They will seize more territory and use it to their advantage. I''m sure that after a while, weak people will pay money to have the right to hunt in some Nest or Dungeon.'' Wain pondered.


    ''Eventually, hunting in rtively safe areas, the services of skilled artisans, and lodging in safe areas will be a business. Besides strength, information, and luck, there is one other fundamentalponent in all worlds: money.''


    Of course, in most cases, souls would act as money. In the beginning, people would work to survive. But,ter, they would demand payment for their work. This would be the development of the economy of the new world.


    For those who stand at the top of the new world, paying souls to ordinary people would not be a problem. After all, they would own numerous monster farms where it would be easy to get a lot of souls.

 Chapter 65 The Soul Eater

    It took Wain about two hours to reach the ny-seventh floor. Wain expected that he would meet someone very strong before he reached the very top. As the difficulty increased smoothly from the first floor to thest, this made sense.


    ''This pagoda is one big challenge made up of small stages. Spirit Knight was a serious opponent. Maybe now I''ll meet someone even stronger.'' Thought Wain climbing up to the ny-seventh floor.


    Suddenly Wain felt an eerie aura and coldnessing from there. He took a step forward and saw his next opponent. It was an anthropomorphic,rge creature. It had bright, red skin and arge head with no eyes but a huge jaw.


    The monster was greedily devouring someone at that moment, and it was not a man or another monster. This creature was devouring arge, white soul. It was a soul eater, and this was not its first victim.


    ''That''s not how I imagined a soul eater. However, this creature doesn''t use magical abilities but physical ones to devour a soul. That''s impressive, it''s definitely mighty, and its attacks will be dangerous.'' Thought Wain.


    He looked around and saw mountains of bones lying in the corners of the hall. Among them were many human bones. This was where most of those who had ventured into this pagoda had died.


    One of the reasons Agnes decided to dissuade Wain was because of this creature. This monster wasn''t just killing a person. It was destroying every sign of their existence. It was far more terrifying than death, for not even a particle of a person''s soul was left in that case.


    But even if she had said that to Wain, it would not have stopped him. On the contrary, he would have seen it as great potential and an opportunity to take possession of a valuable soul.


    "Frightening, but I''ve seen worse pictures. Hmm, I have a slime bomb. Perhaps I should use it now? It will probably be useless against the enemy on top of the pagoda." Mumbled Wain.


    He then armed himself with his sword and stood in a battle stance. Then the soul eater stopped absorbing the soul and turned his attention to Wain.


    The monster smiled wickedly and, like a wild beast, ran toward Wain on all fours. Wain calmly waited for the monster to reach him. He made no move to retaliate.


    He wanted to use Lightning Lizard''s Dash and run under the monster. In the meantime, he would cut through the soul eater''s belly, and victory would be his.


    Wain waited for the right moment and was about to use the skill, but suddenly the soul eater changed its trajectory. The monster jumped onto the wall like a wild beast and attacked Wain from there.


    Whooosh.


    Wain jumped to the side and swung his arm. The sma sword flew like ck lightning toward the soul eater. But instead of dodging, the monster opened its mouth wide and grabbed the sword with its creepy teeth.


    Wain tried to draw the sword back, but he was unsessful. Moreover, the sma Destruction Sword gradually cracked, more and more with each passing second.


    Cracking.


    Then the dark sword was destroyed by the pressure of the monster''s jaw and shattered into many shards.


    ''If he can grab me with those jaws, I''m definitely finished. He was able to destroy my sword without much effort. His strength is impressive.'' Thought Wain, and a new weapon appeared in his hands the next moment.


    Then the soul eater attacked Wain again. The monster jumped around the walls like a madman and didn''t let Wain understand which side he would attack from. However, when the soul eater finally decided to attack, Wain could react instantly.


    He covered himself with his sword and blocked the monster''s attack. The soul eater didn''t want it. He didn''t like his prey to resist. The monster began to attack back furiously, but Wain didn''t even budge.


    He instantly blocked each blow and waited for the right moment to attack.


    ''Now.'' Thought Wain, and his body shimmered with lightning. He turned into an electrical discharge and was instantly behind the monster.


    Simultaneously, a wide gash appeared on the monster''s stomach, and a fountain of blood poured to the ground. But that didn''t stop the soul eater. He couldn''t die from such a wound. It wasn''t enough.


    The world-eater turned around and tried to attack Wain, but instead, he saw a green bomb flying toward him. The monster had no time to react, and the bomb exploded. It waspletely covered in a viscous fluid that restrained its movements.


    Moreover, most of the slime was on the floor, and the soul eater even had difficulty lifting his leg to take even one step. This did not please the monster, and he roared furiously.


    Roooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrr!


    Wain stared at him calmly and thrust his sword forward. The monster''s instincts told it that Wain was up to something dangerous, and the monster tried to get out of the trap. But it was hard to do. The slime was too viscous even for such an agile foe.


    Then there was a loud snap, and the monster''s body was torn into many pieces. The soul eater was wounded, and it could not withstand another attack this powerful.


    Then a blue soul flew out of the remains of the monster''s body and headed toward Wain.<sub> </sub>


    [Soul of Soul Eater (Whole)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Rare]


    Wain squeezed the soul and crushed it. For the first time at the pagoda, he got Whole Soul. Wain hoped that he would gain some powerful skill or useful item. He had not had a single thing other than the Zombie Glove until now.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Soul Eater level 14. Strength+2, Agility+6]


    "Level 14? This monster was pretty strong. It was almost close to the stage to evolve into the next Chronicle. If it had done so before I got here, I would have died for sure."


    [You get Rare Rating Soul Chest]


    "Great!" Said Wain looking at the blue chest in his inventory.


    Then the blue chest appeared in his hands. Last time the Soul Chest had been huge and contained the hammer Wain had given to Grut. Now the chest was a little bigger than the palm of his hand. So there was not a veryrge object.


    Wain opened the chest, and inside he saw an object very simr to the one he already had.


    "A glove? Again...?" Mumbled Wain was looking at the white glove in the chest.


    There was onerge box on the glove, the purpose of which Wain did not know. The whole glove was white, but ck material was on the fingertips and several ck threadsing from the cell to the fingers.


    Wain took the glove in his hands and looked at the item''s description.


    [Soul umtor (Primary Chronicle, Rare Rating)


    This glove can umte Soul Essence floating in space and turn it into pure energy. Thus you can create a white beam with enough destructive power to seriously wound any creature in the Primary Chronicle.


    It takes three minutes for the charge to umte. You can also put any soul into the cell, thus enhancing the next attack. Only one soul can be put into the cell for one charge. Otherwise, the umted Soul Essence will disintegrate, and the glove will enter recharge mode]


    "I got another glove, but this one is much more useful and looks more stylish. Hmm, judging by the description, this beam will be mighty, and the recharge is not too long. I rarely fight for more than a few minutes, though."


    "I can use any soul to make the st much more powerful. It''s simr to how the bomb Sven offered to buy me for one Void Soul works. It''s a good opportunity to defeat a very tenacious enemy." Wain concluded.


    He was pleased with the item he received. Wain wasn''t expecting to get the gauntlet again, but it didn''t really matter.


    Wain put the glove on and immediately felt small particles of long-destroyed souls heading for it. Wain could not absorb these particles. They were too weakpared to whole souls. But, this glove was special.


    ? "Okay, now I''m definitely ready to fight the monsters upstairs." Mumbled Wain and headed onward.


    On the ny-eighth and ny-ninth floors, Wain encountered no opponents. Moreover, these floors were filled with clouds, for the top of the pagoda was above the clouds.


    Wain walked through the clouds and had a pleasant feeling. Before, he had never been able to touch the clouds with his hands, much less walk through them.


    ''It''s an unusual feeling. I don''t even want to leave here. After all, above these clouds, instead of the gate to heaven, a demon will be waiting for me, eager to send me to hell.'' Thought Wain and stepped forward.


    After a couple of hours, he finally reached the top of the pagoda. During this time, Wain killed over a thousand monsters and gained several valuable items. But, the fun part was left for the end, as usual.


    Wain slowly climbed to the top, bypassing ayer of clouds. A cold wind pondered his face, and his ck cloak fluttered to the sides.


    After a minute, Wain was at the very top, and the first word that came to his mind then was, "Beautiful..."


    There was nothing around him but boundless clouds. They were like earth, and Wain felt he might step on them.


    This pagoda had no roof, so Wain could see the bright sun illuminating everything around him. But, suddenly, the weather began to change rapidly. The clouds turned to gray clouds, and Wain could hear the rain and thunder below.

 Chapter 66 The Forgotten Name

    Wain looked around and saw a silhouette in a gray robe in the distance. The figure in the space sat on the clouds in a lotus pose with his back to Wain.


    ''There''s my opponent.'' Wain thought. A terrifying and powerful aura emanated from this silhouette, and Wain felt the same energy as from the bone gate.


    Wain stepped forward, and to his surprise, he could also stand on the clouds but already on the dark clouds. He strolled towards the silhouette, and when Wain was halfway, the figure simrly stood up and turned to face him.


    This man was dressed in a spacious gray robe with the image of a white dragon on it. In appearance, it was a tall man with long ashy hair reaching his waist. This man''s skin was gray.


    One eye of the man was white, and the other was ck. In this man''s hands was a simple-looking,pletely rusted sword. But, all this paled before the most remarkable detail of his appearance.


    He had no heart, or rather, where the heart should have been, was a hole as wide as the palm of his hand.


    Behind him, Wain saw a small white pearl in a cage of spiritual energy. On this cage was a sign in the shape of a whirlwind. The exact same sign was on the man''s chest.


    "Finally..." He muttered dryly, "How long has it been since Ist saw someone?"


    Wain armed himself with his sword and was ready for battle at a moment''s notice. The man in front of him was strange but definitely extremely dangerous.


    "Who are you?" Wain asked.


    The man looked at him calmly and said, "Who am I? I don''t know... it''s been too long for me to remember. I''ve even forgotten my name..."


    ''He sounds like he''s confused, but judging by the sign on his chest, he''s here for a reason. What''s more, he doesn''t look like a normal monster, and maybe he''s not even a monster. What''s going on in this ce?'' Wain pondered.


    The Purgatory zone he was in held too many mysteries. Every time Wain thought about it, there were more questions but no answers.


    "Have you forgotten your name?" Wain asked, surprised.


    The man looked at him and said, "At least I have one, unlike you. Call me Forgotten. Why did youe here?"


    "Forgotten? Have it your way. Isn''t it obvious why I came here? I want that pearl and the soul." Said Wain.


    At that moment, his Seal of Darkness pulsed, but he couldn''t tell exactly where the waves of energy wereing from.


    This energy was not the energy of the World of Darkness. The pulses pointed Wain to the location of the necessary soul to open the second form.


    "Have youe for a soul? I do not understand you, but I cannot give you this pearl." Forgotten said calmly.


    "Why not? Are you afraid that her disappearance will destroy this space?" Asked Wain.


    Forgotten shook his head and said, "No, if this little space disappears, nothing will happen. You are being too frivolous. This pearl must remain here, safe and sound."


    ''Is he guarding the pearl? But, from whom and why? The worst that could happen is the destruction of this area, but he doesn''t see that as a problem. All right, it''s none of my business. I need that pearl to get back.'' Thought Wain.


    "I''m giving you a chance to leave. You won''t be the first one I kill, but that doesn''t mean I want you to." Calmly Forgotten said.


    Wain shook his head and said, "I''m sorry, but that''s impossible. Only one of us can get out of here."


    Wain was serious. He was having trouble with some of the opponents in the pagoda. But, Forgotten was something else entirely. He could hardly be called a monster or a man.


    Forgotten nodded slightly and said, "Fine, have it your way. But, you will regret your decision. You''re too weak to stand up to me. Your skills are no match for mine."


    The next moment Forgotten raised his rusty sword above his head with one hand. Wain took no action. He was far from his enemy and could quickly react to his attack.


    Then Forgotten swung his sword downward. His movement was so fast that Wain could hardly notice anything. After the swing, a wind de was created, headed toward Wain with lightning speed.


    Wain barely had time to take two steps to the side, and the wind de passed within an inch of him. The power of that swing alone was enormous, the wind de partially cutting through the clouds below them.


    ''Dangerous and very fast. I need to gather a little more information before I make a decision.'' Thought Wain and the sma sword flew toward Forgotten.


    "You can wield that sword? It''s amazing, you have good abilities, but it''s not enough." Calmly said Forgotten and put his hand forward.


    The ck sma did almost no damage to his enemy, to Wain''s surprise. When the sma sword almost reached him, Forgotten stopped the sword with two fingers. A thinyer of ice appeared on Forgotten''s fingers, but that was the maximum.


    Wain tried to bring the sword back to him, but he could not do so. Forgotten''s grip was too firm. Then he squeezed his fingers harder, and the sma Destruction Sword shattered into many pieces.


    ''Hmm, he''s fast and strong. It also looks like he''s pretty well protected. Okay, how about this?'' Wain thought and pointed his hand toward Forgotten.


    "Will you try any other moves?" He asked.


    Wain smiled and said, "That''s right."


    The next moment the air vibrated around his hand, and a secondter, a Kic Shot flew toward Forgotten. Forgotten didn''t dodge. He swung his arm quickly, and to Wain''s surprise, the shot was repelled.


    ''What was that? If I''m not mistaken, the moment he swung, his sword was coated with ayer of energy. He''s fast, strong, and has a good defense. I see.'' Thought Wain.<sub> </sub>


    Forgotten smiled and said, "Okay, thanks for the introduction, it was interesting, but that''s the end of it."


    Whoooos.


    Forgotten''s figure blurred, and he was in front of Wain a momentter. Forgotten made a vertical swing that Wain barely dodged. But then Forgotten struck Wain in the chest with his palm.


    Wain did not have time to react to this attack and flew back ten meters. It was the hardest blow he had received in a while.


    Forgotten strolled toward Wain as he got to his feet, "I warned you that you were making a mistake. However, it is your decision. You are free to die as you wish."


    Wain answered nothing. Forgotten thought, Wain could barely take one punch of his and was already trembling in fear. But, in fact, Wain was busy getting stronger.


    ''All of his parameters are probably superior to mine. There''s no point in me raising my defense because if my attacks can''t do him any serious damage, then there''s no use in high defense. I need to get faster to dodge his attacks and stronger so I can kill him.'' Wain thought.


    He had saved Status Points specifically for this fight. During the previous attacks, he was able to know his enemy''s strengths and understand what aspect hecked to win.


    So he opened his Status Points and began to distribute them.


    [Wain Norheim


    Level: 11


    Race: Human


    Soul: Nameless King


    Additional Soul: Last Knight


    Title: Savior of the Damned, Echo of Samurai, Mentor Inquisitor


    Status Points: 33


    Strength: 30 / Agility: 25 / Vitality: 24 / Stamina: 26 / Energy: 88]


    Wain could not use Status Points to improve Energy. This stat was unique and very hard to increase, but Wain could quickly increase other stats.


    ''His punch was powerful, but not so powerful that I couldn''t fight after it. But, his speed is something indescribable. If I can''t react in time to his attacks and counterattack, I''ll probably lose.'' Wain thought.


    He had 33 Status Points, he decided to distribute them between Strength and Agility in a 2:3 ratio.


    So Wain quickly increased Agility to 47 points, for which he used 22 Status Points. Wain also increased Strength to 41 points using 11 Status Points.


    After he distributed all his Status Points, his stats changed significantly.


    [Wain Norheim


    Level: 11


    Race: Human


    Soul: Nameless King


    Additional Soul: Last Knight


    Title: Savior of the Damned, Echo of Samurai, Mentor Inquisitor


    Status Points: 0


    Strength: 41 / Agility: 47 / Vitality: 24 / Stamina: 26 / Energy: 88]


    ''That''s a whole new thing. Now I can have a lot of fun.'' Wain thought, and the next moment his aura began to increase rapidly.


    Wain immediately felt that he became much stronger and faster, but that was only a preparation. He deliberately distributed Status Points now. He wanted to get the maximum effect.


    ''This looks dangerous.'' Thought Forgotten and rushed toward Wain. He didn''t expect Wain to have such strong skills. It was beyond his expectation.


    Wain''s hair turned white, and he wore ck and white armor. Code of Light and Darkness was in full force in less than a second.


    A powerful aura emanated from Wain, and Forgotten felt that he might die if he did not get serious.


    At the same instant, Forgotten struck a swift sword blow. Wain could not have dodged this attack at such a distance. But, suddenly, his body became a blur, and he was behind Forgotten.


    "It''s time to enjoy the fight to thest drop of blood. Don''t you think so?" Wain said with a smirk.

 Chapter 67 Mastery

    After using Code of Light and Darkness, Wain''s stats became abnormal for the time that had passed since the apocalypse. For this fight, Wain was going to use everything he had.


    [Wain Norheim


    Level: 11


    Race: Human


    Soul: Nameless King


    Additional Soul: Last Knight


    Title: Savior of the Damned, Echo of Samurai, Mentor Inquisitor


    Status Points: 0


    Strength: 50 / Agility: 50 / Vitality: 50 / Stamina: 50 / Energy: 50]


    All Stats Wain was equal to 50, which meant that he was ten times stronger than a mere human at this moment. This was already an extremely intimidating definition, but it wasn''t everything.


    Wain was also very skilled inbat and knew how to move and attack properly.


    At this moment, the force of each of his blows was several tons. For an ordinary person, this would be an unattainable value, and only a few would be able to survive after taking such a blow.


    But, Wain''s opponent was no ordinary human. Forgotten was also a very formidable opponent.


    Wain instantly moved behind Forgotten''s back and swung his sword sharply. Forgotten didn''t expect Wain to suddenly be so fast and bounced sharply to the side.


    But as he stepped back a safe distance and his left shoulder dripped scarlet blood onto the gray clouds. This attack was not severe. It was just a scratch. Wain only grazed him with the tip of his de, but he was able to do it, and it was astonishing to Forgotten.


    "I guess I was being too arrogant. Your strength is enough to take this pearl. In past attacks, you have tested me, am I right?" Forgotten asked.


    Wain nodded, "Yes, you are a serious opponent, and I had to find out what you are capable of. Those are the basics."


    Forgotten nodded, "The basics... I guess I was too arrogant. Please forgive me."


    The next moment Forgotten rose into a fighting stance and gripped his sword tightly with both hands.


    His aura began to increase and energy resembling white mes emanated from his body. Even his gray robe and ashy hair rose up as if to indicate the greatness of his power.


    "Unbelievable," Wain said earnestly, waiting for his opponent to attack. Wain was confident that he would be able to respond to any outburst.


    Whooosh.


    Forgotten stepped forward and a momentter was in front of Wain. He brought his sword down on Wain at lightning speed. But, Wain could block this attack by striking back with his sma sword.


    Next, Forgottenunched three lightning strikes. They were like three deadly shes, each with incredible power.


    Wain''s eyes shed, and his hands became a blur. He fought off all three attacks using minimal movement. Not only did Wain have to move quickly, but he also had to make the most intelligent use of time.


    In their duel, even an extra split second could be decisive. He must notg even for a moment. Otherwise, he risked serious injury.


    ng. ng. ng.


    The ng of shing swords echoed around the area. With each blow, burning sparks fell down, all to the sound of rumbling thunder in the clouds below them. It was a beautiful battle, both artistically and in terms of their stunning skills.


    Wain masterfully blocked every blow with lightning-fast reaction to every lunge. Forgotten tried to trick Wain and attack his legs. But, Wain quickly realized what his opponent was up to and bounced aside.


    Then Wain immediately used Lightning Lizard''s Dash and turned into blue lightning. He was going to get to Forgotten in this way and knock him out.


    But, suddenly, more white energy began to emanate from Forgotten''s body, and he also turned into white lightning. They both met at the same point, and their swords touched. This attack created a shockwave that spread several meters apart.


    Neither of them was wounded, but Forgotten won in this short and rapid exchange of blows.


    ''How?'' Wain wondered. He stared in surprise at his sword, from which arge piece had broken off.


    He turned and looked at his enemy. Forgotten was staring at his sword just as he was. Forgotten''s sword, however, was intact and unharmed. On the contrary, some of the rust on his sword had chipped away revealing, a cold de.


    "I see you are puzzled." Said Forgotten, "My sword is not a rare artifact or unique item. It is the mostmon weapon. It is far worse than your sma sword."


    "But, I still lost in that skirmish," Wain said seriously.


    Forgotten nodded, "Yes, that''s why you''re weaker. Chances are you won''t even be able to understand why it happened and what the difference between us is."<sub> </sub>


    The next moment he disappeared from where he was standing and appeared in front of Wain bringing his sword down on him.


    Wain reacted instantly and blocked the blows. He acted mechanically, relying on his instincts at that moment, as his mind was busy pondering Forgotten''s words.


    ''He said my sword was better than his, and I understand that perfectly too. But, then, why did my sword chip away and not his?'' pondered Wain.


    Moreover, Wain realized that he was not the best in every area. He felt that strength alone was not enough to win. To win, he had to think that way as well, not just swing his fists.


    Wain was the best assassin in his world, and his skills were at the highest level. But that didn''t mean he could do everything at once.


    For example, Wain was pretty bad at fighting with hammers because the weapon wasn''t suitable for him, and almost no one in his world used them.


    The same applied to swordsmanship. Thanks to the passive skill from Last Knight''s soul and a little training, Wain was pretty good with a sword.


    But, he wasn''t an overconfident fool and realized that he was still a long way from being a true master swordsman.


    ng. ng. ng.


    Wain fought off several blows, but he hesitated and made a mistake at one point. Forgotten immediately took advantage of this. He threw three mighty blows to one spot, and after Wain had trouble blocking them because of thest hitch, he realized his hands were slightly numb.


    At this point, Forgotten attacked again, but this time deliberately into Wain''s sword, loosening his grip even more. It took Wain a split second to regain his bnce, but it was enough for Forgotten to make two sharp swings.


    The rusted sword quickly cut through Wain''s armor in two ces. Forgotten easily left two deep cuts on Wain''s body in the chest area.


    Scarlet drops of blood fell under Wain''s feet, but Forgotten had no intention of stopping there. He was able to take the first step toward victory by seizing the moment, but it wasn''t enough. Two cuts couldn''t kill Wain.


    They continued to exchange blows, but Wain was still immersed in his thoughts. He received small scratches from time to time. He received minor hurts, it couldn''t hurt him much, but his whole body would soon be covered with them.


    ''The moment our swords collided, his weapon was covered in a white sheath. Was it a skill? Perhaps, but I think it was something else. Something deeper and more unique.'' Thought Wain and blocked another blow.


    ''My stats are equal to his or even slightly superior, my weapons are much better, but with all that, I am slowly losing. My sword is covered with many cracks, and so is my body with small cuts.''


    Wain knew when one man was losing to another, even if he was stronger physically and had better equipment.


    ''If a grandmaster in chess were to y against a novice, he would win using only pawns. That''s an indication of the incredible difference in their skill. The same thing is happening now. Despite the rusty sword, Forgotten excels at swordsmanship.'' Wain thought.


    The next moment Forgotten brought his sword down on Wain. Then he got out of his musings and blocked the sword blow. Then the white glove on Wain''s right hand glowed, and a beam of energy shot at Forgotten.


    Forgotten was very close and should have had no chance to dodge this attack. However, his energy increased again, and Forgotten turned into a white sh.


    The beam of energy flew further and exploded upon contact with the clouds. The st was powerful enough to create a small crater through which the ground was visible.


    Forgotten could dodge this unexpected shot, but Wain saw iting. So he immediately used the Kic Shot in an attempt to kill Forgotten while he was still regaining his bnce.


    ''Did he know I could dodge?!'' Forgotten was surprised that Wain could tell which way he would back away.


    But, suddenly, the energy around his body shed brightly, and his sword was covered in a white sheath. He turned around and sliced Kic Shot in two.


    "That''s the mastery." Mumbled Wain looking at Forgotten''s sword.


    "Boy, you surprised me. You have such good weapons and equipment, and you know how to use them. What''s more, you move very well and know when to attack. That''s impressive. But, youck mastery. You can''t beat me. My sword will cut yours. You have to ept it." Said Forgotten.


    Wain nodded, "Yes, you''re right. Your swordsmanship is superior to mine, but is that a problem?"


    "What?" Forgotten was surprised. Wain''s reaction seemed strange to him.


    Wain looked at his enemy with icy eyes and said coldly, "If there is such a big difference between our skills. Then, all I have to do to win is to outdo you!"


    Then Wain''s aura became calm and peaceful. He was not angry and had no hatred or rage toward his enemy. Wain was as focused as possible.


    At that moment, Wain was not thinking about victory, about the soul pearl, or about the soul he needed to unlock his second form.


    All his attention was focused on surpassing Forgotten. Wain wanted to be better than him. He wanted to improve his skills and ascend to a new peak previously inessible to him.


    Gradually Wain''s aura grew smaller until it disappearedpletely. But, Wain did not be weaker. On the contrary, he reached an incredible concentration level.


    Then Wain saw a message in front of him.


    [The effect of your title - Echo of Samurai - has been activated.]

 Chapter 68 The Pearl Of Soul

    Titles were a unique power that was very difficult to obtain. Sometimes they were simple, but sometimes they were veryplicated. Some titles could be activated at will, like some skill. But, to activate the effects of many titles, certain actions had to be performed.


    During the battle with Forgotten, Wain realized that hecked skill in swordsmanship. He could win by relying on good equipment and stats. But that would not be the victory Wain desired.


    He preferred getting rid of his weaknesses rather than pretending they didn''t exist. Of course, it was impossible to get rid of all weaknesses, but that didn''t mean Wain shouldn''t try to do it.


    Wain wanted to get better at swordsmanship, so his concentration reached its maximum. At the exact moment, his title, which he had gained after defeating the head of the Samurai robots, was activated.


    [Activated the effect of your title - Echo of Samurai


    You are focused on your goal and have reached an incredible concentration level. All your thoughts and emotions are focused on only one goal: to be better and surpass your enemy. Because of this, you enter a special state]


    The next moment Wain stepped forward and disappeared from where he was standing just a moment ago. Forgotten prepared to block the attack, but all he saw was a deadly sh.


    Then a wide cut appeared on Forgotten''s chest, and blood gushed from his body. He reacted immediately, turning into white lightning and stepping back to a safe distance.


    ''What was that? This guy is extraordinary. This is the third time he''s exceeded my expectations of him. He''s getting stronger and smarter as we fight. If this continues, I could really die, and then...the pearl will be lost from this space.'' Forgotten thought.


    Forgotten realized that Wain had be a very dangerous opponent. At any moment, Wain could inflict a mortal wound on him. So Forgotten gathered all the energy on his sword and was ready to end this fight with a series of several holds.


    At the exact moment, Wain disappeared again and found himself on the right side of his enemy. Forgotten reacted quickly and barely blocked Wain''s powerful attack.


    Wain''s eyes frightened him. They were as dark as the abyss and as deep as the ocean. Forgotten knew what it was. A man could only get that look when he entered a unique state. Only true masters or those whose potential could not be appreciated could enter this state.


    Then Wain began tond numerous blows and gradually elerated. His attacks were like a flurry of violent lightning, and their power wasparable to a hail ofets.


    Forgotten was pinned down. He went on the defensive and could hardly withstand such an onught. The rust on his sword began to gradually fall away. But, at one point, even the de began to crack.


    Then Forgotten realized that he could wait no longer. He had to end this battle right here and now.


    The white energy on Forgotten''s body shed, and he bounced back. Then his sword glowed brightly, and he began to swing it at the limit of his abilities.


    Then more than thirty light des flew toward Wain. However, he had no intention of dodging them.


    ''If I fight them off, I can outdo myself. No, I''ll beat them back. It''s inevitable.'' Thought Wain and clenched his sword tightly in his hands.


    One de after another came at him, but he fought them off masterfully. Wain moved quickly, but he did not forget his strength. Gradually he was approaching perfect bnce in his swordsmanship style.


    But, the perfect bnce was not his true goal or his fighting style. He always preferred to act in his own way. So Wain rushed forward and destroyed each of the des on the run. Then his body shimmered with lightning, and he instantly reached Forgotten.


    Whoooosh.


    With a single swing, he severed his opponent''s left arm. Forgotten''s face contorted in pain, but he hadn''t lost hope of winning.


    A wave of light fell upon Wain, cutting the clouds beneath them in two. Wain thrust his sword forward and used Kic Shot. Thus he was able to reduce the power of the light wave a bit. His sword shone brightly, and he delivered hisst and most powerful blow.


    Wain was thrown aside. He received several severe but not fatal wounds. He was in pain, but at that moment, the pain didn''t matter.


    He lunged toward Forgotten and thrust his sma sword into his chest. Typically, Forgotten would have reacted to this straightforward attack. But, moments before Wain pierced him, the sword fell out of Forgotten''s hands.


    He had no more strength left. Thest two attacks were the most powerful in his arsenal. It was the end for him. He had to defeat Wain with hisst technique. But, Wain was able to outdo himself in this battle, and so it was he who prevailed.


    Streams of blood flowed from the corners of Forgotten''s mouth, and his wound began to freeze due to the ck sma of Wain''s sword.


    He looked at Wain and said with thest of his strength, "It was a beautiful fight, but you made a mistake."


    Wain answered nothing. He pulled the sword from his opponent''s chest, and Forgotten fell to the dark clouds.


    "I agree. The fight was great." Then the Ring of Damned shone in, and a small sk of nectar appeared in Wain''s hands. He used it quickly, and his many wounds began to gradually heal.<sub> </sub>


    This fight was difficult, and Wain received many wounds. But, he was satisfied. He really enjoyed this battle. Forgotten was his strongest and most exciting opponent in a long time.


    Wain was slowly on his way to the pearl of the soul. After Forgotten died, the energy cage disintegrated into small particles and disappeared.


    He wanted to take the soul pearl first since it seemed that there were some mysteries connected to this thing.


    But as he walked a few meters away, his surroundings trembled. Wain did not understand what was happening, but then he smiled broadly.


    He felt strange energy heading in his direction. It meant that the soul he needed was near.


    Then space warped, and a small vortex of gray energy appeared. After that, Wain saw what he hade here for. It was a massive, gray soul. This soul''s energy fluttered to the sides like a me.


    This me was calm and temperate but majestic and powerful. Even from a distance, Wain could feel the weight of this soul.


    The gray soul slowly made its way toward Wain andpletely engulfed him. Wain gradually absorbed this energy and saw the cherished message.


    [You have received the Swordsman''s Soul].


    Wain felt himself bing stronger. But, it was not an increase in stats. His newly acquired swordsmanship skills were being strengthened and augmented. It was a small bonus of getting this soul.


    [Nameless King''s Forms skill was partially unlocked.]


    [The second form - Cursed Swordsman was unlocked]


    [Cursed Swordsman


    One novice swordsman was eager to learn swordsmanship and wield a sword at the level of the finest masters. But, he was unsessful no matter how hard he tried. The art of the sword did not want to sumb to him, and none of the teachers did not want to teach the untalented student.


    So this swordsman decided to go on a dangerous journey. Many prophesied that he would die in those ces. But that didn''t stop the swordsman.


    After an unknown amount of time, this swordsmanpleted his terrifying journey,parable to a descent into hell.


    Then his skill reached unimaginable heights. No one couldpare to him. His understanding of the sword was entirely different, but it was not enough for him.


    So the swordsman cursed himself and significantly lowered his strength. But, after a while, he reached his previous level of skill, even given the curse. Even he didn''t know what would happen when his curse lifted].


    ''Last time, the description was quite short but informative. This time the situation is drastically different. It''s a whole story, and it sounds fascinating.'' Thought Wain.


    He didn''t yet know what the second form did or its power. But, the description was enough to make Wain''s blood begin to boil.


    Wain headed toward the soul pearl in high spirits. It was floating in the air a few inches from the clouds. Wain grabbed the pearl and moved it to the Ring of Damned.


    "Great, all that''s left is to take this pearl to Agnes, and I can go back. It''s been quite a long but dangerous and rewarding adventure. Purgatory zones are hazardous ces. What''s more, this zone is small, and there are probably many other more dangerous zones." Wain muttered.


    He was about to leave here and headed toward the pagoda, then downstairs. But, suddenly, the space trembled again. Wain grew wary. This time he felt a great threat and eerie energy from a single point.


    Wain looked up and saw a multitude of cracks streaking across the sky. This was an invasion from outside, which is what Forgotten was talking about.


    He wasn''t trying to protect this pearl because he was afraid that Wain would use it to open a portal and destroy the area.


    Forgotten kept the pearl in a cage so that it would not fall into the hands of those capable of creating a real catastrophe. These creatures instilled fear even in his heart.


    The next moment, part of the sky shattered into hundreds of pieces. Behind it was nothing but pitch-ck darkness. Then a massive ck hand appeared in that hole. It was huge enough to crush an entire house in one fell swoop.


    The hand slowly reached for Wain, but it wasn''t him it wanted, but the pearl in his ring.

 Chapter 69 Cursed Swordsman

    There was an eerie aura emanating from the ck hand. It looked more like the paw of some powerful, creepy monster. This paw had short, ck ws, like sharp fingernails.


    Sometimes red streaks shed across the arm, like veins. There was also dark energy slowly emanating from this hand.


    Wain looked at the hand and then at Forgotten''s body in the distance. He muttered, "So this is what Forgotten was afraid of. Clearly, some forces are just as interested in this pearl."


    Then Wain swung his hand, and the sma Destruction Sword flew towards his hand like ck lightning. However, when the sword almost reached his hand, it shrank sharply and quickly destroyed the sma Destruction Sword.


    This attack was so powerful that it created a shockwave that spread dozens of meters apart.


    After that, the hand continued to slowly reach for Wain. It was meant to take the pearl of the soul from this man.


    "I don''t have much strength left, but thanks to the healing nectar, my body is gradually recovering," Wain muttered and looked at Forgotten''s body.


    "You''ve spent decades or maybe, even more guarding that pearl. I don''t know what kind of creature it is or why it needs this thing, but your work deserves respect."


    Then Wain''s aura began to intensify, and he said, "In gratitude for such an outstanding fight, I will rid your eternal sleep of all anxiety."


    Wain decided to use the second form and deal with the ck hand. The creature was powerful, but Wain was not afraid. He was sure that his powers would be enough to banish this creature from this space.


    Wain''s aura grew rapidly, then dark energy began to emanate from his body, which swept over him entirely like a storm. Then Wain''s appearance began to change.


    His eyes changed from green to azure, and ck energy emanated from his hair. He wore a long cloak, torn in many ces, and tall boots with many chains. His face was half-covered by a ck cloth reaching down to his nose.


    In his right hand appeared a long, silver sword whose des were covered with ayer of ice. From this sword emanated a cold and intimidating aura.


    The most significant change was the swordsman''s curse. There were seven chains wrapped around Wain''s torso, and his left arm was pinned tightly underneath. He could not move his other arm no matter how hard he tried. To do so, he had to get rid of the curse and destroy all seven chains.


    This was what the second form of Nameless King''s Forms looked like.


    The storm dissipated when the transformation was over, and Wain looked coldly at the dark hand reaching out toward him. He was calm, but his aura looked like a violent dragon capable of destroying an entire world with just his breath.


    ''What power, it far surpasses the Code of Light and Darkness, but my stats have not increased. It''s a strange feeling of true power, independent of my stats.'' Wain thought. This feeling was new to him.


    It seemed that he could cut an entire ind into thousands of identical pieces if he wanted to. This was powering not from stats but from mastery and the art of the sword.


    Wain took a step forward toward the dark hand. His effort was heavy and powerful, and the clouds beneath him partially parted to the sides. A cold aura constantly emanated from the ice sword, causing the temperature around it to start dropping drastically.


    ? When his hand almost reached Wain, he looked at it coldly and gripped his sword tightly. Even though his left hand was chained, it didn''t mean that he was weak. Even with his curse, the Cursed Swordsman''s skills were at a prohibitive level.


    Then the hand almostpletely covered Wain and suddenly clenched its ws with force. It tried to crush Wain and destroy him just as the sma Destruction Sword did. But Wain was ready for it. He had been waiting for this moment.


    Whooosh.


    Wain made light but lightning-fast upward swing with his sword. An icy wave of energy headed toward the w at the same instant. It was like a purposeful, icy tsunami.


    It was powerful enough to chop off the creature''s ws and several fingers. They fell slowly into the clouds and plummeted to the bottom. Then the icy de created by Wain''s swing disintegrated into tiny shards.


    The hand did not expect a creature as small as Wain to be able to fight it back. It was a shock to it, but that didn''t mean that the hand abandoned its attempts to take possession of the soul pearl.


    The red stripes on the arm glowed brightly and turned into thousands of bloody threads, which quickly regenerated the severed limbs.


    The hand tried to crush Wain again, but he took a step back at thest moment and moved thirty meters backward like a ck sh.


    Then the creature''s patience began to run out, and the hand turned violently toward Wain.


    Wain''s azure, ocean-deep eyes looked at the dark hand, and he said coldly, "I don''t know who you are, but you''re nothing but a miserable thief. If you wanted to take this pearl, you should have defeated Forgotten in a fair fight ande here in person. Now it belongs to me!"<sub> </sub>


    Wain raised his sword above his head and made two diagonal X-shaped cuts with incredible speed.


    The two icy des flew toward the dark arm and easily cut it into four equal pieces. It was a powerful being, but it couldn''t stand up to Wain''s strength and mastery in the second form.


    The red stripes on the parts of the arm glowed brightly, and the creature tried to restore its limb as it had thest time. But, suddenly, its flesh began to freeze and turn intorge chunks of ice.


    The scarlet threads failed to start the regeneration process and disintegrated into small pieces like the monster''s frozen hand.


    After that, a massive man-sized eye appeared in the hole in the sky. An eerie aura emanated from that eye. The eye stared fiercely at Wain, its capiries swollen, and it seemed capable of toppling Wain into hell with a single nce.


    Wain looked at him coldly and, pointing his icy sword in his direction, said, "Decided to show your face atst? But, I don''t want to see you. You''re nothing but a miserable scum. Get lost!"


    Tremble.


    Wain''s aura rose, and a silhouette of death with a bloody scythe seemed to appear above him. Then the air around Wain''s sword began to shake, and there was a loud click.


    Kic Shot instantly reached the monster''s eye and plunged into it. The kic bullet wounded the creature considerably, and a fountain of blood poured from the eye, flooding the clouds below.


    Roooooooooaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrr!


    Then there was a loud roar that shook the space. There was pain and hatred in the roar for themon man who had dared to harm the creature.


    Then the hole in the sky recovered, and the monster retreated. It wanted to get the soul pearl, but instead, it lost its arm and received a terrible wound.


    When the sky was restored, space stopped shaking, and the situation returned to normal. Wain canceled the second form and dropped to his knees, exhausted.


    He immediately vomited a mouthful of blood, and everything blurred before his eyes. The monster could not wound him. It was a crushing defeat for it. But, Wain had overstretched his body too much.


    He fought Forgotten for a long time and could even enter a unique state. At that moment, he also used the Code of Light and Darkness. The strain on his body was enormous as he acted at the limit of his abilities.


    But then Wain had to use a second form, the Cursed Swordsman. This further aggravated his situation. Moreover, during the battle with Forgotten, he sustained several serious wounds.


    "Damn, I can hardly stay conscious. If it hadn''t been for the healing nectar, I might have fainted and bled out by now. This time I was walking on the edge of a de." With difficulty, Wain said.


    Then he smiled broadly and said, "But, I haven''t enjoyed a battle this much in a long time. It reminds me of the old days. It''s a wonderful feeling."


    As the healing nectar wore off, Wain struggled to his feet two minutester. He managed to stay conscious, and his body gradually returned to normal and recovered.


    His Vitality was quite high, so his own regeneration also yed a big part in his survival.


    Wain walked over to Forgotten''s body and muttered, "I didn''t even notice at first, but I didn''t get a soul after I killed him. What''s more, he seemed to enjoy this fight a lot more than I did."


    He looked at Forgotten''s smiling face. He didn''t feel hatred or anger at the moment of death. On the contrary, he was relieved. Wain was the one who had freed Forgotten from the shackles he had put on himself.


    ''I didn''t get a soul, so was he human? Or perhaps he was another being who has no souls of his own as humans do?'' Wain pondered.


    He had to go to the pagoda and go downstairs. But, he didn''t know if there would be any danger waiting for him on the way back. At that moment, he was quite weak and vulnerable.


    But, Wain had no time to think, for suddenly, he felt himself starting to fall down. The barrier that had allowed him to stand above the clouds began to gradually weaken.


    "What the hell! No!" Shouted Wain, and at that moment, he fell down. He fell through the clouds with Forgotten''s body.


    They would reach the ground in half a minute and be turned into bloody scones.

 Chapter 70 The Forgotten Grave

    Suddenly the barrier was gone, and Wain, along with Forgotten''s body, fell to the bottom. They were quite high, but they would reach the ground in thirty seconds, and their bodies would be crushed.


    Wain was strong, and his stats were high, but his body couldn''t take the fall from that height.


    "Fuck! Why the hell is this happening right now?" Shouted Wain and began to think of a way to escape.


    Three secondster, he knew how to avoid dying from the fall and took off his cloak. Then he tied the cloak sleeves together and created something like a parachute.


    ''My cloak is made of quality materials. It definitely won''t tear, but it''s not enough to keep me from breaking all my bones in the fall.'' Thought Wain and stretched his arm upward.


    He had one more way to reduce the speed of his fall. One of his skills could help him with that.


    Wain used the sma Destructions Sword out of thest of his strength. The next moment a sma sword appeared in his hand, and Wain used his mind to make it fly upwards.


    It wasn''t enough for Wain to fly with this skill. But, it also slowed Wain''s fall a bit.


    Since Wain used his cloak as a parachute, his speed was almost reduced to the optimum. Wain would have a pretty roughnding, but he would survive and only suffer a few bruises, no fractures.


    Fifteen secondster, Wainnded in the woods near the pagoda. He fell hard to the ground, but by doing a forward somersault, he could slightly reduce the force of the impact on his legs.


    "Holy shit, what a fall. It''s a good thing I didn''t break anything." Mumbled Wain rising from the ground.


    He looked at Forgotten''s body lying not far from him and muttered, "It''s amazing. He didn''t take any damage. That''s impressive. Most likely, when he fought me, he wasn''t at the peak of his strength, unlike me. Otherwise, I would have lost."


    Suddenly Wain heard a rustling in the distance. He didn''t know what kind of creatures might inhabit this ce. He quickly armed himself with his sword and prepared for battle.


    But, after a few seconds, he saw the cause of the rustling, "Agnes?"


    "You..." Agnes muttered uncertainly, looking at Wain and the corpse of Forgotten.


    "Were you able to get the pearl?" Agnes asked.


    Wain answered nothing. He put on his ck cloak then slipped his hand under it. Then a white pearl appeared in his hand, as pure as jade.


    Agnes was shocked. She had not expected Wain to be able to do this. It was something impossible for her.


    Tears came to the girl''s eyes, and she said quietly, "After so much death and suffering, someone could do it. You must have had to go through hell to get that pearl?"


    Wain shrugged and replied, "I''ve had worse, but it certainly wasn''t my easiest journey."


    "Great, now we can open the portal. But, what happened upstairs? I''ve never felt such a terrifying aura. I can''t even imagine what was going on up there." Proimed Agnes.


    "Nothing out of the ordinary. It was just one of the best fights of my life." Wain replied with a slight smile.


    Agnes nodded and headed back to the manor house, but after walking a few yards, she realized that Wain was not following her.


    "Come on, we need to activate the portal." Said Agnes and turned to Wain.


    To her surprise, Wain was not going to go to the portal yet. He had one more unfinished business.


    He walked over to Forgotten''s body and plunged his sma sword into the ground beside him.


    "What are you doing?" Asked Agnes, she was puzzled.


    Wain looked at her and calmly said, "Isn''t it obvious? I''m digging a grave. You''d better help instead of standing there asking questions. I don''t have the energy as it is."


    Agnes didn''t know what to say. She was stunned by Wain''s words and actions. On the one hand, she was ashamed of herself for not paying attention to the dead man. On the other hand, Wain''s words were too harsh.


    After a while, Agnes sighed and just stood on the sidelines. She waited about ten minutes before Wain dug a deep enough grave for Forgotten with his sword.


    Usually, he wouldn''t have cared about his enemy, and Wain wouldn''t even have paid attention to his corpse. But, this situation was different. He felt no hatred or malice toward Forgotten, and neither did he toward Wain.


    On the contrary, in a way, Wain was grateful to Forgotten. After all, if this fight had not happened, Wain could not have be better at swordsmanship.


    Wain swung his sword and cut down several trees around him when it was done. They staggered around Forgotten''s grave, after which Wain approached Agnes.<sub> </sub>


    "Come on, it''s time to get out of here." Said Wain.


    The girl nodded and headed in the direction of the manor. Wain and Agnes were silent all the way. Each of them was thinking about something different.


    ''Hmm, I''m in pretty bad shape at the moment. If I show up at thatb, maybe I should stay there for a while and recuperate. Most likely, the robotic samurai aren''t done fighting and haven''t yet chosen their new king. That means a park is a safe ce for me at the moment.'' Wain thought.


    Coming to this area, he got a lot of use out of it. He was able to level up, collect arge amount of Soul Essence from souls. Of course, Wain''s biggest boon was discovering the second form.


    ''Cursed Swordsman... this form harbors incredible power. But, summarily, I made only three swings and one dash backward during the battle. Those few movements really strained my body. At that moment, though, I wasn''t at my best.''


    When Wain used either form, he received great power. But, every great power had a significant recoil. Since Wain discovered the first form - Code of Light and Darkness, he has be much stronger and could therefore use it longer than before.


    But, using the second form, the Cursed Swordsman, was quite problematic for him at the moment. However, Wain had to undergo a severe test and battle to get such power.


    ''The first time I used Code of Light and Darkness, I spent a lot of strength to kill a huge worm outside the hospital. Now I have no problem using this form for several times longer.'' Thought Wain.


    After a while, they reached the manor house, and Agnes immediately led Wain to the lower floor, where the altar and portal were located.


    ...


    "Here, you need to put a soul pearl here, and I can activate the portal." Said Agnes pointing to the small, stone altar in the center of the room.


    Various symbols and patterns were engraved on the altar. A small recess in the center was perfect for the pearl.


    "Where is the portal?" Wain asked. He saw no archway or door around it.


    Agnes calmly replied, "There it is."


    To Wain''s surprise, she pointed to a small pond not far from the altar. Wain thought it was a simple decoration.


    "Okay, I got it." Said Wain and handed the soul pearl to Agnes.


    She ced the pearl on the altar and then put her hand to it. As the watcher of this territory, she knew how to open the portal. It was for this purpose that she had been here for decades.


    Then her eyes glowed brightly with blue energy, and a pleasant and calm aura began to emanate from the altar and the soul pearl. Wain immediately felt better.


    Wain looked at the pond and saw that the water glowed brightly and came into motion. Gradually, a slow vortex formed in the pond. This meant that the creation of the portal wasplete.


    "It''s done." Said Agnes and removed her hand from the altar.


    "It was easier than I thought." Said Wain.


    Agnes nodded, "Yes, it was easy as the soul pearl carries a lot of pure energy. This energy is suitable for a rather small range of activities, but it''s convenient to use. There''s no credit to me. I just did my job."


    "How long before this space is destroyed?" Wain asked.


    "I''m not sure, but I think the destruction process will start in fifteen minutes andst about an hour." Answered Agnes.


    "I see. Do you still intend to follow me?" Asked Wain. He didn''t need subordinates and followers at least that would contact him.


    In his world before the apocalypse, many people followed Wain of their own ord, and it was logical, for he was the strongest.


    Wain could do nothing about it, but he didn''t want to be their leader because it was a headache and a waste of time.


    So Wain decided for himself that he would not think about whether he would have followers or not. It was impossible to control anyway. But, these people were not to interfere directly in his affairs and get in his way.


    But, ording to Agnes, she was determined to be with Wain at all times and help him in any way she could. This was clear from her words and her seriousness.


    Agnes nodded confidently and said, "Yes, I must follow you as my master. You are the one who was able to obtain the pearl of the soul. Nearly ten thousand imants before you have failed to do so."


    She was serious. Agnes was the kind of person who followed the rules and her job unquestioningly.

 Chapter 71 The Return

    ''Damn, why couldn''t I just go back without incident. Judging by her words and tone, she''s not going to let go of me that easily.'' Thought Wain.


    Wain didn''t expect Agnes to have such a hard time understanding him. He understood that she was serious, and that was a big problem.


    "Agnes, I already told you I don''t need followers. I''m not interested in that. It''s your wish for me to be your master, but not mine. I don''t have to do what you want me to do." Said Wain. He tried to change her mind about the decision she had made.


    Wain''s words stunned her, for she realized that her words and wishes were illogical.


    ''If I want him to be my master and yet he does not want it, does that not mean that I am going against my master''s will? But...then what should I do?'' Agnes pondered.


    "Agnes, the world on the other side is dangerous, and you should be concerned about your own safety first, not anyone else''s. By the way, as a watcher, you must have some powers, don''t you?" Asked Wain.


    Agnes nodded, "Yes, but that''s not exactly true. Since I''m a watcher in this area, I''m pretty strong, but I''ll lose all my powers after this space copses. The only power I''ll have left will be my physical power."


    "I see. Once you get your soul, though, you can be quite strong again. Moreover, most of your abilities are aimed at creating and activating this portal, am I right?"


    "That''s right. I can easily stand up for myself. But I don''t want to follow you to protect me. Of course, I am no match for your power as I would not get the pearl of soul. I will follow you as it is my duty." Agnes said seriously.


    ''Damn, she''s harder to change her mind than getting that pearl.'' Thought Wain.


    "All right, then, I''ll ask you a question. Do you intend to follow me and obey even at the cost of your life?"


    "Yes." Agnes was quick to answer such a serious question.


    Wain nodded and slipped his hand under his cloak. The next moment his knife, which he hadn''t used in a long time, appeared in his hand.


    "Then I guess you won''t mind if I kill you." Wain said coldly and attacked Agnes with lightning speed.


    His hand became a blur, and his knife instantly reached Agnes''s neck. The girl didn''t even have time to react, but...


    Suddenly Wain stopped. The knife de tip led to a stab into Agnes'' skin, and a scarlet trickle of blood poured down.


    "Looks like you weren''t lying. You didn''t even try to retreat, even though you saw me attacking. The seriousness of your intentions and your resilience is astounding." Said Wain looking into Agnes'' eyes.


    "If my words were empty, then I would have no right to live." Agnes said seriously.


    "You''re pretty adamant. You know, if you were a crazy maniac, I might even fall in love with you." Said Wain and took the knife away from her neck.


    "Agnes, what we''ll do is this. I agree to be your master, and my first order is for you to no longer obey or follow me. You must live for yourself and do what you want. Otherwise, you will perish and never be able to reach true heights." Said Wain.


    "What? But...you can''t do that!" Said Agnes. She didn''t understand how it was possible to give such strange orders.


    "You can, you think too narrowly, there should be no boundaries for you, and you should do what you wish for yourself, especially when the apocalypse has begun. That''s it, I''ve had enough of this circus. If you pester me again, I''ll kill you for real." Said Wain and headed for the portal.


    Wain had no reason to kill Agnes. This girl had done him no harm. On the contrary, with her help, he could get out of the area and learn a lot. But, if she continued to hinder him, he would run out of patience.


    Agnes wanted to say something and object, but Wain wouldn''t hear her anymore. He jumped into the portal and, a secondter, found himself in a spatial rift.


    ''The door to Sven''s bar is still here. Great, I can visit neutral zones when I enter Void and when I leave Void. Unfortunately, all the souls I got in the pagoda I already used. I''ll visit him next time.'' Thought Wain and stepped toward the inky door.


    He opened it and, as he expected a few secondster, found himself in the main hall of theboratory. There stilly the carcasses of the scientists and the two monsters Wain had recently killed.


    Wain''s Ring of Damned glowed, and a phone appeared in his hands. He looked at the time and muttered to himself, "I''ve been in that space long enough. It''s only two hours until dawn. I need to get some sleep, I''ve been exhausted."<sub> </sub>


    Wain took a quick bite and headed toward theb''s exit, but suddenly he saw part of the wall behind him turn to ink. Then Agnes came out of there.


    She looked at Wain and said, "I''ve thought about what you said, and if it''s your will, I will only act in my own best interest. I will not annoy you again."


    Wain smiled and nodded, "It''s good that you understand that. I''m going somewhere safe where my new friend. Will you go there with me, or would you prefer to go somewhere else?"


    Agnes hesitated and, after a while, answered, "I don''t know this world well, so I need to learn more about it first. I will go with you as many other people there have information useful to me."


    "Clever, then until we get to the university, we will work together." Said Wain.


    Agnes nodded, and they walked toward the exit of theb. As Wain suggested, the robotic samurai weren''t done fighting yet. They had to choose a new King of the Nest, and they would cross their swords until they did.


    "What are they doing?" Agnes asked. When she saw these creatures, she prepared to attack and was ready to fight. But then she saw Wain walk past them, and they didn''t even pay attention to him.


    "Fighting for power and strength, though that''s what every living thing on this is doing right now, just not in such a formal way.


    We may be attacked by monsters outside this park, and perhaps some of them will be pretty powerful. It''s practically been twenty-four hours since the apocalypse started." Said Wain.


    "I thought all the monsters were just out to kill and wreak havoc," Agnes said, surprised, looking at the robotic samurai.


    "I thought so, too, until I saw these creatures. Now I realize that such thinking is rather primitive and narrow. This world is vast and varied. Therefore, it should have been obvious that not all monsters behave in the same way. They are somewhat simr to humans." Said Wain.


    The next moment, thest cigarette he had was in his hand. He used the engraved lighter and blew out a puff of smoke a secondter.


    Wain muttered, "Perhaps some monsters will be able tomunicate and understand humannguage. In that case, they could be called a whole, new race if their numbers and strength arerge enough."


    "Don''t you hate the idea of monsters talking and interacting with humans?" Agnes asked. She was surprised at Wain''s words.


    "Hmm? Of course not. If you think that such monsters are very different from humans, you are sorely mistaken.


    Believe me, I''ve seen people so disgusting and horrible that monsters are just minor problemspared to them. Monsters look awful on the outside, but some people on the inside are far more terrible than monsters."


    "But... Even if such monsters don''t dislike and disgust you, that doesn''t mean that other people will have the same opinion." Said Agnes.


    "You''re right, but notpletely. If monsters capable ofmunicating and understanding humannguage appear, they will first be enemies. But, then, if they are not hostile, they will be strategic allies and partners. People will gradually begin to get used to them."


    Wain sighed and continued, "Then the bond will strengthen. Trade will begin, and more cooperative activities will take ce. Then, after a while, these monsters will no longer be monsters.


    They will be a new, human-friendly race. That''s all there is to it. I''m sure something like that could happen in the future. But, it depends on too many factors."


    "I see. Despite your age, you are quite wise. I will remember your words." Agnes said seriously.


    "Wisdom? No, my words are based on logic, a mercantile interest, and myplete indifference to all those I don''t care about. If I don''t worry about people, why should I feel prejudice against monsters if they will act like people?" Proimed Wain.


    Agnes didn''t answer anything. She followed Wain and pondered his words. Agnes was much older than Wain, but he had experienced dozens or even hundreds of times more events than she had. His experience in every aspect far exceeded her own.


    A couple of minutester, they were out of the park and into town. Wain decided to use his previous tactic and climbed onto the roof of the nearest building. Agnes had no problem doing the same.


    The park was quite far from the university. It would take Wain and Agnes about an hour to get to the university.

 Chapter 72 University

    Wain and Agnes were on their way to the university. Wain was very tired; he needed to rest and sleep. After all, he had been fighting and exploring new areas for almost twenty-four hours.


    Of course, Wain could do without sleep for several days if he wanted to, but that would be a big mistake.


    If Wain doesn''t sleep for that long, he won''t feel well and won''t concentrate onbat. Regardless of his skill level, his well-being also needs to be good for him to fight at his best.


    "How much further do we have to go?" Agnes asked. At first, when she saw the tall structures and expensive buildings, she was amazed, but she got used to it pretty quickly.


    Most important to her were the monsters, of which there were hundreds under the houses.


    "About thirty more minutes. I hope we don''t encounter anyone strong. At this point, it could be hazardous." Said Wain jumping over to the next building.


    Agnes nodded. She wasn''t afraid of monsters; on the contrary, she wanted to fight them. Moreover, she had to activate her Soul Altar and get the effects of her soul.


    "Oh, it looks like we''ll have to do without battles..." Wain muttered, looking at the zombie climbing on the house.


    Wain wanted to kill it, but suddenly Agnes stopped him.


    "Wait, let me do it. I can easily kill this creature in one blow."


    "Right, you have to kill the monster first, okay." Calmly Wain said and stepped aside.


    When the zombie climbed onto the roof, he immediately pounced on Agnes. She was closer and gave off a less powerful aura than Wain. She was the zombie''s preferred prey.


    Agnes did not attack first. She got into a fighting stance and waited for the zombie to get close enough to her. Then she quickly struck forward with her fist, and the zombie''s head exploded.


    Agnes was not afraid of getting dirty in blood or other secretions. In her mind, it was natural duringbat.


    Then the zombie''s white soul flew into her body, and a powerful aura began to emanate from Agnes. At that moment, her Soul Altar activated, and she grew stronger.


    "What an unusual feeling..." Mumbled Agnes looking at her hands.


    "Yes, souls are something amazing." Said Wain and moved on.


    Agnes followed him. She could feel the power flowing through her body. It was very different from when she was a watcher of one of the small zones of Purgatory.


    Back then, she was getting her powers from the zone and only a tiny part. Now, however, it was her own power.


    A couple of housester, they were attacked again by zombies. These monsters sensedrge fluctuations of energying from above, and some of them tried to climb up and attack Wain and Agnes.


    Wain didn''t even stop. He had no desire to fight anyone. All he wanted at that moment was to get a good night''s sleep. But Agnes had a different opinion about that. She dly killed that zombie and got another soul.


    After a long time, she felt the lust for power again. She wanted to kill and be more powerful. It was something she couldn''t do when she was the caretaker of the Purgatory zone.


    They practically made it to the university half an hourter, as Wain said. Agnes had killed more than ten zombies in that time, and her clothes were drenched in blood. Her attacks were too powerful, and the zombie bodies couldn''t take it and explode.


    ''Eh, no professionalism. She could have just snapped their necks, and that was it. Does she really like the feeling of blood sticking to her?'' Thought Wain jumping on thest building, but then he stopped.


    "Huh, looks like Gisle wasn''t wasting any time. It''s only been a few hours since I left, but I can already see the changes." Wain muttered, looking at the hundreds of corpses against the walls.


    The first thing Gisle decided to do was to clear the area near the university of monsters. Moreover, Wain saw several men with shlights patrolling the area.


    Gisle did not conduct any operations at night, but he ensured that all the people could sleep in peace.


    Clearing the area of monsters made the people stronger as they gained souls and was just as beneficial to their emotional state.


    If people were in anxiety, their effectiveness would be significantly diminished.


    "Let''s go." Said Wain and jumped down.


    After a couple of seconds, they climbed the walls and entered the campus. At one point, they were spotted by one of the patrolling men.


    "Freeze. Who are you?" Said the man looking at Wain and the blood-covered Agnes.


    "Where''s Gisle?" Asked Wain.


    The man took a closer look at Wain and hesitantly asked, "Are you, Wain Norheim?"


    Gisle knew that Wain coulde at any moment, so he warned those on patrol in advance.<sub> </sub>


    "Yes." Wain answered briefly, looked at Agnes, and said, "She''s with me."


    The man nodded, "If Gisle is awake, he should be in the main hall now. As far as I know, he''s getting ready for tomorrow''s sortie."


    "I see." Calmly Wain said and headed for the east building of the university.


    The man didn''t ask who Agnes was, but the mere sight of her bloodied face instilled fear in him.


    "Who is Gisle?" Agnes asked.


    "He''s the leader here. If you want you can stay here. I am sure that under his leadership, this ce will prosper and grow quickly and surely." Answered Wain.


    "Isn''t it foolish to spend your time developing an area and supporting weak people? In my opinion, it would be much more effective if he were growing stronger on his own." Agnes said, puzzled.


    "Agnes, in this case, it is you who are stupid. People, territories, and hence a great deal of money in the future are just as much a force emanating from power. I wouldn''t say paving the way alone is much better than what Gisle is doing. Everyone has their own vision of the future." Said Wain heading for the main hall.


    "From what I understand, you''re traveling alone. Doesn''t that mean you think that''s the best option?"


    "No, I just like it better that way. What''s more, Ibine the two options." Wain replied and walked into the room.


    He saw Gisle sitting at the table, Grut asleep in the corner, and Rita drinking tea. Teresa was also sitting in the corner of the room. She was also exhausted from the previous day and had fallen asleep.


    ''Zero and the others aren''t here. I wonder where Gisle sent them?'' Thought Wain and took a step forward.


    Then Gisle noticed him and smiled broadly, "Wee back. Who''s that one with you?"


    Gisle was d to see Wain, but the bloodied girl beside him aroused some suspicion.


    "This is Agnes. We met on the road, perhaps she will stay here. That''s for her to decide." Said Wain and sat down on a wooden chair.


    "Hello, Wain" Rita chirped. She had big bags under her eyes and insomnia.


    Wain nodded.


    "I see..." Gisle muttered and looked at Agnes and said, "Wee, we''d love to have you in our ranks."


    "Wain, you''ve brought more than ten women here in thest few hours. Are you after them?" Gisle said with a smirk.


    "It''s not my fault. It''s just a coincidence. By the way, I see Teresa here, but where are the girls who came with her? I hope there wasn''t any problem with them?" Asked Wain.


    Gisle nodded, "They''re here. They''re fine. I gave them one big room so they could be together. When I saw them, I thought they were some kind of humanoid monster. If it hadn''t been for Teresa, I would have attacked them."


    "Yeah, even I didn''t expect to see something like that. It could be considered luck, though. These girls are uniquie, especially Zero. Theybine the strength of a mutant with their souls."


    "There was no problem with them, but some people were horrified and asked me to get rid of them. Of course, I didn''t listen to them. They''re just scared. That''s normal." Said Gisle.


    "Yes, but that fear can lead to problems. If useless people are going to be aggressive with Zero and the others, they need to be dealt with." Coldly said, Wain.


    "Of course, efficiency and strength are the priority at the moment. I''ll think about moraleter, but I hope no one wants to attack girls with superpowers. Most people here don''t even have the guts to kill one zombie." Said Gisle.


    "Okay, we''ve dealt with that. I want to sleep and rest. Is there a spare room?" Asked Wain.


    Gisle nodded, "On the top floor, the leftmost room, I left it for you, but you can sleep anywhere. We don''t have too many ces for us to worry about where and who sleeps."


    "Fine, but before that, I want to know something. What do you intend to do next? What are your ns for tomorrow?"


    "Do you want to join in?" Gisle said with a smile.


    Wain shrugged, "Maybe too many unbelievable things have happenedtely. So right now, I don''t know exactly what I''m going to do next."


    "I see." Gisle replied briefly, "Then I think you''ll like what I''vee up with. Tomorrow we''ll go to the woods. We''re lucky it''s so close to the university."


    "Will you be taking over new territory and killing monsters?" Asked Wain.


    "Yes, but not really. Our first priority will be getting wood. After all, there happens to be one man at the university with a useful craft soul."

 Chapter 73 Trees

    "Besides Lea, is there anyone else here with a craft soul?" Wain asked. He considered this a real stroke of luck. Anyone who had a craft soul could make a huge difference, and it didn''t matter what line of work that soul belonged to.


    "Yes. It''s a student named Clovis ndin. He''s resting now, but he''s ready to go with us tomorrow. Moreover, he has already activated his Soul Altar. We are lucky, he is not a coward, and just like the others, he wants to fight."


    "What is the name of his soul? What is its Rating, and what abilities does it have?" Wain asked several questions at once.


    "His soul is called Crystal Woodcutter. Clovis said his soul has a Rare Rating. From what I understand, it''s worse than Lea''s, but it''s still very decent." Said Gisle.


    "That his soul has a Rare Rating is not critical. The important thing is that he has a craft profession." Said Wain.


    Gisle nodded, "He has two skills, one he got by killing a mutated monster and the other from his soul. He can cut through an entire tree in one stroke and turn wooden blocks into almost any shape with the soul skill.


    That doesn''t sound very impressive, but I''m sure it''s just the beginning. What''s more, Clovis says he can create entire structures and even buildings out of these materials."


    "Yes, in the future, Clovis will be much stronger and more functional. After all, the more powerful he will be, the more effective his soul.


    He needs to develop it and his skills, but even now, it sounds impressive. If Clovis can cut down trees quickly and build structures and houses, it''s incredible." Said Wain.


    "Tomorrow, we''re going into the woods and will be capturing and clearing the area. Will you go with us?" Asked Gisle.


    "When does the operation start?"


    "Ten o''clock in the morning."


    "That''s too early. I''m sure I''ll be asleep a long time. I need to regain my strength. In that case, I''ll join you a littleter." Said Wain.


    "I see. Visit us tomorrow then." Said Gisle and looked at Agnes, "If you decide to stay, you can go to any room and rest."


    Wain and Agnes nodded and headed off to rest. Although Agnes looked chipper, she didn''t really have much energy. She had spent a fair amount of energy activating the portal.


    ''Hmm, there must be a lot of dangerous monsters in the woods near the university. Moreover, there must be many mutated insects there.


    I hope there will be a Dungeon or Nest in that forest. They will pose great danger. Killing simple monsters doesn''t seem practical.'' Thought Wain walking into his room.


    It was a simple room with a small couch that one person could sleep on. At that moment, though, Wain didn''t care where he slept, even if it was on the floor. Hey down on the couch and immediately fell asleep.


    At that moment, for the first time in a long time, he could rest and not think about anything.


    Wain was not concerned about safety, for he understood that no one would attack him in this ce. The worst thing that could happen was a sudden monster attack, but the patrols would report it quickly.


    ...


    After many hours, Wain opened his eyes and struggled to rise. Sunlight fell on his face through the window, which woke him up.


    "Damn, it''s hard to get up in the morning. What time is it?" Wain muttered and pulled out his phone from under his cloak. "One p.m... I''ve slept quite a bit."


    Wain looked out the window and looked across the university courtyard. He saw nothing out of the ordinary. People were eating, talking, sorting out trash, and building barricades.


    But, these were people who had not yet activated their Soul Altar.


    Wain looked toward the forest and saw that Gisle''s group was already there and had even managed to set up a small camp.


    Gisle left a few people with superpowers to protect the university, and the others went with him, including Agnes, Lea, Teresa, Zero, and the mutant girls. Of course, he also had Grut, Rita, and Clovis with him, who was having lunch at the time.


    Wain nodded and went downstairs. The Ring of Damned glowed, and a green apple appeared in his hands. Wain took a big bite and headed for the exit of the university.


    As he walked through the university''s courtyard, many people stared at him intently. Many of them saw Wain instantly kill several people after the battle between Gisle and Rafe.


    These rumors quickly spread throughout the university, and now everyone knew of Wain''s merits.


    No one dared to approach him. They just watched Wain walk past them while eating an apple.


    ''Looks like I drew too much attention to myself then.'' Thought Wain as he walked through the barricade.


    Thanks to the Gisle group, there were no more monsters around the university. Wain walked through the empty streets as if yesterday there had been no apocalypse in this world.


    ''At the moment, there are two people with craft souls in this university, and one of them is a cksmith. This is a great start. I can hardly think of an even better option.'' Pondered Wain.<sub> </sub>


    ''My main goal might be to reach level 15, then I can evolve, and my power will reachpletely different heights. I discovered the second form. Can I find out how I can discover the third form?'' Wain wondered and opened the menu of skill enhancements.


    He saw the skill he was interested in on the list, to his surprise.


    [Nameless King''s Forms (Primary Chronicle Active Skill, Legendary Rating)


    ]


    [This skill hides forms of incredible power and limitless potential. You partially unlocked this skill and gained ess to two forms: Code of Light and Darkness and Cursed Swordsman. You have already progressed along your path, but this is only the beginning.


    To unlock the next form, the following conditions must be met -


    [Sorcerer''s Soul Required: 0/1]


    ''What? Sorcerer''s Soul? Is that a hint of magic? That sounds very strange but interesting. I hope I can sense where it is.'' Thought Wain and concentrated on feeling the energy.


    He had done it thest time and could easily tell where the Swordsman''s Soul was. This time he wanted to do the same, and to his surprise, he seeded.


    Wain''s Seal of Darkness shed brightly, and his mind drifted off into the distance.


    It showed him the approximate location of the necessary soul to unlock the third form. After a while, Wain saw the outline of a spatial rift thousands of meters away.


    ''It''s a lot farther than that park. Apparently, to get the Sorcerer''s Soul, I will somehow need to get to another part of Overion. If I''m not mistaken, the soul is somewhere in the northern part of town.'' Wain thought.


    Wain was not upset that the Sorcerer''s Soul was so far away. In a way, he was even happy about it.


    After all, his body was still struggling to endure the power of the second form, so if he got the third form, he would hardly be able to use it to its total capacity.


    Wain needed to be stronger first. Only when he could use the second form without problems, in his opinion, would it make sense to try to get the third form.


    Moreover, Wain had no idea how he could cross the massive chasms between parts of the city.


    ''That worm was gigantic. I''m not sure I could defeat it even if I used the Cursed Swordsman. Amazingly, such a powerful creature appeared at the beginning of the apocalypse. I wonder what''s going on in thergest and most populous cities now?'' Wain thought.


    Therger the city, the more monsters appeared. What''s more, people were fighting monsters and each other. Even at university, there was already a fight for the right to be a leader.


    Wain decided not to think about it anymore, he went further towards the forest, but suddenly Wain noticed something else in the skill improvement menu.


    [You can improve a skill - Lightning Lizard''s Dash]


    ''Hmm, I''ve gotten quite a lot of Soul Essencetely. It looks like I can make this skill even stronger.'' Wain thought and decided to improve Lightning Lizard''s Dash.


    [You''ve used 50% of your current Soul Essence amount. The Lightning Lizard''s Dash skill is ready to develop. Choose one of two ways]


    [Improve Chronicle skill]


    [Improve Rating skill]


    ''Maybe I should improve my Chronicle skill this time? Then Lightning Lizard''s Dash will be much more powerful. Although, no, that would be a mistake.


    I''m notcking in strength at the moment. As long as I can act prospectively, I should. The higher the skill''s Rating, the more powerful it will be after the Chronicle increases.'' Wain thought and once again chose the second option.


    Wain''s logic was not unique. It was how most people thought of who could develop some of their skills. It was an obvious decision with clear pluses and non-critical disadvantages.


    In the new world, the most important thing was power, and no one wanted to pass up any opportunity to increase their power. This applied to souls as well as skills and even money.


    [You have decided to improve your skill''s Rating]


    [Choose one of the suggested options]


    In the next moment, only two options appeared before Wain. This was the minimum number if one decided to improve the Rating rather than the Chronicle.


    [Lightning Boots]


    [Lizard Boots]

 Chapter 74 Boots

    [Lightning Boots]


    [Lizards Boots]


    "There are only two choices this time, which is a bit of a surprise. However, as far as I know, the number of options does not depend on the strength of skills.


    What''s more, the names of these skills are simr. It''s probably a natural progression for this skill." Wain muttered and opened the description of the first skill.


    [Lightning Boots (Primary Chronicle Active Skill, Epic Rating)


    When you use this skill, arge amount of Soul Essence umtes at your feet, which gradually bes dense, electrical discharges. In this way, you create something simr to lightning boots.


    You be considerably faster, and every step you take is like a lightning bolt. You can instantly cover a distance of five meters several times in a row.


    However, this skill puts a severe strain on your body, especially your legs. If overloaded, the tissues on your legs can tear and begin to bleed]


    [It is possible to develop the skill if the following conditions are met -


    [Epic Rating Whole Soul with Lightning Attribute: 0/1 is required.]


    ''This is dangerous, but by the looks of it, a powerful skill, it''s my style. Speed and power, that''s all you need.'' Thought Wain and opened the description of the second skill. He liked the description of Lightning Boots, but he wasn''t going to make any hasty decisions.


    [Lizard Boots (Primary Chronicle Active Skill, Epic Rating)


    When you use this skill, Soul Essence transforms into lizard-like green boots. Lizards are nimble, fast, and agile creatures, so you''ll get all those bonuses as well and even beyond.


    Your speed will increase one and a half times, as well as the height of your jump.]


    [It is possible to develop the skill if the following conditions are met -


    [Required Epic Rating of Whole Soul creature from the lizard family: 0/1]


    "This skill looks like the exact opposite of thest one. In this case, I''ll be able to move very fast for quite a long time, since apparently, this skill doesn''t put much strain on my body.'''' Wain pondered.


    He had two choices: power and danger or stability and efficiency. Wain seriously considered the former, but Lizard Boots was a beneficial and effective skill.


    "Lizard Boots don''t look as powerful as Lightning Boots, but I don''t have to worry about my safety, and I''ll always know what I can do with this skill," Wain muttered.


    After a while, he smiled broadly and said, "To hell with safety, I need power!"


    Wain decided to upgrade the skill to Lightning Boots at thest moment. The conditions for developing these skills were simr, so the main factor that influenced his decision was Wain''s desire to have a powerful and crushing skill.


    ''To get Lizard Boots, I need the soul of a creature from the lizard family. That''s rather curious. This is the first time I''ve encountered this wording of the condition. Hmm, but I need a soul with the lightning attribute to upgrade to Lightning Boots. Hell, it would be nice if a thunderstorm came.'' Wain thought.


    Wain also needed a soul with two attributes at once: darkness and lightning. Moreover, this soul had to be Epic Rating and Whole. When Wain got this soul, his additional soul would increase its Rating, and he would be many times stronger.


    ? ''The bottom line is that I need two souls, each with the Lightning attribute in them. I urgently need to find a ce where lightning or electric monsters dwell. But I can''t think of anything. At the moment, the element of lightning is the most problematic to obtain.'' Wain thought.


    If he needed a soul with the attribute of fire or water, he would have no problem getting them. Something to set fire to was easy, and monsters with the water attribute could be found in the sewers or the sea.


    ''Lightning and darkness, I choose the hardest options. However, when some time has passed since the beginning of the apocalypse, I will be able to find out from informants where certain monsters live.'' Thought Wain and headed toward the woods.


    He spent some time thinking and choosing how to improve the skill, but the main objective was to join Gisle''s group for now. Wain wanted to see what Clovis was capable of and how useful his craft soul was.


    ...


    After a couple of minutes, Wain reached Gisle''s makeshift camp. Wain was spotted by the guards watching the area while Gisle and the others were discussing something.


    They looked at him warily, but they let him into the camp after a closer look. Like most people at the university, they knew what Wain had done and how Gisle felt about him.


    "You weren''t lying. You did sleep for a long time, though we''re only in the preparation phase for now." Said Gisle.


    Wain nodded, "I see the elite squad is assembled."


    He looked at Teresa, Zero, the mutant girls, Grut, Lea, Rita, and even Agnes. But, Wain was already familiar with all of them, except for the one person sitting next to Gisle.<sub> </sub>


    It was Clovis. He was a tall guy with short blue hair and green eyes. He wore in clothes and steampunk sses.


    He also had a short axe in his hand with a white de with various patterns on it. Clovis liked that kind of peculiar style.


    Gisle nodded and pointed at Clovis, saying, "Here, he''s the second man with the craft profession. Clovis, this is Wain. He is the strongest man I have ever seen."


    Clovis smiled, stood up, and happily shook Wain''s hand. He was a pretty positive and outgoing man.


    "Hi! Nice to meet you. I''m Clovis, although you already know that. I take it you want to see the power of my soul in action?"


    "Sure, can you cut down that tree over there?" Said Wain pointing to a tree a few feet away.


    The Gisle group didn''t make it deep into the woods. They set up a small camp at the entrance and, after a little discussion, were about to move on, deeper into the woods.


    "I''ll make it to the top." Said Clovis and approached a tree.


    Then he put his axe out in front of him, and his aura intensified.


    It seemed as if the silhouette of a woodcutter, who for hundreds of years had been chopping down trees at a level beyond human reach, appeared above him.


    Staring at the aura emanating from Clovis''a''s body, Wain wondered.


    ''When souls appeared in my world, many theories on their origins were immediately advanced. However, I can''t call any of them likely to be true. Perhaps the souls we have received are the souls of beings from other worlds who died long ago.''


    ''Given that there are zones of the World of Darkness, this world, and my world, I do not rule out the possibility that other worlds exist. Maybe there are only a few, perhaps millions, and perhaps this world is thest. The ck mist destroyed my world, and the same could have happened to the other worlds.''


    ''But, I don''t like that option. Frankly, I don''t want to admit that my and other people''s poweres from other beings, in which case, whether a person will rule the world or obey depends on their luck. Of course, there are other factors, but luck would be the most important of them all in this theory.''


    ''There is another possibility. The souls that people received at the beginning of the apocalypse are our inner demons.


    These demons are the quintessential essence of our emotions, desires, power, and a thousand other aspects. These demons have emerged in us over the years of our lives, and Soul Essence has given us a chance to awaken them.''


    Wain decided this would be the best option of all. Moreover, his theory also answered a fundamental question: Why were humans the only ones without souls?


    If humans had inner demons that personified themselves instead of souls, then everything would be all right. Of course, in that case, humans still didn''t have souls, but they had something capable of recing them without any problem.


    When Clovis'' aura reached its limit, white energy headed toward the axe in his hands, and he made two smooth, vertical swings.


    He didn''t even touch wood in front of him, but a secondter, that wood turned into dozens of perfect nks. They were perfect for building.


    Then Clovis turned around, smiled, and said, "Done."


    "Not bad." Wain said briefly, "How many times in a row can you do something like that?"


    Clovis scratched the back of his head and said, "I think eight times, maybe ten, after which I''ll need a little rest."


    ''Impressive, I could chop that tree too, but not in two strokes, and I wouldn''t be able to turn the chopped pieces into perfect logs. His soul is definitely aimed at chopping trees.'' Thought Wain.


    "I see. Gisle said that you can control the logs you carve, is that right?" Asked Wain.


    Clovis nodded, "Yeah, it''s no problem, but I''ll also spend some energy on it. I''ll do it now."


    Then his aura began to intensify again, and a woodcutter''s silhouette appeared above him. Clovis''s eyes were covered in white energy like a veil, and the shape of a small structure began to line up behind him.


    It was like arge 3D drawing, with which one could quickly build something because one could see in what ce which piece had to be put.


    Then a white glow began to emanate from the wooden logs, and they rose into the air.


    Clovis had to control the whole process and guide each piece himself. He waved his hand, and lots of blocks flew into the drawing.


    So, after a minute, Clovis built a small structure resembling a tiny house.

 Chapter 75 Clearing The Forest

    When Clovis was finished with the wooden structure construction, he presented his work. Gisle smiled, and Wain nodded satisfactorily.


    "How big of a structure can you build?" Wain inquired.


    "About two or three times as big as this one. Ick the skill and experience to build more massive structures." Clovis replied.


    "Not bad." Said Wain and turned to Gisle, "We''re lucky to have someone like Clovis among the students. Soon many buildings will be destroyed or useless. Then people will have to create new ones."


    "I agree, but we shouldn''t get ahead of ourselves. It will happen in a few months at best. Right now, we''re going to use Clovis'' abilities to create barricades and walls, as well as to clear the area."


    "What''s the n? Do you know anything about this terrain?" Asked Wain.


    "We n to move forward and gradually take over the forest area. Of course, we won''t be able to take over everything, and there''s no need for that. Then we will kill the monsters that will be close to our territory. After that, we''ll take over other ces in the city." Gisle replied.


    "I see, Gisle, you don''t n to cross the canyons that divided Overion into four parts?"


    Gisle hesitated. He had no ns to extend his influence to other parts of Overion. First, he had to control the eastern partpletely. Besides them, many people were left in the east part of the city, and some of them had unique abilities.


    "Not yet." Gisle shook his head and said, "After this forest, we will take over the coast and then the western part of this region. There''s nothing of interest in the north except the park. ording to Teresa''s stories, most people there have been killed. I''m not wrong, am I?"


    Teresa nodded, "That''s right if there are other people left in the eastern part of Overion, they''re all in the west or trying to take over the coast."


    "I see," Wain replied briefly. He had no intention of joining Gisle''s group on any further travels. But, he decided to stay and clear the forest with them.


    At this point, the most crucial goal for Wain was to get souls and plenty of Soul Essence.


    "Which way do we go?" Wain asked.


    Gisle pointed the way with his head and said, "Straight ahead."


    After a minute, everyone was ready to go, and, led by Gisle, they headed deep into the woods.


    "What animals lived here before the apocalypse?" Agnes asked. She, like Wain, knew rather little about this ce. She needed more information.


    "Nothing unusual, various birds, rodents and raptors, as well as a fairlyrge number of insects. I think it''s the insects that are going to be our main adversaries." Said Gisle.


    "It will be problematic if we encounter a poisonous spider or something like that," Teresa said with a frown. She understood that at this point, they were defenseless against the venom.


    "You don''t have to worry about that. Rita will have no problem curing us of most poisons." Gisle said confidently.


    Everyone looked at Rita at the exact moment. She was embarrassed and said embarrassedly, "When we were clearing the main base of monsters, I got a skill book and one beneficial skill... I can''t heal your wounds, but I can dispel poison."


    Wain looked around and looked at the dozen people walking behind them. They had all awakened their Soul Altar and were ready to follow Gisle and fight with him.


    ''It''s too crowded in here. I wish some monster would show up soon,'' thought Wain.


    Nevertheless, ten minutes into the journey, nothing happened. They had already entered the woods quite deep, and Gisle decided to stop here.


    "All right, Clovis, you must clear this area and create barricades. This will be one of our main points in this forest. The rest of us have to defend it and help." Gisle gave themands.


    Clovis nodded and headed for the nearest tree, but suddenly everyone felt the ground shake. It wasn''t an earthquake. This shaking was artificially created.


    Wain smiled. After a while, they finally met their opponent, and it looked like a pretty strong one.


    Then everyone saw the ground in front of Clovis split apart.


    "Clovis, get out of there!" Gisle said loudly, and the guy instantly ran backward.


    Momentster, a massive creature crawled out of the ground, resembling a golem, but significantly different. The monster was over seven meters tall, its entire body was covered in thick moss, and it had two long horns on its head.<sub> </sub>


    This monster looked powerful, but Gisle and his team were not going to back down.


    "Kill it! Lea, Clovis, stand aside, the rest of you to fight!" Gisle shouted and, armed with a katana, attacked the earthen golem.


    Some people were afraid of this monster, but when they saw Gisle running toward him, they decided to support him and attacked the earthen golem in the same way.


    ''Hmm, I didn''t pay much attention to it before, but there are so many people here. A little over twenty people here have already activated their Soul Altar if I''m not mistaken. This monster is huge, but it can''t do anything against that many people.'' Wain thought.


    He did not take part in this battle. He preferred to keep an eye on Clovis and Lea. At the moment, these two were the most important people in the entire university, except Gisle.


    Gisle couldn''t leave Lea at the university, as it was much more dangerous there than in the woods at the moment. Only a few people left at the university who had awakened their Soul Altars.


    Being surrounded by strong people was much better for Lea, even if there were monsters around.


    The earth golem crawled out from under the ground as Clovis invaded his territory. The monster didn''t expect to be attacked by several people at once, but that didn''t mean it couldn''t respond.


    The monster thrust its stone hand deep into the ground, and the next moment everyone could feel the surface shaking again. Then many roots emerged from beneath the ground, which like sharp bays, instantly pierced the three humans.


    This attack was too quick and unexpected for them to react in time. The roots pierced their hearts, so they could not survive. They slowly died surrounded by theirrades.


    "No!" Shouted one man and began furiously attacking the roots, but there was hardly any damage to them.


    Suddenly, one of the roots split in two and pierced the man. The four men''s blood dripped onto the ground, and their life slowly left them. Just a minute ago, they were alive and unaware of anything.


    This scene struck fear into the hearts of the other men. They thought that since there were so many of them, they would have no problem dealing with any monster. Someone was about to start running, but suddenly a wind de flew toward the earth golem.


    This de was powerful enough to chop off one arm of the earth golem. It fell to the ground with a rumble and shattered intorge pieces.


    "Don''t you dare retreat! We must kill it right here and now, or those roots will sink into your backs, and you will be nothing more than pieces of meat for this monster!" Gisle said loudly.


    He also didn''t expect the monster to be so strong, and they would lose several men at once. Gisle decided to use one of his abilities to inflict a severe wound on the golem at once and show that this monster could be defeated.


    The group members then came to their senses and attacked again, but Teresa and Agnes defined them. They attacked the earth golem from two sides. The monster thrust its second hand into the ground, and many roots emerged from beneath it.


    The roots were directed toward Agnes, as her attacks were mighty and problematic for the earth golem.


    Agnes tried to dodge, but the roots gradually approached her, but Grut appeared in front of Agnes at thest moment. He put his shield forward, and the roots couldn''t do anything to him. Moreover, they couldn''t even prate his body, let alone his shield.


    ''I knew it before, but Grut has a powerful soul. It''s not normal that such a strong monster can''t even prate his skin. Those roots were able to be seriously wounded, even me. However, defense is Grut''s only outstanding parameter.'' Thought Wain.


    When the earth golem killed three people, Wain wanted to intervene, for this monster could hurt Clovis and Lea. Wain could not let that happen. But when Teresa, Gisle, Grut, and Agnes attacked the monster, he decided that their strength was enough.


    The earth golem tried to counterattack somehow, but it failed. Teresa pierced him with her rapier making sharp lunges. Agnes furiously attacked him with powerful blows to one spot.


    Gisle cut the monster''s flesh apart, not giving it a chance to wound him. Grut could not damage the golem, but he could protect his allies, which was very important during such a battle.


    The situation for the golem was getting worse by the second. The monster decided to take itsst chance to win this battle.


    Suddenly its branches swelled, and the people they pierced began to shrivel up like mummies. The earth golem took its life force for itself and gradually grew stronger.


    However, this did notst long as a sma sword abruptly appeared in the sky and shattered those roots.


    Earthbound looked fiercely at the smirking Wain. Then Agnes appeared before him, shattering the golem''s head into small pieces with one mighty fist.


    ''This monster didn''t even have a chance to win, yet it still managed to kill four people. This world has truly be a cruel ce.'' Thought Wain as he watched the blue soul fly into Agnes'' body.

 Chapter 76 Creating Weapons

    The attack of the Earth Golem came as a surprise to everyone, but the most vital members of the group quickly dealt with this monster. Unfortunately, the earth golem managed to kill four people, which was a significant loss.


    However, Gisle wasn''t going to feel sorry for them. On the contrary, he looked at all the members of the group and said,


    "I''m sorry that we lost ourrades, but they are to me for their deaths. This monster wasn''t so powerful that it couldn''t be defeated without casualties especially considering our numbers.


    These four were inattentive and thought that they were invulnerable since there were so many of us. Don''t repeat their mistakes, or you too will die!" Gisle said loudly.


    His words were quite cruel, but no one would contradict him. Deep down, everyone knew that he was right and that the most important thing was to survive. If they died, nothing else mattered.


    As Agnes struck the final blow, her soul headed for her body. No one minded since she had done the most damage to this monster.


    "You decided not to participate?" Asked Wain looking at Zero standing off to the side. She didn''t even move during the fight and just watched.


    Zero nodded, "Yes, I thought some other monster would show up. I was preparing for an attack from the side."


    ''She''s pretty smart and calcting. Even though she''s a mutant, it hasn''t affected her character. She doesn''t have a beastly nature and a blind desire to kill and destroy. It''s exciting...'' thought Wain.


    After the battle was over, Gisle instructed him to bury the dead and examine the earth golem.


    Earlier, he had consulted with Lea about whether the monster parts would be helpful to them, to which Lea responded positively.


    She had the soul of a cksmith, so she intuitively knew what woulde in handy for making equipment.


    Of course, not all monsters were useful, but many monsters had horns, ws, solid protective tes, and so on. All of these could be used to create armor or weapons.


    "Wain, don''t you know what these are?" Asked Agnes approaching Wain.


    He looked at her questioningly.


    "I''m talking about it." Said Agnes, and arge, blue chest appeared beside her the next moment.


    Everyone was surprised. They knew how difficult it was to get the Soul Chest, for the chances were very slim.


    "Just open it and get your reward. Luck is on your side today." Wain replied.


    The chest was quiterge. Wain thought it contained some medium sized weapon, a sword, or a short axe.


    However, when Agnes opened the chest, Wain muttered with a wry smile, "Is that some kind of curse?"


    In the chest was a gauntlet, but Wain could hardly call the object a gauntlet. It was a martial, stone gauntlet. It was long and massive,pletely covering a human''s arm at the elbow.


    It looked more like a piece of stone, bulky armor than an article of clothing. Agnes was satisfied, though. She fought hand-to-hand and attacked with her fists most of the time. It was a simple but powerful fighting style.


    This equip suited her perfectly.


    "Wow!" Clovis said loudly. He had never before received Soul Chest and spirit gear. His axe, was a quality piece of craftsmanship his father had given him long ago.


    "I want that kind of gear, too! The next monster is after me!" Said Clovis.


    Gisle walked up to him and thumped him on the head, "Didn''t you see what happened to those four? Do you want to die just like them?"


    Clovis smiled awkwardly, "Okay, okay, I was just kidding, don''t be so nervous."


    Agnes put on abat gauntlet, and Wain said, "Don''t you want to show her power?"


    He was curious to see the power of the object. The more information he had, the better.


    "Okay, then step aside. From the description, it''s going to be something devastating and expansive." Said Agnes and walked over to the nearest tree.


    She put her palm to the bark as if taking aim and then clenched her hand into a fist and struck sharply. The force of the blow sent out a shockwave, and at that moment, everyone heard a loud snap.


    Then more than five trees in front of Agnes were shattered and fell to the ground. It was a mighty blow to the area. It was as effective against multiple opponents as against one massive enemy.


    "Not bad," Wain replied briefly.


    Clovis and Lea had a more violent reaction. They were ecstatic about such power and just as eager to someday get that kind of equipment.


    Gisle saw their burning eyes and decided to reassure them, "You shouldn''t try to be like Agnes. You have an entirely different task.<sub> </sub>


    Even when ites to fighting, you are unlikely to fight as aggressively and riskily as she does. Don''t forget that your strength is that you have special abilities. None of us can do what you do."


    Lea and Clovis nodded, but you could see from their eyes that they had not given up on the idea of being as strong as Agnes.


    ''They were impressed by the destructive power of a single attack, but they are inexperienced and don''t realize that such power has a corresponding payoff.'' Thought Wain looking at Agnes.


    Her arm was hurting very badly after that attack. She tried to hide it, but Wain noticed it quickly.


    ''Hmm, Agnes has a strong body, but using thatbat glove is pretty traumatic. Considering the snap and shockwave afterwards, this glove is something like the way a piston works.'' Wain thought.


    After a couple of minutes, the four men were buried deep in the woods, and Clovis returned to his primary task.


    Gisle and the others dismembered the earth golem and used valuable parts to make weapons.


    "Lea, would you like to try creating something with this?" Asked Gisle handing the girl two of the monster''s horns.


    Lea looked at them carefully and then nodded. Lea could create a good piece of equipment depending on many factors, but her skills were most important.


    She needed the practice to learn how to create masterpieces in the future.


    ''Looks like I''ll finally get to see Lea in action. Last time she forged an ordinary kitchen knife. The description said the item was the greatest garbage, but this dagger was sharp enough to wound me.'' Wain thought.


    He was not the only one curious to see how Lea would create a weapon. A crowd of people was formed around Lea. They waited for Lea to start, but nothing happened.


    "Lea, is there a problem?" Gisle asked, puzzled.


    Lea muttered quietly, "I..."


    "What?" Repeated Gisle, he didn''t hear what Lea said. She spoke too quietly.


    "I can''t work with so many people looking at me!" Suddenly Lea said loudly.


    Everyone was surprised, but they nodded understandingly and stepped aside after a couple of seconds.


    Like any human being, Lea wanted to work infort to concentrate and create a quality piece.


    But, a few people continued to stand in their seats anyway, and one of them was Wain. He wanted to see the process of creating the object up close.


    Lea didn''t say anything to him, and when she was ready, her aura gradually increased. Then a silhouette of a human-like figure appeared above her. It was impossible to tell if it was a woman or a man.


    Then Lea''s eyes glowed blue and strange changes began to happen to them. The energy in the pupils slowly turned into a kind of gear. It looked strange but exciting.


    Next, an energy hammer appeared in Lea''s hand. A mighty and ancient aura emanated from it.


    ''If I didn''t know it was Lea and that she had a craft soul, I would have thought that this aura wasing from a powerful being. Her soul harbors incredible power. I wonder if she''ll create garbage again this time or if she''ll get lucky, and we''ll see a masterpiece.'' Thought Wain.


    ng. ng. ng.


    Lea began to strike the horn of the earth golem with her hammer. She became faster and more urate with each blow, and her aura gradually intensified. Wain and the others even felt the pressure being applied to them.


    "Amazing..." Said Teresa. She also decided not to move away despite Lea''s words. She wanted to see the process of making the gear more than anyone else.


    After Lea struck the horn with over a thousand blows, changes began to happen to it. Blue energy headed towards it, and then Lea started hitting the hammer with crazy speed.


    Wain could hardly keep track of her movements. She was hitting more than five times a second, which was not the limit.


    ''Craft souls harbor great potential. They''re not that good forbat, but I can say with certainty that they''re mighty. It''s hard to achieve that kind of speed and power.'' Wain pondered.


    Many people thought those craft souls were only good for making things, but that wasn''t entirely true. A person with a craft soul could also be very strong, but not initially.


    These people were like the sprout of a tree. In the beginning, they were weak, but then by increasing their experience and knowledge, they could possess amazing skills and equipment.


    After a minute, Lea''s aura returned to normal, and she deactivated her skill. Using this skill took a lot of strength and energy from her, but the job was done.


    A re-forged earth golem horn was in her hands, which now looked like a straight de with a simple hilt without a guard.

 Chapter 77 Water

    Lea looked at the description of the object and frowned. The de in Lea''s hands looked sharp and deadly. Then she handed the de to Gisle, and he gave it to Wain.


    [de of the Tree Horn (Primary Chronicle, Rare Rating)


    It was an excellent material to create a formidable weapon, but an inexperienced and inept cksmith had turned this horn into the worst garbage possible. Any self-respecting person would never pick up this weapon]


    "Yeah, that''s quite a description." Wain thought and swung the de.


    To his surprise, it was quite a strong weapon. This de was sharper than most swords and daggers, yet again the description said it was not a weapon but garbage.


    Wain handed the de to Lea and said, "Don''t feel bad. That kind of description is specific to your soul."


    p Lea said nothing. She only frowned, she was hurt that she had created such a terrible object. Lea tried hard, she thought she could make a masterpiece this time, but the reality was more brutal.</anda>


    "I agree." Gisle stepped into the conversation, "On the contrary, I would rejoice if I were you. If the second weapon you''ve created has such sharpness and ease and it''s called garbage, imagine what a masterpiece would be like. Don''t give up."


    Lea again answered nothing and nodded. She still sat in one ce for a long time with a frown on her face. Lea did not tolerate failure well and was highly susceptible to criticism.


    Gisle and Wain were right to support her. Otherwise, she might even have be depressed.


    After that, Gisle handed out instructions to the people and Clovis, who headed off to cut down trees. For the next two hours, nothing happened, and Wain became bored.


    ''The checkpoint is progressing fast, but I''m wasting time here. I need to level up and find the souls I need, but where can there be many monsters with the lightning attribute? I need to find the Dungeon.'' Thought Wain and headed deep into the woods.


    Gisle saw this, but he said nothing. Wain was not someone he could and wanted to control.


    Wain was on his own. Gisle thought of ways to get Wain to be with them all the time, but he soon realized that it was a futile task.


    He didn''t want to ruin his rtionship with Wain. He was fine with it, for Wain was the strongest he knew, and that was the main thing.


    It was also one of the reasons why Gisle wanted to develop as quickly as possible as a leader. He wasn''t stupid and understood that if he were to be the leader of the main base in Overion, Wain would help him from time to time.


    That way, he would maintain a rtionship with a strong ally and build up his power faster.


    "When we capture a few points, we''ll have toe up with a name. There will only be more people as time goes on... eh, it''s such a headache." Gisle muttered.


    ...


    Wain decided to go straight ahead, the sea surrounded the forest and the city on the other, so Wain walked forward and hoped to meet strong opponents.


    After a couple of minutes, he saw the first monsters. They were three massive wolves with red fur and creepy fangs. At that moment, they were asleep and had no idea that anyone intended to attack them.


    Wain waved his hand, and a sma sword appeared in the air and rained down on the wolves, but Wain didn''t have time to kill thest monster.


    The red wolf was able to react and bounce back. The beast acted instinctively.


    Seeing Wain and the sword floating in the air, it pounced on him. Wain did not retreat. At that moment, the wolf was no danger to him.


    The monster opened its mouth wide and tried to grab Wain''s flesh and tear it apart, but at thest moment, Wain disappeared from the monster''s sight. He found himself on the left side and punched it with his fist as hard as possible.


    From such a strong blow, the monster flew aside, this attack did not kill the wolf, but then the sma sword copsed on him, and the monster''s head fell to the ground.


    Then three white souls flew into Wain''s body.


    [Soul of Red Wolf (Destroyed)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Common]


    Wain immediately crushed these souls and gained a small amount of Soul Essence.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Red Wolf level 8.]<sub> </sub>


    "Not enough. It''s too little. If I don''t find a Dungeon here, then I''ll kill every living thing in this forest and move on to another area." Wain thought.


    Even if he killed all the monsters in this forest, it didn''t mean that there would be nothing else to fight in this area.


    Monsters could have appeared because of any phenomena or cataclysm that urred with some periodicity in this world. The most important factor was the presence of Soul Essence.


    For the next few hours, Wain explored the forest and fought. To his disappointment, he did not encounter anyone strong enough for him to call it a battle to the death.


    But, a few monsters managed to wound him. One of those monsters was a ten-foot-tall Ent. It was arge creature resembling a tree, only with arms, legs, and a deadly mouth.


    Wain thought he would have no problem killing this monster, but that was not the case. He had to use several skills, and after their battle, one area of the forest turned into a ce of craters and fallen trees.


    However, this battle helped Wain get closer to one of his main goals. He had leveled up to 12, and now he only had three levels left before he could evolve.


    "Judging by the map, I''ve already walked a third of the forest and still haven''t found the Dungeon or the Nest. That''s not good. I need to move towards the sea." Thought Wain.


    After a few minutes, Wain emerged from the forest and found himself on the edge of a ledge.


    It was impossible to get directly to the beach from the forest because the forest was much higher than the shore, and there was a ledge of more than ten meters in high.


    Wain looked into the distance and wondered, ''When the apocalypse began in this world, the dark barriers at the borders of the visible world disappeared. There was nothing like that in my world.


    This world is quite different. Given that Overion is in the northeast, I am now looking in the direction of where the dark barriers were.''


    While in Overion, Wain had already encountered several strong opponents. Some of them were in the World of Darkness, with some he had fought in the city.


    Wain understood that this was only the beginning, and in a month or a year, this world would be significantly transformed, and it would be easy to find monsters several times stronger than the Forgotten.


    But, the main danger lurked in thends beyond the dark walls. Wain believed that there might initially be creatures there that wereparable in power to the worst monsters that existed at the moment.


    ''Thends formerly hiding behind the dark barrier are vast. All the most interesting things must be there. But, it will be a while before I can get there.'' Wain thought.


    In theory, Wain could find a boat or even a whole ship and try to swim there, and it was quite possible, but not after the apocalypse.


    "Even before the apocalypse, the underwater world was not fully explored. There must be many dangerous monsters out there, many of them like the monsters from myths and legends," Wain muttered and looked at the shore.


    He hade here hoping that near the sea would have strong monsters and great numbers. But, to his disappointment, there were no monsters on the shore.


    "Damn, do I have to go back? Because I woke up ratherte, the sun is already going into sunset. Staying in the woods at night is not a good time." Wain muttered and walked toward Gisle''s camp.


    But, after a couple of steps, he stopped and muttered, "If I want to level up, I need a lot of monsters, which means I need to stay here instead of leaving here."


    Wain tried to think rationally and logically, but at the moment, this way of thinking was not helping him. It was hindering him.


    His top priority had to be getting Soul Essence, which meant the night forest teeming with monsters was the perfect ce. It was risky but profitable.


    So Wain went back and looked out over the sea, behind which the sun was slowly disappearing. When deep night fell, Wain was ready to fight. He had healed from all his earlier wounds and was full of strength.


    "All right, let''s go." Said Wain, but as soon as he took a step, he heard a thunderous rumble.


    Wain turned around and saw that clouds with hundreds of blue lightning bolts had gathered over the sea. This was happening not far from the shore so that Wain could see everything.


    "This is not a normal thunderstorm or storm. Under normal conditions, thunderclouds can''t appear so quickly. There must have been arge amount of Soul Essence umted there." Proimed Wain.


    He waited to see what would happen next. If a monster appeared in the wake of this storm, it would indeed possess the attribute of lightning.


    "Given the power of these electrical discharges, the monster will be mighty and unique. In that case, I might be able to get the soul I want." Wain considered himself very lucky to be in this ce.


    Then all the electrical discharges turned into one powerful lightning bolt that struck the water. Wain prepared for battle, he thought a monster was about to appear in that ce, but Wain''s expectations were not to be.


    No monster appeared at the spot where the lightning struck, but Wain saw a massive well of ink-ck water emerge from the water.

 Chapter 78 The Dark Well

    Wain stared in wonder at the well that had appeared. He didn''t know what it was, but he vaguely guessed.


    "Could it be therge umtion of Soul Essence that caused the Dungeon to appear?" Wain muttered.


    Sven had told him that Dungeon could appear because of a Soul Essence cluster in one ce. This blue and mighty lightning was the catalyst that caused this well to appear.


    Wain immediately headed there. The slope was high and straight, but Wain stuck his sword into the wall and thus slowly descended.


    He did not wait long as this well was perfect for him.


    "This well came from a lightning strike during the night. That means there may be monsters with the lightning attribute and the darkness attribute there. Perhaps because of the territorial position, there will also be monsters with the attribute of water." Mumbled Wain.


    A massive crab immediately emerged from the sand when he stepped onto the beach. It was very simr to the one Wain had met when he first arrived at Overion.


    Wain didn''t pay much attention to this monster. He swung his arm, and the sma sword sliced the crab in two. The white soul flew into Wain''s body, and he immediately crushed it.


    Then when Wain took a few more steps and approached the well, he saw a dark fog and the corresponding message, just like thest time.


    [You have entered in the area of Dungeon - Muddy Waters]


    ''When in the store, in front of me appeared the crypt, the scout ants immediately ran out of it, but this time the monsters seem to be in no hurry toe out.'' Wain thought.


    The entrance to the Dungeon was a few dozen yards from the shore, so Wain had to get wet and swim some distance. Then he sprawled out and jumped into the muddy water in the well.


    Wain expected a lot from this Dungeon. In this ce, he could get arge amount of Soul Essence and get the souls he needed.


    In the new world, much also depended on luck and how fast one could make decisions. If a man wanted to progress quickly, he had to react instantly to any opportunities that arose.


    Wain could bide his time, assess the situation, and see if everything was all right with this well, but in that case, he would lose a lot of time.


    Moreover, since he was the first to see this Dungeon, he had to be the first to enter it.


    A few secondster, Wain found himself inside the Dungeon. Unlike the ant caves, this ce looked very different. It looked more like a massive temple hiding under water.


    All around him, Wain saw various statues and decorations. Moreover, the rooms were of familiar human forms.


    ''Do some anthropomorphic creatures inhabit here?'' Thought Wain, cautiously walking forward.


    Last time he encountered monsters almost immediately, but he saw no one in front of him. However, Wain was in the entrance hall. It was a massive and spacious room. He had to go further and find the monsters.


    "Darkness, lightning, water..." Mumbled Wain, "There might be trouble with thetter. It will be a nuisance if I get a soul with the attribute of lightning, but that soul will also have water. That could ruin everything, and I wouldn''t be able to improve the skill."


    As Wain walked to the next room, he pondered about souls and possible interaction with them, ''I wonder if there is a craft soul that can somehow change souls or separate them? Most likely, the former is impossible, but thetter is quite doable.''


    After a while, Wain saw his first opponents, but in fact, they were the ones already waiting for him. They were anthropomorphic creatures simr to the aquatic race. They had scales, gills in the neck area, flippers, and teeth like a shark.


    But, their weapons were not their teeth. They were armed with long spears with sharp tips. There were seven of them in all.


    "Are those the Merfolk? At least they look very simr, well okay, they shouldn''t pose a threat to me." Said Wain and snapped his finger.


    A sma sword appeared beside him, and like ck lightning, it flew toward the monsters. The sword was swift, but the monsters did not let themselves be wounded. They bounced to the sides in sync and simultaneously threw their spears at Wain.


    Wain didn''t expect them to work so cohesively, like a real team. This synchronized attack surprised him, but he was fast enough to dodge it. He bounced to the side at thest moment, and sevennces stabbed into the same spot.


    The monsters were sure their attack would reach Wain, so they quickly headed to pick up their weapons after failing.


    However, Wain was not about to let them do that. He swung his arm, and the sma sword shattered the spears into pieces in a second. Now, these scraps couldn''t be called weapons.


    "They work well as a team, but they have problems with intelligence. However, they were just too confident in their reception." Mumbled Wain and attacked the monsters.


    He aimed his sma sword at one of the monsters while turning into blue lightning and instantly got to one of his enemies.<sub> </sub>


    Turning around, Wain kicked one monster in the head. His blow was so powerful that the monster''s head flew off its shoulders and mmed into the wall like a projectile.


    Wain''s strength was at a high level that only a few people could reach by this point.


    The monsters didn''t expect Wain to be able to kill any of them with a single move. Wain''s strength instilled fear and terror in them, but they had no right to retreat.


    They attacked Wain furiously, but the bodies of three of them were cut open by the sma sword in a second.


    The other three, Wain attacked them hand-to-hand. One he hit with a powerful palm strike to the chest. Given Wain''s physical strength, he used this move to shatter the enemy''s chest.


    He then dodged the second monster''s attack, grabbed it by the arm, and thundered it to the ground. Wain delivered a powerful punch with his fist, and the monster''s head was crushed.


    Thest monster tried to w at Wain with its powerful jaws, but Wain prevented it from doing so.


    He grabbed the monster''s head at thest moment and drove it into the floor with all his might. The monster''s skull began to crack and bleed internally with such a mighty blow.


    Then seven white souls flew into Wain''s body.


    [Soul of Merfolk Warrior (Destroyed)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Common]


    Wain immediately crushed these souls.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Merfolk Warrior level 13.]


    "They had level thirteen? That''s impressive, they weren''t particrly strong, but that''s from my perspective. In fact their attacks were dangerous, and their actions were quick and right. Most peopleing here would have been killed." Wain muttered.


    The higher the monster''s level was, the more Wain would get Soul Essence after using its soul.


    To Wain''s surprise, he got something else besides Soul Essence.


    [You get Common Rating Spiritual Box]


    Wain smiled and immediately opened the box. He was curious to see what expendable item he would get this time.


    It turned out to be a small scroll again, with various symbols written on it, iprehensible to Wain.


    [Skill Scroll - Water Spear Squall (Primary Chronicle, Common Rating)


    Using this scroll creates multiple water spears that rain down on a single area. You can only use this scroll once, after which it will burn]


    "in and simple," Wain muttered and moved the skill scroll to the Ring of Damned.


    The item he received was not unique or rare, but he could use this scroll to destroy his enemies.


    ...


    For the next hour, Wain moved around the temple fighting Merfolks. These monsters were in almost every room, and most of them were ready for Wain.


    Despite their preparation, however, they were unable to bridge the huge power gap in this way. Wain had no problem killing each of them while collecting Soul Essence.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Merfolk Warrior level 13.]


    Wain crushed another soul and smiled the next moment contentedly.


    [You have leveled up to level 13. You get 3 status points to distribute freely]

 Chapter 79 Tentacles

    Wain has leveled up to 13 and has only two more steps to take before he can begin to evolve. It would be the most crucial step in his post-apocalypse life, even more, important than discovering the second form.


    ''Unfortunately, I don''t know anything about how evolution happens, but it sure must be something amazing. Only a few people in my world have been able to evolve, and they weren''t going to share their secrets with anyone.'' Thought Wain and headed on his way.


    He was pleased with the amount of Soul Essence he had received. The Merfolk Warriors were strong opponents, but for Wain. That said, they had a fairly high level. After a while, each of them would be able to evolve.


    So Wain could gain a significant amount of Soul Essence while fighting opponents that weren''t particrly strong for him.


    A level one monster and a level twelve monster were no different for Wain in terms of difficulty. Of course, there were exceptions, and a lot depended on the Soul Rating.


    This Dungeon was the ce Wain was looking for. Initially, he thought he would find a Dungeon or Nest in the woods, but the reality turned out to be a little different.


    After getting his soul, Wain headed on, this underwater temple had many rooms in each of which enemies were waiting for him.


    For the next two hours, Wain spent destroying his enemies one by one. These fights were not exciting and seemed boring to Wain, but he quickly gained souls with plenty of Soul Essence.


    Unfortunately, Wain didn''t get the Spiritual Box anymore, and all the souls were Destroyed states.


    Wain was not upset, he realized that rank-and-file monsters like the Merfolk Warriors were in the thousands or more at this point. With suchrge numbers, it was problematic to get Whole Soul.


    As Wain killed another group of monsters, he muttered, "This Dungeon is much bigger than thest one. I am wandering around for hours and haven''t met anyone but Merfolk Warriors. This is beginning to bore me."


    Unfortunately, there was no change over the next three hours. Wain had to fight the same monsters repeatedly, and he realized that it wasn''t as easy as he originally thought.


    Wain was starting to get tired, he barely spent any energy to kill one monster, but he had already killed several hundred in a couple of hours. This slowly wore him down both mentally and physically.


    Wain was a man who liked the variety and constantly wanted to see and feel something new. This included both physical phenomena and emotional ones.


    He liked to travel, but he didn''t mind reading a book for a couple of days or ying a game for hours on end.


    So, this kind of routine only made him feel tedium. He had never experienced anything like this before, as he had never had to kill several hundred people back.


    Even for him, it was something out of the ordinary, not because it was cruel, but because it was hard for Wain to imagine a reason why he would have to kill so many people.


    However, after the apocalypse had begun, he had a reason to kill thousands or even millions of monsters and maybe people.


    "Eh, too bad I can''t get a soul by killing people, that would be interesting. In that case, though, people would kill themselves. Our greed knows no bounds." Wain muttered and headed for the next room.


    To his surprise, the ce was empty. Wain was immediately wary. He realized that it was unlikely that Dungeon would have had such a room and not had a trap in it.


    However, Wain did not notice anything strange. No one attacked him, and no trap was activated. It was weird, but Wain decided to move on.


    He strolled forward, and as he passed the room, he thought to himself, ''Am I being paranoid? Damn, I''ve spent so much time getting ready to attack or activate a trap, and nothing happened!''


    Wain was angry. He felt like a fool at that moment, even though he had actually done the smart and rational thing. He couldn''t find an exnation for the fact that there was no one in the great hall, and it annoyed him.


    Wain walked down a long corridor that was illuminated by a few blue crystals. They didn''t shine very strongly and were like dim torches. After a minute, Wain reached the next hall.


    "I see. I''m not paranoid after all. These bastards decided to ambush me." Proimed Wain was looking at more than fifty Merfolk Warriors. They were all waiting for Wain to arrive.


    Wain prepared for battle. The sma sword appeared beside him, and he was ready to attack, but suddenly he felt strange.


    ''They''re not attacking. What are they up to?'' Thought Wain and swung his hand.


    The sma sword flew toward the monsters, but one of the Merfolks struck the ground with his spear at the exact moment. The other monsters did the same, and at that moment, arge magical circle lit up on the ground.<sub> </sub>


    A barrier formed around the monsters, and the sma sword could not prate it. The weapon bounced aside as if it had been knocked away by a powerful blow.


    Wain attacked a few more times, trying to break through the barrier, but was unsessful. Then he was about to use the skill, but suddenly Wain stopped. The actions of his opponents seemed strange to him.


    ''They have hidden behind this barrier and are not trying to attack. What''s the point of their actions if they can''t attack me?'' Thought Wain, but then he began to understand what his opponents were up to.


    ''They can''t attack me. Their tactics don''t make sense, but what if they aren''t defending against me? Then...'' Wain thought, and suddenly the hall trembled.


    Then there were many cracks in the walls, and the hall slowly began to fill with water. A loud cracking sound was heard, and a huge creature destroyed the room''s left wall.


    "An octopus!?" Wain said in amazement as he looked at the creature that caused intense destruction.


    Wain did not consider his opponent and tried to retreat. It was to his disadvantage to fight in the water against creatures with gills and a giant octopus. Moreover, this was no ordinary octopus living in the sea. It was also a monster.


    Outwardly it was not much different from its brethren, but it was much bigger and stronger. However, that alone was enough to instill terror in many.


    "Damn!" Said Wain looking at the torrents of watering from the other side. At that moment, he realized that he could not escape from this trap.


    The worst thing that could happen to him was a flood, and it happened. Wain wasn''t prepared for that. He didn''t think there could be an enemy outside in Dungeon.


    ''I was too frivolous. I thought these rooms were the boundaries of the Dungeon like it was with the ant colony, but it looks like that turned out not to be the case. This octopus lives in this Dungeon, which means there is arge space around this temple where various sea creatures live.''


    Initially, Wain thought the Dungeons were a maze or something simr. He thought it was a chain of rooms and a passageway at the end of which was a boss. But now he realized he was thinking too primitively.


    His belief that the structure of all Dungeons was the same had gotten him into trouble and put him in such a dangerous situation.


    Wain wasn''t afraid he couldn''t handle the Merfolk Warriors in the water. He was sure he would be stronger even in their territory. But, he didn''t know how much water there was around him, which made him wary.


    He could hold his breath for no more than five minutes. That was pretty good for a human, but in terms of time, it wasn''t much. It was impossible to swim vast distances in five minutes.


    Water filled half the hall after a couple of seconds, and the Merfolk Warriors canceled the protective barrier. The octopus was not with them. It was a third party who could attack both Wain and Merfolks.


    The monsters were closer, so the octopus attacked Merfolks first, but they quickly backed off. By then, seventy percent of the hall was filled with water.


    Wain was off to the side, trying to think of a n of action, but first, he needed to see what was around this temple.


    Gradually, under the onught of water, the rest of the building began to copse. Then the water swamped the entire space, and Wain had to hold his breath.


    He looked around and saw glimpses of sunlight high up. Wain frowned as the water around him was dark and murky. This meant that he was in deep water.


    At the exact moment, the Merfolks attacked him. Wain didn''t have time to fight them, so he swung his arm, and the sma sword came down on them.


    But, the Merfolks were much faster in the water. They attacked Wain swiftly and swirled around him like a deadly vortex.


    The Merfolks had to kill Wain before the octopus got to them. Wain initially wanted to kill them, but he couldn''t hurt them. The Merfolks were too fast in the water.


    Wain could hardly dodge their many attacks and block them with his sword.


    ''Curse, I can''t use Lightning Lizard''s Dash, since that way I''ll hit myself. Electricity and water don''t mix well, damn it!''


    In that situation, Wain had virtually no choice. He had to hold his breath, dozens of monsters were attacking him, and a huge octopus was slowly approaching him. It was a pretty bad situation.


    But, for situations like this, everyone had to have a trump card to help him survive, and Wain had such a card, even two.

 Chapter 80 The Island

    When Wain realized that he could not get out of such a dangerous situation by ordinary means, he decided to use one of his strongest skills.


    His aura increased dramatically by several times, and his ck hair changed its color to white. Wain decided to apply the Code of Light and Darkness and thus quickly kill the monsters and get out.


    Wain then swam to the side in one motion and pushed himself off the wall''s rubble behind him. His strength was enough to push off with such speed that he was instantly several meters behind the Merfolks.


    The monsters saw Wain trying to escape and pounced on him, but electrical discharges appeared around Wain''s body when they surrounded him and got close to him.


    Wain was going to use Lightning Lizard''s Dash even though he was underwater. He decided that in that situation, it was the best solution. Since he was using Code of Light and Darkness, even a severe electric shock would not seriously injure him.


    The Merfolks did not have time to retreat. They didn''t expect Wain to have such an ability in his arsenal. They were far more afraid of electricity than Wain. Merfolks had little resistance to the lightning attribute.


    Whoooosh.


    A momentter, Wain turned into blue lightning and flew upward a little over ten meters. Since Wain was in the water from the outside, this electrical surge looked like a vertical column of lightning from which thousands of electric discharges spread across the water.


    Many Merfolks were seriously injured, and some were on the verge of death, but none of them died. They were lucky enough to survive, but they did not pursue Wain further.


    He was too dangerous for them. The Merfolks thought that if they brought the octopus here and made Wain fight in the water that way, they would be in a winning situation. But, reality turned out to be unpredictable and cruel.


    Wain was swimming upward at a tremendous speed. He could not tell the exact distance, but he was under serious pressure because of the tons of water above him. If he had been an ordinary man, his bones would probably have been broken by now.


    When Wain wounded Merfolks, they were attacked by an octopus. He was fast and strong. The octopus far outnumbered the Merfolks in strength, even considering their numbers.


    They took a significant risk by luring such a dangerous monster here, and that bet yed against them. Wain swam outward, and the octopus attacked them. The Merfolks'' n proved to be an absolute failure on all counts.


    The Merfolks quickly regrouped and retreated. Some of them had to drag theirrades behind them, who could hardly move. They were closest to Wain when he decided to use Lightning Lizard''s Dash.


    ''Damn, I knew it was risky, but I didn''t expect it to hurt so much. My hand is still shaking from the shock, and I can''t get the shaking down. If I use Lightning Lizard''s Dash again underwater, I''m sure to get seriously hurt.'' Thought Wain as he swam toward the sunlight.


    He didn''t turn around and check the situations behind him, as he didn''t have time for that. He needed air urgently, or he risked choking in a few minutes.


    ''I can hold my breath for about four more minutes. Considering with how speed I''m swimming, I might not make it in time. That needs to be fixed somehow.'' Wain thought, and after a couple of seconds, an idea came to him.


    Then he reached forward as if he wanted to grab something and a sma sword appeared in his palm. Wain used his mind to make the sword fly on, thus speeding up a bit.


    ''All right, at this rate, I should be able to make it in time. Even though I used the Code of Light and Darkness, at the moment, I do not spend a lot of energy. It will be good if I don''t have to fight anyone before I float away.'' Wain thought.


    After half a minute, he decided to turn around, now he could afford to do so. Since by his calctions, he would reach the surface a minute before he could no longer hold his breath.


    Wain frowned as the octopus swam behind him. It couldn''t kill any of the Merfolks, but it could catch up with Wain and massacre him.


    Wain did not get greedy and conserve his strength, so he pointed his hand at the octopus and used Kic Shot.


    The kic bullet instantly reached the monster and blew off one of its tentacles. The octopus did not expect Wain to attack it at that distance. But, the monster decided to retreat.


    The octopus was furious at Wain''s actions, but for it, survival was paramount. The octopus didn''t know that Wain would only be able to use this skill two more times at best. Therefore, it decided to retreat, despite the wound it received.


    When Wain saw the octopus retreat, he breathed a sigh of relief.


    ''Okay, I''ve got that problem sorted out, but I''m not in the best position. I couldn''t kill any of them, yet I used three skills. I wasted quite a lot of energy, and if some other monster attacked me, the situation could have be critical.<sub> </sub>


    Moreover, I have no idea what''s up there. Perhaps when I surface, someone will attack me right away. Damn, this Dungeon turned out to be much bigger and moreplicated than thest one...'' Thought Wain.


    At that moment, he realized that because of his haste and inattention, he had not looked at what color the crystal was in the well or if there was one at all.


    ''Last time, there was a white crystal and four stripes in the ck crypt. But, the difficulty is definitely higher this time. I wonder which crystal was here? Shit, I''d done too lightly. I should have swum this well around and examined it closely.'' Thought Wain as he swam to the surface.


    Luckily no strong monsters appeared after the octopus. Before Wain had to surface, he decided to take a close look at the buildings in which he had fought the Merfolks.


    It looked like a long chain of rooms of about the same size, but after a few rooms, the chain broke off, and Wain didn''t know where it led.


    ''All right, I''ll look into itter if I get a chance. Sven said that the remaining Soul Essence would be a reward After killing everything living in the Dungeon. But, is it possible to kill all the creatures that live in these endless waters?'' Wain thought.


    As Wain swam up, he looked around, but he saw nothing but water all around him. He saw no ruins on the bottom, no buildings or sunken ships. Moreover, he couldn''t see the boundaries of the area. There was just water all around him.


    Then Wain finally surfaced. He took deep, measured breaths for a while to regain his bnce. His maximum for holding his breath in the water was five minutes, so it was quite difficult to sustain four minutes.


    Wain turned around and saw an ind in one direction. This ind was smaller than average in size, and a mere man could run around it in about half a day.


    Wain did not see any other noteworthy ces. So, after a short rest, he sailed toward the ind.


    Wain canceled the Code of Light and Darkness to not lose energy. He didn''t know how long he would be in that Dungeon.


    The ind was about a kilometer away. It took Wain a few minutes to reach it. He didn''t see any monsters on the shore, so he swam without fear of a surprise attack.


    "Finally," Wain muttered as he stepped onto the white sand. "Getting out of there was pretty dangerous and hard, but it looks like it''s only the beginning."


    Wain realized that the main test awaited him on this ind. On the one hand, he was d, for he did not like the condition of not understanding anything.


    Now he knew that his goal was to explore the ind and thus find the strongest creatures in the area.


    ''Hmm, I wonder if I can go back the same way asst time? After the octopus appeared, many halls were destroyed, the well and the portal could be broken.'' Thought Wain and stepped forward.


    Most of the ind was filled with jungle. It looked much like an ordinary ind.


    For some time, Wain made his way through the jungle thicket. He did not encounter any monsters on his way. He was surrounded by fruit trees and tall grass, but he saw no living creatures.


    After a while, Wain emerged from the jungle area and made his way to the ind''s center. Wain expected that there would be something interesting in this ce, and he waspletely right.


    But, what he saw shocked him, as he couldn''t give a logical exnation for it.


    "What the fuck is it flying around for?" Wain muttered, looking at the blue, electric stingray hovering in the air above the small pond in the ind''s center.


    Wain had seen many incredible things before, and he wouldn''t have been surprised if this stingray breathed fire like a dragon. But, the creature in front of him was simply floating in the air without using any skills.


    The blue stingray, which should have been floating on the seabed, hovered in the air like a bird. The scene seemed strange to Wain and beautiful because of the high contrast.


    Wain didn''t know if this stingray was a hostile creature or if it made sense to attack it. But, suddenly, the stingray looked at Wain, and then he realized that this creature was extremely dangerous.


    The stingray''s aura instantly increased to significant values, and his entire body was covered in electric shocks.

 Chapter 81 The Lightning Attribute

    The stingray Wain met was no ordinary stingray, but not because it could fly. What made this stingray unique was that it was electric. It was an unusual and dangerous opponent.


    Wain knew that some animals could create electric charges even before the apocalypse. Most sea creatures had this ability.


    The electric stingray and the electric eel were the most famous examples that almost everyone knew about. Now Wain was to fight one of them, only in an enhanced form.


    ''Its aura is strong, and from the sound of it, the electrical discharges it emits have enormous power, but doesn''t that mean it''s the perfect victim for me?'' Thought Wain.


    The flying, electric stingray was a rare monster. That meant that Wain had a high chance of getting Whole Soul, and he knew it. Also, if he killed this stingray, he would certainly get a soul with the lightning attribute.


    Wain wasn''t sure if the electric stingray''s soul would have the water attribute, but he hoped it wouldn''t. After all, in that case, he wouldn''t be able to use that soul to develop Lightning Lizard''s Dash.


    ''If this stingray is strong enough to wound me, then I''ll get the soul I need. In a way, it''s a lucky thing the Merfolks decided to ambush me and summon that octopus. Otherwise, I wouldn''t be here.'' Wain prepared for battle in his mind.


    Wain did not activate the Code of Light and Darkness again, for he did not know how strong this stingray was. Wain assumed that he would use the Cursed Swordsman as ast resort.


    He would like to avoid that since he would have to recover for several hours after using the second form, but he didn''t know how their battle would unfold.


    So, Wain prepared for the fight by waiting for his opponent to attack.


    Wain could have attacked first by sending the sma sword towards the stingray. However, he didn''t want to remain unarmed at the start of the battle.


    When the stingray umted enough energy, it immediately attacked Wain. Hundreds of electrical discharges converged into a single sh of blue lightning. It flew towards Wain with incredible speed.


    He barely managed to react to this attack and used Lightning Lizard''s Dash to get a safe distance away.


    A momentter, there was a deafening explosion, and Wain saw arge crater in the ground. Wain was wary, he knew that if that lightning struck him, he would suffer severe damage.


    ''Hmm, that stingray looks like a shotgun, powerful but slow. Apparently, it needs some time to build up a charge of that power.'' Thought Wain looking at his enemy.


    After the electric stingray created a lightning bolt and shot it at Wain, it needed time to build up enough energy for the next bolt.


    Wain did not wait until his opponent was ready to attack again. Wain swung his arm, and the sma sword flew at the stingray.


    However, as the weapon approached the monster, an electrical barrier formed around the stingray, which the sma sword could not prate.


    ''Hmm, it floating in the air, and I''m notfortable fighting it. It has a positional advantage. I need to fix that.'' Thought Wain and pointed his hand at the stingray.


    Then a vibration appeared in the air around his hand, and a loud click sounded. Momentster, a kic bullet pierced the stingray''s right wing and ripped it off.


    The electric stingray had not expected such a swift and powerful attack. It lost its bnce and slowly began to fall to the ground.


    It could not umte electrical discharges to attack Wain again in this state.


    Then the Ring of Damned glowed brightly, and a blue scroll appeared in Wain''s hands. He didn''t wait or get greedy and activated it immediately.


    Wain didn''t know if he could break through the electrical barrier around the stingray with his powers, and he didn''t want to find out.


    He could buy some time by inflicting a severe wound on the stingray, and he had to make the most of it.


    After Wain used the skill scroll, many drops appeared over the monster. After a second, each of those drops turned into a water spear, and they fell like hail on the electric stingray.


    As Wain had expected, most of the water spears were blocked by the barrier around the stingray. However, after a few dozen spears, the barrier had exhausted its power and disappeared. Only three spears out of many hit the stingray and inflicted minor wounds.


    "Great." Smirking, Wain said and pounced on the monster. Since the barrier was destroyed, Wain could attack his enemy without obstacles.


    The electric stingray could do nothing to Wain, as this monster was virtually helpless without its barrier if attacked by an enemy like Wain.


    Wain furiously sliced through the monster''s flesh, gradually bringing it closer to death. With each swing, a surge of blood and frozen body parts flew aside.<sub> </sub>


    A few secondster, Wain was ready to strike the final blow and end this fight.


    But, suddenly, he saw the stingray''s tail glow brightly. When Wain saw it, he cut it off instantly, but that didn''t help stop the process from getting underway.


    Half a secondter, the tail exploded. This explosion was like a massive electric sphere that unleashed all its power instantly.


    Within five meters of the explosion''s epicenter, everything was destroyed and wiped away.


    Wain managed to use Lightning Lizard''s Dash moments before the explosion, but he reacted toote. Wain moved away from the st''s epicenter, but he was still in the kill zone.


    He was thrown by the shockwave several meters to the side, and his body broke several trees.


    Wain did not expect the stingray to have such a suicidal hold. Moreover, the force of the st stunned Wain. Even for him, it was impressive.


    "Fuck!" Swore Wain.


    He could barely get to his feet, but he immediately vomited blood when he took just one step.


    Because of this explosion, Wain suffered numerous wounds. He was bleeding slightly internally and had several burns in his arms and chest area.


    Since none of the wounds were deep, they were all superficial. It would take him several hours to recover.


    "Damn, this was impossible to predict. This world gets more dangerous every time. If it weren''t for my high stats, I''d be dead by now and all because of the unexpected." Wain muttered.


    He didn''t move anymore and justy down by the nearest tree. Wain looked up and saw an almost triangr-shaped orange fruit dangling above him. Wain tapped the tree, and the fruit fell into his hand.


    Wain took a bite and felt the slightly sour juice in his mouth. The fruit was juicy, sweet, and sour at the same time. At that moment, the fruit seemed like the most delicious thing in the world to him.


    Unfortunately, this fruit did not have any regenerative powers, but this way, Wain regained some strength.


    Then Wain began to eat whatever was left in his ring. He didn''t even notice that a pink soul was slowly flying towards him.


    At that moment, Wain didn''t think about it. He wanted to eat and recover quickly. He had expended a lot of energy over thest few battles, and the stingray''s explosion was the climax.


    "Ipletely forgot about the soul." Mumbled Wain and looked in the direction of where he was fighting the stingray. He saw a soul flying toward him, and a secondter, it entered his body.


    [Soul of Electric Stingray (Whole)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Epic]


    Wain smiled contentedly. He received many wounds but also a decent reward.


    "Just what I need. This soul must not possess the attribute of water. Stingrays usually live at the bottom of the sea and are essentially aquatic creatures.


    However, this monster never used water attacks at all. Perhaps this soul only possesses a lightning attribute. Moreover, it floated in the air rather than floating in the water." Mumbled Wain and opened the skill enhancement menu.


    Since he had gained the necessary soul, he could improve Lightning Lizard''s Dash to Lightning Boots.


    [Lightning Boots (Primary Chronicle Active Skill, Epic Rating): All conditions for this skill are met.


    [Requires Epic Rating Whole Soul with Lightning Attribute: 1/1]


    [Want to use the necessary materials and develop Lightning Lizard''s Dash skill to Lightning Boots?]

 Chapter 82 Speed And Sparks

    [Do you want to use the necessary materials and develop the Lightning Lizard''s Dash to Lightning Boots?]


    ''Yes.'' Said Wain to himself, and the next moment a pink soul and a rune flew out of his body. They merged and turned into a new, moreplex, and powerful rune, prating Wain''s be.


    Wain immediately felt a significant surge of strength. The strong skill made his Soul Altar stronger and more resilient. It didn''t increase his strength, but it had a favorable effect on his well-being.


    "It felt fantastic. After a while, I took another step forward. It was also my first skill that I had improved twice already. I need to experience its power." Mumbled Wain and decided to use Lightning Boots.


    With Lightning Lizard''s Dash, Wain was able to cross the mark of more than ten meters in an instant. But, it was a dash, not free movement.


    If he wanted to get to the other side, he had to use the skill again. It was inconvenient and required some energy. Now, however, that problem was not to be.


    ''I haven''t recovered yet, but it''s my body that''s injured, not my energy reserves. I can use the skills if I''m careful and don''t overdo it.'' Thought Wain, and the next moment Soul Essence headed for his feet.


    Then sparks appeared around his feet, which slowly thickened and increased in number. They gradually turned into tall boots, almost reaching his knees.


    "Not bad, but in my current state, I shouldn''t use this skill for long. The description said that this skill puts a lot of strain on my body and especially my legs, and I can already feel it." Mumbled Wain and, in the next moment, took a step forward.


    A momentter, he passed the five meter mark, and Wain didn''t need to activate the skill again to do the same. He took another step and ended near the tree, then another and another.


    Unlike Lightning Lizard''s Dash, Wain could move in any direction at any angle. He could now run in a circle, a short zigzag, or an undting line with no problem.


    It was no different from normal walking, only Wain was several times faster. But, after three minutes of testing, Wain felt his legs begin to ache.


    ''I see. Given that I''m wounded now, I''ll be able to use this skill for about five minutes in my normal state. That should be enough for most battles.'' Thought Wain and ducked as if preparing to jump.


    Then he bounced off the ground and jumped more than five meters, climbing to the branch of the nearest tree.


    Wain canceled the skill and muttered, "Damn, I''d bleed a little more. However, if I use Code of Light and Darkness duringbat, my stats will get a little higher, and I can use Lightning Boots a little longer."


    Wain was pleased with the skill he received. He knew he was acting recklessly now as the logical thing would have been to wait until he was healed and then use the skill.


    But, Wain was often impatient, and he couldn''t and wouldn''t fix that.


    For the next few hours, Wain sat in a tree and recovered. When the sun went into the sunset, and the moon reced it, Wain decided he was ready for action.


    Wain jumped down from the tree and headed toward the pond, instead of which there was now a massive crater.


    Wain looked up at the sky and muttered, "The moon here is quite beautiful. I have rarely seen a moon this bright. It looks like a small, blue star."


    He took a step forward and then stopped. Wain frowned and said, "Wait, there''s a moon and a sun?"


    It was usual for Wain that the was lit by the sun or the moon all the time, so he didn''t think it was strange at first that Dungeon had a sun and a moon like in the normal world.


    "Is it supposed to be like this? Or is this ce unique? Perhaps it depends on the area and size of the Dungeon? Moreover, this sun and moon may not be real." Mumbled Wain and headed onward.


    As Wain approached the crater, he saw a downward slope. It was deep, and Wain couldn''t even see the end.


    ''Hmm, this ind is above where the rooms of the underwater temple dropped off. It looks like the continuation is at the bottom, and it''s a direct way down there. Was this stingray some sort of guardian of the passage?'' Thought Wain.


    The vertical tunnel down was not empty. It was filled with water so the Merfolks could get here if necessary. That meant Wain would have to hold his breath for a while again.


    ''All right, let''s go.'' Thought Wain and jumped down.


    ...


    More than five hours have passed since Wain entered this Dungeon. During that time, some people had also found a well by the sea.


    They were not members of Gisle''s group. Because his people were building a base in the forest and clearing the area of monsters.<sub> </sub>


    Those people who found the well with murky water came to the beach for reconnaissance and subsequent hunting. Their base was not far from this ce.


    "This is Dungeon?" A muscr, middle-aged man said, puzzled. He hade to the beach to hunt monsters, which meant he was pretty strong since he had the guts to do it.


    The same was true of his allies. Their group numbered five men, each of whom was pretty strong.


    "Do you want to go there? It''s nighttime, and I don''t think going to Dungeon is the best decision." Said a tall girl with long blond hair.


    "Don''t be silly. The Dungeon is a real treasure box. It''s dangerous there, but it''s the best ce to getrge amounts of Soul Essence and rare rewards!" Said the man and dove into the water.


    "Damn, you never listen to me!" The girl said disapprovingly.


    "No, he''s right." The skinny guy joined the conversation. "We were lucky enough to find Dungeon, so we shouldn''t miss this opportunity. We have to act fast, so someone else doesn''t find this ce."


    The girl frowned but eventually nodded. She understood that there was logic in what they were saying, but she preferred to act less risky. A minuteter, they plunged into the well and were in the Dungeon.


    ...


    By then, Wain had been floating for about three minutes. He wasn''t worried about running out of oxygen since he had already seen the end.


    Wain found himself in a spacious hall and saw passageways in front of and behind him.


    ''Looks like if that octopus hadn''t shown up, I would havee in from that side. However, considering I got a soul with the lightning attribute, I''m even lucky.'' Thought Wain and headed forward.


    He didn''t go back and explore rooms he hadn''t already been in. In his opinion, if the Merfolks decided to summon the octopus, they were trying to protect something valuable or important.


    Wain entered a long, wide hallway at the end of which was a massive, iron door. It looked like an enormous gate.


    Several Merfolks were standing next to the gate, but they differed from the ones Wain had fought before. The guards were twice as tall, dressed in bulky armor, and armed with long tridents.


    There were only two guards, but they could defend the gate against any threat. Of course, Wain did not back down. On the contrary, he was d to have met such powerful opponents.


    ''Hmm, I don''t see the usual Merfolks anywhere, were the ones that fought mest? No, that''s unlikely. They''re probably busy doing something.'' Thought Wain.


    As Wain took a few more steps, the guards turned their attention to him. Wain immediately prepared to fight, and a sma sword appeared in his hands.


    One of the guards clutched the trident tightly in his hand and threw it at Wain a secondter. The force of this throw was enormous, and the trident reached Wain with lightning speed.


    Wain''s eyes shed, and he ducked at thest moment. The trident flew over his head and thundered into the wall behind Wain.


    "Holy shit, that''s speed. If I hadn''t been ready to attack, my head would have been nailed to the wall by now." Proimed Wain, and there were electric shocks on his legs the next moment.


    Wain took a few steps forward and instantly found himself in front of the unarmed guard. Merfolk didn''t expect Wain to get close to him so quickly, which put him in a vulnerable position.


    Wain swung his sword sharply, but the guardian reacted in time to defend himself with his hands. The monster''s armor was strong enough to allow it to withstand Wain''s furious attacks.


    The second guard decided to take advantage of this situation and attack Wain. Since at that moment, he was wholly focused on his opponent.


    The guard swung his trident and tried to pierce Wain''s body, but suddenly Wain stopped attacking, threw his sword aside, and grabbed the de of the trident with his hand.


    The guard didn''t expect Wain to be able to react, but then the guard''s eyes widened in surprise as Wain smirked. At that moment, the guard realized that this was part of Wain''s n.


    Then Wain pointed his hand at the guard''s head, and there was a loud click. The guard''s head exploded like a watermelon, but Wain wasn''t going to back down. He could keep attacking.


    He gripped the trident tightly and plunged it into the second guard''s chest. The trident was sharp enough to pierce the monster''s armor and pierce its heart.


    Wain pped his palms together, shaking off the dust, and smiled as he watched the two blue souls fly in his direction.

 Chapter 83 Dark Water And Beauty

    After Wain dealt with the guards, two blue souls flew into his body.


    [Soul of Merfolk Guardian (Damaged)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Rare]


    "Wow, one of the two souls turned out to be Damaged. Great, I haven''t gotten a boost to my stats in a while." Wain muttered and crushed the two souls.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Merfolk Guardian level 14.]


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Merfolk Guardian level 14. Strength +3, Vitality +2, Stamina +3.]


    ''Hmm, they had a pretty high level. They only had one more step to take before they could evolve.'' Thought Wain and walked over to the corpse of one guardian.


    Wain decided to take the tridents for himself. These weapons were not suited to his fighting style, but he could use them like a spear. He was impressed by the speed with which the trident flew toward him.


    Moreover, perhaps after a while, he could sell the tridents and get some money for them. When Wain moved the tridents into the Ring of Damned, he approached the gate.


    He was curious to know what was behind it. There could have been a powerful enemy or a treasure chest. Wain was fine with either option.


    Wain put his palms on the iron gate and pressed it with force. To his surprise, he could not even move it. Then Wain applied even more force, the floor under his feet cracked, and then the gate began to slowly open.


    ''This gate weighs at least ten tons. I can hardly open it. What were these guards protecting?'' Wain thought.


    A creak.


    Then the massive gate creaked open, and Wain saw an amazing sight. He found himself in a huge hall that was, oddly enough,pletely empty.


    Even though this room was deep under water, various nts and even trees grew here. They looked like a mixture of sea nts andnd nts.


    The trees were also unusual. Their bark was covered with a blue slime, and various shells were growing on the bark, which brightly lit everything around them likenterns.


    There were no enemies or traps in the room. All Wain noticed was a pond of dark water in the center of the room.


    Wain cautiously approached it. He thought that the pond might be hiding an enemy or some kind of danger, for it was the only noteworthy ce in the room.


    ''Hmm, at first I thought it was ink and perhaps even a passageway into a spatial rift, but it isn''t. My Seal of Darkness shows no signs of activity.'' Wain thought and touched the murky water with his hand.


    Just then, something began to float out of the dark water. Wain eyed the object warily. To his surprise, it turned out to be a strange cocoon-like capsule. The capsule was made of dozens, massive ck leaves.


    Wain did not attack, for he did not know what it was. Perhaps it was an enemy, or maybe it was an unusual chest, in which case he would destroy his reward.


    Then the cocoon began to unfold. The dark leaves fell away one by one and fell to the pond''s bottom.


    "Hmm? What is that?" Wain muttered, looking at what was inside the pod.


    To his surprise, it was a beautiful girl, she had short hair, but she had gills on her neck just like Merfolks. Wain did not understand who this girl was or why she was here.


    Wain wasn''t sure if he should have attacked or not. This situation seemed strange to him.


    Then the girl opened her eyes, but they were empty. It was as if this girl was not a living person. She was like a doll.


    "Hey, can you hear me?" Asked Wain and waved his hand in front of the girl, but there was no response.


    Suddenly Wain felt the girl''s aura begin to increase, he wanted to attack since he thought it was some strange trap, but then he stopped.


    Wain realized that this aura was noting from the girl but from the dark water in the pond.


    Then to Wain''s surprise, a ck hand came out of the pond. It instantly pierced through the girl like a ghost. Wain was shocked to see something like that, but he didn''t attack ahead of time.


    Wain didn''t mind fighting a strong enemy. On the contrary, that was exactly what he wanted. Moreover, what was happening in front of him was very strange, and it was dangerous to act hastily.


    ''I thought she was a doll, but it looks like she was a living being, but her fate is not the best.'' Thought Wain looking at the girl.


    Her face was contorted with pain, and trickles of blood flowed from the corners of her mouth. She was in agony, but there was nothing she could do. She was nothing more than a vessel for the true ruler of this ce.<sub> </sub>


    Then the girl''s body plunged back into the pond. Nothing happened for a long time, but Wain felt the aura in the pond gradually increase. He waited until his opponent was ready for battle.


    "Huh, this reminds me of the birth of a monster, quite exciting," Wain muttered.


    After a few minutes, the water in the pond calmed down, and the aura returned to normal. Then some creature began toe out of the pond. It was also a girl, but she was quite different from the previous one.


    She had long ink-ck hair and blue eyes, and she had no gills on her neck, which surprised Wain.


    "Are you human?" Wain asked.


    The girl didn''t answer. She was looking around, as well as looking at her body. It didn''t bother her at all that she was standing in front of Wain naked.


    Then she looked at Wain and said in a haughty tone, "Me? Don''t be ridiculous. I''d rather die than be part of this disgusting and insignificant race."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A terrible pressure suddenly came over Wain, but he didn''t even flinch. Such a thing could not frighten or break him. Then the water in the pond came in motion andpletely covered the girl.


    A graceful ck armor appeared on her that perfectlybined mobility and protection. This armor was suitable for battle in all conditions.


    The breastte had a tinum engraving in the shape of a violent lightning bolt crashing down on the heavens. The shoulder pads were in leaves, and a ck plume emanated from them.


    An enormous aura emanated from the girl, a human who had not yet activated his Soul Altar could hardly breathe or even stand on feet.


    "I take it you have a pretty good opinion of humanity, then what race are you? A washed-up mermaid? A stewed fish? Maybe you''re an overgrown m?" Wain said with a smirk. He was openly mocking her.


    The girl frowned and said angrily, "Don''t you dare open your mouth, you wretched man. You are at the bottom of the food chain. I''ll show you how worthless you are!"


    Wain''s words angered her. In Linlea''s opinion, Wain being human, should have fallen to her knees and begged for mercy.


    Linlea''s aura intensified, and a dark silhouette of some ancient and powerful being appeared above her.


    "Impressive," Wain said briefly and prepared for battle. He held the sma sword firmly in his hands and watched his enemy''s every move.


    Then Linlea swung her arm and turned into ck lightning. She reached Wain in a split second and struck him in the stomach with incredible force. Even though Wain was ready for this attack, he didn''t have time to react. Hecked speed and reflexes.


    Wain flew aside like a projectile and thundered into the stone wall of the hall. Cracks rippled through the wall, and debris began to fall off, raising a cloud of dust all around.


    "Pff, that''s the best you can do? You didn''t even try to defend yourself. You''re nothing more than a jerk. That''s not surprising, though." Said Linlea. She had a real hatred for Wain because of his race.


    She strolled toward him, gathering energy in her hand. Arge amount of darkness emanated from her body and umted into a small sphere. There was enormous power in that sphere,parable to the explosion of a powerful bomb.


    When the dust cleared, she saw Wain standing there. He looked at her coldly, a look that Linlea did not like. Wain looked at her like she was nothing, like an inferior form of life.


    This caused dissonance in Linlea''s mind. She did not understand why a member of the human race allowed himself to look at her that way.


    She was about to attack him, but suddenly Wain spoke.


    "I don''t know why you hate humanity, but I don''t care about your reasons. You didn''t say what race you belong to. Aren''t you proud of who you are?"


    Wain sighed and said coldly. His voice sounded like the squeak of demons from hell, "I am human, and I will show you the power of humanity. You''re right. We are the most terrible race of all."


    Then Wain''s aura intensified several times, and an image of death with a bloody scythe appeared above him.


    Linlea attacked Wain at lightning speed. She lunged toward him at top speed, but she had no idea how powerful an enemy she''d managed to piss off.


    Suddenly a long, tattered cloak appeared on Wain, and his eyes changed from green to azure.


    Half of his face was hidden by a ck cloth. Dark energy began to emanate from his hair, and a silver sword with ice-covered des appeared in his hands.


    Wain''s blue eyes were as deep as the ocean and eerie as the abyss.


    Then he made a smooth upward swing, and Linlea''s arm was severed by the icy wave.

 Chapter 84 Black Thunders Renegade

    After Wain used the second form, Cursed Swordsman, his strength increased several times. Linlea was a fast and powerful opponent, but she was nothingpared to the second form.


    Wain sliced off her right arm with a single, smooth swing of his sword. Linlea''s limb flew to the side, and the ck orb exploded at that moment. There was a deafening explosion, and Linlea''s arm was destroyed.


    "NO!" Shouted Linlea, she could have reattached her arm and healed her wound, but now it was impossible.


    "When you spoke of humanity, you could hear the contempt in your voice, but I will correct that. You shall feel only fear and terror before me. You will be writhing in pain, and death will be a blessing to you." Wain said in a cold tone. His voice was so eerie as if it came from the farthest reaches of the abyss.


    Linlea felt her legs begin to tremble, but she quickly came to her senses and prepared to attack.


    "Where did you get this power? A mere human cannot be that powerful!" Linlea uttered, and electrical discharges piled up in her hand. They quickly transformed into a massive, white lightning bolt, which struck Wain like a heavenly punishment.


    Wain reacted instantly and swung his silver sword toward the lightning. A crescent-shaped icy de appeared in the air and shattered the white lightning into pieces. Wain needed only one swing to quell Linlea''s attack.


    "Is that all you can do? You know I don''t like upstarts because usually, such people are worthless trash. You''re no different from such people, for, in fact, you''re an empty shell who doesn''t even know how to use your power properly." Wain said calmly.


    Linlea wanted to say something, but then she got the impression that time had slowed down significantly. She watched as Wain was about to make a move, which happened very slowly.


    But as Linlea tried to run away, she realized that she couldn''t even move. She didn''t know if it was because she was slow or because she was too afraid of Wain, and fear bound her movements like chains.


    When Wain''s foot touched the floor, he turned into a blur and a momentter was in front of Linlea. She tried to retreat, but she was too slow.


    Whooosh.


    Wain swung his sword and severed Linlea''s other arm. This swing created an icy wave that destroyed the wall behind her and turned her into numerous frozen wrecks.


    "No, please don''t kill me! I''ll do anything you want! I will obey you all my life!"


    When Linlea realized that she could not handle Wain, she began begging for his mercy. Like all living things, she feared death and wanted to go on living.


    "I see, you''re even worse than garbage. I thought, given your hubris, you would behave with dignity before you died, only that you disgraced yourself and your race." Said Wain and grabbed Linlea by the throat.


    Wain swung his arm and threw Linlea into the wall. She flew aside like a projectile and fell to the ground, coughing up blood.


    Then Wain raised his sword high above his head. He wasn''t just going to kill Linlea. He was going to destroy the ce.


    Gradually arge amount of energy gathered at the silver sword. The temperature around Wain slowly dropped, and a thinyer of ice appeared on the floor.


    "No... don''t do that..." Linlea said from thest of her strength, she knew she would not survive, but she could not ept it. Wain was the one who shattered her hopes and broke her world and mind.


    Wain was ready to put the sword down, but suddenly five people ran into the hall. It was the group that had found the muddy water well after Wain.


    Some of them were wounded, but not critically. Each of them could fight and was ready to battle. They were shocked by the scene before them.


    They didn''t know what to do, but suddenly one of them saw a wounded Linlea and said, "Let''s go! We must help her!"


    The others nodded and pounced on Wain. Since they were unaware of the situation, they thought Wain was the enemy. Linlea was wounded and outwardly was virtually indistinguishable from a human.


    Wain didn''t look like a monster on the outside, but his entire body was hidden under a cloak, and dark energy emanated from his body. Their actions were logical, but they made a deadly mistake.


    Wain looked at the men attacking him with an icy stare and said coldly, "Get lost!"


    He then brought his icy sword filled with energy down. Wain put most of his power into this attack. He used the power of his second form to the maximum.<sub> </sub>


    When the sword de touched the ground, there was an incredibly powerful, icy explosion. It was like splitting a giant cier.


    The ice waves spread out to the sides, destroying and freezing everything around them. The group members were instantly turned into frozen statues and then shattered into a multitude of debris.


    Linlea suffered the same fate as they did. Thest thing she saw of her life was ice, bringing only destruction.


    Because of such a powerful attack, the hall walls were destroyed, and several blocks of ice appeared from beneath the seabed. All of this was the effect of a single, powerful attack.


    Wain canceled the action of the second form and breathed a sigh of relief. He didn''t know how an attack of that magnitude would affect his body, but to his surprise, he felt fine.


    "It was pretty strong. I was right to use the second form." Said Wain looking around.


    Even he didn''t know how devastating and spectacr the final attack would be. Then he realized once again how strong the second form was.


    "No, every form is strong. It all depends on the situation. I wasn''t injured this time, so I could use the Cursed Swordsman a little more than before. But, I still feel a little recoil." Wain muttered.


    He looked at Linlea''s body, or instead at the icy wreckage, which was all that was left of her. The pink soul was slowly heading toward Wain. It flew into his body.


    [Soul of Dark Adept (Whole)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Epic]


    Wain wanted to crush it immediately, as he was surprised that it was Whole Soul. He wanted to get Epic Rating gear or skill book, but he stopped at thest moment.


    "If I''m not mistaken, when she attacked me, her body was covered in white, electric discharges. This means that her soul most likely possesses the attribute of lightning if that wasn''t the effect of her armor.


    Moreover, darkness was constantly emanating from her body, and before I used the second form, she created a dark orb with great destructive power. That means that her soul might also have the attribute of darkness..." Wain muttered.


    Wain didn''t think about it during the fight since all he wanted was to kill Linlea. But as Wain calmed down and his thoughts came to order, he realized that he had just hit the jackpot.


    "I had already improved my skills several times, and all this time, I wanted to improve my soul. But, the option I had chosen required a rather rare soul, which was very difficult to obtain. Now, however, I have that soul in my hands." Wain muttered.


    In addition to skills, a human could also improve additional souls. Right now, Wain could only have one additional soul, and that was the Soul of Last Knight, which he got when he was on the Isle of the Damned.


    Wain smiled contentedly and moved the soul to his inventory. Then he opened the soul enhancement menu and selected the Soul of Last Knight.


    [ck Thunder''s Renegade (Primary Chronicle, Epic Rating): All conditions for developing this soul are met.


    [Need any Epic Rating Whole Soul with Lightning and Darkness attribute: 1/1]


    [Want to use the necessary materials and develop Last Knight to ck Thunder''s Renegade?]


    Wain didn''t wait and mentally answered ''Yes''. He had been waiting for this moment for a long time, and now he could finally be much stronger.


    Souls were much stronger and more effective than most skills, so Wain was looking forward to what would happen next.


    His Soul Altar trembled, and the next moment, the change process began.

 Chapter 85 Black Thunder

    After Wain answered, ''Yes,'' his Soul Altar came into motion. It glowed brightly, and a blue soul slowly emerged from the cell. Then that soul flew out of Wain''s body, as did the pink soul.


    At that moment, Wain felt weak, as his Soul Altar had just lost an additional soul, but it was temporary. The blue soul of Last Knight''s Soul approached the pink soul Wain received after killing Linlea.


    Then they slowly began to merge together. It was like two neutron stars colliding with each other. Arge amount of energy began to emanate from them, and Soul Essence umted.


    Gradually, the two souls became one. Wain was mesmerized by this scene. It was radically different from how a skill improvement happens.


    After a few minutes, the two souls transformed into one. There was a wave of energy that spread out several meters around at that moment.


    Wain stared at the pink soul floating in the air. A majestic and ancient aura emanated from it. Although this soul was Epic Rating, just like Linlea''s soul, it was far superior to Linlea''s soul.


    Whooosh.


    The pink soul flew into Wain''s body and immediately headed for his Soul Altar. Wain felt a great rush of strength. He felt excellent, he felt as if he had just gained great power.


    Then he saw several messages before his eyes.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of ck Thunder''s Renegade. Strength+7, Agility+7, Energy+5]


    Usually, a person would only get Soul Essence when he crushed the souls of other creatures, but there was one exception to this rule.


    When a new, additional soul moved into the Soul Altar, a person also received Soul Essence and significantly increased stats.


    The inserted soul''s Soul Essence was spread over the Soul Altar, so the person got a little stronger without considering the subsequent bonuses.


    [Soul of ck Thunder''s Renegade became your additional soul.]


    You are a knight who has decided to renounce the world. You were caught in a mad vortex during your wanderings with a hundred ck lightning bolts.


    At that moment, you realized that this was what you had been missing. You are as fast and crushing as thunder, and your heart is as ck as the severe lightning in that vortex.


    Your sword moves with the speed of lightning, the darkness your faithful ally elerating your body. Your mind is cold, and you are ruthless.


    Damage from lightning and darkness is increased by 15%. Your damage has been increased by 13%. Your attack speed is increased by 11%]


    After a person inserted an additional soul into his Soul Altar, he received passive bonuses and one ability, active or passive.


    But, Wain improved his additional soul, and previously Soul of Last Knight gave him a passive ability, Fencing the Last Knight.


    As the name implied, this ability greatly increased Wain''s mastery in swordsmanship to a reasonably high level. But, now Wain did not have Soul of Last Knight.


    In that case, the skill of this soul was partiallybined with the skill of the new additional soul.


    This only worked if one additional soul was improved and turned into apletely different soul.


    So after Soul of ck Thunder''s Renegade became his additional soul, Wain saw several relevant messages.


    [The skill Fencing the Last Knight was destroyed. The power of this skill will be part of the skill of your new additional soul]


    [Oblivion Thunder (Primary Chronicle, Epic Rating)


    You are ck Thunder''s Renegade, so thunder and darkness are your loyal allies. You understand better than anyone else how these elements interact and how terrible and destructive they can be.


    By umting a huge amount of energy, you can unleash a ck pir of thunder on your enemy. This attack has incredible destructive power and is like a real natural cataclysm.


    But, you have to be careful. Using this skill can traumatize you if you cannot withstand its power that will pass through you to copse on your enemies.


    Tiny pieces from the past skill are like shards of memories bing part of this skill, increasing the depth of your mastery in swordsmanship a bit]


    "Holy shit, this is incredible. I''ve never felt better than this." Mumbled Wain looking at the description of the received skill and soul.


    "Now I understand why the conditions for obtaining this soul were so difficult. I defeated Linlea with practically no wounds, but only because I had the second form. Otherwise, she would have killed me in a few attacks." Wain muttered.


    He spent some time rereading the descriptions, and at one point, Wain saw messages that had disappeared from his sight because of the new additional soul.<sub> </sub>


    In addition to getting a boost in stats, Wain also got a huge amount of Soul Essence, which was enough to make him take another step forward.


    [You have leveled up to level 14. You get 3 status points to distribute freely]


    [You have leveled up to level 15. You get 3 status points to distribute freely]


    [You have reached your limit. You can no longer umte Soul Essence and increase your stats by destroying the souls of other creatures. You must evolve to enter the next league]


    Most people who would see this message would think they made a mistake.


    They would have thought that they could get a lot more stats by killing monsters before they reached the limit, but that was not the case.


    All people got about the same amount of stats before they reached the limit because, along with the increase in stats, they also got Soul Essence. Of course, a lot depended on luck, but the maximum difference was usually 10%.


    Which characteristic was the highest could vary from person to person. It mostly depended on which monsters human killed and how he allocated status points.


    "Should I evolve? Finally, it was a surprise that I got such a huge amount of Soul Essence to boost two levels at once." Wain muttered.


    Wain didn''t know what he had to do in order to evolve. ording to his information, only a couple of people could do it in his past world, and they weren''t going to tell anyone about the evolution process.


    It was too important. No one was going to share their secrets with others.


    When Wain thought about it, another message appeared in front of him.


    [To evolve, you must focus and collect all your Soul Essence from Soul Altar at one point.


    Since you are at the bottom of the food chain and are a creature of Primary Chronicle, there are no other conditions for evolution. The process willst at least a few weeks]


    "What?! I''m going to evolve for a few weeks?" Wain said in amazement. Such a long time span was something incredible.


    Wain had managed to kill thousands of enemies, be times stronger, and make good acquaintances in about two days after the apocalypse began.


    But, now, he would have to spend at least more than twenty days in a kind of anabiosis.


    "Okay, I have no other choice anyway. In that case, I''ll have to choose the right ce to do it. I am to be in the same state for several weeks. I had to be in apletely safe ce." Mumbled Wain.


    Naturally, he immediately thought of evolving while on campus. Since this area belonged to Gisle, who was Wain''s most trusted ally, it made sense.


    But, after a while, Wain discarded the idea. It was too risky. He didn''t know what would happen to the main base in the meantime.


    ''Hmm, maybe while I''m evolving, the university will be attacked by a powerful monster or a group of other people. Maybe someone will distract me, and the evolution process will be interrupted, or some mistakes and defects will ur. I have to rule out any risks.'' Wain pondered.


    He began to think of all the ces he knew in Overion, but none were safer than the university. Wain was sure he couldn''t find a suitable ce in the whole town.


    "Shit, what am I going to do then?" Wain muttered and looked around. At that moment, a great idea popped into his head.


    "Right...can''t I stay in the Dungeon?"


    On the one hand, the idea was crazy, but Wain thought it was the best option for a lot of reasons.


    ''As far as I know, the Dungeon will only be destroyed if all the monsters in that space are killed, and even then, it doesn''t always happen. This Dungeon is huge because, besides the Merfolks temple, tons of water is home to dangerous monsters.


    Thus, people whoe here will first have to kill all the water monsters to get their reward. Given the size of this area, even then, it is unlikely to be destroyed. That means I have to be in a ce where no one can find me.''


    Wain realized that many people woulde to this Dungeon in a few weeks. They must not find him so that nothing would interfere with his evolution.


    ''Hmm, this room is notpletely safe. Those people could find it even though the underwater temple was destroyed. Perhaps I should burrow underground. In a few hours, I can dig a tunnel.'' Wain thought and looked at the dark pond.


    To his surprise, the water in the pond was not frozen, even though everything around it looked like a cracked cier.


    Wain nodded and headed toward the pond. He decided to dig a tunnel under the pond§ð. It would be almost impossible to find him there.

 Chapter 86 The Beginning Of Evolution

    Wain decided to stay in this Dungeon because he thought it was the best ce to evolve.


    Even if many people enter this Dungeon, they were unlikely to make it to thest room of the underwater temple.


    After these people enter the Dungeon, they would immediately find themselves in the water. They would have to swim up, and most likely, many of them would die along the way because of an attack by sea monsters. This was one of the reasons why Wain decided to evolve here.


    Wain could start evolving in thest hall, but there was a slight chance he would be disturbed here, so he decided. Once he had decided on a location, he gradually dug a small tunnel under the pond. It wasplicated, but he managed it in about half a day.


    "Great, I can finally get started," Wain muttered and dove into the pond. He swam to the bottom and entered the tunnel he had dug. This tunnel went upward, which caused it to have no water.


    When Wain was in ce, he sat down and concentrated. He didn''t know how he was supposed to start the process of evolution, so he decided to concentrate all his attention on the task at hand.


    Nothing worked for Wain for a long time, but Soul Essence began to emanate from him after a few hours. Wain had to collect it in one point, condense it, and then move it back into himself, after which the process of evolution would begin.


    Wain aplished this task rather quickly, and after thirty minutes, all the Soul Essence umted in his Soul Altar was floating in the air in front of him.


    This Soul Essence was different from what humans used to improve skills and souls. Every time he used a monster soul and received Soul Essence, some energy was channeled into the Soul Altar.


    This energy could not be used to improve skills or souls. This part of Soul Essence gradually strengthened the human''s Soul Altar to be ready to evolve.


    After Wain gathered all Soul Essence into one point, a white sphere flew into his body. Wain felt as if he went into some kind of trance at the exact moment. He instinctively controlled the energy in his body, gradually changing it.


    His aura strengthened and increased. He came closer to bing a creature of the First Chronicle with every second. This would be his most important step since the apocalypse began.


    The stronger Wain''s aura became, the deeper he went into a trance. After a while, he could no longer think, energy moved through his body like a hurricane, and his cells were filled with strength and power. At one point, Wain would surpass his limit.


    As Wain evolved, there were many changes in the world. This world was huge, with about a hundred billion people living in it before the apocalypse.


    After the apocalypse, that number began to shrink rapidly, especially in the first days. But, the more time passed, the smaller the pace was.


    Because of the many events, Wain was ready to evolve faster than most. So while others were trying to survive, killing monsters and gradually getting stronger, Wain was already in the process of evolving.


    The world outside the Dungeon was changing, but so was the change in Wain''s mind.


    Somewhere deep in his mind, where Soul Altar was hidden. In the most hidden corners, there was something resembling a colossal ck castle of dark energy.


    The ce was so deep in Wain''s mind that even he could not notice it. Even if he scrutinized his Soul Altar, he could not see the ce.


    In the center of the castle was a spacious hall, which was a gray tform. On this tform were two silhouettes. Someone could even call them people because they were Wains.


    More precisely, the two men looked a lot like him, but it was hard to see because they were wearing armor.


    One of them was wearing ck and white armor and had long white hair reaching his waist. This man was floating in the air in a lotus pose, upside down. He symbolized a perfect bnce.


    A cold aura emanated from the second man, slowly freezing everything around him. This man wore a long cloak, torn in many ces, and the darkness emanated from his ck hair. His icy sword was thrust into the ground.


    At one point, the man in the ck and white armor said, "It looks like it''s started. It happened pretty fast."


    "Yeah..." Said the man in the cloak. Through the fabric covering half of his face, icy steam prated.


    They were like Wain''s because they were both parts of him and not. At that moment, it was something mystical and inexplicable.


    "Our power is growing." Said the man floating in the air.


    The cloaked man nodded and said slowly, "I wonder... Which path will he take?"


    "We''ll find out soon enough. He''s already in the process. It seems to me that there is an infinite amount of energy hidden here, but everything will depend on other factors that no one knows about."


    "I agree. We just have to wait a little longer."


    ...


    In the meantime, Wain''s aura was increasing smoothly. It strengthened, and his Soul Altar came into motion in an instant. It was as if the mechanism in the clock began to work, as if hundreds of gears started to move, creating one single chain.<sub> </sub>


    <o>,m This was the main stage of evolution when the human''s body underwent significant changes. This process did not change the race. Like everyone else who evolved, Wain became powerful and destroyed his limits.</o>


    ...


    After a while, changes began to take ce in the hall of the dark castle as well. An eerie aura began to emanate from that ce. It was impressive even to the two people in the center of the hall at that moment.


    "Unbelievable, it''s so eerie. What kind of power is it? I wish I could call it ancient, but that would be the wrong definition because it isn''t." Said the man in the ck and white armor.


    "That''s strange, but it doesn''t matter. I''m pleased with the result. Judging by the aura, it''s the strongest possible." Said the man in the cloak.


    At that moment, they were both staring at the same point from which emanated an energy that was terrifying in its essence and power. They felt incredible pressure, but it didn''t harm because they were all one, only from different sides.


    ...


    After a rtively long period, Wain had reached the final stage of evolution. His Soul Altar was filled with Soul Essence. Wain had onest step to take.


    Wain was already able to think, and he was already acting on his own, not reflexively.


    ''Okay, let''s go.'' Said Wain to himself, and his aura increased a hundredfold the next moment.


    Gray energy began to emanate from his body, which, along with his aura, turned into a massive pir of light. All this energy was the power Wain received.


    Then Wain took a deep breath, returning this energy to his body. His eyes shone brightly, and his ck hair rose up like a strong wind blowing.


    Wain sessfullypleted the process of evolution, he stood on his feet, and the ground beneath his feet cracked. He could feel every cell in his body filled with energy. Wain could not find the words to describe this fantastic and natural feeling.


    "This power... There''s no way I could have achieved something like this before, even with the Cursed Swordsman."


    A couple of secondster, a wave of energy came out of his body, and when it dissipated, Wain saw many messages in front of him. He had never seen so many notifications before.


    [You have sessfullypleted your evolution and have taken the first, big step towards power and the true pinnacle of all worlds.]


    [All of your stats have been increased by 25 points.]


    [Rating of all your skills except - Nameless King''s Forms has been reduced by one step while maintaining the overall strength of the skill]


    ''Hmm? Does that mean that now sma Destruction Sword is not a Rare Rating skill, but a Common Rating skill like before? Only the power doesn''t change in either direction? That''s interesting... Also, Nameless King''s Forms hasn''t even undergone this change. This skill is definitely special.'' Wain thought.


    When a person evolved and became a First Chronicle creature, the Rating of all their skills was lowered by one step.


    This was because the power of the human as a creature was moving into a different league, and the skills he had were not up to the standard of their Rating.


    This did not mean that the skills'' Chronicle had increased. They remained the same, and Wain had yet to raise them.


    Because of such changes, it would be impossible for a person who has already evolved to have only an Ascendant or Legendary Rating. At the same time, these skills would be equal in strength to the Heroic Rating skills of the person who recently got them after evolution.


    This could be called a strength adjustment so there would not be a colossal discrepancy between a skill''s Rating and its actual strength.


    The following message appeared before Wain''s eyes.


    [All restrictions have been removed. Now, as before, you can umte Soul Essence by crushing the souls of other creatures and increasing stats.]


    Wain nodded. It was clear to him. One of the reasons he decided to evolve right away was the limitations in increasing his power.


    His body and Soul Altar could not withstand more Soul Essence. Wain had to move to the next stage to get stronger.


    This was the third message, but it was not the end. It was only the beginning, and there were several more messages ahead, one of which struck Wain.


    [You have received the Title - The First]

 Chapter 87 The First

    People could receive Titles inpletely different situations. A person could get a Title when they killed someone, saved someone, found something, or discovered uncharted territory. It was impossible to list all the existing options. There were an infinite number of them.


    Naturally, therger, more unique, and majestic the action, the more powerful the Title was. The best Titles were given for actions that could not be repeated.


    Such Titles were a sign that a man had left his mark on history and that the ce was his and no one else''s. After Wain evolved, he received just such a Title, for then he aplished something unique.


    [You got the Title - The First]


    [The First


    This Title is unique and majestic. You were the first person to begin the process of evolution. It''s an event no one will ever be able to repeat, no matter what happens. As a pioneer, you will continue to go forward faster than billions.


    You will receive 10% more Soul Essence when you destroy a soul. You now need 10% less Soul Essence to develop a skill or soul]


    "Amazing..." Mumbled Wain. On the one hand, 10% wasn''t a great number, but it wasn''t. In Wain''s opinion, such an effect created a colossal gap between him and others that was almost impossible to bridge.


    Moreover, Wain did not expect to be the first of so many people. For Wain, this was surprising. He didn''t think he could be the first since he found himself in the human world a littleter after the apocalypse, which he had started.


    "Okay, what''s next?" Wain muttered and looked at the following message.


    p [The Nameless King''s Forms skill has adapted to your current state and position in the world. The first form, Code of Light and Darkness, and the second form, Cursed Swordsman, have been strengthened somewhat.]</anda>


    Immediately after reading this message, Wain''s Seal of Darkness glowed brightly, and he once again saw the ce where the soul necessary to unlock the third form was located. This time Wain saw the location more clearly than before.


    "Great, to be honest, I was a little worried that Code of Light and Darkness would soon be a weak and useless skill. But I guess I was worried for nothing." Wain muttered and moved on to the next message.


    It was thest and most important. Everything that had happened before was just a prelude.


    When one evolved, one became a Primary Chronicle creature, and simply increasing one''s stats or bncing one''s Rating skills was not enough for such a significant event.


    [You unlocked your first Beyond - Cmity]


    ''Beyond? What''s that all about? I''ve never heard of anything like that...'' Thought Wain. It seemed strange to him. Wain wanted to know what it was, but suddenly his status appeared before him.


    [Wain Norheim


    Level: 15


    Race: Human


    Beyond: Cmity


    Soul: Nameless King


    Additional Soul: ck Thunder''s Renegade


    Title: Savior of the Damned, Echo of Samurai, Mentor Inquisitor, The First


    Status Points: 12


    Strength: 76 / Agility: 79 / Vitality: 51 / Stamina: 54 / Energy: 118]


    "What? There''s a new line here, and it''s Beyond, but what could it mean?" Wain muttered thoughtfully.<sub> </sub>


    After Wain evolved, he broke his limits to move on and get stronger. The man had toe to his limit and gather enough Soul Essence to break the limits.


    But, each powerful being had his own way. First Chronicle, as the name implied, could be called the beginning of that path.


    Beyond was the embodiment of that path as if proof that human had surpassed his limits and begun to make his own way in history.


    ''As far as I''m concerned, Beyond is remotely simr to Titles. My Beyond is Cmity...but what does that mean?


    Wain decided to hide his status and see the description of his Beyond.


    [Cmity


    Who brings destruction? You? Your demon? Or your darkness in your soul? Do you and this world really exist? Perhaps it must be destroyed by disaster?]


    "What...?" Wain muttered. He was stunned and had no idea what to say. The description of Beyond did not rify the situation in any way. On the contrary, Wain felt as if a barrage of questions and riddles had fallen upon him.


    "I wonder what it all means? Furthermore, does Cmity give me some kind of power, or maybe it''s some kind of ability? If so, how do I use it? Fuck, the number of questions has increased by ten in thest minute, and the answers are still zero." Proimed Wain.


    There were no more messages. Wain was surprised that so many things had happened since he had evolved.


    All of his, even his wildest expectations, had been exceeded. He became stronger in every possible way and even discovered a power unknown to him.


    For the next few minutes, Wain pondered what had happened. He felt excellent, but he was also at a bit of a loss for the strange description of Cmity.


    "Okay, time to get out of here." Mumbled Wain and headed for the tunnel exit.


    ''By the way, how long have I been evolving?'' Wain thought, and the Ring of Damned glowed brightly.


    A phone appeared in his hands, but unfortunately for Wain, it no longer worked.


    ''Shit, though, it''s not that important. I have to go back to the university and ask Gisle about everything. He''s probably been trying to contact me all this time or find out where I am." Said Wain and dove into the dark water.


    When he emerged from the dark pond, he looked around. He saw several ruined tents, broken weapons, and even long-dried blood on the floor.


    "I see. Even though this ce is very far away and difficult to get to, some people could get in here. I was right to take the time and effort to dig the tunnel. Otherwise, they would have interrupted the evolutionary process." Proimed Wain and stepped forward.


    To get outside, Wain had to get to the portal. That wasn''t a problem.


    After a couple of minutes, Wain reached the hall where Merfoks summoned the octopus. This hall was ruined and filled with water. Wain dove in and headed at full speed toward the exit of the Dungeon.


    At this point, he could hold his breath for about ten minutes, a lot longer than before, and it was more than enough time to swim to the portal.


    As Wain swam to the portal, he looked around. In the distance, he saw quite a few people.


    ''I spotted at least five groups of four and all of them fighting some kind of monsters. While I''ve been evolving, it seems that this ce has be popr, but that''s not surprising. This Dungeon is vast, and it''s great hunting grounds if you can swim well.'' Wain thought.


    He was not shocked that there were people here. After all, even after a few hours of his time in this Dungeon, a group of five people had found a well and entered the Dungeon through a portal.


    Wain wouldn''t have been surprised if severalrge bases had been built here.


    ''Hmm, most of the time, it''s much more profitable to hunt in Dungeon than in some areas, but there''s no variety in these areas. That''s a pretty big disadvantage, though, I''ve only been to two Dungeon, so it''s too early to draw conclusions.'' Wain thought as he approached the portal.

 Chapter 88 Time

    Wain floated toward the portal and looked around, he didn''t know how much time had passed since the evolution began, but the people in the distance didn''t look strong.


    ''They''re still newbies. Maybe they only recently activated their Soul Altars. That''s good, it probably hasn''t been very long.'' Thought Wain as he swam up to the portal.


    Fortunately, the well of murky water was intact. Destroying the portal to the Dungeon was almost impossible. One would need incredible strength to do so.


    Whooosh.


    Suddenly three people appeared from the portal, two of the girls. Wain was behind the ruin, so they didn''t notice him. These people immediately swam toward the monster in the distance.


    ''Hmm, looks like anyone could walk into this ce.'' Wain pondered.


    In his mind, it was possible to establish a base around the Dungeon in a couple of days and use the ce for mercantile interests.


    Wain swam up to the well and entered the portal thirty secondster. It felt strange moving into another space, but Wain was out of the Dungeon before long.


    "What?" Puzzled, Wain muttered as he looked around.


    To his surprise, he found himself not in water but on a wooden structure arranged around a well. It was a small base set up to allow people to visit this Dungeon.


    "Who are you? What''s your name?" Asked the man standing at the well.


    Wain looked at him and thought, ''There''s not a very powerful auraing from him, he doesn''t look strong, but he''s definitely activated his Soul Altar.''


    "Hey! Can you hear me? What''s your name? I don''t remember you getting permission to enter the Dungeon." Said the man.


    Wain turned sideways, looking down at the beach.


    The man frowned. He didn''t like that Wain was so cocky that he didn''t even look at him when he spoke.


    "Are you deaf?!"


    Wain did not respond in any way and asked, "Where''s Gisle?"


    At that moment, the man''s face contorted. He didn''t expect Wain to ask that because that name was taboo in that ce.


    "Hmm? What? Why did you mention that name? Boy, stop kidding around, say your name. I have to check the list!" The man said loudly. Wain was already starting to seriously annoy him.


    "What happened, Rob?" Suddenly a tall man with short blond hair approached them. He was dressed in shining armor like a noble knight.


    "Mr. Tornt! Good to greet you. Would you like to enter the Dungeon?" Rob asked.


    Tornt nodded, "Yes, I''ve decided to help the neers get settled in, so this time it''s free admission for them."


    He pointed to the group of people behind him. Among them were several young girls and boys. They looked weak and inexperienced.


    Rob nodded and made notes in therge notebook in his hand. Rob was something of a guard in this ce. He had to keep an eye on everyone entering and leaving the Dungeon, and he also collected entrance fees.


    "Rob, who is this? Exin the situation." Said Tornt looking at Wain, puzzled. He didn''t know what happened or why Rob had a problem with anyone.


    "Mr. Tront, that''s what I''m trying to find out. I don''t remember this maning into Dungeon, and so when I saw him, I asked him his name. But, he won''t answer." Rob answered at length.


    Tront frowned and looked coldly at Wain, "Boy, don''t make trouble. State your name and be free, don''t stop others from hunting."


    Wain looked at him and asked, "Shiny, where''s Gisle?"


    "What?" Tront said angrily. He was offended by the way Wain addressed him.


    "Are you all imprable dumbasses here? I said, where the fuck is Gisle?" Wain''s patience was starting to run out. This was the third time he had asked the same question, and he still didn''t get an answer.


    Tornt was stunned by such rude words. It had been a long time since anyone had dared to talk to him like that.


    "You are too impertinent. Moreover, you are in the territory of the Sea Punishers and dare to ask where Gisle Enge, our worst enemy, is?" The next moment Tornt drew his sword from its sheath and pointed it at Wain.<sub> </sub>


    "Gisle, your enemy? I wonder if in that case, I should kill everyone here, right?" Asked Wain. He spoke calmly and measuredly. There was no aggression or bloodlust in his voice. To him, it was nothing more than an ordinary decision.


    Tornt''s face twisted in anger, and he barked, "Boss told me not to lose trouble at the base, but apparently, you''re not our friend. We don''t need trash like you here!"


    Tornt''s sword glowed, and he swung it sharply. Tornt intended to cut off Wain''s head and end the misunderstanding.


    But, suddenly, Wain gripped the sword de with two fingers. Everyone was stunned by his speed and strength. Tornt tried to attack again, but he couldn''t even move his sword. Wain''s grip was too strong.


    Then Wain snatched the sword from Tornt''s hands and decapitated him in one sharp movement. Tornt''s head flew to the side and rolled across the wooden floor.


    At that moment, it was clear to everyone that Wain was the enemy and needed to be gotten rid of. Rob pounced on Wain, as did the other people nearby. But, suddenly, a sma sword appeared next to Wain.


    Wain swung his arm, and several people''s bodies were sliced in two. Wain yawned and walked slowly forward.


    There was no one else on the tform around the entrance to the Dungeon. Wain went to the base on the beach.


    ''From what I understand, this ce belongs to the Sea Punishers, and one of their bases is on the beach. Hmm, apparently, there''s a feud between them and Gisle. But why hasn''t he killed them yet? Okay, I''ll take care of that. I need to stretch.'' Thought Wain as he approached the shore.


    The people on the shore noticed pretty quickly that there was some kind of incident at the portal. There was a base on the shore, with barricades, protective walls, and watchtowers.


    The ce was home to people who were about to enter Dungeon soon. This ce was one of the main bases of the Sea Punishers.


    When Wain approached the base, he was immediately attacked by many people from far away, but they did not use their abilities. These people decided to kill Wain by shooting him with firearms.


    They did so because humans were not yet capable of withstanding a direct hit from high-powered rifles. Of course, there were exceptions. People like Grut were capable of withstanding small caliber bullets right after getting their soul.


    However, when the bullets hit Wain, they just bounced off him like a steel te.


    ''Hmm, I didn''t think the bullets would do me any damage, it''s amazing, but if this keeps up, my favorite cape will turn into ader.'' Thought Wain and bounced to the side.


    He could have used Lightning Boots and instantly gotten to the watchtowers and destroyed them. But, Wain wanted to smash this base in one powerful attack. He had one such ability in his arsenal that he had not yet used.


    It was Oblivion Thunder. At this point, it was the most destructive ability in Wain''s arsenal, if you don''t count Cursed Swordsman.


    The next moment, Soul Essence began to build up in his hand. This energy slowly turned into ck electric discharges.


    ''This skill really requires a lot of energy. Hopefully, its power will be appropriate.''


    Thought Wain and pointed his hand to the base on the shore. At the exact moment, clouds thickened in the sky as if a storm was about to ur.


    Then Wain clenched his palm in a fist, and a ck pir of thunder fell upon the base like a heavenly punishment. It was vast and powerful, this attack destroyed dozens of buildings in one second, and hundreds of people were killed.


    The shockwave spread dozens of meters around, and meter-long waves appeared on the shore. No one had time to defend themselves or react. This force was not something they could resist.


    Wain unclenched his fist and muttered broadly, "Unbelievable, this attack is like an atomic bomb going off, but I''ve already expended about half my energy."


    He looked at the shore and jumped toward it. Wain easily covered the distance of ten meters in one leap. The wooden tform he stood on broke under pressure from his feet and fell into the sea.


    ''Hmm, maybe I should try to destroy the entrance to the Dungeon.'' Wain pondered but then shook his head, ''No, that''s pointless. I''d only be wasting my energy.''


    Wain decided to go into the woods and head for the university from there. He couldn''t find where Gisle was, but Wain was sure that the university was still Gisle''s territory.


    He walked past the corpses of hundreds of people, some of whom didn''t even realize what had happened. They died in an instant. Now all that was left of the Sea Punishers'' base was a huge crater and burnt sand due to the heat of the lightning.


    In a few jumps, Wain climbed the high ledge separating the beach and the forest. Despite the fact that he had just killed hundreds of people, he felt no emotion at all. Such a thing could not make him feel anything.


    "How long have I been evolving? Maybe it''s been more than a few weeks? This base was pretty big. It could hardly be built in a couple of weeks.


    But given how weak these people are, it couldn''t have been too long. Okay, I need to ask Gisle about everything." Wain muttered.


    He had many different tasks at the moment. First, he wanted to find out what had happened during his absence, then to go after the Sorcerer''s Soul to discover the third form.

 Chapter 89 Changes

    Immediately after Wain left Dungeon, he coincidentally destroyed one of the Sea Punishers'' bases. The news spread almost immediately throughout eastern Overion.


    Eyewitnesses to the incident quickly ryed the information to the head of the Sea Punishers, but oddly enough, it wasn''t the man who received the information first.


    One person on the eastern side of Overion had a more advanced informationwork, and that person was now at the University of the Bright Sun.


    But, it was hard to call it a university. It was more like a vastplex of buildings, mostly made of wood.


    He is a tall guy with thick gray hair, brown eyes, and several scars on his back. He was looking at the maps on the table and pondering something. Not far from him hung a katana, which emitted an eerie aura on the wall.


    Click.


    At that moment, the door to the room opened, and a man came inside. He bowed and said, "Boss, I''ve just received word that the second Sea Punisher base has been destroyed."


    "What?" Gisle said in surprise. He hadn''t expected, all of a sudden, to get news of this nature.


    "We don''t know exactly what happened there, but our informants reported that they saw a ck sh, followed by a deafening explosion, and the base was wiped to dust." Quickly the man replied.


    Gisle wondered, ''Has some kind of monster appeared by the sea? That could be problematic... I didn''t fight the Sea Punishers because that Dungeon is practically useless. Fighting monsters in the water is too inefficient a way to extract Soul Essence.''


    "Will Tria be able to pick up the source of that energy? I think it''s more likely that some monster did it. It''s probably moving toward our base in the forest." Said Gisle.


    The informant smiled and said, "I already told her everything. She was able to identify the energy source, and it wasn''t cataclysmic. It''s definitely a living thing."


    "I see. Send Agnes and Teresa to deal with this monster. Have them attack as soon as they feel the energy fluctuations." Said Gisle and looked toward the forest.


    "Orders understood." The informant said briefly and headed towards Teresa and Agnes.


    "It''s strange... But it''s a lucky coincidence for me. The Sea Punishers have taken over the entire coast, I would have wiped them out long ago, but it would have cost me too much.


    I cannot sacrifice people if the ends are not justified. I hope this monster doesn''t destroy the base in the woods. Teresa and Agnes can kill anyone." Pronounced Gisle.


    ...


    When Teresa and Agnes learned what had happened, they immediately headed into the forest. The two of them had been Last Light''s Punishers. That''s what Gisle decided to call his organization after they became the strongest on the eastern side of Overion.


    Under Gisle''s leadership, Last Light was able to destroy all hostile organizations except the Sea Punishers, as in Gisle''s opinion, it was not profitable.


    Teresa and Agnes were some of the strongest members of Last Light. They always acted ording to Gisle''s orders.


    But, they were not the strongest. The strongest person in Last Light was Zero. However, she did not always obey Gisle. More often than not, she acted in her own interest and discretion.


    She wasn''t at the main base this time, as she had gone off to hunt monsters. She''s the closest she''se to evolving. Lately, she only has a little Soul Essence left to get.


    ...


    A few minutester, Teresa and Agnes reached the base in the woods.


    "Great, looks like that monster hasn''t gotten here yet. Gisle said to attack as soon as we feel that monster''s energy. Agnes, do you think we can kill it in one surprise attack?" Asked Teresa.


    "Of course, it won''t be a problem. No one will be able to resist us at the moment." Agnes answered and ran on.


    In a minute, they were running among the dense thickets of the forest. There was practically nothing to be seen around them. If a monster attacked them, they would instinctively dodge it.


    "It''s here," Teresa said seriously, looking to the left side of the forest thicket.


    Agnes nodded, "Okay, attack instantly."


    The next moment their bodies became a blur, and they burst through ayer of trees. They immediately used their most powerful skills, and the speed of theirbined attack was incredible.


    At that moment, they didn''t even have time to realize that they weren''t attacking a monster, but Wain.<sub> </sub>


    There was no way they could have expected something like that, and they weren''t capable of stopping and realizing the situation in a split second.


    However, Wain was able to react to this deadly attack. With a simple movement of his hands, he blocked Agnes and Teresa''s attacks and punched them in the stomach.


    He didn''t hold back as he acted too quickly. Wain could react and attack back, but he only realized he was being attacked. He didn''t know who it was.


    "Decided to attack from behind? Clever, but it won''t help you." Wain said coldly, and ck electrical discharges began to build up in his hand.


    Then dark clouds thickened over the forest area, and Wain was ready to clench his palm in his fist.


    "Stop!"


    But, suddenly, he heard the familiar voice of Agnes. Wain stopped at thest moment. Otherwise, the ce would have been destroyed by now.


    "Agnes?" Wain muttered in puzzlement. Then he saw Teresa rising from the ground.


    The girls could barely stand on their feet. Wain''s blow was powerful enough to make them cough up blood and squirm in pain.


    "You... Didn''t you disappear? Where have you been?" Teresa said with difficulty. Every time he met Wain, something out of the ordinary happened.


    "I''ve been busy. Unlike you, I haven''t wasted any time and built up my power. You can hardly stand on your feet after one single blow. Shame on you." Said Wain.


    "Fuck you..." Teresa replied shortly.


    "Wain, have you seen a monster?" Asked Agnes. She was d to see Wain after he had been gone for a long time. But first, she had to make sure the base in the woods was safe.


    "What monster? I didn''t meet any monsters while I was walking here." Wain replied.


    "What? We came here because some powerful monster destroyed the Sea Punisher base on the coast. We urgently need to find it before it gets to our base." Agnes said hurriedly.


    "Hmm, if that''s what you''re talking about, I''m the one who destroyed the base on the coast." Said Wain.


    "Are you serious?" Teresa asked incredulously.


    "Yes." Nodded Wain, "Those idiots decided to attack me, I just wanted to know where Gisle was. Where is he, by the way? You sure as hell should know."


    "You''re as formidable and unpredictable as ever..." Agnes muttered.


    "Gisle is at the university, as before this is our main base. He sent us here to deal with a dangerous monster, and you ended up being the monster. I wouldn''t say it was a mistake, though." Teresa replied with a smirk.


    "Alright then, if all the problems are solved, let''s go back to base." Said Wain and headed in the direction of the university.


    "Damn, at least you could apologize. The scariest monsters are nothingpared to your punch." Said Teresa grudgingly.


    "Apologize? It was you who attacked me first. Moreover, it''s not my fault that you''re too weak and got such wounds from one blow." Calmly said Wain.


    "Wain, I am not mad at you for attacking us, for you are right. We were the ones who started the action. But, where did you get such power? What have you been doing all this time?" Asked Agnes.


    "I''ve been evolving. Unfortunately, it''s quite a long process. By the way, for how long have I been missing?" Asked Wain.


    His words surprised Agnes and Teresa. ording to their calctions, they needed to kill monsters for about two more weeks to get enough Soul Essence. They wanted to evolve more than anyone else.


    "It''s been about two months since you disappeared," Teresa replied.


    Wain was surprised. He thought the evolution process was supposed to take a few weeks, but instead, he spent a whole two months in Dungeon.


    "That''s unexpected... I thought it was a lot less time. Perhaps evolution happens differently for each person?" Wain muttered.

 Chapter 90 Subjugation Of The Territory

    ''Two months...'' Wain thought to himself. It wasn''t too long a period, but it was much more than a few months.


    Wain was not frustrated, he understood that if two months had passed, that was how long it took to sessfullyplete his evolution.


    He was trying to understand why his evolution hadsted two or even three times longer than initially intended.


    "We need to go back." Said Teresa. She wasn''t happy about Wain attacking her, even if it was a coincidence, but she was just as excited to have him back. Teresa was sure that Wain was one of the strongest people in the whole world.


    Wain and Agnes nodded. They didn''t go into the base in the woods since nothing was threatening it. They went straight to the university and got there in a few minutes.


    "You can hardly call it a university. It''s a real wooden castle." Wain said in amazement. He hadn''t expected it to transform so much in two months.


    "Yes." Agnes nodded and said, "Clovis did it. He used his skill for weeks and gradually created massive structures. Moreover, the same thing happened with our other bases."


    Wain nodded, he could have asked Agnes about everything, but he wanted to talk to Gisle since that person was in charge here.


    Agnes and Teresa led him into Gisle''s office, then left. They had a lot of work to do rted to their own progress and the organization''s missions.


    Click.


    Wain went inside and saw Gisle sitting at a desk with many papers. As the leader of Gisle, he had to work not only with his fists but also with his head.


    He was the one who came up with most of the ns and solutions, rarely was anyone else''s ideas better than his.


    Gisle smiled and said, "Well, hello there, the prodigal son."


    Wain smiled back, "How are you? Judging by what you''ve managed to build during my absence, I should have given you a gold crown toplete the picture."


    "Huh, it wasn''t my fault. I told Clovis how many buildings we needed, and he acted as he saw fit. I would have built hundreds of small, square rooms like boxes in his ce. That would have been the most efficient option." Said Gisle.


    Wain shrugged, "Yeah, but it would be bad for the emotional state of the people living here."


    "So far, they''re still only happy with the fact that they''re alive. It''s too early for me to think about such profound things. At the moment, the most important thing is to build strength." Said Gisle.


    Gisle gestured to Wain to sit down, after which he said, "Tell me. Where have you been for two months? That''s a pretty long time."


    "I evolved. It took such a long time. It was a surprise even to me." Said Wain.


    "Hmm, I see. Good thing I''m finding that out now. Some of our people are already getting close to evolving. What''s more, even I''ll be ready to evolve in about a week." Said Gisle.


    "What will you do? If you disappear for two months, will this ce fall apart?" Asked Wain.


    Gisle shrugged, "I don''t know, but I think I''ll figure something out. What''s more, it''s probably each person''s own timing and conditions. Maybe because you''re powerful, your body took longer than most of us."


    "Maybe you''re right." Said Wain and slipped his hand under his cloak.


    Then the Ring of Damned glowed, and a pack of cigarettes appeared in Wain''s hands. Wain wanted to smoke, but it wasn''t meant to be.


    "Shit, Ipletely forgot I didn''t have any more cigarettes. Gisle, do you happen to smoke?" Wain asked.


    Gisle shook his head, "No."


    "Are you a health-conscious person?" With a touch of irony in his voice, Wain asked.


    "Are you kidding me? How do you think I have the moral strength to care about what I eat during the apocalypse?"


    Gisle then opened a drawer in the desk, "I don''t smoke, but I knew you liked that, so I saved one pack of high-end cigarettes for you."


    Gisle took a dark blue pack of cigarettes from the drawer and tossed them to Wain.


    Wain smiled, pulled out a cigarette, and smoked. Wain blew out a puff of smoke and said, "Why is doing self-destruction such a pleasure?"


    "Doing self-destruction? I''m sure with your stats, you don''t get any harm from smoking. Your lungs regenerate faster than they copse."


    "Don''t break the atmosphere." Said Wain and blew out a club of smoke, "What do you intend to do at the moment?"


    "I had nned to develop and strengthen Last Light''s position, but with youing, my ns have changed significantly." Said Gisle.<sub> </sub>


    "Last Light?"


    "That''s the name of our organization now. I know you''re a loner, but to me, you''re a loyal ally." Pronounced Gisle.


    Wain nodded weakly, "How did my appearance change your ns?"


    "It''s simple, as soon as you came back, you destroyed one of the Sea Punisher bases, that means you''re incredibly strong now, am I right?" Said Gisle.


    "Yes, I won''t be modest. I''m sure I''m one of the strongest people in the entire world at the moment. Evolution is something absolutely amazing." Proimed Wain.


    "Great, so I want to invite you to participate in something interesting." Said Gisle.


    "I''m listening to you carefully."


    "Right now, Last Light controls 90% of the eastern part of Overion. Naturally, I want to expand our territories since I think we''re pretty well established in that part of town." Said Gisle.


    "You mean to tell me that in two months, you''ve managed to solve the problem of housing, food, water, and security?" Asked Wain.


    "Sure." Gisle replied confidently, "Normally, this would be impossible, but I have dozens of people with superpowers in my charge. The strongest of them agree with my actions, so no one dares to contradict me. In a situation like this, it''s very easy to get incredible results."


    "I see, go on."


    "Besides us in this part of Overion, there is another organization, and that is the Sea Punishers. There were others, but some joined us, and some were destroyed. I did not fight the Sea Punishers as there was no advantage. It would have been a pointless sacrifice. But, with you, the situation will change dramatically." Said Gisle.


    "You want to deal with them with the least amount of loss, I see, but what''s in it for me?" Asked Wain.


    Gisle shrugged, "Honestly, nobody. I''m telling you this in the hope that this n will appeal to you or seem profitable for some reason. After all, after we are the only rulers here, I had nned to go to the northern part of Overion."


    "I see. You want to negotiate with the other strongest organizations and unite the entire city." Proimed Wain, but suddenly Gisle shook his head.


    "No, it''s not like that at all. I want to start a war, and I will attack without warning. I don''t want alliances. I must be the only ruler in Overion. Alliances are only possible with other cities, but that I haven''t decided yet." Said Gisle.


    Wain smiled broadly and said, "All right, I agree. Do we take prisoners?"


    "Of course, we need strong allies and manpower, but they shouldn''t keep me from developing the organization." Said Gisle.


    Wain immediately agreed to the venture because it was a good coincidence. The soul needed to unlock the third form was in the northern part of Overion.


    Moreover, Wain liked the idea of capturing one of the four parts of the city in a single assault. It was something he wanted to be a part of.


    "Huh. To think, the apocalypse has started, there are thousands of monsters around, and we''re thinking about how to make war on other people." Laughing, Wain said.


    "Actually, nothing is surprising about that, and so far, no powerful enemies have emerged. Maybe not enough time has passed yet. Maybe it''s me being such a good leader, I don''t know."


    "I agree. People never change. By the way, how many Dungeon and Nest are under your control?"


    "Four Dungeon and two Nest, though, given that you destroyed the Sea Punisher base on the beach, Last Light now has five Dungeon under its control." Said Gisle.


    "By the way, why didn''t you take that Dungeon? Wasn''t it worth it?" Asked Wain.


    "That''s right, in my opinion, it wasn''t worth it. That Dungeon is popted by underwater monsters, and it''s inconvenient to fight there. But, the most important factor is that, for now, we have enough Dungeons."


    "I see. If there were a need, you would act differently. Okay, I get your point. When do we go to destroy the Sea Punishers and take over the north?" Smiling Wain asked.


    "I didn''t think it would happen that fast, but it takes twelve hours to prepare."


    "Excellent, that''s fine with me. I still have one more question. How do you n to cross the canyons that divide the city? How will we get to the northern part of Overion?"


    "I''ve already thought about it, and I have a n. It''s simple, we''ll use our tree supplies, and Clovis will build a bridge. It won''t be hard." Said Gisle.


    Wain nodded, "I''ll be here in twelve hours, looking forward to it."


    "This is going to be the greatest event in a while. If we are to be one of the leading forces in the new world, we must fight, kill, and capture. That''s the path I''ve chosen." Said Gisle.


    Wain smiled and, before he left, said, "Don''t forget alliances, some enemies may not be powerful, but they will make too much trouble when fighting."

 Chapter 91 Defeat

    "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA." When Wain left the room, Gisle suddenly startedughing like a madman.


    He smiled broadly and muttered, "Great, excellent, perfect! Fuck, my luck definitely hasn''t left me yet!"


    Gisle was so d because he might have been in trouble shortly. In fact, a few days ago, he had already reached the point where he could begin to evolve.


    Gisle didn''t tell anyone about it because he knew that he would have to disappear for a few weeks if he started to evolve.


    Usually, Gisle would have had no problem doing this, but he was the leader of hundreds of thousands of people and was doing a great job of evolving the organization. Everything he had worked so hard to build could fall apart if he were to disappear for such a long period.


    He tried to think of a solution to this problem, but it was a total headache. Gisle had one n, but it seemed to him an impossible task. He wanted to take over all parts of Overion and unite the city.


    He would then be the only ruler, but that was not Gisle''s main goal. When he united the four parts into one, there would be many problems and issues to solve. It would take at least a month, and that''s when Gisle was going to disappear and deal with evolution.


    His n was to hand out hundreds of instructions up front and install the person in charge. He had already thought through solutions to most of the possible problems after the city was united.


    Gisle wanted to do just that because other cities were unlikely to dare to attack Overion. Also, only after the typical and expected problems have been solved would Gisle deal with the more unique situations.


    During the time his assistants were solving problems, he would be able to evolve. In Gisle''s opinion, this was the best option possible. Of course, there were plenty of downsides even then, but it was the lesser of the evils.


    The biggest w in his n was that he couldn''t take over the whole city quickly. He didn''t have the strength to fight mercilessly or even real wars for power and territory.


    But, with the arrival of Wain, everything changed. Sure, Wain wasn''t strong enough to destroy cities with a wave of his hand, but Wain wouldn''t fight alone.


    Gisle had hundreds of men with superpowers at hismand. Every one of them was willing to act on his orders. Even if someone disliked Gisle, he still had to obey because together with Gisle were such powerful people as Teresa, Agnes, and Grut.


    Moreover, Gisle was also one of the strongest in his organization. With the appearance of Wain, another problem was solved. Besides Agnes, Teresa and Grut were other influential people under Gisle''smand.


    It was Zero, and she was the strongest of all except Wain. However, like Wain, she acted on her own most of the time, but Gisle knew that Zero valued Wain even more than herself.


    Teresa had told him about what happened in theb, so Gisle knew all the details. Thus, if Zero found out that Wain would be involved in the war, she would join in as well. Moreover, the mutant girls considered Zero their leader.


    Gisle was d that Wain was back because he improved the situation many times over by his mere presence.


    ''Alright, I need to develop a n to capture the Sea Punishers and destroy the northern part of Overion.'' Thought Gisle and got to work.


    ...


    Wain went downstairs to the university''s courtyard and thought about the conversation that had taken ce.


    ''Hmm, I need something to do for the next twelve hours. I could go to one of the Dungeon controlled Last Light''s, but I have no desire to. I can''t think of anything but theing war. I''d a better look around. First, a lot has changed here.'' Wain thought.


    He decided not to go to Dungeon for another reason. He didn''t want to waste energy. He had recently used Oblivion Thunder, and his energy reserves were still not fully restored.


    Wain looked at his cloak and muttered, "My favorite cloak has turned into some ragstely. I need to fix it somehow."


    Wain didn''t want to change his cape. He was a real cape lover. He wanted someone to fix his cape. Wain thought of finding a tailor, he was sure that among the thousands of people living in Last Light''s main base, there were such people.


    "Wait, why would I need a tailor when there''s a cksmith I know well here?" Wain thought and asked one of the people where Lea was.


    He immediately got an answer and headed to the north side of the base. There was a massive forge, about the size of arge two-story house, to his surprise.


    "Looks like in two months, Lea has gained some notoriety for her abilities." Thought Wain and stepped inside.


    But, he did not see Lea inside. There were other people there, pounding anvils. Behind them were the furnaces and all the tools needed for the job.


    ''I see. It is to be expected that there are other people with a soul connected with cksmithing besides Lea.'' Thought Wain.


    He watched the cksmiths work, but after a few minutes, he frowned. For, he realized that his past assumption had been wrong.


    ''They don''t have cksmith souls. Moreover, it looks like they haven''t even activated the Soul Altar yet.'' Thought Wain.


    "Excuse me, can I help you?" A girl with a pretty face approached Wain. She was in charge of talking to potential customers and passing on orders.


    "Yes, these people, do they use the power of showers to forge gear?" Asked Wain.


    The girl looked at him in surprise but then replied, "No, these people haven''t activated their Soul Altars yet, and as far as I know, they don''t have craft souls. Don''t you know that there''s only one person with cksmith soul in Last Light at the moment?"<sub> </sub>


    ''I see. They were doing cksmithing before the apocalypse. That exins why I don''t feel any aura from them.'' Thought Wain.


    "Where''s Lea?" Asked Wain.


    The girl answered uncertainly, "Miss Lea isn''t taking orders right now..."


    "Why?"


    "She''s depressed..."


    ''What the fuck is going on here!'' Wain thought to himself.


    "I still want to talk to her. Where''s her workce?"


    "Over there." Said the girl pointing in the direction.


    Wain nodded and headed toward Lea''s room. He went to the door and wanted to open it but...


    "Closed? Thatzy girl doesn''t understand the situation she''s in at all." Mumbled Wain, and he kicked the door open with a single kick the next moment.


    The wooden door rattled into the wall and broke in two. Wain stepped inside and saw a dazed Lea. She hadn''t expected someone to suddenly break into her room.


    "Wain...?" Lea mumbled confusedly.


    "What are you doing here anyway?" Asked Wain. He was surprised to see what condition Lea and her room were in.


    There were hundreds of candy wrappers and chocte wrappers scattered all over the floor. Everywhere was filthy, and it looked as if ten people lived here, not one little girl.


    "You''re back?" Lea was still surprised that after a long time, she finally saw Wain.


    "Yeah-yeah, I''ve been busy. It doesn''t matter now. What''s going on with you? Why is the only man with a cksmith soul idle?" Wain was not happy with the situation.


    He, like Gisle, wanted Last Light to evolve, and after seeing the changes that had urred in two months, his desire only increased.


    Of course, Wain still continued to be a loner, but he realized a lot of potential in this endeavor, and progress was already visible.


    "I... I can''t make gear anymore..." Lea said in a sad voice.


    "What? How is that possible?" Wain was surprised.


    He didn''t understand how a man could lose his abilities. Of course, Wain knew that, if necessary, a person could pull their main soul out of Soul Altar.


    But, in such a case, the human was critically wounded and could even die. Wain wasn''t known other cases in which a person lost their abilities.


    "I''m depressed..." Lea said in a pitiful voice. "In all this time, I''ve created over twenty objects, and they''ve all turned out to be the worst garbage of garbage. I don''t want to do anything else. I give up..."


    Lea has always had a lousy handle for failure. Gisle and the others tried to support her, but they were unsessful. It had been days since Lea had left her room and eaten sweets.


    Crackling.


    Suddenly Lea heard a loud crackling sound. She looked at Wain and saw him walking slowly in his direction, but he wasn''t going tofort her. He was angry.


    When he took a step, the wooden floor beneath his feet broke, and his eerie aura exerted a terrifying pressure on Lea.


    "Lea, I don''t think you understand something. We don''t need a useless cksmith who can''t even wipe his snot and pick up a hammer." Wain said coldly.


    At that moment, Lea trembled with fear. She treated Wain well, but she knew he was scary in anger.


    Wain saw this, and at that moment, Gisle''s words came to his mind, ''Wain, bullying her won''t make things better. You''re a bad teacher.''


    When Wain remembered this, he calmed down a little. He was used to solving problems by force and fear, but in this situation, he was not talking to the head of a criminal gang or some politician, but to a simple girl and quite vulnerable.


    ''Damn, her heart is going to stop in fear. I''m not going to get anywhere.''

 Chapter 92 Encouragement

    Wain was used to dealing with issues using brute force and intimidation, but he realized that such a method would only make things worse in this situation.


    When Wain realized that Lea was trembling with fear and could not say a word, he calmed his aura. He needed to make Lea want to work again, not make her afraid to take the hammer in her hands.


    "Lea, calm down. I''m not going to hurt you. Just listen to me, okay?" Wain said calmly.


    Lea nodded weakly. She didn''t expect Wain to suddenly be able to calm down and talk to her. It was surprising to her.


    "As far as I know at the moment, you are the only person with the cksmith soul in Last Light. You must understand that you have a great responsibility to hundreds of other people." Said Wain.


    "Yes... But, all I do is garbage..." Lea said with sadness in her voice.


    "It doesn''t matter, don''t think about it. Besides being the only cksmith, you also have another more important purpose."


    Lea looked at him thoughtfully.


    "You must develop. That should be your top priority. If you keep getting frustrated over every little thing, you can''t get better. You have to move forward. Moreover, with your soul, you have no right to give up.


    You are already more fortunate than others. It can bepared to talent. You have to develop the talent to be better than millions, not sit here and eat candy."


    "I know you''re right. I''ve been told that by others, but I still can''t help myself. Just when I think I''m finally ready for a new challenge, I give up again at thest moment." Mumbled Lea.


    "Lea, don''t you have any goals? Surely there must be something you want to aplish with all your heart. Right?"


    "Yes..." Mumbled Lea. She wanted to say something, but suddenly Wain interrupted her.


    Whoooosh.


    He took off his cape and threw it toward Lea. The cape wasrge, so itpletely covered Lea.


    "Then pull yourself together and get what you want. Make a masterpiece right here and now!" Wain said loudly.


    Wain was not a master at raising morale, as he was never interested in being a leader. But, he could say a couple of titudes that should have helped Lea gain courage.


    Lea looked at Wain''s cloak, torn in many ces, and nodded hesitantly.


    ''He''s right. I should at least try. If I don''t relive one failure after another, I won''t even have a chance of sess. Creating a masterpiece isn''t easy, but it''s possible.'' Lea thought.


    Her soul allowed her to work with almost any material. Lea was more like a gear maker than a cksmith, who mostly worked with metals.


    If she had the suitable materials and conditions, she could change and repair anything.


    "Okay, I''ll give it a try, but we need to go into the warehouse. I can re-shackle your cloak, and the holes will disappear, but I can''t repair the torn parts that way."


    "Whatever you say."


    "By the way, do you happen to have any souls? I could use them to increase my chances of creating a masterpiece." Lea asked.


    When she used her skill, she would either create garbage or a masterpiece. Which option would happen depending on many factors.


    Luck, quality of materials, use of showers, and Lea''s skills could all have had an effect. Thetter was the most important of these, but other factors also influenced the end result.


    Wain shook his head, "No. I''ve already used everything I had."


    "I see... Okay, let''s try it this way. Maybe if I put enough effort in, I can create something worthwhile." Said Lea and headed for the warehouse.


    "That''s the right attitude." Proimed Wain was looking at Lea walking away.


    ''It seems to have worked. I could havee up with more original phrases, but for the first time, it turned out pretty good.'' Thought Wain and followed Lea.


    A minuteter, they were in a massive warehouse with hundreds of crates. Gisle decided not to use all materials that people had extracted from Dungeon.


    It didn''t make any sense since they didn''t trivially have as many craftsmen who couldpetently use the various materials.


    Only a few people who had been cksmiths before were able to create something decent out of monster parts and various ores. But, the only person who could use these materials to their full potential was Lea.


    "Wain, what color do you like best?" Asked Lea trying to find the right material to mend her cloak.<sub> </sub>


    "Of course, ck. You can still use navy blue and crimson, but only in small quantities." Wain quickly replied.


    "Well, yes, it was obvious. It was stupid to ask that." Mumbled Lea and headed to the back of the warehouse.


    Clovis and a few other people who had previously worked as carpenters were in charge of creating the crates. They were also responsible for sorting things, and the monster skins were at the end of the warehouse.


    Clovis.


    Lea opened arge drawer and pulled out what looked like a snake''s skin.


    "It''s the hide of a night serpent. This monster was a boss in one of the Dungeons our organization owns. As far as I know, it was one of the strongest, and several people have died in battle with it."


    "That''ll do. That''s what I need. The material has to be sturdy, but it doesn''t have to constrain my movements, or it will be garbage." Said Wain.


    Lea nodded and headed to her personal forge.


    In fact, Lea could forge gear anywhere, but the right atmosphere helped her concentrate. The forge also had everything she needed to make gear.


    ...


    "You have a pretty good forge. Gisle did a good job." Proimed Wain was looking at the spacious room with its massive furnace, many tools on the tables, and several anvils.


    "Yes, I was thrilled when I saw my new workce. Okay, time to get started." Said Lea and ced the cloak along with the serpent''s skin on the anvil.


    She took a deep breath and prepared to activate the skill, but suddenly the door opened, and someone came inside.


    "Wain!" Zero said loudly. She had recently returned to the base and found out that Wain had shown up after a long absence. She immediately started looking for him, asking everyone at the university where he was.


    "Hi," Wain said calmly, waving his hand.


    "Zero? Is today the day everyone goes home?" Said Lea. She hadn''t seen Zero in a long time.


    "Zero, I know we haven''t seen each other in a while, but I''m busy at the moment. Lea has finally decided to start forging items again. She has to fix and improve my cloak." Said Wain.


    Zero nodded. She looked at Wain, mesmerized. Normally he always wore his cloak and never took it off, but now he was wearing only a ck, fitted T-shirt.


    Wain''s muscles were perfectly visible through it. They were not bloated. On the contrary, they looked harmonious and perfectly matched. Wain''s body was like the bodies of Greek gods from myths and legends.


    To get such a body, one had to train for many years in a row. Moreover, training alone was not enough. Genes and lifestyle were also influential. Wain fought hundreds of times and continues to do so in the new world. His body honed with each battle and got better.


    Zero had survived many horrible events that made her quite ruthless. But, she was still a young and rather impressionable girl.


    "By the way, before we get started. Zero, do you happen to have any souls? Lea would have a better chance of creating a masterpiece if she used souls in the meantime. Anything will do."


    Zero nodded, "Yes, I just got back from a hunt. Right now, I have five hundred Common Rating souls and thirty Rare Rating souls."


    "Great, can you lend us those? When I go hunting, I''ll give them back to you." Said Wain.


    Usually, Wain used force to get what he needed, but he didn''t do that in those situations where his ally was helping him. Wain was a pretty fair man and always kept his word and paid his debts.


    He felt that otherwise, his words and actions would have no weight. He would have been a mere pacifier unting his power and nothing but that.


    "All right, but you don''t have to give anything back. I still haven''t thanked you for saving the other girls in thatb and me." Zero said seriously.


    "Suit yourself, but then you could have gotten out without me. Those mutants and monsters weren''t strong." Proimed Wain with a shrug.


    "Yes, but it was only because of you that I was able to avenge the full extent of all the suffering I experienced. Lea, at what point do I have to hand over my souls to you." Said Zero.


    "Right now, I will use the souls to enhance the item I received, so I must use them from the beginning to get the maximum effect." Said Lea.


    She had never forged using souls before, but she knew intuitively how it worked. Her soul gave her not just a powerful skill but also some pretty powerful passive effects. The same was true of the rest of the people.


    At that moment, Wain wondered, ''I know what effects my additional soul has. The description clearly says so. But, I''m not sure exactly what effects my main soul has. Nameless King... I got a really unusual soul.''

 Chapter 93 The Result

    Zero agreed to give up all her souls so that Lea would have a better chance of creating a true masterpiece.


    She was not sorry to lose all the souls she had collected over the few days of battle because Zero was genuinely grateful to Wain.


    ''He said we would have been able to get out of thatb on our own that day, but we weren''t. The mutants would have seriously wounded us, and thest two monsters in the pods were formidable foes. That ck wolf could have turned us to stone, and then we no longer had a chance to survive.'' Thought Zero approaching Lea.


    Zero reached forward, palm up, and the next moment the palm glowed brightly. Zero mentally moved souls from her inventory into the real world.


    Hundreds of white souls and dozens of blue ones flew out of her palm. They swirled around her like brightnterns capable of illuminating even the darkest road. Then these souls headed toward Lea and hovered above her.


    Anyone could transfer their souls to another at will. Wain had already done this once when he gave his souls to Sven.


    After the apocalypse began, many people in Wain''s world realized that souls could be transferred, and they tried to rob other people, but it wasn''t easy to do.


    The problem was that one person couldn''t know how many souls another person had or if they had any at all.


    The victim of the attempted robbery could say she had no souls, and the robber couldn''t tell if that was true or false.


    Of course, some special abilities and tools allowed you to check if another person had souls, but only a tiny number of people had such equipment.


    Some people could give away all their souls on the pain of death, but some people understood that they would hardly be killed for nothing.


    Moreover, many people at the beginning of the apocalypse had no souls, even if they hunted frequently. The reason was that they immediately used those souls to get a lot of Soul Essence.


    Only after a while would people retain some souls to use for trade. But, for this to happen, there would have to be powerful organizations in the world that would control areas the size of a city. Trade would quickly develop in such ces.


    "Ready?" Asked Wain looking at Lea.


    "Yes, with these souls, I could definitely create a masterpiece!" Lea said confidently, and her aura began to intensify.


    Like thest time, a human-like silhouette appeared above her. Lea''s eyes glowed blue, and the energy on her pupils turned into the likeness of gears.


    Then Lea picked up the hammer from the table, covered in white energy. Lea might not have used the hammer since she could have created it from energy, but she made that decision to make it more effective.


    The tools were also an essential factor that could significantly affect the end result. The hammer in Lea''s hand came from the Rare Rating Soul Chest. Gisle decided to give it to Lea.


    Lea raised the hammer high and struck Wain''s cape and serpent''s skin. Simultaneously, hundreds of souls headed for the cape, and it glowed brightly. Wain and Zero even had to close their eyes.


    ng. ng. ng.


    Lea was gradually speeding up. At first, she hit the hammer once per second, but now that value had increased three times. After a minute, Lea was hammering five times per second. Her aura was powerful and ancient, and Wain saw his cape gradually change.


    It wasn''t some kind of magic. It all looked quite realistic. With each blow Lea took, a part of the serpent''s skin broke off, and after hundreds of blows, it became one with the cape.


    Under the influence of the energy emanating from Lea, the ck cape also underwent changes. The torn pieces of the serpent''s skin flew into the air and moved to the right ce for a better result.


    When Lea decided to reach a certain stage, she threw the cape into the massive furnace behind her. Then she pointed the hammer toward the furnace, and ayer of Lea''s energy appeared on it.


    The scarlet me in the furnace turned white. It looked amazing and unique. After a while, Lea pulled Wain''s cape out of the furnace and proceeded to hit it with the hammer. The white me did Lea no harm.


    This went on for about an hour. Lea repeated one action after another and kept speeding up. In thest minutes, Zero could not see Lea''s movements. Even Wain had to concentrate on avoiding seeing a blurry blur instead of Lea''s hand.


    As the process came to a close, Lea made a powerful hammer blow. The force of that blow created an energy wave that spread several meters around. Even the forge shook. It was like a light earthquake.


    "Done..." Mumbled Lea. In that hour, she had made more than ten thousand hammer blows and expended a lot of energy.<sub> </sub>


    Lea was tired physically and mentally, but she was content as she made the equipment again after a long time.


    Lea looked at Wain''s altered cape and took it in her hands. She started to read the description, but the smile on her face changed to tears. She was distraught and was one step away from crying.


    <o>,m "What happened?" rmed, Zero asked.</o>


    Wain sighed, walked over to Lea, and said, "Don''t get upset. You''re still too inexperienced, you just need some time for your mastery to grow."


    Lea wiped away her tears and said in a whisper, "But...I used so many souls...I tried so hard, and I failed. Why did it happen again...? How much more do I have to endure?"


    At that moment, Lea''s condition was the worst. The only thing stopping her from crying was the presence of Wain and Zero. She was sure she could create a masterpiece this time.


    "Don''t take it personally. I''ve experienced hundreds and even thousands of failures in the same way in my time. Moreover, don''t forget that you can either create a failure or a masterpiece because of the specific nature of your soul. In your case, there''s no such thing as anything average or otherwise graded." Said Wain and took the cape in his hands.


    He was also a little upset that Lea had failed to create a masterpiece, but he didn''t me her. His original goal had been to get his cape to look normal, but now it was equipment with protective properties. Wain had already gotten more than he had initially nned.


    [Horrible Cape (Primary Chronicle, Common Rating)


    It was a massive cape created by a skilled tailor. It was the work of a true craftsman who created his best work.


    But, an inexperienced cksmith turned this work of art into a real piece of garbage. Any craftsman who sees this cape would feel disgusted and contempt for the smith who created it.


    Hundreds of souls of weak beings were used to make this cape, which was a critical mistake by the foolish smith who was entrusted with those souls. This should not have been done because ck Serpent''s skin was used during the creation of the cape.


    In life, this monster could control evil spirits, and whenbining this monster''s skin with hundreds of souls, this ability was partially revived. But, it works to the owner''s detriment, not to his benefit.


    When someone wears this cape, a dark spirit will try to take over his body. When the dark spirit''s aura is active, monsters nearby will act more aggressively and want to attack the wearer.


    The only good thing about this cape is that it''s not a bad defense. Most monsters below level ten won''t be able to damage this cape. But, that is a credit to the ck serpent''s sturdy leather, not to the cksmith who created this cape]


    ''Yeah, that''s probably the most insult I''ve ever received from a person. It is rather unfair when a man tries his best, but in the end, all he gets is a failure and undeserved hate.'' Thought Wain.


    ''Lea, stop crying. This cape is actually quite good." Wain said confidently.


    Lea looked at Wain with weeping eyes and said, "What? You don''t have to lie to me. There''s nothing good about this cape. I used so many souls and rare material, but in the end, all I got was an evil spirit that wants to take over your body!"


    "Don''t worry about that. This cape has pretty good protection, and an evil spirit isn''t really a problem. In fact, it can be put to good use. Moreover, the most important factor to me is style, and this cape looks fucking great." Said Wain and put on his new cape.


    The Horrible Cape was quite simr to Wain''s previous cape, but it also had some differences.


    This cape was long and ck and had several straps hanging from the waist. On the front and back of the cape, several stripes looked like the skin of a ck snake. Also, the cape''s cor was pointed at the end and had serpent''s fangs on the corners.


    Wain was delighted. Such things were his type. It was stylish but not pretentious. The cape also didn''t restrict his movements in any way and allowed him to fight to the best of his ability.


    But after a second or two, dark energy started to emanate from the cape. It gradually transformed into a malevolent spirit that gave off a terrifying aura. Just as it was said in the description of the cape, this spirit was trying to take over Wain''s body.


    When the evil spirit appeared, Zero was about to attack it and help Wain, but he gestured for her to stay put.


    "So you''re the one who wants to take possession of my body? Well, let''s y. AHAHAHA!" Wain said loudly, and he activated one of his titles the next moment.


    [You have activated the Title - Mentor Inquisitor]

 Chapter 94 The Ring

    There were a great number of different Titles in this world, and each of them had its own special characteristic. But, Titles could be divided into several global categories.


    Some Titles had no active effect but only gave some passive bonuses.


    There were also such Titles as Savior of the Damned and Echo of Samurai. These Titles were activated only in certain situations.


    But there were also Titles that a person could activate at any convenient moment.


    The Mentor Inquisitor was one of those Titles. Thanks to it, Wain could train other people faster if their goals and interests were the same, but it was not a very useful effect for Wain.


    However, the second effect, a powerful aura of death with a bloody scythe, could help him intimidate his opponents. Of course, it would not work on strong enemies.


    When Wain read the description of Horrible Cape, he immediately realized that the negative effect of this equipment could be used to his advantage.


    ''As long as this evil spirit is active, then monsters will pay more attention to me than usual. This means that I don''t have to go searching for monsters at this moment. It will make hunting and preying on weak souls much easier.'' Thought Wain and then released his own aura.


    The silhouette of death with a bloody scythe above it became even more sinister and terrifying. Wain was about to intimidate or destroy the evil spirit that dared to attack him.


    Whooosh.


    Wain grabbed the spirit with his hand and squeezed it with force. Wain smirked angrily, "You think you can take over my body? I''ll split you into atoms!"


    Then Wain squeezed his hand with force and crushed the spirit. It tried to resist, but it couldn''t even move because of the incredible pressureing from Wain.


    Even Lea and Zero found it hard to breathe as Wain released his aura to the maximum.


    As Wain destroyed the spirit, the dark energy covered Horrible Cloak and slowly absorbed it. Wain smiled and concentrated.


    After a few seconds, the dark energy began toe out of the cloak again, but this time no evil spirit appeared.


    "Great, that went exactly as I nned." Said Wain contentedly.


    "You can control this energy?" Zero asked in amazement.


    "Yes, now the monsters will only be more aggressive toward me when I want them to be. Otherwise, this cloak has pretty good protection and not a bad look. There''s no way I''d call it garbage." Said Wain.


    Although Wain was pleased with his new item, Lea was still frustrated. Every time she had to read a description that said how awful and inept she was. This was taking a huge toll on her self-esteem and spoiling her mood.


    Wain was about to say goodbye and leave, but suddenly he remembered something.


    ''Um, when Gisle fought against Rafe two months ago, we were attacked by a wave of monsters right after their fight. Then I killed the puppeteer and got an unusual stone with strange properties. It has been lying in my ring for a long time now.'' Thought Wain and slipped his hand under his cloak.


    A small, gray stone appeared in his hand. It was Ghost Crystal. ording to the description, this item had an unknown property and gave other things iplete invisibility.


    Wain didn''t think it was a valuable item, as iplete invisibility was no more useful than no invisibility at all. Moreover, Wain was sure that the effect had a downside.


    "Lea, I know you''re not at your best right now, but I''ve had this crystal for quite some time. Couldn''t you create something with it? It doesn''t matter, if it doesn''t turn out anything worthwhile like this cloak, it''s pretty mediocre material." Said Wain handing the Ghost Crystal to Lea.


    Lea nodded weakly and looked at the crystal.


    "I can put it in the ring. Is that okay with you?" Asked Lea.


    "Yes," Wain answered briefly with a shrug. He considered that he would most likely in the future sell or give away a ring that Lea would now make.


    Lea nodded and reactivated her skill. It would take her some time before she could create the ring.<sub> </sub>


    To make the ring, she would use a small piece of ore that the members of Last Light''s had mined in one of the Dungeon. This ore was simr in color to a gray crystal.


    While Lea created the ring, Wain reflected on the past evolution and souls.


    ''Hmm, because of the many things that have happened since evolution, I haven''t even noticed that I still can''t have two additional souls. That''s disappointing, though I had no information on that. Most likely, my Soul Altar is still not capable of holding that much energy simultaneously. I need to get even stronger.''


    Wain thought that when he evolved, he would have two additional souls instead of one. But, it turned out to be a little moreplicated than he thought.


    "Wain, what do you n to do now?" Zero asked.


    "It''s no big deal. I will go with Gisle and his men to destroy the Sea Punishers in ten hours. Then Clovis will build a bridge so we can cross the canyon. When we arrive at the city''s north end, we will dere war on everyone there. That''s all for now." Wain quickly replied.


    Zero nodded. She rarely everplied with Gisle''s requests, but now she decided to go with Wain.


    It was a rare opportunity when she could see Wain''s full strength and ferocity.


    Wain and Zero watched in silence as Lea created the ring. She was distraught after her past failure, and in the middle of making the ring, she could no longer contain her emotions.


    The whole time all she could think about was that another failure was about to await her.


    Lea cried again, her tears slowly rolling down her cheeks and then falling on the half finished ring.


    ''Damn, I was so d when I found out how rare my soul is, but this doesn''t feel like luck or a blessing at all. It''s some kind of curse. What''s the point of my soul being Heroic Rated if all I create is garbage!?'' Shouted Lea to herself.


    "Hmm? What''s going on?" Wain muttered puzzledly. He wasn''t talking about Lea suddenly crying, but about her aura changing.


    Lea''s movements slowed. The speed of her hammering against the anvil diminished with each passing second. Wain thought Lea had decided to give up, but suddenly he saw a startling sight.


    A tremendous amount of energy began to emanate from the silhouette above Lea. It wasn''t scary, but the amount and power were terrifying. Then Lea became even slower, but each blow was mighty.


    When the hammer made contact with the anvil, an energy wave was created, and with each blow, it grewrger. Lea''s tears kept flowing down as she tried to finish the ring.


    ''I don''t want to create a masterpiece anymore. I just want to not be called trash anymore!'' Pronounced Lea to herself and began to hit the anvil with renewed force.


    At the same time, the silhouette above her glowed brightly, and a snow-white tear emerged from the creature''s eye.


    The tear slowly fell onto the nearlypleted ring, and then there was an energy explosion of incredible power. This energy did not contain any destructive power, so everything remained intact.


    But, the energy was bright and attractive. Then all the energy went to Lea''s hammer, and she struck onest blow, after which the ring''s creation wasplete.


    Whooosh.


    A pir of light appeared above Lea that instantly pierced the heavens at that moment. Everyone who was in Overion at the time could see that pir, which was proof that something incredible had happened.


    Wain and Zero stared at the ring on the anvil in shock. Outwardly it was a simple gray ring with the same gray stone inserted.


    But, they felt a strange and unique aura emanating from that ring. They could not exin what it was.


    Lea was at a loss. She had been in a trance and self-defeating for the past few minutes. But, now, in front of her, on the anvily an unusual ring.


    She took it in her hand, and her face contorted. At that moment, she was experiencing all kinds of emotions. It was like a real hurricane, but one feeling overwhelmed the others, and it was a joy.

 Chapter 95 Preparation

    Lea gazed happily at the gray ring in her hand. For the first time in a long time, she saw thebor of her work. At that moment, she was truly happy.


    "I take it that I can congratte you. Right?" Smiling Wain asked.


    Lea nodded, "Yes, I finally seeded in creating a masterpiece."


    She handed the ring to Wain, and tears ran down her cheeks, but they were not tears of grief, but tears of happiness.


    Wain put the ring on her right hand and looked at the item''s description with anticipation.


    [Last Tear (Primary Chronicle, Heroic Rating)


    A veritable masterpiece, created by an inexperienced yet very promising smith. Forging this ring using simple materials, the smith who created it could turn a piece of ore and Ghost Crystal into a masterpiece.


    While forging this ring, the smith felt incredible frustration and deep resentment toward himself. These emotional outburstsing from the heart positively affected the end result.


    In this case, it was not the skills of the inexperienced smith that were important, but his feelings and sincere desire to be better.


    This ring can only be used once, after which it will be destroyed. But, when the ring is activated, the wearer will absorb any attack whose power is below Third Chronicle].


    "AHAHAHAH, you did well Lea, I didn''t expect that you could create such an amazing thing from this useless stone!" Wain was genuinely pleased.


    He was usually cold and calm, but that didn''t mean he was a robot. Wain, like other people, could experience a variety of emotions.


    ''Hmm, this is my first Heroic Rating item, and it is so unusual. I will only be able to use this ring once, but the effect is incredible.'' Thought Wain.


    He realized that there was nothing he could do to the Second Chronicle monster even after he had evolved. These creatures were in apletely different league, and Wain had yet to surpass them.


    But for now, it was too early for Wain to worry about being attacked by a Second Chronicle monster. He was certain that such powerful monsters had not yet appeared. To reach Second Chronicle, the monster would have to survive several massive evolutions and survive hundreds of battles.


    ''That worm that broke Overion into four pieces. It must have been First Chronicle, hardly even it reached Second Chronicle.'' Thought Wain.


    "How tired I am..." Lea said with weakness in her voice and leaned her hand on the anvil. After using her skill twice in a row, she had no energy left at all. However, she was pleased with herself and her aplishment.


    "Now, you can rest with a sense of aplishment. You did a really terrific job." Said Wain and headed for the exit of the forge.


    Zero ran up to him and asked, "Wain, what do you intend to do now?"


    "It''s about nine hours until leaving, I need to restore my energy reserves and think about the current situation, so I''ll probably stay at the base. If you''reing with us to fight against the Sea Punishers, I suggest you don''t waste your energy hunting." Said Wain.


    "Understood." Zero replied sinctly. She smiled and headed toward her fellow mutant girls.


    ...


    For the next nine hours, Wain rested and thought about his ns for the future. At the moment, he had three main tasks.


    First, he had to get stronger, kill monsters, and getrge amounts of Soul Essence.


    Second, he had to get Sorcerer''s Soul to unlock the third form. Wain was curious to see what the next form would be. The previous two had made a strong impression on him.


    In the third, he was interested in growing and strengthening Last Light. Wain felt that if, after a while, they were the only rulers in Overion, it would be a great step forward in bing one of the leading forces in the new world.


    ''After we take over Overion, Gisle will target other cities, but that can be problematic. This world is vast and huge. It takes a long time to build a system to manage suchrge areas.'' Wain thought.


    He knew that Overion was a medium-sized city. There were poorer and smaller cities, but there were also true giants against which Overion was a mere vige.


    ''Damn, the big cities must be way ahead of us by now in terms of their territories and their overall power. But, I have yet to find out if there are new continents in this world. Moreover, the most interesting things are surely in thends beyond the dark barriers.'' Wain thought.


    He rested, gained strength, and trained a little.


    Gradually people were gathering on the campus. Gisle had gathered them, and these people would be the ones who would destroy the Sea Punishers and dere war on the North.


    Among these people were those with whom Wain was familiar, but he also saw many new faces. Each of these people had activated their Soul Altar long ago and possessed powerful abilities.<sub> </sub>


    Gisle saw no point in taking those who could not fight on such an operation. The exceptions were Clovis and Lea. Clovis was the cornerstone of the entire operation, for if he did not build the bridge, they would not cross the canyon.


    "Looks like it''s time for action." Thought Wain and headed down.


    <o>,m A few minutester, Gisle handed out instructions, and a group of more than two hundred men set out for the coast where the Sea Punishers were stationed.</o>


    Gisle left about fifty men with Soul Altars activated at the base, as some monster could attack the university at any moment.


    Wain walked beside Gisle in front. Behind them were Zero, Agnes, Teresa, Grut, Rita, Clovis, Lea, and others. Gisle didn''t think anyone would attack them from behind, so he put the strongest people in front of the column.


    "Are these all the people from all the bases?" Wain asked.


    "Practically, I left a few dozen men at each base to guard them. With that kind of firepower, we''ll have no problem taking out the Sea Punishers." Said Gisle.


    Wain nodded, "What will you do if the Sea Punishers surrender? Will you kill them anyway, or will you let them join us?"


    Gisle shrugged, "It depends on the situation. There''s no way the head of the Sea Punishers will surrender. He''ll fight to thest breath, I''m sure of that."


    "I see." Proimed Wain and looked ahead and said, "Looks like we''re in for a little warm up before we fight the Sea Punishers."


    Gisle and the others grew wary as a horde of humanoid monsters headed their way. There were more than a hundred of them, and each one was an evolved zombie.


    Their bodies were covered in red, rough skin like tree bark, and they had no eyes. They had sharp ws and wide mouths capable of biting through anything.


    "Stay together and don''t move away from each other! These monsters are pretty weak, protect your allies, and don''t take any chances!" Gisle said loudly.


    Wain did not take part in this fight. He moved a pack of cigarettes from the Ring of Damned and smoked. Wain blew out a puff of smoke and looked up at the night sky and the rising moon.


    When he left the Dungeon, the sun was at its zenith, so it was now night, and the blue moon was brightly illuminating the half-destroyed city.


    Agnes and Teresa were killing monsters every second, and when Zero joined them, their pace multiplied. The three girls were like deadly whirlwinds destroying everything around them.


    Wain shook off the ashes and looked at the blue moon. It shone brightly, but suddenly Wain frowned.


    ''Hmm? What is it? Is it just me, or is something flying in here? Thought Wain. Against the moon, he saw a blue sh heading toward them, and gradually it got bigger.


    Bam.


    A secondter, like aet, that sh struck a nearby building and destroyed it in one fell swoop. Everyone was surprised and even shocked.


    Gisle gave themand to prepare for battle, for he thought it was some kind of powerful monster. But as the dust settled, everyone saw what it was.


    To everyone''s surprise, it was a man in light blue armor. He had brown hair slicked back and blue eyes. He had a pleasant aura about him, for he didn''t look hostile.


    He smiled, and he seemed like a kind man. Someone could see the confidence in his eyes and the desire to get better.


    "Who are you?" Gisle asked cautiously. He did not like this situation. After all, this man could fall on them from a great height and remainpletely unscathed.


    "My name is Harald Skare, and Ie from the west side of Overion. I see that I have disturbed you, my apologies." Harald said with respect in his voice.


    Gisle nodded, "Why did youe here? What do you want?"


    Although Harald didn''t look like a viin, Gisle wasn''t about to let his guard down. Regardless of what the man looked like, he could be a viin as well as a friend. Everything else was just prejudice.


    "I came here for something significant. I was asked to get one thing, and from the looks of it, it''s here." Said Harald.


    "You mean there''s something hidden beneath us in the ground? How do you know about that?" Asked Gisle.


    Harald shook his head, "No, what I need is among you. You saw the pir of light that recently appeared somewhere around here. I came here for a man with a powerful soul."


    Harald''s words sounded strange, but some people began to understand what he was talking about. Then he looked at Lea, grinned, and turned back into a blueet.

 Chapter 96 The Invincible Enemy

    Harald received orders from his head to go to the eastern part of Overion and find the one from whom the pir of light emanated. When Lea created the masterpiece, every person in Overion became indirectly aware of the event.


    Harald had unique and powerful abilities. He was able to fly to some extent, but only once every few hours and for a limited amount of time.


    One man told Harald where he needed to go to find a person who emanated a pir of light that pierced the heavens.


    When Haraldnded near Gisle''s group, he was stalling and trying to figure out which of the two hundred or so people emanated the right aura. When Harald saw Lea, he immediately lunged in her direction.


    He used his skill and turned into a blueet. His speed was incredible. Even Zero and Agnes were unable to react to his movements.


    Momentster, Harald was ready to grab Lea by the arm and kidnap her, but suddenly a tall silhouette in a ck cloak appeared before him.


    Whooosh.


    Wain grabbed Harald''s wrist with one hand without taking the cigarette out of his mouth. Harald was shocked. He hadn''t expected anyone other than the head of his organization to be able to react to his jerk.


    Moreover, Wain''s grip was so strong that Harald''s armor was crumpled like a piece of paper, and he could not budge.


    "Did you really think you coulde here and take our cksmith? I see you can run fast. It wouldn''t be nice if you suddenly lost your legs. What do you think?" Wain said coldly.


    His voice was terrifying and seemed toe from the farthest reaches of the abyss. Harald grew frightened, he didn''t think there would be someone so powerful in the eastern part of Overion.


    ''What is going on here? Who is this person! Selena said that no one in the eastern part is stronger than me and the head. Could this person have suddenly appeared from somewhere! There hasn''t been any change for two months!'' Thought Harald.


    Whooosh.


    Suddenly Wain threw out his cigarette, and with lightning speed, struck Harald in the leg. Harald realized that he was unlikely to escape from here if he got that punch. So he decided to use his most powerful skill.


    Harald''s body turned blue, and he turned into a blurry blur. He didn''t get stronger, but his speed and agility increased several times. The proof was that the gauntlet from his armor remained in Wain''s hand.


    Harald could escape Wain''s grip and move a safe distance away, but he wasn''t sure what he should have done next.


    ''Damn, this man is pretty strong, but maybe in my current state, I can win. However, I''m unlikely to be able to handle the others, there are over two hundred people here who have already awakened their Soul Altars, and they''re ready to fight. Maybe I should run away.'' Thought Harald.


    In the end, he made another decision, ''No, I have to get this girl. Selena said this girl is the best cksmith in the whole town, at least the one who activated Soul Altar. I can''t miss this chance. I just have to kidnap her.''


    Whooosh.


    Then Harald turned into a blueet again. This time he was three times faster than before, and not even Wain should have been able to react to his movements.


    However, as soon as Harald took a few steps, a sh of blue lightning suddenly appeared in front of him. Wain also had a skill that greatly elerated him.


    He tried to dodge when Harald saw Wain, but it was toote.


    Bam.


    Wain punched Harald in the face at high speed. From such a strong attack, Harald flew aside and vomited blood.


    His nose was broken, and several teeth were knocked out. As he flew, his body destroyed a small structure behind him.


    "Stay away from him. You''re not his level, it looks like he''s already evolved." Said Wain walking slowly toward Harald.


    "He''s already evolved...?" Teresa said, shocked. She had killed dozens of monsters, but she still had one level to raise before she could begin the evolution process.


    "You''re not bad. I didn''t think there would be anyone else here who evolved besides me." Proimed Harald spitting blood.


    "Why do you want Lea?"


    "Silly question. She is a cksmith who was able to create an incredible object. People like that are precious. A great deal will depend on them in the future."


    "How did you know about her being a cksmith and the fact that she is here?" Wain said coldly.<sub> </sub>


    "You ask too many questions. Do you really think I can''t get away from you!?" Shouted Harald and turned back into a blueet.


    He instantly passed the ten meter mark and thought he had managed to get away from Wain, but suddenly Harald realized that he couldn''t budge.


    Wain was behind him and held Harald firmly by the shoulder. Wain''s grip was mighty, and Harald could feel his precious armor turning to scrap metal.


    "You know, I don''t really care how you know about this. After all, we''re about to take over the whole Overion." Wain said coldly and turned Harald toward him in one motion.


    Harald was ready to attack, he intended to block Wain''s attack and retreat at the opportune moment. But, he could not resist what happened next.


    Wain grabbed his head and then kicked him in the face with all his might. The knee strike was one of the most powerful punches a human could make. Even a full force fist punch was not as traumatic as a knee punch.


    Harald almost fainted. He could hardly keep his feet, and his eyes were blurry. Thest two blows had definitely given him a severe concussion. The only thing that could save him at that moment was escape.


    <o>,m So Harald tried to bounce to the side, but suddenly he realized he couldn''t feel the ground beneath his feet. This happened because Wain made a sweep right after the knee strike, and Harald lost his bnce.</o>


    Wain then took a step back and kicked Harald in the stomach with lightning speed. This attack was vertical, and from the bottom up, so after this crushing blow, Harald flew several meters upwards.


    Wain prepared for the final attack. He was going to punch Harald in the stomach again when he almost reached the ground. This time, he would strike not with his foot but with his fist.


    "Wain, stop! We have to question him!" Said Gisle, but it''s as if Wain didn''t hear him. In his opinion, Harald had to be killed right now, or he might run away.


    Bam.


    Three secondster, when Harald almost reached the ground, Wain did what he had initially nned. His fist sank like a hammer into Harald''s stomach, turning his internal organs into a bloody mess.


    Even though Harald had already evolved, he wasn''t strong enough to survive the series of powerful blows. Wain punched at full force, he wasn''t about to let his guard down in a battle with such a dangerous foe as Harald.


    Naturally, Harald could not survive so many crushing attacks. He threw up a mouthful of blood and copsed, exhausted to the ground. A few secondster, he let out hisst breath.


    Everyone was stunned, even strong people like Teresa and Agnes. They hadn''t expected that someone as strong and fast as Harald would suddenly appear. After all, they couldn''t even keep track of his movements.


    But, most of all, they were struck by Wain''s strength. Many of Gisle''s people didn''t know him, and some of them were even indignant that Wain was walking ahead of everyone else with Gisle. But, now, all their resentment was gone and reced by tion.


    The thought that there was such a strong man among them pleased them. At that moment, each of them had only one thing in mind: to survive.


    That was their first priority. None of them had any thoughts of seizing power yet. They wanted to follow Gisle and conquer new heights.


    On the other hand, Gisle was the only one who was not happy with the situation. With annoyance, he shook his head and said, "Wain, couldn''t you just break his knees? He must have had some useful information."


    "Maybe you''re right, but I think, in that case, he would have tried to escape again, and then I wouldn''t have held back anymore. Either way, it would have happened the way it did." Proimed Wain.


    "Well, we''ll find out soon enough anyway. He said he came from the west side of Overion. We''ll have to go there after we take the north." Said Gisle.


    "Yes, we will soon own this entire city. It will be the beginning of a great journey." Proimed Wain was looking at the blue moon.


    Gisle nodded, looked at Harald, and said, "Take his armor off and take it back to base. If you notice anything unusual, show it to me first. Perhaps this man had bombs or explosives of some kind."


    Several men nodded and quickly took everything of value from Harald''s body. The most important thing was his armor, made of sturdy, high-quality materials.


    In the future, Lea or another cksmith could repair this armor, and it would be good equipment for one of Last Light''s members.


    Several men headed for the base, and Gisle was ready to give the order to keep moving forward. But, suddenly, Harald''s body glowed brightly. Everyone stepped aside as they reflexively thought his body was about to explode. But it wasn''t, and Wain understood that.


    Whooosh.


    Suddenly a tiny thing flew out of Harald''s body and soared through the air.

 Chapter 97 The Map

    As Gisle and his men were about to leave Harald''s body, something suddenly flew out. It looked like a scrap, an ordinary paper map. It glowed brightly with blue light and floated in the air.


    Wain was surprised. It wasn''t a weapon or some special skill because Harald was definitely dead.


    ''There''s an attractive energying from that piece...'' thought Wain and walked over to a scrap of the map in the next moment.


    "Wain, wait." Said Gisle and walked over to Wain. He was worried that something terrible would happen to Wain. He had no idea what the thing was or what its purpose was.


    "I don''t think it''s anything dangerous. I''ll have to check it out. I don''t consider this piece of card can hurt me." Said Wain and touched the piece of card.


    It was as if an electric shock had shed through Wain''s and Gisle''s minds in the next moment. An image appeared in their minds of a vast ind floating out of the water, more like an entire continent.


    They also felt as if three months had passed, and they were looking down on this ind. Then Wain''s and Gisle''s consciousness returned to normal, and a piece of the map entered Wain''s body.


    "Was that...a map?" Wain asked puzzled.


    "Yeah... it looks like it..." Gisle muttered. He was also a bit stunned. Gisle, as well as Wain, did not expect that they would suddenly see something like this.


    "I take it we saw and felt the same thing. In that case, this ind will appear in about three months, am I right?" Asked Wain.


    "Yes, that''s what it felt like, but what is this ind, and why would it appear in three months?" Wain muttered.


    After the apocalypse began, several continents appeared in his world, but it happened in the first few hours. But, Wain has been in this world for two months now, and by coincidence, he learned that the unknown continent would appear in three months.


    "Wain, can you figure out where that is? I''m sure we have another three months before the continent appears, then I can''t tell where it is. There was only water around. I couldn''t see anyndmarks."


    Wain nodded and tried to concentrate. He thought that since part of the map had prated his body, he could activate it like a Seal of Darkness and roughly understand the direction. But...


    "It didn''t work. I can''t interact with this card in any way. It seems impossible. Most likely, we need to find a few more of these pieces, and then we can find out where the continent will appear." Mumbled Wain shaking his head.


    "That''s disappointing, but we have three more months. Now we know there is some kind of map that will definitely help us with our search. I''m sure there will be something valuable and dangerous on that continent." Said Gisle.


    "Yes, I think so too. We need to move on. Harald''s appearance was an unnned event." Said Wain.


    "Of course," Gisle replied briefly and immediately gave amand to his men.


    ...


    As their group headed toward the main Marine Punisher base, Wain reflected on what had just happened.


    ''Harald somehow managed to figure out that Lea was a cksmith and that that pir of light came from her. But, he himself didn''t seem to have any searching abilities. His main specifics were speed and the ability to make short-term flights. Otherwise, it would have just flown away from me.'' Thought Wain.


    He believed that there was a man in the Western Overion who could recognize the souls of others at a great distance. Or this person was capable of picking up bursts of energy and somehow qualifying them.<sub> </sub>


    ''However, soon we''ll get to the point where we''re taking over the west side, and then I''ll know what happened there.''


    Wain pondered the fact that a person with searching abilities could be handy. Such a person could explore not only for other people but also for valuable treasures or necessary monsters. Such a person would make a terrific informant with incredible powers.


    ''This scrap of a map...it is something unusual and unique, but how can an entire continent appear out of the water? And why is there an object pointing it out to us?'' Wain pondered.


    As a scrap of map entered his body, Wain had two theories on how the world might have been arranged. One theory suited him perfectly, but the second was worse than a nightmare.


    The first theory was that someone controlled this world and used it as it''s toy or experiment. That exined why this map appeared and why Wain and Gisle could find out about it beforehand. It was like some kind of assignment from a video game.


    Moreover, in that case, Wain''s world was destroyed by some entity standing above them all, and Wain was nothing more than a puppet. Such a position did not suit Wain.


    He hated obeying anyone, and the thought of his whole life is in the hands of someone was worse than his worst nightmare.


    The second theory was radically different from the first. Wain believed that Soul Essence could have a mind or something simr. In Wain''s opinion, Soul Essence could think and make some decisions. But, it wasn''t like human thinking. It could bepared to a magicalputer.


    In that case, this world was alive, and Wain liked it that way. In this situation, not only humans would make changes, but over time, something new and unique would emerge on this.


    ''I hope that my first theory is only fiction and the ravings of a madman. Otherwise, I won''t know what to do next.'' Thought Wain.


    ...


    After about an hour, they reached the coast of the eastern part of Overion. There was the main base of the Sea Punishers, and to Gisle''s surprise, they were ready for them.


    On the beach, in front of the base, there were about fifty men each ready to fight. They saw Gisle''s group from afar and quickly prepared for a full-scale battle.


    A tall man stood in front with thick ck hair and a short beard. He had green eyes and arge, cross-shaped scar on his forehead. It was Dn Chauve, and he was the head of the Sea Punishers.


    "Looks like you were right. They are ready to fight to thest breath." Said Wain.


    "Yes, Dn is a stubborn and problematic opponent. If it weren''t for him, the Sea Punishers would have disbanded long ago and joined other organizations." Said Gisle.


    Then he pointed to the girl next to Dn and said, "That''s Elsa Gulsvig, and she''s the strongest in the Sea Punishers after Dn. Unfortunately, I''ve never been able to find out what abilities she has, but she''s definitely strong."


    "Hmm, Dn was able to gather so many people who are willing to fight alongside him until death. That''s considering it''s only been two months since the apocalypse." Proimed Wain.


    He was surprised by the loyalty of the members of the Sea Punishers. At that moment, he didn''t even feel like killing them because a loyal man was as valuable as gold.


    "Yes, that is impressive. I''m not sure I could have achieved the same amazing result without myrades." Said Gisle and prepared for battle.


    He wasn''t going to spare Dn. His goal was to stain the white beach crimson.

 Chapter 98 The Unexpected Turn

    Last Light and the Sea Punishers met ashore and were ready for battle. Gisle stared intently at Dn. He knew that even in this situation, this man could give them trouble and kill several people.


    "Wain, I''m going to have to ask you to take an active part in this battle. I hope you don''t mind?" Asked Gisle stepping forward.


    "Sure, I''m going to have a lot of fun. An azure sea, a bright blue moon, and a beach white as pearls, a more beautiful arena for battle would be hard to find." Proimed Wain and went forward with Gisle.


    Dn and Elsa did the same. In this fight, the strong would fight the strong, and the weak would fight the weak. At least, that''s how this battle would begin.


    "Dn, you are too stubborn. You could have joined us like so many other organizations. Do you really want your loyalrades to die for your silly ideals?" Asked Gisle.


    He knew that most likely his words would have no effect, but he had to try, onest time.


    "We''ve discussed this before. You absorb and infect everything with your influence like some kind of disease. Your path leads only to self-destruction." Righteously pronounced Dn.


    "Yes, but your path has already led to death. It seems to me that I have acted more properly."


    "It''s clear to everyone why we''re here. I see you''ve made a new friend." Dn said coldly.


    "Yes, if you don''t want to obey, then you''re dead. Enough talk." Calmly Gisle said and prepared for battle.


    Gisle''s and Dn''s gazes crossed as well as Elsa''s and Wain''s. But when Elsa saw Wain''s deep as the abyss gaze, her body trembled. She could not believe that Gisle had such a strong ally.


    Tremble.


    Outwardly it looked as if the four demons met each other. Then each of them released their aura. Gisle''s aura eventually transformed into a silhouette that looked like a samurai. It was an imprint of his soul and essence.


    Above Dn was a silhouette that looked like a righteous warrior with a massive sword in his hand and wearing bulky armor.


    Wain''s aura was formless. It was like ck mes emanating from an abyss or purgatory. Everyone who looked at Wain shuddered with fear. His aura was overwhelming and terrifying. None of them coulde close to that level.


    ''Hmm, what''s wrong with this girl''s aura? It''s quite strange...'' Wain pondered, looking at Elsa.


    Unlike them, she didn''t emit her aura. At least it seemed so from the outside. The reason was the specific of her soul.


    After a couple of seconds, Wain could barely make out a silhouette above her that looked like a ghostly assassin.


    ''She has an interesting soul.'' Thought Wain, and a sma sword appeared in his hand the next moment.


    "Let''s begin," Gisle said calmly and drew his katana from its sheath.


    He was ready to attack first, but suddenly Elsa disappeared and appeared behind Dn. Then Dn''s chest was pierced with something, like an invisible de, and trickles of blood flowed from the corners of his mouth.


    Dn looked at Elsa in shock and said with hatred, "You bitch! Traitor..."


    Crackle.


    Elsa twisted the invisible de turning Dn''s heart into a bloody mess. After such an attack, not even an evolved human whose defensive skills were equal to Grut''s could survive.


    Dn''s fierce gaze went down, and his blood flooded the snow-white sand. Everyone was shocked, but many realized at once what had happened.


    "It seems that even among Dn''s subordinates, there were traitors, and that was crucial. This life is really unpredictable." Gisle muttered.


    Deep down, he felt sorry for Dn. Though he was at a disadvantage, the man stood up for his ideals to the very end. Dn believed that the people should not unite again in armies of millions, but his goals did not coincide with Gisle''s ns.


    Elsa calmed her aura and stepped forward, she wanted to say something, but suddenly Wain appeared in front of her and grabbed her by the neck with force. He adjusted his strength, so Elsa could still breathe, but if Wain applied a little more force, he would break her neck.


    "You shouldn''t open your filthy mouth. Everyone already knows what happened here. You betrayed Dn, and you want to join us. It may be a wise decision, but where''s the guarantee that you won''t betray us?" Wain said coldly, looking at Elsa like garbage.


    Gisle was of the same opinion as he was. It would be one thing if they had signed a peace treaty or if Dn had died in a fair fight and some of his men had joined Last Light, but it was quite another when a traitor wanted to do the same.


    "In... my bag..." Elsa said with difficulty, pointing to the bag on her belt.


    Wain opened the leather bag, and to his surprise, there was a white scroll, more like a treaty.


    It was an item received from the Spiritual Box, and this scroll was unusual. Wain immediately looked at the description of the item.


    [Treaty of Subjugation (Primary Chronicle, Epic Rating)


    This scroll is designed to create an unbreakable bond between two beings. One member of the contract will be a ve and must say the corresponding oath, the other will be the lord, and only he can break the contract if he wishes.<sub> </sub>


    Once used, the scroll burns]


    Wain nodded and threw Elsa toward Gisle in one motion. She fell at his feet and greedily gulped for air, trying to catch her breath.


    "Looks like someone decided to trade freedom for an opportunity to live." Said Wain and tossed the scroll to Gisle.


    Gisle read the description of the scroll and looked at Elsa in surprise.


    "When did you decide to betray Dn and submit to us?" Gisle asked.


    Elsa barely answered, "After I saw that man''s aura." She pointed to Wain.


    At that moment, Elsa realized that they had no chance of winning. Moreover, even long before that, she had thought about betraying Dn.


    Elsa understood that the Sea Punishers couldn''t defeat Last Light. She wanted to survive. She didn''t care about Dn''s ideals.


    "Understandably, Wain is indeed frighteningly strong. But, are you really the kind of person who is willing to put your freedom in the hands of another so easily?"


    Elsa grinned and said with bitterness in her voice, "What else could I do? If we fought, that monster would kill us all. If I tried to run away, the same thing would happen. Unlike Dn, I want to live and be on the side of the strong."


    Gisle sighed. He understood that Elsa''s words made sense. She had coincidentally be a member of the Sea Punishers, but that didn''t mean she was willing to die for her organization.


    "Gisle, are you going to use that scroll?" Wain asked.


    "Most likely yes," Gisle said calmly, looking at Elsa.


    "Are you sure? Wouldn''t it be better to just kill her?"


    "No!" Suddenly, Elsa shouted. "Please don''t make a mistake! You''ve read the description of the scroll. I will obey you, practically a willing ve! There''s no way I''ll be able to subdue you!"


    Elsa was terrified that Wain would decide to convince her. She understood that such a strong person was almost impossible to stop.


    "Wain, she is right. Moreover, I see no reason to give up such a useful ally, no, puppet. Elsa, you must realize that if not for this scroll, your body would already be at the bottom of the sea." Said Gisle and used the scroll.


    The next moment a golden magic circle appeared around him and Elsa. A yellow seal appeared on Gisle''s forehead, and the same seal appeared on Elsa''s chest, where her heart was.


    Then Elsa swore an oath, and Gisle epted it, then the scroll burned, and a golden thread appeared between them, signifying their unbreakable bond.


    Gisle looked at Elsa and said, "Stand on one foot."


    There was strength and confidence in his voice, and at the same moment, the seal on his forehead shone brightly again. Elsa instantly did what Gisle said, she could not resist, even if she tried very hard.


    "Jump up."


    Elsa obediently jumped up.


    Gisle nodded and decided to give another order to test how this scroll worked. He had to be sure of Elsa''splete obedience.


    "Kill yourself." His words shocked everyone. No one thought Gisle would suddenly give such an order.


    Elsa''s face contorted with horror, but suddenly an almost invisible de appeared in her hands, and the de slowly approached her neck. Elsa''s hands trembled, and she tried to resist with all her might, but it was impossible.


    "Stop," Gisle said calmly.


    He decided to give such an order to test how this scroll worked. He had to be sure of Elsa''splete submission.


    "Huh, I thought you were determined to convince her. Even I would be surprised at your cruelty." Smiling Wain said.


    Gisle shook his head, "That would be stupid and ineffective. I was just testing what the scroll can do. It''s impressive."


    "Now, do you believe me?" Asked Elsa.


    "Yes, there is logic in what you say, and I understand you. But, you dared to betray Dn, which means you can betray again. You must always have a leash on you so that you dare not act against us." Calmly Gisle said.


    He hadn''t expected the battle against the Sea Punishers to end this way, but in fact, it was the best possible oue. Gisle valued his men, and he would be pleased that none of them had to die today.

 Chapter 99 Leader

    Traitors could sometimes be found among men. Some of them acted in mercenary interests. Some betrayed out of cowardice. But some people were forced to cross.


    Elsa was one such person. She could have fought with Dn to the very end, but she would have died in that case.


    There was really nothing to condemn her for. Most people in her ce would have done precisely that. Of course, it would now beplicated for her to shed the stigma of being a traitor. But, she survived.


    "Hey, Gisle, what shall we do with them?" Asked Wain pointing at the other members of the Sea Punishers.


    Since the battle between the two organizations ended with Elsa''s betrayal and Dn''s death, there was no battle. The members of the Sea Punishers stood stunned, trying to figure out what to do next. No one expected Elsa to dare take such a step.


    "I''m about to find out." Gisle muttered and stepped forward and said loudly, "I am Gisle Enge, head of Last Light, giving each of you the right to choose! You can join us and be our loyalrades or die!"


    The members of the Sea Punishers whispered among themselves for a while, but then each of them headed toward Gisle. They got down on one knee, showing their loyalty.


    The members of the Sea Punishers had followed Dn, but now they had no leader. Gisle was the only suitable person for the role, and they decided they would follow him now.


    They did not betray Dn like Elsa. The members of the Sea Punishers had the same expectations for Gisle as they had for their previous leader. The person they follow must lead them to sess and greatness in this terrible era for all mankind.


    Gisle grinned and muttered contentedly, "Sess."


    At that moment, his blood was boiling, and he felt superior. He felt more and more power in his hands every day. When he was an ordinary student, there was no way he could have experienced something like that.


    "But, it''s different now..." Gisle muttered, and suddenly his body glowed brightly.


    Everyone looked at him warily. It was something unusual. They were worried that something terrible might have happened to Gisle. The glow intensified with each second. It was like a golden shell, which was entirely engulfed by Gisle in an instant.


    "What happened to you?" Teresa asked cautiously.


    Neither of them had ever seen anything like it. Moreover, there was no reason for something like this to happen to Gisle.


    Gisle shook his head and said, "It''s nothing serious. I just became what I''ve been for two months now."


    The others looked at him, puzzled. They didn''t understand what Gisle was so happy about. But, there was a massive message in front of him at that moment, which he read carefully.


    [You have received the Title - Leader]


    [Leader


    You have already been followed by over ten thousand people, an incredible feat for any human being. Your actions and decisions have proven that you are a born leader. Out of millions of people, only a few can match you.


    If you continue to move at this pace, perhaps you can one day be a king.


    As proof of your status, all your loyal subordinates will tire 10 percent slower, and their morale will be stronger. Now when they fight for you, they will fight at full strength for longer and are unlikely to lose their will to live.


    Each leader should have his own loyal subordinates. You can choose three people to be your main helpers andrades. Each of them will receive a 5 point increase in all stats, and their recovery will increase by 15%]


    Gisle then closed the information window, and a golden pir burst out of his body. It was as massive and tall as the one that emanated from Lea when she created the masterpiece.


    In the next moment, everyone who was a member of Last Light felt a little better. Their bodies were covered in a golden glow, and they all looked at Gisle. He was now their one and only leader.


    The golden glow appeared even on the bodies of those not on the beach at that moment. All that mattered was the fact that they were members of Last Light.


    Even though they were several kilometers away from the coast, they could see the glow emanating from Gisle. They intuitively sensed that he was their leader.


    However, there was one person on the beach around whom no glow appeared. It was Wain. He was surprised by what was happening, but it didn''t change the fact that he didn''t belong to anyone.


    Wain was alone, he didn''t want to be part of any organization or have his own. The most important thing to him was freedom, and he was only going to act the way he wanted to go.<sub> </sub>


    "I guess I made the right choice once again by betting on Gisle. I don''t know what happened, but it makes sense." Mumbled Wain, took out a cigarette, and lit up.


    He was actually a little disappointed in what had happened. He had hoped for a bloody battle, but instead, he saw one pathetic but logical betrayal. He had seen it hundreds of times before, and it bored him.


    While everyone was excited and thrilled about what was happening, Wain sank into his own thoughts.


    He was the only ck spot exuding a genuine and lonely aura among the hundreds of shining dots.


    When everyone had calmed down, Gisle issued instructions, and about three hundred men headed for the former main base of the Sea Punishers. Gisle had no intention of staying there, as his main objective was still to infiltrate the northern part of Overion.


    He appointed a head of that base, left a few men to guard the ce, and resolved a few other urgent matters. There were arge number of people living in the main base of the Sea Punishers, and they were shocked by the changes that had taken ce. But, Gisle had a way with public speaking, and most people epted that he was now in charge and their leader.


    Gisle also ordered his men to get some food from the town, as he wanted to set up a temporary camp at the canyon.


    Gisle''s group headed towards the canyon when all the problems were solved. On their way, they encountered several monsters, but considering how much power they summarily possessed, such opponents could do them no harm.


    After a while, more than two hundred groups reached the canyon that separated the eastern and northern parts of Overion. Gisle gave instructions, and a temporary base was quickly built on that spot.


    Each person had food and water, so there was no problem with meals. Gisle decided to head north after sunrise. At this point, he wanted his men to rest and gain strength.


    "Agnes, Teresa, Grut,e to me." Said Gisle pointing to his threerades.


    Gisle decided that these very people were to be his chief helpers. Of course, Gisle had also thought about using the Title effect on Wain. But, he realized that this was a pointless idea.


    Wain was the only one around whom no golden glow appeared. Gisle knew what that meant. It saddened him a little, but he knew it could not be otherwise.


    ''Powerful men will always try to make their way alone. Maybe that''s the only way to strength, but maybe they''re just stubborn and don''t make the most of their opportunities because they often try to act on their own.'' Thought Gisle.


    "Gisle, what did you want?" Asked Agnes.


    "I recently received a unique Title, and I want to share something with you."


    ...


    While Gisle was using the effect of the Title on his chosen people, Wain sat on the roof of a building and smoked. He looked up at the bright blue moon and pondered what had happened.


    Wain was not omnipotent. He was as ignorant as others about many things. Moreover, this world was the only one for everyone but him. Unlike them, Wain knew that there were other worlds, at least his.


    ''My world was destroyed, but this one remains intact. Moreover, this world is radically different from mine. There are simrities like Soul Chest, skills, souls, and so on. But, there are also significant differences. With each day I stay here, the world changes more and more.'' Thought Wain blowing out a puff of smoke.


    Whoooosh.


    Suddenly a shadow appeared beside him. It sat down next to him and said, "Wain, what are you doing here?"


    "Zero... I thought I''d gotten far enough away from the hustle and bustle." Mumbled Wain was looking up at the blue moon.


    "Why do you always try to be alone? When I look at you, I think you look like an ancient cier that no heat can melt." Proimed Zero.


    "Huh? Aren''t you just like me?" Wain asked in amazement.


    Zero shook her head, "No, I''m not really. I''m just not used to the guys yet, but I actually understand that every one of them is a good and kind person. I don''t understand you. Do you really have a piece of ice instead of a heart?"


    Wain smiled weakly, "That''s not exactly true. Zero, you have to understand that there are no people without feelings. Even the worst criminals and scumbags have them.


    But, some like to be in the center of thepany, and some like to be alone with themselves. However, I must admit that my heart is colder than others."

 Chapter 100 Bridge

    "Is your heart colder than others? I think you made that up for yourself. You just said that all people have feelings." Said Zero. She didn''t understand why he was contradicting himself.


    "Get over it. I''m being taught about life by some girl. Get out of here." Said Wain.


    Zero giggled and jumped off the roof. She was d she could talk to Wain about something personal to him.


    When Zero left, Wain blew out a puff of smoke and, looking at the blue moon, muttered, "Zero...when you stand in an ocean of blood that you yourself created, your heart gradually gets colder..."


    ...


    As dawn broke, Gisle handed out instructions to prepare for the crossing to the northern part of Overion. The main character in that situation was Clovis. He was to build the bridge that would connect the two parts.


    Wain reluctantly opened his eyes and stared at the half risen sun. He quickly wiped his eyes and rose sharply to his feet.


    "From the blue moon to the beautiful dawn, you can''t think of a better mode." Mumbled Wain and headed for the Gisle group.


    When he talked to Zero, he wasn''t lying. Wain preferred to be alone most of the time, but that didn''t mean he couldn''tmunicate and interact with other people.


    Even before the apocalypse, many people all over the world liked to be more alone with themselves. However, that didn''t stop these people from having friends, family, andpanions.


    Whoooosh.


    Wain reached Gisle''s group in a few long jumps through the buildings.


    "Oh, Wain. Good to see you." Said Gisle.


    Wain nodded, "How''s the operation going?"


    Gisle shrugged, "So far, so good, but we''re waiting for the wood to be brought to us from the main base. When I was at the Sea Punisher base, I instructed them to move out at dawn. We should have several tons of wood brought to us."


    "You think that''s enough?" Asked Wain. He doubted that so much wood would be enough to make a bridge long enough to cross the canyon.


    "I don''t know about construction. When you returned, I discussed my n with Clovis, and he said it would be enough. I don''t think he could have been wrong since I gave him exact figures, and he knows how long the canyon is in that ce." Pronounced Gisle.


    Gisle decided to camp here for a reason. ording to the map, this was the shortest distance between the two parts of the canyon. This meant he would spend less wood, and Clovis could get the job done a little faster.


    In fact, Gisle needed to save some wood since the organization''s supply was not infinite. Unfortunately, Gisle could not find someone with the soul of a farmer or someone who could speed up the growth of nts and trees.


    Gisle understood that a person with such a soul was most likely in the eastern territory, but he was problematic to locate. Many people still had not activated their Soul Altars. They could not conquer their fear of monsters. It was still too little time.


    "Hmm, this canyon is huge. I hope it works out for him. By the way, Gisle, I wanted to ask you something." Said Wain.


    "I''m listening to you."


    "As I understand it, Lea is the only person with the soul of a cksmith at the moment. Furthermore, there is only one other person with a craft soul besides her, Clovis. I realize that most people haven''t activated their Soul Altars yet, but have you considered speeding up the process?" Wain asked.


    He understood better than anyone else how important people with craft souls were.<sub> </sub>


    "You mean letting ordinary people without superpowers kill monsters?"


    Wain nodded, "Yes. At this point, zombies or some weak insects are not strong opponents for you or your people. Why not capture these monsters and give them to ordinary people to kill them? That way, more people can activate their Soul Altars."


    "I understand if I increase the number with people with active Soul Altars, I''ll seriously improve the chance of finding someone with a craft soul. However, I''ve thought about it, but I can''t do it yet." Said Gisle.


    "You still don''t have enough strength and have a lot of unresolved problems?" Asked Wain.


    "Yes, I can''t waste my time and strength on giving ordinary people an easy way to activate their Soul Altars. I understand that the overall power of the organization would be seriously raised in such a case, but it''s not that simple." Said Gisle.


    He sighed and continued, "If a man is brought a bound monster and he kills it, that does not make him a warrior, for he has killed a defenseless opponent. In that case, that man will be more trouble than good, for he must first be trained to fight to be useful."


    "I see. You will have to spend energy and resources catching monsters and then training these men, even more energy and time. It''s too early to do something like that. It''s like some kind of monster hunting training school." Proimed Wain.


    Gisle nodded, "I was nning on doing this after Overion is in my power. Moreover, I have yet to get this city in order. This ce must be fit for living. The strong will get everything, and those who are afraid to kill an ordinary zombie will probably stay at the bottom forever."


    "Yeah, there''s a lot of work to be done," Wain muttered, looking at the ruined buildings around him.


    Even given the super abilities of the humans and the presence of a few people with craft souls, it could take several years to rebuild the city.


    Of course, everything depended on many factors. But Wain reckoned that it would take a full year to restore all the buildings and build new ones at best.


    "Looks like we''re all set." Pronounced Gisle was looking at the dozens of people carrying wood behind them.


    Unlike Wain, they didn''t have a special ring to put a lot of stuff in. Last Light''s members had to haul wooden blocks on themselves or in carts. However, given their stats, this was not a difficult task for them.


    While Clovis and Gisle were busy distributing wood and tasks, Wain decided to go to the edge of the chasm.


    He wanted to see what was at the bottom.


    ''Hmm, that worm was incredibly huge. I wonder where it came from? Could there be something hidden underneath?'' Thought Wain and took a step forward.


    He stood on the edge of a precipice, and in front of him was a canyon several hundred meters long.


    Wain lowered his gaze down and saw a cleft several kilometers high. You could see sewer pipes, an underground subway, and even a few rooms deep underground from the walls.


    All of this was destroyed by a single movement of a monster of colossal size.


    Below Wain saw only imprable darkness, just as he had expected.


    "There doesn''t seem to be anything down there, and it''s an ordinary crevice only of gigantic proportions. Connecting all parts of the city will be quite difficult. Gisle will need to do a tremendous amount of work." Mumbled Wain and turned around.


    By that minute, Clovis had already activated his ability. First, he decided to visualize the bridge''s n, which looked like a huge 3D drawing.


    But then, no one noticed that there were mes in the depths of the crevasse, which grew stronger over time.

 Chapter 101 The Bottom

    Clovis gradually created a 3D model to build the massive bridge. It was quite a challenge because it required not only the right skills but also the necessary knowledge.


    Clovis wasn''t an architect or engineer, but there were plenty of them among the members of Last Light. They helped draw up the ns for the bridge, which was to be more than three hundred meters long.


    When Clovis created about a third of the n, he frowned.


    "Is something wrong?" Asked Gisle.


    "Yes... we miscalcted a little because we didn''t know the terrain''s condition. We have to put the supports in, or it won''t work. You don''t have to put a pole every ten meters, just a few strong pylons at the base. That way, we hope the structure will hold." Said Clovis.


    Several people beside him were architects and engineers. They were also in agreement with Clovis''s opinion.


    "That sounds problematic..." Gisle muttered.


    Gisle began to think about how to ce the supports at the base. It was a dangerous job that not everyone would agree to do.


    Even a man as strong as Wain would not survive if he fell into an abyss several hundred meters high.


    "Gisle?" Asked Wain as he approached him.


    "Wain...we''re in trouble."


    "Yes, I heard, and I think I know how to do it." Said Wain.


    "What?" Gisle was puzzled. He hadn''te up with any good ideas yet.


    "We need strong people to set the pirs, but you know that without me. I, Agnes, Teresa, and Grut have no problem lifting more than a hundred pounds. Together we can even move a prop that weighs more than a ton." Said Wain.


    "It was already obvious, but the supports need something to hold them up. We have ropes and nails, but in these conditions and with our equipment, it seems something impossible." Said Gisle.


    "Not really. You forgot about Zero and Dyo." Proimed Wain.


    "Zero and Dyo...?" Gisle muttered puzzledly.


    Because Zero rarely ever acted with them, he was used to not taking her abilities into his calctions. Moreover, he was used to thinking of her power only as a method of destroying all living things.


    "No, not just Zero and Dyo..." Gisle said with a smile.


    "Hmm?"


    "There is someone else among the mutant girls with the perfect ability for the situation." Pronounced Gisle and then shouted loudly, "ZERO!!!!!!!"


    After a while, Zero, along with the other mutant girls, approached Gisle.


    "Do you need something?" Zero said calmly.


    "Yes, I need your help. Three of you, to be exact. I will need you Zero, Dyo, and Ennea." Gisle said confidently.


    ''Ennea? She''s the ninth of them. I wonder what her powers are?'' Wain wondered.


    Zero nodded and stepped forward. Along with her were Dyo and Ennea.


    Ennea had short blonde hair and green eyes. Outwardly she was almost indistinguishable from Dyo, except for one small detail.


    She had several holes in her palms from which a liquid, viscous substance, very simr to glue, could flow if Ennea wished.


    Gisle called Agnes, Teresa, and Grut over and exined his n.


    "Me, Wain, Teresa, Agnes, and Grut will go down the slope and stick the supports in the ground. The five of us should have enough strength to do it. In case of an ident, Dyo will back us up with his telekinesis. Then Ennea will glue the supports to the bridge and the wall." Said Gisle.


    "What am I supposed to do?" Asked Zero, Gisle didn''t mention just her.


    "Wain will tell you that. He understands better than I do what you''re capable of, and he''s the one who came up with that part of the n." Proimed Gisle.


    Wain nodded and said, "Zero, as far as I know, you can turn the darknessing from your hands into anything, am I right?"


    "Yes, previously, I could only create small objects like a dagger or a short sword, but when I activated my Soul Altar and got my soul skill, things changed dramatically." Said Zero.


    "Hmm? Your soul synergizes with your mutant abilities?" Wain asked in amazement.


    "Yes, with my ability, I can create arge amount of dark energy that should slowly dissolve everything around me. It''s like a corrosive effect. To my surprise, I find that I can control this darkness." Said Zero.


    "Fine, then your job is to create something like a huge nail. Ennea will glue the support, but that''s not enough. We need additional structural reinforcement. I know that in time the darkness will dissipate, but in that time, Gisle''s people will have time to nail the support." Said Wain.<sub> </sub>


    "Good, then let''s get to work!" Gisle said loudly, and they headed toward the bridge.


    While discussing the n, Clovis had already built the beginning of the bridge ten meters long. It was less than five percent of the total length, but they could put up the supports. Otherwise, the bridge would copse, or the ground would be unstable at the starting points.


    Wain, along with the others, tookrge wooden blocks and walked to the chasm''s edge. Wain and Grut were ahead since they could lift the most weight.


    "Get ready to give me support." Said Wain and jumped down.


    As he flew about ten meters, a sma sword appeared in his hand, and he thrust it into the slope. Wain hovered in the air and gestured for support.


    Grut and Agnes carefully lowered the wooden beam. Since they were on top, they had a hard time holding it, but they felt it much easier in an instant. It was Wain who grabbed the beam with one hand while underneath.


    "Okay, now let''s tilt it." Said Gisle and gradually began to turn the beam. The support had to rest against the bridge, but it was still deep in the ground.


    Theoretically, Dyo could do everything herself with telekinesis, but in reality, it was impossible. She was not strong enough to lift a wooden beam weighing several hundred kilograms. Her ability depended directly on how much the object weighed.


    If someone in the group fell down, she would save them. Even so, Dyo would be able to do it about three times in a row, after which she would need to rest.


    Eventually, the wooden beam was able to be put in position. There were only two steps left to take: sticking it into the ground and reinforcing it.


    The first part was easily handled by Wain. He climbed on the beam and turned its end into a sharp stake with a few strokes. Then Grut, Agnes, and Gisle pressed from above, and the support went deep into the ground, resting on the bridge.


    "Ennea! Get down!" Shouted Gisle.


    The girl nodded and carefully, along the wooden pir, descended. Wain stayed there to back the girl up just in case.


    "Ready?" Wain asked.


    "Yes," Ennea replied confidently, and glue poured from her palms the next moment. There was a lot of it, and it covered the entire surface of the beam.


    Then Ennea did the same on top. Then Zero used her ability and turned the darkness into arge nail with which she connected the beam and the bridge.


    "Okay, that''s almost done." Said Gisle and gave themand to the carpenters. They hammered the nails in half an hour, tied the girder with ropes, and finished the job. The girder was reinforced in several stages, and the bridge was not to copse under any circumstances.


    When the first pylon of the bridge was finished, Wain and the others repeated the action several more times. When they had installed a couple of wooden beams, everything was ready, and Clovis could continue to build the bridge.


    Unfortunately, Clovis could not operate suchrge wooden beams at will. At this point, it was an impossible task for him.


    After a couple of hours, Clovis had already built a third of the bridge. The work was progressing slowly but surely. Nothing foretold trouble. The wooden beams held the bridge together, and the structure waspletely stable.


    Wain, Gisle, and the others rested and waited for Clovis to finish the job. When the bridge was finished, they would attack the north side and take it overpletely. That was their main goal.


    "Gisle, you don''t know who is in charge in the northern part. Who are we going to attack then?" Teresa asked.


    "It doesn''t matter. We''ll attack whoever we see first. We''ll capture them, question them, make a n, and in a day, the northern part of the city will belong to us." Said Gisle.


    Teresa nodded.


    Suddenly Agnes looked at Dyo and asked, "Dyo, are you sick?"


    Dyo''s condition was unusual. It looked as if she had been thrown into a fever and was in the middle of fire from the outside. Her skin was red, and there were drops of sweat on her forehead.


    "No...I''m fine, but I can feel the heat...it''sing from below..." With weakness in her voice, Dyo muttered.


    "Heat from below?" Gisle asked, surprised.


    The next moment they got up and ran to the edge of the abyss. Ennea stayed with Dyo.


    "Fuck." Wain said briefly, looking into the abyss again. This time he saw massive mes emanating from below, and it grewrger each time.


    "When we installed the beams, this me wasn''t here..." Gisle muttered.


    "What should we do? If this keeps up, these mes will reach the bridge in a few hours, and everything will burn to the ground. There seems to be some kind of monster or even a whole area down there." Said Teresa.


    "Maybe I should just destroy everything down there in one powerful attack." Mumbled Wain.


    "Did you use that skill to destroy the Sea Punisher base?" Asked Gisle.


    Wain nodded.


    "In that case, you''d better not, or you might just make this canyon bigger. Because of that giant worm, the ground beneath us is unstable. Your attack could be critical." Said Gisle pondering their next move.

 Chapter 102 The Underground Flame

    "I''ll go there." Suddenly Wain said.


    He didn''t want to wait another few hours for Clovis to finish the bridge. It was too long and tedious. Moreover, Wain realized that there were definitely enemies down there, which meant he could spend this time to his advantage and get a little stronger.


    ''Hmm, after I''ve evolved, I''ll probably need a huge amount of Soul Essence. Moreover, I need to find monsters from First Chronicle, but that might be problematic at the moment.'' Wain pondered.


    He was content to be the first person to start evolving. But, this Title had its big downside. Wain was too fast, he was ahead of 99% of the creatures living in this world, and it was like shackles for him that significantly slowed his progress.


    But, Wain understood that this was normal. He couldn''t grow any faster than he was at the moment. He had to wait a little longer before more powerful monsters appeared. However, his Title gave him unique bonuses that no one else had.


    "Are you sure?" Gisle asked.


    "Yes, that shouldn''t be a problem. At the moment, among the creatures of Primary Chronicle, there are no enemies for me. I might only have a problem if I encounter First Chronicle monsters." Said Wain.


    "I''ming too." Said Zero.


    "I''m also curious to know what''s going on out there..." Mumbled Agnes thoughtfully.


    Then Teresa joined theirpany. Grut and Gisle decided to stay upstairs. Gisle didn''t need any more monsters anyway. He was already ready to evolve.


    Grut didn''t like to take part in the battle unnecessarily. He preferred guarding and protecting something rather than attacking it.


    "As you wish, just don''t get in my way." Proimed Wain and jumped down.


    Zero, Agnes, and Teresa did the same. Except for Gisle and Grut, they were the only ones who could risk going into the massive roaster like that.


    "I hope theye back soon..." Mumbled Gisle.


    ...


    The canyon was bottomless, so Wain tumbled down for quite a while. At the end of the way, he stuck his sword into the slope and slowlynded on the fiery ground.


    "It''s pretty hot in here." Mumbled Wain looking around.


    At that moment he saw a message in front of him.


    [You have entered the Nest Area - Magma Fields]


    "It''s been a long time since I''ve been to the Nests. It''s interesting. Is there a king here too, or have the monsters yet to elect one?" Mumbled Wain looking around.


    He saw a rather typical picture for a location with that name all around him. Around him was a red-hotnd, smallvakes, and oddly enough, trees with brown bark and bright red leaves. Lava flowed through them like veins charging the leaves.


    ''Hmm, maybe there''s some kind of ore in this ce. Considering how deep underground this Nest is and the conditions here, the ore could be very high quality.'' Thought Wain and stepped forward.


    This ce was quite different from the park where the Samurai robots lived. It was muchrger and deste.


    Not far from Wain,va geysers were constantly exploding, and he could hear the magma boiling, but he had yet to encounter a single enemy.


    "Where are these mesing from?" Wain muttered, looking up.


    He decided toe down here, also to deal with the rising levels of fire. Otherwise, the bridge would burn, and they would have to start all over again. Moreover, they didn''t have enough wood to build two bridges.


    Crackling.


    Suddenly, Wain''s first enemy appeared from beneath the ground.


    This creature crawled out of the ground and looked like a fire slime. From the outside, this creature looked harmless, and to some extent, it was.


    After all, the magma slime had no purpose of attacking anyone, but it wanted to consume another creature and get bigger. It was a natural instinct for these monsters.


    "Let''s start with the easy difficulty level." Proimed Wain and swung his hand.<sub> </sub>


    The sma sword headed toward the magma slime and instantly sliced it in two. Parts of the monster began to freeze, and Wain thought his opponents were finished. But, suddenly, the ice melted instantly, and two new slimes emerged from the two parts.


    They were no different in size from their former version. This was a feature of slimes as a kind of monster. They could store energy in their bodies in an almost limitless amount and then use it at any appropriate moment.


    This meant that if a slime had enough energy, it could make a hundred or even a thousand copies of itself. It was hard to call such an opponent strong, but it was problematic to deal with it.


    Wain shrugged and swung again. For the next few minutes, he kept cutting dozens of slimes into pieces, but they kept increasing in number.


    Gradually around Wain, there were about two hundred slimes, each the size of a person.


    "This is beginning to bore me. How I hate tenacious opponents. There''s no fun in fighting them. You hit them, cut them apart, freeze them, and they don''t care. But, everything has its limits." Proimed Wain, and with a cold face, continued to cut the slimes.


    asionally, magma slimes tried to attack Wain, but they were too slow to hit an opponent as fast as Wain.


    Crackle.


    Suddenly one of the slimespletely froze and no longer recovered. Wain smiled and swung his hand, sending his sma sword to destroy the slimes.


    The slimes realized that their energy reserves were starting to run low, so the monsters took the most obvious maneuver. Each of them jumped into thevake nearby.


    "Fuck, are they ying hide and seek with me?! I''m going to blow this ce apart," Wain muttered irritably, and electric charges began to build up around his arm.


    He wanted to use Oblivion Thunder and destroy thevake along with the slugs but stopped at thest moment. Wain realized that because of this location''s location, he could not use such a destructive skill.


    "The slimes haven''t popped up for a while. Maybe I should just move on. I have to find out the cause of the fire. I don''t have time to y hide and seek with them." Mumbled Wain and headed on his way.


    But, suddenly, there was a massive burst ofva in theke, and Wain saw a huge fire crocodile climbing out of theke. It hunted for slimes, which ran away from it like rabbits.


    ''Unlike in the park, there are some pretty different monsters here.'' Thought Wain looking at the furious crocodile.


    It was unhappy that hundreds of slugs had jumped into itsir. The crocodile was fast and strong enough to catch up with each slug and swallow them.


    ''It took me so long to cut them open, but I ended up making lunch for that reptile with my own hands. It''s pretty ironic.'' Thought Wain.


    The monsters attacked not only humans but other monsters as well, and in that, they were very much like humans. But given that most of the monsters were of different races, that wasn''t surprising. Even members of the same race could attack each other for many reasons.


    When the fire crocodile ate all the slimes, he stared at Wain. A powerful aura emanated from him, which showed that Wain had a huge amount of Soul Essence hidden in his body.


    Wain was the preferred target for any predator who quickly wanted to be stronger. However, when Wain looked coldly at the crocodile, it instinctively realized that it would not be able to handle such a strong opponent.


    Monsters usually acted risky and rarely cared about their own safety, but they were not suicidal. Every one of them wanted to be stronger and take the throne at the top of this world.


    Most monsters, just like humans, attacked the weak and avoided the strong. It was a safe way to gradually be powerful.


    Whooosh.


    Suddenly Wain pointed his hand at the crocodile, and there were vibrations in the air. The monster instantly tried to retreat and dive back into thevake, but Wain wasn''t about to let it do that.


    Click.


    There was a loud click, and a kic bullet mmed into the crocodile''s head. It exploded like a watermelon, and the crocodile''s decapitated body fell to the bottom of thevake.


    Then the white soul flew toward Wain and prated his body.


    Wain immediately crushed the soul and looked at the mes above.


    "It''s gradually getting bigger. I need to speed up. I wonder what Zero and the others are doing? They seem to havee down here, too."

 Chapter 103 High Flame

    After Wain killed the massive crocodile, he decided to head to the center of the Nest. That was where the king of the zone had beenst time.


    Wain still didn''t know if it was possible to get a reward if he killed all the monsters in the Nest, but he had no desire to check.


    At this point, Wain wanted to fix the problem and hunt while Clovis built the bridge.


    ''Frankly, I didn''t expect Gisle to act so drastically. Despite the recent apocalypse, he''s not afraid to start real war against other people.'' Thought Wain as he walked past thevake.


    Some might have thought that Gisle was acting foolishly or even wrong, but that was not that. In most cases, alliances were more beneficial and better for both sides than war and usurping power.


    However, the apocalypse and the presence of superpowers in humans changed all the existing rules.


    Gisle wasn''t against alliances, but he didn''t have that much time. He had to get on with his evolution, and his organization had to keep up with the progress of others.


    Otherwise, they would always be a tier-2 organization, and the gap between them and the strongest would increase every day.


    War, taking power, and territories by force were the most profitable option in the current circumstances.


    ...


    Wain had been walking toward the center for more than ten minutes, but he never encountered any enemies.


    "Hmm, this area is rather deserted. Moreover, apparently, all the monsters are hiding underground or in thevakes. It''s open terrain here, and a few trees don''t prevent me from seeing everything around me." Mumbled Wain and took a step forward.


    Crackling.


    Suddenly the ground beneath Wain''s feet copsed, and he began to plummet downward rapidly. Wain tried to jump aside, but he was unsessful, for the ground within ten meters was a thinyer that could not support Wain''s weight.


    ''So this is a multi-level Nest?!'' Wain thought to himself, looking at the massivevake below.


    Wain''s stats were very high, considering how much time had passed since the apocalypse began, but he could not have survived the fall into theva. It was impossible. Not even Grut could have pulled it off.


    In a split second, Wain''s mind began to conjure up ideas on how to choose out of the situation. His brain was urgently trying toe up with a n.


    ''I can use the second form and temporarily freeze part of the surface of thiske. In that case, I''ll bounce to the side and get a grip on the wall.'' Thought Wain as he flew three meters down.


    ''No, that''s too irrational. I can''t be so careless with my energy.'' Wain plunged down another meter.


    ''Maybe I should try changing the direction of my fall by summoning a sma sword.'' Wain thought as he flew halfway down.


    ''I could use Kic Shot, but I don''t think there''s enough power to make theva disperse sideways. Is my only option really to activate the second form? Damn...'' Thought Wain as he slowly approached theva.


    Soul Essence began to build up around him, he didn''t want to do that, but he had no other way to survive.


    Suddenly, however, Wain''s eyes widened. As a dark red shell appeared from thevake, he noticed something.


    Wain smiled and did not use the second form.


    Whooosh.


    He bounced sharply away from the shell peeking out of the water and caught his sword on the wall.


    ''I''m lucky thisvake is inhabited by something. It looks like it was some kind of turtle.'' Thought Wain looking around.


    On the other side of thevake, he saw a tunnel leading to a system of small caves. Wain decided to go there since he couldn''t find a source of fire at the top.


    In a few leaps, Wainnded on the heated and dried out the ground and went on his way.


    ''Most likely, the firees from a single point and spreads upward almost imperceptibly. Normally this would be impossible, but if it''s a special ability or monster''s skill, nothing is surprising about it.'' Thought Wain walking through the tunnels.


    Whooosh.


    Suddenly a ming arrow flew toward Wain. The projectile flew precisely at his head, but Wain had no problem dodging it by making minimal movements.


    He swung his head to the left, and the arrow flew a centimeter from his neck.


    Then three more arrows flew at Wain, but he dodged them as easily asst. However, Wain still could not see his enemies.


    He tried to find them, but even though the tunnels were brightly lit with fire crystals, it was as if the enemies did not exist.


    "Damn, why do all the enemies here like to hide? I expected the fire zone to be a living hell, and I would be attacked by hundreds of monsters." Wain muttered and dodged another arrow.<sub> </sub>


    ? His opponents were good at hiding, even in well-lit and overlooked terrain. This annoyed Wain. Normally he was calm and judicious, but even his patience was limited. At that point, he wanted to use Oblivion Thunder and destroy tunnels.


    But, Wain had one way to make the monsters more aggressive and active toward him.


    ''The description of my cloak says it''s garbage, but can garbage be useful?'' Thought Wain, and the next moment dark energy began to emanate from his body.


    The energy of the evil spirit originally inhabited this cloak because of Lea''s mistake during the creation of this outfit.


    Then Wain saw the stone in the tunnel rise and a short monster with two crimson horns, a wide toothy mouth, and red eyes emerge from the hole.


    The monster had two bombs in its hands, which it threw at Wain, and it was a deadly mistake. Lightning boots appeared on Wain''s feet, and he was instantly in front of the monster.


    Wain swiftly kicked the monster''s head, and it flew aside like a ball, crashing into the cave wall.


    Then the other monsters pounced on Wain. They were used to acting cunningly and cautiously and always attacked their enemy from afar, but the aura emanating from Wain made them furious. They could not control their emotions and attacked Wain in a rage.


    Whooosh.


    A sma sword appeared in the air, and Wain swung his arm. The next moment, about ten small monsters were cut in two. They were like imps, just as small and agile creatures.


    Then eleven white souls flew into Wain''s body.


    [Soul of Fire Imp (Destroyed)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Common]


    Imps weren''t strong monsters, but when they were outnumbered and out in their own territory, they could cause a lot of trouble for any enemy. Furthermore, Imps were not only cunning but also quite clever and resourceful.


    They were able to create various weapons such as spears, swords, shields, etc. The same goes for armor and several types of explosives such as fire and acid bombs.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Imp level 13.]


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Imp level 11.]


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Imp level 12.]


    ''Although these monsters are quite weak physically, they have a high level. I wonder if they have some sort of base here. Perhaps that''s where the fire ising from.'''' Thought Wain and crushed thest soul.


    Soul Essence headed into his body. It was like a few drops in a vast ocean. To level up, Wain would have to kill at least a thousand monsters of that power.


    [You get Common Rating Spiritual Box]


    Suddenly a white box appeared in the palm of Wain''s hand. He didn''t expect that he would get a Spiritual Box by killing only eleven monsters, so it was a pleasant surprise.


    "I actually underestimated the Spiritual Box before. I didn''t understand why many people would give hundreds of souls for these small boxes in my world. But, every time, I found something useful in the Spiritual Box." Wain thought and crushed the box.


    The Spiritual Box disappeared, and in its ce, arge skeleton-shaped bomb appeared in Wain''s hand. This bomb had many small holes in it.


    Wain immediately opened the description of the item.


    [Imp''s Needle Bomb (Primary Chronicle, Rare Rating)


    After five seconds, hundreds of sharp, metallic needles start flying out of this bomb when ignited. These needles are sharp and strong enough to deal severe damage to all creatures in the Primary Chronicle.


    Once thest needle is out, the bomb will explode and destroy everything around it within a one-meter radius]


    ''It''s not a bad item, and it''s Rare Rating, I''m surprised. I didn''t know it was possible, but considering the number of times I''ve opened a Common Rating Spiritual Box, the chance of getting a higher ranked item is pretty slim.'' Thought Wain and moved the bomb to the Ring of Damned.


    When a person unlocked a Rare Rating Spiritual Box, for example, there was a small chance to get an Epic Rating item.


    However, this rule did not work in the opposite direction, in which case it was impossible to get a Common Rating item.


    This happened quite rarely, but sometimes someone could get lucky, and it could even save his life.


    "I still don''t know where the mes areing from, but it looks like I''m on the right track. The Imps had guns and even bombs, which means they might have a base or camp here somewhere. I need to thoroughly investigate these tunnels." Wain muttered and headed on his way.


    Wain wanted to fight someone powerful. He hoped that he would meet the monster from First Chronicle in the Imps''ir. He was somewhat like the monsters in this, for he was just as hungry for a battle.

 Chapter 104 Water And Fire

    Whooosh.


    With a swing of his sword, Wain cut off the head of another Imp. In thest twenty minutes, he had already killed more than a hundred of these monsters, and gradually more of them.


    Wain was sure he was on the right track, and it wasn''t his guess. There were dozens of tunnels around him, and Wain had no idea where Imps'' base might be.


    So Wain decided to proceed as follows, when he entered the tunnel, he only walked about a hundred yards. If no one attacked him in that distance, he would go back and take another route.


    Wain didn''t know if this method would work and help him move faster in his search, but after a few sessful attempts, Wain was convinced that his idea made sense.


    "Great, looks like I''ll get to the right ce soon," Wain said smiling as he looked at the twenty Imps running in his direction.


    All this time, Wain had not canceled the cloak effect, so the monsters were more aggressive to him than usual. However, given the situation and Wain''s strength, that was a plus rather than a minus.


    ''I''m like a red cloth to a bull to them. It''s quite an interesting myth.'' Wain thought, and a sma sword appeared in his hands.


    Then electric discharges sparkled at his feet, and a stepter, Wain was amid the monsters. He swung his sword at lightning speed and severed the five Imp''s heads.


    A momentter, Wain turned around and kicked three of the monsters. Imps'' bones were crushed and broken. Wain''s strength was too much for their bodies to withstand.


    Whooosh.


    Wain took another step and turned into blue lightning again. The sma sword disintegrated into small pieces and disappeared. At the exact moment, the heads of the other monsters fell to the ground.


    Twenty white souls flew into Wain''s body, and he immediately crushed them.


    This time Wain was unlucky and didn''t get the Spiritual Box, but one of the souls was Damaged. So after using it, Wain got a slight boost to his stats.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Imp level 11. Agility+1, Stamina+1.]


    ''Not much, but I got a little stronger. Of course, I''d like more, but it''s a hundred times better than nothing.'' Wain thought and moved on.


    ...


    While Wain traveled through the underground level of the Nest, Gisle was upstairs looking at the fire in the crevice.


    ''Damn, I told Clovis to keep building the bridge. He''s already done half the work, but the fire is increasing too fast. If things continue at this rate, the bridge will be burned in an hour.'' Gisle thought, and suddenly the simplest and most obvious idea popped into his head.


    "Does anyone have items or skills with which to create water?" Gisle said loudly. His voice was heard by every person in the camp, and some of them nodded and headed in his direction.


    They were two guys and one girl.


    "Can we help you?" One of them asked.


    "Use your skills and try to put that fire out. It will be good if you can at least reduce its intensity." Said Gisle pointing at the fire.


    "We''ll do our best." Said the guy and extended his hand forward. Then a drop of water appeared before him, which gradually turned into a giant bubble.


    It was not an attacking or defensive ability, but he could dy or even wholly disarm his opponent with this skill.


    Then a girl approached the edge of the slope. She didn''t have any water rted skills, but she did have one rather unique item.


    It was a dagger with a crooked de but a cold aura emanating from this weapon.


    The girl swung the dagger, and the de of the weapon glowed. Then she swung the dagger and the icy crescent-shaped de headed toward the fire.


    ''Ice...right, you can use more than just water.'' Thought Gisle as he watched the massive bubble drop down.


    After about five minutes, the fire level dropped a bit, but the guys'' and girl''s energy was starting toe to an end. They had used skills and items many times in a row and were already tired.


    "Huh, this really works. How did I not think of this before? If I keep procrastinating like this, there won''t be any bright future for me." Mumbled Gisle looking at the fire.


    ...


    By the time Gisle and his men had done their best to bring the fire down a bit, Wain had already gotten where he wanted to go.


    He entered the spacious room that was Imps'' base. More urately, it was an actual vige itself. There were tents, small huts, and even a semnce of watchtowers.


    Beyond this vige was another massive passageway. Wain could not see what was there.


    Whooosh.


    Lightning boots appeared on Wain''s feet, and he ran like a sh toward the vige. Imps on the watchtowers spotted him toote.


    They tried to stop Wain by shooting at him with their bows, but the slow arrows could not hit such a fast Wain.<sub> </sub>


    When Wain got close to the wooden gate, he jumped on it and then jumped over to the watchtower.


    Wain swung his sword vertically and sliced the monster in two. He did the same to the rest of the Imps standing on the other watchtowers.


    By that time, panic had broken out in the vige. All Imps ran out of their houses and were ready to attack Wain, but suddenly there was a loud roar.


    Roooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrr!


    Wain looked in the sound direction and saw a particrlyrge Imp. Unlike its brethren, it was three times taller than them. It was three meters tall.


    This Imp had only one massive, ck horn on his head. His skin was bright red, and he had an enormous halberd in his hands.


    ''So their leader decided to fight me?'' Thought Wain and jumped off the watchtower.


    The rest of the Imps stood in a circle, thus creating a makeshift arena. They wanted their leader to deal with Wain personally.


    The main Imp roared furiously again and thrust his halberd forward. This monster wore no armor, but mes emanated from its body constantly, as if from a demon from hell.


    Wain also braced himself for battle, but he had no intention of fighting the Imp''s leader now. He smirked and turned into blue lightning.


    Wain decided to kill all the Imps around him first. He didn''t want any sudden trouble while fighting such a dangerous opponent.


    The monsters were shocked by Wain''s actions. They did not expect that he would want to kill every Imp instead of fighting the monsters'' leader.


    When the Imps realized what Wain was doing, they tried to run away. But Wain wasn''t going to let them go. He easily caught up with the monsters and killed them with lightning speed.


    Wain had tremendous speed because he used Lightning Boots and because his Strength and Agility were at a high point.


    None of the Imps could escape. Wain killed every one of them, leaving no chance for anyone to survive.


    The Imps head tried to thwart Wain, but he failed to do so. Wain acted suddenly and unpredictably.


    "Okay, now it''s time to deal with you!" Wain said loudly and prepared for battle.


    He sensed that the aura of the Imps'' head was not the same as that of his kin. This one-horned Imp''s aura was much stronger than the others. Moreover, it was denser and more ancient. Wain knew immediately what that meant.


    ''This monster is definitely from First Chronicle. It will be my first such opponent.'' Thought Wain.


    Then he thrust his sword forward and said, "I hope you will be a worthy opponent. Don''t disappoint me!"


    Whoooosh.


    The next moment the fire emanating from Imp''s body intensified manifold, and he turned into a fiery sh that headed toward Wain.


    The monster''s speed was incredible. None of Last Light''s members could have reacted to this deadly lunge, not even Zero. However, Wain had enough reaction and speed to see his opponent''s every move.


    Bam.


    The massive halberd and the sma sword touched. Sparks flew from their collision. Wain was able to block the monster''s attack, but he felt that it was a real, powerful blow that was capable of inflicting a severe wound.


    ''Not even considering his halberd. If I miss a punched in the stomach several times in a row, my internal organs will be severely damaged, and I''ll start bleeding internally.''


    ''Great, that''s just what I needed!'' Thought Wain and, with more force, knocked the halberd aside.


    Wain tried to strike the monster with his fist, but the one-horned Imp dodged and made a vertical swing of the halberd from bottom to top.


    The de of the weapon half-inched into the ground and instantly reached Wain.


    Whoooosh.


    Wain covered himself with his sword and then pointed his hand at the monster. He wanted to use Kic Shot and kill the monster in one powerful attack.


    There were vibrations in the air, and after half a second, there was a loud click. The kic bullet flew toward the Imps'' leader. This time, however, Wain''s n was not to be.


    The one-horned Imp swung his halberd and knocked the kic bullet aside. Wain was surprised, as this was the first opponent since Forgotten, which could block Kic Shot rather than dodge it.


    "Not bad. It''s quite different from these wimps. Monsters from First Chronicle, that''s a whole different level!" Quite said Wain.


    In fact, Wain loved battles, but only against worthy and powerful opponents. For only then could he enjoy the battle and perhaps learn something.


    The more strong enemies he defeated, the greater his own power would be.

 Chapter 105 Halberd And Sword

    When the one-horned Imp blocked Kic Shot, Wain once again felt that he was facing a serious opponent.


    During his time in this world, he had fought only three strong enemies. The first was the ck robot samurai, the second was Forgotten, the strongest of all, and the third was Linlea.


    Wain was able to defeat Linlea rtively quickly because, at that moment, he used all his trump cards and his entire arsenal.


    However, he knew that if he wasn''t lucky enough to have the Cursed Swordsman''s second form, he would have had a hard time defeating Linlea. Wain would surely have suffered severe wounds and injuries.


    Wain understood that the one-horned Imp was not equal to Forgotten in strength, for this man was something out of ce. But, Wain thought this monster might have been stronger than Linlea.


    Roooaaaar!


    The monster roared furiously and lunged at Wain again. Imp''s one-horned strength was strong enough to leave a small crater on the ground after its tug. The monster was much faster this time than thest time, for Imp also realized that Wain was a deadly opponent.


    Bam.


    Their weapons made contact again, and sparks flew off to the sides. Imp stomped on the ground with force and struck the halberd again and then again.


    Wain reacted with lightning speed and blocked each blow. During this brief exchange of blows, Wain noticed something.


    ''The sma on the Destruction Sword is unable to freeze his halberd. That''s disappointing, but I should have expected that from a fiery opponent.'' Thought Wain and attacked back.


    In fact, at that moment, Wain was not in the best position. He couldn''t use Oblivion Thunder, which was his strongest skill aside from Nameless King''s Forms.


    But, Wain also wasn''t sure if he should use his second form, Cursed Swordsman. He couldn''t predict what the consequences would be if part of thevands suddenly froze over.


    If the battle wasn''t taking ce under the city, Wain wouldn''t have to worry about such things. But, he could not act recklessly.


    After Wain attacked back, they crossed their weapons again. Neither of them was going to yield to the other. Wain blocked every Imp''s attack perfectly, but the monster also had yet to receive a single wound.


    For the next few seconds, their arms moved at a frantic speed, like a blur. Sparks flew off to the sides, and the massive halberd and sma sword shed with each other several times per second.


    Thanks to his little experience and his additional soul - ck Thunder''s Renegade - Wain''s swordsmanship skills were at a reasonably high level. His mastery wasparable to the level of very skilled warriors.


    However, Wain was still a long way from the level of mastery that Forgotten had, Wain was aware of this, and he wanted to be much better.


    Wain and Imp fought equally, but Wain felt fine and was ready to fight at this pace for another hour or so. But, Imp''s strength was going much faster.


    The monster wasn''t tired yet, but he would reach that state much quicker than Wain.


    Imp realized that he would soon lose in this way, so he decided to put all his strength into every punch.


    After a few seconds, Wain noticed that small cracks began to appear across the sma sword. Wain was shocked. He didn''t expect Imp''s weapon to be stronger and sharper than his.


    Wain was trying to figure out what to do in such a situation, but suddenly when he blocked another attack, his sword was destroyed.


    Whoooosh.


    He instantly turned into blue lightning and stepped back, but the one-horned Imp was not about to let him go. The monster wanted to take advantage of the fact that Wain was unarmed.<sub> </sub>


    Wain could not summon the new sma Destruction Sword, as he did not have time to concentrate on the task, not even a fraction of a second.


    However, this did not mean that Wain was defenseless and was about to receive mortal wounds. Besides the sma sword, Wain had another weapon: his body and especially his hands.


    Wain blocked and parried every Imp''s blow with his fists and palms. Some blows he repulsed with great force, but sometimes he parried the de with a smooth movement of his palm.


    ''Damn, he doesn''t even give me a chance to retreat and regroup. I need to slow him down somehow.'' Thought Wain, he blocked another attack, and his gaze fell on the Ring of Damned.


    At that moment, Wain wanted to move Imp''s Needle Bomb out of his ring and use it. But, he quickly changed his mind. Wain saw no point in wasting a weapon aimed at mass destruction on a single target.


    Wain had another, more promising n.


    Bam.


    Wain blocked another blow, and the soul of one of the Imps he had just killed appeared in his hand.


    Wain had several abilities, but he also had some useful equipment: his Rare Rating - Soul umtor gauntlet.


    With this gauntlet, Wain could create a beam of energy, a concentrated stream of torn particles of Soul Essence. But, Wain could insert a soul into a cell on the glove, thereby increasing the power of the ensuing beam.


    Wain had to be distracted for a split second to do this, and Imp sessfully took advantage of it. The monster swung its halberd and inflicted a deep wound on Wain''s arm.


    However, the monster could not make any more attacks as a massive white beam erupted from the Soul umtor.


    The beam was much more powerful than thest time Wain had used it. What''s more, he was using Common Rating Soul, and it was the weakest possible amplification.


    The white ray flew through the monster instantly, piercing through its body. But, Imp managed to partially dodge, so instead of a through hole in his chest, Imp had part of his left side destroyed.


    The beam traveled farther and crashed into the cave wall, causing a deafening explosion.


    Blood gushed down, and the monster made the decision to retreat. It bounced back ten meters.


    Wain smirked, and the sma sword reappeared in his hand. He received a deep cut on his right arm, but this wound did not prevent him from fighting and caused only mild pain. On the other hand, his opponent had arge chunk of flesh destroyed.


    It would have been difficult for anyone, human or monster, to fight with a wound like that.


    ''The beam came out pretty powerful, but I can only use this gauntlet once every three minutes. It''s a little frustrating, but it can''t be helped.'' Thought Wain as he strolled toward Imp.


    He didn''t know what his opponent was going to do, but he tried, as always, to remain vignt.


    Suddenly Imp raised his halberd high above his head. Wain prepared to dodge or block the attack. He thought the monster was about to attack him, but suddenly a surprising scene urred.


    The mes on Imp''s body lit up several times brighter, and his muscles began to contract rapidly. Wain tried to figure out what his opponent would do, and what he saw stunned him.


    For instead of attacking Wain, the Imp thrust a massive halberd into his chest, and his aura began to rapidly intensify.

 Chapter 106 The Fire Demon

    Imps'' leader suddenly thrust the halberd into itself. Wain was surprised. He did not understand what the monster was doing. However, Wain was sure that Imp would not give up and end his life by suicide.


    ''His aura is getting stronger by the second. I have to hurry!'' Thought Wain and turned into blue lightning.


    Not a second had passed since Imp thrust the halberd into himself. Wain intended to kill the monster before it got stronger. So he ran as fast as he could toward the monster.


    The ground beneath Wain''s feet was covered in cracks, and small craters were left on the surface. At that moment, he was close to exceeding the speed of sound. He was in front of Imp in less than 0.2 seconds and instantly attacked the monster.


    The sma sword rained down on Imp like aet, capable of destroying anything. But suddenly, Wain thought he saw the face of a fire demon before him.


    Whooosh.


    A momentter, a torrent of fire erupted over Wain, and he was thrown aside with unbelievable force. He didn''t even have time to react or somehow block this attack. Never before had Wain found himself in a situation where nothing he could do.


    His body flew like a projectile a few dozen meters and mmed into the cave wall. The impact was so powerful that the tunnel system shook. Pretty much anyone in Wain''s shoes would have been turned into a pancake by now.


    "What the fuck was that?!" Wain said angrily, climbing out of the wreckage.


    He stared intently at his opponent, whose appearance had been significantly transformed. The wound on Imp''s side had not healed, but it was no longer bleeding as there were violent mes all over the monster''s body.


    The mes emanating from the monster gradually increased and spread over arger area. Imp''s aura was majestic and ancient. Wain could feel the tremendous pressure this aura was putting on him.


    But, that was not the most important change. Strange symbols appeared on his chest, around the spot where Imp had pierced himself with the halberd. Wain didn''t know what they meant, but the signs burned brightly and emitted energy in the form of me.


    That energy gradually turned into the silhouette of a fire demon standing behind the monster. This demon was not something foreign. It was part of the monster and represented its essence.


    Wain stepped forward, and then he saw several messages.


    [You are under the influence of Imp''s Beyond.


    Your resistance to fire has been lowered by 100%. All of your fire attacks will work against you. Your body is gradually heating up due to the incredible heat, and you will burn to the ground in five minutes]


    "What the fuck?!" Cursed Wain. He had never seen anything like this before. To him, it seemed like some kind of nonsense.


    He didn''t know what Beyond was or how to use it, but now he was suddenly under the influence of the enemy Beyond.


    ''There are so many negative effects on me, it''s unbelievable. What''s more, it''s likely Imp has received the strongest bonuses. He has increased his power and made me weaker. This is the power of Beyond...'' thought Wain.


    He was annoyed by the situation, but he was also thrilled by the power of Beyond. It was something fantastic and abnormal. It was beyond hisprehension. Beyond was something that stood above skills and even souls.


    ''This power that belongs to him, to me, and to everyone who has evolved and be First Chronicle''s creature. Perhaps I can activate my Beyond now? But, what I need to do for it?'' Wain pondered.


    He also wanted to use the power that he had awakened during his evolution. However, Wain had no idea how to do it.


    Step.


    Imp took a step forward. The monster still had the massive halberd in his hand and was slowly heading toward Wain. Every step he took created a wave of fire spreading across the cave floor.


    "Looks like I''ll have to use my trump card in this fight," Wain muttered, and Soul Essence piled up around his body.


    He would use the second form, the Cursed Swordsman since Wain thought that ice was perfectly suited to defeat a fiery opponent.


    However...


    At thest moment, Wain changed his mind.


    ''No, I can''t use the Cursed Swordsman because if I use that skill, I will use up all my power, and I won''t be able to use any more skills. If this monster''s fire will be able to melt my ice, then activating the second form will be my fatal mistake.'' Wain thought.


    He didn''t know exactly how powerful Imp''s mes were, but he couldn''t risk it.


    ''What''s more, the message said that my resistance to fire was lowered by 100%. If that applies to my ice as well, then I''m screwed.'' Wain thought, and Soul Essence gathered around his body again.


    Then his hair turned white and lengthened considerably. A ck and white armor appeared on him. He decided to activate the first form, Code of Light and Darkness. A peaceful and tranquil aura emanated from Wain.


    In this state, nothing could shake his equilibrium. Wain decided to check his status.


    [Wain Norheim


    Level: 15


    Race: Human


    Beyond: Cmity


    Soul: Nameless King


    Additional Soul: Last Knight<sub> </sub>


    Title: Savior of the Damned, Echo of Samurai, Mentor Inquisitor, The First


    Status Points: 12


    Strength: 84 / Agility: 84 / Vitality: 84 / Stamina: 84 / Energy: 84]


    "Excellent..." Wain muttered and turned into a blur.


    A momentter, he was behind Imp. The monster didn''t have time to react to such rapid movements of Wain''s, but not fire.


    The torrents of me immediately descended on Wain. The purpose of the fire was to protect its owner and destroy the enemy.


    Wain bounced to the side and shed at the right side of the monster. He made a fairly deep cut, but the open wound was immediately burned, and no bleeding began.


    Imp swung his halberd furiously and created a massive de of me. It should have turned Wain into a pile of coals, but he easily bounced aside and passed the blow.


    Then the Ring of Damned glowed, and a trident appeared in Wain''s hands. He was going to use this weapon for his n.


    Whooosh.


    Wain threw the trident as hard as he could toward Imp. The weapon flew with the speed of a bullet and reached the monster almost immediately. However, Imp was fast enough to dodge the attack.


    The monster jumped to the right and turned toward Wain. Imp, however, was unable to locate Wain where he had just been.


    "Gotcha." Said Wain smiling wryly. He stood beside Imp and sharply thrust his sma sword into the monster''s back.


    Wain''s n was that the moment he threw the trident at the monster, he ran in the other direction at great speed.


    Wain ran to the right because he knew that''s where the monster would jump back. It wasn''t luck. It was cold calction and a deliberate n. When Wain threw the trident, he was not aiming at the monster''s chest but at its left shoulder.


    Obviously, Imp would prefer to bounce to the right in such a case, as it was faster and safer.


    In this case, onepetent action and a few centimeters decided the fight''s oue. In any battle, the little things could make the difference. However, it was a factor that had to be taken advantage of.


    Wain plunged his sword into Imp''s back and made a vertical upward swing. Wain sliced the monster''s spine in two with this motion and caused it to experience incredible pain.


    Imp was gradually dying, and the mes did their best to prevent it. Suddenly the monster''s regeneration was several times faster and more efficient. Right before Wain''s eyes, the monster''s flesh was overgrowing.


    He was shocked that such a wound could be healed at all; it was something unbelievable to him.


    "Such powers... fuck... that''s not fair!" Proimed Wain and furiously began swinging his sword.


    Wain sliced the monster''s flesh apart, preventing it from regenerating and leaving new, severe wounds on Imp''s body.


    At one point, however, Wain''s sword began to melt. The sma sword could not withstand such tremendous heat.


    Wain realized that the situation was critical. He had to kill the monster before it regenerated.


    ''Shit, I can''t use the gauntlet. It hasn''t been three minutes yet. Otherwise, I would have killed it already.'' Thought Wain delivering another blow.


    Then Wain decided to make a desperate move. He threw the sword aside and plunged his hand into the monster''s flesh. Wain could feel his armor heating up and gradually beginning to melt, but that couldn''t stop him.


    "Found it," Wain said with a smile and squeezed the monster''s heart with all his might.


    Bam.


    The monster''s massive heart burst, and then Imp''s aura disappeared, as did the mes emanating from it.


    A blue soul flew from Imp''s corpse and entered Wain''s body.


    [Soul of Fire Imp''s Head (Whole)


    Chronicle: First


    Rating: Rare]


    Wain canceled Code of Light and Darkness and breathed a sigh of relief. This fight was much harder than he had initially anticipated.


    "Phew, that was incredible..." Wain said with a smile. He was tired, but he was pleased with this battle.


    It was the first time Wain had seen Beyond in act. He thought it was a gratifying experience. Unfortunately, Wain didn''t understand how to activate his Beyond, but this fight was the first step toprehending it.


    ''Damn, even though I activated the first form, I got some serious wounds.'' Thought Wain looking at the cut on his arm and the numerous burns. The armor was able to protect him, but notpletely.


    "Okay, I hope there''s no one in this Nest stronger than this Imp." Mumbled Wain and crushed the blue soul.

 Chapter 107 Furnace And Dagger

    Wain crushed the blue soul of Imps'' leader, and several messages appeared in front of him.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Fire Imps'' Head level 17.]


    [You have leveled up to level 16. You get 3 status points to distribute freely]


    [You have acquired Rare Rating Skill Book]


    "Great, I''ve leveled up and increased Energy. This fight was definitely worth it. I didn''t expect to get so much Soul Essence to increase the level. It was unexpected..." Mumbled Wain.


    At that moment, he realized how different the First Chronicle monsters were from the Primary Chronicle monsters. To increase his level, Wain needed to kill at least a thousand regr imps.


    However, one soul of a powerful monster like Fire Imps'' Head was enough for him.


    A person''s amount of Soul Essence after using a soul depended on several factors. This was influenced by the level of the monster, the Rating of its soul, and its actual strength.


    Thest factor was difficult to determine urately. However, this meant that even if two monsters had the same level and Rating, their strength could still be significantly different. This also affected the amount of Soul Essence contained in their souls.


    But, the most important factor was which Chronicle the monster belonged to. This was the main parameter on which most of the Soul Essence in a monster''s soul depended.


    ''I also got the Skill Book. Today is my lucky day, it''s the first First Chronicle monster I''ve killed, and I got such a valuable thing right away.'' Thought Wain, and a blue book appeared in his hands.


    He ced his palm on it, and the book turned into hundreds of characters that flew into Wain''s be.


    [Heat Resistant Flesh (First Chronicle Passive Skill, Rare Rating)


    Your skin and flesh be altered and be more resistant to the element of fire. Your cells have rebuilt and can now withstand higher temperatures without harming your body.


    This power has a certain limit, beyond which your structure will be disrupted, and you will suffer serious wounds.


    Your resistance to the element of fire is increased by 25%]


    ''Not bad. At the moment, this is my only passive skill since Fencing the Last Knight was destroyed due to my additional soul change. My body will now withstand higher temperatures, which is good.


    Moreover, the higher my Stamina and Vitality will be, the more effective this effect will be.'' Thought Wain.


    At the moment, Wain had no shortage of active skills. He had a weapon for almost any asion. He was pleased that it was a passive skill that he got rather than an active one.


    "Hmm, getting passive skills proved to be quite difficult. It wasn''t surprising, though. Unlike passive skills, active skills can only be three. There is no limit to the number of passive skills. Maybe I should hunt weak monsters and get some passive skills from their souls?" Mumbled Wain.


    ''No, that doesn''t make sense. I''d only be wasting my time. I need powerful skills, gear, and souls. Otherwise, my progress will be stunted.'' Thought Wain and headed on his way.


    Wain wanted to get the halberd, but as the mes tried to heal the monster, even the halberd began to melt. The weapon was no longer fit forbat.


    There was one wide passageway behind in the cave where Imps'' vige was.


    ...


    "I seem to have found the cause of the rising mes in the crevice." Proimed, Wain was looking at the massive monster in the center of the deep hole.


    This monster had four long paws of stone, something resembling tall pirs. The monster''s body was a narrow head with small teeth and a massive torso in the form of a magma sphere.


    Several stone pipes from which fire came out on the monster''s torso, which slowly rose upward.


    Wain wanted to attack the monster and deal with the cause of the fire in the crevice, but suddenly he noticed something strange.


    "Hmm? Are there Imps here, too? What is this ce?" Wain muttered, looking at several small huts on the left side of the cave.


    Wain thought that here were the remaining monsters who, for some reason, did not take part in the battle at the main base.


    Moreover, Wain saw several ovens and, oddly enough, Imps near the huts. However, these Imps were quite different from thest.


    They had dark red skin, almost brown, had two short horns on their heads no longer than the length of a finger. Their hands had no ws, but four fingers, almost like human hands.


    These monsters posed little danger. They didn''t look strong or deadly. Nor were their mouths toothy, and most of them had big noses.


    ''Are they Imps, or are they some other monsters?'' Wain wondered.


    He slowly approached the vige, and a sma sword appeared in his hand. He wasn''t going to feel sorry for these monsters just because they didn''t look terrible or dangerous.


    When the monsters saw Wain, they scattered to their huts in fear. They were afraid of Wain, a powerful aura emanating from him. They were not capable of dealing with such an enemy.


    Wain reached the center of the vige and looked into one of the huts. He spotted one of the monsters through the window and was about to attack when suddenly one of them emerged from another hut.


    Wain turned around and prepared to attack, but he had no desire to fight when he saw the monster.


    ''It looks too pathetic...'' thought Wain looking at the monster in front of him. It had a dagger in its hands, but the monster was trembling with fear. It struggled to hold the dagger in its hands. It was ready to run away at any second.<sub> </sub>


    Wain shrugged and walked toward the monster. Wain was not going to spare the monster, even if it trembled with fear.


    Any monster was a soul that made Wain a little stronger. He couldn''t pass up such an opportunity to get some Soul Essence.


    The monster was short, about one meter tall, but it wasn''t going to give up no matter what. It ran towards Wain and tried to wound it with its dagger.


    But, it was too slow. Wain just took a step back, and the monster fell because it tripped over a rock. The dagger fell out of it''s hands.


    "Honestly, you seem so harmless and pathetic that I don''t even feel like killing you. In any other situation, I would have spared you, but your death would do me good." Coldly Wain said and swung his sma sword down.


    At thest moment, however, Wain stopped the sword. The de was an inch from the monster''s skin. Wain stopped the sword not because he decided to show mercy or pity, the reason was different. Wain looked shocked at the monster.


    "What the hell...?" Wain muttered.


    He stopped his attack because, at thest moment, the monster knelt down and ced a dagger in front of him as if it offered this weapon to Wain.


    Wain was stunned. He knew that some monsters were quite clever, but this was something out of the ordinary. The monster in front of him decided not to run away but to offer to redeem his life. It was a real bargain.


    Wain shook his head. He had no reason to spare the monster because of some dagger. He decided to discard unnecessary thoughts and swung his sword again. However, he stopped again.


    Wain''s gaze fell on the dagger, then on the furnace in the distance, then on the dagger again, and then on the furnace. This went on for some time. Wain frowned and took the dagger in his hands.


    ''It''s not a bad dagger, it''s not a spiritual weapon, but it''s pretty good too. It takes good skills to create such a weapon...'' thought Wain. At that moment a crazy, but a great idea came into his head in his opinion.


    "Hey, do you understand me?" Smiling, Wain said.


    Unfortunately, there was no reaction from the monster. Wain frowned but decided to try again.


    "I''m talking to you!"


    Then the trembling monster raised its head and looked at Wain.


    "Do you understand what I''m saying?" Wain asked again.


    The monster nodded uncertainly. It didn''t expect Wain to decide to talk to him.


    ''Fuck, what am I doing anyway?'' Thought Wain but decided to continue the unusual conversation with the monster anyway.


    "Have all your friendse out. I want to talk to you." Proimed Wain.


    The monster looked around but hesitated to do as Wain said.


    "Hurry up, or I''ll kill you all," Wain said coldly, and an eerie aura began to emanate from him.


    The monster shuddered with fear again and shouted something several times. It didn''t sound like a roar, but it also couldn''t be called a full-fledgednguage ofmunication. It was something in between.


    Then the doors of the huts opened, and about thirty monsters came out into the center of the vige. Among them were both men and women, which was clear from their appearance and clothing elements.


    They were afraid of Wain and trembled with fear, but they chose to believe their kin anyway.


    "I hope you all understand me as well as he does. Right?" Wain asked.


    The thirty monsters immediately nodded their heads.


    "Okay, I have one straightforward question for you. Did you make this dagger and furnace, or was it here originally?" Wain asked.


    Suddenly each of the monsters started nodding their heads but in a different direction. Moreover, some of them tried to shout something. Some even waved their hands, trying to exin something.


    Wain was puzzled, but he realized he had asked the wrong question.


    ''Shit, it''s not like they can answer me. I have to ask short, simple, and specific questions.'' Thought Wain.


    "Okay, let''s start again. Did you make this dagger?" Once again, Wain asked.


    The monsters nodded.


    "Did you make these forges?"


    The monsters nodded.


    "Can you make anything other than a dagger while still maintaining high quality?"


    The monsters nodded again.


    Wain smirked and said, "You guys and I will be friends. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA."

 Chapter 108 Blacksmith, Nothing Else Matters

    Initially, Wain wanted to kill the monsters in the vige, but when he saw the dagger and the furnace, he had a crazy idea. This was also greatly influenced by the monster''s behavior.


    At first, Wain could not believe that the monster offered him the dagger as a price for his life. Moreover, these monsters understood what Wain was talking about.


    "Do you know what cksmithing is?" Wain asked.


    They understood him, but that did not mean they knew all the words people used in their speech.


    To Wain''s surprise, the monsters nodded affirmatively. Moreover, it was obvious that they were d when Wain asked them about it.


    Wain nodded and decided to take another look at the dagger. He opened the description of the weapon.


    [Simple Dagger (Primary Chronicle, Common Rating)


    This dagger was forged by the fire goblins that live deep underground in thevands. These creatures are rather weak inbat, having difficulty learning the martial arts, but they are excellent craftsmen.


    Most fire goblins prefer to engage in cksmithing, and they are often very sessful at it. But, they are limited by their habitat, where they could rarely find anything useful]


    "So you are called Fire Goblins?" Wain asked, puzzled.


    The goblins nodded in response. They were already slowly ceasing to be afraid of Wain, as he no longer emitted a creepy aura and did not behave aggressively towards them.


    "I see... so you''re all cksmiths, right?" Wain rified.


    The fire goblins nodded again.


    For most people, this situation would be insane. Many people despised monsters and wanted to destroy them. It made sense considering what happened to humanity after the apocalypse began. However, Wain had no such prejudices.


    He didn''t care if it was a monster or a human. As long as the creature was useful to him and had no hostile intentions, Wain was willing tomunicate and consider a possible alliance.


    Right now, the biggest problem for Wain was not that he wasmunicating with monsters but that the goblins couldn''t give him a meaningful response. All they were capable of was nods and iprehensible shouts.


    "Is there any way you canmunicate with me besides nodding your head? Can you write?"


    The goblins nodded again. The goblin who fought Wain took a stick in his hand and wrote a few words on the ground. However...


    Wain frowned and sighed regretfully. He couldn''t read what the goblin had written, for he didn''t understand thenguage and what the symbols meant.


    ''Maybe I should learn the goblin''snguage ofmunication.'' Wain pondered.


    ''Okay, cancetion. How I shouldmunicate with you will be figured outter. Follow me." Said Wain and headed for the ovens.


    Next to the furnaces were also the anvils and the necessary tools. It looked like a real forge.


    "I have a proposition for you. I want you to dig something out in front of me right now. If I am satisfied with the result, you wille upstairs with me. There you''ll find tools far better than here, as well as countless materials and ores waiting for you." Said Wain.


    From the description of the dagger, Wain realized that the fire goblins liked to do cksmithing, and moreover, there were usually few materials in their habitat.


    He also realized this from looking at the dirty lumps of ore next to the furnaces and the awkward, impractical tools at the anvils. So Wain decided to offer them such a bargain.<sub> </sub>


    ''For any cksmith, arge variety of ores and materials is a most cherished desire.'' Wain thought, and he was absolutely right.


    When Wain offered the fire goblins this deal, they immediately got to work. Of course, not all thirty goblins acted at once. They chose a few of them who had the most outstanding skills in cksmithing.


    ''Damn, life really is unpredictable. I would never have thought that my descent into the crevasse would end with me befriending goblins. By the way, why do they live here? Does it have something to do with Imps?


    Did the goblins cooperate with them or work for them? Unfortunately, I''m not likely to get the answers to those questions...'' Wain thought as he watched the goblins work.


    Not only were they excellent cksmiths, but they also worked skillfully as a team. One prepared the tools. A second was working on the hilt for future weapons.


    A third monitored the temperature of the furnace. The fourth threw the ore into the vat and, with the fifth, stuck it into the furnace.


    They acted as one well-coordinated mechanism. After a while, when the ore had melted, the goblins poured the liquid metal into a specially prepared mold.


    When the moment was right, the mold was lowered into the water. Then came the most important moment when the cksmith gave the red-hot piece of metal the desired shape.


    The water did not wholly cool the liquid metal, only to the extent that it was given some form for further work.


    After a while, the contented fire goblins presented Wain with the weapon they had made. It was a medium length de with a rectangr de sharpened on one side.


    ''Such a weapon is indeed much more difficult to create than some kind of sword or axe. What''s more, they made it all from poor quality ore and not in the best conditions for it. Their skills are impressive. What''s more, they''re monsters, and that''s a huge plus.'' Thought Wain examining the de.


    Monsters, like humans, had abilities, and monsters could also evolve and be stronger. However, unlike humans, monsters didn''t necessarily need to kill other creatures to be stronger.


    Monsters could absorb Soul Essence from their environment, and they did it instinctively and reflexively. It was as natural for them as it is for humans to breathe or walk on two legs.


    ''Even now, each of the fire goblins isparable in skill to a human who has awakened a cksmith''s Common Rating Soul, maybe even higher. Moreover, this is only the beginning. These monsters will evolve and be much more useful in the future.'' Thought Wain and handed the de back to the goblins.


    He didn''t need this weapon. He wanted to test their abilities and see how they worked and their methods.


    ''Good, I am pleased with your work. You honestly exceeded all my expectations. This meeting is destined to happen, I guess..." Proimed Wain and turned around.


    He looked at the monster behind him, but as he stared intently at the monster, Wain realized that it was not a living creature.


    ''So it''s some kind of mechanism?'' Wain thought to himself.


    "Hey, can you make sure that no more firees out of this machine? Otherwise, the ce where the various ores are might burn up." Said Wain.


    The fire goblins nodded and headed towards this strange mechanism. They quickly turned off the mechanism. At that moment, the fire stoppeding out of the pipes, and Wain''s mission to save the bridge was aplished.


    ''But, why were they turning that mechanism on?'' Wain wondered, and he saw behind the mechanism a small tank ofva at that moment.


    Into this tank led a pipe emanating from the mechanism, and theva gradually became more and more. But, Wain found this situation strange. Because theva was yellow, like honey, not orange-red, and the tank was not metal but wooden.


    Wain didn''t understand how wood could withstand the temperatures of theva, so he went there to check it out.

 Chapter 109 Goblins New Allies

    The fire goblins disabled the mechanism, and Wain eliminated the cause of the mes. From the mechanism, unusualva was flowing down the pipe, and Wain decided to take a closer look at it, so he headed toward the tank.


    ''Thisva is in a wooden tank. Could it be some kind of special wood, or is thisva not really very hot?'' Wain thought as he approached the tank.


    The fire goblins had already turned off the mechanism and were just watching Wain''s actions.


    As he approached the tank, Wain ran his hand over theva. To his surprise, the temperature was not too high.


    ''Hmm, it looks more like boiling water thanva. A normal person would get a burn if they were in thisva, but skin and flesh would not burn. Moreover, given my stats and passive skill, thisva would be like a warm bath for me.'' Thought Wain.


    "Hey, can one of you guys exin to me what this is?" Asked Wain.


    One of the goblins nodded and stepped forward. The goblins were intelligent creatures and realized that Wain could not understand their words, so the goblin decided to act differently to get his point across to Wain.


    The goblin pointed to theva and then to the wound on Wain''s arm. He did so several times, then drew a plus sign on the ground.


    "You want me to stick my wounded hand in there?" Wain asked.


    The goblin nodded.


    Wain shrugged and did as the monster advised him. He saw nothing strange or dangerous in it. Theva of this temperature could not do him any damage.


    Wain slowly lowered his hand to his elbow and immediately felt a pleasant sensation. Thisva was more like an airy foam than a liquid. Wain immediately felt better, and the regeneration process began.


    "Huh, not bad," Wain muttered and took his hand out.


    Wain then threw off his cloak and began to undress. He gotpletely naked and moved his stuff into the Ring of Damned.


    Thisva increased his regeneration, and for Wain, this was great news. Even given his Vitality, it would take him about half a day to heal all his wounds naturally.


    Wain took a step forward and was about to plunge into theva tank when suddenly the ceiling shook.


    Wain became alert. He thought it was some dangerous enemy.


    "Take cover somewhere!" Shouted Wain to the goblins. They were his allies now, and he couldn''t let anything bad happen to them.


    Crackle.


    Half a secondter, a hole formed in the ceiling, and a ck silhouette dropped down next to the massive mechanism.


    It was an unexpected appearance, but when Wain saw the silhouette, he breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Ah, it''s you, Zero...I thought I was about to get naked to fight." Smiling Wain said, looking at Zero.


    She came here because from above, she could detect a small stream of fireing from below. This ce was above the mechanism, so Zero decided to punch through the ceiling to deal with the fiery hotbed. But, by that time, the goblins had already disabled the mechanism.


    Zero was puzzled. She hadn''t expected to meet Wain here, but when she looked at him, she forgot how to talk.


    "W..... Wain?!" Zero said with difficulty. She was discouraged, for Wain was naked.


    That situation Zero would remember for a long time. In front of her was apletely naked Wain and dozens of goblins not far from him.


    Zero immediately covered her face with her hands and looked away.


    Wain smirked, ''Huh, didn''t think she was that shy.''


    He then plunged into theva tank. As Wain supposed, it felt just like a hot bath. At that moment, Wain experienced heavenly pleasure. His whole body was rxed, and his wounds were gradually healing.


    "Zero, did you want something?" Asked Wain lying in theva as if in a hot spring.


    Zero turned around, and seeing that Wain was in the tank, she calmed down. The recent scene she would never forget again.


    She wanted to say something to Wain, but suddenly she saw goblins. At that moment, she frowned and instantly attacked the monsters. The fire goblins flinched in fear and tried to run away.


    "Stop!" Wain said harshly without getting out of theva.


    Zero turned around and said, "What?! But they''re monsters! We have to kill them."


    "Don''t be silly. These creatures arepletely harmless. They can''t even hold a knife in their hands." Wain replied calmly.


    "But... because... they''re monsters..." Mumbled Zero. She could not understand Wain''s actions. This situation seemed strange and wrong to her.


    "It doesn''t matter. You should not fight monsters or humans but those who intend to harm you. Cast aside your prejudices. The race is of absolutely no importance. It''s the actions and intentions that matter." Said Wain.


    Zero stood silently in one ce for some time. She pondered Wain''s words.


    ''Is Wain really right, and can monsters be friends? I don''t understand...'' muttered Zero to herself.


    But then the silhouettes of the scientists who were experimenting on her in theb appeared in her mind.<sub> </sub>


    ''No, Wain ispletely right. Many humans are more monster-like than humans, so race is not the deciding factor.'' Thought Zero and looked at the fire goblins.


    They no longer tried to run away, for they realized that Wain would not let her hurt them. But, they were still wary and treated Zero with distrust.


    "Fire goblins are pretty nice creatures. Moreover, they understand human speech. Try talking to them." Said Wain.


    "Is it true...?" Unsurely asked Zero.


    The fire goblins nodded their heads in the affirmative.


    "Wow..." Zero said smiling. At that moment, she felt like she was talking to some kind of animal. It was a strange but cool feeling.


    Ssh.


    Wain climbed out of theva, and Zero turned away again.


    "Don''t just stand there. Join me. I don''t mind." Said Wain turning to the goblins. "Zero, you too if you like. Thisva has healing properties."


    Then he plunged back into theva. The goblins smiled, ran to the pool with joyful faces, and jumped into it.


    "I... I... I... with you...??" Zero muttered uncertainly.


    <o>,m "Ahahahah,e on, stop being shy. You''re wounded. Thisva will help you heal faster." Said Wain pointing to the bloody stain on Zero''s leg.</o>


    Zero nodded and took off her clothes, and plunged into theva. Wain did not look at her so as not to embarrass her further.


    Wain was amused by the situation. He was no fool and understood perfectly well what Zero was experiencing right now.


    "Thisva is really something incredible. I can feel my wounds healing." Said Zero.


    "Yeah, let''s lie here for a few minutes and then head upstairs. I''ve already solved the fire problem. It was all about that mechanism." Said Wain.


    "I see. You''re ahead of the game as always."


    Wain shrugged, "It wasn''t my fault. It was just a coincidence. But, more importantly, it''s the fire goblins. I spared these monsters for a reason, they''re harmless, but it''s not enough that I let them live. Every one of them is a cksmith."


    "What?!" Zero said shocked. She didn''t think such small and clumsy creatures could have skills in cksmithing.


    "I was surprised, too, but they do. As strange as it sounds, at this point, these monsters are more useful than most people in Last Light." Said Wain.


    Zero nodded.


    For the next ten minutes, they rested and waited for their wounds to be healed.


    Then Wain jumped out of the tank and quickly dressed, and Zero did the same.


    "Okay, it''s time to go back." Said Wain, and the fire goblins climbed out of theva.


    "I agree, but how do we move the fire goblins upstairs? There are only two of us and thirty of them. We physically can''t do it." Zero said puzzled.


    Wain shook his head, "That''s not the biggest problem we have to solve. I want to get not only the goblins out of here but also thisva and the mechanism."


    He looked at the goblins and asked, "How does this thing work?"


    One of the goblins stepped forward and led Wain after him.


    After a while, Wain nodded and muttered, "I see. In fact, this mechanism could be called arge alchemical machine. In one of the legs is ced coal or any other fuel. In the second leg, various herbs are ced. In the third leg is ced water. In the fourth leg is cedva or any high-temperature reagent. Am I right?"


    The goblins nodded affirmatively.


    The mechanism for producing healingva was technically like a massive cauldron that stood on four legs. The legs were pipes through which the necessary reagents entered the cauldron.


    The cauldron also had several pipes through which the excess and various impurities came out. If no mistakes were made at the end of the process, healingva could be obtained.


    "So are these goblins also alchemists?" Zero asked.


    But, suddenly, the goblins shook their heads.


    "I don''t think so. There are no materials suitable for creating such a mechanism here. Moreover, it is almost impossible to find suitable herbs and nts in this location. Most likely, this mechanism was here originally."


    "Is that possible?" Zero asked.


    "Yes, since the Nest is created because of therge amount of Soul Essence concentrated in one ce. Perhaps this mechanism came from another space. There are many different monsters and materials in this ce. Moreover, it''s a two-level Nest." Said Wain.


    "I see. Wain, what do we do? How do we get this mechanism upstairs, as well as theva tank?" Asked Zero.


    "I don''t know, I have one option, but I''m not sure it will work." Said Wain and touched the mechanism.

 Chapter 110 Displacement

    When Wain touched the Ring of Damned mechanism, it glowed brightly, but nothing happened. Wain was surprised and decided to try again.


    He concentrated, and suddenly the screaming spirits engraved on the ring lit up in green mes.


    Then the green energy began to spread slowly through the mechanism. But when half of the mechanism was covered in energy, the ring went out, and the energy disappeared.


    "Looks like there''s no easy way to do this..." Wain muttered puzzledly.


    ''Hmm, why couldn''t I move this mechanism into the Ring of Damned? Maybe the reason is that this mechanism is too big, it''s over five meters high. But maybe it''s because the mechanism weighs too much. I wonder if there''s anything I can do to improve the Ring of Damned?'' Wain thought.


    Wain''s n failed, so he tried to think of another one. He wanted to take this mechanism with him, as it was too valuable.


    Theva that this mechanism produced could be used as a universal tool to increase regeneration.


    Moreover, Wain envisioned that by having one, the members of Last Light could create other such mechanisms and sell the healingva in the future.


    "Do you have a piece of paper and ink?" Wain asked, turning to the goblins.


    The goblins nodded, and after a while, Wain was sitting at his desk writing something on a parchment scroll. The goblins didn''t have regr paper, but that wasn''t a problem.


    "What are you going to do?" Zero asked.


    "It''s simple. Now I''m going to send this letter upstairs, and Gisle will provide us with everything we need." Said Wain.


    Before that, he asked the fire goblins for the things he needed, but unfortunately, the vige didn''t have any of the things he listed. The walkie-talkie didn''t work either, as the distance was too long. So Wain decided that he would send a letter upstairs.


    When Wain finished writing the letter, the ring on his finger shone brightly, and an azure trident appeared next to it. Wain aimed the letter at the trident''s de and headed for the mechanism.


    "Zero, are there no dangers up there?" Asked Wain looking at the through hole in the ceiling.


    "No, there are no monsters near this ce." Answered Zero.


    "Great," Wain replied briefly and jumped on the mechanism, then bounced off the mechanism and, through the hole in the ceiling, made his way to the top level of the Nest.


    Wain looked around for monsters, but he didn''t see anything suspicious. All around him were scorched earth and a fewvakes in the distance.


    Wain looked up and muttered, "This canyon is very deep, sloping at least a mile and a half high."


    Wain wanted to throw the trident to the bridge. That way, he could get a message to Gisle, but it was not easy to do so.


    Many people before the apocalypse had practiced javelin throwing professionally in Wain''s world. The record in his world was almost 100 meters, but that was official and verified.


    "I knew a few people who could throw a spear 150 meters. That''s something incredible, but now I have to break that record by at least ten times.'' Wain pondered.


    Wain could throw the trident right now, but he wasn''t sure he was capable of throwing it at that height.


    He needed to hit the exact spot next to the bridge, for if Wain missed, the trident would end up somewhere in the middle of the slope. In that case, he would not deliver the letter to Gisle.


    "I need to somehow increase my strength for one throw. Perhaps I should speed up?" Wain muttered, and lightning boots appeared on his feet.


    Then Wain turned into blue lightning and began to run in circles. In this way, he was gaining speed to make his throw more powerful.


    This went on for a while, and at one point, Wain threw the trident upwards with all his might. It was like a blue sh of lightning heading for the wooden bridge at the top.


    ...


    Bam.


    Suddenly the trident flew into the ground to the left of the bridge. People were shocked. They thought they were being attacked by someone. But as Gisle approached the trident, he reassured his men.


    "Huh, he found a way to send me a message even in this situation." Said Gisle taking the letter off the trident.


    Gisle began to read, "Get it all down. Ropes, nails, bulk vessels, tools, wooden beams..."


    The list was quiterge. It took Gisle a while to read it all. In the end, Gisle sighed and began to think where he could get it all.


    He talked to Clovis and other people and realized that they had pretty much everything Wain asked for, but Gisle had another serious problem.


    He didn''t know how to get all the things Wain needed downstairs. It was a big problem, but suddenly a great idea came to Gisle.


    "That''s right, you can get all that stuff down in bubbles!" Said Gisle and summoned the guy who had previously put out the fire by summoning massive bubbles with a skill.


    ...<sub> </sub>


    Thus after a while, Wain saw several bubbles flying in his direction, each with many things in them.


    "Wain? Zero?"


    As the bubbles almost reached the ground, Wain heard a familiar voice in the distance. Turning around, he saw Teresa and Agnes running toward him.


    "Oh, long time no see." Said Wain.


    "What are you doing here?" Teresa asked worriedly.


    They came running here because they saw blue shes from a distance. They thought something was interesting and decided to check it out. But, it was actually Wain, who was using Lightning Boots at the time.


    "Waiting for delivery." Wain simply replied.


    Teresa and Agnes didn''t understand anything, so Wain decided to exin the present situation.


    ...


    "So you made friends with the monsters and want to ferry them upstairs along with the mechanism... Why do I feel like I just heard some nonsense?" Teresa muttered.


    Wain smirked and said, "It doesn''t matter if it''s bullshit or not. The fact is it''s true. We need these monsters. They are useful and harmless. This is the most valuable find of Last Light in a while."


    Agnes and Teresa were shocked, but they quickly grasped Wain''s idea. Unlike most people, they had no prejudice against monsters. Like Wain, they believed that what mattered was action and nothing else.


    "Okay, enough talk. It''s time to get out of here. We''ve got a lot of work to do." Said Wain and headed for the things lying not far from them. All the bubbles had alreadynded and burst.


    Agnes, Zero, Teresa nodded and headed after him.


    For the next hour, they and the fire goblins were busy at work transporting the monsters upstairs, as well as the healingva and theva producing mechanism.


    Wain poured all the healingva into vessels and moved them to the Ring of Damned. Wain decided not to hide that he had such a useful item any longer. He could trust Zero, Teresa, and Agnes.


    The goblins joined them in tying the mechanism with ropes to be dragged along.


    Wain and Zero remained below while Teresa and Zero climbed up through the hole in the ceiling. Together they were able to move the mechanism to the upper level of the Nest.


    The goblins then climbed up the rope, and now they had to go up the slope to the bridge.


    "Wain, what shall we do? First, lift the mechanism and then go back for the goblins?" Agnes asked.


    "No, we''ll do it another way. The three of you are strong enough to get the mechanism upstairs without any problems. Be careful not to break it. I''ll take care of the goblins." Said Wain.


    "What? How are you going to lift thirty goblins by yourself? I realize they''re not big, but still."


    "Don''t worry, Gisle sent plenty of rope, they''ll just tie each other into one single chain, and I''ll pull them up with one hand. My strength is enough to lift thirty goblins." Wain said confidently.


    "Good." Agnes nodded and, together with Teresa and Zero, headed up.


    They held onto the ledge with one hand while the other hand held onto the ropes. In this way, they pulled the mechanism behind them. It would take them quite a while to get to the top, but they could do it without problems.


    "Now it''s my turn." Mumbled Wain looking at the thirty goblins behind him. They obliged the rope tightly around their bodies, and Wain could easily drag them behind him.


    "I''ll try to proceed carefully, but I promise nothing." Said Wain and gripped the rope tightly.


    Then he jumped high up and began to climb the slope. As Wain supposed, he would be able to drag thirty goblins behind him alone. It took him a lot of effort, but he made it all the way to the top in time.


    Whoooosh.


    Wain made onest dash and jumped to the top along with the fire goblins.


    Everyone was shocked at the monster''s sudden appearance and especially that he brought monsters with him.


    "Wee back," Gisle said, smiling.


    Wain nodded. He warmed up and rested a bit. It took him more than an hour to climb to the top, during which time his muscles began to ache, and his body stiffened.


    "I see the bridge is almost finished," Wain muttered as he looked at the bridge, which was more than a hundred meters long. Clovis needed a little more time, and the crossing to the north part would be possible.


    "Yes, but that''s not the most important thing right now. Will you tell me what happened downstairs and why you brought the monsters with you? Agnes, Teresa, and Zero have already filled me in, but I''d like to hear it from you personally."

 Chapter 111 Crossing Over To The North

    "I see, so that''s how it happened. You know Wain, you''re an amazing man. I''ve never met a loner who brings new people with him every time, and in this case, it''s thirty monsters." Smiling, Gisle said.


    "Unfortunately, there is some truth in what you say..." Wain muttered in puzzlement. At that moment, he wondered why this was happening. After all, Wain hadn''t even tried to make friends with anyone or find new allies.


    "Opposites attract, don''t they?" Said Teresa.


    Wain wanted to answer something, but suddenly he saw a glint in the distance, as if from metal.


    Whoooosh.


    A momentter, an arrow flew at wind speed toward one of the fire goblins. There was no way the monster could have had time to react to this sudden attack, but it was no problem for Wain.


    He reacted quickly and grabbed the arrow with his hand. The iron tip stopped a centimeter from the frightened goblin''s face.


    Wain frowned and looked in the direction the arrow came from. He saw a guy in leather armor with arge bow in his hands. He looked at Wain in shock.


    Wain didn''t bother to look into the situation and threw the arrow back at his attacker with all his might. The arrow reached the guy at lightning speed and sank into his knee.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" He immediately screamed in pain and grabbed his knee trying to stop the bleeding.


    Unlike Wain, Zero, and the others, most people saw nothing good in fire goblins. Monsters were mortal enemies to them, and it was almost impossible to fix.


    Wain decided to wound a man for attacking a monster without a second thought. It only made things worse. The people didn''t understand what they were supposed to do in this situation.


    On the one hand, their leader didn''t mind contact with fire goblins, but on the other hand, these were monsters that killed millions of people every day.


    "Calm down!" Gisle said loudly. His tone was harsh and direct, his voice like thunder from a clear sky.


    "These monsters are called fire goblins, and frankly, I have a hard time calling them monsters. I''d say they are a different race from humans. Fire goblins are harmless and pose no danger to you unless, of course, you attack them yourself." Gisle said calmly.


    "But, they are monsters! How can we be with them and feel safe?" Shouted someone in the crowd.


    "That''s just your prejudice. As I said earlier, they are not monsters but creatures belonging to another race. What''s more, they can even understand what we''re saying, and each of them is an excellent smith. If you don''t believe us, you can talk to them yourself. Unlike you, they are not afraid of creatures from other races."


    Gisle sighed and continued, "If any of you are against my decision, you may leave. But, we all understand that outside the organization, you will be in great danger. In that case, the monsters will always be there for you, and unlike the fire goblins, they will want to kill you and devour you."


    After Gisle''s words, people calmed down, and some even tried to talk to the fire goblins. They were surprised that the monsters actually understood them, and it had a positive effect on the whole situation.


    Of course, a couple of people still didn''t change their minds. They weren''t going to recognize the monsters as their allies, no matter what Gisle said.


    Wain understood this, so he decided to say a few words for himself. In his own way, of course.


    He slipped his hand under his cloak and then pulled out a massive pistol.


    Bang. Bang, Bang.


    Wain fired several times in the air, and everyone turned their attention to him.


    "I want you to understand one simple thing. We don''t need you, you need us. The fire goblins are cksmiths, and they will forge equipment with which you can be stronger and survive in dangerous situations.<sub> </sub>


    I assure you, you won''t care if your sword is made by a monster or human as long as it cuts through your enemies like a red-hot knife through butter. Also, at the moment, we have a severe problem with cksmiths, and fire goblins can solve it.


    They''re more important than most people listed in Last Light. Don''t you dare neglect them, much less try to kill them, or I will personallye after you." Wain said menacingly and pulled the trigger of his gun.


    Bang.


    A gunshot sounded, and a massive bullet mmed into the second knee of the guy who had been attacking the fire goblins before.


    Gisle used persuasion and logic, but Wain had no desire to exin anything to the stupid. He knew that if logic and facts couldn''t change a man''s mind, fear would do the job perfectly.


    Gisle didn''t react to the situation. He wanted to teach that guy a lesson himself because he had to stop treating fire goblins that way.


    "Gisle! The bridge is finished!" Clovis said loudly, smiling contentedly. He didn''t expect Wain to bring monsters with him, but he didn''t stop building the bridge.


    "Great, now we''re ready to head north, but we can''t get into action when we have fire goblins with us," Gisle muttered, looking at the monsters.


    Gisle wanted to send the goblins to the main base, but he wasn''t sure they would be all right there.


    Gisle knew that when people saw the fire goblins, they would get scared and attack the monsters. There was no way he could let that happen. It would be a great mistake on his part.


    Also, Gisle could not return to the main base himself and waste time on it. If he did, the operation to attack the north part would be canceled, and he would have to start all over again.


    Gisle needed someone he could rely on and trustpletely. After thinking for a while, Gisle found the person he needed.


    "Elsa!" Gisle said loudly, and a couple of secondster, the former vice leader of the Sea Punishers was standing beside him.


    "I''m listening to you," Elsa said calmly.


    Wain smiled. He understood why Gisle had called Elsa specifically.


    ''She can''t go against his orders, and she''s also quite strong and most likely has experience in running an organization andmanding people. She''s the perfect candidate to be his deputy.'' Wain thought.


    When Elsa signed with Gisle, Wain thought she would be nothing more than a puppet in Gisle''s hands. But it was possible to benefit from this situation.


    ''It is very convenient to work with someone when you know you can trust them and no matter what the reasons.'' Thought Wain.


    "Elsa, you should take the fire goblins to the base and give them all the facilities they need to get into the cksmithing business. Also, solve the problems that will arise after they appear. In special cases you can, even kill a man. Goblins are more important." Pronounced Gisle.


    "I understand," Elsa replied calmly.


    "There will be a few more people going with you as well, and your powers are practically unlimited. But, you will have one more important task." Pronounced Gisle and a golden thread appeared between them the next moment, symbolizing their unbreakable contract.


    "You must do whatever it takes to make Last Light flourish!" Gisle said loudly, and the golden thread shone brightly.


    He decided to say this so that Elsa wouldn''t have the physical ability to intentionally harm the organization.

 Chapter 112 The Black Pearl

    Gisle gave Elsa instructions, and she and a few other people went to the main base. Gisle chose only those who were happy with the current situation and liked interacting with the fire goblins.


    "I suppose we can finally get down to the fun part?" Wain said, smiling weakly.


    "Yes, go ahead. In a few hours, the northern part of Overion will be consumed by the fire of war." Gisle said gravely and stepped forward.


    So after Gisle''s words, Wain jumped onto the bridge''s railing and ran forward. He led the members of Last Light behind him, but Wain decided to act alone. He had to find the people and find out from them who was in charge in the northern part of the city.


    Gisle wasn''t paying attention. He knew that''s what Wain would do. He couldn''t move at their pace. He had his own way.


    ...


    Wain ran across the bridge and pondered, ''First, I have to question someone and help Gisle capture the north end. Then I''ll have to go to the spatial rift to get the Sorcerer''s Soul. I wonder if I''ll get into Purgatory the same way this time, or will it be Void?''


    After a while, Wain reached the northern part of the city. If it weren''t for the giant worm that divided the city into four parts, he would have been able to get here a long time ago.


    ''Hmm, actually, even without the bridge, I could have crossed to the northern part of the city. For that, I would have to go down and up, only from the other side. However, if there weren''t suddenly mesing out of the crevasse, I wouldn''t have gone down.'' Thought Wain as he walked through the ruined streets of the city.


    The northern part was almost no different from the eastern part. Most of the buildings were destroyed and devastated. The streets were filled with rubble and blown up cars. Everything was exactly the same.


    "This is the outskirts of town. I''m not likely to meet anyone here. I need to climb higher." Thought Wain and jumped on the nearest building.


    Wain climbed to the tallest building nearby and looked around.


    ''Looks like the northern part of town is a little bigger than the eastern part, or so it seems to me. There are a lot more massive structures here.'' Thought Wain looking down at the city from above.


    "Looks like I found my first target." Mumbled Wain looking at the group of people in the distance.


    They moved slowly through the city''s ruined streets, killing the monsters that attacked them in the process.


    ''Hmm, they''re pretty weak. They''re having trouble even with mutated insects. They''re lucky they haven''t encountered mutated or evolved monsters yet.'' Thought Wain and jumped off the building.


    Monsters were less active during the day than at night, but that only applied to the weaker Primary Chronicle monsters whose souls were Common or Rare Rating. It didn''t matter if it was day or night for other stronger monsters.


    That was one of the reasons why this group of people decided to go out into the city in the daytime. It was the safest period for them now.


    ''I wonder when the strong monsters will get a lot more? I met one First Chronicle monster in the Nest, but that''s not enough. It would be ideal if monsters like Imps'' Head were everywhere. Two months, though, doesn''t seem like enough time to develop a lot of monsters.'' Wain thought, jumping from building to building.


    Suddenly a huge bug came out from around the corner, about to kill the group. Wain waved his hand, and a sma sword appeared next to him. The weapon struck the beetle like ck lightning and turned it into arge block of ice.


    Then a ck silhouette appeared in front of them. From this man came absolute confidence in his actions and strength.


    "Thank you!" Suddenly a girl stepped forward and bowed respectfully. Then the others did the same.


    Their average age was in their early twenties, and they were all young men and students.


    ''Wow, you don''t often meet such polite people. That''s quitemendable.'' Thought Wain and nodded his head slightly.


    Then he took out a cigarette and smoked.


    ''Gisle, well done, these are some of the best cigarettes I''ve ever used.'' Thought Wain blowing out a puff of smoke.


    "Watch out!" Shouted the girl looking at the monster running at Wain.


    She wanted to help him, but there was no need. Wain swung his arm, and the monster was cut into several pieces and turned to ice. The white soul flew into his body.


    ''Hmm, I still have souls left over from killing Imps in the vige, but there''s no point in me using them if they''re Destroyed. It would be better if I left them to trade with Sven or other neutral creatures from the World of Darkness.'' Thought Wain.


    "Who are you?" Asked Wain looking at the group.


    "We are students, or rather were... Recently a monster attacked our hideout, and we had to flee." Said the girl.


    ''Apparently, she''s in charge among them.'' Thought Wain.


    "Where are you headed?"


    "North. We want to try to join the ck Pearl."


    "The ck Pearl? What''s that?" Asked Wain.<sub> </sub>


    The young men looked at him in surprise. Wain''s words seemed strange and inappropriate to them.


    "You don''t know what it is?" The girl asked uncertainly.


    Wain shrugged, "I only came out of Dungeon recently. It''s been quite some time since I came through the portal. A lot could have changed."


    When Wain said this, a smile appeared on the young men''s faces. To them, the man who could enter the Dungeon and stay alive was someone powerful. They themselves could hardly kill even the weakest monsters.


    "Is that where you were in the Dungeon? Forgive my rudeness. The ck Pearl is the strongest organization on the north side of Overion. We hope they will allow us to join them." Said the girl.


    The northern part was a little bigger than the eastern part, but the situation was moreplicated. Because of the infrastructure, facilities, and various other factors, many more people lived in the northern part than in the eastern part. The difference was about twice as much.


    Wain nodded, "Where..."


    "What? I''m sorry I didn''t hear you. Please repeat your question."


    Wain originally wanted to know where the ck Pearl''s main base was. At thest moment, however, he changed his mind. He didn''t need to start the disaster here and destroy everything he saw to take over the northern part of the city.


    All he had to do to achieve his goal was kill the one who controlled everything here.


    ''If I go with them, I can probably sneak into ck Pearl''s main base. Gisle won''t attack right away. He''ll research the area first ande up with a n. By the time I sneak into the enemy base, they certainly won''t expect that. I wonder how strong their leader is?'' Wain thought.


    ''I say I''ll go along with you. At the moment, I have nowhere to settle down and rest either. I''ve been too tiredtely." Mumbled Wain.


    "Great!" The girl said excitedly. "The ck Pearl is not far away. If you are with us, we''ll get there in thirty minutes!"


    "Then there''s no time to waste." Said Wain, and the girl nodded.


    Together they headed toward the ck Pearl.


    "What''s your name?" Asked the girl.


    "Wain Norheim."


    "Mai Berget, nice to meet you." Smiling, the girl said.


    "Don''t let your guard down. We must reach the base of the ck Pearl as soon as possible. Speed up, or you risk bing lunch for some monster." Wain said calmly.


    The young men nodded and ran forward with increased speed. They understood that Wain would not risk himself to protect them.


    ''In this new world, we must know how to protect ourselves.'' Thought Mai.


    She was right, but nothing had really changed in that regard. Even before the apocalypse, everything depended solely on human decisions. The only difference was that previously a mistake could not result in death from a bloodthirsty monster.


    ...


    Twenty-five minutester, Wain saw aplex of massive buildings in the distance. They wererge and tall. Previously, this was an elite neighborhood where only the wealthiest and most influential people could live. At the very center was a tall building that looked like a skyscraper.


    Thisplex of buildings was the main base of the ck Pearl. The central skyscraper was where the strongest members of this organization lived.


    Around these buildings were protected by a massive, concrete wall, about five meters high. It was almost impossible for someone without special abilities to get through such a fence.


    "We''re here!" Mai shouted, pointing to the massive iron gate in front.


    ''Why does this ce look as if the chaos that began after the apocalypse has bypassed it?'' Wain wondered.


    He didn''t understand how the buildings behind the stone wall had survived. It seemed to him something impossible.


    ''Hmm, it''s unlikely that after the apocalypse began, someone purposely tried to protect these buildings. That means someone fixed them up and put them back in perfect condition...'' Thought Wain.


    He thought there might have been someone with a builder''s soul or something like that among the members of the ck Pearl. It didn''t sound very epic, but anyone understood how great the value of a builder was during the apocalypse.


    Their world was not nearing its end. It was in the process of change and rebuilding. While one man was using his power to seize territory and destroy his enemies, another person was capable of creating a new civilization.


    No matter what kind of soul he had, every man could be useful. Of course, this world was unfair, and everyone had a different start.


    But the race that was long enough that whoever was at the start at the end would, after a while, be first.

 Chapter 113 The Black Amulet

    Wain and a group of young men made their way to the iron gate. Behind this gate were several men who watched everyone who went in and out.


    They were the ones who could let a man in and give him a second life, but they could leave him in hell.


    "Hurry up! We have to hurry before the monsters show up." Said Mai and ran forward. After a couple of seconds, the others followed her and approached the gate.


    "Stop! Who are you, people!" The guards said loudly.


    They were equipped with rifles and immediately pointed them at the group. Among them were two inactive men. These two had awakened their Soul Altars and were thest measure to protect this passageway from sudden visitors.


    "Wait. We are mere students. Please let us in! We want to join ck Pearl." Mai said respectfully and bowed at the end.


    "And who are you?" Asked the guard looking at Wain.


    "I am a simple traveler. Are you going to open the gate or not?" Answered Wain looking intently at the guards.


    "First, you must prove yourself worthy of joining ck Pearl. We already have too many people. We can''t take in everyone, especially some students."


    "This man is powerful! He was able toe back from being in the Dungeon and survive." Said Mai pointing at Wain. Then she took a step toward him and whispered softly so that only he could hear her. "I''m sorry, Mr. Wain, you are our only hope."


    ''She''s decided to take advantage of my aplishments. Clever, but how would she get in if they wouldn''t meet me by coincidence? She had some other way in, but she decided to put that aside.'' Wain thought.


    He was not angry or angry with Mai. On the contrary, he would be happy with the situation if they were allowed inside now because of her words. Wain did not want to antagonize the members of ck Pearl just yet. For starters, he had to find out who the head of this organization was.


    "Hmm? Is it true?" One of the guards, unarmed, asked incredulously. This man had the power to let other people in and out at will. He was one of the strongest of the guards.


    Wain nodded.


    "Prove it."


    Wain shrugged his shoulders and kicked down with his foot with all his might. He was expected to demonstrate his strength, and it was easy for Wain to do so.


    His blow caused many cracks in the ground and destroyed the concrete tes into many pieces. A mere man could not do something like that.


    The guards and students were shocked. They had not expected Wain to have such enormous and overwhelming power.


    "That''s impressive..." The guard uttered in shock. He looked at the students and said, "You can go with him, but if you don''t do any good in a week. You will be kicked out of here. Keep that in mind."


    The guard didn''t really need the practically useless students. But, he didn''t want Wain to refuse to join them because of that decision.


    The sentinel didn''t know what kind of rtionship Wain and the students had, but he assumed they were well acquainted since they had run here together. It was simple logic, and it would prove correct in most situations.


    The students nodded and smiled contentedly. They weren''t really sure if the guards would let them in. Each of them knew that they were fortunate today.


    "Open the gate!" Loudly one of the guards said, and within seconds Wain and a group of students were inside.


    To Wain''s surprise, everything inside looked as if no apocalypse had ever happened. People were chatting, eating, doing something, and there was no anxiety on their faces.


    It was different from what he had seen in the early days of the apocalypse.


    ''Hmm, though, the situation is simr at Last Light''s main base. But, that means that the leader of ck Pearl is a rather intelligent and judicious man. However, perhaps he is lucky, and there are many people with artisan souls in his ranks.'' Thought Wain and stepped forward.


    "You are strong. What''s your name?" Asked the chief guardian.


    "Wain Norheim."


    "Wain, have you been in any organization before? I just find it strange that ck Pearl didn''t know about someone as powerful as you."


    The sentinel could not have guessed that Wain hade here from the east side, and in a few hours, the strongest organization in that ce would attack them.


    "I got into one unusual Dungeon and spent a lot of time there. Before I went in there, I was a nobody, so nobody knows about my power yet." Said Wain.


    He decided to see how the guard reacted to his words. Wain spected that the head of ck Pearl might have the Seal of Darkness, and some people in the organization knew of the existence of the World of Darkness.


    With his words about his long stay in the strange Dungeon, Wain alluded to that he was in the Void. If the guardian knew about the World of Darkness, he would guess it and elevate Wain to new heights.<sub> </sub>


    Such maniption might have allowed Wain to get to ck Pearl''s head faster.


    "Have you been to an unusual Dungeon? Will you tell me more about what you saw there?" The guard asked in a quiet voice.


    Wain approached him and whispered in his ear, "Darkness and ink."


    The guard''s eyes widened. He did not expect his assumptions about Wain to be correct. However, it was an excellent opportunity for him to rise in the eyes of his superiors.


    In fact, the guard knew nothing of the World of Darkness, much less had the Seal of Darkness. However, his superiors told him to report all people who would mention the strange Dungeon and use words like ink or darkness in their descriptions.


    The guard thought such an order was strange. But he was told it was just a rare kind of Dungeon with powerful monsters when he wanted to find out more about it.


    His superiors told him that in this way, they wanted to find out which of the recruits might be promising members of the organization in the future.


    "Wain, don''t you want to go to the central tower? I''m sure my superiors won''t mind talking to you." Said the guard and slipped his hand into his pocket. "Here you go."


    He handed Wain a small, ck amulet. These amulets allowed a man to enter the central tower without hindrance.


    Likewise, the person with the amulet could request a private conversation with the head of the organization or his deputy.


    "Okay, I get it. By the way, what will happen to those students?" Wain asked. He was curious to know how ck Pearl treated their people, especially the recruits.


    "I don''t know. It all depends on them. Maybe they will be our valuedrades, or maybe they will be kicked out and left to be eaten by monsters in a week. They must act and fight. Even if they haven''t activated their Soul Altar yet, they still have a chance of staying here and surviving." Said guardian.


    Wain nodded and headed toward the central tower.


    There were hundreds of people living in ck Pearl''s main base, and not all of them had activated their Soul Altars yet. However, this meant that they were either useful in some areas where superpowers weren''t needed or on some sort of probation.


    Even if a person activated their Soul Altar, there was no guarantee that they would be great warriors in the future. Such a person could die in an encounter with a second monster, or their first experience in battle was too traumatic for their psyche.


    Despite being able to activate their Soul Altar, such people were no more useful than ordinary people. On the contrary, they were even worse, as they had no potential for further growth.


    Not everyone understood such nuances, but a wise ruler and leader should have been capable of such analysis.


    Wain strolled toward the central tower and pondered the current situation.


    ''As I look at these towers, I am once again convinced of how important and indispensable people with craft souls are. If we didn''t have Clovis, Last Light''s main base wouldn''t look like a wooden castle but like some sort of junkyard or camp. We need to find out who has craft souls in this organization and try not to kill them.'' Thought Wain entering the main tower.


    He showed the ck emblem at the entrance and was immediately allowed inside.


    ''The Force has the power to open many avenues and relieve most problems. If I wasn''t strong enough, I wouldn''t be able to get through here so easily.''


    The tower Wain entered used an upscale hotel on the north side of town. So at the front desk, he saw a receptionist who took requests from anyone who came in here.


    ck Pearl was a big organization. They controlled most of the areas in the north part, from the stores to the Dungeons and Nests. That''s why quite a few people had a ck emblem.


    If they had any questions, they had to go to the administrator first, so the head or vice head wouldn''t waste their time.


    "Hello." Said the girl behind the front desk at the front desk.


    Wain nodded, "I need to talk to your head."


    The girl shook her head, "That''s not possible at the moment. Mr. Luar doesn''t ept guests. However, you can talk to the vice-chief."


    "No, that is out of the question. The head is in the tower now?" Asked Wain.


    The receptionist nodded. "Yes, on the very top floor. But, you can''t go in there without my card. Until the head gives instructions, I have no right not to escort anyone to him."


    Saying this, the girl pointed to the card hanging around her neck.


    "I see." Said Wain, and then his hand turned into a blur. He instantly grabbed the girl by the neck and snapped it with a light movement.

 Chapter 114 King Of The North

    The girl did not expect Wain to dare such a crazy act. There was no way she could have reacted to Wain''s lightning attack.


    Initially, Wain had no intention of killing her, but when she mentioned the special card, Wain changed his mind.


    The guards didn''t notice that Wain attacked the administrator, as they looked straight ahead and rarely looked inside.


    Wain decided to take advantage of this. He didn''t want to cause amotion before his time. When the girl was killed, he ripped the card from her neck and positioned her as if she were still working. Someone had to get close to the front desk to realize that she was dead.


    Such a deception of vision was only possible because the girl mainly worked sitting behind a high chair. It didn''t make sense for her to be standing all the time, given that there were rarely any visitors.


    Then Wain quickly ran to the very top. He could have called for an elevator, but it was too long and inappropriate in such a situation.


    Half a minuteter, Wain was at the very top. There was a particr door to open that needed a card. Wain put the card to the sensor and went on.


    Even though the apocalypse had begun, some individual ces might have remained intact, like the top floor of this tower.


    Everything still worked here as it did when it was a luxury hotel. The reason was that the top floor was too high for anyone to hurt it.


    Wain understood that he could have opened this door without a card. He could have simply kicked the door from its hinges with brute force.


    However, Wain did not know what would happen when he did so. He wanted to fight the head of ck Pear''s one-on-one. This would have be impossible if panic had begun.


    The top floor was almostpletely empty. Wain slowly paced the narrow corridor, which was decorated with red carpet. He moved toward the massive door at the end, behind which was the best room in this hotel.


    Wain understood that the head of ck Pearl was there and had not yet suspected anything.


    ''Maybe I should attack and kill him right away. No...that doesn''t make any sense. It''s unlikely he''s so weak that he cannot react to my attack. What''s more, judging by the reaction of that guardian, the head of ck Pearl is aware of the existence of the World of Darkness. Perhaps he has some useful information for me.'' Wain thought as he approached the wooden door.


    Wain was sure that the head of ck Pearl had already evolved. It was a logical assumption since Harald, who came from the west side of town, had already evolved and wasn''t even the organization''s head.


    Snap.


    Wain opened the door and stepped forward. He entered a luxurious room with a massive oak desk in the center and arge leather chair. It looked like an executive office, which was no mistake.


    The chair had its back turned to the entrance because, at that moment, the person sitting in it was admiring the beautiful view through the panoramic window.


    Whoooosh.


    The chair turned, and Wain finally saw the head of the strongest organization in the northern part of the city. It was Luar Jacquinot. He had long blond hair and azure eyes.


    He was dressed in a red shirt and ck pants, and he had a ss of expensive red wine in his hands.


    ''He seems to be enjoying his position. I wonder how strong he is?'' Thought Wain.


    Wain was now certain that Luar had evolved as he emanated a powerful aura that no ordinary human could have.


    ''Apparently, unlike Gisle, he is not in the business of filling out and signing papers, which is why he was able to find time to evolve. Most likely, the administrative work is done by his deputy. He only gives basic orders.'' Wain pondered, looking at the shocked Luar.


    He hadn''t expected aplete stranger to suddenly walk into his office.<sub> </sub>


    "Who are you?" Luar asked cautiously.


    Wain smirked and said, "I''m a promising neer. I was given this emblem and told to head this way. I don''t really understand the situation I''m in myself."


    Luar was silent for a while and then closed his eyes. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes andughed out loud,


    "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH, guy, you are funny. I practically believed you."


    Wain didn''t respond. He didn''t understand why Luar had such a strange reaction to his words.


    "You''re a rookie? Don''t talk nonsense. You killed the girls downstairs, which means you didn''te to me to drink tea or discuss the weather either." Said Luar, and his aura began to gradually increase.


    ''Hmm? How did he know I did that? However, maybe that girl had to report back to him every few minutes, making sense. However, it doesn''t make sense.


    This isn''t a secret base orb to impose such security measures. He did something when he closed his eyes.'' Thought Wain and his aura just as it began to build up.


    Luar thought he could quickly deal with Wain. After all, Luar rightly thought he was one of the strongest people in the Overion. But when he saw Wain''s terrifying aura, he realized how wrong he had been.


    ''Damn, has he evolved already too?! But how?! I was sure there wasn''t another person in the town who could evolve as fast. Moreover, my Seal of Darkness began to pulsate. It seems to have passed the test of the World of Darkness as well.'' Luar thought.


    He was not prepared for this unexpected turn of events. No human or monster had ever had an aura greater than his own before. However, Luar had a way of dealing with such an unusual situation.


    Whooosh.


    Luar bounced to the side and then turned into a golden sh. Wain prepared to attack, but Luar did not attack him to his surprise. On the contrary, Luar jumped out the window and climbed to the roof.


    When Wain realized what had happened, he ran after his enemy. He could not allow Luar to run away from him in such a situation. However, Luar wasn''t really going to run away. He decided to change their battlefield.


    Within seconds Wain climbed to the roof and, looking at Luar, said, "Why did you bring me here? Are you preparing a trap, or are you afraid that our fighting will hurt your precious office?"


    "Not exactly, but you''re right about something. You made a big mistake bying judging without preparing!" Luar shouted and pulled a white amulet from his pocket.


    At the same instant, the lightning boots appeared on Wain''s feet. He didn''t know what the amulet did and didn''t want to check.


    Wain turned into blue lightning and ran toward Luar. He thought it would take Luar some time to activate the amulet.


    However, when Wain was halfway there, Luar suddenly crushed the amulet, which turned into hundreds of white particles.


    The white energy transformed into various symbols that covered the entire roof area, thus creating a makeshift arena.


    Wain didn''t understand what had happened and the effect of this amulet and ran on, but suddenly he realized that his speed had significantly decreased.


    Then Wain saw several messages in front of him.


    [All your skills and effects are temporarily blocked.]


    [Your level is temporarily lowered to 1.]

 Chapter 115 Wishing To Become Better

    When Luar crushed the amulet, the white energy turned into hundreds of symbols that spread across the roof of the building like writing. It was like an arena of words and signs from which no one could escape.


    [All your skills and effects are temporarily blocked]


    [Your level is temporarily lowered to 1]


    Wain was shocked. He was speechless for a second. He didn''t understand what happened or how it was possible.


    ''My power is leaving me. Now I''m no different than I was before the apocalypse began...'' thought Wain warily, looking at Luar.


    "AHAHAHAH, surprised? I didn''t spend three Void Souls on buying that amulet for nothing after all." Smiling Luar said.


    "Void Souls...?" Wain muttered.


    "Yeah, you have the Seal of Darkness too. You should know that you can buy some pretty interesting items from creatures in the neutral zones. This amulet cost quite a bit, but I knew it could save my life." Said Luar and prepared for battle.


    At that moment, Wain realized that Luar''s aura had also be much smaller and weaker.


    "I see. This effect applies to you as well." Said Wain and got into a fighting stance.


    "Yes, otherwise I''d be invincible with this item, but I don''t regret that I decided to buy it. After all, otherwise, you would have killed me already, but now our strengths are equal!" Luar said loudly and stepped forward.


    The amulet that Luar was using created a special field, people in which were stripped of all their powers that he got from souls or skills. However, Luar didn''t tell Wain that this barrier would onlyst five minutes.


    It was a rtively short time, and if Wain had known that, he would have tried to prolong the fight, and he probably would have been able to do so.


    In that case, Luar would no longer have any chance of winning, but without information about the duration of the amulet, Wain would not try to prolong the fight.


    "Our forces are back to where they were before the apocalypse. Do you really think you can beat me? Don''t tter yourself." Coldly said Wain.


    "You''re too confident," Luar said, and with a lightning bolt, he struck straight with his fist.


    Wain took a step to the side and dodged the blow. He decided to retaliate, aiming for Luar''s head, but the ck Pearl''s leader reacted in time to bounce aside.


    Wain smirked, and his Ring of Damned glowed brightly. He wanted to use his knife for this battle, but he couldn''t get the weapon out of the ring, to his surprise.


    ''What, why isn''t it working? Does this barrier of symbols block any change? Thought Wain looking at the ring in surprise.


    "I wouldn''t advise distraction," Luar said coldly and threw several lightning strikes.


    Wain reacted swiftly and dodged each attack. Although his speed at the moment was much slower than a moment ago, that didn''t mean he was defenseless.


    On the contrary, Wain was certain that Luar had made a grave mistake. Since Wain was the best in his world in terms of meleebat skills. If their stats were equal, mastery would decide everything.


    Whooosh.


    Wain dashed forward andnded a powerful punch. Luar tried to dodge, but he didn''t have time to react to such a quick and precise attack. Wain''s fist sank like a hammer into Luar''s stomach.


    Luar threw out a mouthful of blood, but suddenly he saw Wain attack again. Luar put a block out in front of him, hoping to defend himself, but it didn''t help him. Wain turned around and hit Luar in the face with the back of his palm.


    Luar didn''t expect such an attack. Wain''s punch was strong enough to make Luar bleed again and knocked out one tooth. Luar bounced sharply to the side and wiped the blood from his face.


    "This is a beating, not a fight. You wasted the amulet. The oue will be the same either way." Proimed Wain slowly stepping toward Luar.


    Wainpletely dominated the battlefield. He knew how to punch, and he knew where to strike, so even after two missed attacks, Luar felt pretty bad.


    Wain knew that if he threw a few more of those same powerful punches, Luar would pass out and lose.


    "Not really. We''ve both lost skills, stats, and soul power, but we still have something left in that barrier." Said Luar. There was no fear or terror in his voice. Though he was at a disadvantage, there was no uncertainty or despair in his eyes.


    Luar was ready to fight to the death, he had no intention of giving up. He wanted to win and rise to the top of the world more than anyone else.


    This kind of reaction rmed Wain. He knew that in only three cases could a man not feel fear in such a situation.<sub> </sub>


    Either the person had to be incredibly brave or insane, or he had some reason to be confident of his victory.


    "And what is that?" Wain asked.


    "Good old-fashioned fighting spirit and a desire to reach new heights!" Luar said loudly, and his aura began to intensify.


    Simultaneously, some of the symbols in the barrier glowed brightly, and like rays flew into Luar''s body.


    ''What?! Wain was shocked. He felt that Luar had regained some of his powers. It was only a drop from the total amount, but it was already a huge step forward to victory.


    ''Because he''s the one who used the amulet, does he have any advantage over me? No, that doesn''t make any sense. In that case, he took advantage of it right away. The reason is something else.'' Wain pondered but had to pause as Luar attacked him swiftly.


    Luar became much faster and stronger. At this point, he outnumbered Wain in stats, but he could not inflict a severe single wound on Wain in the next minute.


    The reason was that they were equal at this point. Luar had higher stats, but Wain''s mastery exceeded Luar''s.


    Whoooosh.


    Luar delivered a crushing blow, aiming for his opponent''s stomach. Wain twisted sharply and grabbed Luar''s wrist with one hand and his forearm with the other. Wain intended to throw Luar over himself and then deliver powerful blows from above.


    However, to Wain''s surprise, he could not move Luar from his position. He felt as if he was trying to move a mountain. This was a consequence of their physical strength not being equal and was at different levels.


    Wain''s eyes went wide, and at that moment, the world before his eyes tilted. Luar kicked him in the legs in that second, thereby throwing Wain off bnce, then Luar himself grabbed Wain and threw him to the ground with all his might.


    Whoooosh.


    Luar swiftlyunched a lightning fast fist aimed at his enemy''s head, but Wain reacted at thest moment and dodged the attack.


    Bam.


    Luar''s fist mmed into the ground, and the concrete floor cracked.


    ''Fuck, his strength increased again?! There''s no way amon person could do that kind of damage with a simple fist attack. But why is it only happening to him?'' Wain pondered.


    He realized that his situation was only getting worse by the second. He could not use objects or skills. He, like Luar, had nothing but his fists.


    "Judging by your confused look, you don''t know what''s going on. Honestly, I thought you could beat me easily, even when using the amulet. I thought a man with an aura like that would have an unshakable fighting spirit, but I guess I was wrong." Luar pronounced and dashed toward Wain.


    ''My fighting spirit is weaker than his? No, that''s out of the question. It''s something else.'' Thought Wain dodging Luar''s attack.


    Luar attacked Wain furiously for the next thirty seconds, while he only blocked his attacks. Wain did not give up, he decided to get some bruises and wounds to buy time to think about the situation. He had to figure out what was the difference between them that caused him to lose.


    Even though everything in the world was decided by force, this was not always the case. After all, the fight between Wain and Luar was not a contest of physical strength but of mental strength. Among them, the one whose mind was stronger would win. That was the true purpose of the amulet.


    ''He also spoke of wanting to reach new heights, moreover judging by his aura, burning eyes, and contented smile, this fight brings him pleasure. However, that pleasure doesn''te from dominating the battlefield... perhaps... is it all about ambition? Wain thought and blocked another punch.


    However, Luar grabbed Wain''s arm and delivered a powerful knee to the stomach at that moment. Wain tried to get out of that grip, but he didn''t have the strength to do so.


    It had been many years since Wain had been in a situation where his opponent outnumbered him in strength by that much.


    Luar then began furiously attacking Wain, inflicting numerous wounds on him. Wain tried to block, but he was physically unable to do so when his enemy was moving three times as fast as he was. No mastery level could correct such a monstrous difference in physical strength.


    Whooosh.


    Luar punched Wain in the stomach with lightning speed and threw him aside a few meters.


    Luar smirked and said, "You''re finished. I''ve already regained 50 percent of my strength. Our stats are too different."


    Wain didn''t listen to him. He was immersed in thought. His mind had to find a way to win this difficult battle.

 Chapter 116 Ambition

    Most people had ambitions, but some didn''t have them for various reasons. Some had no desire to achieve something, some decided to give up after a series of failures, some were content with what they already had. But there was one more, very rare variant.


    When a person had already achieved everything and stood on top of the world, their ambition could disappear because they no longer had the global goals they wanted to achieve.


    ''Huh, don''t I have ambition because I was the strongest in my world?'' Wain muttered to himself.


    Since he was the only one who didn''t get a soul, he always wanted to be able to gain abilities, superpowers and get stronger. He wanted to explore new things and learn dangerous and exciting things.


    Wain''s subconscious mind regarded it as some kind of hobby, entertainment, or desire. However, he didn''t see any of this as his main goal, for the achievement of which he was willing to do anything.


    He already considered himself the strongest, so when he came to the other world, he had no global goal other than to be stronger.


    Moreover, up to that point, Wain had defeated every one of his opponents, and only the battle against Forgotten was tough and dangerous.


    ''So if I don''t set some global goal for myself now and I don''t have ambition, then I''ll lose and maybe even die?'' Thought Wain.


    Luar paced slowly in his direction. His strength increased with each passing second. He had fully integrated into this space and regained 70% of his true strength. Wain would not survive even one hit from Luar in his current state.


    Wain looked up and looked at the beautiful blue sky. At that moment, his brain was working at the limit of its ability, and a veritable tornado of various emotions was raging inside him.


    ''Maybe I''m right, and this world is run by someone? Then, shouldn''t I be strong enough to destroy this creature and avenge my home world? Thought Wain and his hatred began to grow.


    The hatred and anger gradually consumed him, but suddenly they dissolved as if they had never existed.


    Wain shook his head and muttered to himself, ''No, hate is not what I am looking for. Moreover, even in my world, I never sought to be ruler of an entire. That was not my primary goal.''


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly a powerful aura emanated from Wain, and Luar felt an incredible pressuree over him. Even when Wain was at the peak of his power, he wasn''t capable of emitting such power.


    Luar grew alert and sped up. He should have finished Wain off in that second.


    Then Wain muttered, "I was pretty stupid. After all, there can be no more important and meaningful purpose than to remain myself."


    Then a massive dark pir flew out of Wain''s body and instantly pierced the clouds. This beam was simr to what every person in this world saw before the apocalypse began.


    Crackling.


    The barrier of symbols created by the amulet shattered into millions of pieces and instantly disappeared, as did its effect.


    [Your emotional state is consistent with your status. You are the Nameless King, and your path is unshakeable.]


    Wain''s words were rather banal, but that didn''t mean they were devoid of meaning or depth. Although it was understood by everyone, many people stopped being themselves. They betrayed themselves by trying on the masks of others.


    Wain despised such people. In his eyes, they were nothing more than garbage. In his opinion, everyone was special, and it sickened him to see people willingly give up their individuality.


    Of course, not everyone was like that, but a great many were hypocrites who were always lying to themselves.


    Like the beam emanating from Lea''s body when she created her masterpiece, the dark beam was seen by everyone in Overion territory.


    Bam.


    At the same instant, Luar struck Wain from behind all his strength. This attack was powerful and devastating, but Wain''s silhouette turned into a blur at thest moment, and he dodged the attack.


    <o>,m "Shit!" Luar shouted. He realized that he now had no advantage over Wain. Luar decided to activate one of his skills, and golden energy ws appeared around his arm.</o>


    But, he was not destined to attack. Wain transformed into blue lightning and struck his enemy with a crushing blow to the stomach with his fist.


    Luar did not have time to react and immediately threw up a mouthful of blood. Wain''s blow was many times more powerful than before, as he now outnumbered Luar in stats. In this case, Luar had no way to win.


    "Oh you!" Luar said loudly and attacked sharply. The golden ws should have cut Wain apart, but suddenly the world before Luar''s eyes tilted.


    Crackle.<sub> </sub>


    Wain struck a powerful kick to his opponent''s knee, instantly breaking it.


    Luar''s face twisted in hellish pain, but that couldn''t break his fighting spirit. He leaned on his other leg and swung his arm, aiming for Wain.


    Wain grinned, and with a single step, he was behind Luar''s back. Wain swung his arm, and a sma sword appeared beside him, which he plunged into his enemy at lightning speed.


    Luar was unable to dodge or defend himself from this attack. Wain far outmatched him in strength and speed. All he could do was squirm in pain and feel his life leave him.


    "That was a decent fight. I''m grateful to you because I was able to remember what moved me all along, from the first second I was born." Wain muttered and sharply withdrew his sword from Luar''s body.


    Luar fell to the ground, and his blood slowly spread across the stone floor. The Ring of Damned glowed, and a pack of cigarettes appeared in Wain''s hands.


    He opened the engraved lighter and blew out a puff of smoke after looking at the defeated Luar.


    "Even though I once reached the top of the world, I still have room to grow, at least my mind and depth of self-awareness. Perhaps, however, no one can fully know himself.


    Human like Pandora''s Box, something amazing and unique can always happen." Wain muttered, looking out at the scenery of Overion from the roof of the tallest skyscraper in the city.


    Sigh.


    Suddenly Wain saw that Luar was still breathing. Wain was surprised. He didn''t think the man could survive such a severe wound. Moreover, Luar could even move. He leaned uneasily on the ground and rolled over to face the azure sky.


    Wain did not act. He knew that these were Luar''sst minutes of life. Moreover, Wain had developed some respect for the man for their fight.


    Initially, Wain thought that Luar was lucky to have a strong soul and a helpful deputy who handled all administrative matters. However, during the battle, he realized that this was not the case.


    No matter what happened during their battle, the fire in Luara''s eyes never went out for a second. Moreover, he felt no malice or hatred toward Wain. He, like Wain, wanted to enjoy the battle and better himself in this short period.


    This desire to get better and see new heights helped Luar be the head of the powerful organization in the northern part of Overion.


    Nor did Wain consider Luar his sworn enemy. Their battle was a mere coincidence. Sooner orter, they were bound to meet and find out who was stronger.


    "Damn...didn''t think my life would end today..." With difficulty, Luar said, looking up at the blue sky.


    "You have nothing to regret. You had a great fight before you died. For me, it was the best fight I''ve had in a while." Proimed Wain exhaling a puff of smoke.


    "That''s not true... I have a lot to regret... This world has just begun to change and grow. If I die now, I won''t be able to see it all..." Luar muttered.


    "What''s your name...?" With difficulty, Luar asked.


    "Wain Norheim."


    "Luar Jacquinot..." Luar said briefly and let out hisst breath.


    Wain nodded and exhaled a puff of smoke. He realized that they probably wouldn''t even have fought in any other situation, and Luar wouldn''t have died. But Wain wasn''t going to dwell on that. He didn''t know Luar well enough to regret his death.


    ''Thanks to the fact that I met Mai and the other students who were on their way to ck Pearl''s main base, I was able to deal with the main problem. So when Gisle gets here, he''ll have no trouble subduing this area.'' Wain thought.


    He was aware that he was directly helping Gisle by his actions, but he didn''t mind. Wain was acting of his own volition, and there was nothing wrong with their interests ovepping.


    Moreover, Wain would have wanted to fight the head of such a powerful organization as ck Pearl anyway. It would be a good experience for him and another step forward.


    Wain extinguished his cigarette and headed for the exit. He had no reason to stay in this ce any longer. Gisle and his men would take care of the rest.


    However, as Wain took only one step, suddenly Luar''s eyes glowed brightly gold. It was as if his eyes had turned into two bright stars capable of illuminating anything.


    A momentter, the massive silhouette of a golden lion appeared above Luar. It looked ancient and majestic. An incredible aura emanated from it.


    Wain did not attack. He was stunned, for he somehow understood what was happening when he saw this lion.


    At that moment, Luar''s Beyond awoke.

 Chapter 117 The Golden Lion

    After evolution, every creature, without exception, received its Beyond. It was a unique power, the nature of which no one knew.


    When Wain evolved, he received his Beyond just like the others. But he didn''t know how to use the power that lurked deep in his mind.


    Until that moment, Wain had only once seen the manifestation of Beyond another creature. It was just recently when he was in theva fields and fought with Imp Leader.


    Now the same thing was happening to Luar. Wain did not attack. He was confident that he would win even if Luar attacked him using the full force of his Beyond. After all, in Wain''s opinion, Luar was slightly weaker than the Imp Leader.


    ''This is Beyond... Perhaps now I can learn more about my power. I mustn''t miss a single detail.'' Wain thought, staring intently at the golden lion above Luar''s body.


    Then the golden lion looked at Luar''s wounded body and turned into hundreds of splinters that flew into the wide wound in his chest. The deep cut glowed brightly and began to gradually heal.


    The closer Luar got to hisplete healing, the paler the light in his eyes became. Gradually his body recoveredpletely. It looked like real magic and the miraculous healing of a mortal wound from the outside.


    Moreover, it could even be called a true resurrection, considering that Luar had let out hisst breath less than a minute ago.


    ''Luar is unconscious, which means that he is not directly controlling this process. Something else caused the awakening of Beyond. Could it be death? No, that''s some nonsense. Most likely, the cause is something else, though each person may have their own unique conditions.'' Wain thought as he watched Luar gradually heal.


    After a while, the golden glow disappeared, and Luar waspletely healed. It was a true miracle, but it was exactly the kind of opportunity that Beyond provided.


    Wain did not attack. He was curious to see what would happen next. He also wanted to know how Luar was feeling at the moment.


    Any information was good for him because he would take a big step forward when Wain could use his Beyond.


    After about one minute, Luar opened his eyes and struggled to his feet. He didn''t feel bad. On the contrary, he felt excellent. However, he was stunned and amazed at what had happened.


    "What was that...?" Luar muttered puzzledly and looked at Wain. At that moment, he had forgotten entirely that they were fighting to the death a point ago. He couldn''t think of anything else but the golden lion and his healing.


    Wain shrugged and said, "A miracle. What do you feel now?"


    "Power, boundless strength, and unwavering confidence. That kind of power, it''s something new and amazing." Said Luar.


    ''Judging by his shocked and satisfied expression, Luar doesn''t know how he was able to unleash this power. I see. It seems that releasing the power of Beyond will be much harder than I had imagined.'' Wain thought, and his aura began to slowly intensify.


    He was ready for another battle. Wain didn''t mind fighting the man who could unleash his Beyond. In Wain''s opinion, it would be a great experience to help him move forward.


    However, Luar''s aura did not begin to intensify. This seemed strange to Wain. Moreover, Luar was not wary. He had a rxed expression on his face as if he were on a morning walk.


    "Is there any point in the second round?" Luar said smiling.


    "Hmm? Don''t you think we have a reason to fight? I already killed you once and have no problem doing it again." Wain said coldly.


    Luar shrugged, "I don''t doubt that. But I realized during our fight that you didn''te here to fight me. You came here to fight the head of ck Pearl. That''s a bit different. What''s more, you''re hungry for a good fight. There''s no hatred or malice in you, at least not toward me."


    Wain said nothing. He listened silently to Luar. He wondered how this conversation would develop.


    "Look, at the moment, I no longer have a purpose in being the head of ck Pearl''s. It''s a total headache, and I''m wasting my time and potential here. I have to do what I want to do, which is to explore new things and get to unique ces." Luar pronounced.<sub> </sub>


    At that moment, Wain saw a real fire of interest burning in his eyes.


    Luar was no longer interested in sitting in afortable chair and taking advantage of his position for various favors. An adventurous spirit had been awakened in him.


    "Even if that doesn''t change your mind, can''t you do me a little favor?" Smiling, Luar said.


    "What? Why should I help you in any way?"


    "Weren''t you the one who said you were grateful for this fight, and because of it, you were able to remember something important to you?"


    "AHAHAHAHAHAHAH, trying to use tricks like that to keep round two from happening? You''re a bad negotiator, but I agree with you." Said Wain.


    He sighed and continued, "Actually, you''re right. Because you''re no longer the head of the strongest organization in the north of the city, you were just a sparring partner to me."


    "If you agreed, then I''m a good negotiator. What''s more, I think that I could have gotten away from you by using everything I have. You''re not a fool to chase me all over town." Pronounced Luar.


    Wain nodded and said, "I can''t understand something. Don''t you want to get back at me for killing the girl downstairs?"


    Wain would not let him live if Luar had hatred or enmity toward him. He could get into serious trouble in the future because of it.


    If Wain did not get a satisfactory answer to his question, he would not hesitate to attack Luar.


    "I''m sorry she died, but there are thousands of people dying every second now. There''s nothing strange about that. Also, she wasn''t some dear person to me that I would risk my life to avenge her." Said Luar.


    "You''re pretty selfish."


    "No, I''m just honest. I value my life more than the lives of others. There''s nothing strange about that. At least, unlike others, I can admit it to myself." Said Luar.


    Wain nodded. He understood Luar''s logic.


    Luar nodded back and headed for the edge of the roof. He would jump over to another building and thus get away from this area and then from Overion.


    ''Imp Leader had the fire, and Luar had a golden lion. I wonder what affects what Beyond will look like? Is it possible that there was already hidden power within each creature, even before the apocalypse and theing of the souls?'' Wain pondered, looking out at the horizon.


    ''Alright, let''s go.'' Thought Luar and prepared to jump off, but suddenly something unimaginable happened.


    Tremble.


    "What...?" Shocked, Wain muttered, looking into the distance.


    There he saw a colossal column of light piercing the clouds and even the sky. The power of that beam seemed limitless.


    Anyone who saw this pir couldpare it to the ck pir that marked the beginning of the apocalypse.


    But, to Wain, this pir looked very special. After all, that was the color of the energy of the essence of the world. He could not be wrong, for he had fought against the essence of the world on the Isle of the Damned.

 Chapter 118 The Hero

    On his first day, when Wain came to this world through the portal fleeing from the ck mist, he immediately encountered the guardian of this dimension.


    With the help of his world''s residual essence, Wain could defeat a seemingly invincible foe. However, his difficulties did not end there. He faced a battle with this world, or rather with its essence.


    The world couldn''t fight like Wain. It could condense its energy into the essence and unleash its power on Wain. Otherwise, the world would have been destroyed, for, unlike matter, energy was not material.


    Thanks to the remnants of his world''s power and the essence of his soul, Wain could overpower the world''s essence. It could not be called a real fight. In that case, this space would no longer exist, nor would the.


    After those events, the apocalypse began in the world. Wain was not to enter this world. He was to be swallowed up by the dark mist and die, just like everyone else. However, fate was unpredictable for absolutely everyone, even entire worlds, and phenomena like Soul Essence.


    When a pir of darkness erupted from Wain''s body during the battle with Luar, the world essence decided it was time to act.


    However, the world essence wasn''t going to fight Wain again. It was impossible, once again, space wouldn''t withstand such shocks. Moreover, the essence of the world was not sure of its victory. The power of Wain''s main soul was too mysterious.


    But, the essence of the world had another way to get rid of Wain, which was to transfer the power to another being.


    From the world entity''s point of view, Wain was some kind of devil who wanted to destroy an entire dimension, but he had flesh and blood, unlike the world entity. The world entity could not create a body for itself, but it could channel a piece of its power into a person.


    This n had been ready for quite some time, but the world entity needed a suitable candidate for the chosen one. If a pir of darkness were not again emanating from Wain''s body, the entity of the world would not be in such a hurry.


    "What is this...?" Luar muttered puzzled. He had never seen anything like it. This pir of light was many timesrger than the one that emanated from Lea when she created the masterpiece. It was like a colossal tornado of energy.


    "It''s weird... I hope another disaster doesn''t happen now." Mumbled Wain looking at the pir.


    "You think the same thing is happening now as it did before the apocalypse started? It all started after the giant ck pir of energy appeared. Now, the situation is reversed." Luar said worriedly.


    He was afraid that something bad would happen to this world. An adventurous spirit had only recently awakened in Luar, and he didn''t want it to be over this very day.


    "No, it''s hardly the same. However, there could be a lot of problems because of this pir of energy." Thought Wain looking off into the distance.


    Unlike everyone else in this world, Wain knew what caused the beginning of the apocalypse and under what conditions the dark pir appeared.


    ''That day, the space of this world was badly damaged, and that''s probably when Soul Essence was able to get into this dimension...'' muttered Wain to himself.


    At that moment, he realized something. He had a theory as to why this world was different. Moreover, he had learned the indirect answer a long time ago when he first arrived at Overion.


    ''Because space was damaged, Soul Essence was able to get into this world, that means there was a reason why it didn''t happen before... This world was protected by something, and it was the dark barriers on the borders of the visible world...'' Thought Wain.


    Unlike his world, this world originally had something unique and unexinable: the dark barriers. People tried to figure out what it was and what was behind it, but not even the satellites could do so.


    ''Hmm, maybe the reason for the beginning of the apocalypse was the destruction of these walls, which happened because of the damage to space after the dark pir appeared...'' pondered Wain.


    "This beam is gradually getting stronger..." Luar muttered.


    "Yes." Wain nodded and continued to stare at the beam. Something bothered him: he could see the beam, but he couldn''t tell where it wasing from.


    ''If that pir of energy was beyond the horizon, I wouldn''t see it fully or at all. However, it looks as if the pir is quite close...''


    Wain thought of the beaming from a ce simr to the Isle of the Damned. Wain still did not fully know the whole truth about the Isle of the Damned. But, he guessed, the ce could be in Void or even Purgatory.


    Crackle.


    As Wain and Luar stared intently at the pir of energy, they didn''t even notice that cracks began to appear in the azure sky above their heads.


    ...


    Somewhere in a deep hole filled with various debris, in a ce unknown to anyone.


    A girl with short crimson hairy, but she did not have long to live. She was seriously wounded, there was a massive, through-and-through hole in her chest, and many of her internal organs were destroyed.<sub> </sub>


    She was breathing heavily and could not say a word. Every breath she took could have been herst, and she didn''t even notice what was going on around her.


    Suddenly, lilies began to appear from beneath the piles of debris. Most of them were either scarlet or ck. More and more were appearing with each passing second. They were like a countdown to the moment when the girl let out herst breath.


    After a while, the piles of garbage looked like a field of flowersposed entirely of ck and scarlet lilies. It was a strange and surprising picture.


    Then the lilies came closer to the girl, they encircled her like a floral coffin, but she did not see it. Before her eyes, everything was as if in a fog, and then she prepared to take herst breath.


    However, it was at that moment that the sky worldwide became snow-white, like freshly fallen snow. Just as Luar had said, it was the exact opposite of what had happened during the appearance of the dark pir of energy.


    Everyone was shocked. Two months after the beginning of the apocalypse, something amazing and unexinable had happened again. Many were mesmerized by the scene, and a fire was kindled in their hearts.


    But, many once again shuddered with horror, and their souls were consumed with fear. They didn''t want to relive what had happened two months earlier.


    Whoooosh.


    Suddenly a snow-white beam of energy struck the girl in a ce unknown to anyone. The girl was lucky because she would take herst breath a momentter.


    Simultaneously, the lilies around her began to gradually turn white. This process was quite a long one. The scarlet and ck petals gradually submitted to the girl''s new power.


    When each of the thousands of lilies became white, the beam of energy disappeared. It waspletely absorbed by the girl.


    The girl''s consciousness could not withstand such an onught, and she immediately fainted.


    Then the white pir of energy that everyone on the saw disappeared.


    <o>,m ...</o>


    "Is it over?" Luar muttered incredulously.


    "It seems so. I hope that no catastrophe follows this pir phenomenon," Wain muttered, staring intently in that direction.


    "Well, there certainly won''t be a second apocalypse. It''s impossible and would be some kind of nonsense." Luar said with relief and looked up at the already azure sky.


    "What the fuck is that?!" Luar muttered stunned.


    Wain immediately looked up at the sky, and his eyes widened in shock. He had seen cracks appear in the sky once before. It had happened in Purgatory, where he had fought Forgotten. It was his best and most dangerous fight in years.


    This time, however, it was different. The cracks in the sky grewrger, and after a couple of seconds, shards began to fall from the sky like ss. It was like a real fall of heaven.


    Behind the shards was vast darkness that horrified anyone who dared to look at it. It was like a bottomless abyss, capable of consuming anything and bringing disaster upon the world.


    Then various monsters began to fall from where the pieces fell off. It was like a waterfall of monsters. Wain couldn''t even count how many there were.


    Wain did not understand what was happening. He did not expect that the consequences after the energy pir appeared would be so catastrophic.


    "Is this world really going to be destroyed! This is madness!" Luar eximed.


    "No, it''s not likely to happen. Look, the cracks don''t appear anymore. Most likely, the sky will recover after a while, but I''m afraid this world will be destroyed by then." Wain said, looking at the monsters approaching them.


    Simr things were happening all over the world. Every city was attacked by a barrage of ruthless monsters. At that moment, each of the people had only one thought-''Fight.''


    They could not let the monsters destroy their world. People had to do whatever it took to protect their homes. Many of those who hadn''t even activated their Soul Altar yet decided to fight anyway.


    Perhaps it was influenced by bravery, perhaps by desperation, and thus they decided to die with honor, but it didn''t matter. At that moment, all of humanity was united in some way in the face of amon enemy.


    Wain was no exception. He red icily at the monsters and muttered coldly, "One world has already been destroyed before my eyes. I will not let it happen again."

 Chapter 119 Threat Squall

    When the sky began to shatter, and monsters began to fall down, Gisle was one of the first toe to his senses and understand the situation.


    "Everyone, get ready for battle! Also, do not stop moving towards the main base of ck Pearl. We will take the main battle there, along with the forces of the northern part of the city." Gisle said loudly, and ayer of blue energy appeared on his katana.


    While Wain infiltrated ck Pearl''s base and fought Luar, Gisle managed to find out quite a bit about the organization and was already ready to attack. Suddenly, however, an unpredictable disaster urred.


    ...


    Bam.


    The first monster of the hundreds fell on the skyscraper''s roof where Wain and Luar were. This monster looked like the spawn of hell. It had hooves, ck fur, sharp ws on its front paws, and purple horns on its head.


    The look of this monster was not aggressive. That was the wrong word to describe this condition. It was more like the monster was utterly distraught and nothing more than a bloodthirsty madman.


    The monster looked at Wain and ran swiftly in his direction. The monster was rtively fast, and only a strong enough person could react to its attack. However, Wain was in apletely different league.


    Whoosh.


    Wain stepped forward with a disdainful stare and delivered a crushing kick. The monster''s head flew off his shoulders like a ball and flew a few meters away.


    "Not bad. That''s your real power." Luar said with a slight smile on his face.


    "Don''t rx. This was only the beginning. This monster is nothing more than a drop in the ocean that we now have to fight." Proimed Wain, and his aura began to intensify.


    He could have run to help Gisle and fought there, but Wain saw no need. The situation was the same everywhere. They needed to kill monsters at every point in the city topletely eliminate this threat.


    Luar nodded, and golden energy appeared around his hands, transforming into golden ws. They were like unusual gloves, reaching up to his elbows.


    "You''re not going to use your Beyond?" Wain asked.


    He expected Luar to use all his power at once and not leave any trump cards forter. This was not the right situation for hiding his true power.


    Luar shook his head, "I don''t have the energy for that at the moment. It took a tremendous amount of power to heal me. I didn''t know how to use Beyond before, but I don''t have a problem with that now. However, I need some time to build up my strength."


    "I see," Wain replied briefly, and a silhouette of death with a bloody scythe appeared above him.


    [You have activated the Title - Mentor Inquisitor.]


    Wain''s aura was terrifying. He looked like a reaper, leaving rivers of blood behind him. But Wain wasn''t going to stop there. He knew the situation was serious and used everything he had.


    Whooosh.


    His hair and cloak rose up as if from a strong wind current, and then his hair began to lengthen and recolor into white. Then the ck and white armor appeared on Wain and the sma sword in his hand.


    Wain was serious. He didn''t use the Cursed Swordsman because he would have turned part of the city into icy ruins if he did.


    ''Holy shit... If I hadn''t used the amulet then, it would have turned me into mincemeat in a few seconds...'' Thought to himself, Luar marveled at Wain''s strength.


    Then Wain raised his right hand up toward the monsters, and a white soul appeared in his other hand. He inserted the soul into the cell on the white glove, and then Soul Essence condensed into a powerful energy beam.


    This beam pierced more than ten monsters and killed them simultaneously. Wain smirked as he watched ten souls fly in his direction.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    The next moment, more than ten monsters fell to the skyscraper''s roof. They attacked Wain and Luar, but the monsters had no chance of winning. Luar cut them mercilessly with his ws, and Wain turned the monsters into chunks of ice with smooth swings of his sword.


    Wain stepped forward and looked down.


    "It''s a living hell." Said Luar looking at the hundreds of monsters tearing dozens of people apart.


    "Yes... But, if this is hell, then we need a devil to control all this chaos." Wain said coldly, and ck, electric discharges began to umte at his hand.


    He was about to use Oblivion Thunder, but suddenly in the distance, he saw arge number of monsters attacking a building that looked like a store.


    Then a n appeared in Wain''s mind as to how he could quickly deal with many monsters.


    ''There''s no point in using Oblivion Thunder now. It''s a debilitating skill. I should make the most of it.'' Thought Wain and then ripped off his breastte.


    He decided to reveal his cloak to take advantage of the special effect of his gear.


    Wain concentrated, and then ck energy began to emanate from the cloak. At the same time, Wain took a step forward, thereby jumping off the skyscraper. He thrust his sword into the building, slowing his fall slightly.<sub> </sub>


    When hended, hundreds of monsters turned their attention to him. They were insane and acted purely on instinct.


    Numerous monsters even stopped attacking their victims and ran toward Wain. The energy emanating from the cloak attracted them like a ma.


    Wain grinned and ran toward the store. He was going to gather many monsters in one spot and used Oblivion Thunder.


    People were surprised that the monsters suddenly ran after Wain, but it saved their lives. They immediately started looking for shelter and an opportunity to heal their wounds.


    By then, most of the monsters had already fallen from the sky, and many cracks in the sky had already been repaired. However, there were still about 10% of them left, from which some pretty powerful monsters asionally came out.


    They were much stronger than the ones Wain killed on the skyscraper roof.


    Whooosh.


    Wain jumped over the half-destroyed stone wall and left ck Pearl''s territory. Dozens of monsters continued to run after him, Wain''s n working perfectly.


    ''Good, they''re fast enough to keep up with me when I run at half speed. Across a few districts is a sector with ruined buildings. It''s the perfect ce to kill thousands of monsters with one powerful attack.'' Thought Wain as he ran outside the store.


    Like thest time the monsters spotted Wain, they immediately attacked him. What worked against them was that they were too bloodthirsty. There was no feeling in them, only thirst to a massacre.


    Thanks to Wain''s actions, many people had a chance to have a little respite. Suddenly the invasion of the monsters was unexpected for every human without exception.


    Most people were not prepared for battle, even if they wanted to repel the attack.


    Whoooosh.


    Wain ran through another street, and more than a thousand monsters followed him like a ck river. There were so many that they filled the entire space.


    "Was that Wain?" Gisle said puzzled as he watched the monsters they had just fought run after the wave.


    "Everybody out of here! Now!" Gislemanded.


    Wain had never used Oblivion Thunder before Gisle, but he had received a report from his scouts earlier. They had described the consequences of Wain''s one attack on the Sea Punishers'' base in detail.


    It was a power iparable to anything, capable of turning high-rise buildings into nothing.


    Within minutes, there were roughly two thousand monsters behind Wain. By then, he had reached the right ce.


    Wain smirked, and lightning boots appeared on his feet. First, he had to get far enough from the monsters to use Oblivion Thunder. Otherwise, he could have been hindered and even seriously injured.


    Wain understood that his enemies were weak, but there were about two thousand of them at this point. He wasn''t arrogant enough to think he could kill them all with a sword.


    Whooosh.


    He turned into blue lightning and traveled more than thirty meters in a few moments. Then ck, electric shocks appeared on his arm.


    Wain turned around and grinned, "I can''t even think of an easier way to earn souls than that!"


    Crackle.


    He clenched his fist, and clouds of rumbling lightning instantly appeared over the horde of monsters. A momentter, a massive ck column of thunder descended upon the monsters. It was a mighty and devastating attack.


    Several buildings were instantly destroyed and turned to dust. A shockwave spread out to the sides, spreading for dozens of meters around.


    The monsters didn''t have time to react or defend themselves in any way. It was impossible in their situation. They were too weak and insignificant to resist such force.


    The people who saw this attack were stunned. Wain''s strength stunned them. They didn''t think a human was capable of such a thing.


    Instead of destroyed houses, there was a huge crater several meters deep in front of Wain. There was practically nothing left of the monsters except for a few blood stains and remnants of flesh.


    Wain smiled as he watched two thousand souls fly in his direction. He had never before received so many souls at once until this moment. It was a personal record for him.


    Hundreds of souls swirled around him like a snow-white vortex. Then in an instant, they entered Wain''s body.


    Then Wain saw an interesting message in front of him.


    [You currently have 2143 Souls.]


    [You have been given the Title of Soul Collector.]

 Chapter 120 Recovery

    [You have gained the Title - Soul Gatherer]


    [Soul Gatherer


    This Title can only be obtained by someone who has more than a thousand souls at a time. In this way, a man proves his addiction to collecting souls and curiosity about these mysterious things.


    From now on, your chances of getting Damage Soul are increased by 3%, and your chances of getting Whole Soul are increased by 1%. This only affects Common Rating Soul]


    Wain smiled quite a bit. In his opinion, this was a beneficial Title. Even though the increase was quite small, only 3% and 1%, it was a good bonus anyway.


    What''s more, the more Wain got souls, the stronger the effect would be. Over time it could get him a really colossal power.


    ''Hmm, I wonder if it''s possible to enhance the Title? What happens if I gather ten thousand, a hundred thousand, or even a million souls? Will I get a new Title with stronger effects, or will this Title change?'' Wain pondered.


    "Wain!" Suddenly Gisle''s voice rang out in the distance.


    As Wain used his skill and the shockwave died down, Gisle decided to go to Wain. He reckoned that perhaps Wain knew the situation they were in.


    "Gisle... Luck is not on your side today. It''s hard to think of a more horrible day to take over the north part of Overion."


    "That''s not entirely true. There are no casualties among the members of Last Light, at least in my group. People from various organizations on the north side of the town must have suffered a lot."


    "Yeah, you''re probably right. By the way, aren''t there a lot of bases left on the eastern side, pretty much undefended? Given the strength and numbers of these monsters, all but the main base could be destroyed." Said Wain.


    Gisle nodded, "That''s probably true, but as long as the main base is intact, Last Light is alive and well. Everything else isn''t that important. Elsa is strong enough, and she can definitely protect the fire goblins. With them, with Lea and Clovis, we can recover quickly. It''s not a problem."


    Wain wanted to say something, but, suddenly, a massive monster over four meters tallnded next to them. It looked something like a minotaur, only with four horns and purple skin. This monster had a massive axe in its hands.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    p Several simr monsters appeared behind him. Each second there were more and more of them until twenty of them.</anda>


    Together they were a formidable force, capable of easily destroying an entire city. An eerie and ancient aura emanated from these creatures.


    They were thest to break into this world before the spatial rift was restored.


    At that moment, however, they were facing the wrong foes. Gisle wasn''t alone, there were the strongest members of Last Light with him, and they all attacked the purple minotaurs simultaneously.


    Teresa and Agnes could easily fight the minotaurs one-on-one. To them, these monsters were not dangerous opponents.


    Bam.


    One of the minotaurs brought his axe down on Agnes, but he could not hit the girl. Agnes easily dodged and broke the monster''s weapon with one powerful blow from the hilt.<sub> </sub>


    Then white energy appeared around her fist, and shended more than five blows to one point in a second.


    The monster''s flesh could not withstand such pressure and was torn into many pieces.


    Teresa fought, as usual, using the rapier. Recently she had a new skill that, when used correctly, could do a lot of damage to a single target. However, this skill was quite difficult to use.


    Whooosh.


    Teresa somersaulted to dodge a minotaur attack, and then her rapier glowed yellow. The next moment Teresa''s silhouette turned into a blur, and she was in front of the monster.


    The minotaur hadn''t expected this, it tried to move aside or block Teresa''s attack, but the monster was too slow for that.


    As Teresa approached the minotaur, she swung her arm lightning fast several times and inflicted five wounds on the monster. These wounds were not deep and could not cause serious damage to the monster.


    Given the minotaur''s regeneration, these wounds would heal in ten minutes. However, they were just preparation for the skill.


    Then Teresa''s rapier shed brightly, and lines appeared between the wounds on the monster''s body. Gradually a star formed, which glowed goldenly. It was a sign that Teresa had made no mistakes and everything was ready for the final move.


    Teresa thrust her rapier into the center of the star, and then dozens of light des, which were copies of her rapier, were plunged into the monster.


    This attack contained speed and power, but a person using this skill had to make precise attacks in specific ces.


    The monster could not survive such a crushing attack and died in terrible agony.


    "Gisle, before this mess started, I had time to deal with the head of ck Pearl." Said Wain.


    "Amazing, I didn''t think you''d act so quickly. Did you kill this person?" Asked Gisle.


    Wain shook his head, "No, I mean, yes... It was a prettyplicated situation there, but now Luar is not the head of ck Pearl''s. He really had no reason to hold that position. He has other goals."


    "I see, it''s really an unusual situation. It''s a good thing for us, though. This world needs strong people. If they aren''t our allies, at least they shouldn''t be our enemies." Said Gisle.


    Even though a fierce battle was going on behind them, Wain and Gisle didn''t seem to be paying any attention.


    They were discussing something and sharing ideas about the current situation. There were enough strong men in Last Light to deal with a few minotaurs.


    Whoooosh.


    Suddenly one of the monsters appeared behind Wain. It swung its axe high above his head, about to bring it down on Wain. However, Wain swiftly turned around and shed the monster with several deep cuts and lightning speed.


    Then Wain punched the monster in the stomach and the minotaur shattered into many icy shards.

 Chapter 121 North And East

    "Your strength never ceases to amaze me." Said Gisle looking at the icy debris behind Wain.


    Wain shrugged, "These monsters are weak, but that''s from my subjective point of view. I''m sure the small monsters and these minotaurs have already killed millions of people worldwide. Because of the emergence of that white ray, there has been a multiplication of problems in the world."


    "Yeah, given the power of those monsters, it will take most people a couple of weeks to rebuild their bases and recover. For about a month, 99% of the world will regain its former power. In other words, we''ll stagnate for a month, while the monsters will evolve and get stronger." Pronounced Gisle.


    As the leader of an already ratherrge organization, he understood the consequences of such a massive monster invasion. Even Last Light would have to spend some time rebuilding side bases, healing people, and so on.


    "Not a bad analysis. But, this month will be a golden time for singles like me to grow. We''ll be getting stronger on par with the monsters, while organizations will be rebuilding." Proimed Wain and at that moment, the massive corpse of a minotaur that someone had chopped off its head fell beside him.


    "I agree. Perhaps I should consider sending the strongest members of the organization away for a month. At this point, everyone will be trying to avoid conflict and war, which means it makes no sense to keep strong people like Zero, Agnes, Teresa, and Grut around." Pronounced Gisle.


    "I think so too. Right now, their strength isn''t needed by the organization, but that will change dramatically in a month. By then, the monsters will be much stronger, and people will be fighting amongst themselves more actively." Proimed Wain pulling out a pack of cigarettes from under his cloak.


    "Hmm, considering that Elsa, because of my order, can''t intentionallymit actions that will harm the organization, then I can start evolving. After me, Elsa can begin evolving. That would be the solution to most problems." Gisle muttered.


    He looked to the west and south and said, "However, the takeover of the city looks like it will have to be postponed untilter."


    Wain shook his head, "I don''t think so. I might attack some organization on the west and south side of the city, but I''m not sure about that yet. I need to check with my n. I''ve got a lot more things to do not rted to the organization''s development. But, I''m sure Luar will fight the strongest people in Overion, excluding Last Light."


    "You said he''s no longer interested in being the head of ck Pearl''s. But, then, what does he n to do?"


    Wain smiled, "Traveling and fighting every strong enemy he meets along the way. He''s kind of like me in that."


    "Fine." Said Gisle looking at the twenty dead minotaurs behind them.


    While he and Wain were talking, the members of Last Light had killed all the monsters. The main threat had been destroyed, and Gisle was left with only one target. He was to officially take control of the entire north.


    ck Pearl no longer had a leader because of Luar''s decision, so it wouldn''t be hard to do.


    Gisle handed out instructions, and a group of a dozen men headed for ck Paerl''s main base.


    Wain joined them as he needed to regain his strength and heal his wounds during the battle with Luar. It wouldn''t take very long, and Wain also wanted to see how the capture of the leading organization in the north of the city would go.


    ...


    They saw ruined stone walls and slightly damaged buildings when they reached ck Pearl''s main base. Since Wain had taken most of the monsters behind him, the main base sustained only minor damage.


    This area would be ready for use after a bit of cleaning and repair work. When Wain took the monsters away, he didn''t think about it, but his actions had another nice bonus besides thousands of souls.


    Of course, when Gisle''s group came to capture ck Pearl''s main base, they met with some resistance. Even though Luar was gone, there were still some pretty strong people in the organization besides him.


    They didn''t understand where their leader had gone, but they had no intention of submitting to anyone or handing over their territories. On the contrary, when they realized that Luar was gone, they had the idea of taking power in their heads.


    Whoever was strongest would be the head of the powerful organization in the north of Overion. They thought they could easily take on Gisle''s team, but they were sorely mistaken.


    The ck Pearl''s members did not know that Gisle and the others came from the eastern part of Overion, so they underestimated them.


    Wain was not involved in suppressing enemy forces. He was not interested in doing so. At that point, he was the spectator''s role, not a protagonist. Wain was simply watching his allies fight.


    It was also at this time that he was assessing their strength. He was surprised at how strong Teresa and Agnes had be.


    ''When I first met Teresa, I thought she was pretty weak. When we went down to the undergroundboratory, she didn''t have the speed to even react to my grasp. However, after a while, her strength increased manifold. Maybe her Main Soul is actually pretty bad?'''' Thought Wain.


    Different people had different souls. Some had a scarce and powerful one, but some might have a rather ordinary or useless soul. In this world, as in others, luck yed a significant role.


    There was no justice or equality in this world. However, that did not mean that such people''s fates were sealed.<sub> </sub>


    They could be stronger by increasing their level, finding rare items, and gaining exceptional skills. Also, after evolution, most main souls would be strengthened.


    When Wain evolved, his main soul did not change much, but his Nameless King''s Forms skill was strengthened to fit his Chronicle.


    Teresa hadn''t evolved yet, but Wain spected that she might have destroyed her main soul. He didn''t know much about the process, his knowledge of it was rather limited.


    However, he did know one straightforward principle. The stronger the soul and the higher its Rating, the more serious the consequences after destroying the main soul.


    Wain had no information about the consequences of destroying an Epic Rating soul or a rarer soul. But he had heard of one case where a person deleted his Rare Rating main soul.


    It was a huge mistake, as his body could hardly take the strain. Most of his muscles and tendons were torn, his organs were damaged, and severe damage to his mental state.


    Of course, a person survived and was able to heal his wounds over time. But, this situation was a warning to all whose main soul was Epic Rating or higher.


    Wain was sure that if he tried to destroy his main soul, not even one atom would be left of his body. The payoff for such an act would be more terrible than the gods'' punishment.


    ''Power ismensurate with the magnitude of possible loss...'' thought Wain watching the battle before him.


    Agnes and Grut had also grown much stronger, but Grut was not a big fan of fighting, unlike the girls. He preferred to solve everything peacefully and even in dangerous situations, more often defended than attacked.


    Nevertheless, Grut was very strong. Wain assumed that Grut had a soul with a high Rating, which helped him a lot.


    Agnes didn''t have any new and surprising abilities, but her strength increased every day. Her fists were like massive hammers, capable of piercing even steel.


    She was clearly representative of people who specialized in hand-to-handbat.


    But, among all of them, Zero was the most amazing.


    ''In the future, she''s going to be really powerful. It''s not surprising, though. Shebines the powers of a mutant and Ascendant Rating Soul.


    Previously she had suffered, but in return, she received incredible strength. In some ways, she was even lucky enough to be a test subject in those experiments.'' Wain thought.


    Of course, he understood that no human being would want to be ab rat. But, he was looking at the current situation, not what happened a long time ago.


    Also, Zero had an incredibly rare soul. In Wain''s past world, only a few people in each country had the good fortune to receive such a strong soul.


    Of course, this world was muchrger, but the percentage of getting a soul of that Rating was about the same.


    Whooosh.


    A sharp de of darkness appeared in Zero''s hands, and she beheaded one man. This scene horrified the others, for she killed one of ck Pearl''s strongest members.


    Zero was like a dark demon from hell. She was ruthless, and her eyes were icy. People watching her knew that she could easily kill ten or even a hundred people if necessary.


    Thus, in about half an hour, Gisle became the owner of the northern part of the city. The members of Last Light had to kill ten powerful members of ck Pearl to achieve this goal.


    Gisle was unhappy that these people had to die because if they had obeyed him immediately, they would have contributed significantly to the organization in the future.


    Everyone needed strong people, but loyalty and ovepping ideologies were more important.


    Gisle was ready to kill all the strong members of ck Pearl''s if they would not agree to obey.


    When it was over, Gisle began to hand out orders and learn about the current state of affairs in the north and east. At that moment, Wain pondered the soul necessary to unlock the third form.

 Chapter 122 Going For The Soul

    While Gisle and the other members of Last Light were busy usurping new territories, Wain climbed up one of the towers and took a bird''s eye view of the city.


    ? He smoked and, exhaling a puff of smoke, muttered, "Because of the monster invasion, about a third of the surviving city has been destroyed. At this point, there are hardly any buildings left intact or not seriously damaged. I should be on my guard. That white ray could be dangerous."


    Wain then looked toward the eastern part of the city. He could see the canyon separating the two sides and just as long a bridge that Clovis had built in a few hours.


    "I hope the fire goblins are all right. Also, there is most likely a man with a craftsman''s soul as a builder in ck Pearl. Given the city''s current state, he and Clovis are a hundred times more valuable than gold and most other people. Frankly, at this point, even I''m not as important to the organization as these two." Wain muttered.


    At different times, different people and abilities were valuable. During battles, men like Wain and Zero were indispensable and were the main force of an entire army. They could change the oue of a major battle with their actions.


    However, at this point, all organizations needed people with craft souls. Since they needed to recover quickly from the monster invasion, no one was prepared for this sudden catastrophe.


    Of course, people like Gisle, who were leaders, were always important in all situations. However, in most cases, the organization''s head was not capable of solving any problems by his own efforts.


    Gisle was an excellent leader, but he could not build more than a hundred meters long wooden bridge in a few hours like Clovis. Also, Gisle was quite strong, but not as strong as Wain or Zero.


    Gisle could be called the organization''s brain, while the other men were his arms, shields, and swords. Sure, Gisle was capable of standing up for himself, but leading an organization that included hundreds of people was a priority.


    ''Hmm, for the next month, I probably won''t have any contact with Gisle. He will be as busy developing the organization as Elsa is. The fire goblins are under her protection. Soon these creatures will be the main forge in Overion, led by Lea.'' Thought Wain blowing out a puff of smoke.


    ''I must use this month to the best of my ability. Moreover, in three months, a huge ind will appear somewhere. I''m sure something incredible and dangerous will happen then as well. I need to be prepared for anything.'' Mumbled Wain to himself.


    Wain was going to go to this ind as well as all those who knew about it. However, he only knew what the ind looked like and when it would appear.


    ''Hopefully, in the next three months, Gisle or I will be able to find other parts of the map. Hmm, Harald came from the eastern part. Perhaps there are more pieces of the map there? I''ll have to go there, but a littleter.'' Wain thought.


    Then he closed his eyes, and his aura began to intensify. He was about to determine the exact location of the Sorcerer''s Soul. From the moment Wain opened his second form, he became much stronger. Now he was ready to see what the third form was capable of.


    Whooosh.


    The Seal of Darkness glowed brightly, and Wain''s mind drifted into the distance. He looked at the location of the necessary soul as if through a blurred camera lens.


    Then Wain turned his head to the left and muttered, "There."


    He could feel the aura of the soul he needed emanating from there. Also, when Wain closed his eyes, he saw several bookcases, a spacious room, and hundreds of books scattered on the floor.


    "Apparently, the soul to unlock the third form is in the library. Hmm, considering I need the Sorcerer''s Soul, that seems about right." Mumbled Wain, and there was a phone in his hand the next moment.


    To the side he was looking at was just one small library. Wain nodded. Now he had a target.


    ...


    After a few hours, when Wain had eaten, gained his strength, and fully recovered, he decided to head towards the library.


    During this time, everyone in the city''s north had learned about the change in power. Gisle was now the rightful owner of thesends and controlled half of Overion.


    Wain went out the main entrance and jumped onto the nearest buildings a few secondster. As he had time to figure out, this was the most efficient method of getting around the city.


    At this point, Wain had no desire to waste his time fighting ordinary monsters.<sub> </sub>


    After he would get the Sorcerer''s Soul, he would go to Dungeons, explored and unexplored. Only there, and in the Nests, would he find serious opponents and valuable items.


    ''Hmm, now all the north is in Gisle''s domain, which means all the Dungeons and Nests as well. I shall have to find out more about these ces from him. I might be able to find the monsters I want there.'' Wain thought, jumping from building to building.


    At the beginning of the apocalypse, finding the right soul to improve a skill or another soul was quite difficult. However, the more time passed after the apocalypse began, the easier it became to find the right soul.


    Of course, if a person was not strong enough, even knowing the exact location would not allow them to get a soul. But, sometimes, there were cases where the search was much harder and longer than the actual soul extraction.


    For strong people like Wain, finding the right monster and gathering the right amount of Soul Essence was the biggest problem. Wain doubted that he could encounter an opponent more powerful than Forgotten in any Dungeon.


    ''However, perhaps I am overconfident. Imp Leader was able to inflict some serious wounds on me. This monster was probably not the strongest of all the First Chronicle monsters in existence.'' Wain pondered.


    When Wain first improved one of his skills, he created the necessary monster himself. He used zombies andrge amounts of electricity to further obtain a soul with the lightning attribute.


    Wain would have liked to experiment and evolve in this direction like a scientist, but at the moment, it was impossible. He didn''t have enough time and conditions.


    He needed a realboratory, test monsters, and many different substances and reagents. He could not allow himself to rx and waste time on experiments when he could grow stronger and take a step forward every day.


    Of course, it would be harder for people to get stronger over time. The same principle worked here as inputer games: the higher the level, the harder it was to get even higher.


    However, this rule worked in the real world and was simply borrowed and adapted by the game creators.


    If now Wain could go into the Dungeon and kill every monster and raise one or even two levels in the meantime, the situation would change dramatically after a while. He might have to spend several weeks just to make another step forward.


    ''Hmm, it''s been two months since the apocalypse began, and already organizations are starting to develop, take over resource points, and even organization leaders are making ns to start wars.'' Thought Wain was running forward.


    Going to Dungeon and Nest was the easiest way to find the right soul to improve the skill. Since these ces were under the rule of some organizations, they had information about each of these spaces.


    Various monsters also lived in normal locations such as forests, fields, deserts, and so on. All of this was valuable information and territories.


    This data could be sold to strangers and distributed for free to organization members. Even now, some organizations were charging for entry into Dungeon or Nest in the form of a few weak souls or cheap gear.


    This area was just developing, so the prices were almost symbolic. Since Wain was on good terms with Gisle, he would have no problem getting all the needed information.


    ''Huh, on some level, it''s like the emergence of a new civilization, spheres of activity and business.''


    He was sure that in the future when cities once again had electricity and inte everywhere, anyone would be able to find out in which Dungeon, which monsters lived. It would be as easy as ordering food from a restaurant.


    People would prepare for this event, work to get a few souls, and buy equipment with them. After that, they would go to their first Dungeon. It sounds like a bright future, and it would surelye someday.


    However, while such people would no longer have to worry about being attacked by a monster at any time, they would have other problems. It would beplicated for them to climb to the top. It would be an almost impossible task.


    They would have better starting conditions and ordinary life. But if any human wants to be as strong as Zero or Agnes, they would have to do an unimaginable amount of work.


    ''Gradually, people will get civilization back on track, but it will be adapted to current realities.'' Thought Wain. He smiled and muttered, "What a good thing this world will gradually change, otherwise at some point, it would be too boring here, as if it were mine."


    Then Wain stopped and opened the skills improvement menu. When he was in theva fields, he got a huge amount of Soul Essence. Wain was sure it was enough to improve some skill.

 Chapter 123 Choice Without Choice

    Wain opened the skill improvement menu and saw several lines.


    [You can develop the skill - Lightning Boots]


    [You can develop the skill - Kic Shot]


    [You can develop the skill - sma Destructions Sword]


    ''It''s more than usual...'' Mumbled Wain.


    At this point, Wain could improve three skills. It was quite a lot. At that moment, however, Wain was faced with a dilemma. He had never had so many choices before.


    He had to decide in which direction he would improve these skills. As always, Wain had only two options. He could improve either a skill''s Rating or its Chronicle.


    The main difference between these two options was the possible potential of the skill and theck of avability of a certain choice. If Wain decided to improve the Chronicle skill, he would have no choice. The skill would evolve ording to its line.


    "Perhaps in the past, I would have improved the Rating of the skill once more, but now the situation is quite different. The monsters have grown stronger, as have I. To fight against the First Chronicle, I need skills of corresponding power." Wain muttered, looking at the improvement menu.


    He decided that he would improve the Chronicle of each of these skills. It was the logical choice since, at the moment, Wain didn''t have time to gradually improve the skill Rating to Heroic or Ascendant Rating.


    He had to maintain a certain pace to progress and remain one of the strongest.


    If he had decided to improve Skill''s Rating, he would have slowed down, and his pace would have been knocked down. The better potential in the future of the skill was not worth it. Of course, only in this case. He couldn''t take a step back in progress for the sake of it, especially at a time like this.


    Wain nodded and made a decision ordingly. Then several messages appeared before him.


    [You have used 15% of your Soul Essence. The sma Destruction Sword skill is ready for development. Choose one of two ways]


    [You have used 20% of your Soul Essence. Kic Shot skill ready to develop. Choose one of two ways]


    [You have used 25% of your Soul Essence. The Lightning Boots skill is ready to develop. Choose one of two ways]


    ''Not bad, I didn''t spend that much Soul Essence. It looked like when I used Imp Leader''s Soul, I got an incredible amount of Soul Essence. I''m doing the right thing to improve my Chronicle of skills. The monsters in First Chronicle are powerful.'' Thought Wain.


    The strength of First Chronicle monsters was one of the reasons why Wain decided to improve Chronicle skills, not their Rating.


    Of course, it was clear that First Chronicle monsters were much more powerful than Primary Chronicle monsters, but the situation was a little moreplicated.


    The average person who had already activated their Soul Altar and participated in some battles would have a much easier time killing a monster from their Chronicle than someone who had already evolved to kill a First Chronicle monster.


    They would fight enemies from their Chronicle, but it would be much easier for one of them to win, all other things being equal.<sub> </sub>


    This phenomenon had a ratherplicated exnation with many small but crucial details.


    When the person first got his soul and began his journey, he had an extremely meager arsenal. In most cases, in the first days or even weeks after the beginning of the apocalypse, a person had only one ability at his disposal, which he received from his main soul.


    Of course, some people, after a couple of days, had good equipment, rare additional soul, and unique skills, but such people were very few.


    The same was true for experience and mastery. These two parameters also influenced a person''s overall strength and could be decisive.


    However, when a person evolved and became a First Chronicle creature, he had a whole arsenal of equipment and abilities and rich experience in battles.


    But, the same was true of monsters. They also became more experienced, resistant to various effects, and developed new skills. They also increased their arsenal, experience, and, most importantly, intelligence.


    Anyone could kill a zombie, some knife, or even a brick. It was quite easy to do because zombies were weak, slow, and, most importantly, stupid enemies.


    Moreover, most of the monsters in Primary Chronicle were pretty silly. Their intelligence is even lower than animals such as dogs or cats. Monsters mostly acted instinctively and reflexively, not by the will of reason.


    An intelligent opponent was hard to fight. Sometimes, a cunning n, a clever trick, or a trap could result in the weaker one defeating the stronger one.


    "Well..." Mumbled Wain looking at the messages in front of him.


    [You have decided to improve your Chronicle skill]


    [You decided to improve Chroni...]


    "What?" Wain muttered puzzled. To his surprise, he was not shown how the skills would be improved. This was another difference from the option to improve the Rating skill.


    Wain couldn''t see in advance how his skill would be developed since he had no choice. All he was shown was the necessary conditions to improve each skill.


    [Required Rare Rating First Chronicle soul or higher: 0/1]


    [Required Rare Rating First Chronicle soul or higher: 0/1]


    [Required Rare Rating First Chronicle soul...]


    The conditions were the same for each of the three skills. In Wain''s opinion, they were not difficult. However, this was not entirely true. If he had wanted to improve the Chronicle of any of his skills before he evolved, it was unlikely he would have been able to do so.


    Wain was not a self-righteous fool. He understood that if he had faced an opponent like Imp Leader before he evolved, he would most likely have died or suffered near-death wounds.


    "It''s like a hint that everything has to be done in time..." Mumbled Wain and closed the enhancement menu. He figured he could easily find three First Chronicle souls in where he was headed.

 Chapter 124 Antiques

    After a while, Wain reached the library. It was a small, three-story building. It looked more like a bookstore than a vast library on the outside.


    "Strange, when I concentrated, I saw a spacious hall. Maybe this library has an underground floor?" Wain muttered.


    Wain shook his head and closed his eyes again. He decided to see if he was wrong since he could sense the location of the Sorcerer''s Soul at any moment.


    Whoooosh.


    Wain''s consciousness shifted again, and he saw the same picture again, some massive bookcases, a spacious hall, and hundreds of books scattered on the floor. However, Wain felt that the energy fluctuations were noting from the library in front of him.


    Wain turned his head toward the energy and saw a massive building in the distance. It was badly damaged, but even so, it was clear that it had been built by some skilled architect.


    Wain immediately opened the map and checked what kind of building it was.


    "A museum..." Wain muttered.


    "That''s right, rare and unique books are almost impossible to find in a regr library. Such things are protected in museums with good security and proper storage conditions." Proimed Wain and jumped onto the roof of a nearby building.


    The museum was behind the library, so Wain mistook the location for where the energy wasing from. At this point, he was closer to the ce with the soul, so he could determine more urate coordinates.


    ''The museums contain some pretty rare things and unusual exhibits. If a lot of Soul Essence has umted in this ce and monsters have appeared here, they''re going to be pretty strong.'' Thought Wain as he approached the museum.


    The conditions in which the monsters appeared influenced not only what attribute the monster would have and whether it would be at all, but also their strength, appearance, and even fighting style.


    For example, if a monster appeared in the forest or garden, likely, he would not have a fire attribute and me abilities. Of course, there were exceptions, but the monsters were not chaotic. Everything partly depended on many factors and rules.


    ''Judging by the map, this museum contains rare exhibits of weapons and equipment of the Middle Ages, as well as various literature, surviving letters of nobles and kings. In that case, there will surely be knights,mon soldiers, and so on waiting for me there.''


    Whoooosh.


    The next moment Wain jumped off the building and approached the main entrance to the museum. As he got so close to the power source, he could clearly feel the vibrationsing from the lower floors of the museum.


    Wain went inside and looked around. To his surprise, inside, the museum was virtually intact. The reason was that the museum was one of the worst ces to hide when the apocalypse began.


    There was no food or water in the museum. There were weapons, but they were old and mostly unsharpened. Any kitchen knife from the nearest store was a more deadly weapon than the sword on the stand.


    But, there was another reason why the inside of the museum remained intact. Wain didn''t know it, but the museum was inessible on the day the apocalypse began. So, there wasn''t even anything scattered on the floor inside the museum, not even a trace of visitors.


    Wain nodded and went forward. He had to find the stairs leading down and get closer to the spatial rupture.


    The museum''s main hall was spacious, with nothing inside except a massive statue in the center. The museum''s floor was in the shape of chessfields, and on top was a dome from which hung a massive chandelier with hundreds of white crystals in it.


    Wain spected that this statue mighte to life, so he was on guard. He had no way of knowing what would happen in the next moment. However, he didn''t destroy the statue either. There was no point in him creating unnecessary noise.


    ''I wonder if I''ll be in the Purgatory zone again this time, or will it be Void? Perhaps I''ll have to go to some more mysterious ce?'' Wain pondered as he walked past the statue.


    To his surprise, the statue did note to life. Given Wain''s circumstances, he had expected otherwise.


    Thest time Wain had entered the Purgatory zone through a spatial rift, he had been pleasantly surprised by his journey. It was like a small world, with its own unique creatures, rules, and of course, a masterpiecest fight.


    If Wain had not fought Forgotten at the end, he would not have felt so satisfied with this little journey, even with the fact that he had gained the Swordsman''s Soul.


    ''By the way, when the white beam of energy caused the sky to turn white and crackle across it, the darkness behind it was exactly the same as in the Purgatory area. Honestly, I was expecting a creature like the one I fought against standing on the clouds to appear at the end.'' Thought Wain as he walked into the next hall.


    At that moment, he was thinking about the invasion of monsters, it was happening worldwide, and suddenly Wain realized something.


    ''Most likely humans have killed most of the monsters that have fallen into cities, but...what''s going on in the forests or seas now?!''


    He hadn''t thought about it before, but it could be a huge problem. If hundreds and thousands of monsters fell into the seas and oceans, it would be an absolute disaster for the whole world.


    The problem was that all these monsters went to feed dangerous sea creatures. Monsters, like humans, could grow stronger at the expense of others. However, unlike humans, monsters could benefit from killing their kin, not just humans.<sub> </sub>


    "Hell, Overion is quite close to the sea. Moreover, it became several times more dangerous to navigate the water because of this situation. For us, the monster invasion was a disaster, but for the other monsters, it was a real feast." Wain muttered.


    ...


    After a while, Wain reached the stairs leading downstairs, but he was in no hurry to approach them. It was at the end of a room filled with various stands of armor.


    ? Wain knew that the armor, unlike the statue, would definitelye to life this time. He didn''t believe it wouldn''t.


    "Okay, go ahead." Proimed Wain, and a sma sword appeared in his hand. He stepped into the hall and prepared for battle.


    After a few seconds, however, his face contorted, for nothing had happened, and he felt like a fool.


    ''Maybe I really am paranoid? It''s impossible to know everything ahead of time, though. It''s better to always be prepared for an attack and be wrong a few times than to be unaware of the danger and die.'' Thought Wain and walked on, but after a few steps, he stopped.


    "But it looks like I was prepared for an attack for a reason this time." Mumbled Wain looking at the armor around him.


    Suddenly the armor glowed. Wain prepared to attack. He waited for the moment when these monsters came to life. He didn''t know what they were capable of, so he didn''t attack immediately.


    The first thing he had to do was get some superficial information about his enemies.


    However, it wasn''t the knight''s armor that came to life but the weapons in their hands. Suddenly, several swords, axes, spears, and hammers flew toward Wain.


    He didn''t expect his opponents to fly weapons rather than reanimate armor.


    "This is something new." Mumbled Wain and got into a fighting stance.


    For Wain, such opponents were ufortable, as he was used to taking advantage of his enemies'' weaknesses. It was easiest for him to fight against humanoid and beast-like enemies.


    In that case, he knew which bone had to be broken, where a cut had to be made, and so on.


    But, all this knowledge was useless when his enemy was a flying sword or a hammer.


    Whooosh.


    Wain swung his sma sword and shattered the flying axe in his direction. Doing so was easier than he had anticipated, but he was attacked from all sides in the same instant.


    Lightning boots instantly appeared on Wain''s feet, and he bounced to the side. To his surprise, the weapons began to act differently.


    Slightly visible strands of energy appeared between them. Each sword, axe, or spear was now linked to one another, and destroying one of them would be as difficult as destroying all of them at once.


    A dozen weapons came down on Wain like a barrage. He was adept at blocking their blows, but now he couldn''t even shatter the hilt of a sword or the shaft of a spear. It was impossible to do that with his current weapons.


    ''Damn, these monsters are definitely not from First Chronicle, yet when theybine in strength, they are as good as such monsters.'' Thought to himself, Wain blocked more than three attacks in one second.


    Wain was in a bad situation. He didn''t know how many monsters were in this museum.


    If his opponents increased, he would have to use one of the forms. Wain wanted to avoid such a big waste of energy when he hadn''t even gotten to the spatial rift yet.


    Crackle.


    Suddenly a shard flew from his sword. Wain managed to block every attack. His hands looked like blurs because of his high speed. But the sma sword could not take that much damage in such a short period.


    ''Hmm, swords and axes are not the mostmon enemies. If the apocalypse hadn''t happened, it would have been some kind of madness. Now, however, anything is possible. I don''t feelfortable fighting them, but... I''m an even more inappropriate enemy for them than they are for me!'' Thought Wain and suddenly threw the sma sword aside.


    Wain turned into a lightning sh and ran through the weaponswork during the spurt. He bounced off the ground with such force that several cracks in the floor. At that moment, he grabbed the sword covered in energy with one hand.


    He would use this sword to deal with the rest of the monsters with it.

 Chapter 125 Harmful Books

    When the flying swords, axes, and hammers came together in a single chain, Wain was left with few options for getting out of this tricky situation. He could have used Code of Light and Darkness or Cursed Swordsman, but it was too disadvantageous.


    Wain could not waste his energy and strength so carelessly. He would have wasted an awful lot of energy dealing with Primary Chronicle monsters. Wain tried to think of a n of action, and he did.


    Whooosh.


    Wain''s n was extraordinary but effective. He decided to take advantage of the monsters'' unusual appearance and use it as his weapon. Wain snatched one sword from themon and armed himself with it as if it were his own.


    The sword covered in purple energy tried to break free from Wain''s grip, but it failed. Wain was strong enough to hold that sword and fight against other monsters with it.


    "As I thought, this sword has no special abilities other than general strength and flight. Until I loosen my grip, this sword will be nothing more than a tool in my hands." Smirking, Wain said and prepared for battle.


    The next moment, a multitude of weapons attacked him simultaneously. Now, however, Wain could not only defend himself but also attack. Wain decided to grab this sword for a reason.


    As he blocked the attacks with the sma sword, he kept a close eye on which weapons did the most damage.


    The hammers were the most destructive, but the reason was their shape, and great weight, as well as this weapon did not fit Wain''s fighting style.


    After a while, Wain realized that this sword was the strongest and sharpest, so he grabbed it.


    ng. ng. ng.


    Wain blocked each of his attacks with lightning speed. Moreover, his lunges were damaging the flying swords and axes, gradually destroying their structure.


    In half a minute, he had destroyed a quarter of all weapons. After another thirty seconds, he had killed half of the unusual monsters. By two minutes had passed, Wain waspletely finished with his enemies. All that was left of the weapons was debris, lying on the floor like garbage.


    More than ten blue souls flew into Wain''s body at the exact moment. He looked at the sword in his hand and shrugged, killing thest monster with one mighty blow. Thest soul flew into his body.


    [Soul of Soaring Sword (Damaged)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Rare]


    Among all the souls Wain received, three souls were Damaged. He smiled and crushed them. He was lucky to get three Damaged Souls by killing such aparatively small number of monsters.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Soaring Hammer level 14. Strength+3, Stamina+1]


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Soaring Axe level 14. Strength+1, Stamina+1]


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Soaring Sword level 14. Strength+1, Agility+3]


    Wain gained a considerable amount of Soul Essence, but the most important thing was that his stats increased. Each such soul was a small step forward to true power.


    Stats were as important as souls or skills. A person''s physical capabilities depended on them, on which, in turn, many skills depended.


    However, in addition to the many reports of Soul Essence absorbed, Wain saw several other unexpected notifications.


    [Your Strength and Agility have reached 80 points. It is impossible to further increase these stats by absorbing Soul Essence of Primary Chronicle monsters.]


    Wain was stunned. He had never heard of such a thing, as the people in his world had not had time to be strong enough for this problem to be widely known. The dark mist that destroyed all life appeared before it did.


    Before Wain crushed those souls, his Strength was 76 points, his Agility was 80, and it could no longer be upgraded. If there was no restriction, at this point, Wain''s Strength should have been 81 points and Agility 83 points.


    This restriction was not because it was the system''s wish but because it was how the world worked. When a person absorbed Soul Essence from the soul of another being, he got a piece of power for himself, depending on what state the soul was in.


    But the stronger a man became, the more concentrated energy he needed. Wain was a creature of the First Chronicle, and over time he would not get enough Soul Essence from Primary Chronicle monsters to get stronger.


    This has already happened to two stats and would happen to the others when they reach 80 points.


    It could bepared to human vision. Each person''s vision was slightly different, but everyone could see letters, colors, and so on, except those who had some kind of disease.


    Some had worse vision, some had better. But regardless of the quality of vision, a person could not see germs on his hands, even if he tried very hard.<sub> </sub>


    The reason was that germs were too small, and the structure of the human eye was not capable of seeing such tiny creatures.


    This was the limit for the human eye, after which various means such as magnifying lenses or microscopes had to be used. The situation with Soul Essence was precisely the same.


    However, as always, Energy was a special stat. Wain didn''t know to what values he could increase Energy by absorbing Soul Essence from the souls of Primary Chronicle creatures, but there was no limit so far.


    "Hmm, so the first limit is 80 points of any stats. That''s interesting." Mumbled Wain and headed toward the stairs.


    He wasn''t upset by this limitation. On the contrary, it seemed a logical and fair phenomenon that had a proper exnation. Moreover, he was pleased that it worked that way.


    In that case, a person whose stats had reached a value of 80 points would no longer be able to get stronger by killing monsters that were dozens of times weaker than him. It would be strange and even unfair in some ways to those who weren''t very strong.


    Such a rule would force strong people to fight opponents equal to them in strength. Those who would not risk their lives would progress slower than others. Such people would forever fall behind those who were capable of it.


    This appealed to Wain as he was the kind of man who would only attempt the mostplex and dangerous tasks.


    "Even though this world is chaotic after the apocalypse begins, it really isn''t. The more I learn new things, the more I want to explore this world even more." Mumbled Wain as he walked down the stairs to the underground floor.


    After a while, Wain reached the ce where he felt the energy fluctuations. As Wain expected, it was a spacious hall with many bookcases and books scattered on the floor.


    Wain concentrated on the energy fluctuations, but suddenly something interrupted him. He saw a tall creatureing up behind one of the cabs.


    Wain prepared himself for battle. He didn''t expect any monster in this ce, among the books. But, Wain was ready to take the fight at any moment.


    The monster was quite tall, about three meters tall. It had an anthropomorphic body, a lean build, and ck skin. However, one important detail made this monster unique, even among other monsters.


    It had a massive yellow book instead of a head. It looked strange, but this detail was predictable, considering the environment in which this monster appeared.


    "Roooooooooooaaaaaaaaarrrrrrr!"


    Suddenly the book opened, and the monster roared furiously. Inside the book lurked a hideous mouth with many teeth. Moreover, the symbols on the pages gradually began to shine brightly.


    When that happened, dozens of books around the monster copsed on Wain like projectiles.


    He was surprised by such an unusual attack and ability but could easily dodge by bouncing aside.


    Wain swung his arm, and the sma sword flew towards the monster. However, when the sma sword almost reached the monster, the symbols on the pages glowed again, and the books knocked down the sma sword.


    "First the flying swords, now the hovering books, what''s next?" Mumbled Wain and rushed toward the monster.


    He snapped his finger, and a sma sword appeared in his hand. Wainunched several swift attacks and sliced the monster into several pieces.


    A blue soul flew into Wain''s body, and he crushed it immediately. Wain breathed a sigh of relief. But, suddenly, he saw several more of the same monstersing his way.


    "Yeah, I didn''t think my first trip to the museum in this world would be so unusual," Wain muttered and, clutching his sword tightly, ran toward the monsters.


    These book monsters were not strong opponents, but they possessed a unique ability like flying weapons.


    Moreover, Wain noticed that he had once again gained Rare Rating Soul. This led him to some interesting thoughts.


    ''Hmm, the museum originally contains things that are quite rare from a human perspective. No, in terms of mathematics.


    Armor, weapons, books, paintings, and so on. If any of these things are in a museum, it means that they are either unique or rare and limited in quantity.


    Is it possible that the environment in which monsters appear depends not only on their appearance and attribute but also on the Rating of their souls?'' Wain thought as he cut the monsters apart.


    A few souls flew into his body, but he didn''t use them since they were all Destroyed. Wain wanted to keep them to buy something from Sven.


    ''Speaking of which, I can probably stop by that mysterious bartender now.'' Thought Wain and concentrated on finding the spatial rift.

 Chapter 126 Speed Reading

    When Wain made sure there were no more monsters around, he closed his eyes and concentrated on finding the spatial rift. When Wain felt the energy fluctuations, he headed in their direction.


    Suddenly, however, the book monster attacked him again. Wain did not expect this attack, as it jumped from the ceiling, which nothing illuminated.


    Wain did not immediately notice his enemy, but that did not stop him from slicing the monster in a few moves and turning it into icy wreckage.


    The blue soul flew into Wain''s body.


    [Soul of Book Eater (Whole)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Ration: Rare]


    To his surprise, it was a Whole Soul. Wain immediately crushed it and saw several messages in front of him.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Book Eater level 13. Agility+2, Vitality+2, Energy+1]


    Even though the message said that Agility Wain''s had been increased by 2 points, due to the limitations, it wasn''t. But, in addition to the increase in stats, Wain saw another message.


    [You have received a Rare Rating Skill Book]


    Wain smiled contentedly. He didn''t expect that he would get a Skill Book from thest monster he killed in this room. Any skill could have made him stronger, and it would increase his abilities. At the moment, however, Wain wanted a passive skill more than an active one.


    Of course, Wain had one more slot free for an active skill. He was happy with his current set of active skills and soul skills. But Wain didn''t think he could get a skill powerful enough to put it in his Soul Altar now.


    Wain could not waste his energy on skills that were not very useful or not very powerful. It was stupid and impractical. So, at the moment, he was more interested in having as many passive skills.


    Wain put his palm on the book, and hundreds of symbols headed for his be in the next moment. Within seconds he had all the knowledge he needed to possess the skill.


    However, when Wain read the skill description, he was puzzled and even disappointed.


    [Speed Reading (Primary Chronicle Passive Skill, Rare Rating)


    Books hold a great deal of information and useful data. Many creatures learn by reading various books and learning new and unusual things.


    However, it takes quite a long time to read a book. But, now you do not have such a problem. Your reading speed is increased to one thousand words per minute. Also, it won''t negatively affect your receptivity to information in any way]


    ''Damn, I could have gotten some kind of amplification, armored skin, incredible vision or hearing, but instead, I got the ability to read fast?! This is garbage...'' Thought Wain and shook his head grudgingly.<sub> </sub>


    The average adult''s reading speed was two hundred words per minute. But, some people could far exceed that figure, up to five hundred or even six hundred words per minute. Such people possessed speed reading, and it was quite a rarity.


    At this point, Wain''s reading speed was five times the average, and it was incredible. But that wasn''t at all what Wain wanted.


    "Okay, that''s a lot better than nothing. I might need some information in the future for sure, so this skill could save me some time. What''s more, maybe when I improve it, this skill will be much more useful." Mumbled Wain and continued searching for the spatial rift.


    A few stepster, he was standing in front of a massive closet with nothing but a wall behind it. However, when Wain reached forward, the closet and the wall behind him turned to ink.


    Wain smiled and stepped confidently inside. It was not the first time he had seen ink. To him, it was no longer a sign of something dangerous.


    On the contrary, the ink and the spatial rift were the most interesting and surprising ces he could get into.


    Like thest time, after Wain entered the ink, he found himself amid a vast dark space. In front of Wain was a door of ink with manyrge eyes on it.


    Wain waited for a while. He expected the bone hands and the massive ancient gate to appear now. But, even after ten minutes, nothing happened.


    Wain was puzzled. He thought that this time he would also have to head into the Purgatory zone to retrieve the necessary souls.


    ''Strange, but that doesn''t change my n. I can feel the energy vibrationsing from that door. Perhaps this time I will get into the Void?'' Thought Wain and stepped forward. However, he wasn''t heading for the ink door but for a wooden door not far from it.


    He wanted to talk to Sven and also to find out what he could buy with all the souls he had. Thest time Sven offered Wain just one thing, a special bomb, which could be more powerful with enough souls inserted in the cell than a nuclear bomb.


    So Wain expected Sven to offer him something exciting and unusual. Likewise, Wain wanted to learn more from him about the Purgatory zones. Wain wasn''t sure if Sven knew about these ces, but he had to ask at least.


    At this point, the Purgatory Zone was the most mysterious ce he had ever been.


    Click.


    Wain opened the wooden door and found himself in a long passage that would take him some time to traverse.


    ''Good thing Sven gave me his amulet then. I wonder if he gives this amulet to every person lucky enough to get into his bar, or does he choose by some criteria?'' Thought Wain and walked to the second door at the end of the aisle.


    Click.


    Wain pulled the door handle and found himself inside the bar. Everything there was exactly the same as before. A majestic and luxurious aura emanated from the ce.


    The interior was not pretentious but showed the status of the ce. But the most valuable thing in the bar was the bartender, who stood behind the bar and rubbed a crystal ss, just like thest time.

 Chapter 127 Drinks

    Thest time Wain was in this bar was quite some time ago. Then he entered his first Dungeon and immediately found himself in the World of Darkness test room. Moreover, he was lucky enough to meet a monster like Mimic, but unfortunately, he couldn''t get any reward for it.


    Wain was not upset by this coincidence, for it was thanks to this that he could get into this bar and meet Sven.


    Wain did not know Sven''s true identity, but he assumed that this man was something like Agnes.


    Agnes'' role was that she was a watcher of one of Purgatory''s zones. So she had a certain power in that area, but it was limited by her unique abilities. Without them, she would not have been able to open the portal leading back to Wain''s world. It would have been impossible.


    In Wain''s opinion, Sven also received certain advantages as the sole owner of the small neutral zone of the World of Darkness. But, Wain assumed that Sven was a more mysterious character than Agnes.


    Unlike Agnes, this man''s influence extended far beyond his small, cozy bar. This is evidenced by his vast knowledge, rare cocktail ingredients, and the unique things he sells.


    Somehow it alles to him or was already there originally. However, in that case, Sven must have procured information and gear in huge quantities before opening the bar.


    ...


    Wain paced on the silk, red carpet covering part of the bar. As Wain approached the bar and sat down at a chair, Sven put aside crystal ss and smiled.


    "Wee back."


    Wain nodded, "It''s been a long time since I''ve been here. It''s impossible to find such a cozy and authentic ce in the outside world right now."


    "That''s true. I thought you didn''t like my cocktail, and you decided not toe back here again. It hurt my heart." With a slight irony in his voice, Sven said.


    "Huh, I''m not sure your heart can hurt anything." Proimed Wain and slipped his hand under his cloak.


    He took a cigarette out of the pack and blew out a puff of smoke after a few seconds.


    "Smoking is bad for you, don''t you know that?" Sven said with a slight smile on his face.


    "I doubt with my regeneration that cigarettes can harm me in any way. Now cigarettes don''t do any damage. They''re like a psychological trap, a particr addiction you don''t want to get rid of, even though you know all the pros and cons." Wain muttered, blowing out a puff of smoke.


    Sven shrugged and said, "Would you like a cocktail? Last time, as far as I know, you weren''t disappointed."


    "Sure, your skills are really excellent." Wain epted Sven''s offer.


    "Is there any particr preference?"


    "Yes, but I want to leave the task to you. Surprise me."


    "The customer''s wish isw," Sven said with a smile and leaned over.


    He took a small jar from the shelf, which contained several red peppers like mes. The shape of these peppers was rather unusual. They looked like a lightning bolt, like a zigzag line.


    Then he took a sharp knife with a blue de from the back shelf and quickly chopped three small peppers.


    Sven''s hand speed was on the level of a professional chef. He moved so quickly that only a blur was visible instead of the knife and his hands.


    Wain, however, could easily see all of Sven''s movements.


    ''Hmm, this knife is special. At first, I thought it strange that the knife had an unnatural blue de, but now everything is falling into ce. There''s a cold auraing from it that gradually lowers the temperature of the pepper but doesn''t freeze it...'' thought Wain.


    He was a bit surprised since, in that case, this knife was specifically designed to cool food while slicing. It took a significantly skilled cksmith, the right approach, and materials to create such a specific item.


    "I thought I asked you to make a cocktail, but it looks like you decided to make a whole dish." Proimed Wain was blowing out a puff of smoke.


    "Huh, you asked me to surprise you. I could have just mixed some alcohol and squeezed a few drops of lemon or another citrus into that mixture. But would that have surprised you?" Sven muttered as he finished slicing the peppers.


    He turned the peppers practically into a powder. It took thousands of motions to chop something so finely.


    Then Sven took another jar that contained some ratherrge berries. He took one berry in his hands and swapped his knife for another one with a red, almost red-hot de.


    The berry was round with a thick ck rind, more like a shell. Sven tossed the berry up and promptly made one cut.


    A secondter, the peeled berry and its peel fell into his hand. Sven tossed the peel into the trash, but he kept the berry and carefully ced it at the bottom of the crystal ss.


    The berry looked like a tiny star without the peel, incredibly bright and warm. Wain thought he was looking at the little sun.<sub> </sub>


    Then Sven poured the crushed pepper into the ss right on top of the berry and covered the ss with the lid.


    Booom.


    Even though the pepper was chilled, the berry exploded. The sound was deafening, but no destruction was caused by the explosion of the berry. The crystal ss waspletely intact.


    The yellow liquid lingering inside the berry mixed with the red pepper and turned into an orange liquid that emanated cold and heated at the same time. It was strange and should have been impossible, but it was.


    "Half of the cocktail is ready, I need some more ingredients, but I''ll have to step back for that. Don''t get bored." Said Sven and headed for the door behind the bar.


    ''Yeah, the World of Darkness is a unique ce indeed. In one space, you fight to the death, but in another, they make you a cocktail and make a real show.'' Thought Wain was waiting for Sven.


    After a while, Sven returned. In his hands were two small crates, a chilling from one of them.


    Click.


    Sven opened one of the drawers and pulled out a rainbow snake, a small size. Wain was surprised. He didn''t think Sven would bring a living creature here.


    Whooosh.


    The snake tried to attack Sven, but itcked length as he held it tightly by its tail. Sven then grabbed the snake by the head and squeezed a few rainbow drops of venom from its fangs into a crystal ss.


    Sven returned the snake to the box and opened another. To Wain''s surprise, there were several frozen eyes. They were huge, resembling coconuts in size.


    Sven picked up the knife again, but this time with the mostmon steel de. He brought the ice-covered eye to the crystal ss and tapped the eye several times with the back of the de.


    The ice cracked in several ces, and a white liquid gushed out of the ice-covered eye. It filled the ss to 70%, and thest ingredient was left for the cocktail to be ready.


    Unlike the previous ones, thest ingredient was elementary andmonce. It was whiskey.


    Sven poured the whiskey, filled the crystal ss almost to the brim, then took the lighter and lit the liquid. The fire was an unusual green color that slowly turned blue and red.


    "Cocktail - Glowing Ice, ready," Sven said and bowed slightly.


    Wain grinned and put his cigarette aside. Thest time he had tasted a cocktail prepared by Sven, he had had an unforgettable experience. Now, he expected nothing less.


    Wain was a great lover and connoisseur of spirits. He liked the burning sensation in his throat. Also, in his world, Wain tried a lot of all kinds of cocktails, but Sven''s skills were on apletely different level. He used amazing ingredients and techniques.


    Wain brought the crystal ss to his mouth and took a sip. At that moment, he felt as if he were in the midst of a massive volcano, in the very center of the vent. However, a secondter, he felt a chill as if from the ciers.


    The aftertaste was strange, almost tasteless, but with a unique tone. At that moment, Wain felt as if there were endless clouds in front of him. The aftertaste was like boundless freedom.


    Wain could also feel the blood rushing through his body and the energy overwhelming him. Each cocktail made by Sven was like a new revtion.


    When Wain had finished, he put the crystal ss aside and said smiling, "It was excellent, just like thest time. What''s the price of this cocktail?"


    "I''d tell you the price, but you''ve already paid it," Sven said.


    "What? When?" Wain was puzzled.


    "Thest time you traded the Demon Ants'' souls for one Void Soul, I also counted the price for the previous cocktail and for this one. I knew you''de back and ask me to make you another one." Sven said with a slight smile on his face.


    "And you said the first cocktail was free."


    "It was until you asked. I didn''t want to ruin the atmosphere."


    "Okay, it''s not a big deal. I wanted to ask you something, but I need to know something else before I do. I forgot to mention itst time. How much is one Void Soul? What''s the price? And what kind of things can I buy for Void Souls?" Wain asked.


    Different souls contained different amounts of Soul Essence, so depending on which souls Wain passed on, the number of Void Souls he could get would vary.


    He had to know the exact values to know how many souls he would have to spend if necessary.


    Unfortunately, he could only get to this bar when he finds a spatial rift.

 Chapter 128 Prices

    "You want to know the prices? Well, listen carefully." Pronounced Sven and proceeded to exin.


    "Different souls contain different amounts of Soul Essence, so determining the exact number of souls you need to exchange for one Void Soul is quite difficult. But, I can give you average prices, which are usually pretty fair."


    Wain nodded. He listened carefully to Sven and didn''t miss a single detail. It was important information that would help him make an urate n for allocating his souls in the future.


    Money was significant in all worlds. It could be used to obtain almost anything except true feelings and a real power.


    "One hundred Common Rating souls is possible to exchange for one Void Soul. Last time you handed me several hundred Demonic Ants souls and only got one Void Soul, but I didn''t fool you. Demonic Ants are rather weak creatures, and their souls are rather low in energy. But, the main reason was that I included cocktails in the bill." Sven pronounced.


    "I see, that''s not the problem. Then I got everything I wanted out of this ce. Go on." Calmly said Wain.


    "For twenty-five Rare Rating souls, you can buy one Void Soul. For six Epic Rating souls, you can buy one Void Soul. If you have a Heroic Rating soul, you only have to spend two souls. For one Ascendant Rating soul, you can get three Void Souls." Sven exined in detail.


    "Hmm, I see, on average, with each increased Rating, the price drops by a factor of four. The only exception is Ascendant Soul. I can get more Void Soul for them at the average price." Mumbled Wain.


    "Yes, you should realize that even though you need a hundred Common Rating Souls to get one Void Soul, that''s only the beginning. For one Void Soul, you can only buy the weakest equipment. Of course, any item can be put to good use, but I''m not talking about unique situations." Said Sven.


    "I get it, but you were talking about Primary Chronicle souls, am I right?" Asked Wain.


    "Yes, the higher the Chronicle souls, the higher the price. There''s no trick here. It''s trivial logic. But, the price ratio among First Chronicle souls is slightly differentpared to Primary Chronicle souls." Pronounced Sven.


    "I''m listening to you." Calmly said Wain.


    "To get one Void Soul, you need to hand me ten Common Rating souls or two Rare Rating Souls. For one Epic Rating soul, you get two Void Souls. For one Heroic Rating soul, you get eight Void Souls. For one Ascendant Rating soul, you get forty Void Souls." Sven muttered.


    "Serious differences. Tell me, how much is the most expensive thing you can sell?" Asked Wain.


    He was curious to know how expensive and powerful things existed. Also, Wain understood that Sven wasn''t the only one who could trade souls for Void Souls and trade. But, at the moment, Sven was the only merchant Wain had ess to.


    Sven smiled and said, "You don''t need to know that because then there wouldn''t be any intrigue. But, to increase your interest, I will tell you that it is much more than a million, a billion, or even a trillion. You will need an incredible number of souls. You would have to destroy entire cities and inds to get that item!"


    "Huh, no matter how the world changes, money will always be one of the most important factors in it." Mumbled Wain.


    He understood that even though he was powerful, he needed money and in significant quantities.


    The problem was that the only way a human didn''t need money was as if he was the strongest in all worlds and dimensions.


    In that case, he could get anything he wanted simply because he was strong. But, it took unshakable strength. This person should not have been defeated even by billions of other beings.


    "Of course, trade helps peoplemunicate with each other, build rtionships, and progress faster. There''s nothing wrong with that. Just like everywhere else, there are minuses and pluses." Said Sven.


    "Yes... Only for some, there are many more pluses, while others have only one plus among hundreds of minuses. Money is a dangerous yet necessary thing for which people are willing to kill each other." Said Wain.


    He knew better than most how money affected the world and how it could change people and influence decisions. In time, Wain''s thirst for money subsided, for with his power, he had no need and no shortage of money, but it was not always so.


    Wain was different from many people, but he could not be unique in every one of the millions of aspects of human life.


    When he was still young, he had to do a lot of terrible things to make some money. At first, these were forced measures because otherwise, he would have died in some dumpster. But then he was consumed by the lust for money.<sub> </sub>


    Wain was getting more and more, and he wasn''t going to stop. But, then, underneath the mountains of his gold, he noticed something. It was an invisible and intangible thing, but when Wain saw it, his lust for money began to subside.


    That was power, not much at all, but Wain felt that had infinite potential. It was then that the part of Wain''s journey that made him the judge of his world began.


    At that point, Wain had an enormous amount of money, ranging from simple bills to gold, rare metals, and jewelry. He measured his fortune in warehouses filled to the brim with gold.


    But, he understood that even all the money in the world would not help him gain the power to be a reaper for everyone who lived on the.


    A lot happened that day. Wain decided to radically change his life and move in a different direction. Then he became a loner and gradually built up his power, but some things didn''t change. Like before, he spilled rivers of blood, paving the way to his goal.


    Those who once killed someone were said to have blood on their hands. That would be an incorrectparison in Wain''s case. It was more like a sea or even a whole ocean of blood, but apart from that, Wain was a true destroyer of hopes and dreams.


    Every time he killed someone, someone''s fate was shattered. Wain didn''t believe in fate. He believed that everything depended on the person himself or any other factors. He thought about it a lot because he was often faced with choosing to kill a person or not.


    "Yes, money is significant, but when a man gets paid for his work, it helps him feel needed and not useless. An emotional attitude is essential in any situation. Okay, Wain, you wanted to ask me something. What is it?" Sven asked.


    Wain nodded, "Recently, I was caught in a spatial rift and was about to enter the Void, but suddenly instead of an inky door with hundreds of eyes, a bone gate appeared. I didn''t chicken out and went inside. I found outter that I was in one of the Purgatory zones. What do you know about it?"


    Sven was a little shocked when Wain mentioned Purgatory. Wain was not supposed to have information about this ce in any way. Sven didn''t know how Wain knew about it, but that was none of his business. It wasn''t until a littleter, anyway.


    "How much do you know about the Purgatory zones?" Sven asked. He must have realized how knowledgeable Wain was on the subject.


    "Not much at all. I know that Purgatory is connected to the World of Darkness and that these zones areplicated to get into, as well as having terrible dangers lurking in them." Proimed Wain.


    Sven nodded, "I''ll tell you all I know, but I must warn you that even I don''t know everything. The Purgatory zones are some of the most mysterious ces in the entire universe. Sometimes I think it''s just impossible to understand how it works."


    "I see," Wain said briefly.


    "But, as you know, everything in this worldes with a price, and especially information. If you want me to tell you about the Purgatory zones, you have to pay three Void Souls." Said Sven.


    Wain nodded, he was not surprised that Sven asked for payment. In his mind, three Void Souls for such information was not much.


    At this point, Wain had 2173 souls. That was quite a lot. A man would have to single-handedly empty several Dungeons or Nests to get that many souls. But Wain was somewhat lucky.


    He took advantage of the invasion of monsters from heaven and was able to get a little more than two thousand souls in one powerful attack. Wain could have used those souls, but he didn''t see the point in doing so.


    He had no shortage of Soul Essene at the moment, but he could use souls to obtain Void Souls. This currency of the World of Darkness was highly useful.


    No one in this world needed bills or materially useless metal now. Money was now the souls of other creatures, it sounded incredibly cynical, but it was reality.


    "Okay, I agree," Wain said briefly and reached forward. He could pass as many souls as he wished.


    Sven smiled and did the same. The next moment, three hundred white souls moved into Sven''s body.


    Whoooosh.


    The next moment three gray souls appeared in front of Sven. An ancient aura emanated from them, and they were as deep as the abyss.

 Chapter 129 Purgatory

    When Sven received the three Void Souls, he smiled and proceeded to exin, "Wain, what do you know about the soul pearl?"


    "Practically nothing. I had to get the thing to get out of the Purgatory zone, but that''s where my information ends. Is it something important? Isn''t the soul pearl just a key?"


    Sven shook his head, "The soul pearl is the main difference between the Purgatory zones and the World of Darkness zones. Purgatory is also part of the World of Darkness, but it''s more like a separate, detached zone with its own rules. I''d say Purgatory is just in the territory of the World of Darkness."


    "So what''s so special about soul pearls if they''re only found in Purgatory zones?" Wain asked.


    Agnes told him that a soul pearl umtes the purest energy without impurities, ws, or sins. It was the true ideal in terms of Soul Essence.


    "The smaller areas of the world of Purgatory depend on this energy and may be destroyed if the soul pearl disappears. In fact, the soul pearl is nothing more than a simple natural phenomenon. The world of Darkness works like a filter, and only pure energy ends up at the very bottom, which condenses into a soul pearl." Said Sven.


    "But, it''s not that simple. Right?" Asked Wain.


    Sven nodded, "Yes, the soul pearl is a valuable thing. It''s hard to find something like it in all worlds, so obviously, someone would want to steal a soul pearl and use it for their own purposes. Moreover, the soul pearls themselves can be just as much trouble."


    Wain did not interrupt and listened intently. Sven said that even he didn''t know much about Purgatory, which showed Wain how unique this ce was.


    "As far as I know, on infrequent asions, a soul pearl can explode. If it happens in a tiny area of Purgatory, that space will be destroyed. The same will happen to all zones that are not a medium size.


    When the pearl of the soul explodes, there is a huge burst of pure energy, but this event also has positive sides. The point is that after the explosion, the energy of the soul pearl is not dispersed in space and does not disappear.


    The pure energy is directed to a random point in the World of Darkness, and there a new area of Purgatory is created with its own soul pearl." Sven pronounced.


    "Hmm? Aren''t you contradicting yourself? Before, you said that having a soul pearl was the hallmark of Purgatory zones. But, now you say that medium- andrge-sized zones can survive a soul pearl explosion. Doesn''t that mean that these zones can exist without a soul pearl?" Wain asked puzzled.


    "Both yes and no. When the energy of the soul pearl is channeled elsewhere, as it passes through the spaceyer of its zone, the particles of energy remain there. In that case, those particles will turn into a new soul pearl.


    Simply put, a Purgatory zone can exist without a pearl, but only when it explodes and for a time before a new soul pearl is condensed from the particles of energy." Sven said in detail.


    "I see, this means that soul pearls can multiply and Purgatory, as well as the World of Darkness, gradually grow." Said Wain.<sub> </sub>


    "Yes, furthermore, if the Purgatory zone managed to survive the soul pearl explosion, by the time a new pearl appears, the zone will have fully recovered. Likewise, when the soul pearl is created, the entire zone will be infused with pure energy and will be much stronger and richer." Pronounced Sven.


    Sven sighed and continued, "But, the Purgatory zones actually grow quite slowly. While one zone will be created, another may be destroyed for various reasons. So it''s unlikely that there will ever be a situation where there will be an infinity of huge Purgatory zones."


    "Clearly, moreover, to maintain the bnce of Purgatory zones, it is necessary for soul pearls to create exactly as many zones as they destroy. But, I have a question. Is there any way to avoid this? Are the beings in the zones of Purgatory doomed to have their world destroyed at some point?" Wain asked.


    "No, of course not. After all, all you have to do to ensure that the soul pearl never explodes is simply not to touch it. However, if the soul pearl is affected by other energy fluctuations or someone decides to attack it, then the soul pearl might explode." Sven said.


    ''Hmm, when I got to the top of the pagoda, there was a cage behind Forgotten''s that contained the soul pearl. It was probably his way of protecting the soul pearl from any outside influences, but I interrupted his ns. It all worked out well in the end, though.'' Wain thought.


    "Sven, when I was in the Purgatory zone, I used the soul pearl to get out of there. After that, that zone was destroyed. But, will another Purgatory zone then be created from the energy of that pearl?" Wain asked.


    "That zone you were in was small?"


    "Yes, I would even say quite tiny. Forest, des, mountains, and a few other ces. No bigger than some huge park or nature reserve." Said Wain.


    "I see. Since the soul pearl was used to activate the portal, no new zone will be created. After all, there''s no energy left. The point is, the size of the zone also determines the power of the soul pearl." Sven pronounced.


    "So the tiny and small zones are destroyed when the pearl explodes, but the medium andrge zones remain intact." Concluded Wain.


    "Yes, moreover, there are zones that have survived several soul pearl explosions. Such zones are very powerful. They are huge, and when another soul pearl explodes in them, there isn''t even serious destruction there. It''s more like an atomic bomb exploding than a force capable of destroying an entire world in an instant." Sven said calmly.


    "Okay, I understand what a soul pearl is and what its role is. In brief, the soul pearl is a generator that enriches the earth around it. But, if you take the generator out of action, it can get into trouble, but only for small areas." Said Wain.


    Sven nodded.


    "Then you should tell me about the second part. About who''s after the soul pearls and for what purpose."

 Chapter 130 Pearl Hunters

    "You ask me who hunts soul pearls and why? All right, I''ll tell you what I know, but I must warn you that some of my information is unreliable. Don''t take my further words as truth, even I haven''t fully understood the topic yet." Said Sven.


    "I understand, and before you start talking about pearl hunters, I want to ask you something. When I fought in the Purgatory zone and took the soul pearl for myself, at that moment, there were many cracks in the sky, as if it were ss. Then I saw boundless darkness, and the hand of some creature tried to take the pearl from me." Calmly Wain said.


    "You were able to escape and get out of the Purgatory zone with a portal. That''s impressive." Sven said in amazement.


    Wain looked at Sven puzzled and said, "What do you mean ran away? I cut off his arm and chased him out of that space. It was the only choice. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have had time to activate the portal and get back."


    When Sven heard this, he was stunned for a few seconds.


    ''It seems that Wain is even stronger than I imagined. However, I''m being silly. His soul is powerful and under a veil of mystery and mysticism. Hmm, I need to watch this man''s progress closely. It is not often that someone worthy appears among them. He can overwhelm the whole world with his power. It''s very rare'' Thought Sven.


    "Ah, I''m sorry, I misunderstood you. Honestly, I didn''t expect you to be able to fend off an attack by a pearl hunter. Maybe you got lucky, and he was pretty weak, though I don''t rule out a factor like your strength." Sven said.


    "Do you know who it is? Who''s after the pearls of the soul?"


    Sven shook his head, "No, unfortunately, I don''t know that. The thing is, it''s impossible to pinpoint the beings who do this for a multitude of reasons. For one thing, pearl hunters are not any race, nation, kingdom, or group of people.


    In most cases, they act alone, as if they were thieves of some sort. However, this rule applies only to the weakest soul pearl hunters. The stronger ones band together in groups and even entire organizations with their own ranks, duties, and leaders."


    "I see, but how do they sneak into other worlds while still being outside the zone? That creature I fought was outside the zone." Asked Wain.


    "There are two options here, but only one of them can actually be applied in practice. Pearl hunters most likely move into Purgatory zones using portals." Sven muttered.


    "Is that possible?"


    "Sure, why not. You were able to get home through the portal."


    "Yes, but I used the soul pearl, and I was helped by the watcher of this area of Purgatory. Without that two conditions, I wouldn''t have been able to get home." Said Wain.


    Sven shook his head, "That''s not exactly true. Even though the person who was the territory watcher had special powers, that doesn''t mean he''s the only one capable of activating portals to other spaces."


    Wain nodded his head and said, "I agree with that. But, isn''t the soul pearl a prerequisite for activating a portal?"


    "No, the soul pearl can be used for that purpose, but that is not its only function. In this case, the soul pearl works like a battery. It transfers energy to the portal so it can be used."


    ''That''s right, the first time I talked to Agnes, she suggested that I somehow create a soul pearl. She probably meant the two of us to umte enough energy to activate the portal. Hmm, but I couldn''t do ten years of energy harvesting.'' Thought Wain.


    "I see. The soul pearl can be reced with some other energy source and activate the portal. But is entering another space that easy? I needed the help of an area watcher, even though I had the soul pearl and the portal ready to use." Proimed Wain.


    "No, it''s not easy. I''d say it''s incredibly difficult. It takes several conditions to move from one space to another using a portal, each of which is quite difficult to meet." Sven said and held out his index finger to start a countdown.


    "First, you need materials to create the portal. Creating a portal is very difficult. You need a skilled craftsman, a true professional in the business. But getting the necessary materials is not an easy task either.


    Second, the portal must be set up. If this is not done, you will not move into the space you want but into the void, where your body will be split into atoms in a few seconds.


    Third, it takes a tremendous amount of energy to activate a portal, as I said earlier. It might take about a quadrillion Primary Chronicle souls to activate a portal for a short transition between two spaces." Said Sven.<sub> </sub>


    "Oh, those are too gigantic numbers..." Said Wain.


    "Yes. Of course, a lot depends on the quality of the portal and on the skills of the person who set it up, but you will need a lot of energy in any case."


    "However, there''s another big problem. If the space doesn''t want to take you in, you''ll have to force your way through. In that case, you need even more energy, and if you''re not powerful enough, space will drive you out, and you might even die."


    "I see. You said there was another way the creature could get into another space."


    Sven nodded, "It''s almost impossible, but if the creature can move while outside the boundaries of spaces, then it can walk almost anywhere. But, that''s only possible if the creature has extremely rare and specific abilities or is incredibly powerful."


    "That kind of power and ability is impressive. Now tell me the most important thing. Why do soul pearl hunters do this?" Asked Wain.


    "Of course, but it''s quite difficult to establish their true purpose. They always try to operate as stealthily as possible, even the weakest and most inexperienced of them. Because otherwise, those who can move through spaces will find them and destroy them in an instant." Said Sven.


    ''Hmm, so there are spaces in the World of Darkness where such beings dwell. Perhaps the vast zones of the World of Darkness contain areasparable in size to a continent. I wonder if the inhabitants of the zones of the World of Darkness can invasion my world?'' Wain thought.


    Sven went on to exin, ''First of all, the most straightforward and understandable reason why pearl hunters do this is the trivial trade. One soul pearl, even of a tiny area of Purgatory, can fetch an astronomical amount of money.


    Secondly, there is arge amount of energy hidden in the soul pearls, and some creatures can use this to be much stronger. However, with the right abilities and tools, anyone can do it.


    In these two main reasons, I am fully convinced, and you can trust me. But what I tell you next is more theory and hypothesis than truth. I hope you understand that."


    ? Wain nodded.


    "Perhaps the hunters are stealing pearls for a more specific andrger purpose. They are likely conducting experiments on the pure energy stored in the pearls. I also believe that the leaders of the hunters may be trying to use the pearls to create their own spaces." Sven said.


    He sighed and continued, "But they probably haven''t seeded yet. It''s too difficult to create a whole mini-world, even if it''s the size of a nature reserve or an ind. It should not be confused with the empty spaces that can be created with certain abilities or items.


    There is nothing in those spaces, whereas Purgatory zones have the right environment for life. To create a Purgatory zone requires not only the energy of a soul pearl but also the power of Purgatory, which is almost impossible to use for anything."


    "Do they have any other purpose?" Asked Wain.


    "Yes, I assume that with this energy, the hunters are also trying to deliberately drive monsters or the inhabitants of the zones of the World of Darkness into other zones. I think they do it for the purpose of some kind of experiment, but most likely, it''s all about getting stronger and more unique souls." Sven pronounced.


    "Hmm, if they suddenly collide monsters from two spaces, only the strongest or the one who was able to adapt to the new conditions will survive. If you repeat this process time after time, you can get really amazing results." Said Wain.


    "Yes, it''s like gic experiments, only in the format of diatorial fights. No pity or rules, just brutality, and bloody rivers." Sven pronounced.


    ''Hmm, those monsters that attacked us after the appearance of the white pir of energy looked insane. It seemed strange to me because even the weakest monsters shouldn''t have that look. There''s nothing left in them but brutality and animal instincts, but now I''m beginning to understand the situation.'' Wain pondered.


    Wain believed these monsters had randomly escaped from another space and entered his world when the sky cracked.


    They were most likely test subjects in the pearl hunters'' experiments. However, Wain did not rule out the possibility that these monsters were members of some extremely aggressive race.


    ''I thought then that a dark monster, that is, a pearl hunter, would appear, but it seems they could not get into my world. Perhaps the cracks in the sky recovered too quickly. However, given the size of this world, it would beplicated for them to cross the spatial barrier, even if they really wanted to.'' Wain thought.

 Chapter 131 Items

    "I''ve told you everything I know about soul pearl hunters. I have nothing more to add." Said Sven.


    Wain nodded, "Okay, I hear you. I''m about to leave, but before I do, I''d like to see your assortment. What can I buy from you?"


    Sven smiled, "I think we should start with how many souls you have. I need to know your capabilities, so I can suggest appropriate items."


    "Right now, I have 1873 souls. Most of them are Common Rating, but there are a few Rare Rating souls. I suppose it would be fair if you gave me neen Void Souls for that?" Wain said calmly.


    "Sure, no problem. But, I must warn you that I never give discounts or anything like that. Every soul has its exact price, just like objects do." Said Sven.


    "I would argue with that. Different gear isn''t always equally useful. It all depends on the situation. It doesn''t matter to you as a merchant, though." Said Wain and extended his arm forward.


    Each of the souls he had was Destroyed. It made no sense for Wain to use these souls for himself. It was far more profitable to trade them from Sven for a few Void Souls. Wain could have tried to get a few Spiritual Boxes out of the hundreds of souls, but he decided it wasn''t worth it.


    He would have gotten a few expendable Common Rating items at best. That wasn''t the equivalent of neen Void Souls. Wain also had no shortage of Soul Essence at the moment.


    Sven touched Wain''s hand, and hundreds of souls passed to Sven in the next moment. It was like many white threads flowing through their hands, from Wain to Sven.


    Then neen gray souls appeared in Sven''s hands, and they instantly flew into Wain''s body. Sven had used Void Soul immediately in the past, so he didn''t pass them to Wain, but now it was a little different.


    When the Void Souls flew into his body, Wain felt quite strange. It was as if he didn''t exist. He felt like he was in the middle of a void and gradually became part of it himself.


    "By the way, Sven, I don''t understand something. It''s about the prices of Void Souls." Said Wain.


    "What is it?" Sven asked puzzled.


    "You said a hundred Common Rating Primary Chronicle souls, I can trade for one Void Soul. That''s understandable, but why didn''t you mention the state the souls should be in? As far as I know, there''s a lot more energy in Whole Soul than in Damaged Soul or Destroyed Soul. Wain asked.


    Sven smirked and said, "That''s not true. Do you really think I''d be working at a loss? For your information, that''s basically impossible since I have no Void Souls."


    "Hmm? Do you create them out of thin air?" Wain asked puzzled.


    "It''s practically like this. As this bar owner, I have special powers to convert souls into Void Souls. Only I can do that, and only here, and only at the exact price. It''s like being in a bank." Smiling, Sven said.


    ''It was clear, though. Sven has a special role in the World of Darkness, but perhaps he is amon merchant. It seems surprising to me as I am just learning the boundaries and possibilities of this dimension.'' Thought Wain.


    He realized that besides Sven, other beings were capable of converting monster souls into Void Souls. Sven was a bartender, a merchant, and an informant all in one. Wain was lucky to have met such a useful person in his first neutral zone.


    "So why isn''t the state of the souls I pass on to you important?"


    "It''s simple. I''m sure you know how each soul state differs from the other very well. But, the point is that in Whole Soul, there is more energy just because one can gain an item or skill by crushing that soul.


    These details don''t matter for the World of Darkness because they are impermanent and can change. The World of Darkness does not consider a potential knife or shield as energy. It is simr to how money works.


    If you go to the store, you''re not going to pay with your phone or your ring, for example. These things are worth money, but they are not liquid for the store. The same system works in this case." Said Sven.


    Wain nodded.


    "However, there is another option that I sometimes think about. Maybe the World of Darkness rules is trying to cash in on those who don''t know about it or for whom it no longer makes any difference what souls to give in exchange for Void Souls. At least that''s what I would do." Sven muttered.


    "I see, that does make sense..." Said Wain.


    p At the moment, it made sense for Wain to give only Destroyed Souls. However, that would change after a while. When all his stats except Energy were 80, he would no longer use Primary Chronicle Damaged Souls.</anda>


    However, Wain believed that Whole Souls would always be useful. Even if he gets useless skills or items, he can give them to someone else or sell them. Only to someone in his own world, not to Sven. Trade was important in all worlds, not just the World of Darkness.


    "All right, show me what you have."


    "Are you interested in items from what price range?" Sven asked.


    "From one to neen, of course, perhaps you have something exciting?"


    Sven smiled and said, "I have a lot of unique and unusual items, but I think we need to start small. How about this one? I''m sure you won''t turn down my offer."


    Whooosh.


    Then the ring on Sven''s hand glowed brightly, and a small, rectangr box appeared beside it.<sub> </sub>


    Wain raised his eyebrows in surprise and asked uncertainly, "Are those cigarettes?"


    Sven smiled and nodded, "There are twelve cigarettes in this packet. They are called - Night Neb. Of course, these cigarettes are unusual. They''re unique."


    "Go on," Wain said interestedly.


    "Despite your regeneration, you will feel as if your lungs were on fire, but it will be a pleasant feeling. This is the special effect of the nt from which these cigarettes were made. Also, the smoke will be ck and may turn into some kind of animal or something else. It''s not an attack ability. It''s just a beautiful, visual effect." Sven exined in detail.


    Wain nodded. He wasn''t upset that these cigarettes couldn''t be used. It made sense. However, Wain wouldn''t mind trying out somebat cigarettes for the sake of interest.


    "I won''t hide it. I like it. What''s the price?" Wain asked.


    Sven pointed one finger. They were cigarettes, though unusual, they couldn''t cost much.


    "All right, I agree, but I need three." Proimed Wain, and the next moment three gray souls appeared beside him. They instantly flew into Wain''s body.


    Sven nodded, and the ring on his finger glowed. Wain took the three ck cigarette packets and shoved them under his cloak before moving to the Ring of Damned.


    "Okay, now I need something powerful to fight with. Maybe some kind of bomb or scroll, a disposable weapon or something." Said Wain.


    "Of course, the customer''s wish is thew." Smiling said Sven, and his ring glowed again.


    The next moment, three things appeared next to it.


    It was a red, square amulet with the image of a lion. One parchment scroll with iprehensible writing and a yellow crystal and a hollow cube inside. Each of these things was valuable and practical.


    "Take your pick. I''m sure any of these things will help you in battle. For you, I''ve chosen the most interesting and useful things." Said Sven motioning the items to Wain.


    First, Wain picked up the red lion amulet.


    [Furious Lion Amulet (Primary Chronicle, Epic Rating)


    When this amulet is used, the silhouette of a furious lion appears above the wearer, and an aura begins to emanate that will drive away all weak monsters.


    As long as the amulet is activated, all Stats increase by 15 points, and the amulet''s owner significantly increases his resistance to fire attacks.


    The amulet''s duration is 15 minutes, it can be used only once, and then it will be destroyed. After the amulet expires, all stats will be lowered by 10 for five minutes.


    Uses: 0/1]


    "How much is this amulet worth?" Wain asked.


    "Five Void Souls," Sven said calmly.


    Wain nodded, he was pleased with the description of this item, but he was hesitant to buy it yet.


    He only had sixteen Void Souls left, and he wasn''t going to use them all. He wouldn''t be able to get that many souls anytime soon. He would have to hunt monsters for a long time.


    However, the stronger he got, the more Void Souls he would have. Killing stronger and rarer monsters was advantageous.


    Wain then picked up a scroll with various inscriptions.


    [Curse of Blindness Scroll (Primary Chronicle, Epic Rating)


    A creepy ghost appears near its owner when this item is used and flies toward its target. When the ghost reaches its victim, the target will be blinded for 10 minutes.


    This item can only be used three times, after which it is destroyed.


    Number of uses: 0/3]


    ''Hmm, quite a simple but effective item. I can incapacitate three enemies for ten minutes. If it''s humans and not beasts, the blindness will render them practically useless.'' Thought Wain and asked the price again.


    Sven calmly said, "Four Void Souls."


    Wain nodded and picked up the cube and the hollow metal cube. The two items became one piece whenbined.

 Chapter 132 The Compass

    Wain picked up a yellow crystal and a hollow cube with a particr cell and opened a description of these items.


    [Edge st (Primary Chronicle, Heroic Rating)


    This is a special mechanism, to use which you need to insert an energy crystal into the cube. The cube will be fully charged with energy and ready to use in ten seconds. When that happens, the thread on the cube will glow brightly with a yellow light.


    After three seconds, the cube will be activated. Hundreds of rays will fly out of it, capable of seriously injuring any Primary Chronicle monster and even causing minor damage to First Chronicle monsters].


    ''Not bad, it''s a pretty strong item, though considering its Heroic Rating, that''s not surprising.'' Thought Wain and looked at Sven.


    Sven calmly said, "Seven Void Souls and this beautiful bomb is yours."


    Wain nodded, and twelve Void Souls flew out of his body the next moment. Wain decided to buy the Furious Lion Amulet and the Edge st. He decided not to take the scroll with the Blindness Curse since this item was not as useful as the others.


    "Thank you for your purchase," Sven said with a slight smile on his face.


    Wain nodded and moved the red amulet and the cube to the Ring of Damned.


    Twelve Void Souls was a significant number, but Wain was pleased with his acquired items. At their first meeting, Sven had offered to buy Wain a bomb for just one Void Soul, the power of this bomb wasparable to a nuclear bomb, but only under certain conditions.


    Therefore, Wain thought the deal was fair despite the rather high price.


    ''I still have four Void Souls left, I didn''t want to spend them all, but the items Sven is selling are excellent. What''s more, each of the three items was Epic Rated or higher. That''s impressive.'' Thought Wain.


    "Sven, maybe as an experienced merchant you can advise me on something? I only have four souls left." Said Wain.


    "Sure, how about that?" Said Sven, and a small, green pill appeared in his hands.


    Wain took it in his hands and read the description.


    [Healing Pill of the Second Rank (Primary Chronicle, Rare Rating)


    This pill was created by a rather experienced alchemist who has been practicing this craft for many years.


    However, this alchemist is not yet at the level of the true masters capable of creating masterpieces of alchemical art.


    When you eat this pill, regeneration greatly increases, and even fractures will heal in a few hours. This pill has no negative effects other than the appearance of a strong sense of hunger due to the depletion of the body''s resources during the treatment]


    "How much?"


    "Just one Void Soul," Sven said.


    "Hmm, that''s pretty cheap." Surprised, Wain said and handed the Void Soul to Sven.


    "Yes, after all, it''s only one pill, not a dozen or some collection of rare remedies. But, I should warn you about something. You probably don''t know about it." Said Sven.<sub> </sub>


    Wain looked at him interestedly.


    "This is a Primary Chronicle pill, and the effect written in the description won''t work on you to its full potential. The reason is that you are now a First Chronicle creature and need more effective medicaments than before to heal your wounds." Sven said.


    "I see," Wain replied sinctly. He understood what Sven meant.


    Wain had enhanced regeneration because of his stats, but that didn''t mean that it would heal in half an hour if he broke his arm.


    On the contrary, his regeneration slowed after he evolved and became a First Chronicle creature. Because it now required far more resources to heal his wounds.


    The pill Wain had just bought would have been enough to cure an open fracture in an hour for a simple man who had not yet activated his Soul Altar.


    For Wain, however, the effect of the pill was far less. His scratches and shallow wounds would heal several times faster, but no more.


    Wain moved the healing pill to the Ring of Damned and was about to leave, but suddenly he remembered something.


    "Sven, do you have something to help me find the right thing?" Wain asked. He only had three Void Souls left, but he was sure he could buy something of quality for that amount.


    "What are the terms? The item you are looking for, what Chronicle does it belong to? Do you know what the item looks like and what it is called?" Sven asked several questions at once. He was an experienced merchant and knew how to find the right item for his client.


    Wain answered each of the questions in detail. Sven nodded and snapped his finger.


    A small silverpass appeared in his hands, with a tinum rim. He opened it and said, "With thispass, you will be able to find the thing you need. However, thispass will only show you the direction, no distance or altitude."


    "Of course, that''s more than enough. How much?" Wain asked.


    "Three Void Souls," Sven said calmly.


    Wain handed him the Void Souls and took hispass.


    [tinum Guiding Compass (Primary Chronicle, Rare Rating)


    With a small amount of Soul Essence, thispass will point the way to the goal. But, only if thepass owner knows what the item looks like and can urately describe it].


    The description was straightforward. Initially, Wain didn''t think he would need such an item, but then he remembered a piece of map that had recently flown into his body.


    Wain decided to spend some Void Souls but got the chance to collect the whole map. Now, when he had some free time, he could go after the other pieces, knowing the exact direction they were in.


    Wain wanted to know where the huge ind would appear in three months so he could get there for sure. He was sure there would be something interesting and unusual there.


    "Thanks for everything. I''ll definitely be back again." Wain said with a slight smile on his face and headed for the bar''s exit.


    Sven nodded and said quietly, "You are always wee here."

 Chapter 133 Ice

    Wain was in the bar for quite some time; he didn''t expect their meeting with Sven to be so long. However, Wain learned a lot about this world and how Purgatory zones, neutral zones, and special people like Sven work.


    What''s more, Wain has gained some pretty useful items to defeat some pretty tough enemies.


    Click.


    Wain opened the bar door and once again found himself in a dark space and a long tunnel, at the end of which another door was waiting for him.


    ''Hmmm, I can use Furious Lion Amulet to fight against one strong enemy and Edge st to destroy hundreds of targets at a time. I need to get busy umting souls, finding a map, improving my skills... ah, I have too much work to do.'' Thought Wain and opened the door at the end of the passage.


    Once again, he found himself in a spatial rift where there was a wooden door leading to a bar and an inky door with many eyes.


    Wain nodded slightly and headed for the ink door. He entered the passageway without any trouble.


    "Hmm, the bone gate still hasn''t appeared, is the Sorcerer''s Soul hidden in the Void and not in the Purgatory area? That''s not a bad thing though, I''ve never been in the Void before. It should be interesting." Mumbled Wain pacing toward the door at the end of the tunnel.


    The closer he got, the lower the temperature got around him. Wain immediately realized that it was the ice-covered door at the end of the tunnel. A cold and terrifying aura emanated from it. Wain felt a massive pressure exerted on him, and goosebumps ran down his body involuntarily.


    Wain smiled and said, "Great, the feeling of anticipation is one of the best. Honestly, I''m tired of sitting at the bar at Sven''s. I need to stretch out."


    Click.


    Wain opened the icy door and stepped forward. As soon as he was in another space, he was immediately confronted with a natural phenomenon such as a blizzard.


    Then Wain saw a message in front of him.


    [You have entered the Void - Ice Caves]


    Wain''s Seal of Darkness shed brightly, and he felt the energy of the World of Darkness heading toward him.


    ''This is rather unusual, but now I know for sure that I am not in the Purgatory zone. Strange, I thought that I wouldn''t see any message when I entered Void as in the Purgatory zone.'' Thought Wain and looked around.


    The icy wind was contemting his face, and massive kes of snow had already managed to fall on his cloak.


    ''Yeah, it was obviously warmer in the bar.''


    Even though his stats were high, it was still pretty cold. This meant that even the blizzard in this area was different from what ordinary people were used to.


    If a person with an unactivated Soul Altar were in Wain''s ce, he would have already been frozen and turned into an ice statue.


    Despite the icy torrents that were raining down on Wain, he was in a cave, quiterge and spacious, as well as multi-leveled.


    Wain approached the slope and looked down. He saw dozens of different passages, tunnels, and spontaneous ice bridges in the form of massive pieces of cylindrical ice. It was a very deep funnel.


    "Yeah, it looks like I''m going to be wandering around here forever. Too bad thepass can''t show me where the Sorcerer''s Soul is, but I have my own means." Wain muttered and concentrated.


    The Seal of Darkness glowed brightly, and Wain could see where the energy fluctuations wereing from.


    Wain nodded and, looking down, muttered, "It was obvious, though, that I''d have to go down."


    Whooosh.


    Wain waved his hand, and a sma sword appeared beside him. He wanted to descend to the bottom of the funnel using his usual method. However, he failed when he tried to plunge the sma sword into the ice.


    Wain frowned, he tried a few more times, but despite his great effort, he could not plunge the sword into the walls of the funnel.


    "Damn... Am I really going to have to jump over these bridges and gradually go down?" Wain muttered.


    After thinking for a while and realizing he had no other options, Wain shrugged and jumped down.


    The nearest bridge was twenty meters deep. That would be a deadly height for a normal person in most cases. But, for Wain, it wasn''t a problem. However, he still did a somersault after the fall to reduce the shock wave.


    He wasn''t sure that even for him jumping from such a height would be absolutely harmless, so he decided to eliminate all risks.


    To Wain''s left and right were tunnels that could be essed by walking across the ice bridge. Wain could have continued down the tunnels by jumping over the bridges, but he decided to head for the tunnels.<sub> </sub>


    This was the first time Wain had been in Void, and he wanted to explore the area. He thought there must be something interesting and unusual in the Void.


    For the first few minutes, nothing unusual happened. Wain walked quietly through the tunnel and gradually made his way down. All around him, he saw nothing but ice and icicles.


    But, after a while, Wain encountered the first monsters of the area. They were massive lizards with icy protective tes on their bodies.


    They did not notice Wain, for they were sleeping. The temperature here was eptable to them. They were born here and lived in this Void for many years.


    Wain waved his hand, and the sma sword flew toward the lizards. The monsters continued to sleep, unaware of the impending danger.


    However, when the sma sword almost reached one of the lizards, the monster suddenly opened its eyes and swiftly repulsed the attack with its tongue. The sma sword flew aside like a small needle, falling at Wain''s feet.


    ''Unexpectedly... Perhaps I should get myself a real weapon instead of using the sma Destruction Sword all the time.'' Wain pondered.


    He had also thought before about not relying too much on the sma Destruction Sword, but Wain couldn''t give up using the skill so easily all the time. He also wasn''t sure that fighting with two swords would be effective.


    If Wain were to have his own weapon to use duringbat, he would have to control the sma sword at the same time. Wain could fight this way, but he did not like this fighting style for several reasons.


    First, he didn''t want to spread his power over multiple objects. He would have to watch his movements, his enemies'' attacks while mentally controlling the sma sword.


    Secondly, by allocating his attention to the sma sword, he would lower his concentration level. In that case, he would never reach the level where he fights with one weapon.


    Wain preferred it when all his power was concentrated at one point to achieve one goal. That''s why one-on-onebat was his favorite option.


    He had one enemy, one target, one battlefield in those moments.


    ''I''ll have to look closely at my options for developing the sma Destruction Sword when I upgrade the Chronicle of this skill. Perhaps I can find a solution to my problem.'' Thought Wain, picked up his sword from the floor and prepared for battle.


    His opponents were three massive lizards, each quite strong.


    Whooosh.


    One of the ice lizards pounced on Wain and got to him in a second. Wain didn''t wait for a good moment and decided to attack immediately while the defenseless opponent was.


    Wain swung his sword at lightning speed and brought it down on the lizard''s neck. Excluding the belly, it was the most unprotected ce of lizards.


    Crackle.


    However, when the weapon''s de reached the ice tes, there were many cracks along with the sword, while the lizard''s protective te was perfectly intact. Wain was shocked. He didn''t expect the three lizards to be such serious opponents.


    Swift.


    The lizard turned sharply and struck Wain with its razor-sharp tail. Wain reacted quickly and blocked this attack with his sword in front of him. But his weapon was shattered into small pieces.


    Wain was shocked, he didn''t expect his weapon to be destroyed so easily, but he didn''t have time to think.


    Whooosh.


    The two long tongues of the remaining lizards came down on him like whips. Wain did not have time to react and received two powerful blows to the stomach from the tongues. They were strong enough to knock Wain back several meters.


    Wain reacted quickly and regrouped. As he flew, he bounced off the ground with one hand, got to his feet, and adopted a fighting stance.


    ''Hmm, perhaps I am acting too stupid. At the moment, I only have one First Chronicle skill, and it''s passive. I didn''t think there would be such dangerous monsters in this ce, but it looks like every one of these First Chronicle lizards.''


    He looked at the lizardsing his way and thought, ''The only skill that can do them serious damage is Oblivion Thunder, but it doesn''t make sense to use such a powerful skill on three lizards.''


    Wain shook his head and smirked. Once again, he forgot that he had something else besides skills and equipment.


    ''Huh, I''m a First Chronicle creature, and any my fist punch is more powerful than a sma sword or Kic Shot''s shot. Since I have to fight in a narrow, ice-covered cave, hand-to-handbat is the best option.'' Thought Wain and electric shocks appeared at his feet.


    He turned into blue lightning and reached the nearest lizard in a second. Wainunched a lightning strike, but the lizard turned sharply and dodged the blow to his surprise. The next moment, three deadly tongues headed in his direction.

 Chapter 134 Fists

    Wain was fast, but he quite rarely fought on ice. Lizards, unlike him, were able to maneuver perfectly in such territory. So even though Wain was faster, the ice lizard had time to dodge and attack with the others.


    Whooosh.


    The three tongues came down on Wain like whips. He hadn''t expected to be suddenly exposed to such a coordinated attack, but he reacted in time.


    Wain ducked, and one of the tongues swept before his eyes, but he was physically unable to dodge the other two. Wain wasn''t about to do that, though.


    He quickly grabbed the lizard tongues and turned sharply. The lizards did not expect Wain to act so brazenly, so they could not resist. They hit the solid, icy walls and were stunned for a few seconds.


    Wain took advantage of this and ran up to the lizards one by one and crushed their heads with several powerful attacks. As he supposed, his fists were far more deadly than the sma sword and most of his skills.


    It clearly indicated how big the gap was between Primary Chronicle and First Chronicle. Sure, there were exceptions like Oblivion Thunder. But even such a powerful skill could not have been stronger than Wain''s prolonged series of blows to a single target.


    When one ice lizard remained, it did not attack Wain''a. On the contrary, the monster was frightened and began to run away at maximum speed. Not all monsters could make such an important decision as an escape in time. Some managed to survive, but some didn''t.


    Wain smirked and ran after the lizard. He thought about using Kic Shot, but even if the power of the skill was enough to rip the monster''s paw off, the lizard could still escape.


    Whooosh.


    After a few seconds, Wain ran up to the lizard and grabbed it by the tail. Then he caught the monster by the neck and squeezed it tightly, breaking all the bones.


    When Wain first activated his Soul Altar, his strength was enough to kill the zombie with his bare hands. Now Wain did the same with the rather weak First Chronicle monsters.


    The ice lizards were deadly and almost invincible opponents for Primary Chronicle creatures, but they were pretty weak. Wain was several stages above them.


    Whooosh.


    Three white souls flew into Wain''s body.


    [Soul of Ice Lizard (Destroyed)


    Chronicle: First


    Rating: Common]


    "Damn, if their souls had been Rare Rated, I could have improved my skills. This time I was out of luck. However, those lizards weren''t strong enough for their souls to be Rare Rated." Mumbled Wain and headed onward.


    Wain crushed each of the souls and saw several messages in front of him.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Ice Lizard level 16.]


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Ice Lizard level 16.]


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Ice Li...]


    Unlike Primary Chronicle Souls, Wain had no intention of keeping these souls to exchange for Void Souls. It was too disadvantageous. Wain needed the power at the moment. Money was on the back burner.


    [You have leveled up to level 17. You get 3 status points to distribute freely]


    Wain had to level up and get stronger. Of course, he would have preferred those souls to be Damaged or Whole, but he was fine with that too. As long as he could move forward, he was content.


    [You get Common Rating Spiritual Box]


    "Oh, this is, as always, an unexpected surprise. What''s more, from the looks of it, it appears to be the First Chronicle Spiritual Box. There must be something useful in there for sure." Wain thought and crushed the white box.


    The next moment a strangely shaped blue crystal appeared in the palm of his hand. It was like a spider web, just as flexible, strong, and viscous, even though outwardly it seemed solid.


    [Spider Bundle for Bombs (First Chronicle, Common Rating)


    This is a pretty specific consumable item, as you can''t use it by itself. To use this bundle, you need two bombs of any kind. They should be ced on the center of the web, and then the bundle will be activated.


    The power of both bombs will increase by 30%, and they will get the ice attribute in addition to their firepower].


    "Hmm, that''s an unusual item. It''s the first time I''ve encountered something that can''t be used without other equipment. It''s a good thing in my case, though. I just have two bombs." Wain muttered, moved the bundle to the Ring of Damned, and headed onward.


    Wain had two bombs, but one of them was unique. He wasn''t sure if this bundle would work with Edge st and Imp''s Needle Bomb. But, if he seeded, he could inflict a serious wound on even the First Chronicle monster with this st.


    ...<sub> </sub>


    Wain continued on his way down. On his way, he encountered many monsters, each of which was a First Chronicle. Because of the external conditions, the monsters were resistant to cold and quite resilient. The sma sword could not do any damage to such enemies.


    In all that time, Wain collected about ny Common Rating souls. It was quite a lot, but he had spent about a third of his strength by that point. He crushed every one of those souls, and he also raised one level, but it was not enough for more.


    When Wain reaches level twenty, each subsequent step will be twice as hard for him. But when he gets close to level thirty, he will have to kill thousands of monsters to raise at least one level.


    Wain had already evolved once, and the next time it would happen again when he reached level thirty. Wain didn''t know what would ur then. No one in his world had reached that level as far as he knew. Only one person had managed to get to level twenty-five in a few months, and that was the maximum.


    ...


    After about three hours of traveling through the ice caves, Wain reached the bottom. But, he was in no hurry to find the location of the Sorcerer''s Soul, for he had another problem.


    A massive creature, over twelve meters long and over four meters high, slept at the very bottom. It looked something like a dragon.


    ''No, it''s not a dragon...'' thought Wain looking at the sleeping monster. ''It''s a wyvern, an ice wyvern.''


    Many people confused wyverns and dragons, and that was a critical mistake. After all, one was an ancient, mythical creature with unparalleled strength and power, while the other was simply a rtively strong and dangerous monster.


    Of course, wyverns weren''t weak, but they couldn''t be equated with creatures like dragons.


    On the surface, wyverns were simr to dragons, but they had several significant differences. First, wyverns were generally much smaller than dragons. Second, unlike dragons, wyverns didn''t have wings on their backs but rather on their front legs like bats.


    Also, most wyverns were quite aggressive, unlike the wise and judicious dragons, which were practically the crown of evolution.


    The monster sleeping in front of Wain was a massive ice wyvern. Steam wasing out of its mouth and a formidable aura.


    ''Hmm, apparently, this monster is the strongest here, at least if this huge cave is the entire territory of Void.'' Thought Wain looking at the monster.


    It was his first time in Void, and the area was very simr to Dungeon, only Void was more dangerous. But, Wain thought there was something else in this space besides this cave. Maybe he was just lucky enough to be at the top of the ice funnel.


    Wain concentrated and felt the energy fluctuationsing from. To his surprise, they wereing from beneath the wyvern.


    ''Is there something under it? Most likely, there is no Sorcerer''s Soul here. Perhaps after defeating this monster, I will have to go to another spatial rift. Hell, will I even be able to get home this way?'' Wain thought.


    Wain knew how to get out of the Dungeon, it involved simply going out through a passage, but the Void was a more mysterious ce. Wain could only get out of the Purgatory area thanks to Agnes. Otherwise, he might have been in trouble.


    Wain had never been in Void before, but he supposed he needed to go back to the ce he had entered through. Then the ice walls would turn to ink, and Wain could get into the spatial rift.


    ''Okay, I''ll deal with thatter. I have to fight with the wyvern first and then find the Sorcerer''s Soul.'' Thought Wain and his aura began to intensify.


    Wain had learned to determine his enemy''s strength quite urately by its aura in the many battles he had fought in this world. He felt that he couldn''t handle a wyvern without using Nameless King''s Forms.


    Wain decided to use the Code of Light and Darkness since Cursed Swordsman was useless under the circumstances. Despite the tremendous power of the second form, Wain knew that using ice skills while fighting an ice wyvern was not the best solution.


    Wain''s hair turned white, and he wore ck and white armor. He also decided to check his status after the transformation.


    [Wain Norheim


    Level: 18


    Race: Human


    Beyond: Cmity


    Soul: Nameless King


    Additional Soul: ck Thunder''s Renegade


    Title: Savior of the Damned, Echo of Samurai, Mentor Inquisitor, The First, Soul Gatherer


    Status Points: 21


    Strength: 88 / Agility: 88 / Vitality: 88 / Stamina: 88 / Energy: 88]


    "Huh, not a bad number." Pronounced Wain as he looked at the wyvern, which opened its eyes, sensing Wain''s menacing aura.

 Chapter 135 Ice Breath

    Immediately after Wain activated the Code of Light and Darkness, the wyvern noticed his presence and opened its eyes. They were as deep as the ocean and as majestic as thousands of years of ciers.


    Wain did not wait for his opponent to attack. He used Lightning Boots and ran at the wyvern with lightning speed. Wain was fast and should have struck after a few seconds. However, the wyvern was not going to let him get any closer.


    Whooosh.


    The wyvern raised one paw and instantly brought it down without rising from its seat. This blow was mighty. Not even Oblivion Thunder could do such destruction in a single charge.


    p There were many cracks in the ice, and everything around it shook. It was like a small earthquake. The shockwave from that impact was so powerful that Wain was tossed aside. The slippery ice made it impossible for him to stay on his feet. He had to bounce off the wall.</anda>


    At that moment, the wyvern rose and roared furiously.


    "Roooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrr!"


    The roar of the wyvern was like a bugle that signaled the beginning of the apocalypse. Any creature below First Chronicle would have shuddered with fear, and its heart would have burst with the impending terror.


    "This is going to be rather problematic..." Wain muttered.


    He hadn''t expected the wyvern to be so strong. One lightning attack and the roar were enough to make Wain realize how dangerous his opponent was.


    ''Maybe I should use the Furious Lion Amulet. No... this item gives me too much amplification. I should leave the amulet for the area where the Sorcerer''s Soul is. But, I can use the bombs.'' Thought Wain, and the next moment several items appeared in his hands.


    He was about to bind two bombs with the Spider Bundle for Bombs. In his left hand appeared Edge st and a yellow crystal, and in his right hand appeared Imp''s Needle Bomb and an ice web.


    However, Wain took his timebining the bombs. He had a problem. First, he had to insert the yellow crystal into the hollow cube and link the two bombs together. But, he would only have several seconds to do that, after which the cube filled with energy would explode.


    He had to wait for the right moment and create the proper conditions. Otherwise, he would not be able to use the bombs as effectively as possible. Moreover, he was unsure that he could use the bombs to kill the wyvern. The best he could do was inflict a few severe wounds on the wyvern.


    Moreover, the wyvern was not about to let Wain prepare a weapon that could kill it. The wyvern stared fiercely at Wain, and the next moment a chill began to emanate from its mouth.


    Wain did not know what kind of attack was, but he swiftly shifted the items back into the Ring of Damned and braced himself for evasion.


    Then the wyvern opened its mouth wide, and the icy torrents came crashing down on Wain. Wain''s eyes shed, and he turned into a blue sh. He was surprised, as it was a real icy breath, like a dragon''s.


    He was about to dodge and use the bombs, but suddenly he saw that the wyvern did not stop its icy breath. The wyvern simply turned its head toward Wain, and the icy breath almost fell on him again.


    Moreover, the icy breath increased in power and size over time and gradually caught up with Wain even though he was using the Code of Light and Darkness.<sub> </sub>


    Wain frowned. He knew that he would be turned into an ice statue in a few seconds, but at that moment, a n to get out of this situation appeared in his mind.


    Ice Breath was a massive and dangerous attack, but it had one fatal downside. The wyvern could only breathe ice around itself, and so it had one unprotected ce: belly.


    Whooosh.


    Wain turned sharply, with such force that the ice beneath his feet cracked, and ran toward his enemy. The wyvern did not expect such insolence and tried to kill Wain, but Wain had already been under it.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Wain began to attack sharply, striking multiple times in seconds. The wyvern''s entire body was covered in dense, protective scales, but the belly was always the most unprotected ce.


    Each blow Wain struck was like an iron hammer, striking with all its might. His fists gradually shattered the thin scales on its belly, causing the wyvern many wounds.


    The wyvern roared furiously and spread its wings apart. The monster rose into the air, but Wain was not about to let his opponent take advantage of his position.


    Wain bounced off the ground and jumped high. He caught hold of the wyvern''s tail at thest moment and gradually climbed onto the monster''s back.


    The wyvern tried to throw him off by mming its body against the solid walls of ice, but wyvern failed. Wain dodged masterfully, and all the wyvern achieved was a multitude of bruises on its massive body.


    "Roooooooooaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrr!"


    The wyvern roared furiously again, a different roar than the previous one. There was no anger and rage in it. Roar looked like the wyvern was calling for help.


    After a few seconds, almost a hundred different monsters ran into the cave. Among them were lizards, ice spiders, and golems, as well as elementals.


    Wain killed quite a few creatures on the way down, but not all of them. He was surprised and wary, for each of these monsters was a First Chronicle.


    Wain realized that he would not handle them all if they were aided by a wyvern. Even for him, it was an impossible task.


    ''Damn, originally, I wanted to put bombs in the wyvern''s mouth so its head would explode like a watermelon, but it looks like I should change my ns immediately.'' Wain thought, and the Ring of Damned glowed brightly.


    He had little time, for the monsters would run in their directions after the wyvernnded. In that case, Wain would have virtually no room to maneuver.


    Wain quickly inserted the yellow crystal into the hollow cube, after which it began to fill with energy. Wain only had a few seconds before it exploded. He understood that, so he quickly used the Spider Bundle for Bombs.

 Chapter 136 Nameless

    The monsters gradually approached the Wyvern. They wanted to help her, as the Wyvern was the strongest in these ice caves. Wyvern was quite savvy for a monster, so she began to descend. She knew that Wain would not get out of this situation.


    Nor could Wain quickly prate the protective scales on the Wyvern''s back. They were much denser than on the belly and several times more in a couple ofyers. The sma sword was useless in this situation.


    Wain''s fists were powerful, but not that. It would have taken him a few minutes, which he didn''t have.


    However, Wain had one solution, and that was bombs.


    Wain inserted the yellow crystal into the hollow cube and immediately used the bomb bundle. He only had a few seconds before the cube filled with energy and was ready to explode.


    When Wain used the bomb bundle, the ice web quickly tied the two bombs together and glowed brightly. It only took three seconds. Wain smirked and threw the bombs under the Wyvern when it was ready.


    His idea was to hit the Wyvern''s belly simultaneously, as well as the dozens of monsters that hade calling for help. Wain moved to the other half of the Wyvern''s back to avoid being hit by the bombs.


    Unlike the other monsters, the Wyvern understood what Wain was about to do, but it had no time to dodge the attack.


    Booom.


    Seconds after Wain threw the bombs, there was a deafening explosion. Each of the bombs was unusual in that different projectiles flew out of them in addition to exploding. Hundreds of sharp needles flew out of Imp''s Needle Bomb, reinforced and given an additional ice attribute.


    Under these conditions, the ice attribute was practically useless against ice-resistant monsters, but the bundle increased the power of the bombs by 30%. This was a significant boost considering the bombs exploded simultaneously and increased each other''s firepower.


    When the Edge st exploded, hundreds of light beams exploded in all directions. That bomb cost seven Void Souls, and even though it was Primary Chronicle, the beams could damage even First Chronicle creatures.


    Wain had to use three items simultaneously, but he didn''t regret it. For when the bombs exploded, he could hear his enemies'' flesh tearing and screaming from being in agony.


    Moreover, even the Wyvern was quite severely wounded as the bombs exploded under its belly. Wain had previously taken several powerful blows to its belly, which significantly reduced the defense of that part of its body. The bombs made several deep wounds in the Wyvern''s belly. The Wyvern could fight on, but it has a weakness.


    Whooosh.


    Wain jumped off the Wyvern and made his way to the other end of the cave. To his surprise, none of the monsters were dead, but every one of them was wounded.


    ''Okay, looks like I''m going to have to spend a lot more strength here than I originally nned.'' Thought Wain and his hand began to build up ck electrical discharges.


    He didn''t expect the bombs to kill everyone, but he did expect about a third of the monsters to die. Wain had underestimated the survivability of his enemies, but he had a way to correct that miscalction.


    Crackle.


    Wain clenched his fist, and dark clouds appeared over the ice vortex in the next second. Then the electrical charges turned into a massive pir of thunder that came crashing down on the monsters like a heavenly punishment.


    The thunder pir destroyed all the bridges in the ice vortex and turned most of the monsters into ash. Every time Wain used this skill, he created incredible destruction. It was the iparable power of the Epic Rating soul skill.


    The Wyvern was the only monster that managed to survive. It covered itself with its massive wings and barely protected itself from the lightning strikes. The Wyvern''s wings were severely damaged, and it would no longer be able to escape.


    Its only option was to fight to the death and, by some miracle, try to survive.


    "AHAHAHAHA." Suddenly Wainughed, looking at practically a hundred souls flying into his body. Some of these souls were blue, now he would be able to improve his skills. But, first, he had to deal with the Wyvern.


    "Normally, I don''t like to get dirty, but I''ll make an exception for you." With an evil smirk, Wain said and turned into a blue sh.


    He instantly got to the Wyvern''s belly and ripped it apart with several powerful attacks. But, even then, Wain didn''t stop attacking. He knew that monsters were endurance creatures. Wain had to make sure that the Wyvern would never rise again.


    The monster tried to somehow get out of this dangerous situation, but it failed. Wain was small and fast. While the Wyvern was huge, slow, and wounded.


    Wain took advantage of bombs, tactics, and the advantage of his height and speed. In this situation, the Wyvern stood no chance.


    Bam.


    Wain made onest blow and ripped the heart from the Wyvern''s chest, then crushed it in one motion. The next moment a pink soul flew into his body.


    Wain was covered from head to toe in blood. He didn''t like to get so dirty, especially in the secretions of his opponents, but Code of Light and Darkness had a small but pleasant bonus.


    Whooosh.


    Wain canceled the skill, his hair returned to normal, and his ck and white armor evaporated. Along with that, all the blood and dirt from the monsters vanished from his body.


    "Great, it was a dangerous battle. I wasted quite a lot of energy. I need to find a proper ce to regain my strength." Wain muttered.<sub> </sub>


    Wain decided to concentrate and sense where the soul needed to unlock the third form was.


    Suddenly, however, white-colored energy appeared in front of him. With each passing second, this energy grewrger andrger. It was like a tornado, capable of changing anything.


    Wain knew intuitively what it was. He had seen these energy hundreds of times before and used it to be stronger. It was Soul Essence.


    In the next moment, many messages appeared in front of Wain. Void was somewhat simr to Dungeon or Nest, but these territories could be quite different. Voids were part of the World of Darkness.


    They could bepared tond on the, where, unlike water, different creatures could live. While the vast darkness outside the Voids wasparable to the oceans surrounding entire continents and continents.


    [The owner of this Void, Wyvern Arkol, was defeated.]


    [You were the one who killed the Wyvern Arkol and must be the new owner of this Void]


    ''What?! I must be the new owner of this Void?''


    Wain was shocked. Something like this had happened once before when he defeated the ck robot samurai. Then he had the opportunity to be the new king of that Nest, but to do so, he had to defeat every pretender to that role.


    Wain was not interested in this; he did not know what the conditions and duties of the king were. But, the most important reason was that he had no time or desire to fight every robot samurai. However, now was a very different situation.


    [Do you want to use your name or alias?]


    ''Hmm? A name? Alias? It''s probably some sort of registry, and I must be recorded somehow as the new owner of the area. Wain thought.


    He didn''t ponder long and calmly said, "Alias."


    Wain assumed that now the other inhabitants of the World of Darkness, under certain circumstances, would be able to know that he was the owner of the area. He didn''t want to reveal his name since this was all happening in the World of Darkness. It was too dangerous.


    [Choose your alias.]


    Wain pondered. He thought about what to call himself, but a solution was found after a while.


    Wain grinned and said, "Nameless King."


    [Unfortunately, you can''t use words like King, Emperor, Duke, etc., in an alias.]


    ''Hmm, it''s not a random set of words. They''re all Titles of varying significance. Perhaps there is some sort of ranking system in the World of Darkness based on the influence of the creature?'' Wain pondered.


    Wain nodded his head and said, "In that case, my alias would be Nameless."


    [epted.]


    [You, Nameless, are now the new owner of Void - Ice Caves.]


    [As long as you are the owner of this Void, all your stats are increased by 10. Your resistance to the element of ice is increased by 10%.]


    [As long as you are within this Void, your stats are increased by 10%. Your resistance to the element of ice is increased by 30%.]


    Wain was stunned. He didn''t expect that killing a massive wyvern would turn out such a colossal amount of pluses. He felt the power increase in his body, it was an incredible sensation, and it wasn''t everything yet.


    [You are the ruler of this zone, and all creatures living here will fear you and tremble before your power. Most monsters will obey your orders. However, those who do not agree may challenge you].


    "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, this is unbelievable!" Suddenly Wainughed. He understood the perks of this opportunity.


    Whoooosh.


    The next moment Soul Essence turned into a veritable vortex that entered Wain''s body, but a momentter, it burst out, and the energy began to spread throughout the area.


    [Given your power and the power of your souls in Soul Altar, there is an adjustment to the area and the creatures that inhabit it.]


    Wain was puzzled. He didn''t understand what was happening. It was like some kind of fantasy or magic. Only then did Wain begin to realize how mysterious and unimaginable the World of Darkness was.


    Then many more messages appeared before Wain.

 Chapter 137 The Ruler

    As Soul Essence spread throughout the Void, Wain saw many messages before him.


    [Adjustments have been made to ount for your strength and the power of your souls in Soul Altar.]


    [Stats of all creatures in this territory are increased by 33%.]


    [All creatures in this Void progress and umte Soul Essence 33% faster.]


    Wain was surprised. He had never seen so many messages at one time before, even when he evolved. He didn''t think that being a Void owner could bring so many bonuses.


    [Ice Caves will gradually grow and strengthen. Over time, the area will increase in size and its overall power.]


    Crackling.


    Suddenly Wain heard a loud crackling sound, but it was noting from the destruction of something. On the contrary, the ice caves were slowly expanding, and this zone would get bigger and move into another category after a while.


    [You can find out the current status of any of the zones belonging to you at any time. You just have to think about it].


    "This is incredible..." Mumbled Wain and thought about the status of this Void.


    [Ice Caves


    Owner: Nameless


    Size: Tiny


    Chronicle: First


    Rank: F ]


    "Hmm, probably Tiny is the smallest size of the territory. It also counts Chronicle and has an unknown Rank parameter. Well, it''s pretty obscure, but I think I''ll figure it out in time."


    Suddenly another message appeared in front of Wain.


    [Your value in the World of Darkness has increased. Your Seal of Darkness has been upgraded to rank one.]


    [You can now find spatial rifts from a greater distance, as well as see approximately what level of danger lurks behind a door of ink. All of your stats are increased by 5. Also, when using souls, you now get 5% more Soul Essence]


    "Holy shit..." Mumbled Wain.


    Time after time, he was more and more surprised. He didn''t expect so many things to happen when he got into Void for the first time in his life.


    Wain took a deep breath and tried to calm down. He was excited about so many things happening in one moment.


    "In total, all my stats have been increased by 15, the creatures in this zone have be a third stronger, and the Void will gradually grow. Also, I became something meaningful to the World of Darkness, and now I have an alias. Moreover, my Seal of Darkness has been improved..." Mumbled Wain.


    He decided to spell out everything that had happened in thest few minutes. This was a big surprise to Wain, but he was delighted and content with the situation.


    Wain thought about the present situation. But suddenly, arge amount of Soul Essence piled up in front of him, which had already managed to permeate the entire area of this Void.


    In some ways, the Voids were simr to Dungeons. After defeating all the monsters in Dungeon, a person received a reward. The situation in Void was slightly different. A person had to defeat the territory owner and get their reward.


    The reward was not in any chest or treasury. There was no need for suchplications. The reward was created from a massive amount of Soul Essence piled up in one spot.


    Whoooosh.


    Soul Essence turned into a vortex, which quickly shrank to a small point. Then the dot expanded and transformed into Wain''s reward. An object floated in the air in front of Wain.


    To his surprise, it was a pair of boots. They looked as if they were made of ice on the outside, but they were not. A coldness and an ancient aura wereing from them.


    Wain smiled and walked over to the boots and took them in his hands.


    [Sparkling Frost Boots (First Chronicle, Epic Rating)


    These boots are made of a special material that can only be found in the coldest corners of the universe. It is suitable for those used to moving fast inbat and fighting in the icy elements.


    Over time, the temperature of these boots will decrease, and your speed and power of the ice attribute will gradually increase. But, first, you need to develop great speed, after which the effect will be activated.


    If equipped: speed increased by 10%, Agility +5, all attacks with ice attribute increased by 15%]


    "Today, I wonder too much. With every message I see, I get stronger. It''s incredible." Thought Wain and immediately put on his boots.<sub> </sub>


    Despite their unusual shape, they were quitefortable and strangely warm, to his surprise. Wain wasn''t cold, although he could feel the temperature gradually dropping around the boots.


    "Huh, this is my first item that raises some stats. I''ll need to rece my gloves or improve. Every day the Primary Chronicle items be less useful than before." Mumbled Wain.


    Cracking.


    Suddenly there was the sound of cracking ice. Wain turned around and saw several monsters in one of the caves. They were slightly taller than the average human.


    Their bodies were thin, and their arms and fingers were long, with short but sharp ws. They also had long, triangr ears. They didn''t look dangerous, except for their wide mouths with many sharp teeth.


    Wain did not prepare for battle. There was no need to, for these monsters were now obligated to obey him. Of course, they could challenge him and try to be the new owners of this Void, but Wain saw no desire to fight in their eyes.


    "Hey, do you understand me?" Wain asked.


    Several of the monsters nodded and quickly ran up to him. Wain was strong, and they understood that. Among humans, the one who was the strongest usually ruled, but with monsters, this rule was elevated to an absolute.


    "That''s good..." Wain muttered.


    ''Hmm, the fire goblins understand me too. I wonder if it''s because these monsters are smarter than the others or because they don''t behave aggressively towards me.'' Wain thought.


    Even though he didn''t care what race his interlocutor belonged to, he hadn''t quite figured out how it worked yet. Moreover, he needed to get used tomunicating with monsters.


    In a few decades, they would be full inhabitants of his world, at least some of them. Wain was confident of this.


    Wain called the monsters to him, but he didn''t know what to say to them. He didn''t need them now, and there was no way he could use them. Wain realized that there was no way he could move them from Void to his world.


    "Anyway... Show me a ce to rest here, and you''re free to go." Wain said calmly.


    He killed the wyvern and became the owner of this Void, but he didn''t explore the whole area. He took the shortest route down, but dozens or even hundreds of caves around the Void.


    Wain originally wanted to search for the Sorcerer''s Soul, but he wasted a lot of energy. Wain decided to rest. He didn''t know if the Ice Caves had the right ce for it, but he hoped it was.


    When the monsters heard Wain, they smiled and nodded their heads. Their smile looked rather creepy to humans, but Wain didn''t care. He couldn''t be impressed by beauty or horrified by ugliness.


    He had seen many beautiful people in his life, especially women with godlike looks. The same seemed to be true of ugly people. He saw them too many times, and they ceased to be somehow unique.


    Perhaps this was one of the reasons why, more often than not, Wain didn''t care what any particr monster looked like.


    That didn''t mean Wain didn''t have a taste. He, like other people, had his own type of appearance that he liked. However, he wasn''t capable of falling in love with a girl just because of her looks. It was impossible.


    What could really make his heartbeat was what was hidden inside a person.


    ...


    After a while, the monsters led Wain to one spacious cave. It was a smallke, hidden under tons of ice, to his surprise.


    Wain let the monsters go and undressed and plunged into the water. Even though the water was freezing, like ice, Wain felt great. He could sense the freshness and how all the umted tension was released from him.


    Wain was the strongest in his world, but that didn''t mean that nothing could surprise him. On the contrary, he liked the apocalypse, the World of Darkness, and the Purgatory zones, because it was unusual, interesting, and exciting.


    "If I were a normal person, I''d be freezing to death by now, but given my high stats, this water seems like a normal temperature to me," Wain muttered and closed his eyes.


    Many momentous things happened recently. Wain wanted to rest and think about his ns for the future.


    Wain would leave theke in half an hour, but he didn''t notice himself falling asleep. Thest time Wain slept was when he went to help Gisle capture some of the forests to build a base.


    Several days have passed since then. Sometimes Wain wanted to go to sleep, but he didn''t have time for that. Every time something was happening that he had to participate in. So when he finally rxed, he instantly fell asleep.


    Wain slept for quite a long time. For two whole days, during which time his body gained strength. Wain rested both physically and mentally. Moreover, gradually his body temperature began to decrease due to the influence of the special water in theke.


    A thinyer of ice even began to appear on Wain''s body.


    Crackling.


    Suddenly Wain opened his eyes, and the thinyer of ice shattered. He looked at his already blue skin and frowned. But, he wasn''t unhappy that he was practically frozen, but that he had suddenly fallen asleep.


    ''Damn, I''m lucky no monster decided to challenge me. I need to be more careful. That inattention could have cost me my life.''

 Chapter 138 Enhanced Skills

    Wain stretched himself, breaking the thinyer of ice on his body, and climbed out of theke of icy water. Cold steam was emanating from his body, considerably lowering the temperature around him.


    In the passage, Wain saw two massive monsters, but they had no intention of attacking him. They stood with their backs to theke as if guarding Wain''s peace.


    The Ring of Damned glowed brightly, and in Wain''s hands appeared his clothes.


    ''Hmm, maybe I was worried for nothing. When I became the owner of this Void, the messages said that there was an adjustment ording to my strength and the power of the souls in my Soul Altar.


    This most likely means that the monsters power and growth rate of the Void, directly rted to me. In that case, it makes no sense for monsters to attack me. On the contrary, they will try to protect me to not lose their bonuses.'' Thought Wain looking at the monsters in the passageway.


    When Wain got dressed, he headed toward the passageway. He wanted to go for the space where the Sorcerer''s Soul was, but suddenly he stopped. Wain remembered something that had slipped his mind because of the intense events.


    During the battle with the wyvern, Wain had killed many First Chronicle monsters, and some of them had Rare Rating souls. What''s more, the wyvern''s soul was pink, which meant it was very rare.


    Wain was going to inspect and use each of these souls. But, he had a more significant task. He needed three First Chronicle Rare Rating souls to improve his three skills, and he was ready to do it now.


    Whooosh.


    A pink soul appeared in Wain''s hands, and he muttered, "I''ll save the sweet stuff forter."


    [Soul of Wyvern Arkol (Destroyed)


    Chronicle: First


    Rating: Epic]


    Wain was a little upset that it was Destroyed Soul. But, he understood that even if the monster was rare, he couldn''t get Damaged or Whole soul for sure.


    The exception was if there was only one such monster in the world and no one else of the same species or bloodline. In that case, the chances of getting a Whole Soul were 100%.


    He crushed the soul and saw several messages in front of him.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Wyvern Arkol level 19.]


    [You have leveled up to level 19. You get 3 status points to distribute freely.]


    ''This is quite unexpected. However, it was Epic Soul, and there was an immense amount of energy. But, I won''t be able to level up that easily anytime soon.'' Thought Wain and opened the skill improvement menu.


    The first skill Wain decided to improve was the first skill he got.


    [sma Destruction Sword (Primary Chronicle Active Skill, Common Rating)]


    ''Common Rating... It''s not a mistake. After I evolved, each of my skills actually dropped one step. It''s not a weakening, though. It''s an adjustment considering I''m now a First Chronicle creature.'''' Wain thought.


    [All conditions for the evolution of this skill have been met.


    [Any First Chronicle Rare Rating soul: 1/1.]


    [Want to use the necessary materials and increase the Chronicle skill - sma Destruction Sword?]<sub> </sub>


    Unlikest time, Wain didn''t know how his skill would change now, but he had no reason to doubt. His skill would be much stronger anyway, which was the most important thing.


    ''Yes,'' Wain replied mentally, and the next moment a blue soul and rune flew out of his body.


    As on all previous asions, they gradually joined together. As this happened, a wave of energy shot out. Then the renewed rune flew into Wain''s body, and his eyes shone brightly.


    He was getting all the information he needed to use this skill in seconds. His Soul Altar gradually filled with power, opening up new possibilities for Wain.


    [Dark Sword (First Chronicle, Common Rating)


    When this skill is used, a dark sword is created in the chosen location, half made up of dark energy with a powerful corrosive and freezing effect. When attacked, the target''s flesh will slowly freeze and dissolve as if under the influence of a powerful acid.


    Such a mixture is ideal for fighting against well-defended and armored opponents. Sword can be controlled from a distance of one hundred meters].


    "Not bad." Mumbled Wain.


    As he read the skill description, he wondered how the skill enhancements worked. Originally, Destruction Sword had neither the attribute of darkness nor ice attribute. Now, however, the two attributes were together and synergized with each other.


    Wain believed that this result was because he had chosen to develop Destruction Sword in a certain way before. Wain did not believe it was a mere coincidence.


    Whooosh.


    Wain waved his hand, and ck energy appeared next to him. It gradually turned into a long and rather thin ck sword. It was about a meter and a half long. An ancient and eerie aura emanated from this weapon.


    Unlike previous versions, there were no patterns on the sword. Only a ck de and a bare hilt without a guard.


    Wain smirked and gripped the sword tightly. Then he walked over to the wall and took a few quick swings.


    The sword passed effortlessly through the dense ice that Wain had not been able to cut before. Moreover, the ice near the cuts began to dissolve after a few seconds.


    Whooosh.


    Wain swung his hand, and the dark sword disappeared. Then he clenched his hand into a fist and mmed into the wall of ice with all his might. Since he had defeated the wyvern, his strength had greatly increased due to the numerous bonuses, and he wanted to see his power in action.


    Crackle.


    Many cracks went through the ice wall, their length reaching several meters. Wain''s blow was powerful enough to make the ground around him shake, and the monsters in the passageway felt it.


    They turned around as they thought that someone had attacked Wain, but all they saw was a lot of massive shards of ice at his feet.


    Wain clenched his palm and muttered, "Great, that''s a whole other level. With that kind of power, I can definitely get the Sorcerer''s Soul."


    Crackle.


    Suddenly another splinter fell off the wall, and there was a bright, blue crystal. The likes of which Wain had never seen before in this Void.

 Chapter 139 The Importance Of The Owner

    Wain went through many tunnels before he could reach the wyvern, and in all that time, he never saw anything but ice and icicles.


    However, here he discovered a small blue crystal in the wall by chance.


    Wain looked at the crystal in surprise and abruptly plucked it from the wall.


    ''Hmm, it''s quite tiny. About the size of a fingernail, yet I sense there''s arge amount of energy hidden in it.'' Thought Wain and all the information about this crystal appeared before him.


    [Energy Ice Crystal (First Chronicle, Common Rating)


    This is a small crystal that began to grow in the Ice Caves after the area owner changed. This small crystal hides some energy with the ice attribute. This crystal can be used to be stronger and get closer to your next step.


    If this crystal is used by a creature with the ice attribute, the effectiveness will be 150%. If the creature has any other attribute, the effectiveness will be 100%. However, creatures with the fire attribute are strictly forbidden to use this crystal. This ice energy can damage them and slow their progress for a few days].


    The description of the crystal was terrific, but Wain was not pleased. On the contrary, he frowned heavily, for he knew he could not use this crystal.


    "Humans, unlike monsters, cannot be stronger by absorbing Soul Essence particles from the outside environment. Our bodies are not adapted to it. What''s more, apparently not only monsters are capable of it, but all other creatures as well." Wain muttered.


    He looked at the two massive monsters in the passage and said, "You,e here."


    Wain''s voice was calm butmanding. The monsters flinched and stood in front of him like soldiers in front of a general a few secondster.


    "Gather all the creatures in this Void in the main square. Where I killed thest owner of this space. I want to talk to you about the distribution of these crystals. Whoever doesn''te, I will kill." Wain said coldly.


    The monsters quickly nodded and ran away. Though their size and appearance might have frightened any human, they were nothing more than obedient employees before Wain.


    "Humanity is incapable of absorbing energy. We are forced to kill other creatures to be stronger. Damn, that''s pretty problematic. I wonder why the situation is the way it is. Maybe there are some skills or special methods?" Wain muttered.


    Every day he learned more and more about his new world, as well as about the World of Darkness. Wain realized sentient beings were among the monsters, and even those who looked like humans were probably not.


    Wain was certain that Agnes and Sven were not of the human race. They looked alike on the outside, but that was where the simrities ended.


    Wain shook his head and decided to go back to reinforcing his skills. He still had much to learn about this world. The Apocalypse was only the beginning of his journey to the top of this world or all worlds.


    [Kic Shot (Primary Chronicle Active Skill, Rare Rating)


    [All conditions for the evolution of this skill have been met.


    [Any First Chronicle Rare Rating soul: 1/1]


    [Do you want to use the necessary materials to upgrade your Chronicle skill - Kic Shot?]


    ''Yes.'' Wain replied mentally, and a blue soul and rune flew out of his body. The process was no different, and after a while, Wain read the description of his new skill.


    [Distant Bullet (First Chronicle Active Skill, Rare Rating)


    When using this skill, a small projectile resembling a bullet is created from the energy. The strength of this projectile can easily pierce the armor of any creature below level 25. Also, the bullet''s trajectory will not change regardless of the distance covered because of its special properties.


    When using the bullet, there is an energy explosion, as the recoil of a powerful shotgun. It is not rmended to use this skill without appropriate protective measures].


    "Hmm, sounds like almost nothing has changed. Although no, earlier I was shooting energy, not a full-fledged projectile. What''s more, this skill has be even more dangerous than before from the looks of it. I''ll have to check it out." Wain muttered and put his hand out in front of him.


    Arge amount of energy appeared before him, gradually turning into a white bullet. It was round and small.


    Wain took the bullet in his hand and muttered, "The size of it is perfect for the muzzles of some weapons."


    Whooosh.


    Then Wain squeezed the bullet tightly in his hand and threw it at the wall like a baseball yer. The bullet reached the wall at lightning speed, shaking the whole room. The wall shattered into pieces and turned into huge debris. This attack was several times more powerful than the blow from Wain''s fist.


    However, when Wain looked at his palm, he frowned. He had received many minor scratches due to the recoil of throwing a bullet. Those scratches would heal in an hour, but it showed how dangerous this skill was.


    "I originally thought I could use this skill with my gun, but that''s not an option. Any normal weapon would be blown apart by that kind of shock wave. I urgently need to find a sniper rifle made of durable materials. However, that''s going to be problematic." Wain muttered.


    He had initially thought that once the apocalypse began, the world would return forever to the Middle Ages, a world of sword and magic, but that was not the case. When Wain saw the robotic samurai, he realized he was wrong. These creatures were monsters, but they were technologically advanced.


    This meant that sometimes Nests or Dungeons with high technology would appear in his world. Moreover, Wain was sure that there were high-tech zones among the zones of the World of Darkness, as if from the future.


    But, even so, finding a sniper rifle of suitable quality was an almost impossible task. Lea was a cksmith, but she could not make something like that. She would have needed to be an engineer to create a blueprint for the gun in the first ce.<sub> </sub>


    Wain nodded and moved on to improve her next skill.


    [Lightning Boots (Primary Chronicle Active Skill, Rare Rating)


    [All conditions for the evolution of this skill have been met.


    [Any First Chronicle Rare Rating soul: 1/1]


    [Do you want to use the necessary materials to upgrade your Chronicle skill - Lightning Boots?]


    ''Yes.'' Mentally Wain said, and once again, the process of improving the skill took ce. Wain was no longer surprised as he saw this for the third time in a row.


    Whooosh.


    A rune flew into his be, and his eyes shone brightly.


    [Sign of Lightning (First Chronicle Active Skill, Rare Rating)


    When you use this skill, a mark of thunder appears on your chest. In this state, your speed is increased by 50%, and you gain the ability to move with lightning jerks.


    The longer this skill is used, the faster you will be. In the same way, over time, the strength of your attacks with the lightning attribute will increase up to 100%. However, after ten seconds, the seal will not withstand and explode when you reach this mark, causing you serious injuries].


    Wain smiled contentedly and warmed up. He was about to find out how much more effective this skill would be than his previous version. Speed was one of the most importantponents of his fighting style. Wain liked to be fast and strong. He could sacrifice his survivability and defense for it.


    Whooosh.


    Soul Essence clustered around his body, and a lightning sign appeared on his chest. The next moment Wain turned into blue lightning, and he was circling theke in a few seconds. It wasn''t big, but that speed was impressive.


    "Okay, I''m done with the skills, time to go to the monsters," Wain muttered, but suddenly he realized that he could try to improve one more skill.


    Wain opened the skill improvement menu, but unfortunately for him, Oblivion Thunder was not on the list. He had hoped that he had enough Soul Essence to improve this skill, but that was not the case.


    However, on Wain''s list, he saw one skill he had recently acquired: Speed Reading.


    ''Hmm, I figured it was a pretty useless skill, but it''s a passive skill, and maybe if I improve it a few times, I''ll get something pretty useful.'' Thought Wain.


    [You''ve used 3 percent of your Soul Essence total. The Speed Reading skill is ready to be developed. Choose one of two ways]


    [Improve Chronicle skill]


    [Improve the Rating skill]


    Wain was in no hurry to make a choice. In most cases, he would choose to improve Skill Rating, even in this situation, but he could improve Chronicle right now.


    He had dozens of Frist Chronicle Common Rating souls. He thought that was what he would need to develop Speed Reading.


    Wain nodded and made a choice.


    [You decided to improve the Chronicle skill.]


    [You can develop the skill if the following conditions are met.


    [Any First Chronicle Common Rating soul: 1/1]


    [Do you want to use the necessary materials to improve the Chronicle skill - Speed Reading?]


    ''Yes.'' Wain replied, and a few secondster, a description of the new skill appeared in front of him.


    [Mastery of Reading (First Chronicle Passive Skill, Common Rating)


    Your reading speed has exceeded human limits. With proper concentration, you can now read up to ten thousand words per minute. What''s more, you''ll perceive information even better than before. You can read almost any book in less than ten minutes]


    ''Not bad. In fact, this skill is much more useful now. Now, if I need some information, I''ll only have to spend a few minutes instead of hours.'' Thought Wain and once again checked the list of skills that could be improved.


    Wain hoped he could improve that skill one more time, but no. He didn''t have enough Soul Essence.


    Wain nodded and headed toward the main hall. By now, the monsters should have gathered there.

 Chapter 140 Order Of Non-Aggression

    Wain gained power over an entire area of the World of Darkness. Moreover, energy crystals began to grow in that ce because of his influence. This was clear from the crystal''s description.


    It was surprising to Wain, but given his strength and power of his souls in Soul Altar, such a change was nothing out of the ordinary.


    ''Probably my main soul had the biggest impact on this Void. There is boundless power lurking in Nameless King. I doubt crystal growth is so easy to start. I was able to defeat the wyvern, but it was a formidable foe, and the wyvern lorded over the area many times more than I did. However, I didn''t see a single crystal along the way.'' Wain thought as he walked down the icy tunnel.


    Wain looked up and saw a faint blue glow in the ceiling. He realized what it meant and destroyed part of the wall with one mighty blow.


    "One more..." Wain muttered, staring at the blue crystal. It was slightly smaller in size than thest one.


    Wain took the crystal and moved on.


    ...


    After a few minutes, Wain reached the main square. On the way, he used all his souls.


    Two days ago, in this ce, he killed the previous ruler of this Void and caused severe damage to this cave. However, all the cracks and destruction had already disappeared, the ice was recovering quickly.


    As Wain said, all the monsters in this Void were humbly waiting for him toe. To his surprise, there were more than three hundred of them. It was a formidable force, considering that every one of the monsters was First Chronicle.


    When they saw Wain, they looked at him in amazement. Most of the monsters had not seen Wain fight or how he defeated the wyvern. Moreover, he was too different from them in appearance.


    Wain stood in front of the crowd of monsters, but he said nothing. For starters, he had to show them who was in charge here.


    Crack.


    He kicked the ground with all his might, causing a massive b of ice to break off. But, Wain didn''t do it to show his strength. It was to create a tform for him to stand over the monsters.


    Tremble.


    [Activated Title Effect - Mentor Inquisitor]


    Suddenly a silhouette of death appeared above Wain with a bloody scythe. Then Wain released his aura, which looked like boundless darkness. The monsters felt as if they were in the middle of an abyss. The pressureing from Wain was terrifying.


    At that moment, each of the monsters realized that Wain was their ruler. He was the sole owner of this ce.


    After a while, Wain''s aura calmed down, and he calmly said, "Now each of you belongs to me, as does everyone here. If anyone wants to argue with that, I''m always up for a fight. But, you must be prepared that before you die, you will experience the torments of hell."


    The monsters shuddered, though some of them smiled quite a bit. They preferred their leader to be cruel and powerful.


    Wain slipped his hand under his cloak and pulled out a blue crystal. When the monsters saw it, they were stunned. They could feel how much energy was hidden in that crystal.


    Some of the monsters even drooled with anticipation. However, they knew that obtaining such a crystal would be very difficult. In their world, the strong got everything, and the weak got nothing.


    At that moment, the monsters looked at each other angrily. They were looking for potential opponents andpetitors for these crystals. They knew that most of the crystals would be taken by their leader, but they could try to get the rest.


    "Quiet. Settle down quickly." Coldly said Wain, and the monsters did as he said.


    "I understand that every one of you dreams of getting these crystals, and I''d like to take 90% for myself, no, 99%." Calmly Wain said.


    He didn''t wait for the monsters to react and said, "However, I won''t take even one crystal. All of the energy crystals that grow here will be distributed to you. I repeat I will take nothing for myself."


    The monsters were stunned. To them, Wain''s words sounded like the ravings of a madman. However, they knew that Wain was serious. They had no reason to doubt it.


    "But, on one condition," Wain said slowly.


    The energy crystals were useless to him. He had no ice attribute, and he was human. Wain could not use the crystals, so he found another use for them.


    "Each of you will receive an equal number of crystals. You will collect them and put them into themon treasury. Every three days, you will receive the same amount of crystals as the others. Moreover, all kinds of battles are forbidden from now on." Wain said coldly.<sub> </sub>


    He was the owner of this area and could subdue monsters using his power, but he could not forbid them to fight each other. It was impossible. Even if they held back as long as Wain was in this Void when he left, no one would care about his words.


    However, there would be no conflict if the monsters had some good reason not to fight.


    Wain thought this was the best use of energy crystals in this situation. His idea was that the monsters would gradually be stronger, and their number would grow.


    Monsters would absorb energy from the environment and use crystals. At this rate, Ice Caves would quickly be much stronger andrger.


    Wain did not yet fully know how the Voids worked. However, he assumed that if the strength and number of monsters in the Void did not change, it would not lead to anything good.


    ''If I can get into this Void, then other creatures will be able to someday. Moreover, I''m sure that there are various battles and shifts of power going on all the time in the World of Darkness. Most likely, the Voids can fight each other and take over other territories. It''s going to be interesting, but I have to be prepared for that.'' Wain thought.


    He had received many different perks from the possession of Ice Caves, and that was just the beginning. Wain understood that his area was weak and small, but this venture had great potential.


    When the monsters heard Wain''s words, they did not believe it at first. However, they had no reason to argue. Wain, as a leader, gave up the crystals, which was already a real feast for all monsters.


    Now, however, even the weakest of them couldn''t worry about getting nothing. Each of the monsters would get much stronger over time, and they wouldn''t have to kill each other to do it.


    In any other situation, this was impossible, but Wain was a special leader because of his inability to absorb energy from crystals. Simply put, Wain masterfully wrapped his disadvantage into advantages for hundreds of monsters.


    Wain looked at the monsters and said coldly, "Is that clear to all of you?"


    The monsters nodded. They weren''t going to argue with Wain. Moreover, they all agreed with his idea. Even in their dreams, they couldn''t think that suddenly energy crystals would appear in their area, and the owner of Void wouldn''t have a im on them.


    "Okay." Calmly Wain said and stomped his foot again with force.


    Then he furiously began pounding the floor with each blow exerting more force. The monsters were shocked. They didn''t understand what Wain was doing.


    After a few minutes, however, a massive crater appeared in the cave''s center.


    Then Wain stood on the crater''s edge and threw two blue crystals into the center.


    "All the crystals you find should be here. That''s all." Wain said calmly and stepped aside.


    The monsters stared at the crystals and looked at each other for a while, but none of them attacked each other. Instead, the monsters eventually dispersed into the tunnels and started looking for crystals.


    The monsters were not the smartest creatures in the universe, but they could figure out that collecting crystals was profitable in this situation.


    After an hour, the number of crystals in the crater reached a hundred and gradually increased. All the crystals were the same size. The monsters did not collect the ones that had not yet grown.


    Wain smiled and closed his eyes. He hadpleted his task as the owner of this territory and could now go about his business. Since he had slept for two whole days, he was full of energy and ready for a new challenge.


    Wain concentrated, and his Seal of Darkness shone brightly. He sensed where the fluctuating energy wasing from and headed in that direction. Then the floor beside him turned to ink, and Wain found himself in another dimensional rift.


    There, as always, was a door of ink with eyes and a door to Sven''s bar. Wain could have stopped by Sven''s now, but he saw no point in doing so.


    He had no souls to trade for Void Souls, as his main concern at the moment was to umte Soul Essence and level up. He would still have a chance to talk to Sven and buy unique gear.


    Wain looked at the inky door and, after a while, smiled. Behind the door, the bony arms appeared again, destroying the door and turning it into a massive gate.


    This time Wain was not wary. On the contrary, he was excited, for this was what he had been waiting for. Wain wanted to be in Purgatory again and fight the strongest.


    Wain opened the gate and walked for hours down the long passage.


    ...


    "Sorcerer''s Soul... I wonder where I''ll end up and what form I''ll get." Wain muttered as he opened the gate at the other end of the tunnel.

 Chapter 141 The Sky

    Wain passed through the gate at the other end of the tunnel, and to his surprise, he saw a blue sky and hundreds of clouds all around him.


    "What...?" Wain muttered puzzledly.


    He was surprised. It seemed to him as if he were floating among the azure sky. It was something impossible to see without the ability to fly. The scene mesmerized Wain.


    Wain looked around and realized that he was standing on a cloud. It was an unusual feeling, but during the battle with Forgotten, he had been standing on clouds too.


    "I need to figure out which way to go," Wain muttered and concentrated.


    He felt the energy fluctuate and looked up. To his surprise, he saw anotheryer of clouds in the distance. It was as if there was another sky above the sky.


    "I have to go up again, all right, but how do I get there?" Wain pondered and looked again at the clouds around him.


    There were no bridges between the clouds, and the clouds were not static. They were slowly drifting across the sky like an azure sea. Wain also noticed that there were objects on the clouds.


    When he looked closely, he realized that they were bookcases. Moreover, when he turned around, he found that there was also one bookcase on his cloud,pletely filled with books.


    "Hmm, I can wait for the clouds to float close together, but it might take forever to get up that way. Moreover, given my previous experience getting into the Purgatory zone, these books are here for a reason." Mumbled Wain and picked up a random book.


    He read it pretty quickly. It took him about ten minutes. Although his reading speed was incredible, the books in the cabs were pretty thick. An average person would have needed a full twenty-four hours to read it.


    However, Wain did not get any useful information. The book he read was an ordinary tale. The next five books were the same. They were fantasy stories about knights, dragons, feats, and magic.


    "When the apocalypse happened in my world, at first I thought that people began to be magicians. However, that was not the case. Souls and Soul Essence are like magic, but that''s not the right definition.


    If a dragon can breathe fire, it''s not magic but its natural abilities. With Soul Essence, the situation is exactly the same. Moreover, the powers of people who have magical abilities work the same way." Wain muttered as he closed the book.


    In a few hours, Wain had read every book on this cloud. His head was splitting from the sheer amount of information, but he was getting nowhere. Wainy down on the cloud and looked up at the vast blue sky that surrounded him.


    "Damn, what''s going on here anyway? Did I reallye here to read fucking stories?!" Wain said furiously.


    He stood up and kicked the bookcase with all his might the next moment. The bookcase was regr wood, so Wain''s blow shattered it into splinters.


    The top half of the bookcase fell down, but Wain found another book at the bottom of the bookcase. It was gray and shabby, but it was the only clue Wain had. Moreover, it was much thinner than the previous ones. This book had no more than twenty pages.<sub> </sub>


    Wain opened it and read it in less than three minutes. However, he did not understand anything, for it was not some story. It was a manual.


    "It''s strange, the book talks about controlling some mechanisms, yet there''s nothing around. Damn, I need to reread it all." Mumbled Wain.


    His passive Mastery of Reading skill not only greatly increased his reading speed but also improved his perception of information. However, even this was not enough to understand such aplex manual the first time.


    Wain read the book a few times before shrugging his shoulders and tossing it beyond the cloud. Then he bent down and thrust his hand into the center of the cloud. Wain took his hand out, and the next moment there was a stone, round amulet in his palm.


    The book talked about how to interact with this amulet and get it. To do this, Wain had to pour Soul Essence into different points on the cloud in a certain order. Also, the amount of Soul Essence and the time between activating the dots had to be observed.


    However, Wain decided that now that he knew his target, he could decide everything by brute force. Wain wasn''t against cunning ns and solvingplex puzzles, but only if it made sense.


    In this situation, he broke through the barrier around the amulet with one blow and pulled it out. Given his strength, it was quite easy to do.


    "Even though this amulet looks pretty simple, it isn''t," Wain muttered, looking at the drawing on the amulet in the form of many lines and dots.


    He had read the manual carefully and knew what he had to do with this amulet, but besides the old book, Wain had another way to find out some information about the amulet.


    [Amulet (????)


    You can use this amulet to activate a certain mechanism. It requires using some Soul Essence and activating the anchor points in the right sequence].


    ''What?!'' Wain was surprised. He hadn''t expected that there would be so little information about this amulet and that some of it would be encrypted.


    Wain shook his head and muttered, "I shouldn''t be surprised, though. I''m in the Purgatory zone now, and anything can happen here."


    Wain had no other option to move to the next cloud, so he concentrated and poured some Soul Essence into the amulet. It looked like a white dot, gradually moving along the lines on the amulet. Wain knew what to do, but it wasn''t as easy as he initially thought.


    It took Wain about two hours and over three hundred attempts to sessfully activate the amulet. When it did, the amulet glowed brightly.


    Wain sighed in relief, and the next moment not far from his cloud, space began to distort.

 Chapter 142 Clouds

    When Wain activated the amulet, the space near the cloud began to distort. Wain moved the amulet to the Ring of Damned and prepared for battle.


    After a few seconds, a stone cube appeared in the air. Wain was surprised. He didn''t understand what was going on. Moreover, this cube was hidden behind space. Wain had never seen anything like it before.


    "What am I supposed to do now?" Wain muttered as he looked at the cube. However, after a few seconds, space began to distort in many ces around the cloud.


    This continued until the number of cubes reached thirty.


    Crackling.


    Each of the cubes turned toward Wain the next moment, and a certain symbol lit up on their front. Wain thought it was an enemy attack, but then the symbols changed. A few secondster, the process repeated itself.


    "In thest area of Purgatory, I went through several trials first. It seems to be the same this time. However, I don''t understand what needs to be done. The symbols on the cubes are some kind of code or riddle, but I don''t know how it works." Said Wain warily, looking at the cubes.


    Whoooosh.


    Then the number 10 appeared on the cubes, then 9, and the number gradually got smaller. It was a countdown, and Wain had time to solve this riddle before zero appeared on the cubes.


    ''It was some kind of sequence, but it looks like I need to destroy one cube to break the chain. It''s the only logical option. But, I have no idea which cube out of all of them was extra.'' Wain thought, and the number 3 appeared on the cubes.


    There wasn''t much time left, so Wain put his hand out in front, and his gauntlet glowed. Then a white beam of energy flew out of it and struck one of the cubes. However, this attack didn''t even leave a scratch on the cube.


    "Shit!" Wain eximed as the number 0 appeared on the cubes.


    The next moment yellow rays flew out of them, instantly reaching Wain. He managed to jump up at thest moment and dodge each of the beams. Then the symbols reappeared on the cubes.


    Wain could not allow the cubes to attack again, as half of the cloud was destroyed. Next time, Wain would have nothing to stand on and fall into the abyss.


    Wain waved his hand, and a dark sword appeared beside him. The weapon flew like ck lightning toward the cubes, but the sword could not cut through the mechanisms. Wain hoped that one of the cubes would be correct, so he kept trying but only managed to check half of the cubes.


    Then dozens of beams flew toward Wain again. He could no longer afford to dodge or risk falling into the void.


    Wain snapped his finger, and a dark sword appeared in his hand. He concentrated and masterfully blocked and repelled most of the rays. However, two of the rays managed to wound him, inflicting shallow wounds on his shoulder and leg.


    However, Wain didn''t just block the rays. He also reflected them. One of the rays identally flew into the cube, and the mechanism was destroyed. One tenth of its former size was left of the cloud Wain was standing on, but he wasn''t worried. He understood what had to be done.


    ''Not even a dark sword can cut through these cubes, yet their beams are powerful enough to do so. Instead of looking for one vulnerable cube out of thirty, I can use their power against themselves.'' Wain thought, and a sign of lightning appeared on his chest.


    The next moment he jumped high and fell on one of the cubes. Over thest two attacks, Wain managed to figure out that the cubes would not attack him until the countdown had passed. They were programmed to act this way.


    Wain stood on the cube and waited for the counting end. When it did, each cube looked at Wain, and beams flew out of them. He smirked and jumped on the next cube and then another. That was Wain''s n.


    As he ran, the cubes destroyed each other, and in the end, there were only two cubes left that destroyed themselves. Wain could not solve the cipher and the sequence, but he was always looking out other ways.


    If he couldn''t handle the cubes by the rules of this challenge, he decided to make up his own rules.


    Whooosh.


    Before thest cube was eliminated, Wain jumped aside andnded on the rest of the cloud.


    Suddenly the Ring of Damned glowed brightly, but Wain did not use the ring. It was because of the amulet inside, which hade out of space on its own and appeared in Wain''s hands.


    The amulet glowed brightly and exploded in an instant. Wain received no wounds, but arge amount of energy erupted from the amulet, which gradually transformed into a ss bridge.


    It was unexpected, but Wain knew that he was going in the right direction. The bridge wasn''t just allowing him to move to the next cloud. It was pointing upward and guiding Wain to the second floor. He would not have been able to jump in on his own.


    ''If I could fly, I wouldn''t have had to expend so much strength and energy. Moreover, this was only the first cloud. I have many more challenges ahead of me.'' Thought Wain and stepped onto the bridge.<sub> </sub>


    ''Hmm, interesting. Is there a watcher in this zone? This ce looks something like the previous one, but it''s actually different here. Perhaps there is here. At least I don''t see one.'' Thought Wain looking around.


    Then his view was obstructed by fog, and he had to go through three trials to find his way to Agnes. This time, however, the situation was not so straightforward.


    Wain nced at theyer of clouds and muttered, "Perhaps the observer is up there? But, is there a man hereparable in strength to Forgotten? If I don''t get a good fight, I''ll be disappointed."


    ...


    The next cloud was muchrger than thest. It was perfectly round like a disk. There were no bookcases on the cloud but plenty of books scattered on the floor.


    Wain frowned. He didn''t want to read every book again to find his way to the next cloud.


    "I guess there''s no other option," Wain said with a frown and bent down to pick up the book.


    However, when he touched the book, it suddenly glowed brightly and came into motion. Then the same thing happened to the others. They swirled around like a whirlwind and gradually turned into something.


    "Great, looks like I won''t get bored this time." Proimed Wain was looking at the huge creature in front of him.


    It was a massive golem whose body consisted entirely of books. Given the circumstances, such an opponent was not unusual.


    Wain decided to use one of his most powerful skills at once. He put his hand forward, and a few secondster, there was a white, round bullet in his palm. Then Wain threw the bullet as hard as he could at the golem.


    He knew that the recoil would be severe, but he made the throw with his right hand, protected by the Zombie Glove. The glove and minor scratches would recover pretty quickly, so Wain could afford to make several throws if necessary.


    The bullet instantly reached the book golem, and the monster''s head was destroyed. However, the books next to the golem flew into the air and just restored its wound.


    ''Damn, a major enemy with good regeneration is always quite problematic.'' Thought Wain and rushed towards the golem.


    His sword had a corrosive and freezing effect. He would destroy parts of the golem and thus gradually defeat his opponent. There were hundreds of books lying around the golem, and Wain was not sure he could destroy them all. The golem would not let him do that.


    Bam.


    The golem brought his massive fist down on Wain, destroying a part of the cloud. However, Wain managed to dodge at thest moment and turned around and cut the golem''s arm in two. The books were immediately frozen and began to melt as if under the influence of acid.


    However, the golem was not such an easy opponent that Wain could trounce it. The multitude of books on the monster''s body glowed brightly, and a secondter, dozens of rays flew out of it in all directions.


    Wain could not dodge because there were no safe zones. So he had to block the rays. He had no problem with this task, but the rays did not stop flying out of the books. Moreover, the golem stepped forward and kicked Wain.


    Wain''s eyes sparkled, and he jumped sharply aside, but he didn''t have time to calcte the trajectory, and one of the beams grazed his leg. Wain frowned and moved away from the golem.


    Only after a minute did the light beams stop shooting out of the golem''s body. In that time, Wain had repelled more than a hundred attacks, and he was a little tired. Wain realized that it could be a critical wound if the beam hit him in the chest.


    Whooosh.


    The lightning sign on Wain''s chest shone brightly, and he turned into a blue sh. Wain began furiously inflicting many deep cuts on the golem, gradually bringing the monster closer to death.


    The golem tried to recover, but it could not keep up with Wain''s speed. He acted quickly, confidently, and deadly. Wain could not detect weaknesses in his enemy, so he decided to attack at dozens of points at once.


    After a while, the golem realized that it could no longer try to defend itself against Wain''s attacks, so the monster decided to use its trump card.


    Whooosh.


    Suddenly all the books next to the golem went up and opened. Wain reacted instantly and bounced aside. He thought it was another energy ray attack. But, suddenly, the books swirled around the golem, like a vortex.

 Chapter 143 Paper Defenders

    When the golem realized that Wain was gradually winning, the monster decided to use his trump card. Dozens of books around the golem rose and opened, then swirled around the golem, like a whirlwind.


    Wain didn''t understand what was happening, but he was ready to block any attack.


    The vortex stopped after a few seconds, and all the golem''s wounds were repaired. Wain had to kill the golem in one series of attacks. Otherwise, the monster would regenerate quickly. The number of books was reduced by about ten percent.


    Wain wanted to attack again, but suddenly pages began to fly out of the books. They came down on Wain like hundreds of des.


    "What the?!" Wain eximed and turned into a blue sh.


    He could block and reflect many beams flying toward him, but not hundreds of deadly pages. Even if he swung his sword as fast as he could, at best, he could reflect only a third of the pages.


    Wain didn''t want to use Code of Light and Darkness or Cursed Swordsman. He needed those skills for the final battle.


    So Wain decided to run away from hundreds of pages first and gradually develop a n. However, when he ran a fewps around the golem, Wain felt that he began to speed up. What''s more, the temperature next to him dropped drastically, despite his high speed.


    Also, his boots shone brightly like sparks.


    Wain smirked and began to elerate. This allowed him to increase his speed by a factor of two or even three. He was like blue lightning, just as fast and deadly.


    Wain had only one way to kill the book golem and destroy the hundreds of pages chasing him. To do so, he became faster, gradually increasing the power of his skills with the lightning attribute. This was the effect of the skill - Sign of Lightning.


    Crackle.


    ck electrical discharges appeared at his hand, and a dark pir of thunder came crashing down on the golem in the next coin. This attack was twice as powerful as before, as Wain ran at the highest possible speed.


    Had he slowed for another ten seconds, Sign of Lightning would have been overpowered, and Wain would have been seriously wounded.


    But, thanks to the enhanced effect, Oblivion Thunder wiped half the cloud into dust, as well as the golem along with dozens books. Regardless of its regeneration or defense level, the golem could not survive such a powerful attack.


    What''s more, many small ck lightning bolts flew away from the cloud, piercing through the smaller clouds. They fell down and disappeared forever.


    "HAHAHAHA, great. That''s incredible power. All I had to do was clench my fist, and I caused a disaster." Proimed Wain was looking at the destruction that urred because of his actions.


    Then a pink soul flew into Wain''s body. He was surprised as he didn''t expect a book golem''s soul to be so rare.


    [Book Golem (Damaged)


    Chronicle: First


    Rating: Epic]


    Wain smiled and crushed the soul.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Book Golem level 20. Strength+5, Vitality+6, Stamina+8]


    ''Oh, I got many stats. After all, First Chronicle souls are quite different from Primary Chronicle souls in every aspect. What''s more, this golem was level 20. That is an impressive number. When I get to the upper clouds, I should prepare myself for a dangerous challenge.'' Thought Wain as he felt himself growing stronger.


    It was First Chronicle soul, so Wain could increase his Strength, even though it was above 80. The moreplicated the enemy was, the higher the reward was.


    [You get Epic Rating Spiritual Box]


    "Wow, the item I get from this box will have a huge value. The Furious Lion Amulet I bought from Sven is also an Epic Rating item from First Chronicle." Wain muttered and crushed the pink box in his hand.


    Arge amount of Soul Essence flew out of the box, which gradually turned into a small object. Strangely enough, it was a book. It was huge. However, this book only had one page.


    Wain took the book in his hands and looked at the object''s description.


    [Book Avnche (First Chronicle, Epic Rating)


    To use this item, you must mentally select a target and then tear out a page in this book. The next moment, each letter on the page will turn into a massive, hard as steel book. They will cluster into one massive avnche and crash down on your enemy.


    This avnche will instantly kill any enemy whose Stamina is less than 100 points.


    After using this item, the book is burned]<sub> </sub>


    "Not bad," Wain muttered and moved the book to the Ring of Damned.


    At this point, he needed all the reinforcement he could get. Honestly, Wain didn''t expect the book golem to be such a strong opponent.


    The golem had powerful attacks, high regeneration, and arge number of different skills. Every book was a weapon of the golem, and it was a tremendous power.


    Whoooosh.


    Suddenly the cloud on which Wain was standing slowly began to rise up. Wain smiled, he was worried that he would have to solve some riddle to get through again. However, in this case, his challenge was to defeat the golem.


    After a while, Wain climbed even higher. Initially, he was the first at the lowest level of the clouds. Now he had risen to the third. ording to Wain''s calctions, he needed to climb one or two more levels to get to the top of the clouds.


    Wain arrived at a huge cloud, more like a floating ind. On this cloud was a massive building, it was a library. Inside were hundreds of different books, it was a temple of knowledge and protected by many creatures.


    "Knights?" Wain mouthed in surprise as he looked at the monsters around the library.


    They were knights, but not ordinary. Their armor consisted of paper, and they looked as if they were characters from some fairy tale. Despite the ridiculous appearance of their armor, their weapons were deadly and brutal.


    They were a variety of serrated swords, bloody spears, and even saws. This created a contrast between the simple paper armor and the sophisticated weapons.


    The knights spotted Wain, but they did not attack him. They were standing still. Their main task was to prevent anyone from entering the library.


    Wain shrugged and walked around the building. He hoped to find a way to get higher without fighting the monsters because he needed to conserve his strength. However, no miracle happened.


    "Damn, now I want to solve some mystery again..." Wain muttered and waved his hand. A dark sword appeared beside him, and like lightning, it headed toward the paper knights.


    The knights continued to stand motionless. They saw Wain''s attack, and they stared at him intently, but the knights did not even try to dodge.


    ng.


    Suddenly a protective barrier appeared around the library, and the Dark Sword flew aside like a needle. Wain tried to attack again and swung his arm, but the result was the same.


    "This is getting annoying... Why is it always so weird and confusing in the Purgatory zones? However, I passed the first test in my own way. Okay, I don''t have any other option anyway." Mumbled Wain, and he stepped forward when the sword returned to him.


    The knights didn''t attack Wain until thest moment, but they became wary when he came close to the barrier.


    Wain realized that he would probably be able to get through the barrier, and he might not have to destroy it to do so. Wain didn''t have any proof. It was simple intuition and a little experience gained from being in the Purgatory zones.


    Wain stepped forward and quickly passed through the barrier. At the same moment, the two knights closest to him attacked him. They were fast, and their attacks were deadly. Unfortunately for them, Wain was swifter.


    He dashed forward and found himself behind one knight.


    Whooosh.


    Wain swung his sword and sliced the knight in two. The second knight reacted quickly and attacked Wain, but Wain was ready for it. He lifted half of the first knight''s body to cover himself with it and then swung his sword to cut the second knight''s head off.


    ''As I expected, paper knights are pretty weak opponents.'' Thought Wain as he looked at the foes running in his direction.


    Suddenly, however, the two paper knights who had just been defeated rose to their feet. Their bodies were fully intact again, and they were ready for battle.


    Wain was surprised and decided to run inside the library. He decided it would be better to deal with all the enemies at once and in one ce. The paper knights were not the first regenerative enemies Wain had encountered.


    ''I''ll find out how many of them there are first, try a couple of ways to destroy them, and then choose the best option.'' Wain thought as he ran into the massive library room.


    The library was spherical in shape, and bookcases were all around on the walls, even on the ceiling.


    Inside there was nothing but bookcases, but Wain didn''t have time to look closely as dozens of knights ran inside.


    Ahead of them all stood the two knights he had just killed. They had changed slightly, bing a little taller and bigger. Their auras had intensified, and a triangle mark appeared on their chests. Wain didn''t know what it meant, but he had no time to think at the moment.


    He had to fight off multiple knights attacking him from different directions. They could not attack all at once, as it was impossible to surround Wain tightly given their numbers. However, they didn''t give him time to rest and think of a n.

 Chapter 144 Books

    A multitude of paper knights attacked Wain time after time. He easily dodged their attacks and counterattacked sharply but gradually lost.


    Wain was strong, but he could not defeat immortal enemies. Sooner orter, he would tire, and he would not even have the strength to hold his sword tightly in his hands.


    Whooosh.


    One of the paper knights reinforced after the rebirth attacked Wain. The monster''s weapon was a long sword, more like a saw. The knight attempted tocerate Wain by attacking him from behind, but Wain was ready for it.


    He wrapped himself up sharply, snatched the knight''s weapon, and sliced his enemy in two. However, a few secondster, the sword turned into sheets of paper, and the knight was resurrected. This had already happened more than ten times, and Wain decided to go on the defensive.


    Wain turned into blue lightning and moved to the end of the library.


    ''After the paper knights are reborn, they be stronger, but certain symbols also appear on their bodies. That must mean something. Even if they can heal the most critical wounds, all creatures have weaknesses and limits. I''m missing something.'' Wain thought as he looked at the monsters running toward him.


    He realized that the signs on their chests must have meant something. However, he couldn''t find a clue to solve this mystery.


    Wain looked up and stared intently at the bookcases. To his surprise, there were various symbols engraved on the top of the bookcase, and one of them was a triangle. This symbol appeared on the chests of the two paper knights that Wain had killed first.


    Wain smirked and swung his hand. The dark sword flew toward the bookcase and smashed it into tiny chips. At the exact moment, the triangle-shaped mark on the chests of the two knights glowed brightly, and the monsters quickly burned away. Not even ash was left of them.


    "Huh, that turned out to be easier than I thought." Proimed Wain and waved his hand. The dark sword returned to him, and he turned into blue lightning.


    Wain realized how he had to fight these opponents. First, he had to kill each knight so that signs would appear on their chests, and then he would destroy all the bookcases. That way, he could easily kill all the paper knights quickly and safely.


    In a few seconds, there were dozens of bodies cut in two in front of Wain, and the firsts of them began to rise. They were ten knights, each with a sign in the shape of a circle.


    Wain smiled and looked at the bookcases. However, he did not find any with the same symbol.


    Whoooosh.


    Ten knights instantly attacked Wain. They aimed at different parts of his body, from his head to his feet. Moreover, three of the knights decided to go around Wain''s back. They were trying to protect the library from uninvited guests.


    Wain frowned and furiously began to attack the knights. He was unhappy that his n had once again failed to work. When he killed each of the rebellious paper knights, they rose again.


    This time they were even stronger than before, but the mark on their chests was different.<sub> </sub>


    ''I see, each time thebination changes. All I have to do is kill them a certain number of times, after which I can destroy the bookcase, and they will all be dead.'' Wain thought and looked up.


    Just as he suspected, a sign on one of the bookcases matched him. Wain waved his hand, and ten paper knights were burned to the ground three secondster.


    Once Wain understood how the system worked, he had no more trouble passing this test. After about five minutes, he had killed every paper knight and destroyed quite a few bookcases.


    The only dangerous and challenging moment was when one of the paper knights revived ten times in a row. Only then did the correct symbol appear on the monster''s chest, and Wain could kill it.


    This monster was powerful and even inflicted a rather deep wound on Wain''s left side.


    Whooosh.


    When the battle was over, the cloud rose high like thest time. Wain walked out of the library and looked up. He had almost reached the cloudyer. He only had one final step to take.


    In front of Wain was another cloud with a massive building on it. Wain was in no hurry to go there. He wanted to rest and recover his strength first.


    In thest two fights, he received several wounds. They were not critical, but they made him weaker. He had to recover before the final test.


    After all, when he would be at the top, something exciting and incredible would await him.


    "The Purgatory zones... are mysterious ces, full of mysticism or even magic. The Pearl of Soul is probably at the very top, just likest time. Hmm, Forgotten defend the soul pearl. I wonder if I''m going to meet someone like that this time or not? Moreover, I still haven''t met a watcher. That''s weird. How am I supposed to get home in that case?"


    Wain looked at the hundreds of clouds floating peacefully across the vast sky and felt inner peace. It was a beautiful picture that could not be seen anywhere else but here.


    Whooosh.


    Wain smiled, and the Ring of Damned glowed brightly. A green pill appeared in his hands. He popped it into mouth and swallowed.


    Wain hadn''t originally nned to use the healing pill to heal faster. He could have just waited, and nothing would have gone wrong. However, when Wain looked at the clouds and the blue sky, he felt the most wonderful feeling in the world - Freedom.


    In fact, Wain didn''t want to wait for his wounds to heal naturally. It was too slow and boring. Of course, it was rational because it was better to save the pill for the final battle, but Wain didn''t want to wait. He wanted to go to thest cloud right now.


    Doing what a person wanted, regardless of the situation or the time, was true freedom, and Wain didn''t care if his freedom interfered with the freedom of others.

 Chapter 145 Ascent To The Top

    When Wain swallowed the pill, his regeneration was greatly elerated. This pill was meant for Primary Chronicle creatures, but it was helpful for Wain. His scratches and shallow wounds would gradually heal, and he would be wonderful in an hour.


    Wain didn''t want to wait, so he headed for the next cloud while the healing process continued. It was thest one before Wain climbed to the very top and saw what was there.


    "Eh, it''s even a little sad that I have to leave here soon. I''ll definitely have to learn how to fly somehow. This view, unforgettable." Mumbled Wain as he moved on to the next cloud.


    On thest cloud was a massive building that looked like a reading room. Wain went inside and looked around. He expected someone to attack him since there were no monsters around the building. However, there were no enemies on this cloud.


    ''That''s strange, but then what do I have to do to get through?'' Thought Wain looking at the dozens of bookcases around.


    In the center of the reading room was an altar with a massive sheet of parchment and an ink quill.


    Wain approached the altar and looked closely at the parchment scroll. There were dozens of different sentences written on it, but they were all unfinished.


    "I see. It looks like I need to finish each of the sentences to pass this test. However, I don''t know any of the answers. This sort of thing cannot be solved by logic or random selection. Moreover, I don''t know how many tries I have..." Wain muttered.


    The challenges were different each time, which Wain liked. Sometimes there were battles, sometimes some logical challenges. Most of the trials were simple, but it was the preparation before the final battle.


    Wain had to pass all the tests to get to the top. He had no other choice.


    ''The energetic vibrations from the Sorcerer''s Soule from above. Moreover, they gradually intensify. The soul and the soul pearl are definitely above the clouds.'' Wain thought and began to think about how to pass this test.


    He realized that the easiest way was to read every book. Wain was sure that there were clues or lines with missing words in them, but it was very long. It would take him quite a while to read each book and find the correct answers.


    Of course, thanks to Mastery of Reading, Wain read very quickly, but even at that speed, he wouldn''t have time to read everything in one hour or less.


    ''Hmm, this one is the highest of all the soaring clouds. When I pass the final test, this cloud will rise, and I will be at the very top. Nevertheless, I can try to get there on my own.'' Wain thought and walked out of the reading room.


    His idea was simple. He wanted to jump high enough to break through ayer of clouds without going through a long and tedious ordeal.


    Whoooooosh.


    The sign of Lightning appeared on Wain''s chest, and he turned into a blue sh. He wanted to elerate and use the momentum to jump as high as possible. However, Wain made a mistake.


    When he decided to jump, his speed didn''t affect the height of his jump much, but it significantly increased its length. Without knowing it himself, Wain jumped from one cloud to another.


    ''Damn, this jump was a little higher than usual, but it wasn''t enough. What''s more, I was lucky to have this cloud nearby.'' Thought Wain and turned into a blue sh again.


    A few secondster, he was standing on the previous cloud again. Wain could not ascend to the upper clouds in this way, but only to those that floated next to him and were at the same altitude.


    ...


    For the next ten minutes, Wain walked around the reading room and tried to n an action. However, he failed. Wain had one idea: make a tower out of the bookcases, climb it, and jump up, but that was nonsense.


    Wain took a deep breath and muttered, "I guess I have no other choice. There are only ny-nine sentences on the parchment scroll, which is quite a lot, but it''s better than a thousand. If I''m lucky, I can find all the answers in a few hours."


    In any other situation, Wain wouldn''t have minded reading books of fascinating stories, but not in this situation. He wanted to engage in a great battle, get the Sorcerer''s Soul, and discover a third form. Moreover, he had no time to read so many books.


    Wain had no other options, so he reluctantly picked up a random book and started reading. He read quickly, and after a few minutes of turning pages, it was finished. Wain walked over to the parchment sheet, but to his disappointment, he could notplete a single sentence.


    "Well, perhaps this ordeal will be the most difficult of my life," Wain muttered and continued reading.


    ...


    After a couple of hours, Wain had read about a third of all the books and answered thirty questions. In all that time, he had reread hundreds of different stories. Some were simr to each other, but some were quite different.


    One book was about a hero''s journey, another was about the greatest viin in some world. Monsters and dragons were mentioned somewhere, and sometimes they were even the main characters.


    If Wain didn''t have to read several books an hour, he would get a lot of emotion and enjoyment out of these stories. However, it turned into a routine and a real test of stamina and fortitude over time.<sub> </sub>


    ...


    After many hours in the reading room, Wain answered ny-eight questions. He only had to answer thest one, and he would pass the test. Also, there were only two books in the room that Wain had not yet read.


    "It was difficult, but I almost made it. There was onest step left to take. Given my reading speed, I''ll be up there in twenty minutes." Wain muttered and opened one of the books.


    Five minutester, Wain tossed the book aside. He was out of luck. This book didn''t have the answer to thest question.


    Then Wain picked up the remaining book. It was different from the others because this book was ck, without titles, signs, or drawings. Moreover, in this book, some of the pages were nk.


    After a few minutes, Wain read everything, but he frowned when he approached the parchment scroll. The ck book had no answer to thest question.


    Wain decided to reread the book, but again he saw nothing.


    ''Hmm, either there are more books hidden in this room, or the answer is in the nk pages. But, how can I figure out what''s written on them if there''s nothing on them?'' Wain pondered.


    Suddenly he remembered how he had recently activated an amulet, after which mechanical cubes appeared out of space. Then Wain was doing something unusual for himself. He had used Soul Essence to activate the amulet.


    "Right... Maybe this book is like that amulet, I don''t know what to call it, but it''s like how artifacts or magical objects work." Mumbled Wain and concentrated.


    The next moment, Soul Essence headed for the book, and text began to appear on the nk pages. Wain was surprised, for the content on these pages was drastically different from that of the visible part of the book.


    Wain shrugged his shoulders and began to read. He had not expected it, but these pages were the most interesting of the hundreds of books he had managed to read these days.


    What''s more, it was a rather strange story. This story has no knights, dragons, or the Middle Ages.


    It was about a story thatpletely changed the world. How in a cruel world, one of the races was deemed real bastards and unworthy of existence. They were called demons and the worst of all living beings.


    The other races were about to begin a genocide against them, but suddenly the races found themselves in a situation where they did not know who to fight, for their enemy had suddenly disappeared.


    The races tried to find them, but their ways didn''t work, no matter how hard they tried.


    Over time, the story was forgotten, and the details disappeared. But each of these races knew who their enemy was, whom they despised and intended to destroy long ago.


    "It''s a pretty brutal story, but it looks like I found the answer to thest question," Wain muttered and moved the book to the Ring of Damned. He decided to take it for himself.


    Then Wain went to the parchment scroll, took a quill, and dipped it in ink. Wain wrote the missing parts of the sentence. The answer was at the end of thest nk page.


    "The demons within us..." Mumbled Wain as he read what he had just written.


    Whooosh.


    The next moment, the scroll glowed brightly and disintegrated into thousands of tiny particles scattered in different directions.


    Wain was surprised, he did not understand what was happening, but when he emerged from the reading room, he saw an incredible scene.


    Hundreds of books flew up to the cloud, from which a staircase was gradually created. It was massive and majestic, was like a path to heaven.


    "Even in the face of the apocalypse, this ce seems magical and filled with magic." Mumbled Wain looking up at the staircase of books.


    The books continued to fly to the cloud as they built the bridge.


    Moreover, several of the books transformed into two paper knights when it was finished. They stood in front of the stairs, crossed their swords, and stepped aside, making way for Wain.


    Wain grinned and muttered, "Now that''s what I mean, the way of the king."


    He looked up at the clouds above and stepped forward. Now, he would see what lurked behind it.

 Chapter 146 Thieves

    The staircase of books was lined up, and Wain leisurely climbed to the top. In the time he had spent in the reading room, Wain had fully recovered and had time to rest.


    Reading dozens of books eventually became boring, but while his mind worked, his body rested. Wain was ready to face any opponent.


    When Wain almost reached the clouds, he stopped and turned around. He once again enjoyed the beautiful azure sky and the hundreds of clouds. After all, it would probably be a long time before he saw something like that again.


    "Okay, it''s time to get the Sorcerer''s Soul and leave this area of Purgatory forever." Proimed Wain and took a step forward, passing through ayer of clouds.


    Theyer was massive and dense. Wain had to walk for about a minute, feeling as if he were wandering amongst the fog.


    Each area of Purgatory was a mysterious and mystical ce. With each step, Wain''s desire to notice what was on the other side increased. He expected to see a watcher, a soul pearl, or some dangerous enemy.


    Step.


    Wain passed through the clouds, and the first thing he saw was a crimson sky. It was quite a contrast to the magical view below.


    However, Wain didn''t have time to admire the new view. In the distance, he saw several people or creatures fighting each other. Wain concentrated and feeling the energetic vibrations of the Sorcerer''s Soul emanating from that side, he ran there.


    ...


    A minuteter, Wain practically arrived at the spot, but what he saw stunned him. The snow-white clouds were drenched with blood, and among the dozens of corpses stood two people.


    One was a tall man with pale skin, short ashy hair, amber eyes, and a muscr build.


    At that moment, he was holding another man by the throat. He had thick ck hair and blue eyes. However, he was not human, for he also had purple skin, four ears, and two pupils in each eye.


    He was seriously injured by the man with ashy hair. When he saw Waine running, he looked at him and muttered quietly, "Run..."


    Crackle.


    The ash-haired man tightened his grip and snapped his neck, then tossed him aside.


    "Nirkad, we havepany." Said the girl standing not far from the killer.


    She was the second person who had carried out the massacre. She had ashy hair, pale skin, and amber eyes, just like her ally. She also had a strange symbol on her forehead. She was wearing a snow-white robe.


    "Em, who is this? Why is there anyone else here besides the watcher and his assistants?" Proimed Nirkad looking at Wain in surprise.


    "It doesn''t matter, do your job. We shouldn''t dy. It could be bad for our reputation." Em said coldly, not even looking at Wain.


    She, unlike Nirkad, was not taking part in this battle; she had a different task. In front of her, several magical circles were floating in the air, which represented some kind of mechanism.


    Em was making changes to this structure. The magical circles moved, partially glowing, and thin beams flew out of them, quickly dispersing into space. Wain realized that she was training or calibrating some skill.


    "Sure, but you should have been less strict. These wimps couldn''t even scratch me." Said Nirkad and was about to attack Wain, but suddenly Em stopped him.


    "Wait, pass it to me first." The girl said calmly.


    "Huh, don''t you trust me?" Nirkad said with a grin, and suddenly a cage of white pearls appeared in his hands, which he handed to Em.


    When Wain saw it, he knew immediately what was going on here.


    He had two choices. These people were soul pearl protectors like Forgotten, or they stole the soul pearl. Of course, Wain understood that the first option was unlikely.


    "That''s not what I expected..." Wain said calmly, looking down at Nirkad.


    "What? What are you saying?" Smiling, Nirkad said rxedly, walking toward Wain.


    "I''m saying I''m disappointed," Wain said coldly. Em and Nirkad looked at him in shock.


    "I thought I would meet a worthy opponent here, but this time I have to get my hands dirty with the blood of some wretched thieves," Wain said contemptuously.


    Em''s and Nirkad''s faces contorted when they heard Wain''s words. They did not expect that some person would express himself so rudely toward them.


    "Nirkad," Em said quietly.


    He looked at her, puzzled.


    "This person could be dangerous. We were only able to get here because suddenly, the protective barrier of this area weakened. It might have something to do with his arrival." Said Em.


    Nirkad nodded and looked at Wain and asked, "Hey, who are you? What race do you belong to? Don''t you know better than to quarrel with us?"


    Wain answered nothing. He slipped his hand under his raincoat, pulled out a ck pack of cigarettes, and then opened it. Wain pulled out a blue cigarette and lit it.<sub> </sub>


    After a few seconds, he blew out a blue cloud of smoke, which randomly turned into the demon''s face. Wain felt his lungs hit a me and a pleasant heat all over his body.


    They were the best cigarettes he had ever used.


    "My name is Nameless. That''s all you need to know." Calmly Wain said, blowing out another cloud of smoke.


    "Damn, so much effort and hope, and at the end, I had some dregs waiting for me. Having inted expectations can be dangerous." Wain muttered.


    His words were beginning to piss Nirkad off.


    "Say what you want. In a few seconds, you''ll still be a corpse!" Nirkad said loudly and lunged toward Wain.


    Wain tossed his cigarette aside and got into a fighting stance. Although he was frustrated by the nature of his opponents, he understood that they were powerful.


    ''They were able to kill the watcher of this area and several other creatures. That shows how strong they are.'' Thought Wain.


    Em did not take part in the battle as before. She was busy setting up magic circles.


    Whooosh.


    As Nirkad shortened his distance, he attacked Wain with lightning speed. His fist was powerful and destructive, but his opponent was not simple.


    Wain reacted instantly, and with the back of his palm, struck Nirkad''s wrist. With that move, Wain negated his attack. Nirkad was surprised, but he immediately counterattacked. He turned around and kicked Wain.


    However, Wain didn''t duck. He stopped Nirkad''s attack with his palm and then grabbed his leg tightly.


    Whoooosh.


    Wain threw Nirkad aside, and while he was in flight, Wain used the Distant Bullet. In an instant, a white bullet appeared in his hands, which he swiftly threw at Nirkad.


    Nirkad was shocked. For a while, he wasn''t down yet. He couldn''t dodge this attack. All he had to do was try to defend himself.


    He put his arms out in front of him, and a thinyer of protective barrier quickly appeared on them. It should havepletely blocked the bullet. However, Nirkad underestimated the power of Wain''s attack.


    Crackle.


    The barrier was shattered like ss, and the white bullet pierced through Nirkad''s left arm. Blood spurted out, and Nirkad instantly jumped aside.


    The scene shocked not only him but Em as well. She couldn''t believe that someone could wound Nirkad so easily.


    "Hey, Em, it looks like you were right, but we''re in trouble now. This guy is definitely strong. What''s more, I can''t exactly determine his race. Is he some kind of unique and rare? Perhaps of some mighty lineage or a member of a powerful family? Why is he so strong?" Nirkad muttered.


    Em frowned and waved her hand. Magical circles surrounded the cage with the soul pearl, and he stood beside Nirkad.


    For a while, she stared at Wain, "That''s unlikely. While you were exchanging blows with him, I checked his name, or rather alias. He only owns one Void, tiny in size, with nothing but ice and weak monsters. Either way, we have to kill him."


    "Yes." Nirkad nodded, and the next moment their auras began to intensify.


    Then their ashy hair caught white me just as their arms and legs did. Their eyes glowed brightly and became like discs of me. It was a hallmark of their race.


    Whooosh.


    As before, Nirkad attacked first. His speed increased several times, and he was like a sh of white me. Em stayed where she was and put her palms together. Then several spheres of me appeared behind her and flew toward Wain.


    "AHAHAHAHAH, so your main attribute is fire. Okay, this is going to be a lot easier than I expected." Proimed Wain, and suddenly, his aura began to increase rapidly.


    Em and Nirkad felt the monstrous pressure that came from their opponent. They were shocked, but they didn''t stop. They had to kill Wain and leave his corpse in this area of Purgatory forever.


    Nirkad attacked, aiming his fist at Wain''s head. Em supported him with long-range attacks. But suddenly, Wain turned into blue lightning and moved away to a safe distance.


    Then the temperature around him began to drop. His eyes turned azure, and he wore a long cloak, torn in many ces, as well as bulky boots. His face was half covered by a ck cloth reaching down to his nose.


    Ringing.


    His left arm was shackled in massive ck chains, and a sword with an icy de appeared in his right hand.


    Wain stepped forward, raised the sword high above his head, and then lowered it sharply.


    At the same moment, an icy de was created, which like a wave, came down on Em and Nirkad.

 Chapter 147 Ice And Flame

    The Cursed Swordsman was an incredibly powerful form. When Wain first used this skill, his strength was enough to make a few swings, but this skill was his trump card.


    The only time Cursed Swordsman wasn''t useful was during a battle against a wyvern in Ice Caves. Ice was not effective against such an opponent, but this time was different.


    Wain did not know what race Em and Nirkad were of, but it was obvious that their main feature was their appearance and white me. Em attacked from afar, while Nirkad fought in closebat.


    Whooosh.


    When Wain swung his sword, a massive ice de was created. It pierced through the clouds and was about to cut Nirkad in two.


    Nirkad did not expect such a powerful and sudden attack, but he managed to react. The mes at his feet exploded, and he bounced aside, elerating with the shockwave.


    Em didn''t dodge as the icy de flew a meter away from her. She snapped her finger, and several white fireballs flew toward Wain.


    Wain didn''t dodge. When the fireballs almost reached him, he turned sharply and swung his cloak. The fireballs copsed onto the massive cloak and scattered into the air like tiny mes.


    Not only was the ice sword a weapon, everything that appeared during the activation of the form was part of the skill. The cloak was not a simple piece of clothing to give an appropriate image. It was a quality outfit with protective properties.


    "You''re even worse than I expected..." Wain muttered. His voice was like a chill from the underworld.


    Em and Nirkad shuddered in fear, but that feeling changed into a rage.


    "I don''t know who you are or where you got such terrifying power, but there''s no way an upstart like you can handle us!" Shouted Nirkad and the seal on his chest lit up in white mes.


    The next moment he turned into a blurry blur. Then he appeared in front of Wain and delivered a crushing blow. However, Wain swung his sword smoothly and blocked his opponent''s attack.


    Boooom.


    Nirkad''s fist was charged with fire, so a fiery explosion consumed everything around it. But, Wain remained unharmed. The residual mes from the attack could not harm him because the main power of the blow was blocked by the sword.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Nirkad didn''t stop there. He continued to attack Wain furiously, gradually dodging. Nirkad was used to dominating the battlefield. Usually, his opponents were afraid of him and, in most cases, tried to escape, but that was not the case this time.


    Wain was the one who dominated their battle, even though he made only a few powerful attacks. There was no fear in his eyes but rather a look of frustration and even contempt.


    To Nirkad, this seemed something impossible. He had never found himself in this situation before.


    "Nirkad!" Em said loudly, and her ally bounced aside.


    While Nirkad and Wain traded blows, Em did not sit idly by. When Wain blocked the fireballs with a simple swing of her cloak, she realized that her opponent was dangerous.<sub> </sub>


    Em decided to take advantage of the situation and prepare a powerful attack that would kill Wain.


    There were many fire spheres around Wain. They were far away from him, so he didn''t notice them during the battle with Nirkad. Moreover, the fire blocked his visibility.


    Em waved his hand, and dozens of spheres turned into pirs of fire. They gradually increased in size and came crashing down on Wain like an avnche. To create one such orb, Em had to expend quite a lot of power. This reception significantly depleted her reserves.


    "AHAHAHA, now he''s definitely finished!" Nirkad said loudly was watching the mes consume Wain. Em was in no hurry to rejoice. She was always prepared for any scenario.


    Wain looked at the white pirs of me and nodded weakly. Then the energy quickly began to build up at the sword.


    His aura intensified, and the temperature around him dropped dramatically. Even the clouds on which he stood showed a thinyer of ice.


    The next moment he plunged the sword into the ground, and there was an energy explosion. Ice spread in all directions like massive waves.


    The pirs of me were a serious threat, but they quickly dissipated when they met the waves of ice. The mes could do nothing to such superior ice.


    The area within a five-meter radius around Wain turned into a semnce of a cier. Nirkad was stunned. He forgot how to speak for a few seconds. Em frowned heavily. She knew they were in a critical situation.


    She had about twenty percent energy left. Nirkad was weaker than Wain and couldn''t do anything to him. They were in a no-win situation.


    "It''s time to end this." Calmly Wain said and swung his sword a few times.


    Many crescent-shaped des of ice flew toward Nirkad and Em. They tried to dodge, but they only partially seeded. The des were too fast.


    One of the des caught Nirkad''s side. Em had a deep wound on his shoulder.


    "Nirkad, hold him back. I''ll try to call for help." Said Em and pulled a small amulet from beneath her robes.


    She waved her hand, and many magical circles formed a sphere of sorts. Em ced the amulet in its center and folded her palms together, and then the mark on her forehead shone brightly.


    Wain realized that Em''s actions could be dangerous for him, so he rushed toward her. He could not let her finish her ritual. Wain didn''t know what would happen in the end, but he didn''t want to find out.


    When the distance between him and Em was reduced to ten meters, Nirkad appeared before Wain. He had to protect her. Otherwise, Wain would turn them into ice statues.


    Whooosh.


    Nirkad attacked. His fist was covered in white me, it was like a fieryet, but this blow was not dangerous for Wain.


    He took a step to the side and swung his arm sharply. The icy de of the sword went through Nirkad''s flesh, and Wain severed his arm.

 Chapter 148 Crack

    Nirkad tried to thwart Wain, but he was not strong enough to do so. When Wain used the Cursed Swordsman, his power increased manifold. He was a true disaster, bringing cold and destruction.


    Wain cut off Nirkad''s arm in one sharp movement, but he did not continue to attack him. Wain could have tried to finish NIrkad off, but he had a more important goal.


    He had to stop Em. Wain understood that the amulet, magical circles, and seal on her forehead were not simple. It could get him into a lot of trouble.


    Nirkad was in great pain, but he clenched his teeth and pulled a small scroll from his pocket. He realized he couldn''t stop Wain, but he had one more way to protect Em.


    Nirkad looked at Em, and the scroll in his hands glowed brightly. The next moment a white, ss barrier appeared around the girl. It was thest protective measure they had. Em had to finish the ritual in time. Otherwise, they would die, and no one could save them.


    Wain frowned, at that moment, he wished he had taken a few seconds to decapitate Nirkad. He had no time to regret it, though.


    He gathered the energy at one point and swung his sword. The energy turned into an icy avnche that came down on Em, but she didn''t dodge the attack. Em knew that she had to finish the ritual, even at the cost of her life.


    A wave of ice crashed down on Em, but the barrier was not broken. There were many cracks in it, but Em could continue the ritual.


    Wain was surprised. Nothing could block the ice des of the second form before. He decided to attack again and swung his sword.


    The massive ice de copsed on Em, easily breaking the barrier and inflicting a deep wound on the girl''s chest. She vomited out a mouthful of blood but was in no hurry to flee, for thanks to Nirkad''s help, she had enough time.


    Whooosh.


    She touched her hand to her forehead, and the seal glowed brightly, just as the amulet did. The next moment the seal was erased, and the amulet destroyed.


    Then the magical circles ovepped and created a powerful beam of energy. It flew forward, but the beam was short and quickly dissipated.


    But, this beam was not attacking. Using this method, Em weakened the spatial defenses of this area of Purgatory.


    Wain swung his sword at lightning speed. The icy de almost reached Em, but suddenly, a ck crack appeared in the air next to her.


    Whooooosh.


    That''s when the shockwave urred, knocking them sideways. Wain, Em, and Nirkad found themselves significantly far apart.


    This was the consequence of a crack in the spatial barrier of the Purgatory zone.


    Of course, Em and Nirkad also entered the zone from the outside, but they didn''t need to damage the spatial barrier to do so. They used a portal, and that was a significant distinction.


    Spaces, whether Void or Purgatory zones, could bepared to ordinary houses. It was not possible to just walk into a house. A person had to open the door to do so.


    However, this required a key, which only the owner or trusted persons had. That''s why Sven gave Wain the amulet with the emblem of the bar. It was a kind of key because, without this amulet, it was impossible to get into Sven''s bar.


    The portal worked on roughly the same principle. When a person used a portal, he would try to find the key to an area door. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn''t. It depended on many factors.


    The quality of the portal was important and the skills of the person who set up the coordinates. But the most crucial factor was the strength of the spatial barrier of the zone to which person wanted to get.


    Em and Nirkad could get into that area of Purgatory by chance. They had wanted to be in Purgatory for a long time, but they could not find a suitable path.


    These zones were too well hidden and had excellent defenses. Recently, however, the barrier had been weakened, and because of this, they were able to get in.


    Nevertheless, there was another way in which they could get into the house, even if they didn''t have a key or a picklock. It was quite simple. A person could break down the door. But, this required great strength.


    Of course, some people could break down a wooden door. All they needed was above-average strength. But, breaking through an iron or steel door with a whole system of locks and multipleyers of protection was unrealistic for an ordinary person.


    The barrier of the Purgatory zone was powerful, so Em had to use a secret technique and expend a valuable artifact.


    One small crack appeared in space, but it wasparable in importance to the splitting of a continent. Space tried to repair the crack immediately, given the area''s power. This process shouldn''t have taken more than a few seconds.


    Crack.


    Suddenly a hand emerged from the ck crack. It was as white as freshly fallen snow.<sub> </sub>


    ''Fuck!'' Shouted to himself, Wain and threw his ice sword into the crack with all his might.


    Last time, after Wain defeated the Forgotten, some creature managed to break the barrier, and cracks began to appear in space. However, this creature was many times stronger.


    When a white hand appeared from the crack, Wain got goosebumps all over his body. It was a natural reaction to such an eerie and overwhelming aura.


    The sword instantly reached the crack. It was the fastest and most powerful attack Wain was capable of at that moment. He shouldn''t have allowed this creature to prate.


    But, when the icy sword should have stabbed into his hand and turned it into icy debris, the creature moved with one finger. The ice sword was thrown aside and damaged in many ces. Wain could no longer use this weapon to fight.


    Em and Nirkad, unlike Wain, were not wary. They were not afraid. On the contrary, they were smiling quite a bit. Em and Nirkad were seriously injured, but that was nothingpared to the possibility of survival. For now, they were saved.


    Wain was shocked. He hadn''t expected anything to damage the ice sword so badly. He was about to use the Distant Bullet and attack again, but suddenly the cracks began to widen.


    Then the shockwave happened again, and a massive shard broke off the space as if from a mirror. Then a second arm emerged from the crack, and a tall silhouette gradually emerged. It stepped forward and emerged from the spatial rift.


    It was a tall girl, almost two meters tall. She had snow-white skin, long ashy hair, and amber eyes. She wore gray clothes and a tight white robe.


    She looked a lot like Em and Nirkad, and it was no mere coincidence. They were all members of the same race.


    "Miss Ria!" Nirkad said cheerfully.


    He was in a lot of pain because Wain had cut off his arm, but he was happy to see this girl.


    Ria looked at Nirkad, at Em, and said, "You were right to use the amulet and the seal. Judging by your condition, otherwise, you would be dead by now. Thanks to the seal, I was able to find this ce and use the energy of the amulet to make my way here."


    Em and Nirkad arrived here through the portal. But they were only able to do so because, at one point, the spatial barrier weakened and became unstable. Since then, it''s been a long time, and things have returned to normal.


    ? So Ria couldn''t get here through the same portal Nirkad and Em used.


    Em nodded, "Yeah, we didn''t expect him to suddenly show up here."


    She pointed to Wain. At that moment, he was standing in the distance, assessing the situation. He was in no hurry to attack since he knew nothing of his new enemy. Moreover, Ria''s strength amazed him. Wain had to think of a n of action.


    He also decided to cancel the action of the second form since his sword was broken. The Cursed Swordsman wasn''t much use at this point. Sure, Wain could use the skill again, but that wouldpletely deplete his energy reserves.


    Ria looked at Wain intently. She stared at him for a while, then her eyes widened in shock. She was stunned.


    "Miss Ria, what is wrong with you?" Nirkad asked worriedly.


    Ria uttered, "What is human doing here! What the fuck is going on here!?"


    When Em and Nirkad heard her words, they were numb. They stared at Wain as if they had seen a mythical creature from legends and tales.


    ''Hmm? Why are they so surprised? Has their race never seen humans? It is impossible... or...'' Thought Wain looking at them.


    "Are you really human?" Ria asked uncertainly.


    Wain nodded. He didn''t hide it, there was no point. He wanted to know more about the situation, for it concerned all of humanity, and therefore him.


    "Miss Ria, he has an alias, Nameless, and he owns one tiny Void." Said Em.


    Ria nodded and muttered, "Human... He''s in the Purgatory zone and even owns one Void. It sounds like some kind of bullshit. It''s nonsense..."


    ''Did THEY really show up again? No, that''s impossible. This one likely got caught in the spatial holes and somehow stayed alive. That''s the only logical exnation. What''s more, he''s quite young. Yes, my theory is definitely correct.'' Ria thought.


    Ria looked at Wain and said, ''I have a proposition for you. If you agree toe with me and follow all my instructions, I will keep you alive."

 Chapter 149 Restraining Chains

    "You want me to go with you?" Wain asked puzzled.


    Ria nodded, "Yes, you are a rare and incredibly valuable specimen. You can''t beat me anyway. Your aura is many times weaker than mine. If you agree to my terms, you will have a chance to survive. Isn''t that the best option for you?"


    Wain grinned and said, "No matter what you want from me, no one dares to order me around. I don''t know who you are or what race you are, but I don''t care about that."


    "AHAHAHAHA." Suddenly Riaughed.


    "You''re too cocky. I''ll admit, I didn''t expect to meet you by chance, but you overestimate your powers. You are nothing but a pathetic offspring of the most hideous and horrible race in existence. In fact, you''re probably thest one. I meant well, but you leave me no other choice!"


    Suddenly Ria''s aura began to increase rapidly.


    Wain shuddered. He had never felt such a strong aura, not even from Forgotten. Ria was far mighty than anyone Wain had fought before. Her aura was ancient and powerful.


    Em and Nirkad stepped aside. They watched their elder with anticipation. They wanted to see Ria destroy Wain in an instant.


    Wain prepared for battle. He was going to use every trump card he had. Wain was ready to expend everyst drop of energy if necessary. Survival was paramount.


    However, when Ria released her aura, the whole space shook. Hundreds of chains appeared out of thin air and shackled Ria the next moment.


    Wain didn''t know what was happening, and neither did Em or Nirkad.


    Ria frowned and muttered, "Damn, the Purgatory zones are too dangerous ces. It can be quite problematic."


    After a few seconds, the chains ceased to be material, and it was as if ghosts had entered Ria''s body. That''s when her aura began to weaken.


    Ria''s strength wasparable to a Second Chronicle creature, but this Purgatory zone was First Chronicle. When the zone detected Ria''s powerful aura, which exceeded the local limits, it took appropriate measures.


    Ria was strong, but it could not resist the Purgatory zone. It was something that was beyond it.


    At this point, Ria''s strength was reduced to a First Chronicle creature, but she was at the limit of that Chronicle. The zone had limited her power in such a way that she only had one step left to be a Second Chronicle creature.


    Ria prostrated herself, slipped her hand under her robes, and pulled out a ck scroll.


    Wain grew wary. He didn''t know what she was nning to do.


    "I''m giving you onest chance. The Purgatory Zone has limited my power, but this is a Second Chronicle scroll, and I can use it. It is a special scroll designed to capture all sorts of targets that are hard to catch. It won''t kill you, but I promise that if I have to waste such a valuable item, I will torture you every day of your miserable life." Coldly said Ria.


    Wain answered nothing, he snapped his finger, and a dark sword appeared in his hand. He didn''t care about Ria''s words, for being someone else''s prisoner was even worse than death to him. Moreover, Wain had a n.


    ''Judging by her aura, she is now a First Chronicle creature. However, she is still about twice as strong as me. She is at the peak of this Chronicle. However, she can hardly use Second Chronicle items with impunity. This must be her only attempt.'' Thought Wain holding the sword tightly in her hands.


    Ria frowned, "Okay, have it your way. You''re lucky. Alive, you''re worth billions of times more than dead."


    Whooooosh.


    Ria poured Soul Essence into the scroll, and many symbols glowed on it.


    "Hey Em, do you realize what''s going on?" Nirkad asked worriedly.


    Em shook her head, "I don''t know. I''ve never seen Miss Ria so surprised. Moreover, I have never heard of such a race as human..."


    "What?! I thought you knew practically everything. It''s probably some very rare race, though, if Ria is so eager to take him prisoner." Said Nirkad.


    Em nodded.


    The next moment the scroll was activated, and a massive toothy mouth emerged from it. Many ck chains that could shackle anyone instantly flew out of it. No First Chronicle creature was capable of resisting such power.


    Even Ria could not resist it. Wain was doomed.


    However, he didn''t even try to dodge. He continued to stand where he was, staring intently at the chains rushing toward him.


    Wain was not an idiot. He assessed the situation and therefore did not run away. He knew that there was no way he could resist those chains because this scroll was designed to capture Second Chronicle targets.


    However, Wain also had his own trump cards and unique equipment.


    When the chains almost reached him, he thrust his right hand forward, the back of his palm. Ria was surprised, she didn''t understand what Wain was trying to do. Suddenly the gray ring on his finger glowed brightly.


    A massive magical circle with the image of a falling tear appeared in front of Wain. Wain decided that this was the best moment to use Last Tear. Lea had created this ring, and it was her first masterpiece.


    Then a multitude of ck chains copsed onto the magic circle. Ria thought that the chains would easily break this protective barrier and bore Wain down, but she underestimated it.<sub> </sub>


    The ck chains tried to break through the barrier, but they failed. Last Tear was capable of defending against a Second Chronicle power attack once. If Wain hadn''t had this ring, he would have tried to run away or dodge the chains.


    Whoooosh.


    Suddenly, the magic circle glowed brightly, and the ck chains, along with the creepy maw, were drawn into a gray ring. The next moment, the crystal on the ring shattered.


    Wain smirked and said, "You turned out to be rather foolish and too arrogant. You might be stronger than me at the moment, but you definitely don''t have enough experience."


    Ria frowned, "You talk too much. Judging by your appearance, you''re not much more than twenty. I''ve spent more time in the wars than you have lived. The difference in our experiences is indescribable."


    Whoooosh.


    White mes appeared on Ria''s legs and arms, just as Em and Nirkad had before. Then, however, a fire appeared on her shoulders as well. Ria''s mes were several times more powerful than those of her juniors.


    She could not capture Wain with the scroll, but she could still beat him to a pulp.


    Ria sighed and lunged toward Wain. She was like a fiery meteor hurtling toward her target. However, Wain was ready for it. He knew that Ria was strong, so he was ready to use everything he had to win.


    The Ring of Damned shone brightly, and a massive book appeared in his hands. Wain opened the book with a slight smile on his face and tore out a single leaf. The next moment, the letters on that sheet glowed brightly and turned into dozens of massive books.


    They came down on Ria like an avnche. Each of the books was solid and powerful. This avnche could instantly kill any creature whose Stamina was below 100 points. However, Ria''s stats were slightly higher.


    Whoooosh.


    Ria mmed her fists against each other, and there was a fiery explosion. The white mes engulfed everything around her. She hoped to burn all the books in this way. However, only half of all the books were destroyed. The rest copsed on Ria and caused her many bruises.


    The books, strong as steel, hit Ria at many points, starting at her head and rolling her heels. She tried to fight back. Each of her blows burned one book, but her speed wasn''t enough to burn more than thirty books in a second.


    Wain wasn''t going to stand by and watch Ria destroy books. He concentrated, and a white bullet appeared in front of him. Wain grabbed it and threw it in Ria''s direction. He used the Soul umtor at the exact moment, and a beam of energy flew out of the white glove.


    Ria didn''t block the beam, it wasn''t strong enough to cause her serious wounds, but the Distant Bullet was on a different level. The bullet was too fast, and Ria didn''t have time to dodge.


    Wain was aiming for her head, but when the bullet nearly reached Ria, a seal of fire glowed brightly on her forehead. It caught fire, and she hit the bullet with her forehead.


    Booom.


    There was a deafening explosion, and mes engulfed everything around her. All the books were incinerated, and not even ashes remained, not even the Distant Bullet.


    But, Wain''s attacks were not unsessful.


    Ria sustained several bruises, her left leg was wounded, and she had to expend a great deal of strength on thest attack.


    "Damn, you''re too problematic. But it looks like you don''t have any more tricks left." Said Ria and stepped forward.


    Wain smirked, "Huh, that''s just the beginning."


    The next moment a square red amulet appeared in his hand. Wain crushed it, and his aura began to intensify.


    Then the silhouette of a scarlet lion appeared above him, roaring fiercely, staring intently at Ria. Wain felt he grow stronger. Ria stopped, she didn''t expect Wain to have another trump card. She was annoyed that Wain hadn''t made a move yet, but gradually winning their battle.


    Wain decided to see his status.


    [Wain Norheim


    Level: 19


    Race: Human


    Beyond: Cmity


    Soul: Nameless King


    Additional Soul: ck Thunder''s Renegade


    Title: Savior of the Damned, Echo of Samurai, Mentor Inquisitor, The First, Soul Gatherer


    Status Points: 24


    Strength: 115 / Agility: 110 (115) / Vitality: 89 / Stamina: 95 / Energy: 161]

 Chapter 150 Hurricane

    When Wain used the Furious Lion Amulet, all his stats were increased by 15 points. Moreover, his resistance to fire was also increased. This item was perfect for the battle against a dangerous opponent like Ria.


    ''Hmm, I have 24 status points. I think this is the best time to use them.'' Thought Wain and allocated 16 points to Agility and 8 to Strength.


    At this point, Wain was about 20% stronger than a few seconds ago. Wain didn''t use Nameless King''s Forms since he had rather little energy left.


    That would be hisst trump card. Em and Nirkad were able to call for help. Wain thought there was a small chance that Ria was capable do it.


    It would be a mistake to waste thest crumbs of energy to activate the form in such a case. Moreover, Wain first wanted to know how strong Ria was, all things considered.


    He clenched his dark sword tightly and prepared for battle. Em and Nirkad would not be able to help to Ria, as they were exhausted after the fight with Wain.


    "Boy, is all your strength some trinkets?" Ria said with a sneer.


    "I just do whatever it takes to win. However, defeat is probably more familiar to you than that." Wain said with a smirk.


    Ria frowned and lunged in his direction. She was much faster than Em and Nirkad. Ria was like a re of fire that instantly got to Wain.


    Bam.


    Ria delivered a powerful punch with her fist. Wain managed to block it with a sword, but he felt a powerful recoil a momentter. Ria''s blow was many times stronger than Nirkad''s.


    Wain frowned. He swung the sword sharply diagonally several times, trying to attack Ria at several points at once. However, she took a step back and hit Wain with the back of her palm.


    Whooosh.


    Wain bent down, and Ria''s fist flew over his head, but a split secondter, Ria kicked. Wain didn''t have time to dodge that attack, all he could do was cross his arms in front of him and block that punch.


    Ria''s punch was powerful enough to throw Wain aside. But she wasn''t going to stop there. Ria clenched her fist tightly and mmed it into the ground. Then a wave of fire appeared, aiming for her foe.


    ''Shit!'' Thought Wain and turned into blue lightning.


    He barely managed to dodge this attack. He bounced a few meters to the left and was about to use the Distant Bullet, but suddenly Ria appeared in front of him.


    Bam.


    Her fiery fist, like a red-hot hammer, mmed into Wain''s abdomen. The blow was powerful and crushing. Wain vomited a mouthful of blood and was severely burned by the white mes. Likewise, Wain was thrown aside more than ten meters.


    ''Fuck, her punches are pretty simple but urate. I''ve met people whose fighting style was times more dangerous and skilled. However, her stats are superior to mine.'' Wain thought, clenching his teeth in pain.


    Some of his flesh is burned, and his insides are badly damaged. Wain might even die if he received several more of these blows to a weakly defended area.


    Wain was in a situation simr to his battle with Luar. Back then, his opponent also outnumbered him in stats. However, these two situations had one crucial difference.<sub> </sub>


    Initially, Luar had fewer stats, but after he used the amulet, the situation changed. However, Ria didn''t use any items. She was faster, stronger, and had more protection.


    There was no way to change this. Wain had already used all the items that could strengthen him. He had to defeat Ria by relying on his skills, experience, and mastery.


    However, this was almost impossible to do. Even if he knew how to attack Ria, he might not have had time to react because she was faster.


    "Will you stop?" Smiling Ria asked. "As I said earlier, I need you alive. You can''t beat me. My strength is limited, but there''s a whole chasm between us even so. Give up."


    Wain grinned, "Are you deaf? I already told you I''m not interested, or are you too stupid to understand it?"


    "You!" Said Ria and lunged toward Wain.


    She attacked him furiously, throwing many blows per second. Wain blocked every punch, but it was hard for him. Wain could feel his hands going numb.


    ''This is getting dangerous. If this keeps up, I''m going to miss a punch or more again. I need to think of something urgently.''


    Bam.


    Ria struck hard enough to knock the sword out of Wain''s hands. He drew back immediately, but Ria had no trouble catching up to him and turned and kicked him in the side.


    Wain defended with an elbow, but Ria punched him in the face a momentter. Wain twisted sharply to bypass the blow, but Ria stomped her foot with force, and there was a fiery explosion around her.


    Wain was thrown to the side, and Ria wanted to continue her attack, but suddenly the entire space trembled.


    Everyone was wary. No one knew what was going on.


    Whooooooosh.


    Suddenly, books began flying out of theyer of clouds below them. More and more were flying out with each passing second. It looked strange and unusual. Eventually, more than ten thousand books flew into the sky, and the number grew rapidly.


    Tremble.


    Wain''s Seal of Darkness shed brightly, and he felt a huge amount of energy emanating from above. It was the energy vibrationsing from the Sorcerer''s Soul.


    "What''s going on?" Ria said puzzled.


    All the books on the lower clouds suddenly flew to the top, and that was just the beginning.


    ''Damn, I was too stupid. I need the Sorcerer''s Soul and I got to a ce with thousands of books. Obviously, the soul was hidden somewhere in them.'' Thought Wain looking at the floating books above.


    Then they came in motion and turned into a massive tornado made entirely of books, and it kept getting bigger.

 Chapter 151 Forbidden Knowledge

    No one expected that suddenly thousands of books would fly up and turn into a massive hurricane, but for Wain, it was the perfect opportunity to change the course of the battle.


    The books were moving fast, and there were more and more of them, but Wain could jump from book to book. He was nimble enough to do so. The energy fluctuations wereing from the top of the hurricane, where Wain was going to go.


    Whoooosh.


    The lightning sign on Wain''s chest glowed brightly, and he turned into a blue sh. He jumped on the nearest book and jumped to the next level using it as a springboard.


    "Stop!" Shouted Ria.


    This hurricane looked dangerous and powerful, but she didn''t fear for her safety. Ria was worried that Wain would die if he climbed any higher. She needed him alive; she could not miss such a valuable specimen.


    "Em, Nirkad, try to attack him from afar and bring him down! It looks like he''s desperate and doesn''t know what he''s doing. We need him alive!" Ria said loudly and put her hand out in front of her.


    The next moment a jet of fire erupted from her palm. It quickly reached the hurricane, but the books didn''t care. Each one was protected by some unknown and ancient power.


    ''What?! Is the Purgatory Zone protecting this book hurricane? What''s going on here?'' Thought Ria and jumped high up.


    She had to catch up with Wain, break all his bones, and take him with her. For that, she was willing to do anything.


    In fact, this desire put Ria at a disadvantage. Perhaps if she had initially fought fiercely and to the death, she would have killed Wain by now. This was quite logical, considering that her stats were about one and a half times higher.


    Wain was jumping at the fastest speed possible. The books kept moving and changing their locations, making climbing to the top problematic.


    ''Damn, she decided to chase me. Seems for some reason she really needs me.'' Thought Wain and swung his arm.


    The dark sword flew toward Ria, trying to wound her, but she repulsed the sword with one powerful blow.


    Whoooosh.


    At the exact second, the white beam created by Soul umtor flew at her. The beam couldn''t hurt Ria, but that wasn''t Wain''s goal. He wanted to knock her down and prevent her from catching up.


    Ria had no problem blocking the white beam, but it took her a second to do so. The book beneath her moved in that time, as did everyone else, causing her to fall far behind Wain.


    Ria red at him angrily and threw several fireballs at Wain. Long-range attacks were not her specialty, but she knew a few tricks. Her main goal was not to wound Wain, but to make him fall to the ground.


    Wain snapped a finger, and a dark sword appeared beside him. It took the full impact. Wain kept jumping up, and Ria could do nothing about it.


    Wain looked like blue lightning appearing in different parts of a book hurricane from the outside.


    By this point, Wain was already halfway up, not much left to the top.


    "Great, the energy fluctuations are getting stronger by the second. The Sorcerer''s soul is definitely there." Wain muttered, jumping on another book.


    Wain moved quickly, but at one point, he ran into trouble. The higher he climbed, the more chaotic the books moved, and moreover, there were many more of them. It wasplicated for him to maneuver in such a situation, and any dy could have been a critical error.


    Whooosh.


    Suddenly several fireballs flew in front of his face. They could not have hit Wain, but he had to stop for a moment to avoid being hit. It was enough to cause the book to fly out from under him, and he lost his bnce and footing.


    Wain began to fall downward, but he quickly found a way out of this difficult situation. Wain grabbed hold of the flying book with his hand, which helped him stay at the same height. He then released his grip and jumped to the next book.


    Ria didn''t manage to throw Wain down, but she could close the gap between them.


    "Stop! This is yourst chance to stay alive!" Shouted Ria.


    However, Wain jumped further, as if he hadn''t heard her. After a few jumps, he approached the top. Ria tried to stop him, but Wain was adamant. He acted clearly and quickly.


    ''Great, looks like I see my target.'' Thought Wain looking at the gray book hovering above the hurricane.


    It was different from the others. There was a strange aura emanating from this book. It was impossible to urately describe the feeling. It was something inconsequential and great at the same time.


    When Wain saw this book, he began to move many times faster. He felt that the Sorcerer''s Soul was hidden. It was the most appropriate ce for a soul with that name.


    In fairy tales and various stories, magicians, sorcerers, or wizards have always been described as intelligent, educated, and well-read people. Sometimes they were as noble as knights, but not infrequently, magicians wereparable to mad scientists.


    For mages, there were no boundaries. The greatest of them defined their own reality and its rules.<sub> </sub>


    Wain was certain that the third form would possess incredible power. He couldn''t wait to see what possibilities he would receive.


    Whoooosh.


    Wain turned into blue lightning and jumped high up. At that moment, Ria realized that this book was not as simple as it might have seemed at first nce. However, it was already toote.


    Ria saw Wain touch the gray book with her fingertips, and then she blinked. But, she no longer saw Wain, she was puzzled.


    "What happened? Where did he disappear to!? What''s wrong with this ce?!" Proimed Ria.


    Tremble.


    Suddenly the books began to move in a certain order. Ria was knocked off her feet and fell to the bottom. She tried to grab onto something, but it didn''t work. She watched as thousands of books transformed into a massive sphere the size of a multi-story building.


    Ria, Em, and Nirkad were shocked. They could not believe what was happening. They were initially fighting against Wain, but suddenly the situation took this turn.


    Ria threw several fireballs in this sphere and tried to prate it with a me beam, but she failed. This orb was stronger than the spatial barrier. Ria''s powers were limited to the boundaries of the Firs Chronicle, and her powers were not enough to hurt these books.


    "Miss Ria, what are we going to do?" Em asked.


    "Heal and repair your wounds. I''m sure he wille out of there sooner orter. If the three of us fight, we''ll have no trouble capturing him." Said Ria and slipped her hand under her robe.


    She threw to Em and Nirkad some pills. She also gave to Nirkad a special potion that was supposed to help fuse the tissues to repair the arm.


    "Do you know what it is?" Nirkad asked.


    Ria shook her head, "I have been in many battles and have seen many amazing things. However, I have only been in the Purgatory zone once before now. You are still inexperienced, but you must understand that these ces are not normal. Anything can happen here at any moment."


    Em and Nirkad nodded.


    "Miss Ria, why would you want him alive? Why were you so surprised when you saw him? Is he of some rare or unique race? Is his body valuable, or does his race have unique abilities?" Em asked.


    Ria shook her head, "I cannot tell you everything. You are still too young and weak to have the right to know. However, the race to which he or Nameless belongs is considered the weakest race ever existed."


    "What? The weakest race? But then why do you need Nameless?" Em asked in amazement.


    "Once again, I can''t tell you about it. But, I will tell you something. The race he belongs to is indeed considered the weakest, but it is also considered the most dangerous and terrible of all.


    These creatures are worse than the devil. What for us and other races is considered uneptable. For them, it ismonce.


    Moreover, even I know little about them and their power. They are unique, creepy, and their selfishness can eclipse even the brightest star forever, leaving it in darkness." Said Ria looking at the orb in the air.


    "But, how is that possible? You say they are simultaneously the weakest yet the most dangerous and terrifying. Isn''t that a contradiction?" Em asked puzzled.


    Ria nodded, "It''s exactly like that, but it''s true, I know that for sure. Perhaps if I had more information about their power, I could give a less contradictory and more urate answer."


    "I see, Ria are you sure we shouldn''t try to get out of here now?" Em asked.


    "Absolutely. "If our n can capture a living human, it will be our greatest achievement of all time. No, it will be an achievement for our entire race. We must capture Nameless at all costs." Ria said coldly.


    Em and Nirkad nodded. They were surprised at the seriousness of the situation.


    The soul pearl was still in a cage. Ria, Em, and Nirkad could not use it to absorb the enormous amount of energy and be stronger.


    Their bodies could not withstand it, and they would be torn apart. They would need special tools to do this.


    ...


    "What is this ce...?" Wain muttered puzzledly, looking around.


    There were dozens of pages floating in the air around him and a huge dial on top.


    Click.


    The massive hand of the clock moved, and Wain felt goosebumps run through his body.

 Chapter 152 The Look

    When Wain touched the gray book, he entered a strange space. There were hundreds of pages floating around him, and at the top was a huge dial. But, it was unusual.


    There were always sixty divisions on the dial, as there are sixty seconds in one minute. But, there were precisely three hundred divisions on this dial. That meant that it would take the clock hand five minutes to make a circle and return to its original point.


    Wain was no fool. He knew at once what was going on.


    "Apparently, revenge only has five minutes. Most likely, one of those floating pages hides the Sorcerer''s Soul." Mumbled Wain looking around.


    There were an enormous number of pages. There were more than ten thousand of them. Wain realized that there was no way he would have had time to read or even touch every one of them in five minutes. Moreover, ten seconds of the three hundred had already passed.


    "Hmm,st time, I had to look up the answers to the questions written on the parchment scroll. But, I can''t just rely on luck, this is probably another riddle, and I have very little time to solve it." Wain muttered.


    He was not naive and understood that something bad would happen when the clock''s hand made a full circle. At best, this space would be destroyed, and Wain would return without the Sorcerer''s Soul. At worst, he would die.


    Wain didn''t panic. He knew better than most that he had to keep his cool mind in such situations. He had toe up with a n and survive. It was the best option he had.


    "I must have some kind of clue..." Wain muttered.


    Suddenly he noticed that the gray book was in his hands. Because of the series of events, he hadpletely forgotten about it.


    Wain grinned and opened the book, but it was empty. Wain carefully flipped through page after page until he got to the end. There was one phrase and nothing else in this book.


    He tried to use Soul Essence, hoping for text to appear on the nk pages like thest time, but he was unsessful.


    Wain slowly read the phrase.


    "It is possible to behold the soul, even though we cannot see it..." Wain muttered.


    "It doesn''t make any sense..." Proimed Wain.


    He checked every leaf in the gray book once more and even tore it apart, but it was empty. At that moment, Wain felt he had reached a dead end.


    All he had was a strange phrase and thousands of floating sheets around him.


    When a hundred seconds had passed, Wain decided it was time to act. He couldn''t develop a n or figure out how to solve this riddle, but he didn''t have time for that anymore. Wain turned into blue lightning and picked up the pages floating in the air at top speed.


    He was swift and collected about five sheets in a second. This was an amazing result considering that the sheets were some distance apart.


    He collected one hundred and fifty sheets in thirty seconds, then Wain stopped and checked each one. But, he found nothing.


    ''Fuck, I only have a hundred and seventy seconds left.'' Thought Wain looking at the massive dial at the top.


    Whoooosh.


    Wain turned into a blue sh again and collected over three hundred sheets. But, it was only a fraction of the total, so Wain failed again.


    Wain only had a hundred seconds left.


    "Damn, I''m an idiot. I don''t even have an hour to check every single page!" Proimed Wain trying toe up with a n.


    At that moment, the scene in his mind was when he first entered this area of Purgatory. Then he had read all the books in the closet but could not find his way out of the cloud.


    However, the item he needed, the stone amulet, was hiding where he would not have looked originally.


    "The clue is in that phrase, but what could it mean? Soul..." Wain muttered.


    By then, he had only sixty seconds left. In a minute, the hour hand would make a full circle.


    "Souls... They changed everything..." Said Wain.


    Before the apocalypse began, there were no monsters or superpowers in his world as in this one. It was all just in books, games, and movies. It was a fiction that no one took seriously.


    However, when souls appeared in his world, everything changed. The world became crazier and more chaotic than in any story, but it was a reality everyone had toe to terms with.


    "Right... Soul Essence, can''t that be called a soul?" Wain muttered and closed his eyes.


    He only had thirty seconds left, but Wain was in no hurry. It was his only option and hisst chance to get out of here and get the Sorcerer''s Soul.


    He concentrated and felt energy fluctuationsing from all directions. The Seal of Darkness glowed brightly, but it didn''t help him find the right page.


    Wain took a deep breath and calmed downpletely. He realized that what he needed to look for was not the Sorcerer''s Soul but the vibrations of Soul Essence.


    He only had twenty seconds left.


    Sure, Soul Essence could take material form, like when Wain became the owner of Ice Caves, but that was because of therge concentration of energy in one point.


    Usually, Soul Essence was an invisible force that, in doing so, influenced and changed the world and millions of spaces.


    Then Wain stopped feeling the energying from this space and focused on Soul Essence. He needed to figure out where this energy was hiding.<sub> </sub>


    Wain only had ten seconds left. The hour hand had almost reached its starting point. Wain was running out of time.


    Step.


    Wani stepped forward with his eyes closed and turned into blue lightning. In less than half a second, he crossed the thirty-meter mark. The floating pages in the air were torn apart by the electrical discharges.


    Wain had five seconds left, but he was no longer running.


    Wain smirked and said, "Here I found you."


    Whoooosh.


    Wain put his arm forward, but suddenly half of his arm was gone, as if under an invisible veil. By then, Wain had only three seconds left.


    Wain pulled his hand out of the spatial tear and pulled out a gray piece of paper. It was different from the thousands of pages floating in the air.


    Click.


    The hand of the clock stopped at thest bar. Wain managed to find the right page a second before a disaster was to strike.


    Wain looked at the gray page with a slight smile and used some Soul Essence. The symbols on the page glowed brightly, and the page turned into a gray soul.


    The soul slowly flew into Wain''s body, and he felt an incredible rush of strength at that moment. It was as if he had climbed to the top of the world, and his power was infinite.


    [You have received the Sorcerer''s Soul]


    Then Wain felt as if he had received the wisdom and knowledge umted over thousands of years. It was unusual and strange.


    [You discovered the third form - Blind Sorcerer]


    [Blind Sorcerer


    For mages, one of the most important attributes is good vision. It is impossible to see energy fluctuations and the smallest details of spell work with poor eyesight. The most outstanding mages became those who were born with a unique vision.


    They could see and understand more than others, thus getting closer to the true power. Magic for such people was not a mystery but one big experiment and a system with limitless possibilities. Each such person was hailed as a genius and a talented magician.


    But, one person was more unlucky than the others. In a world where everyone could use magic, this person could not see. It was a nightmare and the worst horror for every magician.


    It was almost impossible to reach a high level of mastering magic with bad eyesight. Therefore, there was no future for a blind person. Usually, such people still die at an early age because of their dangers.


    Nevertheless, this person was able to survive. Even though he was blind, he could see what others could not. He could not see the world that others contemted every day, yet he could see the true face of magic]


    Wain didn''t know what to say. This description was like a whole story that ended up being a myth.


    "It''s incredible..." Wain muttered, and the space around him began to copse.


    Crackling.


    That''s when the book of spheres began to fall apart.


    Ria, Em, and Nirkad were already ready for battle.


    "He''s been in this for so long. Damn it, it''s been a whole week!" Proimed Nirkad.


    Ria nodded, "Yes, that means he''s just as ready to fight as we are. Be careful. He might decide to sacrifice himself to kill you."


    "Miss Ria, is the n the same?" Em asked.


    "Yes, at mymand, we activate our Beyond. He is quite strong and should not die in a few attacks. But, don''t you dare kill him, dead he is useless." Ria said seriously.


    Crackle.


    The sphere of books fell apart. The massive debris fell on ayer of clouds and plummeted to the bottom. It was like a meteorite falling.


    In the center of the sphere was Wain. When Ria saw him, ayer of me appeared on her body, and she was ready to attack.


    Wain looked condescendingly at them. His gaze was serene and calm. This rmed Ria. She realized that the situation had changed dramatically.


    Ria extended her hand upward and clenched her fist. The next moment they all activated their Beyond.


    Wain smirked and muttered, "You''re finished."


    Then he activated the third form.


    -----------------------------------------------------------


    Sorry, there will only be one chapter a day for two or three days because I am sick.

 Chapter 153 Blind Sorcerer

    When Ria, Em, and Nirkad activated their Beyond, the silhouettes of various creatures appeared above them. They were fire elementals.


    Ria had The most powerful Beyond. Her body emanated white mes, and she looked like a small star capable of burning anything. Earlier she didn''t want to use this technique because she was afraid of identally killing Wain, but now the situation was drastically different.


    They were about to attack, but suddenly Wain''s aura changed. Ria and the others felt an indescribable pressure. It was as if they encountered an invincible creature that was setting the boundaries of its own reality.


    As Wain slowly plummeted downward, a massive amount of Soul Essence appeared beside him. This energy swept over him like a hurricane and prated his be.


    Then his appearance began to change.


    Wain''s hair turned gray, and an imprable ck patch appeared over his eyes. It was impossible to remove or see anything through this blindfold. A massive gray robe and sparse symbols on it seemed next. Simple boots appeared on his feet as if he were a hermit mage.


    The final change was the two seals on the backs of his hands. One of the seals bore the mark of a broken clock face, and the other showed a shattered mirror.


    "What is that?" Em asked cautiously.


    She was shocked by what was happening. At this moment, Wain''s aura was much more powerful even than when he used the Cursed Swordsman. Em and Nirkad began to tremble with fear. They were facing an opponent that was powerless to defeat.


    "I don''t know. But we have not the right to retreat! Calm down and stand in the rearguard. I''ll attack, and you cover me." Ria said excitedly.


    Em and Nirkad nodded.


    "What a strange feeling..." Wain muttered.


    Whoooosh.


    Suddenly Ria turned into a fiery sh and instantly got to Wain. She was moving at her best because she expected Wain could react to any of her attacks.


    Bam.


    Wain, however, was unable to do so. Ria''s fiery fist mmed into his stomach like a hammer and threw him more than thirty meters away.


    Wain didn''t want to get hit, but he had no other choice. The reason was that he was blind. Wain didn''t understand how to fight when he couldn''t see his enemy. Moreover, he wasn''t yet used to his new powers.


    ''When I first used the Cursed Swordsman, it was much easier. I was originally proficient in swordsmanship at a certain level, so I was able to fight right away. However, now I''m blind and don''t fully understand the power I got...'' Wain pondered as he flew away.


    Even though Ria''s blow was much more powerful than before, Wain was not seriously injured. The cloak had considerable defensive properties, but in fact, this cloak was ordinary.


    It was all about the symbols on it. When Ria hit Wain, several of the signs disappeared. It was like a protective barrier that had a certain charge. When Ria hit Wain a certain number of times, his defense would drop significantly.


    However, despite the protective symbols, Ria''s blow made Wain squirm in pain.


    "Attack him!" Ria shouted loudly, and many fireballs appeared next to Em.


    She waved her hand, and they flew at Wain like projectiles. The fireballs were enhanced by Em''s Beyond and could burn most First Chronicle creatures.


    Nirkad''s arsenal didn''t include long-range attacks, but once he activated Beyond, he could pass his mes to someone else. Nirkad thus greatly enhanced Em''s attacks and constantly replenished her energy supply.


    Wain heard the sounds of fireballs flying at him, and so he stepped aside but was immediately hit in the chest by Ria. Wain''s face contorted in pain, and he flew aside again.


    "I thought you were much stronger, but I guess that was a false feeling. You''re even weaker now than before. It looks pathetic." Ria said coldly and put her hands together.


    The next moment it hit the ground, and there was a fiery explosion around her. Wain was within striking range, and his body was engulfed in white mes as hot as the sun.


    ''Damn, do I really have to fight relying on my servants, touch, and other senses? No, this is some kind of nonsense. The description of this form said that a blind mage could see the true essence of magic, so I should be able to do something simr.'' Wain thought.


    He bounced to the side and concentrated.


    In a few seconds, three white dots appeared in pitch ckness. One of them was much closer than the other two.


    Wain smiled. He knew he''d done the right thing.


    The big dot was Ria, while Em and Nirkad were small dots. However, this was not enough for Wain. He thought it was the minimum he was capable of.


    ''I can''t see the world around me in its usual form, but I can see energy fluctuations and Soul Essence.'' Wain pondered, and suddenly the white dots began to proliferate.


    Wain looked at Ria, Em, and Nirkad as if through an X-ray, but it was slightly different. He couldn''t see their bones, but he could see the energy in their bodies. It was like thousands of white threads that pulsed constantly.<sub> </sub>


    Moreover, Wain also saw energy emanating from the white mes and the outlines of their bodies, and even the clouds beneath them.


    ''I see, so I''m notpletely blind, though no, I can see the energy and nothing more. That''s enough, though. Energy is everywhere.'' Wain thought.


    Whoooosh.


    Ria approached Wain, but this time he easily dodged her blow. Wain turned around and struck Ria in the stomach with the palm of his hand at lightning speed. Strange gray-blue energy came away from that blow.


    Ria threw up a mouthful of blood and flew aside like a projectile. She lost her bnce, so her body flipped from one side to the other until the momentum weakened.


    This blow was powerful enough to cause her a hell of a lot of pain.


    Wain looked at his hands, and just as he did, he saw a multitude of white threads.


    ''That''s my power right there. At least it is part of it. But, using it for hand-to-handbat is foolish. After all, this form is called Blind Sorcerer.'' Wain thought and put his hands out in front of him.


    The next moment a magical circle appeared in front of him, from which one massive gray arrow flew out. It instantly reached Em and pierced her head.


    Ria and Nirkad were shocked. They hadn''t expected that the situation could change dramatically in one second.


    Em''s body fell down, and blood slowly trickled down from the hole in her head. She could not be saved. Em died the moment the arrow flew out of the magic circle.


    Wain also saw the energy inside Em go out.


    He smiled and muttered, "Great, I''ve solved one problem. I didn''t expect the arrow to be so powerful."


    Like the palm strike, the arrow had no attribute despite having a lot of energy. It was unique energy that Wain could use while the third form was active.


    ''I have yet to learn how to fight with this form. I have a huge arsenal that I cannot use all of yet.'' Thought Wain and waved his hand.


    Behind him appeared three small magical circles from which flew blue beams. They were aimed at Nirkad.


    "No! Run!" Shouted Ria, but nothing could be changed. Nirkad''s fate was sealed.


    Three beams pierced Nirkad''s body in three ces: his stomach, chest, and head. He did not have time to react, and just like Em, with empty eyes, he fell.


    "You are strong. However, I was right. It is a disappointment. I expected to fight a worthy opponent again. But, each and every one of you is nothing more than nothing. It was a great mistake toe here and hinder me!" Proimed Wain and spread his arms out to his sides.


    A menacing aura began to emanate from him the next moment, and a huge amount of energy appeared beside him.


    The energy gradually transformed into two triangr-shaped prisms. Their tips glowed brightly, and two thick and massive beams headed toward Ria.


    She frowned, and the mes at her feet intensified. Ria became faster and attacked Wain furiously. She didn''t expect the situation to take such a terrible turn.


    Ria was furious that Wain had killed Em and Nirkad. These two were very dear to her.


    However, when she was about to attack Wain, she saw his evil smirk. At that moment, the rage that clouded her mind was reced by a boundless fear that bound her heart.


    Wain waved his hand, and dozens of energy swords appeared around Ria. Then he clenched his hand into a fist, and the swords moved.


    They pierced Ria''s body many times, leaving no chance for her to survive. Blood gushed from her mouth, and her eyes gradually became empty.


    Whooosh.


    The next moment two blue and one pink soul flew toward Wain''s body. They hovered in the air in front of Wain and exploded. Arge amount of Soul Essence entered his body.


    Wain smiled contentedly and canceled the form.


    As he fought Ria, he thought he might even die. For the sake of victory, he used everything he had, but in a way, he was lucky that suddenly the books flew up.


    Wain wasn''t sure that he could have killed every one of his enemies without the third form so easily.


    As the cloak and eye patch disappeared, Wain suddenly felt a burning pain all over his body.

 Chapter 154 The White Pearl

    When Wain canceled the third form, he felt incredible pain. It felt as if every one of his nerves had been pierced with red-hot needles and beaten with massive hammers.


    He found it hard to breathe and vomited out a mouthful of blood. Moreover, blood also began to flow from his nose, ears, and even eyes. After such a long, dangerous, and grueling battle, Wain''s body was on edge.


    Many of his muscles were practically torn. His organs struggled to perform their functions, as did his heart.


    Wain didn''t pay much attention to this during the fight, but his actions had severe consequences. It was a recoil for which Wain had to be prepared.


    He used two forms, many skills, as well as several items. Moreover, he sustained many wounds in all this time, some of which were serious.


    However, the most crucial factor was that Wain used a third form, Blind Sorcerer. It was the tipping point after which Wain''s body failed.


    "Fuck, that hurts..." Wain wheezed.


    He could hardly speak, but Wain did not panic. His condition was terrible but not fatal. Given his regeneration, he would be able to move around on his own after a while.


    But, Wain was worried that someone would be able to infiltrate this ce after Ria. Moreover, Wain had another fear.


    He looked at the soul pearl lying in the distance and muttered, ''Damn, maybe one of the pearl hunters wille here soon. In that case, I''m finished.''


    Wain realized that this was unlikely since Em had to perform a special ritual so that Ria coulde here. Nevertheless, it was possible.


    One of the pearl hunters had appeared just after Wain had finished his battle with Forgotten. So Wain''s fears were not unfounded.


    ''It would be better if I went back to my world. Considering I''ve killed all the monsters in the museum, it''s a pretty safe ce at the moment.'' Thought Wain.


    He clenched his teeth and began to slowly creep forward. It was difficult, but gradually he was getting closer to his goal.


    Wain wanted to take the soul pearl with him. It was a precious item.


    He could not leave the soul pearl here. Without a watcher and protector, any hunter would be able to take this pearl for himself without effort.


    Wain understood that he could not use the soul pearl for himself, at least not now.


    ''Sven said that I need special tools or skills to absorb the energy from the soul pearl. Moreover, Ria was very strong, but even in a critical situation, she didn''t risk using the soul pearl.'' Thought Wain.


    Ten minutester, he reached the soul pearl. A trail of blood was left behind him, turning the snow-white clouds scarlet.


    Wain touched the spirit cage, and it instantly disappeared. Then Wain grabbed the soul pearl.


    At that moment, he felt as if he had entered heaven. It was the most pleasant sensation he had ever experienced. Wain felt lightness, serenity, and purity.


    It was energy without sin or blemish, but it was boring and too simple in Wain''s opinion.<sub> </sub>


    The perfect life was not. Theck of ws was a fault and a cause of stagnation, regression, and subsequent self-destruction.


    Wain smiled, and the Ring of Damned shone brightly. The white pearl moved into the ring, and Wain breathed a sigh of relief.


    To his surprise, he was suddenly very hungry. He felt like he was ready to devour tons of food at that moment.


    ''Huh, that''s probably how my wounds are affecting me.'' Thought Wain and concentrated.


    In order to get out, he had to hit a spatial rift. Thankfully, this was less of a problem for Wain now than before.


    After he owned Void''s, his Seal of Darkness strengthened and became rank one. Wain received many bonuses, one of which increased search radius for spatial rips. This was very useful in this situation.


    "Found it." Mumbled Wain and looked to his left.


    The energy fluctuations wereing from a point about thirty meters away. That was the maximum radius within which the Seal of Darkness of the first rank could detect a spatial rift.


    Wain smiled weakly and crawled in that direction. He also had the option of resting in the spatial rift, but Wain quickly dismissed the idea. He didn''t know what could happen in such a situation and didn''t want to find out.


    He needed a safe and secure ce.


    After a few minutes, Wain crawled thirty meters then plunged into the clouds below him. The spatial rupture was not on top but inside ayer of clouds.


    p When Wain did this, he saw the white clouds turn to ink, forming a passage where Wain fell.</anda>


    ...


    A few minutester, Wain was already in the reading room inside the museum. There were still rolling corpses of monsters with books instead of heads.


    ''Not the most pleasant environment to treat or rest in, but at least it''s safe here.'' Thought Wain.


    ''I''ve spent all I''ve got and strained my body a lot, but I''ve learned more about this world and discovered a third form.


    Wain wondered why Ria was shocked that he was human. It was strange to him because Sven, who was also a resident of the World of Darkness, was not surprised.


    ''They were of the same race. Most likely, they live in a vast Void or simr space. It would be nice to know more about the creatures living in the Worlds of Darkness. It seems that not only monsters live there, but also creatures simr to humans, like elves from fantasy stories.'' Wain thought.


    As his wounds slowly healed, he pondered his ns for the future. He had many things to do, but one of the most important ones at the moment was to take over the city entirely. Also, Wain had to find the rest of the map to determine where the ind would appear.


    Whooosh.


    The Ring of Damned shone, and apass appeared in Wain''s hands.

 Chapter 155 Homecoming

    One of the most important events of the future was the appearance of a colossal indparable in size to a continent.


    Wain had one part of the map and knew when this ind would appear, but he had no information about its location.


    Of course, most likely after the ind appeared, Wain would know where it was after a while. But, he had to be one of the first to arrive at this ind. Otherwise, he risked losing a lot and falling far behind those who would arrive there at the right time.


    Wain didn''t know where to find the rest of the map, but Sven helped him with this problem. He sold Wain a specialpass for some Void Souls.


    Wain looked at the silverpass with the tinum trim and opened it. Inside was a matching dial and apass hand.


    "Okay, it''s time to find out my next destination." Mumbled Wain and used some Soul Essence.


    Despite his wounds, Wain was able to do this as only one drop of energy was needed. Within a few minutes of resting, Wain had already recovered many times that amount.


    Then thepass arrow glowed brightly and began to rotate in all directions. First, thepass had to determine what Wain was looking for to show the exact direction.


    Wain concentrated, and an image of part of the map appeared in his mind. The next moment thepass arrow turned to the left.


    "Hmm, given the location of the museum, then I need to head west. In a way, though, it was obvious. Harald came from there. Maybe his organization has other parts of the map." Mumbled Wain.


    As he said this, an idea came to him. He concentrated again, and an image of the ind appeared in his mind.


    Wain tried to locate the ind in this way, but he was unsessful. He made several attempts, but thepass needle moved in different directions like a madwoman.


    Wain shrugged and moved thepass back to the Ring of Damned. He was not upset, for it was too easy to be true.


    <o>,m "I need to go back to Gisle and find out about the current situation. It''s been days since I''ve been gone." Proimed Wain.</o>


    It had actually been ten days since he had slept in Ice Caves for two days, and he had been in the Purgatory area for a little over a week. Wain didn''t know that since it had only been five minutes, not seven days, in a strange space with a dial.


    ...


    Wainy in the museum for about six hours. Only after that time did he have enough strength to get to his feet and move around independently. Most of his wounds were not yet healed, but Wain could no longer be here.


    "Great, no monsters here," Wain muttered as he left the museum.


    The roads were as ruined as before but empty. There were no safe ces in the area, so few people were here and, therefore, few monsters.


    Click.


    Wain snapped his finger, and a dark sword appeared beside him. That''s when he coughed up blood. It was hard for him to use this skill, but he had to have some measure of protection.


    He doubted there were First Chronicle monsters in this part of town, so he had nothing to fear even considering his wounds.


    In the distance, Wain saw a tall tower that belonged to Luar and his organization. However, after the recent repowering of Gisle and Last Light became the main on the two parts of Overion.


    He slowly stepped forward, gradually approaching the tall towers. At that moment, Wain realized that he had forgotten something.


    "I recently discovered the third form, but this is definitely not the limit, but only the beginning," Wain muttered and opened the skill improvement menu.


    There, as he expected, was Nameless King''s Forms.


    [Nameless King''s Forms (First Chronicle Active Skill, Legendary Rating)


    ]


    [This skill hides forms of incredible power and limitless potential. You partially unlocked this skill and gained ess to three forms: Code of Light and Darkness, Cursed Swordsman, and Blind Sorcerer. You have already progressed along your path, but this is only the beginning.


    To unlock the next form, the following conditions must be met -


    [Faceless Aristocrat Mask required: 0/1]


    "Oh... This time I don''t need some soul, but a certain object. This is interesting. The first time I had to open the Code of Light and Darkness, I also needed an item. It was the me of the Dead, or Ring of Damned." Surprised, Wain said.


    He wondered what the functionality of the item was. The Ring of Damned was a unique piece of equipment.


    Wain had only seen something like it on Sven, but he thought Sven''s ring was more primitive and simple than the Ring of Damned.


    Then Wain concentrated, and the Seal of Darkness shone brightly. Wain felt energetic vibrations emanating from the south of Overion. A blurry image of an old wooden door in a dark alleyway appeared in his mind.


    ''Not the most urate clue, but it''s better than nothing. Hmm, so I have to go south this time. Well, I''ll head there as soon as I get the rest of the map.'' Thought Wain and went on his way.


    In an hour, he had gone only a third of the way. Wain wasn''t happy with his speed, but he physically couldn''t move any faster. His wounds were severe. He only survived because of his Stamina and Vitality.


    If these stats had not been high enough, Wain''s body would have long ago been unable to withstand the strain, and his heart would have stopped.<sub> </sub>


    Crackle.


    Suddenly a blue arm came out of the ground. Wain took a few steps back.


    Whooosh.


    The next moment the monster came out and stared at Wain with a predatory look. It was a mutated zombie. It had blue skin, several protective tes on its arms, legs, and chest, and razor-sharp ws.


    Wain smiled, "Great, gradually more dangerous opponents begin to appear. The world is slowly changing and bing more dangerous and diverse."


    The zombie roared and pounced on Wain. He was a weak, wounded target and the perfect opportunity to be stronger.


    Wain wouldn''t even look at his enemy and moved on. He swung his arm, and a secondter, the body of the blue zombie was cut into eight equal pieces. The monster didn''t even have time to understand anything.


    The blue soul flew into Wain''s body.


    [Soul of Blue Zombie (Whole)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Rare]


    ''Oh, this is a pleasant surprise.'' Wain thought and crushed the blue soul.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Blue Zombie level 14. Strength+4, Agility+3, Vitality+4]


    [You have leveled up to level 20. You get 3 status points to distribute freely]


    Even though he improved Agility and Strength, it wasn''t because of the 80 point limit. However, his Vitality was 74, so these stats could be increased.


    "Level twenty, great. Maybe I can reach level thirtieth in this month or next month." Mumbled Wain.


    [You get Rare Rating Soul Chest]


    Wain was surprised. He was lucky that he killed one monster and got so much useful stuff all at once. However, all equipment below First Chronicle Rating was now useless to him.


    ''This zombie was level fourteen, which is a pretty high score. Most people who would have encountered it would have died.'' Thought Wain looking at the blue chest floating in front of him.


    The Soul Chest was of medium size, so Wain thought it must have contained some small weapon or armor.


    He put his hand to the chest, and it opened. Inside was a dagger with a ck hilt and a blue curved de.


    Wain took the dagger in his hands and read the description.


    [Dagger of the Blue Zombie w (Primary Chronicle, Rare Rating)


    This light and a sharp weapon are capable of causing great damage to any opponent with a Stamina below 70 points.


    This dagger has no peculiarities or abilities. But in the hands of a skilled fighter, this dagger is a deadly weapon. Thanks to the special curved shape of the de, you can easily hit the enemy''s weak points and cut the arteries with muscles].


    Wain nodded his head, "Not bad, I''m sure Gisle knows who to give this dagger to."


    To Wain, the Dagger of the Blue Zombie w was of no value. The weapon waspletely useless against First Chronicle foes.


    Sure, Wain could have kept the dagger and tried to sell it, but he wasn''t that petty. Trading was not yet developed, and this dagger would at best be worth a few Common Rating Souls or one Rare Rating Soul. For Wain, that was nothing.


    It was much more efficient to deliver this dagger to Gisle to give the weapon to someone who needed it more than Wain.


    Whoooosh.


    The Ring of Damned glowed bright green and disappeared from Wain''s hands.


    ...


    Wain spent the next two hours getting to Last Light''s main base in the city''s north. During this time, Wain was attacked by several monsters, but it was their fatal mistake.


    Wain got better, but it would be long before he was fully healed. This was the first time Wain had received such serious wounds since the apocalypse.


    ''Next time, I need to be better prepared. It will probably be much harder to open the fourth form. In that case, I might even die. The higher the reward, the greater the danger.'' Thought Wain as he approached the high stone walls enclosing the towers.


    Several people stood at the entrance, patrolling the area and destroying the monsters approaching the borders.

 Chapter 156 The Cure

    When the guards saw the wounded Wain, one of them ran up to him and bowed respectfully. He was themander of the guards at this entrance.


    "Mr. Wain!" The man said excitedly.


    ''Oh, it seems Gisle has decided to tell some people about me. It''s even for the best, though.'' Thought Wain.


    Wain nodded and calmly said, ''Take me to Gisle. I need medicine inrge quantities."


    The guard nodded. He could see that Wain was seriously wounded. His entire body was covered in scars and deep wounds. Moreover, the ck cloak was soaked with dried blood in many ces.


    He knew that Wain was one of the strongest men in their organization, so the guard was horrified by Wain''s condition.


    "Open the gate!" The sentinel said loudly and pulled a walkie-talkie out of his pocket. He said something loudly, rying information about the present situation.


    Wain went forward and snapped his finger. The dark sword disintegrated into many pieces.


    When he stepped inside, he saw an amazing picture. Each of the towers looked like new. Moreover, the area behind the stone wall looked as good as the most elite areas before the apocalypse.


    ''I see. It looks like Gisle got lucky and found some people with useful craft souls. Without them, this ce would have gradually copsed.''


    Wain didn''t know where to go, so he just sat down on a nearby bench.


    He slipped his hand under his cloak and pulled out a ck pack of cigarettes along with an engraved lighter. Wain held the blue cigarette up to the scarlet me and exhaled a massive puff of smoke a secondter.


    The cloud of smoke gradually turned into a wreath of olive branch that hovered over Wain.


    "You know you can''t smoke in here?" Suddenly a voice came from behind him.


    Wain turned around and saw a tall girl in a white robe. She had blond hair, brightly painted lips, and lush forms.


    "Who are you, baby?" Wain said smiling, bringing a cigarette to his mouth.


    "Isabe Gyuin, I have been informed that there is a person at the south gate with particrly severe wounds." Calmly replied the girl.


    "You decided toe here yourself?" Smirking, Wain said, blowing out a cloud of smoke.


    Isabe shrugged, "I had to. I don''t know who you are, but it was a personal order from Mr. Gisle. At this point, his words are equal to God''smand. Who are you?"


    "I am human, and that is the most important thing," Wain said quietly, blowing out a puff of smoke.


    "Well, you look like you hit your head pretty hard, too. Well,e with me. I''ll fix you up in no time." Isabe uttered and headed for the nurse''s station.


    When the white pir of energy pierced the clouds and the monsters from the sky began to invade, thousands of people were injured.


    So Gisle decided to devote time to establishing an infirmary as soon as possible. Among the ck Pearl members were several people who had previously worked in hospitals.


    There was also some equipment in the organization''s warehouse. Thanks to this, many people could stay alive and quickly heal their wounds.


    Isabe was in charge of this infirmary, so Gisle had to personally give her orders toe over to Wain.


    Wain nodded and headed after her. He put out his cigarette and tossed it aside.


    "Isabe, were you previously a member of ck Pearl?" Wain asked.


    The girl shook her head, "No, I was a member of a weaker organization. But when Gisle came here and took over the area, I got a chance to join Last Light. I got pretty lucky and got a lot of promotions in a couple of days. I''m head of the local infirmary."


    "You''ve got a capital job waiting for you," Wain said with a smirk.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll heal your wounds quickly. You''ll be able to fight again in an hour. It''s no problem, I assure you." Isabe said seriously.


    "Overconfidence can lead to problems," Wain muttered.


    Isabe said nothing in reply.


    ...


    A few minutester, they entered Isabe''s private office. It was like an elite medical ward. There was thetest equipment, all sorts of instruments, first-aid kits filled with medicine.


    "Get undressed and lie down," Isabe said calmly, pointing to the operating table.


    Wain nodded and quickly took off all his clothes.


    When Isabe saw the condition of Wain''s body under his clothes, she was shocked. There were numerous cuts, severe burns, massive bruises, and various other injuries. Much of his body was drenched in blood.


    Isabe sighed and muttered, "How are you still alive? It looks as if you''vee back from hell, walking up the ming stairs."


    "You''re not far from the truth." With a shrug, Wain said.


    "I take it your internal organs are just as badly damaged, and you have several broken bones?" Isabe asked.


    Wain nodded, "Come on, surprise me."


    Hey down on the operating table.


    "Honestly, I didn''t think your wounds were that serious, but I can fix you anyway. Don''t move and watch." Isabe said confidently, and her aura began to intensify.<sub> </sub>


    Blue energy began to emanate from her body, which umted at one point and turned into a needle with a long thread. Above her also appeared the silhouette of a vessel with a snake wrapped around it.


    Isabe''s eyes shone brightly like two blue stars.


    "I warn you, this is going to hurt." She said as she approached Wain.


    "Stop talking and start."


    Isabe nodded and plunged the needle into Wain''s right arm. First, she wanted to heal the minor scratches and burns and then move on to the more serious wounds. Wain''s condition was stable, so she didn''t need to hurry.


    When the needle pierced the skin, Wain felt intense pain but a pleasant sensation along with it. Then Isabe began to speed up and pierce his arm in many ces.


    After a few seconds, Isabe pushed the needle deeply into the flesh, and the needle glowed brightly. Then the blue thread came in motion and pierced all the ces Isabe had previously marked.


    "Try not to scream." Said Isabe and pulled the needle with force.


    The blue thread shone brightly, and Wain felt a hellish pain. His flesh clenched, and he felt as if his flesh was being torn apart. Wain even clenched his teeth.


    After a few seconds, however, he felt a pleasant sensation. His flesh was fusing, and his wounds began to heal rapidly. Wain''s right arm waspletely healed.


    Sigh.


    Suddenly Isabe began to breathe deeply, and her hands trembled. She was surprised, for this was the first time such a thing had happened to her.


    "What is happening...?" Isabe muttered puzzledly.


    Her hands were trembling, not from fear but from overexertion.


    "Why did it take so much energy to heal one of your hands that I got unwell myself? I''m definitely exhausted." Isabe said shocked, looking at Wain.


    "I told you not to be overconfident. Your skills are impressive. I''m sure you don''t spend more than thirty percent of your strength to fully heal another person. However, that only applies to those of the Primary Chronicle." Wain said calmly.


    "What? You mean you''ve evolved?" Isabe asked surprised.


    "Yes." Briefly replied Wain. "When can you continue?"


    Isabe took a deep breath and said, "Let me rest for ten minutes. Otherwise, your healing will cost me my life."


    "Of course."


    ...


    An hourter, Isabe had almost wholly healed Wain. She had onest session left to do, and Wain would be fully healed. During this time, Isabe rested several times. This was her hardest experience yet.


    Click.


    The door to her office opened, and Gisle stepped inside.


    "I see I got here just in time." Said Gisle looking at Wain.


    "Mr. Gisle!" Isabe eximed and immediately got up from her chair.


    She was the head of the infirmary and had useful skills, but Isabe understood thatpared to Gisle, she was nothing. Moreover, she treasured her position and was willing to do any order from the organization''s head.


    "Hey Wain, I see you''ve been pretty banged up over the past ten days."


    Wain touched his arm to his shoulder, stretched, and said, "Yes, it''s been a dangerous journey, but I don''t regret it."


    He was surprised that Gisle said ten days rather than two or three, but he didn''t show it.


    ''Ten days, I probably lost track of time when I was in the strange space with the dial.'' Thought Wain. That was the only exnation for this situation.


    "Isabe, have you cured Wain yet?" Asked Gisle.


    "No. But, I''m doing my best. There''s just one more treatment left to be done." Quickly the girl replied.


    "How are things going?" Asked Wain.


    "Not bad. I''d even say it''s going well. Zero, Teresa, Agnes, and the others have left the main bases of Last Light for the time being. They are traveling through our territories, exploring the area, looking for Dungeons and Nests, and getting stronger. Also, some of them have gone down into the canyons. There''s still a lot of untapped ces out there." Gisle replied.


    Wain nodded, "What about the Fire Goblins? How is Elsa doing with her duties?"


    "She''s doing great. As far as I know, she''s already rebuilt most of the temporary bases and is building new ones. The Fire Goblins make equipment out of improvised materials and equip people with them. Too bad the healingva nt is on the east side. There is Isabe, though." Pronounced Gisle.


    "Yes, however, I see you have found many useful people in the north." Proimed Wain was looking at Isabe.


    She had already rested and began to treat Wain. She didn''t have much strength, but it was enough for onest time.


    ''This man is on such good terms with Mr. Gisle and the other strongest members of the organization?! Damn! I should have behaved more respectfully with him!'' pronounced Isabe to herself.


    "What do you n to do next?" Asked Gisle.


    Wain smirked and said, "I''ll head west. I''m sure there are other parts of the map there."

 Chapter 157 Parts Of The Map

    Bam.


    Isabe stuck a needle into Wain''s chest, gradually healing his internal wounds. He was in pain, but he effortlessly continued his conversation with Gisle.


    "Why are you sure the rest of the map is on the west side of town?" Asked Wain.


    "It''s simple. I found a specialpass. Its functionality is limited, but it''s enough to find the remaining pieces. It''s two and a half months until the massive ind appears, which is actually quite short." Said Wain.


    Gisle nodded, "I see. You find a way out of any situation, as always. The ind will show up somewhere in the water, and we might have a big problem because of it."


    Isabe treated Wain and listened intently to their conversation. She was unaware that an ind was about to appear somewhere until this moment.


    Sooner orter, though, Gisle would inform her. She was a doctor and had impressive healing abilities. Such a person was valuable.


    "Yes, the ind will appear in the water, and it will beplicated to swim to it. There are surely many dangerous monsters in the sea that can easily destroy even the sturdiest vessel." Wain said calmly.


    "That''s not entirely true. If we want to move dozens of people to the ind, we''ll need a ship, and it''s likely to be a fatal mistake. In the water, we would be nothing more than helpless victims. There is, however, another way." Said Gisle.


    Wain looked at him, puzzled.


    Gisle smirked, "If we can''t get there by water by sailing a ship, then we''ll fly there by air."


    "That''s a good idea, but is it possible at this point? We need machinery, a pilot, and fuel." Said Wain.


    Gisle nodded, "You''re right. We don''t have a helicopter or a ne right now. However, I know where to find it. There''s an airport on the west side of town. It''s huge, and there''s arge variety of equipment there."


    "I doubt that anything survived there. When the apocalypse began, many people tried to escape by air to other ces. What''s more, the monsters probably destroyed everything." Said Wain.


    "Yes, but I''m sure there are protected, undergroundpartments. That''s not the only option avable, though. There''s a military base to the south. Everything is there, tanks, grenadeunchers, and nes with helicopters. Of course, the base is probably destroyed, but something must surely have survived."


    "I see..." Wain muttered.


    Whoooosh.


    Isabe jabbed the needle onest time, and the thread came into motion. The healing process was repeated again, but Wain could not contain his cry this time.


    The thread passed through his damaged organs, gradually healing them but causing Wain to experience terrible pain. It was stressful for the body, and Wain broke out in a cold sweat.


    "Damn, this treatment is easier to kill than to heal someone..." Wain wheezed, clenching his teeth.


    "AHAHAHAHAHAHA, the first time I''ve seen you like this, does it really hurt that much?" Gisle said ironically.


    "That''s the worst thing I''ve experienced in a while, but Isabe did her job." Proimed Wain and got up from the operating table.


    He dressed quickly and pulled a short dagger with a blue de from under his cloak.<sub> </sub>


    "Here you go. I have no use for it, but I''m sure you''ll find the right owner for this dagger." Said Wain handing the weapon to Gisle.


    After reading the description of the dagger, Gisle nodded and said, "Yes, it''s not a bad thing. Thank you."


    After Isabe healed Wain, she copsed, exhausted in a chair. Initially, she thought it would be another easy job, but it turned out to be a real challenge.


    "Is Lea here?" Wain asked.


    Gisle nodded, "Yes, but she''s depressed again. Since you left, every item she''s created has been garbage. She tried to ignore it at first, but her strength didn''tst."


    "Well, that was to be expected. In fact, given her vulnerability, she''s unlucky to have such a soul. She has to read constantly about how awful an object she''s forged." Said Wain.


    Gisle shrugged, "I told her not to read item descriptions, but she can''t help herself. She wants to create a masterpiece again more than anything. But, at this rate, she''ll die of depression and self-injury."


    Wain chuckled, "By the way, I think we shouldpare her weapons to the ones the Fire Goblins make. Even though the description says garbage, her items are pretty good quality since her soul is powerful."


    "Good idea." Pronounced Gisle, he wanted to say something, but suddenly the radio on his belt turned on.


    Gisle put the radio to his mouth and said, "I''m listening."


    "Mr. Gisle! Some monster got out of the canyon and is climbing to the top! It will soon reach the camp by the slope!" A voice came from the radio.


    "What? Stop him! There are quite a few strong men in your squad, and you also have grenades." Gisle answered quickly.


    "We tried, but we failed. This monster doesn''t care about our attacks. When we tried to bring it down, it got angry and started climbing a lot faster." Said the man.


    "Gisle, tell them to go away. It''s probably a First Chronicle monster." Wain said seriously.


    Gisle nodded, "Get out of there now. Leave the camp and don''t try to defend anything, or you''ll be torn apart."


    "Copy that!" Said the man and turned off the radio.


    "Wain, can you handle this problem?" Asked Gisle.


    "Sure, I need to stretch out. Moreover, I''ve been in so much pain in thest hour that I want to inflict the same suffering on someone else. A doctor is an inappropriate target, but a First Chronicle monster is the way to go." Smirking, Wain said.


    "Fine. Go to the west slope. There''s a small camp there. That''s where the call for help came from." Said Gisle.


    He had no intention of sending there. He had other tasks to attend to as a matter of urgency. Moreover, he saw the fire in Wain''s eyes and was not going to stop him.


    ''When Wain appears, problemse with him, but he is also the solution.'' Thought Gisle.

 Chapter 158 The Canyon Monster

    Isabe healed Wainpletely, even though it took her enormous effort. It was a real challenge for her. She had never had to try so hard before.


    At that moment, she realized how weak and insignificant she waspared to the First Chronicle creature.


    "Mr. Gisle, who is Wain?" Asked Isabe was sitting in thefortable leather chair.


    "Do you want to start serving him as you did me?" Gisle said, smiling.


    "What?! Of course not! I was just wondering why I hadn''t heard of him before. Apparently, he''s one of the main people in the organization." Said Isabe.


    "Huh, okay, I''ll tell you about him, but I wouldn''t advise you to annoy him. Wain is the one person I can''t control. Sure, he won''t kill you, but he might break a bone or two in you." Gisle said calmly.


    He didn''t mind that Isabe was trying to do whatever it took to make Gisle appreciate her more than anyone else. It was a good endeavor, moreover, Isabe was a precious member of the organization anyway.


    Isabe flinched at Gisle''s words and then nodded confidently.


    ''As far as I know, only Wain has evolved from all the members of Last Light. I wonder what''s so special about him...?'' Isabe pondered.


    ''You have to understand that Wain is several times stronger than anyone. I don''t know where he''s been or what enemies he''s fought, but it would be a worse disaster for us than the recent monster invasion. Also, he is not a member of the organization.


    I''d say he''s our friend who sometimes helps us out for his own reasons, most often mercantile ones. Thest thing I''ll tell you about Wain is that he''s someone who can change the world all by himself." Gisle said calmly.


    "He''s such an incredible man... Mr. Gisle, do you know what kind of women he likes?" Isabe suddenly asked.


    The question surprised Gisle, but he understood what Isabe was trying to do. If Wain loved her, he would protect her even at the cost of his life.


    Gisle shook his head, "I don''t know, but I''m sure you don''t stand a chance. Wain is not the kind of man who will love a girl because of her beauty or opulence. You have to be as special as he is. I don''t mean to be rude, but Wain is not your level."


    Isabe didn''t say anything back. Gisle''s words upset her, but she was determined. Moreover, Isabe liked guys who were brutal and strong.


    ...


    Wain was heading toward the camp where the call for help came from. At this point, Wain was ready to fight any First Chronicle creature. The other monsters were practically useless to him.


    Wain used the Sign of Lightning, so he reached the camp at the edge of the chasm fairly quickly. Gisle had chosen this ce so that in the future, Clovis would build a bridge to the west side of Overion here.


    But, now, this camp was in danger of being destroyed. Wain saw people running away from it. They were afraid of the monster climbing to the top and didn''t want to get wounded.


    "Look!" Suddenly one of them said, pointing to the blue lightning galloping across the buildings.


    "Looks like Mr. Gisle decided to protect this camp and sent someone powerful..." Mumbled the man.


    The others nodded. They decided to return to the camp and watch the battle. They were rank and file members of Last Light, and they wanted to see how strong their superiors were.


    Whoooosh.


    The next moment Wain jumped off the building andnded in the center of the camp. The ground beneath his feet cracked, and a small crater formed.


    Wain calmly walked to the edge of the ledge and looked down.


    "Not bad," Wain muttered, looking at the monster running toward him.


    It was a massive monster somewhat simr to the ssic werewolf. But it was bigger and more dangerous. The monster had thick, long ws to climb the steep wall, brown fur, and two horns on its head.


    Wain heard footsteps behind him and looked around to see many people looking at him curiously.


    ''They''vee to watch the fight. Well, I''ll show them what kind of enemies they''ll have to fight in the future to survive.'' Thought Wain, and the monster climbed to the top the next moment.


    It jumped high and was in the center of the camp.


    "Roooooooooooaaaaaaaarrrrr!"


    The monster roared furiously, looking at the group of people in the distance.


    The monster wanted to attack them, but suddenly it felt goosebumps running down its body. Behind it emanated a terrifying aura of a powerful creature.


    The cave werewolf turned and saw Wain grinning. He waved his hand, and a dark sword appeared beside him.


    "Come here, you nasty pup!" Said Wain and turned into blue lightning.


    The cave werewolf reacted instantly. It jumped aside and prepared to counterattack, but the monster did not see its enemy.


    "I''m here," Wain said coldly and swung his sword, leaving a deep cut on the monster''s back.


    The monster''s flesh immediately began to freeze and dpose. It was a hell of a pain, but the monster had to endure it and attacked back.<sub> </sub>


    The werewolf turned around and swung its paws furiously. It tried to tear Wain apart, but he quickly blocked the monster''s attack.


    Then their arms turned into blurry blurs. They moved so fast that the people watching the fight couldn''t understand anything.


    nking.


    Wain blocked and repulsed every monster attack. Although Wain was able to strike first, the monster was not weak. Moreover, the cave werewolf gradually elerated.


    Sparks flew sideways from their exchange of blows, and many cracks appeared on the ground.


    The scene mesmerized the spectators. Each of them wanted to have the kind of power to take out any opponent.


    ''It turned out to be stronger and faster than I thought, though apart from its impressive physical performance, it has no other peculiarities.'' Wain thought and turned into blue lightning.


    Wain decided to step back to get some time to prepare for his next attack.


    Whooosh.


    Arge amount of energy appeared in front of him, which quickly gathered at one point and turned into a white bullet.


    Wain grabbed it and threw it at the monster with all his might. The cave werewolf reacted to this unexpected attack and dodged, but the monster only partially seeded.


    The white bullet flew into the monster''s left leg, instantly ripping it off. The monster survived, but with such a wound, there was no way to stay anymore. It was the end for him.


    Wain lunged toward the monster, and a momentter, got to it. The werewolf flinched in fear and tried to run away, but Wain wouldn''t let him.


    He swung his sword sharply and severed the monster''s other leg. Then Wain grasped one of the monster''s horns tightly and ripped it from its head in one motion.


    The monster roared in pain, but it didn''t bother Wain. He gripped the bloody horn tightly in his hand and plunged it into the monster''s head. The werewolf was killed with its own weapon, and no one could stop Wain from doing it.


    The white spirit flew from the monster''s body and headed toward Wain.


    [Soul of Cave Werewolf (Destroyed)


    Chronicle: First


    Rating: Common]


    Wain immediately crushed the soul.


    [You have acquired Soul Essence of Cave Werewolf level 16.]


    ''Hmm, no wonder this monster was weakpared to the other First Chronicle creatures. It was Common Rating and level sixteen. It looks like the werewolf had only recently evolved, but it was unlucky to meet me.'' Thought Wain looking at the corpse of the monster.


    Wain turned to the group and said loudly, "Cut this monster apart and take the horns and ws to the main base."


    They nodded and ran over to the monster. They were grateful that Wain hade here and killed this monster. Otherwise, the werewolf would have caught up with some of them and torn them apart.


    They would also have lost the camp, but the situation was better than before.


    Wain did not leave here. He looked down the canyon with a pensive face, and then the Ring of Damned glowed brightly. A silverpass appeared in his hands.


    Wain was originally going to go to the west side of town to find the rest of the map. The battle with the cave werewolf was nothing more than a warm-up before another journey.


    Click.


    Wain opened thepass and rechecked the direction. As before, thepass arrow pointed west.


    ''Okay, the other parts of the map are definitely on the west side of town, but how do I get there?'' Wain thought.


    In front of him was a huge canyon several hundred meters long and about the same depth.


    Wain grinned and muttered, ''Right, I just have to go down and then climb up the other side. What''s more, I''ll probably be able to find strong opponents there. It''ll be interesting and effective."


    The cave werewolf came from the bottom of the canyon, which meant there could be quite a few of these monsters there. Wain hoped there was a Dungeon or a Nest. If he killed hundreds of First Chronicle monsters, he could be much stronger and get one step closer to level thirtieth.


    Wain wanted to evolve a second time before the giant ind arrived. He had plenty of time for that, but Wain didn''t know how long the second evolution wouldst.


    ''Hmm,st time I evolved, I didn''t need to meet any conditions, but the situation will be different this time. I''ll probably have to do something impossible.'' Thought Wain looking at the bottom of the canyon.


    He drew this conclusion because he believed that the more powerful the main soul was, the more difficult the conditions for further advancement were. It was a logical conclusion that seemed to be true.

 Chapter 159 Cave Trolls

    ? Wain decided to jump down and explore the bottom of the canyon. It was a vast area with many different enemies. He wanted to find the Dungeon and clear it, then climb to the top from the other side.


    In this way, Wain would collect a great deal of Soul Essence, purify the area, increase Last Light''s influence and get to the western part of the city.


    Whooosh.


    Wain waved his hand, and a dark sword appeared next to him, which he plunged into the wall. Thus Wain descended smoothly. He was strong, but he could not withstand the fall from a height of several hundred meters. Moreover, Wain was on guard as he could be attacked at any moment.


    ...


    After a while, Wainnded and looked around. All around him, he saw massive rocks, boulders, and cobbles. It was like a stone valley.


    There were also several trees with stone bark. Many yellow crystals on their branches lit up the area around them.


    The area was rather deserted. Wain saw no monsters or any natural phenomena. Unlike thevakes, there was nothing but a few trees among the rocks.


    ''The Cave Werewolf has definitelye from here. I need to explore this area more thoroughly.'' Thought Wain stepping forward.


    Werewolf was a First Chronicle creature, and that was the main reason why Wain decided to spend his time searching for monsters.


    About two and a half months had passed since the apocalypse began, and that was enough time for First Chronicle monsters to start appearing everywhere. Wain needed arge amount of Soul Essence, and only strong opponents could provide it.


    Wain wandered the canyon floor for about two hours but found nothing.


    "Damn, I wasted my time here. It was almost past sundown. This was a bad idea. I should have climbed the west side of town right away." Proimed Wain and headed for the wall.


    Wain didn''t know the future ahead, and he, like others, could be wrong. Most of the time, Wain acted on analysis of the situation and his own wishes, but sometimes he failed.


    Wain was upset that he had wasted several hours, but nothing could do about it.


    After a few minutes, he reached the other side and was ready to climb the wall, but suddenly the rocks beside him began to move.


    Wain became alert and prepared to fight. Usually, nothing good would happen after that.


    Crackling.


    Anthropomorphic tall creatures gradually crawled out from under the rocks. They were about three meters tall.


    They had bright red skin, thick ck hair on their heads, and a muscr body. They also had massive fangs protruding from their mouths, perfect for tearing flesh and long noses.


    It was Cave Trolls, and they lived in this area.


    Wain wanted to attack them, but suddenly he realized that the monsters were not looking at him. The Cave Trolls yawned, warmed up, and headed to the left.


    ''Were they asleep...?'' Wain thought to himself.


    Wain was surprised, but he realized there was nothing strange about it.


    Monsters, like humans, needed food, sleep, and water to survive. They also needed suitable conditions and some kind of upation.


    Of course, the physiology of monsters and humans was radically different. Most monsters were stronger, tougher, and faster. Monsters didn''t have to sleep every day like humans to stay awake, but that didn''t mean they didn''t need sleep.


    Also, many monsters had a lot of things they had to do, just like the Fire Goblins. Not all monsters stood in one ce and waited for an enemy toe to them, in which case they would gradually stagnate and degenerate. This was not the case with the born predators, however.


    ''These monsters look like Trolls... I wonder where they are going?'' Thought Wain and quietly followed the Cave Trolls.


    Wain had originally nned to attack the monsters he would meet at the canyon''s bottom, but the Cave Trolls were unsuitable targets.


    Wain felt that these monsters were close to evolving to be First Chronicle creatures, but they had yet to take that important step.


    The cave trolls were not strong enough to be of any value to Wain. He would have passed over in most situations in that case, but not now.


    ...


    The cave trolls didn''t notice that anyone was following them. Wain kept a fair distance from them and moved entirely silently. He wasn''t afraid of these monsters, but if they spotted him, he wouldn''t know where they were going.


    ''Looks like something interesting awaits me...'' thought Wain as he watched the Cave Trolls he had been following be joined by others.


    Gradually there were more of them until they reached ten.


    After a few minutes, the trolls approached a massive cave that went deep down.<sub> </sub>


    Along the way, some of the Trolls were even talking to each other like humans.


    Among the Cave Trolls, there were not only men but also women. They also had red skin and a muscr build. Some of them looked even more formidable than the male Trolls.


    Wain followed them and looked around. It looked like an ordinary cave, but in time he realized it wasn''t. The cave looked strange, with many small holes in the walls and debris on the floor. Wain realized that it was probably a mine, which meant something of value in this cave.


    After a while, the Trolls entered a spacious room. When Wain saw what was inside, he was stunned.


    He watched as dozens of Trolls used pickaxes to extract yellow crystals from the cave walls. What''s more, they had carts on which they were taking these crystals somewhere.


    ''What the hell is going on here?'' Wain eximed to himself.


    This was the second time he had encountered something like this. The Fire Goblins also lived in the cave and practiced their craft.


    There were many Trolls inside, but each of them was busy, so Wain could walk stealthily into the next room. He followed a Troll who was carting away a cart of yellow crystals.


    ''Hmm, judging by the energy fluctuations, these crystals are simr to those growing in my Void. However, these are much weaker, with much less energy in them.'' Thought Wain walking on.


    He saw an even more amazing scene in the second room than before.


    A troll with a cart approached the underwater river and raised one hand high. The next moment two Trolls approached him with a massive. The troll bent the cart, and all the crystals fell into the.


    Then the two Trolls lowered the with the crystals into the water, thereby clearing them of dirt, dust, and other impurities.


    ''Are they really monsters? Why are they so smart?'' Thought Wain standing in a dark corner.


    After a while, the Trolls pulled the out of the water and moved the crystals to another cart. They headed for the next room, and so did Wain.


    He didn''t expect to see something like this. He had nned to go into the Dungeon and kill hundreds of monsters, but he ended up in a more amazing ce. At that moment, Wain wondered about the origin of these monsters.


    ''As far as I know, monsters, Dungeons, and Nests appear because of arge umtion of Soul Essence in one ce. However, these Trolls are a whole species. They have their ownnguage, distinctive appearance, and skills in certain areas. Perhaps they previously inhabited some small Void or something simr?'' Wain thought.


    In the next room, Wain saw the final stage of crystal processing, and it amazed him.


    The rinsed crystals Trolly carried to the massive crusher. It worked by brute force, several Trolls used levers to twist the mechanism, and the crystals were turned into small debris.


    These debris were then moved into a massive container, which was ced in a furnace. When the crystals melted, the Trolls would pull the container out and take it to the next room.


    Whooosh.


    Wain followed the Trolls. He was quick and neat enough that no one would notice him.


    ...


    "I see... Here''s the thing." Wain muttered quietly as he entered thest room.


    Most of the Trolls were there, but they weren''t using molten energy crystals. They were doing it all to give the full containers to the Cave Werewolves.


    There were about twenty Cave Werewolves, and that was a small fraction. About a hundred Cave Werewolves slept behind. They had already taken their dose of energy crystals and were gaining strength.


    Among them was one huge Cave Werewolve. He was about one and a half times taller than the others and looked more menacing and intimidating. This monster was their leader.


    The Cave Trolls also had their own leader. He was about four meters tall and had many tattoos all over his body. He directed the process and carried out themands of the Cave Werewolve leader.


    It was not a symbiosis or mutually beneficial cooperation. The Cave Werewolves dusted First Chronicle creatures, and they forced the Cave Trolls to mine crystals for them.


    Since the Cave Trolls were Primary Chronicle creatures, they could do nothing to resist their usurpers. They had to be their ves to stay alive.


    Trolls were not happy with the situation, but they had no other choice.


    When Wain realized the situation, a devilish smile appeared on his face.


    "Hahahahahaha." Wain chuckled, looking at the Werewolf leader.


    ''Great, that''s the best option possible.'' Thought Wain.


    He would kill the Cave Werewolves and free the Cave Trolls from very. They had to obey him, not some overgrown dogs.

 Chapter 160 Violence

    <o>,m Wain did not expect to see some monsters using others, especially in this way, but this was proof that the monsters were clever. Moreover, it was simr to the behavior of humans. The weak obeyed the strong, a rule that worked always and everywhere.</o>


    ''Hmm, there are quite a few werewolves here, but I''ve fought one of them before. They''re pretty weak, but given their numbers, it could be problematic.'' Thought Wain stepping out of the shadows.


    The cave trolls and werewolves noticed him at once. The head of the werewolves growled something, pointing at Wain.


    The head of the Cave Trolls nodded, and the next moment several Trolls ran at Wain. They were supposed to kill him on the orders of the Werewolf leader.


    Suddenly, however, the Trolls stopped. They couldn''t move on because fear gripped their hearts and their bodies trembled. It was because Wain had released his terrifying aura.


    "I am not going to fight you. I have another offer you can''t refuse." Smirking, Wain said.


    The Trolls were surprised. However, the Troll leader nodded. He wanted to hear Wain out. It was a unique situation, and the monster had to figure out if cooperating with Wain was beneficial.


    The werewolf leader didn''t understand what was going on. He looked warily at Wain, from whom the power emanated.


    "My offer is simple, I will kill all the werewolves, and you will be my friends and allies. Not a bad offer, is it?"


    The Troll leader didn''t know what to answer. The monster understood that Wain was a First Chronicle creature since it emanated a formidable aura, but the Troll Leader was unsure that Wain could defeat a hundred werewolves. These monsters were also Frist Chronicle creatures, and there were many times more.


    "You can''t make up your mind? I know it''s too risky, but I''ll help you make a choice." Calmly Wain said, and ck electrical discharges appeared around his hand.


    The next moment dark clouds were created over the werewolves, and a table of ck thunder descended upon the monsters. There was a deafening explosion, and many werewolves were seriously injured. No one died since Oblivion Thunder was a Primary Chronicle skill, but it showed what Wain was capable of.


    Immediately afterwards, the leader of the Trolls made a decision. The monster ordered his subordinates, and all the Trolls stepped aside.


    The Troll leader decided to ept Wain''s offer. They were too weak to help him in the battle against the werewolves, so the Trolls stepped back to avoid being attacked at random.


    The werewolf leader was furious. It roared furiously and attacked Wain along with the other werewolves.


    Wain only smiled weakly, and his aura became several times stronger. Then the temperature next to him began to drop, and he used the Cursed Swordsman.


    The massive torn cloak and icy sword instantly appeared on Wain, and he made a smooth swing with the sword. A massive crescent-shaped de of ice flew toward the werewolves. It sliced and froze about ten monsters at a time.


    Wain decided not to use the third form, Blind Sorcerer because it was too dangerous. Wain understood that his body could hardly withstand the consequences after using such a powerful skill.


    He had to get a little stronger so that using the third form wouldn''t end up with numerous injuries. Moreover, the second form, Cursed Swordsman, was enough in this situation.


    The werewolves didn''t expect Wain to be this strong, but they didn''t back down. Each of them pounced on him, trying to tear him apart. The werewolves had no unique abilities, but their physical stats were impressive.


    They had everything an ideal predator should have, sturdy hide, excellent reflexes, sharp ws, and fangs. Even if Trolls were First Chronicle creatures like that, they would still have to obey werewolves.


    Wain, however, was much stronger than they were. He did not retreat or try to dodge. Wain clenched his sword tightly and made a broad horizontal swing.<sub> </sub>


    Whooosh.


    The icy de sliced through more than twenty werewolves. Parts of their bodies turned into icy wreckage. Then Wain plunged the sword into the floor, and everything in a ten meter radius around him froze. The werewolves turned into icy statues, and a secondter, their hearts stopped.


    In the end, only twenty of the more than one hundred werewolves remained, and they were in no hurry to attack Wain. The werewolves were afraid and didn''t want to die. They understood that Wain needed one more swing, and they would die just like the others.


    Crackle.


    However, there was one among the werewolves which were willing to fight Wain. It was their leader.


    "Roooooooaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrr!"


    The massive werewolf roared furiously and pounced on Wain. His roar was strong enough to make the cave shake and make the stctites fall from the ceiling.


    Whoooosh.


    Wain swung his sword and created an icy de in the air. But the Werewolf Leader was fast enough to dodge this attack. The monster bounced to the side and got to Wain in a few spurts.


    The Werewolf Leader was about to rip Wain''s body apart.


    Wain looked at the monster with an icy stare and gathered energy at the tip of his sword. When the werewolf''s ws almost reached Wain, he threw the sword forward.


    The icy sword turned into a blue sh that sliced through the werewolf''s paw and pierced the monster''s chest. The sword flew further and plunged into the ceiling of the cave.


    Half of the cave was turned to the ice like a massive cier in that second.


    Wain inflicted a terrible wound on the werewolf leader. There was a through and a wound in the monster''s chest with icy edges. The monster was slowly dying as this attack destroyed half of its organs, including its heart.


    Whooosh.


    Wain grabbed the werewolf leader by the paw and threw him sideways with all his might.


    Bam.


    The monster''s body mmed into the icy ceiling, cracking through it. Then many massive shards of ice fell down, crushing the remaining werewolves. They were buried forever under the blocks of ice.


    Wain canceled the second form and pped his palms together several times as if shaking off the dust.


    He turned to the Trolls and said, "I''ve held up my end of the bargain. Now we have much to discuss with you."

 Chapter 161 Salvation?

    The cave trolls were shocked that Wain could kill the cave werewolves. The leader of the Trolls decided to trust Wain, but the monster did not expect that he could handle a hundred First Chronicle monsters so easily.


    Moreover, the leader of the cave werewolves was incredibly strong. This creature was capable of killing any First Chronicle monster below level twenty.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    More than a hundred white souls flew into Wain''s body. He crushed it and saw a multitude of messages in front of him.


    [You have acquired Soul Essence of Cave Werewolf level 16.]


    [You have acquired Soul Essence of Cave Werewolf level 16.]


    [You have acquired Soul Essence of Cave We...]


    [You have leveled up to level 21. You get 3 status points to distribute freely]


    Wain used arge number of souls but only raised one level. However, Wain was happy with the result. He didn''t spend much effort to kill werewolves. Those monsters were rather weak.


    Of course, the situation was greatly affected because he used a second form, the Cursed Swordsman.


    "Everything is ready. Now it''s time to negotiate. Right?" Wain said with a smile.


    The Troll leader nodded. They could not resist Wain''s will, for this man was a hundred times stronger than they were.


    Wain wanted to say something, but suddenly he heard shouts from the next room. Wain looked puzzled at the Troll leader. The monster nodded and headed towards the sounds along with the other Trolls.


    ...


    "Holy shit..." Wain muttered as he stared at the strange and creepy scene.


    There were many corpses of various monsters and humans in this cave. Like any other creatures, Trolls had to satisfy their hunger somehow, and for them, it wasmonce.


    This cave was like the workce of a mad butcher. There was blood and flesh and body parts everywhere. The trolls were pretty clever, but they had wild instincts like most monsters.


    "Help!"


    Suddenly there was a cry for help from one man. He was seriously wounded, and if Wain hadn''t started the battle against the werewolves, this person would probably have been killed by now.


    But, to his surprise, Wain didn''t even pay attention to him. He was to him an empty space that was not worth the effort.


    ''The survivors have no auras at all. They probably haven''t even activated their Soul Altars yet. They''re useless.'' Thought Wain and turned to the leader of the Trolls.


    The monster was wary. The troll didn''t know what Wain''s reaction would be. Troll understood that Wain was human, so the monster was ready for anything.


    "I don''t care what you do here, so you can calm down. I have a few questions for you. Do you specialize in mining ores?" Wain asked.


    Troll leader had expected any response, but not this one. It was, however, the best possible option for the monster.


    Troll nodded. These monsters were used to dig caves and mining hundreds of energy crystals.


    "Good, then get everyone else in here and have them bring their tools and all the mined crystals with them," Wain said calmly.


    Troll Leader nodded and shouted something loudly several times. At that moment, the Trolls headed for the picks and carts of crystals.


    The Ring of Damned glowed brightly, and a blue pack appeared in Wain''s hands. He lit a cigarette and thought about the current situation.


    ''Hmm, originally I wanted to bring the Trolls to Gisle, but now I question the decision. They are strong and will be more trouble than good, given their bloodthirstiness. Maybe I should kill them?'' Wain thought.


    He didn''t care what the Trolls did in their spare time, but he knew it wasn''t normal. Given the situation, it was impossible for adequate cooperation between the Trolls and the humans.


    Wain shook his head, ''No, that would be a mistake. Hmm, there are surely many more caves at the bottom of the canyons. I can get the Trolls to mine the ores there, but I don''t have time to deal with finding caves and managing supplies.''


    While the Trolls were busy getting ready, Wain tried to think of a n of action. He walked from side to side with a pensive face.


    Slowly Wain made his way halfway through the cave, people asking for his help, but he ignored them. Wain was annoyed, for not a single decent idea urred to him.


    Step.


    He took a step forward, and suddenly his Seal of Darkness shed.


    Wain was surprised, but he quickly realized what had happened. There was a spatial rift within thirty meters of him.


    Wain grinned. ''Then he found a solution to the problem.


    ''That''s right, I own one Void now. Trolls are more dangerous creatures than Fire Goblins. I can''t take them to Last Light. But I have another, a more suitable ce for them.'' Thought Wain.


    Trolls could bepared to miners. These creatures were perfect for his Void. Ice Caves was a spaceposed entirely of ice and caves. But, Wain was sure that the caves upied only a small fraction of the entire area.


    In that case, the Trolls were the perfect option. They would dig new caves, increase the number of caves and energy crystals.<sub> </sub>


    ''Okay, it''s settled. I hope I can move them into my Void.'' Thought Wain.


    After a while, all the Trolls gathered in the cave. There were over three hundred of them. Each of them had a pickaxe and other necessary tools. They brought more than ten carts and crystals.


    Wain nodded and turned to the leader of the Trolls, "Start digging over there, straight ahead without turning around."


    The spatial rift was outside the cave, deep in the wall. So the Trolls had to dig a cave to get there.


    The Troll leader nodded and gave amand to his subordinates. In the same way, the monster ordered them not to touch any more people and to let them go. The troll did this to improve his rtionship with Wain. The monster didn''t know how effective it was, but it was better than nothing.


    Wain looked at the fleeing people and sighed weakly. He realized that they had no chance of surviving. Wain didn''t know how they got here, but they were out of luck.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    At the Leader''smand, the other Trolls began digging the cave. There were many of them, so the process progressed rather quickly. It took them no more than one minute to dig through meters of rock.


    Without special drilling equipment, this was impossible for humans, but the Trolls were strong and hardy. They could work for hours without rest.


    After about half an hour, the trolls dug a cave thirty meters long. There were no energy crystals or ores of any kind inside, but there was a space gap at the end.


    Wain didn''t know if he could move the Trolls into his Void, but he was sure he could make it work. Wain was the area owner, and he had to have those rights.


    Wain came to the end of the cave, and it turned to ink. Wain touched the ink, and it began to gradually growrger. He wanted to erge the passage to enter all the Trolls.


    "Come inside," Wain said calmly.


    The trolls nodded and walked quickly through the ink. They took all the crystals and tools with them. Wain and the leader of the Trolls were thest to go inside.


    When they were in the spatial rift, Wain saw the now familiar door with eyes and a wooden door leading to Sven''s bar. He could go in there because he had an amulet, but the Trolls had no ess to it. The door was covered with many chains that could not be broken for them.


    Wain frowned. He saw no way into his Void. This was a bad development for him.


    ''Hmm, for alien beings to get into the Void without using a portal, they need a key. Shouldn''t I be able to create a passageway of my own choosing?'' Wain thought and closed his eyes.


    He didn''t understand why there wasn''t a door leading to the Ice Caves in the spatial rift. He didn''t know the reason, so he decided to try and fix it himself.


    Whoooosh.


    A minuteter, the temperature dropped, and a massive, icy gateway began to appear among the ink.


    The gate frame was made of white metal, and the two huge tes were covered with a thickyer of ice. The gateway looked like a passageway into the icynds, where blizzards constantly raged, and it was cold.


    ''Huh, it turned out to be easier than I thought, I just had to want it, and the passage to the Ice Caves appeared.'' Thought Wain and walked over to the gate.


    Wain put his palms on the gate and gradually opened it. At this time, there was an eerie creaking and crackling sound.


    "Fine, go inside," Wain said calmly, pointing to the gate.


    However, the Trolls continued to stand still. Wain didn''t understand what happened, but the Troll Leader shook his head.


    ''I see, they can''t get through there, then I need to give them permission or a key. But, how do I do that?'' Wain pondered.


    Wain felt that solving this problem was very easy, but he didn''t know how to do it because he was inexperienced in the matter.


    Wain was trying to find a way out of this situation and remembered the system. He could see the current state of his Void at any time.


    [Ice Caves


    Owner: Nameless


    Size: Tiny


    Chronicle: First


    Rank: F ]


    ''This is general information. I need some functionality. I must somehow create keys or give the Trolls personal permission.'' Wain thought.


    Fortunately, after a while, he found what he needed.


    [You, as the owner of Ice Caves, have the right to create an unlimited number of keys to freely enter and leave your area.


    You can also give one-time permission for other creatures to enter, with no ability to freely leave the zone.]


    Wain decided to choose the second option, and his Seal of Darkness glowed brightly.

 Chapter 162 Enlargement Of The Zone

    When Wain decided to give the Trolls permission to enter the Ice Caves at one time, his Seal of Darkness glowed brightly.


    Many shards flew out of the Ice Gates the next moment, prating the Trolls'' chests. The monsters didn''t fight back since they knew what was going on. Now they had the right to enter inside, but they would need additional permission to get out of this Void.


    Of course, they could have tried to leave by portal or brute force, but in this case, that was impossible. The easiest option was to get permission or a key from the Void''s owner.


    "Great,e on in. This is your new home now." Said Wain.


    The Troll Leader nodded, and dozens of monsters, along with tools and carts, headed for the ice gate. The Troll Leader came inst, after which Wain stepped forward, and the ice gate closed.


    They found themselves in a massive cave at the bottom of the ice vortex. Earlier here, Wain had killed a powerful wyvern and made a statement about the distribution of energy crystals.


    Wain looked at the deep pit filled with blue crystals and smiled contentedly. The monsters did as he said. None of them were fighting for the right to possess a rare resource.


    Each of them carried on about their business. Some were resting, some were umting Soul Essence from the environment, some were honing their skills.


    "Don''t go anywhere yet. I need to introduce you to the others. You are Primary Chronicle monsters, and it would be a shame if you were identally killed." Wain said jokingly.


    The trolls shuddered with fear, and then they saw monsters from dozens of ice cavesing their way. A formidable and terrifying aura emanated from them. These monsters were more terrifying than the Cave Werewolves the Trolls had previously obeyed.


    "Good, you''re already here," Wain said calmly.


    The trolls decided to stand behind him as the only one who could protect them, but they did not yet know that no one would attack them.


    Step.


    The monsters didn''t move, but one approached Wain. It looked like a knight in icy armor. The monster had pale skin, a toothy mouth, and long white hair reaching to his waist. Its face was something between human and monster.


    The monster''s weapon was its left arm, which had a long de-shaped ice growth on it.


    Wain thought that the Ice Knight wanted to challenge him, but suddenly the monster got down on one knee and bowed to Wain.


    ''I see, he''s their leader,'' thought Wain.


    Wain was the owner of this Void. However, he could not be the monsters'' leader since he was not always in the area. Given that the monsters didn''t fight among themselves, they unanimously decided to make the Ice Knight their leader.


    "I see that you have already settled in here, then I have one more announcement for you. These Trolls are now your loyal allies." Said Wain pointing at the monsters behind them.


    At that moment, the Ice Knight stood up and looked intently at the Trolls, as did the other monsters. They were unhappy with the situation as they did not understand why Wain had brought Primary Chronicle monsters here.


    "I understand your puzzlement, but I brought the Trolls here for a reason. You all know that energy crystals have recently begun to grow in this area. I assume that judging by the filled pit, you seeded in collecting them. That''smendable, but we need to speed up the process and make it more efficient." Wain said calmly.


    The monsters looked at him puzzled, but they were willing to listen to any ideas Wain had. As strange as it may sound, the monsters preferred not to fight but to solve problems differently because of Wain''s influence. Monsters, like humans, acted based on profit.


    "As you''ve already noticed, Trolls are Primary Chronicle monsters, but that''s not a problem. They will soon be First Chronicle creatures. They will use energy crystals just like you, even the ones you have collected now." Proimed Wain.


    The monsters frowned. They didn''t want to share crystals with those much weaker than them and didn''t participate in the gathering.


    "In return, you will receive all the energy crystals in the carts. I realize that''s not enough, but I didn''t bring the Trolls here because they have some energy crystals. These monsters will have a different task. They will dig new caves and mine huge amounts of energy crystals," Wain proimed.


    The monsters looked at the Trolls again. They didn''t believe these creatures were capable of this. The other monsters also tried to dig through the caves, but they were no good at it. It was much easier to wait for new energy crystals to grow on the walls.


    Wain said nothing more and signed to the Troll Leader. Then the Trolls clenched their picks tightly in their hands and began to dig the cave in one ce.


    Their speed was astounding and was even faster than before, for they understood that much depended on their result.<sub> </sub>


    If they show that they were helpful and their actions were effective, then they could progress quickly. Otherwise, other monsters could easily kill them, and hardly anyone would stop them from doing so. Wain couldn''t be here forever, and keep an eye on them.


    Crackling.


    The Trolls dug a mine nearly fifteen meters long and five meters wide in ten minutes. They also mined about a hundred crystals in that time, which was an incredible result.


    "Anyone else has any questions?" Wain said with a smirk.


    The monsters shook their heads. They were surprised at how useful the Trolls were. Thanks to these creatures, they would be stronger much faster. The more crystals there were, the better their progress was.


    The Ice Knight also nodded and pointed to the energy crystals in the pit.


    Wain looked at him puzzled but then realized what the knight meant.


    "Of course, distribute the crystals amongst yourselves," Wain said calmly.


    The next moment, dozens of monsters jumped off the slopes of the caves and approached the pit of crystals. Each of them took an equal number of crystals. Wain and the Ice Knight watched this process, so no one tried to take more than they were supposed to.


    Around ten percent of the crystals remained at the bottom. These crystals belonged to the Trolls, who were careful to take them for themselves. Initially, they didn''t believe that what Wain said was true, but now they realized they were wrong. This pleased the Trolls, and they were grateful to Wain.


    The Ice Knight took thest crystals. He knew that Wain had decided not to use the energy crystals, so he left nothing behind.


    Wain hadpleted his task and was ready to return to his world, but he wanted to see how the monsters would use the energy crystals. Wain was waiting for the moment when the monsters in his area would be stronger.


    Wain didn''t like being the leader, but monsters were much different from humans. Moreover, even in this situation, the leader was not his. It was the Ice Knight. Wain didn''t need to keep order, another creature did.


    Gisle was the head of Last Light, and Wain helped him a lot, but only because it was useful. However, in the case of the monsters and the Void, Wain would act a bit differently.


    Here he was the only ruler, and he benefited from being the area''s owner. Wain also wanted to improve his Seal of Darkness to rank two. He thought it was crucial. Because even a first rank Seal of Darkness gave him many advantages.


    After Wain owned the area, his stats increased by 10, and his resistance to the ice element also improved by 10%. While he was in the area, his stats grew by 10%, and his resistance to the element of ice increased by 30%.


    Furthermore, the stats of all monsters subdued by Wain increased by 33%, and they umted Soul Essence 33% faster. Because of Wain''s strength and the power of his Soul Altar souls, this value was huge.


    Wain wanted more. It wasn''t clear to him what it would take to increase Void''s rank and size. However, he assumed it had to do with the number and strength of the monsters.


    After each of the monsters had taken their share of the crystals, they began to use them. Wain watched the Trolls and the Ice Knight. He was curious to see what would happen next.


    The Ice Knight sat down on the floor, after which he crushed all the crystals he had. The blue energy in the crystals burst out of them and then headed towards the Ice Knight''s be.


    The way the energy crystals were used varied from monster to monster. But they all absorbed the energy emanating from the crystals. The Ice Knight preferred to do so, but the ice lizard sitting in the distance ate the crystals.


    Each method was equally effective. Of course, only if the monster didn''t use special equipment or unique abilities.


    The cave trolls had also already begun to use ice energy crystals. They were not as effective as other monsters because they did not possess the attribute of ice. However, they were still getting a 100% effect, enough for rapid progress.


    ''It''s quite a shame that people can''t use energy crystals. Moreover, monsters can devour other creatures and get energy from them, as far as I know. But, humanity must have its trump card. I wonder what makes us different from the other races and why Ria was so eager to take me?'' Wain thought.


    A few minutester, a change began to happen to one of the monsters. It was the Leader of the Cave Trolls.


    ----------------------------------------


    Sorry, there will only be one chapter a day for two or three days because I am sick.

 Chapter 163 Monster Evolution

    Trolls took as many energy crystals as other monsters, but it was much more effective for them than for others. They didn''t have the ice attribute, but Trolls were Primary Chronicle monsters. This was a plus for them in this situation.


    They used First Chronicle crystals and got a tremendous amount of energy. Their bodies were filled with it and gradually became stronger.


    The Troll Leader was the strongest of them all, and he only had one step left to evolve and be a First Chronicle monster.


    When the Troll Leader absorbed energy from several crystals, he reached his peak. At that moment, the monster began to evolve. The first time monsters evolved rather quickly. The whole processsted only a few minutes. But, during that time, the monster became stronger, and its body underwent significant changes.


    Wain watched intently the changes that began to happen to the Troll Leader.


    The monster''s skin began to fade gradually, slowly changing its color from bright red to blue. Then the ws on the Troll''s arm became longer, and a thinyer of ice appeared on them. The Troll''s mouth became slightly smaller, but the number of fangs increased and became much sharper.


    The monster''s ck hair became as white as freshly fallen snow. The monster''s muscles became more pronounced and dense, increasing its fighting power. The final change was the appearance of several protective tes on its arms and legs.


    When the evolution wasplete, the Troll Leader stretched himself. There was a loud crunch of bones, and then the monster took a deep breath and blew icy steam from its mouth. The Troll''s aura increased several times, and now this monster was on par with the other inhabitants of this ce.


    ''Every aspect of Troll Leader has intensified, but the most significant change was another. It seems the Troll Leader received the ice attribute during his evolution... It''s incredible...'' thought Wain.


    "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, great, that''s even better than I could have imagined." Suddenly Wainughed.


    Wain understood why this happened. He was sure that the reason was that the Troll Leader had used ice energy crystals before he evolved. After all, there was no other reason for a Troll to have an ice attribute.


    This was a positive development, as the Troll Leader could now use energy crystals with increased efficiency.


    ...


    Two hourster, the same thing began to happen to the rest of the Trolls. They had the same changes as their leader, with only minor differences. Each of them received the ice attribute and became much stronger.


    Along with them, many of the monsters living in the area slightly increased their strength after absorbing their share of energy crystals.


    Wain nodded and was about to leave, but suddenly this space all shook. It was like a light earthquake. Wain didn''t know what was happening, but the other monsters were calm.


    [The number of First Chronicle monsters in this Void had reached 500.]


    [Void, Ice Caves is ready for a rank upgrade.]


    [You, Nameless, as the owner of this Void, must permit the territory''s rank increase.]<sub> </sub>


    ''Hmm, I have to give permission? What''s going to happen during the area''s rank increase?'' Wain thought.


    He understood that there was no point needing permission if this decision had no consequences or dangers. In that case, the Rank of the zone would immediately increase.


    As soon as Wain thought about it, several messages immediately appeared in front of him.


    [You are the owner of this Void, and the development of this zone depends mainly on your power.]


    ? [During the ranking of this Void, the quantity, quality, and variety of resources that can be found here will be changed. Also, various bonuses will be subject to certain adjustments.]


    ''Not bad, but what''s the risk then?'' Thought Wain and saw a few more messages.


    [At this point, Soul Essence will rage and improve many aspects of the area. Therefore, the spatial barrier will be less stable, and some creatures will try to invade here and take over this area.]


    [Since Ice Caves is a First Chronicle, Tiny Size, Rank-F zone, only territories with the same Chronicle will be able to attack you. However, deviations in Rank by one step are allowed.]


    ''I see. This means that when the rank increase starts, this zone can be attacked by creatures from the Rank-E zone, but the size and Chronicle will be the same. Hmm, that shouldn''t be a problem. I''m sure we can easily fend off any threat.'' Thought Wain.


    Wain had already decided, but he decided to alert the monsters before he did.


    He turned to the Ice Knight and said, "Warn everyone toe here and prepare for battle. The trolls have mined some energy crystals, so the monsters from the other Void will run here. We''ll kill them all at once and protect this ce."


    The Ice Knight nodded, and the next moment he turned into a blue sh. This monster was quite fast, and its fighting style was simr to that of a swordsman. The Ice Knight was unique and the strongest of all in this Void. He could single-handedly defeat more than ten First Chronicle monsters.


    Ten minutester, most of the monsters were back in the main square. They knew why they were gathered here, so they were ready to fight.


    They were not opposed to the battle. On the contrary, they wanted the Rank of this area to be raised. In that case, they would get a lot of advantages and could be even stronger. Also, they had nothing to worry about since Wain would be fighting with them.


    "Huh, I know that you haven''t fought for a long time because of my order. However, you know that there is no point in battling each other. It''s not profitable. Nevertheless, it is obvious that you need to unleash your bloodlust, and I will give you that opportunity!" Wain thundered.


    "We will tear our enemies to shreds and build up our power together. Mark my words, this is the only way you can quickly climb to the top of the world!"


    Wain then gave his permission to upgrade the Rank of the zone.

 Chapter 164 The War Of The Two Void

    When the monsters were ready for battle, Wain decided to act.


    [The owner of Ice Caves, Nameless, gave his permission to increase the rank of the zone.]


    Every living creature in the Void territory saw this message. The next moment, white energy began to build up in the air in huge quantities. It was like a massive tornado capable of destroying anything.


    Then the space shuddered, and the tornado of energy turned into thousands of strands. They would gradually change the area, making it stronger and more valuable, but everything in this world has a price.


    Crackle.


    Suddenly the ice wall shattered into tiny shards, but it wasn''t ice. It was a space barrier.


    ''Huh, it happened faster than I expected,'' thought Wain and waved his hand.


    A dark sword appeared beside him, which he gripped tightly in his hand. The other monsters also prepared themselves for battle. They knew they might die, but at the moment, they were ready to fight for their home and their future.


    "I didn''t take it into ount at first, but monsters are pretty fearless creatures. I like that." Mumbled Wain.


    Most people were too difficult to work with. The reason was that each person was unique and had their peculiarities. Some were fearless, others too cowardly. The list of different qualities was endless. On the one hand, it was good, but nobody wanted cowards and insecure individuals during the war.


    Sure, monsters could run away too, but they only did so when there was no chance of winning. It wasn''t cowardice. It was simple logic. There was no point in braving it if it would lead to death.


    There were, however, people who were perfect partners. It was rare to meet such people, but that was why they were valuable.


    The Ice Knight and the Troll Leader stood beside Wain. They were ready to kill anyone who decided to enter their territory. They were sure of themselves, and so were the other monsters.


    Crackle.


    There was an energy surge, and the ice wall was shattered. The desert was visible behind it, but it was unusually snowy. The desert dunes were covered with a thickyer of snow, and dozens of monsters were running across them.


    The next moment Wain saw the following message.


    [Rank-E Void, Snow Desert attacked Rank-F Void, Ice Caves. The attack willst until the spatial barrier is stable.]


    The first monsters to run inside the Ice Caves were like snow wolves. They pounced on the monsters they saw inside. They were lizards that Wain had been fighting for a long time.


    Wain was actively heading to participate in this battle, but he wasn''t about to rush into the fight like a madman. First, he wanted to see how strong the monsters in his Void were. It was important, he had to understand what they were capable of.


    ''Huh, maybe I should have yed more strategy and read books on the art of warfare. Given the current situation, that knowledge could havee in handy for me. However, if I''m not skilled at something, I need to learn it, and then the problem will be solved.'' Wain thought.


    Wain realized that in future battles in the Voids, there would be serious opponents so strong that only he could handle them. In that case, his monsters had to defeat the enemy ones because otherwise, he would have to fight all of them at once.


    Wain wasn''t stupid. He knew that the World of Darkness was huge, and there were quite a few dangerous enemies that were stronger than him. Moreover, some severe opponents could give him a lot of trouble even on the.


    One such was Luar. Of course, he used an amulet, but if he had won, it wouldn''t have mattered. All that counted was the result when it came to life and death.


    So Wain was in no hurry to help the ice lizards for the time being. They had to defeat the snow wolves themselves. However, if the situation became critical, he would save the lizards. They were his allies and strength. Therefore they were important to Wain.


    Whooosh.


    The snow wolves tried to attack the lizards, but they easily dodged and conducted abined attack with their tongues. Thus the lizards quickly killed one of the wolves.


    "Not bad," Wain muttered briefly.


    The lizards had no trouble dealing with the remaining wolves a few secondster. It wasn''t difficult to do since they were in the majority.


    ''I expected the lizards to be at least wounded since these wolves are from the Rank-E zone, but it looks like I can be proud of my warriors.'' Thought Wain.


    He understood that the wolves were weak opponents, but he was d that their war began with a victory rather than a defeat. It was at least helpful for the emotional mood of the other monsters, which was crucial during battles.


    Many people underestimated the importance of morale during war, and that was a big mistake. Morale was crucial and could help win even at a disadvantage.


    For the next few minutes, Wain stood idly by. He watched his monsters fight those who decided to invade here. To his surprise, none of his monsters were killed, some were seriously wounded, but all survived.<sub> </sub>


    Wain thought he wouldn''t even have to do anything at this rate, but suddenly he heard a loud crack.


    The space gap became three timesrger, allowing multiple monsters to attack at once. Because the passage was narrow, the Snow Desert monsters were disadvantaged. They had to go through a narrow path where they were vulnerable, but that problem was now solved.


    ''Well, I think this is a good moment to show the others how to fight.'' Thought Wain, and a lightning sign appeared on his chest the next moment.


    He turned into a blue sh and crossed the gap between the two Voids. Wain would kill all the monsters that would try to attack him in the Snow Desert.


    Other monsters from Ice Caves wanted to follow him, but the Ice Knight stopped them. He understood that the priority was to protect his Void and himself. Wain was the strongest of them all and was capable of ying anyone.


    When Wain found himself in the middle of the wilderness, he was immediately attacked by several monsters. They were massive scorpions that had three tails. However, the tails contained a frosty liquid instead of venom, which could freeze almost anything.


    The scorpions immediately decided to attack. Ice projectiles flew out of their tails, which should have frozen Wain, but he easily dodged them.


    He turned into blue lightning and was behind one of the scorpions.


    Whooosh.


    Wain swung his sword sharply and sliced the giant insect in two. Then he made several more spurts and thus killed the rest of the scorpions. These foes were too weak to stand any chance against Wain.


    Six souls flew into Wain''s body, and he smiled contentedly.


    ''This is a great opportunity to get arge amount of Soul Essence. This war is the best thing that could have happened.'' Thought Wain.


    [Soul of Snow Scorpion (Destroyed)


    Chronicle: First


    Rating: Common]


    Wain crushed souls and gained some amount of Soul Essence.


    Many feared war and the reasons were clear. War always involves killing, and no one wants to die. However, the war had more advantages than disadvantages for people like Wain.


    After Wain killed the scorpions, he was attacked by many more monsters. The Snow Desert was Rank-E Void, and there were many more monsters here than in Ice Caves. This could have been a problem, as the Snow Desert monsters could win by numbers.


    The monsters understood that Wain was the main threat, and that''s why more than fifty First Chronicle monsters attacked him simultaneously. However, Wain had no intention of running away. On the contrary, a mad smile appeared on his face, and he began to cut the monsters apart like a madman.


    He loved this feeling of power and invincibility. He spilled the blood of his enemies every second and watched them squirm in agony.


    The other monsters didn''t want to go near Wain. They preferred to attack less powerful opponents.


    While Wain raged on the battlefield, the Ice Knight prepared to attack. He lined up a line of defense and stood in front. The Ice Knight stood in a battle stance and prepared for battle.


    His weapon was an outgrowth on his arm in the form of an ice de. It was sharp enough to cut through the flesh of most First Chronicle monsters.


    The Ice Trolls also stood with the other monsters. Initially, they weren''t sure if their leader had made the right decision, but now things were different. It became a ce where they could go about their business and build up their strength.


    The next moment, many different monsters ran inside. They furiously attacked everyone they saw, but that was their big mistake.


    Whooosh.


    The Ice Knight''s silhouette turned into a blur, and the three monsters saw a bright glint. Momentster, their bodies were cut in two, and the ice de was drenched in blood.


    They fought for several minutes, and the Ice Caves monsters were victorious. They acted with rity and timing. Neither of them was exposed to attack, the monsters attacked together, and they helped each other avoid enemy attacks.


    Such behavior was not characteristic of monsters. They were selfish creatures who always put their interests ahead, with few exceptions.


    However, when Wain''s decision about the crystals made it pointless for monsters to fight each other, they learned to work together. Then they realized that it was better to find more crystals than kill each other.


    It was ironic that because of a selfish person acting only in terms of efficiency, other selfish creatures ceased to be so.

 Chapter 165 The Snow Beast

    Wain fought many monsters single-handedly and easily defeated them. He was covered in blood from head to toe, but he never stopped swinging his sword. The monsters around him died and turned into ice statues in seconds.


    The Ice Knight and the other monsters gradually defeated their enemies through concerted action. They thought that this battle would soon end in their triumph, but they forgot that the Snow Desert was a Rank-E zone.


    This ce was home not only to various insects and animals but also to hazardous enemies.


    In the Snow Desert, there was also a Leader, and he was heading for Wain. It was a massive monster four meters tall and two meters long. It was something between a wolf and a lizard. This monster had four paws with razor-sharp ws on them.


    The Snow Beast had a massive mouth with two rows of teeth and three lizard-like tongues. There were also icy mes emanating from the monster''s head and tail at all times.


    This monster looked menacing, and when Wain felt its aura, he immediately released his own. The monsters stepped aside, allowing Wain and the Snow Beast to fight one on one. They couldn''t affect the oue of this fight as they were too weak.


    Whooosh.


    Wain did not hesitate. Arge amount of energy umted before him, which turned into a white bullet. He grabbed it and threw it at the Snow Beast with all his might. Wain was going to kill the monster as quickly as possible.


    The Snow Beast didn''t expect Wain to attack from a distance, but the monster could dodge quickly by bouncing aside. Then the me on its tail shone brightly like a torch, and a beam of icy fire rained down on Wain.


    He grinned and turned into blue lightning. Wain wanted to dodge the attack and inflict serious wounds on the Snow Beast, but suddenly the beam split into dozens of smaller beams. Wain didn''t think anything like that could happen, so he didn''t have enough time to dodge.


    Wain had to defend himself from the beams flying in his direction. He swung his sword many times, gradually repelling the attacks. Wain reflected all the rays, but suddenly three tongues flew in his direction.


    The Snow Beast felt that Wain was a dangerous opponent, so it didn''t want to prolong this fight. If Wain did not die now, their Void might be defeated.


    "Shit!" Shouted Wain and tried to dodge this attack.


    He concentrated and oversaw the monster''s tongues. Wain swung his sword in such a trajectory as to cut them, but the tongues changed their direction at thest moment.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Wain was struck in the right and left shoulder and in the stomach. These attacks were quite powerful, and Wain threw up a mouthful of blood. He quickly assessed the situation and moved a considerable distance away from the Snow Beast.


    ''Damn, it looks like while I was enjoying beating up weak monsters, I let my guard down. I should start fighting in earnest. Thought Wain and his aura began to intensify.


    His hair became white and much longer, and he wore ck and white armor. Wain didn''t use Cursed Swordsman or Blind Sorcerer as it wasn''t advantageous. The second form was unsuitable for fighting against enemies with the ice attribute, and the third form had too powerful a recoil.


    At this point, using the Code of Light and Darkness was the best solution. Wain would be much stronger and faster while spending no more than 25% of his energy.


    When the transformation was finished, Wain decided to look at his status.


    [Wain Norheim


    Level: 21


    Race: Human


    Beyond: Cmity


    Soul: Nameless King


    Additional Soul: ck Thunder''s Renegade


    Title: Savior of the Damned, Echo of Samurai, Mentor Inquisitor, The First, Soul Gatherer


    Status Points: 6


    Strength: 117 / Agility: 117 / Vitality: 117 / Stamina: 117 / Energy: 117]


    ''Hmm, even the Agility bonus from Sparkling Frost Boots is equalized. That''s interesting. I need to find more good gear for better efficiency.'' Wain thought.


    At the moment, all his stats were 117. That was a significant value for a 21st level man. Wain was stronger than most First Chronicle creatures. He would approach the second barrier if his stats increased a few dozen more. After which, it will be harder for him to improve his stats.


    Whooosh.


    After Wain used the first form, the Snow Beast attacked instantly. The blue me on the monster''s head glowed brightly, and the beast became several times faster. The monster''s ws shed, and several energy des rained down on Wain the next moment.


    Wain put his sword out in front of him, and his hands became a blur. He swung his sword more than five times per second and shattered each of the des. Then the Snow Beast decided to attack him on its own.


    The monster opened its mouth wide, and three tongues burst into blue mes. They were like bright shes rushing toward Wain.


    "I won''t fall for the same trick a second time!" Proimed Wain and turned into blue lightning.


    However, he did not retaliate by attacking the Snow Beast, instead, Wain decided to retreat. He did this to ensure that the ming tongues would not attack him. Last time, Wain had suffered some wounds, and he would not make the same mistakes.


    The ming Tongues mmed into the sand, freezing it quickly. The Snow Beast''s me had the attribute of ice, so it wasn''t capable of heating or melting anything.


    Wain smirked and clenched his dark sword with force. He threw the weapon sharply toward the monster. It looked as if ck lightning had pierced the massive Snow Beast.


    The monster''s chest was cleaved by a deep cut. The beast''s flesh began to disintegrate due to the corrosive effect of the sword''s darkness. Despite this, the Snow Beast survived and continued to fight.


    The monster tried to attack Wain, but suddenly a dark sword appeared above it, which copsed down like a heavenly punishment.


    Whooosh.


    Snowbeast tried to dodge, but he didn''t have time to do so. The Dark Sword cut off its head, and it flew aside.


    However, a secondter, the mes on its head glowed brightly, and a thread of fire appeared between its neck and its severed head. The Snow Beast was a strong and fast monster, but its main feature was its survivability and high regeneration.


    Despite a severe and even fatal wound, the monster recovered quickly. It only needed a few seconds to regeneratepletely.


    Whooosh.


    But, Wain wasn''t going to wait for his opponent to heal from his wounds. He transformed into blue lightning and threw the monster''s head aside like a ball with a powerful leg kick. Many cracks went through the head, and it was buried deep in the sand beneath the snow dune.


    The next moment a pink soul flew into Wain''s body.<sub> </sub>


    [Soul of Snow Beast (Whole)


    Chronicle: First


    Rating: Epic]


    Wain smiled and immediately crushed the soul. In all the time, he received only a few Epic Rating souls. Only strong and dangerous monsters had souls of this quality.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Snow Beast level 21. Strength+8, Agility+12, Vitality+5, Stamina+5, Energy+7]


    [You get Epic Rating Soul Chest]


    Wain felt himself growing stronger. His Agility increased by 12 points, which was a pretty significant value. At this point, it was almost 10% of Agility. The other stats also got higher, especially Energy, which pleased Wain.


    But, what shocked him the most was the Epic Rating Soul Chest. That was a surprise for him. It had never happened before.


    A medium-sized pink chest appeared in front of him, and Wain put his hand to it. The chest disintegrated into hundreds of pieces, and Wain received an object resembling a blue piece of paper.


    [Weapon Blueprint (First Chronicle, Epic Rating)


    This blueprint contains a method of creating a powerful weapon capable of making its owner incredibly powerful. Any warrior would want to have such a weapon, now it''s not a dream but almost a reality. However, only a person with the soul of a smith can know what is written on the blueprints].


    ''Hmm, what an interesting thing. Honestly, it is a bit disappointing. I was expecting to get some weapon or armor. However, this blueprint is unique. The thing is useless to me, but fortunately, I know a cksmith. I hope that Lea can create another masterpiece with this blueprint." thought Wain.


    The Ring of Damned glowed brightly, and the blueprint disappeared.


    Once Lea created a masterpiece, it was a ring made of Ghost Crystal that Wain gave her. With this costume jewelry, Wain defended against the Second Chronicle attack and not be captured by Ria. It was then that Wain truly realized how much potential Lea had.


    The equipment she created could change the course of a battle instantly, but it was difficult to create a masterpiece.


    Wain looked around and saw monsters in the distance. Many of them, several hundred, yet they were afraid toe any closer. The monsters didn''t expect Wain to deal with their leader so easily. They knew that was the end.


    Wain smirked and wanted to attack them, but suddenly the Ice Knight appeared in front of him. He pointed his de at the monsters and shook his head as if to say Wain shouldn''t do that. In the knight''s left hand was a chunk of a small piece of ice.


    "I don''t understand you. What are you trying to say?" Said Wain.


    The Ice Knight swung the ice de for a while and even tried to draw something in the snow, but his attempts were unsessful. Wain did not understand the Ice Knight.


    Then the monster grabbed the sand with his right hand andbined it with the piece of ice in his left hand. Wain''s eyes widened, and he smiled contentedly.


    "AHAHAHAHAHA, that''s right, they''re already scared and aren''t going to fight. What''s more, I killed their leader, and now they only have two options. They can either die or join us!" Proimed Wain. "However...how do we do that?"


    Wain was inexperienced in dealing with Void, so he didn''t know many important points and procedures. He wanted to take over another zone orbine the two, but he didn''t know how to do it.


    Whoooosh.


    Suddenly the Seal of Darkness glowed brightly, and several messages appeared before Wain.


    [Nameless, to capture an enemy Void, you must destroy every living creature in it. Also, if the inhabitants of the Void are willing to surrender, you can do without total destruction]


    [After capturing a Void, you can merge it with other Voids you own. In this case, several territories will be one, with amon ecosystem, rules, resources, and local territories.]


    ''Not bad.'' Thought Wain, and the next moment he activated one of his Titles.


    A massive death silhouette with a bloody scythe appeared above Wain, releasing his aura. The monsters didn''t want to fight him, but Wain wanted to intimidate them as much as possible. They had to realize that they had no chance of winning. Only then would this Void pass into his possession.


    Wain looked at the monsters and said, "Bow your heads before me or die!"


    His voice rang out like a peal of thunder. Every creature in the two Voids heard it and shuddered in fear. Even the Ice Knight grew wary. Wain''s words were like absolute orders, impossible to disobey.


    The enemy monsters immediately bowed their heads to him and huddled on the floor like frightened beasts. These creatures could kill thousands of people, and some of them could destroy cities, but before Wain, they were nothing.


    In the next moment, several messages appeared.


    [Void, Snow Desert lost a war against Void, Ice Caves.]


    [Nameless, conquered the enemy Void and is now the new owner of Snow Desert.]


    When Wain first conquered his first Void, there were many messages in front of him. This time the same thing happened.


    [While you are the owner of Snow Desert, all your stats are increased by 15. Your resistance to the element of ice is increased by 7%. Your resistance to sand attribute is increased by 7%.]


    [While you are in the territory of this Void, your stats are increased by 15%. Your resistance to the element of ice is increased by 21%. Your Resistance to Sand attribute increased by 21%]


    Wain felt that he became much stronger. Each stat increased his power, and he took a step forward to the top of the world.


    The next moment a huge amount of Soul Essence appeared in front of Wain, and he saw the message he was already familiar with.


    [Given your power and the power of your souls in Soul Altar, adjustments are being made to this area and the creatures that inhabit it.]


    [Adjustments made considering your power and the power of your souls in Soul Altar.]


    [Stats of all creatures in this area increase by 45%.]


    [All creatures in this Void progress and umte Soul Essence 45% faster.]


    Wain was surprised. These boosts were much better than in Ice Caves.


    [Snow Desert will gradually grow and strengthen. Over time, this area will increase in size and its overall power.]


    -----------------------------------------------------------------------


    I''m almost healthy and from tomorrow the pace will be the same. There will now be two chapters instead of three, but the total number of words per day will remain the same and even be a little more.

 Chapter 166 Purple Pilgrim

    "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, capturing Voids is the best thing ever!" Proimed Wain.


    He didn''t expect such a series of events to happen because of the invitation of the Cave Trolls to Ice Caves. Wain was able to increase the Rank of his zone, but he also captured another. He became much stronger in less than a few hours. It was some magic to him.


    Wain decided to see the status of his new zone right away.


    [Snow Desert


    Owner: Nameless


    Size: Tiny


    Chronicle: First


    Rank: E ]


    ''Hmm, nothing surprising, only Rank is different, which makes sense. Should I merge the two zones into one? Wain thought.


    He didn''t know what would happen after that, so he wasn''t sure if it was the right decision.


    ''Maybe I shouldn''t merge the two Voids, it might be a mistake, but I''m too eager to do it.'' Wain thought and opened the menu, but he saw an unexpected message there.


    [You can''t merge two Voids as long as one of them has an improvement of Rank.]


    ''I see. I have to wait a bit. Moreover, when the improvement of Ice Caves is over, I will have two Rank-E Voids. When Ibine them, I''ll probably get a lot of different bonuses." Mumbled Wain and looked around.


    The battle was over, and all the enemy monsters decided to submit to him. Those who disagreed, Wain had already killed.


    He decided to wait until the improvement of Ice Caves was over and, in the meantime, explore the Snow Desert.


    This ce was as empty and barren as his first Void. There was nothing but tons of sand and snow that covered the massive dunes. It looked quite beautiful, as did the ice caves, but that''s not what Wain needed.


    The most important thing to him was something of value in the area. It could be ores, resources, nts, or even unique creatures.


    Wain walked around the desert for a few minutes but found nothing interesting.


    ''Hmm,st time, it took about two days for the crystals to start growing. The situation will probably be identical now.'' Thought Wain and stepped forward.


    The snow creaked beneath him, and the footprints of his bulky boots were left on the sand. Even though this Snow Desert was the smallest size, Wain could not see the limits of the desert.


    ''Hmm, to a human, a tiny area can bepared a vige or even an ordinary neighborhood, but the World of Darkness might have very different standards. Perhaps even Tiny Void is no smaller than a city or an ind.'' Wain thought.


    He had been traveling through the Snow Desert for some time and had moved quite a distance away from the spatial rift. At this time, the Ice Knight tookmand and was busy integrating new monsters into their group. This was necessary for a prolific coboration.


    Wain stopped, and the Ring of Damned glowed brightly. A pack of cigarettes appeared in his hands, and a few secondster, he smoked. Wain blew out a blue puff of smoke that floated above him like a cloud. It turned into an image of death, but then a maw appeared behind him that ate that silhouette.


    ''Sven didn''t lie. Every time the cloud of smoke turns into something new. This time it looked like some performance. But, it''s too expensive, is there anyone besides me willing to pay one Void Soul for twelve cigarettes?'' Wain pondered, exhaling another puff of smoke.


    This time it turned into an exmation point. Wain shrugged and tossed the cigarette aside, deciding to go back.


    Tremble.


    Suddenly the space began to shake. Wain didn''t know what was going on. He thought that another Void had decided to attack Ice Caves, but he didn''t see a message about it.


    However, the next moment Wain realized what was happening. Many cracks appeared in the sky, shattered into pieces like a mirror.


    "Pearl Hunter..." Wain muttered, looking up at the huge creature above.


    It looked exactly like the one Wain had fought at the top of the pagoda. The Pearl Hunter had tried to steal Soul Pearl from Wain back then, but he had easily repulsed the attack. This time the same thing happened.


    Pearl Hunter was not human or any other anthropomorphic creature. The hunter was like a huge shadow with many arms, one eye, and a creepy mouth. The creature slowly prated the Snow Desert and was about to attack Wain.


    "Damn, it''s strong..." Wain muttered, feeling the auraing from Pearl Hunter.


    Wain wanted to use the third form, Blind Sorcerer. He was sure that Perl Hunter would quickly kill him and every monster in the two Voids if he didn''t. It would be a disaster and an absolute failure.


    Whooooooosh.


    Soul Essence gathered around Wain. Pearl Hunter was about to attack Wain by then, but suddenly, a purple sh appeared in the sky. It also came from beyond the borders of space.


    The purple sh struck Perl Hunter''s head and crushed it instantly. Simultaneously, a shockwave was created, spreading for dozens of meters around it. A huge crater was created in the ce of the fall, and the sand suddenly turned ck.


    The wind gusts from this attack were so strong that Wain had to cover himself with his arms.


    He didn''t understand what was happening. Suddenly two unknown creatures burst into the Void, and widespread destruction urred in less than a few seconds.


    When the shockwave weakened, Wain stepped forward. He wanted to see what had just happened.


    "What the fuck...?!"


    What he saw stunned him. A tall man was standing at the bottom of the crater. Next to him was the corpse of Pearl Hunter with its head blown off. The monster was long dead. It had been killed in just one attack.


    The man looked at Wain and muttered, "Nameless, right?"


    He was not human. He had coal-ck skin, gray eyes, and thick purple hair. He also had several purple tattoos on his chest, the same color as his fingernails.


    Wain realized that the man was of some unknown race. He, like Ria, was simr in body structure to a human, but he had significant differences in appearance.


    "Yes," Wain answered briefly.


    He did not know who this man was, but he understood that the situation was dangerous. A battle could break out at any moment that would lead to irreparable consequences.


    "Okay, I have a proposition for you. You give me Soul Pearl, and I won''t attack you. How''s that for a deal?" Said the man.


    Wain frowned. He didn''t like it when someone put conditions on him. One of Wain''s most important principles was freedom, and so he wasn''t going to submit to someone forcibly.


    ''Who is he?'' Wain thought, and to his surprise, an information window immediately appeared before him.


    [Purple Pilgrim


    Chronicle: First


    Voids: 5]


    "Purple Pilgrim..." Wain muttered. He hadn''t expected to find out information about his enemy so easily.


    "Don''t be deceived. I let you do it. Now you know my name, or rather my alias. You have onest chance to give me Soul Pearl, in which case you can survive." Pronounced Purple Pilgrim.<sub> </sub>


    "I don''t think so. No one dares to order me around." Coldly Wain said, and his aura began to intensify.


    There was powerful pressureing from Purple Pilgrim, but Wain was confident that he could handle such an opponent. Right now, he was quite strong even by First Chronicle creature standards, and he was getting the appropriate bonuses from being in the Snow Desert.


    Moreover, Wain still had a lot of strength left since the battle with the Snow Beast was not grueling and hard. Then everything was solved in a few precise attacks and the right decisions.


    Purple Pilgrim shrugged his shoulders and calmly said, "It''s your choice. If you want to die like a fool, I won''t stop you."


    Whoooosh.


    The next moment Purple Pilgrim jumped toward Wain. He was so strong that a massive crater formed where he stood after the jump. The sand could not withstand such pressure and fell several meters to the bottom.


    Bam.


    Purple Pilgrim was swift and instantly appeared in front of Wain. He attacked Wain sharply, aiming for the head.


    Wain barely had time to react and dodge the attack, then a lightning sign appeared on his chest, and he tried to retreat. Wain did not want to fight at his disadvantage. Purple Pilgrim immediately began to dominate the battlefield, and Wain wanted to break this lousy momentum for him.


    However, even though Wain became much faster, Purple Pilgrim had no trouble catching up to him. He turned into a blur and found himself behind Wain.


    "What the?!" Wain said in shock and was immediately punched in the face with his fist.


    Wain flew back several meters and was partially buried under the sand.


    Purple Pilgrim paced slowly in his direction with a strange look on his face. He usually did not look into the appearance of his enemies, but now he realized that he could not determine Wain''s race.


    "Hey, what race are you from? At first, I thought you were a mudblood elf, but now I see that your ears are different from the pointed ears of elves. Moreover, your skin is not as smooth and slightly darker than theirs. What are you?" Purple Pilgrim asked puzzled.


    Unlike Ria, who had long surpassed the First Chronicle, Purple Pilgrim did not know who humans were or their race.


    Wain answered nothing. He threw up a mouthful of blood and tried to catch a breath. Even one of Purple Pilgrim''s attacks did serious damage to him.


    "You don''t want to answer? That''s your business." Purple Pilgrim said calmly with a shrug.


    He knew of many races, but not all. He decided to ask what race Wain was from since he didn''t have any distinguishing features. To Purple Pilgrim, Wain''s appearance wasparable to a nk piece of paper. There was nothing about him.


    However, Purple Pilgrim knew one race whose members Wain was very simr to, but he would already be dead if he were to meet a member of that race. Wain was weak and could not be a member of one of the strongest and most recognized races in the World of Darkness.


    Purple Pilgrim was about to attack his enemy again, but suddenly,rge energy appeared around Wain.


    Whoooosh.


    Purple Pilgrim felt Wain''s aura increase and considered him a threat. So one of the tattoos on Purple Pilgrim''s chest glowed brightly, and his fist became as fast as lightning.


    He was about to kill Wain for that punch, but suddenly Wain grinned and turned his head to the left. His fist flew a millimeter from his face, and then a dark bandage appeared over Wain''s eyes.


    A momentter, Wain was wearing a gray robe, boots, and two strange seals appeared on the backs of his hands.


    Wain didn''t hesitate and attacked immediately. A massive magic circle appeared in front of him, from which twelve thin beams flew out. They were weaker than a single powerful charge and rather slow, but these beams had a special feature. Wain could control them.


    Purple Pilgrim was shocked. He hadn''t expected something like this to happen suddenly.


    "That''s impressive. But, do you really think that''s enough to defeat me?" Purple Pilgrim said coldly, and the two tattoos on his chest glowed brightly.


    The next moment a purple shell appeared on his arms. He got into a fighting stance and was about to block each ray.


    Whoooosh.


    However, when Purple Pilgrim tried to do so, the gray beam easily broke the barrier on his left arm. Purple Pilgrim could not believe what he saw. It seemed to him like some delusion.


    He was capable and was many times stronger than most of his peers. That''s why Purple Pilgrim decided to renounce his family and be a Pearl Hunter. He believed it was the only way he could grasp the true power of this world.


    It was a dangerous path despised by many, but Purple Pilgrim believed that the most important thing was strength.


    ''Only the strong can establish what is right and wrong.'' Thought Purple Pilgrim, and two more seals on his chest shone brightly.


    Two purple spheres appeared on his back and quickly turned into angel-like wings. Purple Pilgrim pped them and quickly stepped aside.


    He wanted to eliminate the rays chasing him and then think through his next steps.


    Crackle.


    At the same moment, space gradually began to recover. The sky slowly restored, and the fallen shards returned to their ces.


    Whooosh.


    Wain waved his hand, and nine beams flew for Purple Pilgrim. Despite the blindfold, he could see his enemy''s movements perfectly because of the energy fluctuations. Wain grew more ustomed to using the third form with each passing second.


    "Shit!" Purple Pilgrim shouted and swung his wings sharply to dodge the rays. He couldn''t afford to get seriously wounded, at least now.


    Then Purple Pilgrim clenched his right hand into a fist, and the energy sheath turned into a massive shield.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Nine beams pounded into the shield, but fortunately for Purple Pilgrim, the shield was able to absorb the power of each beam, and then it shattered into many pieces.


    Purple Pilgrim pped his wings sharply, thus creating a small tornado of energy that came down on Wain.


    Wain didn''t dodge. Instead, he put his hands together, and four magical circles appeared around the tornado. They gradually increased in size and came closer together, as if creating a cage for this natural phenomenon.


    Click.


    Wain clenched his palms together, and the magical circles turned into barriers that squeezed the energy tornado. It tried to resist, but its power was not enough to do so. Wain easily destroyed such a powerful attack.


    When Purple Pilgrim saw this, he realized that Wain was no easy opponent. He had to give his best to win.


    Purple Pilgrim doubted whether it was worth continuing this battle, but he cast aside all doubts when he thought of Soul Pearl.


    ''This thing is worth any effort. It''s even worth a genocide!" Purple Pilgrim shouted to himself, and the massive tattoo on his chest shone brightly.


    This tattoo was special. It was different from the others. So the next moment, the tip of a spear appeared from Purple Pilgrim''s chest.


    The weapon slowly slid out of his chest until Purple Pilgrim abruptly pulled the spear out and prepared to fight.

 Chapter 167 Calamity

    Purple Pilgrim did not expect Wain to be so strong. His skill gave him tremendous power, and Purple Pilgrim had to arm himself with his weapons.


    "This is strange..." Purple Pilgrim muttered, holding the spear firmly in his hand. "If he''s from a race I don''t know, that means that race is weak, but then why is Nameless so strong?"


    Purple Pilgrim understood that there were strong members even among the weak and obscure races, but Purple Pilgrim did not believe that Wain, who had only two Voids under his control, could be like that.


    "Okay, it''s not a big deal. Right now, I have to win and kill him without wasting much effort." Pronounced Purple Pilgrim and swung his wings sharply.


    His spear was the most powerful weapon he could get in one of the Voids. The spear looked rather simple, a straight ck hilt and a purple tip with a strange shape of two curved des.


    This spear was powerful enough that Purple Pilgrim could wound even a Second Chronicle creature.


    Whooosh.


    Wain did not wait for his opponent to get into a favorable position. He swung his arm, and two prisms appeared next to him, gray beams of energy shooting out. They were fast enough to catch up to the lightning, and Purple Pilgrim should not have dodged this attack.


    However, Purple Pilgrim didn''t need to. He managed to react and swung his spear, slicing the two beams apart.


    Wain was shocked. He didn''t expect the spear to be so powerful. This weapon could change the course of the battle, not for the better.


    "Fuck!" Proimed Wain and retreated sharply.


    He couldn''t let Purple Pilgrim attack him. Otherwise, he would suffer serious wounds and risk death.


    Bam.


    A momentter, a ck spear mmed into the spot where Wain had just stood. Purple Pilgrim frowned as Wain managed to dodge its attack at thest moment. He pped his wings and flew toward Wain like a violetet.


    Wain knew that he wouldn''t be able to get away from Purple Pilgrim since he was slower. Of course, Wain could have tried to use Sign of Lightning, but that would have been a mistake. Even with the third form, that speed wouldn''t be enough to dodge Purple Pilgrim''s attacks constantly.


    Moreover, Wain felt that he was getting worse by the second. His body was gradually approaching its limit.


    ''Damn, Blind Sorcerer is too demanding a skill. It feels like I''ve been fighting for a hundred days straight without sleep or food. It can''tst long.'' Thought Wain and pointed his hand toward Purple Pilgrim.


    He would gather energy at one point and create a powerful beam that would kill the Purple Pilgrim. However, when Wain was ready to attack, Purple Pilgrim turned into a blur and disappeared from his sight.


    Wain tried to find his enemy, and when he realized what had happened, he abruptly turned around. Purple Pilgrim decided to destroy his wings to make a super-fast leap and take his enemy by surprise.


    Whoooosh.


    Purple Pilgrim swung his spear with an icy gaze and easily cut through Wain''s sturdy mantle. The defensive symbols were incapable of absorbing the full force of this attack in an instant. The spear also pierced Wain''s flesh.


    Purple Pilgrim inflicted a wide wound on Wain''s chest, and a fountain of blood gushed forth. Purple Pilgrim swung thence again, striking Wain in the stomach with the back of the weapon.


    Wain went off to the side like a cannonball, hurtling down the sandy knoll. He hadn''t expected the Purple Pilgrim to be so fast. Thest attack was critical, and Wain had little or no strength left.


    Purple Pilgrim stared at Wain with a merciless gaze and clutched his spear tightly.


    "You should have given me Soul Pearl, and you would have survived. But, you were too stubborn and stupid to ept my offer." Said Purple Pilgrim.


    He raised the spear above his head and was ready to throw it at his enemy, but suddenly Wain struggled to his feet. Purple Pilgrim did not expect Wain to rise with such severe wounds.


    "Go to hell, you bastard..." Wain said coldly, and suddenly his aura began to intensify.


    Purple Pilgrim didn''t know what was happening, but he could feel that Wain was growing stronger by the moment. The closer he was to death, the more his blood was boiling and his lust to kill.


    Purple Pilgrim threw his spear, but at the exact moment, he saw the blindfold from Wain''s eyes fall to the ground.


    At that moment, Purple Pilgrim trembled with fear. He felt as if he were an insignificant creature in the face of something great and inexplicable.


    Then Wain''s left eye opened, and the seal on his left hand in the form of a broken mirror shone brightly. The eye looked unusual. It was colorless with the image of an entire mirror.


    Whooosh.


    Wain swung his left hand smoothly, and the spear was split in two. However, this attack was not aimed at destroying the spear. Purple Pilgrim realized thiste, but the world around him split in two as if it had been diagonally shed.


    "Is that a spatial de?" Purple Pilgrim eximed and tried to run away but realized he couldn''t do it.


    The reason was that the spatial de had already cut his body in two. This attack had no such concept as speed. The moment Wain swung his arm, it was already a foregone conclusion.


    The two parts of Purple Pilgrim''s body fell to the ground, and blood slowly poured into the snow and sand beneath it. Wain fell as drained. He did not know how he had managed to make this attack, but otherwise, he would have died by now.


    ''That spear would have killed me for sure, but how do I survive now?'' Thought Wain feeling himself getting worse by the second.


    Crackling.


    Suddenly, Wain heard strange noises. He looked up and saw the two halves of Purple Pilgrim''s body gradually recovering. Wain was shocked. He didn''t understand what was happening.


    ''That''s impossible!'' shouted Wain to himself. At that moment, he didn''t even have the strength to speak.


    As the Purple Pilgrim regenerated, a silhouette of a strange creature consisting of scarlet threads with a purple needle appeared above him. Wain immediately realized what it was.


    ''Damn... It looks like he used his Beyond at thest moment...'' muttered Wain.<sub> </sub>


    This power was given to everyone who first evolved and became a First Chronicle creature. Purple Pilgrim was no exception, and he also had his Beyond, which he used with great skill.


    Beyond could bepared to a mighty skill that only a certain person had. Of course, many Beyonds were simr. More often than not, members of the same race had Beyond from the same category. However, there were always exceptions.


    This power could change everything in an instant.


    Purple Pilgrim didn''t expect Wain to create a spatial de. This attack was almost impossible to defend against as it cut not flesh but space. However, Purple Pilgrim also had his trump card, which he decided to use.


    After a few seconds, Purple Pilgrim fully recovered.


    He looked at Wain and said, "I''m surprised you almost managed to win, but you made a mistake. My specialty is not speed or energy control but high regeneration. However, I need to use my Beyond, which is quite problematic and wastes too much energy. It doesn''t matter now, though."


    "Curse, this sucks..." With difficulty Wain muttered, coughing up blood.


    In the back of his mind, he was hurt that he still couldn''t learn to use his Beyond. Otherwise, he might have had a chance to win, but right now, he didn''t know what to do.


    ''Think, think, think, there must be some way out of this situation.'' Wain muttered to himself.


    He knew that Purple Pilgrim was about to kill him. In this situation, it was pretty easy to do.


    Whooosh.


    The tattoo on Purple Pilgrim''s body glowed brightly, and an energy de appeared in his hand. He was about to kill Wain and take his prey. However, the ring on Wain''s finger glowed brightly at that moment. He realized what could help him.


    A white pearl appeared in Wain''s hand, emanating pure and unadulterated energy. Purple Pilgrim became wary when he saw it and took a few steps back.


    "This is a mistake. Your body will tear itself apart. You have to be at least a Fourth Chronicle creature to sustain the energy contained in even the weakest Soul Pearl. You will die." Purple Pilgrim said calmly.


    He didn''t try to snatch Soul Pearl from Wain''s hands, which didn''t make sense. Instead, Purple Pilgrim pulled a small silver cube with various symbols from his pocket. It was a special mechanism by which he would absorb the energy of Soul Pearl and then use it for himself.


    The mechanism was expensive and hard to obtain, but Purple Pilgrim, like the Soul Hunter, always had it with him.


    Purple Pilgrim knew that if Wain decided to absorb the energy from Soul Pearl, he would die. In that case, the energy would burst out, and Purple Pilgrim could capture it with the mechanism. In this situation, he had to act with calction and precision.


    If he tried to take the pearl from Wain, it might explode, and the consequences would be unpredictable.


    Wain also had doubts about his decision, but he had no time to think about it. He was losing more and more blood by the second, and he had a powerful and fully healthy enemy in front of him. His situation was the worst.


    ''Luar awakened his Beyond when he died or was on the brink of death and life. Perhaps everyone has these conditions, or do I need something else?'' Thought Wain and in the next moment clenched his fist.


    Crackle.


    Pearl Soul instantly copsed like a crystal ball, and arge amount of energy burst from it. The energy was looking for where it could go, and since Wain was the closest, the energy shot into his body.


    It came through his mouth, eyes, ears, and be. The energy looked pure and infallible. It was something unique, no energy crystal or skill could create something like that. Soul Essence from monster soulspared to this was filthy garbage that was worthless.


    However, as Purple Pilgrim said, Wain''s body could not withstand this energy. He tried to resist and absorb the energy, but his condition was too bad. So after thirty seconds of agony, Wain let out hisst breath, and his heart stopped.


    Purple Pilgrim nodded and activated the mechanism. The cube glowed brightly, and a sphere appeared around it, which should have attracted all the energy and stored it in the mechanism. However, Purple Pilgrim frowned.


    ''Hmm, the energy is still noting out of his body. This is the first time I''ve tried to draw the energy of Soul Pearl from another creature''s body. Perhaps I should wait a bit? Purple Pilgrim pondered.


    Actually, Purple Pilgrim didn''t know something. The energy from Soul Pearl couldn''t assimte into Wain''s body, but there was one other ce it could go besides the outside world. That ce was Wain''s Soul Altar.


    In the hidden confines of the Soul Altar was a huge castle, and in it was a vast hall, with a massive gray tform in the center. This time there were three people there. Each of them represented one of the Nameless King''s Forms. These silhouettes were simr to Wain''s but had some differences.


    As before, a person in ck and white armor, who represented the Code of Light and Darkness, was floating up in the air in a lotus pose. Beside him sat a man in a torn cloak around which the floor was covered in ice.


    Opposite them stood a person in a gray cloak and an eye patch. In front of him, various geometric shapes were floating in the air, which he moved and crossed over each other.


    "It looks like it''s started." Said the Blind Sorcerer with a slight smile on his face.


    He watched the white energy approaching them as it slowly prated the tform. Each of them knew what was about to happen. They wanted to see the true power that the worst member of the worst race possessed.


    When all the energy had prated the tform, there was a deadly silence. No one dared even breathe. They waited in awe for what was about to happen next.


    A crackle.


    Suddenly there were many cracks in the tform, and a muffled sound was heard. It was as if something was trying to force its way out. It went on for a while, but the tform was broken when the number of blows reached thirteen.


    Whoooosh.


    Up flew an artifact that everyone in the audience stared at intently.


    "Not bad." Said Blind Sorcerer with a slight smile on his face.


    The Cursed Swordsman nodded, but the cold around him increased manifold, and even his cloak began to be covered in a thinyer of ice.


    "It might upset even my bnce." Calmly said a person in ck and white armor.


    The thing that floated in the air was an eerie, ck crown.

 Chapter 168 Cruelty

    When the energy of Soul Pearl prated the tform, an eerie, ck crown flew out from underneath it. It was a symbol of Wain''s Beyond. Each person had a different Beyond, but it was inexplicable and unrepeatable for some.


    Wain''s heart had stopped beating by then, but his Soul Altar was still intact. This meant that his main core was still functioning, and like Luar, he had a chance to recover.


    Purple Pilgrim waited for the energy of Soul Pearl to escape Wain''s body. He thought it would happen very soon because the energy had to find a new vessel, and a dead body was not suitable for that. Purple Pilgrim was unaware of anything due to his inexperience, this was the first time he tried to get energy from the pearl in this way.


    The ck crown inside the dark castle disappeared, and the next moment the energy of Soul Pearl emerged from Wain''s body.


    Purple Pilgrim smiled. He thought Soul Pearl''s energy had finally decided to leave its previous vessel.


    "Hmm?" Purple Pilgrim muttered.


    After a few seconds, he realized that something was wrong. Usually, the energy of Soul Pearl would have turned into a single stream and rushed to one side to create a new area of Purgatory. However, this time the energy was slowly floating around Wain''s body as if it didn''t want to leave.


    Purple Pilgrim frowned but decided to move closer to Wain anyway, for the mechanism to begin collecting energy.


    Tremble.


    Suddenly a vortex of dark energy appeared around Wain, which grew to an abnormal size in a second. Purple Pilgrim didn''t expect something like this to happen, so he didn''t have time to take defensive measures.


    He was thrown aside a few dozen meters back and buried deep beneath one of the dunes.


    Wain''s heart started beating again at the exact moment, and his eyes slowly opened.


    "What the fuck!" Purple Pilgrim shouted.


    Every time he thought he had already won, his opponent found something to answer with. Moreover, this time the situation was special. Purple Pilgrim didn''t believe that the First Chronicle creature could survive the destruction of Soul Pearl.


    The vortex was so powerful that it lifted tons of snow and sand into the air. When the whirlwind became so big that it reached the sky, it gradually began to calm down. At that moment, Purple Pilgrim got out from under the sand and rushed towards Wain.


    He knew something bad had happened. The situation spun out of control again, and their fight continued. Purple Pilgrim hid the mechanism to absorb the energy of Soul Pearl, and the tattoo on his chest red up.


    The next moment, Purple Pilgrim''s hair glowed brightly, and he sped up. When he reached the ce where the vortex originated, he saw Wain''s new appearance.


    "Damn... How did I not guess he hadn''t already used his Beyond..." Purple Pilgrim muttered.


    From his point of view, what was happening made sense. After all, he had also used his Beyond at thest moment to survive.


    ''No... There''s something wrong here. He couldn''t even move before this, and hey motionless for about a minute. That''s too much, I used my Beyond momentarily. What''s more, his appearance is too threatening...'' thought Purple Pilgrim.


    When Wain''s Beyond awoke, his appearance underwent some changes. On his head was a ck, eerie crown with a single peak. At the peak was an eye with a vertical red pupil. Wain''s hands were covered in dark energy as if they were gloves.


    After using Beyond, some silhouette appeared over a person. In the case of Luar, it was a golden lion or a fire elemental like Ria. Then, after a few seconds, those silhouettes would disappear. Above Wain also hovered a shape in the form of a creepy toothy mouth. It clenched its jaws a few times and then disappeared.


    "It''s an incredible feeling... I feel a phenomenal power and lust for destruction... as well as a terrible hunger..." Wain muttered.


    It was the first time he had used Beyond, and the feeling seemed magical to him. Wain didn''t know how to describe what he felt then. However, after a while, he found the right words.


    "It''s me..." Wain said quietly.


    "It''s your Beyond?" Purple Pilgrim asked cautiously.


    Wain only nodded weakly. Even though he had activated Beyond, he was still seriously wounded. Drops of blood slowly fell on the snow and sand, staining them red.


    Purple Pilgrim understood this, so he prepared to attack. All he had to do was give Wain a few more powerful attacks on his weak points. This would end their battle.


    Whoooosh.


    Wain was the first to act, but he wasn''t going to attack yet. He stared at the energy of Soul Pearl floating around him. Wain hadn''t absorbed it yet, the pration of this energy into his body and Soul Altar was the catalyst that had awakened his Beyond.


    Even though this was the first time Wain had used Beyond, he knew what he was approximately capable of, and the first thing he was going to do was absorb the energy of Soul Pearl.


    Wain opened his mouth wide and took a deep breath. The next moment the energy began to suck in as if there was a ck hole in Wain''s mouth.


    Then a message appeared in front of Wain.


    [You have absorbed energy from Soul Pearl. Energy+20]


    Wain was surprised, increasing Energy was difficult, but now he had increased that stat by 20 points in one second. It was something incredible.


    ''What...?! How did he absorb energy and stay intact???''


    Purple Pilgrim was shocked. He didn''t understand what was happening. He knew for a fact that only special and rare mechanisms could use the energy of Soul Pearl. However, now Wain had no problem absorbing all the energy floating near him.


    In addition to boosting one of his stats, Wain also fully replenished his power reserve. It didn''t cure him, but now he could fight again. If he was careful, he could battle for a few minutes even though he was wounded.


    Whoooosh.


    Purple Pilgrim decided to attack instantly. He was angry that Wain had absorbed Soul Pearl. This was an absolute failure for Purple Pilgrim, as now, even if he won, he wasn''t sure he could get Soul Pearl''s energy.


    Wain also became more serious. However, he was calm and focused. He wasn''t anxious and didn''t think about the possibility of losing. He was nowpletely confident in his victory.<sub> </sub>


    Purple Pilgrim turned into a purple sh and was behind Wain. He wanted to do the same thing again, attacking Wain from behind.


    However, Wain spun around and punched Purple Pilgrim as hard as possible. The enemy did not have time to react to this attack and was thrown aside a few meters.


    Wain wanted to continue his attack, but suddenly he heard a scream. Purple Pilgrim emitted it. Wain was surprised since Purple Pilgrim had never once shown that he was hurt before that. However, when Wain saw his adversary, he knew the reason.


    Purple Pilgrim was missing half of his face. It looked as if a wild beast had attacked him and bitten off arge chunk of flesh. Purple Pilgrim didn''t die because the wound healed in seconds thanks to his Beyond, but that didn''t cancel out the horrible pain.


    Wain looked at his right hand and froze in shock. A creepy maw on his palm seemed like it could eat anything. Wain looked at his left palm and saw the same thing there.


    He nodded and muttered, "I was able to use my Beyond, but I have yet to learn how to use that power."


    Whoooosh.


    Purple Pilgrim realized that the situation was critical, so he decided to use his remaining tattoos. They regenerate over time, some only take a few minutes to recharge, while others take days.


    The tattoo that glowed was on the heart. The next moment, many violet lines appeared on Purple Pilgrim''s body. They greatly enhanced every aspect of him, turning him into a professional assassin.


    He transformed into a violet thunder and attacked Wain instantly. His movements were too fast for Wain to dodge or block this attack. However, the eye on the crown suddenly opened, and Wain could reflexively avoid the attack.


    Purple Pilgrim was surprised. He didn''t understand how the wounded Wain, who was slower than him before, could react to this attack.


    Bam.


    Wain turned around and, with his palm, struck his enemy in the stomach. Purple Pilgrim flew aside with aceration on his stomach. The wound was already beginning to recover a secondter, but Wain wasn''t about to let it do that.


    While Purple Pilgrim still had time to recover, Wain furiously attacked him with a fist drop from above. Purple Pilgrim tried to dodge but only partially seeded. His left shoulder was destroyed, and Wain struck again.


    This time, however, Purple Pilgrim was ready to attack. He clenched his teeth in pain but managed to step aside and run some distance away. It only took him a few seconds to recover theceration on his stomach and left shoulder.


    Purple Pilgrim was confident that he would seed since Wain could not catch up to him. It was true that in this case, Wain was slower, but that didn''t mean he didn''t have other ways to wound his enemy.


    Whooosh.


    Arge amount of energy appeared before him, which turned into a white bullet. Wain grabbed it and threw it at Purple Pilgrim with all his might.


    Usually, the Distant Bullet in flight was like a bright white sh. But now, there was the silhouette of a gray, toothy jaw around the bullet, capable of biting through anything.


    The bullet hit its target precisely and destroyed Purple Pilgrim''s left leg. He didn''t expect Wain to be able to attack him at that distance. His regeneration was impressive, but now Wain had about ten seconds before Purple Pilgrim fully recovered.


    Wain used Sign of Lightning and turned into a lightning pigeon. He caught up with his injured opponent in three seconds, and with his arms folded together, he struck from top to bottom.


    Above Wain appeared the silhouette of a jaw that clenched sharply, crushing half of Purple Pilgrim''s body as it struck. Now only the lower half of his body remained, but the cells began to regenerate rapidly even then.


    Wain was surprised, but he immediately attacked his foe several more times. His fists turned Purple Pilgrim''s flesh into a bloody mess, and his gray jaws destroyed Purple Pilgrim as well as the meters of sand beneath him. It was as if Wain were devouring Purple Pilgrim''s like a wild beast.


    After a while, Wain finally prevailed. He had to kill Purple Pilgrim time after time until he could no longer regenerate.


    "His ability to regenerate is incredible... But everything in this world has a limit." Wain muttered, staring at the purple soul floating in the air.


    Wain smiled rather smugly, he knew what that color meant. Pink souls were Epic Rating, while violet meant Heroic Rating.


    He had never had one of these souls before up to this point. Wain was excited to see what he would get after using this soul.


    [Soul of Purple Pilgrim (Whole)


    Chronicle: First


    Rating: Heroic]


    Wain crushed the soul and saw several messages.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Purple Pilgrim level 25. Strength+10, Agility+15, Vitality+16.]


    [You have leveled up to level 22. You get 3 status points to distribute freely]


    [You have leveled up to level 23. You get 3 status points to distribute freely]


    [You have leveled up to level 24. You get 3 status points to distribute freely]


    "Holy Shit..." Wain muttered. He hadn''t expected to get so much Soul Essence that he could level up three times in a row. It was something unbelievable.


    Then Wain realized how much the Heroic Rating Souls differed from the lower quality ones. There was an insurmountable chasm between them.


    Secondster, another message appeared.


    [You ger Heroic Rating Skill Book]

 Chapter 169 Mermaid

    A purple Skill Book floated in front of Wain. He didn''t expect to gain any skill since this was his third Skill Book of all time. Whole Souls was hard to get, as one could get something of value for crushing these souls.


    Wain wanted to put his palm to the book and get his skill, but suddenly he threw up a mouthful of blood. His wound began to bleed at a new rate, and he fell to the ground.


    "Damn..." Wain whispered as he watched the snow and sand flood with his blood.


    Because of receiving such a valuable soul and so much Soul Essence, Wain had forgotten that he had just experienced a series of incredible events. He fought some serious battles and was mortally wounded by Purple Pilgrim.


    Although Wain absorbed the energy of Soul Pearl, his wounds have not healed. A massive cut on his chest remained, and he was bleeding.


    Beyond was undone, and Wain could hardly remain conscious. Everything in front of his eyes blurred and gradually went dark. Wain tried to resist, but even he had limits. His body and mind were on edge, and after a few seconds, he lost consciousness.


    Wain urgently needed medical attention, or he would die of blood loss and body overload.


    ...


    His body was gradually covered with sand as his life slowly came to its end.


    Most monsters saw his battle with Purple Pilgrim from afar, including the Ice Knight. So when the ck tornado calmed down and the fighting ended, the Ice Knight decided to head in the direction of where Wain was.


    This ce was quite far away, so it took the Ice Knight a few minutes to get to the final point of the battle. It was quick, but every second was as valuable as gold at that moment.


    Everything under the Ice Knight''s feet turned to ice, creating a frozen trail stretching out of the Ice Caves behind him.


    When he reached Wain, he saw that he was almostpletely covered in snow and sand. Only his head was looking out. The Ice Knight panicked as Wain''s condition was critical.


    The monster didn''t hesitate and quickly lifted Wain onto his back before running towards the Ice Caves. Unfortunately, the Ice Knight didn''t have any healing abilities, but he hoped that one of the monsters could heal Wain.


    After a few minutes, the Ice Knight returned to the Ice Caves, where the process of raising the Rank Zone was still going on. Many monsters were surprised to see Wain practically dead, but none tried to kill him. There was no point in that.


    Even if one of the monsters attacked Wain now, the Ice Knight would protect him. Moreover, ording to most of the monsters, Wain was the best leader possible.


    He gave them energy crystals and created the right conditions for their rapid progress. The bonuses that monsters received because Wain was the owner of Ice Caves were also impressive.


    The Ice Knight didn''t ask the monsters about their healing skills. Instead, he headed towards theke. The Ice Knight''s idea was that the cold liquid in theke would slow the bleeding and stop increasing other wounds. He would then have more time to find a way to heal Wain.


    Normal water freezes when the temperature drops to zero, but the water in thiske does not freeze even though its temperature is below thirty degrees. Such a temperature without special clothes and equipment was deadly for a normal person, but it was an average point for Wain.


    The Ice Knight knew this, so he plunged Wain into the water. The Knight was horrified to look at Wain''s wounds as he could see the bones through them. Wain was lucky that Purple Pilgrim had not destroyed any vital organs, otherwise, he would have died.


    After the Ice Knight left Wain in theke, he searched for monsters that could heal Wain. At this time, Wain''s body cooled and was covered in a thinyer of ice. His whole body was saturated with frosty energy, and his skin was gradually turning blue due to the low temperature.


    Wain was unconscious, but at that moment, a strange change was happening in his Soul Altar. The icy energy soaking his body channeled into the Soul Altar because Wain could not absorb this energy like monsters or other creatures. This was a fatal w in all humanity.


    ...


    In the dark castle, a ck crown floated in the middle of the gray tform in the main hall. It was the symbol of Wain''s and his Beyond. On the tform as before were three silhouettes, each signifying some form.


    The icy energy was headed toward the man in the massive torn cloak. He was surprised by what was happening but did not resist.


    "Huh, looks like one of us is about to get stronger." Said the man in the ck and white armor upside down, hovering in the air in a lotus pose.


    Cursed Swordsman nodded, "Yes, because of him, we can move forward as well."


    Blind Sorcerer smiled, "That''s not exactly true, we are him. Right now, it''s not you that''s getting stronger, it''s him, we''re one."


    Cursed Swordsman said nothing. He observed the energy headed toward the chains on his left arm.


    There were seven chains in all, and now one of them was slowly beginning to glow blue. It shattered into hundreds of pieces when the chain became as bright as a neutron star.


    At that moment, an enormous amount of icy energy burst out of the Cursed Swordsman, consuming the entire castle. The ice turned it into a massive cier, and then the eye on the crown opened.


    The next moment, toothy jaws appeared on the castle''s walls, which quickly absorbed all the ice and returned the castle to its former appearance.


    The Cursed Swordsman smiled, which happened very rarely.


    "Great, six more to go."<sub> </sub>


    ...


    The Ice Knight returned to theke with several monsters a few hourster. Two of them had healing powers and could help Wain. One of the monsters was a girl who looked like an ice mermaid. The other was a short goblin with a wooden staff in his hand.


    The Ice Knight gave the sign, and the monsters began to act. Other monsters came except the mermaid and the goblin, but they had no healing abilities. Their task would be to help the mermaid and the goblin with ice crystals and their powers.


    Before that, the goblin and the mermaid looked at Wain''s condition and realized they could not cope without help. They needed to perform a ritual that the goblin knew well to heal him.


    The mermaid jumped into the freezing water, and the goblin bit his hand and began to draw a circle with various symbols and signs on the ice.


    The monsters got up around the circle and putrge amounts of energy crystals on the ground. They also set their paws to the outline of the circle. The Ice Knight, as the strongest monster, stood in the center. He was the core of this ritual.


    The goblin gave the signal when everything was ready, and the mermaid headed toward Wain. She was to begin healing, and the goblin would use the energy from the ritual to maintain the mermaid''s power reserves. The ritual would also increase Wain''s regeneration rate, which would help the mermaid heal him faster.


    The mermaid swam up to Wain and gently touched his face and kissed him, but that was only the first step. Then energy began to emanate from her body, transforming into musical notes.


    They began to vibrate, and at that moment, everyone heard a pleasant sound, like a divine orchestra. It was a beautiful sound that everyone wanted to hear forever, but they had a more important task.


    As all the monsters in this hall, the mermaid was a First Chronicle creature, but her powers were not enough to heal Wain''s terrible wounds.


    The goblin nodded and tapped his wooden staff on the ice, and the bloody circle glowed. At that moment, energy from the crystals began to flow to the Ice Knight as he stood in the center of the circle.


    The Ice Knight then redirected the energy to the mermaid. Of course, they could have put Wain in the center of the circle, but the Ice Knight was afraid that any extra movement might be critical.


    The mermaid was already beginning to tire, but when she received a boost of energy from the Ice Knight, her energy reserves were fully restored.


    The music continued to y, and Wain''s wounds gradually healed. The mermaid would not heal Wainpletely, but she could make sure that his life was no longer in danger. This was their main goal, for they had to save their leader.


    Ten hourster, the monsters had used over a thousand crystals. To their surprise, it took much more energy to heal Wain than they had initially nned.


    However, they seeded. Wain slowly opened his eyes, and the first thing he felt was a chill on his lips. He looked in surprise at the mermaid, who swam away as soon as Wain awoke.


    Wain emerged from theke and looked at the dozens of tired monsters. They were tired but happy with their result. For now, Wain was in no danger.


    ''Huh, I must admit that despite my dislike of teamwork, I would have died this time without the help of others. Sometimes, though, cooperation and the role of the head brings not only problems but also benefits.'' Thought Wain.


    He was a loner, but he understood that the help of others in certain situations was necessary.


    "You did a good job." Wain said with a slight smile on his face and headed for the exit. At that moment, he touched the Ice Knight''s shoulder as if to express his personal gratitude.


    It wasn''t hard for Wain to guess that the Ice Knight was the one who found him and brought him here. Wain would have been buried forever under the dunes if not for him.


    Wain walked through the icy tunnel and muttered, "They cured me, but notpletely. My whole body hurts, and my internal organs are damaged. It looks like I have to stay in this ce for a while before I go any farther. It''s too dangerous to fight with these wounds."


    Then Wain went into his inventory, and a violet book appeared in his hands. Wain had not been able to open it before since he was unconscious, but now the time hade.


    Wain put his hand on the book, and it turned into hundreds of symbols that headed for his be. Then Wain saw a description of a new skill in front of him.


    [Ghost Healing Threads (First Chronicle Passive Skill, Heroic Rating)


    Ghostly threads and needles will appear around the wound and heal you when you are wounded. Ghost Threads can heal anything from minor scratches to deep cuts and torn organs. However, the threads cannot remove poison, various toxins, or treat curses.


    Thanks to the effect of ghost threads, your overall regeneration is increased by 50%.


    Also, this skill has one feature. It is partly also an active skill. Once a month, you can use Ghost Healing Threads to heal a particrly severe wound.


    You can even regrow a lost limb or regrow an organ, but there are exceptions. You can''t regenerate your brain and heart, even if you somehow survive the loss of those organs]


    "Hell, if I had touched the book then, this ritual might not have been necessary. Still, it''s a great skill, especially the active part. To regenerate a limb or some organ is an incredible opportunity..." Wain muttered.


    Wain closed the description of the skill, and he felt his body begin to recover the next moment. Invisible threads appeared around his damaged organs, gradually healing him.


    ''Great, at this rate, I''ll be fine in one or two days, that''s pretty fast. Moreover, after defeating Purple Pilgrim, I got arge amount of Soul Essence, that''s a big jump in my development. I have six levels left, after which I will know the conditions to evolve a second time.'' Thought Wain was walking slowly on the tunnel.


    After a few steps, Wain realized that he had forgotten something important. He opened the menu of Voids management and saw many messages in front of him. While he was healing, the zone''s Rank development was over.

 Chapter 170 Merging Zones

    The war between the two Voids originally began because Wain decided to upgrade his zone rank. He was seriously wounded and had been unconscious for a long time, so he did not immediately notice that the process was over.


    There were arge number of messages in front of Wain.


    [Void - Ice Caves was upgraded from Rank-F to Rank-E. In ordance with the increase of the Rank zone, the values of bonuses have been redistributed.]


    [As long as you own this Void, all your stats are increased by 15. Your resistance to the element of ice is increased by 15%.]


    [As long as you are in the territory of this Void, your stats are increased by 15%. Your resistance to the element of ice is increased by 45%.]


    [All creatures in this Void have stats increased by 45%.]


    [All creatures in this Void progress and umte Soul Essence 45% faster.]


    ''I see, the values have be the same as in Snow Desert since these territories now have the same Rank.'' Thought Wain and a few more messages appeared before him.


    [Ice Caves will gradually grow and strengthen. Over time, this area will increase in size and its overall power.]


    [The quantity and quality of the resources growing in this zone have been increased. In Ice Caves, another resource besides Ice Crystal will begin to appear.]


    Wain smiled. This was exactly what he expected.


    ''Increased bonuses are good, of course, but new resources are the most valuable thing possible.'' Wain thought.


    He wanted to evolve in the World of Darkness and gradually be stronger. After owning his first Void, he decided it was a promising endeavor.


    ''Hmm, considering that the war only started when the spatial barrier of Ice Caves became unstable, creatures from other Voids are unlikely to be able to attack me. Moreover, even then, only a Void roughly equal in strength could attack Ice Caves, that''s reassuring.'' Wain thought.


    Wain worried that someone could use a portal to get to his Void and destroy everything at any moment. In that case, it would be an absolute failure. Wain would lose everything. Moreover, if Ice Caves were invaded by a person equal in power to Ria, Wain would most likely die.


    "I wonder if I can attack other Voids on purpose. If someone decided to attack us, we could do the same here. Right?" Wain muttered, and to his surprise, a message appeared in front of him the next moment.


    [You can dere war on the other Voids, and if they decide to agree, a portal will be opened between the two zones. However, in that case, information about both zones will be avable to their leaders.]


    Wain nodded, "I see, in that case, I won''t be able to win just because I''m lucky enough to have more monsters than the enemy. He''ll give up the war when he sees that I outnumber him statistically. The same goes for me."


    Wain wondered, ''But, why hasn''t anyone decided to dere war on this Void yet?''


    As soon as he thought about it, a message appeared.


    [Wars can only be dered against other Voids if the zone owner is in the World of Darkness. Otherwise, these Voids will not be on the list of ready for war.]


    ''I see. I''ve been in Ice Caves for quite a short time, most of which I''ve been fighting or healing.''


    Wain wanted to see which Voids he could attack, but suddenly he saw another message.


    [To dere war on other Voids, you must assert your status in the World of Darkness. You and your Void will then be visible to other creatures in the World of Darkness.]


    Wain frowned. He did not want to be attacked by Second Chronicle creatures or even more formidable opponents at some point. In that case, he would die, and all of his subordinate monsters would be killed. Wain was strong, but he couldn''t handle a thousand Second Chronicle enemies.


    Whoooosh.


    Another message appeared in front of him.


    [The strength of the Voids you can fight will be limited by your Chronicle. However, you can give your permission to expand your limit and fight more powerful Voids if you wish. However, you may not dere war on Voids whose Chronicle is lower than yours]


    Wain nodded, "I see. The situation is roughly the same as during the zone''s Rank increase, but in this case, there is nothing said about size and Rank limits. In any case, attacking Second Chronicle Void is suicide."


    Wain was pleased with the way the war system in the World of Darkness was set up. It was straightforward, and he could also get many bonuses every time he gained the upper hand. At that moment, Wain even considered moving to the World of Darkness permanently but quickly abandoned the idea.


    ''Something tells me my world is special. Moreover, as I understand in the World of Darkness, the main forces and races have long been defined. Climbing to the top, in this case, would be quite difficult. Also, I am not a native of the World of Darkness, above all, I am human.'' Wain thought.


    "Good, then I want to confirm my status and see a list of Voids I can attack." Calmly Wain said.


    He wanted to keep fighting, but he knew that was impossible in this situation. He was wounded and had to return to his world.


    He needed to find parts of a map and a helicopter or a ne to get to the ind. Moreover, his zone had just be Rank-E. He had to wait a while for his monsters to get stronger.


    [epted]


    The next moment his World of Darkness card appeared before Wain.


    [Nameless


    Race: Human


    Chronicle: First


    Voids: 2, Ice Caves Rank-E, Snow Desert Rank-E


    Warriors: 1359]


    ''Not bad, it''s more detailed than what I saw from Purple Pilgrim, but he said he let me see it. He probably withheld most of the information.'' Wain thought.


    [The other owners of Voids will only be shown your name or alias, Chronicle, and the number of Voids you own. Race, number of your warriors, as well as the names of the Voids you own will not be shown.]


    "Great, now I want to see a list of Voids I can dere war on." Proimed Wain.


    [epted]


    Wain thought an information window would appear in front of him, but suddenly the ground beneath him began to turn to ink. Wain was surprised but did not resist. He understood that this was the will of the World of Darkness.


    When The inkpletely absorbed wain''s body, he found himself in a strange ce. Around him hovered a multitude of multicolored particles that looked like tiny stars.


    Wain took a closer look and realized that they were other Voids, each with its owner. He could see detailed information about each Void.


    Wain approached the bright red star, and an information window opened.


    [Fire Forest


    Owner: Hrd Werner


    Size: Tiny<sub> </sub>


    Chronicle: First


    Rank: D ]


    "Hmm, some persons reveal their names, that''s pretty weird. I think it''s much safer to have an alias." Wain muttered and headed for the next star.


    He looked at the other Voids for a while before deciding to leave the ce. He wasn''t going to start a war with anyone at this point. It didn''t make any sense.


    Wain wanted to recover and return to the world fully, but he had another more important task. Wain was going to merge the two Voids into one and see what would happen in that case.


    [You own two Voids, and you can merge them. In that case, the two spaces would merge, and the area would undergo significant changes. Do you want to start the process?]


    ''How long would that take?'' Wain asked.


    [This depends on many parameters, important among which are the size of Voids, as well as the Ranks of these zones. A lot also depends on the owner of these Voids. Whenbining Voids, you have to transfer your energy to your zones. This means that your power and the power of your souls in Soul Altar greatly affect the end result].


    ''I see, then I don''t want to start the process just yet.'' Thought Wain and headed for the iceke.


    He didn''t know that he would need to transfer his energy to Voids during the merger, so Wain decided to recover first fully.


    His life was not threatened at the moment, but he was not ready to fight or do something asplicated as merging the two Voids. He needed time to recover from a hard and deadly battle.


    When Wain reached theke, he sank into it and closed his eyes. Wain wanted to rest and get his thoughts in order. Quite a few things have happenedtely, and there would be more soon. The world he found himself in was even more amazing than he thought.


    ...


    Thus three days passed. Wain did not train or fight with anyone. All he did was rest and think about the present situation.


    Ssh.


    Wain climbed out of the icyke and muttered, "It took longer than I expected to regenerate, but now I''m ready for a new challenge."


    Simple wounds like cuts and scrapes were easier to heal than torn organs. Even with Ghost Healing Threads, it was pretty difficult to do, but Wain was content to stay alive and not suffer irreparable injuries.


    "Okay, now it''s time to start." Wain muttered and decided to begin the process of merging the two Voids.


    When Wain decided, the ground beneath him turned to ink again, and he found himself in the same ce. However, only two stars were floating around him this time, his Voids. One was white and yellow, and the other waspletely blue.


    The next moment two ck strands emerged from Wain''s body and connected with the soaring stars. The stars then collided with each other, and Wain saw a message.


    [The merging of Void, Ice Caves with Void, Snow Desert began.]


    Every monster in these Voids saw this. They didn''t expect their leader to take such a step, but they couldn''t resist it. Moreover, some monsters were happy with the situation, as this was the next step in their development.


    They had to grow stronger to one day be powerful in the World of Darkness.


    The two stars were trying to merge into one, and Wain could feel a huge amount of energy leaving his body. It wasn''t a pleasant feeling, it felt as if the life force was being sucked out of him.


    As time passed, Wain''s stamina began to run low. He was puzzled as the process was notplete, but he had almost no energy left.


    ''Damn, most likely the others are preparingrge amounts of energy crystals before the Voids merge. However, this is not an option for me.'' Wain thought.


    Wain was only partially right. Those with small energy reserves did prepare crystals to keep up the pace, but the reason for Wain''s fatigue was something else.


    He was only using his power now, while the souls in his Soul Altar were still inactive. So when Wain had less than 5% power left, the Soul Altar began to change.


    Whooooosh.


    Soul Altar lit up in ck mes just as the threads connected to the two stars. At that moment, the Voids began to receive more energy than before. This was a major part ofbining the two spaces into one.


    Wain was surprised but didn''t rx and merged the two Voids. Simultaneously, the monsters saw ck threads begin to emerge from the walls, sewing the two spaces into one.


    Likewise, a ck me red up outside each zone, like in Wain''s Soul Altar. It gradually erged each of the zones, making themrger.


    It was not a quick process, it was measured and slow. The monsters continued to mine crystals or train, waiting to see their new home. It was like a bonfire forever burning in the abyss.


    ...


    Wain didn''t know how much time had passed, but he dared not stop and be distracted. He couldn''t make a mistake, or he would lose too much. These two Voids were all he had in the World of Darkness.


    After ten days, Wain finally got close to the final stage. He watched as the two stars practically merged into oneplete star.


    A few minutester, the process wasplete, and Wain looked at the blue and white star floating in front of him. A dark aura emanated from it, just like the threads.


    Wain smiled and saw several messages.


    [The merging of the two zones into one was sessfullypleted.]


    [Nameless is the sole owner of the new Void.]


    Then the ground beneath Wain turned to ink again, and he turned back. There were ice caves all around him as well.


    ''Gotta go around the area to see what''s changed.'' Wain thought.


    [You, Nameless, are now the owner of Void - Frozen Land.]


    "Not a bad name..."


    [Frozen Land


    Owner: Nameless


    Size: Small


    Territories: Ice Caves, Snow Desert


    Chronicle: First


    Rank: E ]


    "AHAHAHAHAHA, great, this has gone to the next level!" Quite said Wain and several more messages appeared in front of him.

 Chapter 171 Frozen Land

    [Previous bonuses from the two Voids, Ice Caves and Snow Desert, are retained and are active as well in this Void]


    [The speed of all resources in Frozen Land is increased by 15%]


    [Frozen Land is a Small Size Void, consisting of two territories. Given these conditions, you can appoint someone to oversee these territories. With your powers, you can give one creature the Title of Knight.


    Knights can control from one to three territories at a time. Knights will get an extra boost to stats, resistances and will umte Soul Essence faster. Knights will also have a certain amount of power over the creatures in the territories they control]


    Wain nodded, "I see. This is starting to feel like some strategyputer game. When the size of the zone increased, the previous bonuses were not increased, but there were new ones and expanded functionality."


    When the spaces were merged, only one Voids remained instead of two, but Snow Desert and Ice Caves did not disappear. They became part of the new zone or its territories.


    Over time, there will be more territories under Wain''s control to appointmanders.


    Wain thought that was the end of the changes and was about to explore the new area, but suddenly his Seal of Darkness shone brightly.


    [Your importance in the World of Darkness has increased. Your Seal of Darkness has been upgraded to rank two.]


    [You will now be able to locate a spatial rift at a distance of 70 meters, as well as see the approximate level of danger lurking behind a door of ink. All your stats are increased by 10. Also, when using souls, you now get 10% more Soul Essence]


    These bonuses didn''t stack with each other. They were reced. This meant that Wain''s stats increased not by 10 points but by 5, since first rank Seal of Darkness increased by 5.


    [Also, you can now see the map of Voids you possess.]


    Wain''s green eyes glowed brightly the next moment, and the Seal of Darkness lit up.


    A huge and detailed 3D map of Frozen Land appeared in his mind. Wain was discouraged, but he saw hundreds of icy tunnels and massive dunes covered in snow as he looked closer.


    He saw a frozenke and a desert funnel a few minutester. However, even though Wain was the owner of Frozen Land, he could not see everything. Many dark spots on the map had yet to be explored and discovered.


    ''Looks like I''ll have to explore the area. After all, I can only see a limited number of ces.'' Thought Wain and was about to close the map, but suddenly he noticed something.


    One of the tunnels began to growrger. So the areas on the map gradually opened up on their own, and Wain didn''t have to explore them.


    "Huh, great, the monsters will explore the areas for me. Okay, now I only have one thing left to do." Wain muttered and headed for the main square.


    Wain could give one monster the Title of Knight, and he immediately decided who it would be.


    He walked over to the chosen monster and said, "It''s time for you to ept your Title officially."


    <o>,m The next moment Wain put his palm to the Ice Knight''s chest, and their auras intensified. Dark, cold energy emanated from Wain, which gradually became a seal on the Ice Knight''s chest.</o>


    The seal looked like a dark crown with a silhouette of an eerie jaw around it.


    In the next moment, the Ice Knight knelt before Wain to signify his gratitude and devotion.


    Wain smiled. He could feel the Ice Knight''s aura gradually growing stronger andrger. If he was going to evolve in the World of Darkness, where the system was built on hundreds of spaces, he needed powerful allies and subordinates. Otherwise, he would get nowhere.


    "Great, now it''s time to leave," Wain muttered and headed for the spatial rift that was in a cave nearby.


    He was curious to see what new resources appeared in the Ice Caves and Snow Desert, but he didn''t want to waste his time looking. Wain knew that the monsters would fully explore the entire area after a while, and the Ice Knight would take over the management and distribution of resources.


    Although Wain epted his role as an owner of Void in the World of Darkness, he had no intention of being one. The Ice Knight was someone like Gisle, an excellent leader capable of leading an organization or zone to prosperity.


    Whooosh.


    Wain went through the ink and returned to the cave at the bottom of the canyon a few minutester. A few days ago, he killed many werewolves in this ce and saved the Trolls.


    "It''s so nice to be back. Being in the World of Darkness for so long is rather unustomed, so it''s time to go get the rest of the map." Wain muttered and walked out of the cave.<sub> </sub>


    Considering that he had spent almost two weeks in the World of Darkness, it had already been three months since the apocalypse began.


    Gisle and Elsa had wholly rebuilt Last Light''s ruined bases and quickly raised their power. Likewise, Zero, Agnes, Teresa, Grut, and Gisle have sessfully evolved.


    Each of them became stronger during this time and moved on to the next stage of their development. They continued to fight in Dungeons and gradually took over territories at the bottom of the canyons.


    Wain didn''t go back to Last Light, he had another task. He took out hispass, and after making sure, the map location hadn''t changed, began to climb the slope.


    Given his increased stats, it was pretty easy to do. He climbed the steep wall like a rock climber and had no trouble jumping more than ten meters high.


    Wain didn''t expect to get so many stats and different bonuses in the World of Darkness.


    He was pleased with this as he had be stronger, and there was hardly anyone in the human world topete with him at the moment, but it made him think about how powerful creatures there were in the World of Darkness.


    At the moment, he owned one Rank-E Small Void, which gave him a huge number of bonuses and advantages. Wain couldn''t even imagine what creatures controlled the high-ranked and huge Voids.


    ''Huh, I guess they are like gods in their spaces. If I''m not mistaken, with each increase in Rank and zone size, the owner has increased rights and functionality. Moreover, even I already have over a thousand monsters willing to fight for me. Most likely, some have armies of more than a few million.''


    ...


    After a while, Wain grasped the ledge and climbed up. He looked around and saw many buildings in the distance, but Wain was in no hurry to go there. He had no reason to fight the enemy organizations, his main concern now was to find the rest of the map.


    He opened apass and ran in that direction. Part of the map was not in the city but a vast park nearby.


    This time Wain didn''t jump the buildings, he ran through the city''s streets. The weak monsters walking through the streets could not catch up with him.


    Zombies or mutated insects were equal to garbage for Wain. They couldn''t even scratch him because their strength was at too different levels.


    ''Hmm, downtown looks like a real fortress. It looks like there are a few people with craft souls in the West. Without them, it would be impossible to build something like this.'' Thought Wain looking towards the tall buildings.


    It was the base of the main organization on the west side of the city, Twilight Steel.


    ''I don''t have any information about this organization, but apparently, they specialize in defense and brute force attacks. Their main base is well protected. Moreover, I don''t see any monsters around the city center. Have they exterminated all the monsters in the area?" Said Wain.


    Wain nodded and headed on, he had a few more miles to run before reaching the park. Wain hoped that part of the map was there since thepass could only give directions, not the exact location.


    Booooom.


    Suddenly there was a deafening explosion. Wain turned around and saw that massive firebug-like monsters were attacking the main base of Twilight Steel.


    Wain wasn''t going to help them or participate in this battle, but he decided to stop and climb one of the buildings. Wain wanted to see what the members of Twilight Steel were capable of.


    The Fire Bugs attacked the iron watchtowers and tried to melt them with their mes. The people in the towers tried to fight back using firearms and skills, but the monsters didn''t care about that. They continued to melt metal, destroying one tower after another.


    Twilight Steel was not prepared for this attack. The Fire Bugs were dangerous opponents who could fly and had an excellent defense.


    Wain could not sense the auras of these monsters from this distance, but he was sure that the Fire Bugs were First Chronicle.


    "Hmm, if these bugs had attacked the base of Twilight Steel a month ago, they probably would have destroyed the organization. However, that''s impossible now. Twilight Steel must have some people who have already evolved." Mumbled Wain.


    He was right. A pumped-up man with a massive iron sword behind his back ran out of one building for the next moment. As the man ran towards one of the monsters, his sword shone brightly and made a vertical swing. He was one of the strongest members of Twilight Steel.


    The Firebug didn''t have time to react to this attack and was cut in two. The man didn''t stop and continued his attack.


    "Oh... He''s pretty strong. Also, he has a strong weapon, this sword looks simple, but it has incredible sharpness. Maybe I should be part of that battle, too? But, remotely." Mumbled Wain, and the next moment he used the Distant Bullet.

 Chapter 172 Shooter

    Arge amount of energy appeared in front of Wain, which turned into a white bullet. He grabbed it and threw it as hard as possible toward one Firebug. Wain hadn''t originally nned to engage in this battle, but he was curious to see what would happen next.


    Whoooosh.


    The bullet headed toward the Firebug with tremendous speed. It was like a white sh that ripped the monster apart on impact. The bullet pierced the three beetles in a row, as well as the iron tower behind them. The mutated insects were instantly killed, but the tower was also destroyed. Wain ended up killing three monsters and five people.


    He saw what happened but felt no emotion. Wain had killed too many in his life to feel sympathy for the random dead.


    "Huh, it looks like I''m fighting on the wrong side. I should have aimed a little better, but I couldn''t calcte my new power. I need some practice." Mumbled Wain.


    While in the World of Darkness, Wain increased his stats considerably. He had to get used to his new power, it took time. Wain destroyed the tower with his throw, even though he had not originally nned to do so. Such a miscalction could have led to a fatal error in battle, so Wain took it seriously.


    Twilight Steel''s members were surprised by the sudden attack from afar. Wain was at a great distance from them, so they didn''t notice him. Even if they had looked in his direction, Wain looked like a ck dot standing on the roof of a building from their vantage point.


    Wain nodded and was about to leave. He had no intention of interfering in Twilight Steel''s affairs. He had tried out the skill and was about to move on.


    Wain approached the ledge and was ready to jump off the building, but suddenly he saw a glint in the distance. Wain reacted instantly and tried to block the attack, but a bullet pierced his shoulder. Wain''s face twisted in pain, and drops of blood sttered on the floor.


    Whoooosh.


    He quickly ducked behind cover, and another bullet flew from his left. At that moment, Wain realized what had happened.


    ''Looks like this organization has a member with the soul of a sniper, it''s interesting... This person was able to wound me despite my stats. A sniper rifle is a formidable weapon, so it''s no surprise, but what should I do now?'' Wain pondered.


    Wain had two options, he coulde out of hiding and escape. Wain felt he had to do just that since there was no reason for him to fight. He had to find the rest of the map and the airborne vehicle. The ind''s appearance was only two months away, and he could not waste time.


    One feeling, however, prevented Wain from making a decision. It was greed. He wanted to keep the sniper rifle, it was a valuable and useful trophy. Wain was sure that if he used the Distant Bullet and this type of firearm, the power of this skill would increase many times over.


    At first, Wain thought it was an ordinary sniper rifle produced in the gun factories, but he realized that was a mistake.


    ''Given my Stamina, as well as the strength of my cape, it''s impossible for me to be hit by a conventional weapon. Perhaps this bullet was unique, but then the shooter would have had to sacrifice his sniper rifle, as it would not have withstood the recoil of such a bullet. That means the sniper got his weapon from Soul Chest.'' Wain pondered.


    When he realized that this gun was unusual, his greed increased. Wain grinned wickedly and used the Distant Bullet. He gripped the white bullet tightly and looked out from behind cover. Wain wanted to see the sniper and kill him with one precise throw, but the sniper spotted Wain earlier.


    Whoooosh.


    The bullet should have hit Wain''s head and killed him, but he dodged at thest moment. The bullet grazed him, leaving a deep but not fatal cut on his forehead.


    "Bitch!"


    ...


    "Damn, how did he react in time once again?" The girl with the long blond hair muttered grudgingly.


    She was the sniper who had been sitting on top of the skyscraper trying to kill Wain.


    "Hana!" Said the pumped-up man with the massive bloody sword.


    After he dealt with the remaining Fire Bugs, he rushed over to the girl to find out what was going on.


    Hana nodded weakly and said, "A man is sitting in the distance who appears to have powerful ranged abilities. I''m trying to wound him seriously, but all I''ve seeded in doing is leaving a deep scratch on his forehead."


    The man was surprised. He had never seen Hana miss before. Her uracy was unsurpassed. Thanks to the passive effect of her main soul, there was a unique change with her left eye.


    It became as blue as the ocean and looked like a clock face, only without the hands. With this eye, Hana could make super urate shots and never missed.


    "This person is strong, he wasn''t able to dodge because he has a special skill or equipment. He was able to survive because of his incredible reaction time and speed. If he gets here, we''re in trouble." Hana said.


    The man smiled and thrust his sword into the ground said, "Are you kidding me? He may have strong skills, but I can easily handle him in closebat. But, are you sure we should be wasting our time on this?"


    Hana frowned, "Are you an idiot? He killed our men, and you want to let him go?"


    The man was confused about Hana yelling at him, but he found something to answer.


    "Yes... Sure, he killed members of our organization, and now he''s our enemy, but try to think of this situation from a different perspective. He killed three Firebugs in one attack. I''m sure if those monsters had stayed alive, they would have killed more people than he did."


    Hana answered nothing. She clenched her teeth and stared intently at sight. She understood that herrade was right, but such thinking was inhumane to her mind.


    "Maybe we should still thank him for killing our mates?!" Hana said angrily.


    "You''re too emotional. Okay, I''ll help you kill or capture this man if he decides to attack us. However, if he runs away, I will take care of rebuilding the towers." The man said calmly.


    Hana nodded. She didn''t want to let Wain go, she felt only hatred and anger toward him, but Hana was also ming herself for what had happened. She was a minutete, and she couldn''t help destroying the Fire Bugs because of that. Hana felt that she was to me for the deaths of the people.


    ...


    By this point, Wain had made a final decision. He wanted to get his sniper rifle, and he would.


    ''Chances are I''ll encounter a lot of evolved people at their main base, but I don''t necessarily have to fight them all. Moreover, the base is probably empty right now. After all, no one but a sniper and a man with a sword came out to defend the towers from the Fire Bugs.'' Wain thought.


    A lightning sign appeared on his chest the next moment, and he turned into a blue sh.


    Bang.


    Hana fired immediately, she was sure she would hit this time as she had calcted all possible trajectories. Wain ran down one of them, but the bullet flew behind him. Hana shouldn''t have missed because she did everything perfectly, but it was impossible to hit in this situation. Wain was too fast; his speed was abnormal.


    He jumped off the top of the building andnded in a crash. Now he could not fear falling, even from such a great height.<sub> </sub>


    Hana noticed this and began to panic, "Hey, this man is crazy! He fell from a five-story building and kept running as if nothing had happened. What''s more, he''s moving in a zigzag pattern and hiding behind houses. I can''t shoot him."


    "Damn, Hana! I told you it was better to let him go. It''s a real headache..." The man muttered.


    He was surprised by Wain''s speed but did not panic prematurely. He was sure that the two of them could handle Wain together, especially if he decided to invade their base.


    Bang.


    Hana fired once more, but her bullet hit Wain''s residual image.


    "Maybe you''d better get out of here. We have a lot of turrets in the base, and people with Soul Altars activated. He''ll have to run away from here or die, but now you''re setting yourself up for a hit." Said the man.


    "Shut up!" Roughly, Hana replied, and her eye squeezed shut.


    The next moment she pulled the trigger. It was the best shot she could make. For the sake of it, she had to hurt her eye, which began to bleed because of the strain, as the blood vessels burst.


    Wain saw the re and tried to dodge it. He elerated and leaned forward, reaching his maximum. Wain thought the bullet would fly past him, but he noticed the bullet in front of him a momentter, to his surprise.


    It was a critical moment in which even a millisecond mattered. Wain physically wouldn''t have had time to think of a n of action in that time, so he trusted his instincts.


    Crackle.


    Wain opened his mouth slightly and closed it sharply. He crushed the bullet with his teeth like hammers and managed to avoid the fatal wound, but at that moment, the bullet exploded.


    The mes from the explosion burned Wain''s face and throat, but that could not stop him. He was in great pain, but Wain understood that these wounds were not fatal.


    Also, the passive skill was instantly activated, and his flesh began to regenerate quickly.


    ''Damn, it''s a good thing I have Heat Resistant Flesh. Otherwise, my wounds would have been much more serious. These are unusual bullets.'' Thought Wain running behind one of the buildings.


    ''Curse! What was that just now!!! How did he manage to survive that situation!?" Shouted Hana.


    She was angry as she saw through the scope what Wain had done. To her, it was delusional. She didn''t believe the man could react and crush a bullet with his teeth.


    "Hana, you need to get away, he could attack at any moment. Even if you can dodge his attack, he can destroy your weapon. Without it, your firepower will fall away at once." Said the man.


    Hana nodded, "Yes, I need to rest. I spent almost all my strength on thatst shot."


    The girl was about to leave, but suddenly she saw a white projectile flying toward her. She was a sniper and was quite weak physicallypared to Wain. Hana did not have time to dodge this attack, but she had a defender.


    Whooosh.


    The man swung his sword sharply in an attempt to deflect the bullet, but to his surprise, the projectile broke the weapon in two and pierced through his arm. Blood gushed from the wound, and the man dropped the fragment of the sword from his hands.


    "Damn, if we don''t get out of here now, he''ll kill us, too."


    Hana frowned, she wanted to kill Wain, but she wouldn''t. Hana decided to help herrade, but suddenly their eyes widened with shock.


    In the form of blue lightning, they saw Wain destroy the barricades and climb one of the guard towers. No one attacked Wain, for he acted too quickly. The rest of the organization members had not yet understood the situation.


    Whoooosh.


    Wain bounced sharply off the tower''s roof and jumped to the skyscraper on top of which Hana was standing. In seconds, Wain climbed to the top and looked at the stunned girl with a cocky smirk.


    "Hi." Wain said smiling, and punched her with his fist.


    Hana was startled. An eerie aura emanating from Wain made her tremble with fear. She wanted to dodge, but her legs wouldn''t listen to her.


    Bam.


    Suddenly herrade appeared in front of her and took the blow. The next moment a loud crunch was heard. It was the man''s shattered bones and ribs. Wain''s blow was so powerful that they were tossed aside, and Hana dropped her sniper rifle.


    Wain smirked, grabbed the firearm, and moved it into the Ring of Damned.


    "You bastard!" Hana shouted furiously.


    When she saw the grimace of pain on herrade''s face, fear left her heart. She pointed at Wain, and more than ten bullets appeared from the energy around her the next moment.


    Hana swung her arm, and the bullets flew at Wain. They were fast and could catch up with anyone, but Wain was too fast. He snapped his finger, and a dark sword appeared beside him.


    The next moment Wain''s silhouette blurred, and all Hana could see were dark cuts. Then the shattered bullets fell at Wain''s feet.


    "AHAHAHAH, as expected, you are quite capable." Said Wain and took a few steps closer to Hana.


    He grabbed her arm and broke it, then he delivered a precise blow to her shoulder, and he broke several of her ribs. Hana screamed in pain, she couldn''t take that. Then Wain broke the man''s other arm and leg, after which he turned into blue lightning and disappeared.


    Finally, Wain clearly said, "Last Light."


    Hana and the man survived, Wain breaking many of their bones but no other serious wounds. Their organs were intact. Of course, Wain didn''t decide to spare them out of pity. That was the n.


    He appreciated the strength of these two and was sure it was worth keeping them alive now. Eventually, Gisle was to take over the whole city, and he needed such strong subordinates. Wain had broken many of their bones and taken their weapons so that they would be incapacitated in the near future.


    However, the most important factor was not their strength but Hana''s eye and ability. Wain was surprised by her uracy, but he realized Hana''s strength was moreplex and deeper when he dodged bullets.


    ''This girl has incredible uracy, yet then she was able to hit me. If not for my stats and reaction, she would have shot me in the head. Her eye doesn''t increase her uracy. She can see into the future or guess what will happen in the next second.''

 Chapter 173 Whisper

    Wain left Twilight Steel''s main base and climbed into one of the buildings where no one would disturb him. The organization members could not stop him as he was too fast. Also, there were no other evolved people on the base other than Hana and the man with the sword.


    To them, Wain was an invincible and indestructible opponent. Wain could destroy Twilight Steel''s main base if he wanted to, but Wain had no intention of doing so.


    In his opinion, there was no point in destroying other organizations for no reason. They could have be part of the Last Light and increased the overall power of humanity.


    After visiting the World of Darkness and fighting a few battles, Wain wondered what humanity was. He could not answer this question but realized that they had a unique position in this world.


    "The World of Darkness, humanity, other races, my world... It''s all tooplicated and confusing. I need more information." Mumbled Wain and the Ring of Damned glowed brightly.


    A sniper rifle appeared in his hands. It was ck with a long and massive muzzle. In the middle was a pattern of white waves.


    [Whisper (First Chronicle, Rare Rating)


    Quiet and calm, it can respond to its master''s will and pierce several enemies at once. Depending on the type of ammunition used, the shot from this weapon can wound any creature whose Stamina is below 150.


    When you reach the maximum concentration level, you can feel a special effect during which the time flow slows down for you. In this case, your next shot will be three times faster and have two phantom copies]


    When Wain read the description of the sniper rifle, he breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Looks like I just might have died... If that girl had gone into a trance, it''s unlikely I would have been able to react and destroy that bullet. What''s more, the phantom copies would have finished me off for sure. It''s a good thing I decided to attack them. Given that girl''s eye and abilities, she would have easily killed a lot of Last Light''s members."


    Wain was pleased with the weapon he had received. For the moment, it was his most valuable piece of equipment except for the Sparkling Frost Boots. However, he was angry at himself.


    Bam.


    Wain clenched his teeth and mmed his fist into the wall with all his might. It shattered into a multitude of debris, and the whole building shook.


    "I could have died again because of my overconfidence. I know better than anyone that even a weaker opponent can defeat a stronger one, depending on the situation. I believed too much in my invincibility because of the increased stats, even though those are just pathetic numbers."


    Wain could only survive because of his instincts, skills, and luck. He didn''t like it, he realized that the situation could have beenpletely different, and then that bullet would have made a hole in his head.


    Wain took a deep breath and gradually calmed down. The burns on his face were almost healed, and they were proof that death was almost getting to him, but this time fortune was on his side.


    "Okay, it''s time to try out my new weapon. It''s been a long time since I shot one." Proimed Wain, and a white bullet appeared in front of him.


    He inserted it into the breechblock and began looking for a suitable target. Wain wanted to see how powerful the shot would be.


    The sight of Whisper was simple. For an experienced shooter like Wain, it was enough.


    "Found it." Wain said calmly, looking at a huge bug in the distance.


    The insect was fighting a group of people and was one kilometer away.


    ''These people are pretty weak. The beetle has already wounded a few of them. If this keeps up, they''ll probably die. Hmm, I guess it''s time to do a good deed.''


    Wain grinned and pulled the trigger.


    Bam.


    A white bullet flew almost silently out of the barrel and turned into a white sh that headed toward the monster.


    The beetle was about to attack one of the humans, but suddenly its body exploded, and bloody shards flew sideways. The building behind it was partially destroyed and tilted.


    People were in shock they didn''t understand what had happened. Wain was too far away for them to see him, and the bullet was too fast.


    "Great." Wain muttered.


    The sniper rifle was able to withstand the power of the Distant Bullet without falling apart. The power of this attack also suited Wainpletely.


    Wain wanted to leave, but he suddenly remembered that he didn''t get a soul for this bug and the past firebugs. He looked again through his scope at the beetle he had just killed and saw a white soul floating in the air.


    When a man killed a monster from a great distance, there were certain changes in the process of getting the soul.


    Wain only saw the soul hovering over the corpse of the beetle. The reason was that because Wain had killed the beetle while at a distance, the connection of this soul was rather unstable. It was trying to find where to go now, but the soul could not do so.


    Since Wain had killed the monster, there was a direct connection between him and that soul, which is why he was the only one who saw it. Usually, everyone could see the souls left behind when monsters died.


    Wain had never killed a monster from such a great distance before, so this was new to him. He didn''t know what he had to do in such a case to get a monster''s soul.


    People had to walk up to the souls to get them. Wain was an exception as souls could fly up to him and enter his body at his wish. This was convenient and saved some time. Wain thought it was a small bonus from his main soul.


    However, this soul didn''t want to fly to him. Wain didn''t know what the reason was.


    ''Hmm, do I have to go after a soul if I killed a monster with a sniper rifle? That''s too inefficient, though maybe there''s some logic to it. Killing from a distance is safer, and the soul is quite far away, so the connection is less stable.'' Wain thought.


    He had no intention of going after the white soul but decided to try again to summon the soul to himself.


    Wain looked at it intently and concentrated. To his surprise, the soul disappeared and appeared in front of him the next second. Wain smiled but then frowned. The state of the soul was strange, moreover there were a few drops of tar on it that were slowly evaporating.


    Whooosh.


    The soul flew into Wain''s body.


    [Soul of Massive Bug (Destroyed, Exhausted)


    Chronicle: Primary


    Rating: Common]


    "Exhausted? What''s that?" Wain muttered uncertainly. This was the first time he had encountered something like this.


    He decided to crush the soul and see the difference in practice.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Massive Bug level 12.]<sub> </sub>


    Wain could feel the Soul Essence seeping into his body, but then he realized something was wrong.


    "Too little... It''s Primary Chronicle Soul, but even though this bug was level 12, I got about half as much of Soul Essence as I should have. That could bepared to killing a few weak zombies." Pronounced Wain.


    Then he realized how it worked.


    "I see. Because the soul traveled a significant distance, it lost some of its power, so I got a lot less of Soul Essence. Apparently, this process only happens when a person kills a monster from a distance.


    The connection between the soul and the new owner is unstable, and it requires the intervention of another power to move the soul to the right point." Wain concluded.


    Then he looked toward the Twilight Steel''s base and saw three hovering souls. He concentrated, and they simrly disappeared and appeared before him in an Exhausted state.


    Wain destroyed them and pulled out hispass. He had spent some time fighting Hana and checking the new weapons, so part of the map might have changed its location during that time.


    "Okay, part of the map is in the same direction."


    Wain moved Whisper to Rin of Damned and jumped off the building. His target as before was the park, which was not far from the city.


    ...


    After a while, he reached the park. He was fast, so it took him ten minutes. This park was muchrger than the one on the east side of town. It was more like a massive nature preserve.


    On the border of the park and the city streets, Wain saw several monsters. They were umting Soul Essence and gradually getting stronger.


    Wain nodded and ran between them. Their auras were weak, which meant they weren''t worth Wain''s time. He had little time before the ind appeared, so he had to hurry.


    Wain held apass in his hand and observed the direction. At one point, he saw that thepass needle had abruptly changed its direction. Wain looked in that direction and saw a massive rock in the distance.


    "Great, looks like I found where I''m going, but maybe someone else has already made it to the second part of the map." Proimed Wain looking at the people near the rock.


    It was one of the bases of Twilight Steel and the Dungeon under their control. Many people were around, and several guards were standing near the portal.


    Wain had two options, he could break into the camp and force his way in, but he could settle the matter more peacefully.


    ''Hmm, it would be best to ask people more about this ce.'' Thought Wain and ran towards the camp.


    He reduced his speed so as not to attract unnecessary attention. He effortlessly entered the camp unnoticed and headed for the portal like a member of the organization.


    "Wait! Who are you? What is your name?" Said one of the guards.


    Wain looked at him surprised, "I want to enter the Dungeon. What''s the problem?"


    Wain decided to pretend to be a member of Twilight Steel. They had cleared the area since there were no monsters or dark fog around the Dungeon. This Dungeon was nothing more than a farm for members to kill monsters and grow stronger.


    The guards looked at him with a strange look, "Boy, the head of the organization entered this Dungeon with his group and said not to let anyone else in. I can''t help you, you have to wait for them toe back and wait for more instructions from the head. Moreover, this is a dangerous Dungeon. You should not go in here alone."


    They believed that Wain was a member of the organization because he did not act naturally. Moreover, a pleasant and friendly aura emanated from Wain at that moment.


    Wain smiled, "All right, I''ll go then."


    The guard nodded.


    ...


    ''Hmm, they also seem to have somehow found out that part of the map is in this Dungeon. I got the first part when I killed Harald. He wanted to kidnap Lea and was pretty strong. The members of Twilight Steel''s probably have a way to find parts of the map like I did.'' Thought Wain looking at the Dungeon in the rock.


    It looked like a golden crypt with decorative skulls around the gates. At the top of the crypt was a pink crystal under which a single me burned brightly. Below the me was a line of ten stripes, each one glowing.


    ''This Dungeon is strikingly different from the ones I''ve been in before. I am still unaware of what this crystal means and the stripes beneath it. Furthermore, this is the first time I''ve seen a me under the crystal. I''ll have to ask Sven about it next time.'' Wain thought.


    He realized that the crystal, the mes, and the stripes indicated Dungeon''s difficulty. However, it was only his guess, he had to know for sure.


    ''Judging by the pressureing from the golden crypt, this is the First Chronicle Dungeon. That''s good, I need to go there.''


    Wain took his time, he had plenty of time to decide. If the head of Twilight Steel had not yet found part of the map, Wain could easily outrun him. Otherwise, Wain would take part in the map from the organization head.


    He thought about how he could get in. Of course, he could kill the guards and run inside, but then chaos would ensue, and other people would enter the portal as well. That could have prevented him from mining and finding part of the map.


    ''Maybe I should kill everyone here? Then no one will bother me, but there are quite a few people here. Surely they make up a significant portion of the organization''s strength. Destroying this camp would be too wasteful...'' Wain thought.


    After a while, Wain smiled and stepped aside. Initially, he wanted to find monsters around him and thus attract attention and temporarily sow panic, but the area was cleared. Wain would have to spend quite a lot of time before finding arge enough group of monsters.


    But then Wain realized that he could distract the guards and the others by another method. The threat didn''t have to exist for people to be wary of impending danger.


    Crackling.


    ck electric charges appeared around Wain''s arms, and thunderclouds umted to the west of the camp. They were massive and menacing.


    This immediately drew the attention of everyone in the camp, and then Wain clenched his palms tightly into fists. Two ck lightning pirs struck the ground at one point and a shockwave formed. It was powerful enough to make the tree crowns tilt, and people shudder in fear.


    "A horde of monsters ising at us!!!" Someone shouted.


    People couldn''t see where the voice wasing from, but it didn''t matter. The reaction had already been triggered, and it could not be stopped. People prepared for battle and stared intently at the cloud of smoke in the distance that rose from behind Oblivion Thunder.


    The guards also stopped defending the entrance to the portal and rushed to help the others. They could not let the monsters destroy this camp.


    When the guards were gone, and no one else was around, blue lightning entered the golden portal in one second.


    Wain grinned and stepped forward. Everything went as he intended. Even the screaming of the impending horde of monsters yed its part.


    ----------------------------------------------------------


    Sorry, there was one chapter yesterday. I had problems and didn''t have time. There will be two more chapters today, butter.

 Chapter 174 Gold

    When Wain went inside, he saw a golden temple that looked like a pantheon. There was only a dome covering the entire area.


    "It looks epic, but so much gold... What a tasteless thing." Wain muttered and headed toward the temple.


    The Ring of Damned glowed bright green, and a pack of cigarettes appeared in his hands. Wain pulled out an engraved lighter and, in a second, held the cigarette to his mouth.


    He felt the heat seep into his body and his lungs burn. For a normal person, such a thing might even have been traumatic, but it was what Wain needed.


    Wain exhaled a puff of smoke that turned into an ingot.


    Wain walked forward slowly and looked around. Wain was not invincible, and so he was wary and waited for an enemy to appear at any moment. The battle with Hana had taught him that he could die despite his stats.


    However, as he walked toward the golden temple, nothing happened. The ground around it was lifeless, and beyond the dome was nothing but emptiness. All there was to this Dungeon was a huge temple.


    Wain walked past the tall columns with decorative carvings and approached the gates. They were open, and footprints were visible on the floor as he expected.


    "Great, they''ve already gone part of the way for me. I''ll have to follow them, and soon I''ll have the second part of the map and more." Proimed Wain and went inside.


    Wain also wanted a reward for clearing the Dungeonpletely. He had only been in the Dungeon twice so far. It was Crypt of the Demonic Ants and Muddy Waters. He killed all the monsters the first time and even met Mimic, but he was interrupted by a sudden World of Darkness challenge.


    He had a different goal the second time thanpletely clearing the Dungeon of monsters. Moreover, Muddy Waters was too big a location. Wain didn''t have as much time to search and kill every monster to thest.


    The first room of the temple was empty, with nothing but a massive crystal chandelier. It shone brightly and illuminated everything around it.


    Wain was alert, however, he saw signs of battle. There were several scratches on the walls and floor and many pieces of gold lying on the ground. He didn''t know what kind of monsters lived here, so he was prepared for any oue.


    ''Hmm, not a single bloodstain or scraps of torn clothing. Either the monsters they fought were weak, or the head''s group is pretty strong.'' Wain thought.


    Tremble.


    When Wain reached the middle of the room, he felt the room begin to shake. Wain braced himself for a fight, for he thought an enemy was about to appear, but after a few seconds, the trembling subsided.


    Wain sighed, "Damn, the shaking was because of a fierce battle elsewhere. Caution is never unnecessary, though."


    Sometimes Wain mistook some sounds or rustles for danger, but it turned out to be amon coincidence.


    He shook his head and walked on, but just as he took a step, a loud clicking sound was heard.


    "Fuck, why does it always have to be like this?" Cursed Wain was looking at the pressure te he stepped on.


    The b was impossible to see since it was also golden and blended in with the general background. Wain could have identally stepped over it, but he was out of luck this time.


    Whoooosh.


    A multitude of golden debris began to morph into a single creature in the next moment. It looked like a massive three-meter tall guardian with a huge shield. Wain snapped his finger, and a dark sword appeared beside him. He was ready to attack.


    Roooooaaaaaaaaarrrrrr!


    Suddenly the monster roared furiously and stomped its foot with all its might. The whole room shook, and Wain swung his arm. The dark sword flew toward the enemy, but suddenly a crystal chandelier fell on the monster with a crash.


    Hundreds of crystals shattered into small pieces, and the monster would be buried under the massive chandelier. It tried to get up, but a dark sword cut off its head, and a blue soul flew to Wain.


    [Soul of Golden Golem (Destroyed)


    Chronicle: First


    Rating: Rare]


    "Sometimes it''s pretty hard to tell whose side fortune is on." Wain muttered and crushed the soul.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Golden Golem level 21.]


    [You ger Rare Rating Spiritual Box]


    ''This monster was level 21. That''s a pretty high rating. It looks like this chandelier was not just a decoration but also a trap. Otherwise, the golem wouldn''t have cared about it.'''' Thought Wain looking at the blue box in his hands.


    Every time he received a Spiritual Box, he got excited. It was like a roulette wheel in a casino. He was curious what he would get this time.


    Wain opened the box, and inside, he saw a small triangle-shaped figure.


    [Golden Prism (First Chronicle, Rare Rating)


    When you use this item, it flies into the air and collects and umtes Soul Essence from the environment for five seconds. Then the prism glows brightly, and lethal rays shoot out from the triangle''s vertices.


    The prism also begins to rotate, gradually speeding up and bing more chaotic. This willst for ten seconds, after which the prism will explode. The st radius is ten meters.


    Powerful enough to deal lethal damage to any enemy with a Stamina less than 130, the explosion can damage even enemies with a Stamina greater than 170 points].


    "Not bad. It''s a strong item." Said Wain and moved the gold figurine into the ring.


    Then Wain headed into the next hall. He passed through a massive archway and froze in shock for a second.


    The first hall showed signs of battle, but the second was far worse. Wain felt as if he were in the butcher''s workce.


    The golden walls and floor were covered in blood, and even a few pieces of flesh were lying around. Many craters were located throughout the hall andrge shards of gold. Wain was used to the sight of blood, but he didn''t expect to see such a dramatic change suddenly.


    Moreover, the smell of blood was so strong that even Wain was ufortable with it. He cautiously took a step forward, but suddenly he heard something.


    Cough.<sub> </sub>


    It was a cough. Wain turned around and saw a tall man in the corner of the hall, sitting in a pool of his own blood. He was seriously wounded, had multiple cuts on his chest, bleeding, damaged internal organs, and missing his right arm. With wounds like that, it was almost impossible to survive.


    Wain approached him and asked, "What happened here?"


    The man was still alive, but he was struggling to breathe. He struggled to raise his head, and seeing Wain said,


    "Have youe to help? Who are you...?"


    "Yes, I came to help, and that is the most important thing. Where are the others, and what kind of carnage happened here?" Wain asked quickly.


    Wain wanted to get as much information as possible, and he realized he didn''t have much time. The man in front of him could die at any moment, so he was in a hurry.


    The man nodded, "Terrible creatures attacked us... They were half gold and half flesh... We didn''t expect them to be so strong... Some of us were badly hurt..."


    "I see. Where did they go?"


    The man looked toward the next passageway and wanted to say something, but suddenly his eyes went nk. At that moment, his heart stopped beating, and life left him.


    "Shit!" Wain cursed and stomped his foot as hard as possible, cracking the golden floor.


    He headed for the next hall but turned around and walked over to the dead man.


    "Though a little, you helped me." Wain muttered, and a white bullet appeared in his hand.


    Whoooosh.


    Wain threw it at the ceiling, and a multitude of debris copsed on the man, gradually filling him up. He was buried under the gold, and it is his tomb as well as his crypt.


    ...


    In the next three halls, the situation was calmer. They were simr to the first hall, where there were also signs of battles. Wain did not encounter any monsters, as all of them were already dead.


    After a while, Wain arrived in a huge hall, and there, the bloody scene was repeated. Moreover, he saw the bodies of three people. They were torn apart as if they were fighting a horrible wild beast.


    There were w marks and craters from explosions on the walls. In one ce, there was arge amount of gold debris.


    ''Most likely, this debris was formerly the monsters that had put up this gruesome battle. They''ve lost four people already, maybe even more. I wonder how many people are in their group?'' Thought Wain and looked around.


    Unlike thest, this room had no passageways to other rooms, but Wain quickly found where he needed to go.


    Behind the mountain of golden rubble was a long altar. Underneath it was a staircase leading down. Initially, the passage had been closed, but the group checked all the options and found a hidden path.


    Wain smiled and stepped forward. The descent was dark and very long. It was lit by only a few dim torches faintly burning yellow mes.


    After a few minutes, Wain saw a narrow passage in front of him. He entered it and then looked around. Next to him were five different passageways, each leading in a different direction.


    "I see, there''s abyrinth under the temple thatplicates things..." Mumbled Wain looking at the golden brick walls.


    Wain could get lost in the maze just like anyone else, but that wasn''t the problem. If he chose a different path, he would probably end up somewhere else and not cross paths with the group. That development didn''t suit him.


    He had to catch up with them, or at the very least, meet them on the way back to take away part of the map.


    "Hmm, in that case, I''ll have to force my way through. Right?" Mumbled Wain and, with all his might, struck the wall of thebyrinth.


    However, the brick walls suffered no damage because the golden floor began to crackst time because of his stomping foot. Instead, the brick at the point of impact glowed brightly, and then the same thing happened to the other bricks until they went out.


    "Damn, it looks like thisbyrinth was created with a special technique. These bricks absorb the force of the impact and divide it among themselves. In that case, if I don''t have enough power to destroy all the bricks with one blow, I won''t be able to punch a hole in the wall."


    Wain could use one of the forms, but he wasn''t sure it would help in this situation. Code of Light and Darkness made each of his aspects stronger, and he became a versatile fighter with good speed, attack power, defense, and survivability.


    Cursed Swordsman and Blind Sorcerer didn''t fit either. The forms had special skills, but they weren''t powerful enough to take out every wall in the maze in a second.


    Wain shook his head and took a cigarette from his pack. He lit a cigarette and headed to one side. Wain didn''t know where to go, so he chose at random.


    He tried to find traces of the group, but he had no luck. He needed special skills or equipment to track them.


    Wain wandered through the maze for about an hour. He hit dead ends dozens of times and tried several tactics to get through the maze during that time. However, nothing worked for him, and he finally decided to go randomly.


    This annoyed Wain, but there was nothing he could do about it. He walked forward, smoking and pondering the present situation.


    After a while, the passages became wider, and Wain smiled. He quickened his stride and ran forward.


    Thisbyrinth was uniquely constructed. Usually, all the passages in thebyrinth were the same width and height. Also, there was always only one way out of the maze, but this one was different.


    There were several right paths in thisbyrinth, and further narrow passages widened and became muchrger. Moreover, they eventually led to one point.


    In the tunnel in which Wain was, no one has passed yet. The group of Twilight Steel had taken a different path and might have already reached their final destination.


    Wain smiled. He now finally had a target, and he saw his enemies.


    "Great, it''s time to have some fun." Proimed Wain, and a dark sword appeared beside him.


    He stared intently at the dozens of golden skeletons in the distance. They walked slowly through the tunnel from side to side. They had all sorts of weapons. Some had swords, axes, or hammers.


    The Golden Skeletons were rather weak monsters, but they were many, and that was their main advantage. Even weak creatures could defeat a stronger one if they teamed up. What''s more, the Golden Skeletons had special abilities for that.

 Chapter 175 The Golden Tiger

    Wain looked at the skeleton approaching him and swung his arm. The dark sword headed toward the monster like a ck sh and severed its head. Wain wanted to attack the other monster, but the Golden Skeleton kept walking, even without his head.


    ''Damn, once again, I have met opponents who have no weaknesses. Swords are not good for fighting skeletons. The best option is crushing hammers...'' Thought Wain and swung his hand.


    This time the dark sword severed the skeleton''s legs not to move. Then each of the monster''s bones was destroyed, after which the skeleton was turned into a wreck of gold, and Wain received a white soul.


    [Soul of Golden Skeleton (Destroyed)


    Chronicle: First


    Rating: Common]


    Wain crushed the soul, and the energy went to his body.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Golden Skeleton level 19.]


    "These skeletons are pretty weak, but they have a level neen... Hmm, for other people, these monsters could be deadly." Wain muttered and snapped his finger.


    Wain walked forward while the dark sword sliced apart the skeletons roaming around. The monsters tried to fight back, but they were too slow and weak. Their weapons were incapable of blocking the dark sword, as were their shields and armor.


    Wain was pleased with the situation. He was approaching the end of the maze, smoking and dozens of souls flying into his body. Thus he would soon gain a new level ande one step closer to the borders of the First Chronicle.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Suddenly there was the sound of footsteps behind him. Wain turned around, and he saw a horde of Golden Skeletons.


    Even though they were already dead and Wain had gotten souls for them, they were alive again.


    "Are they trying to clutch me from both sides?" Proimed Wain and the dark sword headed toward the monsters.


    After a few minutes, Wain killed all the skeletons behind him again, but Wain didn''t get a single soul. This situation seemed strange to him, in his opinion, these skeletons were not regenerating but were new monsters. Otherwise, he shouldn''t have gotten souls for killing them early.


    Then Wain saw that the golden wrecks began to reconnect and turn into skeletons. They were recovering even though the gold was frozen and under the corrosive effect of the dark sword.


    Wain shrugged and ran forward. The Golden Skeletons were like immortal monsters, and in Wain''s opinion, they were the most problematic enemy. So in this situation, he made a decision not to fight them. He couldn''t get souls, which meant he wasted his time and energy for nothing.


    ''Hmm, these skeletons are rather strange creatures. They''re weak, but it can be difficult given that there are more of them gradually. No matter how many times I kill them, it doesn''t make them less.'' Thought Wain was running forward.


    <o>,m He killed the skeletons he met along the way, but he missed many. Behind Wain was a horde of skeletons that would not let him stop in one ce.</o>


    Eventually, there were several hundred skeletons, but Wain didn''t waste time fighting them, it was pointless. He used the Sign of Lightning and turned into blue lightning.


    Wain ran past dozens of skeletons, which simrly began chasing him.


    "Maybe I should use the Golden Prism? No, that''s too wasteful. They can''t chase me forever. At some point, it will stop." Wain muttered and ran into the vast hall.


    It was the end of the tunnel. Wain looked around, but he saw no way out of this room. However, in the center of the room floated a huge, golden heart. It didn''t look human and beat slowly, several times a minute.


    The heart was hidden behind a ss barrier, and it was encased in a multitude of golden chains. Wain nodded and waved his hand.


    He realized that he most likely needed to destroy this heart to get out of here. The dark sword reached the huge heart like a sh, but the weapon could not prate the ss barrier.


    Wain looked back and saw that a horde of skeletons ran a hundred meters behind. Then the Ring of Damned glowed brightly, and a Whisper appeared in his hands. Wain set the sniper rifle and used the Distant Bullet.


    Wain inserted the white bullet into the breechblock, aimed, and pulled the trigger. The white bullet should have pierced the ss barrier, but instead, it bounced sideways and pierced one of the walls.


    "What the hell!"


    Wain couldn''t believe his eyes. He didn''t understand how this was possible. By his calctions, the Whisper shot with Distant Bullet was powerful enough to kill most First Chronicle creatures below level 25.


    Step. Step. Step.


    By that time, the skeletons had already reached the room. They immediately attacked Wain, and he retreated to the other side. Wain realized that the situation was bing critical, so he decided to try one more option.


    Whooosh.


    He elerated, bounced from wall to wall, and climbed the protective ss barrier. Then Wain began to attack the barrier with his dark sword with all his might, but there was not even a scratch on it after a hundred strokes.


    Wain tried to break through the barrier in several more ways, but suddenly he saw the skeleton''s bodies below shine brightly, and his heart began to beat much faster. The skeletons melted and turned into pools of gold that headed toward the heart.


    The gold quickly passed through the ss barrier, and the heart began to absorb it. The sound of the heart beating grew louder by the second. It was like the ringing of a bell announcing a threat.


    "Damn it!" Said Wain jumped down.


    He wanted to destroy the heart immediately so it wouldn''t cause more trouble, but he failed. The golden heart was now consuming hundreds of skeletons that had turned to liquid gold.


    "That man was talking about how they were fighting creatures that were half gold and half flesh. It looks like I''ve encountered something simr. I wonder what kind of enemy the group of Twilight Steel had to fight?" Wain muttered.<sub> </sub>


    He wouldn''t use either form, as he wanted to see what his enemy could do first. Otherwise, he risked wasting a lot of energy for nothing.


    Whooooooosh.


    After a while, hundreds of golden threads burst out of his heart, which acted as vessels. They turned into some shape. The gold quickly filled the gaps, morphing into a massive silhouette. Gradually Wain saw his opponent.


    This creature looked like a tiger but with longer ws, straighter features, and a massive horn on its head. Also, this tiger had five tails, and each of them had some weapon on end, whether it was a sword or a hammer.


    Roooooooaaaaaaaaarrrrrrr!


    The monster roared furiously, and the room shook. It was like a light earthquake. Then the skeletons'' weapons flew upwards and rained down on Wain like a hail of attacks.


    He was surprised but managed to react. Wain turned into blue lightning dodging attacks, but the weapons chased him. Moreover, the Golden Tiger also attacked him. The monster raised its paw high and brought it down on Wain.


    Wain bounced sharply to the side and then jumped off the wall to the other side, where it was safe for now.


    There were three deep cuts on the ground from the tiger''s attack. Wain grew wary, he knew that if those ws entered his flesh, he would be mortally wounded.


    Wain then used a suitable form. Soul Essence gathered around his body, and his hair became white and much longer. Then ck and white armor appeared on him, and all of his stats equaled each other.


    [Wain Norheim


    Level: 24


    Race: Human


    Beyond: Cmity


    Soul: Nameless King


    Additional Soul: ck Thunder''s Renegade


    Title: Savior of the Damned, Echo of Samurai, Mentor Inquisitor, The First, Soul Gatherer


    Status Points: 15


    Strength: 166 / Agility: 166 / Vitality: 166 / Stamina: 166 / Energy: 166]


    Wain chose to use Code of Light and Darkness because his enemy was fast, strong, and could control items. Also, Code of Light and Darkness did not require much energypared to other forms.


    Whooooooosh.


    Gold swords, spears, and axes reached Wain, but suddenly his silhouette turned into a blur. He dodged this attack and began furiously shing weapons with his dark sword.


    The Golden Tiger tried to stop him from doing this, but Wain could easily dodge and continue destroying weapons. After a few seconds, Wain got rid of this problem and stared intently at the Tiger.


    The monster stared at Wain furiously. It wanted to tear him apart and devour him. Wain did not panic, he was watching the tiger closely, he was ready for any turn of events.


    The tiger swung his paw, and three golden des headed for Wain. He reacted quickly and transformed into blue lightning, and dodged the attack. The des easily cut through the brick walls unharmed by Wain''s full-force attack.


    ''Looks like he''s a lot stronger and more dangerous than I originally thought. The brick walls couldn''t even absorb the force of the des. Hmm, I can do it too, though.'' Wain thought, and threw the sword at the tiger.


    Wain didn''t expect to wound the monster with this attack. It was a distraction. When the tiger ducked and was about to attack Wain, the monster saw that Wain held a sniper rifle.


    Wain decided that he could easily inflict a severe wound on the Golden Tiger that way, as earlier, the Distant Bullet had prated the brick walls.


    Snap.


    He pulled the trigger, and a white bullet flew from the muzzle of the rifle. The tiger reacted instantly, he bounced to the side, but the projectile was too fast. The bullet hit the tiger''s left hind paw and ripped it off.


    Wain smiled, his n had worked, and he just had to keep going at the same pace. He used the Distant Bullet again and was already ready to attack, but suddenly the Golden Tiger disappeared from his sight.


    The monster appeared above Wain and opened its mouth wide. The tiger wanted to swallow Wain and end this battle.


    Wain didn''t expect the wounded monster to move so fast, but he knew what to do in such a situation.


    Whoooosh.


    Wain turned into blue lightning and immediately fired his sniper rifle. The white bullet flew at lightning speed, but the tiger was ready for it. Suddenly its jaws glowed brightly, and a yellow beam of energy flew out of it.


    The beam easily destroyed Distant Bullet and hit Wain as well. He couldn''t dodge in time as he wasn''t expecting such an attack. The tiger didn''t even need to gather energy for it. Monster just opened its jaws and unleashed a deadly attack.


    The beam''s energy consumed Wain, and his armor began to crack and break gradually.

 Chapter 176 Cuirass

    Wain wanted to kill the Golden Tiger with one powerful attack, but instead, he got hit himself. He didn''t expect that the monster would be able to unleash an energy beam that would destroy the Distant Bullet in a second.


    What''s more, the raypletely engulfed Wain, and he was in a critical position.


    Crackle.


    Many cracks ran through his armor, and it began to copse. Wain clenched his teeth in pain and bounced to the side.


    Bam.


    The beam reached the brick wall and quickly destroyed it. However, the wall glowed brightly the next moment and came together in pieces. It looked the same as before. Escape from this room was impossible, even for the Golden Tiger.


    Wain coughed up blood and looked at the damaged armor fiercely at the monster. The Golden Tiger did not attack, it was busy rebuilding its destroyed hind paw. The yellow threads were gradually woven together and increased in size. Thus, the tiger''s limb would be fully restored after a while.


    The Ring of Damned glowed brightly, and the sniper rifle disappeared from Wain''s hands. At that moment, he wanted to tear the tiger apart with his own hands, and the form answered his call.


    [Your state does not match the ideal skill bnce - Code of Light and Darkness]


    [Because of your condition, the darkness absorbs the light and begins to dominate this duo. Along with the increase of darkness, so does the change of characteristics]


    The white parts of the armor began to repaint into the ck in the next moment. This already happened to Wain once, when he fought the Demonic Ants.


    However, then he enjoyed the battle and did not feel any other feelings at that moment. The rage towards the tiger was the catalyst that caused the darkness to increase its power.


    Wain''s Stats began to change. His Energy dropped to 1, and his other stats increased by about 50 points. His stats exceeded the 200 point mark, which was huge even for a First Chronicle creature.


    Whooooosh.


    Wain rushed towards the tiger and was instantly in front of the monster. He clenched his fist with force and punched the tiger in the jaw. The monster didn''t have time to react and was thrown upwards by the force of the blow. Then Wain jumped up high and looked coldly at the tiger.


    He raised one leg and then brought it down sharply. The heel came down on the monster''s head, knocking it down.


    Tremble.


    The hall shuddered, and the floor cracked. The monster ended up in the center of the crater, which was created by its great weight and the abnormal force of Wain''s impact.


    Since Wain''s Energy was down to 1, there was no point in him using skills. With that kind of Energy, even his most powerful skills were useless. Wain would kill the tiger with bare hands, relying solely on physical strength.


    However, the Golden Tiger was not an easy opponent. It was ready to fight on and on. Wain''s two powerful blows left several injuries on the tiger''s head, but they were not fatal.


    Whooooooosh.


    Immediately afternding, the tiger roared furiously, and one of its five golden tails shone brightly. At the end of this tail was a sword. The tail then lengthened sharply and headed toward Wain.


    Wain was able to seize the initiative with a powerful series of blows, but he was now at a disadvantage. Wain was in the air, and he couldn''t dodge, there was nothing near him to bounce off of. Then Wain swung his arm, and a dark sword appeared next to him.


    The weapon flew sharply to the side, and thanks to that, Wain could change his position in space. The monster''s tail flew next to him, and Wain changed the sword''s trajectory downward to fall much faster.


    At this point, Dark Sword was a useless skill because of its low Energy rating, but Wain found a use for the skill.


    When the monster realized that Wain had managed to dodge, it decided to repeat the previous sess. The monster opened its jaws wide, and a golden beam flew at Wain, but he easily dodged the attack.


    Wain bounced to the side and turned into a ck sh. He quickly ran up to the tiger and attacked. The monster opened its mouth wide and was about to devour Wain when he was attacking, but suddenly Wain''s silhouette blurred.


    It was not going to attack the tiger in the head again, it was a distraction. Wain wanted to get rid of the tails, so he went around the monster from behind and gripped one of the tails tightly.


    Wain''s grip was strong, cracks appeared on the golden protective shell, and the tiger roared in pain. However, the monster wasn''t going to take it anymore. The other four tails shone brightly, and like golden shes, they struck Wain.


    But, Wain was counting on the tiger to do just that. He let go of his tail and dodged the others. Then he gripped the other tail tightly and used it to shred the previous one. Wain did the same with the other tails until the tiger had only one left with a spear on end.


    The monster was in agony and wanted to kill Wain, so the tiger decided to take a desperate step.


    Whoooosh.


    The tiger swung its paws to drive Wain away and then bit off itsst tail. Wain was shocked, he didn''t understand why the monster had inflicted such a severe wound on himself.


    Tremble.


    Suddenly the tiger''s aura intensified dramatically, and the gold on his body began to heat up and gradually turn red. The tiger went into berserk mode, ready to do anything to devour Wain alive.


    Wain was wary, even though the tiger had lost its tails, the monster was otherwise fine. Moreover, at this moment, the tiger was much stronger than a few seconds ago, and Wain understood that.


    ''Should I use one of the two remaining forms or even Beyond? No, that would be too wasteful. I haven''t been seriously injured yet and can fight on. There''s no point in wasting so much energy, not in a critical situation.'' Thought Wain and got into a fighting stance.


    Beyond was a special ability that was most often used only in the most dangerous battles and when there were no other options. The reason was that after using Beyond, a person had almost no energy left. Some even walked with difficulty afterward.


    Therefore, Beyond had to be used when the battle was ending, and safety would be assured after that. If Wain used his Beyond now, he would easily defeat the Golden Tiger, but he would need hours to recover. He was in a maze inside the Dungeon and could not risk so much for an easy victory.


    Roooooooaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrr!


    The tiger roared furiously and raised one paw high. He dropped it down sharply, and the hall shook. The floor cracked into massive debris, and Wain lost his bnce. At that moment, the monster decided to act.


    The tiger''s silhouette blurred, and the next second, Wain saw two wed paws with glowing ws above him. Wain reacted quickly and jumped up, the ws cutting through the solid walls like a sheet of paper.


    Then the tiger looked at Wain and opened its mouth wide. Wain''s eyes widened in shock, for boilingva in the tiger''s mouth.


    Theva burst out of its mouth in a powerful stream and headed for Wain. He tried to summon the Dark Sword and dodge the attack again as before, but this time he failed.


    Theva wave engulfed wain. He tried to defend himself, but it was impossible. All Wain could do was endure and hope that his flesh did not burn to the ground.


    Wain tried to endure the ordeal, but he was in a hell of a lot of pain. His skin was burning, and his flesh was opening up. The ck armor withstood such an onught and did not copse, but the armor could not fully protect Wain.


    Whoooosh.


    Wain gritted his teeth in pain, he felt like he was floating in an infernal cauldron and being whipped around with razor-sharp whips.<sub> </sub>


    When theva flow was nearly over, the monster jumped up and tossed Wain aside with its paw. Its red-hot ws sliced into its flesh, leaving three deep gouges in its chest.


    Bam.


    He was like a projectile rumbling down. The tiger slowly made its way toward the burned Wain, the monster feeling it had already won. Wain had suffered severe burns and needed immediate medical attention. He didn''t even have the strength to get up.


    ''Fuck... Why is there such a powerful creature in this Dungeon...?!'' Wain thought.


    Then he clenched his teeth so hard that a distinctive sound was heard and muttered, ''Kill! Destroy! I''ll eat this bastard alive!"


    Arge amount of darkness began to emanate from Wain''s body. It was like a ck me capable of consuming anything.


    [Your state does not match the ideal skill bnce - Code of Light and Darkness]


    [You have been consumed by darkness, and it is increasing with every second. It is out of bounds, but your heart and mind can bear it. The darkness answers your call, but you will have to pay the price].


    Wain felt the pain intensify the next moment, and his defenses gradually weakened. He looked at his status and froze in shock.


    [Wain Norheim


    Level: 24


    Race: Human.


    Beyond: Cmity


    Soul: Nameless King


    Additional Soul: ck Thunder''s Renegade


    Title: Savior of the Damned, Echo of Samurai, Mentor Inquisitor, The First, Soul Gatherer


    Status Points: 15


    Strength: 414 / Agility: 414 / Vitality: 1 / Stamina: 1 / Energy: 1]


    Wain had never seen numbers this big. His Strength and Agility were out of 400, and it was crazy.


    The average person''s Stats averaged 5 points. This meant that at this point, Wain''s defense was much lower than that of the ordinary person before the apocalypse, but his strength and agility were eighty-three times higher. This was a tremendous and, for many, unattainable pinnacle.


    Wain was furious and wanted to kill the tiger. The darkness gave him that strength, but in return, it lowered his defense to a minimum. Now any mistake could cost Wain his life. If the tiger''s ws were to sink back into Wain''s body, he would die instantly.


    The monster approached Wain and opened its mouth wide. The tiger was about to devour Wain, but suddenly he disappeared. The monster didn''t understand what happened, he couldn''t believe that Wain could move with such severe wounds.


    Bam.


    Wain appeared under the tiger''s belly and kicked it in the stomach with all his might. This attack could crush even some Second Chronicle creature in one blow. The tiger didn''t stand a chance. Its body was torn in two, but the golden threads immediately tried to heal the monster.


    The tiger tried to attack Wain, and again a stream ofva burst from its mouth, but Wain turned into a blur and ended up on the monster''s head. He broke through the tiger''s skull with one powerful blow, and the head exploded, pieces of flesh flying apart.


    Wain fell to the ground and breathed heavily. He could win, but he paid a heavy price for it. Wain didn''t expect to get such severe wounds and burns all over his body.


    "Bitch, it hurts so bad, it can''t be endured...!" Wain muttered, looking at the pink soul flying toward him.


    [Soul of Golden Tiger (Whole)


    Chronicle: First


    Rating: Epic]


    Wain canceled the Code of Light and Darkness and crushed the soul.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Golden Tiger level 26. Strength +10, Agility+10, Stamina+6, Vitality+6.]


    [You have leveled up to level 25. You get 3 status points to distribute freely]


    "Great, only five levels to go. Maybe at this rate, I can evolve a second time before the ind appears." Wain said, and another message appeared in front of him.


    [You get Epic Rating Soul Chest]


    Bam.


    A massive pink chest rumbled down next to him. This meant that the thing inside was quiterge and voluminous. It could have been a hammer or a giant axe.


    "Looks like my lucky day." Mumbled Wain and with difficulty rose to his feet to open the chest.


    Inside, to his surprise, was not a weapon. It was a golden cuirass with a picture of a lion on the chest.


    [Cuirass of Unbowed Lion (First Chronicle, Epic Rating)


    It is a powerful armor forged of rare metal specifically for the unbowed warrior. He swore to defend himself, his family, and his home with hisst breath. He was as proud as a lion and therefore received this cuirass.


    This armor greatly increases the protection and survivability of the wearer but also restricts movement. Moreover, one must have tremendous strength to wear this armor, as it weighs over a ton.


    *Stamina +30, Vitality +25. Regeneration is increased by 40%. Speed -20%, Agility -20. Resistance to fire attacks is increased by 15%.


    *There is a small chance of activating special armor mode when receiving a critical hit.]


    "That''s impressive, but this armor doesn''t suit me. Protection is good, but I prefer to dodge, moreover sacrificing speed for protection is nonsense. Also, an all-gold armor... what a tasteless thing..." Wain muttered and moved the armor into the ring.


    He would give the Cuirass of Unbowed Lion to Grut, as it was the perfect candidate to possess the item.

 Chapter 177 Chest Mountain

    Wain could kill the Golden Tiger and receive decent rewards for doing so, but he had issues.


    "In my current state, I can''t move on... It''s problematic..." Wain muttered.


    He was bleeding, his body was covered in burns, and some of his organs were damaged. In this condition, he could hardly walk, but if he engaged inbat, he would die instantly.


    Wain sat against the wall and took a cigarette out of the pack. He decided to rest and wait for his tissues and wounds to recover. He exhaled a blue puff of smoke, which gradually turned into the image of a game and a long string.


    Wain''s eyes widened with surprise, and he had an idea.


    ''Hmm, at the moment, my natural regeneration is greatly enhanced due to the effect of Ghost Healing Threads, but this passive skill has an active ability as well. I can regenerate a limb or regrow one of my organs, but the cooldown is a month. Perhaps I can use this ability to heal less serious wounds?'' Wain thought.


    He didn''t think he would soon encounter an enemy that could destroy his arm or any of his organs. So Wain wanted to restore burns, bleeding, and cuts with this ability.


    Wain concentrated, and the next moment a needle with a long ghostly thread appeared before him. He smiled as he seeded.


    [You have used the active part of the skill of Ghost Healing Threads. Next time you can do it again in thirty days.]


    Whoooosh.


    The needle went into motion and pierced Wain''s body. It was painful and simr to the way Isabe treated him. The needle pierced every inch of the wounded flesh and the damaged organs.


    Wain tried to endure the pain, but when the needle pierced several organs in a second, he could not stand it and scream.


    He felt as if he were on an operating table, and several surgeons were stitching up his wounds simultaneously while he was conscious. However, after a few minutes of suffering, Wain felt better.


    He watched as the burns rapidly disappeared, the wounds and cuts healed, and the bleeding stopped. When he waspletely healed, the needle and ghostly thread flew into his be and disappeared.


    Wain prostrated himself and headed on his way. Of course, he could have waited for his wounds to heal without using the skill, but he didn''t have time for that. He had to hurry and find the second part of the map.


    "By the way, where do I go?" Wain muttered.


    After killing the Golden Tiger, he thought that a passage would open somewhere, but it didn''t. Wain thought about it, and suddenly he heard a quiet knocking. Wain approached the monster''s body and, to his surprise, saw a golden heart beating in the tiger''s chest.


    Wain grinned and plucked the heart from the monster''s chest. Then he squeezed his hand tightly and crushed it. The heart burst, and the room shook. The wall in front of Wain came into motion and behind it was a passageway beyond.


    "Great."


    Wain pulled out hispass and checked which way was part of the map. As he expected, he had to go forward.


    ...


    Wain walked down the tunnel for a long time and watched thepass arrow closely. There were no enemies in the tunnel, only a few dim torches faintly illuminating the passage.


    Suddenly Wain saw a bright gleam in the distance and ran forward. He entered the spacious hall and saw an incredible scene.


    There was a mountain of gold coins as tall as a three-story building. Also on the mountain were many levels, each containing a chest of varying value.


    Below all of them were wooden, simple chests, even without locks. At the top were huge chests with gems encrusted in them. Wain could not see what was on top.


    Wain looked around and saw several other passageways leading into this room.


    ''Hmm, considering no chests have been opened yet, I got here first. The organization head''s group is stilling this way. Maybe I should wait for them.'' Wain pondered.


    However, he shook his head and walked over to the wooden chest with a slight smile on his face. Wain opened the chest, but instead of a reward, he saw some purple tentacles and a big red eye in there.


    "Fuck!" Cursed Wain and bounced aside.


    He wasn''t expecting it to be Mimic again.


    "Why am I so unlucky? All the chests I''ve found are fakes and traps." Wain said grudgingly and snapped his finger.


    He swung his hand, and the dark sword came down on the monster. Mimic, however, was not about to die. Suddenly legs grew out of the chest, and the monster jumped aside. Mimic was not going to fight Wain, it tried to escape since Wain was many times stronger.


    "Freeze!" Wain shouted and turned into blue lightning.


    He easily caught up with Mimic and killed the monster with a powerful punch of his fist. A white soul flew out of the shattered chest and headed toward Wain.


    [Soul of Wooden Mimic (Destroyed)


    Chronicle: First


    Rating: Common]


    Wain was about to crush the soul, but something distracted him. He watched as arge amount of energy burst out of the chest and spread across the Dungeon.


    "That''s right... Sven was saying that actually meeting Mimic in Dungeon is good luck. They are a substitute for a bounty chest, but they contain a lot of energy. In the end, after clearing the Dungeon, I''ll get a better reward." Wain muttered.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Wooden Mimic level 16.]


    ''Such a small level... However, it''s not surprising considering how weak that Mimic was.'' Thought Wain and walked over to the next wooden chest.


    There were thirty chests on the first tform, twenty-five on the second, and so on until one chest was left at the top.


    Wain immediately attacked the chest as he was sure it was another Mimic, but suddenly the chest teleported elsewhere.


    "What the fuck is going on here?" Wain muttered and attacked the chest again.


    However, when the sword de almost reached the chest, it teleported elsewhere again.


    Wain was puzzled and tried to open the chest. He thought maybe it was some defense mechanism against destroying chests.


    Click.


    When Wain opened the chest, he saw the same picture again. Arge eye with many purple tentacles was looking at him. Wain frowned and killed Mimic with a sharp blow, preventing it from escaping.<sub> </sub>


    The white soul flew into Wain''s body, and Dungeon absorbed the energy stored in the monster.


    Wain smiled. In front of him was a mountain of gold with dozens of chests. He realized that if each of the chests was a Mimic, he had just hit the jackpot.


    "Wooden Mimics are the weakest, but even they can greatly increase the final reward. I wonder what will happen when I kill each Mimic? I can''t wait to find out!" Proimed Wain and was about to attack the chests, but suddenly he heard the sound of footsteps in the distance.


    He turned around and saw a group of people fleeing from the east passage. There were seven of them in all. A tall girl with long green hair and silver armor was running ahead.


    It was Va Folks, and she was the leader of Twilight Steel. Some of the people in the group were wounded, but each of them could join the battle if necessary.


    ''I see. They, too, handled their opponent. I wonder if they fought the Golden Tiger too, or did they have another monster?'' Wain wondered.


    Beside Va ran a girl with short blond hair and green eyes. It was Selena Yuihtan. She was the deputy head of the organization and the person who had sent Harald to capture Lea.


    When the group saw Wain, they became wary. Va did not understand why anyone but them was in this Dungeon.


    Wain smirked and waved, "Hi, how are you doing?"


    Va frowned. She could feel a menacing aura emanating from Wain, and unlike them, he was not wounded. Va and Selena were the only ones in the group without any wounds.


    "Who are you?" Va asked.


    Wain shrugged and said, "A simple treasure hunter."


    "Va, I don''t know who he is, but I sense that he is extremely dangerous. I''m also pretty sure he''s not from the west side of town. I would know of the existence of such a person." Selena whispered.


    Va nodded and stepped forward.


    "Where are you from? From the south, the north, or maybe the west?"


    "I am from another world." With a sneer Wain replied.


    He told the truth, but naturally, Va did not believe him. She thought he was mocking her, and it began to annoy her. She had thousands of people submitting to her, and she had achieved that in just three months.


    "Boy, I give you thirty seconds to get out of here because these treasures belong to Twilight Steel." Va said coldly.


    "Do you really think I''m afraid of you? I too have gone through serious trials to get here and have every right to get these treasures." Calmly said Wain, and his aura began to intensify.


    Va answered nothing, she frowned and was ready to attack. A lightning spear appeared in her hand. It contained great power capable of killing most First Chronicle Creatures.


    Wain smiled and was ready to activate one of the forms, but suddenly the hall trembled. Everyone in this Dungeon was now in one ce, so a special mechanism was activated.


    All passageways were closed with doors, and a ss barrier appeared around the mountain of gold. It was ten times stronger than the one that guarded the golden heart.


    Every treasury had its protector, and this ce was no exception.


    Crackling.


    Suddenly the ceiling trembled, and a passage opened. Everyone looked up and saw something falling down.


    Bam.


    It was a massive golden statue, four meters high. Outwardly, this statue resembled a knight in bulky armor and a huge spear in his hand. The knight''s eyes glowed red, and it stared intently at the intruders.


    The knight nced at Wain but shifted his gaze to Va and her group.


    "I suggest we postpone our conversation forter. We should team up and destroy this knight, then divide the reward equally." Said Va.


    Wain answered nothing and nodded. He had not yet made his final decision. He did not need to kill Va and her group unless she attacked first.


    However, there was no way Wain would give the reward of Dungeon to someone else. At that moment, he decided not to think about that and concentrate on the battle ahead.


    ''There''s a menacing auraing from this knight, but he might not be the only one protecting these treasures. Damn, I should have hurried up and killed all the Mimics before the members of Twilight Steel got here.'' Thought Wain and the Ring of Damned glowed brightly.


    Whisper appeared in his hands, and Wain immediately used Distant Bullet. He decided to test how strong an opponent the Golden Knight was and decide which form to use.


    Click.


    Wain pulled the trigger, and the bullet flew out of the weapon at lightning speed. It was like a white sh that instantly reached the Golden Knight. However, the bullet bounced off the knight like a rubber ball.


    "Looks like the situation is even worse than I imagined..." Mumbled Wain.


    Va, Selena, and the others also prepared for battle. They didn''t know how powerful Wain''s attack was, but they knew that the bullet had to do at least some damage. Instead, not even a scratch was left on the knight''s armor.


    Va attacked first. The lightningnce shone brightly, and she turned into a blue sh.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    The girl brought her spear down on the Golden Knight, but the monster only swung its arm smoothly and gripped her weapon tightly. Va was surprised as the Golden Knight was able to block her attack. She could not believe what was happening.


    Whooosh.


    Then the knight swung his arm and threw the girl aside. Va managed to react and jumped away from the wall, but she didn''t know how to defeat the Golden Knight.


    ''Damn, he''s strong. What''s more, the knight acts slow and rxed. He doesn''t even consider us as enemies. Hmm, I should wait a little while.'' Thought Wain and stepped back.


    He didn''t want to take any risks, so he preferred to have Va''s group fight the guard. That way, Wain would enter the fray when his opponents were wounded and exhausted.


    Va understood this, but there was nothing she could do about it. She had a more important problem than Wain''s actions.


    "Stay behind and wait for him to attack. When he decides to attack, we will surround him and attack him all at once!" Va said loudly, pointing at the Golden Knight.


    Her subordinates nodded and activated their fighting skills. Each of them possessed powerful souls and was an important member of Twilight Steel. They believed they could handle any enemy, no matter who they were.

 Chapter 178 The Most Valuable Metal

    Va and Selena, along with their subordinates, waited for an attack from the Golden Knight. However, the monster stood in one ce and did not move. Its main task was to protect the treasures, the rest was of no importance to it.


    Wain, meanwhile, stood aside. This battle was of no interest to him yet. First, he wanted to see what Va, Selena, and the Golden Knight were capable of. Each of them was a serious opponent. Wain could no longer put himself at risk.


    Nor was he sure that the Golden Knight was thest opponent. Besides him, there might have been other defenders, but they had to deal with him first.


    ''Hmm, maybe I should try to break through the ss barrier? No, in that case, the Knight will attack me right away. Moreover, I won''t have time to destroy all the Mimics.'' Wain pondered.


    In the end, he decided just to watch the fight.


    Whooooooosh.


    Va turned into blue lightning and attacked the Golden Knight again. He was inactive as before. For him, Va posed no threat.


    However, the girl did not intend to attack the knight directly. She was not fighting alone, but together with herrades, she had a n. First, she wanted to put the knight in an awkward position and then attack all together.


    Bam.


    Va thrust her spear under the knight''s legs, and the weapon''s tip exploded. A crater formed under the monster, and it went down. Va achieved her goal and signaled for an attack. Her team included people who attacked from near and from a distance.


    One of the strongest members was Selena, she attacked first. Her hands were covered in blue energy, and she put her palms together. A magic circle appeared above the knight the next moment, and a blue beam of energy rained down on the monster.


    Then the knight was attacked by the others. They used their strongest skills, some attacking from afar, some punching at melee.


    "Get back!" Said Va, and everyone immediately retreated.


    She wanted to see what they could aplish with abined attack and how seriously the Golden Knight was wounded.


    "I''m surprised, there were very powerful energy fluctuationsing from our attacks. The knight is most likely on death''s doorstep." Selena said contentedly.


    Thanks to one of her abilities, she could sense energy fluctuations more urately than others. She was also able to detect them by her own criteria and judgment. She was sure that their joint attack was one of the most powerful.


    Va smiled contentedly and nodded, "Great, so this fight will be over sooner than I thought."


    Crackle.


    The Golden Knight rose from a hole in the ground the next moment. To everyone''s surprise, he didn''t have a scratch on him. The Knight kicked off the dust with his free hand and held his spear out in front of him. He continued to defend the treasure as before.


    "What the hell..." Va muttered shockedly.


    Wain was just as surprised.


    "Yeah, I usuallyin when I''m fighting survivable or nearly immortal opponents because of their high regeneration, but this... Fighting an invulnerable opponent is the worst thing that can happen." Proimed Wain.


    "That can''t be!" Shouted the man and attacked the monster again.


    The man''s hands caught fire, and several massive fireballs appeared beside him. He swung his arm, and the fireballs flew toward the knight.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    The projectiles exploded and engulfed the monster in mes, but the knight''s armor didn''t even heat up. His defense was at an incredible level. Normally, the Golden Knight did not react to attacks, but he responded this time.


    The monster gripped his spear tightly and threw the weapon sharply at the man who attacked him. No one expected the knight to decide to act, so the man did not have time to dodge.


    The spear pierced his head, and he fell dead. Then the knight clenched his fist, and the spear returned to him. He continued to stand still as if nothing had happened.


    Va was shocked.


    "I will kill him!" A group member said in a fury, but Va quickly stopped him.


    "Chill out. If you die from this, your friend won''te back to life. Pull yourself together! We have toe up with a n and kill him. Everybody stay where you are!"


    Va shared his feelings and just as much wanted to tear the Golden Knight to pieces for what he had done, but she knew that would be a big mistake.


    Va was the kind of person who could keep her cool mind and think rationally at the right moment.


    "What should we do?" Selena asked confusedly.


    All exits of the hall were blocked, and an invincible enemy stood in front of them. Because of this, Selena began to worry that this ce would be amon grave for them tonight.


    <o>,m "Honestly, I don''t know. I don''t see any weaknesses in him." Va said slowly.</o>


    "Maybe we should attack again." Said someone in the group.


    "No." Va shook her head. "We can''t take any more chances like that. What if he freaks out and attacks us? I hate to admit it, but the knight will kill each of us without any problem if he wants. When he grabbed my arm, he almost broke it. He''s too strong."


    Va sighed, "We must find another way out of this situation. We came here for something valuable, but maybe we should run away. No treasure is worth a few lives."


    The group members nodded. Then they began discussing their ideas and ns. Some wanted to continue attacking the Golden Knight, but some decided it was worth eliminating all risks in this situation.


    "I wonder what will win in their argument, greed or self-preservation instinct?" Wain said with a smile. "Because in my case, greed is the only favorite."


    Wain didn''t even think about finding his way out. He had to get the second part of the map and the unique reward for killing all the Mimics.


    If he ran away now and did not know what the reward would be at the end, he would not be able to go on living as before. These thoughts will torment his mind for a long time toe.


    ''Hmm, but... what should I do? Use Beyond and try to kill the Golden Knight? But, if I don''t get it? What will happen in that case? Without energy and strength, I will surely die...'' Wain pondered.


    Wain looked around carefully. He was lucky that the Golden Knight was a passive opponent, so Wain had time to develop a n. However, after a while, Wain didn''t see any clues.


    There was nothing else in the room beside a mountain of gold and an invincible knight. Wain lit a cigarette and looked at the path from where Va''s group hade. To his surprise, the door that closed the passage was slightly different from the others, with one small detail.


    In the center of the wall was not a golden brick but an iron one. Then Wain looked at his passage and saw a bright yellow brick in the center. It was also gold, but it was more pure, refined.


    There were five passages in all, and the situation was simr in each. In the wall of the third passageway was a copper brick. The wall of the fourth aisle had a tin brick. The wall of aisle five had a bronze brick.


    "Gold, iron, bronze, tin, copper, that''s five metals. Perhaps I was the only one fighting an enemy made of gold, for I had a passageway marked with this metal." Wain muttered and headed toward Va''s group.<sub> </sub>


    They were wary when they saw Wain but did not attack him.


    "What do you want?" Va said coldly.


    "Nothing, I just wanted to ask. What kind of monster did you fight before you got here?"


    "The iron tiger." Va answered briefly.


    "Huh, great, then I have a n. I might know how we can defeat the golden knight, but to do that, we need to team up."


    "Why would you and I team up? There are many of us and only one of you, and what''s more, where''s the guarantee that you won''t betray us?" Va asked cautiously.


    "You have no guarantees as I. But, you can''t pass this test without me. You need me to save time. After we deal with the golden knight, we will decide what we will do with the reward." Smirking, Wain said.


    Of course, he wasn''t going to share the bounty. Even if he got an item worthless to himself, he''d rather give it to someone from Last Light than an enemy organization.


    "All right, tell me your n." Va quickly replied.


    She understood that she and Wain were not allies, but they could team up for a time to solve amon problem. Likewise, she was sure that they would deal with him easily if Wain decided to attack them.


    ''He''s strong, but we''re not weaker. This guy is too arrogant.'' Va thought.


    "Unlike you weaklings, I fought the Golden Tiger, it was much more dangerous and difficult than your opponent, I am sure of it. Look closely at the rest of the passages, and you will notice that the center brick is different in color." Said Wain.


    Va paid no attention to his tone and did as he said. The others did the same.


    "I see, you think we need to kill the remaining monsters, so we have a chance to defeat the Golden Knight?"


    Wain only nodded weakly.


    "Yeah, that''s a genius n you came up with... No one would have guessed that." Va said sarcastically.


    "Yeah, but out of the seven of us, I''m the only one who could think of it." Wain said smiling. "Okay, let''s cut to the chase. There are seven of us, and we can easily deal with each of the monsters."


    "Wait." Suddenly Va stopped him. "I think we should split into teams and kill all the monsters at once."


    "What? Why?"


    "Since you got here first, that means you killed the monster before we did, and we were in big trouble because of it. I didn''t understand it before, but now it all makes sense. When you killed your opponent, our monster got stronger. I''m sure it was because of your actions that it happened." Proimed Va.


    "I see. You think that if we kill two monsters, thest one might be too strong. Okay, then how do we divide?" Asked Wain.


    Va nodded, "There are seven of us and three doors. It would be logical to divide into two teams of two people and one team of three people."


    Wain shook his head, "I don''t need a burden, I''ll fight alone."


    "That''s out of the question. What''s more, I''m going with you, so you don''t have to worry about your partner''spetence." Va said seriously.


    She decided to go together with Wain, as they were the strongest and therefore had to be in the smallest team. Also, Va wanted to keep an eye on Wain in this way, she could not trust him.


    Wain frowned but eventually agreed, "Fine, but if you interfere with me, I won''t hold back."


    Va answered nothing and turned to the other members of the group. They quickly split into teams.


    "There''s one more question left to decide. Who''s going to which aisle?" Va asked.


    "There are three passages left, copper, tiner, and bronze. Obviously, the copper aisle contains the least powerful monster, which means the weakest team should go there." Said Wain pointing to the aisle.


    "I see, that leaves bronze and tin, but which aisle has the stronger monster?" Va pondered.


    "I think the bronze aisle has the stronger enemy." Selena suddenly said. "I''m sure of it since tin and copper are theponents for melting bronze. It would make sense to have the most dangerous enemy there."


    "I agree, then it''s settled. Our team will go to the bronze aisle. Selena''s team will go to the tin aisle and the third team to the copper aisle." Va concluded.


    Everyone nodded and headed for the passageways. As they expected, the Golden Knight did not react in any way to their actions. He didn''t care what they were going to do, as long as they stayed away from the treasure.


    Va and Wain approached their passage.


    "How do we open it?" Asked the girl.


    "It''s simple." Wain shrugged his shoulders and hit the bronze brick with all his might.


    The next moment the wall shuddered and copsed. Wain quickly jumped forward before it recovered. Va followed him.


    Wain didn''t know what he had to do to open the passage, but it was the only option he could think of.


    They walked through the tunnel, lit by a few dim torches. They paced slowly and waited until they met their enemy.


    "My name is Va Folks. What is your name?"


    Wain didn''t answerst time, but Va decided she had to know the name of the man she would be fighting shoulder to shoulder with.


    Wain looked at her and calmly answered, "Wain Norheim."


    "Where are you from?"


    "I already answered that question. I''m from another world." With a shrug, Wain said. He knew Va wouldn''t believe him, so he decided to mock him for days this way.


    "Stop being sarcastic. It''s obvious you''re from the other side of town. There can''t be any other way."


    "So if you know that, then why are you asking questions? Are you stupid?" Wain said with a smirk.


    "Oh, you!" Va became angry at him. Wain was pissing her off more and more by the second.

 Chapter 179 The Trial Of The World Of Darkness

    Va and Wain walked through the dim tunnel and asionally talked about something. Wain was a rather taciturn and quiet man. Va tried to get some information from Wain, but he answered briefly and rudely, much to her annoyance.


    In the end, the girl decided to give up, and they spent thest part of the way in silence.


    ...


    "We''re here." Said Wain looking at the huge bronze heart beating in the center of the room.


    "Yes. By the way, can''t we try to destroy the heart before it turns into a monster? There are no skeletons around at the moment." Va suggested.


    "Not a bad idea."


    The Ring of Damned glowed brightly, and Wain used the Distant Bullet. He loaded the sniper rifle with ammunition and pulled the trigger. Like a white sh, the bullet headed toward the bronze heart.


    However, a ss barrier appeared around the heart at thest moment, and the bullet flew away.


    "Damn, we didn''t make it!" Va said grudgingly.


    "Not really... Thest time I tried to break through the ss barrier around the golden heart, I couldn''t even leave a scratch on the barrier. However, this time there were a few cracks in the ss. We need to try again. Maybe the skeletons won''t make it here in time." Mumbled Wain and used the Distant Bullet once more.


    Va nodded. Then there were violent wind streams beside her, which turned into a massive sphere. She threw the orb at the bronze heart, and Wain fired a sniper rifle at the exact moment.


    Two powerful attacks hit the protective barrier, and it began to crack in many ces. Wain summoned the dark sword and threw the weapon at the barrier as a final attack.


    However, at that moment, the bronze heart shone brightly, and the golden walls around it began to copse.


    Usually, the skeletons should havee running first and sacrificed themselves to create a monster from the heart, but Wain''s and Va''s actions made the situation critical.


    "Fuck!"


    "Looks like we''ve only made things worse..." Va muttered.


    Whooooooosh.


    The next moment the golden bricks headed for the bronze heart. The bronze threads intertwined with the gold and became a fearsome monster capable of tearing its enemies to shreds in the blink of an eye.


    It was a bronze tiger with gold ws and eyes. It was not as formidable in appearance as the golden tiger. Also, the bronze tiger had only three tails instead of five.


    "Hmm, I don''t understand what happened, but it looks pretty weak. My opponent was stronger in times. We''ll have no trouble dealing with him, and we won''t spend much energy on it." Proimed Wain.


    "Yes, let''s make it quick." Said Va, and a lightning spear appeared in her hands.


    Wain did not activate one of the forms, or Beyond, there was no point. The Bronze Tiger was weaker than its gold version, and now Wain was not fighting sole.


    He preferred to act alone most of the time, but that didn''t mean he didn''t know how to fight as a team.


    Whoooosh.


    Wain and Va turned into blue lightning bolts and attacked the Bronze Tiger from two sides. Wain attacked the tail, as he considered it the most dangerous part of the monster, and Va decided to attack the tiger''s head.


    Roooooaaaaaaaaarrrrrr!


    The monster roared furiously and swung its tail. The tiger wanted to dispose of Wain like a pesky fly, but he easily dodged it. Then Wain snapped his finger, and a dark sword appeared in his hand. He inflicted numerous cuts into the monster''s tail and easily severed it.


    The bronze tiger did not expect Wain to be able to inflict such a serious wound on it so easily. The monster roared in pain and tried to run away, but Va had no intention of letting it go.


    She threw a lightning spear at the monster''s head with all her might, and there was a deafening explosion. The monster''s skull shattered into pieces, but the tiger did not die. They needed to make onest attack on the head.


    The monster ran into the tunnel, but suddenly a smiling Wain appeared in front of it. He kicked the monster in the jaw with his foot from bottom to top and then used his sword to pierce the tiger''s head.


    As Wain made the final attack and contributed the most to the battle, the monster''s soul headed toward him.


    [Soul of Bronze Tiger (Destroyed)


    Chronicle: First


    Rating: Rare]


    ''Hmm, as I expected, this soul is weaker than that of the Golden Tiger.'' Wain thought and crushed the soul.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Bronze Tiger level 21.]


    "Good, we can go back. The others probably haven''t finished yet. We need to help them." Said Va and headed for the exit of the room.


    Wain followed her. He was pleased with how easily and quickly they dealt with the Bronze Tiger.


    ''Hmm, I should do less teamwork. It''s too easy and efficient. Honestly, I like the idea of teaming up with Va, Zero, Gisle, Luar, or some other strong man. That way, all fights would be easier and safer. However, in that case, I''ll start regressing, it can''t let that happen.'' Wain thought.


    Wain liked being alone, which was one reason he rarely teamed up with anyone, though he didn''t mind working in teams. However, this decision was also influenced by the fact that Wain believed that being in a team often could lead to weakness.


    He didn''t think people who always worked in teams were weak. That was the opinion of fools and resentful of other people.


    Wain understood that many people were morefortable and better off working in teams, and he didn''t condemn them for it. Some people did much better as a team than they did alone.


    But he believed most people who worked in teams did so not because they could achieve more, but because it was safer and easier.


    It was much easier to kill a monster together with one or more partners than alone. Also, there was always someone who would cover a team member from danger in such a case.


    Such people gradually became worse and weaker because they initially decided so for themselves. By joining a team, they have chosen an easy level of difficulty, and they did it consciously, epting the fact that alone they were not capable of anything.<sub> </sub>


    This was also influenced by the person''s emotional state, as well as his strength of mind.


    Of course, if a person had auxiliary or healing abilities, he could only reach his potential by fighting in a group. However, even in that case, the person had to work hard and try to be better and more skilled every day.


    In most cases, only group leaders or the most active and courageous members became stronger in such conditions, not weaker than they would have been all the time alone.


    Wain didn''t like being a leader, nor was he one to lead the others. At least he didn''t see himself in that position in the near future.


    So the best option for him to be stronger and surpass his limits was to fight and travel most of the time alone.


    Everyone was different, and everyone had a different path, but it had to be justified, not chosen, because that path was the easiest.


    Of course, factors such as character, temperament, outlook, ideology, emotional state, and more also influenced this.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Venita was approaching the room''s exit, and suddenly the walls began to turn into a viscous, dark substance.


    She was shocked and immediately stepped back. Within seconds, the entire room was engulfed in ink, and toothy jaws and huge eyes emerged from them.


    She felt that the ink gave off a terrible and immense aura. Va had never encountered anything like it before.


    "What''s going on...?!" With fear in her voice Venita said.


    She turned back and saw that Wain was gone. He was suddenly disappeared, even though all the exits were blocked. Va thought he had been swallowed by the ink and eaten by the creepy jaws, so she quickly stood in the center of the room. It was safest there.


    At this point, Wain watched her from the sidelines. He didn''t expect something like this to happen suddenly, but he quickly realized the situation.


    When the ink appeared, the ground beneath him disappeared, and Wain moved to another ce outside the room.


    "Amazing... this is the test of the World of Darkness. The first time I was in Dungeon, I also encountered this event. However, watching it from the outside... It''s a unique experience." Wain muttered.


    Since he had long ago passed the test of the World of Darkness and even held a certain status in the World of Darkness, Wain did not need to pass the test.


    He was removed from the room so that he would not disturb Va. She had to handle her test on her own. There were no other ways to be recognized by the World of Darkness.


    She had to prove that she was worthy of receiving the Seal.


    ''I passed the test when, in a fit of anger, I started on the walls myself and started devouring ink and jaws. Also, out of anger, I destroyed the ink door, after which I received the Seal of Darkness. I wonder what she will have to do, and will she pass the test?''


    Va was confused. With each passing second, the ink was graduallying closer to her. She prepared to attack and summoned the lightning spear.


    Va threw the weapon into the toothy jaws, and there was a great explosion. She destroyed several of the jaws and smiled contentedly, but the next moment they recovered.


    The girl began to panic and used all of her skills. She tried to do something to get out of the trap, but nothing worked. Gradually the inkpletely engulfed her.


    Wain thought it was the end and Va had failed the test, but then he realized something was wrong.


    ''Hmm, in my trial, the jaws tried to devour me, but I didn''t hear any screams when dozens of jaws came close to her. Moreover, then there were no eyes on the walls, only jaws. Something''s wrong...'' Thought Wain as he continued to watch intently.


    Whooooosh.


    After a few seconds, the ink began to disperse to the side. Gradually the room grewrger until it was about ten times its original size. Wain was surprised, it was strikingly different from what had happened during his ordeal.


    At one point, the ink stopped moving. Va was standing in the center of the room, but she wasn''t moving or talking. Wain looked at her closely and saw that her eyes and ears were covered in darkness.


    It was as if the world of Darkness had decided to fence her off from her surroundings for a while. Va was in a trance and did not understand what was happening around her.


    Then Wain saw the ink on the ceiling suddenly begin to lighten. Gradually the ink turned into a blue sky with floating clouds and bright sun.


    "What the fuck? What''s going on here?" Shocked, Wain muttered.


    He didn''t know that ink could turn into anything. It was an unexpected and unique phenomenon to him.


    "The World of Darkness manages to surprise me every time. This ce is amazing and unbelievable..."


    Then the ink beneath Va turned into earth covered with thick green grass. To her left was a narrow path leading somewhere in the distance.


    Whoooosh.


    To the left appeared a flower meadow, which was then divided in two by a massive river with bubbling water. Beyond the clearing appeared a precipice from a high slope where the river flowed into a waterfall.


    On the right, tall trees appeared out of the ink. They were huge and numerous. A small pond appeared in the center of the forest and a musty house next to it. Then various flowers, bushes, and even animals were created from the ink.


    Around this area appeared high mountain hills, through which a man could not pass without special abilities. In the distance, there was a dark tunnel going deep into the hill.


    Crackling.


    At that moment, Va regained consciousness. The darkness was lifted from her ears and eyes, and she looked around. However, the girl was not confused. On the contrary, her expression was casual, and she seemed to know the ce well.


    ''Hm, the darkness seems to have brought her out of her trance however, she is partially under hypnosis. Va has no memory of what happened a few minutes ago and thinks all is normal.


    How strange... The World of Darkness has prepared a special tform for her, as well as tweaked other factors such as her perception, feelings, and memory.''


    Wain pondered what was happening. He felt like a scientist watching a subject during an unusual experiment.


    Wain was also curious to know what else the ink was capable of and how much the test of the World of Darkness could vary from situation to situation.

 Chapter 180 All Choices Right And Wrong

    When Va came to her senses, she smiled and headed for the tree with the massive green crown to the left of the path. She plucked a red apple from the tree and took a small bite. She acted like a typical traveler enjoying nature.


    Va looked at the flower field and the huge waterfall.


    "How beautiful..." Mumbled the girl admiring the bubbling water and the various flowers.


    Wain watched this with a strange expression on his face and pondered the situation.


    ''Hmm, she''s not acting as she did before. It feels like she''s be more impressionable and emotional... Maybe her mind has been transported back to a few years ago when she was just a child?''


    Wain didn''t stay with Va for more than an hour, but it was enough for him to understand the girl''s approximate character. In Wain''s opinion, she was cold, calm, and rational. Va was something like him, only less aggressive and defiant.


    "If the darkness has changed her conscious age, then perhaps the world looks a little different from her eyes than it does from my side." Mumbled Wain.


    He waspletely right. Even though Va was still wearing her silver armor and had long green hair, she saw a different scene. She was dressed in simple clothes and had a short haircut.


    Crack.


    When Wain thought about it, Venita''s appearance suddenly changed to the one she sees. Then the girl walked forward. She headed toward the tunnel, far up the hill.


    "Help!"


    Suddenly there was a scream from the depths of the forest. Va grew wary but decided to go into the woods; she could not pass by when someone needed help.


    Although Wain watched the ordeal from the outside, he could not yet see what had happened in the woods. Before the scream, a dark veil appeared over the woods, hiding the scene from Wain''s view.


    ''Damn, the darkness knows how to intrigue. It''s like I''m watching some film...'' thought Wain.


    Va ran into the woods following the cry for help. After a while, she saw a wounded man, and next to himy a dead wolf. The beast had been killed with several stabs, but before it died, it managed to hurt a man seriously.


    The man was bleeding profusely, part of the flesh on his leg had been bitten off, and there were numerous scratches and cuts on his body. He miraculously won the confrontation with the wolf, but he was on the brink of life and death.


    Ten yards away was a mossy house with a pond nearby.


    When Va saw the man, she immediately ran up to him and tried to help. She tore some of her clothes to dress the bleeding wounds and found healing herbs in the area. It wasn''t enough, but Va did what she could.


    Crackling.


    Suddenly the door of the mossy cottage opened. An all-ck silhouette resembling a man in a cloak and with a long wooden staff in his hand stepped out. Va smiled and headed toward the shape. She thought that the forest dweller would help them now.


    Whoooosh.


    However, reality turned out to be cruel. Several spheres appeared around the silhouette, which flew towards Va and pierced each of her limbs and stomach several times.


    She could not dodge and be seriously wounded. Va was too weak to react to such an attack.


    "What happened...?" Va mumbled with difficulty.


    Blood flowed nonstop from her mouth and her eyes blurred. Her condition and the man''s were fatal, and without help, they would both die.


    The situation was hopeless, but suddenly the wooden staff glowed brightly, and a blue pill appeared before the silhouette. It shone brightly like a neutron star.


    The pill fell into Va''s hands, and the silhouette walked away. He closed the door, and the mossy house suddenly disappeared, but Va paid no attention to it.


    At that moment, she stared intently at the pill in her palm. She could feel the tremendous energy emanating from the thing, and she was getting better by the second.


    "Please... help me..." Mumbled the bloodied man.


    He understood, as did Va, that this pill could save him. Va did not know what to do. She trembled and mumbled something uncertainly to herself.


    Crackling.


    Suddenly the man crawled toward her with thest of his strength. He wanted to take the pill away from her. At that moment, Va was trying to figure out what she had to do. She had to choose between herself and saving the other person.


    ''Huh, she had to decide what was more important to her, selfishness or self-sacrifice for the greater good.'' Wain thought.


    As the man crawled toward Va, he kept asking her for help. Finally, when everything blurred before her eyes, Va was ready to give up the pill. She had been taught since childhood to help others, even at the cost of herself.


    Not every man was capable of sacrificing himself for others. History has awarded such men the title of heroes who have saved thousands of lives through their courage.


    Va reached forward to make it easier for the man to take it.


    ''But... I don''t want to die either...'' thought Va looking at the bright pill.


    ''Why should I sacrifice myself if I want to live!''


    She clenched her palm in her fist and threw the pill into her mouth the next moment. The man didn''t expect her to change her mind suddenly.


    "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH, great, looks like this girl is better than I imagined." Wainughed.


    Whoooosh.


    Va''s body shone brightly blue, and her wounds recovered rapidly. She felt a great rush of energy, and after a while, she could stand firmly on her feet.


    There was no trace of the wounds. Instead of scars, her skin was smooth and soft.


    Then a dark spike pierced the man''s body, turning his body to ink. It was proof that Va could pass this stage of the ordeal, but it was not the end.


    Crackling.


    Suddenly thunderclouds appeared in the sky, and the forest and flower meadow on the other side turned to ink. Likewise, Va''s appearance began to change.


    She returned to her former appearance with long green hair, amber eyes, and silver armor fitting tightly over her body.


    There were no right or wrong choices in the trial of the World of Darkness. Each choice was right and wrong, depending on the situation and a person.


    If Va had chosen to give the pill to a man, she would not have passed this stage of the test, and the World of Darkness would have killed her as unworthy.


    However, this did not mean that the World of Darkness needed only selfish people.


    The correct answer was the one Va truly wanted. If Va really believed that she had to sacrifice herself for others, then she would die if she sumbed to selfishness.


    She made her choice, which was influenced by nothing but her desires, and that was the right answer.<sub> </sub>


    This was also one of the reasons why the World of Darkness created such a location to test Va''s.


    Special conditions and unique circumstances were needed for each person. Since if Wain were to go through the same trial, it would be too easy.


    Unlike Va, he wouldn''t even think about which option to choose in this situation. He would instantly swallow the pill, so he had a different test.


    Whoooooosh.


    Va''s memories were slowlying back to her, but partially. She had to go through the next stage toplete the test.


    At this time, the ink began to turn into a huge area. It was like a battlefield where warriors were gathered, and Va was in the role ofmander.


    To her right, a thousand dark silhouettes appeared. They were her warriors, whom she did not know, but they were part of her army and obeyed her.


    Then just one silhouette appeared on her left, but it gradually transformed into a boy about seven years old.


    Whoooosh.


    Two bells appeared in front of Va, one ck and the other iron with many cracks. Above the boy and the squad of dark silhouettes appeared huge swords.


    "The Sword of Damocles..." Wain muttered. The scene reminded him that sometimes people have to make choices with no good options.


    He didn''t know who this guy was, but when Va saw him, tears came out of her eyes.


    "Brother..." Mumbled the girl.


    She hadn''t seen him in a long time, for he had died several years ago in an ident. Now because of the influence of the World of Darkness on her mind, she thought her brother was alive and well. However, she had to make a choice.


    Va had to decide who she would save, a thousand strangers or one.


    Wain watched her closely, for he would have made that choice instantly.


    Wain would not hesitate to kill a hundred, a thousand, or even a million people if there was even the slightest possibility of saving someone he cared about.


    Of course, this was the wrong decision in terms of morality and rationality. After all, many people believed that the lives of all people were of equal value, and in such situations, one should always choose the majority.


    In Wain''s view, however, this wasplete nonsense. People were not robots, each person had their own thoughts, feelings, and opinions.


    To millions of people, someone could be a nobody, but that person was the most important in the world to the other one.


    "I wonder what she will choose? Will it determine if she can pass the test of the World of Darkness and which option is the right one?" Wain muttered.


    Va tried to run up to her brother, but an invisible wall stopped her. First, she had to make a choice.


    The girl thought for a long time and decided to touch the dark bell. She was unsure of her actions.


    Va wanted to save her brother, but she knew that she could not sacrifice a thousand people for one. He was the most precious person to her, but that was a subjective point of view.


    However, when the tip of her finger should have touched the dark bell, the girl''s gaze fell again on her brother.


    "Good girl." Wain said with a smirk.


    Va clenched her teeth with force, and I shouted in a fury, "To hell with you all!"


    Crackle.


    The next moment the darkness answered her call. Thunderclouds turned into a pir of lightning and struck the thousand ck silhouettes like a heavenly punishment. They died instantly and were turned to ash.


    In the end, only Va and her brother remained in the square. But there was no more joy in her eyes, for then her memories returned. She understood that it was all a fake.


    Whoooosh.


    Suddenly her brother''s body shattered into a thousand pieces that flew into her Soul Altar. She sessfully passed the test and received the Seal of Darkness.


    The darkness gradually disappeared, and Wain returned to the hall. He looked curiously at Va, who was trying to make sense of what had just happened.


    ''The main theme of her ordeal was choice, and at the end, it was resolved by a pir of lightning... I wonder if it had something to do with her personality, lived events, and strength? Our trials were as drastically different in every aspect.'' Wain thought.


    "What is this seal..." Va muttered.


    Then she turned around and saw Wain. To her surprise, he was back in the room, looking at her with a calm face.


    Whoooosh.


    Va immediately stepped back, and a lightning spear appeared in her hand. She was wary as she thought it was all Wain''s fault.


    It made sense, Wain disappeared at the most opportune moment and then reappeared as if nothing had happened.


    "Calm down. I had nothing to do with it. The same thing happened to me once." Said Wain, and his Seal of Darkness glowed brightly.


    Va felt it. Moreover, given that Wain had a Second Rank Seal of Darkness, she felt considerable pressureing from him.


    "What is it?"


    Wain shrugged, "It was a World of Darkness. You have to find a spatial rift and get to the neutral zone. Everything will be exined to you there. I didn''t understand a lot of things at first either, but it turned out to be pretty simple, butplicated at the same time."


    Va nodded weakly. She pondered Wain''s words and realized that he had no reason to lie. What had happened to her was strange, but she had to ept it.


    "Wait...don''t tell me you saw everything?!" Va suddenly eximed.


    Wain smiled weakly, "It wasn''t a bad show. Huh, the ticket was free, and I had the best seats."


    Va frowned but answered nothing. She had no strength to be angry with Wain, a hurricane of different emotions was raging inside her at that moment.


    "Okay, we need to go back. How long has it been approximately?" Va asked.


    Wain shrugged, "Not much, about ten minutes. The others are probably still fighting, but maybe they''re done by now."


    Va nodded and ran back. Wain followed her.

 Chapter 181 Defender Of Fake Treasure Mountain

    A few minutester, Wain and Va returned to the main hall. Va didn''t ask any questions, as she decided she would deal with the situationter. Unlike Wain, the World of Darkness and the Seal of Darkness were new to her.


    However, this ce was still rtively new and almostpletely unexplored, even for Wain.


    "Va!" A voice was heard from afar.


    It was Selena, waving contentedly. She and her partner had survived and managed to overpower the tin tiger.


    "Selena! Where are the others?" Va asked.


    "I don''t know." Selena shook her head. "We finished the fastest and were waiting for you, but I''m sure they''re all right. There are three of them, and they''re fighting the Copper Tiger. It''s the weakest monster."


    Va nodded.


    "Looks like we won''t have to wait long." Mumbled Wain looking at the peopleing out of the copper tunnel.


    They were wounded but alive.


    "Was the Copper Tiger really that strong?" Va muttered cautiously.


    "Perhaps it was our fault." Wain joined the conversation. "We got carried away and killed the Bronze Tiger too quickly. Selena and her partner were waiting for the others, so they weren''t slow either. It''s more likely that their monster suddenly got stronger."


    "Ohh... You may be right." Va said guiltily.


    She was too focused on killing the Bronze Tiger without losses and forgot that she and Wain were a strong team and had to give some time to the others.


    Selena walked over to Va and muttered something quietly. She asked her about Wain. How strong he was and any other information about him.


    Unfortunately for her, Va shook her head.


    "He only showed a fraction of his abilities during the battle. I''m sure of that. It''s almost impossible to get any information from him. He''s quite a secretive person." Va whispered.


    Wain couldn''t hear their conversation, but he understood what they were whispering about. He didn''t mind, though, he even found the situation amusing.


    The two girls in charge of an organization that controlled vast territories were acting like two insecure schoolgirls because of him.


    "I see that our protector is still in ce. He''s the standard of stability." Proimed Wain was looking at the Golden Knight.


    Even though they had defeated all the Tigers, the Knight continued to stand in one ce in front of the mountain of treasure. His task, as before, was to protect the chests and the gold.


    "Did we kill the Tigers for nothing? If so, we have made a great mistake. Now three people are wounded and unable to fight to their full potential." Va said puzzledly.


    "I don''t know, maybe I was wrong, but I don''t think so. Something must surely have changed. I suggest we explore this room again and then attack if we don''t find anything." Proimed Wain.


    The others nodded. They had no other options left anyway, so they decided to do as Wain suggested.


    Wain, Selena, and Va scattered in different directions while Silena''s partner helped with the third team''s wounds.


    They tried to find any clues that might point to the Golden Knight''s weakness or some hidden mechanisms, but they were unsessful. After half an hour, they decided that the best option would be to attack the Golden Knight again.


    "I''m not sure, but there''s a small chance that some change has happened to the Knight. The room hasn''t changed, but he might have." Said Wain and waved his hand.


    A dark sword appeared beside him. The weapon flew toward the Golden Knight the next moment like a ck sh. As before, he continued to stand in ce.


    However, the Knight grabbed the dark sword with his hand and crushed it at thest moment.


    Wain was surprised. After he upgraded this skill to First Chronicle, no creature could yet harm the Dark Sword.


    The Golden Knight then red at Wain and gripped his spear tightly. Wain prepared to dodge and used the Sign of Lightning.


    Whooosh.


    The Knight threw the spear with all his might, but it changed its trajectory at thest moment. The knight was intelligent and knew he had to get rid of the weakest first, so his spear did not hit Wain but one of the wounded men.


    The weapon pierced through him and went back to the knight at the snap of a finger.


    "No!" Shouted the in fellow''s partners.


    "It''s your fault!" The girl said furiously, pointing at Wain.


    She was in love with the guy, and at that moment, she couldn''t hold back any longer. A multitude of negative feelings came over her like an avnche.


    "What? I didn''t even touch him. If you''re too weak toy all the me on me, that''s your problem. The murderer is standing in front of the treasure mountain. You must go and kill him if you want to avenge your fallen mate." Said Wain.


    However, his words only made the girl angrier. Her hands became covered with a light shell, and she attacked Wain. Selena and Va wanted to stop her, but they didn''t have time.


    Whoooosh.


    Wain could not stand it and sharply grabbed the girl by the neck. He broke her left arm with a sharp movement of his hand and then pressed her head into the floor.


    Despite the solidity of the golden floor, it was broken like a flimsy tile. Wain struck her in the stomach a momentter, and the girl flew aside like a projectile.


    She was still alive, but she could hardly move. Wain''s blow damaged her internal organs and broke several of her ribs.


    Selena became alert. Two magical circles appeared beside her, and she prepared for battle. She had no intention of forgiving him.


    Wain smirked, and his aura intensified several times. He used one of his Titles, and a silhouette of death with a bloody scythe appeared above him.


    Even though they had recently merged, that didn''t mean that a truce couldn''t turn into a war in a heartbeat.


    Selena shuddered as the pressure from Wain came over her. Because of her abilities, she sensed Wain''s power better than anyone else and knew that she was no adversary to him.


    "Stop it!" Va said loudly.


    "But, he took and beat her! She was seriously wounded. Are we just going to pretend it didn''t happen?"<sub> </sub>


    "Yes." Va said imperiously. "I''m not happy about the situation either, but he was attacked first. We need to band together and attack the Golden Knight, not fight ourselves. Otherwise, someone else will die."


    Selena and Va continued to argue. The other members of the group joined in their conversation. Some supported Selena, some agreed with their leader''s opinion.


    "What a mess..." Mumbled Wain and pulled a pack of cigarettes from under his raincoat.


    He exhaled a puff of smoke, and it turned into a small tornado that flew upward. Wain looked up at the ceiling and saw a strange gray glow on it.


    ''It''s a reflection... But, of what? Isn''t everything here made of gold?'' pondered Wain.


    Then he looked under his feet and saw the break in the floor that was left when Wain was beating the girl who had attacked him.


    He leaned over and saw a gray crystal there from which a streak of energy was emanating toward the Golden Knight.


    "AHAHAHA, this is crazy. Who would have thought that brutality and violence would help solve the riddle." Suddenly Wainughed.


    At that moment, Selena and Va stopped arguing and looked at him, puzzled. They saw the gray crystal under the floor and realized that the golden floor was unstable and thin, unlike the imprable walls.


    "That crystal... It looks like tin in color, doesn''t it?" Va muttered.


    "Yes." Wain nodded and pointed to the knight. "The energy from this crystal is going to where this bastard is standing. We need to find the other crystals. It looks like we''re close to figuring it out."


    Selena and Va nodded. They started breaking the floor and gradually found all five crystals the next moment. Each of the crystals meant one of the metals.


    "What do we do now? We found all the crystals, but what good would that do us?" Selena muttered in puzzlement.


    "It''s simple." Said Wain. "The Golden Knight always stands in one ce, and even when he attacks, he throws his spear and doesn''t move. Given that the energy streaksing from the crystals are heading towards the Golden Knight, it''s likely that they intersect there."


    "I see. You think the monster would stop being invulnerable if it moved. Right?" Va asked.


    "That''s right, but I think we should break all the crystals at once. It would probably seriously hurt the Golden Knight, and maybe we''d break his defenses."


    "Okay, then that''s what we''ll do." Va agreed, and everyone got into position.


    Wain chose the yellow crystal because he thought it was the hardest to break. He could not trust others with such an important task.


    Va signaled, and the next moment they attacked the crystals simultaneously. Wain struck with all his might and the yellow crystal shattered into many shards like broken ss. The others did just as well.


    The next moment, the floor beneath the Golden Knight glowed brightly and went out. Then many cracks ran through his armor, and pieces of gold fell to the ground, but the knight did not die; he shed his skin. Beneath the gold armor was another armor, an iron one.


    "Great, we can probably kill him now. It''s unpleasant to know that all that hard work for only made him just a little weaker, but it''s a big step forward." Wain said quite.


    "I agree." Va said calmly, and a lightning spear appeared in her hand.


    Selena bounced to the side, and her hands were covered in blue energy. Of the remainder, only Wain and Va could fight in closebat, but they also decided to start with ranged attacks.


    The Ring of Damned glowed brightly, and a sniper rifle appeared in Wain''s hands. He used the Distant Bullet and loaded the weapon.


    "Go!" Va said loudly, and everyone attacked.


    However, this time the Knight was not going to stand still, for now, he was not invulnerable. So he quickly bounced to the side and threw his spear at Selena''s partner.


    The guy was ready for it and so was able to dodge, but the spear soared into the air and began chasing him.


    "Shit! Gotta shoot the spear down!"


    Whoooosh.


    Va turned into blue lightning and used one of her skills. The thunderous wind turned into a sphere, and she threw it at the knight''s weapon. The spear failed to destroy it, but it flew away, and the guy was saved.


    Snap.


    Wain pulled the trigger in the same second, and the bullet hit the knight''s leg. This attack was powerful enough to tear off a limb, but suddenly the knight''s body glowed brightly, and several cracks appeared on the leg.


    ''I see, he distributed the force of the blow over the entire area, but if I understand the sequence correctly, it will get weaker each time.'' Thought Wain and moved Whisper into the ring.


    The next moment Wain transformed into blue lightning and appeared in front of the knight. He attacked him sharply, aiming in his stomach. The knight took a few steps back and dodged the blow, but suddenly Va appeared behind him.


    She unleashed a lightning spear at him with all her might. The knight was seriously wounded, and the iron armor began to shatter. Within seconds it waspletely reced with a bronze version.


    "Huh, that wasn''t so hard." Wain said with a smirk and punched the knight in the face with his fist.


    The knight flew off to another part of the hall. Wain didn''t stop there and continued to attack the knight like a wild beast.


    The bronze armor was broken in time, and a pewter armor took its ce. Va and the others helped Wain, and together they reached the copper stage. Then the knight was already very weak. Any blow could have given him a serious and almost fatal wound.


    Crackle.


    Va swung her spear and plunged it into the monster''s heart. Electric shocks engulfed the knight''s body, and gradually the copperyer began to disintegrate. When that happened, the knight died, and the pink soul flew into Va''s body.


    Crackling.


    Simultaneously, the ss barrier around the mountain of treasures began to crack and shatter in a few seconds. Hundreds of shards tumbled down, crashing into even smaller ones.


    Thousands of gold coins shone brightly. Selena and Va smiled at the mountain of chests.


    "Great. We finally made it!" The guy from the third team said cheerfully and ran to the chests.


    Va didn''t stop him. She was d that they could win in the end. Of course, she didn''t expect that there would be so many dangers in this Dungeon, and she would lose so many of her people. It was a real tragedy.


    However, some managed to survive, which was the most important thing to her. Va did everything to protect herrades. She valued other people''s lives, but she understood that no one was immune to death in these times.

 Chapter 182 Chests Are Never Many

    The guy from the third team ran up to the wooden chests and was about to open one of them.


    "You shouldn''t be in such a hurry." Said Wain.


    Va looked at him and smiled. She thought that Wain had decided to share the reward with them and notpete for it, but none of them but Wain knew about the little secret of the chests.


    Click.


    The guy opened one of the wooden chests, but suddenly, he saw creepy tentacles and a big eye instead of a reward. Everyone was shocked by what they saw, they didn''t expect it to be a trap.


    Whoooosh.


    The tentacles twisted around the guy''s neck and tried to strangle him, but Wooden Mimic was a pretty weak monster. He was able to crush the tentacles and jump aside.


    "Shit! What is that?" Shocked, the guy said.


    He had never encountered anything like this before, and it was abnormal to him.


    Whooooooosh.


    Wain appeared in front of the chest and destroyed it with one powerful blow. The tentacle pieces flew apart, and Wain pulled a pack of cigarettes from under his cloak.


    He lit a cigarette and said, "I didn''t tell you, but every one of those chests is a monster. I''ve encountered one of those once before, and I must say we''ve had some pretty bad luck. Instead of a reward, we got monsters."


    "What? You couldn''t have warned me sooner?" The guy said grudgingly.


    Wain smirked, "Didn''t I try? You just should have listened to my advice, but you gave in to greed. That''s your problem."


    The guy wanted to respond to something, but Va stopped him.


    "Okay, I hear you." The girl said calmly, and a lightning spear appeared in her hand.


    She was not happy about the situation, but she could not change anything. Va was going to kill Mimics and get out of here.


    "Wait, I have a proposition for you."


    "Hmm? What is it?"


    "I want to take these monsters for myself. In return, this mountain of gold will be yours. I don''t know what you''ll do with it, but I don''t need it." Wain suggested.


    Va frowned, "Why do you want the monster chests? That sounds rather suspicious."


    Wain answered nothing. Instead, he opened another wooden chest, which was also a Mimic. He squeezed its eye with force and crushed it. Wain did this to demonstrate once again that all chests are monsters.


    "I have a special ability with which I can get more Soul Essence by killing rare monsters. I also want to do some experiments on these creatures." Wain said seriously.


    "What happens if I refuse?"


    "In that case, we will fight. I''m not going to give you what I need. There are more of you, but I can kill every one of you." Coldly Wain said, and his aura began to intensify.


    Va grew wary. She realized that Wain was not their ally despite theirbined efforts to defeat the Golden Knight. The same was true of Wain.


    Moreover, he hadn''t friendly intentions toward them, for one had sent Harald to kidnap Lea. For Wain, Lea was one of the most valuable people in the new world, except Gisle.


    It would not be difficult for him to avenge the attempted kidnapping and kill several people.


    Va wondered. She didn''t know what she should do in this situation. She had initially thought that these chests contained treasure, in which case she would not have agreed to this deal. However, because they were Mimics, she changed her mind.


    She also did not want to fight Wain. Va understood that in the best case, they would kill Wain, but only she and Selena would stay alive, the others Wain would surely kill. At worst, they would all die.


    Va could not sacrifice so many lives just because of possible treasure. After all, if Wain''s words were true, she would not be able to forgive herself.


    "Hmm, I don''t mind, we''ll keep the gold. I think we''ll find a way to use it. But, I have a condition." Said Va.


    "I''m listening to you."


    "I want to open twenty chests and make sure that there really is no treasure in them, and they are monsters."


    "That''s quite a lot, but I agree, just don''t go higher than the third row. The monsters above are too unique and valuable to me. I can''t lose them." Said Wain.


    Va nodded and, together with herpanions, set about exploring the chests.


    In a few minutes, they checked neen chests. Each of them turned out to be a Mimic. Va checked the chests on three rows just as Wain had said.


    On the first row were wooden chests. On the second were copper, pewter, and bronze. On the third were iron chests.


    On each row, there were fewer chests, but they wererger and more massive. Also, the chests on the higher rows were decorated with various patterns, carvings, and precious stones, which emphasized their importance.


    The iron Mimics were quite strong and were able to wound to Selena. One of the Mimics bit her on the arm, it was not fatal, but it showed that even such monsters could be dangerous.


    Va prepared to open thest twentieth chest, but suddenly she changed her mind.


    "I want to open one gold chest. It will be thest after which we will take the gold and leave here." Said Va pointing to the fourth row.


    Wain frowned but eventually nodded. Unlike the wooden chests, of which there were thirty, there were only fifteen gold chests.


    But he could let Va check one of them. Wain approached it, as he was about to kill the Golden Mimic himself and get a soul.


    Snap.


    Va opened the chest and prepared to attack, but the situation was different from before this time. This chest was also a Mimic, but it did not attack Wain and Va.


    This Mimic''s mouth was filled with hundreds of sharp teeth, and it had a long, massive tongue in the center of its mouth.


    "What is that?" Va muttered, looking at the gold bar wrapped around her tongue.


    "Hmm, looks like it''s asleep and doesn''t even know we''re here." Wain suggested.<sub> </sub>


    Wain nodded and reached out his hand for the gold bar.


    When he touched the bullion with his fingertip, the Mimic suddenly woke up and spat out the bullion. However, the monster didn''t run away, and the bullion hovered in the air.


    A momentter, the ingot glowed brightly. It was like the sun. The light engulfed everything around it. It was so bright that Wain, Va, and the others had to close their eyes to avoid going blind.


    Selena and a few others smiled as they thought they had finally found something of value. However, it wasn''t a reward, it was a horrible trap from which there was no escape.


    "What''s going on?!" Shouted one of them.


    Suddenly their bodies began to turn to gold. When Va realized this, she tried to back away, but she couldn''t do it since her feet were already a lump of gold.


    Gradually everyone became gold statues, and the bullion returned to Mimic''s mouth. Even though they were turned into golden statues, their minds were not affected. They were able to think.


    "What''s going on?"


    "Where am I?"


    "What happened?"


    "No...I''m going to die..."


    Hundreds of thoughts and questions consumed their minds. Some panicked and realized that this was the end, but others tried to get out of this horrible situation.


    Va tried to move or use some skill with all her might, but she didn''t work out.


    Crackling.


    Suddenly there was a crackling sound in the hall. Many fissures appeared on one of the golden statues. It was a statue of a tall man in a long cloak.


    [Your Title''s Savior of the Damned effect has been activated]


    [You are the one who saved the damned from the most ruthless and cruel fate of all. You are the one who ended the Isle of the Damned, and such a weak curse is no threat to you]


    Crackle.


    The golden shell shattered from Wain''s arms, then from his legs and torso. Last was the head, from which the gold shards fell in small pieces.


    Wain shook his head and muttered, "Yeah, that was unexpected. I need to get into the business of acquiring strong and rare Titles immediately. Without them, I''d probably be dead by now."


    Wain didn''t know how to help the others, but he didn''t care. At this moment, more than anything, he wanted to know what was in that gold bullion. He realized it was some artifact or even a weapon.


    Wain walked over to Mimic and looked at it coldly. He opened the chest and instantly punched it with his fist. The monster tried to block the blow with its tongue, but Wain retaliated by grabbing the tongue with his other hand and pulling it out in a sharp motion.


    Mimic roared in pain and tried to run away, but Wain was not about to let the monster go. He grabbed Mimic by the legs and, in the next moment, tore the monster in two. Wain''s physical strength was immense.


    Whoooosh.


    The blue soul flew into his body.


    [Soul of Golden Mimic (Destroyed)


    Chronicle: First


    Rating: Rare]


    Wain wanted to crush the soul, but suddenly he stopped when he saw Mimic''s energy being absorbed by Dungeon. At that moment, an interesting idea came to him.


    ''Mimics have more energy hidden in them than other creatures. Doesn''t that mean their souls are more valuable than those of other monsters? Maybe, in that case, I should save them and then sell them to whoever offers a good price?'' Wain pondered.


    In the end, Wain decided to save the soul and talk to Sven about it the next time he met him.


    "Okay, now it''s time to find out what it is." Wain muttered was looking at the gold bar lying on the floor.


    Wain leaned over and touched the bullion. It glowed brightly again, but this time Wain didn''t have to close his eyes, and it didn''t turn to gold.


    Click.


    A mechanism sounded, and the top of the bullion opened. It was a special box and a unique security mechanism. Only a person who knew how to disarm the trap could keep out the deadly beams of light. It didn''t matter to Wain, though, the curses couldn''t hurt him.


    "Isn''t that..." Wain muttered, staring shocked at the contents of the box.


    There was a small piece of paper in there. It looked like part of a blueprint. Wain knew at once what it was, he hade here for the thing.


    Wain touched the piece of card, and the next moment the scrap was covered in blue energy and flew through Wain''s body.


    Part of the card pierced through Va, Selena, and the others, and then the curse began to fall from them. Then part of the map returned to him, and a scene appeared in Wain''s mind.


    He looked down on the ind as he had the first time, but there were certain differences this time. First, he saw the sun slowly rise over the horizon, and then Wain sensed which side of the world he was in. It was east.


    The next moment the two parts of the map came together. When Wain saw this, he realized that he needed to put one more piece together to make the mapplete.


    ''Now I know not only the day when the ind will appear, but also almost the exact time. The ind will appear half an hour before dawn if I''m not mistaken. Also, I''ll need to head east, but I don''t know the exact coordinates... I need more clues.'' Wain thought.


    "You saved us...?" Va muttered uncertainly.


    She hadn''t heard or seen anything during the curse, so she assumed they were alive thanks to Wain, who had a bar of gold in his hands.


    "Yes." Wain nodded weakly. "I have a special passive skill. It helped me survive. Otherwise, we''d be here forever."


    "Thank you." Va bowed low.


    Wain waved his hand, "Never mind. Now take your gold and get out of here. I have a lot of work to do."


    "Of course." Va quickly replied and gave directions to her people.

 Chapter 183 Whats Better Than Gold

    It took Va and the others some time to get all the gold. Wain didn''t stop them, he didn''t mind waiting a bit, and his anticipation was growing with every second. He wanted to know what he would get after he killed each Mimic.


    "See youter." Said Va and left the gold room.


    After she took all the gold coins, all that was left of the mountain was the chests'' structure.


    Wain nodded weakly and walked over to the wooden chests. From a total of thirty, there were only neen left. Some Wain had killed before, and Va opened about five.


    There were six rows in all. On the first, there were thirty wooden chests. On the second, twenty-five copper, pewter, and bronze. On the third, twenty iron ones.


    On the fourth, fifteen gold chests. On the fifth, ten emeralds. On the sixth, five diamonds. There was also one chest at the very top.


    "Okay, it''s time to start." Said Wain and a dark sword appeared beside him.


    Wain decided not to hesitate and immediately attacked all Wooden Mimics. The monsters didn''t expect to be attacked, so they tried to run away, but Wain was too fast and strong.


    The Mimics were in hibernation until someone opened them up. Moreover, some Mimics continued to sleep even after their true identity had already been revealed.


    After a few minutes, Wain killed all the Wooden Mimics. Then Wain moved on to the second row of chests and the iron ones.


    They were more powerful than the Wooden ones, but Wain was still stronger. He easily dealt with them and the Golden Mimics on the fourth row.


    The Emerald Mimics, however, were more serious contenders. These chests were massive, as tall as a man, and Wain felt a formidable aura emanating from them. They were one of the strongest.


    Click.


    Wain opened the emerald chest, and the monster immediately attacked. Unlike the other Mimics, these had long legs and arms with sharp ws that sprouted from the body of the chest. The Emerald Mimic''s mouth was full of teeth like green crystals.


    Whoooosh.


    Emerald Mimic did not run away like the others. The monster decided to attack and devour Wain. Mimic jumped in his direction and swiftly attacked.


    Mimic was fast, but not for Wain. He reacted quickly and cut off Mimic''s left arm with a sharp sword movement. The monster was in pain, but it would not retreat.


    The crystals in Mimic''s mouth glowed brightly and flew at Wain like arrows. Wain retaliated by using the Sign of Lightning and stepping aside. Wain swung his arm, and the dark sword came down on Mimic, slicing him in two.


    Whooooosh.


    The blue soul flew into his body.


    [Soul of Emerald Mimic (Destroyed)


    Chronicle: First


    Rating: Rare]


    ''Hmm, it''s still a Rare Rating. I wonder what kind of Rating Diamond Mimics will have?'' Wain pondered.


    For the next few minutes, he fought against Emerald Mimics. They tried to fight back, and one of them even managed to wound Wain by slicing his arm, but in the end, they all died.


    Wain could feel the surrounding energy bing denser with each passing second. It was a sign that there was an enormous amount of Soul Essence in this Dungeon.


    "Great, in that case, I''ll get something of value." Quite pronounced Wain and moved on to thest tform.


    On it was five diamond chests. Each of them was huge, much bigger than a man, and Wain felt that he couldn''t handle his enemies that easily this time.


    Wain didn''t get greedy and immediately activated the Code of Light and Darkness. He decided to use the first form because it required the least amount of energy of all. After using the Code of Light and Darkness, Wain would be able to use many more skills and other forms as well.


    His hair turned white, and he walked over to one of the five Diamond Mimic. Wain wanted to open the chest, but suddenly all the Diamond Mimics woke up at the same time and opened their mouths wide.


    Wain didn''t expect this, but he was able to react instantly. He turned into blue lightning and stepped back. Momentster, Wain threw a dark sword at one of the Mimics.


    The monster could dodge this throw, but Wain was ready for it. He swung his arm, and the dark sword cut off one Mimic''s leg. At the exact moment, the other four Diamond Mimics attacked him.


    Wain did not dodge. At the moment, his Stamina and Vitality were at quite high levels because of the Code of Light and Darkness. He could withstand several attacks without damage.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    The monsters pounced on him like wild predators on defenseless prey, but their ws could not prate the ck and white armor. Several cracks appeared on it, but Wain remained unscathed.


    Whoooosh.


    Wain''s silhouette blurred, and the next moment the heads of two Diamon Mimics fell to the ground. The other monsters were surprised by this turn of events, but they didn''t back down. They attacked Wain again, but he was already behind them by then.


    He cut one of the Mimics in two with his sword from bottom to top. To the second Mimic, Wain inflicted several lightning-fast cuts, and the monster fell to the ground exhausted.<sub> </sub>


    When thest Mimic saw how Wain had effortlessly ughtered its partners, it decided to flee. However, given the circumstances, the monster had no chance of survival.


    Wain snapped his finger, and the Dark Sword appeared in front of the monster. The weapon pierced it sharply and sliced it apart.


    A pink soul flew into Wain''s body, and he smiled contentedly.


    ''Each of these Mimics had an Epic Rating soul, that''s impressive. The amount of energy contained in their bodies is enormous. Alright, there''s only one left.'''' Thought Wain and headed towards thest chest.


    For Soul Essence to be a reward, a person had to kill all the monsters in the Dungeon. However, suddenly the Dungeon trembled. Wain didn''t understand what was happening because there was still one more Mimic left to fight.


    Wain prepared for battle. He thought it was just another hidden trap, but suddenly energy starteding out of the golden walls. It looked like dozens of streams aiming for the same target.


    When Wain realized what was happening, he canceled the form and smiled contentedly. This was now the first time he would receive a reward from Dungeon. What''s more, this reward would be better than the original one, as Wain had killed 105 Mimics in total.


    Even one Mimic could enhance the quality of the final reward, so Wain was sure that his reward would be fantastic.


    ''Hmm, the crystal in that Dungeon was pink. Does that mean that the award I will receive will be Epic Rating? Perhaps, given the circumstances, the reward will be a Heroic Rating?'' Wain thought.


    As time passed, the energy increased, it umted into a massive sphere. When all the energy gathered in one ce, the sphere began to shrink.


    Wain watched this scene with admiration. It was the first time he had seen something like this, and he was shocked, he felt the sight send shivers down his body.


    In an instant, the sphere stopped shrinking. This meant that the energy had reached the necessary density level, and now the process had moved on to the final stage.


    The sphere split into hundreds of strands, turning into a massive canvas. It hovered in the air so that it touched the ground. It was like a secret booth in an auction house. Wain had to pull the veil down to find out what object was hiding underneath it.


    Wain smiled and approached the veil. He didn''t hesitate and threw it aside with a sharp movement of his hand. The next moment Wain saw his reward.


    It was a long, massive, tinum sword. It was just over a meter and a half long. This sword had no guard, only a hilt and an incredibly sharp de. On the sword''s base was a ck seal with an iprehensible image.


    Wain wanted to take the sword in his hand, but suddenly he trembled. It was because of the immense power of the weapon floating in the air in front of him.


    This was the first time Wain had ever experienced anything like it. Then he stepped forward and grasped the sword firmly by the hilt.


    [Forgotten Monarch''s Sword (First Chronicle, Heroic Rating)


    An invincible monarch long ago wielded this sword, but the currents of time are merciless. In them, the names of even the most unlikely of personalities are erased, and fantastic events are transformed into dust.


    This sword is capable of great power, but only the worthy can wield it. Also in this weapon is preserved a part of the power of the forgotten monarch, but for its activation is necessary to fulfill several conditions.


    *This weapon can be used only if the total number of Stats exceeds 700.


    *After ten thousand creatures are subdued to you, significant changes will ur with this weapon, and the seal will be erased.


    *Strength+30, Agility+35, Vitality+5, Stamina+10. Speed increased by 10%. Attack speed increased by 15%]


    Wain didn''t know what to say. He was amazed, this was the most powerful item he had ever encountered. Moreover, he had never seen a weapon before that required any conditions to use it.


    At this moment, his total stats was 787, so the sword didn''t start rejecting it.


    Wain then walked to the wall, gripped the tinum sword tightly, and swung his hand smoothly.


    The Forgotten Monarch''s Sword effortlessly cut through the imprable golden bricks. Moreover, there were several cracks in the wall, indicating the great power of this attack.


    "Great, this sword is excellent, and it can get even better. I also get so much stats when I use it." Mumbled Wain and headed for thest chest.


    Wain didn''t know why he got the reward before killing all the Mimics, but he had one option. He assumed that thest chest wasn''t a monster, which meant that Wain could get another reward.


    Thest chest was strikingly different from the others. It was slightly smaller than a people size. This chest had a high hat pattern on it and various red patterns on the ck body of the chest.


    Wain moved the tinum sword into the Ring of Damned and touched the chest.


    Click.


    Wain opened it, but he saw a closed eye instead of a reward. He immediately jumped aside. Wain did not expect that this chest would also turn out to be Mimic. Then Mimic awoke, the monster''s aura instantly intensified, and Wain felt a suffocating pressure.


    Arms and legs emerged from the body of the chest, and the monster stared intently at Wain.


    Wain prepared for battle and was about to activate one of the forms, but suddenly something happened that no one could have expected.


    "Hmm? Are you human?"

 Chapter 184 What?

    Wain prepared to fight Mimic. The monster looked strong and formidable, but before Wain wanted to attack, someone''s voice sounded.


    Wain looked around, but he realized that the speaker was Mimic only a few secondster.


    "Can you talk?" Wain said uncertainly. He didn''t understand what was going on. It was all too strange.


    Mimic said slowly, "Yeah, you''re a First Chronicle creature, so no wonder you''re shocked."


    Tremble.


    Suddenly Wain''s aura intensified. He gripped the tinum sword tightly in his hand and said, "It''s not like you''re from another league. I admit I''ve never met a monster who can talk before, but that won''t stop me from killing you!"


    Then gray energy emerged from beneath the earth as if in ming streams. It gradually covered Wain''s palms like gloves, and a ck crown with a closed eye appeared on his head.


    When Mimic saw it, he trembled with fear. The monster had not expected Wain to be so strong, his aura was incredible.


    "Wait, wait, wait." Mimic quickly spoke, stepping back and waving his arms.


    Whoooosh.


    Wain plunged his tinum sword into the ground, and a multitude of cracks rippled across the floor, spreading across the hall.


    "Who the fuck are you?"


    "I''m sorry, please calm down. I wanted to scare you a little, I didn''t think you were that strong. I had my whole life shing before my eyes." Mimic said hurriedly.


    "Answer the question. Why the fuck am I talking to a living chest right now? You realize that''s not fucking normal!"


    Mimic flinched again, "What''s that got to do with me?! It''s not my fault I know how to talk. It''s your fault you only met stupid monsters before."


    Crackling.


    ck electrical discharges appeared around Wain''s hands.


    "I don''t think you understand the position you''re in." Wain said coldly.


    "Stop, I understand you. How about we have a mug of tea and talk?"


    "Are you a total jerk?"


    "I''m serious!" Said Mimic and stuck his hand in his mouth. Then he pulled the tea set out of his mouth, as well as the teapot.


    ...


    Five minutester, Wain was sitting in front of Mimic, quietly drinking ck tea. It was strange, but Mimic persuaded Wain to sit down at the table.


    When Mimic offered to drink the tea, Wain''s patience ran out, and he attacked the monster. However, Mimic tried to escape with all his might, and he even managed to dodge several blows.


    "Maybe you want some sugar? Don''t be shy, I have everything, honey, lemon, cookies, sweets, syrups, anything." With a satisfied face, Mimic said, bringing a cup of tea to his mouth.


    "What nonsense..." Wain muttered and took another sip.


    "Don''t worry, I''m not offended that you wanted to kill me. I understand that you were shocked and acted in a state of affect. I forgive you." Said Mimic.


    Wain did not react to this. He had gotten used to Mimic''s way of talking over thest few minutes and realized there was no point in wasting his nerves on it.


    "Okay, let''s start over. Who are you, and why are you here?" Wain asked.


    "Hmm? Isn''t it obvious, I''m Mimic, and I was here because I slept here."


    "Damn, that''s hard." Wain took a deep breath and tried again. "I hear you. Then I''ll try it another way. Why can you talk?"


    "I''m just smart." Calmly replied Mimic.


    "Do you want to live or not? Answer normally."


    "What don''t you like again? I''m serious. Not all monsters can talk, or rather all, but under certain conditions."


    "Go on."


    "To gain the ability to talk, a monster has to go through a special mutation, it''s called Awareness. It is directly rted to the monster''s strength but not entirely dependent on it. This means that even if the monster is Fourth Chronicle, it''s not a guarantee that it will go through this mutation." Said Mimic.


    "I see, mutations and evolutions are different things. I take it that''s a feature of monsters." Mumbled Wain.


    "Yes." Mimic nodded. "Unfortunately, monsters have to go through this special mutation to start talking. However, that doesn''t mean monsters are dumb, you probably don''t know it yet, but monsters can understand thenguages of all races."


    "I''m well aware of that, you''re pretty understanding creatures, but there''s something I can''t understand. You just said you''re smart, yet you say the other monsters aren''t dumb either. Stop confusing me."


    "What?! I''m telling it like it is. I''m really very smart, but that''s not enough to learn how to talk." Said Mimic.


    "So you went through that particr mutation? You went through Awareness?" Asked Wain.


    "No." Mimic shook his head.


    Crackling.


    The cup in Wain''s hands shattered into small pieces, his patience beginning to run out.


    "Maybe I should stop wasting my time on this and kill you."


    "I don''t think that''s a rational decision. If you kill me, you won''t be able to get any more free tea, so here you go." Said Mimic and pulled out another cup.


    Wain took a deep breath, "Okay, you''re smarter than the other monsters, yet you didn''t go through a special mutation, then why can you talk? I''ve met stronger monsters, but even they could only nod silently. They understood everything, of course, but they were all mute."


    "As I said before, strength alone isn''t enough for that, but I didn''t go through this mutation."<sub> </sub>


    "Then how do you talk?"


    "It''s simple. I have a unique ability, but it''s very rare. Perhaps only one in a few million monsters can learn to talk without going through Awareness."


    "Yeah, I certainly haven''t met anyone like you yet. Then what else happens during Awareness?" Asked Wain.


    "The monster gets stronger, gets new abilities, and so on. I think that''s pretty clear, but there''s more. At that point, the monster gets a Name. This process may be natural, but there may be interference from another race." Said Mimic.


    "Hmm, that sounds kind of weird to me... Why can''t you give yourself a name? It''s just words." Wain muttered puzzledly.


    Mimic shook his head, "Unfortunately, with monsters, things aren''t as simple as we''d like them to be. I should start by exining in more detail how monsters differ from other creatures."


    Wain nodded. He was curious about this and didn''t interrupt his infuriating but informative interlocutor.


    "I would not be wrong to say that the Monsters are the most numerous race in existence, but we are also the most fragmented and unstable race of all. You may have heard of such creatures as Goblins or Trolls, they are monsters, but they can also be called a full race."


    Mimic took a sip of the already-cold tea and continued.


    "I believe that the most urate definition of Monsters would be amunity of hundreds of other, lesser races, as well as creatures whose identity to any race cannot be established.


    Monsters are also more susceptible to mutation than other races because of our hyperactive genes. This is also one of the reasons why there is such a wide variety of monsters."


    "I couldn''t agree more. There are a lot of you." Wain muttered.


    "Yes, but there are certain problems because of that. Monsters canmunicate with each other, but not with members of other races. I''m not sure what the cause of this phenomenon is, but it most likely has to do with our genes'' instability and fragmentation. I''m not a scientist, so my words may be wrong."


    "I understand, but it sounds like the truth."


    "It''s also the reason why we can''t give ourselves a name. First, we have to define who we are, and only then can we be full members of the world, not just living organisms. Viruses and bacteria don''t have names, only a general ssification of species." Said Mimic.


    "Hmm, that makes sense, but I still don''t understand why, for example, you can''t give yourself a name? It sounds like some nonsense to me."


    "In that case, I''d better demonstrate it. Since I can talk, I''ve already chosen a name for myself, but here''s what happens if I try to give it to myself." Said Mimic and put his cup of tea aside.


    He stepped aside and slowly gathered his spirits and said, "Now my name is Ele..."


    Tremble.


    The next moment, the space shook, and arge amount of dark mist permeated the hall. It quickly clustered around Mimic, and various seals appeared beside him. They prevented him from saying a word or even taking a step.


    After a while, the dark mist disappeared. Nothing happened to Mimic, he received no wounds and was perfectly fine.


    "I hope you understand what I was talking about now."


    "Yes, good, then let''s move on to the next question. You said that Awareness could happen naturally, but a member of another race can intervene. How can others help monsters go through Awareness?" Asked Wain.


    "It''s ratherplicated but possible. First of all, there has to be a connection between a person and a monster and some kind of rtionship built. They don''t have to know each other for ten years and save each other''s lives several times. An ordinary, friendly rtionship is enough.


    Secondly, a person who wants to help a monster to pass through Awareness must be pureblood, mudbloods will not do. Third, a person must have great power and be at least a Second Chronicle creature.


    Fourth, a person must own at least one Void, and the monster must reside in territories under a person''s control most of the time. This is to get their auras and energies used to each other.


    Fifth, the monster must approach the desired state on its own. A person can only help make thest step and nothing more."


    "How many conditions... And all to get the Name, now I even feel sorry for monsters." Wain muttered. He didn''t expect the situation to be so serious.


    "Yes." In a slightly depressed voice, Mimic replied.


    He was hurt in the back of his mind that even though he could talk, he was not entitled to a name. This disturbed him and hit him hard emotionally, he felt like some molecule, but only a veryrge one.


    They were silent for a while, Mimic didn''t want to say anything else, and Wain pondered his interlocutor''s words.


    ''Hmm, perhaps I could give the Ice Knight a name? Most of the conditions match, but I''m a First Chronicle creature, and I also don''t know if my blood is right for it. I''m sure the Ice Knight will soone close tomitting Awareness, and I might be able to help him take the final step.''


    "I want you to tell me more about blood. What do mudblood and pureblood mean?"


    Wain understood the meaning of these words, but he was unfamiliar with how the World of Darkness and the hundreds of races living there were arranged.


    "It''s pretty simple. Let''s take two fairlymon and powerful members of races, the Elf and the Vampire, as an example. If a purebred Elf and a purebred Vampire have a child, it will be mudblood.


    Because to be considered pureblood, the blood purity must exceed 50%. In this case, the child will have 50% elven blood and 50% vampire blood, and you need at least 51%."


    "I see, so pureblood Elf and mudblood Elf can have both pureblood baby and mudblood when they mate. It depends on the purity of their blood." Said Wain.


    "Yes, you''repletely right, but even if the creature is mudeblood, that''s not the end of it. There are various ways to increase blood purity, but it is usually too expensive or even impossible for mudblood. But, there is another, extremely rare option, with only a few precedents in thousands of years."


    "And what method is that?" Wain asked with genuine interest.


    "The Mudblood creature must be a new race. It''s almost impossible, but in that case, it would cease to be mudblood and instead be the progenitor of a new race and crystal clear blood.


    Unfortunately, I have no idea what it would take to do that, but I''m pretty sure that power alone isn''t enough. It''s tens or hundreds of times harder than going through Awareness."


    "How confusing it all is... The World of Darkness really is an incredible ce..." Mumbled Wain and thought about Mimic''s words.


    ''Hmm, I have no idea how pure my blood is. Of course, people have that notion too, but in today''s world, it has be unimportant. Until recently, people didn''t have superpowers, so blood purity is just a remnant of the past when it was important to royal families.


    However, I learned something interesting. There were quite a few Elves and Vampires stories in my world. Is that a coincidence? No, there are no such coincidences.''


    "Tell me, what do Elves and Vampires look like?" Wain asked. He wanted to be sure of his hypothesis.


    <o>,m "Elves are tall anthropomorphic creatures. Their average height is almost two meters. They have pale, smooth skin, blond hair, and pointed ears. Their average lifespan is one thousand years."</o>


    Vampires are also anthropomorphic creatures, and they are quite simr to Elves. They are also quite tall, their skin is just as pale and smooth, but their hair doesn''t have to be blond. They also have regr, not pointed ears. Their main features are their fangs and the fact that they drink the blood of other creatures."

 Chapter 185 Black Rabbit

    When Mimic exined what Elves and Vampires looked like, Wain was finally convinced that his homeworld and the new one were connected to the World of Darkness.


    Perhaps the World of Darkness had decided to destroy his world for some reason, or it was the decision of some powerful being. Wain could not know the answer to that question.


    However, he was content to learn a little more about the universe he lived in. Also, another goal appeared on his to-do list. Of course, Wain understood that it would take him an enormous amount of time to find the answer, but he was ready for it.


    "Okay, I get the point about names and blood purity, but I have one more question. You can''t give yourself a name without going through Awareness, but you can have a nickname. Right?" Wain asked.


    Mimic nodded, "Yeah, that''s not a problem. A nickname has no power, so I can think of any."


    "Do you have one? So I can refer to you in some way." Wain asked.


    "Hmm, I''ll have to think about it. I want to be some auctioneer and aristocrat in one person and some mystical person. How about ck Rabbit?" Mimic asked.


    "You? ck Rabbit? AHAHAHAHA, that''s pretty funny, but it probably works for you. Okay, I''ll refer to you that way." Said Wain.


    Wain realized that ck Rabbit was a useful character during their conversation. When ck Rabbit told him much about races, blood purity, and the nature of monsters, Wain decided that he would take Mimic back to the Void. He was sure it was the right decision.


    "Now you know my newly invented nickname, but what is your name?"


    "Wain Norheim."


    "Yeah, you''re very lucky. Not only do you have a name, but it''s also so good..." Mimic said with annoyance in his voice.


    "Don''t worry, considering you can talk. You''re already closer than anyone else to getting a Name."


    ck Rabbit nodded.


    "Wain, I want to talk to you about something else. This is where our acquaintance began. I know quite a bit, but I''ve only heard once about what humans are and what they look like. At first, I thought you were an Elf or Vampire or other anthropomorphic race, but your aura differed.


    It is unlike anything else, it is as if you exist, but at the same time, you don''t. Your aura is like an invisible piece of paper. It is there, but it is empty, and to most, it does not exist. It''s a very strange feeling, it''s like I was looking into an abyss."


    "Quite an eloquent description. Yes, I am. Do you have any questions for me?"


    "Of course, I would like to know more about you and your race. I may not know about all the existing races, but only because some races are too small and weak. No one wants them, and no one is interested in talking about them or hearing about them.


    However, humans are different. It is almost impossible to find information about you, but not because you are weak or small. You are covered by a secret veil through which it is impossible to see. I am curious to know more about you." ck Rabbit said with anticipation.


    "Huh, that''s funny, because I''d like to know more about us, too. I''m not lying to you. I know a little more than the others. We live in the samend as the others, we fight, create conflicts, and evolve all the time. What''s more, I''ve only met other races twice before, and I don''t know what they wanted from me." Said Wain.


    He could have told ck Rabbit about the he lived on, the apocalypse, and the monsters, but he didn''t see the need. It was useless information that would only increase the ck Rabbit''s interest in him. Wain thought it might have been problematic, so he decided not to go into it.


    "Damn, and I thought I was about to hear a long and cryptic story that would answer all my questions..." Mimic muttered regretfully.


    Wain shrugged, "Unfortunately not this time. I need to understand myself more first. Then I can share this information with someone."


    Mimic nodded and took onest sip finishing his cup of tea. Then he pulled some cookies out of his chest and began to eat them slowly.


    "Do you have any special powers for keeping things? Every time you put your hand in your mouth, it gets covered in a dark shell, as a portal appears." Said Wain.


    "Yeah, something like that, it''s a feature of strong and clever Mimics. Not all of them, of course, but some are as capable of it as I am. In time, I''ll be able to amodate a lot more things than I do now."


    "You''re considered strong?"


    "That''s obvious. Sure, I''m weaker than you, but I''m pretty strongpared to other First Chronicle creatures. Few can stand up to me on equal footing." ck Rabbit said proudly.


    "Okay, it''s time to get out of here." Said Wain.


    "You''re leaving already?! All right, we had a nice chat. I hope we''ll see each other again sometime." Mimic said with sadness in his voice.


    "Hmm? You''re not staying here. You''reing with me." Said Wain.


    "What?! Where?!"


    "§¡? Didn''t I tell you I own one pretty good Void?" With a slight smile on his face, Wain said.


    "What?!"


    "Why are you so surprised? You say you''re pretty strong. I can easily take over a weak Void. At least I''ve already managed it twice in a row. It wasn''t hard." Said Wain.


    Wain understood that he would fight more dangerous Voids in the future, and it would be real life-or-death wars, but for now, it was pretty easy. The only surprise was the appearance of the Purple Pilgrim, but even with this foe, Wain was able to cope.


    "Yes, but capturing Void is quite difficult. I''m amazed, and am I really allowed to go with you?" ck Rabbit asked.


    "Sure. Just don''t get in the way. I need to concentrate, there must be a spatial rift somewhere."


    Mimic nodded.


    Unfortunately, there was no spatial rift in the main hall. Wain had to walk with Mimic halfway through the Dungeon before feeling the energy fluctuations.


    ''Good thing my second rank Seal of Darkness, the spatial rift is about sixty meters away. Under other circumstances, I never would have found this passageway.'' Thought Wain looking into the golden wall.


    The Ring of Damned shone brightly, and the Forgotten Monarch''s Sword appeared in Wain''s hands. He decided to cut his way forward and thus reach the spatial rift.


    Spatial rips could be anywhere, in open terrain, in a wall, or even in the air several kilometers high.


    Whoooosh.


    Wain swung his sword and easily cut through the golden brick wall that had previously seemed invulnerable. He continued to walk forward and make his way. Mimic walked slowly behind Wain.


    ''This sword is incredible. With every swing, I feel incredible power, I feel like I can chop anything.'' Thought Wain looking at the tinum sword.


    "That''s quite a weapon you have." Said Mimic.


    "Yeah, I had to kill everyone in this Dungeon for that, including your fellow Mimics." Wain calmly said.<sub> </sub>


    He did not consider whether his words might hurt ck Rabbit, who was also a Mimic. Anyway, he didn''t care about it. Wain seldom cared about other people''s feelings, which was characteristic of rude and straightforward people.


    "I don''t know them, so it''s not a big deal. I just wanted to rest, so I fell asleep for a few months. During that time, more than a hundred Mimics showed up from somewhere. I have no idea what happened." Scratching the back of his head, ck Rabbit said.


    ''Hmm, Sven said that Dungeon appeared because of arge umtion of Soul Essence in one ce. But I suppose it''s also possible that territory came from some little Void to this world.


    Maybe the Void was destroyed, and it was a response from the World of Darkness? Or is the excess of Soul Essence in some territory to me? Or am I rambling now, and this is all my spection?'' Wain thought.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Mimic followed Wain, and the sound of his footsteps echoed for dozens of yards around. His ws were sharp enough to easily cut through the walls of the temple, which he did out of boredom. It took Wain a long time to carve sixty meters of gold.


    Despite ck Rabbit''s manner, he looked quite formidable. He was two and a half meters tall, the teeth in his mouth were sharper than any de, and his arms and legs possessed incredible strength. Mimic wasn''t lying when he said he was stronger than most First Chronicle creatures.


    Crackle.


    After a while, Wain finally reached his target. Part of the wall turned to ink, and he and Mimic stepped inside.


    As before, there was a door to Sven''s bar, an inky door with many eyes, as well as a massive ice gate. However, this time they were slightly different. There was snow on them now and some sand underneath.


    "There''s your new home." Said Wain as he approached the gate.


    "Looks pretty good. I hope the monsters here don''t disappoint me." Mimic muttered.


    "Don''t worry, they have a great leader, and I''m not talking about me. We''ve already won one war, and this is just the beginning of our winning ways." Said Wain and opened the ice gate.


    Wain gave Mimic permission to enter, and they entered Frozen Land together.


    "I was away for a short time., but this ce has managed to transform." Wain muttered.


    After crossing through the gate, he found himself in the main hall where energy crystals were pit. In this ce, Wain fought an ice wyvern, after which he became the owner of this Void.


    "Hmm, perhaps I should consider building a real main hall instead of calling the pit with crystals like that. Then that''s what I''ll do today." Mumbled Wain.


    "There are so many crystals here..." Mumbled ck Rabbit.


    "Yeah, my guys did a pretty good job. It''s times more than I expected. However, the growth rate of all the resources in this Void has recently been increased, so it shouldn''t be surprising."


    The pit waspletely filled with crystals. Wain didn''t know how many were there, but at least several hundred were there.


    Crackling.


    Suddenly there was a thunderous sound from the left. Wain turned around and saw the Ice Knight walking in his direction.


    Wain smiled, but the Ice Knight, on the contrary, became wary. The monster felt the threating from Mimic. The Ice Knight immediately adopted a battle stance, and his ice de glittered, he was ready to attack at any moment.


    "Take it easy. He''s our new friend." Wain said slowly, pointing at ck Rabbit.


    By then, a great number of monsters had approached them. They stared intently at Wain and Mimic from the caves. Some were aggressive toward Mimic, some were just curious to see what would happen next.


    Suddenly, ck Rabbit waved his hand and said, "Hello everybody, nice to meet you."


    It was the usual greeting, but all the monsters were stunned at that moment. They didn''t know how to react to a monster who could talk. It was something incredible to them.


    "You shouldn''t be so surprised, I don''t know why, but he can talk. It''s his unique ability." Wain exined the situation.


    After a while, the monsters nodded. Some ran away, they wanted toprehend what had happened, but some came up to ck Rabbit and tried to talk to him.


    Of course, the monsters understood each other without words, but this was a new experience.


    ck Rabbit was very talkative, and so he chatted with the monsters for over an hour. He talked to them about all sorts of topics, but mostly it was nonsense.


    "Ice Knight, good job." Said Wain pointing to the energy crystals.


    The monster nodded.


    "Wain!" ck Rabbit said loudly.


    "What is it?"


    "I see crystals are growing in these caves, and you''ve mined quite a few of them."


    "Yes, that''s right." Wain said calmly.


    "I have a suggestion for you. I can increase the amount of energy in these crystals by 5%." Said ck Rabbit.


    "Are you serious?" Wain asked in disbelief.


    "Of course." Mimic nodded his head. "It''s pretty easy, but 5% is my maximum. I''m not capable of more than that."


    "I see. How will you do it, and how long will it take you?"


    "It''s simple. I need to move all these crystals into myself, not eat them. There is arge amount of energy hidden in my body, and because of that, the crystals will be a little more effective.


    Considering the total amount, it will take me about ten hours. Then I''ll put all the crystals back in ce." Said ck Rabbit.


    Wain thought about it, it was a good suggestion, but he couldn''t entirely trust ck Rabbit yet.


    ''Maybe he wants to eat them all? No, that''s nonsense. If he does, he''ll surely die. There are over a thousand First Chronicle creatures and an Ice Knight besides me. He doesn''t stand a chance in battle.''


    "Okay, I agree."

 Chapter 186 The Irrelevance Of Borders

    Wain decided to ept ck Rabbit''s offer, and when Mimic heard this, he immediately headed for the crystals. The Ice Knight was on guard, he could not trust the monster he had just met. The energy crystals were too valuable a resource.


    "Okay, let''s get started." Mumbled ck Rabbit and opened his mouth wide.


    The next moment, the blue crystals gradually began to fly into the chest as if powerful wind currents were sucking them in.


    The monsters stared at the scene in bewilderment, some thinking that Wain had decided to give everything to Mimic, and they didn''t like it. However, they had no say.


    After a few minutes, c Rabbit absorbed all the crystals, and the massive pit was empty again. Wain reassured the disturbed monsters with a few words, he did not want a civil war to break out.


    "It must be like reinforcing so many crystals?" Asked Wain.


    ck Rabbit shook his head, "No, keeping other objects is a natural process for me. It''s also how the crystals are infused with energy themselves. I don''t have to do anything, just wait. In ten hours, all the crystals will be 5% more efficient."


    "Great."


    "Hey, ck Rabbit, you said that a member of another race can help a monster get through Awareness, but what a person has to do in that case?" Asked Wain.


    "§¡? Why do you need to know that?"


    Wain shrugged, "I''m just curious."


    "Hmm, okay. A member of another race must touch the monster and give it a name. If all the conditions are met, it will work. Okay, I''m going to have a chat with someone. I''ll be back in ten hours."


    "Wait."


    "What?"


    "All fighting is off-limits in this ce. As long as there are no wars, we have an idyll and a training paradise. Of course, no one bans sparring." Proimed Wain.


    "Oh, great, I never liked to fight. There''s no point in that, it''s better to drink tea and rx." Said ck Rabbit walking away into the distance of the ice caves.


    Wain walked up to the Ice Knight, "I''m not sure if I can do it, but tell me, what name do you want?"


    The Ice Knight was puzzled by such a question. Even though he was a monster, unlike ck Rabbit, he did not know what Awareness was. Most monsters would learn about this process naturally if they were lucky enough to go through it.


    "Well? What name do you want?"


    The Ice Knight came to his senses and pondered. After a while, he tried to exin to Wain what he wanted through gestures, but it was a hopeless idea.


    "Wait, I don''t understand anything. Put a name on the ice." Wain suggested.


    The Ice Knight nodded, and the ice de glittered, but that too was a failure. The monster could understand Wain''s speech, but it did not know the alphabet of thenguage in which Wain spoke. Instead of letters, he saw iprehensible symbols on the ice.


    "Damn, that was harder than I thought." Wain muttered.


    He could havee up with a name for the Ice Knight himself, but he didn''t want to do that. Wain felt that the Ice Knight wanted to name himself, and Wain could not deny that wish.


    "Okay, this is going to be difficult, but there''s another option." Said Wain looking at the monster. "You want your name to start with the letter ''A''?"


    ...


    Thus more than ten minutes passed while Wain went over the letters. Of course, the Ice Knight didn''t know what the letters looked like in writing, but he cared about the sound. Eventually, Wain could figure out what name the Ice Knight wanted with this method.


    "Okay, now it was time to find out if it made sense." Said Wain and touched the Ice Knight.


    Of all the conditions ck Rabbit said, Wain didn''t fit only one. He was a First Chronicle creature when he should have been at least a Second Chronicle. However, he also didn''t know if his blood fit the condition.


    ''Hmm, I''m probably worried about the blood for nothing. It''s probably important that the blood of a race is considered pure, which means that everyone''s blood, including mine, is 100% pure.'' Wain thought.


    ording to ck Rabbit, his idea was that for blood to be considered mixed, one had to have a child from a member of another race. However, there was no other race among humans besides themselves. In that case, like any other human, Wain''s blood fit that condition perfectly.


    "All right, here we go. Your name is now Frigus!" Wain said loudly, but nothing happened.


    He thought his idea had failed, and it was initially unsessful. Wain was about to remove his palm from the Ice Knight''s armor, but suddenly the space around him trembled.


    Several cracks appeared in the air, from which a dark mist rose. It headed toward the Ice Knight and Wain, enveloping thempletely. It was like a massive tomb created especially for the two of them.


    All the monsters immediately headed there, including ck Rabbit. He thought some battle had begun and was going to help Wain.


    Whooooooosh.


    The next moment various seals began to appear on the tomb and the bodies of Wain and the Ice Knight. They were simr to those that prevented Mimic from fully saying his name.


    More seals appeared on Wain''s arm with each passing second. He began to feel heavy. It felt as if his arm weighed several tons, as well, as infernal pain pervaded him. His body struggled to cope with the strain Wain had condemned himself to by deciding to give a name to the monster.


    "Wain, stop! Nothing will happen to him, but the energy could tear you apart if you keep resisting! Just let go of your hand, and it will be over!" Shouted ck Rabbit.


    He knew that Wain could even die in such a situation, and Mimic couldn''t let that happen. If the dark mist kills Wain, it threatens to cause many problems associated with this Void.


    ''Damn, looks like I was too presumptuous. I need to get stronger before I can help the Ice Knight get through Awareness, but... I''m just a little short, I need to take one more step, and I can break the barrier despite the rules.''


    Tremble.


    Every monster in Frozen Land had goosebumps running down their bodies the next moment. It was their natural response to the incredible power emanating from the other creature.


    They sensed danger and mortal threat, but no one was going to run away. They stared intently at the dark fog.


    [Your emotions, desires, and behavior are consistent with your status. You are the Nameless King, which means that your path is unshakable.]


    [The special effect of your main Soul, Nameless King, has been activated.]


    Whoooosh.


    A dark pir of energy burst from Wain''s body the next moment. Space trembled, and cracks began to appear in the mist on the tomb. It looked as if Wain''s power was changing the rules.<sub> </sub>


    Of course, Wain was not omnipotent, but the passive power of his Main Soul was fantastic.


    "Come on!" Shouted Wain.


    Dark Mist tried to contain Wain''s power, but his energy only increased. Eventually, the seals and mist shattered into multiple shards, and Wain''s eyes glowed brightly. His blood boiled likeva in a volcano, answering his call.


    The pir of energy turned into a small sphere that was like a pulse through Wain''s hand and into the Ice Knight''s chest.


    Whoooooosh.


    The seal on the Ice Knight''s chest shed, and there was an energy surge around him. Wain was thrown aside, and the icy walls of the caves began to copse. The monsters had to run away, as it was a dangerous situation, but no one moved.


    They were mesmerized by the scene. The monsters were not looking at Wain but the Ice Knight. Wain miraculously gave him the momentum he needed, though he did not meet all the conditions.


    The Ice Knight''s body glowed brightly, and then ayer of ice began to appear on his armor. Gradually he was encased in a massive block of ice, which became denser by the second.


    At the time, it was impossible to see what was inside as the ice became too dark.


    "Fuck... That was too much..." Proimed Wain, vomiting out a mouthful of blood.


    He had expended too much energy and could even go against the rules because of his strength, but he couldn''t hide from the recoil. His body was at its limit, Wain had numerous wounds all over it, his organs struggling to keep him alive.


    Everything was floating in front of him, but he tried not to lose consciousness. Wain wanted to see what changes would happen to the Ice Knight at all costs.


    After about thirty seconds, it began to crack. Wain smiled as he watched his strongest monster or warrior emerge from the ice.


    The armor on the knight has beenpletely transformed. It became less bulky morefortable for increased mobility. The armor was blue with a white me pattern on the shoulders and chest.


    Likewise, the knight''s weapons had changed. Instead of an outgrowth on his arm, he now had two long, icy swords. The swords were smooth and sharp on one side of the de, but they looked like saws on the other. These swords could be used to cut and tear the flesh of their enemies.


    The most remarkable change urred to the Ice Knight''s appearance. His white hair became slightly shorter and was just below his shoulders. His eyes were no longer ugly and wild. They were as cold and calm as the sea in the calm.


    His mouth became less unsightly, as did his teeth, which used to stick out haphazardly in all directions. Frigus became more human-looking, but the distinctive monster traits remained.


    Whooooosh.


    He swung his swords and fastened them to his back. They froze to the armor and held firmly as if they were in a sheath.


    Frigus walked over to Wain and said with a smile, "Thanks, now I have a name too."


    "Huh, I never thought giving names was so traumatic..." Wain muttered and passed out.


    Frigus smiled and gently picked Wain up. He carried him to the icyke, submerged him in the water, and went off to lead hundreds of monsters.


    Wain''s wounds were not fatal; he would easily survive, even without medical intervention. His regeneration was sufficient, but it would take arge amount of time since his entire body was wounded.


    His body cooled, and the passive skill did its job. Invisible threads healed torn tissues as well as internal tears. At that moment, deep within Wain''s mind, changes began to ur.


    Inside the dark castle, in the center of the hall on a gray tform, sat three silhouettes as before. The icy energy was directed toward the Cursed Swordsman, but it was not enough to destroy one of the chains this time.


    "I need more energy..." The man in the tattered cloak muttered slowly.


    "Yes, but your process is proceeding smoothly, which cannot be said of you. Isn''t it?" Pronounced the Blind Sorcerer looking at the man in ck and white armor floating in the air.


    "Ehh... It was hard to get back to normalst time, but that''s the true bnce. Absorbing and dominating one of the two sides but keeping the overall bnce. After all, darkness is light, and light is darkness, but I need more time..."


    At that moment, his armor was mostly ck, the white was about 40%, and half of his face was covered by a ck demon mask.


    Cursed Swordsman wanted to say something, but suddenly.


    "AHAHAHAHAHAHA." There was loudughter in the distance.


    The three men were surprised, they turned around and saw a silhouette wearing a white mask.


    It looked like the kind that aristocrats wore at masquerades or secret meetings, where everyone had to keep their identities secret.


    "What? How did you get in here?" Blind Sorcerer asked in amazement.


    "It''s easy. Didn''t you feel the recent surge of energy? I used that moment to get in here, albeit temporarily."


    "Decided to say hello?" Said the Code of Light and Darkness.


    "Something like that. Hmm, that''s not a bad thing." Said the silhouette pointing to the crown floating in the air. "For now, however, it''s just symbolism and nothing more. For a demon to wake up, the angels need to start acting..."


    Whooooosh.


    The silhouette waved his cloak and disappeared. The others said nothing, they thought about his words.


    ...


    Wainy in the icyke, finally beginning toe to his senses. His wounds were 70% healed, and he was ready for anything. Wain slowly opened his eyes and heard the already familiar crackle of breaking ice on his body.


    He stretched and heard his bones crunch, then slowly climbed out of theke.


    ''Damn, why does it feel so much colder in this ce? I''m sure the water was warmer before, and that''s considering my stats have increased considerably.''


    He looked around and saw several monsters standing in the passage. They had been sent here by Frigus as protectors of Wain''s peace.


    "I was wounded, but it went as I wanted. What''s more, I seem to have begun to understand a little bit about how my main soul works. In addition to the powerful skill with forms, Nameless King also has a strange passive effect. Thanks to it, this world couldn''t destroy me." Wain muttered.


    He shook his head, and his Seal of Darkness glowed brightly. He wanted to see how much the monsters had time to explore.

 Chapter 187 Fruit

    When Seal of Darkness was promoted to the second rank, Wain as the owner of Void, gained one unique ability. He could see a detailed map of the Voids under his control. However, this ability had one drawback.


    Wain could not see ces that he or the monsters had not yet visited. It was simr to how a character in aputer game would gradually discover a map exploring a virtual world.


    "I don''t know how long it took to recover, but hopefully, in that time, the monsters have had time to explore Frozen Land fully." Wain muttered and closed his eyes.


    The next moment a huge 3D map appeared in his mind. Wain saw dozens of passageways, multi-level ice caves, and a vast snowy desert with hundreds of massive dunes. He also saw himself next to an iceke.


    Unlike the other monsters that looked like blue dots, his mark was a crown. Likewise, Frigus had a special mark, he was marked as a knight''s sword.


    "Apparently, they did a good job. I''m not sure, but it looks like they''ve explored more than half of the entire area. It''s amazing..." Wain muttered.


    The number of caves in the Ice Caves area had increased several times over what the ce looked like before Wain''s arrival. Thousands of crystals simultaneously grew in these ces, waiting to be collected. It was like a natural crystal farm.


    However, the second area was only partially explored. The monsters in the Snow Desert were less active.


    ''Hmm, that was to be expected. It''s quite difficult to explore the area under the dunes, especiallypared to the Ice Caves. Trolls can easily dig a deep cave of a few dozen meters in a day, but it''s much harder to work with sand...'' Wain thought.


    Wain wasn''t happy about it. He thought there might be some resources in the depths of the Snow Desert as well. He had to know somehow what was beneath the massive dunes.


    "As far as I understand, Rank-F territories only have one resource growing, since after Ice Caves became Rank-E territories, another resource besides crystals started growing on it..." Wain pondered.


    Then he shook his head, "No, that''s a wrong theory. Ice Caves was a Rank-F territory before I came, but the energy crystals didn''t start growing until I owned that Void. This means that Snow Desert can have two resources, or it can have zero.


    I need to figure out how that works. Without that information, it''s hard to make ns. By the way, I need to find out what new resource is growing in this area."


    Wain looked closely at the map and saw that above theke, one floor above, was a spacious room. Wain couldn''t figure out what was there, but as he looked closer, he saw something.


    "Are those trees...?" Wain muttered puzzled.


    The map was quite detailed, but the detail was limited. That meant that Wain couldn''t see where the energy crystals were growing, how many branches were on the trees, and other such minutiae.


    ''Hopefully, the efficiency and functionality of the map will improve in the future, but for now, it''s enough. Without the map, I''d have to spend days exploring the paths to understand what the terrain I own looks like roughly.''


    Wain shook his head and walked out of the room with the iceke. When the monsters saw him, they bowed respectfully and stepped aside, letting him through.


    They respected Wain for his strength and decision not to take energy crystals for himself, but after the incident with Frigus, their degree of trust went to a new level.


    Of course, they too wanted Wain to help them as much as the Ice Knight, but they knew it wasn''t that easy. The Ice Knight had a good rtionship with Wain, and the monster hade close to getting through Awareness on his own.


    Wain could not give names to all the monsters and make them much stronger, it was impossible. He could help them if all the conditions were met, but no more than that.


    Also, Wain had suffered serious wounds, and he didn''t want to take that risk again without the proper reward.


    "Damn, the tree cave is on the next floor, but ording to the map, it''s going to take me quite a while to get there..." Wain muttered.


    The caves were not t. They were like dozens of threads that intertwined with each other, sometimes that was a plus, but sometimes it could cause problems. There was no direct path to the trees, so Wain decided to fix this w.


    Whoooosh.


    Two swords appeared in his hand, one of dark energy, the other of tinum and unbreakable. He jumped high up and plunged the dark sword into the ice, thus holding on to the ceiling.


    ? Wain took a few swings and cut through the ice cube. It fell down with a rumble, shattering into many shards. It wasn''t enough, so Wain continued to climb up using this method.


    Crackling.


    After a minute, Wain cut his way through and climbed to the top. There he saw Frigus looking up at the icy trees.


    "Hello. I see you''re feeling better." Frigus said calmly.


    "Yes." Wain nodded. "It was difficult, but I don''t regret what I did. Tell me, how long was I in the iceke?"


    "If I''m not mistaken, six or seven days."


    "Ugh. That''s quite a lot, the time keeps getting shorter and shorter..." Mumbled Wain.


    He was a little frustrated, for the ind was just over fifty days away. In that time, he needed to find thest part of the map, the air transport, and prepare for the journey.


    ''Looks like I won''t have time to evolve. Okay, it''s not that important. I doubt there''s a single person who''s had time to evolve twice in five months. It''s impossible.'' Wain thought.


    Wain spent a lot of time on his first evolution and recovering from each of the deadly battles. However, anyone who wanted to progress quickly had to put his life in danger, just as Wain did.


    This meant that even if there was a man as strong and fast as Wain, their progress was at best the same. At worst, Wain was way ahead, especially given his progress in the World of Darkness, as well as his Title - The First.


    Wain wanted to ask Frigus about the ice trees, but the Knight beat him to it.


    "Wain, you have recovered, but you need to eat." Frigus said, pointing at Wain.


    His body was gaunt, and he looked as if he had been starving for weeks.


    "Right... When was thest time I ate?" Wain muttered.


    The average person would begin to feel hungry a few hours after eating. Wain was no exception, but thanks to his high stats, he could stay energetic and not be distracted by eating for much longer.


    However, he spent a week in an iceke, and before that, he fought in Dungeon. Wain had expended arge amount of energy and needed to eat to replenish his reserves.<sub> </sub>


    He required a lot more food than the average person since his reserves wererger, and he spent a significant amount of energy during battles and healing.


    Wain decided to check his supplies, and the Ring of Damned glowed brightly, but instead of a feast and variety of food, Wain was disappointed. All he had left was one tin.


    "Yep...I totally forgot about the food. I should have told Gisle about it, given his influence. The organization''s warehouse should have all the canned goods and other long-term foods from around town."


    During the apocalypse, for the first few months, people were eating canned and frozen foods, it was obvious.


    Of course, this was enough to survive, but many were not satisfied and tried to get food some other way. The quickest option was to nt something or find miraculously surviving non-mutant animals.


    Fortunately, because thousands had died, there was enough food to sustain them for at least half a year. Otherwise, humanity would have already faced such a serious problem as famine, which would have been the second beginning of the apocalypse.


    The deaths of some saved the lives of others. It was rather ironic and cruel, but it was true.


    Click.


    Wain effortlessly opened the can and ate it all in seconds. It wasn''t enough, and Wain tried to figure out where he could get food. After a while, Wain remembered his new acquaintance, a real, walking ck hole.


    "Frigus, do you know where ck Rabbit is now?"


    "No." The Ice Knight shook his head. "Probably asleep or speaking to someone. I never thought a monster could be so talkative."


    Wain wasn''t going to run all over the Void looking for ck Rabbit, but he was very hungry. Then the monsters standing at the entrance to this cave caught his attention. Wain decided to use his powers and give them some orders.


    "Hey, you! Find the talking trunk and bring it to me now!" Wain said menacingly.


    The monsters flinched and scattered in different directions. They didn''t want to make Wain angry, so they would try toply with his request as soon as possible.


    After that, Wain finally looked at the ice trees. He hade here for them. Even though there was nothing but ice and crystals in the Ice Caves, these trees could grow here.


    They sprouted from the ice, and then, with Soul Essence floating in the air, they grew in size and stronger.


    The Ice Trees were something like an oak trees. These trees were up to fifteen meters tall. Their bark was like a strong protectiveyer of crystals. There were few ss-like leaves on the branches, with a slight blue tint, but the trees were not the main characters of this picture.


    "Are these fruits?" Asked Wain pointing to the blue fruit hanging from the branches of the trees.


    "Yes." Frigus nodded. "I''m not sure, but they must be ripe. It''s been almost seven days since these trees have been here."


    "I see. The fruit ripens once a week, that''s fast, but it''s pretty small, isn''t it?" Mumbled Wain.


    "While I was here, I had time to count everything. There are exactly forty trees, with four to six fruits growing on each. That makes an average of two hundred fruits growing in a week in this ce." Said Frigus.


    "Two hundred...that''s a big number, but considering the total number of monsters, it''s not enough. It would take seven weeks for every monster to get at least one fruit."


    "Yes, but the fruits are quiterge. If you divide each one into seven pieces, then every week, all the monsters will get their share."


    "Fine, we''ll do that."


    Wain wanted peace in his territories. Of course, small conflicts were inevitable, but they could be resolved by sparring.


    This was a great solution since sparring also helped the monsters test their skills and training results in practice.


    His monsters should fight to the death only during a war against other Voids. He was fortunate that he was able to subdue such wild creatures as monsters through the idea of crystals.


    Step.


    He made his way to one of the trees and took a close look at the fruit hanging on a branch. It was the size of arge grapefruit.


    The fruit was shaped like a perfect blue sphere with a white spot on the bottom. There were several icy spikes on the rind.


    Wain touched the fruit, and information about it appeared in front of him. He didn''t want to pluck the fruit prematurely.


    [Delicate Icefruit (First Chronicle, Common Rating)


    It is a fruit that grows on ice trees in ces with low temperatures and special conditions. Despite its appearance, it is a delicate fruit, which requires a unique approach.


    Delicate Icefruit is a drupe fetus, and the massive pit can ruin the delicate and soft flesh of the fruit. You have to remove it without destroying its structure to prevent this. This is quite easy but requires a certain level of skill and care.


    Delicate Icefruit is perfect for those who love refreshments. Each bite is like a breath of fresh airing from the ciers, with a slight sweetness and sourness.


    This fruit is suitable for all creatures, with the exception of creatures with the fire attribute. The icy energy found in the fruit can harm them and prevent them from storing energy from their environment for a while.


    Delicate Icefruit contains arge amount of energy to help any creature progress faster, especially creatures with the ice attribute. Also, this fruit is quite nourishing and can help restore energy reserves in a critical situation.


    *Increases resistance to ice attribute by 5% for a short time.


    This fruit is quite rare and has no amazing properties, but it can be used in alchemy to make various potions and not only].


    "Hmm, not bad, but now there''s another thing on my task list. I need to find an alchemist somewhere. It won''t be easy..."


    "Wain!" Suddenly there was a shout from the other side.


    He turned around and saw ck Rabbit running toward him with a tea set in his hands.

 Chapter 188 The Manager

    When Wain saw ck Rabbit running, he smiled and headed toward him. In a minute, the three of them were sitting and drinking tea.


    Frigus didn''t like the hot drink, so the cup in his hands immediately became iced, and the tea cooled to a minimum temperature.


    "Get out all the food you''ve got, or I''m going to starve to death." Said Wain taking a sip of ck tea.


    "Sure, but I mostly just have sweets, but there are baked goods as well. Sometimes it''s not bad for a tea party." Answered ck Rabbit and put his hand in his mouth.


    In a few seconds, he pulled out arge variety of food from the chest. Wain nodded and began greedily devouring it. He could control himself, but at that moment, he wanted to eat as much as he could to get full.


    ...


    "Wain, I want to ask you something." Suddenly ck Rabbit said.


    "You want me to help you through Awareness, too?"


    "Yes." Mimic nodded. "I realize there''s no point in trying now. I need to spend some time in your Void first to get used to the energy here, and we also need to establish a rtionship with you. All other conditions are met."


    "All right, I don''t mind. I didn''t expect it to be so dangerous to give a name, but it was definitely worth it. Right?" Said Wain looking at the Ice Knight.


    "Sure, I''ve gotten a lot stronger. It''s like evolution, but a little different. It''s an offshoot of the general path most monsters take. I don''t think you can be something meaningful and powerful if you don''t even have a name."


    "Huh, in my case, that sounds a little offensive. In the World of Darkness, though, I use an alias. Okay, time to finish with the tea party. What are we going to do about Delicate Icefruits?"


    "Wait until they''re ripe, divide them up, and eat them. That''s obvious." Said Frigus.


    ck Rabbit didn''t say anything. He examined the fruit first, then offered his option.


    "It''s a useful but rather problematic fruit. You need monsters who can remove the pit from the fruit and also those who will do the picking, but I don''t think eating them as apples is the best idea."


    "Hmm? What do you want to do with them? I understand that Delicate Icefruits can somehow be used in alchemy, but it''s not possible for us yet." Said Wain.


    "I understand, but we can use these fruits more effectively. I''m not an alchemist, and my knowledge is poor, but I''m sure if webine the fruit with Ice Crystals, the effectiveness will increase greatly." Said ck Rabbit.


    "Combine? What do you mean?" Mumbled Wain puzzled.


    "It''s simple, we won''t eat the fruit, we''ll boil it in a huge cauldron. I think in Snow Desert, someone must have fire powers. In this cauldron, we''ll be adding pre-crushed energy crystals to the dust."


    "I see. You''ll end up with a semnce of a primitive potion. I want something more, but this is probably the best possible oue given the circumstances and our resources. Frigus, will you do it?" Wain asked.


    "Yes." The Ice Knight nodded. "It shouldn''t be a problem, but I think ck Rabbit would be better suited to this role."


    "Of course!" Said Mimic contentedly. "Wain, I am not as strong as Frigus, and during battles, he must lead the warriors. This job is not for me. However, I am sociable and have experience in organizing such projects. It would even be too easy for me."


    Wain shrugged. "I don''t mind. It would be someone else''s job anyway, but not mine."


    "Great!" Said ck Rabbit.


    "What kind of monsters are you going to use?" Frigus asked.


    "Hmm, I think goblins will do. There are quite a few in this area, they''re bigger and more agile than the usual ones. Trolls would work, too, but they have another mission."


    Wain nodded. "It''s a good choice. Goblins would have no trouble cutting fruit evenly and stirring liquid in the cauldron, but it might be problematic for them to crushrge quantities of crystals into dust. They''ll spend too much energy on it."


    "Don''t worry. I have an idea. I didn''t see Ogres, Orcs, or Oni in Frozen Land, but anyrge, heavy monsters will do for this task. Golems and massive beasts will suffice. The crystals will break under their weight."


    "Not bad, then I leave it to you." Said Wain.


    "I''ll make the best of it."


    Crackling.


    Suddenly there was a loud cracking sound, like the sound of cracking ice. Wain turned around and saw that one of the fruits was already ripe and had broken off the branch.


    Whooooooosh.


    The next moment, Frigus sprinted toward the fruit. The ice beneath his feet cracked, and he turned into a blue sh. ck Rabbit ran as well, but not for the fruit, but to save the cup that had been in the Ice Knight''s hands a second ago.


    "Gotcha!" They said at the same time, holding different objects in their hands.


    "Looks like the fruit is ripe. We need to get ready. Frigus, throw me a fruit." Said Wain.


    The Ice Knight did as he said, and Wain moved the fruit in Ring of Damned.


    Crack. Crackle. Crackle.


    The next moment there was multiple crackling. Wain, Frigus, and ck Rabbit were focused. Delicate Icefruits were only two hundred, and they had to gather each of them.


    The fruits began to fall, and Wain and his partners turned into shes of different colors at that moment.


    They ran from tree to tree, catching fruit and keeping an eye on their surroundings. They had to pick two hundred fruits in a minute, or they would lose some of the crops.


    There were three of them, but it was pretty hard to do. After all, that meant each of them had to catch about one fruit per second.


    If anyone had entered that cave at that moment, they would have thought there was a battle going on between three powerful opponents.


    Because they were moving very fast and the ice was breaking beneath them with every step, the ce was beginning to look like a battlefield.


    After a minute, the three shed to a halt.


    "Great, looks like we got it all." Said Wain.


    He moved the fruit to the Ring of Damned, ck Rabbit also used his ability and kept the fruit inside him. Frigus found another option, he froze the fruit and held a massive block of ice with over sixty fruits in it.


    "Okay. We got the fruit sorted out. ck Rabbit, I''m relying on you. If the monsters don''t want to help you, tell them it''s my order, and you''re in charge now." Said Wain handing the fruit to Mimic.


    "Sure, I''ll get right on it." Said ck Rabbit and headed off in search of the monsters he needed.


    "Frigus, how is the exploration of the Snow Desert going?" Wain asked.


    "Honestly, not very much. I decided it was better to focus on Ice Caves first, so most monsters live here. The climate is about the same in both areas, so relocation wasn''t a problem."<sub> </sub>


    "I see. We need to redirect forces to Snow Desert. There probably aren''t any more resources in Ice Caves. At this point, two types of resources in one territory are the maximum. I''m sure there''s something in Snow Desert. We have to find it." Said Wain.


    "Of course." Frigus nodded. "I know what you mean, but unfortunately, I don''t know how we can explore the area under the sand. If we dig under it, it will just crumble, and all the mines will be destroyed instantly."


    "Have you tried freezing the sand?"


    "Yes. It works, but not as well as it should. Only I and a few other monsters have enough powerful skills with the ice attribute to turn crumbly sand into a block of ice. It''s inefficient."


    "Damn, nothing is growing on top of the desert, and we can''t get down there. What to do..." Wain pondered.


    "Maybe we should try to dig a deep hole and eventually turn the ce into a quarry." Frigus suggested.


    "No, that''s not efficient. We will spend too much time on it, and we may end up with nothing. The resources may be all over the area of Snow Desert, but so may be in a certain ce."


    Frigus didn''t know what to say. He had no idea how to explore the desert effectively. It was a difficult task.


    "Right..." Wain muttered. "We don''t need to dig down from the top, we can go in from the side!"


    "Hmm? What do you mean?"


    "Since Ibined the two Voids into one, Snow Desert and Ice Caves are now one big area divided into two regions. That means we can get to the underground part of Snow Desert from here."


    "Not a bad idea. It''s the best possible option." Said Frigus.


    "Then tell the Trolls they have work to do. Let them dig a wide cave, several tens of meters wide. It won''t just be a mine, but an underground route to the other side."


    "Got it. Will do." Frigus replied and headed toward the ice tunnel.


    "Whew. It''s so hard to lead. It''s too exhausting for me, but it looks like I''ve solved all the problems. I need to fully explore the area and then try to attack the other Voids. By the way, how many monsters are in mymand?" Wain muttered, and his Seal of Darkness glowed brightly.


    [Nameless


    Race: Human


    Chronicle: First


    Voids: 1, Frozen Land Rank-E, Small


    Warriors: 1368]


    ''Hmm? Thest time I remember, there were a few fewer monsters. Are they multiplying? Wain wondered since there were 1359 monsters before.


    ''I need ten thousand warriors to make the Forgotten Monarch''s Sword seal disappear. That won''t be easy to do. I''ll need to capture some Voids the same size and Rank." Wain muttered.


    He wanted to see which Voids he could dere war on, and his Seal of Darkness glowed brightly. The ground beneath him turned to ink, and he found himself in a strange space. Dozens of small stars were floating around him. They were Voids.


    Wain picked a green star, and information about the ce appeared before him.


    [Dark Jungle


    Owner: Rd Oner


    Size: Small


    Chronicle: First


    Rank: F ]


    ''Hmm, even though it''s Rank-F, it''s a Small zone. Maybe try to attack? Wain pondered.


    Last time during the rise of Ice Caves, they were attacked by a Void whose Rank was one notch higher, but Wain easily handled their leader.


    Sure, Purple Pilgrim was a powerful opponent, but he was a Pearl Hunter and did not live in the Snow Desert.


    Wain was confident that he and a few strong monsters could easily take Rank-F Void.


    p Click.</anda>


    Wain touched a star, and a message appeared in front of him.


    [Nameless, do you wish to dere war on Void, Dark Jungle?]


    "Yes." Calmly Wain replied.


    [epted.]


    In the next moment, arge amount of energy began to emanate from Wain''s body, and his desire for war reached the owner of Dark Jungle.


    However, Wain couldn''t just attack any Void and infinitely increase his power.


    [Owner of Dark Jungle, Rd Oner, declined your offer.]


    ''As I expected. Finding a suitable opponent will be quite difficult. I doubt those whose Rank or Size is worse will agree to war. It''s too dangerous and threatens total annihtion.'' Wain thought.


    The Voids owners saw only partial information about each other. Wain and the others did not know how many Warriors were in the other Void''s territory. Of course, he could guess based on Rank, but it was only a rough estimate.


    He also didn''t know what territories were in the enemy Void. This could be the deciding factor because if Wain attacked a Void with a volcanic zone, his ice monsters would be at a disadvantage and would most likely lose. Void''s name was not always an urate pointer.


    During wars, it was not only strength that mattered, but also tactics, preparation, and strategy. Even a Void with a smaller Rank and Size could win under certain circumstances.


    ''Hmm, I wonder if I can somehow find out the hidden information? Maybe there are some artifacts or special skills?'' Wain pondered.


    He shook his head and muttered, "Okay, thought about thatter."


    Wain went back to the ice cave and decided to do something he hadn''t had time for the past few days.


    "I don''t know if I have the skills to reveal information about the enemy Void, but it''s time to improve my skills." Said Wain and opened the menu.

 Chapter 189 Skills

    Thest time Wain improved his skills was also in this Void. Most of his skills were First Chronicle, but their Rating was quite low, and Wain wanted to fix that.


    He also still hadn''t improved one of his most powerful skills, Oblivion Thunder, to First Chronicle.


    Wain opened the menu and saw a surprising picture.


    [You can develop the Distant Bullet skill]


    [You can develop the Sigh of Lightning skill]


    [You can develop the Oblivion Thunder skill]


    [You can develop the Dark Sword skill]


    [You can develop the Heat Resistant Flesh skill]


    [You can develop the Mastery of Reading skill]


    [You can develop Ghost Healing Threads skill]


    [You can develop ck Thunder''s Renegade soul]


    "Holy shit..."


    Wain was stunned. He didn''t expect so many options to appear in front of him. Before, he could improve three skills at once, a record, but the previous number seemedughablepared to this.


    "I can improve soul... That''s interesting. It''s a shame that I can only have one additional soul for now. Although considering the total number of skills, I already have a ton of work to do..." Mumbled Wain.


    He started with a skill thatgged behind the others but was quite powerful.


    [You decided to develop the Oblivion Thunder skill.]


    [You used 2% of your Soul Essence total. The Oblivion Thunder skill is ready to be developed. Choose one of two ways]


    [Improve Chronicle skill.]


    [Improve the Rating of the skill.]


    Wain could have tried to improve the Rating of Oblivion Thunder, but he didn''t see the point. Oblivion Thunder was a Primary Chronicle skill, which meant Wain would need Primary Chronicle Soul. He didn''t have any at the moment and didn''t want to waste his time on it.


    ''Hmm, when I improve ck Thunder''s Renegade, Oblivion Thunder will disappear, and another skill will rece it. I have a lot of Primary Chronicle souls, so I''ll just make that skill stronger until it''s time to rece it.'' Wain thought and made his choice.


    Wain didn''t really know what happened in such cases. That was his guess.


    Nevertheless, he was sure that when ck Thunder''s Renegade turned into a different soul, the corresponding skill would change as well. In his opinion, this was logical since it was simr to the principle of how video games worked.


    [You decided to improve the Chronicle skill.]


    In that case, Wain had no options for skill development from which he could choose any one skill. Moreover, he didn''t even know the result, the necessary conditions just appeared before him.


    [Any First Chronicle Rare Rating Soul: 1/1 is required.]


    Wain had about six hundred First Chronicle souls left over from his battles in Snowe Desert and the golden Dungeon.


    He hadn''t originally nned to keep souls to improve his skills, but after the battle with Purple Pilgrim, he decided it was better to spend a few souls improving his skills than to raise one level.


    [Do you want to use the necessary materials and increase your Chronicle skill - Oblivion Thunder?]


    "Yes." Said Wain, and a blue soul and a dark rune flew out of his body the next moment.


    Wain wasn''t sure how many skills he could improve since he had a few dozen Rare Ratings and only a couple of Epic Ratings out of six hundred souls. However, most of these souls had the attribute of ice, sand, water, or gold.


    The rune and soul connected, and there was an electrical explosion. Then the renewed rune flew into his be. ck sparks appeared in Wain''s eyes, and he took a deep breath.


    [The Fall of Thunder Eye (First Chronicle Active Skill, Rare Rating)


    You were lucky enough to see how dangerous thunder and darkness can be when they be one. You''ve be a little more aware of your powers, and now you have a deadly weapon in your hands.


    By umting a huge amount of energy in two hands, you will be able to create a pulse that will unleash a beam of dark thunder from the heavens on your enemies. At the end of the beam will be a thunder eye, which will emit a ring of thunder around itself when it touches the ground.


    It will hit anyone in range of the ability and create hundreds of high-powered electrical discharges.


    You must be careful, as this skill consumes a lot of energy, and if you make a mistake during preparation, the pulse will explode in your hands]


    "Great." Mumbled Wain. "It''s a partially modified Oblivion Thunder, though, which is inherent when the Chronicle is upgraded. In that case, the skills change only slightly from their original form."


    Wain didn''t check the power of the new skill and moved on to the next one.


    [You decided to improve your Sign of Lightning skill.]


    [You have used 5% of your Soul Essence total. The Sign of Lightning skill is ready for development. Choose one of two ways]


    [Improve the Chronicle skill.]


    [Improve Rating skill.]


    It didn''t make sense for Wain to improve Chronicle as he would need Second Chronicle Soul. He didn''t know where he could get such a soul. Such powerful monsters had not yet appeared in the world.


    Of course, he could try to attack Second Chronicle Void, but that was suicidal and not worth it.


    [You choose to improve your Skill Rating.]


    [Choose one of the options.]


    [Thunder Impulse]


    [Storm Gloves]


    "Only two options..." Wain muttered and opened the description of the first skill.


    [Thunder Impulse (Frist Chronicle Active Skill, Epic Rating)


    Lightning has always been synonymous with speed and thunder with power. Now you will be as fast as lightning and as destructive as thunder.


    When you use the skill, lightning discharges will go through your body, and you will turn into a blue sh. If you develop enough speed, you can unleash a thunder strike on your enemy]


    [It is possible to develop the skill if the following conditions are met.<sub> </sub>


    [Requires a First Chronicle Epic Rating Soul with lightning attribute: 0/1. Ten units of First Rank Essence with lightning attribute: 0/10.]


    "What? What is it?" Wain muttered.


    Before, he had always only needed souls to improve the skill, but now the situation had changed.


    "Hmm, ok then, I''ll look up some more skills and head over to Sven, he should probably know what it is..." Mumbled Wain and opened the description of the next skill.


    [Storm Gloves (First Chronicle Active Skill, Epic Rating)


    Wind and Lightning are formidable elements, and when they be one, it''s a real disaster. You risk to harness this power and use it to your advantage.


    On your wrists will appear wind gauntlets charged with the energy of lightning. You''ll get a big boost to your speed, attack speed, and your attacks will be more destructive].


    [It is possible to develop this skill if the following conditions are met.


    [First Chronicle Epic Rating Soul with lightning attribute: 0/2. Fifteen units of First Rank Essence with lightning attribute: 0/15]


    ''The conditions are identical this time, only more difficult. Okay, I like this skill better. The past skill looks like an enhanced version of the past one. I need more variety and variation without losing effectiveness.'' Wain thought.


    Then Wain moved on to the interesting part. He wanted to see how he could improve his very first skill, with which he had already killed hundreds of enemies and was able to kill the keeper of this world.


    [You decided to improve the Dark Sword skill]


    [You have used 7% of your Soul Essence total. The Dark Sword skill is ready for development. Choose one of two ways]


    [Improve Chronicle skill.]


    [Improve the Rating skill.]


    Wain made the same choice asst time.


    [You choose to improve the Rating skill.]


    [Choose one of the choices.]


    [Dark me Sword]


    [Shattered Part]


    [Phantom Sword]


    [Sparkling Ice Sword]


    "So many choices..." Wain muttered.


    [Dark me Sword (First Chronicle Active Skill, Rare Rating)


    When used near the wielder, creates a fiery sword with a burning dark me. This weapon is ideal for battling against enemies with the attribute of light and wood.


    Dark me is special and incredibly difficult to extinguish. It requires powerful skills with water or ice attribute].


    [It is possible to develop the skill if the following conditions are met.


    [Requires First Chronicle Rare Rating Soul with fire attribute: 0/1. Necessary First Chronicle Rare Rating Soul with darkness attribute: 0/1. Three units of First Rank Essence with Darkness Attribute required: 0/3. Three units of First Rank Essence with Fire Attribute: 0/3]


    ''It''s a pretty ordinary skill, nothing interesting.'' Thought Wain and moved on to the next option.


    [Shattered Part (First Chronicle Active Skill, Rare Rating)


    Summons a dark sword made up of 90% energy. You can use it as a weapon, but that''s extremely inefficient given that the material part is only 10%.


    Shattered Part can be applied to other weapons, thus increasing its power and adding corrosive effect].


    [It is possible to develop the skill if the following conditions are met.


    [Required First Chronicle Rare Rating Whole Soul with darkness attribute: 0/1. Seven units of First Rank Essence with darkness attribute: 0/7.]


    "Hmm, maybe that''s what I was looking for..." Mumbled Wain. "I already have a powerful weapon, and I''ve learnedtely that it''s better to have equipment than to summon a sword with skill. It''s more efficient and practical. In the beginning, the Destruction Sword was useful, but the sword became more fragile and weaker."


    [Phantom Sword (First Chronicle, Active Skill, Rare Rating)


    When used creates a massive, semi-transparent sword almost four meters long. This sword can fly through walls and enemies, wounding them internally, but whether the sword can pierce enemy flesh depends on his stats.


    You can also create copies of this sword, up to a maximum of ten. However, each time the sword will shrink a little because the energy will be distributed to several weapons at once]


    [It is possible to develop the skill if the following conditions are met.


    [Necessary First Chronicle Rare Rating Whole Soul with illusion attribute: 0/1. Seven units of First Rank Essence with illusion attribute: 0/7.]


    "So-so... Moreover, I have no idea where to find a soul with the attribute of illusion. I''ve only encountered one enemy before whose soul could be ssified in this category." Mumbled Wain and moved on to the next skill.


    [Sparkling Ice Sword (First Chronicle Active Skill, Rare Rating)


    When used creates a long ice sword, which increases its power depending on the attack speed of the owner. As a result, sparkling rays can burst out of ice crystals, which will pierce your enemies and turn them into sieves.]


    [It is possible to develop the skill if the following conditions are met.


    [Need First Chronicle Rare Rating Whole Soul with ice and light attribute: 0/1. Eleven units of First Rank Essence with ice and light attribute: 0/11]


    ''Hmm, apparently this is a pretty strong skill, this is the second time a soul with two elements is needed to improve, but I''m not sure I need it...'' Wain thought.


    He didn''t want to go back to relying on the skill as a type of gear. Wain believed that the Forgotten Monarch''s Sword was an excellent weapon, and he had no intention of recing it anytime soon.


    He also understood that even if he could find the necessaryponents and souls, he wasn''t sure he could fight with two swords simultaneously. He had no experience in thisbat style and no time to train.


    He was used to having one weapon and beingpletely focused on one target. That was his fighting style, and he didn''t want to change it.


    "Maybe if I got a passive skill that greatly improves my mastery of two swords, I would change my mind, but that doesn''t make sense in this situation. Good, then it''s settled." Said Wain.


    He chose Shattered Part because, with this skill, he would be able to make Forgotten Monarch''s Sword even stronger, and he would not need to distribute his attention to two weapons.


    Concentration duringbat was important, especially at critical moments.

 Chapter 190 Skills (Part 2)

    Wain improved one of his skills and decided on the evolution of the other two. He decided to look at the evolutionary options for two more skills before heading to Sven for information. Then with the new knowledge, he would finish choosing the other skills.


    "Okay, moving on." Said Wain and moved on to the next skill.


    [You chose to develop the Distant Bullet skill.]


    [You have used 8% of your Soul Essence. The Distant Bullet skill is ready to be developed. Choose one of two ways]


    [Improve Chronicle skill]


    [Improve Rating skill]


    Wain made the same choice as he always has, and several options appeared before him.


    [Magic Missile]


    [Resonating Click]


    [Tearing Bullet]


    ''Three... not bad...'' Thought Wain and moved on to the first skill.


    [Magic Missile (First Chronicle Active Skill, Epic Rating)


    When using the skill, energy gathers at one point and turns into a sphere. The energy then bursts out of the sphere and turns into a powerful beam capable of piercing most First Chronicle creatures.


    This powerful skill requires a moderate amount of energy and has no negative effects. Ideal for those whose Energy is quite high, as this skill depends entirely on the amount of energy the wearer can use.]


    [It is possible to develop this skill if the following conditions are met.


    [Need a First Chronicle Epic Rating Soul with neutral attribute: 0/1. Ten First Rank Essence with neutral attribute: 0/10.]


    "Neutral Attribute? What''s that? Does that mean there shouldn''t be an attribute?" Wain muttered.


    He didn''t know how many different attributes existed, and he learned something new each time. Wain thought for a while and then shook his head.


    "No, it''s probably not a missing attribute. The Neutral Attribute is the same as the Fire Attribute, but it''s probably something different. There are more questions and fewer answers each time..."


    Wain read the skill description again carefully. He noticed that in First Chronicle, the skills have quite a few branches in their development. This applied to both Dark Sword and Distant Bullet, the first version of which was unusual.


    "It''s like magic. Hmm, I''m not sure, but there''s probably not a strict division between skills, spells, or martial arts techniques in this world. Most people use skills because of the apocalypse and killing monsters, but Selena''s skills are pretty much like spells.


    The girl I fought in the Purgatory zone also had abilities simr to magic. She could use them to open a portal for their elder to help them. Perhaps I should choose the Magic Missile to open the path of magic for me?"


    Wain nodded and moved on to the next option. He thought his theory might be true, but he couldn''t be entirely sure.


    [Resonating Click (First Chronicle Active Skill, Epic Rating)


    When used, energy builds up in your fingers, and you can make one loud click. This is a two-step and two-level attack.


    The click will be incredibly loud for everyone but you, and creatures with low stats can have their eardrums burst. Even if the creature has no ears, the sound waves will directly attack the brain, causing your enemy to experience a hell of a lot of torment.


    Your enemies will be stunned for about one second. The stronger the enemy, the shorter the stun effectsts, and some enemies won''t care about it].


    [It is possible to develop this skill if the following conditions are met.


    [Requires a First Chronicle Epic Rating Soul with sound attribute: 0/1. Ten units of First Rank Essence with sound attribute: 0/10 is required.]


    ''What a curious skill... I''ve never seen anything like this before. So far, most of the skills I''ve seen have been attacking, but this is something else. I could call it a debuff, right?'' Wain thought, rereading the description of Resonating Click.


    [Tearing Bullet (First Chronicle Active Skill, Epic Rating)


    The use creates an ordinary bullet, which begins to heat up over time. This process can be elerated and intensified by significantly and dramatically increasing the bullet''s velocity. During a hard throw or a powerful shot, the bullet will quickly heat up.


    The final strength of the bullet depends on how far it flew and at what speed. Eventually, when the bullet reaches the target, it explodes into dozens of red-hot fragments and tears the enemy''s flesh apart.


    This is a cruel weapon that would be forbidden for use in most ces of the world].


    [It is possible to develop the skill if the following conditions are met.


    [Requires a First Chronicle Epic Rating Soul with Fire Attribute: 0/2. Twenty units of First Rain Essence with Fire Attribute: 0/10.]


    "That''s strong... but I prefer to go the way of magic. I wonder how I can develop Magic Missile in the future? It will surely be something incredible." Mumbled Wain and made up his mind.


    "I just upgraded Oblivion Thunder to The Fall of Thunder Eye. Perhaps I should try to develop this skill again? No, that probably doesn''t make sense, I need to think in a different direction. I need to develop my additional soul."


    [You decided to improve your soul - ck Thunder''s Renegade]


    [You have used 21% of your Soul Essence. ck Thunder''s Renegade soul is ready to develop. Choose one of two ways]


    [Improve Soul Chronicle]


    [Improve Soul Rating]


    ck Thunder''s Renegade was still a Primary Chronicle soul, so Wain wouldn''t even consider the second option. He urgently needed to make his soul more powerful.


    [You decided to improve your Chronicle soul.]


    As always, in this case, Wain had no options. All he had in front of him was a list of conditions.


    [You need a First Chronicle Rare Rating Soul with darkness attribute: 0/10. First Chronicle Rare Rating Soul with lightning attribute: 0/10]


    "Damn... that looksplicated summarily I need twenty First Chronicle Rare Rating Souls. Hmm, I''m not likely to find that many souls in Dungeons and Nest in my world right now. It''s been a little over three months since the apocalypse began, and I doubt there are many First Chronicle Dungeons."


    Wain thought about where he could get that many souls, and he quickly found the answer.


    "Right, I just need to attack the enemy Void, but I need to guess with what monsters will be there. If I dere war on a Void where creatures with the attribute of darkness or lightning dwell, I''ll have no trouble meeting the conditions."


    Wain still had three skills left, each of which was passive. He decided to look at improvement methods now rather than leave them forter.


    [You decided to improve the Heat Resistant Flesh skill.]


    [You used 3% of your Soul Essence. The Heat Resistant Flesh skill is ready for development. Choose one of the ways]


    [Improve Chronicle skill]


    [Improve Rating skill]


    [Combine]<sub> </sub>


    "Huh? Combine? What is that?" Wain muttered puzzled, looking at the new option.


    An exnation immediately appeared in front of him.


    [Normally, you have to choose one of two ways to develop a skill. However, there is also a third. This is a unique situation, and it happens quite rarely, but in this case, you canbine Heat Resistant Flesh with another of your skills that meet the conditions and thus create something more powerful.]


    ''Hmmm, I see, but what does that depend on?'' Wain wondered, and he immediately got the answer.


    [Usually, skills should be of the same element or type. However, even if two skills are aimed at healing, it does not mean that it is possible tobine them. There are also very rare cases where the possibility ofbining is affected by the skills and main soul of a person.]


    Wain smirked. He knew what that meant.


    "I guess I still don''t fully understand how strong a soul I got..." Said Wain and looked at what skill he couldbine Heat Resistant Flesh with.


    [Ghost Healing Threads].


    ''Hmm, one skill is protective, and it can be attributed to the attribute of fire since Heat Resistant Flesh protects against that element. The second skill is probably neutral and aimed at regeneration, they arepletely different... However, I can stillbine them.''


    [You have used 15% of your Soul Essence. Heat Resistant Flesh and Ghost Healing Threads skills are ready to merge].


    Then the only option before Wain was how these skills could bebined. Sometimes there could be more options, but that was rare. Commonly, if two skills fit together, they only had one point of intersection.


    [ming Healing Threads (First Chronicle Passive Skill, Heroic Rating)


    This is a hybrid created from the other two skills, but it is independent. It will be useful for all creatures except those whose attribute is ice or water.


    If you are wounded, this skill will activate, and fire threads will heal you. It will bring you a little difort, but any cuts and other damage will be repaired much faster.


    Thanks to fire threads, your regeneration is increased by 60%. Also, your resistance to fire is increased by 20%, and resistance to ice is increased by 30%.


    The fire threads are also activated if you are frozen, and the frostbite is instantly reduced. Now you are practically invulnerable to attacks of this type.


    Also, this skill has an active part. Once every three weeks, you can use ming threads to heal a particrly severe wound.


    You can even regrow a lost limb or regenerate an organ, but exceptions exist. You cannot regenerate your brain and heart, even if you somehow survive the loss of these organs].


    [It is possible to gain the skill if the following conditions are met.


    [Requires a First Chronicle Heroic Rating Soul with fire attribute: 0/1. Required a First Chronicle Epic Rating Soul with illusory attribute: 0/1. Fifteen units of First Rank Essence with fire attribute: 0/15. Ten units of First Rank Essence of Illusory Attribute: 0/10]


    "Why do I feel like I''ll never be able to gather that many materials? Considering the number of souls needed for the previous skills... It could take me an enormous amount of time. Moreover, I have yet to find out what Essence is."


    Wain shook his head and moved on to thest skill, options for improving which he had yet to see. Wain did not consider how he could improve Heat Resistant Flesh and Ghost Healing Threads separately as it made no sense.


    He thought thatbining them into one skill was the best option, and that way, he would get the most effective skill.


    Of course, the conditions were difficult, but Wain wasn''t going to give up because of such a small thing. He knew better than most that to gain valuable treasures, he had to go through dangerous trials.


    [You decided to improve Mastery of Reading]


    [You used 1% of your Soul Essence. The Mastery of Reading skill is ready to be developed. Choose one of two ways]


    [Improve Skill Rating]


    [Improve Chronicle skill]


    Wain made a choice and saw several interesting options.


    [Genius Reader]


    [Militant Reader]


    [Caretaker of Symbols]


    Wain looked at the description of the first skill.


    [Genius Reader (First Chronicle, Rare Rating)


    You can read up to ten thousand words a minute, but is it enough to be a genius reader?


    Thanks to this skill, you will be able to understand the meaning of some ciphers, solve riddles presented in written form faster, partially understandnguages unknown to you.


    Also, it is possible to understand some symbols from secret and forgottennguages.]


    [It is possible to develop the skill if the following conditions are met.


    [Required is any First Chronicle Rare Rating Soul: 0/1. Ten units of any First Rank Essence: 0/10.]


    "Pretty good skill and the conditions are rather simple. I have the right soul but no Essence, as far as I know. Okay, I''ll have to see the rest of my options."


    [Militant Reader (First Chronicle Rare Rating)


    You are an experienced reader, and the number of books you have readtely is in the hundreds. You are also an experienced fighter who is used to fighting alone, but you have proven yourself a worthy leader during the war.


    Thanks to this skill, you are more likely to read your opponents'' strategic moves like a brilliant strategist. This skill is just the beginning of your way, so mistakes are inevitable, but perhaps in the future, you can be a great leader.]


    [It is possible to develop the skill if the following conditions are met.


    [Need a First Chronicle Rare Rating Soul of the leader creature: 0/1. Ten units of any First Rank Essence: 0/10.]


    ''This is an impressive skill, and again some unusual soul is needed. Hmm, I probably need to kill a creature followed by arge group of others to get this soul. Someone like the owner of an enemy Void or a n leader. However, that skill won''t work for me.'' Thought Wain and moved on to thetter option.


    Wain epted his position as owner of Void, and he didn''t mind the role as he got many benefits from it. However, he still didn''t want to be a full-fledged leader like Gisle. It was too exhausting for him.


    Wain could sometimes give orders and help Frigus and ck Rabbit, but nothing more.


    [Caretaker of Symbols (First Chronicle, Rare Rating)


    What are the most interesting books? The ones with some mystery hidden in them. Right?


    ???]


    [It is possible to develop the skill if the following conditions are met.


    [You must read a thousand books: 0/1000]


    "This is something new again... A skill with no description and some absurd condition... However, it''s true, one of the greatest pleasures is solving the mystery and finding out the answer." Wain decided that he would develop the skill in this direction.

 Chapter 191 Who Are Humans?

    Wain spent quite a bit of time choosing to improve his skills, but he was pleased with the result. He decided which direction he would take and learned a lot.


    He wanted to try different directions but not go ten ways at once. He chose some interesting options, but he tried to stick to his fighting style.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Suddenly there were footsteps behind him, and Wain saw ck Rabbit walking in his direction. Behind Mimic came many goblins, several ice golems, andrge beasts.


    While Wain was reading the skill descriptions, ck Rabbit was already ready to turn Delicate Icefruits and Ice Crystals into a kind of potion.


    In fact, the most urate definition would not be a low-quality potion but a simple concoction of the twoponents.


    The goblins also carried a massive cauldron and other things necessary for gathering and processing the fruit.


    ''Looks like I trusted him for a reason. That''s good, I''m lucky, I have two territories in Void and have two a person to help make this ce better and stronger.'' Wain thought.


    Wain didn''t talk to ck Rabbit, he just nodded and went on his way. His Seal of Darkness glowed brightly, and he headed for the spatial rift. It used to be quite a problem to find it even with the Seal of Darkness activated, but now the situation was different.


    p Thanks to the fact that his Seal of Darkness was rank two, he could find spatial rips at great distances from himself. Now it was as visible to him as a firefly at night.</anda>


    Whoooosh.


    Wain walked up to the ice wall, and it turned to ink. He stepped inside and found himself in a ce that was already familiar and even cozy to him. There were, as always, three doors in front of him.


    One led to Sven''s bar, the second was a gateway to the Frozen Land, and the third was a door of ink behind which the unknown Void was hiding.


    ''Hmm, by the way, Seal of Darkness of the second rank has another feature I haven''t used yet. I can see the approximate Void danger level hiding behind the ink door.'' Wain thought and decided to concentrate on this task.


    He was curious to see what it looked like. Dungeons also had their own definition of power, indicated by crystals of different colors as well as the stripes beneath them. Wain didn''t know exactly what it meant.


    Whooooosh.


    His Seal of Darkness glowed brightly, and a dark mist appeared over the inked door. Then it disappeared, and Wain saw a massive dial above the door.


    It had a dark frame and a silver core. Various gears could be seen slowly turning and a muffled thumping sound. It looked like a costly watch created by a real master.


    The hand of the clock was on the third bar and in the center of the dial was a pale blue crystal. Nothing else was visible, just the crystal and the location of the hour hand.


    ''Hmm, judging by the aura, it''s First Chronicle Void, I can determine that unmistakably, but I still don''t know what the other parameters mean. It looks like Dungeon, only in a different way.'' Wain thought and headed for the wooden door.


    Wain hadn''t been to see Sven in a long time, and he wanted to ask him a lot of things. Also, Wain had six hundred First Chronicle Souls, which he would trade for Void Souls.


    Click.


    Wain opened the door and, a minuteter, walked into the bar. Like before, anything could happen in the world, but this ce wouldn''t change. It would always be attractive and authentic.


    Sven wiped down his ss as always and made sure the bar was in perfect condition. This was his little kingdom, where he was the sole ruler and owner.


    "Wee." Smiling, Sven said.


    "It''s always a pleasure toe back here. It''s hard to find a ce as safe and peaceful as this at the moment." Proimed Wain taking a seat behind the bar.


    He slipped his hand under his raincoat and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. Wain slowly brought the engraved lighter to his mouth and, after a few seconds, exhaled a blue puff of smoke. It gradually turned into a tall ss and then dissipated.


    "I see my cigarettes are to your liking."


    "Yes." Slowly Wain replied, blowing out a puff of smoke. "I couldn''t agree more. I can feel it trying to burn my lungs and throat. It feels good."


    "In that case, I can rmend several kinds of lighters. I see you are a connoisseur and know your way around it. Your lighter is quite interesting, though, made of ordinary materials."


    "No, it is not. It is a gift, and I doubt even you will have anything to rece it." Immediately Wain declined.


    "I see. I didn''t expect you to feel that way about gifts." Said Sven and set the crystal ss aside. "Shall we start as usual?"


    "Yes." Wain nodded. "This time, I want a slightly sweet and rather strong cocktail."


    "Sure, but pay it forward. One Void Soul." Sven said calmly.


    Wain blew out a puff of smoke, and his palm glowed brightly. Ten white souls flew out of it and headed toward Sven the next moment. Last time Wain had found out what Sven''s prices were, and to get one Void Soul, he needed ten First Chronicle Common Souls.


    Given that Wain had 550 of those souls, plus he had forty Rare Ranks and ten Epic Ranks, he could get quite a few Void Souls.


    "You''re a pleasure to deal with." Sven said.


    He headed to the counter and picked up three containers that gave off a chill. The temperature dropped immediately.


    Click.


    Sven opened the three containers and pulled out one fruit from each. One looked like a strawberry, only ck with sparse white spots and purple leaves. The second looked like a small white fist-sized watermelon. The third looked like a nine-pointed star and was a nice yellow color.


    This cocktail was much easier to make than the previous two because it only had four ingredients. In addition to fruit juice, Sven added a special blue liqueur and tossed in some spherical ice cubes.


    "The cocktail, Sweet Natura, is ready." Smiling, Sven said.<sub> </sub>


    Wain nodded and brought the ss to his mouth. He took a sip and felt a slight and barely perceptible but pleasant sweetness in his mouth. Then the strong liquor made his body feel hot.


    "Huh, I never thought liquor could be so potent."


    "It''s not." Sven shook his head. "It''s all about the nine-pointed star fruit I added. The rest of the fruit and the liqueur softened the drink."


    "I see, good, then let''s get down to business. Recently I wanted to improve one of my skills, and as usual, I saw what souls I needed. However, this time, I will also need Essence in addition to the souls. What is that, and how do I get it?"


    "Sure, but five Void Souls first."


    "The prices are gradually increasing..." Mumbled Wain, and fifty white souls flew out of his palm.


    "I am one of the most honest merchants, I assure you. However, cheating and overpricing are indeed profitable, but I value my reputation." Sven said.


    "Begin."


    "That''s a good question, and the answer is pretty simple. When you kill a monster with the ice attribute, then you get a soul with the same attribute, you know that. Essence can be extracted from creature souls as well as from various items. I see that you have one Void. Tell me, do you grow energy crystals there?"


    Wain was a little surprised that Sven had brought up that he was the owner of a Void, but then realized that it was no surprise. Sven understood how the World of Darkness worked a hundred times better than he did. Anyone could learn such information.


    "Yes, energy crystals with the ice attribute. I can use them to get Essence?"


    "Exactly, all you have to do is extract energy from these crystals, and after a while, you get one Essence with the ice attribute. The same goes for souls, but in this case, you won''t get Soul Essence and other bonuses since all the energy will be converted into Essence and attribute." Said Sven.


    "Hmm, that turned out to be a lot easier than I thought." Said Wain, but suddenly he thought something was wrong.


    Sven''s face was strange. It was as if he was facing some problem he didn''t want to talk about.


    Sven sighed and said, "It''s simple, but not in this case... There''s one big issue..."


    Wain was surprised. He had never seen Sven stammer or be unsure of his words before. Wain looked at him puzzled, waiting for an answer.


    "As you know, I am a representative of the neutral zone, and I won''t lie, I am as powerful and authoritative a person in the World of Darkness as any other representative of the neutral zone. Moreover, I am first of all an informer, then a bartender, and only then a merchant. So I know that you''re human and why your race is unique."


    After Sven''s words, there was silence in the bar for a while. Wain was silent and pondered what he heard while Sven oversaw Wain''s reaction.


    "How much do you know about humans?" Wain asked.


    Instead of an answer, however, he saw Sven''s puzzled face.


    ''Wait... Doesn''t Wain know anything about his race? Why is he asking me that? And why does he have such a confused expression on his face?''


    When Sven first met Wain, he knew immediately that Wain was human. Sven was surprised but didn''t show it since he had met and heard about them several times before.


    He decided that Wain was one of the remaining humans and lived in the far corners of the universe where there were only lifelessnds.


    Sven drew this conclusion because when Wain came to him, he was a Primary Chronicle creature and knew nothing of this world.


    Sven decided that Wain was just lucky enough to stumble upon a test of the World of Darkness and begin his journey of conquering Voids and exploring spaces.


    On their first meeting, Sven was surprised that Wain could single-handedly clear the Dungeon when less than a month had passed since the apocalypse began. However, Sven and Wain talked in slightly different terms even though they used the same word.


    Since for Wain, the apocalypse was the destruction of the world he lived in, and that world was the only one. On the other hand, Sven knew that there were many dimensions, and they were all one big world.


    For Sven, the apocalypse it was when Soul Essence appeared in a ce where it had never been before. It was very rare and usually the beginning of something new.


    Sven realized that it had happened recently because he could sense how much time had passed since Wain had received Soul Altar. It was the hallmark of all creatures in this world.


    Everyone had Soul Altar from birth. Only exceptionally did creatures get Soul Altar while alive, and it only happened if the ce they lived in for some reason didn''t have Soul Essence yet.


    This was only possible under one condition. The area had to fall into a spatial hole and be stuck at the border between time and space. It was possible to live on thisnd, but without Soul Essence.


    However, Soul Essence was in every corner of the world and eventually got even into such ces bringing them back in line with other spaces and giving creatures Soul Altars and unique powers. At least that was what Sven knew.


    That''s roughly what Ria thought when she saw Wain in the Purgatory zone. She decided that Wain had identally entered such a ce when the rest of his race had disappeared without a trace and was considered extinct.


    Even in the World of Darkness, few knew of this, but Sven was an informant and held the high ground. He knew that such precedents were theoretically possible, moreover, Wain was human, the most mysterious race that had long since disappeared.


    So he epted that Wain did not immediately receive Soul Altar because of the unique conditions.


    "Well... this I did not expect, but since you paid me, I will try to tell you everything I know about humans."


    It was surprising to Sven that Wain knew nothing about his race. His theory was that Wain had only recently escaped his spatial confinement because of the appearance of Soul Essence, but he was certain that even in that ce, the other humans must have kept in contact with him.


    So earlier, he would not ask Wain any questions even if he knew that Wain was human.


    Sven did not want to allow even the slightest possibility of somehow spoiling his rtionship with this problematic and mysterious race without getting almost anything in return. Even he knew rather little about humans.


    "All right. I''m listening to you carefully. It''s not very nice not even knowing who you are and who you were born into." Said Wain looking intently at Sven.

 Chapter 192 White Sheer Of Paper

    Strange as it may sound, Wain''s knowledge of his race was seriously limited. Before the souls appeared and the apocalypse began, he, like the others, was not even aware of the existence of other races.


    Wain thought that only humans existed and that the other races were fiction, and until recently, that was true.


    But when he entered the World of Darkness, Wain realized that he had a special position shrouded in mystery. All Wain knew about humans was that the other races had a great interest in them.


    Sven poured himself a ss of whiskey, took a sip, and said, "I think I should start with the story. I''m only going to tell you what I know and what I''m at least 90% sure of. Even I can''t im that my information about humans is entirely true.


    Humans were considered amon and even a very weak race long ago. This is not surprising, as there are many races, and only a few can reach the top. The rules work the same everywhere.


    But, at one point, the situation changed, and humans were no longer at the bottom of the food chain. They became stronger and so dangerous that the other races wanted to destroy them. It was a deration of war by the most powerful races against one.


    I don''t know what happened then, it was too long ago, but somehow humans became a major threat to the other races."


    "Do you know why humans were considered dangerous and decided to destroy them?" Asked Wain.


    "Yes." Sven nodded. "You can bepared to a nk sheet of paper. Your greatest strength is that you are nothing and, therefore, can be everything. But, that is not the main reason why the other races have be wary of you."


    "What do you mean when you say that humans are a nk sheet of paper?"


    "I mean that, unlike the other races, you have no starting point. You choose which path you take. For example, many races have lived for hundreds of years in high-temperature locations where a fire is always burning,va flows, and volcanoes erupt. Obviously, every member of such a race would have fire powers.


    Of course, members of these races also have great variability. They can choose their fighting style, ranged or meleed, their role duringbat, and so on. Also, powerful members of fire races cane to something other than fire after a few evolutions, but it takes a lot of time and a bunch of strength.


    However, everyone''s start will be simr, and it''s 99.99% likely to be fire. The same goes for the other races. For example, Vampires will always be pretty good with blood magic and have amazing physical characteristics." Said Sven.


    Wain nodded. He listened carefully to Sven, afraid of missing a detail.


    "On the other hand, humans can be anything. You have no attachment to any attribute, fighting style, type of skills used, and so on.


    Whereas the number of paths in other races can bepared to a few threads going in one direction and gradually branching out in the distance, humans have thousands of threads spread out in all directions and endlessly divide and join."


    "Hmm, I see." Wain said slowly. "But, the one who can do everything can do nothing. Right?"


    Wain believed that people who try to be proficient at everything at once would end up getting nowhere. In this case, it was quality, not quantity, that was important.


    "Yes, your words make sense. Variability can be dangerous. On the one hand, going only to the fire way or the wind way looks much more effective. It''s stable, and a person can be certain of the end result.


    However, variation has the most potential. That''s why powerful members of races try every way to find new ways of development.


    Of course, humans have a harder start because they are initially nobody. The higher they get to the top, the stronger they bepared to other races, but this does not mean that they are invincible.


    It is not always the case that dozens of skills or unique abilities will be stronger than a me that has been honed for decades. There are a lot of people who have only gone one way and even didn''t try to change it, but they are very powerful." Said Sven.


    "That''s been dealt with, in which case people really are a white sheet of paper. Go on."


    "Sure." Sven nodded. "What I was talking about before can be called a feature of your race. As we found out, variation has minuses and pluses, and so that''s not the reason why the other races wanted to destroy you. But first, I want to talk about the peculiarities of your physiology."


    "Hmm?" Wain looked at him, puzzled. "What does that mean?"


    "Humans, unlike other races, cannot umte Soul Essence and thus be stronger. For example, some monster can eat energy crystals, bing more mighty. You can''t do that.


    You can''t be in a ce rich in Soul Essence and gradually absorb this energy into yourself. It''s impossible for you. This is also the main reason why humans were considered one of the weakest races because you could not even go beyond the limits set by the physical power of your bodies." Sven said.


    "Yes, I''m aware of that. It''s pretty sad. Is there any exnation for it?"


    "I don''t know." Sven shook his head. "The simplest answer is that you''re just unlucky to be born with bodies like this. It is a stigma and a curse that is ced on everyone human without exception. However, there''s something even more amazing about your physiology than your inability to umte Soul Essence."


    Sven took a sip and continued, "You are a nk sheet of paper and therefore possess great variability. That being said, you can''t umte Soul Essence, so there''s no point in having variation because you can''t even begin your way without energy.


    However, that all pales inparison to the fact that you have no souls of your own. Huh, honestly, that sounds like a joke. In a world where everything depends on energy and souls, humans have nothing."


    "Didn''t expect to hear that..." Mumbled Wain.


    ''However, now I have the answer to why people don''t get souls for killing other people. You can''t get something that isn''t there.'' Wain thought.


    "But, that said, somehow people became strong, they became feared by other races, so what happened? Why did those who had nothing get so much power?" Wain asked.


    His interest grew with each passing second. He realized that Sven was talking about things Wain knew nothing about, but that was not what was most important at that moment. Wain wanted to know what members of his race were capable of in the World of Darkness.


    "Yes, I don''t know under what circumstances it happened, but I know what changed. At one point, humans began to devour the souls of other beings, they became soul eaters. It was a real catastrophe and a disaster for all races in this world." Sven said slowly.<sub> </sub>


    At that moment, dozens of different thoughts appeared in Wain''s mind. His understanding of the world began to rearrange itself, and the information he knew became hundreds of puzzles that gradually became one picture.


    He had only met members of other races a few times before. Monsters aside, only Purple Pilgrim, Ria, and her juniors were from other races.


    He realized that the way the soul system worked for humans and others was radically different. Wain could not have known this, as he had never interacted with members of other races.


    "Other races can''t devour souls, right?" Wain asked.


    "Yes." Sven nodded. "Of course, souls are good for everyone. But if you kill another creature, all it has to do is destroy the soul and devour the energy. That''s your way of getting stronger. It is said to be the most disgusting and horrible way of all. Most races despise you for it."


    "Hmm... But what do the other races do with souls? It''s a bit confusing to me as a human. I''m used to using souls this way, and I don''t know the others." Asked Wain.


    "It''s nothing unusual. Other races can also use the souls of other beings to be stronger, but their methods arepletely different from yours. However, they do not use souls, but the energy within them, a big difference.


    Since you own one Void, you''ve probably seen monsters absorb energy from crystals. Right?" Sven asked.


    "Yes." Wain nodded. He remembered when the Ice Knight did this. Then Frigus spread the crystals around him and gradually absorbed their energy.


    "It''s a simr situation with souls. For example, if a Vampire killed an Elf and got his soul, he would have to take time to get the energy out of the soul and absorb it.


    I''m not sure you know more about this than I do, but as far as I know, humans get a lot more energy when they devour souls. There is a fairly simple and logical exnation for this.


    The process of absorbing energy from a soul can bepared to eating fruit. However, to begin with, the fruit has to be peeled, washed, and sliced before you can eat it, this is an example. But, humans eat the ''fruit'' whole and are not penalized for doing so.


    For example, if a Vampire absorbs energy from the soul of the Elf he kills, he will get 50% of the total energy. Inparison, a human won''t waste time on this process at all and will receive 100% since he doesn''t perform soul cleansing and get rid of the excess. I use conditional figures for ease of exnation.


    Members of other races may also try to absorb a soul at once without purification, but that would be a big mistake. In such a case, a person will receive much less energy and risk harming himself somehow."


    ''So that''s it...'' thought Wain.


    He hadn''t expected to have such an amazing abilitypared to other races. A year ago, Wain had not suspected the existence of other worlds, souls, superpowers, and so on.


    So when he figured out a bit of how the new world worked, he decided that everyone was the same. This was no mistake since Wain had only recently met members of other races, excluding monsters.


    Even now, when he learns something new every day, there are still more questions than answers.


    "I get your point, and it sounds strange to me. Why have humans considered hideous creatures if our ways of absorbing energy are simply different?


    Humans can quickly absorb 100% of their soul energy, that''s definitely a huge plus, but we also have disadvantages. We can''t absorb Soul Essence from the environment, and energy crystals and other such items are useless to us.


    We are more varied, but we have a harder start. It''s easier to reach heights when you know which path to follow rather than being in a four-dimensional maze of millions of choices.


    In my opinion, you could call it a bnce. Everything has advantages and disadvantages." Said Wain.


    Sven took a sip of whiskey and muttered, "Wain, honestly, I have the same opinion, but my thinking is different. Also, don''t forget that I have a unique position and capabilities, and there are very few like me. I have a lot of experience, and I understand the reasons why most races hate and despise humans."


    Wain looked at him interestedly.


    "It''s all about worldview and treating souls as an integral part of the world. You are human, and for you, soul-eating, variation,ck of your own soul, and inability to absorb Soul Essence are normal.


    However, for the other races, this nonsense goes against their understanding of the world and their moral values.


    You people are like heretics who break every established rule of this world. Just as many are ufortable with the idea that their soul can be eaten like some piece of meat, it is disgusting and uneptable.


    Of course, there are such persons with opinions simr to mine, but they are very few, and they will never say that they do not understand and do not support this attitude to humans. They will be dered traitors and killed.


    Don''t forget such factors as public opinion, prejudice, bandwagon effect, reluctance to measure up to changes, and the wrongness of one''s knowledge of this world. Also, not everyone is aware that there once was a race like humans."


    "I see." Wain nodded. "Your arguments sound logical."


    When Sven gave so many examples and showed how other races looked at this situation, Wain realized nothing was surprising.


    In his world, humans did the same thing. They had been feuding for hundreds of years to prove whose opinion was right and who was in charge.


    There were many reasons, but none of them were as global as destroying the concept on which the whole world was built.


    The Humans did just that, which is why the other races still hated and disliked them as something alien, even years after they disappeared.

 Chapter 193 The Assignment Of Souls

    "Okay, I get the situation. Humans are an amazing race, but being a member of this race is either a blessing or a curse." Said Wain.


    "Yes." Sven nodded weakly. "There are many mysteries in the world, and your disappearance is one of them, and so are you."


    "Sven, I have one more question about the other races. I''ve already learned that their process of absorbing energy from souls is strikingly different, but can they insert the souls of other beings into their Soul Altars?"


    "Of course, I don''t know how it happens with humans, but to insert the soul of another creature into Soul Altar, certain conditions must be met. For example, a member of the fire race would not be able to insert a soul with the water attribute into his Soul Altar.


    To be exact, he can, but it will destroy Soul Altar and imminent death. The attributes must matchpletely, or at least remotely. The same applies to abilities, but there are a few nuances.


    If a member of the fire race has inserted another soul into his Soul Altar, the abilities of the additional soul will be subordinated to the main soul. This means that the new abilities will get the attribute of fire, partially or fully." Sven exined.


    "Howplicated it all is..." Mumbled Wain. "Okay, back to the beginning then. How do I get Essence if I''m human? Is that even possible?"


    Wain originally came here to find out the answer to that question. However, their conversation took a different, unbelievable and unpredictable path. Wain was shocked to learn so much information, but that was not what was most important to him at the moment.


    Sven shook his head, "I don''t know how to help you. My knowledge of the characteristics of humans is severely limited. The process of getting Essence is 99% simr to absorbing energy from your environment and other objects. Given that you don''t know how to do it, it seems impossible for you."


    Wain didn''t know what to say. He wasn''t expecting to hear something like this. To him, it was like a dead end after a high-speed climb up a mountain.


    ''He''s not lying... At least this hasn''t happened before, and it doesn''t make any sense... Damn, is being human in this world a curse and not a blessing?'' Wain pondered.


    He tried to find a way out of this situation, but all to no avail. He couldn''te up with a single idea.


    "Wain, I can''t help you in any way, but I can give you one piece of advice. You''re human, which means you know better than anyone else what you''re capable of. Perhaps you have some special way in which you can extract Essence." Sven said.


    "I hope so... Okay, I want to know one more thing. There''s one question that''s been bothering me for a while now."


    "I''m listening to you carefully." Said Sven.


    "I recently fought a member of another race who infiltrated my Void and wanted to kill me. However, I was able to cope and tore him apart. Before that, I checked his status and saw that he had five Voids under his control.


    Why didn''t I own those territories after killing him? Thest time I killed a leader of Void, I got it right away. I didn''t notice it at first, but someone reminded me of it..." Wain muttered.


    "It''s a simple question." Smiling Sven said. "You should have gotten his Voids, that''s true, but there''s onemon option that caused it not to happen. The person you killed wasn''t the sole owner of those Voids. In other words, by killing him, you transferred the ownership of those Voids to other owners."


    "What? Oh shit... Wouldn''t it make sense for me to be one of the owners of these Voids in that case?" Wain resented.


    Sven shrugged, "Those are the rules. By sharing the owner''s role with someone, you lose a lot of advantages. However, it gives you a guarantee that an outsider can''t take those territories for themselves.


    In fact, 99% of families, ns, organizations, and even small groups do this. Basically, only powerful singles can have many Voids in which they are the sole owners."


    "Understandably, they distribute power amongst themselves, and even if one of them dies, the n doesn''t lose the Voids they''ve struggled to gain." Concluded Wain.


    "Okay, then I still have one more question. Is there any way to know which territories are on enemy Voids? That would be useful for gaining an advantage when starting a war and mining needed souls."


    "Of course, there are such ways, but you can''t afford them. Also, in most cases, the resources spent on this are not worth the possible benefit, so it is quite rare. But, if you want to know that to get the souls, you don''t need to know everything about the enemy Void."


    "Hmm? Aren''t you contradicting yourself? If I need a soul with the attribute of fire, how do I know that this Void has the right area without revealing the information?" Wain said puzzled.


    "No way, it''s not necessary. If you want to get the souls you need, you don''t have to dere war on other Voids, hoping that one day you''ll get lucky."


    "What?"


    "You''re not the only one facing this kind of problem, which is why the World of Darkness has special ces forrge-scale battles. It''s called the Arena.


    Arenas can bepared to huge Voids with no owner and constantly wreaking havoc, anarchy, and countless murders. There is no room for peace and development in these areas, only bloody battles." Sven said calmly.


    "I see. How do I get there? What enemies will I meet there?"


    "In the Arenas, you will meet enemies of all kinds. It''s amon urrence, and that''s why there are so many Arenas. There is fire, ice, water, under almost any attribute, but the mixed ones are the most popr."


    Wain nodded.


    "Since you can''t take your Warriors into the Arena with you, you''ll mostly have to fight alone. Of course, some try to form alliances in the Arenas, but these ces are too chaotic for alliances tost."


    "Great, that''s what''s needed. If the Arenas are chaotic, I''ll have no trouble finding suitable opponents there." Quite said Wain.


    "Yes." Sven nodded. "But, you have to be careful and cautious. Usually, it''s people like you whoe to the Arena. Strong, confident ones who havee to hunt souls. However, only time will tell which of you is truly the predator and which the prey."


    "Hmm, that''s both a plus and a minus. I risk get seriously injured or even dying, but every victory will be valuable, and I''ll get rare souls, but it looks like getting regr souls in these ces will be difficult..."<sub> </sub>


    "That''s not true. As I said earlier, the Arenas are mostly frequented by strong creatures. There you will meet members of other races, members of powerful families, ns, and organizations, as well as owners of Voids.


    The arenas are enormous and full of battles, causing an incredible density of Soul Essence in these areas. This leads to the non-stop appearance of Dungeons and Nests. The more powerful the Arenas, the more different events there are, up to and including natural disasters."


    "I see, so if you''re powerful enough, you can find both rare andmon souls there. That''s impressive."


    "Yeah, also don''t forget about plunder. In most cases, those whoe to the Arenas have rare equipment and huge amounts of souls. Many rarely kill their enemies. They loot them, leave them alive and then after a while, track them down and loot them again."


    Wain smiled silently. The robbery was not yetmon in his world since most people did not yet have decent equipment, and no one kept souls. However, ording to Wain''s opinion, it was one of the quickest ways to be stronger and richer.


    "To get into the Arena, you just have to concentrate and enter a special space. You can do it with your World of Darkness card. It''s simr to dering war on other Voids. You''ll see the options and be able to join it, but sometimes you won''t be can do it."


    "Hmm? Why not? Don''t I need special permits to visit the Arenas?" Wain muttered puzzled.


    "Huh, imagine a situation where your main attribute is water. Do you really think they let you into the Fire Arena in that case?"


    "Would I be forbidden to join this Arena?"


    "You could say that. There are two options, in this case, the first is to vote, but in the Arenas, few people spend their time on this. No one cares about the others. So even if you have the water attribute, you can get into the Fire Arena. However, it will be lucky for others, not you."


    Wain looked at him interestedly.


    "Without a vote, you will be allowed in, but you will be like a firefly at night. There will be a bounty on your head, and hundreds of enemies will hunt you down.


    You''ll be able to overpower some of them because of the elemental advantage, but not all of them. Someone will end up killing you, taking your souls, and getting an extra prize, which is usually very valuable." Sven exined.


    "Huh, I see, I should have expected something like that. Great, it''s a good way to pass the time, and I was going to go into the Arena with as much variety of enemies as possible anyway. I need a lot of souls."


    "Just like the rest of us." Smiling, Sven said.


    "Oh yes, I forgot about something entirely. Sven, what do the crystals in the Dungeon and the dials above the ink doors mean?"


    The first Dungeon, Wain had seen quite a while ago, and he wanted to know more about the meaning of these markings.


    "It''s simple. The color of the crystal indicates how rare enemies you can encounter there. This does not mean that if the crystal is white, all the creatures living there are Common Rating souls. There can be significant differences.


    However, thanks to the color of the crystal, you will know approximately how unique enemies you have to fight."


    Wain nodded.


    "The stripes are an indicator of difficulty, size, and the number of resources and energy in the ce. It''s amon variable of those factors. Simply put, the more stripes, the bigger, more dangerous, and more valuable the Dungeon is. The same goes for the dial above the ink doors."


    "I see..." Wain muttered.


    He pondered and scrolled through their conversation in his head. Wain learned many new and surprising things. Every time Wain went to see Sven, he convinced of how amazing this world was and how valuable the information was.


    "I learned everything I needed to know, so now I want to move on to trade." After a while, Wain said.


    "Of course, but I must warn you about something. I don''t advise you to go to the Arena right now."


    Sven understood that Wain wanted to buy equipment to get the best score in the Arenas and win all his battles.


    "Why?"


    "That''s where you''ll meet various individuals, ordinary and powerful. Often some ns or organizations avenge their fallenrades and hunt down murderers, even if it happened in the Arena. However, you have a moreplicated situation."


    Sven sighed and, pointing his finger at Wain, said, "You are human, and someone is bound to figure that out. Imagine what will happen then? You will be their target and not just in the Arena. Powerful beings will hunt you down and even break the spatial barrier to enter your Void and kidnap you. There''s nothing you can do to them."


    Wain nodded weakly. He understood that carelessness could lead to death. Given the circumstances, he had to keep his identity a secret.


    "I can offer you a few things to hide your identity, but it won''t save you if someone powerful finds out about you." Sven said.


    In response, Wain shook his head, "You shouldn''t."


    Wain decided to decline Sven''s offer because he was sure he would soon get the right item himself.


    ''I need the Faceless Aristocrat Mask to open the fourth form. Given the name, this item should have the appropriate abilities. In that case, it''s settled. I''ll head to the Arenas after I unlock the fourth form.''

 Chapter 194 Preparing To Go South

    "What kind of equipment do you need this time, and how much money do you have?" Sven asked.


    Not only was he an incredible informer and skilled bartender, but he was also a prestigious merchant with an extensive range. For a reasonable price, he could offer many different options.


    "I have 490 Common Rating Souls, 40 Rare Rating, and 10 Epic Rating. All First Chronicle Souls." Said Wain and the souls flew out of his palm the next moment.


    More than half a thousand souls floated around him like bright fireflies. Within each soul was hidden power and energy. Souls were priceless, but they were also currency, like gold coins to buy equipment.


    Wain waved his hand, and all the souls headed toward Sven. Then the bartender turned them into 89 Void Souls. Compared to thest time, Wain had a lot more money now.


    Whoooosh.


    The gray souls headed toward Wain as their rightful owner.


    "What would you like?"


    "Hmm, I bought some items from youst time. They were useful, but I decided I needed something powerful for the long haul. I think for almost a hundred Void Souls, I could buy something like that." Said Wain.


    He thought the consumables were useful, but he felt he was missing something. He had only recently gotten a good weapon and had not yet had time to try it out in battle. Wain could not rely on fighting on short-lived items that could run out at any moment.


    "Of course, but before I do, I want to tell you something. In addition to the usual gear, weapons, armor, and consumables, I also sell Soul Chests, Spiritual Boxes, and Spell Books." Sven said with a smile.


    "Wow, that sounds interesting."


    "But, it''s not that simple. All the chests, boxes, and books are hidden. I, like you, won''t know what''s in there until thest moment. Whether you get a good item or a bad one, you''ll have to pay full price. It''s roulette." Smiling, Sven said.


    "I see. You decided to convert the bar into a casino. Given the number of visitors, it might be the right decision." Wain said with a chuckle. "What are the prices?"


    "If we''re talking First Chronicle, you''ll have to pay 100 Void Souls for a random Spiritual Box, 300 for a random Soul Chest, and 700 for a random Skill Book."


    "Well... I didn''t expect the prices to be that high. What was the point of offering me this if I don''t even have 100 Void Souls?"


    "For you, for the first time, as an exception, I''ll give you an eleven souls discount. Do you want to try to get a random Spiritual Box?" With a slight smile on his face, Sven said.


    "Huh, what are you determined to rob me of? What''s the point of me spending all my money on some unknown thing? What''s more, I''m not sure if some consumable is worth 100 Void Souls. That''s too much for such a thing."


    "Suit yourself." Sven shrugged. "But, as I said earlier, I''m one of the most honest merchants. If I''m offering you a venture like this, it means you can get an item worth many times more than 100 Void Souls. However, the Spiritual Box might be trash. There''s no right or wrong decision here."


    Actually, Wain wanted to try his luck and give in to the excitement, but he knew that with a 99% chance, it would be a big mistake. He could have spent 89 Void Souls much more profitably.


    "What can you offer for 89 Void Souls? I''m willing to spend it all." Wain said calmly.


    Sven looked at Wain intently and, after a while, said, "I could be wrong, but it seems to me that you like cloaks, and you also prefer to be fast and strong but poorly protected. Given your equipment, you wear a light type of armor."


    "That''s right." Wain nodded. "I''m really a big fan of a coat."


    A glint shed in Sven''s eyes.


    "Good, then I have a proposition for you. As far as I can see, your current cape has mediocre protective qualities, especiallypared to First Chronicle gear. However, it has a unique feature that it would be a pity to lose."


    ''Was he able to see the description of my cloak, or did he understand it from the appearance and its structure? Does Sven have a special skill, or is it due to his vast experience?'' Wain wondered.


    He was not surprised that Sven was capable of something like this. He was an informer and a merchant. Such a person was bound to have unique abilities.


    ''Wain, you have two choices. For 89 Void Souls, I can offer a high-end First Chronicle cloak, with excellent defensive properties, passive and active skill."


    "Or?"


    "Or for the same price, you will also get a cloak, but with worse protection and no active skill. However, in addition to it will be a special blueprint and item with which you canbine two cloaks into one. Of course, you''ll need a cksmith for that." Sven said.


    Wain immediately replied, "The second option."


    Whooooosh.


    89 Void Souls flew out of his palm and headed toward Sven the next moment.


    "Okay, one second."


    Sven headed for the door behind the bar and returned with a massive, stone chest a short timeter. It was quiterge, a man could fit in that chest.


    Click.


    Sven opened the chest. Inside was a long, dark blue cloak with ck patterns of weeping ghosts. An eerie and unpleasant aura emanated from the cloak.


    Next to the cloaky a drawing and a small metal cube consisting of hundreds of gears. It was a special mechanism.


    "This is yours now." Sven said proudly and stepped aside.


    Wain touched the cloak and saw its description.


    [Wailing Ghost (First Chronicle, Epic Rating)


    This cloak was created uniquely and naturally. Usually, armor is created by cksmiths or tailors, but the origin of this cloak is special.


    On one continent, there was a cave where hundreds of ghosts lived in peace for decades. They enjoyed life and existed peacefully, admiring the beauty of nature. But, as in any story, this one had an end, and unfortunately, it was a bad one.<sub> </sub>


    One day a tailor came to the cave. He was looking for ghosts to create a unique and unrepeatable outfit. The tailor had a unique skill and would surpass himself by creating a true masterpiece.


    The tailor easily defeated and subdued the ghosts, but when he took out a needle and began stitching the ghosts together alive, the rage of the monsters reached its limit.


    They sacrificed themselves into a cloak butpletely consumed the tailor and turned him into a madman who killed himself. In the end, the ghosts also ceased to be themselves. There was no winner in this story, only defeated.


    *There is a small chance of dodging a physical attack.


    *There is a very small chance of dodging a magical attack.


    *Resistance to phantom attacks is increased by 15%.


    *Damage against ghost creatures increased by 20%


    *Vulnerability to weak and simple illusions.


    *Passive skill "Echoes of Madness" created.


    -Echoes of Madness.


    Because of their cruel fate and ruined lives, ghosts have be mad. They were able to defeat their enemy but lost their sanity forever. This fate will befall every owner of this cloak without exception. It is a cursed object, and no one can use it without risking their sanity.


    However, as long as the wearer is not insane, this power can be used to disorient enemies. When touched, several ghosts will prate the enemy''s body and inflict mental damage].


    "Holy shit... It''s not a cloak, it''s a pandora''s box. However, I like it." Quite said Wain and moved on to the blueprint.


    [Drawing of the Mad Tailor (First Chronicle, Epic Rating)


    This blueprint contains a piece of knowledge of the mad tailor who suffered a cruel fate. However, before he finally lost his mind and died, he created unique blueprints that no one else could replicate.


    An experienced tailor or cksmith with a special soul will be able to use this blueprint, which details the method of fusing two essentially simr cloaks. If sessful, a terrible and great cloak will be created,parable to the finest masterpieces].


    Wain nodded. He was worried that he would need to find a tailor to merge the cloaks, but Lea could handle it, given the circumstances.


    ''Lucky Lea has a special soul. Otherwise, I''d need a unique tailor.'' Thought Wain and touched a cube of hundreds of gears.


    [Cube with Phantom Liquid (Primary Chronicle, Common Rating)


    Despite the low rarity and Primary Chronicle, this is a unique and specific item hard to get. This cube contains only one drop of Phantom Liquid, which required killing a hundred ghosts under one month old to create.


    Only mysterious alchemists and a mad tailor have found a use for this liquid.


    The cube is aplex mechanism that requires the energy of a ghost to activate. Otherwise, it would be impossible to obtain the Phantom Liquid].


    "Not bad. It''s definitely worth 89 Void Souls." Said Wain and moved the stone chest with all the items to the Ring of Damned.


    Then he pulled out a blue pack of cigarettes and, after a few seconds, blew out a puff of smoke. It turned into several ghosts flying around in a circle.


    "Pleasure doing business with you, but a little sorry you turned down my offer to try your luck." Smiling, Sven said.


    "Okay, thanks for the cocktail. It was awesome as always." Said Wain and shook off the ash, and headed for the exit of the bar.


    "See youter. You''re always wee here."


    Before opening the door, Wain stopped and turned around and asked, "Sven, when we talked about races, you always said ''they''. That means you don''t count yourself among them, then what race are you?"


    Sven was curious to know more about humans and Wain in particr. However, Sven was also a mysterious character, and Wain knew almost nothing about him.


    When Sven heard Wain''s question, he smiled and said, "Everyone has their secrets, and this is one of mine."


    "I see. That was to be expected." Said Wain and opened the door.


    When Wain had gone far enough, Sven took a deep breath and muttered.


    "Humans... I had to think of them again. When I met the members of this race, a shiver went through my body. Every one of them is truly great, at least the ones I''ve met or heard about. Wain is like them, he is a thousand times weaker, but he gives off a special aura and awe..."


    ...


    Wain decided not to return to Frozen Land, for it made no sense. Frigus and ck Rabbit were busy making potions and digging an underground tunnel. They needed time to do it and a lot of monsters to help them, so Wain couldn''t start a war.


    He had to let them work and explore Frozen Land. Wain understood that there was no point in being at war all the time, especially when there were no suitable opponents.


    The overall strength of the monsters, the exploration of the territory, and the use of resources were just as important in creating a powerful Void.


    At this point, Wain had three main goals to aplish in the near future.


    He had to mine thest piece of the map, find an air vehicle to get to the ind and unlock the fourth form. After that, Wain had time to gather the necessary souls in the arena and go to the ind in fullbat readiness.


    ''Hmm, perhaps I could use the Cursed Swordsman and ice to get to the ind, but it''s too risky. The monsters in the seas and oceans must be incredibly strong. All this time, they''ve been progressing and haven''t encounterednd enemies.'' Thought Wain and opened the inky door.


    He stepped forward and found himself in a golden temple.

 Chapter 195 Three Of Four

    When Wain returned to the golden temple, he immediately decided to try on the cloak. His ring glowed, and the ck cloak disappeared. The Wailing Ghost appeared in his hands.


    ''The description says ghost madness is the curse. So this cloak ispletely safe for me, right?'' Thought Wain looking at the ghost drawings on the dark blue cape.


    Wain was impressed by the description of the item. It was a whole story behind which was the fate of hundreds of creatures.


    ''This gear is from Sven, no wonder this cloak is the best and most unusual I have, except for Forgotten Monarch''s Sword.'' Thought Wain and put on the cloak.


    The next moment there was the furious shouting of hundreds of spirits. The drawings on the cloak glowed bright blue and turned into phantom copies of ghosts.


    Wain was not worried. He was sure that a message was about to appear saying that his Title had neutralized the curse''s effects.


    However, instead, something more incredible happened.


    Whooooooooosh.


    As the ghosts were about to attack Wain, the Ring of Damned suddenly glowed brightly. A green glow appeared on the ghosts, and they all gradually calmed down and went back into their cloaks.


    "What happened...?" Wain muttered puzzledly.


    He looked with surprise at the ring, which had already managed to extinguish.


    ''Looks like I was right. The Ring of Damned has room to grow and progress, it''s not the maximum.'' Thought Wain and headed for the exit of the Dungeon.


    ...


    After a while, he heard the sound of footsteps in the distance. Wain became alert and prepared for a fight, he didn''t know who it was.


    Then a group of people ran out from around the corner. When they saw Wain, they stopped and shouted, "Who are you?"


    Whoooosh.


    The Ring of Damned shone brightly, and a tinum sword appeared in Wain''s hands. He was ready to take a swing, but suddenly one of the group stepped forward and said, "Mr. Wain, d to wee you!"


    "Hmm? Who are you?" Wain was puzzled. This was the first time he had seen these people.


    "We are one of the groups of Last Light. We are currently exploring this Dungeon in search of valuable items."


    "Last Light? Gisle is already here?" Wain was surprised.


    Because of the wounds sustained during the aid to Frigus to get his name, Wain hadin in the icyke for almost a week. A lot could have happened at that time, but he didn''t expect Gisle to decide to attack the west during that period.


    "Yes. Three days ago, Last Light headed west, and two days ago, we defeated the strongest organization in that part of town. We are still exploring the areas and consolidating our power." A man answered quickly.


    He was the leader of this group and knew about who Wain was. Gisle had warned some people about it, as he knew there might have been a confrontation between them and Wain. Wain could have been anywhere and anytime.


    "What about the heads of Twilight Steel? Did Gisle kill them?" Wain asked.


    "No." The man shook his head. "We attacked abruptly and unexpectedly and got the advantage right away. When their leader saw they had no chance, she decided to surrender on certain conditions."


    "What conditions?"


    "I don''t know." The man shook his head. "I''m just the simple leader of the group. I''m not supposed to know such information. However, I can state with certainty that after that, the killing stopped, and Twilight Steel submitted to Last Light."


    "I see. Where is Gisle now?"


    "At the former main base of Twilight Steel. He and the enemy leader are still discussing some matters."


    "Good. You may not explore this Dungeon any further. It''s safe here, at least until new monsters appear." Said Wain.


    "Roger that."


    Wain nodded and headed for the exit of the Dungeon. In a few minutes, he had already reached the main base of Twilight Steel. He jumped high and reached the top of the central tower in a few leaps.


    Wain made his way into the main hall, and as he expected, Va and Gisle were there. They were sitting at a wooden table in leather chairs discussing something.


    "Wow, look who''s here." Gisle said smiling as he looked at Wain.


    Va also turned around, "It''s you! What are you doing here?"


    She didn''t know that Wain was connected to Last Light. Besides Gisle and Va, there were other people in the room.


    Behind Gisle stood Teresa, Grut, and Agnes. They contributed the most during the capture of the western part of the city. Behind Va was Selena, a man with a massive sword and a wounded girl with unusual eyes. It was Hana, from whom Wain had recently taken a sniper rifle.


    "I came to see how the negotiations were going. Isn''t it obvious?" Wain said calmly.


    "Hey, you''re the one who broke into our base then and took my rifle!" said Hana angrily, ring at Wain.


    "So?" Wain shrugged. "You attacked first. What''s more, you should be thanking me for letting you live."


    With Wain''s arrival, the tension in the room began to build.


    "Everybody, calm down." Said Gisle. "Wain is a good friend of mine, and he sides with Last Light. I don''t know what happened between you before this, but this was all before the armistice, just like our war. You are the losers, and all you can do is submit to us on terms favorable to both sides."


    Va and the others were unhappy with this situation, but they had no other option. Va decided to surrender because she understood that they would lose in the end.


    She understood that the more she dyed, the more her people would die. She could not allow such a disaster.


    "You''re being overconfident! If we kill you here, we will rule thesends again!" Said Selena and was about to attack Gisle, but he didn''t even try to dodge.


    Whoooosh.


    Suddenly a dark mist appeared behind Selena, and someone put a dagger to her neck. It was Zero, who was acting as a secret protector.


    ''Huh, this girl reminds me of an assassin. Stealthy, fast, strong, and deadly. Perfect.'' Thought Wain looking at Selena''s confused face.


    "Can we go on?" With a slight smile on his face, Gisle said.


    "Yes, it won''t happen again." Said Va.


    "Good, then I want to talk about the terms of our union."


    Everyone understood that this was not a real alliance. As the winning side, Gisle would dictate its rules, and Va would have to follow them.


    "For starters, all your territories, resources, Dungeons, and Nest now belong to Last Light. I hope that''s clear."


    Va nodded. She had never found herself in this position before. Since the beginning of the apocalypse, she had dominated and absorbed others, but now the same thing had happened to her.


    "Now I want to talk about the rtionship between our members. First of all, Twilight Steel no longer exists. All of you are now members of Last Light.


    Second, there is no double standard or bias among my members. Former members of Twilight Steel have the same rights and responsibilities as everyone else.


    Third, rebellion and disobedience are uneptable. I always liked the idea of equality, but it''s impossible, especially in the current climate, so you are obligated to obey those above you. I hope that''s clear."


    Va frowned, "You say there is no double standard, but given the rules, you could put us inferior rank, and then everything would be fair. Isn''t that how it works? We''d still be like ves."


    "Huh." Gisle grinned. "Don''t make me out to be a monster or an evil genius. I have too much to do as it is and no time toe up with clever ns. The rules are in and simple, and I won''t use them that way. Do you agree?"


    "Of course, I fucking agree. It''s like I have another option..." Va replied.


    Gisle was a fairly kind person by nature, but he got the toughness he needed in his three months running the organization during the apocalypse. It didn''t change his personality, but Gisle became more experienced and knew how to act.


    "May I ask?" Hana said hesitantly.<sub> </sub>


    Gisle nodded.


    Hana pointed at Wain, "I want him to give me back my sniper rifle! Without the weapon, I''mpletely useless."


    Gisle shrugged, "s, it''s not me you need to ask, but Wain."


    "What? But you''re in charge..." Hana muttered puzzled.


    "Yes, but I can''t control him. That''s it, question closed, anyone else wants to ask something?"


    Va nodded and said something. She and Gisle discussed some more things and Gisle''s ns for the future. At this time, Hana approached Wain uncertainly. She was afraid of him and unsure of what she should do.


    "You don''t even have to try. I won''t give you the sniper rifle." Immediately Wain said.


    "But why? Judging by the way you attacked us a few days ago, you''re fighting in close quarters. What''s the point of you having a long-range weapon?"


    "I can fight in a lot of ways, and so far, I''m happy with my new sniper rifle, so stop boring me." Wain replied and headed for Grut.


    Hana didn''t say anything back. She knew she was in no position to demand anything. She tried, and it was the most she could afford.


    The Ring of Damned glowed, and a gold breastte and lion emblem appeared in Wain''s hands.


    "Here, it''s for you." Said Wain.


    Grut was surprised that Wain decided to give him something. When he read the item''s description, he didn''t know what to say.


    The Cuirass of Unbowed Lion was an incredible item for Grut. He didn''t expect to receive something like that suddenly.


    "Thank you..." Grut muttered quietly. He was a shy man, and though he was very happy, that was all he could say.


    Wain nodded. He found Grut useful and strong. So far, he had never met anyone with such powerful defensive skills.


    Gisle and the others were not paying attention. They were focused on the negotiation, but some were surprised and even outraged.


    "This is the second time you''ve given an item to Grut. Is there something I don''t know about you two?" Teresa said grudgingly.


    "Huh, it''s not my fault I get items like that." Said Wain. "Why does it bother you so much? Maybe you''re jealous?"


    "What?! Am I jealous? I have plenty of good equipment without your handouts." Teresa quickly replied.


    "Hmm, then why are you still walking around in your old clothes?" With a slight smile on his face, Wain said.


    "It''s none of your business. I just like to look ssy. What''s more, it''s hard to get good gear when our chief cksmith is constantly depressed."


    "Gisle." Said Wain.


    "What is it?"


    Wain smiled, and two map fragments flew out of his body the next moment. He swung his hand, and it flew into the heads of everyone present except the members of Twilight Steel.


    Va knew what it was, for the second part of the card had passed through her and Selena when they were in the golden temple. It saved them from being trapped in the golden statues.


    After a few seconds, fragments of the map returned to Wain.


    "I see...need another one..." Gisle muttered.


    "Yes, and it is in the south, I''m sure of it. When we find aplete map, we''ll know the exact location of the ind." Said Wain.


    "South... That''s problematic... It''s about a month and a half before the ind appears. There''s a lot to be done in that time." Mumbled Gisle.


    He wasn''t worried that Va might hear about it. He didn''t consider her an enemy, she was now part of the organization and his subordinate.


    Gisle was pleased with his progress, but he knew that he had to allow at least a week to prepare for the departure. Also, although he knew which side of the world the ind would appear in, he did not know how long the journey would take.


    He had recently taken over Twilight Steel and had a lot of work to do. So even though Elsa helped him, he was also involved in managing the northern and eastern parts of the city.


    At that point, Gisle realized that he was running out of time. He didn''t have enough time to find thest part of the map.


    ''Hmm, I could form a group and try to get the third part of the map quickly and capture the southern part, but then the west and south would be unstable. That could lead to a riot, and that would be a serious problem...'' pondered Gisle.


    Wain noticed that Gisle was tense and said, "You don''t have to think about putting together a full map. I''ll do it. What''s more, I have my own reasons for going South."


    ''That''s right, Wain got the second part of the map himself, I don''t have to worry about that. Even though this guy''s a loner, he''ll never refuse to cooperate.''


    "Well, if it all works out, that''ll be great."


    Wain nodded.


    "By the way, Va, I wanted to ask you something else. There''s an airport in this part of town. Tell me there''s an intact and working vehicle there?" Asked Gisle.


    Va shook her head, "We explored the airport hoping to find a working ne or helicopter, but to no avail. All the hangars have been destroyed, and the equipment is broken and seriously damaged. It''s impossible to use."


    "Shit...okay, there''s nothing we can do about it..." Gisle muttered.


    "Where is Lea now?" Asked Wain.


    "Lea is now in the east, at our main base, run by Elsa. Lea is building equipment with the fire goblins, and she''s as depressed as ever."


    "Yeah, that girl''s a master at it." Teresa said unhappily.


    "I see... Nothing changes..." Wain muttered and took off his gloves.


    He tossed them to Agnes and said, "If you can pass these things to Lea, let her make something useful out of them or just practice, oh yeah, that too."


    Wain''s Ring of Damned glowed brightly, and a blueprint appeared in his hands. This is the item Wain received when he killed the Snow Beast, leader of the enemy Void, during his first war.


    [Weapon Blueprint (First Chronicle, Epic Rating)


    This blueprint contains a method of creating a powerful weapon capable of making its owner incredibly powerful. Any warrior would want such a weapon now. It''s not a dream but almost a reality. However, only a man with the soul of a cksmith can know what is written on the blueprint].


    "Got it." Agnes replied sinctly.


    Wain had been a First Chronicle creature for quite some time, and the effectiveness of his previous gear was dropping by the day.


    Since there was no one else to sell the items, he decided to pass them on to Lea. There was a slight chance that she could make something of value out of it.


    "You work with monsters...?" Va said surprised to hear about the fire goblins. The others were just as surprised.


    Gisle shrugged, "Why not? They''re useful and act like humans. There''s no point in prejudice."


    Va didn''t answer anything. It was strange and iprehensible to her.


    Wain did not linger and headed for the exit. He found out the situation and got rid of the useless things. He wanted to get to the South as quickly as possible.


    "Wait!" Suddenly Hana said.


    "What is it?"


    "Take me with you!"


    "Ah?"

 Chapter 196 Brother

    Wain wanted to leave, but suddenly Hana stopped him.


    "What? Do you want toe with me? Why? Though no, it doesn''t matter. I don''t need a burden." Said Wain and turned around.


    "Wait! Take me with you, please!" Hana wasn''t about to give up.


    "That''s enough. What''s the point of me taking you with me? You''re hurt, and you don''t have a weapon. You''ll only get in the way."


    "I understand, but I have to go south!"


    "Hmm, why?"


    "My brother must be there..." Hana muttered.


    "I see..." Wain said slowly. "In any case, it won''t change my mind. If you want to go yourself, it''s your business, don''t drag me into it."


    Hana bit her lip. She knew Wain was right, and she med herself for not going looking for her brother herself before.


    Hana wanted to do it, but she couldn''t. At first, she had the task of surviving, and it wasn''t until she took the high ground in Twilight Steel that she had the opportunity to do so.


    However, she didn''t know how to cross the canyon separating the parts of the city. Unlike Last Light, Twilight Steel had not yet built bridges and passageways to the other parts of the city.


    The reason was that the western part was muchrger, and Va needed more time than Gisle to establish their hold over this territory. Also, Twilight Steel did not have someone like Clovis, making the transition to the other sides much easier.


    Hana had no way to traverse the canyon, even when she had time to search for her brother. Of course, Hana could have gone down, but she didn''t know of this method since she had not been there.


    However, when Wain said he was going south, Hana saw this as an opportunity. She realized that Wain must have known a way to cross the canyon and get to the other side, so she decided to try it despite her dislike of Wain.


    "Damn, you attacked me, broke every bone in my body, and took away my weapon. Don''t you have any humanity in you? If you don''t take me with you, then at least save my brother!" Holding back tears, Hana said, holding out a photograph to Wain.


    Wain stood silent for a while but decided to look at the picture.


    "His name is Marco Helzu. You will distinguish him from the others." Said Hana.


    The picture showed a boy of fifteen with a unique appearance. The left half of his hair was white, and the right half was ck. Also, one of his eyes was gray, and the other was purple.


    "It''s pretty rare to meet people with heterochromia and such an unusual hair coloring... I really notice him even out of a million other people." Proimed Wain.


    "Does that mean you''re going to help me?" With hope in her voice, said Hana.


    "You could say that." Wain nodded. "But, I won''t look for him purposefully. If I happen to meet your brother and it doesn''t interfere with my ns, I''ll save him. Don''t ask for more than that." Wain said seriously and walked out of the hall.


    Hana murmured quietly, "Thank you..."


    "What was that...?" Teresa said, shocked. "He can kill people without blinking an eye, but now he''s decided to help a stranger."


    "Yeah, that''s something incredible. A sr eclipse can be seen many times more often than such a kind Wain. It''s not like him." Said Gisle.


    "Huh." Teresa grinned. "Seems to me there are two possibilities here, either he liked this girl, which is unlikely considering he broke her bones, though if he''s sadistic, it makes sense. Or even Wain can''t bepletely cruel and cold to children."


    When Hana heard this, she was embarrassed. Even though Wain had behaved like a real bastard and barbarian toward her, she now felt grateful even though he had given her only a ghostly hope.


    "Hana, you do realize that there is almost a hundred percent chance that your brother is no longer alive, right?" Said Va.


    The blond-haired girl nodded, "Yes, but I managed to survive, which means Marco has a chance. Suddenly the apocalypse started, it''s unbelievable, and a miracle could happen to all of us, including my brother."


    ...


    When Wain left the base, the ring on his finger shone brightly, and a silverpass appeared in his hand. With this item, he would locate thest part of the map.


    Wain decided to check again to see where the third part of the map was.


    Click.


    <o>,m He opened thepass, and the next moment the arrow turned south.</o>


    "Great, now I need to find out something else." Wain muttered and closed his eyes.


    He had several tasks in the south, one of which was to discover the fourth form. Like thest time, Wain saw a blurry image of a wooden door in a dark alleyway.


    It was almost impossible to find a ce based on this clue, but other than that, Wain also sensed energy fluctuations. They worked as a beacon, and the closer Wain got to the target, the more urate the way was.


    ''The fourth form, given that conditions are different this time, will likely be unique. Although, each of the forms has incredible power and specialness.'' Thought Wain and ran towards the south.


    On his way, Wain encountered several monsters. Most of them were Primary Chronicle creatures, he ignored them, they were useless.


    However, there were a few First Chronicle. Wain was surprised that such monsters roamed the city during the day and killed them after collecting a few souls.


    ''Three monthster, First Chronicle monsters are already walking the streets of the city. Soon there will be as many as Primary Chronicle. it could be a problem...'' Wain thought.


    He understood that not all humans had evolved yet, only a small fraction. What''s more, most people still haven''t activated their Soul Altars yet. Now it was much harder to find a weak zombie than on the first day of the apocalypse, which made the process more difficult.


    It took Wain a little over two hours to get to the canyon, and in that time, he killed fifty First Chronicle monsters. Wain did not save these souls for trade but used them immediately.


    Wain bought everything he needed from Sven and didn''t think he might need Void Souls anytime soon.<sub> </sub>


    "Here I am." Proimed Wain was approaching the ledge and looking at the southern part of the city.


    Overion was partly a tourist town because of its special location. Overion was technically an ind that was not far from the maind. Overion was separated from the other cities and territories by a fairly narrow strait only a few hundred meters long.


    The eastern part had partial ess to the sea, while the entire coast of the southern part of the ind was open.


    It was the main tourist center of Overion. There were many skyscrapers, hotels, and different attractions.


    However, all this was near the beach, which upied about 30% of the southern part. In the rest of the south were the usual houses and districts, and there was also a small military base of the city created for emergencies.


    ''I wonder, when the apocalypse began, how useful was the military base and soldiers? They had the best equipment and machinery with high firepower. That''s more than enough to take out the zombie and mutated insect mobs.'' Thought Wain and jumped down.


    After a minute, he reached the bottom of the canyon and ran forward. Every time Wain went down to the bottom of the canyon, he found something interesting. This time he decided to move exclusively toward his goal.


    Wain realized that he would not have time to evolve a second time before the ind emerged. Even if he reached level thirtieth right now, he wouldn''t risk trying to do it.


    He didn''t know how long it would take. Maybe the process would be faster this time, but probably a lot longer. Wain didn''t want to risk it.


    He was sure his powers were enough to handle almost any enemy in the human world.


    Crackling.


    Wain climbed up the ledges like a rock climber and pondered the current situation.


    ''Hmm, perhaps only someone with a Legendary Soul and a Seal of Darkness couldpete with me. Though, I''m not sure anyone but me could reach such a level so quickly in the World of Darkness.''


    Whoooosh.


    Wain made onest dash and was on top. He looked around and saw a familiar sight, dozens of ruined buildings, broken streets, dried blood on the roads, and hundreds of scattered things. It was the face of chaos and panic.


    Click.


    He pulled out hispass and determined his direction. He needed to go left. Wain decided first to find thest part of the map and then go for the Faceless Aristocrat Mask.


    Wain was sure that he would have to go through an even tougher challenge to get the fourth form, and he wanted to be fully prepared for it.


    Wain thought that the third part of the map might be in Dungeon, which meant he could get good equipment there.


    Also, Wain wanted to get used to Forgotten Monarch''s Sword. He had never used this sword inbat before.


    ''Hmm, I wonder what organization runs the south? How strong are they? The south is the main tourist center of Overion, so when the apocalypse began, there were many people here, more than anywhere else. Theoretically, there should be many strong people with unique souls.'' Wain pondered, looking at the skyscrapers in the distance.


    The tallest buildings were near the beach, and the farther away from it, the lower the houses were.


    A few kilometers away from the tourist center, there were disadvantaged areas where it was hard to survive before the apocalypse. These were the slums.


    These ces were never shown to tourists, and no one but the locals came here. In fact, it was typical for a city full of skyscrapers to have slums, ruin, and poverty underneath.


    Since such areas were unttering, people have pushed aside and tried to hide them to avoid spoiling the city''s image and losing profits.


    "It seems unlike other parts of the city in the south, the situation is unusual..." Mumbled Wain looking at the massive walls in the distance.


    They were made of trash, scrap metal, pieces of stone, and various nks.


    The wall was high and quiterge. Despite the bad materials, it would be difficult for monsters to get through them.


    When Wain saw the wall, he realized that there was no one leader in the south like in other ces. There were two main organizations.


    One was located in the disadvantaged neighborhoods or slums, and the other was among the skyscrapers near the beach.


    Of course, the tourist district was in an advantageous position. There was more food in the tourist district, and the skyscrapers were a pretty safe haven. People could hide there and think about surviving.


    Zombies couldn''t get into such ces, and neither could weak insects. Also, in the tourist district, there were a lot of stores, which meant arge variety of equipment with which to resist monsters.


    In the slums, the situation was many times worse. There, people had to fight not only with monsters but also with each other for food and water.


    ''Eh... An apocalypse is a terrible event for everyone, but instead of peopleing together to solve amon problem, the situation only worsened.


    I''m sure people are killing, betraying, and robbing each other every day in these ces. In fact, this ce makes me feel a little nostalgic...'' Wain thought, looking at the dirty streets of the slums.


    In such a ce, Wain spent the first years of his life. His life, like that of most people, was not easy.


    He had to go through many hardships and horrors even toe close to such a concept as ''normal life.'' It was an ordeal in which hundreds died.


    Wain knew better than anyone how hard it was to survive in such ces and how ruthless people lived here. He had experienced firsthand all the pain and bitterness of betrayal and betrayal.


    "The road to the top is really hard... Many people are jealous of the rich and famous and want to be in their shoes. However, these people don''t want to take the same path to achieve their goals. They don''t even think about what many have gone through to be where they are..." Wain muttered, looking out at the horizon.


    Wain knew that to gain power. Someone first had to go through pain and suffering, forging one''s thorny path.


    It seemed too cruel to him because now he was d it had all happened to him. Otherwise, he would not have be who he was. However, Wain realized that he would never have wanted to walk his old path again.


    It showed how high the price for the power was. Wain didn''t know if it was worth it or if he would have the strength to go through it again without knowing the end result.

 Chapter 197 The Dirtiest Place

    "Okay, time to keep going." Mumbled Wain and jumped to the next building.


    "What?"


    However, the arrow on thepass turned the other way at that moment. Wain jumped back, and thepass arrow changed direction again.


    ''Is the third part of the map between these houses?'' Wain thought, looking at the alley below him. There was nothing there but trash and dirt.


    Wain decided to go down and take a close look at the ce. He stared intently at thepass and strolled away.


    At one point, he passed a sewer manhole, and at that moment, thepass arrow moved.


    "Damn... It looks like I''m going to have to get seriously dirty this time..." Wain muttered.


    He hadn''t expected the third part of the map to be in a ce like a sewer. It was a dirty and unpleasant location, but that wasn''t what Wain was worried about. He didn''t know what kind of monsters might inhabit such ces.


    "There will probably be poisonous and toxic monsters in there, that sounds pretty logical, and that''s a big problem..." Wain muttered.


    He had high regeneration and good protection against ice and fire attributes, but he was defenseless against poisons. In this case, Wain could only rely on the fact that poison could not do serious damage to him.


    Wain nodded, opened the hatch, and jumped down. Despite the apocalypse, the sewers were virtually unchanged. It got dirtier than usual, and various creepy nts appeared on the walls, but that was about it.


    "Hmm, the arrow still hasn''t moved. So I have to go downstairs, right?" Thought Wain looking at the sewer ditch.


    Wain could have jumped into the water and breached the passageway to the bottom, but he didn''t want to do that. He didn''t know what could be in that water. Also, it could be poisonous, it was quite possible. Wain decided to find another way.


    He walked forward through the sewer tunnels and looked carefully at hispass. Wain tried not to stray too far from that ce and find the shortest way down.


    Crackling.


    Suddenly there was a rustling sound and the quiet sound of footsteps. The volume increased with each passing second, and a pack of huge rats appeared in the distance.


    "Rats...right...the sewers are their home. Obviously, they''ve mutated and gotten stronger." Mumbled Wain, and the Forgotten Monarch''s Sword appeared in his hand.


    "Looks like I''m finally going to use this sword inbat." Wain said with a slight smile on his face as he looked at the monsters running at him.


    Wain was about to swing his sword and kill the rats in one motion, but suddenly a massive alligator came out of the water.


    It grabbed one of the rats with its jaws and dragged it to the bottom. When the rats saw this, they fled in fear. To the alligator, they were nothing more than food.


    "Is this joke? Why the fuck would that crocodile decide toe out now?" Wain said angrily and stomped his foot, causing several cracks to appear on the floor.


    Usually, Wain would have been d of this oue, for the alligator had saved him the trouble, but Wain wanted to fight someone and could not do so.


    Moreover, the alligator immediately swam away when he sensed Wain''s menacing aura.


    "Okay, I''ll wait a little longer..." Wain said grudgingly and went forward.


    The sewers were huge, and after about a kilometer, Wain finally encountered a suitable opponent. To his surprise, it was an evolved zombie covered in poisonous growths.


    The monster was quiterge and looked formidable. It had green skin, sharp ws, and poisonous breath. Even though it was a zombie, Wain did not rx.


    Zombies were some of the weaker monsters, but they could progress quickly and adapt to different conditions. This made them problematic opponents who could quickly be very strong.


    The zombie immediately spotted Wain and ran sharply in his direction. Wain in front did not want to shorten the distance and bounced to the side. Wain could not allow the venomous enemy to get close to him.


    Wain snapped his finger, and a dark sword appeared next to him, which came down on the zombie. However, the monster easily dodged and leaped into the water.


    ''Damn, he seems pretty smart. That''s unusual for a zombie.'' Wain thought.


    He couldn''t see where the zombie was, which meant he was at a disadvantage. The monster could have jumped out of the water at any moment and taken Wain by surprise.


    Whooosh.


    Wain swung his arm, and the dark sword plunged into the murky water. Wain decided to freeze it and force the zombie to the surface.


    The n worked, and a few secondster, the poisonous zombie jumped out of the water at Wain with a furious scream.


    "Huh, that was easier than I expected." Said Wain with a smirk on his face and threw his tinum sword at the monster.


    The weapon was like a white sh that pierced the zombie and nailed it to the wall. The zombie didn''t die from this attack, but it sustained serious and life-threatening wounds.


    Whoooosh.


    Wain swung his hand, and the dark sword cut off the zombie''s head. The next moment a blue soul headed toward him.


    [Soul of Poison Zombie (Whole)


    Chronicle: First


    Rating: Rare]


    ''Wow, luck is on my side today.'' Wain thought and crushed the soul.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Poison Zombie level 23. Vitality +8.]


    "Damn, I expected more, but that''s pretty good too." Mumbled Wain, and several more messages appeared in front of him.


    [You have leveled up to level 26. You get 3 status points to distribute freely]


    [You get Rare Rating Spiritual Box]


    "That''s a whole other thing. I''ve already forgotten thest time I leveled up. I don''t have much left. Although, getting thest four levels will be much harder than everything before that." Wain muttered.


    The higher a person''s level was, the harder it was to climb. When Wain first evolved and was level 15, he could easily get 16 or 17.


    However, the amount of energy required raised each time, and the coefficient increased steadily.


    "I hope I get the antidote. That woulde in handy." Said Wain looking at the blue box.<sub> </sub>


    Then he used some energy and got his reward. It was a small syringe with a pale blue liquid inside. Wain immediately rejoiced as he thought it was an antidote.


    [Syringe of Furious Cobra Venom (First Chronicle, Rare Rating)


    This is a poison obtained from the nd of Furious Cobra. It is a dangerous creature with a unique venom. This venom has a special effect. When a person receives a dose of poison, he is no longer controlled and turns into a berserker.


    At this time, the resistance to poisons improves significantly, and your characteristics increase. Also, most hypnosis and illusions will not work on you.


    After use:


    *Resistance to poison attribute is increased by 25%.


    *All stats except Energy are increased by 10%.


    *Total immunity to normal illusions and hypnosis].


    "Yeah, that''s total garbage." Said Wain and moved the syringe to the Ring of Damned.


    Wain found the effects of the syringe quite useful, but the item had a huge disadvantage that Wain was not going to put up with. Wain believed that concentration duringbat was very important.


    He knew that he won not because he was stronger in many battles but because he analyzed the situation and found better options.


    Sure, sometimes Wain gave in to his feelings and enjoyed the battle, the ng of swords, and the smell of blood, but he didn''t lose his mind.


    Wain was sure that if he turned into a berserker, that would be the end. He would make a critical mistake and die.


    "Hmm, however, perhaps this syringe is not so useless. I won''t use it for myself, but I can use it against someone else." Wain muttered.


    That way, he would make his enemy stronger, but he would lose control and be an easy target for Wain.


    Wain nodded and looked at the dead zombie with the Forgotten Monarch''s Sword in it. He wanted to jump up and retrieve the sword, but suddenly the weapon sliced through the monster''s flesh and fell down.


    "No!" Shouted Wain looking at the tinum sword falling into the sewage. He stretched out his hand, hoping to grab the sword, and suddenly felt a strange fluctuation of energy.


    Whoooosh.


    Like Thor''s Hammer, Forgotten Monarch''s Sword flew abruptly into Wain''s hand. Wain was surprised, he didn''t know that the sword had such property.


    "Maybe I can control it like a Dark Sword?" Wain wondered and spent the next few minutes trying to force the tinum sword to fly.


    Unfortunately, Wain was unsessful, the tinum sword responded to his will and returned to the owner. This sword could not be controlled freely, and Wain was even happy about it.


    "Alright, I need to keep going."


    ...


    Wain traveled through the sewers for several hours, and in that time, he killed several dozen monsters. They mainly were rats, poisonous zombies, and a few vast alligators.


    Despite their formidability, the alligators were quite stealthy, and most of them ran away from Wain, not wanting to fight him.


    Wain went down several levels during this time, but thepass kept pointing in the same direction.


    Step.


    Wain was descending the stairs to another floor. He hoped that now he would finally find what he hade here for.


    "Okay, maybe part of the map is here." Mumbled Wain and went forward.


    ...


    "What is it?"


    Walking forward through several tunnels, Wain saw many monsters piled up in one ce.


    They were like zombies that werepletely covered in branches like armor. They had wooden horns and spike-like growths on their backs. These monsters were called Thornyflesh.


    Wain didn''t know how many there were, he couldn''t count them.


    "Damn, sure there''s more than a hundred of them, and thepass points in this direction, surely I need to fight them?" Wain muttered.


    Wain worried that the spikes of these monsters might be poisonous. In that case, Thornyfleshs were very dangerous opponents.


    ''I could do with learning more about these monsters. Information as always is important.''


    "Maybe I should just destroy them with one powerful attack." Wain muttered, and ck electric discharges appeared around his hands.


    Wain wanted to use The Fall of Thunder Eye and kill all the Thornyfleshs at once, but the skill was canceled when he was ready to create a pulse.


    ''Hmm? What happened?'' Wain was puzzled and decided to try to use the skill again, but it failed.


    ''It seems this skill needs a certain amount of space, and the sewer tunnels are too narrow for that... Hmm, although I do have another way to damage on the area.''


    The Ring of Damned glowed brightly, and a small golden prism appeared in Wain''s hand. He had obtained this item in the previous Dungeon and had not used it until now.


    Wain squeezed the prism, and it glowed brightly. He threw the prism at the monsters like a bomb the next moment.


    The next moment the prism hovered in the air and began rapidly spinning, releasing many golden beams. It was like strings that moved with the prism and cut the monsters apart.


    The monsters weren''t expecting such a sudden attack and couldn''t do anything. Only a few of them managed to survive, but Wain finished them off with sharp swings of his sword.


    He ended up with over a hundred Common Rating Souls and arge amount of Soul Essence. Wain felt that he would soon reach level 27, and then he would only have a few more steps to take.


    Wain looked at hispass and saw that the arrow was rotating from side to side. He didn''t know what that meant, but suddenly the nts on the walls began to grow rapidly and headed towards one point.


    Eventually, it became one massive red flower with many petals. Inside the flower was a small piece of paper.

 Chapter 198 The Aristocrats Way

    Wain didn''t expect to get thest part of the map so easily, but he was pleased that he had seeded.


    ''The map pieces seem to appear in different ces under random circumstances. It''s good that I didn''t waste any extra time, and it all happened so fast. Thought Wain and walked over to the flower.


    He touched a piece of card, and the next moment it was covered in blue energy and flew into his body. A third part joined the rest, and aplete map was created. Then, in Wain''s mind, many scenes with different images appeared.


    He saw the ind from all angles and ranges. He also saw part of the from above and all thendmarks near where the ind should appear.


    "I see, I catch everything now. The ind will appear at a distance of about 3,000 kilometers from Overion. That''s pretty far..." Wain muttered.


    Whoooosh.


    Then the map shone brightly once more, and he saw the ind from within this time. Wain saw many trees, nts, and various animals. The ind was like a jungle that grew and grew in size relentlessly.


    Thest thing Wain saw was the entrance to a bloody cave in the depths of which burned brightly with red mes.


    "I guess now I know where I have to go. Most likely, all the most interesting things are in this cave. Huh, this is so exciting..." Wain said smiling, and headed for the exit of the sewer.


    As Wain climbed to the top, he thought about how many people would arrive on the continent. Wain was sure his map wasn''t the only one. Otherwise, it wouldn''t have made any sense.


    ''A map is not a winning ticket. It''s a pass to the ce where the reward is. There will be other people besides me, that''s obvious.'' Wain thought as he stepped onto the iron staircase.


    Wain believed there would be a battle on the ind between the strongest people, for only those who had adapted best to the new world could arrive on the ind first.


    Of course, there wouldn''t just be a couple of people on the ind. There would be hundreds as the rest would do as Wain did.


    Even though he had collected aplete map, he would share this information with Gisle. They were his allies, and Wain was used to helping his friends. Of course, the ind''s greatest treasure would belong to him and no one else.


    ''Hmm, most likely pieces of the map appear in areas of a certain size. That means that someone in other cities might have also collected a full map, but not everyone did.'' Wain thought.


    He counted himself lucky in some ways that he could collect the whole map. Had Harald not attacked Lea a month ago, Wain would not have known about the existence of the map and the ind.


    Also, in the golden temple, he was on the brink of death and life. He was saved only by the fact that he had a special Title.


    The third part of the map came easily to Wain, but it was rtive. Many people would have died in that sewer because of the poison monsters.


    Poison can be much scarier than fire, ice, or physical force. The power of poison is that it can kill a superior enemy.


    Even an elephant could die from a cobra bite within three hours, with an elephant dozens of times the size of a snake, and this was not the limit.


    Before the apocalypse, some spiders had a strong enough venom to kill hundreds of people. When the monsters appeared, and the animals began to mutate, the situation became many times more serious.


    Wain collected the entire map, but it was unlikely that many people besides him could do so.


    ''Most likely, only a tenth of everyone who knows about the map was able to collect the mappletely. In other cities, parts of the map are distributed among organizations, just like in Overion, until I decided to do it.'' Thought Wain stepping outside.


    The journey upstairs took only ten minutes. He didn''t have to explore every floor of the sewers or fear the monsters. Wain ran upward like a blueet the whole time.


    When Wain got outside, he wanted to head straight to the ce where the fourth form was hidden, but suddenly the map shone brightly again. At the exact moment, Wain''s emerald eyes shone brightly, and he felt as if he could see himself from above.


    [Received Title - Cartographer


    You have be one of those who collected the Map of the Azure Path. You have touched the map that can lead you to a true miracle. This map is a masterpiece created by true masters, and of the purest energy, so you also receive a piece of this power.


    *Now you are better able to navigate unfamiliar terrain, as well as better able to understand your surroundings.]


    ''It''s been a long time since I received a Title. This one is quite interesting. Hmm, I feel like I''ve been walking these streets for months. It''s pretty weird, considering I don''t know where anything is. Maybe that''s the power of this Title.'' Wain thought and closed his eyes.


    His Seal of Darkness glowed brightly, and he saw the wooden door in the dark alleyway again. This time he felt the energy fluctuations with greater precision. Wain knew which direction he had to go to get to this ce.


    "Okay, go ahead. I have a serious challenge ahead of me. I almost diedst time. Hopefully, I can do better now." Mumbled Wain and turned into blue lightning.


    Previously he could use this skill for a limited amount of time, but now Wain was much stronger.


    He could run at this pace for over an hour, and his legs wouldn''t even tire, but the speed was not as impressive as before.


    In time all senses be bored and need something new and better to refresh them.


    This is also one of the reasons why progress is inevitable. People will always want to change something and see new horizons and peaks.


    ...<sub> </sub>


    As Wain ran among the ruined streets of the slums, he asionally nced at the massive wall in the distance. After Wain got his fourth form, he had another important problem: vehicle.


    He, like his mates, needed a way to get to the ind, and it could only be done by air. There were no other ways.


    ''The ind will appear very far away, three thousand kilometers...damn, that''s impressive. Although given the size of this, it''s not that much, even by ne, the journey notices six to eight hours. I hope there''s a ne or at least a helicopter left at the military base,'' thought Wain.


    Wain knew where the military base was. It wasn''t far from the tourist area, hidden behind a hill. That meant that all the weapons, explosives, and equipment were at the tourist district. The slum didn''t get any.


    So Wain thought about negotiating with the main organization in the slum. He couldn''te to a military base and steal a ne or helicopter. It was impossible.


    Wain understood that Ring of Damned had some limits on the size of items he could move into the ring. In the future, those limits would be pushed, but not now.


    Even if he broke into a military base and destroyed the protective outposts, people from the tourist area would blow up a ne or helicopter as ast resort.


    Moreover, Wain was not naive and understood that he would not withstand multiple bomb sts.


    ''Hmm, Gisle said that this military base has just about everything. From machine guns and turrets to tanks with armor-piercing shells.


    Even considering my stats, I''d be seriously injured if I got shot by a tank, especially if I was being fired on from turrets at the same time.'' Thought Wain running into one of the alleys.


    If Wain and another organization were grouped to take over the military base, the tourist district could do nothing about it. They would lose the battle and have to give up the area.


    Of course, Wain could have conducted this operation in conjunction with Last Light, but not now.


    Gisle had just taken over the west side, and he could not distribute resources to all points of the city. Otherwise, the overall structure would be too unstable, and he risked losing everything in a hurry.


    Wain decided that after he got his fourth uniform and the Faceless Aristocrat Mask, he would go to the main organization in the slums.


    ...


    Half an hourter, Wain arrived at the right ce. He encountered several monsters on his way and saw people hiding in houses.


    With each passing minute, this ce reminded him of his first home, where he had learned to survive.


    Wain looked at the wooden door and felt an enormous amount of energy emanating from it. He was pretty sure this was the ce.


    "Okay, let''s go." Said Wain and opened the door.


    Behind it was nothing but darkness and ink. Wain smiled weakly and stepped forward.


    The inkpletely enveloped him, and he felt a pleasant chill and an eerie shiver all over his body. Then Wain saw a massive gate in front of him, just like before.


    However, this time the gates were not bone. They were red and velvet, like the most expensive royal armchairs. The gates were framed in gold and adorned with ck diamonds.


    "This is something new..."


    The next moment the gate opened, and a bright yellow glow appeared behind it. It didn''t look like the sun, more like gold, of which there was an infinite amount on the other side.


    Wain stepped inside and suddenly plummeted downward. This was the first time this had happened. Usually, Wain had to go through a long tunnel to get to the other side.


    Whooooooosh.


    Wain flew out of the ink and saw a tank half-filled with gold coins underneath him.


    ''What''s going on here?'' Wain eximed to himself, and the Ring of Damned glowed brightly.


    A tinum sword appeared in his hand, and he stabbed it into the wall, gradually going down. Wain was surprised at the strength of the walls, as even Forgotten Monarch''s Sword could hardly cut through it.


    As Wain stepped onto the gold coins, he looked around.


    "I am in some kind of vault, but how do I get out of here?" Wain muttered looking up at the top.


    On each of the walls were massive tinum coins with a gold core. They were different sizes, the smallest being slightlyrger than a man. Thest coin wasparable to a house.


    Behind Wain, on the coin, was a small table on whichy an antique pistol.


    Such a weapon fired perfectly round bullets usingrge quantities of gunpowder and was a single shot.


    Next to the pistoly four small coins, which were perfectly sized to fit the muzzle.

 Chapter 199 The Golden Escape

    Wain stared at the antique pistol lying on the table, as well as the four bullet coins next to it. Wain was not stupid and knew at once what the gun was for, as well as the four coins on top.


    "Hmm, the ceiling is probably the way out, and this gun and the coins are a way to get there, but can''t I do something simpler?" Mumbled Wain, and a Distant Bullet appeared in front of him the next moment.


    He squeezed it and threw it as hard as he could at the ceiling. The bullet struck gold like a whiteet but couldn''t prate it and bounced back.


    "I see. It looks like I''ll have to y by the rules." Proimed Wain and took a gun from the table.


    He loaded it and aimed the smallest coin. Wain decided to see what would happen if he shot it and hit the gold core.


    Snap.


    Wain pulled the trigger, and the bullet flew out of the muzzle with a loud sound. There was a bright smell of gunpowder in the air, and the bullet flew precisely into the center of the gold coin.


    The next moment the core deepened into the wall, and a small tunnel appeared in the coin. Monsters started running out of it and falling down.


    The monsters looked like golden warrior statues. Each of them was armed with a sword and a shield.


    "Do I have to kill them to get through?" Wain muttered and gripped the Forgotten Monarch''s Sword tightly.


    Then he used the Sigh of Lightning and turned into blue lightning. Wain was strong enough to kill monsters in a single swing. The tinum Sword went through their armor like a red-hot knife through butter. It was easy.


    The warriors kepting out of the tunnel, but when their numbers reached a hundred, the passage in the coin closed.


    Wain wasn''t paying attention. His main goal was to kill every one of his enemies.


    Whoooosh.


    Wain made a vertical swing and cut thest monster in two. Dozens of souls flew into his body.


    [Soul of Golden Warrior (Destroyed)


    Chronicle: First


    Rating: Common]


    Each of the souls was Destroyed, so Wain used them immediately and gained arge amount of energy.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Golden Warrior level 26.]


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Golden Warrior level 26.]


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Gold...]


    Then the monsters'' corpses began to melt and gradually turn into coins, which filled the room a bit.


    ''Damn, this is too little. If this keeps up, it will take me a week to get to the top, which will only be the beginning. I need to speed up.'' Thought Wain and picked up the antique pistol again.


    He loaded a second bullet and shot a coin slightlyrger than the previous one.


    Snap.


    There was a loud sound of a working mechanism, and Wain saw his new enemies.


    They were monsters that looked like huge, angry dogs with two heads. On one head burned a blue, cold me, and on the other, a bright, hot, crimson me.


    ''Good, that''s much better.'' Thought Wain and prepared for battle.


    The two-headed Dogs gradually surrounded him and prepared to attack. The mes on their fiery heads red brightly, and they opened their mouths wide.


    Fire erupted from their mouths like a methrower, intent on burning Wain, leaving no trace of him.


    However, Wain was too fast and easily dodged this group attack by jumping up. Then electrical discharges appeared around his arms, and dark clouds umted on top of the tank.


    Whooooooosh.


    Wain squeezed his palms tightly, and the electric discharges turned into a pulse. The next moment a beam of dark thunder struck the monsters.


    The monsters took serious damage, but that was only the beginning. At the end of the attack, the thunder eye exploded, and the pulse with a hundred small lightning bolts engulfed the golden dogs.


    The lightning reacted with the mes, and the battlefield turned into a veritable inferno of dozens of fiery explosions. The monsters had no chance of survival.


    Wainnded calmly on the gold coins and saw at the fifty corpses of the Golden Dogs.


    ''The Fall of Thunder Eye does take quite a bit of energy, but it was worth it. I could only achieve the same effect if I used the Cursed Swordsman.'' Wain thought and once again armed himself with the antique pistol.


    Fifty souls flew into his body, and he used them immediately.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Golden Dog level 27.]


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Golden Dog level 27.]


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Golden Dog...]


    ''Hmm, the past monsters had the same level as me, the Golden Dogs are one level higher, and it''s still not enough. Even if the monsters are about the same level as me, I need to kill more than a hundred to level up. It''s terrifying...'' Wain thought and aimed the third coin.


    He pulled the trigger and activated the third pass. To Wain''s surprise, molten gold poured from there instead of monsters.


    It was a lot and was like a waterfall. However, Wain felt it couldn''t have been that easy, especially in the Purgatory zone.


    "It''s definitely some kind of monster, but how am I supposed to attack it when it''s in this shape?" Wain said grudgingly.


    After a minute, the passage in the third coin was closed, and the molten gold went into motion. It turned into a huge spear that immediately flew toward Wain.


    "What the hell!" Wain eximed and gripped the tinum sword tightly.


    He swung sharply and cut the vast golden spear in two, but suddenly the two halves turned into two fists that attacked Wain like hammers.


    He jumped aside and threw the Forgotten Monarch''s Sword into his fist as hard as he could.


    The weapon shattered his fist quickly, but it just turned into ten small knives that flew toward Wain. He was pinned against the wall and had to bounce off it with difficulty to get away from the blow.


    Immediately afterward, he was attacked by a second fist, but Wain was ready for it. He extended his arm, and his sword returned to him.


    Then Wain took a deep breath and delivered ten powerful cuts to his fist in a matter of seconds.


    Wain thought that the gold would now turn back into another form, but Wain heard a loud crack during the next attack. As he looked more closely at his opponent, he saw an amber crystal in the center of fist.


    Parts of the gold melted and turned into gold coins, but suddenly the amber crystal recovered, and a golden sword came crashing down on Wain.


    ''I see, they will regenerate from time to time, but this way, I can get plenty of gold coins to get to the top. That''s good.'' Thought Wain and used the Sign of Lightning.


    He had to fight for about ten minutes before he finally defeated the strange, golden monster. To Wain''s surprise, he didn''t even get a soul, he didn''t know how that was possible.


    ''A monster without a soul... Does that happen? No, definitely not. What''s more, this creature didn''t look like it was alive. Maybe it was some mechanism? Or was that crystal a special artifact? In that case, it all makes sense.'' Wain pondered.


    By then, the room was already 80% full. It was about ten meters to the ceiling, and Wain had one more round.


    He aimed and fired onest shot with the antique pistol. The passageway in thest coin was open. Nothing happened for a while, but then Wain heard strange noises. It sounded like footsteps on puddles in the rain.


    Whooooooosh.


    A huge gold frog jumped out of the tunnel and stared at Wain.


    "A frog...? Is this a joke?" Wain muttered puzzled and immediately threw his tinum sword at the monster.


    The frog reacted quickly, opened its mouth, and attacked back with its tongue. The monster tried to stop the flying Forgotten Monarch''s Sword, but the frog achieved multiple cuts.


    Then the frog realized it had to retreat and leaped aside. Wain stretched his arm forward, and the tinum sword returned to him.<sub> </sub>


    Wain wanted to attack, but suddenly the frog started jumping from side to side as if distraught.


    The monster was surprisingly fast, and Wain could hardly keep track of the frog. There were residual images after the jumps, which made the situation difficult.


    Bam.


    Suddenly Wain received a powerful blow to the face from the left side. It was sudden, and he didn''t have time to react.


    The damage was minor, and a few secondster, Wain was ready to fight, but his aura began to intensify the next moment.


    ''Earlier, in fights like this, I sometimes made one very serious and even critical mistake. I wanted too much to leave as much energy as possible and did not use my strongest skills. In the golden temple, I almost died because of it.'' Thought Wain, and his hair grew long and white.


    However, there was something wrong with the Code of Light and Darkness this time. The center strand of hair, one inch thick, was ck, not white.


    Next came the ck and white armor, but there was slightly more ck this time.


    "Hmm? What''s going on? Why does the first form look like this now?" Wain muttered puzzledly and looked at his status.


    [Wain Norheim


    Level: 26


    Race: Human


    Beyond: Cmity


    Soul: Nameless King


    Additional Soul: ck Thunder''s Renegade


    Title: Savior of the Damned, Echo of Samurai, Mentor Inquisitor, The First, Soul Gatherer, Cartographer.


    Status Points: 21


    Strength: 191 / Agility: 191 / Vitality: 191 / Stamina: 191 / Energy: 191]


    ''No change, well... I''ll deal with thatter, now is not a good time.'' Thought Wain looking at the golden frog.


    The main feature of the Code of Light and Darkness is the equalization of all stats and increasing them by 10%.


    At the moment, Wain regarded this skill as a defensive one since his Strength and Agility were much higher than Vitality and Stamina.


    Given the conditions, Wain was even sacrificing some Strength and Agility but significantly increasing Stamina and vitality.


    So, once again, the tongue came at him, which he didn''t see. Wain didn''t fly off to the side.


    The tongue hit him in the stomach, but now this attack wasparable to a fist punch. It was nothing to Wain. He didn''t even frown.


    Whoooosh.


    Then he turned and sharply pierced his tongue with the tinum sword so that the de passed horizontally. This meant that the frog could not cut its tongue to free from this trap.


    Bam.


    Wain struck the sword''s hilt with his fist and drove it deep into the floor like a nail. The monster didn''t know what to do. The situation was out of control.


    Then Wain turned into a white sh, and the Ring of Damned glowed brightly. Whisper appeared in his hand, and he used the Distant Bullet.


    Wain quickly loaded the sniper rifle, put the muzzle in the frog''s mouth, and pulled the trigger.


    The frog''s body was torn apart, and a pink soul headed toward Wain.


    [Soul of Golden Frog (Whole)


    Chronicle: First


    Rating: Epic]


    "Whole Soul... This is unexpected..." Wain muttered and crushed the soul.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Golden Frog level 28. Agility+10.]


    ''Only one stat, but I got a significant boost. That''s not bad.''


    [You have leveled up to level 27. You get 3 status points to distribute freely]


    "Great, one more, not much left. Probably right after I leave the ind, I''ll have to start evolving."


    Wain wanted to evolve as quickly as possible, but he knew there was no point in rushing. He had to do everything in a measured way and make no mistakes along the way.


    [You get Epic Rating Spiritual Box.]


    Wain didn''t get Soul Chest or Skill Book this time. He used Whole Soul, but it wasn''t a 100% guarantee that Wain would get any item or skill. However, he got lucky and got something.


    Wain used the Spiritual Box, and his eyes widened with surprise.


    There could have been almost anything in the boxes, and sometimes it could have been strange and surprising.


    [Golden Frog''s Foot (First Chronicle, Epic Rating)


    This is an extremely rare delicacy that is nearly impossible to obtain. Finding the Golden Frog is as difficult as finding a mythical creature that may have never existed.


    Moreover, those lucky enough to find this rare beast must know the special cooking method to get the Frog''s Foot. It may be even more challenging than tracking down this rare prey.


    It is a taste for aristocrats and kings.


    *After consumption, all stats are increased by 15%.


    *Perception, sense of bnce, and reaction speed are sharpened and greatly improved]


    "Is this food...?" Wain muttered puzzled.


    This was the first time Wain had ever received food from a Spiritual Box. It seemed strange to him.


    "Okay, it''s a pretty strong item. It''s time to get out of here, right?" Mumbled Wain looking at the melting frog.


    Its body parts turned into gold coins, and Wain finally made it to the top.


    Then the four coins moved and ovepped, creating a passageway.


    There was a loud click, and the tunnel glowed brightly and filled with blue energy waves as if it were a portal.


    p Wain nodded and headed forward, but before he did, he took an antique pistol from the table and moved it to the Ring of Damned.</anda>


    "I''ll keep it as a souvenir." Mumbled Wain and walked through the portal.


    A momentter, he was in another ce.


    It was a spacious room simr to the main hall in an aristocrat''s house. The decorations were luxurious, as was the furniture.


    In the center of the room was a round oak table. Around it were six velvet armchairs of mahogany.


    At the end of the room, there was a huge painting of a white mask with a wicked and sly smile.


    Thest and most important detail was an engraved revolver lying on the table.


    The revolver''s cylinder was empty, and a single cartridgey beside it. It was nothing short of one of the most dangerous games of chance.

 Chapter 200 Inerian

    Wain walked slowly toward the round table. He was focused and expected that someone might attack him at any moment, but his fears were not justified.


    The room was quiet and peaceful. There was only him there.


    Wain stared at the revolver and wanted to take it, but when he reached out his hand, a protective barrier appeared around the table, which electrocuted Wain. The discharge force was small, Wain was not injured, but it was a warning.


    ''Looks like I need to wait.'' Thought Wain and sat down at one of the six velvet chairs.


    He immediately felt excellent and thought he might fall asleep now.


    "This chair is reallyfortable..." Wain muttered.


    Nothing happened for the next ten minutes. Wain waited and tried to figure out what he was supposed to do.


    Wain began to doubt that he was supposed to sit quietly in the chair.


    Crackling.


    Suddenly the space shook, and there was a loud crackling sound. Wain turned around and saw that cracks had appeared on the left side of the hall, just as they had during the Pearl Hunter invasion.


    Wain became alert and prepared to fight.


    This was a Purgatory zone, and it was almost impossible to get in.


    However, because of Wain''s unique path, the spatial envelope became unstable. Because of this, others had the chance to get through here before the barrier was restored.


    The crack gradually grewrger, and three people came out of there. Wain was surprised to see them, for they were Elves.


    He had only read about them in books before. It was something incredible. They looked exactly like what ck Rabbit had said.


    ''Hmm, they look like humans, but their skin is smooth and pale, pointy ears and blond hair. They''re also quite tall and thin. It''s definitely them.'' Wain thought to himself.


    Two women and one man were among the elves, an enchanting girl walking ahead with a calm gaze. Elves didn''t expect to be able to get here suddenly, they were surprised, but they didn''t show it.


    They didn''t notice Wain right away, but only when they approached him.


    The girl in front was in charge. She had long blond hair, azure eyes, and an enchanting appearance. She was dressed in a beautiful garment resembling a dress.


    The second girl had short white hair and green eyes. She looked confident and a bit daring.


    The man, like most elves, had shoulder-length blond hair, green eyes, a lean build, and wless, smooth skin.


    Wain didn''t pay any attention to them. He pulled a pack of cigarettes from under his cloak and blew out a puff of smoke after a few seconds. It turned into a roulette image.


    "Hey, kid, what the hell are you doing?" The man said menacingly, and the elves stepped aside.


    To them, the smell of smoke was unpleasant and even disgusting.


    "Ah? I decided to smoke, or do you have something against it?" Wain said grudgingly.


    "Of course, I mind. How dare you burn nts that way? Boy, stop it now, and I''ll pretend it never happened."


    "What an abomination." Quietly said the head girl.


    "What else can you expect from a low-ranking demon." The second girl said with a scowl on her face.


    "A demon? Keya, you''re wrong. It''s obvious he''s an Inerian. Anyway, it''s amazing that a man of that race could get in here." Said the head girl.


    ''Demon? Inerian? What are they talking about? Hmm, so demons are considered an ordinary race, not inhabitants of hell, I see... But, who are the Inerian?'' Wain pondered.


    "Yes, Miss A, absolutely right, there is an unpleasant auraing from demons. We would sense it right away. He is definitely an Inerian." Said the man.


    "Well done, Elmar." Said A. "Wait, if he''s an Inerian, then there must be his mistress somewhere."


    ''Mistress? What are they talking about? What kind of a mess is this? Are they elves or perverts?'' Wain wondered, but he remained silent.


    Despite the situation''s absurdity, Wain wanted as much information as possible.


    Communicating with members of other races was new to him. He had only spoken to Purple Pilgrim before, but that was only a few phrases duringbat.


    When A said this, her mates grew wary. They looked around as if expecting an attack.


    "Don''t worry. I''m here alone." With a shrug Wain said.


    "What? An Inerian man alone? Miss A, is that possible? He must be deceiving us." Said Keya.


    A thought for a moment, examined Wain as if he were amodity, and then nodded confidently.


    "Yes, he probably is, but it''s very rare. I''m sure by the standards of Inerians, he''s incredibly handsome. He has perfect proportions, great muscles and muscles, thick hair, and beautiful eyes. As far as I know, such men have some privileges. But, his mistress made a big mistake in letting hime here alone." A said calmly.


    At that moment, Wain felt a little ufortable. He felt like he was being appraised for sale or for a fashion show. Moreover, A said it confidently and clearly, as if it were meant to be.


    ''I see...'' muttered Wain to himself. ''Looks like the Inerian is a race where absolute matriarchy reigns. Hmm, I''ll have to avoid meeting them, or I''ll be in big trouble.''


    From the conversation of the elves, Wain understood how society was arranged among the Inerians. He didn''t care who was in charge where.


    Wain knew that he was in no position to judge the actions of other races, especially not knowing the details. Matriarchy, patriarchy, or equality didn''t matter to him as long as it didn''t affect him personally.


    But based on A''s words, Wain realized that he was like a top model and incredibly handsome for the girls of this race.


    This meant that if he identally got into the world where the Inerians lived, someone strong would take him over, and then Wain would lose his freedom.


    He would not be killed, but he would live in the gilded cage. That didn''t suit Wain, and he was d he found out about the existence of this race now instead of when it would have been toote.


    "Boy, what''s your name?" Asked A was taking a seat in the velvet chair. Keya and Elmar did the same.


    Elves were not aggressive creatures by nature, but they were quite honest and straightforward. That''s why they could sometimes seem to behave with a temper.<sub> </sub>


    When Wain smoked, the Elves took it as an insult since Wain didn''t even bother to step aside so as not to spoil the atmosphere with the smell of cigarettes. This was unpleasant to the Elves, but they did not attack him.


    Wain put his cigarette to his mouth, blew out a club of smoke, and slowly said, "Nameless."


    "Hmm? Do you say alias? Wait... Do you have Voids?" A muttered, shocked, and opened Wain''s card of World of Darkness.


    [Nameless


    Chronicle: First


    Voids: 1]


    Keya and Elmar didn''t know what to say, their eyes widened in shock, and they were silent for a while.


    Then they looked at Wain again but with apletely different look. Earlier, they had behaved calmly and regarded Wain as just a beautiful representative of Inerian, but now the situation had changed.


    They knew that an Inerian man could only have Void if his mistress gave it to him. If she was capable of it, then this girl possessed incredible power and was extremely dangerous.


    From that moment on, they decided not to quarrel with Wain lest they incur the wrath of his mistress. A, Elmer, and Keya were strongpared to the other First Chronicle creatures, but they could not afford to give their Voids.


    As a result, the Elves unknowingly trapped themselves in a thought trap of cause and effect. It showed what a simple misunderstanding could sometimes lead to, and it wasn''t the limit.


    "Okay, Nameless, tell me, what are you doing here? Do you know what this ce is?" A asked.


    "Yes." Wain nodded, blowing out a puff of smoke, "This is the Purgatory Zone, a dangerous and unbelievable ce."


    ''Hmm, this guy is too weird. I know quite a bit about Inerians, but this is the first time I''ve heard of a man like him. Could it be some secret of their race?'' A pondered.


    "I see, then tell me, do you know what this ce is and why there are six chairs and this revolver?" Asked Elmar.


    Wain looked up and muttered, "I have no idea. Before you guys showed up, I was here alone."


    "You''re lucky no one has attacked you yet. If you want, we can protect you, just stand back, and we''ll do everything and then bring you home." A suggested.


    ''Hmm?'' Wain was surprised that A hade to that conclusion. ''She thinks I''m weak...? Does she think I''d die if I met some monster? I see... that seems to be one of the reasons for the matriarchy of the Inerians.''


    Wain didn''t answer anything. He just nodded weakly as if agreeing to her suggestion.


    Nothing happened for the next thirty minutes. The elves chatted amongst themselves and asionally cast nces at Wain. He had managed to smoke a whole pack of cigarettes in that time and only had one left.


    ''Next time I''m at Sven''s, I''ll have to replenish my supply.'' Wain thought.


    The elves tried to touch the revolver, but they failed. They couldn''t prate such a powerful barrier.


    Crackling.


    "Looks like we''ve gotpany." Said Elmar.


    The space to the right began to copse, and several cracks appeared in the air. Three persons came out of them, and Wain had met them once before.


    They looked just like Ria, whom Wain had fought in thest Purgatory zone. They had pale skin, ash-colored hair, and eyes as yellow as amber.


    Among them were one girl and two men. When they saw the elves and Wain, they were wary. But when they realized that no one was going to attack them, they headed toward the table.


    Ahead of them walked a tall guy with a massive sword on his back. He looked formidable and strong. His name was Finch Killian.


    "Elves? What are you doing here?" Finch said rudely.


    "The same thing you are, taking the opportunity and miraculously being able to get into the Purgatory Zone. Every one of us came here for treasures, well, except him." A said, pointing at Wain.


    "Hmm? Why?"


    A shrugged, "He''s an Inerian and got here by ident."


    "I see." Finch smirked, "Then how about we get rid of the redundant link right away?"


    "I wouldn''t advise it." A said calmly. "He has a serious protector."


    Finch looked at her with iprehension. When he saw Wain''s card, his eyes widened with shock. Like the elves before him, he understood the situation and why Wain was so calm.


    "Come on. I was just kidding, have a seat, friends." Said Finch and sat down in the velvet chair.


    ''Sometimes I was surprised when rumors led to unbelievable things, I never understood how it worked, but now I''ve experienced it for myself.'' Wain thought.


    The situation amused him. He hadn''t done anything, but he was already protected by someone invisible and intangible. Unfortunately, the Elves could not know that they had deceived themselves.


    Finch''s mates sat down in the velvet chairs, but a girl didn''t have enough room. She smiled and walked over to Wain.


    "May I stand here?" With a pleasant smile, she said.


    "Suit yourself." With a shrug, Wain replied.


    "AHAHAHAHA." Finch suddenlyughed, "Dia, did you like him?"


    "Of course, I''ve never seen an Inerian man who looked even average, and this one is a real hottie. His mistress is lucky."


    Wain didn''t react to this in any way. He was already used to this mess.


    "Why are we sitting here? Maybe we should start?" Proimed Fich and reached for his revolver, but he was electrocuted like the others.


    Tremble.


    However, in the next moment, with a picture of a white mask with an evil smile, changes began to ur. This was the beginning of the second phase.

 Chapter 201 Russian Roulette

    Suddenly a suffocating pressure began to emanate from the picture at the end of the room. Everyone, including Wain, felt like they were having trouble breathing.


    Then a huge amount of dark energy burst out of the painting, and the mask with an evil smirk flew out of the picture.


    No one expected something like this to happen. Finch was about to attack.


    White mes appeared in his palms, but they immediately went out, and dark chains appeared around him. They chained him to his chair and prevented him from moving.


    "What the fuck is going on here?" Shouted Finch.


    The next moment the same thing happened to everyone else, even Dia, who didn''t have a chair.


    Shackles appeared on her legs, and she was chained to the ground. No one could do anything, not actually A, who was quite strong.


    Whooooooosh.


    The mask effortlessly passed through the barrier and hovered over the table. The next moment, everyone heard an eerie voice.


    "Wee. It''s nice to see this ce full of guests again."


    "This mask can talk?" Shocked, Elmar said. The elf was surprised and didn''t understand what was going on here.


    "Please don''t interrupt me. Haven''t you been taught the rules of etiquette?" The mask said with a sneer.


    "Fuck you!" Said one of Finch''s mates. It was the second man in their group.


    Whooooooosh.


    The next moment, a dark spike erupted from the chair and pierced his shoulder. It was a non-lethal but very painful wound.


    "I told you''d better just listen. You have no other options anyway. First I want you to rest and rx. There''s nothing like hot tea for that purpose, don''t you agree?"


    A dark vortex appeared around the mask, and from it came a full tea service and a teapot. Everyone had their cup filled to the brim.


    "Please, help yourselves. This tea not only tastes great and has a wonderful aroma, but it also speeds up regeneration." Said the mask looking at the wounded man.


    The situation was extraordinary, but everyone who could get here was an experienced fighter, and they knew not to act hastily at times like this. No one touched the tea, it was too dangerous. Mask, of course, didn''t like that.


    "Hmm, it''s been so long since we''ve had guests here, but even now, you refuse to drink tea. That''s not good." Said the mask, and a terrifying aura began to emanate from it.


    Everyone began to breathe heavily again, and itsted about a minute until the wounded man shouted out, "Wait, I''ll taste your tea!"


    At the exact moment, the pressure eased, and the mask smiled.


    "d to hear it. Please don''t think I''m a mad killer. I''ve just been waiting too long, and I want to buy you tea before the show starts. I have no reason to lie to you, for you are in my power."


    The wounded man nodded and brought the cup to his mouth.


    "Stop! You are idiot! It''s an obvious trap!" Finch said loudly.


    "No, it isn''t." The wounded man shook his head. "That mask easily hit my shoulder, and nothing prevented it. If it wanted to kill us, it would have pierced our heads. I don''t know what the creature is, but obviously, we have to follow the rules to survive. This area is Purgatory."


    No one said anything. His words sounded logical and usible.


    However, when the wounded man took a sip of tea, Wain muttered, "Fool."


    "Agh!" The wounded man vomited a mouthful of blood, and foam came out of his mouth the next moment. This tea was a powerful poison, and even one drop would be enough to kill them all.


    "AHAHAHAHAHA, he''s right there was no logic in my actions, yet this simpleton haspletely forgotten what elegance is. Is it beautiful to kill with dirty spikes?" Suddenly the maskughed.


    Everyone became alert, at that moment, they realized that their opponent was insane and not predictable. Their type of thinking was strikingly different, making it impossible to predict the mask''s next move.


    "However, my actions made sense, now there are six of you, and it''s time to get to the fun part." Said the mask, and the next moment the chains around Dia disappeared.


    She hesitantly made her way to the chair and sat in it beside her already dead mate.


    "Good, now we can begin. I''m d you decided toe here and have tea with me, but not everyone can go on. One of you will have to stay here, forever! AHAHAHAHA." The maskughed menacingly.


    "What are the rules?" A asked.


    Despite the situation, she remained calm and tried to find a solution.


    "It''s simple. You have one revolver and one cartridge in front of you. You will leave here when one of you is dead. Please have one of you take the revolver." Said the mask.


    Everyone was afraid, except Wain. He took the revolver and cartridge in his hands with a calm face.


    "Great, looks like someone is interesting among you. Now put the cartridge in the cylinder and crank it a few times. Then put the revolver to your temple and shoot once, then pass the gun clockwise to the next person." The mask exined the detail.


    Wain nodded and did as the mask said. Then he rotated the revolver''s cylinder several times so that it was impossible to tell where the cartridge was.


    The revolver was a six-shot, which meant that one of them was sure to die by the end of the round.


    "Wait, do you really want to shoot?" A asked.


    She was surprised that Wain, weak in her opinion, who got here by ident, found the courage to do it. A thought he was scared, but Wain was smiling like a madman, to her surprise.


    "Of course, I fucking will! AHAHAHAHA, don''t you feel that excitement coupled with deadly risk and hopelessness?"


    The next moment Wain put the revolver to his head and pulled the trigger.


    Click.


    There was a loud click that echoed through the room like thunder and made everyone''s heart flutter with fear and excitement.


    Wain smiled and blew a club of steam from his mouth.


    "Excellent..." Wain muttered and held out his revolver to the next contestant.


    Keya hesitantly took the revolver in her hands and looked at A.


    "Take it easy. The chances that this step will be fatal are only 20%. Out of the five remaining shots, only one will be fatal. No need to be afraid." Said A.


    "Of course..." Keya muttered and put the revolver to her temple. She was about to pull the trigger, but she didn''t have the courage. Her hand was shaking, and her back was drenched with cold sweat.<sub> </sub>


    "Come on, go ahead." Wain said coldly. "Don''t spoil everyone''s fun."


    Click.


    Keya pulled the trigger and luckily managed to survive. She was breathing heavily and trembling from the shock she had gone through.


    She realized that whether or not she would live depended solely on luck. It was a terrible feeling.


    "Keya, pass the revolver." Said A.


    "Of course..." Whispered the girl.


    A was more daring and immediately pulled the trigger. She understood that they had no other choice.


    Their powers were blocked, and the mask could kill either of them at any moment. What''s more, her chances of survival were 75%, and that was no small thing.


    Snap.


    A also survived, but now the situation has be more serious.


    There were only three rounds left, and every time someone fired a shot, the others felt deathing closer to them. They sensed the chill of the phantom scythe against their necks.


    Next in line was Elmar. He tried to look brave and confident, but really he was afraid.


    Elmar looked at Wain and realized he wasn''t as easy as they thought. He immediately took the revolver because his chances of survival were 83%.


    Elmar only had 66%, and the next contestant would have 50%. Thest one would have 0%. It was simple math, and given the rules, the path to victory was simple, speed.


    Of course, Wain could also die and get shot in the temple, but that was the most unlikely oue of all.


    "Come on, did you chicken out?" Finch said with a smile.


    He also epted the game''s rules and was ready to pull the trigger at any moment. His heart was pounding wildly, and his blood was bubbling likeva in the mouth of a volcano.


    It was an unforgettable feeling, unlike the mortal danger he had experienced so many times. It was exciting.


    "Of course not!" Elmar said in a trembling voice and pulled the trigger the next moment.


    "No!!!" At the same time, Keya screamed, looking at the exploded head of her mate and friend.


    The flesh and brain were scattered to the sides, and blood poured all around. It was a terrible fate waiting for one of them.


    "AHAHAHAHAHA, wasn''t that wonderful? It was a great aperitif." Said the mask, and dark energy burst out of it.


    It consumed the bodies of the dead and the tea set, removing them from the room. The blood and chains restraining Wain and the others also disappeared.


    Finch immediately tried to attack the mask but failed. The dark energy protected it and prevented any attack from getting through.


    "Easy, that was only the beginning. There are many more interesting things toe. Pleasee forward." Said the mask looking at the painting at the end of the room.


    The next moment the picture moved, and a secret passage opened behind it.


    ''This area of Purgatory seems to be more interesting than all the others. This is beginning to please me.'' Thought Wain and stepped forward.


    He realized that they had no other option. They could only go forward and not stop. Every area of Purgatory had simr challenges, and Wain already thought it was a feature of these ces.


    Finch smiled and followed Wain. He, like the elves, had lost a mate, but he couldn''t stop because of it. When they identally found their way into the Purgatory area, they knew what they were walking into.


    The same seemed to A. She looked sadly at where Elmar had been sitting a moment ago and nodded towards the painting. Keya and Dia had no choice but to join their leaders.


    A stared intently at Wain. She sensed that something was wrong with him, but she could not understand the reason for her concern.


    ''Is he strange... Is it the secret of the Inerians, or is the situation much moreplicated?'' A wondered.


    Behind the painting was a long tunnel that led them to a spacious room. It was a huge warehouse the size of a ser field. It was empty except for a square, wooden table in the center.


    On the table were five sets of three gold coins each. Wain and the others approached the table, and then a mask appeared in the air.


    "Wee to the next game. The rules are elementary. Each of you has three coins. Your task is to have the most coins by the end of the challenge. Whoever has the least coins will die." Said the mask.


    "What happens if two or more participants have the same number of coins and it is impossible to determine the loser?" Asked A.


    "In that case, no one will die, but a monster will be summoned that you will need to deal with. The more coins you have, the stronger the monster will be." The mask responded.


    "How do we increase the number of our coins?" Said Finch.


    "It''s simple. Each coin has a number on it. Initially, it is a ''1''. You canbine all the coins into one to get a coin with a higher value. To increase the number, you have to flip the coin up to touch the ceiling. At that moment, the number on the coin is multiplied. Then you just have to catch the coin."


    "Can we fight each other?" Finch asked.


    "You can take the coins from the other contestant, but only when the coins are in flight. Otherwise, you will be disqualified. The test time is ten minutes. I give you three minutes to prepare." Said the mask and disappeared, disintegrating into dark particles.


    A wanted to say something, but suddenly the mask reappeared.


    "Oh yes, I forgot to tell you something. Unlike thest challenge, there will be a loser here and a winner. Whoever collects the most coins will receive a reward whose quality will depend on the number of coins."


    The mask disappeared again.


    But, now the situation was very different. Everyone had a reason to fight and plunder others.


    A was the most upset. She didn''t want to fight and put someone in mortal danger, she had another idea, and she wasn''t going to give it up.


    Finch headed to the table and wanted to take the coins, but A stopped him.


    "Wait a minute! There''s no point in us participating in this ordeal!"


    "What the hell are you talking about?" Finch said grudgingly.


    "We''ll just follow the rules. If we each have three coins left by the end of the trial, no one will die, and the monster will be weak." A said confidently, trying to change the others'' minds.

 Chapter 202 The Copy

    The rules of the second test were elementary, even a child could understand them, but this test had a second, moreplicated side.


    In this case, psychology had a significant influence. After all, the lives of others depended on the decisions one made.


    A had a way of passing this test, but it was not a fact that the others agreed.


    "I propose not to participate in the trial." A said, "We can just stand still and then, after ten minutes, kill the weakest monster. Since fifteen coins are the minimum amount that can be totaled."


    This was actually the best and safest option. No one was risking anything. In the end, everyone would stay alive and pass on.


    However, this n had one significant disadvantage. No one would get the reward, which didn''t suit everyone.


    "I understand that you Elves are always for peaceful solutions and hate bloodshed, but your idea is stupid. We all came here for the treasure, and we will fight for it, so why pretend we are friends and dy it? Sooner orter, we''ll have to kill each other." Said Finch, and a me burned brightly on his hands.


    "Stop, you shouldn''t be so aggressive." A said cautiously, "I understand that you want to fight and get the reward, but haven''t you realized yet that all this might be a hoax. There may be no reward, and the mask wants one of us dead."


    "Are you stupid? I could say the same thing. Can''t you guess that the mask might have lied to us about the conditions, and if we have the same amount of coins, everyone will die?"


    A frowned. She realized that Finch had an answer for every argument she made. Neither of them had any additional information, so their words didn''t make sense.


    "Finch, maybe we really shouldn''t fight." Dia suddenly said.


    "What? Are you getting cold feet?"


    "No." Dia shook her head. "I don''t think this mask can kill us on its own. Before, one of us was pierced by a spike, but not fatally. Also, the mask didn''t respond to your attacks. It also has to obey the rules of this test."


    "I agree!" Said Keya. "Our mates died, but the first time it was because of poisoned tea, and the second time it was because of a revolver shot. These were trials, not the will of the mask. In that case, if we keep the same number of coins, there''s nothing the mask can do to us."


    Finch began to have doubts. He didn''t care for the Elves'' opinion, but he couldn''t ignore Dia''s words, which sounded usible.


    Views were divided, and Finch wasn''t sure how he should have acted.


    Then everyone looked at Wain. He was the only one who hadn''t given his opinion yet.


    "Say, what do you think?" Said A.


    Wain answered nothing and walked over to the table with the coins.


    They merged into one, and he tossed it up as hard as he could, then jumped and caught the bouncing coin, which now had the number ''6'' on it.


    "I think you talk too much. Each of you is free to do what you want. To follow the rules or not, to believe the terms of the test or to doubt it, that''s your decision, which can''t affect mine in any way." Calmly Wain said and tossed the coin up again.


    "Bastard!" Shouted Finch and turned into a fiery sh.


    He was going to take Wain''s coin away because after it bounced, the value of that coin would be a 9. That was a pretty big value, considering that the trial hadn''t officially started yet.


    Wain smirked and turned into a blue sh in response. The next moment they faced each other. To everyone''s surprise, Wain was able to toss Finch aside and catch the coin.


    "Huh, why are you standing still? Haven''t you realized yet that there will be no peaceful solution?" Wain asked with a sneer and flipped the coin again.


    A frowned and sprang into action. She was shocked by Wain''s strength and was once again surprised that the Inerian man was capable of it.


    Like most of his race, Finch was excellent at controlling white mes and specialized in these attacks. Also, Finch and Dia were physically strong and advanced. They were excellent fighters, especially in closebat.


    Most Elves were effective at any distance, but A specialized in long-range attacks. When she realized it was time to fight, arge amount of energy piled up around her, and she shot a beam at Wain.


    She couldn''t let him catch the coin again, or it would have been a real disaster.


    A was sure that the energy beam would be able to knock Wain down and cause him serious wounds. She wasn''t going to kill him, for that was fraught with problems, but she had to stop him.


    Whoooosh.


    Suddenly the ring on Wain''s hand glowed bright green, and the next moment he swung his tinum sword. The energy beam was destroyed, and Wain caught the coin.


    "Miss A... We''ve already lost, and we have to use coins too." Said Keya and ran to the table.


    "That was unexpected, but we still have a chance to pass this ordeal without dying." A said coldly, staring at Wain.


    A had failed to convince the others to act on her n, but she had another option. She and Keya could score the same amount of coins, in which case neither of them would die and have to fight the monster.


    In the end, after thirty seconds, they each took their coins, and Wain already had twelve coins and was going to keep increasing that number.


    "Hey, kid, I don''t think you realize the situation you''re in!" Finch said menacingly, and a me burned brightly on his hands.


    He was angry and wanted to tear Wain to pieces. However, he wasn''t going to fight Finch.


    Wain tossed a coin in the air and said, "I have no reason to fight you, and neither do you. Our main goal is to increase our coin count, isn''t that right?"


    Whooooooosh.


    Wain waved his hand and caught a coin with ''15'' on it.


    "Finch, he''s right." Suddenly Dia said and tossed the coin up. "We have to follow the rules if we don''t want to die."


    "Shit, okay." Said Finch and did the same.


    Wain wasn''t really against A''s n, but he couldn''t trust them, and he also wanted a valuable reward. He was sure something was interesting and powerful in the mask''s arsenal.


    Besides, Wain wanted to see what his opponents were capable of. He had never met elves before, and one attack from A was not enough to understand the range of their capabilities.


    If they fought a monster, Wain would be able to see their strengths and weaknesses.


    ...


    "Miss A, what shall we do?" Keya asked.


    "Just as I said. As long as they increase the number of their coins, we''ll just wait for the end of the challenge.<sub> </sub>


    There are no more than five minutes left. You and I each have three coins, which means no one will die. Hopefully, the final monster won''t be too strong, but we have to deal with it anyway." Said A.


    Keya nodded. She would do what A said, even if it threatened her with mortal danger.


    Respect was very important among the Elves, and there was a kind of hierarchy. A was stronger and from a nobler family, but that did not mean that Keya was her servant or ve.


    However, as the less able and from a simpler family, Keya respected A and did her errands in most cases.


    It was like a rtionship between a junior and a senior student. There were no strict rules of conduct, but there were certain limits within which they were held.


    A also had her own responsibilities. If someone died because of her errands, it would be a disgrace to her as a member of a noble family.


    In fact, the Elves were much stricter on the upper ss than on the middle and lower sses.


    They believed that by their decisions and strength of spirit, they had to justify the power and opportunities given to them otherwise, they were nothing more than zero.


    With one minute left in the test, Wain had 99 coins. Finch and Dia were slightly behind, with 81 and 69 coins, respectively.


    Finch had already calmed down during this time and didn''t want to attack Wain, but he asionally red at him.


    Whooooooosh.


    Wain made another throw, and it changed when the coin touched the ceiling.


    Wain didn''t know what was happening, but the coin suddenly glowed brightly, and various symbols and inscriptions appeared on the ceiling.


    The next moment a dark vortex formed in the center of the room, and a smiling mask appeared.


    "I didn''t expect any of you to be able to get a coin of the value of 100. Honestly, I thought you''d get in each other''s way and fight to the death, but you chose to act peacefully. Well, that''s your choice."


    "Is something special going to happen now?" A asked.


    She was excited. Every time the mask appeared, tragedy struck.


    "Yes, normally, the strength of the monster and the quality of the reward would depend on the total number of coins you have. However, since the value of one coin became ''100'', the rules have changed. Now you have to fight the strongest monster, and he gets the best reward." Said the mask looking at Wain.


    "Huh, doesn''t that mean he''s finished?" Finch grinned. "We''ll just stand by until the monster tears him apart. Why should we help him? Right?"


    "You can try if you want, but there''s something I haven''t told you." The mask said with a wicked smirk.


    At that moment, everyone was wary, they knew they had been deceived, and the situation had be more serious.


    "Coins have another secret purpose. The more coins a participant has, the less attention the monster will pay to him. Obviously, those with only three coins will be the main targets."


    Whoooosh.


    The mask disappeared, and the space shook in the next moment.


    A''s and Keya''s faces darkened. They realized that they had put themselves at a disadvantage.


    They had managed to avoid casualties, but now they would be prime targets for the monster. This was the worst situation possible.


    Wain had the best position of all. Not only would he get the most valuable reward, but he also didn''t need to do anything to get it.


    The monster wouldn''t pay attention to him since he had a hundred coins.


    Crackle.


    The symbols on the ceiling were like a huge seal that cracked instantly. Then a dark hand appeared from there.


    It was small, the size of a man. Gradually, the monster''s silhouette emerged from the crack until it fully emerged.


    To everyone''s surprise, this monster looked like a person. It waspletely dark, and it was impossible to see a face, but other details of its appearance were visible.


    The monster had triangr ears, white mes burning on its arms, and a long cloak simr to the one Wain was wearing. The monster also had a sword in its hand, shaped like Forgotten Monarch''s Sword.


    ''Is that a copy of all of us?'' Wain thought to himself.


    "What kind of bastard is that?" Said Finch and drew the sword from behind his back.


    His weapon immediately burst into a bright white me, as did his ashy hair. Dia did the same. Her weapons were fiery knuckles. They sensed a serious threat emanating from this figure.


    "Keya... It looks like we''re in trouble..." A muttered, fear in her voice.


    She and Keya specialized in long-rangebat, and an opponent with a sword was the worst of them all.


    The silhouette looked closely at each contestant and stopped his gaze on A and Keya. As the mask had said, they were the monster''s main targets because of the number of coins.


    ''Hmm, he has partially copied our appearance, clothing, and even weapons. I wonder how powerful his abilities are?'' Wain wondered.


    Whoooosh.


    The silhouette slowly raised his sword above his head. The white mes moved to the dark sword, and the monster made a sharp swing. A wave of me was created, and it struck A and Keya.


    They quickly rebounded in different directions and dodged this attack. A attacked back, pointing her hand at the silhouette and firing a powerful energy beam.


    However, the monster didn''t even begin to retreat. It swung its cloak to block the beam and threw its sword at A.


    The weapon reached her instantly and grazed her left leg. A managed to dodge the fatal wound at thest moment.


    Then the monster snapped his finger, and the sword returned to him, and his hair lit up in white me like Finch''s.


    "Damn, this looks like it''s going to be a problem." Wain muttered.


    He hadn''t expected the monster to have their powers. In any case, Wain wasn''t going to participate in this battle just yet. It was a great opportunity to learn more about the other races'' powers.

 Chapter 203 The Game Of Kings

    The Dark Silhouette walked slowly toward A. The monster decided that she would be his first target.


    Of course, Keya had teamed up with A, and they were ready to take the hit together, but the others had pulled away from them.


    Wain retreated to the left side of the hall while Finch and Dia stood to the left. They watched the fight intently, like spectators in a coliseum.


    Wain was curious to see what the Elves would do in a critical situation. They would have to use their most powerful skills to survive.


    "Miss A, I think we should use our Beyonds." Keya suggested, and blue energy enveloped her arms.


    "Yes, I think so too, but there is no need to hurry. First, we must find out what our opponent is capable of."


    A''s eyes shed, and an energy bow and three arrows appeared in her hands. She used all the arrows simultaneously, drew the bowstring, and fired a powerful shot.


    Each of the arrows had to hit a specific point. One in the head, one in the neck, and one in the chest. However, the dark silhouette simply swung his sword and knocked the arrows away.


    "Damn." A bit her lip, "My attacks can''t do anything to him. He''s got great equipment..."


    Keya attacked next. She folded her arms together and then spread them apart. Above her appeared five spheres, which would turn into magical arrows that copsed on the dark silhouette.


    Whooooosh.


    However, the monster decided to use one of its skills, and electrical discharges appeared on its body. The silhouette turned into blue lightning and swung its sword sharply.


    The weapon''s de plunged into Keya''s flesh and left a deep cut on her chest. She cried out in pain and struggled to step aside.


    Blood wouldn''t stop flowing from her wound, but the girl was calm. Such wounds posed no threat to her.


    She pulled a vial of red liquid from her pocket and drained it quickly. Her wound began to regenerate quickly. It was even faster than Purple Pilgrim''s when he activated his Beyond.


    "Guess it can''t be helped. I''ll have to use the most powerful thing I have. Keya, save your strength." Said A, and the air around her rippled.


    She decided to use Beyond, as it was the best option in this situation. Keya had healed her wound and was ready for battle, but she had to conserve her strength for the emergency.


    A realized that she would have less than 10% of her total energy left after she used her Beyond. In that case, if Finch, Wain, and Dia decided to attack her, she wouldn''t be able to stand up to them.


    So she decided to deal with the monster independently, so Keya could save her in that case.


    Tremble.


    Arge amount of energy umted around A, and she used Beyond. The next moment, as if from a vortex, an azure tiara appeared on her head, as well as a long, blue staff in her hand.


    Unlike all the previous Beyonds Wain had seen, this one was very different. No silhouette appeared above A as above Luar or Ria, the power concentrated on her.


    ''Hmm, it looks like my Beyond, the crown that appears on my head is just as material, but the energy on my arms is not. It looks like Beyonds divided into several types. It''s interesting...'' Thought Wain and decided to smoke.


    He blew out a puff of smoke, and it turned into a ripped doll. Wain had long been trying to figure out if there was any meaning to what the blue smoke was turning into or if it was all an ident.


    He liked that kind of mystery with no obvious answer.


    The Dark Silhouette didn''t wait any longer and turned back into blue lightning, but A wasn''t about to dodge anymore.


    She pointed the staff forward, and arge amount of energy gathered on its tip.


    When A was ready to attack, the tiara on her head glowed brightly, and the energy sphere split into dozens of small arrows. They were fast and strong, capable of piercing anything.


    However, the dark silhouette had no intention of retreating. Instead, it raised its sword above its head and used the same skill.


    "What...!?" A muttered in disbelief.


    She couldn''t believe that the dark silhouette knew the same skill, but she wasn''t going to stop because of that.


    A knew that no one could help her. Others watched her like ravenous hyenas and kites waiting to wound and crush her.


    Whooooooosh.


    A waved her staff, and an energy cloud appeared over the monster. A hail of arrows rained down on the dark silhouette the next moment. The monster tried to block each of the arrows, but it didn''t seed.


    Moreover, A was about to continue her attack. She struck the ground with her staff, and the silhouette of an angry, gigantic wolf appeared, running toward the monster like a hound from hell.


    The Dark Silhouette was unable to resist this attack.


    He was simultaneously attacked by energy arrows and the wolf, each bite of which tore the monster''s flesh apart.


    A realized that she was almost victorious and decided to make a final strike.


    She snapped the staff in two and from there ripped out pure, white energy, which turned into a lotus.


    The flower flew toward the monster, and then each of the petals glowed brightly. At that moment, Wain, Finch, and Dia became alert and ran as far away as possible.


    Booooooooom!


    There was a deafening explosion, a dark silhouette torn apart. A purple soul flew toward A, and she smiled contentedly.


    ''What? Why did the soul head toward her on its own? Could it be another w of humans? Wain pondered.


    Crackle.


    The tiara on the girl''s head broke into pieces, and she vomited a mouthful of blood. Though she had won and gained a valuable soul, she was seriously exhausted.


    "A!" Shouted Keya and ran up to her.


    Keya immediately gave to A a potion and two pills, one to stop her internal bleeding and the other to increase her strength reserve.


    However, it would take at least a few hours for A to regain at least a third of her strength, even with the medication she took.


    Finch smiled and was about to attack the wounded Elf, but suddenly a dark vortex and mask appeared in the air.<sub> </sub>


    "Congrattions, you made it through the second challenge. I think it''s time to move on to the finale. Ah yes, the winner should get his well-deserved reward." Smiling wickedly, a mask said.


    "Fuck you..." A muttered, realizing that the mask was mocking her.


    Whooooooosh.


    The dark vortex headed toward Wain and stopped in front of him. The energy gradually turned into a small, hand-sized vial with a red liquid inside.


    The vial was beautiful and exquisite, with a unique ss stopper and an engraving of a drop of blood and a vine on it.


    When the others saw it, their eyes widened in surprise, but Wain didn''t yet realize how valuable a thing he had received.


    He did not know why they looked at him as if he had received the most beneficial treasure of all.


    [Vial of Pure Blood Essence (First Chronicle, Heroic Rating)


    This is a special vial filled with an extremely rare liquid. Such a thing can cost several fortunes of famous families, and it will be a reasonable price.


    If you drink the entire contents of this vial, your blood purity will increase by 10%, but the higher your purity, the weaker the effect will be.


    At blood purity above 50%, the effectiveness of the vial drops to 5%, and at blood purity above 70%, the effectiveness drops to 3%.


    It is impossible to increase blood purity above 90%].


    ''Hmm, ck Rabbit once mentioned blood purity and cited Elves and Vampires as examples. I guess I underestimated the importance of blood purity. They''re looking at me like they''re willing to sell me their souls to give me this thing.'' Thought Wain and shoved the vial under his cloak.


    "Hey, boy, don''t you want to give that thing to me?" With a sly smile on his face, Finch said.


    "What do you think? What''s the point of me giving such a valuable thing to someone like you?" Wain replied with a smirk.


    He knew Finch would fight to get the vial, but it didn''t bother him. Wain was sure he would beat every one of them.


    "I don''t think you understand the situation you''re in. Either you give me the vial, or in ten seconds, your charred, severed head will be lying on the floor. The choice is yours." Finch uttered, and his sword glowed brightly in white me.


    Next to him stood Dia, who also wanted the vial. Even if they didn''t use it themselves, they could sell it for a great profit and get many other valuable items.


    "Damn... Life really isn''t fair..." A muttered. Her tone was sad, and her eyes unhappy.


    Her decision turned out to be the worst. She had to fight for others, to expend all her energy and get hurt because of her use of Beyond.


    Moreover, the reward would not go to her but to someone who hadn''t even participated in the fight. When she thought about it, she was filled with anger.


    "Fine, have it your way." Said Wain, and his aura began to intensify.


    [You used the Title - Mentor Inquisitor.]


    A silhouette of death with a bloody scythe appeared above Wain and arge amount of energy umted around him. He would use one of the forms and kill everyone without exception.


    Wain believed this was a good moment for a duel that would decide which of them would pass on.


    He didn''t need anypetition and could easily get rid of them right now.


    "A, we need to get out of here. After they kill him, they will switch to us." Said Keya helping her friend to her feet.


    "No." A shook her head, "I doubt that will happen."


    Saying that, she looked at the mask that had finally decided to participate in the conflict.


    Whoooosh.


    Dark chains appeared on Wain, Finch, and Dia, preventing them from moving and blocking their abilities. There was nothing they could do about it.


    "Please, no fighting outside the trials. Something exciting is waiting for you, and I don''t want you to kill each other now. You must wait a little while before you can tear each other apart." Suddenly, a tall, spiral staircase descended from the ceiling, said the mask.


    Then the mask disappeared, as it had on previous asions. Wain, Finch, and Dia were set free.


    "How infuriating!" Shouted Finch and hit the floor with all his might.


    "Come on. We''ll still have time to fight him. Here, there''s no way he can get away from us. First, we have to deal with that pesky mask." Said Dia and touched her mate''s shoulder, and headed for the stairs.


    Finch took a deep breath and followed her. The others did the same, including A. She wasn''t going to give up despite the difficult situation.


    ...


    It took them an abnormally long time to get to the top. It took them an hour. They had walked up more than ten thousand stairs and were already mentally exhausted.


    Only they could see were dark stone walls lit by a few torches. The atmosphere was oppressive and intimidating.


    No one liked it but A. She had regained some strength during this time and could fight back if necessary. For her, the boring and long climb up was the best option.


    Step.


    Dia stepped forward and climbed to the top. She froze in ce, her eyes wide with surprise. She was shocked by what she saw.


    The others didn''t understand what was happening and quickly climbed to the top.


    Wain looked around and could not say a word. There was a beautiful garden all around them, and above it was a blue sky with clouds floating on it.


    He didn''t know how it was possible since they had been in some aristocrat''s ancient mansion before.


    It was an incredible sight. The sun''s rays and the flowers growing harmoniously in the garden relieved all his fatigue in an instant, but there was something even more special here.


    In the center of the garden was a huge chessboard, the size of a field. On it was chess pieces as tall as the trees.

 Chapter 204 Chess

    Everyone was surprised to see a huge chessboard. It was something strange and unbelievable.


    "Wee to the next challenge and maybe even the final challenge. It will be up to you." Said the mask flying up to the group.


    "Chess is a worthy game to put your lives on the line, isn''t it?"


    "What are the rules?" Asked A.


    "It''s simple, two of you will y, and the rest of you will bet on who wins. The losers will die. That goes for the yers and those who make the bets."


    "How do we determine who will y?" Finch muttered.


    "Huh, it was all decided a long time ago, during the first challenge. As you all know, chess has two sides, white and ck. They are two opposite colors that are as far apart as possible. You could say it''s the first andst color."


    No one understood what the mask was talking about. A waited with trepidation to find out who would y.


    "Whoever picked up the revolver first during the first test would y for white. Whoever held the revolverst before the trial ended would y for the cks. Isn''t that easy?" The mask said with a smirk.


    Then everyone looked at A and Wain. Given the rules, they had to y, and like the mask said, it had been decided initially.


    "Damn..." Wain muttered.


    He knew how to y chess, but he couldn''t boast a high level of y. His skills could bepared to a beginner who had yed no more than ten games in all time.


    Wain''s only hope was that A didn''t know how the pieces moved at all.


    However, when he looked at the girl, she was smiling contentedly. This could only mean that A was confident in her abilities, unlike Wain, for whom chess was a passing distraction.


    "Hey, Elf, youe from a noble family, right?" Finch asked.


    "Yes. My family is influential and powerful. The length of our lineage goes back several thousand years, and we honor tradition." A said with genuine pride.


    Finch and Dia smiled. At that moment, they decided who they were going to bet on. They were sure that Wain could not y better than A, a noble family''s offspring. It was impossible.


    "All right, then, it''s settled. yers, please take your seats." Said the mask, and the darkness turned into two stairs and tforms the next moment.


    A smilingly made her way to her tform and was ready to make her move.


    In the meantime, Wain slowly climbed to the top and reasoned about the situation. He didn''t know what to do or how to win. It wasn''t strength or luck that decided everything now, but his level of chess.


    When Wain stood on the tform and looked at A''s confident face, he finally realized that he could not win this duel, but Wain thought he had a chance.


    ''None of the previous trials have beenmon. There must be some secret in these chess games. It can''t be an ordinary game.'' Thought Wain looking at the chess pieces.


    Whooooooosh.


    The mask flew up to the chessboard, and two coins each appeared in front of Dia, Finch, and Keya, one was white the other ck. They smiled and immediately took the ck coin without even waiting for the mask''s words.


    "I see that the spectators have already had time to ce their bets, well, I hope you won''t regret your decision. As before, this challenge has one peculiarity. These chess pieces are magical artifacts responding to your power. It may help you, but it may be a critical mistake." Said the mask and disappeared.


    Then a massive clock appeared to the left of the chessboard and started the countdown. There were only three minutes to move, and the game couldst indefinitely until one of the yers won.


    ''Will the chess pieces respond to our power? Hmm, perhaps not all is lost yet.'' Wain thought and looked closely at one of the pawns.


    Wain wanted to try to use his power on it, but he was having none of it even after two minutes. He didn''t understand if it was supposed to be that way or if he was doing something wrong.


    "Okay... it''s worth making a move first." Mumbled Wain looking at the fact that he only had ten seconds left.


    He swung his hand, and pawn moved to the center from the second square to the fourth. It was the ssic and most effortless move, so Wain decided to do just that.


    Moreover, he knew that chess is a game where the longer the gamests, the moreplicated the situation bes.


    "Hmm? Did you decide to give in to me?" With a slight smile on her face, A said and waved her hand.


    One of the pawns glowed brightly and jumped over two squares at once, and destroyed his pawn to Wain''s surprise.


    "What''s going on...?" Wain muttered.


    The pawn could step over one square, but A''s piece stepped over two, which was impossible ording to the game''s rules. Also, pawns could not destroy other pieces directly but only diagonally.


    Wain was in a stupor. He didn''t understand why this happened.


    ''I tried to influence the pawn, but it didn''t work. However, she did it like it was a regr thing... Shit, shit, shit.'' Wain thought.


    He stared at the knight and tried to reinforce the piece, but Wain failed again. He had to make a move and watch A destroy him again.


    Thus fifteen minutes passed, and each side made a total of four moves. Wain tried to stall for as long as possible and figure out the difference between him and A.


    He looked intently at the girl, at her surroundings, at the pieces.


    ''She looks like an ordinary girl, only if it weren''t for her pointy ears... Right, ears...'' muttered Wain to himself.


    Then Wain realized that the answer to his question was obvious. He was human, and A was an elf. That was also the only reason why he, unlike her, could not interact with the chess pieces.


    ''Humans have many disadvantages, one of them being the inability to absorb energy. I could control the pieces if they could use energy, but it looks like the chess pieces don''t absorb energy.


    They give it to me. In that case, it''s impossible for me. I can''t absorb energy from the crystals, and therefore from the chess pieces...'' Wain thought and bit his lip until it bled.


    Wain was right. Every time A made a move, she received arge amount of energy and increased her strength. For a human, this test was a real disaster, Wain didn''t have a single chance to win.


    For the next ten minutes, Wain tried to figure out how to get out of this situation alive.


    He made the simplest moves and did it as slowly as possible. In contrast, A answered in seconds and looked at Wain with a satisfied smirk.


    ''Damn, I''m no expert, but I think it finished in a few moves. I already have fewer pieces than her. I need to hurry up.'' Thought Wain and looked at Finch and Dia.


    They were just as happy with the situation as they supposed A was easily defeating Wain and dominating.


    At that moment, Wain had an idea. He realized that one important detail had eluded him for a long time.


    Every time he was in the Purgatory zones, someone tried to invade the zone.<sub> </sub>


    It wasn''t a coincidence, Wain understood that, but he didn''t guess that the reason was him personally.


    ''Sven had said that it was impossible to get to some ces even with a portal. It requires the strength of the spatial barrier to be greatly reduced. Is it possible they could get here because of me since I came here through a secret entrance...''


    Wain realized that his only option to survive in this situation was to create chaos that would make the ordeal and everything else irrelevant. To do that, he had to weaken the spatial barrier of the area somehow again.


    Other creatures woulde here, and perhaps Wain could take advantage of the situation.


    ''Perhaps if Pearl Hunter gets into this zone, I canpletely change the situation.'' Thought Wain and his aura began to intensify gradually.


    He made hisst move and was building up energy. Gray ceilings burst from beneath the ground like tongues of me, and a crown appeared on Wain''s head with a closed eye.


    Energy enveloped his hands, and the sound of teeth ttering against each other from the jaws on his palms could be heard.


    "What are you doing?!" Shouted A looking into Wain''s cold eyes.


    Then a golden frog''s paw appeared in his hands, and he immediately swallowed it. His stats went up 15%, and all of his senses were greatly heightened.


    Wain''s power shocked A, Finch, Dia, and Keya. They didn''t expect that he suddenly decided to activate his Beyond, which would wield such crushing power.


    Their heartbeats quickened, and they breathed harder. It was a power they couldn''t match.


    "Holy crap...what''s wrong with this guy! Can an Inerian man have that kind of power?" Shouted Finch.


    Dia didn''t answer anything. She didn''t know what to say and didn''t understand what was happening. Keya was just as stunned, the situation was out of control.


    Crackling.


    Suddenly a mask appeared in front of Wain, and dark chains tried to bind him. He was about to break the trial rules, and the mask had to stop him.


    "Stop it now, get back to the game like you''re supposed to!" The mask said menacingly, but suddenly Wain turned into a blur.


    Chains like tentacles tried to chase him, but he managed to dodge at thest moment each time.


    "I may not be able to beat you, but I can eat you!" Wain said menacingly and looked at the approaching chains with icy eyes.


    He waved his hand, and his jaws opened wide. Above him appeared the silhouette of a gray maw that abruptly closed, and a third of the chains along with a scrap of ground disappeared.


    It was like the bite of a massive beast. However, it wasn''t enough to win.


    The mask''s aura intensified, and the remaining chains began to clone and divide. The chains multiplied and were ready to devour Wain.


    Wainunched another attack and turned into blue lightning. He was about to use hisst trump card, but it would cause him serious injuries, and he definitely wouldn''t be able to continue fighting after that.


    "Stop!" Shouted the mask, and a gray robe and an eye patch appeared on Wain at that moment.


    Thest time Wain had fought Purple Pilgrim, Blind Sorcerer had discovered a unique ability. Wain didn''t know if he could use it again, but it was his only chance.


    The Mask wouldn''t dare kill him, but if the chains caught him, that would be the end of it. Wain would have to finish the game, lose, and then death would catch up with him.


    Whooooooosh.


    Wain waved his hand and created a gray, energy wave that hit the chains like a tsunami. This attack destroyed hundreds of nts and dozens of trees and threw the chains far off the chessboard.


    Finch and Dia were hit, activating their Beyonds to avoid serious injury and withstand the onught. Their bodies were covered in white mes, and together they created a fire barrier.


    Keya left the spectators'' seats and ran up to A. She decided that she would protect her in case of danger.


    Wain had only a few seconds to do what he wanted. He tried to activate the ability again, but it didn''t work until a drop of blood from his lip fell on his left hand.


    At that moment, the seal of the broken mirror shone brightly, and the blindfold fell from his eyes.


    Everyone saw the open left eye. It was colorless with the image of the whole mirror, and then it was time for the final touch.


    Wain looked up and smoothly swung his hand. A gray, almost invisible de flew forward, which disappeared without a trace.


    "§¡? Did he make a mistake?" Finch muttered.


    "Looks like we''re saved." Smiling, Dia said.


    A and Keya had the same opinion. They were sure that the mask was about to grab Wain, but...


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly space trembled, and the sky was split in two. This was what Wain was after. His goal was to let everyone in.


    When the mask saw this, it stopped chasing Wain. All the chains headed towards it to regain space, but it was toote.


    The cut was enormous. It far exceeded the one that had appeared after the battle with Forgotten. Wain had been attacked by a single Pearl Hunter back then, but now the situation was strikingly different.


    A second after the spatial barrier had been breached, dozens of paws of the monstrous creatures had prated.


    Everyone shuddered in fear. They knew that these creatures would tear them apart without even blinking an eye.


    However, something else caught their attention. In the center was a girl slowly falling down.


    She had long hair split in two, the left one ck as the abyss and the right one blood red. She was dressed in clothes that matched the color of her hair. It looked strange but also beautiful and harmonious.


    The girl''s eyes were amethyst, and her gaze was sad and devastated. She looked as if she had lost the will to live or was searching for something that would cause her to have new, unexperienced feelings.


    She looked at the monsters around her and swung her arm smoothly. Then two small, dark spheres resembling stars or ck holes were created around her.


    p They began to rotate rapidly, and the monsters'' bodies were torn apart. The blood split into millions of drops and rained down on the garden and the chessboard.</anda>


    This scene stunned everyone, even the mask did not understand how such a catastrophe could happen, but the chains had already restored 50% of the space.


    Wain smiled contentedly, he didn''t know who this girl was, but it was his chance to win. However, if he had heard A''s words, he would have stopped smiling.


    A looked at this girl and muttered with fear in her voice, "Did... she reallye? She''s Inerian..."

 Chapter 205 The Back Side Of The Mirror

    When Wain cut the space in two, the multitude of monsters hunting Soul Pearls decided to sneak in. However, the appearance of one girl with unusual hair and eyes changed the situationpletely.


    The garden was awash in bloody rain, the only thing left of the powerful and enormous monsters whose auras would terrify anyone.


    The mask was unhappy with the situation, but it could not pay attention to the girl. Firstly, the mask had to repair the spatial rift to avoid further problems. The dark chains greatly elerated this process.


    Wain was pleased with the result, he was counting on something like this to happen, and it was the best option. Someone appeared who would take all the attention for a while and wreak chaos.


    The others, unlike Wain, were shocked, especially A. Because of Wain''s appearance, she thought he was Inerian and rtively unusual. A thought that Wain''s actions made no sense, but now she realized it was a cunning n.


    A decided that Wain had done this so that his mistress could get here. In her opinion, that was his main purpose.


    She thought the girl would kill everyone here now and save Wain, but the reality was different. Everyone was in danger.


    Oddly enough, Wain was the only one who didn''t know that the girl who killed the monsters was an Inerian. However, he wasn''t going to cooperate with anyone anyway.


    Whooooooosh.


    When Wain realized the mask was no longer after him, he used the Sign of Lightning and ran away.


    He canceled the third form, and Beyond, he needed to recover at least a few percent of his energy.


    "Agh!" Suddenly Wain copsed and threw up a mouthful of blood.


    The use of Beyond was badly damaging and straining his body. Moreover, Wain used the third form, Blind Sorcerer, and performed several crushing attacks.


    He could not have remained unscathed, even if his body had been stronger than steel.


    For thest minute, every cell of him had been working at its limits, and his flesh and bones were cracking at the seams to withstand the power he was emitting.


    Wain was ready for it, but he didn''t expect that he couldn''t walk a hundred yards.


    Fortunately, the girl''s attention was focused not on Wain but the mask.


    "Who are you? Get out of here!" The mask said menacingly, and arge amount of darkness erupted from it.


    "Hmm? Are you addressing me...?" Slowly, in a lifeless voice, the girl said.


    "It''s obvious. You''re not supposed to be here! You weren''t supposed to interfere in the trial! Who are you!?" The mask said furiously, and out of the darkness, seven spears were created that flew at the girl.


    "You''re asking what my name is? I am Erza Lone... but, does it matter?" The girl muttered and waved her hand.


    Arge amount of energy appeared in front of her the next moment, which turned into a magma cross. It engulfed the dark spears and copsed on the mask.


    The mask tried to block the attacks and created a dark barrier around itself, but it didn''t help.


    Magma cross burned through the barrier and did devastating damage to the mask. Half of the white mask burned and turned ck and soot-covered.


    No longer daring the mask to smile slyly, it realized that Erza was in a different category. The mask couldn''t win this battle, but suddenly the situation changed.


    Erza wasparable in strength to the strongest members of the Second Chronicle, and her actions could not go unnoticed by the Purgatory zone.


    Whoooosh.


    Several gray chains appeared around Erza, which shackled her and then chained her heart, forcibly lowering her power level.


    Erza knew something like this would happen, so she didn''t try to resist. It was useless.


    Her powers were now limited to the boundaries of First Chronicle, but she had already done enough to make the situation change forever.


    "Great, this is our chance. Dia!" Finch said with a smile and turned into a fiery sh.


    The next moment he reached for his mask and struck the most powerful blow he was capable of.


    The mes at the hilt of his sword turned into wings, and he sliced the mask in two. However, the mask immediately began to regenerate, but Dia was already ready to deliver the final blow.


    Her palms turned red because of the high temperature, and she grabbed the two halves of the mask, after which they began to melt rapidly.


    "No!!! How dare you interfere with me!!!" The mask shouted furiously at thest second of its life.


    Everyone thought it was the end, and it was. But when one story ends, another always begins, and this time was no exception.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    "What''s going on...?" A said uncertainly.


    Space trembled, and the world before her eyes turned upside down the next moment. The same thing happened to the others.


    "§¡...? Why are the chessboard and the garden up there now...?" Finch muttered.


    It wasn''t an illusion, it really happened. The world was upside down, which was only half of what had changed.


    Beneath him, Finch saw the same chessboard, only ssy, like the garden. It was like a mirror of the original world.


    A and Keya were in the most dangerous situation. After the world turned upside down, there was a spatial rift underneath them, which recovered at 90%.


    They couldn''t fly, and all they had to do was fall down, straight into the clutches of death.


    The darkness lurking beyond the Purgatory zone was like a boundless abyss from which it was impossible to escape. They felt as if they were being sucked into it by an unprecedented force.


    "No!" Shouted Keya with terror in her voice.


    She looked hopefully at A, but she was just as confused. They hadn''t expected their fate to perish outside the zone.


    The only one who could save them was Erza, but she paid no attention to them.<sub> </sub>


    To her, they were nothing. Finch and Dia weren''t going to help them either.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Suddenly, the silhouette of a blue portal appeared in the rift, and a white spark flew out. It flew through the rift and saved A and Keya, after which space was restored and stabilized.


    "Phew, looks like I made it at thest minute." Said a tall man with blue eyes and short blond hair.


    Like all elves, his ears were sharp and his skin pale and smooth as jade. He wore light, green leather armor, and on his belt was a curved de with an emerald iid in the guard.


    "Uncle Agis!" Rejoicing Keya said.


    "Agis..." A muttered.


    "Hey, I thought you were finished. I always said speed was my thing! AHAHAHA!" Agisughed and pulled out two pills from his bag.


    He knew that A was hurt and decided to help her recover with one look.


    "Thank you." With a slight smile on her face, A said and quickly swallowed the pills.


    "Well, do I have to wait long?" Asked Agis, and the next moment gray chains appeared around him.


    He, as well as Erza, was a Second Chronicle creature and had been in the Purgatory zone once before. He knew that the chains would forcibly restrain his power.


    "A, Keya, what is the situation? It looks like something interesting is going on here." Said Agis looking at the ss chess pieces in front of him and the real ones high in the sky.


    "I don''t understand anything anymore..." Mumbled A. "At first, we went through the test, and some of us died, but then that guy went crazy and caused the space barrier to be damaged." She pointed to Wain. He was lying in the distance among the ss garden.


    "Who''s that?" Agis was puzzled.


    "It''s an Inerian, but he''s not ordinary. I''ve never seen an Inerian man with such power and ability. Moreover, he is unnaturally handsome considering the men of their race." Said Keya.


    "I see... I take it this girl is his mistress?" Asked Agis looking at Erza.


    "Yes, there is no doubt about that." A said confidently.


    One of the distinguishing features of Inerians was the different colors of their hair and their bright eyes. However, this rule applied only to women. They were stronger and more beautiful than men.


    But, such a division had a good reason which was their unique physiology and body structure.


    Erza''s ck and red clothing was of the open type and covered her skin only partially.


    Beneath the clothing were visible white pulsating lines on her arms that, across her shoulders, headed toward her chest, which was the second hallmark of the Inerians.


    The pulsating lines could bepared to veins. Blood flowed through the veins, and at the same time, arge amount of energy moved through the threads.


    Erza''s arms had three threads each, all six threads directed to one point on his chest, just below his neck. They formed a circle through which energy circted endlessly and increased its concentration.


    In the center of the circle, the six threads crossed each other at one point. This was the main difference between men and women. In men, the circle was empty, while it was filled with intersecting threads in women.


    Also, on the wrists of Erza''s, there were three more threads in the form of a bracelet. Through them circted energy that returned from the circle, and then the process repeated.


    Wain wore a massive cloak, and his chest and arms were not visible under it. So A and everyone else thought he was Inerian, even though they couldn''t even see the energy strands on his body.


    They couldn''t think he was human since they didn''t even know such a race existed.


    The Inerians were considered a powerful race, but their men were much weaker than women. They were folk with an absolute matriarchal system, the cause of which was their nature.


    "I see... We''d better not quarrel with her. I hope you had the good sense not to confront this guy when you realized he was an Inerian?" Asked Agis.


    "Of course, we didn''t fight him, but during thest trial, I had to confront him. The most aggressive one is this one." A said, pointing at Finch.


    Finch and Dia were not in an easy situation. A and Keya now had Agis, who would easily protect them from any danger, but there was no one with them. They were alone.


    "Finch, it looks like we shouldn''t have killed the mask." Dia said cautiously.


    "Don''t be silly. We did everything right. Now we don''t have to obey the rules and get tested. Also, if we hadn''t, that girl would have killed us all, but now she has an opponent. We just need to stay out of the way, and we''ll be safe."


    The elves took their time to act, Agis, A, and Keya watched Erza''s actions. She was the center of attention, and how the future situation would unfold depended on her.


    Agis'' task was to save A and Keya. That was his top priority. He had no reason to fight Erza or Finch and Dia.


    "Hmm? There are no Soul Pearls here? This ce has be too confusing. I need to go the other way," Mumbled Erza walking through the ss garden.


    "§¡? What''s that?" Not far away, Erza saw a man with a dark blue cloak with a pool of blood underneath.


    She approached him with an unemotional face.


    Agis watched her intently. He thought Erza was about to bend over and help her lover.


    "What the...?"


    However, instead, she kicked him sharply so that Wain flipped from his stomach to his back.


    "A, you sure she is his mistress?" Agis asked, puzzled.


    "Yes..." Mumbled A, "Maybe that''s how it''s supposed to be? I''ve never seen what a rtionship between Inerians looks like."


    Erza looked at Wain''s exhausted face and muttered, "Inerian? What are you doing here? Eh, you''re quite handsome. What a pity I don''t like men of my folk..."


    She was about to pass by, but suddenly a strong wind blew, and the cloak partially exposed Wain''s body.


    When Erza saw that there were no energy threads on Wain''s body, her lifeless and empty eyes began to fill with paint.

 Chapter 206 Strange Sympathy

    When Erza first appeared in the zone of space, she had a lifeless expression on her face and empty eyes, as if she had lost her soul.


    However, when she saw no energy threads on Wain''s body, the situation changed.


    Her eyes grew brighter, her breathing quickened, and her heart began to beat faster.


    It was not love at first sight, it was like the feeling when a person finds something he has been looking for for years, and finally, the treasure was in front of him.


    Erza''s depressed state had a reason. She, unlike other Inerians, could not find a mate and her love. This was a big problem for all races, especially for the Inerians.


    Their society was organized so that there was a dominant woman and a submissive man whom the woman guarded, protected, and controlled.


    Also, the reason for this social arrangement had to do with the process of energy transfer. It had to do with the physiology of Inerians because of which women are dominant.


    But, women are in charge not because they are prettier and stronger but because men give energy and women receive.


    That is why the circle on the women''s chest was filled with threads, while the men''s circle was empty. Thus the women had no choice but to be in charge, for the men could not progress as fast as they did.


    Since the Inerians'' alliance between a woman and a man was incredibly important, someone like Erza became an outcast. However, it didn''t bother her, she didn''t care about the opinion of others. She was strong and could deal with her abusers.


    Ezra was hurt that she didn''t have a date and realized that she would always be alone some time ago.


    In fact, arge number of men offered Erza''e an alliance. She was beautiful and strong, she shouldn''t have such a problem as loneliness orck of partners.


    The reason was that she was disgusted by the sight of energy threads on men''s bodies.


    Erza didn''t understand what this was about and why her preference was so strange and wrong. She tried to ovee it, but she could not go against herself and her feelings.


    Sympathy could arise in most living creatures, but sometimes a member of one race could fall in love with another. These are quite rare cases but not unique.


    Even many vampires and elves, despite theirpletely different worldviews and lifestyles, fell in love and began to live together.


    Such unions were beyond normal for other races, but everyone understood that such a thing existed.


    The Inerians had a different attitude to it. For them, it was impossible because men and women of this race were connected not only because of sympathy but also because of energy threads.


    Erza considered herself a mistake, and with each passing day, she wanted to live less and less. Unfortunately, she was also not attracted to members of other races because she was Inerian.


    "Hey... Are you alive...?" Erza asked in a trembling voice.


    Wain barely opened his eyes and looked at the girl in front of him. He felt disgusted, and blood was flowing from the corners of his mouth.


    "I''m not sure about that..." Wain muttered.


    ''Damn, why does she pay attention to me!? I needed a few minutes to regain some of my strength... It looks like luck isn''t on my side today.'' Wain thought to himself.


    After using the third form and Beyond, Wain knew his condition would be bad, but he had a passive healing skill.


    Every second, ghostly threads prated his flesh and repaired the damaged areas.


    It would take Wain about ten minutes before he was partially restored, but his n went awry because he got Erza''s interest for some reason.


    "What''s your name...?" Asked Erza.


    Wain was silent for a while and then coughed several times before answering.


    He did it to stall for time. Wain didn''t know what Erza would do next. She could be an enemy or a friend, but the first option was more likely.


    "My name is... Nameless."


    "Nameless...? That''s an alias, isn''t it? What''s your real name?"


    "Huh...I guess that''s what reflects my inner self and soul."


    "Well..."


    Erza hadn''t yet figured out the situation and didn''t realize that Wain wasn''t Inerian. His body''sck of energy threads shocked her, and all her attention was focused on that detail.


    "Nameless... Wait, you have Void?!" Erza eximed and immediately looked up Wain''s information.


    She saw that he had one Void in his charge, and at that moment, her eyes went nk and dark again.


    "So you already have a mistress..." Erza said in an icy voice.


    She felt disgusted, she had just had hope, but now, in an instant, everything was shattered.


    ''What is she talking about...? Thought Wain, ''Could it be that she''s Inerian?''


    Wain looked closely at Erza, and his eyes widened.


    He didn''t know the distinguishing features of this race, and the different hair color was nothing unique to Wain. Many people dyed their hair that way, and it was normal.


    But when he saw the energy threads under her clothes, he understood what set Inerians apart from other races and why A thought he was Inerian.


    ''I see... Inerians are pretty much like humans, and since I wear a long cloak, no one could see that I don''t have energy threads, so the elves drew that conclusion.'' Wain thought.


    Then he realized he could take advantage of the situation. Wain wasn''t sure what to do since this was the first time he met an Inerian and knew too little about them, but he had no other options.


    "I don''t have a mistress. I''m alone. I like freedom too much to submit to anyone." Wain said seriously.


    "Is that true?!" Joyfully eximed Erza. Her breathing quickened again, and her eyes filled with color.


    Wain nodded weakly.


    "Then we can be together! Be my lover!" Said Erza.


    Her heartbeat was harder, and a blush appeared on her cheeks. She liked Wain, as A had said earlier, he was very handsome by the standards of the Inerians.


    With the Inerians, only women could choose their partners. Men could only propose, but no more than that.


    If a woman liked a free man, he had no choice but to be her lover. Rejection was impossible.


    So when Erza realized that she could pair up with Wain, she immediately took action. She put her hand to his chest, and her energy threads shone brightly.


    The circle began to rotate, and an energy pulse burst from the threads and went into Wain''s chest.


    This was the process of creating a union in Inerians, in which the man had to ept the energy emanating from the woman.


    Erza should have seen Wain''s Soul Altar and synchronized with it, but instead, she saw nk darkness and emptiness.


    She felt as if she had fallen into an abyss, and there was only one thing there, a massive dark castle.<sub> </sub>


    "What is it...? You''re not Inerian, no it''s impossible..." With fear in her voice, Erza muttered.


    She didn''t understand why she couldn''t pair up with Wain, and at that moment, she heard words like thunder from a clear sky.


    "Huh, I didn''t think I''d ever have to admit it. I am human." With a slight smile on his face, Wain said.


    He had no choice but to admit it. Wain didn''t know what Erza''s reaction would be, but it didn''t matter anymore.


    During their conversation, he had recovered enough to be able to retreat in case of danger.


    "Are you human...?" Erza eximed.


    Unlike A and Keya, Erza knew of the existence of this race. Her information was severely limited, even considering her power. It was nearly impossible to know anything about them.


    She knew about humans reputation and was shocked to hear it from Wain.


    ''She is confused, as I expected her to be. Moreover, the elves stand by and stand idly by. That''s fine, but what happens next? The mask is dead, space has be mirrored, but it''s not the end.'' Thought Wain and closed his eyes.


    He concentrated and felt energy fluctuations emanating from the king piece on the chessboard.


    ''Do I need to go there?''


    Wain had to get the Faceless Aristocrat Mask to open the fourth form. He initially thought that the mask with a sly smile was the item, but that theory turned out wrong.


    ''I''m lucky I decided to weaken the spatial barrier. Otherwise, the mask wouldn''t have died, and the mirror side of the zone wouldn''t have appeared.'' Thought Wain looking at the ss chess piece of the king on the board.


    "Nameless... Are you alone?" Erza suddenly asked.


    "Hmm? Doesn''t it bother you that I''m a human?" Wain asked surprised.


    He thought Erza would try to attack him or, on the contrary, move as far away from him as possible. It was a logical assumption considering what Erza knew about the race.


    "Perhaps, but all I have heard of you is rumor and unconfirmed information. You are the first member of this race I have met. I prefer to conclude personal experience rather than from the words of the crowd and public opinion, which in my lifetime I have grown rather tired of." Erza said with a wave of her hand.


    Erza did not have a date, and many people spoke untteringly about her behind her back. For her, it was a curse she couldn''t get rid of.


    "I see... you don''t take others'' opinions into ount, you do what you want, I take the same stance." Mumbled Wain.


    "Will you answer my question?"


    "Huh, okay." Wain smiled, "If you''re asking me if I''m in a rtionship, the answer is no."


    "Then, are you in love with someone?" Erza asked seriously.


    "No." Wain shook his head, "My tastes are very specific. It''s hard for me to find the right match. I''m not sure there''s anyone in this world who would make my heart start beating times faster."


    "I have the same situation, but it has changed. I''ll be honest with you, I like you, and I want you to be mine."


    "An unusual offer. What happens if I refuse?" With a slight smile on his face, Wain said.


    "Then I''ll keep trying to get you time after time, and I think you know it''s normal for Inerians to use brute force to do that."


    "Huh, this is starting to feel like violence..." Wain muttered.


    ...


    While Wain and Erza were talking, the elves were watching them closely.


    "Agis, I have something to tell you." A suddenly said.


    "What is it?"


    "After the previous test, this guy got a vial of red liquid. I''m pretty sure it''s a vial of blood essence to increase blood purity."


    "Oh, it''s a precious and rare item. You want to take the vial, am I right?" Agis asked.


    "Yes, this girl is powerful, but I''m sure you can handle her, or at least hold her back." Proimed A.


    "Of course." Agis nodded. "I may not overpower her, but she can''t kill me either. I''m too fast."


    "At this time, Keya and I will attack Nameless. He''s seriously wounded, and we''ll have no trouble defeating him."


    "They might get in your way." Said Agis pointing at Finch and Dia.


    "I understand that, but we don''t have to fight them. Nameless slipped the vial under his cloak. We just have to steal it, and that''s it. Then we''ll all get out of here together. Agis, you can get us out of the Purgatory zone, right?"


    Agis scratched the back of his head and said, slightly uncertainly, "Yeah... I can do it, but it''ll be pretty problematic. It''s better to get out of the Purgatory zones naturally, but I knew where I was going, so I brought some artifacts with me."


    "Fine, then I suggest we start right away." A said confidently.


    "Okay, but give me one minute to get ready." Said Agis, and his curved sword glowed brightly.


    ...


    ''What''s going on out there? Wain muttered to himself, seeing the glow in the distance. ''Okay, looks like it''s time to call it a day and move from melodrama to action.''


    "Erza, what will you do if I keep turning you down or you see me with another girl?"


    Wain understood the kind of character and mindset Erza had and wanted to make sure of it.


    "In that case, I''ll kill you." Erza said coldly.


    "Huh, I see, it''s just as I expected. I won''t hide it. Your thinking is unusual and radical, but I''m not going to submit to anyone, even if my heart wants me to."


    The next moment Wain smiled, and electric shocks appeared on his body.


    Erza realized what was happening and tried to stop him, but Wain was already behind her a momentter.


    He ran to the ss chessboard, and thest thing Erza saw was his silhouette disappearing into the king piece. It was a portal leading to the next zone.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The next moment, space shook, and chess pieces began to fall from the sky, creating massive tremors and the semnce of an earthquake.


    "Shit!" Shouted Erza dodging a rook piece falling on her.


    "Looks like our n failed before it even started." Said Agis.


    "No. We have to follow him. That''s probably where the treasure of the area is." A said confidently and ran toward the king figure.

 Chapter 207 Black Sun

    When Wain suddenly disappeared into the King''s ss figure, the situation in the zone changed dramatically. This action was the catalyst for the beginning of the next phase.


    Everyone realized that they had to follow Wain, otherwise, they would be crushed by the massive chess pieces. A started to act faster than the others, so she was already at the chess piece three secondster.


    Finch and Dia also ran there, but their position was worse than the others. They had to dodge the falling pieces and the broken ground under them.


    The only one standing still was Erza. She was biting her nails with a strange face and muttering something. She didn''t know how to act in such a situation, too much had happened for her in one moment.


    ''He''s a human, but does it matter? Of course not. My heart pounds like a fucking jackhammer when I look at him. Nameless, you should be mine.'' Thought Erza, and the red half of her hair glowed brightly.


    The next moment it turned into a crimson sh and in a few seconds approached the figure of the King.


    Erza looked at A running and thought, ''It''s too crowded here, it''s better if I get rid of them, and no one will disturb me.''


    Whooooooooosh.


    She waved her hand, and a dark cross headed toward A. The girl didn''t expect Erza to attack her and try to defend herself suddenly, but suddenly there was a green sh in front of her.


    It was Agis. He was the fastest among them and caught up with A in one second.


    "Looks like I''m right on time as always, doesn''t it?" Agis said smiling and swung his de.


    The swing created a windde that shattered the dark cross into pieces. Then Agis turned back into a green sh and entered the chess piece along with A and Keya.


    Erza didn''t react in any way, she kept running forward. She had nothing to worry about, she knew she was the strongest.


    Every step she took a left a moltenva-like trail and massive cracks on the ground.


    Suddenly an elephant chess piece fell on Erza. She jumped up, and her right leg caught fire in scarlet mes. She struck a powerful blow, and the piece was shattered into many parts.


    Whoooosh.


    Erza bounced off the wreckage and entered the portal.


    Finch and Dia werest, but they weren''t going to give up. They didn''t have trumps like the elves, but anything could happen in the Purgatory zones.


    "Dia, go!" Said Finch running into the portal.


    ...


    When Wain entered the portal, he saw an incredible scene. For the first second, he thought he was in space.


    He saw the night sky and severals in the distance. There were hundreds of small asteroids flying around, which could be used to reach thes.


    At the very end was a massive ck sun. Wain felt an energy fluctuation emanating from there and immediately came to his senses. He used the Sign of Lightning and jumped onto the nearest asteroid.


    He didn''t have enough Strength to fight Erza or Agis, so all he could do was run forward.


    Thirty secondster, he had already traversed over ten asteroids, at which point a portal opened on the first asteroid, and Agis, A, and Keya emerged from it.


    ''Damn, it looks like the chase is about to start. I''m not sure I can get away from them.'' Wain thought, looking at the elves.


    A and Keya immediately ran after Wain, Agis stood still. He looked around the area and enjoyed the incredible view. A few secondster, another portal appeared next to Agis.


    "Looks like it''s time for a little run." Agis said with a slight smile on his face, and his eyes glittered. He turned into a green sh and traversed two asteroids in a second.


    Then Erza came out of the portal, she also ran forward.


    When Wain saw how fast Agis was moving, he got worried. Agis was too fast and could have easily caught up with him. Then Wain began to think about how he could speed up, but he had no options.


    His boots were increasing his speed, but it wasn''t enough.


    ''Hmm, I don''t have enough strength to fight, but I can use the Code of Light and Darkness. If I can somehow activate the ''dark effect'' of this form and increase my Strength and Agility, I''ll get to the dark sun first.'' Wain pondered.


    Agis was getting close, and he wasn''t going to stop. It was like a walk for him, no obstacle could slow him down. Erza was strong, but she was inferior to him in speed.


    ''No.'' Wain shook his head, ''I can''t hope for luck. I don''t know how to make the first form take the dark side. I need a more reliable n.''


    Whooooooosh.


    Three secondster, Agis appeared behind Wain.


    "Hey guy, I''m sorry, but I''m going to have to stop you." The elf said, smiling, and swung his curved sword.


    Wain didn''t dodge, instead, he turned around and swung his sword sharply. Agis was a Second Chronicle creature, but his power was limited now.


    Wain had already been on First Chronicle for a long time, and some of his stats were approaching the limit.


    If he hadn''t been injured, he could have fought Agis on equal footing and might even have won.


    Agis knew that Wain had the vial of blood essence under his cloak, but he saw that there was nothing there during the attack. Agis looked at Wain and saw his sly smirk.


    Touch.


    Wain grabbed Agis by the wrist, and several mad ghosts flew out of his cloak. Agis tried to get out of the grip, but he failed. Wain used all his strength, and his grip was impossible to break.


    Whooooooosh.


    As the ghosts prated Agis''s head, he shook and, the next moment, grabbed his head. Agis screamed in pain and was disoriented for a few seconds.


    "Agis!" Shouted A and rushed to his aid.


    "Great." Proimed Wain and slipped his hand with the ring under his cloak.


    Wain realized that he couldn''t run away from Agis. It was impossible, their speeds were too different, but then Wain thought, ''I don''t need to run away from him, I just need to make him stop chasing me.''


    Wain stopped Agis for a short period using his cloak skill, but that was only the first part of his n.


    The Ring of Damned glowed brightly, and the next moment Wain thrust a syringe of the green liquid into Agis'' neck.


    Wain had recently obtained this syringe when he went down to the sewers for the third part of the map.


    The poison in the syringe increased all stats by 10%, gave resistance to poison and immunity to simple illusions and hypnosis.


    However, the thing had one fatal w, which is why Wain decided he wouldn''t use the syringe for himself. The poison made the target go into a rage and turn into a berserker.


    It was the best n Wain coulde up with.


    As the syringe emptied, Agis began to breathe rapidly, and the veins in his body swelled. His eyes turned red and animal-like.


    "Aaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrggg!!!" Agis roared furiously and began swinging his sword in all directions as if distraught.


    Wain stepped aside and jumped onto the next asteroid.<sub> </sub>


    The asteroid beneath Agis turned into a multitude of debris and small rocks.


    "Agis! What are you doing?!" A screamed, running up, and it was a critical mistake.


    He was not himself, and so he reacted instinctively. Wain was quiet and not attracting attention, he was running toward his goal. On the other hand, A was like an annoying siren at that moment.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Agis jumped away from the wreckage, and it turned to dust. He was instantly in front of A and attacked her.


    A was shocked that he decided to attack her and didn''t have time to react to the attack. The curved de left a massive cut on her arm, and Agis attacked again, but this time A managed to step aside.


    "Agis! Calm down! What''s happening to you?!" A eximed, trying to bring Agis to his senses, but he didn''t hear her.


    Agis would be in berserk mode until the venom wore off, smashing everything in sight. It was a veritable killing machine but devoid of intelligence and reason.


    "It''s a good thing I decided not to take any chances and saved the syringe for an asion like this." Mumbled Wain looking back.


    By then, he was more than halfway there.


    Wain had managed to get rid of the elves, and they wouldn''t be able to stop him until the poison was over, but Wain had one more problem. Erza was like aet hurtling toward him despite the asteroids.


    Her every move left craters and cracks in the asteroids. Nothing could stop her when she had a target.


    For the first time in years, she felt alive again, and for the first time in her life, her heart began to beat fast.


    She didn''t care how Wain felt, she wanted him, and she couldn''t let him run away.


    ''Damn, I sure like a bit crazy girls, but that''s not what I''d want at all. I''ve got to speed up, or I''ll be in serious trouble.'' Thought Wain and ran forward with all his might.


    Finch and Dia had already passed through the portal, but they were too far away for Wain to worry about them. His only problem was Erza.


    ...


    "Great, looks like I made it." Said Wain as he jumped to thest asteroid.


    He had onest step to take, and he would hit the ck sun, but suddenly a red sh appeared in front of him.


    Wain immediately realized what had happened and stepped aside to stand on the edge of the asteroid.


    "Nameless, stop, you''reing with me. You have no other choice." Erza said seriously.


    She waved her hand, and a magma cross hovered over Wain.


    Wain frowned. He had only a few steps and onest leap to make it into the ck sun, but he couldn''t do it. The sword of Damocles hung over him, and Erza would have no trouble catching up to him at that distance.


    ''Fuck, I definitely can''t beat her at this point. What I need to do...?'' Wain thought to himself.


    "Why do you need me? Aren''t there any other candidates to pair you with?" Asked Wain.


    "No. Like it or not, you''re the only one I can be with, and you have no right to refuse. You are weaker than me, your best bet is to be mine and be under my protection." Erza said seriously.


    ''Yeah, I definitely wouldn''t want to be an Inerian. Their matriarchy is elevated to absolute. I flinch when she says that.'' Wain thought.


    ''Am I the only one? You saw me today for the first time in your life. If you can fall in love in a situation like that, you should have no problem with the right candidate."


    "That''s not true." Erza shook her head. "This situation is different. You don''t have to resist. I don''t want to hurt you."


    "You''re strange."


    "What? Why?"


    "Even if I go with you now, would that make sense? We''ll be together, but you''ll know it wasn''t a mutual decision. Would you really be okay with a situation where your partner doesn''t have sincere feelings for you?"


    "Of course, I''ll provide you with protection, and my love, that''s all you need." Erza replied seriously. This attitude wasmonce to the Inerians, while to Wain, it sounded wild.


    "Okay, I get it." Wain muttered.


    Erza smiled. Her n worked, and Wain agreed to go with her, but suddenly Wain slipped his hand under his cloak and pulled out a massive gun from there.


    "What are you doing?" Erza said with a frown, "Do you think it can hurt me? I can get to you in a heartbeat."


    "I know." With a sly smile on his face, he said. "This gun is not meant for you."


    The next moment Wain put the gun to his temple and put his finger on the trigger.


    When Erza saw this, she was stunned and petrified. She did not expect Wain to make such a crazy move suddenly.


    In any other situation, Wain''s action would have been like a joke or stupidity, but in this case, it was genius.


    From a conversation with Erza, Wain realized that he was special and indispensable to her for some reason. Then he had an interesting idea.


    He needed a way to make Erza leave him alone, at least for a while, but he couldn''t fight her now. It would be suicide.


    Wain decided to make it so that Erza could not act recklessly and rely on force.


    Now Erza had two options: she could kill Wain and lose the chance to be with him forever or let him go and then find him to try again.


    Obviously, in this situation where Wain was irreceable, she had no choice but to let him go. She didn''t want to do that, but Wain put her in that position.


    Even though the gun was at his temple, he won, not Erza. She would los§Ös in every situation, she only had to choose the lesser of two evils.


    Wain smiled and took a step back. Erza bit her lip to the blood but stood still. She dared not take a step. Of course, Wain could bluff, but the risk was too great.


    "I must admit I''ve never met a woman like you before, you truly are extraordinary, but if I ever have a rtionship, I won''t be the bitch in it. So I have to turn down your offer." Said Wain and jumped off the ledge.


    He continued to hold the gun at his temple until the veryst moment when he disappearedpletely into the ck sun.


    "Shit!" Shouted Erza, and with all her might, struck the asteroid with her fist.


    This blow was like the hammer of a god, or rather of a devil, just as destructive and incredible. The asteroid was practically wiped to dust.


    ...


    When Wain hit the ck sun, he found himself in a strange ce. It was a long, stone corridor with identical paintings hanging on the walls.


    Each one depicted an aristocrat with a dark orb in his hand and red robes, but his face was hidden by the paint.


    An altar on whichy a white masky at the end of the corridor.


    "I see. It looks like I finally saw a faceless aristocrat."

 Chapter 208 Faceless

    The elves fought each other, Finch and Dia were far from the sun, and Erza was inactive. She could not jump into the sun as she feared losing Wain. The situation was strange, but Wain made all the pursuers give up with a few actions.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Wain strolled forward, down the dim corridor. He looked at the paintings hanging on the walls, but they were all the same.


    Wain smiled, he knew what item he needed to get his hands on, and the picture of a faceless aristocrat fit the conditions perfectly.


    "Looks like this arduous journey is finally over. Honestly, I''ve already missed my world and Frozen Land. The Purgatory Zone, the trials, the other races, and the crazy girls, it''s all pretty exhausting." Mumbled Wain as he walked into the room with the altar.


    Suddenly it was hard for him to breathe, but it felt good. As he looked around, Wain realized that the concentration of energy in this ce was incredible. He looked up and saw a small, bright, white sphere in the ironmp.


    "Maybe I can be called a Pearl Hunter now?" Mumbled Wain and pulled the pearl out of themp.


    He hadpletely forgotten that this was a Purgatory zone during the ordeal.


    "Every Purgatory zone has at least one Soul Pearl." Mumbled Wain looking at the pearl, "Hmmm... It looks like it''s a little bigger than thest one. This will be the second time I''ve used a Soul Pearl."


    However, Wain did not use a Soul Pearl. He shook his head and muttered, "Unfortunately, I''ll have to wait a while. In my condition, it would be suicide."


    Wain had previously absorbed energy from a Soul Pearl, but he needed to use Beyond to do so. Otherwise, he would be torn apart, as he would not handle such pure and dense energy.


    After absorbing a Soul Pearl, Wain would be stronger and regain his strength, but he would not heal his wounds. If he reuses a Beyond now, he risks death through greed and haste.


    Whoooosh.


    The Ring of Damned glowed brightly, and the orb disappeared.


    Wain looked at the white mask on the altar and reached for it. He slowly took it in his hands and examined it carefully from all sides.


    Wain had been waiting for this moment for a long time and could not make a mistake at the very end.


    "There are no traps here, and this mask looks most ordinary and quite simple. However, for a Title - Faceless, it fits just fine." Mumbled Wain and put the mask on.


    [You received the Faceless Aristocrat Mask]


    A huge amount of energy burst out of Wain''s body. He felt an incredible power that filled his body with every second.


    It also felt a bit strange, as if he didn''t exist, something like this he had only felt once before when he first received a Void Soul. It was a mixture of emptiness, power, strength, greatness, and freedom.


    [Revealed Fourth Form - ck Sun Aristocrat]


    [ck Sun Aristocrat


    Everyone has a face, as well as a reputation. The higher a person''s position, the more important these factors were.


    Among aristocrats, reputation was as important as power and strength. In reputation and power, some aristocrats wereparable to kings and, after a revolution, led the kingdom themselves.


    They could bepared to the bright sun, followed by other stars, but smaller and not as glow.


    However, one aristocrat took a different path. Even though he had no Titles and no one had ever seen his face, he was able to make the others praise him like a god.


    He was their opposite, and manypared him to the ck Sun, not only for his reputation and hidden diplomatic ns and intrigues but also for his particr strength.


    In a kingdom where the power of the sun and the magic of light were revered, he was the only one to use the power of darkness and forbidden magic openly.


    But he was not despised for this. On the contrary, it made others all the more respectful and awe.


    He was a symbol of unwavering strength, confidence in himself and his principles, the strength of spirit, and elegance to them.


    Some were fortunate enough to see this mysterious aristocrat without his mask, but they could not see his face because his back was to them.


    Also, no one had ever seen him fight without his mask. Perhaps it is a prerequisite for strength?]


    <o>,m ''Great, too bad I can''t try out my new powers now.'' Wain thought and took the mask off his face.</o>


    The mask was a special item like the Ring of Damned, and it had its purpose.


    [Faceless Aristocrat Mask (First Chronicle, Legendary Rating)


    This is the mask of the Faceless Aristocrat, which they say he never took off. Of course, that was only true when he was in public. This mask was one of his symbols and a pir of his reputation.


    With this mask, you could hide your face and all information about yourself. No one knew if there was an ability or a way to peek behind this secret veil and find out who was hiding under the mask.


    However, no one dared to say it was impossible]


    "AHAHAHAHAHA, it looks like I''ve put together aplete set. Now I have no name or face. It looks like some madness." Wainughed and moved the mask into the ring.


    Wain took a Soul Pearl and a Faceless Aristocrat Mask. He had no reason to stay here any longer. He closed his eyes, and his Seal of Darkness glowed brightly.


    He sensed where the spatial rift was and headed there. That ce was above the sun, that''s where Wain reached after leaving the room with the altar.


    Wain saw the starry sky again and the asteroids floating around. He looked around and saw A, Agis, and Keya in the distance. They were wounded but alive.


    The girls were lucky that the Purgatory zone had limited the power of Agis, otherwise he would have chopped them into small pieces.


    Erza stood on the asteroid closest to the dark sun. Hundreds of shards floated around her. When Wain left, she went into a rage and smashed everything around her until she calmed down.


    Finch and Dia were, in some ways, the luckiest of all. They gained nothing, but they also lost nothing except their mate during the first ordeal. This adventure would be a great experience that would help them move forward.


    Wain wasn''t going to fight any of them. It didn''t make sense, he didn''t have the strength or the desire to do it. He was going to rest and move on. He had a lot of work to do.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Wain stepped forward, and the space in front of him turned to ink. Erza stared at him intently but did not move.


    She realized that this was a battle she had lost, and hisst words made her wonder how normal the Inerians'' rtionship was.


    "Eh, insanity is really appealing, but Erza''s is more like desperation andst hope." Mumbled Wain and the ink engulfed him.


    He returned to his world, to the dirty, dark alleyway where the wooden door was.


    "I''ve only been in the Purgatory zone for a few hours, but I''m so tired, it''s like this ordealsted forever. I urgently need to rest." Wain muttered, and his Seal of Darkness glowed again.<sub> </sub>


    He sensed the location of the spatial rift and headed there. At this point, Wain''s number of tasks became much smaller.


    He needed to find air transport and get the souls he required to improve his skills. Wain understood that he wouldn''t have time to evolve a second time before the ind appeared, but he didn''t worry about that.


    He was strong enough, and his priority was to develop a Frozen Land and the Last Light. Of course, Wain would give more strength and attention to his Void since Last Light had a decent leader.


    "Hmm, I still don''t know how I can get Essence, even Sven couldn''t help me with that, but he''s right about something. I need to try to find my way, I''m a human and can''t absorb energy from my environment, but that didn''t stop me from getting energy by another method." Wain muttered.


    He headed for the snow gate and, a few secondster, found himself in Frozen Land. Wain did not go to Sven, as there was no need. He had no souls and did not need information at this point.


    Wain felt the familiar chill from the icy walls, and he immediately felt better. This ce was slowly bing home to him.


    He was a loner by nature and liked to be alone with himself. He needed a ce where no one could disturb him.


    "I need to see how ck Rabbit is doing; in my absence, he should have made a semnce of a potion by now." Wain muttered and headed upstairs.


    Before he left, Wain passed out instructions to ck Rabbit and Frigus. Mimic was to use Delicate Icefruits and Energy Ice Crystals with the help of the other monsters to create the potion.


    Frigus, along with the Trolls, was to dig a massive tunnel under the Snow Desert and explore what was under the massive dunes and snow.


    ...


    A few minutester, Wain came to the garden. To Wain''s surprise, the work was still going on. The goblins carefully cut the Icefruits, pulled the dangerous core out of them, and then sliced the pulp into small pieces.


    The second group of goblins would take the sliced fruit and throw it into the cauldron, which the third group of goblins stirred.


    Likewise, golems and massive ice beasts trampled the Ice Crystals and turned them practically to dust.


    The fourth group of goblins collected the shattered crystals and mixed them into amon mixture.


    There was also the fifth group of goblins, but they were helping the others at the moment. Their main task was to pour the liquid into vessels and take it to the warehouse.


    ck Rabbit was in charge of the whole process and had two important tasks: getting water for cooking and lighting the fire for the cauldron. ck Rabbit was up to the task.


    He got the water in the easiest way possible. It was an ice cave, and technically, everything around them was water, he just had to melt the ice.


    Getting fire turned out to be much moreplex, and ck Rabbit had to solve the problem personally.


    "Wain!" Mimic eximed when he saw him.


    "Hello." Wain said calmly.


    The other monsters looked at him the same way and smiled quite a bit. Initially, many of the monsters were unhappy that Wain had be their leader.


    They didn''t want to admit that he was better than the ice wyvern that had ruled thesends before. However, they had no other option. Most of all, monsters valued strength, and that was all that mattered for many of them.


    Over time, however, more and more monsters realized that besides strength, Wain had many other perks. He was cold and cruel, but he acted for the good of the Void and other monsters, unlike the ice wyvern.


    Most of the monsters who disliked Wainpletely changed their minds when they heard his decision on crystal allocation. It was a shock and a pleasant surprise to them.


    Of course, they couldn''t have known that Wain had done that because the crystals were useless to him, but it didn''t change anything anyway.


    Then Wain won the war, increased their overall power, and used the zone''s resources to create something more valuable and efficient.


    Despite the bloodthirstiness of the monsters, they liked the feeling of co-creating or exploring something.


    For creatures that usually fought until they died, measured teamwork was something unusual and new. In those moments, they were no different from humans.


    ''Huh, looks like I''m not a bad leader for monsters,'' thought Wain.


    "Wain, how good of you toe!" Said ck Rabbit running up to Wain.


    "Why are you so excited? Did something happen?" Wain was puzzled.


    "No, everything''s fine. The fruit and crystals are still brewing. I think it''s still a few hours away from being ready." Proimed ck Rabbit.


    "Good." Calmly said Wain, "But, I can see that something is bothering you."


    "Wain, I was able to get fire, but I had no idea it would be so difficult! There was no one with me skills among more than a thousand monsters! I thought that was the end of the operation!" ck Rabbit eximed.


    "Calm down. I see you''ve solved this issue. What''s the problem then?" Asked Wain.


    "Yes, we found wood and charcoal, but I had to be a living container for an hour or more for that!"


    "Hmm? What do you mean?"


    "The goblins were pulling wood and charcoal out of me, as well as the various pieces of furniture I had ever swallowed and kept in me..." ck Rabbit spoke in a pitiful voice.


    "Ah... ck Rabbit, if you want me to feel sorry for you, I don''t care, but you did a good job, and that''s a fact, stop whining." Said Wain and headed for the cauldron.


    "Eh, this life is too hard on me..." Mumbled ck Rabbit.


    Wain walked toward the cauldron, and at that moment, he remembered something.


    Today he got the fourth form of the skill, which meant that now he could know the conditions for getting the fifth form and where the necessaryponents were located.


    [Nameless King''s Forms (First Chronicle Active Skill, Legendary Rating)


    ]


    [This skill hides forms of incredible power and limitless potential. You partially unlocked this skill and gained ess to four forms: Code of Light and Darkness, Cursed Swordsman, Blind Sorcerer ck Sun Aristocrat. You''ve already advanced on your path, but that''s just the beginning.


    To unlock the next form, you need to fulfill the following conditions -


    [Your heart has to start beating more often, but not because of the mortalbat or a sense of excitement. You must feel what love is all about.]


    When Wain read the necessary conditions, he was petrified. Wain didn''t know what to say, and the world around him stopped.


    He could have expected anything, up to and including the destruction of the, but not this.


    "Well... I guess this is the end..."

 Chapter 209 Alchemist

    ''Do I need to fall in love? What the fuck?! Eximed Wain to himself.


    He didn''t understand how such a condition was even possible. He was ready to go after some soul or another unique item like the Ring of Damned, but Wain couldn''t expect the condition to be love.


    That was a big problem because Wain understood that he would only get the fifth form when he truly fell in love.


    Wain wasn''t going to betray himself and his ideals and try to love someone for profit forcibly.


    In fact, Wain understood why many people talk about love as something magical and the most important thing in the world. Stories, poems, whole stories, and even wars were dedicated to love. It was a great power whose properties no one has yet unraveled.


    Wain had nothing against love, but he never intended to love anyone. He did not want tomand his heart, which was equivalent to losing freedom. However, at the moment, he found himself in a problematic situation.


    Wain had specific tastes. This was due to his past, the things he had seen in his childhood, especially in his teenage years, and many other factors.


    Erza was trying to capture him, and partly Wain liked her, but she had too many uneptable traits for him. Her madness attracted him, but it was an unconscious faux pas born of desperation and hopelessness.


    Wain appreciated a girl''s character and qualities, but he realized that looks were just as much an influence.


    Many said that the most important thing is not the appearance, but what a person is inside, it was true, but all these people forgot about one thing.


    When two people meet for the first time, the first thing they do is assess the external qualities of each other.


    If there was sympathy between them and was a reason to talk, they could get to know each other better.


    In this case, a suitable appearance worked as a catalyst to startmunication between the two people, and it could not be denied or changed.


    "Damn, this is such a headache. All I can do is hope for luck." Wain muttered grudgingly.


    His only option was to identally meet a girl who would make his heart start beating harder. Wain was confused, but he had no other choice. Sooner orter, he had to meet a simr obstacle.


    "I shouldn''t dwell on it. Maybe I''ll get lucky." Whispered Wain and closed his eyes.


    He decided to try something. Previously Wain had always been able to know the approximate location of his target. He knew it seemed like nonsense, but he had to try to figure out where his next target was.


    "Damn..."


    However, as Wain had anticipated, his venture proved unsessful. This time he would have to do something unique to go higher and get new powers.


    "Eh, life always surprises at the most unexpected moment." Mumbled Wain and walked over to the cauldron.


    All the while, the goblins worked diligently, picking fruit and crystals and stirring them.


    Wain looked into the cauldron and saw a blue, bubbling liquid with small, bright shards of crystals floating in it.


    "Hmm, I''m no expert, but the color of the decoction doesn''t seem bad. Maybe it really will make something unusual and valuable." Mumbled Wain and walked out of the garden.


    He decided to head towards Frigus, who was supposed to be digging a tunnel with the Trolls at the time.


    ...


    Wain reached the right ce with the help of the map. In front of him was a long tunnel, more than ten meters wide and incalcbly deep. Wain was surprised that a few dozen Trolls could do something like that.


    He knew that the Trolls were masters at this and could dig faster than moles, but still, the size of the work done amazed him.


    Frigus helped the trolls by carving massive ice blocks, but the trolls did most of the work.


    It also helped that they had to dig through the ice rather than rock or soil. The ice was less dense and solid, and it made the work much faster.


    Wain nodded and stepped forward. He walked down the tunnel for about ten minutes until he finally saw the Trolls and Frigus in the distance.


    The tunnel was lit by energy crystals, which Frigus and the Trolls had not mined. They decided to use them as endless torches.


    "Frigus!" Wain called, approaching them.


    The monsters immediately turned around and saw Wain smiling contentedly.


    "Oh, you''re back already." Frigus muttered. "It''s good to see you."


    "Me too." Wain nodded, "Any luck?"


    "Unfortunately not." Frigus shook his head, "We''re already under the Snow Desert, but as you can see, there''s still ice here. I''m not sure if there''s anything underneath the tons of snow and sand."


    "Hmm, I see, too, that you have recently entered Snow Desert territory. Perhaps you should change course and try digging up or down?" Wain suggested.


    "That''s not a bad idea, but I think, in that case, we might be off the right course. Honestly, the Trolls are already pretty tired, I give them an increased amount of crystals as an exception, but it''s not enough. They need a long rest." Pronounced Frigus.


    The trolls behind him continued to work. After the evolution, they became much stronger, and their attribute changed to ice.


    They were tall and muscr, and their eyes were full of confidence in their cause. Their spirit and steadfastness would have been the envy of anyone.


    "You''re right. It''s probably not worth the risk in this situation. Well, stick to the n. Sooner orter, you''ll definitely find something." Said Wain and headed for the exit of the cave.


    "Good." Frigus muttered.


    "Argh! Argh! Argh!"<sub> </sub>


    Suddenly one of the Trolls started shouting something vigorously. Everyone turned to him. Sand began to fall from where the Troll had just broken a piece of ice.


    "Looks like luck is on our side this time." Wain muttered and walked over to the crack.


    He put his palm to the ice, and the next moment, from all his might, he struck one point with his fist. The impact of such power made the cave shake and made the Trolls feel as if an earthquake had begun.


    Crackling.


    Wain made arge hole in the cave and shattered massive ice blocks. A huge wave of sand washed over them the next moment, knocking the Trolls to the ground. Only Frigus and Wain remained in ce.


    "AHAHAHA, great! You didn''t work so hard for nothing!" Eximed Wain looking ahead.


    This was the entrance to the underground desert tunnels. Some of the caves were covered with snow, some with sand.


    In the Snow Desert, like the Ice Caves, the average temperature was quite low, so icicles were hanging from the ceiling of the caves.


    Wain stepped forward and looked around. The caves consisted of rock simr to a mixture of stone and sand. It was pretty solid. Wain turned around, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.


    In the distance, he saw a glowing root growing from the ceiling. It was small and had several bright, yellow spots that looked like gold grains.


    Wain approached the root and touched it to see information about it.


    [Desert Earth Root (First Chronicle, Rare Rating)


    This root grows at great depths, in dark ces with low temperatures. A prerequisite for this nt is plenty of sand and sandstone around it.


    Otherwise, Desert Earth Root will have no source of energy and nutrition to grow.


    Desert Earth Root can be eaten raw to raise energy levels, but this method has many side effects. The rind of the root has no health benefits and can seriously harm any organism.


    Desert Earth Root is best suited for use in alchemy.


    ???]


    ''Hmm? Part of the information is blocked? It looks like one would have to be an alchemist to learn more about this root, or one would have to experiment and thus increase one''s knowledge of this nt.'' Wain thought.


    He did not cut down the root. It was not necessary at the moment. First, he had to figure out how many roots there were in the territory of Snow Desert and what they could be used for.


    "Frigus!" Said Wain.


    "I''m here."


    "All right, let the Trolls rest, they''ve done their job, and we''ve finally hit the caves under the dunes. Let all the not busy monsters go here and explore the area. They shouldn''t touch anything, especially those roots and other resources if they''re here." Wain instructed.


    "I got it. I''ll get it done right away."


    "Ah yes, if you need it, use the energy crystals to light the area. This root is the only source of light in this cave. They probably grow slowly and are quite scarce."


    Frigus nodded and headed for the exit of the ice cave.


    Wain pondered. He was d to find the first growing resource in the Snow Desert. Wain didn''t know if anything else was growing in Snow Desert, but he was already pleased with the result.


    Unlike Energy Ice Crystals and Delicate Icefruits, Desert Earth Root was Rare Rating, which was good.


    ''Hmm, perhaps apart from these roots, there is nothing here. As I understand, the quantity and quality of resources depend on the rank of Void and the peculiarities of the soul of the owner of this territory. Two Common Rating resources grow in Ice Caves. Possibly, it would be logical that in Snow Desert, there is only one resource, but it Rare Rating.'' Wain pondered.


    Something was bothering Wain. He realized that his Voids would grow and increase over time, leading to new resources, and their numbers would increase greatly.


    It was good to have many resources, but Wain didn''t know how to use them all and what the most efficient ways were.


    To do this, Wain needed someone who knew about potions, medicines, herb interactions, and so on.


    "I need an alchemist, and I need to find one as soon as possible. ck Rabbit is mixing fruit and crystals right now, but he''s not a specialist in this. It''s just his idea, and it can''t even be called a potion. It''s a simple concoction and nothing more. ck Rabbit is not an alchemist. He is more suited to the role of manager or steward." Wain muttered.


    When Wain first saw Delicate Icefruit, even then, he realized that for the good progress of Void and monsters, you need an alchemist. One would be enough, but one who knew and loved his business.


    Usually, Wain never looked for anyone or offered to cooperate. He was a loner, and others always wanted to be in a group with him because he was strong.


    However, this situation waspletely different. He was ready to spend time and effort to find an alchemist. Moreover, Wain would make the alchemist a lucrative offer if his skills were worthy.


    "Hmm, maybe in Last Light, there is someone with the soul of an alchemist, but I can''t and don''t want to bring a human from Restanta here. It would greatly weaken the organization. There''s no point in thinking about it, though, since there probably hasn''t been an alchemist in Last Light yet." Wain muttered.


    "I require more information. I must find out which races are the best alchemists, though only skills matter. Anyone can be a talented alchemist, but I have yet to meet one so far. I need to spend more time exploring the World of Darkness." Wain decided and headed upstairs.


    During this day, Wain was very tired. He had not yet fully recovered from his wounds and needed to rest.


    There was one ce in the Ice Caves where Wain was already used to rest and heal his wounds. It was the iceke.


    ...


    Ssh.


    Wain plunged into the cold water and closed his eyes. He wanted to let his body recover as well as to sort out his thoughts.

 Chapter 210 Essence

    Wain rested for several days before his wounds fully recovered. During this time, the monsters and Frigus managed to explore the caves beneath Snow Desert by 20%, which was pretty good.


    Ssh.


    Wain climbed out of the icy water and did a warm-up. The thinyer of ice on his body cracked, and his eyes sparkled. A 3D map of Frozen Land appeared before him.


    He scrutinized the dozens of new passages beneath the Snow Desert that the monsters had found under the guidance of Frigus.


    "The monsters did a good job. I wonder how many Desert Earth Roots they discovered? It doesn''t really matter at this point, though. All the Roots will be kept in storage anyway." Said Wain.


    He decided that there was no point in using Desert Earth Root without an alchemist. It would be a waste of a precious resource.


    Wain was sure he would be able to find an alchemist soon, and by then, he would have several warehouses stocked with various resources.


    ''Hmm, the alchemist... Once he shows up, the situation will change significantly. I need to start preparing right now.'' Pondered Wain and headed towards ck Rabbit.


    ...


    When Wain arrived in the garden, the potion preparation was already finished. The goblins poured the liquid into vessels and carried it to the warehouse that the golems and massive beasts had made before.


    The warehouse was not far away. With the help of monsters, ck Rabbit made a short tunnel and dug arge amount of ice, creating a ratherrge room.


    At this point, it was a single, spacious room, but the warehouse could easily be expanded and upgraded for greater efficiency.


    "Wain! The decoction is ready!" ck Rabbit eximed when he saw Wain.


    "Excellent." With a slight smile on his face, said Wain, "Show me what you got."


    "Sure, one second."


    ck Rabbit walked over to the cauldron, which was already half empty, and took one of the filled vessels. He handed it to Wain.


    [Decoction of Delicate Icefruit and Energy Ice Crystal (First Chronicle, Common Rating)


    This is a simple decoction of two fairlymon ingredients, but it has no obvious drawbacks other than its disgusting taste.


    The decoction will be especially effective for creatures with the ice attribute, and conversely, is contraindicated for creatures with the fire attribute.


    The decoction is infused with a lot of energy from Delicate Icefruit and Energy Ice Crystal and will help in faster progress and energy restoration. Also, the decoction briefly increases resistance to the ice attribute by 7%]


    "I see." Wain nodded. "This decoction slightly improves the quality of the ingredients used to create it. Not bad."


    "Yeah." Proudly said ck Rabbit, "I''m certainly no alchemist, but this is a task I could handle without difficulty."


    "Well, how many bottles of this potion will you get in total?"


    "Hmm..." ck Rabbit thought about it, "We used two hundred fruits, quite a lot of water, and crystals. I think that would make about a hundred bottles."


    "I see, that''s a decent result. It took you about three days to make everything, I''m right?" Asked Wain.


    "Yes." ck Rabbit nodded, "In four days, there will already be a new crop. Look, small Delicate Icefruits have already appeared on the tree branches. By the time the fruit ripens, the goblins, golems, and beasts will have had time to rest."


    "Good, give them a little more crystal than the others. They deserve it. By the way, do you think it''s possible to increase the number of trees?" Asked Wain.


    "I''ve thought about that too, and I''ve already done everything. All fruit pits are already buried under the ice around the main trees. Maybe some of them will start to grow, and then we''ll have more crops. At least, I hope so."


    "Good, then keep up the good work. I leave the management of the storehouse, the fruit, and the potions to you."


    "Sure, you can count on me, but what do we do with the potions?" ck Rabbit asked.


    "Hand them out to the monsters, but only after you''ve made a second batch. Then you''ll have about two hundred bottles, and each of the thousand monsters will get some of the potions."


    "Got it, I''ll do it."


    Wain nodded and headed for Frigus.


    ...


    Wain found its location on the map and reached it in a few minutes.


    "Frigus, how many roots did you find?"


    Wain was sure there weren''t many roots, so he was ready to hear any answer.


    "Unfortunately not many, I would even say few, very few..." Frigus muttered.


    "Hmm... I see that the monsters have explored about 20% of the Snow Desert. How rare are the roots?"


    "All we have is ten roots. When we fully explore the whole area, at best, we''ll find forty more, and then we''ll have fifty in total." Said Frigus.


    "Oh, that''s really not much... Only fifty roots, okay, that''s better than nothing anyway. Frigus cut the roots and take them to ck Rabbit, in the garden, there''s a special warehouse where all the herbs and resources will be stored."


    "Good." Frigus nodded and headed for the nearest root.


    "Two problems solved, it''s time to head to the arena, but before that, I have one more thing to do." Mumbled Wain and headed for the crystal warehouse.


    He picked up some energy crystals and spread them out in front of him. Wain could not absorb energy from them, but he somehow had to get an Essence. Otherwise, he wouldn''t be able to advance any further.


    ''I don''t know how other races absorb energy from their environment, but I don''t need that information. I''m a human, and I have to find a way that works for me.'' Thought Wain and took one of the crystals in his hands.


    Wain stared at it for a while, trying to interact with the energy in this way, but he was unsessful. Then Wain began to try all sorts of ways to absorb energy.


    He remembered how the monsters did it and decided to repeat after them, hoping that he would understand what he needed.


    Wain ate the crystals, broke them into pieces, powdered them, stirred them with water, and drank them as if they were medicine, but nothing worked. He didn''t get even a drop of energy, let alone Essence.


    ''Hmm, I''m definitely doing something wrong. I need to change my approach, but how?'' Wain pondered.


    ...


    Wain spent the next few days pondering and trying different methods, but he was no closer to figuring it out even after all this time.<sub> </sub>


    He knew he was moving in the wrong direction, but he didn''t know how to find the right way.


    "Maybe I should start at the beginning... Humans can''t absorb energy from the environment, but we get it from souls when we destroy them and devour them..." Wain muttered.


    Wain had destroyed and even eaten energy crystals many times before, but he had never given it a second thought.


    Wain smiled, and his Seal of Darkness glowed brightly. He took a few steps forward and disappeared into the ink.


    ...


    Whoooosh.


    Ten minutester, the ice turned to ink in the same ce, and Wain returned to the cave. He was briefly back in the slums at Overion.


    Click.


    Wain snapped his finger, and ten white souls soared around him. He decided to kill some zombies and use their souls for experiments.


    Wain thought he needed to understand better the process of soul devouring by a human, in which case he could understand how to get an Essence.


    He squeezed one soul and got some Soul Essence. This time Wain watched carefully as the energy was absorbed into his body and drew some conclusions for himself.


    When Wain had destroyed five souls, he decided to try again to get an Essence from the ice crystals. However, as before, he was unsessful.


    "Fuck! I''m standing still! No matter what I do, it''s a failure every time!"


    Wain got angry and clenched his fist with all his might. The crystal shattered into many small shards, which flew in different directions.


    One of the shards reached Wain''s hovering soul, and then he saw something strange.


    "Hmm? Was it just me, or did the shard fly through the soul, and there were vibrations around it?" Wain muttered.


    Then Wain had an interesting idea. He took the soul in one hand and the energy crystal in the other. He wasn''t sure, but it seemed to him that they interacted with each other in some way.


    Wain crushed the soul and the crystal simultaneously, and to his surprise, he didn''t get Soul Essence.


    The energy from the soul and the crystal connected with each other but in the next moment disintegrated into small particles. It was another failure, but this time Wain was smiling contentedly.


    Unlike thest time, he saw some progress, and given the circumstances, it could already be called a small victory.


    "Maybe I need tobine the crystal with the soul, and then with the soul energy, I can get Essence from the crystal?" Wain muttered.


    Then he put the white zombie soul and the crystal in his hand. Wain squeezed it, and the energy from the soul and the crystal merged together. Wain smiled.


    "Looks like I finally made it." Wain muttered.


    The energy gradually condensed and became one, but suddenly it disintegrated into many particles and dispersed into the air.


    "What?! Why didn''t it work?!" Wain eximed.


    He was sure that thebination of soul energy and crystal was the answer to this mystery.


    Wain thought that since he could gain energy by devouring souls, he should have used the soul as a catalyst, but in fact, that wasn''t the case, and Wain was defeated again.


    "Okay... I just need to think for a while and calm down. I''m on the right track. All I have to do is take onest step and practice a little. After that, the problem of extracting an Essence will be solved, and I can finally improve my skills."


    Crackle.


    Wain crushed the soul and the crystal at the same time once more. The process repeated itself, and the energy dissipated.


    "Hmm... Assuming that this energy is supposed to turn into Essence, that means something is preventing it. Essence, as well as souls, have an attribute. Perhaps the fact that I''m trying tobine two different attributes is preventing the creation of an Essence?"


    Wain shook his head, "No, that''s unlikely, other races don''t mix soul and crystal energy, and there''s a reason for that. More likely, the fact that the two types of energy are trying to be one is an obstacle."


    He decided he was missing some detail. When he was destroying the soul and the crystal simultaneously, he almost seeded. The only problem was the soul energy.


    "So I''m trapped, right? If I don''t destroy the soul, the energy fusion process won''t start, but the soul energy prevents the process from getting to the end. I need to get rid of the soul energy, but then the process won''t even begin..."


    Wain spent hours pondering, and an unusual idea came to him at one point.


    ''I am a human, and the soul absorption process was natural for me. I didn''t even have to learn it. Rather, when I absorb a soul, a process is triggered that I hadn''t even thought about it. It is like the ability to breathe. I can breathe from birth, I didn''t have to learn it or understand how the lungs work. It''s the same situation here.''


    Wain decided that to get an Essence from a crystal, he must somehow trigger the same process as absorbing a soul.


    That''s why Wain had some sess earlier when he decided to destroy the soul and the crystal at the same time.


    "Hmm, I need to destroy the soul, but at the same time not destroy it, it sounds like nonsense, but in fact, it is quite possible. I will probably be able to do it easily in the future since I will be training, but right now, I need to resort to special ways."


    Wain had one idea how something like this could be pulled off. He decided to use a trivial knowledge of how the human body works and psychology.


    Most of the things a person did or took are first impulsed to the brain, except for reflexes that required a lightning-fast reaction.


    The brain was like aputer that processes the request and gives instructions. This was also affected by the individual speed of human reaction.


    This meant that if Wain''s brain thought it had destroyed a soul, it would trigger a process by which it could absorb energy. Simply put, Wain nned to fool himself. In his mind, that was the only way to solve the situation.


    It sounded crazy, but it was actually quite easy to trick the brain, even if one knew about it.


    There was a popr experiment in Wain''s home world where a fake hand was ced in front of a person while the real hand was concealed with something.


    The fake hand was manipted in various ways to make the person feel something, such as stroking it with a brush.


    Then a knife was sharply thrust into the fake hand, and the person would sharply bounce back screaming, only to realize a few secondster that his real hand was intact.


    "Okay, now I have a n, but I''m not likely to fool myself considering I just figured it out myself. I need a helper." Wain thought and looked at the map of Void.


    He decided to find some goblin or simr monster to help him with this experiment.

 Chapter 211 Deception

    To conduct the experiment and deceive himself, Wain needed a helper. He came out of the cave and immediately found a goblin walking idly.


    "You, follow me." Said Wain.


    The goblin was surprised that Wain chose to address him but immediately agreed. This goblin wanted to participate in the concoction of fruit and crystals, but he didn''t have enough room.


    ck Rabbit created several teams and distributed responsibilities between them. The rest of the goblins were superfluous.


    Wain didn''t need many helpers. Just one goblin would suffice. He had already figured out how he would cheat himself. It was a rather primitive yet effective method.


    Wain snapped his finger when the goblin came into the cave, and white souls floated up around him. He looked at them and muttered, "Oh, it won''t be enough. Stay here. I''ll be back soon."


    Wain closed eyes, and his Seal of Darkness glowed brightly. He headed for the wall and disappeared into the ink. Wain wanted to kill some zombies and gather the necessary materials at the nearest store.


    ...


    An hourter, Wain returned and retrieved several small sacks from the ring, as well as ropes. He handed these items to the goblin.


    Wain also collected thirty souls. He wasn''t sure if it would be enough, but he could go back at any time.


    "All right, then, let''s get started. You have to put one energy crystal each into a pouch. Then you''re going to put those souls in the sack, but along with the souls, you''re going to put chunks of ice as well. Your job is to ensure that the bags are about the same weight. Do you understand me?"


    The goblin nodded vigorously and immediately shoved the energy crystals into the bags and tied them with rope. However, when it came to the souls, the goblin stopped.


    "What happened?" Asked Wain.


    The goblin scratched the back of his head and pointed to the ice wall. He didn''t have the right tools to break off pieces of ice.


    "Ah, right, I''ll help you."


    Wain walked over to the wall and struck a powerful blow with his fist. Several neighboring caverns shook with the power of the blow, and many pieces of ice fell down.


    The goblin was stunned by Wain''s power. To him, it was something unbelievable and impossible.


    "Good, now collect the ice."


    The goblin nodded, and in a few minutes, it was ready. In all, the goblin had prepared sixty pouches. Thirty were of crystals and the others of souls and ice.


    Wain nodded and sat down. He took a deep breath and tried to concentrate. He needed absolute silence.


    "Listen to me carefully. You should put one of the pouches in my hand. Choose randomly. I must not know what you put. Try to make sure I don''t guess your choice." Said Wain extending his hand forward.


    The goblin didn''t know why Wain needed to do that, but it didn''t matter to him. He nodded and signaled that he was ready.


    "Okay, here we go."


    The goblin took one of the pouches that contained the crystal. He ced it in Wain''s hand and stepped aside. Wain squeezed the pouch with force the next moment, and the crystal inside shattered into small pieces.


    ''It was a crystal...'' muttered Wain to himself.


    His job was to clear his mind and not think about anything, but he wasn''t very good at it.


    Wain tried to anticipate what the goblin was about to do, though he knew it was getting in his way. He couldn''t bring himself not to think about it.


    "One more time." Said Wain.


    This time the goblin took the sack of soul and ice. Wain crushed it, but as he supposed, it was a soul, so it didn''t work.


    "Again."


    Crackle.


    "Again."


    Crackle.


    "Again."


    ...


    After fifteen attempts, Wain failed again.


    "Bring another one."


    He took a deep breath and clenched his fist sharply.


    Whoooooooosh.


    There was a loud cracking sound, and blue energy burst out of the pouch, gradually taking some form.


    It looked like a sphere that had ice inside it, but up close, it looked magical and seemed like you could see an intense blizzard in the sphere.


    This was the first Essence Wain had ever received. He didn''t know he had seeded because he was concentrated and thought it was another failure.


    However, when the sphere flew into his body, he knew he had finally seeded.


    He felt an intense cold, and he felt as if he was about to freeze and turn into an ice statue. But then that feeling changed to a pleasant freshness.


    "Fine... But, no need to rx. I must learn to do this on my own without such experiments." Mumbled Wain and signaled the goblin to continue.


    Ten pouchester, Wain already had a total of three Essences. It was quite small, but it was only the beginning.


    Wain was sure that he could soon retrieve Essences with a hundred percent probability. All he needed was a little practice.


    "Let''s go." Said Wain, and the goblin picked the next pouch.


    ...


    When only twenty of the sixty pouches were left, Wain already had ten Essences. The goblin served the pouches in random order, so there were thirteen pouches with souls and seven with crystals.


    ''Hmm, I''m getting much better at this already. I need to try increasing the difficulty.'' Thought Wain and opened his eyes.


    He gave a sign to the goblin, and the monster handed him the pouch. This time Wain decided to open the bag, which was a crystal. He wanted to learn how to get Essence at will, anytime, anywhere.


    ''Sven said I can get Essence from souls as well, but for now, I need to learn how to get it from crystals. That will be the first step.''


    Crackle.


    Wain clenched his fist and the crystal shattered into pieces. The energy from the crystal began to turn into a sphere, but at thest moment, it copsed. Wain didn''t get upset and tried again.


    In the end, there were only three crystals left, and when Wain destroyed them, he got three Essences. It was the sess Wain was aiming for.


    "Whew." Wain took a deep breath and smiled contentedly. "It was hard, but now I have fifteen Essences."


    Wain stood up and looked at the goblin, "The remaining crystals and souls are yours."


    The goblin didn''t expect Wain to be so generous and thank him like this. The monster smiled broadly and nodded contentedly.


    Wain walked through the icy caverns and thought about what had happened. At one point, he stopped, and his eyes shed. A single Essence appeared in his hands.


    [Ice Essence (3%)<sub> </sub>


    Rank: Primary


    Rating: Common]


    ''Hmm? This is unusual. This is the first time I''ve seen an item that wouldn''t have a Chronicle but has a Rank instead. Furthermore, what is that percentage next to the name?'' Wain thought.


    He decided to look up the information about the other Essences, but he saw about the same thing.


    [Ice Essence (2%)


    Rank: Primary


    Rating: Common]


    "I need Souls and Essences to improve skills. The terms always have a Rating, Chronicle, and state of the soul. However, Essence had the necessary Rank written to develop a skill. Hmm, most likely, the percentage means the amount of energy in that Essence. It''s depressing."


    During training, Wain destroyed only one crystal at a time. It was possible to get Essence from them, but only with a small amount of energy.


    Any Essence was quite strong, and it could not be obtained with a single crystal.


    "I have fifteen Essences, and they are all Primary Rank. I need First Rank Essences to improve my skills, and among the necessary ones are none with the ice attribute. These Essences are useless to me, but I can use them for something else."


    He decided that if the Essences were only partially filled with energy, they could bebined. That''s exactly what Wain was about to do now.


    Click.


    Two spheres filled with ice particles appeared in his hands, and Wain slowly pressed his hands together.


    He didn''t know how the Essences were supposed toe together, so he decided to try the simplest option.


    To his surprise, he seeded, and the two Essences merged together.


    [Ice Essence (5%)


    Rank: Primary


    Rating: Common]


    ''Hmm, okay, I need to keep going.'' Thought Wain, and the next moment thirteen ice spheres appeared around him.


    As the energy increased, the number of ice particles also increased slightly, and the coldness emitted by the sphere intensified.


    After a few minutes, Wain turned all Essences into one. However, given that their average amount of energy was between 2% and 3%, he didn''t manage to fill the Essence by even half.


    [Ice Essence (39%)


    Rank: Primary


    Rating: Common]


    "Energy crystals growing in Ice Caves are First Chronicle, but Essence has a Primary Rank. However, given that one crystal has rather little energy in it, it makes sense." Wain muttered and headed towards the crystal warehouse.


    Wain had previously said that he wouldn''t use crystals for himself, and he wasn''t about to break that word.


    However, now he wanted to gain experience in extracting an Essence and merging them. For that, he would need a few crystals, and the loss would be small.


    Wain used forty crystals and extracted thirty-seven Essences. It was an excellent result, and now Wain was satisfied with it.


    Then Wain began tobine one Essence after another. Eventually, he was finally able to infuse one Essence with energy fully.


    [Ice Essence (100%)


    ? Rank: Primary


    Rating: Common]


    ''Great, but what should I do with this Essence? Give it to someone? I don''t need that kind of Essence for skills.'' Wain thought.


    The next moment a message appeared in front of him.


    [Ice Essence has 100% energy. Do you want to improve it?]


    ''What? Improve an Essence?''


    [Yes. You can increase the Rating of that Essence. In this case, it will be a Rare Rating, but the amount of energy will drop to 0%.]


    ''That''s interesting. Is there any way I can increase the Rank of an Essence?''


    [Yes. For that, you need at least a Rare Rating Essence with full energy. In that case, you can boost its Rank, but the Rating will drop one level, and the amount of energy will drop to 0%]


    ''So if I have a Rare Rating Essence when I increase its Rank, it bes a Common Rating?''


    [Yes. You''re entirely correct. There''s also another option. You can use three Common Rating Essences to create one, but with a higher Rank]


    ''I see... It''s quite simple.'' Thought Wain and the sphere disappeared from his palm.


    He looked at the hundreds of energy crystals in the pit and decided it was time for him to leave. The ind was a little over a month away, and really that was pretty small.


    Now Wain was going to go to the Arena. He was fully prepared. He discovered a fifth form, had a special item to conceal his identity, and fully recovered from his injuries.


    He also learned a lot and solved important issues in Void. Now it was time to fight and hunt.


    "Huh, honestly, I''ve already missed the smell of blood and nking swords since I''ve been here. I wonder how the fifth form looks?" Wain pondered.


    Wain opened his World of Darkness card.


    [Nameless


    Race: Human


    Chronicle: First


    Voids: 1, Frozen Land Rank-E, Small


    Warriors: 1359]


    He nodded and closed his eyes.


    ''Sven said the Arenas are like dering war on other Voids. I hope it works out.'' Thought Wain, and the ice beneath him turned to ink the next moment.


    He found himself in a dark space, and many bright dots hovered around him.


    The Voids looked like stars in the night sky, but the Arenas differed. Each Arena was seemed at some ancient structure, like a coliseum or ruined ruins.


    Wain liked that. It gave a fighting attitude and created a unique atmosphere.


    "Well, it''s time to choose a ce where my sword will be drenched in blood!"

 Chapter 212 The Arena

    Wain was finally ready to fight and shed rivers of blood. Dozens of arenas hovered around him, and any of them Wain could enter.


    Many went to the Arenas to obtain souls and other various materials to improve skills or equipment.


    However, for others, resources were not as important. The most significant thing for them was the opportunity to fight with strong opponents. They felt that a near-death experience was a much better way to progress than medications or crystals.


    In part, they were right, as they gained invaluable experience and improved their fighting abilities during the death battles. This could not be learned by using a few souls to improve skills.


    "So... Where do I go first?" Wain muttered and opened the skill list.


    After looking at the required souls and Essence, Wain decided first to improve the Chronicle of his additional soul. He had gotten ck Thunder''s Renegade quite some time ago, and that soul was still useful and strong.


    However, the conditions for improving this soul were quite difficult. He needed ten First Chronicle Rare Rating souls with the lightning attribute and ten simr souls with the darkness attribute.


    That meant he needed to kill twenty pretty strong First Chronicle monsters. Not even Wain could do that right after the evolution.


    "Hmm, I need darkness and lightning. Well, there''s probably an arena with those elements." Thought Wain and walked over to one shining dot of blue.


    [Fallen Forest.


    Chronicle: First


    Rank: B


    Elements: Lightning, Darkness, Earth, Wood, Stone


    Warriors: 10,000+]


    ''That''s not bad, there are a lot of enemies in this arena, and also, it has a pretty high rank. Most likely, strong creatures are fighting there. That''s what it is.''


    He nodded, and a white mask appeared in his hands. Wain put it on and smiled contentedly.


    He made up his mind and touched a structure that looked like an ancient ruin. Ink appeared around him, which gradually engulfed him and transported him to another space.


    Whoooooosh.


    Wain appeared in the middle of the forest, and a massive ck pir of light burst from his body.


    It was powerful and reached the sky in a second, piercing the clouds. Wain was surprised, he didn''t understand what had happened.


    ''What is it?'' Wain wondered, but the next moment, he saw a thin white pir in the distance.


    Then Wain realized that it was happening to everyone who had just appeared in the arena, but he didn''t know that the pirs had another, more important meaning.


    Powerful fighters, soul hunters, alchemists, cksmiths, and other interesting personalities came to the arena.


    However, besides them, members of powerful families, ns, and guilds also came to the arenas. Obviously, not everyone in the arena was equally powerful.


    The arena functioned as a mechanism that let others know if an exciting opponent or an underdog had entered the arena. The pir of light was a kind of indicator of the strength or uniqueness of the person.


    The white light was the mostmon and weakest usually. It appeared when an ordinary member of a n or some organization entered the arena.


    Then came green and blue. It could be a medium strength loner or a might member of an organization.


    Above the blue were pink, red, and orange. Given their Chronicle, pink and red denoted unique fighters with strong skills and a meaningful position in the World of Darkness.


    Orange appeared over people who held leadership positions in ns and organizations, as well as had extensive experience in battles.


    Thest was ck, the most impressive color. It did not show the level of strength, the position of a person, or the power of the skills he possessed.


    Such a pir showed that the arena, for whatever reason, could not recognize the power of this fighter. Simply put, it was a dark horse.


    The ck pir appeared even rarer than the orange one, so several fighters immediately headed to him when Wain appeared. They wanted to know what had happened there and who hade into the arena.


    Determining that Wain was a human was impossible. Thanks to the Faceless Aristocrat Mask, no one could view information about him, even with special methods.


    He also wore a long cloak that concealed the distinctive markings of certain races.


    His ck hair was thick andpletely covered his ears. Wain had green eyes, and that color could be found in most existing races, including monsters.


    Simply put, to others, Wain could be like an Inerian, Elf, Vampire, Demon, and a few other races, maybe even a monster.


    When Wain appeared in the Arena, he looked around. Around him was the usual forest, with tall trees, and behind him was a massive stone cliff.


    The Ring of Damned shone brightly, and a tinum sword appeared in Wain''s hand. He decided to go deep into the woods and search for enemies.


    Wain wanted to engage in arge-scale battle simr to war and use the fifth form there. However, he did not know that his first enemy was already close.


    Whoooooosh.


    Suddenly something glittered in the crown of a tree. Wain reacted quickly and bounced to the side. A dark, short de flew into the spot where he had just stood.


    Then someone jumped down from the tree, pulled the de from the ground, and prepared to fight.


    "Well, hello there, Mr. Incognito." The tall man said, smiling.


    He had pale skin, dark eyes, long ck hair, and two horns protruding from his forehead. The man''s torso was bare.


    He was muscr and strong. His weapons were two identical, short des with dark des and square guards.


    Wain had never met a person like this man before, but he had no trouble guessing it was a demon.


    ''This is interesting. Not a minute after I got here, and I''ve already met a member of a new race and an opponent.''


    "Shall we begin?" Said the demon and mmed his des into each other several times, creating sparks.


    Wain answered nothing. He looked up his opponent''s information.


    [Orin


    Chronicle: First<sub> </sub>


    Voids: 1]


    ''Hmm? Just Orin? Is that a pseudonym, or did he choose to write his name that way?'' Wain pondered.


    "Hey, would you stop ignoring me? That''s pretty hurtful."


    "I don''t mind fighting you, but I have one question for you."


    "I''m listening to you carefully." Orin replied with a sly smile.


    "What is your attribute?"


    "Why do you need to know that? Ah... You must havee here to hunt for souls. It doesn''t matter, though. My attribute is metal."


    "Metal... I''m sorry, but in that case, we have no reason to fight, goodbye."


    "Huh, do you really think you can get away from me?"


    Arge amount of energy appeared around Orin''s feet, and the next moment he was tearing toward Wain.


    The ground beneath his feet cracked and shattered. Orin was like an unstoppable projectile hurtling toward its target.


    Wain didn''t use any skill or run away. He continued to stand until the veryst moment. When Orin approached him and was ready to strike, Wain jumped up short so that his foot touched Orin''s left shoulder.


    He then bounced off Orin and made his way to the nearest tree. Orin did not expect Wain to do anything like that. Moreover, he lost his bnce and fell to the ground as if someone had pressed him down.


    "You!" Orin said furiously and turned around, but he saw Wain nowhere else. It was as if he had evaporated.


    "Damn! I knew I should have prepared myself before attacking the ck pir fighter. Who is he?!"


    ...


    Wain jumped through the trees and rocks his way out of the forest. He wasn''t interested in one-on-one battles, especially those who didn''t have the attributes he needed. It would be a waste of time.


    ''Hmm, I need Rare Rating Souls to improve ck Thunder''s Renegade, no point in being distracted by those whose souls are stronger or weaker. I need monsters. Nest or Dungeon would be ideal.'' Wain thought.


    Crackle.


    Suddenly, a crackling sound of a branch breaking and a blue sh appeared in front of Wain. He reacted instantly and blocked the blow. However, his opponent had no intention of continuing, he immediately retreated.


    But, suddenly Wain was attacked from the other side. The number of enemies gradually increased until the number reached five. Wain struggled to block their attacks and dodged by jumping from tree to tree.


    ''Damn, theirbined attacks are quite problematic, as well they are fast and strong, but it seems they each have the lightning attribute. It looks like I found my first victims.''


    Wain moved his sword into the ring, and dark electrical discharges appeared on his hands. Then he pressed his palms together, and thunderclouds appeared over the forest.


    His enemies tried to retreat, but it was toote. A dark beam of thunder came down like a heavenly punishment, and the lightning eye exploded. Part of the forest was destroyed, and an electric shockwave hit each attacker.


    Tree trunks were blown to splinters, leaves were torn into tiny pieces, and nts and shrubs were wiped out and turned to dust.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Wain walked slowly across the scorched earth due to the force of the lightning. His dark blue cloak fluttered in the wind, and an unwavering aura emanated from him.


    With this attack, he killed two of the five attackers. They were closest to the epicenter of the st.


    They were demons, just like Orin, but their appearance was strikingly different. Their skin was pale blue, and they had only one short horn each.


    Wain didn''t know if this mattered in demons, so he couldn''t assess whether his enemies were more dangerous than Orin.


    The remaining three demons managed to survive but were seriously wounded. They surrounded Wain and prepared for battle but were in no hurry to attack.


    "Hey, motherfucker, who are you?" Said one of them.


    "§Á? Given the circumstances, I''m nobody." Wain said calmly and waved his hand. Two blue souls flew into his body.


    [Soul of Thunder Swallow (Destroyed)


    Chronicle: First


    Rating: Rare]


    ''Thunder Swallow? That must have been the demon''s alias. Okay, now I have two souls with the lightning attribute. Eight more to go, these demons came along just in time.''''


    The demons were surprised by Wain''s strength, but they didn''t run away because they thought he had no more powers left.


    They couldn''t know that The Fall of Thunder Eye wasn''t Wain''s most powerful attack, and he had only spent some of his energy on it.


    One of the demons knew and attacked Wain sharply. His weapon was a massive iron mace with spikes. The other two demons decided to attack from behind.


    Wain did nothing. He realized that the demons were weaker than he was. All he had to do was counterattack in time to inflict mortal wounds on them.


    Whooooosh.


    The demon with the mace unleashed a powerful blow on him, and his weapon was covered in electrical discharges. Wain blocked that blow with a tinum sword.


    "Huh, idiot." Said the demon rather happily, looking at his mates who were already ready to attack.


    Wain smirked, and a dark sword appeared in his other hand. Then he turned sharply and, with a swift swing of the sword, cut off the head of one of the demons.


    The third demon didn''t expect Wain to attack from this position, but he pulled himself together and tried to pierce Wain with a spear.


    Wain turned his body to the left and pressed the spear to the ground with his foot. He pressed hard and broke the weapon. Then Wain released the dark sword, and it flew and pierced the third demon''s heart.


    "What the..." Muttered the demon with the mace.


    Wain snapped his finger, and the dark sword headed toward the demon. He tried to block this attack, but the next second, his head fell to the ground, and Wain swung his tinum sword, knocking away the clinging blood.


    "Okay, five out of ten lightning showers I have."

 Chapter 213 Spy

    Wain killed the demons and continued toward the exit of the forest. On his way to the epicenter of the arena, an interesting thought urred to him.


    ''To improve all my skills, I need more than a hundred souls of different rarity and attribute moreover I need Essences. I was lucky that five demons decided to attack me, and I got half of the required number of lightning souls. However, it''s actually a drop in the ocean.


    I can fight monsters and other races and explore Dungeons and Nests. That way, over time, I''ll definitely find what I need, but there''s another option. Families, ns, and organizations set up bases in arenas.


    The bigger the organization, the stronger its leader andmanders. Instead of fighting hundreds and thousands, I''ll kill one powerful enemy and rob him.'' Wain thought.


    Robbing someone was always the quickest way to increase one''s wealth. It was a rather difficult and brutal way, but Wain was ready for it. This way, he could save time, and that was important.


    Wain would attack a confident person in his power and security to get more souls of him.


    ''Hmm, by the way, when I killed the lightning demons, I only got one soul each, but that''s impossible. They must have had a lot of souls that they kept to use in the future. It looks like souls can be stored somewhere other than the body. That''s interesting.''


    Whooooooosh.


    Wain climbed to the top of the tree and jumped high. He decided to look around and see where the enemy bases were.


    About a kilometer away, Wain saw a vast field whererge-scale battles were being fought. There was a constant explosion, someone was dying, and rivers of blood were flowing.


    In such ces, everyone was fighting against everyone else, monsters against elves, demons against vampires, and so on. It was a real meat grinder and carnage.


    In the distance, Wain saw small structures and dozens of massive tents. There were several of these ces, and each signified the territory of some organization or n.


    Even though this was the Arena, even here, the organizations were able to establish a certain power and were afraid to be attacked.


    Sure, some loner could break into the base and kill a few members or even the leader, but there were consequences. They would hunt him down and kill him.


    However, the organizations also tried to fight only among themselves and not touch the loners. They knew there was no one to save them in the Arena. They would be avenged, but what difference would it make when they were already dead?


    There were other locations around the forest, such as a waterfall, a stone grove, and a long, massive river.


    Wain nodded and decided to go around the field and attack one of the organizations.


    ''Why do I feel like someone is following me?'' Thought Wain looking around.


    He felt as if someone had been staring at his back for a long time. It was an unpleasant feeling akin to suffocation.


    Wain closed his eyes and concentrated. He wanted to figure out what was going on and find the spy.


    ''Hmm? Has he stopped?''


    In the distance, a mile away, a tall girl was standing on a tree branch. She had pale skin andpletely green eyes that glowed faintly. It was like two torches, with a dead, green me. Her hair was pale yellow.


    There were bony growths on her elbows and knees, and she wore a long ck robe that concealed her well.


    She noticed Wain long ago, but she did not attack him. Her job was to gather information and then sell it to someone, not to fight him.


    She wanted to retreat when Wain wasboring to deal with the lightning demons but decided to continue her pursuit.


    ''There you are.'' Wain thought and suddenly looked in the girl''s direction, even though dozens of trees between them blocked the view.


    ''What? Is he looking at me? No, that''s impossible. He doesn''t look like a spy or an assassin.''


    She couldn''t believe that Wain could detect her, but the reality was brutal. The next moment Wain''s silhouette blurred, and she ran at full speed in her direction.


    The girl didn''t react immediately, but only after a few seconds, and ran away, but no sooner she walked a hundred yards than a blue sh appeared behind her. Wain didn''t wait and swung his sword sharply.


    He cut the tree in two, but the girl managed to dodge.


    "Wait, I don''t want to attack you!"


    "What? You''ve been spying on me, don''t you think that''s reason enough to cut your head off?" Said Wain and swung his sword again.


    This time the girl couldn''t dodge and had to block the attack. She pulled two bone daggers from her belt sheath and used them to defend herself.


    "Yes, I was following you, but anyone would have done that in my ce. A dark pir appeared with you. I was obligated to gather information about you."


    "Shut up." Wain said coldly and threw his sword at her.


    The girl dodged it, but she had to jump aside to dodge the dark sword the next second. Wain punched her, and she put her daggers out in front of her, thus blocking the blow.


    However, she could not withstand the pressure and flew aside like a projectile and fell to the ground with a crash.


    Wain stood over her and pinned her arms with his feet. He extended his arm, and the tinum sword returned to him. Wain was about to deliver onest blow, but the girl was not about to give up.


    "Wait, there''s no point in you killing me! I can help you!"


    "Hmm? Why would I want to keep you alive? I don''t need helpers, fragile ones like you."


    "I''m an informant and keep tabs on others and then sell data to strong loners or captains of organizations." The girl said quickly, realizing that Wain could cut her head off at any moment.


    Wain decided to look at her World of Darkness card.


    [Estrid Labinth


    Chronicle: First


    Void: 0]


    ''Hmm, she doesn''t have any Void. She seems pretty weak or doesn''t want to draw too much attention to herself. Perhaps she can be useful.'' Wain pondered.


    "All right, I''ll give you one chance. You didn''t attack me, so if you help me, I''ll let you live."


    "Of course! I''ll do what I can, I''m an experienced informer, and I''ve spent some time in this arena. I can tell you a lot about what''s going on here."<sub> </sub>


    "For starters, which of the organizations here is the strongest?"


    Fallen Forest was Rank-B Void, which meant that some of the strongest representatives of the First Chronicle were gathered here.


    "This is a Holy Tale. They are powerful and have sent many squads and several captains here to take over parts of Fallen Forest." Estrid replied quickly.


    "Holy Tale? What is their purpose? What are their numbers? Where are they located? What powers do they possess?"


    "The Holy Tale is a powerful organization whose members are all Elves. In short, they''re fucking fanatics promoting the forces of light and light magic. They have absolute hierarchy and are happy to obey theirmanders.


    I don''t know how many members there are in total, but Fallen Forest has about five hundred of them. Their goal is to take over as much territory as possible and find loyal allies who share their beliefs and join them. They only ept elves. The rest are killed."


    "I see... That''s useful information, but it''s not enough to buy a life, don''t you think?" With an icy look, Wain said.


    "Wait! Their main base is to the east, not far from the waterfall. I also have important information that will be useful to you."


    "Tell me."


    "First, you must promise to keep me alive." Estrid said confidently. She hoped that Wain would now nod, but instead, he pressed one foot on her arm with all his might.


    "One more statement like that, and I''ll cut your head off right now. Tell me what you know, and then I''ll decide what to do with you."


    "Okay, okay, I got it!" With a grimace of pain on her face, Estrid said, "I''m not sure, but in a few hours, one of themanders should be joining Holy Tale. He will be leading an operation to destroy one of the enemy organizations in the Fallen Forest. His pir will be either red or orange."


    "Hmm? A red pir? What does that mean?"


    Estrid was surprised that Wain asked her about it, but she quickly answered and exined everything to him in detail.


    She didn''t have time to think about anything else when the sword de was so close to her throat that she could feel the cold from the metal.


    ...


    ''Huh, so that''s why so many people suddenly attacked me. The ck pir that flew out of me is most unusual. It''s definitely the effect of the Faceless Aristocrat Mask.'' Wain thought.


    He hadn''t expected there to be such a system in the arena that would immediately determine how strong and unique the fighter came.


    "So one of themanders of Holy Tale will be appearing in Fallen Forest soon?"


    "Yes, I''m pretty sure of it."


    "Well, given that you didn''t attack me, I''ll let you go this time, but don''t you dare spy on me again. Do you understand me?"


    "Of course, I will never again dare act covertly in your presence. It was just a professional interest."


    "That''s it, get out of here." Roughly said Wain and tossed Estrid aside.


    The girl said nothing and quickly ran away.


    ''Damn, damn, damn. How could he have spotted me? If I could find out more about him, I would surely be enriched! Fuck, this is the first time I''ve met a person with a ck pir, and I''m so fucked up. Who is he, and why can''t Arena determine his power?''


    ...


    Wain believed Estrid. When he asked her, he saw fear, terror, and hopelessness in her eyes. Wain''s aura was overwhelming, and his actions were cold and ruthless.


    Wain was sure that everything she said was true. There was no point in her lying while on the verge of death.


    "So this time, it''s up to me to destroy the elves, I don''t know what position they hold in the world, but still no one will know I did it." Wain muttered and climbed a tall tree.


    As he looked more closely, he saw a waterfall, as well as several structures and many massive tents. The base of Holy Tale was like a small kingdom, with stone walls and protective towers.


    Wain decided to wait a little longer. He would attack Holy Tale, kill theirmander, and take all his souls.


    He didn''t care if Holy Tale and all elves were good or bad. In this case, he aimed to get the souls, and for that, he was willing to kill them without regret.


    For Wain, the concept of good and evil was rtive. He himself was not a positive character, but he did not consider himself a bastard. He had principles, his view of the world, and his ideology.


    He did not think that everything in the world was divided into ck and white, a lot of things were iprehensible and were gray.


    Even in stories and films, it was not umon to see that viewers or readers liked the viin more than the protagonist.


    This was because the viin was revealed as a person, and his actions were shown from different angles.


    Wain could be cruel and could do even the most horrible things if necessary, but each of his actions had reasons.


    ''Elves... ck Rabbit mentioned them, and this is the second time I have encountered members of this race. I wonder how strong they are and what their ideology is? I need to learn more about it.'' Wain pondered, waiting for themander to appear.


    He was already used to the fact that there were other races in this world besides humans, but so far, he had only met some of them.


    ''Estrid was not an elf, and most likely, she was not a demon. Moreover, she smelled rather strange. It was like a mixture of the pleasant scent of flowers and rotting flesh. When I get the souls, I need to go to Sven. He needs to exin to me who is in charge of this world.''


    Crackle.


    "Looks like I didn''t wait for nothing." Mumbled Wain looking at the base of Holy Tale.


    Just as Estrid had said, a high-ranking elfmander arrived in the arena a few hourster. As he appeared, the clouds over the grounds turned golden, and the entire world seemed to stand still.


    Then a massive, orange light pir pierced the sky and the clouds. At that moment, everyone in the Arena stopped and looked in that direction.


    The ck pir appeared less frequently than the orange one, but it was a mystery while the orange pir had a precise definition.


    They knew that someone powerful had now entered the arena. The might of this elf couldpletely change the situation in the arena.


    "Huh, my blood is starting to boil. I can feel it, it''s incredible. It looks like it''s finally time for me to try on my aristocrat outfit."

 Chapter 214 Black Sun

    Wain jumped down from the tree and headed in the direction of the base of Holy Tale. He decided to go around the battlefield and sneak up on the elves, then attack them with everything he had.


    In that case, the arrivingmander would probably decide to get rid of the problem and attack Wain. Then the battle will begin, which will change thendscape of the terrain.


    ...


    In the main square of the base of Holy Tale.


    Many elves in mostly yellow and white robes and armor looked at theirmander from whom an orange pir emanated.


    He was a tall elf, with long, shoulder-length blond hair and eyes as blue as the ocean. He was dressed in ample, noble clothes of red and yellow. He also wore a long, red robe that fluttered in the wind. It was Haden Jett.


    One of the elves stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and said, "Wee back. We are pleased to wee you."


    Haden only nodded weakly and looked intently at each of the elves.


    "Is everything ready?"


    "Yes. We can move out at any moment. It all depends on your orders."


    "Good, we''ll get rid of those pesky demons today. They''re getting braver every day and trying to take more territory, but I didn''t expect them to have the guts to step on ournds." Haden pronounced.


    Haden looked at the bright sun standing at the zenith and slowly said, "Prepare yourselves, mentally and physically, in thirty minutes, we''re moving out."


    "Yes!" all the elves answered in chorus.


    ...


    About twenty minutes after Haden appeared, Wain was already approaching their base.


    He stood at the waterfall and looked at the watchtowers of the elven base. Wain took a deep breath, and arge amount of energy appeared around him.


    The air rippled, the grass and flowers began to sway from side to side as if the wind were blowing.


    Then his appearance began to change gradually. His eyes turned dark purple. They were deep and looked majestic. A few dark stripes appeared on the white mask at the edges.


    Wain''s dark blue cloak disappeared, and a long, crimson cloak appeared with an inner ck side in its ce.


    Beneath the cape was a white shirt. ck gloves appeared on Wain''s hands, with the red side covering his palms.


    This was what the fifth uniform, the ck Sun Aristocrat, looked like.


    "Ah, this sense... It feels like all the power is in my hands... How good it feels..." Mumbled Wain and headed towards the base of the elves.


    After a moment, they spotted him and pointed their bows at him.


    "Halt. Who are you? If you take one more step, you''ll turn into a sieve." Said one of the elves.


    Then they decided to check his World of Darkness card, but what they saw amazed them.


    [???


    ???


    ???]


    Each of the parameters was unknown. At that moment, they realized that there was a dark pir in front of them. They wanted to attack, but it was toote.


    ''This power is unusual, I''m not sure, but it has to be used somehow like this.'' Thought Wain and extended his left arm forward.


    The next moment a dark sphere the size of a fist appeared between the two watchtowers. They didn''t immediately notice it as they were focused on Wain.


    Wain gradually clenched his fist. To his surprise, it was quite hard to do. He felt like he was trying to crush a steel ball instead of just clenching his fist. Gradually the sphere became smaller until it was half its original size.


    The next moment the sphere exploded.


    Booooooooooommm!


    It was a deafening explosion simr to a star burst. The ck me-like energy engulfed everything around it.


    The elves didn''t have time to do anything. Like the sentinels that came out, they were destroyed and turned to dust.


    "It really does look like a ck sun..." Wain muttered.


    He knew that all hell was about to break loose and dozens of elves would attack him, but he couldn''t help but admire the sight. This power was not only powerful, but it was also frighteningly beautiful.


    ...


    "Mr. Haden! Someone attacked the south side of the base!" Said one of the elves running up to themander.


    "What? Demons found out about our n and decided to attack?" Haden was surprised. He hadn''t expected their enemies to be so quick and determined.


    "No, they''re not demons, or rather I can''t be sure of that..."


    "What''s going on?"


    "Shortly before you arrived, someone with a dark pir appeared in the arena. Since that moment, we haven''t received any news about it. We thought this fighter had been killed or had already left the arena, but for some reason, he decided to attack us." The elf said hurriedly.


    "A ck pir? Idiots, you should have informed me of such a rare event! Anyone with a ck pir is an unusual person. You know it as well as I do. Tell everyone to get out of there, or we will have heavy casualties. I will personally take care of it."


    "Yes!"


    ...


    Wain continued to move on. He walked among the rubble from the protective wall and looked at the tents and watchtowers ahead, but something bothered him.


    ''Why is there no one here? Every elf definitely noticed my attack on the base. I thought I''d have a hundred elves attacking me in a minute, but instead, nothing. Had they decided to retreat?''


    A few minutester, a single elf came out to meet Wain. Though he had seen the destruction Wain had brought, he was not afraid, and there was boundless confidence in his eyes.


    ''Hmm, who is this?'' Wain wondered.


    "Good afternoon, my name is Haden Jett. I would like to know the purpose of your visit." Suddenly the elf said.


    His voice was calm and his tone moderate. Wain thought the elves would be furious that he had killed theirrades, but it turned out to be a little different.


    ''Haden... He is rather strange. There''s a noble auraing from him. Is it possible that it''s him...?''


    Wain decided to look at his opponent''s World of Darkness card.


    [Ambassador of Light<sub> </sub>


    Chronicle: First


    Void: 14]


    ''He has fourteen Voids? What the fuck...?


    Wain was amazed that Haden had so many Voids. At that moment, Wain was stunned, and the elf in front of him was amander with an orange pir. He had no idea how many brutal battles it took to own that many Voids.


    "The purpose of my visit? Well, I won''t make up a reason. I came here to fight a powerful enemy and take all his souls for myself." Wain said calmly.


    "I see." Haden nodded. "Since I''m the strongest one here, you decided to fight me. Don''t you want to consider another option? I have a few suggestions for you."


    "Hmm? What do you mean?"


    "It''s simple. I met someone with a ck pir once before, and frankly, it was a real disappointment. However, I can assume you''re different, and you''re pretty strong. In that case, myrades and friends will die. If it''s possible, I''d like to settle this matter without a fight."


    "You have a rather strange attitude. I''ve already killed two of your mates, isn''t that reason enough to tear me apart?"


    "Not really." Haden shook his head, "Of course, I''m not happy with the situation, but blind lust for revenge can lead to even worse consequences. If we fight, dozens of elves will probably die."


    "I see, lives of majority are more important..." Wain muttered.


    "Exactly. You''vee for souls. Then I can offer you some. We''re busy, and we don''t have the time to waste on you." Calmly said Haden.


    "Then I want a hundred Rare Rating Souls."


    "That''s impossible. Your requests don''t match your danger and importance."


    "Huh, why were we talking then? Back to the beginning, I''ll kill you and take all your souls!" Proimed Wain.


    "I don''t think so." Haden shook his head, "I''m sure your soul will be worth a lot, but you''ll be even more valuable alive."


    "Do you really think you can defeat me without saying goodbye to your life? You''re too arrogant."


    "Are you sure?" Haned said, and a column of light burst from his body the next moment.


    It was like a beam of sunlight, and then several strands glowed on Haned''s clothes. His palms were covered with a thin, yellow, energy sheath.


    ''Oh, that definitely pretty serious. It looks like we''re going to have a confrontation of light against darkness.'' Wain thought to himself and put his hand out.


    A small dark sphere appeared next to Haned, and it instantly exploded. However, Haned didn''t dodge.


    Instead, he clenched the sphere with his fist at thest moment and absorbed the full force of the blow, but that was a mistake.


    Droplets of blood dripped from his wounded hand. Despite the power of the light barrier, the dark sphere was powerful enough for Haned to receive a powerful burn on his palm.


    "That was unexpected..." Mumbled Haned, "But, it doesn''t change anything anyway."


    Whooooosh.


    Haned''s body glowed brightly, and he turned into a yellow sh. Wain also used his eleration skill. A lightning sign shed across his chest, and he bounced to the side.


    Wain wanted to get some information about his opponent before using all his might.


    Haned was surprised by Wain''s speed, but that didn''t stop him. The energy of light emanating from his body intensified, and he became even faster.


    Wain could no longer dodge his attacks as before. Each time, Wain managed to step aside at thest moment. It was a risky situation.


    "You won''t get away!" Haned said menacingly, punching Wain down with his fist with all his strength.


    Haned was right. Given the condition, it was impossible to dodge this attack. Wain didn''t have time for that and was in an unfortunate position. Haned was too fast.


    ''Damn!'' Wain eximed to himself as he looked at the approaching fist. It grewrger with each passing moment, and the distance between them shrank.


    However, it seemed to Wain that the world around him had stopped at one point. Then he saw a message that had only appeared once before.


    [Title - Echo of Samurai Activated]


    Wain received this Title after a battle with a ck robot samurai. It was one of his first, strongest opponents, and before that, the Title was only activated when he fought Forgotten.


    Echo of Samurai increased Wain''s concentration to the limit. Every cell of his body was focused on one target. However, Wain was already running out of time.


    Crackle.


    Suddenly a spark shed through his mind, and at that moment, Wain''s pupils headed downward.


    He stared intently at his hands and then, in an instant, created two small, dark spheres. They were even smaller than grains, more like dust particles.


    The spheres exploded, and Wain was able to step back half a meter with the momentum. It was enough for Haden''s fist to fly a centimeter from his face and crash to the ground like a meteor.


    The ground shattered like a b into many massive pieces of debris, one of which Wain jumped a safe distance away from. He was amazed at how powerful Haden''s attack was.


    There were many cracks in the ground, and for a while, Wain felt a jolt as if from a weak earthquake. He didn''t think a single blow could have that much power.


    ''I see. It seems his forte is physical power. That''s problematic, any blow could be the start of a deadly series of attacks. I have to be very careful. I hate to admit it, but he''s faster and stronger than me. However, I have my ways of winning.''


    Wain waved his hand and clenched it sharply into a fist. At the same moment, a dark orb appeared behind Haden.


    It was ready to explode, but Haden reacted instantly. The energy sheath on his left hand disappeared and intensified on his right.


    Then he turned around and squeezed the sphere again. To Wain''s surprise, this time, Haden was not injured.


    The energy envelope was destroyed, but Haden restored it easily. His energy reserves were enormous.


    "Dark Pir and Dark Energy, it''s rather symbolic that we were the ones who met each other. It was your big mistake, though. Don''t you know that darkness cannot defeat light? Darkness is but a shadow of light, forever trying to catch up with this great power." Calmly said Haden.


    ? "Say what you want. I''m not going to engage in this pointless debate. Your physical strength is impressive, as is your ability to use energy. It looks like you didn''t be a leader in this organization for nothing."


    "It wasn''t hard." Haden shrugged, "All I did was use the power I had from birth. I just had to go forward and not give up. By the way, as long as none of my mates have been hurt, my offer still stands."


    "Huh, I''ve never seen people as weird as you. Can''t you distract yourself and concentrate fully on the fight?"


    "I can, but you''re not strong enough for that. The oue of our fight is already decided. I don''t know how you managed to dodge this attack, but it won''t happen again. You''re slower and weaker. That''s the truth." Haden said confidently and stepped forward.


    "Well..." Wain sighed, "You really are extraordinary, but your self-confidence only hurts you."


    Whooooooosh.


    Wain put his hand forward, and the next moment ten ck spheres appeared around Haden, each the size of a fist.

 Chapter 215 The Power Of Faith

    Wain realized that there was no point in creating one ck sphere at a time. It was ineffective.


    Haden could concentrate energy at one point and thuspletely absorb the power of the explosion. So Wain decided to create several spheres around the elf at once.


    ck spheres appeared on all sides. Wainpletely blocked Haden''s ability to move. All he could do was somehow try to survive this attack.


    Haden did not expect that Wain could create so many spheres at once. He was sure it took arge amount of energy to create even one sphere, but he was wrong. Wain hadn''t spent more than a few percent of his total energy on this attack.


    Booooooooooom!


    Wain clenched his fist, and the ten spheres exploded simultaneously. There was a deafening explosion, and everything within a five meter radius was destroyed.


    A massive crater appeared where Haden had been, and the dark mes from the spheres scorched the ground and engulfed the nts.


    ''That was a powerful attack, the fifth form has incredible power, but somehow I think Haden is still alive.'' Wain pondered, looking into the center of the crater.


    A cloud of dust slowly settled and dispersed, gradually revealing a tall silhouette. As Wain had anticipated, Haden managed to survive this attack, but the aftermath was terrible.


    "Argh!" Haden vomited a mouthful of blood and coughed for some time.


    His entire body was covered in numerous burns and was bleeding. He looked like a living corpse. It looked as if Haden had been boiling in the cauldron of hell. However, Haden deliberately did this.


    When the dark spheres appeared, he realized that he could not escape or block this attack. Then Haden made a painful but correct decision. He redirected all the energy he had to his head and heart area.


    In this way, he protected the two most important points, though he sacrificed the rest.


    "I must admit that I was wrong. This battle is really getting interesting..." Haden said, looking at the ground drenched in his blood.


    "No, this is the end." Wain said coldly and extended his hand forward.


    Three fist-sized dark spheres appeared from Haden and were ready to explode at any moment.


    "Huh, you''re being too hasty. We still haven''t put all the cards on the table. It''s time to show the first trump card, don''t you think?" Haden said with a smile on his face, and his eyes shone brightly.


    At the exact moment, Wain clenched his fist, and the spheres exploded. The dark mes engulfed Haden and should have burned him to the ground, but they didn''t. When the mes dissipated, Wain saw the changed appearance of his enemy.


    At thest moment, Haden used his Beyond. This power was always meant to be used only as ast resort, so Haden did. But he had another reason to use Beyond only in a critical situation.


    When Haden used a Beyond, his eyes shone brightly, like the sun, and all his wounds healed swiftly. He also wore light, energetic armor that looked like gold.


    Though Haden fought primarily with the power of light and has dedicated his life to it, he possesses no healing skills. Using a Beyond was his only opportunity to heal, but only once.


    ''Hmm, his a Beyond is simr to the one A used, but it is slightly different. His armor isn''t real, it''s energy armor, but is that all it is?'' Thought Wain looking at his enemy.


    "Okay, it''s time to continue our battle." Said Haden and tilted his body slightly forward as if he was preparing for a tug.


    Then he made an incredibly violent leap. The ground beneath his feet cracked, and he turned into a blur. A momentter, Haden was in front of Wain and delivered a crushing blow to the stomach with his fist.


    Wain could not dodge this attack, he did not notice anything. To him, it looked as if Haden had disappeared, and he immediately felt a searing pain in his stomach area.


    Haden threw Wain back several meters, causing him to cough up blood for a long time. Then Wain realized the effect Haden''s Beyond had.


    ''I thought the armor enhanced his power of light, but I was wrong. What increased was his physical strength.'' Pondered Wain trying toe to his senses and ignore the pain.


    Haden''s single blow practically turned Wain''s internal organs into a bloody mess. If not for his high stats, this battle could have ended right now.


    Crackle.


    Haden took a step forward, and the ground beneath his feet cracked as if he were walking on thin ice. In fact, Wain was only half right.


    After using Beyond, Haden''s strength and speed increased, but the energy armor also had its own purpose.


    Not only did it protect against attacks, but it also increased Haden''s weight depending on the amount of his energy.


    The extra weight could be both a minus and a plus. Given Haden''s strength and speed, the weight multiplies his strength several times in this situation. That''s why Wain sustained such serious damage from a single blow.


    Wain knew he had to increase his speed somehow, and he had one way to do it.


    His eyes shed, and a status appeared in front of him.


    [Wain Norheim


    Level: 27


    Race: Human


    Beyond: Cmity


    Soul: Nameless King


    Additional Soul: ck Thunder''s Renegade


    Title: Savior of the Damned, Echo of Samurai, Mentor Inquisitor, The First, Soul Gatherer, Cartographer.


    Status Points: 21


    Strength: 161 (196) / Agility: 187 (227) / Vitality: 138 (143) / Stamina: 116 (126) / Energy: 198]


    ''Only 21... Okay, maybe that will be enough.'' Thought Wain and used all the points to improve Agility.


    A pleasant wave of sensation swept through Wain''s body like a cool whiff of wind. He felt a little faster, and his reaction speed increased.


    Wain got to his feet and prepared for battle. He wanted to get used to Haden''s speed and see what point he could attack.


    Whooooooosh.


    Haden took another step and once again turned into a blur. However, this time Wain had time to react. Electric shocks appeared on his body, and he bounced to the side. Haden''s hammer-like fist flew in front of Wain''s face.


    Then Wain decided to attack himself. Energy gathered in his hand, and a ratherrge ck sphere appeared in his right palm. It wasparable in size to a ball.


    Haden was surprised that Wain decided to attack him at such close range. After all, if the sphere exploded now, they would both be injured. However, the aristocrat''s red cloak had a unique feature.


    Wain was almostpletely protected from the dark mes of his spheres, thanks to the cloak. Therefore, he was not afraid to attack up close.


    Whoooosh.


    He extended his arm forward, and the dark sphere stabbed into Haden''s left side. Some of the energy armor was instantly broken like thin ss, and then the sphere exploded.<sub> </sub>


    Dark mes engulfed everything around it, and Haden''s flesh began to burn. He clenched his teeth in pain. Haden could hardly endure it and bounced to the side.


    Wain also jumped aside. He was pleased with the result. Even though Haden had already used a Beyond, he was still losing their duel.


    The elf looked at his horrible wound and frowned. The situation had gotten out of hand. Haden was able to hit Wain powerfully, but he answered him twice as hard.


    ''Damn, he has too much energy. He creates these spheres as easily as if it were no moreplicated than snapping his fingers. The ck pir... I shouldn''t have expected any less.'' Haden thought.


    "Looks like you''re exhausted already, don''t you think?" Wain said with a smile.


    "I admit it''s rather painful to feel your flesh burning, but you''re a long way from winning."


    "Are you sure?"


    Whoooosh.


    Wain waved his hand, and five spheres slightly smaller than a ball appeared around Haden. Even with armor, Haden would have a hard time surviving the simultaneous explosion of these spheres.


    "Before you blow them up, I want to ask you something." Haden said calmly.


    "Onest wish?"


    "No." Haden shook his head, "What do you know about faith?"


    "This is idle talk." Coldly said Wain and clenched his fist.


    There was a deafening explosion, and the ground shook. Huge amounts of dark me turned into a whirlwind that instantly reached the sky and stained ck clouds.


    "Now, this ce is your grave."


    Haden managed to survive, but his entire body was covered in burns. Hey on the floor, breathing heavily.


    However, something confused Wain. He didn''t understand why, even in this situation, Haden''s eyes were full of confidence, and his spirit was unwavering.


    Wain wasn''t about to give him a chance to reverse the situation and created a sphere the size of his fist over the elf''s head.


    Realizing what was about to happen, Haden only whispered, "Gotta have faith, to the very end."


    Boooooooooooom!


    The orb exploded, and mes engulfed Haden, but suddenly, a beam of light appeared in the distance, then another and another. There were five beams in all.


    Wain looked closely at it and saw an elf in the center of each beam. They were very far away and were watching the battle the whole time. That was Haden''s main trump card, no, his major strength.


    Each of the five elves had their eyes closed and their palms folded together as if they were praying.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    A beam of light erupted from Haden''s body as well, and a protective barrier with the sun symbol appeared around it. Itpletely protected him from the ck mes.


    His wounds began to heal gradually. After a while, Haden was able to get back on his feet. He could continue to fight on and felt even better than before.


    "So, what do you think of faith?" Haden repeated his question.


    "Faith? What does it have to do with anything?"


    "Don''t you see? It was only because of it that I was able to recover and escape from the clutches of death."


    "Hmm? It wasn''t faith that saved you. It was your mates and their teamwork. There''s no surprise in that, though it''s a little annoying." Wain mumbled angrily, looking at the elves in the distance.


    "No, you''re wrong." Haden shook his head, "Sure, I survived because my mates helped me, but it can''t be called teamwork. They don''t use any skills or artifacts. They risked putting themselves in danger because they want to show their faith in me."


    "What kind of nonsense are you talking?"


    Haden smiled, "Let me exin it to you. Every belief has some purpose, and it is focused on something. Most often, it is some being or, in other words, the god of that faith. Everyone can believe, of course, the strength of faith and the possibilities are different for everyone."


    "Are you saying that you are stronger just because they believe that you will win?"


    "No, they don''t believe in me winning. They believe in me and my light. Even though I am far from that Title, at this moment, I can bepared to the center of their faith, the one on whom they ce their hopes and feelings, to God."


    Simultaneously, dozens of pirs of light appeared in the distance. It was a mesmerizing sight. The beams never stopped appearing.


    It happened every time the elf closed his eyes and folded his palms together, his body covered in light.


    The rays stopped appearing when they reached a hundred. That was one-fifth of the total. Haden smiled contentedly and raised his hand high up. He looked at the bright sun, and his eyes narrowed.


    Haden decided to use one of his most powerful skills. Several golden threads appeared on his body. They emanated from his right arm and covered his entire body.


    Then two identical symbols in the shape of a shining sun appeared on his palms.


    Wain did not attack Haden. He did not know what his opponent was capable of at the moment. The symbols on his hands rmed him.


    "Now, do you understand what faith is?" Haden said, smiling.


    Wain answered nothing. Instead, he turned into blue lightning and headed deep into the base of Holy Tale.


    Haden sighed, and in the next moment, he jumped high. It looked like an explosion from the outside as the ground beneath his feet turned to dust and a massive crater formed.


    Bam.


    p Hadennded right in front of Wain.</anda>


    "You know, it''s not polite to run away when people are talking to you."


    "We have nothing to discuss." Wain said coldly, and several spheres appeared around Haden.


    "Okay, I hear you." Haden nodded and ran at Wain, making his way through one of the spheres.


    Wain bounced to the side at thest moment and missed the blow, but Haden continued to attack him. Wain dodged and watched his enemy''s every move closely. He couldn''t make a mistake.


    Whooooooosh.


    Hadennded a top-down punch, and Wain jumped high, but suddenly he was horrified by what he saw. Haden smiled weakly and pointed his open palm hand at Wain.


    The sun symbol shone brightly, and then a beam of light fell on Wain, capable of dispelling all darkness and burning everything away.

 Chapter 216 Sun Shading Light

    Haden pointed the symbol at his enemy, and a pir of light came down on Wain.


    Wain was unable to dodge this attack as he made a critical error. Haden''s previous attack had forced him to jump high, and the elf took advantage of Wain''s unfortunate position.


    Haden also took Wain by surprise, as he had not had any ranged attacks before. Because of abination of these factors, Haden''s scheme seeded, and now Wain was burning under the searing light.


    ''Shit! Shit! Shit!'' Thought Wain and put his arms out in front of him.


    He quickly created two massive ck spheres and exploded them. The explosion pushed Wain away, and he could get out from under the oppression.


    But in the few seconds Wain was under the beam of light, he sustained serious wounds.


    There were severe burns on his arms and back. The ghostly threads tried to heal it, but it wasn''t easy and would take quite some time.


    "I don''t want to kill you. I''m offering you a deal. If you surrender right now, reveal your identity, and tell me why the arena awarded you the ck pir, I won''t kill you."


    "Do you really think I''m going to give up?" Gritting his teeth, Wain said.


    "Why not? Sure, you''ll lose your treasures and souls, you''ll have to tell your secrets and maybe be a ve, but you''ll live. Isn''t life the most precious thing we have?"


    "Huh, life is certainly a valuable thing, but it depends on its quality. If we''re talking about the life of a ve without freedom, a stale loaf of bread would be much more valuable to me."


    "You have a rather strange logic. It doesn''t matter, though, it''s your decision. If you want to die, I, as your adversary, will graciously help you do so." Haden said, and beams began to appear again in the distance at that moment.


    The remaining elves also decided to show their faith in Haden, and after a few seconds, the number of rays increased from one hundred to three hundred. It was more than half and gave Haden great power.


    His hair shone brightly, and two sun-shaped seals appeared on his feet. Haden did not deceive Wain when he spoke of faith.


    Each time the number of creatures believing in him increased, he became stronger. That was how faith and the gods worked in this world.


    "I see they truly think you are a god." Wain said in amazement.


    "Not really." Haden shook his head. "God is an ultimative form of faith, and for someone to be a god, you have to do something really outstanding. I only took the first step."


    "Hmm, you are their leader, and they entrust their destinies to you, but doesn''t that make faith just a tool? There could be another elf in your ce, and your mates would give power to him."


    "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA." Haden suddenlyughed, "Of course not, I told you earlier. They don''t use a skill or some artifact. It''s faith. Do you think you can force even one person to believe in someone?"


    Haden looked at his mates in the distance and said, "Faith is one of the sincerest feelings, where there is no ce for lies and deceit. It is the truth. Each of them believes in me for different reasons. No one forced them to do so.


    Some have been helped or saved by me a long time ago. Some praise me as a leader, others are in awe of my power. Some people think I am the best leader they can follow to the ends of the earth. They like me as a person, my temperament, character, and spirit. The reasons are many.


    Honestly, I never set out to be an object of someone''s faith. It was an ident. But, I ept their feelings, and I am grateful for the strength they give me. My task is to live up to their hopes and desires."


    "Hmm, I must admit it was quite an interesting story. Now I understand that it''s different from teamwork, but somehow or other has one drawback. Without allies, there is no team, and there is no faith without followers. They are cogs in a massive machine that makes you stronger." Said Wain.


    He hadn''t expected faith to have such power in this world. It was something tangible, something anyone could see with their eyes as well as feel the power of faith.


    ''Right now, three hundred elves believe in him, and he has gained enormous power, but then what power do beings have that thousands, tens of thousands, or millions believe in?'' Wain pondered.


    "Your wording is rather crude. Haven''t you ever wanted to believe in something or someone?"


    "No." Wain shook his head, "If we''re talking about faith, I''m an atheist. The only thing I can believe in is myself!"


    Whooooooosh.


    The next moment Wain turned into blue lightning and headed for the elves in the distance. He had to kill them, or at the very least, destroy their formation.


    Otherwise, Haden would grow stronger by the minute, and Wain''s chances of winning would drop precipitously.


    "Do you think I''m going to let you hurt my followers?" Haden muttered, and the seals on his legs glowed brightly.


    He turned into a yellow sh and caught up with Wain within seconds. However, Wain realized that Haden was now much faster than he was and took appropriate action.


    Wain decided to create arge dark sphere every hundred meters, and half a second ago, he had covered that distance.


    When Haden was ready to attack Wain, there was a numbing explosion a few meters away, and everything around him was engulfed in ck me. A light barrier appeared around Haden, absorbing some of the mes.


    Haden was not hurt, but he fell behind Wain.


    ''Damn, if he gets to them, I''ll be in trouble.'' Haden thought and jumped high. He wanted to swoop down on Wain like a meteor and end their battle with one mighty blow.


    However, Haden did not know that Wain had guessed that he would decide to act that way.


    When Haden was high in the air, Wain suddenly turned around, and a tinum sword appeared in his left hand and a massive sniper rifle in his right.


    Wain threw the sword at Haden like a spear with all his might.


    It flew with great speed and should have pierced Haden, but he flung the sword aside with a wave of his hand. Wain didn''t care, he knew it couldn''t hurt Haden. It was a distraction.


    Whoooooosh.


    A white bullet appeared before him, and he quickly charged a Whisper. Wain aimed and was ready to fire, but suddenly it felt as if time had slowed down. It wasn''t a hallucination. The Whisper had one peculiarity.


    If a person uses this sniper rifle at a certain concentration level, a special effect is activated.


    At that point, time for the weapon owner would slow down considerably, the bullet would be three times faster, and it would have two phantom copies.<sub> </sub>


    Snap.


    Wain pulled the trigger, and three bullets flew out of the muzzle at lightning speed. Maybe in a normal situation, Haden would have been able to dodge this attack, but not now. All he managed to do was shift to the left to keep the bullets from piercing his head.


    Crackle.


    Three bullets hit his shoulder in one spot and instantly ripped it off. Haden lost his right arm and was thrown to the side by the force of the shot.


    The ring on Wain''s finger glowed brightly, and Whisper disappeared. Wain continued to run toward the elves.


    ''Faith... Shouldn''t it weaken when they see their leader lose?'' Wain pondered.


    Whooooooooosh.


    There was an explosion behind him. Despite the loss of his arm, Haden wasn''t going to give up. His gaze was the same as before, strong and unwavering.


    In fact, it was Haden''s aura and gazed that made many elves believe in him. Even when it was deadly, he did not go out of his way. Many elves respected him for this.


    That is why, instead of the elves'' faith bing weaker, it instead grew stronger.


    "What''s going on?" Mumbled Wain, "Why the fuck do they keep supporting him?!


    In the distance, Wain saw the remaining two hundred elves put their palms together. Now all five hundred elves had joined together, and Haden''s power had reached its maximum.


    Whooooooosh.


    His severed arm glowed brightly and flew to him. He put his palms and hand to the wound, and the sun-shaped seal glowed brightly. Haden was healed, but the seal on his hand was half erased.


    Haden looked at Wain running and sprinted in his direction. He had to catch up with him and stop him. Wain made no further attempt to stop Haden from chasing him, for he was already close enough to execute his n.


    He stretched his arm forward, and high in the sky, a small ck sphere appeared above the elves.


    Wain''s idea was simple, he was going to use all the energy he had and destroy the elves. Even if some of them survived, it would seriously weaken Haden, and victory would be his.


    Haden wasn''t worried, he was sure that Wain couldn''t kill the elves with one attack, but when he saw that the sphere began to grow rapidly, he began to panic. Haden sped up, realizing that every moment now counted.


    Wain continued to erge the sphere and pour more energy into it. At first, the sphere was the size of a grain, then a fist, a ball, a person, and now it wasparable to a three-story house.


    He found it hard to breathe, and everything in front of his eyes began to blur. Wain decided that he would only leave one percent of the energy he needed for the second step of his n. He would use the other 99% to create this sphere.


    When the sphere became the size of a rock, Haden was behind Wain, but it was toote.


    Wain clenched his fist, and the giant sphere exploded. It was an explosion of unprecedented proportions. Everyone in the arena took notice.


    Those very far away saw the massive pir of darkness piercing the clouds and the heavens.


    Those who were fighting in the center of the arena stopped. They were mesmerized by the scene, watching the ground and trees turn to ash. ck mes spread out in all directions like waves. It was like the beginning of hell.


    "If I''m not mistaken, the base of Holy Tale is that way. Right? Have the elves and demons finally decided to fight?" Said one of the fighters.


    "No." The demon with the white skin shook his head. "I think I know what''s going on out there. The ck pir and the dark mes... It''s quite symbolic."


    Orin, the demon Wain had met at the beginning, didn''t see his abilities. But, he felt that only someone who escaped the arena could do something like that.


    ...


    The fate of the elves under the orb was sealed. Each of them disappeared from this world without a trace, and all that was left of them were their souls and the souls of the creatures they had once killed.


    As the mes dissipated, hundreds of souls flew to Wain. In total, Wain received about one and a half thousand souls. That was a huge number, and some of those souls were Rare or Epic Rated.


    Wain''s attack was so devastating that none of the elves could survive. He turned the base of Holy Tale into burnt ruins.


    "You bastard!" Haden shouted in rage and hit Wain with all his might.


    Wain had almost no strength left and could not dodge. Haden''s fist sank into his face and threw him back several meters.


    Wain weakened, but so did Haden. He no longer had the strength from the elves and was now back to the state he had after using Beyond.


    "Huh, and that was your faith?" Mumbled Wain, spitting up blood, "They died because of you, they believed in you, but you didn''t live up to their hopes. You were the one who killed them."


    "Shut up. Now I will rip out your filthy tongue and crush your heart. I will avenge my friends and mates!" Haden said menacingly and lunged toward Wain.


    Wain was exhausted. He decided to cancel the fourth form, and the red cloak and gloves quickly disappeared. However, Wain was not worried. He knew what he was doing and was prepared for such an oue.


    He still had one more trump card he would use to end this battle.


    Whooooosh.


    Gray energy appeared around Wain, his palms opened, and a ck crown with a closed eye appeared on his head. Wain left some energy just to be able to use Beyond. He only needed a few seconds.


    Then the Ring of Damned glowed, and in Wain''s hands appeared a bright, white pearl. In it lurked an enormous amount of pure energy.


    When Haden saw it, his eyes widened in shock, and his face turned pale. There was no way he could have expected that Wain would have such a thing and risk using it. No one could have predicted such a thing.


    "Their faith was weak, and you as their supposed god, I will devour, right here and now!" Shouted Wain and crushed a Soul Pearl.

 Chapter 217 Light And Regard

    "What the fuck are you doing!" Shouted Haden after Wain destroyed a Soul Pearl.


    "I?" Wain said smiling, "I''m just using my most valuable treasure as a battery!"


    Arge amount of energy floated around Wain. It moved slowly through the air beside him like a leisurely vortex.


    Wain had used a Soul Pearl once before, and he knew what was happening in this case. After using the fourth form, Wain had almost no energy left, now he was spending thest drops to maintain a Beyond.


    Wain was wounded, but not critically. His body could withstand that kind of pressure.


    Soul Pearl contained arge amount of energy, and once used, Wain would fully regain his reserve of strength, but Soul Pearl was not capable of healing wounds or speeding up regeneration.


    ''Wait... He has no mechanism. Is he actually going to absorb energy relying only on his body? I see, he''s an idiot.'' Haden thought.


    However, after a few seconds, his face became as pale as a piece of paper. He watched in horror as Wain opened his mouth wide and began to absorb energy.


    The white substance was headed toward him as if there were a ck hole in his mouth. At that moment, Wain looked like a soul eater, something that every race member is.


    "AH..." Wain exhaled with pleasure and licked his lips with his tongue, "That was really good a wonderful feeling. It was the second time, but can I be called a Pearl Hunter now?"


    As Wain absorbed the energy, a message appeared before him.


    [You have absorbed energy from Soul Pearl. Energy +30]


    This Soul Pearl was slightlyrger than thest one, so Wain got a lot more Energy than thest time.


    Wain didn''t know this, but at that moment, a change was taking ce and his Soul Altar and the dark castle in its depths.


    ...


    Four silhouettes were in a gray tform with a ck crown floating in the center. White energy from Soul Pearl was headed toward the crown and slowly absorbed into it.


    "You know, it could get pretty crowded in here eventually..." Mumbled a man in a gray cloak and a tight blindfold.


    "Huh, does it matter? Maybe something exciting is about to happen." Pronounced the man in the long red cloak and white mask, looking at the crown.


    "You''re too talkative, we just need to wait, and all grow together..." A silhouette in a long, torn cloak muttered. There was cold steaming from it, and the ground beneath it was covered in a thinyer of ice.


    "Hmm? You''re a nerd. Maybe we should have some fun." The ck Sun Aristocrat said smiling, and several ck spheres appeared around the Cursed Swordsman.


    "Ah..." Cursed Swordsman sighed, and his icy breath turned the spheres into chunks of ice. They fell and shattered into small pieces.


    "AHAHAHA, you guys are acting like children. We need to think about how to get our desires to Him, though it would be more correct to say, to ourselves." Code of Light and Darkness entered the conversation.


    By this time, he was almost back to normal. His armor was half white and half ck, and his face no longer wore the ck mask. He needed time to get back to bnce.


    ...


    Step.


    Wain stepped forward, and a massive silhouette of death with a bloody scythe appeared above him. The Ring of Damned glowed brightly dead green, and the Wailing Ghost appeared on Wain.


    Haden had no more trumps, and his only chance of survival was to escape, but he had no intention of doing so.


    His words of revenge for the mates were not empty, he knew this was the end, but Haden would not back down to the end.


    p Whoooooosh.</anda>


    Wain lunged toward Haden and delivered a crushing top-down punch with his fist. Haden jumped aside at thest moment, but he didn''t dodgepletely.


    At the moment of the blow, a silhouette of a gray mouth appeared over Wain, and then it closed in. Part of the ground beneath Haden disappeared, as did half of his left leg.


    He clenched his teeth in pain and tried to keep his bnce on one leg.


    Doubt and hatred gued his soul, but he knew he could not give up at such a moment. His gaze had been courageous and determined since birth and would remain until death.


    "It''s time for end." Wain said coldly and struck another blow.


    The jaws on his left arm opened wide, and part of the ground next to Haden disappeared. He miraculously managed to dodge and counterattacked furiously.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAA!" Haden shouted,nding the most powerful punch he could.


    His fist went for Wain and hit the target. Haden punched his enemy in the chest, but Wain didn''t back down. He took the blow and canceled a Beyond. The ck crown was gone from his head, as was the gray energy from his palms.


    Haden didn''t understand why Wain did it, and even though he struck with all his might, Wain didn''t even take a step back. He stood like a motionless mountain.


    Wain put his hand on Haden''s shoulder and murmured quietly, "This is the end. Your spirit deserves respect."


    At that moment, Haden realized a terrible wound on his left side. It was as if a white shark had bitten him and ripped off a massive chunk of flesh with his organs. He was bleeding and getting closer to death by the second.


    "Agh..." Blood flowed from the corners of Haden''s mouth, and he fell to the ground. Haden looked at the shining sun and felt his life ending.


    The ring on Wain''s finger shone brightly, and a tinum sword appeared in his hand.


    Wain respected Haden for his unwavering spirit and belief in his beliefs. Few people would not lose the fire in their eyes in a desperate situation, but Haden could.


    Wain stood beside Haden, firmly holding his sword with both hands, de down. He looked like the executioner who was to end Haden''s life.


    "Anyst words?"


    "How beautiful the light is... I wish I could see it again..." Haden muttered and closed his eyes.


    Wain nodded weakly and sharply thrust his sword into Haden''s heart. It was the end of his journey and his story.


    "That was a great fight." Proimed Wain and pulled the sword from Haden''s chest.


    In thest seconds of his life, Haden was smiling. It was always when he was serenely looking at the sun.


    Then a message appeared before him.


    [Received Title - Executioner of the Light


    You killed the one who loved and was most loyal to the light, but he was also a light to many others who also died at your hand. You became their executioner and thest light they saw in their lives.


    *Under sunlight, all stats increase by 5%, the power of all skills increase by 7%, the power of fire and light skills increase by 10%.


    *You have attracted the attention of light organizations. They are wary of you, but some are interested in you on the contrary.


    *Dark organizations want to learn more about you].


    The next moment Wain felt as if someone was watching him from the sky, and he saw several messages.


    [An unknown entity has attempted your identity.]


    [Faceless Aristocrat Mask has fully protected you. Your identity remains secret.]


    "AHAHAHAHAHA, I didn''te here for nothing just after I got the mask. Secrecy and confidentiality are paramount." Wain said quite, looking up at the sky.


    Wain was pleased that someone had tried to reveal his identity. It meant that his importance in the World of Darkness had increased, and it opened up new possibilities for him.


    Then Wain turned his gaze to Haden''s body. A massive soul slowly emerged from his pierced chest. It was like the me of the sun, bright and voluminous, the soul showing the greatness of its previous host.


    When Wain saw the color of the soul, he was shocked. It was the first red soul he had seen since the beginning of the apocalypse.<sub> </sub>


    Before that, his strongest enemy was Purple Pilgrim, and his soul was Heroic Rating.


    Haden''s soul was red, and that meant it was Ascendant Rating. Wain''s eyes lit up, and he couldn''t wait to see what he would get after using this soul.


    Whoosh.


    The red soul flew into his body. In addition to it, Wain''s body also prated about three hundred souls of different Rating. They were in Haden''s body.


    [Soul of Ambassador of Light (Whole)


    Chronicle: First


    Rating: Ascendant]


    "All right, it''s time to feel what a great reward means..." Wain muttered and crushed the soul.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Ambassador of Light level 29. Strength+12, Agility+11, Vitality+9, Stamina+10, Energy+15]


    "Oh... That''s quite a lot. I can feel my body filling up with power... What an incredible feeling..."


    [You have leveled up to level 28. You get 3 status points to distribute freely]


    [You have leveled up to level 29. You get 3 status points to distribute freely]


    [You get Ascendant Rating Soul Chest]


    [You get Ascendant Rating Spiritual Box]


    Wain was shocked. He didn''t expect to get the box and item right away. It was an unexpected and pleasant surprise.


    Moreover, he received two levels and had onest step to take before learning the conditions for the second evolution.


    "Great, that''s incredible..." Proimed Wain and opened the Spiritual Box.


    Inside was a small, golden stone with an unusual shape. A powerful aura emanated from it, and it shone brightly in the sunlight.


    [Shard of Heaven''s Fall (First Chronicle, Ascendant Rating)


    This is a surviving shard from an event of catastrophic proportions - the Fall of Heaven. With it, you can use the power hidden in the stone and summon hundreds of pirs of light from the sky.


    They will burn your enemies and drive away all darkness. This attack does not separate enemies and friends. All will bemitted to the will of light.


    *Virtually all First Chronicle creatures will die from this attack.


    *Most Second Chronicle creatures will be mortally wounded]


    "Ugh... It''s a whole other level, it''s an expendable item, but its power is incredible..." Wain muttered in shock.


    Then Wain''s gaze went to a small red chest. It was the size of a fist and could only hold some rare material or costume jewelry.


    Click.


    Wain opened the chest and saw a gold ring with a thick setting inside. The outside and inside of the ring had a Celtic knot carving that looked like hundreds of threads intertwined with each other.


    This ring was beautiful and refined, yet it looked simple, yet had a noble and unwavering aura. It was partly a credit to its owner and creator.


    [Light Seeker Ring (First Chronicle, Ascendant Rating)


    Once upon a time, this was a simple ring created by a smith in love as a gift for his beloved. It was an awesome piece of jewelry, made from simple materials, but with effort and love put into it.


    However, fate is cruel, and on the day the smith wanted to give this ring, creatures of darkness killed his beloved.


    Since then, he has sought the light to purify the darkness and destroy the monsters that harness this evil power. The light became a conduit to his vengeance and power.


    *Energy+10, being under the sunlight Energy +20.


    *All fire attacks are enhanced by 10%, all light attacks are improved by 20%.


    *Damage to creatures of darkness increased by 15%.


    *Lazarus Light skill created.


    - Lazarus Light.


    You can use pure light to scare away creatures of darkness and dispel any darkness]


    "Oh, that''s impressive..." Wain muttered and put the ring on his right hand.


    The ring glowed brightly, and arge amount of energy was directed at Wain. His eyes glowed just like Haden''s and then went out.


    "Huh, I have a ghost-melting ring on one hand and a literal symbol of light on the other. That''s pretty ironic." Proimed Wain and suddenly threw up a mouthful of blood.


    "Damn... I need to go back and heal. I''ve done enough already."


    Wain closed his eyes and found the nearest spatial rift. He walked a few dozen meters and then disappeared into the ink. Ten seconds after he went, dozens of fighters came running to the scene of the battle.


    They wanted to join the incredible battle here, but all they saw were ruins and few remains from the elves.


    Fighters were stunned when they saw this, no one could have imagined that such a thing would suddenly happen to Holy Tale.


    "What the hell happened here?!" One of the vampires eximed.


    He was not an open enemy of Holy Tale, but he disliked their love and worship of the light and wanted to take the opportunity to join the massive battle. However, he was toote.


    In the distance, in the crown of the trees, sat Estrid. She had been there from the beginning and had seen the entire battle.


    Every time their battle moved to a new stage, goosebumps ran down her body, and even the shockwaves of their battles reached her.


    When Wain blew up the giant orb, she had to jump out of the tree and take cover behind a boulder to avoid getting hurt. When she first encountered Wain, she was surprised by his strength and speed, but now she was in awe of his power.


    ''A ck pir and an absolute unknown personality... I have no information about him, except that he is quite tall and male... But, I must find him. Also, he''s probably not a demon. It''s unlikely that a man with that kind of power would have short horns to hide behind a mask.'' Estrid decided for herself.


    Estrid was an experienced informer and knew several ways to get information, even about the most secretive of personalities.


    She was sure that she would find out what was hiding behind the mask of a mysterious stranger one day.


    The unknown has always attracted, and sometimes it even happened that people sought the answer to a riddle for the sake of the process itself rather than the result.


    But, the most beautiful moment was when, after a long period of searching and pondering, the answer surpassed all possible expectations.


    ...


    Whoooooosh.


    Wain entered the dimensional passage and was about to return to Frozen Land, but suddenly a message appeared.


    [You have left the arena.]


    [Your achievements are being counted, and your rank is being changed.]

 Chapter 218 Arena Rank

    Wain wanted to return to his Void, but suddenly strange messages appeared in front of him.


    [You have left the arena.]


    [Your achievements are being counted, and your rank is being changed.]


    [You have defeated Ambassador of Light, who was Rank-A, as well as five hundred other creatures with a Rank from D to B.]


    [Youpletely destroyed one of the organizations in the Fallen Forest. You impressed all thebatants in that arena.]


    [Given the circumstances, you, Nameless, are awarded Rank-A.]


    The next moment his World of Darkness card appeared in front of Wain.


    [Nameless


    Race: Human


    Chronicle: First


    Rank: A


    Voids: 1, Frozen Land Rank-E, Small


    Warriors: 1359]


    Rank-A... Hmmm, to be honest, I expected more, but maybe I''m too confident. What''s the highest Rank? Wain asked.


    [After Rank-A is Rank-AA, then Rank-AAA, Rank-S, Rank-SS, and Rank-SSS.]


    "What the hell... That makes five Ranks above me, isn''t that too much?"


    Wain was not happy about this. He thought it indicated his strength, and he wasn''t happy with such a mediocre result.


    [You needn''t worry. It was your first appearance in the arena, and you got Rank-A, something only a few people out of millions could do. Moreover, it is impossible to evaluate your power and influence in one session fully.


    Rank is awarded based on your actions and the effect that you have had on the situations and not based on your skills or stats. You need to keep fighting, and if you are strong enough, you can increase your Rank]


    ''Understandably, it''s a pretty fair system. Despite the importance of stats and skills, they are not decisive factors in mortalbat. How much difference is there between Rank-A and Rank-S?''


    [It''s hard to describe. A gap of two Ranks means that the abilities and overall power of the two fighters are drastically different, and a Rank-A fighter has no chance of winning. It would be total annihtion on one side.


    Also, don''t forget that Rank is awarded based on your Chronicle. When you be a Second Chronicle creature, your Rank will be revised. Try to show the best you can for impressive results.]


    ''Huh, it''s scary to imagine who has Rank-SSS then. Haden was strong, mentally and physically, but even given his influence, he only had Rank-A. This is the World of Darkness, and there are many incredible geniuses and hidden talents...''


    Wain nodded and headed for the ice gate, but another message appeared before him.


    [Rank-A Award Received.]


    Whoooosh.


    The next moment a small red orb the size of a pearl appeared in the air in front of Wain with arge ''A'' on it.


    Wain took the sphere in his hands and muttered, "What is it?"


    [This is your reward. Every arena reward is special. You have to destroy the orb, and then you get your reward. It can be a skill, a piece of equipment, or even a consumable. However, it has one important detail.]


    "Hmm?"


    [The special thing about this reward is that the item you get will be what suits you best at the moment. Also, this item will be synchronized with your Main Soul and converted to the appropriate standards. This will affect the item''s power and purpose based on theme or attribute].


    "It''s prettyplicated, but it sounds interesting. Well, then it''s time to find out what''s in there." Wain said, smiling, and crushed the pearl.


    Initially, he was a little disappointed because he thought this orb was no different from Soul Chest or Skill Book, but his opinion changed when he heard about the interaction with Main Soul.


    Moreover, this spherecked such an essential factor as luck. Wain would get precisely what suited him best at the moment, and he liked it.


    In the four months of the apocalypse, Wain had already learned a bit about the power that lurked behind his main soul, Nameless King. It could bepared to pushing the boundaries or being immune to them.


    Crackle.


    Wain clenched his fist tightly and crushed the orb. It shattered into many pieces, and a red symbol flew into Wain''s be. His eyes glowed brightly for a second, and then he took a deep breath.


    The symbol headed toward his Soul Altar and joined it.


    However, when this happened, a strange force began to work on the symbol, and it changed its color from red to ck and gray. This was a special effect of the arena reward.


    Wain got lucky and received a skill, not a piece of equipment or a consumable. He concentrated, and the information about the skill appeared in front of him.


    [Call of the King (Unique Active Skill)]


    ''What? Unique Skill? What does that mean?


    [This is a special skill, to which you can''t apply parameters such as Chronicle or Rating. Also, this skill does not count as an active skill, despite the description.


    Even if you already have three active skills, you can still have unique skills, excluding soul skills.


    Also, most Unique Skills cannot be improved, but it is hidden behind hundreds of seals even if there is a way. However, Unique Skills gradually grow along with the wielder''s strength to match it]


    "I see..."


    [Call of the King (Unique Active Skill)


    Your strength and unwavering aspirations deserve respect. No matter what happens, you will forge ahead, and even deadly storms will not be able to make you stray from the path.


    You are a king, and your voice will be like amand from God to many in time.


    You can use this power to bring your voice to a certain personality type. They all have to have something inmon that unites them, and thates from their heart]


    Wain didn''tment on the new ability in any way. In his opinion, Call of the King had great potential. It had significant functionality, but he had to figure out how to use the skill. Call of the King was only suitable for specific situations.


    "Okay, it''s time to rest and move on to souls..." Mumbled Wain and entered the ice gate.<sub> </sub>


    He didn''t go to Frigus or ck Rabbit now. Wain wanted to rest and focus on his immediate goals.


    The only thing he did was look at the map of Frozen Lands and see a good progression of monsters exploring the areas.


    "Not bad, probably in a week or two, the area will be almostpletely explored. This will be a good time to start strengthening the monsters. After that, I can move on to the wars, but I need an alchemist urgently.''''


    Wain didn''t want to rush into dering war. He was notcking in resources at the moment. On the contrary, the monsters hadn''t even found all the crystal and root deposits yet.


    First, Wain wanted to build a strong foundation and use the resources with maximum efficiency. Then he would take over new territory, and the process would repeat itself.


    In his opinion, this was the best solution, since this ''game'' was not yed by him alone, but by more than a thousand other monsters. He couldn''t lead the Void, allocate and use resources alone.


    As much as Wain didn''t like being a leader and participating inrge-scale team projects, he understood that, in this case, he had no other choice.


    One day Wain wanted to meet the humans that other races fear so much and learn the other secrets of the World of Darkness. To do so, he had to grow stronger and strengthen his status and influence.


    Wain made his way to the icyke and, as always, took a slow dip in the cool water. This ce had be special to himtely.


    Here he could rest, refresh himself, and clear his thoughts, but now Wain wanted to do something else.


    He waved his hand, and souls began to fly out of his body. They didn''t stop, it was like an endless, multicolored stream.


    When Wain killed the elves, he also got the saved souls for the future. They didn''t have very many souls individually, but the total was impressive.


    At the moment, Wain had 1,800 souls. That was a record number for him, especially since all of those souls were First Chronicle.


    Wain could have traded those souls for Void Souls and bought some powerful and rare items, but he had another n.


    He was going to use those souls and reach level 30. Wain also wanted to increase his stats to the limit. In that case, he would peak as a First Chronicle creature and would no longer be able to get stronger with stats.


    A blue soul flew up to Wain, and he crushed it.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Aral Thaan level 25.]


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Light Brick level 26.]


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of...]


    Wain continued to use souls one by one. Their number seemed endless. The entire iceke cave was filled with hundreds of hovering souls resembling bright lights.


    Each time Wain destroyed a soul, he felt himself growing stronger. Sometimes there were Damaged Souls and even Whole Souls. He was rapidly increasing his stats as he approached his maximum.


    However, even after three hundred souls, Wain still hadn''t reached level thirtieth.


    "As I suspected, it takes a tremendous amount of energy to make thest step. If I hadn''t attacked the elves, it would have taken me weeks to mine that many souls." Wain muttered and crushed another soul.


    At that moment, Wain realized that the ability of humans to absorb a soul without residue or preparation fully was incredible.


    He didn''t need to waste time on unnecessary actions, Wain was devouring energy like a ck hole.


    Then, the message he had been waiting for appeared in front of him.


    [Your Agility has reached 250. Further increase of this stat with energy on the First Chronicle is impossible.]


    Three hundred more soulster, Wain saw a simr message.


    [Your Strength has reached 250.]


    Wain absorbed two hundred more souls.


    [Your Vitality has reached 250.]


    [Your Stamina has reached 250.]


    Eventually, when Wain absorbed a thousand First Chronicle Souls, he increased his stats to the maximum of First Chronicle. At that moment, Wain felt as if he could destroy an entire with a flick of his finger.


    The power overwhelmed him, the might he gained was iparable. It was a blissful feeling.


    Wain clenched and unclenched his fist several times and muttered, "Huh, if I had that kind of power a few hours ago, I would have won in a few attacks."


    He was pleased with the increased stats, but Wain still hadn''t reached level 30. He didn''t realize how much more energy he needed to get.


    Over the next few minutes, Wain used another two hundred souls, and then he finally saw the coveted message.


    [You have leveled up to level 30. You get 3 status points to distribute freely.]


    [You have reached your limit. You can no longer umte Soul Essence and increase stats by absorbing the souls of other beings. You must evolve to enter the next league]


    "Great." Quite said Wain.


    [To evolve, you must meet the following conditions:


    [Obtain Legendary Rating Soul


    [Break the line between life and death


    [Know what death is a hundred times]


    Wain was sure that he would need to meet some special conditions to evolve a second time. This was obvious since, during the first evolution, all he had to do was concentrate and use his energy.


    He was prepared for the conditions to be difficult, as he assumed that their difficulty depended on the Rating of his Main Soul, but he could not expect that.


    "These conditions are not difficult, they are impossible..."


    ...


    Wain spent the next few hoursing to his senses. He was in shock, for somehow, he had to meet these conditions for future promotion.


    Moreover, he realized that there were no impossible conditions to improve his skills so far. It wasn''t a lie, Wain needed to find out how to do it.

 Chapter 219 The New Soul

    Wain thought long and hard about meeting the conditions for evolution and came to certain conclusions.


    "Haden was Rank-A and had Ascendant Rating Souls. Maybe someone with Rank-S or higher has Legendary Rating Souls. I need to fight in more dangerous arenas, but that''s the easiest of the three conditions. Break the line between life and death... What could that mean?"


    Wain didn''t even begin to think about fulfilling the third condition. It seemed something impossible to him at the moment.


    He didn''t understand how it was possible to die a hundred times. It was a riddle he had no answer to.


    "Okay, I''ll deal with thatter. Right now, I have more possible and doable things to do."


    Wain opened the enhancement menu.


    [ck Thunder''s Renegade (Primary Chronicle, Epic Rating)


    [It is possible to develop a Soul if the following conditions are met -


    [Need a First Chronicle Rare Rating Soul with darkness attribute: 10/10. Need a First Chronicle Rare Rating Soul with lightning attribute: 10/10]


    ''Great, now I have a lot of different souls. Maybe now I can improve all the skills.'' Wain thought.


    [Do you want to use the necessary materials to upgrade Chronicle Soul - ck Thunder''s Renegade?]


    "Sure, I''ve been waiting for this for a long time."


    The next moment, eleven souls flew out of his body. Ten of them were blue, and one was pink. They slowly merged and transformed into one. Wain watched this process intently finally, his additional soul would be stronger.


    Whoooooosh.


    The souls became one, and the pink soul flew into Wain''s body and his Soul Altar. The color remained the same, but the size and energy increased manifold.


    Wain''s body exploded with ck electric shocks, and his eyes shed with lightning.


    [Soul of Forsaken Wanderer became your additional soul.]


    [Forsaken Wanderer (First Chronicle, Epic Rating)


    You have be a lonely wanderer whom the world has chosen to reject. It was a fate no one would want to have. It was like some unfulfilled nightmare.


    Your soul was saved from self-destruction by the sight of darkness and thunder. You felt a kindred and genuine connection to these elements.


    As you watched the thunder clouds violently destroying forests and fields away from the world, you saw yourself. You are lonely and strong, but can you be called a loner if you are together with darkness and thunder?


    *Your attack speed is increased by 30%, your movement speed is increased by 20%.


    *Your damage from lightning and darkness is increased by 25%. All your damage is increased by 17%.


    *Under thunderstorms, all bonuses are multiplied by 1.5x, all stats are increased by 10%].


    [The Fall of Thunder Eye skill has been destroyed]


    [The Three Wanderer Steps skill has been created.]


    [Three Wanderer Steps (First Chronicle Active Skill, Epic Rating)


    With the power of ck thunder, you can significantly enhance your weapons. After using the skill, three pearl-sized electrical spheres appear on your weapon. Each of them harbors arge amount of energy.


    The next time you strike, one of the spheres will activate and boost the power of your strike a hundred times.


    Even though it takes a lot of energy to use the skill and only three spheres are created, this skill has astounding firepower].


    "Delightful..." Wain muttered.


    Wain didn''t check the skill he received, he had to do something else before that.


    Wain still had hundreds of different souls with which to improve his skills. He had enough Rare Rating and Epic Rating souls for that.


    However, there was one problem, Wain didn''t yet know how to get an Essence from souls, and he decided to learn it now.


    ''Sven said you can get Essence from just about anything, but the most effective options are energy filled materials or souls.'' Thought Wain looking at the white soul floating in the air.


    It took him several days to get an Essence from energy crystals. He even had to resort to a rather cunning method. Wain was sure it would go more smoothly for him now.


    "Okay, let''s get started."


    Snap.


    Wain shattered his soul and tried to remember what he felt while extracting an Essence from the crystal.


    To Wain''s surprise, he seeded, and Essence was practically formed. He made a mistake in the end, but these results were astonishing.


    "Just as I thought, it was even easier than I had imagined. It looks like I''m going to be stronger today, not just because of the stats, but because of the superior skills."


    ...


    Eventually, after a few hours, Wain created the necessary amount of Essence. Luckily the elves had everything they needed, but that was no luck.


    Wain killed hundreds of elves and gained almost two thousand souls. He got a decent reward and valuable souls for it.


    "Okay, it''s time to get to the fun part."


    Wain opened the menu of skill improvements and selected the first of them.


    [Storm Gloves (First Chronicle, Epic Rating)


    [Sign of Lightning in Storm Gloves can be developed if the following conditions are met-


    [First Chronicle Epic Rating Soul with lightning attribute: 2/2. Fifteen units of First Rank Essence with lightning attribute: 15/15]


    [Do you want to use the necessary materials to gain the Storm Gloves skill?]


    ''Yes.''


    Whooooooosh.


    The next moment one blue symbol and two pink souls flew out of his body along with fifteen blue spheres. As before, they merged into one, and a pink symbol flew into Wain''s body.


    A wind appeared on his arms and then slowly dissipated. Wain nodded and moved on to the next skill. He felt he would be several times stronger today.


    [Shattered Part (First Chronicle Active Skill, Rare Rating)<sub> </sub>


    [Dark Sword in Shattered Part can be developed under the following conditions.


    [Required First Chronicle Rare Rating Whole Soul with darkness attribute: 1/1. Seven units of First Rank Essence with darkness attribute: 7/7.]


    [Do you want to use the necessary materials to gain the Shattered Part skill?]


    ''Yes.''


    The process repeated itself. Wain lost souls and essences but gained a powerful skill, which will be a formidable weapon together with Forgotten Monarch''s Sword.


    "Two more to go... This time I will touch magic and find out what it is." Wain muttered.


    [Magic Missile (First Chronicle Active Skill, Epic Rating)


    [Distant Bullet can be upgraded to Magic Missile under the following conditions.


    [Need a First Chronicle Epic Rating Soul with neutral attribute: 1/1. Ten First Rank Essence with neutral attribute: 10/10.]


    [Do you want to use the necessary materials to gain the Distant Bullet skill?]


    ''Yes.''


    ...


    Wain then moved on to thest skill he could improve, but the way was unusual. To improve the previous skills, he needed souls and Essences, but in this case, he wasbining two passive skills into one.


    [ming Healing Threads (First Chronicle, Heroic Rating)


    [Combine Heat Resistant Flesh and ming Healing Threads into one skill if the following conditions are met-


    [Requires a First Chronicle Heroic Rating Soul with fire attribute: 1/1. Required a First Chronicle Epic Rating Soul with illusory attribute: 1/1. Fifteen units of First Rank Essence with fire attribute: 15/15. Ten units of First Rank Essence of illusory attribute: 10/10]


    [Want to use the necessary materials tobine the two skills and gain ming Healing Threads?]


    ''Yes.''


    Ghost Healing Threads was an excellent healing skill that greatly elerated regeneration. Now this skill was even better and gave a good defense against fire.


    Wain still had one more skill he could improve, but it needed something special.


    [Caretaker of Symbols (First Chronicle, Rare Rating)


    What are the most interesting books? The ones with some mystery hidden in them. Right?


    ???]


    [It is possible to develop the skill if the following conditions are met-.


    [You must read a thousand books: 0/1000]


    "Eh, I wonder why this particr skill has such strange conditions and unknown effects? Originally this skill just increased my reading speed. Perhaps it proves that with some development, even a weak skill can be something unique."


    Wain wanted to put his new skills to the test, and to do so, he went to a spacious cave where he could not hold back.


    First, Wain decided to use Storm Gloves. He concentrated, and a moving wind appeared on his hands, which looked like a whirlwind. It gradually transformed into gloves that covered his hands up to his elbows.


    Then several strands of wind spread all over his body and slowly disappeared. Wain felt that he became much faster, it was as if he had be a raging wind.


    Wain looked at his palm and then clenched his fist. He struck a powerful and swift blow at one point, and the whole cave shook. His attack left a massive crater in the wall with a funnel-shaped pattern on it.


    This was the main power of Storm Gloves. When Wain struck, the wind elerated and turned into a vortex-like pattern.


    Such an attack would tear the enemy''s flesh like a meat grinder. Despite its beauty and romanticism, the wind can be cruel and dangerous.


    "Hmm, how about this?" Proimed Wain and twisted his arm the other way.


    He took a step back and struck the palm of his hand. It was like a movement from some martial art.


    Tremble.


    The blow was much more powerful and whirled through half a meter of ice.


    However, along with chunks of ice, crimson drops of blood fell to the ground. This skill was dangerous, and Wain made a mistake. He could not hold the power of the wind and be wounded.


    "It hurts, but it''s a pleasant pain. It''s nice to know that I can do something like this at will. This power I''ve gained by killing hundreds before."


    Wain canceled the skill and decided to use Magic Missile. The description of this skill was pretty simple. It was a beam of energy with a piercing ability. Magic Missile could bepared to an armor-piercing projectile, only intangible.


    He stretched his hand forward, and arge amount of energy gathered at the tip of his finger.


    Then his eyes sparkled, and the energy turned into a white beam that pierced several meters of ice. There were no cracks in the wall, and the cave didn''t shake, but no creature could block it.


    "Okay, now it''s time to get to the fun part."


    The Ring of Damned glowed brightly, and a tinum sword appeared in Wain''s hands. Then he used the Shattered Part.


    On his other hand, a dark sword of 90% energy appeared. This skill could be used to fight, but it wasn''t a fighting skill. It was an auxiliary skill.


    Wain put the dark sword on Forgotten Monarch''s Sword, merging it into one.


    The dark sword turned into a dark thread that enveloped the de of the tinum sword. The closer it was to the edge, the thinner the threads became.


    A small amount of dark energy emanated from the threads, and when Wain swung the Forgotten Monarch''s Sword, there was a plume in the air for a short time. It was a beautiful and destructive skill.


    Wain sharply plunged the sword into the ice, and there was an explosion of darkness. It was powerful enough to turn solid ice into shards, and Wain could repeat it repeatedly as long as he had energy.


    After that blow, several dark threads disappeared from the sword de, which was a kind of indicator of the number of possible blows.


    Whoooosh.


    The darkness disappeared as Wain canceled the skill. Now he decided to test how powerful Three Wanderer Steps would be.


    He concentrated and gathered energy on the sword. It turned into three ck electric spheres. They were small, but they sounded like a real storm was about to hit.


    Wain gripped the sword tightly with both hands and took a deep breath. Then he lowered the sword sharply, and one of the spheres exploded. It turned into energy that moved to the sword de.


    Thus, a powerful wave of darkness and lightning energy was created after the impact. More than ten meters of ice was destroyed and turned into dust, and the ce of the cut was like a canyon.

 Chapter 220 Races And Cocktail

    Wain was amazed at the power that lurked in the Three Wanderer Steps. He hadn''t expected that one swing would bring such destruction.


    "AHAHAHAHA, this is incredible, but... I have to be careful." Wain muttered, looking at his trembling right hand.


    The recoil from that punch was pretty serious. He needed a little practice to master that skill fully. Any great power had a corresponding recoil, and to level the recoil, one had to have a certain mastery.


    The Ring of Damned shed, the tinum sword disappeared, and a blue pack of cigarettes appeared in Wain''s hands.


    He lit a cigarette and exhaled a puff of smoke a few secondster. It turned into a pawn and then dissipated.


    "Hmm, it''s a month until the ind will appear, I don''t have much time, but all I have to do is find a vehicle. I can afford to spend some time training."


    ...


    Wain spent the next three days training. When a person received a new skill, he knew immediately how to use it.


    The symbol held not only energy but also a form with detailed instructions.


    The Soul Altar absorbed and stored this information. However, just knowing how to use a skill was not enough for decent results.


    It could bepared to knowing how to drive a car. Millions of people could do it, but only a few of them knew how to do it professionally.


    Of course, not everyone needs it, but it took time and effort to achieve a certain mastery in any endeavor.


    Wain practiced, used one skill after another, and in between smoked and drank potions to restore energy. The taste was awful, but Wain was pleased with the effect.


    Eventually, Wain turned several caves into huge craters and smoked all the cigarettespletely. Wain thought he had achieved excellent results and decided it was time to rest in pleasant surroundings.


    Seal of Darkness erupted, and in a few steps, Wain entered the ink.


    After battling Haden, visiting the arena, and the Purgatory area with the Aristocrat''s mask, Wain had a lot of questions. Fortunately, Wain knew someone who could tell him anything for a reasonable fee.


    Wain had only four hundred souls left after using souls to level up, gain essences, and improve skills. However, two hundred of them were Rare Rated, and they were all First Chronicle. For that, he could get quite a few Void Souls.


    At this point, all souls other than Whole werepletely useless to Wain.


    He could no longer umte Soul Essence and increase his stats. Excluding skills and equipment, Wain reached his maximum as a Fist Chronicle creature.


    He needed to ovee the barrier and take the next step for further advancement. Although, given the conditions for starting the second evolution, it was easier to start the apocalypse once more than to fulfill them.


    So Wain was going to use his souls to trade with Sven. He could now afford to collect souls and exchange them for Void Souls, increasing his fortune.


    Even though Wain owned one Void and was strong, he was quite poor. He had good equipment but no money.


    That didn''t bother him at the moment, but he realized that the more he interacted with the World of Darkness, the more critical money would be.


    Some hated money, some valued it more than anything else, but there was no denying that money was a great power. Millions of people died because of it. Wars broke out, betrayals and other terrible things happened.


    However, money was also capable of giving happiness and joy. Like most things in this world, money didn''t just have a light or a dark side. It depended on the situation, and sometimes its value was astounding.


    ...


    Wain found himself in a spatial rift and headed for the wooden door. He walked into the bar, and as before, it was cozy and smelled nice.


    No matter what happened in the world, this bar would never change, and its majestic aura would remain forever, but the most important element of any bar, of course, was the bartender.


    Sven was in ssic uniform as always and slowly wiped his ss with a silk rag. His movements were graceful and fluid.


    "Good afternoon." Sven said, smiling, setting the ss aside.


    Wain nodded and took a seat behind the bar. He looked at the various, sparse bottles of liquor behind Sven and said, "I want something strong and spicy this time. Is that possible?"


    "Sure, I can do anything, but first the payment."


    "How many?"


    "If you want an ordinary cocktail, just three Void Souls, but if you want something special, I want ten Void Souls. It''s up to you, but I''d advise you not to skimp. My cocktails can cost a lot more."


    "Of course, ten Void Souls for your cocktail is a small price to pay." Pronounced Wain and a hundred Void Souls flew out of his hand.


    Sven waved his hand, and the souls headed toward him. He turned them into three gray souls and headed for the room behind the bar.


    Usually, Sven used a lot of ingredients to make one cocktail, but this time it was different.


    He brought a small, clear container from the pantry that contained a single pepper. It had a strange jelly-like consistency.


    Sven took a ss from the shelf and held the pepper over it. Then he took a lighter out of his pocket and slowly melted the pepper. Only a few drops filled the bottom of the ss, but it was worth a few Void Souls.


    The secondponent of the cocktail was an expensive whiskey and a few ice cubes. The clear ice cubes turned red and looked like rubies, to Wain''s surprise.


    "The ''Hell''s Jelly'' cocktail is ready." Sven muttered and slid the ss over to Wain.


    He took the ss to his mouth and took a sip, after which he became very thirsty. Wain felt like a fire in his mouth, and he had just drunkva from a volcano in hell. It was hot but invigoratingly pleasant.<sub> </sub>


    This cocktail was worth ten Void Souls, and besides the taste of Wain got a few other bonuses.


    [You drank the ''Hell''s Jelly'' and felt the heat of this drink. Resistance to fire attacks is increased by 20% for three hours. The power of fire attacks is increased by 15%. Any healing spells based on fire increased by 40%]


    ''Wow... That''s pretty interesting.''


    He didn''t expect the drink to have special properties like some object. At that moment, Wain wondered what the cocktail was.


    Was it a drink that a chef or bartender with special skills could make, or despite its appearance, was it an alchemical potion or decoction?


    "Excellent, as always. I have many questions for you, but I''d like to buy something first." Said Wain and pulled an empty pack of cigarettes out of his pocket.


    "I see, you smoke quite a lot. These cigarettes are ten times more powerful than regr cigarettes, but it doesn''t seem to have stopped you."


    "I need new ones, three packs, too."


    "Sure." Sven smiled weakly, and the ring on his finger shone brightly. "I''ll offer you three options in different price ranges. I''m sure you''ll like something for sure."


    Three packs of cigarettes appeared on the bar. One was red with a gold frame, the second was ck with a bright blue star in the center, and the third was white with a ck palm sign on it.


    Sven pointed to the red pack of cigarettes and said, "These are ''Scarlet Seduction. It tastes nice has an unusual sweet aftertaste and red smoke. One pack is worth five Void Souls."


    Wain nodded, and Sven moved on to the next option.


    "This ''Last Spark'' is perfect for those who want to feel fresh and pleasantly cool despite the smoke and the usual warmth of cigarettes. The smoke is ck with small blue particles. Worth 10 Void Souls, but I must warn you that these cigarettes can not be lit with a normal me. You need a special icy one."


    "Unusual, how much is a lighter with such a me?"


    "Twenty Void Souls, but if you buy three packs of ''Last Spark'' cigarettes, I''ll make a small discount."


    "I see. Tell me about thest one."


    "Sure." Proimed Sven and pointed to a white pack of cigarettes. "It''s the ''Last Sign of Death,'' and the appearance of the cigarettes is rather unusual. They''repletely white, just like the smoke. It tastes nice and has a unique vor. Also, if you''re interested, this smoke has special properties."


    "Hm?"


    "If it is inhaled by someone other than you, it will act as a tonic. It will lead to rxation and tranquility. This effect is due to the unusualbination of herbs used. The price is 15 Void Souls per pack."


    Wain nodded and extended his hand forward. Ny blue souls flew out of it, the equivalent of forty-five Void Souls.


    Sven took the souls and handed Wain three white packs of cigarettes. He decided to try out the novelty right away. Wain brought the me to the cigarette and then blew out a white puff of smoke.


    He had never felt anything like it. Most cigarettes had a rather unpleasant taste and often had a bitterness or bad smell, especially the cheap brands.


    ''Huh, it''s like I absorbed a cloud, and it burned up inside me. Damn, it''s so weird, but at the same time, I don''t feel like stopping.'' Wain thought.


    "Anything else?" Asked Sven and removed the packs of cigarettes from the bar.


    "Of course, besides being a bartender and a salesman, you''re also an informer. I visited some interesting ces recently, one of which was the Rank-B Arena. There I met several members of races unknown to me."


    "You can meet anyone and anything in the arenas. They are quite crowded ces."


    "Yes, unfortunately, my knowledge of other races is limited, and I want you to tell me about the strongest and best-known races. About their peculiarities, details of their lives, and so on." Wain said slowly.


    "All right, it''s not difficult, but the conversation will get long and informative. I want you to tell me first what races you''ve met, describe them, and I''ll tell you everything you want to know about them."


    "Understood, then I want to ask about the ones I''ve met the most. Recently I had to stain my hands in their blood. Tell me about the Elves."


    ck Rabbit told Wain about the Elves, but briefly and without detail. Wain wanted more, he respected information and thought it a weapon capable of changing the whole world.


    "Elves... Good choice. One second, I have something that will make our conversation more interesting and informative." Pronounced Sven and headed for the storeroom.


    He brought a sphere of dark blue light from there, he ced it on the table, and touched the sphere with his hand.


    Then the sphere glowed brightly, and a 3D image of two beings appeared. They were elves, a woman and a man.


    "Let''s start with the appearance. All Elves are quite well developed physically. They are tall and have an athletic build. To meet fat and short Elf is as hard as a unicorn. Their hair is usually white, blond, blue, or green. Other variations are sometimes found as well. Eye color is blue, green, and rarely amber.


    They love nature, living in forests or mountains. Elves do not like areas such as volcanoes, mingnds, or deserts and avoid them. They take care of animals and nts. Most elves are vegetarians, it used to be thought that they never lie, but that''s not true."


    "Huh, that''s pretty detailed information, and I take it this is just the beginning. Right?" Asked Wain.


    "Of course, appearance and residence have been dealt with. Now we move on to the elements and the type of skills used. Elves, like some other races, have no attachment to any attribute. However, 99% of Elves use only a few.


    They mainly use air, water, ice, light, sometimes earth, and neutral attributes. They disapprove of those who use the Fire or Sand attribute, but it is not forbidden. However, Elves who venture down this path will meet with public censure."


    "I take it their forbidden attribute is darkness?"


    "Yes, this power is forbidden to them. Those who practice the attribute of darkness are sought out and killed without trial. They consider it an insult to all elves, nature, and especially the power of light."

 Chapter 221 Diversity Of The World

    "Darkness... Do elves believe in the power of light?" Wain muttered.


    "Yes." Sven nodded, "The thing is, the attribute of darkness specially affects their bodies. I can''t call it a negative effect, but certain metamorphoses ur. However, anything forbidden is bound to be popr somewhere, and someone will take advantage of it. It''s inevitable."


    "Hmm?"


    "I''m talking about the Dark Elves. You can''t call them another race. They''re a type of elf. Dark Elves, as the name implies, use the attribute of darkness. Outwardly they are strikingly different from ordinary elves.


    They have dark skin. Their hair is ck, gray, or purple. Their eyes are the same color. Sometimes they are blood red. Many people think that the Dark Elves are stronger and more beautiful than ordinary elves, but this is a rather subjective opinion because there are High Elves." Sven pronounced.


    "High Elves?"


    "Yes, in fact, the High Elves are all Elves from noble families and whose blood purity exceeds 75%. You could call them the elite among purebloods. No special features other than an incredible amount of energy and excellent physical strengthpared to other Elves they have."


    "I see. How do the Elves have a society? What is their ideology?" asked Wain.


    "I would say that the Elves have almostplete equality. Women are a little more likely to have more powerful magical abilities, and men are more likely to be faster and stronger. These two parameters bnce each other, closing the disadvantages of each side. However, there are still more men among the leaders."


    ''Hmm, that elf who came to the aid of A and Keya possessed incredible speed. At the same time, both girls preferred to fight at a distance and use different skills. Understandably.''


    "Elves are a fairly peaceful race, they don''t mind cooperation, but it will take a long time to get close to them. They are extremely selective with those who want to be their friends or partners."


    "How numerous and powerful are the Elves?"


    "It''s hard to describe in words. They are one of the most powerful races in existence. They have excellent energy control, excellent skills, learn quickly, and live long lives. Their only disadvantage is the low birth rate. The reason is that Elves men have low libido, and women can''t do anything about it.


    However, despite the low birth rate, their numbers are huge. They are rarely born but die in battle or from old age even more rarely. You could call it a bnce otherwise, the whole world would be filled with Elves."


    "Okay, about the Elves, I learned even more than I nned. Tell me about the race with pale skin, ashy hair, amber eyes, and white mes on their arms. Who are they?"


    When Wain entered the Purgatory Zone for the second time, he first met members of another race. Ria, one of them, realized that Wain was a human and tried to capture him, but she failed.


    "Ah, you must be talking about them." Sven muttered, and the image above the crystal ball changed.


    A 3D image of a man and a woman appeared. They looked exactly as Wain had described them.


    "The members of this race are called Ashen. I must admit that they are one of those races that I have respect for."


    "Why?" Wain asked in amazement.


    "Most of the races at the top of the world have rather few limitations. For example, the Elves can use almost any attribute. Moreover, they are superior in controlling energy. Weaker races usually have a lot of restrictions and therefore are lower on the food chain."


    "What makes the Ashens unique then?"


    "Huh, that''s just it, nothing. More specifically, they have nothing but me, fighting spirit, and potential.


    Okay, first things first, let''s start with appearance. All Ashens have pale skin, and they have white mes from birth. It can be not only on their hands but on any other part of their body, even their tongue.


    Their hair can be three colors, white, yellow, or ashy. Their eyes are either amber, yellow, or orange. They are tall and have a muscr physique. In this, they are even superior to elves."


    Wain nodded.


    "However, that is where their advantages end. Ashens have one critical w. The only attribute they can use is me, and it''s white. Usually, races with severe limitations can''t go higher and are always at the bottom. However, Ashens was able to do so."


    "Why? What''s their secret?"


    "It''s quite simple. The first is their fighting spirit and character. As strange and ridiculous as it sounds, it''s true. They are born warriors, no, I would even say diators. They know how to fight, they know how to react in dangerous situations, and they never give up.


    The second reason is their potential. It lies in the fact that Ashens have only two ways to develop. The first is to increase the size and strength of the me. However, the strongest members of this race have taken the second path, reducing the me.


    They gradually bring the me closer to a state of ashes. I''m not sure, but as far as I know, if 95% of the mes turn to ash, Ashen will be so strong that no one but geniuses from other races canpete with it."


    "I see. I take it the second way is much more difficult?"


    "Of course. Only the bravest and most talented members of this race make that choice. Now let''s talk about their society and their preferences. Ashens can live anywhere except in cold and watery zones.


    Although their attribute is me, they don''t mind living in forests. They are good enough not to set fire to a tree with their power identally. Moreover, they can put out a fire at any moment."


    Sven sighed and continued, "Ashens have no pronounced matriarchy or patriarchy. Male and female rtions are about equal. However, all important decisions are made by men, and women don''t try to challenge them.


    They can be quite aggressive and bullying, but they have one quality that many people respect. Ashen never break their word and always keep theirmitments."


    "Huh, in a world where lies and betrayal reign, that''s really something incredible. How strong are they?"


    "The Ashens are on par with the Elves. They are one of the leading races and canpete with each other. "


    "I see, good. Now I know quite a bit about the two races. Tell me about the Inerians. What kind of race are they? I was recently in the Purgatory area, and I was mistaken for a member of that race and wondered about my beauty." Proimed Wain.


    "That sounds pretty funny, but considering you wear a cape all the time, it''s no wonder they thought you were an Inerian. They had no other options. How much do you know about this race?"<sub> </sub>


    "Quite a bit, from what I understand, it''s a matriarchal race where women decide everything. That''s where my information ends." Said Wain.


    "I see..." Sven muttered and touched the crystal ball.


    The image changed to two people, a man and a woman, but it was slightly different this time. Elves and Ashens had men and women of about the same height and looked simr, but the Inerians didn''t.


    The silhouette of the girl was tall, almost two meters tall. She had a beautiful bodyparable to the Greek goddesses. Every curve of her body was perfect.


    She looked like the creation of a mythical sculptor. Her hair, like Erza''s, was divided into two parts. One was blue, and the other was green.


    However, the man beside her was short, unattractive, and even ugly. He was barely one and a half meters tall. His skin was dark and swarthy, his eyes, legs, and spine were crooked. His hair was dark, and his eyes were brown.


    "As you can see, even in appearance, the Inerians have significant differences. You''re right. The women there are dominant from birth to death. However, one must admit that the Inerinas are very loyal and appreciate love, though it is strange and iprehensible to others.


    The girls are more beautiful and stronger, but their matriarchy is for a different reason. It''s all about their physiology and body structure. If you''ve ever met an Inerian, you should have noticed that there are energy threads on their bodies."


    "Yes, I met a woman. She had three threads and three bracelets on her arms. Below her neck was a circle where six threads were intertwined."


    "Three threads... That''s impressive..." Sven muttered.


    "Hmm?"


    "Wain, the Inerians, like all races, have a hierarchy. The Elves have it based on pure blood, magic, and physical strength. Ashens have it based on the purity of blood, the power of me, or the amount of ash.


    With Inerians, blood purity is just as important, but equally important is the number of energy threads. The least can be one, the most can be three. I''ve heard of there being an Inerian with four strands, but that sounds more like fiction than the truth."


    "Huh, it looks like I was pretty lucky to be able to get away from her. I don''t know why, but this girl wanted me to be her lover, even after she saw I had no strings."


    "Yeah, that''s truly unusual. Okay, back to the subject. Inerians have women in charge because they take energy from men. Women can only receive, while men can only give.


    Considering that in strength and beauty women are superior to men, they simply had no other option but to be in charge."


    "I see. Does the color of their hair have something to do with their abilities?" Asked Wain.


    "Yes." Sven nodded, "Usually, Inerian women have split hair. In most cases, hair color is indirectly rted to the attributes they use. For example, the girl in the image would have water and the attribute of nature.


    However, their hair color is not so from birth. The metamorphosis takes ce at the age of seven, at which time each girl is first taught to take energy from a man. When they receive someone else''s energy, a new, random power is awakened in them."


    "It''s interesting... Initially, I thought they were just taking power, but it''s actually a dictate of nature. Their men are out of luck..."


    "Well... That''s not quite right. Sure, it seems uneptable to us, but their men don''t know that it could be any other way. They''re used to having a woman decide everything. They''re just an addition to them. However, I must admit that the girls treat the men well despite the matriarchal system.


    First of all, Inerians are famous for their faithfulness. Even though women are more beautiful and stronger than men, they never abandon their chosen one. Sure, they take advantage of their position and can sometimes seem cruel, but that''s from our subjective point of view. For them, it''s the norm."


    "Unexpectedly, I thought such unshakable power would turn their heads. I must admit that few people are capable of such a thing."


    "Everyone has their peculiarities and shorings. We''ve talked about women, now let''s move on to men. They are weaker, not as beautiful, and have to give their energy, but they are just as capable of fighting.


    However, men don''t usually participate in wars and battles. Womenpletely take over the role of defenders and warriors, they protect their lovers, but there is one more thing.


    Men also have power, rank, and position in society. The higher this is, the better a man works as an energy conductor. It depends on how much energy a man can transfer to a woman. The more, the more valuable the man is and the stronger the woman." Sven pronounced.


    "Clearly, men act as a support or even a battery. In some ways, it''s even better than if they were fighting alongside the women. They are safe and, at the same time, replenish the energy of their mistress. That way, a woman can fight several times longer." Wain concluded.


    "Okay, moving on. Inerians can live in any terrain, but they prefer deserted des near forests or mountains the most. They''re also quite technologically advanced. They have electricity but no transportation. They prefer to use beasts or monsters to get around."


    "Wow, that''s unexpected."


    "You shouldn''t be surprised. Some races prefer to forgo technology and focus on energy. Others, on the contrary, see nothing wrong with mixing the two things.


    The Inerians are rather closed folk. They are even less willing tomunicate with outsiders than the elves. Of course, it is possible to contact them, but it takes time. However, it''s almost impossible for women to make friends with Inerians."


    "Why?"


    "As strange as it may sound, despite the matriarchy andplete control over men, the women of this race are extremely jealous. One girl has been known to attack and kill another just because she saw her lover talking to her. Their jealousy has long since escted into a kind of madness.


    I don''t know if their men are jealous, but probably not. Since their mistresses never look at other men. What''s more, a man will never be used of cheating if he talks to someone. It will always be the other women''s fault since they have all the responsibility." Sven pronounced.


    "What an interesting race. I take it the Inerians are on par with the Elves and Ashens in power?"


    "Yes, that''s right. I must say that some women are so strong that it surprises even me."


    -----------------


    Hey, thank you all for reading this story. I want to apologize thattely, the release of chapters has been unstable, and there have been quite a few chapters. But now it looks like I''m back on pace. Have a nice day!

 Chapter 222 Purity Of Blood

    Chapter 222: Purity of Blood


    "Inerians... This race is more interesting than I imagined." Mumbled Wain.


    "Yes, I have something else to say. The Inerians, because of their society, tend to be arrogant and haughty. It''s nothing more than a peculiarity of theirmunication, though."


    "I see, I want to know about the next race, but before I do, I have to ask one question. Given that the Inerians have a matriarchy, I can''t help but ask it."


    "I''m listening to you carefully."


    "Who''s in charge in bed?"


    "Huh, that''s obvious. It''s pretty hard for their men to endure a night together with their beloved. After all, unlike the other races, they do something else at night, namely the energy transfer. As a result, after such a night, a man looks like a dried-up rag." Sven smiling, replied.


    "All right, let''s move on. Vampires, I know rather little about them. Who are they, and what are they known for?"


    "Like the previous three races, vampires are one of the strongest races in the entire world."


    Sven touched the crystal ball, and an image of a man and a woman appeared. They were beautiful and coldly attractive. The man looked like an aristocrat, while the woman looked like a countess or duchess.


    They were dressed in gothic noble clothes. The man wore a long red cloak with ck stripes around the edges. Under it was a white shirt with the buttons unbuttoned at the top and lose cuffs.


    The girl was dressed in a scarlet dress with a wavy outline and a tight outer corset. Her hair was gathered into a bundle and pierced with a decorative needle-shaped hairpin.


    "Vampires are considered one of the most beautiful races, no wonder. Their coolness, grace, and sense of style are really appealing."


    "Yeah, they''re good at that..." Wain muttered.


    He had never seen Vampires before. He knew of their existence from ck Rabbit''s words. So had he imagined what these creatures looked like from the stories he''d read in his world, but the reality exceeded his expectations.


    "Vampires are tall, have incredible physical stats and amounts of energy. They are stronger than Ashens and more adept at managing energy than Elves."


    "Oh, that sounds serious. They look like absolutes." Wain muttered.


    "Yes, but they all have their weaknesses, but we''ll get to thatter. As usual, let''s start with looks. Vampires usually have pale or pale skin. It''s as smooth as jade and yet quite tough. Even newborn babies'' skin can protect against a steel de."


    When Sven said that even the baby Vampire''s skin is so tough, Wain realized something.


    ''Not only do all races have different living conditions and abilities, but also the beginning... It is impossible for an adult human to have skin so robust that a steel knife cannot damage it. However, this is a normal condition for a vampire, even for an infant...'' Mumbled Wain to himself.


    It stunned him. Such a difference terrified him. Simply put, a five-year-old vampire child would be stronger than an Olympic champion.


    How could that be called fair? Someone from birth is at a level that others can''t even reach in a lifetime.


    Sven continued, "Vampires usually have blond or white hair, but sometimes there are other variations. Some people think the most beautiful vampires have ck hair, but that''s subjective. Vampires'' eyes can be any color, but they are often blue or red.


    Usually, men with long hair are quite a few, but not vampires. Many men have long hair, just as many women have short hair. Of course, their main distinguishing feature is their fangs."


    Wain nodded. It was the fangs that vampires were known for in his world.


    "Vampires prefer to live in ruins, abandoned castles, dungeons, caves, and other such ces. It used to be thought that they made that choice because they were afraid of the light, but that''s not true." Sven muttered.


    "Hmm? Don''t vampires avoid sunlight?" Wain asked surprised.


    "No, that''s a myth." Shaking his head, Sven said. "Vampires do dislike sunlight, but not because they can burn under it. Their eyes are very sensitive, and they prefer cool ces. Also, the sun significantly slows down their regeneration."


    "That''s it? They don''t get any more negative effects from the sun?"


    "Yes, if necessary, a Vampire cane out of his shelter even when the sun is at the zenith. It won''t weaken him, and he can quickly destroy his enemies."


    "I see. How is their society structured? Who''s in charge?"


    "The men, that''s for sure. I don''t know why, but women are literally ready and willing to worship men. It''s pretty weird, but I would call it voluntary submission. Men don''t like to abuse it, but they have no choice. Girls behave as if they were willless puppets or ves.


    Perhaps it has to do with their sexual preferences. I don''t know why, but all vampire girls are masochists, but they treat men of other races like sadists. Figuring out their psychology is almost impossible. Everyone has a little madness, and vampires are no exception."


    "Oh, one race is dominated by women and the other by men. That''s pretty interesting. Tell me about their abilities. ording to you, they are superior to Ashens and Elves."


    "Yes, that is indeed true, the power of the Vampires is astounding, but they have disadvantages like everyone else. First of all, they are quite vulnerable to fire attacks, and so even though they are superior to Ashens in every way, the two races are on the same level.


    Secondly, as I said before, their regeneration suffers in the sun. The others know this and will never fight vampires in their territory. It''s suicide. That''s really where the weaknesses end, but there''s more."


    "Hmm?" Wain was interested. At this point, the Vampires looked like true kings, unmatched.


    "Vampires are toozy. That might sound strange to you, but it''s a fact everyone has epted. They don''t like to train, sleep a lot, and spend most of their time sipping wine and enjoying each other''s bodies. Maybe it''s a curse, or perhaps it''s their psychology.


    It doesn''t affect their strength much, but it keeps possible conflicts with Vampires to a minimum. They are banalzy and have no reason to fight. Also, unlike Elves and Inerians, Vampires are always happy to make new acquaintances and guests."


    "They''re pretty sociable, aren''t they?"


    "They are. If youe to a vampire with good intentions, he will treat you to great wine, give you a tour of his castle, and encourage any conversation. However, if the vampire decides you''re the enemy for some reason, you''re finished.


    Vampires are notorious for rarely killing their victims right away. They like to stretch out the process and enjoy it. Vampires will grab you, immobilize you, and torture you. As I said earlier, girls vampires treat other races as sadists, and that''s why they do this dirty work.


    Vampires are skilled at torture, so if the skin you alive, that''s just the beginning of your torment. In general, it''s best not to piss off vampires when you''re in their territory. It usually ends sadly." Sven pronounced.


    "Yeah, it''s definitely better to be friends with them. Moreover, it seems that, unlike other races, it is much easier to make friends with vampires."


    "That''s the right choice. Also, besides being quite sociable and hospitable, vampires are active in trade. Many vampires are very wealthy, and conventional methods cannot measure their wealth.


    Also, vampires are very fond of various antiques, ancient objects, and rare alcohol. They can be called aristocratic collectors."


    "Trade? But, how? You said vampires arezy and spend most of their time in their castles."


    "Huh, maybe that''s their talent? But maybe it''s all about the Ghouls. They help the Vampires supply goods, extract goods, and solve various problems. The Vampires direct the process and personally handle the trade as they are masters at it."<sub> </sub>


    "The Ghouls? Who''s that?" Asked Wain.


    "The faithful servants of vampires and their indispensable helpers, and it is one of the most powerful abilities of vampires. In a nutshell, Ghouls are any creature, be it a monster or an elf, that has been bitten by a vampire and drank his blood.


    For example, take suchmon monsters as Trolls. If a monster bites a vampire and the Troll drinks its blood, it bes a Goole. It has almost no effect on appearance, but it changes many other aspects." Pronounced Sven.


    "Doesn''t that mean that in this way, Vampires can conquer the whole world?"


    Wain decided that Vampires could endlessly create their servants.


    "No." Sven shook his head. "Don''t forget Ashens, Vampires, with all their might, can''t turn them into Ghouls. Their mes will instantly burn the bite site and the vampire''s blood. Like vampires can''t turn those with the attribute of fire or light into Ghouls.


    Furthermore, each vampire has a limit on the number of Ghouls that can be under his control at one time. The stronger the vampire, the greater the number."


    "Hmm, the Ghouls are required to obey vampires, right?"


    "Yes, but when a monster or member of another race turns into a Ghoul, his powers increase significantly. He bes faster, stronger, more resilient, and his energy reserves increase many times over.


    On the downside, it''s hard for ghouls to stay out in the sunlight for long periods. They also sometimes need a boost in the form of blood."


    "Is there any way to stop being a Ghoul or, conversely, to be something more powerful?"


    "Of course, anything is possible in this world. Various spells and light rites can destroy a vampire''s blood with almost no consequences. A little rehabilitation is all it takes.


    Also, Gooley''s can gradually be stronger, I''m not sure, but there''s probably even a way for Gooley''s to be vampires themselves at one point."


    "You''re not sure?"


    "Yes. I''ve never seen it with my own eyes, and I also don''t have 100% proof that such a rite exists. However, it most likely does. After all, new vampires are slowly emerging." Sven muttered.


    "Isn''t it natural that the number of Vampires is increasing?"


    "Hmm, the thing is, even though they have an incredible libido, they have a tiny chance of getting pregnant. What''s more, often, the baby dies before it''s even born, which makes the situation worse.


    However, even if the Ghouls can''t be vampires, the race will never go extinct anyway. You''re right, children, though rarely, are born."


    <o>,m "I see, now tell me about the powers of the Vampires." Wain decided to get to the fun part.</o>


    "Sure. Basically, Vampires use three elements, ice, darkness, or blood. They could use other attributes in theory, but that''s too inefficient. Of course, vampires can''t use fire or light."


    Wain nodded. He expected to hear something like that.


    Vampires were creatures of darkness and cold. It would be strange if they used light or me.


    "I also want to tell you about blood purity. I''m sure you know what it is, but I doubt you''re aware of the details."


    "Of course, it will be quite enlightening." Mumbled Wain.


    "Every creature has a certain percentage of blood purity from birth. Take the Elves as an example. As I said earlier, High Elves are all Elves whose blood purity is 75% or higher."


    "I also know that to be pureblood. You have to have a blood purity above 50%."


    "Yes, all true, but blood is not just a status, it is a power, and it is divided into several stages and ranks. The lowest rank is the first. It is a person whose blood purity is below 10%. They are called lower mudbloods." Sven said seriously.


    "Below ten percent? That''s pretty low."


    "The fate of lower mudbloods is rather sad. Many equate them with ves. Of course, it depends on the race, but no one treats them well. They are destined to live in slums, eat scraps off tables and work for a lifetime for a pittance."


    ''Huh, how simr to my world, only in humans no one cares about the purity of each other''s blood. It''s probably even worse.'' Wain thought.


    "Next up are second rank or middle mudbloods. Their blood purity ranges from 10% to 30%. Their situation is much better than lower mudbloods, and they can bepared to the poor. They are quite weak and poor, but they have a chance for a bright future.


    Third rank or higher mudbloods, their blood purity is between 31% and 50%. They are considered middle ss, and many of them have a good chance of bing a pureblood." Sven pronounced.


    ''Hmm, if an Elf is born with a blood purity of 48% or 49%, then he''s still mudblood, but all he has to do is increase his blood purity by a few percent. It''s a doable task.''


    "Thenes the fourth rank or lower pureblood. These are the true nobles who enjoy all the benefits of civilization. Often mubloods serve purebloods. Lower purebloods have excellent physical and energetic stats, but it is pretty difficult to rise higher. Their blood purity ranges from 51% to 74%.


    Fifth rank or middle pureblood, their blood purity is 75% to 90%. If lower purebloods can bepared to barons and viscounts, then middle purebloods are counts and marquis. They are stronger, more skilled, and richer. Creatures with such a concentration of blood are rare.


    Rank six, higher pureblood, their blood purity is 90% to 95%."


    "Hmm? There''s only a 5% difference?" Wain asked.


    "Yes, but when the blood concentration reaches those heights, even 1% is like a canyon. Beings with such blood purity have almost limitless power. They are the strongest members of their race and have endless potential. Even middle purebloods should treat them with respect."


    Then Wain remembered the effect of Vial of Pure Blood Essence. It was possible to increase blood purity with this vial, but the higher the percentage, the lower the effect was.


    Moreover, it was impossible to increase blood purity above 90% with this vial.


    "I see. That''s to be expected. Then, what are those with blood concentrations above 95% called?" Wain asked.


    Sven smiled, "They are the seventh rank and are called absolutes. However, their blood purity ranges from 96% to 99%. Absolutes are like a bright sun leading the others or a ck hole that destroys enemies."


    "But, it''s not 100%, right?"


    "Yes..." Sven smirked slyly and said, "Maybe it''s impossible to even for the gods, who knows?"


    -----------------


    Hey, thank you all for reading this story. I want to apologize thattely, the release of chapters has been unstable, and there have been quite a few chapters. But now it looks like I''m back on pace. Have a nice day!

 Chapter 223 100%

    "Hmm? 100% blood purity is impossible to achieve?" Asked Wain.


    "Not really, but like I said, even most gods can''t do it. However, this information is unreliable. You must understand that beings with 100% blood purity are more perfect than an absolute." Sven said slowly.


    "You say something impossible, but I understand you. If you don''t know if it''s possible and how to achieve such a level, do you know what beings can possess such blood purity?"


    "Yes, I can guess. First of all, the original dragons. I''m sure some of them have 100% blood purity. They are one of the creatures that keep an eye on the purity of their blood, and so their status and power are astounding."


    "Hmm, how strong is a dragon with 100% blood purity?"


    Sven didn''t answer right away. Instead, he bent down and pulled an ice cube from the freezer. He squeezed the ice cube tightly and shattered it into many pieces.


    "Just as easily a primordial dragon could destroy a continent or a small."


    When Wain heard this, he froze. Such power was something beyond hisprehension. Until recently, one had been his entire world.


    Of course, Wain was aware of the existence of space, but it was unexplored and lifeless terrain, at least in his sr system.


    "Destroy a or a continent... Is it possible to fight such a creature? I mean, in the first minute of the battle, a dragon would destroy the arena and everything around it."


    "The world of Darkness is limitless, you can always find an endless, lifeless wastnd, or you can fight outside the Voids, in spatial rifts. I told you earlier that some creatures are powerful enough to travel from one space to another without using portals.


    Their bodies are strong enough to keep the energy of the World of Darkness from tearing them apart. Obviously, dragons with 100% blood purity are one of those creatures."


    "That''s... impressive..."


    In theory, Wain knew he was powerful and understood how powerful other creatures could be. But, he was still at the bottom of the food chain. He had only taken a few steps climbing a mountain whose summit was hidden behind the clouds.


    Even the mere knowledge that beings of such power exist affects his worldview. Wain now understands that power can indeed be limitless.


    "Okay, I get it, but dragons are monsters or mythical creatures. I don''t know which group to put them in. Give me an example from some race."


    "We''ve been talking about vampires for quite some time, so I''ll give you an example of them. No one knows for sure, but many believe that there was originally only one vampire, the progenitor, obviously in that case that vampire had a blood purity of 100%."


    "Hmm, if that''s true, then it confirms the theory that Ghouls can be Vampires, doesn''t it?" Asked Wain.


    "Not really. First of all, no one knows if a vampire progenitor actually exists, and even if it does, nothing is known about its abilities."


    "You mean it''s possible that the vampire progenitor can turn other creatures into vampires without turning them into Ghouls?"


    "Yes, it''s also possible he can create vampires in some way. Maybe from his blood or flesh, maybe from energy. It''s all just a guess. A creature like a vampire progenitor would have incredible power."


    "If the vampire progenitor actually exists, who do you think is stronger, him or the original dragon?" Asked Wain.


    "I''m not sure, but although the vampire progenitor''s power isn''t extensive enough to destroy a, that doesn''t mean he couldn''t kill a dragon."


    "I see, but why is it impossible to achieve 100%? Don''t you have to possess some potion or ritual to do it? Maybe you need a rare nt or drink the blood of another powerful creature?" Wain muttered.


    "It''s not that simple. As I said earlier, the higher the percentage of blood purity, the harder it is to raise. It''s a logical pattern, but you don''t understand what 100% blood purity is and why it''s so important."


    "What do you mean? Isn''t it logical that the higher the blood purity, the more power a person has from his race and energy?"


    "All true, but, Wain, answer a simple question. Assuming that a vampire progenitor exists and all vampires evolved from it, where did the first generation vampirese from?"


    Wain stood in a stupor. It was logical that it took a man and a woman, two of the same race, of different sexes, for a child to be born. However, if there was originally only a vampire progenitor, he didn''t have a pair.


    "As I said earlier, there is a theory that the vampire progenitor created the first vampires from other creatures with his special abilities or his blood and flesh. For either of the two, he doesn''t need a pair." Sven pronounced.


    "Hmm, I understand why in the first option, the purity of blood of the first generation vampires would not be 100% because their basis would be other creatures, and the blood of the progenitor would be mixed. However, shouldn''t the first vampires in the second option have 100% blood purity?" Wain pondered.


    "There, we''re getting to the most important point of our conversation about blood purity. Your words sound logical, but you don''t know one important detail, or rather you don''t understand it yet.


    Let''s imagine the situation that the progenitor of vampires created the first vampires from his flesh and blood. However, the best result would be 99% blood purity in such a case. Why?"


    "Hmm? I don''t know... Maybe there are some impurities during the vampire''s birth? Although...that sounds weird."


    "You''re right, there is indeed an impurity, but you''re not used to thinking of this thing as an impurity. The remaining 1% that separates the first generation vampire from the progenitor is energy."


    "What...?" Wain couldn''t believe what he heard.


    He thought of energy as something intangible moreover, energy is power, and it was strange to him that it was an impurity.


    "That''s exactly right. In this case, the impurity is energy." Sven said calmly.


    "Hmm? Does that mean the vampire progenitor has no energy? But, how is that possible...?"


    "No, you''re wrong." Sven shook his head, "The vampire progenitor has billions of times more energy than other vampires. It''s all about the different types of energy and the rtionship to it."<sub> </sub>


    Wain was silent. He tried to make sense of his and Sven''s conversation as he learned a new fact every second.


    "Wain, no offense, but at this point, you''re nobody. I''m not saying this based on your power, skills, or influence, but on energy. Part of your power is energy, but that energy is not yours. Do you understand what I''m saying?"


    "Yes... Even though I am a human, I still absorb energy from the souls of other beings. Before I died, these beings absorbed energy from their environment, roughly speaking, it''s not their energy." Mumbled Wain, beginning to see where Sven was going with this.


    "Right, it can bepared to blood. For example, you''ve lost a lot of blood, and they transfuse you with another person''s blood to stabilize your condition.


    Even though that blood will be in you and your body will use it, that blood is not yours. Figuratively speaking, over time, that blood will be yours. It''s a simr situation with energy, but it''s much moreplicated." Sven said.


    "You mean that the vampire progenitor itself is a source of energy, and it ispletely independent of the energy in the environment?"


    "Yes, that''s exactly what it is. That''s what separates creatures with 100% blood purity from everyone else. In this respect, a person with 99% blood purity is no different from someone with 1% blood purity.


    Their strength, status, abilities, skills, intelligence, and all other factors are different, but they all use external energy." Sven pronounced.


    "It''s too early for you to think about it. It''s the top of the world, something even I''m not sure about. But, I told you this to get you thinking. You need to try to rely more on yourself. Your body, your melee and sword skills, and on the strength of your soul." Sven pronounced.


    "What? Don''t I need outside energy to use my soul skills?"


    "Yes, but it''s your power. I never said that all energy in you or other creatures is outer. Your soul is your power, your energy. It is your core as well as Soul Altar, yet you have a lot of external energy in you as well."


    "I see, simply put, to be a creatureparable to a vampire progenitor or an original dragon, you need to be powerful enough to take out your external energy and concentrate entirely on your own."


    "Yes, that''s just in general terms. There''s also something else I have to say. For example, if two Elves with a blood purity of 80% have offspring, the child''s blood purity will be just below 80%, about 78-79%.


    "That makes sense. In this case, one or two percent takes energy, but it''s a small problem." Mumbled Wain.


    "Okay, I think the blood purity thing makes sense to you. I remembered I forgot to tell you something about vampires."


    "I''m listening to you carefully." Proimed Wain.


    "We started talking about blood because vampires have more to do with it than other races. I think you know that they use their fangs to sink into the flesh of their enemies and drink their blood. That''s probably the best-known fact about vampires."


    Wain nodded.


    "It''s one of their abilities. Duringbat, they can be distracted by another target and drink its blood if there is one. In that case, the vampire will regenerate quickly, their energy and their regeneration will be elerated, even if the vampire is under the sunlight."


    "I see. That was expected. Sven, I think I have many more races to learn about, but I need to think about what you said. I want to take a short break. I need to think about your words."


    "Sure." Smiling, Sven said. "Would you like something to drink? I''ll include it in the price for the information."


    "Yes." Wain nodded, "Whiskey, just whiskey."


    "Sure."


    Wain took a white cigarette out of the packet and smoked. He looked at the cloud-like smoke and pondered.


    ''Humans... I initially thought that because humans in my world never messed with other races, I had 100% blood purity, but now I doubt that.


    Maybe Sven is wrong, he isn''t sure about his information about vampire progenitors, and he can''t know much about humans. However, after the energy appeared, it absorbed into my body and Soul Altar.''


    Wain tried to make sense of the nature of humans. Although he had recently learned vastly, there were still many times more questions than answers. Blood and energy were another mystery.


    ''It''splicated... tooplicated... Though Sven said that blood purity equal to 100% could only be in such creatures as the progenitor of a race or a primordial mythical creatureparable to a dragon, is it true?


    Many parameters depend on blood purity, but only indirectly and not directly. Perhaps I, as a human, have my own way?'' Wain pondered.


    One of his global goals, besides gaining power and exploring the world, was to find and learn more about humans. He was curious to learn more about them and perhaps answer all his questions.


    Wain wanted to know why his world was destroyed? Did other worlds exist just like his? What happened a long time ago that caused the nature of humans to changepletely?


    There were many questions, and even one of them was as difficult to answer as finding the holy grail.


    Wain also wanted to know the percentage of purity of his blood and if possible, to raise it to 100%. He wasn''t after strength, but there was also a reason why he wanted to get stronger.


    Besides the fact that might would help him find answers to questions, he knew that he could be truly free only by possessing limitless power.


    That was why he wanted to have 100% blood purity because it meantplete independence from everything.


    That way, he could get closer to the true freedom he had always dreamed of. Of course, the concept of freedom is subjective for everyone, but Wain preferred the simplest formtion.


    ''Freedom is the ability to do whatever you want, without fear or restraint.''

 Chapter 224 Demons And Alchemy

    Wain sat at the bar for about thirty minutes. He smoked, enjoyed the expensive whiskey, and thought.


    He needed a little respite to digest all the information he had received, for he had much more to learn.


    "Are you ready to go on?" Sven asked, smiling.


    "Yes, there is only one race left that I have already met. It is demons. Tell me about them."


    "Sure." Proimed Sven and put his hand to the crystal ball.


    An image of a tall man with two horns on his head and a woman appeared. Demons were also quite a beautiful race. They could bepared to elves, they were two sides of the same coin.


    Elves looked calm, graceful, and peaceful, while demons, on the contrary, were attracted by their aggressiveness, activity, and warlike aura.


    "Let''s start as usual. Demons are a rather diverse race. Their appearance can be anything, any color of eyes, hair, and skin. They''re quite tall and have an athletic physique, though some demons who don''t fight can lose their form."


    Wain nodded, "I want to ask you something. How different are the horns of demons, and does that affect their strength? Also, does the color of their skin, hair, or eyes have anything to do with the attribute they use?"


    "Yes and no. Let''s start with the horns. Demons, like everyone else, have a rank and hierarchy system. Some races put a lot of emphasis on it, and some try not to pay much attention to it. Elves are of the former, while demons are of thetter."


    "Hmm? Are you saying that for demons, the hierarchy is not so important?"


    "Yes, of course, demons do observe some chain ofmand, but unlike Elves, something they value far more than origin."


    "What''s that?"


    Sven clenched his fist, "It''s strength and fighting spirit. Demons are a race that values respect and reputation. It''s not umon toe across a situation where a weaker demon with a worse pedigree challenges a nobleman for some reason.


    Of course, that demon is likely to lose, but if the reason is worthy and he fights to the very end, he will gain public support. Demons like these situations, they believe that any warrior should have an unwavering fighting spirit."


    "I see, so what about the horns?"


    "Horns... Each demon has its horns, and yes, it affects their strength and abilities, or rather it is some indicator. The shape of the horns can be anything, as well as the number, but the length and the energy in the horns are very important."


    Wain nodded. When he got to the Purgatory area and met A and Keya, first, they thought he was a demon. Wain didn''t understand how they could have that assumption, but now it all fell into ce.


    ''My hair is pretty thick, and if my horns weren''t more than a one inch long, you couldn''t see them.'' Wain thought.


    "The shorter the horns, the weaker the demon? Right?"


    "In general terms, yes, but horns can grow and develop and even multiply. For demons, the horns are a full-fledged organ that depends on energy and can change just about anything."


    "Hmm, I see, but I take it there''s a limit to how long a demon''s horns are?"


    Wain realized that it was unlikely that powerful demons had horns several meters long. It would have looked too unnatural and strange.


    "Yes, there are limitations. After that, the horns stop growing and only umte energy in them. Thirty centimeters is the maximum. I think if it were longer, it would get in the way ofbat." Sven pronounced.


    "Okay, what about skin color, hair color, and eye color? Does that determine which attribute the demon uses?"


    "Yes, but it doesn''t have to. Demons are a pretty diverse race, so they have such a concept as ns. I''m not talking about a group of persons gathered by a leader. These ns can bepared to bloodlines. For example, most fire demons are members of the same bloodline or fire n."


    "Understandably, each demon, because of its n, has an initial heightened predisposition to one of the attributes. However, if that is the demon''s desire, it can evolve in either direction."


    "Correct, the demon''s appearance also depends on it. There is also an impersonal lineage. They don''t have an advantage in any attribute from birth. These demons make their own choices. Representatives of this n can be extremely dangerous opponents." Pronounced Sven.


    Wain nodded, and Sven continued.


    "Demons can live in any area. Most of the time, it depends on their n. Obviously, a representative of a fire n would not live among the ciers. By the way, there are sometimes skilled artisans and cksmiths among demons."


    "Demons are cksmiths? I''m surprised..." Wain muttered.


    "I think it has to do with the fact that they use different weapons, live in various locations, and have many unusual materials at their disposal."


    "How is their society structured?"


    "It all depends on power and respect from other demons. They don''t have any prejudices about what gender a demon is. They can have either a woman or a man in charge."


    "I see. When I was in the arena, I found out that one organization of demons wanted to attack the organization of elves. Is there a feud between these two races? Also, tell me about the rtionship between the other races."


    "My answer is no. Neither race has a deadly grudge against the other. Of course, all races have different attitudes toward each other, some are more likely to be friends, and some are more likely to be enemies. It''s natural. If the two were going to fight each other, it''s their personal feud, independent of their race." Pronounced Sven.


    Wain nodded. He understood that this was logical.


    Each of the strongest races was too numerous for all race members to hate any other race.


    "I see, Sven, you mentioned that there are some pretty good cksmiths among the demons. At the moment I have one problem, I need an alchemist. Members of what race are the best alchemists?"<sub> </sub>


    "An alchemist, huh? Huh, everyone needs talented alchemists. Well, I''ll break it down for you. There are two races. It is generally epted that their members are the best at alchemy. It''s rather ironic, but the two races are radically different from each other."


    "Hmm?"


    "The first race is the Axalt." Pronounced Sven and touched the crystal ball.


    When the 3D image of a woman and a man appeared, Wain''s eyes widened in surprise. The Axalts looked like humans who lived in the East during the Middle Ages.


    Both the man and the woman had long hair tied into a single bundle. They wore long robes and looked like ancient martial artists.


    The man had a sword with a lotus-shaped keychain behind his back. The girl''s robe bore several flowers, and her hands were folded in front of her.


    Their eyes were calm and wise. Even though they looked young, it seemed as if they had already understood the essence of this world.


    Man''s eyes seemed to burn with fire, while in the woman''s eyes, one could see the calm smoothness of the water.


    The Axalt had two features that set them apart from the other races and humans. On the forehead, just above the be, both the girl and the man had a strange symbol.


    On the man''s chest was a sign in the shape of a sun, and on the woman''s, a moon in the shape of a crescent moon.


    "If it weren''t for those symbols on their foreheads and breasts, I would have thought they were the humans." Mumbled Wain.


    "Yes, you do look quite a lot alike. Axalt have predominantly light skin. Their eyes and hair color can be anything. They''re born fighters and incredibly physically advanced. Even vampires aren''t as fast and strong. I''d say of all the races. Axalt have the best physical attributes."


    "I take it they have no attribute limit?"


    "Yes, you''re right. Also, Axalt can use any weapon, but mostly spears, swords, and hand-to-handbat." Sven muttered.


    "Do these symbols have some purpose? Or is it just a hallmark of their race?" Wain inquired.


    "The symbol on their foreheads is their distinguishing feature. Each Axalt has a different symbol, but the sun and moon sign on their breasts is another matter entirely. Look, three rays areing from the sun on the man''s chest, see?"


    "Yes, also the moon has two stars burning on the woman''s chest. Does that mean something?"


    Sven nodded, "It means that the man is a Third Chronicle creature, while the girl is on Second Chronicle. It''s their unique indicator. Actually, the sun and moon aren''t signs or tattoos. I''d say it''s an organ. They call it ''Spirit.''"


    "An organ?"


    "Yes, you already know that the Inerian has energy threads. The threads are the same organ as the horns of demons or the sun and moon sign of Axalt. Also, ''Spirit'' is truly quite robust and feels like stone."


    "Is it clear what ''Spirit'' has a purpose? And do all men have ''Spirit'' in the form of the sun and women in the form of the moon?"


    "What ''Spirit'' will be is an ident. In this case, gender is unimportant. Nor does their ability or predisposition to the attribute depend on it.


    However, Axalts with ''Spirit'' in the form of the sun are more shy and energetic. The moon, on the other hand, denotes tranquility and peacefulness."


    Wain nodded slowly.


    "The ''Spirit'' has a certain function rted to absorbing energy. Earlier Ipared the process of energy absorption of humans and other races. At the time, I said that humans eat ''fruit'' whole, and impurities are not important for you, but it is important to the other races."


    "Yes, I remember your analogy. Unlike the humans, the other races must first purify the ''fruit'' and prepare it, and then consume it. The other races spend more time than the humans and get less energy, but they can use energy from the environment."


    "The Axalt have a slightly different process. They also absorb energy from the environment or objects, but because of the ''Spirit,'' it takes them much longer." Sven pronounced.


    "Hmm? Doesn''t the ''Spirit'' hurt them then?"


    "No. They spend more time, but they get about 90% of the energy. Also, thanks to ''Spirit,'' during this time, Axalt not only increase their energy reserves, but they also strengthen their bodies. That''s one of the reasons why they''re so physically strong."


    "Is it clear how much more time they needpared to the other races?"


    "A hundred times. It''s not umon for an Axalt to umterge amounts of souls and rare nts full of energy and then absorb all that energy for several months. They don''t need to purify the souls. Their ''Spirits'' does it."


    "Hmm, that''s interesting. This method has both minuses and pluses. If they can get 90% of the energy, it''s more profitable to collect souls and resources rather than absorb energy from the environment. After all, they have to make up for the time cost of doing it somehow." Wain muttered.


    Sven nodded, "You''re thinking in the right direction. This is also the reason why Axalts are some of the best alchemists. The ces they live in are full of different herbs and resources with high energy or special effects. They are well versed in it, and alchemy is in their honor."


    "What a curious race. Does Axalt have any other peculiarities? Also, who''s in charge?" Wain asked.


    "As with demons, it all depends on power. Women and men are equal. I can single out only their love of martial arts about the peculiarities.


    While Elves are more likely to use energy or magic, Axalt relies more on their physical stats and crushing moves. Axalt often lives high in the mountains and can spend years practicing and perfecting their skills."


    "Okay, you said there are two races that are considered the best alchemists. What''s the second one?"


    "Huh, as I said, it''s pretty ironic. The second race is the Construct. They are the most technologically advanced race of all."

 Chapter 225 Technology And The Pillars

    "Construct? The most technologically advanced race? Are they some robots?" Wain asked.


    His current world and the home world were pretty well advanced technologically, but that''s onlypared to the Middle Ages.


    Wain understood that the power of technology was great. Before the advent of souls, it was the only way to progress.


    "Yes." Sven nodded, "Construct has long had things like battlesers, energy shields, holograms,bat, work robots, and so on. However, Construct are not robots. Wain, you know what a cyborg is, right?"


    "Of course, it''s a mixture of a biological organism and technology. Simply put, half-human, half-robot."


    "Right, but Construct are neither robots nor cyborgs. They are so technologically advanced because of the nt that grows in their world. It was originally one flower, but it was the flower that was the beginning of the emergence and rise of the technological race itself." Sven muttered.


    "What? What does the flower have to do with technology?"


    "It is an unusual flower. Its pollen contained something called nanites. The microscopic particles that make up Construct. They areparable in size to human cells. However, nanites can rearrange themselves and are quite flexible in their control."


    "I see, roughly speaking, it''s mechanical flesh, but how did the first Constructe about?"


    "Tree. Once upon a time, one of the flowers grew and became a massive tree. Outwardly it is no different from the usual one, except for the gray bark and blue leaves. However, inside the trunk, new Constructs appear daily. They are intelligent, strong, but unemotional."


    Sven touched the crystal ball, and before Wain, an image of a man and a woman appeared.


    They were virtually indistinguishable from a human, but there was a visible mechanical part behind the pupil of their eyes.


    Several areas looked like hexagonal details on the skin, like a membrane. The man had a square-shaped mark on his chest, and the woman had a triangle-shaped mark.


    "Variations in the appearance of Construct can be of any kind. Their abilities are just as unlimited. They choose one attribute, and their nanites are tuned to develop in that direction. Constructs are quite strong, and unlike other creatures, they have only one weakness. It''s their core, and it''s in the ce of their Mark." Sven muttered.


    "They are dangerous adversaries..." Wain muttered.


    In Wain''s opinion, it was rather difficult to fight an enemy with no joints, tendons, or muscles.


    Also, a powerful blow to the head would not lead to a temporary concussion, no blood loss, as well as exhaustion due to serious injuries. Construct was harder to fight even than the robots.


    "Yes, by the way. Even though Construct technically has no blood, their nanites perform this function. Therefore, they are not exceptions, and they too have ranks that depend on blood purity."


    "What do the figures on their bodies mean?"


    "All Constructs are divided into three types, depending on their module. The first type is defensive, the sign of the square. The second type is attacking, indicated by a triangle. The third type is auxiliary, indicated by a circle. I don''t think it''s necessary to exin what each type does."


    "Yes, that''s understandable. Sven, you said they have no emotion, is that really true?"


    "That''s a hard question to answer. Construct can hold a conversation, but it seems unnatural. Perhaps the reason is in their nature. Constructs, along with Vampires, don''t mind new acquaintances and mutually beneficial offers. They are interested in unique things and unusual materials."


    "By the way, I wanted to ask you. When you talked about the Inerians, you said they''re pretty well developed technologically and have electricity. However, as I understand, the development of other races is at the level of the Middle Ages, while Constructs has a real cyberpunk. What''s the reason?"


    "You mean why aren''t the other races trying to make the same technological progress as Constructs?"


    "Yeah, they don''t have that option, or it doesn''t make sense?"


    "The second option is correct. Construct had no choice but to be technologically advanced to livefortably. However, the other races don''t need it."


    "Aren''tsers, missiles, and sters better than bows and guns?" Wain wondered.


    "Of course, they''re more powerful weapons, but only if souls and energy didn''t exist. You''re right about something, though. Technological advancement only affects power for the duration of the Primary Chronicle. Then monsters and other creatures be too strong for aser or bow to make any difference."


    "I see... But what about atomic and nuclear bombs? Moreover, I''m sure Construct has more powerful weapons."


    "Hmm, certainly nukes and atomic bombs have astounding firepower, but they''re expensive to produce. I mean, it doesn''t make sense to use a nuclear bomb to destroy one enemy."


    Wain nodded.


    "Nuclear bombs are needed to destroyrge-scale targets, but such points are well defended, so nukes are useless. Also, if Constructs decided to use such weapons against a single target, then that target is strong enough to defend itself."


    "I see. It''s a vicious circle. Okay, then let''s go back to the beginning. You said that Construct is the second race among the best alchemists. Does that have to do with their technological advancement?" Wain muttered.


    "Yes, I wouldpare Constructs to engineers while Axalts are artists. They have apletely different approach, but they both have amazing results. If you need a good alchemist, you need to go to one of these races, but I''m afraid you won''t be able to find the right person."


    "Why not?"


    "Wain, bing an alchemist is not easy. They are respected and praised. A talented alchemist is many times more valuable than a warlord. To be an alchemist, you have to go through hell.


    Hundreds of training, attempts, and failures. They sacrifice the development and strengthening of their bodies to create amazing potions, pills, and cures.


    However, if an alchemist seeds, he quickly regains his progress. However, only one in a hundred achieves any sess, and even that is not enough in most cases."


    "I see... Given my resources and my Void, I can hardly interest an alchemist-master. Moreover, I don''t have the money to pay for his services. It''s quite unfortunate..." Frustratedly said Wain.<sub> </sub>


    "You''re right. However, you do have one option."


    "Which is?"


    "Professional alchemists, regardless of their Chronicle, won''t want to cooperate with you, but you can try to find a diamond in the dirt."


    "You''re suggesting I go to their worlds, go to the slums and the most inauspicious ces, and by some miracle find a future genius alchemist?"


    "Yes, that''s the only option." Sven said, smiling.


    "No, that''s nonsense. I don''t have that much time. I''m not good at it and won''t see the potential of a possible alchemist. Moreover, I don''t have a portal and won''t be able to get into their worlds."


    "Eh, you''re right, but you don''t have much choice. You need the dregs of society, and among them, you must spot a sparkle of genius. Only then can you get the right alchemist to work for next to nothing."


    ''The dregs of society...'' muttered Wain to himself. ''They are rejected by society as the worst, but some still fit that category. I don''t need to find the dregs but the misunderstood and abandoned geniuses.


    Wain understood that this was even more difficult, but then he didn''t need to hope that he had properly considered the potential in a person. Wain thought about it for a while, and an interesting idea urred to him.


    "Sven, the first time we met, you gave me a coin with a picture of ss on it. That''s the key to this Void, right?"


    "Yes, that''s right. Without it, you couldn''t get in here again, although if I gave you a one-time invitation, the door would appear in the spatial rift."


    "Can I give you a key or a one-time permission to enter my Void remotely?" Asked Wain.


    "Key no, you have to hand it over in person, but you can give permission any distance, but there has to be contacted between you and a person. Otherwise, it is impossible."


    Wain smiled contentedly. He was now confident that his n would work, and perhaps he could solve the problem of the alchemist''s absence.


    "Sven, are there any other races I should know about?"


    "Yes, the next race is the Angels. After talking about Demons, I wanted to talk about them, but we jumped abruptly to alchemy. Angels can be called the opposite of Demons. Unlike them, they honor hierarchy, which is essential to their society."


    Sven touched the crystal ball, and an image of a man and a woman appeared. They had pale skin, blue eyes, and blond hair. They had energy bracelets on their wrists and an energy band on their foreheads that looked like a halo.


    "All angels have light skin. The color of their eyes can only be blue, white, or amber. The color of hair is simrly limited, either white, blue, or light. Basically, use only three attributes, water, fire, and light. They, like the Elves, against the attribute of darkness."


    ''I imagined the Angels a little differently.'' Wain thought.


    ''As I said earlier, hierarchy is important to Angels, and there''s a reason for that. Angels whose blood purity equals or exceeds 75% have wings. This distinguishes nobles frommoners. Along with the wings alsoes a halo over their heads, which greatly increases their power."


    Wain nodded.


    "Angels are a rather reserved yet cruel race. Usually, no one but Elves wants to mess with them. Vampires dislike them. Because the blood of Angels must first be purified so that vampires can drink it. I have nothing more to say about this race."


    Sven then touched the crystal ball, and an image of a man and a woman appeared. The man had dark skin, while the woman was pale. They had no pupils. Their eyes glowed bright green like two dead torches.


    The man had short purple hair, and the woman had pale yellow hair. On their elbows and knees were bone outgrowths like armor.


    "This is the Undead. A stealthy, small and dangerous race. Necromancers, assassins, and dark mages are often found among them. Undead from birth has increased resistance to poisons and various curses.


    They cannot ept the attribute of light but can use fire in some of its variations. Usually live in dark and cold ces, often their bases are under cemeteries."


    At that moment, Wain remembered Estrid. He did not know what race she was, but he now realized that Estrid was Undead.


    "Undead are unsociable, but they are known for selling forbidden and secret goods. The Undead have thergest ck market. You can find anything and more there. They often cooperate with vampires and demons. Undead dislike Elves and Angels, respectively."


    "What is their rtionship with Ashen?"


    "As I said earlier, not one race does not have a deadly feud with each other. There is only a general situation, which often may not reflect reality. However, with Ashen, almost everyone tries to maintain a neutral or good rtionship." Sven pronounced.


    "Hmm, I thought that because of the attribute of fire, Angels should be friends with them, while Undead and Vampires, on the contrary, are hostile."


    "Wain, you''re missing something. Rtionships are not based on the attribute of a race but on that race''s character and social structure. In this case, an attribute is of minor importance."


    "I see. It looks like I was wrong." Mumbled Wain.


    "Sven, I''ve learned about quite a few races already. How many more races are left that dominate this world that I need to know about?"


    Wain had not expected that so many different races existed in this world. He had read in books about Vampires and Elves, but these creatures were a bit different in reality.


    Moreover, he didn''t think that Demons and Angels actually existed and were full-fledged races.


    "Not many more. All overriding races are called ''Pirs.'' You already know about most of them. Only nts and Beastfolk are left."

 Chapter 226 Beasts, Plants And Call To Fate

    "nts and Beastfolk?" Mumbled Wain.


    "Yes." Proimed Sven and touched the crystal ball.


    Images of a woman and a man appeared before Wain. They looked like anthropomorphic nts.


    The girl had a massive rosebud open on her head, and her arms had long leaves covering her pale green skin like clothing.


    The man''s skin was rougher. It was something like tree bark. There were a few short spikes on his arms and legs. His hair was a mixture of ordinary hair and leaves on trees. It looked unusual and beautiful.


    "nts, the most peaceful race of the ''Pirs.'' Even the Elves seem aggressive and unkind inparison. However, nts do not forgive treachery, which is one reason why they maintain a good rtionship with Ashen, who always keep their promises."


    "I see. It''s always good to have loyal allies."


    "nts are a diverse race, and they can look very different. They can be like this man who resembles himself a lively, sturdy oak, like this girl who looks like a flower or, for example, like a mushroom, a weed, and many other variations."


    "What attributes do they use?"


    "Mostly water, nature attribute, wind, and neutral attribute. It''s pretty rare to find a nt that uses the attribute of darkness or light. These are rather exceptions to the rule. Also, some species may use fire or ice, but that''s only a small percentage."


    "Okay, do they have any special features?"


    "Yes, they have good regeneration and are some of the best healers. Also, nts are considered professionals at containing the enemy. Even though they are a peaceful race, there are many experts in poisons. In this, they are simr to the Undead."


    "That makes quite a bit of sense. They live in ces with an abundance of different nts. Strange, why aren''t they the best alchemists?"


    "It most likely has to do with the fact that few nts use the attribute of fire. mes are necessary for processing materials. Moreover, nts have never aspired to do alchemy."


    "I see. Tell me about the BeastFolk. I take it they are thest race from the ''Pirs''?" Asked Wain.


    "Yes, as you can tell from the name, Beastfolk are anthropomorphic beasts." Said Sven and touched the crystal ball.


    An image of a man and a woman appeared in front of Wain. The man looked like an anthropomorphic lion, and the girl looked like a cat. They had all the features of beasts and the body of humans.


    "Appearance depends on their lineage. I think that''s clear. The Beasfolk are a diverse and numerous race. Depending on their n, they can use any attribute. Also, their physical abilities are on a fairly high level. They are quite friendly. Also, faith is very important to their society."


    "Faith?" Asked Wain.


    "Yes, they believe in various gods. Moreover, some of the BeastFolk are so influential and famous that they have their followers. Also, the members of this race are excellent and fearless warriors. However, there are hidden assassins among them. It depends on their lineage."


    "By the way, Sven, I wanted to ask you, how does faith work? I fought an Elf in the Arena, and suddenly, he was much stronger because of his mates'' faith in him. He said that at that moment, he could bepared to a god." Said Wain.


    "He didn''t fool you, and there''s no secret here. Technically, any object of faith with a certain number of followers can be considered a god. Of course, you have to be a powerful being to be a true god, but anyone can gain power from the faith of others."


    "It''s that simple?"


    "There is nothing difficult in the process, but getting at least ten persons to sincerely believe in you as their deity is a difficult task. That Elf you fought was unique. You were lucky you could beat him. He would have been many times stronger in the future."


    "I understand, in the beginning, it can be difficult to get even a few followers, but the further you go, the easier it gets."


    "Yes, but you as a deity have to be unwavering. If others believe in you, you must justify their faith. Otherwise, they will be disappointed and turn away from you. Of course, if their faith is strong enough, you might make a few mistakes, but you''ll get closer to the end each time."


    "I see. It''s quite an interesting system. Sven, how much do I owe you for the information?"


    "Not much. Our conversation was pretty long, but I gave you the general information most people know. Ten Void Souls that''ll be enough." Sven pronounced.


    "Good." Wain nodded and extended his hand forward.


    One hundred white souls flew out of his palm and headed toward Sven. Wain had 110 Rare Rating Souls left, equal to 55 Void Souls. It was a pretty big sum, so Wain was going to buy some interesting items.


    "Sven, I have 55 Void Souls. What can you offer me for that amount?"


    "Depending on what you need. Weapons? Armor? Medication? Expendables? Maybe you want some rare ingredient for a dish?" Smiling, Sven asked.


    "I think I need a powerful consumable, but aimed at my enhancement or a single target. I don''t need a consumable with mass defeat at the moment."


    "Understood, then, in that case, I can offer two options." Proimed Sven, and the ring on his finger glowed brightly.


    Two objects appeared in front of him. One was a purple box with a cruel jaw on each side.


    The second object was a dark ball resembling a demon that opened its mouth wide. The demon''s eyes glowed bright red, and dark energy emanated from the orb.


    Wain touched the cube.


    [Gluttony Seal Cube (First Chronicle, Heroic Rating)


    This artifact holds a hidden great power that only a strong and unstoppable warrior can withstand. In return, the warrior will gain power and incredible abilities.


    This cube appeared mysteriously in areas filled with the element of darkness. If you are confident, you can use this artifact.


    Once applied:


    *All stats are increased by 50.<sub> </sub>


    *Resistance to the attribute of darkness and light increases by 20%.


    *The power of attacks with the attribute of darkness increases by 30%.


    *Your hunger increases by 10.000%]


    "Oh, what a dangerous item, but I like that. It''s definitely worth 55 Void Souls." Mumbled Wain, staring intently at the cube.


    "Of course, all my items are of the highest quality. Before you make your final choice take a look at the second item, I''m sure you''ll be just as interested in it."


    Wain nodded and touched the sphere.


    [Sphere of the Abandoned Demon (First Chronicle, Heroic Rating)


    This orb holds the spirit of a malevolent demon who seeks to possess the mind of anyone who crosses his path.


    This orb can be used to cause a person to suffer aparable amount of torment to that of Hell. The evil spirit also has a strong effect on the victim''s psyche, as well as causing serious damage to it].


    "Hmm, that''s not bad, but I don''t think there''s much point in spending 55 Void Souls on an item that aims to destroy a single enemy. If I make myself stronger, I can kill dozens or hundreds of enemies before the effect runs out."


    "You''re right, but only if you''re strong enough to handle your enemy. With this orb, you can disable almost any First Chronicle creature. Either way, though, it''s up to you."


    Wain thought for a while but pushed the orb aside and picked up the cube.


    "I''d better take this anyway." Wain muttered, and 110 blue souls flew out of his hand.


    "Sure, it''s always a pleasure doing business with you. Come back anytime." Sven muttered with a smile.


    "Yeah, it''s definitely not myst visit." Wain nodded and headed for the exit.


    He was pleased with the information and the subject matter he had received.


    Wain now began to understand more about the inhabitants of the World of Darkness, or rather the World from which he and the other humans were separated.


    There was a lot of information, and even Wain found it quite difficult to ept that there were so many strong and varied races besides humans.


    Sven talked about the races in some detail, but Wain realized that many small and important details were still left.


    ''Sven said that all the strongest races are called Pirs. Elves, Ashens, Vampires, Inerians, Demons, Axalts, Constructs, Angels, Undead, nts, and BeastFolk. Eleven races in all. Hmmm, maybe it''s my associations, but the Pirs have always been a number twelve. Could it be that some race he didn''t tell about?''


    Wain walked through the passage in a spatial rift and wondered if Sven could have withheld something from him. Wain didn''t think it was possible since Sven had never deceived him before.


    However, at one point, Wain remembered that Sven refused to say what his race was thest time.


    ''Perhaps that''s why he didn''t tell me, or maybe there are only eleven races among the Pirs. Hmmm, humans, could they be the twelfth race?''


    Wain shook his head and decided not to think about it anymore. He had a more important task at the moment. He had an idea of finding a talented alchemist without leaving his Void.


    He wasn''t sure if his idea would work, but in theory, it should.


    When Wain returned to Frozen Land, he immediately closed his eyes, and the ice beneath him turned to ink.


    He moved to a ce where hundreds of star-shaped Voids hovered. Here he could dere war on the other zones, but that''s not why Wain came here now.


    Recently, Wain gained a Unique skill that synced up with his main soul. With this skill, Wain would use the Call of the King to be heard by certain people.


    Wain had never used this skill before, but his idea was that there must have been rejected geniuses in alchemy among the Axalts and Constructs.


    Perhaps their talent was overlooked, but that couldn''t put out the fire in their hearts and desire to excel in alchemy.


    Perhaps someone powerful is deliberately making life difficult for them, or for some other reason, they are renegades. There could be many reasons.


    For Wain, it didn''t matter. All that mattered to him was the alchemist''s skills and his potential. Wain himself had neither the time nor the desire to practice alchemy.


    He knew better than anyone that there was no point in doing what he had no desire to do. For him, it would be a waste of time, but he could give the opportunity to those who really wanted it.


    That way, Wain would solve the problem of resources and get an alchemist and help another person make his dreame true. It was a win-win situation, but they had to find each other first.


    "All right, the time hase. Pompous and rousing speeches aren''t my thing, but there''s no other choice." Mumbled Wain and took a deep breath.


    He decided to use the skill in this ce because there were hundreds of Voids floating around him. That way, his voice would reach more people who fit the conditions.


    Wain began to speak, and a ck crown with a closed eye appeared on his head at the exact moment. It was as if he had activated a Beyond.


    "I, Nameless, address everyone whose dreams of bing a great alchemist have been shattered and trampled like dirt! I appeal to those who have been rejected by the society where alchemy is developed. I appeal to those whose only goal is to reach the heights of alchemy.


    If there is still fire in your eyes despite the harshness of fate and the cruelty of the World, then join me! With your talent and my help, one day, you will go beyond reason!"


    When Wain finished his fiery speech, a vast amount of dark energy burst forth from his body, splitting into two streams and disappearing into the boundless darkness.


    At that moment, the two persons heard a strange voice, like a call from the abyss.

 Chapter 227 The Wrong Ones

    Somewhere on a vast continent, with many mountains high to the sky, a guy was sitting in a basement in an old and poor vige. He had long ck hair, a white robe, and a devastated look.


    Dozens of vials and sks for brewing potions were lying around him, along with a massive broken cauldron.


    Blood trickled from the corners of his lips, but that didn''t matter to him since everything he''d worked so hard to get was ruined.


    He looked at the broken wooden door and muttered, "You bastards, I hate you. Why didn''t you just leave me alone...? Is it really worth despising me for such a little thing..."


    Saying this, he looked at his chest. Lui Bu, like all Axalts, had Spirit. However, from birth, he was different from the others. The fire burned in one of his eyes, while in the other eye, there was silence and tranquility.


    The reason was that his Spirit was double, half sun and half moon. Such a thing was unnatural to Axalts, and therefore he was despised and disliked from birth.


    Some thought it was a gift rather than a curse, but Lui Bu had no outstanding energy storage abilities or martial arts abilities. All he was interested in was alchemy, but others would not help him with that.


    Doing alchemy required money, which Lui Bu didn''t have. Moreover, everything he had managed to buy with great difficulty had been destroyed by others.


    At that moment, Lui Bu no longer had the strength to continue, but deep down, he still wanted to practice alchemy.


    Just as the hatred fueled this me, he felt. However, with each passing second, this me was slowly dying out. As time passed, Lui Bu ran out of strength and desire to continue fighting the fate that had decided to differentiate him from the rest.


    Lui Bu took one of the shards of ss in his hand and was about to do the inevitable, but suddenly the sign on his forehead shone brightly, and he heard a strange voice.


    With each passing second, it grew louder, and Lui Bu seemed like some dark silhouette was beginning to appear in front of him.


    "What is it? What is that voice?" Puzzled, Lui Bu muttered.


    Gradually the voice in his head became clearer and louder, and when Lui Bu fully heard Wain''s call, his heart began to beat faster.


    He realized that this was hisst chance to separate his life from death. Lui Bu was obliged to seize this opportunity.


    "I want to go with you! Give me a sign!" Lui Bu shouted, realizing that not a second should have been missed.


    ...


    Thanks to his skill, Wain heard his words. He smiled and muttered, "Well, at least I''ve made contact with one. Now I need to give him an invitation, right?"


    Wain thought and concentrated. His Seal of Darkness glowed brightly, and an icy shard appeared before him. It was an invitation into his Void.


    Crackle.


    Suddenly the shard shattered into many pieces. Wain was shocked, but something happened that he could not have expected. He had seen something like this once before, at the very beginning of his journey.


    Out of the darkness came several ck bony arms that forcefully opened a portal. It was like an endless, snow-white passageway, the only way out through the infinite darkness.


    "What is this...?" Lui Bu muttered, looking at the portal and the bone hands.


    He was shocked but delighted. Lui Bu looked at his ruined room and suddenlyughed, "AHAHAHA, it looks like a path to the abyss. This is incredible! I thought I was going to hell today, but I guess I was wrong."


    Lui Bu smiled and stepped forward.


    ...


    At the same time, Wain''s words reached the second challenger. Wain constructed his speech so that the disillusioned, talented alchemists in life could hear it, but only from two races.


    Wain wasn''t sure if he had done it right, but his scheme certainly seeded.


    The second person his call reached was a girl lying among the mechanical wreckage. She was a Construct. She had long, pale blue hair and blue eyes. She was dressed in simple clothes and wore bulky mechanical boots on her feet.


    She had recently attempted to create a potion, but she had failed due to poor equipment andck of resources. She had a triangle-shaped sign on her chest, but it was broken, which gave her the stigma of scum.


    No one would listen to her ideas or wishes, as she also had the lowest blood purity, only 3%.


    "What is that voice...?" Edena muttered.


    She thought it was a glitch in her system, but the voice grew stronger over time. At one point, it even hurt. It was like a call from hell.


    Whoooooosh.


    Suddenly, ck bony hands appeared in front of Edena, opening a portal for her. She didn''t think for long. The voice in her head worked like hypnosis, forcing her forward. Moreover, she had no other choice anyway.


    "Looks like I''ll have to endure another test of fate..." Edena muttered and stepped forward.


    ...


    At the other end of the path, Wain was waiting for them. He didn''t know who wasing or how long it would take, but he decided to take measures for conspiracy.


    The Ring of Damned glowed brightly, and a white mask appeared in Wain''s hands. There was a small, ck smear on one edge of the mask this time. Wain paid no attention to this and put the mask on to hide his identity.


    ...


    After a while, Lui Bu and Edena reached the end of the path. When they entered the spatial rift, the portals closed behind them.


    In front of them stood a tall man in a long blue cry. A mask concealed his face, and an eerie aura emanated from him.


    Lui Bu and Edena looked at each other. They were surprised and puzzled by this encounter, for they still did not understand anything.


    "Wee, you are here because you responded to my call." Calmly said Wain.


    "So that was your voice?" Lui Bu asked cautiously.


    "Yes, answer me one question. What prompted you to practice alchemy?"


    When Wain asked this, Lui Bu and Edena rxed a little. They were now certain that this was not all a trap or a deception. They hade here because the voice needed alchemists.


    Lui Bu decided to be the first, "My reason is quite trivial. The only person who supported me was my aunt. She taught me the basics of alchemy, but some bastards killed her one day. One day, I want to create a potion that can resurrect her."


    "What about revenge? Don''t you hate these people?"


    "Huh, sure, I want to tear them apart and make their blood boil in the cauldron of hell. Honestly, sometimes I don''t know what I want more revenge or resurrect my aunt. I just hope there''s more good in me than bad."


    "Good and evil are pretty rtive concepts, but I hear you." Proimed Wain and looked at Edena, "What about you? What''s your purpose?"<sub> </sub>


    "Isn''t it obvious? Knowledge is already a worthy goal, isn''t it?"


    "Of course, you''re right, but you lie pretty badly. If you don''t want to talk, that''s your choice. Honestly, it''s not that important."


    Edena frowned. She didn''t think Wain would be able to figure out so easily that it wasn''t her true reason.


    "You asked us the question. Now it''s our turn. Right?" Lui Bu asked.


    "Of course." Wain nodded. He looked at Lui Bu''s chest and wondered, ''Sven said that Axalts, the sign on their chest could only be in the form of the sun or the moon, but this guy has it all together. It looks like I found someone special.''


    Likewise, Wain was surprised that the module on Edena''s chest was broken. They were different, and that was exactly what Wain needed.


    "Do you really need us as alchemists?"


    "Yes, if it weren''t for your desire and potential, we wouldn''t have met. I don''t care how strong you are inbat. All that matters to me is your skills."


    "You own a Void?" Edena asked.


    "Of course, my zone is just developing, but all great things have a beginning."


    "Honestly, I don''t have any other options than to join you anyway. I won''t go into details, but even if you have few resources, it''s better than nothing." Proimed Lui Bu.


    "No need to worry. After this introduction, you and I will have a thorough discussion. I understand that as alchemists, you need resources and conditions. I will listen to your wishes and suggest solutions."


    Lui Bu merely nodded. The mysterious stranger was more benevolent than he had imagined.


    ''There''s a creepy auraing from him, but he doesn''t seem to be lying. He acts on the side of practicality and efficiency. What''s more, this girl... she''s a Construct. He knows that among our races are the best alchemists. It can''t be a coincidence.'' Lui Bu pondered.


    "What about you? Are youing with me?" Asked Wain looking at Edena.


    "Your offer is attractive, but I can''t trust someone who hides his identity. You can see our faces, and we can''t see yours. You know, it looks pretty suspicious."


    "If I see fit, I''ll take the mask off, but not now. You have two choices. Either trusts me and do alchemy with my resources and my zone or go back."


    Edena frowned. She understood that, in this case, Wain was risking nothing. She could not return since she hade here because she wanted to escape her past life, and Wain understood that.


    "I give you ten seconds to make a decision. Go back to hell or take the chance that fate itself has given you." Wain said menacingly and released part of his aura.


    Lui Bu and Edena were in First Chronicle, but they were pretty weak. They were no stronger than an evolved zombie who would die in one blow than Wain.


    Wain was at the peak of First Chronicle, and they felt it. The pressure he was putting on them was immense.


    Time passed, and Edena still hadn''t given her answer ten secondster. Wain didn''t wait any longer. Instead, he swung his hand, and a massive ice gate appeared behind him.


    The temperature around him dropped drastically, and the gate opened with a flick of his finger. A blizzard burst out of them.


    "What''s your name?"


    "Lui Bu."


    "All right, Lui Bu, wee to my world," Wain said coldly and extended his hand forward before turning around and stepping into the gate.


    Lui Bu nodded and followed him. Every step he took was thest countdown for Edena. She was hesitant and didn''t know what to do in this situation. She was not used to taking risks, and this situation was exactly that.


    When Lui Bu reached the gate and practically entered it, Edena decided.


    ''To hell with the past life, nothing was waiting for me there but disappointment and endless failures. If it''s a trap, I''d rather die that way than rot among the scrap metal.'' Thought Edena and ran forward.


    Wain smiled, ''Good girl.''


    Snap.


    When they were all in the territory of Frozen Land, Wain snapped his finger, and the gate closed, then disappeared.


    They found themselves among the icy caverns in the main hall. Immediately after they appeared, dozens of monsters emerged from the caves and stared intently at the neers.


    Edena and Lui Bu became rmed. They thought it was a trap, and Wain had lured them here.


    Crackling.


    Then they heard loud footstepsing from one cave. Looking there, they saw the Ice Knight with two swords at his back and a Mimic walking behind him with a creepy open mouth.


    Lui Bu and Edena shuddered with fear and prepared for battle, but no one attacked them despite their suspicions.


    "No need to worry. These monsters are not your enemy. On the contrary, you will soon be friends, and they will be your faithful helpers. Especially goblins, these guys are simply indispensable."


    "Are you serious right now?" Unsurely muttered Lui Bu.


    "Of course, as I said, I don''t care how strong you are. Only your mastery matter." Mumbled Wain and then looked at Mimic, "ck Rabbit, I hope you still have your tea?"


    "§¡? Of course! My supply of tea is huge! I have a whole collection! It''s my pride!" Mimic eximed.


    Edena and Lui Bu were puzzled. They were not particrly strong, and this was the first time they had met a monster who could talk.


    "I agree. His tea is actually quite delicious." Suddenly Frigus said.


    ''Another one?! Edena and Lui Bu thought at the same time.


    "Frigus, if you would just once drink your tea hot instead of cold as ice, you would like it even more. I''m sure you would."


    Frigus shook his head, "I''m fine with it. I don''t want to experiment."


    "Okay, enough talk." Said Wain, "ck Rabbit, pick the best tea you have for our guests."


    "Are we going to have tea?" Edena asked, puzzled.


    "Huh, sure, it''s pretty cold out here, isn''t it? What''s more, you and I have a lot to discuss."

 Chapter 228 The Treaty And The War

    Edena and Lui Bu agreed to Wain''s proposal, and in a few minutes, they were sitting at the same table drinking hot tea. ck Rabbit and Frigus also joined them.


    The five of them drank tea. Edena preferred ck tea, as did Wain and ck Rabbit. Lui Bu and Frigus chose green tea.


    "Okay, now let''s get down to business. First, we all need to get acquainted. My name is Nameless, and I''m in charge here." Wain said calmly, taking a sip of tea.


    Lui Bu and Edena nodded. They were still wary, for, at this table, they were the weakest. Anyone could have attacked them and killed them quickly. Frigus and ck Rabbit acted friendly, but they did not hide their powerful auras.


    "This is Frigus. He''s in charge here while I''m gone. He''s in charge of all the monsters and the fighting. I am not a goodmander in chief and prefer to fight alone. However, you don''t have to worry about that. In case of war, you will be thest ones to fight."


    Wain turned and said, "This Mimic, his name is ck Rabbit. He distributes fruits and concoctions as well as manages their preparation. He''s quite sociable, and sometimes it''s terribly annoying."


    "What?!" ck Rabbit eximed, but no one paid him any attention.


    "What''s our main task?" Lui Bu asked.


    "To do alchemy. You can use all the resources in this Void. The monsters will help you. Before we talk about your requests and the necessary resources, I want to know you better. Why is your Spirit, double?" Asked Wain turning to Lui Bu.


    Lui Bu frowned. He didn''t want to talk about it but decided to answer, "I don''t know. My Spirit has been like this since birth. If I could change it, I would have gotten rid of it long ago. I have nothing more to say."


    Wain nodded and looked at Edena, "Why is your module damaged?"


    "This sometimes happens when there is a malfunction during production. This defect is not detected immediately but only after several years. People like me are social outcasts."


    "Is there any way to fix it?"


    "Yes, but for me, it is impossible. I need aplete system upgrade at the nanite level to fix this defect. It costs too much, I don''t have ten lifetimes to save up for something like that, but there is another option."


    "What is it?"


    "The purity of my blood must exceed 50%. Then the nanites will evolve and rebuild into a more advanced form. I''ll shed my skin like a snake and be reborn."


    "That sounds more realistic. What percentage of blood purity do you have?"


    Edena''s gaze darkened, and she murmured, "Only 3%."


    "Oh, that''s really low. Honestly, I thought your blood purity was in the 40-49% range. In that case, I might be able to solve your problem."


    "Hmm? What do you mean?"


    The Ring of Damned glowed brightly, and a vial of crimson fluid appeared in Wain''s hands.


    "With this, I can increase your blood purity by 10%, provided your blood purity is less than 50%. Otherwise, the effectiveness drops considerably."


    When Edena and Lui Bu saw this vial, they trembled. The reason was that Wain did not fully realize how valuable the item was in his hands.


    This vial had been given him as a reward for a test. He had won not because of his strength but because he had decided to act before anyone else.


    For those whose blood purity was low, this vial was priceless.


    At that moment, Edena and Lui Bu realized that the man in the blue cry and mask sitting in front of them had power. In their minds, no one else could possess such a thing.


    "I want to ask you, in theory, can you create something like this?" Wain asked.


    Edena and Lui Bu did not know what to say. In their minds, a vial of blood essence was an incredible treasure, but now they were being asked to create it themselves.


    "But, can we...? Isn''t that blood essence...?" Edena muttered.


    "You don''t have to worry so much. You should think of this vial as an ordinary potion or reagent. Of course, it is not easy to create, but it is possible. I realize that your skills are not sufficient at the moment, so I ask, is there any chance that in the future you might be able to create vials with the essence of blood?" Asked Wain, slowly rocking the vial.


    "That''s obvious. We can." Confidently said Lui Bu, "Vials of blood essence are a real treasure, but most of the time it is not a natural phenomenon, but artificially created. We need to conduct experiments and increase our knowledge and mastery."


    "AHAHAHA, good, I like your unwavering fighting spirit. Now let''s move on to the most important thing of all, resources."


    Edena and Lui Bu nodded.


    "There are only two zones in this Void, and a total of three resources are growing. ck Rabbit will show you everything. I''m not going to lie, these resources are not enough forrge-scale alchemical experiments. What''s more, there''s no proper equipment or tools, and there''s only ice, snow, and sand around."


    "So how are we going to work under these conditions? I mean, it''s still better than nothing, but we''re not likely to aplish much this way." Lui Bu muttered.


    "I agree." Added Edena, "I don''t mean to be rude, but if you want to see results from us, we need better conditions."


    "Of course, Ipletely understand you and am willing to offer any support. I think we need to address the small number of resources first, am I right?" Asked Wain.


    "Yes." Lui Bu nodded, "However, we don''t need dozens of Voids with different resources."


    "Hmm? What do you mean?"


    "I know that every Void has resources, depending on the owner''s soul power and zone rank. They have special effects and are filled with energy, but not necessarily all the ingredients have to be like that. Especially when we first start doing alchemy."


    "Also, We need to grab a Void with lots of vegetation to start being productive. Everything from tree bark and leaves to flowers, cones, and insects will do. We need a dense forest area with extensive fauna." Said Edena.


    "Edena, you''re being too bold. To seize the Void is to start a war and sacrifice dozens of warriors." Abruptly said, Lui Bu.


    "Huh, it''s okay. It''s a good idea. Moreover, I''ve wanted to increase my holdings for a long time." Proimed Wain.


    The monsters had already explored over 95% of the area by this point, so Wain was ready to take the next step. Moreover, he had found alchemists, and now he could begin to ramp up the pace.


    "Are you serious?" Lui Bu asked.


    "Of course, I don''t want to brag, but at the moment, I am one of the strongest representatives of the First Chronicle. All you have to do is work and try to seed. I''ll take care of the rest. After this talk, we''ll choose a suitable Void for an attack. Before that, I want to hear your other wishes."


    "Good, then I won''t be modest. I want the full support of monsters that can be useful to Lui Bu and me during the experiments."


    "That''s not a problem."<sub> </sub>


    "Likewise, once we have the necessary resources to begin the work, we will need equipment. My methods and Lui Bu''s are radically different, but I think we can work together. Am I right?" Edena asked.


    "Of course." Lui Bu nodded, "I think it will be an interesting experience. We are two races with the best alchemists. Even separately, we can achieve amazing results, but perhaps working together will exceed even our wildest expectations."


    "Good, I like that. Edena, did you have something to offer?"


    "Yes, I need my race''s equipment, just as Lui Bu needs his race''s equipment. For that, you will have to attack Voids, whose owners are inhabitants from our worlds."


    "Hmm, bottom line, for you to have the resources and equipment, I need to grab three Voids, well that''s no problem. Right now, we''ll pick the first Void." Suddenly Wain said.


    Edena and Lui Bu were surprised. They didn''t expect Wain to act so quickly.


    Click.


    Wain snapped his finger, and the ice beneath them turned to ink. All five of them were in the special area for the owner of Void.


    All but Wain were in the area for the first time. They were amazed to see hundreds of stars slowly floating around them. It was beautiful and mesmerizing.


    ''Hmm, they need a forest, that makes sense. There are plenty of nts and other natural resources. They can make something stunning even from simple leaves and flowers with some knowledge.


    From what I understand, Elves and nts live in the forests most of the time. Most likely, I will attack one of them.'' Wain thought.


    He couldn''t know in advance which race owned the enemy Void, nor which territories were included in that Void, but he could guess from the name.


    Wain didn''t know if the owner of Void could name a zone, but so far, he hasn''t had that feature.


    "Nameless, are you sure of your actions? It''s certainly a good thing for Edena and me, but I''m worried it might cost you too much." Lui Bu asked.


    "No need to worry." Suddenly said Frigus, "There will be no losses."


    "All right, enough talk. Better to see once than hear a hundred times." Said Wain and headed for the stars.


    Everyone spent the next ten minutes in silence. They waited to see what decision Wain would make. He was carefully choosing the right Void.


    ''Hmm, Edena and Lui Bu are just at the beginning of their journey now. They''re right. They don''t need a lot of rare and energy-filled nts. Something simpler, but inrge quantities, will do. It should also be a forest or a simr location.'' Wain thought.


    He wanted to attack arge area, but the locations in that area should also be suitable.


    ''After I fought in the Arena, the World of Darkness awarded me Rank-A. I''m not sure if I should attack an area with the same rank, as it might be too risky.''


    The rank of an area depended primarily on the strength of the creatures inhabiting it.


    Resources, their quality, and numbers resulted from the rank increase, but warriors and their strength were the cause. Also, the owner of Void influenced a lot of things.


    As a result, three Voids were hovering before the Wain. Wain felt that each of them was a suitable option, and he had to make a final choice.


    "Edena, Lui Bu,e here. Which Void do you think would be the best option? Look only at the title. Everything else is irrelevant to you. After you make your decision, I''ll dere war right away." Wain said seriously.


    The alchemists nodded and approached him. They thought for a while, then together pointed to a green-purple star with a blue glow.


    "Good choice said Wain."


    [Magical Forest of Azure Rivers


    Owner: Sharp-Eared Traveler


    Size: Medium


    Chronicle: First


    Rank: C ]


    Wain smiled contentedly. The forest was the perfect zone, so was the size and rank appropriate, but most of all, Wain was pleased with the zone owner''s nickname.


    "Sharp-Eared Traveler, the owner of this Void, is definitely an Elf. This is going to be interesting. Lui Bu, Edena, go back inside. ck Rabbit will show you around, you don''t need to get involved in the war, but before you do, I have something to show you."


    Wain walked over to Lui Bu and Edena and put his hands on their foreheads. They were surprised but did not resist. Then Wain''s Seal of Darkness glowed brightly, and his eyes sparkled.


    Some energy passed through his hands and headed toward Lui Bu and Edena. They had juste to this Void and were not yet full-fledged residents of this ce.


    Wain decided to fix that and show them the effects that all warriors of this area receive.


    Whoooooooosh.


    "What is this...?" Shocked, Lui Bu muttered, feeling his strength increase considerably.


    "This is only a small part of what the future holds for this ce."


    "This is unbelievable..." Mumbled Edena.


    "Yes, our leader is incredible." ck Rabbit added.


    "Nameless, I think it''s time to attack. The monsters and I will help you in any way we can. We will not turn back, even in death." Said Frigus.


    He realized that Wain didn''t want to tell Lui Bu and Edena his name and show them his face yet, so he called him by an alias.


    Frigus was ready for battle. At the moment, he was the strongest in Frozen Land and wanted to sprinkle his swords in the blood of his enemies.


    The other monsters had the same opinion. Wain''s orders forbade all fighting, but sometimes they wanted to let their emotions run wild and engage in a bloody and brutal battle.


    "Of course, it will be the same as thest time. When the portal opens, I will go forward, and you will lead the monsters. Be careful. It''s Rank-C Void. We must win without losses. Otherwise, it can''t be called a full-fledged victory."

 Chapter 229 The Forest War

    For there to be a war between two Voids, their leaders must agree to it. Otherwise, the attacker will be rejected, and nothing will happen.


    Wain wasn''t worried about that happening. He was sure the enemy leader would agree.


    Frozen Land was a Small Size, Rank-E zone, while Magical Forest of Azure Rivers was a Medium Size, Rank-C zone.


    This Void was superior to a Frozen Land in every way. The chances of the enemy leader abandoning the war were minimal.


    "Okay, it''s time to start." Mumbled Wain and touched a green star.


    His Seal of Darkness glowed brightly, and Wain said loudly, "I, Nameless, dere war on the Magical Forest of Azure Rivers and its leader!"


    A torrent of energy erupted from his body and headed toward the owner of Void. At that moment, a message of deration of war appeared in front of Sharp-Eared Traveler.


    ...


    Somewhere in the forest, in a castle by a massive rock.


    A tall man was sitting on a wooden throne, eating red grapes, admiring the beauty of his area. However, at one point, a message appeared in front of him that first made him frown and then grin.


    "What? Does someone want to challenge me with such a weak Void? Is he insane? AHAHAHAHA." The manughed and gave his consent to start a war.


    The next moment the two spaces shook, and in front of all the inhabitants of the two Voids, the same message appeared.


    ...


    [Nameless started a war against Sharp-Eared Traveler]


    [The portal between Frozen Land and Magical Forest of Azure Rivers will open in thirty minutes.]


    [The war will be over after the enemy leader and more than 90% of the warriors ept defeat, or until the enemy leader and most of the warriors have been destroyed.]


    Everyone was shocked by this statement, but the monsters in Frozen Land were not frightened. Predatory smiles appeared on their faces, and they gritted their teeth.


    They had been waiting for this moment for a long time, and now they could finally show how sharp their fangs and powerful their jaws were.


    Thanks to Wain''s decision over the past few weeks, all of the monsters had grown many times stronger. They didn''t fight for a long time, and all the while, they were storing energy and absorbing energy crystals.


    Moreover, the bonuses of the zone greatly elerated their progress. Even though their opponent''s zone was bigger and higher ranked, they didn''t worry about anything.


    The monsters were confident in their strength and the might of their leaders.


    "All right, Frigus, we''ve got to go. ck Rabbit, take care of Edena and Lui Bu. They must not be harmed under any circumstances." Said Wain.


    "Of course! You can count on me."


    Snick.


    Wain snapped his finger, and they returned to the ice cave. Wain gave the sign, and they, along with Frigus, headed into the main hall, where hundreds of monsters were already waiting for them.


    It was 25 minutes before the war started, but they were ready to attack now.


    ...


    A simr situation took ce in the Magical Forest of Azure Rivers. Unlike Wain''s warriors, they weren''t waiting for war, but they were not worried.


    Compared to their area, Frozen Land was small and weak, which means that there were the same enemies.


    They were rather cold to the notification of the outbreak of war. In their opinion, it would be nothing more than a warm-up.


    Moreover, they would end up with a small number of resources, which was a nice bonus.


    "What was their leader thinking? Is he an idiot? Why send his warriors to their deaths?" One Elf said with a sneer.


    Elves, as well as monsters, inhabited the Magical Forest of Azure Rivers. A small part of them lived here permanently, but most came here asionally during important events from their World.


    Elves were few, about 10% of the total number of inhabitants of this Void, but they were the strongest warriors. However, they were unusual elves, and it had to do with the personality of their leader.


    "I realize that this war was a surprise to many, but I can''t pass up such a chance!" Said Sharp-Eared Traveler, joining his mates.


    Usually, Elves had light or even pale skin, so did their hair. However, Sharp-Eared Traveler was strikingly different from ordinary Elves.


    His skin was dark, with a violet hue. His hair was bright purple and barely reached his neck. His eyes were gray, as were his nails.


    He was dressed in loose dark purple robes, and on his belt was a curved sword. Sharp-Eared Traveler was very fond of wine and grapes, so even now, he had a golden goblet in his hand from which he drank wine.


    "Yes, we understand you, but it was unexpected." Said one of their Elves. He was as much a Dark Elf as the others.


    "Hmm, it''ll be an easy win either way."


    "Yeah."


    "I agree. They''re like a drop in front of the oceanpared to us."


    Fifteen minutes to go before the war begins.


    ...


    Wain didn''t say anything. He stood leaning against the ice wall and waited for it to begin.


    Frigus handed out a few instructions to the monsters, then did the same. There was nothing to discuss, the war would be won by the strongest, and that was it.


    There were 10 minutes left before the war started.


    ...


    "ck Rabbit, are you sure you''ll be alright?" Lui Bu asked worriedly.


    "Ah, honestly, I don''t know, but something tells me we''ll win."<sub> </sub>


    "What makes you think so?" Edena asked.


    "I joined Nameless recently, but Frigus has been here from the beginning. Moreover, it was Nameless who gave the name to Frigus. He talked about how Nameless fought during thest war. It was incredible. I think you need to watch it from afar."


    We''re less than five minutes away from the start of the war.


    ...


    "Okay, we''re ready. It''s going to start real soon." Said Frigus.


    "Yes... This is going to be interesting. Frigus, try with the monsters to lead the enemy warriors into the desert. On the surface, it is a barren territory. It is ideal for battles. There you may not hold back or worry about anything."


    "Of course, we will do so. There''s no point in destroying valuable forests and territories. Sand and snow will do much better for that purpose."


    "I will break into their territory and immediately wreak havoc in their ranks. I will try to take the fight to the mountains if they are there. Also, rivers or lifeless fields will do." Wain pronounced, looking at the massive wall of ice.


    On it was a sign in the form of a dark crown with a silhouette of a mouth around it. After Wain made him a knight, the same mark was on Frigus'' chest.


    There were less than thirty seconds to go before the war began, and at that moment, the cracks began to run down the wall. This was the starting point and the portal between the two Voids.


    On the other side was a massive rock on which was a seal in the shape of a goblet filled with a bunch of grapes. It was the mark of Sharp-Eared Traveler.


    He and his warriors watched intently behind the crumbling wall.


    There were only ten seconds to go before the war began by then.


    ...


    "Well, it looks like my time hase." Wain muttered, and his aura began to increase rapidly.


    A tinum sword appeared in his right hand and a dark sword in his left. Then he linked them together, creating a powerful and crushing weapon.


    Then wind streams appeared around his hands, which gradually turned into gloves up to his elbows.


    Wain greatly increased his speed and the power of his blows. His attacks now had the energy of darkness, which could sometimes explode.


    Storm Gloves give him the power of a whirlwind and astonishing speed.


    Wain also had Magic Missile in his arsenal, a simple but powerful ability for destroying a single target at long range. It was like the equivalent of a sniper rifle in the mage world.


    Wain decided not to use any of the forms yet, as he saw no need for it. First, he wanted to see what territory the battle would take ce.


    Crackle.


    With only three seconds to go, massive debris began to break away from the ice wall. The same thing was happening on the other side.


    Whoooosh.


    Wain stepped forward and was the first to go into battle when the portal was opened. The first thing he saw were hundreds of monsters standing at the entrance, ready to tear anyone apart.


    Behind the monsters stood the Elves.


    ''Are those the Dark Elves? Amazing, but it doesn''t change the point. They''re all dead.'' Wain thought.


    The area Wain arrived at was a vast field. There was nothing on it but grass and a few trees. It was the best ce to fight in the Magical Forest of Azure Rivers.


    In the distance, beyond the field, was a massive forest with hundreds of trees that had purple foliage.


    Around the forest were several mountains of medium height. They were more than half covered with vegetation and looked a little like hills.


    At a distance of a few dozen meters, to the left of the field passed a river into which flowed a huge waterfall. Every second, tons of water fell down, and there were colossal sshes.


    Wain was the first, and so dozens of monsters immediately attacked him.


    They pounced on him like a piece of fresh meat with their mouths wide open. Wain did not retreat. To him, they were no stronger than an insect.


    He clutched his sword tightly and took a few sharp swings. The dark elves who watched this scene from afar were shocked.


    First, they saw a man in a dark blue cloak and white mask running into their territory through a portal. Monsters threw themselves at him, and at that moment, the Elves blinked.


    They saw more than ten monster corpses cut into pieces when they opened their eyes, slowly falling to the ground.


    Momentster, three ck spheres appeared on the stranger''s sword, and they heard a loud p of thunder. Wain plunged the sword down, condemning hundreds of creatures to certain death.


    When the tip of the weapon touched the ground, one of the spheres exploded, creating a powerful shockwave of lightning and darkness. This attack destroyed more than a hundred monsters and several Dark Elves.


    The monsters and Elves did not expect that many of theirrades would die just seconds after the war began.


    Then they began to realize that this would not be an easy battle. Their enemy was powerful, and to survive and win this war, they had to fight for all their might.


    It was impossible to escape from these territories during the war between the two Voids. Therefore, everyone had only one option, to fight.


    "No need to panic!" Suddenly Sharp-Eared Traveler said and pulled his curved sword from his belt, "They decided to start with their trump cards! Use your most powerful attacks in response, and we''ll win easily!"


    Whooooooosh.


    Sharp-Eared Traveler did not sit back. He, like the enemy leader, decided to go forward.


    He turned into a purple sh and attacked Wain, but suddenly a tall figure in icy armor appeared in front of him. It blocked the Elf''s attack with two icy des and threw him aside.


    "Frigus... Are you sure you want to fight him? I''ve already looked at his World of Darkness card. He''s their leader." Said Wain looking coldly at the Elves.


    "No, I''ll deal with part of the enemy. I''ll leave it to you to deal with their leader." Frigus said and stepped back.


    He ran toward the portal leading to Snow Desert. Frigus decided to block this blow to feel the power of their enemy and divert some of the attention to himself.


    His n seeded as hundreds of monsters, and dozens of Dark Elves ran after him.

 Chapter 230 Instead Of One, Ten

    Frigus diverted the attention of monsters and Dark Elves to himself and took more than half of the warriors to the Snow Desert. There began arge-scale battle between Wain''s monsters and Sharp-Eared Traveler''s monsters.


    They were considerably smaller, but they were winning in quality. The monsters from Magical Forest of Azure Rivers were mostly of the tree or nt type. They were slow but quite strong and had good deterrent abilities.


    However, this was of no use to the fast ice monsters, all of whom had sharp des in their arsenal. They could easily cut through tree bark and slice through vines and leaves.


    The ice monsters lost in numbers, but otherwise, they had the advantage. Moreover, their leader, Frigus, was a killing machine.


    Every time he swung his ice swords, several monsters were turned into sliced pieces of meat.


    Blood poured out all around him, and he looked like a demon from hell. However, Frugis'' actions were not based on rage or cruelty.


    He was calm and focused. His movements were honed and cold, and in fact, it was even more terrifying.


    Frigus felt no emotion at all. To win this war was his main mission, and to do so, he had to kill as many enemies as possible with the fewest casualties.


    The other monsters followed his example. They had recently learned to value their lives truly. They also have, to some extent, learned what teamwork is. Unlike their enemies, they acted cautiously and cooperatively.


    Their enemies were many, but they didn''t know what to do. The tree and nt monsters tried to make attacks, but they dodged them andunched a massive counterattack in response.


    Massive ice beasts tore their enemies apart. Lizards and scorpions attacked from afar.


    Trolls took advantage of their tougher bodies than steel to press their way through. Goblins acted together and threw des carved from ice at enemy monsters.


    This was only a small part of what was happening in the Snow Desert.


    "First, we need to deal with him!" Said the Dark Elves and surrounded Frigus.


    Frigus took his time. He put his swords out in front of him and watched his enemies closely. Frigus directed energy to his swords and waited for a good moment to counterattack.


    He had been training hardtely and had honed one move previously difficult for him.


    It was not a skill of his soul. It was a skill he had developed on his own over long training periods. Skills could not only be acquired through the Skill Book. They could also be created on their own.


    However, for that, he had to know exactly how the skill was supposed to look and act and how the process of energy transformation would take ce. It was something like creating a spell.


    In fact, it wasplicated, long, and unprofitable to develop skills on one''s own. Most often, such skills were weak and had many defects.


    It was only necessary to develop a skill yourself if someone was sure of the result and understood what he wanted.


    Frigus had no opportunity to get a Skill Book in the near future, so he decided to trust his instincts.


    Nothing worked for him at first, but when Wain gave him a name and Frigus went through Awareness, his progress shifted.


    He didn''t know if it was because he got the name or because Wain did it, but it didn''t matter. Frigus created a skill, a fairly simple but effective one. The most important thing was that this skill was perfect for him.


    "Let''s go!" Said one of the Elves, and they all attacked Frigus at once.


    At that moment, Frigus decided the time was right and used his move. The ice swords shone brightly, and then Frigus swung them sharply in different directions.


    The next instant, long ice des resembling crescents flew out of the swords, and ten Elf heads simultaneously fell to the ground.


    The monsters and the Elves were shocked. They had not expected Frigus to be capable of something like this.


    They had thought that the masked stranger was the only serious opponent, but now they realized how wrong they had been.


    Frigus exhaled icy steam and muttered, "It''s still not enough. I could have done a lot better, but I guess for a firstbat experience, it wasn''t bad."


    Whooooooosh.


    Frigus turned into a blue sh and proceeded to destroy his enemies.


    This war was moreplicated than they could have imagined. Their only hope was that their leader would prevail.


    ...


    At this time, Wain was preparing for battle with the enemy leader. Besides Sharp-Eared Traveler, there were several hundred other monsters and dozens of Elves, but none of them were in a hurry to attack. They were afraid, and it was understandable.


    The enemy they thought was weak turned out to be incredibly strong, but they still had not lost hope. Their leader was might, they had had several wars before, and they had won most of them because of their leader.


    "Nameless, you are powerful. Why is your zone still Rank-E? Given your power, you could easily do better." Said Traveler.


    "I''ve been busy, but as you can see, it''s my time to increase my territories. You will be the first."


    "Oh, I''ll take the honor. However, it is unlikely that you will seed. Strength alone is not enough to defeat me!" Shouted Traveler and put his curved de to his chest.


    The outline of his body glowed violet, and suddenly the Elf split in two. Then again, and again. In the end, sixteen Travelers slowly walked around Wain.


    ''Illusionist? How interesting. I''ve never encountered anything like that before.'' Wain pondered.


    "Well? Can you figure out who to attack now?" Smiling, Traveler said.


    "Huh, like I need to."


    Wain clenched his sword tightly and thrust it into the ground with all his might. The second of the three lightning spheres exploded, and an electrical pulse burst around it. It struck everyone within thirty meters.


    The Dark Elves and monsters didn''t have time to retreat and suffered serious wounds, but Traveler was perfectly safe.


    He seeded in reacting, and sixteen illusions simultaneously jumped up and past the electric ring.


    Traveler then attacked Wain sharply. He was right, Wain couldn''t tell who was real and who was fake, which was a big problem.<sub> </sub>


    He had to block sixteen punches at once. Even despite Wain''s speed, he was not capable of it.


    Illusions were not tangible and could not deal damage, but sometimes Wain missed attacks from the real thing.


    Wain''s cloak and his high stats protected him quite well, but there were many shallow cuts on his body after a while. It wasn''t a critical situation, so Wain wouldn''t use one of the forms.


    He understood that some of the territory and forest would be destroyed if he used either form. Therefore, Wain was not going to use his most destructive skills yet.


    He still had one lightning sphere and was going to use it.


    When Traveler once again attacked simultaneously, Wain jumped high and threw his sword down.


    There was an explosion, and ck lightning destroyed most of the illusions. Only two survived, and one of the Elves rippled strangely in space.


    Wain realized it was an illusion, so he quickly headed to the real Traveler. Wain grabbed him tightly by the neck and said, "That''s it, you were pretty arrogant, but you turned out to be weak."


    "Huh." Barely said Traveler, "We''re just getting started."


    Snap.


    Traveler snapped his finger, and suddenly there was an illusion in Wain''s grasp, which disappeared a secondter like a mirage.


    Wain looked back and saw Traveler in the distance, trying to catch his breath.


    ''I see, he switched ces with the illusion. What an annoying force. Illusionists are really a nuisance to fight.'' Thought Wain and reached forward.


    The tinum sword returned to him, and he was ready to continue the fight.


    ''Don''t you want to give up? You and your mates will survive. That''s quite a bargain, isn''t it?" Suddenly Wain suggested.


    Wain had no intention of killing every creature in the Magical Forest of Azure Rivers. He would do so if it were necessary to win, but that was not his primary goal.


    Wain''s goal was to take over the territory get newnds and resources so that Lui Bu and Edena could start doing alchemy.


    There were only two ways: he would kill all the creatures in the enemy Void, or they would surrender and bow their heads to him.


    In fact, the second option was even preferable. In this case, Wain would lose fewer soldiers and gain new ones, and the war would end faster. Right now, efficiency was paramount.


    "Surrender? I admit you''re strong, but I can no longer respect myself if I surrender after just one lost round. Don''t you agree with that?"


    Wain nodded weakly, "Yes, your words make sense. I doubt a coward could achieve the same results as you."


    Traveler answered nothing. He stared at Wain, and his eyes shone brightly. The next moment he began to create illusions, but this time there were far fewer, only four.


    ''Hmm? Only four? Has he run out of energy? No, there''s something wrong here...'' muttered Wain to himself.


    The Elf swung his curved sword, and Its des glowed brightly. The same thing happened with the other illusions.


    At that moment, Wain understood why there were so few illusions. Every one of them was now capable of inflicting damage on him.


    Whoosh.


    Five Travelers attacked him simultaneously. Though he could barely block attacks from five directions at once, Wain was having a hard time doing so.


    He felt that gradually he was being squeezed, and his defenses would be breached in an instant.


    Crackle.


    The Elf''s sword sliced Wain''s leg. The next moment another illusion left a cut on his shoulder. A third illusion wounded his back.


    Wain realized that the situation was getting worse by the second, and he was about to use one of the forms, but suddenly an idea came to him.


    He threw his sword aside and put his hands together. Then he dropped a powerful blow on the ground like a hammer. The Storm Gloves increased his speed and gave his attacks a wind burst effect.


    Therefore, after such a crushing attack, there was a whirling explosion. The wind ripped the illusions apart like des and also inflicted several cuts on the Elf.


    Wain extended his arm, and a tinum sword flew toward him.


    He turned into a white sh and swung the sword sharply from top to bottom. A deep cut was left on Traveler''s chest, and blood gushed from it in a torrent.


    "Argh!!!" The Elf clenched his teeth in pain and bounced aside.


    Wain began to pursue him. He wasn''t going to pass up such a chance to end this fight.


    However, just as he was about to strike, the Elf suddenly dipped his finger in his blood and ran it across his forehead, leaving a streak-like mark.


    The next moment arge amount of darkness erupted from Traveler''s body. It was like a wave that tossed Wain aside.


    "Bitch, that hurt!" Shouted Traveler, "But, it doesn''t matter anymore. This field will be your grave!"


    Then arge amount of darkness appeared behind Traveler, which turned into a dark silhouette. It looked like an Elf, and in it also was armed with a curved sword.


    This illusion was huge and looked like a giant. It was the powerful skill Traveler was capable of. He realized that now was the time to open the trump card he had used to win past wars.


    Wain was wary, but he was not afraid. As soon as he saw that the illusion was created from darkness, he knew victory was his.


    "Huh, darkness and light are always fighting each other. It''s pretty weird, but it looks like I''m not on my usual side this time." Proimed Wain and held out a hand with a gold ring in front of it.

 Chapter 231 The Third Territory

    Traveler created an enormous giant-like illusion from the energy of darkness. Even a single step of this illusion could trample a house or crush a massive monster. Traveler had to give the order, and all would be, of course.


    The Elf thought that Wain would try to run away, but instead, he put his arm forward. Traveler didn''t understand what was happening, but then the gold ring on Wain''s finger glowed brightly.


    The ring was called the Light Seeker Ring, and Wain had received it after defeating the Ambassador of Light. It was an Ascendant Rating item with many bonuses and a built in skill, Lazarus Light.


    When Wai saw that the illusion consisted of dark energy, he knew what he had to do. Immediately after Wain put his hand forward, he used the ring skill.


    Part of the ring shone brightly, and like antern, it directed a massive beam of light at the illusion. The illusion began to burn like a ghost in front of the sun at that moment.


    "What?!" Eximed Traveler as he watched his most powerful attack turn into nothing.


    It only took Wain a few seconds to dispel the darkness. Traveler''sst bargaining chip was gone, and now he had no chance of winning.


    Whoosh.


    Wain leaned forward and made a sharp leap. He instantly reached Traveler and put the de of his sword to his neck.


    "This is the end." Wain said coldly, "Would you rather join me or be worm food?"


    The Elf''s abilities surprised him. He had never before met anyone who could create illusions and use them so skillfully.


    Wain would gain nothing but his soul by killing Traveler, but he would gain a powerful ally if Elf joined him.


    "Damn, I thought I would have many more wars to win..." Traveler muttered.


    "If you be my ally, that''s all there is ahead of you. Unlike you, I''ve never lost one."


    "Huh, and you''re the one who said I was arrogant? There''s no limit to your pretentiousness, but I agree. You''ve won, and this zone is yours now. There will be no honor in dying like this. I''ll join you." Raising his hands in the air, Traveler said.


    Wain nodded, "What is your real name?"


    "Reto Windon, we have to stop the war, don''t you think?"


    "That''s up to you, order your warriors to surrender, or you''re the only one left alive."


    Reto nodded and opened his mouth wide. The next moment a sign appeared on his chest in the shape of a goblet with a bunch of grapes.


    "I, Reto Windon, admit defeat!" The Elf said loudly. Every warrior in the two zones heard his voice.


    They realized that this was the end. There was no way their leader would reveal his name or admit defeat unless the situation was critical. The faces of the monsters and Elves darkened, but they epted their fate.


    [Void, Magical Forest of Azure Rivers lost its war with Void, Frozen Land.]


    [Nameless, conquered the enemy Void and is now the new owner of Magical Forest of Azure Rivers.]


    [As long as you are the Magical Forest of Azure Rivers owner, all your stats are increased by 25. Your resistance to the Nature Attribute is increased by 25%.]


    [As long as you are in the territory of this Void, your stats are increased by 25%. Your resistance to an attribute of nature is increased by 55%]


    [Given your power and the power of your souls in Soul Altar, adjustments are made to this area and the creatures that inhabit it.]


    [Adjustments are made for your strength and the power of your souls in Soul Altar.]


    [Stats of all creatures in this area are increased by 55%.]


    [All creatures in this Void progress and umte Soul Essence 55% faster.]


    [Magical Forest of Azure Rivers will gradually grow and strengthen. Over time, this area will increase in size and its overall power.]


    "AHAHAHA, great!" Wain eximed.


    "Hey Nameless, look how many warriors are left in this Void..." Reto said with a frown on his face.


    He was upset that he''d lost, but that wasn''t what bothered him the most. He realized that most of his mates were dead, which tormented his heart.


    "Of course." Wain calmly replied, understanding the situation.


    [Magical Forest of Azure Rivers


    Owner: Nameless


    Size: Medium


    Chronicle: First


    Rank: C


    Warriors: 3769]


    "There are 3769 left. How many were there originally?"


    "Just over three thousand... Damn... I lost almost seven thousand warriors. It was originally 10054. That''s the minimum necessary for the zone to be Rank-C." Said Reto.


    "That''s quite a lot. Don''t you regret not giving up sooner? In that case, more of your mates would have survived."


    Reto shook his head, "There was no right or wrong choice here. Everything was decided the moment I lost. Before that, I didn''t know what would happen in the future or what the situation was. I was in the dark, just like you. We had to believe in ourselves and our warriors if we wanted to win. Am I not right?"


    "Of course, that''s the only way to aplish anything. When I heal my wounds, I willbine my Void and this one. In the meantime, you can do what you want. I suggest you explore my territories. Frigus will exin everything to you." Wain proimed.


    "Is this the knight who was able to block my attack?"


    "Yes. I have special rules working in my zone. You and your warriors should familiarize yourselves with them. Otherwise, wee to my world." Said Wain and headed for the Ice Caves.


    During the battle with Reto, he had received several wounds, some of which were quite serious. He couldn''t be in that condition to deal with merging the two zones.


    "Nameless, would you like to take off your mask and tell me your real name? You own this Void now, and I can''t go against you. You know that."


    "Yes, the mask really isn''t much needed right now, but let me keep the intrigue until our next conversation."


    "Huh, whatever you say." Reto said and headed towards the castle.


    Despite the smile on his face, he felt a lot of pain and bitterness over the lost war and lostrades. He did not me Wain for this, nor did he feel any hatred for him.


    Reto himself decided to ept the challenge of starting the war. The fact that he lost and his warriors died was all his fault. He was the weaker and therefore suffered the most casualties.


    Wain was on his way to the iceke and decided to check how many of his warriors were left alive.


    [Nameless<sub> </sub>


    Race: Human


    Chronicle: First


    Rank: A


    Voids: 2, Frozen Land Rank-E, Small; Magical Forest of Azure Rivers Rank-C, Medium.


    Warriors: 1032]


    ''Damn, I lost over three hundred monsters, but it''s actually an amazing result. My warriors were much stronger than the enemies. It''s a good thing. No matter how strong I am, I can hardly handle ten thousand monsters or more by myself.'' Wain thought.


    The war didn''tst long, but it was enough to make part of the Snow Desert cratered and drenched in blood. It was enough for several thousand creatures to die.


    "Okay, it''s over now. I need to get some rest and do some zone merging."


    Wain passed Lui Bu and Edena, but he did not speak to them. Nor did they dare to approach him. Lui Bu and Edena were shocked by what they saw.


    Like ck Rabbit said, they watched the fight from a distance and could hardly follow his movements. Likewise, they were amazed at Reto''s ability and speed.


    "Eh, it wasn''t as interesting this time asst time." Frigus said, approaching them.


    "What?!" Lui Bu and Edena eximed at the same time.


    "Yes, he''s right." ck Rabbit said, "Nameless, didn''t use his strongest skill. What a pity, and I was so looking forward to seeing it."


    Lui Bu and Edena didn''t know what to say. Compared to Wain or even Frigus and Reto, they were incredibly weak.


    ...


    Wainy in the icyke for several hours while his wounds gradually regenerated. He reflected on what had happened.


    ''I must admit that war never changes. Death, blood, and shattered hopes are all part and parcel of any war. However, those who have survived have be stronger, both physically and in spirit.''


    Wain now had arge area with enough nts for alchemical experiments. He was not going to hurry. First, the monsters had to explore new territories, and Lui Bu and Edena used all kinds of resources.


    After that, Wain would take the next step when the situation normalized.


    ...


    Ssh.


    Wain climbed out of the icy water and headed into an empty cave where no one would bother him. He rested and waspletely healthy.


    Wain was ready to merge the two areas. It took him three days to rest, and he needed to hurry.


    "It''s a little over twenty days until the ind shows up. I''m on time, but I shouldn''t rx." Wain muttered and sat down on the floor, then closed his eyes.


    He had onlybined zones once before, but the process was fairly simple and straightforward. The hardest part was staying focused the whole time until the fusion was over.


    Whoooosh.


    The ice beneath him turned to ink, and he found himself in ck space. Then two star-like spheres flew out of Wain''s body, as well as threads connecting them and him.


    The two stars, green-purple and white-blue, began to join together. This process required a lot of energy, and as time passed, Wain began to run out.


    He felt what he had felt thest time. It wasn''t a pleasant feeling, as if his life force was being sucked out of him, but he knew it had to be that way. The second stage began when Wain had only a few percent of his total energy left.


    His Soul Altar lit up in ck mes, and so did the threads. The amount of energy increased, and the fusion elerated in the next moment.


    This was the key and most important moment. Then ck threads appeared between the two zones and all the territories. They sewed the two Voids into one whole, gradually creating a new territory.


    Likewise, a ck me red up outside the zones. It erged the zones and expanded them.


    The monsters continued to train and umte energy. They watched the changes closely and anticipated seeing how their home would change. It was a mesmerizing and incredible sight.


    <o>,m Reto, his monsters, and the other Dark Elves watched the ck mes in the distance create newnds.</o>


    "Huh, it''s magnificent. Its soul and power... it gives me goosebumps when I see those mes. Terrible, but beautiful..." Reto muttered, enjoying the red wine.


    "Looks like we have a great future ahead of us." Said one of the Dark Elves.


    "Yes, that defeat was probably better than ten victories." Reto muttered.


    ...


    When the merging of the two zones wasplete, seven days had already passed. The ind was only two weeks away.


    Wain exhaled and smiled as he looked at the messages. He once again connected the two zones, and at that moment, he felt fantastic. Wain felt his power and influence increase with each step.


    [The merger of the two zones into one has been sessfullypleted.]


    [Nameless is the sole owner of the new Void.]


    Then the ground beneath Wain turned to ink again, and he turned back. There were ice caves all around him as well.


    [You, Nameless, are now the owner of the Void - Forest of Frozen Dreams]


    "Oh, this title is even better than thest one."


    [Forest of Frozen Dreams


    Owner: Nameless


    Size: Medium


    Territories: Ice Caves, Snow Desert, Magical Forest of Azure Rivers.


    Chronicle: First


    Rank: D ]


    ''Medium Size, but Rank-D. Hmm, Frozen Land was a Rank-E zone, and Magical Forest of Azure Rivers was a Rank-C zone. It looks like they were assigned a Medium Rank after the merger.'' Wain thought.


    He saw many messages telling him about new changes and bonuses the next moment. Also, his Seal of Darkness began to pulsate slowly.

 Chapter 232 New Resources

    When Wain connected the two zones earlier, many exciting things happened, which was no exception. There were some pretty interesting messages in front of him.


    [The previous bonuses from the two Voids, Frozen Land and Magical Forest of Azure Rivers, are preserved and active as well in this Void]


    [The speed of appearance of all resources in the Forest of Frozen Dreams has been increased by 30%.]


    [Forest of Frozen Dreams is a Medium Size Void, consisting of three territories. Given these conditions, you can appoint someone to oversee these territories. With your powers, you can grant two creatures with the Title of Knight.


    Knights can control from one to three territories at a time. Knights will get an extra boost to stats resistances and umte Soul Essence faster. Knights will also have some power over creatures in territories they control]


    ''Oh, resources will grow 30% faster? That''s a pretty big increase in speed. I can also assign another knight. It looks like ck Rabbit will get a reward for his efforts'' Thought Wain.


    Other than warriors, resources were the most important thing in any zone. They made the monsters stronger and the overall power of the zone higher. This led to wars won and even more strength and territories.


    [Forest of Frozen Dreams is Rank-D Void, so resource growth will be redistributed and augmented by a new method. There are now ten different resource types growing in the Forest of Frozen Dreams.


    Six of them are Common Rating, three Rare Rating, and one Epic Rating. The location is random. The resource type is linked to the territory where it will appear]


    "What? Ten resources? That''s incredible!" Wain eximed.


    Before, in Frozen Land, only three types of resources grew, one in Snow Desert and two in Ice Caves. Moreover, some of the ten resources had quite high Ratings.


    ''Great, now Lui Bu and Edena definitely will not beck of materials. Moreover, in addition to ice and snow, I have wood, water, nts, and insects. These are ideal conditions for the development of alchemy.'' Wain thought.


    [The Forest of Frozen Dream is a Rank-D Void consisting of three territories, Snow Desert, Ice Caves, and the Magical Forest of Azure Rivers. Given these circumstances and your strength and the power of your souls, Points of Interest will be created.


    One Point of Interest will appear in each territory, except Ice Caves. In Ice Caves, the Point of Interest will be partially modified and transformed to increase effectiveness].


    ''Points of Interest? What are they?" Wain thought.


    [They are unique ces filled with energy and have special properties and effects. For example, the iceke in Ice Caves is one such ce. However, until now, it didn''t have any effects other than the natural low temperature.]


    ''Unbelievable, it turns out that every area now has something simr to an iceke. What''s more, the iceke has also changed. I must urgently find these ces and new resources and learn about their effects.''


    Wain wanted to go looking right away, but suddenly his Seal of Darkness began to throb violently. At one point, it even became painful. Wain''s eyes glowed violet brightly, and several notifications appeared in front of him.


    [Your importance in the World of Darkness has increased. Your seal has be stronger and has been upgraded to rank three.]


    [You will now be able to locate a spatial rift at a distance of 200 meters, as well as see what level of danger and element hides behind the door of ink.


    All your stats are increased by 15. Also, when using souls, you now get 15% more Soul Essence.


    You can now see how resources and Points of Interest are in your Voids. You don''t need to find them to do this, but the location of resources and Points of Interest will be hidden. You or your warriors must find them and explore the new terrain].


    "§¡?" Wain was puzzled, but then heughed out loud, "AHAHAHA, that''s incredible!"


    Wain immediately closed his eyes, and his Seal of Darkness glowed brightly. The ice beneath him turned to ink, and he found himself in a dark space.


    This time it wasn''t stars or ruins marking Voids and Arenas that floated around him, but something else.


    In front of him hovered ten cards showing various resources. They were simr in size to ying cards, only ck with a tinum frame. On the back of them was a sign in the shape of a ck crown in a gray jaw.


    Not far from the cards floated three silver-framed pictures. A definite glow emanated from each card and picture. Six cards glowed white, three glowed blue, and one glowed pink. This was an indication of their Rating.


    All of these were resources that grow in the Forest of Frozen Dreams, as well as Points of Interest. First, Wain went to the paintings, he was curious to see what they were.


    The first painting depicted an icyke where Wain had rested and healed his wounds many times. Now the ce has be even more effective.


    [Ice Lake (First Chronicle, Rare Rating)


    The water in thiske is special and does not freeze even in sub-zero temperatures.


    Unprepared creatures may freeze to death if they risk a dip in these waters. However, this ce is perfect for monsters with ice attributes or simr attributes.


    For them, this temperature is average and poses no danger. The water in theke has been infused with ice energy for a long time and now has certain effects.


    *In water, regeneration is increased by 20%. The spread of poisons and other diseases is slowed by 300%.


    *Speed of energy umtion for creatures with ice attribute increased by 100%. Speed of energy umtion for creatures with other attributes increased by 50%.


    *There is a low probability that the creatures with ice attribute will evolve after being in theke of ice for a long time. The more often they are in the water, the greater will be the chance]


    ''Woah, that sounds pretty strong, but it looks like I won''t be able to rest there alone now...'' Wain thought.


    He liked the ce, but he couldn''t take the iceke for himself. Now that it had such useful effects, he had to let other monsters in there.


    What''s more, all the monsters with the ice attribute wouldn''t fit in there. He''d have to create queues or even visitation lists.


    "Damn, it''s like monsters and Void, but for some reason, it''s starting to feel more like a city every time. I can''t take this headache. I hope ck Rabbit can handle it." Wain muttered and moved on to the next painting.


    The second painting depicted an oasis but an unusual one. The palm trees were white, as if covered with snow, and the water was the same color.<sub> </sub>


    [Healing Oasis (First Chronicle, Rare Rating)


    This small oasis appeared in the Snow Desert after a big burst of energy. In any lifeless ce, there should be something like this. It looks like a single ray of light amidst the vast darkness.


    The water in thiske is as gentle as milk, and a pleasant aura emanates from the palm trees.


    *The water greatly increases the regeneration rate, up to 70%.


    *The aura and smell emanating from the palm trees has a tonic effect and, with prolonged exposure, can cure curses aimed at damaging the creature''s psyche.


    *Sometimes coconuts may appear on palm trees, the juice of which increases protection against energy attacks by 20%]


    "This is somewhat simr to the Ice Lake, but here so can grow an additional resource. It''s interesting. The effect of the coconut juice is quite useful."


    The third picture showed a barrel, but not of wood, but stone. A crack in one ce from which a purple liquid slowly flowed.


    [Stone Wine Barrel (First Chronicle, Epic Rating)


    This Stone Barrel appeared in the Magical Forest of Azure Rivers after a big surge of energy.


    The Stone Barrel is constantly infused with energy from the ground and the environment. During this time, wine is produced inside that tastesparable to the sweetest and most delicate wines.


    This wine is suitable for anyone who wants to rx and have fun. However, this wine has one big disadvantage or plus, everyone will decide for himself. Even a huge monster can get drunk from just a few sips.


    *Wine speeds up regeneration by 10% increases Stamina and Vitality by 20 points within 30 minutes after application.


    *Wine has a high concentration of energy, and therefore one sip isparable to the absorption of a hundred crystals.


    *nts within a five meter radius of the Stone Cask of Wine will grow 500% faster but will contain high levels of alcohol and have a stupefying effect.


    *Any creature that drinks wine will be intoxicated 1000% faster]


    "Wow, that sounds great. Points of Interest is a nice innovation." Wain muttered and moved on to the resource cards.


    He only had three resources at his disposal before. Each of them was pretty useful, but three kinds of resources were not enough. It was too few.


    First, Wain wanted to see if anything had changed in the description of Energy Ice Crystal, Delicate Icefruit, and Desert Earth Root.


    Two of the three cards were glowing white, and only Desert Earth Root was glowing blue.


    Wain opened the description of Ice Crystal.


    [Energy Ice Crystal (First Chronicle, Common Rating)


    It is a small crystal growing in the Ice Caves for a long time. Initially, this crystal had only some energy, but the situation has changed because of the recent energy surge.


    There is now 1.5 times more energy in each crystal, and the amount will gradually increase. At one point Energy Ice Crystals will begin to change and evolve to the next stage.


    *If a creature with the ice attribute absorbs energy from the crystal, the efficiency is 150%.


    *If a creature with any other attribute absorbs energy from the crystal, the efficiency is 100%


    *Absorbing energy from Ice Crystal is contraindicated to creatures with the attribute of fire. It can cause serious injury and disrupt energy flows for a period of time]


    Wain nodded. There were no drastic changes in the description, but some things had changed for the better.


    "Hmm, even though the Rating has remained the same, the effectiveness has increased. Though, that''s not surprising, even within the same Rating, different items, can have different power and effectiveness."


    Wain moved on to the next card, which had a blue fruit with several protective spikes.


    [Delicate Icefruit (First Chronicle, Common Rating)


    This fruit grows on ice trees in ces with low temperatures and special conditions. Despite its appearance, it is a very delicate fruit, which requires a special approach.


    Delicate Icefruit is perfect for those who love refreshments. Each bite is like a breath of fresh airing from the ciers, with a slight sweetness and sourness. However, this fruit will be worse than poison for creatures with the fire attribute.


    After the recent changes in Forest of Frozen Dreams, the amount of energy in the fruit has increased by 1.5 times. Also, the pit has be several times harder, and now it is much easier to pull out.


    *Increases resistance to ice attribute by 7%.


    This fruit is quite rare and has no special properties, but it can be used in alchemy to make various potions and not only].


    ''Understandably, Delicate Icefruit has changed about as much as Energy Ice Crystal. This resource has be more useful and easier to use. It''s a good thing. Surely the goblins are tired of cleaning every fruit by now.''


    Each resource was valuable. It was obvious. Sure, some resources had better properties and effects than others, but they could all be useful.


    This is why Wain sought out alchemists. They couldbine resources of different utilities and create something incredible.


    The master alchemist could bepared to a professional chef. No matter what products he had, expensive or cheap, he could prepare something delicious and unusual.

 Chapter 233 Is Black Rabbit Ready To Get A Name?

    Wain moved on to the next card, which showed a yellow root with a glowing rind.


    [Desert Earth Root (First Chronicle, Rare Rating)


    This root grows in great depths, in dark ces with low temperatures. A prerequisite for this nt is plenty of sand and sandstone around it. Otherwise, Desert Earth Root will have no source of energy and nutrition to grow.


    Desert Earth Root can be eaten raw to raise energy levels, but this method has many side effects. The peel of the root has no health benefits and can seriously harm anybody.


    After recent changes, the amount of energy in the root has increased by 1.5 times.


    Desert Earth Root is best suited for use in alchemy.


    *After consuming the rind, Stamina is increased by 10%, but Agility and Strength are reduced by 10%.


    ???]


    "Hmm, one of the effects has opened up. We need Edena and Lui Bu to take a closer look at this root. They can certainly learn more about this nt than I can."


    Wain decided to look at all the Common Rating resources first, then move on to the Rare Rating and see the most interesting thing at the end. He was curious which resource had an Epic Rating.


    The next resource was a new one that appeared after the two Void were merged into one. At the top, the card said Snow Desert, which showed where the resource was growing.


    The card showed a crystal very simr to Energy Ice Crystal. The only differences were the amber color and that the crystal was double. Also, in the beginning, the crystal had a bluish tint.


    [Energy Desert Crystal (First Chronicle, Common Rating)


    This medium-sized crystal started to grow in the Snow Desert after arge burst of energy in Frost of Frozen Dreams.


    Desert Crystals contain arge amount of energy and will be extremely effective for all creatures except creatures with the water attribute.


    Each crystal is made up of two crystals, so the total number of crystals in an area is less than usual. This makes each crystal more valuable and effective.


    Even though this crystal grows in the desert, it has a low temperature due to its special location and the influence of the nearest territories. This crystal is not harmful to creatures with the ice attribute.


    *If the energy from the crystal absorbs a creature with the attribute of sand, the efficiency is 150%.


    *If a creature with ice attribute absorbs energy from the crystal, the efficiency is 125%


    *If a creature with any other attribute absorbs energy from the crystal, the efficiency is 100%


    *Absorbing energy from Desert Crystal is contraindicated to creatures with water attribute. It can cause serious injuries and disrupt energy flows for a while]


    ''This is another crystal, but it is different from Ice Crystal. Desert Crystal isrger and has variety, but it is good. I''m sure the monsters in Snow Desert had a harder time progressing than those in Ice Caves before this.''


    The next card with the white glow was a fruit. It was yellow and round. There were several wavy lines on the fruit. This resource also grew in the Snow Desert.


    [Sandy Wavy Fruit (First Chronicle, Common Rating)


    This fruit grows in the Snow Desert, but it''s pretty hard to find. Sandy Wavy Fruit grows close to the surface, about one meter deep.


    The fruit is constantly hidden under the sand, staying in the shade and still getting some heat from the sun to grow.


    Then, when the desert temperature drops significantly at night, the acquired resources turn into energy and infuse the fruit, making itrger. At this time, lines in the form of waves appear on the fruit. The more there are, the more saturated the fruit is.


    The fruit is quite difficult to find, but you can be guided by a special and unpleasant smell simr to a decaying corpse.


    Even though the fruit smells so unpleasant, the pulp has a different floral-like aroma and has a pleasant taste.


    Although the fruit is juicy, its texture feels dry and crumbly like sand when you bite into it.


    Sandy Wavy Fruit has a lot of energy, and all creatures can consume it and increase their energy. However, it works best whenbined with other ingredients.


    *After use, increases resistance to Sandy attribute by 10% for one hour.


    *Increases regeneration by 30% for ten minutes.


    *Creatures with the sand attribute have all stats increased by 10 for one hour].


    ''Not bad, not bad at all. In fact, it''s even better than Delicate Icefruit, at least until I know how useful they are in alchemy.'' Wain thought and moved on to the next card.


    It showed a green and purple crystal. It was rectangr and perfectly t, like a geometric figure. The crystal was growing in the Magical Forest of Azure Rivers.


    [Energy Forest Crystal (First Chronicle, Common Rating).


    This is arge-sized crystal that started to grow in the Magical Forest of Azure Rivers after a big energy surge.


    It holds arge amount of energy, but the amount of these crystals is rather small and takes a long time to grow because of their size.


    Crystals grow in caves under forests, especially where there are a lot of trees and roots. This speeds up the process and greatly increases the amount of energy in the crystals.


    *If the energy from the crystal is absorbed by a creature with the attribute of nature, the efficiency is 130%.


    *If a creature with any other attribute absorbs energy from the crystal, the efficiency is 100%.


    *There is a small chance that after absorbing multiple Forest Crystals, a monster with nature attribute may start mutation].


    "What? Monsters with a small chance can mutate if they absorb a lot of these crystals? It is unbelievable. They''ll surely be much stronger after mutation." Wain muttered and moved on to thest card with the white glow.


    It also showed a crystal, but this time a dark blue one. It was also located in the Magical Forest of Azure Rivers, not in the forest, but another part.


    [Energy Water Crystal (First Chronicle, Common Rating)


    This small crystal grows underwater, in Azure Rivers, and under the waterfall. Each crystal contains an average amount of energy, but there are quite a few of them, and they grow fast.


    The stronger torrent and the more energy around it, the faster the crystals grow.


    *If a creature with the water attribute absorbs energy from a crystal, the efficiency is 150%.


    *If a creature with any other attribute absorbs energy from the crystal, the efficiency is 100%.<sub> </sub>


    *Energy from Water Crystal has a detrimental effect on creatures with fire attribute and can cause serious harm to their body].


    Wain nodded. This crystal was not much different from the previous ones. They were all Common Rating resources growing in the Forest of Frozen Dreams.


    There were still two Rare Rating resources and one Epic Rating.


    "Okay, it''s time to move on to something more interesting." Wain muttered, and a card with a blue glow flew up to him.


    The card depicted a mushroom. It was small, blue, with a sharp cap and lots of small, icy crystals on it. The mushroom was growing in Ice Caves.


    [Frosty Mushroom (First Chronicle, Rare Rating)


    This mushroom began to grow in the Ice Caves after a powerful burst of energy.


    The Frosty Mushroom contains arge amount of energy and has many properties. Frosty Mushroom is best suited for monsters with the ice attribute.


    Mushrooms grow fast, and their rate of growth increases over time. As long as the temperature remains the same, the Frosty Mushroom will grow.


    Frosty Mushrooms can be consumed raw, but it is best to prepare them by an experienced chef or used by an alchemist to create some potion or reagent.


    ???]


    "Huh, the effects are again unknown, but it sounds interesting. Mushrooms haven''t been in my area yet." Wain uttered and looked at the next and final Rare Rating card.


    It showed a yellow flower. It was tall, with arge, lush bud looking toward the sun. The flower was growing in the Magical Forest of Azure Rivers.


    [Sunbloom (Frist Chronicle, Rare Rating)


    This flower grows only during sunny times of the day. It has a wonderful fragrance and is ideal for creating various potions and decoctions. Sunbloom is full of energy, and each petal is as valuable as a few energy crystals.


    Sunbloom grows best where there is no shade, and the flower is exposed to sunlight all day long. When the sun is in the zenith, Sunbloom is rapidly saturated with the sun''s energy, which is very important for the whole process.


    *After application, increases the strength of all attacks with the attribute of light by 10% for three hours. At least three petals must be eaten for this.


    ???]


    "Flower... It''s the mostmon nt, but it''s something unique in this case. All Rare Rating resources are different in that I can''t see all of their properties. They are also more suitable for alchemy than others."


    Wain waved his hand, and thest card with the pink glow flew up to him. It showed a bunch of grapes. It was dark purple with a golden hue.


    [Royal Grape (First Chronicle, Epic Rating)


    It is a grape grown in the Magical Forest of Azure Rivers, in a special area that appeared after a burst of energy. This ce is full of vines, but most of them are empty.


    The vines absorb energy from the earth and the environment. The energy is channeled into the grapes, gradually creating a royal-quality berry.


    Each berry of Royal Grape contains a huge amount of energy and unimaginable taste. However, it is a rare and valuable resource. It takes a lot of time, space, and energy to grow even a single bunch.


    This resource is equally good for all creatures regardless of their attribute, but not everyone can eat this grape and get only bonuses.


    If the creature is unprepared and quickly intoxicated, the process of intoxication and alcohol poisoning will begin.


    Royal Grape can also be used to create potions and decoctions, but best of all, this berry is suitable for creating a wine of incredible quality and with amazing effects.


    *After consumption, all stats are increased by 30 points for half an hour.


    *Regeneration is elerated by 15%. The speed of reflexes and reactions increases significantly.


    *If you eat a bunch of Royal Grapepletely, there is a small chance of entering a special state. You will be drunk, but your movements will be smoother and stronger than ever before].


    Wain nodded satisfactorily. Something like this is what he expected from an Epic Rating resource.


    When he read the effects of Royal Grape, he realized that even untreated or uncooked resources could be useful.


    ''Before I go to the ind, I will have to stock up on grapes, sunblooms, and other resources that are useful to me. It will be a great event, and I need to prepare for it thoroughly. Also, Lui Bu and Edena may have time to create something.''


    There wasn''t much time before the ind would appear, just two weeks. Wain wasn''t sure if that was enough time for Lui Bu and Edena to brew a potion, decoction, or make a pill.


    The Seal of Darkness glowed brightly, and Wain returned to the ice cave. Not far from himself, he saw a small mushroom growing on the ceiling.


    "Wow, it looks like the process is progressing faster than I could have imagined. Though that''s not surprising considering all the resources are growing 30% faster now."


    Wain thought about heading into the woods and talking to Reto. He wanted to learn more about the Dark Elves and their rtionship with the other Elves.


    Likewise, Wain wanted to consult Reto about the division of responsibilities in the territories.


    Wain understood that Reto had more experience in wielding the Void, and he should take advantage of that. However, before that, Wain had another, more important task.


    He could appoint a second knight, and he knew who it would be. Wain opened the map and found ck Rabbit on it.


    Mimic was in the ice-tree garden as before. After a few minutes, he got to the right ce and approached Mimic.


    "Oh! Wain, good to see you! Your battle was incredible!"


    "Yes, we suffered losses, but we gained just as much. ck Rabbit, you weren''t involved in the war, but you were busy protecting our alchemists. Also, you did a great job before that, so I nominate you as my second knight!" Wain eximed, and a lot of dark energy erupted from his body.


    It was like a real hurricane that flowed into one stream and rushed toward the monster''s chest. A seal appeared there in the form of a dark crown with a silhouette of a creepy mouth around it.


    ck Rabbit''s aura began to intensify. He smiled quite a bit and said, "Thanks, I''m really d we met back then, in that golden temple."


    "Yes, me too." Wain nodded, and suddenly arge amount of energy burst out of ck Rabbit.


    Wain was as surprised as the monster, but ck Rabbit realized what was happening the next moment.


    "Wain looks like I''m almost ready for Awareness, and I need to make onest move. You have to help me!"

 Chapter 234 The New Name

    Immediately after Wain appointed ck Rabbit as a knight, changes began to happen to the monster.


    His aura intensified, and arge amount of energy burst out of him. ck Rabbit quickly realized that he was close to passing through Awareness.


    This mutation could pass naturally, but a member of another race could also help the monster get the name.


    There were several conditions, but the most important was that the monster and a person had to establish a friendly rtionship.


    Also, the monster had toe to the border himself, which is exactly what happened now.


    "Wain! Help me!"


    "Sure." Wain nodded and approached ck Rabbit.


    He had helped Frigus get his name before and knew how the process worked, so he acted faster and more confidently this time.


    Wain put his hand to the monster''s chest and directed his energy into it.


    "Say what name do you want?"


    "We don''t have time for that. I''ll name myself, you have to help me get over the boundaries."


    "Okay, go ahead, I''ll do my best."


    ck Rabbit nodded and said, "Now my name is ..."


    Whoosh.


    Before he could say thest word, the space around them copsed. Arge amount of dark mist erupted from it and enveloped them, encasing them in a tomb.


    Wain wasn''t worried. Something like this had happened before.


    ck Rabbit was rmed, but Wain''s confident gaze helped hime to his senses. Mimic gathered his strength and once again tried to say his name.


    "My name is Elegan now!"


    He seeded, but first, the monster had to get approval from the powers of the World of Darkness. Many seals appeared on the tomb and their bodies. ck Rabbit could not stand against this on his own, hecked the strength at the moment.


    However, Wain was ready for it. He didn''t fully understand the full power of his Main Soul yet, but he knew what he had to do in such a situation.


    His eyes sparkled, and a massive stream of dark energy burst out of his body. A ck crown with an eye also appeared on his head, as if during a Beyond.


    Gradually the seals began to break, and when thest of them cracked, there was an energy explosion.


    Wain was tossed aside, in this situation, he was the only one taking damage as he was the one interfering in the process. ck Rabbit remained fine.


    Wain was hurt, but not as badly as Frigus. He was bleeding from the corners of his mouth, but no more. He watched ck Rabbit, around whom strange things were beginning to happen.


    A multitude of chests appeared next to the monster out of the darkness. It was as if they had built walls around him. Wain could not see what was going on inside. All he had to do was wait.


    ''This is definitely a sess. Frigus has changed considerably since Awareness. I wonder what will happen to ck Rabbit? No, with Elegan...'' Wain pondered.


    After a while, the walls of chests began to copse. When thest chest fell, Wain saw Elegan''s new appearance.


    "Huh, looks like the energy heard your previous wishes." Wain muttered.


    Elegan, like Frigus after Awareness, began to look more human. The huge chest from his head was gone. It turned into an amulet that hung around his neck.


    His arms and legs became slightly shorter, as did his ws, but they became sharper and more deadly.


    Elegan''s skin had grown slightly pale as if he''d been bleeding. His mouth was unnaturally wide for a human, though that was normal for a monster.


    Elegan''s hair was thick ck, and his eyes were amber. They shone like gold. On his stomach was a wide, vertical mouth with many teeth. It stretched up to his chest.


    He was dressed in spacious ck clothes, semi-official style. On his head was a ck, ssic hat.


    "I look pretty good, don''t I?" Elegan said, smiling.


    "Yeah, it''s better than a giant trunk walking on two thin legs."


    "Hey! I''ve always looked good. It''s just that I''ve taken it to another level now."


    "Huh, whatever. Congrattions, now there''s one more person with a name in this ce."


    "That''s true, but I got more than just a name. I also got much stronger. Look what I got." Elegan muttered and pulled a watch out of his pocket. It was silver and looked rather in, but the dial was nk.


    Elegan''s aura intensified, and he pressed the button. The number ''1'' appeared on the clock, and arge amount of energy erupted from the monster''s body.


    It turned into a round seal with an image of a square. Elegan walked over to the seal and gave it a quick blow with his palm.


    The energy from the seal burst out and destroyed several meters of ice in front. Previously something like this had been impossible for Elegan.


    "Not bad, how many of these attacks do you still have in your arsenal? Are you concentrating on firepower now?" Wain asked.


    Elegan shook his head, "I haven''t quite figured it out yet, but pure firepower is definitely not my style. I''d call that number ''1'' ability just a way to protect myself in an emergency."


    "I see. Can you show something else besides ''1''?"


    "Yes, something else I can do right now, but I need a monster for that. A goblin would be perfect. I''m afraid to test it on you."


    Wain didn''t understand what Elegan was worried about, but he agreed anyway. He was curious to see what powers Elegan got.


    A few minutester, they found the goblin, and Elegan pulled his watch out of his pocket again. He pressed the button, and the number ''4'' appeared on it.


    Elegan''s aura intensified, and two purple seals appeared on his hands. One of them had a thread pattern on it, and the other had a needle on it.


    He pointed one hand toward the goblin, and suddenly the goblin stopped. The monster didn''t understand what was happening. Then his left hand suddenly went up.


    "You''re controlling him. Right?"


    "Yes, honestly, it''s moreplicated than I imagined. The problem is that my capabilities don''t match his body. In other words, I act so insecurely because I''m afraid of breaking his arm or snapping his neck."


    "It''s as telekinesis, but more like the ability to turn others into their puppets, like a magician''s performance. Elegan, can you use this ability to move objects?''


    "No, only control other living things. Okay, I think it''s time to let our subject go." Elegan said and canceled the skill.


    The goblin was puzzled. He didn''t understand what had just happened.


    "Don''t worry. You''re free to go. Take some crystals from the warehouse as a reward." Wain said and gestured for the goblin to leave.<sub> </sub>


    "Wain, thank you for your help again. Without you, I doubt I would have made it through Awareness so soon."


    "That''s all right. The stronger you are, the stronger I am. Try to get busy collecting and distributing resources, and keep in contact with Lui Bu and Edena and help them in any way you can."


    "Of course. I''ll do everything to the best of my ability. What''s more, I''ve had more helperstely, so progress is much faster."


    Wain nodded and headed into the woods. He now had three territories under his control, and each one was quiterge. It took him about thirty minutes to get from Ice Caves to the Magical Forest of Azure Rivers.


    ''Hmm, the Stone Wine Barrel is somewhere in the Forest of Dark Elves. I wonder where it came from?'' Wain pondered as he entered the forest.


    He walked across the field where he had fought before. To the left was a huge waterfall that gurgled into a massive river. The sshes were loud but not terrifying. They gave peace and tranquility.


    In the distance, by the cliff, was arge castle where Reto lived and spent a lot of time. It cost him a lot of effort to build it in this ce.


    The castle was in the back of a magical forest, with unusual, tall trees with purple leaves. Wain walked forward and looked around. He saw many different flowers, small insects, and also fruit on the trees.


    There was no energy in it, but that''s exactly the kind of thing Lui Bu and Edena needed. Wain was right to seize the area since Ice Caves and Snow Desert were essentially lifeless zones.


    Wain knew where Reto was, as its point on the map differed from the others. It was in the shape of a cup filled with a bunch of grapes.


    This sign had already disappeared from Reto''s chest, but it was still on the map. This gave Wain a few thoughts.


    ''Hmm, as time goes on, the territories will get bigger. Perhaps, within my Void, there will be organizations to keep track of certain territories at some point. I''m not sure how that works, but such a possibility is not ruled out.''


    Reto was in the middle of the forest, and when Wain almost got there, he heard a loud voice from behind the trees.


    ''Huh! You wimps! You couldn''t even make it through one round! How did you even beat us! What a shame..."


    ''That''s certainly Reto''s voice. Is he fighting someone?'' Wain thought and ran towards the sound.


    As he ran through theyer of trees, he saw dozens of monsters and Dark Elves lying on the ground. The monsters were from all over the territories, both wood and ice, and desert.


    The only one standing was Reto. However, there was no battle. The monsters were asleep, and Reto was smiling contentedly and drinking wine from his golden ss.


    Everyone was gathered here because a Stone Wine Barrel had appeared in this ce. It was quiterge, the size of a massive monster.


    The barrel was lying on the ground, and there was a thin crack in the front of it from which the wine was constantly flowing.


    Reto decided that such a valuable resource shouldn''t go to waste, so he''d been drinking whatever didn''t fit in the barrel for some time now.


    As stated in the description of the Stone Wine Barrel, the flowers around it were filled with alcohol and now have an intoxicating effect.


    Also, all of the creatures who tasted the wine quickly became intoxicated. No one but Reto could take more than one sip.


    "Damn... It looks like I got an inveterate alcoholic on my team..." Wain muttered.


    He liked to drink good alcohol, but he didn''t expect Reto to be able to out-drink the big monsters. He was surprised at Reto''s stamina.


    "Oh! Nameless, wee to heaven! This wine is the best I''ve ever drunk. It''s wonderful!" Reto eximed.


    "I owe it to myself to try it." Wain muttered.


    "Sure, but you''ll have to take off your mask to do it, won''t you?"


    "Huh, that''s no problem. Like I said earlier, I''ve been keeping an intrigue, and that''s enough."


    Wain walked over to the stone barrel, took the goblet filled with wine from Reto''s hands, and took off his mask. Reto stared at him, trying to figure out which race Wain was a member of.


    When Wain took a sip, he tasted incredible. His body filled with energy, and he felt himself grow stronger. His regeneration, Stamina, and Vitality increased for a while.


    "This wine is truly strong. No surprise the monsters are out." Wain muttered and took another sip.


    Wain was just as partially intoxicated, but he could control and keep himself in check. The dose wasn''t strong enough for him to fall down and fall asleep like monsters.


    "Nameless, what is your name?"


    "Wain Norheim."


    "Not a bad name and you have an interesting appearance. Who are you?"


    "Your ruler." Wain replied coldly, letting Reto know there was no point in broaching the subject.


    "All right, all right, I was just asking. Why are you so serious? We''re supposed to be drinking and having fun!"


    "Drink as much as you want, though when all the resources and Points of Interest are found, Elegan will handle their distribution and use. Otherwise, you alone will drink all."


    "Huh, that''s not true. Another liter, and I''ll fall off my feet. I thought I could drink a lot more. What a pity."


    "Reto, I want to talk to you. I don''t think this is the right ce."


    The Dark Elf smiled and calmly said, "Of course, there''s enough room in my castle for a long discussion."


    ...


    After a while, they sat around arge, round table. Reto poured Wain''s wine, and they began their discussion.


    "I want to ask you about the Dark Elves and the other Elves. What is your rtionship? I don''t know much about your kind."


    "It''s a pretty simple question. Many Elves, especially High Elves, often use the attribute of light. The more powerful they are, the more they hate darkness and despise those who use it. Dark Elves are just such creatures. We, the children of darkness, as our appearance and character testify."


    "Is there always enmity between your ns, or is it mostly local skirmishes?"


    "It''s hard to answer, but I think the first option is more likely. In my opinion, the Elves and High Elves are the aggressors. They are disgusted that members of their race are associated with darkness, and they try by all means to disown us and kill us. Of course, there are exceptions, but the general situation is this."


    "In your view, the Dark Elves are not involved in this conflict?"


    Wain wanted to understand better the rtionship between the Elves and the Dark Elves. Moreover, from Reto''s words, he understood that the High Elves were of great importance, the strongest representatives of this race.


    "I don''t know. I, my people, and my acquaintances don''t have the same hatred for the Elves they have for us. Nor do I know what happened thousands of years ago. Why did the Dark Elves appear one day? I won''t be able to answer that question."


    "Is it true that you only use the attribute of darkness? Your illusions are not like that." Wain asked.


    Illusion wasn''t amon and familiar attribute like darkness, light, or fire. It was something moreplex and unusual.


    Wain was surprised to see that the Dark Elf had such abilities, it took him by surprise. If Reto''s stats had been higher, he could have fought Wain on equal footing.

 Chapter 235 Return To The City

    "Many of the Dark Elves use the attribute of darkness, it is true. However, we are not limited to one attribute. Some, like me, use the attribute of illusion, but this is a rare case. More often than not, we use the attribute of darkness mixed with another attribute."


    "Hmm?"


    "For example, the dark me. It''s the result of mixing two attributes, fire and darkness, but it''s considered a full-fledged attribute. It is quite difficult, as you have tobine the two attributes into one, but it is a popr and well-known process. Most Dark Elves have no problembining our native darkness with another attribute."


    ''Theybine two attributes into one? That''s interesting, although I myself have been using the same technique for a long time. My soul from the very beginning has been linked to dark lightning. Now I understand what Sven meant when he said that humans have no limits. Dark Elves need to know special methods, while I could easily use a mixed attribute.'' Wain pondered.


    "Reto, can you bring other Dark Elves here in case of war? Do you have any connections in the Elf World?"


    "Of course, but don''t expect to have legions at my disposal. The Elves and High Elves have been more active and attacking the Dark Elves more oftentely. That is one of the reasons why I spend most of my time here."


    ''Elves... Will it alle down to me fighting against them one day on the side of the Dark Elves?''


    Wain realized that if the number of Dark Elves in his ranks increased, it would at one point lead to discontent among the Elves and the High Elves. It was logical and perhaps inevitable.


    Reto and Wain discussed the Forest of Frozen Dreams for the next hour. It was decided that Reto and the Dark Elves would assist Elegan in gathering and finding resources.


    Also, the Elves, Reto, along with Frigus, would be involved in training monsters. Not everyone needed their help, but monsters like goblins required it. Reto would be in charge of the Magical Forest of Azure Rivers as before.


    ...


    Wain had been in the World of Darkness for a huge amount of time and decided to return back to his world.


    He appeared in a filthy slum alley and headed straight for the human base in that part of town.


    He had to find transportation to get to the ind, which would appear in two weeks. Wain also thought about looking for flying monsters in the Arenas and trying to get a flying skill from them but realized there was no point.


    It would be a waste of time, and even if Wain''s idea had been sessful, he wouldn''t have been able to fly several thousand kilometers. For that, he at least needed a helicopter, or better yet, an airne.


    The only ce he could get transportation was a military base. Wain assumed people had taken it over from the touristy, coastal area of the southern part of the city. So he decided to head for the base in the slums.


    He had to capture the military base, and he needed help to do it. Otherwise, the military base and all the equipment would be destroyed during the battle.


    Wain was jumping on the buildings and moving at high speed. The weak Primary Chronicle monsters no longer interested him, but he noticed that something had changed.


    ''First Chronicle monsters are much more numerous. I''ve spent quite a long time in the World of Darkness, and a lot has changed here. Even First Chronicle monsters aren''t worth my attention at this point, though. Their souls are of little or no use to me.''


    The base in the slum was like a huge half-sphere of metal sheets, pipes, and various other materials. The sphere was open from above and looked like a crown with sharp peaks from a distance.


    When the base was less than two kilometers away, Wain saw several groups of people in the distance heading toward the base. They were in different directions and trying to run as fast as possible so the monsters wouldn''t attack them.


    ''What are they doing?'' Wain pondered and looked closely at one group.


    The men didn''t have big backpacks on their backs, which meant they weren''t going out for supplies at the store. They were dragging carcasses of monsters, mostly zombies and anyone else who had a lot of meat.


    ''They''re eating monster carcasses? That sounds creepy, but it''s the only option if they don''t have food. If they roast that kind of meat and clean it, they can probably eat it. Hmm, it looks like the situation in the slums is prettyplicated.''


    Wain jumped forward and looked at the groups of people. There were quite a few of them, and each was heading for the base.


    The people were dressed in shabby, tattered, and dirty clothes. They were thin and emaciated in appearance.


    This was not surprising since it was easy to live in the slums, and food was scarce even before the apocalypse.


    Of course, no one starved to death, but after the apocalypse began, the situation became critical.


    At one point, Wain stopped and took a closer look at one group. There were seven men there. Six of them had split into pairs and were dragging a corpse of big zombies one by one together.


    Behind them ran a guy with a backpack on his back. There were tools.


    This group caught Wain''s attention because of this young man.


    "Hana, it looks like luck is on your brother''s side..." Wain muttered.


    The young man had unusual ck and white hair and heterochromia. One of his eyes was gray, and the other was purple.


    This appearance was unique and inimitable. This guy''s name was Marco Helzu, and he was Hana''s brother, whom she asked to save.


    Wain agreed to help her if he met Marco, and it happened.


    ''Well, Marco, you should thank your sister for taking such good care of you.'' Wain thought and jumped in the direction of this group.


    He got there in a few leaps across the buildings andnded in front of them. They were stunned by such a sudden appearance. The ground beneath Wain''s feet cracked, and a club of dust rose.


    Wain paid no attention to anyone. He walked over to the surprised guy and calmly said, "Are you Marco Helzu?"


    Marco nodded uncertainly. He didn''t know who the stranger was, but he didn''t want to get in too much trouble.<sub> </sub>


    "Okay." Wain said briefly and took Marco under his arm, then jumped high.


    The guy didn''t have time to react, and when he saw how high above the ground they were from closed his eyes. However, a secondter, hended on the roof of the building and jumped again.


    "Who are you...?"


    "The one who agreed to an idiotic request. If you don''t want me to let you go, and you turn into a bloody scone, then be quiet."


    Marco didn''t know what to say, but he knew he had no choice in the situation. Wain''s grip was tight, and there was no way Marco could get out.


    Wain wanted to go to the slum base, but he promised to rescue Marco if the opportunity arose. He wasn''t going to break his word, especially since the west side of town wasn''t very far.


    That would have been a real challenge for a normal person, but not for Wain. All his stats were close to 300, which was huge. Even a fall from a height of one hundred meters could not seriously hurt him.


    Wain made wide leaps and jumped several small houses at a time. Some monsters tried to attack him, but they were too slow.


    When they reached the canyon, Wain jumped down without a second thought, and within minutes he was on the other side.


    It only took one hour to get from the south to the west. There was no way Marco could have done something like that alone.


    Wain decided to head straight for the base of Last Light on the west side of town. There he would have no trouble finding Hana or Va. He could hand Marco to them.


    The former base of Twilight Steel no longer existed, nor did that organization. Last Light hadpletely taken over the area and most of the city.


    "Boy, you''re lucky you could survive. How did you end up in the slums?" Wain asked, heading toward the organization''s base.


    ? "Oh, it''s a long story. I was originally supposed to end up in the tourist part, but suddenly, monsters showed up, and the world changed. I was lucky I was able to survive. Tell me, where are we going?"


    "To your sister''s."


    "What? My sister is alive?" Marco eximed.


    "Yes, she asked me to save you. You''re very lucky that I noticed you. Otherwise, you would have stayed in the slums forever. Tell me, those corpses of monsters you dragged behind you, do you eat them?"


    "We have no other choice. We ran out of food weeks ago. Supplies were scarce, to begin with, so eating monsters was the only option."


    Marco spoke softly. The monsters, especially the zombies, were unptable. If it wasn''t necessary for survival, there was no way he would force himself to eat something like that.


    "I think your sister will take care of you now. She became a sniper and is now a member of the strongest organization in Overion."


    "Unbelievable!" Marco was amazed when he heard that his sister had aplished so much, "Hana has be so strong, and I still haven''t achieved anything."


    "Marco, have you activated your Soul Altar yet?"


    "No, I was afraid at first, but when I found the courage to realize that the monsters had be more dangerous. Now I realize that I should have acted initially when weak and slow zombies were walking the streets. Even I could have killed someone like that."


    Marco got a soul like everyone else after the apocalypse began, but he had to kill a monster to be strong and gain abilities.


    Every human being had to go through this. However, every day it became more and more difficult to do so.


    Some purposely killed monsters when they appeared. Others defended themselves, some, like Lea, killed a monster by ident and activated their Soul Altar. However, even after almost five months, many people still had no abilities.


    This was a big problem for all of humanity, as fewer and fewer people would activate their Soul Altars each day.


    The reason was simple, the weak monsters were bing fewer, and the strong ones, on the contrary, were constantly increasing in numbers.


    Weak monsters died or evolved. One day, it would be almost impossible to find a regr zombie.


    This was an rming trend because people who had not yet activated their Soul Altars had no options to do so but one.


    They had to ask for help from another person who would catch the monster for them and provide an easy and safe way to kill it and get a soul.


    It was possible to do it but finding someone willing to risk their safety and catch the monster was hard. Although it depended on the person''s strength, it was not difficult to kill a mutated zombie.


    "I see. Tell me what Rating your soul is and what is it called?"


    "Moon Farmer, it is a Heroic Rating Soul." Marco answered uncertainly.


    The people in the organization in the slums possessed powerful souls with crushing skills. He dreamed of having something like that, but instead, he had the soul of a farmer. This frustrated Marco.


    He didn''t know that craft souls were extremely useful and necessary for survival. Nor did anyone in the slums give it much thought.


    "Huh, it looks like I was kind enough to save you for a reason. Marco, don''t you want to get your powers finally? Say yes while I''m in a good mood."

 Chapter 236 Reunion

    "Get abilities? What do you mean?" Marco was puzzled.


    "You''ll see it all now."


    Wain jumped to the next building and left Marco on the roof. Then he jumped down, and the next moment the ground shook. A few secondster, Wain came back with the corpse of a mutated zombie.


    It was a First Chronicle creature. The zombie was blue, had sharp, long ws, and had bony growths on its arms. Wain broke the monster''s arms and legs in a few blows and left it in its death throes.


    The Ring of Damned glowed, and a tinum sword appeared in his hands.


    He made a thin cut on the monster''s throat so that the tough skin would not prevent him from killing the monster. Then Wain pulled his meteor dagger from under his cloak and handed it to Marco.


    "Kill it before it bleeds. Stick the dagger right in his neck and twist it. Don''t worry. I''ll hold his hands and make sure you''re safe."


    Marco was a normal teenager, and for him, such a brutal scene was not usual, but in the four months of the apocalypse, he had seen many deaths and carnage. This boosted his spirit, and even though he was frightened by the monster''s aura, Marco picked up the dagger.


    He hesitantly, in small steps, approached the mutated zombie and, screaming, plunged the dagger into its neck, then did as Wain said.


    The meteor dagger was amon weapon, and it couldn''t hurt the First Chronicle monster, but not in this case.


    The monster let out a furious shriek and tried to escape with all its might, but Wain''s grip was as strong and heavy as Mt. The mutated Zombie could do nothing. His fate was sealed.


    Marco struck a few more blows before the monster finally died. His hands trembled, but there was a slight smile on his face.


    After so many months, he was finally able to kill the monster, and now he, too, would have abilities like the others.


    Whoooosh.


    A white soul flew out of the zombie and headed toward him. Marco''s eyes glowed brightly the next moment, and his Soul Altar was activated. Arge amount of energy went through his body, and many messages appeared in front of him.


    Wain gave him some time to settle in. Activating the Soul Altar and gaining abilities was the most important event for any person.


    "This is incredible..." Marco muttered.


    "Marco, you''re a farmer, do your abilities somehow elerate the growth of resources?"


    "Yes, now I can easily feed even thousands of people. What''s more, I even have a fighting skill. It''s amazing..."


    Wain nodded, "That''s good, but don''t be overconfident. You activated your Soul Altar prettyte. Honestly, almost any monster is deadly to you now."


    "What? But, then, how do I get stronger, if even now I''m not stronger than monsters? How do I be as powerful as you?"


    "You better not think about how to get to my level, I''m not sure you want to go through what I did, but there''s a simple answer to your first question. You need to go to Dungeon or Nest, preferably with someone who can protect you."


    There were gradually fewer Primary Chronicle monsters in the city''s streets and throughout the world, but they remained in Dungeons and Nests.


    Of course, it wasn''t safe there either, since the monsters in Dungeons and Nests were stronger than the regr ones, but it wasn''t a bad option for beginners.


    "I see. You said my sister is strong? She can probably help me!"


    "Sure." Wain replied briefly and looked toward the base of Last Light.


    "Marco, we have to go, I have things to do, and your rescue was unnned."


    "Okay, really, rescue isn''t the right word. You''re the one who kidnapped me."


    "Huh, whatever." Wain grinned and headed towards the base of Last Light with Marco.


    ...


    A few minutester, they reached the ce. Wain was recognized and immediately allowed inside. He headed for the main tower where Va or her people were supposed to be.


    Wain wanted to give Marco to Hana, but if she wasn''t there, he wouldn''t wait.


    Wain and Marco were taken up the elevator to the tower''s very top. Several guards were standing at the door leading to the main hall. They looked serious and focused.


    When they saw Wain, they were wary, but then they realized who it was.


    "Mr. Wain! We weren''t told you wereing, but you''re right on time!"


    "Hmm? Is there some meeting going on in there?" Wain asked, pointing to the door.


    "Yes, I don''t know all the details. Pleasee in. Is this boy with you?"


    Wain nodded and said quietly, "Okay."


    Click.


    He stepped forward and opened the doors wide. In the hall, he saw many people, many he knew, but there were neers as well.


    In the center of the hall was arge, wooden round table where the leaders of the organization and those in charge of the territories sat.


    There was Va, who ran the western branch of Last Light, Elsa, who ran the eastern branch of the organization, and Gisle, the head of the organization.


    He was currently running the northern part of the city and the organization.


    Next to Gisle were Teresa, Zero, Agnes, Grut, Rita, and others. Wain had met them for quite some time, especially Gisle, Grut, and Rita. At first, they were just students who got abilities and led people.<sub> </sub>


    Gisle became the leader of practically the whole town. He became more confident and experienced every day. After the many incidents he had, he was now a true leader.


    Grut had incredible defense and excellent abilities, but he was a rather quiet and shy person.


    Rita became more confident in a few months. Her strength had increased, as could be seen in her deep amber eyes.


    Next to Elsa, there were Clovis, Lea, and Isabe. These three did not possess powerful attacking abilities, but they were important members of the organization.


    Clovis built many structures and bridges connecting parts of the city thanks to their skills.


    Lea, possessed the strongest soul forge and could create amazing things. Of course, it depended on her mood, which was often a big problem.


    Isabe possessed, though painful, extremely effective healing skills. They were all on the east side of town under Elsa''s leadership.


    A few months ago, she betrayed the leader of her former organization and joined Last Light.


    Betrayal is a terrible thing to do, but ironically, at that moment, it was the only option for Elsa to survive. She did not regret her decision, for she knew that Wain, Gisle, and the others, would have destroyed them in that battle.


    She took the sin of betrayal upon herself, but she saved her life and the lives of her men. In this situation, betrayal was the surest and best solution, leading to prosperity rather than feeding worms underground.


    Next to Va was Selena and the other members of her organization.


    When Wain stepped inside, everyone turned their attention to him. They were surprised to see him, but one person wasn''t looking at Wain, but at a guy with unusual eyes and hair.


    "Marco!" Hana eximed and quickly ran up to her brother.


    She hugged him tightly and couldn''t hold back the tears. Honestly, she didn''t count on Wain to save her brother. In her opinion, it was too unlikely.


    She knew her brother might have been dead for a long time, so his appearance today was a real miracle to her.


    "I missed you so much!"


    "Me too..." Varco muttered.


    Watching his sister cry, Marco was close to crying himself, but he held back. Instead of tears of happiness, he smiled broadly and hugged his sister tightly.


    "What a touching family reunion." Gisle said, smiling.


    Hana looked at Wain and said, "Thank you so much...I don''t know what I would do without my brother."


    "You shouldn''t." Wain replied dryly, "Gisle, this guy is a farmer."


    "AHAHAHAHA, Wain, maybe it''s time for you to be a phnthropist and help everyone in need? Isn''t that a sign that luck is on your side then?"


    "Huh, I''m done. I started the parade of good deeds. Now it''s someone else''s turn." Wain uttered and made his way to the couch not far from the table.


    He pulled a white pack of cigarettes out of his cloak and, after a few seconds, blew out a white cloud-like puff of smoke.


    "Hana, Marco, I realize this isn''t the best time to disturb you, but the situation is unusual. Hana, if you don''t mind, I''d like to talk to your brother." Gisle said.


    "Yes, of course." Hana replied and put her hand on her brother''s shoulder, "Marco, there''s no way I''m letting you go now."


    Marco nodded and headed to the table. Hana returned to her seat, she stood behind Va.


    "Marco, my name is Gisle Enge, and I am in charge here. Your appearance was unexpected, as well as the fact that you are a farmer, so I am obliged to ask you something and ask you questions. After that, you and Hana are free to go. We won''t bother you again."


    Marco nodded. Gisle spoke calmly and measured, a pleasant aura emanating from him, but Marco felt that his every word was imbued with power and influence.


    "Wain said you have the soul of a farmer, is that so?"


    "Yes, just an hour ago, I still didn''t have any powers, but Wain helped me kill a monster, and then my Soul Altar was activated."


    "Oh, that''s good, so our project is doomed to seed, sorry, I got distracted." Gisle muttered and continued, "Marco, frankly, it''s a great stroke of luck that Wain saved you and that you have a farmer''s soul."


    "Yeah, it''s an unbelievable series of circumstances." Wain muttered, exhaling a puff of smoke, "The people in the slums are idiots. How could they have missed the farmer? It''s their greatest mistake."


    "Wain, you''re only partially right. Finding someone with a craft soul is hard enough. There are few of them, and the vast majority of them haven''t activated their Soul Altars yet. As far as I know, the situation in the slums is pretty bad. They have more important tasks than worrying about people with craft souls."


    "Hmm? Isn''t that silly? Gisle, they have no food. I''ve seen several groups of people dragging bloody zombies to the base with my own eyes. They eat corpses. The farmer would have been their solution, but they missed it."


    "We are a strong organization and therefore can use people with craft souls with great efficiency. If the slums eat monster corpses, they probably have much trouble with defense. Marco, am I right?" Gisle said.


    "Yes, our base is often attacked by monsters, and we have a hard time fighting back. Honestly, when I came on the west with Wain, I was surprised at how few monsters there were, especially near the base."


    "I see, in which case you really don''t have the time or opportunity to unleash the potential of people with craft souls. You have to worry about your safety. Only when that problem is solved can you concentrate on something else." Wain muttered.


    "That people in the slums eat corpses is terrible, but we don''t have a banquet every day either. We''re trying to cultivate farmablend on our own, and so far, we''re eating canned food. There is enough food tost us for three months at most. Myself, Elsa, and Va have already begun to work in that direction."


    "What do you mean?"


    "We''re setting up special ces where we''ll bring people and captured monsters. Soon, we''re going to start the process of mass activation of Soul Altars in all the people in Overion. However, we estimate it will be ready in a few weeks."


    "That''s good. It looks like we''re moving into a quieter phase. As long as there are no monsters near the main bases, people can slowly develop in the Dungeons and Nests."


    "Yes, this is the first step toward building a new civilization. Where monsters in cities will be nothing more than part of life and business."

 Chapter 237 The Last Part

    "What? Monsters are going to be a part of life?" Marco was shocked to hear such a thing.


    "Of course, there''s no surprise in that since, at the moment, the monsters are in our territory. The situation at Overion should be the same as the main bases. There should be no monsters walking freely in the streets here. Only controlled Dungeons and Nests." Gisle said.


    "Can you really do something like that?"


    "Yes, there are far more strong people in our organization than dangerous monsters. Gradually, the tide is turning in our favor. In a few weeks, there will be virtually no monsters in the eastern, southern, and western parts, except for Dungeons and Nests."


    "That''s cool..."


    Gisle nodded, "I want people in this city to be able to live peacefully and not worry about anything to increase their power. This is necessary to make Overion a great city. Perhaps something more terrible than the apocalypse will happen in the future."


    ''Hmm, Gisle still doesn''t have the Seal of Darkness, though that''s not surprising. He should visit a Dungeon and try to pass the test of the World of Darkness there. I wonder if I can summon him to my Void'' Wain pondered.


    Wain had gotten the Seal of Darkness a long time ago, and he had never wondered how many other people had the Seal of Darkness besides him. Nor did he know if all other races had the seal, or only a select few.


    ''There are two possibilities here, either they originally have the Seal of Darkness or something simr, or they don''t need it. If all owners of Voids have Seal of Darkness, that makes sense. In that case, monsters and other races don''t need the Seal. They can be summoned into their Void by the owner.'' Wain pondered.


    Wain closed his eyes, and the next moment his Seal of Darkness glowed brightly. He was curious to see who would react to it.


    Only two people noticed it, Teresa and Va. They suddenly felt pressureing from Wain and then realized that his Seal of Darkness was the reason.


    Girls frowned, and Wain, on the contrary, smiled faintly. Teresa and Va didn''t understand why there was such a significant difference between their seals.


    They, unlike Wain, were not yet engaged in exploring the World of Darkness and conquering territories.


    "Okay, back on topic. Marco, you''re a farmer. How much do you estimate your abilities? What can you do?" Gisle asked.


    "I only recently activated my Soul Altar, so I don''t know how much potential I have, but even now, I can be very useful. My soul is called Moon Farmer, and it''s partially rted to my abilities."


    "Tell me. I, no, we all listen to you carefully."


    "I have several abilities, all but one of them attack rted to farming. First, I can plownd ten times faster than a normal person. I can also do it almost anywhere. Even if it''s concrete, I can use the earth that''s deep under the concrete to rece it."


    Gisle nodded.


    "Secondly, I can nt quickly and remotely. Also, as a passive effect, the growth rate of all nts is greatly increased, both day and night. Also, if the nts I nted and the soil I plowede under the moonlight, all effects are multiplied. That''s all for now." Marco said.


    "Great, we have an extensive supply of seeds of various vegetables, grains, herbs, fruits, and berries. Now we can finally use them. Marco, you''re our lifeline. When can you get to work?"


    "Oh, I don''t know, probably as soon as you say, but I''d like to spend some time with my sister."


    "Sure, that''s no problem. My people will pick out a suitable area and prepare the seeds for now. Gratitude, you and Hana are dismissed. I dare not detain you any longer."


    Marco nodded, and Hana bowed, after which they left the hall.


    Wain exhaled a puff of smoke and asked, "Gisle, Marco''s appearance is a pleasant surprise, but for what reason are you gathered here?"


    "Sorry to interrupt, but who is this man?" Suddenly a guy standing behind Gisle said.


    "I have the same question." Said the girl standing behind Va.


    These two and several others in the room were not familiar with Wain. To them, he was an outsider who suddenly barged in during the discussion and spoke on equal footing with their leaders.


    They were wary of him.


    "Huh, well, I''ll tell you." Gisle muttered, "However, my answer will be brief. This man is the strongest among us, and it is in your own best interest to shut your mouths and not disturb him."


    At first, Gisle spoke calmly, but his tone grew coarser, and his eyes grew colder with each word. People flinched and looked at Wain.


    He did not react to the situation in any way, he continued to smoke and enjoy the aroma.


    "Wain, we''re going to attack the south part and take over the military base." Elsa said.


    "Oh, that''s good. I was just going that way, but I had to turn around since I suddenly ran into Marco."


    "Yeah, there''s an inding up, and we have to hurry." Gisle said.


    "The ind...right, I forgot something." Wain muttered and closed his eyes.


    A paper map emitting a blue glow flew out of his chest the next moment. The card flew into Gisle''s body before returning to Wain.


    "Huh, so you found thest part. Great, now we know everything, but damn... How far away is the ind."


    "Yeah, we need at least a helicopter, but preferably a ne."


    "Good, then let''s not dy. We have to take over the south in three days. That''s the deadline. We should have a few days to prepare, we should be among the first to arrive on the ind." Gisle uttered.


    "Gisle, are you sure?" Va asked.


    "Of course, Wain will be with us, so we have nothing to worry about. By the way, Wain, do you know what''s going on in the tourist region of the south part? I don''t have any information about that ce."


    "I don''t know much. There are two organizations in the south, one in the slums the other in the tourist region. I think the military base belongs to them, but you''d better ask Marco about that. He probably knows better than I do."


    "Good, then everyone is dismissed. Elsa, Va, give instructions to your men. We''re going there tomorrow. There will be one main group, as well as a few support groups to take on the new territories."


    The girls nodded simultaneously.


    ...


    Wain chatted with Gisle for a while before heading over to Lea. Thest time he had been here, he had instructed Agnes to give the gloves to Lea, as well as the blueprint for the weapon. He was curious to know what Lea had done with it.


    "Lea, how are you getting on with your cksmithing? Are you still getting depressed a lot?"


    "Hi Wain, if that''s how you''re asking how I''m doing, not so greatly." Lea said frustratedly.<sub> </sub>


    Her childlike, active, and joyful spirit had disappeared in hertely. She had been working hard and morally tired from constant failures, at least she thought so.


    "Hmm? Are you failing to make good equipment?"


    "I don''t know how to answer you. Thest and only masterpiece I made was your ring, which I see you''ve already used..."


    "Yes... It saved my life, even if it was your only masterpiece. At that moment, it was the most precious thing in the world to me. Lea, even though you''re not good at creating a masterpiece, isn''t your stuff way above average anyway?"


    Wain was well aware of Lea''s peculiarities of soul. In his opinion, she had a strong soul, with almost limitless potential, but it had one big disadvantage.


    Even if Lea was making good weapons with nice bonuses, the description still said how terrible a cksmith she was and how negligible her skills were.


    Lea understood that the items she created didn''t deserve that. The others praised her and persuaded her to build them gear because the weapons were of high quality despite the description. Only Epic Rating Soul Chests had anything of simr quality.


    "This girl is just too emotional. It''s no wonder she can''t create a masterpiece when she''s constantly depressed. Lea worries about every little thing." Teresa said, walking over to them.


    "It''s not my fault. Even your rapier that I worked so hard for turned out to be garbage!" Lea eximed.


    Teresa shook her head and muttered, "Eh, you''re incorrigible. I''ve told you a hundred times that the rapier you created is better than any Epic Rating weapon I''ve seen before. You pay too much attention to what the description says. Why are you even reading this?"


    "I can''t read. I have to know what it says!"


    "Shit... It''s a no-win situation."


    "Okay, it doesn''t really matter if it''s a masterpiece or not. Lea, Agnes was supposed to give you the gloves and the blueprint. Did you get anything out of it?"


    "Ummmmm....." Lea was silent and uncertainly scratched the back of her head.


    "Hmmm? What is it?"


    "The weapon from the blueprint, I have..." Teresa muttered.


    "Was there a recipe for a rapier in there?"


    "Yes..." Lea said uncertainly, "Are you angry? I thought you didn''t need a rapier."


    "No, it''s okay. The rapier is definitely not my preferred weapon. It''s good that Teresa got something so valuable. What about my gloves?"


    "I was able to make them into one, but it''s another piece of junk..."


    "Never mind, show it to me."


    "Eh, okay, let''s go to the workshop. It''s here, not far away." Lea muttered and headed for the exit.


    Wain nodded and followed her. Teresa was just as curious to see what Lea had created and headed after them.


    ...


    When they reached the workshop, Lea handed to Wain one glove, which she had used two to create. This glove was dark brown and had several white lines, like threads on her fingers.


    [Punch Palm (Primary Chronicle, Common Rating)


    This glove was created by an inept cksmith who, instead of creating a masterpiece out of two gloves, turned them into trash. The only thing this glove can be used for is to create a powerful pulse that will repel enemies].


    ''Hmm, rather scanty description, so is the Primary Chronicle and Common Rating item. Even so, though, it might have been useful to me earlier.'' Wain pondered.


    When he gave the gauntlet to Lea, he didn''t expect her to make something incredible out of them. These items were already useless to him since he was First Chronicle.


    Primary Chronicle gear was useless to him. However, he did it to see if Lea could handle it. He had another set of things tobine together.


    "Damn, I so need to create a masterpiece. Well, why am I failing?!" Lea suddenly shouted.


    "Do you want to see a good description again so badly?" Wain grinned.


    "Yes, but that''s not the only reason. To begin my second evolution, I must create a masterpiece... Moreover, this item must be much better than anything I have created before."


    "What? Have you already reached level thirtieth? How is that possible?" Wain asked surprised.


    He had a Title that increased the Soul Essence he got from souls, as well as a Seal of Darkness of rank three.


    However, even so, he had to go through many battles and absorb hundreds of First Chronicle Souls to achieve this in a short time.


    "It''s all because of Gisle." Teresa said.


    "Gisle? What does he have to do with it?"


    "Obviously, there''s no way Lea herself could have gotten that much energy to reach level thirtieth so quickly. Even me, Agnes, and Zero are still a long way from that, even though we fight and absorb souls all the time. Lea has such a high level because of Gisle''s orders."


    "Hmm?"


    "He used the organization''s resources and ordered everyone, including us, to turn over to Lea, all the souls we would harvest in Dungeons or Nests. Simply put, most of the souls the organization mined went to Lea."


    Wain nodded. He realized at that moment that it was even possible to raise a hundred levels in one day this way. Sure, it was extremely difficult, but the fact was that it was possible.


    ''If that''s what anyone else who knows about the ind did. Then maybe I won''t be the only Stats above 200. Damn, that could be problematic. How did I not think of that before. It''s a good thing I found out about it now.''


    "Gisle''s idea was for Lea to evolve faster and her soul to be much stronger. Then the items she will create will be powerful, and it will greatly strengthen the organization."


    "Understandably, if Lea bes Second Chronicle, then even from First Chronicle materials, she will be able to create weapons that will beparable to the weaker copies of Second Chronicle. It cost you a lot of effort and souls, but if it works out, it''s actually worth it."


    "Yes, but we didn''t expect her to create a masterpiece. Given her luck and mood, it won''t happen anytime soon." Teresa said with regret in her voice.


    "Huh, who knows. Lea, I have something very interesting in mind. This might be your best chance to create a second masterpiece." Wain said smiling.

 Chapter 238 A Masterpiece Created By Desire

    "What? What makes you think I can create a masterpiece?" Lea asked. She had already lost hope of thattely.


    "I''m sure of it. You''ve never seen such strange and unusual objects before." Wain uttered, and the Ring of Damned glowed brightly.


    A mechanical cube appeared in his left hand, as well as a blueprint, and the dark cloak that Lea had made earlier, Horrible Cape, appeared in his right.


    "See the description of these items." Wain took off his dark blue cloak and handed all the items to Lea.


    After a while, Lea nodded, and a fire lit in her eyes, "I don''t know where you found these things, but it''s amazing. Maybe today, I can actually get past my failure barrier."


    "Surely you can start right now?"


    "Yes, but I need some time to understand the process written in the blueprint. I''m not a tailor, but my soul fits the conditions for making a unique cape."


    Wain nodded.


    He and Teresa waited until Lea was ready. Teresa also wanted to see if Lea could create a masterpiece. She wished she had been there thest time it happened.


    "Okay, I''m ready." Lea said after ten minutes.


    "Good luck." Wain replied briefly.


    The next moment Lea closed her eyes, and her aura intensified. An anthropomorphic silhouette appeared above her, and an image of gears appeared in her eyes. She abruptly picked up her hammer, and it was covered in white energy.


    Then Wain and Teresa saw something amazing. Lea snapped her finger, and the energy gears in her left eye made several movements. Several white threads flew out of the silhouette above her, wrapped around the objects, and lifted them into the air.


    Combining the two cloaks using Phantom Liquid wasplicated and had many important points.


    Lea had to get it right, and first, she had to open the mechanical cube, which had one drop of Phantom Liquid in it.


    The threads headed toward the cube and prated it. Then many clicks were heard from the movement of the gears, and gradually the cube was opened. Inside was a white blob with a purple hue. An eerie aura emanated from it, and suddenly...


    "AAAAAAAAAARGH!"


    A loud and pitiful cry was heard as ifing from a ghost who had gone through insane agony. The sound went past their ears and straight into their hearts.


    "What the hell is that...?" Teresa muttered.


    "It''s the price of a masterpiece, bloody, horrible, but great." Wain uttered, looking intently at Lea.


    The girl was not frightened by this sound. Instead, she gripped her hammer tightly and began to strike at the Horrible Cape.


    Her speed was high, and the force of her blows enormous. After Lea created several hundred items and evolved to First Chronicle, her skills increased significantly.


    The cloak, which had good protection, was torn into many small pieces in just a few blows. The pieces were lifted into the air by white threads. At that moment, Lea was like a hybrid of a mystical tailor and a magical cksmith.


    Then Lea beat on Wailing Ghost for about a minute. This cloak was First Chronicle and had powerful protectionpared to the previous cloak.


    Lea did not tear the cloak apart, but shepletely destroyed its structure. At this point, the dark blue cloak looked like a frayed piece of cloth.


    Click.


    Lea snapped her finger once more and the magical gears in her second eye came into motion.


    Pieces of Horrible Cape headed toward Wailing Ghost, and at that moment, the cube of Phantom Liquid tilted. A white blob fell on the cape, and a dark purple me appeared on it.


    "That blob is too strange..." Teresa muttered.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    When the mes appeared, Lea began to speed up. She was hitting the cloak with the hammer with tremendous speed.


    Teresa could hardly see her movements. A wave of energy emanated from each of her blows. It was a beautiful and fantastic sight.


    ''Something''s wrong.'' Wain wondered, ''She''s speeding up and putting more power into her punch every second, but the mes aren''t fading, and the cloaks aren''tbining into one. On the contrary, the mes are getting stronger and stronger. It looks like creating this cloak for Lea will be a real challenge.''


    Wain was not wrong. After a few minutes, the purple mes became big enough to reach Lea. The girl''s skin began to turn red, and if this continued, she would get serious burns.


    ''What are those mes! Lea eximed to herself. She encountered materials that resisted her hammer for the first time and even tried to fight back.


    ''The heat from this me is very painful, but it doesn''tpare to what I feel every time I take the hammer in my hands, and my hopes are shattered into tiny shards!'' Lea eximed and clenched her teeth in anger.


    She began to strike with renewed vigor, and her aura gradually changed. The energy cogs in her eyes began to crack, and there were more of them with each beat.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Lea''s actions caused the entire workshop to shake. It wasparable to a faint earthquake. Wain and Teresa could feel the shaking under their feet and look at the dust and wall debris falling from the ceiling.


    "When Lea is in this state, it seems to me that with one blow, she can kill a First Chronicle monster..." Teresa muttered.


    "Yes, that''s the power of people with craft souls. Their full potential is only revealed in moments like this, and it''s not the limit, especially for Lea."


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Despite the increased force of the blows, the purple mes did not begin to calm down.


    On the contrary, Lea''s skin began to burn, and she could hardly contain herself from screaming in pain. When she was almost at her limit, the gears in her eyes copsed.


    Then her eyes glowed white like two brightnterns, and the silhouette began to merge with her slowly. At this time, the purple mes continued to burn Lea''s skin, and she continued to pound furiously on the anvil.


    The workshop shook more and more with each blow, and Teresa even found it hard to stand on her feet.


    She had to bnce herself to keep from falling. Wain stood as if he were an unshakable pir. In spite of what had happened, he didn''t take a step back.


    "Wain, we must stop her! At this rate, this me will burn her!" Teresa shouted.


    "Don''t you dare, if you interfere with Lea now, you will hurt her a hundred times more than that me. Just watch her create the best cape on this." Wain replied coldly.


    When the situation was already critical, and Lea only had a few seconds left before the purple mes consumed her, the silhouettepletely merged with her. Her eyes glowed even brighter, and white, energetic gears appeared in them.


    They began to move, and then Lea''s hammer glowed brightly. She raised the hammer high above her head, holding it firmly with both hands, and brought it down. Despite the pain, her actions were precise and wless.


    Tremble.


    When the hammer touched the cloak, there was an energy explosion of phenomenal proportions. A massive pir of light burst from Lea''s body, piercing the heavens. All the inhabitants of Overion and nearby cities saw it.


    Those far away were mesmerized by the scene, but those in the western base shuddered.


    The ground within dozens of meters shook, and the workshop was destroyed. Teresa bounced aside, dodging the debris, but Wain stayed where he was. Pieces of stone shattered against his body like at steel.<sub> </sub>


    As the cloud of dust settled, Wain and Teresa saw the result of Lea''s final blow and dedication.


    The girly exhausted on the floor, leaning against the anvil. It was covered with many cracks and almost shattered.


    Lea''s hands were red and burned in ces from the purple mes. She was exhausted and could have passed out at any moment.


    However, a contented smile was on her face as she held the cloak she had created with her fingertip and saw its description.


    Wain walked slowly toward Lea. He leaned over and put his hand on her shoulder and said, "You did well, remember that feeling. It''s the price of a masterpiece and its result."


    He had not yet seen the description of the cape, but it was obvious that today Lea had created her second masterpiece, which overshadowed anything she had done before.


    Wain looked intently at the cloak lying on the anvil. It was long and ck, with a picture of a purple, weeping ghost on the back. The edges of the cloak, as well as the sleeves, were white as snow.


    From the dark purple cor came three blue threads, like strings. They reached down to the bottom of the cloak. A powerful yet strange, empty aura emanated from it.


    Wain took the cloak in his hands and immediately put it on, then read the description.


    He felt cold and boundless power. This cloak was the most valuable and powerful thing he had.


    [Screaming Abyss (First Chronicle, Unknown Rating)


    The cksmith''s dedication and desire created this true masterpiece. The cksmith was not afraid of the mesparable to the fire of the abyss and kept moving forward like an indestructible spirit.


    The aura of this cloak inspires terror in weak creatures who do not know what pain, desire, and madness are.


    In addition to the cksmith''s desires, this cloak conceals a terrible ghost and the structure of the previous cloak, which was created from hundreds of ghosts that the mad tailor came after.


    He hunted them down and, despite their screams, continued to work. Some of that pain and madness remained in this cloak.


    This cloak is a concentration of hatred, pain, genius, rejection, madness, and hundreds of lives brought to create this cloak.


    Only those whose spirit is unwavering and only those who can move forward no matter what, like the cksmith who created this cloak, can wear it.


    *All stats are increased by 70.


    *Resistance against phantom attacks is increased by 30%.


    *All damage from all skills and attacks increased by 10%


    *Damage against ghost creatures increased by 30%


    *Vulnerability to medium level illusions and hypnosis.


    *Increased damage from fire and dark attacks by 15%.


    *Increased damage from light attacks by 3%.


    *Increased damage from attacks with soul attribute by 21%.


    *Active skill "Warlike Ghost" created.


    *Active skill "Souls Waterfall" created.


    -Warlike Ghost.


    You can activate the power of the evil spirit lurking in your cloak, and all creatures within a certain radius will want to attack you. They will go insane like berserkers, and their only goal is to tear you apart.


    *Strong creatures will not be affected by this skill.


    *The psyche and mental state of weak creatures can be seriously disrupted.


    -Souls Waterfall.


    You can temporarily release hundreds of ghosts and spirits lurking in this cloak using arge amount of energy. Like hellhounds, they will break loose from their chains and burst out of the cloak to unleash a mighty torrent upon your enemies]


    "AHAHAHAHAHA, this is crazy, this cape is actually a masterpiece!" Wain eximed.


    "What''s going on here!" Suddenly Isabe walked into the room.


    When the workshop copsed, she immediately headed this way. She was worried that someone might be hurt, and her instincts didn''t let her down.


    "What...?"


    Once inside, she saw a wounded Lea, a shocked Teresa lying on the field, and Wainughing at the top of his voice. Hisughter intensified and grew harsher as if a demon wereughing.


    Isabe concentrated and, despite the strange situation, ran up to Lea.


    "Oh my God..." Isabe muttered, looking at Lea.


    The girl was breathing slowly, and the burns on her arms and body horrified Isabe.


    "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA."


    Wain keptughing like a madman, and it drove Isabe out of her mind.


    "Bastard, how can youugh when Lea is in such a state!? Are you out of your mind!?"


    Whooooooosh.


    Suddenly Wain abruptly turned around and grabbed Isabe firmly by the neck. She was shocked and struggled to get out of his grip.


    "Shut your mouth. Look at her face. Come on!"


    Isabe did as he said, and her eyes widened in shock. Lea could hardly breathe, but she was smiling broadly, and her eyes glittered like the brightest star.


    "This girl has created something incredible, putting her own strength, blood, sweat, and flesh into it, and you want me to sit around whining and feeling sorry for her? She''s not a victim, she''s a winner. It is a triumph, and at this time, one does not weep but solemnly rejoices!"


    "You big bastard! All right, I hear you damn well! Let go of me and let me help Lea. You fucking sadist! How could you make her do that to herself?!" Isabe screamed.


    Wain grinned and tossed her aside. Isabe didn''t say anything, instead, she immediately used her skill and began to treat Lea. She had to hurry up.


    ...


    At that moment, a crack appeared inside his Soul Altar, in a dark castle, on a gray tform.

 Chapter 239 The Beginning Of The Last War

    Isabe was speeding up her treatment of Lea. The girl''s life wasn''t really in danger, but Isabe wasn''t going to hesitate. She was afraid there would beplications.


    "What is going on here? Where is Lea?" Suddenly Va entered the ruined workshop.


    Lea was one of the most valuable members of Last Light, and Va was worried that something might have happened to her.


    "Va..." Teresa muttered as she approached her, "In a nutshell, Lea was making equipment for Wain, but there were problems in the process, and Lea was injured."


    "What? How is that possible?"


    "The cause is in the materials. Suddenly there were purple mes that burned her hands badly. I guess the materials didn''t want to give in and were opposing her back that way."


    Va nodded. This situation was strange, but she was d that it was not an attack or an ident. Moreover, Isabe, their best doctor, was already here.


    "It was dangerous, but she was able to seed, right?" Va asked, looking at Wain.


    At that moment, he was standing off to the side, smoking.


    "Yes, the cape on Wain is a masterpiece that Lea just created. I didn''t see the description but judging by Wain''sughter and the reaction, it''s something fantastic." Teresa exined.


    "I see, Isabe. Is Lea going to be okay?"


    "Yes, her condition is stable. I''ll have her back up and running in no time." Isabe said, and an energy needle pierced Lea''s skin.


    "Okay, Wain, I want to talk to you about something. Teresa, I think you do too."


    Teresa nodded.


    Wain exhaled a white puff of smoke and said with a smile, "You want to know about the seal? Okay."


    He headed for the exit, but before he did, he walked over to Lea and said, "I don''t know if you can hear me, but if you keep this up, one day you will create a weapon capable of overthrowing the gods."


    ...


    "Wain, I want to ask you about Seal of Darkness, apparently you know a lot more about it than Teresa and I." Va said.


    "Huh, I honestly have no desire to exin everything to you in detail. It would be too long and boring. It would be much better if you could see for yourself. However, I can tell you why our seals are so different and what your mistake is."


    "What do you mean?" Teresa asked.


    "Va got the Seal of Darkness rtively recently, but you Teresa got the seal almost immediately after the apocalypse began."


    "Yes." Teresa nodded, "But, I still haven''t made any progress, unlike you."


    "You need to visit a Void. This ce is in the World of Darkness and is simr to Dungeon. You must defeat the leader of Void and be recognized as its new owner. After that, the fun begins."


    "I see, you travel a lot and often disappear somewhere. Part of your time is spent fighting in the World of Darkness, right?" Va asked.


    Wain nodded, "I suggest you do the same. Tomorrow we''ll head south, and in about three days, thest part of the city will be under our control. By then, we will have about ten days left before the ind appears.


    During this time, you should visit a Void and fight there. That way, you will be stronger, and your importance in the World of Darkness will increase."


    "Is it dangerous in the Voids?"


    "Yes, but given your strength, you have nothing to worry about. You''ll get into a pretty weak zone at first, but some powerful beings inhabit the World of Darkness and Voids. I''ve been on the brink between life and death a few times." Wain said quietly.


    Va and Teresa were surprised. They understood that Wain was serious. It was clear from his voice, speech, and facial expression.


    Va, as leader of one of the branches of Last Light, was quite busy.


    Selena assisted her, but the leader''s duties took up a great deal of her time. However, Va didn''t see this as a problem. She was strong enough, and soon she would have a lot of free time.


    When the city was fully under the control of Last Light and all important matters could be handled by the administrator, Va would concentrate on her progress. Elsa and Gisle had the same position.


    Also, if necessary, as leaders, they could request a certain amount of souls to keep up with the progress of the others.


    The more Overion would have controlled areas with Dungeons and Nests where people could hunt without risking anything, the more souls the organization''s leaders would have.


    It was still a long way off, but Gisle, Elsa, and Va had already begun to move in that direction.


    First, they had to kill all the monsters in the city. Then they had to solve the food problem, and after that, they could get on with creating a peaceful city life.


    Ordinary people would finally get back to their usual pace and feel what a peaceful life was like again.


    The only difference would be that Dungeons and Nests would upy some ces in the city.


    Ordinary people would have a new opportunitypared to the past life. They could save up money, buy equipment, and go to the Dungeon hunting to get abilities.


    Of course, many people would refuse this, it''s too dangerous, but many enthusiasts would be willing to risk their lives for such an opportunity.


    They would want to be as strong as the organization''s members. Few, however, would ever be able to reach the level of these people.


    Only a few on the entire, like Wain, were aware of the existence of other worlds and the many races that inhabit the World of Darkness.


    "I see. You''re right. I haven''t really tried to figure out the functionality of the Seal of Darkness." Va muttered and headed for the exit.


    Teresa nodded and followed her.<sub> </sub>


    Wain didn''t go anywhere. He smoked another cigarette and then went to bed.


    He wanted to build up his strength before tomorrow''s invasion of the south. Last Light had to get air transport, a lot depended on it. They couldn''t go by water. It was suicide.


    ...


    The following day Wain awoke to the constant noise. People were getting ready to head south. Some were mentally preparing for battle. Some were checking and cleaning their weapons. Others were giving out instructions.


    Likewise, arge amount of wood was prepared during the day. Clovis, along with several strong members, was already on the edge of the west part.


    He had been building a bridge from the wood he had been continuously supplied with since morning.


    Clovis, like Lea, was not standing still. Gisle hadn''t allocated him as many resources as her, so he was still a long way from level 30, but he had long since gone through his first evolution.


    His skills had improved, and he could now easily build massive structures. Building a bridge several hundred meters long wasn''t a problem for him, but it took time.


    In fact, Last Light had recently begun to run out of wood. However, Gisle wasn''t worried about that, especially after Marco showed up.


    Marco could speed up the growth of nts, fruits and vegetables, and simple trees. Even without Marco, though, Gisle had a solution. He could use tree-type monsters as expendable material.


    "Oh, it''s a pretty noisy morning. It was much quieter in Ice Caves..." Wain muttered and went outside.


    By the time he woke up, almost everything was ready. Gisle was in charge of the operation asmander in chief, Elsa and Va gathered the men.


    Wain stood aside and waited for the operation to begin.


    "Wain, you''re back, but you''re going to disappear again, aren''t you?" Suddenly Zero appeared beside him.


    "Oh, Zero, I see you''ve made some good progress."


    "Yes. Will youe with us?"


    Wain nodded, "I''ll help you capture the southern part, and I''ll also go with you to the ind. I wonder what will happen there. That ce must hold many dangers and valuable treasures."


    "Are you that much interested in treasure?"


    "Huh, I won''t deny that I have a greedy little demon in me who wants as much money and treasure as possible, but of course, that''s not the main reason. I want to find out what will happen in the ce that will appear because of the energy." Wain muttered.


    "Some of those who know about the ind are afraid of its appearance. They think it could be a disasterparable to the beginning of the apocalypse."


    "It doesn''t matter. Zero, believe me, there are things far scarier than the apocalypse, and it takes strength and freedom not to fear them."


    "Got it. Looks like our conversation is over." Zero said quietly, pointing to Gisle stepping forward.


    "Yes... It''s time."


    Gisle stood in front of the people on the tform and began his speech. He exined the general state of affairs, purpose, objectives, and priorities.


    "All of you know why you are gathered here. We will now go to the southern part of the city and begin a full-scale takeover of this area. After that, our organization will control the entire Overion, and many of you and your friends and family will know what a peaceful life is again.


    We have three main goals and objectives. First, we must take over the two dominant organizations on the southern side. It is preferable if they surrender, and we can negotiate. Otherwise, we will kill their leaders, and they will have no choice but to submit to us.


    Second, we must clear most of the city of monsters, especially the densely popted areas. Third, we must take over the military base, and then the entire city will be ours!


    You are all divided into groups, consisting of two divisions, "Alpha" and "Beta". Group "Alpha" consists of the strongest members of the organization, including myself. Our task will be basicbat and battles with the most dangerous adversaries.


    The task of the "Beta" groups will be to explore new territories and kill weak but numerous monsters. That will be all. Let''s go!" Gisle finished his speech and headed toward the cliff with his fist held high.


    The people followed them. They were divided into three squads, each of which followed its leader''s part of the city.


    Not all organization members participated in this operation, only the strongest. The rest were busy making their progress, controlling territories, helping themon people, and killing monsters.


    Wain and Zero followed them. They walked at the end, trailing the fighting column.


    ''Huh, how long has it been since thest time I participated in an event like this? It makes me feel nostalgic. Eh, I''m only 25, but sometimes I feel like I''ve lived thousands of years and hundreds of lives.'' Wain pondered.


    Zero was as cold and calm as ever. She pondered Wain''s words. When he rescued her from theb, she had no global goal.


    She went forward and fought to stay alive and grow stronger. Of course, life was a worthy cause for following the path of strength.


    However, Zero wanted to experience something new and different. She hoped that the ind could make her experience unforgettable feelings.


    After a while, the group reached the cliff. By then, Clovis had finished building the bridge. He was tired and resting, his work done.


    Wain strolled across the massive wooden bridge and looked down into the canyon. Although there were practically no monsters in the three parts of the city anymore, the situation below was quite different.


    There were still a lot of dangerous creatures there, but they couldn''t climb up, so there was no need to rush to clear the area.


    ''Hmm? What is it?'' Wain wondered as he watched the mes appear below.


    It was unusual and yellow like gold. Then Wain saw that part of the ground in the steep canyon wall had turned to ink, and a tall man with long blond hair and azure eyes emerged from there.


    The man bounced off the wall, and there was an explosion of golden me beneath his feet, causing him to jump high up.


    "Is that a Luar?" Wain muttered.

 Chapter 240 The Lion

    Suddenly part of the canyon wall turned to ink, and Luar emerged from there. Before Wain fought with him, Luar was the head of the strongest organization on the north side. After that, Luar went traveling.


    "What is Luar doing here?" Wain muttered.


    "Luar, who is that?" Zero asked, puzzled.


    "That''s a pretty slick and active guy who seems to have found himself some new problems."


    Whooooooosh.


    The next moment Luar jumped high up andnded on the bridge. He was breathing heavily and didn''t immediately notice Wain and the other men.


    Wain decided to check something out, and his Seal of Darkness glowed brightly. Luar sensed this and turned in his direction.


    ''I see. He''s made more progress than Teresa and Va.'' Wain thought, feeling the power emanating from Luar''s seal.


    It was not as powerful as Wain''s but definitely stronger than Va and Teresa''s. Luar had a Seal of Darkness of rank one, which meant he owned one Void.


    "Wain?" Luar eximed.


    Zero became alert, and darkness began to emanate from her hands. She, unlike Wain, did not know this man and was ready to take the fight any second.


    "Zero, calm down. I doubt Luar is our enemy."


    "What?! Of course, I''m not the enemy of humans! I barely escaped the monster that was after me. I couldn''t bring him into my zone, so I decided to go back to the. It was a surprise that I ended up in the middle of a canyon, but I was able to get out of that mess." Luar said quickly, gesturing with his hands.


    "Huh, you can find a lot of interesting and dangerous things in that ce."


    Luar wanted to say something, but suddenly Gisle interrupted them.


    "What''s going on here? Who are you?" Gisle said coldly.


    "Gisle, this is the former leader of the north side of town, Luar. I told you about him."


    "Hmm? Did hee here to fight? Why did he end up in our backs? That looks suspicious." Gisle muttered warily.


    "I''m not going to fight you. How many times do I have to tell you? This is just a chance encounter and nothing more. You''ve assembled a whole posse. It looks like something interesting is going on."


    "Huh, you''re right." Wain said, "We''re going to take over the south side and clear it of monsters. Will youe with us?"


    "Wain, are you sure?" Gisle asked.


    "Yes, I don''t see anything wrong with that. Luar, do you agree?"


    Luar scratched the back of his head and, after a while, nodded. He had spent several days in the World of Darkness before, and he didn''t mind fighting monsters in his homeworld.


    "Okay, I trust you Wain." Gisle said briefly and turned back.


    Wain wanted to ask Luar about his Seal of Darkness, but this was not the right time or ce. Luar had the same purpose.


    He was the owner of one Void and understood that if Wain''s seal was stronger, it meant he had more Voids under his control.


    ...


    They passed the bridge a few minutester and encountered the first monsters on the south side. They were mostly mutated insects, zombies, and beasts. These were the mostmon types of monsters on the city''s streets.


    The base of the main organization in the slums was visible from anywhere in the city. Only the most powerful organization members participated in this operation, so the monsters could not stop them even for a second.


    Wain, Zero, and Luar didn''t even enter the fray once. They were at the very end, and the monsters just didn''t have time to get to them. They were killed right away.


    ''Gisle did a good job, but that''s not surprising. These people probably hunt in Dungeons and Nests every day, but it''s still not as effective as World of Darkness. I can get thousands of souls in the arenas, but I have to be strong enough to do that.''


    ...


    In three hours, the group of Last Light reached the base of the main organization in the slums. They offered no resistance, as Gisle seriously wounded their strongest members in several attacks.


    This was inevitable, as the people in the slum were the weakest in the entire city.


    They struggled to fight off monsters and had no food. While the members of Last Light were training and getting hundreds of souls from Dungeons and Nest, the people in the slums were worried about survival.


    Gisle didn''t go straight to the tourist district. Instead, he sent dozens of people to clear the area of monsters.


    He decided to proceed gradually since he knew their operation would be sessful. The difference in their strength was too significant.


    Wain decided to talk to Luar about the seals.


    "Luar, would you like to invite me into your area?" Wain asked smiling.


    "Ah, Wain, I was justing to talk to you about that. As I understand it, your zone is much stronger than mine, right?"


    "Yes, let''s go to the spatial rift. We don''t have much time. In a few hours, the slum will be cleared of monsters, and we''ll head to the next sector."


    "Okay, I hear you, let me focus. Finding spatial rifts isn''t easy." Luar said and closed his eyes.


    He headed toward the ruined building, and part of the wall turned to ink. Wain followed him.


    Inside the spatial rupture were three passageways. The first was a door of ink leading into a random, enemy a Void.


    On the left was the entrance to Wain''s Void. It was a massive gate of blue wood, covered with a thickyer of ice and snow.


    On the right was a golden gate burning with golden mes. On the gate was a sign in the shape of a lion opening its mouth wide.


    "Not bad. That''s definitely your style." Wain muttered.


    "Well,pared to your gate, mine looks pathetic and ridiculous."


    "Huh, that''s natural, okay, give me an invitation."


    "Sure." Luar said, and his Seal of Darkness shed brightly.<sub> </sub>


    A shard of gold flew from his body and prated Wain''s chest. Then Luar opened the gate, and Wain followed him.


    Luar''s zone was very different from what Wain had seen before. This zone was an area of stone and golden trees with yellow me burning foliage.


    The monsters here were appropriate. Their bodies were golden, and they all possessed fire powers.


    ''Hmm, it seems the foundation of this area is a mixed attribute of gold and fire. The diversity of the World of Darkness is actually great.'' Wain thought as he considered flora and fauna of the area.


    Wain wasn''t going to fight Luar and take Void from him. He wanted to see how the other man ran the zone.


    "Wain, are your resources growing in the zone, too?"


    "Yeah, my Void is pretty big, so I have several resources. As far as I know, you''re only supposed to have one kind of resource, right?"


    "Yes, my zone is the lowest ranked, but I''m happy with my current position. The bonuses I get from owning this zone are amazing. I have nothing toin about." Luar said and headed for the golden tree.


    He plucked a yellow, square fruit from the branch and tossed it to Wain.


    [Golden Cubefruit (First Chronicle, Rare Rating)


    This fruit will be a perfect decoration for any table and great for those who are not afraid of the me hidden inside the fruit.


    It contains a lot of energy and has a favorable effect on creatures with the attribute of fire, gold, and theirbinations. Also, Golden Cubefruit briefly increases the resistance in the elements of gold and fire by 5%]


    Wain lightly tossed the fruit up and then tasted it. He immediately felt his mouth burn, as if he had eaten a very hot pepper, but then the spiciness was reced by a pleasant sweetness.


    "Not bad. Is there anything else interesting in your area?"


    Luar shrugged, "Monsters, trees, and these fruits are all my riches. There''s actually more, though."


    "Hmm?"


    "I''m trying to figure out how the World of Darkness works, and so I''ve been entering different spatial rifts many timestely. I went to a strange ce and found an unusual round sphere there. This thing is somehow in my body, like souls. I''ll show you." Luar said, and his Seal of Darkness glowed.


    ''A round sphere? A strange space?'' Wain wondered.


    ''Isn''t that...'' After a few seconds, Wain realized what Luar was talking about, and he quickly shouted, "Wait, stop!"


    However, it was toote, a bright, white pearl flew out of Luar''s body, and he grabbed it with his hands.


    "What is it? It''s only a small sphere. Why are you so worried?" Luar was puzzled.


    "Luar, you fucking idiot, the orb in your hands is a Soul Pearl, and Pearl Hunter ising for it now." Wain said seriously, and his tone was cold.


    Only at that moment did Luar begin to understand the seriousness of the situation. He did not know Pearl Hunters were, but Wain''s wariness frightened him.


    "Okay, I get it. I''ll clean it up." Luar said in a hurry and tried to bring Soul Pearl back, but he failed.


    Tremble.


    Suddenly, space shuddered, and many cracks went across the sky.


    ''Damn, this isn''t a Purgatory zone. Will Pearl Hunter be chained? If not, we''re screwed...'' Wain pondered.


    All exits and entrances from Void were blocked during the damage to the space. The only way out was the crack that appeared in the sky.


    However, it was a path to open dark space without the portal. Wain''s body would be torn apart in the first instant.


    To get back, they had to defeat the enemy invading their territory. There was no other way out of this situation.


    "Luar, prepare for a deadly battle."


    "These Pearl Hunters, who are they? How strong are they?"


    "One of them practically killed me. Another one had such overwhelming power that itpletely changed the whole situation. I managed to survive, but they are certainly dangerous. I hope it''s not one of the ''Pirs''."


    "Pirs?"


    "They are the eleven strongest races in this world. You must have learned by now that humans are not the only sentient beings, especially in the World of Darkness."


    Luar nodded and prepared for battle. The situation was unexpected, but he was confident that they could withstand the challenge together with Wain.


    The monsters also prepared for battle. They were wary and sensed the dangering from the crack in the sky. They were going to defend their home.


    "Luar, order the monsters to stay away unless you want to be the only inhabitant of this zone by the end of the battle. The monsters in the Rank-E zone are unlikely even to scratch a Pearl Hunter."


    "Okay, I hear you."


    Wain immediately activated several of his skills. Hebined Shattered Part with Forgotten Monarch''s Sword, and wind gauntlets appeared around his hands. He didn''t use any form or a Beyond yet.


    First, he had to see who their opponent would be and what abilities he had. Also, as ast resort, Wain would absorb a Soul Pearl to restore energy reserves.


    Crackle.


    When all the monsters on Luar''s orders stepped back and hid, the cracks in the sky began to growrger.


    Then the sky began to shatter into many pieces like a mirror, and Wain and Luar saw their enemy.


    It was a tall man with pale skin, amber eyes, and white hair. He was dressed in loose white and gold robes, and his muscr torso was exposed. In his hand was a golden sword shining brightly.


    The man had a yellow stripe on his head. However, that was not the most important thing.


    Above the man''s head hovered a golden, glowing hoop, a halo. The man also had two massive, white wings.


    The enemy that Wain and Luar faced was an angel whose blood purity exceeded 75%.

 Chapter 241 The Fiery Angel

    "Is that an angel?" Luar eximed. He couldn''t believe that creatures like angels actually existed.


    "Yes, and as you would expect, he is quite powerful. Luar, he has wings and a halo, which means that his blood purity is over 75%. Simply put, he''s pretty fucking strong. Don''t spare any skills or items if you want to stay alive." Wain said seriously and prepared for battle.


    Luar nodded. He felt a powerful and unwavering aura emanating from the angel. He had never encountered such a powerful being before.


    Wain decided to see the status of their enemy.


    [Zaral Latson


    Chronicle: Second


    Void: 3]


    ''Damn, he''s Second Chronicle. Do we even stand a chance?'' Wain pondered.


    His stats were unnaturally high for a First Chronicle creature since he was already well beyond that stage. However, Wain believed that even so, he was weaker than almost all Second Chronicle creatures.


    When the angel entered Luar''s zone, space immediately began to regenerate, and at that moment, several chains emerged from the darkness, which chained Zaral.


    However, these chains were not as powerful as in the Purgatory Zones.


    The strength of these chains depended on how strong the zone was, which was invaded by a creature with too high a Chronicle.


    This meant that even though the chains chained Zaral, his power was not reduced to First Chronicle as it would have been in the Purgatory zone.


    Angel weakened but no more than a tenth of his former strength. It was already much better than nothing, though.


    ''Hmm, he''s weakened, but only slightly...'' Wain pondered, and at that moment, the angel turned to Luar.


    "ming Lion, if you give me a Soul Pearl now, I won''t kill you."


    "That''s a pretty good offer, isn''t it?" Asked Luar looking at Wain.


    Luar, like Wain, did not use his real name in the World of Darkness and chose an alias, now he is ming Lion.


    "This Soul Pearl belongs to you, and you have the right to decide how to use it, but we have no guarantees. He can take the Pearl and absorb it, and then we definitely don''t stand a chance. We can''t be sure he''ll do that, though. It''s a tough decision." Wain said seriously.


    If he were in Luar''s shoes, he wouldn''t consider those options. When Wain had any chance of winning, he would take it and wouldn''t let that chance get any smaller.


    Luar doubted. If the angel wasn''t deceiving him, it was the easiest way to survive. However, something kept him from making that decision.


    ''Wain is right. If the angel absorbs the energy from Soul Pearl, then it is definitely the end. Moreover, if the angel kills me, he gets my Void and the corresponding bonuses. It''s doubtful the angel would turn down such an easy profit.'' Luar thought and hid the Pearl.


    "A wise decision." Wain uttered.


    "Fool, it''s your fault you chose death. You are but First Chronicle creatures, yet you dare contradict me. How arrogant." Zaral said with contempt in his voice, and his sword went up in mes.


    Wain didn''t wait. He decided to attack first. He pointed his sword at Zaral and used the Magic Missile. The white, magical projectile instantly headed toward the angel.


    Zaral reacted quickly to this attack. He swung his sword and repelled the Magic Missile. The Magic Missile had great power and punching power, but it was nothingpared to the ming sword in the angel''s hand.


    Luar was weaker than Wain, but he had one major advantage. He was in his Void territory, and all relevant bonuses were active. The most important thing was a significant increase in his stats.


    Whoooosh.


    Zaral pped his massive wings and headed toward Wain with lightning speed. The angel swung his sword sharply from top to bottom, intending to cut him in two.


    Wain did not retreat. Instead, he epted the challenge and shed swords with the angel. He was sure his stats were enough to stand up to the angel.


    However, Wain could hardly withstand the onught from the angel. His hands trembled, and the ground beneath his feet began to crack.


    Moreover, the angel was not on the ground. Zaral continued to p his wings, thereby putting more pressure on Wain.


    "Oh, that''s impressive." Wain muttered.


    "That''s only part of my power." Zaral said coldly, and the me on his sword shed brighter than usual.


    Wain felt an intense heat, and part of his hair burned. He quickly stepped back and used the Magic Missile again.


    Zaral repelled the white beam and was about to chase Wain, but suddenly he was attacked from behind by Luar.


    He had no weapons, but around his arms were yellow, energy ws like a lion''s. They were strong enough to cut through the flesh of most First Chronicle creatures.


    Yet his ws only lightly scratched the angel''s wings, only a few white feathers falling to the ground.


    "You little rat!" Zaral shouted angrily and swung his sword.


    A fiery de of fire flew out of the weapon in the shape of a half-moon. Luar did not have time to dodge but tried to block this attack.


    A yellow, round barrier of fire appeared before him, and the de collided with it the next moment.


    This barrier was one of Luar''s skills and was effective against fire, light, and dark attacks. However, even so, the firede broke through the barrier and copsed on Luar.


    The force of the attack weakened, but Luar was still wounded and suffered moderate burns. He clenched his teeth and jumped aside.


    ''Damn, if it hadn''t been for the barrier, that de would have definitely burned Luar, and not even ash would have been left. The angel is stronger than me. I''m not sure that I can handle him even by activating one of the forms. Hmm, I can''t get out of here, but maybe I can somehow link my zone to this ce? At least for a while.''


    Wain''s idea was that if he gets bonuses from being in his zone fighting here, it could dramatically change the situation. Moreover, in such a case, the deterrent power on Zaral would increase significantly, and his strength would rapidly decrease.<sub> </sub>


    Wain wanted to think about it, but he didn''t have time for that. Zaral raised his sword high above his head, and then his weapon began to lengthen because of the mes. It looked like a sma sword.


    Whooooooosh.


    Zaral swung his sword, and a wave of fire came down on Wain. The power of this attack wasparable to a volcanic eruption.


    Wain''s eyes shed, and the tinum sword disappeared. A long sword with icy des along its edges appeared in its ce.


    A woven bandage also appeared on his face, covering his nose and mouth. Six dark chains bound his left arm.


    The temperature around him dropped sharply, and Wain swung his sword, creating a wave of ice. It collided with fire but could only partially resist the mes. It took Wain to create a wall of ice to block the angel''s attackpletely.


    "Oh, your power is rather strange. Hmm, what race are you from? You''re definitely not one of the Pirs, but I can''t figure it out. Your energy fluctuations are too strange. So are you." Zaral uttered, looking at Wain and Luar.


    Wain answered nothing. At that moment, he was not thinking about the fight but how he could connect his zone with this one. He concentrated, and his Seal of Darkness shone brightly.


    Then a message appeared in front of Wain.


    [You, as the owner of Void, can form alliances with other owners of Voids, if necessary. In this case, your zones will join together in an alliance. The bonuses from all zones of the alliance will be joint but will be divided equally among all alliance members.


    Also, the rights to zones in the alliance will be divided equally among all leaders. Creatures will be able to move from one zone to another without getting a special invitation].


    Wain smiled contentedly.


    ''I can break the alliance at any time?''


    [Yes, but you need the consent of the rest of the alliance to do so. Otherwise, you will have to leave the alliance without your zones or eliminate those who disagree with your decision.]


    ''I see.'' Wain thought and ran up to Luar.


    Together they dodged a fiery de flying in their direction, and Wain quickly said, "Luar, we must unite as leaders of Voids and form an alliance. Then I''ll get bonuses from your zone and you from mine. With that, we can defeat the angel."


    "I don''t mind, but what am I supposed to do?"


    "I''ll show you." Wain uttered, and his Seal of Darkness glowed brightly.


    Then an offer came to Luar to ally.


    [ming Lion, the other owner of Void, Nameless, wants to form an alliance with you. Do you agree?]


    Zaral realized they were up to something and decided to speed up.


    "Yes." Luar answered confidently, and the next moment space shuddered.


    Crackling.


    At Luar''s Void, a crack appeared in the air and grew rapidly. Then there was an explosion that tossed Wain, Luar, and Zaral aside.


    At that moment, the passage between the two zones was established, and the alliance was finally created.


    The passageway exited Ice Caves, and so a cold wind immediately blew in Luar''s Void, and a faint blizzard began.


    Then the stats of Wain and Luar began to increase because of the bonuses from their zones.


    Of course, Wain''s Void''s bonuses were much more significant, and this alliance was more beneficial to Luar than to Wain.


    Wain always received bonuses from his Void, but only permanent ones. However, the strongest bonuses were those that only worked when he was in his zone.


    He decided to ally with Luar to get at least half of the bonuses that weren''t active before because he was in someone else''s Void.


    Now, technically Wain was in two Voids simultaneously and, like Luar, was getting all the bonuses but reduced in half.


    "AHAHAHAHAHA, this is incredible! How powerful is your Void that you have such bonuses! I can feel the power overwhelming me!" Luar eximed joyfully and immediately activated his a Beyond.


    The silhouette of a golden lion appeared above him, and its eyes glowed brightly with golden light. The energy ws on his arms became longer and sharper, and his entire body became more robust.


    "You bastards. Do you really think that by banding together, you can stand up to me?" Zaral spoke fiercely and used his a Beyond.


    His halo shone brightly like the sun, and his snow-white wings were covered in a scarlet me that could burn anything.


    His sword also grew bigger and longer. Zaral could burn down a forest or drain a body of water with a single swing.


    "Huh, do you think that increased stats and resistance is the only advantage of this short term alliance?" Wain smirked, and the next moment, several chains appeared next to Zaral and shackled him again.


    <o>,m These chains were much more powerful because they came from Wain''s Void.</o>


    However, even they couldn''t bring Zar''s power down to the values of the First Chronicle. He was still mighty, though considerably weakened.


    Nevertheless, Wain was no longer worried about it. He was confident of victory because all his stats exceeded the mark of 400 points after all the bonuses.


    Given that the limit in First Chronicle was 250, this was a huge value. After reaching 250 points in each stat, a person could increase them only with items, temporary effects, or various bonuses, but not with energy.


    "I admit, your decision to form an alliance was smart, but it''s still not enough. I will easily burn the two of you, and you will experience a hell of a lot of torment!" Zaral shouted and pointed his sword at Wain.


    He was about to attack him, but suddenly a blue sh flew out of the passageway, reaching the angel in a second. Then, the silhouette swung its icy swords and left a diagonal ''X''-shaped cut on the angel''s body.


    "You idiot. Who told you there were only two of us?"

 Chapter 242 One Against All

    Wain decided to ally to gain bonuses from the two Voids as well as to weaken Zar with chains significantly, but he had another goal. His and Luar''s zones merged by passage, and now his mates from Forest of Frozen Dreams coulde to his aid.


    Frigus was the first. He knew right away that the situation was critical. Otherwise, Wain would not have rushed to form an alliance.


    When the passage appeared, Frigus immediately headed there and attacked the angel with lightning speed, leaving an ''X''-shaped cut on his chest and stepping back.


    "That''s your monster?!" Luar eximed cheerfully.


    "Yes, he''s one of the three strongest in my zone."


    "Holy crap, he''s a swordsman with paired swords. How cool is that!"


    "Don''t rx. We could tilt the situation in our direction, but our opponent is still dangerous. He used his a Beyond. I have no idea what he''s capable of now." Wain said warily and made three swift swings with his sword.


    The icy des came down on Zaral, but he did not dodge. The angel swung his ming wings once and created a ming vortex that destroyed the ice des.


    "What''s going on here?" Elegan eximed as he entered the passage.


    What happened was a surprise to him, but he would back up Wain.


    When Elegan realized who the enemy was, he immediately used one of his skills. He took a watch out of his pocket and pressed a button.


    The number ''3'' appeared on the dial, and then a purple magic circle formed over the angel and in front of Elegan.


    Elegan struck the magic circle with his palm, and the circle above the Zaral exploded. The purple energy waves tossed the angel aside and inflicted wounds on him.


    Then Luar appeared before him, hitting him in the jaw with his fist with all his might, from bottom to top. This could be called a powerful uppercut. Zaral was unable to block this attack, and his jaw cracked.


    However, that was not all. Frigus decided to continue the series of attacks and flew near the angel like a deadly disc and left a deep cut on his wing. The mes were powerful, and Frigus'' des melted, but he ran into the Ice Caves and quickly recovered them.


    "You bastards! You think you can beat me with numerical advantage?!" Zaral eximed and spread his wings to the side.


    Then he swung his sword around himself and unleashed a wave of fire on Frigus and Wain,parable in scale to an avnche.


    Wain did not retreat, he pointed his sword forward, and the temperature around him dropped precipitously. His cloak soared upward as if from a strong current of wind.


    Hundreds of ice crystals erupted from beneath the ground, forming a wave of ice. It met with a wave of me, and they destroyed each other.


    "What?!" Zaral eximed. He could not believe that Wain was able to block his attack.


    "You are nothing but a pathetic fool who dared to invade this Void inconsiderately. Why do you think no Pearl Hunter hase here besides you?"


    "What kind of nonsense are you talking?" Zaral barked.


    "They looked at my status and ming Lion''s status and realized they would find nothing but doom in this ce. Simply put, your haste has led to your death." Wain said calmly.


    Zar''s eyes filled with blood. He was furious and was about to incinerate Wain and everyone else to the ground. However, suddenly a huge, dark silhouette appeared behind him and began stomping on him like on a moth.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The massive silhouette continued to stomp on Zaral, and then a slowly walking Dark Elf appeared in the passage.


    A golden goblet filled with wine was in his hands, and his gait was a bit wobbly. He sometimes swayed from side to side as if he had difficulty keeping his bnce.


    "Sorry, I''mte... I guess I drank too much..." Reto muttered and took another sip even though he was already very drunk.


    "Wow, is that a Dark Elf?" Luar eximed in surprise.


    "Yes, when I offered him to join me, I didn''t think I was taking an alcoholic on my team. However, that does not prevent him from being effective. Zaral can''t even stand up."


    Wain decided he couldn''t pass up such a chance and canceled the second form. Then gray energy appeared around him, and a ck crown with a closed eye appeared on his head.


    <o>,m His hands were covered in energy, and two creepy mouths appeared on his palms.</o>


    He quickly got to the angel, who closed his wings to block the attacks of the huge illusion created by Reto.


    Wain struck a powerful blow, and a silhouette of a jaw appeared above him, which closed sharply.


    "AAAAAAARGH!" Zaral cried out in pain as part of his wing disappeared.


    For angels, wings were a special ce where most of their nerve endings were concentrated. This meant that any even the smallest wound on a wing wasparable to a fracture in pain.


    When Wain ripped some of the flesh off the angel''s wing, the pain was many times worse than an open fracture with the bone shattered into several pieces.


    Wainunched several more deadly attacks, and at that moment, Zaral realized that if this continued, he would die. Angel decided to use his most powerful attack, and his halo glowed brightly and then began to crack.


    Zaral decided to sacrifice his halo to survive and kill all his enemies. The halo was supposed to explode and destroy everyone with heavenly light. However, Wain was not going to let that happen.


    He gripped tightly to the angel''s wings, and then his hair began to lengthen and turn white. His strength increased, and he single-handedly ripped the angel''s wings off and tossed them aside. Zaral roared in pain like a battered animal.


    Then Wain gripped the halo tightly with both hands, and the jaws on his palms opened wide. They tore the halo apart and ground it like a crusher.<sub> </sub>


    Zaral no longer had any trump cards or secret tricks left. He used what he could, but his opponents were too strong.


    Normally, Wain would never have defeated Zaral since the angel was Second Chronicle.


    However, Zaral was severely weakened, while Wain, on the contrary, was greatly strengthened and helped by Luar, Frigus, Elegan, and Reto. Each of them was quite strong, especially in their territory.


    The Ring of Damned shone brightly, and a tinum sword appeared in Wain''s hand. He pierced Zaral''s heart and twisted the weapon several times, turning the angel''s flesh into a bloody pulp. Zaral could not resist it and soon let out hisst breath.


    A red soul exploded from his body and entered Wain''s body.


    [Soul of me Wing (Destroyed)


    Chronicle: Second


    Rating: Ascendant]


    ''Hmm, Ascendant Rating... Zaral was very strong, but it doesn''t seem enough to have a Legendary Rating Soul. Damn, who would I have to defeat to fulfill one of the conditions?'' Wain pondered.


    Wain didn''t crush this soul since it didn''t make sense. He couldn''t get stats or an item since it was Destroyed Soul. He decided to save it for the future or to trade with Sven.


    "It was hard, but we won." Luar said.


    "Yes, Luar, I want to break the alliance between our Voids. It was a temporary decision. I hope you understand that."


    "Sure, no problem. My zone is weaker, and our alliance is unfair. I don''t like that either. However, before you go, I want to give you this."


    Luar stretched his hand forward, and a gold coin with a me sign on one side and a lion''s head on the other appeared in it. It was the key to Luar''s area.


    "Huh, thank you. In that case, I can''t stay away."


    Wain''s eyes sparkled, and a ck coin appeared in his hand with a crown on one side and an open mouth on the other.


    They exchanged keys, and Wain was about to leave, but Luar stopped him again.


    "Wain, if it weren''t for you, I''d probably be dead today. I was lucky that I decided to show a Soul Pearl to you and not to anyone else. However, the thing is useless to me, and I believe you deserve it as a reward for saving me."


    "As you wish."


    Wain did not refuse such a valuable gift. Also, Luar was right. He had no special mechanism and could not absorb a Soul Pearl.


    Of course, he could, like Wain, try to do it during a Beyond, but Luar didn''t know about that method. Wain did not know if another human could absorb a Soul Pearl in this way or if this was a feature of his Beyond.


    Then Wain said goodbye to Luar and returned to the a bitter. By that time, the first part of the operation was over, and Last Light was about to attack the tourist area.


    Wain went with them, and after two hours of travel and killing hundreds of monsters, they reached the right ce.


    High stone walls protected the base of the main organization in the tourist area. People set up protective towers, installed weapons, and killed any monsters that came close.


    The base was thergest hotel on the seashore. There were many people there during the apocalypse, and they were able to quickly create a protective barricade of improvised materials andunch a counterattack.


    Unlike the slums, where there were many food and protection problems, the situation was much better in the tourist area. It was nothingpared to the progress of Last Light, though.


    "Okay, let''s go!" Gisle said loudly, and several dozen people rushed into the base.


    Wain decided to jump up on the stone wall and watch the situation from high up.


    The people were shocked that they were suddenly attacked and scattered to the sides. After a while, the strongest members of the tourist district organization came out into the main square.


    They were few in number, about twenty people. Each of them was in First Chronicle, which was a pretty good result.


    At the front were Gisle, Agnes, Grut, Rita, and Teresa. Teresa decided to start the battle. She made some quick and urate swings with her rapier and inflicted severe wounds on one of her opponents.


    She was attacked from the side, but Agnes appeared next to Teresa. She blocked the attack and retaliated to the man''s stomach with a fist. This blow was very powerful, and the man struggled to his feet afterwards.


    "Who the hell are you?! What do you want with us! Shouldn''t people unite against amon threat?" A tall man with dark skin and ck hair eximed.


    In his hand was a long poleaxe. He wore bulky and sturdy armor, amber in color.


    "Huh, of course, people have to unite, but there can only be one ruler in this town, and that''s Last Light. I offer you two options, either you join us, or your heads will be on the ground in a minute. It''s up to you."


    The man frowned. He knew this situation was hopeless. They were losing in both quantity and quality. Teresa and Agnes were both capable of defeating most of their strongest members.


    "What guarantee do I have that you won''t attack us after we surrender? You say we should unite, but you act like pathetic marauders."


    "It doesn''t matter how we act. Our goal is to take this territory, and you can''t stop us from doing that. You are not strong enough to do that, while we already have most of the city under our control. If you refuse now, you will only make things worse for yourself."


    It was a difficult yet rather obvious choice. The head of the tourist district organization didn''t want his mates and friends to die because of his ego.


    He stared at the smiling Gisle and tossed aside his weapon.

 Chapter 243 The Last Step

    Last Light sessfully captured the two main districts in the southern part of the city. The leader of the tourist district organization proved to be a reasonable man and did not do anything stupid. Surrendering in such a situation was the best and most correct decision.


    Gisle gave orders to clear the area around the monsters as before and decided to negotiate with the leader of the captured organization.


    The man''s name was Ailot Otey. When the apocalypse began, he was on vacation in Overion, but suddenly the world changed, and he had to take many things into his own hands. Thus he became a leader in the tourist area and quite a strong man.


    Along with Gisle and Ailot, Elsa and Wain headed to the table.


    Wain wanted information about the military base. Besides the fact that Gisle wanted to take over the entire city to begin the process of restoring civilization, their second main goal was to get an airlift.


    "Nice to meet you. My name is Gisle Enge. This is Elsa Gulsvig. I am the organization leader, and she is the leader of one of the branches. The southern part was thest one, and so now the whole city is under our control." Gisle said.


    "Ailot Otey." He said briefly.


    "Ailot, I want to ask you about the military base. Is it under your control?"


    "No, we tried to upy it, but it didn''t work out."


    "What? So there aren''t two organizations on the south part, but three..." Gisle muttered in surprise.


    "That''s not true. The military base wasn''t taken over by humans but by humanoid creatures. I don''t know what to call them. We saw one of them from afar, but robots do all the work. We tried to attack them, but we couldn''t even break through the energy barrier around their base."


    ''Hmm? Robots? The energy barrier? Is he talking about...?'' Wain pondered.


    "Monsters took over a military base? That sounds rather strange."


    "I''m not sure these creatures can be called monsters. Maybe they''re people from another world? I wouldn''t be surprised that''s possible, especially after what happened to our world." Ailot put forward a theory.


    "Okay, I hear you. We''ll go there a littleter anyway. However, it''s an interesting situation. Hopefully, all will be without casualties and destruction. Without transportation, we''ll be in big trouble."


    "Gisle, what do you intend to do with my people?"


    "Are you worried about being belittled as losers? Don''t worry. The moment you cast your axe aside, you and your men became members of Last Light. I won''t tolerate betrayal, though. Just don''t create any unnecessary problems for anyone, and everything will be fine."


    Ailot nodded.


    For the next hour, he and Elsa discussed the organization''s governance. It was decided that Ailot would run the entire southern part of the city, but Elsa would supervise him.


    Gisle decided to go to the military base tomorrow. He wanted to give the people a chance to rest. They also needed to clear their new areas of monsters.


    Wain also needed to heal his wounds. During the battle with Zaral, he had used a Beyond and two forms, which put a serious strain on his body. However, before that, he wanted to see who was in the military base.


    He climbed on top of the building and used his binocrs to look in the direction of the military base. It was pretty far away, but Wain could see everything clearly as if he were standing a few meters away.


    The military base was fine. The walls, the buildings, the hangars, everything was in perfect condition.


    There were no signs of struggle, no dirt or blood on the ground. However, no humans were visible, just a few robots patrolling the area.


    Wain had a theory about who might have upied the military base, but he had to make sure.


    Wain waited about two hours until finally, a tall man with purple hair emerged from an underground building.


    He looked almost like a human, except for the fact that he had arge square-shaped sign on his chest.


    ''Construct... They were able to get into the human world, but how? Although, if they were in some Void, a random energy release could have led to that. Also, maybe they found their way here through high technology... Damn, that''s a big problem.'' Wain thought and headed for Gisle.


    ...


    "Gisle, I need to talk to you. It''s urgent and important."


    At that moment, Gisle was discussing something with Elsa, but seeing the serious look on Wain''s face, he immediately knew something extraordinary had happened.


    "Of course, Elsa, I''ll leave the rest to you."


    "I understand." Elsa nodded and left them alone.


    "Tell me."


    "Eh, I don''t know how to exin it to you, but in a nutshell, Ailot was right. The military base has been taken over by inhabitants from another world, and we need to do something about it right away."


    "What?!" Gisle eximed in surprise. If someone else had said it, he would have thought it was a joke, but Wain was telling the truth.


    "Sit down. We''re going to have a long talk. Now I''m going to tell you a little bit more about this world of more than just humans."


    ...


    For the next few hours, Wain talked to Gisle about the eleven major races, blood purity, as well as the World of Darkness and the Seal of Darkness. There was a huge amount of information, and Gisle needed time to absorb it all.


    He also asked Wain a lot of questions, and he answered them whenever possible. At that moment, Wain felt like Sven. Only he didn''t know how to make cocktails.


    "Ugh, my head is about to explode. To realize such a thing...it''s too hard. It''s unbelievable how many events have passed me by, and I haven''t even noticed it. So our is just a grain of sand on a giant beach... Damn it..." Gisle muttered.


    "Yeah, but you don''t have to worry about that. That the Construct was able to get here is probably an amazing coincidence. Although... Perhaps it happened when the spatial barrier of our world was damaged. Then hundreds of monsters came through the cracks."<sub> </sub>


    "Good if that''s the case, otherwise there could be another catastrophe at any moment. Monsters and humans evolve at the same rate, so we''re still fighting and taking territory. However, if any of the Pirs discovers this world, we''re finished."


    "You''re right. The Third Chronicle creature will destroy us all in a single skill. There''s nothing we can do to a creature with that much power. I don''t think we have to worry about that, though. Last time there was some good reason why the pir of light appeared, and the spatial barrier was weakened." Wain muttered.


    "The races and the World of Darkness are amazing, but I didn''t expect other humans to exist in this world. Moreover, unlike us, they had energy and soul power from the beginning. However, they were weak, and then they became a threat to everyone else."


    "Yes, officially, it is believed that humans no longer exist. Moreover, many other races are not even aware that there once was such a race as humans. However, this is not true. I have reliable information that the humans still exist somewhere, and they are insanely strong, but no one can find them."


    "Hmm, maybe we''re not the humans then? Maybe the names of our races are just a coincidence?"


    "No, we''re definitely of the same species." Wain said seriously and proceeded to exin.


    ...


    He told Gisle everything he knew about the humans, which shocked Gisle. Wain also exined the peculiarities of the dominant races and how the World of Darkness works.


    "I see. It''ll take me a little while to get my head around it, but I understand the situation much better now. Turning Overion into a normal city like it was before the apocalypse would only be the beginning. One day, we''ll all need to meet representatives of other races." Gisle muttered.


    Wain nodded, "We must clear the military base of Construct as soon as possible. People must not learn that there are other worlds and more than ten powerful races besides monsters."


    "You''re right. In that case, that''s where you and I should go, right? However, that might not be enough. If there are several hundred of them there, we definitely can''t handle it."


    "Don''t worry. Luar will go with us too. He has the Seal of Darkness like me."


    "Hmm, that''s good. I wish I''d had a chance to take the trials of the World of Darkness. I will definitely need to get that seal and own some Void."


    "Yes, the World of Darkness is dangerous, but Voids is great. You''ll get lots of perks, various resources, and you''ll have your army of monsters, and that''s just the beginning." Wain said confidently.


    "Wain, you and Luar have zones where you are in the role of king. To get into Void, I first have to pass the test and get the Seal of Darkness. However, can''t you invite me into your zone?"


    "I don''t know. You''re the first person I''ve told about this and who doesn''t have the seal. I can try."


    Earlier, Wain had wondered whether the Seal of Darkness was a prerequisite for entering the World of Darkness or whether it was more an opportunity to seize territory and visit arenas. Now he can find out.


    "First, we need to find the spatial rift. Even if you stand close to it, the passage won''t open for you because you don''t have the Seal of Darkness. However, instead of with me, perhaps you can enter." Wain said.


    Gisle nodded, and Wain closed his eyes.


    The closest spatial rift was in the hotel''s basement, where they went down.


    Gisle waited with anticipation for what would happen and stared at Wain. He strolled toward the wall, and suddenly the concrete turned to ink. Gisle was surprised to see something like this.


    "Come on. I hope you can get inside." Wain said and stepped forward. His body disappeared into the ink.


    Gisle was unsure of the safety of this method, but he trusted Wain, so he headed for the ink. They slowly engulfed him, Gisle felt cold, and a strange feeling of emptiness, but nothing dangerous happened.


    Gisle, along with Wain, found himself in a spatial rift. He saw an inky door with many eyes and a huge gate made of icy wood.


    "What is this...?"


    "The ink door leads to a random Void. It will be pretty weak the first time, so you don''t have to worry. Behind that gate hides my zone. You have to get an invitation from me to enter there." Wain exined.


    "Then can we get started?"


    "Sure, but I can''t guarantee anything. You don''t have the Seal of Darkness, and you''ll probably get thrown back to the.


    A blue shard flew out of Wain''s body and into Gisle''s be. Then something strange began to happen. Gisle''s eyes glowed brightly with a purple light likenterns, and space trembled.


    "What the hell is going on! Gisle, let''s get out of here!" Wain uttered, but Gisle didn''t move from his seat.


    Suddenly a dark fog appeared next to them, closing in on them in the dome. Gisle came to his senses, and a message appeared before them at that moment.


    [Nameless, the owner of the third rank Seal of Darkness, has transferred the energy of the World of Darkness to Gisle Enge.]


    [The special trial of the chosen candidate begins. Choose what will be the focus of your challenge.]


    Both Gisle and Wain saw these messages. Several possible choices appeared in front of them.


    [Trial of:


    Physical Strength


    Magic Power


    Spirit Power


    Intelligence


    Strategy]


    There were five choices in total. It was strange and unusual. Wain was as surprised as Gisle. They looked at each other and realized they both didn''t know what to do in this situation.

 Chapter 244 The Tower

    "Well, it looks like I have an important choice to make." Gisle muttered, looking at the options.


    "It''s strange. Mine and Va''s trials were very different. It seems to be because I gave you some of the energy of the World of Darkness."


    "Maybe, I don''t think it matters right now. What do you think I should choose? Luckily, the list is pretty varied."


    "Huh, it''s up to you, but I think we both already know the answer. However, don''t forget that I won''t be able to help you. I''ll be in a spectator role, and the World of Darkness won''t let me interfere with your trial."


    "Of course, I wasn''t going to ask for help. That''s not my style. If I can''t do the test myself, then I''m mediocre." Gisle said seriously and chose the fifth option.


    [You chose to take the fifth test, strategy.]


    Whooooooosh.


    The next moment the dome of dark mist shook, and they were transported to another space. It was a massive cliff, on whose slope stood a tall tower. Behind it was a vast sea, over which Wain floated. Dark Mist moved him there.


    Gisle stood in front of the tower at this time. It looked like an ordinary tower where people and soldiers defended themselves during battles in the Middle Ages.


    The tower consisted ofrge stone blocks, had several narrow windows suitable for archery, as well as a crown-shaped top. Opposite the tower was a steep slope down into a dense forest.


    Gisle nodded and headed forward. He opened the gate, and inside he saw an altar on whichy a green orb. Then a message appeared before him.


    [You have entered your tower. Your task is to protect the orb and kill all attackers. There will be one wave of monsters in total. You have thirty minutes to prepare and develop a n. You can choose twenty warriors to your squad, but no more than ten of the same type].


    Wain also saw this message. The World of Darkness was not oblivious to the audience, and at the moment, Wain felt as if he were sitting in an empty movie theater in the best seats.


    ''Twenty warriors... Hmm, I wonder if Gisle can find out what the enemies will be?'' Wain thought.


    "Warriors... What strength will they be, and how many enemies will attack me?" Gisle asked.


    [Your warriors will beparable in strength to the low end of Primary Chronicle. Your attacking monsters will beparable in strength to the highest limit of Primary Chronicle. There will be a total of thirty attackers].


    ''I see. After all, this is a strategic test, not a test of physical or magical strength. However, I am in a rather difficult situation.'' Gisle pondered.


    [Also, you cannot fight. At the moment, your strength is severely diminished. Enemy warriors will kill you in one second, and then the ordeal, as well as your life, will be over.]


    ''I get it.''


    [In that case, the test has begun. You have thirty minutes to choose your warriors, as well as to devise a n.'''']


    The next moment an hourss appeared high in the sky, which abruptly flipped over, and the countdown began.


    Wain watched Gisle''s actions with interest. He was confident that Gisle would find a way out of this situation.


    He was losing in both quality and quantity, but he had one advantage, he was the one being attacked. It was always easier to defend than attack when it came to a tower siege.


    First, Gisle decided to see what choice of warriors he had. He concentrated, and five cards with different creatures appeared in front of him.


    The first card showed a knight in armor, with a brass shield and a steel sword. Each card had three stats at the bottom, Attack, Defense, and Speed. They were rated from one to five stars.


    The knight had three stars in Attack, three stars in Defense, and three stars in Speed. His stats were average across the board. It wasn''t a bad unit with no ws, but no serious advantages either.


    ''Hmm, the knight isn''t bad, but it''s not what I need.'' Gisle thought and moved on to the next card.


    It showed a huge ogre, at least four meters tall. The ogre had a massive club in his hand, and his skin was partially covered with protective tes.


    The ogre had four stars in Attack, four stars in Defense, and one in Speed.


    ''This is already much more interesting. Maybe I''ll need some ogres for my n.''


    Gisle moved on to the next card. It showed a small goblin, it had red skin and a crazy smile. The goblin had several bombs in his hands, and he also had a barrel full of explosives behind his back.


    This warrior was ideal for firing at enemies from above the tower.


    The goblin had 5 stars in Attack, 1 star in Defense, and 3 stars in Speed.


    ''Great, it gets better every time. Given their high attack rate, the bombs will create massive explosions. Their defense is low, but they don''t need to engage in openbat. However, I might have a problem if the enemy has flying opponents.'' Gisle pondered and moved on to the next card.


    On it was a massive dog, about two meters tall. The dog had dark skin, a long red tail, and eyes that burned with a me. The special thing about this warrior was that the dog could spew fire from its jaws like a dragon.


    This warrior had four stars in Attack, two stars in Defense, and four stars in Speed.


    Gisle nodded and moved on to thest card. It showed a skeleton with a massive bow and arge quiver behind his back.


    The arrows were unusual. Their tips charged with lightning energy and created a lightning pulse when they contacted enemies.


    ''Alright, looks like I''ve decided what kind of squad I''m going to have.'' Gisle thought and began his preparations.


    He smiled and headed for the green sphere on the altar. Gisle already knew how he would proceed and that he had already won. There was no way his enemies would be able to take over his tower and orb.


    At that moment, Wain did not see what Gisle was doing. A barrier of dark mist appeared in front of him, blocking his view. The fog did not disappear until thirty minutester when everything was ready.


    ''Hmm, looks like Gisle decided to concentrate on protecting the inside of the tower.'' Wain thought, looking at the fact that there were no monsters in front of the tower.<sub> </sub>


    At that moment, thirty enemy warriors appeared near the forest. Among them were knights, golems, ogres, trolls, and several massive bats. Dark mist-like energy emanated from the monsters, and their eyes shone with a bright purple light.


    It was a strategic challenge, and Gisle''s enemies did not behave like mindless barbarians. They had a formation of their own.


    The ogres with massive shields marched ahead, just three of them. Behind them were ten knights. Next to the knights came seven Trolls armed with long, curved swords.


    Behind them were five archers and five bats. They had everything in bnce, both attack and defense, and speed. What''s more, the enemy warriors were stronger and outnumbered by half, a critical situation.


    Wain tried to figure out what Gisle had in mind. He thought the best option would have been to take a few ogres for protection and lots of archers and goblins to defend the tower from afar.


    However, Gisle decided not to do so, and that worried Wain.


    The monsters slowly approached the tower, and then the ogre kicked the main gate with a powerful blow of his shield. They went inside and headed for the altar, but after a few steps, they stopped.


    The enemy warriors were shocked. A long katana with a razor-sharp de was thrust into the altar with the green orb.


    The monsters were baffled. Their main task was to capture the orb, but it was not in ce. At the exact moment, Wain began to grasp Gisle''s n. His eyes widened wide, and then he smiled slyly.


    "Huh, I should have expected Gisle to bet everything not on strategic advantage but territorial." Wain muttered.


    Whoooosh.


    The next moment, two ogres fell on top of the invading monsters. They were not going to fight. That was not their goal.


    The ogres covered the passage with their massive bodies and waited for theirmander to begin the operation.


    In fact, there was no one else in the tower except the ogres. All the warriors and Gisle were elsewhere, by the slope below the tower.


    Gisle chose two ogres, four archers, four firehounds, and ten goblins to his squad. Gisle''s most important task was protecting the orb and killing all enemies, so the orb was now in his hand.


    He didn''t need to defend the tower. It wasn''t in the rules, so he could sacrifice the structure if necessary.


    "Alright, let''s go!" Gisle said, smiling as he looked at the hundreds of bombs stacked under the slope.


    Also, among the bombs neatlyy the lightning arrows. They did not touch the bombs so that there would be no unnned explosion.


    After Gisle gave the order, the monsters stepped back, and the firehounds opened their mouths wide.


    Bright mes headed toward the bombs and arrows, and there was a deafening explosion. Massive shards of rock flew apart, and the slope on which the tower stood tilted.


    The enemy warriors tried to get out, but the ogres brushed them aside with their clubs and held them back.


    At thest moment, the ogres jumped aside and grabbed the edge of the cliff, watching as their tower, and their enemies tumbled down.


    The only ones who could dodge this attack were the bats, but when they wanted to attack the ogres, the archers used the rest of the arrows and eventually killed the monsters.


    Gisle chose some archers to counter the flying enemies if necessary. Also, the lightning arrows were a great catalyst to amplify the explosion.


    The monsters fell into the water, but some survived the fall from such a height, but it was not a problem. The firehounds approached the slope and began to shower the survivors with mes.


    In a few minutes, the battle was over. The corpses of the enemy monsters turned into a dark mist, and the katana flew out of the water and back to Gisle.


    [Congrattions, Gisle Enge, you passed the World of Darkness test for the best score. For that, in addition to the Seal of Darkness, you will also receive a reward. Choose what you want, weapon, armor, skill, or consumable].


    ''Huh, I want a weapon.'' Gisle made his choice, and the next moment a dark, long, two-handed katana with a red hilt appeared before him.


    A scarlet, bloodthirsty aura emanated from it, which simultaneously spoke of the weapon''s peculiarity as well as its Rating.


    "Not bad, now I want to get what I came here for."


    Whoooooosh.


    A dark mist appeared in front of Gisle and prated his be. Then his eyes glowed brightly, and a Seal of Darkness appeared in his Soul Altar.


    Crackle.


    Space began to copse, and Wain, along with Gisle, returned into the space gap.


    "What do you think of the show?" Gisle asked smiling.


    "Excellent. I wouldn''t expect anything less from you. Although, I would have chosen a different challenge anyway."


    "Huh, okay, so now I can go through this gate and get into your Void?"


    "Yeah, you''ll be fine for sure now." Wain uttered, and a shard of ice flew out of his body again and headed for Gisle.


    Nothing unusual happened this time. Wain smiled and headed forward, but before entering the gate, he stopped and said, "Gisle, I am the owner of Void, and I have an alias. In my Void, you can call me by my name, but if we find ourselves somewhere else, you can call me Nameless."


    "Okay, I hear you."

 Chapter 245 An Organized Attack

    Wain walked into the Forest of Frozen Dreams with Gisle. They appeared in the forest, and Gisle was mesmerized by the beauty of the ce. The monsters stared at him warily, but Wain let them know that Gisle was not the enemy.


    "As I told you earlier, I grow many useful resources here, and I and the creatures that live here receive many bonuses. When you have free time, you should grab some Void." Wain said.


    "Yeah, it''s definitely worth it. I didn''t pass the test for anything. So why did you bring me here?"


    "Several thousand monsters live in my territory, but there are five special creatures among them. I''d say they''re kind of like members of my team in the World of Darkness. One of them is Construct."


    "This is unexpected, but it''s a good opportunity to learn more about the enemies in the military base and n an operation."


    "Sure, but first, we need to get the others together." Wain said and closed his eyes.


    A map appeared before him, and he found Frigus and Elegan on it. He didn''t know where Reto was, but Wain was sure that Elf was at the stone wine barrel. It was actually his favorite ce.


    ''Hmm, what is that golden dot in the shape of a lion? Is that where the Luar is?'' Wain wondered, looking at the dot not far from them.


    "Okay, let''s go." Wain nodded and headed deep into the woods. Gisle followed him.


    A few minutester, they came to a stone wine barrel, and to their surprise, Luar and Reto were there.


    They were holding on to each other''s shoulders, talking, and constantly drinking wine. Several dozen monsters were sleeping around them who couldn''t stand such strong alcohol and quickly fell asleep.


    "Reto! Damn, it looks like you''re cursed since everyone who associates with you turns into alcoholics!" Wain said loudly.


    "Oh, Wain!" Luar said cheerfully, taking a sip of wine.


    "Long time no see." Reto continued.


    "Is that the Dark Elf?" Gisle asked.


    "Yes, that''s the one, okay, two are in ce. All that''s left is to round up the others."


    ...


    A few minutester, Wain, Gisle, Luar, Reto, Frigus, Elegan, Edena, and Lui Bu were sitting at the same table.


    Lui Bu had nothing to do with the military base operation, but he could consult with Edena about Construct''s equipment.


    "Edena, we have a problem. Construct has appeared in my world with Gisle. They have upied an important point for us and have fully equipped it since we have noticed many robots. Do you have any advice for us?"


    "Yes, I would like to go with you if possible. Lui Bu and I have already made some progress. Also, Elegan is helping us a lot, but the equipment wouldn''t hurt."


    "Hmm... I don''t mind, but do you think they brought their alchemical equipment with them?"


    "It doesn''t matter. Lui Bu and I are still just learning, and simple furnaces, burners, sks, and so on will suffice. Even if Construct doesn''t have it at their base, I can create it from the materials at hand. However, I''m sure they''ve already set up ab." Edena said confidently.


    "Why do you think so?"


    "Constructs act consistently and measured, and the same goes for me. They definitely cleared the area of all hostile creatures first, then removed everything unnecessary and brought the ce into a suitable condition for building a base. Some time after that, the Constructs will explore the area. They need an alchemicalb and the proper equipment to test the samples."


    "Huh, that''s great. Then in one move, we solve two problems. Your race''s alchemical equipment will surely advance your progress. Right?"


    "Yes, it certainly does. Can I ask you something?"


    "What is it?"


    "Who is it?" Edena pointed her finger at Luar.


    Wain wanted to answer, but Reto did it instead, "That''s my new friend!"


    "I agree! Wain, I didn''t know your Void had such good conversationalists!" Luar eximed.


    Wain pped his palm on his forehead and muttered, "What idiots..."


    "I don''t understand why you like wine so much? I''ve tasted it, and I can''t say I''m as thrilled as you are." Frigus joined in the conversation.


    "That''s because the wine is frozen in your hands! Who drinks frozen wine anyway?!"


    "What? But it''s not my fault!"


    "HAHAHAHA, you''ve got some pretty funny stuff going on here." Gisleughed out loud.


    "All right, that''s enough fun. Gisle and I will be back here in a little while, and you should be ready. Lui Bu, this operation could be dangerous, so you stay here. There''s no point in you taking any chances."


    "Of course, I have many things to do. The resources that are growing here have great potential. If we get the Construct''s equipment, we can create something amazing." Lui Bu calmly replied.


    "Good, then let''s go back. Wait for us." Wain said, and he and Gisle disappeared into the space passage.


    ...


    A few hourster, it was deep into the night, Wain and Gisle decided that they would begin the operation at this time.


    No one but them was to know about it, they were not yet ready to tell about the World of Darkness and other races to people. It was a responsible and important step for which time was needed.


    Wain, along with Gisle, met in a quiet and inconspicuous ce and made their way through the city''s narrow alleys toward the military base.


    Everyone was now asleep and resting. Only a few squads were patrolling the area in case of a sudden monster attack.


    "Wain, have you ever fought Construct before?"


    "No, only with Elves, one Demon, Ashen, and Inerian. I''m sure the Construct will be powerful. They are one of the Pirs and are the most technologically advanced race of all."


    "Got it. That girl, Edena, she''s also a Construct. Is she okay with us killing her kin?"<sub> </sub>


    "That''s a stupid question. Humans kill people every day, even in an apocalypse. Do you really think the other races are any different from us in this regard? Furthermore, Edena and Lui Bu have hard fates. I don''t know everything, but they certainly won''t get in our way if we have a conflict with any of their races."


    Gisle nodded.


    ...


    When Wain and Gisle were fairly close to the military base, they went into the spatial rift and Wain''s Void.


    Luar, Reto, Frigus, Elegan, and Edena were already waiting for them there. Luar decided to stay in the forest because he wanted to talk to Reto more. He was interested in learning more about the other races.


    "Edena, do Constructs have any weaknesses?"


    "Hmm, I can''t say Constructs have any critical vulnerabilities, but I would advise you to take a closer look at their modules. It''s best to deal with those with a round module first. Without support, they will be hard to fight. Those with a square module would be thest ones I would advise you tobat. Their defense is high, and their speed is low."


    "Good, then go ahead. We will move stealthily and try not to create unnecessary destruction. The military base should have the equipment and gear we all need."


    The group members nodded, and Wain entered the spatial rift. They were in a dark alley not far from the military base a minuteter.


    "They''ve protected this ce with an energy barrier. You can prate it by force, but if you give me some time, I can silently disable it." Edena said.


    "Okay, then that''s what we''ll do. I''ve got your back." Wain said and headed toward the barrier with Edena.


    The girl immediately knew where the power unit was because this barrier was a simple type.


    Edena and Wain stealthily approached it, and she got to work. The others waited in the distance. As soon as the barrier fell, they would attack Constructs immediately.


    At this point, there were several dozen robots and Constructs on the main base. They, unlike humans, did not care when to sleep, they could do it at any time of the day.


    Moreover, Constructs could stay awake for several days. In this respect, they were much better than humans.


    "I''m going to remove the barrier now." Edena said.


    Wain nodded and made a sign. Simultaneously, the group moved forward, and Edena disengaged the barrier.


    Edena was the weakest link, so someone had to protect her. That role fell to Elegan, who reced Wain after disabling the barrier.


    Wain and the others attacked the robots and Constructs. The strangers were shocked and didn''t have time to react to this attack.


    Frigus used his skill and cut several robots in two in one move. Luar acted together with Reto. They attacked four Constructs that had triangr modules.


    The triangr modules meant that these Constructs were the attacking type. They should have been the main threat, but Reto and Luar far outnumbered them in strength. Reto tricked them with illusions, and Luar ripped them to shreds with golden ws.


    Wain and Gisle acted separately from each other. Their weapons went through the robots'' sturdy armor like a red-hot knife through butter.


    "We are under attack! Call for reinforcements! Restore the barrier!" Shouted a tall man standing in the distance.


    Whoooosh.


    Suddenly Wain appeared in front of him and swung his tinum sword diagonally. The man''s head flew aside like a ball, and his body copsed to the ground. Wain swung his hand, knocking away the clinging blood.


    In just a minute, they hadpletely cleared the outside of the military base.


    The most interesting part was the underground, but the Constructs had already found out they were under attack and weren''t going to wait for them toe and kill them.


    Several Constructs came out of the passageway. Their modules were of all types, but the ones with the circle stood behind.


    "Who are you? Dark Elves? Monsters? Who are you?" The girl with the triangr module looked at Luar, Gisle, and Wain. She couldn''t tell their race, and that rmed her.


    She had long, lush, purple hair slicked back and amber eyes. In her left hand was a massive mechanical de, and on her feet were bulky boots.


    "Huh, do dead ones need to know that? You have invaded our territory, so you must be prepared to die!" Wain eximed.


    The girl frowned and the mechanism on her boots activated. She lunged toward Wain and turned into a purple sh. Her mates attacked Wain''s group in the same way.


    Whooooooosh.


    The girl appeared in front of Wain and swung her sword sharply. Wain reacted instantly.


    He took a step back and blocked the attack with a smooth sword movement. However, the next moment his eyes went wide with shock.


    The mechanism at the sword''s hilt glowed brightly, and an energy charge flew toward Wain. He stepped aside, and the girl kicked with a turn.


    Wain blocked this attack with his arm, but then the girl''s eyes shed, and there was a loud click. An engine on her boots activated, like a rocket, and greatly increased the power of her kick.


    Also, she stomped her foot on the ground with force and her second boot glowed brightly. She created additional impulse and channeled it into her kick.


    Wain did not expect that she could increase the power of her kick so significantly and was unable to keep his bnce. The girl''s kick threw him aside, but he quickly regrouped and got to his feet.


    Then Wain felt what it meant to fight a technologically advanced enemy. Even normal equipment had so much functionality.


    "Huh, not bad, but are these toys all you''ve got?"


    "Of course not. That''s just the beginning." The girl said coldly, and suddenly her sword turned into a bow.


    "Oh, that actually looks cool."


    The girl''s eyes sparkled, and a sma arrow appeared in her hands. She aimed and was ready to fire, but suddenly her body trembled.


    "Too bad a pile of scrap metal can''t be called true power." Wain uttered, and a white beam flew out of his finger.

 Chapter 246 Wrong Passage

    Wain was surprised at how strong the girl''s punch was, but it wasn''t enough to defeat him. She was about to fire a sma arrow at him with her bow, but Wain beat his enemy to it.


    He pointed his hand at the girl, and a white beam ofpressed energy flew out of his finger. The girl managed to react and dodge at thest moment, but Wain appeared in front of her a momentter. He swung his sword from bottom to top and severed her arm.


    The girl clenched her teeth in pain and tried to run away, but Wain wasn''t about to let her do that. Three ck spheres appeared on his sword, and he threw the weapon at the girl.


    She didn''t have time to dodge, and there was a deafening explosion. The attack was deadly, she couldn''t take that much damage that hit her instantly.


    Whoooooosh.


    The blue soul flew into Wain''s body, and he looked around. The others were already finished with their opponents. Many Constructsy on the ground, and they would never rise again. No one was injured, everyone in their group had excellent skills and was quite strong.


    "Okay, let''s move on. Edena, Elegan, are you okay?" Wain said.


    The girl and the monster ran up to them, and Wain nodded. Together they headed into the depths of the building, where there was a descent into the undergroundpartment. Everything of interest and importance was there, from simple firearms to missiles to airnes.


    "Gisle, if all the equipment and nes are destroyed here, what are we going to do? Do you have any options? Our only chance to get to the ind is by air."


    "I haven''t had any ideas recently, but when you told me about the other races and showing the World of Darkness, I knew what we could do."


    "Hmm?"


    "It''s a little over ten days until the ind shows up. If we don''t find transportation now, you and I will travel through various Voids. My idea is to find a Void with flying monsters and tame them, whether by force or willingly."


    "I see... That''s not a bad option, but I wouldn''t want to waste my time on it." Wain muttered.


    "Sorry to interrupt, but it looks like we havepany." Reto said, pointing at the multitude of robots moving in their direction.


    "That''s not a problem." Gisle said, smiling, and put his hand on the hilt of his new katana. He bent slightly and thrust his body forward, took a deep breath, and swung his katana sharply.


    An airborne de flew forward, slicing more than twenty robots in half in an instant. The pile of scrap metal fell to the ground, and Gisle moved on.


    Wain and Luar were not surprised, they knew what Gisle could do. However, the others, especially Edana, were stunned.


    The girl was the weakest on the team, and it bothered him, but she tried not to show it as she understood that she was an alchemist, not a fighter.


    She wanted to be strong like everyone else, but she didn''t know how to reach the same level.


    "Gisle, do you have any information about this military base?"


    "Huh, good one. Maybe you''ve forgotten, but I was just a simple student before the apocalypse. How do you expect me to know anything about a military base?"


    "Well... then we''ll just have to hope for luck."


    "That''s not true." Edena said suddenly.


    "What do you mean?"


    "I know how Constructs usually arrange captured bases. If there was equipment and nes here, they definitely sent it to the lowest floor. I''m not sure, but that''s probably where the military hangar and tunnel should be as well."


    "Good, then let''s not waste any time." Wain nodded and kicked the ground with all his might.


    Many cracks appeared on the floor, but not enough to prate the solid pavement. What''s more, suddenly, the cracks began to fuse together as if they were alive.


    "What the hell is this?"


    "They''ve already reinforced this base with the help of the nanites. It will repair itself like a living organism. It''s unlikely we''ll be able to force our way through. We need to keep moving."


    "No, do they really think microscopic robotic particles can stop us. Frigus, Gisle, let''s go together. The three of us will cut our way down."


    Frigus and Gisle nodded and stood in triangle-shaped positions. They each thrust their weapons deep into the ground and swung forward sharply.


    Crackle.


    A meter of concrete filled with nanites thundered down and shattered into many pieces. Wain, Gisle, and Frigus jumped into the breach, and the others followed.<sub> </sub>


    "But...this isn''t right...we should have taken the ready path..." Edena muttered.


    ...


    The walk down took about an hour. asionally they encountered Constructs and robots who tried to kill them, but Wain''s group dealt with this problem easily. Their main goal was to find the transport, after which they wanted to head out in search of high-tech equipment.


    "Wait! We need to get there!" Edena suddenly said, pointing toward a narrow passageway.


    "Why? There are hardly any nes or weapons there." Wain asked.


    "I can feel energy fluctuationsing from there. There''s most likely a main block of nanites and the portal they used to get here."


    "That''s good. Then we should definitely point out to our guests their wrongdoing." Gisle muttered with a slight smile on his face.


    The others nodded and headed forward. They encountered a few protective turrets and robots along the way, but it was no threat to them.


    ...


    "Is that an energy barrier? Another one?" Wain asked, looking at the blue barrier blocking their path.


    "Yes, and I won''t be able to disable it. The energy block is inside. Maybe we should find another way."


    "Edena, you seem smart, but sometimes your suggestions sound pretty stupid." Wain rudely replied, "We''ll just break through that barrier with force. Elegan, can you handle it?"


    "Sure, it''s no problem."


    Elegan pulled a watch out of his pocket and pressed a button. The number ''1'' shed on it, and a purple magic circle appeared over the monsters.


    Elegan hit it, and there was a powerful blow, like an explosion. The attack disrupted the barrier but could not prate it.


    "Oh, that was unexpected, well that''s no problem." Elegan muttered and used the skill again. However, this time he invested much more energy.


    Three seals appeared in front of him that ovepped to create a powerful formation, and then Elegan hit it with all his might.


    The barrier, along with part of the wall, was torn down andpletely destroyed, and a powerful stream of wind blew on the group due to the shockwave.


    "Huh, I thought you said your abilities weren''t focused on attacking. That doesn''t sound true."


    "I didn''t fool you. It''s just that I''ve used the same skill multiple times now. Honestly, it''s pretty draining." Elegan muttered.


    "Okay, go ahead." Wain uttered.


    Behind the barrier was arge room which, as Edena had assumed, contained a core of nanites, as well as a portal. Another barrier protected it, but that was not the most important thing.


    There were four huge robots in the room, something like a samurai. They had the same type of armor and the corresponding weapons, sma katanas.


    "I must admit I''m surprised." Suddenly a girl''s voice rang out.


    The group looked around, but saw no one. However, then a passage opened in the wall, not far from the portal, and several Constructs emerged from there.


    Each of them looked strong and powerful. At the front was a girl with short green hair and blue eyes. She wore a fitted, protective suit, as well as mechanical gloves.


    She had a square sign on her chest, indicating that she was the defensive type. Although mostly the main attacking force among Constructs was people with triangr modules, some Constructs with square modules also had great firepower.


    It was rare, but such Constructs were formidable opponents. Their defense and attack were top-notch, the only drawback was theirck of speed. However, this shoring could be eradicated with technology and skills.


    "Looks like something interesting is finally starting to happen." Wain said smiling, and his aura began to increase rapidly.


    A tight bandage and a gray robe appeared over his eyes. Also, his hair became ashen.


    He smiled and waved his hand.

 Chapter 247 Iron Bird

    Wain realized that the Constructs in front of them were the main ones here, so he decided to use his most powerful weapon right away.


    He chose to activate Blind Sorcerer because Cursed Swordsman and ck Sun Aristocrat had too extensive and destructive skills.


    Wain didn''t want to destroy the military base where the equipment of the most technologically advanced race was now located in addition to the equipment. He needed pinpoint and powerful weapons, and the third form was perfect for that.


    The others also prepared forbat, and Wain attacked immediately. Two gray magic circles appeared next to him, and energy arrows flew out of them. The arrows increased in number with each second, and they came down on Constructs like a hail of arrows.


    However, their enemies had no intention of retreating. One of the Constructs with the square module used skill, and an iron barrier appeared over them.


    Then the Construct with the round module put a protective coating on the barrier against energy attacks.


    However, it didn''t help them. The gray arrows easily prated the barrier and instantly killed several Constructs. They were shocked by Wain''s power, which was just the beginning.


    He folded his arms together, and a massive magical circle appeared above the Constructs, and many thin beams shot out. Each beam wasparable in power to a Magic Missile and had high prating power.


    Constructs tried to dodge this fire, but Wain''s mates joined the battle at that moment. Reto created powerful illusions that dealt with damage and attacked Constructs with round modules.


    Frigus entered the battle with one Construct who had a long, massive sword. They fought like two swordsmen at high speeds trying to hit each other. Frigus gradually won, as his attacks were more precise and his movements more skillful.


    His icy swords shone brightly, and he made a sharp swing leaving a wide wound on his enemy''s chest. Frigus lunged forward and severed Construct''s head with two swords from different directions.


    Luar and Gisle didn''t stand by. They used their powerful skills, and one of the Constructs died every few seconds. Luar tore their flesh and blood with his golden ws, while Gisle filigreed, like a surgeon, to hack them apart with his katana.


    During the World of Darkness trial, Gisle was given a new, powerful weapon against which no First Chronicle creature could withstand.


    Elegan and Edena did not participate in the battle. Elegan was focused on protecting the girl and had no intention of leaving his seat. He understood better than anyone how important Edena and Lui Bu were.


    Elegan knew a little about alchemy, or rather he understood how that science worked. The progress of their young alchemists was amazing. Elegan wondered where Wain could find these amazing people.


    "You bastards!" The girl shouted, and suddenly she noticed Edena.


    She looked her over for a while then her eyes went wide.


    "What? You''re Construct, but you help them kill your people? You vile traitor!"


    "It was you who betrayed me, not me who betrayed you." Edena replied coldly.


    The girl tried to attack her, but suddenly Wain appeared before her. His palm glowed brightly, and he struck the girl sharply in the stomach.


    A magical pulse was created that tore the girl''s flesh apart and threw her aside several meters away.


    However, the girl''s suit quickly repaired her wounds, and she got into a protective stance.


    "Do you really think you can defend yourself? Huh, that''s crazy." Wain said smiling.


    "Shut your mouth and attack. You can''t even scratch me." The girl replied confidently.


    "Huh, you''re too arrogant." Wain uttered and put his hand out in front of him.


    A magical little magic circle appeared in front of him. In the time, it began to growrger until it wasrger than Wain. Then he clenched his hand into a fist, and there was a powerful burst of energy. A huge beam came down on the girl.


    She used several skills, and protective barriers appeared in front of her, but they could not withstand the beam''s power and broke after a few seconds.


    "What...?!" The girl screamed, and the snow-white energy engulfed her like a flood.<sub> </sub>


    Wain canceled the form and looked around. The battle was already over, and he had killed thest survivor with his attack.


    "Huh, they turned out pretty weak." Luar muttered.


    "It was obvious." Reto said.


    "Okay, now that we''ve gotten rid of most of the problems, it''s time to see if anything is interesting here." Wain said.


    "Yes, but first, I think we need to destroy the portal and find out what''s in that passage." Gisle pointed to the portal.


    "I can do that easily!" Luar eximed and activated one of his skills.


    His eyes glittered, and the mark of a lion appeared on his chest. At that moment, all his stats increased significantly, and he brought his ws down on the barrier like a fierce lion.


    It took him a few minutes to destroy it, as well as destroy the portal.


    Wain thought about entering the portal and finding out how the Constructs hade into his world, but it was too risky. He had never used a portal before and had no idea what was on the other side.


    "Okay, now it''s time to find out what''s out there." Gisle uttered and headed toward the passageway. The others followed him.


    ...


    There was a spacious room inside which there was only one thing. However, no one expected to see just that.


    It was a huge, high-tech ne, which Constructs use in their world. The ne looked something like a spaceship because of its unique shape and functionality.


    "Fuck...looks like we hit the jackpot..." Luar muttered, "That''s what I''m thinking. Right?"


    "Yeah, we''re definitely all thinking the same thing." Gisle uttered.


    "Edena, do you know how to run this?" Wain asked.


    "Yes, don''t worry. All nes of this type have AI, but there''s probably a block there. I''ll try to hack it."


    "Okay, Elegan, you stay here with Edena. We need to explore this ce and find all the useful equipment and gear the military base has."


    ...


    There were still a few robots left in the depths of the military base, but the group had no problem dealing with them. Unfortunately, the military base was devoid of intact equipment. The Constructs destroyed or disassembled all the nes and helicopters.


    However, as Edena suggested, they left some of their equipment here. Wain found the alchemicalboratory that Edena spoke of.


    Theb wasn''t particrlyrge, but it had everything they needed, ovens, boilers, sks, freezers, and so on.


    "Not bad, with this Edena and Lui Bu can definitely make some serious progress. Maybe they can create some useful potions or a pill before I go to the ind. That would be a great boost." Wain muttered and went back to Edena.


    There the others were already waiting for him.


    "Wain, Edena was able to unlock the ne, now we can get to the ind." Gisle said.


    "Great, Edena has alchemical equipment here. It''s been a sessful hike, but now there''s onest problem left to solve. How do we get the ne out of here?" Wain asked.

 Chapter 248 The Last Hours Before The Beginning

    "Um, can we move the ne into your area?" Gisle asked.


    "I''m not sure, the space gap isn''t big enough to fit such massive machinery in there, but we can try." Wain muttered and concentrated.


    He headed for the wall, and it turned to ink. Wain gave the signal and Edena pointed the ne toward the wall, but they had no luck. As Wain had anticipated, the ne was too big.


    "Well, that was to be expected." Reto muttered.


    "Shouldn''t there be a ready-made passageway here? Constructs moved the ne here somehow, so there must be an exit. Right?" Frigus asked.


    The others'' eyes zed over. They realized they had acted foolishly, and the answer to the riddle was obvious.


    "No, it isn''t." Edena disappointed them.


    "What, why? It sounds perfectly logical," Gisle pondered.


    "They could have changed the passage with the nanites, it would take time, but it is possible. However, now we don''t have that option."


    "Okay, then we can cut through the passageway, can''t we?" Wain suggested.


    "Sure, we can do that, but there are several meters of concrete and earth above us. It would take us hours to dig a tunnel. Are you sure there aren''t other ways?" Gisle asked.


    "Huh, we don''t have to do it ourselves. I''ll be right back." Wain mouthed and headed into the spatial rift.


    Everyone was puzzled, but when Wain returned a few minutester, they realized his idea. Along with him came severalrge monsters with massive paws. They were perfect for quickly digging a wide and deep tunnel.


    "Good. Let''s get to work!" Wain gave themand, and the monsters began digging the tunnel.


    The monsterspleted the task quickly, and the ne was on top within ten minutes. Gisle and Luar returned to base, while Wain Frigus, Elegan, and Edena went to their Void. They also took all the alchemical equipment.


    ...


    The ind was only ten days away, and Wain decided not to participate in any events during those days. He was resting, training, and gaining strength. Wain couldn''t advance any further by absorbing the souls of other beings, but training was always valuable.


    Everyone knew immediately how to use a new skill when they received it, but practice was always needed to improve the result.


    In ten days, Wain improved his skills control and understood how best to use them. He destroyed a few ice caves, but they eventually returned to their former appearance.


    The Void was not just an area where creatures could live, but an energy-soakednd that was partly alive. It could bepared to a tree, it was not a full-fledged living organism like a human or some animal, but it was growing and producing certain processes.


    Ten days was quite a long time, and up to that point, Wain had never rested so long. He could feel his body filling up with power.


    Sure, Wain could have fought in the arenas in that time or even tried to capture another Void, but he didn''t want to risk it. He was constantly on the move and decided this was the best time to rest.


    With three days to go, Wain would be ready to return to the, but he decided to check on what progress Lui Bu and Edena had made before that. They had equipment, Elegan had helped them with the supply of resources, and chose the perfect location for them.


    Their alchemicalboratory was in a rock behind a waterfall. Elegan and the monsters had deliberately dug a cave there. The ce was quiet, the temperature was low, and constant ess to clean water.


    They worked hard all this time and had some sess. Ten different kinds of resources grew in the Forest of Frozen Dreams, and each of them was valuable in some way.


    Moreover, the Magical Forest of Azure Rivers had manymon nts, fruits, and insects that could be used to brew potions.


    "Hi, how are you doing?" Wain said, walking into the alchemyb.


    "Huh, I never would have thought I''d be working in a cave behind a waterfall. It''s a beautiful ce where peacees, and thoughts move in the right direction." Lui Bu said smiling.


    "Yeah, it''s not bad. It''s the right temperature and everything at your fingertips. It''s a prettyfortable ce." Edena muttered.<sub> </sub>


    They were both doing the same thing, but they had apletely different approach. That might have been a problem, but they would have eliminated each other''s shorings and be one with the right interaction.


    "Have you had any luck? I''m going on a trip soon, and I could use some potions or pills. Anything without side effects woulde in handy."


    "Yes, we have made some progress, but since we didn''t know you wereing, we don''t have any batches ready. For now, we''re not saving everything we make. We''re giving it away to monsters to get a better understanding of how potions work."


    "Huh, using them as guinea pigs? Okay, I get it. How long will it take you to make all three portions?"


    "Not much, one day will be enough, but some of the potions we can only make in a single batch." Edena replied.


    "Okay, I understand." Wain uttered and walked out of the cave.


    Until then, he had spent all his free time in the caves or the Ice Lake, but when there was a change with the area, Wain no longer had a ce where he could have privacy.


    He asked Elegan to build him a small cabin in the woods under a rock to solve this problem.


    It was small but spacious and cozy. For now, it was more than enough. Wain could continue training, but he decided to do something else.


    Luar had given him a treasured item, Soul Pearl, and Wain wanted to absorb it. He could have saved it for thest resort, but he decided to use it now.


    It was his third Soul Pearl, and in size, it was tiny, much smaller than the first. However, that wasn''t a problem. Each Soul Pearl harbored arge amount of energy of the highest quality.


    Wain activated a Beyond, a ck crown appeared on his head, and eerie jaws opened on his palms. He opened his mouth wide and swallowed the pill like a grape.


    [You absorbed energy from Soul Pearl. Energy +5]


    It was a small boost. However, Energy was difficult to boost, and Wain''s overall condition improved greatly.


    ''Hmm, I wonder why Pearl Hunter spends so much effort and puts themselves in danger hunting Soul Pearl. It''s certainly a valuable thing, but is arge amount of energy really all it takes?'' Wain wondered.


    He stood up and headed for the exit, but suddenly everything blurred before his eyes, and Wain fainted. He didn''t even have time to realize what had happened.


    ...


    "Huh, looks like he got ahead of the curve by ident." Smiling said a man in a gray robe and a tight blindfold over his eyes.


    The four men were in the dark castle and stood on a gray tform with a ck crown floating in the center.


    "It''s still too early, there''s a lot of energy, but his body isn''t strong enough to withstand it. Only when he takes the second step will it make sense." Pronounced the man in the long tattered cloak.


    His voice was harsh and cold, as if it came from the depths of hell.


    "Huh, don''t be so serious. We''re moving in the right direction." Said the man in the white mask and red coat.


    "Quiet, it won''t be long now. Look." Pronounced Code of Light and Darkness pointing to a crack in the middle of the tform.


    As Wain engulfed Soul Pearl, the crack began to widen, but in an instant, it stopped. However, dark energy was already beginning to emerge beneath the gray tform and headed toward the crown.


    The four figures smiled. The stronger Wain was, the stronger they were. Likewise, they hoped that one day they would see what they had been waiting for.


    ...


    Wain didn''te to his senses until the next day. He was puzzled as he didn''t understand what had happened but decided that it was a side effect of the absorption of a Soul Pearl.


    "Okay, it''s not that important. I have to go back and get ready to go to the ind, but before this, I have to pick up the potions."

 Chapter 249 Potions And The Way

    A dayter, Wain headed over to Lui Bu and Edena. They already had everything ready. There was no shortage of materials, so they could create and distribute potions and pills in less than half a day.


    "Here, twenty-one pills in all, seven kinds, three potions, as well as one potion. That''s Lui Bu, and I maxed out at this point. I wish the potions and pills were more effective, but that''s not a bad result considering how much time we''ve had."


    "Of course, thank you." Wain said and watched what he received.


    The pills were pretty low quality and had one simple effect.


    [Neutralizing Pill (First Chronicle, Rare Rating)


    Two inexperienced but promising alchemists created the pill. When used, it increases resistance to weak poisons and speeds up their extraction from the body.]


    ''Not bad, it''s certainly not a divine elixir, but I have no defenses against poison. It might save my life.'' Wain pondered and looked at the next pill.


    [Weak Spark Pill (First Chronicle, Rare Rating)


    Increases resistance to the lightning attribute.]


    The description was short but simple and straightforward. Others pills also increased resistance to a certain attribute or condition. Then Wain moved on to the potions.


    The first potion was quiterge, in a round vial and arge wooden stopper. Inside was a yellow colored liquid. It glistened pleasantly as if it was under the sun''s rays.


    [Sunshine Potion (First Chronicle, Epic Rating)


    This potion is the result of the work of two aspiring alchemists who tried to create a simple but useful potion without any negative effects. They used bothmon and unique ingredients and were able to seed.


    After application:


    *Enhances the power of all attacks with the attribute of light by 15% for three hours.


    *Regeneration is increased by 40% for one hour.


    *Increases Stamina and Vitality by 5% for one hour.


    *Resistance to Darkness increased by 10% for three hours.


    *Satiety increased by 101%]


    "Oh, that''s not bad. What did you use to create this potion?" Wain asked.


    "It was based on three ingredients. Sunbloom, Desert Earth Root, and Sandy Wavy Fruit. We tried adding Royal Grape to the mix, but it didn''t work even after dozens of attempts. Perhaps our skills are not yet sufficient to mix that many ingredients with high quality." Edena replied.


    "I see." Wain pronounced and moved on to the next potion.


    It was small, a narrow sk and a small cork. Inside was a blue liquid, which gave off a strong chill and formed a few ice particles.


    [Frost Blizzard Potion (First Chronicle, Epic Rating)


    This potion contains frost and cold from the icends and essences from the nts and crystals that grow in those ces. The potion is cold and can be harmful to creatures with fire attributes and those who are not prepared for low temperatures.


    After application:


    *All attacks with the ice attribute are enhanced by 30% for ten minutes.


    *Dissemination of poisons and bleeding is slowed by 50% for three hours.


    *Resistance to ice and fire increases by 20% for one hour].


    "Okay, this potion will work perfectly for me, and now the fun part." Wain muttered, looking at the third potion.


    It was medium-sized and had a purple liquid with a golden hue inside. It was like a rare and precious wine.


    [Royal Grape Potion (First Chronicle, Epic Rating)<sub> </sub>


    A potion made from the highest grapes, worthy to be drunk only by kings and emperors. The alchemists did their best to improve the properties of Royal Grape, and it can be called a great sess.


    After use:


    *After use, all stats increase by 50 points for forty-five minutes.


    *Regeneration is elerated by 25%. The speed of reflexes and reactions is greatly increased. The effectsts forty-five minutes.


    *There is a small chance of entering a special state.


    *The potion will have no effect if a person has no subordinates.]


    ''Oh, this potion has a side effect, and it''s strange. However, it''s definitely not a problem for me.'' Wain thought and moved the potions to the Ring of Damned.


    "Great, see youter. I don''t know when I''ll be back." Wain said, and the wall in front of him turned to ink.


    Lui Bu and Edena just nodded.


    Wain was ready, he had no more unresolved business. Now he could go to the ind and concentrate fully on the task at hand.


    He didn''t know what to expect from this ce, but he hoped he would find something of value there, and maybe he could get closer to his goal.


    He wanted to get to the Humans and learn more about them, that was one of his goals. Wain also expected to know how to fulfill some of the conditions for his second evolution once he got to the ind.


    At this time, preparations were in full swing. Gisle and the other strongest members of Last Light rushed to prepare for the ind. The ne of Constructs was fast and technologically advanced, but not capacious.


    Only a hundred people could fly, given that the foldingpartment of the ne would be filled with supplies.


    "Looks like I got here just in time." Wain said, approaching Gisle, he was in the storage area.


    "Yeah, we should be over the ind when he shows up, and we only have two days left. We''re making it in time, though. The expedition list is already made, the supplies are almost ready, but something is bothering me."


    "What is it?"


    "We only know about the ind where and when it will appear. However, everything else is unknown to us. How long will we be on the ind? What dangers will await us? Will we be able to get out of there? Damn, this is so problematic."


    "Huh, you worry too much. Rx. That''s the beauty of adventure and adventure. We go to an undiscovered ce, hoping to find something no one else has ever found. We''re going there for treasure and an unforgettable experience, and that''s the most important thing. Get it together." Wain said.


    "Yes, you''re right. There''s just a little more to go, and we''ll find out."


    "When are you leaving?"


    "Come tomorrow night. The ind will show up early in the morning, so we''ll fly out at night. This high-tech ne is very fast. We''ll reach the ind in less than three hours."


    "Got it, see you then." Wain said and headed for the roof.


    He smoked and looked up at the night sky. Not only would he be going to the ind tomorrow, but tomorrow would also be five months since the apocalypse had begun.


    ''The first time, I evolved pretty quickly, but now I don''t even know how to meet even one condition. What''s more, how the hell am I supposed to unlock the fifth form? I need to fall in love to do it, but is it possible to fall in love just like that, at any moment?'' Wain pondered.


    Wain was a cold man. In some moments, his heart was no different from a piece of ice that even the brightest sun could not melt.


    "Oh, Wain, you''re here, and I''ve been looking for you."


    Suddenly Isabe came onto the roof. Wain looked at her and smirked. She wasn''t wearing a white medical gown now, but a tight evening gown. It entuated her curves and practically showed off her innermost parts.


    Wain was no fool. From Isabe''s eyes, he could see why she hade here.


    ''Huh, maybe I can rece love with lust.'' Wain thought and threw out his cigarette.

 Chapter 250 Island

    The next morning Wain awoke in the same bed as Isabe. His body and spirit were content, but even though a naked Isabe was lying next to him, Wain was frowning.


    ''I assumed it wouldn''t be that easy, but it''s still disappointing...'' Wain thought, blowing out a white puff of smoke.


    He had failed to meet the condition to activate the fifth form. Unfortunately or fortunately, lust and love were not the same thing. They could depend on each other, but sex could not bepared to the feeling of love. Even the heart beat differently in those moments.


    "Good morning..." Isabe muttered, waking up.


    She hugged Wain from behind and pressed herself tightly against him.


    Wain only nodded weakly and blew out a puff of smoke. He smoked special cigarettes, and the smoke had a tonic effect. Isabe sensed this, but she didn''t mind. In her opinion it was even better, it gave a special atmosphere.


    "You know, I didn''t expect you to act so tough." Isabe said, touching the bruises on her neck, "Although, who am I kidding. It was what I was hoping for."


    "Less than twenty hours to go. What do you think will happen on the ind?" Wain asked, changing his cigarette.


    "I don''t know. Nobody knows, not even you and Gisle. I''m just a simple doctor. My job is to treat all the wounded and help make our organization stand up to the monsters."


    "Yeah, you''re right. Honestly, I don''t know what to do until tonight, so we can get on with it." Wain said and tossed his cigarette aside.


    ...


    Untilte afternoon, Isabe and Wain left the room and headed for Gisle. The ind was hours away, and already everything was ready. Gisle had no worries about the organization, for he had appointed trusted people who were sure not to let him down.


    One hundred people who would be members of the expedition could leave at any moment.


    <o>,m They were making final preparations, some sharpening their weapons, some resting and trying to gather their spirits, some saying goodbye to their friends.</o>


    "Oh, Wain, and I was wondering where you were!" Luar said, approaching them.


    "Hey, how''s your mood?"


    "Huh, couldn''t be better. I see you found your own way to get ready too." Luar said, smiling, looking at Isabe''s disheveled hair.


    "Where''s Gisle?"


    "He''s at the ne, along with Va, Elsa, and Ailot."


    Wain nodded and headed over there.


    ...


    The moon was especially bright this day, as if preparing to light their way until dawn.


    "Gisle, when are we leaving?" Wain asked, approaching him.


    "Wain, you could at least have warned me that you stole the doctor from me. I was worried about where Isabe was. Without a doctor, we''d have a hard time. We leave in two hours. We n to arrive on the ind ten minutes before it arrives."


    "Are we going to fly around the ce?"


    "No, we''ll just soar to one point. This ne is awesome, that''s no problem for it."


    "Got it, then we have thest hours to enjoy the moon and wait for the dawn, which could be fatal for all of us." Wain said, looking at the blue moon.


    "Of course, we all can''t wait any longer, but I''m afraid we''re waiting for a mountain of treasure, but we don''t think we''ll have to go through rivers of blood before we do."<sub> </sub>


    "It''s no longer a surprise these days." Va muttered.


    "Okay, there''s no point in thinking about it now. We''ll find out soon enough." Gisle said, and there was silence.


    ...


    An hour and a halfter, the group began to board the ship. Among them were the strongest members of the organization. Zero, Agnes, Rita, Teresa, Grut, and others were there. However, Wain did not see one person.


    "Gisle, where is Lea? Isn''t sheing with us?"


    "No." Gisle shook her head, "When she created that cloak for you, she met the condition for the second evolution. Now she''s in a well-protected ce evolving."


    "Huh, this girl is ahead of all of us. She will reach a Second Chronicle before anyone else."


    "Yeah, now I''m sure I didn''t make the members give her their souls for nothing until she reaches level 30."


    "Gisle, on the ind, we may encounter some serious adversaries. Someone could do as you did to Lea, also I''m sure there will be people there connected to the World of Darkness, like Luar and me."


    "I understand, but it''s not a problem. Even if one person is stronger than me, Zero or Teresa, that person can''t be stronger than all of us. Souls are not infinite. If someone has a lot of them, then hundreds of others don''t have enough. That''s thew and the unbreakable rule."


    Wain nodded.


    "All right, we''d better get going. Get on the ne. Your seat is in the front, next to Teresa and Zero." Gisle said and, just like that, headed for the ne.


    ...


    Wain sat in his seat and waited for the beginning. To his right was a window, wide, almost panoramic. It stretched from the beginning to the end of the seats.


    Before the engines turned on and the ne took off, Gisle made a speech.


    "You all know where we''re going, but I, like you, don''t know what''s going to happen there. However, I''m sure of one thing. We have to stick together, just like we did five months before. Each of you was able to survive when all hell broke loose, so now you will have no trouble repeating your past sess."


    "Yes!" Dozens of people responded in chorus.


    Gisle nodded and gave the sign to begin. The turbines came into motion, and the ne rose up and flew off in the direction indicated.


    Wain, like the others, waited for the arrival; he looked out the window and admired the seascape.


    "Hmm? What''s that?" Suddenly Wain noticed something. It wasn''t a hazard. He saw small white particles falling down outside the window. They were snowkes.


    Five months had passed since the beginning of the apocalypse, and it was now the beginning of February. This was the time when it usually began to snow in Overion, and this year was no exception.


    With about an hour to go before dawn, the ne was almost there. However, the pilot could not soar right where Gisle indicated, an invisible barrier prevented them from doing so. This was proof that they had arrived in the right ce.


    "Alright, it''ll be dawn soon, and an ind should appear before that. If possible, we willnd on edge, flying into the center is not safe. From there, we will begin our journey, the water will be our trusty shield to protect our backs." Gisle said, looking at the water.


    People nodded. They waited, then every minute was like an hour. No one was afraid, but many were anxious. The unknown has always frightened and attracted.


    Tremble.


    As the sky turned white in the distance, but the sun had not yet appeared, the ground shook, even the airne, which was hovering high in the air, was affected.


    Huge streams of water rose from under the water, and everyone saw a huge ind appear, many times the size of an Overion.

 Chapter 251 The Most Valuable Thing

    Chapter 251: The Most Valuable Thing


    When the ind appeared, everyone was stunned. They had been waiting for this moment for a long time, and now they finally saw what awaited them.


    The ind was huge, and vast streams of water were falling down, gradually revealing it. The ind was slowly rising out of the watery depths.


    "What''s going on!" One of the men eximed as he watched the ind slowly rise upward.


    "Huh, so it''s a floating ind. That wasn''t in the vision." Wain muttered smiling.


    The ind''s dozens of rivers turned into massive waterfalls that plummeted swiftly downward. The ind looked like a magical continent with all sorts of regions from above. Fromnds of fire and ice to dark forests and shining mountains.


    Gisle signaled the pilot tond on the ind, but he failed to do so. The barrier went nowhere.


    However, when the ind stopped Wain''s chest brightly glowed blue, and several ck arms appeared in the void and slowly reached out for him. The same thing happened to Gisle and everyone else touched by the map.


    "Wain, pass the map to the others, quickly!" Gisle shouted, realizing what was happening.


    Wain nodded, and a small piece of paper flew out of his chest like aet through the chests of all the people on the ne. Their eyes glowed brightly with blue light, and ck hands appeared just as near to them.


    "Don''t resist. Let them consume you and drag you into space. Think of it as a special ticket to the ind." Gisle said.


    "Boss, what happens to the ne? If no one is on board, the ne is finished." One of the men asked.


    "Don''t worry about that. Quickly get supplies from the warehouse and head for the ind. The pilot will try his best to make sure nothing happens to the ne. That''s it, talk''s over!" Gisle said stiffly, and the men began to follow hismands.


    Wain didn''t fuss. He waited while the hands of darkness slowly reached for him. They gradually engulfed him like ink. Wain did not resist, for the many times he had entered spatial rips, he was already used to the feeling.


    Whoooooosh.


    He was pulled into a portal and found himself in the middle of a forest. Other people slowly appeared next to him, but only twenty people. That was one-fifth of the total number.


    "Shit... It looks like the others were transported to other ces. That''s problematic..." Wain muttered.


    Among the people he knew here was Va. This reassured him because the others wouldn''t be pestering him to be their leader.


    Before beginning his journey, Wain decided to check something. He closed his eyes, and his Seal of Darkness glowed brightly. Wain frowned and then sighed regretfully.


    ''All exits and entrances are blocked. I can''t feel any spatial rifts. It''s as if they don''t exist at all.'' Wain thought.


    Tremble.


    Suddenly the ind trembled, and everyone heard the same message.


    [Congrattions, you have arrived on Merger Ind. You can be proud of yourself for making it here. Since the ind has appeared in your world, you will have a small advantage of ten minutes before...]


    ''What will happen?'' Hundreds of people thought simultaneously, but no one had an answer.


    [Tell me, what do you think is the most valuable thing in the world? Money, perhaps? Souls? Rtionships? Maybe rare metals and incredible treasures? Or the feelings of your nearest and dearest? No, these are all just worthy candidates. The most valuable thing is - time, it''s always in short supply, and you are no exception].


    Whooooooosh.


    The next moment, the number ''60'' appeared on everyone''s left hand. A secondter, it turned into 59:59.<sub> </sub>


    "What? Have we been put on a timer?" Wain was surprised.


    [When your timees to an end, your story and life will be nothing more than ashes. However, time can be extended. You will have to find ways if you want to live.]


    There were no more messages. The only thing people knew was that something would happen in ten minutes and that their life was now only one hour.


    Wain nodded weakly and ran deep into the forest. He could see the ind from above but wanted to take another look around, being here already. He ran toward the tallest tree. It was huge, like a world tree, and its crown covered most of the forest.


    The leaves of this tree were unusual but silver. They glittered in the sunlight and created little iridescent chains above.


    When Wain reached the tree, he stopped as a huge, white serpent was sleeping in front of the tree.


    Its scales were as strong as steel, and a majestic aura emanated from it. Unlike humans, the serpent did not have a counter. It could sleep as long as it wanted.


    The Ring of Damned shone brightly, and a tinum sword appeared in Wain''s hands. He used the Shattered Part and attacked the beast sharply.


    The serpent felt an aura emanating from Wain, and woke up at the veryst moment.


    It twisted at an odd angle and dodged Wain''s direct attack. The serpent''s eyes glowed brightly, and it turned into a white sh, bearing down on its foe.


    Wain frowned and retreated sharply. He thrust his arm forward and used the Magic Missile. The white beam headed for the serpent''s head, the beast, had no time to defend itself. However, it didn''t need to.


    When the beam reached the serpent''s scales, it bounced aside and pierced the nearest tree.


    ''This snake is pretty strong, Magic Missile has some serious punching power, but even so...I couldn''t hurt it. Okay, it looks like I''ll have to use more serious measures.'' Wain thought, and three ck spheres appeared on his sword.


    Wain swung his sword, and a dark wave of energy came down on the serpent. It tried to dodge, but its body was too long andrge. The dark wave managed to touch the tip of its tail and cut it off.


    Roooooooooaaaaaaaaaaar!


    The serpent roared furiously and opened its mouth wide. A sphere of energy piled up in it, and a momentter, a huge beam of energy rained down on Wain.


    He didn''t dodge. Instead, Wain swung his sword twice, using the remaining spheres for those attacks.


    The ''X''-shaped de sliced the beam into four pieces and copsed on the serpent''s head. However, even this failed to kill the beast.


    Most of its scales were destroyed, and the flesh began to rot due to the corrosive effect, but the serpent was still able to fight, and it was in a boundless rage.


    The serpent attacked again, putting all his strength into it. It was as fast as the wind, but that was no obstacle for Wain. He jumped up high at thest moment and thrust his sword into the serpent''s head.


    Wain swung the sword several times and made additional cuts, turning the beast''s brain into a bloody mess. His cloak and face were stained with blood, but his eyes remained cold and merciless.


    The soul of the serpent flew into Wain''s body.


    [Soul of White Serpent (Whole)


    Chronicle: First


    Rating: Ascendant]


    Wain was surprised that the serpent''s soul had such a high rating. He decided to crush the soul and try his luck, and a red book appeared before him. Moreover, the meter on his hand began to change.

 Chapter 252 The Third Skill

    As Wain killed the white serpent, the counter on his hand began to change rapidly. The number ''55'' gradually increased and becamerger with each passing second. It stopped at the number ''10,055.


    "What?" Wain was shocked. A few minutes ago, he had only one hour, however now he had several days to spare, and this after killing one monster.


    ''I see, it seems to be one way to increase the time, but ten thousand... Why so many?'' Wain pondered, looking at the floating red book in front of him.


    [You get Ascendant Skill Book.]


    Wain didn''t wait and immediately put his hand on the book. He hadn''t received a Skill Book in a long time, and he still didn''t have a decent third skill. He hoped that things would change now and his arsenal would be enriched with powerful weapons.


    Whooooooosh.


    The book opened, and hundreds of characters from the pages flew into Wain''s be. His eyes glowed brightly, and an information window appeared in front of him.


    [The Serpent''s Step: Tail (Fist Chronicle, Ascendant Rating)


    Use the serpent''s power with a tiny part of the original beast flowing in it. When you activate the skill, a silhouette of a tail appears, attacking fiercely in the direction indicated.


    This skill can be used to eliminate a single target as well as forrge-scale battles, destroying dozens of enemies at once.


    Phantom Tail''s length, size, and power depend on the amount of energy invested. It has a neutral attribute, so it''s equally effective against all types of creatures].


    ''Hmm, not bad, but we need to test it in practice.'' Wain thought and jumped high up.


    He saw several weak monsters in the forest and decided they would be his punching bags. Wain ran up to them and activated the skill. His eyes became like a snake''s for a second, and arge amount of white as snow energy appeared around him.


    A massive silhouette of a snake''s tail appeared behind Wain, and he waved his hand.


    Whoooooosh.


    The tail moved with lightning speed like a white sh. Five monsters were sliced in two, as were a hundred small trees around them. The phantom tail disappeared, and several white souls flew into his body.


    The clock on Wain''s hand changed again, ''10, 059. This time he only got five minutes. It was no more than a drop of the seapared to the Ascendant Rating monster.


    ''I see. The stronger the monster, the more time I get. For one, it''s ten thousand, for others, it''s only one minute. Most likely, with each Rating, the number is multiplied by ten, then it all adds up.'' Wain thought and headed for the huge tree.


    He wanted a few minutes to rest and regain some of his strength. He didn''t use any of the forms or a Beyond. However, he had to use his entire arsenal to defeat the serpent.


    Wain did not want to waste his trump cards until he knew what the purpose of this ind was. He had two powerful expendable items, three useful potions, many pills, and five unique forms giving him amazing abilities.


    ''The message said we had an advantage of ten minutes, three to go. What''s going to happen?'' Wain pondered, looking down at the ind from above.


    He climbed the tree''s highest branch and had a perfect view of most of the ind.


    Unfortunately, Wain didn''t see anything remarkable. The areas were unusual and dangerous. Formidable opponents inhabited them, but Wain did not see this as something that would help him recognize the target.


    Soul Essence was living energy, and if this ind appeared, then it had a purpose. Obviously, there was some mystery and great reward behind it.


    Wain waited. Now he had plenty of time.<sub> </sub>


    ''Hmm, the voice said that time is always short, but that doesn''t seem true considering I got so many minutes for killing one monster. The serpent was strong, but it seems enough to kill a few dozen Rare Rating monsters to get a few hours or days.'' Wain pondered.


    ...


    Nine minutes and fifty seconds passed. The ind suddenly shook again, and the howls and roars of hundreds of beasts and monsters were heard. It was like the beginning of the apocalypse. Then dark pirs rose from the ground, and space began to shake.


    In the ind area, cracks began to appear in the air from which dozens of silhouettes jumped out. They were members of other races, mostly from the Pirs.


    Wain frowned. This situation was strange, he didn''t understand why the other races could get here so easily, but then he noticed that there was nothing behind the ind.


    ''What? I definitely sawnd in the distance a moment ago, was the view blocked by a special barrier?'' Wain wondered.


    He began to understand what had happened gradually. The Ind had be a separate, isted zone, which could even be called a small world. Despite the fact that the Ind was in the''s territory, it was almost another dimension.


    Wain took a closer look at the figures jumping out of the cracks and felt an aura of a map emanating from each of them.


    ''I see, so the map didn''t just appear in Overion or this world, the others were no exception, but doesn''t that mean we''re finished...?'' Wain was rmed.


    He realized that if a Second Chronicle or Third Chronicle creature came to the ind, the humans didn''t stand a chance of survival.


    "Damn." Wain uttered with horror, watching then as the Second Chronicle Elf appeared in the passage. Wain could sense it by the aura emanating from the Elf. He couldn''t be wrong.


    The Elf jumped down with a confident face, but suddenly ck chains appeared next to him. They twisted the Elf, and his strength began to decrease gradually. Wain thought that the same rules worked on the ind as in the Purgatory or Voids zones, but they didn''t.


    The chains squeezed the Elf with tremendous force and tore him to pieces. It was not a weakening. The world would not allow anyone stronger than First Chronicle to be present on the ind.


    The reason was that none of the inhabitants of this world had yet reached that level. The world was protecting itself and its inhabitants.


    "Holy shit..." Wain cursed as he watched the chains tear dozens of figures apart.


    The other races did not expect the space they were invading to have such power. They were terrified and didn''t know what to do. This ind turned out not to be a mountain of treasure as they had assumed, but a brutal ce where life was worthless.


    "AHAHAHAHA, goodness has shrunk into the world of humans, ruthless, immoral, and merciless."


    Wain was amused by this scene when hundreds of insolent and cunning people who dared to invade their world died without even realizing what they had done wrong. It was a power the world possessed.


    However, although the chains destroyed those who exceeded the First Chronicle, there were plenty of representatives from the Pirs.


    A few minutester, another message appeared in front of everyone.


    [Time is always short. No matter how much time you have, a second, an hour, a day, a year, or even a century. However, perhaps you should look on the bright side and see if there''s a limit.]


    [Your Time: 10,052/1,000,000


    Past: 0/9]

 Chapter 253 Four Beasts

    "I need to get a million minutes? Damn, that''s a lot, a lot, and it looks like there''s going to be a real massacre on the ind soon." Wain muttered, watching the hundreds of figures below.


    By this time, other people had also arrived on the ind, who had found aplete map like Wain. They had been drawn here through the portals and shocked at what was happening.


    ''Our advantage as the first was that we could figure out the rules working here. Those who werete now had only two options: fight to try to figure out what was going on during the battle or spend some time learning and getting behind the others.''


    Wain decided he wouldn''t act yet. His idea was simple. Instead of searching for hundreds of monsters, wasting his time, and getting a few minutes, he would rather hunt for ''big prey''.


    Monsters, humans, and other races would now begin to fight each other. The strongest would survive, and at that point, Wain would appear. He would take their time and lives for himself and get a few tens of thousands of minutes at once.


    ''Considering that I got ten thousand minutes for killing an Ascendant Rating monster, I need to kill a hundred of those monsters. I can handle two or at most three battles in a row, after which I''ll need a rest. I can''t make a million minutes this way. It''s too long.''


    Booooom.


    A deafening explosion rang out in the distance and several more followed. Thunderbolts of different colors erupted across the ind, pirs of me reaching the sky, ice rocks and kidney-shattering crystals, and water torrents tearing down forests and fields.


    This was only the beginning. Everyone was fighting for their lives and trying to understand what was happening.


    Even though it was chaos on the ind now, everyone came here for the treasure, and they were ready for a fierce fight, for it was inevitable.


    Wain sat high up in a tree and watched it all with a slight smile on his face. He felt as if he had outsmarted everyone else and watched the others fight to the death. However, Wain wasn''t the only one who decided to stand by for a while.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Something shed to his left, and Wain reacted instantly. He caught a sharp dagger from which a ck liquid dripped. The drop fell from the de onto a branch and burned it like a very corrosive acid.


    "Damn, that was dangerous." Wain muttered and looked in the direction the dagger came from.


    In a tall tree just below Wain''s tree stood a girl with green,ntern-like eyes, pale skin, and purple hair in the distance. Her elbows and knees had bone outgrowths on them, and several bags filled with bone knives hung from her belt.


    "Undead..." Wain muttered.


    The girl didn''t expect Wain to be able to react to her attack, so she quickly disappeared from his sight. There were many assassins among the Undead, and this girl was one of them. She did not try to attack Wain. Since her first attack failed, it was ineffective.


    Wain was annoyed that someone dared to attack him, but he wasn''t going to let his emotions get the better of him. This was just the beginning, and it was unlikely the assassin had much time. Killing her Wain would gain nothing and lose a lot of energy.


    ...


    After five hours, the battles had still not subsided, on the contrary, there were more of them, and some parts of the ind began to look like lifeless ruins. However, they gradually recovered as if the ind were alive.


    Wain wanted to take part in the battle as three hundred minutes had already passed, and he thought that was enough time for some people to umte arge amount of time.<sub> </sub>


    ? However, before he wanted to jump out of the tree, the ind shook again. Four massive beams of light appeared in different directions, and then a loud roar was heard.


    In different directions, four mighty monsters appeared on the ind''s outskirts. To the west, a huge rat appeared. To that side was a dark forest, a territory of darkness.


    To the east, a white wolf appeared amid shining mountains. It was the territory of light. To the north, a wyvern appeared among the icynds. In the south, a huge snake with fiery scales appeared.


    The four beasts did not attack. They stayed in their ces as if waiting for someone toe to them. A majestic and powerful aura emanated from each of them.


    Wain smiled contentedly. He decided he would head for one of these beasts because when they appeared, his heart pounded, the Seal of Darkness glowed brightly, and the Soul Altar began to tremble.


    He did not know for what reason, but he felt that the souls of these beasts were different from anything he had seen or felt before. Wain was certain that the souls of these monsters were Legendary Rating, at this point the only thing he had never seen before.


    ''Hmm, who shall I choose? What''s more, I''m bound to get arge amount of time and maybe even a million at once. I really can''t pass up such an opportunity.'' Wain pondered.


    Fire, ice, darkness, light, each of these forces was powerful, and they were opposites of the other. Wain did not consider fire or light as an option. He considered going after darkness or going after ice.


    ''Perhaps with the Light Seeker Ring, it will be easier for me to defeat the rat, but that''s not really what I want at the moment. To fight a wyvern, a rtive of dragons, among the icy rocks. That sounds so much better.'' Wain made a decision and jumped down from the tree.


    The icends were very far away. It would take Wain at least an hour to get there.


    He ran through the forest and entered an area filled with rivers and fields. By this point, some of the areas had already been destroyed, but the overall image was still intact and clear.


    Wain ran along quiet paths where no one was supposed to be, he didn''t need battles now. His goal was the wyvern and the icynds.


    However, there were too many people on the sharp right now, and Wain could not go unnoticed.


    Whoooooosh.


    Suddenly several arrows flew toward him from different directions. He bounced to the side, and they exploded in scarlet mes, leaving a crater on the ground and destroying the nearest stream.


    The Ring of Damned glowed brightly, and a tinum sword appeared in Wain''s hand. He couldn''t see his enemies, but he didn''t need to. He knew where the arrows came from, and that was enough to strike back.


    Three ck spheres appeared on the sword, and Wain swung the weapon sharply. A massive wave of fire rained down on the trees and part of the forest in the distance,pletely destroying them.


    The attackers managed to jump aside at thest moment, and then Wain saw who his enemy was.


    They were three members of the Beastfolk race of the cat n. They had ck fur, sharp ears, and sharp ws and fangs. Two of them had bows, and one had a massive sword and a huge shield.

 Chapter 254 The Coming Of A Hero?

    Wain met the representatives of Beastfolk for the first time. He did not know what they could do, but their attack failed, and Wain had no trouble opening their hiding ce.


    The Beastfolks looked at him in surprise. They wondered if it was worth continuing the attack since their hideout had been destroyed, and now they would not be able tounch a surprise attack.


    Wain didn''t wait, he ran towards them and swung his sword once more using the second orb.


    His enemies bounced to the sides and looked at each other. They decided there was no point in retreating after their enemy had used such a powerful skill twice.


    Beastfolks decided that Wain had less than half his energy left. They didn''t know it was a single skill.


    Whooooooosh.


    The Beastfolks, with their bows, drew their bowstring, and two arrows flew toward Wain. The arrows flew close to each other, and each had a feature.


    The left arrow had a scarlet me at the tip, and the right arrow had electric discharges, these elements the archers possessed.


    The arrows turned into one fiery bolt of lightning and struck Wain. He bounced to the side, and the ground beneath him exploded. A pir of scarlet me rose high up, turning the field into lifeless earth.


    Then Beastfolk jumped into the pir of me with his shield and massive sword. He flew through the mes and brought the sword down on Wain.


    Wain frowned and threw the sword sharply at his attacker. The weapon pierced Beasfolk''s shoulder and threw him back toward the pir of me. Thest ck orb exploded, and there was a deafening explosionbining ck lightning and scarlet mes.


    However, after this attack, Beastfolk did not die. He created a stone barrier around himself at thest moment, and his shield shone brightly, creating a protective field around him.


    ''I see, he''s a defensive type, but judging by his face, he spent a lot of energy to survive this situation.'' Wain thought and extended his hand forward.


    A tinum sword flew out of Beasfolk''s body and headed toward Wain.


    "Hey, who are you?" Beastfolk said with a menacing groan with his sword.


    They decided to attack Wain for the simple reason that, like the Beasfolks of the Cat n, they had keen eyesight. Beastfolks saw the number of minutes in the palm of Wain''s hand and decided it was a good opportunity to get closer to their main goal, to collect a million.


    The Beasfolks knew that Wain must be strong since he could collect over ten thousand minutes so quickly, but they were confident in their abilities.


    "Does it matter? I haven''t time to talk to overgrown cats." Wain said coldly, and wind-up gloves appeared on his hands.


    He dashed forward and instantly found himself in front of his enemy. The ground beneath his feet cracked, unable to withstand the powerful momentum.


    Beastfolk frowned and thrust his shield forward. He blocked Wain''s first blow, but then his shield began to shake violently. This was due to Wain, who swung his sword like a madman.


    Wain gradually sped up and struck more and more blows per second. Beastfolk was shocked, he was used to fighting, alternating between attack and defense, but now he could do nothing but hold his shield tightly.


    Wain''s rush was swift and formidable, each blow leaving a deep cut on his shield and forcing Beastfolk to pull back, but the cat had one advantage. He was not fighting alone.


    Whoooooosh.


    Two magical circles appeared above Wain in the air, and a hail of me and lightning arrows rained down on him.


    However, Wain did not retreat as the Beastfolks had hoped. He grabbed his shield with his hand and turned sharply, pulling it out of Beastfolk''s hands.


    Beastfolk didn''t expect that Wain decided to do something like that and tried to take the shield, but Wain threw it aside with a powerful punch of his fist and hid under the shield.


    The arrows could not prate the sturdy shield, which did not break even under the barrage of Wain''s blows. However, when the skills came to an end, the shield was in an unusable state. Many small explosionspletely destroyed its protective structure.<sub> </sub>


    When the Beastfolks realized that all of their attacks hadn''t even left a scratch on Wain, they realized that they had no chance to win. The Archers retreated to the side and disappeared into the woods.


    The third Beastfolk headed after them, he thought Wain would chase them, but he didn''t.


    Wain headed toward the icends where there was a huge wyvern. The Ring of Damned glowed brightly, and a white pill appeared in his hand, he swallowed it, and his eyes sparkled.


    This pill was one of the most valuable pills Lui Bu and Edena had given him.


    With It, Wain regained some of his energy and also elerated his replenishment rate by 30% within an hour. He had to be ready to fight a creature whose soul was Legendary Rated.


    Wain didn''t try to catch up with the fleeing Beastfolks. It was irrational. Sure, he wanted to tear them apart, they attacked him and had to pay for it, but it wasn''t worth it.


    If he ran after them into the woods, they would try to fight back. Eventually, Wain would probably win, but he would waste a lot of time and effort.


    Time was the most valuable thing on this ind, and that applied to everything from the timer on his arm to his decision-making.


    There was no point in wasting time on three Beastfolks who had nothing. There were only nine ces, and Wain had to do whatever it took to be one of them.


    ''Hmm, everyone from the Pirs came to the ind, without exception. There are now twelve different races here, not counting the monsters. Not all of the Pirs will be able to pass the test, but why did the cards appear in their worlds as well? Why did the ind appear on this? Damn, for some reason, that worries me.'' Wain pondered as he crossed the border of forests and fields and entered the icynds.


    The wyvern slept among four tall, icy rocks reaching almost to the clouds. They were like the pirs on which the ind''s northern part was held.


    Wain jumped forward and climbed up the icy rocks. There were mostly ice peaks, frozen hills, and various slopes and cliffs.


    There were a few trees in the icends, and they were vast andrge. Their bark was silver, and their leaves were as white as snow. They shone beautifully in the sunlight and exuded a strong chill.


    Crackling.


    Suddenly there was a rumbling sound in the distance. Wain turned around and saw a massive pir of light around which there were several rings of light. The higher up was the point, the wider the rings were. They tapered from top to bottom.


    It was on the west part of the ind, in thend of darkness. A ck rat was one of the four beasts with Legendary Soul.


    The rings sharplypressed, and a deafening explosion destroyed part of the darknds. The attack was so powerful that even Wain was sted with the wind because of the terrible shockwave.


    The ground shook and turned into waves that moved away from the epicenter of the explosion. The nearby areas were severely damaged, some trees were destroyed, and rivers changed their course.


    Then a bright, orange glow appeared in the same ce. It could bepared to a huge star shining in space and outshining everything else.


    Wain looked at the ck rat''s body and realized that someone had already defeated one of the four beasts and gotten Legendary Soul.


    [Number of challengers: 1/9]


    This message appeared in front of everyone after an explosion on the west side of the ind. People were shocked, they didn''t understand how it was possible to possess such crushing power while in the First Chronicle.


    Wain was just as surprised, but something else caught his attention.


    ''This energy... It''s familiar to me. This is the third time I''ve felt it. The first time was when the world tried to exile me, and the second time was when a huge pir of light appeared in the distance. Then the spatial barrier weakened, and hundreds of monsters descended on the city...'' Wain pondered.


    "Okay, it''s not that important now, I''ll find out soon enough, but I need to be one of the contenders for this." Wain uttered and turned toward the ice pirs in the distance.


    He looked coldly at the wyvern, which, as if sensing his gaze, opened its eyes slightly. The wyvern sighed lightly, and a magical circle appeared high in the sky, covering half the area.

 Chapter 255 The Voice From Within

    "What the fuck?" Wain eximed, looking up at the magic circle high in the sky.


    He didn''t expect the Wyvern to decide to attack him from that distance. There were several kilometers between them, but that didn''t stop one of the four beasts from springing into action.


    There were few humans in the icend territory at the time. Wain was the only one who sneaked closer to the center.


    The others hesitated to enter further. No one wanted to die and risk their lives, they wanted to learn more about their enemies and the ind first.


    Wain, the ice cliffs, and a few monsters were the only ones who could suffer a wyvern attack.


    Crackle.


    The magic circle ostensibly glowed, and several blue shes flew out of it. Wain prepared to dodge, but they flew not toward him but toward the hills in the distance. There were three hills in all, and on each of them flew a huge tomb of ice.


    Cracks appeared in them, and they began to crumble, like sarcophagi holding ancient evil within them. Massive, stone gargoyles crawled out of them, their bodies covered in ces with a thickyer of ice.


    Each gargoyle was armed with a long spear, but they were slightly different. The spear of the first gargoyle had one tip, the spear of the second had two, and the third had three. They stared at Wain but did not move.


    Wain nced at the Wyvern and saw it close its eyes as if to show that Wain was not yet worthy of fighting it.


    "Huh, that''s pretty arrogant, well okay, I''ll pass your trial." Wain uttered and rushed towards the gargoyles.


    They humbly waited for him like guards, and when Wain got close enough, they simultaneously raised their spears. They also threw them in sync, putting Wain at a disadvantage.


    He couldn''t fight off the three spears, so he had to fall back. The gargoyles jumped down the slopes and gripped their spears tightly, then they attacked Wain sharply, striking him with perfectionist precision.


    Wain''s eyes sparkled, and he swung his sword to block the first gargoyle''s lunge, then the second gargoyle attacked from the left and the third from the right.


    They formed a triangr formation and acted as a single mechanism, preventing Wain from taking a single step to the right.


    Theirnces struck at various points on Wain''s body and vital organs. However, he was fast enough to react to their attacks, but he couldn''t attack back.


    Wain found himself in the same situation as Beastfolk, who was forced to defend himself under Wain''s hail of attacks.


    ''Shit, maybe I should use one of the forms,'' Wain thought and ducked slightly. The tip of the spear flew over his head.


    ''No, I can''t, I need to conserve energy for the battle with the wyvern, and I also need to think about where I''ll rest afterwards.'' The second gargoyle aimed at Wain''s legs, but he jumped up slightly, bypassing the attack.


    ''Hmm, until recently, I didn''t have the skill to attack enemies en masse, but I solved that problem a few hours ago.'' Wain thought and activated his new skill, The Serpent''s Step: Tail.


    A massive, phantom serpent''s tail appeared behind him, and Wain swung his arm. The tail, like a whip, copsed on the gargoyles and tossed them aside. However, they didn''t die, they put their spears in front of them at thest moment and thus softened the blow.


    But, for Wain, this was the perfect opportunity to start dominating this battle. The gargoyles had taken him in their pincers and kept him from moving, but now he was free.


    Whooooooosh.


    Wain turned into a wind burst and attacked the first gargoyle. He punched the monster in the stomach, shattering the stone armor into small shards, and then thrust his sword deep into the gargoyle''s chest.


    He used the Shattered Part and linked the two swords together, there was an explosion of darkness, and the first gargoyle was destroyed.<sub> </sub>


    The remaining two did not change their strategy. They acted together and simultaneously attacked Wain. Their footsteps were bulky and heavy, the ice cracking beneath them, but they were as fast as a blizzard.


    Wain could now defend himself as well as attack, so when the spears almost reached him, he swung toward the gargoyles and swung his sword at one of them.


    The st of darkness severely injured the gargoyle, its stone armor beginning to melt under the corrosive effect. However, it did not retreat and continued its attack.


    The gargoyles swung their spears simultaneously again, but Wain did not dodge this time.


    He blocked the spear of the second gargoyle with his sword, and the spear of the third he gripped firmly with his hand. Then Wain made a sharp 180-degree turn and snatched the spear of the third gargoyle.


    Wain smirked and thrust the spear into the wounded, st of darkness, the third gargoyle. He swung the spear with force and tore the monster''s body in two.


    The second gargoyle did not know what to do in this situation. It had lost itsrades, and alone the gargoyle could not defeat Wain, so the monster made a desperate move.


    The gargoyle''s eyes glowed brightly, as did the cracks in its stone armor. Wain''s eyes narrowed, and he turned into a windblown sh, moving a great distance away from the monster.


    Boooooom.


    The gargoyle exploded, and hundreds of icy shards of infused energy headed in different directions. There was nowhere for Wain to hide, no rocks or trees around, so he had to duck and batter the shards away with his sword.


    When it was over, three purple souls flew into Wain''s body.


    ''What? Were they Heroic Rated? Huh, you''d expect nothing less from a creature with a Legendary Rating Soul.'' Wain thought and turned toward the Wyvern.


    The beast didn''t move, but it was no longer asleep. The Wyvern stared at Wain. Its blue eyes, like the eternal ice, were mesmerizing and intimidating.


    "I passed your trial! Don''t you think it''s time to move on to something more interesting!" Wain eximed.


    He was far away, but the Wyvern definitely heard him. The beast sighed, turning the rocks in front of it into ice floes, and began to rise slowly. The ground trembled, and the four icy rocks next to the Wyvern began to crumble and rumble down.


    Wain felt his heart begin to beat faster. He had waited a long time for this moment, he needed to get the Legendary Rating Soul as one of the conditions for evolution, but he also wanted a masterpiece battle.


    When Wain fought Ambassador of Light, Elf, in the Arena, he experienced unforgettable emotions. It wasparable only to the battle with Forgotten in the first area of Purgatory that Wain visited.


    The Wyvern was enormous,parable to a mountain, both in size and grandeur. Wain trembled and began preparations for a massive battle. The Ring of Damned glowed brightly, and a blue pill and a potion of blue liquid appeared in his hand.


    Wain is also prepared to activate one of the forms. Wain wasn''t going to spare any energy for this battle, so he wanted to use ck Sun Aristocrat''s fourth form.


    Energy began to build up around him, but suddenly something stopped Wain.


    "Stop..."


    "Not his..."


    "I..."


    That voice came from Wain''s chest, or rather from his Soul Altar.

 Chapter 256 Ice Gust

    Wain was puzzled. This had never happened before, for he was not even aware of the existence inside his Soul Altar, a mysterious dark castle.


    ''What is that...?'' Wain thought to himself, trying to figure out whose voice it was.


    ...


    "Hey, why does it have to be you! He was going to use my power!" Eximed a silhouette in a red nobleman''s coat and a white mask covering his face.


    "Shut up... don''t bother me... dressed up clown..." Cursed Swordsman rudely replied.


    "You! You look more like a homeless man than a swordsman! What the hell are you trying to do?!"


    "Huh, isn''t it obvious?" Said the figure with the dense blindfold over his eyes.


    "Hmm?"


    "When the crack in the tform got a little bigger, now maybe we have a chance to deliver our wishes, so better not get in his way." Said Blind Sorcerer.


    "Yes, he''s right. This situation is best for the swordsman. Look at his chains, and you''ll see for yourself." Said the Code of Light and Darkness hanging in the air.


    ck Sun Aristocrat frowned, but he was surprised when he looked at the swordsman''s chains. Of the six chains, five were shaking violently as if ready to break at any moment. Around the Cursed Swordsman floated arge amount of energy like small ice particles.


    The swordsman in the torn cloak stood up and headed toward the crack. He calmly said, "Sword."


    ...


    "What? A sword?" Wain muttered.


    The Wyvern was almost up and would soon be ready for battle. Wain had little time to make a decision. He couldn''t afford to weigh the pros and cons and try to figure out what was going on.


    "Sword..." Wain looked around, and when he saw the massive ice blocks in his mind, a silhouette of abination of ice and a sword appeared.


    He nodded and decided to trust himself and the strange voice, which could have been a simple illusion or something more.


    "Damn, this is the worst shape to fight an ice wyvern, but it seems I have no choice." Wain uttered, and the temperature around him began to drop rapidly.


    He drank a potion and ate a pill, increasing his resistance to the element of ice. The potion greatly increased his resistance to ice by 20% and increased the power of all attacks with this attribute by 30%.


    Then a torn cloak appeared on him, a dark cloth bandage across his face up to his nose, and an ice sword in his right hand. His left arm was pinned tightly with six chains. Dark energy emanated from his hair, and his eyes were like eternal ciers.


    ''Hmm? There''s something wrong with the chains. Are they getting weaker?'' Wain thought, feeling that his left arm was a little looser this time than before.


    Rooooooooar!


    The Wyvern roared furiously, showing that it was ready to fight. Wain could feel his heart beating faster, but he was not afraid. He smiled slightly and ran toward the Wyvern.


    Wain''s speed was enormous, he looked like a ck sh that asionally disappeared and reappeared elsewhere. However, the Wyvern saw everything clearly and decided to take action.


    The beast opened its mouth wide. Arge magical circle appeared in front of it, on which dozens of small crystal-like dots had formed. The Wyvern''s eyes sparkled, and each of the crystals turned into a beam of ice and headed toward Wain.


    Windgloves appeared on Wain''s hands, and he dodged the rays, but they suddenly changed course and pursued him further. Then Wain realized there was no point in running and stopped.


    He took a deep breath and gripped his sword tightly. The rays almost reached him, and Wain''s eyes glittered. He swung his sword several times with unimaginable speed.


    The residual image of the weapon remained in the air, creating the illusion of him attacking dozens of times at once.


    The beams were cut in two and lost their power, but that was only a prelude. The Wyvern used a small portion of its strength to see if Wain was worth it to begin fighting in earnest.


    Wain red at the Wyvern and swung his sword. A massive wave of ice headed in its direction. It had been a long time since thest time Wain had used his second form, and he had grown considerably stronger.


    The ice wave grewrger, stronger, and more deadly. It was like a terrible avnche capable of turning a city into icy ruins.<sub> </sub>


    But, this attack was not such a serious threat for the huge Wyvern. The beast raised its front paw high and brought it crashing to the ground.


    A huge shockwave spread for hundreds of meters around it. The icy ground was covered in a multitude of cracks, the nearby ice rocks shattered just as the Wain''s wave.


    Even those who were a few kilometers away from the point of impact felt the ground shake.


    "Huh, this is a nightmare..." Wain muttered. He was under the impression of such power.


    He had to thrust his sword into the ground to keep the shockwave from knocking him down. It was about as strong as the vertical beam that was the final attack in the battle with the ck rat.


    "Okay, it looks like I need to move on to something more serious, too. Ice may not be the best weapon against an ice wyvern, but this location suits me just as well." Wain uttered and clenched his sword tightly.


    He decided to gather energy from his surroundings into his sword. Wain was a human and could not absorb energy, but this rule did not apply to the sword, which had special properties.


    Wain could control energy as he could not otherwise use any of his skills. However, his methods differed because of the peculiarities of his race.


    Whooooooooosh.


    The icy energy headed towards the weapon, and when the silver sword shone brightly, Wain made a sharp lunge forward as if he had a rapier or a spear in his hand. The cone-shaped ice projectile headed towards the Wyvern.


    The cone easily pierced through several massive ice crystals standing in the path between Wain and the Wyvern. Moreover, as the cone flew toward the Wyvern, it elerated and increased its power.


    The energy quickly umted because of its spinning power, turning the projectile into a deadly weapon.


    The Wyvern did not dodge. In addition to their vast differences in strength and status, wyverns and dragons had one major difference in appearance. Dragons had wings on their backs and front and back paws; wyverns had a slightly different body structure.


    Their wings were on their front paws, like a bat''s, so when the cone almost reached the Wyvern, it folded its front paws in front of it crosswise.


    A massive, triangr seal appeared in front of the Wyvern, which, like a shield, protected the beast from Wain''s attack. The cone tried to break through the barrier, but it failed, and in time the cone lost momentum and its power.


    However, Wain was not upset. He noticed that the seal became much paler towards the end, and small, faintly visible cracks appeared in some ces. He had made some progress, he just needed to increase the power of his attack somehow.


    The Wyvern red angrily at Wain and then opened its mouth wide. Wain reacted quickly and put his sword out in front of him in preparation to block the attack. A frosty mist began to build up in the Wyvern''s mouth, which turned into an icy breath.


    A wyvern''s fire or ice breath wasn''t as strong as a dragon''s, but that was onlypared to the two creatures. Even if it was only a First Chronicle creature, a wyvern''s breath was a real disaster.


    The icy breath blew down a few trees and destroyed dozens of huge icy rocks. In a few moments, it would reach Wain.


    However, he did not retreat, his resistance to ice was quite high due to various bonuses. Wain could withstand this attack, but he wanted to resist it.


    The icy breath wasing, but it was as if Wain was not paying attention to it. He thrust his sword into the ground and tried to feel the icy energy. The process took only a few moments, but Wain felt like several minutes.


    The silver sword glowed brightly, and the ice on the des began to transform slowly. It became smaller, but denser and sharper.


    Wain bent slightly, stepped forward, and gripped the sword tightly, the icy breath was only a few feet away.


    He wanted to pull the sword out, but he failed. Wain was stunned, it felt like he was trying to move a cier the size of a continent, and it was a critically dangerous situation. The breath was close.


    ''Should I run away? No, I can''t retreat, not now!'' Eximed Wain to himself and clenched his teeth tightly.


    The icy breath rained down on him, inflicting terrible damage. His skin and flesh began to be covered in ayer of ice and freeze, and now every moment counted. He was approaching death.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARH!" Wain screamed furiously, clenching his jaw with such force that he bled.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    There was a loud crack, and Wain swung his sword from bottom to top, pulling it out of the ice. Then five of the six chains glowed brightly and turned into a pile of rubble.

 Chapter 257 The Hunger

    When five of the six chains were down, Wain felt a surge of strength. He had no time toprehend the situation, as every missed moment could have led to his death. He used all that energy to amplify the swing of his sword.


    Whoooooosh.


    Wain created a crescent-shaped icy de that sliced the Wyvern''s breath in two and headed for the beast. The speed and power of the de were phenomenal. Confident in its strength, the Wyvern expected to destroy Wain with this attack, turning him into an icy statue, but fate was not on its side.


    The icy de instantly reached the Wyvern and plunged into its left shoulder. The de left a massive cut on the beast''s body, which froze around the edges, but blood continued to flow as if from a stream.


    "Roooooaaaarrrr!!!" The Wyvern roared furiously. The pain was horrible and unbearable, and Wain wasn''t going to stop there.


    He felt he had to keep going to win. This was a chance he didn''t have to lose.


    Wain clenched his sword tightly and made three lightning swings. The massive des headed toward the Wyvern, cutting through the ciers that stood in its path. The des flew chaotically, like projectiles, each aimed at a different point.


    The Wyvern realized that the situation was no longer just serious now. It was a battle to the death. If a wyvern wanted to survive, it had to give its all and use all of its strongest skills and trump cards.


    The Wyvern''s eyes glowed brightly, and a triangr seal appeared on its chest. Then the Wyvern''s body and wings began to transform. The beast became considerably smaller, it was as if the Wyvern was drying out its life force, but it was not.


    The Wyvern used the energy it had umted over time andpressed it for better effect. The beast sacrificed to size, but in return, it increased all of its other stats, which was only the beginning.


    The scales on the Wyvern''s body had dulled and taken on a gray, lifeless hue, but they were many times stronger and sharper. The same was true of the ws and fangs, which had be longer and more deadly.


    The most important change urred to the wings. The skin and flesh had temporarily disappeared, leaving only blue, frozen bones. The structure of the wings was slightly altered, transforming them from a device for flight into a deadly weapon.


    Three icy des approached the Wyvern, but they were no longer dangerous. The beast swung its front paws, and the bone wings shed through the icy des.


    The Wyvern exhaled a massive club of icy steam and headed toward Wain. The beast was much smaller, now only a few times taller than Wain, but its weight and power remained the same and even increased.


    Every step the Wyvern took echoed on the ground, and vibrations spread out over thousands of meters. The people fighting outside the icends sensed this and looked in horror toward the north.


    "Huh, looks like I need to move on to trumps too." Wain uttered, and the ring on his finger glowed brightly. In his hand appeared the item he''d bought from Sven. It was a cube with an image of a creepy jaws on each side.


    The Gluttony Seal Cube increased resistance to the attribute of light and darkness and the power of the attribute of darkness attacks, but that was not why Wain decided to use the item now. The Gluttony Seal Cube also increased all stats by 50, which was huge.


    Wain poured some energy into the cube, and it glowed brightly. Then purple energy burst from the cube and headed toward Wain''s be.


    A square seal with various symbols appeared there. Wain felt the power fill his body.


    After using the Gluttony Seal Cube, all of his stats became over 400. He was almost twice as strong as the limit for First Chronicle creatures, but the Wyvern was also far beyond that boundary.


    Gluttony Seal Cube was a powerful artifact, but it had one side effect. Wain''s hunger increased by 10.000% or a hundred times. It had an immediate effect, Wain felt as if he hadn''t eaten for days, and when he looked at the Wyvern, he wanted to eat it.


    Whoooooosh.


    The Wyvern got close enough and pped its bony wings. The beast sliced through the nearest ciers andnds. Wain swung his sword several times and created several ice des, but the Wyvern destroyed it easily.


    Wain tried to increase the power of his attacks, but the Wyvern wouldn''t let him. The beast ran up to Wain and opened its mouth wide.


    Wain''s eyes narrowed, and he bounced to the side, then the Wyvern closed its mouth and destroyed a huge chunk of ground. It was as if a small meteorite had fallen into that ce.


    Goosebumps ran down Wain''s body. He realized that if he hadn''t reacted in time or tried to block this attack, the Wyvern would have bitten off half his body.<sub> </sub>


    Wain was one step away from death, and he wasn''t going to back down. At that moment, he was smiling as that was what he wanted.


    ''Huh, my body will be at its limit after this, but I have to do it.'' Wain thought, and several gray pirs of energy burst out of the ground.


    Then a ck crown appeared on his head with a closed eye, and two eerie jaws opened on his arms. Unfortunately, one arm was blocked because of the Cursed Swordsman, but a Beyond was still a powerful weapon.


    Whooooooosh.


    The Wyvern brought one of its wings down on Wain, blocking it with his sword. The power of the blow passed through his body and headed for the ground, which cracked and copsed under such weight.


    "Argh!" Suddenly some blood came out of Wain''s mouth, but it was not because of the blow but because his body was now under serious strain.


    His hunger was intensifying because the effects of the Gluttony Seal Cube and a Beyond were adding up. Wain tried to contain the feeling, but he sensed that the beast would break free of its cage at one moment.


    Wain''s eyes shed, and he swung his sword. Wain kicked away the bone-winged beast and ran forward.


    The Wyvern crossed its paws in front of it and then swung them sharply in different directions. The bone wings cut through the nearest ciers and rushed toward Wain.


    He couldn''t block the attack from two directions, so he had to dodge. At thest moment, he jumped high up, and then the Wyvern did something Wain hadn''t expected.


    The beast turned sharply with its back to him, and the Wyvern swung its tail at him. Wain only partially managed to put his sword out in front of him, so the tail hit him with almost full force.


    Wain flew sideways like a projectile and was buried deep beneath the cier, which copsed because of it. Wain threw up a mouthful of blood but immediately climbed out from under the icy debris and sprinted toward the Wyvern.


    The beast attacked again, but this time Wain acted instinctively. He dodged the p of his wing and sprinted away from it. Then Wain ran up the Wyvern''s arm and jumped on its neck, thrusting the sword sharply into the beast''s flesh.


    "AAAAAAAARRRRRGGGHHHH!" The wyvern roared furiously.


    Wain was about to strike again and try to finish the Wyvern off, but something stopped him.


    Bright, red blood gushed from the Wyvern''s wound. When Wain saw it, his eyes looked like the eyes of a wild beast. He could no longer contain his growing hunger.


    Wain let go of his sword, opened his mouth wide, and bit the Wyvern sharply.


    A silhouette of jaw appeared above him. Wain bit off some of the Wyvern''s flesh and swallowed it.


    The beast roared in pain, and everyone on the ind heard it.


    ...


    "What''s going on over there!" Someone eximed from the center of the ind.


    "I don''t know... but from the sounds of it, there''s a terrible battle up north. I shudder to imagine who''s fighting there and how..."


    "Damn... where did they get so much strength?!"


    ...


    When Wain tasted the blood and meat of the Wyvern in his mouth, his hunger eased, and his mind returned to normal. The Wyvern''s body was saturated with icy energy, and then thest chain began to shake violently.

 Chapter 258 Defeated

    Thest chain was shaking violently. Wain could feel it clearly. He was puzzled by what had happened, but he had no time to think about it. He had to fight and win. He had no other choice. Either he or the wyvern would die.


    Wain tried once more to bite the wyvern or sh its flesh, but the beast was no longer going to stand for it. The wyvern jerked its neck sharply, and Wain flew aside a few dozen meters with his sword.


    He fell into a massive drift of snow, which slowly began to turn red because of Wain''s bleeding wound. He should have gotten up and attacked the wyvern again, but Wain was lying on the ground.


    Even the fact that the beast was slowly approaching him did not make him budge.


    The reason was that when he fell to the ground, he felt, to his surprise, a strange and pleasant chill prating him.


    The feeling reminded him of when he had rested in the Ice Lake. That was when the first of the seven chains of the Cursed Swordsman had been broken. Of course, Wain didn''t know that, but the feeling was familiar to him.


    Crackle.


    Thest chain began to copse, the temperature around Wain dropped significantly, and he began to freeze. Even though Wain could easily be in the Ice Lake for hours and feel fine, he was now very cold. This cold was affecting his body as well as his soul.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The wyvern slowly approached Wain, shaking the ground with every step. Wain saw it, and he wanted to run, but he could not. He had to wait for thest chain to copse, that would be the key. Wain could not miss such an opportunity.


    When the wyvern almost reached Wain and was ready to attack, the amount of icy energy reached the right point. Thest chain shattered into many shards, and then the world paused.


    Wain felt as if everything had slowed down a million times. The paw of the wyvern that it had lifted and was about to bring down on Wain was leisurely heading toward him.


    Whoooooosh.


    His eyes became as deep as an abyss and resembled a bottomless abyss. They were as dark and cold as eternal ciers.


    ...


    "Good... I can finally get this off..." Mumbled the silhouette in a torn cry.


    The Cursed Swordsman took a deep breath and grasped tightly at the chains clinging to his left arm. He ripped them out sharply, freeing his arm, and grinned contentedly.


    There was one secret to the story of the second form, the Cursed Swordsman. It was the story of a great and ingenious swordsman, but it didn''t mention one thing. It was that this swordsman was left-handed from birth.


    "AHAHAHAHAHAHAH! Now I can show all the power of the sword!!!" The Cursed Swordsman eximed. Heughed loudly, shaking the dark castle with it. Then a change began to happen to him.


    The eyes of Cursed Swordsman became brighter like heavenly sapphires. The cloak became slightly longer, and the torn parts were partially overgrown.


    More dark energy began to emanate from his hair. The chains on the bulky boots took on a blue sheen.


    The ice on the swordsman''s silver sword began to crack and slowly erode, exposing its incredibly sharp de.


    Tremble.


    Suddenly, the dark castle shook once as if something happened.


    ...


    All the changes happened to Wain as well. It happened in less than an instant, but the process was slow and smooth for him.


    Wain''s eyes sparkled, and he flipped the sword from his right hand to his left. Then Wain swung his sword sharply from top to bottom, and the entire ind shook with the painful roar of the wyvern.


    Wain cut off half of the wyvern''s right wing with a single swing and continued to advance. He was greatly impressed and wanted to make sense of the situation, but he wanted to fight even more.


    With each passing moment, more knowledge and experience of the art of the sword was forming in his mind. He felt great, he wanted to use all the power he suddenly had.<sub> </sub>


    Wain knew something like this would happen when the chains fell, but he didn''t expect it to be at the moment like this.


    He ran forward, dodging the wyvern''s attack. Blood trickled down the corners of his mouth and from the wound left by the wyvern''s tail, but Wain had no intention of backing down. He concentrated on one goal, to slice the wyvern apart with his sword.


    Bam.


    Wyvern struck with its left wing, but Wain severed the beast''s paw with a sharp swing of his sword. The wyvern roared in pain again and decided to finish Wain off another way.


    It jumped high up and was about tosh out at Wain with its icy breath. He was close and would not have been able to dodge.


    However, Wain was ready for it. He gripped his sword tightly with both hands, and even the air around him began to freeze. His eyes shone brightly like azurenterns, and he swung his sword several times.


    Two invisible and intangible des headed toward the wyvern in the air, they contained tremendous power.


    The des cut through the wyvern''s flesh at the neck and also left a deep cut on its chest. It was the end for the wounded but a majestic beast.


    Everyone on the ind saw this attack. It wasparable to the powerful beam that destroyed the ck rat or even exceeded it.


    The wyvern couldn''t take it and fell dead, pouring blood on the snow and ice beneath it. Wain smiled contentedly and canceled the second form, but he immediately threw up a mouthful of blood.


    He leaned on the ground and headed toward the wyvern from which a bright, orange soul flew out.


    The soul was enormous, several timesrger even than the Ascendant Soul. An ancient and overpowering aura emanated from it.


    Wain stretched out his hand, and the soul flew toward him and prated his body. He felt a unique and iparable feeling.


    He felt parts of the wyvern within him. It was a creature with a Legendary soul, which meant a lot.


    [Soul of One of Four Kings; Mordarat, Bone Terror (Unique)


    Chronicle: First


    Rating: Legendary]


    Wain did not know what Unique meant, but he had no energy to think about it. He copsed exhausted on the ground and struggled to roll over onto his back to look at the sun shining brightly in the blue sky.


    Blood wouldn''t stop pouring from his wounds, but Wain paid no attention to the pain. Even though he had expended all his strength on this fight, he felt fine.


    Suddenly the number on his arm began to change rapidly. Wain was surprised since he hadn''t even destroyed a soul, but the time was still increasing.


    One beautiful number, 1,000,000, appeared in the palm of his hand.


    Then another message appeared before everyone on the ind.


    [Contenders: 2/9]


    Wain smiled quite a bit. Heughed, and suddenly his eyes narrowed sharply. He saw several messages that stunned him.


    [You have received the Title - yer of Goliath.]


    [You have gained the Title - Contender]


    [You gained a Title - Defeating One of the Four Kings]


    [You gained the Unique Title - Killing the Legend]

 Chapter 259 Titles

    Wain was surprised to see so many reports that he had received a Title. Before, he had only asionally received one Title, but now he had four at once.


    "Huh, so that''s what it means to kill a Legend." Wain muttered, smiling and blood kept flowing from the corners of his mouth.


    He wasn''t worried about his condition since he could heal himself. He could use ming Healing Threads and quickly heal even very serious wounds.


    Wain could hardly move, but he had the strength to activate the skill. He had stored up some energy and was about to do so, but suddenly several projectiles flew in his direction.


    Some of those who saw the battle from afar ran here right after it was over. They wanted to kill Wain and take all his time. They acted like scavengers, and their strategy was nasty but workable.


    ''Fuck!'' Wain eximed to himself and tried to dodge, but his body wouldn''t listen. He was exhausted and seriously wounded. In this situation, even potions wouldn''t help quickly.


    Crackle.


    However, when the projectiles were about to hit Wain, a blue barrier appeared in front of him. Then his body glowed brightly, and he slowly flew upward. He didn''t understand what was happening, and neither did his attackers.


    They tried to break through the barrier, but they failed. The closer their attacks got to the barrier, the weaker they became and eventually dissipatedpletely.


    As Wain soared above the clouds, they realized that their target was gone, and they had missed their chance to be challengers.


    "Damn! What the hell is this?!" Shouted one of them.


    "Looks like we won''t be able to get a million minutes together that easily. That''s disappointing."


    "Damn, we need to hurry. There are only seven seats left!"


    They had to run away and try to get a million minutes to be one of the contenders.


    ...


    "Where the fuck am I going?" Mumbled Wain with difficulty speaking.


    He was lying on a big cloud that was slowly floating in the sky. The ind was below, and Wain could clearly see everything going on there.


    "Huh, looks like the ind decided to save me." Wain muttered and activated the skill.


    Dozens of threads of fire pierced his body, his flesh and blood scorched, and he felt intense pain, but with it a pleasant warmth. Wain could feel himself getting better and his wounds healing at a tremendous rate.


    He could only use this feature once every three weeks, but it was worth it. He should be ready for the next phase and be full of strength.


    Wain slowly rose and looked around. His cloud was quite small and in the center was a symbol - II, which meant that he was second.


    "I am second... But, then, where is first?"


    He didn''t see any people on the neighboring clouds and thought it was more likely that he could descend from them back to the ind. He was already one of the contenders, and he didn''t have to worry about time, but he could continue killing monsters and collecting souls.


    "Okay, it''s time to see what I got after killing a creature with a Legendary soul." Wain uttered and opened the description of the first Title.


    [yer of Goliath


    You defeated a creature that was many times your size. This is a worthy feat, for you did not retreat but continued to fight and eventually won.


    *When fighting enemies that are at least ten times your size, your defense and attack are increased by 10%.


    *Creatures that are twice your size or more will be afraid of you, and their defense and attack and defense will be reduced by 5%. This effect does not affect all creatures].


    "Not bad." Wain muttered, he was pleased.


    This Title was useless in most battles against members of other races. However, against some monsters, it would be the best solution to win.


    [Contender


    You collected a million minutes and became one of the contenders on Merge Ind. You proved that even time is not an obstacle if you have enough power.


    *You have be a contender and have the opportunity to advance to the next stage.


    *You have gained ess to the Merge Ind safe zone.<sub> </sub>


    *You gained ess to the Merge Ind Time Store]


    ''Hmm? A time store? What is that?'' Wain thought, and suddenly the space in front of him distorted.


    A door with a picture of a clock on it appeared and opened. However, Wain didn''t go in and waved his hand, after which the passage disappeared. First, he wanted to see a description of the remaining Titles and then visit the ce.


    [Defeating One of the Four Kings


    You defeated Mordarat, Bone Terror, one of the Four Kings of Merge Ind. To aplish such a feat, you must have power beyond your limits. A mere human could never achieve such a level and ability. One of the four Legendary Souls now belongs to you.


    *All attacks against creatures with dragon bloodline are enhanced by 10%, except dragon absolutes.


    *Resistance to all attacks against creatures with dragon bloodline increases by 10%. Except for dragon absolutes.


    *All stats on Merge Ind increased by 10%.


    *Attack power against creatures with majestic status increased by 5%]


    "Oh, that already sounds a lot more serious than the previous two Titles." Wain smiled and moved on to thest Title. He didn''t know why, but this Title was signed as Unique, which was odd.


    [Killing the Legend


    You killed a creature with a Legendary soul. Not many people know this, but getting the Legendary Soul is not easy. It''s not enough to be strong or have powerful skills.


    You must either surpass the limits of a living creature or have historical significance. Your personality must be great.


    *When fighting a creature with a Legendary Soul, your attack power increases by 25%.


    *You intuitively sense the creature''s Legendary Soul presence, even if it tries to hide it.


    *The side effects of a creature with Legendary Soul''s suppressing aura won''t work on you if it''s strong enough.


    There''s no telling what path you''ll take, but you''ve proven that the limits are nothing more than a boundary you can push back if you want to.


    *With Legendary Souls, no limits are limiting your power also. All Legendary Souls you get will be at least Whole status.


    To kill a great and powerful creature means to take a part of the influence on yourself, like a reward or the burden of the winner in mortalbat.


    *Stat ''Majesty'' has been gained.


    *Majesty increased by 1]


    Every time Wain read another effect of this Title, he was surprised, but thetest reports stunned him.


    He was unaware of any stat other than the existing five. Moreover, there are no limits when using Legendary Souls opened new possibilities for him.


    [Wain Norheim


    Level: 30


    Race: Human


    Beyond: Cmity


    Soul: Nameless King


    Additional Soul: Forsaken Wanderer


    Title: Savior of the Damned, Echo of Samurai, Mentor Inquisitor, The First, Soul Gatherer, Cartographer, yer of Goliath, Contender, Defeating One of the Four Kings, Killing the Legend.


    Status Points: 9


    Strength: 280 (385) / Agility: 280 (390) / Vitality: 280 (355) / Stamina: 280 (355) / Energy: 285 (360) / Majesty: 1]

 Chapter 260 Majesty And Bones

    Wain didn''t know what it was and decided to find out more about it. To his surprise, an information window appeared in front of him.


    [Majesty


    *The strongest belongs to no one.


    *With each increase in this stat, your a Beyond gets a little stronger.


    *When Majesty rises to 5, and your value rises, something will happen. It will depend entirely on your personality]


    ''Huh, I see, it''s weird, but Majesty isn''t much different from other stats in terms of functionality.'' Wain pondered.


    Each stat affected a person and increased some aspect of them, from physical strength to the power of skills, which was something like magical enhancement. Majesty also didn''t get out of this concept, though it worked in a narrowly focused segment.


    "Okay, Majesty enhances my a Beyond, and that''s already better than nothing. Now it''s time to find out what lurks in the wyvern''s soul." Wain uttered, and a massive, orange soul appeared in his hand.


    Wain clenched his fist with force and could barely crush the soul. A huge amount of energy burst out of it and entered Wain''s body like a powerful stream.


    He decided to use the soul even though it was First Chronicle because the Title removed the restrictions for Legendary Souls.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of One of Four Kings; Mordarat, Bone Terror level 30. Strength+16, Agility+20, Vitality+15, Stamina+13, Energy+10.]


    [You get Legendary Rating Soul Chest]


    [You gen Legendary Rating Skill Book]


    "Holy shit..." Wain muttered.


    He didn''t know if it was luck or the effect of thest Title, but getting the book and the chest simultaneously was incredible.


    The chest was orange, and so was the wyvern''s soul. It was small and covered in various symbols and patterns. An ancient and majestic aura emanated from the chest.


    Wain opened the chest with anticipation, and a bright, golden light burst forth. Wain even had to close his eyes.


    Insidey a blue bracelet. It was engraved with the image of a wyvern with long, massive wings. There were various symbols giving this bracelet an ancient aura and majestic appearance on the inside.


    [Ice Lord Bracelet (First Chronicle, Legendary Rating)


    This bracelet is a legacy left by a being of great affinity to the element of ice. The Ice Lord Bracelet may be used only by one who knows and understands the power of ice.


    His heart and eyes must be as cold as ice, and his soul must be hardened by deeds that can freeze even hell.


    The braceletes eternal cold, which not even an erupting volcano or searing sun can conquer. Ice Lord Bracelet has several stories intertwined together, of ice, cold, battle and death, blood and suffering, and greatness and victory.


    *Strength of attack increased by 15%


    *Strength of skills and attacks with the ice attribute increased by 30%


    *Resistance to the ice attribute increased by 33%


    *Resistance to the attribute of fire increased by 25%


    *Energy absorption from the ice attribute increased by 50%


    *Creatures with the attribute ice will be afraid of you and wary of you.


    *Creatures with fire attributes will be weakened by 10% when they encounter you. Your attacks will deal them 10% more damage.


    Passive skill ''Defeated me'' created.


    Active skill ''Edge of Ice'' Created.<sub> </sub>


    -Defeated me


    The more often you have been exposed to me attacks, the stronger your resistance to this element will be. No more than ten minutes should pass between attacks. Otherwise, the effect will fade. The maximum resistance increase is 50%.


    If you are fighting in the ice zone, your strength increases slowly. The maximum is 10%. After leaving the area with the ice attribute, the effect goes away.


    -Edge of Ice


    Using energy, you can activate the wristband. It will glow brightly, and you will need to put your palm to the ground. Then, three ice waves will be created around you in the form of numerous ice crystals bursting out of thend. Each wave will berger and stronger than the previous one]


    ''Well... I wouldn''t expect anything less from an item with a Legendary Rating.'' Wain thought and put the bracelet on his right hand.


    He smiled and opened the orange book floating in the sky. Other than Nameless King''s Forms, he had no Legendary Rating skill. He had only recently obtained the Ascendant Rating skill, and it possessed great power.


    Whoooooosh.


    Many symbols flew out of the pages and into Wain''s head.


    [Wings of the Bone Terror (First Chronicle Active Skill, Legendary Rating)


    After collectingrge amounts of energy, you can transform it into icy, bone-like wings. They will grow on your back, tearing your flesh apart.


    This is a powerful but painful skill that not everyone is prepared to use. It requires dedication and enough fortitude.


    You cannot fly with these wings, for they have no flesh or skin on them. They are not made to cleave the endless sky but to slice enemies apart and give their owner enormous speed.


    Wherever you are, you will get a significant increase in speed and an enhancement to physical and attack with the attribute of ice. The effect increases dramatically in icy zones.


    Bone wings are not just converted energy. For a time, they will be a part of you, like some organ.


    Your nerves will be connected to the wings, which means that if they are damaged, you will experience pain. However, this also has significant advantages.


    Your reaction and attack speed will greatly increase after using this skill. Your eyesight will be sharper and more urate. You''ll get some of the instincts of the ancient primordial beast.


    At a certain skill level, you will have the ability to partially control bone wings, which can be useful in the battle with a lot of enemies]


    Wain nodded; he was thrilled with the skill''s description, but something troubled him. He suddenly had a problem he had to solve.


    "Hmm, this is an active skill, and I already have three active skills. If I want to use Wings of the Bone Terror, I need to get rid of one of them." Wain muttered.


    Wain certainly wasn''t going to remove The Serpent''s Step: Tail since it was an Ascendant Rating skill that worked by area.


    He needed some method to deal with many medium-strength enemies without using one of the forms. He was choosing between Storm Gloves and Magic Missile.


    ''If I remove Magic Missile, then I might have trouble destroying enemy archers or ranged fighters. On the other hand, Storm Gloves give me speed, but that seems to be why I need to get rid of this skill.


    Strom Gloves and Wings of Bone Terror were simr in some ways. These skills werepletely different, both in Rating and in power and functionality. However, they both greatly increased Wain''s speed.


    Storm Gloves was an Epic Rating skill and was not as strong as Wings of Bone Terror, so Wain decided to rece that skill.


    Wain sighed, and his Soul Altar trembled. He had never deleted a skill before, but he knew intuitively how to do it.


    Whoooosh.


    A pink rune flew out of his be and disintegrated into several particles in the air. Then the orange rune, which had no ce before, headed for the empty box in Soul Altar.


    Wain''s eyes shed orange, and he felt a rush of energy.


    "Okay, now I''m definitely ready for round two.

 Chapter 261 Scarlet Hero

    Wain didn''t know what he would do until the other contenders were chosen, so he decided to go to the special store.


    He thought about it, and a special door appeared in front of him with a picture of a clock on it. Wain stepped forward and found himself in a strange space that looked like a museum with a starry sky.


    There were various items on the stands, and each one had a sign that said the number of minutes needed. The minimum price was 1000, the maximum 1000.000.


    However, the number of items was limited, there were only nine. One item cost 1,000, the second 5,000, the third 10,000, the fourth 50,000, the fifth 100,000, the sixth 250,000, the seventh 500,000, the eighth 750,000 and thest a million.


    In fact, the prices were symbolic since the bidders didn''t need any more minutes. Also, each bidder could only buy one item.


    The prices were there only so that the bidders could choose what they wanted, but it was evident that the first bidder had already taken the best.


    Wain approached thest booth, the price of which was a million minutes, and frowned. It was empty, and even considering he had a million minutes too, he couldn''t spend them all.


    "Damn, I''m regretting more and more that I wasn''t faster. Maybe if I''d headed north right away, I''d have killed the wyverns faster than the first challenger, the rat. Okay, let''s see what number two is supposed to get."


    At the nearest stand was a small gray stone with a ck and white seal on it. Wain put his hand to the stand, and 500,000 minutes disappeared from his palm. The time on the timer was no longer running, so even if Wain had one second left, he would still be safe.


    Crackle.


    The case ss shattered, and Wain took the stone in his hands.


    [Seal of Dark Light (First Chronicle, Ascendant Rating)


    This sealbines two ipatible forces, light, and dark. It is unknown how and where this seal was created, but that is of little importance. All that matters is the power of this seal capable of striking anyone.


    *When used on the ground, it creates arge-scale ck and white me seal around the edges. It is impossible to escape from it, neither the seal''s owner nor his enemies. There must be one person left in the center of the area for the seal to disappear.


    In this area, everyone''s attack power increases by 300% and defense decreases by 500%].


    ''What the...? Do I look like a suicide? This seal is too dangerous to use. Considering how much the attack increases and defense decreases, any attack could result in death...''


    He thought about how to use the thing and moved the stone to the Ring of Damned. He left the store and returned to his cloud.


    Wain wasn''t going to participate in any further battles on the ind. He didn''t see the point. Wain could have fought the remaining two of the four kings, but it was too dangerous. He didn''t know what would happen if he decided to return to the ind. Would the barrier save him again?


    Fierce fighting continued on the ind. However, west and north were now quite empty. The main monsters there had been defeated, and the people had moved elsewhere.


    ''I wonder if anyone from Last Light could be one of the contenders.'' Wain wondered.


    He knew that Gisle, Zero, Agnes, Teresa, and the others were pretty strong, but it wasn''t enough to defeat one of the four kings.


    Wain wasn''t sure if all four beasts were equal in strength or if there was any gradation among them, but their strength was enormous either way.<sub> </sub>


    Wain decided to lie down on his cloud from resting. He looked up and frowned. Something was blocking his view, and it was the cloud with the number ''I''.


    ''I see, so that''s why I didn''t see the first challenger around me. He was taller...'' Wain thought and wanted to see who got here before him.


    Whoooooosh.


    As if at his call, the cloud slowly began to rise to the top. Wain stood up, and a tinum sword appeared in his hand. He didn''t know if he could fight in this area, but he had to be ready for anything.


    When his cloud rose high enough, he suddenly felt the familiar aura again. It was like the energy of the world.


    A girl of medium height stood the first cloud, wearing white and scarlet armor with crimson hair and blue eyes.


    She was the one who had caused the spatial barrier around the earlier to weaken and the monster invasion to begin. She was the one the world chose. She was the one who possessed the soul of the Hero of the World.


    The girl turned around. She was smiling pleasantly and had a kind and good aura emanating from her, but when she saw what was in front of her, the smile vanished from her face.


    "It''s you..." Mumbled the girl.


    "I? Hmm? What are you talking about?" Wain was puzzled.


    He didn''t expect the first contender to be a human. That meant that the one who created the death ray and killed the ck rat was this girl. Wain assumed that one of the Pirs had done it, but it turned out to be one of the people.


    "You... This all happened because of you!" The girl eximed, and her aura multiplied.


    She no longer looked like a kind, sweet girl, but more like a cold-blooded reaper with ruthless eyes. She reached forward, and a sword of light energy appeared beside her.


    Wain grew wary. He didn''t know why she suddenly reacted this way to his appearance, even though she had been smiling a few seconds before.


    Whooooooosh.


    The girl swung her arm intending to hook Wain, but the barrier that appeared between them prevented her from doing so. The sword stuck in the air, and she couldn''t move.


    "Why are you attacking me? Who the hell are you?"


    "I am Maria Pasquier, the one who lost everything because of you!"


    "What? This is the first time I''ve seen you!"


    "Me too, but it doesn''t matter because you''re the one who started the damn apocalypse!"

 Chapter 262 The Invader

    When Maria said that Wain had caused the apocalypse, he was petrified. He didn''t understand how a girl he didn''t know could know that.


    "How do you know that?" Wain asked coldly, and murderous intent began to emanate from him.


    Not only was this girl strong enough to be the first to kill one of the Four Kings, but she also knew something no one else should know.


    "I received the power of the world and was chosen. Of course, I know about who my target is and what I must do." Maria said menacingly.


    "The power of peace? I see..." Wain muttered. Then all the puzzle pieces came together, and he saw the whole picture.


    Because of Maria, a few months ago, the spatial barrier had weakened. Then the world had chosen her as the bearer of its power, and the barrier was temporarily damaged because of the energy surge. The world did this in response to what Wain endured in their confrontation.


    "So you and I are natural enemies, like light and darkness, I see... But, do you really only harbor hatred for me because the energy of the world tells you to?"


    "No, I don''t care what the world thinks of you. I have enough reasons of my own to hate you. I''ve had to suffer because of you, and my whole family is dead!"


    "I have nothing to do with you." Wain said with a wave of the hand.


    "Yes, that''s true, we are strangers, but because of what you did, millions of people have suffered, and that includes me. You started the apocalypse. Such an act cannot be justified. You are truly evil, a devil!"


    "Stop attributing so many pathetic titles to me. You may not believe me, but I didn''t do it on purpose. It was an ident, and I didn''t realize I started the apocalypse at first. That''s the truth." Wain said calmly.


    Maria didn''t say anything back. She stared at Wain in shock, not knowing what to do. She knew Wain wasn''t lying, she had a way of verifying it.


    She wanted to kill Wain and punish him for his sins, but now she would find out that he hadmitted the worst sin by ident. It shattered her view of the world, and she needed time to make sense of the situation and make a decision.


    "No...it doesn''t matter. Even if you didn''t mean it, you''re an outsider, and you''re guilty of what happened. If you hadn''te into this world, you wouldn''t have been able to start the apocalypse, so under any circumstances, all the me is on you!"


    "Huh." Wain sighed, "I won''t argue. I started the apocalypse, and I caused millions of people to die. I caused billions to start suffering. However, it wasn''t my goal. It just happened, and it was fate''s way."


    "Can you admit it so calmly? Don''t you have any feelings at all about what you''ve done?" Maria said angrily.


    "No, I don''t care. There''s no point in regretting what has already happened as well as in clinging to the past. Only fools do that."


    "Hell, I wasn''t wrong when I pictured you as an insensitive, soulless bastard!"<sub> </sub>


    "Huh, you have no idea how right you are." Wain smirked back.


    "You think you have the right tough? When the barrieres down, I will kill you. There shouldn''t be a monster like you living in this world. It''s better for everyone. No matter what happens, I will pursue you and not leave you until I achieve my goal."


    "No, you''re wrong about something." Wain said coldly and pointed his sword at Maria, "It''s not me you have to run away. Do you really think I''m going to let the only one who knows the truth live?"


    Wain could not let Maria tell the others about him. It didn''t matter if people would believe her or not. Her words would sow doubt in people because of her power, and that would be the beginning of the end.


    Wain could not lose what he had invested so much time and effort in, namely Last Light and his influence in the human world. The only and best option to prevent this was to kill Maria. Wain''s hand would not waver, and he was prepared to do so at any appropriate moment.


    Maria frowned and tried to break through the barrier, but she failed. It was impossible to do so at this point.


    Bam.


    While Wain and Maria were having a friendly conversation, the battle on the ind continued. When only two of the four beasts were left, it was a sign to many that they needed to speed up.


    Some people banded together in small groups and tried to attack the wolf or the fire serpent, but they underestimated the strength of the beasts. The wolf and the serpent killed them in the blink of an eye, leaving ruins in the wake of their attacks.


    Wain didn''t talk to Maria anymore. He realized that they would not be able to fight with each other until the second stage. Now everything depended only on how soon and where they would meet.


    ''Hmm, it will be quite fortunate if no one but Maria and me of the people goes through the first stage anymore. I hope it doesn''t lead to their deaths. Otherwise, it would be a tragedy.'' Wain pondered.


    He expected that there would be no more men of the nine applicants since there were already two. Wain was sure that Pir members would hold the other seven seats. They were strong and more adapted to such situations.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Suddenly several red pirs appeared in the east. Wain took a closer look at them and realized that they consisted of blood and were aimed at the white wolf.


    Then a simr situation urred to the south where a pir of white me appeared in front of a huge serpent of fire.


    Blood and white mes were the hallmarks of two powerful races. One of these races was shunned even by the members of the pirs. They were the mighty vampire and Ashen.

 Chapter 263 Blood And Flame

    Wain flew his cloud away from Maria and watched the battles on the ind intently.


    ''Hmm, if the Vampire and an Ashen defeat the remaining four kings, then the rest will have to collect the required number of minutes fighting each other. I wonder if they''ll make it.'' Wain pondered as he watched the vampire fight the white wolf.


    The beast was strong, and each of its attacks left massive destruction. A creature with the power of light was not the best opponent for a vampire, but fighting against a fire serpent was even harder.


    This Vampire was different from most of his race. He had ck, short hair and blue eyes. He wore a long ck and red cloak simr to a nobleman''s and had several bloody seals on his arms.


    Vampires were some of the strongest beings in both physical and magical power. Only Ashens and some Angels could defeat them in open confrontation because of their me and power of light.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    The Vampire waved his hand, and four pirs of blood erupted from the ground beside him. They headed toward the sky and then copsed on the wolf. The pirs split into many drops, and it was like bloody hail. Even a single drop could easily kill a First Chronicle creature if it hit a vital point.


    The white wolf could not escape as it was arge-scale attack. The beast opened its mouth wide, and its eyes shone brightly. A massive barrier appeared over the wolf, which effortlessly absorbed each of the hundreds of blood drops.


    Then the barrier flipped, and dozens ofrge white projectiles flew toward the Vampire. This barrier was not only for defense but also for counterattack and energy conversion.


    The Vampire was surprised, but he didn''t back down. He put his hands together, and a wall of blood appeared in front of him, which absorbed the white projectiles.


    ''Huh, it looks like their fight has reached a stalemate. They can''t hurt each other, their defense and attack are about the same level, but... which one is the tougher?'' Wain pondered and looked south.


    There Ashen fought against thest of the Four Kings, the Fire Serpent.


    Like most of his race, Ashen had ashy, thick hair and amber eyes. He wore loose, silver martial clothes, simr to the Oriental style. A long spear with a stone tip that burned brightly with white me was in his hand.


    Whoooooooosh.


    The serpent hissed, and some of its scales burst into scarlet me. The beast turned into a ming sh and tried to devour an Ashen.


    Ashen did not retreat. He watched his enemy''s movements intently, and when the moment was right, he stepped forward and stood in a low stance. Then white me shed at his feet, and when the serpent''s head was above him, he made a sharp lunge with his spear from bottom to top.


    The spear definitely hit the snake and shattered some scales, but the snake didn''t have one row of scales as it should have, but two. The momentum of the spear was not enough to shatter such strong armor, and Ashen''s attack failed.


    As if it knew this would happen, the serpent immediately attacked with its tail and threw Ashen aside. Such a blow couldn''t hurt Ashen much since he had time to defend himself with his spear, but the serpent''s n differed.


    They were fighting on the edge of the ind, and now there was only an endless ocean beneath Ashen like an abyss. Wain thought that was the end, but suddenly two spheres of me appeared under Ashen''s feet, and they exploded violently.


    With a pulse, he returned back to the ind and continued the battle.


    ''They are quite strong. My battle with the wyvern was more fierce and faster. They act calmer and more coherent. I wonder if it has to do with the wyvern being stronger or the fact that Ashen and the Vampire outnumber them.''<sub> </sub>


    Crackle.


    Suddenly something glowed in the northwest where it was already empty. A massive, phantom lotus bud appeared in the air. It spun slowly, and then hundreds of petals flew out of the bud and copsed to the ground creating dozens of explosions every second.


    Wain looked closer and saw a tall, muscr girl with long ck hair in the center of the forest. Below her neck was a moon-shaped sign, indicating that she was an Axalt.


    She decided not to attack any of the four kings. It was too risky for her. Instead, she used wide-area skills and killed many small monsters. It was an effective tactic for gaining the required number of minutes.


    "If Vampire and Ashen defeat their enemies, these three are likely to be among the challengers. Hmm, they each have their own fighting style and special attacks, though that''s not surprising. If only nine out of hundreds of people can pass on, then each of them must have unique abilities."


    Wain looked back and looked at Maria. She was his number one target at the moment now even the ind''s top prize was not as important as killing Maria.


    The girl could clearly feel Wain''s bloodthirsty aura, but she was not afraid. Maria was confident that she could stand up to Wain since she was the first challenger, which meant she was the strongest.


    It was an ironic situation since it was lucky that the humans had already taken two of the nine spots out of the twelve races on the ind.


    However, instead of uniting and forming some kind of alliance as members of one race, they were thinking about how to kill each other. In some ways, though, that was what made humans what they were.


    Vampire and Ashen decided to kill the remaining Four Kings and thus be challengers. Axalt girl decided to rely on mass attacks and collect a million minutes, killing many small monsters. However, another way to gain time was to kill other fighters on the ind.


    Some of the best assassins in the universe were Undead. They had everything they needed for that, they were best in dark and inconspicuous ces, and they knew how to deliver precise and deadly strikes.


    Whoooooosh.


    In the forest, ck shes shed among trees. It was one of the Undead, preying on members of other races. Wain was too far away to see Undead''s movements, but the speed and efficiency were impressive.


    Every time the Undead moved from one point to another, several decapitated men were left behind him.


    Using this method, even a million could be amassed in the shortest possible time.


    Wain tried to find Gisle or someone he knew, but he was unsessful. The test on the ind was not suitable for those who had to answer for others.


    Only strong loners could gather a million minutes faster than anyone else. They acted quickly, and no factors held them back.


    Gisle was the organization''s leader, and his main task was to keep his people safe. Perhaps only Zero had a chance of being one of the contenders.


    ''Hmm, when I killed the wyvern, I fulfilled one of the three conditions for starting the second evolution, but how do I fulfill the rest? To know what death is a hundred times and break the barrier between life and death... Damn, that sounds like nonsense.''

 Chapter 264 Nine

    Wain waited for the ordeal toe to an end. He didn''t want to go down and fight anyone, as it was a waste of energy. He had to be ready for the second stage.


    As time passed, new challengers appeared. The third, as expected, was the Vampire. He was able to defeat the wolf thanks to his animal instincts and his absorption of the blood of other creatures. Thus the wolf ran out of stamina, while the Vampire was in good order.


    Vampires were formidable opponents in a one-on-one battle, but if other, weak, and numerous creatures were involved, the Vampire was virtually invincible. He could drink the blood of monsters during battle and thus fight almost endlessly.


    The fourth was Ashen, his battle with the Fire Serpent was long and agonizing, but in the end, he won. They, Wain, and Maria were the only ones who could defeat the Four Kings. Even among the challengers, they had to stand out.


    The fifth was Axalt girl. She was able to amass a million minutes pretty quickly as she killed hundreds of monsters at once with her skills.


    Sixth was a tall man with blue skin, purple eyes, and white hair. He was an Undead and the best stealth assassin on the ind. He never killed a single monster in all the time, a million minutes, he collected hunting persons.


    The seventh was the girl Angel, and the eighth was the tall, muscr man Demon.


    There was only one spot left, and the second stage would begin. All the applicants looked at each other and were wary. They understood that everyone who could collect a million minutes was not simple and had unique skills.


    Wain tried to figure out who would be ninth, but he didn''t notice anyone of note on the ind. No one else below wasparable to the eight contenders floating on the clouds.


    Time passed, and everyone saw the ninth cloud light up after a few hours. A girl of medium height, with short gray hair and emerald eyes, appeared. She was dressed in simple city clothes and had a ck, woven bandage on her wrist.


    "She is..." Wain muttered in surprise.


    The girl looked around, and when she saw the piercing stares of the others, she turned away and wrapped her arms around herself as if she were embarrassed. She was the ninth contender and the third a human.


    ''Hmm, she''s kind of weird. I haven''t seen her show any activity on the ind, but somehow she''s amassed a million minutes. Also, why is she shy? Every one of us is at least a cold-blooded killer, and she looks like a cowardly schoolgirl.'' Wain pondered.


    The others had about the same opinion. Thest challenger seemed odd to them, and that''s why they weren''t going to underestimate the girl.


    If they didn''t notice her, she was superior to them somehow, and that was reason enough to proceed cautiously with her.


    Tremble.


    Space trembled, and the same message appeared in front of everyone.


    [Number of challengers: 9/9]


    [The first stage on the Merge Ind is over]


    [Stage two begins]


    The clouds on which the nine challengers stood glowed brightly and suddenly turned into portals. Wain and the others didn''t have time to react and immediately found themselves in another space.


    Wain didn''t know what had happened to the ind, but he saw no signs of destruction or human death in thest seconds before the teleportation. That gave him hope that everyone on the ind now survived. At least the energy of the ind wouldn''t harm them.


    Whooooooosh.


    A portal opened in the air, and Wain fell to the lifeless earth, covered in dust and the bones of long-dead monsters and beasts.<sub> </sub>


    A few feet away was Undead, as well as Axalt girl. They, too, were puzzled and did not understand what this ce was. There was no one, and nothing around, only an aura of death and despair was in the air.


    The only thing was a huge, blue crystal in the distance. It glowed brightly, and sometimes there were energy discharges on it, as if from lightning.


    The other challengers were in other ces. They were divided into three groups, each of which only one could pass on.


    [Stage two begins.]


    [Time is the most valuable currency and is always in short supply, but why? The answer is simple, time cannot be controlled, and it goes forward. What happened even a moment ago cannot be changed and is nothingpared to the significant events that urred thousands of years ago.]


    [However, is this actually true? Some im that some could influence the flow of time in ancient times. You have to see it and experience it for yourself if you want to go further.]


    [Find the secret path to the Eternal River of Blood if you can survive the storm of time.]


    ''What does it all mean?'' Wain, as well as the others, were puzzled.


    They had no clues other than the strange description of the ordeal. There was a vast, lifelessnd and hundreds of dead beast bones all around.


    "I take it none of us know what to do, then I suggest you leave the trial early and stay out of my way." Undead said coldly and pulled a bone de from its sheath.


    "Huh, you think you can kill us with your toothpick? Your dagger won''t even scratch my steel skin!" The girl eximed and got into a fighting stance.


    She was Axalt and had been trained in martial arts since birth. She was one of the worst options for Assassin Undead, who specialized in meleebat. He might have had a chance to win, but he certainly wouldn''t be able to do it quickly and unscathed.


    Whooooooosh.


    The ring on Wain''s finger glowed green, but in his hand appeared not a sword but a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. He put the cigarette to his mouth and blew out a white puff of smoke.


    The situation was extraordinary, and he needed to think about it and concentrate. His actions caught the attention of Undead and the girl, and they remembered that Wain was here besides them.


    He was second and quite possibly superior to them in strength.


    "Hmm? I didn''t mean to disturb you, so please don''t get distracted. If you kill each other, you''ll only save me the trouble."


    "You''re a human, right?" Undead said suddenly.


    Wain nodded weakly. He was not surprised since he knew that some of the other races knew of the existence of the humans.


    "Does that surprise you? There were quite a few of them on the ind. It looks like they''ve actually been hiding somewhere all this time." The girl said as she continued to stand in a fighting stance.


    "No, but most of them were weak. That''s different from the stories I''ve heard. However, it seems the first and second challengers are the strongest on the ind."


    Crackle.


    The girl wanted to say something, but suddenly the crystal in the distance was covered in lightning. The next moment, dozens of bright shes began to fly out of the crystal, headed for the dead bones of ancient monsters and beasts.

 Chapter 265 Price Of Time

    As the shes began to fly out of the crystal, the ground shook.


    "Looks like the second stage has officially begun." Undead said slowly, staring intently at the crystal.


    Tremble.


    When the first sh reached the bones of the long-dead beast, they suddenly glowed brightly and soared into the air. The bones began to join together into a skeleton, and the missing parts that had been lost or destroyed began to regenerate.


    A few secondster, an entire skeleton of a massive beast was floating in the air, but that was only the beginning. Flesh and blood, tendons, muscles, veins, and other important elements of any body began to appear on the bones.


    Eventually, when the reconstruction of the beast''s body was finished, the monster''s eyes filled with life, and a bloodthirsty and ancient aura began to emanate from it. The monster looked something like a huge tiger, but with blue skin and bony growths on its back and paws.


    The tiger looked at the challengers and walked slowly toward Wain. The beast sensed that Wain was stronger than the others, so it attacked him.


    The ground shook from the tiger''s footsteps and left deep marks on it. In the distance, the bones of the other beasts also soared and began to recover as if they were going back in time.


    "What the fuck?" The girl eximed warily, looking at the tiger and the soaring bones. She couldn''t believe her eyes that something like this was possible.


    She knew that some people who were familiar with the elements of darkness and death could use the bodies of the dead for their purposes. They were called necromancers, but necromancers did not know how to resurrect their subjects fully.


    Necromancers could resurrect a skeleton and use it as their warrior but not restore its flesh and blood. Resurrection was a true miracle, beyond the control of anyone but time.


    "Well... it''s actually weird, but if we want to go any further, we have to fight them and kill all the monsters. I suggest we postpone our duel for now, or none of us will pass forward." Undead said coldly and stepped forward.


    His silhouette blurred, and a momentter, he was in front of a tiger. The beast had no time to realize that Undead''s de was at its neck and could not block the attack.


    Whooooosh.


    Undead turned sharply and, with the speed of lightning, struck two cuts on the tiger''s neck, cutting off the beast''s head.


    Bam.


    The decapitated monster rumbled to the ground, and a pink soul flew into Undead''s body.


    ''He was able to kill an Epic Rating monster so easily and quickly... not bad, not bad at all.'' Wain pondered, ''But, if the first monster had such a valuable soul, then what awaits us next?''


    The Ring of Damned glowed, and a tinum sword appeared in Wain''s hand. He used the Shattered Part and linked the dark sword with his weapon. That was enough for now. Wain didn''t want to use his powerful skills ahead of time.


    Undead and the girl also prepared for battle and activated one of their skills. A ghostly spirit appeared next to Undead and headed for his bone dagger. The weapon glowed brightly and began to change.


    It became longer, sharper, and more deadly. Several energy lines also appeared on the dagger, from which white mes shed at times.


    The girl waved her arms and changed her fighting stance. The sign on her chest shone brightly, and the moon symbol appeared on her palms, her hands were covered in blue energy, and her aura increased.


    Several of the monsters had already risen and were heading toward them by this point. The girl decided to act first. She ran toward the huge ogre-like monster and swung a powerful palm strike to the stomach.


    She was swift, and the Ogre did not have time to react to this attack. Then she continued to attack, and with each blow, she broke the monster''s bones and turned its internal organs into a bloody mess.


    Before thest blow, the girl took a step back and sprinted with her fist, throwing the multi-ton monster dozens of meters away.<sub> </sub>


    ''Sven was right. Axalt does indeed have phenomenal physical stats. Not only is she strong, but she knows how to use her physical power and how to strike. Honestly, she excels at that.'' Wain pondered.


    He had never studied any martial arts and had no teacher to show him how to fight. As a child and teenager, Wain fought to survive. He relied on his instincts to win time after time and slowly move toward his goal.


    "Rgh!"


    Suddenly a monster roar was heard behind Wain. Wain turned sharply and swung his sword from top to bottom. He sliced the monster in two and hung his sword, knocking away the clinging blood.


    The number of monsters increased with each second, and the further they appeared, the stronger their auras became. They looked menacing and deadly.


    The Undead and the girl were ready to fight and use their strong skills in the future, but something was worrying Wain.


    ''Last time, there were exact conditions for passing to the next stage, but the condition is blurred and veiled this time. I need to find the way to the Eternal River of Blood, but how do we do that? Do we have to fight monsters until one of us is left alive? It doesn''t make sense.''


    Wain decided that the condition for passing the test was something else. If only one of them had to stay alive, then there was no point in moving them to a ce where there was a crystal that could resurrect monsters.


    It was just a matter of putting the three challengers in a restricted area, and they would fight each other unconditionally. That''s exactly what Undead would do before the crystal became active.


    Also, Wain didn''t think that the condition for passing the second stage was to kill all the monsters. Sure, they could do that, but then it would go back to the first option. The three of them would be left, and they would have to fight each other again.


    Wain had one theory about the crystal in the distance. Not only could it be the catalyst that resurrected the monsters, but it could also be a clue to passing the test or even a key.


    He didn''t run straight to the crystal; Wain wanted to do it carefully and discreetly. If the crystal was a clue, he needed time to figure out how to use it. The Undead and the girl didn''t have to get in his way.


    "Roooooaaaaaaaarrrrr!" A huge beast with powerful front paws like two hammers roared in the distance.


    It was over twenty meters tall, and this monster was one of the strongest resurrected ones, at least for now.


    After its roar, the eyes of some of the monsters lit up in red mes. Their strength increased, and they pounced on the challengers like madmen.


    "Tsk, scum." Undead said coldly, and his eyes sparkled.


    Energy began to emanate from his hair, and he turned into a blur. Like a white sh, he moved from one monster to the next, leaving a path of corpses behind him.


    The girl folded her palms together, and a phantom lotus bud appeared above her, slowly opening. Dozens of petals sprang from it and rained down on the monsters like projectiles. They exploded, leaving craters and bloodstains on the ground.


    Wain nodded and also decided to take part in this battle. That way, he wanted to get to the crystal unnoticed by the Undead and the girl. If he would fight the distraught monsters, his actions would not make them suspicious.


    "Huh, it looks like it''s time to try out my new skill. This is going to hurt..." Wain muttered, and his eyes turned icy.


    Arge amount of energy appeared around him and headed for his back, and then Wain felt intense pain. He clenched his teeth and heard his flesh tearing. The energy slowly began to turn into bone wings that grew from Wain''s back.


    The bones proliferated and gradually emerged horrible wings that were brutal weapons for killing.


    Wain could hardly restrain himself from screaming, as the basis for the wings was his nerves. It gave him partial control over them and gave him the instincts of an ancient beast.


    When the skill activation was finished, Wain spread his wings apart and took a deep breath. His eyes resembled those of a wyvern or even a dragon.

 Chapter 266 The Winged Whirlwind

    Undead and the girl stared at Wain. Unlike him, they hadn''t fought one of the Four Kings and didn''t have the Legendary Rating skill.


    They could feel the ancient aura emanating from Wain''a, and the bone wings instilled terror and fear in them.


    Legendary skills, items, and souls were special, not only because they surpassed others Ratings. The Legendary items had a piece of a creature''s or a group''s, maybe a city''s or an entire country''s history.


    Wain was only at the beginning of his journey, and excluding Nameless King''s Forms, it was his first Legendary skill. He could feel a piece of the Wyvern in him, his way, and even theirst fight.


    It somehow increased his strength and senses, but he did not yet fully understand how this power works.


    The maddened monsters from the roar of the massive beast ran toward Wain. Each of them was First Chronicle, and their average stats were above 150. For most, any of these monsters would have been a formidable opponent, but Wain''s strength was overwhelming.


    He stared at the runing monsters like an ancient dragon at the wretched worms. Wain thrust his sword out in front of him and leaned forward slightly.


    His bone wings moved slightly, and his eyes shed. Wain''s silhouette blurred, turning into a cket that struck more than a hundred monsters like lightning.


    Some of them Wain shed with his sword. Sharp bone wings killed the rest.


    In just one second, he killed many monsters and covered a distance of several dozen meters.


    The tinum sword was covered in blood, which slowly trickled down. Massive scarlet drops fell from the de''s tip and soaked into the lifeless ground. The bone wings covered in blood looked like the branches of a sacrificial tree, and Wain looked like a reaper.


    Undead and the girl looked at each other. They understood each other without words. When they saw this deadly lunge from Wain, they realized how great his power was.


    They decided that they would kill Wain first and then fight amongst themselves in the event of a battle.


    Otherwise, he would end their lives in a few attacks, and they wouldn''t be able to resist it. They hated to admit it, but he deservedly became the second challenger, his strength proving it.


    The beast that made the monsters rage was not far from the crystal, and Wain decided to head toward it. The beast sensed Wain''s intentions and decided to ept his challenge.


    "Roooooooaaaaaaarrrrrrrrr!"


    The beast roared, and massive stones rose in the air. They joined together and became small meteorites. The beast swung its paw, and the meteorites flew toward Wain.


    He didn''t retreat and instead made another dash. Wain cut his way through, splitting each of the meteorites in two. He strolled forward amidst the rubble and hundreds of bones.


    Other strong monsters also turned their attention to Wain. His strength and bloodthirsty aura emanating from him endlessly attracted them. They wanted to fight to the death, and he was the perfect candidate.


    The monsters headed toward him, gradually creating a ring around him. He was in the center of the arena and starring in this battle.


    "Decided to attack all at once? Well, I don''t mind, but it''s worth raising the stakes." Wain uttered and activated one of the skills of his cloak.


    Dark energy began to emanate from it, and a fallen spirit''s piercing cry was heard. This attracted the other monsters, who chose not to engage in battle, but could no longer hold back.


    More than several hundred monsters pounced on Wain. They wanted to tear him apart and devour him.


    Even the beasts fighting the Undead and the girl stopped paying attention to them and headed toward Wain.


    "What''s he going to do?" Undead muttered. He understood that Wain was no fool and had some n, but even Undead wasn''t sure he could handle that many enemies.


    Crackle.


    When the monsters were close enough, Wain decided it was time to act. The bracelet on his hand glowed brightly, and he put his palm to the ground.


    The Ice Lord Bracelet erupted in icy mes, and the ground trembled. Ice crystals erupted from beneath it, piercing the monsters close to Wain.


    Then the ground trembled again, and behind the first wave, a second more powerful one appeared, resulting in the third wave of huge crystals that wiped out all the monsters in the distance.


    Wain spent quite a lot of energy, but he had already killed several hundred monsters. Only the strongest ones who could dodge the ice crystals or defend themselves somehow survived.


    Whoooooooosh.<sub> </sub>


    Wain pped his bony wings and headed for the massive monster.


    [Title - yer of Goliath, activated]


    A message appeared in front of Wain, and he felt his power increase slightly. The monster wasrge enough for the Title to activate.


    The beast prepared to attack and raised its massive paws high. It brought them down on Wain, but he stopped at thest moment and jumped up.


    Wain made a full turn in the air and used his wings and sword to inflict many small wounds and cuts on the monster. They were not fatal, but now the beast was bleeding seriously.


    The beast tried to attack, but Wain blocked the attack with his sword and then threw the weapon at the monster.


    The weapon struck the beast''s shoulder and pierced through it. Wain didn''t expect this to happen but quickly figured out how to take advantage of it.


    Hended, took a few steps back, and extended his arm forward. The sword lying behind the monster answered his call and flew towards it. The monster reacted and recoiled to the side.


    ''Damn, it''s too survivable, though I have a weapon against enemies like that.'' Wain thought and used the second skill of his cloak, Souls Waterfall.


    A great deal of energy began to emanate from the cloak, and then a hundred dark spirits burst free, raining down on the monster like hail.


    They plunged into the monster''s flesh and inflicted severe wounds on it. The spirits also negatively affected the monster''s psyche and disoriented him.


    While the monster was dealing with the spirits'' attack, Wain ran up to it and jumped high up. Hended on the monster''s back and thrust his sword into its head with an icy stare.


    The monster was tough and resilient, but no one could survive such an attack except an immortal.


    Bam.


    The monster''s massive carcass fell slowly to the ground, and a cloud of smoke rose up. A purple soul flew from the monster''s body and headed toward Wain.


    [Soul of Raging Beast (Destroyed)


    Chronicle: First


    Rating: Heroic]


    This monster was quite strong, but it was far from Legendary level. After the battle with the Wyvern, such enemies could no longer be surprising for Wain.


    Wain swung his sword and headed toward the crystal. There were several monsters next to it, which Wain killed easily.


    Undead and the girl were too far away to suspect anything. All the while, new shes were flying out of the crystal, and monsters were being resurrected. There were even more enemies than before.


    Wain approached the crystal and saw strange symbols behind it. He didn''t know what it meant, but he decided to touch it. He felt the crystal, and suddenly an energy charge entered, and he heard a strange voice.


    ''Time never stands still, and there is only the past and the future, the present exists for no more than a fraction of an instant. What can bring back the past can change the course of the future.''


    "What does that mean...?" Wain muttered. He was puzzled, but that was not the end of the secret message.


    ''Only he who is willing to sacrifice the present and the future can find the way to the unexplored or the eternal.''


    Whoooooosh.


    The crystal glowed brightly, and many bright shes flew out of it.


    Undead and the girl continued to fight. Each of them had already killed more than a hundred monsters, they were not wounded, but their energy was not infinite, unlike their enemies.


    The monsters continued to appear, and their numbers gradually increased. Even though the Undead and the girl outnumbered them in strength, it was not enough to kill several thousand resurrected creatures.


    Wain didn''t understand the hidden meaning of the message, but when he looked at the blue sh that came out of the crystal and fell on the creature''s bones, the puzzle began to form.

 Chapter 267 The Way To The River

    Undead and the girl were fighting monsters, and their strength was slowly running out. They were ready to use their strongest skills.


    It was safe around the crystal, and Wain was distracted by the bright shes flying out of it.


    They were like blueets slowly falling to the ground and bringing the past back to the present. Long dead beasts resurrected, and this echoed the message Wain heard.


    ''They are dead, but the crystal brings them back to life. Does that mean that if the sh hits me, I will die? Could this be the key to passing the second stage?'' Wain pondered, and when the next sh came out, he ran after it.


    Wain''s n was simple. He wanted the sh to hit him, not the bones of the ancient beasts. He hoped it would make a difference.


    Whooooooosh.


    Wain pressed his wings together and made a lightning dash forward when the sh should have brought it down to earth.


    Theet hit Wain''s chest, but no miracle happened, and Wain was thrown aside. The sh didn''t seriously damage him, but it let Wain know that his idea was a failure.


    ''Damn, am I wrong? Maybe we need to kill all the monsters, and then something will happen? No, that doesn''t make sense. In that case, how will we know which of the three contenders wille first?''


    Wain did not engage inbat. He thought and spoke the message on the crystal to himself. It had to mean something, and at one point, Wain caught on to one word, ''Sacrifice... the message said to sacrifice the present and the future...''


    He had an idea, but Wain wasn''t sure if it was worth the risk. He could move on, but he could make a critical mistake. Wain didn''t know what to do. He looked at the monsters and realized it was useless to fight them.


    Those monsters Undead and the girl fought were only a small fraction of the total number. Most of the monsters were far away and slowly approaching them, the shes kept flying out of the crystal, and it would never end.


    Wain realized that he had no other options. He could not fight for days against hundreds of First Chronicle monsters, no matter how strong he was. It would be suicide.


    Wain tried destroying the crystal first, he didn''t know if he could do it, but it was one of the few options he had.


    Whoooosh.


    He took a step forward and mmed his fist into the crystal sharply with all his might. However, Wain was thrown back instead of destroying the crystal and felt a searing pain in his stomach. The barrier around the crystal returned Wain''s attack to himself.


    "Fuck! Why is everything always soplicated?" Wain eximed and took a deep breath.


    What he was about to do was dangerous or even crazy, but it was the only thing that fit the conditions of the challenge. Wain was about to make the biggest sacrifice he could ever make.


    The Ring of Damned shed, and a tinum sword appeared in his hand. Wain canceled all skills, and the bone wings disintegrated into many pieces and then evaporated.


    Wain''s eyes shed, and he thrust the sword sharply into his chest. Wain stabbed himself through and spat out a mouthful of blood. He deliberately pierced vital points so that it was a critical wound after which it was almost impossible to survive.


    Bam.


    Wain couldn''t stay on his feet and fell to the ground, bleeding all around him. His eyes went ck, and everything before his eyes began to blur. He wasn''t prepared for this, but he decided to do it to reach his goal.<sub> </sub>


    It was a risky act that was based on the hopelessness of the other options as well as the message from the crystal.


    Wain struggled to remain conscious, but when he saw the white sh flying toward him, he smiled contentedly from thest of his strength. It was proof that he hadn''t risked it for anything.


    When the blue sh hit Wain, he felt his wounds miraculously heal. However, that was an incorrect description. His body was returning back to the state it had been in a while ago.


    As if someone was controlling it, even the sword slowly flew out of his chest and back into the ring. Wain returned to his original point, and then a blue magic circle appeared around him, and his eyes shone brightly.


    He slowly flew upward, just as he had during the first test. Wain felt strange and unusual. The Undead and the girl watching him were shocked. They did not understand what Wain had done to pass the test.


    Moreover, the monsters next to them suddenly stopped moving. Their bodies began to dry up like mummies, and gradually they turned into a pile of bones.


    A magic circle appeared around Undead and the girl, too, but in red, and they headed downward instead of upward. Only one contender could pass the second stage, and the rest would go back to the ind or their worlds.


    Wain slowly soared upward and headed toward the blood-red clouds. He passed through them and found himself in a strange cave-like ce.


    "Damn, I hope I don''t have to hurt myself in the third challenge. It was too risky, even for me." Wain muttered and headed forward.


    He walked for a while and reached a spacious room that led to three caves. Wain came from one of the paths.


    The cave floor was streaked with blood, and in front was a massive door with three palms painted on it.


    Wain cautiously stepped forward and approached the door. He put his hand to the mark on the door, and it glowed brightly but then faded.


    "I see, I won''t make it forward alone, but it looks like I''ve made it to the finals. I wonder who my opponents will be?" Wain muttered and sat down on a bloody rock near the entrance.


    He was moderate that one of the two remaining contenders would be Maria. This girl possessed powerful powers and unique skills. She was the most worthy candidate to be here.


    Wain also wanted it. He needed to kill Maria, he needed to see her die with his own eyes.


    The third contender was a mystery. It could have been anyone, but Wain was betting on the Vampire. He was strong, and his skills were astounding. The Vampire could defeat the light wolf without serious injury, a true feat.


    Step.


    As Wain expected after a while, Maria emerged from the second passageway. She looked as confident as before, and there was not a single wound or spot on her body.


    When she saw Wain, she frowned and prepared to fight. However, he stopped her belligerent impulse by raising his hand and pointing to the door.


    "Don''t get me wrong. I want to fight you too. We must resolve our conflict once and for all, but we will have to postpone it for a while. We can only go on as a threesome."


    Maria looked at Wain, and sensing no killing intent from Wain, she nodded and stood against the wall.

 Chapter 268 The Third

    Wain and Maria asionally exchanged stares. Even though neither of them intended to attack, they still stared at each other. Wain did not intend to underestimate Maria; after all, she was the first challenger, not he, and that had to be taken into ount.


    Of course, Wain didn''t think Maria was stronger than him, but he knew that their battle would be dangerous for both of them.


    Maria appeared in the cave rather quickly, about ten minutes after Wain. However, they waited for the third challenger for over five hours.


    Wain didn''t know if the others had the same challenge as he did, but he figured that each group''s challenge was different. He doubted it could endure five hours fighting against hundreds of First Chronicle monsters.


    After several more hours, they finally heard footsteps deep in the third cave. When thest challenger arrived, Wain and Maria were shocked, for it was a shy girl, the former ninth challenger.


    She hadn''t changed in any way, except for the fact that the ck bandage on her arm was dripping blood as well.


    "Oh, I didn''t think I''d meet anyone here. Hello!" Said the girl and bowed low.


    ''There''s something wrong with her.'' Wain and Maria thought at the same time.


    ''How the hell did she get in here? What abilities does she have? Why is she acting so strange? If she''s so shy, why is her blindfold stained with blood? How is that possible?'' A multitude of questions popped into Wain''s mind in an instant.


    He was not a bad judge of character, but now he didn''t understand her secret.


    "My name is Eva Noir. Nice to meet you!"


    "Maria... just Maria..." Maria replied coldly.


    "Wain Norheim." Wain smirked and said.


    "What an unusual name you have!"


    "Huh, I''ll take that as apliment. Eva, are you ready? We''ve been waiting just for you. This may be thest way for you." Wain''s voice changed toward the end, and he began to exude a menacing aura.


    "Oh, I hope I can handle the challenges ahead. I want to win." Eva said, smiling pleasantly.


    "Enough talk." Maria said sharply and headed for the door.


    Wain and Eva nodded and joined Maria in putting their palms against the door.


    The three seals glowed brightly, and the door slowly opened. Then the space behind them began to shatter into tiny shards like a mirror. The test showed them that they had to go forward and had no other choice.


    They nodded and stepped forward. Behind the door was a portal, and they found themselves in a strange ce.


    It was a vast, empty area. There were only a few rocks, and the ground was covered in red dust or something simr. In the center of the area flowed a huge but shallow bloody river. They could walk on it, and the water would only cover part of the boots.


    Wain, Maria, and Eva were puzzled. The portal closed, and a message appeared in front of them.


    [You were able to reach the Eternal Blood River.]


    [You have proven yourself worthy of it and were able to use your abilities to get ahead and leave your opponents behind. However, now you will have to do something impossible to get the final reward.]


    [For this, there must be only one whole among you.]


    Wain, Maria, and Eva looked at each other. They interpreted the condition of the trial as the fact that only one of them had to survive.


    They did not understand why the test called such a simple and understandable task impossible. However, when Wain and Maria wanted to attack each other, another message appeared before them.


    [You are in the territory of the Eternal Blood River, so you are immortal.]


    "What? We''re immortal?" Maria muttered puzzledly.<sub> </sub>


    "That''s nonsense..." Wain muttered.


    "Hmm, has the test ever deceived us? If it says we''re immortal, then we are!" Eve eximed.


    "Huh, I wish I had your optimism."


    [When the test is over, in twenty-four hours there will be changes on a universal scale. Time in this zone is practically suspended. One year here is equal to a minute in the outside world.]


    "That sounds threatening. We''re like prisoners..." Wain muttered.


    "Pff, it doesn''t matter. Since we have a clear goal and plenty of time, we can postpone the test forter." Maria said, and a glowing sword appeared in her hand.


    She did not give up her desire to kill Wain. To her, he was the true evil that had caused millions of people to suffer, and her in particr. Maria was sure that Wain had done this on purpose to turn their world into ruins.


    Wain reacted quickly and blocked the attack. However, suddenly another sword appeared behind him, cutting off his head.


    Maria breathed a sigh of relief, but something struck her as odd. She thought their battle would be great, terrible, and bloodthirsty, but it was solved in an instant. However, then she heard an eerieugh.


    "Ahahahaha... shit... that was true..." Wain uttered, or rather his head lying on the ground.


    Like a headless horseman, Wain''s body suddenly moved and picked up the severed body part and returned it to its ce.


    "I''ll be honest, it wasn''t pleasant, but it was worth checking out. Eva was right. The messages never lie. We actually are immortal. Even the severed head was no barrier." Wain uttered, and a message appeared in front of him. Only he saw it.


    [You have partially met one of the conditions for evolving a second time.


    [Know what death is a hundred times: 1/100]


    "AHAHAHAHAHA." Wainughed out loud, "Looks like I didn''t die for nothing. That''s what I needed."


    ''Has he lost his mind?" Maria thought. She decided it was a side effect of the resurrection.


    "Well, don''t you want to fight again?" Wain eximed and armed himself with a tinum sword. He was ready to fight and die for as long as it took.


    Maria nodded, and her eyes shone brightly, they were ready to cross their swords, but Eva stopped them.


    "I''m sorry to interrupt you, but this challenge was created for the three of us and I, like you, want to win. Before we begin, I want to apologize right away for my behavior." Eva said quietly. She felt awkward and insecure, and even her cheeks were covered in blush.


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?" Maria was puzzled.


    Wain said nothing. He felt that Eva had finally decided to show how she got here.


    Eva hesitantly touched the bandage on her left arm and began slowly unwinding it. Her legs trembled slightly, and she acted as if she were afraid to fight.


    Then she wrapped the bandage tightly around her neck. Wain saw that she could barely breathe. He was as puzzled as Maria.


    Eva tilted her head down, and suddenly her aura intensified manifold. Huge streams of gray-bloody energy appeared around her.


    Wain was shocked. He had not felt something like this even from a wyvern, the guardian of the world, or the essence of the world.


    The energying from Eva was more terrifying than anything he had ever seen before.


    Eva lifted her head, and now her eyes and gaze hadpletely changed. She looked like a crazed, hard-blooded predator.


    "Well...which one of you two bitches should I tear apart first? §¡?!"

 Chapter 269 Eternity

    Eva''s personality has changed dramatically. She has changed from a shy and sweet girl to a brash and rude one with a brutal aura.


    Wain and Maria were surprised by such a drastic change in character and behavior. They were wary as they realized that it was in this state that Eva could show her full power.


    "Are you silent? All right then, I''ll start with you, pretty boy!" Eva said, looking at Wain, licking her lips.


    Whoooooosh.


    She waved her hand, and the bloody gray energy around her turned into red ash, which came down on Wain in a wave.


    "Huh, so you''re either a quiet, quiet mouse or a crazy psychopath." Wain smiled and bounced aside.


    A wave of ash came crashing down beside him, but it continued to haunt him. Eva also created a few more waves.


    ''She''s not sparing energy at all... Although, wait, she''s doing it right. If we are immortal, then why should we hold back?'' Wain thought, and a white mask appeared in his hand.


    A red, noble coat reced a lot of energy umted around him and his cloak. Wain used the fourth form, the ck Sun Aristocrat.


    Wain realized that now he could not worry about conserving energy. He could do whatever he wanted and use a variety of techniques.


    The red ash waves were about to overwhelm Wain, but suddenly a massive ck sphere appeared in front of them. It exploded and destroyed the waves and tossed Maria and Eva aside.


    However, Eva reacted quickly and created walls of ash behind her. She bounced off it and attacked Wain.


    "Is that all you can do? Pathetic tricks! You''d better get on your knees and beg my forgiveness!"


    "Huh, I see you have certain tendencies. Even though you''re a crazy bitch now, I like that!" Wain eximed andughingly created ten huge spheres around Eva.


    Each one was as strong as the one before it. With this attack, Wain could kill several hundred First Chronicle creatures or destroy an entire vige without leaving a trace of it.


    The spheres exploded simultaneously and tore Eva apart, but she didn''t scream or try to fight back. Thest thing Wain saw was Eva''s sly smirk. There was no trace of her, just a few drops of blood.


    However, even a single molecule was enough to make a full recovery for an immortal, so out of the bloodstains came the bloody threads that resurrected Eva. She was stitched together like a doll.


    Eva clenched her hand into a fist a few times and looked at Wain, and said, "That was good, pain is such a nice burning feeling, but both of we must y this game."


    Her eyes sparkled, and the ground trembled. From beneath it appeared many dried tree branches that looked like stakes. They headed toward Wain. Eva also created two massive waves of ash that were to engulf Wain.


    Wain bounced to the side and created several more spheres. His energy was slowly running out, but it didn''t bother him. He could easily regenerate his supplypletely.


    Whooooooosh.


    Bloody twigs pierced through the waves of ck mes, piercing Wain in many ces. He didn''t fight back and let Eva kill him.


    "Have you decided to give up?" Eva said with a frown.


    "Are you stupid? How can I give up when I finally have unlimited possibilities! This ce is more like heaven than a cage!" Wain eximed and used his remaining energy to create a giant sphere.


    It was sorge that it even overshadowed the dim, bloody sun like a ck hole.


    "Great, looks like I won''t get bored in this endless hell for sure." Eva smiled and finished off Wain with a wave of her hand. Bloody branches pierced his head.


    Then the orb exploded. Eva didn''t try to defend herself and let the mes consume her. Maria, on the other hand, did not understand what was happening.


    For thest minute, she stood still and didn''t know what to do. Maria thought that here she would fight Wain, and they would settle their conflict once and for all, and she would avenge her family.


    She didn''t just hate Wain because he started the apocalypse and caused the destruction of millions of people. The basis of her revenge came from personal reasons. Her parents were ordinary people and lived near the city.


    With no protection or help, they could do nothing in such an area. Monsters came to their house and killed them. The same should have happened to Maria, but she happened to find herself in a strange ce where she lived out herst moments.<sub> </sub>


    When the world chose her, it was the beginning of her victorious journey that brought her here. She was to embody the light and lead others. Maria wanted to rid herself of the darkness, of Wain.


    However, her expectations did not match reality. Instead of a struggle of light against darkness, Maria found herself on the sidelines. The light was at a loss to watch the darkness ''y'' with the madness that Eva represented.


    The madness was neither light nor darkness. It was an independent third party. Of course, madness was most often equated as something bad and abnormal, but it was not.


    Many acts of genius had a grain of madness in them, but usually, no one pays attention to it. After all, sometimes it is very easy to confuse what is madness and what is genius.


    Maria just defended herself from the shock waves and watched as Wain and Eva killed each other over and over. They enjoyed this battle, as they could let their feelings and power run wild.


    Now they no longer needed to hold back, theybined attacks and enjoyed the limitless power and pain.


    As the storm between darkness and madness grew and gradually increased, the light slowly lost its brightness. Maria was at a loss; she could not kill Wain and be afraid to engage in battle.


    She realized that she was immortal like them, but the pain remained. When she saw the ck mes burn Eva to the ground and she smiled, Maria shuddered, and goosebumps ran down her body.


    She was not used to pain. Before, she had solved all problems by force without serious injury. Monsters couldn''t hurt her, and neither could humans. She had a few defensive skills, but what good would that do if she was immortal?


    ''No, I can''t give up now. This ordeal can be passed, and even if we are immortal, perhaps we have some limitations or some way to die truly. I must fight along with them.'' Maria thought and took a deep breath.


    Her eyes shed, and a shining sword appeared in her hand. An invisible barrier covered her body, and she rushed into battle.


    "Oops, looks like our shy girl decided to join us." Eva said, licking her lips.


    "I thought she was going to keep looking like that." Wain said, picking his head up off the ground.


    "You''re crazy!" Maria eximed and attacked Eva.


    Her shining sword headed toward the girl.


    "You may be right, but it''s a lot better than being such a gutless and weak puppet like you." Eva said coldly and ran up to Maria.


    The shining sword cut off Eva''s arm, but she didn''t stop. On the contrary, Eva smiled broadly, and a fire burned in her eyes.


    ''What? She didn''t stop?'' Maria muttered to herself.


    "Come here bitch. You''ve been standing on the sidelines too long. You''re even joining our feast of pain and pleasure!" Eva shouted and came close to Maria and pressed her tightly against her.


    It looked as if Eva had hugged her from the outside, but terrible consequences followed such an innocuous act.


    Whooooosh.


    Eva opened her mouth wide and bit into Maria''s throat like a wild beast. The protective barrier didn''t stop her, and a secondter, Eva''s teeth sank into Maria''s flesh.


    "AAAAGH!" Maria screamed in pain, but Eva had no intention of stopping. Her eyes sparkled, and several stakes of bloody ash pierced them.


    "AHAHAHAHA, well, did you like it?"


    "You monster...!" Maria said with difficulty and wanted to attack back, but suddenly the ground shook.


    Eva turned around and saw Wain dressed in a gray robe with a tight bandage on his head.


    "Girls, how about a mass suicide?" He waved his hand, and a giant magical circle appeared above them all.


    "Ah, that''s pretty romantic." Eva uttered.

 Chapter 270 Pain And Pleasure

    After the resurrection, Wain activated the third form, Blind Sorcerer, and created a huge magical circle. He snapped his finger, and hundreds of beams rained down. Wain attacked himself as well, he wanted the three of them to die simultaneously.


    "No!" Maria eximed and tried to step aside. She needed to recover from what she had just experienced. She was very hurt and sick.


    "Freeze, don''t you dare ruin my romantic suicide!" Eva eximed and pressed Maria tightly against her.


    She tried to get out of her grasp, but Eva''s grip was firm and indestructible.


    Whooooooosh.


    Hundreds of beams rained down on the ground, turning the bloody river into ruins filled with craters and debris. This attack wiped out wain, Eva, and Maria, and only a few bloodstains remained of them.


    In time, they were resurrected, and even the area recovered. Not only were they immortal, but so was the location.


    Maria bounced aside in shock and held her sword out in front of her. Her hands trembled slightly. She could hardly contain herself from losing her mind over the pain she had endured.


    The energy rays burned through her flesh and blood. It was a terrible pain. She didn''t understand how Wain and Maria could enjoy. It was delirious and abnormal.


    Eva wanted to attack Maria and continue torturing her, but suddenly her stomach rumbled.


    "Damn, I''m hungry." Eva muttered and turned to Wain, "Do you want to help me with this?"


    "What are you talking about? I could kill you, but it wouldn''t be interesting without resistance."


    Eva walked over to Wain, pressed herself tightly against him, and whispered, "Why should I die if I have such a tempting piece of meat in front of me?"


    Crackle.


    Suddenly Eva sank her teeth into Wain''s neck like a vampire, but she didn''t drink the blood but ripped some of it off.


    "You crazy bitch." Wain said coldly.


    "Don''t get mad. You liked it, didn''t you?" Eva said and gently grabbed Wain''s head. She smiled and twisted Wain''s neck with a light movement of her hand.


    He fell to the ground like a doll, but after a few seconds, his head was back in ce, and he opened his eyes.


    Wainy motionless for a while and then smiled weakly.


    "Hey, Eva, your bite was crazy, but there''s something to it. However, I can''t help but return the favor." He stood up, and energy waves appeared around him.


    A ck crown appeared on his head, and two creepy jaws opened on his palms.


    "Oh, it looks dangerous, but it''s so attractive." Eva said, biting her finger until it bled.


    "Activate your Beyond." Wain said, "After that, I''ll eat you up."


    "Whatever you say." Eva responded, and she was engulfed in a blood-gray storm of energy.


    A red flower that looked like an orchid appeared on her head on the left side. It wasrge and beautiful, with a pleasant scent and red energy emanating from the bud.


    Eva''s hands were covered with dark, spiky vines. The sharp thorns dug lightly into her flesh, and thin trickles of blood trickled down.


    "Not bad. For some reason, I feel like saying that''s your style." Wain uttered.


    "Of course, beauty and pain are somewhat simr, don''t you think? And pain is pleasure, so you will admire my beauty and feel pain but be in bliss."


    "Huh, well, try it." Wain smirked, and bone wings burst from his back.


    He applied the skill sharply, and the wings tore through his flesh. They were covered in his blood, and he looked like a demoning from hell.


    Eva also decided to use one of her most powerful skills. A spike pierced her arm and turned into a long spear along with the blood. Ashy boots also appeared on her feet.


    Whooooooosh.


    Wain pped his wings. It was a sign of the beginning of their battle. Eva didn''t have to worry about safety, so she swung her spear at the limit of her abilities. She made several pinpoint strikes that should have pierced Wain in a second.


    However, the bone wings swayed slightly, dodging a hail of blows. Wain swung his arm, and a silhouette of a jaw appeared above him, biting off Eva''s left arm.


    She clenched her teeth, but she did not retreat. The spear in her hand shone brightly, and dozens of small wooden needles flew out of it. Some of them hit Wain.<sub> </sub>


    They were not dangerous, for they could not even prate his skin deeply, but suddenly little buds began to bloom on them.


    They exploded and tore Wain apart. After a few seconds, he recovered and looked intently at Eva and said, "Not bad, but is that really all you can do?"


    "Of course not." Eva said, smiling and the bud on her head glowed brightly.


    Hundreds of petals flew out of it and floated around Eva likepanions. She headed toward Wain and waved her hand to control the petals.


    They came down on him like a multitude of des. However, this time Wain wasn''t going to get hit.


    He ducked and swung his arm. The gray jaw ate some of the petals, but they suddenly divided back to thest number.


    Whooooooosh.


    Eva swung her arm and made a sharp lunge forward with her spear. Wain did not have time to react, and she pierced his left side. The petals reached Wain and sank into his flesh.


    "Hmm? Why aren''t you screaming, doesn''t that hurt?" Eva was puzzled. Wain was bleeding and seriously wounded.


    "Of course, it fucking hurts, but I don''t think I''ll ever let myself be so reckless with my body again." Wain muttered and grabbed the spear stuck in his body.


    Eva tried to pull the weapon out, but she could not do so. Then a gray jaw appeared around the spear and gobbled up half the weapon.


    "Damn." Eva tossed the rest of the spear aside and bounced to the side.


    She swung her arm, and hundreds of petals flew out of Wain''s body and headed in his direction again. She also summoned several ash waves.


    The attacks came from all directions, and Wain could not dodge them. However, suddenly an eye opened on the crown, and the world seemed to slow down.


    Wain could clearly see the petals flying slowly toward him, but he had no intention of dodging. He wanted to absorb this attackpletely.


    Wain simultaneously swung his arms from top to bottom, and two massive jaws devoured the petals and waves.


    "Eh, I ept defeat. I''m out of energy..." Eva muttered grudgingly and tilted her head, so her neck was visible, "You can have your prize."


    "Huh, sure." Wain grinned and stepped forward.


    He walked slowly, and blood trickled down his body. Eva wasn''t fooling him or fighting back. She was getting as much pleasure out of this mad exchange of blows as he was.


    Maria stood at the rock. All the while, she was watching them fight and trying to figure out what was wrong with them.


    Why were Wain and Eva enjoying this? Was this really normal? Why aren''t they trying to find a way out of this situation?


    Maria was beginning to lose herself. She didn''t know what she was doing or what her purpose was. She felt redundant, useless, and helpless. It reminded her of the early days after the apocalypse began.


    Step.


    Wain slowly approached Eva and thrust himself into her neck like some vampire in response to her actions.


    Normally Wain would hardly have done something like this, but the hours of crazy fighting, resurrection, pain, and pleasure had affected him a little.


    He felt as if he were drunk, but not from alcohol, but incredible and impossible emotions. No normal person could feel what it''s like to have their head cut off several times in a couple of hours.


    "Okay... go on... when it''s done to you, it''s much nicer." Eva murmured.


    Wain could feel her trembling slightly, but not because of fear, but because of arousal. He moved away from Eva and passed out. Wain bled to death but recovered in a few seconds.


    "Hey, don''t you want to rest? I''d like to keep going, but I''m kind of tired." Eva said smiling.


    "Yeah, resting and thinking would be nice."


    The fighting was over for a while, and Eva calmed down. It brought her back to her former state.


    Eva was horrified at the wounds she had inflicted on Wain. She leaned over and said timidly, "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to hurt you so much! Please don''t hold it against me. I was just fighting."


    Wain smiled and walked over to Eva. She thought he was going to reprimand her, but instead, with bloodied lips, he kissed her gently on the forehead and said, "Don''t worry, I even liked it, cutie."

 Chapter 271 Is This It...?

    "§¡? What are you doing...?" Eva said timidly and took a few steps back.


    Wain''s unexpected and tender kiss knocked her out of her glue. It was strange for her, especially after what they''d been up to for the past few hours. It seemed to her that they had started their acquaintance in the wrong order.


    "Hmm? Do you mind? I thought that after you stabbed me in the neck like a vampire, that kind of thing couldn''t embarrass you. Maybe you don''t remember anything?"


    Eva was a mystery to him, and that''s why he did what he did. This girl had an extraordinarybination of sass, insanity, shyness, and sweetness.


    "No, no, I don''t know exactly. I remember everything, but it''s still kind of weird. I mean... don''t you get put off by my other side?" Eva timidly muttered.


    "Huh, did it look like I was intimidated? You and I had a bloody feast of madness, and I haven''t felt this good in a long time. Although, of course, it was heavily influenced by the fact that we''re immortal here." Wain uttered.


    "That''s how...are you sure...? Usually, when people see this side of me, they run from me like fire."


    "Yes, that''s a plus rather than a minus for me, but there''s something I don''t understand. Was I fighting you or your other personality a minute ago? Are you one person, or are there two of you? Could it be an effect of your skill?" Wain asked.


    He spected that Eva might have had some kind of mental illness. In Wain''s opinion, this was not surprising, especially given her recent behavior. A split personality was not a unique illness. It was a rare but existing event.


    "What are you talking about? I''m not sick in the head! It''s just... my peculiarity... There''s something unique about every human being, isn''t there?"


    "Of course, so you have to be like that to fight?"


    Eva nodded weakly, "Yes, I''mpletely helpless now. This blindfold helps me focus. I couldn''t really control it before, and it caused many problems. I was doing things I didn''t quite want to do, even though I enjoyed it and wanted to at the same time. However, after the souls came along, everything became easier. Maybe the superpowers helped me with that."


    "Ah... I see..." Wain muttered and scratched the back of his head.


    "What are we going to do now?" Eva asked.


    "I don''t know. Honestly, dying dozens of times in a few hours is pretty exhausting, even if you don''t consider the pain. I want to rest. We need to figure out how to get out of here anyway."


    "I see... but I thought we..." Eva muttered uncertainly.


    "Huh, didn''t you see the message? We are immortal here, but we also have an unlimited amount of time. I''m not sure it''s worth building our rtionship on mutually destroying each other." Wain smiled and sat down by the nearest rock.


    He wasn''t lying and actually wanted to know more about Eva. This girl was unusual, and unlike hundreds of other women he had met in his life, she managed to interest him.


    Wain didn''t know if it was love or trivial curiosity, but he didn''t think about it at that moment.


    Wain forgot about everything except Eva and this space. He didn''t care about discovering the fifth form or fulfilling thest condition for the possibility of a second evolution.


    In his many battles with Eva, Wain had already died more than a hundred times, so the only thing left for him to do was to break the line between life and death. Wain thought that this condition ovepped with the second, but it was not so easy.


    The reason was that Wain didn''t really die and didn''te back to life. An immortal could not die. He could only be seriously wounded and then healed. Of course, a normal person couldn''t stay alive without his head, but not in this situation.


    "Yeah...you''re probably right." Eva walked over to Wain and sat down next to him but didn''t snuggle up to him.<sub> </sub>


    Wain grinned. He liked this modest and shy side of Eva''s. It was unusual for him since hemonly liked bold, strong, and confident girls. Although Evabined two sides of the same coin, maybe that was the main reason Wain looked at her then.


    Maria was aloof. She had no desire to fight or do anything. She was trying to sort herself out and figure out what to do. She was lost and helpless, and the fire in her eyes was slowly going out.


    "Wain, where are you from? What city are you from?" Eva asked after a few minutes of silence.


    "Um... I''m from Overion, and I was there when the apocalypse started."


    "From Overion? Oh, that''s very far away. I''m from Arkadale. Luckily because my town is close to the capital, many people were able to survive."


    "You had help?"


    "Yes." Eva nodded slightly, "Weapons, supplies, military, etc. I didn''t realize it at the time, but zombies and mutated insects are the least problems we encountered. Even a normal person could have killed them if they had some weapon, but panic and fear prevented them from doing so."


    "Hmm, considering your power, you should have activated your Soul Altar the first day."


    "Not really... I''m ashamed to admit it, but I was actually scared when I saw the zombies. What saved me was that my other side kicked in... I took the knife and stabbed it into the monster''s head dozens of times like a madwoman. That day was key. Then I lost control for a while, but I also learned to control it."


    "That''s interesting..."


    "Wain, tell me about yourself. It''s not like you were an ordinary person. You were able to get here and fight me..."


    "Huh, you''re one to talk. I, unlike you, have been shedding blood since before the apocalypse began."


    "What?! Were you killing people before the chaos began?"


    "Yes." Wain replied bluntly, "Does that scare you?"


    "No... or rather... I don''t know. After what I''ve done myself, I''m not sure I have the right to condemn anyone for it. That would be hypocritical, an hour ago, I looked like a crazed homicidal maniac, and I''m not going to deny it."


    "Do you ept yourself as you are?"


    Eva nodded, "I am me, and the rest doesn''t matter. If I fear and avoid myself, how can I go forward? It''s the same as being frightened at the sight of your own shadow."


    "I agree, but sometimes conquering yourself and your fears are the hardest mission. Not everyone can handle it."


    "Yes, but now is the perfect time to ovee yourself and go beyond your limits. I''m sure you''ve done it many times, like me, otherwise you wouldn''t be here."


    Although Eva was sweet and acted shy and insecure, she was pretty tough and determined inside. This third side to Eva pleased Wain even more than the previous ones.


    A strong wind blew, and Eva''s gray hair was partially covered in red ash. They swayed slowly in the wind.


    Wain stared intently into her emerald eyes, and suddenly he heard a loud poundinging from his heart.

 Chapter 272 The Heartbeat

    ''What is it?'' Wain was puzzled.


    Suddenly he felt something new and strange. Wain didn''t know what it was.


    Wain had never really loved anyone. He liked some women, he had slept with them many times, like with Isabe, but love, passion, and lust differed. They were connected, but they could also exist separately and independently.


    Some people believed that many had never even known what true love was in their entire lives. Their idea was that those who thought they were in love might be experiencing banal passion or affection instead of love.


    It was a rather controversial assumption, but such people certainly existed. It was a fact.


    "Ouch!" A piece of ash hit Eva''s eye, and she squinted. Eva wiped her eye with her hand, making it watery.


    Wain stared at her as if mesmerized. Then, for the first time in a long time, he felt insecure. He didn''t understand what was happening to him. Wain had made no secret of his interest in Eva, but suddenly the situation took a forced turn.


    Wain was not used to doubts, and he decided that he would act as he always did, the way he wanted to, without holding himself back.


    He grabbed Eva by the chin, and their emerald eyes met. Eva''s were shining like jewels, and Wain''s were like ancient and deep jade. Eva was puzzled, but she had no time for doubt.


    Wain abruptly knocked her to the floor. A bloody river flowed beside them, so Eva''s back and hair were immediately soaked. She tried to pull away because of this, but suddenly Wain kissed her and pressed her firmly to the ground.


    Eva''s heart was pounding like crazy, echoing Wain''s like two hammers forging threads of passion. She was confused and decided to go with the flow. With each passing moment, she felt better.


    "Ah!" Eva moaned, and her eyes began to change. She changed and smiled predatorily.


    Eva rose sharply and flung Wain to the floor in response.


    "Hey, is that kind of vani tenderness your style? How about we fuck right here and now!" Eva was about to undress, but suddenly Wain stopped her and put his index finger to her lips as if forbidding her to say anything.


    "You said that regardless of your side, you are you. That means that even now, you''re a humble sweet girl on top of which is insolence and craziness, isn''t that right?" Wain said smilingly.


    "What kind of nonsense are you talking!? I never..."


    Wain didn''t let her finish. He kissed her again and pressed her tightly to the ground. Eva tried to resist, but Wain wasn''t about to let her go.


    In time, her eyes changed again, but they were nothing like they had been before. They were a mixture of two sides of Eva''s.


    One side of Eva''s was overly shy and modest, and the other was too bold and edgy. However, now at this point, they had merged.


    "More, don''t stop." Eva said. She did not act as confidently as before, but now she found the strength to say what she thought and wanted.


    Wain said nothing. He answered her call with action.


    They enjoyed each other for a while, then looked at the bloody sky in silence.


    "Wain...does that mean we''re together now?" Eva asked uncertainly.


    "Yes." Wain calmly replied and took Eva''s hand, "Rejection is not epted."


    "I wasn''t going to." Eva smiled, and suddenly there was one message in front of them.


    [Acquired Title - Found a Soulmate]


    [Found a Soulmate<sub> </sub>


    Your heart beats faster than usual, and you have an amazing feeling. You are the lucky one. Not everyone is as lucky as you. Find a soulmate near whom your heart beats pure and sincere as if it were the holy grail. If something happens to your lover, you will know about it].


    Eva blushed. It was too embarrassing. She felt as if they were being watched and someone was peeping.


    ''Don''t look!'' Eva thought to herself and waved her hand, trying to get rid of the message.


    Wain grabbed her hand, "Don''t worry, no one is watching, and even if they are, let them be ashamed!"


    ...


    For the next few days, Wain and Eva didn''t leave each other''s side. It didn''t bother them that they had to pass the test and find a way to get out of here. They enjoyed each other and showed it in all kinds of ways.


    They forgot everything, and the world stopped for them. The hours seemed as short as the minutes to them. It was a blissful and unforgettable feeling.


    "Wain, something''s bothering me..."


    "What is it?"


    "Will we be able to get out of here? Shouldn''t there be only one of us left toplete the ordeal? Even if we find a way to die, we have to kill each other, don''t we?" Eva spoke softly and was despondent. She was scared to think about it.


    "Not necessarily. Each of the trials didn''t have just one obvious way out. There were nine contenders even in the first one, but not everyone had the same path. Some hunted other contestants, some killed one of the Four Kings, some killed hundreds of monsters. I think the situation is simr now."


    "You don''t think only one of us must remain?"


    "Yes, that''s right. But I don''t know how to pass this test. We need to think about it, but we can take our time."


    "§¡? What do you mean?"


    "The flow of time here and in the outside world is very different. We must take advantage of this and hone our skills to the limit. When the test is over in twenty-four hours, something incredible will happen. We don''t know what it is, and we have to be ready for anything."


    "I see. I agree with you. What''s more, I really don''t feel like leaving here right now." Eva said smiling.


    ...


    For the next few weeks, Wain and Eva fought with each other and spent a lot of time together.


    Sometimes they tried to talk to Maria, but she was immersed in her own thoughts and ignored them.


    As time went on, Maria realized that revenge would get her nowhere. She lost her desire to fight Wain and kill him. She had other goals. She wanted to focus on protecting humanity from monsters and members of other races. That was her desire and duty.


    "What are you thinking about?" Wain suddenly asked her. He hadn''t approached Maria in days.


    "What do you care?"


    "Huh, I was just curious. What could you be thinking about for weeks? Maybe you''ve turned to stone?"


    Wain had no intention of killing and fighting Maria now. He was not in the mood for it at this wonderful time, and the desire was gone.


    "I want to protect people and be the guardian of humanity, but something worries me. I''m not sure, and I don''t know what to do."


    "I''m in a good mood today, so I''ll give you one piece of advice." Wain looked at the endless sky and said, "Your heart must not be chained, or you will never be sure of your decisions and the rightness of your actions. Be free, and then boundaries will disappear in front of you."

 Chapter 273 The Fifth Form

    "Freedom? You think that''s the most important thing?" Maria muttered.


    "Huh, of course. Nothing is more important than that. How can you fight when your hands and feet are shackled? The same system works in decision-making. You limit yourself, and you''re afraid of doing the wrong thing. Of course, that way, you don''t make mistakes. However, you''re also missing out on the right options, and that''s a big mistake."


    Maria nodded weakly. Wain''s words pointed her thoughts in another direction. Wain went back to practicing with Eva.


    They didn''t want to leave the ce just yet. Nothing disturbed them, and they weren''t bored yet. They honed their skills and gradually got better. Wain and Eva could not increase their energy levels, butbat experience and skill use were just as important.


    Wain focused on his two new skills, The Serpent''s Step: Tail and Wings of the Bone Terror. These two skills were powerful and had great potential. Wain learned to control better the serpent''s tail and the bone wings.


    Wain also practiced using his forms.


    Bam.


    Wain and Eva exchanged a series of blows, and the girl put her hand forward.


    Eva''s two sides began to blend together in recent days gradually. She was not deprived of them. She had a third side partially open. At this time, she was less shy than usual but also not as harsh and rude as when she transformed.


    "Wait, I need to rest. Let''s call it a day."


    "Sure." Wain said calmly and headed toward the edge of the bloody river.


    There was nothing beyond the slope of the ind. Below was only a blood-red mist and a vast expanse. The bloody river was tumbling down, and somehow it was not running out of liquid.


    Wain tried falling down many times in an attempt to find out what was down there, but he was having no luck. The fog was eating away at his flesh and blood, nothing saved him, and even Eva''s help had no effect.


    This meant that they had toplete the test anyway. Only one whole must remain to pass on and receive the final reward.


    Wain clung to this wording as it was different from, there must be one survivor left. Some other meaning may have been put into it, perhaps sacred and secret, perhaps obvious.


    In any case, Wain had not been able to think of anythingtely. Eva also offered options, but they were unsessful.


    ''Okay, I''ve got forever toe up with a n. Right now, I need to do something else.'' Wain thought, looking at the message hanging in front of him.


    [Your heart began to pound for love, and now you have opened the next form.]


    [The fifth form opened - Knight of the Bloody Rose]


    [Knight of the Bloody Rose


    Most people dream of finding out and feeling what love is. Some people find it easy and fast, but others take years or even decades. Unfortunately, even then, not everyone seeds.


    Once upon a time, a knight set himself the goal of finding love. He trained for a long time and went through serious trials of fortune, but he was able to achieve it. His beloved responded to his feelings, and they began the happiest time of their lives.


    But unfortunately, this is not a story about happiness. In life, not always all ends well, and this is a cruel fact that must be recognized.


    The girl soon died, she was murdered. The knight had to watch his love die in his arms. The girl was bleeding, and herst words were about her love for him, for the roses, and how those flowers were like people and blood. The people were thorns, and the red petals were blood.<sub> </sub>


    The knight took her words as a dying wish. He avenged to her killers, but his journey did not end there. It was only the beginning. From that moment on, the knight went forward and shed blood.


    He was not a madman or a maniac and only killed guilty people or groups. Some of his mostmon victims were bandits.


    Every time he appeared in camps or small towns, those ces were awash in blood within hours. Finally, before he left, he always left a single rose in the pool of blood]


    Wain nodded.


    Each form had unique features and a piece of history. That applied to the Knight of the Bloody Rose as well.


    Wain sighed and decided to activate the new form. Energy gathered around him, and he began to transform.


    His hair turned blue, and his eyes turned amethyst. He wore a light armor of dark metal, covered in spiky gray vines.


    A massive red rosebud blossomed on his chestte, and a ck sword with petal patterns on the de appeared in Wain''s hand. On his back was another rose-shaped symbol, but bloody and spiky.


    Wain stood idle for a while. He was analyzing his new abilities and gaining insight into how to use them.


    "Okay, that''s not bad. The fifth form lived up to my expectations." Wain muttered, and his eyes sparkled.


    He stood low and swung his sword from bottom to top. The sword shed red, and a straight bloody de flew out. It flew a few meters and exploded, scattering sharp drops of blood aside.


    Wain nodded weakly and extended his arm forward. A multitude of spiky vines emerged from beneath the ground. They were from different directions and moving toward one point.


    If there was anyone there, they would have been pierced by dozens of sharp spikes.


    However, that was only part of the fifth form''s abilities. Wain thrust his sword into the ground and began to control the vines with both hands. Rosebuds began to bloom on them, and after a few seconds, they disintegrated into petals.


    The petals slowly fell to the ground and exploded upon contact with it. It was both a single and a mass attack.


    ...


    Wain returned to training with Eva, between which they talked and learned more about each other. Wain, as usual, was secretive and told only a small part of himself. Eva didn''t like that, but it didn''t stop her from talking about herself for hours.


    After a while, Wain knew practically everything about Eva. She had her secrets, sins, minuses, and pluses, just like everyone else. That was a good thing. Wain didn''t like perfect or pseudo-perfect people.


    No one was perfect, and Wain knew that better than anyone else. If a person seemed perfect, it meant that they were already rotten from the inside out. At least that''s what Wain thought.


    Eva asked Wain about his life, but he constantly avoided the conversation or moved on to the values of life.


    After a few weeks, Maria joined them. They were locked in there and couldn''t die. It was inevitable that they wouldmunicate with each other in time as if they were friends.


    In their situation, they had no other options. They could either fight or talk. Wain and Eva were doing something else, though.


    Wain himself unknowingly promoted his idea of the importance of freedom, and gradually, the three of them had the same opinion about it.

 Chapter 274 One Whole

    "Wain, we have to do something." Maria said seriously.


    "What do you mean?"


    "We need to get out of here. It''s been less than a minute in the outside world, but we''ve been here for months. I''m grateful to you for guiding me on the path to freedom, but how can we be free while in an endless cage?"


    "I agree." Eva muttered, "Also, we will start to have problems in time. We''re fine now, but what happens to us if we''re here for a year? Ten years? Fifty? We''ll go crazy. It''s inevitable."


    "Well... It''s really a problem, but I don''t know what we should do. Does anyone have any ideas?" Wain asked.


    "I do!" Eva raised her hand.


    ...


    For the next few hours, they discussed and tried different options. However, nothing worked out for them. Most of the ideas were meaningless or unrealistic, but even the worthy suggestions proved useless.


    "Okay, at least we have amon goal, and we''ll keep working in that direction." Wain said calmly.


    "Yes, if we act together, we will surely find a way out of this situation one day." Maria nodded. She was upset that all their ideas had failed, but hope was still visible in her eyes.


    "It''s like we''re one team! The one whole!" Eva eximed.


    Wain and Maria smiled. They agreed with her and didn''t even notice exactly what she said.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly the ground trembled, and the ind began to split apart. From the ind''s center, where the bloody river flowed, a huge tree with white bark and bare branches quickly grew.


    It was covered in blood, and the river changed its direction. It was divided into hundreds of small streams that circted through the tree, like veins.


    Then Wain, Eva, and Maria saw the messages before them.


    [You have be one in spirit and mind, and now you may receive the final reward in the Sacrificial Tree.]


    They were puzzled.


    "What? Isn''t that too easy?" Maria muttered.


    "No, it''s not." Wain pronounced, "Think about it. Thousands of people came to the ind, and only nine became contenders. Obviously, in such a case, thepetition between us is inevitable and is at a phenomenal level. There were only three contenders left when we got here, and to pass the test, we had to unite in spirit and ideas."


    Eva nodded, "Maria, don''t forget that we''re all lucky to be human. I doubt it would have been possible if a member of another race had been among us."


    "You could call it a series of circumstances, but mostly it''s our merit. If we had continued to fight on and hate each other, we would have aplished nothing. Time would have gone on, and at one point, we would have gone mad." Wain said.


    "It''s strange to hear you talk about teamwork." Maria muttered.


    "Huh, I don''t argue. If we weren''t immortal, the oue would have been different, but the reality was additional. Okay, time to find out what that reward is."


    Maria and Eva nodded and followed him.


    The sacrificial tree looked ancient and majestic. They felt as if they were headed for thest tree in the world. Blood veins sometimes pulsed like the tree was alive.


    The roots of the Sacrificial Tree were massive and thick. Among them was a small cave within which something shone brightly. It was obviously their reward.<sub> </sub>


    "Hey, who''s going to take the reward?" Maria asked.


    "It''s not worth thinking about yet. I''m sure it will be something unusual and extraordinary. Perhaps it will be useless for some, and for some, it will be irreceable. We''ll decide after we''ve seen everything."


    "Of course."


    They saw a glowing fruit hanging from the ceiling on a root as they entered the cave. It was unusual because the fruit looked like a heart. It was even beating slightly.


    Wain touched the fruit and saw the description.


    [Living Heart (Unknown)


    This is a unique fruit that is almost impossible to find. It takes at least one eternity for the Living Heart to appear. This fruit is an anomaly, and it is capable of a natural miracle.


    *It can resurrect the dead. You need at least 10% of the original body.


    If you pluck the fruit, it will spoil in twelve hours, and all its magical properties will be gone]


    Wain was stunned, and Maria and Eva saw this. They touched the fruit, and they trembled, and their eyes went wide.


    Maria''s first thoughts were that she might have resurrected one of her family members. However, tears came to her eyes when she read the full description.


    She realized there was nothing left of her parents long ago. They had not been buried but had been eaten by monsters.


    "Shit!" Maria shouted and fell to her knees.


    "Eva, do you want this fruit?" Wain asked. He knew from Maria''s reaction that the fruit wouldn''t do her any good. It was sad, but they had to decide who got it.


    "No." Eva shook her head.


    Wain nodded. He knew that Eva''s parents had died long before the apocalypse began. It happened when she was in high school. The cause was trivial, a car ident, but terrible and catastrophic consequences.


    Many years had passed since then, and Eva was used to it. It hurt her as much as it did Maria to read the description of the fruit and realize that she wouldn''t be able to resurrect them, but she thought it was even better that way.


    Eva didn''t want to choose between her father and mother. It would have been unbearable torture for her. She loved both of her parents equally, and leaving either of them dead was horrible. She wouldn''t be able to decide who to resurrect.


    "I see, so I''ll take the fruit, but honestly, I don''t know where to apply it." Wain muttered.


    They were in a strange situation. In front of them was a treasure that billions of people worldwide had dreamed of. However, they couldn''t use it. It was both funny and sad at the same time.


    Many thoughts ran through Wain''s mind. He thought about where the heart could be used, but he had no one to resurrect. All of hisrades were alive, and at one point, he saw the image of a tall man with ashy hair and pale gray skin.


    He had one peculiarity, and that was the absence of a heart, and so Wain remembered it. The fruit looked like a heart, and Wain thought of resurrecting a Forgotten. It was the only option, and twelve hours was enough time to reach Overion from the ind.


    Wain made this decision because Forgotten''s body was unnaturally strong. When the clouds disappeared, and the two of them fell from a great height, nothing happened to the wounded and defeated Forgotten.


    Wain wanted to resurrect him and make him his ally. Moreover, he believed that Forgotten knew more about this world than anyone else. He was a mysterious person.


    ''It was a Purgatory zone, and it should have copsed, but does the zone itself disappear? I need to find out about it. Perhaps my idea makes no sense. I won''t have much time, but I''ll give the fruit to Gisle if anything. He''ll probably find a use for it in a second.'' Wain thought and plucked the fruit.

 Chapter 275 Begin Of The End

    Crackle.


    Wain plucked the glowing fruit and moved it to the Ring of Damned. The sacrificial tree shook, and a message appeared before them.


    [Received Title - Passed the Trial of Merge Ind]


    [Passed the Trial of Merge Ind


    You were one of the three candidates who could reach the end and pass the trial. You have not been stopped by anything, neither terrible monsters, invincible enemies, or impossible conditions. Even in the face ofpetition and all-consuming madness, you could find amon path and follow it.


    Keep going and don''t stop, as more serious challenges await you ahead.


    *All stats are increased by 20 points.


    *All attack power is increased by 10%]


    They were surprised, but suddenly another message appeared in front of Wain.


    [Received Title - The One Who Broke the Living Heart]


    [The One Who Broke the Living Heart


    You have be the one who finished the challenge. You have once again be the one who started the catastrophe and the beginning of the end.


    ???]


    ''What does that mean?'' Wain pondered. The description of the second Title was strange and iprehensible.


    ''I am once again the one who started the catastrophe? Hmm, but when I started the apocalypse, I didn''t get any Titles, but doesn''t the message say that?


    ? Wain shook his head and decided to think about itter. Right now, he had no information and had more important things to do.


    Crackle.


    A few seconds after Wain plucked the fruit, the space began to shatter into a multitude of shards.


    Small pools of blood appeared beneath them, which swallowed them up and moved them back to the ind.


    ...


    Wain, Eva, and Maria checked into space with the Blood River for several months, but it was just under one minute for the outside world.


    Considering the second stage, the total time of thest test for the challengers was only a few hours.


    There were still battles between races and monsters on Merge Ind. They couldn''t be contenders, but they could get souls and other useful resources. Merge Ind was the perfect ce to hunt.


    "Gisle, look!" Elsa eximed, pointing to the sky. There appeared several cracks from which blood spurted.


    Their temporary base was not far from the eastern zone, where the Light Wolf had previously dwelt. Gisle had chosen this ce because it was mountainous and rocky terrain, perfect for battles and defense againstrge groups of enemies.


    "This is either the beginning of something great or our end." Gisle muttered.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Seconds before the cracks were to break. A message appeared in front of everyone on the ind.


    [The trial for Merge Ind contenders is over. All but the inhabitants of this world will be banished to their worlds within ten seconds. In twenty-four hours, the *** will begin.]


    "Elsa, gather everyone. We don''t know what''s going to happen now." Gisle quickly gave instructions.


    "Of course."


    ...


    "What''s going on!?" Eximed the angel behind whom the portal appeared. He tried to resist, but the portal sucked him in like a ck hole and returned him to the Angel World.<sub> </sub>


    The same thing started happening to the others. It didn''t matter what they were doing at that moment, fighting, healing, or resting. The portals returned them to their measures, leaving Merge Ind only for the humans.


    They did not want to leave as they hoped to explore and take over the area in a space unknown to them, but their ns were not destined to fruition.


    ...


    While chaos was happening on the ind and people were gathering in groups at the bases of their organizations, Wain, Eva, and Maria were moving back to the ind. The process was quick and should have taken only a few seconds, but it was different for them.


    Their consciousness shut down, and all the events that had urred reyed in their heads once more. Something also happened in Wain''s mind, or rather in his Soul Altar.


    Inside the dark castle, a fifth silhouette appeared on the gray tform. It was the Knight of the Bloody Rose.


    He stood straight in his dark armor, thrusting his sword in front of him. A noble and majestic aura emanated from him. He looked like a knight of the king and the strongest of all.


    "There are five of us already, and the crack is gradually widening. Damn, why did only the swordsman get his voice to him?" ck Sun Aristocrat eximed.


    "Huh, are you jealous?" Blind Sorcerer said smiling.


    "You worry too much. Everyone has a path, including him. He must go forward. It will also be our advancement." Knight of the Bloody Rose uttered.


    "Yes, I agree. When the tform is destroyed, we can perhaps find out how many more obstacles remain." The Cursed Swordsman spoke slowly, exhaling icy steam.


    "There''s not much left before the tform breaks. He has to take the second step, and it will be soon enough." Said the Code of Light and Darkness floating in the air.


    ...


    Crackling.


    The three massive cracks in the sky increased in size and were ready to break at any moment. A great deal of blood poured out of them, and then three of them appeared.


    Gisle and the other members of Last Light immediately noticed Wain.


    "Huh, I didn''t even doubt that but why three of them?" Gisle muttered.


    He had never seen Eva or Maria, and through his knowledge of the other races and Pirs, he could determine that they too were the humans.


    Gisle knew that there were only nine applicants; he had no information about the rest of the trial. He figured that the other applicants had disappeared through the portals like the others.


    Whoooooosh.


    Gisle pulled his katana from its sheath, and the wind swirled around the weapon. Then the me sign on his palm lit up, and the red fire became one with the wind. Gisle raised his katana high up and released the umted momentum.


    A whirlwind of fire headed toward him, and everyone on the ind saw it. Wain was no exception. That sh caught his attention, and as he looked closer, he saw Gisle.


    ''He''ll always find a way to find me,'' Wain smiled.


    They were a few dozen feet above the ground, but it wasn''t a problem.


    Bam.


    Wain, Eva, and Maria reached the ground a few secondster. The girls acted more carefully. They clung to tree branches and descended in a few jumps.


    Wain did not make up his mind. He fell like a statue with a crash, and the ground beneath him cracked.


    Falling from such a height was only slightly painful, but it was a pleasant tingle after what Wain had experienced in the Eternal Blood River.


    "Where shall we go?" Eva asked, looking around.


    "To my friend." Wain said confidently and took her hand.


    Maria was pondering; she didn''t know whether she should have followed them or gone her own way as before. However, after some hesitation, she followed Wain and Eva.


    She decided to do so because she was sure that Wain''s friends were as strong as him. That way, she could learn more about the world situation and how to help those in need. This was her main goal for Maria, and she didn''t want to give it up.

 Chapter 276 Opponents

    Wain, Eva, and Maria reached the base of Last Light a few minutes after the end of a trial.


    When Gisle saw them, he waved, "Wain, it''s good to see you, as always."


    Next to Gisle were several members of Last Light. Among them were Elsa, Grut, Teresa, and Isabe. They also noticed Wain and wanted to ask him about what had happened.


    "Yes, it was a difficult experience. I even thought I would stay there forever."


    Gisle nodded. He looked at Eva and said, "Would you like to introduce us?"


    "Yeah, of course." Wain said, but Eva beat him to it.


    She bowed and said, "Hello, my name is Eva Noir. I''m Wain''s girlfriend."


    Gisle expected to hear anything but that. The others were also shocked, especially Isabe and Teresa.


    They all thought that if Wain ever had a lover, she would at least be a cold and formidable girl. More often than not, they imagined her as an insane psychopath that only Wain could tame.


    But, their fantasies shattered into many shards of reality.


    "Likewise, Gisle Enge." Gisle muttered and, pointing at Maria, asked, "Who''s that? Have you decided to create a harem?"


    "That''s a funny joke. That''s Maria, and she''s a hero."


    ...


    They talked and exchanged opinions and ideas about the ind for the next hour. Wain only had twelve hours before the fruit went bad, but he understood that he had time to discuss the current situation.


    No one knew what would happen in twenty-four hours. Some were afraid of it, others were waiting and wishing to see the change.


    Gisle also spent some time with Maria. This girl proved to be strong and determined. He listened carefully to her ideas and desires.


    Gisle was not a kind man. He could do certain bad things when necessary. It was a quality he had always had, but he had fully mastered that skill after he became the leader of the strongest organization in town.


    However, he liked Maria''s desire. She wanted to use her power to help and protect people. There was nothing wrong with that, which was beneficial to everyone.


    Gisle could point Maria''s power in the right direction and show her how to make the most of it. She was useful because she could partially solve two problems at the same time.


    First, Maria was powerful. Even Wain mentioned it when they talked. She was the first contender, and that amazed everyone. Maria wanted to help people but also acted rather aloof.


    Gisle could quickly integrate her into the organization, show her where and who needed help, and teach her how to do it. That way, he would get a strong and confident ally for free while helping those who didn''t have the time or resources. It was a win-win situation.


    All Gisle had to do was convince Maria to join them. He did it with no problem. After a few minutes, she asked him to give her the opportunity.


    ''Huh, Maria is a real treasure, but Wain is an amazing man. He has brought such powerful and useful people to me several times now, and I am sure it was not his purpose, all due to coincidence. He is like a treasure hunter, and I, as a gem appraiser, find a use for them.'' Gisle thought.


    "Excuse me. I need to step back." Eva said, bowed slightly, and headed toward the rocks in the distance.


    The others nodded and continued their discussion. However, Isabe left as well. She followed Eva.


    "Gisle, where is Agnes? I need to ask her something, and I can also use the ne if necessary?"


    "Hmm? Why would you need that?"


    "I may need to go back to Overion for a while. Without a ne, it will be difficult to do that."<sub> </sub>


    "Hmm, okay, no problem. I''ve decided not to go back to Overion until 24 hours have passed. If anything happens, Merge Ind will definitely be in its center. However, before you go, let me know. Elsa and Va will go with you. Someone has to keep an eye on the town while I''m gone."


    "Sure, so where''s Agnes?"


    "Over there." Gisle said and pointed to the highest mountain in the west, "She said she would go there to meditate. I don''t argue the ce is quite suitable, but it''s too ufortable."


    "Huh, that''s her style. Okay, I''ll go to her ce. I''ll see you back here in twenty-four hours. I hope we stay alive after that." Wain smirked and jumped up sharply. He moved from low rocks to higher rocks like a ck sh, gradually moving toward the mountain.


    "Damn, as usual, hees, wins, goes. I wish things were as easy for me as they are for Wain." Teresa muttered, shaking her head.


    "Don''t be ridiculous." Gisle muttered, "Even to pass the first stage of the challenge. You had to have unique abilities to collect a million minutes. I don''t know what happened next, but it definitely wasn''t an easy walk. Right?" Gisle looked at Maria.


    "Yes, you''re right. The second and third tests were difficult and even impossible toplete.


    "Maria, please tell me more about that." Elsa asked, "I want to know more about the ind and the trials. Wain is unlikely to want to exin anything to me."


    "Well, you''re right. I don''t mind, but I don''t know what was going on during Eva and Wain''s second trial. We were in different groups."


    ...


    While Maria talked to Gisle and Elsa, and Wain headed over to Agnes meditating on the mountain, Isabe was left alone with Eva among the white rocks.


    "Oh, I''m sorry, did you want something? Isabe, right?" Eva said upon seeing Isabe.


    "Yes, that''s right. Eva, are you really Wain''s girlfriend?" Isabe asked seriously, and her eyes sparkled with lightning.


    Eva nodded, "Honestly, I didn''t see iting myself, but I couldn''t resist, especially when he was so pushy."


    ''Damn, what does he see in her?! Isabe eximed to herself, ''She''s a gray mouse. Is that the kind of girl Wain likes? No, it can''t be. Not only is she quiet, but she''s not sexy at all. Her breasts and ass are times smaller than mine. She probably isn''t ready or capable of more than a kiss.''


    "Eva, are you sure of your decision? Wain is a strong but cruel man. Speaking of which, when did you manage to meet?"


    "During the ordeal. We''ve had forever, but it was enough a few months for us to know enough about each other." Eva said, and her cheeks flushed.


    ''What the hell is she talking about?'' Isabe thought. She didn''t know that Eva wasn''t lying and that they had actually had an eternity.


    "Did you want to ask me something?"


    "Yes, you''re not the only one who likes Wain. An inconspicuous and quiet girl like you doesn''t stand a chance of keeping him!"


    "What? You''re in love with him, too?"


    "Yes, and unlike you, we''ve gone much further than holding hands and tender kisses. Huh, we slept together the first night." Isabe grinned.


    She wasn''t exactly in love with Wain. She liked men like him, strong, confident, and cruel. In her opinion, Wain was the best candidate.


    Isabe was sure he had a fleeting crush on Eva. She thought that Eva was incapable of satisfying him.


    She was about to leave, but suddenly Eva stopped her by putting a hand on her shoulder. Eva''s eyes were cold and violent.


    "Asshole whore, repeat what you just said to my face." Eva''s voice was like it wasing from hell, "You''re nothing but a pathetic piece of meat that can only be fucked. Compared to me, you''re a pathetic little bug. You can''t even imagine what we did to him!"

 Chapter 277 A Chance At Resurrection

    "What?" Isabe muttered in shock. She didn''t understand why Eva had suddenly changed so drastically.


    "Are you deaf?" Eva said rudely and turned Isabe toward her.


    Isabe was horrified at the sight of Eva. She no longer looked like a quiet and shy girl. Her eyes were as mad as the expression on her face.


    "You''re a psycho!"


    Isabe began to understand why Wain had chosen Eva. It was in his style and exceeded even their wildest expectations.


    "We''re all insane. Just in different degrees." Eva said, smiling, and pulled Isabe to her. She grabbed her neck with one hand and her breasts with the other, "You have pretty big tits. I like men more, but I don''t mind trying it with a girl like you. What do you say?"


    Isabe couldn''t answer as Eva miscalcted her strength and squeezed Isabe''s neck too hard. She realized this and let her go. Isabe fell to the ground and tried to catch her breath. She looked at Eva with a menacing look, but Eva saw it as something other than resentment.


    "Bitch, are you getting horny?" Eva muttered, licking her lips.


    Isabe flinched. She couldn''t believe that Eva had somehow figured it out. She couldn''t let Eva think she was right.


    "What kind of nonsense are you talking about? Who could even get turned on by something like that? That''s natural violence!" Isabe eximed.


    In a normal situation, her words would have been true. Eva was actually being rude and could cause harm with her actions, but this situation was far from normal.


    Whoooosh.


    Eva threw Isabe to the floor and roughly took her by the chin, "Don''t lie. You can''t fool me, I get just as turned on as you do, but unlike me, you can only obey."


    Isabe didn''t know what to answer. Eva saw right through her, and she looked bossy and cruel at that moment. Isabe could not fight back but tried to fight Eva off.


    Isabe punched her, but Eva easily stopped her hand with one finger. The difference in their strength was enormous, and Eva would take advantage of it.


    "You''re resisting, aren''t you? I like it even better that way, though." Eva squeezed Isabe''s neck again.


    She didn''t spare her and used enough force to make tearse out of Isabe''s eyes in a few seconds. Isabe tried to fight back, but her blows were like mosquito bites to Eva.


    Eva smiled and loosened her grip slightly. Isabe wanted to take a deep breath, but Eva suddenly kissed her. Isabe''s eyes widened in shock, but she no longer tried to pull Eva away from her. She didn''t know how to react or what to do about such a situation. It was crazy.


    p Eva was taking advantage of her weaknesses, and Isabe couldn''t help that she was enjoying it. She was a prisoner of her feelings and cravings.</anda>


    "Isabe, don''t you want to be my bitch? I''m Wain''s bitch, and you''ll be mine. We''ll have a vertical love triangle. Wouldn''t that be fascinating?"


    "What are you... I... I need to think." Isabe was embarrassed and threw Eva off herself and ran away.


    Eva wasn''t going to stop her. She liked the fact that the bold and confident Isabe was acting like an insecure girl in front of her.


    After a few seconds, Eva''s eyes returned to normal, and she covered her face with her hands, "What have I done? I was supposed to be friends with Wain''s friends, not fighting with them. I hope Isabe doesn''t resent me too much."


    ...


    It took Wain quite a while to get to the top of the biggest mountain. He had to jump between the rocks and climb them like a rock climber.


    Agnes was sitting in a lotus pose on the edge of the cliff. She heard someoneing and turned around.


    "Oh, Wain, it''s you." Agnes said smiling slightly.<sub> </sub>


    "Yes, I have a question for you. It has to do with the Purgatory zones."


    "Sure, I''ll tell you everything I know."


    "That zone you and I met in. You said it had to be destroyed after I took Soul Pearl from there. I want to know if the space remains in that case, or does it also disappear?"


    "Hmm, if you want to go there, you can do it. However, right now, the ce is nothing more than ruins floating in the air. After Soul Pearl disappears from the Purgatory zone, it is destroyed, it''s true, but that applies to the things in the zone and the energy.


    It is as if a small has copsed. There is nothing alive on it anymore, but the wreckage keeps floating in space. It''s the same situation in this case." Agnes muttered.


    "I see." Wain nodded, "The entrance to the Purgatory area is in the same ce as before?"


    "Yes, it''s there forever now. Only some sort of spatial anomaly can interfere with it, but I''d hurry anyway if I were you. Anything can happen in Purgatory."


    "Okay, I''ll hurry then. I won''t get in your way." Wain said, and his silhouette blurred. He headed back toward Gisle.


    Agnes nodded and continued to meditate. She felt peaceful and calm in this ce. Unlike the others, she had no goal of bing one of the pretenders and getting the ind''s greatest treasure.


    She wanted a challenge and to be one with nature. Merge Ind was perfectly suited to fulfill these goals.


    "It''s strange, even though this is the calmest ce on the ind, I''m excited... This rarely happens to me, would change be a disaster?" Agnes muttered, thinking about the 24-hour timer.


    ...


    "Gisle, where''s the ne?" Wain asked.


    "Behind that rock, Va should be there. She''ll exin it to you. Elsa, go with him." Gisle said, pointing north.


    Elsa nodded.


    "Wain, where are you going?" Eva asked. After ''talking'' with Isabe, she went back to the camp.


    "Overion, I won''t be long, at least I hope so. Before the changes start, I''ll be back."


    Wain and Eva were a couple, and he wouldn''t give that up. Eva was a unique girl and the only one who could make his heart beat so hard and so often. However, that didn''t mean he had to spend every second with her.


    He had his personal affairs, and so did she. Wain believed that everyone should have space. He didn''t think it was necessary to be with his love twenty-four hours a day.


    It was fraught with the risk of people getting bored with each other, not right away, but time passes quickly. Wain wasn''t about to make such stupid and unnecessary mistakes.


    "I see. I''ll stay here, for now, I want to get to know everyone." Eva said smiling.


    "You are always wee here." Gisle muttered.


    Isabe didn''t answer anything. She asionally looked at Eva and twirled her hair around her finger as if she were thinking about something.


    Eva''s presence made her unnaturally calm and insecure. Eva wanted to talk to her and apologize for what had happened, but she didn''t think it was the best time.


    ''Did something happen between Eva and Isabe? Well, it''s none of my business anyway.'' Wain thought and headed for the ne.


    He had about ten hours left and was determined to resurrect Forgotten.

 Chapter 278 Running Light

    "Wain, I''ll take control of the ne." Elsa said, stepping into the cockpit.


    "Of course." Wain muttered and took a pre-prepared whiskey from the shelf. He knew the flight would be several hours long, so he took one bottle from the stockroom.


    Wain had never denied himself the pleasure of a good drink or smoke. Any doctor would have advised him to give up these were bad habits, but could doctors give any other advice?


    "Decided to brighten up the flight?" Va asked. Just as Gisle had said, she went with Wain and Elsa to Overion. She sat by the window and pondered.


    "Sure, you want to join us?" Wain asked, opening the bottle.


    Va nodded slightly and slid the ss toward him. She worried that the appearance of the ind was only the beginning. She was worried about what would happen in twenty-four hours, but she tried not to show it.


    Crackle.


    Wain threw three ice cubes each into the sses and held one ss to Va. She took it and took a small sip with a sigh. Wain was not so patient, drank it all at once, and immediately poured a new portion.


    "Aren''t you afraid of getting intoxicated? This ne is very fast. We''re only a few hours away."


    "Huh, you don''t have to think about me. You better worry about yourself. Do you really think we''ll stop at one drink?"


    "Of course not, but the bottle isn''t endless." Va said, smiling, and took another sip.


    "I wouldn''t be so sure if I were you." Wain muttered, and the ring on his finger glowed brightly with a green light.


    Three more bottles appeared on the table.


    "Oh, shit, I guess I was so sure for nothing."


    ...


    Va knew how to drink, but she was still far from Wain''s level. When the first bottle was empty, Va could no longer drink any more, even though she had not drunk more than a quarter.


    Wain was upset that Va had given up so quickly, but didn''t stop. Even though he had eternity at his disposal a few hours ago, he could not feel rxed in the Blood River. He was in a cage and remembered it all the time, though he tried not to think about it.


    ''I must resurrect a Forgotten and return to the ind as soon as possible. By the way, I opened the fifth form, but I didn''t look where the sixth form should be.'' Wain thought and concentrated.


    [Nameless King''s Forms (First Chronicle Active Skill, Legendary Rating)


    ]


    [This skill hides forms of incredible power and limitless potential. You partially unlocked this skill and gained ess to five forms: Code of Light and Darkness, Cursed Swordsman, Blind Sorcerer ck Sun Aristocrat, and Knight of the Bloody Rose. You''ve already advanced on your path, but that''s just the beginning.


    To unlock the next form, you must meet the following conditions -


    [You must find the Running Light lurking in the forgotten forest of elves.]


    ''Hmm, this time, the description is more urate. What could it mean?'' Wain pondered and tried to feel where the energy waves wereing from. However, Wain could not figure out the exact direction. It was as if the waves were too far away, and he needed to get closer.


    ''Strange, that hadn''t happened before. Okay, I''ll have to ask Reto about it. Maybe he knows something.''


    Tremble.


    Suddenly the ne shook, and Elsa stepped out of the cockpit.


    "We''re here." Elsa said.


    "Great, I didn''t even notice how we arrived. Va, wake up." Wain muttered and left the ne.<sub> </sub>


    Elsanded in the square at the main base of Last Light, located on the east side of the city. It was here that Wain first met Gisle, and it was the beginning of the organization.


    One hundred of Last Light''s most important and strongest members went to the ind, except for one. Lea remained in Overion, as she was able to begin her second evolution because of the masterpiece she created.


    Wain was happy for her and not just because she was a cksmith. Lea was often depressed and whined a lot about her failures, but she kept working and trying. Otherwise, she would not have been able to create two masterpieces.


    ''Eh, Lea will probably be the first person to evolve twice. Okay, I''ve already met two of the three conditions. I''ll probably join her soon. Gotta get back to theb.'' Wain thought and headed toward the park.


    There was an undergroundb where he found Zero and the others and the spatial rift he needed.


    The park was also the first Nest that Wain visited. There he fought a strong robot samurai and barely won.


    ...


    Wain made it to the park in a few minutes, and he saw an unusual scene. He hadn''t been here in a long time and didn''t know that this Nest had been altered long ago to suit the organization''s needs.


    Members of the organization with low levels fought monsters here. They trained, grew stronger, and some even gained skills.


    Security was assured. The park was divided into several zones, each supervised by one fairly strong man. If a monster won the battle and there was a mortal danger to life, the watcher would intervene.


    However, the observer would simply stop the fight and take the wounded participant aside in such a case. The watcher didn''t touch the monster, they got souls for their work and had no right to influence the process. Their main task was to ensure safety.


    This position suited the robot samurai. They were different from most monsters and preferred fair and just battles.


    "Hello, are you one of the neers?" Asked a man with sses standing at the entrance to the park.


    He was the ce manager and was in charge of all the basic processes. He was responsible for distributing the collected souls, the letting in and letting out of members, and other tasks.


    "No, I haven''t been a rookie for a long time."


    "Hmm? Are you an observer? I wasn''t warned about you?"


    "I am Wain Norheim."


    Wain decided not to prolong their pointless conversation and said his name. His n worked, and the manager nodded meaningfully and let Wain inside.


    He could havee in from the other side, but it was coincidental that they met.


    Wain ran past the fighting neers and entered theb. No one had gone in there since the members took out everything of value long ago, and there were no monsters there.


    Wain reached the room where he fought the dark and poisonous beast, and his Seal of Darkness glowed brightly.


    He stepped forward, and the wall turned to ink. Wain found himself in a spatial rift where a massive gate of bone arms already awaited him. It was the entrance to the Purgatory Zone.


    Compared to it, his ice gate seemed small and insignificant. The aura emanating from this gate was mesmerizing and terrifying.


    There were several cracks in the gate, a sign that there was no longer a Soul Pearl in the area.


    Wain stepped forward and, a few secondster, found himself on a wreck floating in space. As Agnes had said, the area had been destroyed and was now like a ruin hanging in the air.


    Suddenly chains appeared out of thin air and chained Wain. He didn''t even have time to react.

 Chapter 279 Soaring Into The Void

    Wain''s Stats were unnaturally high for a First Chronicle creature. They were several dozen of First Chronicle''s limit. The Purgatory zone he entered was for Primary Chronicle creatures, so chains appeared next to him.


    This didn''t happenst time, as Wain''s power wasn''t that great.


    There were many chains, and theypletely enveloped Wain. He couldn''t move his arm, and it didn''t matter how much strength he applied.


    [Your strength does not meet the standards of this zone. All of your stats are lowered by 10%]


    Whooooosh.


    The chains prated Wain''s body and shackled him. However, he was not upset. On the contrary, Wain was puzzled.


    ''I assumed that could happen. However, why only ten percent? It''s too little, isn''t it? Hmm, perhaps it''s all about the state of the zone?''


    This area of Purgatory had long since been destroyed from within and deprived of a Soul Pearl. This greatly weakened the power of the chains and the spatial barrier.


    The weaker the zone, the weaker was its deterrent against invaders. This rule worked for all zones in the World of Darkness.


    Wain nodded and concentrated. This zone was originally small, but the amount of debris and soaring ruins still numbered in the thousands.


    ''I buried Forgotten''s body not far from the pagoda. The rubble in which he is buried must be near the ruins of the pagoda.'' Wain pondered.


    He was sure that nothing had happened to Forgotten''s body. A few months was not enough time for a normal person''s body to have rotted awaypletely. Forgotten was much stronger. Wain assumed the body was in perfect condition.


    Wain had difficulty defeating Forgotten despite the fact that he was missing his heart, was exhausted, and was far from his peak form. Wain, on the other hand, outdid himself in that battle.


    ''I wonder what his real strength is?


    Whooooooosh.


    He jumped on the nearest rubble and headed toward the pagoda. Wain felt as if he were in space and moving between asteroids.


    Wain made it to the pagoda, but he didn''t know which of the debris floating around it he wanted.


    ''That''s the one...''


    His gaze fell on one wreck, it was no different from the others, but to Wain, it was special. He looked closely at the tree and remembered that he had buried Forgotten there.


    Bam.


    Wain jumped and delivered a powerful blow breaking the asteroid into several pieces.


    Just as he had anticipated, Forgotten was buried there. His body floated slowly in the air among the small debris and the wood under which he was.


    Forgotten had not changed a bit. He had long ashy hair and pale skin. One of his eyes was ck, and the other was white. He wore a gray robe with a picture of a dragon on it.


    Wain jumped toward him andnded on arge splinter. Even now, Forgotten looked strong and majestic. Even though he had been dead for a long time, his body did not smell. A noble and powerful aura emanated from him.


    He still held his partially rusted sword firmly in his right hand.


    "All right, it''s time to resurrect my strongest foe." Wain said seriously, and the Ring of Damned glowed brightly.


    In his hand appeared a fruit more resembling a heart. Wain nodded and, with a sharp movement, inserted the Living Heart into the hole in Forgotten''s chest.


    Tremble.


    There was an energy surge. It was like hundreds of golden threads emanating from the heart. They spread out in every direction and plunged into the Forgotten''s flesh. Then the energy exploded once more and threw Wain aside.


    A beam of energy erupted from the Forgotten''s, piercing the clouds and even space. It shook as if it were ready to copse at any moment. However, the energy returned, and Forgotten took its first breath after the resurrection.


    Every cell of his body rejoiced and filled with life. His hair was white as snow, his body was bnced and harmonious, and his eyes were a bright yellow, like the color of a superior amber.


    Energy went to his sword, and the rust evaporated under the bright light. The sword became longer and more proportionate. Small particles of ash began to emanate from the weapon and his hair, like a remnant from an eternal me.


    Then Wain realized that Forgotten was a representative of one of the Pirs. He was Ashen and the one who had chosen the side of ash over a me.<sub> </sub>


    "What...? Where am I?" Forgotten muttered, looking at the floating wreckage.


    He slowly rose, and on one asteroid, he saw a tall man with ck hair and wearing a dark, long cloak. His emerald eyes were deep and terrifying as the abyss.


    Forgotten remembered this man, for he was thest person he saw in his life.


    He rose slowly and smiled weakly, "Could you work a miracle?"


    "Yes." Wain replied confidently.


    Not only could the Living Heart resurrect a man, but it could also bring him back into perfect form. Forgotten was now in his peak form. The fruit restored his strength and unleashed his potential.


    Wain was thrilled by what was happening, but not just because he had seeded. Several messages were floating in front of him.


    [Received Title - One who Created the Miracle]


    [One who Created the Miracle


    Many people dream of the power of resurrection. With this power, it was possible to bring back to life those who should not have died, rtives, or those unjustly killed. But, such power was nothing more than fiction and a fantasy brought about by a harsh reality.


    But, you were able to transcend this boundary.


    *All skills are increased by 10%


    *Majesty increased by 1]


    That was just part of it.


    [Resurrection is not only a miracle but also proof that you were able to break the boundary between life and death.]


    [To be able to evolve a second time, you had to meet the following conditions.


    [Obtain Legendary Rating Soul: 1/1


    [Break the line between life and death: 1/1


    [Know what death is a hundred times: 100/100]


    [You can start the second evolution at any time.]


    ''Great, today is definitely my day.''


    "Why did you do that?" Forgotten asked. He was grateful to Wain, but he wanted to know the reason why Wain chose to spend such a treasure on him.


    Wain shrugged his shoulders in response, "Such were the circumstances. However, I had one good reason. I want you to join me."


    Forgotten nodded, "Of course, I don''t mind."


    He made this decision not only because Wain resurrected him, but also because he had no goals. He had spent thest part of his life protecting Soul Pearl and this space, but now he was free to do whatever he wanted.


    Whoooooosh.


    Suddenly, several chains appeared around Forgotten, intent on enveloping him and Wain.


    However, Forgotten smiled weakly and swung his sword smoothly. His hair rose in the air, and his sword shed.


    Cracks appeared in the chains, and many fragments fell at Forgotten''s feet.


    ''Damn, how strong is he?'' Wain pondered.


    Even the angel who had invaded Luar''s Void couldn''t resist the chains, but Forgotten shattered the chains of the Purgatory zone, no problem.

 Chapter 280 The Beginning Of The End

    "I''ll join you. I see you''ve made good progress in the World of Darkness, Nameless." Forgotten said smiling, "But, I want you to fulfill one request of mine."


    "What do you want?"


    "What is your real name? It''s important for me to know."


    Forgotten''s request seemed strange to Wain, but he didn''t mind.


    "Wain Norheim."


    "That''s not a bad name."


    "Don''t you want to say your name back?"


    Forgotten shook his head, "Sorry, the past me died a long time ago, and I don''t talk about our battle. Today I am reborn and have a new life. Keep calling me Forgotten. It certainly suits me."


    "I couldn''t agree more. Okay, we should get out of here." Wain said, and his Seal of Darkness glowed.


    He wanted to open a dimensional passageway and take Forgotten into his Void. Forgotten had already looked at Wain''s card.


    "Yes." Forgotten nodded.


    Wain headed for the spatial rift, but suddenly space shook violently.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Forgotten and Wain became alert. The sky began to break apart like a broken mirror, and a man with coal-ck skin, white eyes, and wavy gray hair fell onto one of the asteroids. He was wearing a torn cloak.


    The Invader looked at Wain, and his silhouette blurred. A momentter, he appeared in front of Wain. In his hand was a ck curved dagger. He was about to kill Wain and swung the weapon from top to bottom.


    Invader''s speed was phenomenal. Before Wain even realized it, the dagger''s de was already at his head. He had no time to defend himself or dodge.


    Whooooooosh.


    Suddenly another de appeared in front of him, a gray sword with particles of ash emanating from it. Forgotten swung the sword and fended off the attacker.


    "Is that Pearl Hunter?" Wain asked warily.


    "Yes, but why did he show up here? There hasn''t been a Soul Pearl in this area for a long time." Forgotten muttered.


    "Perhaps it''s because of me. I recently absorbed three Soul Pearls." Wain uttered.


    "I see, in which case it makes sense." Forgotten wanted to ask Wain under what circumstances this happened, but it didn''t matter now.


    The Invader looked at his dagger and said slowly, "Ashen? What are you doing here? Moreover, you went the way of ashes instead of mes. I wonder..."


    "Huh, there is no other way."


    Whooooooosh.


    Suddenly dark chains appeared next to the Invader. The space in this area was severely weakened, especially because of the recent energy surge, so he could get in here despite his strength.


    However, Invader like Forgotten was able to destroy the chains. He swung his dagger several times, and hundreds parts fell to the ground.


    Invader doubted whether he should have continued the battle. Forgotten repulsed his attack and left a significant scratch on his dagger. Invader was much stronger than Wain, but Forgotten superior him.


    ''That Ashen is strong, but that guy doesn''t seem to be a threat. I need to kill him and absorb the energy of Soul Pearls lurking within him. If I''m fast enough, it might work. Invader thought, and his aura began to intensify.


    He decided to activate his Beyond. Invader is used to winning quickly and sharply, and this time was no exception.


    A white seal of two des appeared on his head, and a replica of his dagger appeared in his other hand. A dense, dark aura emanated from his cloak, and his eyes grew deeper and colder.


    Wain frowned and was about to activate a Beyond in response, but suddenly Forgotten waved his hand in front of him.


    "Wait, there''s no need for that. Let me repay you for your help. Last time we fought, you won, but I wasn''t at my best, you know that."<sub> </sub>


    "Yes, your current power and your past power... there''s an insurmountable difference between them."


    Forgotten nodded, "But, not only that. I don''t want to offend you, but I could barely see youst time. I was blind in one eye and could hardly see in the other. You were practically a moving blur to me. Just watch."


    Forgotten didn''t use his a Beyond. He didn''t need to.


    Wain had previously encountered creatures stronger than First Chronicle. He could definitely tell that Invader and Forgotten were Second Chronicle, and they were at the limit of that stage. Wain was strong, but he couldn''t face creatures with that power.


    No matter how strong the Primary Chronicle monster was, even the strongest of the billions of creatures from this Chronicle. There is no way it could win against Wain. In this case, the situation was simr.


    "Do you think your sword can stop me? You won''t even see your heade off your shoulders." Invader said coldly.


    Forgotten only smiled weakly and spoke softly, "You are ignorant."


    Invader frowned and stepped forward. It was like ck lightning headed toward Forgotten. Wain couldn''t see anything. It was too fast.


    The ck lightning met Forgotten, and a loud cracking sound was heard.


    Invader was behind Forgotten, but a thin line of blood was on his forehead a momentter.


    Bam.


    The two halves of the Invader''s body fell to the ground. As they collided, Forgotten sliced him in two in one motion.


    Forgotten swung his sword, knocking down the few remaining drops of blood, and the red soul from the Invader''s corpse headed toward him.


    "Huh, what was that? Weren''t you about equally strong?" Wain muttered.


    "You''re right, he was just as near the limit of Second Chronicle as I was, but he doesn''t know how to use his power. He certainly could have cut off my arm or inflicted more severe injuries if he''d done it right. Wain, stats are far from everything, though you''ll soon find out for yourself."


    Wain nodded. He roughly understood what Forgotten was talking about.


    "We should get out of here."


    "Yes, one minute. I want to enjoy this view onest time. I''m noting back here again." Forgotten said. There was sadness and bitterness in his voice about losing this ce.


    ...


    After a while, they were in a spatial rift, and Wain gave Forgotten the key to his area.


    "Thank you. It is always nice to know that you are trusted."


    "Forgotten, doesn''t it bother you that I''m a human?" Wain asked. He was sure Forgotten knew that.


    "No, not at all. Once upon a time, I was acquainted with one a human. You are the second. Eh, this world is full of lies."


    "I see." Wain muttered and entered the gate.


    He introduced Forgotten to his allies and told them that something would happen in twenty-four hours.


    Wain also asked them about the ind, but no one, not even Forgotten, knew anything about it.


    "Forgotten, I''m going back to the ind, would you like toe with me? I think we could use your power there. Here you are restrained by the World of Darkness." Wain asked.


    "Sure, but you said this ind is very far away. How do we get there? By water?"


    "Huh, don''t worry. I have a quick way."


    "Sorry to distract you, but when youe back, Forgotten, could you teach me the art of the sword?"


    "Sure, I like your attitude."

 Chapter 281 The Countdown

    Forgotten was a swordsman, and it was his calling. He devoted himself to the art of the sword and mastered swordsmanship at an excellent level.


    Frigus also used the sword inbat, his style was different since he was armed with paired des, but he still wanted to learn something from Forgotten.


    He was a master, and his every move was honed hundreds or thousands of times. Over the course of so much training, he had gained invaluable experience and knowledge that was only avable to him.


    "Would you like to spar? Huh, in that case, I''ll join you too, butter." Wain said and entered the spatial rift.


    Forgotten nodded and followed him.


    They ended up in theb and headed for the ne.


    ''Hmm, strange, the chains didn''t bind Forgotten. Perhaps it only works on the ind? In that case, isn''t the ind a separate space?'' Wain pondered looking at Forgotten, whom the world did not put any pressure on.


    Wain informed Elsa that he was taking the ne and headed for the ind. Elsa and Va decided to stay in town since one of the leaders had to be here, especially at this time. No one knew what would happen in a few hours, and in case of danger, they had to protect their people.


    ...


    Tremble.


    The ne shook, and theynded near the camp of Last Light.


    "Where''s Gisle?" Wain asked, approaching Clovis.


    He didn''t see anyone from the main cast, of the people he knew, only Clovis, the man with the soul of a lumberjack, was left.


    "Oh, Wain, how good to see you!" Clovis eximed.


    There were few people in the camp, only a few people, not counting Clovis. This rmed Wain. It could be a big problem if something happened to Gisle and the others.


    "What happened? Where is everyone?"


    "They''re in the middle of the ind. Gisle decided it was urgent to establish power on the ind before twenty-four hours had passed. They have to fight the other organizations who came to the ind now." Clovis said quickly.


    Not only did Last Light arrive on Merge Ind, but other people from towns where the map appeared or where they were able to collect all three pieces.


    Gisle wanted to haveplete control of the ind. He had expected to deal with it a littleter, but the twenty-hour timer forced him to force the issue. By the time disaster struck, he had to haveplete control of the ind. Otherwise, chaos would ensue.


    "I see."


    "Looks like I have another battle to fight for today." Forgotten muttered, and his aura began to intensify.


    Whoooosh.


    Suddenly chains appeared in the air and shackled him. They sensed his intentions and must have lowered his strength to optimal levels. Forgotten tried to resist, he could not break the chains, but he easily dodged them.


    But, the chains sped up considerably and restrained him, lowering his strength to the limit of First Chronicle.


    "Huh, looks like we''re equal now." Wain said.


    "Well... my strength may have weakened, but my mastery and skills remain the same. Okay, time to go."


    Wain nodded.


    ''Hmm, apparently Eva is there too, but I don''t have to worry about her. She canpete even with me. If Maria went with them, it should be an easy win.''


    ...


    The ind''s center was a spacious field with several trees growing on it. As Clovis said, the organizations were already fighting.<sub> </sub>


    Everyone in the four towns was able to assemble the map fully. It appeared in many more towns, but finding and obtaining three map pieces was no easy task.


    During the search for the second part, Wain and Va almost died. They were only saved because Wain had the right Title to protect them.


    One of those cities was Arkadale, but Eva was a loner, and she didn''t share the map with anyone, unlike Wain. In the other two cities, the situation was about the same as in Overion.


    The strongest organizationsbined to find all parts of the map and went to the ind. Against two of these now fought Last Light.


    Everyone was fighting against everyone else, so the battle was chaotic and iprehensible. Gisle tried to hold the line so the allies could help each other, but it wasn''t easy to do with everyone having super strength.


    However, he organized some important points. For example, several people were always near Isabe and moved only when someone needed help. The same was true for other people with auxiliary souls.


    Bam.


    There was an explosion of bloody mes in the distance. Eva was there, and she was in her second state.


    ''Huh, she looks even crazier now than in the bloody river.'' Wain thought.


    <o>,m Forgotten traced the trajectory of Wain''s gaze and mouthed, "Is that your woman?"</o>


    Wain nodded.


    "I see. Only force can curb madness. Wain, what is our task? Do we kill and destroy our enemies or capture them?"


    "The second, as I see it, Gisle is trying not to kill anyone and Maria. He wants to make them our allies, even if by force. If we kill everyone, we get no advantage from the battle."


    "All right, then, that''s what we''ll do."


    "I''ll go to Eva, or we''ll soon have no one to take prisoners."


    Forgotten nodded, and they turned into two shes, white and ck. Even though Forgotten''s strength was lowered, he was still faster than Wain. His movements and steps were smooth and precise, and he did nothing unnecessary.


    ...


    Gisle was themander, but he didn''t stand behind. He was in the center of the battle and led the others.


    He believed that this was how a leader was supposed to behave, especially when he could stand up for himself. Gisle was the leader of the organization and one of its strongest members.


    Five men surrounded him, but he wasn''t going to back down. Gisle gripped the hilt of his katana tightly and took a deep breath. He was about to swing it, but suddenly a tall man wearing a dragon robe appeared in front of him.


    Particles of ash appeared next to the attackers, and the weapons fell out of their hands, and they fell to the ground as if fainted.


    ''What?'' Gisle was puzzled and alert.


    He figured it was one of the Pirs, who had managed to stay on the ind by some miracle.


    Forgotten could be here since he came from the human world, so the ind did not expel him.


    Forgotten turned around, and his robe fluttered in the gusts of wind.


    "Hello, my name is Forgotten. I am a Wain''s friend and havee to your aid. I didn''t have to kill them, did I?"


    Gisle was silent for a few seconds. He was puzzled about where this man hade from but then came to his senses and said, "Yeah, it''s okay. Wee to our team. We try not to kill our enemies whenever possible. Humanity has to be together and work together, especially when like this."


    "I understand you. You are preparing for disaster. Frankly, even my heart trembles at this. Somehow I have a feeling it''s going to be something great." Forgotten uttered, looking up into the sky.


    Then he raised his sword high up, and hundreds of ash particles emanate from it.

 Chapter 282 Worlds

    Unlike the other Pirs, Ashen had only two paths, either me or ash. The vast majority chose the fire path. It was natural since all Ashen are born with the ability to control white mes.


    However, some Ashen disagreed with this. They felt that the path of fire distanced them from the essence of their race. They were Ashen and had to renounce the me and follow the path of ashes. Forgotten was one of these.


    Attitudes toward the likes of Forgotten among the Ashens were twofold. Some considered them true masters and those who were not afraid to take the most difficult and thorny path, while others considered them heretics and were prejudiced.


    Forgotten understood the purpose and decided to deal with many enemies at once. The ash particles emanating from his sword headed towards his enemies and left precise cuts on their bodies like sharp petals. Forgotten aimed for the throat, for it was the most vulnerable ce.


    The men had only two choices. Either cast their weapons aside and press the bleeding wound on their throats or die from the bleeding. Obviously, a hundred out of a hundred chose the first option, and thus a few dozen people immediately admitted defeat.


    "Not bad, Forgotten, you''re Ashen, right?" Gisle asked.


    "Oh, you know about the Pirs?"


    "Yes, Wain told me about it. At first, I couldn''t believe it, but eventually, I had to admit that it was real."


    "Huh, I experience the same thing. You''re all humans, though you''re a little different. I''m a little puzzled, but I guess it''s okay that your situation is so mysterious." Forgotten uttered and turned into a white sh. He continued to disarm his enemies and bring Last Light closer to victory.


    Wain had gotten to Eva by this time. He appeared before her and stopped her fist with his palm.


    "Who are you?" Eva said rudely, but when she realized that Wain was in front of her, her cheeks flushed, and her punch eased, "Oh, Wain, you''re back already."


    "Yes." Wain smiled and kissed her.


    "Eva, I''m d you''re so strong, but you shouldn''t kill them if possible. We need them alive. It''s important for the development of Last Light."


    "Of course..." Eva muttered quietly.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAA!" Suddenly a man with a spear came running out of a cloud of dust to the left. He was about to attack Eva.


    Whooooooosh.


    Wain appeared in front of him and punched him in the face with his fist with all his might. The man''s head could not withstand such an attack and exploded, flying in all directions.


    "Wain, you said not to kill them!"


    Wain turned around. He was calm, and his face was partially covered in blood.


    "That rule doesn''t apply to those who attack you."


    Eva smiled, and her eyes changed. She walked over to Wain and licked the blood from his face.


    ...


    An hourter, the battle was over. With the arrival of Wain and Forgotten, the situation changed dramatically. Forgotten did most of the work. His methods were effective and powerful. No one could resist him.


    "Great, now it''s time to get ready for the unknown." Gisle uttered and handed out instructions to his subordinates.


    They had just over twelve hours, and that was enough time to establish authority on the ind and prepare for any situation.


    Wain secluded himself with Eva, and Forgotten was left alone. He wanted to return to Wain''s Void but found no spatial rifts on this ind. It was strange, but there was nothing he could do about it.


    Forgotten decided to head for the mountains. He liked sublime ces with a unique and unique aura. He felt a peacefulness simr to what he felt when he was on the clouds in the Purgatory zone.


    There he met Agnes. There was some connection between them, for she was an observer of that Purgatory zone and had remained there for many years.


    Agnes was another human that Forgotten was familiar with, but he always thought of her as just an observer. She was forcibly moved to the Purgatory zone by a spatial storm and given special powers in the zone.


    She was somewhat simr to Sven then, though their capabilities and power levels were seriously different.


    "You''re the one who..." Agnes muttered, opening her eyes. She sensed Forgotten''s presence and stopped meditating.<sub> </sub>


    Agnes did not participate in the recent battle. She refused as she did not want to go down the mountain. She wanted to spend as much time here as possible before the ind changed.


    "Yes, it''s been quite a while since we first met. Your love of solitude hasn''t gone anywhere. Sometimes I think you should have been born as an Axalt."


    "That goes for you, too. Isn''t Ashen a shy race? You are different from most."


    "It''s normal for those who chose ashen over a me. One side is an unbridled zeal for battle, and the other for calm and peace like water." Forgotten muttered, looking up at the clouds slowly drifting across the sky.


    ...


    "Isabe, are you all right?" Teresa asked, approaching her friend.


    "Yes, of course."


    "Don''t lie. After Eva showed up, you''ve been acting strange, and even a blind man would notice that." Teresa said confidently. She was worried about Isabe. They had gotten to know each other pretty welltely.


    "Leave me alone. I need to think. That Eva, she''s kind of weird. Where did Wain find her?"


    "Huh, so you''re jealous." Teresa said smiling.


    "No, not really, or rather I can''t decide who I''m jealous of..." Isabe muttered uncertainly.


    Teresa had never seen her like that. She looked like a girl who couldn''t make sense of her feelings.


    "Oh, it looks like the situation is a lot moreplicated than I imagined."


    ...


    The main group gathered together an hour before the deadline around the campfire. Gisle had done his best to prepare the organization for any oue. All they had to do was wait and hope for the best.


    It was a deep night and a bright blue moon brightly illuminated the ground.


    "Wain, you still have cigarettes, don''t you?" Gisle asked.


    "Sure, but do you smoke?"


    "No, but I need to take it easy tonight somehow. I don''t know about you, but my heart beats eerily. I''m afraid of the unknown, especially when ites from the energy that started the apocalypse."


    Wain nodded and handed a white cigarette to Gisle and held a lighter.


    Gisle let out a white cloud of smoke and felt himself bing lighter. These cigarettes had a special tonic effect.


    For the next hour, everyone was silent. They waited for the beginning, and when thest second passed, they immediately felt a change.


    Tremble.


    The ind shook, and there were many vibrations in the sky. The ind and severalrge cities and inds in the distance flew upward and soared through the air.


    Everyone was shocked. No one understood what was happening.


    Crackling.


    The sky shattered into many pieces, and the whole world disappeared as if it had never existed except for the soaring continents.


    In the distance, a simr picture was visible referring to other spaces.


    Then all saw one message.


    [The merging of the Worlds had begun.]

 Chapter 283 The Merger

    There was chaos and incredible change all around. The people on the ind and the soaring cities were shocked. Suddenly their world was destroyed, and millions of lives disappeared into the void as if they didn''t exist.


    "What the hell is this?" Luar eximed, looking back. He saw the vast ocean copse into many particles and gradually evaporate.


    "Oh no, Overion, Last Light, is this the end..." Gisle muttered. His face was as pale as a sheet of paper. He was expecting anything but a disaster of this magnitude.


    "Gisle, calm down, look over there." Forgotten walked over to him and said.


    Gisle turned around and saw a huge soaring ind in the distance. It was Overion. Because of the horizon earlier, the city was not visible, but the angle of view changed as it rose up and the ocean partially disappeared.


    "That''s Arkadale!" Eva eximed.


    Besides Overion and Arkadale, two other cities remained intact. The Map of the Azure Path appeared and was fully assembled in them. This was the main and only condition for surviving the merging of the worlds.


    However, somends also remained intact. It was a chain of several inds that emanated a formidable and ancient aura. These were thends beyond the dark walls that had copsed during the beginning of the apocalypse.


    Crackling.


    The sky shattered into hundreds of shards, and the soaringnds headed toward the ind as if to their core.


    Everyone was mesmerized and terrified by the scene. They watched at outside their world. The same thing happened to others.


    ...


    Each of the Pir races had its own world. Elves, Vampires, Ashens, and others. There were a few exceptions, of course. A world was a type of space, and the most important condition for a space to be a World was partial independence from the World of Darkness.


    Only one condition had to be met. The space had to have enough power to gain this independence. In most cases, the power of a space depended on its size, but not always.


    Some small spaces also had the status of Worlds, even though they were dozens of times smaller than the World of Elves or other races.


    During the merging of Worlds, anything that was not a World or not directly rted to the World of Darkness was destroyed.


    As Overion, Arkadale, and other cities collected the Map of the Azure Path, a strong connection to the World of Darkness was established between them.


    ...


    The representatives of the Pirs were as shocked as the people in Overion or Merge Ind.


    Their worlds broke into several pieces and headed to the same point from different directions. Thousands of threads stitched together a new reality, except for which only the spaces of the World of Darkness would remain.


    However, one space strong enough to be considered a World did not budge. It floated on its own, detached from the chaos going on.


    Crack.


    A crack appeared in the sky of that space, but suddenly a ck sh flew there and was outside the spatial barrier.


    It was a tall girl with long ck hair and a wide ck cape. She was strong enough to move safely in the open zone.


    Opposite her stood a tall man with pale skin, short blond hair, and a long golden halberd in his hand.


    "Are you trying to resist the will of the World of Darkness?" The man said coldly.


    The girl smiled, "We don''t depend on you."


    "Hmm? Do you think your World can withstand the energy storm that will descend upon you?"


    "Hahahaha." The girl suddenlyughed, "Even though you''re an Arkan, it looks like you don''t even know what World you came to."


    "What does it matter? All Worlds must be connected, I am only doing the will of the World of Darkness, and you will not be able to resist. If you continue to oppose, I will break down your protective barrier by force."<sub> </sub>


    "As you say." The girl said, and her aura began to intensify.


    Her hair and cloak fluttered upward as if from a strong gust of wind, and two seals appeared on her arms.


    The man frowned, and his halberd glowed brightly. It was a soothing yet menacing light, capable of burning anything. The man stepped forward and swung his halberd.


    But, suddenly, he stopped. Or rather, something made him do so. Several dark hands grasped the halberd and the man''s limbs.


    An eerie and ancient aura emanated from them. The man''s flesh, like the halberd, began to melt and rot, and he was in terrible pain.


    "What''s going on? Where did you get such power!?"


    "Did you believe you could attack the World of humans and walk away alive? Join the other Worlds? What would be the point of that? We were banished long ago! As a follower of the King, I will get rid of the wretched parasite who wanted to destroy his creation!" The girl eximed and clenched her hands into a fist.


    Several dark hands thrust into the man''s chest and pulled out his heart from the other side. There was nothing he could do. The girl''s strength was not something he could resist.


    ...


    "What happens next?" Teresa muttered. She was scared, she could see that the gradually soaring inds were flying higher toward the vast emptiness.


    "There''s no need to panic." Gisle said he had alreadye to his senses and roughly understood the situation, "We''ll probably stay alive, but no one knows what will ur next."


    Gisle''s words reassured the others, but only partially. In that situation, it was impossible not to worry. Everyone was worried about their lives and the fates of their friends who were left behind in the cities that had taken off.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly space shook, and a blue, energetic stream appeared. Soaringnds headed into it, and their speed increased greatly with each passing second.


    Dozens of inds eventually entered one space, and a bright white sh blinded everyone.


    When people opened their eyes, they saw that it was over. In the distance, there was no more ruined sky, darkness, soaring inds, and other signs of the merging of the world.


    In front of them were vastnds, familiar as Overion and unfamiliaring from other Worlds and some spaces.


    It was quiet. Only the murmuring of water from the great waterfall behind the ind could be heard.


    Then a message appeared before everyone.


    [The merging of Worlds isplete.]


    [Wee to the World of Destiny.]


    Everyone was shocked for a while, but Gisle came to his senses and began handing out instructions.


    He didn''t know what dangers might await them in this ce, but he urgently had to mobilize troops and find out what territories surrounded them.


    Wain was as shocked as the others. Merge Ind was no longer floating above the ground. It was between othernds and a waterfall, the end of which was not visible because it was too high.


    Wain looked at the waterfall and tried to calm down and gather his thoughts. He was always trying to organize his actions and figure out which direction he needed to go, but something new and unexpected kept happening.


    This had been going on since the moment souls appeared in his homeworld, a dark mist appeared. He started the apocalypse in another world and ended up on a strange ind that was the catalyst for creating a single world from other worlds.


    ''Huh, life really isn''t predictable. What do we do now? Wain pondered.


    Whoooooosh.


    Suddenly there was a massive explosion in the distance, the shockwave of which created strong wind currents. The trees swayed from side to side, and Wain''s cloak fluttered.

 Chapter 284 World Of Destiny

    Many Worlds and races had met each other, and it was obvious that the conflicts immediately began in this case.


    Previously, members of the Pirs could fight each other in areas of the World of Darkness or by visiting other Worlds using the portal system. However, no one would ever dare attack another World. It was suicide and war without a chance of victory.


    However, after the merging of worlds, the situation changed dramatically. Many were still in shock and trying to understand the situation, but it didn''t matter for some. They immediately headed for enemy territories when they realized that they could now avenge or reprisal against their enemies.


    The worlds were not joined holistically. The Elf World was not entirely in the west or the north. Their former World was divided into several territories randomly joined to the rest.


    This made speedy conflicts between the ovepping territories possible. This didn''t happen everywhere, as there was no overt hostility among the Pirs. However, this did not cancel out point battles or hidden agendas.


    The only world that was carried over into World of Destiny was Wain''s and the others. This was because it was pretty much wiped out except for a select few areas and because the merging of worlds began at them.


    Merge Indnded on the edge of the waterfall, and the other half-circle-shaped zones were in front of the ind. The four cities were the secondyer of the half-circle.


    The third andst were the inds behind the dark walls before the apocalypse. Powerful and formidable monsters lived there.


    Whoooooosh.


    After the first explosion, there were several more. They were less powerful, but their shock waves were still terrifying.


    At any moment, a massive war could have broken out. There were no longer any restrictions like spatial barriers and different numbers. When the worlds merged, all boundaries disappeared, but one unchanging rule remained.


    Everything was decided by the strongest.


    Roooooooaaaaaaarrrr!


    Suddenly there was a deafening roar. Everyone heard, it sounded like the call of an ancient creature capable of destroying an entire world with one move.


    A massive shadow fell over part of the earth, and millions of people looked up. They saw a huge creature hovering among the clouds. Its body was covered with strong, massive scales.


    It had a long tail and massive paws with sharp ws. The most remarkable detail of this creature was the vast wings on its back. It was a dragon, great and terrible.


    Its eyes were as deep as the ocean and as wise as the chronicles of history. The dragon hovered over the new world and stopped the battle that had begun with its roar.


    The dragon''s jaw began to heat. It was filled with bright fire ready to burst forth at any second. The dragon raised its head to the sky and spewed a fiery breath.


    The sky of the world turned red, fiery color. The dragon did this on purpose to get everyone''s attention. It was a sign that people were in no hurry to destroy their new world, or they would have to face the dragon''s wrath.


    Such a threat did not frighten only the strongest, who had no intention of fighting. They knew they would always have time to tear at each other''s throats. Now they needed a little patience and wisdom, like dragons.


    "Huh, is that a dragon!?" Luar eximed.


    He was shocked, but he had a wide smile on his face like a child seeing a miracle. The dragon was terrifying and could destroy an entire continent if it wanted to, but it was also a sign of magic, the kind everyone read about in books and listened in various stories.


    The dragon was a sign that anything in this world was possible. Of course, it was understandable even after the advent of magic and monsters, but the dragon was a sacred symbol that nothing could eclipse.


    "Well... it truly boggles the mind..." Wain muttered.


    Eva stood beside him, her eyes shining like Christmas lights.


    Wain also watched the flying dragon intently, but something bothered him. He didn''t feel what Eva and Luar felt. Wain understood that the dragon was powerful, but he felt not admiration but a strange and inexplicable hunger.<sub> </sub>


    "Wain!" Gisle shouted, running up to him.


    "What is it?"


    "The situation is urgent, but there is one thing I can trust only to you. Go to Overion and find Lea. I trust Elsa, but anything can happen now. Protect her ande back here. Apparently, this ind is the safest ce. Lea should be at the main base of Last Light, west of Overion." Gisle said seriously.


    Wain realized how important the situation was and nodded. He immediately headed toward the northern part of the ind. It was the border between Merge Ind and the four cities.


    The world had changed forever, and Lea could be the salvation for thousands of people. Now she was to have her second evolution. Of course, Elsa ensured that nothing would prevent Lea from evolving, but no one was prepared for that.


    If Lea died and did notplete her evolution, it would be a serious loss at the most crucial moment. Lea was to be the first human toplete the second evolution.


    Wain ran at top speed. Bony wings grew from his back, and he turned into a dark sh that swept away everything in his path. The ground beneath his feet cracked, and the grass''s outgoing wind currents swayed.


    He entered the city and reached the organization''s main base in a few minutes. The situation was calm, but anything could happen at any moment.


    Unlike Merge Ind, Overion bordered the Darnds, and monsters from those ces could attack the city. There was nothing to stop them from doing so.


    In the distance, Wain saw Elsa and headed toward her. She, like Gisle, was giving out instructions. She was a master at that.


    Whooooooosh.


    Wain appeared in front of her like a whirlwind.


    "Elsa, where is Lea?"


    "There." Elsa answered and pointed to a small building near the base''s borders.


    An underground vault was especially fortified for people to go through evolutions. Lea was in the most secure cell.


    Wain nodded and was about to head there. His wings swayed, but suddenly he stopped.


    A massive beam of energy erupted from the building, and the silhouette of an anthropomorphic creature looking like a woman with a massive hammer in her hand appeared above it for a second.


    The silhouette disintegrated into many particles, and the beam gradually weakened.


    Energy waves emanated from it, which attracted strong and dangerous monsters. It was a sign that Lea hadpleted her second evolution and that she was in danger.


    Wain headed toward the building and heard the beast''s roar in the distance. It wasing from the buildings in the distance.


    Crackle.


    Suddenly a massive beast like a blue tiger with strange patterns on its body ran into the buildings. It burst through the buildings and ran at full speed toward Lea.


    ''Damn, that tiger is definitely on Second Chronicle.'' Wain thought but didn''t stop. He was sure he could defeat the beast even if it outnumbered him in strength.


    Even if he were to lose, he would have to wait for Lea toe to his senses. Together they could surely defeat the tiger.

 Chapter 285 Evolution

    Wain changed course and headed toward the tiger. He could not let the beast attack Lea, while she was still weak.


    The bone wings swayed, and he turned into a dark sh. Wain did not hold back and immediately activated his fifth form. His hair turned blue, and his eyes were amethyst. He wore dark armor covered with spiky gray vines and a dark sword with a picture of petals.


    Wain waved his hand, and several vines emerged from the ground toward the tiger. However, the beast didn''t even stop. The tiger kept running forward, and the vines couldn''t stop it.


    ''What? It''s as if it didn''t notice them.'' Wain eximed to himself and quickly gathered energy from his sword.


    He swung his weapon, and a straight bloody de flew toward the tiger. This time the beast did not ignore Wain''s attack and opened its jaw wide. The beast sharply clenched it and shattered the bloody de into tiny shards.


    The tiger''s eyes shed, and the patterns on its body glowed brightly with blue light.


    Several spheres appeared around it, from which dozens of energy projectiles flew out in all directions. At the beast''s will, they all headed toward Wain, like homing missiles.


    Wain swung his sword several times and created a pair of bloody des. They met with projectiles but could not block thempletely, only half. The remaining shots came down on Wain like a hail of arrows.


    He blocked the projectiles with his sword and barely had time to react to the new attacks.


    Whoooosh.


    The rosebud on Wain''s chest shone brightly, and spiky vines burst out of the ground again, but many buds were growing on them this time. They quickly blossomed, and thousands of petals headed toward the tiger.


    The beast sensed threats from it and so decided to block the attack. The tiger roared furiously, and a protective barrier appeared in front of it, into which the petals flew. Hundreds of explosions rang out, but the barrier did not copse. Several cracks appeared on it.


    "Damn!" Wain frowned, and then his eyes went wide.


    The cracks in the barrier fused together, and it glowed brightly. A massive beam erupted from the barrier,bining the tiger''s energy and the petals whose power the barrier absorbed. This skill was not only suitable for defense but also a counterattack.


    Wain plunged his sword into the ground and folded his arms crosswise. The ground trembled, and a massive vine appeared with a giant rosebud on it.


    <o>,m The bud blossomed, and arge red beam erupted from the rose to counterbnce the tiger''s attack.</o>


    The two beams met and created a shockwave that caused several rickety buildings to copse and the trees to sway from side to side.


    However, the blue beam gradually suppressed the red one and came down on Wain with residual power.


    Wain tried to block this attack, but he was not strong enough to do so. The red beam threw him aside and left serious burns on his body. The dark armor was partially destroyed, and the vines were destroyed.


    Scarlet drops of blood fell relentlessly to the ground, and red streams flowed from the corners of Wain''s mouth. The Ring of Damned glowed, and Wain quickly ate two pills, one white and one green, and drank the yellow potion that was supposed to boost his regeneration.


    ''Fuck! It''s too strong. I couldn''t even hurt it!'' Wain eximed to himself.


    The only thing he had left was Beyond one potion and a few items that, in theory, could have helped him or destroyed part of the city.


    Wain saw no point in using a Beyond since he couldn''t even get close to the tiger. He urgently needed toe up with another n.


    Wain expected to be able to fight the tiger as equals at worst, even though they had different Chronicles, but the reality was brutal.


    Wain''s n would have worked if the tiger''s strength had been at the lower end of Second Chronicle. With crumpled uniforms, other skills, and items, he would not have stepped on the beast. However, the tiger was at least in the middle of that stage, making the difference in their strength insurmountable.<sub> </sub>


    Tremble.


    The tiger walked slowly toward Wain crushing buildings and roads with its paws. It was no firmer than a house of cards and a minor obstacle to him.


    "Looks like you met an invincible foe today." Suddenly a voice came from outside.


    Wain looked back and saw Forgotten walking in his direction. He was calm, and the tiger''s menacing appearance did not frighten him.


    "What?"


    "Wain, this is something apparently you''ve never encountered before, the insurmountable difference between Chronicles. You''re strong, very strong. It''s not enough to defeat the wretched beast that could only reach the middle of Second Chronicle." Forgotten uttered and pointed his sword at the tiger.


    The de glowed, and Forgotten brought the sword down sharply. He did this so quickly that his movements were invisible, only a residual image.


    The giant ash de came down on the tiger and sliced it in two and the few hundred meters behind it. It was the power of Ashen devoted to sword and ash and at the limit of Second Chronicle.


    "Damn, I''m actually far from that level..." Wain muttered.


    All of his attacks and attempts were unsessful. He couldn''t even scratch a tiger and Forgotten only needed to make one attack. Wain felt that all the skills and stats he had acquired through sweat and blood were no more dangerous than ppers.


    Whooooooosh.


    A blue soul flew out of the tiger''s body and headed toward Forgotten.


    ''What?! The tiger had a Rare Rating Soul? Just that?


    Wain thought that an enemy possessing such power possessed at least an Ascendant Rating Soul, but he hadn''t yet fully understood how big the difference between First Chronicle and Second Chronicle was.


    "Don''t worry, given your current aplishments. You still have a long way to go. Even I still have room to grow, even though I''m on the border of Second Chronicle, I still meet the conditions for the third evolution. By the way, Wain, do you have a problem with that too?"


    "Hmm? No, I recently met all the conditions, but now is clearly not the right situation. There''s chaos, uncertainty, and ruin all around. I can''t go missing for weeks or months in a situation like this. It''s too risky."


    Wain truly wanted to start the second evolution and be much stronger, but it needed the right conditions.


    Even during the first evolution, Wain ensured that he was safe and quiet. Otherwise, evolution could have been interrupted at the most inopportune moment, which would have failed.


    Wain didn''t know what was happening in such a case, but he didn''t want to find out.


    "Huh, you don''t have to worry about that."


    "What do you mean? Can''t you see what''s going on around here?!"


    Forgotten waved his hand, "It doesn''t matter. If you disappear for a couple of days ande back with your strength several times, no one will be hurt by it. Just start evolving on Merge Ind, and don''t worry about anything."


    "What? A few days?"

 Chapter 286 Sickness

    "Didn''t you know about this? It''s no wonder, though, there''s no one to teach you. You''re forced to learn everything yourself and put it to the test." Forgotten muttered.


    "Why does the second evolution only take a few days? My first evolution took months."


    "That''s normal. There''s nothing strange or unusual about that. The first evolution is always the longest as your body rebuilds and prepares for future changes. Also, before the first evolution, you are in your weakest form, so nothing is surprising about that. In addition, the conditions for evolution greatly shorten the process."


    "Ah, so that''s it, then I actually have to hurry." Wain muttered and smiled contentedly. Now he could finally step forward. He felt it was very important.


    "Of course, don''t worry, while you''re busy, I''ll protect this town and ind. Your mates will be safe. I feel no stronger auras from the darknds than Second Chronicle. There is no one among them equal to me." Forgotten said confidently, looking into the distance.


    Wain nodded, "But, first, we must see if our cksmith is well."


    "cksmith?"


    Wain headed toward the building in front of which Lea was already standing. She had changed slightly since her second evolution. She was slightly taller, her hair was fuller and longer, and there was a barely visible pattern in her eyes.


    "First time I''ve ever seen you lose." Lea smirked.


    She got out of the building in the middle of the battle and watched intently as Wain fought. Lea started to get worried when all of Wain''s attacks went to waste, and the tiger constantly dominated the battlefield, but the appearance of Forgotten changed everything.


    "Not funny. Well, how does it feel? Do you sense like you''ve gotten stronger?"


    "I do. It''s unbelievable. Do you want to check it out for yourself?"


    Wain didn''t answer anything, but put his palm forward.


    Lea smiled and, with all her might, struck her fist. A powerful wave of vibration went through Wain''s body in contact, and he felt he couldn''t stand on his feet.


    He flew back a few meters and, after a somersault, got back on his feet.


    "Damn, fighting skills are definitely not your specialty, but that kind of speed and strength..." Wain was surprised. He didn''t expect Lea, a person with a crat soul possess such power.


    If she had more experience and strong fighting skills, she could have fought Wain on equal terms or even defeated him.


    Wain''s palm hurt as if someone had hit it with a hammer.


    "Yeah, but that''s not all. That tiger sure has sharp fangs, bring me one, and I''ll show you something new." Lea said confidently.


    Wain smirked and headed for the tiger. He struggled to pry out a massive fang that was as tall as a man and brought it to Lea.


    Forgotten watched it with interest, "Girl, don''t you need help?"


    Lea looked at him puzzled, but realizing that Forgotten was with Wain, she shook her head, "No, I can handle it myself."


    Her eyes shed, and a white energy hammer and a strand of silver threads appeared in her hands.


    It was one of her enhanced skills, but not the main one with which she had previously forged masterpieces and other objects. It was something of a simplified and elerated version.


    She began hammering the fang, and the threads helped her create weapons. The whole process took a little time, only a few minutes.


    Eventually, less than a third of the massive fang was left, but it was now a deadly weapon, a spear.


    The spear had a long tip, making it look like a halberd. It had afortable handle and a reinforced back.


    p. p. p.


    Forgotten pped his hands slowly.


    "Not bad." Wain muttered, "But, neither I nor Forgotten use a spear, who''s that for?"


    "Ah, I hadn''t thought of that. I just decided I wanted to make a one-piece spear out of a fang, and it seemed to work pretty well. I don''t even want to look at the description." Lea said. Her skills got stronger, but she was sure that the description would say that she made garbage even now.


    Wain touched the spear and looked at the description.


    [Spear from the Fang of the Azure Tiger (Second Chronicle, Epic Rating)<sub> </sub>


    A spear created from the fang of a dangerous and formidable beast by a cksmith who has finally learned something. Of course, the cksmith still has a lot to learn, but she can now create something a little better than garbage.


    *All stats +20


    *Attacks against beasts deal 33% more damage.


    *There is a small chance to ignore enemy armor and pierce it.


    *Created the skill "Bone Beast Lunge".


    -Bone Beast Lunge


    Gather energy at the tip of your spear and feel the primal energy of the beast tounch a powerful attack that has a high chance of prating enemy armor and dealing an additional 30% damage.


    The skill can be used several times in a row without interrupting].


    "Lea, I think you should look at the description. It looks like you''ve finally taken a step forward. I need to get on it too, so I''m off. Forgotten, keep an eye on her and bring her to Merge Ind."


    "Of course." Forgotten said quietly.


    Wain nodded and headed for the ind. He needed a quiet ce to do the second evolution.


    ...


    He stopped midway and muttered, "Damn, what am I thinking? I''ve got a safe ce where not even God can get me!"


    Wain had forgotten that he had his Void. During the ordeal on the ind, all spatial rifts were blocked.


    When the worlds connected, the barrier around Merge Ind disappeared, and the spatial rifts became essible again.


    Wain concentrated and entered a spatial rift a few meters away. He entered the gateway and found Elegan on the map.


    "Wain, it''s been a long time since I''ve seen you!" Mimic eximed and ran up to him.


    "Hi, I need a quiet ce to evolve. Take care of it."


    "Sure, but we have one problem that only you can solve, at least that''s what I''ve been told."


    "Hmm? What happened?"


    "Edena, she suddenly got sick. She said it would worsen over time, but it wouldn''t be fatal. Lui Bu confirmed what she said." Elegan said anxiously.


    Wain nodded and headed toward the cave behind the waterfall. Elegan ran along with him.


    ...


    Edena and Lui Bu were in the alchemyb as usual. They enjoyed exploring newbinations and testing their theories and recipes. It was their job and their calling.


    "Wain!" Lui Bu eximed.


    "What''s wrong with her?"


    Edena was lying on the bed, struggling to breathe. Her face was as pale as a sheet of paper, and she could hardly move.


    "Exhaustion, but unusual, and due to low blood purity." Lui Bu said seriously.


    "What does that mean?"


    "Edena has a very low blood purity, and if she overexerts herself, her body can''t take it, and for a few days, this happens. She''ll be much better tomorrow or the day after, but it could happen again."


    "Elegan said only I can solve this problem. How?" Wain asked.


    Edena held out her hand and said quietly, "The vial, please give me the vial."

 Chapter 287 Salvation And The Beginning Of Second Evolution

    Edena was a talented alchemist, but she had one critical w. She had an extremely low blood purity of only three percent. It was practically the lowest value possible. Edena belonged to lower mudblood, which was the worst thing that could happen to a person.


    Persons with such low blood purity were treated worse than ves. The reason was that because their blood purity was less than 10%, many people didn''t even want to consider them as members of their race.


    It was possible to correct the blood purity percentage, and there were quite a few ways, but all of them were extremely expensive or very dangerous. Only one person with a blood purity of less than 10% out of a million had a chance at a decent future.


    Edena was not only censured by society, but she had to endure such illnesses all the time. She knew that Wain had a vial of blood essence, and it was her ticket to safety.


    Wain walked up to her, took her firmly by the palm, and said, "All right, I will give you the vial of blood essence, you are my man, and I will take care of you, but the price for the vial will be your loyalty."


    He said thest words coldly and harshly, letting Edena know that he was not doing this out of pity or goodwill motives.


    "Of course, I have nowhere to go anyway. This ce, my new home now." Edena said with difficulty.


    Wain nodded, and the ring glowed. A beautiful vial filled with red liquid appeared in his hand.


    He pulled out the ss stopper, and everyone could smell the beautiful aroma as if it were from a century-old wine. Edena felt better just from the smell alone.


    "Open your mouth." Wain said, and Edena did as he said.


    Wain tilted the vial, and the red liquid slowly poured into Edena''s mouth. The vial was small, its volume was about 100 milliliters, but each drop was as valuable as a bar of gold.


    Edena greedily swallowed every drop as if her life depended on it, though in part, this was true. Without Wain''s help, she would never have been able to get something like this.


    Even if she had saved up the right amount by some miracle, no one would want to do business with her. Reputation was more important to merchants.


    "This is amazing..." Lui Bu muttered.


    Edena''s skin returned to normal, her blue hair and eyes became more intense, and a strong aura emanated from her.


    Tremble.


    There was an energy surge that threw everyone but Wain aside.


    "What is that?" Wain asked.


    "It seems to be because of a boundary piercing at the blood purity. The vial you gave her increases her blood purity by 10%, considering her original blood purity was 3%, now it''s 13%." Lui Bu replied.


    "I see, that''s good."


    "Thank you." Edena said, rising from the bed.


    She felt great, as if she had been born again.


    Edena looked at Wain and got down on one knee in front of him, "I know how valuable this vial was, and I thank you. I, Edena Allford, swear allegiance to you."


    "I hope for you. You will surely be a great alchemist one day." Wain said seriously and turned to Elegan, "Take care of them. It''s time for me to start my second evolution."


    "Of course. Have you chosen a ce yet?"


    "Yes, I will evolve in the iceke. Let all the monsters go from there."


    ? "I got it." Elegan said seriously and headed with Wain toward the iceke.


    ...


    Everything was ready a few minutester, and Wain began his evolution. He sat down on the ground in a lotus pose like Agnes to concentrate and calm down.


    The process was about the same as the first time. To begin with, Wain had to collect the umted energy in the Soul Altar and channel it into his body.


    He already had some experience in this and knew what to do. The energy from the Soul Altar slowly came out and gradually transformed into a glowing sphere of energy. It gave off a powerful aura and primordial power.<sub> </sub>


    Unlike the other races, humans needed to kill and absorb the souls of others to gain enough energy to evolve. Wain, like the others, made his way with the blood and lives of other beings.


    There was nothing but death in his path, for, for a human, there was no other option. The orb exuded a bloodthirsty aura of death.


    Wain moved on to the second stage, the absorption of concentrated energy.


    At his will, the sphere headed toward him, and the energy spread throughout his body.


    He grew stronger, and his Soul Altar was filled with energy again. Every cell in his body was changing and evolving.


    Changes were happening to Wain''s body and inside his mind, in the dark castle.


    ...


    "It looks like it''s finally begun." Proimed a man in ck and white armor. He smiled and stared intently at the gray tform on which they stood.


    The cracks on it were increasing, and new ones were appearing all the time.


    "Yes, it will break soon. It will be good for some of us." Blind Sorcerer muttered.


    "Damn, you lucky people, why did I end up fourth? Where''s the justice?!" ck Sun Aristocrat eximed.


    "Shut up. You just don''t have any patience. Soon it will be your turn, too." Cursed Swordsman muttered.


    Tremble.


    The tform gradually copsed, and the crown hovering over it suddenly trembled. It headed downward and disappeared.


    ...


    As Forgotten said, it took Wain a lot less time this time. A few days after it began, his Soul Altar came into motion. It was the final stage of evolution.


    A massive pir of energy erupted from Wain''s body and then came back again, boosting his power again.


    His eyes sparkled, and he took a deep breath. Wain felt the power spill over his body and slowly got to his feet.


    Crack.


    The ice cracked beneath his feet, and Wain looked at the world a little differently. He took another big step forward, much more significant than the first.


    [You have sessfullypleted your second evolution and made a great leap forward.]


    [All of your stats have been increased by 100 points.]


    [Rating of all your skills except - Nameless King''s Forms has been reduced by one step while maintaining the overall strength of the skill]


    [All restrictions have been removed. Now, as before, you can umte Soul Essence with the souls of other creatures and increase stats]


    Wain nodded. He was surprised at how different the increase was aspared to First Chronicle.


    He only increased all of his stats by 25 points the first time. That wasn''t bad, but it seemed pretty smallpared to 100 points.


    "Ah, I wonder when I can pass the next evolution? It''s been a long time sincest, and things are much different now. Besides humans, there are many other, dangerous opponents around." Wain muttered.


    Then another interesting message appeared before him.


    [The Nameless King''s Forms skill has adapted to your current state and position in the world. All five open forms have been greatly enhanced. There have been significant changes with the first three forms, Code of Light and Darkness, Cursed Swordsman, and Blind Sorcerer. Each form had one new, special ability unlocked].

 Chapter 288 Three

    Wain didn''t expect such a change with his first three forms. He immediately wanted to know exactly what had changed, and several messages appeared before him.


    [The first form, Code of Light and Darkness.


    The special skill is "Equilibrium of the Sides."


    Darkness and Light are not only eternal adversaries of each other but also loyal partners, who by their existence sustain the universe. Neither of them can win the battle because they are part of each other.


    If darkness begins to absorb light, it means that darkness has partially be light. You can use this power of bnce in battle, but you will have to follow your rules.


    *When you use the skill, your stats and opponents'' stats are equal to the average value. The set values are then increased by 20%.


    This skill can only be used if your enemy''s stats do not exceed yours by more than 30%. Otherwise, nothing happens.


    The rest of the small changes of the first form, you can notice when you activate it].


    Wain didn''t wait and immediately activated the Code of Light and Darkness. Streams of energy appeared around him, and ck and white armor was gradually created.


    ...


    "Looks like you were the first, but that''s as it should be." Said a man standing in the distance, wearing dark armor with blue hair.


    "Yes, I''ll have toe down for a while." Code of Light and Darkness said, smiling and jumping down.


    The gray tform broke when Wain made his second evolution and became a Second Chronicle creature.


    Beneath it was another tform, but muchrger and with different characters. Each form had its own ce there, and they received amplification when they were on the second tform.


    Wain activated the first form, and the Code of Light And Darkness went to its ce. It was a sign in the form of Yin and Yang.


    Code of Light and Darkness stood on the sign, and his eyes sparkled.


    ...


    The ck and white armor that appeared on Wain had changed slightly sincest time. It had be less dense, more lightweight, and now resembled not armor but a half armored long robe.


    It was half dark and half white. Tightly bandaged bandages had reced the gloves and boots with loose fingers. The bandages on the legs were white, and the arms were dark. There was also a sign of bnce on my back.


    "Wow, this is unexpected..." Wain muttered.


    He wanted to test how the new first form skill worked and started to build up energy, but something stopped him.


    ''So, not bad, huh?'' Suddenly a voice came from inside.


    Wain didn''t realize it right away and thought someone had invaded or even attacked him, but he was alone in the icyke.


    "Who are you?"


    ''Hmm? Don''t you get it? You''re using my power now. I am the Code of Light and Darkness. Communicating with you is still quite difficult. That''s my maximum at the moment.''


    ''What? Hey! Answer me!'' Wain tried to get through to that strange voice, but he had no luck.


    ''What the hell was that? Is that voice the first form?'' Wain thought to himself. He remembered that earlier, during the battle with the wyvern on Merge Ind, he had also heard someone''s voice, but they were significantly different.


    ''Hmm, if it was Code of Light and Darkness, then perhaps the Cursed Swordsman was talking to me then?''


    Wain shook his head and decided to use his new skill first. He concentrated, and a massive Yin and Yang sign appeared on the ground in front of him.


    His stats were not altered since there was no one but Wain in the iceke. He did this to know how to use it during the battle.


    Wain nodded and canceled the form. His first three forms changed when he evolved, so he immediately moved on to the next.<sub> </sub>


    [Second form of Cursed Swordsman


    Special skill - "Ice Execution".


    Cursed Swordsman has changed significantly during his wanderings, both externally and internally. From a cheerful and always smiling young man, he turned into a gloomy and depressive man.


    This happened because of the events he experienced during the events, but not because of the battles. Cursed Swordsman saw how cruel the world could be and how hard life was for some people. They had to suffer, not because of fate, but because of the actions of others who were more like wild beasts.


    Cursed Swordsman''s senses spiraled out of control on one such day, and he performed a deadly move that was dangerous to all without exception.


    *When you use this skill, you will instantly kill an enemy who is weaker than you. You will inflict a lethal wound if the enemy is roughly equal to you in strength. If an enemy is stronger than you, you will inflict serious damage].


    ''Oh, not bad.'' Wain thought and activated the second form.


    ...


    "Looks like it''s my turn now." Cursed Swordsman said and jumped down.


    His ce on the second tform was marked by a small ice pedestal with ck chains sticking out of it.


    ...


    The second form didn''t change much since when the seven chains were removed, the Cursed Swordsman changed slightly. However, something had changed.


    The cloak no longer had torn parts, and it was coated with a thinyer of ice along the edges just as the chains on the bulky dark boots were.


    ''We meet again.'' A cold voice sounded from within.


    Wain expected it and smiled weakly, ''You''re the Cursed Swordsman, right?


    ''Yes... Like Code of Light and Darkness said though we can talk to you, it is very difficult to do so. There are still many obstacles ahead that you must break.''


    The Cursed Swordsman said nothing more. He disappeared, and Wain could not reach him.


    "Okay, at least I see some progress." Wain muttered and canceled the second form.


    He could not test the special skill of Cursed Swordsman as he had no suitable target. He had no choice but to trust his instincts inbat.


    Wain nodded and activated Blind Sorcerer. It was thest form that received a special skill after the evolution. The other forms weren''t affected yet.


    ...


    "I''m off." Blind Sorcerer said, smiling, and jumped down.


    His ce on the second tform was in the form of a massive mirror, which was an hourss''s reflection.


    ...


    Whoooosh.


    Strong energy flows emerged from beneath the ground, and Wain''s appearance changed. His hair turned gray, as did his eyes, but now there was a bright purple sheen in them.


    His gray robe became a little longer, and his hat and boots were shorter. The blindfold remained, but now it was less dense, and the glint of his eyes was visible through it.


    ''Hi, I see you''ve already met Code of Light and Darkness and Cursed Swordsman.'' A pleasant voice sounded.


    ''Yes, Blind Sorcerer, you seem more confident than those two. Do you know more than they do? Wain asked.


    ''Huh, you could say that, but it''s not about knowledge. It''s about my abilities. You can check it out for yourself. Unfortunately, we all know no more than you do. You can only feel and wait for our memories to open. That''s it, my power is over.''

 Chapter 289 The Crown

    Wain could no longer talk to Blind Sorcerer and decided to watch the special skill of the third form.


    [The third form is Blind Sorcerer.


    The special skill is ''Eye of the Seer''.


    Blind Sorcerer, despite his blindness, was able to achieve outstanding results in the world of magic.


    He became one of the strongest wizards and eventually realized that, in fact, he had never been blind. His eyes were different from others, and by learning thews of magic, he learned more about himself as well.


    Blind Sorcerer learned how to open one eye and gain power over the power of space for a while, but this was only the first step to true power.


    With this skill, you can open a second eye for one minute, but not two at once, and gain partial power over time. You will be able to see the future and know all the moves ahead.


    Use this power carefully, even a minute will deplete you greatly].


    "Holy shit... The ability to see the future, isn''t that crazy?" Wain muttered.


    He knew the Blind Sorcerer had great potential and didn''t expect to get a piece of that power so soon.


    After the second evolution, the first three forms opened up a bit and showed some of their potentials. Wain pondered whaty ahead of him and why he could suddenly hear their voices. He was not yet aware of the existence of the dark castle.


    Wain nodded and canceled the third form. He decided to check on thest thing that was supposed to get amplified, and it was his a Beyond.


    No messages said so after the evolution, but Wain felt something had changed. Beyond was not just a strong skill, but part of it. His Beyond, Cmity was closer to him than the forms, for they came from his Main Soul, while Beyond came from his essence.


    He sighed, and gray streams of energy emerged from the ground around him. A dark crown appeared on his head with a closed eye and eerie jaws on his palms.


    ''Strange...I can''t feel anything. Has there been no change since the evolution?'' Wain thought, and suddenly the eye on the crown opened.


    Wain saw before him a shapeless, dark, human-like silhouette. It had nothing but a wide mouth.


    He was puzzled but did not step back. There was an eerie yet familiar aura emanating from the silhouette. Wain felt that somehow he was familiar with it.


    The silhouette slowly approached him and held out his long, thin hand with eerie fingers. It touched Wain''s forehead and disappeared.


    A speck of darkness appeared in Wain''s green eyes, and the crown began to change. Two more identical peaks appeared on it, next to the main one. They were slightly lower, and two identical seals in the shape of a circr flow of wind appeared on them.


    The jaw on her palms remained the same, but the energy around it became more chaotic and concentrated.


    Wain intuitively sensed how to harness this power and slowly brought his hand forward. He swung his palm and created a gray stream of wind in the form of several rings. It headed toward the ice cave and destroyed it like the mouth of a piranha without leaving a trace.


    "I see, but what was it or who?" Wain muttered uncertainly and canceled a Beyond.<sub> </sub>


    ...


    Wain tried to talk to the first three forms but failed. They needed time to recover. They had to break through the barriers in their minds for their words to reach Wain.


    He nodded and headed for the exit of the iceke, but suddenly several messages appeared before him.


    [Nameless, the owner of Forest of Frozen Dreams, became a Second Chronicle creature.]


    [You can distribute your energy to creatures in your area, and the energy your warriors umte will help them evolve. The effect will only affect those warriors who have umted enough energy near the Chronicle boundary.]


    [Do you want to start the process of general evolution?]


    ''Hm? Will it somehow make me weaker?


    [No. You''ll just use up all your energy, no other disadvantages.]


    ''Good, then I want to begin the process of general evolution.'' Wain replied, and a dark orb appeared before him.


    He touched it and immediately felt the sphere begin to absorb his energy. The sphere transformed the energy into dark threads that headed toward the monsters.


    It took one thread for one monster, so the total number of threads was over four thousand.


    They passed through walls and headed straight for their Soul Altars. The monsters were surprised, but they quickly realized this was their chance to make a breakthrough.


    Elegan had done his job well and properly distributed all the resources growing in the Forest of Frozen Dreams among the monsters. Edena and Lui Bu tried to create potions from the ingredients that storedrge amounts of energy and thus helped the monsters evolve.


    Unlike the other owners of Voids, Wain used almost no zone resources for his development. Of course, the main reason was that he was a human, but that didn''t change the fact that monsters evolved very quickly.


    They were all long ready to evolve but couldn''t break the final barrier. Even Frigus and Elegan had certain problems with it.


    The dark threads were like a lifeline and a chance for them to advance. They got the energy that Wain gave them.


    The monsters didn''t need much energy. Otherwise, Wain would be depleted in a few seconds and could only help a few monsters. They only needed a few drops to help them make the final move. The dark threads provided them with that opportunity.


    A few hourster, when Wain ran out of energy, energy surges began to ur in the territory of Void.


    This was the effect that dozens of monsters simultaneously finished evolving and gained new powers and abilities.


    Arge amount of energy was emitted from them, the concentration of which gradually increased.


    The energy was like a living organism, and anything could happen when concentrated in one ce. Wain''s Void was no exception, and in an instant, the energy began to turn into a massive gate.

 Chapter 290 The Gate

    Chapter 290: The Gate


    Wain was exhausted and could not even activate a single skill. He calmly stepped into the main square and saw an amazing scene.


    A huge amount of energy turned into a massive gate, something simr to the gate to the Purgatory area, but it was Dungeon. This was indicated by thepletely filled stripes above the gate and the bright red burning crystal.


    ''What? Why is there a Dungeon here? What the hell is going on?'' Wain eximed to himself and saw several messages.


    [A Dungeon has appeared in the Forest of Frozen Dreams territory, Bone Cave.]


    [Dungeon will not disappear until it is cleared and someone destroys the core or until Dungeon submits to the Void in which it has appeared.]


    [If the Void loses, the Dungeon will absorb that Void and grow in size to form a new space.]


    "Damn, bad timing..." Wain muttered and ate thest white pill, which was supposed to speed up energy recovery.


    Wain was exhausted, and the appearance of a high-level Dungeon was a major setback. He felt it was Second Chronicle Dungeon, and it was a serious threat. Wain had only recently be a Second Chronicle creature and was below the midrange.


    Bone Cave had a red crystal which meant that Ascendant Rating monsters likely inhabited it, and also, considering the number ofnes, it was quiterge.


    "Wain!" Elegan eximed, running into the main square.


    "Gather everyone, let the already evolved monsters get ready to defend themselves and bring the others here. Also, I need help from Edena and Lui Bu. They need to restore my energy reserves urgently." Wain said seriously.


    "Got it!" Elegan quickly replied and ran in the other direction.


    Wain concentrated, and his Seal of Darkness glowed brightly. He wanted to return to the real world and ask Forgotten for help. It was the best option in this situation. However, he could not open the portal to the spatial rift.


    ''Shit, it looks like space is blocked. Fuck, evolving hundreds of monsters turned out to be quite a dangerous venture, but could I have predicted that the energy would turn into Dungeon?''


    Anything could have happened during the energy buildup. The emergence of Dungeon was just one possibility.


    Crackle.


    There was a loud creaking sound, and the gate slowly began to open.


    Some monsters had already managed to approach, including the Dark Elves led by Reto. They were no exception and evolved as well.


    This happened in a few hours because they were members of Voids, and Wain''s energy helped them speed up the process. This method had pluses such as speed and help from another creature, but it also had minuses because they had to be in the Void and get energy.


    If Lea, who had never been here before, came to Wain''s Void, she would not get help from Wain. The Dark Threads would not go to her because she was an outsider, and her energy was foreign.


    Reto and the other Dark Elves spent most of their time in this Void and used the resources of this area to advance. This area was their home, and the energy was something native to them.


    Step.


    Frigus stepped out of the cave. His steps were heavy and confident. His appearance had changed slightly. His white hair was longer, his eyes deeper, and his armor sleeker and denser.


    The swords were slightly shorter than before but wider and sharper. Swords used to look like sabers or rapiers, but now they were massive two-handed swords that could pierce even very strong armor.


    There was a menacing aura emanating from Frigus, and there was cold steam when he breathed.


    ''Great, Frigus is already here, but it will hardly be enough.'' Wain thought.


    Frigus and Reto were stronger than the others in the Forest of Frozen Dreams, but they could not defeat several Second Chronicle creatures. They were just embarking on a new path.


    "Wain, go away. We''ll hold them off." Reto said, approaching Wain.


    Unlike most times, he looked serious now. He no longer wore the pleasant smile and joyful gleam in his eyes. Reto understood how dangerous the situation was and knew that Wain''s safety was paramount.


    "No, that''s out of the question. I''m staying here."


    Reto walked over to him, put a hand on his shoulder, and muttered, "I knew you would say that, so I''m sorry."


    "What?"<sub> </sub>


    Reto''s eyes shed, and he blew out a club of purple smoke. Wain didn''t have time to react, and everything in front of his eyes began to blur.


    "What did you do... Reto... damn it..." Wain muttered and copsed.


    He gradually fell asleep, and his eyes closed.


    "I''m sorry, but I had to do it."


    Frigus saw this but didn''t stop Reto. He understood what the point of this dangerous venture was. Reto couldn''t let Wain die or get hurt. It threatened to kill them all.


    Reto lifted Wain by the shoulders and headed for the cave.


    "Stop!" Suddenly Edena''s loud voice was heard running toward them along with Lui Bu and Elegan.


    Edena had a small suitcase in her hands that looked like a medicine case, and on Lui Bu''s back was a backpack filled with various medicines and potions.


    "Get out of here now!" Reto shouted, "Frigus, get them out of here."


    "Wait, the gate hasn''t opened yet. Give them a chance."


    Reto frowned but stopped and let Edena approach.


    Edena took a syringe of white liquid out of the suitcase and stuck it into Wain''s chest. Lui Bu prepared some pills, and when Wain woke up, he immediately swallowed them.


    "Elegan, have the goblins distribute the pills to everyone. They increase protection and speed up energy regeneration." Edena said quickly.


    "Of course."


    Lui Bu handed out the pills, and Edena ran up to the strongest monsters and gave them the potions. For some monsters, she prepared something special, like to Reto and to Frigus.


    Wain got to his feet and felt his energy recovering quickly.


    ''Huh, Lui Bu and Edena did a good job.''


    "Can you fight?" Frigus asked, approaching him.


    Wain nodded.


    "I won''t apologize for putting you to sleep." Reto said seriously.


    "Of course, I would have done the same thing if I were you." Wain said smiling, and the Ring of Damned glowed brightly.


    A purple potion appeared in his hand. The most valuable potion he had left was the Royal Grape Potion.


    He drained the skpletely and felt his powers increase. His stats went up by 50, his regeneration increased, and his reflexes and reaction speed improved.


    "Sorry to interrupt, but something is about to start." Lui Bu muttered, pointing to the gate and stepping aside.


    Wain, Reto, and Frigus nodded.


    The gate opened fully, and there was a whiff of cold, but not the kind that came from ice or snow, but from death.


    A crackle. Crackle. Crack.


    Immediately after that, there was a loud crackling sound, and the monsters came out of the portal.


    It was a horde of skeletons with various, rather simple weapons.


    "Damn, it''s the undead!" Elegan eximed.


    "That''s a big problem. My hypnosis works poorly on the undead. Skeletons are the worst thing that could happen to us." Reto uttered and armed himself with a curved dagger.

 Chapter 291 Enemy Of The Dead

    "The undead? What are their weaknesses?" Wain asked.


    This was the first time he had encountered the undead. Skeletons, as well as goblins, were considered monsters, but they had a dense rtionship to some species.


    "Quite a few, crushing weapons, explosions, and light, but they are weakly susceptible to most physical attacks and elements. Water, wind, fire, practically useless if the forces are equal." Elegan said and pulled a watch from his pocket.


    He pressed a button, and several purple barriers appeared around the gate. The skeletons tried to break through it, but the barrier was strong and could withstand many attacks.


    "Light... Are any of us specializing in the attribute of light?" Wain asked, but all he saw in response was the others shaking their heads.


    Elves often used the power of light, but not the Dark Elves. Darkness was a powerful force, but not against the undead who were imbued with the energy of death.


    ''Hmm, I have a ring and one very powerful expendable item with the attribute of light, but it''s hard enough to clear a Dungeon.''


    "We don''t have to enter a Dungeon. We can defend ourselves almost indefinitely. We''ll only need a few dozen monsters to maintain the defense, which will change every couple of hours. That way, our overall power will increase over time, and we''ll be able to prevail." Elegan said seriously.


    "Yes, it''s not a bad option, but there''s something that worries me." Reto muttered, "We''ll be able to contain the skeletons, but we don''t know what other monsters are out there. If someone several times stronger than the skeletons shows up, we''ll be in big trouble. To be overrun by Dungeon is the greatest shame."


    "I agree. We need to break in there and kill their leader. Then the monsters will no longer fight back, and we will not only fight back but increase our strength. Having allies like the undead isn''t a bad option." Wain said seriously, looking at the portal.


    The skeletons looked weak and clumsy, but that was an illusion of their strange movements. The actions of creatures made of bone were different from flesh and blood.


    "Damn, we could use an engineer in this situation to make light bombs." Elegan muttered.


    As the skeletons tried to break through the barrier, more and more monsters from different parts of the Void approached the gate.


    They were mostly ice, sand, and forest monsters and beasts. They discovered what had happened and wanted to protect their home from the invaders.


    "Huh, I''m certainly no engineer, but I have something simr." Lui Bu said and pulled several potions of two kinds, yellow and red, out of his bag.


    "What are these?"


    "They are potions, but not ordinary potions, but attack potions. If you throw them, they explode on contact. They''re practically bombs. I made some with the attribute of light and fire just in case."


    "Isn''t that wonderful? Really, it''s hard enough." Reto muttered.


    Wain nodded, and the Ring of Damned glowed brightly.


    A light stone appeared in his hand; it was the Shard of Heaven''s Fall. Wain could do serious damage even to Second Chronicle creatures with this item, and considering the skeletons were undead, the effect would be much stronger.


    He also decided to use the Seal of Dark Light. This item could create an area in which everyone''s attack power increased several times and defense decreased.


    Wain decided that this was his only way to defeat the enemy leader. He had already regained some of his strength and was ready to fight and use one of the forms.


    "Wain, I will go with you." Frigus said.<sub> </sub>


    He understood Wain''s intentions and was going to follow him.


    "All right, Elegan, take down the barrier. I will not fight the skeletons and other monsters in the Dungeon. I''m heading for their leader, so you''ll have to defend the ce until Frigus, and I return."


    "I hear you." Elegan nodded and removed the barrier with a flick of his finger.


    Whooooooosh.


    Wain and Frigus turned into shes and headed for the gate through the horde of skeletons. The monsters reacted and swung their swords and sabers sharply, but Wain and Frigus had already entered the portal.


    Elegan, Reto, Edena, and Lui Bu remained in the ice cave and several dozen fairly strong monsters.


    The monsters and beasts immediately pounced on the skeletons. It should have been an easy victory, but the skeletons turned sharply around and attacked back. They didn''t know what fear and pain were.


    Bam.


    One of the beasts ripped the skeleton apart with a powerful attack, but suddenly the scattered bones glowed brightly, and the skeleton resurrected. The same thing happened to the others.


    "What is this?" Reto asked. He was shocked to see that their enemies could resurrect so easily.


    "Damn, there seems to be a Lich in Dungeon, or even more than one. Skeletons aren''t capable of regenerating themselves." Elegan muttered.


    "Wain and Frigus will take care of that. We need to decide what to do with the skeletons. We can''t defeat immortal opponents." Reto said seriously.


    "Do we need to defeat them?" Edena asked, "It will be enough to disarm. They are immortal, not invincible. We should be able to make it work. The forest monsters and the ice monsters should be able to handle it."


    "I see. You want to freeze them?"


    "Yes, any ways and options will work. We have to try everything."


    Elegan nodded and once again pressed the button on the clock.


    This time a massive purple seal appeared over the skeletons, and they felt some serious pressure. The bones of the skeletons trembled, and they simultaneously fell and were pressed firmly to the ground.


    This seal had gravitational power, but Elegan could not hold them back for long.


    "Hurry up. My powers are not infinite."


    Reto nodded and gave the sign. A multitude of monsters and several Dark Elves with the attribute of ice. They worked together to freeze the skeletons and tried to immobilize them.


    They seeded, but new skeletons emerged from the gate a few minutester, more aggressive. Their eyes glowed red, and their weapons were coated with energy.

 Chapter 292 Bones

    While Wain''s mates restrained the monsters, he and Frigus headed toward the enemy leader.


    Inside the Dungeon was a deep funnel with many caves. Bridges of stone and bone connected the cave entrances and formed something like a web.


    "Looks like Elegan and the others will have to work hard to contain them." Wain said, looking at the hundred skeletons heading toward the portal.


    "They''ll make it." Frigus replied, briefly looking around. He held his swords tightly and was ready to face danger at any moment.


    "Okay, at least they''re not paying attention to us. It looks like someone is controlling them and gave themand to attack. We should take advantage of that." Wain said and jumped down.


    Frigus nodded and followed him.


    The funnel was very deep and seemed endless from above, but they soon saw the bottom.


    At the bottom was a vast area strewn with bones and several bloody rivers. The ce looked eerie and alienating.


    Wain and Frigus were immediately noticed by the monsters lurking in the shadows. Their red eyes lit up likenterns and peered out of the darkness.


    "Who''s in charge here?" Wain asked coldly.


    Second Chronicle monsters were strong and intelligent enough to understand speech. They couldn''t talk like Frigus or Elegan, but that didn''t stop Wain from making contact with them.


    In response, he heard only a growl and saw a monster that looked like a wild beast emerge from the darkness. Unlike the skeletons, the monster was not made of bones. It was undead with rotting flesh.


    "Roooooaaaarrrrr!" The beast roared furiously and stepped forward. The bones shattered into small shards under the beast''s weight, and a blue sh appeared in front of him.


    Frigus decided to act immediately. He crossed his swords and swung them in different directions. The monster jumped back at thest moment and wouldn''te any closer.


    Wain was ready to use Shard of Heaven''s Fall and Seal of Dark Light. Many enemies were around, and abined attack with these items could easily kill them all.


    "Freeze."


    Step.


    Muffled footsteps were heard, and a menacing figure emerged from the darkness. It was a skeleton in a long blue robe and a staff with a blue crystal.


    "Are you Lich?" Wain asked.


    "Yes, I am. Why did youe here? Tired of living?" Lich''s voice was cold and creepy. His eyes, unlike those of the monsters, burned with blue fire.


    "No, it''s too early for me to die. We''vee to negotiate or fight."


    "Huh, how interesting, and what are the terms? Why shouldn''t I kill you right here and now and take over your Void? You''re their leader. It would be an easy win."


    Lich went through Awareness. He could talk and was considerably stronger than the other monsters in the same Chronicle.


    "It''s simple, either you join me, and we get stronger together, or I kill you all, and that''s the end of our conversation."


    "Huh, you seem confident, but that''s not enough to impress me. If you want the strong to obey you, you have to be even stronger." Lich said coldly and swung his staff.


    The monsters shuddered and moved aside, and tworge skeletons in dark armor appeared from under the ground beside Lich. Their eyes also glowed blue. They were armed with massive ck steel swords.


    "Death Knights..." Frigus said warily and prepared for battle.


    Wain frowned, the aura of the Death Knights was threatening, and he felt that the Death Knights were much stronger than them.<sub> </sub>


    "You want to know how strong we are? Fine, have it your way!" Wain eximed, and a ck and white robe and bandages appeared on him.


    Wain decided to activate the first form, Code of Light and Darkness, because he wanted to lower the power of Death Knights with a special skill.


    There was no point in using Cursed Swordsman or Blind Sorcerer in this situation since the execution only worked on one enemy. The vision of the future was useless against such strong opponents.


    "Not bad, too bad it''s not enough." The Lich spoke slowly and swung his staff.


    The Death Knights dashed toward Wain and Frigus. The blue crystal on the staff glowed brightly, and several spheres of blue me headed toward them.


    Wain and Frigus jumped away from the spheres, and the Death Knights attacked them instantly. Wain parried the attack with his palm and stepped back. Frigus held a series of blows with the Death Knight. He struggled to fight back.


    Even using a single sword, the Death Knight outnumbered him in both strength and speed.


    Bam.


    The Death Knightnded a powerful top-down blow, and Frigus blocked it crossed his swords. His hands trembled, and the bones under his feet broke. He could not withstand such pressure for long.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Wain waved his hand, and a massive sign appeared on the battlefield, signifying the bnce between darkness and light.


    Everyone in the circle became the same, and Wain felt his power grow. It was proof that the Death Knights far outnumbered them in stats.


    This did not affect Lich, who seeded in retreating and moving beyond the mark.


    "Pathetic reception." Lich said coldly and swung his staff.


    Out of it flew two blue projectiles that prated the bodies of the Death Knights, and their power began to increase.


    However, they were still under the influence of the special skill of the first form, and so the sign on the ground came into motion.


    Their stats changed again and became equal.


    "What kind of power is that?!" Lich was puzzled. He didn''t understand why his spells had no effect.


    Wain answered nothing. The Ring of Damned glowed brightly, and a tinum sword appeared in his hand. Like a wild whirlwind, it attacked one of the Death Knights and began to deliver numerous blows to vulnerable ces.


    The Death Knight tried to defend himself, but now their strength was equal and was decided not by stats but by mastery.


    Frigus also began to overwhelm his enemy. He was not a great swordsman like Forgotten, but he would not lose to the Death Knight in swordsmanship. It would be a shame for him.


    Lich was panicking. He saw that Wain and Frigus were slowly winning, and they were keeping the Death Knights in the range of the special skill.


    "Damn, I didn''t mean to resort to such unfair tricks, but there''s nothing I can do." Lich uttered and raised his staff high.


    He knocked it to the ground and created a blue wave of energy. The monsters in the distance grew considerably stronger, but they had to obey Lich.


    They simultaneously attacked Wain and Frigus. The monsters entered the sign area, and their stats changed, but it didn''t matter now. There were too many enemies. Wain and Frigus could not handle them alone.


    However, this was the move Wain had been waiting for Lich to make. He smiled and used Seal of Dark Light. Another zone of white and ck mes appeared, and everyone''s attack power increased significantly.


    Then Wain crushed Shard of Heaven''s Fall. A bright light appeared from above, and many dots came crashing down to the ground as hundreds of golden beams like a heavenly punishment.

 Chapter 293 Bone Troopers

    Wain counted on Lich to make that mistake and use all his forces at once. This allowed Wain to get rid of all his problems in an instant. His n was risky, but he seeded. His n consisted of three steps.


    First, Wain lowered his enemies'' stats by equating their strength to the average of everyone else''s. Then he used Seal of Dark Light and increased his attack significantly, and finally, he used a powerful artifact that summoned light rays.


    Since the Death Knights and the beasts were undead, this attack was fatal for them. Lich understood this, so he tried his best to save his subordinates.


    The crystal on Lich''s staff glowed brightly, and a massive seal of blue me appeared above them. It absorbed the rays of light, but it could notst. Cracks gradually appeared in the seal, and Lich''s powers quickly dried up.


    "Stop it immediately! I admit defeat! If you want subordinates, we must at least stay alive!" Lich shouted, and a crack appeared on his forehead. He also suffered as he used his life force to maintain his protective seal.


    Wain frowned, he wanted Lich and the Death Knights to join him, but he had no power to stop it. He, like them, was forced to wait for the artifact''s effect to wear off, though somehow he could help them.


    Snap.


    Wain snapped his finger and canceled the first form. Along with that, the effect of the special skill of Code Light and Darkness disappeared, and the stats of the knights and beasts began to increase rapidly.


    They quickly reacted and ran out from under the effect of the Seal of Dark Light and jointly protected themselves from the light rays.


    The knights transferred their energy to the Lich, and the protective seal was quickly restored, and the rays could no longer damage it.


    Eventually, the artifact''s power dried up, and the battle was over.


    "Nameless, I cannot understand. Are you wise or foolish?" Lich said seriously.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Don''t you realize that because you spared us, we can attack you, and from the looks of it, you have no more trumps left?"


    "Yes, you''re right. If you attack now, I might actually have to retreat, but that doesn''t mean you''ll win. We will escape and will defend ourselves at the gate. You won''t be able to get through, and you''ll still lose in the end, but there will be great casualties on both sides."


    "I see..." Lich muttered, "You are a wise man, not a fool. Well, I will not retract my words. As I said, I''m your subordinate now, and so are the others."


    Lich shook his head, and the Death Knights thrust their swords into the ground and knelt on one knee as a sign of respect.


    [Dungeon, Bone Cave has submitted to Void, Forest of Frozen Dreams.]


    [Bone Cave is now part of the Forest of Frozen Dreams.]


    [Bone Cave is too small to be a separate territory and cannot expand without outside help, so Bone Cave will be a location in one of the territories in Void]


    [Beginning to connect Bone Cave to the Forest of Frozen Dreams.]


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space shuddered, and the top of the Bone Cave disintegrated into many shards, behind which the ice caves were visible. Gradually it became one, and it was now possible to move freely between zones.


    Elegan, Reto, and the others immediately rushed to Wain. At Lich''smand, the skeletons stopped their attack and stood idly by as if they were puppets.


    "What is your name?" Wain asked.


    "Sarras" Lich slowly answered.


    "Are you all right?" Elegan eximed, running up to them.


    Wain nodded and, pointing at Sarras said, "Elegan, this is our new mate. Bring him up to speed. We haveplete discretion, so I''m not restricting you."


    "I get it."


    "Mimic, how interesting..." Sarras muttered, looking at Elegan.


    "Well, I didn''t expect I''d ever had to work with Lich."


    "Do you have something against me?" Sarras said coldly, and the me in his eyes shed much brighter.


    "No, no, no, it''s all right!"<sub> </sub>


    Whooooooosh.


    Frigus appeared before Sarras and put two sharp des to his neck.


    "It is not customary for us to fight each other. Follow the rules if you choose to be one of us."


    "As if I need to. Because of you, I have my hands full, just look what you''ve done to my knights! They are crippled and their armor destroyed. I''ll see youter sometime." Sarras turned and waved his mantle.


    He headed into the darkness, and the strongest undead followed him.


    ...


    Wain headed into the icyke. He wanted to rest and gain strength, but suddenly several messages appeared before him.


    [The number of monsters had reached 10,000.]


    [Void, Forest of Frozen Dreams, ready for promotion.]


    [Nameless, you as the owner of this area must permit for the process to begin.]


    ''So much? Hmm, Bone Cave is quite a small area, but it seems to contain a huge number of skeletons.'' Wain pondered and looked at his World of Darkness card.


    [Nameless


    Race: Human


    Chronicle: Second


    Rank: A.


    Voids: 1, Forest of Frozen Dreams, Rank-D, Medium.


    Warriors: 10.037]


    "Not bad..."


    Wain decided not to start increasing the rank of the zone because it was too dangerous.


    During this process, the spatial barrier of Void would weaken considerably, and another zone could attack it. This had happened thest time, and Wain was sure it would be even more difficult now.


    The Forest of Frozen Dreams had only recently be Second Chronicle Void. If the rank advancement process began now, another Second Chronicle Void would attack it.


    The monsters were weak and unprepared for such a challenge. One Sarras could not help them win an unexpected war.


    However, Wain was not going to put it off. Now the space was unlocked, and he could return to his world and bring Forgotten here.


    With it, Wain could not fear for his warriors and territories. For the moment, it was his strongest ally.


    The S of Darkness red up, and Wain was about to leave, but suddenly the Ring of Damned glowed brightly. Wain was surprised as the ring activated itself as if something was trying to get out of it.


    Wain directed some energy into the ring, and the Forgotten Monarch''s Sword appeared before him. Wain took a closer look at the tinum sword and saw that its seal had lit up and was gradually disappearing.


    ''That''s right...I hadpletely forgotten about it.'' Wain thought.


    The Forgotten Monarch''s Sword had one special feature. It was a powerful weapon with a secret. Part of the sword''s power was blocked by a seal, and it was only supposed to disappear when ten thousand warriors would obey the owner of the sword.


    Bone Cave and thousands of skeletons became Wain''s warriors, and he fulfilled that condition.


    mes engulfed the seal, and behind it was a sign in the form of mes. The sword turned in the air and headed toward Wain piercing his chest.


    Wain didn''t have time to react, and Forgotten Monarch''s Sword ignited in a massive, dark blue me,pletely consuming Wain.


    The mes were cold and lonely, like a rejected traveler.

 Chapter 294 The Power Of The Sword

    Forgotten Monarch''s Sword plunged into Wain''s chest, and the mes engulfed him. Wain did not fight back as it did not hurt him. He felt strange as if the sword was trying to contact him.


    The mes gradually grewrger but then diminished and headed toward Forgotten Monarch''s Sword. The sword flew out of Wain''s chest and sliced his palm. The wound was shallow, but it was enough to make the sword''s de sprinkle with blood.


    The mes mixed with the blood, and the sword began to change.


    The handle became slightly longer, and a square ck guard appeared. The sword became much sharper, and a ck and blue me line appeared on it in the middle of the de.


    The sword plunged into the ground, and the fire went out.


    Wain sighed and touched the weapon.


    [Nameless Monarch''s Sword (Second Chronicle, Ascendant Rating)


    A mighty monarch once held this sword, but time has spared no one. His name was wiped from the pages of history and forgotten forever. But when one story ends, another always begins.


    The new owner of the sword was someone nameless and unknown. He was able to make contact with the sword and fulfill all conditions to unleash the full power of the weapon.


    *This weapon can only be used by Nameless. Otherwise, the seal is activated, and the sword bes useless.


    *The total number of stats must exceed 1.000, otherwise the seal will block the sword.


    *Strength+30, Agility+35, Vitality+5, Stamina+10. Speed increased by 10%. Attack speed increased by 15%.


    *Passive skill "Contact with the Owner" was created.


    *Created an active skill - "Tarnishing me Incision".


    - Contact with the Owner


    Nameless Monarch''s Sword is linked to you, and your progress in attaining Martial Essence will be much faster when using this weapon].


    - Tarnishing me Incision.


    Gathering energy on the sword de, swing the sword from top to bottom and create a massive vertical de from Tarnishing me.]


    ''Hmm, the bonuses to stats remain the same, but the Chronicle and Rating have gone up. The sword is definitely much more powerful. However, what is Martial Essence?'' Wain wondered.


    It was the first time he had seen the term, and he had never heard of anything like it before.


    Wain shook his head and returned the sword to the Ring of Damned. The Seal of Darkness shed brightly, and Wain hit a spatial rift.


    He headed for the entrance to the real world but stopped at the end. Wain turned around and looked at the wooden door standing not far from his gate.


    "There are too many iprehensible things going ontely. Maybe the omniscient bartender can help me figure it out." Wain muttered and headed for the door.


    ...


    Even though all the Worlds had merged into one and the universe had changed dramatically, there was no change in the bar. As before, it was one of the most peaceful andfortable ces.


    Sven was slowly wiping his ss with his eyes closed and thinking about something.


    When he saw Wain, he smiled weakly and put his ss aside.


    "Wee. It''s been a long time since I''ve seen you."


    "Well... I''ve been too busy, most likely even you have been touched by the merging of worlds. Right?" Wain sat down behind the bar and smoked.


    "Huh, sure. It was something really massive, but it''s a natural progression, that''s the will of the World of Darkness."


    "The World of Darkness? Is that what this is all about? Can you tell me about it?"


    Sven shook his head, "No, and not because it''s secret information. I have nothing to tell you. The World of Darkness is not a living organism like me or you, it can''t talk, but it can show intentions."<sub> </sub>


    "I see. Will you treat me to something unusual?"


    "Sure, but pay it forward."


    Wain nodded, and a few dozen souls flew out of his hand.


    Sven smiled and brought one fruit from the warehouse. It wasrge, with a thick, spiky rind. The fruit looked ugly and creepy.


    "This cocktail is one of my favorites, it''s simple and tasty, but I like it best because of this fruit." Sven said, slowly peeling the fruit from its peel.


    The inside of the fruit was smooth and resembled a starry sky in color.


    "It reminds me that very often, behind an ugly wrapper, there can be something beautiful, but first you have to find the right approach to see that beauty." Sven muttered and finely sliced the fruit into cubes.


    He tossed it into a ss and half poured in whiskey.


    "The cocktail, Honesty of the Stars, is ready." Sven said and slid the ss toward Wain.


    He took a sip, and his eyes went wide.


    "As always, an unusual and unique taste." Wain said quietly, enjoying the cocktail.


    "Why did youe here?"


    "I want to know something. What is Martial Essence? I''ve had toe across it recently."


    "Ah, I see. You''ve only recently be a Second Chronicle, judging by your energy fluctuations. I can see why you don''t know about it yet."


    "That''s something important. Right?"


    "Yes. Wain, you know that you have to meet a special condition for all subsequent evolutions except the first."


    Wain nodded.


    "Everyone''s conditions are unique, but there is something every Second Chronicle creature must learn to be able to go through the third evolution. You must define Martial Essence for yourself and reach the first level of mastery in it."


    "I see, another condition to be stronger. It seems like there will be more and more conditions as time goes on."


    "Huh, sure. The stronger you are, the harder and thornier your path. It''s only natural."


    "So what am I need to do? Martial Essence is some kind of ability?"


    "Not really. Besides the skills we get from the souls of other creatures, we can also create our own. This is usually something higher Chronicle creatures spend time on, as it can take longer to advance there. Martial Essence is somewhat simr to creating your skill.


    For example, a swordsman practicing fencing for decades became a Second Chronicle. In that case, he will acquire his Martial Essence over time, and it will be the Art of the Sword. The same is true of other weapons, whether spear, axe, hammer, bow, or magical staffs and wands."


    "Does it have to be some kind of weapon?"


    "No. You can choose hand-to-handbat or some mixed or your own style if you want. You have to find something that works for you. That''s the main goal of Martial Essence. I advise you to use Beyond at this time. That power will tell you which direction to go, like a subconscious." Sven muttered.


    "I see. Thanks for the cocktail." Wain said and headed over and got up from his chair.


    "Leaving already? Don''t you want to buy something? My assortment has never disappointed you before."


    "Not this time. Now I have somewhere to spend my souls, and I have other problems. Anyway, I''ll be back."


    "I see, but I''ll still offer you something." Sven uttered and opened his palm. On it was a small, dark crystal.


    "What is it?"


    "This is a pass to the neutral zone of one crazy old man. Perhaps it will help you grow stronger and understand what your Martial Essence is."

 Chapter 295 Neutral Zone

    "A pass to the Neutral Zone? Can''t only the owner of Void create passes?" Wain asked.


    "I have my ways, but I have few such passes, and I can only give you one. If you refuse now, I won''t offer any more. If you say yes and the old man kicks you out of his zone, you won''t get to him again, but no one can help you like he can." Sven said weakly smiling.


    "How much does it cost?"


    "Not at all, or rather the price will not be in souls. In return, I want you to owe me one request. I don''t know what yet, but you will have to help me if possible."


    Wain frowned. He didn''t like being in debt, it was fraught with problems, but Wain understood this was a unique opportunity.


    He had only found one neutral zone all along, this bar. Wain wanted to visit other ces like this because their owners were unique individuals. Sven was the most mysterious and powerful person Wain had ever met.


    "Okay, I''ll take you up on your offer." Wain murmured and took the shard.


    "You''re a pleasure to do business with, as always."


    "Hmm? We''re not going to make any contracts?"


    "No, I''m sure you''ll keep your word, and so will I. Words and oaths are very important in this world, but you''d better ask the old man about that. See youter."


    Wain nodded and headed for the exit.


    He hit a spatial rift and used the pass. The crystal took off and disappeared into the darkness. An iron, rusted door with several chains appeared in that ce.


    Wain struggled to open the door. He applied all his strength, and it felt as if he were trying to move a mountain.


    ''I should have gone back to the ind, but if I stay a bit longer and learn more about the powers of this world, it won''t hurt anyone.'' Wain thought as he opened the door.


    Behind it was a dark portal that engulfed Wain.


    ...


    Wain found himself in what looked like an abandoned dungeon. Many cells were locked, chains and shackles scattered across the floor, and a few dim torches hung on the walls.


    The atmosphere in this ce was eerie and lonely. Even the most vicious and violent crime would go mad in such a ce.


    Wain strolled forward, looking around carefully. The dungeon was much different from the calm and cozy bar. Wain thought all neutral zones were alike, but he was sorely mistaken.


    ng.


    In the distance, there was a muffled sound of thumping. It wasing from the dark tunnel at the end of the dungeon. Wain saw an old man of medium height beating a strange mannequin out of chains. It was breaking into many pieces but thening together.


    The old man snapped his finger as if he were controlling the process each time before.


    Wain grew wary; he didn''t know what to expect.


    "Come in, don''t be afraid." The old man said without even turning around.<sub> </sub>


    The old man was dressed in shabby clothes like a criminal. His hands were shackled with torn chains. His eyes were green, and his hair was gray. Although he was old, he was quite muscr, and his skin was not bby.


    ''Did he notice me? Hmm, that''s interesting.'' Wain thought and stepped forward.


    "I don''t know who sent you to me, but go away. I have no desire to waste my time on some brats." The old man uttered and delivered a powerful blow to the dummies.


    It was so fast that it exceeded the speed of sound, and the dummy was shattered into small shards.


    "Well... Sven was right when he talked about you."


    "What did you say? Are you here from Sven?" The old man''s voice changed slightly.


    "Yes. He gave me an invitation to this area and said this is where I would meet the crazy old man. So far, it''s just as he said."


    Wain doubted whether he should have agreed to Sven''s offer, but after seeing the old man''s punch, he was convinced that Sven always advises only the best. Wain understood that the old man and Sven were many times stronger than he was, but Sven, unlike the old man, would not teach him anything. It wasn''t in his line of work.


    "Hahahahaha, Sven, that sly boy always has something to surprise me. You''re a pretty interesting guy. It''s not often you meet people whose Soul Altars I can''t see. Okay, what do you want from me?"


    ''Was he trying to see my Main Soul? Hell, I didn''t even notice anything. I need to be more careful. He''s not Sven, and he could kill me at any time if he wanted to.''


    "I want to identify my Martial Essence."


    "Ah, I see. You just became a Second Chronicle. Well, I met that problem once, too. Though Sven sent you, I refuse." The old man waved his hand and turned around.


    "What? Why?"


    "It''s too boring. You''ll determine your Martial Essence without my involvement. Sure, it''ll take longer, but it''s an intuitive process. I have no desire to waste my time on it."


    Wain was a young man who didn''t know what he wanted from the old man. Wain wasn''t used to being treated this way, which made him angry. He didn''t mind learning something new, but he wouldn''t put up with being put in anything.


    "You don''t want to waste your time? Like you''re busy doing something important. Judging by your scruffy look, you''ve been hitting that dummy for days and practicing the same technique. No man has as much free time as you do!"


    The old man drew his eyebrows together and said slowly, "What''s your name?"


    "Wain, that''s enough."


    The old man nodded, "Osvald. Wain, you''re unfortunately right about something. I''ve been really boredtely, but peace and quiet are better than teaching someone you don''t know. I''ll give you a chance, we''ll fight, and if you can stand a full minute against me and not fall, I''ll share my wisdom with you."


    "When do we start?" Wain was serious.


    Osvald smiled, "Now."


    Whooooooosh.


    His silhouette blurred, and he was in front of Wain.

 Chapter 296 Dragon Blow

    Osvald was serious. If Wain was worthy of his help, he was willing to share his wisdom and knowledge, but if not, their story was over.


    Wain''s eyes shed, and he jumped back. The old man''s fist flew close to his face.


    "Not bad." Osvald said, smiling, and threw another punch.


    Wain folded his arms crosswise and tried to block the blow, but Osvald''s fist somehow got through the block and hit Wain in the stomach.


    He threw a mouthful of blood and flew back a few feet into the wall.


    His eyes began to blur, and Wain almost lost consciousness. But, he came to his senses and got to his feet at thest moment.


    p.


    Osvald paced slowly in his direction and pped his hands, "Forty seconds to go, and you''re still on your feet. I''ll give you a little advice. It''s time to use your skills if you want to stay alive."


    The old man stepped forward, and his legs were covered in energy. He turned into a white sh and appeared before Wain.


    Wain hadn''t felt so seriously threatened in a long time. He had never before found himself in a situation where there was no chance of victory. All Wain could do was try to survive the next forty seconds.


    Before the old man struck, bone wings appeared from Wain''s back, and he barely dodged the attack. Wain ran in a circle creating a wind vortex that lifted the wallowing chains into the air.


    "Thirty more seconds." Osvald said slowly and took a deep breath. Two vortex-like energy gloves appeared on his hands.


    He appeared in front of Wain a momentter and grabbed his wings.


    "Decided to run away, huh?" Osvald grinned eerily, and loud cracking of bones was heard.


    Wain clenched his teeth in pain and tried to run away, but Osvald would not let him get out and gradually pulled his wings out.


    It was a terrible pain that Wain had to endure to pass this ordeal. Wain dashed forward, deciding he had no other choice, and the bone wings ripped out of his back with a chunk of flesh.


    Blood poured to the ground in a scarlet trail staying behind Wain. He struggled to stay conscious, ten seconds left, and he couldn''t give up when he''d already made it this far.


    "To endure that kind of pain... You might have a chance, but I have to make sure of it." Osvald muttered and delivered a powerful punch into the air with his fist.


    An energy pulse erupted from the fist and turned into the massive head of an ancient dragon.


    Wain''s instincts told him that he would die from this attack if he didn''t use everything he had.<sub> </sub>


    "AAAARRRGGGHHH!" Wain roared like a beast and used the Cursed Swordsman and Beyond.


    A dark crown, a massive cloak, and a silver sword appeared on him.


    ''Good, pain is always empowering. We can''t win now, but we must show that we can fight back in any position.'' The cold voice of the Cursed Swordsman sounded in Wain''s head.


    Wain swung his left arm and sent a devouring wind stream toward the dragon. It collided and destroyed part of the dragon. The old man was surprised and attacked again, but Wain was already in front of him.


    He raised his sword high and muttered, "Fall before the Ice Execution."


    The silver sword was covered in icy mes, and Wain unleashed it on the old man. The Ice Execution was a special skill, and even if the enemy were a hundred times stronger, the mes would do serious damage.


    The old man sensed this and swung his arms to create several dragon heads, but the mes burned them like sheets of paper.


    Silver sword plunged into the old man''s shoulder, and dark blood gushed from the deep wound. Wain grinned and fell unconscious to the ground.


    Osvald pulled the sword from his shoulder, disintegrated into small pieces. He stared intently at Wain and his wounds, "HAHAHAHAHA, how long has it been since I''ve seen my blood? Unbelievable, Sven is as good as ever. How the hell did that guy manage to hurt me?!"


    The old man was ecstatic andughed out loud at the strange joy he felt. But, he had to stop as Osvald noticed that Wain was barely breathing, and his heart was beating slower by the second.


    "Damn, that kid is dying. He managed to hold out, so it looks like I''ll have to keep my word, but we have to save him first."


    Old man put his palm to his chest and squeezed hard at the heart area. A white seal appeared on it, from which white chains spread all over his body. They had been on the old man all along, holding him back for decades.


    Osvald''s eyes sparkled, and he clenched his palm into a fist, breaking the seal into many pieces. The chains shuddered and evaporated into small pieces.


    There was a loud cracking of bones, and the old man''s body began to change. He became much taller and more muscr. His hair returned to its former color, blood red, and became very long, reaching to his waist. His hair was massive and slicked back like a lion''s mane.


    The old man''s eyes turned orange, and his skin became as smooth as jade and as strong as steel.


    "Ah, how good it feels to feel limitless power again. Honestly, this training has worn me out. So many interesting things have happened in the world, and I have continued to sit in this jail like a prisoner." Osvald uttered and walked over to Wain.


    He snapped his finger, and several chains crawled across the floor like snakes. They lifted Wain into the air and spread his arms and legs apart.


    Osvald sighed, and a bloody seal appeared in his palm. He touched Wain and channeled a piece of his power into him. Streams of blood went to Wain''s wounds and quickly healed them. There was no trace of the wounds as if they had never existed.


    ''He has good powers and can sacrifice himself when necessary. These are crucial qualities to be a great warrior.'' Osvald thought.

 Chapter 297 Martial Essence

    ''Shit... am I still alive...?'' Wain thought as he opened his eyes and rose.


    He felt pain all over his body, but it was like a me, burning yet warming with its warmth.


    Wain turned around and saw Osvald sitting in the dungeon''s center in a lotus pose.


    "Old man...is that you?" Wain was surprised at how Osvald had changed. He was now a grown man, a real warrior, not an old man with a few years to live.


    Osvald opened his eyes and smiled broadly, "Oh, you''re awake. I thought you were dead. Hahaha."


    "I don''t think that was possible. You fixed me up pretty good. I take it I passed the test. Right?"


    ? Osvald nodded, "Yes, you were able to amuse me. In return, I will help you. However, I will only give you a few tips. Everyone must discover their own Martial Essence. Help from others is pointless here."


    "I understand. First, I want to know more about what Martial Essence is. Sven exined it to me, but his wording is as vague as ever."


    "Huh, I agree. Okay, listen carefully. In my opinion, the most urate definition for Martial Essence is that it is a fighting style that is unique and genuine. For example, if you were a swordsman of some n and learned a technique, it can''t be your Martial Essence since you didn''t invent that technique, and many other people know it."


    "Hmm, so I have to develop my fighting style?"


    "Not really. You don''t have to invent anything. You''re a human, and in this situation, that''s a big plus for you."


    "What? Why?" Wain wasn''t surprised that Osvald knew about his race. Given his strength and the fact that he owned a neutral zone, it was only natural.


    "You can''t absorb energy from your environment, which means before you became Second Chronicle, you went through more battles than any other representative of the Pirs. Your fighting style was already created naturally. You have to understand it and learn how to use it."


    "Hmm? You''re wrong. I fight a little differently every time. It depends on my skills, my items, and the opponent. My fighting style changes all the time."


    "It doesn''t. Every move you make has a Core, and it doesn''t matter if you''re fighting a mutated cockroach or me. Your fighting style created during hundreds of fights is already in your subconscious. You have to uncover it."


    Wain pondered. Osvald''s words sounded logical, but Wain still didn''t understand how he could take the first step.


    "Usually, this process happens intuitively, and sooner orter, everyone discovers their Martial Essence, but I''ll help you get that power faster since you passed the test." Osvald uttered and jumped to his feet.


    "When you and I were fighting, and I made a phantom dragon head with a blow of my fist, it wasn''t a skill. It was my Martial Essence. It''s called Dragon Hunter."


    "Dragon Hunter? Sounds serious, but being a Second Chronicle creature, did you really kill a dragon?" Wain decided that the title of Martial Essence had something to do with what Osvald had done in the past.<sub> </sub>


    "Hahaha, you overestimate me. Even a newborn baby dragon is equal in power to a Third Chronicle creature. Being on Second Chronicle, I didn''t even have a chance to kill a dragon. Back then, I saw a mighty warrior fight a dragon from afar, and one day I wanted that kind of power, too. So gradually, step by step, my style emerged from one memory."


    "I see. Sven advised me to use my Beyond. He said it should help in the process of bing aware of Martial Essence."


    "Yes, it does. Now I suggest you think about what is the Core of your fighting style and then develop that. Anything can be important, a memory like mine, a fight, a goal, or even a personality. Think about it, and when you find the Core, you can turn it into Martial Essence within hours."


    "That fast?"


    "Sure, but only for those whose Core is already fully created. You achieved this long before Second Chronicle through many battles. I can see it clearly. When fighting, do you use a sword? Is that your primary weapon?"


    "I''m not sure. The sword is definitely my favorite of all the weapons, but sometimes I prefer to fight with my bare hands." Wain muttered.


    "Great. That''s something already, now think about how it can be connected to your Beyond. If you''re always fightingbining these three variables, sword, hands, and Beyond, your Martial Essence willbine that."


    Wain nodded and activated a Beyond. He figured he could unlock his Martial Essence pretty quickly, so he didn''t leave the area. He didn''t know if Osvald would let him in again or if this was their first andst meeting.


    Osvald was helping Wain with tips and showing him how to use Martial Essence. He would create phantom dragon heads and describe his actions and sensations in detail.


    This helped Wain, and he was slowly getting closer to his goal, but he was missing something. Osvald could no longer support him, for, at one point, his advice no longer helped his progress.


    Wain realized that he was the problem. He was missing one detail, and he couldn''t figure out what the reason was for a long time.


    ''Sword, hands, Beyond...am I forgetting something?'' Wain wondered. He decided that a fourthponent was missing to solve the riddle.


    He tried to find it, but thest part found it himself.


    ''Huh, how could you forget about us?'' A mysterious voice sounded in Wain''s mind.


    ''Blind Sorcerer?'' Wain recognized the voice, for he had heard it before.


    ''Yes, it''s me, though we all have the same opinion. Think about who we are and who you are. That should be thest part.''


    Wain tried to talk to Blind Sorcerer, but he wouldn''t make contact anymore. That was his limit.


    ''The forms, surely they are thest part? No... theye from the skill, and the skilles from my Main Soul...''

 Chapter 298 Sword

    Wain realized what he had been missing, and his aura began to change.


    ''Damn, how could I have forgotten that? In the first ce, I am the possessor of the soul of the Nameless King, I am a human, and I am a soul eater. That''s what my Beyond and I are all about. Wain thought, and a dark crown appeared on his head.


    His palms were covered in gray energy, and creepy jaws appeared. The Ring of Damned glowed, and Wain gripped Nameless Monarch''s Sword tightly. The energy from the palms of his hands transferred to the sword, as did the jaws.


    They increased in number, and there were several jaws on both sides of the sword de, which sometimes rattled eerily. A dark crown mark with a silhouette of a mouth appeared on the hilt.


    "Not bad. You almost made it." Osvald said smiling.


    "Almost?"


    "Yes. You were able to shape your Martial Essence, but it''s not ready yet. To finish the process and create Martial Essence, you must use it in practice. Then you will understand the power you have gained and how you must fight. Try to attack me. Give it your best shot. I''m much stronger now than before."


    Wain nodded and stepped forward. He made a sharp lunge forward, striking his sword like a spear, and gray energy burst out of it with phantom jaws devouring everything in its path.


    Osvald smiled and waved his hand. A massive phantom dragon eye appeared above him, ring contemptuously at the jaws. White energy descended upon them and destroyed them.


    Then a message appeared before Wain.


    [Created by Martial Essence - Devouring Sword]


    [Devouring Sword (First Level)


    Your power and essence are to devour others and use them to be stronger. Sword, king of weapons, your loyal ally who took this power and created something new].


    ''I see. That''s what Osvald was talking about.''


    ''Well done, managed it in just a few days. Although, I wouldn''t expect anything else from someone Sven referred to me."


    "What? A few days?"


    "Surprised? It''s rare to meet people who can quickly unlock Martial Essence."


    "Shit, I need to go back. I''ve been here too long."


    ''Long? Is this guy kidding...? Osvald wondered.


    He was a great warrior and knew that many take weeks or months to unlock Martial Essence with a ready core. Moreover, that moment woulde long after the second evolution for many because only a few have fought as much as the humans.


    "Old man, thank you for your help, and goodbye." Wain said, and his Seal of Darkness glowed brightly. He headed toward the space passage. However, it suddenly disappeared.<sub> </sub>


    Wain turned around and saw Osvald clench his hand into a fist. It was he who blocked the passage.


    "Wait, do you really think I will let you leave without a parting gift?" Osvald smiled, and a coin with a chain pattern appeared in his hand.


    He tossed it to Wain and said, "If you want, you cane back anytime, and we''ll fight you again. Just don''t expect to stay in one piece after that. Ahahaha, and don''t forget to bring a few bottles of hard liquor next time."


    Wain smirked and caught the coin, "Okay, I see you want to see another blood fountain spurting out of you."


    The coin glowed, and a door of chains appeared before Wain. Wain stepped forward and found himself between Overion and Merge Ind in his world.


    He climbed the tower and looked around. Not much had changed during his time in the World of Darkness, but there were signs of battles near the borders of the towns with the Dark Lands.


    Merge Ind was the most protected ce since it was the farthest from the outside world. Gisle understood this, so he set out to build several bases on the ind in a few days, where people could be safe, and he could order.


    Wain headed toward Merge Ind. He needed help from Forgotten to raise his Void rank, but he also wanted to know what Gisle''s situation was.


    ...


    The main base of Last Light was now in the center of the ind and was a wood and stone castle.


    Like all the buildings before it, Clovis had made it. He, like the others, did not stand still and gradually developed and grew stronger. Now he was not only a lumberjack and could partially control stones as well, which is what he used to build his new base.


    Wain quickly found Gisle. He sat in his office, handing out orders and thinking about how to solve this or that problem.


    After the merging of worlds, people were in turmoil. Dozens of cities had been destroyed, and now they were all alone in a vast world.


    "Oh, Wain, you have no idea how d I am to see you." Gisle said, leaning back in his chair.


    "Hi, I had to disappear for a few days, but I see you got through it without me."


    "Yeah, we got a lot of help from Forgotten and the darknds. Even though these monsters have destroyed city borders and sometimes attack us, they are our shield from the other races."


    "Do you think anyone would want to attack us now? The other races don''t know that the humans are here. We haven''t existed for them for a long time, though they''re the ones who aren''t wrong. We are not the humans that some of the Pirs know about."


    <o>,m "I see your point, but either way, some of them will find out about this ce sooner orter and be our enemies. Wain, now that you''re here, I want to ask you. Who do you think would want to be our allies. I''m talking about the Pirs."</o>


    Gisle knew the reputation of the humans, but he knew that many didn''t care. It was the right thing to do for humans and other races alike. Power and personal gain were always paramount. Gisle believed in that.


    "Hmm, I''m not sure, but we probably have a chance to ally with the Vampires and the Dark Elves."

 Chapter 299 Possible Allies

    "Vampires and Dark Elves? Could they be our allies?" Gisle asked


    "Yes, I''m not sure how likely that is, but they are probably the best candidates. We can have a dialogue with the Demons as well."


    "Why do you think so? Why these three races in particr?" Gisle knew very little about the other races, only what Wain had told him briefly earlier.


    "I don''t know much, but as far as I''m concerned, Vampires don''t care who they do business with as long as it''s beneficial and they like their allies. Under certain circumstances, they can cooperate with anyone."


    "I see, that''s good. What about the Dark Elves?"


    "As you know, several Dark Elves are living in my Void, and their rtionship with the regr Elves isplicated and tense, to say the least. Many of them are followers of darkness, and they don''t mind viting the conventional ways and practices. I have the least confidence in the Demons, but they value fighting spirit, so maybe we can work something out with them."


    "Great, three possible allies is very good. What''s more, as far as I know, Vampires are some of the strongest. Right?"


    "Yes, by the way, we are helped by Forgotten, and as far as I understand, he is uniquepared to the other members of his race. Maybe this will help us somehow get in touch with some of the Ashens."


    Gisle nodded, "Okay, thanks for the information, but I have a case for you since you''re here. I was going to ask Teresa, Zero, and Agnes for it, but you alone are stronger than the three of them, especially now."


    He felt that Wain''s aura had changed considerably since theirst meeting. It was as if he had broken his limits and crossed the line.


    "What should we do?"


    "Explore first, then take over the area. Head west to the edge of the darknds. You''ll need to go through Arkadale and see what happens at the border. If you need to kill monsters to capture, kill if you need to subdue, subdue. We have no time to ponder, we must be as powerful in this world as the Pirs."


    ''Arkadale...? That''s Eva''s hometown.'' Wain thought.


    "Okay, I hear you, I''ll do what I can, but I''m not sure I can take the western part of the darknds in one go."


    "Don''t worry about that. Any progress is important to us right now."


    Wain nodded, "By the way, do you know where Eva is?"


    ...


    Previously, Wain had shunned Last Light and only asionally participated in cooperative missions. However, after the merging of worlds, everything changed.


    Merge Ind and the four remaining cities from their were now under Gisle''s control. Last Light was now all that was left of their.


    His opinion changed as Merge Ind and the four cities were his only home. Wain was going to fight for humanity and give his all for it.


    Now he was no longer one of the strongest, there were many dangers around, and his enemies were members of other races, not humans.


    ...<sub> </sub>


    "Wain!" Eva said cheerfully on seeing him. While he and Gisle talked, she sat in the courtyard and ate lunch. Eva had recently returned from the mission Gisle had sent her on.


    "Hi." Wain walked up to her and kissed her, "I''m off to the west of the darknds right now, and my route is through Arkadale. Do you need to go into town?


    Eva hesitated and shook her head, "I wish I could, but I can''t. I promised to Gisle that I would help him, and he gave me several tasks at once, but if you don''t mind, there''s something I need..."


    "What is it?"


    "I have something valuable left at home. When the merging of worlds began, I thought my city was destroyed, but luckily the cities where the map was collected were able to survive. Could youe over to my house and pick up one thing of great value to me?"


    p "Sure, anything for you."</anda>


    Eva''s cheeks flushed. She was embarrassed and said her request.


    ...


    Wain wanted to increase the rank of his zone, but he had to help something to Last Light before he disappeared again for a while. What''s more, Wain could now level up by absorbing souls and getting stronger.


    He hade a long way to reach Second Chronicle, but getting to the Third Chronicle was even harder.


    ''Osvald had said that baby dragons were at once equal to Third Chronicle creatures in power, dammit, isn''t that too strong? How powerful are adult or ancient dragons, then? It''s crazy. How do I get stronger than such creatures?'' Wain pondered as he headed for Arkadale.


    Arkadale was closer to the capital and was somewhatrger than Overion and more technological, but that was before the apocalypse and the merging of worlds. Now the ce looked like ruins with a few structures of a local organization.


    Wain''s goal was the west of the darknds, home to formidable monsters and behind which lurked a wondrous, new world. But, before that, he had to fulfill Eva''s request.


    She tried to exin where her home was so that Wain would understand in as much detail as possible, but it was still no easy task.


    The town had been destroyed and rebuilt in many ces, but Wain was able to get closer to the target in time. Wain identified the area and made his way home.


    Eva had already lived here after the apocalypse, so it was one of the few surviving houses on the city''s outskirts.


    Wain went inside and down to the basement. It was dark, so Wain had to light his way with a lighter.


    On the table, he found the item he needed. It was a silver, engraved locket on a chain. Wain was curious to know what it was, so he opened it. In the locket were two photographs. One was old, which was evident by its condition, and one was rtively new.


    On the first one was little Eva, with her parents, on the second picture was the same but after ten years.


    ''When she was little, she looked even cuter than now.'' Wain thought and closed the locket.

 Chapter 300 Black Serpent

    This locket was dear to Eva, for it was her memory of her parents and the only pictures she had left.


    Wain had no parents, never saw them, and was an orphan who no one wanted. As a child, he also wanted a family and a home like others, but then he didn''t have time to even think about it.


    ''Even though Eva had parents, now we are in the same situation. Perhaps I am even lucky not to have parents, as it is much better than losing them forever at one point.'' Wain thought and moved the locket in the ring.


    He did not leave and spent some time at Eva''s house. He wanted to find out what she was interested in and doing. After the apocalypse, there wasn''t much left of her past life, just like everyone else''s, but some important things were unchanged.


    For example, Wain found an old cookbook with some notation written by Eva on each recipe page. Even the handwriting was different, which meant that she had been using this book for years and constantly learned new things.


    Wain left and headed for the western part of the darknds. Arkadale was different from the other three towns, as no one but Eva knew of the map and the ind''s existence here.


    The people in Arkadale were the most shocked by what had happened, but the members of Last Light had already subdued the area and brought the ignorant up to speed. The strongest organization in Arkadale had no choice but to submit and unite.


    Now they were not just a city near the capital but one of the five remaining territories of humanity.


    ...


    Wain reached the darknds and stopped. The ce was like something between a jungle and a forest with many dangerous beasts.


    Wain''s task was simple. He had to clear the area of aggressive monsters so humans could upy it.


    The border with the city was empty, so Wain went into the woods.


    He could sense the threatening aura of this ce. Most of the monsters here were Second Chronicle, which was a threat even to Wain. However, Wain had no intention of retreating. On the contrary, he felt like a hunter. It had been a long time since he had absorbed souls and leveled up.


    Crackle.


    Arge wolf-like beast with red, thick fur emerged from the forest thicket. It burned brightly, as did the wolf''s eyes.


    Wain grinned, and two swords appeared in his hands, a tinum and a dark one. He linked them and attacked the ming wolf.


    p The beast reacted instantly and bounced back. Wain''s attack failed, but he continued the offensive by tearing toward the wolf.</anda>


    "Roooooaaaarrrrr!"


    The wolf roared and unleashed waves of windblown me on Wain. He repelled it with a swing of his sword and was about to activate a Beyond. Wain wanted to test how his new power would work in realbat.


    ''Stop.''


    Suddenly a majestic voice sounded, and it was as if Wain and the wolf were chained together. They could not move and trembled.


    ''Stop. This man must not die. We must work together.''


    The ming Wolf howled into the sky and simply walked away, even though he was ready to fight Wain to the death a moment ago.


    ''Who are you? How did you get inside my head?'' Wain asked, looking around. He realized he had encountered someone powerful.<sub> </sub>


    ''I am the guardian of thesends. The merging of the Worlds was foreordained long ago, as was your appearance that began the apocalypse.''


    Wain was shocked to hear this. He didn''t understand how the mysterious being knew something about him that no one but Maria knew.


    ''What do you want from me?''


    ''Come to me, and we''ll talk, but don''t you dare attack my beasts, or I won''t look at who you are, and I''ll kill you. You have ten minutes.


    Then in Wain''s mind appeared the image of the cave where the mysterious beast was.


    Wain did not want to obey the beast, but he knew he had no other option. The Mysterious Beast couldmand other beasts, and it was a real disaster.


    ''Damn, I knew something was lurking in thesends, but I didn''t expect it to be ruled by one creature.'' Wain thought and turned in a sh.


    He ran fast through the forests and jungle. The darknds were the thirdyer left of the humannds and the widest.


    The other races first had to pass through hundreds of formidable monsters to reach the cities of men. The Darnds were humanity''s shield.


    ...


    Wain reached the edge of the westernnds and jumped down onto a ledge. There was a wide entrance to a deep cave. It was dark, and Wain could see nothing.


    ''Not bad. You made it here in seven minutes.'' Wain heard the powerful voice in his head again.


    Whooooooosh.


    Two huge green lights lit up in the distance. They were the eyes of a mysterious beast. Wain took a step back and became alert.


    The mysterious beast turned out to be a huge dark snake, Wain realized by the silhouette because of the glint of scales from the glowing eyes.


    "What are you?"


    The serpent stuck out its tongue and said, "Teres, the one who has guarded this world against the influence of energy and the World of Darkness. You, Wain Norheim, were the mistake that started all this, but it had to happen, sooner orter."


    "What kind of nonsense are you talking?"


    "I''m only telling you what happened. My master told me that one day someone like you would appear."


    ''Master? Such a powerful being has a master?" Wain was shocked.


    "Yes, I shouldn''t be surprised." Teres muttered. He could hear Wain''s thoughts.


    "So you can read minds... Is your master here now?"


    "No, he died a long time ago. What I told you was his dying message. I met him when I was weak and helpless, but unfortunately, I didn''t get to spend much time with him. He was ill and soon died, but his wisdom and knowledge helped me follow his will."

 Chapter 301 The Task

    "Is your master dead?"


    "Yes, but that''s not the point now. I told you this so you''d understand why you''re here. You are the one who loosened the spatial barrier of the world and let the Soul Essence and the energy of the World of Darkness into it. There would have been no apocalypse or further worlds merging if it weren''t for you. I don''t know how, but my master knew someone like you woulde along at some point. I believe that if anyone can help humanity and the beasts, it is you."


    Teres had lived for several hundred years and knew that their world was divided into two parts, the world of men and the darknds beyond the barriers. The beasts lived there, and that part of the had the energy to allow them to use skills and be stronger.


    "It doesn''t make sense. The wolf I fought was Second Chronicle, and I would have had to make an effort to defeat it. If there was no energy on the before I came, why are you so strong?"


    "I understand your puzzlement, but the answer is simple. The Darnds appeared with my master. He created barriers shielding this world from outside energy influence. I don''t know why he did it, but that''s how it was."


    "Your master was strong enough to do something like that, yet he couldn''t cope with the disease and die? That doesn''t sound usible."


    "Even I don''t know all of my master''s secrets. I can only share with you what Master told me. The rest is out of my hands."


    "Okay, why did you call me? Given your aura, you could destroy an entire mountain with a tail flick if you wanted to. How can I help you?" Wain realized that many creatures in the world were stronger than he was. Teres was definitely one of them.


    Wain could not pinpoint the serpent''s strength, but he was certain that Teres was near the top of the Third Chronicle.


    "At this point, you are the strongest of men. That was to be expected considering what you have done. Among thousands of people, some are close to you in strength, but you will lose to no one in battle. You must convey my position and my will."


    "I am listening to you carefully." Wain said seriously.


    He breathed a sigh of relief when he realized that the serpent was not their enemy. Humanity needed all the help it could get in this situation, even if it were an offer from the devil.


    "We beasts and humankind have lived in the same world for a long time and must defend our home, but this is only possible if humans are our allies, not enemies orpetitors for territory. My answer will be obvious if I have to choose who to sacrifice, beasts or humans."


    Wain nodded.


    "I have already ordered the beasts not to attack you, and so now the borders between the cities and the darknds are quiet. You must do the same. I will not stand for people shedding blood on beasts. Either we unite, or I will destroy you." The serpent''s voice was menacing, and goosebumps ran down Wain''s body.


    "Okay, but what do you n to do next? It won''t be hard to form an alliance, all I have to do is inform my friend, and the beasts and humans will be best friends, I guarantee it."


    "That''s up to you to decide. I will allow some beasts toe out of the darknds to explore the area, but not far. I will be the guardian of humans and beasts and can protect you from any threat, except perhaps the dragon, but those creatures don''t care about us."


    "I see. What am I supposed to do? You want me to protect people and beasts with you?"<sub> </sub>


    "No, do what you''ve always done. Go ahead and get stronger. I''m not sure I can break through the barriers anytime soon. I believe you will be stronger than me in the near future. If you take on the role of protector, you will stagnate, leading to disaster."


    "All right, I''ll deliver your message."


    "That will be all. See youter." The serpent nodded and walked back into the depths of the cave.


    Wain headed toward Gisle and pondered the conversation. He now knew why the barriers had appeared and the darknds existed, but there were more questions though he got the answers.


    The mysterious identity of the serpent master rmed Wain. He felt that something about the story was strange.


    ''I need to find out about the serpent master somehow, but how? Apparently, the serpent doesn''t know much, yet he was his closest subordinate.''


    ''Hmm, if the master of the serpent came here from another world and protected the humans with barriers, he knew that the humans lived here, but not the ones the Pirs feared. Moreover, if he knew that one day someone would invade the world and weaken the spatial barrier, he knew that another world''s existence. Perhaps he was a seer and could see the future that would exin everything, but I don''t believe that.''


    By learning more about the serpent''s master, Wain believed that he would have solved some of the most important mysteries.


    Why did some humans end up in a world cut off from the universe? Why did the dark mist destroy other worlds? And what happened a long time ago that made the Pirs despise the humans?


    ...


    Click.


    "Wain, why are you back so early?" Gisle asked. He was surprised since it had only been a few hours since Wain had left.


    "I''ve already done everything I needed to do."


    "Hmm?"


    "The darknds are the territory of the beasts ruled by the serpent, and now we are allies, but first we have to meet one condition of theirs."


    "Tell me more about that. I''ll just go make some coffee first or pass out in the middle of the conversation. Ah, I need more sleep."


    "Huh, sure. The story I heard is quite interesting. You''ll need your strength."

 Chapter 302 The Next Rank

    Gisle put aside therge cup of coffee and looked up at the ceiling, and said, "How tired I am. Just when I thought I was beginning to understand the situation, suddenly, an ancient beast appeared that worshiped its master like a god. I urgently need someone to do all the work for me..."


    "Huh, isn''t Elsa helping you? But, you''re right, the situation is extraordinary, but it''s to our advantage, isn''t it?"


    "If Elsa weren''t helping me, I would have died a long time ago, but I feel like soon I''ll be 80% coffee instead of water. Teres... that snake, it''s good that we got such a strong protector. That''s what we need most right now, but that doesn''t cancel our ns. We must make friends with the other races."


    "Yes, but you must understand that it is impossible to make absolutely all vampires or demons our friends. We can only count on some ns or families to support us."


    "That will be more than enough. Now we don''t have to worry about fighting beasts and darknds. Instead of war, we got an unshakable shield. What could be better?"


    Gisle understood how lucky they were to be in this situation. Their world was destroyed, but they have been protected on all sides thanks to their fortunate location. A giant waterfall protected them from behind, and darknds like a fan in front.


    This gave people an opportunity to develop not only in terms of strength but also as a society. They needed to develop their infrastructure because there were many important aspects besides strength in this world.


    Strength was everyone''s goal to achieve other personal goals, but you had to use different ways to achieve strength. Trade, alliances, development, wars, everything was useful.


    "Since I have aplished the mission, I am going to disappear again for a while. I''m going to need Forgotten''s help. Where is he?"


    "Sure, no problem. He should be in the woods now, behind the main base. I''m sure you''ll find him pretty quickly. Now that we''ve solved all the issues, I should get back to work. Maybe I can get some rest at some point."


    "I wouldn''t get my hopes up for that if I were you."


    "Damn, you sure know how to be supportive."


    ...


    Wain wanted to raise the rank of the zone, but before he did, he had to do something important, give up the medallion.


    "Eva, I thought you were supposed to do some tasks." Wain said, approaching the girl.


    "Ah, I''ve already done everything. I didn''t expect you to be back so early." Eva muttered and walked over to Wain and kissed him on the cheek.


    ''Damn, it''s pretty unusual for a man to bite a piece of flesh off you and act so timid.'' Wain thought, and the Ring of Damned glowed.


    He handed to Eva the locket and said, "Don''t you want to braid two pigtails like in these pictures?"


    Eva was embarrassed and said quietly, "I can''t...my hair isn''t long enough for that."


    Eva''s hair was long in the pictures in the locket, reaching to her waist. Now her hair barely reached her shoulders.


    She took the locket and murmured, "Thank you...this thing is very precious to me."<sub> </sub>


    "No problem. By the way, I picked up something else."


    "§¡?"


    Wain pulled an old cookbook out from under his cloak that had hundreds of notes left by Eva.


    "What?! Where did you get that?!" Eva blushed and snatched the book from Wain''s hands.


    "Hahaha, I just wanted you to make me something. Although I guess you''ll have to revise your recipes in the current situation, the old ingredients are gone, and there are new ones."


    Wain did not intend to offend Eva in any way. He decided that a thing in which much time and feeling had been invested should not go to waste. The book was to return to its rightful owner.


    "Well... I''ll be sure to cook something..." Eva whispered, holding the book to her chest.


    She was embarrassed but d that Wain had brought the book with him beside the locket.


    At any moment, something could happen that would shake the whole world, and so Eva tried to keep as many things valuable to her as possible and not lose the important people.


    "What are you doing?"


    Wain and Eva turned around and saw Maria walking in their direction, but now she looked more like a zombie. There wererge bags under her eyes, her skin was pale, and her eyes were nk.


    "Maria... What happened to you? Has some monster poisoned you? I''ll get Isabe right away. She''ll cure you instantly!" Eva rose to her feet and was about to get help.


    "Wait." Maria stopped her, "A monster actually attacked me, and that monster''s name is Gisle... Damn, when I said I was willing to help and do anything for it, I didn''t think that dayster I would regret saying that."


    "By the way, I realized I haven''t seen you in thest few days. Have you been on assignments all this time?"


    "Yes. Bypleting an assignment, I was getting a new one. Gisle certainly wasn''t going to spare me. Though judging by his look, his mental state is even worse than mine. Okay, I''m going to go get some rest. Good night." Maria said, walking in the bright sunshine.


    "Well... I wouldn''t want to be under Gisle''s control. When ites to organization and emergencies, he spares no one, including himself." Wain muttered.


    "But, that''s the right tactic. Without his decisions, a lot of people would be in trouble."


    "Huh, that''s true."


    Before leaving for Void, Wain decided to rest and spend time with Eva. They talked a lot, and Eva brought up the subject of the past again.


    She wanted to know more about Wain, but their conversation broke off when he said he was an orphan and how he had had to survive as a child in the slums.

 Chapter 303 The Expected Battle

    After saying goodbye to Eva, Wain headed into the woods behind the main base and found Forgotten. He was sitting huddled against a tree, pondering something.


    "Good to see you." Forgotten said, looking at Wain.


    "Me too. I need your help."


    "Of course." Forgotten nodded and stood up, "What is required of me?"


    "I want to upgrade my Void rank, all the conditions have already been met, but I''m worried that we can''t do it without you."


    "I see. You will be attacked by a Second Chronicle Void and possibly one rank higher than yours. I will help you, but my goal will be to guard the portal from the invaders, not to capture the enemy Void. I can''t defeat several thousand Second Chronicle creatures without serious injury, and I don''t need to, so I''ll stay put."


    "No problem, I don''t need more than that." Wain uttered, and his Seal of Darkness glowed brightly.


    They entered a dimensional passage and found themselves in an ice cave.


    p Wain exined the situation to Frigus, Elegan, and Reto and proceeded to raise the rank of the zone.</anda>


    [The owner of Forest of Frozen Dreams gave his permission to increase the rank of the zone.]


    A dark energy sphere burst out of Wain''s body and split into hundreds of threads. They will increase the rank of the zone and strengthen it. The price for this will temporarily weaken the spatial barrier.


    The monsters saw the message and prepared for battle. They knew that soon the Nahi would be attacked, and they would have to give it their all to stay alive.


    As they expected, after a while, the space shook, and part of the ice wall began to copse.


    [Rank-C Void, ming Forest attacked Rank-D Void, Forest of Frozen Dreams. The war will continue until the space barrier is stable.]


    Crackle.


    The ice wall shattered into small shards, and powerful mes burst free. It was unusual and white like freshly fallen snow.


    Wain frowned. He realized that the Void that had attacked them was under the control of Ashens. He thought there might have been serious problems because of this since the Ashens were, on average, much stronger than the monsters.


    "Wow, what an interesting coincidence." Forgotten said smiling.


    He took a step back and swung his sword. Forgotten would only defend, not attack. When enemies would enter the territory of the ice caves, his sword would head for their necks.


    Whoooooosh.


    A massive fireball came from the enemy side. Forgotten was about to repel it, but Frigus appeared before him, cutting the fireball in two with sharp sword thrusts.


    Several more attacks followed, but Frigus easily got rid of them. He was significantly stronger than the other monsters before switching to Second Chronicle, and he hadn''t changed since his evolution. Such attacks were nothing to him.


    The Ashens realized that they would achieve nothing this way and decided to enter the portal in a small group of a few people.


    The monsters instantly attacked them, but the Ashens drove them aside using a me barrier. It burned the monsters, and they moved away to a safe distance.<sub> </sub>


    "What? You Ashen?" Surprised, one of them said, looking at Forgotten.


    "Yes, and I''m not going to have anything to do with you. You are nothing but fools walking in the path of the me, denying our true nature." Forgotten said coldly and lunged with his sword.


    A multitude of me particles turned into a wave that rained down on the Ashens. They reacted instantly and strengthened their protective barrier, but the ash had no trouble oveing the mes.


    Particles of ash, like petals, left wounds on Ashens'' bodies. They had no choice but to retreat temporarily, or they might die from bleeding. They turned and headed for the portal, but suddenly Wain appeared in front of them.


    He swung his sword, and their heads fell to the ground, and a fountain of blood poured from their necks. The Soul of Ashen flew into his body.


    [Soul of Ashen (Destroyed)


    Chronicle: Second


    Rating: Rare]


    Wain smiled and crushed his soul.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence of Ashen level 35.]


    He felt a pleasant feeling of power spilling over his body.


    ''Damn, I''d forgotten how good it feels. Perhaps it''s immoral to enjoy devouring someone else''s soul, but at times like this, I don''t care.''


    Wain, as well as Forgotten, had no intention of attacking.


    The Forest of Frozen Dreams had recently increased slightly and would add more resources once it was ranked higher. He did not need to capture an enemy zone, nor did he want to sacrifice his warriors for it.


    Later, he could have started the war at any other time when the monsters were stronger. Unreasonable haste could have led to tragedy, and Wain understood that.


    The Ashens were angry. The tactics Wain and Forgotten had chosen were the worst for them. They had to act quickly if they wanted to take the Void before the space barrier was restored.


    In the ming Forest, there were not only Ashens but also monsters. Ashens quickly gathered their forces and, together with the monsters, tried to attack again.


    Their tactics were simple. They wanted to crush their enemies by numbers, and they had a chance to do so, but they underestimated the strength of some of their opponents.


    Forgotten turned the sword with its de upward and swung it in a smooth top-down motion. Behind the sword appeared a wave of ash that split into several des. They sliced dozens of monsters into pieces like discs before even setting foot in the ice caves.


    "Go away. You don''t stand a chance of winning. You are as weak as your mes, though the likes of you had no other option anyway." Forgotten said menacingly.


    "Hey, you''re Ashen like us. Why are you fighting against us? Wouldn''t it be better to join us?" Said one of the Ashens, stepping forward.


    He had pale skin, blond hair, and blue eyes. In his hand was a long sword with a razor-sharp de.


    "I don''t care about you. Does it matter that we are of the same race? I fight on the side I want!"

 Chapter 304 Flames Versus Ashes

    "So race doesn''t matter to you, I see. You''ve gone the way of the ashes, and you dare to look down on us, but in reality, you''re the one who''s more misguided than everyone else. Because of people like you, our race cannot achieve true might!" The leader of Ashens said menacingly. His name was Rai Oslok.


    "Huh, you once again confirm that you are fools with your words. Yet one would expect no other from those who have chosen the me. You are a disgrace to our race."


    "Watch what you say. You talk nonsense and believe it like a fanatic. Why should we choose such a difficult and unnatural path of ash if we are born with the ability to control the fire?"


    "Isn''t it obvious? Ashens, then, what path should we have but ashes? Only by going through hardship and suppressing the mes can we achieve greatness. Though my words are superfluous, now you will see for yourself." Forgotten uttered, and his aura began to intensify. He decided to activate his Beyond.


    "You want to fight? Well, to hell with seizing territory. Now we''re going to have a deadly duel!" Rai uttered and beckoned for the others to step aside.


    Wain did the same. He saw in Forgotten''s eyes the confidence and unwavering desire to win. It was a battle of ideologies, which was even more important than life for some.


    Rai''s aura also began to grow in response. They were not going to hold back and wanted to demonstrate the full power of me and ash.


    Forgotten''s eyes glowed, and the silhouette of a dragon appeared above him.


    Rai''s sword was covered in massive white mes, and he was wearing the armor of bright fire. It was like a small, cruel sun, capable of burning an entire world.


    Forgotten tilted his sword slightly, and their silhouettes blurred. They collided at the border between the two spaces and furiously began to attack each other.


    Particles of ash flew from Forgotten''s side, and some of the monsters had to run aside to avoid injury.


    Every time Rai swung his sword, he created a wave of fire, and the mes flew aside, melting the ice.


    Their attacks were powerful not only because of the mes and ash but also because of their mastery and incredible physical strength.


    They knew how to move and at what moments to attack. Their swordsmanship was at about the same level.


    "Wain, maybe we should step in." Elegan suggested.


    "Don''t be ridiculous." Frigus replied sharply.


    "I don''t understand the nature of their conflict, but this is a fair and just fight. We have no right to interfere in this, even if either of them would be in mortal danger. If we kill the enemy leader now, it means we don''t care about Forgotten''s feelings and ideals. Can we do that?" Wain pronounced intently, watching the fight.


    "Elegan, just rx and have faith in our fighter." Reto said, smiling and headed in the opposite direction of the fight, "Okay, from the looks of things, they''ll figure it out without us. I''ve got things to do, so goodbye."


    Along with Reto, several of the Dark Elves who hade to help left. They agreed. Even if they had wanted to join the battle, they would not have done so. They understood that any idental attack could have killed them just by being around. This fight was way out of their league.<sub> </sub>


    Frigus and Wain watched the duel closely. They were both swordsmen to some degree, and the sword was their primary weapon. Forgotten''s and Rai''s mastery was superior to theirs, and both Wain and Frigus wanted to learn something.


    Wain had recently discovered his Martial Essence. It had to do with the sword, meaning that by improving his understanding of swordsmanship, he became stronger in several aspects at once.


    "And that''s all you can do?!" Rai shouted, creating a st of fire, "Isn''t swordsmanship a strength of those who have gone the way of the ashes? Why then do you have trouble blocking my attacks?"


    p "All you can do is rely on your me. Your sword grows weaker with every rebuffed blow." Forgotten said coldly.</anda>


    "What?!" Rai eximed, and suddenly Forgotten turned around.


    The image of the dragon on his robe glowed brightly, as did his eyes. He disappeared and, a momentter, was behind Rai, swinging his sword forward.


    Rai cried out in pain and jumped aside. Forgotten gave him a deep cut that bled profusely. Rai had only one option, use the me and cauterize the wound.


    He clenched his teeth and did it with difficulty to endure the terrible pain, but it was worth it. Now he didn''t have to worry about bleeding.


    "It was only a simple movement, and you were already at death''s door. Is your me really only good for this purpose?" Forgotten scoffed at Rai.


    "Shut your mouth. I''ll burn you and be done with it." Rai roared like a wild beast, and the mes on his sword and armor intensified, and his hair caught fire.


    They shed again in a duel every second, creating a powerful shockwave from a series of sword blows.


    "Something''s bothering me." Elegan muttered.


    "What is it?"


    "The zone upgrade could end at any moment, and when the spatial barrier is restored, the portal will close within a minute. The enemy knows this and may try to dy Forgotten and kill him in their territory."


    "Don''t worry about that. I don''t n on interfering with their battle, but only as long as the rank advancement process is underway. Once that''s over, there''s no point in them fighting anymore. I''m sure Forgotten understands this as well, and that''s why he has elerated. He knows that staying in enemy territory is like suicide."


    "We won''t have to wait long. It will be over soon." Frigus said, intently watching the battle.


    "Good if it is." Elegan said uncertainly. He felt that it was necessary to act as safely as possible rather than focusing on ideology and justice. In his opinion, there was no honor in death.

 Chapter 305 Rank-C

    Forgotten''s fight with Rai was lengthy but seemed like a fleeting moment. The audience was mesmerized by their mastery and skills, but the main reason why they couldn''t take their eyes off the battle was their fighting spirit.


    It was not a trivial battle for resources but a confrontation between two ideologies. For the Ashens in ming Forest, this battle had a special meaning.


    They all knew they had two paths, either fire or ash, which was one of several thousand to choose from. Most were of the opinion that the ash path was too risky and unnatural, yet some considered such to be true masters.


    To meet an Ashen who renounced the mes and suppressed it was a rarity, so now they watched a unique battle. If Rai wins, they would forever be convinced that me is the only right development, but if Forgotten prevails, there would be a change in their worldview.


    "Your me is getting weaker by the second. Where is your strength that you boasted so much?" Forgotten said coldly and swung his sword from top to bottom.


    It created an ashy de that flew next to Rai and left a deep bleeding wound on his shoulder. The fire armor couldn''t protect him from this attack, and he had to retreat again, but Forgotten wasn''t about to let him go.


    He concentrated ash particles on his sword and beganunching multiple attacks, aiming at vulnerable points. Rai had a hard time blocking it. He had to stop the bleeding, but Forgotten wouldn''t let him take his mind off the fight for a second.


    Forgotten''s movements became faster, and his sword suppressed the mes on Rai''s weapon.


    "You bastard!" Rai shouted, and the fiery armor exploded. He had to sacrifice his Beyond to throw Forgotten aside.


    <o>,m Forgotten swung his sword and dispersed streams of me rushing in his direction. He was calm and collected, his eyes icy.</o>


    "You asked me why one should follow the path of ash, so one of the clear advantages is theprehension of a Martial Essence. Apparently, despite your power, you still have not been able to understand your Martial Essence. Isn''t that direct evidence of my rightness?"


    Rai frowned as Forgotten was right. All Ashens had one problem. They took a very long time toprehend a Martial Essence. It was considered something natural, and no one paid attention to it, but some knew that those who went the way of the Ashes had no such problem.


    "It just means that I need a little more time to know myself. There''s nothing wrong with that." Rai said proudly and raised his sword high above his head. It burst into a bright me like a torch.


    Forgotten sighed and held the sword out before him, "At the end, I''ll show you what you could achieve if you followed the ash path."


    His fingertips were covered in ash, and the silhouette of a dragon reappeared behind him, only not white but gray, as if made of ash.


    Whoooooosh.


    Forgotten lunged forward, and Rai unleashed a ming sword at it. The fire took over the entire space in a massive wave.


    Elegan even had to create a protective barrier around the monsters to keep them safe.<sub> </sub>


    The ground was incinerated, the ice melted, and the water immediately turned to steam. The power of this attack was immeasurable, but Forgotten did not back down.


    It passed through the mes, and the dragon''s silhouette turned into a real one made of ash. It consumed the mes and extinguished them like a match. Rai was shocked and wanted to attack again, but Forgotten was already in front of him.


    He plunged his sword into his heart and swung it upward, knocking his head off his shoulders and slicing through his flesh. A fountain of blood poured into the ashes, turning it red.


    A purple soul flew into Forgotten''s body, and he looked up at Ashens.


    "In fact, each of you can choose the path you desire, but today you saw it all with your own eyes. The ash is our essence, and the me is not given to us from birth to be with it forever, but to suppress it and thus be stronger. By following the path of ashes, you are not going against our nature, but instead are using our full potential."


    The Ashens did not know what to say. Their leader had been killed, but they didn''t feel disappointed or angry. Forgotten had won a fair fight, and they had to ept it.


    Forgotten''s words were deep in their heads. They looked at their hands, and the mes burning on them and wondered. Now they were unsure of the right path and reverence for the fire they had chosen. They knew they were many times weaker than Forgotten, and reaching his level was an impossible task.


    "Forgotten, it is time to finish. The threads are almost done with their work." Wain said. As the owner of Void, he could intuitively sense this.


    "Of course, I just decided to give hope to the younger generation. They need to figure out which path will lead them to their desired goals." Forgotten muttered and returned to the Ice Caves.


    Then the area shuddered, and the spatial barrier was restored. The portal was closed, and several messages appeared before Wain.


    [Void - Forest of Frozen Dreams was upgraded from Rank-D to Rank-C. Bonus values have been redistributed per the increase of the Rank zone.]


    [As long as you own this Void, all your stats are increased by 25. Your resistance to the elements of ice and nature is increased by 25%.]


    [As long as you are within this Void, your stats are increased by 25%. Your resistance to the elements of ice and nature is increased by 50%.]


    [Stats of all creatures in this territory are increased by 55%.]


    [All creatures in this Void, progress and umte Soul Essence 55% faster.]


    [Forest of Frozen Dreams will gradually grow and strengthen. Over time, this area will increase in size and its overall power.]


    [The quantity and quality of the resources growing in this zone have been increased. Three new resources and one point of interest have been added to the Forest of Frozen Dreams. The rank of some resources has been increased by one notch, and the effects have been enhanced.]

 Chapter 306 Fountain

    Wain read the messages and nodded contentedly. The most significant change was that there were now new resources and one point of interest in the zone. Each resource was extremely important because it helped the monsters progress, and Edena and Lui Bu could use it to their advantage.


    "Phew, it all worked out..." Elegan muttered.


    "Of course, could it have been any different? Forgotten''s fencing is at an incredible level." Frigus said seriously and pulled out his swords. He headed into one of the caves to practice.


    The battle between Forgotten and Rai motivated him to try harder, and he learned a lot from their duel. Sometimes it was enough to look at what perfection should look like to see his own mistakes. He didn''t need a mentor for that, just an understanding of his shorings.


    Frigus realized what hecked and decided he could fix it in the near future if he concentrated. His style was different from Forgotten''s as he fought with two swords, but Frigus had no intention of copying anyone. He was only inspired.


    Wain looked at what new resources were avable and moved to the point of interest, but suddenly Sarras entered the cave.


    "What the hell happened here?!" Lich shouted and mmed his staff on the ground.


    "Were you in aa? We were defending ourselves against an attack during a zone upgrade." Wain muttered.


    "I know about that. Do you think I''m an idiot?"


    "By the way, you could have helped. We were lucky to have Forgotten with us. You were too reckless." Elegan said seriously.


    "Shut up. I don''t need to be told off by a walking chest. I''m not talking about what was invaded. I''m talking about what showed up in my territory."


    "Hmm? What is it?" Wain asked.


    "Go and see instead of asking questions." Sarras said irritably and headed for the bone crater.


    "Damn, Wain, I consider you need to think to us who you''re inviting to our team. First, it was a drunk who tries to sleep our monsters off every day, and now some inadequate brute." Elegan muttered.


    "Never mind, everyone has their disadvantages. We put up with you being so tedious." Wain said and went for Sarras.


    "What?! I''m tedious?! How could you even say that?!"


    "Hahaha, hearing the bitter truth is always better than a sweet lie." Forgotten uttered.


    "Damn!"


    ...


    "What this is?" Sarras said, pointing to something.


    "Isn''t that a fountain?" Wain mumbled thoughtfully, looking at the unusual fountain of bones, whose water was red like blood.


    "I realize it''s a fountain, but why the fuck did it show up here? It''s in my way!"


    Wain looked around, and there was nothing but deadnd strewn with bones around the fountain. In the distance were the outlines of caves where skeletons and other undead lived.


    "Are you fucking kidding me? What the fuck is your problem with this fountain, and if I''m not mistaken, it''s a new point of interest." Wain said and decided to check it out.<sub> </sub>


    [Blood Fountain (Second Chronicle, Heroic Rating)


    This bloody fountain appeared in a creepy ce where only death and the undead reign. However, this is what gives the fountain its unique aura and properties.


    The fountain can''t run out, and the blood will constantly regenerate even if you drain itpletely. A blood fountain can be a curse as well as a blessing.


    *If you drink water from the fountain, you will briefly increase all stats by a few percent. The number is unique for each creature.


    *There is a small chance that the water from the fountain will interact with the creature''s blood and help it evolve faster for a while.


    *There is an incredibly small chance that the fountain water will increase your blood purity by a few percent. Works only for those whose blood purity is below 50%]


    "Hahaha, Sarras though you''re creepy unhappy, it''s a real miracle. Read the description of this fountain before you grumble like an old man." Wain pronounced contentedly.


    Sarras thought about it and did as Wain advised.


    "Hmmmmmm. That''s actually not bad. The fountain will be good for us, that''s good, but I hope you use it rationally."


    "Rationally? What do you mean?"


    "Isn''t it obvious? I mean that such a valuable resource should be given to the strongest and most sessful warriors."


    "Your words make sense, but I won''t follow that system entirely. I understand that full equality doesn''t make sense since everyone has different abilities and preferences, but we should find an approach to everyone, and that will be the most effective option."


    "Tsk, do as you please. Most importantly, don''t forget about my undead." Sarras grumbled.


    "By the way, will this fountain be useful to the undead? Do skeletons have blood purity, too?" Wain was puzzled.


    "Of course."


    "But how? You only have bones."


    "Blood purity is primarily energy, not fluid flowing through veins. Its core is in Soul Altar. Otherwise, solving the blood purity problem would be very easy. You''d just have to transfuse it, and that''s it."


    "Makes sense."


    "Alright, think about what to do with this fountain, and I''m off, and I hope there aren''t hundreds of monsters here tomorrow wanting to drain the fountain. Otherwise, I''ll strangle them with my own hands and turn them into silent zombies." Sarras uttered with a wave of his mantle.


    Wain remained at the fountain and pondered. Edena and Lui Bu appeared in his mind at once. They both had problems with blood purity, especially Edena, and this was their chance to create something incredible.


    ''It''s unlikely they''ll be able to create potions with Blood Essence using the liquid from this fountain, but at least it would be a start down the road. Better some practice than none.''


    He understood that even if Edena and Lui Bu were talented, they needed time for their talent to blossom. Moreover, potions with Blood Essence were a real treasure, even of the lowest quality.


    It could change someone''s life in a few sips, like what happened to Edena when Wain gave her the vial.

 Chapter 307 Skills And The Arena

    "Edena, Lui Bu, I have some questions for you." Wain said, walking into the cave behind the waterfall.


    "What is it?"


    "There''s a bloody fountain in the bone funnel in Sarras'' territory. I''m sure you can use it somehow. Watch this." The Ring of Damned glowed, and a vial filled with bloody liquid appeared in Wain''s hand.


    Edena and Lui Bu stared at it and read the description. They concluded, and fire lit up in their eyes. It was visible to the naked eye.


    "This is amazing luck..." Edena muttered.


    To her, Blood Essence was the most precious treasure in the world. Lui Bu also had a bad blood purity situation, but for Edena, it was a necessity. She could not advance unless she increased her blood purity.


    Wain had helped her with this earlier, but she realized that vials of Blood Essence were incredibly difficult to obtain. Only the best alchemists could replicate this miracle of nature, which is a natural way that appears very rarely.


    The Blood Fountain had properties simr to Blood Essence and could even increase blood purity with great luck, but the most important thing was that Edena and Lui Bu could use it to their advantage.


    "We urgently need to investigate the fountain first." Edena said seriously.


    "Of course. It''s in the bone funnel. Elegan lets monsters in there from time to time to try their luck and maybe get stronger, but you will definitely be given a ce to experiment."


    "Thank you. We will do our best to meet your expectations in the near future."


    "I''m counting on it." Wain said seriously, and Edena and Lui Bu headed for the Blood Fountain. With them, they took some sks and the necessary tools.


    ''Hmm, so far, only various nts and crystals and rted points of interest have appeared in my territory. Even among the new resources were only nts. I still don''t have any ores appearing. I wonder what this might have to do with?'' Wain pondered.


    He was sure that with the next changes in the zone soon, the variety of resources would change considerably as it happenedst time. Wain was already thinking about what he would do with the ores, for he had no cksmith or engineer.


    Wain could have asked Lea or the other cksmiths in Last Light for help, but he didn''t want to do that. He needed someone like Edena and Lui Bu, a person who was dedicated to him and his cause and who lived in the Forest of Frozen Lands.


    ''Okay, I''ll think about thatter. I might have to use that skill again.''


    Wain became a Second Chronicle creature, and because of that, his Skill Rating was lowered by one notch. It had been quite some time since he had improved and developed his skills, and Wain decided it was time to fix it.


    He had good weapons and unique abilities, but he also needed strong skills to win any battle.


    Wain had to upgrade his Chronicle skills, so he had no choice how to develop them, but he learned about the necessary materials.


    The best way to get Souls and Essence was to fight in the arena. Wain was sure he was ready to fight the other Second Chronicle fighters, so he entered the spatial rift.


    Many ruins were hovering around him, each of which was an Arena. Wain wanted to fight some very strong enemies and increase his rank, but he decided to take his time. Thest time he got to Rank-A Arena and barely defeated an Elf who had followers.<sub> </sub>


    Back then, his stats were nowhere near the edge of the First Chronicle, and this victory was worth a lot to him. Wain knew that if he now went to the Arena with the same rank, he would inevitably meet an opponent who would destroy him. He decided to concentrate on his main goal, to gain souls and essences.


    ''Okay, that should do it,'' Wain thought and touched the green ruins.


    [Emerald Field


    Chronicle: Second


    Rank: C


    Elements: Lightning, Darkness, Earth, Wood, Fire


    Warriors: 2,000+]


    Wain decided to choose this arena because it had the right elements, Rank, and a rtively small number of warriors. He thought this was a plus, as the lower the numbers, the higher the quality. Common Rating Souls were of no use to him.


    The Seal of Darkness shed brightly with a deep purple, and Wain stepped inside. Before he did so, he put on the Faceless Aristocrat Mask. Wain had to keep his identity a secret, especially at this time.


    If he needed to make a connection with someone, he would do it himself, without outside interference.


    ...


    Wain found himself in a spacious area with nothing but a few emeralds peeking out of the ground. Like thest time, a ck pir appeared in its ce, which drew the attention of some of the warriors.


    In the distance, battles were being fought, and shes from the shes could be seen. There were few skirmishes because of the total number of warriors in this arena, but each one was devastating.


    ''Where do I go first?'' Wain pondered, looking around.


    He saw a huge fiery flower blossom and an icy wave descend upon it to the west. There, a member of the nts and Beastfolk race fought.


    Wain smirked and headed in their direction. Their elements suited his chosen skills, and he would take their souls for himself.


    One of the main advantages of fighting in arenas with strong opponents was that they had a variety of souls to spare. By killing one powerful warrior, Wain could get several hundred souls.


    It was much better than hunting weak enemies and wasting time on them without the opportunity to evolve and get stronger by oveing difficulties.


    Wain ran fast, and because of this, some warriors noticed him. They were curious to know the identity of the incognito hiding behind the mask and test his strength.


    The ck Pir was a rare and unique event.

 Chapter 308 Three In Fight

    When Wain was halfway to the firebud, he was attacked by several warriors in this arena. One was a girl Elf, with long blond hair, blue eyes, and a wooden bow and quiver of arrows behind him.


    The second was an Axalt man in a wide red robe and short ck hair. A sign in the shape of a moon was on his chest, which spoke of his calm temperament and restrained nature.


    "Huh, two on one?" Wain smirked.


    "No, that''s out of the question. Woman, don''t get into a man''s fight. You can watch if you want, but no more than that." Axalt said calmly.


    "What? How dare you say that? Don''t Axalts have equality between the two sexes?" The girl was outraged by such an attitude.


    "That does not apply to the Elves. Our women are actually strong, and many of them are fine warriors for whom I have respect, but I cannot allow you to spoil this battle with your interference."


    "Hey, are you here to negotiate or to fight? Let''s have a fight all against all, isn''t that the best option?" Wain suggested.


    This situation seemed amusing to him. The two warriors were arguing over who would fight him, as if he were a wee guest.


    "Are you suggesting a massacre? There is no aesthetics or beauty in that. Moreover, she has a bow, and the fighting will be mixed, not close quarters. It would be the greatest disappointment." Axalt seriously said.


    Most Axalts, take your battles very seriously. Because of the nature of their bodies, they spent a very long time absorbing energy. It was effective but slow.


    When they reached a certain point and stopped absorbing energy, they spent all their free time training or fighting. Axalts liked to study and practice martial arts and then fight, testing their skills in practice.


    "Two out of three for massbat, so it''s settled." The girl said seriously and pulled an arrow from her quiver. She drew the bowstring sharply on her bow and shot at Axalt.


    He didn''t dodge and, at thest moment, grabbed the arrow with his hand and broke it in two.


    "Okay, have it your way. I can''t help but respond to such a defiant and ill-mannered challenge to fight." Axalt said coldly, and the ring on his finger shone brightly.


    A long sword with a curved de appeared in his hand.


    ''Hmm, he has a ring simr to mine and the one Sven had. It looks like Second Chronicle creatures can afford such items.'' Wain thought and summoned the Nameless Monarch''s Sword.


    Three spheres appeared on the sword, and it was ready for battle.


    For a while, they stood still and assessed each other. The girl was at a disadvantage as she specialized in rangedbat. Normally this would have been an advantage for her, but not now.


    When an archer and a swordsman fought, in most cases, the archer would have a better chance of winning if he could get into position in time. The swordsman had to run up to the archer to attack, while the archer could attack from any position.


    However, the situation changed as the archer could not shoot as fast as the swordsman swung his sword.


    Therefore, the girl immediately jumped aside and used one of her skills. Her quiver and bow glowed brightly with blue light, and a seal appeared on her forehead.<sub> </sub>


    She knew that she could not withstand two swordsmen at once. If Wain and Axalt decided to attack her, it would be an instant defeat.


    "The first one attacked and immediately ran away? That seems too cowardly." Wain mouthed, and bone wings erupted from his back.


    After the evolution, it was no longer a Legendary Rating skill, it was now an Ascendant Rating skill, but the power of that skill remained the same and still terrified others.


    Wain was used to enduring the pain of having bone wings tear into his flesh and connect with his nervous system.


    Whooooooosh.


    The wings swayed, and Wain turned into a dark sh. He decided to attack the Elfess, considering her a weak link. If Axalt was strong, he wouldn''t want their fight interfered with an archer firing from afar.


    Wain made the first move, and Axalt followed. He thought about letting Wain deal with the girl, but that would be a mean and dishonest thing to do.


    The three of them had agreed to fight against each other, and Axalt wasn''t about to back down on his word.


    The girl was wary, she thought the worst-case scenario had happened, and her opponents had decided to team up.


    She panicked and quickly attacked, firing several homing arrows. Wain easily dodged it, and Axalt chopped the arrows in two.


    "Axalt, you were a supporter of a fair fight! So why did you team up with him then?"


    "What kind of nonsense are you talking about? You''re not my target now. I''m just running after Mr. Unknown." Axalt calmly said, and his feet went up in mes. He turned into a fiery sh and appeared in front of Wain.


    Axalt''s sword lit up in bright red mes, and he swung it around him, creating a fiery vortex.


    The vortex engulfed Wain and tossed the girl aside. She fired several arrows, but the mes burned them off, and they didn''t make it through the vortex in time.


    Wain reacted sharply with a swing of his sword and created a st of dark lightning, and tore part of the vortex apart. His hair burned, and his skin got very hot. He didn''t expect Axalt''s simple attack to be so dangerous.


    "Not bad. So you''re using lightning." Axalt muttered.


    "Huh, you could say that." Wain smiled, and his eyes sparkled.


    He stood next to Axalt and swung his sword twice, using the remaining spheres to create electrical explosions. Debris and a dust cloud rose into the air.


    ''Damn, I can''t see anything.'' The girl thought, and her eyes shone brightly. She noticed two silhouettes among the dust cloud, and one of them, with wings, headed toward her.

 Chapter 309 The Exit

    Wain burst out of the cloud of dust like a dragon pping his wings. Axalt was immobilized for a while, as he did not risk moving and stood in a protective stance so that Wain could deal with the girl.


    She activated a special skill to see the energy flow through any obstacles and was horrified to realize that Wain was running in her direction.


    The girl tried to move away and get a safe distance away, but the bone wings swung again, and Wain was in front of her.


    He grabbed her by the arm and threw her high up. The girl had no means of dodging in midair, so she was virtually defenseless.


    Wain jumped up, level with the girl, and his eyes shed. A phantom snake tail appeared behind him, and Wain somersaulted in the air so that the tip of the tail copsed on the girl from top to bottom.


    She could not defend herself against this unexpected and speedy attack and flew down like a projectile. A crater formed on the ground, and she threw up a mouthful of blood.


    The girl was seriously injured, but she knew she should not have given up, especially this time. She had to use everything she had tost a little longer and get better.


    <o>,m "Shit!" She shouted, and her hair lit up in blue mes.</o>


    Several phantom bows appeared beside her and simultaneously fired dozens of arrows at Wain.


    Wain waved his cloak, and dozens of spirits flew out of it, absorbing the arrows. Hended next to the girl and was ready to plunge his sword into her heart, but suddenly she screamed something and her body began to glow.


    Hundreds of souls flew out of her and headed toward Wain, and she herself disappeared from the arena.


    "What was that...?" Wain was puzzled. He thought he was about to deliver the final blow and finish off one of his opponents, but instead, the girl just ran away.


    "Huh, she lost too easily, though I wouldn''t expect anything else from an Elf girl." Axalt said, slowly pacing toward Wain.


    "How did she do that? Was it some kind of artifact?"


    "What? What are you talking about? She just used one of the functions of this arena."


    "An arena function?"


    "Hmm? Apparently, you''ve only been in arenas a few times. Right?"


    "Yes, this is my second time. I''ve had other things to do and haven''t had time to visit this wonderful ce." Wain shrugged.


    "I agree, we''ve all been shaken up recently, but it''s even better. Now we''re all on the same ground, and we can achieve goals that no one ever dared to dream of before."


    "This is an ordinary arena like the vast majority of all arenas. If you still have strength left, you can sacrifice all your souls, and the arena will return you to the space gap. However, if you are under death or don''t have enough souls, this feature will not be avable to you."


    "A regr arena? Are there other kinds of arenas?"


    "Yes, but I wouldn''t rmend going there because you won''t be able to give souls to the arena and survive. You''ll have to fight to the very end. Such arenas are called blood arenas, and only the strongest can survive there. If you haven''t reached the peak of your Chronicle yet, don''t even think about it unless you want to die."


    "There you go, that''s pretty interesting. Okay, I hear you." Wain uttered and held his sword out in front of him.<sub> </sub>


    Axalt nodded, "It''s time to continue. Now we can fight one-on-one, so I suggest we get right to the fun part!"


    His aura intensified considerably, and fire bracelets appeared on his arms, and two wide ming wings appeared on his back.


    Wain grinned and activated his Beyond as well.


    He swung his sword and sent a gray wave of creepy jaws toward Axalt.


    "Decided to use your Martial Essence? Good, I like that!" Axalt eximed and attacked back.


    His eyes sparkled, and me particles flew out of his wings and turned into fiery feathers. They copsed onto his jaws with a wave of fire from the swing of his sword.


    The jaws absorbed the mes but were burned by the feathers, and Wain''s attack went down, as did Axalt''s.


    ''Judging by his aura, our stats are about equal. This should be interesting.'' Wain thought and swung his hand, sending a devouring stream.


    Axalt felt threatened by it but didn''t dodge it. He pped his wings, and his feathers burned the gray energy again.


    "You have good power, dangerous and creepy, but it''s useless if it can be burned."


    The fiery bracelets shed brightly, and Axalt sped up. He was in front of Wain and began tond deadly blows on him, aiming at his vulnerabilities.


    Wain blocked the attacks, but the mes from the sword continually burned him, and Axalt was gradually squeezing him. Every few blows, Wain had to take a step back. Axalt''s sword was more powerful and heavier.


    ''Damn, if this keeps up, he will punch through my defenses. This is bad!


    "What? Are your hands shaking already? Don''t know what to do? That''s good! Only when you see your blood on the enemy''s de can you feel the pleasure of battle!" Axalt eximed and got even faster.


    His hands were like a blur, and each swing of his sword left a trail of fire in the air, which in time began to look like dozens of ming streaks floating in the air.


    He had the mark of the moon, which spoke of his tranquility, but the power of the mes he chose was in stark contrast to his Spirit. He became overly impulsive or even aggressive duringbat.


    Bam.


    Axalt struck with all his might, and a fiery explosion tossed Wain aside. His skin burned, and he barely managed to regain his bnce.


    As soon as his feet touched the ground, a torrent of ming des and feathers rained down on him again, only the power of devouring saved him from defeat.


    ''Hey, why are you slow? If your opponent is faster than you, all you have to do is know what he will do next. It''s that simple.''


    Suddenly Wain heard the voice of Blind Sorcerer.

 Chapter 310 Time

    "Come on! Don''t stop! I''m sure you have something to answer me with!" Axalt eximed, ramping up his tempo and intensifying his me.


    Wain mechanically parried his attacks and was focused on something else. He was talking to Blind Sorcerer.


    ''That to win, I should know his moves ahead of time? Huh, good idea.'' Wain responded, and his aura intensified.


    He fended off the attack, and a gray robe and a tight eye patch appeared on him.


    "Sorry to keep you waiting." Wain smiled and pulled the blindfold off.


    He opened his left eye, which had an hourss sign in its pupil. Wain activated the third form''s special ability, and the world stopped.


    Axalt, the ming sword, and me particles froze in the air and turned gray. Then a phantom image began to emanate from the ming sword with a precise impact trajectory.


    ''This is it!''


    Peace returned to normal, and Wain masterfully dodged the attack and immediately counterattacked.


    "What?!"


    Axalt was surprised, as before, Wain had only defended himself, and he could not find an opportunity to attack. However, now Wain went on the offensive.


    Axalt tried to attack, but it was as if Wain knew all his moves ahead of him. He dodged, parried, and struck urately.


    In just a few seconds, Wain left several cuts on Axalt''s body and continued to inflict wounds, each time getting closer to victory.


    ''Something''s not right here. He changed when he used this skill. There''s something wrong with his eye, though it''s even more interesting!'' Axalt eximed to himself, and the bracelets on his arms broke.


    He became even faster and turned into a whirlwind of fire that began to circle around Wain.


    "I don''t know how, but you anticipate all my next moves. However, what''s the point if you can''t react in time?"


    Axalt burst out of the mes and attacked Wain from behind. He would be sure that Wain would not have time to react to the attack from this position.


    "Are you sure?" Wain smiled and ducked slightly.


    The sword de flew over his head, disgracing his hair with mes. Wain stepped forward and, from behind, all his strength, punched his fist into his enemy''s face.


    Axalt flew aside like a projectile and did a few somersaults on the ground before stopping and getting to his feet.


    He wanted to attack but saw that Wain had already done so. Wain raised the sword high above his head, and it lit up in a dark blue me. He lowered the sword and brought the fiery de down on Axalt.


    Axalt responded by pping his wings and creating a small swirl from his feathers, but the de sliced through it and inflicted a serious wound to Axalt''s chest.


    "Fuck!" Axalt vomited out a mouthful of blood and canceled a Beyond to conserve his strength.


    "Well, that was a good fight. Too bad I couldn''t find out who was under the mask." Axalt muttered, and his body glowed. A great many souls flew out of him, a few hundred gradually turning into a thousand, and all of them headed toward Wain in a single stream.<sub> </sub>


    Wain didn''t try to stop Axalt from escaping, as he knew he wouldn''t have had time to do so anyway. What''s more, he got arge number of souls and had very little power left.


    "It''s time for me to go too."


    Wain concentrated and headed for the spatial rift. He needed to rest and replenish his energy. He used everything he had for this fight, from his gear skills to his forms and a Beyond.


    More than a thousand quality souls were enough to improve his skills in Second Chronicle and be much stronger.


    ...


    "Are you back yet?" Forgotten said on seeing Wain.


    "Yeah, it all happened pretty fast. I''m not sure how long you can stay in arenas."


    "I agree. I used to live in arenas practically. I''d go home just to rest and then go back into battle. It''s one of the most effective ways to get stronger, especially if it''s the Blood Arena."


    "By the way, tell me about the Blood Arena. I happened to hear about it during my battle."


    "I don''t think you''ll hear anything new. It''s dangerous there, and the strongest ones go there."


    "Is that really all? Somehow I don''t believe it."


    "You''re quite perceptive." Forgotten smiled, "Blood Arena has two important differences that make many people want to go there even if it''s deadly."


    "There''s arge concentration of energy there that affects the souls you get, but only when you kill. I mean, it''s more profitable to fight in the Blood Arenas since you get significantly more energy for the same soul."


    "Why does it only work when you kill?"


    Wain thought that this property could be used simply by transferring souls to each other and infusing them with energy.


    "It''s because the second property is even more important than the first. It''s the presence of blood energy. It is a special type of energy that can be found very rarely. Various resources filled with Blood Essence of different qualities also appear in such ces. Also, blood energy during battles and deaths stimtes the blood and thus allows you to be even stronger."


    "With blood stimtion, you can increase blood purity?"


    "Yes, but only in rare cases. Most die without achieving anything, but even those with low blood purity have hope. Only the strongest fighters in the Blood Arenas have different blood purity because of this and blood energy. An event called Blood Vibration urs."


    "What is that?"


    "It''s when a person with low blood purity meets one with high blood purity. The Blood Vibration calls upon the primal instincts and increases the fighting potential of both. The effect is that when you win and while Blood Vibration is still active, you can absorb your enemy''s blood, and then the chances of increasing blood purity will increase."


    "That sounds pretty interesting."


    "Yes, but I don''t rmend doing it. Many people, if not die, go mad when they shed rivers of blood and try to absorb the blood of their enemies. They turn into madmen."

 Chapter 311 33

    "I see. I think one day I''ll visit this wonderful ce."


    "Your business." Forgotten shrugged, and the wall beside him turned to ink, "I have to go. I promised to Gisle help, and I was just about to leave when you showed up."


    "Of course."


    Forgotten smiled and left.


    ''Damn, I get the feeling that Gisle can recruit anybody. Maybe he''s the one who set up the merging of worlds, so I''d work harder for the organization''s good.''


    ...


    Wain wanted to rest, but his favorite iceke was upied by monsters storing energy there. He decided not to kick them out and headed for the Snow Desert, an usually empty oasis since its liquid was medicinal.


    In the Forest of Frozen Lands, battles were forbidden but not friendly sparring. Monsters would asionally get injured, but in that case, they would head to Edena and Lui Bu for help or ask Elegan to take care of it.


    ...


    After a few hours, Wain climbed out of the rxing oasis and opened the skills menu.


    "It was time to see what I was able to aplish. Showers should be enough."


    While Wain was in the oasis, he extracted the necessary amount of Essences and distributed the souls. Unlikest time, he needed a lot of Second Chronicle souls, so several skills took hundreds of souls.


    The first skill Wain decided to improve was Shattered Part. He had recently upgraded some of his skills, and Shattered Part was the weakest of the bunch, which was more of a supplement to a weapon than a full-fledgedbat skill.


    A rune flew out of his body and merged with dozens of souls and different colors. There was an energy surge, and the new rune entered his body.


    Wain looked at the description of the skill but was unsatisfied. Shattered Part was and remained a Common Rating skill even after the Chronicle upgrade. Wain had a lot of souls, so he chose the suitable options and immediately improved this skill to Epic Rating.


    [ck me Zone (Second Chronicle, Epic Rating)


    You have learned the power of me and darkness and can use it to destroy your enemies.


    Gather energy and hit the ground with a wave of ck me, simr to the essence of death.


    The wave will cause serious damage to enemies and lower their defense by 33% for 30 seconds. The me continues to burn for another ten seconds and is almost impossible to extinguish].


    The next skill Wain improved was The Serpent''s Step: Tail.


    [The Serpent''s Step: Ancient Tail (Second Chronicle, Heroic Rating)


    Create a phantom image of the ancient serpent''s tail and use it to suppress your enemies.


    You have uncovered a piece of the ancient lineage of a powerful creature, and the phantom image exudes a unique aura.


    *When you use the skill, your attack power is increased by 10% for one second]


    The effect seemed useless, but it wasn''t. The Serpent''s Step: Ancient Tail was a speed skill, and there was enough time to make a devastating attack.<sub> </sub>


    Wain nodded and improved one of his strongest skills, which before the evolution was Legendary Rating, Wings of the Bone Terror.


    [Wings of the Night Horror (Second Chronicle, Ascendant Rating)


    Create wings simr to the branches of a creepy tree with a few dark feathers. It will tear your flesh and sync with your blood.


    This skill is suitable for those whose hearts and souls are as dark as night but have a bright luster simr to the blue moon.


    You won''t be able to use your wings to fly, but your speed will exceed your wildest expectations.


    Your wings will be stronger at night and reveal their full potential under the moon''s light.


    Feathers will answer your call, and you''ll be able to create true terror].


    "Damn, I still can''t fly. Though it''s no surprise, this ability isn''t easy to get, but I prefer to have wings as a weapon anyway if it''s strong." Wain muttered and moved on to the next skill, Three Wanderer Steps.


    Wain did the same with this skill as with Shattered Part and immediately upgraded it to Epic Rating for greater effectiveness.


    [Thundering Dissension (Second Chronicle, Epic Rating)


    Summon the powers of thunder and imbue your fist with the power of thundering from the heavens. It will fuse with the energy of darkness and transform into a dark thunderbolt. The crushing power of this skill will wound most Second Chronicle enemies and turn thends into scorched wastnds].


    ''Great, now there''s onest one left.'' Wain thought and moved on to ming Healing Threads.


    [me Weaver (Second Chronicle, Epic Rating)


    When wounded, invisible threads will appear that greatly speed up your regeneration. The phantom image of the weaver will manipte the threads for greater effectiveness and allow you to summon his power once every fifteen days.


    Your wounds will heal, and the weaver will weave with you for a time, increasing your resistance to fire by 30% and significantly increasing your fire attacks].


    Wain was pleased with the skills he learned. They were greatly transformed. Each skill had unique characteristics that could not be replicated exactly.


    However, so far, Wain had one skill that he had not yet developed: Caretaker of Symbols.


    He needed to read one thousand books to do so, but Wain physically didn''t have time for that.


    He allowed himself to go into the arena because he needed to improve his skills and as long as he could not worry about the safety of humanity. Teres and Forgotten were strong enough to provide humanity with protection, at least for a while.


    ''Hmm, I still have quite a few souls left, I don''t n to trade with Sven yet, so it''s about time I finally got my level up.'' Wain thought, and hundreds of souls flew out of him.


    He crushed them one by one and felt the power overwhelm him. Wain didn''t know the maximum level for Second Chronicle, but he was sure he would find out soon.


    [You have leveled up to level 31. You get 3 status points to distribute freely]


    [You have leveled up to level 32. You get 3 status points to distribute freely]


    [You have leveled up to level 33. You get 3 status points to distribute freely]

 Chapter 312 Purity Of Blood

    Wain was full of energy and ready to explore the new world, but before he did, there was something he wanted to do. Telling Axalt and Forgotten about the Blood Arena gave Wain some interesting thoughts.


    "Edena." Wain said, walking into the alchemists'' cave.


    "Yes? I''m here." The girl said,ing out of the room. She was dressed in a long robe that was stained in many ces. Her hair was messy, and there were big bags under her eyes.


    "Your blood purity is pretty low. Right?"


    Edena nodded her head dejectedly, "Yeah... Before you gave me the vial of blood essence, I only had 3%."


    "I see. How did you know the exact value? I don''t know what my blood purity is and thought it would be a good idea to find out."


    p "Sure, that''s no problem, our equipment will suffice. I just need to take some blood from you, and I can tell you the result in a few minutes."</anda>


    "Great. Can you do it now?"


    "Yes, just give me time to get ready. Come on in theb." Edena said, pointing to the aisle behind her.


    Wain sat down in a chair, and Edena brought everything she needed. The Constructs were the most technologically advanced race, and the simple equipment was enough for Edena to know the purity of Wain''s blood.


    She stuck a syringe into Wain''s arm and drained the blood. Then she poured the blood into a test tube and stuck it into a specialpartment in the equipment.


    After a few minutes, Edena muttered, "Strange...your blood is not in the general database where there are dozens of different races."


    "Maybe it''s because I''m a human."


    Edena was surprised but didn''t show it. Earlier, Elegan had told her what race Wain was, but she had not heard it from him personally so far.


    "Yes, in that case, I can''t say anything. I don''t have samples topare, and I don''t know what the blood of the humans looks like."


    "Is there some way to find out?"


    "Of course, but I''m not sure it''s possible to do that now. To determine the purity of your blood, I need data. It must be on the bases of Constructs that know of the existence of the humans."


    "Hmm. That sounds rather problematic."


    Edena shrugged, "I have no other options."


    "Actually, there is another way." Lui Bu said, approaching them, "Sorry, I overheard your conversation."<sub> </sub>


    "I don''t think there''s any point in getting information from some base of Constructs, especially in these current times. Many people don''t know that humans exist, but that''s not the main problem. You need data to verify, and for that, you need the blood of the humans. Where do ordinary Constructs get humans blood from?"


    "Yes, you''re right. It''s doubtful that I could find what I need on a random base of the Constructs. Even if I do find out where to go, I probably won''t be able to capture it." Wain uttered.


    Wain didn''t know how strong the humans, who had been banished long ago, were, but he was sure they were superior to the Second Chronicle. He understood that finding even a single copy of the blood of the humans was a difficult task, let alone a full-fledged data set.


    "Lui Bu, do you have some other way?"


    "Yes, Axalts has a way to find out the percentage of blood purity, and you don''t need someone else''s blood to do it. You need to get the Bloodstone of your respective Chronicle, and then the problem will be solved."


    "Shit, where do I get this stone?"


    "In caves or mines in the territories of Axalts or buy it at auctions. Axalt often holds them, and you''re sure to find some Bloodstones there. I''m not sure if they hold auctions now, but they will certainly resume in the near future."


    "I see. How much is one stone worth approximately?"


    "I''m not sure, but I''ve heard that about a thousand Void Souls would be worth a stone the size of a fingernail. I''d advise you to prepare a few thousand so that you can win it for sure and get the stone."


    "Eh, okay, I hear you."


    "Wait." Edena said, "We''re talking about Blood Purity, and I''m sure the Vampires must have unique ways. They have a better understanding of blood than the other races, and if you have acquaintances from that race, I''m sure they can help you."


    "That''s not a bad option." Wain nodded and headed for the exit. His Seal of Darkness shed brightly, and the space in front of him turned to ink. However, Wain did not step into the space gap.


    It didn''t take me more than an hour to fight. Forgotten didn''t even have time to go on a mission, but in doing so, I got enough souls to improve my skills and increased my level by 3. Do I have to go back now?''


    Only now did Wain realize how good it was to be a human. Other races couldn''t afford to get hundreds of souls and instantly be stronger and level up.


    Other races needed time to purify their souls, but they didn''t need to fight to get stronger. They could use the money to get resources filled with energy or umte energy for months from the environment.


    "Huh, I just now really realized that no one can develop as fast as humans. Isn''t that crazy?" Wain uttered and opened another portal leading to the arena.


    Until then, he had been fighting to survive and keep up with the strongest in the world most of the time. It was customary for Wain to be stronger throughbat, but it was the exception to the rule and something unrealistic for the other races.


    Wain realized that humans were the most efficient hunters of any race. He could simply fight in the arena and devour thousands of souls in hours, an unattainable goal for anyone but him and the other humans.


    "Hmm, what should I choose this time? Would something on arger scale do?" Wain smirked at the soaring ruins around him.

 Chapter 313 Waterfall

    Last time Wain went to the arena where there were not many warriors, but now he decided to go a different way. He had powerful new abilities as well as goals.


    Wain was determined to reach the maximum level of Second Chronicle soon and start fulfilling the conditions for the third evolution. He realized that even if he were a human and could level up quickly by absorbing souls, he would have to fulfill the conditions just like everyone else, but he would have more time to do so.


    Also, he had to get a lot of souls so he could buy the Bloodstone if he had to. Wain was determined to find out exactly what his blood purity was once and for all. He thought this information might bring him closer to the exiled humans.


    "Okay, time to get started." Wain said and touched the soaring ruins.


    [Giant Waterfall


    Chronicle: Second


    Rank: B


    Elements: All


    Warriors: 100,000+]


    Wain decided to up the ante and chose an arena with a higher ranking than before, as well as a huge number of warriors. He couldn''t even imagine how such many people could fit in one location.


    ''Looks like something exciting awaits me.'' Wain thought and entered the portal. Before doing so, he put on the Faceless Aristocrat Mask.


    Wain pondered that it might have been a mistake since the dark pir attracted too much attention, but he decided stealth was more important, especially in the current situation.


    He didn''t know if the banished humans had merged to the new world or if they had escaped it, but Wain was sure that any appearance of the humans would be a significant event.


    Tremble.


    Space trembled, and Wain appeared at the edge of the cliff. A dark pir erupted from his body as before, but it was almost invisible this time.


    Aside from Wain, dozens of people came into the arena every second, and about the same number left it. His dark pir was lost among the others, which filled the entire sky like ayer of a rainbow.


    Moreover, after a while, another dark pir appeared in the distance. Among such a huge number of warriors, Wain wasn''t the only one who knew how to hide his identity.


    "Huh, now I understand why I was always being hunted. When I saw the dark pir, I wanted to know what happened there too." Wain thought and looked around.


    As the name said, this arena was a huge waterfall, and the battlefield was divided into two levels.


    The first was on the banks of the waterfall and a huge bridge over it. The second was under the waterfall in the form of an icyke simr in size to the sea. The water below was very cold and would freeze over time.


    Wain decided not to wait and used one of his most powerful weapons to fight against multiple enemies. His aura intensified, and he was about to activate the fourth form.


    ''Wait...''


    Suddenly an unfamiliar voice sounded in Wain''s mind.


    ''What? Who are you?''<sub> </sub>


    Wain was puzzled. This voice didn''t sound like any of the first three forms, which confused him.


    ''Hey! Can you hear me? Answer me!" Wain shouted to himself. However, no one answered.


    ''Huh, our knight wants you to use his power.'' The voice of Blind Sorcerer was heard.


    ''Knight?''


    ''Yes, he can''t talk to you properly as he is still forced to stay away, but I can give you his words. Although, my powers are already at an end, too. In any case, it''s up to you. I''ll see youter.''


    ''Hmm, that''s rather strange, but do I have any reason to refuse this offer?'' Wain thought, and his aura changed.


    He did what was asked of him. Wain was stillprehending the full power of this mysterious skill, but he realized that each form was incredibly strong but much depended on the situation.


    After the second evolution, the first three forms received special skills, but the fourth and fifth forms were just as strong. On the contrary, the three forms wouldg behind their older brethren without special skills, and this was done for bnce and to unlock their potential.


    At this point, the fifth form, Knight of the Bloody Rose, could im to be the strongest, but only in the right situation.


    Wain believed that the ck Sun Aristocrat was the best form for mass battles, but he dared not underestimate the power of the fifth form.


    Whooooosh.


    Wain''s appearance changed. His hair turned blue, and his eyes were amethyst. He wore dense, dark armor covered in spikes. Wain clutched the dark sword with the petal patterns tightly.


    "Okay, it''s time to start." Wain muttered and used the Wings of the Night Horror.


    Dark blue wings erupted from his back, and Wain turned into a sh.


    Wain headed toward the bridge over the waterfall, where the fiercest battles took ce. The bridge was impossible to break, as it had withstood thousands of battles without a break, and not a single scratch had appeared on the bridge yet.


    <o>,m The waterfall''s flow was powerful enough to end the life of anyone who fell into it within seconds, so those who found themselves in such a situation immediately left the arena and lost all their souls.</o>


    No one paid attention to the fact that Wain was running towards them, as several thousand people were fighting on the bridge at the same time now. The bridge wasrge enough for them to have room to maneuver and personalbat. It was a monumental structure.


    ''Spikes... Let them out... Spill blood...'' The voice of the Knight of the Bloody Rose could be heard. He had to make a great effort to make Wain hear him.


    Wain smiled and said, "As you say."


    He swung his sword upward, and the ground shook. Around the bridge, many spikes burst from under the water. They first headed toward the fighting men, wounded some of them, and then headed upward.


    Blood dripped from the spikes, and while people were trying to figure out what had happened, the spikes joined together into a bundle on which a massive bud blossomed, sucking in blood.


    Wain clenched his fist, and the bud shone brightly, then it exploded, scattering thousands of petals aside.

 Chapter 314 Rivers Of Blood

    Petals were falling to the ground and exploding. Dozens of people were wounded, and Wain was about to continue the attack.


    ''Stop... Blood... Use their blood...'' Barely said the Knight of the Bloody Rose.


    ''Blood? Okay, I hear you.'' Wain replied and waved his hand.


    From the blood spilled by the warriors because of the explosions, spiky vines began to grow on which many red buds bloomed.


    ''Strange... Isn''t it too easy?''


    Wain noticed that he wasted almost no energy on such a massive attack. Creating a single bud was many times harder than creating a hundred small ones. The reason was that Wain was using the blood of others as a catalyst for the vines to grow. Previously, the catalyst was arge amount of energy from Wain''s reserves.


    Such an attack could not go unnoticed, and many people turned their attention to Wain and attacked. They realized that they couldn''t see his World of Darkness card, which increased their interest.


    ''Huh, looks like it''s going to be fun.''


    Wain swung his sword and thrust it into the Elf, who attacked him. The sword cut through the armor and left a wide cut on the Elf''s chest that gushed blood. Then Wain turned and swung the sword horizontally.


    The de almost reached the Elf''s neck, and then the Elf left the arena. Hundreds of souls remained in his ce, heading toward Wain.


    He absorbed the souls and immediately blocked an attack from behind from Axalt. Wain had to defend himself from multiple angles, and when he was nearly cornered, the petals on his sword glowed brightly, and hundreds of buds exploded.


    Blood flew apart into massive streams. No one had expected that one man could possess such powerful abilities.


    Immediately afterwards, several dozen people left the arena, and as Wain dealt serious damage to them, their souls headed toward him.


    "Damn, I should have done this much sooner!" Wain uttered, smiling, and plunged into the middle of the mass battle.


    Beside him, some other people also used mass skills, causing the waterfall''s water to rage like a storm in the sea.


    ...


    Down below, the situation was calmer but also more dangerous. One tall man with long red hair and eyes walked slowly among dozens of corpses. They could not leave the arena. The man killed them too quickly they did not even have time to react.


    The man was dressed in a red and ck aristocratic outfit. Blood dripped from the ck gloves on his hands, and the air was saturated with that smell.


    "Ah, what bliss, but it looks like it''s time to visit the top floor." The man muttered and jumped high up.


    His notable feature was his slightly protruding fangs.


    ...


    Wain fought and never tired. He didn''t know why, but the more the spiky vines absorbed blood, better he felt. He felt as if he had an endless energy supply and could do anything.


    Within minutes Wain had killed several people, and more than ten decided to leave the arena, and he got their souls. Wain wasn''t paying attention. The souls flew relentlessly towards him like streams.


    Crackle.


    Suddenly the bright sky darkened, and there was the sound of thunder. Everyone looked up and saw the clouds, among which the asional red lightning bolt appeared.


    Then it turned into a pir of lightning, and something struck the center of the bridge.


    The warriors used defensive spells to avoid being hit by lightning. Wain created a barrier of spiky vines in front of him that absorbed all the damage.


    At the center of the st was a vampire with long red hair.<sub> </sub>


    He looked at the people on the bridge like a predator and stopped at Wain.


    "Did you set this up?"


    "Yes."


    "Impressive." The vampire bowed with his hand behind his back and said, "My name is d Tran. I hope you won''t disappoint me."


    d raised his hand to the sky, and a red lightning bolt flew into his palm. He swung it like a spear and strolled toward Wain.


    ''Damn, it''s a vampire, and by its looks, a very strong one. I doubt I could beat him. Wain pondered.


    Only d''s appearance wasparable to arge-scale attack for which another warrior would need to expend an enormous amount of energy.


    Wain did not want to fight d as he had heard how dangerous Vampires were, especially during mass battles.


    Every drop Wain spilled would be an amplification for d, and that applied to absolutely everyone. The other warriors, realizing that Wain was d''s target, stepped aside to the edge of the bridge and did nothing. It was as if they were waiting to see what Wain would decide to do.


    ''Looks like he came from the lower level. He wasn''t here a minute ago. Does that mean there are no more opponents down below for him?


    Wain pondered. He had never fought a vampire before. He didn''t want to risk his life, but he didn''t want to lose any souls.


    ''Blood... It''s our ally... Kill... and... Take their powers...'' The voice of the Knight of the Bloody Rose could be heard.


    ''Huh, I agree. There''s no point in retreating.'' Wain replied and clenched his sword tightly.


    His wings swayed, and he lunged toward d. Wain used the skill of his cloak, and dozens of souls burst out of it. They came down on d in a mighty torrent.


    "Looks like I didn''t make a mistakeing here." d said with a slight smile and plunged his spear into the ground.


    An electrical explosion and red lightning shed in the directions, striking many warriors. Wain could dodge this attack, but the summoned spirits were destroyed.


    Wain swung his sword aiming for d''s neck, but the vampire stopped his sword simply by grabbing it with his hand.


    "Did you really think it would be that easy?" d said, and the spear turned into a lightning gauntlet. d delivered a powerful fist punch to Wain''s stomach and threw him aside several dozen meters away.


    Wain threw up a mouthful of blood, and while the drops were in the air, d swallowed several of them.


    His eyes widened, and he felt something strange as if he had just tasted the greatest treasure.


    "What is it...? Why does your blood taste so good? Hahahahaha, who are you? I must find out!"


    d was a powerful vampire and repeatedly tasted the blood of all members of the Pirs and many other races. d even experimented with mixing different blood types and attacked other vampires to drink their blood.


    For vampires, the taste of blood was something sacred and important. For many vampires, blood was the meaning of life. They got satisfaction when they drank the blood of other creatures and, in some cases, even became stronger.


    Wain''s blood was unique because he was a human. d did not know this, and the experience was special to him.


    Wain was shocked. His whole body ached, and it was the result of a single blow from d.


    ''Damn, I knew this wasn''t going to be easy!


    ''Pain is part of the battle... You can''t win without knowing the taste of your own blood...''

 Chapter 315 Bloody Bliss

    ''I understand. You shouldn''t waste your energy talking to me. I''ll have to give it my all if I want to stand up to him. Wain mentally said, looking at d.


    The vampire was acting strangely. He was smiling cheerfully, and red electric discharges were umting around him. d strolled towards Wain, and the ground beneath his feet trembled.


    The other members of the arena moved as far away as possible from the epicenter of their fight. No one wanted to mess with d, at the moment, he was the strongest. What''s more, he was a vampire, which made the situation moreplicated.


    "You know, I always thought that those who try to hide their identity are cowards or eternal loners. What''s the point of hiding your name if others can find out about you and praise your power? However, in your case, it actually makes sense. I have tasted the blood of dozens of races, men and women, but your blood is like no other! What race are you from?"


    d was sure he was just lucky enough to meet a very rare and sparse race member. Such existed, but usually, no one knew about them as their influence on the world was negligible.


    "You''re asking stupid questions. If you want to find out, you just have to take this mask off me. Isn''t that easy?" Wain said, and his palm glowed. Hundreds of souls burst out of it, which he managed to get before the vampire appeared.


    It was his only way to be stronger. He didn''t worry about any of the watchers finding out what race he was since his identity was a secret anyway.


    Wain quickly absorbed souls and saw several messages in front of him.


    [You have leveled up to level 34. You get 3 status points to distribute freely]


    [You have leveled up to level 35. You get 3 status points to distribute freely]


    [You have leveled up to level...]


    [You have leveled up to level 40. You get 3 status points to distribute freely]


    Wain got a lot of Soul Essence and greatly increased his Stats since some of the souls were Damaged.


    "What did he just do?"


    "He just absorbed so many souls?"


    "Is that possible?"


    "He should have cleansed the souls before he absorbed them!"


    A lot of people were shocked by what they saw. They were confused and didn''t understand what had happened, but some stared intently at Wain.


    They could not discover his identity, but now they knew what race he belonged to. d was one of them. He was the scion of a powerful Family and knew many of the secrets of this world. He was also aware of the humans.


    "I see, so that''s why your blood seemed so stunning to me. You''re a human. Damn, I should taste your blood properly. A few drops weren''t enough." d smiled, and the lightning spear in his hand increased in size.


    He wasn''t going to feel sorry for Wain because he had rare blood. The joy of the battle and enjoying it was the most important thing for d. The rare blood was the reward for victory.<sub> </sub>


    d''s eyes sparkled, and he sharply threw his spear at Wain.


    Wain did not dodge. While d and the others were in shock, Wainmunicated with the Knight of the Bloody Rose. It was difficult, so they were helped by Blind Sorcerer and Code of Light and Darkness. Knight could not speak more than a few words a minute.


    To Wain''s surprise, he didn''t know everything about the fifth form, though he had beenpletely sure of the opposite before. The reason was the Knight''s hidden nature and the fact that his full power was revealed only with a lot of blood spilled, both enemy and his own.


    Wain stared at the lightning bolt flying toward him and lunged forward. The petals on the sword glowed brightly and turned into real, blood-colored petals. They multiplied tenfold and encircled the sword in an instant, increasing in size.


    The petals shuddered, and in a mighty wave, they headed toward the spear and swallowed it whole. Wain swung the sword sharply several times and created energy beams that flew toward d.


    The vampire was surprised and reacted quickly, but he could not dodge much of the best of it. His right arm was destroyed, and half of his body and part of his head.


    These were ipatible wounds, but d''s eyes were as full of life. On the contrary, a me burned in them, as if he had been resurrected rather than in death.


    "Great. This is beginning to feel like a real battle." d smiled, and the blood nearby headed his way. His horrific wounds recovered in seconds as if they hadn''t existed.


    "Damn, you tore my clothes, okay, that''s no problem."


    The ring on d''s finger glowed, and a gray stone appeared in his hand. He crushed it, and his clothes miraculously took on their former appearance.


    Most vampires paid close attention to their appearance, causing many to call them the most beautiful creatures in the world. d was no exception, and he had special items to restore his clothes that cost a great deal.


    "What?! He recovered so easily?!"


    "I knew vampires had strong regeneration but aren''t that over the top?"


    "Are all vampires really capable of that?!"


    The crowd was shocked. They were sure that Wain''s powerful attack should have stopped their confrontation, but d easily managed to withstand it.


    "Is it even possible to kill you?" Wain said staring intently at d.


    "Huh, of course, do you think I''m immortal? These fools wonder because they''ve never seen a vampire from a noble Family fight before."


    Vampires were a powerful race, but they, like everyone else, had a division in society. d was above the rest in the social hierarchy, even among other vampires.


    ''He''s from a noble family? Apparently, he''s different from the others and has useful connections.''


    "Hey, don''t you want to make a deal?"

 Chapter 316 The Blood King

    "A deal? What kind of deal do you want to make?"


    "I''ll exin it all in a moment, but first, I want to know something. Do vampires have a way of knowing the purity of the blood?"


    "Of course, it''s easy to do. Is that really your request?" d was surprised. It wasmonce and unworthy of being a reward in a battle.


    "Yes, that would be enough."


    d shrugged, "Okay, whatever you say, but I want ten liters of your blood if I win. If I lose, I want one liter."


    "Hmm? Do I look like a giant? I''m afraid I don''t have ten liters of blood in me."


    "Don''t worry. I''ll wait until you recover. I''ll even provide you with special fruits and potions for that."


    "Huh, okay, it''s a deal. Now it''s time to continue. I can''t wait to get ten liters of your blood." d licked his lips, and the clouds thickened in the sky.


    In his hands came two red lightning bolts that turned into short des. d stood up and lunged toward Wain.


    "Greed doesn''t do any good. You want ten liters, but do you think you''re worthy of it?" Wain said quietly and smiled weakly.


    The bud on his armor glowed brightly, and his wings were covered with spiky vines and hundreds of petals. He swung it, and many drops of blood fell like bullets on the d.


    d swung his des in front of him and created two lightning des that destroyed the drops. Wain responded by stepping forward, and he was in front of d in a moment. Thanks to the wings and the special effect of the fifth form, his speed surpassed d''s.


    Wain''s sword glowed a faint pink light from the petals, and he swung it up and down. d tried to block this attack with two des, but Wain''s sword cut it and severed the vampire''s right arm.


    Wain didn''t stop there and immediately swung his de from bottom to top, splitting d in two.


    The onlookers were shocked. They didn''t think the fight would suddenly take such an unexpected turn. Wain was losing, but in an instant, everything changed, and he destroyed his enemy in a few moves.


    Wain stepped aside and immediately prepared for the next attack. The audience didn''t understand what he was doing.


    "Huh, you say you''re not immortal after that?" Wain said, looking at d''s body halves.


    d smiled, "That hurt, I admit, but unfortunately, it''s still not enough."


    The blood rushed back to d, and he recovered. Not a single scratch or scar was left on him. His body was in perfect condition. His arm was back in ce.


    "Looks like getting your blood won''t be as easy as I thought. Okay, it''s time to raise the stakes." d mouthed and raised his hand high up.


    A red lightning bolt headed towards him, and he stabbed it into himself. d''s aura began to increase rapidly. It was a special ritual to activate his a Beyond.<sub> </sub>


    A blood-lightning tiara and triangr earrings appeared on d''s head, sparkling with electricity.


    d looked at the audience and smiled predatorily. The warriors shuddered and immediately tried to retreat. d took a step forward, and lightning des appeared in his hands. His body blurred, turning into bloody lightning, slicing dozens of people into pieces.


    People tried to defend themselves, but d was like a wild beast that nothing could stop. His eyes burned brightly, and his face had a cruel smirk. d usually behaved calmly and aristocratically, but that was just the image most vampires loved.


    First and foremost, vampires were predators who hunted their victims and drank their blood. d was a prime example of why other races, even the Pirs, feared vampires.


    d absorbed blood and became stronger. Vampires only had one weakness, and that was the sun, which blocked their regeneration, but ironically it was at that moment that the sunset began.


    The sun quickly left, and the waterfall was covered by the light from the slowly emerging moon. It was huge and bright. Special algae were growing in the water that glowed at night. It made the arena even more beautiful and bright.


    Crackle.


    d ripped off a piece of flesh from thest victim and looked at Wain. In a few minutes, d had killed several hundred people, only those who managed to escape managed to survive.


    "How kind of you to wait until I was finished." d said, wiping the blood from his face.


    "Don''t take this the wrong way, but I just let you get enough blood to make you taste better." Wain muttered, and a ck crown appeared on his head, and creepy jaws appeared on his palms and sword, "Do you think you''re the only one who can devour others?"


    "I want to make a change in our bet." Wain looked up and down at d, pointed a finger, and said, "If I win, I get all your souls. Otherwise, I''ll give you some of my flesh."


    "Hahaha, it''s a deal!" d pounced on Wain and summoned dozens of bloody stakes with a wave of his hand. The power overwhelmed him, and he could fight almost indefinitely.


    Wain didn''t dodge. Instead, he spread his wings wide. Moonlight fell on his feathers, and Wain used the special ability.


    The feathers turned into hundreds of beams that came down on d like a hail of arrows. The vampire hadn''t nned to dodge it, but he suddenly felt a serious threat and stepped back.


    "What''s the matter? Scared of a few rays? Is that normal for someone who can recover from losing half his body?"


    d frowned. His instincts never failed him. He was sure that if he retreated, it meant that the rays actually posed a danger to him.


    Wain swung his sword and used his Martial Essence and his fifth formability. The bloody petals took on a gray devouring aura and looked like hundreds of small jaws.


    d''s diadem glowed, and he created a powerful discharge of lightning. However, it could not destroy all the petals. The energy absorbed some of the lightning and copsed on d. He could not dodge, and the petals ripped off many small pieces of flesh in various ces.


    "AAAAAAAAAARGH!!!"

 Chapter 317 Vampire Rampage

    The petals gnawed into d''s flesh and devoured him alive. He could bear the pain well as a vampire, but it was almost impossible to endure. Each petal''s gray energy made it look like a piranha that had gnawed at his enemy''s flesh.


    d roared like a wild beast, and his eyes filled with blood. The earrings shed, and a lightning wave departed from him, destroying the petals.


    He breathed heavily and stared at Wain.


    The night was the best time for vampires to show off their abilities, but suddenly d was at a disadvantage. Wain stood quietly in ce with his wings wide open. His eyes were cold and sharp, and so was his sword, around which the petals slowly floated.


    The d swung his hand, and blood headed toward him.


    "You know, if you keep recovering, our fight will never be over." Wain muttered, looking at the blood-soaked bridge. d killed and wounded dozens of people, not because of a fit of cruelty but out of consideration for a future battle.


    For d blood was the most important resource in the battle, which he could use at any moment. Wain understood this and therefore decided to change the situation.


    A multitude of spiky vines burst out of the ground on which buds blossomed. They opened wide and shone brightly. The blood heading toward d suddenly changed direction toward the buds.


    "What?! What the hell?!" d was shocked. He used more power, but only a fraction of the blood responded to his call. It was enough for him to repair his wounds, but the buds absorbed the rest of the blood.


    "I hate to admit it, but my powers, unlike yours, are running out. However, now you won''t be able to recover. How about solving everything in a few powerful blows?" Wain said and snapped his finger.


    The buds exploded and petals filled with blood headed for his wings. The creepy branchespletely covered the petals, and there were no gaps, so Wain could fly several meters above the ground just by pping his wings.


    "Everyone talks about how vampires are an overconfident and careless race, but it looks like we''re a long way from humans level." d uttered, and the earrings glowed again.


    Lightning wings erupted from his back, and he lunged toward Wain.


    Wain raised his sword high above his head and used Thundering Dissension. The sword was covered in ck lightning, and a thunder pir came crashing down on d.


    d created a bloody barrier over himself, but the ck thunder easily destroyed it and hit d. This attack caused serious damage to the vampire, he received multiple burns all over his body, and his skin looked like coal in some ces.


    d clenched his teeth and endured this terrible pain. He felt as if he had been burned alive. His eyes sparkled, and his wounds began to recover gradually. Even without an external blood supply, vampires had one of the best regeneration of any race, but it took time, which d didn''t have.


    Wain pped his wings and found himself in front of d. The vampire tried to retreat, but Wain acted instantly. Above him appeared the silhouette of a giant serpent tail, and it, like a whip, came down on d.


    d flew down like a projectile and hit the imprable stone bridge with his back. d threw up a mouthful of blood. He looked up and saw Wain hovering in the center of the blue moon with his massive wings.


    Wain pped his wings onest time, and they disappeared. He copsed on the d, and his left arm was covered in ck me. The moment hended, there was a fiery explosion, and the mes burned d alive.<sub> </sub>


    This fire was impossible to put out, and all d could do was endure and hope for his regeneration.


    Wain ran out of strength. He used the full potential of the fifth form that Knight of the Bloody Rose had told him about, as well as all of his skills and the various variations of their application.


    The sword disintegrated into petals, as did the spiked armor. Wain''s appearance returned to normal, and he could barely keep his feet from falling.


    "AAAARGH!" d shouted, "Fuck, fuck, fuck, that hurts!!!"


    He held his hands to his face, the skin on which continued to burn. Only when the mes went out after a few minutes was d able to breathe a sigh of relief. His flesh was healed, and new skin gradually grew back. Even his hair was restored to its former length.


    "Damn, what a shame. A noble vampire lost on a night with such a bright moon." d muttered, partially covering his eyes with his hand.


    "Huh, if you attack now, you win." Wain muttered and fell to the ground. He struggled to stand, so he didn''t have the strength to finish d''s, so his words were true.


    "No, even if I kill you now, it won''t change anything. I lost, and we both know it. Such a victory will be nothing more than a pathetic lie that will alwaysnguish in my heart. Only a fool would do something like that."


    "d to hear it, but I can''t give you a liter of blood now. I at least need to rest."


    "Oh, that''s not a problem. Moreover, I agree with you. Such exhausting battles are not something I can get used to. I urgently need to rest." d slowly stood up and opened the portal.


    "Come with me." He said.


    "Are you suggesting I go to the vampire''sir?"


    "Don''t be so tedious. Do you expect me to teach you the ritual here? Come, I won''t call again." d uttered and walked into the ink.


    "Damn, someday my faith in the steadfastness of fighting spirit and honesty will get me into trouble." Wain muttered and took a slow step toward the rift.


    As he passed through the portal, he found himself not in a spatial rift but in an underground city.


    d invited him not to the Void but to his estate, which every noble vampire had.


    Wain was surprised, for it meant that he was now somewhere on the continent on which all the races found themselves. After the merging of worlds, he was in territory beyond the influence of humanity and the beasts in the darknds for the first time.

 Chapter 318 The Manor

    Vampires often lived in massive crypts or abandoned castles, but these ces usually belonged to one vampire or more. Vampires, like other races, had cities, but they were underground, kept out of the sunlight they hated.


    Instead of sunlight, city streets were lit with eternal lights, crystals, special nts, andnterns. Only the sun was their greatest enemy, from which the vampires tried to hide if possible.


    Wain followed d and found himself on the road in front of the entrance to the huge estate. When Wain reached the heights in his world, he saw luxurious forks and multi-story mansions, but they did not have the same noble and aristocratic aura as the vampire manor.


    "Ah, it''s good to be home." d uttered and opened the gate.


    Wain followed him. The city''s streets were very much like the aristocratic district of any kingdom. There was luxury and beauty everywhere.


    Of course, it wasn''t like that everywhere. d was a nobleman and lived in much better conditions than most other vampires. They, like other races, had a hierarchy both socially and economically.


    "Do you like my house?" d asked.


    "Not bad. Do you live here alone?"


    "No, it''s not my personal estate. It belongs to my family. Although considering I''m the eldest son, soon it will all be mine."


    "Do you have brothers and sisters?"


    "Yes, one brother and two sisters. I''m the strongest among them, of course, but sometimes I think in a fit of rage, my sisters can beat me in one punch, hahaha, they''re so funny when they get angry."


    Vampires valued kinship very much. They could quarrel with each other like everyone else, but members of the same family were always willing to help in any situation in the end. Because of theplicated nature of many vampires, it wasn''t noticeable, but it was.


    At the entrance to the manor, they were met by four maids. They were very simr to the humans but different in that they had several glowing crystals just below their eyes. They were one of the many races not part of the Pirs.


    "Wee home, master!" The girls said at the same time and bowed low.


    d walked past as if he wasn''t paying attention to them. It was natural for him, and he had heard this greeting hundred of times before.


    A tall girl was standing in the manor. She, too, was a maid but with more duties and responsibilities.


    "Lia, hello!" d said, approaching her.


    "It is a pleasure to greet you." The girl said quietly. She wore sses and looked rather stern.


    "Young master, who is this?" Lia asked, looking at Wain. He still wore a mask, and a strange aura emanated from him. It confused Lia.


    "Don''t worry, this is my new friend and to celebrate I want to have a banquet, just the two of us. We''re pretty tired, and we need to recuperate."


    "Got it. Everything will be ready in an hour. Should I let someone in the family know?"


    "No, I don''t want anyone in our way."


    "Good, but I''m afraid your father won''t like it. He wanted to talk to you. The situation has been extraordinarytely, you must understand."<sub> </sub>


    "Ah, I''m too tired now. Moreover, he''s probably asleep in his coffin now, as he always is. That''s it, no more questions." d said and headed for the guest room.


    Lia nodded silently and walked toward the kitchen.


    Wain followed d. He was wary. d was no longer his enemy, but that did not extend to the other members of the Tran Family.


    d noticed this and said, "You are safe, I assure you. My father is not much stronger than me. I will hold him back in the worst case, and you can escape."


    "Hmm? That sounds too suspicious. You''re willing to fight your father to keep me out of trouble, but you met me now. What''s more, you and I fought to the death."


    "You answered your question. How can I be disrespectful to someone I had such a terrific fight with? Moreover, I gave you my word, and it would be a great shame if I broke it."


    Wain nodded.


    He knew this type of man well, and this situation only increased his confidence that d wouldn''t stick a dagger in his back. At least d would have warned him that he would do it.


    While they waited for the banquet, d brought out the expensive whiskey.


    "Help yourself." d said, pouring the amber liquid into a ss.


    <o>,m "Huh, you want me to take my mask off that badly?" Wain smirked and lifted the mask slightly, exposing his mouth but hiding most of his face.</o>


    "Damn! Does it really matter that much? I already know you''re a human, so what''s the point of hiding your identity? Even if I find out your name, what good would it do me?"


    Wain took a sip, "You have a point. Okay, that whiskey was good enough for me to go along with you."


    He took off his mask, and for the first time in his life, d saw what a human looked like. d stared at Wain, trying to see if he was fooling him.


    d knew dozens of races, and Wain did not have a single distinguishing feature.


    "You look so... pure..." d muttered.


    "Hmm? What do you mean?"


    "All races have something unusual in their appearance. Be it the fangs of vampires, the ears of Elves, or the mes of Ashens. But, you are like a nk sheet of paper. There''s nothing unusual about your appearance, and yet that''s what sets you apart from the rest. How strange..."


    "Huh, looks aren''t as important as personality."


    "I agree, but not many people realize that. Unfortunately, we look at appearances first anyway, so it''s important. If you don''t like the person on the outside, how can you get to know him better if you don''t want tomunicate with him? It''s a vicious circle that can''t be broken."


    "Not true. You just need tomunicate with the person from a distance, and then when you meet them, you won''t care about appearance because you already know that person''s qualities."

 Chapter 319 Family Ties

    "d, it''s time to fulfill part of our deal." Wain said seriously.


    "Of course, now I will give you the souls I received at Giant Waterfall, and after the banquet, I will teach you the ritual by which you will determine the purity of the blood."


    "Okay, you''ll get a liter of blood after the banquet. I''m too weak for that right now."


    "Of course, moreover, nothing tastes better than blood with a little alcohol. It has a wonderful, intoxicating effect." d smiled and poured some more whiskey into his ss. Then he held out his hand and a great many souls flew out of it.


    They were souls taken not only from those who had fought on the bridge but also from the lower level at the foot of the waterfall.


    Wain had never seen so many souls before. They filled most of the hall and were virtually every color except orange. Getting a Legendary Soul was a real feat that not everyone was capable of.


    Normally d would have sent the collected souls to the vault. There were many more there than he was going to give to Wain. d, unlike Wain, could not absorb all the souls at once and spent his time only processing the most valuable copies.


    d snapped his finger, and the souls went to Wain. They poured into him in a powerful stream. His eyes shone likenterns, and his hair went up.


    [Received Title - Soul Collector


    You managed to retain more than ten thousand souls at once. This shows that you are a good judge of souls and, most importantly, you know how to harvest them. You go the way of the collector who knows what he wants.


    *You get 10% more Soul Essence when you absorb souls]


    d gave Wain eleven thousand souls, which was a huge number for most creatures. Even for warriors who often fight in arenas, achieving this was unbelievable. A person had to win time after time and never lose to avoid losing all your souls. Only strong warriors like d could do that.


    "I didn''t expect it to be so much."


    "Of course, the easiest way to earn it is to fight in arenas. Eh, too bad I can''t absorb all those souls at once... wait... you can do it. Right?"


    "Yeah." Wain nodded, "Consider that the one big plus among the ocean of minuses of being a human."


    "Tell me more about that!" d was ecstatic. He only now fully realized that before him was a member of a long exiled race that many people did not know existed.


    d wanted to get more information about it because it was priceless and rare knowledge. Only Wain could tell him about it.


    "Perhaps some other time. I appreciate your kindness, but it is not enough that I reveal my secrets to you." Wain said seriously.


    "Of course I understand, in which case let''s change the subject."


    "d, I''m surprised you''re so honest. Wouldn''t it have been better for you to grab me and use me as a living blood vessel?"


    <o>,m Wain understood that his blood attracted d. It was logical and obvious given the vampire''s reaction when he tasted Wain''s blood.</o>


    "Huh, is this a test to see if I''m an idiot or not?" d was amused by this situation, "The loyalty of my word is dearer than a moment''s gain. Moreover, only a fool meeting a human would try something like this. It''s the same as catching an incredibly rare fish and, instead of researching it and getting to know it better, the same day roasting it to a crispy crust. It probably won''t even taste good, then what''s the point?"<sub> </sub>


    "I see, but don''t you have a desire for endless ess to my blood?"


    "Of course, there is. I''m a vampire, and it''s natural, but as I said before, it would be pointless."


    Wain smiled weakly. He liked d''s answer. Wain believed that the truth existed and many could be honest, but not because they chose to be a noble knight, but because the truth was profitable.


    In Wain''s opinion, only this kind of truth was safe. He could not believe that a man would not betray him just because it went against his moral principles.


    "d. You''re back." A voice came from behind him.


    A tall girl with long red hair and eyes entered the guest room. She was beautiful and sexy at the same time, like a subus. She had a lush bosom and a stern and arrogant look.


    "Ah, Ellen, you are as tactless as ever." d muttered without even looking in her direction.


    "Who was it that you brought? Why didn''t you report it?"


    "Hmm? I don''t have to report to you."


    "Maybe, but you''ve been gone for a month. Hell, you didn''t even show up when the worlds merged! You came back today, but you didn''t even pay attention to your family. Do you don''t care that much about us?"


    d''s eyes became cold as ice, and he said menacingly, "Shut your mouth."


    Several electric bolts of lightning appeared around him, and a powerful pressure emanated from him.


    Ellen shuddered and suddenly found it hard to breathe.


    Ellen was the eldest daughter of the Tran Family, but she was younger and weaker than d. He was strong enough to stand up to the family father, which was very rare among noble vampires. Though she was his younger sister, Ellen had to abide by the chain ofmand.


    "Forgive me..." Ellen said with difficulty, and d eased the pressure.


    "I go where and when I want. I got strong not because I got lucky but because I fought for days and weeks in arenas like a real warrior while the rest of us drank blood and slept in coffins. I love my family, but nothing is more important than strength. Without strength, I can''t be sure I can protect you, which means I have no confidence in my love. Don''t you still understand such a simple truth?"


    Ellen swallowed with fear and bowed low.


    "I regret my words."


    d waved his hand, "Don''t worry. You can join us at the banquet if you want, but for now, go away. You''re in the way."


    Ellen nodded and headed for the exit.

 Chapter 320 Banquet

    "You''ve been pretty hard on her."


    "It''s inevitable. Ellen can be too arrogant sometimes. She doesn''t understand how the world works and is too focused on her feelings. My family''s history was written in blood, and we gained our status and power through violence and pain. Ellen forgets that all the time. Warm feelings and peace are what we get by oveing suffering. That''s our reward." d said seriously.


    "At least she can understand when to back off and when she''s wrong. It''s a useful quality."


    d nodded and drained his whiskey ss, "I wanted to wait until after the banquet, but I can''t hold back anymore. I need to drink blood right away."


    Wain was wary.


    "Don''t worry. Until I teach you the ritual as promised, I won''t demand blood from you." d said and snapped his finger. A drop of blood appeared above him and flew into the distance.


    A momentter, one of the maids entered the guest room with two crystal sses and a bottle of wine. She poured them wineskins and stood beside d.


    "Sir, will you limit yourself to wine?"


    "Not this time. Sit next to me."


    The girl nodded and bared her neck. d took a sip of wine and then sank his fangs into the girl''s flesh. Her young blood mixed with the wine, and d took a sip. He smiled contentedly and exhaled with pleasure.


    "Damn, nothing canpare to that. Although, no, I recently discovered something truly remarkable." d pronounced, looking at Wain.


    "You are dismissed."


    The girl bowed and left.


    She was used to it, for when d snapped his fangs into her, she didn''t even flinch. Of course, d acted carefully. He had no intention of crippling her. He only wanted blood, but it was painful anyway.


    Wain watched the scene intently and was impressed, but not because of how d took advantage of the girl. It showed how much the Pirs stood above the other races. The Pirs could use them in any way they pleased.


    ...


    Lia entered the guest room, "Master, everything is ready. Miss Ellena is already waiting for you in the banquet hall."


    p "Great, we''ll be right with you."</anda>


    Lia nodded and left.


    "You took off your mask and revealed your face, but you didn''t say your name."


    "Isn''t it enough that you can see my World of Darkness card?" Wain asked smiling.


    "No, it''s quite enough, but I hope that you will decide to tell me your name one day."


    "I, like you, cannot see the future, so I make no promises. We should go. Where''s the banquet hall?"


    ...


    There was a long table set up in the banquet hall filled with various dishes. Most of it was juicy and slightly undercooked meat that oozed blood. These were vampire tastes as well as plenty of assorted red wine.


    Ellen sat in her seat. She still hadn''t touched her food, though d and Wain were a littlete.


    There were also several maids in the banquet room to serve them.<sub> </sub>


    "You may be dismissed." d said, turning to the maids, and they quickly left.


    "No one else wanted to join in?"


    "No, I would have informed you of that. There is no one in the manor now except my father and us, but he is asleep. I didn''t bother him."


    Ellen knew that the rtionship between d and their father was strained. They had different views on life.


    d believed it was necessary to be stronger by fighting and oveing oneself, while his father, on the contrary, believed it was the destiny of weak races. In his opinion, vampires were supposed to evolve by absorbing energy and drinking the blood of other creatures.


    "Good, that''s even better. My friend needs to recover. Feel free to eat as much as you want." d turned to Wain.


    "Whatever you say." Wain smiled and took the bloody fruits from the tray. They were sour but tasty, and they greatly replenished the blood supply.


    Though the meat was deliberately undercooked, it was of high quality, which caused Wain to join in the meal.


    Ellen tried to be restrained, but she could not resist for long. After a few bites, her gantry was gone, and she pounced on the meat like a wild beast, ripping it to pieces.


    d preferred wine to meat. He liked to enjoy his food slowly, stretching out the pleasure.


    "Brother, would you like to tell me about your friend?"


    "Sure, it''s Nameless, and he''s a human."


    Ellen''s eyes widened, and she choked. She expected to hear anything but this. The Tran family was one of the strongest in this town and Ellen, like d, knew many of the secrets of this world, one of which was the humans.


    "Don''t tell anyone about this. This is a reward for being able to admit your guilt." d said coldly.


    Ellen nodded.


    "d, isn''t it time we got down to business?"


    "Sure." d put his ss aside, "Ellen, I know you really care about me more than anyone else, but there''s no need, I''m strong, and you have to be one if you want to protect those you care about."


    Ellen was confused and frozen.


    ...


    "How does the process of determining blood purity work?" Wain asked, following d into the underground floor.


    "It''s quite simple. You need a special magic circle and a drop of your blood. There''s everything you need downstairs. You don''t have to do anything. You''ll know intuitively what''s going on."


    "Okay. d, you''ve mentioned more than once that you''re a noble vampire like your whole family. What is your blood purity?"


    Wain knew that the purity of blood was of the utmost importance in every race. He was sure it was more important to vampires than to anyone else.


    "Ah, that''s a rather painful question. I''m the eldest son of the Tran Family, and normally I should have had high blood purity from birth, but it was only 51%." d said with sadness in his voice.


    "Was?"


    "Yes, now my blood purity is 91%."

 Chapter 321 The Pain Of Failure

    "What? Your blood purity used to be 51%?" Wain was surprised.


    That was enough for a person to be considered a pureblood, but it was the lowest limit. It was a shame for noble vampires because it was the worst possible option.


    "Usually, the first child in a family of purebloods has the highest blood purity among future siblings. When vampires decide to conceive their first child, they are at the peak of their powers. The first child should be the strongest and be the future head of the family." d spoke slowly. His eyes darkened, and he lowered his head in frustration.


    "Then why did you have such a low blood purity? Was it an ident?"


    "Yes, you could call it that. As you understand, I became a disgrace to the family in that situation, and the other noble vampires treated me with contempt. It was definitely the worst phase of my life."


    "But, how were you able to be so strong? Right now, your blood purity is 91%, which is the sixth rank. Only absolutes with blood purity above 95% are higher."


    "Huh, years ago, I left my family and traveled. I fought and killed and devoured rivers of blood. I couldn''t allow myself to rx, and at one point, I realized that I didn''t want to rest and idle like other vampires. All I wanted to do was kill and feel myself grow stronger."


    "I increased my blood purity as I frequented the Blood Arena. Ellen worried about me when she realized what I was doing and that I might die at some point, but there was no going back. I had killed thousands of people and ruined their lives, so I had to be willing to die as well."


    "You said earlier that your family''s history was written in blood, I can''t say if that''s true, but your history is soaked in blood and suffering, both your own and others''."


    "Yes, the Blood Arena is a creepy ce, but that''s where I was able to be who I am now. To increase my blood purity, I had to fight and win. Iouldn''t lose in blood arenas, as that would be the end of my journey."


    "I see. No wonder you''re so strong."


    "I agree, but here''s the strange thing. You were able to beat me, even though you''re only twenty-five, judging by your energy fluctuations. If I went through hell to get my power, then what did you do?"


    Wain shrugged, "It''s a mystery. d, how old are you?"


    "I turned fifty-fivest month."


    "Oh, you look twenty or thirty at most."


    "Huh, over time, I stopped paying attention. All races have different lifespans, but it doesn''t matter since we can increase it by getting stronger. Okay, time to get down to business." d said and opened the massive iron doors.


    They entered a room resembling an underground repository of books and various scrolls.


    d took a special amulet from the shelf and poured some energy into it. The amulet glowed brightly, and d put it to the floor. A massive magical circle appeared, and the amulet soared through the air.


    "Everything is ready. You have to spill a drop of blood on the amulet, and then bloody threads will emerge from it. Each thread means one percent, good luck." d said and stood aside. He didn''t leave as he wanted to watch it.


    Wain nodded and put his hand to the amulet. He cut his finger, and a scarlet drop of blood fell on the amulet. It glowed brightly, and many strands burst out. They appeared gradually and only stopped after a few minutes.


    A total of fifty threads emerged from the amulet. They floated in the air and moved slowly toward Wain.


    "Oh, what a rarity." d said.<sub> </sub>


    "Does that mean the purity of my blood is fifty percent?"


    "Yes, it does."


    "Why did you say it was rare? Isn''t 50% a mediocre result?"


    "Of course, it''s not enough to be considered pureblood, but usually those on the borderline have either 49% or 51%. Although you''re a human, maybe your race has a special rtionship to blood, and you do things differently, just like with souls. Either way, you''ve learned the answer to your question."


    "I''ll have to think about that."


    "I held up my end of the bargain. Now it''s your turn." d said, licking his lips. He was already anticipating the taste of blood from the rarest race in the world. d had only tasted a few drops before, but it wasn''t enough. He wanted more.


    "Good."


    ...


    Lia took the blood from Wain. She brought a syringe and stuck the needle into his vein. Lia also brought some bloody fruit so that Wain could recover his supply quickly.


    "d, I''ve learned a lot about you and your family, but can you tell me about this town?" Wain asked while Lia was taking his blood.


    "It is a city of vampires called Terrin. Both nobles andmon vampires live here, all walks of life. Luckily when the merging of worlds happened, nothing happened to this city, we were lucky. I''ve heard that some of the cities were severely damaged during the merging."


    "Have you explored the area? Where is Terrin now?"


    "As before, this town is located beneath the mountain. I''ve only recently returned home, so I haven''t had time to learn more about it yet, but I don''t think anyone would decide to attack us. Fighting hundreds of vampires in a ce that doesn''t get any sunlight is suicide."


    Wain nodded. He knew next to nothing about the new world except the location of the human cities.


    Lia took out a syringe and poured Wain''s blood into vials that held the most expensive potions. d took one of them and took a sip.


    His eyes narrowed, and goose bumps ran through his body. For some reason, he felt scared, but an unearthly pleasure reced that after a moment.


    "Ah... This is incredible. Damn it, I had to try to win at all costs. One liter is too little, though I wouldn''t have had enough, even a hundred." d mouthed and closed the bottle. He wanted to stretch this pleasure as long as possible.


    "Brother!" Suddenly Ellen ran into the room. Her expression was concerned, and her lips were trembling.


    "There''s trouble!"


    Tremble.


    The next moment the city shook like an earthquake.

 Chapter 322 Death Light

    "What''s going on!" d eximed.


    "We are being attacked! It''s the angels!"


    Tremble.


    The city shook again, and every vampire in the poor and luxurious neighborhoods felt it.


    "Angels? What the hell do they want?" d frowned.


    Attacking a town of vampires was suicide, but if they were angels, then the situation changed dramatically. Vampires could hardly drink their blood, and angels mostly used trappings like fire or light.


    "I don''t know, but they''re serious. They''ve already broken into the city and are trying to break through the protective barrier." Ellen said anxiously.


    "Ah, I see. Hell, they showed up at such an inconvenient moment. Angels ruin everything as usual." d grudgingly muttered.


    Crackling.


    The doors to the hall opened, and a tall guy with short blond hair and red eyes stepped inside. He wore a long torn cloak and was seriously wounded, his face drenched in blood.


    "Lucian!" d and Ellen eximed simultaneously. It was the second son of the Tran family and d''s younger brother.


    "Hi..." Lucian smiled with difficulty, and the ring on his finger shone brightly. A yellow amulet in the shape of a cross in a sphere appeared in his hand, "Give this to mother."


    Lucian fell to the ground and breathed slowly. His condition was critical, and he needed blood urgently.


    Wain''s blood was only enough for three vials, each of which was more valuable than gold, but d didn''t hesitate to take one of them and pour it into Lucian''s mouth.


    He didn''t care how rare the blood was. His goal was to save his brother, and nothing else mattered.


    Lucian took a few sips, and his pupils narrowed.


    "What is this? It tastes so good..." Lucian was in shock. He forgot about the pain and could only think about the blood he drank. His instincts heightened, and he turned toward Wain''s.


    "Is that his blood?"


    "Yes, it''s good, isn''t it?" d said smiling.


    "It''s incredible, he..."


    "Let''s talk about itter. What happened? Did the angels attack us because of you?"


    Lucian nodded, "I decided that since the merging of worlds happened, it was the best moment to break into their base and steal the amulet stealthily."


    "I see. You did well, that''s amazing."


    "It''s not worth the credit. They''re just like everyone else, trying to figure out what''s going on and get used to a new world. The angels weren''t expecting someone to decide to sneak into their vault."<sub> </sub>


    "How strong are they?"


    "I''m not sure, but the strongest of them must be on the edge of Second Chronicle. One of them gave me a pretty good thrashing, haha." Lucian smiled painfully.


    "You were right to decide to steal an amulet from a base at that level. We''d be in serious trouble if Third Chronicle angels attacked us, but why would you take such a risk?"


    "What?" Lucian was shocked. He looked at Ellen and asked, "You haven''t told him yet?"


    The girl shook her head, "I''m sorry, I didn''t have time. He just returned from the rental today, and I didn''t have a good opportunity."


    d looked at them intently.


    "Okay, nothing critical. Mother had been sick for several weeks. She''d been fighting some unusual angel and was seriously injured. My father protected my mother, but she was getting worse by the day as if she had been poisoned. We quickly figured out the problem and found out how to cure it, so I immediately went to get the amulet. As I said, it was a good time."


    d frowned. Unlike his father, he had a normal rtionship with his mother. If something terrible were to happen to her, it would be the greatest tragedy for him.


    "Is it fatal?"


    "Fortunately not." Lucian shook his head, "Perhaps this poison could have killed her, but only if she hadn''t been drinking blood for a long time. We would never have let that happen."


    "Okay, I get it. Can you heal her with this amulet?"


    "Yes, it''s not difficult. This amulet was made for it. That''s why it was so rare to get. It''s a pretty rare thing."


    "Hmm, but why were they so angry? I understand that you stole the amulet from them, but is it worth following you into town and even attacking us? I''m sure the amulet isn''t worth starting a war between angels and vampires, especially in the current situation."


    "Well.... It''s not that simple. I didn''t hurt myself. I was discovered by some angels when I was trying to steal the amulet, and I had to deal with them. Apparently, some of them were very important to the leaders of their city, and that''s why they decided to attack us."


    Angels, like Vampires, valued kinship since they had a low birth rate and lived longer than most other races.


    "Ah, okay, I get it. Anyway, they haven''t broken through the barrier yet, and we have time to prepare. Can we cure the mother now?"


    "Yes, of course. I wanted to do it, but I''m not at my best right now, so it would be best if you did it."


    "What do I have to do?"


    "Nothingplicated. Dip the amulet in your blood and then apply it to your mother''s body. The amulet will absorb the corrosive light, and the mother will recover."


    d nodded, "I thought that the old man would do anything to save her if something happened to mother. What a disappointment."


    "Don''t be so categorical. Father wanted to go after the amulet, but the elders wouldn''t let him. Although, he was going to ignore their requests and leave anyway. I found out about it and decided to steal the amulet myself."


    d''s father was a powerful vampire, and since no one knew what would happen after the merging of the worlds, the elders could not allow him to leave at such a moment. They believed that they could be attacked by someone and then every elder was important, one of which was d''s father himself.


    d frowned but didn''t answer anything. He helped Lucian up and headed for his mother''s room. Ellen, Lucian, and Wain followed him.

 Chapter 323 Healing

    Vampires were ratherzy creatures and spent most of their time sleeping in coffins. d''s mother was no exception. When vampires were ill and sick, the best thing that helped them was the silence, the coolness, and theck of light.


    Crackle.


    d opened the lid of the coffin, and a tall woman with long, curly purple hair appeared behind it. She was sleeping and breathing slowly, but her face was unusually pale, even for vampires.


    She opened her eyes and muttered, "d, you''re home..."


    "Yes, and now I''m going to cure you." d uttered and cut his palm. He dipped the amulet in the blood and applied it to Marine.


    The amulet glowed brightly, and Marine''s eyes shone brightly. A poisonous light slowly emerged from her and soaked into the amulet.


    "Great, it worked." Lucian breathed a sigh of relief. It would have been a serious problem if their scheme hadn''t worked. Now Lucian was sure that he had done everything right. He didn''t regret that his actions caused the vampire city to be attacked by angels. All he cared about was saving his mother.


    "Mother...!" Ellen eximed and hugged her tightly. The brothers were not as sentimental as their sister, but they smiled quite a bit, too. For almost everyone, the mother was the most important person in life. Marine''s joyful face was the best reward for d and Lucian.


    "It''s okay." Marine muttered and looked at Wain, "d, Lucian, who is this mysterious young man?"


    "My new friend, he''s a human."


    Unlike Ellen and Lucian, Marine didn''t have such a vivid reaction. She nodded, "I see, as I thought a lot would change after the worlds merged. Maybe there are other little-known races on the new continent now."


    "Hmm? Any races simr to the humans?" Lucian asked.


    "Not really. They''re not as strong, and they don''t have as rich a history, but only fairly strong persons know of their existence."


    "I see. We have other problems anyway. We''ve been attacked by angels. Right now, they''re trying to break through the city''s protective barrier." d said seriously.


    "Angels are ruining everything as usual. Where''s your father?"


    d, Lucian, and Ellen shrugged.


    Tremble.


    Suddenly their house shook, and sounds of fighting could be heard from outside the hall.


    "What? Are we being attacked?" d frowned and ran into the hall. Lucian and Wain followed him, and Ellen stayed with Marine.


    ''Looks like more of the Angels are feuding with the Vampires. I wonder who will emerge victorious from this fight?'' Wain pondered.


    This was the first time he interacted with vampires and learned about their family ties and problems. Except for their biological traits, they weren''t much different from humans.


    Wain wondered if he should have fought alongside them against the angels and improved his rtionship with this race or stayed away.


    ''The vampires are one of the strongest races even among the Pirs, and they might be perfect for being allied with the humans. Even if it''s one city or one family, it''s already a big step forward.''<sub> </sub>


    Crackle.


    They entered the hall and froze in shock. They thought angels were attacking them, but the reason for the sounds of battle was something else entirely.


    "Ena, I forbid you to go to the battlefield!" A tall man with long ck hair and a short beard eximed. He was dressed in red aristocratic attire, and his eyes were deep. It was Vincent Tran, the head of the Tran Family.


    Opposite him stood a girl of medium height with short purple hair. She had an unemotional face but a fierce look.


    "Father, you are too annoying as always. You''ve raised strong children. That''s an aplishment but also a big problem simultaneously." Ena said calmly and waved her hand.


    Several bloody crosses appeared above Vincent, and they copsed on him. Vincent snapped his finger and created a protective barrier that the crosses smashed against.


    "Ena, I have repeatedly told you that you are overly arrogant. Do you really think you can defeat me at such a young age?" Vincent said menacingly.


    Ena frowned. She had no chance of defeating Vincent in openbat, but she wouldn''t listen to him.


    Excluding d, she was the strongest child in the Tran Family.


    Crack.


    Suddenly a red lightning orb appeared between them. Vincent and Ena turned around and saw d.


    "Brother!" Ena''s face instantly changed. She smiled, and her eyes lit up.


    Of all the siblings, she loved d the most. He was to her the benchmark of how he could reach the top even if he failed. Also, like her, d had aplicated rtionship with his father.


    Vincent frowned. The appearance of d''s changed the situation. Vincent realized that against the two of them, he didn''t stand a chance. d was only slightly weaker than him, and together with Ena, they could easily defeat Vincent.


    "Calm down. Now is not the best time to fight." d said seriously and looked intently at his father.


    "d, you''re finally back. In that case, I hope you can exin to your sister that going and fighting angels is a stupid decision!"


    "Pfft, don''t get your hopes up. I''m sure my brother will go to the battlefield with me. We must destroy these scoundrels for choosing to attack us." Ena said confidently and lifted her chin proudly.


    "Take it easy. Father, Ena is right, we must protect the city from the angels, but not just because they attacked us. They came here because Lucian stole the amulet and saved our mother. That is equivalent to them attacking our family. Should we stand by in such a case?" d asked seriously.


    Vincent was surprised and looked at Marine walking along with Ellen. She had not yet fully recovered, but she could easily walk independently. This scene was like a miracle for Vincent.


    "Honey... Huh, Lucian, you''re good. Okay, in that case, we have to make sure the Tran Family kills the most Angels!" Vincent''s mood instantly changed.


    d smiled contentedly and looked at Wain, "I know this isn''t your war, but will you join us?"

 Chapter 324 The War Of The Two Pillars

    Much depended on Wain''s response. He could either ignore d''s offer or ept it, and each decision had its pros and cons.


    If Wain were to join the vampires, it would mean feuding with the angels, at least a certain portion of them.


    Wain smiled predatorily and said, "I''ve fought an angel once before, and that encounter left me with a bad impression. Though it was a condition of our deal, you helped me and kept your word. I will do the same in return."


    d smiled, and red lightning shed in his eyes. He spread his arms apart and proimed, "Great! Then let''s go and show the angels that they made a grave mistake in attacking us. Ellen, you stay with your mother and Lucian. It''s not up for discussion."


    The girl nodded. Though Ellen was the older sister, she was much weaker than Ena. Lucian wanted to join the fight, but he knew that it was a bad idea in his condition.


    "It turns out we''ll go as a foursome." Vincent muttered and walked over to Wain. He looked at him intently and said, "d seems to trust you, but I''ll watch you closely. If you decide to hurt any of my children, I will rip your heart out with my own hands."


    Vincent had aplicated rtionship with d and Ena, but he truly loved his children and would do anything for them. It wasn''t always evident, as he was the kind of man who preferred to act rather than talk.


    "Huh, you''re not a bad father. Don''t worry, d''s warrior spirit impressed me. Moreover, I have nothing inmon with angels." Wain said, and the mask of an aristocrat appeared in his hand.


    He put it on, and his aura seemed to disappear. This surprised the vampires. Vincent stood in front of Wain, but it was as if Wain did not exist.


    "How interesting." Vincent smiled.


    Wain pped his cloak and headed for the exit of the manor.


    ...


    The Tran Family House was to the east, while the entrance to the city was to the west. From there, the sounds of battle could be heard, and the shock waves of explosions could be heard.


    Wain, d, Vincent, and Ena were not the only ones who decided to go out to fight the angels. Though vampires werezy by nature, the smell of blood from a fierce battle instantly awakened their fighting spirit. Vampires were fearsome in battle, for over time, they increased in tempo and grew stronger.


    Many paid attention to the mysterious masked man walking beside them. The Tran family was quite famous in Terrin. They were one of the strongest families in town, especially when the oldest son of the family came home, everyone knew that.


    The vampires were curious about what kind of a person he was and why he was hiding his face and information about himself.


    ...


    "Brother, we''re almost there. I want to fight with you!" Ena eximed as they approached the battlefield.<sub> </sub>


    Dozens of angels tried to make their way in, but the vampires wouldn''t let them. The angels attacked them with light and fire, the strongest elements against the vampires, but it wasn''t enough. The angels'' main problem was that the city was underground and no sunlight.


    <o>,m "Okay, I lost recently, I don''t regret it, but I must numb the pain of defeat with another series of victories." d uttered and pointed his hand toward the angels.</o>


    The clouds thickened overhead. d clenched his hand into a fist, and a pir of red thunder struck the center of the battlefield. Both angels and vampires were affected by this attack, but the situation for the angels became dramatically worse.


    Angels, unlike vampires, could not regenerate as quickly. In case of mortal danger, a vampire could flee to his house, and the angels would hardly be able to get to him.


    "d, you seem to have grown even stronger than before." Vincent said, and arge sword with a red de appeared in his hand.


    The sword was covered in bloody spikes, and Vincent burst into action. He grabbed one angel by the arm and cut him in two with one swing of the sword. The angel''s blood soaked into the sword, and Vincent''s aura intensified. His weapon had a special effect, simr to the way vampires recovered their strength by drinking blood.


    "Ena, help your father."


    "What? But I wanted to fight beside you!"


    "Don''t be stubborn. Father sometimes sumbs too much to the fun and can get in trouble. We just healed mother, and I don''t want a father to get seriously injured after that. Cover for him. I''ll be sure to join you a littleter."


    Ena frowned but did as d said. He was the only one Ena listened to. Even Marine couldn''t influence her youngest daughter. She had a violent and unruly temper.


    Wain was in no hurry to join the fight. His goal was to make himself known to the vampires and show that he was worth being friends. Wain counted on the fact that the Tran Family could then serve as a bridge to build a rtionship between the humans and the vampires.


    "d, this town is run by noble families right? How many are there in all?"


    "Hmm? Why do you decide to ask me that now? There are quite a few noble families in Terrin, but seven of them are major families, each with an elder. My father is one of the elders. These are some of them." d said, pointing to the side.


    In the distance stood several groups of vampires. Each of them looked strong and majestic. A noble aura emanated from them, and their gaze was calm despite the chaos. Some had already joined the fight, but others were waiting for something.


    "They stand aside as they realize this is only the beginning. If Lucian killed someone very important, then almost all the angels from that ce, both weak and strong, wille for revenge."


    "I see. Okay, I''ll leave you to it. I guess I''ll join in the fun, too." Wain said, and his aura began to intensify.

 Chapter 325 Elder

    Wain became Second Chronicle, and now the forms couldmunicate with him, but only three out of five. It was difficult for Knight and Aristocrat to do so for natural reasons. They were forced to stay on the first tform, but even so, they could say a few words.


    ''Is it really my time!? A joyful voice eximed as Wain''s aura intensified.


    ''Yes, I expect your ck mes will burn the angels and leave no trace of them.'' Wain mentally said, and an aristocratic red cloak and gloves appeared on him.


    He looked toward the hovering angels with wings and clenched his fist. He had targeted them because the presence of the wings showed that these angels had high blood purity. They were stronger and more important than the others.


    Tremble.


    Space in the air trembled, and dark spheres appeared next to the angels. They grew sharply in size and looked like two ck suns.


    The mes scorched the angels'' skin, and they tried to move away to a safe distance, and then Wain clenched his other hand in a fist.


    The spheres sparkled and exploded. Dark mes like a storm engulfed everything. The attackers were mostly angels, but some of the vampires were also hit. The mes burned the angels'' wings and their flesh and blood.


    Many died instantly, and the eyes of the angelmanders fell on Wain. They frowned as, in addition to the vampires, they were attacked by someone unknown whose aura was hidden.


    ''Come on, get over here.''


    Themanders gave the order, and several winged angels formed formations. They stood in the shape of a star and took their hands. A massive magical circle appeared in front of them, from which a bright, deadly beam flew out.


    Wain didn''t duck. He wanted to show everyone his abilities, which could impress the vampires and scare the angels.


    A tinum sword appeared in Wain''s hand, and he used the weapon skill. The sword lit up in blue me, and Wain brought it down, creating a straight de of blue me. The de cut the beam in two, and it exploded on the ground next to Wain, but he was left unharmed.


    "He''s mocking us!" Eximed one of the angels soaring high in the sky.


    The angels tried to regroup, but suddenly several more spheres appeared next to them, and mes engulfed their bodies.


    ...


    "Who is that?" Asked a tall girl with short red hair and crimson eyes. She stood far from the battle and several powerful vampires with bright auras beside her.


    "Miss Delia, are you interested in this mysterious man?" Asked a vampire with long blond hair and amethyst eyes.


    "Yes, he is strong, and considering that he hides his identity, he is definitely not a vampire. Moreover, none of the noble vampires in this town have powers like him, I''m sure of it."


    Delia was an elder and one of the strongest vampires in town. She was also the head of the Vex Family, whose reputation and authority were even higher than that of the Tran Family and the other major families in Terrin.


    "Hmm, apparently he came along with the Tran Family, also d Tran came home, that''s good news."<sub> </sub>


    "Miss, do you want me to bring a stranger here?"


    "No, that won''t be necessary. This is not a good time for that, we have to deal with the angels first. Moreover, I want to see what he can do a little more. Perhaps the angel attack is not the most important thing that has happened this day." Delia uttered and pulled the needle out of her hair.


    She waved it like a magic wand, and several purple seals appeared around the group of hovering angels. Chains burst out of the seals, grabbing the angels and squeezing them tightly. The angels tried to resist, but the chains were unwavering.


    "I wonder what they thought when they came here? Attacking the vampires in their city. Angels truly are the greatest fools." Delia said and stabbed the needle into the tip of her finger. It was covered in blood, and long, sharp spikes appeared on the chains.


    The spikes pierced through the angels, and the chains, along with the seals, disappeared. The scarred bodies of the angels fell down and never rose again.


    Except for Delia and Vincent, none of the elders had acted yet. This battle seemed boring to them, for the oue was obvious. They did not need to interfere except to feel the auras of battle like Vincent.


    ...


    "You used different skillsst time. Gosh, how many abilities do you have?" d asked Wain smiling.


    "Enough to find a way out of any situation." Wain replied and blew up a few spheres.


    Each time he killed the angels, their anger and hatred toward him grew, but along with that, the vampires paid more attention to him. Wain felt it. He was pleased that his n was working.


    "Oh, it looks like something interesting is finally happening." d said, looking at the entrance to the city.


    A few angels flew in, but they were different from the rest. They each had four wings, and the halos above their heads glowed brightly like the sun.


    "They have two pairs of wings?"


    "Yes, they are the elite of angels,parable to noble vampires. They''re no match for my father or me, but some of the nobles can''t handle them, that''s for sure, but that''s not the main problem." d pointed to the girl behind the group of angels, "Look, that''s one of their trump cards."


    The girl also had four wings, but she was not a warrior. In her hand was a long golden staff with a yellow crystal. Two angels with swords stood before her and spread their wings wide. A protective barrier appeared around them, and the girl was safe for a time.


    She let go of the staff, and it soared into the sky. The girl put her hands together as if praying and muttered something. The crystal on the staff glowed brightly, as did the bodies of all the fighting angels.


    Their wounds, serious and not-so-serious, began to regenerate quickly, far surpassing the vampires'' regeneration.


    Such abilities rarely appeared in angels, but they were mighty.


    "What the fuck...?" Wain muttered as he watched the bodies of the dead angels glow as well.

 Chapter 326 The Risen

    The girl''s ability and her staff not only allowed her to heal angels but to actually resurrect them. This ability had many limitations, and death had to ur while the blood was still warm, otherwise the skill would have no effect.


    This was also due to the unique properties of angels. They did not die the moment their heart stopped but because of the decay of energy. After death, it took some time for the energy to dissipate, which was the angels'' actual death.


    "She brought them back to life?"


    "Yes, it''s a scary ability, and it''s not like the light they worship. They are like dark magicians or necromancers who hide behind masks."


    "If I tear an angel apart, will ite back to life too?"


    "No, look." d said, pointing to the corpses of the angels below. Those angels whose bodies were damaged too badly could not be resurrected. The girl''s power wasn''t a miracle. It was just a usible fake.


    Crackle.


    The vampires realized the gravity of the situation and immediately attacked the girl, but their attacks could not even partially damage the barrier. The angels made sure she was safe. If the girl dies, the dozens of angels she resurrected will die with her.


    "Oh, this looks serious." Wain muttered and pointed his hand toward the barrier.


    "Wait a minute. I can''t let you take all the glory." The d stopped him, and red electrical discharges appeared around his hand. They quickly transformed into a long, cone-shaped red spear. This spear was much stronger than d''s previous lightning bolts.


    Wain put his hand down. He wasn''t sure he could break through the barrier, considering that dozens of vampires had failed. Wain wanted to see what else d was capable of.


    Whooooooosh.


    The thunder spear trembled, and d threw it at the angels. The spear pierced several angels, wiped them into dust, and then copsed on the barrier. The angels with four wings tried to stop it, but the energy of the spear threw them aside and scorched their wings.


    The barrier cracked, and it shattered like ss. The girl didn''t see iting and tried to dodge it. She was lucky the spear didn''t pierce her, but it tore off her right arm and two wings. She was in terrible pain, and scarlet blood gushed from her. However, she instantly began to recover.


    "Damn, I missed. I thought I was going to kill her with that attack." d said with a slight smile as he looked at his hand. It was shaking, and he could hardly squeeze it.


    It was recoil and a side effect that wouldst a few minutes. It was also the reason why d didn''t use this technique against Wain.


    ''If that spear had hit me, I could hardly defend myself. It seems that d is actually one of the strongest vampires in this town despite not being an elder.''


    "She''s running away! Finish her off!" The vampires eximed as they looked at the wounded girl. She only needed a few seconds toe to her senses, and the vampires understood that.


    "AHAHAHA, d, you did good! I can rightfully be proud of my son!" Vincent eximed, being in the heart of the battle, and raised his sword high above his head.


    The sword lit up, and then a bloody pike appeared from beneath the ground like a de that pierced the fleeing girl.<sub> </sub>


    She vomited a mouthful of blood, and stakes appeared on the pike that pierced her and tore her apart.


    "You bastard!" The angel with four wings roared like a wild beast and pounced on Vincent. Rage consumed him. He wanted revenge and thought of nothing but that.


    Vincent did not notice the angel. He was mesmerized by the way the blood ran down the pike from the body of the girl he had killed.


    The angel flew toward Vincent and attacked him, but suddenly bloody crosses appeared above him and pierced his wings. The angel was chained to the ground.


    "Brother was right as always." Ena calmly said, slowly walking toward the angel, "Father, you should be more careful. If I hadn''t been here, you would have been hurt."


    "Ah, it''s no big deal. This angel is not strong enough to pose a danger to me, a small cut would quickly heal."


    Vincent walked over to the angel and, with an unemotional face, crushed his head like an insect. Vincent did not be one of the elders by luck. He was tough and strong. Vincent understood better than most how to deal with invaders.


    ...


    "d, you said you were slightly weaker than your father, but is that true? Who will win if you fight?"


    "This is one of those questions that I don''t want to know the answer to. My rtionship with my father has always beenplicated, but I don''t want to be enemies with him. It''s just a little misunderstanding between father and son, nothing more." d said and snapped his finger.


    Clouds appeared over the group of angels, and lightning struck them, charring their bodies.


    "I see." Wain nodded, "Do you think this is the end?"


    After d and Vincent killed the girl who cured the angels, dominance returned to the vampires, but most of the main families had not engaged in battle so far.


    "Maybe. It depends on how strong their resentment and hatred are. Angels aren''t used to backing down. They''re pretty arrogant and arrogant."


    "Huh, aren''t vampires the same way?"


    "Not really. We''re strong, and we know it, but we recognize that all Pirs are worthy opponents even though many are afraid to fight us. On the other hand, the Angels are not used to anyone better than them. They don''t even recognize the power of the elves, who also often use the element of light."


    "Hmm, hell, I always thought of angels as quite different, though it doesn''t matter. d, could the amulet Lucian stole have been something special? Maybe the angels didn''te here for revenge, but for the amulet?"


    d shrugged, "I don''t know. It''s not that important anyway. They attacked my house, and I didn''t care what the reason was. I will destroy them."

 Chapter 327 Golden Wings

    Angels and vampires continued to fight. No one would back down, but the vampires were gradually winning. Even though the girl had recently resurrected and cured most of the angels, the vampires had not yet had any losses. In the event of a critical threat, they retreated, and their mates covered them.


    The vampires'' victory was obvious, but the main families did not hurry to leave. They understood that if the angels didn''t retreat even in such a situation, they had a trump card they still hadn''t uncovered.


    Tremble.


    The city trembled, and the elders grew wary. Even Vincent took notice and looked away from the carnage.


    "Is this it?" Wain asked, looking into the distance.


    "Yes, it looks like the final battle is about to ur. You were right. The amulet Lucian stole actually has some hidden purpose." d uttered.


    The enemy had not yet appeared, but Wain and d could feel the pressure building. They saw in the eyes of the angels the certainty of victory, and there had to be a reason for it.


    Whooooooosh.


    A massive golden seal appeared at the entrance to the city, and it glowed brightly. Then the seal exploded like a bomb andpletely destroyed the entrance to the city. It all happened too fast, and no one had time to react.


    The bright sunlight fell on the vampires, causing them to step aside. On the other hand, the angels felt the warmth of the light a little stronger, and their fighting spirit rose. They turned to their saviors, the strongest angels in the city.


    Ahead of them were two girls and two men. Each of them had six massive wings. They looked as if they had descended from heaven.


    "Damn, they''re six-wings."


    "How much stronger are they than the four-wings?"


    "A lot, they have high blood purity, and they''ve absorbed a lot of energy. I''m no expert, but as far as I know, after angels have their first wings, the purity of blood no longer affects the process. They have to umte energy and strengthen their wings to increase their numbers."


    "I see, then who is this?" Wain said, pointing to a person walking behind the four angels.


    It was a girl with blond hair and two wings, but not white, but gold. The wings shone brightly like the sun.


    "Is that their leader?" Wain asked.


    "Yes, I''ve heard of some angels being able to reveal golden wings, but seeing it with my own eyes feels very different."


    "Even though she only has two wings, she must be much stronger than these six-wings, right?"


    d nodded, "Now, the war will move into its final phase. From its looks, we''re going to have some serious casualties. What''s more, they destroyed the entrance, and now half the battlefield is in the sunlight. We''re pretty much on equal footing, but we''re vulnerable to me and light."


    The seriousness of the situation was realized by the other vampires as well. They retreated closer to the city and stood beside the members of the main families. Vincent and Ena did the same.


    "Brother, what are we going to do?" Ena said, approaching d.


    "Isn''t it obvious? We will show that the Tran Family is the strongest, and even angels with golden wings are no obstacle for us."


    "AHAHAHA, great! I didn''t expect to hear any other answer!" Vincent eximed.


    "Vampires, I address you." The voice of a girl with golden wings echoed across the battlefield. She was quiet and spoke slowly, but every vampire in town heard her.<sub> </sub>


    "If you return the amulet you stole and apologize for hurting my kin, I will forgive you, and we will retreat."


    The girl''s words stunned the vampires. They were silent, and the angels smiled contentedly. They expected the vampires to be frightened when their leader threatened them.


    "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA."


    However, suddenly each of the vampiresughed.


    This confused the angels and the four six-wings. They didn''t understand what was so funny about their leader''s words.


    Delia stepped forward of the vampires and said, "You think you can break into our town, attack us, and make demands on us? We don''t care about what was stolen from you. When youe here, you should only be prepared to die."


    "Miss V, they are mocking us!" The six-winged angel said, turning to the girl with golden wings.


    "It doesn''t matter. We were courteous and offered them the best option for them. It''s their fault they refused."


    V looked at Delia and stated, "In that case, you will fall under the bright lights."


    V slowly raised her palm, and a huge golden magical circle appeared over the city. It shone brightly like the sun, and the vampires'' skin began to burn.


    "What a pathetic trick!" Delia eximed and created several purple seals. Chains burst out of the seals and rushed toward the magic circle, but suddenly six-winged angels appeared before it. They swung their swords and threw the chains aside.


    The other vampires also tried to destroy the magic circle, but the six-winged angels defended it in every way possible. The elders''bined attacks hit the magic circle but could not destroy it.


    The angels began to rejoice. To them, it was equivalent to victory. The light from the magic circle was burning the vampires, and even the strongest of them had already received some wounds.


    "Those bastards, what kind of spell is that?" d uttered, covering his face with his hands.


    "Brother, father, we must do something urgently or be burned to ashes!" Ena eximed.


    The only one not affected by the light was the man in the red cloak and white mask standing next to the Tran Family.


    ''If you can''t get rid of the sun, then the light from it should just be blocked out.'' Wain thought and guided his hand to the golden seal.


    A ck sphere appeared next to the six-winged angels that quickly increased in size. Wain spared no effort, and the sphere became as huge as the seal. Itpletely covered the city, and darkness fell once more upon the burnt bodies of the vampires.


    They looked at Wain, puzzled.


    "Does this mean you saved us?" d said smiling.


    "Maybe." Wain answered briefly.


    It was difficult for Wain to hold such arge sphere. He was expending a lot of energy and strength. He urgently needed to inform all the vampires somehow to destroy the magic circle.


    ''Right, maybe this skill will help me...''

 Chapter 328 The Power Of The Exiled Race

    Wain had one special skill that he gained after the World of Darkness determined his rank after his first visit to the arena.


    Wain took a deep breath and used Call of the King.


    "Destroy the magic circle! You only have thirty seconds!" Wain said loudly, and his voice echoed throughout the city.


    However, strangely enough, only the vampires heard it. Nothing unusual happened to the angels.


    The vampires were surprised but quickly reacted and simultaneously attacked the magic circle. They didn''t have much time, but ten seconds was enough for them. The six-winged angels were forced to retreat when dozens of vampires attacked them. They could not withstand such power.


    The burning light faded, and Wain snapped his finger. The huge orb shrank to the size of a grain and disappeared, leaving behind bits of ck me.


    "Miss V, forgive us. We couldn''t keep your spell safe." Said one of the six-winged angels.


    "That''s all right. No one knew there would be an outsider among the vampires. This guy has powerful powers, but we just need to get rid of the problem. I can easily create another magic circle, but this time it has to go wlessly." V said coldly.


    "Yes!"


    The six-wings looked at Wain and rushed in his direction.


    One of the two girls stepped forward and attacked Wain with her sword from top to bottom.


    Suddenly d appeared in front of her and kicked her sharply in the stomach. The girl flew aside and used her wings to cushion the damage of her fall.


    "Those freaks, they figured out the problem and attacked right away." d said stiffly, "However, I like that. Now I finally know who I need to kill to end this war."


    Lightning shed around d''s head, and a bloody tiara and earrings in his ears appeared. He summoned a thunder spear and threw it at the attacking girl.


    She put her wings out in front of her and defended herself, but d instantly attacked again. He didn''t give her a break and attacked incessantly at different points.


    Despite the fact that his opponent was a six-winged angel, d easily dominated this battle.


    The other three six-wings also attacked Wain, but Vincent and several other elders stood in his defense. They understood that Wain was their unexpected trump card.


    "Great, I knew that if d came back, something unusual had happened. Who would have thought a stranger would save us?" Delia mouthed and also used her a Beyond.


    Massive shackle-like bracelets appeared on her arms, and a spiky crown appeared on her head. She waved her hand, and hundreds of seals appeared next to the angels. The chains shackled the angels and squeezed hard, breaking their bones. Only a few were able to escape the trap.


    The leader of the angels watched this with a calm expression on his face.


    V folded her palms together, and her golden wings shone brightly. Hundreds of feathers flew out of them and headed toward the angels.<sub> </sub>


    The feathers plunged into their bodies, and the angels grew considerably stronger. Their bodies were covered in a yellow sheath, and their regeneration greatly increased other characteristics.


    The angels were able to break Delia''s chains and attacked the vampires with renewed strength.


    "Damn, that''s annoying." Delia frowned and helped her mates.


    The six-winged angels couldn''t get rid of Wain, so V decided to do it herself. She pped her wings and flew toward Wain. Her speed was tremendous, and she was in front of him a secondter.


    V grabbed Wain by the arm and threw him into the center of the fight. She acted sharply, and Wain didn''t even have time to react.


    He got to his feet and immediately created several dark spheres in front of him. V swung her left wing and destroyed it. Her fist was covered in light, and she struck Wain in the stomach. He vomited a mouthful of blood and flew sideways, punching several buildings with his body.


    Some vampires realized that V was trying to kill Wain quickly and tried to help him. They attacked the angel leader from all sides, but she pped her wings to create a light pulse and threw them aside, leaving severe burns on their bodies.


    The vampires howled in pain and had to retreat to heal their wounds.


    V walked slowly toward Wain, and no one could stop her. The angels protected her from any attacks. For V, it was as if there was no war, there was only her and the mysterious man in the mask.


    "I don''t know who you are, but I''m offering you a deal. If you join us and help me kill vampires, you can count on my cooperation. I''m interested in you. Your abilities are unique." V said bluntly.


    Wain was once again at a crossroads. Given how far the war had gone, he had to choose which race to enlist the help of. The Angels and Vampires were members of the Pirs and held authority worldwide.


    "Are you kidding me? I would never believe that an angel would offer an alliance to someone who uses the element of darkness. You just wanted to take advantage of me and set me up. Doesn''t that mean the darkness is right in your heart?" Wain said smiling.


    Wain knew that angels were arrogant, and the element of light was very important and even sacred to them. He was no fool and knew what was going on.


    p "You bastard." V frowned. Wain''s words hurt her. She was not ustomed to rejection, for angels revered those who had golden wings. They regarded such angels as messengers of light.</anda>


    "No, you are a fool. You could have survived if you had epted my offer, but now I will destroy you. You justmitted suicide." V said menacingly, and her fists were covered in a sheath of light.


    "Are you so sure about that?" Wain said, wiping the blood from her face.


    "You''re so brave, even though you only bleed after one punch."


    "Huh, that''s true, but is that a problem?"


    V looked at him, puzzled.


    "I just need to get stronger." Wain said, and his palm glowed. Thousands of souls flew out of it, they burst out like a stream.

 Chapter 329 The Limit Of Second Chronicle

    ''What is he doing? V thought as well as the angels and vampires.


    They did not understand why, at a critical moment, Wain, instead of running away, released hundreds of souls into the air.


    However, one vampire in a long red cape understood what Wain was about to do.


    "Huh, looks like something interesting is about to happen. When we fought, he was far from the border of Second Chronicle, but is that a problem for a human?" d said.


    ...


    "Are you surprised? That''s not the emotion you should be feeling." Wain uttered and clenched his fist sharply.


    The souls shattered like glowingmps, and rivers of energy headed toward Wain. His eyes shone brightly, and power overflowed him. Every cell in his body soaked up the energy and moved on to the next level.


    [You have leveled up to level 41. You get 3 status points to distribute freely]


    [You have leveled up to level 42. You get 3 status points to distribute freely]


    [You have leveled up to level 43. You ge...]


    [You have leveled up to level 50. You get 3 status points to distribute freely]


    [You have leveled up to level 50, and you cannot level it up again until you evolve a third time.]


    [All your stats have reached 750. You can no longer get stronger through soul absorption and Soul Essence.]


    [Conditions for the third evolution are open.]


    [More than ten expendable items have been obtained and several weapons.]


    [Wain Norheim


    Level: 50


    Race: Human


    Beyond: Cmity


    Soul: Nameless King


    Additional Soul: Forsaken Wanderer


    Title: Savior of the Damned, Echo of Samurai, Mentor Inquisitor, The First, Soul Gatherer, Cartographer, yer of Goliath, Contender, Defeating One of the Four Kings, Killing the Legend, etc..


    Status Points: 69


    Strength: 750 (935) / Agility: 750 (945) / Vitality: 750 (910) / Stamina: 750 (915) / Energy: 750 (915) / Majesty: 2]


    ''Hahaha, I''m a bloody monster,'' Wain thought.


    "What did you do? What was that dirty trick?" V was wary. She hadn''t figured out who Wain was yet.


    "Hmm? What do you mean? I just absorbed souls. What''s so unusual about that?"<sub> </sub>


    "Pretending? Fool, if you think some dark spell that made you stronger for a while will scare me, you''re wrong."


    "A spell? No, I don''t use one of those. It''s pure power." Wain said and leaped.


    He was instantly in front of V and exactly repeated her previous hold and threw her into buildings nearby. She flew three times as far as Wain had previously and pierced dozens of houses with her body.


    The war stopped for a moment. Angels and vampires stared spellbound at Wain. They didn''t understand how he suddenly had so much power.


    "AHAHAHAHAHAHA, here it is, the power of my rival and new friend of the Tran Family!" d eximed, and both earrings glowed brightly.


    He turned into a red lightning bolt and broke the six-winged girl''s wings with precise blows. She couldn''t defend herself as d became too fast.


    d grabbed her by the neck and threw her high up so that everyone in the city could see her. Then the veins in d''s arm swelled, and he created a huge thunderous spear that wounded even him, scorching his skin.


    He threw it at the girl with a cold stare, and she was torn apart. The blood of the six-winged angel poured down on the warriors like a rain of blood.


    "This is my feast for you, my vampire brothers! In honor of my new friend!" d proimed, and his voice spread through the city.


    For the vampires, this rain was symbolic. d reminded them that they were one big family and had to pull together in difficult moments no matter what. The angels were confused. One of their strongest fighters had been used as a bloody firecracker. They couldn''t fathom that it had actually happened.


    "You all heard him! Gnaw into their necks and eat their hearts. Stop being afraid of their blood. The pain is nothingpared to the possibility of losing your home and losing." Delia said and attacked.


    Dozens of chains appeared from under the ground and grabbed the angels. Delia beat them apart with her hands controlling the chains.


    The vampires responded to her call and their fighting spirit increased manifold. The angels began to lose rapidly, and nothing could change that.


    "So that was the problem..." V muttered, climbing out of the wreckage. "You are a human. What a rare and unpleasant surprise."


    "Yes, I am." Wain did not deny it. By devouring hundreds of souls instantly, he showed everyone in town that he was a human. It was part of his n.


    "I see, then I must all the more do anything to destroy you. The ancestors always said that if the humans showed up again, the world would descend into chaos, and you are living proof that their words are true."


    "h h h, I have no desire to listen to you. The words of a dead man do not interest me. Use what you have and show me what an angel with golden wings can do." Wain said and activated a Beyond as well as Martial Essence.


    ? Two medium-sized dark spheres appeared in his hands. Around them was a gray aura that absorbed even the air around them.


    "Huh, whatever." V said, and her golden wings glowed brightly.


    They dramatically increased in size andpletely covered V. It was like she was in a cocoon.


    Golden feathers flew out of the angels, loosening them, and headed toward the cocoon, increasing it. A bright blinding light emanated from the cocoon, and Wain couldn''t even get close enough to attack. The spheres vanished into thin air, the cocoon invincible.


    Wain frowned. He hadn''t expected that she would still have such a trump card after all V had done.


    ''d was right. Angels with golden wings are a whole other level. It''s even better, though. The stronger the enemy could be, the stronger I would be after victory.''


    Crackle.


    After a while, cracks appeared in the cocoon.

 Chapter 330 Cocoon

    The golden wings turned into a cocoon as if petrified and began to fall apart. The massive debris fell to the ground, revealing the altered appearance of V.


    Golden threads appeared on her body, threads through which energy circted like blood through veins. On her arms and legs were protective gold tes and on her forehead was arge seal in the shape of two outspread wings.


    V''s eyes were calm and deep. She had grown new golden wings from which drops of blood were still dripping.


    "Did you have to be reborn to fight me? I''m ttered." Wain said smiling and bowed slightly.


    "You still have the nerve to act like that. I''ve been told how the humans were formidable creatures to whom even the gods were no judge, but you''re not like that. You don''t act like an antagonist to the gods. You''re like a pathetic clown." V said, and her hands were covered in golden light.


    "No matter who I am, that''s why I''m wearing this mask." Wain uttered and threw two spheres at V.


    V blocked it with a p of her wings, but suddenly she was horrified. Several golden feathers fell from her wing as if someone had eaten them.


    "What...? I definitely blocked your attack." V didn''t understand how the spheres could damage when they didn''t even explode.


    Wain appeared in front of her and attacked again. V blocked his attack, but Wain turned sharply and struck her in the chest with his palm, and the blue bracelet on his arm glowed brightly. V vomited blood and tried to retreat, but the icy waves were already bearing down on her.


    She had to cover herself with her wings, which were an impassable barrier to any attack. V was safe, but she deprived herself of mobility and greatly reduced her field of vision.


    Wain took advantage of this and stomped his foot to create a wave of ck me that lowered V''s defenses for a while. Wain created five spheres around V and exploded them.


    The dark fire consumed everything around it. It consumed the houses, the ground, and the bodies of the angels and left no trace of them.


    Because of Martial Essence, the spheres had the power of Beyond, and so V''s imprable wings were damaged under the power of devouring energy.


    "AAAAARGH!" V soared in pain and looked fiercely at Wain. She realized that she could no longer defend herself or else over the next few attacks. Wain would tear her apart.


    V''s legs were covered in golden energy, and she got to Wain in one step. After being reborn in a cocoon, all of her physical characteristics rose significantly, and the limitations of Second Chronicle could not stop the growth of her power.


    V was special, even among the rare angels with high blood purity. She could not lose when so many of her mates died, but her main mission was to kill Wain. V could not allow a human to exist.


    Bam.


    She threw a powerful punch with her fist. Wain blocked it, but the shock wave of the blow threw him aside. V was instantly beside him and attacked again but from the other side.


    Wain was forced to defend himself. V attacked too quickly, Wain didn''t have time to create spheres or counterattack.


    The spectators watching them couldn''t keep track of the fight. To them, it looked as if golden shes sometimes appeared around Wain, and he received a powerful blow.<sub> </sub>


    V''s fists were like hammers, after the impact of which the ground shook, and dust rose from the ground. Anyone not on the edge of the Second Chronicle would have had their bones broken and their internal organs damaged by a single blow. Someone even weaker would be killed on the spot.


    "Brother, shouldn''t we help him?" Ena said, approaching d. Vincent and the other elders had already killed all the six-wings, and the vampires had practically won.


    "No, their fight is important. We have no right to interfere." d said seriously.


    "What? What are you talking about? Whether your friend wins or not won''t make any difference. Our victory is inevitable." Ena muttered, looking at thest angels the vampires were catching up with.


    "Ena, your big brother is right." Vincent approached. "This guy turned out to be a unique person. You''re still inexperienced and don''t understand thatbat isn''t just about strength. You can get to know a man better inbat than in talk, his character, motives, and ambitions. The result is not important, we must pay attention to how he will act and what he will do."


    Ena looked at her father and brother confusedly. They said it with serious faces, but their words were illogical to Ena.


    ''Shouldn''t we just kill the angel and start rebuilding the city? What are these two thinking?''


    ...


    The other elders had the same opinion as Vincent and d.


    "Miss Delia, what do you n to do next?" A tall man with long ck hair and a thick mustache asked. He was the head of one of the seven main families in Terrin.


    Delia wondered, "First, I''d like to talk to this guy and the Tran Family. The angel attack on our house came as an unpleasant surprise, but maybe even a situation like this has positives."


    "I agree. This guy isn''t bad, though I shouldn''t have expected anything less from a human. When he absorbed hundreds of souls at once, it sent shivers down my body. It was an incredible sight."


    Delia nodded, "We''ll find out soon enough. The oue of the battle is obvious either way."


    ...


    "You can only defend yourself, yet you boast so much of your strength. Sooner orter, you will weaken and lose." V said seriously and attacked again.


    Wain smiled slightly and took a step back. V immediately followed him and threw a straight punch. Wain spread his arms apart, and V''s fist mmed into Wain''s stomach, and he immediately threw up a mouthful of blood.


    V perked up because she was finally able to get him and decided to attack again, but suddenly Wain grabbed her arm. V was shocked, Wain''s grip was too strong, and she could not move.


    "This blow was your first and yourst." Wain said, and the ring on his finger shone brightly.

 Chapter 331 Fallen Feather

    Wain absorbed hundreds of souls and gained many expendable items. Some were not very powerful, but others could do serious damage to the enemy. Wain didn''t want to save it and decided to use everything right away.


    Many different bombs and crystals appeared around him, and dark blue wings grew out of his back. Wain pped it and bounced to a safe distance, and the bombs and crystals, due to a gust of wind, headed toward V and activated at the same time.


    A multitude of explosions and energy bursts rained down on V. All she could do was cover herself with her wings and defend herself. She had to wait for it to stop.


    Wain used The Serpent''s Step: Ancient Tail, and the phantom serpent''s tail came crashing down on V like a whip. This attack destroyed part of the damaged wing, and Wain lunged forward.


    V did not have time to react as her field of vision was limited due to the wings. Wain swung her sword from bottom to top and severed her right arm and the wing.


    Wain''s eyes were as cold as ciers, and he immediately attacked again, aiming for the neck.


    V''s eyes narrowed, and she managed to dodge at thest moment. The sword''s de flew close to her neck and left a shallow cut on it.


    V tried to do something, but her strength was running out. The bombs and crystals had severely damaged her wings, and she lost her arm. V had no chance of winning in such a situation, and the only thing she could do to survive was escaped.


    She turned and headed for the exit, leaving a trail of blood behind her. Wain was inactive, he watched after her with a calm gaze.


    "He''s letting her get away? What the hell!" Ena eximed and wanted to attack V, but Vincent stopped her with a wave of his hand.


    "Ena, you are too impatient. Don''t you understand that no one has the right to ruin such an important moment."


    "Father is right. You should just watch." d said seriously.


    "Brother..."


    ...


    "Hmm? Did he decide to y with her onest time? This guy is pretty tough." The man with the bushy mustache said.


    "No, on the contrary, he acts unusually kind. I couldn''t do that." Delia muttered.


    "What?"


    "Look."


    ...


    V was running away under the gaze of hundreds of vampires. She walked past the corpses of the angels and stepped on puddles of blood from their bodies.


    She walked across the border where the shadow of the underground city ended, and the bright sunlight began.


    V looked at the sun and smiled. Warm and soothing light overshadowed the spheres of dark me. She closed her eyes, and the fire engulfed her cutting off her life. The soul headed toward Wain.


    "Ah, how beautiful." Delia uttered, biting her finger until it bled. She was aroused and thrilled by the scene.


    [Soul of Angel with Golden Wings (Whole)


    Chronicle: Second


    Rating: Ascendant]


    V''s soul was red with small yellow flecks in it. This meant that it could one day be a legend with another development. However, even legends are not immortal.


    The Red Soul crashed, and Wain consumed the soul for thest time in this war.


    [You get Ascendant Rating Soul Chest]


    A small chest the size of a palm appeared in front of Wain, and he opened it. Inside was a pair of golden earrings with iid gems.


    [Earrings of Golden Light (Second Chronicle, Ascendant Rating)<sub> </sub>


    These earrings are thest reminder of the rarest angel with golden wings. It is an image of light and nobility and strength and order.


    Golden light suits those who go towards their goals, ovee obstacles, and stay on their way.


    *All stats are +10


    *Power of all skills increased by 10%


    *Resistance to the element of light increased by 30%


    *Fading Light skill created


    -Fading Light


    Protect yourself with a barrier of golden light that can withstand several powerful attacks from the Second Chronicle creature. When the barrier''s energy runs out, it will copse and create two waves.


    The first will be a golden fire that will burn your enemies, the second will be ash, it will deal serious physical damage to your enemies]


    Wain nodded, closed the small chest, and moved it to the Ring of Damned.


    ''Pretty earrings like that won''t suit me. It''s definitely not my style.''


    He decided that he would give these earrings to someone on whom they would look much better.


    p. p. p.


    Suddenly there was a p in the distance. Wain turned around and saw d slowly p his hands. Then Vincent and Ena joined him. The other vampires joined them, and hundreds of vampires apuded Wain after a while.


    ''It was a great battle, and I must finish it just as well.'' Wain thought and put the finishing touches on it. He threw the max up high, revealing his face to everyone.


    ? "HAHAHAHA, I like this guy! d you''ve always been a good judge of character. You have terrific intuition."


    "Yeah." d nodded, "Eh, the war is over, but there''s still much work ahead. I wonder how long it will take us to rebuild the town and part of the mountain?"


    "That''s not my problem. Let the Ghouls or those who wield the elements of the earth handle it. Our job was to fight off the attack, and we did our job." Vincent said and patted d on the shoulder.


    "You''re aszy as ever."


    "It''s my nature. I can''t and won''t do anything about it. Only the smell of blood in battle can make me overpower myself."


    "Brother, Father, what are we going to do?"


    "The same as before. This was another victory for the vampires. We must grow stronger and remain ourselves."


    ...


    Delia looked at Wain with a sly smile and said, "Tell everyone that I''m calling a council of elders also, invite d and that mysterious guy there. We all have a lot to discuss."


    The vampire beside her nodded andplied with her instruction.


    ...


    Wain headed toward the light. The angels had destroyed part of the mountain, and now Wain could easily see where the city was. He stepped forward, and a vast world with blue skies and warm sunshine opened before him.


    Wain looked around. Thend around the mountain was varied, but something that caught Wain''s attention was a huge waterfall in the distance.


    ''Looks like I got lucky.''

 Chapter 332 The New Ally

    In the distance, Wain saw a massive waterfall on which was an ind and severalnds in front of it in the shape of a fan. It was Merge Ind and the territory of the humans.


    ''It''s pretty far away, but there are no barriers between the vampire city and the ind.'' Wain thought.


    The distance was a little over ten kilometers, which for tworge cities was a small value. Fields and forests separated the mountain and the ind, and there were no special areas.


    "Hey, handsome, what are you looking at?" Delia said, approaching Wain.


    "Hmm? Are you..."


    "I''m Delia Vex, an elder of one of the seven main families and leader of this town."


    "I see. Is there something you wanted?"


    "Yes, because of what happened, I called a council of elders, but someone is missing, and it''s you."


    "Okay, let''s go." Wain nodded.


    Delia smiled and took Wain by the chin, "I also want you. We can have privacy in my room after the council, rest assured you won''t be disappointed."


    Vampires had a pretty big libido, and they weren''t shy about showing it. Lust was the norm for them. Delia was a beautiful woman with the right curves of her body and lush forms. Most men dreamed of getting such a proposition.


    Wain removed Delia''s hand, "I guess I''ll turn down your offer."


    "Hmm?" Delia frowned, "This is the first time I''ve ever seen anyone object. It''s even a little offensive. Don''t you like women?"


    "No, I like women, but of all of them, I love only one."


    ...


    Click.


    Wain, along with Delia, opened the massive doors and entered the meeting room downtown. Delia was upset that she hadn''t seeded in seducing Wain, but his loyalty to his partner impressed her.


    Six elders sat at the round table, and d was next to Vincent. He was invited not only because he was familiar with Wain but also because of his power.


    Many vampires in Terrin knew that the Tran Family actually had two heads since the eldest son was almost as strong as his father. Some vampires gave d the unofficial title of the eighth elder because of his influence and abilities.


    Wain sat next to d. Delia was in the center of the table.


    "You all understand why I gathered you, so I won''t bore you with boring exnations. All of us are only interested in one thing." Delia looked at Wain and said, "Who are you?"


    "I''m sure you already figured that out during the war. I''m a human, and my abilities have allowed me to absorb so many souls at once without any side effects." Wain said confidently.


    The elders had assumed this and had information about the strongest exiled race, but they were still surprised when they heard Wain say it. His words were irrefutable proof that humans existed and were on the new continent.


    "I see, just as I thought. d, you''ve already tasted his blood, haven''t you?" Delia asked, licking her lips.<sub> </sub>


    "Yes, I won''t be modest, it''s the tastiest thing I''ve ever tasted, but I don''t think you can get it. We had a bet, so I took some blood."


    "Ah...that''s pretty sad. Nameless, would you care to reveal your name to us?"


    "I agree. We''re grateful that you helped us, but we could have done without you. Don''t forget, you''re still an outsider, and you''re surrounded by some of the strongest vampires in this city." The man with the bushy mustache said.


    "Calm down. I don''t think he''s someone you can threaten." d said coldly.


    "It''s okay." Wain muttered, "Actually, I don''t mind quenching your interest, but not for nothing. I got here by ident and needed to know something about which I turned to d, but now my ns have changed."


    "Decided to bargain? Okay, we''ll give you a chance. What do you want?" Delia smiled.


    "It''s not unusual. If you want to know my name, then we should be allies. Doesn''t that make sense? I''m not the only human. Our city is not far away. I offer you cooperation." Wain said seriously.


    He wasn''t worried about the vampires deciding to attack Last Light to get an unlimited supply of the humans'' blood. Teres was a Third Chronicle beast, and that was enough to protect the humans from the vampires in the event of an attack.


    "Is this true?"


    "Yes, within ten kilometers is our city, to the northeast, in the territory of a giant waterfall."


    "Hmm, that''s a tempting offer." One of the elders muttered.


    "I agree, but we need to think it over. An alliance between two cities and different races is risky business."


    "Nameless, are all the humans in that city as strong as you are?" Delia asked.


    "No. I''m the strongest at the moment, but a few get pretty close to my level. We''re growing fast. I think you''ve figured that out by now."


    "I see. Yes, your performance with the soul absorption was impressive. Tell us more about the abilities and peculiarities of the humans, and we''ll think about your proposal." Delia decided.


    Wain nodded and told the elders some of the unique traits of the humans. He tried to smooth over the weaknesses and elevate the strengths, leaving the elders with a strong impression of the capabilities of the humans.


    Virtually every sufficiently powerful and influential person, regardless of race, knew about the humans, but all had different information, and no one had a credible source. Moreover, many still imed that all humans had long since died after the exile.


    ...


    "Well... I didn''t expect it to be that serious." Delia muttered.


    "Huh, I''ve heard dozens of stories about how perfect the humans were, but you have so many ws. How interesting..." Vincent said.


    "But I think the pros outweigh the cons. Variety, freedom to choose your elements, and such a phenomenal ability to absorb souls without purification quickly. The Elves and Angels must have been terrified when they found out what the humans can do with souls."


    "An alliance is always a risk, but I don''t think we can pass up such an opportunity." Delia uttered. "What do you think?"

 Chapter 333 Alliance

    "I agree. This is a rare opportunity to ally with the humans." One of the elders said.


    "Yes."


    "It would be the right thing to do."


    All of the elders epted Wain''s proposal. Delia, as head of the city, approved it.


    "Good. In that case, we need to explore each other''s cities and learn more about each other. We need to discuss our cooperation in more detail, and it will take time." Delia said.


    "You want to go to my city?"


    "Yes. You as the leader need to inform your subordinates of the new changes."


    "Oh, there is one small problem. I''m not the leader of the humans. I''m just the strongest fighter. Another man runs the city." Wain shrugged.


    "What?! Is that true?!" Delia eximed.


    "Yeah, I don''t have time to run thousands of people, and I''ve never had that goal, so the situation is like this."


    "Hmm, okay, that doesn''t change much either way. It''s probably even better to have a person who understands these things. I want to talk to him and also look at yournds." Delia uttered.


    "Of course, we can go right now. Will it be just the two of us going?"


    "Anyone else wants to go?"


    "Yes!" All the elders answered at the same time. Each of them was curious to know as much as possible about the humans. It was the rarest of opportunities.


    "Damn, that was to be expected. Nameless, you decide who goes with you, pick one, and we go."


    "No, not Nameless. My real name is Wain Norheim, now we are allies, and as I promised, I gave you my name."


    The elders nodded approvingly.


    Wain smiled and pointed to d.


    "Huh, it looks like that was an easy choice. Then it''s settled. The rest of you, let your subordinates take care of the repairs to the city. This sun is getting boring to me." Delia decided and left the hall with Wain and d.


    ...


    "Over there is the city of the humans." Wain said, pointing toward a huge waterfall in the distance.


    They were standing at the broken entrance to the city, overlooking the vast area around the mountain.


    "I see, that''s not bad. We might even be able to make an underground passageway, but it''ll take time."


    "Huh, you, vampires don''t like sunlight that much?"


    "Of course, hell, I was too hasty. We should have gone at night. Nothing beats the cool light from the blue moon." Delia said and jumped off the ledge.


    "If I weren''t a vampire, I might even love the sunlight, but the unpleasant burning on my skin is notpatible." d followed Delia.


    ...


    Wain, d, and Delia were on the frontier of the Second Chronicle and had impressive physical stats. They covered one kilometer in about a minute and quickly made it to the Darnds.


    "What? Why are there beasts out there?" Delia was puzzled.<sub> </sub>


    "As ofte, the humans and the beasts are working together. They own the outeryer of our territory. The humans have four cities under our control behind thesends and one ind, which is the center. All of this is in the territory of a huge waterfall."


    "You humans are very savvy. Beasts are a great ally."


    Wain shrugged, "It''s just a dictate of fate."


    "Wain, I wanted to ask you something." Delia said seriously.


    "I''m listening."


    "You''re different from the humans the Pirs banished long ago, aren''t you? Right?"


    "Yes, we are. I don''t know why myself, but we were separated."


    "Why do you think so? Maybe it''s just a coincidence that the names of your races are the same."


    "That''s impossible. I know for a fact that our features and those of the humans who were exiled are the same. We are definitely members of the same race, but we ended up in different ces for reasons unknown to me. Perhaps we, too, were exiled, or something else happened. This story is too confusing and has few fragments for me to im anything."


    "I see, that makes sense. Damn, I long to know why one of the strongest races ended up in this position."


    "Perhaps soon we''ll know the answers." d said, "The Merger of Worlds is the greatest event in thest few thousand years. It couldn''t have just happened. Everything has a cause and effect."


    "Okay, we need to move on."


    Delia and d nodded and stepped into darnd territory.


    The beasts stared at them but did nothing.


    Tremble.


    Suddenly the ground trembled, and a huge dark serpent appeared in front of Delia and d. It looked like an ancient beast, and its eyes were as deep as the ocean.


    The aura emanating from the serpent was overwhelming, and d and Delia even found it difficult to breathe. They were shocked and prepared to fight.


    "Stop." Wain said harshly, addressing everyone at once. It also came as a surprise to him that Teres decided to show up and block their way.


    "Wain Norheim, why did you bring these two here?" Teres asked menacingly, and his voice shook the ground.


    Delia and d were strong, but everyone had a limit to their abilities. Before Teres, they were weak and could even hardly remain calm and collected, thanks to their extensivebat experience.


    "They are our new allies. Do beasts and vampires really have any enmity?"


    ? The pressure from the serpent''s aura was also upon Wain, but he tried not to show it and ignored the outside influence.


    "Hmmm, I don''t sense any hostile intent from them, but it''s rather suspicious that the vampires came here."


    Teres crawled over to Wain and, looking intently into his eyes, said, "Maybe they''re controlling you? Have you sumbed to the influence of vampires?"


    The cruel gaze of Teres could frighten anyone away. Wain understood that if he answered wrong, the serpent could kill him at any moment.


    "What do you take me for? I''d rather die than submit to someone, I''m sorry you have such a low opinion of me, but those two and the whole vampire city are our allies now, whether you like it or not."


    Teres didn''t say anything back. He surrounded Delia and d and stared at them intently.


    "Okay, I believe you, but I will eat you all if I suspect anything suspicious." Teres uttered and returned to his cave.

 Chapter 334 The Treaty

    "What was that?" Delia asked, trying toe to her senses after what she saw.


    "It is the leader of the beasts and protector of both the darknds and the cities of the humans. He and I have an agreement that makes us and the beasts allies."


    "Damn, that was scary. Not even in the Blood Arena have I met creatures with such a terrifying aura. I still get goosebumps." d said.


    "Well, it seems that the humans had a strong ally even without us. I don''t know anyone who could defeat that serpent. Even if all the elders united, it would hardly have any effect. We are like insects to him." Delia muttered.


    "You don''t have to worry about that. I''m sure Teres won''t hurt us, but we have to be careful. In any case, he hasn''t sensed any hostile intent from you, and that''s a good thing. We should move on." Wain said.


    "Yes." Delia and d nodded and followed him.


    ...


    They quickly ran through one of the four cities and headed toward the main base of Last Light on Merge Ind.


    Delia and d looked at the cities and the people they met. Wain didn''t fool them, every one of them was a human, and this was a real treasure to vampires. They understood that this opportunity had fallen to them and no one else. Only the beasts were connected to the humans.


    "This is your main base?" Delia looked puzzled at the huge wooden and stone structures in front of her.


    "Yes, don''t be surprised. Before the Merger of Worlds, there were constant battles in our world, and recently there was nothing but forests and ice and firends on this ind. It is a great achievement of our artisans that they could create something like this so quickly." Wain said and headed toward the main building where Gisle was.


    Aside from the usual residents, here mainly were the strongest members of Last Light, so no one stopped Wain. They knew who he was.


    Gisle''s office was upstairs with a great view of the waterfall and the darknds and cities on the other side.


    Click.


    Wain opened the door and stepped inside.


    The first thing Delia and d saw was a massive wooden desk in the center of the room piled high with stacks of papers. It evenpletely hid whoever was sitting at the table.


    Gisle pulled the stacks of papers apart and smiled slightly.


    "Wain...how d I am to see you...I finally have a reason to take my mind off this endless work..." Gisle said as if he was about to die the next moment. His voice was weak, and there were big bags under his eyes from severe sleep deprivation.


    "Huh, it''s a good thing I''m not in your shoes. I hate this boring and torturous job."


    "Me too, but it''s my duty. I have no other choice. What''s more, Elsa asked me to fill out everything correctly and urately so there are no misunderstandings and the work goes smoothly."<sub> </sub>


    Gisle looked at Delia and d standing behind Wain and asked, "Who''s that?"


    "You look exhausted. Can''t you tell from their blood red eyes that they''re vampires?"


    "Vampires?" Gisle wondered. This was his first encounter with this race.


    Like Wain, he knew what vampires looked like since the image of these fantastic creatures was often used in various books and stories, but imagining and seeing was a very different experience.


    "Nice to meet you. My name is Gisle Enge, and I''m in charge here, although I haven''t felt that waytely. Have a seat."


    Delia and d nodded and walked over to the table. They felt strange. They had a mixed first impression of Gisle. They thought the leader of the humans had to be someone almost as strong and powerful as Wain, but Gisle didn''t seem that way.


    Like all other races, vampires greatly valued strength, which was one of the reasons why Delia and dmunicated so freely with Wain.


    "Wain, tell me about the situation. Why are these two here?"


    "It''s simple. By some random coincidence, I ended up at d''s estate and in the city of vampires. Then they were attacked by angels, I helped them, and they agreed to be our allies. Delia, the head of the vampire city, and one of the elders came here to discuss terms with you in more detail."


    "I see, nothing out of the ordinary."


    It was unclear whether Gisle had said this because he was tired and didn''t have the energy to wonder or because every time Wain disappeared for a long time, something like this happened.


    d and Delia were puzzled by this reaction. It seemed to them as if Gisle didn''t understand at all the importance and uniqueness of the situation in which they found themselves.


    "Delia, what are your terms? I''m sure you have certain wishes. Otherwise, you wouldn''t havee here in person." Gisle asked seriously. In an instant, his gaze and voice changed, and an unusual aura emanated from him.


    Delia smiled. Now she felt that she had the leader of a great city and a powerful race before her.


    "Yes, first I want to decide the most important thing, blood. I won''t hide it, we vampires love blood, and it seems that the blood of the humans is the best and tastiest of all."


    For vampires, blood was not only food but also an effective way to be stronger. Vincent mentioned this to d many times.


    Many vampires did not store energy and fought quite rarely. They drank blood and slept in their coffins. Their bodies did all the work for them, and yet, thanks to their instincts, they were extremely dangerous opponents in battles. Even some of the Pirs dreamed of such abilities and envied the vampires.


    "So you want blood, I see. That was expected. Okay, I don''t mind, but you have to offer something in return. To us, blood is practically nothing, but to vampires, our blood is a priceless treasure. I hope you understand that I expect an equal exchange."

 Chapter 335 The Price Of Blood

    "Looks like I won''t be able to get the blood of the humans for nothing."


    "Of course. So what are you willing to offer for our blood? You can name the quantity yourself." Gisle said seriously.


    When Gisle was the organization leader and dealt with many management issues, he learned how to negotiate. Gisle solved some of the problems with force, but he understood that the right word was more important than a powerful fist in most situations.


    "Resources, help, protection, money and souls, anything, but within reason."


    "I''m not interested in protection. We have a strong enough ally who can protect us from any threat, but the rest sounds pretty good. I want as many souls as possible and some rare materials for our cksmiths. I am not interested in crystals." Gisle said seriously.


    "And you know how to bargain, but don''t you think the terms are unequal? There''s no problem with souls, we can supply you with huge quantities of them, but you''re also asking for rare materials in exchange for blood."


    Delia also had a lot of experience in negotiating. She couldn''t let Gisle put her on such unfavorable terms.


    "You may be right, but do vampires only want our blood? We will be your allies, which means we can trade fighters and personas with the craftsmen, as well as trade."


    "It all works both ways. You still haven''t provided anything in return for the rare materials."


    "Hmm..." Gisle wondered. He didn''t think Delia would be so stubborn. She proved to be a serious adversary.


    "How about you give us the rare materials for loyalty?" Gisle suggested.


    "What? What do you mean?" Delia was puzzled.


    "Obviously, there are those among the Pirs whom you dislike, or even those you consider enemies. Perhaps I can guarantee that the humans will not maintain contact with those races you have a conflict with. We should discuss this. Of course, you will be affected as well."


    "In that case, I want more blood, and also, as far as I know, you the humans have a great variety of skills. I want to be able to use that if necessary, whether it''s war or construction."


    Gisle only nodded weakly, "Tell me what races you are in conflict with."


    "Not many, few want to feud with the Vampires, but the Angels and Elves piss me off. They''re so annoying and always promote the power of light and golden mes. They''re worse than cockroaches."


    "I see. That''s not a problem."


    "Wait." Wain interjected into the conversation, "That''s impossible. Some of the Dark Elves are my mates."


    "I have no beef with the Dark Elves; on the contrary, they can be our allies."


    "Good. Also, I want the Dungeons and Nests in our territories to be shared. Vampires can hunt at ours, and we at yours."


    Delia nodded.


    "How much blood do you want?"


    "That depends on how many people live on this ind and in the cities."


    "Hmm, your town is under the mountain to the southwest. Right?"


    "Yes, why do you ask that?"


    "In that case, the humans are about twice as many as vampires. I can''t tell you the exact number, so I''ll have topare it that way."<sub> </sub>


    "Okay, in that case, I want one liter of blood a week. How about that?"


    "It won''t be a problem, but we have no ce to store the blood. I don''t know how to get it to you."


    "We''ll help you solve that. I also suggest digging a long tunnel between our cities. It will speed up supplies and trade, and we won''t have to walk in the sunlight."


    Gisle nodded, "That''s fine with me, but I want to warn you about something. I understand that our blood is valuable to you, and so if something happens to my men in your city when they''re hunting in the Dungeons, our alliance is over, and a major war will break out immediately."


    "Of course, I can swear that won''t happen. Given the terms of our deal, each vampire will get two liters of blood a week, enough to quench their thirst."


    "Sorry to interrupt, but are there any major families or ns in your town?" d asked.


    "No, blood purity is not important to us. We only value strength and ability. All the powerful the humans are part of Last Light, it''s the organization that runs all the cities, and I am its leader as well as all of humanity." Gisle replied seriously.


    "Oh, that sounds serious." Delia smiled.


    Delia and Gisle discussed the treaty between vampires and humans at length for the next few hours.


    d and Wain asionally joined the conversation supplementing it.


    ...


    "If we''re all agreed, I''d like to walk around town. I hope you don''t mind." Delia said.


    "Of course, my men will escort you, don''t deny yourself anything." Gisle good-naturedly agreed.


    Delia stood up and walked over to Wain, "If anything, myst offer still stands."


    "Not interested." Wain replied dryly.


    "Huh, whatever you say." Delia turned around and left the room.


    "Wain, I''m d to have met you. The Tran family would love to see you anytime." d pronounced and shook Wain''s hand.


    "I''ll be sure to stop by again. You have quite an interesting family, especially the sisters."


    "Yeah, they''re like two sides of the same coin, but that''s why I love them so much. Okay, I''m off." d said goodbye and headed for Delia.


    When the doors closed, Wain took out a cigarette and smoked. He let out a white puff of smoke and muttered, "Gisle, did you tell them the truth?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "You won''t actually cooperate with the Elves and Angels, even if a good opportunity arises?"


    "Yes. Based on my information, the Vampires are some of the best allies. The Angels and Elves are unlikely to suit us, but nothing is certain. I don''t rule out the possibility that the Angels or Elves will make us an offer we can''t refuse."


    "In that case, would you break the treaty?"


    "If humanity''s life depends on it, then without a doubt, I will."

 Chapter 336 Conditions For Evolution

    "Wain, judging by your aura, you''ve grown considerably stronger, though it hasn''t been long since west met. How did you manage it?"


    "It''s simple. I''ve told you before that we, the humans, are considered a long exiled race. Of course, we are not who they say we are, but our abilities with the exiles are the same since both they and we are of the same race. We can absorb souls quickly without having to purify them. I have recently realized how incredible and even dishonest this ability is."


    "Hmm?"


    "I mean that if you have enough souls, you can instantly increase your level to the maximum within the Chronicle. No other race is capable of that, only us."


    "That makes sense. Many develop quite slowly because they spend a lot of time hunting, but maybe that''s just from our point of view." Gisle reflected.


    "Yeah, imagine if we had to purge our souls, spend time on it, and only get a fraction of the total energy."


    "That would be a nightmare. We''d evolve slower than a turtle moves, but can''t others use various resources and energy from the environment to elerate?"


    "They can, but that''s nothingpared to a human who got hundreds of souls and upgraded several levels instantly."


    "Hmm, I agree. Your development speed is amazing, but where did you find so many souls?"


    "Arenas. If you have a Void, you can fight in arenas. All you need is a World of Darkness card, and many doors will open in front of you. The arenase in varying degrees of difficulty, but if you''re strong enough, you can easily collect about a thousand souls in an hour."


    "Wain, not everyone is as strong as you. Killing a thousand monsters in an hour is no easy task." Gisle muttered.


    "That''s not necessary. You just have to kill one, and all his souls will be yours. In some cases, only one victory will be enough to gain several thousand souls."


    "In that case, it''s time for us to tell the others about the World of Darkness and exin everything to them in detail. Ah, I wanted to get my Void, but I haven''t had time for it at all in thest few days." Gisle said with annoyance.


    "You should get on with it. Tell it to Zero, Agnes, Luar, Grut, Agnes, and the others. With your help, they will get the energy of darkness, pass the test, and get the Seal of Darkness. Then they will capture some Voids and pass the energy on to the others and so on around the circle."


    "It can be dangerous. I was able to pass the test, but I could have died."


    "It doesn''t matter. Some won''t want to participate, but there''s nothing to stop others once they realize its possibilities. Sacrifices are inevitable, but this way, humanity will be much stronger, and very quickly."


    "You''re pretty bloodthirsty." Gisle smiled.


    "No, it''s just the best option. Unlike Va and me, you were given the choice of which trial to take. It will be even easier for the others since you will share your experience with them." Wain said seriously.


    "Okay, I hear you. You don''t feel sorry for me at all. I have a lot of work to do as it is. Eh...after the apocalypse, it''s really gotten hard to live."


    "Just hire a manager and put some work on him." Wain put out his cigarette and headed for the exit. "Goodbye."


    ...


    Wain climbed to the highest point of the organization''s base and looked around. His cloak fluttered in the wind, and he opened the menu.


    ''It''s time to find out what obstacles I have to ovee this time.''<sub> </sub>


    [To conduct the third evolution, you must have fulfilled the following conditions -


    [Create and master Martial Essence: 1/1


    [Purity of Blood must be 90%: 0/1


    [Majesty must equal 5: 0/1]


    ''Forgotten was right. Martial Essence is a necessary element for any creature to be stronger, but the other conditions look even more difficult than the previous ones...''


    Wain knew how hard it was to raise blood purity, especially to such a high value. Wain decided that he would take up the development of alchemy and help Eden and Lui Bu even more actively. They might not be able to create the necessary amount of potions, but Wain believed that these two would make something incredible one day.


    He could try to buy the necessary potions at auctions in the future, but it would be very expensive, and Wain was sure that he would again have to raise his blood purity in the future.


    ''Hmm, maybe to do a fourth evolution, my blood purity would be 95% or even 99%. That would be a real challenge. How do I increase a Majesty?


    When he defeated his first opponent with Legendary Soul, Wain identally discovered this new stat. Wain was able to get a second stat when he revived a Forgotten, but after that, the development of this stat stopped.


    ''Do I actually have to kill three Legends? That sounds problematic, but maybe I can find such opponents in the Rank-S arena. Okay, I''ll deal with thatter. The important thing is that now I have a goal.'' Wain thought and jumped down.


    He was about to go on his journey, but Wain wanted to meet someone before that. This one was sitting by the fire drinking hot tea with a thoughtful look.


    Wain came up behind and put his hands on Eva''s shoulders.


    The girl was surprised, turned around, and smiled contentedly.


    "Wain!"


    "Hi, cutie." Wain said and took Eva by the chin and kissed her.


    Wain let her go and asked, "Are you resting?"


    "Yes, when Gisle went to war against the endless stacks of papers, I finally had time to rest. You should have seen how happy Maria was when she could just sleep for a few hours."


    "Hahaha, I was just at Gisle''s. He''s actually pretty tired. I never thought paperwork would be so excruciating."


    "Serves him right!"


    "Okay, don''t be mad at Gisle. He does it all for the people."


    "I know..." Eva nodded weakly.


    Wain smiled, and the Ring of Damned glowed.

 Chapter 337 Blood

    In Wain''s hands appeared a small red chest resembling a box.


    "What is it?" Eva asked.


    "It''s my little gift." Wain opened the chest, "These earrings would definitely fit you better than me."


    Eva smiled happily and then became embarrassed. Her cheeks blushed, and she lowered her gaze.


    "Thank you so much..." Eva murmured.


    It was what Wain expected. He loved Eva not only because of her aggressive and crazy side but also in a big way because of such a humble and sweet image.


    Eva reached for the earrings, but Wain stopped her.


    "No, put your hair in a bun. I''ll do it myself."


    Eva nodded and did as he said.


    Wain put the earrings on her and smiled weakly, "Done."


    "Thanks again. I didn''t expect you to..."


    "Hmm?"


    "Never mind... Don''t pay attention to that..."


    "Whatever you say. Do you have something to do with me? I''m going out again."


    "What? Already?"


    "Yeah, I need to find out something from the vampires, it won''t take long, but then I''m going on a trip."


    "Then, I want you toe back tonight..." Eva said thest words with difficulty.


    "Huh, as you wish. See youter."


    "Bye, take care!"


    ...


    Wain headed back to the vampire city. d and Delia were already back in Terrin, and besides rebuilding the city, the alliance building with Last Light was also well underway.


    The vampires led the Ghouls and began digging a tunnel that would connect the two cities. This was critical to a productive partnership. The tunnel would be convenient for trade and vampires who disliked sunlight. It was also a safe ce where no one could know what was happening there.


    Wain decided to return to Terrin because he somehow needed to increase his blood''s purity. He was sure the vampires knew better than anyone else on this subject. Blood purity was of the utmost importance to them.


    "Mr. Wain, I am pleased to wee you." One maid said as she escorted Wain inside the manor.


    d gave the instruction, and the servants knew that Wain was a friend of the Tran Family and should be addressed ordingly.


    Wain nodded, "I want to talk to d. Where is he?"


    "Oh, Mr. d is resting now. He is taking a blood bath. You can wait for him here, and I''ll make you some tea or coffee."


    "No, I have no desire to wait. Take me there, and I''ll take it from there."


    "Of course." The girl didn''t argue.<sub> </sub>


    They left the manor and entered a specialplex simr to where the hot springs were usually located. Vampires preferred cold water to hot water, so they could rx and immerse themselves in their thoughts.


    "Master d is in that room. I can''t go any further. Only vampires and you can enter here." The girl bowed, turned, and left.


    ''Hmm, servants are quite handy, but luxurious mansions andrge estates are not for me. Too much trouble.'' Wain thought and opened the door.


    Cold steam blew into his face, and he saw d chest-deep in a bloody pool. His eyes were closed, and he looked pensive. The interior was simple and aesthetic, wood and stone. A few dim yellow crystals illuminated the room.


    "Ah, I told you not to disturb me." d said, slightly annoyed. He thought one of the maids had decided to drop in on him.


    "Is this really how the Tran Family treats their guests?" Wain smirked and said.


    "What?" d opened his eyes in surprise, "Wain? What are you doing here?"


    "Aren''t you d to see me?"


    "Don''t get sarcastic. You know what I mean. What''s more, you were definitely warned that I was resting. Couldn''t you have waited a little while."


    "If I did as the maids tell me, I could never beat you. I need to consult with you about something."


    "All right, but you''ll have to wait anyway. I''m not going to leave this beautiful ce for the next half hour. You''re wee to join me if you like. I''m sure you''ll enjoy it. Only vampire nobles have blood pools like this. Consider it a rarity."


    Wain shrugged, "Okay, whatever. We can discuss it right here. It''s the right ce."


    Wain threw off his cloak, quickly undressed, and headed for the pool.


    "Brother!" Suddenly a woman''s voice was heard, and a half-naked Ellen entered the room. She was covering her breasts with a long white towel.


    She wanted to join d, but she froze in ce when she saw a naked Wain.


    d pped his palm against his forehead, "Damn, why did this have to happen now."


    "What... What are you doing here?!" Ellen shouted and fled down the aisle.


    "Isn''t it obvious? I came to rest and take a dip in the blood pool. I have a counter question for you. What are you doing in the men''s department?"


    "What the fuck are you talking about? It''s not sharing. Everybody can swim here!"


    "Well, there you go, you answered your question. Aren''t I everybody?" Wain smirked and plunged into the bloody water.


    He felt cool, and yet it was as if there was a little fire inside him that made him feel warm. It was an unusual and strange sensation.


    The pool was not blood but a special liquid simr to it. Vampires preferred to drink blood rather than bathe in it, but the corresponding color and smell allowed them to rx.


    "You! Why did you evene!?" Ellen said loudly and approached the pool with an uncertain step.


    "I agree. I''d like to know that already, too."


    "Blood purity, I''m interested in how you can get it up. Preferably as quickly and efficiently as possible, any method will do, even the most dangerous." Wain said seriously.


    "Hmm? Your blood purity is 50%. That''s a pretty mediocre result for vampires since you wouldn''t even be considered a nobleman, but I''m sure for the humans, different rules apply. What''s more, you''re very strong, why would you want to do that? Does it make sense for you to waste your time on this?" d asked.


    "Yes, I have no other choice. It''s one of the conditions for the third evolution."


    "What? You were in the middle of Second Chronicle when you came to us!" Ellen eximed.

 Chapter 338 Options

    "Ellen, you shouldn''t be so surprised. Consider it the ability of a human." d said.


    "Yes... but isn''t that a bit fast?"


    "It is, but everything in this world has pluses and minuses. I assure you, even though you''re in shock right now, you wouldn''t want to be a human. You would have to forfeit too much in return for some serious advantages." d said, staring intently into Ellen''s eyes.


    Ellen nodded. Her brother was always calm, but he rarely said something so serious.


    "Wain, there are many ways to raise blood purity, but some of them are only suitable for vampires. Perhaps because of the characteristics of your race, none will work for you, but I will tell you about the most popr and effective ones."


    "Of course, anything will help me."


    "First, I want to rify something. What blood purity do you need to meet the condition for evolution?"


    "90%"


    "Oh, that''s quite a lot... it took me years to go from 51% to 91%, but then I wasn''t as strong as you. You might be able to do it a lot faster."


    "Obviously, I don''t have that much time. Anything could happen at any moment. After merging worlds, I''m ready for anything."


    "Good." d nodded, "The first way and one of the easiest are to use special potions. You can buy them at auctions, most often those held by the Pirs, buy them from famous alchemists for a round sum, or have an alchemist you know make you these potions."


    "Yes, I know about that. By the way, can I buy these potions from vampires? Like from one of the seven main families."


    Wain believed that vampires, creatures who were so strongly associated with blood, were bound to have some supply of such potions. He could have tried to buy it ande close to fulfilling his goal.


    "That''s unlikely." d shook his head, "Most vampires don''t hesitate to use blood essence potions as soon as they get them. Maybe some family has a few vials, but they certainly wouldn''t trade such valuable items for souls. They have enough money, so you won''t change their minds even if you offer a million souls."


    "I see...that''s sad. Do you know where and when the next auction will be held?"


    "Hmmm...no, thest time I was at an auction was before the merger of worlds, and after that, I wasn''t interested in such things. I''m not sure anyone intends to hold an auction now. It''s been too little time."


    "I know something about that." Ellen said.


    "Hmm?"


    Wain and d looked at her.


    p "Well...there''s been a lot going ontely, and I wanted to rx somehow, and I really like auctions, so I knew something about it..." Ellen said awkwardly.</anda>


    "Instead of doing such useless things, you''d be better off training more or going to arenas." d said sternly.<sub> </sub>


    The smile disappeared from Ellen''s face, and she lowered her head in annoyance.


    "Okay, don''t be so hard on her. Everyone has their own way. She doesn''t have to do as you do. What''s more, it''s even for the best in this situation. Ellen, tell me about this auction."


    The girl nodded, "The information may already be out of date, but if nothing has changed, there should be arge-scale auction in three days tonight."


    "Hmm? What''s the point of holding an auction so early? It''s been less than a week since the worlds merged." d was skeptical.


    "The thing is that the Demons hold the auction. You know how they like to celebrate different events and holidays. They hold this auction as a sign of the beginning of the new world after the merger. There will be items on disy, both those looted from the new continent and those that have been in the coffers for decades." Ellen exined in detail.


    "Demons? I met one once, but I''m pretty ignorant of that race." Wain muttered.


    "They''re a rather peculiar race, but I like them. Their fighting spirit, willingness to fight, and the notion of honor and justice is something I appreciate." d said.


    "You just like to fight too, that''s all." Ellen fluttered her hands.


    "So, where will this auction be held?"


    "Up north. It''s about a few dozen kilometers from Terrin and Last Light. I''ll show you on a mapter."


    "Okay, I''ll be sure to head there. How many souls will I need?"


    Wain had never been to an auction. He had to prepare thoroughly to get exactly what he needed.


    "I''m not sure, but I think if you don''t want to leave empty-handed, you need at least ten thousand Void Souls, but if I were you, I''d prepare arger sum. That''s the bare minimum to buy anything useful. You might be interested in something else besides blood essence potions."


    The auctions sold just about everything. From potions and decor elements to weapons, powerful artifacts, and even ves. There were even auctions that concentrated on selling ves. It was very popr among many races.


    "I get it. A demon auction is a good option. How else can I increase my blood purity?"


    "You can find unique blood flowers in rare ces. It''s not a bad option, but you need an informant to let you know about it in time. Given that things have recently changed, you shouldn''t think about it yet. Informants don''t have that many options yet. Only luck can help you."


    Wain nodded.


    "The same goes for the blood crystals. Their effectiveness and purpose are simr to bloodflowers, only they grow more often underground, in caves. Of course, I can''t help but mention the bloody arenas. It''s the best ce of all for increasing blood purity, but also the most dangerous."


    "I''m sure you''ve visited these ces often." Wain said. He understood how difficult it was for d to increase his blood purity.


    "Yes, but I was young and careless then. There''s no way today I would act so recklessly. You have no idea how many times I''ve been one step away from death."

 Chapter 339 Preparing For The Auction

    "Brother, it''s a good thing you stopped fighting in the bloody arenas. It''s too dangerous." Ellen said worriedly.


    "Anyway, I have to go back at some point. My goal is 99% blood purity, only then will I be able to calm down for a while." d said seriously.


    For him, blood purity was a trauma he had long since dealt with, but he would never forget the hardship he had gone through because of it. d didn''t know if it was a curse or a blessing that he was born with such low blood purity, but he was sure he was stronger than the others because of it, albeit through blood and sweat.


    "Okay, I knew all I wanted, I have no more questions, but if you don''t mind, I''d like to stay here a little longer." Wain said.


    "Sure, make yourself at home. I''m surprised you liked the cold water. Usually, only vampires and demons prefer it."


    "Huh, there''s a simr ce in my Void. The coolness is always refreshing, that''s what I need right now."


    ...


    After a while, Wain, d, and Ellen emerged from the blood pool and headed toward the main hall.


    The maids made them a cup of coffee, and Ellen showed them where the demon auction would be held.


    "Right there, that''s Nord town. I don''t know why, but after the merging of worlds, a lot of demons headed there, and the importance of this city increased significantly. Perhaps it was because of its fortunate and unique location."


    "What''s so special about this city? And how do you know all this?"


    Ellen smiled and said confidently, "I may not be as strong as my brother, but I am still the eldest daughter of the Tran Family and a noble vampire. I have my connections and my ways."


    "As far as I know, there are ice waters near Nord and an underground volcano on the other side. There are also a lot of caves there, which is great for demons, among which there are many genius cksmiths."


    "I see. In that case, I''ll head there. Thanks for everything, and see youter." Wain said and left the manor.


    d took a sip and mumbled thoughtfully, "The first auction since the merger of worlds. Something tells me it won''t be anything ordinary."


    ...


    The auction was three days away, and Wain decided to use that time to umte the necessary number of souls. Void Souls were currency in this world, like gold coins in the Middle Ages. You could buy anything with them.


    The fastest way to earn a lot of souls was to hunt in the arenas, and Wain was going to go there, but not now.


    During the war of the angels against the vampires, Wain used thousands of souls, some of whom were Whole. In the battle against V, he spent the consumables he received, but he still had many different weapons and armor.


    Wain''s current equipment was better than all, and he decided to sell the extra weapons. Wain could do this in many ways, but he decided to go to the man who had introduced him to the World of Darkness.


    Whooooooosh.


    The Seal of Darkness glowed, and Wain entered the spatial rift. There were four doors in front of Wain. One led to a random Void, another was a gateway to the Forest of Frozen Dreams, and two doors led to Osvald and Sven.


    Wain opened the wooden door and found himself in a pleasant and authentic bar. The pleasant smell of strong alcohol instantly headed his way, and he took a deep breath.


    As usual, Sven was at the bar, wiping his ss with a slight smile on his face. His eyes were closed, and his long blond hair rippled slightly as he moved.


    "Wee." Sven uttered.<sub> </sub>


    "Well, it''s been quite a while since I wasst here. I''ve even missed this ce." Wain said and sat down at the bar.


    "Yeah, there''s been a lot going ontely. Even for me, it''s been surprising, but it''s good that something unusual happens from time to time. Otherwise, life would be too boring."


    "Huh, thising from someone who''s in this luxury bar all the time?"


    "We see each other too infrequently for you to be able to certify that with any certainty."


    "Okay, make me some cocktail. Your choice."


    "Hmm, how about something that will change your perception?"


    Wain nodded.


    "Then it''ll be easy."


    Sven''s ring glowed, and a few berries appeared in his hands. He began to prepare a cocktail, and this time he prepared more than ten different types of alcohol.


    "Sven, I came here on another matter, but maybe you know something about the Merger of Worlds. Why did it happen?"


    Sven smiled, "You''re right, I know something, but it''s not that important. All I''ll tell you is that it had to happen sometime anyway. The worlds must be united. It was a natural process of restoration."


    "Restoration...??"


    "I can''t tell you much more than that. Since there''s something I''m not entirely sure about myself, but it''s personal, don''t mind me." Sven said and slid the ss to Wain.


    "The cocktail, ''Perception'' is ready."


    Wain wanted to question Sven, but he knew he wouldn''t get anywhere now. Moreover, even Sven couldn''t know everything, so Wain decided not to waste his time and moved on to the cocktail.


    The cocktail was blue with little purple particles. It didn''t smell like anything, and the ss weighed practically nothing.


    Wain took a sip and frowned. He didn''t feel anything, he didn''t understand how it was possible.


    ''What...?''


    However, after a few seconds, Wain felt strange. The bar had turned upside down, and Sven was now standing on the ceiling.


    Wain decided to take another sip, and suddenly everything around him began to change colors and then turned into a single stream that headed toward Wain. Eventually, everything returned to normal.


    "Huh, I don''t know what that was, but I sure liked it."


    "I wouldn''t expect any other answer. I have only the best and the most unusual. Don''t forget that this is the best bar in the whole world, in my humble opinion."


    Sven put a ss aside, "So why did youe here?"

 Chapter 340 Selling

    "I want to sell something. You said you were not only a bartender and informer but also a merchant."


    "Sure, I can buy stuff from you, but don''t offer me junk that isn''t even worth a few Void Souls. I won''t consider something like that as a value." Sven said seriously.


    Sven was more connected to the World of Darkness than most living beings and had unique abilities that he could only use in this bar. He could not offer the energy of the World of Darkness something useless and get Void Souls for it. This feature also eliminated the possibility of the merchant charging unequal prices.


    "Don''t worry. It may not be heavenly treasure, but you shouldn''t be disappointed." Wain said, and the Ring of Damned glowed.


    A variety of different weapons spilled out onto the barstool. There was everything from small knives to massive halberds and maces. The des of swords and sharp katanas gleamed and exuded a deadly aura.


    Next to the weaponsy several pieces of armor. Some were bulky that would suit warriors relying on strength, others were light and agile.


    "Hmm, to be honest, I''m a little disappointed." Sven muttered, "Don''t get me wrong. This amount of gear is impressive, but there isn''t a single thing here even with a Legendary Rating."


    ''Even...?''


    "Okay. Give me some time, and I''ll tell you the final price."


    Wain provided over thirty pieces of various gear. Even an experienced appraiser would need at least ten minutes to examine each item closely.


    Sven closed his eyes and concentrated. His aura intensified, and he opened his eyes. It glowed brightly for a second and then went out.


    "Well, considering that everything here is Second Chronicle gear, I''ll give you thirty thousand Void Soul. That''s my best and only offer."


    "Oh, that''s more than I expected."


    "Huh, you''re just still inexperienced at this and don''t fully understand how much money some people have. Thirty thousand is just a drop in the ocean."


    "I understand, I agree."


    Sven nodded, and the space beside him trembled. A small dimensional rift opened in the air where all the weapons and armor went. In return, thousands of souls flew out of it and headed toward Wain.


    "How nice to get so many souls at once." Wain muttered.


    "Don''t you want to buy some new cigarettes? As far as I know, you''re a big fan."


    "No, I haven''t run out of old ones yet. There''s too much going ontely and no time for that. Okay, I''ll see youter."


    "Sure,e back anytime at any hour." Sven said with a slight smile on his face.


    Wain nodded and headed for the exit.


    He had aplished his goal and was ready to move on. He got rid of the extra junk, but it wasn''t enough to feel confident in the first auction after the merging of worlds. Wain had a lot of work to do before the auction began.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly the bar trembled.<sub> </sub>


    Wain was puzzled. He thought this bar was the quietest and most peaceful ce in the world since it was run by Sven. Wain turned around as he thought Sven was the cause, but he had an indifferent face. He had nothing to do with it.


    The shaking intensified, and the door on the right side of the bar slowly opened. Inside stepped a tall girl with long purple hair and blue eyes. She was wearing light, luxurious ck armor.


    The girl looked up at Wain and pounced on him. He instantly found it hard to breathe and felt his heart gradually clench.


    ''What''s going on...?!''


    Wain tried to attack, but he couldn''t even budge. The girl was too strong, and only the strength of her aura could defeat Wain.


    Tremble.


    Wain''s Soul Altar began to shake, and then Sven snapped his finger.


    The pressurepletely disappeared, and the bar returned to normal.


    "Sven, what are you doing?" The girl frowned.


    "That''s for me to ask you. Why are you attacking him? You''re on different levels. Your battle is unfair."


    "What kind of nonsense are you talking about! I sensed the aura of a human and headed here to destroy him. Sven, have you lost your mind and have no honor left? How can you work with a human, much less protect him."


    Sven answered nothing. He looked at the girl calmly. There was nothing in his eyes, only emptiness, and indifference.


    Then Sven''s gaze fell on the dirt stuck to the floor beside the girl.


    He squinted his eyes and smiled weakly.


    "Listen carefully. I don''t care what he is, whether he''s a demon, a human, a fucking god. Anyone whoes to this bar is a guest first and foremost, but there''s one exception, and that''s pigs like you."


    "What did you say?!" The girl became angry, and her eyes filled with blood. Her hands were covered in purple mes, and she was about to attack Sven.


    "Shut your mouth." Sven''s words echoed, and the girl went numb.


    Her condition was many times worse than Wain''s before. Goosebumps ran down her body, and the purple fire slowly went out.


    "What''s going on...? Why can''t I move?"


    "You came into my bar without permission or invitation. You attacked my regr guest and dared to stain the floor. You don''t seem to understand something. I am king and god in this ce!" Sven''s voice boomed through the bar like a thunderous roar. From it, the space trembled.


    The girl was scared, but she still found the strength to smile defiantly, "Now what? Sven, you''re a hermit and can''t stand to be disturbed, but you''ve stayed away too long. Do you really think you can go on like this?"


    "Of course. Ignorant animals like you still haven''t understood that the strong make the rules. You''re right I haven''t been out in public for too long. Which makes insects like you think they can invade my bar and stay alive."


    Sven''s aura changed. It began to emanate from him, the aura looked like phantom ck mes. Sven''s eyes became as cold as ciers, and then the girl''s heart was seized with boundless terror.

 Chapter 341 Power Of The Bartender

    "Wait!" The girl eximed. She was trembling with fear, and cold sweat appeared on her forehead.


    "You can''t kill me! Hunting a human was an order. Do you really want to piss THEM off?"


    "I? Afraid? You seem to be nothing but a pathetic novice who knows nothing of real power." Sven clenched his hand into a fist, and the girl''s arms and legs mped tightly to her body as if they were bound in tight chains.


    The girl didn''t know what to do. She hoped that her threat would work and Sven would at least let her go and not kill her, but herst hope failed. Despite her words, Sven''s eyes were still as cold, and not a shred of fear emanated from him.


    "I''ve already had to remind you once that only well-mannered peoplee into my bar. The others don''t belong here. You''ll be the second." Sven said calmly and snapped his finger.


    Invisible chains sank into the girl''s flesh, and then she exploded. Blood and scraps of flesh were scattered to the sides and stained the right side of the bar.


    "Damn, she really looked like an insect. Only there''s just as much dirt left after them." Sven muttered and went into the back room.


    He came back with a mop and a bucket of water and headed out to clean up the puddles of blood. Sven looked like nothing out of the ordinary had happened.


    "I didn''t know you could get mad." Wain said.


    He was very impressed by the scene. He didn''t know who this girl was, but he assumed that her identity wasn''t simple since she could get into the bar without a portal or a key. That meant she was strong enough to move freely in a dark space without harming herself. Wain realized that he was not yet strong enough to fight such creatures.


    "Ah, never mind. I just can''t stand it when someone so rudees in here and leaves a mess behind."


    "Hmm? The first time I came here, I left bloody footprints behind me."


    "You were wounded and passed the test of the World of Darkness. It''s only natural."


    "Wain, I understand that you want to ask about what just happened and find out who this girl was, but I won''t answer your questions. It''s none of your business, especially since I don''t know who it was anyway." Sven said seriously, and a bit of an aura came out of him.


    "Okay, in that case, see youter."


    "Sure. As the bartender and owner of this establishment, I apologize for this inconvenience."


    Wain nodded and headed for the exit.


    ...


    The situation was extraordinary, and on the way home, all Wain could think about was this. This little battle showed him how weak he still waspared to some of the creatures in this world.


    The girl could easily kill him, while Sven crushed her in one move. Each of them was on apletely different level.


    Wain was also able to learn something. He realized that besides the Pirs, there was some other meaningful force in this world, and for some reason, some of them preyed on the humans.<sub> </sub>


    ''Hmm, if this girl was given such an order, her superiors definitely had something to do with why the humans were banished long ago. Great, that''s a small step forward to solving it.''


    Wain was pleased that the puzzle was slowly beginning to piece together, and he knew which direction he needed to go, but he was frustrated that he first had to be as strong as this girl, and that''s the minimum.


    ''It all happened too fast, and I didn''t even identify which Chronicle she was from, but if she''s so strong, why didn''t she and others like her attack me when I was on the continent?''


    The girl was able to find Wain because she could feel the energy fluctuationsing from him. She could have attacked Wain when he was on the continent, but she would have met the same fate as Sven.


    The World of Destiny is a world made up of all the other worlds, and, in such a ce, there were powerful beings who protected the borders of that world from enemies. One such creature, for example, might have been an ancient dragon.


    ''Well, I got more questions than answers again this time, but at least I learned something new. It looks like Sven isn''t just a bartender, and it''s his hobby, he used to be a warrior for sure.'' Wain decided and returned to his Void.


    In Forest of Frozen Dreams, all was quiet, and the monsters gradually evolved and became stronger. Thanks to Wain, monsters could evolve quickly, but they had toe up to the limit of Chronicle to do so. Even with the many resources and bonuses of the zone, this would take a long time.


    Wain wanted to talk to Edena and Lui Bu about blood essence potions, but he didn''t have time for that right now. He had made a promise to one man, and he would keep it.


    ''I guess I''ll get a good rest tonight.'' Wain thought and opened a spatial rift.


    ...


    A bright blue moon illuminated the ind and the massive waterfall flowing beneath it.


    A girl with short gray hair and emerald eyes stood not far from the wooden city walls.


    Eva stared at the moon and waited for someone toe.


    Whoooosh.


    A strong gust of wind came, and Eva covered her eyes briefly.


    "Hey, didn''t you wait long?" Wain said, suddenly appearing in front of her.


    "No...I..." Eva wanted to say something, but Wain prevented her from doing so. He took her by the neck and kissed her.


    "You know you don''t always have to be so modest." Wain said.


    "What...?"


    "I didn''t fall in love with you because we''ve been together for months and not because sometimes you''re nice and sometimes you''re crazy. I fell in love with you because, with you, I could do anything I wanted and not restrain myself, so I suggest you do the same."

 Chapter 342 The Second Side

    Eva was an unusual person from an early age. Sometimes she was quiet and calm, and she could be exuberant and almost insane. This was not a psychological illness but rather a peculiarity, as Eva could control it and understood what she was doing in any state.


    For her, it wasparable to a bad habit or addiction to anything. She knew that if she gave herself freedom, she would always have many problems afterward. For example, Eva had been rude to Isabe, and she regretted it, and there were many times, but despite that, she always wanted to do it again and again.


    Eva was like someone who knew that sweets were bad for her but still wanted to eat them to enjoy the taste and enjoy herself both mentally and physically.


    "Just don''t hold yourself back. You allowed me to be free, and I''m naturally willing to do the same for you." Wain said seriously, staring intently into Eva''s eyes.


    "But...when that happens, I give others so much trouble...I''m not sure..." Eva muttered.


    She understood that when they were in Eternal Blood River territory, her other side had helped her pass the test and get close to Wain, but now she was afraid it might mess things up.


    "I see." Wain nodded, "I knew you''d answer that way. You don''t want to risk it, and there''s nothing wrong with that, but that''s not the real you. You''re holding yourself back."


    Then Wain tightened his grip, and Eva began to breathe heavily. Eva tried to stop him, but after a few seconds, she stopped resisting. A blissful smile appeared on her face, and her eyes rolled back.


    Her gaze changed, and Wain loosened his grip.


    Eva licked her lips, pressed her breasts to Wain, and said, "Okay, you changed my mind. In that case, I want to do it at the edge of the waterfall and as soon as possible."


    "Huh, I''ll grant your wishes tonight. You can enjoy this gift." Wain uttered, lifting Eva into his arms, and wings grew out of his back. Like a blue sh, he headed toward the waterfall, demolishing all obstacles in his path.


    "Wain, you were in vampire town the other day. Right?"


    "Yes, I was. It was pretty fun out there. The war between angels and vampires is something amazing. I''m sure you would have loved it there. It was a blood feast."


    "Sounds tempting, but that''s not what interests me. They say vampires are one of the most beautiful races and their women are like a subus. They''re seductive and sexy."


    "Are you jealous?" Wain smirked and said.


    "Yeah, why not? Maybe I should be a vampire, too."


    "Hmm?"


    Eva''s heart was pounding hard, and she suddenly bit Wain on the neck. He frowned, but didn''t stop and moved toward the waterfall.


    "Ah, what a dark one. I wonder why the blood is so arousing?"


    "I have to say that no one bit my neck even though I was in the city of vampires."


    "Isn''t it wonderful that I was the first to have this unique opportunity?" Eva smiled and licked her lips.


    "This is starting to get interesting." Wain said and pped his wings. He emerged from the forest grove and found himself on the ind''s edge.


    The current of the giant waterfall was strong, and the rushing water made a noise that drowned out all other sounds.


    Eva got up on the ground and walked over to Wain.


    "We''re still not at the edge of the waterfall. Why did you stop?"


    "Hmm?"<sub> </sub>


    Eva smiled and grabbed Wain''s arm. She turned sharply and threw him toward the waterfall edge. It happened too fast, and Wain didn''t have time to react.


    He got to his feet and took some time to keep his bnce in front of the powerful stream.


    "There, now we''re there."


    Wain turned around and saw a naked Eva walking toward him. She was smiling predatorily like she was on the hunt.


    Eva stepped forward and pounced on Wain ripping his clothes off. He didn''t fight back.


    His heart burned with a me of passion while his skin made contact with the icy water of the waterfall, and it all happened simultaneously with a hurricane of multiple feelings.


    Eva didn''t hold back and did everything she had long wanted to do. Wain took the initiative from time to time, and Eva dly obeyed him.


    That night the waterfall belonged only to the two of them.


    ...


    Wain and Evay on the waterfall''s edge and looked at the blue moon.


    Eva was already back to normal, and she was a shy and sweet girl again.


    "Tonight is definitely good." Wain muttered.


    "Yeah..."


    Eva looked at the moon and said, "Wain, I have a confession to make to you about something."


    "Hmm?"


    "You said I should be freer, and I agree with that, but I haven''t been able to do it."


    "What do you mean? Didn''t you do what you wanted to do? The bites on my body are direct evidence of that."


    "Yes, but that was only part of it, and I decided I didn''t want to disappoint you and fool myself. So, now I will do what I really want and not think about the consequences." Eva said confidently and, wrapping her arms and legs around Wain, jumped off the cliff.


    Wain''s eyes went wide with surprise, and he tried to stop it, but it was toote. Eva was restraining his movements, and they were plummeting rapidly down beside the massive torrent of water.


    "Eva! I don''t know how deep this waterfall is. Thending could be fatal! The torrents of water will crush us to death!" Wain eximed, trying to figure out how to get them out of this situation.


    "Hahaha, don''t worry. If we''re unlucky enough to die from something like that, our fates have already been sealed." Evaughed saying.


    "But that''s too reckless!"


    "Shut up." Eva said and kissed Wain, "Don''t you feel that incredible excitement and thrill of the unknown? Maybe in a few seconds, we''ll be dead, then what''s the point of having any regrets?"


    Eva''s words went deep into Wain''s mind, and his expression changed.


    "Then how about onest kiss?"

 Chapter 343 The Bottom

    "Onest kiss? That sounds so romantic, of course, I agree!" Eva eximed and kissed Wain.


    They were falling from a great height into the unknown, but they weren''t paying attention. Wain followed Eva and also dismissed everything else but his desires, even if it was dangerous and reckless.


    The waterfall was so high that no bottom could be seen above, and Wain and Eva disappeared into that abyss.


    They did not take their lips off each other until they finally reached the end. They fell to the watery surface and plunged to the bottom of the waterfall under a mighty torrent.


    Wain was at the bottom, and he took the brunt of the blow. Even though he was on the edge of the Second Chronicle, falling from such a height was dangerous. He vomited a mouthful of blood and sustained injuries of varying severity.


    Eva was not badly hurt as Wain protected her, but she still lost consciousness from the impact.


    They slowly sank to the bottom and gradually suffocated. No one could help them as they were in a dark and cold ce with nothing but water.


    However, when Wain and Eva almost reached the bottom and suffocated, someone swam up to them.


    ...


    ''Ah... Where am I?'' Eva thought with difficulty as she opened her eyes.


    She looked around and saw Wain lying on a bed not far from her.


    ''Is this someone''s house? Strange, I''ve never seen an interior like this before.''


    The beds on which Wain and Evay were unusual and made of many leaves and stems of nts. It was bound together with a viscous substance resembling tree resin.


    In the center of the room was a wooden round table with several potted nts. Dimmps lighted the room in the ceiling with special glowing nts inside.


    "Wain, wake up." Eva said, walking up to him, but her words were ineffective.


    Wain was seriously injured and needed considerably more time to recover than Eva, whom he had protected.


    ''Damn, damn, damn, what have I done. If it hadn''t been for my recklessness, Wain wouldn''t have been hurt, and we wouldn''t be in this position.''


    Eva med herself for what had happened. She didn''t understand how she could ever have gotten the idea to jump off such a huge waterfall whose bottom was not visible.


    Drip. Drip. Drip.


    Blood dripped slowly down the leaves from Wain''s bed, and drops fell to the floor covering it.


    ''He''s still hurt. What should I do?'' Eva began to panic. She''d never found herself in a situation before where she needed to look out for someone and protect.


    Eva''s eyes changed, ''Stop, get a grip, you stupid bitch! This happened because of your decision, so you have to take responsibility for it!"


    She was able to calm down and decided to deal with the situation.


    Eva looked around carefully but found nothing of interest. In addition to the table and beds, there was a small closet with some fruit and various nts in the room.


    ''Is this food and medicine?''


    Snick.


    The door opened, and Eva prepared to fight. She was determined to protect Wain, even if she had to suffer for it.<sub> </sub>


    A short silhouette stepped inside. Eva was ready to attack at any moment.


    "I''m back." The silhouette said and looked at Eva, from whom a dangerous aura was emanating.


    It was a guy. He had pale green skin, some green leaves on his arms, legs, and cheeks, and hair in the form of short vines. He shuddered with fear and dropped the cup on the floor. It shattered, and shards flew apart.


    "Are you a nt? Who are you?! How did we get here?!" Eva said menacingly.


    The guy got even more scared, his teeth ttered, and he could hardly say anything.


    "I... I just wanted to help you!!!"


    Eva''s aura began to subside, and the fire in her eyes gradually went out. She calmed down but was still alert, "Did you save us?"


    The boy quickly nodded his head; he was afraid to hesitate to answer. "I was on my way home and saw you fall down and didn''t surface for a long time. Though with difficulty, I was able to drag you here."


    ''Hmm, almost no energy fluctuations areing from him. It''s pretty weak. At most, it''s on the edge of Primary Chronicle, which is good.''


    "Home? Where are we?"


    "We''re in Vrifal, the city of nts. It''s under a huge waterfall that''s even higher than the clouds." The guy pointed to the top, saying this.


    Eva nodded.


    ''So there''s been a city under the waterfall all this time. That''s not surprising considering its size.''


    Eva knew what nts were, Wain had told her about them, but she had never met a member of this race before.


    "What''s your name?"


    "Feno Velnar."


    "Thank you for saving us." Eva bowed in appreciation. She knew that if it weren''t for Feno, that kiss would probably have been thest one.


    Feno smiled and was even a little embarrassed. He scratched the back of his head and said, "You''re wee. It''s not like I couldn''t get past people drowning, ahahaha."


    "Also, thanks for curing me." Eva pointed to the ointment on her hands.


    "Yeah, I was just on my way back to get the medicine, but now it looks like I''ll have to make a new one..." Feno said, looking at the splinters under her feet. The cup contained the healing ointment he wanted to anoint Wain''s back.


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to scare you. Is there anything I can do to help you?"


    "Yes." Feno nodded, "The ingredients for this ointment are pretty simple, but I''m having trouble making it."


    "Hmm? Why? Don''t you have something?" Eva was ready to get the necessary ingredients to help Wain.


    "No, that''s not it..." Feno lowered his head and said uncertainly, "To make the ointment, you need to grind the nuts into a powder, and I don''t have enough strength."


    Eva smiled, "Don''t worry, I''ll help you. Tell me what needs to be done. We''ll work as a team!"

 Chapter 344 Ointment

    Eva decided to help Feno prepare a healing ointment. Feno was d that the people he saved were kind and easygoing.


    "You know, when I walked into the room and saw your cold stare, I got really scared." Feno said, hiding the petals from the green flower.


    "Yeah, I was a little out of it at the time. Sorry about the cup."


    "No, it''s okay. You''re helping me make the salve. I couldn''t have done it so fast without you." Feno muttered, rubbing the leaves in a mortar.


    "These nuts are actually very strong. I didn''t expect that. By the way, Feno, what do you do? You seem to be quite good with flowers and medicines."


    "I work as an assistant in a small apothecary and have some knowledge of medicine and alchemy."


    "Oh, you know how to make potions and various pills?" Eva was interested.


    "Not really." Feno scratched the back of his head, "I only know how to make medicine, I don''t have enough knowledge in other areas, and for some reason, I''m not good at making battle and defense potions."


    "That''s pretty cool anyway! You can use your knowledge to save someone, isn''t that great?"


    "Yeah...maybe...I like my job and what I do, but even in the medical field, I''m not very good at it." Feno said sadly.


    "Hmm? Why do you think so?"


    "Well... The shopkeeper says I have no talent and I''m wasting my time. Maybe he''s right, and I should quit medicine and do something else."


    "Hey, don''t say that. The ointment you made helped me recover, and I''m sure your other medications work just as well. Am I right?"


    "Yeah, when I help someone, I always get thanked, but I think it''s because ofmon courtesy." Feno muttered, mixing the basic ingredients.


    "No, they praise you because you did your job well, and that''s natural." Eva put her hand on Feno''s head and lightly rubbed it, "You need to be more confident. Your self-esteem is too low. If you don''t believe in yourself, then you definitely won''t seed!"


    Feno smiled, "Yeah, right, you''re right."


    Eva''s words inspired him, and he finished making the healing ointment.


    "Now, all that''s left is to turn him over on his back and rub the ointment into his wounds. He''ll be all right in a few hours, and he''ll be up and about. By the way, what''s your name?"


    "My name is Eva, and this is Wain."


    Feno nodded and handed the bowl of ointment to Eva, "I think you''d better do it."


    "Of course, in a way, it''s my responsibility."


    Eva removed Wain''s outer clothing and rolled him over onto his stomach. There was a massive bleeding wound on Wain''s back. It was as if a bomb had exploded in his back. The impact on the water''s surface was more traumatic than Eva thought.


    She took some ointment and gently began rubbing it into Wain''s back.


    ...


    "You''re doing pretty good."


    "There''s nothing hard about it you just need a little patience." Eva said and used thest of the ointment.


    "Good, now we just have to wait a little while, and he''ll wake up." Feno yawned, "It''s prettyte, so I''m going to go to bed."<sub> </sub>


    "Sure, I''ll keep an eye on him."


    "In that case, good night."


    Eva watched Wain intently until, at one point, sleep overcame her. She fell asleep next to Wain''s bed, leaning against it.


    ...


    Eva got up the next day because of the rays of sunlight that fell on her face. She slowly opened her eyes and realized that she was on the bed and Wain was gone. Eva quickly got up and headed to the other room.


    "Oh, Eva, you''re up already!" Feno said, sitting at the table in the hall.


    "Good morning." Wain said sipping her tea with Feno.


    "Wain! How are your wounds? Are you okay? I was worried about you!"


    "Yeah, that guy''s ointment turned out pretty good. My wounds are almost healed, and soon there won''t be a trace of them left."


    Eva smiled. She was d nothing irreparable had happened to Wain and that her prank hadn''t ended badly.


    "Feno, do you have anything sweet at home?"


    "Yes, honey and dried sugar cane sticks. You can evenbine them with tea and make a great dessert if you want."


    p "Huh, why didn''t you tell me that before?" Wain grinned.</anda>


    "So you didn''t ask. I thought you didn''t like sweets."


    "Don''t be silly, everyone likes sweets. Where''s the honey?"


    Wain, Eva, and Feno had breakfast together and spent a lot of time at the same table. They talked about distracted topics, and also Eva and Wain said to Feno why they were in the water.


    "Wain, Eva, pardon my rudeness, but what race are you from? I''ve never seen the likes of you. I originally thought you were elves, but your ears aren''t sharp at all."


    "We..."


    "We are Elves." Wain interrupted Eva without letting her speak.


    ''What is he talking about?'' Eva was puzzled as to why Wain did this.


    "What? Are there any Elves with ears like that? This is the first time I''ve heard of such a thing." Feno was puzzled. Elves were a well-known race, and just about everyone knew about their pointy ears. It was their distinctive feature.


    "This world is wide and full of wonders. We are a rare species of Elves who have dark hair and yet light skin."


    "Something between Elves and Dark Elves?"


    "Yes, there are very few of us, and many don''t even know we exist, but that''s not a problem. We''re used to it. Moreover, if you look closely at our ears, you will see that they are a bit pointed." Wain naturally said.


    "Oh, forgive my ignorance." Feno looked again at Wain''s ears, "Yes, now I see. At least a little, but yours look like elvish ones. I was too inattentive."


    "That''s all right. It doesn''t really matter what race we are." Wain took a sip of warm herbal tea, "Feno, would you like to show us the city?"

 Chapter 345 City Of Plants

    "Would you like to take a walk around town?"


    "Yes, if it''s not too much trouble, I''d be d if you could give us a little tour."


    Feno smiled and said vigorously, "Sure! I''ll show you the best ces in Vrifal. You can count on me!"


    "Great. Then let''s go right away." Wain finished his tea and headed for the exit.


    Feno nodded and followed him.


    Eva was a little confused, but she had no choice but to join them.


    Click.


    Feno opened the door, and Wain and Eva saw the street where Feno lived. The houses werepletely different from the houses where the humans or vampires lived. They were made of solid leaves, wood, sturdy vines, and tree resin that held the structure together.


    The road had stone paving stones on which many nts walked. They looked different, but each had a strong connection to flowers, vines, or wood in their appearance. Some, like Feno, had smooth skin, while others had it rough like tree bark.


    The city was under a waterfall and was generally a huge cave with no ess to sunlight, but nts had a solution to this problem.


    Special nts would reach out through their roots and soak up the sunlight, then the flower bud would open, and for sixteen hours, the sun would appear in Vrifal.


    "It''s quite beautiful here. It''s like paradise."


    "Yes, and what a pleasant smell! I can sense hundreds of scents with every breath. It''s an amazing ce!" Eva eximed.


    She liked flowers as much as any girl. At Vrifal, a variety of flowers grew almost everywhere. The number of species was almost endless.


    "Yes, but this is actually the worst part of town." Feno said.


    "What, this beauty, this is the worst part of town?" Eva was puzzled.


    Feno nodded dejectedly. "This is the Dandelion District, the fifth and poorest district. It''s where the weakest and most incapable live. Perhaps because this is your first time in the City of nts, you are under a strong impression, but all is not as good as it seems."


    "Hmm?"


    "We''re lucky today, but often the nts here begin to rot, and part of the Dandelion District rots, thus turning into fertilizer for another area. On these days, it starts to stink, and the nts in this area absorb a lot of energy, making it harder to develop here than in other zones."


    "This is so unfair!" Eva eximed.


    "I see." Wain calmly replied, "There is no heaven in this world, and even if there is, hell must not be far away. Unfortunately, it is aw that cannot be broken."


    ''You''re thinking right.'' Suddenly the voice of Code of Light and Darkness sounded in Wain''s head.


    ''Hmm? Is there something you want?'' Wain was surprised by the sudden appearance of the first form.


    ''No, nothing like that. When you walked into town, the Knight of the Bloody Rose had a pensive grimace all the time.''<sub> </sub>


    ''Did something happen?


    ''We don''t know. He won''t answer our questions. That''s it. I''m out of strength.''


    "Feno, how many districts are there in Vrifal, and who runs this town?"


    "Only five districts. Dandelion District, Chamomile District, Tulip District, Violet District, and Rose District. Each district isrger and richer than thest. One family in the Rose District rules the city. It is the Scarlet Rose Family."


    "How strong are they?"


    "I don''t know, such information is not avable to me, but I recently heard that the head of the family has gone into seclusion. But, I can tell you for sure that there is no one in Virfal stronger than the Second Chronicle."


    "I see."


    ''Hmm, this town is quite interesting. It''s a good thing there''s no one from Third Chronicle here. I might not be able to handle such an opponent.'' Wain pondered.


    He had not yet decided what he would do in Virfal. Wain could stroll through the city as if on tour and go back with Eva, but he realized that the journey might have been more interesting and dangerous.


    "Veno, what is the main attraction of Vrifal?" Eva asked.


    "It is the statue of a hero! It is in the Rose District, but we can hardly see it."


    "Why?"


    "Well...I''m not allowed out of the Dandelion District. I can only do it if I pay, but I don''t have much money." Feno said awkwardly.


    "How much does it cost?" Wain asked.


    "You have to pay ten Void Souls to go to the Dandelion District, but since we need to go to the Rose District, it will cost three hundred Void Souls. Given my current ie, I won''t be able to make that much until a few years from now."


    "Fine, then show me the way. I''ll pay for it."


    "What?! Really?" Feno eximed. He had never actually seen the hero''s statue, as he had never had the opportunity to go to the Rose District. Even after the merging of worlds, the rules of Virfal had not changed. Only the rich and powerful could get into the best districts.


    "Of course, three hundred Void Souls is a small amount. Moreover, not only did you save us, but you also helped with the rebuilding. It''s only fair that I thank you in some way other than a pass to the Rose District."


    For Wain, it didn''t matter that Feno was weak. If he was treated well and with respect, Wain responded as well. Wain couldn''t let go of the fact that if it weren''t for Feno, he would probably be dead by now.


    ? "Then let us not dy!" Feno eximed and headed for the entrance to the Chamomile District.


    Wain and Eva walked through the streets, observing the measured city life. It brought back memories of the old world before the souls had appeared. People also went to work, performed some tasks, solved problems, went shopping, and rxed. It was an ordinary city life, which seemed boring to many, but it was safe and quiet.


    Unlike the humans, the other races were not forced to fight for survival. Only a fraction of the people in the cities of most races were warriors who fought monsters. The rest went to ordinary schools, trained in some profession, and worked for the good of society.

 Chapter 346 The Passage

    Unlike the humans, all other races needed to umte energy to be stronger. Not everyone became a warrior, as it was a difficult path that not everyone could take.


    Usually, only people from rich families tried to be warriors, but not everyone could do it. Money, the experience of strong parents and mentors, and a lot of time made rapid progress, but it was not enough.


    Anyone who wanted to be a warrior and follow this path had to be prepared to fight to the death and put their life on the line. It was a serious challenge.


    Many nobles could reach the First Chronicle or even the Second Chronicle in a short time, but in a real battle, they could lose to opponents who were many times weaker than them.


    In general, Second Chronicle was the limit for those who couldn''t find the strength to enter into mortalbat because to achieve the Third Chronicle, one had to create Martial Essence.


    Talented people could be warriors, even if they were born in the slums. The heads of powerful Families and ns were not fools and understood that a talented one could appear anywhere.


    They held various tournaments, tests, and trials to identify potential geniuses. In such cases, the heads of the Families and ns would help the talent alone grow and train as well as the others.


    The rest of the people also progressed, but extremely slowly and in their spare time. If a person was not rich, he could not qualify for a ce with a good concentration of energy or wise mentors. Moreover, not everyone wanted to be a warrior, even though it was very prestigious and was the path to power.


    Some preferred a quiet and measured life, some were afraid to die, and some preferred money to power and strength. Everyone had their own way, but everyone understood that only the strong could set the rules.


    ...


    "Wain, I want to apologize..." Eva said, approaching him.


    "Don''t go on. You did what you wanted to do, and that''s okay. I''ve told you before that with me you can be free. It may have been dangerous, but you and I experienced unforgettable and irreceable emotions. Such an experience is priceless." Wain said seriously.


    Eva nodded and remained silent. She was ready for Wain to be offended by what had happened or to scold her, but she didn''t expect to get that response. Eva reflected on Wain''s words.


    "We''re almost there!" Feno said, approaching the massive gate that separated Dandelion District and Chamomile District.


    Wain, Eva nodded and followed him.


    As they walked, many nts turned in their direction and watched the unusual couple with interest. Virfal rarely had guests even before the merging of worlds, and Wain and Eva stood out from the crowd in a big way.


    Since they both had rather thick hair that hid their ears, nts thought they were Elves, which was one of the reasons why Wain said this to Feno.


    "Next!" Said the guard.


    There was a big line in front of the gate, so they had to wait a bit.


    "Good afternoon." Feno said respectfully, "We want to go into the Chamomile Zone."


    The guard stared at Wain and Eva and said rudely, "One hundred Void Souls."


    "What? Why so many? The pass only costs ten souls." Feno was confused. Since there were three of them, they had to pay thirty, but the guard said a price three times higher.


    "If that doesn''t suit you, get lost and leave the others out of the way."


    "But..."


    "Of course, we''ll pay." Wain said, taking a step forward.<sub> </sub>


    The guard smirked. He shouldn''t have overcharged, but he did because of Wain and Eva, who were strangers.


    Wain put his hand out in front of him.


    "You want to pass souls through a handshake? Okay, I like that." The guard said and shook Wain''s hand.


    However, Wain did nothing.


    "Hmm? What are you waiting for?"


    "I think the price is a little unfair." Wain said calmly with a slight smile on his face.


    "What?!" The sentinel began to resent him, but suddenly Wain''s grip tightened.


    The sentinel tried to remove his hand, but he couldn''t budge. Wain mped his arm as if between a vise, gradually increasing the power. The sentinel was in pain, but he endured and did not reveal his emotions.


    "Okay, maybe you''re right. Then thirty Void Souls is on you." The sentinel said calmly.


    "I don''t think so." Wain squeezed his hand even harder and even heard bones cracking, "Shouldn''t you show hospitality?"


    "Yes, yes, of course, I hadn''t thought of that. You can go on absolutely free."


    "Fine." Wain said and headed forward.


    Eva smiled and followed him.


    Feno was shocked that they were suddenly let through so easily. He and everyone else around him didn''t understand what had happened. Only Eva was alert enough to see that Wain had practically broken the guard''s arm.


    "I didn''t know the guards at Virfal were so kind and friendly." Eva said.


    "Today is definitely our day! Luck is on our side! I''ve never seen that before!" Feno eximed. He rejoiced like a child who was lucky enough to win a stuffed toy.


    "Where do we go next?"


    "Onward, straight to the Rose District! We''re sure to see the statue of a hero today."


    "I hope it doesn''t disappoint me." Wain muttered, looking around.


    "I''m sure you''ve never seen anything like it. The Hero Statue is the pride of the Rose District and all of Virfal."


    The people, nts, and buildings in the Chamomile District differed. This showed that the division into Districts was not conditional, and there was a hard border that was difficult to cross.


    p They crossed the next two borders as easily as the first. The guards wanted more Void Souls than they were entitled to, and Wain used his power to change the situation.</anda>


    Feno didn''t understand why this was happening, and Eva decided to tell him it was because they were guests. Feno easily believed this, and it made his spirits rise even more.


    "Looks like we''re almost there." Wain muttered, looking at the huge gate with the image of a red rose in the distance.

 Chapter 347 The Call

    Wain, Eva, and Feno approached thest gate. It was thergest and most important because it separated the Violet District from the Rose District.


    The Rose District was where all the power and wealth of Virfal was concentrated. Only the wealthiest and strongest people lived there, each with power.


    The Rosa District had the least amount of people, but it was no different in size from the other Districts. It showed the scale of the possessions of those who lived there.


    ''Hmm, the gates are always in the northwest, and we did an arc to get to them. Virfal has a circr structure, but then why isn''t there a path from the Dandelion District to the Rose District if those two areas are closest to each other?'' Wain pondered.


    "Wait." The guard in dark armor said quietly. Unlike the other gates, this one had only two guards, but powerful auras emanated from them.


    "We want to visit the Rosa District." Feno said.


    "Of course, you can go through if you pay, but not these two." The guard said coldly, pointing to Wain and Eva.


    "What? Why?" Feno was puzzled, but to Wain and Eva, the reason was obvious.


    "They are strangers, and I have not been informed of them. I don''t know these people, and they''re not allowed to enter the Rose District. Also, I don''t have the authority to do so even if I want to, so please leave." The guard was courteous and even polite but also menacing.


    Feno was confused. He didn''t know what to do and really didn''t want to leave. Seeing the Hero Statue and visiting the Rose District Gardens had been a dream for him, and he was so close to it.


    He only had onest hurdle left to go, but suddenly everything fell apart. Unfortunately, he didn''t have enough money, so he would have to return.


    Wain and Eva were silent. They were thinking about what to do. Unlike Feno, for whom this was a dream, for them, it was nothing more than a curiosity. It wasn''t worth ruining their rtionship with the guardian and nts.


    "Looks like we''ll have to leave." Eva muttered with a shrug.


    "But..." Feno muttered sadly.


    "Don''t worry, I promised you I would thank you properly for saving me. Eva and I won''t be able to see the statue of the Hero, but that shouldn''t concern you." Wain said and held out his hand to Feno.


    He decided that there were enough interesting ces in the Four Boroughs where he could rest and have a good time. Wain would tell Gisle about his find and go to the auction. He didn''t know if the nts in Virfal would be their friends, enemies, or just remain neighbors.


    Feno shook Wain''s hand, and it faintly glowed. Wain passed a thousand Void Souls to Feno.


    "Is this truly...?" Feno was confused. To him, it was a huge sum of money he couldn''t even earn in ten years.


    "Yes, don''t deny yourself anything. I''m sure there''s plenty more to see in the Rose District besides the Statue of the Hero."


    "Thank you!"


    Feno nodded and, with a happy smile, paid and headed for the gate.


    "Huh, this is the first time I''ve seen you this kind." Eva said flirtatiously.


    "It''s not kindness. It''s fairness and honesty."


    "Then you''re an incredible greedy and cheapskate if you''ve valued our lives at a few hundred Void Souls."


    "That''s not how it works. You know that yourself." Wain turned and headed for the Violet District.


    The guardian breathed a sigh of relief. He could sense a powerful aura from Wain, even if he hid it carefully. The Sentinel had been through many battles and could easily tell when an invincible foe stood before him.


    "Where shall we head?" Eva asked.<sub> </sub>


    "First, we need a drink and a taste of the local cuisine. I think that would be the best thing to do in this situation."


    "Oh, so you''re taking me out to dinner? Are we on a date?"


    "Maybe." Wain grinned.


    ''Wait...'' Suddenly, the voice of the Knight of the Bloody Rose sounded in Wain''s head.


    ''What is it?


    ''There... blood... flower...''


    "Hmm?


    Wain tried to find out more, but the Knight no longer answered him.


    ''I think he''s telling you to go there.'' Blind Sorcerer said.


    ''To the Rose District? But... why?'' Wain was puzzled. The Knight of the Bloody Rose acted strangely since Wain had been in Virfal.


    No one answered Wain''s question. He couldn''t understand what was happening and why the forms were ignoring him, though it had never happened before.


    ''Ah, that smell, so beautiful. For that, I don''t mind expending a little strength.'' The Knight of the Bloody Rose muttered, standing on the first tform.


    He slowly raised his sword upward at chest level, and his eyes filled with blood. The bloody vine headed down toward the second tform and, like a ghost, went through it.


    It touched Wain, and the same thing happened to his eyes in the real world. He looked like a vampire thirsty for blood, and his veins swelled as if under great strain.


    "Wain, what''s wrong with you?"


    Wain shook his head, "Nothing, it''s okay. Just a little cramp."


    He took a deep breath and smelled a strong bloody scent mixed with hundreds of scents emanating from the Rose District.


    Wain turned around, and his eyes darkened.


    ''Looks like I''m going to have to get there after all. This ce is definitely hiding some kind of mystery.''


    "What do you think of this cafe? They have a cool sign." Eva said, pointing forward.


    "Yeah, it looks good. We need to rest, we escaped death today, and we''re tourists here." Wain said and headed toward the cafe.


    While Eva researched the menu and ordered, Wain focused on the bloody aroma. The smells came from several directions, they were like streams, small andrger. The main one wasing from the gateway to the Rose District, but others were heading to more secluded areas.


    "Your food." The waiter said, bringing a sd and green pudding. The sd was for Eva, and the dessert was for Wain.


    "It''s a cozy and beautiful ce, isn''t it?"


    "Yes, definitely, and also very interesting and mysterious..." Wain mumbled thoughtfully, and his veins throbbed weakly.

 Chapter 348 Cactus

    Wain and Eva were having lunch and talking about various topics. The food was delicious and natural; it was much different from what they were used to eating, even if it was a simple sd and pudding.


    Wain ordered dessert as he was disappointed by theck of meat but then realized it made sense. If any race was to be vegetarian, nts were the best candidates.


    "There are so many different nts. Wain, do you have a favorite flower?"


    "Yes, I like cacti. They''re the best for me." Wain quickly replied.


    "Hmm? Cacti? Why?" Eva was surprised by such an unconventional answer. Many people wouldn''t even think of cacti as a candidate for such a question.


    "Cactibine beauty and roughness. Cacti have a special duo of the two sides."


    "Hmmm...then why cacti and not roses? Roses have the same thing, prickles, and bud. What''s more, it''s the status and most famous flower."


    "No, there is a difference. Prickles and roses are inconspicuous, and the first time you notice them is when you identally cut yourself on it. With a cactus, it''s different. You initially see only the prickles, but then a beautiful bud blossoms among the sharp needles, like a light in ake of darkness."


    "Sounds pretty romantic. Perhaps I should reconsider my attitude toward cacti. They seem to be more interesting than I thought."


    "Suit yourself." Wain said, finishing his pudding.


    "Eva, I want to walk around town alone. I don''t mean to be rude, but I need some time alone."


    "No." Eva replied sharply.


    "What?" Wain was surprised. He didn''t expect her to be so emphatic.


    "I''m not an idiot, and I''m not blind. I saw that something strange happened to you, and during dinner, you were acting strange and aloof, as if you were not here but somewhere else. I demand you exin what''s going on and why you suddenly needed to leave alone?" Eva said seriously.


    Wain was silent. It was the first time he had ever seen Eva angry. He wondered how he should have acted. The situation wasplicated and ambiguous.


    "Don''t make me wait!" Eva hit the table with such force that it cracked.


    "Hmm... I didn''t know you could lose your temper so easily." Wain mumbled thoughtfully, "Okay, I''ll tell you where I wanted to go, but not here. It''s too crowded, we need a quieter ce."


    Eva nodded.


    ...


    Wain and Eva moved to a dark alley where no one could disturb them.


    "I won''t go into detail, but in short, because of one of my skills, I sensed something. It''sing from the Rose District, and I need to get there, no matter how."


    Eva nodded. She was d that Wain had decided to tell her, but she didn''t show it. She kept a disgruntled grimace.


    "You''re sure it''s necessary?"


    "Yes, that''s for sure."


    "Then I''ll go with you, and it''s out of the question." Eva said stiffly. She didn''t want Wain to leave when they were together, even if it was dangerous.<sub> </sub>


    "..."


    "Okay." Wain agreed. He knew from Eva''s eyes that he couldn''t change her mind, and he wasn''t going to fight her or run away.


    "Are we going to have to fight our way through the main gate?"


    "No, that won''t be necessary. The scentes not only from there but also from several other directions. One of them isn''t far away. We''ll head there."


    Eva nodded.


    Step. Step. Step.


    They headed for the exit, but suddenly several men entered the alley from both sides, leaving no way to retreat.


    "Oh, I thought this was a pretty safe town." Wain thought as he looked at the banditsing their way.


    Normally they would have attacked someone in the Dandelion District or the Chamomile District, but the unusual visitors had their attention. The bandits were sure that Wain and Eva had a lot of valuables with them.


    They risked attacking them in the Violet District, where there were many professional guards, but the lust for profit was stronger. Wain and Eva went into the alley, and the bandits couldn''t pass up such a perfect opportunity.


    "Sorry to interrupt your vacation, but tourists like you have to pay to walk around the city in peace." Smiling, the bandit leader said. He had rough skin like tree bark and green eyes.


    "Surrender. We have no purpose in fighting you and shedding blood. If you give us your valuables, we will let you go. Your ring and those gold earrings look very expensive."


    The leader of the bandits was confident in himself and their victory. There were about ten bandits while Wain and Eva were alone. No one could help them since ordinary people rarely entered the dark alleys.


    The bandits'' leader wanted to avoid fighting as it would bring unnecessary attention, and because of the guards, they could get in trouble.


    "Isn''t the Violet District one of the richest neighborhoods? I didn''t expect to be inhabited by such miserable rats as you. Ahahahaha." Wain scoffed at them.


    This hurt the bandits, and they got ready to fight on cue.


    "There is a dark side and spots even in the sun. You made the mistake of deliberately stepping into a spot." The leader of the bandits said and rushed forward. He had a curved dagger in his hand and a deadly aura emanating from it.


    Whooooooosh.


    Eva appeared in front of the bandit leader and grabbed his face with a merciless gaze. She plunged his head into the ground and crushed it with a powerful punch of her fist. She did it faster than anyone could understand what had happened.


    "Get out of here!" Eva said menacingly, and the bandits trembled with fear.


    They dropped their weapons and ran away. They didn''t understand how this could have happened or why they faced such strong opponents. The death of their leader struck terror into their hearts.


    "AHAHAHA, what faces they had, beautiful." Wain eximed, "You''re pretty ruthless, aren''t you?"


    "Hmm? What are you talking about? If I hadn''t killed him, you would have done it in seconds, but then no one would have left here."


    "That''s true."

 Chapter 349 The Smell

    "No more problems, so where should we go? Can you still smell that scent?"


    "Yes, very clearly. The scent is bright and intense, but not too much. It''s a perfect bnce." Wain muttered and closed his eyes.


    He took a deep breath, and the scents from different directions turned into three paths that looked like threads of varying thickness. The thicker the thread, the straighter the path, and therefore more difficult it to follow.


    The thickest thread headed toward the gate, but that was the worst option for Wain and Eva. They couldn''t wreak havoc in Virfal and withstand the wrath of nts.


    The second thread ran from the north of the Violet District. It led to the middle of the five zones, which could not be reached.


    The third thread, the thinnest and longest, led in the opposite direction. This thread, like a hair, pointed the way to the Dandelion District. Wain could hardly smell this thin and scattered scent.


    "We need to go back. To the Dandelion District, that''s where we can make our first move."


    "I see, then go ahead. We have to make it before Fenoes back."


    "Hmm? Why are you worried about that?"


    "I''d like us to sit at the same table for dinner tonight. At least one more time." Eva said seriously.


    "Huh, like one family. That sounds pretty sweet." Wain said and walked out of the alley.


    Eva''s gaze changed for a moment, and she followed him. Wain''s words touched her feelings.


    ...


    Wain and Eva easily made it back to the Dandelion District since no one was blocking their way. They didn''t need a permit or any kind of fee to get from the best area to the worst, this rule only worked one way.


    "Is this it?" Eva said, looking at theyer of sturdy vines.


    "Yes, it''s probably a secret, closed passageway from the Dandelion District to the Rose District. I can clearly smell the scenting from there, even though there are hundreds of different scents." Wain stepped forward and pulled the thick, spiky vines apart.


    A thread led Wain and Eva to the farthest and darkest corner of the Dandelion District. Here, in some ces, the nts had already begun to rot. The process Feno spoke of would begin in a few days.


    "What is that strange smell?" Eva said, walking behind Wain.


    "Looks like we''ll have to forget the fragrant scents for a while. Now it''s more like a stench, and it''s gradually getting stronger, but that just means we''re going in the right direction."


    They encountered vines along the way, and various flowers and nts were growing on the walls, but they exuded unpleasant smells. Some of the flowers smelled rotten, as if they were growing on a decaying corpse.


    "There''s something wrong with this ce." Eva became wary.


    "As I said earlier, there must always be hell next to heaven, these two cannot be too far apart or exist apart. We''ve already visited heaven. Now it''s time to go down to hell." Wain said and stopped.


    They reached a denseyer of cortex that had veins on it. They asionally pulsated like a living organism.


    Wain put his palm to It and, in a smooth motion, cut the tree''s bark with his finger.


    "Ladies first." Wain said and took a step to the side.<sub> </sub>


    "That scent is either magical or poisonous. The other couldn''t have made you so courteous." Eva muttered and stepped forward.


    ''What a pest. Is she still mad at me?


    "Is that a lotus...?" Eva muttered puzzledly, looking at the growing flower on the tunnel''s canvas.


    "It looks like that, how strange. There are all kinds of known flowers and nts in various variations, but not the lotus in the Four Districts. I forgot for a while that it existed."


    "Don''t you think the color is kind of strange?"


    "Yes, it''s a white lotus, and the petals are supposed to be perfectly clear, but the tips look like they''re infused with blood. We need to keep going, I can still smell it, and it has intensified." Wain said and headed forward.


    Tremble.


    Suddenly the ground shook, vibrationsing from far away. Wain and Eva elerated and quickly reached the scene.


    They saw two fighting nts. One was a tall guy with white skin, wearing red and ck robes, amber eyes, and ck hair with a rosebud growing on the side.


    The other was a girl in pink robes, with long hair and a small lotus growing on her head.


    Their battle was swift and elegant. They used no weapons but their hands and fists. They were true masters of closebat and exchanged dozens of blows within seconds, parrying each other''s attacks.


    Behind them grew arge, red lotus whose petals were blood-colored. A powerful scent emanated from it that Wain felt, but it was not the end goal, only a gap in the long journey.


    "What shall we do?" Eva said quietly.


    "Well...we have three options. We can stay out of it and see what happens next without our involvement. We can kill one of them, and we can kill them both. Which do you prefer?" Wain said calmly.


    "Answer that question yourself first."


    "Obviously, it''s the second option. Feno didn''t know about this passage, and that''s not surprising since he''s a resident of the Dandelion District. Most likely, only the people of the Rose District know about this ce, and those two are definitely from there. They are powerful, far more powerful than the guard at the gate. They are strong, and if Virfal has any secret, one of them will kindly tell us about it."


    "Then how do we choose which one of them we will help?"


    "We''ll just do it the way we want to do it. We have to pick our own challenger. Let''s point to the one we want to save simultaneously."


    Eva nodded, and Wain made a sign.


    They raised their hands but pointed in different directions. Eva wanted to save the girl with the lotus on her head and Wain, the guy with the rose.


    "What should we do in that case?"


    "Hmm... If we disagree, then we can do a detailed and boring analysis, or we can flip a coin."


    Eva smiled.

 Chapter 350 A Coin With A Price On Life

    "You want simple luck to decide who dies and who stays alive?"


    "Yeah, that''s a pretty good option. Don''t you think so?"


    "I agree."


    Wain nodded, and the Ring of Damned glowed brightly. A simple coin appeared in his hand, and after they chose sides, Wain tossed it up sharply.


    The coin slowly fell, and Wain was the winner.


    "Damn, I hate losing." Eva muttered.


    "Huh, you''re definitely not the unluckiest person in this situation. Go for it." Wain said and rushed off toward the fight. Eva followed him.


    The lotus girl attacked the guy, but suddenly Wain appeared in front of her. He blocked her punch and threw her aside. Behind her, Eva instantly appeared.


    She punched the girl in the face and knocked her unconscious with one powerful punch. The girl hit her head seriously on the ground but survived.


    "What was the point of flipping the coin if you did your own thing anyway?" Wain muttered. He realized that Eva had chosen the fourth option, to intervene, but not to kill anyone.


    "Who are you people?" The guy with the rose bounced back and got ready to fight.


    "Don''t worry. We don''t want to fight you. We just have a few questions we want answers to."


    The guy didn''t answer anything, but it was clear by his pensive grimace.


    "What is this ce, and why does this lotus look so unusual?"


    "What...? You''re not one of THEM?" The guy was puzzled, and as he calmed down, he took a closer look at Wain''s and Eva''s appearance.


    "You''re not nts...who are you?"


    "Elves, we happen to be in Virfal, so you can consider us tourists." Wain shrugged.


    "I see. I guess that''s true." The guy sighed in relief and bowed slightly, "My name is Kuno, Scarlet Rose, and I''m a Scarlet Rose family member. Nice to meet you."


    "Eva Noir."


    "Wain Norheim."


    "Exin what''s going on here." Wain asked seriously, and his aura intensified. He wasn''t sure yet if Kuno was an enemy or a friend and had to remain vignt.


    "I''m not sure I can divulge secret information that only the powerful families of District Five know about tourists."


    "You don''t seem to understand the situation. I''m not asking you to do this. I''m ordering you. You have no other choice, either you tell us everything now, or we kill you. We have another witness besides you, so don''t think you''re unique and irreceable." Wain said coldly, and his eyes became sharp as a de. He was ready at any moment to attack Kuno and kill him.


    "Did we really make the wrong choice?" Eva murmured, further exacerbating the situation.


    ? Cold sweat appeared on Kuno''s forehead, and he gave up.


    "Okay, okay, I''ll tell you everything. Don''t get me wrong, you don''t need to know about this. It only concerns nts and Virfal. What''s more, even before the Merger of Worlds, Virfal very rarely had members of other races."


    "Stop procrastinating." Eva uttered.


    "We are now in a secret passage between the Dandelion District and the Rose District. Only the people of the Fifth District know about this ce. This flower is the Blood Lotus, and I was sent here to protect and destroy it."<sub> </sub>


    "Protect? Destroy? Why were you fighting this girl? Is she also a member of some powerful Rose District family?"


    "Yes, that''s right. This girl is from the Fallen Lotus Family, and they are to me for many of the negative changes that have appeared in Virfaltely."


    Wain pondered. As he suspected, the Knight of the Bloody Rose had activated for a reason. He still smelled the scent that was to lead him to the secret and treasure of this city.


    "Tell me more about that."


    "I''m sorry, I can''t do that." Kuno shook his head, "The situation isplicated, and I don''t have all the information. I don''t want to lie or confuse you. I was sent here to deal with the problem, the rest is out of my hands."


    "In that case, I want to talk to someone who knows. Is that possible?" Wain said seriously.


    "Yes." Kuno nodded, "My older brother knows all about it, but I''m not sure he''d want to talk to you."


    "You don''t have to worry about that. I''ll solve the problem."


    "All right, but I need to destroy the lotus before it." Kuno said and headed for the flower, but Wain stopped him.


    "I''ll do it myself." Wain walked over to the Lotus and squeezed its core with force.


    Whooooooosh.


    His eyes filled with blood and a change urred with the Knight of the Bloody Rose. His hair glowed, and his sword shed a blood-red light.


    ''This is it... but only part of it...'' The knight''s harsh voice sounded in Wain''s head.


    The Lotus exploded, and the petals turned gray and quickly dried. Wain could absorb special energy, and several messages appeared before him.


    [You have absorbed a small amount of Blood Essence. Your blood purity will be slightly increased.]


    [Your blood purity has been increased by 0.1%.]


    [You have received the title of One Who Felt the Blood.]


    [Your blood purity has exceeded 50%.]


    [You have gained the Title - Crossing the Line]


    The Blood Essence permeated Wain''s body, and he felt as if each of his blood vessels became several times wider and faster. His pupils narrowed, and a slight smile appeared on his face.


    ''So this is what it means to increase blood purity and get a Bloody Essence. It''s unforgettable. Now I understand why so many people go after it and are willing to risk their lives.''


    "Wain, are you okay?"


    "Yes, I''m fine. It''s just that now I''m pretty sure we owe it to ourselves to stay here for a while and learn all the mysteries of this town. There are some exciting discoveries ahead of us. I know it."


    "Are you ready to go?" Kuno asked.


    Wain and Eva nodded.


    "Okay, what will you do with her?" He pointed to the lotus girl.


    "Nothing, consider it a small gift. She was only needed as a backup n, nothing more. That''s enough talk, we don''t have much time."

 Chapter 351 The Manor Of The Scarlet Rose Family

    "Sure, I''ll walk you through, one second." Kuno said and took the lotus girl on his back. He didn''t kill her, instead he took her hostage.


    "And you''re pretty merciful. I thought you''d take advantage of the situation and finish her off."


    "That''s an order. We''re not allowed to kill them, only on special asions. Of course, you''ll hear all about it a littleter if my brother wants to talk to you." Kuno muttered and headed forward.


    They made their way through the denseyers of lianas, and Wain could smell the bloody smell gradually intensifying.


    ''I was finally able to make progress in raising my blood purity, though not by much. This lotus was only the beginning, something more impressive lies ahead of me.''


    Wain decided to look at the Titles he had received.


    [One Who Felt the Blood


    You have learned what Blood Essence is, and now you better understand the meaning of blood and its purpose.


    Blood is both a sign of life and a sign of death.


    *There is a possibility that your blood will temporarily awaken under special conditions. This can happen during a blood purity boost or in a mortal battle].


    [Crossing the Line


    Your blood purity has risen above 50%. Your attacks are stronger, your skin is more robust, and your instincts are sharper. The next time you metamorphose, the effect will be greater.]


    ''I see. It seemed strange that I felt unustomed after absorbing the Blood Lotus, I thought it was a side effect, but now it is clear. I''m adapting to the new possibilities.''


    Wain had heard many times about how important blood purity was, but he could not fully understand it. Until recently, he was unaware that blood purity existed and that it mattered. For some people, like Edena, it was deadly important.


    Whooooosh.


    Kuno sliced through the massive vines, and they entered the Rose District.


    Immediately the lovely smells of many flowers headed toward them, recing the unpleasant stench of the nts in the passageway.


    The Rose District was the best and most beautiful ce in Virfal. Much of the city was covered with various estates of influential families, stores, and luxurious restaurants.


    Flowers grew in the city streets and houses, blending harmoniously into the overall picture.


    In the center was a massive statue that could be seen from anywhere in the city. For this was what Feno so wanted to get here, it was the Statue of the Hero. It depicted a hero with a long sword pointing upward. There was a noble and pleasant aura emanating from the Statue of the Hero.


    "It''s beautiful. Is this the famous Statue of the Hero?" Eva asked.


    "Yes. There was a war a long time ago, and if not for the Hero, Virfal would have been destroyed. Like every other citizen of the city, I am grateful to the hero for his deeds."


    "But, if this statue and the hero''s identity are so important, why is it in the Rose District? That''s where the least number of people live." For Eva, it seemed unfair. It was hard for her to look at Feno when he thought he could not see the Statue of the Hero. His face darkened, and he looked miserable.


    "Some made this decision of the powerful families. There has been much debate on the subject, but the nobles still haven''te to anything concrete, so the Statue of the Hero continues to remain in the fifth district."<sub> </sub>


    "I see. Where is the Scarlet Rose Family''s estate?"


    "There." Kuno pointed to a massive estate in the distance, around which were many spiky vines with roses growing on them.


    "Go ahead, then." Wain uttered and headed that way.


    ...


    Many people noticed them as they walked through the Rose District, especially the girl on Kuno''s back. From the eyes of the residents, Wain and Eva realized that they were aware of the situation. Some looked condemning Kuno''s actions, and some supported him, opinions differed.


    They reached the manor, and Kuno led Wain and Eva into the hall. The maids greeted them courteously.


    The inside was luxurious and beautiful. The main attribute of most of the decorations were roses, scarlet petals, or elegant thorns. This was typical of any noble family in the fifth district. Everyone tried to show their importance and increase the prominence of their symbol.


    "Kuno, you''re back" A tall girl with long hair and a small rosebud on the back of her head entered the hall.


    "Ah, sister... Yes, and I have aplished my mission, the lotus is destroyed, and the enemy is disarmed." Kuno said,ying the lotus girl on the floor.


    "Okay, I knew you could do it, but who are these people? Elves? Why are they here?" The girl was wary.


    Since the Merger of Worlds, Virfal had never had any tourists yet. Wain and Eva were the first, and they were able to infiltrate the Rose District.


    "Yeah, I don''t know how, but they found the secret passageways connecting Dandelion District and Rose District. They helped me defeat the enemy and want to talk to my big brother."


    "What? That''s impossible." Kuno''s sister frowned, "Since you helped Kuno, I''ll let you leave, but don''t you daree back here again. Strangers have no ce in the Rose District, much less the Manor House of the Scarlet Rose Family!"


    However, her words made no difference. Wain and Eva didn''t even move, and their eyes remained steady.


    Wain looked at the maid and, with a slight smile on his face, said, "Make us two cups of green tea."


    The maid didn''t know what to do and ignored him.


    "Quick!" Wain''s voice boomed, and the maid shuddered in fear.


    "Excuse me. I''ll be right with you." She bowed and ran into the kitchen.


    "You bastards! Decided to pretend to be deaf?!" The girl became angry, and the rosebud on her head glowed, and her aura intensified. She was much stronger than Kuno, and she was only a little short of reaching the limit of Second Chronicle.


    "Stop, sister stop! They will kill you!" Kuno eximed.


    "What?!" The girl shouted, and suddenly goosebumps ran through her body.


    Wain and Eva unleashed their auras, which even seemed to be something material. Wain''s devouring energy and Eva''s splitting energy filled her with terror. She couldn''t move or utter a word.

 Chapter 352 Head Of The Scarlet Rose Family

    "Kuno, we thank you for bringing us here, but if your sister continues her aggression, we will have no choice but to fight." Wain said calmly.


    "You will die." Eva said coldly, "You can''t even hit us, so you better calm down and take us to your big brother. We didn''te here to fight."


    "Shut up! Do you really think I would let someone threaten me on my family''s estate! You seem to be out of your mind and don''t know who you''re talking to." The girl''s aura intensified, and she used her a Beyond. A spiky armor and a tiara of several rosebuds appeared on her.


    "Ahahahaha, what a shame. You were so scared that you decided to start with your trump card." Wain was amused by the situation.


    The girl frowned and pounced on them.


    "STOP." Suddenly there was a calm butmanding voice that entered the mind of everyone in the room.


    The girl froze in ce, and so did Kuno, who tried to stop her. The maid standing in the distance was practically petrified and time seemed to stand still.


    ''Oh, that sounds serious.'' Wain thought.


    He had experienced something like this once before, during his first encounter with Teres. That voice wasn''t as powerful as the ancient serpent''s, but it was enough to stop the battle.


    "Nina, you''re too shy and arrogant as always. You need to work on your self-control more." The voice rang in their heads again.


    "I apologize for my sister, sometimes she can be overly emotional. I''m the one you were looking for, Nina and Kuno will escort you out, and we''ll talk."


    "Brother..." Nina mumbled confusedly.


    "Looks like your older brother turned out to be a more reasonable person than you." Wain said, walking over to the maid and taking two cups of tea. He handed one to Eva, "Help yourself."


    Eva nodded and smiled slightly. She didn''t know the reason, but today Wain was surprisingly good-natured. She didn''t care if he was ying with her or what. Eva just enjoyed the situation.


    "How much longer do we have to wait? Walk us out." Wain said, taking a sip of tea.


    "Sure!" Kuno eximed, and Wain and Eva followed him.


    They headed to the lower level of the manor, to apartment that looked like prison cells. It was dark, cold, and damp.


    "Is he trying to trick us and trap us?" Eva asked in a whisper. Only Wain heard her.


    "It doesn''t sound like it." Wain shook his head, "I don''t know why, but their big brother is in this strange ce."


    "There, behind that door." Kuno pointed to the massive iron door at the end of the hallway, "The brother doesn''t like anyone disturbing him, so I won''t bother you."


    Kuno quickly left.<sub> </sub>


    "Alright, it''s time to see the mysterious brother." Wain said and opened the door.


    A powerful scent of rose wafted out, and inside, they saw a strange scene. A tall man with long red hair and amethyst eyesy on a stone table.


    His body was pierced with many spiky vines, and they were slowly moving around in him, covered in blood. Despite this, the man''s face was calm and peaceful. A puddle of scarlet blood had umted under the table.


    "Hello. You''ll have to wait a little while. I''m almost done."


    The man sighed, and the vines glowed. They emerged from his body and headed toward the pool of blood. The vines absorbed the blood and blossomed massive red buds of unusual nts on them. Pollen came out of the buds, which quickly healed the man and the vines disappeared.


    He dressed in ck robes, turned around, and said, "My name is Leon. I am the eldest son and head of the Scarlet Rose Family."


    "Are you the head of the family? I was told that the head of the Scarlet Rose went into seclusion."


    "I was. It happened quite a while ago, but recently the situation escted, and I had to change my ns."


    "Kuno mentioned it too. He said he didn''t know much and said to ask you. He thought you wouldn''t want to talk to us."


    "He wasn''t wrong. I''m not hospitable, and no one likes to have their privacy interrupted. Kuno did the right thing. He was only following orders. I sent him on a simple mission while the conflict had not yet reached a critical point. Have a seat, we have much to discuss." Leon pronounced, pointing to the stone benches in the room.


    Wain and Eva nodded.


    "It''s an unusual ce to talk, considering there''s a lot of scents hanging around every corner of the city."


    "That''s one reason. It''s quiet here, and over a long period, I got tired of the endless smellsing from the flowers. Eventually, I even found it disgusting, so this cool room was perfect for me."


    Cities of nts have always had many flowers growing in it, and for some, it was bing a problem. Even the most pleasant scent could get boring over time, and then a change of scenery was necessary.


    "Why did you invite us here?"


    "You wouldn''t have stopped anyway and found out about everything. I can smell the blood essence from you. You''ve recently absorbed the blood lotus. No one could have stopped you, given your power, and it would have been problematic. You came here, and I decided to take advantage of the situation and not waste any more time."


    "What is this flower, and why was Kuno fighting some girl next to a blood lotus. It''s definitely not a coincidence."


    Leon nodded.


    "The reason for this isplicated and simple at the same time. Kuno was fighting a girl from the Fallen Lotus Family. It is one of the most powerful families in Virfal, they are second only to us, the Scarlet Rose Family. Not much is known about it in the other districts, but the Rose District is now divided."


    "Some support us, and others support the Fallen Lotus Family. This has happened since the merging of worlds, and war is brewing. We''re trying to make sure no one outside the Rose District knows about it, so it''s been a lot harder to get into the Fifth Districttely."

 Chapter 353 Leon

    "War? The city looks as calm as the inhabitants." Eva muttered.


    "Yes, but it''s an illusion and the calm before the storm. Though we''ll try to make sure it doesn''t affect other neighborhoods anyway. Two will be enough for the battlefield."


    "Two?" Wain was puzzled, "Didn''t you say that only the Rose District knows what''s going on?"


    "Huh, it''s not that simple." Leon smiled, "If you were careful enough, you noticed how the districts are arranged in Virfal, it''s a circr structure, but it doesn''t affect the center. There is another one, zone zero, the Lotus District, deep underground. It''s the core of the city, until recently, only special personnel lived there, but it all started there."


    "What happened?"


    "After merging worlds in the Lotus District, strange changes began to ur. The Lotus trees that supported our city slowly began to fade. We didn''t understand the cause and put all our energies into fixing it, but we failed. However, when thest bud was left, it bloomed brightly and became bloody, and the same thing happened to the other lotuses."


    "Did I devour one of those lotuses?"


    "Yes, but it was only a small and weak bud. We don''t know why, but the lotuses gained the essence of blood. At first, we thought it was a miracle and great luck, but everything has a downside."


    "Any reason why you want to destroy the blood lotuses?"


    Leon nodded, "The blood lotuses are growing rapidly and absorbing too much energy and life force. Other nts and the city are slowly dying, and we urgently need to fix it, but not everyone thinks so."


    "We, the Scarlet Rose Family and a host of other powerful families, think it is necessary to destroy all but the main bud and purge it, returning the city to its former state. The Fallen Lotus Family and their minions think otherwise. They want to use blood lotuses and grow them, and they don''t care that it will hurt everyone but the noble families."


    "I wouldn''t expect you to worry about the lives of ordinary people."


    "That''s not exactly true. I won''t be hypocritical, I don''t care about anyone but my family and friends, but I care about this city because it is my home. What''s more, it''s all too strange. I''m sure that if the blood lotuses keep growing, it will lead to the city''s downfall one day. What''s the point of the blood essence if there''s no more energy in this ce?" Leon uttered.


    "I see. The situation isplicated." Wain muttered.


    "Now that you know the situation, I want to ask you. Which side will you take?" Leon calmly said.


    "What happens if you don''t like our answer?"


    Leon smiled weakly, "In that case, I''ll just kill you, right here."


    His aura intensified, and a powerful pressure came over Wain and Eva.


    "Not weak, but are you sure you can handle the two of us?" Eva uttered.


    "You are strong, and you know it, but in the territory of the Scarlet Rose Family, in my territory. I''d be interested in fighting two a humans."


    "Ahahahaha, so you get it." Wainughed.<sub> </sub>


    "Of course, it wasn''t hard. Honestly, I was even hoping it would happen after the worlds merged."


    "In that case, I''ll have to disappoint you. I''ll side with you, but only on the condition that I can absorb as many blood lotuses as I can find."


    Eva nodded in support of Wain.


    "What a pity." Leon mouthed, and his aura subsided, "I agree to your terms. I have forbidden my people to consume blood lotuses, as we believe they may be dangerous. We do not yet know whether they should be purified or not."


    "Can I be poisoned?"


    "Maybe, I don''t know for sure, but you are a human being. It''s your business, do as you see fit."


    "Brother!" Suddenly Nina ran into the room.


    "Hmm? What is it?"


    "Carlos is here, and he''s very aggressive! It''s because of that girl Kuno brought."


    "Ah, a real headache." Leon stood up and slowly headed into the hall.


    ...


    "Leon! You''re out of line! How could you order your men to take her!" The tall man eximed, pointing at the lotus girl beside him. She was unconscious.


    It was Carlos, one of the elders of the Fallen Lotus Family. His skin was pale, and he had lotus petals growing on his arms.


    "What are you talking about? She is safe and sound. I have told you many times before that you must stop your attempts to increase blood lotuses, or this will lead to the city''s copse. We must restore order."


    "Leon! We have asked you many times to negotiate! Don''t you understand that this is a unique and rare opportunity to obtainrge quantities of blood essences! Blood Lotuses continue to grow and flourish. Dreams of 99% blood purity will no longer be so!" Carlos eximed.


    They wanted to get stronger like everyone else, and increasing blood purity was one of the most effective options. High blood purity made a person stronger at any stage, unlike the energy that had to be constantly built up and absorbed.


    The reasoning of the Fallen Lotus Family was logical and based not only on the lust for profit but also on the fact that one should not miss the chance. So many other families joined them and stood up against the Scarlet Rose Family.


    "I''m not interested in that. You know my position, and I''m not going to sit down to negotiate. Either you agree to work with us and cure the city of this contagion, or we will destroy you. Take the girl and go. We won''t be fighting today. You still have time to change your mind." Leon said calmly, but there was weight and influence in every word he said.


    Carlos frowned and snorted, taking the girl and leaving the manor. The Fallen Lotus Family and the Scarlet Rose Family were rivals, but they both wanted Virfal and nts to be stronger. Therefore, the Fallen Lotus Family and their allies do not want to allow war and work together to increase the number of Blood Lotuses.

 Chapter 354 Mood

    "You have a prettyplicated rtionship." Wain said, standing in the aisle.


    "No, it''s simple. They will join us, or we will resolve this conflict by force. I don''t have time to waste negotiating, the city''s life is threatened, and the situation is getting worse by the day, they don''t understand that." Leon said.


    Leon was known as a calm, cold, and tough man. He rarelypromised because he always understood the solutions and would not ept other options. Some people criticized this way of thinking, but others, the contrary, thought it was the right thing to do.


    Everyone had an opinion, but no one questioned Leon''s power and influence. They knew that at the right moments, he became tough and cold-blooded.


    "What are you going to do next?"


    "What I nned originally. Tomorrow the Scarlet Rose Family and our allies will march to the entrance of the Lotus District. I have been informed that the situation has deteriorated and something has happened there. Regardless of what the Fallen Lotus Family decides, my choice will not change. If you haven''t already changed your mind, I''ll see you here tomorrow." Leon uttered and headed for his office.


    "Wain, are you sure?" Eva asked.


    "Hmm? You don''t want to go to the Lotus District? You don''t have to go with me if it bothers you."


    "No, that''s not what I''m talking about." Eva shook her head, "Are you sure you want to wait until tomorrow? We don''t have to go with the Scarlet Rose Family."


    "Huh, are you suggesting we go to the Lotus District right now? I don''t mind, but it might not make sense. If the passage is protected, we will incur the wrath of the Fallen Lotus Family and the Scarlet Rose Family. They might see us as enemies, and then we''d be in trouble."


    Wain shared the position of the Fallen Lotus Family in some ways. He, like them, wanted to use the Blood Lotuses to raise his blood purity.


    When Leon asked whose side they were on, Wain contemted joining the Fallen Lotus Family. It made sense, since then, the number of blood lotuses would gradually increase, and Wain could definitely raise his blood purity enough, but he gave up on the idea.


    Wain didn''t know if he needed so many blood lotuses since everything had limits and hundreds of flowers might be useless to him. He also didn''t want anything bad to happen to Virfal because of it. Wain believed that the nts, at least the Scarlet Rose Family and their allies, could cooperate with the humans.


    "Okay, I hear you. What are we going to do before the operation begins?" Eva asked.


    Wain looked downtown and smiled, "That''s obvious. Now we have a chance to go to the main square and see the Statue of the Hero up close. We have to do it, we can''t miss such a chance. Perhaps after the war, this statue will be destroyed."


    "Is this another date?" Eva grinned.


    "Huh, maybe it''s also where we might meet Feno. I''m sure he''s still admiring that statue."


    "Then go ahead." Eva said and took Wain''s hand.


    ...


    Wain and Eva walked through town and enjoyed the scent of flowers. Eva was thrilled as it was a paradise for any girl in the Rose District. Wain was focused on a slightly different scent.


    Three strands of bloody scent connected and led in one direction, downtown, where the Lotus District or Zone Zero was located.


    "Here we are." Wain pronounced stepping into the main square.


    The Hero Statue looked a hundred times better and more majestic than it did from afar. A powerful aura emanated from it as if the hero were still alive.


    "It''s mesmerizing..." Eva muttered.


    "Yes."


    [Received Title - Watcher of the Withered Hero]


    [Watcher of the Withered Hero<sub> </sub>


    You felt the energy of someone who was strong and brave enough to win the war and ensure peace for thousands of people through your actions.


    *Your psychological resilience in the face of deadly situations is greatly enhanced.]


    "Did you see that?" Eva asked. She got the Title, too.


    "Yes, we definitely didn''te here for nothing, but now it''s time to pick our next destination."


    Wain didn''t expect that one could get the Title just by looking at the Statue of someone great. It was a revtion to him.


    "Hey, isn''t that Feno?" Eva said, pointing toward the store on the opposite street.


    Feno was standing in front of a wide windshield, behind which were shelves of various books.


    Wain and Eva headed toward him.


    Feno''s eyes brightened. He liked what he saw and decided to enter the store.


    "Who are you?" Suddenly two men and one girl appeared next to Feno. They looked at him with disdain. Each of them was dressed in luxurious clothes, shy and tasteless.


    "It looks like amoner."


    "Ugh, how did he get in here. His mere presence pollutes Hero Statue Square."


    These three were among the nobles who supported leaving the Statue of Hero in the Rose District. They, like many nobles, were pompous and thought they were better than others. To them,moners were something unpleasant or even disgusting.


    "What do you want from the menu?" Feno muttered.


    The nobles smiled.


    "I think we should correct this misunderstanding." Said one of the nobles and, with an evil grin, gave Feno a hard p.


    Feno did not have time to react or defend himself and was thrown back. He clutched his cheek in pain, and his eyes grew wet. He could hardly hold back tears from the hurt and humiliation he felt.


    "Why are you doing this...?"


    "What? We''re just letting you know that you, amoner, don''t belong here. You should be grateful to us for that. Go back to your neighborhood and stay there. You should know your ce."


    The others nodded, "I still don''t understand whymoners are allowed into the Rose District. It''s a big mistake."


    "Excuse me."


    Someone touched the shoulders of the two nobles standing nearby. They turned around and saw a beautiful girl with short gray hair.


    "Hello, can I help you?" The men smirked.


    "Yes, I need to solve a problem."


    "And what problem is that?"


    "It''s you." Eva smiled and grabbed their heads. She pressed down with force and turned the two of them into tortis, breaking their bones and shattering their vertebrae into tiny shards.

 Chapter 355 The Lotus

    The deaths of the two nobles were instantaneous. In one move, Eva killed them, leaving them no chance. Eva was much stronger and faster than them, it was not difficult for her.


    "What did you do...you sick bitch!" Shouted the remaining girl and ran away. She was scared, she knew she couldn''t even scratch Eva.


    Eva looked at her but didn''t chase after her.


    Crackle.


    The fleeing girl suddenly crashed into someone and fell to her feet from the collision.


    "Idiot! Are you blind!" She eximed and looked up.


    In front of her stood a tall man in a dark blue cape, with a sly smirk.


    "No, I can see just fine." Wain muttered, and behind him appeared the phantom tail of an ancient serpent.


    It came down on the girl like a whip and sliced her in half. Blood and pieces of flesh flew apart, sttering the streets, the walls of houses, and some of the nobles.


    They were shocked that someone in the middle of the Rose District would dare to kill. To them, it was a mortal sin, for the sacred Statue of the Hero was here.


    "Who are you?! Strangers!" The nobles eximed.


    They looked at Wain and Eva with contempt and anger. The nobles thought they were under attack or assassins had infiltrated their city. They prepared for battle, and the central square was filled with a great deal of concentrated energy.


    "Eva, they didn''t seem to like your actions very much. It was worth it." Wain said, looking at the in nobles beside Eva.


    "Yes. I hate bastards like them, pompous turkeys who take their anger out on the weak and defenseless."


    "Hmm, they''re serious and aren''t going to back down." Wain muttered, "In that case, we should raise the stakes."


    Wain cut his palm and moved sharply closer to Eva. Drops of blood from his wound fell into his mouth, and her eyes changed.


    She smiled wickedly, and her aura multiplied. Several spears of bloody ash erupted from the ground and headed toward the nobles.


    They prepared to defend themselves, but suddenly a massive lotus appeared in the center of the battle andpletely engulfed the attack.


    "What is that?"


    Everyone looked up and saw a maning down. He was practically walking on air, with a lotus petal appearing beneath his feet like adder with each step he took.


    He had short purple hair and dark, deep eyes. He was dressed in a white, long robe.


    "It''s Felix the Fallen Lotus!" One of the nobles eximed.


    "Great! Now we shall surely be rid of these strangers who think they are gods here! We mustn''t let them do whatever they want!"


    "Ah, it was so quiet here, but now I can hear some pig squealing." Felix muttered, and a phantom lotus appeared on the screaming nobleman''s body.


    The man shuddered in horror, "Mr. Felix, what are you doing...!"


    "Shut up..." Felix muttered, and the bud exploded. The man''s body was blown apart, and it instilled even more terror in the nobles than from Wain and Eva.


    "Looks like we''ve met someone serious." Wain muttered.


    "Yes." Eva nodded.<sub> </sub>


    She was focused and watching Felix closely. He lowered himself leisurely and headed toward them. He had a sleepy look and a rxed gait. He did not care at all that he had killed a nobleman.


    The arrogant nobles looked at him with awe and fear. They were nothing in front of him, for Felix was the head of the Fallen Lotus Family and was considered by many to be the strongest in the city, on a par with Leon.


    Step.


    Felix stopped and looked at Feno, who was still lying on the ground.


    "It''s been a long time since amoner has been here." Felix''s gaze fell on the in nobles, "You''ve been mistreated, but they got what they deserved."


    Eva grew wary and approached Feno, covering him.


    "Don''t worry. I won''t fight you or hurt him. I share your position, unfortunately many nobles in the Rose District do not live up to their status. It''s a big problem." Felix said slowly.


    "Then what do you want?" Wain asked.


    "To talk. I want to talk. I know you were at the Scarlet Rose Family Manor recently and must have met Leon, he intuitively senses strong people."


    "You want to win us over to your side?" Wain smirked.


    "Maybe." Felix shrugged, "I''m not sure and will decide when I get to know you a little better. Until then, I haven''t had any contact with the humans yet." Felix said it quietly enough that only Wain and Eva could hear it.


    "I don''t mind. We don''t have anything to do yet anyway. I think this conflict is quite ambiguous, but it''s not just up to me."


    Wain and Felix looked at Eva.


    "I''ll go with you, but only on one condition. We won''t leave Feno here. Apparently, in the Rose District, even the main square is not a safe ce for ordinary people." Eva said seriously.


    "Sure, no problem. This boy can stay at the Fallen Lotus Family Manor for as long as he wants."


    "Good, then let''s hit the road."


    "Wait!" Feno said, suddenly rising from the ground.


    "Hmm?"


    "I appreciate your hospitality, but I can''t leave here until I get this!" Feno pointed to a book on the shelf behind the storefront.


    "You want to go to the store, now?" Felix muttered, staring intently at Feno. His gaze was calm but deep.


    Feno nodded confidently.


    "Huh, that''s funny, but your courage and determination should be rewarded. Okay, I''ll wait for you here, but you only have five minutes." Felix said, yawning and closing his eyes.


    A huge lotus appeared from beneath the ground, which, like a cocoon, engulfed Felix. The lotus soared above the ground and hovered in the air.


    "Not bad, and by its looks, it can fly. Okay, we don''t have much time. Feno, what do you want to buy?"


    "A recipe book!" Feno said confidently.


    "Hmm? Are you going to cook? Is that your profile?"


    "It''s not a cookbook, it''s an alchemy book. It has recipes for making various pills and potions."

 Chapter 356 New Variant

    "That''s not a bad option, let''s go look at the assortment." Wain said and entered the store. Eva and Feno followed him.


    Initially, Feno wanted to buy the book he saw on the shelf, but he changed his mind once inside. Dozens of books consumed all his attention, and he had only a few minutes to make his choice. Feno wanted to develop in the medical field and learn how to make quality pills and potions, so he looked for books from that field.


    "Wain, this is all too strange." Eva said worriedly, while Feno was deciding on a choice.


    "You think it might be a trap?"


    "Yeah, if he knows that we''ve already talked to Leon, then what''s the point? Leon and the Scarlet Rose family are their mainpetitors and adversaries. We have epted Leon''s offer, which means we have be a threat to the Fallen Lotus Family, moreover we are outsiders."


    "Your words make sense, but I don''t think so. We have already met with one of the Fallen Lotus Family, the man who came to take the girl we defeated. He tried to negotiate, but Leon was adamant. I don''t think the Fallen Lotus Family is right, but maybe it''s not that simple in this conflict. The blood lotuses are hiding something else." Wain murmured.


    "Okay, but in case of danger, we have to take care of Feno''s safety. He must not get hurt because of us."


    "Of course, he''ll be fine, and I didn''t sense any hostile intent from Felix. He''s the exact opposite of Leon, they''re both calm, but also so different. One is like a hard fire, and the other is like a free water flow."


    "There, I''ve chosen!" Feno said, running up to them. In his hands were three books, two green, and one brown.


    "Huh, didn''t you originally want to pick just one?"


    "Well...I decided that in addition to recipes, I also needed to learn more about known nts and animals, as well as the basics of alchemy. If I only do what''s written in the recipe book, I''ll never get further. I need to try to create something myself!"


    Eva smiled, "You have a great attitude, you''re thinking right."


    Eva was d that Feno could change his mind so quickly about his powers and abilities. Not long ago, he wasn''t sure if he should continue practicing medicine, but now there was a fire in his eyes, and he was eager to get better.


    Feno paid his purchase and returned.


    "Your smile has weakened noticeably, is something wrong?"


    "No...it''s fine...I just didn''t expect the prices in the Rose District to be this high, though I still have quite a few souls left."


    "Valuable things and knowledge always cost a lot, that''s no surprise." Wain looked out the window, "We should get back, time''s almost up."


    "Uh-huh."


    Wain, Eva, and Feno walked out of the store, and a massive lotus slowly opened, and Felix emerged from it.


    He looked at the books Feno had taken and said, "Not a bad choice, maybe you can make it to the top."<sub> </sub>


    Felix waved his mantle, and adder of lotus petals appeared before him. He made no signs or gestures, Wain and Eva understood that they had to follow him.


    The nobles in the square watched silently. Many of them were outraged or puzzled, but no one dared object. They did not understand why Felix had associated with outsiders andmoners, but they were afraid to open their mouths and die for it.


    Felix looked weak and harmless because of his drowsiness and slowness, but that only added to the fear because of his often unreasonable cruelty.


    ...


    The manor of the Fallen Lotus Family was on the edge of town, amidst a massiveke where beautiful lotuses grew on lilies. The buds were closed during the day, but they would open and illuminate at night, and that moment hade.


    "Wow, it''s so beautiful here! The Rose District is an amazing ce." Feno was amazed. Compared to this, the Dandelion District he had lived in all his life was dull and gray.


    "You think so?" Felix asked.


    "Of course! Aren''t you enjoying the sight of those lotuses? You''re a real lucky!"


    "Huh, maybe, but unfortunately, everything gets boring. There will probably be something interesting in the center, though." Felix said and entered the grounds of the estate.


    They were greeted by the maids and made their way to the main hall.


    On their way, they met Carlos, and he was outraged to see Wain and Eva, who he found out were attacking the lotus girl.


    "Felix! Why did you bring them? Don''t you know what they did?''


    "Hmm? Carlos? What do you want from me? It''s been unnecessarily noisy enough today, don''t give me any unnecessary trouble. I don''t have the energy for it." Felix waved his hand away and signaled the maids to close the doors to the main hall.


    "Damn! That Felix! He never listens to anyone and does only what he wants! One day this will lead both him and us to disaster!" Carlos stomped his foot on the ground in anger and then turned and walked away. He could not change Felix''s mind.


    Carlos was the elder but not the head of the family; Felix decided everything, and he had to obey him. Carlos was sure that if Felix had been more assertive and willing, they could have found apromise with Leon, but Felix refused his suggestions, and the other elders supported him. This infuriated Carlos greatly.


    ...


    Felis, Wain, and Eva remained in the hall. They sent Feno off to admire theke and the garden of the Fallen Lotus Family. It was better than he was not present for this conversation for his good.


    "I will not discuss your rtionship with Leon and the Scarlet Rose Family with you, I am not interested, but I want to ask you that tomorrow, you do not attack my family members. I want to talk to you not as outsiders but as humans, it is very rare to meet you."

 Chapter 357 Preparation

    "Your and Leon''s insight is impressive. What do you want to know?"


    "Are you travelers?" Felix calmly asked.


    "No."


    "Fine." Felix nodded. He wanted to hear, as it meant that Wain''s and Eva''s house was somewhere close by.


    "I want to cooperate with the humans."


    "Hmm? Aren''t you making decisions too fast?" Eva asked. She understood that the other races had a strong interest in the humans, but Felix''s actions seemed reckless to her.


    "Don''t get me wrong, I always do. I don''t have the energy to consider the pros and cons of the decisions I''ve made, I act on intuition, and now I want to make contact with your race. Your town isn''t far away, right?"


    "Yes, it is, but is your intuition really the only reason?" Wain asked suspiciously.


    Felix nodded, "I don''t need more than that, but there''s something that bothers me. Leon wants to go to the Lotus District tomorrow, where no one has been there for a long time because of the sprawling blood lotuses. I won''t stop him from destroying them."


    "What? Leon said your families should fight. Don''t the Fallen Lotus Family and your allies want to keep the blood lotuses?"


    "Until recently, this was the case, although I was never involved in the matter, the elders and heads of the other families decided it without me. I felt that the city would be fine regardless of the oue, but recently my opinion has changed. My intuition tells me that something else is in the Lotus District, and it will be a threat to the city."


    "I see. Tomorrow, you want us to help not the Fallen Lotus Family or the Scarlet Rose Family, but the city deal with the looming threat."


    "Exactly, Leon is not stupid. He will quickly realize that the Blood Lotuses are not the main threat. He and their allies will defeat us easily, but the casualties should be minimal, as I feel we will have to band together to deal with it."


    "Your reasoning is logical, but before I decide, I want to know something. How many times has your intuition failed you?"


    "Once, but I did it on purpose... it was a difficult situation then." Felix replied seriously.


    "Felix, dangerous in the Lotus District could hurt the whole town?" Eva asked.


    "Are you worried about other areas? Don''t be. If we win, the battle won''t affect any area other than the Lotus District. Now, where is your city located?"


    ...


    Wain, Eva, and Felix talked for several hours into the dead of night. They learned many things about the city and agreed with Felix to cooperate. After solving the blood lotus problem, Felix would go to Last Light and talk to Gisle.


    "It''ste, and I want to sleep..." Felix yawned, "If you want, you can spend the night here."


    "Sure, but I have a small request before you do." Wain said, "Eva, do you know your blood purity?"


    "No." Eva shook her head, "I haven''t had a chance to find out."


    "Great. Felix, can you help us with that?"


    "Ah...I wanted to go to bed, after all... okay, that''s no problem, follow me."


    ...<sub> </sub>


    Felix led them to the Fallen Lotus Family''s greenhouse, where hundreds of different species of rare nts were growing. Several flowers with bright red buds were among them that emitted a bloody fragrance.


    Felix plucked the bud and handed it to Eva, "You need to eat it. Then phantom petals will fly out of you. Each petal is one percent."


    Eva nodded and did so. Her eyes lit up, and the petals burst out. They quickly increased in number until they stopped.


    "Hmm, how interesting. You don''t see that very often." Felix muttered.


    Fifty petals were floating in the air, indicating that Eva''s blood purity was simr to Wain''s.


    ''d also said that fifty percent is a rare value. Do all the humans have blood purity originally equal to fifty percent?'' Wain pondered.


    "That''s not bad. Right?" Eva asked.


    "Huh, it''s rtive. For some people, 50% is a lot, and for others, it''s not much. Okay, see you tomorrow. I don''t have the energy anymore." Felix said and closed his eyes. A massive lotus petal appeared behind him. It caught it and flew away.


    "Damn, this guy is the king ofziness, and he''s got the right kind of powers for it. I''m even a little jealous of him."


    "Are you really going to sleep when we''re alone in such a beautiful ce?" Eva walked over to Wain and kissed him.


    "Definitely not!"


    ...


    Wain and Eva woke up in the greenhouse. They had broken a few rare flowers during the night, but that didn''t bother them. They were full of fighting spirit and energetic.


    "Hopefully, in the Lotus District, we can enough boost our blood purity."


    "Me too. If it works out, I can evolve a second time. I need to get my blood purity up to 60%."


    "That''s not much. After we figure out the problem Felix is talking about, you can evolve. I''m sure there are enough blood lotuses in zone zero. I can still distinctly smell that scent."


    "Uh-huh." Eva smiled and nodded.


    ...


    Wain and Eva decided not to bother Feno, it was early morning, and he was still supposed to be asleep. They didn''t want him to be dragged into a conflict between two families and a battle with an unknown threat.


    "So you came." Leon said, looking at Wain and Eva walking in his direction. The Scarlet Rose family and their allies were almost done with their preparations.


    "Of course, we''re as interested as you are in making sure nothing bad happens to Virfal."


    Wain was not going to support either family. If Felix''s words were true, their conflict was of no interest to Wain.


    He had only two objectives, to increase his blood purity and to find out what kind of threat lurked in the Lotus District.


    Felix felt threatened, and for some reason, Wain believed him. He wanted to know why the blood lotuses sprouted and what happened after the worlds merged.

 Chapter 358 Entering The Zero Zone

    "Okay, we''re going to need the help of two strong fighters." Leon said seriously and gave his men themand to head for the entrance to the Lotus Area.


    Leon was confident that they would win this battle, and the stronger their team was, the fewer casualties they would have. Leon valued his men and didn''t want to lose them, especially his family members.


    The entrance to the Lotus District was in the center of the five Districts and looked like a huge gateway overgrown with thick vines like tree roots. In front of the entrance stood the elders of the Fallen Lotus Family and their allies. However, Felix could not be seen.


    Carlos stood at the front, and since Felix was absent, he decided to take the lead. The other elders didn''t mind, they knew that Carlos could do the job and were fully confident that Felix knew what he was doing. Felix had never once failed them before. It was only because of Felix''s willfulness and controversial decisions that the Fallen Lotus Family had be so influential.


    "Leon! I ask you for thest time to change your mind! Together we can control the development of the blood lotuses! We don''t need to fight. Only if the major families unite will Virfal grow and develop. We must take the chance we have been given." Carlos uttered.


    Many people agreed with his words. They did not want to fight Leon because they knew what it could lead to. In their opinion, any sacrifice in this situation was pointless and unreasonable.


    "Carlos, that''s enough. You know very well that I won''t change my mind. We must eliminate the extra bloody lotuses and clear the main flower. If you don''t want to fight, then join us or stay out of the way, or else we have to do it." Leon said stiffly and headed for the gate.


    Carlos and the elders didn''t bother him. The atmosphere was tense, but no one would fight in the city. The Fallen Lotus Family and the Scarlet Rose Family tacitly decided that the battle would be at Ground Zero, there they would resolve their conflict.


    Leon touched the roots, and a crimson me appeared in his palm. The fire quickly consumed the roots and turned them to ash.


    Leon''s power was unusual and unnatural for nts. His attribute was me, which was extremely rare and despised by many nts, but Leon was an exception. Despite such an attribute, other nts respected and even praised him.


    Leon pulled open the massive iron gate and stepped forward.


    "Forward, today will determine the fate of this city."


    "Yes!!!" The nobles eximed and headed after him.


    ''Blood...'' Suddenly, the voice of the Knight of the Bloody Rose sounded in Wain''s head.


    ''I can feel it... ahead... blood...'' The knight muttered, and Wain''s eyes turned red for a moment.


    The scent intensified, and Wain could clearly feel iting from the bottom of ground zero.


    "Wain, are you okay?" Eva asked.


    "Yeah... I just got a little distracted. Eva, I''m not sure I can protect you all the time, so be careful."


    "Don''t worry. I can take care of myself." Eva said seriously and headed for the gate.


    ''Huh, how proud, but... it might actually be dangerous.'' Wain thought and followed her.


    Wain didn''t underestimate Eva, but he was realistic and understood that Eva wouldn''t be able to fight on equal footing with Leon, Felix, or others at the limit of Second Chronicle. She still hadn''t evolved a second time, and her powers were limited.<sub> </sub>


    ? ...


    In the Fallen Lotus Family''s manor, a massive bud blossomed within which Felixy. He slowly opened his eyes and rose and muttered, "What a foul smell... I hope we clear Virfal of this rot today."


    Adder of lotus petals appeared in front of Felix, and he strolled toward the gate.


    ...


    Leon, Carlos, Wain, Eva, and others passed through the gate and saw the hidden zone of Virfal, the Lotus District. It was a wide and very high funnel, the bottom of which was barely visible.


    The funnel walls had long ago sprouted many nts and were covered with dense moss. Thin streams of water flowed out of the cracks,ing from the stream of a huge waterfall above the town.


    At the bottom shone a scarlet spot. The main root and the blood lotus from which the others sprouted. The lotuses covered the entire bottom and were slowly taking over the city.


    Wain took a deep breath and savored the scent. It wasn''t delicious or fragrant, but Wain was ecstatic, it was the smell of strength and blood.


    ''I absorbed one small lotus and increased my blood purity by only a drop, but there are hundreds and even thousands of them at the bottom, and they are much bigger and brighter than thest.''


    "Okay, now let''s begin." Leon uttered and extended his arm forward.


    His aura multiplied, and a pir of scarlet me erupted from it. A long, fiery trident appeared in Leon''s hand, and he wore dark burning armor.


    Carlos and the elders frowned but also prepared for battle and activated their a Beyonds.


    "I tried to negotiate, but you left me no choice!" Carlos eximed and attacked.


    Leon remained silent. He tensed his muscles and threw the ming spear with all his strength. The throw was so powerful that a shockwave formed in the air, the spear, like scarlet lightning, rushing toward Carlos.


    The elders and allies of the Fallen Lotus Family were horrified. They saw the aura of death emanating from the spear, and it was imminentlying towards them. They overestimated their strength, no one could defeat the strongest warrior in Virfal, Leon.


    "Ah, how beautiful." Suddenly, a quiet voice and a vast lotus bud appeared in front of Carlos.


    The flower opened wide into a shield thatpletely engulfed the scarlet spear and disintegrated into many pieces.


    Everyone turned around and saw Felix strolling toward them on his way out of the petals. He was calm and rxed. Leon''s attack was not scary to him.


    "Felix... I didn''t expect you to decide to take part in this." Leon muttered. He was well aware that Felix only acted in exceptional cases.


    "I wasn''t going to, but something happened. We don''t have time for war, we have to hurry. I can feel it."

 Chapter 359 Desire For Blood

    "Are you sure about this?" Leon asked.


    "Yes, I didn''t want to get involved, but my intuition is rarely this active. I can''t ignore it. We have to go down now and decide based on the situation. If we fight, we could make a grave mistake."


    Felix didn''t wait for a reaction and jumped into the abyss. It was a simple but revealing action. Leon and the elders knew Felix well, sometimes, he was toozy even just to walk, but now he was active.


    "Damn, it looks like we really have no right to dy." Leon turned around and jumped after Felix.


    The others gradually followed his example, and only Wain and Eva were left at the top after a minute.


    "We''re not going after them?"


    "No, we''ll join the party a littleter, let me enjoy that scent." Wain took a deep breath.


    Thousands of thin strands of scent from the blood lotuses headed toward him.


    "Okay, go ahead." Wain walked over to Eva, took her in his arms, and jumped down.


    Theynded among several blood lotuses that covered the entire bottom of the funnel. In the center was a massive tree-like root, on top of which a huge mansion-sized bud was blooming.


    Wain touched one blood lotus and absorbed it.


    [You absorbed the blood essence.]


    [Your blood essence is increased by 1%.]


    ''1%? That''s not bad, but the effectiveness is obviously going to drop precipitously.''


    The higher the blood purity was, the harder it was to raise it. This was a problem everyone faced without exception.


    Wain wasn''t the only one who decided to absorb blood lotuses, some of the nts did so even though there were possible negative effects.


    The leaders of the families did not stop them, as such a reaction was inevitable. The blood essence was a valuable resource that everyone coveted.


    "Aren''t you afraid you''ll have enough?" Eva asked.


    "No, I''m fine. There are plenty of blood lotuses, and that''s certainly not all. I smell a new, strange scent, Felix''s intuition didn''t let him down."


    Eva nodded and picked one of the flowers. She also needed to boost her blood purity, and she knew she couldn''t pass up such an opportunity.


    "Felix, how do you feel?" Leon asked.


    "The threat ising. I would advise you to destroy the blood lotuses, don''t you smell that?" Felix said seriously.


    The others began to smell the blood lotuses, and many of them frowned.


    <o>,m "What is that?" Carlos muttered, "Is that the kind of smell blood lotuses are supposed to have? It doesn''t smell like blood, it smells like rot..."<sub> </sub></o>


    A little panic began, people didn''t understand what was going on, and those who had already devoured the blood lotuses began to regret their greed.


    "Silence!" Leon said menacingly.


    He swung his fiery trident, and the mes consumed dozens of blood lotuses, turning them to ash. Leon destroyed the precious flowers containing the bloody essence without a doubt.


    "I hope no one has any doubts now that we must get rid of the bloody lotuses. We must hurry, go!" Leon uttered and plunged his trident into the ground creating a massive wave of fire.


    Everyone responded to his call without exception and used their skills to destroy the blood lotuses. The nasty smell of rot intensified by the second, and no one regarded the bloody lotuses as a treasure anymore.


    ''Now...'' The voice of the Knight of the Bloody Rose sounded in Wain''s head.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ground trembled, and the ground beneath the main bloody lotus began to fall. A fountain of dark blood erupted from it. The drops covered the ground and the lotuses, and they began to change.


    Spiky vines burst from beneath the ground and began to attack the nts, and the blood lotuses developed a menacing aura. Gradually the flowers turned into monsters with creepy jaws. They looked ferocious and bloodthirsty.


    "What is this...?" Eva muttered.


    "I don''t know... maybe it''s some monsters, or the bloody essence has taken material form. Either way, it looks really creepy. Eva, get a safe distance away. I don''t know what happens next." Wain said, and dark wings erupted from his back, and a sword appeared in his hand.


    The main flower was unaffected and brightly illuminated the battlefield with a scarlet light.


    Leon and the elders of the main families fought valiantly. Their attacks were deadly and effective, easily destroying the vines and killing the reanimated lotuses, but the situation was grim. The other nts failed, and the lotuses devoured them and grew stronger.


    The vines pierced the defeated warriors and turned them into monsters with bloodshot eyes and an eerie aura. There were gradually more opponents and fewer allies.


    "Looks like I should have hurried... Okay, it''s not a critical problem." Felix muttered and folded his arms in front of him.


    He created a huge lotus bud that split into hundreds of petals. They headed toward the nts, and a phantom purple armor appeared on them, protecting them from any threats. The revived lotuses couldn''t get through the armor, nor could the vines.


    "You still prefer not to attack?" Leon uttered and swung his tridents, creating a stream of fire that destroyed dozens of lotuses and vines.


    "I hope I don''t need to do that. I had a lot of troublest time because of this, your power should be enough for that." Felix calmly replied and flew upward on his petal.


    He defended nts, but he took no further action. Felix''s manner of fighting was strange and unnatural. It was as if he was a spectator rather than a participant.


    Wain did not actively participate in the battle. He only killed the lively lotuses that attacked him or Eva. Wain sensed that this was not the end, the scent told him.


    Tremble.


    The ground trembled again, and a huge bloody hand emerged from the hole by the main lotus. It looked like the paw of a demoning from hell. Many people trembled with fear and stepped back.


    Then a second hand and another pair of hands appeared. There was more than one monster hiding below.

 Chapter 360 The Flaming Spear

    "What is that...?"


    "It''s something that was going to devour the city, but we stopped it, no, them." Felix said calmly and folded his arms in front of him.


    His aura intensified, and his eyes began to bleed. Hundreds of small lotuses appeared on the walls of the funnel, all the way to the top. They opened up, creating a single barrier that was supposed to protect other areas from attack.


    "Agh!" Felix spat out a clot of blood and breathed heavily. Even for him to do something like that was very difficult.


    "Huh, he made good on his promise. Now the city will be all right, and we can fight without holding back." Wain muttered.


    "Yeah, but that creature looks scary."


    Arms kept appearing from the abyss, and two massive monsters climbed up. They looked like wild beasts, covered in blood and spiky vines with creepy jaws. They were one of the Blood Twins.


    The monsters looked the same, and even their auras were no different.


    "Rooooaaarrr!"


    The Blood Twins roared and attacked. They simultaneously brought their massive paws down from top to bottom, crushing and killing some of the nts. They turned them into bloody blobs, and it horrified everyone.


    Crackle.


    Then the other Blood Twins came out on top, their numbers growing steadily.


    "Felix, can you protect us?" Carlos eximed.


    "No, I''ve spent too much energy defending the city, it''s impossible now." Felix shook his head and took off on a lotus petal. He didn''t even have the strength left to defend himself in case of danger, he had fulfilled his role.


    Felix''s task was to protect the city, it was up to the other leader of the great families to destroy his enemies.


    Whooooooosh.


    Leon threw the trident sharply at one of the Blood Twins. The trident flew through the monster and made it burn in scarlet mes. However, the other Blood Twin did not do anything. He touched the wounded monster, and some blood went to its wounded mate.


    The fire quickly extinguished, and the monster regenerated.


    "Damn, not only are they strong, but they can help each other, but they seem to have weak defenses." Leon muttered.


    He generated a new trident and raised it high above his head, "Don''t you dare back down! They are nothing more than mindless clots of blood! Use your strongest skills and keep a safe distance!"


    Leon knew how to act in such situations. He understood that people were afraid, their friends and mates had died before their eyes, but it was an illusion that they couldn''t win. The Bloody Twins took them by surprise and nothing more.


    "Yes!!!"


    The nts responded to his call, and their fighting spirit was awakened in them. They stopped being afraid, and the Bloody Twins began to lose and had to retreat. The four monsters were thrown back, but then four more Blood Twins crawled out of the abyss.<sub> </sub>


    They merged with their brothers and became much stronger. The injured Blood Twins fully recovered, grew muchrger, and had blood te armor on their bodies.


    "What?! They can unite?!" Carlos eximed and attacked. He swung his sword and created a pink energy de, but it couldn''t scratch the Blood Twin.


    The monster looked at him and ran like a wild beast. The ground trembled, and rocks flew apart.


    Carlos decided not to retreat. He teamed up with the other elders of the Fallen Lotus Family. They created a magical circle from which a massive beam of energy flew out. It pierced Blood Twin, but the wound instantly healed, and the monster brought two paws down on them.


    The elders were seriously wounded, and only Carlos managed to retreat in time.


    "Damn, how can we beat them?!"


    "Hey, even the elders of the Fallen Lotus Family failed. What chance do we have then?"


    "We need to run! They''ll kill us all!"


    Because of the elders'' defeat, the fighters began to panic again. They were ready to fight to defend their home, but most didn''t have enough courage to die for it.


    "They don''t even see a chance to win, so their reaction isn''t surprising." Felix watching the fight from above, muttered, "But, Leon is considered the strongest for a reason."


    Leon understood that the situation was critical, and he decided to use one of his strongest skills.


    His hair glowed, and a massive fire circle appeared above one of the four monsters in the sky. A spear appeared in the circle''s center whose mes could burn anything. It swiftly descended upon the Blood Twin, a deafening explosion.


    The mes engulfed everything around it, the remaining blood lotuses were incinerated, and the fire rose to the top. Only the main flower and root managed to survive, as three Blood Twins protected it.


    Many nts could have suffered from the mes, but Felix''s armor protected them. However, the energy armor shattered into tiny pieces after this attack, and the nts were left unprotected. This showed how strong Leon''s attack was.


    Leon didn''t stop there. He was determined to end the Bloody Twins right now, and he didn''t care about the consequences. Even if many nobles had to die for it, he was fine with that.


    He stretched his arm forward and created a seal in the air from which arge sphere slowly emerged. It was covered in mes and looked like a small sun.


    "Roooaarrr!"


    The Blood Twins roared in pain and tried to attack the sun, but their paws burned as fast as dry twigs.


    Leon breathed heavily, it was his most powerful skill, but despite this, the sun continued to descend and incinerate the Blood Twins.


    The nts retreated from the epicenter as quickly and as far away as possible, as this attack was also deadly for them. They felt the heat, and some had already managed to get wounds and burns.


    The sun was getting closer, and the main root began to burn. The Blood Twins didn''t know what to do, they were strong but stupid, all they could do was try to withstand this me.


    When the mes almost reached the main blood lotus, the flower glowed brightly, and the Blood Twins'' bodies trembled.

 Chapter 361 The Twin

    The ming sun should have burned the Blood Twins and the main root, but the massive Blood Lotus was activated at thest moment. It shone brightly and opened wide, and the Blood Twins'' bodies trembled.


    They pounced on each other like wild beasts despite the approaching threat. The Blood Lotus exploded and split into two massive petals. One petal turned into a barrier that protected the Blood Twins, and the second petal headed toward them.


    The three Blood Twins absorbed each other and, with the energy from the petal, became one, a huge and terrible monster. A formidable aura emanated from it that was much stronger than before. This monster could easily defeat ten Blood Twins.


    The Last Blood Twin had several protective lotus petals on its body, as well as open buds on its paws and back. A bloody and putrid scent emerged from the monster''s jaw, and Vines and sturdy tes protected blood Twin''s entire body.


    Blood Twin''s fierce eyes looked at Leon and the monster instantly attacked.


    Whooooooosh.


    Blood Twin opened his mouth wide and was about to devour Leon, but Leon reacted quickly and jumped aside. He had no strength left for another attack and needed time to recover.


    The monster didn''t stop there and continued to pursue Leon. The Bloody Twin was destroying everything it saw in its path.


    Some nts wanted to help Leon, but themanders stopped them. They realized that no one but Leon would be able to avoid the attacks of such a strong and fast enemy. Anyone who tried to help Leon would only get in his way and die.


    Bloody Twin roared and leaped at Leon. The monster knew Leon would try to dodge, so it jumped ahead. Leon didn''t have the strength or time to react, and the monster came crashing down on him.


    Snap.


    However, the Blood Twin did not crush Leon. A small lotus appeared between them at thest moment, throwing the monster aside.


    Leon looked up and saw a smiling Felix. He snapped his finger, and the lotus petal headed toward Leon and lifted him to a safe height.


    "Thank you. It looks like you''ve regained some strength already."


    "Yes, but it''s not enough. I don''t know how we can beat this." Felix muttered and pointed his hand at Blood Twin.


    The monster looked at them furiously and jumped high up, trying to reach the soaring lotus on which Felix was sitting.


    "What a restless..."


    Felix waved his hand, and another lotus appeared in the Blood Twin''s path. It prevented the monster from advancing any further and pressed it to the ground.


    "How long can you hold it back?"


    "Huh, not many. Just a few seconds, I''ve never met such a physically well-developed creature."


    Leon nodded and created a wave of me from the remaining energy with a wave of his hand. The fire covered the monster but was engulfed by the lotus like a ck hole on its back.


    "Vines and tes well protect it from physical attacks, but the buds also absorb elemental attacks. You and I have no more energy left, and our enemy has every parameter at a high level. How do we win?" Leon pondered.


    The Bloody Twin tried again to jump Felix and Leon, but they just flew up, and the monster failed to reach them.<sub> </sub>


    On the other side, the elders and squad leaders tried to draw the enemy''s attention away from their men.


    "Fall back, quietly and slowly." Carlos said, handing out instructions.


    The nts realized that soon the Bloody Monster would realize that he couldn''t kill Leon and Felix, and then the monster would switch to another target. The Elders realized that they would not be able to withstand the Bloody Twin, nor would they be able to escape from this vortex. Their only option was to hide and wait for the right moment.


    "Roooooaaaarrr!!!"


    Blood Twin roared with helplessness and no longer looked in Felix''s direction. The monster looked around and found that he could see no one. The nts were well hidden under the roots, flowers, and earth. The only thing that would give them away was the smell that Blood Twin could clearly smell.


    However, Blood Twin ignored it. Two unusual smells caught his attention, they were different from the smell from nts.


    Blood Twin looked at Wain and Eva standing in the distance.


    Wain hadn''t taken part in the battle before as he couldn''t risk Eva''s safety. He understood that Eva could die if several monsters decided to attack her. Leon and the elders fought, and Wain saw no reason to interfere.


    However, since Leon had killed all the monsters with the sun, there were no more enemies now except for the Bloody Twin. Wain was ready for battle, he assessed Blood Twin''s abilities and chances of victory.


    Blood Twin grinned and lunged in his direction.


    "Should I go?" Eva asked.


    "No, next to me is safest. Think of you as being in the front row of a movie theater, too bad there''s no popcorn." Wain uttered and closed his eyes.


    ''Which one of you should I choose?'' Wain mentally said, addressing the forms.


    Wain had already learned to make better contact with the forms, and the silhouette of the dark castle inside his Soul Altar sometimes appeared in his mind. He intuitively felt it.


    ''Me. We''ll cut this running piece of meat into cubes and barbecue it.'' Cursed Swordsman said and withdrew his sword from the tform.


    ''Good.''


    Wain was surprised that the Cursed Swordsman and not the Knight of the Bloody Rose responded, but he didn''t have time to think about it.


    Whooooosh.


    Wain''s appearance transformed, and a long silver sword appeared in his hand. The temperature around him dropped sharply, and a thinyer of ice appeared on the ground.


    The Bloody Twin almost got to Wain, but he was not about to retreat.


    Wain put the sword in front of him and used a special skill of the second form - ''Ice Execution''. The silver sword was covered in blue mes, and Wain unleashed it on the monster.


    The Ice Execution could instantly kill an enemy if the forces were roughly equal and were able to seriously wound even Osvald, a person with a neutral zone.

 Chapter 362 Blood And Passion

    The Bloody Twin continued its offensive. The monster survived Leon''s scarlet sun and was protected from the mes, so it was not afraid of Wain''s attack.


    Wain lowered his sword, he cut off the monster''s paw, and the blue mes engulfed Blood Twin. The monster roared in pain, the lotuses on its body trying to absorb the fire, but it was impossible. The blue mes from the Ice Execution could burn forever.


    "Huh, I didn''t ask him to help us for nothing." Felix said smiling.


    "What? When did you have time to talk to them?" Leon was puzzled.


    "Right after you did." Felix looked at the burning Blood Twin, "That''s impressive, the lotuses consumed your mes, but now the monster is in agony."


    "Yes, but this is no ordinary fire. I doubt he can do it again. He can''t use that skill several times in a row, he''s already a little tired." Leon said seriously.


    He wanted to join the battle and help Wain kill the Blood Twin, but he didn''t have that option. Leon had to regain some strength, or he would be of no use in a battle of this level.


    Wain frowned. He was able to wound the Blood Twin seriously, but that was the worst possible option. Wain did not instantly kill the Blood Twin or inflict a mortal wound on him. That meant that the monster was stronger than he was.


    Bloody Berserk lost a paw, but it was a minor wound. The biggest problem was the blue me.


    ''Okay, I need to deal with him faster than he can find a way to get rid of the fire.''


    Wain rushed toward the monster and swung his sword. He created a wave of ice, which headed toward the monster. Some of the vines and tes on Blood Twin''s body copsed, and he was seriously wounded.


    Blood Twin realized that he was in a critical situation. The monster jumped aside, and the vines sliced into his flesh. Spikes burst from the vines, piercing the flesh and Blood Twin began to tear them off along with the blue mes.


    ''What a bastard. Decided to sacrifice part of himself but get rid of the fire.'' Wain thought, running toward the monster.


    The Bloody Twin tore off the flesh with his ws, and thus he could get rid of the fire.


    Wain swung his sword twice, creating an X-shaped de. Blood Twin tried to defend himself by putting his paw forward, but the des easily cut it off.


    "He''s going to finish him off now!" One of the nts eximed.


    "God, he''s so strong! Now I see why Mr. Leon invited him."


    "Yes! This is our chance to win!"


    "We should help him!"


    The nts sitting in hiding felt that victory was near. They were surprised that the stranger was so strong, but that made it more joyful.


    They did not think about getting rid of the infection or protecting Virfal and its inhabitants, then, they only cared about their lives. No one wanted to die, and that was okay.


    Wain continued to attack, inflicting many wounds on the Bloody Twin. The monster''s body was covered in icy cuts, but something bothered Wain.


    ''Every time I strike, the smell of blood and rot intensifies, is it supposed to, or is he trying to trap me?'' Wain pondered and swung his sword aiming for the monster''s head.<sub> </sub>


    Blood Twin''s pupils narrowed, and the lotuses on his body turned red. The Blood Twin instantly regenerated its severed paws and grew a long tail with a sharp tip like a spear.


    "What the...?!"


    The Blood Twin turned around and struck Wain with his tail. Wain didn''t have time to react, and the thick whip copsed on him and threw him aside.


    This attack left a bleeding wound on Wain''s side, but that was thest trump card the Bloody Twin had.


    The lotus buds on his body crumbled and rotted away. The Bloody Twin had traded his protection for a chance to survive to be much stronger. Now he had no choice but to kill everyone in Zero Zone.


    "Fucker... Still managed to get me..." Wain climbed out from under the rubble and sharply threw his sword at the monster. He was angry that Blood Twin had been able to wound him and take him by surprise. The regeneration and the appearance of the tail were unexpected.


    Blood Twin dodged, and the sword mmed into the wall, prating the barrier set up by Felix. The stone instantly turned to ice, and therge block fell down, shattering into small shards.


    Blood Twin regenerated and got stronger, but he didn''t want to attack Wain. He was low on energy, and the monster wanted to replenish his reserves first.


    The monster was looking for a victim. It needed someone to eat and drink blood to recover quickly. Bloody Twin could have attacked nts, but he chose another, more interesting target: Eva.


    Whooooooosh.


    Bloody Twin ran toward Eva with his jaw wide open. A blood lust emanated from him.


    "Shit!" Wain eximed and pped his wings. He turned into a sh and ran toward Eva.


    Eva didn''t back down, she knew she couldn''t escape such an enemy, but she could block one attack. It was enough for Wain to get to her in time to help her. Eva was confident that she could handle it.


    Her eyes changed, and her aura rose. She iled her arms and created a massive and dense wall of ash. However, the Blood Twin broke through it easily, his body as strong as steel.


    Eva tried again and created several walls and then dropped a massive wave of ash on them. It took her a lot of strength to do this.


    The Blood Twin punched through all the walls, but its momentum weakened, and the wave slowed it down. Eva wanted to retreat, but Blood Twin would not let her do so.


    The monster swung its tail like a deadly spear toward Eva. The tail was closing in on her, and Eva realized that she was running out of time.


    ''No... I don''t have time to dodge!'' Eva thought in panic.


    A crackle.


    The tail mmed into the flesh, and blood gushed out, flooding the ground.


    "Damn... I knew I shouldn''t have left you..." Wain muttered with trickles of blood dripping from the corners of his mouth.

 Chapter 363 Kiss

    The tail should have pierced Eva, but instead, Wain''s blood was spilled. He used all his strength to get there in time to protect Eva. The tail hit Wain and Eva was safe. The tip hovered in front of her unable to advance any further.


    "Agh!" Wain vomited a mouthful of blood.


    The tail went through her chest and grazed her heart. This could not be ignored or quickly healed, such wounds could have resulted in death without immediate medical attention.


    "Wain..." Eva muttered. She stared in horror at the blood dripping from the wound and began to panic. Eva understood that the situation was serious. Wain was not immortal.


    "It''s... okay..." Wain said, and his eyes darkened.


    He didn''t die, but he was close to it, Wain passed out.


    ''You have to help me.'' The Knight of the Bloody Rose turned to the ck Sun Aristocrat.


    ''Ah... This is going to be rather problematic, you know.''


    ''Just do it... Otherwise, he''ll die, and I won''t see what I''ve been waiting for.''


    ''Stop wasting time, hurry the hell up! Cursed Swordman shouted.


    ''Okay, but now the jokes are over.'' Suddenly the tone of the ck Sun Aristocrat changed dramatically. It became more majestic and harsh.


    Aristocrat touched the mask and pulled it slightly away from his face. A massive torrent of darkness erupted, engulfing everything around it.


    In the real world, a shroud of dark energy appeared on Wain''s face. Eva was shocked; she didn''t understand what was happening.


    ''Say it...'' The knight muttered.


    The aristocrat nodded, and Wain raised his head slightly. White eyes and mouth appeared in the dark veil.


    "Come here...to me...quickly...it''s passion and blood..." Wain uttered, and the mask disappeared.


    Eva hesitated. She didn''t know what to do, but she quickly pulled herself together. Her eyes changed, and she headed toward him with a confident stride.


    Her tailshed out at Eva, but she didn''t stop and continued on her way. When she reached Wain, she took him by the cheeks and kissed him. Their blood flowing from their wounds joined, as did their lips.


    ''Ahahahaha. Good, that reminds me of the old days. Now it is time for a long feast of love, blood, and despair!'' The Knight of the Bloody Rose eximed and sharply thrust his sword into himself.


    Wain''s and Eva''s auras increased dramatically, and many spiky vines emerged from beneath the ground.


    Blood Twin panicked and decided to pull his tail out, but the vines severed the tail and engulfed it. The monster roared in pain and anger and attacked Wain and Eva, he wanted the got tail back and tear them apart.


    However, Blood Twin''s attacks were useless. A cocoon of vines protected Wain and Eva, and the monster couldn''t even scratch it.


    "What''s going on...?" Leon muttered shockedly. He looked at Felix, hoping for an answer.


    "I don''t know, but obviously, when the cocoon opens, this battle will end, our, no, their crushing victory. I can feel it, and my intuition has never failed me before."


    "Do you think this is his unique ability, or is it something all the humans are capable of?"


    "No." Felix shook his head, "Only he is capable of it, and it has nothing to do with his race or his abilities."<sub> </sub>


    "Relying on your intuition again?"


    "Of course, to me, it''s the only indicator of whether I''m right or wrong."


    Felix waved his hand and created a small lotus above the barrier. It wasn''t much, but Felix didn''t have the strength for more. It was an extra defense that the Blood Twin would have to breakthrough.


    The cocoon of vines grew and began to be covered in bloody rose petals. The Zero Zone was filled with a pleasant and rich scent that was intoxicating.


    "It looks like something beautiful is waiting for us... This smell is unique." Carlos uttered, and the other nts agreed with him. It was as if they were mesmerized.


    Crackling.


    The cocoon began to open like a rosebud, slowly and smoothly. Inside were Wain and Eva, still bound together by a kiss. They opened their eyes and parted their lips.


    Their eyes were red and deep. They slowly looked at the Blood Twin and smiled weakly.


    "I thought that after the kiss during the fall from the waterfall, nothing else could surprise me, but this is beyond me." Eva muttered.


    "It was a revtion even to me."


    Their wounds were fully healed, and their left hands were clenched tightly with spiky vines.


    Wain squeezed Eva''s palm and said, "Go ahead, one kiss, one attack, one finished fate."


    Eva nodded, and the vines moved, they quickly transformed into a long sword with a bloody rosebud on the de.


    Bloody Twin quickly pounced on them. The monster realized that this was his best and only chance to kill them and win.


    Wain and Eva were not going to back down. They raised the sword high above their heads and lowered it sharply, touching the de''s tip to the floor.


    The ground trembled, and hundreds of vines pierced the Blood Twin. They were covered in blood and joined together, gradually bing roots and a wide tree trunk.


    Blood Twin died almost instantly. He no longer had protection or incredible regeneration, he sacrificed it for the chance to survive.


    The vines pierced every part of Blood Twin''s body, leaving no part intact.


    The Blood Twin became the base for a massive tree on top of which hundreds of roses blossomed instead of leaves. The monster''s body began to dry out, fueling the tree and a scarlet liquid poured from the rosebuds.


    Wain snapped his finger, and the many drops turned into two streams toward them.


    "This is our reward." Wain uttered and opened his mouth slightly. Eva did the same.


    The scarlet rose blood tasted like the finest and finest wine. Wain and Eva wanted to continue this indefinitely. They could not get enough.


    The nts were mesmerized by this scene. It was as if everyone had forgotten about the Bloody Twin, who had been the main threat a moment ago, for what Wain and Eva were drinking was bloody essence.


    Wain and Eva weren''t even paying attention to the many messages that appeared in front of them.

 Chapter 364 The End Of The Blood Crisis

    [You have absorbed arge amount of blood essence.]


    [Your blood purity has been increased by 5%.]


    [You absorbed a huge amount of blood essence.]


    [Your blood purity has been increased by 10%]


    [You have absorbed...]


    The messages continued to appear until Wain and Eva stopped drinking the scarlet stream.


    "Ah, I hope in the future I can try something so delicious..." Eva muttered.


    "Yes, it will definitely happen." Wain said, looking at thetest posts.


    [Your blood purity has reached 85%.]


    [You can no longer increase blood purity with a blood essence of this quality.]


    ''85%... Well, that''s not bad. However, getting thest 5% will be extremely difficult, perhaps even more difficult than that 35%.''


    "Eva, what is your blood purity now?"


    "85%"


    "I see, but now you can start the second evolution. Right?"


    "Yes, I''m ready now. I don''t want to be a burden anymore. You almost died this time because you were trying to protect me. If I had reached Second Chronicle, I could have given that monster and many others a fight back." Eva said seriously.


    She felt guilty about what was happened. She was the reason they had gotten into Virfal, and she was the reason Wain had been hurt.


    "Of course. We all strive for strength, and it''s natural. Everyone has their own goals, and strength is one way to achieve them."


    Wain looked at the Bloody Tree. There was no trace of Gemini left. The treepletely absorbed the monster to gain strength and energy. This tree would now be the center of the zero zone and Virfal.


    ''Hmm, looks like the tree also absorbed the monster''s soul. Pity, perhaps it could have possessed the Legendary Soul.''


    Wain practically met the second of three conditions to begin the third evolution, but in addition to 90% blood purity, he also needed 5 Majesty. Achieving this goal was no less difficult than meeting all of the previous conditions.


    Whoooosh.


    A lotus petal flew up to them, from which Felix and Leon jumped.


    "You did a great job. I honestly didn''t expect it to end like this. Thank you for your help!" Leon said and bowed slightly.


    Felix just nodded.


    "What will you do with this tree? I''d hate to see such beauty go to waste."


    "Don''t worry. We''ll take care of it. During this battle, I was once again convinced that the system in the city needed to bepletely changed. Most nobles are good for nothing and nothing more than arrogant cowards. The structure of the city is also wrong. Felix, will you help me?"


    "Ah, I wanted to rest and get a good night''s sleep after this mess, but it seems I have no other choice. The world, as well as everything around us, has changed, but only we are standing still. It shouldn''t go on."


    "Is this tree going to be andmark?" Eva asked.


    "No, it will be the center of the new Virfal. It''s time to destroy the borders between the five districts and create a center. It''s the right thing to do, and the blood from those scarlet roses will be the reward for the best."


    All the nts realized that it was a bloody essence and everyone wanted at least one drop. Leon understood this and was going to use it to his advantage.<sub> </sub>


    "It''s the right thing to do. We need strong allies."


    "Allies?" Leon was puzzled.


    "Oh, I didn''t tell you, but Wain and Eva and I agreed on something. Briefly, we are to meet with the city leader of the humans. It is located above the waterfall. I''m sure we''ll make friends." Felix uttered.


    "Hell, you''re no more agile than a sloth, yet you always end up a few steps ahead. How do you do it?"


    "I just go from the other side, that''s all, it''s pretty easy. You''re always running from afar, and there''s too much going on before you reach your goal."


    "Okay, you can change the town and start negotiating with Gisle without me. It''s time to get some rest." Wain said and fell unconscious.


    Eva caught him and smiled softly. She put his head on herp, and a few scarlet rose petals fell on them.


    ...


    Wain slowly opened his eyes and looked around.


    He was lying in a luxurious bed in a spacious room.


    ''Where am I? Is this Leon''s house?''


    Because of the interior that only wealthy people could afford, Wain assumed that he was in the Scarlet Rose Family''s estate.


    Wain slowly got up and did a little warm-up. He winced and received no wounds, but his body still ached. Each deadly battle forced him to put his best foot forward and overexert himself.


    ''Damn, it''s been a long time. I hope I didn''t miss the auction.'' Wain thought and headed for the exit.


    Click.


    The door opened, and a charming girl stepped inside.


    She looked at Wain in surprise and eximed, "What?! Are you awake already?!"


    "You''re Nina, Leon''s sister, right?"


    The girl nodded.


    "Why are you surprised? How long have I been asleep?"


    "Just one day. Based on the stories about what happened in zero zone, I thought you''d need a month to recover. You have excellent regeneration. I''m even a little jealous."


    ''One day... It''s noon. The auction will be held at night, so I only have a day and a half. Okay, that''s enough.''


    "Do you need anything?"


    "No, but I want to ask you something. Where''s Eva?"


    "You mean your girlfriend?" Nina smirked, "She asked Leon for a quiet ce where she could get some privacy. She started her second evolution."


    "I see. In that case, when she''s done, tell her I''m off to the auction and don''t know when I''ll be back."


    "Of course." Nina nodded.


    ...


    Wain left the estate and Virfal. He wanted to say goodbye to Leon and Felix, but they had already gone to Last Light to talk to Gisle. They were positive, and Wain was sure that soon the humans would have a new ally, as well as the vampires.

 Chapter 365 The Vanished Forest

    Wain left Virfal and visited his Void, the Forest of Frozen Dreams. The auction was still a day and a half away, and Wain wanted to umte enough Void Souls to buy something of value.


    He had almost thirty thousand Void Souls, but Wain didn''t think it was enough. His main goal so far was to increase his blood purity, and for that, he needed to get a high ranking Bloodstone.


    Wain was going to go to the arenas and fight in them for half a day and then go to Nord, but before that, he went to the woods, to Reto.


    As always, Reto was in his castle, drinking red wine and enjoying the beautiful views. He was, by nature, a rather quiet, cunning, andzy man. Reto preferred to rest and immerse himself in thoughts than to trouble himself with training. In part, he could afford it because of the unusual attribute.


    "I haven''t seen you in a while. How are you?" Reto said, looking at Wain walking in his direction.


    "Not bad, thest few days have been eventful, and I don''t have a day to take a break."


    "Huh, you make too many ns. Sometimes you need a little rxation to get your thoughts in order and figure out what''s the best direction to go in."


    "You may be right, but you definitely abuse it. You''re always rxing."


    "Don''t be so harsh, the forest, the monsters, and the Dark Elves are evolving. Isn''t that enough to show that I''m not a bad ruler of thesends?"


    "If there were no Elegan, all the territories would have fallen apart long ago, so don''t tter yourself."


    Reto smiled and took the bottle of wine in his hands, "Shall I pour you one?"


    "Yes."


    Reto filled two sses and took a sip, enjoying the taste and aroma.


    "Did youe to see me on business, or did you just want mypany?"


    "I want to ask you something. You are a Dark Elf, and I hope you can answer my question."


    "Of course, I''m listening to you carefully."


    "I need to find the Forgotten Forest of Elves. Do you know anything about it?" Wain asked seriously.


    Reto was surprised, and his eyes went wide.


    "The Forgotten Forest... Do you need to get there?"


    "Yes."


    "I see, unfortunately, I think it''s impossible."


    "What? Why?"


    "The Forgotten Forest is a famous ce in Elf culture, it is something of a great tomb where the lost souls of the great Elves reside. They are like ghosts wandering there. It used to be possible to get there with enough authority, but the Forgotten Forest disappeared."


    "What happened?"


    "No one knows. It happened too long ago, and so many of the current Elves treat the Forgotten Forest as an interesting story and nothing more. I do not know how to help you. If the Forgotten Forest has not been destroyed, then it is in some space, but so far, no one has been able to find a way." Reto muttered.<sub> </sub>


    The Dark Elves and the Elves did not get along with each other, but in many ways, they shared culture, and Reto had heard of the Forgotten Forest many times. He even tried to go there once, but it didn''t work out.


    "Aren''t there any ways? Maybe you know some legends or dubious options?"


    Wain had to get to the Forgotten Forest of Elves, for there, he had to find the Running Light. It was a condition for the discovery of the sixth form.


    "Ah... I''ve heard that the Forgotten Forest used to be navigated by Guides, those special spirits responsible for the connection between the Forgotten Forest and the Elven World, but after the Forgotten Forest disappeared, no one has been able to find them. You can definitely get there if you can do it, but honestly, you don''t stand a chance."


    ''Guides... Damn, the conditions get harder and more confusing every time. I still wouldn''t have discovered the fifth form if I hadn''t met Eva. What happens next? Will I even be able to open the next forms?''


    "I see. Sorry to hear that, but thanks anyway." Wain finished his wine and left the castle.


    "The Forgotten Forest... I wonder if anything has changed there since the merging of worlds?" Reto muttered.


    ...


    Besides Reto, Wain chatted with Frigus and Elegan. He learned about how the zone was evolving and was pleased with the results.


    Frigus taught the monsters to fight and the art of the sword if possible. The monsters were known to love and want to fight and get stronger, so there was no problem with motivation.


    Elegan turned out to be an excellent manager, just as Wain had expected. The monsters respected and ran all of his errands. He was fair and honest and did everything for the good of the zone. Elegan dreamed of such a role, and Wain gave him this opportunity for which he was grateful.


    ...


    Step.


    Wain entered the cave under the waterfall.


    Edena and Lui Bu were working hard, as always. Their small alchemicalboratory smelled pleasantly of various medicinal herbs and various fruits.


    "Wain! You''re back!" Lui Bu eximed.


    "Yes, how are you doing? Have you made any progress?"


    "Hmm, we''ve made some useful potions and pills, but we can''t call it a sess"


    "Why not?"


    "It''s not what we need." Edena said, walking into the room, "For some reason, we still can''t create anything meaningful. Small projects are always easy for us, but we inevitably fail if we try to create somethingrge-scale."


    "What were you trying to do?"


    "We spent a lot of time trying to create a potion with the essence of blood, but we failed, even with the blood fountain in mind. Sarras gave us some tips, but our maximum is blood bombs and soporific mist right now." Edena said dejectedly.


    "Perhaps you took my words too seriously. You don''t have to spend all your energy creating something asplex as a blood essence potion. Therefore, you are talented and easily able to create something lessplicated. Do it gradually."

 Chapter 366 Snow

    "Yes, you''re right, but Lui Bu and I want to create something meaningful as quickly as possible. This desire is very hard to resist." Edena muttered.


    "I''m going to go to the auction. Perhaps you would like me to buy something there if the opportunity presents itself?"


    Edena and Lui Bu pondered. They had the Constructs gear, but they stillcked a lot to reach their full potential.


    "I could use special cauldrons andpressed me essences that can be controlled. That would help process many ingredients with great efficiency, but it''s expensive stuff." Lui Bu said.


    "Don''t worry about the price. I will act on the situation. If I can, I will buy it. Edena, do you have any requests?"


    "Hmm... I''m not sure, but I think it would be good if you bought some rare and unusual potions and guides. Potions don''t have to be useful and effective. I''m interested in their uniqueness. We can study these potions in detail with the instruments and learn something for ourselves."


    "Okay, I hear you." Wain nodded and left the cave.


    Unlike Edena, he was pleased with their results. Wain understood that it was impossible to seed instantly. It was a difficult and long process. He was also sure that the other alchemists could not handle the tasks as quickly as Edena and Lui Bu.


    Often the monsters needed different potions to heal their wounds after sparring or speed up the build-up of energy. Edena and Lui Bu would do whatever Elegan asked and prepare the right amount of potions in the shortest amount of time.


    ...


    Wain spent the next half day at the Arenas. He chose low-ranked Arenas, where there was no threat to him. Wain did not want to get seriously injured and miss the auction because of it.


    He collected many souls and traded them with Sven for several thousand Void Souls during this time. Wain had a total of 40,000 Void Souls. He decided that was enough, he had no more time anyway. He had to leave to get there in time before the auction started.


    Wain opened the portal and found himself at the entrance to Virfal. He had to go up the waterfall and go north, where Nord was, the city where the auction would be held the next night.


    "Well... It might even be harder than defeating that monster." Wain muttered, looking up at the massive torrents of the waterfall.


    ...


    It took Wain a couple of hours to get back to Merge Ind. He had no idea how high the waterfall was. It seemed to him that the falls were getting higher and higher, and it was impossible to ovee them.


    Crackling.


    Dark wings erupted from Wain''s back, and he turned into a sh. Wain decided not to save his strength and get to Nord as fast as possible. This was the Demon City, and he wanted to explore it before the auction began.


    Wain crossed fields and forests, leaving deep trails behind him. His onlyndmarks were the map Ellen had given him and the blue moon that illuminated his path.


    ...


    As the first rays of sunlight appeared, Wain saw the high mountains in the distance, and the temperature around dropped considerably.


    ''Great, I''m almost there. ording to the map, Nord is behind several mountain ranges. I''ll get there in less than an hour.'' After a couple of minutes, Wain sped up and entered the northern territory.<sub> </sub>


    The snow creaked beneath his feet, and snowkes fell on the massive spruces, covering them with a thickyer of snow.


    ''Ah, how long has it been since I''ve seen snow? It''s been less than a year since I left my world, but I feel like it''s been decades.'' Wain thought, climbing up the mountain.


    Small animals like hares and arctic foxes hid in their burrows at the sight of Wain.


    Whoooosh.


    Wain climbed the peak and looked around. From here, in the distance, he could see the outline of massive walls, this was Nord, the main city in the area.


    "Great, not much left." Wain said.


    "Roooooaaaaaaarrrrr!"


    Suddenly there was a menacing roar.


    Wain turned around and saw a massive pr bearing out of the cave, which was not happy that Wain had entered its territory.


    ''A bear? Damn, that brings back memories. Even though it''s Demonnd, it reminds me of my world.'' Wain thought, and the Ring of Damned glowed.


    The wings swayed, and Wain attacked the bear. He swung his sword aiming for the bear''s head. Wain wanted to finish it quickly and beautifully, in one move.


    <o>,m The bear gritted its fangs and stomped its paw on the ground in response, creating a shockwave and waves of snow tossing Wain aside.</o>


    "Huh, Ipletely forgot that even bears in this world can be pretty damn strong." Wain muttered and climbed out of the hole.


    Wain pped his wings, and a silhouette of a serpent''s tail appeared above him during the spurt. It came down on the bear like a whip, but the beast sustained no serious damage. This powerful attack, which could kill many Second Chronicle creatures, left only a small scratch on the bear''s body.


    ''Damn, he''s tough.''


    Wain approached the bear and swung his sword, but the beast blocked this attack with its ws and roared deafeningly. This created a powerful sound wave that forcefully knocked Wain back and fell several trees.


    ''Hmm, what am I supposed to do?'' Wain pondered as hey in the snow.


    He could defeat the pr bear if he used more skills or one of the forms, but he didn''t like it. This battle was not in his ns, and there was no point in wasting time and energy on it.


    Wain smiled and stood up. He looked at the pr bear and said, "Okay, you win this time. This might be my nicest defeat yet, ahaha."


    Wain pped his wings and left the pr bear''s territory.


    The bear didn''t chase him. It stared into Wain''s back for a while, then the bear returned to the cave.

 Chapter 367 Town Of Demons

    Wain walked for miles and approached the City of Demons. High, frozen walls surrounded Nord. The walls were covered in cracks and had various weapons stuck in them, spears, swords, axes, battle chains, and more. The Nord was like an enclosed coliseum in which battles were fought every day.


    The entrance to the Nord was a massive iron gate, before which the guards stood. They let the Demons into the city with serious faces and watched for security.


    At night there would be an auction in the Nord, so the number of people wanting to enter the Nord was much higher than usual. They were mostly strong warriors or descendants of noble families, ordinary people would never know that there would be an auction in the Nord tonight, much less get here. Ellen was a noblewoman, and that was the only reason she could find out about the auction and tell Wain about it.


    ''Damn, I didn''t expect there to be such a line here. I''ll have to try harder to get what I need at the auction.'' Wain thought, looking around.


    There were four aisles in the gates with guards standing next to them, questioning. Those in line didn''t always get in, sometimes the guards kicked someone out except the Demons, but the guards looked them over as carefully as they did to others.


    "Next." The guard said, and Wain stepped forward.


    "State your name, race, and Chronicle."


    "Wain Norheim, Elf, Second Chronicle." Wain decided not to hide his name, as it might have caused problems in this situation.


    "An elf with dark hair? That''s pretty rare, okay. Which way do you want to enter the city?"


    "Hmm?" Wain didn''t understand what the guard asked him.


    "Is this your first time in Nord?"


    Wain nodded.


    "I see, then listen carefully. I won''t repeat myself. Anyone who wants to enter the Nord has two ways. The first is to pay, the price depends on your Chronicle, in your case it would be two thousand Void Souls."


    "What''s the second option?"


    "Good thing you asked." The guard smiled, "You will go to the arena and must defeat either one of the fighters or a traveler like you who is trying to enter the city."


    "Then I choose the arena." Wain shrugged. He wasn''t going to pay that much for admission and wanted to see the Demons fight. Wain didn''t know much about this race, but the fact that they were excellent cksmiths and warriors was known to everyone.


    "Huh, you made your decision so quickly. Are you sure? You won''t be allowed to use gear, weapons, or skills during battle. Only physical strength and powerful fists."


    Wain smirked, "Isn''t that even better? You can''t find a ce in this world anymore where you can fight with pure power alone."


    "All right, then, follow me, but you won''t get a second chance. If you lose and want to enter the city, you''ll have to pay twice as much."


    "No more wasting time." Wain said seriously and headed into the arena with the guard.


    "Next!"


    ...<sub> </sub>


    The arena was not far from the walls and was small, but it was busy. Many refused to pay and decided that they would easily pass on by winning the arena, so there were always a lot of gawkers and those who bet.


    Many Demons were here because they wanted to have fun before the auction began and maybe make a little money, but the most important thing was emotion, not money.


    "When these two are done, you will fight next, so get ready. The host will exin everything to you. I''m off." The sentinel said and walked back to the entrance of the city.


    Wain nodded.


    Two men were fighting in the arena, but neither was a demon. They were Ashen and Beastfolk.


    Ashen had the advantage and was winning. Although no weapons or skills could be used in this arena, it was impossible to forbid Ashen to use his mes on his hands, as it was a natural attribute of this race. Beastfolk tried to exchange blows, but he failed because of the white fire.


    "Hey! Beastfolk, I bet arge sum on you! Can''t you guess that you need to move into the fight and beat him with a grapple!" One of the spectators said. It was a demon with blue skin and two long horns.


    Demons were some of the most skilled fighters in hand-to-handbat, and Beastfolk was smart enough to take the advice. He bent down and pounced on Ashen, taking him in grasp.


    "You idiot, you trapped yourself!" Ashen eximed and began punching Beastfolk in the back, leaving serious burns.


    "Let''s go! You''ve already won! Just use your animal power and break him like a match!" The blue demon eximed.


    Beastfolk clenched his teeth in pain, but continued his attack. His muscles tensed, and he squeezed Ashen with force. There was a crunch of bones, and Ashen spurted out a mouthful of blood, sttering his opponent. Beastfolk didn''t stop, and he was ready to kill an Ashen.


    Whooooooosh.


    Suddenly, a girl appeared beside them and separated them with a smooth movement of her hand. Ashen and Beastfolk flew off to the sides, but everyone was still alive.


    The girl walked up to Beastfolk and raised his right hand.


    "A round of apuse for the winner!"


    Then there was a hail of pping and cheers from the audience of the winning bidder.


    The girl acted as coordinator and judge. Guests and travelers fought most often in this arena, and Demons couldn''t let anyone die in a friendly duel.


    Her name was Zeta, and she had gray skin, shoulder-length white hair, and green eyes. She looked like a real warrior, she had a strong and muscr body, and it looked aesthetic and graceful.


    The ms ended, and the medical team carried Ashen and Beastfolk to the infirmary. One would go to town afterward, and the other would have to leave or pay.


    "It''s been a good fight, but it''s time to introduce you to the next contestant." Zeta eximed, "Wain Norheim, enter the battlefield!"

 Chapter 368 Opponent

    "Wain Norheim, enter the arena!"


    Wain smiled slightly and stepped forward. Demons and other spectators stared at him intently and studied him. Many of them were here around the clock and could only tell by their appearance whether or not it was worth betting on a fighter.


    "Is that the elf with the dark hair? How unusual, but his aura inspires respect, so powerful and dense."


    "Yes, I wonder who he will fight? I hope I can make a few more interesting bets today!"


    "Something tells me we won''t be disappointed."


    The audience discussed the new fighter and made their ns. Elves were rare guests in Demon towns, especially those with this appearance.


    "Wain, is this your first time here?" Zeta asked.


    "Yes, it is."


    "Good, then I''ll quickly exin the rules to you. My name is Zeta, and I am the judge. Only fists and physical power are allowed, nothing more. You choose your own opponent."


    "Hmm?"


    "You can either fight a guest like you or anyone else in the arena."


    "Huh, is the viewers in the mood for a fight?"


    "Of course, guy!" The White Demon said, "We came here to watch the battles and make bets, but we are Demons, and none of us would turn down a challenge from a strong fighter. If you want, I can fight you!"


    "Me too!"


    "You are too active. Unfortunately, guests rarely choose this option."


    "Wain, what will you do?" Zeta asked.


    He looked around and said, "I can fight whoever I want, right?"


    "Yes, choose whoever you want, there are no restrictions."


    "Good, then I''ve decided who I''ll fight." Wain muttered and pointed to the chosen one.


    "Ahahahaha, I knew I was going to see something different tonight!"


    "Great! This is what we''ve all been waiting for!"


    "I forgot thest time this happened!"


    The audience was pleased with the result, but someone was confused because Wain pointed to Zeta.


    "You said I could pick anyone, or does that not apply to you?" Wain smirked and said.


    "Huh, don''t be so cocky. Of course, I don''t mind fighting you, I''m just a little surprised. Many people don''t even know you can fight a judge, but you have a lot of guts or self-confidence." Zeta said and stepped away from Wain.


    "ce your bets, you have one minute, I won''t wait any longer!" Zeta said stiffly, and the viewers shuddered.


    "It''s easy money!"


    "Man, I thank you for such a unique spectacle, but you made a mistake. There''s no way you can beat Zeta, she''s the strongest here, but you''ll get valuable experience either way!"<sub> </sub>


    Wain decided to fight Zeta, as he was impressed by the ease she brushed aside two strong fighters. He didn''t want an easy win, it didn''t make sense.


    "Zeta, can I bet?"


    "Yes, but if you bet on me and lose on purpose, you''ll be in big trouble." Zeta said seriously.


    "Don''t worry, I wasn''t even thinking about it." Wain turned to the audience, "I bet 40,000 Void Souls on my victory!"


    His words echoed through the arena and shocked everyone.


    "Forty thousand..." Someone muttered.


    "Damn, this guy''s not easy, that''s no small amount."


    "Isn''t that too risky? Maybe we rushed the decision."


    The audience was surprised that Wain had decided to bet so much money on his win. It showed his confidence in his abilities, and some changed their bet because of it.


    "It doesn''t matter! The bet is taken!" Said one of the Demons, and the minute came to an end.


    "Don''t be offended if you lose your money because of me." Zeta said and threw off her leather jacket.


    "I won''t have to do that." Wain followed the rules of the arena and threw off his cloak.


    "Oh, it looks like Zeta might lose today. This is the first time I''ve seen a person with such good physical form."


    "Yes, but it is not enough. Physical strength is only part of the battle, the one whose technique is better will win, and Zeta is no match for that."


    Zeta took a deep breath, "Let''s begin!"


    Whoooosh.


    She lunged at Wain and instantlyunched a punch into his stomach.


    Wain blocked the blow with his palm and retaliated with a diagonal kick. Zeta blocked this, grabbed Wain''s leg, and threw him high up. Wain was quite heavy, but Zeta had enough strength to toss him up like a feather.


    ''Damn!''


    In any other situation, Wain wouldn''t have bothered with his position. He could have created wings or summoned a phantom kite tail, but now he didn''t have that option. He was defenseless in the air and had to wait until he reached the ground.


    Zeta jumped high up and kicked, aiming for the stomach. Wain folded his arms before him and blocked the blow, but Zeta instantly turned in the air and kicked a second leg from top to bottom.


    This blow fell like a hammer on Wain, and he flew down like a projectile, sinking into the ground. Debris flew off, and a cloud of dust rose.


    Zeta continued to attack, and at the end of her fall, she kicked again, destroying the piece ofnd, but she didn''t hit Wain. He managed to jump aside at thest moment.


    "Huh, I thought you were supposed to be preventing kills in this arena." Wain said, spitting a blood clot, "If your kick had hit past fighters, they would have died on the spot for sure."


    There was a red mark on Wain''s back from Zeta''s kick. Had he been weaker, but she would have easily broken his spine.


    "Don''t be modest. I''m the one who should beining, not you. I''ve given you a few blows, but somehow I feel like I got more damage out of it." Zeta muttered and looked at her leg. It trembled slightly as if from a powerful recoil. Zeta felt like she was hitting a steel beam, not a person.


    "Maybe, but only one of us has bled so far." Wain uttered and attacked.

 Chapter 369 Hand And Foot

    Wain approached Zeta and delivered a powerful punch to her stomach with his fist. She blocked it, but the shockwave tossed her aside. Zeta frowned, Wain was much stronger than she had imagined, she could block the sword with her bare hands without damage, but now she was in pain.


    "I didn''t know Elves could be so physically strong. Usually, your rtives rely only on magic."


    "There are many interesting and unusual things in this world, or maybe we think so because we know too little?" Wain smirked and ducked.


    He picked up a handful of sand from the ground and threw it to Zeta.


    ''Bastard!''


    She closed her eyes and jumped back, but suddenly someone touched her shoulder. Zeta opened her eyes and saw a blurry image as something approached her.


    Bam.


    The fist copsed, and Zeta''s head sank into the ground. She spat out blood, and a few of her teeth came out.


    "Ahahahaha, looks like he''s not going to feel sorry for her!"


    "This is great! I didn''t think the moment woulde when I''d see someone beat up Zeta!"


    "Yes, it''s a pleasant surprise, it''s a good thing I decided toe here today. Those who werezy missed such an incredible spectacle!"


    Even though Zeta was losing, the Demons were not going to support her. They had no favorite, all they wanted was a good and beautiful fight, they did not care about the rest. Demons respected fighting spirit and strength, and the fighter''s race was of secondary importance. They were warlike folk.


    Wain stepped forward and struck another blow. He was not going to feel sorry for Zeta because she was a girl or lying on the ground. In a world where many people could squeeze a steel beam like a piece of paper, gender was not important. Anyone could be strong, and Wain understood that better than anyone.


    Whooooooosh.


    Wain''s fist almost reached Zeta, but she suddenly turned around and grabbed his arm with both hands. She stretched out and wedged Wain''s head between her legs tightly.


    It was a grip in which Zeta was a true master. Wain could hardly breathe, and gradually Zeta deprived him of that opportunity by tightening her grip. Her muscr legs mped Wain''s arteries, and his face turned blue.


    He could not use his other hand as Zeta blocked it with his legs.


    "And you''re pretty ruthless, but that''s what it takes!" Zeta said and twisted his legs and threw Wain to the ground.


    Zetapletely cut off Wain''s ess to oxygen, and he began to suffocate.


    "Damn, I wouldn''t want to be in his shoes." The demon shook his head.


    "Yeah? I wouldn''t mind being in that position." Smirking, his buddy said.


    "You''re just a pervert, you wouldn''t be in that position."


    "Give up, or I''ll strangle you." Zeta said seriously, and she wasn''t lying.


    Wain looked at her and kicked his feet sharply to the ground. They flew upward as if from a spring, and Wain changed positions in mid-air.


    Zeta was still choking him, but now it was her, not Wain, who was in danger.<sub> </sub>


    "You damn one!"


    Bam.


    They fell, and Zeta took all the damage. Her back made contact with the ground, and for a second, her grip loosened. Wain took advantage of this, got out of her grip, and moved away safely.


    Zeta rose to her feet and spat the blood clot. She wiped the blood dripping from the corners of her mouth and smiled.


    "It seems to amuse you."


    "Of course, because I managed to aplish something." Zeta said, pointing to Wain''s left arm. It was bent at an unnatural angle. Zeta had broken Wain''s arm during the fall.


    "Yes, but you''re no better." Wain looked at Zeta''s twisted right leg. It had sustained serious damage in the fall.


    Wain was deprived of his arm and Zeta''s leg, an inexperienced fighter or the average person, would have thought the situation was equal, but it was not.


    In a situation where one of the limbs was broken, the legs were much more important. They were not only a more powerful weapon, but they were also responsible for mobility, which in such circumstances was even more important than the force of the blow.


    The demons and Zeta understood this, and many were already anticipating Wain''s victory. Those who changed their bets at thest moment and bet a lot of souls on Wain were few, but their influence and the number of souls were enormous.


    "You''re missing something."


    Zeta leaned over, took hold of her foot, and sharply checked it into ce. She twisted her foot in different directions and smiled contentedly.


    Wain frowned. Unlike Zeta, he couldn''t fix the fracture with a simple move, he had lost his arm, and Zeta had only sustained a few injuries.


    Whooooooosh.


    Zeta bent down and ran at Wain. She threw a powerful right leg kick, but it was a trap, the real kick came from the other side. Because of the broken arm, Wain could not block the blow and was thrown to the side.


    Zeta continued to attack him and hit him at different points. Wain tried to block it, but the broken arm was his weak point, and Zeta skillfully exploited this gap in his defense.


    "Agh!" Wain threw up a mouthful of blood and received another punch to his stomach and then to his face. Zeta was speeding up and wasn''t about to slow down.


    "Eh, I should have bet on it. Zeta''s no match after all. Her skills are as good as ever."


    "Yeah, but this guy didn''t perform badly. If Zeta had broken his leg like he did his arm, we would have seen a different result."


    The audience had already epted the oue of this battle, but Wain was not about to give up.


    Wain grabbed Zeta by the hair and delivered a powerful knee to the face. It was the strongest attack he could make.


    There was a loud crack, and a fountain of blood poured from Zeta''s nose. She tried to attack, but Wain did it again and again.


    He kept kicking her in the face until she turned her attempts and copsed with a nk stare, breathing slowly.

 Chapter 370 The Night

    "Did this really...?"


    "Did it really happen?"


    "It can''t be..."


    The audience was shocked by the oue of the battle. Wain and Zeta switched roles several times, each dominating this fight from time to time, but Wain proved stronger.


    He looked at the brightly shining sun and, with a deep sigh, raised his bloodied fist upward.


    The demons didn''t know how to react. Normally the referee would have announced the winner, but now Zetay battered on the ground, struggling to breathe.


    p.


    Suddenly one of the demons began to p her hands slowly, and within seconds a wave of apuse rose.


    "The winner is Wain Norheim!" The blue Demon with the long horns eximed.


    Wain turned around and asked, "How much did I win?"


    "Huh, is money more important than the emotion of winning?"


    "I just don''t have much power left." Wain said smiling, and fell to the ground. He closed his eyes and passed out.


    Thest thing Wain heard was, "Thirty thousand."


    ...


    Wain awoke hourster on a massive bed in a spacious room. Next to the bed was a table on which stood a pitcher of wine and a massive piece of meat that even three grown men could hardly eat.


    ''Hmm, is my hand intact?'' Wain clenched his palm into a fist a few times. He didn''t know how, but there was no trace of his wounds, he waspletely healthy and felt even better than before the battle.


    "You''re finally awake." A voice came from the other side.


    Wain turned around and saw the blue Demon, the one who wanted to fight him and dered him the victor instead of Zeta.


    "What am I doing here, and who are you?"


    "This is my home. My name is Ern Lernch, and in case you were wondering, I''m the one who cured you."


    Ern had long ck hair and blue eyes, and his horns were slightly curved back.


    "How long have I been here?" Wain worried that he might have missed the auction.


    "Only a couple of hours. The sun hasn''t gone down yet."


    Wain nodded, "Why did you bring me here?"


    "I wanted to talk to you. You''re a guest, and you beat Zeta, that''s never happened before, at least not to me. It was a great fight, frankly I didn''t expect you to win even though I bet a lot of money on you."


    "You like to take chances, don''t you?"


    Ern shrugged, "I couldn''t do it. Otherwise, you bet so many souls, and it was a great gamble, and as you can see, I got lucky. By the way, here''s your money."<sub> </sub>


    The ring on Ern''s finger glowed, and seven gray coins appeared in his hands.


    "Hmm? What is all this? Where are my souls?" Wain frowned.


    "What? You''ve never seen Void Coins?" Ern wondered.


    Wain shook his head.


    "Some things can cost millions of Void Souls, and it''s pretty inconvenient to keep that many souls and pay them off, so coins like this were created. One rank one Void Coin contains ten thousand Void Souls. You bet forty thousand and won thirty, so I''m giving you seven coins." Ern said and threw the coins to Wain.


    Wain caught the coins and moved them to the Ring of Damned.


    "What did you want to ask me?"


    "Nothing serious. I just want to talk to the winner, but while you were recovering, something changed. I''m wondering why you''re pretending to be an Elf. You''re a human, right?" Ern said seriously.


    Wain was silent. Ern exposed him. It was inevitable. He brought Wain here and poured some potions into his mouth, then Ern noticed that Wain''s ears were not pointed, and Ern was not gullible like Feno that Wain could fool.


    "Given your tone and expression, you know the answer to your question. Obviously, I''d rather impersonate an Elf than tell the truth, it allows me to avoid unnecessary problems, but unfortunately not always."


    "Yeah, I managed to expose you, but you did right to hide. The demons would have taken it very actively."


    "Well, that''s not surprising. Many of the Pirs fear or dislike the humans."


    "Ah, you seem to have misunderstood me. If you said you were a human at the entrance to town, you''d get so much attention that you''d hardly be able to get out of the crowd until tonight."


    "What?"


    It was strange for Wain to hear something like that. He had long ago recognized that being a human was rather difficult on the rtionship side of the races. Some considered them outcasts, some feared them, and some despised them. Some didn''t care as much as vampires, which was the best option.


    "Demons love the humans." Ern said, smiling, "Apparently, you didn''t expect to hear that, but they do."


    "That''s actually unusual... but why do the Demons have this attitude toward the humans? It''s strange to me. I''m used to different things."


    "I understand, but the answer is simple, and it''s our nature. We Demons love the strong, the great, the significant, and epic stories. The humans are strong, and that''s a fact, as well as you disappeared, which gives mystery to your image."


    "So I better not hide my race in the Demon Cities?"


    "That''s for you to decide. An Elf won''t get any attention from the Demons, but you''ll quickly be very popr if you reveal your race. I''d say it depends on your character."


    "I see, then I''d better keep being an Elf, I don''t like extra attention, it doesn''t suit me."


    "Somehow, I was sure you''d think so." Ern pointed at the meat on the table, "Help yourself, you need to regain your strength. I hope you''re not a vegetarian. Otherwise, you wouldn''t survive in Demon City."


    "Demons like meat that much? This portion looks huge."


    "Of course, we''re the most important meat-eaters in the world."


    The meat gave off a pleasant aroma of various spices, which gave Wain an intense appetite. He was hungry and proceeded to eat.

 Chapter 371 Preparation

    Wain drained the jug of wine, and all that was left of the massive piece of meat was a bone. He was fed and satisfied.


    "What''s next?"


    "It''s up to you. You can stay with me for a while if you want, but you visited Nord, for a purpose. Right?" Ern muttered.


    "Yes." Wain nodded, "I came here because of the auction. It''s supposed to start tonight, and I want to buy something. I''m sure you know about it."


    "Of course, every Demon in Nord who has at least a few thousand Void Souls will attend tonight''s auction, but are you sure you can get in?"


    "Hmm? Is there a problem with that?" Wain was puzzled. He didn''t understand what could have prevented him from getting to such arge-scale auction.


    "Don''t forget where you are. This is Demon City, and even auctions have special rules. The auction will be massive, but there will only be three hundred seats, and that''s not all. The auction will be held in two stages, and the second stage will show the most valuable and expensive lots. There are only fifty ces for the second stage."


    "Understandably, given the size of the city, three hundred people is very small, but fifty...that''s crazy. How do I be one of the bidders in the auction? Do I have to have a certain amount of money?"


    "Yes, a minimum of five thousand Void Souls, but that''s not the basic requirement. You have to prove your strength."


    "Do I have to fight again?"


    p "Not exactly. There will be a small contest of two contests four hours before the auction begins. First, you''ll just have to hit a special b with all your might, the bigger the number, the better. In this way, 1,200 people will be chosen."</anda>


    "Then there will be two stages of arm wrestling, which leaves three hundred people. It''s pretty simple. I don''t know how the fifty people for the secret auction will be selected, the terms are not disclosed." Ern exined.


    "Huh, first I had to fist fight to get into town, and now I have to win a mini arm wrestling tournament to get into the auction. I don''t even know if I like it or not, but it sure is unusual."


    "If you want to stay in Nord, you''ll have to get used to it. There''sbat in almost every aspect of Demon life."


    "Ern, will you go to the auction?"


    "Obviously, I''m curious what lots will be presented there. It''s the first such major auction since the merger of worlds. I can''t miss such an important event."


    "Then let''s go together. I hope we don''t have to fight each other."


    "Good, that''s what I was going to suggest to you."


    It was about eight hours before the auction began, so Ern and Wain had another four hours. They spent that time talking to each other. Mostly Wain asked various questions about Demons and Nord, and Ern answered them at length.


    Ern learned a little more about the humans. He was d he was the one who got the opportunity. Like the other Demons, he had an affinity for the humans and their unique history.


    "What do you do?" Wain asked. He was sure Ern was an influential man, given his role in the arena.


    "Nothing worth mentioning. I''m just a simple cksmith." Ern said calmly, shaking his hand.<sub> </sub>


    ''cksmith...'' Wain hadpletely forgotten that the Demons were known for their warlike nature and for being the best cksmiths.


    "This is the first time I''ve met a cksmith. I''d like to see how you work."


    Wain decided to try to recruit Ern to his team. He understood that Ern would not move into his Void like Edena and Lui Bu did, but he just needed a cksmith he knew.


    "Sure, no problem." Ern looked at his watch, "But next time. We''ve got to get to the preliminaries and the auction."


    Wain nodded.


    ...


    Ern knew the city well, and they quickly made their way to the auction site. It was a huge building resembling a dark, abandoned castle in the city''s eastern part.


    Arge crowd had already gathered in front of the entrance to the castle grounds waiting for the trials to begin.


    "Who''s setting up the auction?"


    "The town government. They''ve gone to great lengths to organize this auction. As far as I know, the lots will be both new treasures found in this world and old ones that have had noble families for a long time, and they have decided to sell them. Besides that, I''m sure there will be many different surprises waiting for us."


    Crackle.


    A few minutester, the massive gates opened, and a group of people came out into the crowd. A tall man with white skin, blue hair, and one long horn walked ahead.


    "Hello. I want to thank you all foring here. We''re d that so many people are interested in the auction. Unfortunately, only three hundred of you will be able to attend the auction, and we will decide who it will be right now!"


    "Please enter the auction house grounds, divide into several columns and follow the attendants." The man said and headed toward the castle.


    There were several thousand people in all in the square, and only one in thirty of them would be able to get into the auction.


    "Is that the head of the town?" Wain asked.


    "No, but I know who it is. He''s a very responsible and serious person, which is good because now I''m sure the auction will go well."


    The three thousand bidders were divided into six columns of five hundred people each. Among them were not only Demons but also representatives of many other races. Many strong warriors and travelers could not avoid this auction and came here to show what they were capable of.


    "Alright, now I will exin how the selection process will go." The White Demon pointed to the massive bs behind him, "You will take turnsing up and hitting the bs. Each of you will have three tries to give your best score. My assistants will write everything down, and at the end, we will make an overall rating. For better understanding, I will demonstrate to you."


    The White Demon turned around and walked over to one of the bs hanging from the massive pirs in front of the castle.

 Chapter 372 Blow

    The White Demon approached the stove and took a deep breath. He clenched his palm into a fist and drew his hand back. Then he stepped forward and kicked the center of the b with all his might.


    Bam!


    There was a powerful ringing sound like the beating of a bell, it rang out for dozens of meters. The sound was long and clear.


    The White Demon''s blow was swift and crushing. Many people didn''t even notice its movements and were shaken to their core.


    Then, part of the b lit up, and numbers appeared. They rapidly changed and increased until they stopped at the final value. The number on the b was ''300''.


    "Three hundred..." Someone muttered.


    <o>,m "Damn... is that even possible?"</o>


    The audience was stunned by the White Demon''s result.


    "Ern, what does that mean? By its looks, three hundred is a very good result."


    "Of course, it''s incredible. The power of the blow is estimated in tons, given the value on the tform, the power of this blow equals three hundred tons."


    Wain was silent. He didn''t know how powerful his blow was. He had never needed to calcte it.


    "Anybody has any questions?" White Demon asked.


    "Yes! I do!" Someone raised a hand in the fourth row.


    "Speak."


    "What Chronicle are you in, and could you tell me about the record?"


    "Right now, I''m in Third Chronicle. The record for a person in First Chronicle is thirty tons, for Second Chronicle, it''s a hundred tons." The White Demon calmly replied.


    ''He''s in Third Chronicle... I didn''t even notice that. His aura is so calm, as if he were an ordinary man, not a warrior. I still have a long way to go to his level.''


    No one else had any questions, and the trial officially began.


    Wain and Ern were in the second row in the middle. They waited until it was their turn and watched the others'' results closely.


    Most of the participants'' punching power was in the neighborhood of thirty to fifty. Some managed to knock out fifty-five tons, but some couldn''t even reach twenty-five.


    As in the arena, the use of skills or equipment was forbidden. All the contestants had were their muscles and fists.


    The final result and the strength of the blow depended not only on stats but alsorgely on the speed and technique of the blow. This was a big problem for those who relied solely on brute force. Many whose stats were much lower had more punching power than those whose higher stats.


    "What do you think your result will be?" Ern asked.


    "I don''t know, but their stats don''t look strong. Although, maybe that''s onlypared to the chief''s result."


    "So you''re sure you can hit harder than fifty tons?"


    "Definitely, I want to break the record, but I''m not sure I can do it that easily. We only have three attempts, and I''ve never participated in anything like this before."


    Tremble.


    Suddenly there was a mighty ng. It wasing from the sixth row. Everyone turned around and saw a shocking number on the b.


    "Seventy tons!" The Demon recording the results announced loudly.


    Assistants were obliged to say significant results, and this one was the first.


    The one who struck such a powerful blow was a tall girl with long pink hair and green eyes. On her arms and legs were yellow lines that resembled veins through which energy flowed. She was an Inerian.


    "Not bad." Ern muttered.


    "I didn''t expect to meet an Inerian here..."<sub> </sub>


    "Judging by the look on your face, you don''t look too happy about it. Bad memories, huh? Ahaha."


    "Something like that. There was one little incident, nothing serious, but I have enough impressions tost a lifetime."


    "Next!" The aide eximed loudly.


    After the girl, only a few people could hit harder than seventy tons, but still, none of them reached seventy-five.


    As time passed, the line dwindled, and it was time for Ern to show what he was capable of.


    "Won''t you wish me luck?" Ern smirked and asked.


    "You won''t need it. I hope you can hit as well as you can hide your aura."


    Ern nodded weakly and walked over to the stove.


    "Ready?" The aide asked.


    "Yes." Ern said calmly and put his palm to the stove.


    He took a deep breath and delivered a lightning-fast straight punch. He moved so fast that his whole body blurred for a second.


    Tremble.


    Sound waves echoed through the castle grounds, causing everyone to turn their attention back to the b.


    ''Damn, I knew it was different.'' Wain pondered, looking at the result.


    "Ny-one tons!!!" The assistant eximed.


    People were shocked. No one had yet been able to break the eighty-ton barrier, but Ern was able to break the ny-ton milestone at once.


    "Not bad, Ern is as good as ever." The White Demon said, looking at the b in the second row.


    "Will you be trying more?" The assistant asked. Ern had two more tries left and could im a better score.


    "No, that''s enough." Ern calmly replied and stepped aside. He touched Wain''s shoulder and whispered, "I hope that didn''t scare you off."


    "Huh, I told you I was going to beat the record. Did you really think I was kidding?"


    Ern smiled silently and walked off to the observation deck where the White Demon was standing.


    "Next!"


    Wain smirked and walked over to the tform. Ern''s kick encouraged him; he was ready to give it his all and set a new record.


    "I didn''t expect you to want to show your strength. Usually, you were limited to seventy tons." The White Demon said.


    "Artur, I just thought I''d have a little fun." Ern muttered, "Today is the perfect time for that, isn''t it?"


    "Ahahaha, do you really expect me to believe that? The reason is this guy. What''s so special about him that you decided to challenge him?"


    "It''s just my new buddy, and I''m curious what he''s capable of."


    "He''s an Elf, they''re not good at hitting."


    "Yeah, you''re right. Usually, they are, but he decided to fight Zeta."


    "And he won?" Artur asked uncertainly.


    "Well... he''s here now, right?" Ern grinned.

 Chapter 373 The Left Hand

    "This guy beat Zeta? Unbelievable, if she were in Third Chronicle, even I would have had a hard time. Her grabs are a real problem for anyone." Artur said.


    "I agree. He beat her with brute force, just took advantage of the moment, and punched her to one point until she fell over. I hope his punch didn''t get any weaker."


    "Ready?" The aide asked.


    "Yes."


    Wain sighed and clenched his fist. His muscles tensed to the limit, and a crackling sound was heard from the skin holding back that power. Wain raised his fist, stepped forward, and struck exactly in the center of the b.


    Tremble.


    A loud ng spread out, and the ground trembled slightly.


    The participants turned around and saw two numbers on the b.


    "Ny-one tons!" The helper eximed.


    "What?!"


    "Again?!"


    "Two in a row hit ny-one tons! Is that possible?"


    Everyone was surprised, but Wain was not happy. He couldn''t beat Ern''s score, and he was still ten tons away from the record.


    "One more time."


    "Are you sure? Your result is one of the best. The tes are stronger than steel, you might hurt your arm if you keep hitting with that much force." The aide asked. He didn''t understand what Wain was trying to aplish, but he couldn''t forbid him to continue. Wain had two more tries.


    "Yes."


    The assistant nodded and refreshed the meter.


    Wain struck again, and the ground trembled slightly. He applied all the strength he had.


    "Ny-one tons!" The assistant said.


    "What, again? How is that possible?"


    "Huh, this guy is an Elf and has fantastic physical strength."


    "I hope I don''t have to fight him in stage two..."


    "Fuck!" Wain got angry and kicked the ground, shattering the stone floor into splinters. He was angry because he couldn''t even improve on his previous score.


    "You have onest try left. Do you want to continue?"


    "Yes!"


    "Okay, but are you sure?" The assistant asked, looking at Wain''s right hand. It trembled, and the knuckles of his finger were covered in blood. The aide was sure that Wain couldn''t even reach ny tons in this condition.


    ''Damn, I can barely feel my hand, these bs are actually very hard.'' Wain also realized that he definitely couldn''t break the record in this condition.


    ''Hey, don''t be stupid, just use everything you''ve got.'' Suddenly the voice of the Cursed Swordsman sounded in Wain''s head.


    ''What?''


    The swordsman didn''t answer Wain, but he figured it out after a second.


    "Can you hear me?" The aide asked.


    "Yes, I will continue."


    "Okay, that''s your business." The deputy shrugged his shoulders.


    Wain braced himself for the punch and got into a stance.<sub> </sub>


    "Hey, what''s he doing?" Someone in the third row shouted.


    He was about to strike, not with his right hand, but with his left. Most people had a weaker left hand, and Wain was no exception since he was right-handed, but somehow, after the Cursed Swordsman''s words, he felt a rush of strength.


    Wain sighed and struck from bottom to top of the b.


    The ground trembled, and a loud, piercing ringing deafened the participants close by.


    Everyone looked at the b, and their eyes went wide from what they saw.


    "One hundred tons!" An aide eximed.


    "That''s the same as the record!"


    "Ah, he was unlucky. If he had hit a little harder, he would have broken the record."


    "But, doesn''t that mean he renewed his position and became the new record holder?"


    A debate ensued among the contestants. Some thought Wain''s result was a new record, even if it didn''t surpass thest one, others disagreed.


    "Silence!" Artur said loudly and walked over to the stove, "I understand your interest, and luckily we have a way to find out if he broke the record or not."


    "Actually, thest record was not 100 tons, but 100.1 tons. I didn''t think it would ever happen, but you can see a more urate value on the tes." Artur said and touched the b.


    Suddenly the number lit up and changed slightly. Next to 100, the number 3 appeared.


    "The final result is 100.3 tons, and that''s a new record. Congrattions!" Artur eximed.


    "Only two hundred kilos more..."


    "Yes, but it''s still more than the previous record!"


    "Damn, how cool is that!"


    "Man, I see you weren''t going to feel sorry for yourself." Artur said, pointing to Wain''s left hand.


    Even though he had only used his left hand once, blood was dripping from it, and the skin on his knuckles was peeled off as if Wain had taken dozens of blows against a sturdy tree trunk.


    "Yeah... Looks like I put myself out there, it was a surprise even to me." Wain muttered.


    "Come on, you need medical attention. Keep up the challenge! There''s not much time left before the auction starts!"


    "Yes!" The aides said, and the ordeal continued.


    Wain nodded and followed Artur.


    p. p. p.


    "Wonderful. You''ve managed to surprise me for the second time today." Ern said, pping his hands, "But, I didn''t expect you to be able to beat the record, much less with your left hand. Maybe you''re left-handed?"


    "No, like many people, my left hand is weaker. I don''t fully understand how it happened myself."


    "Huh, does it matter? You broke the record, I suggest we celebrate after the auction."


    "Sure, I hope my hands are healed by then."


    "Don''t worry." Artur said, and the ring on his finger glowed, a small jar of white ointment appeared in his hand, "Here, this should help. I use this ointment myself after training."


    Wain nodded and covered his wounds with the ointment. He stepped aside to the observation deck and watched the otherpetitors closely. After he broke the record, many tried to replicate his sess, but only a few could hit harder than eighty tons.


    "Is something wrong?" Ern asked, "You look puzzled."


    "No, nothing''s wrong. I''m just not sure about something." Artur shook his head and opened his palm. There was a small ice crystal on it, which he discreetly removed when he touched the stove.


    "He certainly didn''t use any skills, then what is it?"

 Chapter 374 Arm Wrestling

    "You mean to tell me that his punch formed an ice crystal on the b, but he only used physical power?"


    "Yeah, that''s weird, maybe it was some kind of special technique?"


    "Never mind." Ern shrugged, "The important thing is that he didn''t break the rules. Everyone has secrets, he beat Zeta and broke the record, nothing is surprising about that."


    "I agree." Artur nodded and crushed the ice crystal.


    The first teststed two hours. The same amount of time was left before the auction and for the second test. Out of thousands of people, only a thousand and two hundred remained, and they had the best scores and strongest strokes. Now everyone had to win two arm wrestling contests to qualify for the auction.


    "Congrattions to everyone who passed the first round. Please wait a moment, we''ll make the lists, and you''ll know who you''ll be fighting. For now, you can rest and catch your breath." Artur stated, and his men got to work. They divided into two groups, one making lists at random and the other setting up special tables in the square.


    Ten minutester, everything was ready, and Artur and his assistants announced the names of the first participants. They took their ces and, onmand, began to fight.


    Wain watched the table at which an Inerian girl who was hitting seventy tons and a tall, muscr man. He was twice the girl''s size, and his bicep was wider than the girl''s waist, but she was not worried, there was confidence in her eyes to win.


    In arm wrestling, physical strength was of great importance, but it was not the only thing that determined the victory. To overpower a bigger and more muscr opponent, a person had to have control of all muscles throughout the body, as well as proper movement directing power in the right direction.


    "Ready?" The aide asked.


    The girl and the man nodded and squeezed each other''s palms tightly.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll try not to hurt you." The man smirked.


    The girl remained silent and only looked at him coldly.


    "Go!"


    Bam.


    The girl moved with lightning speed, turning her body to the left, and there was a loud pop, the man''s hand was pinned to the table.


    "Okay." The assistant nodded and wrote the winner''s name in his notebook.


    "What...?"


    The man didn''t even have time to understand anything. It happened too fast.


    "Pfft, shame, I thought Demon men were stronger, but you turned out to be nothing." The girl uttered, turned, and walked away.


    "Fuck!" The man got angry and kicked the table with all his might, leaving a mark on the stone surface of his fist.


    "Well... looks like all Inerians girls are strong..." Wain muttered.


    "Watching the fights?" Ern approached him.


    "Yeah, as I recall, this man struck eighty tons, but she beat him so easily. Isn''t that amazing?"


    "She''s strong, but I think she won because of her speed. If she hadn''t gotten ahead of him, she would lose in a prolonged battle."


    "Are you saying that momentum is more important than strength in arm wrestling?"


    "Of course, and that doesn''t just apply to arm wrestling. A quick, precise, and timely strike to a weak spot can bring victory in any fight. I want to fight her. I think it would be an interesting experience.


    "Huh, apparently you''re confident of winning and just want to see her face when she loses."


    "Yeah, you''re right. Isn''t it nice to beat someone strong?"<sub> </sub>


    "Wain Norheim!" Suddenly a helper''s voice rang out.


    "Oh, looks like it''s your turn, what a pity."


    "I hope I don''t have to fight you in the second stage." Wain said and headed for the table.


    His opponent was a Demon with two long horns and blue eyes. He looked rather inconspicuous, so Wain didn''t know his opponent''s score in the first challenge.


    "Looks like I got lucky." Demon said.


    "Hmm?"


    "I was hoping that I would be able to fight you, and luckily it happened. Luck is on my side."


    "Is it because of the record?"


    "Yes, partly, but I also wonder how an Elf can be so strong."


    "Enough talk. Are you ready?" The aide interjected.


    Wain and the Demon nodded and squeezed each other''s palms tightly. The Demon''s grip was very powerful, and it even hurt Wain a little.


    ''Huh, not bad.''


    "Let''s go!"


    Crackle.


    Wain and the Demon started simultaneously, but their hands stayed in ce. They exerted a lot of effort but could not advance.


    The table began to shake slightly from the pressure, and Demon''s hand slowly approached the bottom.


    Wain was slowly winning, but Demon couldn''t let that happen. He clenched his teeth, and his veins swelled, he used all the strength he had and was able to start winning by bringing Wain''s hand closer to the table.


    Crackling.


    The floor beneath Wain''s feet cracked, and he pressed Demon''s hand against the table with a sharp movement.


    "Winner, Wain Norheim!" An aide announced and wrote down his name.


    "Phew, that was cool." The Demon sighed and kneaded his palm.


    "Looks like you didn''t get too upset."


    Demon shrugged, "The auction didn''t interest me much. I wanted topete with someone strong, and I aplished my goal. Though, of course, I wanted to win, you''re damn strong. Good luck."


    "Please go out of the table and wait your turn." The aide said.


    Wain nodded and returned to the observation deck. He didn''t expect anyone toe here specifically for the trials, not the auction.


    ''Demons really like fighting more than anything else in the world. Their fighting spirit and desire to get stronger are unwavering. I was not mistaken. If the Demons be allies of the humans, it will be a serious alliance.''


    The trial continued, and finally what Wain had been waiting for happened, it was Ern''s turn. His opponent was one of the Axalts who came here today. He was a tall guy with long ck hair and a sun sign on his chest.

 Chapter 375 Auction

    "Hi." Ern waved his hand.


    Axalt did not react and prepared for the contest by cing his hand on the table. Ern shrugged, and they squeezed each other''s palms tightly.


    "Here we go!" The aide said.


    Axalt moved abruptly, and Ern''s hand headed toward the table. Axalt gradually drew closer, but the progress stopped when Ern''s hand almost touched the table. Axalt looked at Ern in surprise and tensed, the veins bulging on his arm, but it was as if he was trying to move the rock.


    "Surprised? You, Axalts, often overestimate yourself. Your physical strength is great and deserves respect, but you are too courteous to the martial arts. It takes might to win!" Ern uttered and, in one motion, pressed Axalt''s palm into the table.


    "Winner - Ern Lernch!"


    "How did you do that?" Axalt didn''t understand why he lost so easily. Ern was ying him like a child.


    "Fight more, train less. That''s the only advice I can give you. Good luck."


    Ern''s fight was one of thest, and the first round of arm wrestling was over.


    "You like to mess with your opponents, right?" Wain said.


    "Don''t be so hard on me, I''m just having fun. Honestly, it''s a pretty boring challenge, so I''m just trying to make it a little more interesting."


    "By the way, will Artur and people of his status be attending the auction?"


    "Yeah, I''ve got you a little fooled, there will be more than three hundred people at the auction."


    "Hmm? Why? Don''t bidders have to prove themselves worthy to get into the auction?"


    "That''s because they''re invited guests, but you''re right, the rules work for them too. The thing is, among the guests, anyone canpete with Artur. They don''t need to prove anything, that they are strong is a fact."


    "I see. The strong always have many privileges."


    "Ern, I think I understand now why you decided to participate in this challenge, even though it''s unnecessary. You want to have fun with the newbies." Artur said as he approached them.


    Ern was puzzled by Artur''s words, he didn''t expect Artur to say that.


    "What? What are you talking about?" Wain asked.


    "Hmm? You two aremunicating so well. I thought Ern had already had time to tell you everything. There''s no point in him taking the tests, since he has a pass to the auction as it is."


    "Hmm?" Wain looked at Ern.


    "Damn, Artur, who asked you to say that? I wanted to keep the intrigue to the very end so it would be a surprise." Ern sighed regretfully, "The thing is, the auction will be selling something I created, so I don''t need a pass."


    "I see, that was unexpected..." Wain muttered and thought, ''Looks like Ern is not only strong, but he is also an extremely skilled cksmith. He has created an object worthy of being auctioned as a lot.''


    Wain became even more confident that he would gain much from his and Ern''s coboration, and he wanted to see what Ern had forged as soon as possible.<sub> </sub>


    Soon the second stage passed, and the arm wrestling challenge was over. Wain and Ern easily defeated their opponents and entered the castle.


    Thirty minutes before the auction began, preparations had already begun, and the invited guests were gradually taking their seats.


    Artur and his men were busy organizing, and the castle was quite crowded.


    The auction was held in the underground hall of the castle. It was huge, like an amphitheater. The number of seats was up to a thousand, and they were divided into two levels. At the top sat the guests, and at the bottom were those who had passed the test.


    "Wain, where are you going?" Ern asked, watching Wain go downstairs.


    "Hmm? I''m not an invited guest. Isn''t that where I belong?"


    "Huh, yes, but...we''ll break the rules. Come with me, since one of the lots is an item I created, I have a few privileges." Ern headed upstairs and gestured for Wain to follow him.


    Wain shrugged his shoulders.


    ...


    Ern''s ce was a small room with several seats, so Wain didn''t have to stand. It was a balcony, and they looked out over the hall from above.


    "Isn''t it better up here than downstairs?" Ern muttered and opened a bottle of wine. He filled two sses and handed one to Wain.


    "You know, this is pretty weird."


    "Hmm? What do you mean?"


    "I mean this." Wain pointed to therge chunks of meat on the table, "Usually in ces like this, you serve fruit or cheese or nuts with wine, but not a few pounds of meat..."


    "Ahahahaha, you''re just still not used to Demon culture. Fighting, meat, and cksmithing, those are our three steeds in which we are not going to yield to anyone." Ern shook his ss slightly and took a sip.


    "Fine." Ern put the ss aside and ate a piece of meat that barely fit in his mouth. He chewed on it with a blissful face and enjoyed it.


    "Well... it''s a long time before I get used to it, but I definitely like it. You Demons prefer desire over aesthetics, right?"


    "Something like that."


    Ern watched the floor below, the attendees and various guests taking their seats, and slowly the auction was nearing its start.


    "Hmm, you said that besides the contestants, only those equal to Artur could get into the auction, but I don''t sense any powerful auras from them."


    There were nine hundred seats on the first floor, and only a third of them were upied by those who passed the tests.


    "I''m sorry, I tricked you again. You can get into the auction just by paying ten thousand Void Souls, which is what one seat costs. I just wanted you to join me in the trials, don''t hold it against me." Ern smiled.


    Wain was silent. He wasn''t mad at Ern, as he would have chosen trials over fees anyway, but Wain was once again convinced that Ern was crafty and curious. He didn''t know if that was a bad thing or a good thing.

 Chapter 376 Encounter

    "You said you had an unforgettable experience with an Inerian, if you want you can try it again." Ern grinned.


    "Hmm?"


    Wain looked down, and his eyes went wide. An Inerian girl walked into the hall, she had ck and red hair split in two, and a powerful aura emanated from her.


    ''It''s Erza!!!'' Wain eximed to himself.


    ''How interesting...'' Ern thought, looking at his reaction.


    Wain clearly remembered his encounter with Erza, and she had the same nk and dark look as before. Her amethyst eyes seemed to have long since faded.


    Erza looked up, and Wain instantly stepped back. Erza saw only Ern, who waved at her with a benevolent smile. Erza thought it was another seducer, frowned, and headed for the stairs. She was the invited guest.


    "I take it she''s the that Inerian?"


    "Yes, that''s definitely her..." Wain muttered. He could feel Erza''s aura and tell that she had grown much stronger since theirst meeting and reached the Third Chronicle. Wain was no match for her again.


    "Huh, why are you avoiding her? She''s a charming girl, the dream of many men, and very strong."


    "I already have a loved one, and she stalked mest time. I was practically raped, morally."


    Wain guffawed, but Erza''s appearance rmed him. He didn''t know if she was still interested in him or if she had managed to find a partner.


    "Don''t worry. No matter what happened between you two in the past, she won''t dare interrupt the auction. Just keep her out of sight if you don''t want to meet her."


    "Agreed."


    ...


    All the guests had arrived by midnight, and the auction had officially begun.


    A tall man with a long cane and a top hat came onto the stage.


    He pressed his hand to his chest and bowed low.


    "Gentlemen anddies, I am pleased to wee you to the very first auction since the merging of the worlds. I am sure that today''s lots will not disappoint you. Wee to the New World Auction!" He eximed, and a girl walked onto the stage with a small box in her hands.


    "This is the first lot that will be a wonderful start to this evening!" Auctioneer gave the signal, and the girl opened the box. A bright light burst out of it, which dazzled the guests.


    "Oh, not bad, I didn''t expect they could get something like that." Ern uttered.


    In the boxy a small white ke with gold flecks. It was as bright as the sun.


    "It''s a Dragon Cub Scale!" Auctioneer eximed proudly and raised his cane.


    The crystal on the tform glowed, and a massive que appeared in the air, which anyone could see in detail. It was a description of the object.


    [Dragon Cub Scale (Third Chronicle, Ascendant Rating)


    This is one of the hundreds of scales shed by a baby dragon as it gradually matures. It possesses powerful and pure energy of light that can ward off a multitude of threats.<sub> </sub>


    Just by holding this ke in your hands, your resistance to the attributes of light and darkness will increase by 35%]


    "Is that an Ascendant Rating...?" Wain muttered.


    He had learned from Osvald that Dragon Cubs were born strong enough to be immediately in the Third Chronicle, but he hadn''t expected a single ke to have such a high Rating.


    "Huh, this is actually a great start to such a momentous auction. A jeweler will be able to make unique costume jewelry from this ke, or a cksmith will be able to forge an armor that will be extremely effective against the attribute of darkness."


    "Were they able to kill the Dragon Child?"


    "No, that''s unlikely. Dragons almost always look after their cubs, even when they''re a little older and have left the nest. No one in their right mind would provoke a dragon, it''s suicide. Someone just found that ke before it turned into energy and soaked into the ground."


    "I see." Wain nodded, "Ern, could you forge something from this ke?"


    "Yes. I''ve worked with Third Chronicle materials a few times. I don''t think working this ke would be difficult." Ern said confidently.


    "I hope you''ve all had time to read the description. It''s time to start bidding! The starting price is 1000 Void Souls, the minimum bid is 100 Void Souls." The auctioneer stated.


    "Only a thousand? Isn''t that too low for something like that?"


    "No, it''s fine. Don''t forget that it''s not an Amature Dragon Scale, it''s very important, and it''s one little scale. Only collectors and jewelers will want to buy it." Ern muttered and took a sip of wine.


    "One thousand five hundred!" Someone shouted out from the audience.


    "Two thousand!"


    "Three thousand!"


    Even though Dragon Cub Scale was a narrowly focused material, there were a lot of people who wanted to possess such a thing. Many who came here were riches and could easily spend several thousand Void Souls to get what they wanted.


    "Seven thousand!" Axalt said, and there was silence in the room. No one wanted to give more for this ke, and the auctioneer began the countdown.


    "Three, two... one..."


    "Ten thousand." A quiet voice came from the second floor. The auctioneer was ready to close thest deal, but he was lucky that someone decided to offer arger amount.


    It was the final price this time, and the ke went to someone very powerful and wealthy.


    "Pfft, what a fool. How could you give away so much money for one ke?" Ern uttered.


    "Isn''t it a rare thing?"


    "Everything has a price, and it''s literally not worth ten thousand. I''ve never understood how such wasteful and stupid people could have so much money."


    Wain shrugged, "Maybe someone needed that ke."


    "Okay, I see the first lot impressed you, it''s time to move on! The second lot will be just as interesting!" The auctioneer eximed, and a massive gate opened behind the stage.


    "I''m starting to like this auction more and more." Ern uttered.

 Chapter 377 The Animal

    The New World Auction was one of the most important events for many, and the organizers knew that it had to be top notch.


    The gates on the stage opened, and two girls holding massive chains stepped inside. Behind them slowly walked arge beast with red skin, an eerie mouth, and a vicious stare.


    "Is that a riding animal?"


    "Yes, and it''s pretty good. This beast looks strong, I like that kind of thing." Ern said.


    "This is the second item in our auction, the Bloodhunter!" The auctioneer eximed, "This beast looked wild, but Bloodhunters are known for always submitting if they think you deserve it. It''s the privilege of the strong!"


    "The starting price is 10,000 Void Souls, the minimum step is 500 Void Souls!"


    "Eleven thousand!"


    "Twelve thousand!"


    "Fifteen thousand!"


    Instantly, several people named arge amount. Bloodhunters were rare and unique beasts. They could establish a blood bond with their host, and it increased the power and sensitivity of both. Bloodhunters could easily defeat most creatures on the same Chronicle without getting hurt.


    "Thirty thousand." A quiet voice came from the second floor. It was a demon with purple skin and two horns.


    The auctioneer did a countdown and dered, "Sold!"


    He instructed the girls to take the Bloodhunter back to the enclosure so the new owner could pick up the beastter.


    "Wait." Demon said and jumped off the balcony onto the stage.


    "I''m sorry, but you''re interrupting the auction..." The auctioneer said uncertainly.


    "It won''t take long." The Demon looked at the girls, "Step aside if you don''t want to die."


    The girls flinched in fear and ran as far away as they could.


    "These chains hold back your power, it''s not fair." The Demon uttered and destroyed the shackles with a sharp movement of his hand.


    "What are you doing...?!" The auctioneer muttered and stepped aside. He knew how fearsome the Bloodhunters were when they were furious.


    The guests were rmed, but the Demons were smiling on the other hand. They knew what the Purple Demon was going to do.


    "Huh, he decided not to wait. He''s pretty impatient." Ern pronounced with interest as he watched what was happening.


    The Bloodhunter roared and pounced on the Demon. The beast was angry that it had been chained up and deprived of its freedom.


    The Demon did not move, he waited until the ws of the Bloodhunter approached him and grabbed the beast''s paws. The Demon''s grip was powerful, and getting out of it was even harder than the shackles.


    "AAARRRRRR!" Bloodhunter tried to bite Demon''s head off, but the beast''s fangs could not reach it. The beast''s saliva got on Demon''s face, but it didn''t embarrass him.


    ? "Quiet, don''t make me look stupid." Demon said calmly and squeezed the beast''s paws harder. His aura gradually grew, and everyone felt the ground begin to shake, and the chandeliers sway.


    "Damn, it''s just the pressureing from his aura. How strong is he?" Someone said.


    "Ern, is he on the edge of Third Chronicle?" Wain asked.


    "Yeah, it''s a creepy power, isn''t it?" Ern smiled, "He decided not to wait and tame the Bloodhunter right away."<sub> </sub>


    "Hmm? Doesn''t that take time?"


    "Just watch. It''s different from what tamers usually do. He''ll do it quickly and beautifully."


    Bloodhunter was shocked by the Purple Demon''syer, but the beast was not about to back down. The Bloodhunter jumped up and struck the Demon with his tail. The Demon did not dodge or block this attack, and the tail left a red mark on his shoulder.


    "Not bad, but it''s not enough. Let me show you what power is!" The Demon uttered and kicked the Bloodhunter aside.


    The beast quickly regained his bnce, but the Demon was already in front of him. He delivered a powerful, straight punch that was impossible to dodge. The Bloodhunter put his paws out in front of him to defend himself, but the Demon stopped at thest moment.


    Whooooooosh.


    His blow created a powerful wind flow as if in a hurricane. The Bloodhunter could barely stay on his feet.


    "That''s enough." The Demon said calmly and turned around, "Come on, don''t keep me waiting."


    Bloodhunter shook his head and followed Daemon, they hopped onto the balcony together.


    "This is what you were talking about, right?"


    "Yes," Bloodhunter realized that Demon was much stronger. The beast had no choice but to obey."


    "Though it was unexpected, the second lot was sessfully sold!" The auctioneer stated and walked to the center of the stage, "Thank you for such a fascinating show, but I will ask no one else to interrupt the auction. Bring out lot three!"


    A girl came forward with a purple, oddly shaped helmet in her hands.


    The auctioneer struck the staff, and arge information window appeared.


    [Dark Thorn Helmet (Ascendant Rating, Second Chronicle)


    This helmet was long ago created by an ingenious smith from the soul of a horrible monster that terrorized the people and held several viges in fear.


    *All stats +100


    *Damage from attacks with the attribute of darkness and fire increased by 50%


    *Created skill - ''Falling Spike''


    - Falling Spike


    Summon a huge thorn that will fall on your enemies and create an explosion of purple me].


    "The starting price is 5,000 Void Souls! The minimum step is 200 Void Souls!"


    "Ern, you''re a cksmith. In your opinion, is this a quality helmet?" Wain asked.


    "Yes, but they ask too much for it. They gave thirty thousand for the Bloodhunter, but it is a powerful and unique beast that will be a loyal ally. The third lot is just a pretty good helmet, nothing worth the effort."


    The bidding went on for a long time until someone bought the Dark Thorn Helmet for twelve thousand Void Souls.


    Wain wasn''t going to bid. He was only interested in the Blood Crystals and the special alchemist equipment he promised to get for Edena and Lui Bu.


    "I hope no one was disappointed with the previous lots. There are many more interesting things toe!"

 Chapter 378 The Unexpected Lot

    The auction continued, and there were no more surprises like with Bloodhunter. The next three lots were not as interesting as Dragon Cub Scale or Bloodhunter, but the bidding was active, and some gave huge sums for some items.


    Ern decided to participate in the bidding and bought thest lot. It was an expensive and unique wine. It was the only one, and it was worth over ten thousand Void Souls.


    "Huh, a powerful helmet and Dragon Cub Scale weremon and overpriced lots for you, yet you spent so much money on wine. Aren''t you contradicting yourself?"


    "Of course not." Ern smiled, "There are as many scales as various helmets, and no one else has such wine. That''s the simple logic of any collector, and I''m sure I''m not wrong."


    Ern lightly squeezed the neck of the bottle, and the cork flew out. The aroma of the wine spread, and Ern took a deep breath.


    "Ah, it''s beautiful." Ern muttered and filled the two sses to the brim, "Help yourself."


    Wain was surprised. He thought Ern would save this wine for some special asion and it would be the pride of his collection, but instead, Ern immediately started drinking it.


    "Sounds like you just wanted to taste what this wine tasted like." Wain smiled and took a sip with Ern.


    He felt the heat and a pleasant, light taste, iparable to anything else.


    "I don''t like to hold back. What''s the point of waiting for a good time if I want to taste this wine right here and now, and I can do it?"


    Wain nodded, he agreed with Ern.


    "You''ve already seen six lots, but I''m sure the seventh lot will surprise everyone, no exceptions!" The auctioneer stated, "I can say with confidence that this is one of the day''s gems, and none of you even thought it was possible!"


    The auctioneer''s words piqued the interest of the guests. Many of them were strong warriors and possessed power, it was difficult to surprise them, but the auctioneer could not deceive them as it would tarnish the reputation of the first auction in the new world.


    "Come on! Show me the seventh, the magic lot!" The auctioneer raised his cane.


    The gate opened again, and a girl of medium height, shackled in shackles, stepped forward. She had pale skin, miserable blue eyes, and shoulder-length blond hair.


    Hundreds of stares stared at her, and she was embarrassed, covering part of her face with her hands.


    "Hmm? Are you mocking us?" Axalt on the first floor eximed indignantly, "This is a regr Elf ve!"


    "Really?"


    "Pfft, I''m disappointed. Do you really think we''ve never seen a ve girl? What a shame."


    The guests were outraged and upset, and the influential people on the second floor were not left out. They had been to various auctions many times before the merger of worlds, and ves weremonce in such ces. Even very beautiful and pretty girls were nothing new.


    "Please calm down!" The auctioneer stated, "I understand your concern, but do you think we would make such an oversight and dare disappoint you?"


    "Then who is she? A High Elf? The daughter of a noble family? Who would even be interested in that?" The demon with one long horn on the second floor said.


    "Unfortunately, you are all wrong." The auctioneer walked over to the girl and lifted her hair, exposing her ears. They were not pointy but looked in.<sub> </sub>


    "What is it...?"


    "What''s wrong with her ears?"


    The guests were puzzled, but some had already realized what had happened, and their eyes were wide with surprise.


    "That girl is not an Elf, she is a human." The auctioneer said slowly, and there was silence in the room.


    Everyone was in shock, they could not believe what they had heard, but the proof was right in front of them. Only the humans, a mysterious and long-extinct race, had such an appearance. They were as clean as white sheets of paper.


    Wain was the most surprised of all. Dozens of questions appeared in his mind that he could not answer.


    ''Who is she? Why is this girl here? How were the Demons able to catch her and bring her here? Did the demons attack Last Light? No, that''s impossible. I would know about it, Gisle, Delia, or d would definitely let me know about it. Fuck, what''s going on here?!''


    "Wain, are you okay?"


    "Yeah..." Wain took a deep breath, "I''m just trying to figure out where they found her?"


    "Are you afraid the Demons attacked your town?"


    Wain shook his head, "In that case, it would make sense to me."


    "Wain, you don''t know this girl. Right?"


    "Yeah, this is the first time I''ve seen her, and itplicates things..."


    Wain wanted to understand what had happened. The demons certainly hadn''t attacked Last Light, which meant someone had found this girl elsewhere, far away from the city of the humans, and that bothered him.


    ''There''s practically no auraing from her. Maybe it''s the shackles, but to Bloodhunter, it didn''t stop her from looking menacing and emitting pressure. She''s weak, almost like a normal human, maybe I should buy her.''


    Wain wanted to know more about this girl, he was not pursuing any lustful purposes. She was only interested in him as another human whose origins he did not know.


    "You seem interested in this girl."


    Wain nodded weakly, and Ern smiled.


    ''How curious.''


    "I see that fire has med up in your eyes, which I expected! I won''t hold you back, the starting price for a unique girl, zero Void Souls, minimum bid, just one soul!" The auctioneer stated.


    "Ahahahaha. Great! I wouldn''t expect anything less! Who would have thought that the humans would be here, after the worlds merged?" One of the spectators eximed, "My bet is ten thousand Void Souls!"


    "Only ten thousand? I think you underestimate the value of this girl! My bid is thirty thousand!" Ashen from upstairs eximed.

 Chapter 379 Buying

    ''Damn, looks like I overestimated my finances,'' Wain thought as he watched the bidding progress.


    The price almost instantly reached thirty thousand Void Souls, almost half of what he had. He was curious to know more about this girl, but he wasn''t ready to spend all his money on it.


    "Thirty-five thousand!"


    "Thirty-seven thousand!"


    "Forty thousand!"


    The bidding included guests from the first floor as well as from the second floor. The girl, a human, was a priceless treasure to all who attended this auction. They were thrilled just to see a representative of a race that had disappeared long ago, and now they had the opportunity to buy this girl.


    "Ah, I didn''t expect them to be so interested, though there''s nothing strange about that." Ern muttered.


    He, too, was surprised that the auction organizers were able to find and capture this girl, but not as much as the others. Next to Ern sat a human, and so his reaction was cooler.


    "Looks like they''re not going to spare any money." Wain looked at the girl, "She''s scared, every time someone raises the stakes, she flinches like a hare in front of predators."


    "Well... It''s inevitable. I hope this girl doesn''t get killed and turned into a sex ve, that would be a big waste. She''s a living chest of riddles you want to find clues to."


    "Forty-three thousand!" Someone eximed.


    "I''m d you''re so interested in this girl. Go for it! There won''t be another chance to buy a member of an extinct race again! This is a unique opportunity!" The auctioneer eximed, and the audience became even more active in offeringrge sums.


    "Fifty thousand." A quiet female voice came from the second floor. Its owner was Erza.


    "Your friend intends to buy it. Maybe you shouldn''t hide anymore?" Ern smiled.


    "She''s not my friend, and I don''t want to see her again at all, it could get me into a lot of trouble. It was enough for me once to know that."


    "Your business." Ern shrugged.


    "Fifty-five thousand!" Someone interrupted Erza''s bid.


    "Sixty thousand." Erza repeated.


    "Damn it! Inerian, why do you want this girl? Stop outbidding me!" the man with the short purple hair eximed. He was one of the few Constructs present at this auction.


    Demons were hospitable people, and any race was wee, but there were no Angels or Elves in the room. They preferred not to associate with Demons and treated them with contempt, but that aside, all the Pirs were present at this auction.


    "Scrap bucket, are you addressing me?" Erza snapped back, and her aura intensified.


    "Why do you need a human girl? Do you have any idea how valuable she could be to science? I and the other Constructs can do thousands of studies with her blood, body, and other data. Don''t piss me off, just back off!" Construct eximed.


    "Ahahahaha, that''s pretty funny." The Red Demon on the second floorughed, "Dude, you don''t seem to understand where you are. This is Demon City, and we don''t give a fuck about your science. I like this girl''s fighting spirit better than your nerdiness, and I''m going to add fuel to the fire. I''m offering sixty-five thousand Void Souls!"


    "What?!" Construct thought the bidders would support him, but instead, the opposite happened. Construct could do nothing about it, and he had to ept defeat.


    "Holy shit! This is your grave mistake!" Construct shouted, kicked the table, causing it to shatter, and sat back in his chair with an annoyed look on his face.<sub> </sub>


    "Seventy thousand." Erza continued to up the ante, "You want to stop me from buying it?"


    "Hmm, no, from the looks of it, you have no intention of stopping, but why would you want her?" Red Demon asked.


    "It''s none of your business. It''s my personal interest."


    Erza wanted to buy this girl to try to experience those feelings again when she met Wain in the Purgatory zone. She doubted if it would happen since just looking at the girl didn''t make Erza feel anything, but she had to try. Her heart and eyes were still empty, which to Inerian was scarier than any curse.


    "Whatever you say." The Red Demon shrugged.


    The auctioneer saw that no one else was bidding and began the countdown.


    "One, two, three and sol...!"


    "One hundred thousand." Suddenly a quiet voice came from one room on the second floor.


    p Everyone looked there and saw a Blue Demon with two long horns drinking expensive and one-of-a-kind wine.</anda>


    "Ern...?" Wain muttered.


    "What? I, too, like the others, am curious to know more about this girl. It would be especially effective if you were around."


    "No, that''s not what I mean. I didn''t expect you to be so rich."


    The wine Ern bought cost ten thousand Void Souls, and now he was offering to give a hundred thousand for the girl, which was a huge amount to most people in the room.


    ''Wait, if everyone is looking here now, they see not only Ern but also me, which means...''


    Wain slowly turned his head and saw Erza''s intense gaze directed in his direction.


    ''Ern, damn it...''


    Ern smiled, he actually wanted to ask this girl many things, but he also did so for Erza to pay attention to them and see Wain. He was curious to see what would happen between these two next.


    Erza''s eyes were as sharp as daggers, but a me gradually ignited in them, and her heart began to pound faster. She realized that she didn''t need a human, and the girl couldn''t interest her, only Wain was important to her.


    "One, two, three, sold!" The auctioneer eximed, closing the deal.


    "Mister, bring her here at once. I''m not going to wait." Ern said seriously.


    "Sure, you''ll have her in a minute." The auctioneer smiled and beckoned to his subordinates.


    "Damn, you''re lucky to get such a rare treasure, but is it really worth that much?" Someone from the second floor asked.


    "Huh, you just don''t know how to appreciate uniqueness." Ern uttered.

 Chapter 380 Conversation

    The appearance of a human girl as a lot was a surprise to everyone, but then the auction continued at its usual pace. As Ern had requested, the girl was brought to him at once.


    Click.


    The door hinged, and she stepped inside. The girl bowed slightly and said quietly, "Thank you for buying me."


    She was embarrassed, you could see it in her face and look, but she did it anyway.


    ''Hmm? Is she trained yet? The organizers either have a lot of experience in training ves, or she was captured at least a few days ago.'' Wain thought.


    "Don''t be." Ern waved his hand, "I didn''t buy you as a ve, spare me this awkwardness and have a seat. We want to talk to you."


    "We...?" The girl looked at Wain.


    She nodded and sat down next to Ern.


    "What''s your name?"


    "Alice Ruto..."


    "I''m Ern, and this is Wain, and we have a few questions for you, but before we do... Wain, would you mind doing this?"


    "Sure." Wain turned to Alice and bared his right ear. He did it at an angle where only she and Ern could see it, so Wain''s identity was not threatened.


    "What... You''re just like me..." Alice was shocked. Once she got to the auction organizers, she had already epted her fate that she was now a ve and would serve other races to stay alive.


    "Yes, but it''s not that important."


    Wain decided to show his ear so that Alice''s level of trust in him would immediately increase considerably.


    "Alice, how is it that you happen to be in very? And are you here alone, or are your kin sitting in the cells in the castle?" Ern asked.


    "A few days ago, the town I lived in was attacked by monsters. I decided to run away into the woods, and I was afraid that the monsters would catch up with me and I didn''t stop running. Then two men caught me and sold me, and I ended up here..."


    Alice had a hard time talking about it. She lived an ordinary life and never thought the day woulde when she became a ve. It was a traumatic and sad event in her life.


    "What did they look like?" Wain asked.


    "Their skin was pale, and their hands burned with white mes, and yet they were not in pain. It looked very strange."


    "I see. You were captured by Ashens, look, there are several members of that race in the hall."


    "Huh, I see, they were probably nomads or travelers, and they decided to sell you to get a lot of money and not have troubles."


    "Alice, you said the monsters attacked your town where you lived before you were captured?" Wain asked.


    "I didn''t see as I rode here in a wagon, but it''s probably somewhere in the northwest. You could see snowy mountains in the distance from the town, and it was pretty cold."


    "I see... Are those your clothes, or were you forced to dress like that?"<sub> </sub>


    Alice shook her head, "They gave me these clothes. They said it would make me look more natural..."


    "Yes, it''s true. A ve in a luxurious outfit would look strange." Ern uttered.


    "Is your citypletely destroyed? Why couldn''t you fight back? Were the monsters too strong?"


    Alice nodded, "At first, I thought nothing serious happened. I heard a series of gunshots and thought it was fine, but then there were screams and explosions. Bullets and even grenades couldn''t seriously hurt the monsters, and I had no choice but to run away."


    "Hmm? Bullets? Grenades? What are you talking about? Why didn''t you use your skills?"


    Alice looked at him, puzzled. Wain''s words sounded strange to her.


    "Wain, she hasn''t even activated her Soul Altar yet. Don''t you feel that she has almost no energy in her?" Ern said.


    "Yes... You''re right... Alice, hasn''t anyone in your town gotten superpowers yet? You have to kill one monster for that, even a very weak one."


    "No, this is the first I''ve heard of it." Alice shook her head, "Do you have superpowers?"


    Wain and Ern nodded, "Everyone in this world has special skills. It''s amonce, not something unique."


    "Wow, that''s so cool! Too bad I''m useless as usual..." Alice drooped, and her eyes darkened.


    "Don''t worry. You just need to kill someone, and your life will change dramatically." Ern said.


    "What? Kill? I can''t do that, it''s impossible..." It was hard for Alice to hear the screams of others and to see the blood, killing someone was a deadly sin for her.


    "Hmm? What kind of nonsense are you talking about?" Ern looked at her in shock. For him, killing was something he had already done hundreds of times in his life. What''s more, he was a Demon, and he never had any fear or trepidation about taking someone''s life, for Demons, it was practically a tradition.


    "But...I''m not a murderer!"


    "You''ll have to change your mind if you want to survive in this world." Wain looked at the hall, "Everyone here has killed and fought countless times and will continue to do it."


    "Otherwise, someone will kill you, rape you, or whatever, there are plenty of options to die. Since you and I are of the same race, I''ll give you some advice, stain your hands with blood up to your elbows if you don''t want someone to do it with you."


    Alice remained silent but nodded weakly. She wasn''t stupid and understood that Wain''s words made sense, but she had difficulty forcing herself to ept her new reality.


    "Alice, your town was transported here after the merging of worlds. Right?"


    "Yes." Alice nodded, "Do you know what this is? What happened to my world?"


    Wain shook his head, "No one knows. No need to think about it, just ept that this is your new and only home now. Have other townse up near you?"


    "No, just mine. What happened to the others?"


    "They probably died."

 Chapter 381 Stone

    "Alice, after the auction, I want to go with you to your town. Even if monsters have already destroyed it, it is still very important."


    "Okay...but I''m not sure I can point in the exact direction, but I''ll try!"


    "That will be enough. Ern, you don''t mind me taking her for a few days, do you?"


    "No, that''s okay, but bring her back in one piece, even though I paid a hundred thousand for her, she''s actually priceless." Ern said calmly, draining his wine ss.


    "So I''ll stay with you..." Alice muttered. She didn''t know how to react to Ern''s words, she had mixed feelings. He was talking about her like a thing, yet not treating her like a ve.


    "Huh, sure. I understand that you would like to be with Wain, since you are of the same race, but I bought you, and I have no intention of selling you. Don''t worry. I''ll make a warrior out of you quickly, but you need to be disguised first. If many people find out who you are, you and I will be in trouble."


    Alice nodded. She was d she didn''t end up with an old pervert, but a straightforward Ern.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, it''s time for another lot to make you marvel!" The auctioneer eximed, and a girl came on the stage with a small box.


    She opened it, and inside was a small red stone from which a dim light was emanating. Everyone immediately smelled a strong smell of blood.


    Crackling.


    The auctioneer struck the floor with his cane.


    [Bloodstone (High Quality).


    A stone filled with highly concentrated Blood Essence. When absorbed, it increases blood purity by 5%. The effectsts until 90% blood purity, after that, the effectiveness will drop by half, and after 95%, the effect will disappearpletely].


    "Great, that''s what I came here for." Wain smiled.


    "You need to increase blood purity?"


    "Yes. Doesn''t everyone need that?"


    Ern shrugged, "Personally, I''m not interested."


    "That''s good. From the looks of it, you still have plenty of money. I wouldn''t want to haggle with you."


    The auctioneer was pleased with the reaction, he saw the me in most guests'' eyes.


    "The starting price is 3,000 Void Souls! A minimum bid of 500 Void Souls."


    "Five thousand!"


    "Nine!"


    "Twelve!"


    There were plenty of people willing to buy a Bloodstone of this quality, and they weren''t going to spare any money for it.


    "Twenty thousand." Wain stated.


    "Ohohoho, it looks like you''re serious."


    "Yeah, I don''t intend to hold back."


    "Twenty-five thousand!" Axalt on the second floor eximed, "Man, do you really need that stone that bad? You better give it to me."


    "Huh, don''t get your hopes up. Thirty thousand."


    Axalt frowned. He couldn''t afford to spend more than that on one lot, or he wouldn''t have another day left.


    Wain grinned. No one else dared to spend such a huge sum on the Bloodstone.


    "There seem to be no more willing bidders." The auctioneer stated.<sub> </sub>


    "Thirty-five thousand." Suddenly someone on the second floor upped the ante.


    ''Erza! Damn it!''


    Erza stared intently at Wain and Alice. The Inerians girls were the most jealous creatures in the world and along with the passion came the intent to kill from Erza.


    "Ahaha, it looks like your friend has decided to get in your way." Ern said and pulled Alice close to him so that Erza would calm down.


    "Forty thousand." Wain raised the stakes.


    "You want that stone that badly?" Erza asked.


    "Yes. Back off, or our rtionship will be ruined forever."


    Erza hesitated. Wain''s threat to her was very serious. He had managed to get away from her once before, and Erza understood that it would be difficult for her to capture Wain.


    "Have it your way."


    "Sold!" The auctioneer eximed.


    "Bring the stone here, now."


    "Of course." The auctioneer smiled and moved on to the next lot.


    The girl entered the room a momentter and handed the Bloodstone to Wain. He moved it to the Ring of Damned.


    "Decided to wait for a good time?"


    "Something like that. By the way, you said there would be an item you created at the auction. Where is it?"


    "Be patient. You''ll have to wait a little while, because it will be shown in the second stage of the auction, and you still have to get there."


    "I couldn''t expect that."


    Wain was surprised. He had already figured out that Ern was a man of many secrets, and he had a lot of trumps.


    ''Looks like Ern is a great cksmith, in which case it''s no wonder he decided to give a hundred thousand for Alice.''


    The auction continued, and after a while, there was an item that managed to interest Wain.


    "This is a set of twelve potions with unique properties." The auctioneer pointed to a chest containing twelve multicolored sks.


    The guests read the description and had a mixed impression. The potions were unusual but useless, none of the effects were useful in battle, it was entertainment for collectors.


    "The starting price is two thousand Void Souls! The minimum bid is two hundred Void Souls!" The auctioneer also understood this and so the price was low.


    "Five thousand." Wain stated. He had promised Edena that he would buy potions if the opportunity arose, and he wasn''t going to save any money.


    No one elsepeted with him since they were sure Wain had plenty more money. Ern also influenced this, everyone was sure he would help Wain if necessary.


    "Sold!" The auctioneer stated, and soon Wain had the potions.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, I must state that this was thest item of this auction phase. Pleasee forward and go down the stairs for all who wish to continue. This will be my farewell. It has been my pleasure to conduct this auction part for you!" The auctioneer struck the floor with his cane and vanished like a ghost.


    "Looks like you didn''t fool me about the second part." Wain muttered.


    "Hmm? Do you really think everything I say is a lie? I''m probably the most honest man of all the people here." Ern finished his wine and headed for the exit, "Alice, follow me."


    "Yes!"

 Chapter 382 Spirits

    ''Ah, Alice... I hope my intuition doesn''t fail me, and Ern, though cunning, is a good man.'' Wain thought and followed them.


    Wain would have taken Alice to Last Light in any other situation, but she was Ern''s property, and it wasn''t worth ruining the rtionship with him.


    "Ern, what do you think the second challenge will be?"


    "I don''t know. I don''t intend to take it anyway." Ern shrugged.


    "What?"


    "Since one of the items I created will be for sale in the second phase, I have certain privileges."


    "It looks like your privileges have no limit."


    "Hahaha, they''re not. Artur is just very kind, without him, I''d be in big trouble."


    "Why did you decide to skip this challenge? You could have turned it downst time, too."


    "Reason is walking beside me now." Ern looked at Alice, "I can''t and won''t leave her unattended."


    "What...?!" Alice eximed and directed her gaze downward. She was embarrassed by Ern''s words, and her cheeks flushed slightly.


    ''She''s like a little child...''


    The bidders entered a massive hall with various statues of unknown warriors on the walls.


    In the center stood Artur and his assistants.


    ''Hello. I am d that most of you have decided to try for the second stage of the auction. I know you''re a little puzzled since this hasn''t happened before, but the world has changed, so has the situation."


    "Hmm? Is this the first time the auction has two stages?" Wain asked Ern.


    "Yes, that''s why I didn''t know what would happen here."


    "The trial won''t be conducted by one of my assistants or me. You will have to go there." Artur pointed to the statues.


    "Hmm? Artur, what are you talking about?" The red demon with the long horn asked.


    "The fact is that just before the auction began, the ancient spirits in these statues awakened, as did the ghostly treasury. We and the spirits have agreed. You will pass their test and gain ess to the second stage of the auction. There will be items from the ghostly treasury and what we have prepared in advance. Now, please step aside."


    Artur put his palm to the floor, and his aura intensified. Then energy lines appeared on the floor leading to the statues, and their eyes lit up like torches.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The hall trembled, and a massive portal of dark energy appeared in front of the statues.


    "Go." Artur said and entered the portal.


    Some participants questioned whether it was worth it, but the Demons were excited. They loved adventure, and the ancient spirits in the abandoned castle were a long-standing legend of Nord, many didn''t even believe in it, but now they had the chance to see the spirits, and they couldn''t pass up the chance.<sub> </sub>


    "That looks pretty interesting, doesn''t it?" Ern smiled and entered the portal with Alice. Wain followed them.


    Those who were unsure soon changed their minds. They couldn''t stay away because the Demons were walking confidently forward.


    Once through the portal, they found themselves in an arena-like room with bleachers and aisles for the fighters.


    Whoooosh.


    Dark, demon-like silhouettes began to appear in the stands. They varied in size, height, and clothing, but their bodies were covered in a dark veil. Their eyes burned with different colors like torches.


    There were seven stone thrones on which the strongest spirits appeared. A powerful aura emanated from them.


    "You havee. Good, there are more of you than I expected. I hope there are some worthy ones among you." One of the chief spirits said and jumped down from the throne.


    He had white eyes and a crown on his head. The spirit carefully examined each of the participants.


    "Hmm, pretty much evenly matched, but some of you are hiding, okay that''s not a big deal. My mates have prepared tests for you, divide them into pairs, and we will begin. Each pair must have one person from the Third Chronicle and one from the Second Chronicle. You have three minutes." The spirit said quietly, and portals opened in front of the six thrones.


    The participants quickly decided on pairs, and only four people were left alone, Ern, Alice, Wain, and Erza.


    "Artur, do I have to be tested too?"


    "Yes, the spirits have agreed to let just me and my helpers in, without a test. I''m sorry I didn''t report it, it was a secret."


    "Ah, well, okay, it can''t be helped. Alice, we''ll have to form a team with you."


    "Uh-huh." Alice nodded. She was flustered, but she trusted Ern.


    "Hey, rich man, do you really think you can pass the test with this useless girl? Ahahahaha." Ashenughed.


    "Money won''t help you here. If you''re weak, you shouldn''t havee here in the first ce." Said his buddy.


    Many people were angry at Ern for not letting them buy Alice. Ern was in Second Chronicle, and they decided to use that to make fun of him.


    "You''re such fools, no wonder you didn''t have the money. You''re in Third Chronicle, and you still haven''t learned the most basic techniques. What a shame." Ern waved his hand, and his aura began to intensify.


    The ground trembled, and everyone felt the pressureing from him.


    "He waited for the right moment after all." Artur muttered and shook his head.


    "What''s going on? Isn''t he in the Second Chronicle!"


    "Huh, you don''t even know how to hide your aura, and you still dare to im something?" Ern stomped his foot on the ground, and the arena shook.


    ''So Ern is in the Third Chronicle? Wain eximed to himself. He felt that there was something strange with Ern''s aura, it was as if it didn''t exist, but Wain didn''t give it much thought. He was not even aware that such a thing was possible.


    "Not bad, young man." One of the spirits said, "Even considering this girl is weak, you can pass the test. In that case, everything is almost ready, only two people and one couple left."

 Chapter 383 Swords

    ''Well...I certainly didn''t expect that...''


    Wain and Erza were the only ones who hadn''t found a pair yet, which meant they had no other option but to work with each other.


    "Ahahahaha, I won''t hide it, I was hoping it would happen." Ern dissipated, this situation amused him. Wain had tried to avoid even looking at Erza''s, but now he would have to team up with her.


    "It seems fate itself has brought us together." Erza approached Wain.


    "Fate is cruel..."


    "Good, you''re ready, and now it''s time to begin." The white-eyed SpiritSpirit said and raised his hand up, and the other main spirits did the same.


    Whooooooosh.


    Many small, stone swords flew out of the portals beneath the thrones and headed toward the pairs.


    The swords glowed with jewels, in different colors, blue, green, red, orange, yellow, purple, or blue. These were the colors of the eyes of the chief spirits.


    A sword with white crystals headed toward Wain, and Erza grabbed it and squeezed it tightly.


    "Your task is to stick the sword into the altar, and then you will have ess to the ghostly treasury where our auction will take ce. Go through the portals depending on the color of your sword." The White-Eyed Spirit stated.


    "What happens if we fail?" Some Ashen asked.


    "It''s no big deal. You''ll just get beaten ande back here, but I hope there are as few losers as possible, otherwise you''ll embarrass not only yourself but also your ancestors."


    "Let''s go." Erza said seriously and headed for the portal.


    "I hope she continues to be so calm."


    "Wain, good luck!" Ern shouted and entered the purple portal with Alice.


    Wain nodded and headed for Erza, who was waiting for him at the entrance to the white portal.


    "Young man, taming a lustful woman is very simple. You need to redirect her passion in another direction." The white-eyed SpiritSpirit suddenly said with a pat on Wain''s shoulder.


    Wain walked silently forward.


    Everyone involved entered the portals, including Artur and his assistants.


    "Hey, I wasn''t the only one who felt that, was I?" Some spirit in the stands said.


    "Yes, there were two humans among them, one weak and the other possessing an immense aura. That''s unexpected."


    "I hope nothing happens to them. That girl could die." The green-eyed SpiritSpirit said.


    "If that happens, then that was her fate."


    "Calm down. You don''t have to think about it. Don''t forget that we Demons have always been on the side of the humans." The White-Eyed Spirit said, and the others smirked slyly.


    ...


    Walking through the white portal, Wain and Erza found themselves in a massive temple, with many columns and white torches illuminating the space.


    "So, what do we do?" Wain muttered.<sub> </sub>


    Erza remained silent and approached him. They met eyes, and Erza abruptly grabbed Wain by the neck, he didn''t even have time to understand anything.


    "Be mine, or I''ll break your neck."


    "You bitch." Wain clenched his teeth in anger, and his aura began to intensify.


    "Don''t bother, you don''t stand a chance, you''re weaker than me as it is, that''s the way it should be." Erza said confidently. She was Inerian, and for her, there was only one type of rtionship that a woman-dominated.


    "Yeah? Are you sure about that?!"


    Dark wings erupted from Wain''s back, and a phantom snake tail descended upon Erza. Wain got out of Erza''s grip and bounced to the side.


    Erza blocked the snake''s tail with her hand, and all that was left of It was a faint flop, as if after being hit with a pointer. Her eyes were cold and her gaze cruel.


    ...


    "Ahahahaha, I didn''t expect it to be this interesting at the beginning." The purple-eyed SpiritSpiritughed.


    "This girl seems to be interested in him, and she''s Inerian. What a terrible coincidence for him."


    "Yeah, I wouldn''t want to be in his shoes, but it''s so funny. Ahahahaha." Orange-eyed SpiritSpirit eximed.


    They could watch any participants and observe their progress. The spirits were not only organizers, but also spectators and judges at the same time.


    "Hey, what''s going on?" The red-eyed SpiritSpirit said excitedly.


    "This aura... Why does he possess it?"


    The spirits were puzzled watching the conflict between Erza and Wain and were talking among themselves, only the White-Eyed Spirit was silent. He was smiling broadly, as if he had finally found what he had been looking for.


    ...


    "So what''s next? Apparently, this is one of your strongest skills, and you couldn''t even scratch me. You''re a man, and you have to obey me, and I''ll take care of you. Is that a bad suggestion?"


    "Huh, do you Inerians even know anything about freedom? You''re offering me practically very. I''d rather die than agree to something like that!" Wain eximed, and a dark pir of energy burst out of him.


    A thinyer of ice appeared on the floor, and Wain transformed into the Cursed Swordsman. He swung his sword and unleashed a wave of ice on Erza.


    Erza thrust arm forward and created a fiery cross that instantly melted the ice.


    Whoooosh.


    She leaped forward, and lightning struck Wain with her foot and threw him aside in the stomach. Wain broke through the wall with his back and spurted out blood.


    "That''s enough. I let you get awayst time, but I won''t make the same mistake this time." Erza said seriously, walking slowly toward him.


    Wain got out from under the rubble and smirked, "Don''t talk shit. You can''t kill me since you still need me, but I don''t understand why even after all this time, you still want to capture me?"


    "Because that''s what my heart tells me."


    "Huh, love of Inerians is a real nightmare. Maybe you should use your brain for a second. There are so many other people in the new world besides that girl. Haven''t you thought about that? I''m sure you''re bound to like someone else besides me, so stop chasing me."


    "No, the otherspared to you are nothing. I felt nothing for that girl, though she is weak too." Erza uttered, and a huge dark orb appeared in the air.

 Chapter 384 90%

    "You''re right. I won''t kill you, I can''t let you die, but nothing stops me from maiming and injuring you, the most important thing is that your life is not threatened." Erza said calmly, erging the orb.


    The energy of darkness emanated from the orb, consuming everything around it like a dark hole. The temple and the columns trembled, and the mes from the white torches were sucked into the orb.


    Wain frowned. He understood that Erza''s words made sense, and she would do it. The seriousness of her intentions was off the charts.


    ''Use the crystal... Blood... Never forget the power of blood...'' Suddenly the voice of the Knight of the Bloody Rose sounded.


    ''Blood? That''s right, I didn''t spend so much money on it for nothing.''


    Whooooooosh.


    The Ring of Damned glowed brightly, and a small red crystal appeared in Wain''s hands. He crushed it, and a saturated essence of blood headed toward it.


    "Increasing your blood purity? Do you really think that''s going to help you?" Erza snorted and lowered her hand. The dark orb slowly headed toward Wain.


    Wain did not dodge, he was focused on absorbing the essence of blood.


    [You have absorbed arge amount of high-quality blood essence. Your blood purity is increased by 1%]


    [You have absorbed arge amount of blood...]


    [Your blood essence has reached 90%. No further increase is possible without a better quality of absorbed blood essence].


    [One of the conditions for starting the third evolution has been met.]


    [Passive skill ''Forgotten Blood'' has been opened.]


    [Forgotten Blood (Unique).


    Your blood possesses a hidden and ancient power that has gradually begun to awaken. This is only the very beginning, and you will grow stronger by increasing your blood purity until you reach your limit].


    Some beings had secret and powerful ancestors whose blood was mixed in themon bloodline. This was a great rarity and a real boon, as well as a nightmare for their enemies.


    ''Hey, that''s a job for you.'' Knight of the Bloody Rose calmly said, turning to the ck Sun Aristocrat.


    ''Of course, now I can finally have some fun.'' ck Sun Aristocrat said seriously and pulled his mask open again.


    A tremendous amount of darkness burst out, and Wain''s veins swelled, they quickly darkened, and a dark mask with a white eye appeared on half of his face.


    Wain raised his hand and strained his fingers. A phantom dark hand appeared around the sphere, squeezed it, and engulfed it.


    "What...?" Erza was shocked. This attack would have seriously hurt even a Third Chronicle man, but Wain got rid of it easily.


    "You decided to attack me with darkness? Ahahahaha, you idiot, that''s my element!" The words of the ck Sun Aristocrat came out of Wain''s mouth.


    Wain snapped his fingers, and the phantom hand did the same. It created a small orb that headed toward Erza like a bullet.


    "Using your pathetic tricks again?" Erza said dismissively, she didn''t think this attack was dangerous.


    "Oh, I wouldn''t act so cocky if I were you, it could get you killed."


    "Hmm?" Erza looked at the orb flying toward her and swung her arm, she wanted to kick it away, but she stopped and recoiled to the side at thest moment.


    Crackle.<sub> </sub>


    The orb touched the wall, and there was a deafening explosion consuming dozens of torches and white mes.


    ''What kind of nonsense is that? This attack would take my arm off!'' Erza eximed to herself.


    She didn''t understand how Wain had so much power, even though he was in Second Chronicle.


    ''It''s like I attacked myself...''


    "You seem to understand. I used the darkness you created against you and will continue to do so until you give up." The mask said, and the phantom hand disappeared.


    "Stop this now. We didn''te here to fight, we came here to be tested." Wain uttered.


    "Are you kidding me? Maybe the darkness is ineffective against you now, but that doesn''t mean you can stand up to my mes!" Erza eximed and created a massive cross of fire in front of Wain.


    "I wouldn''t be so sure if I were you."


    Wain jumped up and used the Ice Execution. The silver sword sliced the fire cross in two and froze it into rubble.


    Erza bit her lip. Even though she was much stronger, Wain was again able to find a weapon against her, which annoyed her greatly.


    She could fight him relying on physical strength alone, but Erza knew that in that case, Wain would fight until she died.


    "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" Erza started kicking the ground in rage, causing the whole temple to shake. Arge amount of red and dark energy burst out of it in the form of two streams.


    She was angry, which was her way of venting her umted emotions. She met Wain again, and again, she failed to capture him, for Erza, it was real torture.


    "Ah... Ah... Ah..." Erza breathed heavily.


    "Is that it? Have you calmed down?"


    "I guess so, but I''m not backing down from my goal. Next time you''ll be mine!"


    "Huh, good luck. Then you''ll definitely be weaker than me, and you won''t stand a chance." Wain said confidently and canceled the forms.


    Erza shook her head and looked around, "Anyway, what should we do?"


    Columns and torches went back and forth so far that there was no end in sight.


    "I don''t know. We need to find the altar and thrust the stone sword into it. I think we just have to keep going." Wain said and went.


    "Don''t you dare tell me what to do! Don''t forget that you''re only a man." Erza snorted and overtook Wain, standing in front.


    ''There were so many options, but she''s the one who became my partner... It''s definitely not good. I hope we live to see the second stage of the auction.''


    Wain and Erza followed the torches and looked around carefully. They didn''t know what to expect, at any moment, there could be a deadly danger, and they had to be ready for it.


    Step.


    Suddenly Erza stopped and prepared to fight.


    "Well...looks like we''re here." Wain muttered.

 Chapter 385 Teamwork

    Wain and Erza reached the end of the passage; it was a massive, stone gate. Erza intuitively sensed danger from it and prepared for battle.


    "What shall we do?"


    "Of course, go forward, I doubt there''s anything on the way back." Erza said, "You open the gate, and I''ll cover you."


    Wain nodded. He knew he was weaker and needed to trust his safety to another person, but he didn''t worry about it. Normally Wain wouldn''t have agreed to this, but he and Erza had a specific rtionship. She would do anything to save Wain in case of danger, and that yed into his favor.


    Crackling.


    The gate slid with a creak, and a mighty wind burst out of the crack. Wain couldn''t even stay on his feet, and Erza caught him.


    "Are you okay?"


    "Yeah, but what was that?"


    "I don''t know..." Erza shook her head.


    They walked forward and found themselves in a vast room, a huge golem in white, heavy armor stood in the center of it. On the walls were round white bs, the designs on which shed with blue light.


    "Do we have to kill it?" Erza asked, and her aura began to intensify.


    "Wait." Wain put a hand on her shoulder, "Don''t forget our main goal, to put the stone sword on the altar. Maybe we can just go around it, or the altar is in it."


    "Okay."


    Erza stepped forward, and a click was heard. Erza looked under her feet and saw the pressure te she had stepped on.


    "Fuck."


    Crackle.


    The golem''s eyes lit up, and he looked at Erza and slowly raised his hand. Erza prepared to defend herself, but suddenly the golem''s palm lit up, and he looked at Wain, and a beam flew out of the golem''s hand, heading to him.


    Erza reacted instantly and repulsed the beam with the back of her palm. It flew off into one of the bs and destroyed it, and several cracks appeared in the golem''s armor.


    "Damn..." Erza muttered, looking at the burn on her palm.


    ''If that beam had hit me, it would have made a hole in me.''


    "Bastard!" Erza eximed, and several dark spheres appeared around the golem. They exploded, and the energy of darkness consumed the golem, and it gradually dispersed.


    "What?" Erza was shocked as her powerful attack did not leave even a scratch on the golem.


    The golem stepped forward, and the ground trembled as it slowly walked toward them.


    "Our attacks don''t seem to be able to prate its armor. We need to destroy the bs, and when the brawl subsides, attack." Wain said, pointing at the walls.


    "Got it." Erza raised her hand and created several dark spheres next to the bs, and they exploded. However, the tforms remained intact.


    "Hmm? My attacks weren''t strong enough?"<sub> </sub>


    "No, we need to aim the golem beams at the tes." Wain said and ran toward one of the bs. Dark wings erupted from his back, and he jumped high and hooked his arm on one of the bs.


    "What are you doing?" Erza eximed anxiously. She knew that Wain would not be able to survive a beam hit.


    "Don''t worry. It''s okay."


    Wain clenched his hand into a fist, and electrical discharges appeared over the golem. They turned into a powerful pir of thunder, which fell on the monster. This attack didn''t hurt the golem, but now it turned its attention to Wain.


    The golem''s eyes glowed, and another beam flew from his hand.


    Wain pped his wings and jumped off the b at thest moment. There was an explosion behind him, and the b shattered into many pieces, and several cracks appeared on the golem''s shoulder.


    Erza realized what Wain''s n was and did the same.


    The golem didn''t try to attack them in any way other than energy beams, and over time the number of bs decreased significantly. The golem wasrge and invulnerable, but slow and clumsy. Wain and Erza dodged all attacks with ease, and the golem''s armor was alreadypletely cracked.


    "Great, just a little more." Erza said, looking at the two remaining bs on the opposite walls.


    She jumped on one of them, and the golem fired again.


    "What? Why didn''t it break?" Erza looked at the b in surprise. The beam definitely hit it, but instead of shattering like the others, the bpletely absorbed the beam''s energy.


    "I don''t know..." Wain muttered. He felt that something bad had happened.


    Whooooooosh.


    The bs suddenly began to spin and glowed red. The golem''s eyes changed and became like two crimson mes. The golem became much faster and ran at them.


    Bam.


    The golem approached Erza and lifted his leg high. He put it down, and the ground shook.


    Erza''s eyes narrowed, and she quickly bounced back, the golem''s leg swept in front of her face.


    "Damn! He tried to crush me!"


    Erza became angry and created three crosses of fire. It headed for the crack on her chest, but the golem swung its arm and destroyed them.


    Wain frowned. The situation was not on their side, they easily got rid of the previous bs because the golem was slow, and their actions helped them, but now everything had changed.


    The golem ran after Erza and, like a troubled beast, iled its arms, trying to reach her. Erza dodged, but she was a meter away from being crushed by the golem''s giant leg each time.


    She tried to fight back or somehow stop the golem, but it was like a man trying to move a mountain.


    Wain could have helped Erza, but he saw no point. While she was a distraction, he was looking for a way toe out of this situation victorious.


    ''Hmm, past bs were invulnerable to our attacks, but now...'' Wain thought, and a phantom kite tail appeared above him. It copsed on one of the bs and shattered it.


    Wain smiled but then frowned as the shards glowed and fully restored the b.

 Chapter 386 Trust

    "Hey! What should we do? I''m getting tired of running away from this huge thing!" Erza shouted.


    Wain looked at the bs with a pensive face and pondered.


    ''I was able to destroy the b, but it instantly recovered, given previous experience, only if we break all the bs, the golem''s armor will fall, and we will have a chance to fight it.'' Wain thought, and his eyes sparkled, he had a n.


    "Erza! Try to get away from him and jump on the second b. We have to break them at the same time!" Wain said and pped his wings.


    "Are you sure?" Erza yelled, but Wain didn''t answer. She frowned but decided to trust him.


    Bam.


    Once again, the golem attacked, but Erza did not dodge this time. The golem''s arm swept in front of her, and Erza jumped on it and ran forward toward the golem''s head. The monster was puzzled and tried to crush Erza like an insect with his second hand, but she leaped forward to dodge it.


    Erza bounced off the golem''s shoulder and attacked the b in midair. Wain did the same because of all her strength and hit the b''s center with her fist.


    Crackle.


    The two bs shattered simultaneously, and Wain and Erza fell down. The golem quickly reacted and attacked Wain.


    "No!" Erza eximed and rushed to help Wain, but suddenly the golem stopped.


    "Huh, I wonder if it''s luck or precise calction?" Wain smiled, looking at the golem''s hovering fist in front of him. As he expected, the bs did not recover as they were destroyed simultaneously.


    Crackle.


    A loud cracking sound was heard, and the golem''s bulky armor fell to the ground.


    Erza immediately seized the opportunity, and dark mes appeared around her fist. She hit the golem in the head with all her might, and it shattered into pieces, then the golem''s massive body fell to the ground, the room trembled, and dust spilled from the ceiling.


    "Phew... That wasn''t easy, but it looks like this trial is over." Erza muttered.


    "Yeah, but I can''t see the altar. Isn''t it over yet?"


    "It looks that way."


    Wain headed for the walls, and Erza stared intently at the golem''s corpse. She worried that the monster might have recovered, just like the bs before it.


    "Hey, Erza, want to help find a way out?" Wain said and looked in her direction, but Erza ran toward him with a frightened face for some reason.


    Wain''s gaze fell on the golem''s corpse, the cracks in his body glowing.


    "Fuck..."


    Boooom.


    The golem''s body exploded, and a wave of fire consumed everything. Erza created a dark barrier around them and covered Wain, but the mes were too strong and broke through the barriers. Erza was in a lot of pain as she took the entire blow, but she still wouldn''t let go of Wain and continued to protect him.


    "Are you okay...?" Erza smiled weakly and passed out.<sub> </sub>


    Wain caught her carefully and looked at her back. It was covered with burns and wounded in many ces. He felt a strange emotion. It was the first time in his life that a woman had protected him, and yet she wanted to grab him. It was an unusualbination.


    "Ah, it seems I have no choice but to take care of you, and everything happened exactly as you wanted." Wain muttered, and the Ring of Damned glowed. Several pills appeared in his hand, and he put them in her mouth.


    Then he put her on the ground with her back up and used the ointment Artur gave him. It was a top-notch ointment that was effective for treating.


    Wain could kill Erza right now, and it would solve a lot of his problems, but he couldn''t do that to someone who had just possibly saved his life.


    ''Erza is in Third Chronicle, and she''s suffered such serious wounds... If she hadn''t protected me, that st could have torn me to pieces...'' Wain thought of applying ointment to the burns.


    "Well... Oddly enough, I didn''t even take care of Eva like that. In a way, Erza was able to get me close." Wain sighed.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly, one of the wreckage survivors of the explosion began to tremble. It flew up and fell apart. A small wrench was left floating in the air and headed toward Wain. He caught it and looked puzzled.


    ''It''s key... But where should I put it?'' Wain thought, and suddenly one of the walls moved.


    The wall went up, and behind it was a simple wooden door, with an old keyhole.


    Wain nodded, but he didn''t hurry. He decided to wait until Erza came to his senses. He was sure they had plenty of time as the challenges and strengths of the participants were different.


    ...


    Erza opened her eyes and saw Wain smoking away. She stood up and felt intense pain all over her body, but her wounds were no longer as terrible as before.


    "You healed me."


    "Oh, you''re awake. Yeah, you don''t have to thank me, we should go, we''ve been here too long." Wain said, tossing out his cigarette and heading for the door.


    "Thank you? Hahaha! Inerian would never stoop to thanking a man!" Erza said arrogantly and, ignoring the pain, went after Wain.


    ''How proud she is...'' Wain sighed and took the key out of his pocket.


    He opened the door, and they went inside.


    "What is it?"


    It was pitch ck ahead, and only two tables, each with a coin on them. One coin was ck, the other was white.


    "I don''t know, but we definitely have to make a choice." Wain said and looked at Erza, "Any ideas?"


    "Yes, we''ll do as I say. You take the ck coin, and I''ll take the white one, and it''s out of the question!" Erza uttered and walked over to the table.


    "Whatever you say." Wain shrugged and picked up the ck coin.


    For Wain, unlike Erza, the coin''s color was not important. It was a roulette wheel anyway.

 Chapter 387 Betrayal?

    Erza picked up the white coin, and space trembled. The floor beneath Erza suddenly copsed, and she fell into imprable darkness. Erza tried to grab onto something, but only dark energy was around her.


    "Erza!" Wain ran up to the abyss and watched her disappear into the darkness.


    Whooooooosh.


    A door appeared next to Wain, and a ck coin headed toward it, and the door opened.


    ''Have we been separated? Damn, I don''t like this.'' Wain shook his head and headed for the door.


    ...


    Behind the door was a spacious room with a ss floor. A dark spirit hovered in the center of the room, and when he saw Wain, he smiled.


    "Hello." The Spirit waved his hand.


    "Who are you?" Wain became alert and prepared for battle, he could feel the threat emanating from the Spirit.


    "Oh, you don''t have to be so serious. I won''t fight you. I''m only part of this ordeal."


    "Then why are you here?"


    "Just look down." The Spirit pointed a finger.


    "Erza?"


    Down below was Erza, with a vast maze around her. She was imprisoned in the room she was trying to get out of, but her blows were ineffective.


    "You chose the ck coin, which means your role is to lead her to the exit. Once you say, the trial will begin, and she will hear your voice, but you have one more option."


    "What are you talking about?"


    "Betray her and kill her. It will be very easy for you to do that with abyrinth."


    Wain frowned; he didn''t like such a nasty suggestion.


    "Don''t even think I''d stoop to something like that." Wain said coldly.


    "Are you sure? I''ve been watching you closely since you walked in here, and there''s a serious, unresolved conflict between you. She is an Inerian and wants to make you hers, even a fool would understand that, obviously you are against it, but it is hard for you to resist since you are weaker. In that case, wouldn''t it be logical to get rid of her?"


    "Have you been following us? Something I don''t believe it since you would have realized I wouldn''t have done something like that."


    "Yes, you didn''t kill her even though you had the chance, but I''m not a naive fool, and I understand that you didn''t do it just out of nobility and honesty. I''m sure you didn''t kill her because you were worried that you couldn''t pass the trial without her, and you were right."


    The Spirit snapped his fingers, and a stone sword appeared beside him and a passageway behind which an altar could be seen.


    "Get rid of her, and you will pass the test immediately. What''s more, I''ll even give you a small gift." The Spirit smiled, and ten gray coins appeared in his hand, it was Void Coins.<sub> </sub>


    "A hundred thousand Void Souls?"


    "Yes, isn''t that a bad deal?"


    "What''s your gain?"


    Wain was sure that the Spirit offering something so evil surely wanted something from this deal.


    "This girl is very strong. I would even say abnormally strong. You don''t truly understand all her power. When she grabbed you by the neck initially, she could have easily broken your arms and legs, you wouldn''t have died, and she would have gotten what she wanted. She spared you, that''s the only reason you could fight back. Those barriers have a hard time holding up against her blows." Spirit said, looking at Erza.


    "I''ll absorb it and get a huge amount of energy. You will pass the test and get the money, ept it."


    Wain looked at the Spirit with a thoughtful face, "I want to ask you something. What would happen if I took the white coin?"


    "That''s obvious. You''d be down, and she''d be here. I''m lucky, since she certainly wouldn''t have agreed to kill you."


    "Okay, I hear you. You may have actually been following us, but you''re pretty damn stupid." Wain smirked.


    "What?" The Spirit frowned.


    ''Let''s go!'' A voice rang out in Wain''s head.


    "Because it looks like you missed the part where I beat Erza!" Wain eximed, and a dark mask with white eyes appeared on half of his face.


    "You bastard!" The Spirit became angry and attacked Wain, realizing that the negotiations were over. His hands turned into wed paws and swung them crosswise.


    Wain smirked and created two phantom hands with a flick of his finger that grabbed Spirit and began to consume him, just like Erza''s orb slowly.


    "What? What are you doing?!"


    "Ahahahaha, looks like you tried to trick me after all. If you were watching us, you would know that your darkness is incapable of harming me. You''re certainly not stronger than Erza, which means you don''t stand a chance!"


    "Wait! Stay! We can still make a deal! If you let me live, I''ll show you how to get to the altar! Don''t kill me!" The Spirit pleaded. There was a grimace of horror and fear on his face, he didn''t expect the situation to take such a turn suddenly.


    "I don''t negotiate with pathetic trash like you." Wain said coldly and clenched his palm in a fist. Phantom hands copsed together and crushed the Spirit, ripping it into curls of darkness.


    The coins, the stone sword, and the portal to the altar turned to ash and disappeared.


    "They were illusions... I see, my gut was not wrong. It seems it was a test within a test." Wain muttered and removed his dark mask.


    p ''Suddenly ck Sun Aristocrat got such a strong ability, and I was intuitively able to use it... How strange, but it''s good. Forms can be stronger not only during evolution but also in unique situations.'' Wain pondered and looked down.</anda>


    Erza was still trying to get out of the room, but she was already tired. Her fists were covered in blood, and she was breathing heavily. She was furious that she was caged like a ve.


    Wain was ready to begin the challenge, and he looked at the maze, which was huge, a trap with many threats and rewards.

 Chapter 388 The Labyrinth

    ''Hmm... How do I start the challenge?''


    Wain realized that Spirit hadn''t lied about his role, he had to somehow help Erza out of the maze, but he didn''t know how to do it.


    "Hello." Suddenly a voice came from behind him.


    Wain turned around and saw another spirit, but this time white with ck eyes and mouth.


    "I''m sorry about what happened." The Spirit bowed low, "I was supposed to exin the test to you, and my partner was supposed to follow the maze and the girl below. However, it seems the opportunity to get out of here and into the treasury has turned his head."


    "Are you being kept locked in here?"


    "It''s only part of the Spirit Temple, never mind, I can''t talk about it, and you don''t need to know. Are you ready to begin the ordeal? I''ll be here all the time and help you if necessary."


    "Okay, I understand." Wain nodded, "Go."


    "Whatever you say."


    The Spirit snapped a finger, and a ss table with a crystal sphere in the center appeared before Wain and the walls of darkness restraining Erza disappeared.


    "Can you hear me?" Wain said.


    "What, Wain? Is that you?" Erza looked around, trying to find him.


    "Yes, I''m upstairs, and I can see you. These are the conditions of the challenge. Your job is to go forward, and mine is to help you find your way out, but I don''t know everything yet."


    "I see." Erza nodded and looked up, "What took you so long? Have you been enjoying my helplessness?"


    "You know, it''s not much fun watching someone beat the walls. I had some problems I had to solve. Okay, go ahead, we''ve wasted too much time." Wain said seriously.


    "Okay."


    Erza turned and walked down one of the four passageways. She walked a few meters, and suddenly the walls began to change, from dark, they turned to stone, worn and sprouting moss, as if in a dungeon.


    Bam.


    Erza tried to get out and hit the wall with all her might, but not even a crack appeared on it.


    "Huh, this girl has quite a temper, but that doesn''t make sense. The energy of the Spirit Temple powers this ce, and she doesn''t have the strength to destroy it." White Spirit said.


    "Erza, just go ahead. You''ve already hurt your hands badly enough."


    "Okay, but it''s freaking me out!"


    Erza took a few turns on Wain''s advice and reached the massive steel gate.


    "Am I sure it''s this way?"


    "Yes."


    Wain couldn''t see where the maze ended because it was too big, but a white star shone on the side of the exit, and he guided Erza there.


    "Okay." Erza''s fist went up in mes, and she punched a hole in the door in a few strokes and walked on.


    She found herself in a spacious room in the center of two altars. On one table was a crystal sphere, and on the other, a magical circle was drawn.


    Erza looked around and touched the crystal sphere.


    Whoooosh.<sub> </sub>


    A huge, empty chart appeared in front of her.


    "What is it?" Erza and Wain asked simultaneously.


    "This is the Table of Exchange. Touch the sphere, and you''ll understand everything."


    Wain nodded, and a table appeared in front of him as well, but it waspletely full, and it was as if it had no end.


    "Regeneration Potion... Energy Recovery Pills... Protective Barrier Scroll..." Wain read a few lines on the chart.


    "If you want, you can help your partner, for example, she could use an ointment or some simple potion. Nothingplicated."


    "What do I have to do? Pay?"


    "No, your role is not just to guide her. You can make her life easier, but you''ll have to try harder. Just pick something. The first time won''t be dangerous." White Spirit smiled slyly.


    Wain frowned. There were different numbers of stars next to the items on the table, and it stressed him out.


    ''It''s probably a difficulty. Okay, I have to try anyway.'' Wain thought and clicked on the one-star potion.


    "Hey! What did you do?" Erza eximed as arge magic circle appeared on the ground.


    "I''m trying to help you."


    A massive skeleton with a sturdy shield and a curved sword slowly emerged from the magic circle. The skeleton''s eyes glowed white, and he headed toward Erza.


    "Bastard! Are you trying to kill me?" Erza screamed in rage.


    ''Skeleton? What the hell is going on here?'' Wain frowned. He didn''t understand why Spirit said he was helping Erza, even though she, not him, had to fight.


    ''All right, the hell with you. Some skeleton can''t stop me anyway!" Erza eximed and attacked the skeleton.


    The monster didn''t dodge, and Erza smashed his left arm, his shield flew aside, but the skeleton instantly counterattacked, and the sword came down on Erza''s shoulder, it was a direct hit.


    "What?" Erza looked puzzled at the sword, which seemed to hover a millimeter above her skin.


    Whoooosh.


    A small magical circle appeared beneath the de, and the skeleton jumped aside.


    "Argh!" Suddenly Erza heard Wain''s painful shriek.


    "Wain? What happened?!"


    "Nothing much, just kill the asshole." Wain said holding onto the shoulder that was bleeding.


    The skeleton didn''t miss, but it wasn''t Erza who took the damage, it was Wain, that was his role and the price for helping his partner. The more Erza makes mistakes, the more wounds Wain will receive.


    "Got it." Erza nodded and blew the skeleton apart with the next blow, and its bones flew apart.


    "Yes... I thought it would be a good idea to check the new features and heal your hands simultaneously. Be more careful next time. Your wound passed on to me, and it looks like if the sword had hit your neck, you and I wouldn''t be talking..."


    Erza looked at the potion, opened it, and drank it.


    "Don''t think I''m going to thank you!" Erza said proudly, but she failed to hide her slightly flushed cheeks.


    "Of course."

 Chapter 389 White Spirit

    Erza moved forward through the maze following Wain''s words.


    ''Damn, I thought this would be so much easier.'' Wain thought as he watched the maze change next to Erza. Wain could see where the exit was, but that didn''t mean finding the right path was easy.


    Every time Erza moved forward a few yards, the walls came into flux, and new rooms, enemies, and traps appeared.


    "Left."


    "Got it." Erza turned and saw an old wooden door, she opened it and went inside. It was a room with traps, moving saws on the walls, pits on the ground with long spikes, and traps on the ceiling with retractable spears.


    "You didn''t make a mistake?"


    "No, this is the best option. There are only rooms with traps around you now, thebyrinth is rebuilding, and sometimes you have to choose the lesser of evils."


    Erza nodded and headed to the edge of the pit. She looked around and wondered how she could ovee all the obstacles.


    "Before you start, put your finger on the saw."


    "What? Why?"


    "I want to check something."


    Erza frowned but did as Wain said. She approached the saw, and the de left a small cut on her finger from which blood flowed.


    "Hmm?" Erza was surprised.


    "I see. I will only be wounded during special battles when you fight for my chosen reward. Anyway, be careful, traps are the least dangerous of all in this maze." Wain said calmly.


    Erza nodded and jumped forward over the pit of sharp spikes.


    Wain thought he was lucky to be in a guiding role, and this challenge was much easier and safer than thest one, but in time he realized that was not the case.


    The White Spirit didn''t answer his questions and only exined important points like the Exchange Table and notpletely. Wain tried to explore the ordeal and see how he could use the rules.


    "You''re a pretty risky young man." White Spirit said.


    "Why is that?"


    "The saw de could have been poisonous, and the girl could have been poisoned, didn''t you think of that?" Spirit smiled.


    "Huh, thest Spirit was right about something."


    White Spirit was puzzled.


    "Erza is actually much stronger than it shows, and there''s a room ahead with the Exchange Table. I had nothing to worry about, information is more important." Wain said seriously.


    "Whew, it''s done." Erza said as she passed the trap room, she headed forward, and suddenly a click was heard.


    Erza thought she had activated the pressure te again, but suddenly the ground beneath her fell through.


    "What?" Wain eximed.


    "Oh, did you really think it was that easy?" White Spirit smirked, "Why are you standing there? If you don''t go after her, she might die."


    The White Spirit swung his hand, and the room''s ss floor partially shattered.


    Wain frowned, but he decided to waste no time and jumped down and followed Erza.


    "How quick. He''s weaker, but he still made the decision instantly, others in his ce would have dyed, and it would have been a mistake." White Spirit looked at the shining white star in the distance, "They would have died."


    Crackle.


    The star exploded, and a wave ofva erupted from It, flooding and destroying the maze.<sub> </sub>


    White Spirit snapped his finger, and the hole in the trap room was restored, preventing theva from flowing down.


    ...


    "Fuck! Where am I?!" Erza shouted irritably into the void.


    "Wain?"


    He dropped down beside her with his wings open.


    "Where are we?"


    "I don''t know. Why did you follow me?"


    "Are you really more interested in that than the present situation?" Wain sighed, "Ah... Whether I want to or not, you and I are partners now, and we have to help each other. That''s the key to effective teamwork."


    Erza remained silent and lowered her gaze. Earlier, Wain had first experienced a sense of caring from a woman, and now the situation was repeated, only by Erza.


    For the Inerians, it was uneptable for a man to take care of a woman, it was against their rules and traditions. Women were supposed to be strong and unwavering, while men were supposed to rely on women for everything.


    Wain looked at the brooding Erza and headed forward. He decided not to disturb her.


    There was darkness, and only a thin road of dark stone led forward like a mountain range.


    At the end was a thin passageway from which emanated a white glow.


    "Erza, let''s go."


    "Yes." Erza nodded and followed him. They entered the passageway together and were blinded by a bright sh.


    Suddenly they were on top of a white mountain. They looked up at the beautiful blue sky and the clouds below the mountain, covering the earth like a veil.


    "Where are we?"


    "I don''t know, but it looks like we''ve reached the end." Wain pointed to the center, there was a stone altar with a sword hole.


    "Great. That''s what we need." Erza stepped forward confidently, and the ring on her finger glowed, and a stone sword appeared in her hands.


    She took a few steps and stopped, gripping the sword tightly.


    "I see... It was to be expected..." Wain muttered.


    p A White Spirit appeared beside the altar. He was wearing ancient armor and had a long sword in his hand.</anda>


    "What''s going on?"


    "He helped me during thest trial, but it seems the situation has changed now."


    "Yes, you''re right." The White Spirit changed, "I''ll tell you right away, you can''t beat me. The energy of the Spirit Temple fuels me, and I''m practically invulnerable here."


    "What kind of nonsense are you talking?" Erza frowned.


    "You cannot defeat me, but that is not your goal. You have to put a sword on the altar, isn''t that the perfect test for the team?"


    White Spirit stepped forward and swung his sword. He created a white wave of energy that rained down on Wain, and their battle began.


    ...


    "How interesting. Maybe I should get involved, too." The white-eyed Demon smiled. He and the other main Spirits watched Wain and Erza closely.

 Chapter 390 Descendant

    "These two are pretty interesting. A lonely Inerian and a member of a long-vanished race." The green-eyed Spirit grinned.


    "Yeah, the development of their rtionship is even more important than the ordeal, ahahaha." Yellow-Eyed Spiritughed.


    "Hey, you should be a little more serious. This is our test, after all."


    "Blue-Eyed, we''re not a Spirit Temple anyway. Only a small part of it is kept here." Red-eyed Spirit said.


    "But, it''s still very important. Because of it, we can still be here." The purple-eyed Spirit spoke quietly.


    "White-eyed, you''re surprisingly quiet, is something wrong?" The orange-eyed Spirit asked.


    "No, nothing''s wrong... I just think things are probably a lot more interesting than we think."


    ...


    Whooooooosh.


    The energy de came down on Wain, and he bounced to the side. Erza''s fists went up in mes, and she instantly attacked the White Spirit, but he blocked her attack with his arm.


    "Not bad. Trying to protect him, huh?" The White Spirit smiled and suddenly disappeared.


    He appeared beside Wain and struck a straight ball. Wain pped his wings and retreated, then a phantom kite tail appeared above him. The tail came down on Spirit like a whip, but Spirit blocked it easily.


    Erza decided to take advantage of the situation and ran down the aisle, she wanted to put a sword in it and pass the test.


    Whoooosh.


    Suddenly the Spirit appeared before her.


    "Do you really think it''s going to be that easy?" The Spirit smiled and swung his sword.


    Erza responded by creating two fire crosses, but the de shattered them easily, and the Spirit stomped his foot on the ground. The shockwave tossed Erza and Wain aside and prevented them from getting any closer.


    They were annoyed and frowning, the White Spirit not even giving them a chance to get close to the altar.


    "Ah, Ipletely forgot to tell you. You can surrender at any time, just say so, and you''ll go back to the Warrior Statues, but unfortunately, in that case, the test will fail."


    "And don''t get your hopes up!" Erza eximed and created several dark spheres.


    The White Spirit frowned and jumped aside, though he was strong, Erza''s attacks were dangerous even for him.


    "You said you were invulnerable, then what''s the point of retreating?" Wain smirked and clenched his palm in a fist. Electric discharges appeared above the Spirit, and a dark thunder pir fell upon it.


    "Argh!" The Spirit cried out in pain and roared to create an energy barrier around itself that protected it.


    "You bastards!" The Spirit became angry, and part of him turned ck and swung his sword like a madman.


    Wain and Erza prepared to defend themselves, but suddenly space trembled, and the Spirit froze. He trembled as if he had met a nightmare.


    "No, why did you interfere!"


    Whooooosh.


    Out of the air appeared a dark hand that covered the White Spirit''s mouth.


    "Quiet. I just want to be a part of it too. Do you mind?" Behind the White Spirit, the head of the White-Eyed Spirit appeared. He hade here from the arena.<sub> </sub>


    "What? It''s you! We entered your portal!" Erza eximed.


    "Yes. I''m sorry, one of the Spirits tried to interfere with you during the second trial, but unfortunately, I want to do that, too." The white-eyed Spirit smiled and steppedpletely out of the portal. He touched the White Spirit''s forehead with the tip of his finger, and it evaporated.


    The White-Eyed Spirit stretched and smiled and said, "Okay, here we go. I hope you won''t disappoint me."


    He stepped forward, and a terrifying aura burst out of him.


    "You bastard!" Suddenly Erza appeared in front of him. She sensed a threat from the White-Eyed Spirit and was not about to back down, even though he was one of the seven main Spirits.


    "Did you know you are too emotional?" The Spirit smirked, and his hand turned into a blur. Momentster, a fist dent appeared on Erza''s stomach, and she flew off to the side.


    "Erza!" Wain rushed to the rescue.


    "Wait, I want to deal with her first. I''ll leave you to dessert." The Spirit waved his hand, and a cage of darkness appeared around Wain.


    "What?" Wain tried to destroy the bars and get out, but his attacks were unsessful, "Bitch! Why the fuck did you interfere in the trial? Aren''t you one of the leaders?"


    "I told you, I was just curious." The white-eyed Spirit shrugged and walked over to Erza.


    Streams of blood trickled from the corners of her mouth, and she breathed heavily. She was shocked by the speed and force of the Spirit''s blow; she couldn''t even see anything.


    "You are an Inerian without a man, and yet you are so strong. How is that possible?" Spirit shook his head thoughtfully.


    "Fuck you!" Erza stood up and punched Spirit with a fiery fist for all she was worth, but he stopped her with his palm, and the fire quickly went out.


    "You''re strong and fiery, you''re an enigma. You know what has always helped me get answers to my questions?"


    Erza frowned.


    "It''s the pain." The Spirit smiled and kicked Erza in the stomach.


    "Argh!" She threw up a mouthful of blood but then got another punch and another one.


    The Spirit didn''t stop striking. He was beating Erza, but the smile gradually disappeared from his face as if he was waiting for something. Erza tried to resist, but there was nothing she could do.


    ''Shit! He''s going to kill her now! I''ve got to get out of here!''


    Wain tried to get rid of the cage, but even his a Beyond couldn''t help it. Gray energy devoured the bars, but the darkness instantly restored them.


    "Eh, did I make a mistake?" Spirit muttered, looking at the battered Erza. There was a pool of blood underneath her, struggling to breathe.


    "Okay, then it''s time for me to take you on." Spirit smirked and headed toward Wain.


    "Wait..." Erza said with difficulty.


    "Hmm? Can you still talk? Just stay there and watch the show."


    Erza''s eyes went dark in front of her, and she could hardly stay conscious.


    "Bastard... You won''t touch him!" Erza shouted with thest of her strength, and the stripes on her body glowed brightly with yellow light.


    "There it is." Spirit smiled contentedly.

 Chapter 391 The Color Of The Queen

    "What is it?" Wain was puzzled. Golden energy emanated from the stripes on Erza''s body, and space seemed to get heavier.


    "I can tell you, but first, I have to be sure." The white-eyed Spirit smiled and headed toward Wain. He deliberately emitted a killing intent so that Erza would react to it.


    Whooooooosh.


    Erza quickly rose to her feet and appeared in front of the Spirit. He smirked, and Erza blew his head off with a powerful blow of his hand, and it flew aside like a ball.


    Erza''s eyes glowed with golden light, and several golden locks appeared among her hair.


    The Spirit''s body didn''t attack back; the body went for the head, picked it up, and put it back in ce. Even such an attack failed to cause the Spirit any serious damage.


    "I see. I didn''t understand how an Inerian could be so strong without a man. It''s impossible, but not in your case. Tell me, were you aware of the Ancient Queen of Inerians'' blood flowing through you?"


    "What? What are you talking about?" Erza asked and prepared to fight. Her fists and feet were covered in golden mes, and space trembled with her aura.


    "Oh, so you didn''t even know about it, though that''s not surprising. Most Inerians don''t even know about the Ancient Queen."


    Erza did not attack. She didn''t know if the White-Eyed Spirit was telling the truth or not, but she was surprised by the power she suddenly had. The golden attribute was not peculiar to her. It was a unique power that could only be obtained by mixing other attributes.


    "I don''t know everything, but I''ll tell you what I''m sure of. The Ancient Queen was the strongest an Inerian, and she was also the only Inerians woman who obeyed and served a man, namely the King!"


    "What kind of nonsense are you talking?" Erza frowned, "That''splete bullshit. Our men are weak and helpless. We need them to be stronger and take care of them."


    "Ah, you misunderstood me. The King wasn''t an Inerian. It was a member of another race, one who in the great war was able to change the course of destiny."


    "A representative of another race...?" Erza turned around and looked at Wain. Their situation was simr, she was attracted to a representative of another race as in the story.


    ''King? Could it be rted to my soul?'' Wain thought.


    "What do you know about it? What kind of war is this?" Wain shouted.


    "I''m sorry, but that''s all I know." The white-eyed Spirit shrugged, "This ce is part of the Spirit Temple, and a small shard of the temple is kept here. I learned it from there, there was a short story written there about the Ancient Queen of Inerians, war, and the mysterious King she obeyed and served."


    "You mean to tell me my destiny is to obey a man?! Don''t bullshit me!" Erza became angry and attacked the Spirit. She transformed into a golden sh and delivered a powerful punch to Spirit''s stomach.


    However, Spirit blocked it with his palm, and arge amount of dark energy emanated from him.<sub> </sub>


    "Not bad. Now you can defeat even many Third Chronicle creatures, but we are still at different levels despite that."


    The Spirit grabbed Erza by the arm and tossed him aside. He shook his finger, and a fist of darkness appeared from the ground, piercing Erza from the bottom up. Then several more fists appeared, and the Spirit continued beating Erza until she fell.


    She was alive and conscious, but she needed time to recover.


    "I understand your frustration, but this has changed. It''s not even about fate, and before I told you, you only had an interest in him." The Spirit pointed at Wain, "I''m not sure, but maybe it should have been that way from the beginning because of your blood. Even though you''re trying to seem independent, you were actually almost dying of happiness when he took care of you. Even a fool would have noticed that."


    "Shut up!" Erza shouted, and her cheeks turned red. The Spirit saw through her and clearly understood her emotions. Erza was not stupid, she had long known there was something wrong with her, for none of her kin had such a problem as she did. She was the only one who didn''t like men.


    "Okay, now you." The Spirit said, and the cage next to Wain disappeared, "Use your unusual power, I want to experience it for myself."


    Wain nodded. He had no chance to refuse, he realized that the Spirit was watching them, which meant he knew everything going on during the test.


    ''I think it''s my turn. This Spirit is quite interesting, he still hasn''t revealed his second power.'' The voice of Code of Light and Darkness echoed in Wain''s head.


    ''Good. I hope you won''t let me down.


    ''Has that ever happened?'' Code of Light and Darkness smiled, and a white and ck armor appeared on Wain, and his hair became long and white.


    "Not bad." The Spirit nodded satisfactorily, and dark spears appeared next to Wain and came down on him from all sides.


    Whooooooosh.


    A sword appeared in his hand, and he knocked the spears aside, then Wain used the special skill of the first form, and a massive Yin Yang sign appeared on the ground.


    The Spirit was much stronger than Wain, so their stats didn''t bnce, but Wain did it because the Code of Light and Darkness asked him to do so.


    ''Okay, this is a great ce, but I''m going to feel really bad after this...''


    The sign glowed, and the light energy of the mountain headed toward the white part of the sign. It gradually absorbed the darkness until only a small dot remained, then the dark parts of the armor began to change, and Wain''s eyes glowed white.


    "What unusual strength, but from the looks of it, you''re weak." The Spirit smirked.


    "Yes, my physique is nothing now, but you must always give something away to get something." Wain said, and a colossal snake tail appeared above him.

 Chapter 392 White

    Bam.


    The huge tail of the serpent swooped down on the Spirit with lightning speed. The ground trembled, part of the mountain split in two, and Spirit''s body was sliced in half.


    The halves of the body quickly fused together, and the Spirit retreated to the side.


    "Hmm? Has your power increased? But how is that possible? There''s practically no auraing from you. You''re like an ordinary person." The Spirit was puzzled, and white energy ws appeared on his hands.


    "Yes, I can hardly even lift a hundred-pound weight right now, but that''s the exchange of one power for another." Wain clenched his palm into a fist, and clouds thickened in the sky. Electric discharges appeared among them, which gradually peaked, and Wain snapped his finger.


    A massive pir of dark thunder descended upon Spirit. It was a devastating power that should have left no trace of Spirit.


    "It''s a lot more than I expected, all right." Spirit muttered and raised his hand high. A pir of thunder came crashing down on him, and the ws began to devour the electricity and redirect it into his other hand like a lightning rod.


    Lightning went all over his body, and anyone else in his ce would have died, but Spirit was able to absorb it, and then a beam of white energy burst from his other arm.


    Wain was surprised and bounced back at thest moment. The beam destroyed part of the mountain and exploded in the distance, shaking the entire space, and leaving a molten trail several meters wide.


    The Spirit swung his hand and created three des that headed toward Wain, slicing the mountain''s rock apart.


    Wain put his palm to the floor and used the ck me Zone. A dark me appeared around him, destroying the des.


    This attack reached Erza as well, but she defended herself by creating a golden barrier in front of her.


    "Should we stop? Isn''t that enough?"


    "Hmm... Okay, you''re right." Spirit agreed. He wasn''t originally going to stop Wain and Erza from passing the test since they were worthy of making it to the auction.


    "But, it wouldn''t be pretty to end it this way. We need one powerful attack for the finale." The Spirit smiled and raised his hand.


    An enormous amount of energy burst out of him and rushed toward the sky in the form of a pir. It made the ground shake as if it were a massive earthquake.


    A portal opened in the sky, and the clouds parted. From the portal, a phantom head of a huge creature resembling a demonic monster slowly emerged.


    Its eyes glowed, and Wain and Erza felt fear shrink their hearts. Now the White-Eyed Spirit was serious, and it was his true power.


    They didn''t know what to do, escape was impossible as the horses were on top of the mountain and there was nothing but clouds around. The White-Eyed Spirit was an enemy they could not defeat, even if they used all their strength and trump cards.


    The monster opened its jaw wide, and hundreds of creepy spirits headed for Wain came out. They were about to devour his body and soul.


    Click.<sub> </sub>


    Spirit snapped their fingers, and everything disappeared, and space was instantly restored as if no battle had taken ce. The pieces of stone returned to their original ces, and the cloudyer was whole again.


    "Ahahahahaha, you should have seen your faces. Sorry, I couldn''t resist doing that. Okay, I gotta go." The Spirit uttered and opened a portal next to him.


    "Wait!" Wain shouted.


    "What?"


    "What Chronicle are you on?"


    "It''s a secret." The Spirit smiled and put a finger to his mouth.


    "Then tell me more about this ce. What is the Temple of Spirits and the Phantom Treasury?"


    "Isn''t it obvious? The Temple of Spirits is home to all the Spirits of this world, including myself, but there in a Demon city is a shard, so you could say the Demons and I cooperate. Threads of history link Spirits and Demons, and after the merging of worlds, we were finally able to meet again."


    "The Spirit Temple is a huge spaceparable to a mini world, and the Phantom Treasury is arge chest of this world''s gold, and you get ess to a small part of that chest. That''s all. See you at the auction." The Spirit smiled and entered the portal.


    Wain and Erza were left alone at the top of the mountain, and all they had to do was plunge the stone sword into the altar, and they would pass the test.


    ''Spirits? They are not one of the Pirs, but their power is incredible. A more powerful aura I''ve only felt from a dragon and Sven, it was a nightmare.'' Wain thought and headed toward Erza.


    She was lying on the ground, breathing deeply, trying to recover from the battle. Though she had awakened to her secret power, the White-Eyed Spirit had beaten her twice, and she was seriously wounded.


    "Come on, get up." Wain held out his hand to Erza.


    Erza looked at him and blushed again. Wain had not yet canceled the action of the first form, and he looked like a prince from a fairy tale.


    ''Hmm? Has she gone soft?'' Wain was surprised at this reaction from Erza.


    Whooosh.


    Erza threw Wain''s arm aside and got to her feet despite the pain in every point of her body.


    "I don''t need your help! Did you really think that the words of that scoundrel were true!? I am like any other Inerian. I will never submit to a man! That''s it, it''s time to end it!" Erza eximed and headed down the aisle with a proud face.


    ''Ah, at least now she''s not trying to kill me or grab me, though she has gained new powers. Maybe she''ll give up her attempts to be with me someday.'' Wain thought and walked over to Erza.


    Erza pulled a stone sword from her belt and thrust it into the altar.

 Chapter 393 Blue

    "Mr. Ern, are we sure we''re going in the right direction?" Alice said, looking around.


    "Sure." Ern shrugged, "Don''t worry. If someone attacks us, just stay close to me, and I''ll protect you. This ce looks ominous, but it''s nothing more than an attempt to intimidate us."


    Ern and Alice were the only team where the bnce of power was broken. Ern was in Third Chronicle, and Alice hadn''t even activated her Soul Altar yet and was weaker than Primary Chronicle.


    They entered the portal of the Red-Eyed Spirit and found themselves in a long passage with red walls drenched in blood, bones scattered on the floor, and broken weapons stuck in the walls.


    Alice had already seen a few murders in the new world, but she still felt uneasy about the ce, she felt like she was in a horror movie.


    Ern was rxed and was like a fish in water. The smell of blood and the tense atmosphere reminded him of a battlefield. Any horror movie was nothingpared to life-or-death battles.


    "What is this...?" Alice said in a trembling voice and pointed to two massive silhouettesing out from around the corner. She shuddered and stood behind Ern.


    "Oh, these are our first guests. I am d to see them, just walking ahead is too boring." Ern smiled and continued walking without slowing down.


    The silhouettes came under the light of the torches, and their appearance was revealed. They were two ghastly monsters resembling bloody wolves. There was a clear kill intent from them, and for Alice, it was a real test, she was scared so badly she could hardly walk.


    Ern looked at her and shook his head, "Not good. You scared my little helper."


    "Rooooaaarrr!" One of the wolves roared, and a torrent of wind was created that nearly caused Alice to fly away.


    "Alice, stay here." Ern said and walked over to the wolf. He reached forward, palm up, and said, "Be a good doggie, and then I''ll spare you."


    The monster got even angrier at this taunt and attacked Ern with his jaw wide open. The wolf was about to devour Ern and Alice.


    "How uncultured. Is that any way to behave at a first meeting?" Ern smiled and touched the wolf''s nose with his index finger.


    ''What...? What''s going on?'' Alice was shocked. It was as if the world had frozen, and Ern gave the wolf a flick. The monster''s body vibrated, and then the wolf flew back a hundred meters, shattering the stone pirs. The wolf sank into the rubble and never got up again.


    "Hmm? Was he able to survive? Amazing, it seems this ordeal is more difficult than I thought it would be. Its body should have been ripped to shreds, ok I have one more try." Ern nodded and walked calmly toward the second wolf.


    The monster didn''t know what to do. The wolf had to attack and get rid of the intruders, but its instincts told it to run away and as far away as possible.


    Ern kneaded his right shoulder and clenched his hand into a fist. He smiled and threw a fairly slow punch, just enough for the wolf to retreat at thest moment.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Ern''s blow produced a windstormparable in power to a tornado, which struck the wolf. The beast barely managed to stay on the ground and then fled in terror.


    Ern didn''t chase after it, he looked at the wolf under the rubble and wondered.


    "Alice, what kind of weapon do you like?"<sub> </sub>


    "Weapons? I don''t know... I''ve never fought."


    "Maybe there''s some preference?"


    Alice shook her head, she didn''t know anything about it and had never been interested in the subject.


    ''Hmm... I wonder what kind of weapon would suit a girl with such an innocent and modest appearance?'' Ern pondered. He was a cksmith, and to him, weapons had a sacred meaning and were more important than to others.


    "Exactly... It would be a beautiful contrast." Ern made up his mind, and the ring on his finger glowed.


    A medium-sized scythe with a long ck de appeared in his hands.


    "Here you go."


    Alice nodded and tentatively took the scythe in her hands.


    "It''s not heavy?"


    "No, it''s like a feather. I thought weapons were supposed to be heavy." Alice was surprised. She was turning the scythe over, but she didn''t feel the weight at all.


    p "You weren''t wrong. This scythe is from my personal collection. I wanted to create something simple but aesthetically pleasing and deadly. This weapon is perfect for you. I''m sure of it."</anda>


    "Thank you...but why did you give it to me?"


    "Hmm? Isn''t it obvious? I told you I''d make a warrior out of you, and we''ll start right now. Go and finish that wolf, don''t be afraid. I''ll back you up."


    "But... I can''t..."


    "I don''t care. Go and do it." Ern said in a harsh tone, and Alice shuddered with fear. The scene of the huge monster fleeing in terror from Ern appeared in her mind, and she hesitantly walked forward.


    "I don''t even know how to do it...and I don''t want to kill..."


    "You have to. If a wolf were to attack you and your life was at stake, the urge to kill would instantly arise in you. If there is even one predator in the world, everyone else is automatically a potential predator, and you are one of them."


    Alice was against it, she hoped that even though the change in her life had urred, she would never have to kill anyone, but she knew she was too naive. She slowly walked over to the wolf, scythed her scythe over her head, and closed her eyes.


    "No, not like that." Ern stopped her and showed her how to hold the scythe and take a swing properly.


    "Don''t close your eyes. You''re taking its life, and you should show respect, don''t you think so?"


    Alice nodded, bit her lip, and lowered her scythe with trembling eyes.

 Chapter 394 A Taste Of Murder

    Alice lowered the scythe, and the de sliced through the monster''s flesh like a red-hot knife through butter. The wolf didn''t fight back. It had no more strength left after Ern''s flick.


    The wolf''s severed head rolled on the ground, and Alice dropped the scythe to the ground.


    "I did it..." Alice muttered, looking at her hands. They were as clean and smooth as any girl''s, but Alice saw blood on them. It was hard for her to realize that she had killed someone.


    "It''s okay." Ern squeezed her hand tightly, "You did good, but this is only the beginning. Look, it belongs to you now."


    Ern pointed to the blue soul slowly flying toward Alice.


    "What is that...?"


    "It''s your power." Ern smirked, and the soul prated Alice''s chest. Her eyes glowed, and a powerful stream of energy burst out of her.


    "What''s going on?"


    "Nothing bad. You''re getting stronger, though the amount of energy is unusually high. You might even be in a little pain, you''ve absorbed Third Chronicle Soul, and your body is trying to absorb that energy. Just focus."


    Alice nodded, and after a few seconds, the energy flows calmed down, and several messages appeared in front of her.


    She was mesmerized and read everything in detail.


    "Well? Can you feel the power?" Ern smiled.


    "Yes... Damn, that''s incredible... I have to try it!" Alice eximed, and streams of wind appeared around her feet. She smiled and ran forward at breakneck speed.


    She ran from side to side for a while until she got tired and ran back.


    "Ah... Ah... Ah... This is harder than I imagined." Alice muttered, trying to catch her breath.


    p. p. p.


    "Not bad." Ern pped his hands, "You''ve just activated your Soul Altar, and you''ve already been able to use your new abilities. Your speed is really impressive, looks like I''m going to have to do a little rework of my scythe."


    "Okay, let''s move on. I want to get to the auction as soon as possible." Ern tossed the scythe to Alice and headed for the exit.


    "Yes!"


    ...


    Crackle.


    Erza thrust the stone sword into the altar, and a massive portal opened before them. She strode forward confidently, and Wain followed her.


    They found themselves in a massive auction hall, where the second phase of the auction would be held.


    "Hmm? Where is everyone? Are we the first?" Erza looked around, but all the seats were empty, and there was absolute silence in the hall.


    "That''s right." Suddenly the White-Eyed Spirit came onto the stage, "Settle in and wait for the others. In a few hours, all the trials will end."


    The Spirit smiled and disappeared.


    ...


    Whoooosh.<sub> </sub>


    A few minutester, another red portal opened, and out came the ever calm Ern and a cheerful Alice.


    "Oh, looks like we''re not the first." Ern smiled.


    "Looks like you''ve made some progress." Wain looked at Alice.


    "Yes! These abilities, it''s incredible! Look what I can do now!" Alice eximed and ran toward Wain with the speed of the wind.


    Alice almost reached Wain, but suddenly Erza appeared beside her and stopped her by grabbing her arm.


    She looked at her menacingly and said, "Go back."


    Alice flinched in fear and ran to Ern.


    "Ahahahaha, looks like your friend is jealous of you, and your rtionship has taken a new level."


    "Don''t be ridiculous. It''s just like before. We were just temporarily on the same team." Wain said seriously.


    "Sure." Ern smiled and sat down at the edge. Alice sat down next to him and asionally looked back at Erza. She had never seen such a formidable woman before.


    As time passed, new contestants appeared, and soon all the trials were over. The hall was only half full, only fifty teams could pass the tests, and the rest failed.


    "Great, looks like everyone is in." Someone''s voice sounded, and a white portal opened on the stage. Artur and his assistants emerged from it. Then the space shuddered, and seats for spirits and seven thrones appeared in the air. On six of them sat the main Spirits, but the white throne was empty.


    Artur stepped aside, and the White-Eyed Spirit appeared in the center of the stage.


    "I am pleased to wee you all. You''ve managed to get here, which means you''ve all proven that you''re strong enough. Some have demonstrated great teamwork, and some have swept through the ordeal like a mighty hurricane." Spirit looked at Ern.


    "As the person in charge of this part of the Temple, I dere the auction open, but you must get what you deserve before seeing the Phantom Treasury."


    The Spirit snapped his finger, and many coins appeared in the air.


    "Depending on your sess, each of you will receive a certain amount of Void Coins. The team that got here first will get a hundred Void Coins!" The Spirit spoke, and the coins went to Wain and Erza.


    Both got fifty coins each, which was equal to half a million Void Souls. It was a huge amount even for those who were in Third Chronicle. You could buy a few viges or a whole town with that money.


    "What? Elf and Inerian were the first? How is that possible?"


    "Huh, that''s amazing. I thought Elves were sissies and incapable of anything." Red Demon said.


    ''Half a million? Damn...pared to that, the money I made before the auction is nothing.'' Wain thought and moved the coins into the ring.


    "Now it''s number two''s turn." The Spirit smiled and ny-eight coins headed for Ern and Alice.


    "They were number two? But she''s useless, she''s weaker even than Primary Chronicle!"


    "Ahahahaha, Alice, looks like you''re suddenly rich." Ernughed.


    "Hmm? Is forty-eight coins a lot?" Alice looked at the Void Coins and didn''t understand what was special about them.


    "Of course. You''d have to kill a few million monsters equal to you to get that kind of money. Don''t waste it. You''ll need it."


    Ern was pleased with the reward, but he was most interested in the treasury.

 Chapter 395 The Second Stage

    Every team received an award, which changed a lot, because now everyone had a chance to buy something unique and valuable, even if they didn''t have enough money before.


    "Now, the moment you''ve all been waiting for has arrived. I will show you the Phantom Treasury!" The white-eyed Spirit spread his arms out to his sides, and the space trembled.


    A massive seal glowed on the wall behind the Spirit, and it shattered into small shards. There was a piece of the Phantom Treasury located in this Temple.


    "Artur, let''s go! I can''t wait to get started and watch the show." The White-Eyed Spirit eximed, jumped up, and sat down on the throne.


    "Of course." After a few seconds, Artur entered the portal and came out with the first lot, and handed it to one of his assistants.


    Several transparent cubes burned bright mes, and intense heat came from them.


    "This is the Compressed Fire Essence. It is quite rare as you will be able to use it at will, and as long as the cubes are intact, the mes will regenerate, absorbing energy from the environment." Artur stated.


    "What is the strength of the me in the cubes?" Someone asked.


    "Not much. That me is not meant for battle, it is not for warriors, it is for craftsmen. Since this is the first lot and rather narrowly focused, the starting price will be small, five thousand Void Souls. The minimum step is one hundred Void Souls."


    "Ten thousand!" Axalt suddenly eximed. It was a guy in a red robe and long ck hair.


    ''Compressed Fire Essence? Lui Bu asked me to get it when I could.''


    "Fifteen thousand." Wain said calmly, immediately outbidding thest bid.


    ''Boy, what are you, an alchemist? What do you need the Fire Essence for?" The guy asked.


    "Hmm? Why do you care about that? It''s an auction, and anyone can bid on an item they like. Whoever has the most money wins."


    "You passed the test first and got a lot of money, but do you really think that''s enough topete with me?" Axalt eximed, and a powerful aura burst out of him, "Twenty thousand."


    "Twenty-five thousand." Wain continued to raise the price. He had promised Lui Bu that he would buy what he needed, and now that he had plenty of money, he could do it.


    "Boy, you''re only in Second Chronicle. Aren''t you afraid I''ll take the Fire Essence from you by force?" Axalt smirked.


    "Fortunately or unfortunately, I don''t think I need to worry about my safety." Wain said, and suddenly two powerful pressures came over Axalt. One was formidable like an enraged beast, and the other was quiet and deadly like a killer.


    The pressures came from Erza and Ern, and because of their power, the tension in the hall hung, and everyone became anxious.


    "Sto..."


    Artur wanted to stop them, but suddenly the Red-Eyed Spirit signaled him not to. Ern and Axalt passed his test, and he watched them closely, he was curious about what would happen next. Everyone was also curious to see Erza in action again, she was unique.


    "From the looks of things, no one will get in our way. Honestly, the challenge was too easy, and I don''t mind fighting someone. Maybe it would be you?" Ern smiled weakly and squinted his eyes at Axalt.


    "Huh, what the fuck are you defending him for? Maybe you have a love triangle? Demon, Elf, and Inerian, that would be a wonderfulbination." Axalt grinned.


    "You want to check it out?" Erza uttered, and the handle of her chair cracked from the force of her grip.


    "Pfft, do what you want. I came here for rare things, not to fight. I''m not a barbarian after all." Axalt waved his hand and retreated.<sub> </sub>


    "Compressed Fire Essence sold for twenty-five thousand!" Artur eximed, and his assistant carried the cubes to Wain.


    "How warm..." Wain muttered, moving the cubes between his fingers.


    "Have you decided to take up alchemy?" Erza asked.


    "No, it''s a gift for my friend." Wain said and moved the cubes into the ring.


    Artur went into the ghostly tomb again and returned with a creepy armor covered with spiky chains and a terrible aura emanating from it.


    Click.


    The White-Eyed Spirit snapped his fingers, and information about it appeared in the air.


    [Spiky Haze (Third Chronicle, Ascendant Rating)


    Chestte is created from the chains of a rare and terrible creature that only appears on foggy nights. Whoever defeated the monster had a strong will to withstand the terror of this creature.


    *All stats increase by 200.


    *Your resistance to all damage is increased by 10%.


    *Skill created - ''Eclipse.''


    -Eclipse


    Target your enemy with a curse of blindness and dark me simultaneously. The more damage your enemy takes, the stronger your attacks will be the next minute. Chains will absorb the fear and pain experienced by the target skill].


    "This unusual and rare item was provided by the Master Spirits, especially for the auction. You have a chance to obtain the item from the Phantom Treasury, so don''t miss it. The starting price is thirty thousand! The minimum bid is three thousand!" Artur eximed.


    "Oh, this is serious stuff." Wain muttered.


    "Yes, it''s not a bad chestte. Only a master cksmith could create something like that, though it''s more likely this thing came about naturally." Ern said.


    "You appreciated it, it looks like this chestte isn''t worth so much for nothing."


    "Sure." Ern nodded.


    Wain did not participate in this bidding, and someone bought the chestte for ny thousand Void Souls. It was a huge sum even with the Void Coins received.


    "Alright, let''s get on with it." Artur uttered and entered the portal.


    The next few slots were powerful gear and cost a lot of money, but that didn''t catch Wain''s attention. He didn''t know what he was expecting, but he wanted something special. Almost any armor or weapon could be reced.


    Artur brought out the next item, and it was a small piece of paper that gave off a strange, magical aura.


    "I have to say that I was shocked when I found out that this was here. You are all definitely lucky to be able to buy this." Artur uttered.

 Chapter 396 The Way To The Guide

    Artur''s words surprised everyone. Because of the aura, they knew it was something unusual, but even Artur was amazed, and it multiplied their interest.


    "The thing in my hands is a trinket with unique energy and the sole purpose of finding a guide leading to the Forgotten Forest of Elves. It is a map." Artur said slowly.


    Half of the participants'' eyes went wide, while others had puzzled expressions on their faces. Not all races or even Elves were aware of the Forgotten Forest.


    ''The Forgotten Forest and the guide!'' Wain eximed to himself, ''This is exactly what Reto was talking about. It looks like I''m finally close to unlocking the sixth form.''


    Wain had learned the condition for obtaining the sixth form quite some time ago, before the merger of worlds, but this form proved to be much more difficult to open than all the previous ones. It was a real mystery that Wain was slowly unraveling.


    "You seem to be interested in this thing." Ern muttered.


    "Yes. Though it''s not a breastte or some powerful sword, this trinket has much more potential. Ern, do you know of the Forgotten Forest of Elves?"


    "Of course, I would like to go there. I''m sure there will be many things of interest there."


    "So you would be my opponent?"


    "Hmm? Rival? Why would you think that? Obviously, I''ll be your ally since we''ll go there together." Ern smiled.


    "I''m going to join you, too." Erza said, "I can''t miss out on something like that."


    "Well... Anyway... I''ll go with Alice to her house first."


    "Sure." Ern nodded.


    Wain liked to do everything alone, but he knew he couldn''t refuse in this situation. If Erza decided something, nothing could stop her anymore, and Ern''s curiosity knew no bounds.


    "I hope you understand that this is a unique item even for a Spirit Temple, and the price will be appropriate." Artur stated, "The starting price is one hundred thousand! The minimum bid is five thousand!"


    "One hundred and ten thousand!"


    "One hundred and twenty!"


    "One hundred and thirty!"


    A lot of people immediately entered the bidding. They knew about the Forgotten Forest, but nothing worked out for them no matter how many ways they looked for to get there. However, after the Merger of Worlds, they had the opportunity, and it was in front of them.


    "Hey! Can someone exin what this is?" Construct eximed. He didn''t understand why a piece of paper cost so much and caused such a stir.


    "If you don''t know about it, then you have no way to get there anyway. You don''t even have to dream about it. Ahahahaha." Purple Demonughed, "One hundred and fifty thousand."


    "Ahem. I''ll exin it to you. Stop the auction." Blue Eyed Spirit said.


    "Those of you who know about the Forgotten Forest had already realized that it was impossible to get there. The reason was because, before the merging of the worlds, the Spirit Temple was separated from the other worlds. The Forgotten Forest is tightly connected to the Spirits, because, thanks to the power of the Spirit Temple, the souls of the Ancient Elves can be in the Forgotten Forest. There is no doubt that the Forgotten Forest hides many treasures and mysteries."


    "If this ce is connected to the Temple of the Spirits, can''t you get there? This ce, part of the Temple, isn''t it?" Someone asked.


    "You! Idiot!" The orange-eyed Spirit shouted, "You think living things can move as freely as energy? Don''t ask stupid questions, or you''ll be out of here before the auction is over."


    "Ah, you are as rude as ever." The blue-eyed Spirit sighed, "Okay, now I think you better understand the value of this trinket. Go on."


    There was silence in the room for a few seconds, and then, like hail, there were shouts of raising the stakes.


    "Two hundred thousand!"<sub> </sub>


    "Two hundred and twenty!"


    "Two hundred and forty!"


    "Oh, they''re serious. Maybe we should team up." Ern asked.


    "I don''t mind. I hate to admit it, but I don''t have enough money. There are some really rich people here." Wain shrugged. He immediately agreed since he needed that card at all costs.


    "How much do you have?"


    "Not much. Five hundred thousand. I''ve already spent the supplies that I saved for the auction."


    "Erza, are you with us?"


    "Yes." Erza replied sharply, "I have eight hundred thousand."


    "That makes one million three hundred thousand. Hmm, that''s not bad, but I expected more." Ern pondered.


    "Ern, how much money do you have?"


    "Nine hundred thousand." Ern waved his hand, "Really, that doesn''t consider the Void Coins I got. So I have a million four hundred now, and we have two million seven hundred thousand in total. That should definitely be enough."


    "Um... If you need me to, I can help too!" Alice said.


    "Ahaha, sure, but I hope you don''t have to part with your first money so quickly."


    "The spirits are pretty crafty. Handing out coins to us as a reward for passing their tests, yet with their story, they raised the price so much." Wain muttered.


    "Yeah, that''s pretty sneaky. Okay, in that case, it''s time to make the first move." Ern smiled and stood up.


    "Five hundred thousand!" He eximed, and everyone looked at him.


    "Finally, someone''s starting to y big!" Red-eyed Spirit eximed.


    "Damn! I should have hoped I could buy such a unique item on the cheap." Construct hit the handle of his chair, "Seven hundred thousand!"


    Ern did not raise his bid in response. He decided to bide his time.


    The bidding continued, and when the price reached ny thousand, Ern made his move.


    "One million one hundred thousand!"


    "Hey? Do you even have that much money?" Someone eximed.


    "Of course I do. Do you really think I''d try to cheat anyone?" Ern grinned.


    Most didn''t have that much money and couldn''tpete in bidding anymore, but some still had the right amount.


    "One. Two. Three. Sold!" Artur dered.


    No one outbid Ern''s, as it was too high, and they felt that such a cunning man would not back down for anything, and they were right.


    "Great. I hope it was worth it."

 Chapter 397 Erns Sword

    Ern, Wain, and Erza could get the Trinket, even though they spent a huge amount of money on it.


    "It cost over a million Void Souls..." Ern muttered, holding a piece of paper.


    [Map to the Forgotten Forest (Unique)


    With a small amount of energy, this card will direct you to a guide who will show you the way to the Forgotten Forest. The card ispletely invulnerable to physical damage and most types of magical attacks].


    "I didn''t expect us to spend so much." Wain said and tossed to Ern thirty-seven coins, "That''s my cut."


    "I hope you don''t cheat us." Erza did the same.


    "Oh, don''t worry." Ern smiled and moved the card into the ring, "When Wain and Alice return from their journey, we will all go to the Forgotten Forest together."


    "Can Ie with you?" Alice asked.


    "Hmm... It will depend on how strong you are by then. We won''t be going tomorrow, so you''ll have a chance to show what you can do in training."


    "Of course! I''ll try really hard!" Alice nodded, and there was a fire in her eyes.


    "I hope you were satisfied with this lot, but there''s more toe." Artur uttered and re-entered the Phantom Treasury.


    He returned with a long sword in an unusual sheath covered in slime.


    "Oh, looks like it''s my turn to shine again." Ern smiled.


    "You created this sword?"


    "Yes, and the sheath, it was one of the hardest challenges of my life. Working with the slime of the Ancient Serpent was not easy, but it was worth it."


    Whooosh.


    Artur drew his sword from its sheath and raised it high up. The de was green and slightly curved toward the end, and the guard was in the shape of a snake with its tongue sticking out.


    [Sticky Assassin (Third Chronicle, Ascendant Rating)


    This sword was created by a skilled smith who is also a fighter. This greatly influenced the end result, as the entire process, from the extraction of materials to creating this sword, was undertaken by the cksmith alone.


    The main strength of this weapon is the synergy between the sword and the scabbard. It is one whole.


    *All stats are +300


    *Damage against sword attacks increased by 20%


    *Damage against enemies with active attributes increased by 10%


    *Damage against enemies stronger than you has been increased by 20%


    *Created a passive skill - ''Synergy.''


    -Synergy


    When touched by a slime sword de, a special reaction causes a deadly poison to appear. Finding an antidote to this poison is almost impossible, but it is dangerous to both enemy and wearer].


    "This sword is not from the Phantom Treasury. It was made by one of you, my friend, Ern Lernch!" Artur eximed and pointed at Ern.


    "What? He''s a cksmith?"


    "Demons really are amazing. To be a cksmith and possess such power, it''s incredible."


    "This weapon is magnificent, my homage to your skills."


    The people were amazed. Ern had revealed his true power before, then passed the test almost single-handedly, and now it appeared that he was a skilled cksmith. Thisbination would be the envy of anyone.


    "This weapon falls only slightly short of the legendary level, so the price is appropriate. A hundred thousand to start, a minimum step of ten thousand!"<sub> </sub>


    "One hundred and twenty thousand!"


    "One hundred and forty thousand!"


    "Two hundred!"


    "Looks like I''m going to get rich again." Ern smiled, "You won''t take part in the bidding?"


    "No. It''s too expensive, and such a weapon would not suit me. Poison is effective, but slow and depends on luck. I prefer something powerful and crushing." Wain shrugged.


    "I see. I''ll keep that in mind." Ern muttered and looked at Erza, "And you? I''m sure you have enough money for that."


    "You think I need a sword?" Erza said proudly, "My body is my weapon."


    "That''s only true if the weapon isn''t capable of harming you, but my sword will easily cut you to pieces."


    "Is that a threat?" Erza asked coldly, and her aura intensified.


    "Huh, no, it''s just a fact, don''t take it personally." Ern waved his hand.


    "Five hundred thousand!" A man at the very end of the hall eximed.


    He was wearing a long cloak,pletely hiding him. Only his bright, purple eyes and the bulging bones from his elbows were visible. This was the only Undead to make it to the second stage of the auction.


    "Five hundred thousand one, two, three, sold!" Artur eximed.


    "Undead... It''s like this weapon was made for him." Wain muttered.


    "Well... it was." Ern shrugged.


    "What?"


    "It was my first time working with such unusual materials, and I decided to create a weapon that would be perfect for quiet and stealthy killers. Even though it''s not a dagger, it''s still one of the best options for the Undead."


    "I see. Ern, how much is your work worth?"


    "You want me to make a weapon for you?" Ern smirked.


    "Yes, but not right now."


    "A lot, it depends on theplexity of the order, but it''s not the money you need to worry about."


    "Hmm?"


    "If you want me to forge something for you, you have to provide me with materials. I only work with unique and rare specimens and not below my Chronicle. You need to get stronger, to begin with."


    "You''re straightforward."


    "Of course, it''s much easier that way."


    "I agree." Erza said, "You''re too weak. If you were stronger, we would have passed the test faster and defeated that asshole." Erza looked at White-Eyed Spirit.


    "In that case, we wouldn''t be on the same team." Wain muttered and thought.


    He had already met two of the three conditions for starting the third evolution, but he still needed to get 3 Majesty. This was not an easy task, as he needed to defeat the Legendary Beings.


    "Ern, Erza, do you know where I can fight the Legendary Beings?"


    "Go to the S+ ranked arenas. Only there can you meet such strong opponents." Erza said.


    "She''s right, but I have one unique way if you''re interested." Ern smiled.

 Chapter 398 The Final Lot

    "A unique way? What are you talking about?" Erza asked.


    "Oh, so you don''t know either, though that''s not surprising. This information is only avable to those whose arena rank, S or higher."


    "Erza, is your Rank really lower?"


    "Pfft, don''t be ridiculous. I had no reason to attend the arena. I''ve only been there once, and I was awarded a Rank-AAAA. It was too easy and not worth my time to go back there."


    "Wain, what about you?"


    "I got Rank-A." Wain shrugged, "Looks like I''ll have to go back there if I want to use that way."


    "Oh, that won''t be necessary. I''ll help you, that way, you won''t waste any extra time upgrading your rank."


    "What is this way?"


    "Rank-S is much different from the others. It is obtained only by those who are strong enough to defeat the Legend, of course, this must be proven in the arena. Once you get Rank-S, many features open up, one of which is the battlefield areas with limited Rank." Ern smiled.


    "I can fight fighters of whatever rank I want?"


    "Exactly. Of course, there are a few restrictions, and sometimes a fight can be abandoned, but one Rank-S fighter, it won''t be hard to find another Rank-S fighter."


    "Will it be a fight to the death? Will I have to kill my opponent?"


    "Yes, but that''s if you choose to fight the other fighter one-on-one."


    "Hmm? Is there another option?"


    "Sure, it sounds like you misunderstood me. Achieving Rank-S in the arena gives you new opportunities in the Arena and the World of Darkness. You can duel one-on-one with a Legendary Soul wielder if you want, but it can also be an entertaining journey."


    "You can get into a special area and join other Rank-S fighters to hunt monsters with Legendary Souls. Apparently, you need some Legendary Souls, and that sounds like the best option."


    "I see. You''re suggesting that I team up with others and get a few souls at once, but wouldn''t we then try to thwart each other?"


    "Ahahaha, of course, it will be a massacre, though it''s up to you. It''s the most efficient and fastest way. Also, the more Legendary Souls you get at the end of the hunt, the higher your rank will be."


    "Will I be able to increase my rank?"


    "Yes, since it''s rted to the arena."


    "Ern, I want to be a part of it too." Erza said.


    "Sure, I''ll set it up. Now let''s enjoy thest part of the auction." Ern sat backfortably and put his fingers together.


    The auction continued, and several lots passed during their conversation.


    There wasn''t much left to go, and one of the lots managed to interest Wain. It was a medium-sized alchemical cauldron with three legs. It cost quite a lot, thirty thousand, but Wain spared no expense as it was thest thing Lui Bu and Edena asked for.


    ''Great, I hope it helps them progress faster.''


    A few items interested Ern, he bought a set of armor, not for himself but for Alice. It was a light ck leather armor of a very rare monster. Its price was over a hundred thousand.


    "You spent even more on this armor than you did on Alice. Is it worth it?" Wain asked.


    "Of course. I have big ns for Alice." Ern said and handed the suit to the girl.


    "Thank you..." Alice mumbled timidly. Her cheeks flushed, and she lowered her head modestly.


    She was not stupid, and she understood that only the wealthiest and most influential people gathered at auctions, especially at this level. Sure, the suit was cheappared to the Map to the Forgotten Forest, but it was still a hefty sum.


    "No need to thank me. Better save your energy and fighting spirit for training." Ern smiled meaningfully.<sub> </sub>


    "I have to announce that the auction is nearing its finale, but the final lot will not disappoint you. I promise." Artur uttered and entered the Phantom Treasury.


    He returned with arge stone chest, one and a half meters long. Artur opened it, and streams of darkness burst forth.


    Insidey a battle scythe, with a long handle and arge curved de. The de was ck as night and on it was a living, closed eye, as if it were a monster.


    [Dormant Stalker (Third Chronicle, Legendary Rating)


    This is a unique living weapon obtained from the soul of a Legendary Being. It is terrifying and can only be used by those worthy and unafraid of death.


    *Created Passive Skill - ''Partner''.


    *Created Passive Skill - ''Sense of Fear''.


    *Created the Active Skill - ''Creator of Terror''.


    -Partner


    The Dormant Stalker must acknowledge you as the true owner, and then the eye on the de will open, and contact will be established between you. The stronger the connection, the stronger you will be. The contract will give you unique abilities and a special look.


    -Sense of Fear.


    This ability only works if you''re under contract.


    You will sense the fear of other creatures, and the stronger it is, the more powerful you will be. You will be a hunter, and nothing can stop you.


    -Creator of Terror.


    This ability only works if you''re under contract.


    Use the power of Dormant Stalker and make your target experience true terror. This is a powerful psychological attack that will drive opponents who are weak in will and spirit crazy.


    To use this skill, you must have a good understanding of what fear is]


    "Legendary Weapon..." Someone muttered.


    "Huh, I wouldn''t expect anything else."


    "That''s a great ending!"


    "You''re right, this scythe, it''s an amazing weapon, so get ready, the price will be as frightening as the power of this weapon. The start is three hundred thousand, the minimum step is thirty thousand!" Artur eximed.


    "Not bad, I won''t spare any money on this one. Five hundred thousand!" Axalt in the front row shouted.


    "Six hundred!"


    "Seven hundred!"


    The price skyrocketed and, within seconds, reached one million. The legendary weapon was a real rarity, this scythe was priceless.


    "One million five hundred thousand!"


    There was silence in the hall, no one else raised the stakes.


    "Looks like this is the end." Artur said, "Then the final lot goes to..."


    "Two million!" Ern stated.

 Chapter 399 Map

    "What? He said two million?"


    "Damn it! How much money does he have?"


    "Maybe he''s cheating?"


    Everyone was shocked by Ern''s statement. Two million was arge sum even for those on the fringe of the Third Chronicle.


    ''What? Didn''t he only have a million four hundred thousand? Is Ern cheating, or has he cheated us?'' Wain wondered. Even with the five hundred thousand received for the sword, Ern didn''t have enough money since he still spent some on the map.


    "Two million, sold!" Artur stated, and his assistant brought the scythe to Ern.


    "Here are your weapons." The aide said.


    "Of course." Ern took the scythe, and the ring on his finger glowed. Two fingernail-sized crystals appeared in his hand, the equivalent of two million Void Souls.


    "Great, the final lot exceeded even my wildest expectations." Artur stated, "In that case, the auction is over, and I have an important message for you."


    "After the Merger of Worlds here, a passageway to the Spirit Temple portion has opened up. The Spirits and Demons in the city of Nord, will work together, that is all." Artur left the stage, and part of the Spirits instantly disappeared.


    "Ern, I wonder if you ever tell the truth." Wain asked.


    "Huh, I don''t really like to brag about my wealth, and in fact, it was costly even for me." Ern shrugged.


    "What were those crystals?"


    "They''re an improved version of Void Coins, each crystal is equivalent to one million Void Souls." Ern looked at the scythe, "It was expensive, but it''s the best gift I''ve ever made."


    "A gift?" Erza wondered.


    "Yes, Alice, this scythe is yours now." Ern handed the weapon to Alice.


    "What...? Are you sure? That scythe is worth an incredible amount... you''ve already bought a lot for me."


    "Don''t worry. It''s an investment." Ern smiled.


    "Hmm? What''s the point of that? She is in the Primary Chronicle, and this Third Chronicle scythe, she won''t be able to use it. The energy would either not flow or she would be torn apart."


    "Yes, that would be a problem, but I know how to fix it." Ern smiled, and his ring glowed. A metal gauntlets with unusual engraving appeared in his hands.


    "What is it?" Wain asked.


    "These are special gloves that will contain the energy flows so that Alice can use this scythe even while in Primary Chronicle. However, they''re not ready, I made them, but I need Runecrafter''s help."


    "Runecrafter? Who''s that?"


    "They create and customize runes that enhance equipment or give it unique properties. The problem is that not all gear can be runecraftered, only special ones like these gloves I created specifically for it. I have an acquaintance, so that won''t be a problem."


    "Sounds like a pretty rare profession."


    "Yeah, there are even fewer of them than cksmiths and alchemists, okay, we should get out of here." Ern took Alice''s hand and stood up.


    "Where shall we go?" Erza mouthed.


    "To my house. We need to explore the map."


    The hall quickly emptied, and only the seven Master Spirits remained. They were pondering something.


    "This girl, she has the blood of the Ancient Queen, but why does my gut tell me that the guy she''s in love with is even more unique than she is?" Blue-Eyed Spirit muttered.<sub> </sub>


    "White-Eyed, you fought him, and they were tested in your portal. Did you sense something?"


    "Yes... Something... strange majestic energy, but also iplete and very ancient. I don''t know how to exin it."


    ...


    "And your house isn''t bad." Erza looked at the massive building on the edge of town.


    "Nothing remarkable." Ern shrugged, "Let''s go into the hall. We''ll discuss everything there."


    Ern opened the doors, and they went inside.


    Although Ern was very wealthy, the interior looked ordinary, and the house was even a little empty. Dust covered all the furniture, and even there were webs on the ceiling.


    "You have so much money, and you can''t hire a maid?" Erza frowned. She didn''t understand how anyone could live in such a mess.


    "Hmm? Why would I need a maid? I don''t like strangers walking around my house, and I''m fine with it. If that''s the way you want it, you can clean the ce, I''ll even pay you."


    "Fuck off!" Erza said angrily.


    "Don''t make any noise." Ern waved his hand and copsed on the couch. A cloud of dust rose, and Alice started coughing.


    "This ce definitely needs to be cleaned up..." Alice covered her mouth with the palm of her hand.


    "Do you want to do it?"


    "I don''t mind... It''s the least I can do to thank you..."


    "Okay, that''s enough. Get the map out." Wain said and sat down in the wooden chair.


    "Sure." Ern nodded, and a piece of paper appeared in his hands.


    He put it on the table, and Wain and Erza touched the map.


    "Alice,e along with us."


    "Okay..." Alice nodded.


    "Let''s go."


    They poured some energy into it, and the card glowed blue. Four energy streams burst out of the map and rushed to their eyes.


    "What''s going on...?!" Alice said anxiously.


    "Don''t worry, it''s okay, the main thing is to keep your hand."


    Whooooooosh.


    The currents intensified, and many images appeared in their minds. It was a ruined city covered in mes, then they saw a forest covered in mist with bright mes burning behind it and then ruins.


    "Is it just me, or was this map not supposed to be worth that much? How can we even figure out where it is? Heck, we only have three images, two of which are almostpletely covered in fog!" Wain was not happy with the result. Finding the Forgotten Forest was critical to him, but the only clue yielded no results.


    "Well... It''s not what I expected, but I have informants and scouts I know, I''m sure if we wait for a little while, we''ll find somewhere." Ern suggested.


    "What if this town is at the edge of the world? Do we have to wait months then?!" Erza shouted.


    "Wait..." Alice muttered, "I think I know where it is..."

 Chapter 400 Kitchen

    "What?"


    "Do you know where it is?"


    Wain, Ern, and Erza were puzzled.


    "Yes, that city burning in mes... that''s my home... I''m sure of it."


    "That was unexpected, but it''s great. Isn''t it?" Ern grinned.


    "Yes, now we have a purpose, and we will aplish two tasks at once. We''ll all go there together, first I''ll tour the town with Alice, and then we''ll head into the misty forest."


    "When do we leave?" Erza asked.


    "Depends on Wain, but I would take my time and prepare thoroughly if I were you. We have the map, and hardly anyone else knows how to this secret ce. Wain needs Legendary Souls, and Alice needs to get stronger and learn a few tricks."


    "Okay." Erza shrugged, "I''ll fight in the arenas for now, then. Ern, where''s the booze in this mess?"


    "Look in the cupboards. There must be something in there, just don''t be surprised if the bottle is older than you are."


    "Then I''ll do the cleaning!" Alice jumped up.


    "Urgh..." Suddenly there was a lingering sound, like a growling.


    Wain and Ern looked at Alice and then at her stomach.


    "Sounds like someone''s hungry."


    "I just haven''t eaten anything in a while..." Alice was embarrassed and covered her face with her hands.


    "Well...I could use something to eat, too." Wain said.


    "In that case, we should go to the kitchen." Ern smiled and got up from the couch.


    Erza didn''t follow them, she found an old whiskey bottle covered with dust in the cupboard and immediately opened it.


    ''If the hall is so dusty and untidy, the kitchen must be a living hell.'' Erza thought and took a sip.


    "Ah, it''s been a hard day today. I need to rest." Erza copsed on the couch.


    She was alone in the room and drank while she thought about what had happened.


    ''The blood of the Ancient Queen flows in me...but why have I never heard of it? How long has it been?


    Erza was more surprised than anyone by her unusual strength and lineage. Now, though, she finally understood why she was different from the others, even though she wasn''t happy with everything.


    ''Damn Wain! If it wasn''t for him, none of this would have happened! Maybe I would have fallen in love with someone eventually, but now that there''s him... I just don''t have a choice!'' Erza gripped the bottle tightly and drank half at once.


    ''Okay, I need something to eat too. I hope I don''t get poisoned since apparently not only is the whiskey older than me in this house, but so is all the food.''


    Erza headed for the kitchen and finished her whiskey on the way.


    She walked to the door, opened it, and a bright re blinded her.


    A crackle.


    The bottle fell out of her hands and shattered into many shards.


    The kitchen, unlike the hall, was perfectly clean. There were many kitchen utensils on racks and many unusual knives and cutlery. The refrigerator was massive, and many delicious smells oozed from it.


    Ern put on a long white apron and filigreed, cutting vegetables into strips and arge piece of meat into cubes.<sub> </sub>


    Hearing the crackling, they turned around.


    "Oh, Alice, could you please clean it up? I''m a little busy." Ern said and took pepper, salt and paprika from the spice rack and sprinkled the meat and the vegetables.


    "You have quite a collection." Wain said, looking at the shelf that held more than twenty different spices.


    "Cooking is just a hobby of mine." Ern shrugged and used the crystal to light a fire and proceeded to roast the meat.


    Alice walked over to Erza and started picking up splinters from the floor.


    "Erza, is something wrong? Maybe you''re not feeling well?"


    "No, I''m fine, I just didn''t expect the kitchen to look like this."


    "Yes, we were surprised too, it seems that besides cksmithing, Mr. Ern also really likes to cook."


    "Well, it''s for the best. I was worried that this might would have been thest dinner of my life, but judging by the smell, something incredible is waiting for us."


    ...


    "Done!" Ern dered with a satisfied face and served four dishes to the table.


    "Is that stew?" Alice asked.


    "Yes, ording to my signature recipe. Help yourself, food and wine!" Ern said and pulled out a rare and prized wine bottle and filled the sses.


    "This looks delicious." Erza tasted a bite and her eyes sparkled. She silently continued to eat, gradually speeding up.


    Ern smiled and took a sip of wine. He didn''t need words to know that Erza was delighted.


    "This is so good!" Alice eximed, "Mr. Ern, where did you learn to cook like this?"


    "Oh, you have a good friend of mine to thank. He''s obsessed with cooking. It''s a life for him, maybe even more."


    Half an hourter, the tes were empty, as was the bottle of wine and everyone was satisfied and full.


    "Alice, don''t you want to try your new weapon?"


    "Hmm? Can I?"


    "Sure, try to make contact with it. Your weapon, it''s alive, and it''s very rare. Even I''ve only seen a few of those weapons."


    "Is that why you decided to shell out half your fortune for it?"


    "Well, that was one reason I couldn''t let such a weapon go to waste. If Alice can make contact, she will definitely reach the heights, and very quickly."


    "Okay, in that case, I''ll try it right now." Alice nodded, "Do I need to wear gauntlets?"


    "No, don''t worry. If anything goes wrong, Wain and I will help you. Oh, yes, I have another little gift for you. Wait a minute." Ern said and walked out of the kitchen.


    He returned with a wooden box in his hand and handed it to Alice.


    She opened it and inside was a blue ring.


    "Is it the same ring as yours?" Alice asked quietly.


    "Yes. Of course, it has less capacity than mine, but it''s more than enough to store your things."


    "Thank you..." Alice whispered and put the ring on.

 Chapter 401 The Awakening Of The Weapon

    "Go ahead."


    "Yeah." Alice clutched the scythe tightly in her hands and looked at Ern, "I need to get some energy into it, right?"


    "Right. Pretend you''re using skill and channel the energy. It''s easy, you''re bound to seed."


    Alice nodded, and her aura shook. Wind currents appeared around her arm, but they disappeared, and suddenly the eye on the scythe de began to twitch.


    The eye opened, and a powerful aura erupted from the scythe.


    "Girl? Did you awaken me?" Dormant Stalker asked menacingly. His voice sounded harsh and cruel.


    "Yes...!" Alice flinched and answered uncertainly.


    "What a coward... and you want me to make contact with you? Is this some kind of joke?! Your energy is not stronger than that of an ant, no, even an ant is more worthy than you!"


    The Dormant Stalker was a living weapon, and it was very much like humans. They, too, could talk and think and had their unique character.


    ''Alice is out of luck, she''s not used to this kind of thing.'' Wain thought.


    He and Ern watched in silence what was going on. They would only intervene if Alice were in danger.


    Even though the conversation went wrong, Ern was rxed and had a confident smile. He felt Alice could handle it, otherwise he wouldn''t have spent two million on weapons.


    "Yes, you''re right. I am actually weak, but isn''t that okay? I''m going to be strong, and you can''t break me, on the contrary, you''re going to help me do it!" Alice uttered. She pulled herself together, and the Dormant Stalker''s aggression no longer affected her.


    "Huh, at least you have character, that''s not bad anymore." Dormant Stalker muttered, "Hey, will you guys keep eavesdropping? Nothing''s bothering you, huh?"


    "No, that''s fine with me. Feel free to keep going." Wain smirked.


    "I disagree." Ern objected and put his hands together, "I''m missing a bottle of wine and grapes. We''re sitting in the front row and should be enjoying it to the fullest!"


    "I see, your mates are clowns, well, that''s fixable." Dormant Stalker snorted.


    "Huh." Alice chuckled and smiled.


    "Girl, is that funny to you?!"


    "I''m sorry, but that honestly was." Alice looked away.


    The Dormant Stalker looked at her intently, "Okay, I don''t mind trying to make a contract with you, but I can''t promise it will work, and be prepared for the consequences."


    "Hmm? Is it dangerous?"


    "Yes, you may be hurt, but from the looks of it, these two will save you if necessary."


    "Of course." Ern nodded, "Alice, don''t worry, focus on the process, he has agreed to work with you, so most of the work is already done."


    "Okay, I get it. What do I need to do?"


    "Nothingplicated. I''ll channel my energy into you, and you have to connect with it. We''ll probably be able to do it, but then the hard part starts."


    "What?"


    "Never mind, you''ll see soon enough." Dormant Stalker uttered, and his aura intensified.


    Blue streams of energy went into Alice''s hand, and she flinched slightly, but nothing unusual happened.


    "Come on, now you."<sub> </sub>


    Alice nodded, and gray energy came to meet the blue one. They merged into one flow, and Alice''s aura gradually intensified.


    ''She''s doing it, but is it really that simple?'' Wain pondered. He watched the whole process intently, he was curious and thought that one day he too might have such a weapon.


    All was well, but at one point, Alice began to tremble, to gnash her teeth, and goosebumps ran down her body.


    ''What''s going on?''


    "This is it..."


    "Hmm?"


    "She''s scared. You''ve seen the description of this scythe, its power is connected to fear, and Alice needs to ovee it and take control. Otherwise, it won''t work." Ern said seriously.


    The aura of Dormant Stalker gradually intensified, and a powerful pressure came over Alice. Her eyes went blurry, and she began to hallucinate.


    "How strange..." Alice muttered and looked at her trembling hand.


    "Girl! Don''t you dare give up! You almost made it!" Dormant Stalker shouted, and his words reached Alice''s mind.


    Her pupils narrowed, and she clenched her palm into a fist and created a powerful wind stream. It blew away a lot of cutlery, but it also dispelled the energy of fear that bound her like chains.


    Then she touched the scythe de and used the wind to take some of the Dormant Stalker''s energy.


    "It''s over...?" Wain was puzzled.


    "Yeah... I guess so." Ern muttered, "Alice, are you okay?"


    "Yeah, now I can definitely get stronger and not disappoint you." Alice smiled contentedly.


    "Honestly, I didn''t expect you to make it." Dormant Stalker pronounced, "But I was wrong, probably a good thing. You have such unusual energy, it''s strange, it''s like you have no limits."


    "Um..." Alice didn''t know what to answer.


    "There''s nothing strange about it, it''s just the way it should be." Wain said, "She''s a human, she has no boundaries and can grow in any direction,plete freedom, but a thornier path."


    "Human... How interesting. Alice, would you like to try out our new powers?"


    "Sure!"


    "Okay, focus. I''ll guide you." Dormant Stalker said, and a huge amount of energy burst out. It was like a vortex that headed towards Alice and engulfed her.


    Wain and Ern were alert; they were ready to rush to help at any moment.


    "It''s okay." Alice suddenly said, "Now fear is my ally, and as my partner, I know very well how to control it."


    Whooooooosh.


    The swirl of energy dissipated, and Alice appeared. She wore dark armor covered in scales like a dragon, her hair long and blue. Her aura made even Wain and Ern get goosebumps. It was her martial attire, along with the Dormant Stalker.


    Ern smiled. He was right, and he made sure he didn''t spend a lot of money on Alice for nothing.


    "All right, Alice, you have a great future ahead of you, just like I said!"


    ''It''s just like me...'' Wain thought intently as he stared at Alice''s new look.

 Chapter 402 Beetle

    "Alice, how does it feel?" Ern asked.


    "Fine, I''ve never felt better."


    "Huh, sure." Dormant Stalker said, "But, you better not abuse it, nothing will happen to me, but your body can''t take such a serious load yet."


    "Yeah, he''s right. Cancel the skill."


    "Okay." Alice nodded, and her appearance returned to normal.


    "Next time, wear gauntlets, or else if you use that vestment for more than five minutes, the Dormant Stalker''s energy will tear you apart."


    "That won''t be necessary." Dormant Stalker stated.


    "What? What are you talking about?


    "I can control the amount of energy that goes to Alice, but the gauntlets can be useful in another matter. The runes aren''t set yet, right?"


    Ern nodded.


    "The energy is too intense, and until Alice is strong enough, it needs to be filtered."


    "I see, it will be harder than the restraining runes, but I think my acquaintance can do it." Ern hesitated.


    "Alice, I want to fight you." Wain said suddenly.


    "What? But, why?" Alice was surprised.


    "Hmm? She doesn''t stand a chance against you. What''s the point?" Erza resented.


    "Ern, I''m sure you have a way to do it. You were able to lower your power to Second Chronicle, it wasn''t an illusion or hiding an aura, it was for real, I know that." Wain said seriously.


    "You''re right, I know some way, but it''s pretty hard. Are you sure you want to do it? Maybe there''s someone better suited to be a teacher than me?"


    Wain wondered. He knew another person who could lower his power on purpose.


    "Yes... I have someone in mind."


    "Great. Then the fight is put on hold indefinitely, as is our journey to the Forgotten Forest. Alice, you need to get ready to fight Wain, get ready to train hard." Ern stated.


    "Yes!"


    "You have so many ns, but what am I to do? I''ll die of boredom while I wait for you." Erza frowned.


    "You can do what you want, but you can stay here and help me with some things if you don''t mind. I''m willing to offer you food, alcohol, and money."


    Erza remained silent, but she would not leave. Ern''s offer was tempting, but she didn''t like working or socializing.


    "Erza, stay with us!" Alice smiled.


    "I''ll think about it." Erza muttered and left the kitchen.


    "What aplicated character she has, but that''s a good thing. Wain, are you leaving us?" Ern asked.


    "Yes, I have to learn how to decrease my power. It''s quite a useful ability that''s not just for showing off in front of others." Wain looked at him intently.


    "Huh, I just love looking at the confused faces of pompous assholes."


    "Okay, in that case, I gotta go, thanks for the food." Wain said and walked out of Ern''s house.


    He headed into the garden and a space gap opened up in front of him.<sub> </sub>


    There were four passageways in front of Wain, and he headed for a door covered with massive chains.


    ''I didn''t think I''d evere back here again.'' Wain pulled out a coin. It glowed, and the door opened.


    He stepped inside and found himself in what looked like an abandoned prison. Wain headed for the main hall where he had trainedst time.


    ''Hmm? Where''s Osvald?" Wain inwardly asked, looking around.


    Osvald was nowhere to be found. It was as if he had disappeared, even though this was his space.


    ''Strange... What is it?'' Wain looked at the massive crack in the wall, behind which the starry sky could be seen.


    ''Osvald has left his Void? But, what was the point of that? Why would he go out into the open space?''


    Wain shook his head and headed for the crack. It was the only clue that could help him find Osvald.


    Whoooooosh.


    Suddenly the stars glowed, and a powerful wind current formed that caught Wain.


    "Fuck! What''s going on?!"


    Wings erupted from Wain''s back, and he thrust his sword into the ground to keep his bnce. He was having a hard time doing so and gradually got closer to the crack.


    ''Damn! I definitely shouldn''t get in there.''


    Wain''s aura intensified, and he activated his second form, the Cursed Swordsman. He swung his sword, and an icy wave blocked the cracks, and the air currents stopped.


    "Phew, what the fuck was that?! Isn''t that space? Where did the air evene from?!"


    Wain stepped away from the crack. He didn''t understand why Osvald wasn''t here and where the crack came from.


    Crack.


    Suddenly theyer of ice shattered into small shards, as did part of the wall. Once again, there was a powerful flow of wind, and this time Wain was unable to stay in ce and flew out of the Void.


    The monstrous pressure of open space came upon him, and his skin began to break down.


    ''That?!''


    Wain stared in horror at the massive jaw of some bug-like insect that appeared in the middle of space, it sucked Wain in like a ck hole.


    ''No, no, no!'' Wain activated his a Beyond and attacked, but the gray energy dissolved as if it never existed.


    The insect was about to devour him, and Wain had no way to escape. However, when Wain approached the bug, the insect suddenly disappeared, it was like something pulled it out, and Wain flew into a portal, which closed a secondter.


    "Where am I?" Wain looked up at the clouds slowly floating across the blue sky and the green tree crowns covering the ground.


    Wain fell, and his speed increased, he was rapidly approaching the ground like a meteor. Wain opened his wings wide, but this did not help him, as they could not slow him.


    However, possible death by falling was not the only problem. A beetle was sitting on the ground that flew up and headed toward Wain, about to devour him.


    Wain tried to figure out what to do, he had to get rid of the bug somehow.


    ''Faster! Use my power! I''ll try to help you!" the ck Sun Aristocrat shouted.


    Wain nodded, but suddenly a blurry silhouette appeared in front of the beetle. It kicked the beetle with its foot from top to bottom and the monster reached the ground in an instant and was crushed.

 Chapter 403 The Trap

    Wain was shocked by what he saw. The silhouette''s movements were quick and strong. One blow was enough to turn the beetle into a bloody cake.


    The silhouette turned, and they met each other''s eyes.


    "Osvald...?!"


    He grinned, and an energy tform appeared beneath him, from which he pushed off and approached Wain.


    "Young man, what are you doing here?"


    "I wish I knew the answer to that question."


    Osvald nodded, and together with Wain, theynded next to a massive tree.


    "What is this ce, and why weren''t you in your Void?"


    "Well... I don''t know myself. I was training and about to go on a trip, but suddenly the Space Bugs yanked me out of my Void." Osvald shrugged.


    "Space Bugs? Is that one of them you just crushed?"


    "Yes, they''re one of those special creatures that can be out in the open despite theirck of strength."


    "But, why did they attack you?"


    "I don''t know. Perhaps my training was too intense, and arge amount of energy attracted them. Anyway, now we''re here, and we have to get out of here somehow. Oh yeah, sorry I killed that bug, I didn''t see you right away."


    "Don''t be. The bug that dragged me in here almost killed me, I''m not sure I could have handled such a powerful creature." Wain shook his head.


    "Hmm? What are you talking about? Given your strength, you would have easily beaten it."


    "Ah?"


    Wain thought about it and felt something strange. Osvald''s aura was not as strong as before. It was only slightly superior to Wain''s aura.


    "Osvald, what''s wrong with your aura? It used to give me goosebumps, but now..."


    "It''s because of this ce. Those assholes pulled us into the Purgatory Zone, and a very powerful one at that, since the zone was able to limit even my power to Second Chronicle. What''s more, I can''t open a passage into the spatial rift no matter how much I try." Osvald waved his hands to the side.


    ''Is this the Purgatory Zone? Now I see why Osvald has such an aura.'' Wain pondered.


    "By the way, Wain, why did youe to my Void? Did you need something?"


    "Yeah, I wanted to ask you to teach me how to lower my power level."


    "Huh, that''s a pretty useful trick, as soon as we get out of here, I''ll be sure to teach you, it won''t be hard for you, I''m sure you''ll be up to it in no time."


    Wain nodded.


    "What''s the n?"<sub> </sub>


    "I don''t know. I got in here a few minutes ago and was getting rid of bugs, they''re pretty annoying, but this is definitely not the usual Purgatory Zone."


    "Why?"


    "This is the Second Chronicle zone, and it was able to lower my power to this level, normally, that should be impossible, but this zone has enough energy to do that and block the ability to open portals. I''m leading up to the fact that there''s more than one Soul Pearl here."


    Crackle.


    "Oh, it looks like we havepany." Osvald said, looking at the bugs approaching them. They wereing from all directions and were extremely aggressive.


    "Is this their territory?"


    "Yes, it looks like it. From what I understand, their nest is there." Osvald pointed to a hill in the distance from which many beetles were flying out. They had their own tasks, but some were headed toward Wain and Osvald, and they were powerful and had sturdy armor.


    Wain nodded and prepared for battle. He activated his fifth form, and several of the bugs attacked him. Osvald also rushed into battle. He didn''t use any skills, only physical strength. One powerful punch of his fist was enough to crumple the beetles'' chitin like a sheet of paper and tear their bodies apart.


    The bugs surrounded Wain and attacked him. He swung his sword, and spiky vines burst from the ground.


    "What?!"


    The vines could not prate the beetles'' armor as Wain had hoped, and the beetles'' attacks came down on him like hail.


    Wain defended himself and blocked the attacks, but he was alone against a group of enemies and missed several attacks. The bugs attacked at every point they could reach, and gradually Wain went into defense mode.


    "Fuck, you guys are annoying!"


    Wain swung his sword and released a bloody de that sliced several bugs in two, but several more came in to rece them.


    Whooooooosh.


    One of the bugs flew forward, and head rammed into Wain and threw him aside. Wain hit the tree trunk with his back, and while he still didn''t realize what had happened, the beetle attacked again, and the tree broke in two under pressure.


    Wain quickly regained consciousness and got to his feet. Blood trickled from the corners of his mouth, the beetle''s chitin was very hard, and only Wain''s sturdy body saved him from serious injury.


    "What a bastard. I can''t prate your armor, but that''s no problem." Wain muttered and plunged his sword into the ground.


    Tremble.


    The ground trembled, and many spiky vines burst out of it, they headed toward the bugs, but they didn''t try to pierce them. Instead, the vines grabbed the beetles like tentacles and squeezed them tightly. Cracks appeared in the beetles'' armor, and the chitin gradually began to break.


    Wain drew his sword from the ground and made a circr motion with it. He created a multitude of scarlet rose petals, which headed toward the gaps in the beetles'' armor. The petals pierced them like little des and inflicted severe internal wounds iparable to life.


    "Done." Wain muttered and canceled the form. Dozens of bug carcasses fell to the ground, and blue and pink souls headed toward him.


    p. p. p.


    "Not bad, I didn''t know you had such unusual skills. It''s even more interesting than what you showed mest time." Osvald said, slowly pping his hands. Behind him was a row of over a hundred bugs sprawled across the floor.

 Chapter 404 Error

    "These bugs were stronger than I thought." Wain muttered and canceled the form.


    "Hmm? Didn''t you defeat them with ease? You missed a few hits, but it''s minor damage."


    "Yeah, maybe, butpared to you, it''s nothing. How is that possible?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "You defeated over a hundred bugs, and yet you didn''t take any wounds, and that''s even though we''re in the same Chronicle now, isn''t the gap too big?"


    "Huh, you''re just too inexperienced and don''t understand everything about the Purgatory Zones. The chains were able to lower my power, but not all of it. I still have a small part of it, though that''s not the most important thing. My punches are truer, more urate, and stronger, and I''m more experienced. Anyway, first you should look at the souls you got. I''m sure you''ll be surprised." Osvald smiled.


    "Hmm?"


    A pink soul appeared in Wain''s hands, and his eyes went wide.


    [Soul of Cosmic Beetle (Destroyed)


    Chronicle: Third


    Rating: Epic]


    "Why do these bugs have such a high Chronicle?"


    "They have the same situation as me. Their power was limited, and despite that, you were able to beat more than ten. You should be proud of yourself, strength limitation works, but not 100%. I''d say it''s somewhere around 95% for Third Chronicle."


    "Got it."


    "Okay, go ahead. We need to look around and figure out what''s going on here. Maybe we can find a way out of here."


    "Hold on. Osvald, if this is the Second Chronicle area, why are the bugs in the Third Chronicle? Is it possible to evolve under these conditions?"


    "Good question. The answer is simple. It''s not their home, they got here and settled in. But, here''s the interesting thing, despite their unique abilities, they don''t try to leave here, and I don''t understand why. Unlike us, they can open a portal even in such a powerful zone." Osvald said and jumped forward.


    "Yeah, I''m certainly not up to his level." Wain muttered, looking at the deep mark in the ground where Osvald was standing.


    ...


    The territory they were a jungle, and the closer they got to the bugs'' nest, the thicker it got.


    "If there''s more than one Soul Pearl here, shouldn''t Pearl Hunters havee here?"


    "Maybe, but getting through such a dense barrier is incredibly difficult. When I was doing this, I often left with nothing since I couldn''t get into the zone."


    "Hmm? You were a Pearl Hunter?"


    "Yeah, it was a good time. A lot of people don''t understand the true value of Soul Pearl. It''s the best method to get pure energy and increase your Majesty." Osvald said, pulling the massive nt stems apart.


    "What? You can use Soul Pearl to increase Majesty?!"


    "Well yeah, didn''t you know that? That''s the main reason Pearl Hunters came into existence."


    "And... how many Soul Pearls does it take to boost Majesty?"


    "Huh, I see you''re interested in that. Aren''t you?"


    "Yes, I need to raise Majesty to 5. That''s thest condition to start the third evolution."<sub> </sub>


    "How many do you already have?"


    "Only two."


    "Hmm, I see. In that case, you need three medium-sized Soul Pearls."


    "What? That many?!"


    "Sure. Majesty is a unique stat, killing Legends is difficult and dangerous, and creating miracles all the time is impossible, so absorbing of Soul Pearls is one of the most effective ways." Osvald shrugged.


    "Isn''t it easier to fight Legends? If you''re strong enough, it''s much easier to increase Majesty that way than by stealing Soul Pearls."


    "Don''t be so naive. Apparently, you''ve defeated one or two Legends, but do you really think it''s that easy?" Osvald grinned, "Your battle must be fought on the border between life and death, or your Majesty will not increase. You can''t increase it just because you''re strong. You must overpower and surpass yourself, otherwise you will forever remain in one ce."


    Wain was silent. He pondered Osvald''s words.


    ''Maybe I should be a Pearl Hunter, too.''


    Wain thought seriously about it. He knew that they had a bad reputation for destroying other spaces, homes, and cities where people lived, but Wain didn''t care.


    "Damn, it''s hot in here." Osvald took the sweat off his forehead with his hand and walked over to the massive palm tree.


    He hit the tree''s trunk like he was knocking on a door, and it shuddered, then many coconuts fell to the ground, and Osvald caught a few of them.


    "Here you go." Osvald held out one coconut to Wain.


    "Thanks." Wain nodded and pressed the coconut opened it, and drank the contents.


    "Ah, how refreshing, a real treat, that''s why I love the jungle." Osvald smiled contentedly.


    "Yeah, it''s good." Wain tossed the empty coconut to the side, and suddenly it started shaking and bouncing slightly off the ground.


    "Hmm?"


    Crackling.


    In the distance, the sound of trees breaking was heard.


    "Looks like we''ve entered someone else''s territory." Osvald became alert.


    The tree crowns swayed, and the ground trembled more and more with each step. Then the foliage parted, and the head of a huge lizard appeared. The monster stepped forward and roared, shaking the air.


    The small animals and birds living in this jungle instantly fled as far away as possible. The lizard''s powerful aura terrified them.


    The lizard was as tall as a five-story building, it had a rugged brown hide and menacing eyes. One detail was unusual, the lizard had white bands of energy emanating from its chest.


    "Oh, looks like you got lucky." Osvald smiled.


    "Hmm? Why?"


    "This lizard absorbed some of the energy of Soul Pearl. If you kill it, you can absorb some of the energy ande close to increasing your Majesty." Osvald uttered and murmured thoughtfully, "But, why is it here?"


    "How do I do it?" Wain prepared for battle.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll teach you, but we have to win first. Don''t chase the advantage, this lizard is definitely very strong. Unlike us, it is used to the current conditions and can use more of its power than we can."

 Chapter 405 Might

    "Attack from both sides, aim for the concentration of the stripes. That''s his weak spot. Ready?"


    "Yes." Wain nodded, and a sword appeared in his hand.


    The lizard looked menacingly at them and opened its mouth wide.


    "Attack!" Osvald shouted, and they jumped aside.


    Boom.


    A massive beam of energy rained down on where they stood, a deafening explosion. A wide crater was left of it, with Wain and Osvald standing on the edge.


    "Is this normal? A few more of these, and it will destroy half the forest." Wain eyed the crater warily. The size and power of the attack were a surprise to him.


    "I warned you. Even though he didn''t absorb Soul Pearl, he found a clean source of energy emanating from Soul Pearl somewhere. Though he won''t be hard to defeat, he is faster, stronger, and has more energy than any other creature in the same Chronicle. Let''s go!" Osvald uttered and ran at the monster.


    Wain nodded and followed him.


    Osvald was on the left, and Wain on the right. They attacked simultaneously, and in response, the lizard raised its paws high and struck the ground. The shockwave tossed them aside, Wain grabbed onto a branch and regained his bnce, and Osvald jumped away from the tree trunk and punched the lizard in the side.


    His fist mmed into the lizard''s armor, and the tough hide crumpled.


    "What? Damn, how hard are you?" Osvald was puzzled that his punch didn''t prate the lizard''s hide.


    "Roooooaaaarrrr!"


    The lizard roared furiously, turned, and struck Osvald with its tail. Osvald blocked it with his hand but was thrown back a hundred meters.


    ''Fuck. I''d definitely have a broken arm if I''d gotten that punch.'' Wain thought and clenched his palm into a fist.


    A dark pir of thunder came crashing down on the lizard, but the monster didn''t even dodge. This powerful attack did him no damage.


    Whooooosh.


    Osvald jumped out of the forest and got to the lizard, but he did not attack the beast. Osvald pushed his hand off the lizard''s back andnded next to Wain.


    "If you want to absorb its energy, you must fight for all your strength. Otherwise, nothing will work. Remember that and start fighting already!" Osvald uttered, and palm pped Wain on the back.


    "Okay, I hear you." Wain said seriously, "In that case, I''ll use everything I''ve got!"


    "Sure. That''s the way you should have done it from the beginning." Osvald smirked.


    Wain activated the second form, Cursed Swordsman and a Beyond. He wore a long, tattered cloak and a ck crown with an open eye, and his sword was covered in gray, devouring energy.


    His aura became powerful, and the lizard sensed the threating from Wain.<sub> </sub>


    The lizard opened its jaw wide, and its tongue swung like a harpoon toward Wain.


    Wain''s pupils narrowed, and he jumped aside and swung his sword at thest moment, unleashing a wave of ice on the lizard.


    This time the lizard didn''t ignore it and jumped aside. The wave reached the trees, turning them into chunks of ice and consuming half of them.


    ''Not bad, but it''s not enough.'' Osvald muttered inwardly. He watched the fight closely and allowed Wain to reveal himself fully. Osvald wanted to see what Wain was capable of when he used all his trump cards.


    The lizard swung his tail and struck Wain, top to bottom.


    Wain responded by lunging with his sword and creating a cone of ice, it was covered in jaws and posed a serious threat. The cone met its tail and pierced the beast''s tough hide, however, at the same instant, the energy bands glowed, the hide became much stronger, and the cone shattered into many shards.


    Bam.


    The tail came crashing down on Wain, but he managed to jump aside at thest moment. The tail ended up a meter away from him, buried deep in the ground. This attack created a wind de that left a nk swath hundreds of meters ahead in the forest.


    ''Hey, I think I need a different approach here. It''s my turn. The voice of Blind Sorcerer sounded.


    After a few seconds, Wain hesitated and nodded, and the coat and the silver sword disappeared, reced by a tight bandage and a long gray robe.


    ''Another one? He''s used three such powerful skills already. I doubt all humans are capable of that. Hmm... how interesting. These are forms, but he''s only in Second Chronicle, these are unique skills, but why does he have so many?'' Osvald and Sven had once met some of the humans, and Wain''s power was different from theirs.


    Piercing the lizard''s hide proved an impossible task for Wain. Even with a Beyond, he could not do it, and the lizard could reinforce the damaged areas at any time. Wain chose a different method, nothing could prevent him from cutting through the space.


    Wain removed the blindfold and opened his left eye, which had the image of an hourss on it. He waved his hand and created an X-shaped de cutting through space.


    Lizard shuddered in fear and moved away from the des as fast as possible. However, he didn''t have time to dodge fully, and the des caught his tail and cut half of it off.


    "Roooooooaaaarrrrr!" The lizard roared in pain, but did not retreat.


    "Huh, his attack finally seeded, but cutting off a lizard''s tail, seriously?" Osvald grinned.


    The lines on the lizard''s body glowed, and suddenly the tail began to regenerate at a tremendous rate. In just a few seconds, it had fully regenerated.


    Wain was not upset. On the contrary, he made sure that his new weapon worked perfectly against the enemy, and this was his way to win.


    ''Don''t limit yourself. You''re capable of more than a few des, though it will be quite painful.'' The voice of the Blind Sorcerer sounded.


    Wain suddenly jumped aside.


    The lizard thought Wain had decided to retreat, but suddenly he extended his arm forward, and the space above the beast began to copse. Gradually it turned into a massive rift that sucked in everything in the affected area like a ck hole.

 Chapter 406 One Punch

    The spatial rift slowly dragged the lizard, but the beast reacted instantly. The lizard dug its tail deep into the ground and used it as an anchor to stay in ce. Running away was useless, the rip absorbed everything, trees, earth, rocks, and even water from the rivers.


    ''More, I need more strength!'' Wain inwardly eximed and clenched his hand into a fist.


    Several glowing dots appeared in the rift, like stars in the cosmic sky. They turned into small des that headed toward the lizard. The beast couldn''t run away as it risked being hit by a gape, so the lizard had to take the full damage.


    The energy lines glowed, and the pelt on its back became several times stronger. However, the spatial des effortlessly cut through it and pierced the lizard''s flesh. The entire lizard''s back was covered in multiple bleeding wounds, and the attacks continued. Wain created new des, not caring about his condition.


    His left eye began to bleed, but he had no intention of stopping. With every second he was getting closer to victory, the lizard took far more wounds than he was.


    "Roooooaaaaaaarrrrr!"


    The lizard roared in pain and red furiously at Wain. The stripes glowed brightly, and energy armor appeared on the lizard.


    The beast pulled out its tail and ran toward Wain at breakneck speed. The pulling force of the spatial rift wasn''t enough to stop the lizard, the beast used itsst strength to win.


    "You bastard." Wain clenched his teeth, created several spatial spears, andunched them at the lizard.


    "What? How?!"


    The spears couldn''t damage the lizard, the armorpletely absorbed them, and the beast had alreadye up fast enough to attack.


    Wain was unable to dodge, the second form was slower than the others and gave him no physical bonuses, moreover he was exhausted.


    The lizard opened its mouth wide, and its razor-sharp teeth headed for Wain.


    Whooooooooosh.


    A white sh appeared above the lizard, turning into the massive silhouette of a dragon''s head and crashing down on the beast like a meteor.


    Osvald''s fist shattered the imprable barrier like ss and tore the monster''s hide apart.


    Its eyes were cold and its gaze serious. The veins in his arm swollen strong and every muscle tensed, Osvald struck at full force.


    The shockwave from the impact spread hundreds of meters around, and under the incredible pressure, the lizard''s bones began to crack. The beast''s skeleton shattered into many pieces instantly and was practically pulverized, and the lizard was crushed to the ground.


    Wain stood silently watching this. Osvald''s blow was even more impressive than Sven''s battle with the girl who had invaded the bar. It was a power that was beyond Chronicle.


    "Well...I didn''t expect this lizard to dare to do something so crazy. Dammit, he wanted to destroy the energy he got from Soul Pearl, but win, crazy!" Osvald shook his head.


    "I must say that was the most impressive blow I''ve ever seen..." Wain muttered and canceled the form.


    "Huh, thanks. His armor was actually very strong. It took me no small amount of strength to pierce it. Come on. I''ll show you how to absorb energy from monsters like this lizard." Osvald said and walked over to the beast.


    He flipped the lizard onto its side and walked over to where all the lines were gathering.<sub> </sub>


    "Wain, have you ever absorbed a Soul Pearl?"


    "Yes."


    "Great, so this is going to be easier than I thought. You have to put your hand to the core and squeeze it, as if you were breaking a pearl. The energy will fly in different directions, but you don''t let that happen. Absorb the currents, take your time and do it right and precisely, then you''ll see the change."


    "Got it." Wain nodded and walked over to the lizard.


    He touched the lines and squeezed them with all his might. The core shattered, and powerful energy streams rushed out, but Wain immediately began to absorb them. He didn''t miss a single particle.


    Osvald watched the process closely. He thought he would have to help, but Wain managed without advice.


    ''Is he acting intuitively? Though given that he''s absorbed A Soul Pearl before, it''s not surprising, but this is the first time he''s done it with Majesty.''


    [You have absorbed a small portion of Soul Pearl''s energy]


    [You''ve gotten on the path of power and already unlocked Majesty]


    [Majesty Crystal has been created]


    [Majesty Crystal has been filled to 35%]


    Several messages appeared before Wain, and deep in his mind, a change urred. In the center of the Soul Altar, a small, white crystal appeared below the Main Soul, a one-third brightly glowing while the rest was dim. Two white particles hovered beside the crystal.


    "So, how does it feel?"


    "It''s nice, but there''s something I don''t understand. Why did this crystal only appear now? After all, this wasn''t the first time I''d absorbed the energy of Soul Pearl."


    "It''s simple. You had to get a Majesty. For that, you had to perform a miracle or defeat a legend, but with Soul Pearls, you couldn''t do that. Now the situation has changed, and you understand the true value of the pearls."


    "I see." Wain looked at the destruction left by the battle and muttered, "What are we going to do...?"


    Wain didn''t finish and fell unconscious.


    "Huh, young man, you wasted too much energy, but your fight was impressive. If that lizard hadn''t decided on a suicide stunt, you would have definitely won." Osvald smirked and slung Wain on his shoulder.


    He looked at the hill in the distance and headed in that direction.


    p The wild beasts that hid in hiding came out of it and headed toward the lizard''s corpse. This jungle belonged to Cosmic Beetles, but the strongest beasts controlled certain areas, and now one of the ces became free.</anda>


    ''Hmm, looks like they''re not going to give up.'' Osvald smirked as he looked at the squads of beetles flying toward him.

 Chapter 407 Cats

    The Cosmic Beetles quickly found out that there were strangers in their territory and they wanted to solve the problem as soon as possible.


    "Yeah... I just wanted to practice, why does something like this always happen at the most inopportune moment?" Osvald shook his head, "How can I ever change your life if something keeps getting in the way? Okay, I just have to do it!"


    Osvald smirked and put Wain on the ground.


    The beetle squads didn''t scare him, on the contrary, Osvald was d, he liked to fight more than anyone else, in this, he surpassed even the Demons.


    "Come on, you bastards, step up, just don''tinter that I was too hard on you."


    Whooooooosh.


    A massive armored beetle headed toward Osvald, breaking trees and demolishing everything in its path.


    Osvald put his palm on his shoulder and stretched out his right arm. He stood still and prepared to strike.


    Bam.


    The beetle was in front of him, and Osvald attacked. His arm became a blur, and a momentter, the beetle has torn apart as a bomb exploded.


    The beetles didn''t stop and continued attacking from all directions. Although they had unique abilities, they were also insects. Their most effective tactic was to win by numbers, like ants.


    "Ahahahaha, that''s good, maybe it''s even for the best that you decided to drag me here!" Osvaldughed and killed the beetle with another punch.


    Osvald deliberately didn''t use any skills. He preferred to rely on physical strength most of the time, and his fists were his strongest weapon.


    The beetles continued to fly out of the nest, but suddenly they stopped, and even those fighting Osd retreated.


    ''Hmm? Are they up to something? Osvald looked up.


    Hundreds of beetles hovering in the sky lined up in the shape of a star, and their wings glowed. An energy sphere appeared in the star''s center, growingrger by the second.


    "Wow, not bad." Osvald smiled and stepped aside, but after a few steps, he stopped, "Right... I can''t just walk away."


    Osvald forgot about Wain for a while, he wasn''t used to working as a team and taking care of someone, but he wasn''t going to leave Wain here.


    "Looks like I''ll have to hit full force again."


    The sphere got big enough to turn into aser. It headed toward Osvald and was going to incinerate him and Wain.


    Osvald took a deep breath, and the silhouette of a dragon''s head appeared behind him. It materialized and looked almost real, then Osvald exhaled, and a massive energy stream like a dragon breath burst from his mouth.


    The stream met with aser,pletely engulfed it, and rained it down on hundreds of beetles. The monsters could not defend themselves, and the white mes burned them to the ground, and hundreds of corpses fell to the ground.


    "Phew, that was cool, okay, it''s time to rest." Osvald smiled and picked up Wain.


    ...


    "Agh... Agh... Agh!" Wain suddenly started coughing.


    "Oh, you''re finally awake." Osvald said, opening the coconut.


    "Yeah ... how long have I been unconscious?"


    "Not long. One or two hours, I''m not sure. It''s a good thing you woke up so quickly. I was just getting a snack, help yourself and let''s go, we have a lot of work to do."<sub> </sub>


    "Hmm?" Wain looked around and saw a fire nearby. There was some beast on a spit, and it was already fully cooked and half-eaten.


    "Here you go." Osvald ripped off a paw and handed it along with the coconut to Wain.


    "Thanks..." Wain nodded weakly and proceeded to eat.


    The meat tasted rather mediocre and even dry, Osvald was not the best cook, but the food was still very good.


    "Food while traveling always tastes several times better than even the best restaurant, right?"


    "I couldn''t agree more." Wain nodded, "Are we breaking into the nest?"


    "Yes, also from that hill, we''ll be able to look around. We''ll try to get the beetle leader to help us first, but if that doesn''t work, we''ll have to find another way."


    "I see." Wain sipped his coconut, "Okay, I''m ready, let''s go!"


    "Sure."


    "AAAAAARGH!" Suddenly there was a shout from someone.


    "Hey, did you hear that too?"


    "Yeah, what the hell is that?" Wain puzzled.


    "Let''s go see." Osvald jumped and climbed up a massive tree branch. Wain followed him.


    "Isn''t that...?"


    "I see. Looks like we''re not alone here, that''s reassuring." Osvald muttered, looking down.


    Two girls were not far from the tree, dressed in leather armor and armed with steel swords. They were fighting a massive spider. The spider had eight paws, and the front two were like sharp des.


    "They are Beastfolks." Wain said confidently, looking at the girls.


    "Yes, and they''re from the Cat n. Hmm, and they''re pretty cute." Osvald grinned.


    "They seem to be in a difficult situation."


    One of the girls was seriously injured, her leg was bleeding, and she could hardly keep her bnce. Her partner protected her and fended off the spider''s attacks, but their strength was not equal.


    "Franzi, run! We came here for nothing, we can''t beat him. At least you must save yourself!" Shouted the wounded girl. She had gray fur and big green eyes.


    "No! We''ll definitely get out of here!" The second girl blocked the spider''s attack and bounced to the side.


    "What are we going to do?" Wain asked.


    "Huh, it''s up to you. I honestly don''t care about them. I like this ce, and I don''t mind sticking around for some time. We''ll find a way out sooner orter anyway."


    Wain was silent. He was watching them. Despite their hopeless situation, they did not back down and fought to the end.


    "Well... we better get out of here as soon as possible. You still have to teach me how to lower my power level." Wain muttered and jumped away.


    "An hour ago, we were killers, and now we''re saviors. That''s pretty ironic."

 Chapter 408 The Village

    "Take that, you bastard!" Franzi shouted and threw her sword at the spider. However, the spider simply swung its paw and knocked the sword away. It slowly approached the girls and stared at them menacingly.


    "You can still run away. I''ll hold him off!"


    "No! Irma, we''ll get out of here. We''ll definitely make it!"


    "But, how?! A fucking miracle has to happen for that to happen!" Irma yelled, and suddenly a shadow appeared over the spider.


    There was a bright sheen as if from metal, and a thin streak of blood appeared on the spider''s body.


    Bam.


    The two halves of the spider fell to the ground, and Wain appeared in front of it.


    Franzi and Irma were puzzled; they looked at him in amazement and disbelief.


    ''Did it really happen because of my words?'' Irma wondered.


    "Thank you. You saved us!"


    "Yes. I guess so." Wain nodded weakly.


    "That spider turned out to be pretty weak, didn''t it?" Osvald appeared behind the girls.


    "Have you been following us?" Irma became wary.


    "No, we heard you screaming and decided to see what was going on. My buddy turned out to be too kind. I wouldn''t have rescued you." Osvald shrugged.


    Franzi and Irma frowned and moved closer together. A huge spider no longer threatened them, but now they were surrounded by people who were many times stronger.


    "What do you want with us?"


    Irma''s animal instincts told her that the danger had not yet passed.


    "Osvald, are all Beastfolks so cowardly?"


    "No, or rather I''m not sure."


    "Okay, anyway, we just want to talk. What is this ce, and why are you here? This spider was clearly out of your league, and there must be a good reason why you came here, risking your life."


    "Why should we answer you?"


    "Agh..." Wain shook his head, "Don''t be so stupid. If you keep being stubborn, I''ll twist your heads off, don''t piss me off."


    "Imra, he''s right. I''m sorry, my sister is just worried about our safety, we just almost died, so it''s no surprise... We came here for the medicine."


    "Medicine?"


    "Yes, flowers are growing in this jungle that will help cure our grandfather. He was here recently, but a spider like this attacked him, and he was poisoned."


    "I see. You''re talking about these flowers, right?" Osvald pointed to some flowers behind the spider.


    "That''s it." Franzi nodded, "We don''t know much about this ce. You''d better ask our grandfather about it. We''re just trying to survive and hope to get out of here someday."


    "All right, take the flowers and lead us to your grandfather."


    ...


    Franzi and Irma picked some flowers and headed west into the jungle. They reached a massive mountain range enclosing the jungle like a wall.


    "Hey, girls, are we sure this way?" Osvald asked.


    "Yes, this cave will lead us to the vige. We don''t live far from the jungle, which is actually quite problematic..." Franzi muttered.


    "Damn, if it weren''t for those bastards, we would have gotten out of here a long time ago and gone home! Why do we always have so much bad luck?" Irma said angrily and mmed her fist against the wall.<sub> </sub>


    "Who are you talking about?"


    "Forget it... You''ll find out soon enough. If I start talking about it, I''m sure I''ll break something."


    "You''d better heal and get your strength up first, all right, it is your business." Wain shrugged.


    They walked out of the cave, and the bright sun blinded them for a second.


    "Ah, it''s a different air in here. I like this ce so much better than the jungle that smells like corpses." Osvald took a deep breath and smiled.


    "Hmm? There wouldn''t be any smell if you weren''t killing beetles by the hundreds. It''s your fault." Wain shook his head and headed toward the vige.


    The vige was small, butfort and care emanated from the thatched wooden houses. It was by the river and was surrounded by a low wooden fence.


    "What?! You were able to kill the beetles?" Franzi eximed.


    "Well yeah, is that amazing? Oh, that''s right, you couldn''t even handle that spider, never mind."


    "Don''t worry. You still have a long way to go. If you practice, you''ll definitely get a lot stronger." Osvald patted her on the shoulder and followed Wain.


    "How they piss me off." Irma muttered.


    "But, they''re strong. Maybe with their help, we can get out of here." Franzi looked up at the sky, "This is the cage we''re unlucky enough to be in."


    "Every cage has a key, but not this one, I''m d you''re so optimistic, but I don''t believe we can get out of here. These two are stuck here forever, just like us. Damn, this is some bullshit." Irma snorted.


    "You may be right, but can''t force solve many problems? That''s the main reason why everyone is so eager to be stronger."


    ...


    "Osvald, how much do you know about Beastfolks? I''ve fought them once, but I''ve nevermunicated with them yet."


    "That''s aplicated question. It all depends on the n. Either way, they should be pretty good guys, considering they''re Cats. We''re about to find out." Osvald and Wain approached the vige gate.


    "Wait! Who are you?" Two guards with spears spotted them and stopped them.


    "They are with us!" Franzi ran up to Wain.


    "Oh, Franzi, you were able toe back, good, your grandfather was so much worried about you." The guard breathed a sigh of relief. He had ck fur and blue eyes, and he also was a Cat.


    "Did you find the antidote?"


    "Yes." Franzi pulled a few flowers from the pouch on her belt.


    "Great. So, did this two help you?" The guard''s instincts told him that Wain and Osvald were much stronger than Franzi and Irma.


    "That''s right. He killed the huge spider that poisoned Grandpa and almost did the same thing to Irma and me in a heartbeat."


    "Wow, that''s impressive."


    "By the way, Franzi, isn''t your sister supposed to be poisoned?" Wain looked at Irma''s injured leg.


    "There''s nothing wrong with me. The spider didn''t bite me, it caught one of its paws. That''s not what''s important now anyway. We need to cure Grandpa as soon as possible!"


    "Sure,e on in." The guard said, and the girls ran inside.


    "Thank you for your help." The guard turned to Wain and Osvald.


    "It''s okay. We''re just trying to get out of here."


    "Ah, so are we all. I hope we can make it soon."

 Chapter 409 Two

    "Grandpa!" Franzi eximed, running up to the old man lying in bed.


    "Oh, Franzi, hi, how are you feeling?" The old man said with difficulty. His eyes were faded and dark. Life was slowly leaving him.


    "You need to worry about yourself right now, not me. We''ve got the cure, and we''ll cure you now."


    "What...? Really? You got it?"


    "Yes, here." Franzi showed the old man the flowers and handed them to Irma.


    "Don''t worry, you''ll be fine in a few hours. We won''t let you die." Irma went to the table and squeezed the juice out of the flowers.


    "Well yeah, you almost died trying to save your old man." Wain said carelessly, entering the room.


    "It doesn''t matter!"


    "Oh, who is this young man?"


    "They saved us, and in fact, we were able to pick flowers thanks to them. A spider like you attacked us, and I hate to admit it, but Irma and I didn''t have enough strength to overpower it." Franzi smiled awkwardly.


    "Ahahahaha, I see, looks like we got a chance to get out of here after all."


    "Old man, tell me more about this ce, and your granddaughter mentioned someone who got you in trouble." Osvald said.


    "Sure, just give me one minute while my granddaughter prepares a healing potion."


    "Done." Irma said after a while and handed him the medicine. The juice of these flowers was the best medicine against poison.


    "Thank you. Without your help, I would surely have died, how d I am to have two such beautiful granddaughters."


    "Don''t be, we couldn''t have done it any other way."


    "Old man, enough with the sentimentality, tell us how we''ll get out of here." Wain said seriously.


    "I think we should start with how we got here. We were a small vige living on Beastfolk in Cat n territory. One day something strange started to happen to the world, thends floated up and flew away somewhere, and our vige teleported here."


    "He''s talking about the Merger of Worlds, right?"


    "Yes, that''s right. Old man, did Cosmic Beetles live near your vige?"


    "Only a small Nest we controlled, but obviously we failed. After the relocation, there were too many beetles, and all our attempts to defeat them were a failure."


    "Did you try to use their power to get back in?"


    The old man nodded, "We were able to catch one beetle with great difficulty, but we were unsessful. We think maybe the queen''s powers will be enough, but defeating such a creature is impossible for us. Unfortunately, we are too weak."


    "Beetle Queen, that sounds logical..." Osvald muttered.


    "Man, there''s someone else in this area besides you and the Cosmic Beetles, right?" Wain asked.


    "Yes, in the distance, beyond the hills, is the base of Pearl Hunters."<sub> </sub>


    "What? This is where the Pearl Hunters live?" Wain was surprised, he had only encountered a few Pearl Hunters, and each one was very strong and gave him a lot of trouble.


    "Yes, as far as I know, usually Pearl Hunters act alone, but they are the exception. Fortunately, they decided not to touch us, we have nothing of value to them." The old man shook his head.


    "Are they stuck here, too?"


    "I''m not sure, but it looks like it. I''m sure you must have realized that there is more than one Soul Pearl. I''d take the pearls and leave if I were a Pearl Hunter. They didn''t, and there must be a reason for that."


    "I see. Do you have any idea how to get out of here?" Wain asked.


    "No." The old man sighed regretfully, "Maybe you might have something if you can defeat the Beetle Queen. It''s unfortunately impossible for us."


    "I see. Osvald, it looks like we have a n."


    "Great, thank you, and goodbye, if we can, we''ll save you." Osvald waved and headed for the exit.


    "Wait!" Irma eximed, "You''ve learned a lot about us, but we still don''t know anything about you. Who are you? What has happened to the world?"


    "It doesn''t matter." Wain said coldly, "The world is still the same as it was, cruel, unjust, but beautiful. The only difference is that now all worlds have joined together, so prepare that everything haspletely changed when you return home. See youter."


    Wain and Osvald walked out.


    "Shit, stop!" Irma headed after them, but suddenly the old man grabbed her arm.


    "Grandpa?"


    The old man shook his head, "We''re lucky they turned out to be kind people. We shouldn''t inconvenience them."


    "What? You think they''re kind?"


    "Irma, they saved you and said they would help us get out of here."


    "Sister, Grandfather is right. Others in their ce would have waited until the spider killed us and robbed us, and that''s at best." Franzi said seriously, "We just have to hope for the best, right now we''re powerless. We could barely kill one bug, and for them, even a hundred isn''t a problem."


    "Fuck! Why does this always happen?! No matter what we do, every time someone strong shows up, all we have to do is hope for luck and the will of fate." Irma yelled and mmed her fist on the table, causing it to break and shatter into splinters.


    ...


    "Osvald, how many Soul Pearls do you think there are?"


    "Two or three, no more. Although we still don''t know how big this area is, maybe we''ll find something unique. Either way, this space is a big rarity."


    "Huh, I''ve only been to a few Purgatory Zones before, and there was only one pearl each. How many pearls have you seen at most?"


    "I once fought in an area where there were no limits. It was like a whole world, and I could only see part of the core. There were ten Soul Pearls, but it was only a fraction."


    Wain nodded.


    Soul Pearls were his best solution to raise Majesty, and besides the Beetle Queen, he had another target. He was going to consume all Soul Pearls in the area.

 Chapter 410 Beetles Nest

    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Osvald swung his fist and killed a Cosmic Beetle.


    "Are there fewer of them here than I thought? Don''t they need to defend their home?" Osvald said, walking down the narrow, dark tunnel.


    "They''ve probably decided to fight us in the same ce. Queen Beetle definitely knows we''reing."


    Wain and Osvald decided to act at once. After the vige, they nned to head for the nest of Cosmic Beetle. At first, the Beetles tried to defend their home and prevent Wain and Osvald from invading, but Beetles were powerless against them.


    The Beetles'' nest was filled with tunnels and forks. Wain and Osvald changed paths from time to time and constantly changed tunnels.


    "Do you hear that?" Osvald asked.


    "Hmm? What do you mean?"


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    "Roooooooaaaaaaarrrrr!"


    Suddenly, the ground trembled, and a roar was somewhat human-like.


    "Oh, looks like someone got tired of waiting for us." Osvald smiled and looked into the left tunnel, that''s where the sound wasing from.


    "Is that the Queen?"


    "Probably, either way, we''ll find out soon enough." Osvald shrugged.


    "Osvald, I want to ask you something."


    "Hmm? What is it?"


    "Deal with the bugs, but don''t touch the Queen. I want to fight with her myself." Wain said seriously.


    "Are you sure? The Queen is definitely a lot stronger than that Lizard."


    "Yes. Don''t worry about it." Wain said coldly.


    "It''s up to you. In that case, don''t count on me." Osvald waved his hand.


    Wain nodded and walked calmly forward. There was a faint but very powerful and deadly aura emanating from him.


    ''Looks like he was hurt by defeat, ah, he''s still too young, but his skills are actually amazing. Maybe he can even defeat the Queen.''


    Wain realized that he was much weaker than Osvald even in this Zone. In the battle with the Lizard, Osvald was holding back on purpose because he wanted to watch the fight, and Wain was against him getting involved again. He wanted to win without relying on anyone else''s help, because he wouldn''t have the invincible Osvald with him another time.


    The roar kept appearing from time to time, showing them the way, and after a few forks, Wain and Osvald reached the right ce. It was the core of the Space Beetles'' nest.


    Wain stepped forward, and several beetels flew in front of him. They were not attacking but moving from one point to another at a frantic pace.


    "Surely they were waiting for us...?" Osvald was puzzled. The beetels weren''t even paying attention to them, it was as if they didn''t exist.


    "Look. " Wain pointed to the massive beetle in the center. It was several times the size of the others, it was the Queen.


    The Queen had the same white stripes on her body as the Lizard. It, too, had absorbed some of the energy from Soul Pearl.<sub> </sub>


    Whoooooosh.


    Beetels flew around the Queen and opened small spatial holes. They disappeared quickly, but energy managed to seep through them, which turned into threads and headed toward the Queen.


    "Is that a cocoon?"


    "Looks like it."


    The threads gradually grewrger, and a cocoon appeared around the Queen, which eventually consumed herpletely.


    Osvald could have destroyed the Queen right then and there, but he didn''t.


    <o>,m "Ready? Judging by the aura, the Queen will get even stronger." Osvald smirked.</o>


    "Yes. Let her absorb as much energy as she wants. It won''t change anything anyway." Wain stood against the wall and smoked.


    Whooooooosh.


    Suddenly, a white root emerged from the ground and stuck into the cocoon. Strange energy emanated from the root, very powerful and pure.


    "What? This root has the energy of Soul Pearl?" Osvald was surprised.


    "Hmm? What does that mean? Do Soul Pearls have something to do with nts?"


    "Normally not, but it looks like Soul Pearls have connected to the roots and turned into a tree, most likely, the main base of Pearl Hunters is there. The tree sprouted, and those lucky enough to find the roots could get a piece of the power and absorb it without harm."


    "Shouldn''t Soul Pearls be depleted because of this?"


    "No, don''t worry about that. On the contrary, it bes more powerful since there is an exchange between energies, only beings strong enough to absorb energy so that the body won''t reject it. Maybe the pearls here are even bigger than I thought."


    "I see. That''s even for the best. It would be a great start to bing a Pearl Hunter."


    "Ahahahaha, man, it''s a dangerous path, even I had a lot of trouble doing it, but if you''re so confident in your decision, then I''ll share my experience with you." Osvaldughed.


    "Sure." Wain nodded, "I''ll never forget the feeling when I absorbed a Soul Pearl."


    The cocoon gradually erged and filled with energy. Thousands of beetels began to tire, opening spatial rifts in such an area was challenging. When the job was done, the beetels flew away to the sides and watched the process intently.


    The energy in the root was not infinite either, it waspletely dried up and disintegrated into small pieces.


    "Great, looks like it''s finally starting soon." Osvald smirked, and the first crack appeared on the cocoon.


    Whooooooosh.


    The beetles opened their wings wide and began to flutter as if to wee the rebirth of their Queen.


    Crackle.


    The cracks got bigger, and the cocoon shattered into many pieces. A thick vapor burst forth, and a tall figure emerged from the cocoon. It stepped forward and emerged from the cloud of steam.


    The Queen looked like a human now. She had long purple hair, wide ck eyes, and many protective tes all over her body. She had four transparent wings on her back and a powerful aura emanating from her.


    "Thank you for waiting." The Queen said slowly, looking at Wain, "You wanted to fight me? Then, go ahead. I''ll show you that you are nothing before the power of the whole nest."

 Chapter 411 The Power Of The Queen

    "Sure, let''s start right away." Wain said seriously and stepped into the arena. His aura intensified, and a murderous intention emanated from him.


    The Cosmic Beetles took no action, they watched the fight and waited for the Queen''s orders.


    ''She evolved and heard us when we were hundreds of meters away, how interesting.'' Osvald said inwardly, ''It won''t be easy for him.''


    As Wain had asked, Osvald would stay out of their way. He was watching the bugs, and they could feel it. All but Wain and the Queen became spectators, and the oue of the battle would depend only on strength.


    Wain stood in front of the Queen, and her wings came into motion. She stepped forward and delivered a lightning strike with her fist throwing Wain dozens of meters away. He flew into the wall and was buried under the rubble.


    ''Not bad. That punch would have easily pierced the skin of a lizard.'' Osvald thought.


    ''Get up. Is that really all you can do?" The Queen said coldly, and then an arm emerged from the wreckage.


    Wain slowly climbed out of the hole and shook off the dust.


    "Sorry for the wait. I had to make sure of something." Wain muttered, and ck and white energy streams appeared beside him.


    ck and white armor appeared on Wain, and a massive Yin-Yang sign appeared in the arena. The sign glowed brightly, and suddenly Wain''s strength began to rise, while the Queen''s strength decreased slightly.


    "What''s going on...?" The Queen was puzzled.


    Wain used a special skill of the first form, Equilibrium of the Sides.


    After losing to the Lizard, Wain thought a lot about their fight and realized that he hadn''t used all of his powers. Wain had not only strong weapons in the form of forms and a Beyond, but also several skills with unique effects.


    Wain took advantage of the fact that all creatures in the area were limited in strength by the Second Chronicle. Not everyone was equal, some were stronger, some were weaker, but the differences in stats were minimal.


    "What did you do?!" The Queen was wary.


    "Nothing at all. It''s just that you and I are stronger now." Wain grinned and ran forward.


    He jumped and kicked with a spin. The Queen put her arms out in front of her and blocked the attack but was pushed back several meters, leaving a trail of her feet on the ground.


    Then Wain turned and attacked again from the other side. He was hitting vulnerable points and had no intention of stopping.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Wain was speeding up and gradually pushing Queen back, she couldn''t attack, he wouldn''t give her a chance to do so. Queen only defended herself. Wain immediately began to dominate the battlefield.


    "Damn! Do you think you can keep beating me?!" Queen shouted, and her wings glowed purple.


    She disappeared and appeared behind Wain. The Queen attacked, but Wain grabbed her wrist without looking and pulled her toward him. Queen tried to get out of the grip, but Wain wouldn''t let her go. He turned around and punched her from bottom to top with his fist.


    Queen tried to block the attack, but Wain was too fast. His fist mmed into her stomach, and Queen flew high up.


    "Good punch." Osvald smirked, and a phantom snake tail appeared over Wain. It came down on the Queen like a whip, and she was buried under the ground.<sub> </sub>


    The bugs fluttered their wings, they were worried about their Queen. Wain''s attacks were powerful and swift, especially when he used the skill.


    Wain looked coldly at the wreckage and clenched his palm into a fist. Electric discharges appeared in the air, and a dark thunder pir descended upon the Queen.


    Whooooooosh.


    Suddenly, a space gap appeared above the Queen, into which the pir of thunder flew and disappeared. The rift, absorbed all the energy and left the Queen unharmed.


    "Looks like I underestimated you." The Queen muttered and flew out from under the rubble. A few purple lines glowed on her arms, and the space around her was unstable.


    ''That''s right, she''s the Queen of Cosmic Beetles, controlling space is her strongest ability.'' Osvald thought and smiled. Wain had won the battle in the first round, but the rules had changed now.


    Despite the many blows missed, the Queen was virtually unchanged. Her body was stronger than steel, and even thest attack left only a few scratches on her.


    The Queen looked at the bugs and pointed at Wain.


    "Kill him!" The Queen shouted, but none of the bugs moved.


    "What?! Why you don''t move?! I gave you an order!" The Queen didn''t understand why her subordinates ignored her for the first time.


    Tremble.


    Suddenly goosebumps ran down her body, and she slowly turned her head and looked at Osvald.


    What she saw shocked her, instead of Osvald, she saw a huge dragon whose tail was already wrapped around her neck. There was a terrible pressureing from Osvald, and he shook his head slightly, indicating that she was acting wrong.


    "Weren''t you going to show me all your power? Those Bugs spent all their strength to create a cocoon for you so you could be stronger. Isn''t that an insufficient contribution to victory?" Wain uttered and canceled the action of the first form.


    "Shut up! Do you think it''s fair to have such a monster on your side?!" The Queen was horrified at Osvald''s strength.


    "What nonsense are you talking about? He will not interfere in our duel. You can even kill me if you have enough power to do so. Osvald is just a spectator who makes sure the fight is fair."


    Whooooooosh.


    Wain''s aura intensified.


    "I don''t need help to beat you. You will be a stepping stone for me." Wain stated menacingly, and streams of energy burst from the ground.


    A gray robe appeared on him, and a tight bandage covered his eyes.


    The Queen alerted and immediately attacked. She lunged forward and created several spatial rips next to Wain.


    The blows almost reached Wain, but at the veryst moment, he removed the blindfold and opened his left eye for the first time, which had the image of an entire hourss on it.

 Chapter 412 Power Of Time

    When Wain evolved and reached a Second Chronicle, changes urred with his three forms. The first three forms were given powerful unique skills, and Wain decided to use the most unusual of them all.


    "Die!" The Queen shouted.


    Wain''s right eye glowed brightly, and the hourss flipped over, and the number on it appeared - ''60''.


    Whooooooosh.


    Wain turned into a blur and easily dodged several of the Queen''s blows. Her fists flew a millimeter from his face, and none of the spatial rips reached their target.


    "Slowly." Wain muttered and punched the Queen in the stomach with his palm.


    Queen vomited a mouthful of blood and flew sideways.


    "Bastard!"


    Her wings glowed and opened wide. The Queen regained her bnce and soared above the ground, ring fiercely at Wain.


    ''He dodged all her attacks? But how is that possible? Even I couldn''t have reacted, given the number of blows and spatial rips." Osvald was surprised by Wain''s lightning-fast reaction, ''Something with his eye, that power...it''s kind of weird.''


    Wain''s gaze was calm and cold. The number slowly decreased, and he sprang into action when it became -''57''.


    Whoooosh.


    A phantom snake tail appeared behind the Queen and swooped down on her, however the Queen quickly reacted and flew aside.


    Bam.


    Suddenly another tail swooped down on her, and she was thrown back to Wain. He ran up to her, grabbed her head, and delivered a powerful knee strike to her face.


    The Queen quickly regained consciousness and used spatial rips to get out of her grasp, but several phantom tails copsed on her as soon as she moved a few meters away.


    "What''s going on!" The Queen eximed, trying to defend herself. She didn''t understand how Wain could anticipate her every action.


    ''Wain, you must hurry. You don''t have much time left, when the skill actiones to an end, you''ll use up most of your powers.'' Blind Sorcerer said.


    ''Don''t worry. It''ll be over in less than one minute.''


    Wain ran up to the Queen and attacked. His blow hit exactly on target, and then another and another.


    The Queen blocked the blow from the right, but the attack came from the left a momentter. Wain was beating her and wasn''t going to stop. He threw several blows per second, and the armor on Queen''s body began to crack.


    The world looked very different to Wain than it did to the others. He saw dozens of variations of what could happen with one action or another in a split second. He saw every move and action the Queen was about to take and immediately thwarted it with a powerful blow.


    ''Does Wain really see the future? But, this is beyond even the power of Dragons!'' Osvald inwardly eximed.<sub> </sub>


    The Queen realized this too, and so she decided to go to extremes.


    "I don''t know what dirty trick you used, but it won''t help you!" She spread her wings to the side and created an energy st, however, Wain had already retreated to a safe distance.


    The armor shattered into tiny shards and fell from the Queen, and white streaks appeared on her body. They shone brightly, and her aura was rapidly intensifying.


    Wain did not attack, for he saw that none of his attacks could harm the Queen. She was now protected by an invisible spatial barrier that would absorb all his attacks.


    ''Damn, she''s doing the same thing as the lizard, but she absorbed a lot more energy and fused better with it. She won''t die, but she won''t even be able to walk for days after the battle.'' Osvald analyzed the situation.


    He was interested in seeing Wain win, but Osvald never broke his word. Like Wain said, even if he died, Osvald would not interfere.


    The Queen''s eyes glowed white, and she disappeared. The Queen became several times faster, and she swirled around Wain like a whirlwind. She pped her wings more than a hundred times a second, and a small hurricane appeared from behind her.


    "Maybe you can anticipate my actions, but what''s the point if you can''t react in time?" The Queen uttered and attacked Wain.


    She was faster than lightning, but Wain was ready. He took a step to the side, grabbed the Queen''s wing, and the ring on his finger glowed brightly. The scalding light turned the wings to ash, and the Queen howled in pain.


    "I don''t have time for this. It''s time to end it." Wain said coldly, and the number in his eyes became - ''25''.


    Wain elbowed her from top to bottom, and the Queen fell to the ground.


    Dozens of silhouettes appeared in Wain''s eyes, and he decided instantly. Wain attacked, about to crush Queen''s head.


    Whooooooosh.


    Suddenly, Queen''s new wings sprouted, and she turned into a white sh that copsed on Wain and tossed him aside.


    "Fuck!" Wain threw up a mouthful of blood and got to his feet, but the Queen''s fist had already mmed into his stomach, and he flew back a few feet again.


    Wain touched the ground with his hand, trying to stop, but suddenly the Queen attacked again. He saw it, but there was nothing he could do to change it. Reality and possible future variations were changing too fast, and Wain could not react.


    The Queen used all her power and tried to inflict as much damage as possible on Wain. She moved through spatial discontinuities and instantly changed her position.


    Fighting against an opponent who could see into the future was incredibly difficult, the only option was to be strong enough or fast. It didn''t matter that Wain knew everything ahead of time if he couldn''t dodge a blow.


    Wain didn''t have much time left, only ten seconds, but he wasn''t worried, he saw an option that would lead him to victory.


    Bam.


    The Queen struck again, and Wain was thrown to the ground. Queen flew up to him, and the bracelet on his arm suddenly glowed brightly, and ice crystals appeared from under the ground.

 Chapter 413 Intervention

    Crackle.


    Wain touched the floor, and ice crystals burst from the ground. They quickly filled the entire arena and reached the Queen. This attack couldn''t hurt her, the crystals broke against her tough skin like ss, but Wain reached his target.


    ''Not bad, he knocked down her pace with the crystals, and now he''s ten paces ahead again. That was a good fight.'' Osvald pondered. He was sure Queen had already lost, it was only a matter of time and that Wain didn''t have much left, only nine seconds.


    "Bastard!" The Queen shouted, and a multitude of spatial des appeared around her. They destroyed the crystals into small debris and had to hurt to Wain.


    Whooooosh.


    Wain''s silhouette blurred, and he passed from all the spatial des. He had already seen this scenario and knew how to move and what to do.


    "What?!" The Queen was startled, and suddenly Wain appeared before her.


    Bam.


    He hit her with all his might, and she flew aside, then Wain unleashed a pir of dark thunder and several phantom snake tails on her.


    The Queen created spatial rips, and they absorbed the attacks, however, Wain disappeared from her sight. The arena was empty, and she couldn''t figure out where he''d gone.


    Tremble.


    Goosebumps ran down the Queen''s body, and she felt a murderous coldness emanating from behind her.


    She turned around and saw Wain armed with a sword. The number on his eye was ''1''. The Queen saw this as an opportunity, all she had to do was survive, and victory would be hers.


    Crackle.


    Space began to copse because of her power, but suddenly Wain swung his sword, and his right eye closed.


    "AAAAARRGGGHHH!" The Queen howled in pain as he severed two of her arms.


    The arms flew off to the side and disappeared into the spatial rifts.


    "No!" The Queen screamed in horror and tried to run away, but Wain immediately stopped her with a sword de to her throat.


    "Anyst words?"


    "Fuck you!"


    "Good." Wain nodded and cut off the Queen''s head.


    The Cosmic Beetles couldn''t take it anymore and attacked Wain in a rage, the fear of Osvald''s power could no longer hold them back.


    "Ah, I thought I wouldn''t have to do this." Osvald shook his head and clenched his palm in a fist.


    A massive magical white circle with the image of a dragon appeared above the arena, and mes burst from it. It incinerated the beetles, leaving them nothing but handfuls of ash.


    The mes bypassed Wain as well as the Queen''s body.


    Wain canceled the third form and headed for her corpse. The white streaks still glowed brightly.


    Whoooosh.


    A red soul slowly flew out of the Queen''s body.


    ''What? Just an Ascendant Rating?''


    Wain was disappointed. He was expecting to get a Legendary Soul.<sub> </sub>


    ''Okay, maybe my expectations were too high.'' Wain shook his head and touched the Soul, but suddenly the white bands shed.


    A huge amount of Soul Pearl energy emerged from the stripes and headed toward the Soul, and it gradually began to change. The red became thicker and slightly lighter until it turnedpletely orange.


    The Soul glowed brightly, bright rays emanating from the Soul as if from the sun.


    "What is this...?" Wain was puzzled.


    "It''s a miracle that the energy of Soul Pearl is capable of. The Queen''s power came in part from the energy of Soul Pearl. Originally her Soul was Ascendant Rating, but given the power of pure energy, it was able to evolve to Legendary Rating." Osvald uttered.


    "Legendary Rating... that means I can..." Wain muttered and grabbed the Soul. He squeezed it with force and was about to crush it.


    "Stop! What are you doing?!"


    "Hmm? I want to absorb it and increase my Majesty."


    "Wain, you''re too much in pursuit of it that you''vepletely forgotten about everything else. I understand that raising Majesty is very important to you, but this is Legendary Soul with a unique power. Isn''t that enough for you to put this Soul into your Soul Altar?"


    "Hmm..." Wain pondered.


    He had gotten his Additional Soul a long time ago and hadn''t thought about recing it, though sometimes there were good options with a higher Rating.


    p "Do you think this area has enough Soul Pearl for me to raise my Majesty by three points?"</anda>


    "One hundred percent you can do it. I''ve only seen a few times in my life that Soul Pearl energy can change a soul. There sure are quite a few pearls in the core of this zone."


    "Okay, I hear you." Wain nodded and loosened his grip.


    He closed his eyes, and the Soul flew into his body, then changes began to ur in his Soul Altar. The altar glowed brightly, and the previous Soul flew out of it and disintegrated into small particles. Then an orange soul went into the vacated space, and a massive stream of energy burst forth from Wain.


    The energy turned into a long beam that pierced the nest and headed toward the sky. The space around Wain''s began to shake, and several messages appeared in front of him.


    The energy turned into a long beam that pierced the nest and headed toward the sky. The space around Wain''s began to shake and several messages appeared in front of him.


    [Soul of Cosmic Beetles Queen became your Additional Soul]


    [Soul of Cosmic Beetles Queen


    Rating: Legendary


    Chronicle: Third]


    Crackle.


    Suddenly several chains appeared on your soul, and the energy flow decreased slightly.


    [Your Additional Soul has too high a Chronicle, and it has been lowered to your level. When you be strong enough, the chains will fall, and you will get your full power.]


    [Soul of Cosmic Beetles Queen.


    You have gained the power of the Queen, which controlled thousands of Cosmic Beetles. Space is your main ally and power, now you understand how this mysterious power works better than anyone else and...


    ''What?'' Wain didn''t understand what was happening. Suddenly the text stopped, and the information window began to ripple.


    ''I think we need to change it up a bit.'' The voice of a Blind Sorcerer came through.

 Chapter 414 The Possibility Of Change

    Wain inserted a new Additional Soul into his Soul Altar, and energy streams went into the dark castle deep within his Soul Altar.


    "The power of this soul is to manipte space? Ah... what nonsense..." Blind Sorcerer shook his head.


    "Do you really want to interfere?" ck Sun Aristocrat smiled.


    "Yes, unfortunately, I can''t do it alone, but it seems to disagree as well." Blind Sorcerer looked at the crown. It trembled slightly, as if it were ready to explode at any moment.


    "Can I help you?" Code of Light and Darkness asked.


    "No." Blind Sorcerer approached the crown, "I can handle myself. Space is my realm, this soul is not worthy of being in this Soul Altar, at least not yet. Am I right?"


    Tremble.


    The crown trembled even more in response, and Blind Sorcerer touched it.


    Whooooooosh.


    An enormous amount of dark energy erupted from the crown and then from the Main Soul in the center of the Altar. It swallowed up the entire Soul Altar and headed for the Additional Soul. Particles of darkness headed toward the Orange Soul, and cracks appeared in the chains.


    ''What''s going on? Osvald inwardly eximed, looking at the energy rushing out of Wain''s body.


    The energy started to slowly distort space, and suddenly the energy turned into a powerful stream that engulfed everything around it.


    Osvald tried to touch the energy, but suddenly he saw his skin begin to break down and quickly stepped aside. A cold sweat broke out on him, he could fully feel the threating from this strange energy.


    He jumped back, and a white energy armor appeared on him that protected him.


    Wain was as puzzled as Osvald, nothing like this had ever happened before.


    [The power of your Main Soul, Nameless King, activated.]


    [Chains restricting your freedom, this is not something Nameless King can allow, no chains can restrain you.]


    Crackling.


    The chains around the Soul of Cosmic Beetles Queen broke, and a new stream of energy burst from Wain. His aura slowly intensified, and then a spatial rift appeared next to Additional Soul, from which a hand covered in a gray cloak emerged.


    Blind Sorcerer touched the soul, and it trembled. Along with the power of Blind Sorcerer, the energy from Main Soul also came to Additional Soul. The soul trembled and suddenly shattered into many pieces.


    "Argh!" Wain threw up a mouthful of blood and fell to the ground.


    Losing Additional Soul was a huge threat to life, especially when it was Legendary Soul. Even losing Rare Soul could cause organs to rupture, so Wain''s condition was critical.


    ''Fuck, fuck, fuck! What the fuck is going on?!


    Wain stared at the ground drenched in his blood and felt his bodying to the brink. Every moment was hurting him terribly.


    "Wain!" Osvald shouted and tried to get close to him, but the currents of energy prevented him from doing so, he was barely able to advance a few steps.


    ''Don''t worry. It''s almost ready.'' The voice of Blind Sorcerer sounded, and the soul pieces reconnected.


    The soul now looked a little different, it had a different aura and in the center was a sign in the form of a mirror inside, which was a spinning hourss.


    [The Soul of Cosmic Beetles Queen was destroyed.]


    [The power of your Main Soul, Nameless King, and Third Form, Blind Sorcerer created a new soul from Soul of Cosmic Beetles Queen pieces.]<sub> </sub>


    [Soul of Dimensional Monarch obtained.]


    [Soul of Dimensional Monarch became your new Additional Soul.]


    [Dimensional Monarch


    You understand the power of space better than anyone else, but even you have not yet mastered all this mysterious power. To you, space is a weapon and a tool that you use to achieve greatness.


    You are a Monarch, and nothing can limit you, not iron chains, not space, not even the power of time.


    Embark on this path and one day achieve the power that once saved this world from destruction. Faint pieces of a long forgotten myth float around you like pages of history.


    *All of your attacks and skills are 33% stronger


    *You have be much better at controlling space and understanding this mysterious power.


    *Resistance to spatial attacks increased by 90%


    *You can be in an open space for a long time without harming yourself.


    *When using the third form, Blind Sorcerer, all effects be much more powerful, especially space-rted.


    *The third form''s special skill, Blind Sorcerer - ''Eye of the Seer'', has been improved. You can now see the future for two minutes, but the load on your body has also increased.


    *Gained the skill - ''Spatial Cube.''


    *Gained Dimensional Concept]


    [Spatial Cube (Third Chronicle, Legendary Rating)


    Use the power of space topress it and turn it into a cube. Depending on the energy you use, you can change the size of the cube, and nothing can get out or in. The wall density of the cube is too high for anything to pass through it.


    Spatial Cube is an order of magnitude superior to most other spatial skills].


    ...


    "Whew, it''s done. I have to admit, it was more dangerous and difficult than I thought it would be." Blind Sorcerer said and looked at his hand. It was covered in blood and many small wounds, drops of blood slowly trickled down, and the robe was torn to shreds.


    "It was expected, but you have outdone yourself." Code of Light and Darkness uttered.


    "Huh, even I doubt I could handle that much energy." Cursed Swordsman smirked.


    "I could have easily done it without wounds." ck Sun Aristocrat waved his hand.


    "You are overconfident." The Knight of the Bloody Rose spoke slowly, "Though perhaps you could have done it..."


    "Of course I made it." Blind Sorcerer smiled, "After all, space is my realm."


    ...


    The energy currents slowly calmed, and Wain gradually came to his senses.


    "Wain, what was that?" Osvald walked over to him, and his armor disappeared.


    "I''m afraid I can''t answer that question, for I don''t understand much myself, but I have a one for you." Wain looked at his hands and asked, "Osvald, what is Concept?"

 Chapter 415 Concept

    "Concept? What? How do you know about that?" Osvald was puzzled. What had happened was very strange, he had never seen anything like it, but what Wain had asked about Concept was the most important thing to him.


    "Is it something unique?" Wain said, breathing heavily, he was slowlying to his senses. The Blind Sorcerer had managed the mission, but they were still seriously wounded, and during the battle with the Queen, Wain''s body was loaded to the limit.


    "No, though yes...or rather, in your case, it should be impossible..." Osvald thought about it, and suddenly he remembered something, "Wait, Wain, you put a soul into the Altar, and that gave you Concept?"


    "Yeah...it happened something like that..." Wain nodded weakly.


    "I see. In that case, it''s possible, but it''s still the first time I''ve seen anything like that happen. What I''m trying to say is that it''s impossible to get a Concept being in Second Chronicle."


    "Hmm?"


    "You should have realized by now that Chronicles aren''t just different in that the higher Chronicle, the stronger a person is. Each Chronicle hides a unique power. In the second Chronicle, you get to unlock a Martial Essence, a unique power that allows you to use your Beyond freely. In the third Chronicle, you can get a Concept."


    "Legendary Souls have one unique property unique to them. Legendary Souls and items can push the boundaries of what is possible and act despite the Chronicle. So it makes sense in your case, but it''s very, very rare. I''ve heard of only a few cases where souls, even Legendary ones, have given a Concept."


    "In other words, I''m lucky, right?"


    "Yes. However, I would advise you to achieve a Third Chronicle first and then move on to training a Concept." Osvald nodded.


    "Understood."


    "Wain, what Concept did you get?"


    "It''s the Dimensional Concept."


    "Dimensional? Man, that''s incredible..."


    "I have a question. Can I only have one Concept? And can I give up a Concept?"


    p "Huh, you ask some pretty weird questions, though that''s your style. A lot of people have been trying for years or even decades to figure out how to open a Concept, and you''re asking me how to give it up."</anda>


    "You can have two Concepts, one for Additional Soul and one for Main Soul. Usually, everyone has only one Concept, though. Those who manage to open their Concept don''t waste time and energy trying to open a second one and concentrate on training. Without advancing in a Concept, one cannot achieve a Fourth Chronicle."


    "Giving up Concept is possible, but I wouldn''t do it. There''s no guarantee that you''ll open a new one and also that you''ll get seriously injured."


    "What is the power of a Concept? I have a Dimensional Concept, and what am I capable of doing then?"


    "Concept is simr to skills, but in a looser format. I mean, all skills have limitations and some form. If your skill is Fireball, you can''t turn it into a ming de or shield no matter how hard you try. You can only increase the strength and intensity of the me, as well as the size. Concept has no such limitations."


    "Does that mean I can control space any way I want?"


    "Well... If you had a Fire Concept or Water Concept, I''d say you can, but it''s much moreplicated in your case. Maybe if you reach mastery in your Concept, then space will be clear and easy for you, but until then, don''t get your hopes up."


    "Okay, I get it, then onest question. How do I start training?"<sub> </sub>


    "It''s easy. Just concentrate on your Soul Altar, and it will start, but right now, you should concentrate on something else."


    "Sure. Come on, I need Soul Pears, and it looks like we''ll have to rob the Pearl Hunters stuck here." Wain headed for the exit.


    "Ahahahaha. Great. You''ve got the right attitude." Osvaldughed, "But, I''d wait a little longer if I were you."


    "What...?" Wain muttered, and suddenly everything in front of him blurred.


    Bam.


    He fell unconscious.


    "Well...that was to be expected." Osvald shook his head and walked over to Wain, "You spent so much energy fighting, and then this happened. My intuition didn''t fail me, I didn''t give you the key for nothing."


    Osvald did not question Wain about what had happened. He saw that Wain himself did not fully understand the energy, and Osvald did not need to know. It was enough for him that something was lurking in Wain, and it was something very powerful.


    ...


    "Hey, what are you doing?"


    "Give it back!"


    "Why the fuck are you eating so much?! You''re half my size, but you ate five times as much!"


    ''Damn, why is it so noisy in here...?'' Wain thought,ing to his senses.


    He slowly got up and grabbed his head, ''What a pain, it feels like I haven''t stopped drinking for a week.''


    Wain opened his eyes and looked around.


    "Oh, look who''s up." Osvald smiled, shoving a piece of meat into his mouth.


    He, Franzi, and Irma were dining at the same table in the center of the room. Wain was lying on the bed, and half of his body was bandaged.


    "Wain! Are you all right?" Franzi put the food aside and ran to him.


    "Not really, but I''ll live, I thought my condition was much better." Wain shook his head.


    "Huh, that''s natural." Osvald said, "You fought the Queen and won, others would have died in the first ten seconds, and you not only managed to survive, but win."


    "I agree. That''s impressive." Irma said briefly and continued eating. She was much colder and more reserved than her sister, but she was actually happier about it than anyone else.


    The queen was a great threat to their vige, and it also showed that Wain was very strong. Irma thought that they could get out of here when Wain recovered and dealt with the Pearl Hunters. He was herst hope.

 Chapter 416 Food

    "How long was I unconscious?"


    "Not many. Just a few hours." Franzi said, "You should thank Osvald. If he hadn''t gone to the woods for healing herbs, you might have slept for days."


    "I see. I''m hungry." Wain got out of bed.


    "Wait! You haven''t recovered enough yet!" Franzi uttered.


    "What? What do you mean?" Wain stepped forward, and suddenly he felt dizzy.


    Crackling.


    He lost his bnce and fell.


    "What the fuck?" Wain was in shock. He didn''t understand what had happened.


    "Wain, you''re too impatient. As Franzi said, it''s only been a few hours, your body is at its limit, and you have to let it recover. You can hardly even walk now." Osvald said.


    "I''ll help you."


    Franzi threw her arm around Wain''s shoulder and walked to the table with him.


    Wain was silent, but you could tell by the look on his face that he wasn''t happy with the situation.


    ''Damn that helplessness, what a disgusting feeling that is.''


    Wain had always preferred to rely on himself, and it had been a long time since he had found himself in this situation.


    "Here, sit down." Franzi moved a chair over and helped Wain sit down.


    "Help yourself, the food here is great. I really don''t understand how these two can eat so much." Osvald slid a te filled with fried meat over to Wain.


    "Hey! We don''t eat that much!" Irma resented.


    "Yes. All Beastfolks expend a lot of energy, but we eat as much as we need to get full."


    "You think eating several kilos of food at a time is normal?! You both don''t weigh more than sixty kilos!"


    "Hahahaha." Wainughed, and his face contorted, "Ouch, it even hurts me tough."


    "So shut up and eat! You need to regain your strength!" Franzi said sternly.


    Wain nodded silently, cut off a piece of meat, and brought his fork to his mouth.


    The meat was juicy and spicy, and Wain chewed slowly and enjoyed every moment. The food seemed especially delicious to him today.


    "How is it? Do you like it?" Franzi asked.


    "Yeah, not bad, though maybe it''s because I''m hungry." Wain said and took another bite.


    "You''re mean!" Franzi pouted her cheeks and crossed her arms.


    "Hmm? I just said what I thought. What''s more, I liked the taste."


    "Ahahahaha, Wain looks like you were actually hurt pretty bad." Osvald grinned, "She''s the one who cooked, and that''s why she''s so interested in your opinion. It''s obvious."


    "Shut up!"


    "Okay, okay." Osvald shrugged.


    "Osvald, I knew it right away." Wain said calmly.


    "What?" Franzi wondered.


    "What kind of meat is that? Pork?"<sub> </sub>


    "Almost..." Franzi scratched the back of her head, "While you were sleeping, Irma and I went hunting in the woods and found wild boar. They''re the best thing to find here."


    "Good."


    Wain continued to eat, he was very hungry, and even a few tes weren''t enough to keep him full.


    "Do you have anything to drink?"


    "Just juice." Franzi offered.


    "That''s enough." Wain nodded.


    "Eh, I wanted to brighten up this meal with great alcohol, but the whole vige didn''t even have one bottle! How is that possible?" Osvaldined.


    "Well... we used to have quite a lot of wine and even whiskey, but it became impossible to restock after we got here. Also, a lot of people started drinking a lot because of grief, since they thought they''d never go home again." Irma muttered.


    "Here you go." Franzi handed a ss of red juice to Wain.


    He took a sip and immediately spit it out.


    "Hey! What are you doing?"


    Wain grimaced, "It''s too sweet, yuck, it''s impossible to drink."


    "You''re always disgruntled. Okay, I''ve got something else." Franzi passed Wain another ss of yellow juice.


    Franzi smiled slyly. The juice she gave Wain was very sour, and it was impossible to drink.


    "Ah, how refreshing. Not bad, it''s much better." Wain said suddenly, and Franzi''s eyes went wide.


    "Wain, Osvald, what do you n to do next?" Irma asked.


    "First, we''ll rest, and then we''ll go to Pearl Hunters. Osvald, am I right?"


    "Yes, it''s a nice and cozy ce, but I want to go home, there''s nothing like home."


    "I agree. I got here by ident in the first ce. I thought it would be a short twenty-minute trip, but I ended up here and almost died." Wain shook his head and finished his juice.


    "You think with the help of Pearl Hunters. You''ll find a way out?"


    "Yes, but I''m not going to negotiate with them. They can''t get out of here either, which leaves only one option."


    "Which is?" Irma puzzled.


    "Get rid of all the Soul Pearls." Osvald said seriously.


    "What? But in that case, the area will be destroyed." Franzi flustered.


    "Yes, but I don''t think that''s a problem. Besides us, you and the Pearl Hunters, there''s no one else here. There''s a reason the Pearl Hunters haven''t destroyed the Pearls yet, they''re probably using them for something." Wain pondered.


    "Getting rid of the Soul Pearls is the best option." Osvald muttered, "This is the Purgatory Zone, and it depends entirely on the Pearls. We destroy them or absorb them, there will be an energy surge, and the spatial barrier will lose its energy source. Then we''ll just have to open the portal, and that''s it."


    "What? Why?"


    "You''ll be a burden." Wain calmly replied.


    "Girl, listen. We appreciate your warm wee,pany, and food, but if youe with us, you''ll die. It''s not about our attitude toward you, it''s about how safe it is. I''m sure the Pearl Hunters are much stronger than the Cosmic Beetles, you don''t stand a chance of surviving. What you''re suggesting is suicide."


    "But, I have to do it!" Irma mmed her fist on the table.


    Wain and Osvald looked at her puzzled. They didn''t understand why Irma was suddenly angry.


    ''Ah, so that''s it.'' Wain muttered inwardly. He saw Irma''s hatred in her eyes, powerful and unconcealed.

 Chapter 417 Hate

    "What happened?" Osvald asked.


    "No, nothing like that..." Irma shook her head and calmed down.


    "Tell me. In that case, maybe we''ll change our minds." Wain spoke slowly.


    "Irma, you shouldn''t. They already helped us by killing the Queen."


    "No, I have to." Irma left the table and headed for the center of the room.


    Wain, Osvald, and Franzi looked at her puzzled.


    Irma ducked down, pushed the rug aside, and removed a special board from the floor. From the stash, she pulled out arge bottle of rum. Irma blew lightly, and a thickyer of dust fell off the bottle.


    "Ohohoho, looks like we''re in for some serious talk. I like that." Osvald smiled contentedly.


    "What?! Irma, how do you know about this ce?" Franzi was shocked.


    "It''s my personal supply." Irma replied coldly and set the bottle on the table.


    "Franzi, bring more meat. I''m hungry again."


    "But...you''ve already eaten so much...maybe you''ve had enough? In your condition, it might not turn out well."


    "Do it."


    "Y-yes!"


    "Irma, did something happen between your vige and Pearl Hunters?"


    "Yes...something very important..." Irma poured rum into three sses, took a sip, and said, "There was a conflict between us, and after that, they attacked us."


    Wain and Osvald were silent, they gave Irma a chance to speak out.


    "Unlike us, they didn''t get here by ident, they came for Soul Pearls on purpose. However, they couldn''t get out without destroying the Pearls, and you were right about that. They forced us to work for them, gather resources, and tunnel." Irma said with a droopy face.


    "Tunnels?"


    p "Yes, I don''t know why, but they made us do it. It''s hard and dangerous work, we had to work from morning till night to get them to leave us alone."</anda>


    "Does your grandfather know about the purpose of the tunnels?"


    "Yes, you''d better ask him about that."


    "What happened next?"


    "For a while, they got behind us, they even stopped asking us for food. We thought our hard work had paid off, but that was a big mistake. One day a small group came into the vige and demanded some young girls." Irma frowned and drained her ss.


    "I see. Did you fight?" Osvald asked.


    "Yes, obviously we were against it, but...we were too weak. Luckily they didn''t kill anyone, their leader wouldn''t let them, but they did take ten girls, one of whom is a close friend."


    "Is that why you want toe with us?"


    "That''s right. Please! Take me with you!" Irma pleaded.


    "No." Wain replied sharply.


    "What? But, you said you''d take me with you if I told you!"


    "All I said was that I would think about it, and I did. If we get a chance, we''ll save your friend and the other girls, if they''re still alive, of course."


    "Girl, don''t be so reckless. You couldn''t defend yourselves and worked for them as ves, you are weaker, in this situation, you are helpless." Osvald uttered.<sub> </sub>


    "You bastards." Irma clenched her fists in anger and gritted her teeth.


    "We just gave you a better option. If we take you with us, then we take responsibility for your life, we don''t need this hassle. Just tell us everything you know about what their leader looked like?"


    "I agree. Does their leader have any notable features? If so, we''ll find him quickly and settle the matter." Osvald shrugged his shoulders.


    Irma took a deep breath and took a few more sips.


    "The Pearl Hunters captured in this area are also Beastfolks, just like us. However, they are of the Wolf n, and we have historically had a mortal feud with them. Their leader is missing his right ear, most likely a battle wound, and a long scar on his neck is visible even through his thick ck hair."


    "Good. That is enough. However, you must realize that your friends are probably already dead."


    Irma frowned, but remained silent. She understood that Wain was right, though rude.


    "You are too naive." Osvald shook his head, "If they haven''te yet, then those girls haven''t bored them yet, which means they''re still alive."


    "Right... You''re right..." Irma''s eyes sparkled, and she smiled weakly.


    "Please go as soon as possible!"


    "We''ll leave as soon as we can make it. By the way, where is Franzi? She''s taking too long to get the meat."


    Crackle.


    Suddenly Franzi entered the room with a frightened expression on her face.


    "Irma, they''vee again!"


    "What?!"


    "Come quickly, one of them wants something from our grandfather."


    Irma nodded and ran after her.


    "Are we toote?" Osvald said thoughtfully.


    "Maybe, but I don''t think it has anything to do with the girls, but with the Queen. I probably know what the tunnels were for." Wain set the ss on the table and headed for the exit.


    It was hard for him to walk, but he wouldn''t fall down again. The food had given him strength, and that was enough.


    "Huh, in that case, let''s go see what''s going on." Osvald smiled.


    ...


    "Old man, what the hell are you doing here?" Angrily said a Pearl Hunter. He was a wolf with gray hair and green eyes. He was dressed in leather armor, and a long sword hung on his belt. Behind him stood several other wolves, looking at the vigers with evil smirks.


    "Sir, I don''t know what you''re talking about!" The old man eximed.


    "Do you think I''m an idiot?!" The hunter became angry and punched the old man sharply in the stomach with his fist.


    "Grandpa!" Irma eximed and drew her sword from its sheath.


    "No! Stop! Nobody move!" The old man shouted. He didn''t want there to be any more trouble.


    "That''s your granddaughter, isn''t it? Huh, she''s quite pretty, next time, I''ll be sure to take her with me, but right now..."


    Crackle.


    The hunter stepped on the old man''s arm and pressed it to the ground.


    "Old man, tell me, what happened to your tunnel?"

 Chapter 418 Wolves

    "I don''t know! No one but me has been in there for a long time! Exin what happened." The old man cringed in pain, but did not resent it. He understood that the lives of his men depended on his decisions.


    The Hunter stared at the old man and withdrew his leg.


    "Damn, then what happened there! Why did the energy stops flowing from the root? Old man, if we don''t solve this problem, my boss will kill you and me."


    "I...I...don''t know..."


    ''Root?'' Wain hesitated.


    "Osvald, he''s talking about the root through which the Queen received the energy of Soul Pearl, right?"


    "Yes, you''re right. Now I understand why they still haven''t absorbed the pearls. Somehow they''ve learned to get energy through the roots, and the more of them, the more energy."


    "So they give Soul Pearls to grow and monsters to develop. The stronger the creature, the more energy the pearls get from this union, which means Pearl Hunters get a lot of power."


    "Exactly."


    Franzi and Irma could hardly contain themselves from attacking the Wolves. They felt terrible, and they felt helpless and useless.


    "Okay, time to thank the girls for a nice lunch."


    "I didn''t know you were so sensual." Wain smirked.


    "I just don''t like seeing a woman cry. There''s nothing sadder than that, nothing to spoil the mood on such a nice day." Osvald shrugged and walked forward.


    "I''m sorry, but I think you''re asking the wrong person." Osvald said, waving his hand in greeting.


    "What? Who are you? You''re not Beastfolk." Hunter was wary.


    "Who cares who I am? I''m the one who interfered with the root''s work. Stop beating up old men. You need to pick an opponent of your level."


    "Hmm? You did this?! Well... maybe it''s even for the best." Hunter drew his sword, "After I beat you, I''ll bring you to the boss, I''m sure he won''t be disappointed. Guys, surround him!"


    "Yes!" the hunters responded simultaneously, and a few secondster, ten swords were pointed at Osvald.


    "Ah... You misunderstand me." Osvald shook his head, "I said you should pick an opponent of your level, but that doesn''t mean I''ll fight you."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ground trembled, and a massive stream of energy erupted from Osvald''s. The pressure emanating from it was strong enough to make it hard for the Hunters and vigers to breathe.


    "Who are you?" Commander Hunter eximed and thrust his sword forward. His hands trembled slightly, and drops of sweat appeared on his forehead.


    "Many who, it doesn''t matter."


    Snap.


    Osvald snapped his fingers, and all the Hunters except the Commander exploded. Blood and chunks of flesh flew apart.


    "AAAAAAAAAHH!" Something hit the vigers, and they fled in terror. Everyone could not endure such scenes.


    The Huntermander was silent, his face as pale as a piece of paper. He was ready for anything, but not this. Osvald''s strength was beyond hisprehension.


    "Don''t be afraid. I''ll give you a chance to survive."


    "R-really...?" Hunter asked with desperation in his voice.


    "Sure." Osvald smiled benevolently, "All you have to do is win, not me, but her."<sub> </sub>


    Osvald pointed at Irma.


    "What...?" Irma was puzzled. She didn''t understand how the situation had turned this way.


    "Seriously...? If I beat this girl, will you let me go?"


    "Yes."


    "Osvald, what are you doing? Can I win?! That''s suicide! You told me so yourself." Irma was afraid. Instead of this Hunter, she saw the group leader that had kidnapped the girls and her friend. They were too strong, and victory was impossible.


    Osvald walked over to Irma and put his hand on her shoulder.


    "Isn''t that what you wanted? You asked us to take you with us, but you flinch like a hare at the sight of a predator. How could you go with us if you can''t handle one little problem?"


    Irma was silent, but then her gaze turned icy, and she adopted a fighting stance. The intent to kill began to emanate from her.


    "I agree. I''ll do it by all means. Thank you for the opportunity."


    "No problem. I''m sure you''ll win." Osvald patted her on the shoulder and stepped aside.


    ''Huh, Osvald is kind after all.'' Wain thought, ''Didn''t anyone but I notice that?''


    When Osvald patted Irma on the shoulder, he secretly transferred a bit of his energy to her, even Irma didn''t realize it, and only Wain could see it.


    "I always thought you were the fair fight type." Wain said, approaching Osvald.


    "What? What are you talking about? This is the fairest fight of all. I just leveled the odds a little bit." Osvald waved his hand.


    "Well... we''ll see what happens. She and Franzi couldn''t defeat the spider, and now she has to fight against Pearl Hunter."


    "That''s why it''s going to be interesting."


    "Girl, I don''t know what''s going on here, but I don''t care, get ready to die! It''s either you or me!" The Hunter shouted, and his sword was covered in lightning, and electric spheres soared beside him.


    Irma said nothing. She silently used her skills.


    Whooooooosh.


    Her aura intensified, and her sword lit up in bright red mes, and ming boots appeared on her feet.


    ''Hmm? Has my fire always been so beautiful? No, so powerful?''


    "Die!" The Hunter shouted and lunged in her direction.


    Irma put unnecessary thoughts out of her head and concentrated entirely on her opponent. She saw Hunter''s every step and every movement.


    ''Unlike me, he is afraid, and fear will ruin him!''


    Whooooooosh.


    The Hunter swung his sword, and the de came close to Irma''s neck, but she crouched at thest moment and dodged the attack.


    The spheres flew toward her, and Irma swung her sword. She created a curtain of me that engulfed the spheres, and an explosion tossed her and the Hunter aside.


    Irma did a roll and regained her bnce. She looked coldly at the Hunter and ran forward. Her boots glowed brightly, and she turned into a fiery sh and reached him instantly.

 Chapter 419 Chance

    Irma found herself in front of the Hunter and swung her sword.


    The Hunter looked at her in horror and quickly created a lightning shield.


    Booooom.


    The mes met the lightning, and a deafening explosion threw them apart again. Hunter''s skin burned, but Irma managed to react and protect herself with a fire barrier.


    She touched the ground with her hand, bounced to the side, and lunged toward the Hunter again.


    Irma began to enjoy this fight, hatred slowly receding into the background. Irma felt power for the first time, and she wanted to take full advantage of it.


    ''I am stronger! I can win! I will definitely defeat him!'' Irma inwardly eximed, and a satisfied smile appeared on her face.


    "Looks like she''s got a taste for it." Osvald grinned.


    "Well... it''s pretty brutal. When your power inside her runs out, she''ll be disappointed in her true capabilities."


    "It doesn''t matter. Once you''ve tasted the power, it''s no longer possible to forget. Now she''ll have no choice but to get stronger or die inside."


    "Exactly. That''s pretty brutal, not everyone is destined to be the strongest, and not everyone is willing to go to any lengths for it." Wain shook his head, "Wait... That reminds me of something. You didn''t happen to use the same technique when I fought the Queen, did you?"


    Wain was sure Osvald didn''t do anything like that since he would have noticed it, but he hadn''t even considered it possible. This was the first time Wain had ever seen anyone be able to transfer his power.


    "No. Of course not." Osvald waved his hand, "If I did that, I''d let you down and deprive myself of a great fight. I told you, now I''m just leveling the ying field. If she wins, it''ll be all her merit, and it looks like that''s what''s going to happen."


    Bam.


    Irma swung her sword furiously, and sparks of me flew away. The Hunter struggled to block her lunges, and Irma gradually pressed against him. Her blows grew more powerful, and Hunter''s strength gradually ran out.


    ''Am I going to lose to this weakling? No! It can''t be! It''s impossible!'' Hunter inwardly shouted and used his Beyond.


    An unusual lightning me appeared on his shoulder, and his eyes were covered with electric discharges.


    "You are finished!"


    "Die!" Irma shouted and swung her sword, and the de reached the Hunter and plunged into him.


    ''Yes!'' Irma eximed, but then her eyes went wide.


    Whooooooosh.


    Hunter''s silhouette blurred, and suddenly he was behind Irma.


    "Huh, you''re too slow, like a turtle, no even it''s faster. If you had trained for another ten years, you might have won, but it ends today!"


    The Hunter attacked. His hand was covered with a lightning de, and he pierced Irma.


    "Ahahahahaha!"


    Irma''s face contorted in horrible pain, and she vomited out a mouthful of blood covering the de.


    "That''s it. It was even a little fun. Ah, too bad I have to kill you. You''re so much more interesting than those girls, it''s time the boss threw them out already." Hunter pulled out his de and attacked again.


    ''What? Throw it away? So that means they''re still alive!


    Irma''s pupils narrowed, and she pushed away from the Hunter with her legs. He didn''t expect Irma to have the strength left to do that and was thrown aside.


    "You bitch! I''ll tear you to pieces!" Hunter said angrily. He was furious, and the veins in his face puffed up badly.<sub> </sub>


    "Why doesn''t she use her Beyond?" Wain muttered.


    "I thought about that too, but the answer is simple, she hasn''t awakened that power in her yet."


    "What? But, that''s what happens when you first evolve."


    "Yeah... but, not everyone gets to use it right away. Judging by your reaction, you didn''t have any problems. You''re damn lucky."


    ''Am I lucky? Am I?''


    "And don''t get your hopes up! There''s no way I''m going to lose!" Irma shouted and swung her sword, but suddenly her me went out, and she fell to the ground.


    The wound was much more serious than she had anticipated, the bleeding wouldn''t stop, and everything was blurring in front of her eyes.


    "See you in hell!" The Hunter walked over to Irma and unleashed a lightning de on her.


    Crackling.


    The ground beneath Osvald cracked, and he headed toward them.


    "Stop."


    Suddenly Wain stopped him.


    "It''s too easy. She''ll never get stronger that way."


    "But...!"


    "ARGH!!!" Suddenly there was a painful scream.


    The Hunter did not immediately kill Irma, he plunged the de into her belly again and continued to do so.


    "Sister! No!" Franzi trembled with horror, and tears flowed from her eyes. She looked around and ran up to Osvald.


    "Please save her! You can do it! Why are you doing nothing?!"


    Osvald didn''t answer. He didn''t know what to do. Even though he had killed thousands of people, it was hard for him to look at Irma''s condition since he was med. If he hadn''t put up that fight, she wouldn''t have had to endure this suffering.


    "Just a little more, I can feel it..." Wain muttered. He watched the fight and saw strange energy around Irma, no one else but him noticed it.


    "What the fuck are you talking about! Save her! Now!"


    "Shut up." Wain said coldly, "The worst thing you can do now is asking to save her. Are you really thatcking in faith in your sister?"


    Franzi was silent, but she could not bear to watch this horrible scene. Hunter wanted to enjoy this moment, he beat Irma and hurt her badly until the girl stopped resisting.


    Hunter looked at Osvald and said, "I''ve fulfilled your conditions. Now it''s your turn."


    He smirked, grabbed his sword with both hands, and thrust it into Irma.


    The de swiftly headed for her neck, but suddenly it was as if time had stopped.


    Osvald ran forward with great speed. He managed to take several steps before Franzi even blinked halfway.


    ''This is it.'' Wain thought, and several ming particles appeared above Irma.

 Chapter 420 Flame

    ''Damn! Why did I listen to Wain? This is pure madness!'' Osvald thought, running toward Irma.


    He held back untilst, but when the Hunter was about to stab Irma''s neck, Osvald''s patience came to an end.


    ''Why did I let this happen?


    Osvald moved at tremendous speed, he walked more than ten meters in an instant and approached Irma and the Hunter. Osvald pointed his hand towards the clink, intending to stop it and save her, he didn''t think it would go that far. Irma was practically dead.


    ''Hmm? What is it?


    Osvald noticed the fiery particles hovering over Irma, and suddenly they glowed.


    Whooooooooosh.


    There was a fiery eruption that engulfed everything around it. Nothing was safe, the fire consumed the houses, the vigers, Osvald, Wain, and the Hunter.


    ''Shit!'' Osvald reacted quickly and took a deep breath. His chest grew muchrger, and all the mes headed toward him. Osvaldpletely engulfed it and exhaled a small puff of smoke in response.


    "How I hate doing this. I''m definitely going to suck tonight." Osvald shook his head.


    "Sister!" Franzi eximed, and everyone looked at Irma.


    A second ago, she was lying on the ground and near death, but now she was firmly on her feet, and a formidable aura was emanating from her.


    Whooooooosh.


    Osvald stepped forward, and his silhouette blurred.


    "Looks like you were right."


    "Yeah. Honestly, even I started to have doubts at thest moment, but it worked out." Wain muttered, "This is the first time I''ve ever seen someone awaken their Beyond. It''s amazing."


    "I agree. It''s a mesmerizing sight. There was some serious power lurking in that girl."


    "What?! But, you should be dead by now! How could you survive?!" The Hunter eximed in horror, pointing his sword at Irma.


    "I just can''t die until I get rid of bastards like you." Irma said coldly and looked at the Hunter with disdain.


    A set of fiery armor appeared on her, fitting tightly around her body. mes emanated from her, and her sword was covered in red fire.


    "What power..." Irma clenched her palm into a fist, "This is times better than what we had before, but now I feel so calm..."


    Irma waved her hand and created two huge spheres of fire, the size of a house, and they flew toward the Hunter.


    Hunter felt the deadly threat of this attack and used all his strength to defend himself. He created a massive protective electrical barrier.


    ''What?'' Hunter thought. Suddenly the fireballs dissipated, just before they should have made contact with the barrier.


    Irma ran forward, broke through the barrier, and put her sword to Hunter''s throat.


    "Bastard, you wanted to blow this ce up and take us with you?" Irma yelled and swung her sword.


    The Hunter''s head flew off his shoulders and flew off to the side.


    The fiery armor evaporated, and Irma fell helplessly to her knees.<sub> </sub>


    "I did it. I bloody did it!" Irma said cheerfully, looking at Hunter''s corpse.


    "Are you okay?!" Franzi ran up to Irma and hugged her tightly.


    "Yes. Definitely yes." Ima smiled, "I feel better than ever."


    The vigers were shocked. Pearl Hunters gave them a lot of trouble, and many had given up hope that anything would ever change, but Irma made it through. She went through the pain and overcame herself to fight for the right to be free. Everyone felt and understood that.


    p. p. p.


    "You did good." Osvald pped his hands.


    Irma nodded, "Thank you for not interfering. Even though it was brutal, I wouldn''t have been able to achieve it otherwise."


    "No problem. You have Wain to thank, not me. He was the one who stopped me at the right moment."


    "Now, will you take me with you?" Irma asked seriously.


    "Well..." Osvald scratched the back of his head uncertainly.


    "Huh, you beat one frightened pup and think you''re ready to break into a nest of ferocious wolves. How naive." Wain uttered.


    "What? But, I was able to win, isn''t that enough!" Irma resented.


    "Yes, it''s not a bad result, but I don''t think you''ll be able even to move anytime soon."


    "§¡?" Irma wanted to say something, but suddenly her strength left her, and she fell unconscious. Awakening a Beyond gave only a brief increase in strength, and when the energy was gone, all of Irma''s wounds reopened.


    "Eh, it''s always so hard with girls." Osvald shook his head, and the ring on his finger glowed. A bottle of white liquid appeared in his hand.


    He took the cork out and took a sip.


    "Ugh, this is great as always." Osvald shook the bottle and poured the contents over Irma''s most serious wounds. They began to heal gradually, but notpletely. Osvald could not heal Irma quickly, but he stopped the bleeding this way.


    "Good, now her life is not in danger. She needs rest, though you''d better take her to a doctor. I''m not a specialist."


    "Yes, I''ll do that right now, thank you very much!" Franzi nodded, picked up Irma, and ran off.


    "Okay, done. Now it''s time to move on." Osvald shook his hands.


    "Old man, we need to talk." Wain said seriously, approaching the head of the vige.


    "Of course. I''ll tell you everything I know."


    ...


    After the battle, the vigers were still reeling for a while, but gradually things returned to normal. The vigers'' morale had risen again, and they felt that they would soon be able to get out of here, but they would also avenge their abusers.


    Many were left very impressed, but Osvald''s incredible strength also struck them. It would have been over in a heartbeat if he had wanted to, and the inhabitants were d to have him on their side.


    "Old man, tell me where the tunnels are, as well as the core of this area. Where are all the Soul Pearls, and how many are there?" Wain asked slowly.


    The three of them sat in the old man''s house, in the dim light from the candles.

 Chapter 421 Roots

    "Old man, Irma said you were digging tunnels for Pearl Hunters stuck in this area. Is that true?"


    "Yes, they made us do it to make way for the roots. We didn''t understand why they were doing it, but then we were horrified." The old man spoke slowly.


    "Our vige dug one long tunnel from the Hunters'' base to the jungle. I tried to find out why they were doing it, but each time I was threatened and ordered not to ask about it again."


    "You ran the root into the jungle? Did you just leave it behind?" Osvald asked.


    "Yes, there is an entrance to this tunnel in the jungle. It is near theke, though many may have changed since then, as have the Beetles."


    "Bugs?"


    "They weren''t there before, Cosmic Beetles started actively appearing a few days after we left the root in the jungle, the same time the Queen appeared."


    "I see." Wain nodded.


    "Hell, they knew that thanks to the energy of the root, the monsters in the jungle would get stronger, and the core zone would get power. That''s pretty smart. Old man, I hate to say it, but you''re seriously lucky that Wain and I showed up. Otherwise, the bugs would have gotten out of the jungle and killed you after a while."


    "I understand that, and I thank you for that and for giving Irma a chance to be stronger. She always wanted to be able to make her own decisions and do what she thought was right, but every time there was a barrier in front of her that she could not ovee. She wanted strength more than anyone else."


    "Huh, this girl is cocky and rough, but her fire was really hot."


    "Is there any other entrance to the tunnel besides the jungle?"


    "Yes, in the mine, north of the vige. It was hard to dig, so we connected the tunnel to the mine and made the job easier." The old man fell silent and, after a while, said, "Can I ask you something?"


    "That depends on your request."


    "I have a hunch that there are several other small towns and viges in this area besides us, since there are definitely several roots, this wasn''t the only one. The hunters wouldn''t dig the tunnels themselves, they had someone do it. I want you to help them as you helped us."


    "Old man, we don''t do charity." Wain replied coldly.


    "But..."


    "Huh, old man, don''t worry, we''ll take care of the victims. I promise you that personally." Osvald patted the old man on the shoulder.


    Wain looked at him intently, and Osvald shrugged.


    "Okay." Wain sighed, "It''s no big deal. Old man, have you seen the core? How many Soul Pearls are there?"


    "No." The old man shook his head, "They wouldn''t let me in, but I know where the entrance is and how to get to the core."


    "Tell me."


    "To the west, beyond the hills, is the base of Pearl Hunters, you can easily get there through the tunnel we dug. There is a huge tree not far from the base, that is the core. I think all the pearls are under the tree, where the rootse from."


    "Are you suggesting we just break-in?"<sub> </sub>


    "No, even you can hardly do that. The core is protected by a natural barrier created by a high concentration of energy, but there is also an outer barrier around the tree that the Hunters put up."


    "So?"


    "One day, I went to the chief to rify some details, and then I overheard something by chance. They wereining that their boss was making them spend a lot of energy every time to rebuild the barrier after a thunderstorm, since the top is the most unstable part of the barrier."


    "You want us to get into tree territory through the top?" Osvald asked, "Is that possible?"


    "I don''t know. I can''t think about it since I don''t even have enough strength to protect the vigers and my granddaughters." The old man wilted, "I''ve told you everything I know, and I hope it helps you, that''s all I can do."


    "Well, that''s enough. We''ll stay in the vige for a while longer and then head for the core. Be ready to go home." Wain said, getting up and leaving the room.


    "Don''t worry, old man. You''ve done enough, you shouldn''t me yourself. These people are only alive because of you. I was actually delighted when you endured the pain so the vige wouldn''t have a problem, even though you were wounded."


    "Heh, maybe you''re right. Anyway, I''m a long way from my granddaughters."


    ...


    Wain and Osvald didn''t leave the vige right away. Wain was wounded and needed to regain his strength. Osvald was bored, but he decided to stay since he thought the Hunters mighte to the vige again.


    The vigers were kind to them, and Osvald appreciated it, he liked it when people responded with kindness to kindness and knew how to appreciate it.


    While Wain was recovering, Osvald even began to train a small group of vigers. These were young girls and boys who were enthusiastic about Osvald''s strength.


    At first, Osvald didn''t want to do it, he didn''t like to train others except for a few exceptions, but he was impressed with their fighting spirit, and they quickly made impressive progress.


    Everyone''s strength was limited in this area, but Osvald''s fighting experience was second to none, a better teacher than him was hard to find.


    ...


    "Sister, here, you need to recover." Franzi went into Irma''s room and brought her a tray of food.


    "Thank you, that''s what I wanted." Irma was hungry and vorful, freshly cooked food was the best solution to this problem.


    She grabbed a prime rib and began quickly eating all the meat off of it and moving on to the next one in passing with her juice.


    "Did you cook this?"


    <o>,m "Yes. How''s that? I tried very hard."</o>


    "Excellent, and thank you..."


    "Don''t mention it. It wasn''t hard."


    "No, that''s not what I meant. Thank you for asking to help me... it was important to me."

 Chapter 422 Destroyed House

    "Once again! If you want to be able to stand up for yourself, you shouldn''t feel sorry for yourself during training!" Osvald shouted, standing in front of a group of young men.


    "Yes!" They responded in chorus and simultaneously punched forward with their fists.


    Osvald was involved in the young men''s training andpletely forgot about time. He hadn''t felt like a teacher in a long time, and he was beginning to like it again.


    The young men were giving it their all. It was noon, and the sun was unusually hot and harsh, but that could not stop them. Sweat flowed down from them like a river, but they kept beating on Osvald''smand.


    "Again!"


    "Yes!"


    Whooooooosh.


    The girl wanted to strike, but her hand wouldn''t budge. Her legs trembled violently, and a momentter, she copsed exhausted.


    "Ca, what happened?"


    "I''m sorry, I don''t know. I seem to bepletely exhausted." The girl mumbled and tried to get up, but instead, she fell again.


    "Get some rest. You overdid it. You put too much force into the punch, and that''s why you got tired faster than the others. Ca, it takes practice to learn how to strike urately, and now you''ve thwarted yourself." Osvald said calmly.


    "Got it."


    "Okay, let''s keep going!"


    "Sorry." Suddenly Irma approached the group.


    "Oh, it''s good to see you."


    "May I join you?"


    "Sure, you''re always wee."


    Irma nodded and got up behind her and started throwing punches with the others. Her technique was better, as well as the fire burning in her eyes.


    ''She has discovered a new power and hasn''t fully recovered yet, yet she has already started training. Huh, good thing Wain stopped me then, this is starting to get interesting.''


    The calm and measured vige life went on for a few days. Wain took much longer to recover than Irma. She sustained serious wounds in multiple ces, but Wain loaded his body to the limit twice in a short period.


    The vigers were kind to them, and Wain ate well and plenty, causing his regeneration to speed up considerably.


    ''Ah, I just wanted to learn a technique, I ended up here and almost died twice already. Sometimes life can turn in apletely unexpected direction.'' Wain inwardly muttered and took off his bandages.


    He did a little warm-up and put on his cloak.


    ''All right, I can go now.''


    Wain headed for the exit, but after a few steps, he stopped. He remembered that he had forgotten something important, something that hadpletely slipped his mind because of his recovery.


    ''It''s time to do it, isn''t it?''


    He pointed his hand, and space slowly began to distort, and Wain''s aura intensified. He wanted to use his new ability and see what it was capable of.


    p Dimensional edges appeared in the air and turned into a dense cube, it floated in the air and looked harmless, but there was powerful pressureing from it. There were vibrations through the air, and the wooden boards on the floor began to crack, they were breaking.</anda>


    ''Not bad, but it''s not good enough yet.''<sub> </sub>


    Wain clenched his palm in his fist, and the cube narrowed. The tension increased because of this, and several of the boards broke as well as the table next to the bed.


    ''Damn, I should be more careful, but...I can''t help but check it out.''


    Wain turned his hand palm up, and the cube became several times wider. The pressure got a little weaker, but now every part of the house was hit.


    Cracking.


    Wide cracks appeared on the walls, and they were growing rapidly.


    ''No!''


    Wain canceled the skill, but it was toote.


    The house''s walls, along with the roof, copsed, and the rays of the scorching sun illuminated it.


    The residents looked at Wain in fright, they thought someone had attacked them, but then their faces became puzzled, they didn''t understand why Wain did this.


    "Wain, are you all right? Did something happen?" Osvald asked, he was coaching the young men in the yard of the house next door.


    "Yeah... it''s not what I was hoping for, but I guess I should be d."


    "Hmm? Are you d you destroyed the house?"


    "No, or rather I didn''t mean it. Anyway, it doesn''t matter. I''m ready, let''s go."


    "Huh, whatever, I can''t wait to see those tunnels and the core. I''m sure it''s going to be something incredible." Osvald smiled and turned to the young men.


    "I''m not going to lie, I enjoyed training you, but unfortunately, this was thest training, and we probably won''t see you again, and you don''t really need me. Here." Osvald pointed at Irma, "This girl is your best role model. Work hard, and you will surely be much stronger and achieve your goals."


    "Looks like someone got a little too carried away. Come on, I feel like I''m getting tired of this quiet life soon, and I don''t want that moment toe." Wain said and headed for the exit of the vige.


    "Wain, wait!" Irma called out to him.


    "What?" Wain turned around.


    "I won''t ask you to take me with you, but I have another request. I want to fight you." Irma said confidently and immediately adopted a fighting stance.


    "She didn''t even give you a chance to refuse. That''s pretty slick." Osvald smiled.


    The vigers watched this with interest. They knew that Wain was Osvald''s partner, but they had not seen his strength. Then he was wounded and could hardly even walk.


    "You want to fight me? Okay, attack." Wain spread his arms out to the sides, opening and setting himself up for the blow.


    Irma frowned.


    "Don''t you dare underestimate me!" She lunged forward and was instantly in front of Wain.


    Irma clenched her hand into a fist and struck at full force. Her punch was powerful enough to tear the fabric on her arm.


    "Are you satisfied?" Wain asked.


    "What...?" Irma looked at Wain in disbelief; he didn''t even flinch, even though it was her hardest punch yet.

 Chapter 423 Tunnels

    "Why...?" Irma muttered in disbelief, "Haven''t I gotten strong enough?"


    Irma put all her strength into that punch, as well as what she had managed to learn from Osvald these past few days. Her technique was much better now than when she fought the Hunter, but still, Wain didn''t even move.


    "Of course,pared to when we first met, you''re on apletely different level, but obviously, you still have a lot to achieve. Look." Wain pointed to Irma''s fist.


    Her fist was bleeding slightly and was covered in small scratches as if Irma had struck a steel beam, not a person.


    "Now, do you see why it makes no sense for you toe with us? I''m sure there are some pretty strong men among the hunters, and to them, you''re nothing more than a space." Wain said calmly.


    Irma nodded and stepped aside.


    "I''m sorry for acting overconfident. I actually was stupid." Irma bowed.


    Wain nodded and walked away silently.


    "Irma, it wasn''t your fault." Osvald walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder, "You''ve done a great job and crossed the river, but you must cross the ocean to reach Wain''s level."


    ''The ocean?! How stupid and presumptuous was I?''


    Irma realized that she still had a lot of work to do. It was simple, but also very difficult.


    ...


    Wain and Osvald left the vige and headed north. The abandoned mines were located a few kilometers from the vige, next to a rock.


    "Don''t you think you were too rough on her? That girl has been through many different things in the past few days, her fortitude deserves respect."


    "You think so? She looks like an upstart to me, though she certainly has potential." Wain waved his hand and walked over to the tree.


    An array of bright red fruit on the tree that looked like apples. Wain lightly tapped the tree, and it shook.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Several fruits fell to the ground, two of which Wain caught.


    "Here." Wain threw one to Osvald.


    Wain took a bite of the fruit and wrinkled his nose.


    "Huh, didn''t you like it again? It''s just fruit." Osvald tasted it and, a momentter, spit it out.


    "Damn, why is it so bitter? How can you even eat that?"


    "Well, at least it''s unusual, okay, let''s keep going, we''re getting close." Wain looked ahead. A few hundred meters away, there was a cliff below which was the entrance to the mines.


    Wain and Osvald quickly got there and went inside.


    The mine was unremarkable, there had been worked done here a long time ago, and even some tools were left scattered on the ground.


    "Maybe we should have gone into the jungle. How are we going to find the root here?" Wain muttered.


    ? "No, we did it right. It''s very easy to get lost in the jungle. We just have to concentrate." Osvald closed his eyes and his aura intensified.


    Energy from his surroundings headed toward him and split into several thread-like streams. One of the streams was white, not blue, and was thicker than the others.<sub> </sub>


    "That''s where we are. It''s definitely the energy of Soul Pearl, I wouldn''t mistake it for anything."


    Wain nodded.


    They followed the stream, and after a few forks, they reached the root. It was almostpletely drained, and only a fraction of the original energy remained.


    "Osvald, the Queen became so strong because she identally found the root and the same thing that lizard did, right?"


    "Yes, but the lizard was just around for a while or chewed some off. Most of the energy went to the Queen, though it doesn''t make sense now. That''s where we''re going." Osvald pointed to a long tunnel with no end in sight. There was a rooting from there, and the area''s core was.


    "Okay."


    ...


    Wain and Osvald walked forward for a long time, the tunnel was dark, and only the white sphere created by Osvald illuminated it.


    "Osvald, we are about to end up near the Hunter base. What will we do if they attack us?"


    "That''s obvious. We''ll kill them, absorb the pearls, and finally get out of here."


    "d to hear it." Wain nodded.


    Wain''s opinion of Osvald had changed slightlytely. He hadn''t expected that Osvald was actually quite a kind man and was always willing to help, but Wain wasn''t wrong about Osvald being a warrior first and foremost.


    Whooooooosh.


    Suddenly there was a ripple through the root, and the root began to tremble.


    "What''s going on?" Wain was surprised and moved away from the root.


    "I don''t know..."


    Whooooosh.


    Once again, there was a pulse, and many white little roots began to grow out of the root. They slowly advanced and then headed toward Wain at the same time.


    Bam.


    Hundreds of roots stabbed into the wall like spears, a few centimeters from Wain. He ducked at thest moment, stepping to the side.


    "What the fuck is that? And the worst part is that I don''t know what to do. Should we run or fight?"


    "Wain, it looks like either the core or the Hunters are trying to replenish this root with energy again, and it''s looking for a new target. The Queen was strong, so she was able to integrate with the root."


    "So this root is like a parasite looking for a strong host?"


    "Yes, and as you understand, we are the only targets here, but that''s no problem." Osvald uttered, and his fist was covered in white energy.


    Roots headed for Osvald, but he punched his fist and created an energy st. It engulfed everything around it, and Wain even had to defend himself from the shockwave. The energy destroyed the root, tore it apart, and then burned it without a trace.


    "Looks like we got here just in time. The hunters are on the move, they''re trying to find a new power source, but we''ve again thwarted them."


    "I didn''t know Soul Pearls could be dangerous, but maybe it''s for the best." Wain shook off the dust and ran forward.

 Chapter 424 Cube

    The ripples kept going through the root, and with the energy, the root kept recovering and trying to capture Wain or Osvald, but one hit was enough to subdue it for a while.


    "There they are." Wain said, staring intently at the two Wolves in the distance. They were Pearl Hunters and used a special design to transmit energy to the root.


    One of the Wolves inserted crystals into the construct, and the other redirected the energy from them to the root. Next to themy several bags filled with white crystals, they had plenty of supplies.


    "Great, I can''t wait to get started." Osvald smiled, and the orb in his hands erged and became several times brighter. He leaned over and threw it at the Hunters. The orb flew toward them with tremendous speed, and there was a deafening explosion.


    "Pfft, that was too easy. I expected more." Osvald shook his hands.


    Wain was in no hurry to rejoice, something embarrassed him, and you could see it in his face.


    "Hey! What was that?! Who are you people?!" Suddenly, the voice of the Hunters rang out.


    "What? They managed to survive?" Osvald was puzzled.


    The cloud of dust from the explosion slowly dissipated, and the Hunters appeared. They were unharmed as well as the structure, but a meter in front of them, everything was destroyed.


    "Looks like that''s what the old man was talking about." Wain pointed to a crack floating in the air. It was a damaged barrier that protected the Hunters and the structure from the st.


    "I don''t care. I''m tired of waiting, we''ll just burst in." Osvald uttered and turned into a white sh. He instantly reached the barrier and struck with all his might.


    Tremble.


    The barrier shuddered, and many cracks appeared, but it instantly recovered.


    "Hmm? That fast? Damn, the old man didn''t tear it down, breaking through it will be a problem."


    ''Did he just almost break the barrier?! The hunters thought to themselves.


    "Hurry up and report it to the boss!" One of them shouted and ran away in terror. The second Hunter followed him.


    "Huh, how scary they are. In the days of my youth, such cowards had no right to call themselves a Pearl Hunter, they would have been disgraced and banished forever." Osvald grinned.


    "Come on, we don''t have much time. I don''t want to be buried alive here." Wain said and ran to the left, into a tunnel leading up.


    They quickly climbed up and found themselves on the surface. It was an expanse of rocky terrain, overgrown with moss and covered in lianas.


    "Halt!" Hunter said menacingly, and a group of Wolves instantly surrounded Wain and Osvald.


    "Ugh, and they''re faster than I thought." Osvald muttered.


    "If you want to live, then hand us your rings and surrender yourself! The boss will decide your fate!"


    The groupmander was a muscr Beastfolk with thick brown hair and a massive sword behind his back.


    The other Hunters pointed their weapons at Wain and Osvald. They had a vicious look and a menacing and bloodthirsty aura emanating from them.


    "What kind of nonsense are you talking?" Osvald uttered.


    "Are you deaf?! Get on your knees, or I''ll behead you right here and now!" The Commander shouted and armed himself with his sword. His aura intensified, and the weapon was covered in a brutal wind.


    "Ahahahahaha, I''m not going anywhere, I came here to fight, and you assholes will do it!"<sub> </sub>


    Tremble.


    A torrent of energy erupted from Osvald''s, and a powerful pressure came down on the Hunters.


    "Attack!" The Commander proimed and pounced on Osvald.


    The Hunter swung his sword and created a hurricane tearing everything apart, but Osvald didn''t even take a step back. He smiled and grabbed the de with his hand.


    The whirlwind, as well as the wind on the weapon, dissipated, and the Commander''s aura, weakened considerably.


    "Is that all you can do? How did you be a Pearl Hunter? Though that''s not true, you''re not a Pearl Hunter, you just decided to call yourself one." Osvald shook his head, and a loud crackling sound was heard.


    The de of the sword cracked, and then Osvald tightened his grip. The weapon snapped in two, and Osvald punched the Hunter sharply in the stomach with his fist.


    The Commander flew sideways like a projectile and rolled over the ground until he regained bnce.


    Osvald bent down, picked up a fragment of his sword, and threw it at the Hunter like a throwing knife. The Commander didn''t have time to react, and the de plunged into his head.


    "Well? Shall we continue?" Osvald smiled, and the Hunters shuddered with fear. They dropped their weapons and fled, terror, consuming their minds and hearts.


    "Hunting? I love it!"


    "Wait." Wain stopped him with a wave of his hand.


    Snap.


    Wain snapped his finger, and the space next to the hunters began to distort.


    Transparent walls appeared around them, and then the entire group was trapped inside the cube.


    "Let us out!"


    "Damn it!"


    "Please don''t kill us!"


    The hunters didn''t stop screaming and begging for mercy, they felt death was near.


    Wain paid no attention to this. He indifferently clenched his hand in his fist, and the cube began to shrink in size.


    "Oh, it''s a horrible death, I wouldn''t want to be in their shoes." Osvald shook his head as he looked at the suffering Hunters. Their flesh and bones snapped and crushed as if under a multi-ton press until the huge cube that could hold several people was the size of a ball.


    Wain canceled the skill, and several souls burst out of the cube and headed toward him.


    "I see you''ve gotten pretty good at this new skill."


    "Yeah... one house had to suffer seriously for that..."


    "And where do we go next?" Wain looked around. In the distance was a fortress over which a purple g waved, and on the other side was a massive tree piercing the clouds.

 Chapter 425 Thunderstorm

    "We need to get through the barrier and destroy the core." Osvald muttered and looked up.


    "The old man said thunderclouds make the barrier unstable from above, but maybe we should go to the Hunters. We''ll kill them, and the barrier will disappear." Wain suggested.


    "No, I don''t think we can do that. If I were them, I''d put the Core of the barrier on the inside, not the outside."


    "So we have to go upstairs? Those clouds look formidable."


    The clouds near the massive tree continually rumbled with thunderps, and vibrations went through the barrier, it quickly recovered, but the top was half-ruined.


    "We can get to the top by jumping on the branches. Shall we begin?"


    The tree''s branches extended outward, making it easy to get to the top. The barrier narrowed toward the top, and the branches grew longer.


    "No." Osvald shook his head, "Wain, you forgot something. We have to save the girls. I promised that to Irma."


    "Ah, Ipletely forgot about that." Wain sighed, "Okay, they treated us to food, and Irma put on an amazing show, let''s go save the girls, but just quickly."


    "Okay, don''t worry, we won''t need much time, these Hunters are nothing."


    ...


    "Boss! Our outpost by the tree has been destroyed!" Hunter ran into the room and said quickly.


    In the center of the room, a tall Beastfolk of the Wolf n sat in a chair. He was muscr and very tall. He was the leader of the Pearl Hunters stuck in the area. He was smoking a massive cigar and blowingrge puffs of smoke that filled the entire space.


    "What, who? Did those wimps from the vige decide to attack us?" Hunter Leader said menacingly.


    "No, or rather we don''t know who it is... There are only two of them, but they easily handled our group!"


    "Hmm? You couldn''t handle two upstarts? Weird... could someone else have gotten into this space."


    "Boss, what should we do?"


    "Nothing yet. Keep an eye on them. Where are they headed? To the tree?"


    "No, they''re going this way. Shall I ambush them?"


    "Yes, but don''t attack right away. I want to find out where they came from and how they got here." The head of the Hunters said slowly and shook off the ash from his cigarette.


    The Hunters, as well as the vigers, came to this area by ident after the Merger of Worlds. Initially, the Hunter Leader tried every way to get out of here, but no matter what they tried, no matter how many resources they used, nothing worked.


    However, when they finally found the Core, the Hunter Leader did not destroy it. His attention was drawn to the snow-white roots emanating from the Core, they looked like they were alive and were looking for hosts like parasites.


    The Hunter Leader saw the potential in it and used the other people in the area for his own purposes. He did not want anyone to get in their way. The Hunter Leader understood that the Merging of Worlds was an important event, and they needed to make the most of this moment. They could absorb pure energy from Soul Pearl almost indefinitely.


    "Well...it''s time to test my new power, these two would be a great option." The Hunter Leader muttered, extinguished his cigarette, and left the room.


    ...


    Wain and Osvald headed toward the fortress, and ten minutester, they approached the gate.


    "Here we are." Osvald said and stepped forward.


    There was a knock.


    "Ouch!"<sub> </sub>


    Suddenly Osvald hit something, as if it were an invisible wall.


    "They put a barrier around their base too, that''s no surprise, but why is it so empty in here?" Wain muttered.


    The fortress of the Hunters was like a medieval castle. It was massive and majestic, and equipped with various defenses.


    ? The entrance to the fortress was arge gate followed by watchtowers, but no one was there now.


    "Huh, looks like they decided not to greet us, but I like that, they got right to the point."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Osvald got into a fighting stance and his aura intensified. A white stream of energy burst out of him, and a phantom dragon head appeared around his fist.


    "Let''s see how strong this barrier is!" Osvald shouted and struck with all his might.


    Roooooaaaarrrr!


    There was a furious roar from the dragon, and a fierce wind stream took over the space.


    Osvald''s fist mmed into the barrier, and a transparent dome appeared over the fortress, it trembled, and vibrations ran through the barrier.


    Crackling.


    Cracks appeared in the barrier, and then Osvald struck again, and the massive barrier shattered into hundreds of pieces.


    "Not bad. Couldn''t you have done the same with that barrier?"


    "No, this one is much weaker, okay go ahead, it looks like they''re already waiting for us." Osvald mouthed and kicked the gate with his foot.


    Wain nodded, and they went inside.


    Beyond the gate was a square surrounded by walls and towers on all sides.


    "Go!" Suddenly one of the hunters said, and the space trembled.


    A seal appeared behind Wain and Osvald, blocking the passage and recing the gate.


    "Ahahahaha, they''re really prepared, great." Osvaldughed.


    ''Hmm, and there are quite a few of them.'' Wain inwardly muttered.


    There were dozens of Hunters on the walls, and near the exit was arge group with a tall, muscr man standing in front. It was the Hunter Leader. To his right was a Hunter who immediately caught Wain''s attention. He had no ear, thick ck fur, and a wide scar on his neck.


    ''That''s him.''


    It was the Hunter who came to the vige and stole several girls, one of whom was Irma''s friend.


    "Good afternoon." The Hunter Leader said smiling, "I''d really like to talk to you. I hope you don''t mind?"


    "What kind of nonsense are you talking?" Wain frowned.


    "Oh, but not in this environment." The Hunter Leader smirked and pointed at them, "Capture!"

 Chapter 426 Hunters

    The Hunter Leader gave the order, and many Hunters simultaneously attacked Wain and Osvald.


    "Great, that''s what we need." Osvald smiled, and the silhouette of a dragon''s head appeared above him.


    He took a deep breath and then blew out an energy stream simr to a dragon''s breath.


    "Run!" The hunters screamed in fear and turned around, but the white fire reached most of them and left no trace.


    ''He killed several of my men in one skill?'' Hunter Leader thought, ''Damn, who are they? Looks like I''m out of luck today... I''ll have to do everything myself.''


    The Hunters continued to attack Osvald and Wain, they tried to disarm and wound them, but the Hunters were powerless.


    Bam.


    Wain punched a Hunter in the face, and he flew back a few meters, knocking the others down. Then Wain waved his hand, and the space next to the Hunters became unstable, transparent walls appeared, and the Hunters were trapped inside the cube.


    "I see you liked the new skill." Osvald smiled, crushing one Hunter''s head.


    "Of course, Legendary Souls is something, this skill is simple but powerful and useful." Wain muttered, "Die wimps!"


    Crackle.


    Wain clenched his palm in his fist, and the cube shrank sharply, turning the bones and flesh of the Hunters into mincemeat. Blood gushed from the cube, and the scene horrified the others. They had thought they could take on two outsiders with ease, but the reality was cruel and unpredictable.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    "Bastards! I wanted to be nice to you, but from its looks, I''m going to have to break every bone in your body!" Hunter Leader roared furiously, and powerful streams of gray energy erupted from him.


    He stepped forward and stomped his foot on the ground, then the area shuddered, and metal spikes burst from beneath the stone bs.


    Wain and Osvald didn''t expect anyone to have such massive abilities, but they managed to react and jumped past part of the attack.


    "Huh, that''s too slow." Wain smirked and jumped away from the spike, and soared through the air for a moment.


    Eerie wings grew from his back, and several thunderclouds of electrical discharges crackled over the square.


    Sparks shot from Wain''s eyes, and a pir of lightning struck the group of Hunters on the wall.


    There was a deafening explosion, and part of the wall was destroyed.


    Wain pped his wings and stood on one leg on the highest spike. He stared intently at the scene of the explosion.


    The cloud of dust slowly settled, and a golden hexagonal shield was revealed under which half of the group of Hunters were, the rest were unable to survive. A Hunter protected them with a massive shield and bulky armor, but he was badly wounded and could hardly hold the shield.


    "You think this is going to help you?" Wain muttered, and a flood of dozens of spirits burst from his cloak. It rained down on the surviving Hunters and into their bodies, quickly driving them mad and causing them to kill each other.


    "Everyone, get back! You useless pieces of shit! If you can''t do anything, then I''ll do it all myself!" Hunter Leader shouted, and massive streams of energy piled up beside him.


    "Boss, please wait." Suddenly he was stopped by Hunter with ck hair and a scar on his neck.


    "Lin? What do you want?"<sub> </sub>


    "You shouldn''t bother or there won''t be anything left of this ce, these two aren''t worth you destroying our fortress. Let me and my men deal with them, we''ll do it easily." Lin said calmly.


    "All right, but I''m still not going to stand by." Hunter Leader waved his hand and gray streams of energy headed toward Lin and his group. Signs in the shape of a toothy sword appeared on their chests.


    "Ahaha, boss, you''re incredible!"


    "I can feel the power overwhelming me."


    "Now I can easily take them apart!"


    The members of Lin''s group eximed. They were thrilled by the power the Hunter Leader gave them.


    "Let''s go." The Leader uttered.


    "Yes." Lin nodded and drew his weapon from its sheath. It was a long katana with a blue de.


    "You deal with the big guy, and I''ll take care of this bastard." Lin pointed at Osvald and red at Wain.


    Lin swung his sword and created an energy de that shattered the metal spike.


    Wain calmly jumped off it andnded in front of Lin.


    "You keep looking at me, do we know each other?" Lin asked and got into a fighting stance. He bent down and put his hand on the hilt of his katana.


    "No, I''ve just heard a lot about you."


    "How interesting."


    "Don''t think about it, a dead man wouldn''t need that knowledge!" Wain eximed and a phantom snake tail appeared above him and swooped down on Lin.


    Lin''s eyes shed and his silhouette blurred. He turned into a blue sh and was instantly in front of Wain and swung his katana.


    Wain instinctively stepped aside, but he couldn''t dodgepletely.


    The katana tip left a shallow cut on his right arm and severed one wing.


    ''And he''s pretty fast, that could be problematic... No wonder the vigers couldn''t do anything against him.'' Wain muttered inwardly and took a few steps back.


    "Boss, you''re incredible as always!" Lin''s mates eximed.


    "Enough idle talk, get down to business." Lin said seriously.


    "Yes!" the hunters eximed and simultaneously attacked Osvald standing nearby.


    They surrounded him, and each of them activated a Beyond. They did not wait for the right moment and decided to use all their most powerful skills at the very beginning. They were experienced fighters and understood that Osvald outnumbered them in strength, but they were greatly outnumbered.


    The silhouettes of angry beasts appeared above the Hunters, and their muscles grew dramaticallyrger, their ws sharper, and their reflexes faster.


    "You guys try to look like menacing wolves, but you''re nothing more than frightened puppies." Osvald grinned, "Do you actually think that''s enough to fight the power of a dragon?"

 Chapter 427 Intervention

    "What''s going on?"


    "Why is his aura so powerful!"


    Lin''s people were rmed by Osvald''s power. White energy was emanating from him, and the silhouette of a terrifying and ancient creature was gradually appearing above him.


    "Fear not!" One of them eximed, "We have surrounded it and used our Beyonds. No one can stand against us alone!"


    Whooooooooosh.


    Hunter rushed forward, and the beast''s silhouette above him had his eyes lit up, and Hunter''s ws began to look like red-hot des. He ran up to Osvald and swung his ws in an attempt to cut him apart.


    "Huh, do you really think it''s going to be that easy?" Osvald smirked and stopped Hunter''s attack with a precise motion. Osvald squeezed his hands around his wrist, and there was nothing Hunter could do.


    "Let''s go!" Shouted the others and went to their partner''s aid.


    Osvald didn''t duck, he just took a deep breath and blew out some white particles that got into Hunter''s mouth and eyes.


    "What is this?! What have you done?!" Hunter shouted, and a wave of me came from him. Osvald loosened his grip slightly, and it was enough to allow Hunter to get out and step aside.


    Hunter looked anxiously at his hands and began to examine his entire body.


    ''Damn, damn, damn, what was that? What were those particles?! Hunter inwardly screamed. He didn''t feel any difort, but his instincts told him he was in mortal danger.


    "It''s nothing like that. I just gave you a chance to feel what real power is." Osvald waved his hand.


    "What?!"


    Crackle.


    Suddenly Hunter''s eyes shone like twonterns, and the veins on his body swelled and glowed.


    "No, no, no!"


    Hunter''s skin began to tear, and his eyes bled, and then he exploded like a bomb. A torrent of energy burst out of him, striking the two Hunters standing next to him and inflicting serious wounds that would not allow them to continue the battle.


    "ARGH!" The wounded Hunters howled in pain and rolled around on the ground, trying to take the awful feeling away.


    "My God, what wimps you are. Who let you call yourselves Pearl Hunters anyway? You dishonor the names of all the strong and talented warriors who have entered this path!" Osvald said menacingly, and the ground trembled. He began to get angry, Osvald hated amateurs, they were worse than vermin, in his opinion.


    "Run!" The hunters said in fear, picked up their wounded mates, and headed for their leader.


    Wain watched this and grinned.


    "Looks like your men really are just cowardly puppies. Shouldn''t you, as theirmander, be ashamed of them?"


    "Yes...it''s disappointing, but your friend has a terrifying aura, though it doesn''t matter. Let''s get to our battle." Lin swung his katana, and lightning discharged across his body.


    The hunters ran from Osvald like the gue, and some didn''t like it.


    "You useless pieces of shit!" Hunter Leader shouted furiously, and metal spikes burst from beneath the ground, but they were aimed not at Wain or Osvald, but the fleeing Hunters.<sub> </sub>


    The Hunters were pierced, and the spikes were covered in their scarlet blood. No one managed to survive.


    Lin didn''t even turn around, even though they were his men, but he knew that''s what would happen if somebody failed.


    "Okay, frankly, I''m tired of ying with kids. It''s time to get busy with you." Osvald stretched his neck and headed for Hunter Leader.


    "Agreed, strongman, show me what you can do!"


    Wain shook his head.


    "Well... in the end, it came down to two one-on-one battles." Wain muttered and canceled the skill. The surviving wing disintegrated into pieces, and then gray streams of energy burst out of the ground.


    Lin attacked instantly. He turned into a lightning sh and reached Wain''s, but his katana failed to reach its target.


    "You''re not fast, but is that enough?" Wain spoke slowly in a gruff voice. A chill radiated from him, as did his silver sword.


    ''Good thing you chose me. We''ll easily punish this upstart and turn him into an ice statue. Hahaha.'' The Cursed Swordsman grinned wickedly, and a smile appeared on Wain''s face.


    Wain swung his sword and tossed Lin aside.


    "Is that still you?" Lin asked, "Who am I fighting now?"


    "Don''t worry, it''s still me, and my aim hasn''t changed. With this sword, I will skin you!" Wain threw the sword over to his left hand and pointed it at Lin.


    Wain stepped forward, and the chains on his boots jingled. The clinking sounded like it wasing from hell, and the ground beneath him froze and turned to ice.


    Lin gulped and got into a fighting stance. He concentrated, and electric charges headed toward his face, turning into a demon''s mask covering half of him.


    "Get ready." Lin whispered and disappeared.


    He appeared to Wain''s right, and his katana came crashing down on him like lightning.


    A ng.


    Wain didn''t even turn around. He raised his arm and easily blocked Lin''s attack.


    ''What? How did he make it?'' Lin was shocked; he was more confident in his speed than anything else.


    Wain looked at him, and Lin disappeared and reappeared from the other side a momentter. This time Lin was aiming for his legs so that Wain wouldn''t have time to block the attack.


    "Idiot." Wain said coldly and lifted his right leg and pressed his de to the ground.


    Wain swung his sword, and the silver de plunged into Lin''s shoulder. Flesh and blood immediately began to freeze, and Lin used all his strength to step back. His katana red, and he shed through the ground beneath Wain and sprinted away.


    Lin put his palm to his wounded shoulder and electrocuted the ice with electric shocks, his ring glowed, and several pills appeared in his hand, and he quickly swallowed them. The wound quickly began to heal, and the ice gradually melted away.


    "Huh, using such dirty tricks? Though what else would I expect from a rapist?" Wain uttered and thrust his sword into the ground.

 Chapter 428 Two Cubes

    "Your buddy is losing. Don''t you want to help him?" Osvald grinned.


    "There''s no need for that. Even if Lin loses, he still won''t let your friend stay alive." Hunter Leader uttered and pointed at Osvald.


    The aura emanating from his body turned into a multitude of des, and they came down on Osvald like arrows.


    "Huh, do you really think some toothpicks can hurt me?" Osvald turned around and swung his leg. White energy turned into the silhouette of a dragon''s tail and destroyed the des.


    "No, of course not. I just thought I''d make sure of your strength." Hunter Leader muttered, "After all, it was you who caused one of the roots to be destroyed, wasn''t it?"


    "Yes..." Osvald smiled, "But, it wasn''t me who killed the Queen you were siphoning energy from."


    "What?"


    "Surprised? One day this guy will surpass me. I''m sure of it." Osvald looked at Wain, "Okay, I got distracted, time to wrap it up. You have no idea how much I miss my home."


    "And wouldn''t dream of it, you''re staying here! Forever!" Hunter Leader said menacingly, and an iron gauntlet appeared on his right arm,pletely covering it.


    Various symbols appeared on the gauntlet, and in his hand, a long, massive sword was formed from pieces of metal.


    Hunter Leader instantly attacked and attacked from top to bottom.


    Osvald decided to block this attack, but to his surprise, the sword easily cut through theyer of energy around his arm and almost got to him. Osvald quickly bounced to the side, and the sword plunged to the ground. There were many cracks from the point of impact as if an earthquake had struck there.


    <o>,m ''I see... Not only is his sword extremely sharp, but it''s also very heavy. If he gets his hands on me, he''ll either chop off my arm or break all my bones and turn them into powder.'' Osvald pondered and took a deep breath.</o>


    The Hunter Leader knew what Osvald was about to do, and the gauntlet symbols glowed again. The sword turned into a massive tower shield, and when the dragon''s breath hit it, Hunter Leader held the shield out in front of him.


    The white mes heated the shield, but they couldn''t melt it, and Hunter Leader was unharmed.


    "Not bad, but is all you can do is defend yourself?"


    "No, that''s just the beginning." Hunter Leader muttered, and the shield began to change. It transformed into arge bow with a thin bowstring.


    Arrows appeared in the air, and Hunter Leader instantly fired several times. Since he created the arrows, he could control them as homing missiles.


    Osvald''s palms became coated with energy, and he mmed down sharply. A shockwave was created that knocked the arrows aside. Osvald then approached Hunter Leader and struck several powerful blows, but Leader again turned his weapon into a shield, and none of the attacks could prate it.


    "Scram!" Hunter Leader eximed, and spikes flew out of the shield.


    Osvald''s eyes went wide, and he stepped back a few yards.


    ''Well... this isn''t going to be as easy as I expected. The energy from the Soul Pearls made it unnaturally strong.''


    Osvald punched at full force. Each of his blows could have killed the lizard and turned it into a pellet, but not even a crack appeared on the shield.


    ...


    Crackle.


    The ground next to Wain began to turn to ice and rapidly approached Lin.<sub> </sub>


    Lin did not act hastily. He decided to finish it all in one mighty blow and prepared for it. He bent down slightly, closed his eyes, returned his katana to its sheath, and gripped the hilt tightly.


    When the ice almost reached him, Lin took a deep breath and opened his eyes.


    Whooooooosh.


    He turned into blue lightning and instantly reached Wain''s. Lin lunged with his katana, and the de reached Wain''s hand, but suddenly part of the weapon disappeared somewhere.


    "Gotcha." Wain smiled, and Lin''s eyes went wide.


    Wain''s hand was covered in gray energy, and in the palm of his hand was a wide-open jaw that swallowed part of the katana.


    Lin quickly jumped aside, but he could not save his weapon. Half of the katana was lost forever.


    "I''m sorry, I don''t know what that tasted like, but I can feel your frustration and fear perfectly." Wain smirked and canceled the second form and Beyond.


    A gray robe and a tight eye patch appeared on him.


    Goosebumps ran down Lin''s body; he sensed a deadly threat from Wain and decided to get rid of him.


    Lin instantly attacked, but Wain was ready for him. He swung his arm, and the space next to Lin distorted.


    Wain wanted to lock Lin into a spatial cube, but Lin managed to get away at thest moment and attacked him from behind.


    ''Damn, he''s so annoying.''


    Whooooooosh.


    Wain put his palms together and turned around. He uncrossed his arms, created an energy shield, and blocked Lin''s attack.


    "Okay, time to call it a day." Wain smirked, and a huge amount of energy burst out of him.


    More than ten magical circles appeared above Lin, and deadly beams rained down on him. He turned into a sh and retreated, but Wain did not stop creating magic circles. He attacked and expended as much energy as he wanted.


    ''Ahahahaha, what a wonderful feeling that is.'' Wain inwardly eximed and clenched his two hands into a fist.


    Two spatial cubes appeared next to Lin, and he was squeezed between them as if between a vice.


    Wain''s eyes began to bleed, but he didn''t stop.


    "No!!!" Lin screamed in pain, his flesh tearing apart and his bones breaking.


    "Die!" Wain mmed his fists into each other, and the two cubes crushed Lin turning him into a bloody mess.


    "Agh, agh, agh." Wain was breathing heavily. He had put a lot of strain on his body and needed to rest and gain strength.


    "I''m done." Wain muttered and fell to the ground. The ring glowed, and he swallowed some pills.

 Chapter 429 Invasion

    ''Wain has already finished, all right, now it''s my turn.'' Osvald thought, and arge amount of energy gathered in his palm.


    Bam.


    He pped his hand on his chest, and the energy spread throughout his body. His aura intensified, and his thick red hair soared.


    "Sorry for the wait, but this is the end." Osvald said seriously and waved his arms in front of him, parting the air.


    Small piranha-like dragon heads emerged from the energy, and they headed toward the surviving Hunters who had not yet joined the battle.


    "No! Get back!" Hunter Leader eximed, and several metal barriers appeared from beneath the ground. He tried to protect his remaining men.


    However, the piranhas easily pierced the shields and devoured the Hunters. The superior energy destroyed their bodies, and they died in agony.


    "Now you!" Osvald eximed and pointed his hand toward the sky. A table of energy burst out of him, reaching the heavens and the clouds rushed to a single point.


    Hunter Leader shuddered with fear. He wanted to run away, but he knew it was impossible, all he could do was try to defend himself.


    "Come on! Bastard, attack!!" Hunter Leader shouted, and his gauntlet glowed brightly.


    The shield in his hand began to expand in size. It quickly changed shapes and turned into a very thick and strong triangr shield covered with indestructible chains.


    ''It looks like Osvald is ready to strike at full force. This Hunter is much stronger than I thought.'' Wain thought intently, watching their battle intently.


    He had already regained some of his strength, but he had no more pills left. Wain had used thest of his supplies.


    "I''ll meet you in hell!"


    Osvald clenched his fist and struck the ground with all his might.


    Tremble.


    The fortress shook, and the ground went in waves, as if it were a very powerful earthquake. Waves of energy went in all directions.


    "Huh, that''s it?" Hunter Leaderughed, "You couldn''t even scratch my shield with that attack! Weakling!"


    Osvald remained silent. He looked coldly at Hunter Leader and pointed upward.


    Hunter Leader looked up and was horrified.


    A huge sphere had formed in the center of the clouds. The energy exploded and turned into a white dragon that descended upon Hunter Leader.


    The dragon opened its jaws wide, and Hunter Leader raised his shield.


    Tremble.


    They made contact, and a shockwave appeared, sting everything in its path. Wain, lying on the ground, was thrown to the side and was forced to plunge his sword into the ground to stay put.


    "AAARRGGHH!" Hunter Leader screamed, trying to withstand the power of the dragon. Cracks slowly appeared across the shield, but the dragon''s energy also weakened considerably.


    Boooom.


    p The dragon exploded, the shield shattered into pieces, and the area was engulfed in white mes.</anda>


    ''Fuck!''


    Wain quickly used his second form and created an ice barrier to defend himself. The ice quickly melted, but Wain was able to escape.<sub> </sub>


    ''Damn, that was a really powerful blow.'' Wain canceled the form and looked at Hunter Leader.


    The remaining pieces of fire dissipated, and Wain saw what had happened to their enemy.


    ''Bastard! I''ll never forgive you for this!" Hunter Leader shouted in rage.


    He managed to survive, but at a great cost. He lost his right arm, it burned and turned to ash, as well as his shield. The right side of his face was burned, and moderate burns were all over his body.


    "This is the end." Osvald said coldly, "Anyst words?"


    Hunter Leader lowered his head and clenched his teeth so hard with anger that blood came out of his mouth.


    "Yes... I have something to say."


    "Go ahead."


    Osvald respected such an idea as a military honor. Even if it were his worst enemy, he wouldn''t dare take his life right away.


    "I hate you for making this happen! But... you will still know what horror is, even if not by my hand!" Hunter Leader eximed, and a small amulet appeared in his hand. It was a gilded silver cross.


    Osvald''s eyes went wide, and he ran at full speed toward Hunter Leader, but it was toote.


    The cross shone brightly, and a light barrier appeared around Hunter Leader. Osvald punched as hard as he could, and the barrier cracked. Then he struck again, the barrier exploded, and the shockwave tossed them aside.


    ''Hmm? And that was his trump card? Isn''t this amulet useless?'' Wain pondered, looking at the cross. Hunter Leader dropped it, and the amulety on the floor.


    ''It shines so strangely as if it were... a lighthouse!''


    Wain looked at it, and suddenly space trembled.


    "Osvald, what the fuck did he do?!"


    "Called for help. Now we have new problems, but we can still deal with him."


    Osvald''s figure blurred, and a momentter, he was in front of Hunter Leader. There was terror in Hunter''s eyes, trembling with fear and inwardly praying that someone would save him. Osvald''s fist was swiftly approaching him like an execution.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Suddenly a golden magic circle appeared in the sky, and a beam of light fell on Hunter Leader, protecting him from the blow. Osvald instantly attacked again, but this created momentum and threw him aside.


    "AHAHAHAHAHA! Now you motherfuckers are finished!" Hunter Leaderughed and looked up, "You''re pretty quick, though, as always."


    The space next to the magic circle became unstable and copsed. Several Angels flew into the area through the resulting crack, and then the space recovered. They only had a few seconds, but it was enough time to get here.


    Among the Angels, one was different. He had the rarest golden wings for Angels and a long, fiery sword.


    Each Angel had a massive sun sign on his chest and a powerful aura emanating from them.


    "Well... Wain, now we''re going to have some real trouble."


    "What a dense energy here..." The Angel with golden wings muttered and looked at Hunter Leader, "You called us to save yourself, but you kept hiding this area the whole time?"


    "No, Mr. Zariel! I was just waiting for the right moment to..."


    "Die insect!"

 Chapter 430 Sun Order

    Zariel''s sword shone brightly, and a devastating beam of me rained down on Hunter Leader. The Hunter no longer had any artifacts left, and the mes burned him without leaving ashes.


    ''What a horrible death... He was just given hope and immediately met with overwhelming terror.''


    "Osvald, what shall we do?" Wain approached him and prepared to fight.


    "Fight, prepare for the worst. I know them. Look closely at the sign on their chest, they are members of one of the three strongest Orders of Angels, the Sun Order."


    Zariel stared at Osvald, and suddenly his eyes went wide.


    "Osvald... Are you really the one!" Zariel eximed, pped his wings, andnded in front of him. The rest of the Angels followed theirmander.


    ''Is he familiar with Osvald? Good, looks like luck is on our side.'' Wain inwardly sighed in relief.


    "How do you know me?" Osvald looked wary.


    "Ahahahaha, of course, I know you, everyone in the Sun Order knows you." Zarielughed, "You''re a Legend. Osvald, Dragon yer."


    ''Dragon yer? Is Osvald strong enough to kill a Dragon?! Wain was shocked.


    Osvald frowned, "So what next? Do you want my autograph?"


    "Not a bad offer." Zariel smirked, "But I have a better idea. Instead of an autograph, I''ll take your hand!"


    Whooooooooosh.


    Zariel pped his wings, and a torrent of fire rained down on Osvald. He took a deep breath and blew out a wave of white energy that engulfed the mes.


    "Fuck! Osvald, I thought they were your fans. Why the hell does it always happen that way?"


    "Well... fame gets you in a lot of trouble sometimes. Frankly, I''m surprised anyone still remembers me after all these years of being reclusive." Osvald shook his head, "Wain, get ready, use everything you''ve got. I''d smear them on the floor with one attack in any other situation, but not in this area."


    "Understood." Wain nodded and prepared for battle.


    "Is the Great Osvald going to be assisted by some boy?" Zariel looked at Wain, and his eyes lit up.


    Wain felt an intense fever, and he was sharply dizzy.


    "What a pathetic trick." Wain jumped aside and covered his eyes with his hands.


    "I didn''t know you still took students, especially someone of your own."


    "He''s not one of mine, and he''s not my apprentice."


    Osvald pounded his fists against each other, and they were covered in white mes, and his aura intensified many times.


    "What?" Zariel stared at Wain, "He''s a human?!"


    "Yes, but you shouldn''t care." Osvald said coldly and turned into a white sh.


    He was in front of Zariel and attacked sharply. Zariel didn''t duck, he looked at Osvald, rxed as he waspletely confident in himself and his partners.


    Whoooosh.


    Two angels appeared in front of Zariel, and they blocked the attack.<sub> </sub>


    "Go away!" Osvald shouted and flung them aside. The angels flew off dozens of meters and pierced the walls of the fortress with their bodies.


    Zariel pped his wings and flew aside. He was in no hurry to attack, Zariel was the kind of man who preferred to analyze the battlefield first and then make ns.


    Osvald was strong, and Zariel was not going to neglect that.


    ''Though it''s a very powerful area, even that can''tpletely limit his power. Also, this guy can interfere in the battle, that''s not good...'' Zariel thought and pointed to Wain.


    "Deal with him. I''ll deal with Osvald." Zariel said calmly.


    "Yes!" The Angels eximed and attacked Wain. There were four in all, and each of them was an excellent fighter and a true Pearl Hunter.


    Wain became wary. The situation had gotten out of hand. He didn''t expect to have to fight anyone else after his fight with Lin. Wain was not prepared.


    Bam.


    The angels attacked from different directions, and Wain struggled to block their attacks.


    "Wain!" Osvald turned and ran to his aid, but suddenly Zariel appeared in front of him.


    "Not so fast. I''m your opponent!" Zariel swung his sword and created a wave of me that melted the ground and the fortress wall behind him.


    "What is the point of you fighting me? Do you really think you can win?"


    "Huh, I''m not that stupid. I''m still a long way from your level, but you''ve already expended a lot of energy, and this zone is holding you back. I won''t forgive myself if I don''t take advantage of such a unique opportunity." Zariel smiled, and his wings were covered in golden fire.


    His scarlet hair glowed, and crimson shoulder pads with a wing pattern appeared on his shoulders.


    "All right, have it your way, but don''tinter."


    "Sure, by the way, aren''t you worried that your buddy might get killed?"


    "Better worry about yourself and your men. I assure you, by the time we''re done, there''ll only be a few feathers left of them." Osvald said coldly, and his eyes zed over, and the ground trembled.


    ''Powerful...'' Zariel gulped and held his sword out in front of him.


    ...


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    A hail of blows came down on Wain, and all he could do was defend himself. He couldn''t block all the attacks, so his whole body was already covered in wounds and bruises.


    Wain was angry, but he didn''t act impulsively. He endured the pain and studied his opponents. Unlike them, he didn''t have much energy and had to use it as effectively as possible.


    ''Hunter Leader used the amulet to give the Angels a signal... So the barrier in this zone can be broken through, but from the outside, not from the inside. The main problem is finding this zone, even the Angels couldn''t detect it without a clue.''


    Wain had a n. He realized that he had almost no chance of winning, and Osvald could not help him because he was busy with his opponent, so Wain decided to change the situation dramatically.


    He jumped aside, and a gray robe and a tight bandage appeared. The angels attacked him, but he brushed them aside with a wave of dark me and tore off the blindfold.


    Wain opened his left eye, and the space beside him trembled.

 Chapter 431 The Moon

    The forces were not equal, and Wain decided to try to do the same thing as Hunter Leader, to call for help.


    ''I wouldn''t have been able even to shake this space before, but theing of the Angels must still weaken it. I hope we get lucky this time!'' Wain inwardly eximed, and wings burst from his back.


    Bam.


    He blocked the blow and bounced off the shoulder of the attacking Angel, high up.


    ''Damn, that''s not good enough.''


    Wain looked up at the sky. That''s where the space was most vulnerable, as it was the visible boundary of the zone. Because of the feature of his wings, Wain could not fly, and he began to fall slowly.


    "You won''t get away!" The two Angels eximed and flew toward him.


    ''Huh, great. These idiots will help me, they''ll be my stepping stones!'' Wain eximed inwardly and created a protective barrier in front of him with a wave of his hand.


    The first Angel struck powerfully and smashed the barrier, the second attacked, but Wain easily dodged and grabbed his arm tightly.


    Whooooooosh.


    Wain smirked and threw Angel sharply upward.


    ''Huh? What the fuck is he doing?'' The other Angel thought.


    "Now you!"


    Wain approached Angel and jumped away from him, putting maximum force. Such a powerful momentum caused Angel to fly off like a projectile, and Wain rose to First Angel''s level.


    "Hey there." Wain smiled and did the same again, bouncing as high as possible.


    Angel was buried underground and seriously injured, and Wain pierced through the clouds.


    "Is your partner an athlete? Will he fight or continue to use pathetic tricks?" Zariel asked, looking at Wain''s actions.


    "No...he''s a smart guy and decided to use tactics instead of force to win." Osvald nodded and suddenly jumped up too.


    "Freeze!" Zariel yelled and ran after Osvald.


    They should have had a battle, but instead, Osvald chose to retreat, so thought Zariel.


    ''Wain, you did well. There would be too much trouble from those assholes, and trouble is so unpleasant to solve, better to dump it on someone else, right?'' Osvald thought and put his hand forward, opening his palm.


    A stream of energy burst out of Osvald, which threw Zariel aside, and Osvald began to act.


    The energy emanating from him turned into a small dragon that headed towards Wain like lightning.


    ''Osvald? Great! I can definitely handle his energy.''


    Wain noticed the sh, and his aura intensified. His pupil narrowed, and his open eye began to bleed. The drawing of the mirror trembled as well as the space in front of it.


    "Let''s go!" Osvald shouted, and Wain extended his arm sharply, as if he was about to pierce something.


    "Yes!" Wain eximed. Part of his arm disappeared as it was outside of space.<sub> </sub>


    Whooooooosh.


    Wain waved his hand, and a seam appeared like a torn fabric in the air. It was dark and instantly began to suck inrge amounts of air.


    Such a small crack wasn''t enough to allow other Pearl Hunters to sneak into the area even if they had already spotted it, and that''s why Osvald attacked.


    A beam-like dragon flew into the crack and a deafening explosion. White energy spread around, and space began to break. The crack increased in size, and then part of the sky shattered into small shards like a mirror, giving everyone a view of the infinite void.


    Wain created a spatial barrier in front of him, and the energy was absorbed by it, and he received no wounds.


    However, the shockwave knocked him back, and he flew back hundreds of meters, punching through the fortress''s stone walls.


    "What a bastard! Set up the barriers, quick!" Zariel eximed, and his sword shone brightly. He pointed it toward the crack, but suddenly a massive silhouette appeared before him.


    "Not so fast." Osvald smirked, "Didn''t you want to fight me? Well, go ahead!"


    Osvald hit Zariel with all his might.


    "Shit!"


    Zariel blocked the blow with his sword, but the momentum was too strong, and he was thrown aside.


    ''All right, now let''s see whoes to our rescue.'' Osvald nced at the spatial rift.


    The Angels headed toward it, about to block it, but suddenly three dark shadows flew out of the rift.


    They swooped down beside one of the Angels, and a momentter, Angel''s wings fell off, and his head flew sideways. Then one of them threw a scroll into the air, and it glowed bright blue and headed for the dimensional rift.


    A silhouette of arge moon appeared above the scroll, and it blocked the spatial rift and elerated its recovery.


    "Who are you?" Zariel eximed and flew high up. His golden wings shone like the sun, and he emanated a menacing aura. He was furious that one of his men had died.


    "Are you really Zariel of the Sun Order?" The tall man muttered, looking at him thoughtfully. He had long white hair, dark blue skin, and violet eyes. Bone des protruded from his elbows and knees. He was Undead.


    "Yes, that''s me! Who the fuck are you! How dare you interfere and kill one of my men!"


    "I''m Keith, just Keith, me and my Moon Order partners." Keith said calmly.


    ''Moon Order?!'' Zariel eximed to himself.


    ''Great, that''s just the thing.'' Osvald smiled and calmed his aura. Even though he didn''t have endless energy and he had already spent a lot, he needed to replenish his supply.


    Keith looked at Osvald, and his eyes went wide.


    "You''re the..."


    "Yes, yes, I''m the one. It''s not a big deal right now. I had to work hard to damage this area''s barrier, so I suggest you deal with the feathered ones first."


    "Of course, that would greatly contribute to the Moon Order. It is my duty." Keith nodded and dark, thick energy radiated from him.


    "I''ll take care of theirmander. You take care of the others." Keith said calmly, and two sharp daggers appeared in his hands.

 Chapter 432 Assassins

    "Damn..." Wain muttered, climbing out from under the rubble.


    "Osvald helped, but that was damned dangerous. I feel like my left eye is ready to burst at any moment." Wain shook his head and sat down on a piece of rock with a sigh.


    The shockwave threw him into the fortress, its northern part, but Wain had no idea where he was or how many walls and floors he''d broken through until he stopped.


    "Okay, I hope helpes, and the situation is resolved. I have other things to do." Wain muttered and looked around.


    There were only dark passageways around, many of them blocked by debris.


    ''Hmm? Is it just me, or did I hear something?'' Wain looked at the far passageway and headed that way. He couldn''t make out what he heard. It sounded like some kind of moaning or a squeak.


    His path was blocked by debris, and Wain pushed it aside. They were the usual pieces of rock, but Wain could hardly do it. Though he was not seriously injured, but his position was difficult. All his muscles were aching, and he didn''t have a drop of energy left.


    ''Damn, why did Osvald promise to save the girls? They''re nothing but trouble, we''ve already killed the Hunters, so the main problem is solved.'' Wain shook his head and walked on until he reached a cell with several Cat n girls in it. They were frightened and wary of Wain.


    "Go away!" one of the girls pulled a shard from the ground and clutched it tightly. She was trembling with fear, but her eyes were cold.


    ''Huh, she might actually kill me.''


    "Take it easy. I''m not interested in you, I just came to rescue you from getting rid of this tedious job."


    The girl shifted her gaze to the others and looked at Wain again, "I don''t believe you! Just go away and leave us!"


    "Of course, I can do that, but are you sure? I think she needs help." Wain pointed to the girl in the corner. The massive rubble of the wall pinned her leg, and there was no way the other girls could move it. There was already a pool of blood underneath her, and the wound would soon be much more serious.


    "I could easily lift this rubble, but if I leave, the best thing waiting for her is to have her leg amputated, and if I were you, I''d run out of here as fast as possible."


    "What? What are you talking about?"


    "Haven''t you noticed that there''s been some uncontroble fuck-up going on here for thest hour? People are fighting outside who are strong enough to kill you with one breath, literally. I''ll get you out of the fortress, and then you''re on your own. Okay?"


    The girl hesitated but eventually put the shard down.


    "Then set us free!"


    It was still impossible to get out of the cage. The shard punched through it, but it blocked the only way out.


    "Okay, okay, keep it quiet." Wain waved his hand and walked over to the bars. He grasped them tightly and pulled them apart with ease. Then Wain grasped the shard and tossed it aside in a sharp motion.


    Wain lifted the wounded girl in his arms and headed for the exit.<sub> </sub>


    "By the way, which one of you is Irma''s friend?"


    "That''s me..." The girl Wain was carrying said awkwardly.


    "Huh, you have a good friend, not everyone is lucky enough to have friends like that. Let''s go, or soon we''ll all be buried under the debris."


    The fortress was half destroyed, and any attack could havepletely demolished it.


    ...


    The Undead were known as the best assassins, informers, and scouts of any race. They were masters of stealth and quick killers and one of the many races that preferred darkness to light. This was expressed in their actions, ideology, and way of life.


    Most Angels were aggressive toward the Undead. They liked to control everything, and secretive people like the Undead were a big obstacle.


    ''Undead and an Angel with golden wings, this will be interesting.'' Osvald thought. He stood back and watched the uing fight.


    Keith''s partners were already fighting three Angels, and even though they were outnumbered, they were slowly losing.


    The Angels preferred to use mass and slow attacks, while the Undeads hit single targets, fast and urate. The Angels'' approach would have been effective againstrge groups of enemies, but against two very fast and agile opponents, it was more of a disadvantage than a plus.


    ''They don''t stand a chance, but nothing really depends on them. These two will decide everything here.'' Osvald looked at Zariel and Keith, ''One of the Sun Order, the other of the Moon Order, and both a Pearl Hunter.


    "You wretched brat living in the shadows! You will know my wrath for choosing to stop me!" Zariel eximed and headed for Keith.


    "You talk too much."


    Keith''s daggers shed, and he disappeared. A momentter, he was in front of Zariel and attacked from top to bottom. Two daggers raced toward him, intent on slicing him apart.


    Zariel smirked and blocked it with his sword. Though Keith pressed against him with all his weight, Zariel''s arm didn''t even flinch. He stood like an impregnable fortress.


    "You know, it''s a shame that you stopped me from fighting the legendary Osvald, so I have no choice but to start getting serious." Zariel said calmly, and a stream of crimson energy burst out of him, more like mes.


    Keith''s skin began to burn, and he had to retreat. His silhouette blurred, and he was ten meters away from Zariel.


    "Fuck, someone decided to do it after all." Osvald muttered, and it was obvious to him and Keith what was going on.


    Zariel and Keith were very strong, and even this zone couldn''tpletely limit them, they were in the Fourth Chronicle. Few had reached this level, and only a few could master the special ability that elevated some over others - the Form.

 Chapter 433 Destroying Flame

    Every Chronicle had something special. In First Chronicle, it was Beyond, in Second Chronicle, it was Martial Essence, in Third Chronicle, it was Concept. The higher the Chronicle was, the stronger the unique characteristic of that stage, and the Fourth Chronicle stood out among the others. Humans on this Chronicle were strong enough to fight young dragons, and achieving that strength was a real challenge.


    The Form was a special ability that could be mastered in the Fourth Chronicle, but only the most capable and talented could do so.


    Using the Form was the ultimate trump card that fighters would use only as ast resort. A fighter had to make sure that nothing else posed a threat by the time his energy ran out.


    ''Maybe I should join too?'' Osvald pondered watching Zariel''s transformation.


    Zariel''s hair became short and white, his eyes ruby, and he wore a wide red robe with dark wing patterns. The golden feathers of his wings became scarlet, and they glowed faintly. Instead of a sword, a book with burning pages appeared in his hand.


    "Don''t." Keith said, suddenly looking at Osvald, "Like I said, I can handle it myself."


    "Huh, can you, too?"


    Keith nodded, and a stream of dark blue energy burst out of him like wailing ghosts. Keith''s hair turned blue and short, his eyes azure, and a long cloak of shimmering scales appeared on him.


    The two daggers disappeared, and a short de with a straight de appeared in his right hand. It gave off a cold aura and had the mark of a ghost on the de.


    "I see you are ready for battle, but as I said, I was going to fight both Osvald and you." Zariel smiled and opened the book.


    The page glowed brightly, and many feathers from his wings flew out and rushed toward the sky. The feathers formed a circle and gradually elerated until it seemed as if the feathers had be one.


    Whoooooosh.


    The page burned and as the ashes dissolved into particles, a magical circle appeared in the center of the circle, and a huge amount of energy rained down on the ground.


    It was a fieryser destroying all life beneath it.


    Zariel had no clear goal, like a madman burning everything, theser moved in a random direction, and nothing controlled it.


    First, the mes rained down on the fortress and turned it into ake of molten stone in seconds, then the meadows and nearby forests were devastated.


    "Ahahahahaha, excellent, now we finally have a spacious location for a decent fight!" Zariel eximed and looked at Keith.


    Theser changed direction and came down on him, but Keith did not attempt to dodge. He had always been calm, and neither destruction nor the deadly threat made him even frown.


    "How stupid..." Keith muttered, and the scales on his cloak dawned.


    The mes engulfed himpletely, but suddenly Keith was in the other direction, dozens of yards away from theser, and he wasn''t alone.


    "What''s going on?" Zariel frowned, looking around.


    There were several Keiths around him, all looking the same, one standing and staring at him, another sitting on a wreck, third warming up and preparing for battle. The number of illusions grew, and Zariel couldn''t tell which one was real.


    "All you can do is throw your immense energy around and burn everything in your path, you Angels are too arrogant and proud." The Keiths shook their heads and their silhouettes blurred.


    Whoooooosh.<sub> </sub>


    Seven Keiths found themselves in front of Zariel and simultaneously attacked him at various points.


    "Away!" Zariel shouted, and a wave of fire erupted from him.


    The mes consumed the illusions, and they disappeared. Only one Keith remained, but the mes bypassed him. The scales on his cloak warded off the mes and kept him away.


    "One." Keith whispered and swung his de, leaving a long cut on Zariel''s chest.


    "Two." Keith swung his de again, leaving an X-sharped cut on Zariel''s chest.


    "Three."


    Keith turned and struck the center of the cross with his palm. His blow sent a shockwave off, and Zariel was thrown backward a dozen meters and buried under the ground.


    Keithnded calmly, and the scales on his cloak shed again. An illusion appeared next to him, and then it bifurcated. The process continued until there were thirteen Keiths around the pit where Zariely.


    "This is the end." They simultaneously said indifferently, looking at the lying Zariel.


    "Bastard, that hurt." Zariel muttered and spat out a clot of blood.


    "Surrender. If you don''t resist, I won''t kill you."


    "Huh, are you an idiot? Do you actually think I''m going to surrender?" Zariel smirked and looked at Osvald, "Sorry, it looks like our battle will have to be postponed for a while. That pesky one won''t let us have any real fun."


    "What? Do you think you can escape?" Keith said coldly and held his de out in front of him.


    "I''m not running away. I''d call it a tactical retreat."


    Whooooooosh.


    Dozens of pages burst out of the book and headed toward the sky.


    Keith was momentarily distracted, and a scarlet sh flew past him.


    Zariel''s wings glowed brightly, and he headed toward his men. The mes on his wings turned into arms and gripped them tightly, and Zariel flew upward.


    "You won''t get away!" Keith eximed and jumped high. Unlike Zariel, he couldn''t fly, but he could use his illusions to bounce away from them.


    "See youter!" Zariel shouted, and the pages floating in the clouds simultaneously exploded.


    mes spread across the sky and repainted it red. It was like the explosion of an atomic bomb in power, and the newly damaged space could not withstand it and copse.


    Zariel, along with the other Angels, flew through the space passage and disappeared like a sh in space.


    Keith didn''t go after him. They were enemies, but he hade here for another reason, their meeting was an ident.

 Chapter 434 Barrier

    "What''s going on!" The girl walking beside Wain eximed as she looked at the massiveser burning the ground and the woods.


    "What I was talking about. Now you realize that you would definitely have died if you had stayed in the fortress just a little while longer." Wain said and lowered the girl he was carrying to the ground.


    They had already moved a few hundred meters away from the fortress, but they could still feel the heat from the fire as if they were in the middle of a bonfire.


    "You will get to the vige on your own. It''s time for me to go back."


    "What? Do you want to go back there? Isn''t it dangerous for you?"


    "It is, but I''m sure it will be over soon. Good luck." Wain said and ran toward the fortress.


    ...


    "Damn, I didn''t know Zariel had such powerful skills. My information was iplete." Keith shook his head disappointedly.


    "Huh, you should be d you''re alive at all." Osvald said suddenly.


    "What? What are you talking about?"


    "Isn''t it obvious?" Osvald raised an eyebrow, "He was able to brute force some of the space and get out of here. Don''t you think that wouldn''t be enough to kill you and all your illusions?"


    Keith''s eyes went wide, he realized that he just might have died without realizing it. It was a real failure for him since he thought he had always been ready for anything and nothing could hurt him as long as he used the Form.


    "Then why didn''t he do it...?"


    "It''s obvious. Even though the asshole is arrogant, he actually cares about his people. He used that skill to save them, otherwise, he would have done it to kill you."


    Keith nodded. He realized that he was being careless, and Zariel was not as easy as he thought. He was driven not only by pride but by other deeper feelings and principles.


    "Mr. Keith, are you all right?" Undeads ran to him. In the battle with the Angels, they had received only a few scratches and faint burns. They got off lightly.


    "Yeah, don''t worry about me."


    While Keith was talking to his men, Wain reached the battlefield.


    ''Damn, it didn''t look so bad from the outside.'' Wain said inwardly.


    He looked at the scorched fields and forests, there was nothing left of the grass and trees, only ash. It looked as if a branch of hell had appeared here.


    "Wain! You''re okay, that''s great. I thought that pyromancer hit you too." Osvald walked over to him.


    "No, I was away from theser, but I was still hot. How did you stay in one piece? Didn''t theser hit you?"


    "Huh, it''s nothing to me. So, is it time to move on?" Osvald asked and looked up at the tree.


    "I don''t mind, after a little rest, but I think we have a new problem."


    "Hmm?"


    "Look." Wain pointed to the top of the tree.


    The only way to the core was through the outer barrier, and the barrier''s weak point was at the top, near the thunderclouds. The clouds had dissipated because of the battle and thest massive explosion, and nothing else weakened the barrier.


    "Damn... By the way, Wain, if you want, we can leave right now."<sub> </sub>


    "Ah?"


    "Space still hasn''t fully recovered from the explosion, and I can punch a hole, and we''ll be home in a few minutes."


    Wain looked at it, which still had cracks, and shook his head.


    "No, we''ve been here too long and done too much to leave here empty-handed. As before, our goal is to get to the core and absorb Soul Pearls."


    "Great attitude!" Osvald smiled and patted Wain on the shoulder.


    Keith walked over to Wain and Osvald.


    "Are you having trouble with the barrier? I think I can help you with that."


    "You want to join us?"


    "Sure. Mr. Osvald, I don''t im much, we''ll make it fair, we''ll split the pearls 50/50."


    "Not a bad offer, but I have a better one. We split 70/30, and it''s out of the question." Osvald mouthed, and a faint but very powerful aura emanated from him.


    Keith wanted to object, but he quickly realized that Osvald was not someone he could condition.


    "Sure, that''s more than enough."


    "Fine. How are you going to break the barrier around the tree? I warn you, I don''t have enough strength for that. The barrier recovers too quickly, I don''t have time to do enough damage."


    "It''s not a problem, but it will take my partners and me a while to get everything ready, about a day, though I think we all need a rest." Keith said and gave amand to his men.


    "Sure. Then we''ll be back at dawn."


    "Good." Keith nodded and headed for the barrier.


    ...


    Wain and Osvald returned to the vige for a while. All of the girls sessfully returned home and finally felt safe. They were all traumatized, but that was behind them, and they needed to move on.


    Irma and the Old Man expressed to Wain and Osvald a special thank you. They couldn''t have even imagined that Wain and Osvald would be able to handle all the Hunters in the fortress and clear it.


    "How nice it is here, after all." Osvald drained the bottle of wine and sighed with pleasure.


    "Yes, but it''s boring, and the feeling that we''re locked in here keeps me awake. I hope Keith and his men can make it before dawn."


    "Don''t worry. He sure knows his stuff."


    "By the way, Osvald, that Angel called you Dragon yer, is that true? Did you kill a dragon?"


    Wain was in awe of the power of these powerful creatures. Wain had only seen a dragon once, and then he felt an extraordinary rush of strength as if his heart had stopped.


    "It did, but don''t ask me to tell you about it. I won''t do it."


    "Why?"


    "Because I won''t be able to pick the best story out of a dozen."

 Chapter 435 The Road To The Core

    ''Osvald killed more than a dozen dragons? Holy shit!'' Wain inwardly eximed.


    "Huh, you shouldn''t be so surprised. For those below the Fourth Chronicle, the Dragon is an invincible and invulnerable creature, but the stronger you are, the more opportunities open up for you."


    "Osvald, is killing a dragon any different than killing other creatures?" Wain asked seriously. He wanted to know what Osvald felt about defeating such majestic creatures.


    "Of course, but I won''t tell you all the details." Osvald smiled, "I''m sure you will and can understand what it''s like one day. Evil and troublesome dragons abound in this world, especially now."


    Wain nodded and thought. He would like to fight a dragon, it would be a great battle in his history, and of course, Wain would win.


    "Come on, Keith should be done by now." Osvald said and looked at the sun brightly illuminating the vige.


    "Sure."


    Wain and Osvald left the vige and half an hourter reached the tree.


    Keith and his partners stood at the barrier and set scrolls and special ritual daggers covered in runes on the ground.


    "Looks like we got here a little early as nned." Wain muttered.


    Keith heard this and beckoned to approach them.


    "How long do we have to wait?" Osvald asked.


    "Not at all. We''re all set. You didn''te early, you''rete, we''ve been waiting for hours." Keith said calmly and stood in the center of the circle.


    A parchment scroll and a dagger with a blue de appeared in his hand. He ced the scroll on the ground and pierced it with the dagger. His partners did the same on the outside, and the scrolls all glowed brightly.


    Blue energy flowed toward Keith, and his fingertips glowed. He manipted the energy like threads to create a drawing of it in the form of a knife covered in electricity. Then Keith touched the pattern, and it imprinted on the barrier.


    Lightning discharged through the barrier, and it trembled violently.


    "Mr. Osvald, I need your help. The barrier is now weakened, and any outside influence will activate the seal and cause powerful damage to the barrier at one point."


    "I understand." Osvald nodded and approached the barrier.


    Although Keith said that breaking through the barrier was no problem, he had not said something. Without Osvald''s power, they couldn''t break through, because otherwise, they would have already stolen all the Soul Pearls.


    Osvald''s fist was coated with ayer of energy, and he made a sharp lunge forward. He struck the center of the seal, and there was an energy explosion, cracks appeared in the barrier, and the seal activated. Lightning went through the cracks into the barrier''s outeryer, and there was an explosion.


    There was a load on the barrier from both sides, and it shattered into small pieces.


    "All right, let''s go." Osvald ran forward. The others followed him.


    "What''s the n?" Keith asked.


    "Very simple. Look over there." Osvald pointed to the tree''s roots, "They''re huge, we''ll easily make our way to the core, then get the pearls and finally leave this wondrous ce."


    "Got it."


    At the tree''s roots was a small base of the remaining Hunters. They had been here the whole time and watched the core, so they didn''t know that their main base had already been destroyed and their leader killed.<sub> </sub>


    "Alert! We''re under attack! Kill the bastards!" Hunter eximed and attacked.


    "I''m on it." Keith muttered, and des appeared in his hands.


    He disappeared and turned into a shadow, moving from Hunter to Hunter. He swung his de after a few seconds, dislodging the clinging blood.


    "Done."


    More than twenty decapitated Huntersy on the ground, many of them before they even realized what had happened. Keith''s movements were too quick.


    "Not bad. If you were twice as fast, you could definitely beat Zariel, he wouldn''t have had time to escape."


    "What? Even faster?" Keith turned to Osvald, but he wasn''t there.


    "Sure, is that enough?" Osvald touched Keith''s shoulder.


    ''What?! Keith inwardly eximed. Even though he was incredibly fast, he didn''t even have time to notice Osvald''s movements.


    "You shouldn''t be so surprised. You Undeads are overconfident in your speed, and that''s your main mistake." Osvald shook his head and jumped off the cliff, toward the core.


    ''Speed... Ick that, too,'' Wain reflected. He was able to defeat the Queen as he saw the future, but even so, he found it very difficult as she outmatched him in speed. Wain wanted to fix this, he realized that there was no point in strength if the opponent could easilye back from slow blows.


    ...


    The tree''s roots sprouted deep down, and it took them a long time to get close to the core.


    They met no more danger on their way. The hunters were the only ones near the tree.


    They followed the biggest root and ended up in a long tunnel. It was dark, and Keith created several orbs of blue me, they lit up the tunnel likemps.


    "Great, we''re here." Osvald stood at the edge of the tunnel.


    The others approached him, and the sound of flowing water was heard.


    "Is this where the core is?" Wain muttered.


    They entered a vast room over a hundred feet high. Roots were bursting out of the walls and heading down, and water was flowing from some of the tunnels. It looked like waterfalls.


    "Yeah, that''s it." Osvald pointed to a massive sphere in the center.


    The sphere was made of roots, and something glowed brightly inside it. Around the sphere was a semi-transparent barrier that looked very strong.


    Whooooooosh.


    Keith disappeared and appeared in front of the barrier. Wain and Osvald walked leisurely toward it. Now came the moment they had all been waiting for. They finally got to the core and were ready to know the number of pearls.


    "How many?" Osvald asked.


    Keith smiled and turned around, "Better than I thought. This area has such powerful restraining powers because there are five pearls, and they''re so big."

 Chapter 436 Living Roots

    Wain approached the barrier and looked at the pearls. They hovered in the sphere''s center like small stars, the purest energy constantly emanating from them. The roots absorbed the energy and transmitted it, to selected beings throughout the zone.


    "The core looks like it''s alive..." Wain muttered.


    "It is. Look at the roots." Keith said, "They look more like tentacles, looking for energy to get even stronger and bigger."


    <o>,m "Okay, enough talk. It''s time to get those pearls and go home finally. Break it up." Osvald uttered and walked over to the barrier.</o>


    "Wait. I want to rify something. Two will go to us out of the five pearls, right?"


    "Yes, as agreed. Wain, this will be my gift to you."


    "What? You''ll give me three pearls?" Wain was surprised.


    "Of course, why not? Do you really think such pearls would be of any use to me."


    "Wouldn''t they?"


    "Huh, the concentration of energy in them would have to be several times greater than it is now for me to be interested."


    ''Damn, isn''t that enough for him? These pearls are ten times bigger than the ones I absorbed before, but they''re nothing to Osvald? What the hell is going on here anyway?''


    "Mr. Osvald, please begin." Keith said quietly.


    Osvald nodded, and a stream of energy burst out of him. The silhouette of an angry dragon appeared above him, and Osvald struck with all his might. The barrier around the sphere rippled, and several cracks appeared.


    The shockwave was so powerful that Wain and Keith had trouble staying on their feet.


    Bam.


    Osvald struck again. One blow wasn''t enough, he hit as fast and hard as possible to break the shell. The barrier recovered quickly, the core fought back, it understood why they hade here.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Suddenly roots burst out of the walls and headed toward Osvald. Despite that, he didn''t stop and continued to strike.


    A dagger appeared in Keith''s hand and disappeared. Keith found himself next to Osvald and chopped all the roots into small pieces.


    Bam.


    Osvald delivered the final blow, and the barrier shattered into tiny shards.


    "Great." Osvald smiled. He was going to take the pearls and destroy the core.


    Tremble.


    Suddenly the ground trembled, and the pearls glowed brightly. A powerful stream of energy erupted from them, as it tossed Osvald and the others aside.


    Some of the barrier''s shards headed toward the pearls and protected them again. The remaining shards merged with the energy and roots. They gradually transformed into a huge creature with four paws, long horns, and dark eyes. White energy emanated from the beast, and it was covered in roots as if wooden armor.


    "Well... that was to be expected." Osvald rose to his feet and prepared for battle.


    "Mr. Osvald, we''ve got your back, don''t worry, you can hit at full force." Keith said andmanded his men.


    "All right, let''s go!" Wain pronounced and attacked. The Undeads followed him. Keith ran behind him, and the others were to his left and right.


    The Ring of Damned glowed as a sword appeared in Wain''s hand. He braced himself for battle.


    ''Stop...'' Suddenly, someone''s voice sounded in his head. It was the Code of Light and Darkness.


    ''What is it?


    ''This beast doesn''t need to be killed.''<sub> </sub>


    ''What? What are you talking about?'' Wain didn''t understand, it seemed like some nonsense to him.


    ''It needs to be absorbed, it will be much better. They don''t realize it, but the barrier was made of the purest energy, which means this beast too. Think of it as one huge pearl, albeit one with a low concentration of energy.''


    ''Can you help me with that?''


    ''Yeah, it''s easy because pure energy is nothing but the true face of light.''


    Streams of energy burst from beneath Wain, and ck and white armor appeared on him.


    ''Put the sword away. There''s no need for that now.''


    ''Sure.'' Wain nodded as he ran forward.


    Roooooooaaaaaaarrrrr!


    The beast roared, and the ground trembled.


    "Shut up."


    Energy surged out of Osvald, and he attacked sharply. His fist raced toward the beast like aet, but the beast would not retreat. Beast brought his paw to the ground, and the shockwave tossed everyone aside.


    "Keith!" Osvald shouted.


    "I''m here."


    He appeared behind Osvald and kicked him forward against the stream. Osvald approached the beast, and suddenly several thick roots appeared before him.


    Whooooooosh.


    Keith''s partners threw daggers at the roots and destroyed them, as leaving the beast unprotected.


    "Get it!"


    Osvald struck at full force in the beast''s face. It roared in a fury and attacked, but suddenly Osvald struck again, bottom-up.


    The blow threw the huge beast upward, then a magic circle appeared above it, and white mes rained down on the beast.


    ''Great, that should be enough!'' Keith inwardly eximed.


    "What?"


    Suddenly roots burst out of the beast''s armor and engulfed the mes. The beast roared menacingly and red angrily at Osvald.


    "He didn''t take any damage? Is that possible?!" Keith was shocked. The power of Osvald''s blows was immense, but it was nowhere near enough.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Roots copsed on Osvald, and he stepped aside.


    "Something''s not right. My physical attacks didn''t damage it, it''s not normal. What''s more, the beast just absorbed the mes and turned energy into energy." Osvald muttered.


    "We need a different approach." Wain said, "We have to absorb it. I''m on it. You have to help me get to the beast."


    "What? Boy, you think you can do what Mr. Osvald failed to do?" Keith asked incredulously.


    "Boy, you ought to step aside and let us do all the work." Keith''s partners said. Wain was pretty weak to them, with rather faint ripples of energying from him.


    Wain answered nothing. He only looked seriously at the beast and his aura intensified.


    "Quiet. You don''t decide anything here." Osvald said stiffly, "If Wain says he can do it, then so be it. Our task is simple. We will distract the beast and immobilize it. Let''s go!"

 Chapter 437 The Takeover

    "Okay. If Mr. Osvald is so sure about it, we''ll follow you. Try not to screw it up." Keith frowned and prepared for battle.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll devour it with relish, and I won''t share it with anyone." Wain said confidently as he ran toward the Beast.


    The others followed him. Osvald stood in front, and Keith and his men stayed behind.


    ''I hope I trust you for a reason.'' Wain said inwardly.


    ''Don''t worry. Have any of us ever let you down? Although, there is one difficulty...'' Code of Light and Darkness muttered.


    ''A difficulty? Did you decide to say that only now?


    ''Don''t be angry. You''ve done it before, so it''ll be fine, just focus. I need you to increase the area of light. You have to suppress the darkness for a while. Then we''ll have a much better chance. Just calm down and rx.''


    Wain nodded. He understood what the Code of Light and Darkness was talking about. This had happened a few times before, sometimes, the darkness prevailed, sometimes the light. The problem was that Wain had never done it on purpose before. He didn''t know how to control it. It came out naturally.


    Roooooaaaaaaarrrrr!


    The Beast roared furiously as the ground shook. Roots erupted from the walls, crashing down on Wain and the others like whips.


    Keith and his men leaped forward and swiftly shattered the roots.


    "What?" Keith raised an eyebrow in surprise.


    The chopped roots glowed and turned into spikes. They fell on them like a hail of arrows, and the group had to retreat.


    ''Damn! How can I even rx in a situation like this!'' Wain inwardly eximed.


    The Beast continued to growl and attack. It didn''t make a move to the side, but the roots came down on the group relentlessly.


    Osvald and Keith easily blocked the attacks, but it was all they could do. They only repelled one attack as they immediately had to deal with another.


    ''I agree it''s difficult, but there''s always a solution to a problem. You need to iste yourself from the situation.'' Blind Sorcerer suddenly said.


    ''In what way? If I get even one hit, nothing will be left of me!


    ''Yeah, you''re right, but you must take a chance. I''ll help you with that. You feel the most fear when you see something terrible, but what happens if you lose your sight? Just for a few minutes?


    ''What? What are you talking about? Wait, wait!'' Wain inwardly shouted, but it was toote.


    The Blind Sorcerer smiled as a tight eye patch appeared on Wain.


    The battlefield turned to darkness, and unlike thest time, Wain could see nothing at all. There was total darkness all around.


    The Beast roared furiously, and a massive energy sphere appeared above it. Many projectiles flew out of the orb and headed toward the group.


    Osvald used the dragon''s breath and destroyed most of the projectiles, but some managed to get around it.


    "Wain!" Osvald eximed, and Keith appeared beside Wain. He swung his de and repelled the projectiles.


    "Boy, what the hell are you doing?" Keith was furious, "If it weren''t for me, you''d have more holes in you than a sieve by now!"


    "Shut up. I''m not happy about it myself, but there''s nothing I can do about it, it''s the only option. Just do your job." Wain said sharply.<sub> </sub>


    Keith frowned but did not respond. His faith in Osvald was very high, and his patience was not yet at an end.


    "Okay, go ahead." Osvald clenched his fist, and energy burst out of him.


    "I''ll go with you."


    Keith and Osvald attacked the Beast. Keith''s men stayed close to Wain and protected him from the roots and rays.


    Wain was inactive. He heard the sounds of battle but saw nothing. He had a strange feeling he had never encountered before. Wain knew danger was near, heard it, but didn''t see it, and he thought it was okay.


    ''Okay, maybe Blind Sorcerer did the right thing.'' Wain took a deep breath.


    Wain tried to calm down, and he seeded. Gradually, the sounds of battle became quieter until they werepletely silenced. Wain felt as if he were in a vacuum and no one existed but him.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Suddenly the white part of the armor glowed brightly, and the darkness began to diminish.


    [Because of your condition Code of Light and Darkness began to change. Light absorbs the darkness, and your magical abilities increase many times.]


    Wain didn''t hear this message, hepletely isted himself from the battlefield.


    ''Okay, just a little more.'' Wain muttered to himself, and thest bit of darkness was reced by light.


    ''Great, now you''re ready.'' Code of Light and Darkness said.


    ''Yeah...'' Wain muttered, and the blindfold disappeared.


    An incredible amount of energy was emitted from it. Wain looked at the Beast, his eyes calm and serene.


    "It''s been a long time since I''ve felt this way..."


    Roooooaaarrrr!


    The Beast roared, and several energy spheres copsed on Osvald and Keith. They had to retreat.


    "Are you just going to keep standing there?!" Keith shouted.


    "No, sorry for the wait. It''s all set."


    Wain stepped forward, and a giant phantom snake tail appeared over the Beast. The tail fell on the Beast and pressed it to the ground. Then Wain created several more tails. They attacked the Beast and kept it from even getting off the ground.


    "Holy crap, where did this guy get so much strength?" Keith eximed.


    "Ahahahaha, Wain, I knew you had more trumps!" Osvaldughed and appeared in front of Wain. He repelled the flying roots and protected Wain from all other attacks.


    Wain slowly approached the Beast as he continued to attack it with his phantom tails. He now had almost unlimited energy but very weak physical characteristics.


    "Now you''re mine. It''s time to get this over with and get out of here, but before I do, I''m going to eat you." Wain smiled wickedly as the Beast shuddered in fear.

 Chapter 438 Hunger

    "Immobilize the beast, quickly!" Osvald shouted as he jumped on the beast''s head and pressed it firmly to the ground.


    Keith''s men nodded and grabbed the beast by its front paws. Keith pierced the hind paws with daggers, and the beast could not move even a millimeter.


    Wain smiled wickedly and approached the beast. An eerie aura emanated from him. The beast felt this was the end.


    ...


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly something shuddered, but not in the world, but in Wain''s Soul Altar. It was a dark crown hovering over the tform in the castle.


    ''Wow, looks like something interesting is starting to happen.'' Blind Sorcerer smiled.


    ''Didn''t it be active too soon?'' ck Sun Aristocrat asked.


    ''No... it''s fine... it''s only a fraction...'' Cursed Swordsman muttered.


    ''Well... I see you''re wondering what happens next, but I don''t like it at all.'' Code of Light and Darkness frowned, ''It could disrupt such a delicate harmony of darkness and light.''


    ...


    Whoooooosh.


    Wain grabbed the beast by the horns, and his eyes sparkled. The white energy emanating from the armor turned into a stream. It connected with the beast and began to absorb it.


    ''Ah, what a great feeling, it''s so much better than absorbing souls...'' Wain inwardly muttered, suddenly something strange happened to his armor.


    Several cracks appeared on the armor from them, emanating gray energy and Wain''s heart began to beat faster. He felt more and more pleasure with every second and wanted to devour the beast as quickly as possible and not stop at it.


    ...


    ''Do you still think it''s okay?'' Code of Light and Darkness worried.


    ''It''s okay. It had to happen sooner orter. It''s his power and no one else''s. Let him do it, it still can''t fully unfold yet, and you can''t stop the urge to want it.'' Knight of the Bloody Rose said seriously.


    ''It''s not as easy as you think... I spend too much energy maintaining bnce, and I won''tst long.''


    ...


    The beast roared in pain and hopelessness. Wain was literally sucking the life out of it, and the beast could not resist it.


    "Ahahahaha, good, Wain, keep it up!" Osvald eximed.


    Wain said nothing, he didn''t even hear Osvald, he waspletely focused on the process.


    ''Even though this beast isposed entirely of energy, it''s a living thing anyway... Maybe I should keep doing this? Shouldn''t life be more valuable than the soul?'' Wain smiled and opened his mouth wide.


    Suddenly streams of gray energy erupted from the ground, and the silhouette of a huge jaw appeared above him.


    ''What is that? Keith and his partners thought at the same time. Their eyes went wide, they were shocked by what they saw. Wain and his abilities had changed dramatically, and he was now a real threat to everyone.<sub> </sub>


    ''How interesting... I''ve heard of this kind of ability, but didn''t thest possessor die a long time ago?'' Osvald thought as he jumped off the beast''s head. He stepped aside and watched Wain''s actions intently.


    Wain looked intently into the beast''s eyes, and the silhouette of his jaw closed over him. The beast''s head shattered into pieces, and Wain took a deep breath. He absorbed it all, and he wasn''t going to stop there.


    The cracks in its armor grewrger, as did the silhouette of its jaws. They pounced on the beast''s body like piranhas.


    Gradually there was nothing left of the beast, Wain absorbed all the energy and canceled the effect of the first form. The cracked white armor disappeared, and he breathed a sigh of relief.


    [You absorbed arge amount of pure energy.]


    [You absorbed arge amount of pure energy.]


    [You absorbed arge amount of pure energy.]


    [Your Majesty has been raised to 4.]


    "Great, just a little more, and I''ll move on to the next stage.


    "Wain, are you okay? How are you feeling?" Osvald worried.


    "I''m fine, no, even good. I''ve never felt better, and I''m closer to my goal. All I have to do is absorb them." Wain looked at the pearls in the sphere.


    Osvald smiled and said, "Great, then go ahead, that was a great performance!"


    Osvald walked over to the barrier and lightly pounded on it as if knocking on a door. The barrier cracked and disintegrated into small pieces.


    The five brightly shining pearls mesmerized and attracted like jewels. Every Peal Hunter dreamed of finding such a ce and possessing at least one pearl of that size.


    "Mr. Osvald, I hope you will keep your word." Keith muttered.


    "Of course, you have nothing to worry about. If I said the two pearls are yours, then so be it. Catch." Osvald pulled the pearls from the core and threw them to Keith.


    He caught them and bowed slightly.


    "Too bad this short journey is ending, but I''m d I got the chance to fight alongside you."


    "Huh, you can stop by my Void anytime, and we''ll spar, feel free. Recently, I started training again because of someone, and I need an opponent." Osvald looked at Wain and handed Keith the coin, the key to the zone.


    Keith was silent for a while. He was ttered and had no idea Osvald would offer him something like that. He didn''t know Osvald would have offered it to Zariel, too, had he not flown away, for they were both excellent fighters. Osvald needed someone strong and capable to withstand training with him.


    "Mr. Osvald, please take this." Keith handed Osvald an amulet on a pendant depicting a blue moon.


    "Oh, isn''t that the way to your Order?"


    "Yes, it is. The other members of the Moon Order and I will be d to see you at any time. We will wee you as a most distinguished guest."


    "Good, I will certainly take advantage of that offer." Osvald looked at Wain, "Isn''t it time for you to pick up your pearls? It''s time to leave this ce."


    "Yeah, you''re right." Wain walked over to the core and grabbed a pearl.

 Chapter 439 Five

    Wain touched the pearl and squeezed it tightly.


    "Wain, do you have somewhere to move the pearls?" Osvald asked.


    Osvald could touch Soul Pearls with his bare hands without harm, but even Keith or Zariel had to use special mechanisms. You could use them to take and absorb Soul Pearls without harm.


    "No." Wain shook his head.


    "Well... Keith, do you have something for Wain?"


    "Surely you need three cubes? I can give it to Wain. It''s not a problem."


    "That won''t be necessary." Wain said calmly and pulled Soul Pearl from the core.


    Arge amount of pure energy emanated from Pearl. It covered Wain and spread throughout the room.


    "What?! What are you talking about?" Keith eximed.


    Osvald looked at Wain, puzzled. He had never once heard of a person in Second Chronicle who could touch Soul Pearl without harming himself.


    "Just watch."


    Tremble.


    Ripples rippled through the air as a dark, open-eyed crown appeared on Wain, and eerie jaws opened on his palms.


    Wain squeezed Pearl tightly, his jaws closed, and cracks appeared on Pearl. Pearl shattered into tiny shards, and a stream of energy headed toward Wain. He absorbed it and sighed with pleasure.


    [You absorbed arge amount of pure energy.]


    [Majesty Crystal filled to 100%.]


    [You have increased your Majesty by 1.]


    Majesty Crystal umted pure energy and turned it into Majesty, this was one of the most effective ways to increase Majesty. It only needed one valuable resource, Soul Pearls, and as many as possible.


    ''Fine, that''s enough...'' Wain muttered inwardly.


    [Your Majesty equals 5.]


    [You have met the final conditions for the third evolution.]


    [Your Majesty has reached 5, and your a Beyond begins to change. The next changes will ur when your Majesty reaches 10.]


    Whooooooooosh.


    A massive stream of gray energy erupted from Wain, and the space around him trembled.


    "What''s going on?" Keith became alert.


    "Nothing at all. Apparently, his Beyond is awakening, he''s reached the requisite amount of Majesty. Eh, it''s such a wonderful feeling. I''ll never forget the first time it happened to me." Osvald shook his head.


    The flow of energy slowed andpletely covered Wain. It was as if he was in a cocoon, and only after a few minutes did the energy begin dissipate.


    Two more eyes appeared on the crown, which became slightly lower and emanated eerie, dark energy. Two eye tattoos appeared on Wain''s arms, and his jaw was covered in ancient runes.


    [Your Beyond, Cmity, has evolved. You gained a new ability, ''Harbinger of Cmity.


    [Harbinger of Cmity (Unique)


    Use the power of destruction and summon the Eye of Cmity. The Eye will shatter the space around you and, at yourmand, will unleash all its energy on a single target. It will be a single but extremely powerful blow].


    "How does it feel?" Osvald patted Wain on the shoulder.


    "It feels great. I finally feel like I''m much stronger, and now I can start the third evolution."


    "Great, but take your time. I have to teach you the techniques first."


    "Sure." Wain nodded and grabbed the other two Pearls. He absorbed them, and the area shook.<sub> </sub>


    [Your Majesty raised to 6.]


    [Majesty Crystal filled to 20%.]


    "That''s it. We can finally get out of here." Keith muttered.


    "See youter." Osvald extended his hand to Keith, "Waiting for you in my area."


    "Sure, I''ll be sure toe." Keith shook his hand.


    "Let''s go."


    "Yes!"


    Keith swung his hand like a de, and a spatial rift appeared in the air. He and his partners jumped in, and the passage closed.


    "Wain, we have to go too. This area will be a pile of rubble floating in the Void in an hour."


    "Yeah, but I''d like to say goodbye to the vigers."


    "Huh, I didn''t know you were so sentimental."


    "You''re one to talk." Wain shook his head as he jumped high up.


    Osvald followed him, and ten minutester, they reached the vige.


    "What''s going on here...?" Osvald muttered.


    The vigers were in a panic. They ran from house to house as if they were trying to find something.


    "Looks like not everyone can get out of here as freely as Keith."


    "Yeah... We need to find out what''s wrong."


    Wain and Osvald entered the vige and headed for the old man''s house. Irma and Franzi were standing at the entrance, and they were actively discussing something, Franzi was concerned, and Irma was annoyed.


    "What kind of chaos is going on here? Have you all gone crazy?" Wain said as he approached them.


    "Wain, Osvald!" The girls eximed simultaneously.


    "Hey, he''s right. Why haven''t you all left yet? In about ten minutes, the ground will start to break into pieces, and you''ll be in danger."


    "We can''t!"


    "Hmm?"


    "Don''t you have enough power to open a spatial rift?"


    "No, that''s not it." Franzi shook her head, "We don''t know where to go. The spatial rift doesn''t lead us home anymore, we don''t know what to do about it."


    "I think we should just leave, and that''s it!" Irma eximed, "It doesn''t matter where we end up. If we stay here, we''re definitely going to die. Damn Franzi, why are you being such a coward?"


    "Calm down girls. The problem isn''t that serious." Osvald said.


    "Is it? Maybe you know where we can go?" Irma looked at him intently.


    "Well...no." Osvald shrugged. He only had the unique Void he had been in for a long time, in which he could not help the vigers.


    "Wain, maybe you can tell us where to go?"


    "Hmm..." Wain pondered. He hadn''t anticipated that the vigers would encounter such a problem.


    "It certainly happened because of the merging of worlds." Osvald muttered, "I wouldn''t advise you to go anywhere unknown. It is too dangerous. You might end up in a ce where you can''tst a day."


    "We understand that, but we have no other option!"


    "We don''t." Wain said suddenly, "I have one ce for you. I''m sure it''s the best you can get."

 Chapter 440 Relocation

    "Is it true? Do you know where we can go?"


    "Yes." Wain nodded, "I suggest you relocate to the town where my friends and I live."


    "Wow, that''s interesting. I didn''t expect you to offer something like that. I suddenly feel like visiting that ce, too." Osvald grinned.


    "That''s your business. I don''t mind." Wain shrugged.


    "Wain, I''m d you''re willing to offer us your city as our new home, but... are you sure you can decide that alone?" Irma doubted.


    "You don''t have to worry about that. The head of the city and all the territories belonging to my organization are under my friend''s control. He certainly won''t mind, and what''s more, we just want to find ourselves an ally and make friends with as many people as possible."


    "That means..." Irma muttered.


    "That we are saved!" Franzi eximed as she jumped up and hugged her sister.


    "Get off!"


    "Okay, girls, stop wasting time. We don''t have much. Quickly round up all the residents, we don''t have more than ten minutes to get out of here safely and relocate all the residents."


    "Yes." Irma and Franzi nodded as they ran to the residents.


    Irma and Franzi tried to inform everyone about the new ns as quickly as possible. The vigers were happy to hear that they would have a new home and finally be free. Because of this, the chaos in the vige became even greater. Everyone tried to take as many things as possible and let their friends and rtives know about it.


    "Wain, are you sure?"


    "Hmm? What do you mean?


    "They''re Beastfolks, and you and your acquaintances are the humans. This could be a problem for both you and them."


    "Huh, no need to think about it. We''ve already made contact with Vampire City and nt City. As far as I know, there hasn''t been a problem. Anyway, if they threaten us, that would be their biggest mistake." Wain said calmly.


    "Vampires and nts? That''s pretty unusual. I wonder who else you can cooperate with?"


    "We''ll see."


    ...


    Ten minutester, most of the vigers gathered in the vige''s center.


    "Alright, everyone is in ce. Like I told you, we''ll go to the town where Wain lives. I''m sure it''s the best option and our new beginning!" Irma eximed.


    "Yes!"


    Wain nodded, and an eye patch appeared on him for a second. With a wave of his hand, he opened the space passage, stood beside it, and said, "Go ahead, get in as fast as you can."


    The inhabitants rushed forward. They knew there wasn''t much time left.


    Tremble.


    Suddenly the ground trembled, and a huge chunk of earth the size of a mountain flew up in the distance.


    "Here we go." Osvald said.


    "Well... as long as it doesn''t affect us. We don''t need more than ten minutes."


    "Unfortunately, it looks like it''s not going to be as smooth as we''d like it to be." Osvald muttered as he stared at the piece ofnd. It was flying toward the vige like a meteorite.


    "I''ll deal with it. Keep an eye on the passage."


    "Okay."


    Osvald jumped high up and mmed his fist into the meteorite. It cracked and shattered into many pieces. They fell to the ground and destroyed several of the residents'' homes.<sub> </sub>


    There were more and more meteorites by the minute, space was unstable, and a rift could start anywhere.


    ? Sometimes debris fell directly on the inhabitants, but Irma protected them. She used her new power and burned the debris before it could even reach the ground.


    "Irma,e on in. There''s no one else left." Wain said.


    "Yes!" Irma ran into the passage.


    Bam.


    Osvaldnded next to Wain.


    "That was a great journey, wasn''t it?"


    "Yeah, it wasn''t bad. Especially the part where I absorbed Soul Pearls."


    "Ahahahaha, you shouldn''t be so greedy. That power is great but dangerous. Countless Peal Hunters have died in pursuit of pure energy. It''s a dangerous upation, and you must be prepared for the hatred of those you''ve taken home from."


    "It doesn''t matter. An enormous number of those around the world could be my enemies. There is no point in thinking about having fewer of them, but there is great benefit in having allies."


    "You may be right. In any case, that''s your business." Osvald shrugged as he entered the portal.


    Wain took onest look at the crumbling Purgatory Zone and left it.


    Inside the spatial rift, Wain opened a door, and they all walked for a while down a long passageway until they were outside.


    Wain made the portal lead them to the edge of the waterfall, next to which was Overion, the main city of humanity.


    "How beautiful..." Irma muttered. She was in awe of thendscape in the distance.


    "I agree. It''s actually not bad here." Osvald nodded.


    Whooooooooosh.


    A powerful gust of wind blew near them, and Osvald smiled, "Looks like we havepany."


    Two tall girls emerged from the shadows. One had a long rapier in her hand, while the other preferred to fight with her bare hands.


    They were ready to fight, and a formidable aura emanated from them, but when they saw Wain, their eyes went wide, and their auras reduced.


    "Wain?!" Teresa and Agnes eximed in surprise.


    "Yes, it''s me, as always. Where is Gisle? I have business with him. As you can see, there is a problem that needs to be dealt with." Wain pointed to the vigers.


    "Of course, as far as I know, Gisle is on the training ground right now."


    "Huh, he finally has some free time?"


    "Yeah... I guess so." Teresa nodded.


    "Okay, everyone, follow me. These two will escort us." Wain said and went forward. The vigers followed him.


    Osvald looked intently at Agnes.


    Whoooosh.


    He suddenly appeared beside her. Agnes felt Osvald''s powerful aura and attacked.


    Bam.


    Osvald grabbed her fist with his palm and smiled rather smugly, "Not bad, not bad at all. Would you like to fight meter? We''re just about to go to the practice area."

 Chapter 441 Training

    Agnes was wary. Her punch did no damage to Osvald; he stopped the blow as if it were inconsequential, though Agnes was punching at full force.


    "Wain, who is that?"


    Agnes jumped aside. Teresa stood beside her, and they got ready to fight.


    "Don''t worry, he''s not our enemy, and if he were, we wouldn''t stand a chance. Osvald is just the kind of man who likes to fight." Wain shrugged.


    "Just fight...?" Agnes was puzzled. Osvald''s suggestion seemed strange to her.


    "Sure, you''ve got pretty good skills and reactions, with the right training, you can get very strong. So what do you say? Are you okay with that?"


    "Man, what the hell are you talking about? How can you attack a girl and then offer her that with a calm expression on your face?" Teresa was indignant.


    Osvald remained silent. He didn''t pay any attention to Teresa; he only looked at Agnes.


    ''Is he ignoring me?''


    ''Is it just me, or has Osvald been getting too wildtely? If this keeps up, he''ll fight with everyone he meets...'' Wain muttered inwardly.


    "Agnes, tell him what you think already!"


    "I agree."


    "What?! Are you serious?!"


    "Yes." Agnes was serious.


    "Fine. I knew I should have picked you. I can''t wait to get started."


    "All right, that''s it, let''s go. We still have to talk to Gisle. He''ll be using me of having too much work because of me again." Wain shook his head.


    They reached the city walls in a few minutes. The guards were surprised, but when they saw Agnes, Teresa, and Wain, they quickly let everyone inside, no questions asked.


    Wain led everyone to the training field. It was as spacious as a huge square, and only two people were in it: Gisle and his opponent, Luar.


    Gisle concentrated and swung his katana, creating a windde. It shattered the air and reached Luar in an instant. His hands were covered in golden energy, and he ripped the de apart.


    p. p. p.


    pping sounded behind them, Gisle and Luar turned and saw Wain and Osvald. They pped slowly.


    "Wain? What the hell...? Did you bring someone again?" Gisle looked at the vigers. It was the first time he had seen Beastfolks, but he had no trouble identifying them.


    "Are we not wee here?" Irma frowned.


    "Oh, she''s their leader? Great, that simplifies things. Luar will continueter. Looks like I got a job again." Gisle headed over to Wain.


    "Wain, good to see you!" Luar waved.


    "Hi. I thought you spent all your free time with Reto. Aren''t you two best friends now?"


    "Yes, but Edena yelled at us that we interfere with her work when we get drunk. She''s been too crankytely. Do you know what''s wrong?"


    Something changed in Wain, and his eyes went wide.


    ''Damn... I was going to stop by and hand over the alchemy gear. Ipletely forgot about that... That''s how one little bug problem can lead to such consequences.'' Wain muttered to himself.


    "Are you okay?"


    "Yes. Don''t worry. Edena will soon be in a good mood, I assure you."<sub> </sub>


    "So... Who are you, people? How did you get here, and what will you do?" Gisle stood in front of the vigers.


    Irma stepped forward, "We were brought here by Wain, he said this ce could be our new home. We are simple vigers caught in an unpleasant situation. Space has yed a cruel trick on us."


    ''Hmm... They''re pretty weak. There are a few dozen of them, it wouldn''t be a problem to shelter them, but it''s not enough.'' Gisle pondered.


    "What are you capable of?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "I want to know who you are, maybe fighters, cksmiths, or cooks? Who?"


    "If it matters that much to you, we have some strong fighters among us, and we''re pretty good at cooking. We''re Beastfolks of the Cat n, and we''ve developed a keen sense of smell."


    Gisle nodded as if weighing the pros and cons and nodded, "Okay, you''re epted. Teresa, take them to Elsa. She''ll give you a job and help you get settled in."


    "What? Why me?"


    "Just do as I say and don''t resent it."


    "Okay..." Teresa muttered grudgingly.


    ''What? He agreed just like that?'' Irma was puzzled.


    "Wain, I want to talk to you, but first, who is this man that gives me the creeps all over my body?" Gisle pointed at Osvald.


    "That''s just my new friend." Wain shrugged.


    "By the way, now that you''ve settled your questions, isn''t it time for us to start fighting?" Osvald looked at Agnes.


    "To the fight? What''s he talking about?"


    "Yes. I agree, but could you lower your strength in some way? Otherwise, I''ll lose at the beginning."


    "Of course, Wain, erase carefully. You''ll have to learn that soon."


    Osvald took a deep breath, then a stream of energy burst out of his body. The energy came back, but now in the form of chains. They shackled Osvald, and his aura became much weaker, the chains eventually disappearing.


    ''I see... He released some of the energy and forcibly blocked it. It looks pretty hard.''


    "Okay, girl, attack first and hit at full force!"


    Agnes nodded.


    ''What''s going on here anyway? I was just practicing... what the hell has ite to?'' Gisle inwardly muttered.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Agnes rushed forward. Her fists were covered in white energy, and sheunched a powerful punch.


    Osvald stepped to the side at thest moment and grabbed her arm, he threw her sideways like a projectile. Agnes bounced off the ground and attacked again. She hit from behind with all her might, but Osvald just jumped up and pressed lightly on her shoulder.


    Bam.


    Because of the pressure, Agnes lost her bnce and fell. She tried to counterattack, but Osvald''s palm was already at her throat. She couldn''t move a millimeter.


    Agnes was shocked. Osvald''s movements were simple and precise. There was nothing she could do against him. For a strong Agnes, this was unusual.

 Chapter 442 Training (Part 2)

    "Well... that was quick, but it''s for the best." Gisle muttered.


    "How did you do that...?" Agnes was puzzled.


    Osvald''s movements seemed simple, but Agnes could not counteract him.


    "Hmm? I just knew how you would act. You have pretty good technique, but you''re very predictable. There''s no point in quick strikes if they don''t reach the target."


    "More."


    "Hmm?"


    "I want to try again." Agnes said seriously.


    Osvald shrugged, "Suit yourself, but I have one condition."


    Agnes looked at him, puzzled.


    "If you can''t throw a single punch at me, you be my apprentice. I''m curious to see what kind of fighter you''ll turn out to be."


    "But... I''m not sure..."


    "Go for it." Gisle suddenly said, "Would you miss such a chance? Go for it."


    "Got it."


    "Fine, then, I''ll start this time!"


    Osvald rushed forward and attacked. Agnes reacted, stepped to the side, and struck back, but Osvald simply reflected her blow with the back of his palm.


    ''What?'' Agnes inwardly muttered.


    ''I haven''t lost yet!'' Agnes internally eximed and kicked.


    Osvald blocked the blow with his hand and looked slyly at Agnes. She flinched and backed away, but suddenly Osvald appeared beside her. He put his foot slightly forward, Agnes stumbled and fell.


    ''Surely this is Agnes...?'' Teresa asked herself.


    The others were just as surprised. They were used to Agnes being very strong, one of the most capable in Last Light, but against Osvald, she was like a child.


    "Okay, that''s enough. We all have a lot of work to do. Wain, let''s go." Gisle waved his hand.


    "Sure." Wain nodded.


    "When do we start training?" Agnes asked as she rose to her feet.


    "Whenever you want. We can start right now, as long as these two are talking. Your leader turned out to be pretty smart."


    "Hmm? Why?"


    "Because he understands perfectly well that with me, you''ll be many times stronger! Haven''t you figured that out yet?" Osvald smiled.


    ...


    Wain came into Gisle''s study. Little had changed here, there was a stack of papers on the desk, argefortable chair, and a closet with everything he needed.


    "Would you like a drink?"<sub> </sub>


    "I wouldn''t say no, but do you drink?" Wain wondered.


    "Well... Luckily I''ve had less worktely. The situation has normalized, and now I can rx a little. I don''t usually drink, but when I tried this wine, I couldn''t help myself." Gisle pulled a bottle of red wine out of the cab.


    "It''s a gift from Delia, I didn''t know Vampires liked the wine so much, but they seem to have infected me with it." Gisle ced two sses on the table.


    "By the way, how are things going with Vampires and nts? Is it going well?"


    "Yeah, it''s actually even better than I thought it would be. Though you have Elsa to thank more for that than me. She''s a genius administrator. Can you imagine that the tunnels are practically done? We''ve started trading, all that''s left to take care of is protection, and the perfect paths are ready. That goes for both Vampires and nts." Gisle poured wine into sses.


    A pleasant, fruity aroma emanated from the wine. Wain and Gisle enjoyed the aroma for a while, then simultaneously took a sip.


    "It''s great. I thought d''s wine was the best, but I guess I was wrong." Wain muttered as he shook his wine ss.


    "Okay, let''s cut to the chase. Where did you find these walking cats?"


    "In a random area, as far as I know, they got there during the worlds merge."


    "I see, that was unexpected, but they''re sure to find something to do here. Even though we have allies, we have one problem that I don''t know how to solve..." Gisle muttered.


    "What is it?"


    "The thing is..." Gisle drained his ss of wine, "That there''s too fucking few of us."


    "Hmm?"


    "We''re strong. As I''ve figured out, with many souls, the humans surpass the other races, but unlike them, we only have four cities and one ind. There are only a few tens of thousands of us, and two or three thousand can fight at best, and that''s me not taking into ount which Chronicle most of them are in."


    "I agree, that''s a problem..."


    "Of course, the Vampires aren''t that many either, there are fewer than us, but that''s only because it''s one city we cooperate with, though even so, unlike us, they are all fighters." Gisle said regretfully.


    "Gisle, I want to tell you something." Wain filled his ss with wine, "I was recently in Nord, it''s Demon City, and there I met this amazing girl. Her name is Alice, and she''s a human."


    "What? How is that possible...? Aren''t we the only ones?"


    "Apparently not, or there''s something we don''t know about. Either way, it''s an opportunity not to be missed, don''t you think?" Wain muttered as he looked at his ss of wine.


    Sometimester, Gisle said, "You''re right, but as I understand it, you don''t know where other people are excluding her or how many, is that right?"


    "Yeah."


    Gisle nodded, "I''d like to go looking, but it''s not possible at the moment. We don''t have as many resources or capabilities, it''s too dangerous. In the end, if it doesn''t work out, we''ll just have to find new allies and continue to build up our overall strength."


    Gisle understood that they needed to find their kin. It was the only way to increase their numbers. Gisle couldn''t wait until children were born and raised, they didn''t have that much time, but he had to act rationally.


    "If I find out where the humans are, will you go after them?"


    "Hmm? I didn''t know you cared about such things. Are you suddenly a phnthropist?"


    "No, I just might be able to find them. I''m going with Alice to her house soon. That''s probably where I''ll find clues about the other humans who came into this world with us."


    "Fine. Then I''ll do my best." Gisle smiled slyly.

 Chapter 443 Containment Of The Force

    Wain and Gisle discussed various issues for a while. They touched on important topics, and now Wain better understood how things were going in Last Light.


    The organization was growing, and the people were getting stronger. Every day the number of those who had awakened Soul Altar increased. They were on a path of strength.


    Cities gradually filled with infrastructure. Among those who activated Soul Altars were several people with Craft Soul, together they were returning the cities to their former appearance.


    Many people had already returned to their usual pace. They no longer had to worry about monsters, they could work and grow in their field of activity.


    "All in all, it goes something like this." Gisle muttered, "Of course, the situation is still far from ideal, there are many problems, butpared to how it was in the first weeks, we have made a huge leap in development."


    "I see... By the way, who''s the strongest in Last Light right now?"


    "Well... it''s obviously Maria. I don''t know how she does it, but she''s already pretty much met all the conditions to start the third evolution. Zero isn''t far behind either, but Maria won thest time they fought."


    "Huh, that''s actually pretty fast."


    "Of course, Forgotten is also extremely strong, but I can''tpletely count him as one of us. He''s a close ally, but he still has his own goals and pursuits. He only helps us sometimes. Luar, Agnes, Teresa, and Grut are strong, but I''ve never seen Luar serious yet, so I''m not sure how strong he really is."


    Wain nodded.


    "Of course, myself, Elsa, Va, and Ailot, as heads of cities, are holding our own. Like Maria, I will soon be able to begin the third evolution."


    "I see. Onest question before I go, where is Eva?"


    "Did you miss her?" Gisle smirked.


    "Well... I haven''t seen her in quite a while, so I guess that''s okay. After all, I''m not a robot."


    "Unfortunately, she''s not here right now. She took over her Void a few days ago and hasn''t shown up yet. She''s probably busy."


    "Good." Wain stood up, "If I find out anything, I''ll let you know. See youter."


    "Of course, I''ll look forward to it eagerly."


    ...


    Wain arrived at the training ground. Irma, the vigers, and Teresa had already left it and headed toward Elsa. Only three people remained there.


    Agnes and Osvald were practicing. He was telling her how to move, where to hit, and how to use her power most effectively. Luar watched them closely from the sidelines.


    "Osvald, are you ready? It''s time you finally taught me this technique."


    "Yes. Agnes, would you like to go to my Void? While Wain practices, you will practice with me."


    "Of course, I''d be honored." Agnes said respectfully.


    During their fight, Agnes had aplete change of heart about Osvald. He no longer seemed ignorant, though strong, to her. She realized that he was a true master, Osvald''s experience was immense. Studying with such a man was a stroke of luck, and Agnes would take advantage of it.


    "Go ahead, then."


    "Wait." Luar said suddenly, "Can Ie with you?"


    "Huh, I kept wondering if you would decide toe over or keep standing on the sidelines."<sub> </sub>


    "So?"


    "Come on. You''re going to train with this girl. You need a different approach, you''re different from Agnes, that''s good. It''ll be much more interesting."


    Osvald waved his hand as a spatial rift opened. They stepped inside and found themselves in Osvald''s Void.


    "Agnes, Luar, stay here, get ready for training. I need to talk to Wain in person first." Osvald headed toward the room where they fought the first time.


    "Damn, how does Wain know this man? Isn''t that amazing?" Leon muttered.


    "He travels, and it''s obvious he''s meeting new people. Maybe we should do that, too."


    "Possibly... but so far, it''s prettyplicated. I can''t be calm when I know anything could happen at any moment. He''s not a traveler, he is a journey." Luar sighed.


    ...


    "Osvald, how long will it take me to learn this technique?" Wain asked him.


    "I don''t know. It just depends on you and your skills, but it''s not a particrly difficult technique. On average, it should take a talented fighter a week to learn it. You''ll probably do it faster, in five or six days."


    "Okay, let''s get started."


    "I see you have a serious attitude. That''s what''s needed. First, release your aura, about half of what''s possible."


    Wain nodded. The air rippled, and Osvald felt the pressure on him.


    "Great, now slowly release the energy out of you until you reach a third of the total. Do it carefully, or you might hurt yourself."


    Dark energy burst out of Wain, at first in small amounts, it was like threads, they slowly grew and gradually increased. The process was quite lengthy. It took Wain more than ten minutes to release about one-tenth of his energy.


    ''This is harder than I thought it would be,'' Wain inwardly muttered.


    He had to contain the energy so it wouldn''t dissipate. He didn''t have to lose a particle, he had to stay concentrated at all times to do so.


    "Not bad. There''s still some left." Osvald nodded.


    There was a dark cover around Wain. The energy was floating in the air but not far from Wain. He was like a with asteroids circling around it.


    "Done. What next...?" Wain said with difficulty.


    "You''ve already seen everything. Bring that energy back, but don''t absorb it. Make it settle, turn the energy into a form you''refortable with. It doesn''t have to be chains, anything."


    "Okay... let''s try it."


    Wain sighed as the energy headed toward him. The energy stopped at his shoulders for a few seconds, then reached inside.


    "Damn. It didn''t work."


    "Huh, that would be weird if you did it the first time. Okay, you figured out how it works. I''ll be back tomorrow. Ask for help if you need it." Gisle left the room.

 Chapter 444 Scars

    Wain continued to practice. He understood the principle of lowering strength, but he needed time to do it wlessly.


    Osvald, meanwhile, began training his two new students.


    "Ready?" Osvald asked.


    "Yes!" Agnes said confidently.


    Luar nodded slightly.


    "Good, then I want you to fight first. Use your Beyonds, but don''t use abilities or equipment."


    "What?"


    "Just like that?"


    "Of course, I want to see which of you is stronger. So, fight seriously, it''s better for everyone." Osvald shrugged.


    Agnes looked intently at Luar. Osvald''s words hurt her, Agnes knew Luar was strong, but she was sure he was no match for her.


    "Okay. If it''s necessary, I have no other choice. Agnes, get ready, I''ll show you the power of serenity!" Luar smiled as his aura rose.


    Agnes remained silent. She stood up in a fighting stance, her look menacing. She was ready to win at all costs and prove that she was stronger.


    "Come on, let''s go!" Osvald pped his hands together.


    Whoooooooosh.


    The silhouette of a golden lion appeared above Luar, ws on her hands and eyes turned like a cat''s, with vertical pupils.


    Agnes appeared wearing snow-white armor and battle gauntlets. Her hair grew longer, and energy covered her legs.


    ''Not bad. This girl has very good technique, and her Beyond enhances all of her physical attributes. This guy has the opposite situation, Beyond only partially merged with it. I wasn''t wrong, this is sure to be interesting.'' Osvald muttered to himself.


    "Attack." Luar beckoned with her hand.


    "You''ll regret this."


    Agnes stepped forward and turned into a white sh. She found herself next to Luar and delivered a powerful punch with her fist.


    Luar barely had time to jump aside, but Agnes easily caught up with him. She attacked again. This time, her punch hit exactly the target. Her fist mmed into his stomach, and the shockwave tossed Luar aside.


    "That''s it? Osvald, I think you''ve made a mistake. He''s no match for me." Agnes said confidently.


    "Huh, are you so sure of that? Arrogance has never led to anyone''s sess. Look." Osvald pointed to the other end of the room.


    A cloud of dust slowly settled, and Luar emerged from under the rubble. He waspletely unharmed.


    "It was a hard blow, but it wasn''t enough." Luar shook his head as he shook off the dust.


    "What? How is that possible?" Agnes was shocked.


    She wasn''t going to feel sorry for Luar. On the contrary, she ensured it was over on the first punch.


    "No, I tricked you, though." Luar smirked, "Compared to Wain''s punch, it''s nothing. Look, I don''t have a speck of dust on me, after Wain''s punch, I was squirming in pain."


    "Bastard..." Agnes whispered as her eyes filled with blood.


    She lunged forward and attacked. Her foot came at Luar''s head with great speed.


    Luar ducked, dodged the blow, and leaped forward. Agnes tried to retreat, but Luar was too fast.


    ''What''s going on?'' Her eyes went wide.


    Instead of taking the chance to strike, Luar touched her legs and lifted Agnes into his arms.<sub> </sub>


    "How about we don''t fight and go on a date instead? I like strong women." Luar grabbed Agnes by the chin.


    Her face instantly turned red as a tomato, and her aura grew stronger and weaker at the same time. Agnes was confused.


    ''How did ite to this? Is this normal? Osvald was puzzled.


    This was the first time even he had seen anyone suggest something like this in the middle of a fight.


    "Get your hands off me!" Agnes shouted and bounced to the other side of the room.


    She was breathing heavily, and a storm of emotions consumed her. She couldn''t make up her mind about what she was feeling, it scared her.


    "Huh, you turn out to be pretty shy. I even like it, though. It''s cute." Luar smiled.


    His aura weakened, and the golden lion silhouette disappeared.


    "What are you doing...?! You won''t... fight anymore?"


    "No, there''s no need for that now." Luar shrugged.


    Agnes looked at Osvald.


    "I think he''s right. You will fight again a littleter, you need to rest, and then we will begin training."


    It took Agnes a long time to recover. She sat in the corner of the room all day, thinking about what had happened. She didn''t understand why, but all she could think about were Luar''s words and his face. He was a handsome man, probably more handsome than many women.


    ''Damn, what the hell is happening to me? It was just a joke, wasn''t it?''


    ...


    It wasn''t until the second day that Luar and Agnes were able to start training.


    Osvald exined to them how to hit correctly and how to use their energy. He pointed out their mistakes, and they had made terrific progress within a short period.


    However, even by the third day, they were not fighting again. Osvald suggested they do so many times, but Agnes refused for no reason.


    ''Though she pretends it''s okay, it isn''t at all. Damn, why did he decide to do it now? He''s caused the training to slow down several times.'' Osvald inwardly muttered.


    "What do we do next?" Luar asked.


    ''Nothing for now. Just rest and recuperate. I''ll go check on Wain, and I want you ready to fight when I get back!" Osvald shouted.


    "Looks like we don''t have a choice, do we?" Luar looked at Agnes.


    "Luar... Do you want to fight me, or is this another clever trick?"


    "Who knows?" He smiled.


    ...


    ''I wonder what progress Wain has made? It''s been three days since I learned this technique. It took me about the same amount of time.'' Osvald pondered.


    He opened the door and went inside.


    In the center stood Wain, covered in sweat. He was breathing heavily, the air around him trembling, and dark energy enveloped his body.


    Wain did not notice Osvald enter.


    "Again." He muttered.


    The energy went to his shoulders and prated his skin. However, it went no further, and dark, scar-like stripes began to appear on his shoulders.

 Chapter 445 Scars

    The energy turned into scars, and Wain''s aura weakened considerably.


    Wain breathed a sigh of relief. He didn''t stop trying until he finally seeded. It was a tricky one that not everyone could learn, even if they wanted to. Controlling energy this way was a sign of skill, especially in Second Chronicle.


    "I see you did it faster than I thought you would." Osvald leaned against the doorway.


    "Osvald? You''re here, you won''t believe it, but if I couldn''t do it now, I''d go to you for help."


    "And I''d turn you down."


    ? "What? Why?" Wain was puzzled by such an answer.


    Osvald showed him how to restrain his power and promised to teach him this technique. In such a situation, refusing in help was too strange a decision.


    "It''s obvious. It makes no sense for the vast majority to ask for advice after only three training days. With talented fighters, it takes just under a week, although seven days, or even ten, would be a great result, too. You made it in three days. That''s crazy. Frankly, I doubt thepleteness of your sess."


    "Was that apliment or not? Sometimes you''re pretty hard to understand." Wain shook his head.


    "Huh, certainly apliment, but an unusual one. Tell me, to what level have you lowered your strength?"


    "Can''t you understand that?" Wain muttered.


    Osvald shook his head, "Haven''t you noticed the hidden effect of this training yet. Take a closer look at your scars."


    Wain touched the scars, and his eyes went wide.


    ''I feel I can easily change it. Wasn''t it hard for me to do that a moment ago?'' Wain touched his shoulders.


    A faint, barely perceptible energy emanated from the scars. The rest of Wain''s aura waspletely hidden. Even Osvald couldn''t pinpoint it while Wain was calm.


    ''Has it really happened?'' Wain assumed what had happened.


    His palm was covered in dark mes, and he touched the floor. The dark mes spread around, but suddenly the mes intensified in some ces and elerated in others.


    "I definitely wasn''t capable of this before. My energy control has increased considerably, right?"


    "Yes. You were able topress the energy and turn it into a convenient form for you to contain the force. You were too concentrated and couldn''t figure it out, but the most important value of this challenging training isn''t the power hiding trick at all."


    "I see. I was actually learning to manage my energy better, not contain myself, that trick, that''s just a bonus."


    "Indeed." Osvald nodded, "Good thing you did it while on Second Chronicle."


    "Why?"


    "If you had evolved, you would have had a tremendous amount of energy. It would have been easier for you to control it because of your increased abilities, and there''s no way you would have gotten such a clean result. Simply put, the earlier you went through this training, the better. Of course, time is also very important."


    ''So that''s it... I wonder when Ern learned that trick? I wouldn''t be surprised if he did it even before I did.'' Wain pondered.


    ''If you want, you can stay here. I will always wee such a capable pupil as you." Osvald offered.


    "Thank you, but I think I''ll pass. We both know I can''t be your apprentice, at least not permanently. I''ve been quitete. It''s time for me to go home and get a move on." Wain picked up the cloak thaty on the floor.


    "Sure." Osvald nodded.


    He knew Wain would answer that way; there could be no other way.


    "Wain, before you go, I want to ask you something."<sub> </sub>


    "What is it?"


    "It''s just one little request from me. Would you mind fighting Luar and Agnes? I want to see if they''ll apply my instructions in a real fight."


    "Okay. Why not?" Wain shrugged, "But, wouldn''t it be better if they fought each other?"


    "There''s a bit of a problem with that." Osvald scratched the back of his head, "Looks like your friend, Luar, has a special interest in Agnes, so I certainly can''t move them without you."


    ''Hmm? Luar and Agnes? How did ite to this? Maybe I should be in Last Light more often?''


    ...


    Wain and Osvald returned to the training ground. Luar and Agnes were waiting for their new teacher to arrive.


    ''They''re ready. Good, I can see the fire in their eyes." Osvald inwardly mouthed.


    He didn''t know how, but as he stepped back, Agnes and Luar resolved their differences, at least some of them.


    "Wain? Are you really done with your training already?" Luar raised his eyebrows.


    "Yeah, it was harder than I thought it would be, but I got through it pretty quickly, so I have nothing toin about."


    "Okay, enough talk. Get ready for battle." Osvald said sharply.


    "To battle?" Agnes and Luar looked at each other.


    "Yes, but you will not fight each other. On the contrary, you will unite against amon enemy - Wain!" Osvald waved his hand.


    "What? We will have to fight Wain...?" Agnes muttered uncertainly.


    "It''ll be tough, but I''m ready!" Luar stared at Osvald, "When do we start?"


    "Right now." Wain said suddenly.


    He moved forward and found himself in front of Luar. Wain''s fist was like a hammer rushing toward him.


    Bam.


    In front of Luar stood Agnes. She crossed her arms, and the power of Wain''s blow came down on her, not on Luar.


    The shock wave from their collision was like a mighty gust of wind.


    "Damn!"


    Luar couldn''t keep on his feet, the wind tossed him aside, and the same thing happened to Agnes.


    "Hey, Osvald, do we even stand a chance?" Luar looked at Wain.


    Wain didn''t budge. His feet felt like they were nailed to the ground.


    "Okay, let''s raise the bar. Wain, please don''t use your Beyond and your unusual skills. Just the standard ones. Luar, Agnes, use everything you have. Let''s go!"


    Osvald wanted to see what Luar and Agnes were capable of, and he wondered how Wain''s strength had changed since the training.

 Chapter 446 Evolution

    "Huh, you''re putting me in a quandary." Wain muttered as two creepy wings appeared on his back.


    "I just want to see a fight where each side has a chance to win, not how you beat them up."


    Luar and Agnes prepared for the fight. She activated Beyonds and stared at Wain.


    "Well, let''s see what you can do." Wain muttered.


    He pped his wings and was instantly next to Agnes. She reacted and attacked prematurely.


    Wain bent down slightly, her fist flying in front of his face. He grabbed her fist and threw it with all his might. Agnes tried to regain her bnce, but she needed time. Wain wasn''t about to let her go, a phantom snake tail appeared over Agnes and fell on top of her.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Luar ran up to Agnes, he created a golden shield, but suddenly the serpent''s tail changed its trajectory. It curved and struck Agnes from the left instead of from above. The impact threw Agnes back, and she was buried under the wall''s rubble.


    ''Not bad. I couldn''t even think of doing something like that before. This training was much more useful than I thought it would be.'' Wain said inwardly.


    "Damn, this is bad." Luar bounced back.


    He put up a shield and helped Agnes to her feet. She wasn''t hurt much, Beyond''s energy protected her, but there was a bright mark on her body like a whish.


    "Are you okay?" Luar worried.


    "Yeah, I can take a few more of these blows, but sooner orter, he will break through my defense, then we lose."


    "Let''s attack from both sides. What do you think of that?" Luar suggested.


    "Okay, that should work."


    Agnes and Luar looked at each other, then attacked Wain. Luar was on the right, and Agnes was on the left.


    Wain did nothing. He stood still and watched them approach him. Powerful auras emanated from Luar and Agnes, the two of them having enough power to defeat most of the creatures in Second Chronicle.


    "Take that!" Agnes and Luar attacked simultaneously.


    Wain smiled as he stepped forward. His hands turned into a blur, and a momentter, Luar and Agnes were on the other side of the room.


    They spurted out a mouthful of blood with an obvious palm mark on their chests.


    ''What the fuck just happened?! Luar shouted to himself.


    ''Get up. This isn''t over. Are you really going to give up after missing just one punch? This isn''t serious." Wain smiled.


    He clenched his palm in a fist. A dark electric sphere appeared in the air, gradually increasing until it reached its maximum.


    Normally when Wain used Thundering Dissension, a pir of thunder came crashing down, but this time was different.


    The sphere turned into two lightning bolts. They headed toward Luar and Agnes.


    "Shit!" Luar eximed.


    Despite the pain, he got up and stood in front of Agnes. He created a protective barrier, single-handedly taking the full impact.


    The barrier was strong, it was able to block the first lightningpletely, but the second one broke through it like fragile ss.


    Luar knew this would happen. He was ready to receive the blow to protect Agnes.


    Whooooooosh.<sub> </sub>


    Agnes swung her arm and threw the lightning bolt aside. It mmed into the wall. There was an explosion, but no one was hurt.


    "Maybe we should call it a day." Wain looked at Osvald.


    "Yeah, you''re right. That''s enough." Osvald nodded, "You did pretty good."


    "What, is this a joke? We couldn''t even hit him! Shit!" Luar mmed his fist against the wall.


    "You lost, it''s true. However, you don''t need to be so pessimistic. You acted together and defended each other twice. You ended up with only one wound for two, though it could have been many times worse."


    "Luar, Osvald is right. Honestly, I didn''t even see that Wain''s punch. Unfortunately, we don''t stand a chance against him."


    Luar lowered his head with a frown. He wasn''t happy with the result. So was Agnes, but she was better able to contain her emotions, though the resentment of defeat ran deep inside her.


    ''Good, that''s what it takes.'' Osvald thought.


    "Wain, I want to make a wager with you."


    "Hmm? What is it this time?"


    Osvald pointed three fingers.


    "In three months, you''ll fight again, and I promise the two of you will kick your ass."


    "Huh, are you sure about that?" Wain looked at him in disbelief.


    "Absolutely. In ny days, you''re going to be defeated. It''s definitely going to happen."


    "Okay, we''ll see what happens." Wain shrugged, "I gotta go."


    "Sure." Osvald walked over to Wain.


    They shook hands, and Wain opened the portal and left the area.


    "So, are you ready for training?" Osvald pronounced.


    "Yes." Luar and Agnes responded simultaneously.


    "Mr. Osvald, are we seriously going to have to stay here for three months...?" Agnes asked.


    "Of course, forget everything for that time. You shouldn''t worry that something bad will happen to your friends and mates without you. You have to have faith in them and focus on your progress. These three months will be hard but effective. I promise you that!"


    Tremble.


    Suddenly space shuddered as a spatial passage appeared in the air.


    ''Hmm? Has Wain decided toe back? Has he forgotten something?'' Osvald pondered as he stared at the passage.


    However, it was not Wain. Out of the passageway came the one to whom Osvald had recently given the key to his area. It was Keith.


    "Oh, I guess this is a bad time..." He looked at the puzzled Luar and Agnes, "Sorry to interrupt."


    "No, no, you came just when you needed to. We were just about to start training, join us. These two can learn a lot from you." Osvald smiled quite a bit.


    "Then how about we start right now?" Keith''s aura intensified, "Mr. Osvald, I respect you, you''re a great fighter. That''s why I want to fight you. It will be a great example to your students of how to fight."

 Chapter 447 Evolution (Part 2)

    Wain left the Osvald''s area in high spirits. Though the Cosmic Beetle incident had dyed him, Wain had achieved much more than he had originally hoped for. He had learned useful techniques and met all the conditions to begin his third evolution.


    ''I told Ern I''d be back quickly, but I ended up missing for a week, though I think they have a lot to do. I wonder if Erza has already cooled down or if she will try to grab me again.''


    The Erza situation bothered him. He didn''t know how to rte to her. She was kind of an enemy and kind of an ally. It was because of her special attitude towards Wain, that she wanted to get him, but there was no way she could do it even if she were stronger.


    ''Okay, anyway, she won''t be a threat to me anymore after I evolve. That problem is pretty much solved, but if she finds out about Eva... it''ll be a real headache.'' Wain shook his head as he entered the ice gate.


    He returned to his Void, Frozen of Frozen Land. It was the best ce to begin the extremely important process of anyone, evolution.


    ''Oh, things have changed quite a bit here.'' Wain looked at the central square in the icy territory.


    Now instead of tunnels, there were neat paths along which monsters ran. Some of them were carrying something as they helped to Goblins, others were running to different points in the area.


    "Wain, you''re back." Elegan stepped out of the aisle as he waved his hand in greeting.


    "Yeah... I haven''t been out here for quite a while." Wain nodded weakly, "How are you doing? No problems?"


    "Everything''s fine. The monsters develop, resources grow, Frigus teaches the monsters, he''s an amazing teacher. The monsters are many times stronger. Thebination of energy-rich resources and a good mentor has an amazing effect."


    "I see. How many monsters have approached the frontier of Second Chronicle? How many are ready to evolve but can''t make the final move?"


    "Hmmm..." Elegan wondered, "About fifty percent, many still need time to get there. By the way, Edena and Lui Bu asked me where you were. They''ve asked me that question over a hundred times. Did something happen?"


    "No, I''m just a littlete." Wain sighed, "Elegan, I''m about to start my third evolution, so get a proper ce ready for me."


    "Of course, I''ll make the best of it. Any preferences?"


    Nothing in particr. I just need a quiet and peaceful ce, though, as we all do."


    Elegan smiled as he nodded in approval.


    His aura was calm but very powerful. He was one of the first to reach the border of the Second Chronicle. Frigus and Reto were not far behind either. They were the strongest in the area and were waiting for the right moment to start their evolution.


    After talking to Elegan, Wain headed to Edena and Lui Bu. They were not very strong, their task was different - they developed the area by creating potions and effectively used all the resources.


    Theirboratory was in the forest, in a cave behind a waterfall. Theb had grownrger over time, with new pathways, rooms, and helpers.


    ''Well... It''s probably even better that Lui Bu and Edena found them a job.'' Wain muttered inwardly as he looked at the goblins.


    They were breaking crystals, grinding roots and nts into powder, and distributing it all to the storerooms.


    Wain headed toward a room that gave off a strong bloody smell. A massive, iron door blocked the entrance to the room. Edena had set it so that no one could disturb them, though Wain didn''t care about that.


    He squeezed the doorknob tightly as he slid it open. The door creaked open, and a stream of red particles burst out of the room.<sub> </sub>


    "What the fuck?! I told you not to disturb me!" Edena yelled angrily as she headed for the door.


    "Take it easy. Aren''t you a little too emotional for a Construct?" Wain smiled.


    "Wain... You finally made it."


    "Yes." He nodded.


    Edena stepped closer to him and stared at him.


    "Bastard! Why did I have to wait so long for you?!" Edena uttered as she punched Wain in the chest.


    His eyes went wide, but he didn''t duck.


    "Ouch!" Edena pressed her hand against his. She felt as if she had struck an iron beam rather than a man.


    "Damn! What are you made of? Why does it hurt me and not you, even though I hit you and not the other way around?"


    "Huh, it''s called instant karma. Okay, enough of these games. I''m here on business." Wain looked around, "Where''s Lui Bu? I have gifts for you."


    "Hmm?" Edena''s eyes sparkled, "Did you get what we asked you for?"


    "Yes." Wain nodded, "I was a littlete, but I kept my word."


    "He''s in the other room; I''ll get him now."


    "No need, let''s go to him together. Edena, tell me, what is it?" Wain pointed to the alchemical instation.


    There was a red, bubbling liquid in the sks and several jars of a viscous, bloody substance nearby.


    "Well... I''ve been experimenting and trying to create a Blood Essence Potion for thest few days, but as you can see, I haven''t seeded."


    "Even though I''m no expert in alchemy, I think you''ve already taken a big step forward. This system looks impressive."


    "Huh, you think so. I''m still a nobodypared to the best alchemists. They would have done it in an hour and with fewer resources. It took me so long, though." Edena said sadly.


    "Don''t worry." Wain put his hand on her shoulder, "Not everyone can seed in one day, but that doesn''t mean that such people are incapable of surpassing those who have done it."


    "Sure..." Edena mumbled as a blush appeared on her face.


    Her temper was stern and rigid, but like any human, she needed encouragement from time to time, however slight.

 Chapter 448 Evolution (Part 3)

    Wain and Edena went to Lui Bu''sboratory. It wasn''t as big as Edena''s, but it was cozy and pleasant. The ce had a special atmosphere. They were both alchemists but with very different approaches.


    The Constructs used math, physics, chemistry, and precise calctions, while the Axalts acted on ir, paying more attention to material properties, scent, and effects.


    There were alchemists among the other races, too, some of whom became great, but Axalts and Constructs have always been the benchmark for sess in this field.


    "Edena, do you and Lui Bu work individually?" Wain asked as he walked to the door.


    "Not always. There are projects where we need each other''s help, but some things we do alone. It''s more efficient and quieter that way."


    "Good." Wain opened the door.


    A pleasant herbaceous scent wafted out of the room. It was the smell of flowers, roots, and potions.


    In the center, sitting in a lotus pose, Lui Bu was meditating. Flower petals floated beside him, a pleasant aura emanating from him, as calm as a stream of water.


    Lui Bu opened his eyes. He was surprised to see Edena and Wain after so long.


    "Wee back."


    "d to see you." Wain smiled.


    Lui Bu got to his feet, and they shook hands.


    "I hope you didn''te empty-handed?"


    "Huh, of course not. I got everything you asked me for, but before I do, I want to ask you something." Wain looked at the tables in the room, "What is it?"


    Besides herbs, powders, and flowers on the table, there were parts of monsters, ws, horns, and so on.


    "I needed these materials for an experiment. I had to go to a low-level arena to get them."


    "Hmm? Wasn''t that too risky?" Wain raised an eyebrow.


    "No, Elegan helped me. He picked a great team for me, so we quickly got the monster parts and went home."


    "Hey, can we get to the fun part already?" Edena tapped Wain on the side.


    "Whatever you say." Wain smiled as the ring on his finger glowed brightly with a green light.


    A massive cauldron appeared beside him, several goblets of brightly burning me, and a set of unique potions with unusual effects.


    "This is actually... Damn, how cool this is!" Lui Bu eximed.


    "Thank you." Edena muttered.


    Her reaction was more rxed. While Lui Bu cheered, Edena considered the potions.


    "I hope this helps you."


    "Of course, this cauldron and the me essence cubes are incredible! I used to have to manage with skills and fires, but now it will be different!" Lui Bu touched the cauldron as its description appeared.


    [Dragon me Pattern Cauldron (Second Chronicle, Heroic Eating)


    This cauldron is made of sturdy metal with unique properties. The cauldron heats up quickly and easily but takes a very long time to cool down, capable of holding a single temperature for days. In special cells in the cauldron''s body, you can insert the essence of the me. The more of them, the stronger the me will be.


    *Protects resources inside from external influences and purifies them by 90%. With sufficient skill of the Alchemist, a deeper degree of purification is possible.<sub> </sub>


    *Increases the chance to create a potion with a higher Rating than originally.


    *Possible to brew Third Chronicle potions and purify powerful ingredients]


    "How''s that? Not bad, right?"


    "This cauldron is the best."


    "Not bad. Honestly, I didn''t expect you to be able to get something this high quality." Edena touched the boiler, "How much did it cost? I mean, all of it?"


    Lui Bu stared at Wain, he was curious to know. They knew that such things were very valuable and that only rich people could afford them.


    "I think you''d better not know that. Just make the most of it. All right, I''ve got to go. I''ve got one important thing to do." Wain waved his hand as he headed for the exit.


    "Wait!" Lui Bu and Edena said at the same time.


    "What is it?" Wain turned around.


    "This is awkward to say, but we have a present for you, too." They looked at each other.


    "Hmm?" Wain was surprised, "Huh, I didn''t know my dear alchemists were so sentimental."


    "Shut up." Edena said sharply, "That would just be fair. You gave us a home, an opportunity, and a chance. We''re grateful for that, but we still haven''t been able to do anything worthwhile for you personally."


    "That''s not true, you''ve done a lot for the zone, which means a lot for me, but I hear you. Go ahead, show me what you''ve prepared. I''m looking forward to it." Wain smiled.


    His heart began to pound faster, he could taste the excitement and sessful investment. Though it was only the beginning, Edena and Lui Bu were already beginning to pay off.


    "Yes."


    Their rings glowed. A pouch with three white pills appeared in Lui Bu''s hand, Edena had a dark potion, very viscous like tar.


    "We asked Frigus and Elegan in detail about your skills and abilities. They told us which consumables would suit you best." Edena muttered.


    They approached Wain as they handed over their gifts.


    "Thank you. I appreciate it." Wain said seriously.


    "Then we should all get back to work." Lui Bu walked over to the cauldron.


    "Sure."


    ...


    Wain left theb and met with Elegan. He prepared the perfect ce for Wain to begin his third evolution.


    "What do you think?" Elegan waved his hand as he showed his work.


    It was a small room under the iceke. In the center was a tform just above floor level. Next to the tform flowed two brooks of frosty water. At the edges of the streams grew trees with blue foliage, which gave off a pleasant chill.


    "Not bad. It''s much better than I expected. You''re as good as ever." Wain nodded in approval.


    "All right, then, I''ll leave you out of it. I and the others need to prepare for a significant change, don''t I?" Elegan smiled.


    "Yeah, I''m looking forward to it."

 Chapter 449 Third Chronicle

    Elegan left the room with a satisfied smile. He had been waiting for a moment to make a breakthrough, and Wain''s evolution was just what he needed.


    ''Well, it''s time to begin. Hopefully, the conditions for the Fourth Chronicle won''t prove impossible.'' Wain sighed inwardly as he sat down on the tform.


    The most important fact for a sessful evolution was silence and safety. So, most people like Wain evolved in their Voids.


    Tremble.


    Wain took a deep breath as the air around him trembled. Wain had done this twice before, he was no longer worried and waspletely confident in his actions.


    Streams of energy slowly flowed out of his body. They gradually turned into a dark gray sphere. It increased in size, eventually bing asrge as Wain himself.


    The sphere glowed like bright sun and exploded. Streams of energy headed toward Wain, and he slowly absorbed them. His strength was increasing, he could feel himself moving to the next level.


    Wain''s muscles were getting tighter and stronger. His body was changing, all the excess wasing out. Not only was his body changing, but also, on the inside, his Soul Altar.


    ...


    "Not bad, we had to wait long enough, but it''s finally happening." Blind Sorcerer muttered as he looked at the tform below him.


    He, Code of Light and Darkness, and Cursed Swordsman stood on the second tform. They were ready to sink even lower after the third evolution began to crack across it.


    "Honestly, I thought we were going to be in a slightly different lineup." ck Sun Aristocrat muttered.


    "Yeah... He''s taking too long to find the next one, though that''s not surprising given the amount of things that have happened. Everything in this life takes time, sometimes it is criticallycking." Cursed Swordsman exhaled icy steam.


    "Enough talk. Break the damn wall down already. I want to go lower." The Knight of the Bloody Rose plunged his sword into the ground. A powerful, bloody aura emanated from him.


    "Don''t be so impatient. You just have to wait a little while. Look." Code of Light and Darkness pointed to the crown, "It''s already shaking. Don''t you see that it''s already ready?"


    Crackle.


    Immediately after his words, the second tform failed. Code of Light and Darkness, Cursed Swordsman, and Blind Sorcerer fell down with slight smiles on their faces. They found themselves on the third, deeper tform.


    "Let''s go." Knight of the Bloody Rose uttered as he jumped down.


    The ck Sun Aristocrat nodded.


    The crown soared above the third tform. This tform was muchrger than the previous one, but not as stable. There was much more energy flowing through it than in the previous two, it gave the forms special capabilities.


    "Are we going to do this now or a littleter?" Code of Light and Darkness asked.


    "We''ll wait. Evolution isn''t easy. Let hime to his senses first." Blind Sorcerer muttered.


    ...


    Evolutionsted quite a while, only three dayster, Wain opened his eyes. His eyes glowed brightly with blue light, then slowly faded.


    "What a lightness... It''s rather strange. Why don''t I feel anything besides that? Shouldn''t I be overflowing with power right now?" Wain muttered as he rose to his feet.


    Whooooooosh.


    Many messages appeared before Wain.


    [You havepleted the third evolution and reached the Third Chronicle. This is a major leap forward that only a few can achieve.]


    [All stats are increased by 250.]


    [The rating of all your skills except Nameless King''s Forms has been lowered by one step, but the former power has been retained.]


    [All restrictions have been removed from you. As before, you can be stronger by absorbing energy from souls.]


    [All bonus stats received from any other effects than souls absorption have been removed and converted into energy to increase your power.]<sub> </sub>


    Whoooooosh.


    Suddenly Wain''s status opened without his knowledge.


    [Wain Norheim


    Level: 50


    Race: Human


    Beyond: Cmity


    Soul: Nameless King


    Additional Soul: Dimensional Monarch


    Title: Savior of the Damned, Echo of Samurai, Mentor Inquisitor, The First, Soul Gatherer, Cartographer, yer of Goliath, Contender, Defeating One of the Four Kings, Killing the Legend, etc...


    Status Points: 0


    Strength: 1000 / Agility: 1000 / Vitality: 1000 / Stamina: 1000 / Energy: 1000 / Majesty: 6]


    Wain was surprised. His stats looked clean, and even they were cleared, and it was like...


    ''It''s like a new beginning.'' Wain inwardly muttered.


    [All your stats have reached the critical point of 1.000, and you are also in the Third Chronicle. Your importance in the world has increased significantly. Your energy has be somethingpletely different. You have entered a new league.]


    [Received - World Impact First Rank]


    "What''s going on?!


    [World Impart


    This special power is not a skill, soul, or title. Only those who have passed many tests and reached the Third Chronicle receive this power. This power separates you from other creatures below the Third Chronicle. They are an inferior league, unable to oppose you.


    Depending on your experiences, fortitude, actions, and race, a unique World Impact is created for everyone in Third Chronicle.


    Your World Impact gets the name King Role]


    Bam.


    Wain fell to the floor. Lots of messages floated around him, he was shocked and didn''t understand what was going on.


    He was already used to evolutions and thought there would be nothing unusual this time, but it turned out to be moreplicated than he could have imagined.


    "I hope that''s it?" Wain muttered.


    Tremble.


    Suddenly the space shuddered.


    ''Fuck. It looks like it''s only in the middle at best.''


    [You''ve moved into Third Chronicle, and your Concept is in full force. Now you can experience the full power of space with Dimensional Concept.]


    Purple particles appeared in the air as some of the space shattered into small shards. Wain tried to stop it somehow, at that time, the particles flew into his chest.


    A purple light burst from Wain''s eyes. Shards of space froze in the air and gradually fell back into ce, then Wain passed out.

 Chapter 450 Memory

    While Wain was out, a change urred to his Soul Altar. A small, purple seal with the image of a broken mirror appeared on the Altar. It was the sign of the space, the first Concept Wain had mastered.


    The dark castle inside Soul Altar was unnaturally quiet. All five forms were silent as if they were waiting for something. Their auras were calm, and there was a faint smile on their faces.


    Crackle.


    The ice tform beneath Wain cracked as he slowly opened his eyes.


    ''What was that?'' Wain looked at his hands, then stared at the space.


    ''Is it whole? Did I do that?'' Wain looked around, ''Yes, it must be. No one''s been in here for sure.''


    Wain slowly rose to his feet. All the messages had already disappeared, but there remained one, a very important one.


    [The Nameless King''s Forms skill has evolved and adapted to your strength. All of your current forms have be considerably stronger. The fourth form, ck Sun Aristocrat, and the fifth form, Knight of the Bloody Rose, have gained special abilities.


    Your contact has grown stronger, you have been developing a connection with the forms for a long time, and now it is time for the next phase].


    ''It''s time.'' One of the forms said as the space next to Wain distorted.


    Wain turned around, and his eyes went wide.


    "You are..."


    "Yes, I am."


    The Code of Light and Darkness stood before Wain. He looked very simr to Wain''s appearance while using the first form. Code of Light and Darkness had the same long white hair and ck and white armor. His face was not as stiff but smoother, his eyes were as calm as the smoothness of water, and he was slightly taller than Wain.


    Wain was shocked. He stepped forward as he touched the Code of Light and Darkness, but suddenly his hand went through.


    "I''m sorry, but I''m not really real. Think of me like a ghost, I can hardly influence the outside world, and neither can anyone else. It''s much better to talk like this than in fragmented phrases, isn''t it?" Code of Light and Darkness smiled.


    "Yeah... that''s actually amazing..." Wain muttered as he couldn''t believe his eyes, "Can only you appear, or are others capable of it as well?"


    "It''s not a simple question, but it''s not about others right now. It''s about me." Code of Light and Darkness touched Wain''s forehead with the tip of his finger.


    Wain''s eyes sparkled and were covered with a dense veil, the right eye turning white and the other ck. It was as if he were in a trance or under hypnosis.


    "Eh, it''s time to see it again. I wonder how some things are capable of being both horrible and beautiful at the same time." Code of Light and Darkness sighed.


    ...


    ''Where am I?'' Wain asked himself as he opened his eyes.


    He found himself high up in the mountains, on the grounds of some ancient ruins.


    ''Looks like there was a major battle here recently.'' Wain looked at the ruined ruins.


    Only rubble remained from most of the ruins. The rocks nearby had been destroyed, the walls and various buildings were beyond repair.<sub> </sub>


    Tremble.


    Suddenly the space trembled, and a powerful flow of an eerie aura came over Wain from behind the mountain. It was so strong that it became almost material as it scattered the rocks apart.


    Wain ran forward. He didn''t know what was going on here, but he was sure he had to find out.


    ''The Code of Light and Darkness certainly didn''t bring me here for anything. There''s definitely something important here. I can''t miss it!


    As time passed, the aura grew stronger, and Wain quickened. There was a long, branching tunnel in the mountain that looked like the base of some bishops or priests. Various drawings of crosses, unknown symbols and runes were on the walls. Some of the rooms Wain ran past had cabs with scrolls and tablets.


    ''What is this ce?'' Wain wondered as he walked out of the tunnel.


    He stopped, his eyes going wide from what he saw.


    There were ruined ruins in front of the mountain, strange tunnels inside, but on the other side was absolute hell.


    Wain looked at the rivers of blood flowing among the many houses. People in ck and white robes had been ughtered in the most brutal way. Some were impaled on stakes, some their head or a couple of arms cut off, some torn apart.


    Dozens of people were buried under the rubble of their homes, something only a true monster or someone consumed by hatred could have done.


    "You bastards! I''ll kill you! I''ll tear you to pieces!" A furious voice erupted as the eerie aura intensified.


    Wain instantly ran there.


    ''If the Code of Light and Darkness has something to show for it, it is definitely there.''


    Wain dashed through dozens of houses and stopped.


    In the distance was a tall man with long ck hair and eyes red with rage. He was surrounded by several men who looked like monks.


    He wore a long ck robe, a demon mask on his face, and a white silhouette floated above him. However, this bit of light wasn''t kind, it flew toward one monk and pierced him with a sword. The weapon was covered in blood, and the spirit returned.


    "What''s going on here...?" Wain asked himself, as it was like a demoning from hell.


    "Quick! Stop him!" One of the monks pointed his sword at the man.


    "Yes! Go!" The others put their hands together as if they were praying.


    Blue magical circles appeared in front of the monks, and many lightning bolts struck the demon.


    "Idiots... How with such pathetic abilities do you even dare disturb me!" The demon shouted as a massive Yin and Yang sign appeared on the ground.


    ''That''s a special ability...'' Wain said inwardly.


    Suddenly the white part of the sign darkened, and it took a full turn. The two parts glowed, and the lightning bolts changed their direction, they pierced the monks.

 Chapter 451 Memories (Part 1)

    Lightning pierced the monks, they could not defend themselves, and the red-hot sma turned them into handfuls of ash.


    The Demon breathed heavily and looked up at the temple high in the mountains. From there, a tall monk in a ck robe and white arm bandages stared intently at him. Beside him stood other monks, they were his disciples. They were in charge of these temples and had to take action, for the Demon''s arrival was a real disaster.


    "Why did youe here? This is a sacred ce, but you have turned it into a branch of hell on earth. Go away." Head Monk said seriously.


    "You broke into my house and killed my family! What kind of nonsense are you talking, you filthy bastard?! Our conflict will only be resolved when I crush your skulls with my own hands!"


    "That you survived was a big mistake. Your family and the people of your vige should have died. You messed with demonic power. This is your punishment."


    "This is nonsense!"


    "You think so? Look at yourself? You look like the spawn of hell, vile and horrible." Head Monk looked at him contemptuously.


    "This happened because of you!" The Demon shouted as his eyes filled with blood, with incredible anger.


    "Kill him." Head Monk shook his head.


    "Yes!" The disciples eximed simultaneously.


    They pounced on the Demon and used their most powerful skills. Some attacked with the power of fire, some with the power of lightning or lightning. The Demon sessfully blocked the attacks, but the monks would not let him move. They controlled him, it was their duty to get rid of him and protect the main temple.


    Head Monk jumped down and approached the Demon. None of the Demon''s attacks could hurt Head Monk, he was protected by a special barrier. A powerful but calm aura emanated from Head Monk.


    "Tie him up." Head Monk said calmly.


    The disciples nodded as they pulled the scrolls from their belt pouches. They ced the scrolls on the ground and activated them. Dozens of massive chains headed toward Demon,pletely immobilizing him.


    "You chose the wrong side. We would have forgiven you if you had repented of your sins and joined us. All you had to do was give us the Code of Equilibrium of the Parties."


    "Kill!" The Demon roared as he tried to attack.


    "That''s stupid." Head Monk grinned.


    Chains restrained the Demon. All he could do was gnashing his teeth in anger.


    Head Monk folded his arms together, and a silhouette appeared above him that resembled a huge ogre.


    "You''re wrong, but I''m going to fix it now." Head Monk put his palm to Demon''s forehead.


    "Argh!!!" Daemon roared in pain as his life force began to leave him.


    The silhouette of the Ogre above Head Monk devoured the Demon''s energy as it transmitted it to Monk.


    The Demon tried to resist, but the chains were unwavering, as was the Head Monk''s power.


    "Master! Look!" One of the students suddenly said as he pointed to the sky.


    Head Monk raised his head, and his eyes went wide. Thunderclouds clustered above them, gray energy enveloping them.<sub> </sub>


    ''Did he do it? No, the chains are holding him tight, then what is it? What''s going on here?'' Head Monk inwardly muttered.


    ''Hahaha, you say he''s a mistake? I don''t think that''s entirely true. You''re not monks, you''re just a bunch of pathetic thugs. You mock the immobilized victim. Is that what they taught you? What a shame." Suddenly a thunderous voice came from the heavens.


    Tremble.


    A terrifying aura came over the monks, their legs trembling and goose bumps running down their bodies. They had never experienced such terror, not even when their master was angry.


    Lightning shed, and a dark silhouette fell from the sky. It wasnding next to the head monk. The shockwave from its fall was so powerful that it blew away the damaged houses and caused many trees to bend to the point that they broke.


    Wain tried to defend himself from the debris flying at him, but it flew right past him. It was only a memory, here he was, a ghost and a mere observer.


    "Who are you?" Head Monk shouted.


    "Me?" the man pointed to himself, "Does it matter?"


    ''Hmm? Who is this? Why can''t I see it? Wain wondered.


    A dark, imprable veil covered the man''s entire body. He looked like a dark silhouette, though that was only true of Wain. Monks and Demon saw the man''s true identity.


    "You can''t stop us!" Head Monk eximed as he attacked Invader.


    Invader smiled and stopped the attack with ease.


    ''What, how is that possible...?! My punch is strong enough to shake an entire mountain!!!!'''' Head Monk inwardly eximed.


    "Oh, don''t worry, I won''t kill you, even though I should." Invader looked at Demon, "He''ll do it, my new friend."


    Tremble.


    A massive stream of dark energy erupted from Invader, and the ground trembled like a massive earthquake. The rocks split apart, cracks appeared in the mountains, and the chains around the Demon weakened.


    "Run! We can''t handle this monster!" Head Monk shouted.


    The disciples flinched and ran. Demon ran after them, but suddenly he was stopped by Invader.


    "Don''t."


    "Get out of my way. Don''t get in my way! I have to kill them!"


    "Of course, I wasn''t going to prevent it, but you don''t have to chase them. I''ll help you." Invader smirked as he snapped his finger.


    Space warped, and invisible walls blocked the monks'' path. A transparent dome covered the arena, almost no one could get out or in from there.


    "I won''t get in your way, have fun." Invader waved his hand as he stepped outside the dome and leaned his back against a tree.


    The Demon smirked, and a stream of bloodthirsty aura burst out of him. He attacked the monks, and no one else could stop him. Without his restraining powers, the monks could do nothing against him. He tore them apart, killed them, and enjoyed quenching his hatred.

 Chapter 452 Memories (Part 2)

    The Invader gave the Demonplete freedom of action. The Demon used all of his power, it was a disaster for the monks. The Demon was killing them and would not stop. Only an hourter, when no one was left alive inside the dome, Demon could breathe a sigh of relief.


    "Finally... I did it..." Demon muttered as he looked at Head Monk''s corpse.


    "How does it feel? Isn''t it wonderful to finally let your hatred get out?" Invader calmly asked.


    "Yeah, it feels great. Honestly, I was a little afraid the hatred would consume me. I''ve heard a lot about that." The Demon copsed to the ground, exhausted.


    "This nonsense was invented by those who didn''t have enough power to get revenge. In fact, if you didn''t get your revenge, the hatred would slowly consume you since killing those monks was what you wanted. We cannot fully resist our desire, for that is what sets us apart." Invader snapped his finger.


    The spatial dome disappeared, and Invader approached Demon, though calling him that was no longer correct.


    "I see you''ve finally calmed down." Invader pointed at his new friend''s armor.


    The dark armor was melting like it was under a very hot fire. His hair gradually turned white with a few ck curls. His eyes turned blue like the ocean, and there was no longer a menacing aura emanating from him.


    "Who are you? Why did youe here? Why did you decide to help me?"


    "Well... it''s just a coincidence. I noticed your aura and couldn''t get past it. Your aura was so violent, so hateful, I''ve never seen anything like it, but you''re okay now, right?"


    "Yeah... I guess so..."


    "I like your spirit. Let''s be friends." Invader held out his hand.


    The man hesitated for a while, but shook his hand nheless.


    "Good."


    "You know, I give a nickname to every friend I meet under unusual circumstances. Yours will be - Restored Equilibrium, no objections epted." Invader said with a smile on his face.


    "I wasn''t going to." He shook his head, "It''s a great nickname with a brutal and beautiful history."


    Crackle.


    Space shattered into tiny shards.


    "Shit, I''ve got to get closer!"


    Wain tried to run up to them, but it was toote. The world disappeared, and Wain returned to reality.


    The Code of Light and Darkness was still standing next to him.


    "Was that you?" Wain asked, puzzled.


    "Yes." Code of Light and Darkness nodded weakly, "Now we can connect with you, so we had to show you this."


    "We?"


    "Of course, I was only the first, but I think you need some time to think about what happened." Code of Light and Darkness nodded as he fumed.


    ''Am I about to see the memories of the others? But, who was that mysterious man?'' Wain pondered.


    Suddenly an information window appeared before Wain.


    [You opened the nickname of the first form, Code of Light and Darkness.]


    [Recall gave you new power and opened the second appearance of the first form, Restored Equilibrium. You can use it at any time.]


    [Restored Equilibrium.


    This is the source of the memory of the release of hatred and a new amazing encounter. When you use this power, you will know the true power of darkness and the hidden, eerie side of light.]<sub> </sub>


    Wain was puzzled, but a fire burned in his eyes. He wanted to use it right now.


    ''Second appearance? Doesn''t that mean I just got another form? Wain inwardly eximed as his aura intensified.


    Dark streams of energy burst out of the ground andpletely covered him.


    A ck armor appeared on Wain, his hair became longer, and his eyes turned red. Above Wain was a white silhouette, a bloodthirsty aura emanating from it.


    ''Code of Light and Darkness used it to attack, but something tells me that light has other functions.'' Wain thought as he thrust his arm forward.


    The silhouette trembled and turned into a sword. The energy on the sword vibrated like aser sword.


    Wain took several swings. Several des hovered in the air, vibrations emanating from them.


    "Not bad." Wain nodded as he canceled the first form.


    "I understand that you''re curious, but isn''t it time to move on...?" An eerie voice came from behind Wain.


    Wain didn''t even turn around. He knew from the intense cold that the Cursed Swordsman had decided to talk to him.


    "I guess you''re the second one, right?"


    "Yes... isn''t it obvious...?"


    "Go ahead. Somehow I feel that your story will be the most unusual of all." Wain nodded.


    "Well... You''re wrong. It will be a disappointment."


    The Cursed Swordsman put his hand on Wain''s shoulder, and they both turned to ice. Wain momentarily lost consciousness as he entered the memory.


    ...


    ''Well, at least it doesn''t smell like blood in here.'' Wain looked around.


    ? There was arge wooden gate beside him; it was the entrance to a vige, deep in the woods, near the mountains.


    There was a dark veil in the distance, Wain could not see everything but only what was part of the memories.


    ''This memory seems to be calm, unlike the previous one.''


    ''This memory seems to be calm, unlike the previous one, but what am I waiting for?''


    Several guards stood near the gate, but nothing significant was happening.


    Only after a while did Wain finally see a change. A tall man in a wide tattered cloak approached the gate. Chains restrained his left arm, it looked terrifying with his eerie aura.


    "Hey, that''s the swordsman." The guard whispered.


    "Yes, he dide after all. Looks like the head of the vige knows what he''s doing after all. Maybe all may not be lost yet."


    The guards were talking quietly among themselves, they didn''t want the swordsman to hear them, but he had a very keen hearing.


    "You are too loud. Haven''t you been taught how to stand guard?" The swordsman said rudely as he approached them.


    "Excuse me sir!" The sentinel shuddered.


    "Sir, what is the purpose of your visit?" Another guard asked.

 Chapter 453 Memories (Part 3)

    "I came here because your leader asked me for help. Don''t you know that? What mediocrities..." Cursed Swordsman shook his head.


    The guards didn''t like his tone, but they remained silent. They knew of the man''s bad reputation before them. However, he was strong, that was what was needed.


    "Okay, you don''t really have to know everything. Here, this is the reason I''m here." Cursed Swordsman pulled a scroll from his belt pouch.


    Parchment scrolls usually had something important written on them or were taken to guilds to hang a task there. It could be anything, an assassination, a simple farming aid, or something on arger scale.


    On the scroll was a picture of some kind of monster, something that looked like a mixture of an insect and a lizard.


    ''Great, he dide here to help us after all!'' the guards thought at the same time.


    "Sorry, we didn''t realize right away that you were here for noble purposes." The guards bowed, "Pleasee in, Elder is waiting for you."


    "Good. I hope this won''t take long." Cursed Swordsman stepped forward, "Guys, you need more training, in which case you wouldn''t have to wait for someone like me. I''ll help you, but it''s only luck, not an inevitable oue."


    "Of course! You''re absolutely right!" The guards eximed.


    Theypletely agreed with what he said and understood that they werergely to me for the monsters threatening their vige.


    "Eh, we should get better, but strong people always miss something important. We''re not them, not everyone can reach the same level, even if they make a huge effort." The guardian said quietly, but the Cursed Swordsman heard him anyway, even though he was very far away.


    ''Huh, he''s pretty rough as always. It''s definitely part and parcel of his character.'' Wain thought as he followed Cursed Swordsman.


    The vige was lively. It was arge and densely popted vige, like a small town, but with a cozy atmosphere.


    Many people were selling something in their shops, caravans of merchants passed through the streets, and there were signs on the buildings of the many establishments of this vige.


    "Hmm, from the looks of it, it''s pretty quiet here, so it won''t be a bad thing if I rx a bit." Cursed Swordsman looked at therge sign.


    The sign had an overflowing mug of beer, bits of jerky, and cheese. It was one of the dozens of bars in this vige, and a pleasant smell of alcohol and a cheerful atmosphere emanated from it.


    Cursed Swordsman went inside and sat at the only free table in the center.


    "Wee!" A pretty girl immediately approached him, "What can I get you?"


    "Beer... Just beer... as much as possible." Cursed Swordsman said hoarsely.


    "Sure. I''ll be right with you. Please wait a little while."


    ''This is rather unexpected. I thought his recollection would be violent, like Code of Light and Darkness, but it turned out to be the opposite.'' Wain said inwardly.


    For the next hour, Cursed Swordsman drank his beer without worrying about anything. He enjoyed the taste in the pleasant atmosphere of the bar.


    Crackle.


    A group of three men entered the bar, they rudely kicked the door open as they made their way to the man behind the bar.


    "Hey, where''s the owner of this bar? We have important business for him!" One of them said.


    The bartender flinched. These three did not exude a benevolent aura, on the contrary, one could only expect trouble from such people.


    "Excuse me, could you exin in more detail what your problem is?" The girl asked.


    Bam.<sub> </sub>


    One of them hit the bar.


    "The owner of this ce owes us money! Where the hell is he! Bring him in now!"


    "I''m sorry, but I can''t do that..." The girl lowered her head.


    "What? Are you stupid?!"


    "I don''t know where he is. Please go away, you cane backter and discuss things with him. I can''t help you with that." The girl timidly replied.


    "Hey guys, you''re too noisy!" Suddenly someone said.


    It was a man in iron armor, a big iron axe, and a shield in his left hand.


    "Mind your own business! Your job is to keep drinking beer, no more."


    "Damn, I didn''t know there were bandits in this vige. What a shame." The man took a big sip.


    The trio frowned but didn''t continue the conflict with him; they went back to talking to the girl.


    "If you can''t get the owner, we''ll get our own!" The man stated.


    "Stop!" A muffled, gruff voice sounded.


    A short old man with a cane stepped out of the door.


    "I''m the owner of this ce, and this is the first time I''ve seen you! Get out of here, or you''ll be sorry! You can still just stay fools, not bandits." The old man pointed his cane at them.


    The bandits frowned. They didn''t expect the bar owner to be here tonight.


    ''Damn! Why did that old man decide to visit his bar tonight?!'' They eximed inwardly.


    ording to their information, the old man rarely came here. He preferred to rest, as he had turned over the bar''s management to his assistant. The owner was already old, so he wanted to rest.


    "Guys, the old man is right. Everybody makes mistakes. It''s such a good day, you shouldn''t ruin it, just leave, and maybe next time, I''ll even buy you a beer." The man with the axe said.


    The bandits hesitated. They looked at the old man, the girl, the coins in the cash register, and the people in the bar and made a decision.


    "Let''s go." Their leader said as he headed for the exit.


    "Get out of here." The old man shouted.


    The bandits were furious at the humiliation, but they understood that fighting in the bar was suicide. They weren''t strong enough to stand up to a dozen men.


    "Fuck!"


    One of the bandits couldn''t take it, he needed somewhere to vent at least some of his rage, and he picked a target.


    Bam.


    With his hand, the bandit knocked over a beer mug from one of the customers. The beer spilled all over the man. Unfortunately, the bandit didn''t notice that the beer quickly turned into thin ice.

 Chapter 454 Delight

    The humiliated bandits hurried out of the bar. They had no idea what they had done.


    "Freeze..." Suddenly an eerie voice rang out.


    "Fuck you!" One of the thugs shouted.


    Whoooooooosh.


    <o>,m The temperature in the bar dropped dramatically. Everyone looked at the man in the long cloak, a coldness and an aura of death emanating from him.</o>


    "Well... Looks like even in such a quiet ce, there are idiots who don''t appreciate life." Cursed Swordsman muttered as he drew his sword from behind him.


    His powerful aura came down on the bandits, then they realized they had made a big mistake, none of them wanted to anger such a man.


    Cursed Swordsman swung his sword and the icy de headed for the bandits.


    "Wait!"


    The bandits tried to resolve things without using force, but it was toote. The ice de sliced them in two. The bandits'' heads fell on tables nearby and startled the visitors.


    "Sorry about the mess, here you go." Cursed Swordsman said as he tossed the old man a bag of coins, "The beer was really good, see youter."


    The visitors were shocked. They didn''t me the swordsman, the bandits themselves were to me for what happened, but they didn''t expect the situation to take such a turn suddenly.


    "Come again. Next time the beer is free!" The old man shouted.


    "Sure. A good ce always has a proper owner." Cursed Swordsman walked out of the bar.


    ''I thought he used to be softer, but I guess I was wrong.'' Wain pondered.


    Wain kept his eyes on Cursed Swordsman. After the bar, he headed toward the Elder, his pathy toward arge building in the center of the vige.


    Cursed Swordsman frowned. He could feel someone''s eyes on him, someone clumsily following him. So, he decided to go into a dark alleyway and disappeared.


    After a while, a boy came into the alley. He looked around with a puzzled face and then flinched when someone touched his shoulder.


    The boy turned around, behind him stood a tall man with a cruel expression on his face.


    "Kid, what the hell are you following me for? Decided to y spy?"


    "I''m sorry...I didn''t mean to..." The boy trembled with fear.


    "Calm down. I noticed you a long time ago, I just wanted to talk to you. Okay?" Cursed Swordsman smiled.


    He wanted the boy to calm down, but his smile was unnaturally creepy, and it frightened the boy even more.


    "Please don''t kill me!" The boy shouted as he bowed low.


    "Shit! Don''t yell so loud. I just want to know why you were following me!"


    "Really...?" The boy asked uncertainly.


    "Yeah, don''t be afraid."


    The boy nodded.


    "Did you want to ask me something?"


    "No." The boy shook his head, "I want you to teach me how to fight! You handled those bandits so easily. It was incredible! I want to be like you!"<sub> </sub>


    ''What the hell is this little rascal talking...? Cursed Swordsman muttered inwardly.


    He thought the boy was just a beggar, but that request was extraordinary.


    "Kid, have you been to the bar?"


    "Of course not. Only adults are allowed in there, don''t you know that? I saw your fight from the street!"


    "Well... And you want to be as strong as me too?"


    "Yes! I want to learn from you! Please!" The boy bowed again.


    "No. That''s out of the question." Cursed Swordsman replied sharply.


    "What? Why?"


    "I don''t take apprentices. Moreover, do you even know how to hold a sword? You''re too young to take up swordsmanship. You have to grow up first, and then you can determine your own path."


    "Is age such a big barrier! I think you can seed at any time with effort!"


    "Huh, maybe you''re right, but it still doesn''t change anything." Cursed Swordsman shrugged, "I''m not at liberty to tell you what to do, nor are you at liberty to tell me. If you want to do fencing, go ahead, but it has nothing to do with me. Goodbye."


    "Wait!" The boy eximed.


    He wanted to stop him, but the Cursed Swordsman disappeared before his eyes.


    ...


    "Damn, I thought I could get some rest here while I did the mission, but I couldn''t even get a proper beer to drink as some annoying kid was osting me." Cursed Swordsman muttered grudgingly.


    He walked toward the Elder. Many vigers cast nces at him, he stood out strongly from the crowd.


    The guards of the main building did not stop him. They knew why the swordsman hade here, the Elder had already informed them.


    "For a vige, you have quite a few guards. Are the monsters that dangerous?" Cursed Swordsman asked.


    "Of course, monsters are dangerous, but the problem is quite different." The Guardian said as he opened the door, "The Elder will tell you more about that. Come on in."


    Cursed Swordsman nodded and stepped forward.


    The Elder was a short old man with a long white beard. He sat on a plush cushion and smoked a pipe.


    He looked at Cursed Swordsman and smiled broadly.


    "Swordsman, you''ve finallye. Did you get my message?"


    "Yes. Tell me what needs to be done. Are the monsters so strong that you can''t deal with them yourself?" Cursed Swordsman said as he sat down on the big couch.


    "Actually, we can handle most monsters, but not their leader. The Azure Mantis King is too powerful, he could destroy an entire vige on his own." The old man exhaled a puff of smoke.


    "Why hasn''t the monster done it yet?"


    "It waits for something. You came just in time, tomorrow, there will be a full moon, and the monsters will attack. At that time, a very rare flower, the Moon Lotus, will bloom in the vige. If the Azure Mantis absorbs it, it can evolve immediately. That is their main goal."


    "Wouldn''t it be easier just to destroy the Moon Lotus? Are you really willing to put the lives of the inhabitants at risk for the sake of preserving the flower?" Cursed Swordsman frowned.


    "Yes, and don''t give me that piercing look. The Moon Lotus helps our vige survive. Its roots are the best fertilizer for our fields, and each petal costs a fortune to help this vige grow. Everyone needs to make sacrifices sometimes."

 Chapter 455 Condition

    "So you want me to deal with the Azure Mantis King while you fight the others?" Cursed Swordsman asked.


    "Yes. That''s right." The old man put the pipe aside, "You''ll get exactly what''s on the scroll for the job."


    "That''s enough." The swordsman nodded slightly.


    "In that case,e tomorrow at the full moon to the pond to the north of the vige. The Moon Lotus will bloom there, then the Azure Mantises will attack."


    "Got it." Cursed Swordsman stood up as he headed for the exit.


    "Pleasure doing business with you!" The old man shouted, "The guards will escort you to your chambers. Get a proper rest!"


    ...


    The Elder vacated for Cursed Swordsman a small cottage by the north wall. It was a quiet and peaceful ce, perfect for a proper night''s sleep.


    "Damn, insomnia again." Cursed Swordsman got out of bed.


    He tried to sleep, but something kept interfering with him, various thoughts keeping him awake.


    ''Why am I even thinking about that kid? Okay, I need to unwind.''


    There was a hill next to the vige with a beautiful view of the vige. Cursed Swordsman decided to head there. This little journey was a rest for him. He couldn''t decide which direction he wanted to go, so he decided to take a mission and distract himself from his main goal.


    ''What is to happen here? Will the defense of the vige fail?'' Wain pondered.


    He kept watching Cursed Swordsman like he was watching a movie in the front row. This shback was not as eventful as the Code of Light and Darkness. However, it was still very interesting, Wain wanted to learn more about his powers and forms, and every bit of information was important.


    Cursed Swordsman reached the hill. A massive tree grew on it, but he wasn''t the only one who decided toe here today.


    "Kid...?" Cursed Swordsman muttered.


    The boy was awake even though it was a deep night. He left the vige and climbed the hill to train. He had an old, rusty sword in his hands, took precise swings, and continued after a short break. Streams of sweat dripped from him, and the blue moon lit up the hill for him.


    The Cursed Swordsman approached the boy as he ced a hand on his shoulder.


    The boy flinched in fear, he tried to jump aside, but instead, he tripped over a rock and fell.


    "Who are you?" The boy picked up his sword.


    "Hahaha, you''re too scared. Sorry, I didn''t mean to scare you."


    "Why did youe here?"


    "I just wanted to take a walk. I didn''t expect to meet you here. So your words weren''t empty. You''re already practicing swordsmanship, even though you''re pretty weak."


    The Cursed Swordsman was an excellent fencer, he could tell without difficulty that the boy had been training for at least several months. His swings were clumsy and weak, but urate, there was no way a novice could have achieved that level in one day.


    "Yes... But, I''m still a long way from you. I may never be as strong..." The kid lowered his head.<sub> </sub>


    "Strength isn''t happiness, sometimes it''s the real curse, though that''s never stopped, anyone. Okay, since we''re meeting here today, I''ll give you some advice."


    "Really?!" The kid instantly jumped to his feet.


    "Sure." Cursed Swordsman nodded, "But, just a word of advice, you are not bing my apprentice and never will be."


    "Okay! I''m ready!" The kid eximed.


    A fire burned in his eyes. He was disappointed that he couldn''t convince the mysterious swordsman to take him as an apprentice. However, now he had his chance. He couldn''t let it pass him by and was prepared to invest it to the fullest.


    The Cursed Swordsman kept his word. They stayed on the hill until dawn, Cursed Swordsman telling the boy how to hold his sword, what stance to take, and how he started training himself.


    It was amazing to the kid to hear that such a strong man had once been weak too and didn''t even know how to swing a sword properly. It was then that he realized for the first time that even the strongest man was once weak. This boosted his fighting spirit, and he could hold out until the first rays of the sun, then the boy passed out. He had no energy left; he spent it all on training.


    ...


    "Kid, wake up." Cursed Swordsman patted him on the face.


    "What''s the matter...?" The boy said sleepily.


    "Where do you live? I''ll take you there."


    "There..." The boy pointed with his hand.


    Cursed Swordsman followed his directions, and they came to a small, old wooden house with a thatched roof.


    ''Hmm... The house, though old, is not in bad condition, however, it ispletely untidy. Does he really live here alone? Cursed Swordsman pondered as heid the boy on the bed.


    ''All right, it''s none of my business. I''ve already done more than I needed to. Maybe now I can finally get some sleep..."


    Cursed Swordsman returned to his temporary home and slept through the evening. He didn''t want to admit it, but he enjoyed teaching someone, a special kid who wanted to get better out of everything.


    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    Suddenly someone knocked on the door. Cursed Swordsman frowned.


    ''Damn, I slept so well. Why the fuck would someone interrupt me?'' Cursed Swordsman shook his head as he headed for the door.


    His eyes went wide as there wasn''t a guardsman at the door, but a kid.


    "Hey! Shall we go practice?" The boy asked with glowing eyes.


    "What...? How did you find me...?" Cursed Swordsman was puzzled.


    "Well... I happened to see you when you were leaving the Elder. This time we didn''t see me, and I was able to follow you!"


    "You just happened to see me. It''s not called covert tracking." Cursed Swordsman touched his face with his hand, "Go home. I''ve already said it won''t happen again, moreover, it will soon be dangerous here. Stay close to the guards and as far away from the pond as possible."

 Chapter 456 The Attack

    "I''m not leaving!" The boy eximed.


    ''How annoying you are...!'' Cursed Swordsman frowned.


    "I know we''re going to be attacked tomorrow, but I just can''t do it." The boy lowered his head.


    "Ah, so that''s what you''re talking about, but why? You''re pretty strong for kids your age, but it''ll be a while before you can stand up to the Azure Mantises."


    "I understand that, but still... I can''t do that. The Moon Lotus was found and nted by my mother! It''s thest thing left of her..." The boy could hardly hold back the tears.


    ''So that''s the thing... Damn, life is too unfair sometimes. Everyone in the vige got a better life because of it, but this kid lost the most important person to him.''


    "What happened to her?"


    Cursed Swordsman didn''t know how tomunicate with children properly, so he decided to ask directly. He was sure this boy was strong enough in spirit to answer.


    "She got very sick... even the best doctors in the vige couldn''t help her. They said it was probably due to the influence of the Moon Lotus..."


    "But, you still want to protect this flower?"


    "Yes..." The boy replied in a whisper.


    The Cursed Swordsman sighed as he lowered himself and put a hand on the boy''s shoulder.


    "Kid, what''s your name?"


    "Kael..."


    "Kael, listen to me. I promise you that nothing will happen to the Moon Lotus. I''ll protect it easily, I''m strong, I can handle it. You must take care of yourself first. Do you understand me?"


    "Yes... Good..." The boy wiped away his tears.


    "Good. Then go home. It will soon be night."


    The boy nodded and ran away. The Cursed Swordsman stared at him, he knew that his words made no difference, it was only afort,pletely useless in this situation.


    ''I came here to rest, but I ended up babysitting... What the hell is all this about?'' Cursed Swordsman pondered as he headed toward the west gate.


    The Moon Lotus was to blossom under the bright moon''s light that day. The battle would take ce in theing hours, and the guards were already ready to defend their home.


    ''Huh, the Cursed Swordsman turned out to be quite kind, though he is as bad with children as I am.'' Wain said inwardly.


    ...


    "Mr. Swordsman, you came." The head of the guard said.


    He was a muscr man with long blond hair, a thick beard with a massive spear in his hand.


    "Sure." The Cursed Swordsman nodded as he pointed to the blue flower in the pond''s center, "Is that it?"


    "Yes. In about an hour, the Moon Lotus will bloom."


    "What''s the n?"


    "One-third of the guards are distributed equally to protect the north, south, and east gates. Another third will remain here to prevent the Azure Mantises from breaking through the west gate. The remaining guards, led by me, will fight the Azure Mantises by the pond banks. You will take on their King. The main goal is to protect the vige and the Moon Lotus." The Commander borated.


    "It''s not a bad n, but are you sure a third will be enough? More than half of the guards remain on defense. I understand that the Azure Mantis can attack from other directions, and you should be prepared for that, but still." Cursed Swordsman muttered.


    He felt that the ratio of defenders to attackers was uneven. He preferred to neglect defense for the sake of attacking.


    "Don''t worry about that. Our best soldiers will go on the attack, and what''s more, you will be with us. We can handle it for sure, the Azure Mantis won''t even be able to approach the Moon Lotus. Likewise, the wall guards will fire bows and crossbows at the monsters." The Commander said confidently.<sub> </sub>


    "Okay, I get it. I hope you know what you''re doing." Cursed Swordsman nodded as he jumped onto the wall.


    ...


    Gradually the deep night fell, and the big blue moon illuminated the flower in the pond. It shone brightly, the Moon Lotus began to bloom.


    "Prepare for battle!" The Commander ordered.


    "Yes!" The guards responded simultaneously.


    They stood in line and put their spears out in front of them. The Lunar Mantises could appear at any moment.


    "Well... It''s time to begin." Cursed Swordsman muttered as he stood next to the Commander.


    Whoooosh.


    The Moon Lotus glowed brightly, and the whole pond was covered with small glowing particles, it looked magical. The guards enjoyed this unforgettable view.


    Roooooaaaarrrr!


    However, it didn''tst long. The roar of the monsters made them shudder and stare at the forest. From there, severalrge, blue monsters slowly emerged.


    The Azure Mantises were a mixture of insect and lizard. They had paws as sharp as des, sturdy chitin, and a long tail with a de on end.


    The guardmander raised his hand. He was ready to give the order to attack.


    "Wait." The Cursed Swordsman lowered his hand, "They are only scouts, nothing more. I can deal with this without even making a move."


    Cursed Swordsman took a deep breath as a powerful, frosty aura burst from him. The pressure came down on the Mantis, and they shuddered in fear, their instincts telling them to run to stay alive.


    The Azure Mantises fled into the woods, they ran as if their lives depended on it.


    "Wow..." One of the guards muttered.


    "This is incredible!"


    "The elder has found a great warrior!"


    The guards were ecstatic. Such power was beyond their imagination.


    "Silence!" The Commander shouted, "All talkter, concentrate on the main task!"


    The guards nodded silently.


    Wain watched this. Unlike the guards, he was frowning. Something was rming him. Despite the Commander''s words, one man''s eyes still glowed with admiration. It was Kael.


    ''Damn, this guy came here after all, though it couldn''t have been any other way...'' Cursed Swordsman muttered inwardly.


    He spotted Kael long ago, the boy hiding behind a tree near the west wall.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Suddenly there was the sound of footsteps. The guards turned around, and their eyes went wide.


    ''What are those freaks?'' Cursed Swordsman muttered inwardly.


    They were preparing for the Azure Mantis attack, but suddenly a group of men in ck robes appeared. They ran towards the pond and mingled with the darkness of the night.

 Chapter 457 The Impasse

    "Hey, who are those devils?" Cursed Swordsman pointed to a group of men in ck.


    "I don''t know..." The Commander frowned, "Hell, it looks like they''re bandits from a town nearby. One very pesky Baron runs that town. He''s caused a lot of trouble for our vige, but he''s been especially active since the Moon Lotus appeared."


    "I see. Your Elder is cunning, he wouldn''t sell the Moon Lotus, but apparently, the Baron didn''t like it. What shall we do?"


    "I think we should wait a little longer. The Azure Mantises don''t really care about us. We''re only fighting for the Moon Lotus. If those wretched robbers want to steal the Moon Lotus from us, let them try to do so. The Azure Mantises won''t let them do that." The Commander said confidently.


    "Understood, but I''ll move forward a bit in case the King shows up." Cursed Swordsman muttered as he disappeared.


    The Commander''s n was simple, he wanted the robbers to fight the Azure Mantises. The Commander was sure of an imminent loss for the robbers, but they would weaken the Azure Mantises considerably. It was a great opportunity to reduce their losses.


    Cursed Swordsman came close to the pond. He watched the three directions carefully. He watched the Azure Mantises, robbers, and Kael hiding in the woods. The Cursed Swordsman paid the most attention to the boy. He was worried that nothing would happen to him.


    ''Damn. Why is it always so hard with kids? I told him not to go...'' Cursed Swordsman inwardly muttered.


    The Guard Commander was not idle. He and the guards moved smoothly forward. They approached Cursed Swordsman and lined up around him. This formation was great for defense, especially with a powerful core such as the Cursed Swordsman.


    Regardless of the situation, the robbers didn''t stop.


    "Let''s go! Our task is to get the Moon Lotus. Then we get out of here quickly. Is that clear to everyone?" Robber Leader shouted.


    "Yes!"


    The robbers turned into shadows. They quickly approached the pond and used a special technique to run to the flower on the water.


    They were less than twenty meters from the Moon Lotus. The Guard Commander was ready to signal to attack, but suddenly there were ripples in the water.


    Ssh!


    A huge Azure Mantis burst out of the water. The monster grabbed one of the robbers with its jaw and squeezed it hard.


    Ssh.


    Sharp teeth tore through the mugger''s flesh. The Azure Mantis ate him like a worm. It was a pitiful sight.


    "Scatter!" Robber Leader eximed as he ran up to the second robber on the pond.


    He managed to save his mate at thest moment before the Azure Mantis''s des were to pierce the robber.


    The robbers retreated to the side, they, like the guards, stood at the edge of the pond. One Azure Mantis was in the center, and the others were slowly emerging from the woods.


    "Is that the King?" Guard Commander asked.


    "No." Cursed Swordsman shook his head, "There must be a more majestic auraing from the King. Moreover, the rest of the Azure Mantises are still looking at the Lotus, not at it. The King has yet to show himself."


    None of the three sides were in any hurry to act. The guards, the Robbers, and the Azure Mantises watched each other intently. They waited for someone to make a mistake.


    "Roooooooaaaaarrrrrr!"


    Suddenly the Azure Mantis in the pond roared furiously. The others answered his call and headed toward the Moon Lotus. Their main goal was to get the flower; fighting was unnecessary.<sub> </sub>


    "Shit! We can''t let them take the Lotus, or the Baron will kill us. Everybody attack! Quick!" Robber Leader eximed.


    "Let''s go! We must protect our vige. Without the Moon Lotus, we will live in poverty and starvation!" The Guard Commander gave the same order.


    The Guardians, Robbers, and Azure Mantis faced off in a life-or-death battle. The Cursed Swordsman also sprang into action.


    He drew his sword from behind his back as he dashed forward. He swung his sword, an icy de appeared in the air. It sliced the Azure Mantis in two. The blue blood poured down on theke like rain.


    The guards and Robbers were not as strong, but together they were able to deal with the monsters. A group of three or four surrounded one Mantis. They protected each other and inflicted small but numerous wounds. This exhausted the monster, then they struck a final blow at the same time.


    <o>,m Gradually the Azure Mantises retreated into the woods.</o>


    "We did it!" The guards eximed.


    They were d of the victory, but the Commander and Cursed Swordsman had a different opinions.


    ''Something is not right here.'' They simultaneously thought.


    "Hey, hillbillies!" Robber Leader shouted, "Give the Moon Lotus to us and leave. In that case, you''ll even be thanked by the Baron."


    "That''s not going to happen!" Guard Commander frowned.


    "Don''t be silly. Thesends belong to the Baron! You and your Elder are justmon upstarts. Sooner orter, you will submit anyway." Robber Leader grinned wickedly.


    "You seem to be deaf. I told you you wouldn''t get that flower!" The Guar Commander eximed as he threw a spear at Robber Leader.


    The Robber Leader easily dodged and ran to the Moon Lotus. He had to get the flower, that was his only goal.


    Whoooooooosh.


    He almost reached the Moon Lotus, but suddenly someone appeared in front of it. The figure swung his sword and carefully cut off the Lotus, the flower remaining unharmed. The figure hung the Lotus on her belt.


    "You want it?" Cursed Swordsman smirked, "Then try to take it from me!"


    A powerful, menacing aura emanated from him. The robbers shuddered in fear, Cursed Swordsman looked even scarier than the Azure Mantis.


    "What a bastard... Where could the old man find such a creepy guy...?" Robber Leader muttered.


    He was an experienced fighter, so he knew that against the Cursed Swordsman, he didn''t stand a chance.


    Robber Leader had to take the Moon Lotus from Cursed Swordsman somehow. Otherwise, the Baron would kill him.


    ''Haha, that might work.'' Robber Leader smiled wickedly as he disappeared.


    He found himself next to Kael and put his dagger to the boy''s neck.


    "What do you say now? How about an exchange?" Robber Leader thrust the tip of his de into the boy''s skin, "This guy''s for the Moon Lotus. Not a bad bargain, is it?"

 Chapter 458 Ice Coming

    "Bastard..." Cursed Swordsman muttered angrily as a torrent of cold aura erupted from him.


    The water beneath him quickly froze, part of theke covered in a thickyer of ice as if a severe winter had suddenly arrived.


    Robber Leader flinched, but his dagger was still pressed tightly against Kael''s neck.


    "What is this child doing here?" The Guard Commander eximed, "What the fuck happened? How did a simple boy get past you?!"


    "I''m sorry, Sir, I don''t know how it happened!" The Guardian said with an apologetic look.


    "So... Was that really your n?" Cursed Swordsman calmly asked.


    "What? What are you talking about?" The Robber Leader was puzzled.


    "The Moon Lotus is the most valuable treasure of this vige or even the entire region. Do you think this kid''s life and the Moon Lotus are equivalent?"


    ''What the hell is going on here?'' Everyone thought at the same time.


    The guards and robbers had expected a very different reaction from the Cursed Swordsman. They thought he would start negotiations or try to save the kid somehow, but instead, he acted like a cynic.


    Kael was the worst off.


    "Uncle Swordsman... Why are you...." Kael muttered as tears came out of his eyes.


    A littleter, the guards and robbers realized that this reaction was natural, especially for a man with a bad reputation.


    However, they were all wrong. Someone saw perfectly well what the Cursed Swordsman was really experiencing at that moment.


    ''Creepy... There''s such a dense auraing from him... It''s anger, no, rage. I''ve never seen anything like it,'' Wain thought.


    The Cursed Swordsman concealed this part of his aura, for he understood that it might give away his true intentions. Wain was more experienced than the guardsmen and robbers, he had no trouble noticing it.


    "You can kill him. I don''t care, but for daring to ckmail me, I will chop you into cubes and freeze you!" Cursed Swordsman said angrily.


    The Robber Leader was distraught. He was trying to figure out how to get out of this situation and suddenly realized something.


    "Huh, you almost had me fooled." Robber Leader smirked.


    "What are you talking about?"


    "I don''t believe you. I watched you closely, and your gaze kept going off the battlefield. I couldn''t figure out what it was then, but now it''s all clear to me. It''s this kid, right? You cared about him but couldn''t protect him at the most important moment. What a pity."


    Bam.


    Robber Leader punched Kael sharply in the stomach. Kael was a child, and the blow from a grown man was very painful for him. He vomited a mouthful of blood as he crouched in pain.


    "Stop now!" The Guard Commander eximed.


    "What? Why? Isn''t this fun?" Robber Leader punched the boy again.


    Guard Commander was literally tied up. Even though there were more of them, they couldn''t save a mere boy. This infuriated everyone, but they were helpless.


    "Come on. Are you really so cruel that you will continue to watch this? All you have to do is hand me the Moon Lotus. If you do, I won''t touch this nice guy again. You have my word." Robber Leader smirked.


    The guards were hesitant, they didn''t know what was more important or how to act, though it wasn''t up to them to make a choice anyway.


    "I agree." Cursed Swordsman said coldly.<sub> </sub>


    "Are you sure?" The Robber Leader was wary.


    "Yes, I''m fucking sure. You outyed me. Are you satisfied? Let the boy go and take the Moon Lotus. I hope that after this, you''ll remember for the rest of your life what a pathetic lowlife you are. That flower will be the symbol of your fucking shame!"


    "Huh, don''t try to hurt me with words. It''s pointless. The Moon Lotus is the way to riches, so thank you for being cooperative." Robber Leader mouthed as he looked at his men, "Bring me that flower!"


    "No!" Kael suddenly shouted, "Please don''t do this! Don''t give him the Moon Lotus! Not that!"


    "What''s wrong with this kid?!" Robber Leader punched him again.


    Only the Cursed Swordsman understood why Kael said that.


    ''Damn, damn, damn! This kid is willing to sacrifice himself but to save thest thing left of his mother. I have to help him, but... Fuck I can''t do it! Cursed Swordsman inwardly muttered.


    He was already ready to give up the Moon Lotus. However, now the situation has changed. He had no right to do this to Kael.


    ''I can only do one thing at a time, but all at once. Fuck, if someone would help me... then...''


    "Exactly." Suddenly there was a strange voice as if It wasing from everywhere at once and at the same time from nowhere.


    "You!" Cursed Swordsman eximed.


    "Yes, you finally figured it out. Sometimes it takes mates to get things done. For loners, many situations are hopeless."


    Whoooooosh.


    Suddenly a silhouette appeared next to the Robber Leader. It seemed toe out of the darkness.


    ''It''s him again!'' Wain inwardly eximed.


    The same aura emanated from the Silhouette as in the memory of the Code of Light and Darkness.


    "What...?!" Robber Leader eximed as he tried to attack.


    Bam.


    The Silhouette kicked him and tossed him aside. It was too fast for the Robber Leader to react.


    The Dark Silhouette caught the guy and stepped aside.


    "Hey, even though I said everyone needs help sometimes, you could have handled this without me. Stop holding yourself back. I''m sure you''re capable of more." Silhouette smirked.


    "Shut up. I was just caught off guard." Cursed Swordsman threw the Moon Lotus to Guard Commander, "Take care of it."


    Crackle.


    The chains on Cursed Swordsman''s left arm suddenly began to tremble. The chains were covered in a thickyer of ice and cracked.


    "Kill him!" Robber Leader eximed.


    Cursed Swordsman clenched his sword tightly and struck the chains. They shattered into small shards as a dark blue aura burst from the ground. It engulfed Cursed Swordsman.


    "Atst, I get to see it." The Silhouette smiled enigmatically.

 Chapter 459 Ice Tyrant

    "What''s going on?" Robber Leader eximed, "Kill the hell out of him! Use everything you''ve got!"


    The robbers instantly obeyed his order. They coated their des with poison andshed out at the Cursed Swordsman.


    "Stop them!" The Guard Commander gave the order.


    "That won''t be necessary." Cursed Swordsman muttered, "A bunch of amateurs I can deal with myself."


    The energy flow dissipated, and an icy wave departed from Cursed Swordsman. It tossed the robbers aside.


    Like the Code of Light and Darkness, the Cursed Swordsman transformed. His cloak turned into leather scraps and hung from his belt, his bare torso tattooed with chains. His boots tore apart, exposing his feet, and everything underneath was covered in ice.


    "Before you die, I will tell you a curious fact about myself." The Cursed Swordsman uttered as ice crystals clustered around his hand, "I''m left-handed, so you''re fucked."


    The crystals turned into a long ice sword, and Cursed Swordsman made a sharp swing.


    Whooooooooosh.


    The three robbers beside him had their heads flying off their shoulders and their bodies frozen and shattered into tiny shards.


    "Monster...!" One of the robbers said in horror.


    "Everybody retreat! Run if you want to survive!" Robber Leader eximed as he blurted out.


    "Not so fast." Cursed Swordsman suddenly appeared beside him.


    "What...?" Robber Leader muttered.


    His eyes went wide, he didn''t understand how it had happened, how a suddenly winnable situation had turned into a stalemate.


    "I hope you remember what I promised to do to you?" Cursed Swordsman said coldly.


    "No, you don''t." The Robber Leader trembled with fear, "Please..."


    "Good bye."


    Cursed Swordsman smiled weakly, straight streaks appeared on Robber Leader''s body, blood drops emerged from them, and Robber Leader disintegrated into many meat cubes.


    "All right, that''s what''s needed. Now you." The Cursed Swordsman looked at the rest of the robbers.


    He turned into a blue sh and got to them in an instant. The robbers could do nothing against him. Cursed Swordsman''s power was beyond theirprehension. His sword turned them into icy statues, shattering them into tiny shards at any touch.


    The guards were shocked. They did not know what to do, the Cursed Swordsman was killing one robber after another, leaving them no job.


    Someone was watching this with more admiration than the others. It was Kael.


    "How''s that? Do you like it?" Dark Silhouette asked.


    "Yeah... He''s so strong! I could stand up for myself if I were like him!" Kael eximed.


    "Ahaha, look at him more closely. What do you see?" Silhouette pointed at the Cursed Swordsman.


    "Hmm? Is he smiling?" Kael said, puzzled.


    "Exactly."


    "He likes that?"


    "Yes, but at the same time, he tries to avoid it. I''m sure he told you that that power is most often a curse. He''s that case."


    "Is something bad going to happen to him?" Kael worried.


    "No, he''ll be fine, though, as always. However, he fears that this pleasure might consume him."


    "Is that why he''s been holding back?"


    "Yes, but it''s also his way of getting stronger. He has rather peculiar methods. Okay, enough talk, looks like it''s all over now." Silhouette stepped forward as he and Kael found themselves next to the Cursed Swordsman.


    "You''re here again?" Cursed Swordsman said coldly.<sub> </sub>


    "Aren''t you d to see me?" Dark Silhouette smiled, "Don''t you want to thank me? Without me, this guy could be in trouble."


    "Shut up. I had everything under control. You foiled my ns and turned the whole thing into chaos."


    "Whatever." Silhouette shrugged.


    "Thank you!" Kael eximed as he hugged Cursed Swordsman.


    "Kid, get off my back. I didn''t do it to save you, I just wanted to show those freaks not to mess with me!"


    "Still, that was so cool!"


    "Hahaha, I think this is the perfect moment to work something out between us finally." Dark Silhouette said as he held out his hand, "If you refuse now, I''ll leave you alone, but I want you to answer honestly."


    "Shit." Cursed Swordsman stomped his foot but shook his hand, "Good, now you can consider us friends. Happy?"


    "Almost. Isn''t this a unique story? We should make it more memorable. How about a nickname?"


    "Hmm?"


    "Your nickname would be Ice Tyrant. You''re just as strong, unapproachable, and cruel, but beneath theyer of coldness and rudeness, there''s a whole other side, isn''t that beautiful?"


    "I already regret my decision..."


    "Huh, luckily, you never go back on your word."


    "Yeah...and that''s something I sometimes regret, too. How annoying it all is for me."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ground trembled, and the water in the pond rippled.


    "What''s going on?" The Guard Commander frowned.


    "Oh, that''s thest guest. Wepletely forgot about him." Dark Silhouette muttered.


    Crackling.


    A huge monster emerged from the forest. Trees turned to splinters under the monster''s weight. It was the Azure Mantis King.


    "Okay, it''s time to get this over with." Cursed Swordsman muttered as he raised his sword above his head, "Kael, watch carefully. If you train hard, you''ll reach this level one day."


    "Huh, he''s lying. Training alone isn''t enough." The Dark Silhouette grinned.


    "Shut up. Don''t dash his hopes. Moreover, if I can do it, so can he." The Cursed Swordsman lowered his sword sharply.


    An icy de flew out of the weapon. It reached the Azure Mantis King at the speed of sound. The de swept through the pond, splitting it in two and freezing itpletely.


    The Azure Mantis King tried to block the attack, but the de was too fast. It went through the monster, and the two icy halves fell to the ground.


    "Done." Cursed Swordsman muttered as he returned to normal.


    "Looks like it''s time to leave. Don''t you think so?" Dark Silhouette asked.


    "Wait. There''s something I have to do first." Cursed Swordsman sighed.


    He gripped his sword tightly and walked over to Kael.


    "Here. Now it''s yours." Cursed Swordsman handed him the sword.


    "Are you sure...?" Kael asked uncertainly.


    "Definitely, you can defend the Moon Lotus now. You''ll make a great warrior." Cursed Swordsman patted him on the shoulder.


    "Thank you..." Kael said as tears welled up in his eyes.

 Chapter 460 The Power Of Knowledge

    "You said it would be a disappointment, but why? Isn''t it a great story?" Wain asked as he returned to the real world.


    "Shut up. It''s more like a soap opera than anything worthwhile. What''s more, that kid was too irritable. I could barely keep from getting rid of him."


    "Sure... As you say." Wain smiled.


    Wain didn''t believe Cursed Swordsman''s words were true. It was too naive. Cursed Swordsman knew this, and it annoyed him greatly.


    "Anyway, that''s it." Cursed Swordsman waved his hand as he disappeared.


    [You revealed the nickname of the second form, Cursed Swordsman.]


    [Recall gave you new power and unlocked the second appearance of the second form, Ice Tyrant. You can use it at any time.]


    [Ice Tyrant.


    This is the oue of the memory of a rough and brutal swordsman with incredible swordsmanship abilities and the element of ice. His image frightens many as well as his strength, but some know that even Ice Tyrant''s heart has not yet turned into a piece of ice. It is as warm as all others].


    Wain nodded.


    He would not try a new power, he had seen enough in his memories. Moreover, he now thought he understood something.


    ''Somehow, it seems to me that the most important thing is the memories, not the second appearances. The new power is just a bonus.''


    "Exactly." An enigmatic voice sounded.


    Blind Sorcerer appeared next to Wain. He was smiling as always, and a benevolent but suspicious aura emanated from him.


    "Now you?"


    "Sure. Unfortunately, I''m thest one." Blind Sorcerer shrugged.


    "Well... I think that''s enough for me for now. Your story will probably hit me even harder than thest two." Wain muttered.


    "I wouldn''t say that. It''s just a story about how important knowledge is, or rather how important it is to some of us." Blind Sorcerer waved his hand.


    Particles of light flew out of his mantle. It turned into many sheets of secret writings. They covered Blind Sorcerer and Wain like a whirlwind.


    "It''s time to understand magic a little better."


    ...


    ''The first time I saw rage and hatred, the second memories were likepassion, what awaits me this time.'' Wain pondered.


    Wain found himself in an unusual ce. It was much different from a temple in the mountains or a small vige near a deep forest. It was a huge building simr to a Gothic castle.


    Most of the windows in the castle glowed despite the deep night. A massive blue moon illuminated the building, as did the magical azure lights on the spires and towers.


    "Hello. I have someone to introduce you." A strange voice came from somewhere.


    Wain couldn''t figure out what was going on, but suddenly he was in arge hall. It was filled with young people, they were sitting at desks, and all of them had textbooks, feathers, and ink.


    ''Is this a school?'' Wain wondered.


    The young people were whispering to each other. The girls, in particr, were active, something excited them greatly.


    "Silence!" A man said loudly.


    He was a tall blond man with blue eyes. He wore a long silver robe and a broad hat. He stood at a massive board. On it was various blueprints.<sub> </sub>


    "I have gathered you all here because I have an important announcement. You recently lost your teacher, so we had to find you a new one right away." The magician mouthed as he waved his hand.


    The door burst into mes. A man with gray hair in a tinum robe, long boots, and arge hat stepped inside. The students and especially the girls were delighted, but one detail confused them: the man''s tight blindfold.


    ''Blind Sorcerer?! Wain inwardly eximed.


    "Hello!" Blind Sorcerer waved, "I''m d to have such a big ss. It''s interesting."


    "As you can see, your new teacher has one thing in particr." The magician muttered, "I understand you are surprised, but he is an exception."


    "Mr. Ravan, what are you talking about?" The young man at the first desk eximed, "Couldn''t you find a decent teacher for us? Damn it. He''s blind! Can he even do magic?"


    "Calm down. As I said, he''s an exception. He''s indeed blind, but that doesn''t mean he can''t see. We see one world, and he''spletely different, so that is why he''s considered one of this generation''s most talented and powerful mages."


    "Mr. Ravan, I respect you, but it still seems very strange. We should at least see for ourselves his abilities."


    The mage hesitated and, after a while, replied, "I don''t mind, but it''s up to Mister..."


    "Address me, Mr. All-knowing." Blind Sorcerer stepped forward.


    "Our new teacher seems to be a very humble man." The young man smirked as he spread his arms out to his sides.


    "What''s your name?" Blind Sorcerer approached him.


    "Lois. Lois Kurt, my father, is one of the elders of our Academy of ming Knowledge!"


    "Oh, you seem proud of yourself and your father. I''m sure he loves you dearly."


    "Of course! My father is a great magician, and I will be just like him! No, even surpass him!" Lois eximed.


    "Good. Lois, I understand your concern, but I can easily prove mypetence to you." Blind Sorcerer looked at the other students, "If it makes you feel better, I''m willing to do anything."


    "Hmm..." Lois hesitated, "Mr. All-knowing, surprise me, no, all of us!"


    "Good." Blind Sorcerer smiled as he snapped his finger.


    Tremble.


    The air next to Lois shuddered, and several purple particles appeared.


    "What''s going on?" Lois was puzzled.


    "It''s nothing. It''s just a little trick." Blind Sorcerer clicked again.


    Whooooooosh.


    Lois disappeared. The students were shocked. They looked around, but Lois was nowhere to be seen.


    ''Where am I?!'' Lois eximed fearfully.


    He was in a dark basement, it illuminated only by a single dimmp. There were drops of blood on the floor and cages hanging from the top with unusual creatures inside them.


    Click.


    Lois returned to the hall, and the students eximed with delight.

 Chapter 461 The Lesson

    "What have you done?" Lois eximed.


    What he saw after the Blind Sorcerer snapped his finger filled him with horror. He felt as if he were in a maniac''s dungeon.


    "Don''t worry." Blind Sorcerer put a hand on his shoulder, "It was just an illusion."


    "Illusion?" One of the students asked.


    "Yes, Lois didn''t actually go anywhere. You all know such a natural phenomenon as a mirage. Just now, I did the same thing, only in reverse."


    The students were delighted. Illusion magic was very rare andplex. Only mages with a unique talent couldprehend this power.


    "Mr. All-knowing, please teach me Illusion Magic!" A girl with short blond hair eximed.


    "Me too!"


    "Me too!"


    Most students didn''t want to pass up such a rare opportunity. Their new teacher turned out to be a very interesting person.


    "Wait a minute. All in good time, I can''t choose one of you." Blind Sorcerer waved his hand.


    "But... Maybe there''s an option?" The same girl asked, "I think if you agree to teach Illusion Magic to at least one of us, that will suit everyone. Am I right?"


    "Yes! Kaya, you are correct!" The students supported her.


    "Hmm..." Blind Sorcerer hesitated, "Okay, I''ll pick one of you, but it''ll be fair. I''ve already looked at the ss schedule. You have an alchemy ss next week. We''ll have a little contest, the winner will be my personal student, but that doesn''t mean I''ll forget about the others. I became your teacher today and intend to be for a very long time."


    The students nodded cheerfully. Each of them was confident. They were ready to fight for this opportunity.


    "Pfft... What a silly thing to say." Lois muttered grudgingly.


    "That''s it. That''s enough." Mr. Ravan eximed, "It''ste. You all need a good night''s sleep. Mr. All-knowing, there''s something else I want to discuss with you."


    "Sure. See you guyster." Blind Sorcerer smiled.


    ...


    ''Blind Sorcerer worked as a teacher at the Magic Academy? No, there''s something wrong here. That basement was really creepy. That kid, Lois almost shat himself, even though he was only there for a moment.'' Wain muttered inwardly.


    The next day, Blind Sorcerer''s new life began. Before sses began, he and Mr. Ravan took a stroll in the academy garden.


    "Mr. All-knowing, I am amazed at how skillfully you put Lois Kurt in his ce." Mr. Ravan muttered.


    "Huh, is this guy the troublemaker type?"


    "No, not really. I even understand him a little. His father is one of the Elders of our Academy. Lois wants to prove to everyone that he''s the best, and frankly, so far, he''s seeding. He has the best grades, excellent results in magic, but it''s not enough." Mr. Ravan shook his head.


    "He''s not the strongest, is he?"<sub> </sub>


    "Yes. You''re right. No matter how hard he tries, there are a few students Lois can''t beat. Their grades are worse, they don''t excel as well in many areas as he does, but on the battlefield, they y him like a little kid."


    "Lois just never really fought. You can''t getbat experience if you don''t risk your life. Some things you can''t learn, you can only acquire them."


    "Yeah... That truth is pretty ironic for a Magic Academy."


    "Don''t worry. I''m sure that one day Lois will understand what power is, all in good time." Blind Sorcerer smiled, "Mr. Ravan, tell me more about this academy. Ie from far awaynds, and this story happened spontaneously, I know too little about the ce I''m going to work at."


    "Well... You''ll know everything in time, but since I have the opportunity, I''ll tell you about the pride of our academy." Mr. Ravan said confidently, "I''m sure you know that the Academy of ming Knowledge is the best on this continent. Our students are the best mages, and our teachers have unique knowledge and abilities."


    "Yes, it is an honor to work in such a ce. I am glorified that you invited me."


    "Don''t be. I didn''t just choose you. It was amon decision of the council." Mr. Ravan smiled, "Do you know about our academy''s greatest treasure?"


    "No, but I very much want to."


    "It is a mysterious scroll that is said to conceal the way to obtain and use an incredibly rare artifact. I don''t know much, only the Head of the Academy has ess to it, but this artifact''s power can surpass such concepts as space and time."


    "How interesting... Do you have any idea what it could be?"


    "No, I don''t want to think about it. Even the Elders don''t have ess to the vault where the scroll is. I don''t think I''ll ever know better than I do now." Mr. Ravan shook his head.


    "Welll... You have one option. You just need to be Head of the Academy."


    "Huh, you have a sense of humor. That''s good. Okay, sses are about to start, I need to get ready. I''ll see youter." Mr. Raven waved his hand.


    "Sure."


    Blind Sorcerer looked up at the top of the academy. It was a tall, dark spire, with many formations and spells protecting it.


    ''I''m there, but how do I get inside the vault? I need to be Head of the Academy to do that, but I can''t wait that long... There''s always another way, though.''


    Blind Sorcerer headed into the ssroom with a slight smile.


    He entered the ssroom and began to teach the lesson.


    "Hello. The topic of today''s lesson is ''Unique Types of Magic.'' I''m sure you know a lot about it. Young people are always interested in such things, so who wants to tell me these Types of Magic?"


    "I!" Several students said at the same time.


    One of those who raised their hand was Kaya. Blind Sorcerer looked at her, "Answer."


    Kaya stood up, "There are three types of Unique Magic. This magic is almost impossible to learn. Only mages with exceptional talent are able to do it. Space Magic, Time Magic, and Chaos Magic. These are the Unique Types of Magic."


    "Good answer."

 Chapter 462 Wine

    <o>,m "Kaya, what else can you tell me about it? I''m sure you know much about the Unique Types of Magic." Blind Sorcerer smiled slightly.</o>


    "Yes... I often read about it..." Kaya was confused, "Space Magic and Time Magic are the rarest Types of Magic. Mages who can use these two Types of Magic are revered and considered geniuses. The third Type, Chaos Magic, is forbidden because countless mages have died trying toprehend it."


    "Not bad. You''re absolutely right, but unlike other forbidden magic, Chaos Magic is treated with respect and a touch of fear. If it weren''t for the great danger in learning it, then Chaos Magic wouldn''t be forbidden, though any great poweres with risks." Blind Sorcerer shook his head.


    "Mister, have you tried to study one of the Types of Unique Magic?" Kaya asked seriously.


    Blind Sorcerer stared at her. He fell silent and, after a while, said, "Huh, you think too highly of me. I''m very lucky to have a talent for Illusion Magic, that''s enough. Unfortunately, I can''t use any of the three types of Unique Magic."


    "I see... Sorry, that was a stupid question." Kaya lowered her head.


    "No, it''s okay. A good student is not one who knows everything, but one who asks a lot of questions because he wants to know."


    ...


    For the next three days, Blind Sorcerer taught his ss. He did his job diligently and, in that short period, had gained a reputation as an unusual but skillful teacher. Most of the students liked him, many were interested in attending his lectures.


    ''Blind Sorcerer teacher, huh, like I''m going to believe that dumb shit. He has his sights set on this academy''s treasure, but how is he going to get it?'' Wain pondered.


    He had been watching Blind Sorcerer''s actions closely the whole time and saw something suspicious.


    At the end of the first day, Blind Sorcerer spent the entire night going over the list of students. He scrutinized each of his students, as well as all the others who attended the academy.


    "Found... Eh, Kaya, I don''t know if it''s luck or curse, but you''ll have to put up with some inconvenience." Blind Sorcerer muttered as he looked at Kaya''s picture.


    On the second day, after ss, Blind Sorcerer went to one of the elders, Egid Kurt, Lois Kurt''s father.


    Blind Sorcerer went to the door and knocked gently.


    "Come in." A strong voice rang out from inside.


    Click.


    Blind Sorcerer opened the door.


    It was a spacious office, and in the center sat a middle-aged man with a short ck beard and blue eyes.


    "Ah, you''re that blind teacher." Edig grinned, "Do you have some business for me?"


    "Yes, I want to hold an open ss with my ss in the middle of the woods. I realize it might be dangerous, but I''m sure I can protect the students in case monsters attack."


    "Huh, you want to teach them how to fight and show them what real danger is? I approve of that, I like your approach. You just showed up and got right down to business, but there''s one problem." Edig put some kind of document aside.


    "What''s the problem?"


    "ording to the rules, you can''t have one teacher teaching these lessons. Even the Elders don''t have that right. You need someone who can help you and your students in case of problems."


    "Well... Do you have any ideas?"


    "Yes." Edig nodded, "Talk to Miss Reine. She came to me a week ago with the same request. As far as I know, none of the teachers wanted to keep herpany. They were all too busy, as always."


    "Missy Reine..." Blind Sorcerer muttered, "Okay, I hear you. Thanks for your help."


    "Hey, wait." Egid suddenly stopped him.


    "What is it?"<sub> </sub>


    "My son is in your ss."


    "Yes. Don''t worry. I''ll be careful to keep Lois safe."


    "No, that''s not what I''m talking about. Since you''re going to test their strength in a real fight, take full advantage of it. I want Lois to fight the strongest monster, do not interfere in the battle, help him only in case of mortal danger." Egid said seriously.


    "Am I as a teacher allowed to do that?"


    "You will do it on my behalf. I, as a father, can do it. If you have any problems because of it, youe to me. Now that''s it. I have work to do. Good luck." Egid waved his hand.


    Blind Sorcerer bowed slightly.


    On the third day, he returned to teaching.


    "Well, we only have five minutes left. Who wants to show how to create the perfect ice sphere?"


    "I''ll do it!" Lois stood up abruptly.


    "Sure. Go ahead." Blind Sorcerer smiled.


    Lois approached the board with a serious look and gathered mana in one spot. The temperature next to him dropped, then a sphere appeared in the palm of his hand with energy circting inside.


    "Not bad. I hope if we get attacked during an open ss, you can do the same."


    "What?"


    "What are you talking about?"


    "Open ss?"


    The students were puzzled.


    "Yes. I thought it would be a good idea to have an open lesson. I hope you don''t mind." Blind Sorcerer smiled.


    The students looked at Kaya.


    "Mr. All-knowing, this is unexpected, but we are only too d. We''ve been waiting a long time for an opportunity like this. When will it happen?" Kaya asked uncertainly.


    "Unfortunately, I don''t know yet. I''ll have to discuss it with Miss Reine. If she''s okay with it, maybe the open ss will be even earlier than the alchemy ss. I''ll be able to tell you for sure tomorrow."


    "Okay, we''ll wait." Kaya nodded.


    "Good."


    ...


    The lessons were over, but the Blind Sorcerer did not go straight to Miss Reine. He had a few things to prepare before he did.


    "Miss Reine... Beautiful name. I''m even a little sorry to do this to you." Blind Sorcerer smiled wickedly as he set the bottle of wine on the table.


    Next to the bottle of wine was a lush bouquet of rare flowers, as well as two small sks, one with green liquid, the other with blue.


    "If I open the bottle, she''ll definitely notice it, but that''s not necessary." Blind Sorcerer removed the blindfold.


    One of his eyes lit up, space shuddered, and suddenly the contents of the green sk were in the wine.

 Chapter 463 The Place Choice

    Deep into the night, Blind Sorcerer made his way to Miss Reine''s house. She lived in a mansion not far from the academy''s garden.


    Not only were mages very powerful and intelligent, also almost always mages were wealthy. Merchants and Nobles often turned to mages for help. They never spared money or resources.


    ''Well... I hope Miss Reine will be amodating.'' Blind Sorcerer thought as he knocked on the door.


    It waste, but Reine quickly opened the door as if she was expecting someone.


    "Hello." Blind Sorcerer smiled.


    Reine was a tall girl with thick brown hair and amber eyes. She was dressed in a light night robe.


    "Are you...?"


    "I''m Mr. All-knowing. At least that''s my name at this academy." Blind Sorcerer stepped forward as he pressed the bouquet against Reine''s chest.


    Reine was puzzled but epted the flowers; Blind Sorcerer left her no other choice.


    "Ah, you are quite persistent." Reine smirked.


    "I like to get right to the point. So, that''s why I came to you today and not any other day. I don''t know if Mr. Egid has informed you, but I want to have an open lesson. He said to talk to you about it." Blind Sorcerer muttered as he stepped inside.


    Reine hadn''t invited him in yet, but she didn''t turn him down. She liked men like that, assertive and confident.


    "Do you go to all your teachers with a bouquet and a bottle of expensive wine?" Reine approached the table.


    "No. Only to those, I have business with. Of course, I wouldn''t give flowers to men, in which case a bottle of strong whiskey would do." Blind Sorcerer shrugged.


    "Why did you decide to have an open ss?" Reine asked seriously.


    "I want to see what my students are capable of outside the ssroom. I want to see how they would act if monsters attacked them, how they would fight, and whether they would band together or not. You can''t be a powerful mage just by sitting behind books and blueprints." Blind Sorcerer said confidently as he looked intently into Reine''s eyes.


    "I see." Reine nodded, "I prefer a less rigid approach, but I''m sure we can agree."


    p "Of course. After all, we''ll have two excellent teachers with our students. They''ll be safe for sure." Blind Sorcerer took the bottle of wine in his hands, "Would you mind getting some sses?"</anda>


    "Sure, one second." Reine headed into the kitchen.


    ''She was more cooperative than I thought, though that''s not surprising. These jerks call themselves magic teachers... What nonsense, how can those who haven''t spilled blood in rivers on the battlefield teach someone power?'' Blind Sorcerer shook his head as the space next to his hand trembled.


    He clutched a sk of blue liquid, opened it, and drank. A momentter, Reine came in with two crystal sses.


    "I want to ask. Will we discuss the open ss now or after the wine?" Reine ced the sses on the table.


    "Neither. We''ll discuss it in the morning and face dawn together." Blind Sorcerer opened a bottle of wine.


    Reine didn''t answer anything. She only smiled slyly.


    ...


    The next morning Blind Sorcerer got out of bed and put on his robe.<sub> </sub>


    "Are you awake yet...?" Reine asked sleepily.


    "Yes. sses start in an hour. We must notify our students that we are going to the Misty Forest tomorrow." Blind Sorcerer tied a blindfold around his eyes.


    "Ah, this is the most dangerous ce of all, I was against it, but you know how to convince." Reine grinned.


    "Get up, or you''ll bete for ss. I don''t want to have to apologize to your studentster." Blind Sorcerer tore off the sheet as he revealed Reine''s naked body.


    "Can we talk about open ss one more time? Just like tonight?" Reine pressed herself against him.


    "No." Blind Sorcerer said sharply, "I''m busy. I''ll see you tomorrow."


    "How rude."


    "It isn''t." Blind Sorcerer left Reine''s house.


    ...


    ''Blind Sorcerer turned out to be even more cunning than I thought. He''s only been here three days, but he''s already managed to do so much... He looks more like a thief or a burr than a sorcerer.'' Wain pondered.


    Each memory was unique, but Blind Sorcerer managed to stand out like before.


    Wain liked his approach, it was interesting, bold, and daring.


    "Are we going to the Misty Forest tomorrow?" The students eximed.


    "Yes, along with Miss Reine and her students. We know it''s a dangerous ce, but don''t worry. Miss Reine and I will protect you in case of danger. We want you to be able to show off your abilities and gain valuablebat experience." Blind Sorcerer said slowly.


    "Can you decide that?" Lois resented, "There are many different ces near the academy, but the Misty Forest is the most dangerous! I''m sure the Elders won''t let you do that!"


    "Ahahahaha." Blind Sorcerer suddenlyughed.


    "What?"


    "Why is the teacherughing?"


    "Did I say something funny?!"


    The students were puzzled.


    "I''m sorry, but that actually looks funny. Lois, it was your father, Elder Egid, who gave me permission to teach an open lesson. So, rest assured, it''s up to you to show what you''re really capable of and not on the board in a warm and cozy ssroom. That goes for all of you, though." Blind Sorcerer waved his hand.


    "Teacher, do we only have one day to prepare?" Kaya asked.


    "Yes, take water, food, and of course, weapons, you will need it." Blind Sorcerer smiled as he pped his hands, "The lesson is over for today, Miss Reine, and I await you tomorrow morning at the entrance to the Misty Forest. If you are afraid, you don''t have toe, but then don''t expect ever to understand what true power is."


    The disciples nodded silently. Many of them were slightly afraid, but it was something they had wanted for a long time. The Blind Sorcerer had given them this opportunity, and they weren''t going to let it go.


    ''Eh, how brave they are. It''s even ironic that being a coward in this situation is the right decision. They don''t know what awaits them.''

 Chapter 464 Preparation

    After ss, Blind Sorcerer discussed everything with Miss Reine once more. She was worried about her students, but she wouldn''t say no to Blind Sorcerer, his confidence reassured her.


    "If we''re all set, then I''ll see youter." Blind Sorcerer waved his hand.


    "Wait. Mr. Egid asked us to stop by his ce. It seems he already knows where we''re going." Reine said excitedly.


    "Huh, yeah, there''s a student of his in my ss, and he doesn''t seem too keen on getting into an open ss." Blind Sorcerer grinned.


    "Do you think we might have a problem because of that?"


    "No. Mr. Egid is a wise man. He understands that we are doing this for the good of our students. Anyway, we''ll find out for ourselves now. Let''s go."


    "Yes." Reine nodded.


    They walked down the spacious corridor of the academy as if they were on their way to a king in a gothic castle. Azure torches lighted the corridor, and the slight darkness gave the ce a mysterious and tense atmosphere.


    ''Mr. All-knowing...'' Reine inwardly muttered, ''He just showed up at the academy but already decided to do something like this. I wonder what his name is? That nickname is rather silly, though he was able to achieve such heights being blind. It''s incredible.''


    Reine didn''t expect to have business with a new teacher suddenly, but she didn''t mind. She had wanted an open ss for a long time, and he was her passport.


    Blind Sorcerer came to the door as he was about to knock.


    "Come in!" Suddenly a powerful voice rang out.


    Reine and Blind Sorcerer looked at each other, then stepped inside.


    "Mr. Egid," Reine bowed low, "you wanted to see us?"


    "Yes. My son told me that you were going to hold an open ss in the Misty Forest..." Egid looked at them menacingly, "Is it true?"


    "Yes..." Reine said trembling.


    Blind Sorcerer simply nodded.


    "Mr. Egid, I''m sorry, we were too hasty. We should have thought better about the location for the open ss..." Reine said quietly.


    She was a strong mage and academy teacher, but her authority was nothing before a man like Egid. He was an Elder, one word from him was enough to make it Reine''sst day at the academy.


    "Reine, why are you whispering? I didn''t hear anything. Okay, it doesn''t matter." Egid said as he smiled broadly, "You did well!"


    ''What...?!'' Reine looked up as he puzzled.


    ''Ahahahaha, you should have seen my son''s face. He came toin about you, and I, on the contrary, praised you, it was something. I respect your choice. The Misty Forest is a great ce to learn something." Egid walked over to the cab, "As a token of my appreciation, I want to buy you a drink of my favorite whiskey."


    Egid pulled a bottle and some sses from the cab.


    "Have a seat." Egid opened the bottle as he filled the sses.


    "I would expect nothing less from you." Blind Sorcerer smiled.


    Reine was surprised. She thought Egid would scold them since the monsters in the Misty Forest might threaten his son''s life, but the opposite happened.


    ''Mr. Egid knows how to be kind? What the hell is going on here? In any other situation, he would have screamed until our eardrums burst.'' Reine shook her head.<sub> </sub>


    They sat down at the table and took a sip.


    Reine was not used to hard drinks, so she could hardly keep from spitting it out.


    "Ahahahaha, Miss Reine, you need to learn from our neer. He didn''t even flinch. That''s how you drink whiskey." Egid drained his ss in a gulp.


    "Mr. Egid, you know your way around alcohol. This is excellent whiskey." Blind Sorcerer slowly swirled the ss.


    "Sure, here, try some more."


    ...


    They did not leave Egid until several hourster. Reine was very drunk. After the second ss, she refused to drink, but she couldn''t resist Mr. Egid''s pressure.


    "Huh,st night''s wine didn''t hurt you in any way, but now you can barely stand on your feet." Blind Sorcerer muttered.


    "Exactly... I''d rather have some more wine..." Reine stared at Blind Sorcerer, "Hey, let''s go to my house. Let''s do it against night. I haven''t felt this good in a long time."


    ''It''s true that alcohol loosens the tongue... Well, it''s for the best. Too much alcohol will only make the poison inside her stronger.'' Blind Sorcerer thought as he grabbed Reine by the neck.


    ''Not tonight. Get a grip. The students are relying on us. We must not let them down." He said seriously.


    "Yes... You''re right... I''m sorry, I actually drank too much." Reine mouthed guiltily, "Then we''ll meet tomorrow."


    "Sure."


    Blind Sorcerer and Reine parted ways. She headed for her home, but Blind Sorcerer had one more thing to do.


    ''Where is he going?'' Wain wondered.


    It was already quitete. The moon had risen and was brightly illuminating the ground. However, Blind Sorcerer was not going to sleep.


    He quickly left the academy grounds and headed toward the eerie forest. Many of the trees were dry, their bark was stiff, and their branches were like needles. The atmosphere in the ce was tense. Danger seemed to emanate from all directions.


    <o>,m Blind Sorcerer walked forward, he smiled weakly. He felt confident in this forest as he was the most important threat.</o>


    ''Is he heading that way...?'' Wain looked at the house in the distance.


    It was an old abandoned cabin. The house was covered in cobwebs and half-ruined. No one had lived here for years.


    "Egid took me a little time, but it was worth it. Anyway, now I can start preparing." Blind Sorcerer smirked.


    A protective barrier appeared around the house. Blind Sorcerer waved his hands, and the barrier dissolved, then he went inside.


    Blind Sorcerer opened a hatch hidden in the floor. It led into the void. It was so deep you couldn''t see the bottom. He nodded weakly and jumped down.


    Hended and looked around. It was a dark basement, a ce Lois had recently found himself in, though he didn''t realize it.


    There were many cages in the basement. Creepy monsters sat in them, their eyes zing with rage and bloodlust.


    "Your time wille soon."

 Chapter 465 Something Always Goes Wrong

    The monsters in the cages were formidable and possessed a powerful aura. However, at the sight of Blind Sorcerer, they fell silent. No one risked making an unnecessary sound, as it might anger the Blind Sorcerer.


    "Hmm... Unfortunately, I don''t know how strong Miss Reine is, but I think you can do the job." Blind Sorcerer approached a massive cage.


    This cage was considerablyrger than the others, but only one monster was sitting in it. It was a tall skeleton in sturdy ck armor. Its weapon was a bloody sword. It emitted crimson energy, the sword increased the bloodlust, and it even had little effect on the Blind Sorcerer.


    "Did you really have to lock me in here?" Skeleton suddenly asked.


    "I didn''t want to do that, unfortunately, I had to. You want to kill one of the Elders, and I''m not going to stop you, but all in good time. What''s more, I''m going to call out to THEM. Isn''t that worth the wait for a little while?" Blind Sorcerer smiled weakly.


    "Huh, okay, have it your way. I''m impatient, it''s true. I hope I don''t have long to wait." The skeleton sighed.


    Bloody smoke flew from his mouth, partially corroding the cage''s iron bars, but the spell quickly restored it.


    "Your exit is tomorrow." Blind Sorcerer turned to the other monsters, "I know you want to kill me, but you don''t stand a chance. The rules are simple, you hunt the students, keep the killing to a minimum, I will still need them, then you can go wherever you want. I won''t get in your way."


    The monsters nodded silently. There were about fifty of them, but they dared not resist the will of the Blind Sorcerer. He was much stronger than they were, which meant they had to do his bidding. This was their chance to get out of here finally. They were willing to do anything for it.


    "The disciples will fight. Though they have not yet learned the horrors of this world, they will be able to fight you back. Also, I will have to protect them, but don''t worry. I''ll leave you a parting gift, that''s why I''m here." Blind Sorcerer waved his hand.


    Space trembled, and arge box appeared before him. It was dark, with unusual symbols. Blind Sorcerer opened the box.


    Inside was fifty empty syringes and an equal number of vials of purple liquid.


    "I didn''t know you were so generous..." The skeleton muttered.


    "You help me. I help you, all''s fair." Blind Sorcerer took one syringe and vial as he headed toward the cage.


    Inside sat a monster that looked like a mixture of a lion and a scorpion. It had a poisonous tail, a tough brown hide, and razor-sharp fangs.


    "You first." Blind Sorcerer opened the cage.


    The lion did not resist. It felt that the liquid in the vial was special, in any case, the lion had no choice.


    Blind Sorcerer filled the syringe and injected it into the lion''s paw.


    "Done." He took a few steps back.


    A few minutester, changes began to happen to the lion. Its skin became stronger, its fangs longer, two massive wings grew on its back, and the venom in its tail became several times more powerful.


    "Unbelievable... Its aura became so strong. You made this big cat evolve, right?" Skeleton asked.


    "Exactly."


    "Thank... you..." The lion barely mouthed.


    "Hahaha, it learned to talk. You''re a fucking wizard." The skeletonughed.<sub> </sub>


    "That''s right." Blind Sorcerer nodded, "Okay, who''s next?"


    Roooooaaaaaaarrrrr!


    Dozens of roars erupted at the same time.


    At first, the monsters regarded Blind Sorcerer with suspicion. He locked them in cages likeb mice, but the evolution of the lion changed their minds. Each wanted to get stronger, too, and as soon as possible.


    "Take it easy. Your turn wille. Just wait a little while."


    ''Blind Sorcerer was able to create such powerful potions? Is he so good at alchemy? Why didn''t he tell me this before?'' Wain pondered.


    He was puzzled, as only first-rate alchemists could create such potions without side effects.


    ''Though he looks more like a scientist than an alchemist... I''ll have to talk to himter.''


    ...


    Blind Sorcerer spent most of the night in the basement. He gave a syringe to each of the monsters in turn. They grew considerably stronger, each one evolving differently.


    Some sprouted wings or tails like a lion, and others had new magical abilities or weapons.


    Before leaving, the Blind Sorcerer left a small crack in space and said, "When it turns into a portal, the mission has begun. You will leave the cells. Someone else will be in them now."


    ...


    The next morning, Blind Sorcerer, Miss Reine, and their students were at the entrance to the misty forest. Miss Reine''s ss was slightlyrger than his, totaling about sixty people.


    "Good morning!" Miss Reine approached Blind Sorcerer, "How are you feeling? I hope you slept well?"


    "Yes... It was a restful, good night. I''m ready to give the best open ss ever." Blind Sorcerer nodded.


    "Good, then let''s begin." Reine turned to her students.


    "Hello, I''m Miss Reine, and this is Mr. All-knowing. We''re going to have an open ss today in the Misty Forest. I know many of you are worried as the Misty Forest is a dangerous ce, but rest assured we will protect you." Miss Reine said seriously.


    "Master, I trust you, but was it necessary to choose such a ce?" A tall guy with long ck hair asked.


    "Ron, Mr. All-knowing, and I discussed this at length and decided that the most valuablebat experience you can get is in the most dangerous ces."


    "Okay..." Ron nodded as he frowned.


    He didn''t like the idea, but Miss Reine had never let them down before. Her students believed in her.


    ''Ron Hayes... He''s here... Great, I''m lucky to have the academy''s strongest student in Reine''s ss. His unusual powers wille in handy for me yet.'' Blind Sorcerer thought inwardly.

 Chapter 466 Above Hundred

    "Before we go to the Misty Forest, we will assign twomanders. They will watch over the students in their ss and protect them in case of emergency." Reine uttered.


    The students looked at each other; they were worried about the dangers of the Misty Forest, but they all wanted to bemanders because it would mean they were the most skilled and the strongest.


    "In my ss, Ron Hayes will be themander." Miss Reine looked at him intently, "Ron, I hope for you."


    "Yes." Ron calmly replied as he bowed.


    No one was surprised by this choice, on the contrary, Reine''s students were d that she had chosen Ron. In the whole academy, he was the most capable, in a few years, he could be a teacher himself.


    "Well... Now it''s my turn." Blind Sorcerer muttered.


    Lois and Kaya looked at each other. There were only two worthy candidates in their ss. The students trusted Kaya more but understood that Blind Sorcerer could have chosen Lois. He was a worthy student too.


    "Difficult... It''s too difficult..." Blind Sorcerer shook his head, "Okay, let''s do this. Use your strongest spells against me. Themander must be strong, so that''s the most important factor right now."


    "Are you sure?" Reine worried.


    "Of course." Blind Sorcerer grinned, "Well, who goes first?"


    "I''ll go!" Lois stepped forward confidently.


    "I knew you weren''t a gentleman. Go ahead, show me what you can do." Blind Sorcerer waved his hand.


    A massive, white magic circle appeared in front of him. It looked like a clock face with a hundred cells.


    "Each cell is one point. The more cells lit up, the better. I won''t let you into the Misty Forest if you make less than fifty." Blind Sorcerer said seriously.


    "Pfft, fifty?! I can easily reach a hundred!" Lois said confidently.


    "We''ll see." Blind Sorcerer shook his head, "Attack."


    Lois nodded as his eyes sparkled.


    He created three golden magical circles. They glowed brightly, and three beams burst out of them, they joined into one and rained down on Blind Sorcerer.


    ''Lois Kurt... He is the son of Elder Egid for a reason, this spell is far more powerful than most students. Moreover, his mana control is excellent.'' Reine pondered.


    She had seen Lois fight a few times in academy tournaments, but then he did not use such a spell.


    The beam reached the white magic circle, and the shockwave spread out several meters.


    "Not bad." Blind Sorcerer muttered.


    Seventy-five cells lit up on the magic circle.


    "Damn!" Lois frowned as he stomped his foot on the ground in anger.


    "Come on, seventy-five is an above than average result." Blind Sorcerer waved his hand.


    "That''s not good enough! I want to try again!" Lois eximed.


    "Nope. Everyone has only one try. Don''t hold up the others. It''s Kaya''s turn."


    Lois stared at Blind Sorcerer, then stepped aside.<sub> </sub>


    Kaya was second, and she took a deep breath and stood in a fighting stance. The air beside her dawned. She was slowly gathering mana for her most powerful attack yet.


    ''If she hits at least 80 points, then my n will definitely seed, though much depends on the strength of the barrier.'' Blind Sorcerer said inwardly.


    Ice crystals appeared next to Kaya, powerful lightning discharges passed over them. Kaya waved her hand as the crystals simultaneously headed toward Blind Sorcerer.


    As they collided, the lightning discharges intensified and created an explosion. The ground next to the Blind Sorcerer was covered in ice and destroyed.


    Whooooooosh.


    The cells on the magic circle began to light up. They filled rapidly until they stopped.


    "Eighty-eight. Good, very good. That''s a lot more than I expected. You have done well, Kaya. You possess two elements and rare abilities, but you''ve learned to manipte them masterfully." Blind Sorcerer said approvingly.


    "Thank you." Kaya smiled as she bowed. She was d her teacher appreciated her abilities.


    "Good. Then it''s settled. My ssmander will be Kaya. Now we can depart." Blind Sorcerer canceled the spell.


    "Wait." Suddenly someone said.


    The students turned around. It was Ron, heading toward Blind Sorcerer.


    "Mr. All-knowing, I want to take the test too." Ron said seriously.


    "Suit yourself. I don''t mind." Blind Sorcerer shrugged.


    Ron nodded. He possessed one of the most unusual kinds of magic, so it helped him greatly to be number one in the academy. However, without much effort, he would not have been able to achieve it.


    Ron bent down as he swung his right arm. In his hand, arge, long spear appeared out of energy. The ground beneath it squeezed slightly as if the spear weighed several tons.


    ''Ron Hayes, wielder of Gravity Magic. It''s even good that you decided to test yourself. I hope you hit no weaker than 90 points.'' Blind Sorcerer inwardly muttered as he created a magic circle.


    Ron sighed and threw the spear with all his might.


    It was powerful. The pressure caused the ground to crack and small rocks to be turned to dust.


    Crackle.


    The spear reached the magic circle, and the cells began to ignite quickly, one by one.


    Suddenly the magic circle shattered into tiny shards, it could not withstand such pressure.


    Blind Sorcerer smiled and created several more magical circles in an instant. They were able to stop the spear,pletely extinguishing its power.


    "More than a hundred points. Although, you wouldn''t expect anything less from the academy''s best student. Okay, the show is over. It''s time for us to start the open ss. The Misty Forest awaits us." Blind Sorcerer turned as he headed for the entrance to the dangerous area.


    The students were in shock for a while. They knew Ron was strong, but this was beyond their understanding. Even the teacher had to make an effort to stop him.


    ''Ron... What a bastard! The elders have always treated him better than anyone else. At this rate, I''ll never catch up with him!'' Lois muttered inwardly.


    He wanted topete with the best, but he didn''t realize that he had to be at least second to do that. He still had a long way to go.

 Chapter 467 The Misty Forest

    Blind Sorcerer, Reine, and their disciples entered the Misty Forest. The dry trees and thick fog gave the ce an eerie atmosphere. The students were tense, even though they had walked only a few yards from the entrance.


    "It''s nastier here than I thought it would be." Ron muttered as he looked around.


    "Huh, it''s called a sense of danger. You''ve lost that feeling since you''ve been at the academy too long. I know it''s weird to hear this from a teacher, but the fear of doing poorly on an exam or getting a bad grade it''s all... meaningless. That''s what you should be afraid of." Blind Sorcerer pointed forward.


    The students stared, but they saw nothing. The fog was a barrier to them. Only Blind Sorcerer could see the enemy as the mana streams were visible from any distance.


    "In a few seconds, we will be attacked. Get ready. Miss Reine and I will not assist you, only in critical cases." Blind Sorcerer jumped back.


    Everyone was tense. The students often fought each other, but this was sparring, and they knew what their opponents were capable of. Actualbat with an unknown enemy was on an entirely different level.


    "I see!" Ron eximed as he pointed forward.


    Two bright red lights appeared in the fog, they were the eyes of the monster. It was slowly approaching them.


    "I''ll attack first!" Ron ran forward.


    A gravity spear appeared in his hand. He swung it at once he was close enough to the monster.


    The monster reacted quickly and jumped aside. The monster''s ws were covered in mes as it pounced on Ron.


    "Die!" Ron threw the spear straight.


    The weapon pierced the monster, so the gravitational force tore its flesh apart.


    "Not bad." Blind Sorcerer nodded.


    "Ron!" Miss Reine said excitedly.


    "Wait."


    She wanted to run up to him, but Blind Sorcerer stopped her.


    "Look at him. Do you really think he needs your support right now?" Blind Sorcerer pointed at Ron, "What he needs now is as many monsters as possible."


    Reine looked at Ron as her eyes went wide. He was smiling, and his hands were trembling slightly. He had killed monsters before, but then he felt no danger. This was something new to Ron.


    "There''s more! There are more monsters!" one of the students shouted.


    A multitude of fierce eyes stared at them out of the fog. The monsters were looking for their prey, they skirted Reine and Blind Sorcerer, these two were too strong for them. However, the students were weak.


    Whoosh.


    The two purple wolves burst out of the mist and pounced on Lois.


    He was frightened but coulde to his senses quickly and attack. A golden beam pierced one wolf, but the second had already opened its mouth wide, the monster was ready to devour Lois.


    Crackle.


    Suddenly Kaya appeared beside Lois. She pierced the wolf''s head with an icy crystal with a cold stare. The monster''s blood sttered on her face, she didn''t even frown, she just tossed the monster''s corpse aside.


    "Mymanding officer has done quite well, hasn''t he?" Blind Sorcerer grinned.


    "Yeah... I guess so..." Reine muttered uncertainly.<sub> </sub>


    This situation was stressing her out, the monsters had already attacked them, even though they had only just entered, events were moving too fast.


    "Okay, looks like we''re done with monsters!" Blind Sorcerer said loudly, "We''ll go a little further and have a temporary halt."


    The students nodded and split into tworger groups.


    Blind Sorcerer and Reine walked behind them. They observed the situation.


    Various monsters attacked them several times along the way, but the students had no trouble dealing with them. Ron and Kaya were ahead of everyone else in the number of monsters killed. They each defeated seven monsters, the other students no more than two or three.


    "I didn''t know Kaya was so strong. Maybe she could evenpete with Ron." Reine muttered.


    "She''s not bad, but that''s only against weak monsters. Ron''s gravitational magic is too strong. There''s no way Kaya canpete with him yet." Blind Sorcerer said seriously, "Let''s stop here. This is a good ce."


    "Yes."


    They made a halt by a rock in the middle of the woods. The fog wasn''t as thick in this spot, the area was clearly visible, and the students could finally rest.


    Some hadn''t even fought once, but they were mentally exhausted. Ron''s and Kaya''s battle scenes shook them, they needed time to catch their breath.


    "Miss Reine, I''ll go scout, keep an eye on the camp for now."


    "Are you sure? It could be dangerous."


    "Don''t worry about me. No one in this forest is a threat to me. In fact, I am the biggest danger here." Blind Sorcerer smiled strangely, but Reine paid it no mind.


    "Good."


    Blind Sorcerer nodded as he disappeared.


    ''Huh, what a trickster, he deliberately brought them here, as close to the monsters as possible.'' Wain muttered inwardly.


    The rock was a hundred yards from the hut. If not for the fog, the students would have been able to spot it.


    "Atst, I will be able to enjoy the show, it will be a nice bonus for all my efforts." Blind Sorcerer muttered, "I''ll still need to take care of something, though."


    Click.


    Blind Sorcerer snapped his fingers. The crack in the basement turned into a portal.


    "Great, we''re getting started. Looks like I waited for the first part, eh... how I hate waiting..." The skeleton muttered as he stepped out of the cage. He simply slid the iron bars apart, the spells no longer in his way.


    The other monsters followed him. They were given freedom and a chance to spout their bloodlust.


    "Okay, now you, my sweetheart." Blind Sorcerer snapped his fingers once more.


    Whoooosh.


    A horde of monsters ran past him, they raced toward the camp. At that moment, Reine suddenly felt worse, nauseous, and her eyes blurred.


    She could hardly stay on her feet, her strength gradually leaving her.

 Chapter 468 Capture

    ''What''s happening to me...?'' Reine asked to herself. She was getting worse by the second.


    Roooooaaaaaaaarrrrr!


    Suddenly there was a furious roar.


    The students shuddered and braced themselves for battle. Through the denseyer of mist, they could see the fierce eyes of the monsters and their silhouettes. They raced toward them like ghosts of death.


    "Miss Reine!" One student ran up to her, "Are you all right?"


    "Yes... I''m fine..." Reine said with difficulty as she passed out.


    "Teacher!" The student eximed.


    He tried to bring Miss Reine to consciousness, but he was unsessful. It was as if she were sound asleep, though she had bee fine a moment before.


    "Ron! We have a problem! Something has happened to Miss Reine!"


    "What?" Ron eximed.


    He threw the gravity spear forward and walked over to Reine.


    "Did..." Ron muttered in horror as he put two fingers to her neck, "She has a pulse... She''s alive, great, but what the fuck is going on here?"


    Whooooooosh.


    Several monsters ran out from behind the trees and ended up next to them. Ron reacted quickly, he was about to attack, but suddenly a man in a long gray robe appeared in front of him.


    Blind Sorcerer waved his hand as he created two magical circles. Energy spears flew out of them and pierced the monsters.


    "Are you okay?" Blind Sorcerer turned around.


    "Yes." Ron nodded confidently, "Mr. All-knowing, what''s going on here? Mrs. Reine isn''t feeling well. I don''t know what to do."


    "Looks like someone set us up. The intruders somehow managed to poison Miss Reine. There''s no other way they could have disarmed such a powerful mage. Okay, we''ll deal with thatter. Follow me!" Blind Sorcerer shouted.


    He picked up Reine and ran toward the rock. The students followed him, Blind Sorcerer was their only hope. If they were left without the protection of their teachers, they were doomed.


    "All stand beside me!" Blind Sorcerer eximed as he raised his hands.


    A solid white barrier appeared over the camp. It was covered with many magical circles with various symbols. No monster could break through the barrier, no matter how many times they tried.


    "Mr. All-knowing, what should we do?" Ron asked.


    "It''s obvious, fight. If we hold out long enough, one of the Elders will surelye to our aid." Blind Sorcerer turned to his students, "You all need to calm down. Get ready to fight, the longer we hold out, the fewer casualties we will have."


    The students nodded silently. They hadn''t been children for a long time and understood the gravity of the situation. It was stressful for them but also an opportunity to test their abilities.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Two massive stone Golems attacked the barrier, it trembled violently, but not a single crack appeared.


    "Great, together with Mr. All-knowing, we can make it through!" The students eximed.<sub> </sub>


    ''Huh, what idiots, though I can''t me them, they don''t even understand what''s really going on.'' Blind Sorcerer inwardly muttered, ''Where are you? Let''s go.''


    Immediately after Blind Sorcerer''s words, a dark silhouette with a long bloody sword emerged from the mist. It was a skeleton, he slowly headed toward the barrier, chaos and the actions of other monsterspletely unaffected by it.


    "What is that...?" Kaya asked.


    "I don''t know, but apparently, this Skeleton is their leader. Step aside. I need to reinforce the barrier." Blind Sorcerer sighed.


    The energy currents near him intensified, and another magical circle appeared on the barrier, but it was significantly different from the others. It was red in the center, like a target.


    The Skeleton smiled as he rushed forward. He thrust his sword precisely into the center of the magic circle, and cracks appeared all over the barrier.


    "Damn!" Blind Sorcerer eximed, "He managed to find a weak spot in my barrier! Everyone retreat."


    Whooooooosh.


    The Skeleton swung his sword. The barrier shattered into small pieces.


    "I''ll hold him off, you run away!"


    Blind Sorcerer rushed toward Skeleton.


    The apprentices split into several groups and went off in different directions. Because of the fog, it was hard to know where it was safe and where a dangerous monster might be waiting, so they had to hope for luck.


    After thirty seconds, no one else was at the camp except Skeleton and Blind Sorcerer.


    "Aren''t you afraid these kids will be scared to death?" Skeleton grinned.


    "No, they''ll be fine. Though some of them aren''t destined to go back today."


    "When do you start?" Skeleton asked seriously, "When are you going to call for THEM?"


    "Hmm... I need to check the integrity of the barrier, as well as do some work with my new prisoners. I''ll make it quick, so I''ll probably start the day after tomorrow, something like that." Blind Sorcerer said in a thoughtful manner.


    "Okay, but if you make me wait any longer, I''ll do it without you." The Skeleton put the tip of his sword de on Blind Sorcerer''s neck.


    "Don''t be silly. If you go alone, you will die. You want revenge, I want the treasure of the academy. The Chief Elder will kill you, you won''t break the barrier, and you can''t get THEIR attention." Blind Sorcerer pushed the sword aside.


    "Okay, I hear you, but I''ve waited a long time. This is thest part."


    "Don''t worry. I won''t keep you any longer. Now let me do my job."


    "Sure, go ahead, I''ll go back to the cabin, I''ll wait for your return." The Skeleton said as he turned into a dark wind.


    "What a grumpy ally I have... All right, he''s done his task." Blind Sorcerer shook his head.


    The students were running away from the monsters and missing one important detail because they were too frightened. None of the students were dead yet, some were wounded, but there were no corpses.


    "Lois! Follow me!" Kaya shouted.


    Lois turned around, and suddenly a silhouette appeared behind Kaya. It engulfed her, and Kaya disappeared without a trace. Lois was unharmed.

 Chapter 469 Hypnosis

    "Kaya!" Lois eximed, "Where are you!"


    Lois looked around. He had aplicated rtionship with his ssmates but couldn''t let them die. He wanted to save Kaya, but there was nothing near him, only fog. Even the monsters seemed to have evaporated somewhere.


    ...


    ''Damn... What a headache... Where am I...?'' Kaya muttered as she woke up.


    p Next to her, she saw a table with hot soup and had just made tea.</anda>


    "Good morning!" Blind Sorcerer approached her as he waved.


    "Mr. All-knowing? Where are we?" Kaya asked warily.


    She was in a dark basement. It still smelled strongly of blood and had a beastly smell from the monsters.


    "In myb." Blind Sorcerer muttered, "Temporaryb."


    "Are you our enemy?" A voice came from the other end of the cage.


    "Ron? Are you here too?" Kaya eximed.


    "No, I am not your enemy. You''re just unlucky enough to have the right forces for one of my cases, and you''ll have to help me."


    "Huh, did you really set all this up for these two?" Skeleton muttered as he appeared next to Blind Sorcerer.


    ''What?! They''re working together?!'' Ron and Kaya were shocked.


    ''Sure, but those two have better terms. I''ve caught a few more, they''re needed for distractions. Anyway, I must do this quickly, so don''t get in my way." Blind Sorcerer nudged Skeleton with his shoulder.


    "Who are you?" Ron said menacingly.


    He jumped back and prepared to fight. Two gravity spears appeared beside him, theirbined weight over ten tons.


    "I''m just a simple teacher, at least for now. If you''re asking me about my main upation, I''m more of a scientist." Blind Sorcerer said calmly. Ron''s actions didn''t bother him.


    "I see... So you are an enemy after all..." Ron nodded his spears at Blind Sorcerer.


    "You don''t have to be so tough." Blind Sorcerer grinned as he swung his arm.


    The space next to the spears distorted, and they disappeared into a spatial rift.


    "What just happened...?" Ron was puzzled.


    "Is that Space Magic...?" Kaya asked.


    "Yeah. It''s pretty useful stuff. I''d have a lot of problems without it." Blind Sorcerer shrugged.


    To him, it was natural, but to Ron and Kaya, it was something impossible. They knew that mages capable of using the Magic of Space existed, but they were so few that they could hardly see even one of them in a lifetime.


    "How did you reach this level...?" Ron muttered tremblingly.


    "I''m just the kind of person who always gets things done. Talent is nonsense, great mages got their status because they spilled rivers of blood and did hundreds of different jobs for it. Anyway, you''re doing useless bullshit at the academy. Sure, you''ll be stronger than many mages, but there''s a lot of them you''re not even close to."


    "What are you going to do with us?" Kaya stared at him.


    "Nothing for you to worry about. I''m going to use you like puppets, but for that, you''ll get a little gift from me."<sub> </sub>


    "It''s funny that you think we''re going to help you! You have deceived and betrayed us! When the Elders find us, they will kill you! The best thing you can do now is run as far away as possible!" Ron shouted angrily.


    "He''s too loud... Can I kill him?" The Skeleton shook his head.


    Ron''s eyes went wide as he shuddered in fear.


    "No. Don''t even think about it. Without this guy, I''m going to have a hard time breaking through the barrier. Okay, all talkter, I only have a few hours, don''t let me get in the way of my work."


    "Okay, whatever you say." The Skeleton disappeared into the shadows.


    Blind Sorcerer sighed, and several magical circles appeared before him.


    "Kaya, we must fight!" Ron eximed.


    "Yes." The girl nodded.


    They got ready to fight, but suddenly chains appeared out of thin air. They restrained them, Ron and Kaya could not even move a finger.


    "There''s no need to resist. You''ll soon forget about it anyway, forever." Blind Sorcerer uttered.


    The magic circle glowed, and three threads burst out of it. Two threads headed toward Ron and Kaya and one toward Blind Sorcerer. Their eyes darkened, and their consciousness became unstable. The threads were conductors, they transmitted energy like veins of blood.


    Blind Sorcerer took advantage of this, he used his mind to alter their memories and build the picture of reality he wanted. Blind Sorcerer deleted fragments of memories where he was the viin. He lined everything up as if some unknown person had attacked them.


    After an hour, the threads disintegrated into small pieces, and Blind Sorcerer undid the spell.


    "Done?" Skeleton asked.


    "Yes. They are now my puppets. I''ll do it all tomorrow. Hopefully, with their powers, I can destroy the barrier." Blind Sorcerer nodded.


    "This is all kind of weird. Why would you need these two? Couldn''t you just use everything you have and forcefully break the barrier?"


    "I''m not all-powerful. There''s a limit to the variety of my powers. What''s more, I''m not allowed anywhere near the vault. The elders must not understand what is happening until the veryst moment. These two will not only break the barrier, but they will also be my eyes. With their help, I will see the weak points and take advantage of it." Blind Sorcerer said coldly.


    "All right, do as you please. You''ve never been wrong before, and frankly, it''s rming."


    "Afraid I''ll make a mistake now?" Blind Sorcerer smiled.


    "Yeah... Something like that..."


    "Don''t worry. I have quite a few trumps, one strong enough to make aplete difference."


    Skeleton nodded silently.


    ...


    A few hourster, two mages in long white robes approached the entrance to the Misty Forest. One of them was Egid, his partner was a tall girl with pink hair. They, as Elders, should have dealt with this incident.


    "Egid, weren''t you better off staying with your son? I could have handled myself here." The girl asked.


    "You don''t have to worry about him. He''s a grown boy." Egid waved his hand, "Hmm? What is this?"


    He watched, puzzled, as several silhouettes ran out of the Misty Forest, the new academy teacher ahead.

 Chapter 470 Exploring

    "Hey, that''s the blind teacher, right?" The girl asked.


    "Yeah... It looks like we won''t have to work. He lived up to our expectations." Egid muttered as he headed towards him.


    The Blind Sorcerer and his apprentices faced the two Elders. The disciples were breathing heavily, they had been running continuously for a long time, they needed time to recover, but now they were safe. Next to the Blind Sorcerer stood Ron and Kaya, unlike the others, they felt fine.


    "Boy, what happened?" Egid approached Blind Sorcerer.


    "I''m not sure..." Blind Sorcerer wiped the sweat from his forehead with his hand, "It all happened too fast... First Miss Reine got unhealthy, then we were attacked by monsters. Luckily I was able to buy the students time and then save the others."


    From the time the students ran out of the Misty Forest and reported what had happened to the Elders, only a few hours had passed. The open ss started early in the morning, and by lunchtime, it was over.


    "Yes, we were informed of it. Frankly, I thought neither you nor the students would make it out of there alive. How did you get out alive and unharmed from the clutches of many dangerous monsters?" Egid asked thoughtfully.


    "It''s simple. I used my powers." Blind Sorcerer smiled, "Unfortunately, I''m injured, as are the students."


    "Hmm?" Egid raised his eyebrows.


    Blind Sorcerer snapped his fingers.


    Tremble.


    Suddenly he and the silhouettes of the apprentices blurred like mirages.


    "Anyway, my illusion magic helped me. I fooled the monsters as well as you." A faint voice came from behind Egid.


    Egid and the girl turned around.


    "Damn, you''re a decent guy... If your illusions could fool us, you certainly didn''t have a problem with the monsters."


    "You''ve been through a lot..." The girl muttered.


    The Blind Sorcerer''s mantle was half drenched in blood. Many students had wounds all over their bodies, some even had trouble walking, but everyone was alive, and that was all that mattered.


    "Are you going to stand there, or will you finally help us?" Blind Sorcerer muttered.


    "Of course!" The girl eximed as she folded her arms in front of her.


    She created a pink magic circle above them. It glowed brightly, the light was warm as if from the sun, and the small scratches began to heal quickly.


    "Sara, your healing abilities are superb as always." Egid nodded approvingly.


    "Thank you."


    ''She''s a healer...'' Blind Sorcerer inwardly muttered, ''Damn, that could be a problem.''


    ...


    The students returned to the academy safely. They were additionally sent medics to make sure they were perfectly fine. Reine and Blind Sorcerer were not feeling well, but as teachers, they had to report back.


    "Miss Reine, can you exin what happened? Why did you feel sick during an open ss? It put the students'' lives in danger, we hope it wasn''t your fault." Egid said seriously.<sub> </sub>


    He sat at arge long table with two other Elders. They summoned Reine and Blind Sorcerer for questioning.


    "I''m sorry, I can''t exactly answer your question. At one point, I felt abruptly worse, I couldn''t do anything. I''m so sorry." Reine muttered as she lowered her head.


    "Miss Reine, I expected more from you." One of the Elders said arrogantly.


    Reine remained silent. She knew she had no right to be outraged. She was lucky to have Blind Sorcerer with her. If it weren''t for him, a lot of students would have died because of her.


    "I don''t think you should me Miss Reine." Blind Sorcerer said.


    "What? Boy, do you realize that her ipetence has set you up too? You did well to save the students, but you must be objective. If this happens again, it will be a real disaster."


    "Yes, I agree, but Miss Reine is hardly to me. I believe someone intentionally poisoned her, this academy has many enemies, so I believe we are just victims." Blind Sorcerer said confidently.


    "I don''t know... It all seems too strange."


    "Damn, you were always too suspicious." Egid waved his hand, "This guy''s right, this interrogation is over for now. We''re d you''re okay, especially good that all the students are alive. Although it was dangerous, the students got a unique experience. It will definitely help them in the future."


    Blind Sorcerer and Reine nodded and left the room.


    "Thank you for stepping in for me..." Reine said modestly.


    "Don''t mention it. This Elder hasn''t even been there and doesn''t understand the situation''splexity, but you should be more careful. You might be the only one the intruders are targeting." Blind Sorcerer pped her on the shoulder.


    "Yes..." Reine nodded weakly.


    ...


    Blind Sorcerer returned to his room. It was already evening, and it was the perfect time to start the first part of the n.


    "Good. I hope they don''t notice it too quickly." Blind Sorcerer sighed.


    Whooooooosh.


    Kaya suddenly opened her eyes, they shone brightly like two stars.


    ''Let''s go.''


    Kaya nodded and walked out of her room. She headed toward the main staircase. The Blind Sorcerer mentally controlled her like a puppet. He saw too that she was.


    It was already quitete, so Kaya met no one in her path. She walked quietly up the stone stairs and approached the highest point of the academy, the long, dark spire, where the main treasure of the academy was located.


    As night fell deep, Kaya reached the entrance to the spire. No one was allowed to enter here, not even the Elders, but the Blind Sorcerer decided to break that rule.


    ''Damn, this barrier is superb. It''s like looking at a work of art...'' Blind Sorcerer muttered inwardly.


    A steel gate blocked the entrance to the spire with a barrier on it. It was a formation of many magical circles of different colors and sizes, any engineer wouldpare it to what a clock looks like from the inside.


    ''Huh, the Chief Elder did his best. It''s the best barrier I''ve seen, no one could break it, no one but me.'' Blind Sorcerer smirked.

 Chapter 471 Breaking Through The Barrier

    Blind Sorcerer studied the barrier with Kaya''s help. He examined every detail but didn''t touch the barrier. It was still too early to try to break through the gate.


    ''Huh, that turned out to be harder than I thought. Does the Chief Elder really specialize in making barriers? The Elder was able to create the best castle, though it should be since it''s the most valuable treasury.'''' Blind Sorcerer inwardly muttered.


    It took him a few hours to study the barrier and figure out how he could break it down. Blind Sorcerer had a lot of experience in this, so for this, he hypnotized Ron and Kaya. They possessed powers perfect for destabilizing barriers.


    ''Okay, time to go.'' Blind Sorcerer thought.


    Kaya took onest look at the barrier and turned around.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly the space shuddered, and purple electrical discharges appeared in the air. Kaya instinctively had goosebumps all over her body, trembling with fear as if she had encountered something terrifying.


    Crackling.


    A portal opened in the air. A tall man in a ck robe with long purple hair and green eyes emerged from it. He had amethyst earrings and a tear tattoo under his left eye.


    "Hmm? A child? What are you doing here? You''re an academy student. Aren''t you supposed to be sleeping right now?" The man said in a thoughtful manner.


    ''What a powerful aura... I see, it''s him, us Olden, Chief Elder or Head of the Academy...'' Blind Sorcerer muttered inwardly.


    us was the only one in the academy who could give Blind Sorcerer trouble. He was an unusually strong mage. Even the Elders were no stronger than an average studentpared to him.


    ''He would have no trouble noticing that Kaya is under hypnosis... Good, in that case, I''ll do just that.'' Blind Sorcerer shook his head.


    "What...?" Kaya muttered, "Where am I?"


    Suddenly Kaya looked like she was lost. She looked around, her gaze aloof and slightly nk. Then she saw us and flinched.


    "You are... I''m sorry I didn''t greet you!" Kaya bowed low.


    "Don''t be." us waved his hand, "How did you get in here? You know this is a restricted area for students and teachers, don''t you?"


    "Yes... I''m sorry... I can''t answer your question." Kaya lowered her head.


    "Hmm... Apparently you''re sleepwalking. Well, go back to your room and don''te here again. Next time I''ll have to punish you. I hope you understand that." us said calmly.


    "Of course, I''m sorry, I don''t know how I got in here." Kaya bowed as she left.


    us stared intently at her back but ended up doing nothing. It was rare, but it wasn''t the first time a student had entered the forbidden area. Most of the time, it was due to curiosity. us understood that, so for the first time, he forgave such students.


    ''There are too many inquisitive students this year... Eh, being Head of the Academy is harder than I imagined.'' us shook his head as he disappeared.


    ...


    ''Good, everything went as nned.'' Blind Sorcerer smiled.


    He knew that a lost apprentice would not make us suspicious, but the situation would have been very different if he had gone there. us was a wise man, there was no way he would have let Blind Sorcerer leave there alive.<sub> </sub>


    ''Clearly, he doesn''t just need these two to break the barrier, but they''re also his cover. Damn, isn''t it immoral to use these kids like this?'' Wain chuckled.


    It took him a long time to figure out exactly what the Blind Sorcerer was going to do, but now everything was falling into ce and moving toward a climax.


    ...


    The next day, Blind Sorcerer didn''t have sses. His ss needed to rest after what happened, and so did he.


    In the meantime, he was preparing to break into the barrier. Kaya and Ron were the two main elements, but that was only part of the n.


    "Good, that should be enough." Blind Sorcerer muttered.


    On the table in front of him were several scrolls and magical artifacts. One thing stood out. It was a dark, bloody ring. It gave off a strong smell of blood and an eerie aura. Also next to the ring was a gray coin with a picture of an open jaw. These were his main trumps.


    The light from the blue moon shone through the window, and the ring on Blind Sorcerer''s finger shone brightly. The objects disappeared, and he left the room.


    After a while, Ron and Kaya joined him, Skeleton approached the academy, waiting for Blind Sorcerer to start what he had been waiting for for so long finally.


    "As soon as we break the barrier, run away at once. us won''t feel sorry for you because you''re apprentices. He''ll kill you if possible." Blind Sorcerer muttered.


    Ron and Kaya nodded.


    After a while, they entered the spire, and Blind Sorcerer immediately began to act.


    He ced several pentagram-shaped scrolls on the barrier. The symbols shone brightly on the scrolls, pressure came down on the barrier, it shuddered, but it wasn''t enough.


    Whooooosh.


    Several artifacts appeared beside the Blind Sorcerer. They headed toward the barrier like meteors.


    "Good. Ron, Kaya, go!" Blind Sorcerer eximed as he created a huge magical circle.


    Ron and Kaya used their most powerful spells. Ron created a massive gravity spear, it was so heavy it attracted other objects to it. Pieces of stone flew out of the walls and soared next to the spear, like asteroids around a.


    Kaya used electricity and ice to create four crystals; they pointed in one direction.


    "Attack!" Blind Sorcerer eximed.


    Ron threw his spear, lightning rays flew out of the ice crystals, and a hugeser appeared from the magic circle. It all simultaneously attacked the barrier at one point.


    The barrier tried to resist and recover, but the scrolls and artifacts prevented it from doing so.


    Many cracks appeared across the barrier, and it exploded. Waves of energy spread apart that destroyed part of the spire. The explosion tossed Ron and Kaya aside, and they hit the solid walls and passed out.


    "I''m finally here." Blind Sorcerer muttered.

 Chapter 472 The Ring

    The barrier of the main vault was destroyed, and everyone in the academy felt it. The gothic castle shook violently as if in a powerful earthquake. The energy waves from the barrier explosion shook the shield around the academy, so at first, the teachers and Elders thought they had been attacked.


    ''Okay, we''re done with the easy part. Now it''s time to move on to the main course.'' Blind Sorcerer smiled.


    He walked over to Kaya and Ron and touched them. Space shuddered as they disappeared. Blind Sorcerer moved them to safety, then he ran into the vault.


    The scroll containing the academy''s greatest treasure was at the very top. It floated among the many books and other rare artifacts.


    Blind Sorcerer ran there with all his speed. He bounced off the walls and used the soaring bs as tforms to get to the scroll faster.


    Tremble.


    Blind Sorcerer almost made it to the top, but suddenly space distorted. A crack appeared in the air, and an arm burst out. It grabbed Blind Sorcerer by the edge of his mantle and threw him aside.


    ''Shit!''


    "So, so... I thought I was imagining things yesterday, but no, there''s actually a thief in the academy." us said slowly.


    A second hand appeared from the crack, and they widened the passage wide enough for us to enter.


    "Well... Who are you? I must admit that of all those who wanted to steal the treasure of the academy. You achieved more than anyone else. I thought that barrier was impossible to break, but you managed to do it." us said calmly.


    He walked slowly toward the Blind Sorcerer, us literally walking through the air. Purple magical circles appeared beneath his feet as if he were descending stairs.


    "You were faster than I thought..." Blind Sorcerer muttered as he rose to his feet, "Looks like this thing is very valuable to you."


    us looked at the scroll, "Of course, I had to give up a lot to get it, too bad I can''t use it yet."


    "Then why don''t you give it to me?" Blind Sorcerer grinned, "Unlike you, I can take care of this thing."


    "Huh, good joke. You''re undeniably a skilled burr, but do you really think you have enough strength to handle me?" us eximed as his eyes glowed violet brightly.


    Several spatial des appeared next to the Blind Sorcerer. They rushed towards him, cutting through everything in their path, whether solid walls or various magic books.


    us'' eyes went nk. He thought it was the end. No one was able to defend himself against the Magic of Space, the Blind Sorcerer could only dodge, but us left him no room for that.


    "Hey, do you think it''s going to be that easy?" Blind Sorcerer smiled.


    He removed his eye patch, and his left pupil sparkled. The space nearby suddenly returned to normal, and the spatial des evaporated.


    "What...?" us was shocked, "I see... You have spatial magic too, that was unexpected, but it doesn''t change anything anyway."


    Tremble.<sub> </sub>


    us sighed as he transformed into purple lightning. He rushed toward the Blind Sorcerer, electric sparks flying apart, destroying everything around him.


    "Not so fast." Blind Sorcerer opened his second eye.


    Suddenly it was as if the world had lost its colors, it became ck and white, and the flow of time slowed considerably. Incredibly fast lightning sparks hung in the air, only the Blind Sorcerer could move with the normal speed.


    He ignored us and ran toward the scroll. In a couple of seconds, he was at it, Blind Sorcerer was ready to pick up the scroll, but suddenly there was another barrier around the scroll. It glowed brightly and exploded.


    The explosion destroyed most of the vault. Books and rare artifacts flew apart.


    "Fuck!" Blind Sorcerer eximed.


    Controlling time was nothing short of a miracle, only a select few mages could use this power, and many even believed they did not exist. However, even those who had this rare power had difficulty using it. The Blind Sorcerer lost control for a moment, enough for us to counterattack.


    "The power of time... Holy shit... I thought I''d never meet a mage with these abilities. Looks like today is my day!" us grinned as he attacked with all his might.


    The Blind Sorcerer created several barriers in front of him, but us broke through them easily, his strength was far beyond the abilities of the teachers or the Elders.


    Whooooooosh.


    Blind Sorcerer flew from the impact to the other side of the vault. He mmed into the wall and threw up a mouthful of blood.


    "Maybe we would have had a prolonged fight in another situation, but you made a serious mistake." us said seriously, "You decided to attack a mage in his house. That is the greatest stupidity."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly the space trembled, and various symbols appeared on the walls, slowly covering everything like vines. The symbols glowed brightly, and pressure came over the Blind Sorcerer. Even he could only move with great difficulty.


    us didn''t stop there. He put his palm on the floor, then many magical circles appeared in the air. They all turned toward the Blind Sorcerer and were ready to attack.


    "You''re lucky. I need your power, so I won''t kill you yet. There''s almost nothing left of my vault because of you, but that''s nothingpared to the magic of time." us smirked, "What do you say? Will you be myb rat, or would you rather die? Which will you choose?"


    "Huh, I knew you were strong, but I didn''t think I''d be in such a bad position." Blind Sorcerer muttered.


    us frowned, Blind Sorcerer was calm, and that rmed him.


    "This scroll hides the secret of the chaos artifact, right? Well, in that case, before I take it away, I''m going to wreak real havoc here." The Blind Sorcerer grinned as the bloody ring appeared in his hand.


    us'' eyes went wide, he tried to stop the Blind Sorcerer, but it was toote.

 Chapter 473 The Bloody Advent

    "I didn''t really want to do this, but I promised someone, so...I had no choice." Blind Sorcerer smirked.


    "No!" us eximed.


    Blind Sorcerer touched the ring, then it shattered into small shards, and space shuddered. Many cracks appeared in the air as if the world was ready to copse at any moment.


    The dark night sky turned blood red, and so did the moon. A spear sign with two torn wings appeared on the moon.


    "Bastard! Are you associated with the Blood Legion?" us said angrily.


    "Yes... You could say that, but I''m not their ally."


    "Hmm?" us frowned.


    "The problem is that they didn''te here to save me. They came here to kill me, obviously, anything that gets in their way, they will destroy, and of course, you and your academy themselves will try to stop them without realizing it. Isn''t that a beautiful triangle?" Blind Sorcerer smiled.


    "You''re missing one detail." us said calmly, "If I kill you, there''s no reason for them to stay here anymore."


    Tremble.


    His robe soared upward, and half of his face was covered by a purple mask. His powers increased dramatically, the floor beneath him began to crack, and the space became unstable.


    The Blind Sorcerer said nothing. He was only silent, smiling enigmatically.


    "Die!" us eximed as he attacked.


    Whoooooosh.


    Suddenly a stream of blood appeared in front of him, and a hand emerged from it and grabbed us by the throat.


    "He''s mine. I won''t let anyone touch him, this bastard will die by my hand and no other way." Amanding voice rang out from the stream.


    us got out of his grip and bounced to the side.


    A tall girl with short red hair and dark eyes slowly emerged from the stream. She wore crimson armor and a long spear in her hand.


    She turned to Blind Sorcerer, "You look miserable, though you should."


    "Who are you?" us asked warily.


    "Anna Heintz." Blind Sorcerer muttered, "The leader of the Bloody Legion and my ex-girlfriend."


    "What the fuck..." us muttered. He expected to hear anything, but not this.


    "Shut your mouth motherfucker!" Anna said furiously, "Our rtionship was my worst mistake. I''m sure you used your magic to trick me because you just used me to get yours."


    "And what are you going to do now?" Blind Sorcerer smiled.


    Anna walked up to him, "Kill you in the bloodiest way possible, as befits a Blood Legion Leader."


    "I wouldn''t mind, but I promised not to touch you."


    "What? What kind of nonsense are you talking about?"<sub> </sub>


    "I didn''t summon you to save me from him." Blind Sorcerer pointed at us, "But to fulfill my obligation to my partner."


    Anna frowned; she didn''t understand what he was talking about.


    "Hey, will you get started already?" Blind Sorcerer shouted, "If you don''t, I have to deal with her again! I have principles too, you know."


    "Okay..." Suddenly there was an eerie voice as space shook.


    A crackle.


    A thin dark line appeared in the air. Then the world seemed to split in two.


    The massive, long spire was sliced in one single sweep, very precisely as if a surgeon had done it.


    "What the hell!" Anna eximed as she tried to keep her bnce.


    us jumped up and created a tform of magical circles beneath him. He didn''t understand what was happening.


    Whoooooosh.


    Someone else appeared in the room, it was the Dark Skeleton. He stared at Anna, his empty eyes shining like two crimson torches. Scarlet energy emanated from his sword, it turned into eerie ghosts, and they hovered around him, searching for a suitable victim.


    "Who are you?" Anna asked quietly. This was the first time she had ever seen a Skeleton.


    "It''s not that important. All you need to know is that I havee for your head and the lives of your entire Legion!" The Dark Skeleton eximed as he swung his sword.


    The ghosts turned into a single de, it copsed on the academy, and the Gothic Castle was vertically sliced in two. It was a real disaster, and the students and teachers were distraught. Their academy had been an impregnable fortress, but now everything had copsed as if the apocalypse had begun.


    "Bastard! Do you have any idea what you''ve done?" us eximed.


    "None of this matters. The fate of this academy was sealed from the moment he got here." Skeleton pointed at Blind Sorcerer, "Okay, let''s get started."


    Whoooooooohs.


    A dark stream of energy erupted from the Skeleton. The mark of bloody wings appeared on his armor, and his sword became longer and sharper.


    Skeleton turned into a scarlet sh and rushed toward Anna. She blocked the blow as she struck back with her spear.


    A few secondster, the two developed incredible speed. Even us could barely see all of their movements, they were like two blurry blobs with sparks flying off to the side and everything around them copsing.


    "Hey, shouldn''t you be helping your students?" Blind Sorcerer turned to us.


    He opened his left eye and appeared before us. Blind Sorcerer kicked him off the spire. us tried to create a magic circle underneath him, but Blind Sorcerer unleashed several attacks on him. us had to defend himself, he fell to the ruins of the academy and was immediately attacked by members of the Bloody Legion.


    Anna''s main target was Blind Sorcerer, but that didn''t mean that the Bloody Legion wouldn''t touch anyone else besides him.


    The Bloody Legion were notorious criminals. They were a big problem for everyone, both the light side of the world and the dark side. They did not pursue any global goal and were not mercenaries. It was almost impossible to understand their actions.


    Bloody Legion did what they wanted, and it did not matter how dangerous or profitable the mission was for them. They were driven only by desire.


    Their distinguishing feature was their red armor, as well as their cruelty and bloodthirstiness. The leader of the Bloody Legion was feared by even the strongest men on the continent.

 Chapter 474 Secret Of The Scroll

    ''Blind Sorcerer had a girlfriend? Huh, if someone else had said that, I would have thought it was a joke. Well... This is getting interesting.'' Wain muttered inwardly.


    It was like a ghost hovering in the air, watching the situation closely. Wain was surprised that the situation suddenly changed so much. With each Blind Sorcerer''s step, a new figure appeared on the battlefield, he was doing everything to get his way.


    ''What are you going to do next?'' Wain pondered.


    While Anna and Skeleton fought, Blind Sorcerer headed for the scroll. Twice he had been prevented from getting it, but now there were no more obstacles in front of him.


    He jumped over the wreckage of the crumbling spire and quickly made his way to the scroll.


    The scroll was very old, with many unusual ancient symbols on it. Blind Sorcerer touched the scroll, and the symbols turned into a single beam that prated his be. The Blind Sorcerer trembled, and his aura became unstable, rising and falling.


    A golden me appeared next to him, the me of Chaos. It engulfed Blind Sorcerer and began to burn him slowly, he was in incredible pain, and his life was on the brink.


    "Huh, idiot. If mastering Chaos Magic was that easy, I would have done it long ago." us uttered.


    He headed toward the spire walking through the air. Droplets of blood dripped from his dark robe. He had dealt with several members of the Blood Legion in a short time. They were strong, but in terms of power, us was equal to Anna and Blind Sorcerer, mere minions were no threat to him.


    "Hmm? What''s going on?" us puzzled.


    The mes of Chaos suddenly became weaker, and Blind Sorcerer smiled weakly.


    "Your mistake did not understand what it takes to have the me of Chaos as your ally. That power is beyond time and space, which means you must possess them to at leaste close to the true power." Blind Sorcerer muttered as he opened both eyes.


    It was a great strain for him, he had to control time and space at the same time, but even one moment was enough.


    The world went gray again, and everything froze. Anna''s and Skeleton''s movements, not unlike the speed of lightning, were slow now, the sparks flying away stopped, as did the debris of the spire falling on the academy.


    Then the world was colored again.


    Only a moment passed for everyone, but the Blind Sorcerer had enough time to understand Chaos.


    "Well... I finally got my third power..." Blind Sorcerer muttered as his eyes brightened.


    His white pupils, due to blindness, gradually began to change color. They turned amber, and the rest were ck like an abyss.


    "I see..." Blind Sorcerer muttered as tears poured from his eyes.


    Only then did everyone understand Blind Sorcerer''s true purpose. Anna, Skeleton, and us stopped fighting, they looked at him.


    Then to them, he was no longer a powerful mage, a former lover or partner, he was a simple man who had finally gained what he had lost since his birth.


    For all of them, the ability to see was somethingmonce, but for the Blind Sorcerer, it was a pipe dream.


    "Huh, that''s crazy." us shook his head.


    "His case is special..." Anna whispered, "Even the rarest medicines could not cure his eyes. He left me to master the Magic of Space and Time. He wanted to turn back time, but fate was too cruel for him."


    "So... He had to master the powerful magic to get what we all have finally... Damn, that''s some mess." Skeleton shook his head.


    "Hey, Skeleton, tell me more about your loss. Are you sure the Blood Legion did it?"


    "Sure. Isn''t there a Skeleton in bloody armor in your ranks? He killed my family just like that. I remember his face, everyone I asked said only the Bloody Legion was capable of doing that!" Skeleton eximed.


    "I''m sorry." Anna muttered, "But there are no monsters in the ranks of the Bloody Legion. I only ept humans, no one else, those are my rules, and no one has ever broken them."


    "What?!" The Skeleton eximed.


    <o>,m He ran to the edge of the spire to look at the members of the Bloody Legion, they were fighting the academy teachers. They all wore bloody armor, but there were no monsters there.<sub> </sub></o>


    "No... That can''t be... Then what did I fight for...?"


    "Let''s go!" Anna eximed.


    The Bloody Legion were brutal killers, but their leader''s orders were absolute. All who fought instantly retreated and headed for the spire.


    "Are we done here?" Asked one of her subordinates.


    "Yes... I can''t fight him, just looking at him makes my heart break. I can''t even imagine how hard it was for him." Anna stared at Blind Sorcerer.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly the space trembled. Everyone was shocked, for neither us, Skeleton, nor Anna had anything to do with it. Blind Sorcerer turned around, a dark hourss-shaped sign appeared in the sky.


    "Magician, we warned you once before not to abuse the Time Magic, but you went further and mastered the Chaos Magic. We can''t let that go unnoticed." A powerful voice rang out.


    Five silhouettes emerged from the portal, four of them wearing ck or white armor. Their leader was a Skeleton in bloody armor.


    ''It''s him!'' the Dark Skeleton inwardly eximed.


    "Who are you?" Anna became wary.


    "Stay out of the way." The Bloody Skeleton uttered as he clenched his hand into a fist.


    Suddenly a scarlet barrier appeared next to the spire. Everyone inside it locked up. Only Blind Sorcerer remained outside.


    "Bastard! Let us out!" Anna screamed.


    Her attacks could not even shake the barrier. The Bloody Skeleton wasn''t paying attention to her. He stared at Blind Sorcerer.


    "Attack!" Bloody Skeleton armed himself with his sword.


    "You know I can''t defeat you in this condition." Blind Sorcerer muttered.


    Snap.


    He snapped his fingers, and yellow mes rained down on the group from all sides. However, they used special shields, the Chaos me couldn''t prate it, but they were still wounded. Nothing couldpletely quell Chaos.


    "Yes. I will take my only opportunity to kill you! It''s my duty as a guardian!"


    "Hahaha." Blind Sorcerer suddenlyughed.


    "Let me show you how worthless you are to some people." A dark, jaw-shaped coin appeared in Blind Sorcerer''s hand.


    ''What is it?'' Everyone wondered at the same time.


    The coin glowed, and at the same time, the sky shattered into tiny shards. Instead of the bloody color, there was now only the darkness of open space. It looked mysterious but frightening.


    Whooooooosh.


    A dark silhouette flew in, a pressure from him was powerful as that of a ck hole. Streams of dark energy emanated from him, covering everything around him.


    "I''m d you finally got your sight. Now just watch and enjoy the best show." The silhouette said as a massive silhouette of a jaw appeared above him.


    The jaw closed, and all that was left of the group was the lower half of their bodies. The piece of space beside them seemed to disappear from the world forever.


    "I hope you enjoyed it." The Dark Silhouette smiled.

 Chapter 475 World Impact

    "I learned a lot about you, didn''t I?" Wain muttered.


    Thest memory turned out to be quite vivid in various small details. Wain learned not only about the interaction between Dark Silhouette and Blind Sorcerer but also about his target and even his ex-girlfriend.


    "It''s only natural. Well... I was thest one. I can''t wait for you to watch the memories of the others. By the way, you''rete. Ideally, there should be six of us by now, so ck Sun Aristocrat and Knight of the Bloody Rose are in an awkward situation because of it." Blind Sorcerer shook his head.


    "There have been too many eventstely. I''m off to find a sixth form right now, by the looks of it will be special."


    "Something like that." Blind Sorcerer muttered as he disappeared.


    [You have discovered the nickname of the third form, Blind Sorcerer.]


    [Remembering gave you new power and unlocked the second appearance of the third form, Chaos Watcher. You may use it at any time.]


    [Chaos Watcher.


    This is the origin of the memory of a genius mage who was able to learn three kinds of Unique Magic. He did all of this not to gain power but to see the world as well as others finally. This is the story of how one man had to do the impossible to get a thing that is ordinary to most people].


    ''Great. I wouldn''t want to be blind. It must be awful, there''s enough darkness in this world as it is.'' Wain muttered inwardly.


    ''I hope you haven''t forgotten about us?'' ck Sun Aristocrat suddenly said.


    [You have discovered the special ability of the fourth form - Other Side]


    [Other Side


    ck Sun Aristocrat has always been a mysterious person. He might have seemed frivolous or overly emotional to his close friends, but that''s only because he had no reason to be serious.


    You can remove the mask, it will reveal the full force, but only for ten seconds. Be careful, any dy could seriously harm you, the strain on your body would be enormous].


    ''Sounds interesting.'' Wain nodded.


    ''Eh, I''m the veryst one.'' Knight of the Bloody muttered.


    [You unlocked the fifth form''s special ability, Scarlet Flow.]


    [Scarlet Flow


    The Knight of the Bloody understands better than most how important blood is. It can be something good as saving a person or the opposite of a sign that tragedy is inevitable. Without blood, there would be no living beings, which practically means that blood is the whole world.


    You can use this power and be many times stronger and faster for a while. The more blood around you, the more powerful the effect will be. You can also use all the blood and unleash a river of blood on your enemies. This can lead to disaster].


    ''I wonder what memories these two have?''


    Wain pondered what happened for a while, then headed for the room''s exit.


    Whooooooosh.<sub> </sub>


    Suddenly an information window appeared in front of him.


    [Your World Impact - King Role, activated.]


    [King Role (First Rank)


    Normal Effects:


    Your attack power, defense, speed, and other parameters in a battle against creatures below Third Chronicle will be three times higher.


    You receive five times less Soul Essence for absorbing the souls of creatures below the Third Chronicle. Chances for weapons, skills, or consumables are also reduced by five times.


    Resistance to negative effects below Third Chronicle is increased to 90%. You are virtually immune to most of them.


    Unique effects unique to you:


    Your power inbat against Third Chronicle creatures and above is increased by a third.


    Your chance to gain Legendary Rating items is increased depending on the Chronicle of the enemy you defeated. If the enemy is in the Third Chronicle, the chance is increased by 0.1%, in the Fourth Chronicle by 1%, and in the Fifth Chronicle by 3%.


    Creatures below you by two Chronicles won''t even be able to approach you if you put enough power into your aura. They will freeze in ce, unable to make a move.


    Majesty''s upgrade rate doubled].


    "So that''s what this means... Given the bonuses now, World Impact has no point for me in fighting someone who hasn''t reached Third Chronicle. That exins why the stronger ones ignore the affairs of the weaker ones." Wain said to himself.


    Wain decided to take a stroll through his zone. He didn''t start the mass evolution. Not all the monsters were ready for it yet, and he had more important things to do.


    ''Eh, Ern, Alice, and Erza must be waiting for me by now. My journey took longer than I bargained for, damn beetles.''


    Elegan, Reto, Sarras, and Frigus had already begun to evolve, they didn''t need all of Wain''s energy to do so, they only needed one push. They were gaining new abilities and moving beyond the Second Chronicle''s boundaries.


    ''It''s time to go back.'' Wain thought as he opened the portal.


    Secondster, he found himself in the kitchen of Ern''s house.


    A pleasant aroma headed toward him at once. Wain lost track of time, it was now lunchtime, and Ern decided to cook a meal for everyone. Likest time, he was cooking meat, some vegetables, and various sauces with lots of spices.


    "Oh, you''re back. I thought something had happened to you. Did it really take you this long to master the power containment technique?" Ern muttered. He didn''t turn around as he continued cooking.


    "You have no idea how much has happened, but none of that matters now. Once I got here, my hunger kicked in, I feel like I could eat a whole elephant right now." Wain said as he sat down at the table.


    "Huh, whatever." Ern smiled, "You''ll have to wait a while. I''m only halfway there. How do you feel after you''ve evolved? I''m sure you didn''t expect Third Chronicle to be so different."


    "It''s great, but I''m a little scared. Now even the Second Chronicle creatures are nothing to me, then I''m in the same position for those above me. It''s rming..."

 Chapter 476 The Way

    "Done." Ern pronounced as he put out the fire.


    He ced arge crispy steak, some roasted vegetables, and several kinds of sauces on the tes. He carefully poured the red sauce over the steak and ced it on a bed of rice.


    "Have you thought about bing a chef?'' Wain asked.


    "No." Ern shook his head, "I wouldn''t be able to cook as well in a restaurant kitchen or person to someone for money. In fact, I don''t like working, especially for someone. I do better when doing it for myself."


    Wain nodded weakly, he shared Ern''s opinion.


    "I''ll go get the others." Ern muttered as he headed for the kitchen exit.


    However, he didn''t have to go anywhere. Alice and Erza smelled that great aroma and quickly came to dinner.


    ''Is that Erza...?'' Wain muttered.


    She looked a little different than before. Her hair was mussed, her clothes dirty, and she had an unfinished bottle of bourbon in her hand, it was just a mess.


    "Wain...?!" Erza eximed as she saw him.


    "Hi, I see someone''s having a rough day."


    Erza instantly blushed. She left the bottle on the table and ran away.


    "Did I say something wrong?" Wain looked at Ern.


    "No. You did the right thing. All right, let''s eat before the food gets cold. Alice, sit down." Ern pulled back a chair.


    "Alice... Are you in First Chronicle...?" Wain was surprised.


    "Yes." Alice nodded weakly.


    "The humans'' ability to absorb energy was incredible. I got the right amount of souls, and all she had to do was absorb them. There were slight problems with the conditions, but we managed, so Alice is now on the edge of the First Chronicle. She only has to fulfill the conditions to begin her second evolution. That speed is astounding." Ern said confidently.


    "There are plenty of minuses, too."


    "Of course, there''s no perfect in this world. Okay, I don''t want to talk anymore, all I''m interested in is this juicy steak." Ern took a fork in his hand as he began to eat.


    Unlike the others, he had no rice or vegetables on his te, just three huge pieces of meat and a sea of sauce. It was the best meal for the Demons. Ern only cooked the vegetables because Alice and Erza love them. He didn''t need rice or any garnish, with luck, he could easily eat a whole wild boar.


    When the tes were already almost empty, Erza returned to the kitchen. Now she lookedpletely different like she was going to a royal banquet. Her hair was styled, and she even applied makeup. She was wearing a long ck and red dress that fit her tightly.


    She sat silently at the table and began to eat carefully, asionally ncing at Wain as if expecting an appraisal from him.


    ...


    "Are we ready to hit the road?" Ern said as he cleared the tes from the table, "Alice, would you be kind enough to clean up here."


    "Sure."<sub> </sub>


    "Yes. I hope the Forgotten Forest of Elves doesn''t disappoint us. Also, we need to visit Alice''s town." Wain muttered.


    "I suggest we go outte at night, at dawn, we will approach the city." Ern stared at Wain.


    "I don''t mind." Wain nodded.


    "Me, too." Erza nodded.


    "Good. Then that''s what we''ll do."


    ...


    At night they left Nord. They had no more business in this city, each of them had their own goals for this journey. Wain had to discover the sixth form, Ern wanted to find the secret treasure, Erza was trying to get close to Wain somehow, and Alice wanted to know what happened with her house.


    Ern had the map, but he gave it to Wain because he needed to carry Alice in his arms to keep up with them. She had made some serious progresstely, a real breakthrough, but it was like a drop in the oceanpared to them.


    Their path was from north to west. They emerged from the snowy mountains and entered the dense forests. Many dangerous monsters lived here, even those in Second Chronicle were hesitant to enter here, but for Wain and the others, it was no barrier.


    ''What a strange feeling.'' Wain inwardly muttered as he looked at the monsters hiding behind the trees.


    All the monsters were on the edge of the Second Chronicle, but they dared not make a move. Wain hadn''t felt this way before. Now he understood the power of World Impact.


    ''If not for the effect of World Impact, they might ambush us, but they don''t really have a chance of winning. It''s even a little cruel.''


    "It''s kind of boring here, don''t you think?" Ern muttered.


    "Hmm?"


    "Look, this snake has been chasing us for some time now, though it''s only in First Chronicle. Isn''t it a good opportunity to have a little fun?" Ern looked back.


    "We''ll kill it in one hit. What''s the point of that?" Erza asked.


    "Oh, I''m not talking about us. We won''t fight, Alice will do that. You don''t understand me, but I want to see what she has aplished. Realbat with a dangerous opponent is seriously different from training." Ern said as he lowered Alice to the ground.


    They stopped as the snake hid in the trees. The snake was good at covering, Alice peered closely into the forest thicket, but she couldn''t see the snake.


    "There. Look there." Ern pointed with his hand.


    Alice looked closer. Among the bushes, she saw two green eyes, the snake watching them as well as they did.


    "Go ahead. No one will disturb you. We''ll keep an eye on the monsters." Ern put his hand on Alice''s shoulder.


    "Good." Alice nodded as her ring glowed brightly.


    In her hand appeared a creepy scythe with an eye open on the de. The dark armor appeared on Alice, and her hair turned blue and much longer. Alice sighed and rushed toward the snake.


    The monster shuddered but did not retreat. Snake was confident that it could handle Alice easily.

 Chapter 477 City

    Alice attacked. Her eyes were as calm as her aura. She swung her scythe as the dark de swept toward the snake.


    The monster reacted immediately. It twisted and easily dodged the de. Alice attacked again, but suddenly the snake''s tail came crashing down on her. She reflexively raised her scythe above her as she blocked the blow, but she could hardly keep from falling. Her legs trembled, and cracks appeared on the ground.


    "Huh, I thought she could easily take a punch like that." Wain muttered.


    "Well... She''s only fought me before. She''s probably not used to fighting against a monster, especially snakes. It has no arms or legs, just a long tail and a pair of sharp fangs. By the way... we might be in trouble..." Ern''s eyes went wide.


    "What is it?" Erza stared at him.


    "Damn, if that snake is poisonous, Alice is going to be bad, we might not have the right medicine."


    "Shall we go save her?" Wain hesitated.


    "No. She''ll make it. If she can''t overpower that snake, then shame on me as a teacher. True...I''ve never trained anyone before, but could that be a problem?" Ern shrugged.


    "Poor kid..." Erza shook her head.


    "It''ll be all right, I''m sure." Ern thrust his chest forward.


    Wain, Ern, and Erza watched the fight, so the other monsters couldn''t attack, Alice had to deal with the serpent on her own, no one would interfere with them.


    ''Damn! I''ve blocked many blows from Ern, but I can''t handle one tail!'' Alice eximed to herself as she fought off another blow.


    "Girl, use my power to its fullest, and we''ll cut this snake into sashimi. You have such a powerful weapon, and yet you don''t use it, it''s incredibly stupid." Dormant Stalker uttered.


    "I''m not sure... In past times, it''s worked for me by ident!" Alice eximed.


    Whoooooosh.


    The snake turned as it opened its jaw wide and spat a sphere of venom at Alice.


    Alice''s eyes went wide as it instinctively ducked to the ground,nding on a twine. The poison sphere fell behind her, the venom eating away at the ground like acid.


    ''If it hit me... Shit! I''ve got to do something.''


    ''We can do it, just trust me.'' Dormant Stalker said. There was a connection between them. They couldmunicate through telepathy.


    "Great, this snake has acid type venom. Now we definitely won''t need an antidote." Ern nodded confidently.


    "Surely you''re her teacher...?" Wain looked at him, puzzled.


    "I''m not sure about my decision to go to the Forgotten Forest of Elves anymore..." Erza muttered.


    Alice got to her feet as she rushed toward the snake. The monster spat out several more spheres, they should have hit Alice for sure, but suddenly her eyes shed, and she turned into a dark sh.


    Swinging her scythe a few times, she shattered the poisonous spheres and came close to the serpent.


    ? ''Come on!'' Dormant Stalker eximed.


    Alice attacked.


    The scythe de plunged into the snake''s tough hide and cut through it like a sheet of paper. As she applied more force, Alice stepped forward, and the de went further. She ripped open the snake''s belly. The monster died with horrible cries.<sub> </sub>


    "What an abomination..." Alice looked at her hands. They were stained with blood like the rest of her.


    ''That''s no problem. We''ve aplished our task.'' Dormant Stalker muttered.


    The eye on the scythe closed as the dark armor disappeared along with the dirt and blood left by the snake.


    p. p. p.


    ps were heard behind her. Alice turned to Ern, he was pping his hands slowly with a smile.


    "Well done, there were a few mistakes, but all in all, you did fine."


    "Yes." Alice nodded.


    "Okay, let''s go. We''ve wasted too much time on this already. If I don''t get to the Forgotten Forest of Elves as soon as possible, I might be in trouble." Wain waved his hand.


    "You did well." Erza said calmly.


    "Soon, you''ll be able to fight stronger monsters without difficulty. It''s only a matter of time." Ern walked over to Alice.


    He took her in his arms, and they all headed together.


    Alice''s town was in the same direction as the Forgotten Forest of Elves, so as they approached, Alice could easily figure it out.


    During the night, they passed through several forests, mountains, and even ended up in a small desert area.


    "It''s there!" Alice eximed as she pointed to ake in the distance.


    "Your town is on the shore?"


    "Yes. I hope someone managed to survive..." Alice bit her lip.


    "We''ll see. The only way to survive in such a situation is to hide. Maybe someone actually did it." Wain muttered.


    "Let''s go!" Ern eximed as he turned into a blue sh.


    Although finding survivors was very important to Alice and Wain, Ern and Erza wanted very much to see more of the humans. They were only familiar with Alice and Wain, which was already a true miracle for most. The humans were a mystery that only a few had touched yet.


    They ran at top speed so after a couple of minutes they had already covered over ten kilometers and finally saw the city.


    It was small, but enough for several tens of thousands of people to live here. Smoke wasing from some of the houses, the destruction was still there.


    Wain ran forward. He peered at the buildings like it was some ancient artifact.


    ''It can''t be... Everything here looks the same as in my past two worlds... The humans definitely built this city... It''s like I''m back home for a moment.'' Wain muttered inwardly.


    The houses, the roads, the infrastructure, thempposts, the stores, and more, were all very different from what Nord, Terrin, or Virfal looked like. Only Arkadale and Overion were simr, but the city in front of them was notpletely destroyed, only partially.


    A few skyscrapers were still standing, they were virtually intact, but the farther away from the center, the lower the houses were and the more significant damage.

 Chapter 478 The Human Snatchers

    "Alice, you said monsters attacked you."


    "Yes. I ran away, so I don''t know what happened next." Alice nodded.


    "The humans aren''t bad architects." Ern said in a thoughtful manner, "I haven''t seen houses like that, not even the Inerains."


    "Don''t Constructs have the most advanced houses?" Erza asked.


    "Yes... But, technology is not the main force in our world. I like the way Vampires and Humans'' houses look much better than Constructs''. They have everything in metal, with lots of light and electricity everywhere. I was in a city like that once, and I felt like I was in prison."


    "It''s a small town. I''ve seen more stunning scenery." Wain muttered, "Okay, let''s go. We need to find survivors."


    "Sure." Ern ran after him.


    They entered the town. Some outer houses were smoking, but no one was inside, as if everyone had left the ce long ago.


    "It''s very quiet here. That''s rather suspicious. Isn''t it?" Ern frowned.


    "Yeah... Something''s not right here." Wain nodded.


    "Maybe it''s all about the monsters?" Alice became rmed.


    "No." Wain shook his head, "I don''t believe the monsters killed everyone. When they attacked my town, there was practically nothing left of it. You can still live in many houses, especially in the center."


    They were advancing toward three skyscrapers in the center of the city. Wain, Erza, and Ern looked around carefully, trying to find some clues.


    Suddenly Ern stopped and raised his hand slightly.


    "What is it?" Wain asked.


    "Do you hear that? It''s very quiet, but I can hear voices. They''reing from behind that skyscraper."


    "Let''s go check it out."


    "Yeah. It''s quiet. Something tells me it''s not the monsters, but it''s not the humans either." Ern muttered.


    They walked slowly toward the eastern skyscraper. They hid their auras, even Alice, helped by the Dormant Stalker. It was almost impossible to see them.


    Peeking out from behind the wall, they saw something they had never expected.


    On therge square, many of the humans had gathered, they were uninjured and looked healthy, but their faces were sad. In front of them on the tform stood an Elf. He had long blond hair, blue eyes, and light green armor with wind patterns.


    ''What the fuck is going on here?'' Wain thought.


    Others had a simr opinion


    Ern gestured toward the men.


    Their hands were tied. asionally the Elves woulde up to them and take them to nearby houses, then they''de back, and everything would repeat itself in a circle.


    "What will you do?" Ern asked in a whisper.


    "I don''t know. Obviously, the Elves want something from the humans, but why would they show up here and now? What''s more, they''re pretty strong. That guy on the tform sure has been in Third Chronicle for a long time," Wain muttered.


    "Are you guys stupid?" Erza said, "They came here to find the Forgotten Forest of Elves. It''s not too far from this town."<sub> </sub>


    "Maybe you''re right, but what if they found this town by ident?" Ern hesitated, "I won''t hide it. If I had met Wain in another situation, I would have tried to capture him, too. The humans are a real treasure."


    "Okay, let''s figure out what''s going on here." Wain said as he came out of hiding.


    The humans noticed Wain, and their eyes went wide. They didn''t expect that there was anyone else in town that the Elves hadn''t tied up.


    The elves realized that the people were acting strangely and turned around.


    "Hello. How are you doing?" Ern stood next to Wain.


    "Who are you?" Head Elf frowned.


    "I have the same question." Wain said coldly as he let out an aura.


    Wain''s aura was overwhelming. Themon people even began to breathe hard.


    "What have you set up here? Why did youe here, and why are these people tied up?!" Wain eximed.


    The elves prepared for battle. They drew their swords from their sheaths and were ready to activate their skills.


    "Are you sure of your powers?" Ern grinned.


    He and Erza released their auras; it was like two dense streams of energy, blue and red-ck, that reached into the clouds.


    "Damn! What monstrous auras are those!" Elves shuddered.


    The battle could have begun at any moment, but the strongest''s actions were always decisive.


    "Stop." Head Elf suddenly said. His voice was powerful and stern, like an order from a general.


    He jumped off the tform and stood in front of the Elves.


    "My name is s Valxin. I am in charge of this operation. The squad is under my fullmand, so if you don''t start attacking, we won''t either, at least not until there is a reason to do it."


    "Do you really think we''re going to stop?" Wain said.


    "Yes." s nodded, "You and this girl are the humans, so it''s no surprise that you''re acting on emotion, but you should think rationally. These people haven''t activated their Soul Altars yet, they''re weak, and any random attack will kill them. Even now, it''s hard for them to breathe because of your auras. If we start fighting, you won''t get anything but hundreds of people dead."


    s'' words were the voice of logic, so Ern, Erza, and Wain calmed their auras. They didn''t expect that instead of conflict, they would move smoothly into a conversation.


    "Huh, you''re a surprisingly smartmander." Ern grinned, "You understand what you''re doing looks like from the outside, don''t you?"


    "Yes. You certainly didn''t take it the way it really is."


    "Why are these people connected? Why did youe here?" Wain asked.


    "Recently, this town was attacked. We heard about it from a man who happened to escape. It''s been a long since that moment, but we were lucky. The monsters didn''t attack the town, they decided to attack a second time yesterday. Luckily, we were already here and could repel the attack."


    s continued, "We were surprised to learn that thisrge city is inhabited exclusively by the humans, a lost race. We are now questioning everyone about what happened and trying to find out about one ce, but that doesn''t concern you.


    s stepped forward, "So what should we do? Fight or talk in a morefortable environment?"

 Chapter 479 The Elf Problem

    "Amazing. How we got here." Ern shook his head as he took a sip of tea.


    They were seated in the house around arge round table. s'' arguments were convincing enough to get them from battle to conversation.


    "You saved these people from the monsters, that''s for sure, the town was only partially damaged, but why tie them up? What was the point of that? Now you look like invaders, not saviors." Wain asked.


    "Well... It was a revtion to me that these people had never seen Elves before. They were as afraid of us as they were of monsters, it''s hard to have any conversation in that environment, so I decided to tie them up. They won''t be able to escape, which means the interrogation will go a lot faster."


    "Okay, that actually makes sense, but what were you going to do next?"


    "I haven''t decided yet, but the main option was to fortify this town and make these people our allies." s said calmly.


    "You are unusual Elves, are you not?" Ern asked.


    "Yes. You could call us nomads. During the Merger of Worlds, we found ourselves in open country, but it wasn''t a problem for us, we never lingered anywhere. Our group is called Green Leaf. We figured this town would be a good base in the current situation. Moreover, it''s a pretty good ce."


    "So you want to work with the humans?"


    "Not really. More like just live in the same town, they''re weak and can''t help us with anything, but we''re interested in learning more about them. Basically, it''s barter, information for protection." s waved a hand.


    "Tell me what you are looking for?" Erza asked.


    "As I said earlier, it''s none of your business." s said seriously.


    "Come on, we get it anyway." Ern smiled, "You''re trying to learn something from these people about the Forgotten Forest of Elves, right?"


    s'' eyes went wide as he stared at Ern. He didn''t understand how they knew about the Forgotten Forest. Only a few Elves knew of this ce who managed to find ancient records and mentions.


    "I understand that you are shocked, but we have a proposition for you. We will help you get to the Forgotten Forest, in return, you will tell us why you are looking for this ce, and we will take full ownership of the ce with you. You dare not harm people, and you must develop this town." Ern put his hands together.


    Wain and Erza looked at him, they hadn''t talked it over, so Ern improvised.


    "Don''t worry. I know what I''m doing. Negotiating is my pride." Ern smirked.


    "Okay... Anyway... It''s done now. There''s no going back." Wain sighed.


    "How do you know about the Forgotten Forest? It is the Elves'' domain, in this case, you are outsiders." s asked seriously.


    "We have a map. With its help, we can easily reach the Forgotten Forest. Apparently, you also know that the Forgotten Forest is somewhere nearby. So why are you looking for that ce?"


    "It''s obvious. The Forgotten Forest is full of treasures, and what''s more, every Elf wants to get there."<sub> </sub>


    "You''re going to tell that nonsense to someone else. Any hard-to-reach ce has something of value. What''s going on? Why did this map suddenly appear, and why did you start looking for the Forgotten Forest after all these years?" Ern muttered as he stared intently at s.


    "Damn... I guess there''s no hiding anything from you. Okay, I''ll tell you more than I should, but first, we have to sign a treaty. If we''re going to cooperate, I want it to be official." s sighed.


    "Okay. There will be three of us on our side. Will you be alone?" Ern asked.


    "Yes." s nodded.


    "Then let''s get started." Ern''s ring glowed.


    A scroll with unknown symbols appeared in his hand. He put it on the table and handed s a magic feather. After they discussed the terms, Wain, Ern, Erza, and s left a drop of their blood on the scroll.


    "Okay, now let''s get to it. The Elfmunity is extremely turbulent right now, all because the entrance to the Forgotten Forest has been unsealed, presumably after the Merger of Worlds."


    "Yes... We thought of that too, for, before the Merger of Worlds, no one even knew the map existed, but now we have it in our hands." Ern smiled weakly.


    "You must understand that you are not the only one with the map. I know that some High Elves have been able to figure out the supposed location of the Ancient Forest, it''s going to be pretty crowded in general. You think there will be rare treasures, and in some ways, you''re right, but you don''t understand much."


    s continued, "The main value of the Forgotten Forest is the Ancient Spirits, or rather their essences. Recently it was reported that the Forgotten Forest contains the Royal Spirit, as you understand, this is what started all the problems."


    "The High Elves actually rule the life of the Elves. There are two Royal Families. For centuries, they kept the bnce, no one could take all the power, but now everything has changed. The Royal Spirit is an opportunity for one Royal Family to suppress the other. When that happens, there will be a real copse."


    "Huh, as always, power is involved in everything, though that''s normal. I take it you have a candidate you want to help win?" Ern asked.


    "Something like that. One of the Royal Families appeals to me more. If possible, I''d like it to win." s nodded.


    "Then I think it''s settled. We''ll help you reach your goal and take you to the Forgotten Forest. In return, you''ll be our ally and help the people in this city." Ern uttered.


    "Sounds good."


    The atmosphere became calm for a while, everything was already decided, but suddenly dark threads of energy began to emanate from Wain.


    "No, that''s not what we''re going to do." Wain said imperiously, "s, we will not help any of the Royal Families. It is not in our interest. You are a nomad, so you have a better option."


    "What do you mean?"


    Wain stood up as he stared at s, "You get the Royal Spirit."

 Chapter 480 Getting The Force

    "What...? I never thought of that..." s muttered.


    Wain''s suggestion shocked him. He was quite mighty, but he dared not align himself with the ruling Royal Families. Moreover, he was going to go to the Forgotten Forest alone and help the Royal Family if he could. He had no idea that he would suddenly be the one topete for the Royal Spirit.


    "Wain, are you sure? Damn it. These are Royal Families, even Dragons are no barrier to them. They will wipe us to dust." Erza resented.


    "Shut your mouth. The Forgotten Forest is definitely a very powerful zone,parable to Purgatory. Even if they''re stronger than the Ancient Dragons there, it won''t help them. We''ll all be about equal." Wain said harshly.


    Erza frowned but remained silent. She didn''t want to argue with him.


    "Ahahahaha, I like that. We may not be able to break the Royal Family formation, but if s kidnaps the Royal Spirit, things will changepletely." Ernughed.


    "s, agree. You will have no other option." Ern smiled, "Moreover, haven''t you ever wanted real power? The Royal Spirit is an exceptional chance, if not now, then never again."


    s was silent for a while, then grinned, "Of course, I want to do it. Getting the Royal Spirit is every Elf''s dream! Okay, I agree, fuck the Royal Families. I''ll make the rules myself!"


    "Fine." Wain nodded, "How long do you think it will take them to find the Forgotten Forest?"


    "Hmm... We''re lucky and nomadic, so we got here faster than anyone else. I think we have about a week. Do you want to get ready?" s asked.


    "Something like that. I''ve recently evolved, but I definitely don''t have the strength yet to fight members of the Royal Families. Give me five days." Wain said seriously.


    s looked at him with a strange look, "Five days? Man, do you even know what you''re talking about? Five days for Third Chronicle is like nothing, just empty space."


    "Ahahahaha." Ern and Erza chuckled.


    "Hmm? Did I say something funny?"


    "No... I mean yes..." Ern nodded, "That''s pretty funny. You just don''t fully understand how different the humans are from us in that respect. They''re natural-born soul eaters, on the battlefield, they grow faster than bamboo under the best fertilizer."


    "Are you serious? I''d offer you some work if you need to fight." s muttered.


    "Hmm? Can you offer me something better than the Arena? I don''t believe so." Wain waved his hand.


    "There''s a nest of ants a few kilometers from here, and they''re pretty strong. A lot of them are about midway through the Third Chronicle. If the most important thing to you is the number of souls, it''s perfect." s suggested.


    ''Hmm... I''ve only recently reached Third Chronicle... Will I be able to handle a lot of monsters of the same level?'' Wain pondered.


    ''No need to worry. It won''t be a problem. It''s just a bunch of insects.'' Someone''s voice rang out in his head.


    "Okay. Show the way."


    "Sure." s nodded.


    ...


    They headed east. Erza, Alice, and Ern joined them as they wanted to see how Wain would fight. His abilities were some of the most unusual they had ever seen.


    After a while, they reached a dense forest with tall trees with thick red foliage. The forest''s center was empty because of a huge nest of ants, it was as if a meteorite had fallen there.


    Hundreds of ants came and went from the nest. As in any colony, they were divided into groups, some building, some hunting, some looking after their young. The ants had red skin, long front tendrils, and powerful jaws.<sub> </sub>


    "Looks pretty good, huh?" Ern nudged s lightly with his shoulder.


    "Actually, there are more of them than I expected... Are you sure you want to fight them?" s turned to Wain.


    "Sure. Just watch." Wain uttered as his aura intensified.


    Dark streams of energy erupted from the ground, they werepletely covered like a veil. The energy dissipated, and Wain''s appearance changed. He wore an aristocratic red coat, white gloves, and a mask. Threads of darkness emanated beneath the mask, but they could not escape.


    Wain jumped off the ledge as he headed toward the ants'' nest.


    The monsters quickly spotted him and prepared to defend him. This whole forest was their territory, Wain was an invader, so they were going to get rid of him.


    Their auras were powerful. The big ants found on Third Chronicle posed a serious threat, but Wain would not back down.


    ''Ten seconds... That should be enough.'' Wain muttered inwardly.


    Wain touched the mask as he slowly removed it.


    "Where''s his face...?" Erza muttered puzzledly.


    There was only darkness beneath the mask. It was like a ck me burning. The countdown had already begun, so Wain began to attack.


    He put his arm out in front, and dark spheres began to appear above the ants, their number growing rapidly.


    As the ants in the front rows approached Wain and were about to attack him, he clenched his palm in his fist.


    The spheres, like little stars, shrank, lit up, and exploded. The dark mes spread for tens of meters around, leaving only ash and the charred corpses of ants in their wake.


    Whooooosh.


    The shockwave reached Ern and the others, though they were standing more than a hundred yards away. The trees in the forest bent unnaturally, almost reaching the ground with their crowns.


    "Damn! He''s already killed hundreds of ants! How long has it taken him?!" Erza eximed.


    "About three seconds..." s muttered in disbelief.


    Wain looked at the scorched earth as he stared at the main nest.


    ''Now it''s time for the core.''


    Wain raised his hands, and the dark mes multiplied. The ground beneath him trembled as space distorted above the ants'' nest. There appeared a huge, dark sphere that looked like a ck hole. It was just as massive and heavy, making the air around it ripple.


    ''Well... Your special skill is something amazing.'' Wain muttered inwardly.


    ''Huh, you only used the long-range part of that power.''


    Wain nodded as he dropped the orb on the nest.

 Chapter 481 Sea Of Souls

    "It''s beautiful, isn''t it?" Ern smiled as he gazed at the dark orb.


    s nodded silently. He was more surprised than the others since he had just met Wain. He could not have even imagined that Wain possessed such destructive power.


    "Looks like I won''t be able to capture him by force now..." Erza muttered.


    "Yes." Ern nodded, "You definitely missed your chance, but maybe you still have a chance. You can''t tell your heart. That rule works the same for everyone."


    ''It''s the power of the human...'' Alice inwardly muttered.


    The Dark Sphere made contact with the ants'' nest, and the world seemed to stop for a moment. Ern quickly created a protective barrier, then a glow appeared in the sphere''s center.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ground trembled as if a massive meteor had fallen. Dark mes covered the nest and spread hundreds of meters around it. Nothing but mes were visible in the vast area. It burned many trees and killed dozens of monsters.


    Of the nest, nothing was left at the explosion''s epicenter. Now there was no longer a colony of powerful monsters but a huge crater, like a deep canyon next to which there was only scorched earth.


    Gradually the mes faded away. In the midst of the forest stood one Wain. Dark currents of energy hovered beside him, he had already undone the form''s action.


    "It was easier than I thought. Now it''s time to get the reward." Wain muttered.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Many souls of different colors and sizes flew out of the crater. They headed toward Wain like fireflies.


    There were so many souls that, in time, they turned into a huge stream like a rainbow river. White dominated, but the closer the center, the more colors there were. Red and orange were absent, there was no one with an Ascendant or Legendary Soul in the nest of ants. There were many ants, so Wain chose quantity over quality.


    [You received more than fifty thousand souls at one time.]


    [Received Title - Soul Collector]


    [Soul Collector


    You''ve got more souls out there than most people have ever seen in their entire lives. You certainly know your way around it.


    If you absorb souls with a Rating below Ascendant, you will get 15% more Soul Essence]


    Wain absorbed the flux and immediately started using souls.


    [You absorbed Soul Essence. Your Stats were increased]


    [You absorbed Soul Essence. Your Stats were increased]


    [You absorbed Soul Essence. Your Stats were increased]


    Dozens of souls turned into energy, it was so many that they didn''t have time to fly into the Wain and turned into a dense energy pir that pierced the clouds.


    "What''s happening now...?" s asked.


    "It''s been reaching the boundary since the beginning of the Third Chronicle." Ern exined, "I understand it''s a shock to you, but for the humans, it''s the norm. In a couple of minutes, he did what it would have taken others at best several years to do."


    "In that case, aren''t the humans the strongest race? Holy crap, that''s crazy!"


    "No." Ern shook his head, "Everything has a bnce in this world. They have a lot of limitations, so they have to fight if they want to get stronger. Simply put, Wain is just an exception to the rule."


    The flow of energy gradually waned, the soulsing to an end.


    ''How many...'' Wain inwardly muttered.


    "Agh!" Wain suddenly vomited a mouthful of blood.<sub> </sub>


    "What''s going on?" Wain looked puzzled at his bloody hands.


    ''It''s natural.'' Blind Sorcerer''s voice broke out, ''Your body isn''t used to this kind of exertion, it struggles to absorb all the energy, but you didn''t even notice how you reached the limit.''


    ''Hmm?''


    Wain decided to check his status.


    [Wain Norheim


    Level: 99


    Race: Human


    Beyond: Cmity


    Soul: Nameless King


    Additional Soul: Dimensional Monarch


    Title: Savior of the Damned, Echo of Samurai, Mentor Inquisitor, The First, Soul Gatherer, Cartographer, yer of Goliath, Contender, Defeating One of the Four Kings, Killing the Legend and etc...


    Strength: 1500 / Agility: 1500 / Vitality: 1500 / Stamina: 1500 / Energy: 1500 / Majesty: 6]


    ''Why has the level stopped at 99? And where are my Status Points? What the fuck is going on here?


    ''Just keep walking, the path to power isn''t straight at all. It''s a winding road where things are constantly changing.'' Blind Sorcerer muttered, ''Don''t worry about bleeding, just redirect the energy here. I''ll give you a sign.


    Wain nodded. The excess energy went to the dark castle inside his Soul Altar. The massive flow caused new cracks to appear in the third tform. It was unstable as if it could break at any moment.


    After a while, Wain breathed a sigh of relief. He felt great, the energy overwhelming him. He had reached the boundary, but that was the easy part, to be stronger, he had to destroy the boundary.


    [You have reached the limit of the Third Chronicle. You can no longer increase your power by absorbing souls.]


    [To evolve, you must meet the following conditions


    [Open Basic Concept: 0/1


    [Increase your blood purity to 95%: 0/1


    [Increase your Majesty to 10: 0/1


    [Fight and Defeat - ???: 0/1]


    Wain''s eyes went wide. He assumed that the first three conditions would be about that. Although he didn''t know how to open the basic Concept, thest condition was strange.


    ''How can I defeat someone I know nothing about? Could it be a dragon? Given theplexity of my previous conditions, it would make sense... but... fuck, I definitely shouldn''t be fighting dragons unless I''m definitely sure it''s necessary.'' Wain frowned.


    After a while, Wain turned toward his mates. They were a few hundred yards away, standing on a high ledge.


    Wain smiled as he ducked slightly. The ground beneath him cracked, and he jumped. He crossed the long distance like a shadow. Wain was never as fast as he is now.


    "Not bad." Ern muttered.


    Wainnded next to Erza. He looked intently into her eyes, "Can you outrun me again?"


    "Huh, I have other ways besides strength!"

 Chapter 482 The Forgotten Bartender

    "So... Do you still need five days?" s asked.


    "No. It went faster than I had nned. I originally thought I''d be fighting in the arena, and it would take me a few days to recover from my wounds, but as you can see, I''m fully intact." Wain shrugged.


    "I don''t usually pry into other people''s business, but I want to ask anyway. How long can you maintain that kind of power?"


    s understood that any power has a limit. Even if Wain could change thendscape of the forest in one attack, that didn''t mean it was easy for him.


    <o>,m "Ten seconds, and yes, I need a rest now, my energy is at zero." Wain said calmly.</o>


    "I see." s nodded, "If you''re ready, I suggest we head to the Forgotten Forest tomorrow morning. We won''t have any trouble finding the entrance, right?" s looked at Ern.


    "Of course. We''ll be among the first there, and you''ll get the Royal Spirit. We each have our own goals." Ern smiled.


    "Is sheing with us?" s pointed at Alice.


    "No." Ern quickly replied.


    "Why?" Alice eximed.


    "You are too weak, it is ruled out. You will stay in the city under the care of s'' men. Moreover, don''t you want to be at home?"


    "Yes... but... The Forgotten Forest... That sounds very interesting. I would like to go there." Alice lowered her head.


    She tried to take the pity push, but it didn''t work on Ern.


    "You''re going to die there. I can''t let that happen. That''s it, don''t mention it again."


    Alice only nodded weakly.


    "I''m going to go get some rest. I''ll see you tomorrow." Wain waved as he headed into town.


    "s, don''t be in a hurry to leave. There''s something I want to discuss with you." Ern smirked.


    ...


    After Wain returned, he went to bed. He had not expected the special ability of the ck Sun Aristocrat to be so destructive, but it was also demanding of energy. He awoke only in the evening.


    He settled on top of one of the skyscrapers for a while. In thete afternoon, Wain went out on the balcony and admired the city. Many of the houses still had electricity, as did the main generator, the sight of the glowing windows reminded him of the old days.


    ''I wonder... What would have happened next if all this hadn''t happened? Though... it would have happened sooner orter anyway. My former worlds were only fragments that had not yet been touched by Soul Essence...'' Wain pondered.


    After a while, Wain nodded as he opened the portal. Wain was not headed to his Void or Osvald. He decided to visit a ce he hadn''t been to in quite some time.


    Click.


    Wain opened the door as he entered a bar with a cozy atmosphere. Behind the bar was Sven, as usual.


    "Wain... What a pleasant surprise." Sven smiled.


    "Yes." Wain nodded, "It''s been a long time since thest time, but you haven''t changed at all."<sub> </sub>


    "The bartender is the face of the bar, so I always have to look good. Did youe for a chat or something in particr?"


    "I came here for three things. I want to drink, buy something, and ask you a question." Wain sat down in his chair.


    "Okay, I''ll do the first one right now, for just one Void Coin."


    "Huh, your prices got higher, didn''t they?" Wain tossed Sven a coin.


    "You have no idea how much some people sometimes pay for my cocktails. Let''s just say I adjust the prices on certain things. You''ve gotten stronger, a lot stronger, so get used to it." Sven proceeded to make the cocktail.


    He used several kinds of alcohol, rare herbs, monster parts, syrups, and more. Sven had unique recipes, so no one could replicate them.


    "Done." Sven said as he slid the ss over to Wain, "The cocktail is ''Warden of the Force,'' ready."


    The cocktail was blue, with the eye of some creature floating inside, red star-shaped petals floating slowly beside it.


    "Thank you." Wain took a sip.


    He instantly felt heat all over his body, for a moment, he felt as if he were inside an oven. Then came a pleasant freshness, or even coolness.


    "How unusual. I feel as if I were a hundred times stronger. Though it was expensive, it was definitely worth it." Wain muttered.


    "Of course. That''s what you should count on when youe here." Sven nodded, "So, what do you want to buy? Some kind of weapon? Maybe armor or a skill?"


    "Neither. I''m fine with skills, maybe even too many. I''m going on a trip, so I need something to save my life." Wain waved his hand.


    "I see..." Sven paused, "I have something for you, but it''s going to cost you a lot."


    Sven''s ring glowed, and an oval vial of bright blue liquid appeared in his hand. The vial was small, even tiny, a little bigger than a fingernail.


    "Is that gnome water?" Wain raised an eyebrow.


    "Ahaha, no, it''s very rare. It''s Phantom Dew Elixir, there are only three drops, but it''s more than enough. Suppose, in battle, you go without power, lose half your blood, all your limbs and most of your organs will be a bloody mess. It''s a hundred percent death in any situation, but if you drink this Elixir, you won''t even have a scratch on you in ten seconds." Sven handed the vial to Wain.


    [Phantom Dew Elixir (Third Chronicle, Legendary Rating)


    Phantom Dew is the rarest of liquids, found only on the Isle of Ghosts. Many people went there hoping to find just a drop or two, but most never returned. Those who could obtain the Phantom Dew either became rich beyond measure or were given a second life].


    "How much?"


    "It''s only one million for you, but if you want to buy more, the price is ten times higher."


    "Hmm? Do you give discounts? Aren''t you the most honest salesman, or have your principles changed?"


    "No. I just want you to do something for me." Sven smiled.


    Wain looked at him questioningly.


    "It has to do with the Forgotten Forest. That''s where you''re going, right?"

 Chapter 483 Question

    ''What? How does he know?'' Wain inwardly muttered.


    "You shouldn''t be so surprised." Sven smiled, "The discovery of the Forgotten Forest is a great event. Many, even very strong people are interested in it, I am no exception. So what do you say? Will you do my errand?"


    "What if I refuse?" Wain asked.


    "Nothing, I understand, but then you''d have to give ten instead of a million for the elixir." Sven shrugged.


    "Hmm..." Wain pondered.


    Nine million was a lot of money, and he didn''t have that much money to overpay for the elixir, but he also didn''t know exactly what Sven would ask.


    "Okay...I agree..." Wain said slowly, "What do you want me to do?"


    "Two things." Sven smiled, "Got the Blue Spirit Flower and killed one of the Purple Carnation officers. What''s more, if you do that, I''ll even pay you extra, say five million, will that do?"


    "Isn''t that two jobs?" Wain raised his throw.


    "Yeah, but you don''t have a choice either way." Sven grinned.


    "I think I can find that flower, but who are Purple Carnation? Some kind of organization?"


    "It''s strange that you go to the Forgotten Forest and don''t know that. Purple Carnation is one of the two ruling Elf Royal Families. I have definite information that this officer will be there. Here is his picture."


    In the picture was an Elf with unnatural for them purple short hair. He had a long scar on his left eye and a tattoo of a prickly wreath on his neck.


    "What''s his name?"


    "August Heim, one of the strongest officers. Don''t ask me why I want to kill him. I won''t answer anyway."


    "Okay." Wain nodded, "But, why can''t you do it yourself? You''re definitely stronger than me."


    "Huh, that would cause too much trouble. I don''t want this trip to turn into a massacre."


    "I''ll do it. Here''s your million." Wain held out his hand as he released many souls from his palm.


    Sven turned them into Void Souls, so Wain got his elixir. After absorbing the souls, Wain didn''t have much left, but it was enough to get one million Void Souls.


    "So, what did you want to ask me?"


    "You told me about the Pirs, the twelve strongest races, but I recently met the Spirits in Demon City and wondered. Who in this world has the most power? Which beings are the most influential?"


    Wain was sure that to meet thest condition for evolution, he needed to defeat someone strong and special. He thought it certainly wasn''t someone from the Pirs. It was too trivial.


    "I know what you mean. Indeed, there are many other significant yers in this world besides the Pirs. Obviously, one of them is the Dragons, undoubtedly, they are majestic beings. Only the heads of the Pirs can stand against them, but there''s more. You probably remember that girl who attacked you."


    "Yes, it was rather unexpected."


    "You noticed that she looks like a human, but she''s not. She''s one of those who can also be a threat to the head of the Pirs and even the Dragons. I won''t say any more about them. When the timees, you''ll find out for yourself." Sven waved his hand.


    "How curious..." Wain nodded, "I didn''t give it much thought before since I knew you wouldn''t answer, but now it''s be abundantly clear to me. Sven, you look like a human too, but we are not of the same race. That girl knew you, so you''re rted to them, right?"<sub> </sub>


    Sven smiled, "I won''t confuse you. Think what you want."


    ...


    Wain returned to his room. He spent half the night pondering Sven''s words and the secret of thest condition until he fell asleep.


    In the morning, Wain met the others at the main entrance to the city. They, too, had prepared themselves. Erza and Ern used their supplies and sought out the weapons and medicine they needed. s, in turn, appointed a deputy. He nned to develop this city, he trusted his men, they were true professionals.


    "Ready?" Ern asked.


    Wain, s, and Erza nodded.


    "Good, then go ahead. The Forgotten Forest is waiting for us!"


    They had a map, so they progressed rather quickly. They had to cross the snowy mountains near the town, and after a few hours, they reached a ce where the map stopped working.


    "What''s going on?" Erza asked, "Why did we stop?"


    "It''s simple." Ern sighed, "We''re here. The entrance to the Forgotten Forest is somewhere around here."


    "Hmm? I thought it would be a forest..." s muttered, "Is this the right ce?"


    They stopped in front of the entrance to the ancient ruins. Many arches and stone structures were ruined, covered with moss and vines. Several trees had long since sprouted from the ground, it looked like an abandoned city. There were various symbols and writings on the ruins, each hiding some kind of mystery.


    "We''re almost there. All that''s left is to find the entrance, go!" Ern eximed as he jumped off the ledge.


    They set about search. They were lucky as they found the intended location rather quickly. It was a temple under a tall tree. Inside was a half-destroyed archway. From it emanated vibrations of energy, albeit very faint ones.


    "Suppose it is a portal... But how do we activate it?" Erza muttered.


    "We have to find the key." Wain said.


    "Look. Doesn''t it look like a key?" Ern pointed forward.


    "Hmm? Where are you pointing?" s was puzzled.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly the ground trembled as the bs in the temple''s field parted to the sides. Arge Stone Golem climbed out, its body made of temple parts and held together by sprouting branches and vines.


    "Every treasury has a guardian. This ce is no exception. If it were any other way, I would even be upset." Ern stepped forward.


    "Wait." s stopped him, "I''ll deal with him myself. It would be my honor as an Elf, I want the Gatekeeper of the Forgotten Forest to fall by my hand!"


    "Huh, all right, do what you have to do." Ern jumped aside.


    s nodded as a long green spear appeared in his hand.

 Chapter 484 The Forgotten Forest

    s was serious. He usually preferred to fight with his hands, it was morefortable for him, and it allowed him to develop greater mobility, but he could not be disrespectful in this battle.


    "I am s Valxin, crush you!" s pointed his spear at the golem as he bowed slightly.


    "This is the first time I''ve seen such a respectful fighter." Ern smiled, "I wouldn''t want to fight him. I''d throw up after saying that and especially bowing."


    "Huh, Demons and Elves are really quite different, aren''t they? You''re like two opposites." Wain leaned against the temple wall.


    "That''s okay. We''re all different, though I won''t hide it, it pisses me off that the Elves are overly ostentatious." Ern waved his hand.


    Roooooooaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrr!


    Suddenly the Stone Golem roared furiously. The symbols on his body glowed brightly as he attacked. Despite its size, the Stone Golem was quite fast. It reached s in a second.


    s did nothing. He stared at the golem''s massive fist approaching him.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    At thest moment, s disappeared, so the golem''s fist hit the ground. The entire temple shook, and dust sprinkled from the ceiling, along with small pieces of ruins. The Stone Golem''s hand was stuck in the ground as he tried to pull it out.


    "As a sign of my respect, I will use one of my strongest moves." s said calmly as he pointed his spear at the Stone Golem.


    The air beside him trembled, and streams of wind appeared at his feet. They swiftly headed toward the spear, covering it like a hurricane. The wind was turbulent, it was a multitude of sharp des capable of blowing anything away.


    "Rest in peace." s threw the spear with all his might.


    The spear pierced the Stone Golem like lightning. The spear was thin, so it left a narrow gap in the Stone Golem, but the wind turned it into a huge cavity the size of half the Stone Golem''s torso.


    The Stone Golem tried to attack, but it was nothing more than a death wish. The Stone Golem had no strength left, so it fell and shattered into many pieces like a porcin vase.


    Whooooooosh.


    The spear by s'' will came back to him.


    "Not bad. You''ll certainly have no equal if you get the Royal Spirit." Ern pped his hands.


    "I hope so. Come on. I can''t wait to see the Forgotten Forest." s approached the corpse of the Stone Golem.


    He took a green crystal from one wreckage and inserted it into one part of the portal.


    The ruins'' symbols glowed brightly, slowly spreading and covering the entire main temple. A green me appeared in the portal''s frame, turning into a path to the unknown.


    "I finally saw it..." s muttered.


    "Come." Wain stepped forward.


    "Wait." Ern said, "First, I want to leave a small gift for our future guests."


    A dark scroll with red symbols appeared in his hand. Ern ced it on the floor as ck writing spread across the room like a spider''s web.


    "Done." Ern kicked the dust off his hands, "Now, even if someonees in here, they''ll be in big trouble."


    "Hey, isn''t that Dark Magic?" s asked.


    "Yeah, so what? Is that really all you care about? Come on. I want to see what''s in the Forgotten Forest, too." Ern jumped into the portal.<sub> </sub>


    The others immediately followed him.


    They had all learned about the Forgotten Forest at different times, but they were sure they would find something they had never seen before. What''s more, they were lucky enough to be the first.


    "We''re here." Wain smiled as he looked around.


    They were in a forest de. Many unusual flowers were growing here, which were very rare or even thought to be extinct. A few feet away were trees of various shapes and sizes. Some had amazingbinations, like the white trunk and the red crown. Small inds were floating high in the sky, and some had colorful waterfalls. It was truly a magical ce.


    "Not bad." Ern took a deep breath, "Holy shit, what a dense concentration of energy here! You can umte it dozens of times faster here!"


    "Yes. It''s incredible. I''ve never seen anything like it." Erza nodded.


    "Look!" s pointed to the side.


    Under a small tree with pink foliage sat a white fox with three tails.


    "Wow. I''d heard of this beast, but I thought it only existed in stories, but it looks like everything in this ce is real."


    "Beasts, high energy density..." Wain muttered, "That''s all well and good, but is that the main value of the Forgotten Forest?"


    "What is it?" Erza looked up.


    Above them, unusual creatures asionally flew by. They were balls of light with little glowing wings, they looked like fairies or something.


    "They are the Ancient Spirits of the Forgotten Forest!" s eximed.


    Whooooooosh.


    Suddenly one of the Spirits headed toward them. It was a green ball with small blue wings. The Spirit circled around s for a while, then stopped.


    "It wants something from me?" s muttered puzzledly.


    "Huh, looks like this Spirit picked you." Ern grinned, "Try touching it. You need to do something."


    s nodded as he touched the Spirit.


    The Spirit glowed brightly, and a massive green magic circle appeared behind it. Twelve wind spheres formed in ce of the magic circle as if they were targets.


    "You..." The Spirit suddenly spoke, "You must remove all the spheres... You must not move, and you will only have three seconds after you start..."


    "Is this some kind of assignment?" s muttered.


    "Looks like it." Wain nodded, "Maybe these Spirits are the main treasure of the Forgotten Forest. For every reward, you have to do something. It''s pretty curious."


    "Good. It''s not a problem for me." s said confidently.


    Winddes appeared beside him, and they slowly floated in the air. s swung his hand as the des rushed toward the spheres. They pierced it, and the magic circle disappeared.


    "You have great skills..." The Spirit muttered as It glowed brightly.


    The Spirit became energy. It headed toward s and turned into a long dagger with a green de.

 Chapter 485 The Way To The Light

    "Is this my reward?" s looked at the dagger, puzzled.


    "It looks like it. Show us its description." Ern said.


    s nodded.


    [Dagger of the Forgotten Wind (Third Chronicle, Rare Rating)


    This dagger once belonged to a professional hunter. He knew better than anyone how to hunt and carve his prey. His knife was his best friend].


    "Pretty simple, but not bad." Ern waved his hand.


    "Does that mean that every Spirit is some sort of reward?" Erza asked, "However, do we have to do a task like this every time?"


    "I think so." Wain nodded, "Not all assignments will be that easy. It was a green Spirit with blue wings, so I guess it was one of the weaker ones."


    "Hmm..." Ern pondered, "That has to be checked."


    He looked at the Spirits as he released his powerful aura. Suddenly all the Spirits flew apart. They were frightened and decided to run away.


    "Damn... Is it just the wimps around here?" Ern muttered frustratedly.


    "You have quite an aura." Suddenly there was a stern voice.


    A Spirit headed toward Ern; he was red with purple wings. Unlike thest Spirit, a belligerent aura emanated from this one.


    "Will you give me an assignment too?" Ern smiled.


    "No. I don''t care about your skill. All I care about is how strong you are!" The Spirit eximed as a massive red magic circle appeared behind him.


    A scarlet phantom that looked like an Elf emerged from it. He had long hair, a confident look, and light crimson armor.


    "Let''s begin." The Phantom said as he adopted a fighting stance.


    "A fist fight? I like it!" Ern smiled.


    ''Come to think of it, I''ve never seen Ern fight, I don''t even know his abilities...'' Wain muttered inwardly, ''This should be interesting.''


    Ern and Phantom attacked simultaneously. Their silhouettes blurred, and they were in front of each other a momentter. Their fists mmed into each other, then there was a whistling sound as ripples rippled through the air. The shockwave was so powerful that it threw Erza and s aside. They had to grab onto something to regain their bnce.


    ''What was that? s inwardly eximed, ''Wasn''t that a simple blow?


    ''Ern has such incredible physical strength... I thought I had no equal, but this... Damn, why is he so strong?! Erza mouthed to herself.


    "Not bad." The Phantom smiled, "I thought your arm would break like a stick, but instead, I feel like I ran into a steel rod."


    "Yeah... You''re not bad either, but we can''t stop there." Ern sighed as his horns glowed.


    Ern threw another punch. His fist was covered in a blue veil and became even more powerful. The space next to his fist began to distort.


    Bam.<sub> </sub>


    Their fists met again, but the Phantom could not withstand the pressure this time. The shockwave threw him aside.


    Phantom was surprised, he didn''t understand how Ern had the strength to overwhelm his opponent in a direct confrontation.


    "It is the end." Ern grinned as he jumped high.


    He kicked the Phantom from top to bottom while it was still in the air. The Phantom flew downward like a cannonball, so the ground shook and many cracks spread from the epicenter.


    The Phantom threw up a mouthful of blood but quickly got up and tried to counterattack. However, Ern was already there. He knocked the Phantom to the ground and continued his attack. With a smile, Ern pounded Phantom until there was no more life in him. The ground shook with each of his blows as the cracks grewrger.


    Bam.


    Ern struck onest blow. His fist tore the Phantom apart, and the ordeal was over.


    "Well done, you''re a good fighter, so you''re entitled to an appropriate reward." The Spirit uttered.


    An amulet with a red, bloody stone in the center appeared before Ern. A powerful aura emanated from it, as if from an ancient artifact.


    Ern looked at the description as he nodded.


    "Not bad. I like this ce more and more." Ern moved the amulet into the ring, "Wain, Erza, you should definitely try this."


    "Ern, how strong was this Spirit? As far as I understand, the amulet you got has a Heroic Rating, right?" Wain asked.


    "Yes, it''s not a bad amulet. The Spirit was strong but not enough to make me give it my best shot. We need to find spirits with red or orange wings. I wonder how strong they''ll be." Ern pondered.


    "Okay, we need to move on. This is just the beginning. We need to find the Royal Spirit and more." Wain headed onward.


    ...


    They walked through forests, crossedkes, met unusual beasts, and asionally passed tests of Spirits of varying difficulty. However, they still found nothing worthwhile.


    "Damn, we''ve been wandering around here for hours and still haven''t encountered a single Spirit with red wings." Ern shook his head, "Is that normal?"


    "Most likely, Spirits of that level can''t be found that easily. They don''t fly like the others over the woods. I think we need to find some temples, maybe abandoned castles, whatever. The most valuable treasures are always hidden in well-protected ces." s suggested.


    "I think so, too." Erza nodded, "But... How do we find these ces?"


    "We need to get there." Wain pointed to the soaring inds, "It''s quite beautiful here, but these massive trees are seriously disturbing us. Even if there are no temples on the inds, at least we''ll get a glimpse of the forest from the other side."


    "The idea is good, but the inds are too high up." Ern grabbed his chin, "I hate to admit it, but even I can''t jump up there. As far as I know, you can''t fly either, so what are our options?"


    "Don''t worry." s said, "I can solve this problem. It''s time for me to show what I can do."


    "Are you sure?" Wain asked.


    "Of course. There are no barriers to the wind. It goes where it wants to go, and so do I. Come to me." s uttered as swirls appeared in his pupils.

 Chapter 486 Dance

    s, like many Elves, I specialized in wind magic. It was his element, he loved this power and was certain that nothing suited him as well as the wind. s was a bit different from the other Elves, he was much freer than the others, he had no home or family, only mates he traveled with. He could do what he wanted, so the wind resonated with him.


    "Not bad. It looks like you can be respectful as well as formidable." Ern smiled as he looked at s.


    Streams of wind appeared next to s. They gradually grew stronger until they became a small tornado. The wind obeyed s and could not harm them, so the hurricane, like an elevator, lifted them high up. They overcame the trees and reached one of the inds.


    The ind was about the size of a Forgotten Forest, about the size of a small mountain. There were unusual white trees with blue crowns. There were many blue flowers on the ground as several waterfalls poured down from the ind.


    "So... Where did we get to?" Ern muttered.


    "Right where we need to go, at least for me." Wain smiled as he pointed forward, "Look."


    In the distance, next to arge pond, was an ancient temple. Moss, roots, and many vines had long ago covered it. On the stone door at the temple''s entrance was a picture of a blue flower.


    "Have you decided to gather a bouquet for someone?" Ern smiled, "Why do you want this temple? Is there something special about these flowers?"


    "Huh, no, I''m not here to give someone flowers, although they are actually quite beautiful. I promised someone I''d bring this flower to him, so I''m lucky we ended up here so soon. I hope it won''t be difficult."


    "Okay. Let''s do it." s said confidently.


    "I don''t mind." Ern shrugged, "By the way, Wain, do you have a sweetheart?"


    "Yes." Wain nodded weakly as he walked toward the temple.


    "How interesting. I wish I could see her." Ern grinned.


    s, Ern and Wain walked on. Erza stood still for a while, she stared intently into Wain''s back as if she wanted to sizzle him with her gaze.


    ''Shit! Shit! Shit!'' Erza gritted her teeth as she clenched her fist so hard that her nails dug into her skin, and blood trickles flowed.


    ...


    On their way to the temple, they stopped at an unusual de. There were more flowers than usual, and the ce looked like people had created it. Along the edges were low trees, only a few meters tall. It looked like a fence that was tied together by vines and a few white flowers. In the center was a trampled circle, perfectly t ground like a tform.


    "Hmm? Is this some kind of ancient gazebo?" s said in a thoughtful manner.


    "Never mind. Let''s move on. I want to see what is in the temple." Ern waved as he stepped onto the tform.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    The tform glowed, and many spirits burst out of the forest. There were a huge number of them, at least several hundred. They were all white.


    "What''s going on here?" Ern frowned.


    Transparent barriers appeared on the borders of the de, Ern, Wain, Erza, and s prepared for battle. They thought the Spirits were attacking them. They just didn''t fully understand their ce and the rules that worked here.<sub> </sub>


    The Spirits went to Ern first in one stream but then moved on to s. However, he was not a suitable candidate either.


    "You!" The spirits rushed toward Wain and Erza.


    "Hmm? Do you want any of us to pass your test?" Wain raised an eyebrow.


    "We don''t have time for that?" Ern said grudgingly, "Let''s just get out of here."


    He clenched his hand into a fist as he mmed into the barrier with all his strength, but nothing happened. All his strength seemed to have evaporated, even though he used to be able to shake an entire ind with one punch.


    "What the fuck?" Ern looked at the Spirits.


    "Because of us, your power has split into hundreds of streams, so even though you''re very strong, you can''t get out of here. Just fulfill our request. We want these two to dance!" The spirits eximed.


    "What?" Everyone muttered at the same time.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Suddenly the barriers darkened, and the white flowers on the vines shone like spotlights. The light headed toward the tform and Wain and Erza.


    "Do we have to do this...? I''m not a particr fan of dancing..." Wain scratched the back of his head.


    "Of course!" Erza eximed as her eyes sparkled.


    She saw this as an opportunity, albeit an unusual one, but this way, she could get closer to Wain. At least that was her n.


    Wain looked at s and Ern. s spread his arms apart, and Ern shook his head. They realized that this was the only way out of here. The trials may have been unusual, but these were the rules of the Forgotten Forest.


    "Okay, we''ll do it. Spirits, I hope the reward is worth it?" Wain asked.


    "Huh, it''s the White Spirits. What are you hoping for?" Ern grinned.


    "Of course!" The Spirits eximed, "There are two of you, so there will be two identical rewards. We''re sure you''re going to love it. Now go ahead!"


    Whooooooosh.


    The Spirits flew to Wain and Erza, and they magically appeared in their evening costumes. Wain wore a white tie, a shirt, red gloves, tight ck pants, and stylish shoes.


    Erza wore a long, dark blue dress with a deep square neckline. It fit her tightly and slightly exposed her belly. Under the rope belt were visible tight garters and dark stockings. On her feet were long, ck high-heeled shoes.


    Wain stared at Erza for a while as if mesmerized. He was shocked at how beautiful Erza could be.


    "Well, it might even be interesting. Come on, let''s go show these Spirits what we can do." Wain took Erza by the hand.

 Chapter 487 Blue Flower

    Wain and Erza did what the Spirits wanted them to do. They stepped onto the tform and began dancing under the flowers'' rays of light. Wain, unlike Erza, moved unskillfully. Dancing always seemed to him a pointless activity, so Erza dominated, and he had to follow her.


    The spirits sometimes helped Wain move correctly, but at these moments, Erza was speeding up sharply. It was as if she did not even want Wain to have a chance to be first.


    "Great! Now the final movement!" Spirits eximed.


    Erza smirked. She stepped close to Wain and gripped his arms tightly. Erza was about to toss him high up and gently catch him. It was very important for Inerian to show her superiority.


    "Not so fast." Wain smiled as he abruptly took a step back.


    Erza lost her bnce for a moment, so she ended up in Wain''s ce. He tossed her up and gently caught her.


    "That''s much better. Don''t you think so?" Wain approached Erza.


    "Shut up!" She stepped away from him.


    "Beautiful dance!" The spirits eximed, "Since you have passed our trial, it is time to receive your rewards."


    The spirits turned into hands, with two small objects on their palms, but their value was enormous.


    "What the fuck!" Ern eximed as his eyes went wide.


    "Looks like even White Spirits can give a valuable reward. Ern, you were too cocky." s said calmly.


    They were two small Soul Pearls, they were the size of a fingernail, but it was still a rare treasure.


    "Are you serious...?" Erza muttered.


    The spirits were silent, they only moved the pearls closer to them.


    "Thank you." Wain took the pearl.


    He moved it into the ring. The Ring of Damned could hold the energy of the Soul Pearl, and Wain could absorb it at any moment anyway.


    The spirits disappeared, as did the barriers. The ce began to look like a de again, not a dance floor.


    "For some reason, I felt a sudden urge to take a few tests. Soul Pearls...it''s an incredible reward." Ern muttered, "It''s amazing that Spirits can give such things away. I wonder how powerful this area is then?"


    "It doesn''t matter. The important thing is that this ce lives up to our expectations, at least for now. Come on. We need to move toward the temple." Wain pronounced.


    ...


    They encountered no further obstacles on their way to the temple. The dance wasn''t anything dangerous, but it did show them that some challenges could be non-threatening and not involvebat skills, but still have some pretty valuable rewards.


    "Well... We''re here." Ern smiled, "Honestly, I thought that someone was bound to attack us when we got here."


    "There''s probably a challenge waiting for us inside, too." s muttered.


    "Let''s see it." Wain approached the entrance.


    He stood in front of the massive stone gates and put his palms against them. Wain used a lot of force but could move the bs. He slowly opened the gate and stepped inside.


    "It''s even better here than in the woods." Ern smiled.


    There was a special atmosphere inside the temple. It was calm and majestic. In the center of the temple was an altar around which two streams slowly flowed. There was a blue flower growing on the altar. It looked strange, as if it was transparent.


    ''This is definitely it!'' Wain said inwardly.


    He was sure this was the flower Sven had asked him to bring. He simply had no other option.


    "Would it really be that easy?" Erza hesitated.<sub> </sub>


    "Of course not!" A powerful voice suddenly rang out.


    Whooooooosh.


    A purple Spirit with red wings appeared above the flower. Its aura was even stronger than the one Ern was fighting.


    ''Red Wings!'' Ern said to himself.


    "I guess I must pass the test to get the flower, right?" Wain asked.


    "Yes." The Spirit pped his wings, "But, you''re not the only one. All of you."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly the temple shuddered as the exit was blocked. Space warped, and they found themselves in a strange ce.


    Wain and Erza were standing on a huge, soaring blue flower. Ern and s were a few feet away from them.


    There was nothing around, just a vast blue sky and slowly flowing clouds.


    "What was that...?" Ern muttered puzzledly.


    Whooooooosh.


    The Spirit appeared before them.


    "The rules are simple. Two people must be left on each flower at the end if you want to pass the trial. If even one of you falls, the trial will fail." The Spirit said.


    "Sounds simple enough." s muttered.


    "Okay. Let''s just do it." Wain shook his head.


    "Good. I''m d you''re ready." The Spirit disappeared.


    Two magical circles appeared in the distance, and powerful wind streams came crashing down on them. It happened unexpectedly, so Erza didn''t have time to prepare. The wind blew her off the flower, but Wain grabbed her arm at thest moment.


    Even a very strong wind was no obstacle for s. He calmly withstood it. Ern stood as if he had stood still. The wind fluttered his clothes and hair violently, but he did not move a single step.


    The next stage was an attack by several phantoms. Their aim was not to wound or kill, the phantoms tried to throw them off in every possible way.


    Wain, Erza, s, and Ern handled this easily. Erza dealt with all the phantoms herself, she was angry that at the previous stage, she was the only one who couldn''t hold on. s and Ern each dealt with an equal number of phantoms.


    "Sounds like you make a pretty good team, doesn''t it?" Wain smiled.


    "Maybe. It''s going pretty well so far." Ern nodded.


    "So, what''s next?" s asked.


    Immediately after his words, two magical circles appeared high in the sky, and a loud murmur of water was heard.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me..." Ern muttered.


    Whoooooosh.


    Streams of water emerged from the magical circles. It was two massive waterfalls that came crashing down on them.


    "Shit!"

 Chapter 488 Roots

    For Wain, Erza, Ern, and s, the two waterfalls were no obstacle, but their main task was not to survive but to stay on the flowers.


    "s, can you do something about it?" Ern eximed.


    "Given the size of the waterfall, it would be problematic..." s muttered.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll take care of it." Wain muttered as his aura changed.


    The temperature next to him became much lower. His coat disappeared as tattoos of chains appeared on his bare torso. An icy sword appeared in his left hand, and his gaze became as cold as ciers.


    Wain swung the sword upward. The icy torrent came crashing down on the waterfall and froze it. Even though the water was raging, it could not cope with such low temperatures. Then, Wain swung his sword once more. He helped s and Ern as he froze their waterfall. The two streams of water turned into huge icicles, which shattered into small shards because of their own weight.


    "It''s a good thing we have Wain." Ern smiled.


    "Well... It''s amazing." s said slowly.


    They sessfully passed the third stage, so it was time for the fourth.


    A huge, green magic circle appeared in the air. It was muchrger than all the previous ones.


    "It looks like this is the final one. Thest stage is left to go through, and we''ll have the flower." Ern suggested.


    "Agreed." s prepared for battle, "I hope the Spirit with the red wings doesn''t disappoint us."


    A huge monster slowly emerged from the magic circle. It was Ent, a huge creature of roots, flowers, and leaves.


    "Can it fly?" Ern asked.


    "Looks like it." Wain nodded.


    "Damn... I want to do that, too! Why can some log do what I can''t?"


    Ent looked at Ern as it attacked. Ent''s arm lengthened, so many roots headed toward Ern.


    Ern stepped forward and destroyed the roots with a powerful blow, but suddenly new branches grew from the damaged parts. Ern had no choice, he had to jump back to the edge of the flower just as s did.


    The roots gradually filled the entire space, leaving s and Ern with only a small portion where they could stand.


    "Not bad." s said calmly as he swung his spear.


    He created several wind currents that shattered the roots into many pieces. However, they continued to grow, Ent didn''t even need to go near them to defeat them.


    "This is bad. Our attacks are useless, we are only making things harder, we need another way." Ern said seriously.


    "I know what to do." Erza uttered.


    As an Inerian, she had two attributes, darkness and me, so one of them was perfect for dealing with an enemy like Ent.


    She pointed her hand at Ent as several ming crosses appeared next to the monster. Their heat was so intense that Wain, s, and Ern felt as if they were right next to a bonfire.


    The crosses gradually approached Ent, the scarlet mes burning the roots and leaving only ashes from them. Ent tried to resist and escape, but Erza saw iting. She clenched her hand in her fist as all the crosses exploded. The fire from the explosion even reached the flowers that slightly scorched the petals.


    p. p. p.


    "Great. You should have done it sooner." Ern pped his hands, "Or did you want to watch me and s try to find a way not to fall?"


    "Shut up."<sub> </sub>


    "Hey, you don''t have to be so rude."


    Wain looked up, "Is that the end of it?"


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space shuddered, and they returned to the temple.


    "You''ve done well. However, I won''t hide that you''re lucky to have such a versatile team. The flower is yours, but you''ll have to decide who gets the reward from me." The spirit disappeared as a massive dark coffin appeared in its ce.


    A powerful, ancient aura emanated from the coffin.


    A crackle.


    The coffin door flew aside, and a dark stream of energy burst out of it with a strange whistling sound like a scream.


    Inside the coffiny a powerful weapon. It was a dark spear with a dark base and a scarlet de.


    "Well... I think it''s clear to all of us who gets this spear. Just show us its description." Ern said.


    "Are you sure...?" s looked at them.


    "Of course, why not? You''re the only one who uses a spear, to us, it''s nothing more than a bag of money, but to you, it''s a weapon that can help you in battle. Go ahead, take it." Wain raised an eyebrow.


    "Okay... Thank you." s said quietly.


    He walked over to the coffin and took the spear in his hands. His veins swelled, and his eyes filled with blood, but everything was back to normal after a few seconds.


    "Well... It''s a pretty dangerous weapon, but I can handle it."


    [Scarlet Punisher (Third Chronicle, Ascendant Rating)


    This is an ancient weapon that belonged to a fierce warrior. In the midst of battle, it transformed into a scarlet demon and spilled rivers of blood. There is a piece of him left in this weapon, so it can give incredible power, but only if the new owner can resist this feeling.


    *All stats are increased by 10%


    *Control over the main attribute is greatly increased.


    *A passive skill was created - ''Rage''


    -Rage


    Depending on your emotions, you can enter a special state. It will be hard for you to control yourself, but you will be much stronger. All your stats will increase by 30%, and regeneration will be twice as high as the resistance to magic attacks]


    "Honestly, this spear looks like it was made for Vampires." Ern pondered.


    "Yeah." Wain nodded.


    "It doesn''t matter." s said, "I can definitely make the most of this spear''s potential. I''m sure of it."


    "Great." Wain muttered as he approached the altar, "Then we should get out of here."


    Wain carefully plucked the flower, so he fulfilled one of Sven''s requests.


    ''All that''s left is to deal with the Purple Carnation'' officer, and I''ll pay Sven off.'' Wain said to himself.

 Chapter 489 Royal Families

    Wain took the flower as the temple trembled. Debris from the walls tumbled to the ground. The temple could copse at any moment.


    "Let''s get out of here!" Wain shouted.


    "Yes!"


    They ran out of the temple at thest moment, the supports failed, and the temple became a pile of rubble.


    "We got the spear and the strange flower, those aren''t bad rewards, but what do we do next?" Ern asked, "Honestly, I want something unusual for myself too. Do all the Spirits with red wings hide out in temples like this?"


    "I don''t think so. Most likely, the Forgotten Forest has a core or something like that. Surely that''s where all the most valuable things are located." s muttered.


    Booooooooom.


    Suddenly there was an explosion somewhere.


    "What''s going on?" s turned around.


    Smoke was billowing in the distance on a huge ind as if from a massive fire.


    "Looks like someone''s alreadye here. We were the first, but our time is up." Wain said seriously, "Now more people are going to show up here every hour."


    "No, no, no." Ern shook his head, "I don''t like that. All the treasures of the Forgotten Forest should be ours! At least most of it! They came too soon. Have I wasted so much money on the map for nothing?!"


    "What do you suggest?" Erza asked.


    "We should kill them all! It doesn''t matter who came here, just deal with them, that''s all. Let''s go!" Ern eximed as he jumped off the ind.


    "Well... Maybe he''s right." Wain muttered, "s, help us, with your wind, we can easily cover this distance."


    "Of course." s nodded calmly.


    s swung his spear as he created a stream of wind. It was slightly different. The wind took on a faint red hue and seemed to get a little stiffer.


    "Let''s go." Wain said.


    "Yes."


    They picked up Ern and headed for the ind.


    ...


    "Are those Elves?" Wain asked.


    p "Not just them. Looks like s was right. It''s actually going to be crowded here. These Ashens came here for treasure just like us." Ern muttered.</anda>


    A small group of Elves in white and green armor fought on the ind against a squad of Ashens. The Elves were far outnumbered, yet they did not retreat, on the contrary, they were gradually winning as if each of them could easily deal with several enemies.


    "It''s them..." s muttered.


    "Are you familiar with these Elves?"


    "No, not personally, to be exact." s shook his head, "They are a group from White Clover, one of the two Royal Families. They got here a lot faster than I expected, though I shouldn''t have expected any less from them."


    "The Royal Family..." Ern muttered as he smiled, "I want to fight them. I wonder how strong they are."


    "These are your favorites? You wanted White Clover''s help getting the Royal Spirit?" Wain stared at s.<sub> </sub>


    "Yes. However, I''m not going to be on their side. I became a nomad because I didn''t like the methods of either Royal Family, White Clover is just the lesser of two evils. They are not as radical as Purple Carnation and sometimes actually act to improve the lives of Elves. If you want to fight them, I can help you. This is the Forgotten Forest, the outside world''s rules don''t work here." s said seriously.


    "Well said, but I think we should wait a little longer." Wain muttered, "There are too few of them. They''re probably just scouts. I want to see what happens when the otherse."


    The elves fought the Ashens, in just a few minutes, they had thempletely overwhelmed and cornered.


    "Don''t you know this ce belongs to us?" One of the Elves said, "You havee here for nothing. Only death awaits you here."


    "Stop! You don''t have to do that! We will not disturb you. Just spare us!" Ashens eximed.


    "Good." The elf nodded as he raised his hand, "Kill them."


    "Yes!"


    The elves attacked simultaneously. They created magic circles, and energy beams pierced Ashens.


    "Great. Now we can begin." The elf pulled a scroll from his bag.


    "You don''t think they''re radical?" Wain raised his eyebrows, "That was pretty harsh. Elf rulers aren''t really the nicest people."


    "Toughness is sometimes necessary. You know that better than most." s pronounced, "However, they''re actually tougher than usual."


    "Hey, can we attack already?" Ern resented, "Apparently, they''re going to call on the others. We can''t let that happen."


    "Wait. We can''t act rashly. I doubt the Royal Family wille here at once, more likely a squad or a few."


    The elf opened the scroll as it glowed brightly.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space trembled, and a beam of light burst from the scroll. It warped space and opened a huge portal through which dozens of people could easily pass.


    After a while, a detachment of twenty men entered the Forgotten Forest. They all looked like nobles of the highest level, their gaze confident and unwavering. At the front walked a tall guy with long white hair and eyes as blue as the ocean. He wore a light white-green armor with a clover pattern on his chest.


    "Mr. Elmar!" The elves eximed as he bowed.


    "Well done. You''ve done faster than we expected." Elmar nodded, "Now we can prepare for the arrival of the others. We begin immediately."


    "Yes!"


    There was only enough energy from the scroll to make a small portal that closed rather quickly. Something more serious was needed to create a solid passageway.


    The elves began to draw a huge magical circle on the ground. They did this carefully so as not to make any mistakes. They ced scrolls in certain ces, and gradually the density of energy in that ce increased several times over.


    "Mr. Elmar, everything is almost ready. All we have to do is wait a few minutes, and we will open the portal when the energy is sufficient." The elf reported.


    "Excellent. We must seize the territories as quickly as possible before Purple Carnation arrives. They''re always nothing but trouble." Elmar muttered.


    "Hmm? Why is it so hot in here?" Elmar said in a thoughtful manner.


    "Master!" The elves eximed as he pointed upward.


    Elmar turned as his eyes went wide.


    A man in a gray robe and long eerie wings rushed toward them. Yellow mes of chaos enveloped his arms.

 Chapter 490 Exile

    "What the hell! Everyone get ready for battle!" Elmar eximed.


    The elves reacted instantly. They were members of the Royal Family, experienced fighters, and knew how to act in such situations. They used skills as many magic circles were aimed at Wain.


    "Not so fast." A confident voice came from outside.


    p Whoooooooooosh.</anda>


    Between the Elves, a blue silhouette appeared in the center of the battle. It was so fast that no one even had time to react.


    "This is not your level guys. I will deal with you." Ern smiled as he struck the ground.


    His fist mmed into the ground, which caused a real earthquake, causing the Elves to lose their bnce for a while. At the same time, s and Erza appeared next to them. They attacked at the same time.


    s used his new spear, so his scarlet gusts of wind sliced through the Elves'' armor, like des and left numerous wounds on their bodies. Erza created scarlet crosses. They burned the Elves alive, causing them to flee as far away as possible.


    The Elves took serious damage, but it wasn''t enough to break them. They drank the potions, took their positions, and prepared for round two.


    "Well... Three of us against thirty Elves from the Royal Family. Isn''t that great proportions?" Ern smiled as his aura intensified.


    Ern was more confident than anyone else, but he knew that against such opponents, it was impossible to hold back, so he decided to use his Beyond right away. They had to kick the Elves out of the Forgotten Forest to take the main treasures for themselves.


    Ern wore dark blue light armor, gauntlets, and bulky boots. His trump card and the main difference from the others was that while his punching power was high, his speed was also top-notch, so Beyond corrects his only w - Not serious enough defense.


    s wasn''t far behind. A silver tiara appeared on his head, and his armor became as light and loose as the wind.


    "Forward." Ern uttered as he attacked.


    ...


    While Ern, Erza, and s fought, Wain faced his opponent.


    ''Damn... What''s wrong with his eyes?! Elmar inwardly eximed.


    Wain''s eyes were like two abysses in which mes of Chaos raged. When Elmar looked into Wain''s eyes, he felt ufortable and even faintly dizzy.


    The yellow mes around Wain''s hands distorted space or even changed it randomly. The mes could change their direction at any moment.


    "Who are you people?" Elmar frowned.


    "Simple treasure hunters or adventurers, call us what you will." Wain shrugged.


    "Do you realize what you''re doing? Even if you can chase us away, the fury of the pf White Clover wille upon you! Do you really think you can handle the Royal Family?" Elmar eximed.


    He was furious that they had decided to be attacked by some robbers. It was an outrageous humiliation to him.


    "No, you''re the one who doesn''t understand something." Wain shook his head, "This won''t be known to the Royal Family since no one will leave here. You havee to a ce full of treasure, so you must be prepared to die."


    "Bastard!" Elmar shouted as he attacked.


    With a wave of his hand, Elmar created several magical circles. Energy projectiles flew out of them and rained down on Wain like a hail of arrows. The High Elves prided themselves on their enormous energy supply. They were the strongest mages.


    "Huh, if that''s all a member of the Royal Family can do, then you''re not that strong." Wain smirked as he swung his arm.<sub> </sub>


    The mes of Chaos consumed the projectiles and burned thempletely.


    ''What?! Elmar inwardly eximed.


    He was shocked as no mes could damage his projectiles as it was pure energy. However, Wain got rid of it with ease.


    "This is no ordinary me." Wain said calmly as he looked at his hands, "It can burn everything, even time and space, there is no limit to it. That''s definitely bad news for you, isn''t it?"


    Whooooooooosh.


    The space next to Wain warped as he faced Elmar.


    ''What did he do?''


    Elmar tried to attack, but as soon as his magic circles appeared, yellow mes destroyed them.


    Wain directed a stream of chaos mes toward Elmar. Elmar shuddered in fear as he got goosebumps. He knew he couldn''t let the mes touch him, so he jumped aside at thest moment and attacked.


    Elmar wasn''t watching how much energy he was expending. He used everything he had. Many beams, projectiles, and magical arrows flew toward Wain, but nothing could hurt him.


    The mes of Chaos prevented anything from going further. Elmar''s attacks were too weak for that.


    ''Shit! If this area didn''t limit my power so much, I could definitely handle him! Why does he have such unique powers? Who is he?! Elmar eximed to himself.


    "This is the end." Wain said calmly as he put his hand out in front of him.


    He clenched his palm into a fist, and the space next to Elmar distorted. Transparent walls squeezed Elmar, which prevented him from moving. It was as if he was in a cage.


    "Do you know how to control space?" Elmar shouted.


    "Yeah... Something like that, see you on the other side." Wain said as he opened his palm.


    A torrent of me erupted from his hand. It engulfed Elmar and burned him, leaving not even ashes.


    "Wow, I didn''t expect his Soul to be so powerful." Wain muttered.


    A red Soul floated in the center of the spatial cube. It headed toward Wain and prated him.


    [Soul of Elmar (Whole)


    Chronicle: Third


    Rating: Ascendant]


    Wain didn''t save this soul for the future, so he used it immediately. He destroyed it, and the energy headed his way. He couldn''t get stats anymore, but Wain was hoping for something better.


    [You get Ascendant Rating Skill Book]


    ''New skill... Hmm, because of the rush, I haven''t improved my skills yet. Maybe I should just rece some of them?'' Wain pondered.

 Chapter 491 Energy Stream

    Wain touched the Skill Book as he looked up what skill he had gained.


    [Energy Stream (Third Chronicle, Ascendant Rating)


    A powerful spell that belonged to a member of the Elf Royal Family. This is one of the main spells a member of the Royal Family needs to master to have a chance at ascending to the throne.


    Fires a powerful stream ofpressed energy. Power depends on the magic circle and the amount of energy applied]


    ''Not bad, that would work for me.'' Wain nodded.


    He had three skills, so he had to choose which one to remove. He quickly made his choice.


    Whoooooooosh.


    A blue rune flew out of his body as a red rune flew into the Soul Altar. Wain decided to remove ck me Zone. In his opinion, it was the weakest skill.


    ''I wonder if they''re done yet?'' Wain thought as he turned around.


    While he was fighting, Elmar, Erza, Ern, and s dealt with the Elves. It was a hard fight, but the winner was obvious.


    Bam.


    Ern shook the ground again with a powerful fist punch as he crushed the skull of thest Elf. He swung his hand, knocking the blood away, and canceled Beyond.


    "Phew... That was fine, though I''m a little disappointed." Ern muttered as he looked at the dozens of corpses around him.


    Even though there were more Elves, they could do nothing against them. The Elves were members of the Royal Family, but they were a far cry from the warriors who had been through hundreds of battles. Ern''s fists, s'' wind, and Erza''s mes were insurmountable obstacles for them.


    "Okay, we got rid of the Elves, but what do we do next? Where can the core be?" s asked.


    Ern, Wain, and Erza wondered. Their information about the Forgotten Forest was limited, no one had any clues.


    ''We have no idea where the main treasures are, but...I have one way.'' Wain muttered inwardly as he closed his eyes concentrating.


    Unlike s or Ern, who came here for the treasure and the Royal Spirit, Wain had a different goal. He had long sought the entrance to the Forgotten Forest to find the Running Light. It was necessary for the sixth form.


    "What is he doing?" Ern asked.


    "Trying to find something...?" s scratched the back of his head.


    ''There!'' Wain turned around.


    He looked into the distance, there was nothing there, just a few small hovering inds, but he could feel the energy flows from there.


    "s, create a tornado. We need to get there." Wain said seriously.


    "Hmm? Are you sure? There are only a couple of inds there. Could anything be interesting there?" s doubted, "Maybe we''d better head north. As we flew here, I saw a lot of big inds there."


    "I know there''s something unusual waiting for us there. The rest is not important. Let''s go." Wain stared at s.


    "Okay." s sighed, "But, this is definitely a mistake. We''re just wasting our time."


    Whooooosh.<sub> </sub>


    He swung his spear as he created a whirlwind. They headed in Wain''s direction.


    s and Erza were skeptical of the idea, but Ern had a different opinion. He felt that Wain could not have made such a decision without reason.


    ...


    "We''re here." s muttered.


    "Like I thought there was nothing here." Erza shook her head, "There isn''t a temple or even a single spirit on these two inds. All we can do here is sunbathe! Wain, because of you, the Royal Families might get ahead of us!"


    "Next." Wain said calmly, "Fly on."


    "Wain, what''s going on?" s was unsure.


    "Just fly on." Ern said seriously, "Wain knows what he''s doing."


    "Okay, but this is thest time." s nodded.


    They flew through the inds and into empty space. There was nothing but clouds for hundreds of yards around. s often wanted to stop and go back, but Wain and Ern wouldn''t let him.


    After half an hour, s'' patience was at its limit.


    "That''s it! We have to go back!" s stomped his foot as his whirlwind increased slightly.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly the space next to them trembled. It was as if the wind had touched the transparent wall and revealed it.


    "What?!" s turned around.


    There was still a void ahead, but everyone realized it was an illusion.


    "Huh, I knew it. This is the Forgotten Forest, it can''t be that simple here. The main treasure is always hidden, so this ce is no exception." Wain stepped forward as he struck the air.


    His fist should have gone further, but instead, it stopped. There were several cracks in the air, and the next punch shattered the space like huge ss into many shards.


    A bright light fell on them, so they even had to close their eyes to keep from going blind. Gradually the light faded, and they could see what was behind the secret wall.


    "It''s incredible..." Ern muttered.


    "It is so beautiful..." Erza whispered.


    In the distance was a giant tree, hundreds of meters high. A majestic and ancient aura emanated from the Tree, and its leaves shone brightly like the sun. Thousands of Spirits flew around the Tree. They enveloped the branches of the Tree in streams.


    On the ground beside the Tree were dozens of ruined temples, dungeons, and castles. It was the ancient legacy of the Forgotten Forest and its center.


    "It is... The Tree from the legends... It is said to have given our ancestors their extraordinary powers, thanks to which the Elves were once able to be the strongest among the Pirs." s muttered as his eyes went wide. He couldn''t believe what he was seeing.


    "Aahahahahahaha." Wainughed, "s, you said going here was a mistake, then this is the best mistake I''ve ever made in my life! Come on. There are all the treasures of this forest waiting for us!"


    "Yes. I''m d I was wrong. To see this Tree is every Elf''s dream. I hope the Royal Families don''t get here anytime soon." s said sincerely.

 Chapter 492 The Center Of The Forgotten Forest

    Wain and the othersnded near one of the Great Tree''s roots. Immediately several Spirits with pink wings headed toward them. They were quite powerful Spirits and could bring them many treasures and difficult challenges.


    "Great. Now that''s what I call the core of the Forgotten Forest!" Ern eximed, "We just got here, but we''ve already encountered more powerful spirits than before.


    The spirits surrounded them, but nothing was happening yet. It was as if they were waiting for something.


    Whoooooosh.


    Several Spirits with red wings flew up to them. Everyone was shocked as they had only encountered one such Spirit before, in the temple, but here such Spirits were just flying around.


    "It''s been a long time since anyone has been here... What''s more, only one of them is Elf, that''s unexpected." One of the Spirits said.


    "Anyway, it''s not a big deal. You managed to get here, so you are worthy to pass our test." The other Spirit muttered.


    "Then let''s get started already." Ern smirked, "Whatever you have in store for us, we can handle! I''ll be sure to take your treasures! I won''t leave a single coin in this forest! Everything will be mine! Aahahahahahaha!"


    "Demon... You have always coveted treasure more than anyone else, so this challenge is perfect for you." The Spirit said quietly.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Spirits with purple wings swirled around them. They turned into a stream of light, and space began to change.


    They found themselves in some kind of dark dungeon. It was lit only by a few dim torches, as no sunlight could reach it.


    In the center was arge round table, prepared as if for a banquet. On the white tablecloth were tes, various cutlery, and neatly folded napkins. In the center was a huge empty tter and several red candles.


    "Is that what I think it is?" s asked.


    "Yes. This is definitely it. This looks like it will be the best challenge of my life!" Ern eximed as he sat down behind a chair.


    They took their seats, and a Spirit with red wings appeared in the air.


    "I think you''ve already guessed what kind of test awaits you, but I don''t think you understand its seriousness." The Spirit said, "Let me show you."


    Tremble.


    The Spirit''s aura intensified as his wings changed. They became muchrger and changed their color to orange. It was the Legendary Spirit.


    "Looks like we''re in for something heavy..." Erza was wary.


    "Yes. Obviously, you came here to get the Royal Spirit. Since you are here, I will tell you a little about it. You will easily find the Royal Spirit in the center of the Great Tree, but to get there, you must open a gate. As you understand, it''s not that easy to do. To do that, you have to go through seven trials, and this is one of them. This is the test of Gluttony." The Spirit proimed as a portal opened over it.


    "If you fail this trial, you will be banished from the Forgotten Forest, so your only option is to hold on until the end. This is the only way to the Royal Spirit. Now let us begin. Your task is to eat, eat and eat again. When the food runs out, then you win." The Spirit pped its wings as it disappeared.


    Bam.<sub> </sub>


    Something appeared on the tes. It was a simple red apple.


    "What is this shit?" Ern frowned, "I thought we were going to be fed, but instead, I''m being offered some pathetic fruit?"


    "Don''tin. Just start eating." Erza said as he took a bite.


    s, Wain and Erza quickly ate the apple. Since they hadn''t eaten in a while, they enjoyed the sweet and slightly sour taste, but Ern didn''t even touch it.


    "Hmm... Maybe it''s even good that you''re so picky. We can check something out." Wain said as he took Ern''s apple.


    Even though it wasn''t meant for him, Wain was able to eat it.


    "So we can help each other in case of anything. That''s good." s nodded.


    "Huh, I''d like to see how this ordeal would have gone for the four Demons. They''d probably start fighting over who gets to eat the fruits and vegetables. Ahahahahahaha." Erzaughed.


    "Pfft. Is it my fault that I don''t like eating fruit? The best food is meat! Remember that!" Ern eximed.


    Tremble.


    The portal shuddered, and the next dish appeared on the tes, this made Ern smile broadly as it was four huge steaks.


    "As ordered." Wain smiled as he picked up his knife and fork.


    A minuteter, Ern was finished with his steak. His te was shiny, but the others had problems with it, especially s. Elves were the opposite of Demons in many things, food for sure. Fruits and vegetables were easy for s, but meat... he couldn''t handle it. He had only eaten a quarter of it all that time, and it was already quite a feat.


    "Give it to me. You Elves never understood how good meat is." Ern took s'' steak.


    The next step was dessert, and the sizes got a lot bigger. They started with a simple apple, but now everyone had a quarter of a chocte cake with strawberry filling on their te.


    "I hope there''s a sweet tooth among us?" Wain muttered.


    "I am." Erza licked her lips, "If you don''t want any, you don''t have to eat it. I can handle these cakes myself."


    Everything happened just about, as Erza said. s, Wain and Ern ate as much as they could. The cake was too sweet for them, so their maximum was half. Erza managed the rest easily and was even unhappy that she got so little.


    The food got bigger and tastier in the next few stages, but the rules gradually began to change. The food got smaller, but the taste got worse. Wain and the others had to eat even if they didn''t like it, they had no other choice.


    "Shit! I can''t take it anymore." s said, "I don''t usually eat as much in a week as I did today."


    "We need to keep going." Wain said as he shoved a piece of meat into his mouth, "Otherwise, you might forget about the Royal Spirit."

 Chapter 493 The Mask

    "I give up..." s muttered as he pushed the te away, "This is too much."


    They went through several stages, and this time they got some raw meat. It might not have been a serious problem for some, but for s, it was nothing more difficult than this.


    "Ern... Can you eat this for me?" Erza asked, "At this rate, I''m about to throw up. I can''t take it anymore."


    "Huh, wimps, okay, I''ll do it. Give your pieces to me." Ern began to eat.


    It was hard for Wain, too, but he wouldn''t give up.


    ''Okay, let''s go.'' Wain said inwardly as he shoved a piece of meat into his mouth.


    He was able to do it, albeit with difficulty. It wasn''t a problem for Ern, but he was already full and was eating through effort. Every bite gave him a gag reflex, but he suppressed it.


    "Shit! How much more is left? I hope the next portion is the finale!" Ern eximed as he swallowed thest bite.


    "I agree." Wain nodded.


    "Ahahahahaha, you''re absolutely right." Suddenly came the voice of the Legendary Spirit, "You''ve done better than I expected, but it''s time to put you to the test for real."


    Whoooooooosh.


    The portal shuddered, and thest dish appeared on the tes.


    When s and Erza saw this, their eyes went wide, and they could hardly contain themselves from vomiting. Wain and Ern gulped.


    "Well... I didn''t think it would be this bad..." Wain muttered.


    The tes were filled with rotting human hearts, already slowly being devoured by worms.


    "I''ve never seen anything more disgusting than this!" Erza eximed, "I certainly can''t eat that!"


    "Neither can I... I didn''t have the strength for raw meat, but this is... something out of bounds." s muttered.


    Wain and Ern looked at each other. They were the only ones who could pass the test, so they nodded at each other and took hearts from s and Erza.


    "Well... The worst dinner of my life had to happen sometime. Today is definitely that day." Wain slowly picked up one heart.


    Its sight frightened him, but he had no choice. Wain closed his eyes and bit off as much as he could. He decided it was better to finish in a few bites, though nasty.


    Wain quickly chewed and swallowed the piece, but he was no longer confident in his abilities. When he looked at the remaining half, his hands trembled. He didn''t want to experience that disgusting feeling again.


    "Wain, go ahead. We''re going to have to do it anyway. These two..." Ern looked at s and Erza, "They won''t help us anyway. So, just eat."


    Ern sighed and opened his mouth wide. He swallowed a whole heart at once. Demons liked meat, but not like that at all. With great difficulty, Ern was able to chew and swallow it.


    "You''re right." Wain nodded as he finished the first heart.


    That was the hardest part since they ate the second heart rtively easily.


    Whoooooah.


    The portal shuddered, and the Legendary Spirit appeared.


    "You made it. Great, maybe someone will actually get the Royal Spirit today. Here''s your key and your reward. You''ve earned it." The Spirit spoke as it disappeared.


    In the center of the table appeared two objects, an unusual, creepy key with teeth and a mask of a demon with a wide-open mouth.<sub> </sub>


    [Gluttony Key (Unique)


    This key was given to those who could pass a special test. It is the road to the most powerful Spirit in history.]


    [Mask of Gluttony (Third Chronicle, Legendary Rating)


    This mask once belonged to one of the strongest Demons in history. Like its master, this mask exudes a terrible aura, great and cruel. Only a Demon can unleash its full potential.


    *Can block a quarter of iing damage.


    If used by a Demon:


    *Can absorb a third of iing damage and use it to strengthen its attacks].


    "Not bad rewards." Wain muttered, "So every challenge is a key and some Legendary Item, so that''s pretty good."


    "Yeah..." Ern said, "We were able toplete this test, but what if we fail at one point? Then all our efforts will mean nothing."


    "The spirit said we had to pass seven tests to get inside the Great Tree, but don''t you think that''s quite true?" Erza asked.


    "What do you mean?"


    "We don''t have to go through the other six trials. We can just take the keys away from those who pass them. Wouldn''t that be easier?" Erza waved her hand.


    "Huh, are you suggesting we just wait and then rob someone? I like that." Wain smiled, "But I suggest we pass at least one more test. This mask is very powerful. We can probably get the Royal Spirit if we get one more of these items."


    "Agreed." s muttered, "I''m sorry I couldn''t support you to the end. This ordeal was clearly too difficult for me."


    "It doesn''t matter. The important thing is that we made it through." Ern smirked, "How do we divide the rewards?"


    "That''s obvious." Wain shook his head, "You get the mask, and I get the key."


    "Okay."


    They took the rewards, and space shuddered. They found themselves near the root again.


    "Look!" s eximed as he pointed to the massive root.


    "Isn''t that..."


    "I see. We didn''t even notice how we got to the trial area." Wain muttered.


    There was arge jaw sign on the root. It was clearly visible, but they didn''t notice it because of the sudden appearance of the Spirits.


    "Hmm... Many rootse from this tree, but some are muchrger than others. Are you thinking the same thing, right?" Wain asked.


    "Yes." Ern nodded, "We need to find the other roots with unusual symbols. Though we don''t know exactly what to look for, we have plenty of information."


    Wain and the others nodded. They decided to head west. There was one of the biggest roots.


    Boooooooooom!


    Suddenly a pir of me appeared in the distance as a tremble went through the ground. It happened next to one root.


    "Looks like we''re not alone here anymore. Our dinner has gone on too long."

 Chapter 494 Keys

    "What are we going to do?" Erza asked.


    The explosion alerted her. She didn''t expect the others to find the passageway to the Great Tree so quickly. She was afraid they wouldn''t get into too much trouble because of it.


    "Nothing. At least for now." Wain muttered, "They''re probably going through one of the Seven Trials, so we''ll meet up with themter and get the key or meet right at the gate to the Great Tree. Either way, we''ll have to fight."


    The others nodded. They continued on their way. Because of the size of the root, they thought it was close, but in fact, the root was more than ten kilometers away. asionally the Spirits would fly up to them, but at those moments, they would speed up and not let themselves be held up by small trials.


    "Great. We''re here." Ern said as he looked around.


    They tried to find a symbol or sign for the next challenge, but only roots and foliage were around.


    "Hey, isn''t that where...?" Wain muttered.


    He looked at the many vines thatpletely covered part of the root.


    "Erza, burn the vines. We need to see what''s in there."


    "Okay." Erza nodded as she created several crosses of fire.


    The mes burned the vines and revealed what was behind them.


    "Well, well, we''re there." Wain smiled.


    On the root was the massive mark of a shining coin. They didn''t know exactly what it could indicate, but the situation was the same as in thest trial.


    Whooooooooosh.


    The sign glowed brightly, and a multitude of Spirits with red and purple wings headed toward them.


    "Are you ready for the next trial?" Ern asked.


    "Of course. We''ll get through it easily. This time I''ll give it my all." s nodded.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    "Not so fast!" Someone eximed.


    A huge fireball appeared between Wain and the others, so they had to retreat. They reflexively stepped aside and prepared for battle.


    "Damn. I knew someone would get in our way." Wain muttered.


    A small group of people emerged from behind the trees. There were four of them, and they were all very tall.


    "Inerians? Seriously? What are you guys doing here?" s wondered.


    "Huh, do you really think that only Elves can enter the Forgotten Forest? It wasn''t easy, but we could find our way here. Go away if you want to live." A girl with long purple hair eximed.


    "Astrid?" Erza muttered as her eyes went wide.


    "Erza...?!" Astrid eximed, "What? What are you doing here? Why are you here?!"


    "Do you two know each other?" Wain asked.


    "Yeah. Sort of. These four bitches were always teasing me about being unable to find a man." Erza''s face darkened as her eyes filled with blood, "I''ll kill you!"


    "Wait!" Astrid waved her hand, "Why are you on their side?"<sub> </sub>


    "Whose side should I be on? Should I be on your side? You''ve always been nothing but trouble." Erza said rudely.


    Astrid frowned. She looked at Erza''s mates, and her gaze stopped on Wain. There was a strange aura emanating from him. It was as if she was drawn to him.


    "I see." Astrid nodded, "You''re here because of him. Right?"


    "It''s none of your business." Erza stared at Astrid.


    "You''re wrong. You''ve always been a little different from the others, but it seems you''ve gone off the wrong track. You need help. Inerians cannot have partners from other races, it is impossible and against our principles." Astrid eximed, "Don''t get in our way. We''ll get it done."


    Whooooooooosh.


    Astrid and the other three attacked. They didn''t touch Erza, their target was Wain. They thought Erza had left them because of him, and they were partly right.


    "Die!" Astrid eximed as she waved her hand.


    Tremble.


    A purple magical circle appeared over Wain, and serious pressure came down on him. Astrid had a rare attribute, gravity. She could easily nail a Third Chronicle monster to the ground.


    "Huh, how interesting. Even the apprentice had more power than you." Wain grinned, "You need to put in ten times more effort if you want to slow me at least down."


    Wain grabbed Astrid by the arm as he punched her in the stomach. His blow was swift and powerful, so Astrid threw up a mouthful of blood as Wain struck again, but with his foot. He tossed Astrid aside and effortlessly stepped out from under the gravity circle.


    Snap.


    "You came here for nothing. You are too weak to fight for the chief treasure of the Forgotten Forest!" Wain snapped his fingers as several blue magic circles appeared above him.


    The magical circles headed toward Astrid and her mates as energy beams rained down on them. Astrid tried to defend, but the rays easily prated her defenses.


    "Huh. What a shame." Ern grinned, "They were able to get here, but they don''t have enough power even to scratch you. Are all Inerians really that weak?"


    "No. It''s just that Wain is too strong." s shook his head, "Moreover, they wanted to attack quickly, so they were not prepared for such a powerful counterattack."


    "Okay. That''s the end of it. Anyst words?" Wain said as a phantom snake tail appeared above him.


    "Fuck you!" Astrid spat a blood clot, "You weren''t supposed to meet! This all happened because of you!"


    "Well, I gave you a chance." Wain said coldly as he attacked.


    "Wait!" Erza eximed.


    Wain stopped at thest moment. The tip of the snake''s tail hovered over Astrid''s head.


    "What is it?"


    "Don''t kill them, please." Erza muttered timidly.


    "Why? They attacked us, so they are the enemy. You don''t seem to have the best rtionship with them either." Wain raised an eyebrow.


    "Just do as I ask, that''s all. These four are assholes, but we can forgive them the first time. Don''t you think so?" Erza stared at Wain.


    Wain looked at Astrid. She was as surprised as he was, but inside she was infinitely grateful to Erza.


    "I''m giving you a minute to get out of here. Erza''s request won''t stop me anymore if you don''t." Wain said stiffly.

 Chapter 495 Greed

    Astrid and her mates ran away in fear. They were wounded, but then they didn''t notice the pain, survival was the most important thing for them.


    "Thank you." Erza muttered as she approached Wain.


    "You don''t have to. I won''t lie. If you hadn''t asked, I would have killed them, but it won''t happen again. Do you understand?" Wain grabbed Erza by the chin as he stared intently into her eyes.


    "Yes. Of course." Erza said briefly.


    "Good." Wain turned to the Spirits, "Begin. We''re ready."


    "Huh, I like your attitude boy. Judging by the energy, you''ve already passed one trial, but don''t think you''re all-powerful. All trials are difficult, in their own way." The spirit uttered.


    Whoooooooosh.


    The spirits turned into a stream as they surrounded Wain and the others. Thest time they had been in a dark basement, now they were in a spacious royal hall.


    Crystal chandeliers dangled from the high ceilings, gold columns supported the walls, and motley red carpets on the floors, all adorned with rare paintings from the best artists. In the center was a huge throne with many jewels in it.


    "Are we in the King''s house?" s muttered.


    "No..." Ern shook his head, "It looks more like an emperor''s pce. Gosh, I''ve never seen so many jewels! It''s incredible!"


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space warped as the Legendary Spirit appeared on the throne.


    "I salute you. In my opinion, this is one of the most difficult trials. This is the trial of Greed. There are doors ahead of you. Your task is simple, you must stop when you think you have had enough. Of course, there''s danger waiting for you behind every door, so the more you get, the stronger your opponent will be. Good luck." The spirit spoke as it disappeared.


    "Treasure? Did someone say treasure?" Ern eximed as he ran to the nearest door.


    The door didn''t open until the others approached it.


    "Why do I feel like there''s some kind of trap in this ordeal?" s pondered as he went inside.


    "Perhaps because you''re right. The spirit said we should stop at the right moment, but how do we know when exactly? Does the oue of the ordeal depend not on our abilities but luck? I don''t believe that." Wain uttered.


    Inside the first room, the simplest trial awaited them. In the center of the room was a huge boulder with a long iron sword stuck in it.


    "Huh, we just need to get the sword out of there? That reminds me of a story." Ern smiled as he walked over to the boulder.


    He gripped the sword''s hilt tightly as his muscles tensed and his veins swelled. Cracks went down the boulder as Ern pulled his sword out.


    "Well, let''s see what I got." Ern opened the description of the sword.


    [Fake (Primary Chronicle, Common Rating)


    This is a fake of one of the strongest swords that ever existed.


    It is useless trash that is not even suitable for battles against the weakest monsters. Whoever gets this sword is probably a pathetic loser].


    "What the fuck is this?" Ern eximed as he snapped the sword in two.<sub> </sub>


    "Look." Wain muttered.


    The main treasure of this room was not the sword but the chest in the center of the boulder.


    "Well, let''s see what''s in there. If it''s going to be some useless junk again, I''m out of it!" Ern opened the chest.


    "Huh, it''s definitely better than a piece of iron." Wain grinned.


    There were ten gray coins in the chest. They were Void Coins.


    "Only ten thousand..." Ern muttered grudgingly.


    "You don''t think that''s enough?" s wondered, "Many people risk their lives to get that kind of money, but you got it just by pulling a sword out of a boulder. If I were you, I wouldn''tin."


    "You''re not in my shoes." Ern looked at s, "Anyway, I passed this trial and got the emotional damage, so I''m taking the coins for myself."


    "Whatever you say." Wain shrugged, "Let''s move on. The sooner we pass this trial, the better."


    "Hey? Maybe we shouldn''t take the coins." Erza suggested.


    "Hmm? Why?" Wain puzzled.


    "What kind of nonsense are you talking about? Are we supposed to leave here with nothing!" Ern eximed.


    "I think this might be the way to pass the trial. Maybe if we give up all the rewards and decide after a few stages that it''s enough, we''ll sessfully pass the trial."


    "That makes sense." s nodded, "I hadn''t thought of that, but it might work. We won''t go along with the trial and do the opposite."


    "What are we going to do?" Erza looked at Wain. Everything depended on his decision.


    "I''m against it!" Ern eximed.


    "Hmm... That''s an interesting thought..." Wain pondered.


    He was silent for a while as he paced from side to side. He looked at the gold ceilings, the coins in the chest, the rare furniture, and other ornate details of this pce.


    ''Greed... What is Greed really?'' Wain inwardly muttered.


    "Wain. What have you decided? I''m sure we should leave these coins here, as it''s just a trap." Erza said seriously.


    Wain looked at her as he smiled, "A trap? Could it be a trap in a trap? What do you think about that? Not only will we take these coins, but we''ll also steal everything here! From paintings to cutlery. It''s a Greed trial, so I will not turn down this opportunity. We''ll show what real Greed is and take every treasure in this pce! There will be nothing left here after us."


    "What..." Erza muttered.


    She and s were not expecting such an answer.


    "Ahahahaha, great! That''s what I wanted. So I won''t take the coins out of the chest. I''ll just take the chest with me." Ern said as his ring glowed.


    "Okay, let''s move on. That was only the first room. Many more treasures are ahead, and it''s all for us." Wain said confidently as he left the room.

 Chapter 496 Gold

    The trial of Greed continued. Wain, Erza, Ern, and s continued forward and passed one test after another. They had already cleared ten rooms. Each time, they easilypleted the task and took everything there was.


    "Well... Where do we go next?" Ern asked as he looked around.


    There were no more doors in the hallway, this one was thest.


    "I don''t know. If there''s no obvious way out, then we need to search the ce." Erza muttered as she walked out of the room. She was thest one.


    Crackling.


    Doors in all the rooms closed as they disappeared.


    "What the hell is going here...?" Ern muttered.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space warped, and a huge gate appeared at the end of the corridor. They were bronze, ancient and majestic. In the center was a massive drawing of a hand with gold coins falling from it.


    "Looks like something special is waiting for us." Wain muttered as he approached the gate.


    He tried to open it, but he couldn''t get it open no matter how hard he tried. The gate was as heavy as an entire mountain. He couldn''t move it even a millimeter.


    "What''s going on? Why isn''t it working?"


    "We''re doing something wrong." s suggested, "I doubt these gates are so heavy that Wain cannot move them."


    "What is this...?" Erza mumbled confusedly.


    The others turned in her direction. Erza had a massive gold coin in her hand, and her eyes went wide.


    "I certainly didn''t take such a thing with me."


    "Maybe it''s a key. Give it to me." Wain took the coin as he returned to the gate.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    The coins on the gate began to light up just as his hand did gradually, then a massive golden bowl appeared in front of the gate.


    "Hahahahaha, a bowl, that''s pretty ironic." Ernughed.


    "What makes youugh?" s didn''t understand.


    "Isn''t it obvious? They want us to pay for passage! I knew that Wain''s decision was the right one. We''ve collected all the rewards, so it''s time to part with them to get permission to enter the VIP room!" Ern eximed as his ring glowed brightly.


    Several chests filled with treasure appeared next to it. Ern dumped it all into the bowl.


    Any item that hit the bowl immediately disappeared, it was burned by a golden me, and a ringing sound of coins rang out.


    Whooooooooosh.


    The sign of the ming chest appeared on the gate. It was small, but the more treasure Ern used up, therger the chest became.


    "I see, most likely the more treasure we spend, the better the reward awaits us." Wain muttered as he did the same thing as Ern.<sub> </sub>


    "Hey, why are you both acting so frivolous?" s resented, "What if this is some kind of trap? We''ve spent a lot of time putting this together, but you''re getting rid of it so easily."


    "s, traps are not everywhere, though it looks like you fell into one." Wain smiled.


    "Huh?"


    "You and Erza were against taking things and treasure from rooms, but you haven''t started emptying your pockets yet. Have you be miserable about getting rid of your loot? Isn''t that the most obvious manifestation of Greed?" Wain muttered.


    s was stunned.


    "It''s not like that!" Erza eximed, "You just started acting too fast. s and I, unlike you, at least think a little!"


    Erza walked over to the bowl as she disposed of her treasures. The chest on the gate reached its maximum size, so another appeared.


    "It''s definitely some kind of sensor. I wonder if we''re making ourselves better or worse now." Wain wondered.


    "I don''t know." Ern shook his head, "Does it matter? Whatever''s waiting for us, we''ll make it either way. s,e on, you''re the only one who hasn''t filled the cup yet."


    "Okay." s nodded.


    Three chests lit up on the gate when no one else had any gold coins left. They were the same size, so Wain and the others maxed out.


    Whoooooooosh.


    The chests exploded like fireworks as the gate slowly opened.


    Behind the gate was a massive arena with golden bleachers, ancient columns, and a magnificent chandelier hanging from the ceiling.


    In the center of the arena was a giant statue in golden armor. It looked like a warrior who had been waiting for the right battle for a long time. There were three empty cells on the armor, and when Wain entered the arena, they lit up brightly like the chests before it.


    "I see. We spent all our savings to make our final enemy that much stronger. It''s disappointing..." Ern muttered.


    "Are you serious?" Wain smiled, "Doesn''t that show all our Greed, or is that called pragmatism? We gave away all our treasure because we were sure we''d get something more valuable in return, so this big one is a great way to find out if we were right."


    "Sometimes you''re really hard to understand." Erza shook her head.


    "Okay. Let''s get down to business." s said as a scarlet spear appeared in his hand.


    Crackling.


    The gate behind them closed as the Statue came into motion. He slowly rose as he stared at them.


    "Well... He looks threatening, but the four of us can handle it easily. Can''t we?" Ern muttered as dark armor appeared on him.


    s and Erza also activated their Beyond. The aura emanating from the Statue was menacing and much stronger than that of the Elves of the Royal Family. This opponent was from the top league.


    "You... Were able to saturate the cuppletely..." The Statue muttered.


    "What? He can talk?" Ern was surprised, "Since when are walking stones capable of that?"


    "Your greed is actually astounding..." The Statue continued, "However, thanks to Greed, you were able to manifest your freedom, and that treasures can''t control you. So... if you can defeat me, you will receive the main treasure of this castle as the most greedy!" The Statue uttered as his eyes sparkled.

 Chapter 497 The Statue

    Wain, Erza, Ern, and s were ready for battle. They waited for their opponent to make the first move.


    "Don''t disappoint me!" Statue eximed as he rushed toward them.


    The Statue chose Erza as his first target. His golden spear came down on her with lightning speed.


    ''Damn!'' Erza inwardly eximed as her eyes went wide.


    She created several ming crosses above her. The fire was strong enough to melt any metal, especially one as soft as gold, but the Statue''s spear wasn''t even hot. It easily cut through the crosses as it rushed toward Erza. She didn''t have time to dodge, but she wasn''t fighting alone.


    Whoooooooosh.


    A scarlet stream of wind appeared between her and the spear. It lightly tossed the spear aside, and s swept beside Erza as he took her with him.


    Bam.


    A momentter, the spear plunged deep into the golden floor as it left several thick cracks on the floor, shaking the entire arena.


    "Thank you..." Erza muttered.


    "No need. Just focus on the fight. The elves of the Royal Family are nothingpared to them. Though that''s what a guardian of one of the seven trials that lead to the Royal Spirit should be." s said confidently as he stared at the Statue.


    This was the hardest fight for him, but it was something he had dreamed of for so long. s wanted to be worthy, and there was no better way to prove it than through the trials of the Forgotten Forest.


    s straightened his arm as he began to spin the spear like a wheel. It gradually turned into a wind disc, sharp enough to shred even the strongest steel.


    The Statue attacked, and s threw the disc forward. It rushed toward the Statue with tremendous speed as the disc sliced through the air.


    Whooooooooosh.


    The Statue took a step back at thest moment as the disk whizzed a meter away from him. s'' attack failed, but he didn''t back away. s just snapped his finger, and the spear headed toward him at his will. There was a Statue in the spear''s path, so it had to pierce the sturdy golden armor.


    "Not bad." The Statue pronounced as he turned 180 degrees.


    The Statue kicked the spear away with his foot, so it mmed deep into the wall.


    "What the fuck...?" s muttered, "Even a man can''t be that agile in such heavy armor, but it''s a fucking Statue!"


    Tremble.


    One of the cells on Statue''s armor became brighter as he found himself next to s. The Statue struck a swift blow from the top down.


    ''Shit!'' s inwardly eximed.


    Bam.


    ''Well, well. Is it worth it for the guardian to be so serious about the future owner of the Royal Spirit?" Ern smiled as he gripped the spear firmly between his palms.


    Ern''s hands trembled, but he had enough strength to stop the Statue''s attack.


    "The Keeper of the Royal Spirit? Who? This Elf...? Hmm... Maybe he is worthy... But, before he meets the Royal Spirit, he still has a lot to learn, or the Royal Spirit will reject him." The Statue mouthed as he stared at s.


    "You seem to know quite a lot, don''t you?" Wain uttered as dark streams of energy appeared beside him.<sub> </sub>


    "You''re different from them... You have a strange aura..." The Statue muttered," Wait... Are you a human?!"


    "Yes. I am. Honestly, I''m getting tired of everyone being so surprised by this. Let''s keep it simple, you need to stop us, and we need to beat you, so it''s pretty in and simple." Wain snapped his finger.


    Whooooooosh.


    Streams of energy enveloped him, and a noble red coat, white mask, and gloves appeared.


    Wain walked forward as he ced his hand on the mask.


    "Your words gave me some thoughts. We came here for the Royal Spirit, but is it as majestic as we think?" Wain muttered.


    "What are you talking about...?" The Statue grew wary.


    "To get to the Royal Spirit, we need to open the gate, isn''t that ridiculous? The Royal Spirit, a powerful being, is under lock and key! That sounds like a fucking unfunny joke. So... Is the Royal Spirit an ally, a weapon, or just a bag of energy?" Wain calmly mouthed.


    "How are you dare...! You are nothing but a wretched human being! You will never know even a particle of the true power of the Royal Spirit!" The Statue eximed furiously.


    "Well, let''s see what happens." Wain slowly removed the mask as dark mes covered his hands.


    Whoooooosh.


    Wain''s silhouette blurred, and she was in front of the Statue''s head. The Statue reacted instantly, but Wain''s fist had already reached the Statue''s face. The impact threw the multi-ton Statue aside as Wain flung him to the ground.


    ''Not bad.'' Wain muttered inwardly, ''You were right. Your special ability is great for closebat.''''


    ''Yeah. I told you so. I never cheat, at least, I want others to think so.'' ck Sun Aristocrat smiled.


    ''Huh, whatever you say.'' Wain stretched his arm.


    p "Get up. Was one punch really enough for you? If so, you''re not a keeper. You''re a punching bag."</anda>


    "Shut up." The Statue uttered as he thrust his spear into the ground, slowly rising.


    "That wasn''t a bad hit..." The Statue muttered.


    Bam.


    Suddenly Ern appeared beside him. He folded his arms together as a hammer and mmed the Statue into his chest with all his might. The shock wave drove the Statue to the ground as the floor split into several pieces.


    "Enough talk. It''s time to deal with this walking stone and get our rewards!" Ern eximed as he attacked again.


    His hands turned into a blurry blur. Ern was beating very fast, and gradually cracks began to appear in the golden armor. The Statue tried to get up, but Ern didn''t give it a chance. He kept punching as if his life depended on it.


    Bam.


    Ern struck right in the chest as the armor shattered into small shards.


    "Bastard!" The Statue shouted furiously.


    He swung his arm as three pieces of armor with ming cells froze in the air.

 Chapter 498 Reduction

    "Bastard! What are you going to do?" Ern eximed.


    "Just moving on to the next stage..." The Statue muttered, "You''ve proven that I can''t handle you in my current state... I''m grateful to you... After all, if you hadn''tpletely filled the bowl, I wouldn''t have had this opportunity."


    Whooooooooosh.


    The cells joined together to form a crown with three spades. It flew toward the Statue as a golden explosion blew away from it. The shockwave knocked Ern aside, but he bounced off the wall and quickly got ready to fight.


    "Hey, did we actually do the right thing? Maybe we shouldn''t have given away our treasure!" Erza eximed.


    "Don''t be silly. I wasn''t going to take the easy way out anyway." Wain muttered as he reversed the action of the fourth form, "We have only one chance to get the key, so we must do what we can."


    Wain could not use the special ability of the fourth form for long. Only ten seconds, that was pretty short, but Wain still had plenty of weapons.


    ''Let''s go.'' Wain internally uttered.


    ''Of course. Your opponent has a great bnce between defense, speed, and attack, so we have to show him that destroying the bnce is pretty easy.'''' Code of Light and Darkness muttered.


    Whooooooooosh.


    A dark robe appeared on Wain, a demon mask, and a white phantom appeared above him. Wain swung his arm slightly as the phantom turned into apressed light de.


    "Wow, is that aser sword?" Ern wondered.


    "Something like that." Wain swung the sword as in the air left a trail that cut through space.


    ''Hmm? I can do that?'' Wain wondered.


    ''That''s your second Concept. It is different from skills as you act intuitively, in time, it will be as easy as jumping or running.'' Blind Sorcerer uttered.


    ''Great. That''s what you need against a stone.''


    Crackle.


    He began to change when the crown was on the Statue''s head. He became several times smaller, now he was slightly taller than Wain. The stone body showed the outline of muscles and golden veins through which energy flowed. The spear became shorter as the tip twisted like a drill.


    "I hope you don''t run away and fight to the end." The Statue said as his silhouette blurred.


    The Statue appeared next to s and swung his spear. s blocked the attack with a gust of wind, but was immediately struck in the stomach with his fist. The impact tossed him aside, and the spear fell out of his hands.


    "Well, well. Stop hitting our Elf. There''s no one else to get the Royal Spirit beside him." Ern appeared behind the Statue.


    Ern grabbed the Statue by the arm and turned him toward him.


    Bam.


    Ern delivered several powerful blows to the stomach. He punched so hard that each blow caused a shockwave, but the Statue sustained almost no damage.


    "What the hell..." Ern raised his head as their gazes met.


    "You must be proud of your physical strength, and you''re entitled to it, but if you can''t prate your enemy''s defenses, then you''re useless." The Statue smirked as he attacked.


    His fist sank into Ern''s stomach.


    "Argh!" Ern threw up a mouthful of blood.


    Statue attacked again with the spear, but when the tip came close to Ern''s face, he grinned and ducked slightly. The spear passed over Ern''s head as he grabbed Statue by the arm and thudded him to the ground.


    <o>,m Ern started to punch Statue in the head, but Statue threw him off in one motion and tossed him aside.</o>


    "Damn! Why isn''t anyone helping me!?" Ern eximed as he climbed out from under the rubble.<sub> </sub>


    "Don''t worry. I''m here." Wain said calmly.


    He appeared above the Statue and swung his sword several times. The Statue only smirked as he thought Wain''s attacks couldn''t prate his defenses.


    Crackle.


    The light de easily cut through the stone armor, and golden blood gushed out.


    "What the hell!" The Statue eximed as his veins glowed brightly.


    The cracks in his body glowed, and a golden wave of energy came away from him. It threw everyone aside.


    "Why did this happen...? Wasn''t my protection enough...?" The Statue muttered.


    A few of Wain''s attacks were enough to inflict many serious wounds on him. Gold poured out of the Statue, which was to him what blood was to humans.


    "Well, your wless defense has one fatal w, too, doesn''t it?" Wain smirked as he headed toward the Statue.


    "Bastard! You can''t win anyway! There''s no way you can get the Royal Spirit!"


    "I don''t need it. I came here for something else, probably more special. Even Ern''s blows didn''t hurt you, however, you can''t regenerate, so that''s the end." Wain snapped his finger.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Several magical circles appeared around the Statue.


    "No!"


    "Goodbye."


    Four energysers from different directions pierced the Statue as it tore him apart. Even the best armor was useless if there was a gap in it.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    The stone fragments shattered into tiny shards, and the spear melted and turned into a puddle of gold.


    "Phew, that was hard, but we made it." Wain canceled the form.


    "Hmm? The test isn''t over yet?" Erza was puzzled.


    "I guess we''ll have to decide for ourselves when it''s over, so I think the moment has arrived." Wain shook his head, "We''re done. We''ve taken everything, we''ve lost everything, and we''ve defeated all our opponents. There''s nothing else in this ordeal to interest us."


    Tremble.


    The Legendary Spirit appeared in the air.


    "Huh, you''re right boy, there''s nothing else here, so that means you''vepletely exhausted your greed. There''s nothing else to feed it. Okay, congrattions, you''ve passed the test."


    The spirit spoke as it disappeared.


    In its ce appeared a golden key and a ring with unusual symbols.


    "Yes! Wain and I were right after all!" Ern eximed cheerfully, like a child.


    "You were just lucky. We would definitely have lost if the test had been more cunning." Erza waved her hand.


    "None of that matters. What matters is that we have the key." Wain smiled.

 Chapter 499 Encounter

    [Greed Key (Unique)


    This key was given to those who could pass a special test and show their greed. It is the road to the most powerful Spirit in history].


    "Well, now we have two keys, there are five more to go." Wain muttered as he took the ring in his hand.


    [Ring of Greed (Third Chronicle, Legendary)


    A special ring that belonged to an ancient ruler who was the greediest man in history. His greed was so great that it became his greatest strength and weakness at the same time.


    This ruler had a loving wife to whom, as a parting gift after his death, he left this ring and destroyed part of the runs, so now the ring will work at 100% effectiveness only for women.


    If worn on a man:


    *Power of all skills increases by 15%, energy expenditure increases by 15%.


    If worn on a man:


    *Power of all skills increases by 33%, energy expenditure increases by 11%].


    "Huh, one of us is lucky to be a member of the fair sex, isn''t he?" Ern smiled as he looked at Erza.


    "Here you go." Wain tossed her the ring.


    Erza nodded and put the ring on, her eyes sparkling with golden light as well as her hair.


    "Not bad, but I have to be careful not to waste all my energy identally." Erza muttered as she considered the ring.


    "Time to get out of here." Wain said before lifting the key.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space shuddered, so they were back at the massive root. They had been in the pce for quite some time, about a few hours. All but thest ordeal was easy but quite lengthy.


    During this time, the area near the Great Tree changed. There were pirs of smoke from fires in all directions, while in the sky, there were asional attacks from others.


    ? "Looks like we''vee to the most interesting part." Ern grinned as he grasped his chin.


    "By the way, Erza, I think you underyed this time." Wain stared at her, his eyes as cold as ciers.


    "I agree. You almost didn''t take part in the battle? What''s the matter?" Ern resented. He missed the most blows in this battle since he fought on the front lines waiting for support.


    "I''m sorry. My attacks were useless against him." Erza shook her head slightly.


    "Don''t be ridiculous. You have another power besides darkness and me. As long as you use it your power increases manifold, so you would turn this walking stone to dust in a few blows." Wain spoke slowly.<sub> </sub>


    Erza frowned, "It''s none of your business why I didn''t do it!"


    "Well, you seem to be missing something." Wain calmly said before approaching Erza as he abruptly grabbed her by the neck.


    It was hard for Erza to breathe while she tried to loosen Wain''s grip, but it was impossible as if she were trying to move a whole mountain.


    "I understand that you''re used to working alone, I''m a selfish bastard myself, but unlike you, I have the brains to realize that we''re a team now." Wain pressed his thumb on her throat, "I don''t think you''d be happy if the inaction of either of us caused you to be seriously hurt, so be so kind as not to fuck around and do your best, at least while we''re working together."


    Wain tossed Erza aside, "Let''s go. We need to find the others who passed the test and get the keys from them. The sooner we do it, the better."


    "Bastard..." Erza muttered while touching her neck.


    s walked over to her and held out his hand, "Wain can be pretty rough sometimes, can''t he?"


    "Yeah... He used to run away from me, but now I can''t even scratch him." Erza got up slowly.


    "I don''t know what Wain was talking about, but he had a point. At the very least, you could use that power now, so he couldn''t be so rude to you." s sighed and followed Wain.


    ''s... You may be right, but... it''s moreplicated than you think.'' Erza muttered to herself.


    ...


    Wain and the others headed east. There was thergest hearth of mes and many pirs of thick smoke. For the Great Tree was all insignificant, but the area next to it was gradually bing a battlefield of craters, fallen trees, and desated rivers.


    "This ce looked much better a couple of hours ago." Ern shook his head, "People always ruin things."


    "You don''t have to worry about that." s said seriously, "The energy emanating from the Great Tree will quickly turn thisnd back to its former appearance. Even all our powers aren''t enough to stop Great Tree from doing that."


    "Well... Which one of them has the key?" Wain muttered as he looked at the battles below.


    Not far from the massive root, three groups, Axalts, nts, and Constructs, were fighting. Each had their own goals, so they were all enemies.


    "It''s actually getting pretty crowded down here." Erza waved her hand, "Pretty much all the Pirs have gathered here already."


    "Yeah. Looks like it. The longer we''re here, the more people learn about the Forgotten Forest, though it''s not that important. We already have two keys. No one can open the gate without us." Wain muttered as he closed his eyes.


    He concentrated on the unique currents of energy that only he could feel. They were pulses emanating from the Running Light, the necessary thing to open the sixth form.


    After a moment, Wain sighed and muttered inwardly, ''Just as I thought. I''ll have to go into the Great Tree anyway. Well, I''ll get there sooner orter.''


    "Die!" One of the Axalts eximed as he attacked.


    His hands were covered in scarlet me while the sun sign on his chest shone brightly as if it were real. Constructs with nts created a massive protective barrier in the shape of a pentagon, but Axalt''s ming fist easily prated it and created a firestorm that, like aser, scorched dozens of meters of trees and earth.

 Chapter 500 The Two Keys

    Wain, Ern, Erza, and s were in no hurry to intervene in the duel. They were regaining their strength while watching the battle of three different races.


    Axalt''s group was winning thanks to one of them. Their main fighter was a tall guy with long red hair and eyes as dark as the abyss. He wore a scarlet robe with simple bandage shoes.


    "Surrender. If you leave now, I will spare you, otherwise, prepare to die!" He eximed as he mmed his fists against each other, creating a fiery wave.


    "Damn! Why is he so strong!" Some Construct eximed.


    "Looks like we have no choice. Let''s go!" The leader of the band nts shouted.


    They quickly left, so only Axalts were left at the root.


    "Yang Li, you are the strongest as always!" The girl beside him muttered as she clung tightly to him, "What would we do without you? It''s much more dangerous here than we thought."


    "I warned you about this. This is the Forgotten Forest, this is not something funny. I won''t always be able to protect you, you must be careful as you could get killed." Yang Li said calmly.


    "Don''t worry. No one can defeat you anyway." The girl smiled.


    Yang Li nodded. He looked around as he still felt threatened even though his two opponents had left the battlefield. Yang Li looked up as he noticed two people, an Elf sitting on a root and a girl with long ck and red hair. She smiled back at him as she waved her hand.


    ''Who is it...?'' Yang Li muttered anxiously to himself.


    ''Whooooooooooosh.


    Suddenly, two blurry silhouettes appeared next to him.


    Yang Li instantly reacted as he pushed the girl aside and tried to attack, but no sooner had he made half a turn than the silhouettes put their hands on his shoulders, so they pressed him tightly to the ground.


    "Don''t move." Ern smirked, "Otherwise, you won''t get out of here, believe me."


    "Who are you?!" Yang Li eximed furiously as he tried to stand up, but he could not move even slightly despite his immense strength.


    "Where is the key?" Wain calmly asked.


    "The key? What key? I don''t know what you''re talking about!" Yang Li eximed.


    "You shouldn''t lie." Wain said coldly, "You are in the test area, and you are the strongest here, so you definitely passed the test. You have the key, if you want to survive, then give it to me." Wain uttered as he pressed Yang Li''s hand tightly against his back so hard that he had to kick lightly to break it.


    "Wait, wait!" Yang Li eximed, "I really don''t know what you''re talking about. I came here just a few minutes ago because I saw pirs of smoke from afar. I thought something interesting was going on here, but other than the nts and Constructs group, I didn''t see anything else! I swear!"


    Wain was silent as he looked at Ern. He wasn''t sure how he should have acted in such a situation. Unfortunately, he couldn''t read minds.


    "Well... I know one proven way." Ern sighed as he grabbed Yang Li by the hair, "Swear to your Spirit that you don''t have the key."<sub> </sub>


    Yang Li frowned as his gaze grew serious, "I don''t have the key. Swear on my Spirit."


    "Okay, he''s not the one we need. Let''s get out of here." Ern lost all interest in him, loosened his grip and his silhouette blurred.


    "Why did you decide to let him go?" Wain asked as he appeared behind Ern.


    "You just know too little about the Axalts, their Spirit is the most precious thing they have. Perhaps Spirit is even more important to them than family. Spirit holds a special position in their society, almost sacred, so if you make an Axalt swear by their Spirit, the answer is sure to be true." Ern waved his hand.


    "Doesn''t that mean Axalts can always tell the truth?" Wain asked.


    "Yeah... But, that only works if Axalts have no other choice since swearing to their Spirit is a serious humiliation for them."


    "I see." Wain nodded.


    "Hey! Why did you let him go?" Erza eximed as she ran up to them with a puzzled look.


    "He doesn''t have a key, that''s for sure." Wain shook his head, "Frankly, it''s disappointing. Looks like someone passed the test before he came and already took the key, so... I don''t know where we''re going. Finding the other keys was harder than I thought it would be."


    Wain, Erza, Ern, and s stayed at the root. They had nowhere to go in a hurry, so they decided to wait a while. The Great Tree had a lot of exciting things going on all the time, with dozens of people fighting, being tested, and receiving rewards. Wain thought something might have clued them in on how to find the rest of the people with the keys.


    "I''m sick of it!" Erza eximed, got up and mmed her fist on the root causing it to crack, "We''ve been sitting here for over twenty minutes, and all we do is watch others fight! It''s like we have a cinema or a tea party here, although in that case, we''re definitely missing popcorn or fucking tea!"


    "Well... Maybe you''re right, but I don''t mind sitting here a little longer." Wain uttered with his hands behind his head lying down, "We have nowhere to rush. Sooner orter, the situation will be clearer. We just have to wait until we feel something or until someone finds us."


    "This is too boring anyway!" Erza eximed.


    "Instead ofining, you''d better actually make us some tea." Ern grinned, "I have everything I need with me. What do you say?"


    "Fuck you!"


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Suddenly a bright column of light appeared near their root, and a silhouette emerged from it.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Wain''s ring trembled as two keys, Gluttony Key and Greed Key, appeared in front of him. They looked toward the silhouette likepass arrows.


    "Looks like the universe heard your whining and decided to take pity on you." Wain smiled.

 Chapter 501 One-On-One Fight

    All the keys served the same purpose of opening the gate to the Great Tree, so they were connected to each other and could help find the others.


    "Looks like we didn''t wait for nothing." Ern smiled, "Axalts, nts, and Constructs just got the timing wrong. They got here after someone started the trial, but I wonder... what the trial was."


    "One of the hardest..." s muttered before pointing to the massive crown mark on the root.


    "Hmm? A crown? What does that mean?" Erza frowned.


    "It''s Pride." s said calmly as he prepared for battle.


    A beam of energy disappeared, and a silhouette revealed itself. It was a tall man with long white hair, pale skin, and amber eyes.


    "Is that Ashen?" Ern muttered, for some reason he wasn''t sure, though the appearance fit perfectly, "His aura is kind of strange, it''s too calm for the always-active Ashens."


    "Look..." Erza pointed to his back in a dazed voice.


    "That''s..."


    There were two terrible scars on the man''s back. They were huge as if something had been ripped out of his back.


    "He''s not Ashen but an Angel." Ern said in a serious voice as he activated his Beyond.


    Angel noticed these energy fluctuations and looked at them. Although their auras were powerful, Angel''s gaze was calm.


    "Who are you?" Angel asked, "Were you waiting for me?"


    "We were waiting, but not specifically for you, it''s just a coincidence." Wain said as he jumped off the root and headed towards Angel, "The thing is, we need a key."


    "A key?" Angel said slowly.


    "Yeah... One like these two." Wain pointed to the Greed Key and Gluttony Key floating beside him.


    "Considering the keys are pointed at me, there''s no point in me lying, right?"


    Wain nodded slightly.


    "My name is Markaz." He said quietly.


    "Hmm? Are you the type who prefers to be polite even before a fight?" Wain grinned, "Well, I like that. My name is Wain."


    "Not a bad name, but I''m not particrly polite. I just want you to remember who takes your keys that you got with a lot of trouble." Markaz sighed as he stepped forward.


    Whoooooosh.


    He was instantly beside Wain and reached for the keys. Markaz just wanted to get the keys in the bravest and quickest way possible.<sub> </sub>


    "Huh, not so fast." Wain snapped his finger as the keys returned to the ring while Markaz clenched his hand into a fist, but he grabbed air instead of the keys.


    Wain tensed his muscles as he kicked Markaz in the stomach with all his might. However, Markaz didn''t even fly aside, his abs were like steel, so he was able to withstand one punch without serious damage.


    Bam.


    Markaz folded his arms in front of him as a shield and took the next blow. He was unharmed again, but the impact knocked him back several meters.


    "What? Was he able to block two of Wain''s blows? Why is he so tough!" Erza eximed.


    s and Ern frowned. They sensed that something was wrong with their opponent since this Angel was different from anything they had seen before.


    ''An Angel without wings...'' Ern muttered inwardly, ''Moreover, he has such a strange name, it is not at all appropriate for Angels. Markaz... If I had heard that name in another situation, I would have thought it was the name of a Demon... Hmm... it doesn''t seem to be his real name, at least it wasn''t given to him at birth.''


    "Hey, you''re not going to attack me with the four of you, right?" Markaz said with a faint smile on his face as if the answer wasn''t important to him.


    "Do you have a problem with that?" Wain smiled back as he shrugged, "Aren''t you strong enough to handle us all?"


    "I''m not interested in them. I''ll smear them on the floor like little bugs, and I won''t have to use even a tenth of my strength to do it." Markaz said arrogantly before pointing at Wain, "You will be my opponent. Your aura is simr to mine, just as detached and lonely."


    "What? You think you can handle us?!" Ern eximed as Markaz''s words were a humiliation to him.


    "Yes." Markaz nodded weakly as dark streams of energy burst out of the ground, and tremendous pressure came down on everyone.


    s, Erza and Ern were very strong, but this pressure tossed them aside and pressed them to the ground. Even Ern, at most, could get up on one knee.


    "Darkness?" s eximed, "Are there Angels who use the attribute of Darkness?"


    "Yes... But he should have been killed a long time ago. It''s the greatest sin for Angels, but it looks like it''s not the first time he''s been a sinful one." Ern frowned as he clenched his teeth before slowly standing up.


    "Oh, you were able to stand up. Your physical strength is amazing, but I don''t think you could fight under that much pressure." Markaz said with a faint smile on his face.


    "Ern, no need." Wain waved his hand as he prepared to fight, "I can deal with him myself, but before I do, I want to ask you something."


    "What are you interested in?" Markaz muttered in a calm voice.


    "What happened to your wings? I''ve seen Angels with six wings and gold wings, but you''re the first one without them." Wain asked as a dark crown, and gray energy appeared on him.


    "Huh, I thought you would ask me about the darkness first, but okay, I''ll answer you." Markaz smiled before touching the scars on his back, "The angels didn''t want to ept me and my power. Others in my ce would have obeyed, but I chose to go my own way, so I decided to get rid of what bound me to them. I ripped the wings out with my own hands."


    "Perhaps it was fate that you passed the Trial of Pride. Getting rid of your wings... it''s worse than a nightmare for an Angel..." Wain sighed, "But, don''t think I''m going to feel sorry for you because of that! If I have to, I''ll rip the key out of your chest!"


    "Sure. That''s what I was counting on." Markaz muttered before looking up at the sky.

 Chapter 502 The Fate Of The Fallen Angel

    "He uses the attribute of darkness and has plucked his own wings..." Ern muttered as he stared intently at Markaz, "You''re a Fallen Angel, right?" Ern shouted.


    Markaz turned to him and nodded slightly, "You''re right, but does it matter now? Stay there. You three have the best seats in the audience."


    Markaz waved his hand as streams of darkness surrounded him and slowly prated. They turned into various tattoos that covered his entire body.


    "Here we go." Markaz said calmly as he attacked while his fist was covered in darkness.


    At thest moment, Wain stepped back, and Markaz''s fist swept in front of his face.


    Whoooooooosh.


    The darkness on his hand erupted in a torrent, and everything in front of Markaz within five meters was destroyed like an explosion st.


    "Hey, do you really have to be so serious right away?" Wain smirked before attacking.


    A silhouette of a wide-open jaw appeared above him, then Wain grabbed Markaz by the arm, and the jaw closed.


    Markaz''s pupils narrowed as he swung his arm and created a dark barrier. The jaw broke through it easily, but the st of darkness tossed Wain aside, so Markaz was saved.


    "Damn... That was actually dangerous." Markaz muttered in a dazed voice, "You still dare to talk about seriousness? If I hadn''t dodged, my lower half would be talking to you right now."


    Wain grabbed hold of a tree branch, regained his bnce, and climbed down.


    "Well, I could say the same about you." Wain muttered while he shook off the dust, "Ern, why are you so surprised that Markaz is a Fallen Angel? Is there something special about them?"


    "Yes... Sometimes some Angels like Markaz use the attribute of darkness, so either they are banished or try to kill them, but that''s not enough to be a Fallen Angel. You have to get rid of your wings for that. It''s not just a ritual, it opens up special possibilities." Ern said in a calm voice.


    "He''s right." Markaz said as the tattoos on his body came into motion, "It wasn''t easy, but only by giving up the light can one know what true darkness is. The other Angels can''t do that, they don''t understand that the attribute of light is too simple."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Tattoos split into several streams. Some of them reached his arms and turned into massive gauntlets with long ws. Bulky boots appeared on his feet, as well as a shoulder pad with many dark needles on it on his left shoulder. Thest stream transformed into two massive dark wings, very different from Angel''s, these wings were like sharp tree branches from which darkness slowly dripped like tar.


    Markaz''s eyes filled with darkness as the pupils changed their color from amber to white.


    "Show me your true power!" Markaz eximed before he attacked.<sub> </sub>


    He turned into a dark sh, appeared in front of Wain, and waved his arms in an X shape. Wain attacked back. The jaw above him devoured the energy des from Markaz''s swing, and a phantom serpent tail appeared above him. It came down on Markaz like a whip, left a wide swath on the ground several meters long.


    Markaz pped his wings, pointing a multitude of dark des at the serpent''s tail that sliced it in two, so the attack passed him by.


    "You think that''s enough to defeat me? Pfft..." Markaz snorted arrogantly, "How did you even get two keys?"


    Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh.


    Dark spheres appeared next to Markaz, transformed into many long, massive copies, and headed toward Wain.


    With a calm face, Wain summoned his jaw again and devoured the spears. Markaz didn''t stop there, he continued to attack, using various moves and turning the darkness into a weapon. He wanted to close the distance, but he couldn''t, the jaw over Wain was too dangerous.


    "Hey, are you just going to keep standing there and defending yourself?" Markaz eximed as he unleashed a huge halberd of darkness on Wain. The weapon almost reached Wain''s, but suddenly several jaws appeared beside it. They ripped the halberd apart like piranhas.


    "Why are you silent?!" Markaz eximed as he stared at Wain.


    Their eyes met, and Markaz''s pupils widened. He saw nothing in Wain''s eyes, only emptiness, almost as if he was somewhere else and acting purely by reflex.


    "You bastard!" Markaz eximed in a furious voice, "I thought we were going to have an excellent fight, but instead, you decided to go on the defensive?!"


    Markaz put out his hands and created a huge dark sphere. It was so powerful that the ground around it cracked while trees bent to the ground due to the powerful flow of wind.


    Wain pointed his hand at the sphere before creating several jaws and aiming them at the sphere. They bit off chunks of it, so the sphere became much smaller, but it wasn''t enough. The sphere managed to reach Wain and mmed into his stomach.


    The sphere dragged Wain several dozen meters forward, so Wain broke many trees with his back, and when the sphere''s energy dried up, he dropped to the ground.


    "Wain!" Erza eximed as the stripes on her body turned golden. She tried to stand up, but immediately dark des appeared next to her that pierced her palms.


    "Don''t you dare move. Though he treats me without respect, this fight is only for us." Markaz said in a serious voice before heading toward Wain.


    Wain''s stomach was bleeding, the sphere had dealt him a serious blow, but it didn''t bother him. All his thoughts had been focused on something else for some time now. It was an unusual, unique feeling that he felt when his jaws absorbed several of Markaz''s attacks.


    ''How strange... It''s like I''ve finally found something I''ve been missing, or... have I lost it...?'' Wain muttered to himself.


    His Soul Altar slowly began to be covered in darkness. It split into several streams like veins and headed toward his Main Soul.

 Chapter 503 Darkness

    Markaz walked slowly toward Wain. He decided that hisst attack had brought Wain to a critical state, so victory was his.


    "Well, well..." Markaz muttered as he stopped next to Wain, "I thought you would be stronger, but you ended up making one mistake and getting mortally wounded."


    "Stop! Stop!" Erza eximed in a furious voice as a golden stream of energy burst out of her. She used the Queen''s power to get out from under Markaz''s pressure.


    "Huh, you''re the type who doesn''t learn from your mistakes, right?" Markaz smirked before pointing at Erza.


    A multitude of dark chains appeared next to her. They grabbed her, squeezed her tightly, and threw her to the ground. Erza tried to get out, but her strength was insufficient, even though she had used her trump card.


    "You seem to care about him." Markaz looked at Wain, "I''m sorry to take him from you. I have no other choice, only by getting into the Great Tree can I absorb the Royal Spirit."


    "What?!" s eximed, "What did you say?! How dare you even think about it! This is the Royal Spirit, not the soul of some weak monster. It''s not a cup of energy you can just drink and throw away!"


    "You''re an Elf, you have a special rtionship with the Royal Spirit, but I don''t care!" Markaz muttered as he clenched his hands into fists, "By doing this, I will gain a unique power that no one else has! It''s the only way I can get my revenge on those bastards!"


    "Ahahahaha, I see, you passed the wrong trial." Suddenly Wain''s voice rang out.


    "What? Are you still conscious?!" Markaz said in a dazed voice.


    "Of course I am. Did you really think that one attack was enough to defeat me? I just needed time to figure some things out." Wain muttered as he slowly rose, "You passed the Pride Trial, but from the looks of it, the Hate or Envy Trial would have suited you better. You''re a weakling who can''t do everything on his own."


    Whooooooooosh.


    Dark streams of energy appeared next to Wain. They floated slowly through the air and enveloped Wain like a shroud. His eyes changed slightly before they had been bright green, but now they were darker and deeper, you could drown in them like an abyss.


    "Is it just me, or has he changed somehow?" s asked.


    "Yeah... Wain found himself, he did what everyone has to do to be able to move on, he discovered his Concept." Ern muttered as a faint smile formed on his face.


    [You have met one of the conditions to evolve for the fourth time.]


    [Open Basic Concept: 1/1]


    [You have unlocked the Darkness Concept.]


    [It is a unique power that reflects you better than anything else, so in a short time, achieve maximum synchronization. All you have to do is ept and know yourself].


    "Well, you use darkness, and I do, but there is a significant difference between us." Wain said in a calm voice as the darkness turned into a long sword.


    "What is it? Do you mean to tell me that you are stronger than me now?" Markaz frowned.


    "Sure. After all, to you, darkness is a weapon, just a tool to achieve your goals and to exact your revenge." Wain uttered before pointing his sword at him, "But for me, it is not. I am the darkness now."<sub> </sub>


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Wain swung his sword, and a de of darkness swept at Markaz. It shattered everything in its path, so nothing could stop it.


    Markaz created several dark barriers. They could easily protect him from any attack.


    "Is that all you can do?! You can''t even prate my defenses! How do you want to defeat me?!" Markaz eximed.


    "Just watch." Wain grinned before staring at the de. It trembled as dark ghosts burst out of It. They screamed, and like a nightmare, they came crashing down on the barriers.


    Crackle.


    The barriers could not withstand the pressure and shattered into tiny shards like ss. Markaz instantly tried to create a few more but no sooner had he raised his hand than Wain appeared before him.


    "I warned you. If that is necessary, I will rip the key from your chest!" Wain eximed as he swung his sword from bottom to top.


    He ripped open Markaz''s belly and severed his left arm. This would have been a fatal wound for any man, even a very strong one, but the tattoos on Markaz''s body gave him a bit of time.


    Markaz pushed Wain away from him out of thest of his strength and picked up his arm from the ground. He used the ring to pull out a dark key and threw it in Wain''s direction.


    "We shall meet again!" Markaz''s eximed while disappearing into the forest grove.


    Wain grabbed the key as he dispelled the darkness.


    [Pride Key (Unique)


    This key was received only by the one who could pass a special test and show his pride. It is the way to the most powerful Spirit in history.]


    "I thought that bastard would never die." Erza said in a disgruntled voice since she got rid of her chains.


    "He didn''t die." Ern muttered.


    "What?" s wondered, "Are you sure about that? Is it possible to survive with such serious wounds?"


    "More no than yes, but not in his case..." Ern muttered, "He managed to survive the loss of his wings, and that''s much more painful and life-threatening than a ripped belly. What''s more, I''m sure he has plenty of medicine in the ring, so we''ll definitely meet him again."


    "Not only is he survivable, but he''s pretty smart, too." Wain said before moving the key into the ring, "If he didn''t get rid of the key, I''d chase him down and kill him, that''s for sure."


    "Anyway, the keys aren''t a VIP pass. We''ll just be the ones to open the gate." s pronounced, "After that, the others can enter the Great Tree, too."


    "Yes..." Wain nodded, "But we have to be first. That''s basic."

 Chapter 504 Four More

    Wain, Erza, Ern, and s moved on. They stuck to their old tactics, they headed for the big roots where the battles took ce, and if there was a sign on the root, they waited for someone to pass the trial in their ce. They had already passed two trials, so that was enough.


    The situation was simr with Markaz, each time, whoever passed the trial was very strong and could escape but had to leave the key behind. Sometimes it was a group of several people, but that was no problem for Wain. Eventually, they were able to collect three more keys in a few hours.


    "Well, well, six out of seven." Wain muttered while looking at the keys in his hand, "There''s only one left, the Wrath Key. That sounds dangerous."


    "Wain, what shall we do?" Erza asked as he approached him, "Shall we go to the gate?"


    "No. That doesn''t make sense. Even if we meet the owner of thest key there while we''re fighting, the others will realize that the most interesting thing is happening there. In the end, even though we will have all the keys, we will enter the Great Tree with the others, so it will be a real failure."


    "I agree." s nodded, "But we don''t know who has thest key. All the battles have subsided. Lately, only minor skirmishes appear, but they''re far from the main roots."


    "Hey, maybe we can use the power of the Keys?" Ern suggested, "I know they only point in the direction when another key is close, but the radius has increased each time. What do you think about that?"


    "Hmmm..." Wain pondered as he caught himself by the chin, "It might work, but I need time. I''m good at spouting a powerful flow of energy, but I definitelyck subtlety."


    "In that case, let me try it." s stepped forward before holding his hand, "I can find thatst key."


    ? "Good. I have faith in you." Wain tossed him the keys.


    s nodded and sat on the ground in a lotus pose. He ced the keys near him, concentrated, and the wind slowly flowed toward him. The wind picked up the keys as energy flowed toward them.


    "Great. I see." s muttered, opened his eyes, and the keys turned in one direction, to the north.


    "Well, now we know where to go." Wain muttered as he looked at the shining crown of the Great Tree, "Soon, we''ll get to the fun part. I can''t wait to see what''s inside."


    "Let''s go. Thest key awaits us." Ern uttered before running forward. He turned into a dark sh that jumped from root to root, covering dozens of meters per second.


    "His mood does change rather quickly, though I agree with him." Wain nodded, and eerie wings sprang from his back.


    The path was not close, as they found thest key on the ind''s south side, so they had to run from one side to the other.


    ...


    "Hey... What''s that?" Ern said as he stopped.


    At the north root, there were several structures that were clearly not ancient ruins. Next to it were several gs with a Purple Carnation pattern on them.


    "Damn... Ipletely forgot about them..." s muttered, "This is the second Royal Family. We stopped White Clover from sneaking in here for a while, but there were no barriers for Purple Carnation."<sub> </sub>


    "Purple Carnation... I have a thing for them." Wain said while staring intently at the Elves in the camp, "Where are you...?"


    "Wain, do you want to fight any of them?" s asked.


    "Yeah... Anyway, someone has the key, and someone is my target. It''s a personal matter." Wain said as suddenly his pupils dted, "There he is."


    s looked in the same direction as a shudder went through his body, "Wait... That''s August Heim... What is he doing here...?!"


    "Hmm? Is that some kind of tough guy?" Ern said carelessly as he raised an eyebrow.


    "Yes... He is one of the strongest members of the Royal Family, though he does not have their blood flowing through him. He has a special status as he is the personal guard of the Head of Purple Carnation, so I don''t understand why he chose toe here..." s muttered.


    ''Huh, Sven didn''t lie. He actually knows things the others don''t even think about.'' Wain said to himself.


    "The keys are pointing in his direction. Do you think he has the key?" Erza asked.


    "Yes. It couldn''t be any other way. There''s a direct reek of danger from him." Wain said as his aura intensified, "Looks like this will be our final fight before we get to the Great Tree. I''ll take August, you take care of the rest of the Elves."


    "Okay." They nodded.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    August turned sharply in their direction. Even though they were hundreds of meters away, the slight hesitation was enough to spot Wain. His gaze was cold and sharp, as though it could pierce Wain.


    "Good. It looks like he''s ready for a fight." Wain smirked as he raised his hand and a dark crown appeared on it, "Well, I guess we should start with something interesting."


    The air above the camp shuddered, and space warped. A massive eye with thick gray energy appeared there. The pupil narrowed as a dense ray of gray energy burst from it.


    The ray instantly broke the barrier over the camp and headed towards the Elves, carrying destruction with it.


    Crackling.


    August drew his sword from its sheath, took a few swings, and returned the sword to its sheath. Several streaks appeared in the air as space was split into several parts. The beam shattered into small shards, and the destructive energy slowly dried up.


    "What was that?" Erza eximed, "Even while I was here, I could feel the tremendous power of that ray, but it quickly destroyed it?"


    "Huh, that''s actually an adversary for you, Wain." Ern grinned, "He just cut space into several pieces, so the energy currents lost their connection for a while. He''s fucking dangerous."

 Chapter 505 The Seven Keys

    Whooooooooosh.


    Wain ducked as he jumped as high as he could. The elves in the camp spotted him, so they wanted to attack, but August stopped them with a wave of his hand. They dared not oppose theirmander''s will, and Wain and the others entered Purple Carnation''s territory without obstruction.


    "Hey, does everyone who gets a key suddenly be so polite?" Wain grinned and stared at August, "Why didn''t you attack?"


    "Wouldn''t you be curious to know what was going on if you were me?" August said in a calm voice, "Honestly, I can''t remember thest time I was attacked with such arrogance. Do you want my head, or are you more interested in the key?"


    "Hmm? Would my answer make any difference?" Wain grinned.


    "Sure." August nodded, "I never ask meaningless questions. If you''vee for the key, then I have a proposition for you. You give me all your keys and never cross the road to Purple Carnation again. I advise you to take this opportunity. I''m not always so kind."


    "Well, well..." Wain muttered while walking from side to side thinking about something, "Too bad I didn''t juste here for a key. Unfortunately, I also need your head."


    After hearing Wain''s words, August became wary as he gripped the hilt of his sword tighter.


    "We certainly haven''t met before. You can''t have any personal business with me... So someone ordered me from you. Right?" August asked.


    "Bingo!" Wain snapped his finger, "You''d make a pretty good detective, don''t you think?"


    "Maybe, but I''m a better swordsman. You''ll have to check that out!" August eximed as he drew his sword from its sheath.


    Several streaks appeared in the air beside Wain, and space began to warp. Wain''s body split in two, and August returned the sword to its sheath.


    ''Done.'' August sighed, but suddenly his eyes widened, "What?!"


    Wain smiled and grabbed the strips with his hands that didn''t really exist since it was a dimensional cut. He put them back where they were, so August''s attack became nothing.


    "You''re surprised. How interesting..." Wain smirked before a stream of aura swept over him, "See, you''re not the only one who can manipte space. Your attack would actually kill anyone but me, however... that''s not that case."


    A gray mantle appeared on Wain. He used the third form.


    "Okay. Let''s get started. I can''t leave here without your head anyway." Wain muttered as he opened his left eye, which had the image of a mirror in it.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The space next to August distorted. Like shards, bits and pieces of the world became des that pierced August.


    August reflexively reacted by swinging his sword several times. He shattered all the shards before running at Wain.


    Wain snapped his finger as a spatial rift appeared behind him. He stepped back, and the rift closed.


    August was confused for a second. He didn''t understand where his opponent had gone. He watched his surroundings closely to notice any changes.<sub> </sub>


    "Hello. I''m here." Wain''s cold voice sounded as he suddenly appeared behind him touching August''s shoulder.


    Bam.


    Wain pressed August abruptly to the ground, and a phantom snake tail appeared above him. The tail swooped down on August''s like a whip, leaving a trail of blood on his back.


    The pain was terrible, but August didn''t even cry out, he only clenched his teeth tightly. He''d been through hundreds of battles, so it wasn''t enough to stop him.


    Wain attacked again. He created several magical circles and energy beams headed toward August. However, August thrust his sword into the ground as a spatial rift appeared beneath him. He fell and a secondter appeared above Wain in apletely different guise.


    August was enveloped in ayer of purple energy, like a veil. He wore a long ck military coat with red straps, tall boots, and scarlet gloves that gave off a bloody aura.


    "Die!" August eximed as he swung his sword from top to bottom at lightning speed.


    The world in front of him split in two, as did Wain, but a momentter, Wain''s silhouette blurred, and he was ten meters away from the battlefield while carelessly shaking the dust off his mantle.


    "I must admit that it''s rather unusual to fight an opponent with simr abilities. Isn''t it?" Wain smirked.


    "It doesn''t matter." August said briefly as he put his sword out in front of him, "You have no chance of winning either way. The wound on my back will be thest!"


    "Whatever you say." Wain closed his eyes, "But I''ll put you in a more unusual situation. What will you do if space ceases to matter?"


    "What the hell are you talking about?" August was wary.


    "Huh, I just want to show you how wide the world is!" Wain eximed as he opened his eyes.


    They were now dark, and pupils turned amber. Streams of yellow me appeared around his hands as his aura changed chaotically.


    ''What is it...?'' August muttered inwardly as goosebumps ran down his body.


    "Burn!" Wain waved his hand before a torrent of me rained down on August.


    The me destroyed everything in its path, whether it was rocks, air, or even space itself. It was like a piranha that left behind a trail of boundless cosmos.


    When August realized the power of this me, he immediately abandoned all attempts to destroy it. He created a spatial rift and found himself a hundred meters away from the battlefield, at one of the Great Tree''s roots.


    August stared at Wain warily. For the first time in his life, he encountered such a force, so he did not know how to act.


    Wain''s mes were a serious obstacle for him. August was used to his opponents being powerless against the attribute of space, but Wain was not just at par with him. He had a superior weapon to space.


    ''That could be a problem... Though if I beat him, I''ll definitely outdo myself. I have to do it.'' August muttered inwardly.

 Chapter 506 The Last Key

    "Decided to run away? Is that really the way a man of your standing should behave?" Wain smirked before slowly heading toward August.


    August remained silent. He studied the situation and thought about how best to proceed. His subordinates were fighting Erza, Ern, and s.


    ''Hmm... They''re not losing, but they''re not winning either. Unfortunately, I can''t hope to help, otherwise, we''ll just be destroyed in one mighty blow. Well, at least no one will stop us, but what should I do? August pondered while staring at Wain''s mes, ''This fire can even destroy space. Maybe I should try another method then?


    Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh.


    August jumped off the root as he created a spatial rift beneath him. The next moment he was high above Wain, and he had an unusual artifact in his hands, a purple dagger with ancient runes on the de.


    He swung the dagger, and a small sphere of energy, the size of a grain, appeared in the air, then August''s boots shed as a magical circle appeared beneath him. He pushed away from it and found himself on the other side, there he swung his dagger too.


    ''He''s definitely up to something...'' Wain inwardly muttered, ''I, unlike him, can''t fly, I can use only portal there, but he can easily get away from me. I need to stop him somehow...''


    Wain raised his hand as he released a stream of me. The yellow fire headed toward the energy sphere, but when the mes were about to reach it, the sphere suddenly trembled and changed its location.


    ''What the hell?! Wain eximed to himself before attacking.


    However, his second attempt was not sessful. By this point, August had already created over twenty spheres, they formed a dome around Wain.


    "Huh, even if you can destroy everything, it doesn''t matter if you can''t hit the target, right?" August eximed before jumping toward the ground.


    He plunged the dagger into the ground, and all the spheres trembled. They connected to each other by lines, so now the dome was like a cage you couldn''t get out of.


    "You were right. Fighting an opponent with the same strength as you aren''tfortable at all, so that''s why I have the moves for every asion." August said in a calm voice as he shed his hand with the dagger.


    A drop of blood sprinkled the de, and the runes glowed brightly. The spheres trembled again as many rays shot out toward Wain.


    Wain waved his hand to surround himself with mes on one side. However, the beams seemed to know what Wain was going to do as they changed their direction and attacked Wain from another angle.


    The rays were not very powerful, but they were many, so they could leave a serious burn on Wain''s body, like from arge explosion.


    Wain jumped aside as he created several protective magical circles next to him.


    "What? Do you surprised? I have you as my prisoner now! It''s impossible to get out of this cage! Your only chance was to escape before I did everything, but instead, you decided to try to stop me!" August eximed in a satisfied voice.


    "That seems to amuse you." Wain muttered.


    "Of course it does." August grinned, "You have no idea what pleasure it gives me to watch the desperate faces of arrogant guys like you!"


    "So... Do you see the desperation on my face?" Wain asked since his gaze became as cold as ciers.


    "Why are you...?!" August flinched. He was sure Wain would beg for mercy like his other opponents, but instead, he was met with an unwavering spirit.<sub> </sub>


    "Maybe I can''t really get out of this cage, but all I have to do is destroy the foundation or make you do it yourself." Wain said as he canceled the third form.


    "What? Are you crazy? Why would I remove the cage myself when I locked you in here? Do you think I''m an idiot?!" August asked in a puzzled voice.


    "No. You''re certainly not an idiot, but there''s something you don''t understand." Wain muttered since an aristocratic red coat appeared on him, "I''m not the one locked in with you, you''re the one locked in with me."


    Wain reached forward as a dark orb appeared between them. It swiftly increased in size and gradually increased its power.


    "You bastard!" August eximed as the rays rained down on Wain again. However, he didn''t retreat and just took all the iing damage, as the coat blocked most of the attacks.


    August tried to cut through space to get rid of the orb, but Wain wouldn''t let him. He snapped his finger to repair the damage and continued raising the orb''s power. It was already twice his size.


    "If you want to die so badly, then fine, I won''t get in your way!" August eximed as he removed part of the dome and ran outside.


    "Well, looks like I was wrong." Wain muttered, "You''re an idiot after all."


    Wain waved his hand, and a massive dark sphere headed for August.


    "Do you really think you can get me?" August eximed in a mocking voice.


    The orb moved very slowly. Even a normal person could get away from it if they tried hard enough.


    "Of course. After all, you won''t move." Wain muttered as he clenched his hand into a fist.


    Near August, space distorted, so he was trapped in a transparent cube. August reacted quickly and shattered the space, but Wain created more cubes, so the sphere reached August, and there was a deafening explosion.


    Whoooooosh.


    Dark mes engulfed everything around it, destroying the trees and many Elves in the camp.


    "Well, this is the end." Wain muttered while walking toward August.


    August had suffered severe burns, but he was still alive, however he had no strength even to stand up.


    "Anyst words?" Wain said as a sword appeared in his hand.


    "Glory... to the King..." August muttered.


    "Good." Wain nodded and cut off his head.

 Chapter 507 Gate To The Great Tree

    The explosion of the dark orb was the final stage in their battle, as it not only inflicted mortal wounds on August but also helped Ern, Erza, and s deal with the other Elves, so the camp was already destroyed.


    After defeating August, Wain received the final key.


    [Wrath Key (Unique)


    This key was received only by the one who was able to pass a special test and show his wrath. It is the road to the most powerful Spirit in history.]


    Whoooooosh.


    The rest of the keys shone brightly as they flew towards each other and formed a circle.


    [Received Title - Key Collector]


    [You have collected all seven keys, so now you can enter the Great Tree. The passageway will be open to all, but you will have a special bonus. You will feel the way to the Royal Spirit, while others will be in the unknown]


    "Huh, I thought the keys wouldn''t give us any advantages. It''s a good thing I was wrong." Wain smiled as he handed the keys to the others, so they too received this Title.


    "Great!" Ern eximed, "I like this ce more and more! The Forgotten Forest is really fair!"


    "Yes. I agree. It''s nice when the effort pays off." Erza said in a satisfied voice.


    The only one who remained silent was s. He was looking at the keys with a frown on his face.


    "s, is something wrong?" Wain asked, "You''re an Elf. Shouldn''t you be happier than the rest of us? With this Title, you can definitely get the Royal Spirit."


    "I''m sorry." s shook his head, "I''m just not sure I''m worthy of it..."


    "What are you talking about!" Ern eximed as he waved his hand, "Is it okay to stop at the finish line? This is your dream!"


    "Yes, but don''t you think August or someone from White Clover would be a more worthy contender than me?" s asked in a confused voice.


    Erza and Ern were silent. They didn''t know what to say as s'' words made sense.


    "s, August was an arrogant idiot, so that''s why he lost, don''t be as stupid." Wain said while looking at the bright sun, "You may not be the strongest, but if you miss this opportunity because of doubt, then you will be the weakest. I''m sure there''s still a challenge waiting for us in the Great Tree, so you''ll have a chance to prove yourself."


    "Yeah... You may be right." s nodded.


    Whooooooosh.


    A red soul flew out of August''s body as it headed toward Wain.


    [Soul of August Heim (Whole)


    Chronicle: Third


    Rating: Ascendant]


    ''Well, let''s see what you have in store for me.'' Wain inwardly muttered before crushing the soul.


    [You have acquired the Soul Essence]


    [You have already reached the limit, so you can''t increase your stats.]


    [You get Ascendant Skill Book.]


    ''Great.'' Wain nodded as he ced his hand on the scarlet book that appeared before him.


    [Spatial Cutter (Third Chronicle, Ascendant Rating)<sub> </sub>


    Collect energy at one point and squeeze the space so hard that it turns into a de, then drop it on the enemy.


    Only creatures with unique defensive skills will be able to defend against this attack, as it cuts through space itself].


    Wain already had three skills avable, so he had to choose which one to give up.


    ''I will definitely still need the wings, so it''s time to say goodbye to it.'' Wain muttered to himself as a pink rune flew out of his be.


    [The Serpent''s Step: Ancient Tail skill has been removed.]


    [The Spatial Cutter skill has be part of your Soul Altar.]


    "Good." Wain nodded.


    "Are you ready?" Erza asked while walking toward him.


    "Yes. Let''s find out what''s inside." Wain said in a calm voice as he looked at the Great Tree. It shone brightly like the center of this small universe.


    ...


    They had all seven keys, so they could get into the Great Tree right now, but before that, they needed to heal their wounds and regain their strength.


    "Wain, you don''t look well..." Erza said in a worried voice.


    Wain''s face was pale, his eyes dull, and the wound near his back was still bleeding slightly. He won, but it wasn''t easy.


    "Don''t worry. I''m just tired and spend too much energy. I need some rest, and I''ll be ready to fight again." Wain said slowly.


    Erza frowned. She walked over to Wain as she held out her hand, "Here, take this!"


    "Huh?" Wain turned to her.


    In the palm of Erza''s hand were several pills, white, red, and green.


    "These are supplies from my personal vault. It''s a great set that will help you recover faster. The white pill will restore your energy, the red will improve your cirction, and the green will repair your wounds. Eat!" Erza said in a stern voice.


    Wain smiled weakly, took the pills, and swallowed them all at once, "Thanks, but you shouldn''t make such a serious face when you want to help, it looks silly, though, at the same time, it''s funny and even cute."


    "You!" Erza blushed as she was about to punch Wain but stopped herself at thest moment.


    Wain passed out, so he was too tired.


    Erza reflexively caught it, and as a result, the sleeping Wain''s head ended up in Erza''sp.


    ''What? How did this happen?'' Erza inwardly eximed as her face turned as red as a tomato.


    She wanted to push Wain away from her, but when she looked at his face, she couldn''t do it. It was as if Erza was numb, and there was a strange, tender, warm feeling inside her that she had never felt before.


    "Looks like someone is finally beginning to understand what true love is, not pure male domination. s, do you agree with me?" Ern smirked as he said it so that Erza could hear it.


    "I don''t think it''s a good idea to say that..." s muttered.


    "Bastard! Shut your mouth!" Erza eximed, "You''re disturbing his sleep!"


    "Yeah? Then why are you yelling? Ahahahaha." Ernughed.

 Chapter 508 The Entrance

    Wain, Erza, Ern, and s had been at the root for more than six hours, so in the Forgotten Forest, night had already fallen.


    "It was beautiful here in the morning, but this ce truly became magical at night." Ern muttered while looking at the Spirits flying in the distance.


    The night was a time when everyone slept, that rule didn''t always work for fighters, but this night was quiet. Dozens of people who hade here for treasure were just resting now, they were even giving up the easy trials of the Spirits to keep their minds on the beautiful scenery.


    "Yes... It''s times like this when you realize that sometimes it''s worth taking your mind off everything and just resting. You can''t be busy doing something all the time, or rather you shouldn''t be." s muttered as he yawned.


    Wain had received the most serious wounds, but Ern, Erza, and s were also inbat, so this rest was what they needed.


    Erza was silent the whole time. Her gaze asionally moved from Great Tree to Wain''s face, as he stilly in herp as if on a soft pillow.


    ''Why am I different from other Inerians?'' Erza inwardly muttered, ''If I were to fall in love with any man of my race, no with anyone but Wain, it would be so much easier... But, would it feel so sweet in that case...?''


    ...


    ''Damn... How everything hurts...'' Wain inwardly muttered as he opened his eyes, ''Ah...?


    The first thing he saw after waking up was Erza, she was looking at Great Tree and holding his head gently with her hand.


    "Good morning... I presume?" Wain muttered while expecting a harsh response from Erza.


    "Yes." Erza nodded as she turned to him, "You slept for quite a while, I didn''t think you were such a sleepyhead."


    ''it''s Erza?'' Wain muttered to himself as he expected Erza to toss him aside or hit him or do something like that, it was in her manner, ''Maybe while I was asleep, someone switched them, or it all an illusion?''


    Wain rose silently and stretched himself. His bones were stiff, so he needed to get in shape before he left for the Great Tree.


    "Why are you so calm?" Wain asked while looking up at the clouds, "It''s not like you."


    "Does it need any particr reason?" Erza asked.


    "No... But... Okay, forget it." Wain shook his head.


    "Hey! I see you''re already awake." Ern eximed as he jumped onto the root with s.


    "Yes. Are you ready?" Wain asked.


    "Of course!" Ern clenched his hand into a fist as he punched himself in the chest, "Go! The Royal Spirit and all the other treasures will be ours!"


    "Agreed. It''s time to get the Royal Spirit." s said confidently.


    "Good. Let''s go." Wain jumped forward.


    The entrance to the Great Tree was visible from anywhere on the ind. It was a huge, golden gate with seven empty cells. Many tried to break through it or somehow get around the keys, but even the most powerful attack couldn''t even scratch it.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Four shadows appeared in front of the gate. They looked at it as they smiled.<sub> </sub>


    "Great. We''re here. Forgive my impertinence, but I want to do this." Wain uttered before heading toward the gate.


    He took his time and did everything slowly. Wain enjoyed every step. It had taken him a long time to get here, and he had gone through dozens of battles, so his goal was close at hand.


    "Here we go." Wain touched the gate as he sighed.


    A grain of Great Tree power passed through his body. Wain shuddered, but not with fear but with awe at something as majestic.


    Whooooooosh.


    Seven keys with unique auras erupted from his ring. Like stars, they flew into the cells.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The gate trembled, and the golden leaves shone brighter than ever. The light covered the entire ind like a golden disc, so everyone noticed it, even those outside the ind or the Forgotten Forest, as this light pierced all worlds and spaces for a moment.


    "This is much better than I imagined." Ern smiled as a shudder ran through his body.


    A crackle.


    A blue beam of energy burst out of the gate, then it slowly opened. There was nothing behind the gate, only a vast golden light that attracted anyone who looked at it.


    "Let''s go." Wain said as he stepped inside.


    They disappeared into the golden light while hundreds of fighters headed toward the Great Tree.


    The gate''s opening was even more important than the appearance of the Forgotten Forest. The golden light did not go unnoticed, even by those who would not normally act in the open.


    ...


    "Well, well, someone has opened the gate after all. How interesting. We haven''t been following the situation around the Forgotten Forest for nothing, so this is actually sensational." A man with short purple hair muttered while eating a red apple, sitting spread out on a massive sofa.


    He was in a room simr to a hall in an ancient castle. Next to him stood a girl with pink hair and ck eyes. She gazed intently into the crystal ball as Wain and the others opened the gate and entered the Great Tree.


    Their appearance was unusual because they did not have the traits of any of the Pirs or known races.


    "What shall we do?" Man asked.


    "Let''s go in there and kill him." The girl said in a furious voice while looking at Wain, "I don''t know how, but that human killed my sister. I can''t let him live, or I''ll disgrace her and myself forever."


    p "Whatever you say, but I think there''s something wrong with this story. I don''t believe your sister couldn''t kill this human. Moreover, didn''t she meet him near Sven''s Void?" Man muttered in a thoughtful voice.</anda>


    "Do you really think Sven helped him? That''s impossible. Don''t talk nonsense. Your words defile him and others!" The girl eximed.


    "I''m just kidding." Man grinned, "Just... Even my old man flinches in fear when he hears his name, for him, it would be as easy as snapping his finger."

 Chapter 509 Blood Well

    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    In the Forgotten Forest, many portals appeared in different ces. Both groups and quite strong singles emerged from them, whose auras could terrify anyone.


    They were all headed for the same ce, the Great Tree. No one would fight, even if they were sworn enemies, because they knew they could settle ounts in the Great Tree.


    ...


    "The seven keys were worth it, weren''t they?" Wain muttered while looking around.


    "Yeah... This is the best view I''ve ever seen." Ern muttered, "But... Where should we go? I feel like going to all the ces at once."


    The Great Tree also had massive inds with unique auras and shapes. To the inds were led floating meteorites or phantom staircases that asionally appeared and then disappeared.


    "Isn''t it obvious?" s muttered as he looked up, "I''m sure all of you feel it as I do. We need to get to the top. That''s where the Royal Spirit is."


    "Go ahead. I need to stay a little longer." Wain said.


    "What are you talking about?" Erza said in a surprised voice.


    "We''re here first, so we can''t be distracted by anything else but the Royal Spirit, but something I have to take away. It''s necessary for evolution. I''ll try to make it quick, so I''ll catch up with you. Go upstairs and don''t stop, the others will be here soon, we don''t have much time." Wain mouthed before running forward.


    "Wait!" Erza eximed as he headed after him, but suddenly Ern appeared beside her and put his hand on her shoulder.


    "Wain will be all right. Come on. We need to keep moving. It will take us a long time to get to the top." Ern said in a serious voice.


    "Will he be able to catch up with us?"


    "Of course. Didn''t you see him fight August? Though briefly, Wain can control space, so it''s no problem for him. That''s enough talk." Ern patted her on the shoulder before heading toward the nearest ind as s followed him.


    Erza took onest look at the departing Wain and joined them.


    ...


    ''It''s a surprise that there''s such a ce, but it''s a great opportunity to fulfill another condition.'' Wain thought while jumping from meteorite to meteorite approaching one ind.


    As soon as he entered the Great Tree, he was immediately attracted by the strong smell of blood, since no one had fought here yet, Wain immediately realized that this ind had the essence of blood.


    ''Well, well, my blood purity is already 90%, but I need 95%, it''s not an easy task, but shouldn''t there be only the most valuable treasures? What do you think about that?'' Wain turned to the Knight of the Bloody Rose.


    ''Yeah... I can smell that sweet smell. I can''t guarantee you''ll find what you need there, but the odds are extremely high.''<sub> </sub>


    ''Agreed.'' Blind Sorcerer suddenly said, ''However, try not to get too many wounds or stay unharmed at all, as it is a great risk.''


    ''Hmm? What kind of nonsense are you talking about? Knight of the Bloody Rose eximed as he raised an eyebrow, ''If there''s enough blood there, I''ll heal him easily, just remember to use my special ability.''


    ''Okay, I get it. Just don''t make so much noise.'' Wain said inwardly as hended on the edge of the ind.


    The ind consisted of dark stone and looked like an ancient battlefield on which countless people had fought and died. Streams of blood flowed among the dark rocks, and scarlet flowers grew on the banks, their roots spreading like veins all over the ind.


    "Well... It''s not the most pleasant atmosphere here." Wain muttered as he took a deep breath.


    The bloody scent headed his way, and he saw a thin thread hovering in the air, it was a path.


    Wain ran forward. The ind wasrge, butpletely empty. It was as though everyone here had long since died, and there were no more threats, only streams of blood as a reminder of death.


    A thread led Wain to an ancient, ruined crypt that looked like a gateway to the world of the dead.


    ''Is it there?'' Wain asked.


    ''Yeah. I smell strong blood and something else... I don''t understand...'' Knight of the Bloody Rose muttered.


    Wain shook his head, bent down, and went through the rubble to enter the crypt.


    He walked down the long, dark staircase as dim green torches lit up with each step he took. At the end of the staircase was a massive stone door with a wide hole in the middle, so Wain walked through it. He looked around as his eyes widened.


    "What the hell..." Wain muttered, and goosebumps ran down his body.


    In the center of the room was a well of blood, and above it hung a skeleton with long Next to the well was an alchemical table with various sks, as well as old books and ancient parchment scrolls that were long covered with dust.


    At the end of the room was a wooden chair in which someone was sitting. It was a man with red hair, wearing a long ck cloak and an open book in his hand. Though all that was left of the vampire was a skeleton, the man looked as though he were still alive, but his empty, soulless eyes showed that life had long since left him.


    ''Good.'' The Knight of the Bloody Rose muttered, "This well has some of the best blood I''ve ever seen. If you drink it, you''ll definitely increase your blood purity considerably.''


    ''I see.'' Wain nodded as he approached the man, ''Who is he?''


    Wain stared at him for a while as he couldn''t figure out what race he was from. The man was quite handsome as there was no w in his appearance.


    ''He is definitely not one of the Pirs, then who is he? Human...?" Wain muttered inwardly, "But, can the body of a human not dpose if there''s not even anything left of a vampire?''

 Chapter 510 Blood

    Wain examined the strange man for some time, but he never came to any definite conclusion. Wain didn''t know if the man was a human and his body was preserved because of some kind of spell or if it was because of a special race.


    ''Well, well... Another mystery...'' Wain inwardly muttered, ''He looks like a human, but what is it?''


    Wain looked at the seven-pointed star tattoo on the man''s chest. He was sure it meant something, something important.


    ''He looks something like that girl that broke into Sven''s bar and tried to kill me... So... Can this man, that girl, and Sven be of the same race? They''re definitely not the humans, then who?'' Wain pondered as he came to the only logical conclusion.


    He shook his head before heading toward the well. The blood inside was incredibly clear, with almost no excess.


    ''Good. Let''s go.'' Wain muttered to himself, quickly undressed, and jumped into the well.


    He decided not only to drink the blood but also to let it fully soak into his body. Wain knew that raising blood purity after 90% was a real challenge, so he used all methods.


    ''Great!'' the Knight of the Bloody Rose eximed, ''I can feel it already! I don''t know who this man was, but his alchemy skills were excellent! This blood essence is of the highest quality, you can''t find a better one! Drink as if your life depended on it, don''t worry about the quantity. I''ll handle it.''


    "I got it. Let''s see what it''s like to be a vampire, they seem to like the taste." Wain said as he opened his mouth wide.


    He used all his power to create a powerful airflow that made the blood swirl as if in a vortex, so Wain drank several liters in a second. Ten liters of liquid should have been his limit, but the blood immediately evaporated as soon as it got to him.


    [You have absorbed arge quantity of high-quality blood essence. Your blood purity is increased by 0.5%]


    [You have absorbed arge amount of high-quality blood essence. Your blood purity has been increased by 0.7%.]


    [You have absorbed arge amount of high-quality blood essence. Your blood purity has increased by 1.1%]


    A multitude of messages kept appearing in front of him, but Wain dared not get distracted. He wanted to do everything in one go.


    ''Damn. I''ve had over thirty liters already, but all I''ve aplished is one measly percentage?! That would have been enough to go from 1% to 90% before!'' Wain inwardly eximed.


    ''Don''t whine!'' the Knight of the Bloody Rose said in a stern voice, ''Thirty liters is only a fraction! You need to drink a few hundred, and you''ll do it!


    ''That''s easy for you to say it!''


    Wain hurried, so he made a tremendous effort. After ten minutes, he had practically drained the well. A thinyer of blood remained at the bottom, but it no longer mattered.


    [Your blood purity has reached the right value! One of the conditions for the beginning of the fourth evolution had been met!]


    [Your blood purity has reached the limit. You can no longer raise it!]


    [Your blood purity has reached 99%. No further promotion is possible!]


    [Unique skill - Forgotten Blood is ready to evolve, but you must go through evolution first!]


    Wain took a deep breath as he blew out a blood cloud.<sub> </sub>


    "Well, well... 99% pure blood... That sounds serious, but now I''ve definitely reached a wall I don''t know how to ovee." Wain muttered while getting dressed.


    He remembered well the conversation with Sven about blood purity. The higher the level, the harder each percentage was given, but none of this made sense when the blood purity reached 99%. Thest step was impossible to do because it was energy, so Wain had no idea.


    "Okay... Maybe I''ll know the answer to that one day..." Wain muttered as he headed for the exit, but after a few steps, he stopped, "I wasted some time, but I''m damn tired. I need to do something about it."


    Whooooooooosh.


    The ring glowed as in Wain''s hand appeared the Soul Pearl that he had obtained during one of his trials with Erza.


    He crushed it, and streams of pure energy headed toward him. His fatigue was quickly gone, and his strength increased.


    [You have absorbed the pure energy of Soul Pearl. Your Majesty is increased to 7.]


    Wain nodded as he made his way out of the dungeon and then off the ind.


    ''Damn. It''s gotten pretty crowded in here. Why do the first ones always have so little time? When something interesting happens in the world, a lot of people find out about it.'' Wain muttered inwardly while looking at the people in the distance.


    Some had already fought, others had hurried off to the inds for their rewards, but only a few, the strongest, headed upstairs.


    ''I hope they''ve made it by now.'' Wain said to himself as a gray mantle appeared on him.


    He opened his left eye, swung his arm, and entered the spatial rift.


    Though Wain had Dimensional Concept, he could only open portals when he used the third form. Blind Sorcerer''s knowledge far exceeded his own.


    Whooooooosh.


    Wain appeared on the ind that is a hundred meters above the entrance to the Great Tree, then he opened a new portal. He moved from one ind to another like a shadow. No one could move to the top as fast as he did.


    ''Found it!


    A few jumpster, Wain saw Ern, Erza, and s. They ran up the magical stairs to thest, highest ind. Wain opened the portal as he appeared before them.


    "Wain!" Erza eximed cheerfully before running up to him.


    "Hey, I''ve only been gone a few minutes. You had to work really hard to get here, right?" Wain looked at thest ind.


    "Yeah." Ern nodded as he pointed up, "Look, that''s our target. That''s where the Royal Spirit is."


    Above the ind was a massive seal in the shape of a golden leaf. It shone brightly like the sun, and the powerful energy of the Royal Spirit partially flowed to them.

 Chapter 511 The Royal Spirit

    Thest ind was golden with tall, massive flowers that grew beside ponds andkes.


    "Well... We''re on the finish line straight, but what do we have to do to break the seal?" Wain muttered as he raised his head.


    "Look!" Erza eximed before pointing to a stone altar among the ruins in the middle of theke, "If anything can help us, it''s this. I sense special energy from this."


    "Great. Let''s go." Ern uttered and turned in a sh.


    The altar was stone in the shape of a sun. There was a palm-shaped depression in the center.


    "I want to do it!" Ern eximed as he ced his hand on the altar.


    "Hmm? Why isn''t anything happening?" Wain raised an eyebrow.


    "Maybe we need to infuse some energy?" Erza suggested.


    "No, it''s definitely not!" Ern muttered in a disgruntled voice, "I''m using enough energy, that''s for sure. Damn. Do we really have to solve another riddle? We don''t have time for that! The battlefield will be here soon."


    Wain and Erza wondered. They didn''t have time to search, but there was nothing noteworthy on this ind anyway. They looked around, but it was only from the altar that they sensed particr energy.


    "Looks like you''d be here for a long time without me." s suddenly said as he approached the altar.


    Everyone looked at him in surprise as he ced his hand on the altar. His eyes sparkled like two stars, and the altar shone brightly.


    "What?!" Ern''s eyes went wide, "Why didn''t I seed? What is this injustice?"


    "Huh, sorry, but neither of you had a chance. It takes special energy that only Elves have to activate this altar. I felt it as soon as I got to the ind." s smiled weakly.


    Crackle.


    A golden beam burst from the altar and headed for the seal. The seal rippled, and the seal exploded. Behind it as well as behind the gate, was only bright light.


    "I can already feel that aura..." Ern muttered, "s, get ready. There are moments you can''t screw up under any circumstances, so this is that one."


    "You''re absolutely right." s muttered as he jumped as high as he could. The others followed him.


    Crackling.


    The altar glowed again, and the seal slowly recovered.


    ...


    "I''m finally here..." s muttered, "Royal Spirit, I can feel it already."


    They found themselves in an unusual area as they stood on golden clouds that stretched infinitely far away.


    "It looks amazing." Erza said in a dazed voice while looking at the massive structure in the distance.<sub> </sub>


    There was only one thing in the area besides the clouds: a massive, ancient castle in the shape of a coliseum. From there emanated a bright light and a powerful aura.


    "I only felt something simr when I saw the Dragon..." Wain muttered, "We actually managed to do it."


    "Hey! No time to rx!" Ern shouted, "We''ll have a feast when it''s over. Let''s go!"


    "Agreed." s nodded as he ran toward the coliseum. His eyes shone while his heart beat with great speed. It was a dream for any Elf, and s could be the one to achieve it.


    The entrance to the castle was huge, and so was the arena in the middle of the coliseum. In the center of the arena was a massive throne on which sat the greatest treasure of the Great Tree, it was the Royal Spirit.


    The Royal Spirit differed from the others, it had a distinct, defined shape. The Royal Spirit looked like an ancient Elf Warrior in luxurious but battle-hardened armor.


    He sat rxed on his throne as if nothing in this world mattered to him. The Royal Spirit''s eyes were as calm as water and his gaze as sharp as the finest de.


    "Four..." The Royal Spirit spoke softly, but his voice could be heard even outside the castle, "I thought only one woulde... Although... In any case, only one among you can receive my power." The Royal Spirit looked at s.


    ? "Looks like we can go to the bleachers and enjoy watching, right?" Ern asked with a sly smile on his face.


    "Demon..." The Royal Spirit muttered, "Yes, you did a good jobing here first. Moreover, you helped s, so I owe you a debt of gratitude as an Ancient Elf."


    ''What? Does he know my name?! s inwardly eximed.


    Whoooooosh.


    The Royal Spirit waved his hand, and a stream of golden energy headed toward Ern. Three golden clouds appeared in front of him, each with different objects on them. On one was a massive Soul Pearl the size of a fist, on the second cloud, was a pair of daggers of rare green metal, and on thest was a damaged silver bracelet with ancient runes.


    "Choose." The Royal Spirit said in amanding voice, "But, you can only see the description when you do. Take your time, you need to think it over carefully."


    "Huh, that won''t be necessary!" Ern eximed as he picked up the bracelet, "The other two rewards were definitely valuable, but only picking the puzzle can hit the real jackpot!"


    "Well, well, you''re pretty risky and give in to gambling, as all Demons do. Although, in this case, your gut didn''t let you down." The Royal Spirit smiled before turning to Erza.


    He stared at her for a while. His gaze was as if he could pierce her, "Inerian without a man... Moreover, you have the blood of a Queen in you. How interesting..."


    "What...?" Erza wanted to say something, but the Royal Spirit stopped her by waving his hand.


    Three treasures, too, appeared before her: a huge Soul Pearl, an unusual fruit shaped like a golden tear, and an amulet with a dark ruby.


    Erza hesitated for a while, then took the fruit.


    "Good choice. You two have great intuition. Now for thest one." The Royal Spirit grinned before turning to Wain.


    "Your aura is very strange... For some reason, it looks familiar to me." The Royal Spirit muttered, "Okay, it doesn''t matter."

 Chapter 512 The Chosen One

    The Royal Spirit gave Ern and Erza several treasures to choose from, so now it was Wain''s turn.


    On the three clouds before him were a small Soul Pearl, a gold ring with a leaf pattern, and an eerie, dark feather. The choice was obvious, so the feather ended up in Wain''s hands.


    "Good. I knew you would choose it." The Royal Spirit spoke while Wain read the description of the pen.


    [Exiled Writer''s Pen (Third Chronicle, Legendary Rating)


    The pen that long absorbed its owner''s energy and eventually became part of it.


    Using the energy of darkness, it can create writing, it will either summon a powerful being or a destructive spell. The ultimate effect depends heavily on the emotion].


    ''What an unusual item... Well, one wouldn''t expect anything less from the Royal Spirit, but I still haven''t gotten the main treasure.'' Wain muttered inwardly as he moved the feather into the ring.


    "Now, you three go to the stands and watch. Your friend will either receive my power and the opportunity to be one of the strongest Elves or forever lose hope of it." The Royal Spirit said in amanding voice.


    Wain, Erza, and Ern did not resist; they nodded, turned into shes, and were in the stands.


    s gulped. He had been through many battles, but he was still very nervous. The spirit before him was one of the most powerful beings even in ancient times, so now it was something incredible.


    Crackle.


    The Royal Spirit slowly rose from his throne and headed toward s.


    "In order to receive my power, you must prove that you can handle this power, both in mind and body. I will now pour a piece of it into you, if you can absorb it, then the first stage is over." The Royal Spirit spoke in a calm voice.


    "Good. I understand." s nodded.


    The Royal Spirit stretched out his hand, and a beam of energy so dense it looked more like aser burst out of his palm.


    s absorbed the energy, it spilled over his body like streams of water. Every cell of his body felt this immense power, and after a while, s frowned. The pleasant feeling was quickly reced by a slight pain that gradually intensified.


    "Argh!" s eximed as his face contorted with pain.


    The Royal Spirit continued to transmit energy. All that mattered to him was the result, s had to go through this ordeal.


    ''Shit! Shit! Shit!'' s inwardly screamed, ''This hurts too much! I can''t take it anymore!


    s was ready to give up, but at thest moment, he stopped. He clenched his teeth tightly, clenched his hands into fists, and continued to endure the infernal pain. He felt as though his body was being torn into tiny pieces while hundreds of red-hot needles pierced him.


    Crackling.


    Suddenly s'' eyes shone brightly as he felt a strange warmth inside. His body began to adapt to the new, terrifying conditions rapidly. The endless flow of energy no longer seemed so massive, and s was actively absorbing energy.


    "Good. You certainly did well." Royal Spirit muttered before stopping the flow of energy.


    "What next?" s asked in a confident voice. He felt tremendous power within him, and he felt capable of handling any obstacle.<sub> </sub>


    "The next thing is very simple." The Royal Spirit muttered as he shrank to human size and a golden spear appeared in his hand, "You must defeat me if you want my power."


    Bam.


    The Royal Spirit instantly attacked. He stepped forward, came close to s, and kicked him in the stomach with his knee with all his might.


    p The impact threw s to the other side of the arena, so he vomited a mouthful of blood as he collided with the stone wall.</anda>


    "Damn... That was strong..." Ern muttered as he imagined the pain s felt.


    "Yeah, but not enough to break him." Wain said in a confident voice.


    The Royal Spirit delivered a crushing blow, but he wasn''t going to stop or give s any indulgences. The Royal Spirit threw a spear at s before he had time toe to his senses.


    Crackle.


    The spear turned into a golden beam that pierced through the coliseum, but s was unharmed.


    "Not bad. You have good reflexes, but not enough to win." The Royal Spirit uttered as the spear returned to him.


    "Well, I''m far from your level, you''re a great warrior, and I actually respect you and feel awe, but... I''m capable of something too!" s eximed before turning into a torrent of wind.


    s whirled around the perimeter of the coliseum, and gradually a powerful vortex formed in the center that swooped down on the Royal Spirit.


    "Great. We''ve already taken it to the next level!" Royal Spirit muttered with a sly smile on his face.


    The Royal Spirit swung his spear, that created a massive energy de. It sliced the vortex in two as well as part of the coliseum behind.


    "This is only the beginning." s said in a calm voice as he appeared before the Royal Spirit.


    s clutched his spear tightly beforeunching a series of super-quick attacks. He wanted to pierce his opponent, but the Royal Spirit didn''t even take a step back, he just dodged, standing still. s'' spear was a millimeter away from the Royal Spirit each time, but no attack could reach him.


    "Away!" The Royal Spirit eximed as he struck s in the chest with his palm.


    This time, s could stay on his feet, but the Royal Spirit immediately attacked again, and the shockwave tossed s aside.


    "You''re a pretty good fighter. You have great moves, good technique, and the right skills, but I doubt you can beat me." The Royal Spirit muttered in a disappointed voice while slowly walking towards s, "Unfortunately, I will have to wait for the next challenger. You are not worthy."


    The Royal Spirit raised his spear as he was ready to finish the battle.


    "No need to jump to conclusions..." s muttered in a faint voice, "For the sake of my goal, I am ready to defeat anyone, and I will have my chief ally, the wind, to help me do so."


    Whooooooosh.


    s was covered in a scarlet vortex, and his aura changed.

 Chapter 513 Invincible Adversary

    s dared not underestimate the Royal Spirit, but he still did not use his main weapon. He understood the attribute of wind better than anyone else, for he was as free, so only in these moments could he show his full power.


    Under the power of the scarlet wind, his appearance changed as well as the effect of his Beyond. His hair became white as snow, his eyes red, and he wore a light, white-red armor.


    "Well... Maybe you still have a chance. Then I won''t hold back either." The Royal Spirit eximed as a stream of golden aura erupted from him.


    Whoooooooosh.


    s instantly attacked. He appeared in front of the Royal Spirit as he swung his spear. Royal Spirit blocked the attack with his hand, but s was already behind him.


    Crackle.


    The scarlet tip of the spear plunged into the Royal Spirit''s leg as energy gushed out from the wound like blood.


    The Royal Spirit struck the ground with his fist, which created a shockwave that threw s aside.


    "Huh, I definitely underestimated you. I''m sorry, it won''t happen again, this wound will be thest one you inflict on me." The Royal Spirit said before channeling energy into the spear.


    The spear became muchrger, and waves of energy in the form of dense sma emanated from it.


    "What the hell... How much energy does he have that he could turn it into sma? Is that fair?" Ern muttered in a shocked voice.


    "s." The Royal Spirit looked him in the eye, "Actually, what you wounded me is quite enough to get my power, but I don''t want it to be that easy, so if you can withstand this attack, I have no more energy left, and you win."


    s only nodded weakly as he prepared for battle. He waspletely focused, nothing could pass his gaze.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    The Royal Spirit sighed and threw his spear with such incredible speed that his hand blurred, and the spear turned into golden lightning. The spear instantly reached s, it was impossible to dodge such a fast attack, so the only option was to defend himself.


    s thrust the scarlet spear into the ground as he created a wind barrier. However, the Royal Spirit''s spear easily broke through it and destroyed s'' weapon.


    s'' eyes widened as he put his hands together. A multitude of seals appeared before him, each one a denseyer of wind. The golden spear passed through the seals like sheets of paper and reached s. The spear carried him forward hundreds of meters but still failed to pierce him.


    The pressure made s vomit blood, but he did not stop creating barriers. With each passing moment, he used more power, so before long, all the wind in this space was in his possession.


    It affected even the clouds. Together with the wind, they turned into a seal that covered the golden spear from all sides. Because of this, the spear''s energy gradually dried up, so after hundreds of meters, it stopped.


    "He was able to do it...?!" Erza eximed in a puzzled voice.


    "There are only two options here." The Royal Spirit said, "Either he stopped the spear and gets my power, or he''s already dead."


    "No. He''s definitely not dead." Wain shook his head as he smiled, "Can the dead fly?"


    Whoooooosh.


    On the wind currents, s returned to the coliseum. His stomach and chest were in a terrible state, it looked as if a huge bomb had exploded right in front of him, but he was still alive as the fire of victory burned in his eyes.


    "You''ve been pretty banged up, but it''s for the best. I''m d you could make it. Now I''m sure you''re the right heir." The Royal Spirit spoke as he approached s.<sub> </sub>


    The Royal Spirit touched s'' forehead, and a stream of energy erupted from it that rushed towards s. Gradually the Royal Spirit''s body disintegrated into small particles.


    "I am honored." s said respectfully.


    "For me, too." The Royal Spirit smiled before disappearingpletely.


    s nodded as his eyes and hair turned golden, and his aura went to apletely different level. His wounds instantly healed from the bright light.


    "That was a great fight." s muttered, held out his hand to the side, and a golden spear flew toward him.


    p. p. p.


    s turned as he saw Wain, Ern, and Erza pping.


    "That was one of the best fights I ever saw!" Ern eximed.


    "I agree. That was something." Wain muttered.


    "s, you did well. The power of thatst attack was abnormal." Erza smiled.


    "I''m d you enjoyed it." s breathed a sigh of relief as it finally happened, "Well, what do we do next? Shall we go home?"


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space trembled as many cracks appeared in the sky. A momentter, it shattered into tiny shards, and three shadows flew out of the hole thatnded in the arena.


    There was a powerful, unusual aura emanating from them. Wain, Erza, Ern, and s immediately prepared for battle as they stared at the invaders. There were two boys and one girl.


    The girl had pink hair and dark eyes, the guy on the left had short purple hair and a sly grin on his face. Thest one had ck hair and blue eyes and was calm and cold as a cier. His torso was bare, so the star tattoo on his chest was clearly visible.


    ''Star... It''s the same as that man''s!'' Wain inwardly eximed.


    "Who are you?" Ern became alert as the dark blue armor appeared on him.


    The girl looked at him, and contempt appeared in her eyes, "Demon... You''ve always been annoying and irritating."


    "Mace, what shall we do?" The guy with the purple hair asked.


    "Kill them all, but him..." Mace stared at Wain with a furious look, "Him I''ll kill with my own hands."


    "You bastards! I''ll smash you all to the ground in one fell swoop!" Ern eximed as he found himself next to Mace.


    "Away! Wretch!" Mace waved her hand.


    Her palm glowed, and powerful purple lightning struck Ern, knocking him back hundreds of feet.

 Chapter 514 The One Who Is Stronger Than The Invincible

    The situation heated up. The girl''s strength was immense, far greater than they had anticipated. Even the Royal Spirit wouldn''t have been able to throw Ern off to the other side of the coliseum so easily.


    "Why do you want to kill me?" Wain said as he jumped from the stands into the arena, "We certainly haven''t met before. Are you mercenaries?"


    "Huh, he''s pretty brave. I thought if he felt our auras, he''d run away in fear right away." The guy with the purple hair grinned.


    "You killed my sister, so that''s enough for me to take your life in return!" Maece eximed as he snapped his finger.


    Purple lightning discharges headed toward Wain. They were very fast, Wain didn''t even have time to realize how the distance between them had shortened.


    Whoooooosh.


    Suddenly s appeared in front of Wain. He swung his spear as he created a golden stream of wind. It shattered into streams of lightning that changed their direction.


    "I don''t know what the conflict is between you, but you dare invade the abode of the Royal Spirit, so I cannot ignore it." s said confidently, "Leave now, or there will be your grave here."


    "You got the power of the Royal Spirit? How interesting..." Maece smirked, "Perhaps you could stop us, but you still have yet to get the full power, so. Die!"


    Whoooooooosh.


    Suddenly a dark shadow appeared behind Maece.


    "No. Only you die here." Ern said in a furious voice. His eyes filled with blood as he attacked.


    Maece flinched and jumped aside at thest moment.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Ern''s fist came crashing down on the clouds as the entire space shook, and the shockwave shattered the damaged part of the coliseum.


    "How serious he is. What are we going to do?" The guy with the purple hair grinned.


    "I''ll take on those three." The ck-haired man said as he headed toward Ern, "Maece, do what you have to do. Whether he killed your sister or not, it doesn''t change the end goal since he is a human. Our goal is to kill them all, so don''t hold back."


    "Of course." Maece nodded, "I will deal with him with my own hands."


    "In that case, I''ll go get some rest." The purple-haired man smiled as he jumped onto the bleachers.


    Wain, Erza, Ern, and s grew wary. There were three serious opponents against them, but only two decided to fight, it showed that they thought they were much stronger.


    "Wain! I''ll help you!" Erza eximed while running toward him.


    "Not so fast." The ck-haired man appeared before her as blue lightning coated his arms.


    He stepped forward and delivered a powerful straight punch. Erza''s pupils narrowed as she created a barrier of golden energy in front of her. It was able to absorb the blow, but the momentum threw Erza aside.


    "You three are my opponents." The ck-haired man looked menacingly at Ern, s, and Erza, "If you want to help your friend, just kill me, sounds easy, doesn''t it?"


    "Whatever you say." s uttered as he attacked with all his might along with Ern and Erza.<sub> </sub>


    Maece looked at their battle and smiled, "Looks like your mates have already started theirst fight. It''s time for us to get down to business, too!"


    Whoooooooosh.


    Purple electric shocks went through Maece''s body as she turned into a purple sh.


    Wain was about to counterattack, but suddenly Maece''s fist was already embedded in his stomach.


    ''What?! That fast?!'' Wain inwardly eximed while vomiting a mouthful of blood.


    "That''s not all!" Maece uttered before attacking several times.


    Each time Wain tried to block the blow, but Maece was too fast, Wain just couldn''t keep up with her. While he reacted to one attack, Maece made two more.


    "Bitch!" Wain shouted in a furious voice as a gray robe appeared on him.


    He opened his left eye, and a portal appeared behind him. It entered it, then appeared a few feet away from Maece. Wain clenched his palm into a fist, and the space next to Maece distorted, the transparent walls were about to squeeze her, but, Maece simply swung her hand as purple lightning shattered the spatial walls.


    ''How?! What the fuck is going on here?!'' Wain shouted to himself.


    ''You know how to control the power of space... What a pity it''s useless against me! If you want to lock me within the confines of space, you need to train for another hundred years!" Maece turned into purple lightning, "Die!"


    She, like a thunder spear, pierced him. Wain vomited a mouthful of blood and fell to the ground, exhausted. There was a wide hole in his chest, such wounds were ipatible with life. Streams of blood flowed from the corners of Wain''s mouth as he struggled to breathe.


    "Don''t worry. I won''t kill you too quickly." Maece walked up to him, looked him in the eye, and smiled wickedly, "You''re pretty tough, so even with a wound like that, you won''t die for another hour or so, so it will be the worst hour of your life. I promise you."


    "Fuck you..." Wain said with difficulty as his ring shone brightly.


    An elixir appeared in his hand, so he guided his hand to his mouth. However, Maece seeded in intercepting it and crushing the elixir.


    "Bastard... It was a nice try, but it was definitely yourst hope!" Maece eximed in a mad manner.


    ''Shit... It''s really too bad...'' Wain muttered to himself.


    He was not prepared for Maece to be so strong. One attack was enough to end this fight. Only because of his stats and passive skill did Wain still not die, but Maece destroyed the only thing that could instantly heal him.


    Wain looked at his mates, and a shiver ran through his body. Ern and Erzay exhausted on the ground. They had received so many wounds that they could hardly breathe, only s could still fight, but his strength was running out. At the same time, their opponent received only a few, non-serious wounds.


    "Your friends will be joining you soon." Maece smiled as a lightning de appeared in her hand, "Only a miracle can save you now, but they are not known to exist!"


    Tremble.


    "I wouldn''t be so sure if I were you." Suddenly someone''s voice sounded, and a crack appeared in the sky through which a silhouette flew in.


    The silhouette had massive wings, but they were not Angelic or Demonic. These wings were covered in scales, like of dragons.

 Chapter 515 White

    A silhouettended on one of the wrecks of the coliseum and smiled weakly. It was a man with long white hair and amber eyes. He had two curved horns on his head with many white scales all over his body. From his back grew two massive snow-white wings that looked majestic like those of the world''s ruler.


    "Well, well... Three scoundrels broke into the Royal Spirit Hall and made a real mess of the ce. This is not good." The man shook his head as he looked at Wain with a sly look on his face.


    "You are...!" Maece muttered while in shock.


    "Yeah... It''s me. Kadridas, The Watcher!" The man eximed before spreading his wings that created a powerful current of wind, so Maece struggled to stay on her feet.


    "Why are you here!" Maece uttered as a shudder ran through her body.


    Kadridas stared at the sun for a while, smiled, and a stream of white aura burst out of him, "Are you deaf? The neers of today have be quite inept. I told you who I am, so do you really think there is something to hide from the Dragon''s gaze?"


    Whooooooosh.


    The purple-haired man jumped down from the bleachers as electric shocks drove on his body.


    He frowned with a wary look and said, "You may be a Dragon, but the situation is clearly not in your favor. You''re stronger than us, but not within this space. Even the two of us are enough to deal with you!"


    "Huh, you''re funny. Well, I''ll show you that you have no right to do as you please. Have your elders forgotten what happened hundreds of years ago?" Kadridas spoke in a confident voice as white lightning appeared around his hands.


    "Maece, do what you must." The ck-haired man said with a calm look, "We''ll hold him off, but not for long. Five minutes tops, kill this a human, and we''re out of here."


    "Okay. I hear you." Maece bounced aside before running toward Wain.


    "Human?" Kadridas smiled with a curious look as he grabbed his chin, "So that''s why you came here. Hell, you almost killed him. Don''t you have any honor left?"


    "You talk too much." The purple-haired man said in a menacing voice before unleashing a pir of lightning on Kadridas.


    Kadridas didn''t dodge, instead, he raised his forefinger above his head as the mighty thunderbolt went through him like a lightning rod and scattered into the clouds.


    Kadridas shook his palm in a serene manner and said, "Hey, maybe we''re fighting for nothing. Apparently, you''re not a warrior, but you''re great at trimming nails, albeit in a peculiar style, but I like it!"


    "Bastard..." Purple-haired muttered as he clenched teeth in a fury.


    "No? What a pity..." Kadridas muttered with a frustrated look, "Well since you refused, I have no choice but to get rid of you."


    Kadridas pointed his hand at Purplehead, opened his palm and his eyes shed. A huge white magic circle appeared in front of him that was more than ten times his own size.


    "Fuck!" Puprlehead eximed as he, along with ckhead, turned into lightning shes.


    "Boom!" Kadridas snapped his finger, and a beam of energy flew out of the magic circle.


    The beam of energy rushed forward at an incredible speed, so it destroyed a third of the coliseum. The beam headed further, and its energy was enough to break through space and burst out beyond the Great Tree.


    "Damn... I went a little overboard." Kadridas muttered with a confused look as he scratched the back of his head, "Okay, the Great Tree will recover pretty quickly anyway."<sub> </sub>


    ''Fuck! What was that just now?! Purplehead internally eximed while in disbelief.


    They were able to dodge, but only through quick reaction and luck. If they had hesitated even for a moment, the beam would not have left a trace of them.


    "Dragon... It''s a good thing I brought this thing with me..." ckhead muttered before pulling from the ring an ancient, stone cube-shaped artifact that was partially covered in moss.


    "What an interesting toy. What is it? A rubik''s cube?" Kadridas grinned.


    "No, this is our chance to apprehend the Dragon. That you exist is not fair... The amount of energy in this attack was abnormal, but even against you, there are methods." ckhead said in a calm voice as he activated the cube.


    The artifact glowed brightly, and an eye opened on one side. It looked at Kadridas as two dark pirs with ancient runes appeared beside it.


    Anyone would have decided to step aside, but Kadridas stayed where he was. He stared at the pirs with a curious look, for him, it was nothing more than amusement.


    "You arrogant bastard... It''s your fault for not running away!" Purplehead eximed in a furious voice as the runes on the pirs glowed brightly.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Chains burst from the pirs and twisted around Kadridas'' legs and arms as they lifted him several meters above the clouds.


    "So... What will you do next? Are you going to try to kill me?" Kadridas asked, but he didn''t even look at them as his eyes were on the chains.


    "No." ckheaded shook his head, "We''re not cocky enough to try to kill the Dragon, but it would be enough to get us out of here."


    "So that''s it. What a shame, you used a pretty good artifact just to hold me up. Well, you can try to escape if you want." Kadridas smirked as his muscles tensed.


    His face instantly changed from rxed to menacing, since the veins on his forehead swelled as his eyes bled.


    "Can the chains hold him back?" Purplehead asked.


    "Yes. We have some time. It''s a special, restraining artifact." ckhead nodded with a calm look, but a momentter, his pupils narrowed, "What?!"


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The Kadridas caused the chains to tighten as they shook violently as if they could break at any moment.


    "Bastards. If I have to, I''ll rip out the Great Tree along with the roots to get you! Do you really think some pathetic chains will stop me?" Kadridas eximed with a furious look as cracks appeared in the air.


    "Fuck! That fucking monster is breaking space with one physical force!" Purplehead said in a dazed voice.


    "Run!"

 Chapter 516 The Light At The End Of The Path

    Kadridas'' strength was greater than they had anticipated, as even a special artifact could only hold him for a short period of time. The chainspletely blocked his energy flows, that was a real achievement considering the amount of energy the Dragons had, but the Dragons were strong in every aspect.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crack.


    Space was crumbling because of the pressure that came from Kadridas, so with each passing second, the power of the chains weakened.


    "Maece! Let''s get the fuck out of here! Hurry up and kill that guy, or that monster won''t leave a trace of us!" Purplehead shouted in a worried voice while trembling in fear.


    "Shit! Okay, I got you. Give me ten seconds!" Maece said as a dagger appeared in her hand before approaching Wain.


    She bent down and looked into Wain''s already almost empty eyes. He saw only a blurry image of her, but her sly, wicked smirk was clear.


    "Unfortunately, you and I don''t have much time left, but it''s enough so I can avenge my sister." Maece uttered with a hateful look as she raised the dagger above Wain''s head.


    "NO!" Erza shouted, but she didn''t have the strength even to stand up, so all she could do was watch Wain''s death.


    The dagger was closing in on him swiftly. Everything inside Wain''s mind screamed for escape, but he was already one foot in the grave, and Maece only forced the inevitable.


    However, one ce was quiet even in this situation-the dark castle inside Wain''s Soul Altar. The five forms held their breath as if this were a critical moment on that all depended.


    The de almost reached Wain as his pupils narrowed, and the world suddenly stopped. Maece''s blurry face was reced by pitch ckness.


    ? ''Am I dead...? Wain muttered while in confusion.


    Wain turned around as he tried to understand what was happening, but there was nothing but darkness that slowly enveloped him like a veil.


    ''Death? Does someone who has already escaped it once have to think such nonsense?'' Suddenly someone''s voice rang out.


    ''What? Who is it?'' Wain turned around with a puzzled look.


    ''I''ve never understood why people are so afraid of death. You can just run away from it, isn''t that easy?'' The voice said.


    ''Actually, I''ve been waiting for you, though I didn''t think you''d be on the border between life and death, so we''re both lucky.''


    Whooooooooosh.


    Suddenly a beam of light appeared amidst the darkness that, in an instant, reached Wain and passed through him, then the darkness around him began to dissipate as it slowly revealed the true view of the world.


    The dagger''s tip had already plunged into his forehead as a drop dripped from the wound, but at that moment, Wain''s eyes shed, and he disappeared. So instead of Wain''s head, Maece pierced the ground.


    ''What?!'' Maece inwardly eximed as everyone''s gazes went to Wain.


    "Ahahahahaha, I definitely didn''te here for nothing." Kadridas eximed before ripping one chain to pieces, "Since it turned out this way, I''ll be a spectator and not a fighter."


    "Wain..." Erza muttered in a dazed voice while in disbelief.


    Wain stood aloof in the distance with an enigmatic look. His body was covered by ayer of light that slowly faded.<sub> </sub>


    [You found Running Light]


    [You have opened the sixth form - Light Racer]


    [Light Racer


    For many people, speed was the meaning of life, so millions of people tried to be the fastest so that no one could catch up with them.


    One day one person managed to do what others had never dreamed of. That one was able to outrun death itself and survive. On that day, the fastest creature in the universe was born].


    Whoooooooosh.


    The veil of light dispersed, and everyone saw Wain''s new appearance. His hair was shoulder-length and shone brightly with a faint golden glow, his eyes were amber, and he was wearing white, light armor with pulsing yellow lines. There was no trace of his wounds, Wain looked as if he''d been born again.


    Wain sighed as he looked at Maece with a serene look and said, "You''re strong, so you decided to break in here to kill my mates and me. You were sure you could do it and get away with it since you''re incredibly fast, but let me show you what real speed is. Do you think lightning is fast? Then feel the speed of light!"


    Whooooooooosh.


    Wain''s eyes sparkled as he turned into a golden sh. He instantly reached Maece and swept with her hundreds of meters forward.


    Maece didn''t even have time to realize anything, to her, it looked like she blinked, but when she opened her eyes, the massive coliseum was the size of grain as it was too far away.


    "That''s not all!" Wain eximed with a cold look and grabbed Maece by the throat.


    Wain became even faster, and his direction became chaotic. He abruptly changed direction as a line of light gradually appeared in the sky in the form of a zigzag that was trailing away from him.


    Whoooooosh.


    Wain pierced through the clouds and a secondter was next to the coliseum. While he clenched his teeth, the space next to him distorted. Because of his tremendous speed, Wain broke through the spatial barrier and out of the Royal Spirit zone as he entered the ind territory.


    "Look!"


    "What is that?!"


    "Is that some kind of rare Spirit?"


    The eyes of hundreds of people stared at the golden sh in the sky, which suddenly changed direction and, in a second, pierced the ind from different directions several times as it shook thend.


    In time, Wain''s speed reached a critical point, so he flew out of the Forgotten Forest and began to pierce one space after another.


    That day a golden sh shook the whole world. Wain did not hold back since he passed through hundreds of different zones and spaces in a matter of seconds.


    It caught the attention of many, but one was shaken more than the others.


    ''That aura... That light... That''s him!''

 Chapter 517 Recoil

    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    The golden beam continued to pierce through various spaces like ss, that caused the owners of Voids in confusion, but it was happening too fast for them to do anything about it.


    Ten secondster, Wain returned to the Forgotten Forest, although it was a short period of time, but Wain managed to cross over a thousand different spaces, so his energy was zero.


    "Agh... Agh... Agh..." Wain breathed heavily as he looked at Maece with an ice-cold look.


    Maece, unlike Wain, had no protection, her skin burned as if she had been in the epicenter of a fire for hours, so her life was on the line, and she only could barely breathe.


    "Maece!" Purplehead eximed while running toward her along with ckhead.


    "Not so fast!" Kadridas eximed as he broke all chains.


    He pped his wings and, a momentter, was behind them. With a slight smile on his face, Kadridas grabbed their heads as he tore them off like weeds. Streams of blood rushed over him that were visible on his white scales, so Kadridas just licked the drops of blood from his face.


    "Well, well, it''s been quite some time since I tasted your blood, and it''s still just as disgusting." Kadridas muttered while shaking his head.


    Wain watched Maece while his armor slowly disintegrated into small pieces. Through his grip, Wain felt that Maece still had the will to live, but he felt only pity for her.


    "You wanted to avenge your sister, but did you think you had the right to do so? Your sister attacked first, so she suffered a terrible fate, just as you did." Wain said in a calm voice and snapped Maece''s neck.


    He released his grip, and Maece''s body fell to the ground, just as Wain did. He spent thest of his strength to finish it. Then several messages appeared in front of him, but he didn''t see them since he had already passed out.


    [One of the conditions for starting the fourth evolution had been met!]


    [Fight and defeat with ???: 1/1]


    [You defeated an Arkan.]


    [You have defeated a creature unlike any other. This is a true feat that equals a miracle.]


    [Your Majesty has been upgraded by 2.]


    "Eh, why is it that something like this happens every time I''m about to intervene somewhere?" Kadridas muttered with a faint smile on his face while walking toward Wain.


    "Help him! Please!" Erza eximed.


    "Oh? You love him, don''t you? Don''t worry. He''ll be fine. Someone who has that kind of power can''t die so easily. You better worry about yourself, you three are in really bad shape." Kadridas said in a carefree manner before approaching them.


    He bent down, held his hand up, and muttered something in an unknown, ancientnguage. A white magic circle appeared above Ern, Erza, and s, glowing brightly. The wounds on their bodies began to heal with tremendous speed, and within seconds there was no trace of the small scratches and bruises.<sub> </sub>


    "You need to get some sleep. You''re all in Third Chronicle, so it was too soon for you to fight these bastards." Kadridas snapped his finger, and they passed out, "Well, now you, the hero of this fight."


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Suddenly space shuddered as cracks appeared in the sky. It shattered into tiny shards, and a silhouette flew in.


    A tall girl with long ck hairnded on the clouds with a calm look, but her heart was beating fast as though before an important meeting.


    "Well, well, what kind of people... Did I find myself in the middle of some important events?" Kadridas said in a yful way while shaking his head.


    "Hmm? Kadridas? What are you doing here? Has the Royal Spirit interested even the Dragons?" The girl asked with a confused look.


    "No. I''m just trying to do my job sometimes, unlike the others. I didn''t understand why the Arkans came here, but they were some neers, so I had to deal with them. They''re getting cheekier every day, have they got some kind of n again?" Kardidas sighed.


    "I see... I need this man. You don''t mind, do you?" The girl asked as she pointed at Wain.


    "Huh, I see. No, of course not, just take them with you too." Kadridas looked at Ern, Erza, and s, "Apparently, they are his friends. You can''t leave them here, he certainly won''t like it."


    "Okay. I hear you." The girl nodded as she snapped her fingers.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Next to Ern, Erza, and s, an unusual dark creature with several arms appeared. It cautiously lifted them and headed toward the girl.


    "See youter. I hope something interesting happens as soon as possible, otherwise, I''ll die of boredom." Kadridas waved his hand.


    "Huh, aren''t Dragons supposed to sit in caves on mountains of gold and treasure?" The girl asked with a sly smile on her face.


    "Do you think I''ve escaped from some fairy tale for babies?" Kadridas said with a dazed look, "I''m getting tired of drinking tea and ying chess and constantly getting involved in fucking ancient creature conflicts that always end in something depressing. Honestly, I didn''t think being one of the strongest was that boring. All the most interesting stuff happens at the very bottom, I''ve even thought sometimes that it would be fascinating to try to go all the way from the beginning to the end."


    "If someone from Primary Chronicle or First Chronicle heard you now, they''d hate you." The girl smiled.


    "Well, maybe that would be fair, but everyone has problems, even the rich or powerful, that''s how this world works. We all strive for perfection, but many don''t realize that even if you achieve it, you''ll still be unhappy that there''s nothing more to achieve. It''s a vicious circle from which it is impossible to escape."


    "Won''t death break that circle?"


    "As long as there are those in this world who can just run away from it like this guy, then death is not a nightmare to be feared but a treasure that should appear at the right moment." Kadridas muttered before pping his wings to fly away.

 Chapter 518 Sleep

    After Kadridas left, the girl picked up Wain and, along with the strange monster that held Ern, Erza, and s, entered the open space.


    The powerful pressure of the World of Darkness that could crush even a very strong monster only slightly rubbed her hair.


    The girl waved her hand as a massive gate appeared amidst the darkness, like an entrance to an abyss. At the top of the gate was the image of a crown, and at the bottom were people that cried out of distress.


    "I hope you wake up quickly... Your aura may be the only thing left of him..." The girl muttered in a frustrated voice before entering the gate.


    ...


    "Agh... Agh... Agh... Damn... I feel like shit right now..." Ern muttered before slowly getting out of bed, "Where the hell am I?"


    Next to him on the beds, Erza and s were sleeping. They were in a room that looked like royal chambers. The beds were luxurious, and next to them were tables of fresh fruit.


    "Fruit... They don''t seem to respect me at all..." Ern frowned, "Don''t they know that guests should always be served a good piece of meat?"


    ''Hmm... s and Erza are still asleep, but where is Wain? Why isn''t he with us?'' Ern inwardly muttered, ''I''ll have to check on that.''


    He left the room and found himself in a long hallway. Ern didn''t know where to go, so he picked a random direction.


    ''I thought we were taken by that Dragon in his zone, but this doesn''t seem like the Dragon''s house.'' Ern muttered to himself with a confused look, ''Is it just me, or did someone elseeter? Damn, what''s going on here?


    Ern reached the corner as he stepped to his left.


    Bam.


    He bumped into someone, and they both fell to the ground just as well as the tea set with the silver tray.


    "What the...?!" Ern eximed, but suddenly his pupils narrowed.


    He was confronted by a girl of medium height, with blond hair and blue eyes, and she was wearing a maid''s outfit.


    ''Maid...?'' Ern inwardly muttered.


    "Ah... You are a guest of the Mistress..." The girl said in a quiet voice before standing up, "I''m sorry I didn''t notice you. I can be extremely clumsy sometimes..."


    "That''s all right. Tell me, what is this ce? Where am I?" Ern asked.


    "It''s Nameless Castle, it''s pretty big, so no wonder you got lost. You''re probably looking for your friend, right?" The girl said while picking up cups from the floor.


    "Yeah... For some reason, he wasn''t with us. I''d like to see him. It''s important." Ern muttered with a serious look.


    "All right. I''ll show you out, but first, I have to make some new tea." The girl nodded as he headed into the kitchen.


    The kitchen was quite far away, they had to walk through some very long corridors. As time went on, there were more people. They were mostly maids, but asionally they came across people in aprons or formal suits. They were all doing something as if they were in a hurry to get to something important.


    ''Are they all the humans? Where the hell did I go?'' Ern muttered inwardly as he considered them.<sub> </sub>


    "This way." The girl said as she entered the kitchen.


    There were many maids there that brewed teas or coffee and cooks that prepared various dishes.


    When they saw Ern, their eyes widened in surprise, but they tried not to show it and quickly went back to work.


    ''Why do I feel like I''m some rare animal? Haven''t they ever seen Demons?'' Ern shook his head in a puzzled manner.


    "Done!" the girl mouthed as she picked up the tray of tea she had just made.


    "What a nice aroma. It must be quite expensive tea, right?" Ern asked while enjoying the rich aroma.


    "Yeah... I suppose so. It''s a special tea that Mistress makes personally. Considering how strong she is, I''m sure this tea is worth a fortune." The girl mouthed before heading on.


    ''Hmm... This girl is quite weak, she''s about halfway through the Primary Chronicle...'' Ern said to himself and looked at the others, ''They are at the same level, the strongest in the First Chronicle. Shouldn''t humans progress quickly...?


    Ern knew only two of the humans, Wain and Alice, so his idea of the humans was not quite right since Wain''s development speed was abnormal.


    ...


    "Here. Here we are." The girl said as she stopped.


    They were standing in front of arge gate. The girl took a step forward, and the gate slowly opened.


    "What took so long? Was it so hard to make a few cups of tea?" Someone said in a disgruntled voice.


    "I''m sorry, Mistress! I''ll try harder next time!" The maid lowered her head.


    "Okay, don''t take it personally. I''m just in a shitty mood." She muttered as she turned to Ern, "You''re that Demon..."


    She looked at the massive bed in the center of the room; Wain was sleeping there. Beside him slept several dark monsters that looked like feral cats.


    "You''re his friend, right?"


    "Yeah... I guess you could say that." Ern nodded, "Why are we here? And who are you? Are you the one who showed up at the end of the battle?"


    "Huh, you ask too many questions, but okay, since you woke up first, I''ll tell you. Have a seat and taste this great tea."


    Ern just nodded as he sat down next to her.


    "My name is Aurora, I am the head of this castle and also one of the elders of the Human World. By the way, thank Kadridas, if this dragon had not asked to take you with me, I would have left you in the Forgotten Forest." Aurora muttered and took a sip.


    "Human World...?" Ern muttered with a dazed look.


    "Yes. You heard right. Everyone thinks the humans are long gone, but in fact, we had to hide, or the Arkans would have given us even more trouble than we have now."

 Chapter 519 Immersion

    "Aurora, what do you n to do next? Why do you want Wain?" Ern asked as he took a sip of the already slightly cold tea.


    "Oh, so his name is Wain? What a fitting name for him..." Aurora muttered while staring intently at the sleeping Wain, "I''ll wait until he wakes up first, then everything will be clear. I''m sure he''ll have a lot of questions for me too."


    "Yeah... That''s for sure... There''s been a real explosion in my head, I''m sure Wain will be as surprised as I am." Ern spoke in a dazed voice as the cup in his hands trembled, "When do you think Wain will wake up?"


    Wain breathed slowly as thin dark threads slowly emerged from him. The dark beasts beside him were summoned by Aurora to protect him from any threat.


    "I don''t know..." Aurora muttered, "You''ve been asleep for three days. If Kadridas hadn''t cured you, it''s not like you would have woken up, but Wain is a different situation. Outwardly he''s perfectly fine, he doesn''t have any wounds, not even a simple bruise... however, he spent too much energy."


    "Huh, that''s not surprising. It was an amazing sight, such power, such speed, it''s something incredible. His skills are the most extraordinary thing I''ve ever seen." Ern grinned.


    "It''s true... I don''t understand something, there hasn''t been any change in three days. I''ve checked his energy levels numerous times, but it''s stillpletely empty... What''s more, he has no aura now, it''s like he''s lost all his power..." Aurora said with a confused look.


    "It sounds problematic, but... I don''t think you have anything to worry about. Just give it some time." Ern spoke in a serious voice.


    It was not umon for fighters to bepletely exhausted after major battles, so some needed weeks or even months to return to normal.


    ...


    "Well, well. My appearance was more traumatic than I thought it would be." Light Racer muttered while holding his chin with a thoughtful look.


    "What are we going to do? We can''t wake him up. Moreover, what''s going on here?" Cursed Swordsman asked as he looked at the tform below.


    Many cracks appeared on the tform as if it was ready to copse at any moment. The Dark Crown swayed slowly from side to side and dark energy vibrations emanated from it.


    "Maybe we should try to break it?" Blind Sorcerer suggested as he put his palm to the tform.


    "How? He''se to the edge. Most of the conditions have been met, but... it''s still not enough. He must make another breakthrough." Code of Light and Darkness was confused.


    The Light Racer smiled as his golden hair shone brightly and said, "Physically, he''s still too weak, but we just need to connect with his mind so we can show him our stories."


    Whoooooooooosh.


    The Light Racer turned into a golden sh that began circling the tform. It gradually picked up speed, it looked like a ring of light amidst the pitch ckness that increased in size.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Suddenly space shuddered, and a ss wall appeared in front of the Light Racer. He shattered it, as the shards flew apart, shining brightly because of the reflection of the light.


    "Damn. His speed is really something." ck Sun Aristocrat muttered while shaking his head.


    Crackling.


    The space next to ck Sun Aristocrat shattered as a golden sh burst out of it, that grabbed him by the cor and carried him away.


    "What the...?!" ck Sun shouted before disappearing.


    Crack.<sub> </sub>


    Then the same thing happened to the Knight of the Bloody Rose. The Light Racer took them with him.


    "Hmm? What just happened?" Cursed Swordsman muttered with a dazed look, "Is that normal?"


    "Well... I guess that''s fair enough. He had to wait longer than everyone else, so he decided to take this opportunity to make up for a lost time." Blind Sorcerer said with a slight smile on his face.


    ...


    Light Racer, ck sun Aristocrat, and Knight of the Bloody Rose found themselves in a strange ce. Gothicmps with purple lights were floating around, and a massive dark cloud was floating in the center with someone sleeping on it.


    "Where are we?" ck Sun Aristocrat asked.


    "This is Wain''s consciousness." Light Racer replied as he shook his hand in a careless manner.


    "It''s pretty creepy in here, isn''t it?"


    "Well, here his consciousness is equal to a god, so he decided that this would be the mostfortable way to recover. Unfortunately, we''ll have to wake him up, it won''t affect his physical state anyway." Light Racer mouthed before approaching Wain.


    He put his palm to his chest, and it glowed brightly. Waves of golden light spread out that made themps tremble.


    Wain slowly opened his eyes, and purple mes burst out of themps, that headed for the Light Racer.


    Snap.


    The ck Sun Aristocrat created several dark spheres that engulfed the mes and weakened their power.


    "Wake the hell up." Light Racer said with a disgruntled look.


    "Light Racer...?" Wain muttered in a dazed voice.


    "Yeah. That''s me. It was pretty hard to get here, you have no idea how it was!" Light Racer eximed.


    "Where am I? Am I awake yet?" Wain asked while looking around.


    "Not really. This ce is in your consciousness, or rather you are the consciousness... Anyway, it''splicated, but it''s not that important." Light Racer shrugged, "You''re still recovering from thest fight, so we can''t interact with you, but that doesn''t extend to space.


    "Oh... You''re here too..." Wain muttered when he noticed the ck Sun Aristocrat and the Knight of the Bloody Rose.


    "Yeah... That psycho just took us with him. He doesn''t know what tact is at all." ck Sun Aristocrat shook his head in a disgruntled manner.


    "Can we get started already?" Knight of the Bloody Rose asked.


    "Start what?" Wain was baffled by this situation.


    "This!" The Light Racer put his palm on Wain''s forehead, and his eyes shone brightly likenterns.

 Chapter 520 Light Disc

    Wain felt intense heat from the Light Racer''s palm, but he didn''t fight back as he was sure that the Light Racer, as well as the others, would never hurt him.


    "Good. Sometimes you can be pretty wise." Light Racer said with a slight smile on his face as he removed his palm, "You should have found me much earlier, but since you were slower than a turtle, I had to force the issue."


    When the Light Racer said this, several messages appeared before Wain.


    [The sixth form''s special ability, Light Disk, has been unlocked!]


    [Light Disk


    Use the power of speed and light to reach an amorphous form temporarily. You will disintegrate into particles of light that will turn into Light Disk to gain the ability to cut through anything, even space.]


    "Hey, Light Racer, answer me one question." Wain said while rubbing his forehead to get rid of the burn.


    "What''s that?" Light Racer asked with a confused look.


    "Who do you think wins the race?"


    "Huh. It''s obvious, of course, the fastest!" Light Racer replied in a confident manner.


    "No." Wain shook his head, "The race is won by the turtle."


    "Ahahahahahahaha." ck Sun Aristocratughed, "Youpared our fastest one to a turtle? Damn, that''s the best thing I''ve heard in a while."


    "I agree." Knight of the Bloody Rose said in a calm voice as he nodded.


    "You ungrateful bastard..." Light Racer muttered while clenching his hands tightly into fists.


    "So... What do we do next?" Wain asked and snapped his finger.


    The dark cloud slowly descended as well as themps. Also, the atmosphere around it ceased to be threatening. It calmed down like a water surface.


    "Time to learn about us as well as the others." ck Sun Aristocrat said before approaching Wain.


    "Few have seen this side of me, but I can trust you." He muttered as he slowly removed his mask.


    Instead of a face, ck Sun Aristocrat had only a denseyer of darkness that slowly headed toward Wain. The darkness covered him like a cocoon, and he closed his eyes.


    ...


    Click.


    The wooden door opened, and a man with dark hair in a long ck noble coat stepped inside. He put his hand to his chest, bowed slightly, and said, "Sir, everyone is already assembled. We are only waiting for you.


    A man in a red coat stood in the center of the room, with his back to him. On the table in front of himy a white mask with several cracks around the edges.<sub> </sub>


    "Good. Today is an important day, we shouldn''t bete." The man nodded, put the mask on, and turned around.


    They left the room for the banquet hall. They walked down a long corridor that was lit by crystal chandeliers and decorated with various rare paintings, as well as a long red carpet that stretched to each room.


    ''Is that the ck Sun Aristocrat? Damn, though he''s usually quite cheerful, he knows how to be serious at important moments.'' Wain inwardly muttered before following them.


    A great number of people had already gathered in the banquet hall. Most of them were servants - waiters or maids that were arranging thest dishes and drinks on the long wooden table. There was still steaming from the dishes as the cooks had only recently cooked them.


    All this was done for a group of men dressed in noble ck coats, but though everything was ready, none of them sat down at the table yet. They stood with serious faces next to their chairs.


    Click.


    The servants opened the wooden gate as ck Sun Aristocrat and his assistant entered. The eyes of all the noblemen were immediately fixed on him as if they were waiting for his words.


    ck Sun Aristocrat came to the table, raised his wine ss, and said, "Today is an important day for all of us. We, the ''Dark Hand,'' are now the rulers of half of our beloved city, Daeron!"


    "We have broken our enemies, their spirit, their will, and their lives! So, the same is waiting for ourst adversaries before we finally be the only rulers in Daeron! Glory to Dark Hand!" The ck Sun Aristocrat eximed as he smashed his ss on the floor.


    "Glory to Dark Hand!" The nobles eximed as they struck their sses against the table.


    ck Sun Aristocrat sat down in his luxurious seat, beckoned, and the nobles took their seats. By this time, the servants had removed the broken sses and wine.


    "Today, we have a feast that we all deserve, but it is not only a feast, it is also a deration of war against our sworn enemies. Tomorrow we begin preparations for battle against the Scarlet Tree!" The ck Sun Aristocrat said in a thunderous voice.


    "Unfortunately, I will have to mar this beautiful day, for even the brightest ce has dark spots." The ck Sun Aristocrat looked at one nobleman as he snapped his finger.


    Bam.


    This nobleman''s head exploded like a watermelon. The pieces flew apart as they stained the white tablecloth and the walls.


    The nobles were baffled, but no one did anything about it. Their faith in the validity of the leader''s actions was absolute.


    "This man has been with us a long time, but still, he chose to betray us as he sold out to Scarlet Tree. You know my attitude towards traitors, anyone who chooses to betray us and our ideals will meet such a fate." ck Sun Aristocrat said in a calm voice and raised his hand slightly, "Raik, demonstrate to them.


    "Yes." The man who stood beside him nodded before approaching the dead nobleman.


    Raik tossed his body aside and, from beneath his coat, pulled out a red amulet in the shape of an ancient root. A faint glow emanated from it as well as a strong bloody scent.


    "Isn''t that..." The nobles muttered with a dazed look.


    "I see... What a bastard, I can''t believe that after all our aplishments, he decided to defect to Scarlet Tree and be a spy." The other nobleman shook his head in a disappointed manner.


    ''Huh, how interesting. It''s like a real detective.'' Wain internally muttered as a slight smile appeared on his face, ''Honestly, I like this kind of ck Sun Aristocrat much better.''

 Chapter 521 Conspiracy

    After the banquet, the ck Sun Aristocrat and the other nobles began preparations for war with the Scarlet Tree. They were all influential figures that belonged to the same n whose head was one of the most powerful men on the continent - ck Sun Aristocrat.


    Daeron was arge city that was divided into two parts. The northern side was ruled by the Dark Hand and the southern side by the Scarlet Tree. This was not always the case, for when ck Sun Aristocrat took over the n, Dark Hand began to grow rapidly and eventually became a real threat.


    "Raik, how is everything going? When will we be ready?" ck Sun Aristocrat asked while reading some book.


    Raik stamped the document, put it aside, and said, "We need another month, although it''s going better than we thought, so maybe we''ll be ready in three weeks."


    "Great." ck Sun Aristocrat nodded, "We need to meet someone. Are you ready?"


    "Hmm? What are you talking about? Do you have some kind of meeting scheduled?" Raik asked with a confused look.


    "I didn''t want to stress you out, moreover, it was to remain secret until thest moment." ck Sun Aristocrat said as he closed the book, "As you know, the strongest members of Scarlet Tree are masters at using blood magic.


    "Yeah... That''s right. Their leader is a real problem on the battlefield. The more opponents, the more trouble we''ll have." Raik muttered.


    "Exactly. That''s why we won''t fight in the city, you know that but I also want to block or at least suppress their forces, so I found one option." ck Sun Aristocrat put the book on the table before standing up.


    "What''s that?"


    "Vampires. Because of the Scarlet Tree, they try to avoid Daeron, it''s too dangerous for them, but Vampires are better at blood magic than anyone else, so I found the right merchant."


    "Are we going to buy an artifact? What''s the price?" Raik asked in a wary voice.


    "Huge. The merchant asked for a crystal with a blood essence that can increase it even if the blood purity is above 95% or 1000 virgin girls." ck Sun Aristocrat said in a calm voice.


    "Well, it''s less than I thought it would be. Daeron is a giant city, we can definitely find 1000 young girls." Raik nodded as though he was ready to get on with it.


    "No. You misunderstand me." ck Sun Aristocrat shook his hand, "I won''t give him the girls, I have the right crystal, so it''s not necessary."


    "What?!" Rain eximed with a baffled look, "Sir, are you sure? I realize it''s absolutely not humane, but even a million of these girls aren''t worth a tenth of a crystal of this level!"


    "You''repletely right, but there''s something you don''t understand, or rather you''ve forgotten about it." ck Sun Aristocrat picked up the book and returned it to the shelf, "We are not robbers. My goal is to make the Dark Hand the only ruler of Daeron. We love this city, so I want it to grow. With a good army, I can get another one of these crystals, but it takes a more valuable resource - time - to grow new inhabitants. It''s a matter of capacity and investment."


    Raik was silent for a while as he pondered the words of the ck Sun Aristocrat, then he said, "Okay. I see your point. We can''t treat the people of our city asmodities. Otherwise, we wouldn''t be rulers but miserable ve traders."


    "Right. Okay, we''re alreadyte. Let''s go." ck Sun Aristocrat pped his coat and left the room with Raik.


    There was deep night as Daeron was illuminated by the bright blue moon that was apanion for the many travelers or assassins that moved about under cover of darkness in this dangerous but great city.<sub> </sub>


    The ck Sun Aristocrat with Raik jumped across the tiled roofs of the stone houses like shadows. Even the best assassins couldn''t see or keep up with their movements, as though they merged with the dark and became part of it.


    The town was located in a mountainous, forested area near a massiveke that was known for its beautiful lilies.


    Around Daeron was a massive stone wall on by guards with brightly lit torches as they closely watched the forest groves since monsters or marauders often attacked the city.


    "We are almost there." ck Sun Aristocrat said as he leaped toward the cave entrance.


    "Is this it?" Raik asked with a suspicious look since the idea seemed strange and unsafe to him.


    "Yeah. Don''t worry, even if the vampire wants to trick us, we''ll just kill him, but I''m more worried about no sudden circumstances. Okay, let''s go." ck Sun Aristocrat sighed before going inside.


    It was dark in the cave, only some glowing vines illuminated it. From the top, drops of mountain water dripped down the stctites that smashed onto the rock.


    p They descended below and found themselves in a spacious ce with moonlight that streamed through the rocks in the center.</anda>


    "Did wee too soon?" Raik asked while looking around.


    "No. We''re even toote. Am I right?" ck Sun Aristocrat said as he looked into the dark part of the cave.


    Whoooooooosh.


    In the midst of the darkness, two ruby eyes opened, and a shadow appeared in front of ck Sun Aristocrat and Raik that waved its long cloak.


    "Well, well, it''s not nice to keep others waiting, don''t you know that?" The vampire said with a light smile on his face.


    "Greetings. You''re right on time, as always." ck Sun Aristocrat muttered in a calm voice.


    "Oh, did you bring a helper with you?" The vampire asked as he approached Raik with a curious look, "Not bad, not bad, if he wasn''t your mate, I''d drain him like a ss of wine."


    "What...?!" Raik was wary.


    "That''s enough." ck Sun Aristocrat said in a serious manner, "You brought it?"


    "Of course." The vampire smiled as his ring glowed.

 Chapter 522 The Skirmish

    A blood-stained statue in the shape of some ancient goddess appeared in the Vampire''s hands. An eerie yet majestic aura emanated from it that could make anyone kneel.


    "What is that...?" Raik muttered.


    "Something that will absorb all the blood and greatly weaken the blood magic because of the influence." The Vampire replied with a slight smile on his face, "I don''t see you bringing any girls with you, so you decided to pay with the crystal, right?"


    "Yes. I must say it is my most expensive purchase." ck Sun Aristocrat said in a calm voice as his ring glowed and the crimson crystal appeared in his hands.


    "Ohohoho." The Vampire smirked as he rubbed his hands like a merchant, "Great. It''s what I''ve been waiting for, though, of course, girls would be a nicer option."


    "Take it." ck Sun Aristocrat held out his hand.


    The Vampire nodded, tossed him the statue, and took the crystal.


    "Well, well, it''s always a pleasure doing business with you. Okay, see youter, hopefully, next time, you''ll pick the girls." The Vampire muttered before turning around.


    Whoooooosh.


    A shadow appeared next to the Vampire, and his head flew to the side, that caused a fountain of blood from his neck.


    "We''re under attack!" Raik eximed as he prepared for battle.


    Several shadows rushed toward them, but when ck Sun Aristocrat stepped forward, they stopped and stepped back.


    The shadows were three girls in dark red robes. Though thick headbands covered their faces, this could notpletely hide their extraordinary beauty and deadliness.


    "Assassins of Scarlet Tree?! What are you doing here?!" Raik eximed with a dazed look.


    "Leader of Dark Hand." One of the girls pointed her dagger at the ck Sun Aristocrat, "You were so inept that you failed to notice us! Die!"


    The girls were about to attack, but when ck Sun Aristocrat raised his index finger, they were wary and stayed put as they thought he was ahead of them.


    "No. I noticed you." ck Sun Aristocrat said in a calm voice.


    "Huh, no point in lying anymore." The girl grinned.


    "Your problem is that you don''t understand anything about trade. If there''s an opportunity to improve your rtionship with a merchant, you should take it. Am I right?" ck Sun Aristocrat asked.


    ''Who the hell is he talking to...? The girls inwardly muttered as they were confused.


    "Yeah... You''re absolutely right. Even though I asked for a hundred girls, these three are from the big leagues. That''ll do." The Vampire''s head suddenly said as his body rose and headed toward it.


    The girls flinched in fear, so they jumped aside.


    The body slowly lifted its head, shook the dust off it, and put it back in ce with a few scrolls for uracy.


    "That hurt, but it''s even good, the pain makes me feel alive." The Vampire smiled before turning to the girls, "But, you know what makes me feel good? It''s a pain of others!"


    Whooooooooosh.<sub> </sub>


    The Vampire turned into a bloody shadow as he appeared beside one of the girls. His nails lengthened into deadly ws, so he severed her arm, threw her aside, and moved on to his next victim.


    The girls were stunned that the situation had changed this way, but they quickly came to their senses as they attacked. Their des glowed faintly, and they rained energy des on the Vampire.


    "Great! This is getting much more interesting!" Vampire eximed with a frantic look, so he didn''t even dodge.


    Crackling.


    The des severed his arms, but that didn''t stop the Vampire as he strode forward and sank his fangs into the neck of one of the girls. His ruby eyes glittered as he instantly grew new arms.


    "Monster!" The third girl shouted with a terrified look while holding the dagger.


    "Yes. That''s me." The Vampire tossed the emaciated girl aside as he headed for the final victim.


    The girl wanted to attack, but there was nothing she could do. Her knees trembled as her heart shook with primal fear since it could burst at any moment.


    The Vampire paced slowly in a rxed manner, as though, for him, battle with deadly assassins was nothing more than entertainment.


    He pushed the dagger aside, grabbed her chin, and said, "Don''t worry. I won''t kill you. I''ve already let my animal rage out, so it''s time to calm down a little. What do you think of that?"


    "Y-Yes... Okay, I''ll do anything, just don''t kill me." The girl muttered in a trembling voice.


    "Of course." The Vampire nodded as he snapped her neck and tossed her aside.


    "Huh, isn''t that what you wanted?" ck Sun Aristocrat grinned, "Then why did you kill her?"


    "Nah, I don''t get turned on by girls that weak and submissive, she''s like a doll, so what''s the point? Okay, see youter, it was a pleasant surprise, I hope it happens more in the future." The Vampire waved as he disappeared into the shadows.


    "Sir... Did you really set all this up?" Rain asked with a confused look.


    "I didn''t expect us to be followed, moreover, it was the assassins, but I noticed them immediately, so I decided to take advantage of the situation. Didn''t it make a great show?" ck Sun Aristocrat muttered while looking at the moon through the rubble of the cave.


    "What do we do next?"


    "Well, we now have weapons against the strongest members of the Scarlet Tree, but not enough to win the war." ck Sun Aristocrat muttered.


    "What do you mean? I''m sure our fighters are better. Our victory is inevitable!" Raik eximed.


    "It will not be one battle, it is a war that has already begun. We have only recently begun to rule half of Daeron, while Scarlet Tree has been in that position for years. They have huge reserves, if they want to, they will use all their trump cards to destroy us in the blink of an eye."


    "Then... What do we do in that case?"


    "That''s easy." ck Sun Aristocrat waved his hand, "We need to destroy their main vault. I can do it, but I need the information."


    "I got it. I''ll let the scouts know. They''ll figure it out soon enough." Raik said with a serious look.

 Chapter 523 The Vault

    ''ck Sun Aristocrat definitely knows what he''s doing, I had no idea he could be such a good leader.'' Wain inwardly muttered while watching the memory.


    After they got the artifact from the Vampire in the cave, ck Sun Aristocrat proceeded to the next step - weakening the enemy.


    Whoooooosh.


    Several shadows leaped from rooftop to rooftop under cover of darkness that enveloped the city on a cloudy night. It was a Dark Hand scout squad. Their leader was Raik, as he decided to take charge of the operation.


    "Mr. Raik, the entrance is over there." One of the assassins said before pointing to a dark alleyway.


    "Good. I remind you, try to avoid any fighting. Our job is to find the main vault and set up a portal there so the leader can destroy it. Understood?" Raik asked with a serious look.


    The Assassins simply nodded as they turned into shadows.


    The Dark Hand was a huge organization, those nobles at the feast were the organization''s elders, but apart from them, many more people reported to the ck Sun Aristocrat. It was a whole mechanism in which every detail was important.


    ...


    Raik and the assassins went down to the basement, that was the secret passage to the vault. Raik believed that information was one of their most powerful weapons, so Dark Hand won several crucial battles thanks to this approach.


    "Mr. Raik, what shall we do?" Assassin asked while looking at several members of Scarlet Tree in the distance.


    "Just go around them. It''s a regr patrol. Sure, I''d like to slit their throats, but that''s an unnecessary risk. That''s it, let''s go." Raik gave the sign as he disappeared with the assassins.


    Whoooooosh.


    Shadows whizzed by beside the patrol that caused a faint stream of wind.


    "What was that?" One of them asked.


    "Probably rats or a draught..." The other carelessly waved a hand, "The walls here have all been falling apart for a long time. Forget it."


    "Okay. Let''s get out of here quick, we''ve been making the rounds here every day for weeks now, but nothing interesting has happened. Why is the management so worried about these Dark Hand? Can''t they do anything against us?" The first one said with a slight smile on his face.


    "You talk too much! This is an order, so we must obey it, preferably in silence!" The second stomped his foot with an annoyed look.


    ...


    The Assassins moved quickly and carefully. They had to pass through many patrols on their way to the vault, but no one noticed them.


    "It''s a real maze. They took no small effort to hide everything here." Assassin whispered.


    "Yes." Raik nodded, "That''s why we have to deal with it. Otherwise, many of our people will die just because the enemies have so many more artifacts. However, we won''t let that happen."


    "Maybe we should take these artifacts for ourselves then?" The other assassin suggested.


    "No. Stick to the n. There''s no way we can empty the vault unnoticed, but destroying it with a random spatial explosion is fine." Raik said with a serious look as he disappeared.


    The vault was in arge room that looked like an underground crypt. Many guards stood in front of the massive scarlet gate that a high staircase led up to it.


    There were massive statues of ancient warriors in the walls, but the guards didn''t notice that there was someone else there now.<sub> </sub>


    Raik stared at the gate that protected the massive magical barrier.


    "Shall we open the portal here?" Assassin asked in a quiet voice.


    "Yes, but first, we need to prepare for unexpected consequences." Raik muttered as he gave the sign to the Assassins that stood on the opposite statue.


    The assassins nodded and pulled scrolls from the pouches on their belts. They carefully ced the scrolls on the statue before pointing to the barrier.


    Raik slowly removed the purple ring from his finger and sprinkled it with his blood. Then the runes on the ring glowed brightly, so Raik tossed it into the center of the room.


    "Look!" One guard eximed while pointing to the glowing ring.


    "Everyone, get ready for battle!" Themander eximed as bloody armor with a scarlet spear appeared on it, however, no one was going to attack them.


    Crackle.


    When the ring reached the ground, it exploded. The energy surge destabilized the space, so there was a gap the size of a man.


    From the portal, a silhouette in a long red coat and a white mask that covered his face looked out at the guards as if from an abyss.


    "It''s him...!" The guard eximed with a scared look.


    "All attack!" Themander ordered as he threw a spear at the ck Sun Aristocrat.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Suddenly a magical circle appeared on the statue, from which chains burst out that stopped the spear. The same thing happened to several guards as various spells immobilized them.


    "Great. Get ready to leave!" Raik shouted before handing the assassins special potions for speed.


    "Raik, good job. We have just saved dozens of lives of our mates ande close to being the sole rulers of Daeron." ck Sun Aristocrat uttered in a thunderous voice as he clenched his palm into a fist.


    Crackle.


    A massive dark orb appeared in front of the gate that looked like a star with an enormous amount of energy.


    "Let''s go." Raik said in a calm voice before turning into a shadow as well as the assassins.


    They left the vault at breakneck speed since the ck Sun Aristocrat exploded the orb a momentter.


    The dark mes consumed everything like a gue and took the lives of all the guards, turning them into handfuls of ash. The barrier could not withstand such pressure as cracks appeared on it, then the mes tore the gate apart.


    The artifacts were left unprotected, so the fire melted them into puddles of metal or stone.


    "Good. Now our victory is only a matter of time." ck Sun Aristocrat muttered, swung his coat, and the portal closed.


    The vault was in the east of Scarlet Tree''s territories, so many inhabitants had to flee from the violent jolt and massive pir of smoke that night. Though the threat was over, the panic was just beginning to spread.

 Chapter 524 The Beginning Of War

    Whoooooooosh.


    Under cover of the night, a shadow climbed the massive gothic mansion.


    "Damn, the leader''s power is incredible..." Raik muttered while breathing heavily, "I barely made it out of there in time, but mission aplished."


    Raik took the sweat off his forehead as he turned toward the southern part of the city. Many bright dots that were guards with torches headed toward the massive pir of smoke. Terrified residents ran toward them, collided, and rolled like a snowball down the sloping streets.


    "It was only one attack on an underground vault... but it brought such serious destruction..." Raik muttered with a worried look, "We should definitely get the main battle as far away from Daeron as possible, otherwise we won''t rule the city but the ruins."


    Raik turned into a shadow as he entered the upper room of the mansion.


    "Good work." ck Sun Aristocrat said as he sat in a wooden chair while drinking white wine.


    "Oh, sir, you''re here already."


    "Hmm? Why shouldn''t I be here? This is my mansion." ck Sun Aristocrat muttered while swinging his ss from side to side.


    "I thought you might need a rest. You must have expended a lot of energy on this attack."


    "Huh, you really think so? Am I that weak in your eyes?"


    "No! That''s not what I meant! I would never...!" Raik eximed.


    "Ahahahaha, rx, I''m just kidding. Maybe during the battle, I wouldn''t have spent my energy so seriously, but now I can afford it as it was only a fraction, so I''m almost recovered." ck Sun Aristocrat said and took a sip.


    "We have disarmed Scarlet Tree, but we must also take care of the city''s safety." ck Sun Aristocrat muttered, "Have we prepared shelters for the residents yet?"


    "Yes. Practically." Raik nodded as he pulled off his ck assassin cloak, "Even if part of the battle touches the city, the residents will not suffer, at least in our territory."


    They were going to fight outside the city. Still, it would be a full-scale battle, so random attacks could fly into the city and damage several buildings, which is why ck Sun Aristocrat wanted to avoid any casualties.


    "Hmm? Did I say we should separate the inhabitants? We have to take care of all the inhabitants, and it doesn''t matter if they''re from the southern part of the city." ck Sun Aristocrat said in a cold voice.


    "I understand. We''re trying to work on that, so once the war starts, when the chaos starts, our men can quickly redirect people from the south side to the north side." Raik said with a serious look.


    "Good." ck Sun Aristocrat finished his wine as he set his ss aside.


    ...


    It was two weeks before the war began, and that time passed quickly and productively. Wain watched all the proceedings like a ghost, because of the limitations of his memories, he could only see what ck Sun Aristocrat and Raik.<sub> </sub>


    ''They approached this much more seriously than I thought.'' Wain internally muttered as he held his chin while floating in the air, ''But... I still know next to nothing about Scarlet Tree. Even though the ck Sun Aristocrat destroyed their vault, they haven''t reacted in any way... It''s suspicious, they must have a n.''


    ...


    "Well, this day has finally arrived." ck Sun Aristocrat muttered as he dressed in front of the mirror.


    Today was a special day, so he dressed up in his favorite look. He wore a long red coat with ck stripes around the edges, white gloves with an amber stone in the center of the back of his hand, narrow ck pants with a dangling decorative chain, and tall, dark boots.


    Of course, the most important detail was the white mask thatpleted his look, so ck Sun Aristocrat straightened his cor and slowly put the mask on.


    Click.


    At the same moment, the door opened, and Raik stepped inside.


    "Sir, the elders are ready and awaiting your order." Raik said in a serious voice as he bowed slightly.


    "Then let us not keep them waiting too long." The ck Sun Aristocrat turned as a powerful aura flowed from him that enveloped him like a dark veil.


    He and Raik headed into the banquet hall, however this time, the table was empty, just as there were no chairs or decorations.


    The nobles stood near the table with serious looks. Tension was in the air, as they knew that today everything would be decided, and if they seeded, they would get what they had been seeking for so long.


    ck Sun Aristocrat entered the room as he stood at the head of the table and said, "All of you know why we are here. This room is empty today because when we win, we will have the greatest feast, not in this cramped castle, but in the city''s center so that everyone understands who we are and what we strive for!" The ck Sun Aristocrat eximed.


    "Everyone, take your seats. Act on the n, I''ll start the fight and take their leader, the rest is up to you and your men."


    "Yes!" The nobles simultaneously eximed before turning into shadows.


    "Raik, I hope for you." ck Sun Aristocrat muttered.


    "Sure. Sir, I will do anything to make Dark Hand the ruler of Daeron, even if it requires giving my life!" Raik eximed as he pounded his fist into his chest.


    "I''m d you turned out to be my assistant." ck Sun Aristocrat muttered as he disappeared.


    p He walked alone toward the southern part of the city to Scarlet Tree Base. It was a massive castle that was adorned with red banners depicting a tree. Though normally there were many guards outside the main gate, this day it was deserted. There were only two crimson torches outside.</anda>


    The ck Sun Aristocrat opened the gate as he stepped forward. In front was a long red carpet that led to a throne where someone was sitting.


    "How kind of you toe here alone."

 Chapter 525 Scarlet Tree Leader

    In the spacious hall, on the throne sat a person who, for the past few years, has been the leader of the strongest organization in Daeron.


    A tall girl with long red hair and scarlet armor looked at the ck Sun Aristocrat with a sharp look. Her ruby eyes glowed slightly in the darkness like the Vampire had blood magic effects.


    "Lycia... I thought attacks from all sides would immediately bombard me as soon as I walked in here. Have you finally learned your manners?" ck Sun Aristocrat said in a careless manner.


    "Huh, do you really think I''m that crazy? If we fight here, a stone won''t even be left of the city. Remember, I am a ruler, not a destroyer." Lycia said as she stood up and walked slowly toward him.


    Blood streams appeared around her hands as her aura intensified several times.


    "Well, you''re wrong. A dead man can''t be a ruler." The ck Sun Aristocrat said in an ice-cold voice before turning into a dark sh.


    He instantly reached Lycia, grabbed her by the neck, and jumped up.


    "Bastard!" Lycia eximed as she attacked.


    "Quiet. We don''t have the right to start yet, we need to get as far away from here as possible first." The ck Sun Aristocrat muttered as two dark spheres appeared beneath him that exploded, so the impact tossed him and Lycia higher.


    They broke through the stone roof of the castle since they were like a shooting star that flew onward. The ck Sun Aristocrat created sphere after sphere to fly as far away from the city as possible.


    At the same time, many dark shes flew out of the northern part of the city as well as a hundred scarlet ones from the southern part.


    They only stopped when they reached theke that was a few hundred meters from the city. The dark shes shed with the scarlet ones, but the leaders had not yet begun to fight.


    "You''re kind of rude, don''t you think?" Lycia asked while stretching her neck, "You seem really serious today."


    "Though you say so, you don''t seem to understand it yourself. You''re too calm for someone who''s going to lose everything today, aren''t you?"


    "Huh, you don''t stand a chance." Lycia said with a confident look, "You, Dark Hand, acted like petty pests. It''s brought us quite a bit of trouble, but none of that matters. I only came here for one reason. Tonight I''m going to kill you, but before I do, I''m going to take off this mask and see your face! I bet you must be ugly to hide it so carefully."


    ck Sun Aristocrat said nothing. He only stepped forward as dark mes enveloped his arms.


    "Well, you can try to do it if you can." ck Sun Aristocrat said before pointing at Lycia.


    Whoooooosh.<sub> </sub>


    Several dark spheres appeared next to her that immediately exploded. However, Lycia didn''t dodge as she swung her arm and created a bloody barrier around herself.


    The mes rained down on the barrier, but they couldn''t even leave a scratch on the barrier. Then Lycia carelessly swung her hand to remove the barrier.


    "Huh, your me is so unusual... It burned all the artifacts in the vault, but all I feel is cold. And don''t you think this ne doesn''t suit you?" Lycia said as she pointed to the jaw coin that hung around his neck.


    "It''s just a piece of jewelry, nothing more." The ck Sun Aristocrat spoke in a calm voice before running forward.


    Lycia attacked as well, so their fists mmed into each other. The blood shed with the darkness that created the ck-red shockwave. They gradually elerated, so waves of darkness and blood widened that bent the trees and shook the water in theke just like the lilies on it.


    "Ahahahahahaha, great! That''s just what we need! Time to end the forey and move on to something more interesting." Lycia eximed as she created several spears of blood that, at the wave of her hand, headed to the ck Sun Aristocrat.


    The ck Sun Aristocrat jumped aside, but suddenly Lycia appeared behind him. She kicked him in the stomach with all her might. The impact threw ck Sun Aristocrat back several dozen meters, so he broke several trees along the way and stopped only at theke shore.


    On the other side of theke, the Dark Hand members and Scarlet Tree ones fought furiously. They spared no effort and used their most powerful skills, so thendscape was badly damaged as well as the fighters. Many had alreadymissioned wounds of varying severity. Dark Hand was gradually winning, but only up to this point since blood was the main ally of Scarlet Tree.


    "Kill them! Glory to the Scarlet Tree." One of themanders eximed since a red magic circle appeared in front of him.


    Drops of blood from the ground headed toward it and turned into dozens of des that rained down on the Dark Hand members like a barrage of arrows.


    "Everyone stand back!" Raik shouted as he swung his paired daggers.


    His movements were so swift that dark wind des flew out of the daggers and turned into a whirlwind. It shattered the des into pieces and rained down on Scarlet Tree members.


    "You''re lucky you were able to find such a talented fighter." Lycia muttered while watching Raik fight, "However, in any war, it all depends on which leader wins. All of them are just so we can shine brightly!"


    "Well... With that kind of attitude towards your subordinates, you''ll certainly never have anyone like Raik." ck Sun Aristocrat muttered.


    "Huh, I don''t need that. I can deal with you myself!" Lycia eximed as her eyes sparkled.


    She waved her hand as the ground trembled, Lycia used one of her trump cards. The blood on the battlefield rushed to her in multiple streams that gradually turned into a massive sphere that asionally beat like a heart.

 Chapter 526 The Mask

    "Huh, you decided to copy me?" ck Sun Aristocrat muttered while looking at the bloody orb, "Do you really have so little imagination?"


    "Say what you want." Lycia smirked as she snapped her finger.


    The orb trembled and burst massive blood clots that rained down on Dark Hand members. Each clot was powerful and exploded on impact.


    ''After all, I didn''t give up that crystal for anything...'' ck Sun Aristocrat inwardly muttered before pulling out the statue of the goddess.


    "What is it? An amulet for good luck? Like a rabbit''s foot?" Lycia said in a careless voice, but a momentter, a shiver ran through her body as her heart was gripped by fear.


    "This is the seal that I bought for you personally. You can be proud of it, no woman has ever received such expensive gifts from me." ck Sun Aristocrat uttered and cut his palm, so a drop of blood fell on the statuette.


    "No!" Lycia eximed with a terrified look as she ran toward ck Sun Aristocrat.


    Whoooooooosh.


    The statue''s eyes opened and lit up like two crimsonnterns. The ground trembled with blood that headed toward the statuette. Many Scarlet Tree members'' spells were shattered by theck of blood as well as Lycia''s massive orb.


    Like a ck hole, the goddess statue consumed all the blood on the battlefield, then shattered into multiple shards that flew equidistant from one another. The shards formed a dome that greatly weakened the blood magic in arge radius.


    "Bastard!" Lycia eximed as she jumped back.


    "You decided to kill my people, so I''m giving it back to you." ck Sun Aristocrat said as a torrent of dark energy erupted from him.


    He raised his hand, created a multitude of dark spheres in the air, and lowered his hand as though giving an order to the archers to fire. The ming spheres rained down on the Scarlet Tree members like meteorites. The fire burned them along with the woods and left nothing but ash behind.


    Whoooooosh.


    The ck Sun Aristocrat appeared before Lycia as he drove his fist into her stomach with lightning speed.


    "Agh!" Lycia''s face distorted in pain as she vomited a mouthful of blood that a few dropsnded on ck Sun Aristocrat''s mask.


    The impact threw Lycia back several meters, so the ck Sun Aristocrat created a sphere behind her that sent Lycia back to him.


    The ck Sun Aristocrat took a step back, lowered, and punched with his fist from bottom to top, sinking it deep into Lycia''s belly. The force of the blow threw her several meters upward, so she fell onto a rock in the distance.


    ck Sun Aristocrat shook his palm in a careless manner before heading toward Lycia. She was lying on the rock with a nk look as blood trickled from the corners of her mouth.


    "Well, it all happened a lot faster than I thought it would." ck Sun Aristocrat said while looking at Lycia.


    A dark orb appeared in his hand as he approached her.


    "Anyst words?" ck Sun Aristocrat asked in an ice-cold voice.<sub> </sub>


    "Huh, you''re pretty funny." Lycia grinned, "You know, your image is so pathetic like you''ve been dreaming about it for a long time. You''re like some kind of mysterious lord that destroys his enemies with a wave of his hand, but the real you lurks under that mask."


    "Well, you''ll never know the answer to that question." ck Sun Aristocrat muttered before pointing the orb toward her.


    "That''s not true... Your trump card is more dangerous than I thought. You managed to seriously weaken me as this statue took away my ability to use someone else''s blood, but... Is that a problem?" Lycia smirked before her blood turned into tattoos that covered her entire body.


    Bam.


    She disappeared and a momentter appeared behind the ck Sun Aristocrat with an insane look. Lycia stared at him like a predator at its prey that was ready to tear it to pieces.


    "Die!" Lycia eximed as she attacked.


    The ck Sun Aristocrat quickly created a protective barrier of dark me in front of him, but Lycia punched through it with ease, so the ck Sun Aristocrat got hit with full force.


    Lycia didn''t stop. It was like a wild beast hitting ck Sun Aristocrat from all sides at different points. He tried to block it, but Lycia was too fast. She grew stronger with every drop of blood that flowed from ck Sun Aristocrat''s wounds. The blood intensified the tattoos on her body that moved like snakes.


    "Is that really all you can do? Weakling!" Lycia eximed while beating ck Sun Aristocrat with a hail of blows.


    ''Damn, so that''s why she didn''t bother with Dark Hand''s actions...'' Wain inwardly muttered with a dazed look, ''She knew it was impossible to block her powerpletely. She fights like a vampire, not caring about her wounds, in fact, her wounds make her stronger.''


    Wain worried as the ck Sun Aristocrat waspletely defenseless. His red coat was partially torn, and his mask had a few cracks.


    "Away!" ck Sun Aristocrat eximed as he created a sphere in front of him that should have scared Lycia away, but instead, she just destroyed it with a wave of her hand.


    The dark mes burned Lycia''s skin slightly, but it was as if she didn''t notice it as some of the tattoos evaporated to heal her wounds instantly.


    "You''re mine!" Lycia grabbed ck Sun Aristocrat by the neck and threw him to the ground.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Lyciaunched a series of powerful blows at his stomach until a scarlet blood stream trickled out from beneath the mask. The ck Sun Aristocrat was breathing heavily as if he were dying.


    "Hey, don''t you dare die! It''s too soon. I have to see your face first." Lycia licked her lips as she touched the mask.


    She slowly removed the mask since a stream of darkness came out from under it that slowly revealed the ck Sun Aristocrat''s face.


    Bam.


    When Lycia saw it, her heart began to beat faster.

 Chapter 527 Hidden Under A Mask

    p What reason could a person have for hiding his face?</anda>


    Maybe it was because this one was a criminal, a sociopath, or his face was seriously disfigured? Well, all these reasons would have urred, but not for a person of status and influence like the ck Sun Aristocrat. He needed a mask to hide the part of himself that he hated.


    "This... How is this possible...?!" Lycia eximed with a dazed look as she took a few steps back.


    Her heart was racing because of the ck Sun Aristocrat''s face.


    He slowly stood up, shook off his bullshit, and said, "Are you happy now? Is this what you wanted to see?"


    ck Sun Aristocrat''s face was wless. Even despite his wounds, he looked as if he had been personally created by a god and had spent more energy on it than to create the universe.


    As a child, ck Sun Aristocrat''s had many problems because of this, girls literally wouldn''t let him pass, and boys were constantly fighting with him because of envy, however, ck Sun Aristocrat could deal with that, but that wasn''t the reason why he hid his face.


    ''Damn... I thought I was the lucky one with my looks...'' Wain internally muttered while floating in the air, ''Huh, Lycia''s blushed immediately, is that kind of power fair?


    "This is unexpected... but honestly, I''m disappointed." Lycia said as she pulled herself together, "If you''re so handsome, why hide it? Are you really that shy? Huh, it looks pathetic!"


    "My mask is not a protection that hides me from the world, it is a seal that hides the world from me." ck Sun Aristocrat said in a calm voice, but a momentter, his face distorted into an evil smirk, "Because you have no idea how hard it is for me to restrain myself now, you dumb-ass pig! Do you like my face? Yes!? Then why don''t you go fuck yourself, or I''ll make you look me straight in the eye while I slowly rip your guts out!"


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ground trembled as a massive torrent of darkness erupted from the ck Sun Aristocrat that was like a river of weeping ghosts.


    "Fuck, how I didn''t want to do this again, but you forced me to, so get ready for the worst nightmare of your life!" ck Sun Aristocrat eximed with a mad look and tore the amulet from his neck.


    The jaw coin glowed brightly as it shattered into tiny shards that opened the portal.


    Whooooosh.


    A dark silhouette with a long coat flew in, smiled, and said, "Well, well, you did it after all. Beautiful on the outside but horrible on the inside. That''s pretty romantic, don''t you think?"


    "Shut up!" ck Sun Aristocrat shouted, "Just do what you must do before I destroy everything here."


    "Who the fuck are you?!" Lycia eximed as her heart was racked with fear.


    "All right. You don''t have to be so rude." Silhouette said in a careless manner and snapped his finger.


    Whoooooosh.


    A multitude of jaws that turned into piranhas appeared next to him. They grabbed the members of Dark Hand and Scarlet Tree between the jaws and dragged them as far away from the battlefield as possible. No one could resist this.<sub> </sub>


    Then the piranhas turned into jaws as they formed a huge dome around Lycia and ck Sun Aristocrat that covered the forest, theke, and part of the mountain.


    "Have a good time." The Silhouette bowed slightly with a sly smile on his face and flew outside the dome.


    ck Sun Aristocrat no longer had the strength to hold back, so he immediately released all the umted power.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    He pointed his hand at Lycia, and a dark energy beam burst out of it that instantly pierced through her. The beam had such tremendous power that it shook the air and could destroy an entire mountain, but the jaws on the dome absorbed all the energy before it could escape.


    Dark Hand members watched the battle with shocked looks. They had never seen this side of their leader, that was always calm and cold.


    "Sir... So this is what you''ve been hiding for so long..." Raik muttered in a dazed voice.


    No one fought anymore, everyone understood that it no longer made sense. Now everything depended only on the result of the battle of their leaders, moreover, they did not dare to do anything under the gaze of the dark Silhouette as his aura made them tremble with fear.


    Lycia touched the hole in her belly and stared at the bloodied palm for some time. Despite what had happened, her gaze was calm. It was as if they had switched roles as the madness was now on the ck Sun Aristocrat''s side.


    "Damn... I didn''t see thating... Now I even regret seeing your face..." Lycia muttered, "When you got the goddess statue, you said no woman had ever received such expensive gifts from you, so let me return the favor."


    Lycia''s ring glowed brightly as a vial of scarlet blood appeared in her hand, from that emanated an unusual aura.


    "What is that...?" Raik muttered.


    "Oh, this girl was definitely ready for any turn of events. This trump card could change everything." Dark Silhouette said as he appeared behind Raik.


    "Ah!" Raik eximed with a startled look.


    "Don''t be afraid. I''m just a spectator." Dark Silhouette said with a faint smile on his face.


    "What is all this blood? Why do I get the feeling it''s something really bad?" Raik asked.


    "Well, that it is. Once, an immortal Dragon went mad for living too long, so it began to wound itself so badly that its blood turned into rivers. The creatures that drank that blood became part of myths and legends, so that''s what''s in this vial."


    "Wait... She has blood magic, if she drinks that vial, then..."


    "Exactly, it''ll be quite a show."


    Lycia opened the vial and emptied it, then her eyes reddened, her aura intensified, and the wide wound in her belly recovered instantly.

 Chapter 528 Terrible Beauty

    Lycia drank the blood of the ancient immortal Dragon, so now her regenerative skills have reached a whole new level. The tattoos on her body glowed brightly, and all her wounds were instantly healed.


    "You definitely let your senses run wild when you took the mask off, so go ahead. Attack me with everything you''ve got, even if there''s one drop left of me, I''ll rise from the dead and get you!" Lycia eximed as she ran at the ck Sun Aristocrat.


    "Ahahahaha, great! Then I''ll kill you until you go crazy! You must still be feeling the pain!" ck Sun Aristocrat uttered before swinging his arms from bottom to top.


    He created two ming des that sliced Lycia apart, then were devoured by the jaws. However, Lycia instantly recovered since she didn''t even flinch despite the terrible pain. She walked over to the ck Sun Aristocrat and punched him with her fist as hard as possible.


    Bam.


    ck Sun Aristocrat folded his arms in front of him like a shield to block the blow.


    "Huh, not bad, but not enough to scratch me!" ck Sun Aristocrat smirked as a dark sphere appeared under his foot that exploded.


    It didn''t hurt him, but the impact elerated his kick, so he was able to send Lycia flying dozens of meters high.


    The kick was so strong that Lycia reached the dome''s boundaries. When it did, one of the jaws turned into a piranha and returned Lycia to the ground like an arbiter.


    "Hey! Why did you help her?!" Raik eximed with a confused look.


    "Hmm? Help?" The Dark Silhouette smiled, "I told you I was just a spectator. Would it be fair if I killed her now? Don''t be silly, especially since this fight is far more interesting than you all realize. Just watch."


    The kick left a serious burn in Lycia''s stomach, but the wound quickly healed as Lycia''s aura increased.


    "This blood seems to have a special effect, doesn''t it?" ck Sun Aristocrat asked before lighting a me on his hands.


    "Yes. Every time I recover, I get stronger. I assure you, I can withstand hundreds more of your attacks, so you lose when you run out of energy. No matter what you do, it won''t change the ending." Lycia said in a calm voice as a bloody orb appeared in her hand.


    The orb slowly rose upward and unleashed a dozen projectiles that rained down on the ck Sun Aristocrat.


    "Hmm? Why isn''t he dodging...?" Raik muttered with a worried look.


    "Huh, isn''t it obvious?" The Dark Silhouette grinned, "There''s no need for that. Ah, those two are part of the same whole, only they''re on different sides."


    Whooooooosh.


    The ck Sun Aristocrat raised his hand as a dark magical circle appeared in front of his palm, so it was as though a ck hole absorbed all the bloody projectiles, and his aura raised.


    "Wait... That''s impossible... Lycia is practically immortal, and she gets stronger when wounded, at the same time, sir can absorb any attack and is far superior in strength... Can either of them win in that case?" Raik muttered while in disbelief.


    "Well, the victory of one of the fighters is not the only possible oue of the battle. You just don''t have enough experience to know that because the ending here will be unusual." The Dark Silhouette said with a curious look while holding his hand to his chin.<sub> </sub>


    Lycia didn''t expect the ck Sun Aristocrat to have such abilities, but she wasn''t about to back down. She kept attacking, getting wounded, recovering, and going into battle again.


    "Ahahahaha, okay, let''s keep going. I hope you don''t get tired soon enough!" ck Sun Aristocrat eximed with a satisfied smile on his face.


    He created many spheres that simultaneously exploded. The shockwave and mes destroyed half of the forest, Lycia, that was in the epicenter, received severe burns all over her body, but as soon as ck Sun Aristocrat blinked, she had already fully recovered.


    "You seem to like destroying things, don''t you?" Lycia asked while looking at the burned forest.


    "Hell yeah! This is fucking awesome!" ck Sun Aristocrat eximed as he threw two dark spheres at Lycia.


    "Good. I''m d." Lycia whispered in a quiet voice that no one but her could hear it.


    ''Damn... Is she...?'' Wain muttered inwardly.


    Whooooooosh.


    Lycia rushed to ck Sun Aristocrat. This time she did not take the attack and elegantly dodged the spheres with a leap, so she came close to him.


    ck Sun Aristocrat put out a block as he prepared to take the hit, but it didn''t follow. Instead, Lycia took his hands, stepped forward, and kissed him.


    He was stunned as he expected anything but that. The same reaction had their subordinates that watched this impossible scene with open mouths.


    "I''m sorry, but I couldn''t confess my feelings for someone whose face I''ve never seen, so I decided to take off my mask before I did it." Lycia said while staring intently into his eyes.


    ck Sun Aristocrat didn''t know what to say, on top of everything else, his heart suddenly began to beat faster as it echoed Lycia''s.


    Hundreds of memories and various events stormed through the ck Sun Aristocrat''s mind as he realized something.


    "I see. So that''s why you sometimes didn''t respond in any way to my antics..." He muttered.


    "Yeah, it got me in a lot of trouble sometimes. When you take a job, you always do everything perfectly." Lycia nodded before asking, "So? Are we going to fight on, or will you let your heart go as well as your emotions?"


    ck Sun Aristocrat was silent for a while, then pressed her head against his chest and said, "You''re the first one who fell in love with me, not for my looks, so I would be the greatest idiot if I refused."


    "Well, well, that''s actually romantic. I''m never wrong about these things, but it''s not over yet, is it?" The Dark Silhouette smiled.


    Whoooooosh.


    Suddenly streams of energy burst out of Lycia, and the ck Sun Aristocrat that began to mingle.

 Chapter 529 Terrible Beauty (Part 2)

    The two energy beams mixed as they gradually merged into one. The ck-red energy split into two streams that headed toward Lycia and the ck Sun Aristocrat. As they absorbed the energy, they stared intently into each other''s eyes, and their appearance began to change.


    Some of Lycia''s hair became ck as well as her right eye, among ck Sun Aristocrat''s dark hair, appeared red curls, and his left eye became ruby. Because of the change, their abilities also expanded, as all of ck Sun Aristocrat''s wounds instantly healed.


    "Well, that''s about it for them." Dark Silhouette muttered, standing up and standing beside them.


    "Are you leaving already?" ck Sun Aristocrat asked while not taking his eyes off Lycia.


    "Yes. I''m sure you can take it from here. Here''s a little gift for you from me." The Dark Silhouette said with a calm voice before releasing a cloud of darkness from his palm.


    The cloud split into two parts that turned into rings. One ring was red with a scarlet gem in the shape of a drop of blood, the other was dark with a white round stone.


    "I hope you use these rings the next time we meet for their intended purpose. Huh, it''s actually Terrible Beauty." Dark Silhouette said as he disappeared.


    ...


    Tremble.


    Wain turned back as he turned around. The ck Sun Aristocrat, the Knight of the Bloody Rose, and the Light Racer were still beside him.


    "Well, I didn''t expect that to happen at all, your memory was filled with unexpected twists and turns." Wain muttered with a faint smile on his face while looking at the ck Sun Aristocrat.


    "You can be proud of that. Only a few people have seen me like this." ck Sun Aristocrat said in a calm voice.


    "Huh, don''t you know that a few people is definitely no more than ten?" Light Racer grinned, "Your face has certainly seen many more people."


    "Shut up." ck Sun Aristocrat muttered in an ice-cold voice.


    [Terrible Beauty


    This is the oue of revealing the secret of both appearance and feelings. Use this power to gain the abilities of both that together are an invincible symbiosis.]


    "Are you ready?" Knight of the Bloody Rose asked with a serious look.


    "You''re next, right?" Wain smiled as he nodded.


    "Yes. You probably thought my story would be about love, but unfortunately, it will only be the aftermath of tragedy." The Knight of the Bloody Rose mouthed before approaching Wain.


    He drew his sword from its sheath and pierced Wain. Wain did not fight back, nothing could hurt him at this point, it was just a special method of entering the memory.


    "Have a good viewing!" Light Racer said with a slight smile on his face while waving as though he was saying goodbye to him.


    Wain slowly closed his eyes as he passed out.


    ...


    Drip. Drip. Drip.


    On a rainy day, massive drops fell on the stone tombstones in the cemetery. In front of one grave stood a tall man with blue hair, amethyst eyes, and wearing dark, chivalrous armor.


    He stared with cold eyes at the name on the tombstone as the person most dear to him was buried here.


    ''Well, it looks like Knight of the Bloody Rose wasn''t lying. I can already feel the depression sneaking up on me.'' Wain muttered to himself.


    Tap. Tap. Tap.


    A girl in white armor with the same blue hair and amethyst eyes ran up to the knight.<sub> </sub>


    "Hey! You''ve been standing here for hours!" The girl eximed as she ran up to the Knight, "Let''s go home, or you''ll catch a cold!"


    "Do you really think it''s raining...?" Knight asked in an empty voice, "It''s only part of my tears and grief... What''s the point of me leaving...?"


    "Brother! That''s enough! I understand how you feel, but life doesn''t end there! Pull yourself together!" The girl eximed with a worried look.


    However, the Knight made no reply. He continued to stand still as if he had been stunned.


    Only half an hourter, when the girl began to freeze as the Knight noticed this, he bowed slightly and headed for the exit from the cemetery.


    The knight with a girl reached their home, that was a massive, ancient mansion with slightly sprouting moss on the stone walls and several bloody rose banners on the entrance and tower that fluttered in the strong wind.


    "I''ll make some food." The girl said as she stripped off her armor.


    "Cecilia, that is not necessary." The knight said in a calm voice.


    "Hey, you made me soaked through too, so we just need warm soup to keep warm!" The girl eximed while pointing at him.


    "Eh, okay, I''ll help you. What are we having for dinner tonight?" The knight asked as he stripped off his armor, but his sword remained with him.


    "Vegetable and meat soup with spicy spices just the way you like it." Cecilia replied with a kind smile on her face before heading into the kitchen.


    Cecilia filled the cooking pot with water, activated the special me crystals, and pulled out some potatoes. However, not a minuteter, she managed to cut herself.


    "Well, you''re still just as clumsy... You love to cook, but you''repletely clueless with a knife, how is that possible?" Knight muttered while looking at her with a puzzled look.


    "That''s not true!" Cecilia eximed as she blushed, "I''m just too cold, so my hands haven''t warmed up yet..."


    "All right, give it to me." The knight took matters into his own hands.


    He was as good with a knife as he was with a sword, so after a while, he threw the perfectly chopped vegetables and meat into the boiling water.


    "The rest is on you." The knight put the knife aside and headed for the couch that near the firece.


    "Done!" Cecilia eximed after a few minutes as she ced two tes on the table and filled them with soup.


    "Enjoy your meal!" Cecilia said before beginning to eat.


    "Yeah." Knight nodded.


    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    When the tes were almost empty, someone knocked on the door.


    "I''ll get it!" Cecilia uttered.


    "I''ll do it myself." Knight said as he headed for the door.


    Snap.


    A man with dark hair in white armor stood in front of the house with a worried look.


    "Hmm?" The knight grasped his chin in a puzzled manner.


    "Sir! I have an urgent message for you! The King calls you!"

 Chapter 530 The Retreating Knight

    "The King? What does he want?" Knight of the Bloody Rose asked with a disgruntled look.


    "I don''t know. I''m only delivering you a message!" The man eximed while sping his palm to his chest, "Something urgent hase up. Pleasee with me, the King is waiting for you."


    "Brother, has something happened?" Cecilia approached them as she removed her apron and set it aside.


    "Oh, Miss Cecilia, you are here too, what luck. The King said to call you too." The man smiled.


    "Damn, what does that senile old man want?" Knight of the Bloody Rose shook his head in a disgruntled manner, "All right, let''s go, but I''m not going to do anything, and remember, because of you, I didn''t eat my soup."


    The man didn''t answer anything. He just nodded since he didn''t realize whether the Knight of the Bloody Rose was in a good mood.


    "Cecilia, get ready."


    "I''m ready now!" The girl eximed as she was already wearing a set of white armor with a long silver sword on her belt.


    "Good. Let''s get this over with as soon as possible, hopefully by the time we get back, the soup won''t be cold yet." Knight of the Bloody Rose muttered before stepping forward.


    "Wait! You''re going to appear before the King like that?!" The man eximed with a confused look.


    Knight of the Bloody Rose was wearing only a shirt, a metal chain, and pants, so outwardly he looked like amoner.


    "Yeah... Do you have a problem with that?" The Knight of the Bloody Rose said with an ice-cold look as though he could pierce a man with one look.


    "N-No! Of course not! I''m sorry, I''m just not used to seeing a knight without armor." The man flinched as he stepped aside.


    "Let''s go." The Knight of the Bloody Rose headed forward.


    ...


    Because of the heavy rain, the streets of the city were deserted, so they didn''t encounter a single person on their way to the castle until they reached the main gate.


    Two guards in bulky armor with halberds stood at the entrance like gatekeepers.


    "Who are you?" One of the guards asked in a menacing voice when he saw the man.


    "The king called us!" The man uttered as he raised his head.


    "Huh, really? It doesn''t sound like the King was expecting someone like you." The guard said in a mocking manner as a smirk appeared on his face.


    "What... but..."


    "Eh, I haven''t been here long, but some things don''t change. Those two useless idiots are still standing here." A serene voice rang out behind the man.


    "Hmm? Who''s that cheeky bastard?!" The second guard eximed as he prepared to fight.


    Whooooooooosh.


    A sh of light shed near the guards. They reacted instantly, but when they noticed the blue hair, they froze as if petrified.<sub> </sub>


    "Well, well, can''t I get into the castle now?" Knight of the Bloody Rose asked while shaking his head in a non-approving manner.


    "Of course not!" The guards simultaneously eximed as they opened the gate for him, "Pleasee in. I''m sorry we didn''t see you right away!"


    "All right, I forgive you this time." The Knight of the Bloody Rose waved his hand with a careless look as he stepped inside.


    Cecilia followed him with a smile on her face. It wasn''t the first time she''d seen a scene like this, and each time she was proud of the heights her brother had reached.


    "Damn... I guess I don''t fully understand the importance of this man..." The man muttered to himself, "Even the royal guards are afraid of him... It''s incredible..."


    ...


    They walked through a wide corridor into the main hall of the castle, there where the King and a few other people were.


    The King was an old man with a long white beard but a sly look. He was sitting in a splendid chair at a massive wooden table with knights in white armor that stood near it.


    "Oh, good. The ones we''ve waited so long for have finally arrived." The King said with a slight smile on his face as he waved his hand.


    The knights turned around since some of them had a disgruntled look on their faces.


    "Hey, why do you keep us waiting? Do you really think you''re so special?" The girl with the long white hair spoke in a rough manner.


    "White Lily, you don''t have to be so rude. He is special, for him, I could wait even a few hours if necessary." The King shook his head.


    "Pfft, I don''t see anything special about him. He''s just a simple upstart that undeservedly got his fame." The girl frowned.


    The Knight of the Bloody Rose looked at her, tilted his head, and asked, "Old man, what kind of noise kid is that?"


    "What did you say?!" She eximed with an angry look.


    "Stop." The King said as he pped his staff on the floor, "This beautiful girl is the new head of the House of the White Lily, you should not treat her with disdain, she is the best with a rapier in the kingdom."


    "A rapier? Huh, that weapon is only good for showing off during fairs." The Knight of the Bloody Rose shook his head, "Since when did the Royal des get clowns?"


    The Royal des were knights from eight of the kingdom''s strongest families. However, as ofte, one of the families had stopped interacting with the King due to personal tragedy.


    "Bastard!" The White Lily could not bear such humiliation, so she pulled her rapier from its sheath and attacked the Knight of the Bloody Rose.


    Whooooooosh.


    She reached for it instantly, but at thest moment, before she attacked, she stopped as a shudder ran through her body.


    The dark de with the rose petals on it was at her throat, so if she''d taken even one more step, her head would have fallen from her shoulders.


    "How... is that possible...?" White Lily muttered with a shocked look while in disbelief.

 Chapter 531 Dark Lizards

    "Well, that''s a disappointment." The Knight of the Bloody Rose muttered as he struck the White Lily''s hand with the hilt of his sword.


    "Agh!" The White Lily did not expect this, so her grip loosened, and the rapier flew aside.


    <o>,m "You have be one of the Royal des, head of the Knight''s House, but you are still a child that needs good manners." The Knight of the Bloody Rose grabbed her by the hair in a rude manner and threw her to the ground.</o>


    "Bastard!" White Lily eximed with a furious look as she tried to resist, but she instantly got the kick that sank her face into the stone floor.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    The Knight of the Bloody Rose continued to trample her into the ground like a worthless bug. The other knights watched the scene, but no one rushed to help the White Lily, as though his actions were beyond dispute.


    "Enough, this is enough." The King said with a serious look, "She''s certainly learned her lesson, I''m sure that such disrespect won''t happen again."


    "All right, old man, whatever you say, but next time I won''t be so soft." The Knight of the Bloody Rose stopped before approaching the round table.


    White Lily spat out a blood clot, looked at Cecilia, and said, "You''re his sister... So why the fuck didn''t you stop that monster? Do you think that''s a normal attitude for a woman?"


    "You''re a woman? What the fuck are you talking about?" Cecilia asked with a contemptuous look, "You''re a knight and nothing but that. What just happened was just a battle between two knights, but I, unlike you, have enough brains to understand that a weak knight has no right to judge the actions of the strongest knight in the kingdom, so I wouldn''t care even if he killed you."


    Usually kind, Cecilia had be as cold as a cier, but her belief in subordination and the right of the strong was absolute. Now she was not a sister, but the second knight of the House of the Bloody Rose, so all she could do was obey the will of the Knight of the Bloody Rose.


    ''Huh, I had no idea that the Knight of the Bloody Rose could be so rude.'' Wain grinned while standing next to the King, ''Though, that''s not surprising. In my mind, he''s always calm and collected, but it''s usually people like that who are the most dangerous madman.''


    "Why did you call me? My sister made a great soup, so I''ll be angry if the reason isn''t serious enough." The Knight of the Bloody Rose sat back in his chair as he threw one leg over the other in a casual manner as if he had an old buddy in front of him rather than the King of a vast kingdom.


    "We have a problem. Obsidian Wolves have appeared at the northern gate." The King said.


    "Hmm? Is that all? Old man, did you get so bored that you decided to bring us all together just for this?" Knight of the Bloody Rose raised an eyebrow, "Even the most inept knight can handle the Obsidian Wolves."


    The King sighed, shook his head, and struck the floor with his staff three times.


    Click.


    The doors opened as four men stepped inside, and on a stretcher, they carried the immobilized Obsidian Wolf. The beast had strong armor on its hide and sharp long ws that could easily cut through any metal.


    "Why did you bring it here?" The Knight of the Bloody Rose looked at the wolf with a confused look.


    "I''ve known you a long time, so I wouldn''t call you out over nothing." The King said as he slowly stood up with the help of one of the knights.<sub> </sub>


    "Your majesty, you shouldn''t bother yourself so much." A man with long ck hair and blue eyes said.


    "ck Carnation, it''s all right. I''m not so old that I can''t stand on my own yet." The King walked over to the wolf and lifted his head.


    Under the wolf''s chin was a dark mark in the shape of a lizard with three tongues that was devouring an apple.


    When Knight of the Bloody Rose saw it his eyes widened as his aura became unstable.


    "Old man... That''s..."


    "Yes. The Dark Lizards are back again. These wolves maybe are their experiments or scouts, so they are preparing to attack us again. There was already a small skirmish with some of their members yesterday." The old man muttered.


    "What happened to them?" Knight of the Bloody Rose asked.


    The King sighed and, after a while said, "We lost twelve knights of the second rank and three knights of the first rank, they were all guarding the northern gate that day. Then we managed to repel the attack when the Blue Tulip came there."


    "I see..." The Knight of the Bloody Rose muttered as he folded his hands together in a thoughtful manner, "What are you going to do?"


    "I don''t know yet. I want to discuss it with all of you, which is why I summoned the Royal des." The King shook his head.


    "Well, I only have one option for you." The Knight of the Bloody Rose stood up and raised his hand.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The castle trembled as dark prickly vines emerged from beneath the ground that headed toward Knight of the Bloody Rose and transformed into armor with a menacing aura.


    He swung his sword, so a few phantom petals remained in the air and said, "I will cut every one of them out, gut them like fucking pigs, and I will not rest until the ground soaks up thest drop of their blood!"


    His eyes filled with blood as he clenched his teeth like an enraged beast.


    "Calm down. We haven''t figured out where their main base is yet, but we''re already working on it." The King said before sitting back down in his chair, "I''m d you''re ready to show the might of my strongest knight again."


    "No." The Knight of the Bloody Rose shook his head, "You are not the man I swore allegiance to."


    "Yes. I understand." The King sighed, "But... It''s a shame it happened this way. She was a beautiful girl."

 Chapter 532 Revenge

    Though with great difficulty and Cecilia''s help, the King was able to persuade the Knight of the Bloody Rose to wait for them and not begin the operation alone.


    At the King''smand, the King''s des, the six strongest knighted families, began urgent preparations for battle against the Dark Lizards. Also, all forces were enlisted as soldiers alerted the inhabitants and distributed food to them. The inhabitants, in turn, helped in every way possible to build protective structures.


    ''Well, well, they''re really serious. I didn''t expect that a group of some assassins could force an entire kingdom into action.'' Wain muttered to himself while watching the second and first rank knights of the House of the White Lily train.


    The knights were simultaneously swinging their swords and practicing techniques that could help them survive as two charming girls watched them.


    "Why did you call me?" Cecilia asked while picking up a porcin cup of tea.


    She was sitting on the veranda on the second floor of the White Lily''s mansion that invited her for tea.


    "Hmm? Do I need a reason to want to know more about the sister of the best knight in the kingdom that has long neglected his duties?" White Lily said before taking a sip.


    "I see my brother didn''t beat you up for nothing, you learned some manners." Cecilia smiled in a snide manner, "Actually, you''re very lucky he wanted to humiliate you and not kill you."


    "I admit, since I''m the youngest of the Royal des, I didn''t know much about the Blood Rose, even among Royal des, not everyone is equal, but shouldn''t that apply to you too?" While Lily said in an ice-cold voice.


    "Hmm? What do you mean?" Cecilia leaned naked on her arm.


    "You''re talking to one of the Royal des right now, being only the second knight of the House of the Bloody Rose. Don''t you think that''s inappropriate?"


    "Huh, you want me to respect you? I''m sorry, but I don''t think so. I can''t have respect for someone whose head my brother stomped on like a bug." Cecilia shrugged her shoulders.


    While Lily was infuriated by this attitude as the cup in her hands shook and her aura became chaotic, but some timeter, she was able to calm down.


    "You''re pretty cocky, but you must follow the cardinal rule of knights anyway." White Lily said with a serious look.


    "Hmm?" Cecilia tilted her head.


    "The weak must obey the strong, right?"


    "Yes. You want to fight me to make me respect you?" Cecilia raised her eyebrows.


    "Exactly." While Lily nodded, "The strongest knight taught me a lesson, then it''s my turn to do it, so we''ll start right now."


    Whoooooosh.


    White Lily drew her rapier from its sheath as she instantly attacked.


    Cecilia''s pupils narrowed, and with a kick of her foot, she threw the table upwards that pierced the rapier.


    "Away!" While Lily eximed as she shredded the table into small pieces.


    "Damn, I thought we were going to finish our tea first..." Cecilia muttered while looking at the shards of a cup on the floor, "My brother definitely wouldn''t like that."


    "He''s not here. I''m your adversary!" While Lily turned into a sh that reached Cecilia.


    ng.


    Cecilia reacted quickly as she blocked the attack with her sword, but then Lily turned around and attacked again at the same point.<sub> </sub>


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A shiver went through the entire floor as the impact of the attack tossed Cecilia aside. She did a somersault in the air andnded elegantly on the training ground as dozens of knights stared at her with dazed looks.


    "This ce is more suited for battle, don''t you think?" Cecilia asked as her sword was covered in rose petals.


    "Everyone, away!" White Lily said in a menacing voice before leaping toward Cecilia.


    The knights immediately retreated. They did not expect that suddenly their leader would start fighting someone who was not even one of the Royal des.


    "Who is this girl? Why is the Mistress so angry with her?" Someone asked.


    "I don''t know. They were drinking tea, but suddenly something happened." His buddy said.


    "Fools, look at her sword! She''s definitely from the House of the Bloody Rose!" The knight eximed.


    "Wait... Bloody Rose... Isn''t that the Royal de that disbanded all the knights?"


    "Yeah... Something like that, but... then who is this girl?"


    The knights were puzzled, so they whispered to each other as they tried to figure out what was going on here.


    "Silence!" Cecilia eximed, and all the knights fell silent, "Remember, all of you, I am the sister of the strongest knight in the kingdom as well as the second knight of the House of the Bloody Rose! Now you will see what I am capable of!"


    Cecilia plunged her sword into the ground since the training ground trembled as if in an earthquake, then dozens of spiky vines burst from beneath the ground and headed for While Lily.


    "You''re too cocky!" While Lily eximed as her hand turned into a blur.


    She attacked with her rapier more than ten times in an instant as she shattered all the vines and headed toward Cecilia.


    Cecilia stepped forward as they shed. It was a confrontation not only between the two families but also between the rapier and the sword.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Suddenly a shadow appeared between them that, with its fingertips, touched their weapons, so it stopped them both.


    "Well, well, shouldn''t two beautiful girls fight so fiercely? It''s not elegant at all." A tall man with long ck hair and amber eyes said with a slight smile on his face.


    "Who are you?" White Lily eximed as she tried to attack, but she couldn''t even move from her seat.


    ''What?! He''s only holding a rapier with two fingers! How is that possible?! White Lili inwardly eximed.


    The man was wearing dark armor with a picture of a bloody rose on his back.


    "Cecilia, I didn''t mean to interfere, but your brother sent me to get you, so I can''t keep him waiting."


    "Lucian..." Cecilia muttered with a dazed look, "I thought you weren''ting back..."


    "Huh, I''ll always be a part of the Bloody Rose House."

 Chapter 533 Gathering Of Ex-Members

    Everyone was surprised by the appearance of a mysterious man that was strong enough to block the attack of two knights, one of which was White Lily.


    "Let''s go. Your brother has been waiting too long already. We must not keep him waiting any longer." Lucian said in a calm voice.


    "All right." Cecilia took a step back as she returned the sword to its sheath.


    ''Huh, she was in mortalbat a second ago, but her desire to fightpletely disappeared after this man appeared.'' Wain muttered inwardly while soaring over the arena.


    ''Hey! You bastard! Do you really think you can interfere in my fight with impunity?" White Lily eximed with an angry look.


    "Well, the boss warned me that some annoying kid showed up among the Royal des. That''s a problem." Lucian shook his head as he turned to White Lily.


    Whooooooooosh.


    He grabbed her arm, moved her toward him, and mmed his palm into her stomach. It all happened too fast for White Lily to notice a single movement, so the impact tossed her aside as she gushed out a mouthful of blood.


    Tap. Tap. Tap.


    Lucian paced slowly toward her while adjusting his hair, so it didn''t cover his face. He leaned over While Lily that looked at him with hatred and said, "You know, I don''t like to be rude to women, so as an apology, I''m asking you out."


    "What...?!" White Lily eximed with a shocked look.


    "What nonsense is he saying...?!" Knights eximed.


    "Did he just ask her on a date?!"


    "What''s going on here?!"


    The White Lily Knights had to be constantly surprised as events constantly took unexpected turns, so many no longer understood how it all came to this.


    "You seem to agree. Then tonight, at a restaurant near the main square and dress nice somehow, the armor on you looks too bulky." Lucian said in a calm voice with a slight smile on his face.


    "No... I didn''t agree!" White Lily eximed.


    "It''s toote to change your answer." Lucia shook his finger from side to side as he turned around, "You are the youngest of the Royal des, so you must understand that there is a considerable gap between the major Knight Families. Some are stronger, some are weaker, that''s normal. My point is that the imbnce can be so great that the second knight of the House of the Bloody Rose is actually stronger than most of the Royal des."


    "Ah... Isn''t she the second knight of the House of the Bloody Rose?" White Lilly asked with a confused look while looking at Cecilia.


    "Well, she is, but it couldn''t be otherwise, because, officially, there have only been two knights in the House of the Bloody Rose in thest few months. Okay, enough talk. You and I will have more time, this evening." Lucian gestured goodbye as he turned into a shadow that disappeared with Cecilia.


    "Evening...? But..." White Lily muttered while in confusion.


    ...


    "Lucian, do you really like her?" Cecilia asked while being in Lucian''s arms.<sub> </sub>


    "Yeah, why not? Isn''t she cute?" Lucian said with a smile on his face as he jumped from one house to another.


    "Are you aware that hitting a girl and then asking her out is not very logical?"


    "You think so?" Lucian raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Well, I couldn''t let her think she was more important than the House of Bloody Rose, and anyway, the most important thing is the result, everything else is just a resource to get things done."


    "You have too much confidence in your looks and charisma." Cecilia waved her hand as she turned away.


    "Hmm, I''m entitled to it, so why shouldn''t I use my talents?" Lucian muttered before putting Cecilia on the ground as they arrived at the House of the Bloody Rose.


    Lucian with Cecilia went inside. In the main hall, the Knight of the Bloody Rose sat at a table, but there were two others.


    A girl with short blond hair stood in the aisle while she tossed up a red apple with a thoughtful gaze. Behind the Knight of the Bloody Rose stood a very tall bald man with a serious look, he was like a real mountain that could protect against any threat.


    Next to the Knight of the Bloody Rose, several prickly roses wriggled like snakes since his aura was like a wild beast that could lose control at any moment.


    "Boss! We''re here!" Lucian stepped inside with a smile on his face as he waved.


    The Knight of the Bloody Rose looked at them, sighed, and said, "You''re toote. Given your speed, you should have been back minutes ago."


    "Well, I had to be distracted by something, but does it matter?" Lucian took a seat at the table, "Now all the Knights of the House of the Bloody Rose are here, isn''t that wonderful?"


    "Lucian, you''re too chatty as usual." The girl muttered while not taking her eyes off the apple.


    "Meria, you''re still the same nerd. It''s been so long, but you haven''t changed." Lucian looked at her.


    "I just want to sleep..." Meria said in a sleepy voice, "I didn''t expect to have to go out tonight... Damn, my bed felt so good..."


    "Enough talk." Knight of the Bloody Rose raised his hand, "Cecilia, I called you here for two reasons."


    Knight of the Bloody Rose continued, "First, we discovered the Dark Lizards at the eastern gate, so before we start a major war, we are going to deal with them. Second, I want to give you this."


    The Knight of the Bloody Rose ced a coin on the table with the image of a jaw that radiated a strange, unmistakable aura.


    "What is it?" Cecilia asked with a puzzled look.


    "It''s your strongest trump card now. Use it when it gets too dangerous."


    "Brother, I can stand up for myself, there''s no need for that!"


    "Don''t argue." Knight of the Bloody Rose said in a stern voice, "You are strong, but you are the weakest of us. Dark Lizards are dangerous opponents as they are the ones who have taken my dearest possession, so I cannot lose more of you or any of you."

 Chapter 534 The Battle

    "Boss. It''s time for us to go." Baldy said.


    "Yeah... We have to get it done before they can get ready." The Knight of the Bloody Rose nodded as he waved his hand.


    The prickly vines headed toward him and gradually transformed into dark armor with the bloody rose symbol.


    "Let''s go." The Knight of the Bloody Rose said with a serious look and headed for the exit.


    "Well, well, finally, we''ll all be fighting together again. I''ve missed you already." Lucian muttered as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    "Let''s hurry up and finish work so I can get some sleep." Meria muttered as she tossed an apple into the basket on the table.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Several shadows headed toward the east gate. By the time they got there, it was already sunset, so there wasn''t much time before darkness fell.


    It was no problem for Knight of the Bloody Rose and the others to leave the city and head for the Dark Lizards'' camp.


    "Brother. Why do you think the Dark Lizards are back?" Cecilia asked as she jumped from one tree to another.


    "It doesn''t matter. They must die, they have made the worst mistake, so falling from my de is their only fate." The Knight of the Bloody Rose muttered as he clenched his teeth.


    They moved through the forest thicket for some time, and when a bright fire from a campfire appeared in the distance, they stopped.


    "Boss. We''re here." Lucian said while looking at the group of people ahead.


    Next to the massive bonfire were many people in ck robes and wolves that were walking around near the tents as if trying to find something.


    "Great. We start right now, don''t let anyone go, we''ll kill them. Then, together with the Royal des, we will destroy the main camp of the Dark Lizards." Knight of the Bloody Rose said as he jumped forward.


    "Eh, I hope this ends at some point." Meria muttered with a sad look, "The hatred and desire for revenge haspletely consumed him... I want to see the old him..."


    "No need to think about it. We must help him now, as we always have." Baldy muttered before bursting into action.


    Whoooooosh.


    The Knight of the Bloody Rose swung his sword and created a bloody de that threw Dark Lizards members aside.


    "We are under attack!" One of them shouted as a massive shadow appeared behind him.


    "You shouldn''t be so noisy." The bald man said in a calm voice as he grabbed the man''s head and plunged him into the ground with a sharp movement.


    The Dark Lizards members were baffled by this sudden attack, but they were experienced fighters that had been through dozens of battles in their lives, so they were quickly able to adapt to the situation and counterattack.


    "Knights, I don''t know why you came here, but this was your fatal mistake!" A man with a thick ck beard uttered as he attacked.


    Along with him, four more men headed toward the Knight of the Bloody Rose, moving in sync. Their swords were covered in darkness as they simultaneously attacked, raining the Knight of the Bloody Rose with a hail of des of darkness.<sub> </sub>


    However, the Knight of the Bloody Rose didn''t duck, there was someone in his team who knew how to fend off such attacks.


    Whooooosh.


    In front of him appeared Meria, that with a calm look, raised her hand up. The ground trembled as a wall of blood appeared in front of her thatpletely swallowed up all the des.


    "That''s not all!" The bearded man eximed as he went around Meria and attacked the Knight of the Bloody Rose.


    Lucian jumped forward, stopped the sword with two fingers, and said, "No. We''re almost done."


    Then Lucian turned and, with all his might, kicked the man in the chest. The man vomited a mouthful of blood as the impact threw him aside, so he crashed into a tree.


    "Bastard... I''ll get you for sure!" The man shouted with a furious voice while trying to get up, but he couldn''t do it because the wound was too severe.


    "What? Is he still alive? Lucian, have you really decided to take pity on him?" Meria asked in a dazed voice.


    "No... I hit with full force... It should have been enough to break his rib cage into many pieces... Why can he still stand on his feet?" Lucian muttered with a confused look since he was fully confident in his abilities.


    "There''s something wrong here..." Knight of the Bloody Rose muttered, "Look, they''re all wounded, but no one died, as if something is protecting them... Moreover, the wolves still haven''t attacked us, though they should definitely protect their masters."


    "Brother, what is it!" Cecilia eximed before pointing at the bearded man''s chest.


    The ce Lucian hit was protected by a purple barrier that absorbed most of the blow, so the man only got a recoil out of it.


    "Isn''t that..." Lucian muttered.


    "Shit! We got caught in a trap!" Meria eximed.


    "Exactly." Suddenly a mysterious voice sounded.


    At the same time, a barrier with many ancient purple runs appeared around the camp. The Knight of the Bloody Rose immediately threw a bloody de at it, but not even a crack appeared on the barrier.


    ''Huh, looks like things are getting interesting.'' Wain said to himself as a smile appeared on his face, ''They decided to attack but ended up trapped themselves, but... is that really the case?''


    "Well, well, I didn''t expect you to be so easily led here, but it''s even better." Once again, there was a mysterious voice as someone appeared in front of the fire.


    It was a tall man with long ck hair and ruby eyes. He wore a dark robe with a picture of a purple lizard that devoured an apple.


    He lit a cigarette against the fire, took a puff, and said, "So... Where do we start? Are we going to fight to the death or talk?"


    "Talk? You Dark Lizards killed my beloved! The only fate for you is death!" The Knight of the Bloody Rose shouted as his sword was covered in blood.


    "Are you sure about that?" The man blew out a puff of smoke with a careless look, "Think about it. You probably didn''t see your girlfriend die, did you?"


    "What...?

 Chapter 535 Truth

    "Brother... He''s the one..." Cecilia muttered with a shocked look.


    "Yes. Marcus, de of the Abyss, he is Dark Lizards Leader." Knight of the Bloody Rose said while in disbelief.


    "Boss, what shall we do?" Lucian asked as he prepared for battle.


    Marcus was a dangerous opponent, he was stronger than most Royal des, but the mates of Knight of the Bloody Rose were not about to back down. They knew this was a momentous encounter for him.


    "Knight of the Bloody Rose, what is your decision?" Marcus asked while putting a cigarette to his mouth, "Are you going to attack me like a wild beast and make a bloodbath or realize you don''t have enough information to do that."


    "Boss, don''t let him fool you!" Baldy eximed, "He''s got us trapped, we can''t wait any longer, or more reinforcements wille here!"


    ? ''Damn! Damn! Damn!'' The Knight of the Bloody Rose hesitated. His gaze was directed then to Marcus, then to the barrier, then to the Dark Lizards members that were wounded but dared not attack them.


    "Why has everything suddenly be soplicated and confusing..." Meria muttered in a confused voice as she took a few steps back.


    Marcus did nothing. He smoked with a careless look since he was pretty sure what was going to happen next. His deep gaze showed that he already knew everything ahead of time.


    Whooooosh.


    The Knight of the Bloody Rose returned the de to its sheath, sighed, and said, "All right. I''ll give you a minute. There''s really something wrong here, but if you can''t change my mind, I''m not stopping again."


    "Boss! Are you sure?" The bald man eximed with a shocked look.


    "Calm down." Lucian waved a hand, "A minute isn''t that long."


    "Well, well, I prepared this trap for a reason after all." Marcus muttered while blowing a puff of smoke in an unhurried manner, "Knight of the Bloody Rose, I won''t need a minute. I''ll ask again, did you see with your own eyes how your beloved died?"


    "No." The Knight of the Bloody Rose answered instantly.


    "Then I will ask you one more question. Do you know the reason why we attacked your kingdom?" Marcus muttered before extinguishing his cigarette as though he had already finished.


    "Huh, that''s obvious. Our kingdom is one of the most prosperous on the continent, so it''s no wonder, bandits like you would want to rob us." Knight of the Bloody uttered.


    "That sounds logical, but you''re missing one detail. We Dark Lizards are not bandits, we are mercenaries, so we do what we are paid to do, whether money, rare treasure or whatever." Marcus uttered.


    "Mercenaries...?" Lucian muttered with a confused look, "Are you saying someone paid you to attack us?"


    "No. Not at all. We had another assignment." Marcus shook his head, "Unfortunately, as time went on, we realized that they wanted to screw us, so what would the mercenaries do in that case? Just walk away? No, we had to get our revenge."<sub> </sub>


    "None of that matters." Knight of the Bloody uttered as he pointed his sword at Marcus, "Maybe you wouldn''t have attacked us if your customer didn''t want to screw you over, but that doesn''t change the fact that you were the one who killed HER."


    "Calm down." Marcus lowered his hand, "Look, I don''t want to fight you, because in that case, both you and we will have serious losses, but whoever is responsible for all this will actually get away with it."


    "Boss, I hate to say it, but it sounds logical." Lucian turned to Knight of the Bloody with a serious look, "We all know that your lover''s death was reported to you, then you were far away from that battle, so you can''t be sure exactly what happened there."


    The Knight of the Bloody hesitated, the picture of his world began to crumble as now he could not bepletely sure of anything.


    "I realize this is unexpected, but I wish you no harm, or I would have attacked you long ago. If you are ready to learn more, thene with me. This is not the right ce to reveal dark secrets." Marcus extended his hand forward as he invited them to follow him.


    "All right. Lucian, I''ll trust your instincts, they''ve never failed you before." Knight of the Bloody said before returning his sword to its sheath.


    "Oh, I''m ttered." Lucian smirked.


    "Good. I''m d you made that decision." Marcus nodded as his ring sparkled.


    A small orb appeared in his hand with a dark liquid inside that looked like ink. Marcus tossed it in the air and the sphere shattered as the ink began to turn into a huge creature. It was a massive shadowy wolf with angry eyes that shone brightly like purplenterns.


    "Let''s go. I hope we''ll be allies instead of enemies when you get back home." Marcus walked over to the wolf, touched it, and the beast bent down so the others could climb on it.


    "Boss!" The bearded man eximed, "What do we do next?"


    "Nothing, you''ve already done everything and done a great job on your mission. Go back to the main base to rest." Marcus said as he climbed the wolf.


    Knight of the Bloody with his mates quickly did the same.


    "Wow, this is so weird... I''m having a hard time sitting on a flowing river..." Meria muttered while looking at the back of the wolf that was darkness.


    "Huh, that''s a small part of what we can do." Marcus smiled as he patted the wolf''s head.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    The beast instantly moved as it turned into a dark sh that swept through the forest thicket at tremendous speed. It took them only a few minutes to traverse the miles through the mountain and severalkes to reach the main base of the Dark Lizards.


    "Well, we''re here." Marcus muttered.


    ''They ended up here...'' Wain muttered inwardly, ''I wonder what Marcus will tell them? Is there really a traitor in the kingdom?''

 Chapter 536 Truth (Part 2)

    The main base of the Dark Lizards was located at the foot of the mountain that was a few tens of kilometers from the kingdom. The camp was quiterge, it even resembled a small town, but only for mercenaries and those who had tied their lives to the dark side of this world.


    "Huh, it''s pretty crowded here. More to the point, when did you have time to build all this? Holy crap! This is a real secret city!" Lucian eximed as he was thrilled by what he saw.


    There was no protective wall around the base, instead there were towers on the borders that were strongholds for the barrier that concealed and protected this city from outsiders. In the middle of the streets walked people in dark robes with menacing and mysterious auras, but even in such a dark ce, there was room for light.


    "I''m d you like it." Marcus said with a slight smile on his face, "Come on, I want to show you something."


    Whoooosh.


    The wolf leaped forward, but when the beast reached the barrier, it turned into ink that headed toward Marcus, so theynded next to a massive stone building that looked like a crypt.


    "Follow me." Marcus muttered, waving his hand, and stepped inside.


    Guards were standing near the entrance, but as soon as they saw Marcus, they immediately stepped aside, he had absolute power in this ce.


    They went down several floors until they came to a room that looked like some alchemist''sb. In the center was a massive stone table on thaty an Obsidian Wolf, while in the distance, someone was mixing potions that caused the room to fill with violet vapors.


    "Pleased to introduce you, this is one of ourboratories." Marcus said as he spread his arms out to his sides.


    At the same time, a person at the table turned around and eximed, "Marcus?! What are you doing here?!"


    It was a girl with purple hair and amber eyes. She was wearing a white robe and purple sses that protected her eyes as she worked.


    "Karin, you''re all work as usual, aren''t you?" Marcus asked as a smile appeared on his face.


    "Yeah... But that doesn''t matter now. Who are they? Why are there fucking knights here?!" Karin eximed with a dazed look while pointing at them.


    "Huh, don''t worry, these are our new friends, at least I hope so. Could you do us one favor?" Marcus scratched the back of his head in a careless manner.


    "Is it so hard toe just once just to see me? Why do you always need something from me?" Karin said as she puffed her cheeks, but some timeter, she sighed, shook her head, and said, "Okay, talk."


    Marcus was silent, but he looked at the wolf.


    "You want me to do this in front of them? Are you serious?" Karin''s eyes widened.


    Marcus nodded weakly.


    "Hey, what''s she talking about?" Knight of the Bloody Rose asked with an ice-cold look as he still didn''t fully trust Marcus.


    "I''m going to show you what a customer from your kingdom asked us to do, so... Do you know what the Dark Lizards specialize in?" Marcus asked while pacing toward the wolf.<sub> </sub>


    "Robbing? Murder? Raping? Sell contraband?" Lucian asked as he grabbed his chin with a thoughtful look.


    "Huh, you think too stereotypically. Don''t you?" Marcus grinned, "We''re not some petty muggers, so our list of activities is not so pathetic. We know how to control the minds of other creatures." Marcus snapped his finger, and Karin got to work.


    Several purple runes appeared in her hands that shone brightly and floated above the wolf to form a sphere. Then Karin poured two potions into the dome, one dark, the other purple, that fused together and turned into a spirit that headed for the wolf''s head.


    Whoooooosh.


    The beast''s eyes shone brightly as it passed out.


    "I don''t want you to think ill of us, with our beasts, we only do this because this process makes them much stronger, and also, with it, we canmunicate with them telepathically and transfer energy." Marcus said while stroking the wolf''s head.


    And he lifted it slightly, so everyone could see the seal on its neck in the shape of a three-headed lizard that was devouring an apple.


    "Though, of course, we can use this ritual for other more macabre purposes. We can easily control the minds of even humans if we have the right conditions. That is our true power." Marcus uttered in a glorious voice.


    ''Shit...'' Wain muttered while soaring in the air, ''Is it really that bad... Damn... I wanted to deny that option until the veryst moment...''


    Whooooosh.


    Suddenly the space next to Wain distorted as a light flew toward him that was Light Racer.


    ''What...? How did you get here...?!" Wain eximed with a confused voice.


    "Hey, I''m the fastest, didn''t you forget that? Huh, I just want to see his face because now is the most interesting moment." Light Racer smiled with a curious look.


    "Enough idle talk. Who was your kingdom customer?" Meria asked as she frowned.


    Marcus smiled, sat down at the table as he rested his head on his hand, and said, "You already know the answer, right?" He looked at the Knight of the Bloody Rose.


    "King... Is that so...?" Knight of the Bloody Rose asked with a confused look.


    "What? The King?!" Meria eximed while in disbelief.


    "Exactly." Marcus smiled in a sly manner, "The King wanted full control of the kingdom, so he asked us to turn most of the nobles into puppets. We agreed, but when he decided to ditch us, we attacked the city, and that''s when the real chaos began."


    With each word of Marcus'', the aura of the Knight of the Bloody Rose grew more chaotic while his eyes gradually filled with blood.


    "It was the king who killed your beloved and said we did it since he knew your wrath was merciless, so he hoped you would destroy us." Marcus said in a thunderous voice.

 Chapter 537 Changing Plans

    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ground trembled as drops of blood appeared in the air next to Knight of the Bloody Rose that stained it red.


    "Brother! Calm down!" Cecilia eximed as she approached him.


    "Away!" The Knight of the Bloody Rose shouted in a thunderous voice since he tossed her aside.


    The Knight of the Bloody Rose could not control his emotions and strength, so he hit Cecilia quite hard as she even vomited blood, but he didn''t care about that, his mind was consumed with only one emotion - wrath.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Hundreds of spiky vines burst out of the ground that pierced the blind through and quickly shattered itpletely into many pieces.


    "Fuck! Somebody stop him!" Karin eximed, but no one moved.


    Lucian and Meria only took a few steps back; only once in their lives had they seen their leader so angry, and it was worse than even the worst nightmare.


    "Shit! I was hoping it would never happen again!" Lucian uttered since he created a protective blood barrier in front of him, just as Meria did.


    <o>,m The only one who remained calm was Marcus. He was still sitting at the table with a careless look, as though he knew it would happen that way.</o>


    Whooooooosh.


    Many shadows appeared next to the ruined crypt, all of them elite members of the Dark Lizards that could easily handle any of the Royal des but one.


    "Kill him!" One of the shadows said as he attacked, but the next moment they all stopped.


    "Don''t." Marcus raised his hand with a faint smile on his face, "Let him unleash his fury, or it might get out of hand at the most inopportune moment."


    "But...boss...those vines could destroy the whole city!" Shadow eximed.


    "Are you sure? I think the worst is over." Marcus looked at the vines that, though slowly, were gradually calming down.


    "The outburst of rage is pretty hard to control, especially one this strong, however, you realize that expending this resource on us isn''t what you want, right?" Marcus asked as he stared at the Knight of the Bloody Rose.


    "Yeah... You are absolutely right." The Knight of the Bloody Rose shook his head since his aura had calmed.


    He took a deep breath as all the vines disappeared, then he walked over to Cecilia, held out his hand, and said, "Sorry, I didn''t mean to hurt you... but... I couldn''t help myself and honestly didn''t mean to..."


    "It''s okay." Cecilia grabbed his arm before getting to her feet.


    "Shit... Myb is definitely over..." Karin muttered with a nk look.


    "Don''t worry, it''s just an ancient crypt, we can easily rebuild everything. I''ll help you, right now." Marcus said as a sphere of ink appeared in his hand.<sub> </sub>


    He threw it into the air, the sphere shattered, and the ink turned into a massive creature that looked like an octopus. The monster grabbed the debris with its tentacles as it set them down.


    "Well, it may be a little unstable, but the overall design remains the same. It just needs a little tweaking, and no one will even notice that this crypt was recentlypletely destroyed." Marcus muttered as he looked up while holding himself by the chin.


    "Huh, a builder out of you is just like a leader..." Karin muttered.


    "Just as spotless?" Marcus smiled.


    "Yeah... Hope so." Karin said as she took off her sses, "Okay, I''m going to rest. I think you can figure things out from here without me."


    "Sure. Bye, bye." Marcus said while waving his hand.


    "What''s the n?" Knight of the Bloody Rose asked.


    "Hey, I understand that you''re already itching to get revenge on the king, but you shouldn''t be in such a hurry. I think we all need some rest." Marcus stood up before heading for the exit, "Come on, this is definitely not the right ce for long conversations, and someone made the atmosphere too tense."


    ...


    An hourter, they were all sitting at the same table in the most luxurious restaurant in town. Marcus was an excellent leader and liked to use his power, so a whole floor was set aside for them, the top one that had a beautiful view of the mountains and forests.


    "Damn... Why do I get the impression that ouws live better than members of the Royal des?" Lucian muttered while looking at the dishes on the table.


    Marcus seriously loaded the kitchen and the cooks as he ordered almost the entire menu. There was everything on the table, whether it was rare-beast meat dishes, sds of unusual vegetables, or the most delicious desserts on the continent.


    "Why aren''t you eating? Don''t you find it appetizing?" Marcus asked while popping a scoop of dessert into his mouth that was sprinkled with gold dust.


    "Boss, I''m sorry, but he''s right. I can''t resist tasting it!" Meria said as she plunged her fork into the greasy piece of meat on the massive te.


    "Food..." Knight of the Bloody Rose muttered with a bored look, "I have no appetite at all."


    "Hmm? That''s impossible. The reason is different." Marcus said while holding a hand with a piece of meat in it with a thoughtful look, "Maybe you want something else? How about some wine?"


    "Well, that sounds much better but only red." Knight of the Bloody Rose waved his hand.


    "Of course." Marcus nodded as he gave the waiters an order, and after some time, they brought the best wine he had.


    Marcus acted quite sociable, as if he were among close friends, however, the others could not act so openly. It all seemed strange to them.


    "I understand that you''re not quite sure about everything yet, but we don''t have time for that. Right here and now, we have to think through a n of attack on the king, don''t you agree?" Marcus asked before bringing his ss to his mouth.


    "You want to help me get revenge, but it''s not that simple, right?" The Knight of the Bloody Rose raised an eyebrow.


    "Yeah... I want to get something." Marcus smiled.

 Chapter 538 Last Days For The King

    "What is it? What do you want?" Knight of the Bloody Rose asked.


    "One artifact from the King''s personal treasury, the Shadow Stone, that mysterious artifact from another dimension, so it is perfect for my abilities." Marcus muttered while continuing to eat.


    "How do you know the King has something like that?" Meria asked with a confused look.


    "Girl, I''m the head of a fucking crime city and the strongest dark organization! It''s obvious that I have skilled scouts that can get any information." Marcus said with a slight smile on his face.


    "Okay, I don''t mind, but what exactly are you going to do? You don''t want a reward for nothing, do you?" Knight of the Bloody Rose stared at him, "I can easily handle all the Royal des. What do I need you for?"


    "You''re right, but not all the way. The King has a special royal guard that almost no one knows about, not even you, do they?" Marcus pointed his fork at him.


    "What? The Royal Guard...?" Knight of the Bloody Rose muttered while in disbelief.


    "What is that?" Lucian with Meria asked simultaneously.


    "Even you don''t know about it... How could the King hide something like this?" Cecilia muttered to herself.


    "The Royal Guard is a special detachment of six men that the King has trained for his protection and emergencies. The point is that they arepletely subject to his will since we, Dark Lizards, helped him create them." Marcus said in a proud manner.


    "Huh, doesn''t that mean we have nothing to worry about in that case?" Knight of the Bloody Rose looked at him, "I can handle even you, so some puppets can''t get me in trouble."


    The Knight of the Bloody Rose had fought Marcus once before, but their battle was short-lived as Marcus decided to retreat. He knew that the Knight of the Bloody Rose was the strongest knight in the kingdom or the entire continent in general, so instead of trying to kill him, Marcus decided to mend fences.


    "It''s not that simple. We only helped put special runes on them so that the King could control their minds, so their strength depends on something else, namely the Shadow Stone. This artifact made them incredibly strong. One knight of the Kingsguard could easily take out two Royal des. It will be a fierce battle." Marcus said as, for the first time, his voice became serious.


    "What?! One can easily handle two?! That''s not normal!" Lucian eximed with a dazed look.


    "If the King has such strong warriors, why doesn''t he use them against you...?" Meria asked in a trembling voice.


    For all in the kingdom, the Royal des were a symbol of strength, as well as the King was the wisest and kindest man that made every effort to make the lives of ordinary people better, so Marcus'' words put them in a daze.


    "It''s obvious. He doesn''t care about you." Marcus smirked, "He''s actually a pathetic scum that sacrificed hundreds of lives, no, he killed many people just to gain absolute power. However, even perfect ns always have ws."


    "He deceived everyone... sacrificedmon people just to avoid paying your bills... Determined to enve the mind of the nobility and killed Her..." Knight of the Bloody Rose muttered, "Fuck... We''ve all been through hundreds of battles, but we couldn''t see the main bastard that was in front of us the whole time!"


    "Exactly!" Marcus eximed with a wide grin on his face, "But... It''s time to put an end to this! I will get the treasure, security for my organization, and you will have your revenge and remove the parasite that sits on the throne! This is the best offer of your life!"


    "Boss, I agree with him. Let''s do it!" Lucian said as he clenched his hand into a fist.<sub> </sub>


    "I agree." Meria muttered in a calm voice.


    "Brother... I''ll do anything you say." Cecilia took his hand.


    "Good. However, now that I have calmed down, I realize that we cannot act carelessly. I want revenge, but I can''t endanger the entire kingdom because of it." The Knight of the Bloody Rose shook his head as he tried to figure out the best way to do it.


    "You''re right, but I''ll take care of it." Marcus said with a confident look.


    "Hmm? How?"


    "I''ll just use my power. Although... okay, since you agree with the n, I can show you that." Marcus uttered before touching his forehead.


    A violet seal appeared on his be that shone brightly, then a small shard the size of a fingernail flew out of it. The shard was as dark as night since it gave off an eerie, estranged aura as though from another world.


    "This is part of the Shadow Stone that my men sessfully stole from the King. Unfortunately, it''s all I have now, but it will be enough to turn some area into a solid shadow for a while, so you may not hold back and use all your powers." Marcus said in a careless manner.


    "Fine, but there''s still one more problem." Knight of the Bloody Rose muttered, "What are we going to do about the Royal des? If we fight them and the Royal Guard at the same time, we''re going to be in serious trouble."


    "Well, forgive my impertinence, but I was 99% sure it would happen exactly as it did, so I already took care of everything." Marcus grinned, pped his hands a few times, and said, "Come in! It''s time to receive guests!"


    Crackle.


    The doors opened as several men stepped inside, leading the five Royal des behind them. The knights wore special shackles that blocked their strength so they could do nothing.


    "What the hell..." Meria muttered with a dazed look, "How did you do that?"


    "Huh, it wasn''t hard. They were so busy preparing for the battle that theypletely forgot about the defenses inside the city, so the King only had the Royal Guard left." Marcus smiled.


    "Knight of the Bloody Rose..." ck Carnation eximed while in disbelief, "Why are you here...?"


    "Well, it looks like you have a long talk ahead of you, but I''m not going to stay here anymore." Lucian said as he stood up and headed for the Royal des.


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?" Cecilia asked.


    "I have a date." Lucian smiled as he walked over to While Lily, that was the only one without armor since she was dressed in a cute ashen dress.

 Chapter 539 The Next Day

    The Royal des were shocked by the situation, but Marcus along with the Knight of the Bloody Rose, exined the situation to them, so two of the six Royal des decided to fight at their side, while the rest remained loyal to the King until the very end.


    "Eh, it always amazed me how such naive and foolish people could achieve such a position? Does it make any sense?" Marcus muttered while lying in a hammock on top of one of the watchtowers.


    "Well, if all leaders were like you, our world would be like a puppet theater in that the trickiest would win, not the strongest." The Knight of the Bloody Rose said with a calm look as he stared at the kingdom in the distance.


    "By the way, why did youe here? Don''t you need to be with your mates? Tomorrow is the great day, you need to prepare for battle mentally and physically as you have to fight against your home." Marcus muttered in a careless manner.


    "Huh, that goes for you too. Don''t you worry about your men?" Knight of the Bloody Rose grinned.


    p "Well, I''m sure they can handle it." Marcus shrugged.</anda>


    "I too. Moreover, they''re busy minding their own business right now." Knight of the Bloody Rose muttered since he noticed Lucian walking with White Lily, "That girl''s a real masochist since they''re on a date now, though it''s even for the best. Okay, I''m going to go get some air."


    Whooooooosh.


    The Knight of the Bloody Rose disappeared like a shadow under cover of darkness.


    "He''s finally gone." Marcus sighed, "Does he have to emit such a menacing aura all the time? Damn... it''s really stressful, though tomorrow will actually be very interesting."


    Marcus smiled as he waved his hand. In front of him appeared a multitude of spheres, each holding some powerful creature, be it a wolf, an octopus, or even a huge wyvern. The shadows trembled slightly as though they were waiting for an opportunity to burst forth.


    ...


    The next day, before dawn, the knights with Dark Lizards members stood at the entrance to the crypt that was the secret underground tunnel to the kingdom. Marcus'' team consisted of five men, they were the strongest of all the people of the dark world that he knew. White Lily, ck Carnation, and Blue Tulip were along with Knight of the Bloody Rose.


    "Damn, I can''t believe this is really happening." White Lily muttered with a confused look.


    "Don''t worry. You''ll be fine." Lucian smiled as he held White Lily close to him, "I once saw a boss fight in full force, it''s actually scary, so I''m d to be on the same side with this terrible force. The one who has to worry is the King, his fate will be horrible."


    "Enough talk. We will be opposed not only Royal Guard but also knights from weaker houses. My primary target is the King, but if anyone gets in my way, I will not stop." The Knight of the Bloody Rose spoke in an ice-cold voice.


    "Well, well, enough with the menacing speeches. Let''s go. It''s time to have the grandest battle on the continent!" Marcus eximed, raised his hand, and the seal on the crypt gate glowed.


    They all ran into the tunnel as they moved with great speed, but at the same rhythm, so after half an hour, they reached an unremarkable farmhouse on the west side of the kingdom, hundreds of meters from the castle.


    "Okay. We move along that wall and then enter the castle through the underground vault." Marcus said as he tossed a rune in the air.<sub> </sub>


    The rune glowed brightly, and a special barrier appeared over them that made them almost invisible for a while.


    "An underground vault? How do you know where it is?" White Lilt asked with a suspicious look.


    "You ask too many questions. We are going to kill the King, so obviously, I have prepared. Surely you are the Royal de?" Marcus said in a mocking voice and ran forward.


    There were dozens of knights constantly watching the castle''s surroundings, but no one noticed them, and no one could imagine that someone would have the nerve to sneak into the castle during the day, so it was a perfect operation.


    The castle was on high ground, but Marcus decided to stop when he reached the lowest point.


    "Hmm? Are you suggesting we climb up like climbers? Was that really your genius n? We''re sure to be exposed!" White Lily said in a sarcastic manner while shaking her head.


    "Does anyone know why we brought that pesky girl along?" Marcus frowned, "She''s definitely the person that''s ruining everyone''s party mood."


    "What did you say?!"


    "Just watch." Marcus sighed as he touched the wall.


    Whoooooosh.


    A seal in the shape of a three-headed snake appeared on the wall and slowly opened a door that led to a secret passage under the castle, then the knight''s mouth opened wide in surprise.


    "Huh, it seems to me that this town would already be yours in a couple of years, and none of the nobles would even know about it." The Knight of the Bloody Rose grinned as he stepped inside.


    "Huh, you''re right, but I''m not that patient. And, I prefer colorful battles! Constantlying up with cunning ns is quite tiresome." Marcus spread his arms apart with a slight smile on his face.


    They quickly made their way up the paths that no one had used in a long time. The vault was a few floors below the throne room, so they got there in minutes.


    "The King is right above us. He''s always there." Marcus smiled as he pointed his hand toward the ceiling, "It''s time to begin. Be prepared, the Royal Guard are the King''s shadows, so they are always there for him."


    A dark sphere emerged from Marcus'' finger that, on impact, exploded and made a massive hole in the throne room.


    Whoooooosh.


    Marcus jumped up, looked at the King''s shocked expression, and eximed, "It''s a great day to die, isn''t it?"

 Chapter 540 The Royal Guard

    The King didn''t understand what was going on, but his loyal servants, the Royal Guard, had already made all the decisions.


    Whooooosh.


    Six shadows burst from beneath the throne and headed toward Marcus. They were as deadly and swift as des, but they were not the only ones, as Marcus had his mates that repelled the first attack.


    "Now that''s what I call good teamwork!" Marcus smirked as a shard of Shadowstone appeared in his hand.


    The shard glowed brightly and then turned to ink that covered the entire throne room with an imprable barrier. Now even an atomic explosion could have urred in this ce, but the outside of the castle would not have been affected.


    "Let''s go!" The Knight of the Bloody Rose eximed since his sword was covered in blood.


    He rushed forward as he rained down many spiky vines on the King, however one Guardsman reacted quickly and instantly chopped up all the vines.


    Events unfolded quickly, so the battle split into six sides a few secondster.


    ''Huh, Marcus was right, the Guardsmen are actually incredibly strong. What''s more, they look so strange, as if they have long since ceased to be human.'' Wain inwardly muttered while watching the battle.


    The Guardsmen wore dark armor that was covered in ink flowing like a river, and their eyes were purple like Marcus'' beasts.


    Marcus and the Knight of the Bloody Rose were the strongest, so each of them fought one Guardsman. The other four Guardsmen held Marcus'' men and knights back.


    "Damn! What''s wrong with them? Why don''t they care about my attacks?!" Lucian eximed as he created several bloody des that rained down on the fourth Guardsman.


    Lucian chose the right moment, so the Guardsman was not able to dodge this attack, however, there was no need as his armorpletely absorbed the attack, the des did not leave even a scratch on him.


    "Die!" The Fourth Guardsman said in an ice-cold voice as he swung his sword that created a shadowy de.


    The de headed toward Lucian, but suddenly Meria created a massive bloody barrier in front of him, so itpletely blocked the attack.


    "Thank you." Lucian muttered.


    "No problem, but, I don''t like it. Look, even the boss doesn''t do anything. It shouldn''t be like this. It''s not normal." Meria said while looking at the Knight of the Bloody Rose that fought the First Guardsman.


    The Knight of the Bloody Rose did not hold back, the vines and bloody des attacked the First Guardsman endlessly, so the First Guardsman had to go into a blind defense as he created a barrier of ink. The Guardsman could not attack, but the Knight of the Bloody Rose still did not wound him. It was a battle of attrition.


    "Huh, unlike us, the boss opponent is like a turtle hiding in a shell. We should do the same." Lucian grinned.


    "Hmmm... Marcus has made some progress too, but I don''t like the whole thing at all..." Meria frowned.


    Marcus summoned several shadowy beasts that prevented the Second Guardsman from even taking a step to the side, but time was not ying on their side.


    Whoooooosh.<sub> </sub>


    Suddenly the main gate opened as several squads of knights ran inside. Ink could absorb any attacks, but you could move freely through it, so the fight went into its second phase.


    "Damn... They still haven''t defeated any Guardsmen, and already they''re being attacked by Knights. Why do I get the feeling that they''re about to lose at this rate?" Wain muttered.


    "Well, well, they still have one trump card." Light Racer said with a sly smile on his face.


    "Hmm? Are you still here?" Wain turned to him as his eyes widened.


    "Of course. You should know by now what''s going to happen next. This is going to be one powerful, tipping point."


    "Don''t you think it''s kind of hical to peek at others?" Wain asked.


    "Why? I''m just taking advantage of my opportunities. You''ll see the memories of all of us anyway. Okay, enough talk, just watch."


    The situation became moreplicated as the knights appeared, but Marcus was prepared for this development. He was used to thinking ahead, so as soon as the knights burst inside, he threw several spheres into the air.


    "Have youe to save your King? Good! Try to do so, but first, you must deal with my pets." Marcus smiled as the ink from the spheres turned into wolves that pounced on the knights.


    The beasts tore them apart like mad. Unlike the Knight of the Bloody Rose, Marcus had nothing to do with the knights, so he was ruthless to them.


    "Damn. Why are you so robust?!" The Knight of the Bloody Rose eximed with a furious voice as he ran up to the First Guardsman.


    The Knight of the Bloody Rose grabbed him by the arm, threw him over himself as he threw the Guardsman to the ground, and started beating the Guardsman in the face with his fists as hard as he could.


    The ground beneath the First Guardsman cracked from the sheer force of the blows, and in time, splinters began to chip away from his helmet.


    "Huh, every defense has a limit, and you are no exception." Knight of the Bloody Rose said with a cold look as he delivered the final blow.


    Bam.


    The impact shattered the Guardsman''s head into tiny pieces. It was so powerful that the entire throne room shook like an earthquake.


    "Excellent. The first one is ready." The Knight of the Bloody Rose uttered in a calm voice before heading for the next Guardsman.


    The situation was very bad for the King. He could not escape, as any wrong move would result in death. At the same time, the Guardsmen were gradually losing. Once the Knight of the Bloody Rose dealt with the First Guardsman, Marcus realized how it was necessary to fight them, so in a short time, the number of Guardsmen was reduced to four.


    "Hahahahaha, King, get ready!" Marcus eximed with a mad look, "Soon, you will be beheaded by your strongest knight. You wanted to direct his wrath at us by killing his beloved, but you were too foolish!"


    ''What?! How does he know that?! So that''s why the Knight of the Bloody Rose is on his side! Shit!'' The King inwardly shouted, ''Then... I have no other option left...''

 Chapter 541 The Kings Move

    The fierce gaze of the Knight of the Bloody Rose and Marcus'' impable abilities instilled fear in the King as he realized that death was near.


    ''Huh... I knew it would happen someday... Damn, now I''ll have to forget about my dream for a long time, however, I can''t let them stop me! The King inwardly eximed as the ring on his finger shone brightly.


    A dark fist-sized stone appeared in his hand from that emanated energy currents like shadows.


    "Bastard!" Marcus eximed as his eyes widened.


    He turned into a shadow that passed through the Guards and headed towards the King, however it was already toote.


    Crack.


    A crack appeared in the stone, and a stream of ink erupted that quickly transformed into a huge creature.


    "Fuck! What the hell is this!?" Lucian eximed with a dazed look.


    A massive dragon with broad wings and angry purple eyes appeared in the center of the throne room. It continued to grow, so the throne room became too small in time for the Dragon.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The castle''s roof could not withstand the pressure, and when the Dragon spread its wings, the building was blown apart in many pieces, just like the shadow barrier that Marcus had set up earlier.


    "You sick freak!" Marcus eximed with a furious voice as he stared at the King, "You''re just a man! Even I am incapable of controlling such a powerful shadow creature! That Dragon will destroy the whole city!"


    Roooooooaaaaaaaaarrrrrrr!!!


    The Dragon roared furiously as a white beam of energy erupted from its jaw that hit a mountain several kilometers away from the city.


    Booooom.


    The powerful explosion that was like a huge sphere of white mepletely destroyed the mountain as the impact of the shockwave spread thousands of meters around, even reaching the castle. Windows in the houses shattered, and things fell out of the closets as the violent earthquake hit.


    "We need to stop the Dragon! As fast as we can!" Marcus eximed, "The Shadow Stone created it, so without a controller, it is nothing more than a mad monster! If the next attack hits the city, it will all cease to make sense!" Marcus shouted as he threw all the ss spheres that he had toward the Dragon.


    The ink turned into a multitude of beasts that attacked the Dragon. Wolves, lizards, and wyverns dug their sharp fangs and ws into the Dragon''s tough scales, but they couldn''t even scratch him.


    Roooooaaaarrrrr!


    This caught the Dragon''s attention, so he pped his wings furiously. A powerful stream of wind was like sharp des that sliced all the shadow beasts apart and nailed the group to the floor.


    Since the King was the only normal human, he could not withstand such power, and the wind sliced him open, so all that was left of him were bloodstains.


    Whooooooooosh.


    The Dragon opened its jaw wide as an energy sphere appeared in front of it that gradually grewrger. In it was hidden an enormous power that could easily destroy the entire castle in a single attack.


    "Fuck! Why is it so strong?! What should we do?!" Marcus eximed in a shocked voice with a hopeless look.


    Knight of the Bloody Rose was troubled as he knew that he wouldn''t be able to block such a powerful attack. However, he remembered something, so Knight of the Bloody Rose turned to Cecilia and said, "Use the coin! Right now!"<sub> </sub>


    Cecilia nodded as her ring glowed. She had never seen her brother frightened before, so she acted as fast as she could.


    A coin appeared in front of her and exploded. At the same moment, the Dragon attacked as the orb turned into a death ray. The white energy instantly reached them.


    "Hm? Am I dead already?" Marcus muttered to himself as the devastating explosion did not follow.


    "Huh, no." An unfamiliar voice rang out, "Though you were pretty damn close to it. Why does everyone only call me at the veryst moment? Why make me wait so long to be in such a hurryter?"


    In the center, in front of the Dragon, stood the Dark Silhouette with his arm held high. Above him was the jaw seal that absorbed all the ray''s energy.


    "Damn. It''s a real shadow replica of the Dragon... What''s going on here anyway...?" Dark Silhouette muttered with a puzzled look.


    "I''m d you came." The Knight of the Bloody Rose said as he rose to his feet and his sword covered in blood, "Can we handle it?"


    "Yeah. It shouldn''t be a problem." Dark Silhouette nodded.


    "Well, well, this is going to be my favorite moment ever!" Light Racer eximed with a smile on his face.


    "What? You know what happens next?" Wain wondered, "How is that possible?"


    "Huh, just watch."


    Roooooooaaaaaaarrrrr!


    The Dragon was angry that his attack failed, so arge amount of energy burst out of him that split into many projectiles.


    "Shit! We have to stop it! Otherwise, these projectiles will destroy the whole city!" Marcus eximed as he created a shadow barrier that blocked one projectile, but it was only a fraction of all the attacks.


    "He''s right! Do something!" The Knight of the Bloody Rose eximed as he addressed the Dark Silhouette.


    "Well, I can take it easy today." The Dark Silhouette shrugged in a careless manner.


    Most of the shells flew outside the city, but some flew directly into houses as well as into the main square of the city, where there were hundreds of people.


    Whoooooosh.


    A crack appeared in the sky from which a golden ray flew out and headed toward the citizens, then the world slowed down for everyone. By the time someone blinked, the golden ray had managed to run through hundreds of houses, so when the shell hit the square, it was already empty as all the citizens from the danger zones were now on the walls with shocked looks.


    "What the fuck..." Wain muttered in a dazed voice as he looked at the Light Racer, "That''s you, right?"


    "Yeah... Aren''t I cool? Who else but I could do that?!" Light Racer uttered with a proud look.


    Wain didn''t answer, he just shook his head and sighed.


    "Great. Now it''s time to tame that huge lizard." The Dark Silhouette smiled.

 Chapter 542 The New King

    "I propose a three-pronged attack." Marcus said as a purple magic circle appeared in front of him.


    "Okay. I don''t mind." Dark Silhouette nodded.


    "I too. Destroy its defenses so I can do the rest." The Knight of the Bloody Rose spoke with an ice-cold look.


    Roooooooaaaaaaarrrrr!


    The dragon roared furiously as it dropped two paws on them, however Dark Silhouette, Marcus, and Knight of the Bloody Rose instantly turned into shadows and ducked.


    "Die!" Marcus eximed as he activated the magic circle, so a shadowy raven with thundering violet eyes burst forth from it.


    The raven, like lightning, flew into the dragon and exploded. The energy ripped through the dragon''s sturdy armor, and many cracks appeared on the scales.


    "Good job. To damage the scales of a dragon, even a shadow dragon, is a real achievement." The Dark Silhouette smiled as he waved his hand.


    Several phantom jaws appeared beside him that turned into piranhas.


    "Let''s go." Dark Silhouette pointed at the dragon with a slight smile on his face before the piranhas turned into a deadly torrent.


    The piranhas gnawed into the skin of the dragon and gradually made a fist-sized hole, given the size of the dragon, it was no wider than a needle hole, but it was more than enough.


    "Great." Knight of the Bloody Rose swept past them like a whirlwind while nearby rose petals, sharp as des, appeared.


    The Knight of the Bloody Rose gradually elerated, so when he reached the dragon, he looked like a scarlet sh that struck the dragon with tremendous speed.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The shockwave from the attack spread apart as the impact threw the dragon forward. The dragon''s huge body pierced through the castle wall and reached the western barrier of the kingdom. Arge amount of ink flowed out of the dragon''s wound, it was like a real river, so life was slowly leaving the dragon, but it was not going to give up.


    Roooooaaaaaaaarrrrr!


    The dragon pped its wings, and a powerful stream of wind blew several houses away, but no one was hurt because before the wind had had to reach the houses, there was a golden sh.


    "Well, well, herees the fun part. Isn''t it?" The Dark Silhouette smiled as the Knight of the Bloody Rose jumped high.


    Hundreds of petals made their way toward it, and in time it turned into something like a cocoon thatpletely covered the Knight of the Bloody Rose. Then the petals began to melt since blood streams like threads pierced the body of the Knight of the Bloody Rose.


    Whooooooosh.


    The Knight of the Bloody Rose swung his sword as he sliced the cocoon in two. His appearance changed as his hair became scarlet, as did his eyes, and massive wings of petals grew from his back. Also, his dark armor disappeared, exposing his torso with that rose tattoo.


    "You will be the first dragon I kill." The Knight of the Bloody Rose said in a calm voice, and the petals made their way toward his sword.


    The Knight of the Bloody Rose gripped the sword firmly by the hilt, sighed, and threw it at the dragon with all his might. The sword instantly pierced the dragon as thousands of petals pierced it from within. With each second, the number of small wounds increased until all the ink that for it was the same as blood for humans flowed out of the dragon.


    "It was beautiful." The Dark Silhouette said while sitting on the castle''s ruins.<sub> </sub>


    "You think so? I never liked that power." Knight of the Bloody Rose muttered with an indifferent look beforending beside him.


    "Then why did you use it?"


    "Well... She once said it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, so... I had to end it like this, no other way." The Knight of the Bloody Rose said as tears flowed from his eyes.


    "Ah, even though we won it all, it''s still kind of sad. You really are the Farewell Petal." Dark Silhouette said in a thoughtful manner while holding his head with his hand.


    "You''re leaving?" Knight of the Bloody Rose asked.


    "Yeah... I''ll call you when I need to."


    Knight of the Bloody Rose nodded silently as the Dark Silhouette, along with the golden sh, disappeared.


    "Brother! You''re all right!?" Cecilia eximed as she ran up to him.


    "Yes. It''s finally over. I wish I could have dealt with the king in person, but maybe it''s for the best." The Knight of the Bloody Rose muttered with a sad look.


    "Well, well, now the throne is empty, that needs to be fixed right now." Marcus said as a sly smile appeared on his face and sat down on the half-destroyed throne.


    "What?!" White Lily eximed with a dazed look, "Do you really think you can be our king?"


    "Hahahaha." Marcusughed, then his eyes became as sharp as des, "Why not? Royal des are excellent warriors, but not rulers. In war, the strongest wins, and in politics, the most cunning."


    "No! That''s out of the question!" White Lily waved her hand, "Hey! Are you really going to let some ouw be our king so easily!"


    "Damn... Honestly, I don''t even know what to say..." Lucian mumbled while chasing the back of his head, "Actually, that doesn''t sound so bad, but I think we should do the same thing we always do."


    "Hmm?" Everyone looked at him in a thoughtful manner.


    "We are knights, so we must follow the code. As the strongest decides, so shall it be." Lucian smiled as he turned to the Knight of the Bloody Rose.


    The Knight of the Bloody Rose was silent, he knew that everyone was waiting to hear from him, and they would do whatever he said, so he needed to think it over carefully.


    "Why do I feel like you already know my answer?"


    "Huh, I don''t." Marcus smiled, "You have no idea how nervous I am right now, but I''m too good at hiding it."


    "Eh, I can''t believe I''m saying this myself, but Marcus can make this kingdom truly great. However, given your personality, I can''tpletely trust you, so in a year, I''ll verify what you''ve aplished."


    "In a year?" Cecilia asked.


    "Yes. It''s time to travel as I definitely need a rest."

 Chapter 543 The Race

    "Hmm, that doesn''t sound like a tragedy. Honestly, your story reminds me more of a simple, brutal life of violence and drama than anything else." Wain said since he regained consciousness.


    "You just don''t know all my feelings." The Knight of the Bloody Rose sighed as he stepped aside toward one of themps.


    [You have revealed your fourth form appearance - Knight of the Bloody Rose.]


    [Farewell Petal.


    Step away from the concept of blood and thorny vines to devote yourself entirely to petals that will do whatever it takes for you to achieve your goals.]


    Wain nodded weakly. With each memory, he gained a new power that was very important for him to be able to deal with future opponents, however most of all, he appreciated learning a little more about the forms.


    ''Damn... Who the hell are they? And... why is there always that Dark Silhouette? They''re all in my mind, but it''s like I''m standing in front of a dark wall.'' Wain inwardly muttered while shaking his head in a frustrated manner.


    "Is something wrong?" Light Racer asked as he leaned toward him.


    "No. Nothing''s wrong. You''re thest one, right?" Wain muttered.


    "Yeah, but don''t you dare say it with that face! Since that''s the only thing, I can best in, for I''m always first in everything!" The Light Racer said in a proud voice before his eyes shone brightly, and he turned into the light that prated Wain''s be.


    ...


    "Hey! Let''s go! Why are you moving like bloody turtles?!" A tall girl with long blond hair shouted in a stern voice, "If you keep going like this, you''ll never win the race! Here we go!"


    Whooooooooooooosh!


    As soon as she said that, several people immediately ran forward. For ordinary people, they were incredibly fast as they easily broke the speed of sound, so they ran dozens of kilometers in less than a minute and came back.


    "Agh... Agh... Agh..."


    They breathed heavily while sweat dripped off them in a river. In this short period, they had expended almost all their energy and burned several thousand calories, so they urgently needed to rest.


    "Don''t rx! One morep! Quick!"


    "Yes, ma''am!" They responded with exhausted looks and ran.


    ''Damn... Right away, the race... though I shouldn''t have expected anything different from the Light Racer''s memory.'' Wain muttered while floating in the air.


    The ce he found himself in was an ancient ruin in the middle of a forest of huge trees. In the distance was a huge bridge that led to a massive ind, there was a city of white stone.


    Whooooooooosh.


    They were able to run anotherp, but some of them were so tired that they fell to the ground as they couldn''t move even a finger.<sub> </sub>


    "Good. Your result is pretty good, but it''s still not enough to be sure of winning! We''ll continue tomorrow." The girl said while holding her arms around her waist.


    "By the way, you don''t have a full group. Didn''t hee again!" The girl shouted with an angry voice.


    "Yes... We don''t know where he is, but this is the seventh practice in a row that he''s missed." One of the runners said.


    At this time, a young man was sitting on a tree branch in the distance while eating a red apple. His shoulder-length, golden hair swayed in the wind while he looked at the runners with a sly smile.


    "Huh, they train for hours every day, what fools they are. Damn, they try so hard, and yet they still have barely been able to improve their results. It''s ridiculous." Light Racer mouthed in an arrogant manner.


    Crack.


    He took a bite out of an apple, and at that moment, the girl somehow noticed him as she turned in his direction. Her eyes were as sharp as des that could easily pierce the Light Racer while her aura grew restless.


    Whooooooosh.


    Her eyes sparkled as she turned into yellow lightning that reached the tree in a second. She climbed a hundred feet up in a few leaps as she appeared before him.


    "Oh, Gloria, long time no see." Light Racer said while waving as a smile appeared on his face.


    "Motherfucker! How the fuck have you been skipping practice for a whole week!" Gloria yelled with a furious look.


    It was so loud that even people in the town that was a few kilometers away could hear her.


    "Damn... That was actually loud. Even though I could run away from the sound, your scream would still get me anywhere." Light Racer shook his head before continuing to eat his apple.


    "What? Are you telling me you''ve already broken the speed of sound? Don''t be ridiculous! Your results were the worstst time! How can you even be so cocky considering your skills!" Gloria leaned toward him as she reprimanded him like a schoolboy''s teacher.


    The Light Racer didn''t say anything back. He just continued eating his apple while looking at the waterfall that flowed behind the town. He tried to ignore Gloria, but she interpreted the situation differently.


    "Look, I already had a student like you once. You shouldn''t get upset if you don''t do well. On the contrary, you should be trying to do better, but instead, you miss training, and I can''t even help you. At this rate, you''ll never get faster." Gloria said in a calm voice with a kind smile on her face.


    Gloria continued, "The other students and I hope you will train with us. After all, everyone in the Yellow Lightning team will need help in a month."


    "Are you talking about the Seven Lightning Trial?" Light Racer asked as he pretended to be interested.


    "Exactly! That team that wins can go to the Mountain of Light! Haven''t you heard what the Elders were saying?" Gloria smiled as she pointed to a massive mountain in the distance.


    On the mountain grew unusual trees with white trunks and golden crowns, and at the very top was an orb that shone as brightly as the sun.

 Chapter 544 The Slowest?

    "Eh, the Mountain of Light, my parents dreamed of going there..." Light Racer muttered as he lowered his head.


    Gloria was embarrassed. She knew that Light Racer''s parents had died in an ident a few years ago, so it was a turning point in his life, after which he practically stopped training.


    "Hey, this might be pretty rough, but you''ve got to stop concentrating on that! You used to do pretty well, so you just need to pull yourself together! What''s more, I''m sure your parents would be happy if you could make it to the Mountain of Light!" Gloria eximed as she clenched her hand into a fist.


    "Okay. Maybe I''lle next time, but don''t be too hard on me." Light Racer smiled.


    "Great! With that fighting spirit, you''ll definitely be able to catch up quickly!" Gloria eximed with a proud look.


    "Okay, see you then." The Light Racer said, tossing a stump of apple to Gloria and jumping down.


    For a while, Gloria was confused as everything happened too fast, but then her face contorted in anger, and she crushed the apple stump, ''You little asshole... God forbid you don''t show up for practice tomorrow... Or I''ll shove this apple in your...''


    ...


    The next day the Yellow Lightning group was back at the practice area, led by Gloria. Everyone was getting ready for the race, but someone was still missing, causing Gloria to frown as her eyes bled.


    "He tricked me again..." Gloria muttered while clenching her fists with all her might.


    "Hey! Gloria, what happened? Aren''t you d to see me?" Light Racer said that suddenly appeared behind her.


    "Ich!" Gloria flinched as she stepped aside, "How did you sneak up on me?"


    "Hmm? What are you talking about? I just came in here through the main entrance." Light Racer said in a thoughtful manner while holding his chin, "You must have been too focused on training and didn''t notice me."


    "Yeah... You''re probably right... sorry..." Gloria nodded.


    The Light Racer smiled weakly, headed for the jogging path, and got ready to run.


    The other students looked at him with surprised looks as they couldn''t remember thest time they saw him at practice.


    "Who do I see!" A muscr guy with short blond hair said while approaching Light Racer, "Did you finally want to run?"


    Light Racer didn''t say anything back. He continued to warm up with a calm look as he didn''t even look in the guy''s direction.


    "Asshole... You think you can just ignore me like that?!" The Muscr One eximed in a furious voice since he grabbed the Light Racer by the cor.


    "Hmm? Do you want something from me?" Light Racer asked in a careless manner, "Shouldn''t we be getting ready for the race?"


    "Hey! Leave him alone!" Gloria eximed, "If you have anyints about him, settle it during the race!"


    "Good!" The Muscr One tossed the Light Racer aside, "Miss Gloria, you''re absolutely right! I''m sure he''lle to the finish linest!"<sub> </sub>


    Muscr One smirked as he got up to the start. The others did the same, they didn''t support Muscr One''s actions, but they were sure that Light Racer would show a terrible result.


    Gloria stood in front of them as a golden orb appeared in her hand. She threw it in the air, and the orb exploded.


    Whoooooosh.


    The students kicked off as they turned into golden rays. One of the rays was faster than the others. It was a Muscr One, but one ray seemed too slowpared to the others, it was Light Racer.


    "Yes! That''s certainly a new record!" Muscr One eximed as he raised his hands in the air.


    "Huh, you''re right." Gloria mouthed while looking at her watch, "One minute and 44 seconds. If you improve that score by 15 seconds by the end of the month, you''ll definitely be the fastest in the Seven Lightning Tournament."


    Whoooooooosh.


    The rest of the students came running almost simultaneously, the difference between them was only a few seconds minimal.


    "Hmmm, 2 minutes and 11 seconds, not bad, but you all need to work harder. Anyone else didn''t make it?" Gloria asked.


    "Yes. There is someone." The Muscr One smirked as he turned around.


    "Agh... I''m here!" Light Racer said before stopping at the finish line and started breathing heavily.


    "Two minutes, 31 seconds." Gloria muttered with a frustrated look, "That''s a pretty low score, but it''s probably okay considering you haven''t trained in a while."


    "Teacher, are you sure that''s the reason?" The Muscr One asked, "Maybe he shouldn''t bepeting in the Tournament with us at all. Can''t we find a recement for him?"


    p "You know yourself that''s impossible." Gloria shook her head, "You and others Lightnings were the ones who were able to develop these abilities, and now there are equal numbers ofpetitors on the teams, so there won''t be any changes."</anda>


    "Damn. Then we''re in for an inevitable loss. I''ve seen some of the Purple Lightning and Red Lightning guys, they''re real monsters. Even I''m not sure I can outrun them." The Muscr One muttered as he shook his head in a frustrated manner.


    "Shut up! We''ll do anything to win, or the Elders won''t give us the key, and we can''t get to the Mountain of Light. We''re getting pretty good results, so we''ll train as hard as possible next month!" Gloria said with a serious look, "Now, one morep. Let''s go!"


    ...


    As Gloria said, they practiced every day for the next month until they could no longer stand on their feet. Because of Gloria''s great efforts, everyone improved, even the Light Racer, but his progress was the weakest.


    ''Huh, I''m already starting to see golden rays everywhere.'' Wain muttered, ''They''re actually quite fast, but it doesn''tpare to Light Racer''s level... however, here he''s not as active.''


    Wain was confused as Light Racer''s behavior seemed strange to him since, unlike the others, he didn''t strain, and his legs never shook.

 Chapter 545 The Tournament

    A monthter came an important moment for the citizens, as it was the day of the Seven Lightning Tournament.


    At the edge of the city was a massive coliseum that was half destroyed, however it should be since it was an ancient ruin where the Seven Lightning Tournament was held every year.


    "Are you ready?" Gloria asked with a serious look.


    "Yes. This year Yellow Lightning will definitely get ess to the Mountain of Light!" Muscr One eximed with the other students, only Light Racer remained calm.


    Gloria nodded in a satisfied manner as she walked over to Light Racer and said, "How are you feeling?"


    "Fine. You don''t have to worry about me." Light Racer replied with a cold look.


    "Hey, you don''t have to be so rude. I just want you to know that I''m proud of you, no matter your score. You''ve elerated quite a bit in thest month."


    Light Racer just nodded before heading into the arena.


    ''Eh... Maybe I''m being too annoying?'' Gloria muttered inwardly.


    "Okay. Let''s go! It''s about to start!" Gloria eximed, and everyone followed the Light Racer.


    The Coliseum was already filled with people. Everyone in town wanted to see who the new winner would be, so there wasn''t a single empty seat in the stands.


    The seven teams took their ces near the bluff that led to the massive waterfall in the distance. Runners and their coaches waited for the start.


    Crackle.


    On the second floor of the Coliseum, the massive gates opened, and five men in long white robes took their seats that looked like the thrones of kings, they were the Elders. In charge was a man with a long white beard, amber eyes, and a stern gaze as a majestic aura emanated from him.


    "I wee you all to the Seven Lightning Tournament!" The Chief Elder eximed as he spread his arms to the side, "Today, one of the teams will have to walk through the road of light that will determine the fastest!"


    Whoooooooosh.


    After his words, two spheres appeared at the precipice that turned into a long bridge. The road went to the waterfall, surrounded it, and returned to the Coliseum that formed a circle.


    "The team that wins will get a unique opportunity to go to the Mountain of Light for a whole week!"


    The Mountain of Light was a ce with special energy, so every runner dreamed of going there because they could greatly increase their speed. It was necessary if one wanted to be stronger, so the best of the winners wouldter be Elders.


    "It''s been a year since the Mountain of Light wasst visited, so it''s full of energy. The best Team will receive this key!" The Chief Elder eximed as the space in front of him distorted.


    A golden feather appeared above his palm that was as bright as the sun. Lightning bolts and a powerful aura emanated from the feather.


    "Now, teams, take your ces! At my signal, the race will begin!" The Elder spoke in a thunderous voice.


    "Let''s go!" Gloria and the other coaches eximed as runners stood in front of the starting line.


    ''Hmmm... What is the Light Racer looking at? What''s he up to?'' Wain pondered while hovering as the Light Racer''s behavior was rather odd.


    All the runners stared intently at the golden road and the waterfall, but the Light Racer''s gaze was sometimes directed elsewhere, he looked at the golden feather that hung before the Chief Elder.


    "You are ready now. Excellent." The Chief Elder smirked as he raised his hand, "Go!"<sub> </sub>


    Whooooooooooosh.


    All the runners started at the same time, in a split second, their bodies were covered in ayer of light, but before they had to take their first step, the world suddenly froze.


    ''Hmm? What''s going on? Has the memory stopped?'' Wain looked around while in confusion.


    Then a shiver went through his body as he realized what was going on, ''Damn, looks like I was wrong all along. The Light Racer isn''t any different here.''


    Crackling.


    The Light Racer''s eyes shed as a loud pop deafened everyone present. Under the pressure of Light Racer''s feet, the ground of the arena split into two tes that rose, causing massive destruction, but no one had yet to realize it.


    The Light Racer turned into a beam of light that quickly passed through the stands and approached the Chief Elder. The Light Racer''s speed was so high that no one noticed anything but the Chief Elder as the moment the Light Racer grabbed the feather, the Elder''s gaze went to him, but even the Chief Elder couldn''t stop the Light Racer.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Light Racer ran towards the Mountain of Light with the golden feather in his hand as he passed through the forests and ran for miles to the spectators and runners finally reached the pulse that caused a major earthquake.


    "What''s going on?"


    "Aaaaaaaaaah!"


    "Help!"


    The residents eximed with fear on their faces as the massive debris of the Coliseum approached some of them.


    "Let''s go." The Chief Elder nodded as they turned into golden shes.


    Secondster, all the inhabitants were outside the Coliseum, the Elders rescued everyone, including the runners that were stunned and didn''t know how to act in such a situation.


    "What just happened? Did someone attack us?!" One of the students eximed with a confused look.


    "No... It''s much more serious..." The Elder muttered while shaking his head.


    "Master, what shall we do?" The Master turned to the Chief Elder.


    "There is no point in doing anything anymore. Moreover, even if we wanted to, we couldn''t anyway. I''m pretty sure I can''t outrun this guy, it''s crazy, but it''s true. Where did he get that kind of power?" Elder wondered as he touched his chin.


    "I''m sorry... It''s my fault..." Gloria walked over to him and bowed low.


    "Ah, he was in your group, right?" The Chief Elder looked at Gloria.


    "Yes... I''m sorry about that... He had the worst results in training, I didn''t even know that was possible." Gloria muttered as she didn''t dare lift her head.


    "Don''t worry, it''s okay." The Chief Elder waved his hand in a careless manner, but a momentter, his eyes widened, "Wait... What did you say?! He was the slowest?!"


    "That''s right."


    "Damn... So he was hiding his abilities the whole time... That asshole was waiting for the race to start so he could steal the key... Well, his actions could get us in trouble..."

 Chapter 546 Golden Sphere

    A beam of light crossed the vast distance in a minute and reached the entrance to the Mountain of Light. It was a special ce for every inhabitant, especially those with abilities.


    "Well, well... I''m finally here. I had to wait so long." Light Racer muttered while looking at the golden barrier, "The Elder did a good job of hiding the key, but he was too careless."


    Light Racer stepped forward, brought the feather to the barrier, and his eyes sparkled brightly as he transmitted his energy to the feather.


    Crackle.


    A magical circle appeared on the barrier that turned into a gateway. Above it hung a golden orb with liquid gold inside that quickly evaporated into small particles.


    "Huh, so much effort for a few seconds, but it''s definitely worth it. I can finally do this." The Light Racer muttered as he passed through the gate before it closed.


    ''Hmm... That''s weird... He could have easily won the tournament and gained ess to the Mountain of Light, but instead, he decided to take everything himself. Why?'' Wain inwardly muttered with a confused look.


    The Light Racer headed toward the top of the mountain, toward the Golden Sphere that shone as brightly as the sun. If it were him, any other runner would have stopped to absorb energy and be even faster, but Light Racer had an entirely different goal.


    "I hope this doesn''t cause too many problems." Light Racer muttered while looking at the Golden Sphere above him.


    The Golden Sphere was a special artifact that, ording to legend, gave runners their powers because once every twenty years, waves of light emanated from the Golden Sphere, so some kids were able to absorb that energy.


    "Maybe my idea is crazy, but it''s the only option... The faster we move, the slower everything gets around, so why don''t I try using that?" Light Racer mouthed before turning into a beam of light.


    He ran in a circle under the Golden Sphere as he gradually picked up speed. He ran for all his might, so gradually, a vortex of golden wind appeared that was sorge that it was visible even to those in the city.


    "Look! What is that?" The runner eximed as he pointed to the top of the mountain.


    "Oh my God... Did he really decide to do that...?" The Chief Elder muttered with a shocked look.


    "What? What are you talking about?" Gloria asked.


    "He wants to use the energy of the Golden Sphere to be even faster... but his goal is not strength..."


    "Hmm? Then what does he want?"


    "He wants to elerate fast enough for time to reverse its flow. You''re his trainer. Do you know the reason he wants to go back in time?" Chief Elder asked with a serious look.


    "The past... No... it can''t be..." Gloria muttered as a shiver went through her body.


    "What?"


    "His parents... They died years ago. Does he really want to resurrect them? That''s crazy!" Gloria eximed while in disbelief.


    "Damn... Why is fate so cruel to us? This particr child turned out to have such incredible abilities..."


    "Chief Elder! We must stop him!" One of the Elders eximed.


    "That''s impossible." The Chief Elder shook his head, "He stole the only key, so we can only enter the Mountain of Light a weekter when the gates open again, but by then, it will be resolved."<sub> </sub>


    Crackle.


    As soon as he said this, the first crack appeared on the Golden Sphere. The vortex intensified, so an enormous pressure was put on the Golden Sphere that gradually destroyed it.


    "The Golden Sphere is breaking...? Is that possible?!" The elder eximed with a shocked look.


    "Oh no..." The Chief Elder said as his face turned pale, "To reach the right speed, he wants to use all the energy of the Golden Sphere... It will be the end for all future generations..."


    The Runners and Elders didn''t know what to say. Their gaze instantly went nk as they realized how great the disaster was, and there was nothing they could do about it.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    More and more cracks were appearing on the Golden Sphere, but it wasn''t enough as the Light Racer needed to elerate even harder.


    ''Damn... This looks painful. He''s not really going to feel sorry for himself.'' Wain muttered while looking at the Light Racer''s feet.


    The runners had special shoes that gave themplete protection from injury while running, but these were not designed for this speed.


    The shoes on Light Racer''s feet were torn to pieces, so after a while, he had to run even though his feet were already bleeding.


    ''Just a little more!'' Light Racer eximed to himself as the vortex shone brightly.


    The Golden Sphere exploded, so yellow energy burst out. The vortex absorbed energy, and its power increased many times over, then time began to slow down.


    The world gradually lost its colors until it becamepletely gray, and time stopped. However, time did not go backward, meanwhile, a spatial rift appeared in the sky, which sucked the Light Racer into itself.


    Whoooooosh.


    Time returned to normal as the shards slowly merged with each other, so the Golden Sphere again brightly illuminated the city and the forests.


    "What happened...?" Gloria muttered with a confused look, "He, did it? Did he do it? Did he go back in time?"


    "I don''t know... but I think it''s unlikely. Something must have gone wrong. We just have to hope he''ll be okay. It will be the greatest failure if we lose the fastest runner in history." The Chief Elder spoke in a serious voice.


    Bam.


    A crack appeared in the air from that fell out a guy with long blond hair and bloody legs.


    "Damn... Where the hell am I...?" Light Racer muttered while holding his head.


    He clenched his palm in his fist as he realized there was gray sand in his hand along with small bones.


    "Hmm? What the hell is that?" Light Racer got up and turned around.


    He was standing on a cliff as in front of him was a vast area that looked like a dead desert.

 Chapter 547 Time Guardians

    Light Racer found himself in a strange, rather a creepy ce. He had a lot of questions to answer, but first, he decided to take care of his wounds.


    Scratch.


    Light Racer bandaged his legs with bandages while sitting under a massive dried tree. There was an atmosphere of death and a strong smell of dead bodies all around, so this tree looked like the safest ce to be.


    "Shit. I was supposed to go back in time and save Mom and Dad! But, instead, I ended up where the hell I was! What kind of ce is this? Purgatory? Hell? Heaven? Fuck!" The Light Racer eximed with an angry look as he hit the tree with all his might.


    Bam.


    The tree couldn''t take that kind of force, so it split in two and fell.


    "Okay. At least I was able to get here. That''s something, at least I hope so." Light Racer sighed, shook his head, and moved on.


    Light Racer didn''t know where to go, so he just paced forward while small bones broke beneath him that hid the sand.


    ''How strange...'' Light Racer muttered to himself, ''I''ve definitely gone over ten kilometers, but I can''t figure out how much time has passed. This ce is unusual.''


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly the ground trembled as a strong stream of wind blew towards Light Racer that blew sand and bones aside, so Light Racer had to cover his face with his hands.


    "What the hell..." Light Racer muttered as he lowered his arms.


    In the distance, he could see several silhouettes fighting each other, and after each skirmish, there was a powerful shockwave that made the sand go in waves.


    "There are five of them... But... it''s a one-against-four fight. Huh, that looks interesting. It''s always more fun to help those who are outnumbered, isn''t it?" Light Racer muttered with a sly smile on his face before going forward.


    After a few seconds, Light Racer got close enough to engage and take a good look.


    ''Wait... That''s Him...'' Wain inwardly muttered while looking at those who were fighting.


    The Dark Silhouette with a crown on his head and a long coat was outnumbered by four Skeletons in white robes with an hourss sign and scythes on the back.


    "Good. This is going to be fun." Light Racer muttered since his eyes sparkled and his hair glowed.


    He wanted to join the fight, but something stopped him.


    "Bastards. Why can''t you guys get away from me?!" Dark Silhouette eximed as his aura intensified.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A tremendous amount of energy erupted from the Dark Silhouette and turned into a huge jaw.


    "Die!" The Dark Silhouette eximed as the jaw headed toward the skeletons and mped down.


    Crackling.


    "What..." Light Racer muttered since he couldn''t believe what he saw.


    Part of the space just disappeared as well as half of the Skeletons'' bodies. The jaw ate up all even space that should be infinite.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    The corpses fell down as they broke into bones, so the sand would cover them just like everyone else after a while.


    "Well, those four were pretty annoying." Dark Silhouette sighed.<sub> </sub>


    "Hey!" A voice came from afar.


    Dark Silhouette prepared for a fight, but as he saw Light Racer, that waved his hand with a smile on his face, he rxed.


    "Have I finally met the man?" Dark Silhouette muttered as he raised an eyebrow.


    "Hmm? Did you get here recently, too?" Light Racer asked.


    "Recently? Are you kidding me?" Dark Silhouette grinned, "It''s pretty hard to keep track of time here, but I''m pretty sure I''ve been here for weeks."


    "A few weeks...?!" Light Racer eximed with a shocked look, "In all this time, you haven''t met anyone else?"


    "Yeah... That''s it." Dark Silhouette nodded.


    "Do you know what this ce is?"


    "Don''t you?" The Dark Silhouette was surprised.


    The Light Racer shook his head.


    "Then how did you get here? I fought the Time Guardians, so they dragged me here on purpose to deal with me, but your case seems radically different." Dark Silhouette pondered.


    "Well... You could say I was just running too fast. Some inhabitants have special abilities, so I overdid it." Light Racer said while holding the back of his head.


    "Hahaha." Dark Silhouetteughed, "Good one. You''re a pretty funny guy, aren''t you?"


    "Hmm? What makes youugh so hard?" Light Racer asked with a confused look.


    "Wasn''t that a joke? I know a few guys who are real masters at speed techniques, but even they don''t dare think about reaching a speed that would attract the attention of the Time Guardians." The Dark Silhouette waved his hand.


    The Light Racer said nothing, he only smirked as his hair glistened.


    Whooooooosh.


    He turned into a golden sh and a momentter appeared behind the Dark Silhouette as he didn''t even realize what had happened.


    "Huh, it was pretty quick, but still not enough to shake time."


    "Are you sure?" Light Racer said with a sly smile on his face while pointing forward.


    "Hmm?" Dark Silhouette turned around, and his eyes widened as he stared at the tower of skeletal bones that he had just killed.


    "You collected the bones, built a tower out of them, and ended up behind me all in a split second?" The Dark Silhouette spoke in a disbelief voice.


    "Yes. Since you''re convinced of my speed, tell me how I can get out of here. I still need to go back in time to do something." Light Racer said in a careless manner.


    "I see. So that''s your goal, unfortunately, that''s impossible." The Dark Silhouette shook his head.


    "What?! Why?" Light Racer eximed with a shocked look.


    "Time cannot be changed, only slowed down. It is the rules of this world that we cannot ignore, so your dream is not destined toe true. You were able toe close to disrupting the flow of time, so you ended up here." The Dark Silhouette sighed.


    "Then... Will we even be able to get out of here?" Light Racer muttered.


    "Yeah..." The Dark Silhouette smirked, "There is one way."

 Chapter 548 Ether

    Light Racer and Dark Silhouette stood on a ledge with pensive looks while gazing at the massive fortress in the distance.


    "Is this where the Time Guardians are?" Light Racer asked as he grabbed himself by the chin.


    "Yes." Dark Silhouette nodded, "By the way, it''s pretty hard to know the force level in this ce, so I''m not sure if you can fight against them."


    "Hmm? Maybe I''m not capable of tricks like you, but do you really think some skeletons can hurt me?" Light Racer said with a confused look.


    "Huh, don''t be ridiculous. These are Time Guardians, special beings that can fight even Dragons, so we should try to avoid unnecessary battles." The Dark Silhouette waved his hand.


    "Dragons? What are they?" Light Racer asked as he raised an eyebrow.


    "Really? Where do you even live? How can you not know about Dragons?"


    "Does it matter?" Light Racer shrugged.


    "Forget it. We don''t have time for this. Look, here''s our target." Dark Silhouette pointed to the center of the fortress.


    There was a massive geyser that constantly erupted an unusual blue liquid. A bright blue glow emanated from it as the space around it trembled.


    About ten Time Guardians were standing near the geyser, but they dared note within five meters since it was dangerous for them.


    "What is that?" Light Racer asked.


    "A special element, one as unique as Chaos Energy. It''s Ether." Dark Silhouette said in a serious voice.


    "Ether? I''ve never heard of it. However, it appears to be something important. They built this fortress and put up such serious guards." Light Racer muttered with a thoughtful look.


    "Well, it looks like you live in some forgotten vige." Dark Silhouette muttered, "The n is simple, we must break through the guards and absorb Ether. With this power, we can get out of here since even time and space have no control over it."


    "Even time and space?" Light Racer wondered, "Is that possible?"


    "Yes. Ether and Chaos Energy are two of the three powers that are capable of it, so you''re very lucky you could get here." Dark Silhouette nodded.


    "Hmm? Am I lucky? What are you talking about?" Light Racer said with a puzzled look.


    "You''ll absorb Ether. It''s impossible for a normal person, but given your speed, you''ll do just fine."


    "Hmm? Why wouldn''t you do it?" Light Racer said with a suspicious look as he did not trust the stranger.


    "Huh, don''t look at me like that. I''m not going to cheat you. Without your help, I''ll have to be here a long time. I can''t do that, as it is impossible to have more than one unique energy that is beyond time and space." The Dark Silhouette waved his hand.


    "Okay... Let''s give it a try, but what exactly do I have to do?"


    "Just run as fast as you can, and when you touch Ether, things will change dramatically, so we can finally get out of here."


    "Good. Then, go ahead." Light Racer said as he turned into a beam of light that headed toward the fortress.


    "Well... I wanted to bide my time, but this guy is fast at making decisions too..." Dark Silhouette muttered before running forward.


    The Light Racer acted defiantly, so he simply burst into the fortress through the main gate despite the possible danger. He moved so fast that he instantly destroyed all the chains on the gate, and the momentum from the impact blew the wallpletely away.<sub> </sub>


    The Time Guardians were not prepared for such a speedy attack, but they reacted quickly and pounced on the Light Racer as four skeletons in white armor simultaneously rained swords down on him from top to bottom.


    "Hey guys, you shouldn''t be so formidable, are you really that much afraid that someone might steal your treasure?" Light Racer smirked and vanished.


    Momentster, the swords disappeared from the skeletons'' hands and ended up in their skulls, so Light Racer continued straight toward the geyser.


    "Not so fast!" One Time Guardian eximed as a chain link amulet appeared before him.


    Whoooooosh.


    The amulet glowed brightly as many blue magic circles formed beside it, from which dark chains burst out. Like harpoons, they rushed towards it.


    "Huh, nice try!" Light Racer eximed as he elerated, however, one of the magic circles exploded, so for a second, Light Racer had to retreat and slow down.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    It was enough for the chains to grab him and bind him tightly as he could not move a finger.


    "You''re unusually fast, but what''s the point if a simple artifact can catch you?" The Skeleton in the red armor spoke in a menacing voice.


    "I agree. It''s rather unpleasant to be stopped that way." Light Racer said in a careless manner as he didn''t even turn toward Skeleton.


    "Huh, for someone who''s about to die, you''re too calm." Skeleton grinned.


    "Are you talking about yourself?" Light Racer smiled with a sly look.


    "What...?"


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Behind Skeleton appeared Dark Silhouette, that put a hand on his shoulder and muttered, "Did you have to be so rude to my new friend?"


    Crackling.


    The Dark Silhouette plunged Skeleton into the ground as a creepy jaw appeared on his arm and ate half of Skeleton''s body.


    "Man... Your powers are something too strange..." Light Racer frowned.


    "This ising from someone who can literally turn into a beam of light?" The Dark Silhouette smirked as he snapped his finger.


    Jaws appeared next to the chains that shattered them, so Light Racer was released.


    "Why did youe here?" Suddenly there was a menacing voice as a Skeleton in a ck robe appeared in front of them.


    "We just want to get out of here. Isn''t that clear?" The Dark Silhouette grinned.


    "You got here because you vited the boundaries of time, so your destiny is to be imprisoned here forever. You are trespassers, so don''t cause any more trouble. The Skeleton said with a calm look.


    "Destiny? Well, that''s my point." The Dark Silhouette spoke in a strange voice.

 Chapter 549 Speed

    "You can try to get out of here, but all that awaits you is pain." The Skeleton in the dark armor said in a calm voice as he snapped his fingers.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Bones flew out from under the sand and quickly became skeletons. Their auras were powerful and menacing, just as their eyes were like rednterns.


    "Hey, didn''t we just kill them?" Light Racer asked as he tilted his head in a thoughtful manner.


    "Yeah... You''re right." The Dark Silhouette nodded, and his aura intensified, "So you''re a necromancer, are you? However, it''s not enough to kill us!"


    "Necromancer? Huh, it looks like you''re new here." The Skeleton said as he touched his chin, "You can''t die in this ce. There is no such thing as death here, so you are here forever."


    "Hmm? Is that possible?" Lith Racer''s eyes widened.


    "Let''s check it out." The Dark Silhouette said as he touched Light Racer''s head.


    "What are you do...?" Light Racer eximed, but before he could finish his sentence, a gray jaw bit off his head.


    The skeletons looked at the Dark Silhouette with their mouths open as they all thought of one thing, ''Aren''t you friends?! Why did you do this to him?!


    Whooooooooosh.


    The Light Racer''s neck glowed brightly as his head returned to its ce. There were no scars, no cuts, as if nothing had happened.


    "Motherfucker! The fuck did you do that?!" Light Racer eximed with an angry look as he grabbed Dark Silhouette by the cor.


    "Come on, did that hurt you? I made it as quick as I could." Dark Silhouette said in a careless manner.


    "No, but what if that damn Skeleton tricked us? I would have died then!"


    "Well, that would be unpleasant." Dark Silhouette shrugged, "However, now we may not hold back. Isn''t that a sess? I had to risk someone, so you were the only option."


    Light Racer''s face twisted with anger, but he did not fight Dark Silhouette as he understood that his actions were logical, though brutal.


    "Freak! I bet you have no friends!" Light Racer threw Dark Silhouette to the ground.


    Dark Silhouette slowly stood up, shook off the sand, and said, "Actually, I have a few. Would you like to be one of them?"


    "Well, are you trying to kill all your friends?"


    "No. Just you." Dark Silhouette smirked.


    "Oh, I''m fucking ttered." Light Racer shook his head in a disgruntled manner, "Let''s get started already. I gotta get this thing and get out of here as soon as possible."


    Whoooooooooosh.


    The Light Racer turned into a sh of light that headed for the geyser. Several Time Guardians tried to stop it, but the momentum threw them aside as they even could not approach the Light Racer.


    "Ah, so that''s your goal." The Skeleton in the dark armor muttered, "Well, do you really think you''re the only one trying to absorb Ether? Well, you can try if you want, I won''t stop you."<sub> </sub>


    Skeleton waved as the other Time Guardians stepped aside. They literally cleared the way for the Light Racer right to the geyser with Ether.


    "Huh, idiots!" Light Racer eximed as he approached the geyser, but suddenly he began to slow down.


    With each step, his speed became less while the light shell gradually dissipated, then he was unable to take thest step, even though he was so close to Ether.


    "What the hell?!" Light Racer uttered with a confused look, "No, that''s impossible!"


    Light Racer tensed, veins bulged on his body, and his eyes bled, but no matter how hard he tried, he didn''t budge, as there was an invisible barrier in front of him.


    "Damn... I thought he was fast enough..." Dark Silhouette muttered.


    "Hmm? It looks like you knew about Ether''s special properties, didn''t you?" Skeleton asked.


    "Yeah." Dark Silhouette nodded.


    "What''s going on here? Why can''t I touch it?" Light Racer eximed while in disbelief.


    "Ether is not subject to time and space, and in this zone, time ys no great role. You can be here for a hundred years, but in the outside world, only one second will pass, so even though Ether is right in front of you in fact, it is not here, not literally, but you can never get to it." The Skeleton muttered while shaking his hand.


    The Light Racer turned around, looked at him, and with a puzzled look, said, "You definitely don''t need to work as a teacher, your exin super shitty."


    "Well, even I don''t fully understand that energy. Anyway, it''s time to end our pleasant conversation as, from the looks of it, you''re not going to leave here, so I have no other option but to throw you out." Skeleton said before extending his arm forward.


    Tremble.


    Space trembled as a ck sword with a serrated de appeared before him, from which dark, eerie energy emanated.


    "Though you cannot die, I can easily make you experience the most terrible pain of your life." The Skeleton uttered as he gripped his sword tightly and swung it.


    Out of the sword came ghosts that looked like wild beasts. They pounced on Dark Silhouette and Light Racer with ferocity.


    "Damn... That looks dangerous." Light Racer said while looking at the ghosts with a careless look before turning into a beam of light.


    Light Racer appeared behind Dark Silhouette and said, "How about taking care of it for your new friend?"


    "Huh, whatever." Dark Silhouette grinned, shrugged, and waved his hand.


    Several jaws appeared in front of him that turned into phantom piranhas with vicious looks and sharp teeth.


    "Go!" The Dark Silhouettemanded as the piranhas pounced on the ghosts.


    They tore the ghosts apart without pity and then headed for the Time Guardians that stood around them. The piranhas grinded their bones with their jaws like crushers, so only the Skeleton in dark armor remained in the fortress after a while.


    "Maybe we can''t kill you, but what about the fear of such a terrible fate?" The Dark Silhouette grinned wickedly.

 Chapter 550 Monster

    "Huh, are you sure about that? After all, I am responsible for this fortress." The skeleton uttered as he thrust his sword into the ground.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ground trembled while something glowed beneath the thickyer of sand. Then a strong wind wave lifted the sand andpletely cleared the fortress.


    "What is this? Looks pretty cool, doesn''t it?" Light Racer said with a smile on his face.


    Beneath the sand and bones was a massive magical circle with the image of the head of some ancient creature in the center.


    Crackle.


    The skeleton turned his sword like a key as the magic circle glowed brightly. The bones of the skeletons that the piranhas had killed headed toward the center of the circle while the skeleton in the dark armor jumped aside.


    "Damn. It looks like getting out of here won''t be as easy as I thought." The Dark Silhouette bit his lip as a drop of blood spilled out.


    Light Racer frowned since he had never felt such a strange aura before. It seemed to him as though death itself was about to emerge from the magic circle.


    The sword slowly slid down until it disappearedpletely into the magic circle, so this was the beginning of the appearance of the chief guardian of this ce.


    Whoooooosh.


    Out of the magic circle appeared a massive hand that looked like a human hand, but with long fingers that looked like des. Then its head appeared, that was like a flower with five petals, each covered with many sharp teeth, and in the center was a long, creepy tongue. The creature was rather thin but with dense muscles and a massive tail.


    "What the hell is it...?" The Light Racer muttered in a shaky voice.


    "Damn... That''s the worst one we could have met... It''s a Demogorgon." The Dark Silhouette frowned as his hands were covered in gray energy.


    Roooooooooooaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrr!!!


    Demogorgon roared furiously as his roar spread for hundreds of meters around, instilling fear in the few who were imprisoned in this ce.


    "We can''t defeat it, not here, but that won''t stop this monster from eating our souls." The Dark Silhouette stood up in a battle stance.


    "What?! It''s going to eat our souls?" Light Racer eximed with a startled look.


    "Yeah... Technically we won''t die, but we can hardly be called alive. We will be nothing more than puppets that will wander forever in this desert."


    "Then... What do we do?!"


    "Fight, but not two. I''ll hold it off as long as I can. Your job is to elerate fast enough to touch Ether and absorb it. Only with that power can we bring this monster back to the underworld." The Dark Silhouette mouthed before running forward.


    ''Damn... That actually looks scary.'' Wain muttered while poring through the air, ''Even though I''m not threatened by anything, I can still feel the fear shackling my body. I wonder who will win the Demogorgon or the Dragon?''


    Whoooooosh.


    Dark Silhouette and Demogorgon shed. Dark Silhouette attacked as the jaw on his left arm opened wide, and gray energy rained down on the monster.


    Crackle.


    Demogorgon''s left arm disappeared as blood gushed out of the wound in a fountain that stained Dark Silhouette''s face, however, the monster didn''t even pay attention to it.


    "D... I... E..." Demogorgon said slowly in a creepy voice.<sub> </sub>


    Whooooooosh.


    The monster''s long tongue came down on Dark Silhouette like a whip with tremendous speed, Dark Silhouette had no more than a second to dodge.


    "Fuck!" Dark Silhouette eximed as he jumped aside.


    The tongue flew right in front of his face as a massive crack appeared on the ground a hundred meters long.


    Demogorgon rushed forward as it instantly appeared in front of the Dark Silhouette and grabbed his neck.


    "Your boldness has brought you to this..." Demogorgon said before throwing Dark Silhouette with all his might.


    Demogorgon''s power was enormous, so because of the impact, the Dark Silhouette flew like a projectile hundreds of meters, smashing trees and boulders along the way until he finally stopped.


    "Yes... This power is wless..." The skeleton in the dark armor spoke in a faint voice as he spent all his energy to summon such a creature as Demogorgon.


    "This looks painful... Okay, it''s time to put an end to this." The Light Racer mouthed and turned into a golden beam.


    He realized that touching Ether wasn''t easy, so he needed to reach maximum speed before he had a chance to do so.


    "Hey! Give me a minute. That''ll be enough!" Light Racer shouted while running around the fortress and gradually gaining speed.


    "Huh, I hope so..." Dark Silhouette muttered while shaking off the dust, "That was a damn nuisance, you know. Was it really necessary to toss me with such force?"


    "Shut up..." Demogorgon muttered as it leaped high up.


    Demogorgon''s petals shone brightly as five magical circles appeared in front of it, out of which burst scarlet energy rays that, likesers, could burn through anything.


    "It''s been five seconds. You''ve been acting too long." The Dark Silhouette said as he raised his hand.


    A gray jaw appeared above him that swallowed the rays, but suddenly Demogorgon fired again.


    "Damn!" Dark Silhouette eximed as he tried to create another jaw, but he didn''t have time for that.


    In Dark Silhouette''s body were three holes whose edges were smoking due to the high temperature as his flesh literally burned.


    "Hey! Are you okay?" Light Racer shouted with a worried look.


    "Huh, thanks for asking." Dark Silhouette shook his head.


    Bam.


    Demogorgon fell on him and started tearing him apart. It had no pity as it acted like a wild beast that waspletely consumed by bloodlust.


    Despite the terrible pain that Demogorgon was tearing chunks of flesh from him and blood was pouring out of him in streams, the Dark Silhouette smiled.


    "A human... This is the end." Demogorgon uttered as dark energy burst out of it that headed straight for Dark Silhouette''s Soul Altar.


    "You want to eat my soul? Are you confident in your powers?" Dark Silhouette smirked, and a momentter, Demogorgon''s body exploded.

 Chapter 551 The Power Of Destiny

    Crackle.


    The body of the terrifying Demogorgon exploded as chunks of flesh flew apart. At the same time, gray mes appeared on Dark Silhouette''s wounds that instantly healed him and opened an eye on his crown.


    "Well, well, if you want to eat my soul, you should at least be as strong as the Dragon Progenitor!" The Dark Silhouette eximed in a thunderous voice as waves rippled across the sand because of how loud it was.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Parts of flesh instantly joined together in ce as Demogorgon was reborn, however, now its aura was not as terrifying as before, for the monster that was facing death for the first time experienced what fear is.


    "What...? How is it possible...?" The skeleton in dark armor muttered in a dazed voice, "No... It can''t be... Are you really on that level to know about this technique?!"


    "Huh, sure, so it''s time to have some fun until my new friend gets us out of this crappy ce!" Dark Silhouette uttered as he disappeared.


    He appeared beside Demogorgon, bent down, and struck him with his palm. The monster flinched as it instinctively dodged the attack, at the same time, a torrent of gray wind rushed out of his palm like a tornado, destroying everything in front of it. The kilometer of sand and earth simply disappeared, as if someone had eaten it, as well as half of Demogorgon''s body.


    "Get the fuck out of here!" The Dark Silhouette snapped his finger, and a pulse of energy blew away from him.


    The energy ripped the monster to shreds again, so when Demogorgon recovered again, it was in no hurry to attack. The monster just stood in the distance.


    ? "What''s going on...? Why isn''t Demogorgon fighting...?" The skeleton muttered while in disbelief as for him, Demogorgon was the scariest creature in the world.


    "Huh, isn''t it obvious?" The Dark Silhouette smirked, "It''s afraid. Look, a monster that is supposed to instill fear in any creature, even dragons, just shaking with fear like a pathetic insect! Isn''t that funny? Ahahahahahahaha!"


    The skeleton said nothing as that scene and the realization that it really, destroyed his world. Everything he believed in was shattered in seconds.


    "Hey, runner, when will you be ready?" Dark Silhouette asked as he no longer worried about Demogorgon.


    "Ten seconds, then I''m maxed out." Light Racer said since his legs were already starting to bleed, so he was gradually approaching the limit.


    "Good. That''s enough for onest move." Dark Silhouette nodded.


    "What are you going to do?" Skeleton asked with a startled look.


    "Nothing much. I''m just going to destroy everything here. This ce pisses me off. I''ve lost too much time here." The Dark Silhouette frowned as the pupil of his eye on the crown became vertical.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A huge magical circle appeared in the sky, to which streams of gray energy were directed like whirlwinds. The space next to the magic circle was covered in cracks as it could shatter like ss at any moment.


    Then, the Dark Silhouette pointed at Demogorgon and with an ice-calm look, said, "Megalodon,e and devour."


    Whoooooooosh.


    An enormous creature that looked like a shark with a horrible mouth emerged from the magic circle. It copsed on Demogorgon with its mouth wide open and swallowed the monster along with a massive piece of ground. It wasparable to if a meteorite the size of a mansion had fallen there.


    The shark didn''t stop there, it continued to devour space until its energy ran outpletely, so by then, there were space holes, anomalies, and destruction everywhere.<sub> </sub>


    "What...? Why isn''t Demogorgon recovering? Where is it?!" Skeleton eximed with a shocked look.


    "Don''t be ridiculous. There must be at least one drop of blood left to recover. I ate itpletely, so how is it possible in this case? Just ept the fact that I swallowed your god like a fucking steak!" The Dark Silhouette pronounced before heading toward the fortress.


    There was a golden ring around the walls from which the heat was already emanating due to too much speed. The Light Racer did his best to achieve top speed.


    "Are you ready?" Dark Silhouette asked.


    "Yes." Light Racer nodded as he changed his direction and headed for the geyser.


    He was several times faster now than he had been on his first attempt, so this was his best opportunity to absorb Ether.


    Tremble.


    When the Light Racer stepped into the geyser''s territory, he was hit with a special energy that should have slowed him down, but instead, the world turned gray.


    ''Wow, that''s just like when I destroyed the golden orb.'' Light Racer smiled while stepping forward.


    He didn''t know why it happened, but now everything but him was frozen. Even the particles of Ether that looked like flowingva didn''t move.


    ''Looks like I was destined to get here. This power is mine now!'' The Light Racer eximed as he touched Ether.


    Ssh.


    The world moved again, but the geyser was already empty. The entire Ether was around the Light Racer like a shell slowly absorbing into his body.


    The Light Racer''s appearance has changed as his hair has be shorter and white as snow, his eyes are azure, and he is wearing dark blue light armor with pulsating blue lines.


    "You don''t look so bad. You''re Ether Stream now." Dark Silhouette said as a smile appeared on his face.


    "Yeah... It''s a wonderful feeling. It''s like I''m outside the confines of time and space. It''s amazing..." The Light Racer muttered in a dazed voice while looking at his hands that burned with blue mes.


    "It''s time to get out of here, isn''t it?" The Dark Silhouette waved his hand.


    "Of course it is. It''s not a problem now, at all." Light Racer nodded.


    He sighed, stepped forward, and turned into a blue sh that rushed toward the sky. The air rippled, and space distorted.


    Crackling.


    The Light Racer touched one of the cracks, and a massive hole appeared. However, he was in no hurry to leave.


    "What the fuck..." Light Racer muttered as, from outside the zone, two huge yellow eyes stared at him.

 Chapter 552 Chaos And Ether

    "Hey, what are those things?!" Light Racer eximed as a shiver ran through his body.


    Crackling.


    Two huge dark lizards were slowly climbing inside, each with a massive yellow eye that emanated strange energy.


    <o>,m "Oh... Ipletely forgot about them..." Dark Silhouette said in an awkward manner.</o>


    "What? Forgot?" Light Racer''s eyes widened, "How could you forget that?!"


    "Well... I''ve been here for weeks, but it hasn''t been more than a second in the outside world. In case you''re wondering, I got here because of them. They have chaos energy, so it had unintended consequences." The Dark Silhouette shook his hand.


    "Chaos? Can we handle them?" Light Racer asked with a confused look.


    "Huh. That''s a silly question. Of course, we will. It was impossible for you before, but you also possess one of the three unique energies, so don''t be afraid and show all your strength. I''ll take the right one. Good luck!" The Dark Silhouette smiled as he leaped toward the Lizard.


    ''Damn... I thought I''d finally get out of here, but instead, I have to fight...'' Light Racer inwardly muttered while looking at his opponent, ''Shit... It looks really dangerous.''


    The lizards were twins, but they had one important difference. The left Lizard had one horn while the right one had two horns.


    Roooooooaaaaaaaaaaarrrrr!!!


    The lizards roared furiously as a gust of wind spread hundreds of meters around that could intimidate anyone but not their opponents.


    "Shut your fucking mouth, you stupid reptile!" Dark Silhouette eximed as he kicked the Two-Horned Lizard.


    The monster didn''t have time to react, so on it came the full force of the attack, and the impact threw the Two-Horned Lizard back down.


    Tremble.


    The ground shook like an earthquake as the Two-Horned Lizard was buried under the sand.


    "Hahaha, great. This is where I can finally deal with you! I swear I''ll roast you at the bonfire and eat you!" The Dark Silhouetteughed as gray energy coated his arms, and he rained down on the monster like a missile.


    "Damn. He''s really enjoying this. Is it okay to enjoy violence like this?" Light Racer muttered with a confused look.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Suddenly a massive shadow appeared in front of him, and sharp ws approached him.


    Light Racer''s pupils narrowed as he jumped aside, so a paw mmed into the ground in front of him.


    "Hey, why don''t we get to know each other first? What do you think?" Light Racer said in a yful manner.


    Roooooaaaaaaarrrrr!!!


    "Oh, apparently, you''re not interested in me. Well, that''s even better." Light Racer muttered while shaking his head and turned into a blue sh.


    He got behind the Lizard, grabbed it by the tail, and mmed it against the ground, then the Light Racer flew up and copsed on the monster from top to bottom at top speed.


    Tremble.<sub> </sub>


    A blue wave of energy came from the attack, and there was a loud pop as if there had been an explosion, as everything was covered in azure mes for dozens of meters around.


    "Yes! I''m starting to like this!" Light Racer eximed with a smile on his face, but then he frowned, "Damn... Why is everything always soplicated?"


    The monster was barely hurt, despite such a powerful attack, all Light Racer could achieve was a few broken scales on his enemy''s stomach.


    Roooooaaaaaaaarrrrr!


    The Lizard roared furiously as its eye shone brightly, and a beam of yellow me burst from it. The Light Racer turned into a blue sh as he was a hundred yards away from the monster.


    "That was really dangerous." Light Racer muttered while looking at his burned shoulder. He wasn''t hurt, but even he couldn''t quite dodge the attack.


    ''Hmm... Their eyes are the same as Blind Sorcerer''s...'' Wain inwardly muttered while looking at the fight with a pensive look, ''Moreover, I am now certain that Dark Silhouette has the same abilities as me. So he''s my predecessor? Did I be the heir? But... Why?


    Wain learned much from the memories of each form, each time, there were different situations, opponents, and allies, but only the Dark Silhouette remained unchanged. It was someone powerful, someone, who, with one appearance, could solve unsolvable problems, and no opponent could frighten him.


    ''Well, perhaps I''ll know more about it soon...''


    Whooooooooosh.


    The One-horned Lizard''s eye glowed brightly as the space next to the Light Racer distorted.


    "Huh, you want to attack? You''re not very smart, are you?" Light Racer smirked as he turned into a blue sh.


    He ran out of the attack zone but suddenly found himself back in the same ce.


    "What the hell...?" The Light Racer was puzzled, but he didn''t have much time, so he decided to try again.


    As soon as he ran up to the boundary, he was immediately on the other side, as if he were in an endless loop.


    ''Huh, as fast as he is, it doesn''t matter if he can''t leave this cage.'' Wain grinned as he was curious how the Light Racer would get out of there.


    Roooooaaaarrrrr!


    The Lizard roared as a magical circle appeared in the sky, beneath which materialized a huge sphere of energy that could explode at any moment.


    "Holy shit!" Light Racer eximed with a startled look.


    "Hey, why aren''t you using your new abilities? Not only can you run fast now, but there are also no limits for you anymore."


    "Huh?" The Light Racer turned around at the voice as his went wide.


    The Dark Silhouette sat on the massive corpse of the Lizard with one foot on the other and a bored look while holding his head by hand.


    ''Is he done yet?! Well... Anyway, he''s right... If I can make a hole in this ce, why should any spell stop me? The Light Racer shook his head as his eyes shed a blue me.


    Light Racer instantly got out, then the blue meet circled the fortress a hundred times in a second, and like a shot from a neutron cannon, pierced the Lizard through as the impulse tore the monster apart with blood poured on the gray sand around it.

 Chapter 553 The Return

    p. p. p.


    "That''s a great punch. That''s what you should have done all along." Dark Silhouette said while pping his hands with a sly smile on his face.


    "Well... I''m a long way from your level." Light Racer muttered as he looked at the Lizard''s corpse.


    "Huh, that''s true. You wasted too much time, though you could have done it all along." Dark Silhouette muttered as he jumped off the Lizard corpse, "Okay. It was nice meeting you. See youter."


    "Hmm? You''re just going to leave like that?" Light Racer uttered with a confused look.


    "Yeah. Why not? Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Here." Dark Silhouette tossed to Light Racer an amulet with a picture of a jaw.


    "What is it?" Light Racer muttered in a puzzled voice while examining the amulet.


    "Think of it as a walkie-talkie. Anyway, I''ll call you when I need you. Goodbye." The Dark Silhouette waved his hand and left the area through the rift.


    "Damn... He actually just left..." Light Racer shook his head, "Okay, even though I couldn''t fulfill my original goal, I have no right toin, however, it''s still a damn shame."


    Light Racer squeezed the amulet as a few tears fell on his fist. He got a power that many could only dream of, but it wasn''t what he wanted at all.


    ''It''s actually disgusting to have that kind of power, but not being able to do anything about death...''


    Crackle.


    Space shattered into a multitude of debris as the memory waspleted.


    "Wee back." Light Racer said with a slight smile on his face.


    "Looks like I finally learned more about all of you, doesn''t it?" Wain asked as he looked at Light Racer and the others.


    [You have opened the second appearance of the sixth form - Light Racer]


    [Ether Stream


    "Yeah. That''s right." Light Racer nodded.


    "What now? Are you going to leave and let me get a good night''s sleep?"


    "Huh, no." Light Racer shook his head, "You''ve been asleep long enough already. It''s time for you to wake up."


    "But... I can''t do that." Wain muttered with a confused look.


    He could do anything in the back of his mind, but he couldn''t get beyond it because he was still too weak.


    "Yes, that''s right. Then you were really mad, so you used too much energy, even I wouldn''t break through hundreds of spatial barriers to deal with some evil wench. You need a full recovery to wake up, given your condition, it''ll take about three months." Light Racer muttered with a pensive look while holding his chin.


    "Three months?! What?! That''s too long! Did I really get hurt that badly?!" Wain eximed with a dazed look.


    p "Well, actually, you just overexerted yourself too much, your body literally could have been torn apart as it happened to your muscles. Nothing serious, but it takes time, quite a bit of time." Light Racer muttered before smiling in a sly manner, "However, I have one option for you."</anda>


    "Hmm? You want to make me do something weird, don''t you?" Wain muttered with a suspicious look.<sub> </sub>


    "Huh, I wish I had, but no." Light Racer smiled, "Lucky for you, it''s already done, so all you have to do is get ready for one of the most important events of your life!"


    Whoooooosh.


    Light Racer turned into a sh of light as a secondter, he was back, but already with Code of Light and Darkness, Cursed Swordsman, and Blind Sorcerer.


    "Why did you bring them here?" Wain asked with a confused look.


    "Well, isn''t it obvious? We''ll help you take thest step and start right now!" Light Racer eximed as his hair turned white and his armor changed to azure.


    The same thing happened to the others. They all transformed into a second appearance since their auras had increased to the limit. So much energy emanated from them that it became visible and tangible.


    "Good. Get into formation. I didn''t think we''d have to do this, but there''s hardly a better time yet." Blind Sorcerer said before touching the floor.


    Whoooooooosh.


    A magical purple circle in a pentagram shape appeared on the ground. Cursed Swordsman, Blind Sorcerer, ck Sun Aristocrat, Knight of the Bloody Rose, and Light Racer stood on the ends of the star while Code of Light and Darkness headed toward Wain.


    "Are you going to summon the devil? What the hell is going on here?" Wain was confused.


    "Huh. Something like that." Blind Sorcerer grinned, "After all, this is dark magic, so it can have its consequences, however we make it perfect. Just concentrate because you''re the devil now."


    "Yeah. He''s right." Code of Light and Darkness said with a slight smile on his face as a de ofpressed light appeared in his hand, "Get ready, this is going to hurt!"


    Crackle.


    Code of Light and Darkness pierced Wain through. Wain immediately vomited a mouthful of blood as he felt intense pain.


    "Here we go." Code of Light and Darkness muttered and waved his hand.


    Energy flowed towards him from the other forms that gradually turned into a colorless drop that emanated powerful energy.


    Code of Light and Darkness directed the drop toward Wain''s chest as it flew in.


    Wain''s eyes shone brightly likenterns, and an abnormal amount of energy burst from them, and several messages appeared in front of him.


    [You have absorbed the purest energy from powerful beings that have existed for centuries. Though it is not your feat, but it is still enough to make your Majesty greater.]


    [Your Majesty has increased by 1.]


    [Your Majesty has be 10, so one of the conditions for starting the fourth evolution has been met.]


    [All the conditions for starting the fourth evolution have been met!]


    "Great. Now thest step. Come on. We have to do this." Blind Sorcerer eximed as streams of energy burst out of them all that headed toward Wain.


    "Now his mind is tormented too, well, that''s pretty brutal, but that''s the only way to achieve greatness!" Code of Light and Darkness eximed and turned his de.


    [Due to unknown external energy, forced evolution has begun!]

 Chapter 554 The Fourth Chronicle

    ''What the hell?!'' Wain inwardly eximed while experiencing incredible pain.


    Energy flowed through his veins like red-hotva to reach one ce, the most important point in any creature''s body - the Soul Altar.


    "Very well." Code of Light and Darkness smiled in a sly manner, "That''s what we need. Though we''ll have to wait a while longer, it''s good that we were able to speed up the process."


    "Yeah... It remains to find the seventh, so he will open the door to the hidden one." The Blind Sorcerer smirked as he touched the pentagram.


    The magical circle glowed brightly as the purplemps around it trembled. Ghosts burst out of them as if they were messengers of death headed toward Wain and prated his be.


    Wain could no longer control himself, he struggled to remain conscious while the unusual changes took ce within his mind.


    When the energypletely covered Soul Altar, it began to shake violently as if it could break at any moment. If Wain had been any other person, its Soul Altar would have exploded immediately, but Wain could withstand such pressure for a while.


    Whoooosh. Whoooosh. Whoooosh.


    The ghosts lined up in a seven-pointed star as they made their way toward Wain''s Main Soul that burned brightly like a dark me in the center of the Soul Altar. The soul tried to resist the energy, but the pressure was too much, so there were ghosts here for that. They prated the soul and let it consume them.


    "Aghhh!" Wain eximed in pain while his soul processed the energy it received.


    "Huh, he''s pretty lucky, isn''t he?" Light Racer smiled, "Others need decades of preparation to start the fourth evolution, but in his case, that''s not necessary."


    "Well, you know why this is happening. Don''t you?" Blind Sorcerer looked at Light Racer with a serious look while his chaotic eyes burned brightly.


    "Hey, you want to fight me? Are you sure?" Light Racer smiled as his legs lit up in blue mes.


    "No." Blind Sorcerer shook his head, "But... You should finally shut up. At least at such an important moment."


    "Huh, okay." Light Racer shrugged.


    Crackle.


    Wain''s Main Soulpletely absorbed all the ghosts, so now it had enough energy to resist the energy that wanted to absorb and destroy his Soul Altar.


    Dark mes erupted from the soul that turned into jaws. They began to devour energy as nothing could resist them because these jaws could eat anything.


    "Let''s go." Blind Sorcerer said as he beckoned to Light Racer.


    "Alright, here we go." Light Racer smiled.


    <o>,m They folded their arms in front of them as if praying, and spheres erupted from their bodies, one yellow that was a concentration of chaos power and the other blue that was pure Ether. Blind Sorcerer and Light Racer spent all their energy creating the spheres, so they had to leave the circle, but they did their job since the spheres headed for Wain''s Soul Altar.<sub> </sub></o>


    Chaos and Ether began to fight against the jaws, so unique energies met each other. No one could win or lose, but the space and arena were not capable of withstanding the battle of such opponents, so in one moment, Soul Altar exploded like with a bang.


    "Agh!" Wain vomited a mouthful of blood, not only was his consciousness damaged but so was the actual body thaty in the bed under Aurora''s care.


    "Hmm?" Aurora raised an eyebrow, and a shiver went through her body as she saw that Wain''s mouth was bleeding.


    She ran up to him with a frightened look and waved her hand to create a protective barrier. A purple sheath appeared over Wain, but the blood didn''t stop flowing, on the contrary, it only got more serious.


    "What...?!" Aurora eximed while in disbelief, "This barrier can heal even a dragon''s wounds! Why the hell isn''t it working? What happened to it?!"


    Aurora used several spells and rare artifacts, but nothing had any effect, then she realized that there was only one wound that she was unable to heal.


    ''No, no, no! It can''t be! Has his Soul Altar copsed? Why has it happened? Why now?'' Aurora inwardly eximed.


    She didn''t have much time, so she went through all the options that could help Wain and came to the only option - she had to enter his Soul Altar. It was dangerous, as she could only hasten Wain''s death if approached incorrectly, but it was her only option.


    Aurora concentrated, released some energy, and made her way to Wain''s Soul Altar.


    ''Well, I hope I can handle it. I once helped a dragon rebuild a destroyed Soul Altar, so I should probably be able to handle this guy.'' Aurora muttered to herself while moving toward the Soul Altar.


    However, she could do nothing as she saw his Soul Altar, something pounced on her, so a powerful stream of energy burst out of Wain that threw her aside with such force that she punched through the wall with her body.


    "What the hell... What was that? Jaws?" Aurora muttered as blood dripped from the corners of her mouth, "No, I saw something else, mes... yellow and blue..."


    Aurora made no further attempt to sneak into his Soul Altar as this burst of energy seriously hurt her. She didn''t know why, but she was afraid to do it.


    ...


    Three different energies fought each other, just as Wain was fighting for his life. He lost his Soul Altar, so he did not have long to live.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly his Main Soul trembled as a message appeared before him.


    [Your Main Soul, Nameless King is using his unique power that was hidden deep within. Today, you will escape your death, your destiny.]


    Main Soul exploded as dark energy consumed everything around it. The energy of Chaos and Ether burst from Wain''s body as spirits that had been banished, and the shattered shards of his Soul Altar began to transform into something else entirely.

 Chapter 555 The Temple

    "Great. That''s what we need." Blind Sorcerer muttered with a sly look, "Though it was dangerous, he could endure it. After all, his soul is the strongest thing that ever existed."


    "Well, that was pretty risky, wasn''t it?" ck Sun Aristocrat said while holding his chin.


    "Yes... He could have died... You three are real madmen." Cursed Swordsman muttered as he nced at Blind Sorcerer, Light Racer, and Code of Light and Darkness.


    "Hey, don''t look at us like that." Light Racer shook his hand in a careless manner, "You agreed to help us, so now you''re an essory. Anyway, that went well."


    "I agree." Knight of the Bloody Rose muttered with a serious look, "I wouldn''t want to wait three months. That''s too long."


    "Alright. Now the fun part is about to begin. How d I am to see it again." Blind Sorcerer uttered with a sly smile on his face.


    ...


    Whooooooooooosh.


    The shards of the shattered Soul Altar reassembled, but under the influence of Wain''s Main Soul, they began to grow and change. In time, the shards turned into a structure that looked like a massive ancient temple with nine columns, each with some kind of symbol.


    In the center of the temple were three torches, one burning brightly with a dark me while the others waited for their time. In the center of the temple was a jaw-shaped pattern above which a dark crown hovered.


    [Soul Temple was created.]


    [You have taken another step towards true greatness.]


    [Thanks to Soul Temple''s energy, you could evolve for the fourth time.]


    [You have reached the Fourth Chronicle.]


    Tremble.


    Wain''s aura increased tenfold as he suddenly opened his eyes. All of his wounds that he had received during the battle in the Forgotten Forest were instantly gone, but he felt only one thing - an incredible hunger that seemed impossible to quench.


    Wain slowly rose as the dark beasts thaty beside him fled away. They aggressively clenched their teeth while looking at him with a fierce look as they sensed danger from him.


    "Fine. You''ll be the first." Wain spoke in a scary voice as several jaws appeared next to the shadowy beasts.


    The beasts turned and attacked, but the jaws just ate them up, leaving nothing but an energy that flowed toward Wain.


    He absorbed it, sighed, and said, "Good... But, it''s not enough... Damn, I''m so hungry..."


    Wain turned around as his gaze fell on Aurora, that stared at him with eyes wide open while in disbelief.


    "How is that possible... You were practically dead just now! Even if you are His heir... How is that possible...?" Aurora muttered as a shiver ran through her body.


    Wain paid no attention to her words, he continued to walk slowly forward as, with each step he took, space shuddered. Jaws hovered beside him like ghosts that waited for their next victim.


    "There''s so much energy in you... Great, you''ll fit..." Wain muttered before approaching Aurora.


    Whoooooosh.


    Suddenly he grabbed her by the neck sharply, then, with a calm look, pulled off all her clothes and threw her to the ground. The jaws went to Wain as they gobbled up his clothes to expose his torso.


    "What the fuck is going on here!" Aurora eximed, and a stream of purple energy burst out of her that tossed Wain aside.


    Aurora slowly opened her eyes, saw Wain lying still, and sighed in relief, "Shit... What was that...? Why did he do that?"


    ...


    "Huh, that was actually pretty harsh." Blind Sorcerer smirked.


    "Well, that''s okay." Light Racer shrugged, "Those changes that happened to him are just the beginning."<sub> </sub>


    "Yeah. He only saw part of what awaits him." Code of Light and Darkness muttered.


    ...


    Aurora''s attack exhausted Wain, but he was still conscious. His hunger went nowhere, but he could no longer pay attention to it, as a multitude of messages prevented him from doing so.


    [All Ratings of your skills have been removed.]


    [You have lost all your skills.]


    [The strength of your forms adjusted to the Fourth Chronicle.]


    [You have reached level 100.]


    [You have lost all your levels.]


    [Your stats are increased by 1500.]


    [All your stats are now 3000.]


    [You have lost all your stats.]


    [You have lost your Additional Soul that was absorbed by your Main Soul.]


    ''What the hell...?'' Wain muttered while in disbelief, ''Maybe I''m still dreaming? What the fuck is going on here? Is this a hallucination?''


    ''No. This is all real. In fact, it''s only the beginning.'' Blind Sorcerer''s voice sounded in his head.


    ''Is it supposed to be like this? Wain muttered inwardly.


    ''Yeah. I mean, no, it''s supposed to take a long time, go gradually, but you''re a human, and you''re you, so just enjoy your new power.'' The Blind Sorcerer said in a thunderous voice before leaving.


    [All of your forms have been given unique weapons.]


    [Your Beyond has gained new abilities, so you can use it in a freer form.]


    [You have be a Fourth Chronicle creature as now your control over energy has greatly increased. You can change skills to a certain extent to reach the form that you need.]


    [Forgotten Blood''s Passive Skill has awakened.]


    [Forgotten Blood (Unique)


    You have gone through many trials and increased your blood purity many times, so now you are stronger and have the ability to reach 100% blood purity. However, you must find a way to do so yourself].


    [Your two concepts, Darkness Concept and Dimensional Concept, have be much stronger, as now you are free to use them in any form.]


    Whooooooooooosh.


    The Dark Crown inside Wain''s Soul Temple opened its eye as a powerful stream of energy erupted from Wain.


    [You have reached the first stage of Ascension.]


    [One of your three Soul Torches burns brightly.]


    [As anyone who has reached the Fourth Chronicle, you have the opportunity to one day be a Fifth Chronicle creature whose strongest members are literally as powerful as gods. It''s all up to you.]


    "Ahhh..." Wain took a deep breath as he passed out.

 Chapter 556 The Story

    Wain slowly got up, grabbed his head, and muttered, "Damn, what happened here? How much sleep did I get?"


    His bed was partially torn apart as though a beast had attacked it with powerful jaws, the wall in the distance had been destroyed, and he himselfy on the floor.


    Wain shook his head and opened his status as he was curious to know what happened to him after the evolution. He had never seen so many messages before.


    [Wain Norheim


    Ascension: First Stage


    Race: Human


    Beyond: Cmity


    Soul: Nameless King


    Title: Savior of the Damned, Echo of Samurai, Mentor Inquisitor, The First, Soul Gatherer, Cartographer, yer of Goliath, Contender, Defeating One of the Four Kings, Killing the Legend, etc..


    Majesty: 10]


    What the hell...? What is this...?" Wain muttered inwardly while in disbelief.


    "You''re finally awake." Aurora said while approaching him.


    "Hmm? Who are you?" Wain muttered with a wary look as his hands lit up in gray me.


    Next to him appeared several jaws that stared at Aurora like vicious piranhas that were ready to tear her to pieces.


    ''I don''t know how, but he just evolved, but even so... Why does he look so terrifying?'' Aurora internally muttered as she gulped.


    She still didn''t understand how Wain could grab her by the neck and throw her to the ground, even though she was much stronger.


    "Wait!" Aurora reached out her hand to stop him, "I am not the enemy. I was the one who saved you from the Forgotten Forest."


    "Saved? Huh, as I recall, I dealt with that bitch myself. In that case, you''re just a simple kidnapper, aren''t you?" Wain asked with a serious look, "Where are Ern, Erza, and s? What have you done with them?"


    "They''re fine. You can see for yourself if you want." Aurora folded her arms in a disgruntled manner, "By the way, these are the best apartments in the entire castle! Instead of thanking me, you start threatening me! I wouldn''t be so impertinent if I were you. You''re a long way from my level!"


    p "Castle?" Wain muttered with a confused look, "Are we in some town?"</anda>


    "Yes. You''re in Nameless Castle. I''m sure that tells you something." Aurora muttered while staring intently at Wain.


    "Nameless Castle... This is the first I''ve heard of this ce." Wain shook his head, "By the way, what happened to my clothes and this ce. Did someone attack us?"<sub> </sub>


    As Aurora heard this, her face contorted with anger, and a powerful aura radiated from her, "Yeah... It was like that."


    Wain looked at her with a strange look but decided not to ask about it anymore.


    "You''re a human, right?" Wain pronounced.


    "Yes, as you and all the inhabitants of this city, since Nameless Castle is in the territory of the City of the Forgotten King. Now you are in Human World, it is one of the few ces that resisted the will of the World of Darkness during the Merger of Worlds, so that was a brief exnation." Aurora waved her hand in a careless manner.


    "Human World? That actually exists?" Wain eximed with a dazed look.


    "Of course it does. Over the past few hundred years, some races and Arkans have tried diligently to forget about it. They have done their best to erase us from the pages of history so that a new generation will never know of us, but it is simply impossible to hide something as great and majestic as this." Aurora uttered in a serious voice as she took pride in being a human.


    "But, why are they trying to hide it? Why are you still hiding?" Wain asked.


    "Hmm... Follow me. I have something to show you." Aurora muttered as she walked out of the room.


    They walked down a long corridor that looked majestic but not pretentious as this castle was built to show strength, not wealth.


    Along the way, they encountered many people, most of whom were dressed in formal attire or were servants. They all bowed low as they saw Aurora and stared with a surprising look at Wain, that walked behind her.


    "You seem pretty popr, don''t you?" Wain grinned.


    "Well, just so you know, I''m one of the Elders of the Human World. You should have been more polite to me." Aurora said in a serious manner.


    "Huh, that sounds pretty cool. Where are we going?"


    "We''re already here." Aurora said since she stopped at the massive gate.


    She slowly opened it as bright light fell upon them, so Wain even had to squeeze his eyes shut for a second. At the same time, there was a pleasant murmur of city life that was hidden behind the thick walls. After the gate was a massive balcony overlooking the entire city.


    "Come here." Aurora waved as she approached the fence, "This is Forgotten King City, one of the major cities in the human world. As you understand, I am in charge here, so this castle belongs to me, as does the entire city."


    "Well, well, it actually looks beautiful." Wain smiled while looking ahead.


    The city was huge as several hundred thousand people were living there. On this sunny day, all the inhabitants were busy doing something, some doing trade, some fixing the tile roofs of the stone buildings, and some patrolling the area around the city near the high walls.


    There were many stately buildings, unusual neighborhoods, and interesting ces in the city, but one thing stood out from the rest. It was a massive dark statue of a man with a crown on his head that stood in the city''s center, in the main square.


    "Whose statue is that?" Wain asked as he felt something strange as he looked at it.


    "That''s what I wanted to talk to you about. This statue of the hero of all mankind and the one who was the strongest being in the universe. This castle and the entire human world belonged to him. This is the statue of the Nameless King." Aurora said with a trembling voice while sping her hand to her chest.

 Chapter 557 History (Part 2)

    "Nameless King...?" Wain muttered while in disbelief.


    He supposed that the Dark Silhouette in the memories could be Nameless King or someone rted to it, but he couldn''t be sure of that without hard evidence. Now the puzzle began to form in his mind.


    "Yes. Until recently, I wasn''t entirely sure, but after what happened, I have no choice but to ept that you are heir to the Nameless King." Aurora said with a serious look.


    Wain only nodded meaningfully. When he saw the first memory, he felt that the Dark Silhouette was more connected to him than anything else, so he finally found the answer to his question.


    ''Well, well, I am heir to the strongest a human and also the strongest being that was in the universe, but... who are the forms?'' Wain inwardly muttered with a thoughtful look, ''I thought they might be the predecessors of my soul or something, but now I know who was before me, so it''s impossible. Damn, there are still mysteries, even though I''ve already made considerable progress.''


    "You don''t seem particrly surprised." Aurora muttered as she stared at him.


    "I had my own hunches, so that was one possibility. However, about this city, as well as Nameless King and Human World, I know next to nothing." Wain sighed.


    "Well, in that case, I should tell you about it. What do you want to know first?" Aurora asked.


    "What am I to you? The heir of the Nameless King? New hope for humanity or a guy you recently met?" Wain muttered while looking at the serene citizens.


    "Heir." Aurora answered instantly, as she had no intention of hiding her attitude, "However, things can change. Being in the Third Chronicle, you were able to defeat an Arkan, a feat even higher than killing a Legend."


    "Huh, that was actually pretty hard." Wain grinned as he looked at the statue, "Tell me more about Nameless King. However, I don''t want to know about all his aplishments. I''m more interested in how he died."


    p Wain was stunned by the title of Nameless King, but even with all these incredible regalias, the fact that there was this statue in the center of town and that Wain was looking at it meant that even such a strong man died.</anda>


    "Well..." Aurora muttered as she clenched her teeth, "That day was a real nightmare, but also a salvation for everyone. It''s not the right ce, follow me."


    ''She''s pretty badly worried. Her loyalty to Nameless King is pretty high, that''s good.'' Wain muttered inwardly, nodded, and headed after Aurora.


    They went down to the castle''s lower floor and the main library in the entire kingdom. Only people with the right to do so could enter the castle, but the library was open to all. Thousands of people came here every day who wanted to learn more about magic and get better at it.


    "Damn, what a lot of people here. Are you sure this ce is better than the balcony with the beautiful view of the city?" Wain asked while looking at the line to enter the library.


    "We''re not going to stay here. It''s a beginner''s level, everyone who is in Primary Chronicle or First Chroniclees here, so that''s why it''s so crowded."


    Aurora entered the library through the main entrance. There were obviously no restrictions for her.<sub> </sub>


    "What?! Why can''t I get through?!" Suddenly there was a shout in line.


    It was a girl with long blond hair, wearing a white dress and blue eyes. She gave an indignant look at the guard.


    "Miss, I''ve already exined to you the reason. Your grades are not good enough for you to visit the library. Please return to your studies, get better at the basics, ande back. Those are the rules, I can''t break them, you know that." The guard said in a calm voice as it was not the first time he had had to do so.


    "But... Isn''t the library necessary so that I can gain new knowledge!?" The girl wasn''t about to back down.


    "Hey, stop making a scene here." The guy said in a disgruntled voice that stood behind her, "If you''re talentless, don''t bother those who have talent."


    "Aurora, what circus is this?" Wain asked as he pointed at them.


    "Ahh, it''s amon situation." Aurora turned around, "There are several academies in the kingdom where young people study. They have to score a certain grade to gain ess to the library."


    "Are you serious?" Wain stared at her with a confused look, "That sounds like a fucking unfunny joke. Grades? Are you training fighters or scientists?"


    "What do you mean?" Aurora frowned, "This system has worked for decades. The best get more opportunities, while the rest of us, seeing that, strive for the same. It''s called healthypetition."


    "Well, maybe it would work if all you wanted to aplish was grades, but grades are just a path to power, that''s what you need, so it''s not a system, it''s total shit. I bet neither you nor that Dragon did that shit when you were young. You fought, you spilled blood, and that''s why you got so strong. At least that''s what I know since I''ve experienced it myself." Wain said with a calm look as his aura intensified.


    Wain spoke quite loudly, so people noticed them. They were surprised since they didn''t expect to see Aurora here, but what struck them even more, was the guy that spoke to her without respect.


    "Pff, you can only criticize. How about offering something? Are you suggesting that we let everyone into the library without checks? In that case, the weak will get in the way of the strong. That''s silly." Aurora waved her hand.


    "Hmm..." Wain looked at the girl and smirked, "Since we both agree that strength is the ultimate path, why don''t we check it out?"


    "What...?" Aurora tilted her head.


    "Let them fight."


    "Are you sure? That breaks all the rules."


    "Huh? Are you really afraid I''m going to be right?" Wain smirked.

 Chapter 558 Rules

    "Okay. I agree, but if this girl loses, don''t you dare question our system again." Aurora uttered with a serious look before heading toward the guardian.


    ''Huh, I hope my instincts don''t fail me, though I''ll see what people who live here are capable of anyway. It will be curious.'' Wain muttered inwardly as he smiled.


    He was sure that those who lived here were different from Gisle, Maria, Eva, and others because the situations in which they developed and became stronger were significantly different.


    "Elder!" The sentinel eximed as he bowed low, and so did the others.


    Aurora nodded, looked at the girl, and said, "I heard you have a problem with your grades, so you can''t get into the library, right?"


    "Mistress. I already told her that." The guard said.


    "Shut up. I''m not talking to you." Aurora uttered with a stern look.


    "Yes!" The sentinel shuddered as goosebumps ran through him.


    "I''m sorry, I already realized I was being too rude. I''ll leave now." The girl bowed as she turned to leave. She knew she shouldn''t have acted brazenly in front of the Elder.


    <o>,m "Stop. I didn''t give you permission to leave. I have a proposal for you. Grades are important, but everyone agrees that strength is our goal, so I want you two to fight. Whoever wins will go to the library, and the other will be banned froming here for a month." Aurora uttered while looking at the guy.</o>


    "What? Are you sure?" The guy asked while in disbelief.


    "Yes. Right here and now. I''m not going to waste my time on you. Whoever gets the first wound loses." Aurora uttered as a dark orb appeared beside her.


    The orb flew off to the side and turned into a tform with two runes on opposite sides.


    "Get over there. Quickly!"


    "Y-Yes!" The girl and the guy eximed at the same time.


    They stood on the runes as if frightened, but after a moment, they calmed down as they realized this was all serious.


    ''Damn. Aurora''s pretty strict, apparently she''s a dictator.'' Wain muttered to himself while walking towards her, ''Well, maybe that''s not bad.''


    "Ready?" Aurora asked.


    The girl and the guy nodded.


    "Good. Here we go!" Aurora eximed.


    News of Aurora''s appearance and the fight spread quickly, so by now, many people that had recently been in the library were watching the fight. They were puzzled but curious to see what would happen next, as their Elder had never strayed from the strict rules.


    The girl attacked first. She put her arms forward as a white magic circle appeared in front of her. The guy did nothing, he watched her actions carefully.


    Whoooooosh.


    A frosty stream burst from the magic circle as three icy des headed toward the guy. The attack was swift, but the guy dodged easily, with a few steps to the side, and ducked at an odd angle.


    "He moves pretty well. It not only takes a lot of practice to dodge like that, but you also have to have good reflexes." Wain muttered while holding his chin.


    "Sure. I know this guy, he was one of the best in the recent tournament among those in the First Chronicle. He''s not very good at magic, but his physical stats are actually amazing." Aurora muttered while watching the battle closely.<sub> </sub>


    "Huh, then I win." Wain grinned.


    "What? What makes you so sure? He''ll get close to her, and that''s it."


    "Just watch." Wain shrugged.


    "Is that the best you can do?!" The guy eximed with a sly smile on his face, "You''re finished!"


    A green light shed on the guy''s legs, he disappeared, and a secondter, he was right in front of the girl as he was ready to punch.


    "Gotcha." The girl muttered as her eyes shed.


    Ice particles appeared next to her, then blew up. Hundreds of small, sharp crystals flew apart like needles, but they were too weak to stop the guy, so he hit her with all his might, and the impact threw her off to the side.


    "Ahahahahaha, that was too easy!" The guy eximed.


    "Bastard." The girl muttered as she wiped the blood that dripped from the corners of her mouth.


    Step. Step. Step.


    A tall man with thick ck hair and green eyes slowly walked up to her, looked at her, then held out his hand, "You did well. I knew I should have bet on you."


    "Hmm? What are you talking about...?" The girl said while in confusion.


    "Shit. You turned out to be right, though it looks like it was my own fault." Aurora shook her head.


    "What? It''s obvious I won!" The guy eximed.


    "Look more closely at yourself." Wain uttered since a sly smile appeared on his face.


    The guy touched his cheek and looked at his fingers, that were covered in blood.


    "And what? It''s just a small cut from one of the needles. My punch damaged her more than she did me." The guy uttered as he swung his hand to dislodge the blood.


    "Yes, but rules are rules. Though I hate to admit it, the needles wounded you before you hit, so you lost." Aurora said with a disgruntled look while pressing her hands to her chest.


    "What?! But, this is nonsense!" The guy eximed in an angry voice.


    Aurora didn''t answer anything, she knew it was strange, but she wasn''t going to break her own rules.


    "I agree." Wain suddenly said as he stepped away from the girl and stood on the tform.


    The gazes of the audience just as Aurora''s gaze went to him. They didn''t understand what he was talking about.


    "Aurora, it''s obvious that this guy is much stronger. He has great ability, however by the rules, he has lost." Wain smirked, "But... Do the rules matter if you need them to achieve power, and he proved it? What do you think?"


    "You bastard!" Aurora clenched her teeth as her aura intensified.


    "Which is better? Rules that restrain force or force that breaks the rules? Isn''t that a great question?"

 Chapter 559 The Shard

    Aurora stared at Wain with bloodshot eyes like a wild beast that was ready to tear its prey apart. Not even the other Elders had dared speak to her like that in the past ten years, and Wain had put her in an impossible position. Whatever she chooses to do vites her ideology and the principles that she has unconditionally followed since bing an Elder.


    "Well, you don''t seem to know the answer, so I''ll be kind enough to clue you in." Wain smirked, "There is no right answer, as it all depends on the situation, but if you consider that the main thing is who is stronger, then they both win!"


    "What?!" The girl and the guy eximed with dazed looks.


    And there were rustles among the audience.


    "What is he talking about?"


    "Isn''t it obvious that the guy was so much better?"


    "Damn... That''s so weird... Who is he anyway?"


    The audience was puzzled by the whole situation, but most of all, they wanted to figure out what was right as the questions became too confusing.


    "Let me exin." Wain waved his hand, "This guy is stronger, and most likely in a fight to the death, he would have won, but she hit him first, so often that can be enough to kill an opponent, it just depends on power. They both have potential, so they both have to make it to the library, and nothing else matters."


    "Hey! You may have a point, but you''re breaking the rules! Even the Elders must stick to them to set an example for the rest of us!" The guard eximed in a gruff voice while walking toward Wain with an angry look.


    "Huh, looks like they''re recruiting some knuckleheads to protect the library." Wain grinned as he turned into a shadow.


    A momentter, he was behind the guard as he put a hand on his shoulder and muttered, "I hate rules, but sometimes they are necessary. You don''t seem smart enough to know that I didn''t break the rules, I fixed them because this system definitely doesn''t work right. Just like the guards that instead of defending the library are going to have fights."


    Bam.


    Wain pressed lightly on the guard''s shoulder and sunk his head into the ground. Wain spared no effort, so the guard''s nose was broken as blood sttered around.


    No one expected Wain to do something so brutal as everyone stared at him with their mouths wide open. It was like a hurricane burst into their calm, measured lives and changed everything in minutes.


    "Well, I''ll leave the rest to you. Think for yourself about what you should do, since when danger is right in front of you, no rules will save you, it''s all up to you." Wain said, turned around, and while waving his hand, headed toward the library in a careless manner.


    Aurora was angry with him, but somehow she felt that Wain was right about something, even if he did it in a rather rude way.


    ''Shit. How much that little asshole annoys me! He''s definitely just over twenty, but he dares to act so cockily!'' Aurora eximed inwardly while looking at Wain''s back, ''Although... Maybe it should be... If his heir was an ordinary human, it would be a hundred times worse...''


    Aurora shook her head and headed after Wain.


    "Elder! What shall we do?" The boy asked as he expected her to answer, "Which one of us should go to the library?"


    Aurora nced at him, then her gaze fell on the girl and said, "It''s up to you. You can go alone, or you can leave here altogether. I don''t care, I''m not your babysitter."


    She walked forward under the puzzled stares of the people, as they had never seen their Elder like this.<sub> </sub>


    ...


    "Hey, so why did you bring me here?" Wain asked while looking through the books on one of the shelves.


    "You have no idea how much I regret this already." Aurora sighed.


    "Huh, I do." Wain smirked as he turned the page.


    The book that he read was about various dangerous monsters that could be found near the city. To Wain, they weren''t dangerous, but what caught his attention was that most of the monsters he''d never seen it was as if they were an extinct species to the world, but not to this ce.


    "Come on. We''re going to the secret area. For your information, only the other Elders and I have ess there." Aurora muttered as she headed downstairs.


    The lower the floor, the fewer people there were since it was necessary to be on a certain Chronicle to get to the second or third floor. However, Aurora even passed by the floor that was meant for the Fourth Chronicle, there were only a few people that emanated powerful auras.


    Aurora stopped at the old wooden door with several magical circles in front of it.


    She waved her hand and created several seals that headed toward the magical circles to unlock them.


    Crackle.


    The magical circles disappeared as the massive gate slowly opened. Behind it was a dark passageway with many torches that, at Aurora''s snap, lit up in purple mes.


    "Let''s go." Aurora said with a confident look, but her voice trembled.


    Wain nodded with gulped as the atmosphere of the ce sent shivers down his body.


    They walked down the hallway for a while until they reached a spacious hall.


    "What is it?" Wain muttered.


    A small shard floated in the center, in a purple sphere that was covered with hundreds of seals. Although it was very small, the seals could hardly contain all the energy of the shard, that seemed to be endless.


    "This is Nameless King''s sword, or rather the only thing we managed to save after the Great War. Though it is only a small part, I''m sure it will help you be much stronger." Aurora murmured, "You are his heir, so perhaps the shard of the sword will recognize you as its new master."


    Whooooooosh.


    Wain walked past her as he headed toward the shard.


    "Stop! I have to take the seals off first! They will kill you!" Aurora eximed and ran toward him, but suddenly the seals trembled.


    The shard burst into dark mes, and the protective orb shattered into small pieces.

 Chapter 560 The Shard (Part 2)

    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Dozens of seals that were powerful enough to contain the Dragon shook violently while purple lightning burst from them and left small craters on the stone walls.


    Destruction on such a scale was dangerous even for Aurora, so she had to create a protective barrier in front of her.


    Wain didn''t retreat. He paced slowly toward the shard that like a wild beast, was trying to get out of its cage. For some reason, none of the lightning bolts hit Wain, it was as if they were trying to avoid him.


    "Wain! Get out of there! I don''t know what''s going on! This has never happened before! You could die!" Aurora eximed with a worried look.


    "Calm down. Everything will be all right." Wain said with a calm look, however, he was not addressing Aurora.


    Wain sighed, reached forward, and said, "Come to me. I will be your new home."


    Tremble.


    A torrent of dark me burst from the shard that shattered all the seals just as Aurora''s barrier, so the shockwave tossed her aside. The me didn''t avoid Wain, but it didn''t harm him in any way, on the contrary, his body was filled with energy while the shard slowly flew toward him.


    Wain touched the shard with his fingertip as a small cut appeared on his finger with a drop of blood that covered the shard.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    p The shard trembled as a gray thread appeared between it and Wain that bound them together. Energy came out of Wain, so the shard gradually began to grow.</anda>


    In time, the shard reached the size of a fist, then a head, and eventually turned into a long sword that emitted streams of dark energy.


    [The shard answered your call.]


    [You have received a piece of that power that only the Nameless King can wield. Now it is your new weapon that will grow stronger with you.]


    There were no runes, carvings, or ornaments on the sword. It was a perfect dark de sharp enough to cut through any armor, even the strongest. The sword guard was square that looked exquisite and deadly. The handle was covered in dark bandages that partially dangled from it.


    Wain gripped the sword tightly as a message appeared before him.


    [dius, Nameless King''s Sword (Part)


    The sword that belonged to the strongest being in the universe. Even the Dragon Progenitor had to respect the owner of this incredible weapon. It is unknown how, but the sword has recognized you as its master, so you can use its full potential.


    *Created Passive Skill - "Divine Incision."


    *Created Passive Skill - "Growth."


    *Created an active skill - "Wrath of the King."


    -Divine Incision.


    dius can cut anything, even the heavens themselves or a god, depending on your strength and the amount of energy you use.<sub> </sub>


    -Growth


    dius will grow stronger with you. Also, dius can gradually regain its full strength if you find other shards. You will feel it if a shard is near you.


    -Wrath of the King


    Make use of dius''s hidden power that temporarily turns you into a nearly invincible creature. Any obstacle will no longer matter to you, you will be able to destroy everything in your path].


    "Great. This is definitely something I''ve been missing." Wain muttered as he nodded.


    ''I''m d to meet you...'' A strange, muffled voice sounded in his head as if spoken by a warrior that had been through hundreds of battles.


    ''Who are you?'' Wain grew wary.


    ''Huh, don''t you recognize me? I''m in your hand right now. Though this is only a small part of me, I hope I can serve you well.'' dius muttered.


    ''Well, now I have one more ally, right?'' Wain inwardly asked.


    ''Of course. I will always be with you. No matter how hard the fight is, I''ll do everything I can to make sure we win. You can count on me.'' dius uttered in a serious voice.


    "Good. I trust you." Wain muttered as dius turned into a dark mist that became a jaw-shaped rune in Wain''s palm.


    "What happened? Are you all right?" Aurora asked as she stood up.


    "Yeah... I don''t know why, but I felt like I had to touch that shard." Wain nodded in a calm manner, "I didn''te here for nothing after all. This is the best sword I''ve ever seen. It is the very perfection."


    "Damn... That was unexpected... I didn''t think it would happen this way, though it''s probably for the best." Aurora muttered.


    "Enough idle talk. I want to know how the Nameless King died, why there is only one shard left of the sword, and what this Great War is that you mentioned earlier." Wain uttered in a thunderous voice.


    Aurora shuddered, gulped, and nodded, "Good. It''s time for you to find out how great a man you''ve be heir to."


    Aurora waved her hand as a phantom image of Nameless King appeared before her.


    ''Even here, the silhouette is blurred...'' Wain murmured, ''It seems Nameless King has carefully concealed not only his name but his identity as well.


    "Five hundred years ago, something happened that all races want to forget. It was the Great War." Aurora uttered as many other silhouettes appeared next to the Nameless King''s phantom.


    "Humanity suffered the most during the Great War as the Arkans decided to get rid of us before attacking the other races." Aurora uttered as she snapped her finger.


    Opposite the Nameless King appeared several people that looked exactly like the humans except for the star tattoo on their breasts. That was the difference between the Arkans and the humans.


    "Arkans... Who are they? They don''t seem to be one of the Pirs, then why are they so strong?" Wain asked.


    "Yes, you''re right. The Arkans are not considered members of the Pirs, however, it is not because they are not strong enough. The reason they''re not in the Pirs is that they consider everyone else inferior. ording to the Arkans, they are the only perfect race while the others are just mistakes, especially the humans."

 Chapter 561 Arkans

    "Before the battle in the Forgotten Forest, I met an Arkan once before. It was a girl who tried to kill me. I had never met her until then, and yet she had an incredible, pure hatred for me just because I was a human." Wain muttered while looking at the silhouettes.


    "Well, that''s not surprising. It took them a long time to find the remaining humans, so when they detected your bright energy, they immediately came after you. Dragons wouldn''t let them act so brazenly in a new world, so you were in some kind of space, right?" Aurora asked.


    "Yeah... I was in a bar, she attacked me there." Wain nodded.


    "In a bar...? What a strange ce. You mean the whole area was just one bar?" Aurora asked with a confused look as she raised an eyebrow.


    "Exactly. Honestly, this is the quietest ce that I have ever been. Also, Sven is the best bartender, his cocktails are something just unreachable." Wain muttered while thinking about the unique taste of the cocktails as though he could feel it now.


    "Sven..." Aurora murmured as her eyes widened, "Wait... What''s this bartender''s full name?"


    "Sven Hellem. Do you know him?" Wain tilted his head in a questioning manner.


    "No! You''d better never meet that man at all!" Aurora eximed with a startled look as she waved her hand, "Wain, don''t ever go into that bar again! Do you hear me?"


    "Hmm? Why? Who''s Sven?" Wain frowned.


    ? "You don''t need to know about it. Just forget your way there! Please!" Aurora eximed while sping her hand to her chest.


    ''Damn... She''s shaking with fear. I knew it, Sven has many dark secrets. Well, I''ll have to find out about that.'' Wain inwardly muttered.


    "Wain...?"


    "Okay, I hear you. Anyway, I can get a drink somece else." Wain nodded.


    "Oh..." Aurora sighed in relief.


    "Why do the Arkans hate the humans? Is there some long-standing animosity between our races?" Wain asked as he stared at the silhouettes.


    "I can''t be sure of that for sure, but one of the main reasons is that the humans are too much like the Arkans, also the humans are the ones who didn''t let the Arkans consume the whole world. The Nameless King is a real nightmare or devil for them that ruined all their ns. Let me show you." Aurora waved her hand.


    The silhouettes disappeared, and together they appeared a massive battlefield in the center of which stood one man, beside him were hundreds of corpses with rivers of blood that flowed from their bodies.


    "This was the result of one of Nameless King''s many battles against the Arkans. Even though the Arkans were much stronger than most of the Pirs, there was nothing they could do to him. It was a massacre. Even though I was too young to participate in the war then, I learned a lot from the archives and the stories." Aurora uttered with a proud look.


    "Why did the Arkans attack us? What were the other races doing?"


    "Well, it''s prettyplicated. The Arkans knew that if they didn''t deal with the humans, the Pirs along with the Nameless King would destroy them, so before the other races began their takeover, the Arkans attacked us." Aurora muttered.<sub> </sub>


    "I see. You were able to repel the attack and keep the Arkans from consuming the world, but many of your warriors as well as Nameless King died, right?" Wain asked while looking at Nameless King''s silhouette.


    "Yes. Some of the races found out pretty quickly that the Arkans were attacking us, so they rushed to our aid, however the Arkans had allies. You probably know that the Angels and Elves don''t like us because the fact that humans devour souls is disgusting and horrible to them. I don''t know how, but they made a deal with the Arkans and became their loyal allies, at least for the duration of the Great War." Aurora uttered as she snapped her fingers.


    The battlefield disappeared, and an image of an Elf, an Angel, and an Arkan appeared in front of her, with a Nameless King that stood opposite.


    "Hmm? Angels and Elves could stop everyone else?" Wain asked with a surprised look, "Are they really that strong?"


    "No. Most of the Pirs joined the warter, and Arkans held them back for a long time, so at the beginning of the war, it was the Humans against Arkans, Vampires against Elves, and Demons against Angels." Aurora exined.


    "Well, I guess it wasn''t just Arkans against us, right?"


    "Yeah... The Demons and Vampires were our main allies, but some Pirs decided this was the perfect opportunity to take us out. For example, the Constucructs thought we were too dangerous, but they were thwarted by the Axalts, anyway, the further the war went on, the more chaotic it became." Aurora sighed in regret.


    "I see." Wain nodded, "What the Arkans suffer losses? Obviously, they couldn''t achieve their goals."


    "Most of their Elders are dead. I don''t know if they want to do it again, but it would take them a long time, though we no longer have anyone as strong as the Nameless King. Also, most of the Race Heads have been seriously wounded. I don''t know how many of them are awake yet." Aurora shook her head.


    "I see... I understand the situation, but there''s something you didn''t mention. What were the Dragons doing then?" Wain asked.


    "Well... They weren''t involved in the Great War, or rather not really."


    "Hmm? What do you mean?"


    "The Dragons consider themselves the Guardians of World, but they were divided on whose side they should have taken, so they started a civil war, if you can call it that." Aurora shrugged.


    "What kind of nonsense is that? Isn''t it obvious that the Arkans that wanted to absorb the other races were the only threat?!" Wain frowned.


    "I agree with you, but ording to some, the Humans may pose just as much of a threat or more because of their unique abilities."


    "Ah... Tell me more."


    "Of course."


    ...


    For the next few hours, Aurora told Wain in detail everything she knew about the Great War. It was a shock to Wain, but he listened intently.

 Chapter 562 The Decision

    Wain and Aurora spent a lot of time discussing the Great War, so after a few hours, it came to an end.


    "Honestly, I didn''t expect it to be this serious." Wain muttered.


    "Yeah... It was a great time." Aurora nodded, "Wain, I want to ask you something."


    "What is it?"


    "You definitely weren''t born in Human World, but how did you end up here? I mean, you''re a human, it''s weird."


    "Hmm?" Wain stared at her with a confused look, "Don''t you know about the New World having the humans? I came from one of those worlds, so after the Merger of Worlds, we ended up at the waterfall near Vampire city and nt town."


    "Other the humans...? You mean you''re not the only one?" Aurora muttered while in disbelief.


    "Exactly. There are tens of thousands of us, I haven''t been home in a long time, but I''m sure the Gisle is doing a great job." Wain nodded in a confident manner.


    "Gisle...? Tens of thousands...?"


    "Yeah. Gisle is a good friend of mine. This space aside, in World of Destiny, he is the head of the humans. He is an excellent leader with all the necessary qualities." Wain uttered as he waved his hand.


    "That''s superb!" Aurora eximed with happy looks while her eyes sparkled like those of a child that received a Christmas present, "We muste to them as quickly as possible! We should definitely team up!"


    Aurora truly loved her race and was willing to do anything to make life better for the inhabitants, and the greatness of the humans returned to its prime, so such news was best for her.


    "Well, maybe that''s a good idea, but you must calm down." Wain said as he waved a few times.


    "Hmm? Why? Aren''t you d we''re finally going to be united?" Aurora tilted her head in a puzzled manner.


    "I have nothing against it, however, I need some time to get used to what has happened. Moreover, it will not be up to me but to Gisle. Moreover, your arrival could be dangerous, you are too strong. Wait until my friends are stronger first." Wain uttered with a serious look.


    <o>,m "What? You are the heir of the Nameless King! Perhaps in the future, you will be our new king! Why do you let someone else decide such important matters? You must show your status!" Aurora eximed, clenched her palm into a fist, and punched the wall.</o>


    Tremble.


    A shiver went down the wall as dust particles fell on Wain, so he shook them off his shoulder with a calm look.


    "Aurora, you are a dictator like Gisle, which is why you will decide this matter. I''m not a politician or a leader, and I don''t intend to be. I''m willing to defend my friends, but I don''t care about those I don''t know! I''ve always done only what I wanted, and I will go that way!" Wain uttered in a thunderous voice.


    "This is wrong!" Aurora frowned as she waved her hand, "It''s your duty as an heir!"<sub> </sub>


    "Well, I don''t care. I''ll decide for myself what I''ll do next. Maybe I''ll help you, maybe I''ll be a leader in the future, or maybe I''ll blow it all off." Wain uttered.


    "Even though you''re the heir, you''re being too cocky." Aurora gritted her teeth as she clenched her hands into fists, "You''re quite a problem, aren''t you."


    "Well, so what? You want to force me to be an obedient heir?" Wain smirked.


    "What if I do?" Aurora mouthed since purple lightning discharges appeared around her.


    "Huh, girl, are you confident in your abilities?" dius suddenly said, "Ahahaha, you have a big problem with how society should be run. You''re not much of a ruler."


    "Hmm... At least I''m strong enough for others to do what I say, and you are no exception!" Aurora eximed beforeunching a bolt of lightning at Wain.


    Wain smiled as his hair turned golden and turned into a beam of light that a momentter was on the other side of the room.


    "Maybe I can''t beat you, but you certainly can''t catch up with me. Remember that." Wain snapped his finger as he appeared in front of Aurora with a grip on her chin.


    Aurora flinched, but for some reason, she did not attack Wain.


    "I can leave this ce anytime, and no one can stop me. I will do as I see fit, all you can do is continue to perform your duties as before. You are the ruler, so your main concern should not be me, but how well the citizens live. Do you understand me?" Wain uttered while staring intently into Aurora''s eyes.


    His gaze seemed to consume her, so Aurora only murmured softly, "Yeah... I am."


    "Good." Wain nodded his head, smiled, and let her go, "Well, I want to ask you onest thing. Do you know why the other humans and I ended up outside of Human World?"


    Aurora didn''t answer, she looked at Wain as though hypnotized.


    "Hey! Are you hear me?" Wain shouted while waving his hand in front of her face.


    "Oh... Yeah... Sorry, I was just thinking." Aurora flinched, "About your question... I''m not sure, but during the Great War, dozens of spaces were destroyed as well as hundreds were severely damaged. Perhaps you separated from Human World in some way during the war, but I''ve never heard of it."


    "I see." Wain nodded.


    ''Hmm... Maybe Gisle''s world is a splinter from Human World, but what about my world or Alice''s world? Is it possible that the world that used to be part of the Human World has no energy? That sounds like nonsense...'' Wain pondered.


    "Wain, you may not want to ept your new role as heir yet, but that won''t stop you from learning more about the city, right?" Aurora asked as he approached him with a smile on his face.


    "Yeah... It''s a wonderful ce. Come on, we both need to get some rest." Wain nodded.

 Chapter 563 Dragon Worlds

    Wain and Aurora had a rather difficult conversation, still it was important for both of them to maintain an amicable rtionship, so Aurora decided not to bring up the subject of the heir again, at least for a while.


    "What shall we do?" Aurora asked as he turned to Wain.


    "Well... I just wanted to walk, but I have a better idea." Wain muttered while looking downtown, "Walk me to Ern, Erza, and s. I want to see them and take us to the best restaurant in this town."


    "Huh, what am I, your servant?" Aurora frowned since he pressed his hands to his chest in a disgruntled manner.


    "You don''t have to be so rude. I just want to meet my friends. Eh... You women can be too cruel sometimes." Wain shrugged while shaking his head.


    ''Asshole...'' Aurora muttered inwardly but eventually agreed toply with his request as she needed to rest too, after all.


    ...


    Erza, Ern, and s were at the training ground of Nameless Castle. It was vast butpletely empty since only Aurora was using this area.


    "Hey, aren''t you tired already?" Ern uttered with a sly smile on his face.


    "Shut up... You''re just a fucking monster..." Erza muttered while breathing heavily.


    Erza''s hands were coated with golden energy just as her pulsating lines on her body, but even the Queen''s Power wasn''t enough to handle Ern.


    "This Demon is quite strange. I''ve never seen anyone with no magical powerspletely concentrate all their power on physical strength." Aurora muttered while holding her chin in a thoughtful manner.


    They were standing at the entrance to the training area, so Ern, Erza, and s hadn''t noticed them yet, as they were too engrossed in sparring.


    "Ern is actually amazing. At least for a little while, but he was able to put up resistance to Arkans. Perhaps if it weren''t for him, that Dragon wouldn''t have had time to help us." Wain nodded as his gaze focused on Ern, that was oozing sweat.


    "You''re lucky Kadridas happened to be near the Royal Forest. He''s one of the few dragons who still tries to do his job. For him, though, it was nothing more than entertainment. Those Arkans were beginners; with all the will they had, they couldn''t even scratch him." Aurora grinned, "Of course, the same goes for me."


    "Huh, you certainly take pride in your strength."


    "Obviously, and I have every right to do so." Aurora said with pride.


    "Aurora, where do the Dragons live?" Wain asked.


    He had seen Dragons twice before, once in their full guise after the merging of worlds and a second time in human form, but he still knew next to nothing about them.


    "Why would you do that?" Aurora frowned, "Haven''t you had enough trouble? You just evolved, so I''d advise you to avoid dangerous travel."


    "Well, I''m just curious." Wain spread his arms apart, "Don''t I have a right to know the answer to my question?"


    "Okay... But, the answer will disappoint you. Dragons live in a world of their own, just as ours resisted the will of the World of Darkness and did not merge with other worlds. Of course, the Arkans were unable to force the Dragons to do so, not even God himself could have passed into the World of Dragons without their permission." Aurora shook her hand.


    Wain nodded silently. Though he was actually interested in learning more about dragons, he decided to ask about their world for another reason.


    ''Ahahahaha, this Girl is not as important a big shot as she wants to make herself out to be.'' diusughed, but only Wain could hear him.<sub> </sub>


    ''Why did you have to do that? We didn''t learn anything useful anyway.'' Wain asked in a confused voice.


    ''Remember, I never do anything that doesn''t make sense, but if I''m drunk, that rule doesn''t count.''


    ''What''s that half-assed sword talking about?'' Wain muttered to himself.


    ''Hey! I can actually hear you, damn it!'' dius eximed.


    ''It''s not polite to read someone else''s mind, you know?


    ''Shut up. We absolutely need to get to Dragon World, preferably as soon as possible.'' dius muttered.


    ''But... Why?''


    ''That''s where one of my shards is, and it''s so big I can feel it even while I''m here. It might be dangerous for you, but you must get to the edge of the Fourth Chronicle first.''


    ''Well, I think I can get a lot stronger soon... but Aurora says that even God can''t get through to the Dragon World, then... what are my chances of that?'' Wain was puzzled.


    ''Huh, I won''t meddle in your affairs, but you know someone who can do anything for a price.'' dius grinned as he fell silent.


    ''Damn... It might work, but is it worth it?''


    "Wain, are you here?" Aurora tapped him lightly on the shoulder.


    "Ah, yeah... I was just wondering." Wain nodded as he returned to the battle.


    Ern and Erza exchanged dozens of blows in a short period, so powerful that each time there was a shock wave that made the trees sway from side to side.


    "Hey, aren''t you tired already?" Ern grinned as he turned and kicked her in the side.


    Bam.


    Erza put up a block with her arms, but Ern''s kick literally broke her arm in two as well as several ribs as the impact was so strong it threw her to the other end of the training area.


    "Well, looks like that''s the end of it." Wain smiled before heading towards Ern.


    "Damn. That was cool." Ern stretched his arm upward while steam emanated from his body.


    <o>,m "You don''t seem to be holding back at all. If you had fought like that in the Forgotten Forest, maybe we wouldn''t have needed that Dragon''s help." Wain said while slowly pping his hands together.</o>


    "Oh, what people. You''re finally awake." Ern smirked, and he noticed the strange aura that emanated from Wain, "Well, apparently, even in your sleep, you were able to be much stronger..."


    "Yeah. That was unexpected, even for me."

 Chapter 564 Potion

    Crackle.


    Erza climbed out from under the rubble while holding onto her broken arm with a painful look.


    "Freak! You sure used some kind of trick! How can you be so strong!" Erza eximed as she looked at Ern, and her eyes widened.


    Wain stood next to Ern and looked at her with a slight smile on his face.


    "Wain...? Are you awake...?" Erza muttered while in disbelief.


    "Exactly. Did you really think I was going to die or something? Although, from the looks of it, the closest thing to death right now is you. Ern did a good job on you." Wain grinned as he pointed to Erza''s hand.


    Erza flinched, stood up straight, and said, "What? What are you talking about? I was just dusting myself off! All that stupid Demon was able to do was toss me aside!"


    Even though she was in a lot of pain, she didn''t want to show it to Wain as she was still deeply convinced that women should always be stronger than men.


    "Huh, who would even believe that?" Ern smirked, "You need to stop trying to look tough, or else one day you''ll embarrass yourself in a really serious way."


    Whooooooosh.


    Suddenly a golden sh appeared next to Wain, that was s.


    "I''m d to see you." s said with a smile on his face as he held out his hand.


    "I too." Wain nodded, shook his hand, and asked, "You didn''t seem to be sparring, did you?"


    s had no wounds or scratches, that was impossible in a battle with Ern or Erza, but his energy and face looked just like a squeezed lemon.


    "Well... The Royal Spirit says I have to learn how to use my new energy properly first. Honestly, it''s very difficult, but I''ve made some progress in a week." s nodded.


    "Exactly!" Suddenly came the voice of the Royal Spirit, "You have to try harder! If you don''t get stronger, you''ll never be able to handle Arkans!"


    "Oh... It looks like you already know about them, too, right?" Wain asked as he tilted his head.


    "Yeah... I couldn''t even imagine that someone like that existed, but that''s even a good thing."


    "Hmm?" Wain raised his eyebrows.


    "That''s a great incentive to get stronger, isn''t it? I''m sure it must be especially important for you since they attacked you." s spoke with a confident look while a fire burned in his eyes that reflected his will.


    "Good. You have a great attitude." Wain nodded.


    ''Arkans... I should be careful. There''s no telling how long the Dragons will defend the World of Destiny.'' Wain muttered inwardly, ''The Dragons are strong, but from the looks of it, they are more like madness old men than wise guardians of the world. Who knows what they wille up with.''


    Step. Step. Step.


    Aurora approached them with a disgruntled look and said, "I hope you''ve talked enough? Come on, it''s definitely better to do it in a restaurant than here."


    "Restaurant?" s and Ern eximed simultaneously in a dazed voice.


    "Yeah." Wain nodded, "Even though Aurora is damned mean, but she''s right. We all need to rest and live likemon people for a while."<sub> </sub>


    "Great! I''m hungry as hell! I hope the humans like meat, or I swear to God I''ll eat somebody!" Ern said with a happy look.


    "Great. Let''s go already." Aurora shook her head as she headed for the exit with s and Ern.


    Wain followed them, but he stopped and turned to Erza, who stood there with a saddened look.


    "I''m not hungry, so I''d better stay here and continue my training." Erza muttered as she tried to ignore the pain.


    ''Damn... Sometimes I think she''s a kid trying to be an adult.'' Wain shook and walked over to her.


    "What do you want? I already told you everything."


    Wain didn''t respond. He silently touched her arm and pressed lightly on a point near the fracture.


    "Ek!" Erza flinched as if she were a little girl.


    "Ern is very strong, each of his blows is like a massive hammer, so no wonder you were wounded while fighting him, but there is no need to hide it. Only children try to hide the obvious things." Wain said with a calm look.


    "Shut up!" Erza eximed as she clenched her wounded hand into a fist but immediately unclenched it as she was in too much pain.


    Whooooooosh.


    The ring on Wain''s finger glowed brightly, and the dark potion that Edena gave him appeared in his hand.


    "What is it?" Erza asked.


    Wain ignored her, uncorked the potion, and poured the liquid directly onto her wound. The potion was very viscous, like tar, but it had amazing healing properties.


    The liquid turned into a multitude of dark needles that pierced Erza''s skin. She wanted to cry in pain but suddenly realized that she only felt a pleasant warmth.


    "Done." Wain nodded as he tossed the empty vial aside, "That''s much better, isn''t it?"


    Erza stared at him with a confused look as she could not understand what she felt at that moment. Such concern was unusual for her, especially from Wain.


    "Thank you..." Erza whispered very quietly so no one would hear as she followed Aurora.


    ''Eh... What am I doing anyway? She literally wanted to kill me, but now I''m nursing her wounds. I''m definitely doing something wrong.'' Wain muttered to himself.


    Aurora watched them closely, so when it was over, she turned to Ern and asked, "Demon, are these two having an affair?"


    "I actually have a name, you, old witch." Ern frowned.


    "Shut up. Just answer the question." Aurora uttered with a serious look.


    "Okay, okay. They''re not a couple, although it''d be a dream for Erza. Did you like Wain?" Ern said as a sly smile appeared on his face.


    "One more joke like that, and I''ll rip your tongue out. It''s none of your business." Aurora said with a menacing look as she moved on.


    ''Well, well, that''s quite exciting, although she doesn''t really seem interested in Wain as a lover.'' Ern muttered to himself while holding his chin.

 Chapter 565 Food

    They headed to a restaurant that Aurora thought was the best in town. The restaurant was centrally located in one of the tallest buildings, so they had a view of the beautiful scenery beyond the walls.


    Tap. Tap. Tap.


    Ern tapped his finger on the table in a nervous manner while drool was gradually pouring out of his mouth.


    "Hey, will you stop doing that already?" Aurora frowned as she smashed on the table.


    "That''s easy for you to say! You have no idea how hungry I am. Ever since I woke up in this town, I haven''t been able to eat properly yet, everything has been too chaotic, but today I''m finally getting some rest!" Ern eximed with a happy look.


    Crackling.


    A waiter entered the hall.


    "Looks like you don''t have long to wait, do you?" Wain asked while looking at the waiter.


    It was a young girl with short blond hair. She was carrying two trays on, each of which was a multitude of dishes with wonderful aromas that spread throughout the building.


    "Quick...!" Ern muttered.


    "Bon appetit!" The girl said with a smile on her face as she ced the dishes on the table.


    Everyone''s eyes widened as they had never seen anything like this, it was really something unique, however, someone were not excited at all.


    "What shit is this?" Ern eximed with an angry look, "Where''s the meat?!"


    There were unusual fruits and vegetables on the tes, as well as several sds. All of the fruits exuded unusual energy and shone brightly like stars.


    "You should be grateful to me." Aurora waved her hand, "Each of these fruits is worth a fortune. You need them to gain energy and be much stronger as these fruits are useful even to those in the Fifth Chronicle, not to mention you. Also, they are very tasty, I see no reason toin."


    "Yeah... They look incredible..." Erza muttered as she took fruit from her te that looked like a rainbow strawberry.


    Multicolored energy waves came from the berry, but when Erza touched it, the energy became golden, just like hers, while using the queen''s power.


    A crackle.


    Erza took a bite as her eyes and hair shone brightly, her aura intensified, and goosebumps went all over her body.


    "This is incredible... I feel like if I eat a few more of these berries, I can get to the limit of the Third Chronicle." Erza muttered and swallowed the strawberries whole.


    s sat with a thoughtful look, he didn''t know what to choose since everything was very interesting, but he wanted something out of the ordinary.


    "Take it!" The Royal Spirit eximed as everyone heard his voice.


    "Hmm?" s looked to the center of the table.


    There was a golden round fruit with several sharp outgrowths that made it look a little like a star.


    "Are you sure?" s asked.


    "Of course! This will be perfect for you. Don''t hesitate!"


    s nodded, took the fruit, and took a small bite.


    Whooooooooosh.


    A ripple of energy emitted from s that spread dozens of meters around him. His energypletely replenished, and the world became clearer and brighter for a moment.


    "Not bad, right?" Aurora grinned as she picked up a small white berry.


    "Ern, aren''t you interested in all this?" Wain asked while looking at Ern that as though was ready to explode.<sub> </sub>


    Ern''s veins swelled, and he clenched his teeth so hard as if sparks were about to fly from it while his fingers dug into the table.


    Crackle.


    Ern stood up, tossed the chair aside, and headed for the exit.


    "Hey! Where are you going?" Aurora eximed indignantly.


    "To get some normal food! You keep eating grass if you want to! I''m not a cow to do that! I eat cows! Ugh!" Ern forcefully opened the doors as they flew off their hinges and impressed into the wall that shook the entire restaurant.


    "What''s going on?"


    "Is it an earthquake?"


    "Is someone attacking us?!"


    The patrons eximed with worried looks while dust fell from the ceiling on them, but they were too shocked to notice it.


    "Ahahahahahaha." Wainughed, "Well, it certainly wasn''t the best decision to call Demon into a vegan restaurant."


    "It''s not a vegan restaurant at all." Aurora waved her hand with a disgruntled look, "But, only fruit has that unique energy, I just wanted you to move forward."


    "Well, it doesn''t matter to Ern. You should have thought of that and ordered him some tes filled with meat, that would have been much better." Wain shrugged.


    "Shut up. By the way, why haven''t you touched your food yet? It''s especially important for you as you''re still weak, and your energy is unstable." Aurora pointed the finger at Wain.


    "Oh, I''m just waiting." Wain said in a calm voice.


    "What?" Aurora tilted her head.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ground trembled as in the distance, powerful explosions and someone''s pained screams rang out outside the city.


    "What''s going on!" Aurora eximed in a worried voice as she stood up.


    "Well, well, Aurora, you''re a definitely grown woman, but don''t you know that fruits and vegetables are best as a side dish and not as a main course? At least Ern knows that, perhaps even too well." Wain smiled.


    Whoooooooosh.


    A massive shadow appeared over the restaurant that seemed sorge it could have eclipsed the sun.


    Bam.


    Next to the kitchennded Ern, as he held above him a huge wild boar bigger than the house.


    "You!" Ern pointed at the head cook while continuing to hold the boar with one hand.


    "Y-Yes?" The head cook shuddered.


    "Cook me that boar as fast as you can, or I swear to God I''ll eat one of you, and I''m not kidding, damn it!" Ern plopped the boar on the ground as that shook the town.


    "Of course! I''ll do it now." The head cook eximed as he waved his hand, "Let''s go! Get to work!"


    "But... Boss, we''ve got lots of other orders." One of the cooks said.


    "Are you an idiot? If we don''t roast this boar now, the next order will be us!"

 Chapter 566 1%

    Tap. Tap. Tap.


    Ern tapped his finger on the table with a serious look while the cooks in the kitchen used all their skills and abilities to cook the wild boar as quickly as possible.


    "Are you aware that I can have you arrested for what you did?" Aurora said in a calm voice as she looked at him, "Where did you find such a huge boar, after all?"


    "You do know that a shark can smell even a drop of blood over a kilometer away, don''t you?" Ern asked.


    "Yeah... It''s a known fact, but... what''s that got to do with it?" Aurora tilted her head in confusion.


    "When Demons are hungry, we turn into sharks, only we don''t feel the blood, we feel meat! And, there is no fresher meat than a wild boar running through the woods!" Ern eximed as he pounded the table, "Damn it, where''s my meat!"


    Crackling.


    The doors to the hall opened as all the cooks that were in the kitchen came inside. They and the waiters were carrying a huge tray with literally a mountain of meat on it. Amber sauce dripped from the meat as well as a river of juice.


    "Sorry for the dy!" The head chef uttered, and they ced the tray on the table.


    Seconds before, s had used his power to move all the tes of fruit aside, otherwise, the tray would have crushed them.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The massive wooden table could hardly support so much weight, so it trembled as if it could fall apart at any moment.


    "Here we go." Ern licked his lips and proceeded to eat.


    The waiters brought all sorts of cutlery for different kinds of food, but Ern preferred to use only one thing - his hands.


    "My God, this is so good! This is real food, not your damn greens!" Ern muttered while shoving a huge steak into his mouth.


    Everyone was looking at him with puzzled looks, they didn''t expect that Ern was actually going to eat it all since there were several hundred kilos of meat!


    "Good. Honestly, I''m already hungry too. Maybe harmony isn''t needed everywhere, but it certainly applies to the te of food." Wain muttered with a smile on his face as he took a steak and some fruit.


    Wain carefully poured the sauce over the meat, cut off a piece, put it on a fork along with the fruit, and brought it to his mouth.


    "Bon app¨¦tit." Wain said before taking the first bite.


    The juicy meat mixed with the slightly sour, slightly sweet taste of the fruit that exploded in his mouth like a bomb. Wain felt his body fill with energy as several messages appeared in front of him.


    [You have eaten Twilight Raspberry!]


    [Your energy reserve has been restored by a third!]


    [As it is a special berry that absorbed energy for years, you received Soul Essence equal to the absorption of several Ascendant Souls.]


    [The energy went to your Soul Temple.]


    Whoooooosh.


    The vor separated from the energy as it streamed toward Wain''s Soul Temple to the second of the three torches in the center of it.


    There was an empty rod in the center of the torch, and when it absorbed energy, the rod filled to one-hundredth of a percent.<sub> </sub>


    [Your second torch is 1% full]


    ''Hmm? What does that mean?" Wain thought as he decided to check his status.


    [Wain Norheim


    Ascension: First Stage (1%)


    Race: Human.


    Beyond: Cmity


    Soul: Nameless King


    Title: Savior of the Damned, Echo of Samurai, Mentor Inquisitor, The First, Soul Gatherer, Cartographer, yer of Goliath, Contender, Defeating One of the Four Kings, Killing the Legend, etc..


    Majesty: 10]


    "Wain? Is something wrong?" Erza asked as she found the expression on his look strange.


    "No, it''s fine. I just can''t figure out if I should be happy or crying right now?" Wain muttered while in confusion.


    "How full is your second torch?" Aurora suddenly asked as she immediately realized what had happened.


    "Huh, I see... So that''s why you brought us here. Considering how strict you are, I couldn''t believe that you only ordered fruit and vegetables knowing that Demon, who prefers to eat only meat, would be at the same table with us, but now everything is making sense. You made these unusual fruits for me, right?" Wain asked as he set his fork aside.


    "Yes, you''re right, so what?" Aurora waved her hand, "These fruits are actually worth a lot, I just want to know how much energy you need, that''s all."


    "Okay." Wain shook his head, "I ate Twilight Raspberry, so I filled one hundredth."


    "What?!" Aurora eximed in a dazed voice as she stood up and pped her palms on the table with a shocked look, "One percent?! That''s impossible!"


    "Hmm? Is that bad or good?" Wain asked while in disbelief.


    "Of course it''s bad! Very bad! Incredibly bad! One percent? Are you sure about that?" Aurora stared at him with a suspicious look as she couldn''t believe it.


    "Yeah. I''m absolutely sure. It''s one percent." Wain nodded as he folded his arms in front of him.


    Bam.


    Aurora copsed on the table with her hands down and a nk stare as though that were the end of everything.


    "I''m not sure what you two are talking about, but it sounds like one percent isn''t what you expected, right?" s asked while eating his third fruit.


    "I agree." Ern muttered while tearing a piece of meat in two, "I don''t understand shit. Why don''t you two take the trouble to exin it all to us?"


    "Wain, are you going to be okay?" Erza asked with a worried look as she squeezed his hand tightly.


    "This only applies to those who have made it to the Fourth Chronicle, but I think you all need to know about it too." Aurora muttered since she came to her senses, "Anyway, I was hoping Wain''s second torch would be at least 30% full, so now you understand why I''m so devastated..."

 Chapter 567 The Form

    "30%? Isn''t that too much? Are you sure one berry was supposed to have that much effect?" Wain asked with a confused look as he didn''t believe such a thing was possible.


    "Of course." Aurora waved her hand, "What do you take me for? I''ve had to award some Fourth Chronicle people before, so I''m fully confident in the uracy of the result."


    "But... 30%... Doesn''t that mean you can get to the Fifth Chronicle right away if you eat a few of those berries?" s asked as he stared at Aurora.


    "Are all Elves really that stupid?" Aurora frowned, "It''s obvious that such a powerful effect will only happen the first time. The more you eat berries like this, the more you have resistance to it. This works the same way with poisons."


    "Well... You''re definitely not the nicest woman that I''ve met." s muttered and pushed his chair away from Aurora as far as possible.


    "What did you say? Don''t forget, I could rip your head off at any moment!" Aurora uttered with a furious look as purple lightning bolts appeared beside her.


    "Watch what you say,dy!" The Royal Spirit said, "You better keep exining, they all need to know what happens after Third Chronicle to understand better how this world works."


    Aurora remained silent, and in time, her aura calmed down. She understood that the Royal Spirit was right, but sometimes there was nothing she could do about her temper.


    "Okay, just listen to me carefully." Aurora waved her hand, "As you''ve all noticed by now, Wain has moved on to the Fourth Chronicle, I don''t know how that happened, but it doesn''t matter anymore. Every Chronicle has something unique, whether it''s Concept or Martial Essence, but in Third Chronicle, things are starting to change slowly."


    "Are you talking about World Impact?" Ern asked while chewing on a huge piece of meat, some of which was dangling from his mouth.


    ''God, I''m talking to idiots.'' Aurora inwardly muttered as she pped her palm across her face.


    "Yeah. World Impact is the first step that pretty much separates those who are at Third Chronicle or higher from those who haven''t yet reached that level. Not only are you stronger than them because your Chronicle is higher, but also because your relevance in the world is much higher than theirs."


    Aurora continued, "Obviously, it''s not as simple as we''d like it to be. The higher the Chronicle, the harder it is to get to a higher level, everyone knows that. The creatures in Fifth Chronicle strive to be literal gods. Surely some of you have already faced an opponent that used the power of the Cult, right? Angels and Elves like to do it even before Fifth Chronicle."


    Ern, s, and Erza looked at Aurora with confused looks as they had never heard of such a thing. They were still in the Third Chronicle and did not know many of the mysteries of this world.


    However, Wain''s look was different from theirs. After Aurora''s words, the scene of one of his life''s hardest and best fights appeared before him.<sub> </sub>


    ''Right... I''d forgotten all about that... That Elf... What was his name? He rose and grew stronger time after time because of what the other Elves sincerely believed in him, but that belief was not as friends, but as followers.'' Wain inwardly muttered.


    "Hey! Haven''t any of you ever fought such opponents?" Aurora uttered with a puzzled look.


    "I am. It was one of the hardest but best battles of my life." Wain uttered in a serious voice as he spoke the in truth.


    "I see. That''s what the Fifth Chronicle usually does, but a lot of people try to get their Cult in the Fourth Chronicle. It''s kind of like training."


    "Why are you telling us all this?" Erza asked, "I thought you were going to exin to us how Fourth Chronicle is different and why Wain got a lot less energy than you thought."


    "Pfft, there''s nothing to discuss here. You have no idea how upset I am." Aurora waved her hand, "Wain got as much energy as the others, the fact that his second torch was only 1% full means he needs a fucking lot of energy, just an unimaginable amount. Maybe that''s not a bad thing, since usually those who need a lot of energy after the fifth evolution be stronger than the others, but this is the first time I''ve seen anyone need as much as Wain."


    "You''re all worried for nothing. I''m sure it won''t be a problem for Wain. All he has to do is get a few dozen times more Soul Essence than the others. It''s just a matter of time." Ern muttered with a careless look.


    "What is the difference between the Fourth and Third Chronicle?" s asked while taking one of the fruits from his te, "What do we have to do to be able to reach the Fifth Chronicle?"


    "Actually, I was trying to give you tips on what to do in Fifth Chronicle, but since you want to know, I''ll let it. Besides your personal conditions that everyone has are different, you have to fulfill something, as without it you cannot evolve further." Aurora spoke.


    Everyone looked at her with curious looks. s, Ern and Erza were still in the Third Chronicle, but each of them had been at this stage for a long time, and the berries that they ate today had helped them get closer to the border, so very soon, they would be on the same stage as Wain.


    "You must open your Form." Aurora uttered.


    "The Form? What is that? Are you talking about a suit? Are we supposed to find some kind of armor? What kind of strange name is that?" Ern asked while in confusion.


    "I guess the more meat you eat, the dumber you get." Aurora shook her head in a mocking manner, "The Form is the hidden power of your Souls, I mean real Souls, not the ones now in your Soul Altars."


    "What...?"

 Chapter 568 Souls

    "Real Souls?!" Everyone eximed simultaneously while in disbelief.


    "Exactly. Those souls that are now in your Soul Altars were given to you at birth. Those souls are not yours." Aurora waved her hand as if she were stating the obvious.


    For a while, everyone was shocked, they pondered Aurora''s words in silence as perhaps it was the most important thing they had heard in their entire lives. To humans, souls were equal to life, maybe even more important than it, so learning that their souls were fake was a real shock.


    ''Since birth? Hmm... that''s definitely not my option... I only got a soul when my world came to an end... The same thing happened in Gisle''s world. The apocalypse was the catalyst for people to get souls, but before that, their lives were ordinary... Damn... This is some nonsense.'' Wain muttered inwardly as he tried to make sense of what was going on here.


    "But... Is that possible? There are other people''s souls in our Soul Altars... It''s too strange." s muttered with a confused look.


    "They are not alien souls, but they are not yours either." Aurora uttered.


    "Hmm?" Ern tilted his head in a strange way, "Are you sure the berries that you ate arepletely safe? I think you''re delusional. Even if the souls aren''t ours, they''re obviously someone else''s!"


    "Whose?" Aurora asked, "If they aren''t your souls, who did they belong to? Why did you receive them? As infants, could you have stolen them? Answer!"


    Ern fell silent, he even stopped eating meat as he realized that none of Aurora''s questions had an answer.


    "Your souls are a random umtion of Soul Essence that floats between zones and spaces. It''s normal, there''s nothing wrong with that, even the greatest warriors first had a Fake Soul, onlyter did they reveal their True Soul." Aurora uttered.


    "Actually, you shouldn''t be surprised because it all makes sense. Think about it, what have you been umting huge amounts of energy for all this time? Every time you evolved, you had to use a lot of souls before, for what?" Aurora shook her hand.


    "In order to be stronger." Ern spread his arms apart as he shrugged, "Isn''t it obvious?"


    "Huh, sounds like you''re really dumb. Everyone wants to get stronger, but do you think you can get a True Soul at the snap of a finger? Your soul is you yourself, to be an adult, you need to eat, sleep and drink well, the same goes for your soul. All this time, you have been absorbing energy not only to be strong but to finally find your soul, not just a blob of energy that upies the main ce in your Soul Altar." Aurora said with a slight smile on her face as she liked to show how much more she knew than they did.


    "Damn... That actually changes everything... Why didn''t I figure this out until now?" Erza muttered while in disbelief.


    "It''s amazing." s nodded, "So... When we''re in the Fourth Chronicle, will we have to reveal our True Souls?"


    "Yeah. Once you do, you will receive your most powerful weapon, The Form. It is the personification of you and your soul. You will expend a lot of energy while using The Form, but you will gain incredible power. Anyway, just watch." Aurora slowly stood up as her aura intensified and her hair rose up.


    Purple lightning ripples appeared next to her with several energy spheres that swirled rapidly around her. Then, the energypletely covered her like a veil, and her appearance began to change.


    Aurora wore dark armor that looked beautiful but majestic, her ck hair turned purple just like her eyes. Every movement she made, even a wave of her hand, made the air ripple with lightning sparks.


    "Just because you are Wain''s friends, I will expend some energy and show what a person in the Fifth Chronicle can do while using the Form." Aurora muttered as she carelessly pointed her finger at the sky''s massive cloud.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.<sub> </sub>


    Her eyes sparkled, and a small orb appeared on the tip of her finger. It looked harmless, but it contained enormous power. The powerful energy made the restaurant shake as the floor beneath Aurora cracked.


    "Here we go." Aurora smiled as the sphere turned into a beam.


    The beam was thin, no thicker than a finger, but when it reached the cloud, it exploded with a massive stream of energy.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The earth trembled as the shockwave spread for miles around that blew away all the clouds, and the sky became clearer than ever before.


    All the inhabitants were frightened, but they could not take their eyes off the beautiful amethyst sky from which the purple particles were slowly falling like snowkes.


    Whoooooosh.


    Four silhouettes appeared next to the restaurant that emitted powerful, majestic auras. They approached Aurora, got down on one knee, and said, "Madam, it was you. We thought Arkans were attacking us."


    "Huh, it''s okay. I was just showing the kids what real power is. You''re free to go." Aurora waved her hand as she canceled her uniform.


    The silhouettes nodded and disappeared.


    "Who were those...?" Ern asked, "Their auras aren''t as strong as yours, but I''m sure there''s no way I could have handled any of them."


    "Well, they are the guardians of this city. There are others, but they report to other Elders." Aurora shrugged in a careless manner and sat down at the table.


    "Your power is incredible. I hope to reach the same level someday." s muttered while looking up at the magical sky.


    "Of course, you will be even stronger than she is!" The Royal Spirit eximed.


    "Wain, what do you say? Do you want to have the same power?" Aurora smirked, "You are the King''s heir, so in the future, you will even surpass me!"


    Aurora waited for an answer, but Wain was silent.


    "Hey! Can you hear me?"


    Wain did not see Aurora''s attack, when he saw her transformation, all his attention was focused only on what the Form was and what his True Soul was, and whether there was one at all.


    ''Form... I''ve already seen it on Alice and at the battle of Osvald... But why do I already have six of them...? Why is this happening?''

 Chapter 569 Skills

    "Well, well, his mind is in real turmoil right now." Blind Sorcerer shook his head.


    "Yeah. This girl is telling him things that will rify many things for others, but not in his case. The more he listens, the more he realizes he doesn''t understand anything." Light Racer spread his arms out to his sides.


    "It''s pretty ironic... but it will all fall into ce someday." Code of Light and Darkness muttered.


    They stood on the tform at Wain''s Soul Temple while gazing at the brightly burning torch. It was a mesmerizing sight as one could watch forever.


    Whoooooosh.


    Suddenly there was a violent st of dark wind that almost managed to extinguish the torch''s me. It was an invasion of Soul Temple, but the forms did not prepare for the attack as they knew who it was.


    "It''s you... And, you act brazenly as always... heh, just like me." The Cursed Swordsman smirked as he pulled his sword from the ground.


    A tall man with ck hair and gray eyes appeared next to the crown, and his muscr body was covered with a long armored cloak while much smoke emanated from a massive cigarette mped between his teeth.


    "Guys, it''s been a long time since I''ve seen you. How long has it been? Two hundred? Three hundred?" The man shook his head, took out his cigarette, and blew out a huge cloud of smoke.


    "dius, it looks like you haven''t learned how to count. It''s been five hundred years since that day." The Knight of the Bloody Rose said in a calm voice, "You finally made it here. I thought you''d do it as soon as you were in Wain''s hands."


    "Well... It wasn''t very easy, especially since he recently evolved." dius shrugged, "What''s the n?"


    "For now, we''re just waiting." ck Sun Aristocrat said with a bored look, "Things will get really interesting when his soul unfolds and when he finds the seventh. Well, we''ve waited five hundred years, so we can wait a little longer."


    "Yeah... That makes sense. Hopefully, there won''t be any problems until then." dius nodded as he took another puff, "As expected, he just needs a sea of energy, hopefully, we''ll get to the Dragons as soon as possible."


    "Rest assured, it will definitely happen." Blind Sorcerer said in a serious voice, "With your help, Wain can probably get as many souls as others can even imagine."


    "Huh." dius grinned as a wicked smile appeared on his face, "Yeah... It''ll be a real massacre, bloody and merciless."


    ...


    "Wain!" Aurora mmed her fist on the table.


    "Hmm? Did you want something?" Wain finally turned his attention to her.<sub> </sub>


    "Were you even listening to me?" Aurora moved closer to him as she stared intently into his eyes.


    "Of course. I was thinking a little bit. I was just wondering what it would take to uncover my True Soul." Wain waved his hand in a careless manner.


    Aurora stared at him for a while as she didn''t believe him, but then sighed and returned to her seat.


    "It''s not hard. In fact, it''s one of the easiest things to do, but first, you have to fill all your torchespletely so they burn brighter than the sun!" Aurora pronounced.


    "When we do that, will we finally get our real souls?" s asked.


    "Yes. That''s right. The soul in your Soul Altars works like a shell, the true power lurks beneath it, but you must help your True Soul grow."


    "Well... What level do we have to reach to do that? What should our stats be?" Erza asked with a curious look.


    "Levels? Stats?" Aurora looked at her as though Erza had said some nonsense, but then her face changed, "Ah... Right... Ipletely forgot that you haven''t all evolved yet. In the Fourth Chronicle, there are no levels, no stats, no skills. Majesty, as you move to the Ascension Stage, is the only thing left."


    "What...?" Ern muttered with a dazed look as the piece of meat fell out of his hands, "How are there no levels? What have I been training and fighting for all this time, then? And the skills?! Who the hell came up with that?!"


    "Huh, what else did you expect? You''re already in Third Chronicle, so you should have realized that you''re going to change more and more with each step. The rules that work for wimps can no longer be applied to you. There will be no more levels and stats, in battle, everything is decided by unique features, fighting style, and the desire to win!" Aurora uttered with a sly smile on her face.


    "Unfortunately, that''s true." Wain nodded, "But, I guess losing levels and stats isn''t a big problem as long as it has a recement, but what about skills? Is all I have now my Concepts?"


    "Concepts? Oh... I should have known that even here, you are unusual. Not everyone has two Concepts." Aurora''s eyes widened, "You can now use your Beyond and the power of Concepts more freely, so using those three elements, you can create your own skills."


    "Hmm? I can create a whip of darkness right now and use it to split this building in two, does that count as a skill?" Wain asked with a raised eyebrow as darkness umted in his left hand.


    "No, of course not. It wouldn''t be a hard enough and strong enough attack. If you want something like that to be your skill, you have to think about it carefully, experiment, and spend weeks practicing. Skills that you''ve created yourself will be your powerful weapon." Aurora exined.


    "Well... I guess I really should work on it. Without the skills, it won''t befortable, even dangerous to fight." Wain muttered while looking at his fist.


    "Actually, there is one exception." Aurora smiled, "Now you can''t get abilities from other beings'' souls, your True Soul, even if it hasn''t revealed itself yet, will reject the energy of those souls, but... that doesn''t apply to Legendary Souls."


    Aurora said in a slow voice, "You have a choice. Either train and create your own skills or use the souls of Legendary Beings to do so.

 Chapter 570 Forbidden Lands

    "Why can I use Legendary Souls to gain skills but not others?" Wain asked with a confused look.


    "Legendary Souls have more energy, and it is pure enough for your Soul to take it, so several energiesbine in you and turn into somethingpletely new." Aurora said as though it was obvious.


    "I see... Either fight or train, some things never change." Wain nodded.


    Crackle.


    Ern leaned back in his chair as he took a deep breath and said, "Damn... It was hard to even for me to eat all that meat. That''s it, I''m ready to get out of here."


    "I agree. The food was great, but we had to get to training. I want to reach the Fourth Chronicle like Wain, too, and as soon as possible." s nodded as he folded his arms in front of him.


    "Wait, before we finish, I want to know something else." Wain held up a finger.


    "What are you interested in?" Aurora smiled, "Ask away. I''ll answer any question you have."


    "As I understand it, the strongest in the Fifth Chronicle have powersparable to the gods, so part of it they get because of their Cults, right?"


    "Yeah. That''s right. Faith is a powerful thing. You''ll have to get into it someday, too. Otherwise, you won''t be able to handle the strongest." Aurora waved her hand.


    "Well... Is there any way to be as strong but without gathering your Cult? I don''t want to do that. I don''t need the faith of others, my faith in myself is enough." Wain spoke in a serious voice.


    Aurora frowned as she did not like it. Wain was to be the next leader for the humans, it was his destiny as heir, and it was the perfect prerequisite for building a strong Cult.


    "Damn... You like toplicate things so much..." Aurora shook her head in a disgruntled manner, "There is one option, but only a few creatures in history have been able to do that, so I don''t advise you to do that, better to create your own Cult."


    "A few people..." Wain muttered, "Obviously, Nameless King was one of them, right?"


    Aurora didn''t answer anything, but Wain understood from her eyes.


    "What am I supposed to do?"


    "If you don''t want to be equal to a god, then you have to be just as strong." Aurora waved her hand.


    "What does that mean?"


    "Achieve 100% blood purity." Aurora said with a thunderous voice.


    Ern, s, and Erza were shocked as their mouths opened wide.


    "You''ve got to be kidding..." Ern muttered, "That''s impossible! 100% means there must be nothing in you, not even energy!"


    "Yeah." Aurora nodded, "But it''s actually possible, though almost impossible, so Wain, don''t think about it. I''m sure even Nameless King did it because of unique circumstances."


    Wain nodded in silence as though he agreed, but his piercing gaze showed a very different response.


    "Okay... Let''s wrap it up." Aurora sighed, "It''s time to go. Wain, I want to show you something, but before I do... You three, what are you going to do next? Are you going off to World of Destiny, or are you going to stay here?"<sub> </sub>


    "Practice! That''s obvious!" Ern eximed, "This is a great ce to develop, so until I reach the Fourth Chronicle, I''m definitely not going anywhere!"


    "I agree." s nodded.


    "Well... Though it''s all rather strange, I need to get stronger, too." Erza muttered.


    "Okay. Do whatever you want. You have my permission to go into most training grounds and arenas. There are plenty outside the city if you need monsters, but you can only count on yourselves there." Aurora uttered as she stood up.


    "Huh, like I ever counted on anyone else!" Ern grinned.


    Aurora walked over to Wain and said, "Come on. There''s something you should see."


    Wain nodded.


    They jumped off the balcony and headed out of town along the rooftops. They were quick as lightning, so a few secondster, their silhouettes werepletely gone.


    "Hey, is it okay for us to live in a city of humans?" s asked.


    "Sure, why not?" Ern shook his hand with a confused look, "Just do like normal. By the way, it''s about time for our first training session!"


    ...


    Wain and Aurora had already been hopping through the branches of the massive trees for over ten minutes as they moved north.


    "Where are we going?" Wain asked.


    "To where the memories of the war are. I''m not entirely sure what it is myself... well... you''ll see for yourself soon enough." Aurora spoke in an uncertain manner.


    ''The Great War... What happened there directly applies to me. There must be some reason why I became the heir of the Nameless King. Could I be his son? No, that''s unlikely, but is it all about the unique condition?'' Wain muttered inwardly.


    It was not until several hourster that they reached the desired destination. In that time, they had traveled over a hundred kilometers, the city was very far away.


    "Hmm? What is it?" Wain muttered with a confused look.


    Thend ahead suddenly stopped as if it were the end of the world. It was a sharp cliff with several floating boulders in the air.


    "This is the Forbidden Lands." Aurora said as she plunged down.


    "Forbidden Lands?" Wain muttered.


    "Yes. I don''t know why, but after the Great War ended, this part of the Human World became inessible. Look." Aurora pointed to the massive gold seal that hovered over the rubble.


    In the center of the seal was a sign that looked like a boot with wings. Next to this seal, a few hundred meters away, was another one, blue with a sign in the shape of a shard of ice.


    "The other elders and I tried to break the seals, we did everything we could to open the passage to the Forbidden Lands, but we were unsessful as though a special key is needed to open the seals." Aurora muttered.

 Chapter 571 Forbidden Lands (Part 2)

    "Aurora, do you know what''s out there?" Wain muttered while looking at the many seals.


    "No. Maybe our ancient heritage, maybe a treasure mountain or other worlds in general... I''m not sure, buttely, something strange has started to happen." Aurora uttered in a thoughtful manner.


    "Hmm?" Wain tilted his head with a puzzled look.


    "The seals used to be nk."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Look." Aurora pointed to a seal in the distance.


    This was the seventh seal, and unlike the others, it was covered with a dark mist, so it was impossible to make out what was under the veil.


    "I tried to clear it, but it seemed impossible to get rid of the dark mist." Aurora muttered.


    "Were the other seals hidden before, too?" Wain asked while his brain was working at breakneck speed as he began to understand what this was all about.


    "Yes, but this year for some reason, they began to open. The first five seals opened in a few months, but the sixth one took longer, I don''t know what that has to do with it." Aurora shook her head.


    Wain was silent since his gaze waspletely nk but deep as though he had learned the world''s top secret.


    ...


    ''Huh, looks like he''s finally starting to figure out what''s going on here.'' Light Racer smiled as he tossed up the golden orb with a sly smile on his face.


    ''But, he still has yet to find out what lies behind the seals. Eh... It''ll actually take a while, but it''s definitely worth it.'' The Blind Sorcerer sighed.


    ''Hey, do you have to be so sad? This is great news! Code of Light and Darkness eximed, ''Five hundred years of waiting will soon be over.''


    ...


    "Wain, are you here?" Aurora said while waving her hand in front of his face.


    "Ah, yes, sorry, I was distracted. I didn''t expect Human World to have something like this. This ce is really one big mystery." Wain nodded while looking at the seventh seal.


    ''Well... I guess with all thismotion, Ipletely forgot that Light Racer isn''t thest person I should meet.'' Wain muttered inwardly, and arge window appeared before him.


    [Nameless King''s Forms (Legendary)


    This is a unique skill that can give you unique powers. You have already unlocked six forms, but that is not the end of your journey.


    To unlock the seventh form, you need to fulfill the condition:


    [You must get the Abyss Brush, that can be found in the deep zones of Purgatory.]


    ''Abyss Brush... Somehow that sounds pretty dangerous.'' Wain thought and concentrated.


    He wanted to feel where the energy fluctuations wereing from, but likest time he couldn''t pinpoint the exact direction.


    ''Damn... It looks like Abyss Brush, like Running Light, is in a special area. I need to find out if there''s something in Purgatory like the Forgotten Forest.'' Wain muttered inwardly as he looked at Aurora, ''Should I ask her? No... I have someone better, He definitely knows everything about this world.''<sub> </sub>


    "Wain, when do you think the seventh seal will open?" Aurora asked as he stared at it.


    "That''s a good question." Wain smiled, "I hope it happens as soon as possible."


    "Of course. Now, what are you going to do? I hope you stay here, right?" Aurora asked with a serious look.


    "Yes, but not for long. As soon as I get stronger, I''ll have to go back to my zone. I hope you understand that you can''t stop me." Wain uttered as his aura rose.


    Aurora nodded slightly, got down on one knee, and looked into Wain''s eyes, "You are the heir of Nameless King, so I have no right to judge your actions. I truly believe that in the future, you will be someone who can protect humanity from all threats and make our race great and terrible again."


    Aurora had quite a temper, she was someone who preferred to use force rather than words, but now her eyes were crystal clear as she believed in what she was saying.


    "I can''t promise anything, but one thing is certain." Wain turned toward the city, "I will never be an enemy of humans, as I definitely enjoy being a human."


    "That''s enough." Aurora nodded, "Are you going back to town, or are you going to stay here?"


    "I''ll go in..." Wain muttered.


    ''Don''t be in a hurry to answer.'' dius suddenly stopped him, ''This ce is far away from the city as possible, so only here can we encounter the strongest and most dangerous monsters. We''ll return to the city a littleter when we''ve killed some beasts.''


    "I will stay here for a while. I want to see more of the seals." Wain uttered in a calm voice.


    "Of course. Here, take this." Aurora tossed a purple crystal to Wain.


    "What is it?" Wain muttered while running his finger over the crystal with a thoughtful look.


    "Use it if you are in danger. Many deadly monsters are living here, so I can help you. Of course, the crystal doesn''t work outside of Human World." Aurora exined as she waved her hand.


    "Got it." Wain nodded.


    "Good. I''ll wait for you at Nameless Castle." Aurora muttered before disappearing.


    Wain moved the crystal into the ring and walked to the edge of the world. He didn''t know why, but familiar energy emanated from the seals as though he could already feel it.


    ''Hey, do you want to tell me what''s in there? It''s definitely connected to you.'' Wain inwardly muttered as he turned to the forms.


    ''Huh, I''d like to do that, but it''s too early.'' Light Racer uttered.


    ''Just be patient. You''ll find out soon enough.'' Blind Sorcerer said with a calm look, ''You need to get stronger now, the sooner you do it, the better.''


    "Of course. Could it be any other way?" Wain smiled as he headed toward the mountain in the distance.


    ''Wain, your instincts seem to be on point, don''t they?'' dius said in a cheerful manner.


    ''Yeah. There''s definitely someone strong out there. I hope you can teach me how to sword fight, right?" Wain smiled.


    "Huh, with a mentor like me, one day, you could split a dragon in two!"

 Chapter 572 The Head Of The Mountain

    Wain ran toward the massive white mountain as he felt powerful energy fluctuations from there. It could only mean one thing - someone very powerful was there.


    ''Wain, how much do you know about fencing?'' dius asked.


    ''Hmm... My fighting style is quite varied, all forms have different abilities, but I usually use a sword. However, I don''t have any serious mastery, I just grip my sword hilt tightly and act instinctively.'' Wain inwardly muttered.


    ''Well, that''s all unimportant. That style that I show you are different from anything you might have seen before. Hahahaha, I remember some pseudo-masters saying my style was terrible, but when their heads flew off their shoulders, I was the oneughing!'' dius eximed as he could no longer wait to fight someone.


    ''Excellent. That''s what we need.'' Wain nodded.


    ...


    There was a dense forest of dangerous beasts on the mountain, but they were not strong enough to interest Wain as they fled as soon as they sensed his aura.


    Pam.


    Wain jumped down the slope as he found himself in front of the ruins. In the center was a circle of several pirs that were in perfect condition. Between them, near the altar, stood a tall knight in white armor that shone brightly from the light of the columns. Into the altar was a long silver sword with a cracked de.


    Step.


    The knight turned around, a dark smoke inside the armor as though an evil spirit ruled the armor, but the knight''s eyes were blue, calm as water.


    "Looks like we didn''te here for nothing." Wain smiled, extended his hand forward, and the seal on his palm glowed.


    "Yeah, this dude will definitely show you how to use a sword!" dius eximed as he appeared in Wain''s hand.


    The Knight did nothing, but once Wain showed his weapon, the Knight understood why Wain came here, so he pulled his sword from the altar.


    The Knight walked slowly toward Wain while holding his sword to the ground, so sparks emanated from the de''s tip as it touched the ground.


    ''This is a fight we will most likely lose, but it will be good training.'' dius mentally said.


    ''What? Why the fuck should we lose? I could easily tear this Knight apart!'' Wain resented as he didn''t understand why he had toe here for defeat.


    ''First, you must not underestimate your opponent. Second, I want you to understand how dangerous creatures are in the Fourth Chronicle. Third, I want you to learn how to use a sword. Once we get started, you''ll know it''s something you''ve been missing for a long time.'' dius said in a serious voice, ''Right now, you won''t use any abilities, no Concepts, no forms, no Beyond. Only physical strength. I won''t advise you the first time, but I want to see what you can do.


    Wain didn''t expect this turn of events at all, but it didn''t take him long to realize that it made sense.


    ''Yeah... dius is right. I can summon my jaws and turn a knight into a piece of iron, but will that victory make me stronger?'' Wain muttered as he shook his head.


    Whoooooosh.


    Wain rushed forward since he decided to attack first. He wanted to get the advantage right away and finish the fight in a few attacks.<sub> </sub>


    The knight stopped, he waited for Wain, and as a maple leaf flew in front of him, Wain was up close.


    "Get it!" Wain eximed as he swung his sword from top to bottom.


    The de sliced the leaf in two and headed for the Knight''s neck. Wain''s attack was swift and deadly but too rough.


    Crackle.


    At thest moment, the Knight raised his sword and stopped Wain''s attack with a smooth move. Then, he tilted the sword slightly to put pressure on Wain''s weapon, so it fell from his hands and plunged into the ground.


    ''What?!'' Wain eximed while in disbelief as his eyes widened.


    Bam.


    The knight stepped forward, and his hand, like a spear, plunged into Wain''s stomach. The attack was simple but had enormous power, so the impact threw Wain back several dozen meters.


    Crack. Crack. Crackle.


    Like the cannon shell, Wain pierced the backs of many trees while blood flowed from his mouth.


    "Fuck! That hurts!" Wain uttered as he gritted his teeth with his fist on the ground.


    The knight could have continued to attack, maybe even kill Wain, but instead, he stood in his ce. The knight looked at Wain not as an enemy but as a sparring partner, so such measures were unnecessary.


    Whooooooosh.


    The dark sword in the ground trembled as it lunged toward Wain.


    "Well, well, you defeated an Arkan, but you couldn''t evenst five seconds against a Knight. It looks like you nned to lose from the start." dius uttered in a sneering manner.


    "Shut up!" Wain shouted in an angry voice as he rose, "Perhaps I really underestimated him, but what was that? Just one move, and I was left unarmed!"


    "Hahaha, that was the easiest thing for you to learn." dius grinned, "Actually, your strength and speed are admirable, you use your muscles properly, you move well, and you know what momentum is and how to use it, butpared to this Knight, you are just a wild beast that swings your deadly ws.


    "Are you sure that you are my ally?" Wain frowned as he folded his arms in front of him in a disgruntled manner, "Maybe you can finally say something useful? I came here to win!"


    "Huh, is finding out your ws a bad thing? Okay, now seriously, you need smoothness, or rather you have absolutely no mastery." dius muttered, "The knight was able to defeat you because he used your own strength against you."


    "So... What should I do? What suggestions do you have?" Wain raised an eyebrow.


    "Attack again, but do it slowly. You act like an assassin as you watch your opponent''s every move, but try to look at yourself now."

 Chapter 573 The Head Of The Mountain (Part 2)

    "Okay. I hear you, but it looks like it''s going to be another defeat." Wain nodded, grabbed his sword tightly, and headed toward the Knight, who, with a calm look, was waiting for him.


    "This will be good for you." dius said.


    "What?" Wain frowned, "You definitely like seeing me get beaten by some living armor!"


    "Hahaha, yeah, I can''t deny it. So what?" dius uttered in a joking manner, "You''re strong, so I''m sure you always win, don''t you? Can you remember yourst defeat?"


    Wain paused. dius'' question made him think. He had been through many dangerous battles, but he had always won in the end.


    ''Maybe that time at Sven''s bar?'' Wain muttered inwardly as he touched his chin, ''No... That can''t even be called a battle. Sven just crushed her, and I didn''t even know what happened. Damn... Have I really never really lost?


    As soon as Wain came into this world, he did everything to be stronger, so as he made a great effort, he always survived no matter what happened.


    ''Wait... I used to do nothing but lose...'' Wain muttered to himself as his eyes widened, ''That was so long ago... Shit, I definitely had a terrible childhood, though all those slum fights and beatings made me stronger.''


    "Exactly!" dius said loudly as though Wain had given the right answer on a quiz.


    "Then you learned something very important - only by winning you can survive, so at one point you finally achieved that goal, but now you''re not really progressing."


    "Are you kidding?" Wain asked in a dazed voice, "I''m in the damn Fourth Chronicle already! I don''t like to brag, but I''ve already done what millions can only dream about!"


    "Yeah. Forms, unique skills, two Concepts, a Beyond that can literally devour space, but these are all external factors. Where''s the guarantee that you could achieve the same heights without your soul? dius said in a slow voice, as though every word was important.


    Wain wanted to say something, but he couldn''t find the words. He felt as in his mind that dius had stripped him, left him without clothes, and that he had nothing to cover himself with. However, Wain knew this was not true.


    "Huh, did you really think that would have any effect on me?" Wain grinned, "Yes, I use every means to achieve my goal, I y with the cards I''m dealt, no matter if they''re good or bad. Up until the moment I got Soul, I had nothing! At all! But that didn''t stop me from achieving everything!"


    "Well said. Then it''s time to do it again, isn''t it?" dius smiled, "Go ahead, a defeat that Knight, all you''ll have is my advice, but no more. Once you use some skill, it''s tantamount to defeat to yourself!"


    "All right!" Wain waved his hand, "I wasn''t going to lose anyway! I''m going to enjoy this victory to the fullest!"


    Whooooooosh.


    Wain rushed forward as he instantly got to the Knight, everything was happening exactly likest time, but now Wain wasn''t attacking, he wanted his opponent to do it.


    The knight nodded as if he appreciated Wain''s noble gesture, so he swung his sword from bottom to top.


    Wain''s pupils narrowed as his gaze focused on the de that raced toward him at great speed. He took a step to the side as the sword swept in front of his face, but suddenly the world tilted.


    ''What...?'' Wain inwardly muttered as the trees bent just as the mountains in the distance.


    Bam.


    His back touched the ground, and at the same time, the knight''s foot mmed into his stomach. The impact threw Wain aside as his face twisted in pain with drops of blood that poured from his mouth.<sub> </sub>


    dius was on the ground again, so he flew toward Wain.


    "Well, well, you seem to have rxed too much. Didn''t I tell you to pay more attention to yourself than your opponent? You skillfully dodged a sword attack, but because of that, you didn''t notice that your legs were hit. Even a child is more attentive than you." dius spoke in a frustrated tone as if he was a teacher whose student had failed an exam.


    "Damn! That was awesome!" Wain said with a satisfied smile on his face.


    "Hmm? Why are you smiling? You got punched in the stomach, not in the head." dius asked in a puzzled manner.


    "Shut up. This is just the beginning! I swear, in three tries, I''ll turn this piece of iron into scrap metal!" Wain eximed, grabbed dius by the hilt, and headed for the Knight.


    .


    .


    .


    "Fuck!" Wain mmed his fist on the ground with an angry look, "I already tried it ten times, but I couldn''t even scratch it! Shit!"


    "Eh... There''s no way you can stop concentrating so hard on your opponent. Okay, I have an idea, but it''s going to be dangerous." dius said.


    "Hmm? What do you mean?"


    "Next time you attack with your eyes closed!" dius eximed.


    "What?!" Wain''s eyes widened, "You definitely want to kill me."


    "Just do it."


    Wain nodded, shook off the dust, and held his sword out in front of him with his eyes closed.


    Whooooosh.


    He ran at the Knight and swung his sword, however Wain miscalcted the distance, so the de tip passed within an inch of the Knight''s neck.


    There was a sound of metal that came from the old armor as the Knight attacked. Wain realized what was happening, so he immediately jumped aside before the Knight could even swing his sword.


    Wain opened his eyes and saw that the Knight stood still. As before, he did not move in case the battle was beyond the columns.


    "Well, at least this time, I didn''t get hit in the stomach. Okay, I''ll try again." Wain nodded as he attacked, but this time he saw his opponent.


    The Knight also attacked, and their swords shed, however Wain did not look at the weapon. His eyes were on his arms and legs, so when the Knight wanted to knock Wain down, he was able to react before it happened.

 Chapter 574 The Head Of The Mountain (Part 3)

    ng. ng. ng.


    Wain and the Knight exchanged blows for more than ten seconds. Wain swung his sword from different directions in a ferocious manner as though berserk, while every movement of the Knight was graceful. No matter how hard Wain attacked, the Knight always found a graceful solution to the problem.


    p dius was silent. He had to give Wain advice, but this was the first time Wain didn''t immediately lose, so he wanted to see how far it could go.</anda>


    "Shit! Die!" Wain eximed as he stepped forward and lunged with his sword.


    In response, the Knight also stepped forward and blocked Wain''s attack with a raised sword with the de to the ground as he used it as a shield.


    Wain immediately attacked again, but the Knight instantly turned and swung his sword diagonally, so the de tip plunged into Wain''s flesh. Then, the Knight kicked Wain''s chest, so he tossed him aside, as far away from the altar as possible.


    The kick was not painful, but it was very powerful, as it was enough to throw Wain off the slope, and he fell to the bottom of the mountain.


    "You bastard! I''ll tear you apart!" Wain uttered with a furious look as his aura intensified several times.


    He gathered energy and wanted to use the Blind Sorcerer''s power to return to the ruins through the spatial rift, but he wasn''t wearing a robe or an eye patch.


    Bam.


    Wain fell to the ground, and a massive dust cloud rose.


    "What the hell?!" Wain eximed as he addressed to Blind Sorcerer, "Why didn''t you help me?!"


    ''Well, dius forbade me to do so, or rather all of us. You have lost your temper, now you need to calm down.'' Blind Sorcerer said in a calm voice.


    "Forbidden? What nonsense is this? Since when do you take orders from him?!" Wain eximed.


    ''It''s for your own good.'' Code of Light and Darkness muttered, ''What did you want to do now? Teleport to the Knight and split him in two with a spatial de? Right? I guess it is, but what''s the point? Cool it.


    ''I agree. You''re acting like a little kid. You can''t even handle such a simple task. How are you even going to fight Arkans? Light Racer uttered in a sneering manner.


    "Bastards..." Wain muttered and shouted, "Shut up! Otherwise, I''ll kill you instead of Knight!"


    His voice carried through the whole forest as though a wave that frightened most of the beasts. Goosebumps ran down their bodies as they hid under rocks or behind trees.


    Wain was angry, he didn''t know what he was angry about, his failure, or the fact that Blind Sorcerer refused to help him, but it didn''t matter as he wanted somewhere to vent his rage. Also, the blood that flowed from the wound aggravated the situation.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly the ground shook as a huge creature emerged from behind the trees. It was a huge lizard with a massive, solid shell on its back that looked like three mountains, sharp and strong. The Lizard was in charge of the territory, so it had to deal with Wain that called it to fight.<sub> </sub>


    "Well, well, I think I know who''s going to win the Most Unlucky Lizard nomination this year. This is definitely not your day, right?" Wain smirked, grabbed his sword, and turned into a dark sh.


    He stepped in front of the Lizard as he swung his sword. The beast had an excellent defense, so it did not dodge the attack.


    Crackle.


    Wain''s dark sword easily cut through the Lizard''s tough scales since it plunged deep into the beast''s flesh as a massive stream of blood gushed from its paw. A wave of pain rippled through the Lizard''s body, but the beast paid little attention as the Lizard opened its mouth wide and attacked Wain with its tongue.


    A tongue like a whip came down on Wain and left a deep streak on the ground that split it in two with a massive cloud of dust.


    "Damn. That was dangerous. It looks like you really wanted to kill me." Wain uttered as he stared at the aftermath of the Lizard''s attack while standing on his head.


    Rooooaaaaaaarrrrrr!


    The Lizard was furious at this, so needles burst from the spikes on his carapace that headed toward Wain.


    "Hey, I''m the one who should be pissed now. Your part is to be my victim!" Wain eximed and jumped up.


    Needles flew under his feet, so there was nothing else to stop him from attacking. He gripped the sword firmly by the hilt, drew it back, and threw it at the Lizard''s head with all his might.


    The sword pierced the Lizard''s head like a spear, so for it was the end.


    Bam.


    The beast''s massive body fell to the ground with a nk, lifeless look as Wainnded next to its head and drew his sword from it.


    "Phew, I definitely feel better now." Wain sighed with relief.


    "Not bad. That''s also how you were supposed to fight the Knight." dius uttered.


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?"


    "You ended the battle in one move, quick and precise. I mean, you could have inflicted multiple wounds all over that Lizard''s body, running back and forth and waiting for it to bleed to death, but that would have been a shame."


    dius continued, "Anyway, right now, you need to eat and heal your wounds. You''ll be ready for your next fight with the knight in a few hours. I''m not a fan of cool techniques or fancy moves, my favorite style is to hit fast and hard but effectively. Every attack you make should be as deadly as this one. That''s what I want you to do.


    "Huh. You could have said that right away, but I think it was a good experience. I''ll definitely win next time!" Wain grinned as he flipped the Lizard onto its back, "Well, well, I thought that boar that Ern caught was big, but eating all that meat will be even harder..."

 Chapter 575 The Head Of The Mountain (Part 4)

    Wain took a lot of effort, but he was able to carve up a huge Lizard and roast it on the fire, for this, he had to cut down part of the forest since he needed a big enough fire.


    "Damn, that was definitely worth the effort." Wain said as he tossed aside the massive bone that waspletely clean, "Still, meat on the bone is the most delicious... But it looks like there won''t be a rematch with Knight as I will literally explode as my stomach is bigger than myself."


    "Huh, that''s okay. Even though you''ve infamously lost more than ten times, you need a lot of calories to recover your energy and heal your wound, this Lizard hase in handy here." dius uttered while looking at the skeleton of the beast that was behind Wain.


    "Dying..." Wain muttered, fell on his back, and spread his arms out to the sides as a star.


    It wasn''t until an hourter, when the sun was already nearing the horizon, that Wain was finally able to move. His stomach returned to its former state just as his wounds werepletely healed.


    "Well, well, I feel just fine. I always knew that the opponents of meat talked nonsense. Is there anything better than it?" Wain muttered before taking dius in hand.


    "I don''t think so. Look at you, ready to fight all day long!" dius agreed.


    Wain nodded, looked up, and muttered, "This will definitely be thest attempt."


    Whoooooosh.


    Wain jumped up as he reached the temple in a few leaps. Even though hours had passed, the Knight was still standing in the same ce.


    "Decided to wait for me?" Wain asked while holding the sword to his shoulder, "Thank you. I actually appreciate it, but I still intend to chop you into pieces!"


    The knight pointed his sword at Wain as he challenged him to battle.


    "Go!"


    Wain turned in a dark sh, and their swords shed again.


    ...


    Ten dayster.


    "dius... Am I really that bad at swordsmanship...?" Wain said while remembering one of the hundreds of defeats that had urred in that time.


    "No. You need to try again. Your technique has improved considerably." dius spoke in a calm voice as if everything was normal.


    "Okay... I believe you, but I doubt it. I''ve never lost to one opponent so many times before, or rather, I''ve never lost to anyone more than once, in general." Wain muttered, got up, and headed for the ruins.


    One hundred defeats had a profound effect on Wain. The first few times, he waspletely confident of his victory, after a few battles, he was furious, then he began to enjoy the duels, but now he felt nothing at all.


    His eyes were empty as though he was about to perform a daily routine that had already bored him, but he had no other choice.


    "Well, let''s try again." Wain muttered as he swung his sword.


    Knight reacted and blocked the attack. The Knight''s hand trembled as Wain applied arge amount of force, but he could not surpass the Knight''s great technique with this.


    Wain stepped forward, let go of his sword, and grabbed it with his other hand, then, he swung his sword from the bottom up, but the Knight instantly jumped back.


    "Hey, why are you running away? Let''s get this over with already. Do something amazing as usual to make me lose." Wain muttered while shaking his hand as he paid absolutely no attention to Knight.<sub> </sub>


    Whoooooosh.


    The Knight''s silhouette blurred as he found himself behind Wain. The Knight aimed for Wain''s side, but at thest moment, the dark de stopped his attack.


    "Ah... You''re not resourceful at all today." Wain muttered while covering his mouth with his hand as he yawned with boredom.


    Licking.


    Knight''s eyes shed, and his hand turned into a multitude of phantom silhouettes that attacked Wain at various points. However, Wain blocked each of them as he didn''t even turn around, for him was enough that he felt where the threat wasing from.


    ''Great. It''s finally happened.'' dius spoke in such a way that Wain couldn''t hear him.


    "I told you to get serious. Can''t you hear me?" Wain frowned.


    He turned around and made an X-shaped cut. He moved so fast that a shadowy cross appeared in the air for a second.


    "What...?" Wain muttered as he realized that the Knight had no time to dodge.


    Two deep cuts appeared on the Knight''s armor since shards of armor flew aside.


    ''Is it really... I can do it today...?'' Wain inwardly muttered.


    Crackle.


    This situation was just as unexpected for Knight, so he got into a fighting stance as it was time for him to get serious.


    Whoooooosh.


    The Knight approached Wain as a hail of phantom swords rained down on him. Wain stood still with a slight smile on his face and muttered, "A couple of days ago, I wouldn''t have even seen this attack, but now... it was all for a reason."


    Wain sighed as he swung his sword from top to bottom with lightning speed. dius, like a dark sh, fell down, and the fragment of silver sword flew away.


    "When did this happen? You must have realized it before I did." Wain muttered while looking at the sword with a thoughtful look.


    "Just now. Experience is gained gradually, but it turns into a skill at one certain moment." dius said in a calm voice, but he couldn''t quite hide his pride for Wain''s achievement, "Now, finish it, or soon there won''t be a single beast left in these mountains, you''ll eat them all.


    "In that case, you should be d Ern isn''t here. He wouldn''t leave here until he''d tried everyone who runs on four legs." Wain muttered as he approached the Knight.


    The Knight still had a broken sword in his hand, but he wasn''t going to back down because of it.


    Whoooosh.


    The Knight rushed forward as he made a precise lunge aiming for Wain''s heart.


    "Thank you. Because of you, I was finally able to move forward." Wain said with sincerity and swung his sword.

 Chapter 576 Blacksmiths

    Crackle.


    The Knight''s armor split in two and fell to the ground with a rumble. The Dark Spirit that controlled the armor flew out and evaporated like mist.


    "Hmm? Where is his Soul?" Wain asked with a confused look.


    "Well, it''s time you knew something." dius muttered in a suspicious voice, "Look what''s under the helmet."


    Wain frowned, plunged his sword into the ground, and lifted the knight''s helmet. Wain brushed away the dust with his finger as his eyes widened, "What is that?"


    From the top of the helmet protruded a small dark shard that was even smaller than a grain. Powerful energy emanated from the shard, just like the dius.


    "Bastard..." Wain muttered as he realized, "So that''s why this Knight was so strong. You brought me here on purpose to get your shard, right?"


    "Yeah, but that was a side goal. The most important thing is that you''ve gotten so much better. You''ve grown as a person in these ten days, so I see no reason to me me." dius said in a careless manner.


    "Okay, maybe you''re right, but this shard is so small... will it make you stronger?" Wain asked before throwing the shard to dius.


    "Yes, though it will be insignificant, but it is better than nothing. We need to find shards muchrger than this to regain most of my power." dius said as dark energy burst out of him.


    "Like the one in Dragon World?" Wain asked.


    "Exactly, but so far, it''s too dangerous. For Dragons, even most Arkans are not opponents, so they will deal with you even easier." dius said in a serious voice.


    Whooooosh.


    The shard glowed brightly and turned into dark smoke that headed toward dius as a gray streak appeared on the de near the guard.


    "What is that?" Wain asked while looking at the stripe.


    "Part of a rune. The more I get shards, the more runes will appear, then some of them will turn into something tangible, something that willplete me as that is the main difference between small shards andrge ones." dius muttered as he soared above the ground.


    "I see." Wain nodded, "By the way, are Dragons dangerous to me? I mean... Kadridas helped me, without him, my friends and I would probably be dead. Why can''t we just go to Dragon World and get your shard?"


    "Don''t be ridiculous. Dragons are neither good nor bad, each Dragon has a different worldview. Some will want to kill you, while another Dragon will invite you in for a cup of tea. You can count on your friends to help you, that''s fine, but you should not rely on strangers, especially if they are Dragons. Anyway, you know what I mean." dius spoke in a serious voice.


    "Yeah..." Wain nodded as he remembered that he had forgotten to do something.


    Whooooosh.


    A blue Soul flew out of his chest that was bigger than himself, but it didn''t have much energy.


    [Soul of Armored Giant Lizard.


    Chronicle: Fourth


    Rating: Rare]


    "Hmm? Why is there nothing written next to the Soul? Is it supposed to be like this?" Wain muttered with a confused look.<sub> </sub>


    "Huh, isn''t it obvious?" dius said in a mocking voice, "You can no longer obtain items, skills, and so forth from such souls. Your only option is to hope for luck with Legendary Souls."


    "What?! I already know about the skills, but then how do I get everything else? My armor and artifacts I got while in the low Chronicle, most of them are already seriously damaged and unusable! In the world''s opinion, I should turn into a bum?!" Wain eximed with a dazed look while in disbelief.


    "Well, isn''t the answer obvious? You need a cksmith. In the Fourth Chronicle, any self-respecting cksmith is adept not only with rare materials but also with souls." dius muttered while hovering around Wain as though a satellite near a.


    ''cksmith... Hmm, I could go to Lea or Ern, but they still need time to get to the Fourth Chronicle, it looks like it''s time to take a trip through the World of Destiny.'' Wain inwardly muttered while holding his chin with a thoughtful look.


    ''By the way. What about the Legendary Souls? If I get one, should I use it or go to the cksmith?" Wain asked.


    "Hmm... It depends on what you''re interested in. If you need a skill, then take the energy out of the Legendary Soul, but if you need a weapon or armor, then take it to a smith, however you will need a special smith."


    "That was to be expected. I''m not a cksmith, but I''ve seen them create items a couple of times, I''m sure dealing with Legendary Souls is very difficult." Wain nodded.


    "Yeah. You have to be a true master to do it, so even if you find someone suitable, be prepared for the high price." dius muttered as he turned into a jaw-shaped seal on Wain''s palm, "Okay. We''re done here with everything. Time to get back to town."


    "Okay."


    Wain crushed the massive Soul as a stream of blue energy flew into him.


    [You absorbed the Soul of Armored Giant Lizard. You gained a small amount of energy.]


    [Your second Torch is 0.02% full.]


    ''Seriously...?'' Wain inwardly muttered, ''Could this be some joke? I have to check it out.''


    Click.


    Wain opened his status.


    [Wain Norheim


    Ascension: First Stage (1.02%)


    Race: Human.


    Beyond: Cmity


    Soul: Nameless King


    Title: Savior of the Damned, Echo of Samurai, Mentor Inquisitor, The First, Soul Gatherer, Cartographer, yer of Goliath, Contender, Defeating One of the Four Kings, Killing the Legend, etc..


    Majesty: 10]


    I''ll need to kill thousands of those Lizards to fill the second Torch at this rate, surely the third Torch will need even more energy... Damn... Now I actually feel that the level of difficulty has increased.'' Wain shook his head, closed his status, and ran toward the city.


    On the way, Wain met several beasts that wanted to fight him, but Wain ignored them as he could not afford to waste his time and strength on such weak Souls.

 Chapter 577 Three Months

    Wain swung his sword on the training ground with a river of sweat dripping off him as there was already a massive puddle beneath him that gradually grewrger.


    He repeated the same motions over and over again, so in time the imprint of his bare feet was left on the ground.


    A crackle.


    The doors opened, and Aurora stepped inside.


    "Are you still practicing? Damn... You''re a real monster." Aurora said with a sly smile on her face.


    "What do you want?" Wain asked as he didn''t stop and continued swinging his sword.


    "I just wanted to see how you were doing." Aurora waved her hand before leaning back against the wall with her arms folded in front of her, "Why don''t you ask your friend, that Demon, to make your armor? He''s been at the Fourth Chronicle for weeks, and his cksmithing skills aremendable, or three months wasn''t enough for you, and you''ll continue to walk around like a bum?"


    Step.


    Wain stopped, snapped his finger, and the sword turned into a seal.


    "I respect Ern, but I don''t think he''s ready for that yet." Wain waved his hand.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Before Wain, four massive orange Souls appeared in the air. All of them shone brightly as though the sun, it was a beautiful sight that few could see.


    "Wow... I wondered where you kept going. Did you really kill all the Legendary Beings around the Kingdom?" Aurora muttered with a dazed look.


    "No." Wain shook his head, "I''m sure there are many more left. Moreover, there are other cities I haven''t been to yet, but I don''t want to stay here anymore. Three months is enough."


    "Finding a smith that can create equipment from these souls will not be easy." Aurora spoke in a thoughtful manner, "Maybe you should absorb them. You''ll get a lot of pure energy, and you can boost your Majesty. You must have some Ascendants Souls, they''d make great armor."


    "That''s out of the question. I must ensure my armor stays with me for a long time. Though you can''t tell from me, I sure as hell like to look ssy, and if I can make my wishese true, I''ll do it." Wain uttered, turned, and headed for the exit.


    "Okay. Whatever you say." Aurora waved her hand in a careless manner, "Just answer one question. Are you going back to World of Destiny or to your Void?"


    "I need to see Gisle, but a visit to Void would be nice. It''s been quite a while since I''ve been there, a very long time, considering I''ve been here for three months." Wain muttered as he sighed.


    "Okay. Just remember, don''t ever mess with Sven again. He''s a dangerous man." Aurora uttered in a serious voice.


    "Of course. You have nothing to worry about." Wain waved his hand.


    That evening Wain said goodbye to s, Ern, and Erza. They wanted to go home, too, but they still hadn''t gotten the results that they wanted, so they needed a little more time.


    Whooooosh.<sub> </sub>


    Wain, with a wave of his hand, opened the spatial rift as he stepped inside.


    ''Eh... It''s been a long time since I''ve been here...'' Wain muttered inwardly while looking at the vast darkness, ''It''s actually very peaceful here.''


    ''Well, well, it looks like something interesting is finally starting to happen. I''m surprised you spent three months honing your swordsmanship exclusively. You haven''t resorted to the power of any of us, it''s amazing.'' Blind Sorcerer spoke with a sly smile on his face.


    ''I just wanted to better understand myself, so I reached the point where the sword became a part of me. Soon we will fight again but before that... I have one important thing to do. Wain muttered to himself as he pulled a coin from his pocket.


    He tossed the coin up, and a mist appeared in front of him that turned into a wooden door with a ss sign with a star inside.


    Wain opened the door in a calm manner as he entered the ce where he got answers to his questions every time.


    "Wee." Sven said while wiping a ss, as always.


    Wain just nodded and sat down at the bar as if he were an ordinary customer at an ordinary bar.


    "I see you''ve gotten a lot stronger. Not just at Chronicle, but as a person. It''s always nice to see visitorse back time after time." Sven uttered with a devious smile as his eyes as if two abysses were trying to see through Wain.


    "Here." Wain looked at Sven as August''s head appeared in his hand.


    "I knew you would do my bidding. I can definitely count on you." Sven nodded, took the head, and set the ss aside.


    "Don''t be deceived. I''m not your mercenary, it was just a forced measure. Besides, in the end, your elixir found no use." Wain muttered while remembering how Maece crushed the vial that was supposed to heal him.


    "Well, it certainly wasn''t my fault. You just had bad luck." Sven shrugged.


    "Maybe. I''m waiting for my money." Wain uttered in a serious voice.


    "Ah, of course, I always hold up my end of the bargain. If I''m not mistaken, I owe you five million Void Souls, right?" Sven asked as a dark mist appeared in the palm of his hand.


    "Yeah. That''s right." Wain nodded.


    The dark mist dissipated as five rum-shaped gray crystals appeared in Sven''s palm. Thick gray energy emanated from them.


    "I thought you were going to pay with coins." Wain muttered before taking the crystals.


    "What''s the point of that? It''s much more convenient with crystals." Sven smiled, "Okay, Wain, why did youe here? Do you want a cocktail as they are the best here or for information?"


    "In general, both options, but first..." Wain''s gaze became sharp like daggers as he asked, "Who are you?"


    "Isn''t it obvious? I''m just a bartender that tries to improve his skills constantly. I always say that." Sven spoke with a calm look.

 Chapter 578 The Depths Of Purgatory

    A powerful aura emanated from Wain with murderous intent that two powerful streams fell upon Sven, but it had no effect on his harmless smile.


    "Is something wrong? You seem a little too tense today. Maybe it''s time for a drink already?" Sven muttered, turning around and grabbing a bottle of whiskey from the shelf.


    "You don''t seem bothered by this situation. You certainly got the point of my question." Wain muttered while looking Sven in the eye, "Yeah, you are."


    "Huh, someone warned you about me, right?" Sven asked with a sly smile as he poured whiskey into two sses.


    "Something like that." Wain slid the ss toward him, "I''ve had many unique cocktails here before, but we''ve never had one together before. Is today some kind of special day?"


    "No. Not at all." Sven shook his head, "I only drink with people I respect, there are very few people like that."


    "What have I done to deserve this honor?" Wain raised his ss as he shook it from side to side while watching the amber liquid drip down the walls.


    "Well, judging by your aura, you''re wary, but you decided toe here anyway. I appreciate that." Sven said and tapped his ss against Wain''s.


    "Hmm. I''ve known you since the beginning of my journey, and if you wanted to, you would have killed me long ago. To many, I am dangerous too, but there are those for whom I am a staunch ally." Wain muttered as he took a sip.


    Sven silently did the same.


    Gradually the atmosphere ceased to be tense as if everything was back to normal.


    "You still don''t want to tell me more about yourself, do you?" Wain asked.


    "You''ll find out for yourself in time. I''m a pretty modest person, so I don''t like to tell others about myself. Usually, others tell about me." Sven uttered with a slight smile on his face.


    "That''s not how modest people talk." Wain muttered, drained his ss, and put it aside.


    They were both silent for a while. Sven cleared the sses and set the whiskey bottle aside while Wain was thinking about something with his fingers folded together.


    "Sven, I asked you about Purgatory once before." Wain said in a calm voice.


    "Yeah. It''s a special ce where anything can happen. Any powerful warrior has been there at least once." Sven said while selecting ingredients for the next cocktail.


    "I need to find out if there''s anything special about Purgatory."


    "Well, any area there is special." Sven shrugged.


    "No, you misunderstood me. I''m interested in something like the Forgotten Forest. I don''t know for sure if there''s a forest like that in Purgatory, but I need to get there." Wain muttered as a single gray crystal appeared in his hand, "I''m willing to pay for this information, as always."


    "That''s how." Sven muttered as he smiled, "Today, everything about the information is free, but I wouldn''t advise you to go there."


    "Do you think danger could stop me?" Wain grinned, "I''ve been through the Forgotten Forest, so I''m ready for anything."<sub> </sub>


    "Huh, you''re as confident as ever. Though, it''s not surprising as I haven''t seen people that progressed as fast as you have in a long time." Sven grinned.


    "So, can you help me with that?" Wain asked as he didn''t realize if Sven knew anything.


    "Of course, I know everything! However, getting in there would be impossible. Unlike the Forgotten Forest, this ce has no map, no key, nothing to show you the way." Sven said, taking a bottle of wine from the shelf and filling two sses.


    "Hmm? I didn''t think you drank wine. That''s not like you at all." Wain muttered.


    "I always do when I talk about Her." Sven smiled.


    "What?" Wain asked while in confusion.


    "A ce like the Forgotten Forest is actually in Purgatory, it is Nastrond, the Death Shore. I know some people who were able to get there, but it seems like it was so good that they decided to stay there forever." Sven spoke in a slow voice.


    Sven put his palm over the sses, and gradually the wine came in motion. The scarlet liquid turned into the face of a girl with a sharp gaze.


    "Meet Marlis. She''s an old friend of mine and the only one who can help you get into Death Shore. It''s probably the only thing I''m not capable of." Sven uttered, snapped his fingers, and the wine returned to his ss.


    "How do I get in touch with her? And, is it safe? Won''t she decide to kill me as soon as she sees me?" Wain asked.


    "Here. Get it" Sven tossed Wain a red coin with a sk picture on it, "Now you can easily get into her zone."


    "I see... She''s just like you and Osvald, right?" Wain muttered as he took the coin and moved it in the ring.


    Sven didn''t answer anything; he just smiled.


    "Okay. I hear you. Then, one more question remains. How do I get into the World of Dragons? Preferably without the Dragons themselves seeing me."


    "Huh, I thought you might want to trade with me." Sven sighed, "That''s a question you''d better ask Marlis. If anyone knows how to get there, it''s her, so I suggest you make friends with her."


    "Trade? That''s a trap, I''m sure your friend won''t help me for free." Wain muttered, got up from behind the counter, and headed for the exit.


    "Hmm? Are you walking already? Don''t you want to try my cocktail? It''s pretty offensive." Sven said with a disgruntled look as he folded his arms in front of him.


    "Don''t pretend to be offended. I''m not in the mood today, or do I look like a drunk to you?" Wain muttered while waving as he said goodbye.


    Wain opened the door and returned to the space gap.


    "Well, well, Wain didn''t disappoint me." Sven muttered while looking at the exit, "At first, I couldn''t believe his soul was so powerful, but now it all falls into ce. Nameless King, this is the greatest power."

 Chapter 579 Conversation

    Crackle.


    The wooden door opened as a tall, muscr man with a bare torso and long red hair that was slicked back as if it were a lion''s mane walked in.


    The man headed to the bar and, with a big smile on his face, said, "Sven, it''s been so long since we''ve seen each other. Do you really have to stay quiet even now?"


    "Osvald... Well, we actually saw each other for thest time years ago." Sven said with a calm look, "Maybe if you hadn''t locked yourself in your Void it would have happened a lot sooner, my doors are always open to you. You know that."


    "I''m just sick of everything." Osvald shrugged, "Sometimes everyone needs to be alone with themselves. What''s wrong with that? Although, if it weren''t for that guy, Wain, I''d probably still be in my cage."


    "Huh, that''s pretty funny." Sven grinned.


    "Hmm? What makes youugh?" Osvald asked with a confused look.


    "Wain was just here, it''s only been a few minutes, so if you had been faster, you would have even met." Sven shook his hand.


    "Sometimes coincidences are amazing. Wain is an outstanding guy." Osvald said, hopping over to the bar and grabbing a big bottle of whiskey off the shelf.


    "Yeah. He''s grown a lot. By the way, he''s already found dius." Sven told before taking the bottle from Osvald''s hands and pouring two sses.


    "Oh, looks like I was right after all. I wouldn''t mistake this energy for anything else. In his Soul Temple is actually the soul of the Nameless King." Osvald uttered with a dazed look as he took the ss.


    "I hope Marlis doesn''t notice it too soon." Sven muttered, drained his ss, and set it aside.


    "What?! You sent it to Marlis?! She was a crazy bitch five hundred years ago! I can''t imagine what''s going on in her head now! Why did you do that?" Osvald eximed with a shocked look.


    "It''s not my fault." Sven spread his arms apart with a careless look, "He needs to get into Death Shore for some reason, you know yourself that only Marlis can get him there in one piece."


    "Well, I wouldn''t be so sure about thetter..." Osvald muttered as he took a sip, "Death Shore... I hope he doesn''t die there. It would be a shame to lose such a promising guy."


    "Don''t worry. It definitely won''t happen, just not to him." Sven spoke with a confident look as though he knew more than Osvald.


    "Damn... I''ll have to go see Marlis, I haven''t seen her since that day. It gives me the creeps when I think of it." Osvald uttered since he shuddered.


    "Hey, you better put that away. It looks like you got a little too rxed." Sven muttered while pointing to Osvald''s chest.


    A split star tattoo appeared there, just like Arkans had.


    "Oh, sometimes I forget that. You''re right. It''s better for no one to see it, at least not yet." Osvald sighed, and his aura intensified.


    Under the pressure of the energy, the star tattoo disappeared as if it had never existed.


    "Don''t worry, we still have plenty of time. I''ve already met someone from the new generation, so I must say it''s a disappointment. In our day and age, people like that one wouldn''t even be allowed on the battlefield, or they''d be executed for weakness." Sven said before putting the sses down.


    "Heh, that was a fun time." Osvald smirked, "Hey, do you have any cigarettes?"<sub> </sub>


    "Hmm? You don''t smoke."


    "I don''t. It''s just that thest time I did, it was five hundred years ago. Consider me taking a little break."


    ...


    Wain stood in front of a stone door from behind which emanated a strong aroma of herbs as though it were the way to the alchemist''s study.


    "I don''t like all this, but I guess I have no choice, right?" Wain muttered as he approached the door.


    "In case of danger, you can easily escape, so there''s no reason to worry." Galdius uttered.


    Wain gulped, nodded, and stepped inside.


    Whooooooooosh.


    The darkness turned into a long tunnel that was lit by several particrly bright purple torches. There were strange symbols on the walls as well as empty or broken sks from various potions lying on the floor.


    ''Alchemist? Sven is a bartender, but that''s definitely not his real specialty, but what about Marlis? Maybe she''s a brilliant alchemist? That might be a useful acquaintance.'' Wain muttered inwardly as he stepped forward.


    He reached the room that was a real mess. Sheets of various recipes were scattered on the tables, along with bowls, mortars, and anything else that mighte in handy in making potions.


    At the end of the room was a massive cab where the ingredients were, but most of them were on the floor as though they were trash. In the center was a massive bed, next to it were a huge number of empty liquor bottles.


    On the bed slept a short girl with short red hair, sses, and a white robe that covered her slim body.


    "Is that her...? Is that Marlis...?" Wain muttered with a confused look as he did not expect to see such a scene at all.


    He thought he would meet a powerful and dangerous alchemist, but Marlis'' room was like the hideout of a drunkard or a hapless scientist.


    ''Perhaps I should leave? I don''t think she can get me into Death Shore. Has Sven been ying a joke on me?'' Wain muttered to himself while looking at Merlis.


    Crack.


    Marlis suddenly opened her eyes, she looked at Wain, but it didn''tst more than a second as she pulled a half-empty bottle from under her pillow and drained itpletely.


    "Shit... I''m out of alcohol again..." Marlis muttered in a hopeless voice as if that were the end of everything and threw the empty bottle against the wall.


    Whoooosh.


    Marlis jumped off the bed as she found herself in front of Wain. She moved closer to him and inhaled deeply.


    "You smell kind of weird... I can''t figure out what it is... Boy, who are you?" Marlis asked with a curious look.

 Chapter 580 Double Standards

    "My name is Wain." Wain uttered with a calm look while he looked into Marlis'' eyes.


    "Wain... I don''t know you exactly, how did you get here?" Marlis asked as she tilted her head.


    "Does it matter?"


    "Of course, or I''ll kill you." Marlis touched Wain with such great speed that he didn''t even have time to notice it.


    Crackle.


    Tattoos of chains appeared on Wain''s body that turned real andpletely immobilized him.


    "You shouldn''t mess with me. I didn''t kill you just because I don''t feel threatened by you, but that can easily be fixed." Marlis muttered before plunging her hand into Wain''s stomach.


    "Agh!"


    Wain vomited out a mouthful of blood as his face contorted in pain.


    ''What the hell...!'' Wain inwardly eximed as a shiver went through his whole body.


    Crackling.


    Marlis moved her hand upward and squeezed Wain''s heart so tightly that it would have exploded with a little more force.


    She moved closer to his ear and whispered in an ice-cold voice, "I''m not going to mess with you, you have three seconds to tell me everything, or I''ll make a dummy out of you."


    "Damn, you sick bitch!" Wain eximed with a furious look as clots of blood flew out of his mouth.


    "Yes. I am." Marlis smiled, "So... Have you decided to die?"


    "Sven gave me the key to your zone. He said you could get me into Death Shore." Wain said in a quick voice since he realized that Marlis could literally kill him.


    "Hmm? Sven...?" Marlis muttered with a confused look as if she was trying to remember the name.


    "Yes. He thinks you''re the only one who knows the way in." Wain muttered while holding back from screaming in pain.


    "Hehehe, Sven... He finally remembered me." Marlis said in a strange voice as a mad smile appeared on her face.


    Crackling.


    Marlis pulled her hand out of Wain breaking a few ribs along the way and licked the blood off her finger as though it were the sweetest dessert.


    "Ah... My beloved Sven... I felt so bad the whole time, I thought you''d forgotten about me." Marlis muttered while wrapping her arms around herself.


    ''Damn... She''s really madness.'' Wain inwardly muttered.


    "Fuck, I''m too horny, I need to rx right now." Marlis muttered, walked over to Wain, and threw him on the bed.


    Tap.


    She threw off her clothes as she gotpletely naked and jumped on the bed, right on Wain.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll give you the greatest pleasure of your life. Just, don''t fight it." Marlis spoke with an excited look since she approached Wain''s pants.<sub> </sub>


    <o>,m ''Seriously... Is she going to do it...? No! I sure as hell can''t let that happen!'' Wain inwardly eximed as his aura intensified.</o>


    "Hmm? Trying to break the chains? You won''t seed, but that''s even better. I like it when a man resists, it''s much more interesting." Marlis uttered and touched a belt.


    "Get your hands off me." Wain uttered in a thunderous voice as a torrent of gray energy burst out of him.


    He was immobilized, but the chains didn''t block his energy, so he could use any of his skills or something more powerful.


    Whooooooosh.


    A dark crown appeared on Wain, with a massive eye as creepy jaws opened on his palms.


    Marlis was shocked as she stared at it as though she was stunned.


    "Maybe I can''t move, but that doesn''t mean I''m your toy!" Wain eximed since several jaws appeared around him.


    The jaws tore the chains apart, so Wain was free. He jumped back, swung his arm, and created a torrent of darkness that knocked Marlis aside.


    Crackle.


    She fell on the table and broke itpletely, as the books fell on her, with several sks that shattered against her head.


    Wain sighed, canceled his Beyond, and approached Marlis with a frown.


    "You were just about to rape me, weren''t you? Do you think that''s okay?" Wain asked while looking at Marlis.


    "Hmm? What are youining about? I''m a beautiful, sweet girl, any man would want to be in your shoes!" Marlis eximed as she pointed her finger at Wain.


    "Hah, you''ve got a lot of self-confidence. I''m sure you''d have a very different reaction if a grown man were to get on a little girl like that. It''s called a double standard, you know?" Wain muttered and sat on the edge of the bed with one leg over the other.


    "God... You''re so tedious. You don''t have to worry, I''m not in the mood for anything anymore." Marlis muttered while throwing his robe over himself, "Just so you know, I''m a lot older than you! I''m more than five hundred years old!"


    "Damn... So an old woman tried to rape me? Today is definitely a crazy day." Wain shook his head.


    "Bastard..." Marlis clenched her hand into a fist as her veins swelled, but after a moment, she sighed and calmed down, "Okay, now I understand why Sven sent you to me. I can actually help you get to Death Shore, but why would you? There''s nothing of value there, it''s not a treasure chest, it''s a huge bag of bones and rotten flesh from that emanates only death."


    "It''s none of your business. So are you going to help me or not?" Wain asked as he waved his hand.


    "Yes, but only because Sven sent you, however, you are not strong enough to go there." Marlis said while holding his hands out in front of him.


    "Hmm? My second torch is 99% full, a little more, and I''ll reach Second Stage of Ascension, isn''t that enough?" Wain asked with a confused look.


    "Huh, of course not. Do you think your Chronicle or Stage means anything in Death Shore? Death Shore is one of the strongest zones that exist, even my power there would be greatly diminished, so the most important thing is your skills." Marlis said in a serious manner.


    "Abilities...? I''m sure..." Wain muttered as he felt very weak.


    He looked at his bloody hands before passing out.


    "Damn... It looks like I overdid it..." Marlis muttered with an awkward look.

 581 Chapter 581

    ''Where am I...?'' Wain muttered to himself as he opened his eyes and slowly rose.


    He felt slightly tired, but there was no longer a trace of wounds on his body as though they had never existed.


    ''Damn... I''m in Void with this crazy one, but I guess she''s not my enemy after all. I wonder what kind of potion she gave me? My organs were damaged, and my ribs were broken, but I''m perfectly fine now.'' Wain inwardly said before getting off the bed.


    Crackling.


    The door to the room opened as Marlis stepped inside. She was in her white robe as before, but now she looked as though the most important meeting of her life was about to take ce. She had her hair and makeup done and was wearing cute shoes.


    "Oh, you''re finally awake, that''s good, I was just about to leave." Marlis said with a calm look.


    "Hmm? You''re not taking me to Death Shore?" Wain asked while in confusion.


    "I will, but only after you fulfill the condition. I don''t want Sven to me me for your deathter, so first, tell me, what is your Rank in the Arena?" Marlis asked while gathering some potions into her bag.


    "I haven''t been there in a long time, but I was awarded Rank-A. Isn''t that enough?" Wain muttered.


    "Rank-A?" Marlis tilted her head in a puzzled manner as though Wain was talking some nonsense.


    "Is something wrong?" Wain frowned.


    "Ah... You only recently entered the Fourth Chronicle, right?" Marlis asked while staring intently at Wain.


    "No, I''ve been in the Fourth Chronicle for three months. That''s definitely quite a long time." Wain said in a confident voice.


    "Ahahahahahahaha." Marlis suddenlyughed, "Three months? Do you think that''s a long time?! Damn... Are you kidding pretty good, or are you just stupid? For the Fourth Chronicle, three months is like a few days for the average person."


    "Hmm? Is that so?" Wain tilted his head with a thoughtful look.


    "Of course it is. Right now, your life expectancy is over five hundred years, though that''s not enough for most people to make it to the Fifth Chronicle." Marlis shook her hand, "Anyway. A special arena is now open for you, there are no Ranks, only Rating, so my condition is very simple. I will only take you to Death Shore if you are in the top ten strongest of the Fourth Chronicle. Otherwise, it will be certain death."


    "Special Arena... Top Ten... That sounds serious." Wain muttered while holding his chin with a curious look.


    "Just so you know, I used to be number three!" Marlis said in a proud voice.


    "Why not number one?" Wain smirked, "Were you too weak for that?"<sub> </sub>


    "No." Marlis shook her head with a smile on her face as she touched her chest, "Because Sven was first, so even if I could have beaten him, I wouldn''t have."


    ''Looks like the next time we meet, I should thank Sven properly. He set himself up pretty badly by sending me to Marlis. Not only is she crazy, but she''s obviously obsessed with him, that''s really creepy...'' Wain muttered inwardly.


    ''I agree. Women like that give me the creeps all over my body. He hasn''t avoided her for anything for so many years, it''s a headache.'' dius spoke in a voice as if he felt sorry for Sven.


    "Anyway, you got me. I''m off, I have a date! When you''re in the Top 10,e here, and I''ll help you, not for free of course, so prepare three or four million Void Souls, the final amount will depend on my mood. Bye, bye." Marlis said as she left the area.


    "She just left me here? Isn''t she afraid I might be a thief?" Wain muttered.


    "Huh, you better not touch anything here. She may be crazy, but she''s equal to Sven, so you shouldn''t mess with her, much less piss her off. She could crush your heart, don''t forget that." dius uttered in a serious voice.


    "Well, as though such a thing could be forgotten." Wain muttered as he headed into the next room, "Taking anything without her permission is deadly, but there''s nothing wrong if I just watch, right?"


    Wain opened the door and found himself in a spacious room with many cabs of various books.


    "Looks like I''ll have to stay here for a while." Wain smiled before picking up one of the books from the shelf.


    The book was thick and old, with over a thousand pages. Wain was not an alchemist, but he was curious to know what information the Fifth Chronicle alchemist used.


    He spent several hours in Marlis'' personal library as he read several books, one of which was veryrge.


    ''Damn... I knew alchemy wasplicated, but this was too much... I understand almost nothing. How do Lui Bu and Edena do it? They''re really talented.'' Wain muttered inwardly while shaking his head, ''I wish I could bring these books to them, for Lui Bu and Edena, they would probably be very useful, at least more than me.''


    ''I wouldn''t be so sure about that.'' Blind Sorcerer suddenly said.


    ''Hmm? What do you mean?''


    ''Alchemy is unustomed to you, so you understand nothing, but I memorized every word that you read.'' Blind Sorcerer spoke in a confident voice.


    ''And...? Have you decided to brag about how clever you are and how good your memory is? Wain frowned.


    ''No. I just want to help you, as always. I can transfer that knowledge into the minds of your young alchemists. The books that are here are definitely of the highest quality, moreover, they are rare, and most likely, many of them only exist in a single copy.'' Blind Sorcerer said as if he were a teacher.


    "Huh, that''s just great!" Wain eximed with a cheerful look, "Marlis hasn''t seen Sven in years, so I have enough time to read at least a hundred books! Okay, let''s get started!"

 Chapter 582 Books

    Wain sat in his chair with an exhausted look as he held his head with one hand.


    "Shit... My head is definitely going to explode, even though I only understood a small part of what I read, but it''s not normal to read a thousand books in an hour." Wain muttered while staring at the ceiling.


    ''Huh, I warned you that you weren''t ready for my new speed yet.'' Light Racer uttered with a sly smile on his face.


    Wain read pretty fast, but it wasn''t enough to read all the books in the Marlis library, even in a few days, so he had to resort to Light Racer''s speed.


    ''I knew it was a bad idea.'' Blind Sorcerer shook his head, ''However, we definitely achieved our goal.


    "I hope you remember everything, right?" Wain asked with hope in his voice.


    ''Of course. It was hard, but I did it. You should worry about your alchemists being able to handle such a powerful flow of information.'' Blind Sorcerer said in a confident manner.


    ''They can definitely handle it. By the way, now that we''re done here, it''s about time we visited them." Wain with great difficulty, rose from his chair and left the area.


    There were now four doors in front of him, one leading to Sven''s bar, a second to Osvald''s, a third to Marlis, and thest one that exuded coldness.


    Wain sighed, touched the icy door, and stepped inside.


    A white sh of light attacked Wain, so he had to close his eyes, then he saw the icy walls that were the beginning of his zone.


    ''How nice it is here. It''s as cozy as home.'' Wain inwardly muttered as a smile appeared on his face.


    "Look!" Someone eximed while pointing at Wain.


    "The boss is back!"


    "Really?! Immediately, somebody reports it!"


    A multitude of monsters headed down the icy tunnels in different directions. Some went into the snowy wilderness, some into the field of bones, and some into the dense forest.


    The monsters rushed to inform their heads of Wain''s arrival, but even more, monsters wanted to see him in person, so a minute after Wain appeared, the Forest of Frozen Dreams became more chaotic than ever.


    ''Damn, it looks like you were lucky enough to create a great Void.'' dius uttered in a cocky manner.


    ''Lucky? What do you mean?'' Wain inwardly asked with a confused look.


    ''You said yourself you haven''t been here in a long time. Do you really think an area can grow without its owner without good helpers? You''re a terrible ruler as you forgot about this ce for months, but your team made sure your Void flourished.'' dius spoke in a such voice as though he was reprimanding Wain.


    ''Huh, the important thing is that the goal is aplished, right? So I''m a good ruler. I don''t have to control them, they''ve taken their positions because they can make their own decisions that affect something. My role is to protect this ce and make them stronger. That''s my part. Wain uttered with a serious look.


    ''I heard the same thing from someone once.'' dius muttered as he remembered something.<sub> </sub>


    Crackle.


    A skeleton knight in the dark, ancient armor appeared before Wain. On his back hung a massive sword that was heavier than himself.


    ''Hmm? Who is it? It''s definitely not Frigus. Some new monster?'' Wain muttered to himself with a pensive look while looking at the Knight.


    Dark energy streams emanated from the Skeleton with a menacing aura, butpared to Wain''s power, it was nothing.


    The Skeleton got down on one knee in front of Wain as the ice cracked under his weight and said, "Sir, I am here to thank you."


    "For what?" Wain leaned his head, "I don''t remember you. We certainly haven''t met before."


    "Yes. We have. However, you are the master of this ce. In this Void, I was able to be really strong. This is the first time we''ve met, but my teacher says he''s learned a lot from you."


    "Well... Thank you... I guess?" Wain muttered as he was puzzled.


    Whoooooosh.


    A blue sh appeared next to Wain. It was a beautiful man with long white hair, blue armor, and an ice-cold face just like his two long swords behind his back.


    "Wain." The man spoke in a slow voice as he nodded.


    "Frigus, I haven''t seen you in a long time. Judging by your aura, you''ve grown much stronger, haven''t you? How long ago did you reach Third Chronicle?" Wain asked while considering Frigus'' new look.


    "It took quite a while. Going from Second Chronicle to Third Chronicle was much harder, but the effect was definitely worth it. I still can''t get used to this incredible power, but I''m sure that in a couple of months, I''ll be ready to move on to the next phase." Frigus muttered as he clenched his fist and brought it close to his chest.


    "Well, as soon as I get everything sorted out, I''ll start picking up this Void Chronicle right away. I haven''t done it since Second Chronicle, so you''ll all get a tremendous amount of energy. It will help you take a few steps forward, all of you." Wain said and raised his head.


    Hundreds of monsters stared down at them from above, out of the icy caverns. Under the shadows, their red eyes looked terrifying, as though Wain were their prey, a piece of meat on a te, but in fact, to them, he was practically a god. Many of them appeared after Wain left, then he had just entered the Third Chronicle, so his image for them was built from the stories of Elegan, Frigus, and others.


    "It will be excellent. Thank you." Frigus said in a respectful manner.


    "You don''t have to. I am at the starting point, but I can already see what serious work you have done. In fact, I owe you an apology for the long absence, although I certainly won''t do that. By the way, where is Elegan? Has he forgotten about me?" Wain asked while looking around.


    "That''s unlikely." Frigus smirked as he looked toward the tunnel.


    At that time, some shadow was running through the monsters, pushing them aside, then the shadow made its way to the front and jumped on Wain.


    "Wain! You''re finally back!" Elegan eximed with a joyful smile as he fell Wain to the ground.


    "Huh, it''s good to see you too." Wain grinned.

 Chapter 583 The Feast

    "You shouldn''t have been gone so long, you know?" Elegan asked while looking into Wain''s eyes.


    "Well, I had urgent business. There''s a lot of important things going on outside the Voids, so I had no right to miss them." Wain muttered before lifting his head.


    Little shards of ice as though crumbs sprinkled from the tips of his hair as he rose and shook off the dust.


    "So much has changed around here! I so want to show you all this!" Elegan eximed with a happy smile on his face.


    "Of course. I''m interested in that, too." Wain nodded.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly the ground trembled as someone''s angry voice echoed to them, "What the fuck! What are you little bastards doing here!"


    The next moment several monsters flew out of one cave, like projectiles as though someone had thrown them with all his might.


    Frigus reacted quickly as he caught two snow wolves with three ice turtles and set them on the ground.


    Outside ran a Skeleton in a long white robe and a massive staff with a blood red ruby on top.


    "Elegan! What the hell is going on here?! I told you not to bother me! I was conducting an important experiment, but suddenly all the monsters went crazy! This is some kind of mess! I''m going toin!" Sarras shouted with an angry look.


    "Comin? To whom?" Wain said with a sly smile on his face.


    "To Wain, of course, when he finally decides toe here!" Sarras eximed before noticing whoever he was responding to.


    "What... You''re back?" Sarras muttered with a dazed look.


    "Yeah. Are you going toin verbally, or shall I write it down?" Wain asked as he shook his hand.


    "Huh, now I see why everyone''s headed this way."


    "You''re no exception." Frigus muttered In a serious voice.


    "Damn, Frigus, do you always have to be so serious? Even though I have no skin, I can still feel the creeps going through me. It''s not normal, you know." Sarras muttered while waving his staff in a disgruntled manner.


    "Well, well, Sarras is as noisy as ever." A rxed voice rang out behind them.


    Everyone turned around and saw a Dark Elf with long purple hair walking forward with a half-empty bottle of wine.


    "Reto... I think I mighte back here in a hundred years, but even then, you won''t stop drinking." Wain muttered as he smiled.


    "A hundred years? I certainly won''t stop doing it even if a thousand years pass!" Reto uttered and took a sip, "Okay, I think your return is a great excuse to make a feast! For all the inhabitants of this Void!"


    "A feast? Pfft, you''re like children. I''m not going to do this nonsense. I''m going back to myb." Sarras uttered as he folded his arms in front of him.


    Reto smirked, walked over to Sarras, and said, "I knew this day woulde, and I knew you would refuse because you''re a pest, so especially for you, my bony friend, I prepared choctes that are as spicy as chili peppers and salted caramel inside. We both know you can''t refuse it."<sub> </sub>


    Sarras turned away as though Reto''s words meant nothing to him. After a few seconds, he turned around and said, "Then what are we waiting for? Let''s go, damn it! If it''s necessary, we can even empty our supplies! Today is a very important day!"


    "Damn... And he''s the one who said we were kids?" Wain muttered with a mocking look.


    "I agree. This is totally uneptable for one of the four heads of territories." Frigus muttered before heading into the woods.


    "Don''t worry. We''ll have an excellent feast! Not only are we full of a variety of food and drink, we also have many potions that Lui Bu and Edena have made!" Elegan eximed as he headed for Frigus.


    ''Huh, you''ve assembled quite the party. I can''t wait to see your alchemists. How many are there?'' dius asked in a curious manner.


    ''Only two. Lui Bu and Edena, they are Axalt and Construct. They may have helpers, but they are the only ones with the right talent.'' Wain internally mouthed with a confident look and stepped forward.


    ''Construct and Axalt, it''s a greatbination. Theyplement each other. Good choice.


    ...


    Elegan was in charge of most things in Void, so he also took charge of preparing the feast. In just ten minutes, hundreds of monsters came into the forest that brought with them carts full of fruit, vegetables, berries, and meat.


    The medium-sized monsters quickly set about cooking, so in ten minutes, most of the table was filled with various delicacies that small monsters like goblins put up.


    A huge, wooden table was in the middle of the woods, right next to a stone barrel from which the stream of wine flowed, so they had an unlimited supply of alcohol, although only Reto could drink this wine without consequences.


    "All right! It''s time to begin!" Sarras eximed as he reached for his favorite choctes.


    "Freeze." Wain uttered with a serious look.


    "What? Why?" Sarras asked while in confusion.


    "Not everyone''s here yet, be patient. We''ve waited long enough, so we can wait some more." Frigus said.


    "Hey! Sorry to keep you waiting." Lui Bu uttered while waving as he came out from behind the trees.


    Next to him was Edena. She looked confident and cold as always, but she couldn''t hide her joy at the sight of Wain.


    "Great. You''re finally here." Wain said as he pushed two chairs away from the table, "I have one present for you, but first a feast!"


    "Great! I had a feeling something good was going to happen today. Edena, isn''t it wonderful?" Lui Bu asked with a happy look before sitting down at the table.


    "Yeah. We are finally all together. What''s more, this is the first time we are sitting at the same table." Edena muttered as a blush appeared on her cheeks.


    "Can we begin now?" Sarras muttered in a disgruntled manner while folding his hands in front of him.


    "Sure. This day is just for us."

 Chapter 584 Alchemy

    "Wain, here you go." Reto said as he tossed a bottle of red wine to Wain.


    The bottle was open, so some of the wine spilled and got on the food, but Reto didn''t care as he wasn''t going to stick to etiquette today.


    "What is it?" Wain muttered while inhaling the aroma of the wine, "It''s definitely not from a stone barrel. Where did you get it?"


    "Nowhere. I made it myself from Royal Grapes and some other ingredients. I may not be an experienced winemaker yet, but it''s my best batch, so consider it a gift." Reto said before taking a bunch of grapes from the center of the table.


    Wain nodded and took a sip straight from the bottle. A wave of heat went through his body as a sweet and slightly sour aftertaste was left in his mouth.


    "Good. I can''t say I''m a big fan of wine, but it''s definitely not bad as I want more." Wain said with a slight smile on his face.


    "You''re wee." Reto waved his hand, "A lot of different nts and resources havee up during your absence here, but you''d better ask Elegan about that. I''m only interested in what you can use to make wine."


    Wain looked at Elegan with a curious look.


    "Yeah. There are now more than ten different kinds of resources in each zone. From roots and fruits to metals. By the way, we could use a cksmith, then we can use all our resources to be much stronger!" Elegan said in a proud manner.


    "I''m looking for a cksmith right now, too. If I can, I''ll be sure to bring someone here, but I can''t promise." Wain mouthed with a nod.


    "Got it. Luck is very important here, but I''m sure you''ll do well." Elegan muttered as he cut himself a piece of chocte cake.


    Everyone had different food preferences, but Sarras was the oddest. Even though he was a Lich, he ate exclusively the candies Reto was talking about, and with each bite, he had a heavenly delight.


    "Sarras, you clearly weren''t happy to be distracted. Were you doing something important?" Wain asked while bringing a forkful of meat to his mouth.


    "Well, it''s just another experiment. I''m a Lich, my main strength is undead, so I''ve been trying to make them stronger, stronger, and better in every other aspect. I''ve been doing this for some time, but I''ve only had sess recently. I have these two, in particr, to thank for that, their potions have been extremely useful." Sarras pointed to Lui Bu and Edena as he popped some candy into his mouth.


    "Is this true?" Wain turned to them.


    "Well... Honestly, we were standing in the same spot for months. We were able to improve our potions gradually, but it wasn''t until new resources became avable that we leaped forward." Lui Bu muttered in an awkward manner while scratching the back of his head.


    "I agree. The new resources helped a lot. Right after the feast, you should get busy improving the area. It''s not okay that everyone here is already in Third Chronicle while the zone is in Second Chronicle." Edena said with a serious look.


    "Of course. I''m d you''re doing well." Wain muttered as a smile appeared on his face.


    The feaststed until deep into the night. Everyone was excited about it, as there was so much food for everyone to feast on, as well as wine.<sub> </sub>


    The monsters were usually bloodthirsty creatures, but the stronger they became, the more their minds were awakened, so they became more like humans. Frigus and Elegan could hardly be called monsters at all.


    "Huh, wimps!" Reto eximed as he jumped onto the table while holding a bottle of wine in his hand.


    There were hundreds of monsters lying next to the table, all of them asleep because they had drunk too much. Only Wain, Frigus, and Elegan were able to withstand thepetition with Reto, though they drank far less than he did.


    "Okay. That was actually delicious, but it''s time to get back to work. Reto, if any more candy like that shows up, call me. I''lle as fast as I can." Sarras muttered, pped his cloak, and headed for his territory.


    Sarras, Lui Bu, and Edena were still sitting at the table as they were one of the few who hadn''t touched alcohol.


    "Sure, but next time don''te without a present. Today is just a special day." Reto said, took a sip, and took a step back which caused him to lose his bnce, so he fell back in his chair.


    "Pfft, greedy." Sarras mumbled before walking away.


    "Damn... I need to rest." Elegan muttered as he took a deep breath.


    "I agree. It was great, but it''s just as hard to make it through a feast like this as it is to win a war." Frigus said in a slow voice.


    "Lui Bu, Edena, are you all right?" Wain asked.


    "Yeah." They both nodded.


    "Do you have some business with us?" Edena asked.


    "I told you I have a gift for you. It''s pretty specific, but I''m sure you''ll like it." Wain said, getting up and heading for the waterfall, there was the main alchemyb.


    Lui Bu and Edena looked at each other, nodded, and followed him with curious looks. They wanted to know what Wain had in store for them, as they were sure it was something unusual.


    "Damn... Where have Ie? This is my alchemists'' base or a top-secret militaryboratory?" Wain muttered while standing in front of the entrance to the cave that was behind the waterfall.


    The entrance was a massive, round, iron gate that was strong enough that no one could force their way through it.


    "Hmm? I just wish no one would get in my way. Sometimes it gets so damn noisy here, and it''s annoying." Edena said in a careless manner as she approached the gate.

 Chapter 585 Knowledge

    "So, what have you prepared for us?" Edena asked with a curious look while sitting in a chair with one foot on the other.


    "Is it some kind of cauldron? Essence, maybe?" Lui Bu uttered as he sped his hands together.


    "No." Wain shook his head, "All you called it is equipment, but I''m going to give you something more valuable, knowledge."


    Lui Bu and Edena froze with strange looks.


    "Are you serious?" Edena frowned, "Wain, you''re definitely better than us in many aspects, especially inbat, but it''s not about alchemy."


    "I agree... Maybe the cauldron is better after all?" Lui Bu muttered while holding his head on the back of his head.


    "Huh, I didn''t know my alchemists were so ungrateful." Wain grinned, "Of course, I don''t know shit about alchemy, but I have my ways. Stand in front of me and don''t ask unnecessary questions."


    Edena and Lui Bu were puzzled but did as Wain said.


    "Good. Now prepare yourselves properly, or your heads will literally explode from so much information." Wain smirked as he touched his index fingers to their foreheads.


    Whoooooosh.


    His aura intensified since he wore a gray robe and eye patch, and his hair turned ashy.


    "Hey, kids. I''m sure you''re going to love this." Blind Sorcerer uttered with a sly smile on his face before releasing a pulse of energy.


    The pulse as though lightning split into two streams that entered Lui Bu''s and Edena''s heads.


    A flood of light erupted from their eyes as their bodies shook as if in a powerful shock. This went on for some time until Lui Bu, and Edena fell to the ground.


    "Job done." Blind Sorcerer muttered as Wain returned to his former form.


    "Well, did you like my gift?" Wain asked while looking at Lui Bu and Edena, that were lying on the floor.


    "Damn... I''m going to die... It hurts so bad!" Lui Bu eximed as he grabbed his head with both hands.


    "How did you do that...?" Edena asked in a pained voice.


    "It doesn''t matter. The most important thing is that now in your head is the knowledge from the hundreds of books on alchemy that I read in the Fifth Chronicle alchemist''s library. It will probably take you some time to fullyprehend the information you have received, so I hope the next time Ie here, you will surprise me." Wain said before heading for the exit.


    Edena held out her hand as she wanted to stop him, but a terrible headache prevented her from even moving since she could barely stay conscious.


    ''Hey, you could have been gentler. Their heads nearly exploded. It wouldn''t be good at all if I lost my only alchemists.'' Wain muttered internally in a disgruntled manner.


    ''Huh, since when do you care so much about anyone?'' Blind Sorcerer grinned, ''Don''t worry, I hadplete control of the process. The headache will go away in a few hours, and then they''ll realize how useful your gift was.''


    ''We''ll see.'' Wain shrugged as he headed for the ice caves.


    He needed a ce of solitude to begin the evolution of Void, so Elegan quickly found a suitable ce for him.


    "Wow, it''s even better here now than before. I''d forgotten all about the beautiful ces here." Wain muttered while looking at the icyke.


    "Yeah. Usually, hundreds of monsters rest here, but now this ce is just for you alone. I hope you give it your all, as always." Elegan muttered as he pped Wain on the shoulder.<sub> </sub>


    "Of course." Wain nodded.


    "See ya!" Elegan shouted while waving his hand.


    In the center of theke now grew a huge tree with silver bark that was covered with a thinyer of ice, so it shone brightly because of the shine.


    "Good. It''s about time we started." Wain muttered, threw off his clothes, and dove into theke.


    He swam to the tree, sat down on the root that was at water level, and closed his eyes as his aura began to increase slowly.


    [Void, Forest of Frozen Dreams is ready to evolve.]


    Whooooosh.


    A dark pir of energy burst out of Wain that pierced through the ice walls and made its way to the sky, so the monsters in the desert and the forest saw it from afar.


    [The process of evolution began. Your energy soaks into every area of Void. Don''t stop, or unforeseen events may ur].


    Wain had an enormous amount of energy, so as he decided to release some of the energy to the area, a sea of darkness that divided into many streams literally fell upon the area.


    Each stream consisted of hundreds of ck threads that prated the monsters and endowed them with almost pure energy, as Wain had 99% blood purity.


    It was a great leap forward for the monsters, as well as for the entire Void.


    [Forest of Frozen Dreams achieved Third Chronicle.]


    [Many monsters took several steps forward in their development.]


    [Your Void will gradually grow and evolve. The evolutionary process isplete.]


    "Huh, I don''t think so." Wain uttered with a confident smile on his face, "I should have upgraded the zone to Third Chronicle a long time ago, so I''m definitely not stopping there today.


    Whooooosh.


    More energy came out of Wain as he had already used more than half of his reserves.


    ''Wain, are you sure?'' dius asked in a worried voice.


    ''Don''t worry, I have enough energy,'' Wain muttered while continuing to increase his pace.


    ''I know, but two zone evolutions in a row... it might be too much for your monsters, especially since you''re jumping from Second Chronicle to Fourth Chronicle.'' dius uttered.


    ''Huh, that''s right, they''re my monsters. There''s no way they''d die from something like that. It might not be easy, but they''ll definitely do it. That''s it, don''t distract me.'' Wain grinned as several messages appeared before him.


    [You have begun the evolution of your Void, Forest of Frozen Dreams, from Third Chronicle to Fourth Chronicle.]


    [This is a special stage for any zone, so prepare for the real challenge. You must release as much energy as you need, or the zone will be destroyed.]

 Chapter 586 New Rules

    "Huh, this looks like it''s going to be serious." Wain grinned.


    "I warned you." dius said in a mocking voice.


    "Well, it certainly won''t be a problem." Wain uttered as a massive stream of aura burst out of him.


    Dark energy burst from his body and headed toward the sky. It was so much that in a minute, the entire sky wentpletely dark as though in an abyss. The sunlight disappeared, so the monsters were blind, but that''s not what was important to them at the time.


    Immediately after the first flow of energy, a second one suddenly came crashing down on them. It might not have been a problem for Wain, but it was a real challenge for the monsters as they had to try hard not to have the energy tear their bodies apart.


    ''Damn... You should have listened to me,'' dius muttered in a hopeless manner, turned from seal to sword, and flew beyond theke.


    He headed for the ice caves, where there were hundreds of monsters. All of them tried to absorb the energy, but not all of them seeded.


    Crackle.


    One of the monsters vomited a mouthful of blood as the veins in his arms burst, and his muscles tore.


    ''Fuck! These are serious wounds... If he is not helped urgently, he will surely die. What on earth has Wain done... This could be his greatest strategy.'' dius muttered while watching the monster try to recover.


    "Agh!" Another monster threw up blood.


    With each passing second, the monsters that received serious wounds only increased as the ice caves were already flooded with their blood. However, Wain did not intend to stop.


    There was nothing dius could do. He could only release his power in Wain''s hands, and even then, he had no healing skills in any case.


    ''Hmm? What is this?" dius inwardly muttered in a thoughtful manner as something strange began to happen to the monsters.


    Above the monsters that were wounded umted clots of gray energy that turned into a jaw seal. The seal ovepped on their backs, then the bnce of energy in the monster came back to normal as they easily absorbed the excess.


    ''It''s incredible... Not only have they fully recovered, but they also keep getting stronger. Damn... If this keeps up, by the end of the evolution of Void, every monster in this area will reach the limit of the Third Chronicle, is that fair?'' dius said to himself while in disbelief.


    ''Well, I guess I was wrong all along. I''dpletely forgotten who he really is.'' dius muttered inwardly as he headed back toward Wain.


    Theke was always blue as It reflected the sheen from the ice, but now theke waspletely ck as though Wain was sitting in the middle of an oil well.


    "Shit... This was harder than I thought. dius warned me for a reason, though... I can still take it." Wain muttered as rivers of sweat dripped off him.


    Every second of the zone evolution, Wain felt as though he had spent ten hours training. His whole body burned as steam emanated from him.


    [The right amount of energy has been reached.]


    [The first stage of special evolution isplete.]


    [The zone change stage begins.]


    [As you are in the Fourth Chronicle and upgrade Void to the same Chronicle, new opportunities open up for you.]


    ''Hmm? Is the same thing going to happen here as when I evolved?'' Wain wondered.


    [The zone begins to changepletely.]


    [Do you want to keep the core areas like Ice Caves, Snow Desert, Magic Forest, and Bone Crypt?]


    "Yes." Wain replied in a confident voice.<sub> </sub>


    [The forced extraction of the remaining energy begins.]


    Whoooooosh.


    Wain''s body trembled as his energy reserves began to deplete rapidly. Everything was drained out of him, everyst drop.


    "Agh! Fuck, what the hell is going on here?" Wain eximed in a furious voice as he felt his body bursting from within.


    "Wain, look carefully." dius said in a serious manner.


    "Huh?" Wain was confused, but after a second, his eyes widened as he saw that darkness practically filled the entire space.


    "What is it..." Wain muttered.


    "This is your power." dius said with awe.


    Whoooooosh.


    All the energy turned into one powerful flow that shattered the ice caves. The energy as though ink absorbed everything and left behind nothing but emptiness. Then, the flow went to the rest of the area that suffered the same fate.


    [A new zone begins to be created.]


    [More power is needed.]


    Wain had no more energy left, but he actually had something else.


    [Energy from your Soul, Nameless King, is used to create the new zone.]


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The space shuddered as the energy tumbled down. It gradually began to turn into andscape that waspletely different for each of the areas.


    "It''s incredible..." Wain muttered with a dazed look, "It''s like I''m watching the world being created."


    "Well, in a way, you''re not wrong. It is your world." dius muttered while soaring next to Wain.


    A few minutester, the creation of the new zone was almostplete. To the north were the Ice Caves, to the west was the Magical Forest, to the east the Snow Desert, and below was the Bone Crypt.


    [Part of Void was left unfilled.]


    [The energy of your Soul will be used to create additional territory.]


    Whooooosh.


    The darkness headed south, so after a while, there was an area that was covered with a thick mist with many ancient ruins that emanated a mysterious and mystical aura.


    ''Huh, mist and ruins... Could there be a more appropriate area to describe Wain?'' dius muttered inwardly.


    "Hmm? Is it done yet?" Wain asked with a confused look.


    "No. There''s still one more ce to go." dius said while looking at the center of Void, where it was still empty.


    Thest bit of energy went there and turned into a massive temple with seven pirs that held the ruined dome above it. In the center of the temple floated a massive gray crystal around which, like a circle, hovered a dark crown.

 Chapter 587 Candy

    [The Core of Void has been created.]


    [The crystal of Centre Temple will constantly give its energy to monsters and territories so that they grow faster. The crystal is directly linked to you, so the more energy you have, the stronger the effect will be.


    [If the Crystal is destroyed, the zone will be eliminated as well as your life will be interrupted. Now you and your zone are literally the same.]


    [Name your new Void, and evolution isplete.]


    "Name...? Damn... Too much has happened. I need to think carefully about it." Wain muttered while holding his chin with a thoughtful look.


    [Mistake! Mistake! Mistake!]


    [Name selected automatically.]


    "What?!" Wain eximed with a dazed look as an information window appeared before him.


    [Nightmare of the Devouring Crown


    Owner: Nameless


    Territories: Ice Caves, Snow Desert, Magical Forest, Bone Crypt, Misty Ruins.


    Chronicle: Fourth


    Rating: ??? ]


    [Your Void has just reached the Fourth Chronicle, so it is awarded thest ce in the Rating Table.]


    [Your Void''s Rating - 13.768]


    [Enter the top - 10,000 to get the first bonus for your Void.]


    "13.768...? Damn, this ce is a disgrace." Wain muttered with a disgruntled look, "What do I have to do to climb higher?"


    "Don''t be stupid." dius muttered, "Obviously, to get higher, you have to prove that your Void is stronger than the others, so the only way is to win wars."


    "Well, well, some things never change." Wain muttered while shaking his head.


    Whooooooosh.


    The stream of darkness beneath him turned into a disk that lowered him to the ground, next to the Temple.


    "Now my zone haspletely changed..." Wain muttered, "Marlis said I have a Rating now, too. I''ll have to check that out."


    Click.


    Wain revealed his status in the World of Darkness.


    [Nameless


    Race: Human


    Chronicle: Fourth


    Rating: ???


    Voids: Nightmare of the Devouring Crown


    Warriors: 13,590]


    ''Not bad. I wonder how hard it is to get into the Top 10?'' Wain wondered, ''Once upon a time, the number one was Sven... Damn, he must be incredibly strong. Who is he really?


    "Wain! What was that just now?" Elegan eximed while running toward Wain with a dazed look.


    ''Hm? It''s nothing serious. It''s just that two evolutions in a row must have seriously affected the area. It''s normal." Wain muttered as he waved his hand before turning around, "Ouch... I didn''t even notice right away that you had changed so much. You''ve evolved, congrattions."


    "Ah, yes, honestly, it was too sudden. I''m not used to it yet." Elegan muttered while looking at himself.


    His ck hair became slightly longer, shoulder-length, his massive monster mouth became neater, almost human-like, his jaw was gone from his stomach, and a purple seal appeared on his chest.<sub> </sub>


    Whooooosh.


    A blue re appeared next to Wain, and that was Frgius as he too evolved and reached the Fourth Chronicle.


    Outwardly he didn''t change much, but his azure eyes became as deep as the ocean as his two swords turned into one.


    "It was difficult, but with so much energy, I was able to evolve amazingly quickly. How did you do it?" Frigus asked as he looked at Wain.


    "I just let the energy out until it was all over. I''mpletely drained now, but I can''t say it''s a problem. I feel fine." Wain shrugged.


    Crackling.


    Suddenly a bony hand emerged from beneath the ground.


    "Well, well, isn''t that a fitting way for Leach to appear?" Wain uttered in a mocking voice.


    "Shut up!" Sarras eximed as he climbed out of the ground.


    His white robe was covered in dust, but as Sarras snapped his fingers, all the dust disappeared.


    "What the hell were you thinking?!" Sarras eximed in a disgruntled manner before approaching Wain, "Half the monsters in my territory almost died! I don''t know what saved them, but it was a fucking miracle!"


    "Huh, it went well, so what''s the point ofining?" Wain muttered, patted Sarras on the shoulder, and headed forward, "Okay, I need to rest. See youter."


    Bam.


    Before Wain could take a few steps as he fell to the ground without strength.


    "Damn... It looks like it was a lot harder than we thought. Wain did a fine job." Frigus uttered with a serious look.


    "Yeah. I''ll keep an eye on him." Elegan said before heading toward Wain.


    "But... What is this ce?" Sarras looked at Misty Ruins, "Just looking at it gives me the creeps."


    "Well, this is the new territory of our Void, so there''s no point in worrying. It can''t be anything bad, on the contrary, there''s probably something very valuable there, or at leasting soon." Frigus muttered.


    "I''ll take Wain to the iceke. See youter." Elegan said as he disappeared.


    "Huh, he''s always so concerned about him. Isn''t that silly?" Sarras grinned.


    "It''s silly to think that it''s silly. At this rate, you''ll never make friends." Frigus shook his head before turning into a shadow.


    "What did you say?!" Sarras shouted with a furious voice, but no one could hear him anymore.


    "Damn you bastard!" Sarras stomped his foot on the ground, sighed, and muttered, "What could you possibly know about me, you walking piece of ice! What''s more, I actually have one friend!"


    ...


    Crackle.


    The wooden door that led to the stone castle opened as the light fell on the Dark Elf that sat behind a massive table in arge chair.


    "Well, well, who''s here to see me?" Reto muttered with a sly smile on his face.


    Sarras walked in, approached him, and asked, "Do you have any more of that candy?"


    "Of course. I always keep some. Did you really like it that much?" Reto smiled as he poured wine into his ss.


    "Just give them to me. Here, it will be an equal payment." Sarras muttered as a scarlet crystal appeared in his hand.


    Reto looked at it, at Sarras, and said, "That won''t be necessary."


    "What?"


    "Do you think I''m greedy enough to charge my friends for candy?" Reto smiled as a bowl of candy appeared on the table.


    Sarras, as though petrified, sat down at the table, and until he had eaten all the candy, he didn''t say a word.

 Chapter 588 The Experiment

    Ssh


    A tall man with thick ck hair emerged from the icy pool. Cold droplets fell from the tips of his hair while his exhausted gaze looked around.


    "How long have I been asleep...?" Wain muttered as he headed toward the shore, there were his things.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Since Wain dressed, the ground shook as a massive creature approached him. It was a huge snow beast with a ferocious look.


    "Boss... You''re finally awake." The beast spoke in a slow voice.


    "Yeah." Wain nodded, "You are a big guy, aren''t you? Did Elegan send you here?"


    Beast nodded.


    "Good. How much sleep did I get?" Wain asked while adjusting his cor.


    "I''m not sure exactly... but it''s been over thirty days since Elegan brought you here." Beast muttered.


    "Thirty days..." Wain muttered as his eyes widened, "Damn... I should definitely see Gisle and the others. Especially Eva... I haven''t seen them in four whole months."


    "Boss, is everything okay?" Beast asked.


    "Yeah. Thanks for looking out for me." Wain said before leaving.


    Wain headed for the waterfall, he had been gone for a month, so he hoped that Lui Bu and Edena had already found it uses for their new knowledge.


    "Damn... There''s that door again... Why didn''t Edena give me the key?" Wain shook his head as he approached the massive iron gate.


    There was a crackling sound.


    Wain grabbed the edges and slowly opened them. The gate should have opened after entering the password, so Wain''s actions went against the system.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The whole hill shook as dust particles fell from the ceiling that fell on Lui Bu and Edena.


    "What''s going on?" Lui Bu muttered with a confused look.


    "Damn... someone opened the door." Edena said as he bit his lip.


    "Hm? Who? Frigus?" Lui Bu raised an eyebrow.


    "No. Though it was difficult, I taught him how to enter the password. It''s someone else, fuck... It''s Wain." Edena muttered as she ran toward the entrance.


    "What? Wain? Has he finally woken up?! Cool!" Lui Bu eximed with a happy look and followed her.


    They were on the lower floor, so they had to climb the high stairs to reach the entrance.


    As Edena reached the top, she bumped into something, it was as hard as steel, so she lost her bnce and fell down.


    However, suddenly something grabbed her arm and pulled her against it.


    "Well, well, you should be more careful. It wouldn''t be good for my alchemist to get hurt from falling down the stairs." Wain muttered with a slight smile on his face.


    "Wain! When did you wake up?" Edena asked with a dazed look.<sub> </sub>


    "Just now. I slept quite a long time, so I hope you''ve already found a use for my gift, right?" Wain asked in a calm voice.


    "Yes. The first few days, we were puzzled as the information was too much to understand at once, but it''s incredible. Where did you get this knowledge?" Edena asked with a twinkle in her eye as she wanted to learn as much as she could about alchemy.


    "Consider it just a lucky acquaintance, but I can hardly give you something like this again. What I gave you is all that was in the library." Wain muttered as he waved his hand.


    "I think that''s enough." Lui Bu said while approaching them, "Wain, would you like to see one of our experiments? You made us stop at the most interesting one."


    "Experiment?" Wain said with a sly smile, "Sure, from the looks of it, it''ll be something unique."


    "No spoilers!" Edena said in a stern voice while waving her finger.


    "If you say so." Wain shrugged and headed downstairs.


    They went down to the lower floor and entered a spacious room that looked like a modernboratory.


    There was arge, bloody magic circle in the center of which stood a regr green goblin that was some of the weakest monsters in Wain''s Void.


    "Well, you''re finally back. I''m tired of waiting for you!" There was a disgruntled voice as a skeleton in a long white robe emerged from the shadows.


    "Sarras? What are you doing here?" Wain asked with a confused look as he tilted his head.


    "Wain?! Are you awake?! Why am I always thest to know?!" Sarras eximed with his arms out in front of him.


    "You''re notst, you''re third. Okay, what are you going to do about this Goblin? From the looks of it, he''s not exactly ready to experiment." Wain muttered while looking at the Goblin that trembled with fear.


    "I''m fine..." The Goblin muttered, "Mr. Lui Bu and Miss Edena exined everything to me, so I''m just a little worried."


    ''Well, maybe you''re worried, but I can certainly see the fear.'' Wain muttered inwardly as he sighed.


    "Kids, are you ready to get started?" Sarras pronounced as he looked at Lui Bu and Edena.


    "Yes." Edena nodded, "You start first, then we''ll do the rest."


    "Okay." Sarras waved his hand and walked over to the magic circle, "You''re lucky that I, unlike the other Lichs, actively use blood magic. Don''t disappoint me!"


    Sarras grabbed his staff with both hands, released energy, and mmed it into the ground.


    The scarlet crystal on the staff glowed brightly as a red wave of energy departed from it that lit up the magic circle.


    The seals on the magic circle sparkled as dark and red streams of energy came out of them that prated the Goblin.


    ''Oh, is Sarras really doing the same thing to all his monsters?'' Wain inwardly muttered with a pensive look.


    ''Huh, your Lich is pretty capable. You''re really lucky.'' dius muttered in a joking manner.


    Crackle.


    A bone-cracking sound was attended from the Goblin as his face contorted in eerie pain.


    "Be patient! I damn well make you stronger!" Sarras uttered in a stern voice.


    The Goblin answered nothing as he tried to remain conscious. His body was changing as his muscles got bigger, his skin darker, and his legs longer.


    "Great. Now it''s our turn." Edena said as a red potion appeared in her hand.

 Chapter 589 The Power Of Blood

    Edena walked over to the Goblin, opened the potion, and poured it into his mouth. The red liquid gave off a strong smell of blood that seemed very familiar to Wain.


    ''Damn... This reminds me of my days in Vrifal, back then, I seriously increased my blood purity because of the blood nts... Could it be that Edena and Lui Bu were able to create a potion with the essence of blood?'' Wain inwardly muttered while staring intently at the Goblin.


    ''Yeah. They are young. Let''s see what happens, a lot depends on how strong the effect will be.'' dius muttered in a curious manner.


    "All right. Lui Bu, now you." Edena said as she stepped aside.


    "Sure." Lui Bu nodded and, with a few potions, walked over to the Goblin.


    The Goblin just drank the scarlet potionpletely, but Lui Bu poured three more into his mouth, dark, white, and blue. The four different potions mixed with the energy from the magic circle as Goblin''s aura began to grow rapidly.


    Crackle.


    Many wounds appeared on the Goblin''s body, bleeding through them while he was in agony.


    "Hey, is he alright? It looks unnatural." Wain asked with a serious look.


    "Yes. It has to be. We''re not just making him stronger, we''ve greatly increased his blood''s purity and triggered an evolution. Just look, even though this is our first experience, I''m sure we''ll make it work." Edena spoke in a confident voice as she stared at the Goblin.


    Wain just nodded since, so far, he had no reason to doubt her words.


    The blood gradually became more and more until itpletely covered the Goblin as though a scarlet cocoon, then came the most important stage of evolution.


    The Goblin''s silhouette changed and grew in size, so when the cocoon dissipated, everyone saw the new appearance of the monster.


    Before, the Goblin was only one meter tall, but now it was taller than Wain. The Goblin''s green body became red with muscles like those of a top athlete, his eyes became amber, calm but intimidating. Sturdy tes appeared on his legs, and his paws now had sharp, long ws.


    "Good." Wain muttered with a sly smile on his face while pping his hands, "Even though he''s in Third Chronicle, his aura is actually intimidating. It''s like he''s be a living weapon."


    "Bingo!" Edena eximed with a happy look as she clenched her fist, "Lui Bu, we did it!"


    "Great!" Lui Bu uttered before hugging Edena.


    "Hey, don''t you think something is wrong?" Sarras asked while looking at Goblin.


    "Is it so hard for you to be happy for us?" Edena muttered with puffed cheeks, "You were part of it too, so this is our shared sess!"


    "Girl, I''m not talking about that..." Sarras muttered as he pointed at Goblin.


    Whoooooosh.


    Suddenly the Goblin turned into a blur as he appeared next to Wain. Now, his look was as fierce as never, with his sharp teeth as though a shark''s jaw was pointing toward Wain''s neck.


    Wain''s pupils narrowed as he took ast-minute step back and, with a light palm strike, tossed the Goblin aside.<sub> </sub>


    "Wow, that was unexpected." Wain smiled while slowly stepping toward the Goblin, "Looks like your experiment has some side effects, right?"


    Crackle.


    The Goblin got up, ducked down, and attacked Wain again. There was a powerful killing intent from the Goblin as his only purpose was to spill Wain''s blood.


    "Well, well, even the sun has spots, so it must have taken a long time to happen." Wain shook his head, stepped forward, and turned into a shadow.


    He was behind the Goblin and delivered a precise palm strike to the monster''s neck. The blow was strong enough to paralyze the Goblin, so the monster passed out and fell.


    "Damn... What did we do wrong...?" Edena muttered with worried looks while biting her nails in a nervous manner.


    "Maybe we didn''t prepare the potions correctly?" Lui Bu asked, "If we had the wrong proportions, this side effect is not surprising."


    "I agree." Sarras waved his hand, "That''s definitely something you got wrong. I did everything perfectly!"


    Crackle.


    The Goblin''s hand moved as his ws sliced through the metal floor of theb with sparks that flew off to the sides. The Goblin slowly rose up while holding his hand to his head and turned around with a confused look.


    "Why are you looking at me like that...? What happened here...?" The Goblin muttered while in disbelief.


    "Huh, it doesn''t seem that bad." Wain smiled as he put a hand on Goblin''s shoulder, "It''s okay, consider that after evolution, you needed to let off some steam. Don''t worry about it."


    "Now that we''ve dealt with everything, then I''m off. Call me next time you need me." Sarras waved his hand in a careless manner and walked out of theb.


    "He pisses me off so much..." Edena muttered as she frowned.


    "Well, it''s Sarras, he''s always like that, though I agree with him. I''m sure after a few tries, you can get rid of the side effects, but for now, I would advise you to invite Frigus here. If I weren''t here, this Goblin could seriously injure you." Wain muttered as he headed for the exit.


    "Wain! Wait!" Edena eximed, running up to Wain and her ring glowed brightly.


    "Here, take this. It''s the best we can do right now. Without the knowledge that you passed on to us, we would hardly be able to make potions like this even in a few years!" Edena uttered as she held out to Wain the crimson potion from that emanated a strong smell of blood.


    [Potion with Blood Essence (Third Chronicle, Epic Rating)


    Two inexperienced but very promising alchemists created this potion. The effect is not the strongest, but it is enough to increase the Blood Purity by 5% if it is less than 60%]


    ''Hmm... This potion is already useless to me, but I will surely find someone to pass it to.'' Wain muttered inwardly as he moved the potion into the ring.


    "Thank you. I appreciate it." Wain said before walking away.

 Chapter 590 First Fight

    ''Well, well, these two actually have quite a bit of potential. In twenty or even fifteen years, they''ll be able to make potions that will increase blood purity by up to 90%. It''s incredible.'' dius uttered in an enthusiastic voice.


    ''Twenty years? Are you kidding me? They can do it in a year, at worst. What''s more, I''m going to help them as much as I can. The bigger and more varied the zone, the better the ingredients will be, so it will definitely speed up progress.'' Wain inwardly muttered as he swung his hand.


    A spatial rift opened in front of him.


    ''If you want to improve the zone, you need to dere war on the other zone as soon as possible. That''s the best option for development.'' dius muttered.


    ''You''re right, but before that, I have to get stronger. Even though it''s been four months, I haven''t used a form in battle yet, also I want to see what I achieve in the arena. Wain said before entering the gape in a confident manner.


    One of his main goals was to open his seventh form, so to do that, he needed to enter the top 10 of the arena for Marlis to take him to Death Shore. Wain had been in arenas once before, but it was different for the Fourth Chronicle.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    In the pitch ckness, before Wain appeared two signs, one was a crossed sword that pierced the skull, the other was an ordinary sword that thrust through the crown.


    [Choose one of two Arens.]


    [The left sign will lead you into normal arenas where everyone fights against everyone else without any rules, with different territories and elements.]


    [Right Sign will open you the way to the Colosseum, a special area only for those who have reached the Fourth Chronicle. Fight here to climb higher in the Rating and receive unique rewards.]


    "Looks like my choice is obvious, but before that, I need to take care of my privacy." Wain muttered as a white mask appeared in his hand that, in ces, was covered in cracks.


    ''You''re ready now, right?'' dius grinned.


    ''Yeah. It''s time to test what I''ve aplished." Wain muttered as he touched the second mark.


    The sword with crown glowed brightly and turned into a golden door that immediately opened as though inviting Wain in.


    "Let''s go." Wain said before stepping forward.


    p The golden light came down on him with such force that he had to cover his eyes with his hand for a while, then there was a loud sound of apuse that came from literally everywhere.</anda>


    Wain opened his eyes as he saw the massive Colosseum with a tremendous arena that was more like arge-scale battlefield.


    In the stands sat thousands of people who watched the battle with interest. From some of them came an aura so powerful that a shiver went through Wain''s body.


    Above the arena were two bs of stone on which the names of thebatants, their Race, and Rating were carved in lights.


    "Ned Stalecaller, Vampire, Rating - 965 and Remt Rapnor, Undead, Rating - 941..." Wain muttered before looking at the battling fighters.


    The entire arena was already drenched in blood, yet Remt had not yet received a single wound. He was an assassin, and his azure dagger plunged into Ned''s flesh time after time, causing a surge of blood to fly away.


    "Hey, is that really all you can do?" Ned smirked in a mocking manner as he slicked his blond hair back with his bloodied hands.<sub> </sub>


    "Shut up. You, vampires, are real monsters. How many times do I have to chop off your limbs for you to finally die?" Remt eximed as his silhouette blurred.


    Remt turned into several shadows that attacked Ned from different directions. Each Clone was aiming at a vulnerable spot, be it his head, neck, or heart, but despite the danger of the situation, Ned didn''t even try to dodge it.


    Crackle.


    The shadows hacked off the Vampire''s head and arms and left many deep wounds on his body, bleeding profusely.


    Bam.


    Ned fell to the ground as his head rolled to the side.


    "Bastard. I would have dealt with you long ago if it wasn''t for your regeneration. You, vampires, are more monsters than people." Remt muttered with a contemptuous look as he stared at the stone bs.


    When one of the contestants lost, his name should have glowed red and gone out altogether if he died, but the fire on Ned''s b remained unchanged.


    "Huh, idiot." The muscr man with the thick ck hair that sat on the nearby tribunal said in a mocking voice, "You''re an assassin. Don''t you know that you have to crush a vampire''s head to bepletely certain of his death?"


    "Ah...?" Remt''s eyes widened while in confusion.


    "Hey! You''re not supposed to tell him! It''s against the rules!" Someone from the back bleachers shouted.


    "It doesn''t matter anymore. Nothing will change from what I said anyway, but this guy will learn a lot. Every fight''s got to be worth something, especially a loss." The man smirked while sping his hands together.


    ''Defeat...? What the hell is he talking about?'' Remt inwardly muttered, ''Damn... Gotta act!


    Whooooooosh.


    Remt realized something was wrong, so he decided to take advice and headed for Ned''s head. Remt quickly got to it and stepped on the head with all his might.


    "Ahahahahahaha, what a dumbass you are. How did you even get into the Top-1000?!" Ned''s head suddenly said as a bloody thread appeared between it and his body.


    Bam.


    Remt''s foot mmed into the ground, but the target was already elsewhere.


    "How... How is that possible?!" Remt eximed with a furious look while looking at Ned, thatpletely recovered.


    His arms and head were back in ce, and the deep cuts were healing with incredible speed as though someone had sewn them up.


    "I just use my regeneration like you use your speed, but you''re as much of an assassin as I am a vegetarian." Ned waved his hand as he adjusted his head to get it properly in ce.


    "Well, you can still have fun with you!" Ned eximed as bloody swirls covered his arms with his aura increased tenfold.

 Chapter 591 The Scarlet Whirlwind

    "Huh, this guy decided to give it his all. Great, I like this one!" The man with thick ck hair eximed as a smile appeared on his face.


    Ned waved his arms as two bloody whirlwinds came down on Remt. Nothing could resist the whirlwinds, they were deadly and left a deep mark on the ground with many cracks behind them.


    "Do you really think something that slow can get me?" Remt smirked as he turned into a shadow.


    The whirlwinds didn''t find their target, so they copsed into the wall, right in front of the people in the front stands. The spectators didn''t even flinch, as they were protected by the arena barrier thatpletely absorbed the power of the whirlwinds.


    "Maybe you were able to recover, but I won''t make that mistake now. Die." Remt said in an ice-cold voice since he appeared behind Ned.


    His gaze was as sharp as his dagger that rushed at lightning speed toward Ned''s neck.


    "Are you sure about this?" Ned uttered in a mocking manner as he turned around sharply.


    "What...?" Remt muttered with a dazed look while a shiver ran through his body.


    Ned grabbed the de with his teeth that should have killed him once and for all.


    "You may be fast, but that doesn''t mean anything if I can predict your movements, does it?" Ned said with a sly smirk as his pupils became vertical, "As an apology for knocking you out of the Top-1000, I''ll show you what power is."


    Crackle.


    Ned clenched his teeth as the azure de cracked and shattered into small shards. Then, Ned mmed his palm into Remt''s stomach as the impact threw him to the other side of the arena.


    "Ahahahahaha." The man with thick ck hairughed, "Good, destroying an assassin''s dagger is the greatest humiliation. I knew this fight would be interesting! Vampires never disappoint!"


    "You were betting on him?" The man in the row behind him asked.


    "Of course! But, now, I regret betting so little. I should have bet at least a hundred million, not ten! Ahahahahaha!"


    ''Ten million...?'' Wain muttered inwardly with a confused look.


    "Well, you really should have bet more. I''m definitely lucky today, I''ve already won fifty million, with this money, I can definitely get properly drunk!" The man in the back row said with a pleasant look.


    "Hey! Get up! I''m just getting started!" Ned eximed before waving his arms.


    Two bloody whirlwinds appeared next to him and headed toward him. Theypletely engulfed Ned, but it was only the beginning of something bigger as his body absorbed all the energy and his appearance changed.


    Some scarlet locks appeared among his blond hair, he wore a red robe as though he were an ancient mage, and he had ten rings on his hands.


    ''It''s a uniform!'' Wain inwardly eximed.


    This was the third time he had seen anyone use a form in battle. This was a power that Wain knew nothing about, yet he already had several simr skills, so he wanted to figure out what made the others different from him.<sub> </sub>


    "It''s time to end, isn''t it?" Ned smiled as he folded his hands in ce in such a way that the rings touched each other.


    "Bye, bye." Ned smirked as he spread his arms apart.


    The rings glowed brightly as torrents of wind burst out of them, and they rained down on Remt with unbelievable force.


    "Shit!" Remt eximed as he tried to dodge, but the wind currents were too fast.


    They pierced him from all sides and tormented him for some time as if piranhas had found their target. Only when Remt could no longer stand on his feet did Ned snap his fingers, and the swirls disappeared.


    "Hmm? Hey, why the fuck did you spare him!" Someone in the audience eximed in a disgruntled voice.


    "He tried to kill you! You should do the same!" Another backed him up.


    "I agree. Kill!"


    Gradually more and more spectators demanded that Ned end Remt as they came here to see the bloody battle.


    Ned shook his head, turned to the audience, and said, "You miserable bastards! If any of you want to see death, then challenge me to a fight! I''ll be happy to show you what it''s like! What to do with my opponent is up to me! Don''t you dare interfere with my fight, or you''ll be my fucking lunch, dinner, and breakfast!"


    His words silenced the disgruntled finale as no one wanted to anger such a capable vampire.


    "Well, I''m one step closer to the Top-100." Ned said while looking at the stone bs.


    Remt''s name burned bright red while a crown appeared above Ned''s b, at the same time, their Rating changed.


    Ned rose to 891st ce, while Remt dropped to 1011st.


    ''Hmm? I thought they''d just take each other''s ces, doesn''t that make sense?'' Wain muttered inwardly as he was puzzled.


    ''It''s not that simple.'' dius muttered, ''The rule you''re talking about only works in the Top 10 since there are too few people there. There are many factors influencing which ce you get the most wins.''


    "Well, well, that was a great fight, wasn''t it?" Suddenly there was an energetic voice from the west side of the stands.


    There was a special area with a tform on which stood a tall man with shoulder-length green hair and purple eyes. He wore a red hat and a long crimson coat that hugged his lean body. In his hands was a unique artifact that greatly amplified his voice so that everyone in the coliseum could hear him clearly.


    "I am Vincenz Casale, d to have followed this fight today. A round of apuse to the participants. It was a great fight!" Vincenz eximed as he pointed at Ned, "Glory to the winner!"


    Ned nodded and left the arena while the doctors took Remt out of the arena.


    "Fights this good are rare, but something tells me our next fight will be even better, as today we have a neer!" Vincenz uttered and, with a sly smile, pointed at Wain.

 Chapter 592 The Second Fight

    As Vincenz pointed to Wain, everyone turned their attention to him. The fight between Ned and Remt was exciting, so no one noticed the appearance of another spectator.


    "Looks like a pretty interesting neer." The man with thick ck hair muttered, "He hides his identity... I can''t even tell how high his aura is, newbies like that are very rare.


    Wain looked at Vincenz and, in a calm voice, asked, "Will I fight next?"


    "Well, it''s up to you. I only watch how the fights go, no one has the power to make you fight, it''s voluntary." Vincenz said with a sly smile, "But, you didn''te here to watch, did you? You probably want to fight and get your Rating, right?"


    Wain nodded. This was the arena, so he assumed that''s roughly how it would be, also he had no reason to refuse.


    "Fine." Vincenz waved his hand as a green tform appeared next to Wain, "Come here. You''re a new fighter, so you need a proper introduction."


    Wain stepped forward as the tform headed toward Vincenz.


    "Normally, I fill out the table based on your Dark World card information, but you carefully withhold information about yourself, so I only see your nickname. Would you like to tell me more about yourself? For example, what race are you from? What is your name?" Vincenz asked as he presented the artifact closer to Wain.


    "A nickname will suffice, won''t it?" Wain said in a calm voice.


    "Of course, but I had to try." Vincenz smiled in a pleasant manner, "Good, then our first member is Nameless!"


    Vincenz waved his hand as three lights lit up on the left stone b. They showed all the information about the fighter, but since Wain revealed almost nothing about his race and Rating was reced with - ???


    "Nameless...? Huh, how arrogant, it''s like he''s saying no one can even recognize his nickname." One of the audience members muttered.


    "You''re too tedious. That''s pretty creative, by the way, isn''t it?" His buddy said.


    "Well, you''ve already managed to liven up the stands, not bad, but it''s a start!" Vincenz pronounced while pping Wain on the shoulder, "You have no Rating, but we can easily pick you up as an opponent. The lower limit of the Rating is around Top-10,000, so your first opponent will be someone around that level."


    "Sure. I look forward to it." Wain said in a careless manner as he removed Vincenz''s hand from his shoulder.


    "Fine. Then who wants to fight Nameless? Your Rating must not exceed 9.000, that''s the only condition!" Vincenz eximed as his voice carried throughout the coliseum as though a wave.


    "Huh, I''ll do it easily!" Someone said.


    "Good." Vincenz pointed his finger, and the tform brought the man to them.


    Wain''s opponent was a tall, muscr man with short ck hair and green eyes. His torso was bare, as behind his back was a massive iron axe, and his skin was rough as if it was tree bark.


    "I am Joar Rendahl, ready to fight you, Nameless!"


    "Well, well, Joar Rendahl, a nt with Rating - 9356. Not bad, just what you need." Vincenz nodded, snapped his finger, and Joar''s information appeared on the right b, "Good, now get ready for battle."


    Whoooooooosh.


    The tforms headed in different directions of the arena as the number 10 appeared between the stone bs of fire. It was a countdown, and with each second, the tension was building.<sub> </sub>


    "Don''t be afraid, since this is your first fight, I won''t kill you, but get ready to get seriously hurt! Ahahahaha!" Joar eximed in a devious voice as he armed himself with an axe.


    His skin became even rougher as his weapon glowed a bright scarlet me. It was very hot but couldn''t hurt Joar''s tough skin.


    "Wow, a nt that possesses the fire attribute, no wonder he''s so young, but already reached the Fourth Chronicle, that''s a real rarity!" The onlooker eximed in a dazed manner.


    ''Hmm... He''s different from the nts that I saw in Virfal.'' Wain inwardly muttered, ''But, it doesn''t look like he''ll be a problem.''


    Ding!


    There was a bell ringing as Vincenz eximed, "Begin!"


    Joar attacked first. His feet ignited with mes, so he rushed forward to Wain as though a fiery sh.


    Wain stood still with his arms crossed in a calm manner. His gaze followed Joar''s every step; nothing could pass him by.


    "Get it!" Joar shouted as he approached Wain and swung his axe from top to bottom.


    The power of this attack wasparable to the ming meteor that struck Wain, so many were in anticipation of seeing what Wain would do.


    Whoooooosh.


    The axe mmed into the ground with a deafening me st, but the attack failed to reach its target as Wain was ten meters away from Joar.


    "You bastard! You think you can y with me?! Fight like a man!" Joar eximed with a furious look.


    "You expect me to take all the damage? Are you stupid?" Wain said in a sneering manner, "You''re as though a bull that just wants to find himself a target. It''s boring."


    "How dare you...!" Joar ran at Wain as his look distorted with anger.


    Joar attacked from different directions, but each time the axe de passed within an inch of Wain''s face as though it was no trouble for him to dodge each attack.


    ''Well, he''s Top-9000, maybe with some effort, but I''ll easily reach Top-1000, but it won''t be that easy from here.'' Wain muttered inwardly, stepped back, and his silhouette blurred.


    "You should be less emotional." Wain uttered in a calm voice as he appeared behind Joar.


    Wain grabbed Joar by the head and, with a sharp movement, drove it into the ground. Then, Wain grabbed Joar by the arm, twisted it, and a loud crunch of bones was heard.


    Bam.


    Wain brought his foot down on Joar''s head as a blood stream rushed out from beneath his face, and a shockwave went off to the side.


    "That''s enough." Wain muttered while shaking the dust off his hands.

 Chapter 593 New Rating

    The fight was not long at all, but it was enough to understand Wain''s approximate strength.


    "Well, well, who would have thought the neer would be so capable? I''m even sorry his opponent turned out to be Joar." Vincenz muttered while shaking his head, "However, this is great news! The more strong fighters, the better, isn''t it?"


    Whoooooosh.


    Joar''s name on the stone b lit up in red mes as a crown appeared over Wain''s.


    "Hmm... How curious..." The man with thick ck hair muttered in a thoughtful manner, "He moves well, but he only used physical strength. I definitely need to see more."


    "I agree!" The woman beside him eximed as she stood up, "Nameless, fight some more!"


    "Ah? What makes you think I''m going to do that?" Wain asked as he tilted his head.


    "Huh, I don''t believe you''re going to stop there!" The woman said while pointing to Wain''s stove.


    Instead of - ????, there were now several numbers that denoted his Rating.


    "Top-8650." Vincenz said in a serious voice, "Not bad. You got almost a thousand more than your opponent had, that happens pretty rarely."


    "Okay. Vincenz, can I fight someone right now?" Wain asked while looking at him.


    "Well, normally, we try to avoid having the same fighter fight several times in a row, but you''re definitely an exception, so you won''t mind if I raise the difficulty level, right?" Vincenz asked with a sly smile on his face.


    Wain simply shrugged in a careless manner.


    "All right. Then who wants to be the next opponent of Nameless? Anyone whose Rating doesn''t exceed 5,000 can fight him." Vincenz uttered.


    "Only 5,000? I thought you were going to lower the bar even more." The woman mouthed with a disgruntled look.


    "There are rules that I cannot break, so this is my maximum." Vincenz waved a hand as he looked at the bleachers, "Who''s ready?"


    "I want to try!" The girl in the middle row said with a rise.


    "Good. Jump right into the arena, there''s no point in introducing yourself." Vincenz nodded as he pointed to the arena as though inviting her.


    The girl jumped down and immediately got ready to fight.


    She had long red hair and blue eyes, and her lean body was dressed in a spacious white robe with a deep neckline on her chest that revealed a massive moon sign.


    "It is a pleasure to introduce you to a new fighter!" Vincenz eximed, "Eli Stohl, an Axalt with Rating - 5011."


    "Wow, this guy didn''t even have a Rating for a few minutes, but now he''s fighting practically Top-5000?! Damn, at this rate, he''ll be Top-100 by tonight!" The viewer eximed with a dazed look.


    "Huh, sometimes unique neers show up, but this girl is definitely not an easy opponent. My personal opinion, but Axalt with the moon sign is much more dangerous in one-on-one fights than those with the sun sign." The man said in a confident voice.


    "Fighters, prepare for battle!" Vincenz said as the countdown began.


    Eli swung her hand as she had a long sword with a massive emerald embedded in the hilt.<sub> </sub>


    "I don''t know what style you have, but get ready! My sword knows no mercy! It can cut through anything!" Eli uttered while pointing her sword at Wain.


    "Well, maybe it''s a good thing that you''re the one who became my opponent." Wain said in a calm voice, "How about an additional condition? Just between the two of us?"


    "Hmm? What do you mean?" Eli asked while in confusion.


    "I propose that we fight without using skills, just physical strength, nothing more. Isn''t that interesting?" Wain said as he extended his arm forward.


    Eli hesitated for a while but then nodded and said, "Okay, Vincenz can you follow up on that?"


    "Sure. I love moments like this. The more conditions, the more curious. Do as you see fit." Vincenz smiled while rubbing his palms together.


    "Will you fight melee?" Eli asked.


    "Ah? Didn''t I tell you? It will be a sword fight." Wain said as a stream of dark energy burst from his hand that turned into a long ck sword with an incredibly sharp de.


    "Ahahahahaha, so this guy is a swordsman, great, so he wasn''t seriousst time." The man with the bushy hair eximed as he, with a happy look, mmed his fist on the handle of his chair.


    Ding!


    There was a ringing of the bell that signaled the beginning of the battle.


    Eli was shocked that Wain had a sword with such a powerful aura, but that couldn''t stop her. She had trained for many years, so she was confident in her skills.


    Whoooosh.


    She rushed at Wain as she held the sword de down while her sharp gaze was fixed on him.


    Wain stood still, but a secondter, his hand turned into a blur as he swung the sword from top to bottom. It was so fast that many onlookers didn''t have time to realize what had happened.


    "What the hell is that...?" Eli muttered with a terrified look while staring at the massive crack in the ground that stretched from Wain to the end of the arena.


    Eli was able to dodge the attack at thest moment thanks to her reflexes, but she knew she couldn''t have remained unscathed after a direct hit.


    "Bastard! We agreed not to use skills! Don''t you have any honor at all!" Eli eximed with a furious look.


    "What are you talking about? Do you think I used a skill now?" Wain muttered in a calm voice, "If you doubt it, ask Vincenz."


    Eli looked at the host, but she saw no action from him. Eli was not stupid, so she understood that Vincenz would definitely react if Wain broke the rules.


    "Get ready. Put it out full if you don''t want to die." Wain said in an ice-cold voice, bent down, and turned into a dark sh.


    p He swept through Eli as if by lightning and sliced through her neck. It took all of Eli''s mastery to block the attack partially, so her head stayed on her shoulders, but a fountain of blood gushed from the wide wound.</anda>


    Wain swung his sword to dislodge the blood before turning it back into a seal.


    "Winner Nameless!" Vincenz eximed.

 Chapter 594 The Limit

    Wain fought several more fights in a row. Even though Eli had a Rating of 5011, she could notpete with Wain in any way, so he continued to fight.


    It was unusual for the Coliseum to have the same person fight more than five times in a row, but no one was against it. Each time Wain showed something new as his moves were deadly and impetuous, so everyone was wondering when he would decide to stop or who would make him do it.


    "Damn... How many times has he won?" Someone muttered while in disbelief.


    "Six times... And each time, the opponent''s Rating has been much higher than thest. Surely he''s a beginner? Could it be that some master decided to make fun of the low-ranked?"


    "Unlikely... I don''t know anyone from Top-25 who has a simr fighting style. What''s more, he''s never used a skill yet! It''s unthinkable!"


    Wain stood in the center of the arena while, at his feet, a girl with long green hairy on the ground. She was his sixth opponent, a Construct with a Rating - 1143. This time Wain sustained a few wounds, but they were minor scratches and faint burns that could not seriously weaken him.


    "The winner - Nameless!" Vincenz eximed with a happy look as he was thrilled with what was happening.


    "This is incredible!" Vincenz pronounced, "Six wins in a row already! I can''t remember thest time such a neer appeared, but more importantly, it took our hero less than an hour to aplish this feat! Just imagine!''


    "Next." Wain said in a calm voice as he looked at Vincenz, "It''s your turn to enter the Top-1000."


    "Huh, are you sure? Hasn''t six fights worn you out at all?" Vincenz grinned while staring intently at Wain.


    "Well, have you seen me use energy? I haven''t swung my sword more than a hundred times in all that time, it can''t be called anything serious." Wain spoke in a confident manner.


    "Damn, our neer is rather arrogant, but I can''t me him for that. Good, then I''m announcing the next fight! If you want to participate, your ce must not be higher than 950!" Vincenz eximed as Nameless reappeared on the stone b.


    "I''m ready to kick his ass!" A tall girl with short purple hair in bulky armor eximed.


    "No! Let me do it! I''m not going to let some rookie get six wins in a row!" A muscr man with a menacing look rose.


    "Huh, judging by your auras, you can''t even scratch him. He''ll just chop you into pieces so you don''t stand a chance." The thin man said with a devious look as he waved his hand.


    As time passed, more and more people wanted to fight Wain, but for some reason, Vincenz was in no hurry to call them into the arena. His eyes kept moving from Wain to the fighters as if he wanted to find something.


    "No. You all don''t fit." Vincenz muttered while shaking his head, "Well, luckily, I know how to solve that problem."


    Whooooooooosh.


    Vincenz waved his hand as a massive green magic circle appeared in front of him. Vincenz said something, and the magic circle trembled as though it was transmitting his words somewhere.<sub> </sub>


    "Hey! Vincenz! Why are you ignoring us?" The girl eximed in a disgruntled manner.


    "Shut up." Vincenz suddenly said in a gruff voice as he waved his hand as if trying to chase away an annoying fly, "I''ve be one of those people who oversee fights because I like it, but you are incapable of showing anything exciting against Nameless. He''ll crush you and won''t even look in your direction, so I need more capable people."


    The girl and the other challengers fell silent with dazed looks as though they had never seen Vincenz''s smile drop from his face.


    "Huh, Vincenz got serious. Coming here today was definitely the right decision!" The man with the bushy hair said as he looked at Wain with a curious look.


    ''He''s been here from the beginning...'' Wain inwardly muttered, ''His aura... I can''t figure out how strong he is. What''s his Rating?


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    ? Suddenly the space shuddered as some of the empty spectator seats began to fill. Only a few people appeared, but there was an unusual aura emanating from each one.


    "I''m sorry I had to force you toe here, but I just want to find a suitable opponent and have as many people as possible see this fight!" Vincenz eximed, spreading his arms out to his sides as dozens of magical circles appeared beside him.


    They all vibrated, transmitting information, and a few secondster, thousands of people appeared in the Coliseum.


    ''Damn... It looks like Vincenz has a lot more power than I thought, but soon the Coliseum will be crowded.'' Wain muttered to himself while watching the empty seats run out.


    However, as soon as there were no more seats left, the Coliseum suddenly began to increase in size, it was natural, so no one was even paying attention.


    "Fuck... Vincenz is serious." Wain uttered in a dazed voice.


    Only when the Coliseum had grown to one and a half times its size did the audience stop showing up.


    "Hmm? Is there some kind of holiday tonight? I expected at least twice as many people toe." Vincenz muttered with a frustrated look, then a smile appeared on his face again as he eximed, "You all know why I called you here, so it''s time to find an opponent for Nameless! Who''s ready to go up against him right now!"


    Vincenz looked at those he called first since he counted on some of them toe out against Wain.


    "Well, that sounds like it would be interesting. Vincenz, I''m ready." The tall Elf guy spoke in a confident manner while sitting with his arms crossed and his eyes closed.


    "Good. I''m sure no one minds." Vincenz smirked as though he wanted it to happen that way, "Then, Nameless'' next opponent is Axel Demaret, an Elf with a Rating - 13.350!"

 Chapter 595 Boots

    "Hey... Did I hear that? Why does this guy have such a low Rating? I mean, even Nameless'' first opponent had a much higher Rating." One of the spectators muttered with a dazed look.


    "Something''s not right here... I don''t believe Vincenz doesn''t have a n because his sly smirk alone gives me the impression that he knows how to take over the world." His buddy muttered.


    "I agree. We''ll just have to watch. I''m sure there''s a reason why this Elf has such a low Rating. Not all strong warriors fight here, for some, it''s a waste of time."


    Whoooooooosh.


    Axel jumped into the arena as his white hair fluttered in the wind. He had pale skin and unusual ck eyes for an Elf, and his athletic body was d in matching, light green armor that should not have restrained his movements.


    "Looks like you''re a swordsman. Well, try to make at least one swing before my palm pierces you." Axel said in an ice-cold voice since streams of wind appeared beside him.


    ''Hmm? Is he the speedy type?'' Wain muttered inwardly while looking at Axel with a curious look.


    "The bets are off!" Vincenz eximed, "Damn it, I can''t remember thest time I saw the stakes this big, but it''s for the best! Fighters, you can start now!"


    "Sure." Axel muttered as he turned into a torrent of wind that rushed toward Wain with tremendous speed.


    Wain put his arms forward with a block as Axel got to him and punched him. The attack was so fast that most of the audience didn''t even notice. To them, it looked as though Axel teleported as Wain somehow ended up on the other side of the arena, stamped into a stone wall.


    "What was that...?"


    "Did he attack that fast? Could someone with that kind of Rating do that?"


    "Well, that''s to be expected from whoever Vincenz chose." The man with the bushy hair muttered.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Wain climbed out of the wall, shook off the dust, and looked at his arm from that emanating smoke as if after a burn, "Damn, my cape is in terrible shape as it is. Did you really have to put another hole in it?"


    "You still don''t seem to be taking me seriously. You barely managed to block one punch, but what are you going to do now?" Axel frowned as he turned into a torrent of wind.


    He swirled around Wain like a whirlwind, then attacked from the left.


    Wain didn''t have time to react as he didn''t even notice anything, Axel''s fist just mmed into his stomach as the impact tossed him aside, however Axel wasn''t about to stop.


    Whooooooosh.


    Axel appeared behind Wain as he tossed him up, then appeared above him and, with all his might, brought his hands down on him as if by a hammer, so Wain flew down with great speed.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    It hit the ground like a projectile, making a shake that reached even the bleachers.


    "That''s not all!" Axel eximed as he copsed on Wain as though a meteorite.


    His fist dug deep into Wain''s stomach, so he vomited a mouthful of blood as his face contorted in pain. Axel''sst move was to toss Wain aside with a kick.


    "Is that really all you can do? Six wins in a row? This is ridiculous!" Axel uttered in a menacing manner while pacing toward Wain''s side.<sub> </sub>


    "Is that really all...?" Someone muttered with a worried look.


    "Damn... I''m not sure it''s possible to survive such a series of attacks without mortal wounds..."


    With each Axel''s step grew quieter, everyone waited with the hope that Wain would now rise, but it didn''t happen.


    "Well, before I present you an ignominious defeat, I will reveal your identity to all, Nameless!" Axel said as he reached for Wain''s mask.


    Tap.


    However, suddenly Wain grabbed his hand, stood up, and took a step back.


    "Damn, that was extremely unpleasant. You seem to like messing with other people''s stuff, don''t you?" Wain muttered while shaking his bare as a splinter of his mask chipped off that partially exposed the left side of his face.


    "What...? Why can you still stand?" Axel muttered with a confused look.


    "You''re pretty fast, it''s true, but... Do you really think you''re the only one capable of something like that?!" Wain eximed as his left eye shed a golden light.


    Whoooooosh.


    His appearance instantly changed since he turned into a golden sh that reached Axel and flung him to another part of the arena.


    ''Well, well, you finally decided to use my power. Guess I should thank fate that your opponent happens to be this guy.'' Light Racer muttered with a sly smile on his face.


    ''Yeah. To beat a fast opponent, you just have to get faster than him.'' Wain inwardly muttered.


    ''Don''t forget, now we all have something special for you.'' The Light Racer spoke, and Wain''s legs glowed brightly.


    On his feet appeared white-gold boots with small wings behind them as a message appeared in front of him.


    [You have received the artifact of the sixth form, Light Racer - Boots of the Lightning Wings.]


    [Boots of the Lightning Wings (Unique)


    These boots possessed the fastest person in the universe that ever existed. It was obvious to him that light was much faster than lightning, but he longed for the element''s power, so he decided tobine the two forces into one.


    Run as light and strike as lightning]


    "How interesting..." Vincecz muttered with a devious look, "This power... It reminds me of something, but what?"


    Whoooooosh.


    Axel emerged from the stone rubble as the green wind surrounded him.


    "You finally used one of your skills. Should I rejoice or cry?" Axel asked as he snapped his finger, and his aura increased many times over.


    "Well, I think the most appropriate emotion that you should be experiencing right now is..." Wain muttered as the wings on his boots shed, "Fear!''

 Chapter 596 Edge Of The Arena

    Wain ran forward as yellow electric discharges appeared beside him, as a rumble of thunder echoed through the arena.


    Axel was about to block the attack, but before he could blink, Wain was already behind him.


    "What the hell...!" Axel eximed as Wain''s fist reached his face.


    The impact threw Axel aside, but Wain was already there as he could move with great speed.


    Axel tried to counterattack, but it seemed impossible. Wain as though a sh appeared from different directions, each time leaving a serious burn on Axel''s body.


    "Huh, look at that, they switched ces. Who would have thought Nameless had such a unique skill." The onlooker uttered with a pleasant look.


    "Skill? Are you stupid? Obviously, he used his Form! His appearance haspletely changed, and there''s special armor, that''s something normal skills can''t do!" His buddy eximed while pointing at Wain.


    "Well, then, it''s not over yet, right? Axel must have a trump card, too. Maybe he''s already got his Form? If so, this is just the beginning." The man muttered in a curious manner.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Axel had to stand in full defense as he covered his head with his hands and tried to put his back under the blows that were already covered in bleeding wounds since Wain''s blows had destroyed his armor.


    "Bastard! Bastard! Bastard!" Axel muttered in a furious voice, "You''re going to be very sorry for making me do this!"


    Axel spread his arms out to his sides as a wave of wind threw Wain back a few feet. Wain was about to counterattack immediately, but dark energy suddenly emanated from Axel''s that burst out of him in a massive torrent as it rushed toward the sky.


    "Is that darkness...? Elf? Is there such a thing?"


    "I don''t know... But, he must be an outcast among the other Elves..."


    The spectators were puzzled by Axel''s strength, but they were to be even more surprised as the hatred of the Elves who were watching the fight grew.


    "Axel Demaret... I''ve heard that name somewhere before." One of the Elves muttered while rubbing his chin with a pensive look, "Strange that an Elf with the attribute of darkness is still alive, this will have to be fixed."


    "Agreed. This will be hisst duel, only death awaits him ahead!" The elf with short blond hair eximed as his aura multiplied.


    ''Idiots.'' Vincenz thought as a devious smile appeared on his face, ''They have no idea who Axel patronizes. Huh, even Elf Head would have a hard time dealing with him.''


    "Damn... What is that?" Wain muttered while watching the darkness slowly engulf Axel as the energy flow was so powerful that he couldn''t get any closer.


    Axel''s hair turned ck, his eyes amethyst and his skin darkened as there were several ancient runes on his body. On his feet appeared massive boots that emanated ck lightning discharges.


    Axel looked at the Elves, pointed his hand at them, and said, "You think you can deal with me? You''re nothing that would kill your own kind just because of what you think is the wrong attribute. Your hearts are far cker than even the worst darkness."


    The elves frowned but did not dare answer, as no one had the right to interfere in the fight.


    "Hey, can I ask you a question?" Wain looked at Vincenz while his golden hair fluttered due to the enormous amount of energy.<sub> </sub>


    "Sure. I''m always ready to help you." Vincenz smiled as he bowed slightly as though butler.


    "What happens if I destroy the barrier?" Wain asked with a serious look.


    "Wouldn''t it be more interesting to find out for yourself?" Vincenz grinned.


    "Well, maybe you''re right." Wain said before turning into a golden sh.


    Wain ran around Axel while gradually building speed. To onlookers, it looked like a golden ring that slowly narrowed toward Axel.


    "Let''s find out how strong this barrier is!" Wain eximed as he attacked Axel.


    Axel was able to block the attack with his arms outstretched forward, but not the momentum that carried him further to the edge of the barrier.


    "What are you doing? Do you think it''s that easy to break through the barrier? This is the Coliseum, not some pathetic underground arena!" Axel eximed while trying to contain Wain.


    The runes on Axel''s body glowed brightly as a torrent of darkness descended upon Wain as though tar was slowly covering Wain, so his speed dropped considerably.


    "I just don''t want this fight to turn into a fucking fire show with ck and gold sh. We should do something more interesting, don''t you think?" Wain smiled as the wings on his boots began to move even faster.


    "What the...!" Axel eximed as his silhouette became a blur.


    They were moving so fast that it was no longer clear which of them was where, they were nothing more than a dark and golden sh from which the whirlwind began to rise.


    "Hehehe, it''s been a long time since anyone has tried to break the barrier. It''s a pity that so many don''t know that it can be done." Vincenz muttered as he walked to the tform''s edge and sat down next to the barrier.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    In time the vortex became too much as the energy that emanated from Wain and Axel, so the barrier began to absorb it. However, the load was too great and prolonged, so the barrier began to crack in some ces.


    "Are they really going to do that?!" Someone eximed with a worried look.


    "Shit! We''ve got to get out of here! When the barrier explodes, all the energy wille crashing down on us! It''s going to end badly for sure."


    ''Eh, they''re already starting to panic.'' Vincenz inwardly muttered while holding his head with his hand, ''They put on a good show, but they need a little help.''


    Vincenz touched the barrier with the tip of his finger as a green wave of energy passed over it. Somehow all the cracks disappeared, but Vincenz didn''t fix the barrier, he just moved all the damage to one ce.


    Crackle.


    On the west side of the arena, the barrier shattered.


    "Here we go." Wain muttered as he headed that way.

 Chapter 597 The Eternal Frontier

    Wain with Axel headed toward the hole in the barrier, it looked like broken ss that led into the stone wall of the Colosseum, but Wain wasn''t going to stop.


    p "Damn! Are you really going to do that?" Axel eximed while trying to stop Wain.</anda>


    "Of course. This ce is too small for me to elerate properly." Wain smirked as his eyes sparkled, and he sped up.


    Whoooooosh.


    An air ring appeared behind Wain as he exceeded the speed of sound and instantly reached the edge of the Colosseum.


    Crackle.


    Axel''s back stamped into the wall as Wain applied a little more force, and they went beyond the Colosseum.


    "Good. Finally, they did it. Now it''s time for a change of perspective." Vincenz muttered with a sly smile on his face.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly the Colosseum trembled as it split in two as though an open book.


    "What''s going on...?!" Someone eximed with a dazed look.


    "I don''t know. Is the Colosseum actually capable of that?!"


    "Huh, today is definitely a unique day! This fight should go down in history."


    Vincenz shook his head, stepped forward, and found himself on the edge of the arena.


    "You pathetic fools. You watch fights here every day, but you still don''t understand the basic principle of how the Colosseum works." Vincenz mouthed In a calm look as he raised his hand up, "The Colosseum will make sure the fighters are the center of attention in any way it can. Just watch."


    Vincenz pointed to Wain and Axel, that was in the distance, but suddenly something strange began to happen. A semnce of an arena appeared next to Wain and Axel, that kept moving with them.


    "What is this...?" The viewer muttered.


    "Even though they went outside the Colosseum, the arena is still helping them? Hell, I didn''t even know this ce was capable of something like that."


    "Hey, enough talk. I suggest we just watch the show, you''re a distraction." The man with the bushy hair said as he waved his hand.


    Bam.


    Axel umted clots of darkness on his hands as he exploded them to knock Wain away. He seeded in doing so, but as soon as the threat vanished, Wain was back in front of him and delivered a powerful punch to the stomach.


    Wain''s fist mmed into Axel''s flesh as he ripped out a mouthful of blood with a face twisted in pain.


    The impact tossed Axel aside, but he quickly regained consciousness and stood on the stone b that appeared beneath his feet.


    "It''s quite an interesting ce, isn''t it? This Colosseum is as though alive, it''s amazing." Wain muttered while looking at Axel with a devious smile on his face.


    "Shut up. You''ve done enough to make me want to kill you a hundred times!" Axel eximed in an angry voice as wings of darkness appeared behind him.


    "Are you serious? Unlike those Elves, I don''t give a damn who you are or what power you have. You''re nothing more than an adversary to me, even if you are a little annoying." Wain shrugged in a careless manner.<sub> </sub>


    "You may have a point, but it doesn''t matter! You''re the one who forced me to use this power, so be prepared for the consequences." Axel uttered as he attacked.


    "Well, you just need to learn to stop paying attention to those who hate you for such stupid reasons. It''s called being in badpany." Wain muttered before turning into a golden sh.


    They collided again as Axel''s wings as though evil spirits had descended upon Wain and blocked his light.


    "Gotcha." Axel uttered before his palm struck Wain in the chest.


    From Axel''s palm came an energy wave that tore Wain''s armor apart and threw him aside.


    "Huh, looks like Axel was stronger in this skirmish!" The onlooker eximed.


    "Yeah. Just look at Nameless, his armor is finished, Axel was right to decide to destroy the Form of his opponent." His mate nodded.


    ''Well, well, what are you going to do now?'' Vincenz inwardly muttered.


    "Give up." Axel said in an ice-calm voice, "You can''t go through my darkness anymore while my next attack will tear you apart!"


    Wain was silent. He touched his chest as he grinned.


    "You really think light is my strongest weapon? Well, then I''ll show you something just as bright!" Wain said and snapped his finger as his aura changed.


    Wain''s gold and white armor changed to blue, just like his hair and eyes. Instead of golden light, he now had one of the three unique energies at his disposal, Ether, that as though blue me shone brightly on his arms.


    "Hey, what is that? A second Form? Is there such a thing?!" Someone eximed while in disbelief.


    "No, it can''t be. Most likely, the first one was his unique skill or maybe some kind of artifact. That''s the Form of Nameless!" His mate uttered.


    ''True Form?'' Vincenz muttered to himself, "No, it''s definitely not that simple. This one is much more interesting than I thought.''


    Crackle.


    Wain turned into a blue sh that immediately appeared in front of Axel.


    "Away!" Axel eximed as he swung his arm, with created a burst of darkness, however Wain easily passed through it and grabbed him by the throat.


    "Time to get back to the arena." Wain uttered before tossing Axel up.


    Axel hovered for a moment in the air, directly above the arena, just then, Wain appeared over him and as though aet copsed on him.


    Wain''s foot stamped Axel''s head into the ground with a powerful shockwave that trembled the arena as the Colosseum became whole again.


    "You were counting on the darkness to help you? You certainly picked the wrong opponent!" Wain eximed as he attacked.


    Wain struck at full force and with all his speed as his hands turned into two blue shes that in a second came down on Axel dozens of times.


    With each blow, more cracks appeared on the ground as the tension in the Colosseum increased. Everyone watched the fighting without taking their eyes off because they felt the end was near.

 Chapter 598 Intervention

    Axel couldn''t defend himself, he could only endure and hope that Wain would run out of energy.


    "Damn! He''s going to kill him now!" Someone eximed.


    "Yeah. It''s not like Nameless is going to stop."


    "Come on, do it! It''s been over ten fights in this arena without anyone dying! This will be the perfect finale to today!" Someone eximed with an energetic look.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Wain struck another blow as a stream of blood rushed out of Axel''s mouth, as drops sshed onto Wain''s face.


    "Try not to die from the next, final blow." Wain said with a calm look as he raised his right hand while holding Axel by the throat with his left hand.


    Crackling.


    Wain clenched his fist with such force that he heard his bones crunch as the blue mes grew muchrger. Wain channeled all the energy into his fist, so even the armor cracked from theck of energy.


    "Damn... It looks like Nameless decided to strike at full force..." Someone muttered.


    "Yeah, that looks creepy... Look at the air next to his fist, it warps as though under gravity!"


    "Hehehe,e on, Nameless, do it." Vincenz uttered with a devious smile on his face while letting out a bloodthirsty aura.


    "Goodbye." Wain said before attacking.


    Axel was near death, so all he could do was watch as a blurry silhouette brought down a st of blue me on him.


    The audience froze in anticipation, some were so tense that they broke the handles of their chairs with their grip, but that was what they wanted.


    "STOP." Suddenly, a majestic voice sounded like a wave through the arena and broke the barrier as though it was fragile ss.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A crack appeared in the sky, as eerie energy burst out that made everyone shiver in terror and freeze in ce.


    Wain''s fist stopped a millimeter from Axel''s face while blue mes as though the rocket engine was trying to reach its target, but it seemed impossible.


    A massive head with a furious look and bloodshot eyes slowly emerged from the crack. The creature''s head was covered in dark scales that were strong enough to withstand the impact of a god.


    "Oh my God... This can''t be..." Someone muttered while shaking with fear.


    "HOW DARE YOU TOUCH A DRAGON APPRENTICE...?" The creature uttered as waves of sound shook the entire Colosseum.


    The Dragon''s voice alone was enough to make cracks appear in the Colosseum and break off massive debris as though in an earthquake.


    Wain hardly turned his head as their gazes met. The Dragon''s red eyes seemed ready to sizzle Wain, just wipe him to dust.


    ''Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!'' Wain inwardly shouted while trying to shift.


    "YOU... YOU REMIND ME OF SOMEONE... ANYWAY... ONLY DEATH AWAITS YOU!" The Dragon uttered in an ice-cold voice as a purple sign shone on his head.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A huge magical circle with thousands of symbols and ancient runes appeared above the Colosseum as Axel found himself on the Dragon''s head.


    ''Wain! What the hell are you doing!? Run away from here!'' dius eximed as a stream of energy burst from the seal on Wain''s arm.<sub> </sub>


    ''I can''t budge! No one fucking can! What the fuck is this monster?! Wain uttered to himself as another wave of shivers ran through his body.


    ''Hey, what are you doing? We need more power!'' dius shouted as he addressed to the Forms.


    ''You think we''re stupid?!'' Light Racer uttered while holding a hand to Blind Sorcerer''s shoulder as well as the others did, ''We''re giving away all the energy, but it''s not fucking enough!


    ''This Dragon has put invisible chains on everyone... I''m trying to remove them, but even I need some time to do it.'' The Blind Sorcerer muttered with open eyes of chaos while changing something in the magical circles that floated in front of him.


    Tremble.


    Under the magic circle, several purple spheres appeared that moved rapidly toward the center that was directly above Wain.


    "You must stop!" Vincenz eximed as green streams of energy appeared around him.


    "DON''T BOTHER ME... MAYBE YOU CAN GET RID OF THE CHAINS, BUT YOU''RE TOO SLOW!" The Dragon uttered as the four spheres merged into one.


    The massive sphere shone brightly, and the energy ray that was enough to wound even God descended on Wain with all its might.


    Wain as though he was in Axel''s ce. He watched as death approached him and could do nothing, then Wain felt helpless for the first time in a long time.


    Crackle.


    Above Wain appeared a transparent magic circle in the shape of a seven-pointed star with a strange symbol in the center that was a half-opened eye with a scar.


    The magic circlepletely absorbed the energy of the ray and released a small part upwards that colored the sky in the dark.


    "WHAT...?! WHY?!" The Dragon eximed in disbelief as his aura grew restless.


    Crackle.


    Vincenz freed himself from his chains, and as though a gre headed toward the Dragon.


    "As caretaker of the Colosseum, Imand you to return to your world! No one dares to kill fighters! That rule must not be broken!" Vincenz uttered in a thunderous voice as he raised two hands.


    Behind him appeared dozens of magical circles that, with a thousand threads, restored space, so the Dragon had to leave.


    "THIS ISN''T OVER YET!"


    "Tsk. Bastard." Vincenz spat a clot of blood as he returned to the tform.


    "Is it the end...? Someone muttered.


    "Yeah." Vincenz nodded, "I didn''t think it woulde to this, but it''s over now. Well, let''s look at the results."


    Everyone looked at the stone bs on which Wain''s and Axel''s Ratings were changing.


    ...


    "Hey! Can you hear me?! Are you so uninterested in me that you fell asleep?" Marlis uttered with puffed-up cheeks.


    "I''m sorry. I just didn''t want to yawn in front of you." Sven said as he moved his hand away from his mouth, under the table.


    "Oh, that''s so sweet!" Marlis put her hands together.


    "I''m trying for you." Sven smiled while drops of blood dripped from his white glove on the floor.

 Chapter 599 The Rest

    Wain''s fight was filled with shocking events, but everyone remembered what it was all about as the audience waited to see what Rating Wain and Axel would get.


    The first to stop the me was Axel''s b. His Rating was originally below 10,000, so after the defeat, the audience was expecting to see an even bigger drop.


    "Hey... Is the World of Darkness okay?" Someone muttered while in disbelief.


    "I agree... It must be some kind of mistake." His buddy nodded.


    "Huh, you''re just too stupid to realize that the defeat of some fighters is far more significant than the victory of others." The man with thick dark hair said as he smiled.


    "Well, that was to be expected." Vincenz nodded before eximing, "Axel Demaret, an Elf, got a new Rating - 798!"


    ''Damn... He''s gone up pretty high, I hope my score will be just as impressive.'' Wain inwardly muttered while looking at his stove with hopeful looks.


    The mes gradually stopped as Wain''s Rating finally became revealed.


    ''Nameless, our new fighter and still undefeated with seven straight wins. Congrattions on your achievement." Vincenz said in a calm voice, "You have entered the Top 300. Your new Rating is 277."


    "Ahahahahaha, that''s incredible!" The man with the bushy hair eximed as he stood up and started pping his hands.


    The others silently followed his example as the entire arena filled with apuse that gradually grew louder.


    "227..." Wain muttered, "Damn, getting to the Top-10 won''t be easy at all. Marlis gave me a pretty tough assignment."


    "Well, as much as I and all of us would love to see more of your fights, Nameless, I think you need to rest after what happened. It''s your first time here, so go through the north gate, I''m sure you''ll be surprised." Vincenz said while pointing to the massive gate in the distance, "I hope youe back here soon!"


    Wain nodded as he headed toward the gate. He didn''t know what Vincenz was talking about, but he certainly needed to rest and think about what had happened.


    Crackle.


    Wain opened the gate, stepped inside, and left the arena.


    "Okay, who wants to fight next?" Vincenz asked with a sly smile.


    ...


    "Where am I...?" Wain muttered while looking at the whole city ahead.


    The city was among the golden clouds and was big enough for thousands of people to live there. There were many unusual buildings with unique architecture, but Wain decided to head for the main square.


    The city was quite crowded, as though it was almost no different from any other developed city.


    "Here we go..." Wain muttered since he came to the main square.


    There was a massive monolithic ck stone b on which fifty names were inscribed. All of them were in the Top 50.


    ''Hmm...I''ll need to get into the Top-10, so most of them will have to go down at least one position, hell that''s bound to draw a lot of attention.'' Wain inwardly muttered with a thoughtful look while rubbing his chin.


    "Hey, look! It''s Nameless!" The short guy eximed as he pointed at Wain.<sub> </sub>


    "What? Wait... That''s really him!"


    "Damn it! I heard yourst fight was something special! I''m so sorry I didn''t get to see it in person!" The man muttered in a frustrated manner while shaking his head.


    ''What''s going on...? Why do they know me?'' Wain inwardly muttered while in confusion.


    ''Wain, take a closer look at the table.'' dius said as though Wain hadn''t noticed something important.


    "Huh?" Wain tilted his head before approaching the table from the other side.


    "Fuck..." Wain muttered with a dazed look.


    On the other side of the b was another table, there were the names of people who had recently made the biggest jump in Rating, so given Wain''s achievements in the first ce was written - Nameless.


    "Did you know that a few hours ago, Nameless didn''t even have a Rating? However, he''s now in 227th ce! Damn, that''s so cool!" One of the passersby eximed with a happy look.


    "Nameless, can I ask you some questions?" A guy came up to Wain.


    "Hey! I want to talk to him first!" The girl uttered as she pushed the guy aside.


    ''Vincenz... Bastard... Could have warned me that this hell was waiting for me... Although, he probably knew it would happen this way.'' Wain muttered inwardly while clenching his fist with force as his veins swelled.


    Wain was looking for a way to get rid of the gradually increasing crowd, and he quickly found a solution.


    Whooooooosh.


    Wain walked briskly toward the bar on the corner of the street as he was sure no one would disturb him there.


    "Wee to..." The girl that was standing at the entrance leaned over as she wanted to greet Wain, but he, as though a whirlwind, rushed past her and stepped inside.


    Wain chose an unremarkable table in the corner and sat against the wall.


    "What would you like to order?" The waiter asked that immediately approached Wain.


    "Something to eat, like... meat, the fattest thing you have, and the strongest drink." Wain pronounced as he waved his hand.


    "Sure." The waiter nodded with a pleasant smile on his face, "Everything will be ready in ten minutes."


    "Phew... Finally, some peace and quiet. It''s been just of a mess..." Wain muttered while remembering everything that happened in thest fight, "I didn''t know Dragons had disciples, maybe that''s no surprise, but more importantly... Who saved me?"


    ''It must be someone abnormally strong. That Dragon wasn''t kidding, he wouldn''t have left even a molecule of you.'' dius muttered, ''Any ideas?''


    "Yeah..." Wain muttered while rubbing his chin, "But which one?"


    Wain knew only four people who could theoretically stop such a powerful attack, but he couldn''t prove any of the options.


    ''Sven is probably with Marlis now, unlikely she would leave him alone anytime soon... Aurora wouldn''t help stealthily, and that left only Osvald... Magic circle? Huh, that''s definitely not his style. Well, who is my secret savior?''

 Chapter 600 The Cat

    Wain enjoyed a fatty piece of meat while washing it down with strong alcohol. Like anyone, he needed to recover from a hard fight as a distraction from his thoughts to something else.


    "Damn... That''s really hard..." Wain muttered while looking at the third piece of steak that was left on his te, "Ern would have no trouble devouring ten of these, but it''s definitely not easy..."


    Squeak.


    Suddenly someone walked over to Wain''s table, pushed back a wooden chair as the creaking sounded, and sat down across from Wain.


    "Hi. That was a great fight, wasn''t it?" The man with thick ck hair said with a benevolent smile on his face.


    "Hmm? What are you doing here?" Wain frowned while chewing on a piece of meat.


    "I just wanted to talk to you. Let me introduce myself, my name is Fosko Armando." He ran his hand through his hair as cat ears appeared on his head and the pupils of his amber eyes became vertical.


    "Are you a Beastfolk?" Wain asked while in confusion.


    "Yeah. Does something surprise you?" Fosko smirked as two fangs emerged from his mouth.


    "I met Beastfolk Cats once before, but they looked very different, they were more like..."


    "Animals, right?" Fosko muttered while holding his head with his hand.


    "Yes... Their bodies were covered with wool." Wain nodded.


    "Well, my appearance is natural for all Beastfolks that reached the Fourth Chronicle." Fosko shrugged as though he was stating the obvious.


    "Is there something you want from me?" Wain asked while cutting off another piece of meat.


    "No. I just wanted to talk, you don''t mind mypany, right?" Fosko smiled.


    Wain was silent, he just shoved a piece of meat into his mouth while staring intently at Fosko.


    "I realize you won''t tell me your name, but I was wondering where you''re from?" Fosko asked as he ran his finger across the wooden table that left lines on the table like from a sharp de.


    "What do you mean? Do you want to know what city I''m from? Do you really think I''m stupid enough to tell you? That way, you could easily find out my race and possibly my identity." Wain uttered in a serious voice as his aura intensified.


    "Race? Huh, you gave me a little clue." Fosko smirked in a sly manner, "Looks like you''re one of the ones who''ve been distant from the world for thest six months, right? That''s not surprising, considering I''ve never heard of you, though your abilities are amazing."


    "Well, so what? I don''t think my personal business has anything to do with you." Wain muttered. With a menacing look.


    "That means you don''t know about Dermin." Fosko said while looking Wain in the eye.


    "Dermin?" Wain was puzzled.


    "This is a city that is near the center of the continent. For your information, the World of Destiny does not stand still. The Pirs have already marked their territories and formed alliances, but several free cities have sprung up that were founded by powerful people. All races are wee there, and thergest such city is Dermin." Fosko said as he shook his hand in a careless manner.


    ''Dermin... The great city... That''s what I need now. All the races are there, which means there''s the mostpetition, so I can find the right smith there.'' Wain inwardly muttered.<sub> </sub>


    "Huh, judging by your look, you''re interested. Though it''s not surprising, we all need to remove ourselves from the world sometimes, but when wee back, we want to feel as quickly as possible all the changes that have taken ce in our absence." Fosko said in a slow voice as he smirked.


    "So... What do you want from me? I don''t believe you just came to talk. Before my fight, I saw you, and you''re definitely not a simple person." Wain spoke in a serious manner.


    "Hey, do you even know how to rx? Do you think everyone around you wants to hurt you?" Fosko uttered in such a voice as if he was offended.


    "Huh, saying that after what happened in thest fight..." Wain smirked while shaking his head, "You don''t think that''s ironic?"


    "I agree." Fosko shrugged, "Okay, let''s cut to the chase. You don''t want to work with me?"


    "No." Wain replied sharply as he waved his hand.


    "You won''t even listen to my offer?" Fosko asked with a surprised look.


    "Why? What can you offer me? Money? I don''t need it. Just leave me alone and let me finish my meal." Wain uttered in a disgruntled voice.


    "Ahahahahaha, money? Do you think I''m that stupid?" Foskoughed suddenly, "Oh yeah... I forgot you''re new to Colloseum, look at your fight card. Just think about it."


    ''What''s he talking about?'' Wain inwardly muttered as he raised an eyebrow but decided to do so.


    [Name: ??? (Nameless)


    Chronicle: Fourth


    Rating: 277


    Money: 10.7 M]


    "Thatst line... Is that really..." Wain muttered while in disbelief.


    "Yeah... That''s millions." Fosko smiled as he licked his lips.


    <o>,m "But... Where from?"</o>


    "Huh, did you think that everyone fights in the Colosseum just because of belligerent spirit or because of the table in the Rating? Sure, it''s all very important, but money has always been a good incentive. Each fighter gets a % of the total amount that was bet on him. All fighters get their money for sure because a caretaker like Vincenz personally monitors it. Fosko exined with a mocking smile as though it was obvious.


    "Well... If not money, what do you want to offer me? Since you approached me, your request is ratherplicated, isn''t it?" Wain muttered as he put thest piece of meat on his fork.


    Fosko was silent, he watched with a thoughtful look as Wain infused the meat with the sauce that remained on the te.


    "Thest piece is the tastiest, right?" Fosko smiled.


    Wain swallowed the meat.


    "You don''t need money, so what I''m willing to offer you for your help is..." Fosko approached Wain, "Friendship!"

 Chapter 601 Friendship

    "Are you kidding me? Damn, for a second, I thought you had something worthwhile to do with me, but it was a waste of time." Wain said, getting up from the table and heading for the exit.


    "Hey, don''t be so rude. I have very good instincts, so I''m sure you''ll go to Dermin, you sure need something there." Fosko uttered in a confident voice while pointing at Wain.


    Wain stopped as he hesitated, that was evident in his face and frown. After a while, Wain sighed and returned to the table.


    "You have onest shot. The only thing that saved you is that I forgot to pay for the food." Wain uttered in a serious manner as he crossed his arms.


    "Well, I assure you I won''t disappoint you! Let me exin to you who I am again. There are several districts in Dermin, three in all, each governed by several Guilds, and I belong to one of them in a rather high position." Fosko said while holding his head in a proud manner.


    "And? Why do I need to know that? Do you think I care who you are?" Wain asked with an angry look as his patience wasing to an end.


    "Huh, isn''t it obvious? If you need something in Dermin, I can get it. Need a weapon? I''ll tell you where the best store avable only to Guild Heads is. Need rare potions? I can easily get you some unique potions that even the wealthiest folk in town don''t have. Anything! Even ves of any race!" Fosko uttered with a mad look as he smashed his palm on the table.


    Wain did not immediately respond as he pondered for a moment.


    ''Money is good, but no matter how much it is, it''s often not enough.'' Wain muttered inwardly since he looked at Fosko, ''To get the rarest things, to meet the most talented people takes either luck or power, reputation, and information. If Fosko isn''t lying, he''s definitely the one in the biggest city who can find me the best cksmith.''


    "Your bill!" The waiter came over as she put it on the table.


    Wain reached for it, but suddenly Fosko grabbed it and said, ''Don''t trouble yourself, I''ll pay it. Consider this the first manifestation of my friendly intentions."


    This city was part of the Colosseum, so everything here was paid for in Void Souls, not golden coins.


    "Here." Fosko uttered as he tossed the girl a Void Coin.


    "What?! But that''s too much!" The girl eximed while in disbelief.


    "Don''t worry, it''s okay. I''m in a good mood today." Fosko smiled as his feline ears twitched.


    "Of course!" The girl said in an embarrassed manner as her cheeks flushed, and she walked away.


    "Let''s say I''m interested in you, but what kind of work do you want me to do? What do you want me for? If you are one of the leaders of the Guild, you must have quite a few capable people." Wain asked while shaking his hand in a careless manner.


    "How about I show you this? What''s more, you''ll see Dermin right away and be able to assess the situation." Fosko smiled as he pointed to the exit of the bar.


    Wain sighed, nodded, and headed for the door.


    "Good." Fosko smirked as he clenched his palm into a fist.


    They walked out of the bar, and Fosko opened the spatial rift.


    "How long does it take to get to Dermin?" Wain asked.


    "Not much. My Void is connected to Dermin, so please follow me." Fosko shrugged as he went inside with Wain.


    They immediately found themselves in Fosko''s Void, that was a massive dense forest with some massive ancient buildings. They were only there for a minute as Fosko opened another portal.<sub> </sub>


    Whoooooosh.


    Above the slope, a portal spread from which two tall men fell.


    Fosko took a deep breath and said, "It''s good to be home, or rather, practically home."


    "Where the hell are we?" Wain asked while looking around.


    "Look." Fosko pointed north.


    There was a huge city with thousands of houses, towers, and streets that was surrounded by a high stone wall.


    "Is this Dermin...?" Wain muttered as his eyes widened.


    "Yeah... It''s beautiful, isn''t it? It''s even better up close! By the way, that''s the area my Guild is fighting over there." Fosko pointed to the east side of the city there were two massive buildings that marked who was in charge of the area.


    "One of the buildings is yours?" Wain asked.


    "Exactly." Fosko nodded, "Our goal is to be in charge, and you''re going to help me with that, but about thatter. Are you ready to go?"


    "Wait. Why didn''t we show up right in town? Isn''t that the point your Void is connected to?" Wain asked with a confused look.


    "It is, but you''re an outsider, so we''d have a problem since the barrier wouldn''t let you in. I don''t want anyone to know about you, so let''s just move on. I''ll lead us into town through a secret passageway." Fosko said before jumping off the ledge.


    "Well, it looks like I can''t take my mask off yet." Wain muttered and followed Fosko.


    A huge iron gate that carefully guarded guards of the strongest guilds led to Dermin. There were three entrances, as well as areas, but Fosko decided to take a different route.


    Not far from Dermin was a small vige with an abandoned coal mine. There were still carts of coal and tools scattered on the ground.


    "This way." Fosko said as he approached the end of the cave.


    "Hmm? What the hell are we doing here? I thought there was a hidden passageway." Wain uttered with his arms spread apart.


    "You''re absolutely right." Fosko smirked before touching the wall with his fingertip.


    Whoooooosh.


    A green magic circle appeared on the wall, and the stone b trembled, thenpletely disappeared.


    "Was it an illusion...?" Wain muttered.


    "Yes. This secret path is just for you and me." Fosko smirked as he snapped his finger.


    Green torches lit up in the long passage that stretched hundreds of meters ahead.

 Chapter 602 Dermin

    Wain and Fosko walked to the secret tunnel for quite a long time until they reached an old wooden door that seemed like it could fall apart at any moment.


    Creak.


    Fosko opened the gate as, from the darkness, two pairs of green eyes approached them with emerald des to their necks.


    "Hey, guys, I think you''re too tense." Fosko uttered with an awkward look as he held his hands up.


    "Fosko...? What are you doing here...?" The girl with her long red hair asked. She, like Fosko, had cat ears and vertical pupils.


    "Why shouldn''t I be here? This is home!" Fosko uttered while shaking his head.


    "But... You went to the Colosseum to find the right fighter, it''s only been a few hours..." The girl with the rosebud on her head muttered as she took the de away from Fosko''s neck.


    "Have you forgotten who I am? Here, this guy is the best option that could be!" Fosko eximed as he pointed at Wain with his hands.


    "Hmm? Who''s that? The Head didn''t give permission to let any strangers into the base." nt Girl frowned as she reached for Wain''s mask.


    Crackling.


    Wain grabbed her hand, squeezed her wrist, and said, "If you take one more step in my direction, you can forget about your hand."


    "What?! How dare you defy me?!" nt Girl eximed as she swung her dagger to pierce Wain''s neck.


    Suddenly Fosko appeared between them as he stopped Wain''s fist that was already in front of the girl''s face.


    "Wait a minute. We all need to calm down, we just got off on the wrong foot." Fosko smiled as he carefully removed the dagger from the girl''s hands.


    "But..." The girl tried to object, but Fosko put a finger to her mouth.


    "My friend''s name is Nameless, or rather that''s his nickname, he won''t reveal his name. I assure you he is exactly what we need, the Head will certainly approve of his candidacy. Moreover, you should visit the Colosseum, he''s a real star." Fosko muttered with a calm look as he returned the girl''s dagger.


    "Are you sure?" Cat Girl asked in a wary manner.


    "Absolutely. You know you can trust me." Fosko said, patting the girl on the shoulder and walking forward.


    Wain followed him as he looked at nt Girl with a grim look, so she shuddered with fear.


    ...


    "Damn... Fosko as usual... Couldn''t they have warned me beforehand? Moreover, what kind of frightening man is that?" nt Girl muttered while rubbing her wrist.


    "It''s not our concern, we have to protect this entrance, but I think it''ll be all right. Something tells me that if that dude wanted to go through us, he''d easily do it. The Head was just looking for someone like that." Cat Girl uttered as she closed the gate.


    ...


    "I thought your Guild only had Beastfolks." Wain muttered while climbing the long stairs.<sub> </sub>


    "Huh, I already told you, Dermin is a city where all races live, so there''s no surprise in that." Fosko shrugged as he walked to the door.


    "By the way, what is the name of your guild?"


    "Didn''t I tell you? We are the Green Cats!" Fosko eximed as he opened the door.


    The first thing Wain saw was a massive green g that hung on the wall with a picture of a cat in a hunting hat.


    "Eh... I wish I''d stayed at the bar..." Wain sighed with regret before walking forward.


    "You don''t have to be so rude! I helped choose the design, by the way!" Fosko eximed.


    A secret passage led to a deserted corridor in the old part of the building, but from here, there was a direct passage to the very top, to the office of the Guild Head.


    On the way, they met several members of the guild, they were surprised to see Wain, but did not choose to ask Fosko about it.


    "Well, here we are." Fosko said while holding his hands at his sides since he reached the big green door.


    "Let''s go, but I warn you, if I don''t like the working conditions, don''t even try to talk me into it." Wain uttered in a menacing voice.


    "Of course. Don''t worry, I''m sure everything will go well." Fosko shrugged as he opened the door.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Outside at once came the strong smell of cigarette smoke that was so much that it had no time to escape through the windows.


    In the center of the room, in a massive chair, sat a woman with long blond hair, cat ears on her head, and green eyes, and her athletic body was covered by a massive crimson cloak of the wild beast hide while a massive cigar in her mouth emitted a cloud of smoke.


    "Fosko? Why the fuck are you back?" Women uttered in a menacing voice.


    "Sk, you''re as rude as ever." Fosko said in a careless manner as he jumped on the couch, "Meet Nameless, and he''s the solution to our problem."


    Sk shifted her gaze to Wain as her pupils narrowed, and a powerful aura erupted from her that made part of the building shake, however Wain was not affected since he went inside as though everything was fine.


    "Huh, not bad, he didn''t even flinch." Sk grinned, took out her cigarette, and asked, "But, why is he wearing that mask? Did you have to bring someone in here who''s hiding?"


    "Hey, why are you always disgruntled about everything?" Fosko frowned, "Is it so hard to just praise a perfectly done job?!"


    "How annoying you are..." Sk sighed as she shook her head, "Sometimes I think it was a mistake to start this Guild with you."


    "Soon, we will be in charge in the eastern district, and Nameless will help us with that!" Fosko eximed as he pointed at Wain.


    "Nameless... I heard about this an hour ago... Wait... Are you the Colosseum newbie that caused themotion?" Sk asked with a dazed look.


    "Yeah, but this is getting annoying. What do you want me to do? Why did you bring me here?"

 Chapter 603 The Strength

    "You''re going to help us get rid of thepetition." Sk said as she pointed her cigar at Wain.


    "Hmm? Why do you need me? You have a whole Guild that ranks not the least in Dermin, those girls down there are pretty capable. I''m sure you have plenty of strong fighters." Wain uttered in a serious voice while sitting on the couch with his arms crossed.


    "Not really. Come here. You''ll see for yourself." Sk said, waved her hand, and jumped out the window.


    Fosko and Wain followed her.


    They climbed one of the towers of the base of Green Cats as Sk pointed to the massive training area.


    "Look, these are our best fighters, they''re getting ready for the operation. What''s your opinion on their skills?" Sk asked as he blew out a club of smoke.


    "Hmm..." Wain, with a thoughtful look, grabbed his chin.


    There were dozens of people on the training ground, fighting each other, they looked like real pros, but something immediately confused Wain.


    "They''re all pretty fast, their movements are precise, but... I don''t feel any power from them, I mean pure power that you can let out in one punch." Wain muttered while looking at the girl that attacked ten times in a second.


    "Exactly, that''s why we need someone like you." Fosko smirked as he put his hand on Wain''s shoulder, but Wain immediately dropped it.


    "It just so happens that most of our members specialize in quick attacks, even Demons that are in our ranks, but to defeat Twilight Embers, we need two fighters with destructive power." Sk said as she looked at the second massive building in the eastern district.


    It was a massive Gothic castle on top of which a blue g with a picture of a burning white star was developing in the wind.


    "Two? If I''m the first, who''s the second?" Wain asked while in confusion.


    "Huh, isn''t it obvious? It''s me!" Sk eximed as she tensed the muscles in her right arm.


    Her muscles were unusually robust for a girl as they seemed too big and hard even for the strongest jocks, but they looked natural.


    "Well... You want to get rid of apetitor, I get it, but why do you need me? Couldn''t you just attack their base, and that''s it? Winner takes all, that rule always works." Wain asked while swinging his arm in a careless manner.


    "What do you think we are, barbarians?" Sk smirked, "Most of our Guild members are in the Third Chronicle while the strongest are in the Fourth Chronicle, so if we fight in Dermin, we will only get ruins after victory. What''s more, the North and West will not ignore this and will help Twilight Embers deal with the aggressor, with us."


    Wain nodded as he realized that his suggestion was illogical.


    "But... Then where will we fight?" Wain asked.<sub> </sub>


    "There." Sk smiled as she pointed her finger down, "Beneath Dermin is a hugework of caves. It''s practically a separate territory since it''s home to various monsters, and because of the rare resources that are in the Granite Caverns, Dermin has been able to grow so quickly."


    "You''re kidding, right?" Wain asked with a confused look, "During the battle, we will destroy the caves as well as the entire city, it will be a real disaster."


    "Huh, you don''t seem to have been listening to me carefully. Do you think monsters that live there, sleeping in the morning and ying chess in the evening? Granite Caverns has a lot of Fourth Chronicle monsters, they fight every day, and the city is fine. You just don''t realize yet how huge Granite Caverns is."


    "We don''t have to worry about the city there, that''s for sure." Fosko said while holding his hands behind his head in a rxed manner.


    "So... What''s my mission?" Wain asked.


    "You and I will have to break through the barrier at the underground base of Twilight Embers, a barrier that someone from the Fifth Chronicle helped them set up, so we''ll have to do our best to get rid of it." Sk said with a serious look.


    "Is this some kind of vault?" Wain tilted his head in a thoughtful manner.


    "Something like that. A few weeks ago, Twilight Embers found a very rare crystal with an abnormal amount of energy. Since then, they''ve grown much stronger and are trying to get rid of us." Sk uttered as she frowned while her aura intensified.


    "Yeah..." Fosko nodded, "As far as I know, they gave away some of the crystal that Fifth Chronicle one as payment for the barrier, it''s a crap situation, but we got lucky in some ways."


    "Hmm?" Wain raised an eyebrow while holding his arms crossed.


    "They can''t move the crystal, so they had to build a base and set up a barrier just around it." Fosko exined as he waved a hand.


    "Exactly." Sk nodded, "Our mission is simple. We will attack their base at Granite Caverns and head for the Crystal during the mass fights. While we prepare to strike, Fosko will defend us, we won''t have much time, but we''ll have to put all our strength into it."


    "Okay, that sounds good, but what makes you sure we can do it?" Wain asked as he touched his chin, "I won''t be modest, I''m strong, it seems, so are you, but the barrier that Firth Chronicle one set up... It sounds like an impossible mission."


    "You''re right, but not in this case. While you were fighting in Colosseum, Fosko told me about a neer with an unusual blue me. At first, I didn''t think much of it, but when I saw you, I realized it wasn''t fire at all, it was Ether." Sk uttered as she clenched her palm into a fist, "So... Together, we can definitely destroy even such a powerful barrier."


    Whoooooosh.


    Suddenly Sk''s fist lit up with an unusual yellow me that made space warp as the smoke from the cigar around it began to move much slower.


    "Chaos and Ether, I''m afraid no barrier can survive thatbination!" Sk eximed with an eerie smile as her eyes turned amber.

 Chapter 604 Wings

    ''What the hell...?" Wain muttered inwardly while looking at Sk''s fist with a dazed look.


    "You seem surprised, though that''s not surprising. It''s my main trump card, so I usually try to hide it, but I showed you my power to make you sure that our operation is sessful." Sk uttered with a confident smile as she unclenched her fist.


    "How did you get this power?" Wain asked with a serious look.


    "Huh, don''t even try to find out, there''s no way I''m telling you about it as you about Ether, right?" Sk smirked.


    Wain frowned but, after a while, sighed as he realized that Sk was absolutely right.


    "Okay, now that the n is clear, now it''s time for the fun part." Fosko said with a sly smile on his face, "Wain, what do you want? Don''t be shy, but remember that Sk and I are not gods."


    "A cksmith. I want a cksmith, the best in Dermin or that you know personally." Wain gave an immediate reply.


    "Hmm? A cksmith? I thought you were asking for money or some rare artifact... This is definitely an unusual request, but what exactly do you need a cksmith for? What skills does he need to have?" Sk asked as she spread her hands to the side in a thoughtful manner.


    "I need someone who can make weapons and armor out of Legendary Souls. I hope you have someone in mind, otherwise there''s no point in me talking to you any further." Wain uttered with an ice-cold look as he made it clear that this was his ultimatum.


    "It''s not an easy request, but I can help you with it. What''s more, I even have two suitable candidates for you to choose from, but you won''t know more about them until you''ve sessfullypleted the mission." Sk said while shaking his hand.


    "All right." Wain nodded.


    "Good. Then let''s sign the contract." Sk uttered as a parchment scroll appeared in her hand.


    "Contract?" Wain asked with a confused look.


    "Of course. Isn''t that convenient? In Dermin, most deals are made only through contracts, so each side can be sure to get theirs." Sk mouthed before shing her palm.


    Drops of scarlet blood fell on the scroll as symbols lit up on it that filled a third of the scroll, then Fosko did the same and handed the scroll to Wain, "Your turn."


    "Good. That might actually be the best option." Wain muttered as he finished contracting with his blood.


    "When do we start? Anything else I need to know?" Wain asked while returning the scroll.


    "In three days. You can walk around town for now. I''m sure you''ll find a lot of interesting things in Dermin. You can practice with my men if you like." Sk said in a careless manner.


    "Well... This could be interesting. Which one of them all is the strongest?" Wain asked while looking at the training ground, "I mean, if that''s who''s the strongest in the Green Cats, except for you and Fosko?"


    "Yeah. That one keeps looking at us, even though trying to pretend to focus entirely on training." Sk pointed at the girl with long blond hair.


    "Huh, she actually looks pretty serious." Wain grinned, "But what is that...?"


    There were two massive scars on the girl''s back that immediately reminded Wain of someone who ripped out his own wings.<sub> </sub>


    ''I see. She''s an Angel and, like Markaz, decided to rip out her wings, but why?'' Wain inwardly muttered as he jumped off the tower.


    "Hmm? Where is he going?" Fosko muttered with a confused look.


    "Well, Nina seems to have interested him, though that''s not surprising. Angels that tear out their own wings are rare, far rarer even than those that have golden wings." Sk mouthed as a new cigar with a lighter appeared in her hand.


    "Hehehe, some Angels do it because of inner destion, others because of hatred as they have a rather violent society, but few know that it is the way to great power." Fosko uttered with a devious smile.


    Whooooooosh.


    Wain fell while his cloak developed in the wind and released his aura as he was ready to fight Nina.


    However, the girl didn''t flinch as she stayed put since Wainnded right in front of her.


    "Who are you? What were you discussing with Miss Sk?" Nina asked in a serious voice while her menacing gaze as though piercing Wain.


    "Nothing of interest." Wain waved his hand in a careless manner, "More importantly... You seem to be an unusual Angel, tell me why you did this?"


    "What exactly are you talking about?" Nina became wary.


    "Your scars on your back. I want to know more about it." Wain said in a curious manner while pointing to the scars.


    "There''s nothing to talk about, it''s just a battle wound." Nina said in a calm voice.


    "That doesn''t sound very convincing." Wain shook his head, "Well, Sk said you were the strongest one here. Let''s check it out!"


    Whooooosh.


    Wain turned into a shadow as he was behind Nina. The girl reacted instantly as her foot rushed toward Wain''s head with lightning speed.


    Bam.


    Wain blocked the attack with his palm and said with a smirk, "Not bad, not bad at all, but not good enough. Show me everything you can, I want to make sure I didn''t decide to help your guild for nothing."


    "What? Is that what you were talking to Miss Sk about...?" Nina muttered with a devastated look as he stared at Sk.


    Sk was still in the tower with a massive cigar in her mouth as massive puffs of smoke floated around her.


    "Miss, you said I''d be your assistant in destroying the barrier!" Sk eximed with a worried look as she touched her palm to her chest, "Why did you choose some strange man over me?"


    "Isn''t it obvious? I have to be sure of the sess of the mission, only then can I risk it, so we made a pact with him because he is strong enough." Sk muttered as she blew out a club of smoke, "If you defeat him, I will choose you."

 Chapter 605 Ripped Wings

    "Miss... Are you serious?" Nina asked with a dazed look.


    "Yeah. You know my attitude toward life, the strong get everything, so if you win, then you''re more worthy. Just it." Sk spoke with a calm look while exhaling a puff of smoke.


    Nina nodded as she attacked. Her fist went for Wain, but he stopped it with his palm with a slight smile on his face.


    "Well, well, it looks like I''ve offended you, but how about another bet?" Wain asked in a curious manner as he let go of Nina''s hand.


    "What are you talking about?" Nina frowned as she recoiled to the side.


    "It''s simple. If you put me on the ground, I''ll go away. In that case, you can definitely rece me, but if not, you''ll tell me why you pulled out your wings. I''m sure it''s a maddening pain, but for some reason, it hasn''t stopped you." Wain muttered and prepared to fight as though he already knew how Nina would respond.


    "Shit... Fine, have it your way. It''s too good an offer for me to refuse, get ready to lose!" Nina eximed before attacking.


    Her main goal was not to wound Wain but simply to knock him down, so she appeared behind him as she kicked at Wain''s legs.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Wain jumped up, turned around, and with a sly smile on his face, pped Nina. It didn''t really hurt, but it was extremely humiliating, especially for Number 3 in the whole Guild.


    "You bastard..." Nina muttered with an angry look while blood ran down the corner of her mouth.


    "What? Is something wrong?" Wain smirked, "Start fighting seriously, or do you think you can win by tripping me? That''s ridiculous."


    "Fine, have it your way..." Nina mouthed as electric discharges appeared around her arms.


    ''Oh, lightning, that''s interesting. Doesn''t that mean it has to be fast?'' Wain said inwardly while holding his chin.


    Nina''s eyes sparkled as she transformed into blue lightning that rushed toward Wain with tremendous speed.


    Her palms were as though spears aimed at Wain''s chest, but when Nina was about to pierce Wain, suddenly, something threw her back.


    ''What...? Nina inwardly eximed with a dazed look as Wain''s boot dug into her stomach.


    Whooooooooosh.


    The impact tossed Nina aside as she broke several training dummies with her back until she grounded.


    The guild members that were training had to jump aside to keep Nina from hitting them as they looked at Sk with confused looks.


    "It''s okay. Just go away, give them more room." Sk uttered as she waved her hand in a careless manner.


    They were puzzled but didn''t resent it and did as their boss said.


    "Well, well, Nina hasn''t been able to pull any punches yet. Surely she is one of the strongest in our Guild? Isn''t that a shame?" Fosko said with a devious smile on his face in such a way that not only Sk could hear it, but Nina too.


    "You bastard... Shut your mouth..." Sk uttered as her aura intensified.<sub> </sub>


    "It''s toote." Fosko grinned as he stared at Nina.


    Nina''s energy gradually increased as her body waspletely covered in lightning discharges. Her appearance began to change as she used her Beyond.


    Her hair turned blue and her eyes gray, and she wore an exoskeleton as if it was made of dragon scales.


    "I''ll kill you." Nina uttered with a furious look as the ground beneath her feet cracked, and she turned into a shadow.


    Bam.


    Nina appeared to Wain''s right as she brought her fist down on him. Wain blocked the attack with an arm as though by a shield. The impact threw him aside, and Nina disappeared from his sight.


    "This is the end!" Nina eximed as she found herself over Wain with her leg that lunged for Wain''s head.


    Wain didn''t have time to react as lightning bolts went through his body that caused him to pass out, so his legs no longer held him.


    He was falling while Nina''s fist was approaching his head as the final blow that should have pressed Wain''s back into the ground.


    Whoooooosh.


    As Wain''s hair touched the ground, he opened his eyes with a bright golden light that blinded everyone who watched the fight.


    Secondster, the light passed as the eyes of all the Green Cats members opened wide, and Fosko smiled.


    Ninay on the ground with a frightened look as Wain''s palm was at her neck while his golden hair fluttered in the wind.


    "Not bad, but you''re giving in too much to emotion." Wain said as he canceled the form, "A few words of Fosko''s were enough to make you go berserk, so you can never really strike hard."


    Nina remained silent as she tried to figure out how quickly she had lost. She was sure of her victory, but suddenly everything changedpletely.


    "Tell me. Why did you rip your wings out?" Wain asked as he sat down on the part of a dummy that was next to Nina.


    "Okay. There''s an opinion among the Angels that it can help awaken a unique power. I didn''t believe it, as it seemed really crazy to me, butter, I got into a cult that thought it was true, so at one of the rituals, I volunteered..." Nina muttered in a quiet voice.


    "Did someone help you do that?" Wain pronounced in a curious manner.


    "Not really... I had a friend back then... Markaz... He ripped his wings before me, so I believed that I would be much stronger if I did the same. However, it was my greatest mistake, for I got nothing but terrible pain." Nina uttered as tears welled up from her eyes.


    "Markaz..." Wain muttered with a dazed look, "Nina, I dated a friend of yours once, and I want to tell you he was damn strong."


    "What...?" Nina uttered while in disbelief, "Are you serious?"


    "Yeah." Wain nodded, "I don''t know if it''s true or not, but he was one of the strongest of those who used the attribute of darkness. Maybe you just have the wrong course."

 Chapter 606 A Person

    "Darkness... Did he use darkness? But... That''s a major sin for Angels!" Nina eximed with a dazed look as she stood up.


    "Ahahahahaha, I see, I guess now I understand why you''re so different." Wainughed, "Don''t get me wrong, Markaz is no friend of mine as we fought, but I remember all my worthy opponents."


    "What are you talking about...?" Nina muttered while in confusion.


    "He was proud enough to rip his own wings out because the Angels didn''t ept his point of view. You went for the same crazy act, and yet you still think that darkness is an uneptable force for Angels, don''t you see the contradiction in that?" Wain grinned, stood up, and headed for the exit, "If you want to be stronger, you must not repeat the others but decide for yourself whether it''s right or wrong. See you in three days."


    Wain disappeared as he left Nina confused.


    "Well, well, that wasn''t a bad fight. I hope Ninaes around by the time the operation starts. It''s going to be pretty hard for us without her." Fosko pronounced before jumping off the tower outside the guild grounds.


    "Damn... Now I have two troubled men on my team... How annoying." Sk muttered while shaking her head.


    ...


    After the battle with Nina, Wain decided to walk through Dermin. It was thergest free city, so he would not have had even a week to visit every street, but he could enjoy the main sights.


    There was one ce in the eastern part of the city that stood out from the hundreds of other buildings, it was a huge cathedral that hundreds of people walked into every day.


    ''Damn... Sometimes architects can create something really mesmerizing, but there are too many people here.'' Wain inwardly muttered while looking at the crowd of people around, ''I definitely need to change my angle.''


    Whoooooosh.


    Wain''s silhouette blurred as he, in a few jumps, found himself on the balcony of the cathedral that was practically at the very top.


    "Yeah. The view is definitely much better up here." Wain smiled as he put his hands on the fence.


    It was already sunset, so crimson rays of sunlight that covered the entire city created a unique view.


    "Hmm?" Suddenly something caught Wain''s attention.


    In the distance, in the dark alleys, someone was fighting. It wasn''t surprising for a big city, but other things caught Wain''s attention. There was one person fighting against ten at once, and that one was managing to win.


    "What the fuck...?" Wain uttered while in confusion as he jumped down from the cathedral.


    He headed toward the battlefield, but only that person in the dark cloak remained when he arrived.


    "Another..." Person muttered and attacked Wain.


    Crackle.


    Wain grabbed the person by the arm and pushed to the wall.


    "I can''t believe it''s you... What are you doing here?" Wain asked with a dazed look.<sub> </sub>


    "Wain...?!" Teresa eximed while in disbelief.


    "Why are you here?" Wain asked as he let go of Teresa''s hand.


    "I should be the one to ask you!" Teresa eximed, "Where the hell have you been?! You''ve been gone for over four months! I thought you were dead!"


    "Huh, you mean you cared?" Wain grinned.


    "Shut up!" Teresa yelled as she was about to p Wain, but he stopped her.


    "Calm down. I didn''t expect to meet you here either, we need to discuss things in a nicer ce than a dirty street with ten people beaten by you." Wain said while looking at the men.


    Teresa nodded.


    ...


    "Your order. Especially for such a beautiful couple, we have chosen a suitable wine." The waiter said while cing dishes with a bottle of red wine on the table.


    "Thank you." Wain smiled as Teresa nodded weakly.


    "Do you ever eat anything but meat at all?" Teresa asked while looking at the huge steak on Wain''s te.


    "I could say the same about you. Why do all the girls always try to order sd? Can''t you find grass somewhere else?" Wain said with a smirk on his face.


    "Damn... You''re still as nasty as ever, though maybe that''s for the best. Why don''t you tell me where you''ve been already? Just so you know, we''ve had a shitload of problems these past four months, and if you''d been with us, we''d be a lot easier!" Teresa eximed with a disgruntled look as she pointed at Wain.


    "Well, now that you''re here, you''ve dealt with everything, haven''t you?" Wain smiled while cutting off a piece of steak.


    "Yeah... When ites to critical situations, Gisle shows her full potential as a leader. At times like this, I''m willing to do whatever he says without question, but that doesn''t take away from the fact that we''ve had to cope without our strongest member!" Teresa uttered as she frowned with her hands folded in front of her.


    "I got myself into one pretty dangerous situation, so I had to linger, but I was able to get a lot stronger though, just like you." Wain pronounced as he stared at Teresa, "When did you reach the Fourth Chronicle?"


    "Two weeks ago, and Gisle sent me here right away. He may be a great leader, but he sure doesn''t know what a weekend is! Heck, I can''t remember thest time I did anything but his instructions." Teresa said as she mmed her fist on the table with a menacing look.


    "Huh, you don''t have any other choice. It''s either that or nothing." Wain shrugged while removing a piece of meat from his fork.


    "Maybe you''re right... Hell, I''m so jealous of you sometimes as you do what you want." Teresa sighed and proceeded to eat the sd.


    "Well, I have my missions too. It''s just not Gisle that gives them to me, they somehow show up on their own. Would you like a drink?" Wain asked as he picked up a bottle of wine.


    "Can you really be a gentleman and woo ady?" Teresa smiled.


    "Don''t tter yourself. Only alcoholics drink alone, so I haven''t stooped to that level yet." Wain muttered as he opened the bottle.

 Chapter 607 Offer

    "So... What are you doing here? When do you n toe back?" Teresa asked while stirring the sd in azy manner.


    "Nothing much." Wain shrugged, "Just helping one Guild destroy another, pretty much everything under control. I don''t know when I''ll be back, I still have some things to do."


    "Hmm? The Guild? Are you really talking about the Green Cats?" Teresa asked as her eyes widened.


    "Exactly." Wain nodded.


    "Wait... You want to help them deal with Twilight Embers...?" Teresa asked in a trembling voice.


    "Yeah. They have a good n and good conditions, so it will be an easy job. I''ll be fine, you don''t have to worry about me." Wain said as he took the ss in his hands.


    Teresa looked at Wain silently for a moment as though she had heard something unbelievable.


    "Is something wrong?" Wain raised an eyebrow.


    "Yes. Everything is wrong! Why do you always get in my way?!" Teresa eximed with an angry look as the fork in her hand broke, "Gisle sent me here to establish rtions with one of the guilds, and I chose Twilight Embers!"


    "And what''s the problem? So now your target is Green Cats, you''re not going to get in my way, are you?" Wain grinned and continued eating in a careless manner.


    "Shit, shit, shit! Why the fuck have I been trying so hard for thest two weeks, then?! I''ve done so much dirty work to get closer to their Head! I thought I could talk to Twilight Embers about an alliance with Last Light soon, but you blew it again!" Teresa uttered with an exasperated look as the veins in her forehead puffed up badly.


    "Ahahahahahaha, sorry, I didn''t know you were here. What''s more, it all happened by ident, a few hours ago, I had no idea that one of the Head of Green Cats would ask me to do this." Wainughed in a mocking manner, "As an apology, let me pay for you that time."


    Teresa wanted to say something, but she held back, sighed, and pronounced with a serious look, "You know you''re asshole, right?"


    Wain just smiled as he took a sip of wine.


    "Agh... Okay, looks like I''ll have to change sides all of a sudden. Would you introduce me to the Heads of Green Cats? I''ll take care of the politics, you''re not doing it anyway." Teresa said as she sighed with a wave of her hand.


    "All right. I''ll take you to them as soon as I finish eating." Wain nodded.


    During the conversation, Wain asked Teresa about the development of Last Light, but she wouldn''t tell him too much since she wanted him to see everything in person.


    ...


    "Fosko... I never understood how you did it, but you definitely have a talent for finding unique people... It''s even scary." Sk spoke with a dazed look while looking at Teresa and Wain, that sat across from her.<sub> </sub>


    "Hey, that''s something even I wouldn''t expect, though maybe I just don''t realize how great my talent really is!" Fosko said as a sly smile appeared on his face.


    "So... Do you agree to our proposal?" Teresa asked in a serious voice as she shook her hand.


    On her face was a red mask with a pattern of some kind of flower, this artifact had the same effect as Wain''s mask, but was less powerful, though it was enough to hide her race, face, and aura.


    "It sounds quite tempting as not only will you help us Green Cats be the main ones in the eastern district of Dermin, but you also offer a powerful ally outside the city that will help us grow faster, but... I can''tpletely trust those who hide their faces." Sk said as she lit a massive cigarette.


    "Yeah. I agree." Fosko nodded, "It''s one thing to ask you to help in a battle, Nameless, but creating an alliance between two organizations is another thing entirely. I don''t know why you''re hiding, but you''re going to have to reveal yourself, at least to one of you."


    Wain and Teresa remained silent as they looked at each other with a slight nod.


    "I can do that, but not right now." Teresa said as a square amulet appeared in her hand with a picture of a dark sh, "After we help you defeat the Twilight Embers, one of you will go with me to Last Light, there you will find out what you want. This is our best and final offer."


    "What do you say?" Sk looked at Fosko while blowing a puff of smoke.


    "Well... That sounds interesting, I think we should agree, but it''s up to you. After all, the leader is just that." Fosko smiled as he spread his arms out to the side in a careless manner.


    "All right, I agree. Fosko will go with you after the mission, then we will say our final decision." Sk nodded as she knocked the ash off her cigar.


    "Got it. Then, you''ll need this." Teresa uttered before throwing Fosko the amulet.


    Fosko caught it with one hand and asked, "What is it?"


    "Without it, you won''t be able to pass our barrier. Of course, I''ll be with you, but it''s better to have it with you just in case. Only our allies get an amulet like this, so try not to lose it." Teresa uttered with crossed arms.


    "Wow, Nameless, I didn''t know you were a member of such a powerful organization. You still manage to surprise me." Fosko grinned as he moved the amulet into the ring.


    "I''m shocked too." Wain shrugged, "Well, now that we''re done, I''ll see you in three days. I hope everything goes ording to n."


    "Sure. Twilight Embers don''t stand a chance. Once they lose the crystal and lose the battle, they won''t have a chance topete with us anymore. We will simply consume them." Sk uttered with a serious look as her aura intensified.


    "See youter." Wain waved a hand while turning into a shadow.

 Chapter 608 Granite Caverns

    Chapter 608: Granite Caverns


    Wain spent the three days before the operation began walking around the city. He could have spent that time training, but he just wanted to rest before a major battle and see what the most progressive cities looked like now.


    He showed great interest in the cksmiths in Dermin, some of whom had terrific skills, but it wasn''t enough to fulfill Wain''s order.


    "Well, I hope Sk''s familiar cksmiths won''t disappoint me." Wain muttered before heading toward the base of Green Cats.


    It was as turbulent there now as it was at the base of Twilight Embers as both Guilds knew there would be an important battle today.


    Underneath the building was a passageway that led to Granite Caverns, so that''s where Wain headed since most of the Green Cats members were already there.


    "What''s taking so long? Are you the kind of person who''s alwayste?" Teresa asked with a disgruntled look as she stood at the entrance.


    "Huh, I''m definitely not thest one, so how can I bete?" Wain grinned, "It''s about to start, try not to die, I''m not going to defend you."


    "Pfff, I didn''t even doubt that." Teresa shook her head before following him.


    Granite Caverns were several kilometers below Dermin and were even wider than the city, so each Guild, strong or weak, had a base there, as it was in Granite Caverns that Guild members got the bulk of Souls, rare resources, and ores.


    "You have finally arrived." Fosko appeared as Wain and Teresa emerged from the tunnel.


    "Yeah. Decided to meet us?" Wain asked while looking around.


    "Something like that. Although I actually thought I''d be able to see your faces, but it looks like that''s not going to happen yet." Fosko smirked as he bent over to Teresa, "You smell so nice, as though a flower."


    "W-What...?!" Teresa eximed while waving her hands.


    "Ahahahaha, I didn''t think such a serious woman that I saw yesterday could be so shy. It''s pretty cute, though. I like that." Fosko muttered with a pleasant smile on his face.


    "That''s enough. You''ll have time to get to know each other better on your way to Last Light. We''re here on other business." Wain uttered before heading forward.


    "What?! You won''t even stand up for me?" Teresa eximed.


    "Hmm? Why would I?" Wain raised an eyebrow, "I don''t care about your rtionship. You can fuck whoever you want, it''s none of my business."


    "Fine. Honestly, I was worried you might be a couple, but it looks like your heart is still free, right?" Fosko uttered, stepped forward, and gently took Teresa by the chin.


    Teresa flinched, but she had nowhere to go as Fosko pinned her against the wall. His actions restrained her as she waspletely confused.


    ''What should I do...? Hit him...? Or maybe...? Teresa inwardly uttered while Fosko approached her.


    "Unfortunately, I''ll have to take it away to touch your lovely lips." Fosko muttered as he touched Teresa''s mask.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly a powerful pressure came over Fosko that made his feline ears straighten as though in mortal danger. Fosko turned around, and his eyes went wide.<sub> </sub>


    "Don''t you dare take a mask off, you sly bastard!" Wain uttered in a thunderous voice while exuding a massive stream of dark energy as his gaze literally pierced Fosko.


    "Damn, what a shame you noticed after all." Fosko sighed and shook his head as he stepped away from Teresa, "Okay, then we''lle back to thister when you can show me your face, sweetie. Damn, this is so romantic."


    Teresa watched in silence as Wain and Fosko walked away while a hurricane of emotions went through her head.


    ...


    "Are you serious?" Wain asked in a careless manner.


    "She''s not your girlfriend, right? Why are you suddenly curious?" Fosko smirked.


    Wain remained silent.


    "Okay, I''ll be honest with you. I originally put on this show to unmask her, but maybe I really did fall in love. It might be the start of something bigger." Fosko said with a happy smile while holding his hands behind his head as he stared at the shining crystals that dangled from the granite ceiling.


    "Good." Wain nodded.


    ...


    A short timeter, all the members who were to participate in the mission gathered outside the Green Cats'' base at Granite Caverns. They were all excellent fighters with the best equipment and extensivebat experience. Those in the Fourth Chronicle were considerably fewer, but it was still enough to destroy a huge city if they wanted to.


    "All of you know why you are gathered here. Our task is to destroy one of the Twilight Embers'' bases on the third level of Granite Caverns! We will definitely do it today!" Sk eximed as she let out her majestic aura that as though the stream had reached everyone.


    "Level three? What is that?" Wain asked with a confused look as he turned to Fosko.


    "We need a crystal there, so we must go down. There are four levels and we''ll go almost to the dangerous one." Fosko uttered as he waved his hand.


    "How are the levels different from each other?" Teresa asked while standing behind Wain.


    "Hey, you cane closer. I don''t bite." Fosko smiled, "On level three, the ratio of Fourth Chronicle monsters to Third Chronicle is one to four."


    "I see. One in four... Well, that shouldn''t be a problem." Wain muttered.


    "Sure, but sometimes monsters with three lit torches can show up, and it''s a real headache. That can''t happen on the second and first levels, so the third can be very dangerous." Fosko muttered in a careless manner.


    "Fosko! Come here!" Sk suddenly shouted with an angry look.


    "Sure." Fosko sighed as he appeared beside her.


    "Fosko and I will destroy Crystal, so you will be led by Nina." Sk uttered, and a girl with long blond hair emerged from the crowd.


    ''Huh, looks like she''s changed her outlook on life.'' Wain muttered inwardly while looking at her scars.


    The scars had strange dark veins that emanated an aura familiar to Wain as the same one he felt from Markaz in the Forgotten Forest.

 Chapter 609 The Attack

    "I want you to understand that our main goal is to get rid of Crystal. Your job is only to distract and keep enemy fighters away from me, so I don''t want you to die for no reason." Sk uttered as she put her hand on Nina''s shoulder, "Follow Nina, and no one will die, I''m sure of it."


    "Yes!" Green Cats members eximed.


    "Finally, I want to introduce you to our two allies." Sk pointed to Wain and Teresa as Guild members turned in their direction.


    "Hello." Teresa nodded slightly while Wain remained silent.


    "They have special skills so we can destroy the barrier around Crystal, so their presence is imperative." Sk said in a serious voice, "Okay, now go!"


    Whooooooosh.


    Sk with Fosko jumped off the base wall as they headed down to the third level of Granite Caverns.


    "You heard Miss Sk, we must not let her down, the future of our Guild depends on it!" Nina eximed, emitting an aura and heading after them with dozens of fighters.


    Only Wain and Teresa were left in the square a few secondster.


    "Well, well, it looks like they''re serious. This is starting to feel more like a war than a mission." Wain muttered while slowly walking forward.


    "Can we do this?" Teresa asked with a worried look.


    "Sure. Sk has really unique abilities, when you see it, you will definitely be surprised. Okay,e on, let''s keep up with them." Wain said before turning into a dark sh.


    "Ah... He''s acting sharp as always." Teresa sighed while shaking her head.


    ...


    Sk, Fosko, Nina, and the other Green Cats members moved toward the third level. They had to go through several dangerous areas where strong monsters lived to jump down in certain ces and so many times in a row.


    Granite Caverns, even though they were called that but the caves were too big and wide as they were more like huge locations with their own special features.


    "Huh, it''s pretty crowded here, isn''t it?" Wain muttered while falling down as he looked at the people that were fighting the monsters in the distance.


    "Yeah. It''s a good ce to hunt. Even though our area of influence has increased considerably, Last Light doesn''t yet have suchrge hunting grounds." Teresa muttered.


    "Maybe we''ll get some soon." Wain said before jumping off another ledge.


    Arge group of members of one of the strongest Guilds could not go unnoticed, so in time people began to realize that something massive was brewing.


    "Hey... Isn''t that the Green Cats?" Someone said with a dazed look.


    "Yeah. It looks like they finally decided to attack the Twilight Embers, that''s to be expected. They''re pretty well prepared, but who are those two behind them?" His mate muttered in a puzzled manner.


    "Wait... Damaged white mask, ck hair, green eyes, and a torn dark blue cloak... This is Nameless! The most prolific neer to the Colosseum! They say that during hisst fight, a real Dragon appeared!" One of the fighters eximed in disbelief.


    "Nameless? No way! Is he going to fight? Damn, I want to see it!"


    Teresa looked at Wain as she still didn''t understand that they were talking about him, but when she looked at his World of Darkness card, her eyes widened.<sub> </sub>


    "You''re Nameless?!" Teresa eximed.


    "Of course. Didn''t you know that?" Wain looked at her with a surprised look.


    "No... Hell, you have no idea how popr you are! As soon as I got to the Colosseum, the first thing I heard was your name!" Teresa uttered.


    "Huh, you want an autograph?" Wain grinned.


    "Very funny." Teresa frowned, "How do you think the mission will go if this crowd follows us?! There''s already over ten of them, but at this rate, it''s going to be over a hundred!"


    "Hmm... They''re not particrly strong, but then why do they know about Colosseum and about me? Okay, maybe it''s for the best. Third level monsters can handle them easily, but we''ll take action too." Wain said before his eyes shone brightly with golden light as his hair grew longer.


    Wain didn''t want to use other forms in front of strangers, so he decided to limit himself to the Light Racer.


    Whooooosh.


    Wain turned into a golden sh that, along with Teresa, headed into the tunnels in the distance. Wain moved at a tremendous speed as though a thread was piercing the cavework, so after a while, he was out of sight of his pursuers.


    "Did you use that power during that fight?" Teresa asked while getting off Wain on the ground.


    "One more question, and I''ll run away from you, too. I am Wain to you, not Nameless, do you understand that?" Wain said in a serious voice since he approached Teresa as his eyes looking directly into hers.


    "Okay, okay, whatever you say, just don''t look at me like that." Teresa said as she put her hands up.


    "Good." Wain nodded.


    Whooooooooosh.


    From above came Sk and Fosko, thatnded next to Wain and Teresa.


    "Hmm? How did you guys get here faster than us?" Sk asked while in confusion.


    "Well, we had to speed up a bit for some reason, but you have nothing to worry about." Wain shrugged as Teresa nodded slightly.


    "Okay... Anyway... We''re already there." Sk said while Green Cats membersnded behind her.


    "Nowes the most dangerous part. Look, they''re already waiting for us." Fosko said in a careless manner as he pointed in the side.


    A few kilometers away, on the other side of the third level of Granite Caverns, Twilight Embers members were waiting for them. They stood beside a massive blue crystal that was as bright as a star.


    The energy from the crystal passed upward as though the beam from the beacon directed to themon energy storage that made the Twilight Embers stronger every day.


    ''Wain... I need this...'' Cursed Swordsman said suddenly.


    ''What...? Don''t tell me...''


    ''Yeah... I''ll absorb that crystal.''

 Chapter 610 Monsters

    ''Are you sure you need this?'' Wain asked while looking at Crystal.


    ''Absolutely. This energy will suit me perfectly... Just do it.'' Cursed Swordsman uttered in a serious voice.


    ''Huh, that''s easy for you to say... I should have just destroyed the Crystal, but you''re offering to absorb it. Damn, you couldn''t have warned me?'' Wain resented while shaking his head.


    ''Stop whining. All they need is to get rid of Crystal, in what way you haven''t discussed.'' Cursed Swordsman smirked.


    Tap.


    Teresa touched Wain''s shoulder and asked, "Are you okay?"


    "Yeah. What''s our n?" Wain asked as he turned to Sk.


    "Everything is as agreed. Nina, along with everyone else, will attack the enemies that are near the base." Sk mouthed as she looked at Wain, Fosko, and Teresa, "The four of us will take on Crystal, but be careful. Twilight Embers will engage near their base so they''ll attract monsters to the battle, which will help them get rid of us."


    "Okay, I think it''s time for action. Just pick your opponents ording to your strength, and everyone stays in one piece." Fosko said in a careless manner before rushing forward.


    Sk, Wain, and Teresa silently followed them while Nina decided to wait a bit before giving the order to advance.


    Hundreds of monsters with predatory looks stared at the Green Cats as if at their victims, but they did not attack immediately. All monsters in the third level of Granite Caverns were at least in the Third Chronicle, so they possessed fairly high intelligence and knew when the best moment would be.


    "What an unpleasant feeling..." Teresa muttered while hopping from one stone ledge to another, "They''re looking at us like we''re breakfast."


    "Huh, well, I know someone who could literally roast them and eat them, not even a bone left." Wain grinned as he looked at the monsters below and released his aura.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Most of the monsters flinched in fear as they ran away from him, but some of the monsters that were in the Fourth Chronicle remained in ce, and only devious grins appeared on their faces.


    "Huh, this is going to be fun, hurry up, I can''t wait to get started!" Fosko eximed as a green magic circle appeared behind him, from which he bounced to speed up several times.


    p Sk became serious, too, as she put her cigarette away for the first time in a long time, and her eyes turned amber.</anda>


    Whoooooosh.


    Sk turned into a yellow beam and, with Fosko, attacked the barrier around the Twilight Embers base.


    A wave of energy went through the blue barrier, but the barrier withstood it, as hundreds of people constantly poured energy into the barrier and used various skills.


    "Tsk, the barrier was stronger than I thought." Sk frowned as she jumped back.


    "Damn, those sneaky bastards. If we can''t break through to their base, when Ninaes the monsters will attack us... It''ll be a bloodbath while Twilight Embers will just watch us fight." Fosko said with an angry look.


    "Huh, looks like you couldn''t have done it without us!" Wain eximed as a golden sh flew between Sk and Fosko that as though aet was headed for the barrier.


    Tremble.


    Waves of energy passed through the barrier that made it wobble while more and more cracks appeared near the exact impact like on the ss.


    "Restore the barrier! Now!" Someone shouted from the Twilight Embers base.<sub> </sub>


    At his order, dozens of people directed their energy to the damage while Wain tried to break through the barrier.


    ''Shit... It was harder than I thought, maybe use Ether for now?'' Wain muttered inwardly with a confused look.


    ''No, it''s not necessary yet. You''re not alone now.'' dius uttered in a calm voice.


    "Nameless, go on, I will help you." Teresa eximed as a silver rapier appeared in her hand.


    "Well, show me what you''ve aplished." Wain smirked before releasing more energy.


    "Oh, don''t worry, you won''t be disappointed. You may be the strongest, but you''re not the only one with power." Teresa uttered, jumping up as her eyes shed with a white plume that covered the de of her rapier.


    Teresa swung her rapier in an X-shaped as a white energy cross copsed onto the barrier.


    "Just what you need." Wain muttered as the barrier shattered into small pieces.


    Whooooosh.


    The angry Twilight Embers members immediately targeted Teresa, but before that hail of attacks could reach her, a golden ray appeared in front of Teresa and carried her away.


    Crackle.


    Shells rained down on the granite walls, so vast the caverns shook as the stctites tumbled down.


    "Looks like you took them out of their minds." Wain said as he lowered Teresa to the ground.


    "Yeah. What do you think of my skill? I made it up myself!" Teresa eximed with a proud look.


    "Not bad, pretty simple, but effective, I like it." Wain nodded in an approving manner, "Maybe, it''s about time I did my own skills, too."


    "Hmm? Haven''t you created any skills yet?" Teresa uttered while in disbelief.


    "Exactly. I have my ns for this, so I need to be patient. Okay, this isn''t the best ce to talk. Let''s go." Wain said, canceling his form and running toward Crystal.


    "Sure." Teresa nodded as Sk with Fosko appeared beside her.


    "You''re good. You have a pretty unique ability, that was light, right?" Sk asked while patting Teresa on the shoulder.


    "That it."


    "Hey, so you''re an Elf? With the dark hair? How interesting, let me check it out." Fosko smirked as he touched Teresa''s hair that hid her ear.


    "Don''t you dare touch!" Teresa eximed as she pped Fosko''s arm.


    "Okay, okay, whatever you say. I''ll find out soon enough anyway." Fosko took a step back with an apologetic look, but a slight smile gave him away.


    "That''s enough. We have a more important mission than finding out what kind of ears Nameless or she has." Sk said with a serious look as she headed toward Crystal.


    "Well, you''re right." Fosko muttered before following her.

 Chapter 611 Barrier

    Wain, Sk, Teresa, and Fosko headed for Crystal immediately after the first barrier was destroyed.


    The Twilight Embers members did not expect their first line of defense to fall so quickly, but theirmanders were prepared for emergencies, so Wain and the others were immediately attacked.


    Bam.


    A massive, muscr mannded in front of Wain as the ground beneath his feet cracked because of his great weight.


    "You''re pretty fast, right? What do you think would happen if I broke your legs?" The man uttered with an evil smirk on his face.


    "Hmm? Are you all right in the head? You''re in Third Chronicle, why the fuck are you standing in front of me? Do you want tomit suicide?" Wain muttered with a confused look.


    "Ahahahahahaha, I just didn''t want to scare you with my aura ahead of time!" The man eximed as his aura went on a higher level.


    ''Fourth Chronicle, two torches... He''s stronger than me in terms of energy.'' Wain inwardly as he yawned.


    ''What...? You bastard! You think you can behave so disrespectfully right in front of me?" The man eximed, and a huge hammer appeared in his hands.


    "No. I just don''t understand why my first opponent is a clown. Damn, that''s definitely bad luck." Wain shook his head before disappearing.


    "Huh, decided to run away?!" The man shouted with a furious look.


    "Well, I wish I could do it so I wouldn''t have to see your ugly face, but I have another method." Wain said as he appeared over the man.


    Tremble.


    With a sharp movement, Wain pressed the man''s head into the ground as the granite walls trembled.


    "Well, one''s done." Wain said while shaking the dust off his hands.


    "Hehehe, are you sure about that?" The man grinned, got up, and attacked.


    Bam.


    Wain blocked the attack as there was a ringing sound of metal as though a steel bat had hit him.


    "Hmm?" Wain stared at the man''s arm.


    The hand was half covered in a thinyer of metal, just like the man''s head.


    "Nameless, I''ve seen you fight. You''re very strong as well as fast, but you don''t seem to have any unique skills, so you can''t do anything against me." The man smirked as his other hand became iron.


    "I see... You''ve decided that your defense is superior to my attack. In that case, you should pray it turns out that way!" Wain uttered with an ice-cold look as his eyes were sharp as though des.


    A shiver ran down the man''s body, but he tried with all his might not to show his fear.


    "Let''s begin." Wain uttered, bent over as the ground beneath his feet cracked, and threw the man over himself.


    ''Agh...?'' The man didn''t even realize it before slumping to the ground again.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Wain began to punch the man in the stomach, but as his fist came closer, his skin turned to iron. Wain as though he hit not a living man but a sheet of metal, but he had no mind to stop as he gradually increased in speed.<sub> </sub>


    "Ahahahahahaha, I told you so! You don''t stand a chance, there''s no way you can prate my defenses!" The manughed in a mocking manner.


    Wain stopped for the first time in a long time. He looked at his bloody fists and shifted his gaze to the man''s head.


    "You want to try to smash my forehead? Do it! As soon as you fall down without strength, I''ll give you back every punch!" The man eximed as a mad smile appeared on his face.


    Wain shook the blood off his hand and, in a careless manner, approached the man''s head.


    "I hate to admit it, but you''re really solid, so I want you to know that what''s about to happen will give me special pleasure." Wain said as he grabbed the man''s head with both hands.


    "Huh, are youpletely stupid? Do you think you can break the toughest bone in the body? You''re ridiculous!"


    Wain said nothing, his cruel eyes spoke for him as his thumbs headed for the man''s eyes.


    "What...? Stop! No!" The man shuddered in fear as he realized what Wain was about to do.


    The man tried to get up, to throw Wain off of him, but as he tried to do so, he felt as though a whole mountain was pressing down on him.


    "Maybe in hell, they''ll teach you that arrogance never leads to anything good." Wain said before pressing his thumbs into the man''s eyes.


    Crackle.


    His fingers pierced the brain, and Wain removed his bloody hands from the man''s head as a purple soul flew out of the dead man''s chest.


    "Just Heroic Soul? What a shame, I thought I could fill my second torch, but I guess not this time." Wain said in a calm voice before crushing the soul.


    [You have absorbed energy from Heroic Soul.]


    [Your second torch is 0.03% full. Only 99.03%.]


    ''Just a drop in the sea.'' Wain muttered inwardly while shaking his head.


    ''Sea? Huh, it''s more like a drop in the ocean, in the biggest ocean, but if you absorb the Crystal, you get a huge amount of energy.'' Cursed Swordsman uttered.


    ''Oh, so it will do me good, too?'' Wain wondered.


    ''Of course. After all, the energy can''t get to me without going through you, so you''ll get a bigger chunk. Cursed Swordsman smirked.


    ''Why didn''t you say that before? In that case, if I have to, I''ll chew it up with my teeth like a fucking beaver!'' Wain smiled as he ran forward.


    Sk, Fosko, and Teresa also met their first opponents that tried to stop them, but they easily handled them and were almost to the Crystal.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Suddenly Fosko appeared next to Wain and said, "I saw your fight, dude, it was incredible. I don''t even know what I liked more, your terrifying look or how you straightened him out, it was fun."


    "Well, there''s always something creepy hiding under a nice smile, so this is definitely your case." Wain said as he looked at Fosko''s opponent, or rather what was left of him.


    The man''s body had been cut in many ces with something sharp, very carefully to bring as much pain as possible, and when the man finally died, there was an indelible fear engraved on his face forever.

 Chapter 612 Twilight Embers

    "Stop them! Don''t let them get near the Crystal!" One of themanders eximed.


    Dozens of fighters marched to defend the Crystal, it was their greatest treasure, so many were willing to give their lives for it.


    Crackle.


    "Not so fast." Amanding voice rang out with a crackle of lightning.


    Nina appeared between Sk and her enemies while her hands sparkled with blue lightning.


    "If you want to stop our leader, you''ll have to deal with us first. Who will be the first to risk a fight with me?" Nina uttered with a serious look as she prepared for battle.


    ''Well, well, she''s certainly changed. It looks like light really isn''t the only way for Angels, but she still needs to grow up to Markaz. Her darkness is just beginning to awaken.'' Wain thought with a slight smile on her face.


    Among the blue sparks of lightning, there were the asional almost imperceptible dark ones, they were insignificant and seemed to disappear soon, but Wain knew that a drop of darkness was enough to eventually consume everything.


    "Somebody deal with that girl!" Someone yelled before a fireball flew at Nina.


    "Idiots." Nina muttered as she turned into a blue sh.


    She walked through the ranks of enemies, and her hands mmed into the chests of two people as they came out the other side, along with the hearts that were still beating.


    "Good. Nina will definitely be able to hold them off for a while, let''s go we need to act as fast as we can." Sk uttered and headed for the barrier.


    Wain, Fosko, and Teresa nodded.


    Several people stood at the barrier, but just Sk''s fierce stare was enough to make them flinch in fear and run away.


    "Hey, did you have to scare them? I would have dly dealt with them." Fosko muttered as he sighed with annoyance.


    "Shut up. You have a job to do. You two must protect Nameless and me while we destroy the barrier." Sk said as she looked at Teresa.


    "Protect? From whom?" Teresa asked while in confusion.


    "From them." Fosko looked up.


    Whoooooosh.


    Two white shes rushed toward them that shone brightly like stars. Wain, Fosko, Sk, and Teresa jumped aside as the shesnded in front of the barrier.


    "Who are they?" Teresa frowned.


    "My and Fosko''s main rivals." Sk spoke with a serious look, "They are Twilight Embers Heads and some of the strongest fighters in the eastern area of Dermin."


    On the left was a tall man with white hair, amber eyes, and ashy skin as the mes that burned brightly on his arms. On the right was a girl with a calm look, long hair, and particles of ash floating around her sword at her belt.


    ''Ashens... I haven''t seen them in a long time. This girl doesn''t seem to use mes, she could be dangerous.'' Wain thought while remembering Forgotten''s incredible skills.


    "Lin and Kane, the siblings that lead Twilight Embers." Fosko said as the smile disappeared from his face for the first time in a long time.


    A man stepped forward, stared at Sk, and said, "So you decided to do it after all."<sub> </sub>


    "Yes. This time it will be decided. There can''t be two leaders in one territory! Someone alone must rule the eastern district, and it will be us!" Sk eximed as her fists lit up in red mes.


    "Brother... Along with them is this traitor..." Lin muttered as she pointed at Teresa.


    "I see. I knew she couldn''t be trusted. Anyway, it''s even good that she''s here, we''ll solve a few problems at once, but before that..." Kane said as he stared at Wain, "Nameless, I suggest you change sides. I''m sure I can offer you more than these two cats."


    "What?!" Sk and Teresa eximed with dazed looks as Fosko just grinned.


    "I doubt it. Your main treasure is behind you, so you have nothing that could interest me. Moreover, there is no way I can fight against her." Wain pointed at Teresa, "So, enough of these pathetic attempts. Let''s get down to business already."


    "Brother, I want to fight Nameless..." Lin whispered with a calm look.


    "Huh, you think you can handle him?" Kane grinned as he prepared for battle.


    "Yeah." Lin nodded.


    "Good, then I''ll take on the others." Kane uttered before tearing into Sk.


    Kane turned into a sh of me that rushed toward Sk at breakneck speed. The white me was so hot that it literally made the stone boil.


    Crackling.


    In front of Kane appeared Fosko, that stopped him with a grip on his wrists.


    "Hey, do you really think you''re going to fight Sk? I''m enough for you, isn''t it?" Fosko smirked as he bared his sharp fangs.


    "Bastard..." Kane frowned.


    Lin didn''t stand, she stepped forward gracefully and instantly as though a ghost was in front of Wain. Her gaze was calm, but her aura evoked only one feeling - impending death.


    Lin drew her sword from its sheath, sighed, and swung it from top to bottom. The de went directly to Wain''s shoulder while ash particles flew away.


    Crackle.


    Suddenly Teresa appeared in front of Wain as she blocked the attack with the rapier.


    "Get away. You''re in my way." Lin said in an indifferent voice before swinging her sword.


    Her attack was incredibly fast, so Teresa barely had time to get her rapier in front of her. Lin''s swing created a wave of ash that left a massive cut on Teresa''s chest as the impact tossed her aside.


    "Bitch! I''ll cut you into pieces!" Teresa shouted with a furious look as her energy increased. She was about to activate her Beyond.


    "Shut up. You''re nothing more than an addition to Nameless. You''re under him, not beside him." Lin muttered, and her hand turned into a blur.


    She swung her sword several times, then a multitude of cuts appeared on Teresa''s body that exploded with a flood of blood. Teresa tried to stay on her feet, but a few secondster, she passed out.


    "Okay, that''s enough. Nameless, nothing will stop us from fighting you now." Lin pointed her sword at Wain.

 Chapter 613 The Sword

    Everyone froze for a while. A very powerful aura was emanating from Teresa, so no one could believe that Lin could handle her so easily.


    For the Twilight Embers members, it was a small victory since one of the strongest opponents had already been defeated as for the monsters, Teresa was a victim that could easily be finished off and get a huge amount of energy.


    "You want to fight me? Fine." Wain smirked as a stream of dark energy erupted from the seal on his palm that made everyone shudder in fear, "But, I want to ask you, why did you choose ashes?"


    "You seem to know the dilemma all Ashens face. I decided that calm ash is better than a bright me for the art of the sword, isn''t it?" Lin said before swinging her sword.


    Crackling.


    In the distance, a massive boulder was cut off that fell to the ground with a rumble.


    "I see. You just picked what works best for you." Wain nodded, "I have a friend who thinks differently. To him, ash is the only way to achieve power, so let''s see which one of you is right."


    In Wain''s hand appeared a dark sword that exuded an eerie aura as though a warrior who had been through dozens of wars.


    "Nameless! We must destroy the barrier!" Sk eximed.


    "Well, we must improvise. I believe Fosko is strong, but there''s no way he can hold these two together long enough for us to make it through. Try to loosen the barrier, for now, I don''t think I''ll need much time." Wain said in a mocking manner before swinging his sword.


    Lin''s pupils narrowed as she took a step back, so the sword de flew a millimeter from her neck.


    "What...? Lin retreated...? She decided not to block the attack...?" Kane muttered with a dazed look.


    "Hey, your sister is contentedly beautiful, but right now, the only one you should be looking at is me!" Fosko eximed as he tossed Kane into the air.


    "Bastard. You think you''re all still stronger, right? Then let me show you how big the difference between us is! I''ll just burn you to the ground!" Kane eximed as he pointed his hands at Fosko.


    A white me burst out of his palms thatpletely engulfed Fosko. The me was so hot that it spread rock as thoughva was pouring down.


    Whooooosh.


    Out of the torrents of me jumped Fosko, under which a green magic circle appeared as two sharp daggers in his hands.


    "Well, well, with mes like that, you can''t even make a fire. It looks like the extra energy made you overconfident, but I''ll help you fix it." Fosko smirked and snapped his finger.


    Dozens of green magical circles appeared around Kane that floated in the air thanks to the lights under his feet. They had only one purpose, to be a tool for Fosko.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Fosko, like a shadow, began to jump from one magic circle to another, gradually increasing in speed.


    "Tsk. This is ridiculous." Kane waved his hand, the mes under his feet intensified, and he headed beyond the sphere.


    Crackling.


    Suddenly something flew in front of Kane as a long cut appeared on his arm, from which a stream of blood gushed forth.


    "What...?" Kane muttered with a dazed look.


    "Ahahahaha, you want to escape? Try it! Your only way out of the sphere is in pieces!" Fosko eximed, swung his des and an X-shaped cut appeared on Kane''s back.


    Fosko had no intention of stopping. He used all his speed and skill to increase the number of wounds on Kane''s body gradually.<sub> </sub>


    Kane attacked with clots of me, but Fosko was too fast. Even though the fire seemed to reach him, in fact, he was already behind Kane.


    "You wretched cat! You are nothing more than an animal!" Kane shouted with a furious look as his mes intensified.


    Kane mmed his palms together, and a massive wave of me that spread dozens of yards around him departed.


    "Oh, shit..." Fosko muttered before bouncing away from the magic circle.


    "Damn... That looks dangerous." Wain said with a slight smile on his face while looking at the approaching mes.


    Whooooosh.


    Wain swung his sword as he split the mes so they wouldn''t hit him or Teresa, thaty behind.


    The mes headed toward the Twilight Embers members as they already began to erect protective barriers.


    "Eh... Brother always acts rashly... Sometimes it can be quite problematic." Lin muttered, sighed, and swung her sword.


    Her movement was graceful as all the mes headed toward her sword as if a whirlwindpletely covered it, then disappeared.


    "Miss Lin, thank you!" Someone eximed.


    "It''s all right." Lin looked at Kane, "Brother, you need to get out of here, or else while you deal with your opponent, you''ll kill all our people."


    "Tsk. Okay, I hear you." Kane frowned as he flew down.


    Kane headed toward the spacious cave that was below the Twilight Embers base. There were dozens of monsters waiting for him, but as soon as Kane released his me, the monsters scattered away.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Kane waved his hand as a huge fire circle appeared on the ground.


    "Come here. This arena is just for the two of us. Either my mes go out or your cat ears stay here forever!'' Kane eximed while pointing at Fosko.


    "Well, well, a man has never asked me out before. Support me, this is my first experience." Fosko smirked and, a momentter was at the circle of fire.


    Kane snapped his finger as he opened a passage for Fosko.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly the ground trembled as several monsters with menacing auras approached Fosko. All of them had recently moved into the Fourth Chronicle, but they were truly dangerous creatures.


    "Are you guys aware that it''s not good to disturb others? You can watch if you want, but keep your distance." Fosko uttered as he turned around.


    "Hehehe, there are only two of you here. You are in our territory, so today, you will die and be our dinner!" The huge Lizard eximed before attacking Fosko.


    Fosko jumped up as the monster''s paw passed under his feet, looked at Kane, and said, "Sorry, I''m sorry my fans are bothering you, I''ll deal with it now."


    Fosko smirked as his des gleamed.

 Chapter 614 The Hundred Cuts

    "Pfft, you think I need your help? I could easily burn them as long as there aren''t even ashes left." Kane said as he waved his hand in a careless manner.


    "Well, you still haven''t done it, so you better see what awaits you." Fosko smirked, bent down, and his pupils narrowed.


    Whooooooosh.


    Fosko, with a mad look, ran at the Giant Lizard and attacked. The Lizard''s hide was covered in a thickyer of tough granite, so wounding the Lizard was extremely difficult, but Fosko''s des mmed effortlessly into the monster''s flesh.


    "What...? How...?!" The Lizard eximed before attacking Fosko.


    "Huh, you''re just a stupid monster that thinks size solves anything." Fosko uttered as he jumped up with a devious smile on his face.


    Fosko touched the monster''s paw and changed his grip on his des so that the de was now facing the monster.


    Whoooooosh.


    Fosko lunged forward while the des sliced through the monster''s skin as blood streamed from the wound. Fosko instantly got to the Lizard''s head and jumped on its nose.


    "How do you like that? Did you like it?" Fosko licked his lips, stared into the Lizard''s eyes, and stepped forward, "Personally, I don''t, as it''s not enough. I assure you, you and your friends will only leave here by as bloody parts!"


    Fosko spun as though a whirlwind and pierced the Lizard''s head through the eye. The hole was wide through as the Lizard fell dead, but Fosko wasn''t going to stop there, so he switched to the other monsters.


    The green vortex moved from one monster to the next, each time it took no more than three seconds, but it was enough for Fosko to turn the monster practically into mincemeat.


    "Phew, it''s been a long time since I moved like that. It was pretty hard not to get dirty." Fosko said while wiping the sweat from his forehead with his hand.


    "Damn. You''re still as fast, no you''re even faster. Huh, now I''m really curious!" Kane eximed with a menacing look as his mes intensified.


    "Of course. It''s time for us to fight." Fosko swung his daggers as he knocked the blood off them and entered the fire circle.


    ...


    "Looks like your brother''s going to have a hard time." Wain grinned.


    "My brother is strong, he can handle it. You better worry about yourself." Lin swung her sword, "I won''t kill you, that''s not my style, but at the end of our fight, I''ll see what lurks beneath your mask, Nameless."


    "Well, you can try to do that." Wain shrugged, stepped forward, and swung his sword from top to bottom with an ice cold look.


    Lin blocked the attack as she took a step back, but suddenly she felt she couldn''t move her arm to counterattack. Wain''s attack was not only very fast but also heavy. He used all his strength, so the ground beneath Lin''s feet cracked.


    "You think rough methods are what swordsmen should use?" Lin frowned as her hand shook.


    "Huh, we''re not having a swordsmanship tournament here, but a fight, so I''ll use whatever it takes to win. Like this." Wain smirked as he kicked her in the stomach.


    Lin''s face contorted in pain since she vomited a mouthful of blood.


    ? Whooooosh.<sub> </sub>


    Wain turned around, grabbed Lin by the neck, and threw him into the nearest boulder that broke in two as Lin flew into it.


    "Nameless! How dare you beat Miss Lin like that! I thought you were a fair fighter since you could aplish so much in the Colosseum!" Someone from Twilight Embers eximed.


    Wain looked in his direction, frowned, and said, "Only the strong decide everything. Do you think the rules mean anything? If you''re dead, you don''t care anymore.


    Then, Wain turned to Nina, "Hey, maybe it''s time to start doing your job. Why am I being distracted from fighting by some idiots?"


    "Yes..." Nina nodded as she rushed forward.


    Her zippers struck one enemy after another, forcing them to shut down due to too much strain.


    Crackling.


    Lin climbed out of the boulder, shook off the dust, and adopted a particr stance. The tip of her sword pointed directly at Wain''s chest as her legs were slightly bent.


    "Do you want to pierce me?" Wain said in a careless manner while swinging her sword from side to side.


    "Get ready." Lin simply replied as particles of ash appeared around her.


    Lin stepped forward as her silhouette blurred. She as though the sh instantly reached Wain as well as her sword.


    A ng.


    "What...?" Lin muttered with a dazed look.


    Her sword should have pierced Wain''s chest, but it was stopped by the broad side of the dark sword.


    "How is that possible...? Your sword should have shattered into tiny shards..." Lin uttered while in disbelief.


    "Ahahahaha, you thought you could break my sword? Damn, that''s probably one of the dumbest things I''ve ever heard." Wain uttered before swinging his sword.


    Blood gushed from Lin''s shoulder as she jumped aside while holding the wound with her hand. Wain knocked the blood off the sword and headed toward Lin with a slow stride.


    Lin''s gaze was no longer as calm as before, her face showed anxiety with a drop of fear that appeared in her heart.


    "Tsk, it''s a shame." Lin muttered.


    "Hmm? You don''t like losing?" Wain grinned, "Don''t worry, it happens to everyone sooner orter."


    "No. That''s not what I mean. You were able to get me, that''s true, but I''m still absolutely certain of my victory." Lin uttered with a serious look.


    "Huh, self-confidence can sometimes lead to a bad ending, you know?" Wain said as he threw the sword on his shoulder, "You don''t stand a chance. Your fencing skills are excellent, but you clearlyckbat experience."


    "It''s a shame that I have to use this ahead of time. I wanted to defeat you with only a sword, but it seems I overestimated my capabilities." Lin uttered, and her aura multiplied.

 Chapter 615 The Power Of Ashes

    White energy streams soared around Lin that gradually enveloped her as her appearance changed.


    "Already decided to use a Beyond, not bad." Wain smirked, plunged his sword into the ground, and leaned on the hilt in a careless manner.


    "Hey! Nameless! She''s defenseless now! Why don''t you attack?" Nina eximed as she pulled her bloody palm from her opponent''s chest.


    "Hmm? Do you think I have no honor at all? Is a duel between two swordsmen much different from a battle between two noble knights?" Wain asked with a confused look.


    ''What?! You were fighting like a barbarian a moment ago! What honor are you talking about?!'' Nina inwardly shouted while in disbelief.


    Whooooosh.


    The white energy streams dissipated as Lin swung her sword, which now looked like a snow-white katana.


    On Lin appeared a silver tiara, a loose white cloak with the image of a lily, and white tattoos all over his body.


    Lin turned the de of the katana as ash came off it, and in a few waves, it spread around.


    "Nameless, I''m waiting. Activate your Beyond." Lin said with a serious voice as she raised her hand.


    "A Beyond? I''m afraid that''s not your level, dear. If I do that, at best, you''ll be left with a piece of your cloak." Wain smirked before pulling his sword from the ground.


    "Well, then I''ll make you do it." Lin said as she rushed forward.


    ''Hmm... If you think about it, I haven''t used my Beyond once yet since I evolved. Huh, I hope this girl doesn''t throw words to the wind.'' Wain grinned, stepped forward, and swung his sword horizontally.


    A dark de erupted from the sword that instantly reached Lin.


    Lin just swung the de from top to bottom, and the ash tore the darkness apart, then Lin lifted her palm as the ash turned into two streams that came down on Wain from different directions.


    Wain''s eyes grew sharper as he swung his sword with incredible speed. Waves of ash were sliced apart with dark des, but at the snap of Lin''s finger, the ash became one whole again.


    ''Fuck!'' Wain inwardly eximed as he jumped aside.


    Streams of ash crashed to the ground right in front of him, then split, and through them flew Lin as she pierced Wain.


    ng.


    Wain blocked the first attack, but a momentter, Lin attacked again as she gradually gained speed.


    "Still think I''m not worthy of seeing your true power?" Lin muttered while unleashing a barrage of attacks on Wain.


    Her hands moved with great speed as streams of ash helped her, so sometimes she managed to reach Wain and leave a few cuts on his body.


    Wain remained silent as he just clenched his teeth and concentrated fully on Lin''s attacks.


    ''Ahahahaha, that girl''s pretty good. She''s overwhelming you. Are you so weak you can''t handle her?'' diusughed in a mocking manner.


    ''Shut up. She''s a monster, anyone in my position would have a head on their shoulders by now, but... it''s not really enough. Wain said inwardly as his gaze turned icy.


    A sphere of darkness appeared in Wain''s hand as he struck the ground with his palm. A st of ck energy destroyed the mes as it engulfed Lin, so she had to defend herself with a cocoon of ash.<sub> </sub>


    Crackling.


    A hand broke through the cocoon as Wain swung his sword from the bottom up. Lin blocked the attack, but suddenly the dark de pierced her leg as Wain grabbed Lin by the neck.


    "I think I''ll be serious this time." Wain uttered in an ice-cold voice.


    Wain plunged the sword into Lin''s stomach as she vomited a mouthful of blood. Wain didn''t stop there, he kept thrusting the sword until there were more than ten holes in Lin''s belly, then he pounded her to the ground as a wave of pain went through her entire body with the blood that spurted from her mouth.


    "Well, it wasn''t easy, but you''re a long way from being what I''d call a serious opponent." Wain said as he knocked the blood off his sword.


    ...


    "Huh, looks like your sister is finished." Fosko smirked while holding his shoulder because of the severe burn.


    "Nameless... He didn''t raise his Rating so quickly for anything, but Lin is strong. She can handle anything." Kane uttered in a confident voice before unleashing a torrent of me thatpletely covered him.


    "Damn... You decided to start fighting seriously too... That looks dangerous." Fosko shook his head as he prepared for battle.


    ...


    Lin was still alive, but she was breathing heavily while her gaze gradually darkened.


    "Nameless! Kill her! Hurry!" Nina eximed.


    "Sure." Wain nodded as he put the sword de to Lin''s throat, "Anyst words?"


    "No... Not now..." Lin said with difficulty.


    Wain shrugged and said, "Goodbye."


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Wain swung his sword as Lin''s eyes shed. A white stream of energy burst out of her that swept Wain and tossed him aside dozens of meters.


    ''Hm? What was that? She was definitely near death... She was using some artifact?'' Wain muttered inwardly with a confused look.


    ''No... That girl has something you don''t possess yet. Hehehe, I wonder how long you canst this time?'' dius chuckled.


    ''What''s he talking about...?'' Wain wondered while looking at Lin.


    Changes began to happen to her again, but it was much more serious this time.


    Her katana was once again a sword from that emanated ash as three of the same swords hovered above her as if satellites. One ash wing appeared on Lin''s back, and her eyes turned gray.


    She wore a long gray mantle fluttering in the wind, and ash particles constantly separated from it.


    "Nameless, you forced me to use my strongest weapon. This is my Form - the Phantom of the Ashes." Lin uttered with a deadly look, "I hope you show me everything you can do before I pierce your heart."


    "You can try if you want, but I won''t feel sorry for you." Wain uttered as he prepared for battle.

 Chapter 616 The Swordsman

    "Nameless! Let''s go deal with her together!" Sk eximed as she headed toward Wain.


    "STOP!" Wain said in an ice-cold voice, "Don''t you dare interfere in my fight, or my opponent will be you! Someone has already ruined my fight recently, and I won''t stand for it again!"


    Sk shuddered at Wain''s harsh voice as goosebumps ran down her body. She felt strange as it wasn''t fear, it was as though she wanted to obey his words.


    ''Damn... What''s wrong with him? What dangerous bastard have I decided to mess with this time?'' Sk inwardly muttered before returning to the barrier.


    ''You are a warrior, after all. I knew it, so I''ll show you all my power." Lin spoke with a calm look as she ducked.


    The sword above her twitched slightly as Lin turned into a sh that instantly found herself behind Wain.


    Whoooooooosh.


    A mighty stream of wind came with little dy as dozens of cuts appeared on Wain''s body.


    "Agh!" Wain eximed in pain as he fell to one knee.


    His face contorted in agony while blood flowed from his wounds and gradually turned into a river.


    Tap. Tap. Tap.


    Lin slowly paced toward Wain while particles of ash from her cloak turned into new swords, each aimed at Wain.


    "You are arrogant. Your opponent has used a Beyond and the Form, but you still haven''t even applied a skil. Come on, the moment hase, I don''t want it to end like this." Lin uttered since her aura increased manifold.


    Wain''s gaze became cruel as though the demon and nearby appeared gray energy streams.


    "Oh... What an unusual power... It''s your a Beyond, right? Come on, I want to see it!" Lin uttered with a mad smile on her face.


    The energypletely covered Wain as his appearance began to change, but suddenly all the energy was gone.


    "Ah...? What? Why did you cancel this?!" Lin eximed as she swung her sword.


    A simple swing created a wave of ash that left a massive hole in the wall as if after being hit by an asteroid.


    "Sorry, I had a little meeting in my head, so I decided you were worthy of more." Wain shook his hand.


    "What are you talking about...?" Lin muttered while in confusion.


    "You''re a swordsman, so let me show you what a sword can really do!" Wain eximed as a stream of blue energy burst out of him.


    "What...?!" Lin covered herself with her hand, but it wasn''t enough, so the stream tossed her aside.


    Everything near Wain began to be covered in ice as the temperature on the third level of Granite Caverns dropped dramatically. The water attacks were turned to ice as the fire gradually went out.


    "What is this...?" Nina whispered with a dazed look.


    Whooooooosh.<sub> </sub>


    A flow of energy passed through Wain as his appearance changed considerably.


    Dark energy emanated from his hair, his blue eyes were cold and deadly as the tattoos of chains on his bare torso. Wain''s feet were barefoot, but the ice did not impede him in any way, for it was his chief ally.


    ''Heh, you already got a gift from Light Racer, so now it''s my turn. Show this girl how to fight.'' Cursed Swordsman uttered as dius disappeared.


    In Wain''s left hand appeared a long sword with a special engraving in the form of runes through which cold energy flowed that constantly exuded blue steam. The sword''s guard was in the shape of a skull as the hilt was bare.


    [You received the artifact of the second form, Cursed Swordsman - Ice Terror.]


    [Ice Terror (Unique)


    This sword was forged by the best cksmith who lived in the coldest ce on the whole continent, but any cksmith needs proper materials to create a masterpiece, so one day a strange swordsman came to him with something unique.


    The basis of Ice Terror is the best part from the spine of the Ice Dragon that long ruled thosends. The cksmith wanted to know how the swordsman managed to defeat such an opponent, but he had no time for that as he went straight to work.


    Break the ice - freeze the hearts].


    ''Not bad. Maybe it does not rece the dius, but during the action of the second form, this sword fits much better.'' Wain muttered inwardly as he swung the sword.


    To Wain''s left was an abyss where dozens of monsters were watching the fight, but now they had all be ice statues that could copse at any touch.


    "Is that... Your a Beyond...?" Lin muttered with a confused look, "Or is that your Form? No, it can''t be, you showed your Form at the Colosseum. It''s very different."


    The others were also shocked as, for a time, the fight between the two Guilds stopped. Many had watched Wain''s fight at the Colosseum or at least heard about it, so they had no exnation for what was happening now.


    "Beyond? The Form? The Skill? Does it matter?" Wain tilted his head in a careless manner, "All you have to think about now is how to survive."


    Whooooosh.


    Wain''s silhouette blurred as he appeared before Lin.


    Lin swung his arm, so the dozens of ash swords turned into an imprable shield.


    "Huh, this is ridiculous." Wain shook his head before attacking.


    Ice Terror easily cut through the shield as two pieces fell to the ground in a frozen state, then Wain swung his sword once more, vertically, so the icy de copsed on Lin.


    Lin''s mantle soared up as ash blocked the attack, but it immediately began to freeze at great speed.


    "Shit!" Lin yelled as she cut off part of her mantle to keep it from freezing.


    "Ahahahahaha! Why are you running away? Can''t you cut me again?! Come on! Do it!" Wainughed as he swung his sword several times.


    Several icy des were headed toward Lin that was destroying everything in their path, so Lin had to jump aside while her mantle gradually recovered.


    ''Shit, shit, shit, what kind of power is this! Why don''t I know anything about it?!'' Lin inwardly shouted as she bit her fingers to the blood.

 Chapter 617 Ice

    Wain, in a careless manner, headed toward Lin while the tip of his sword pierced the ground as it instantly turned to ice.


    "You have a pretty strong Form, your ash has protected you well since thest attack, I was intent on killing you." Wain spoke with a sly smile on his face.


    Lin was silent while her eyes stared at different points as if she was trying to figure out what to do. She was incredibly talented, so facing such an opponent was really stressful for her.


    ''Fuck! When I use the Form, even my brother can''t handle me! Why is Nameless so strong? Why am I running away?!'' Lin eximed inwardly, biting her lip and waving her hand.


    Arge amount of ash came out of her mantle and turned into a massive avnche. It copsed on Wain as a vast shadow fell over him.


    "Hey, aren''t you a swordsman? Why are you acting like a mage?" Wain grinned as he pointed his sword at the avnche, "Well, I can''t me you for that."


    Whooooooooosh.


    The runes on Ice Terror shed brightly, and ciers emerged from the ground that stopped the avnche. The shockwave from the collision of the two forces dispersed with a powerful stream of wind for hundreds of meters around as particles of ash and ice covered the ground.


    "Beautiful, isn''t it?" Wain asked as he changed his grip on his sword.


    Wain bent down, sighed, and jumped high up. As though a shadow, he appeared before Lin and swung his sword with a cold look.


    ''Damn! I can''t block this one!'' Lin''s eyes widened as she recoiled to the side.


    Crackling.


    The icy de sliced down the ledge Lin was standing on, so a huge granite boulder tumbled down, causing a small shake.


    "Shit! That Nameless fuckin'' psycho! Somebody stop him!" One of the Twilight Embers eximed before running toward Wain''s.


    However, his journey was not long as Nina appeared behind him. Her bloodied palm, covered in dark lightning bolts, pierced the man''s chest as she crushed his head with her foot.


    "You miserable worm..." Nina muttered with a contemptuous look while she continued stomping on the man''s corpse.


    After a while, Nina stopped, sighed, and mouthed, "Phew... I need to calm down, I''ve gotten too worked up..."


    ''But... This is unbelievable. For the past few days, everyone in the Guild has been talking about Nameless fighting with us, he''s a strong fighter, but I had no idea how much he is...'' Nina muttered to herself.


    Wain didn''t stop for a second. He kept attacking Lin, and gradually the Granite Caverns around the base of Twilight Embers turned into a massive cier. Wherever Wain appeared, everything froze, not even Lin''s ashes could resist it.


    ...


    "Hehehe, looks like your sister''s going to end soon." Fosko smirked as he wiped the blood that dripped from the corners of his mouth.


    Fosko had green light armor with ancient runes while various tattoos shone brightly on his body. He was wounded in many ces, but his keen eyes showed that he could still fight and were dangerous.


    "Tsk. You better shut up." Kane uttered with a furious look, "Once I''m done with you, there''s nothing stopping me from helping her. Nameless, not almighty."<sub> </sub>


    "Well, try if you can." Fosko smirked as he tossed the daggers aside as though they were useless trash.


    Fosko put his hand on the ground, gritted his teeth like a wild animal, and filled his eyes with blood. Now he looked more like a wild beast than a man.


    ...


    "Is that really all you can do?" Wain asked as he swung his sword.


    Lin covered her mantle as the impact threw her down with tremendous force, so she was pressed to the ground.


    ''Fuck! I have practically no energy left! This... This is myst chance!'' Lin internally uttered as she rose despite the pain.


    All the ash from her robe rushed to her sword, that turned into white energy, gradually increasing the strength of the weapon.


    "Oh, decided to put all her power into one attack?" Wain raised an eyebrow, "Okay, I like that. I''ll do the same, try not to die as this will be my strongest attack!"


    Wain gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, sighed, and directed energy from the runes to the de. Normally ice was solid, but the steam floating around the sword was much colder as even the air around it froze.


    Lin''s hands shook because she could feel how deadly Wain''s energy was, but she couldn''t back down, or it would be her greatest shame.


    "You don''t give up until the very end, right? Good, that''s the great fighting spirit. To die for!" Wain eximed before attacking.


    Two des, one icy, the other ashy, rushed toward each other with power that shook the space. All eyes were on Wain and Lin as the oue of the battle, as their lives literally depended on this collision.


    "What is this...?" Nina muttered with a dazed look.


    Crackle.


    A spark appeared high above, then a pir of purple thunder came crashing down between Wain and Lin.


    It was a devastating attack that destroyed the ice and ash as the shockwave tossed Lin aside.


    "What the hell... What are you doing here?!" Sk shouted with an angry look as she stared upward.


    A girl with long purple hair, green eyes, and ck battle armor hovered next to one cave. On her back were mechanical wings that, with the help of engines, allowed her to fly.


    "Huh, I just decided to join your party. What''s wrong with that?" The girl smirked as she flew over to Lin.


    She picked Lin up and threw her to Kane, that flew out of the fire circle and caught his sister.


    "Prima... What does that mean?" Kane asked with a confused look.


    "It''s nothing of the sort. I''m not interested in your disputes. I don''t care who''s in charge in the Eastern District, the Green Cats or the Twilight Embers, though it''s pretty clear who won." Prima said as she looked at Sk, "As head of the northern district, I have no right to interfere with you, so I came here to fight Nameless!"

 Chapter 618 Technology

    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    An eerie aura emanated from Wain that as though ghosts were spreading around. Some of those in the Third Chronicle were forced to bend a knee to cope with the pressure while the ground beneath Wain was covered in cracks. His eyes were bloodshot and looked like they might burst at any moment.


    "You... Who gave you permission to interfere in my fight?" Wain shouted in a furious voice as it spread throughout the third level of Granite Caverns.


    "Well, well, looks like I managed to piss off the always cold Nameless. Should I put that in my personal achievement book? What do you think?" Prima said in a careless manner.


    "Nameless, calm down!" Sk eximed, "This is Prima. She''s the head of the Northern District. You shouldn''t quarrel with her."


    "Shut up!" Wain eximed, "Do you even know what a good fight is? Ah?! This is the second time it has been ruined! First, a damn dragon, and now a piece of metal! All you have to do is destroy the barrier! Why haven''t you done that yet?!"


    Whoooooooosh.


    Wain threw Ice Terror at the barrier. The sword turned into an ice cone that possessed a huge amount of energy. Waves of energy went through the barrier as it shook violently, but it wasn''t enough to break through the barrier that set up the Fifth Chronicle one.


    ''Almost... Let''s add some more power...'' Cursed Swordsman muttered as the cone suddenly spun.


    The pressure finally cracked the barrier, then it shattered into small pieces as a wave of energy spread apart.


    "Great! This is incredible! Now the Crystal is ours!" Sk eximed with a happy look.


    Wain jumped to the crystal and put his palm to it.


    "Wait... What are you going to do?" Sk uttered while in disbelief.


    "You wanted to get rid of the Crystal, so I will help you do it. Don''t you dare get in my way, or you will be my enemy." Wain looked at Sk with an ice-cold look before thrusting his sword into the crystal.


    Blue waves of energy came out of the crystal and went in all directions, but as soon as Wain released his aura, all the currents rushed toward him.


    The tattoos of chains on Wain''s body sparkled brightly as his power increased. With each passing second, the energy was more and more, as did the cracks in the crystal.


    ''Great. That''s what it takes. You certainly didn''te here for anything.'' The Cursed Swordsman smirked.


    Wain nodded, turned the sword, and pulled it out of the crystal.


    Crackle.


    The already gray crystal,pletely devastated, shattered into small shards as the debris rolled on the ground. One of those reached Prima, that stopped it with her foot.


    "Well, well, itpletely absorbed that much energy in less than a minute. I wonder which Ras can do that?" Prima grinned as she crushed the shard of crystal.


    Wain stared at her with a gaze that as though it could literally pierce her.


    "Okay, it looks like the main reason you''re all gathered here is gone, so if you''d be so kind as to clear the room." Prima snapped her finger as she spread her mechanical wings.


    Small metal spheres flew out of the wings that, like drones, headed toward the Guild members, wounded or not, it didn''t matter. The spheres flew toward everyone but Wain, Sk, Teresa, Lin, Fosko, and Kane.<sub> </sub>


    The spheres opened as they turned into small robots with arms, so they grabbed the humans and carried them away.


    "Don''t resist. She''s right, you have no reason to stay here anymore." Sk said while holding her arms crossed.


    "I don''t mind if you are staying, but please move a safe distance away. I''m not sure I can keep you safe in this situation." Prima said as she waved her hand.


    The drones left everyone who could still stand on their feet on the edges of the caves, there was an excellent view of the battlefield.


    Whoooooosh.


    Fosko appeared beside Teresa, threw her on his shoulder, and said, "Since we''ve made it, we''ll leave you to it. Have a nice day."


    Fosko touched Sk''s shoulder as they disappeared and were a mile away.


    "Nameless... If it wasn''t for Prima you would definitely have killed my sister. I won''t forget that, and one day you''ll have to take my challenge! I will have my revenge!" Kane uttered with a serious look before flying away.


    "Why did you set all this up?" Wain asked as he pointed his sword at Prima.


    Prima stared intently into his eyes for a while, then leaned slightly and said, "Nameless, I apologize for interfering in your fight, I know what happened during your fight at Colosseum, so it was rude of me, but instead of her, I will fight you."


    "Tsk. Don''t say that nonsense." Wain frowned, "You didn''t have to get in my way! Just one second and this girl would have turned into an ice statue, then I would have no problem fighting you, so you definitely did it on purpose!"


    "Huh, looks like I''ve been figured out." Prima grinned.


    ''Well... Why did you do that?''


    "Maybe because I''m very kind, or maybe... I just wanted to piss you off properly." Prima smirked as her hair electrified.


    "Shit. I swear, if anyone interrupts me this time, I will shred everyone indiscriminately." Wain uttered, shook his head, and prepared to fight.


    "Wait. I have a proposition for you." Prima said as she extended her hand forward.


    "Hmm?"


    "It will be a one-on-one fight, and the entire third level of Granite Caverns will be our arena, so we can make this fight official." Prima waved her hand, and a message appeared in front of Wain.


    [Prima Costo (Rating - 155) wants to contest you by Colosseum rules.]


    [Do you ept?]


    "What...?" Wain was confused, "Shouldn''t we be at the Colosseum?"


    "Just agree." Prima said as she tilted her head, "Only for you know, if it weren''t for your reputation, then there''s no way I would fight someone with a Rating as low as yours, but you''re an exception."


    "Well, you will regret your decision." Wain said before epting the contest.

 Chapter 619 Judge

    [You have epted the challenge.]


    [Nameless (Rating - 277) vs Prima Costo (Rating - 155)]


    [The battle will be fought under the rules of the Colosseum]


    [The search for a suitable referee begins]


    [Judge has been found]


    Whoooooooosh.


    A massive magical circle appeared above as a man with green hair and a sly smile on his face emerged from it.


    "Well, well, I didn''t think I''d be seeing you so soon, Nameless." Vincenz nodded slightly before spreading his arms.


    Crackle.


    At the entrances of the caves that were at different heights in the walls appeared green portals from which many people emerged.


    ''Hmm?'' Wain raised an eyebrow because he had seen some of them in the Colosseum when he watched the fights.


    Vincenz snapped his finger, and a barrier appeared in front of the caves that were just as strong as the Colosseum.


    "Hey, you nned this originally, right?" Wain frowned.


    "What are you talking about? Oh, that''s right, this is your first fight outside the Colosseum. There''s nothing unusual about that, it always happens. The oue of our fight will change the rankings table, so there will be spectators, stakes, and a referee that will set it all up." Prima shrugged her shoulders as though this were amon urrence.


    ''Wain, you need to be more careful if you want to keep your identity a secret. Your mask is already seriously damaged, a few powerful attacks will be enough to destroy it.'' dius uttered as some dark energy escaped from the seal on Wain''s arm.


    ''I know... I hope I can do it. Come to think of it, I''ve never fought a Construct that was strong enough not to fall after my first strike before. It could be dangerous...'' Wain muttered inwardly while examining Prima.


    The spectators whispered amongst one another as this fight came as a real surprise to them. Many of them had been in the stands or at home a minute ago, some were even asleep, but they couldn''t miss this fight.


    "All right. The bets are finished!" Vincenz eximed as he waved his hand.


    Two names appeared from the lights above him, Ratings, and the countdown began.


    "Don''t disappoint me, Nameless. I''ve heard too much about you, so at least make me use a Beyond." Prima smirked, flew upward, and lightning spheres appeared in her hands.


    "A Beyond? Huh, how presumptuous you are." Wain muttered while shaking his head.


    Secondster, the countdown ended, and Vincenz announced the start of the fight.


    Whooooosh.


    Wain disappeared as he appeared in front of Prima.


    ''What?! Prima inwardly eximed with a dazed look as less than a second had passed since the fight began.


    His keen gaze literally devoured her as Wain''s arm turned into a blur. The mechanical wings turned to ice, and the engines stopped, then the wings shattered into many shards.


    "You like to fly, right? Well, it''s time toe down to earth." Wain uttered in an eerie voice before grabbing Prima by the head.


    Bam.<sub> </sub>


    Wain threw her down with tremendous force, so Prima was buried under the ground.


    "Die." Wain said in a calm voice beforeunching the Ice Terror at Prima.


    The sword turned into an ice cone that copsed on Prima, with massive energy streams spreading around.


    "Ahahahahahaha, that''s what I call a great start to a fight!" Vincenz eximed with a happy look.


    Ice Terror possessed tremendous power, but something was hindering it, it was the purple barrier that protected Prima while the ground beneath her was crumbling.


    ''Bastard! Where did he get that kind of power?! Why is he so fast?! I had to activate the protective barrier so early!'' Prima inwardly eximed as the bracelets on her arms glowed.


    A wave of energy passed through the barrier that destroyed the ice cone and threw the sword aside as the de stuck in the granite wall.


    Step.


    Wainnded, approached the barrier, and began to pound on it with all his might. His fists, like hammers, came crashing down on the energy envelope that shuddered each time.


    ''Fuck! He''s a monster! Why won''t he stop?! Prima shouted to herself.


    Wain''s eyes through the barrier stared intently at Prima as if she were a victim that was trapped beyond escape.


    "You said you wanted me to make you use a Beyond?" Wain muttered with an ice-cold look before striking again, "Well, that moment has definitely arrived, unless, you want to die in the first minute of the fight."


    "Hahahaha, Nameless, I adore you! I swear, if you ever want to reveal your face, do it in a fight I observe!" Vincenzughed in a happy manner.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Wain unleashed a hail of blows on Prima, so the barrier finally could no longer withstand such pressure, and the first cracks appeared on it.


    Prima''s face showed signs of panic for the first time in a long time, as she had never found herself in such a humiliating position.


    ''Bloody upstart! I''ve spent years getting my Rating, and you''ve achieved yours in one day, no, in a few hours! I''ll show you what I''m capable of!'' Prima inwardly screamed as her bracelets copsed.


    Tremble.


    A beam of energy erupted from the bracelets and threw Wain upward. The ray knocked Wain into the ceiling as many small stones sprinkled down.


    Wain climbed out of the hole with a cold stare. That attack definitely hit him, but the ray only left a small burn on his arms that gradually cooled.


    "So, is that the best you can do?" Wain tilted his head as he held out his hand.


    Ice Terror shuddered, flew out of the wall and back to Wain.


    "I thought Construct must have some kind of powerful weapon, but all you can do is summon an ordinary barrier that''s no stronger than ss." Wain uttered before swinging his sword.


    An icy wave headed toward Prima, cutting the ground in two.


    Prima folded her palms together as she summoned a bolt of lightning that destroyed the ice de. Shards of ice flew apart, some even reaching the barrier and disappearing.


    Prima frowned, clenched her fists as her aura intensified.


    "Looks like round two is about to begin!" Vincenz smirked.

 Chapter 620 Lightning

    Electric discharges appeared around Prima that gradually grewrger while her appearance changed.


    Her hair became much longer, up to her waist, and her eyes became blue as strange signs appeared all over her body. Her dark armor dropped as in its ce was a new armor that contained lightning energy.


    "Not bad. It took less than three minutes for you to use your Beyond. Should I put that on my list of personal aplishments?" Wain asked in a mocking manner as he tilted his head.


    "Nameless... I have to admit I underestimated you, I didn''t believe a rookie could be this strong, but it makes sense since, for some reason, you try to hide your identity. However, now you don''t stand a chance!" Prima eximed as the rune on the sign on her left hand glowed brightly.


    The sign turned into mechanical particles that became a massive sniper rifle.


    ''Oh... A high-tech weapon? How interesting.'' Wain smirked, bent down, and held the sword out in front of him.


    "What? Is Nameless going to try to deflect the shot?!" Vincenz eximed, "Damn, that''s incredible!"


    The crystal in the sniper rifle glowed brightly, and Prima pulled the trigger. A purple blob of lightning flew out of the sniper rifle that instantly reached Wain.


    ''Now!'' Wain uttered as he swung his sword.


    As soon as the clot hit the target area, it immediately touched the tip of the sword that threw it aside as if a projectile.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    As the clot reached the wall, there was a deafening explosion that shook the entire third level of Granite Caverns.


    "Tsk. You''re definitely good with a sword." Prima frowned.


    The Sniper rifle waspletely depleted, so it turned into a rune, but already gray. Prima''s armor was a veritable portable arsenal, and she was ready to use everything to win.


    "See if you can handle it!" Prima eximed as two pistols appeared in her hands, from which lightning bullets immediately flew out.


    Wain, with a swing of his sword, reflected the bullets as they sted two massive boulders aside, but it was only the first turn as Prima continued to shoot.


    "Damn, Nameless'' skills are incredible..." One of the spectators muttered while holding his chin in a thoughtful manner.


    "Yeah, I wonder what race he is? Usually, good swordsmen are Axalts. Do you think that''s possible?" His mate asked.


    "So Nameless would turn out to be an Axalt? No, I don''t think so, I doubt those chains on his chest could hide a sun or moon sign, his torso is definitely bare, it''s not armor." The man shook his head, "Anyway, we''ll find out at some point, at least I hope so."


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Wain fought off the bullets while stepping back, but gradually it became harder for him. Prima was using more and more energy as the bullets got bigger.


    Crackle.


    One of the bullets flew past the sword as it pierced Wain''s shoulder.


    ''Damn!'' Wain inwardly eximed and jumped back.


    "You won''t get away!" Prima eximed.


    Several signs on her shoulders glowed as several bombshells appeared beside her, and with a wave of her hand, they headed toward Wain.


    "Shit!" Wain shouted before thrusting his sword into the ground.<sub> </sub>


    The cold from the sword turned into a wall of ice that, as though a cocoon,pletely covered Wain with a thickyer of ice.


    Booooom.


    The bombs exploded with a huge stream of energy that easily destroyed the ice shield. The shockwave did no serious damage to Wain, but a secondter, several bullets flew at him.


    Some of the bullets Wain was able to repel, but two bullets pierced his chest, one flying right next to his heart.


    "Agh!" Wain vomited a mouthful of blood.


    "That''s not all, asshole!" Prima said as the engines on her boots activated, so she, like a missile, had reached Wain.


    Prima instantly kicked Wain in the face with the full power of her engines. The impact threw Wain aside, but before he could even hit the ground, Prima appeared behind him.


    On her right hand was arge mechanical glove from which purple lightning bolts emanated.


    "Get it!" Prima eximed as she punched Wain in the back.


    All over Wain''s body went high-powered electric shocks that made his body shake violently.


    "Aaaaargh!" Wain cried out in pain as streams of blood poured from his eyes, ears, and nose.


    The palm on his glove glowed as there was a powerful st of energy that threw Wain to the other side of the battlefield.


    Wain fell into the rock with an exhausted look while steam emanated from his bloody and horribly burned back.


    "Huh, that was excellent." Prima smirked, dropped her gauntlet, and headed toward Wain.


    Everyone''s eyes went to Wain as he was in such a bad position for the first time in the entire fight.


    "Damn... Look at his back... If he was without Form, he''d definitely be dead." Someone muttered in a worried voice.


    "Well, after all, it''s Prima, she''s the head of the northern district, and she''s ranked 155th on the ranking chart. I wouldn''t want to fight her, her Beyond is incredibly powerful." The man uttered as he sighed in a regretful manner.


    "Nameless got to the Top 300 quickly, Prima was just too much for him. I''m sure he could make it to the Top-100 in a year, with his talent, it would be easy." His buddy waved his hand.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Under Prima''s feet, ice crystals shattered while she slowly approached Wain. Hey motionless on a pile of rocks and mumbled something, but no one noticed.


    "Kill... I will tear her into little pieces... I am... I will rip her head off and pull her heart out..." Wain uttered as small, imperceptible streams of dark energy appeared beside him.


    ''Wain! Stop! You don''t have to do this!'' dius eximed, ''Just use a Beyond! It''ll be more than enough to deal with her!


    ''Huh, he doesn''t seem to care anymore. Well, I can''t me him since darkness is one of his Concepts.'' A voice came from one of the Forms.


    Prima stood in front of Wain, stared at him, and said, "Nameless, this is the end."


    "Huh, for you." Wain uttered as a torrent of darkness erupted from him.

 Chapter 621 The Third

    Tremble.


    A stream of darkness tossed Prima aside as she had to create a lightning barrier to avoid taking serious damage.


    "What is this...? Why does he still have so much power!" Prima eximed with a dazed look.


    Wain slowly rose from beneath the stone rubble while darkness enveloped him like a veil.


    "I''ve had enough. I''m not going to take any more of this fucking shit." Wain uttered with a deadly look as he tossed his sword aside and tore off the tattooed chains as though they were real.


    "Hey, what''s going on?" The viewer asked while in confusion.


    "I don''t know... But it''s Nameless! He''ll always find a way out of any situation! Damn, that''s so cool!" His buddy said with a happy look.


    "Huh, I agree, Nameless will surprise exactly as many times as it takes to win."


    Wain canceled the action of his second form, he was wearing dark armor as his hair turned white and considerably longer.


    ''Great. Now it''s finally my turn. I was worried I''d be thest one, but it looks like it''ll be one of you.'' Code of Light and Darkness said as he looked at Blind Sorcerer, ck Sun Aristocrat, and Knight of the Bloody Rose.


    In Wain''s hand appeared aser sword that was extremelypressed particles of light and a ck-white medallion.


    [Medallion of Light and Darkness (Unique)


    One young man wanted to achieve perfect harmony, but when he finally got to that level, he realized a simple truth - harmony did not exist. This understanding was beyond the minds of others, but for this person, it was critical to creating this medallion.


    Choose what you need more. Light will enhance your attack and energy, as Darkness will greatly improve your physical performance.


    Light is Darkness, and Darkness is Light because they constantly devour each other].


    "Huh, just what you need. I already destroyed a barrier once, it''s time to do it again." Wain smirked and squeezed the medallion.


    The medallion turned almostpletely white, leaving only a small ck dot in the center, at the same time, the lightsaber amplified several times as the energy was enough to warp space around.


    "You''re fucked, bitch." Wain uttered before lunging forward with his sword.


    A lightser erupted from the sword that instantly reached Prima andpletely destroyed her left arm, with nothing left of it.


    Prima''s face went pale, and her body trembled with fear as she realized that she would be dead already if she hadn''t taken a step to the side.


    Whoooooosh.


    Many signs on Prima''s back activated that turned into drones. They as though missiles headed toward Wain.


    "Ahahahaha, is that all you can do?" Wain eximed as his hand turned into a blur.


    For a moment, a grid of light cuts appeared in front of him, then all the drones exploded simultaneously. A wall of me appeared, through which Wain burst with a mad look.


    "How about that? Ah!?" Wain eximed as he swung his sword from bottom to top.


    The light de cut through the ground just like a scalpel and reached Prima. She managed to dodge again, but she lost her other arm and part of her right leg.<sub> </sub>


    Prima was a Construct, so she didn''t have such a problem as bleeding, but it was terrible damage either way.


    ''Shit! I''ve got to stop him, at least for a second!" Prima inwardly shouted and used the remaining signs.


    It was various weapons that simultaneously activated and attacked Wain. Dozens of energy rays rained down on him, but he was in no hurry to retreat.


    "Well, let''s see how this one works." Wain looked at the medallion and squeezed it.


    The medallion changed its color from white to ck as theser sword became weaker, but the streams of darkness that emanated from the armor became much greater.


    Whooooosh.


    Wain waved his hand as an imprable wall of darkness appeared in front of him. All the rays flew into the wall, but they couldn''t even shake it.


    "Huh, that was too easy." Wain grinned, waved his hand, and removed the wall.


    "What''s going on...?" Sk muttered with a dazed look, "What are these powers? Why does he have so many different powers?"


    "I don''t know... Damn... Things are getting tooplicated." Fosko muttered while looking at the streams of darkness around Wain.


    "Haven''t you figured that out yet?" Kane uttered in an arrogant voice.


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?" Sk turned to him.


    "Nameless has many different attributes that are impossible in a normal situation, but he easily absorbed the vast amount of energy that was in our Crystal, and he hides his identity. That''s enough to know which race he''s from." Kane said as he stared at Wain.


    "Damn, Sk, he''s right. Why didn''t we guess that before?" Fosko muttered.


    "Because you were too sure they were either Axatls or Elves, but it turned out to be quite different." Sk shook her head, "So... Do you still intend to go into their territory with them?"


    Fosko was silent for a while, then smiled and said, "Sure, I''m even more interested now than before. Huh, that''s crazy."


    "Well, that''s not the other answer I expected from you." Sk shrugged.


    The wall of darkness dissipated as Wain stepped forward, but as soon as he saw Prima, his eyes widened.


    ''Fuck... No way...'' Wain muttered inwardly before rushing in her direction.


    "Ahahahahaha, I didn''t expect one of the fighters to decide to use something like that. Damn, this isn''t a fight, it''s a real battle feast!" Vincenz eximed as he pointed at Prima.


    Prima was seriously wounded, even activating the Form could not fully heal such wounds. She could have given up, but she knew that Wain would not stop, he would kill her, so she decided to use one of her trump cards.


    Whoooooosh.


    The amulet around Prima''s neck glowed brightly as it turned into a small ss vial containing a few drops of clear liquid.


    Wain had once bought a simr vial from Sven for a million Void Souls.

 Chapter 622 Vial

    Crackle.


    Prima swallowed the vial and quickly chewed it together with the ss. Trickles of blood flowed from her mouth, but there was no more fear in her gaze, now she was confident of victory.


    Prima''s hands instantly grew back as all her wounds healed, and her energy reserves were fully restored.


    "Do you think this will help you?" Wain eximed as he appeared before her.


    Prima''s pupils narrowed, and she put her hands out in front as an energy charge burst from her palms.


    The st threw Wain aside to the other side of the arena, but the dark armorpletely absorbed all the damage.


    "Huh, you used an incredibly rare potion. Do you want not to lose that badly?" Wain muttered as he tilted his head in a careless manner.


    "Lose? It''s the fight for life, so for that, I don''t regret anything. Nameless, I didn''t think it woulde to this, but you left me no choice. I will kill you!" Prima eximed, and her aura rose.


    On her head appeared mechanical horns as though of a demon, gray armor with sma flowing through it, and two massivebat gloves with w-sharp fingertips.


    ''The Form? Huh, this could be dangerous...'' Wain internally muttered and switched the medallion to light as hisser sword intensified.


    "Try and take it, you bastard!" Prima uttered with an angry look before tilting her head slightly.


    Her horns were electrified as a lightning sphere appeared between them that gradually increased in size.


    "You''re too slow." Wain said in an ice-cold voice as he lunged forward with his sword.


    p A light beam that headed toward Prima flew out of his sword, but she managed to gather enough energy at thest moment, so the lightning sphere exploded with a ray.</anda>


    The two beams, white and purple, collided with each other with powerful energy vibrations that destroyed everything around them as chunks of granite were literally turned to dust.


    "That''s not all!" Prima eximed, clenched her teeth and her eyes sparkled.


    Lightning discharged across her horns as her beam doubled in size, so it overwhelmed Wain''s attack and came down on him with all its might.


    ''Fuck!'' Wain internally eximed before creating a wall of darkness.


    However, he had too little time, so the beam easily broke through the wall and hit right into Wain''s chest.


    "Agh!" Wain cried out with a twisted look of pain as he vomited a mouthful of blood.


    Lightning discharges spread all over his body, and at the point of impact, his armor waspletely destroyed with a massive bleeding burn on his chest.


    "Bitch! I''ll tear you to pieces!" Wain roared in a furious voice as he mmed his fist on the ground.


    ''Wain! Use the potions Edena and Lui Bu gave you! You already have too many wounds. You won''tst that long!'' dius eximed.


    "Shut up. I''m not going to use it, not this time." Wain muttered as he squeezed the stone in his hand to dust, "I''ll just devour her..."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The dark armor with the lightsaber disappeared since Wain returned to his normal appearance as his torn in many ces coat.


    Virtually all of Wain''s body was covered with bleeding wounds while his coat slowly fluttered in the wind.


    "Damn... Nameless looks pretty bad. How can he still be on his feet? It''s unbelievable..." Someone muttered with a worried look.<sub> </sub>


    "Huh, Prima used all her power, a rare potion, and that with all her Torchespletely full, so only at this cost could she bring Nameless to this state." His mate shook his head.


    "Maybe Prima wins now, but if they meet in three months, I''d be willing to bet my entire fortune on Nameless since this guy is just unique." The spectator said as he crossed his arms in a confident manner.


    Prima smirked, pointed at Wain, and said, "Decided to give up? Don''t even dream of it! I''ll finish with you here and now!"


    "Surrender? Are you kidding me? The only one who should be begging for mercy right now is you!" Wain uttered in a thunderous voice, stepped forward, and a stream of gray energy burst from him.


    Prima''s heart clenched tightly as she took a step back with a frightened look.


    ''What is it...?''


    [You activated a Beyond for the first time after reaching the Fourth Chronicle.]


    [Your Soul Temple resonates with your Main Soul.]


    [Your Beyond - Cmity has received a new appearance.]


    [Your Beyond has gone through a process of evolution.]


    [Cmity has received a new power - Cocanth.]


    [Cmity (Cocanth)


    You''vee a long way, so the moment hase when you reveal one of several parts of your true power. Devour everything in your path with your new demons.


    Nothing can stop you, not even the current of fate itself].


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A dark crown appeared on Wain''s head with three open eyes with vertical red pupils, and gray energy appeared on his arms that burned as if by me.


    "Hey, what is that? Is it his Form? Could it be a skill? Or Beyond?" The spectator muttered while in confusion.


    "Hell, just watch... You can''t miss that." His mate muttered.


    Dark streams of energy emanated from Wain that, like ghosts, hovered around him.


    "Not bad... But, I''m still a long way from his level..." Wain muttered as he waved his hand in a careless manner.


    Several jaws appeared in front of him that, at Wain''s request, transformed into two massive creatures resembling creepy piranhas.


    "Go." Wain said in a majestic voice.


    The piranhas rushed at Prima as though on a piece of fresh meat while their bloodthirsty gaze made Prima''s heart beat faster with each passing moment.


    "No!" Prima eximed as she unleashed powerful lightning bolts on the piranhas.


    However, the piranhas just devoured it, then reached Prima''s. One piranha wed at her leg while the other ate her left side.


    "Argh!" Prima cried out in pain as blood poured from her mouth.


    "Hahaha, great..." Wain grinned, but suddenly everything in front of him went dark.

 Chapter 623 The Exodus Of Battle

    Tap.


    Wain lost consciousness for a second as he leaned his hand on the ground to keep from falling.


    ''Damn... I''m really at my limit already. I need to deal with this as quickly as possible... otherwise, it''ll be frustration again...'' Wain muttered inwardly, clenched his teeth, and stood up.


    His gaze was blurry, and he was seconds away fromplete exhaustion, but he was in a much better situation than Prima.


    "Fuck! Die already!" Prima eximed as she tried to tear apart the second piranha that was devouring it alive.


    Prima had already destroyed the first piranha and was almost done with the second, but it looked as though a bear had chewed on it.


    Crackle.


    ? The lightning ws mmed into the piranha with a powerful electrical st that tore the unusual creature apart.


    "Phew... Finally..." Prima breathed a sigh of relief, but a clot of blood immediately burst from her mouth as she fell to the ground without strength.


    "Huh, you''re finished." Wain smirked before swinging his arm.


    He no longer had the strength to create piranhas, so heunched several jaws at Prima. They began to devour her body while tearing her armor apart.


    "Hehehe, good... A little more and victory will be..." Wain muttered and passed out.


    Prima tried to do something, but she had onest resort. She pressed a button on the armor, and it was destroyed with a powerful burst of energy. The lightning bolts wiped out the jaws, but Prima didn''t see it anymore as she fainted.


    Then, there was silence in Granite Caverns for the first time in a long time. Everyone was shocked by this ending, even the monsters that were hiding behind the granite rocks in fear.


    "Well... Who won in the end...?" The spectator muttered with a confused look as he stared at Vincenz.


    "I have to say that I''ve seen many times when two fighters have fallen without strength during a fight, but... I didn''t expect it to happen now." Vincenz muttered, shook his head, and looked up at the lights above, "In a situation like this, it''s up to the Colosseum, we''ll all see the result soon enough."


    The two ming names hesitated until one of them turned red.


    "Yes!" Dozens of spectators simultaneously eximed with happy looks.


    "Damn... He did it..." Sk muttered while in disbelief.


    "Yeah... That''s something unreal." Fosko nodded.


    Prima''s name glowed red while a golden crown appeared above Wain''s name, showing who was the loser and the winner.


    "Great! Nameless, even though you can''t hear me, I congratte you again on your magnificent victory! Now, let''s see how much the Colosseum appreciates the efforts of our fighters!" Vincenz eximed with a big smile on his face.


    Prima''s Rating was the first to change, instead of 155th ce, she got 190th.


    "Damn... She lost to someone whose Rating is much lower than her own, but she only dropped a few positions... The World of Darkness rated her skills very high." Someone uttered while looking at Prima.<sub> </sub>


    "Yeah... but we all realize that nobody cares about Prima''s Rating. What matters most is what Nameless gets!" His buddy eximed, and at that moment, the number changed.


    Wain''s Rating used to be 277, but now it has be a representative 97.


    "Is it real...?" Sk muttered with a dazed look.


    "Sure, haven''t you seen what he can do? This guy is definitely going to be in the Top 10 soon, then the real fight will begin." Fosko smirked as he sat down on the edge of the cave.


    "Guess I should thank fate that Prima interrupted the Nameless and Lin fight... Otherwise, something horrible could have happened..." Kane muttered as he clutched Lin tighter to him as though he wanted to protect her.


    "Great! Like any other fight where Nameless was involved, this one was unforgettable! But, everything has an end, so I must say goodbye to you." Vincenz uttered as he snapped his fingers.


    Green portals appeared behind the audience while the barrier gradually copsed.


    "You only have one minute to get out of here, or you will stay here!" Vincenz said, waved his hand, and disappeared.


    The audience took onest look at Wain and left Granite Caverns.


    Even though Wain didn''t want it at all, his poprity increased tenfold that day, it was an unprecedented asion, so it attracted a lot of attention.


    ...


    "Did you see that...?" The man muttered as he stared at the crystal ball.


    "Yeah... That power, that energy... The elders warned that one day it might happen." The woman spoke while twiddling her thumbs in a nervous manner.


    They were in a stone room with many different magical artifacts. These two were the only ones that watched Wain''s fight from outside the arena because of the star tattoos on their chests, they were better off not showing up in World of Destiny, at least for now.


    "What shall we do?" The man asked as a powerful stream of aura erupted from him, "Shall we tell the Elders about this?"


    "I''m not sure about that..." The woman shook her head, "I mean, we just decided to follow the suspicious neer to the Colosseum, we''re just lucky Nameless has so many secrets."


    "You think we need to see for ourselves first? That Nameless is HIS heir?" The man uttered with a deadly serious look.


    "Of course. We can''t afford to make a mistake, then we''ll either kill him ourselves or one of the Elders will. Either way, we''ll be well rewarded, maybe we''ll even finally make it to the next rank." The woman said with a devious smile on her face.


    "Damn... It''s pretty ironic that he took that nickname, isn''t it?" The man grinned.


    "Maybe." The woman nodded.


    "All right, let''s do it. We need to move up in rank, hopefully I''ll be as strong as him someday..." The man muttered as his gaze filled with respect.


    "Still dreaming of reaching his level? Don''t get me wrong, I respect you and believe in you, but bing as strong as Sven Hellem... That sounds harder than killing the Vampire Progenitor. Don''t forget, he''s a Legend, a Living Legend." The woman uttered in both a frightened and awe voice.

 Chapter 624 The Way To The Blacksmith

    The man with thick ck hair slowly opened his eyes as he rose from the bed with a confused look while holding his head with his hand as if hungover.


    "Fuck... What a headache... My head is about to explode..." Wain muttered with a frown at the unpleasant pain.


    Wain lowered his gaze as he looked down at his body. His torso was bandaged in many ces, and some of it was soaked with dried blood.


    ''Well, it looks like I got hit pretty hard... Prima... She was unexpectedly strong... Damn, I''m still not strong enough to make the Top 10. How was Sven Top-1? Huh, that''s fucking crazy, he''s definitely a monster.'' Wain muttered inwardly with a bizarre smile on his face.


    Crackling.


    The wooden door opened as a short girl stepped inside. She had red hair, amber eyes, and cat ears, but unlike Fosko or Sk, part of her body was covered with short, soft fur. She was holding a tray of new bandages, herbs, and several potions.


    The girl looked at Wain, then her eyes fell on the table beside him, and goosebumps ran down her body as she trembled.


    ''Hmm?'' Wain raised an eyebrow in a puzzled manner before looking at the table.


    Therey his mask, that was all cracked but still intact.


    "Ah... I see." Wain nodded as he turned to the girl, "Don''t worry. It''s okay."


    Wain didn''t want to reveal his identity, but he was sure that Fosko had long since removed the mask from Teresa, so there was no point in being angry.


    "Ugu." The girl whispered, put the tray on the table, and stood next to Wain''s bed.


    "Mr. Nameless... I need to bandage you... Your wounds are not yet fully healed." The girl spoke in a slightly trembling voice.


    "Forget it. I''m not going to sit here anymore, just tell me, how much sleep did I get?" Wain asked, got out of bed, and threw on his coat.


    "Three days... Miss Sk said you''d wake up in a week or ten days at best... Are you sure you''re okay?" The girl asked while examining Wain''s torso.


    "Huh, ten days? Is she kidding me? I can''t sleep that long, I have a lot to do!" Wain grinned as he headed for the exit.


    The girl wanted to stop him, but Wain had already mmed the door when she wanted to say something.


    ''Hey, are you always so indifferent to nice girls? You could take great advantage of being hurt.'' dius uttered in a mocking voice.


    ''Huh, I''m not sure I''m ready to see a naked Beastfolk girl. Besides, I am, after all, in a rtionship right now.'' Wain grinned, ripped off all the bandages with dropped them on the ground in a careless manner.


    Some of the wounds were still bleeding, but Wain drank a couple of potions, so the bleeding immediately stopped as the regeneration elerated.


    Wain headed toward Sk''s office, and when he opened the door, a stream of smoke erupted on him again.


    "I told you not to bother me! I''m busy!" Sk eximed with a disgruntled look, but a secondter, her eyes widened, "Nameless...? Are you awake yet?"


    "Of course I am." Wain said with a confident smile on his face as he stepped inside.<sub> </sub>


    "Your... Mask..." Sk muttered.


    "It doesn''t matter anymore. Three days was enough time for you and Fosko to learn everything there is to know about my friend and me, right?" Wain uttered, sitting down on the couch and putting one foot on the other.


    Sk was silent for a while, then sighed and said, "That''s right. It''s nice to meet Wain Norheim."


    "Who won?" Wain asked with a serious look.


    "Hmm? Don''t you know? I thought you''d check it as soon as you woke up. Just look at your status, I don''t want to spoil the impression." Sk waved her hand.


    Wain nodded.


    [Name: ??? (Nameless)


    Chronicle: Fourth


    Rating: 97


    Money: 21.7 M]


    "97... Wait... Why the fuck do, I have so much money...? This is crazy..." Wain muttered while in disbelief.


    "Huh, it''s pretty sad that your Rating is now so much higher than mine. You do realize that you are now one of the hundred strongest individuals in the Fourth Chronicle, right? In the whole world." Sk spoke in a calm voice.


    "Not really. There are those who aren''t interested in Colosseum, and yet they''re strong enough to make the Top 100." Wain shook his head.


    "Well, anyway, you''ve proven you''re strong. Amazingly strong. About the money, you shouldn''t be surprised about that. I''ve heard that everyone in the Top 100 can get a few million in one fight. The more famous the fighter, the bigger the audience, which means bigger stakes." Sk shrugged as though it wasmonce.


    "That makes sense." Wain nodded as he stared at Sk, "Where''s Fosko? What about Twilight Embers and Prima?"


    Sk exhaled a puff of smoke, knocked the ash off her cigar, and said, "Fosko went with Teresa to Last Light. Twilight Embers and we signed a peace treaty because we decided it would be better for the good of the city for Kane and Lin to stay in charge in their Guild, but now the Green Cats rule the entire eastern district."


    "I thought you wanted to kill them." Wain raised an eyebrow.


    "Yeah... But after the fight, I calmed down and realized it was stupid. I''m not just a fighter, I''m the head of the Guild, so I have to think beyond my desires, politics, and all that shit you can''t get rid of." Sk muttered in an annoyed manner as she mped her cigarette between her teeth.


    Sk continued, "Prima... She''s in very serious condition, what you did to her is a nightmare."


    "Is she going to die?" Wain asked.


    "No. Perhaps if it were a member of another race, a coffin could be prepared by now, but she is a Construct, so she will recover soon, though she will need much more time than you." Sk uttered while looking at the cloud of smoke.


    "Good. That''s enough. Now let''s move on to our agreement." Wain said with a serious look, "I need a cksmith."

 Chapter 625 The Way To The Blacksmith (Part 2)

    The cksmith was critical to Wain, his equipment for too long now resembling tattered rags that are unusable for anything.


    "Of course, though you have used the crystal for your own purposes, in fact, you have fulfilled your part of the bargain." Sk nodded as she put her cigarette aside, "As I said earlier, I have two options for you."


    Sk continued, "The first, is a cksmith in the northern area, this one is considered the best in Dermin. Don''t worry, there won''t be a problem, the heads of the northern district don''t hold a grudge against you, especially since hardly anyone wants to fight you now."


    "The best cksmith in such a big city? That sounds good, but what about the second option?" Wain asked in a curious manner.


    "Huh, knew you''d ask. The second cksmith I know personally, this one owes me, so there won''t be any problem with forging gear, but it''s an unusual person." Sk spoke in a serious voice.


    "What about skills? Which one is better?" Wain asked as he shook his hand.


    "Definitely the second one. If you need unique gear, that''s the best option." Sk nodded.


    "Good. I assume the second smith is out of town, right?" Wain muttered as he looked out the window.


    "Yeah. You''d have to go pretty far, very far."


    "How far?" Wain raised an eyebrow.


    "Even given your speed, it''ll take you a week." Sk said in a serious manner.


    "What...? Are you suggesting I run in one direction for a whole week? Where does this cksmith live? On a magical ind?" Wain frowned, "Don''t you have portals there?"


    "No. There''s a special zone there... it''s a very dangerous ce, I almost died there, but I got lucky." Sk muttered with fear.


    "How dangerous?" Wain asked with a curious look.


    "The strongest monsters in that area are in the Fifth Chronicle, so if you piss them off somehow, you''re dead."


    "Well, I hope that doesn''t happen." Wain shrugged in a careless manner.


    "You''re as cocky as ever." Sk shook her head, "It''ll get you in a lot of trouble someday."


    "I''ll worry about that when it happens." Wain waved his hand, "So... Where exactly am I supposed to go?"


    Sk looked at him and said, "That ce is in the northwest, hundreds of miles from Dermin, it''s Dragon Ridge."


    "Dragon Ridge? Is that really where the Dragons live...?" Wain asked with a worried look.


    "No. Of course not." Sk shook her head, "The ce is called that because it''s based on the part of the skeleton of a long-dead Dragon, you''ll see that soon enough."


    "Okay, how do I find your cksmith?"


    "Good question." Sk smiled as an amulet appeared in her hand that she tossed to Wain.


    Wain caught it and asked, "How will it help me?"


    "You''ll figure it out when you get to Dragon Ridge. By the way, I have a little present for you." Sk said as her ring glowed.


    A small red seed in a ss sphere and arge scroll appeared in front of her.


    "When you''re outside the city, destroy the orb and fill the seed with water, in a minute, you''ll see something amazing. Also, the scroll is a map that will show you the way." Sk spoke with a slight smile on her face.


    "All right, then, I''m leaving right now. Good luck." Wain said, taking the seed with the scroll and heading for the exit.<sub> </sub>


    "Goodbye Wain, I hope I never be your enemy." Sk said while holding her head with her hand.


    "Well, if the Green Cats be allies of Last Light, it''s unlikely ever to happen." Wain muttered before disappearing.


    ...


    An hourter, Wain was outside Dermin amidst a dense but tranquil forest. A week''s journey was a lot, but Wain was willing to do it for better equipment.


    "I hope this helps me... Since I have a hell of a long way to go..." Wain muttered while looking at the map as he ced the seed on the ground and poured water from the bottle over it.


    It took less than a minute for the seed to glow brightly and turn into a huge red maple leaf that was several times bigger than Wain.


    "Hmm...? Why do I need a big leaf?" Wain muttered with a confused look.


    Whoooooooosh.


    The leaf suddenly hovered above the ground and arched slightly as though inviting Wain to approach.


    "Damn... This might be one of the best gifts that I''ve ever received. It''s practically like a carpet airne!" Wain eximed with a happy look as he hopped on the leaf.


    As soon as Wain thought of the direction, the leaf immediately flew forward at breakneck speed.


    "Hey! Look!" The boy eximed while pointing to the sky.


    "Wow... It''s so beautiful..." The girl muttered with a dazed look.


    A red sh was flying in the sky as though a shooting star was heading northwest.


    ...


    "Looks like I''m in position..." Wain muttered while looking at the map, "I don''t even know what I''d do without this leaf, it only took me two days instead of a week, it''s incredible."


    In the distance was a darknd covered in dense gray fog. Dragon Ridge was muchrger than Dermin or any ce Wain had been before.


    "Fuck... That actually looks scary..." Wain muttered as his eyes widened.


    He stared at the massive mountain range with the long spine of some huge creature. From it emanated a powerful aura that was vividly felt even from a distance of several kilometers.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly Wain felt a strong pressure as the maple leaf began to tremble violently.


    "Shit!" Wain eximed as he immediately lowered the leaf to the ground, right in front of the fog, near the border.


    "What was that...?" Wain muttered with a confused look while looking around.


    ''Don''t worry. There are no enemies here.'' dius said, ''It''s the effects of the Dragon''s aura.


    "What?! Wain inwardly eximed, ''That Dragon definitely died decades ago!''


    ''Well, you know better than anyone how terrifying Dragons can be. Even though it''s just an aura, anyone below Second Chronicle would immediately have their heart explode. That''s their power.'' dius uttered in a serious voice.


    Wain nodded before stepping forward.

 Chapter 626 The Way To The Blacksmith (Part 3)

    Wain stepped forward in the thick fog for some time. He had not yet encountered any enemies, but the oppressive atmosphere showed how dangerous this ce was.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Suddenly Wain''s ring glowed brightly as the amulet that Sk had given him emerged from it.


    "Hmm? What''s going on...?" Wain muttered with a confused look since he had nothing to do with it.


    The amulet glowed bright red as a red orb appeared around it that pointed in a northerly direction.


    "Well, Sk said it would help me find the cksmith." Wain grinned, "She sure knows how to honor a pact."


    Wain rushed forward with full confidence that the amulet would soon lead him to the cksmith. He ran through a fog, dried-up trees, and monster bones in the gray, lifeless earth.


    ''It''s quiet here... In fact, even too quiet...'' Wain inwardly muttered, looked around, and his aura intensified.


    Crackling.


    Suddenly there was a crackling sound of dry twigs as two pairs of red eyes appeared in the fog as if ghostlynterns stared at Wain.


    "Huh, I knew it. Come on, attack, you bastards!" Wain grinned as he prepared for battle.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Suddenly roots burst out of the ground that, like chains, bound Wain''s feet.


    ''What the hell!'' Wain eximed to himself.


    At the same moment, a massive wolf with thick roots all over its body rushed at him from the fog. The beast instantly attacked as its ws rained down on Wain.


    Bam.


    Wain''s arm turned into a blur, then the wolf''s head was smashed into the ground with a powerful shockwave that scattered the fog around it.


    The fog revealed a second adversary, it was a creepy walking tree whose arms were in the ground.


    "So you did it... Huh, today is definitely not your day." Wain smirked, summoned the dius, and chopped the roots into small pieces with a smooth motion.


    The monster flinched as it tried to run away, but as soon as the monster took a step back, Wain was in front of it.


    "Die." Wain uttered with an ice-cold look as he swung his sword.


    The monster''s head flew off its shoulders, but immediately roots began to grow from its neck that tried to restore its body.


    "Huh, you don''t want to die that badly? Too bad I don''t care." Wain muttered in a careless manner.


    He jumped aside, took aim, and threw his sword. dius as though a ck sh pierced the monster''s chest and the head of the wolf that tried to rise from the ground.


    Bam.


    Two massive carcasses fell to the ground as huge purple souls flew out of their bodies that shone bright enough to break through ayer of thick fog.


    "Good. Maybe this will finally be enough." Wain smiled, with a wave of his hand, he drew the souls to himself and absorbed them.


    [You received a certain amount of Soul Essence. Your second torch is 0.6% full.]


    [You gained some amount of Soul Essence. Your second torch is 0.36% full.]


    ''Hmm? Don''t tell me that...'' Wain inwardly muttered as he opened his status.


    [Wain Norheim


    Ascension: First Stage (99.99%)<sub> </sub>


    Race: Human


    Beyond: Cmity (Cocanth)


    Soul: Nameless King


    Title: Savior of the Damned, Echo of Samurai, Mentor Inquisitor, The First, Soul Gatherer, Cartographer, yer of Goliath, Contender, Defeating One of the Four Kings, Killing the Legend, etc...


    Majesty: 10]


    "Fuck... Is that kind of bad luck possible? I got quite a bit of energy out of them, though. There are definitely some dangerous opponents here." Wain frowned before moving on.


    ...


    Wain had been running through the fog for an hour as suddenly, the sphere around the amulet glowed brightly.


    ? "Hmm?"


    Red footprints appeared on the ground that pointed in the direction of one of the mountains through which the Dragon''s spine passed.


    "Great!" Wain eximed as he rushed forward.


    The closer Wain got to the mountain, the fewer trails there were, but it was enough to get him to his final destination.


    He stood before a massive stone gate that was illuminated by several red lights slowly circling around it.


    Whooooooooosh.


    The amulet flew to the gate as it stood in the center with a powerful burst of scarlet energy. A magical circle appeared on the gate that, as though the cog, turned several times, and the gate slowly opened.


    A torrent of wind rushed out, making Wain''s cloak tremble violently.


    "Well, well, is this really the cksmith''s base?" Wain smirked as he stepped inside.


    Crackling.


    The gates behind him closed as torches lit the spacious stone passageway that led to a single path.


    Wain, with a slow step, headed forward while looking around. He was not sure what awaited him here, danger, friend, or foe.


    ng. ng. ng.


    As Wain approached the end of the passageway, a loud noise was heard as though from the contact of two massive weapons.


    "Damn..." Wain muttered with a dazed look as his eyes widened.


    In the center of the cave was the one Wain had been looking for for so long. It was a muscr girl with red skin, ck hair, and eyes as blue as the ocean. She was a Demon since she had two ck horns on her head, one of which was broken at the base.


    The girl, with a serious look, was beating her hammer on a massive sword thaty on the anvil. Each of her blows caused a loud ng that spread throughout the cave around her.


    She spotted Wain as she turned to him but did not take her attention off her work. Only thirty minutester, after hundreds of powerful blows with the hammer on a sword, did she stop.


    The girl put the hammer aside, raised the sword that was twice her size with one hand and stared at Wain, and asked, "What do you think about it?"


    "Hmm?"


    She threw the sword to Wain.


    Wain stretched out his hand to catch it, but as soon as the hilt was in his hand, he felt tremendous pressure as his legs buckled and the ground beneath him cracked.


    ''Fuck! How much does that sword weigh?!'' Wain inwardly eximed while in disbelief.

 Chapter 627 Order

    [Sword of Volcanic Metal (Fourth Chronicle, Ascendant Rating)


    This massive huge sword weighs several tons, so it is an ideal weapon to break your enemies because of its tremendous weight.


    The skills of the smith that created this sword are impable, as are the materials that were used.


    This weapon will help bring any creature to the ground].


    Wain read the description, sighed, and plunged the sword into the ground.


    "It''s a great weapon. It''s heavy, but in the hands of the right fighter, you can defeat an entire army with this sword." Wain said with a serious look as he stared at the girl, "Are you satisfied with my answer?"


    The girl was silent, walked over to Wain, and said, "My name is Ceozi, just Ceozi. Do you really like this sword?"


    "Wain Norheim." Wain said in a serious voice, "Well, I don''t need a sword like that."


    "That''s right." Ceozi nodded, "Because it''splete garbage."


    Whoooooosh.


    Ceozi pulled the sword from the ground as sheunched it at the wall. The weapon mmed exactly halfway into the stone, just as dozens of other weapons were near it.


    ''Damn... Her quality standards are definitely high... All these weapons are as good as this sword, if she wanted, she could sell it all for a few million...'' Wain muttered internally with a dazed look.


    "So... Who sent you here?" Ceozi asked while cleaning her desk.


    "Sk. She said you owe her, so I want you to make me some equipment." Wain said.


    "Sk... Yeah... I remember her, she gave you the amulet... Okay, I''ll help you." Ceozi muttered with a slight nod, "What exactly do you need?"


    "A few things, but before that... Do you only forge weapons?" Wain asked in a curious manner.


    "Huh, of course not. Look over there." Ceozi grinned as she pointed to the right.


    In the corner of the room was a mountain of various armors. There were heavy cuirasses as well as light armor.


    "I see, then how about this." Wain muttered before waving his hand.


    In front of him appeared four massive amber Souls that shone as brightly as the sun, so the dark cave was instantly covered in light.


    "Four Legendary Souls..." Ceozi muttered with a dazed look, "Looks like I''ll have to do my best this time... Can I get a closer look at it?"


    "Sure." Wain nodded as the Souls headed toward Ceozi.


    She touched one of them as a shiver went through her body, and she smiled with pleasure manner, "Oh... It''s beautiful... How long since I felt anything like this? These are great Souls. What do you want me to make from them?"


    "Two things." Wain muttered as he shook two fingers.


    "Hmm...? What are you talking about?" Ceozi asked with a confused look.<sub> </sub>


    "It''s simple. I want you to use two souls to make a pair of gloves and the other for a coat." Wain smirked.


    "Gloves? Coat...? Wait... You want me to spend two Legendary Souls for one thing?!" Ceozi eximed while in disbelief.


    "Exactly. I am." Wain nodded in a serious manner, "My coat is in a terrible state, so I urgently need something suitable to rece it. Is it too difficult for you?"


    "Don''t be ridiculous." Ceozi grinned with a confident look, "It may be impossible for other smiths, but I can certainly manage since I''ve worked with Legendary Souls several times before."


    "That''s good to hear. When can you get to work?" Wain mouthed as he shook his hand.


    "Huh, not so fast. Sk handed you the amulet, so I will fulfill your order, but not for free." Sk uttered while waving her finger from side to side.


    "Well... I should have expected that. What do you want?" Wain asked.


    "Money, for starters. You''re asking me to create an outfit of four Legendary Souls, for each one, I want 5 million Void Souls, the whole thing will cost you 20 million." Ceozi said with a sly smile on her face.


    "Damn... You really want to rob me, don''t you?" Wain shook his head.


    "Stop whining. Judging by your aura, you''re pretty damn strong, I''m sure you''ve got that amount." Ceozi smirked.


    "Maybe." Wain shrugged.


    "Other than that, I need you to get something." Ceozi muttered.


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?" Wain asked with a confused look as he tilted his head.


    "Besides the Souls, I also need materials, I have almost everything, consider it included in the price, but to realize my vision, I need one rare item." Ceozi said with a serious look.


    "Eh... Okay, I have no choice either way. What should I get?" Wain sighed while shaking his head.


    "Evil Spirit Crystal is an incredibly valuable material that can only be found in a few ces on the entire continent, and Dragon Ridge is one of them. Beyond the mountain ridge is Ash Shore, that''s where you''ll find this Crystal, but be careful, Fifth Chronicle monster rule that territory." Ceozi uttered as she crossed her arms.


    "Fifth Chronicle...? Fuck, you want to kill me, right?" Wain frowned.


    "Don''t worry. You''ll be fine, that monster doesn''t care about Crystal, just try not to face him. However, a lot of Fourth Chronicle creatures live there, be ready for a fight. You''ll be back in a few hours if all goes well, so I''ll start preparing now." Ceozi said before walking over to the huge furnace.


    In her hands appeared several firestones that she threw at it as instantly a bright red me appeared, several timesrger than Ceozi.


    The temperature next to the furnace was terrifying, but Ceozi had no trouble enduring it as her cksmithing was her life''s work.


    ''Good. Judging by the look in her eyes, I''ve definitely found the right person.'' Wain muttered inwardly, nodded, and headed for the exit.


    Ash Shore was only a few kilometers from Ceozi''s workshop, so ten minutester, Wain was there.


    In front of him was a vast expanse covered in ash, there was nothing but death and danger, except for the dark crystal that glinted through the dense fog.

 Chapter 628 The Book

    The crystal was visible from afar, even despite the thick fog behind which everything was hidden, as Wain could not see the tree that was near to him. However, the path to the crystal was not short and extremely dangerous.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Wain slowly stepped forward while looking around as it seemed for some time now that someone was following him, but he couldn''t figure out what exactly it was.


    "Hehehe, I can''t believe someone is finally here." Suddenly an insidious voice rang out.


    "Damn, he''s a human. That''s really rare."


    Whoooooosh.


    Several shadows burst out of the mist as they stood opposite Wain. They were three humanoid lizards with dark scales and woody armor. Their amber eyes with vertical pupils stared at Wain while their long tongues swung from side to side among their razor-sharp teeth.


    "Who are you, bastards?" Wain frowned as his aura intensified.


    "We...? Youe into our territory and dare to ask us such questions?" One of the Lizards smirked.


    "Your territory? Isn''t Fifth Chronicle one in charge here? You''re just petty pipsqueaks!" Wain uttered as he waved his hand in a mocking manner.


    "Argh! We are enough to deal with you! You''re only in the First Stage!" The Lizard eximed before pouncing on Wain.


    <o>,m The Lizard was instantly in front of Wain as sharp ws rained down on him. At the same time, the dark sword appeared in Wain''s hand as he blocked the attack. Then the second Lizard approached Wain with its mouth wide open. Wain''s pupils narrowed as he ducked sharply, so the second Lizard flew over him.</o>


    "Don''t forget about me!" The third Lizard eximed as a thick tail mmed into Wain''s stomach.


    The impact threw Wain aside with a powerful shockwave that scattered the fog around as Wain broke several trees with his back before stopping.


    "Fuck... That wasn''t a weak blow." Wain muttered while wiping the blood flowing from his mouth.


    "Hmm? Can you stand on your feet?" The third Lizard asked with a dazed look.


    "Huh, you''re a pretty tough guy." The second Lizard said with a fluttering tongue.


    "But, that won''t do you any good! No one can handle us when we fight together!" The first Lizard eximed as they turned into shadows.


    The lizards appeared around Wain and simultaneously attacked. Wain swung his sword as he blocked two attacks, but the third hit him again, so his face contorted in pain.


    "Die!" The lizards eximed as three tails struck at different points.


    Wain was tossed aside and buried under the ashy sand that was partially covered in his blood.


    ''Huh, they got you pretty good. Can''t you handle three amphibians?'' dius grinned.


    ''Shut up!'' Wain internally eximed as he pounded the ground with his fist, ''I just need to change tactics.''


    Whoooooosh.


    Wain stood up, returned the sword to the seal, and his eyes sparkled.


    Waves of energy emitted from him cast ash aside, and his hair turned as gray as the mantle that appeared on him with the dense eye patch.


    ''You haven''t used my power in quite some time. Has that moment reallye? The Blind Sorcerer spoke with a sly smile on his face.


    "Yeah..." Wain muttered as a gray, unremarkable book appeared in his hands.


    [The Art of True Illusion Book (Unique)<sub> </sub>


    This book belonged to a wizard who specialized in creating illusions. He was incredibly sessful at it but never made it to his final goal - to create an illusion that would surpass reality.


    Create copies of your attacks that are half the power of the original.


    Sometimes illusion looks more believable than reality]


    ''Just what you need. I knew your weapon would be something interesting.'' Wain pronounced to himself before opening the book.


    In front of him appeared a magical circle from which an energy arrow flew out, then the symbols on the pages shone brightly, and next to the arrow appeared two more simr ones that rushed towards the Lizards.


    "What!?" The Lizards eximed as they jumped aside, but the arrows continued to chase them.


    "That''s not all!" Wain smirked before spreading his arms out to his sides.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A powerful stream of white energy burst out of Wain that made space tremble as a huge magical circle with many ancient runs appeared behind him. Ten projectiles burst out of it that as though missiles were headed towards the Lizards, and secondster, their number had tripled.


    "Ahahahahahaha! You motherfuckers are finished!" Wainughed with an evil look while the projectiles attacked the Lizards from all sides.


    The Lizards tried to defend themselves, but they just couldn''t handle such pressure, so some projectiles managed to break through their scales and seriously wound them.


    "Stop! Don''t kill us!" The Lizard cried out with a frightened look while blood flowed from its mouth.


    The other lizards didn''t even have the strength to speak as they expended all their energy to survive.


    "Huh, why would I do that? Don''t give me that crap, just die with dignity!" Wain smirked while covering his hands with white energy.


    "But...! We can...!"


    Bam.


    Wain''s hands turned into a blur as the Lizard''s head exploded.


    "It doesn''t matter anymore. I don''t need anything from you except your Souls." Wain muttered with an ice-cold look as he removed the form.


    Blue Souls flew out of those Lizards, they weren''t very big, but they contained a lot of energy.


    "Great. I can finally get stronger. If I had second Torch lit during my fight with Prima, I could probably handle her with ease." Wain muttered, pulled the Souls to him, and crushed them.


    ''Damn it, Wain! Why did you do that?" dius eximed in a worried voice.


    ''What are you talking about?'' Wain muttered inwardly while in confusion.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    [You have absorbed three Souls and gained some of the Soul Essence.]


    [Your First Torch is 100% full!]


    [The ignition process to activate the Second Torch begins!]


    [During this process, you will release a huge amount of energy that can attract dangerous creatures, so it is better to be in a safe ce.]

 Chapter 629 The Second Torch

    "What...?" Wain muttered with confused looks while realizing what had just happened.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Without his knowledge, his body began to release a huge amount of gray energy that spread in all directions.


    "You couldn''t have warned me about this before?! Fuck!" Wain eximed, clenched his teeth, and kicked the ground with his foot.


    "I tried! I mean... It was toote when I said it, but who knew you''d act so harshly!" dius uttered in a muddled voice.


    "Ah? What did you expect me to do with those Souls? Pray on them?" Wain shouted in an irritated manner, "Shit! Why is this happening now?! When am I going to start getting lucky?"


    Whoooooooosh.


    Wain''s Soul Temple was undergoing an amazing change. The core of the Second Torch emptied instantly, and the torch lit up. The gray me was only a small one, as it was still a long way off, but it was enough to make Wain feel a powerful surge of strength.


    Even though there was no wind, his hair and cloak fluttered violently as his eyes got deeper. The energy was stilling out, but technically Wain was already on the Second Stage of Ascension.


    "Well, well, this might be hard for me right now, but I feel fucking great!" Wain uttered with a mad smile on his face as he clenched his hand into a fist.


    Crackle.


    Many shadows appeared in the fog with red eyes whose light was slightly diffused. They were all looking at Wain as though at the most important treasure in their lives.


    "Huh, you''re already here. In that case, attack! Show me what you can do!" Wain shouted with an insane look since he summoned dius.


    .


    .


    .


    A smoked cigarette flew sideways as it fell to the ashy ground that waspletely soaked in blood.


    "Damn... I need more..." Wain muttered, took a cigarette out of the pack, and lit it.


    He brought the cigarette to his mouth, sighed, and blew out a massive puff of smoke, then did it many more times.


    <o>,m Wain was leaning against a mountain of the corpses of various monsters, most of which were from the Fourth Chronicle. There were so many that the blood literally turned into several rivers that flowed around Wain.</o>


    "It was crazy... I feel like I''ve aged a few years in that hour..." Wain muttered while changing his cigarette.


    "Wain... Are you sure you''re okay? I mean, you''ve sustained some serious wounds." dius uttered in a worried manner.


    "Don''t sweat it. I''m feeling better by the second, and from the looks of it, either the enemies are over, or no one else wants to fight me, but..." Wain muttered while looking at the energy flows, "When will it end?"


    As though at his will, the energy flow suddenly stopped and returned to its owner. At the same time, the Second Torch lit up unusually brightly as vibrations went through the entire Soul Temple.


    Wain felt a surge of strength as his wounds began to heal at an elerated rate, minor cutspletely disappearing.


    [Your Second Torch is lit to full power.]


    [You have reached the Second Stage.]


    [The ability to fill Third Torch is open.]


    "Huh, just in time." Wain smirked, "Well, that was a tough fight, but in cases like that, the winner always has a lot of trophies."


    Wain waved his hand as hundreds of Souls of various sizes appeared before him, all colors except amber.


    "I wonder how much I can fill the Third Torch with it?" Wain muttered before absorbing the souls.


    [You received a small amount of Soul Essence!]<sub> </sub>


    [You received a medium amount of Soul Essence!]


    [You got arge amount of Soul Essence!]


    The messages didn''t stop appearing as only after a couple of minutes Wain saw thest one.


    "Well... For some reason, I have a bad feeling..." Wain muttered as he opened the status.


    [Wain Norheim


    Ascension: Second Stage (7.77%)


    Race: Human


    Beyond: Cmity (Cocanth)


    Soul: Nameless King


    Title: Savior of the Damned, Echo of Samurai, Mentor Inquisitor, The First, Soul Gatherer, Cartographer, yer of Goliath, Contender, Defeating One of the Four Kings, Killing the Legend, etc...


    Majesty: 10]


    "7.77%... I guess that''s all my luck can do..." Wain sighed while shaking his head in a frustrated manner.


    ''That''s actually a pretty good result,'' dius uttered.


    "You think so?" Wain asked as he raised an eyebrow.


    ''Yes. You just need to raise the level of the opponents you''re fighting. If you absorbed a few Legendary Souls, you''d make a big jump in progress right away.''


    "Huh, defeating opponents like that isn''t easy. I''ve defeated four, but they only recently reached the Fourth Chronicle, as some of the monsters here were almost as strong." Wain waved his hand before rising from the corpse of the monster.


    ''Well, a lot depends on Stage, though I think you already figured that out,'' dius muttered in a serious voice.


    "Sure. I''m at least twice as strong now as I was before, so... When Ceozi makes my gear, it will be time for Nameless to return to the Colosseum." Wain smirked as he headed forward.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Wain slowly approached the dark crystal thaty carelessly on the ground. The monsters couldn''t get near it because the crystal''s aura scared them off, but that didn''t matter to Wain.


    He picked up the crystal, moved it into the ring, and said, "Great. Now it''s time to go back."


    Tremble.


    Suddenly a powerful pressure came over Wain that literally shackled himpletely since he couldn''t move.


    ''What...?'' Wain inwardly muttered as he looked up.


    A shiver went through Wain''s body as a massive red eye stared at him as though it could turn him into nothing at any moment while a dense fog hid the creature''s body.


    ''Is that the Fifth Chronicle one...?! Ceozi said it doesn''t care about Crystal!'' Wain inwardly eximed while in disbelief.


    Whoooooosh.


    The pressure was gone as the monster disappeared. Everything was calm as if Wain had imagined it.


    ''Wain, it''s time to get out of here as soon as possible. You''re lucky that girl told the truth, and that monster isn''t interested in you.'' dius uttered.


    "Yeah. You''re damn right." Wain nodded.

 Chapter 630 The New Outfit

    Crackle.


    The massive gate opened as Wain entered the cave.


    "Oh, you came." Ceozi said while wiping the sweat from her forehead, "What took you so long? Did something happen?"


    "No. Nothing serious just wanted to enjoy the beautiful views." Wain said with a calm look before throwing Ceozi the crystal.


    "Perfect. Just what you need, the size is perfect." Ceozi nodded in a satisfied manner, "Have a seat, now it''s my time to work."


    "Well, then I''d enjoy watching it. I hope you won''t disappoint me." Wain muttered as he jumped on the massive smooth rock.


    Ceozi slipped the crystal into her pocket and walked over to the forge, where a bright red me burned. She sighed and pulled out many different materials, most of which were metals or monster parts.


    "Good. Let''s go." Ceozi murmured as her aura intensified with a powerful surge of energy.


    A thin red shell covered her whole body as on her left hand appeared a gauntlet from that emanated threads of fire while the hammer in her second hand med brightly.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Ceozi, with a serious look, started hitting some materials, turning them into one mass while the hot mes melted them into magma. Gradually Ceozi added new materials, their number increasing steadily as the hammer hits she made.


    ''Her way of forging gear is seriously different from Lea''s, though... I''ve seen her too long ago to im that.'' Wain inwardly muttered while holding his chin with a thoughtful look.


    "Great. The first stage is over." Ceozi muttered with a slight nod as two massive amber Souls appeared beside her, "You don''t mind me using this one, do you?"


    "Sure, I trust youpletely, just do the best you can." Wain said in a serious voice while his icy eyes literally pierced her.


    ''Damn... Now he''s even more intimidating than before...'' Ceozi said to herself, ''Well, I always give it my all anyway, and this time is no exception!


    At her will, the two Legendary Souls turned into rivers of energy that rushed towards the molten materials. This caused a vibration as the material began to tear apart due to too much pressure.


    Whoooooosh.


    The ming threads from the gauntlet reconnected all the pieces as Ceozi, with all might, struck the hammer on the anvil.


    Tremble.


    The energy from the anvil shook, and the entire cave trembled like a powerful earthquake, then came the next hits, one by one.


    The hammer held the energy in the material while the ming threads slowly shaped it into the desired shape.


    Ceozi was finished with the first part of Wain''s order only an hourter. The ground beneath her was drenched with sweat dripping from her body as she breathed heavily, but she was not going to stop there, so after a short break, Ceozi proceeded to create the coat.


    ...


    "Damn... Though it wasn''t an easy way to get here, it was definitely worth it. She''s a real master." Wain muttered with a dazed look.


    Ceozi put the hammer aside, stopped the skill, and dropped down next to the anvil, "Done. Ah... That was my longest and hardest job ever, I hope you''ll be satisfied."


    Wain jumped off the rock, walked over to Ceozi, and held his hand to her, "I''m sure you did, but first I have to pay whoever did this, don''t I?"


    "Huh, you''re damn right." Ceozi smiled before getting twenty million Void Souls for one handshake.


    Wain nodded and walked over to the forge, there were two items on the table.<sub> </sub>


    "Fuck... They''re beautiful..." Wain muttered as he picked up the gloves.


    The gloves were dark, with metallic lines that were like a projection of the bones in the palm of a man''s hand. On the inside of the gloves was an unusual pattern - a vortex.


    [Gloves of the Open Flow (Legendary)


    These gloves were created from the Souls of beings who knew how to control their energy and use it to enhance themselves.


    Due to the astounding skills of the smith that created these gloves, it was possible to merge two simr yet different Souls with unlike auras.


    Use this treasure to unleash your inner energy and turn your fists or weapons into deadly weapons.


    *Active Skill - "Destructive Vortex."


    -Destructive Vortex.


    umte energy in front of you with two gloves to create a deadly natural phenomenon].


    "What do you think?" Ceozi asked.


    "Just what I need." Wain muttered as he pulled his gloves over his hands, "But, that''s just the appetizer. The coat, that''s my main course."


    The coat was ck on the outside and crimson on the inside. This coat had a long cor as there were no buttons or straps, but instead, there were a few tinum rivets at the edge.


    "Here we go." Wain with a happy look threw the coat on as the description appeared in front of him.


    [Crimson Shadow (Legendary)


    This coat is made from the Souls of two unlike creatures, but due to the cksmith''s skill, it became possible to turn it into one thing.


    Because of the power of blood, the coat is as though a living creature can regenerate itself and help its owner restore, while the dark part has excellent protection with powerful energy control.


    *Passive Skill - "Impervious Protection."


    -Impervious Protection.


    It can defend against almost any physical and magical attack if it has enough energy.


    *Active Skill - "Dark Blood Procession."


    -Dark Blood Procession.


    Boost your regeneration to the limit, as well as give free rein to the darkness that will devour your body to give you immense power. The darkness will grow stronger with each second as its energy for you.]


    "Now that''s what I call a masterpiece. As strange as it may sound, what I appreciate most about this coat is not its abilities but the way it looks." Wain pronounced as he adjusted his cor.


    "d to hear it." Ceozi smiled.


    ...


    While Wain was enjoying his new stuff, two persons with identical star tattoos on their chests entered the Dragon Ridge.

 Chapter 631 Two Arkans

    "So... What are you going to do now?" Ceozi asked as she popped a few pills into her mouth.


    "Well... That''s a good question." Wain smiled, ran his finger over the anvil, and sat down on it, "I actually have to meet my friends since I haven''t seen them in a long time, but right now, all I can think about is battles."


    "Huh, are you really that influenced by the gear I created?" Ceozi smirked before rising.


    Wain didn''t answer as he just smiled, but to Ceozi, it was the best answer.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly the cave shuddered as small stones with dust sprinkled from above.


    "What''s going on? Is someone fighting near the mountain?" Wain muttered with a confused look as he looked up.


    "No! Special artifacts are set up around the cave that scares monsters away from this ce, so... someone attacked us personally!" Ceozi eximed, unleashed her aura, and prepared to fight.


    Crackle.


    The ceiling shattered into two massive bs as two shadows with frightening auras flew inside. Completely ignoring Ceozi, they instantly attacked Wain.


    Wain raised his arms above him as though shield and blocked the attack as the ground beneath his feet cracked.


    "Who are you, bastards?" Wain muttered with an ice-cold look as he counterattacked.


    His hands, covered in darkness, turned into a blur and mmed into the attackers'' stomachs. The impact threw them to the other side of the cave, but they quickly regained their bnce with a leap away from the walls.


    The woman and the man stared at wain with menacing looks. The man had short ck hair, gray eyes, and a muscr body that was covered by a leather cape. The woman had long red hair, ck eyes, and red, light armor with shining crystals.


    "Nameless... Today your journey ends here. This cave will be your grave." The man said in a calm voice as though it had already been decided.


    "Huh, Dan, you always say everything at once." The woman smirked.


    "Amelia... We just have to get it over with as soon as possible, for everyone''s good, or else there could be another disaster." Dan uttered while icy waves of energy emanated from him.


    ''Hmm? Do they know my nickname? Do they want to fight me? But... aren''t the rules of the Colosseum allow 2 vs 1 battles?'' Wain internally muttered while in disbelief, ''Wait... what the fuck is that...?


    Wain''s eyes widened as he saw the star-shaped tattoos on the man''s chest.


    "You... How did you find me?" Wain uttered as a powerful stream of aura burst out of him that literally filled the entire space.


    "What''s going on here?! Why the fuck did you break into my forge!" Ceozi eximed with a furious look, grabbed the hammer, and lit it with a bright red me.


    "Huh, Nameless, you trapped yourself." Amelia waved her hand with a devious look on her face, "Bying here, you gave us the opportunity to attack you! That it!"


    ''Wain, be careful.'' dius said, ''The Dragons won''t help you this time, since one of them died here, so they don''te in, it''s their tradition.


    ''I see, though I can handle them myself now. They''re in the Fourth Chronicle, so I have every chance of winning.'' Wain muttered to himself before looking at Ceozi.


    ''Ceozi, get out of here, you can''t defeat them. I''ll take care of everything." Wain uttered as his coat quivered.<sub> </sub>


    "Huh? Are you kidding me? Maybe I''m a cksmith, but I can get a couple of trespassers out of here. Damn, they''re not even members of the Pirs, it''ll be easy." Ceozi smirked as she threw the hammer at Dan.


    The hammer, with a fiery plume, struck the man as though a meteor that, along the way, made the stone melt and boil.


    Whooooosh.


    Amelia stood in front of Dan, extended her arm, and with a careless look, stopped the hammer.


    "What...? How is it possible...?" Ceozi muttered while in disbelief.


    "Demon, I''m giving you onest chance to get out of here." Amelia threw to Ceozi, "We don''t need you. However, if you get in our way, we have no choice but to kill you."


    ''Wain... You can fight the two of them, but I think it''s better for you to share strength. You still have something... You should use it.'' Blind Sorcerer suddenly said.


    ''Yeah. You''re right.'' Wain nodded.


    In Wain''s hands appeared a gray book and a dark writing pen that he received as a gift from the Royal Spirit in the Forgotten Forest.


    "Hmm? What is that?" Amelia frowned.


    "Ceozi, you may not be able to handle them alone, but I will help you." Wain said before waving with a pen.


    He wrote a few lines in the air that turned into a huge knight of darkness with bulky armor and a massive sword. The knight''s eyes lit up as though green torches as he stood in a battle stance.


    At the same time, Wain opened the book, and two of his clones appeared beside the knight. Their auras were not stable, but they were dangerous.


    "You think some illusions can stop us? This is ridiculous!" Amelia eximed as she attacked.


    With a wave of her hand, she created a windde that rushed towards the knights of darkness, but the first knight just sliced it in two.


    "Good. Ceozi, you take this weirdo, I''ll deal with that pesky bitch for now!" Wain eximed before turning into a dark sh.


    He appeared before Amelia with a powerful punch of his fist that was covered in darkness.


    Amelia''s pupils narrowed as she bent over, letting the blow pass over her.


    Bam.


    A stream of darkness obliterated part of the cave behind her, turning it into a dpidated passageway to the outside.


    ''What? Did he use a skill so quickly? No... it was just a punch...'' Amelia muttered as she turned her head.


    Crackle.


    Wain''s second fist smashed into her face, and the impact threw Amelia outside the cave with the stone bs shattered by her back.

 Chapter 632 The Star

    Wain headed for the cave exit and said, "Good luck. Try to hold out until I get back. I''ll deal with her quickly."


    "Sure. I may not be as strong as you, but anyone who invades my forge must be prepared to die." Ceozi muttered as the ring on her finger sparkled.


    Several red crystals appeared in her hand that she threw into the furnace. This caused a bright me with extremely high temperature.


    "Apparently, your attribute is ice." Ceozi uttered while looking at the man with a deadly look, "Well, I''m afraid now all you can do is cause a ssh of water!"


    Dan frowned as he gathered energy closer to himself, so the fire couldn''t melt his ice right away.


    ''Damn, she''s right, I won''t be able to show my full strength here, she''s a pretty ufortable opponent for me. Maybe Amelia''s help is worth it? No... These guys won''t let me go that easily...'' Dan inwardly muttered as he looked at the knights, ''Okay, she''s just a cksmith, that shouldn''t be a problem.''


    ...


    Crackle.


    A rush of wind appeared beneath Amelia as she stood on the ground, regaining her bnce.


    "Arkan... You are the third one who has decided to kill me, but you are the only one who did it because of my personality. You seem to know more about me than anyone else, don''t you?" Wain asked with a deadly serious look while pacing in her direction.


    "This is a pointless conversation. You are his heir, so I have no choice but to kill you. I had my doubts at first, but after carefully watching yourst fight, I''mpletely convinced of it." Amelia uttered in a menacing voice as her aura raised.


    Whooooosh.


    A torrent of wind rushed toward her that resonated with her armor, taking on a scarlet hue. At her will, the wind turned into two deadly discs. Next to discs, space trembled as the wind moved at tremendous speed.


    "Your death will be my greatest achievement. I will be a hero!" Amelia eximed as she attacked.


    She instantly appeared to the left of Wain with discs aiming for his neck.


    Wain''s arms became a blur as he stopped the attack.


    "Again...? My discs should have cut your arms if you''d tried to block it..." Amelia muttered with a dazed look.


    "Huh, those gloves were made by the best cksmith that I knew! What''s more, your wind is too weak to just scratch me!" Wain eximed with a grin on his face.


    With a sharp movement, Wain drew Amelia to him, covered his hands with darkness, and attacked.


    His fist as though a spear had pierced the wind-driven discs just as Amelia''s belly did. The impact tossed her aside as she with a face distorted with pain, vomiting a mouthful of blood.


    ''Damn... Any energy that passes through these gloves turns into a real weapon. It''s much better than I imagined.'' Wain smiled while clenching and unclenching his fist.<sub> </sub>


    p ''You...! Why are you so strong...? Shit, don''t tell me you''ve reached the Second Stage..." Amelia muttered in a startled voice as she realized Wain''s level of strength.</anda>


    "Exactly. You''re just in time. I needed someone strong to test my new gear, so don''t disappoint me!" Wain eximed and stretched his arms forward.


    The sign of vortex on his gloves shed as a small gray sphere the size of a seed appeared in front of him. Gradually, because of the energy, the sphere erged and began to rotate as though a ck hole that could swallow anything, even an entire.


    When maximum mass was reached, Wain threw the orb directly at Amelia. Behind the orb, a deep mark was left on the ground due to the tremendous pressure as the stone around it became covered in small cuts.


    "Don''t you dare underestimate me!" Amelia eximed as she crossed her arms in front of her.


    The wind turned into three strong barriers that should have protected her, but the orb easily broke through them and came down on Amelia with all its might.


    "Ahahahaha! This is too easy!" Wainughed as a madly smile appeared on his face.


    Amelia''s armor absorbed most of the damage, but many crystals burst as the armor was covered in thick cracks.


    ''Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! In addition to going to the Second Stage, he also got such powerful equipment! Fuck it, I can''t lose any more of my blood. Amelia frowned, jumped back, and touched the star tattoo on her chest.


    Energy rippled through her as her body crackled, even her eyes.


    "What is that?" Wain muttered while in confusion.


    Crackle.


    Pieces of skin broke away from her body as they fell to the ground and shattered into small shards. It was as though the outeryer of the statue was crumbling, under that was the true appearance.


    Now instead of long red hair, Amelia had short, shoulder-length gray hair and eyes as blue as the ocean. On her appeared a silver, light armor as well as streams of wind that covered her arms in the shape of des.


    ''Did she use her the Form?'' Wain said inwardly, ''No, it doesn''t look like it. Moreover, what is it?''


    In the center of the star on Amelia''s chest appeared the number ''2'', which to Arkans had a special meaning.


    "Nameless, or rather Wain Norheim." Amelia addressed him as she waved her hand, "I know that you had fought against Arkans before and always had someone to help you, even Dragon stepped in for you, but it doesn''t matter since they didn''t even have a rank! I, an Arkan of the Second Rank, will kill you, Wain Norheim, heir of the Nameless King!"


    A shiver ran through Wain''s body as Amelia appeared before him with an ice-cold look. Her hands became a blur as she plunged the X-shaped wind de into Wain''s chest.


    It all happened too fast for Wain to react, so blood gushed from his chest as his face twisted in pain.

 Chapter 633 Cane

    Whooooooooosh.


    Wain jumped back as scarlet energy burst from his coat that, with several streams, headed for the wound. The blood immediately stopped as the cut began to heal faster, but it took time.


    ''What the hell is it...?! Wain inwardly eximed, ''dius! You must know something about this for sure!


    ''Yes... I didn''t think it would happen so soon. All in all, the situation couldn''t be worse.'' dius spoke in a serious voice, ''As far as I know, Arkans have a strict hierarchy based on strength and achievement, so... meeting Second Rank Arkan is a nightmare. Use everything you''ve got to win.''


    Step. Step. Step.


    Amelia slowly stepped toward Wain while her wind des made space waver.


    ''Nameless, show me what you can do. Though, the oue of this fight is already decided." Amelia uttered with an ice-cold look as she disappeared.


    Amelia appeared behind Wain with a swift attack as her des rushed to his heart.


    ng.


    Wain''s pupils narrowed as he concentrated all his energy on the back of his coat, creating a shadow barrier.


    However, the des easily cut through the thickyer of darkness and reached the coat. At the same time, a wave of energy passed through the coat as the shockwave tossed Wain aside.


    "What...? My des couldn''t cut his coat...? How is that possible?" Amelia muttered while in disbelief.


    "Huh, it cost me a lot of energy, but it was cool." Wain smirked while looking at his wound.


    At the site of the cut, the coat had already almostpletely recovered, but the wound was still bleeding a little.


    "Your coat is a real treasure. It looks like you''re pretty lucky." Amelia muttered as she crossed her des.


    "Are you kidding me? I can''t remember thest time I was lucky. You just have to know the right people." Wain muttered with a sly smile on his face, but a momentter, his look turned cold as ice, "Okay, that''s enough. I''m not going to hold back. Get ready, this ce will be a grave for you."


    Tremble.


    dius returned to the seal as a powerful torrent of darkness burst out of Wain that swept all around. It was like a tornado rushing toward the heavens.


    ''Well, well, I wondered which one of us would be thest. I''m not gonna lie, I''m d it wasn''t me.'' The ck Sun Aristocrat smirked while he looked at the Knight of the Bloody Rose.


    A mask appeared on Wain''s face as several red curls appeared among his ck hair that exuded an aura of blood, then his left eye turned ruby.


    ''This coat is just perfect, so I won''t be recing it with mine this time.'' ck Sun Aristocrat muttered.


    ''What is this aura...? Why am I afraid?! Amelia inwardly eximed as a shiver ran through her body.


    In Wain''s hands appeared a tinum cane with a massive ck sphere on its end.


    ''It''s my favorite one. I hope it will soon be covered in that pesky girl''s blood.'' ck Sun Aristocrat said in a yful manner.


    [ck Sun Cane (Unique)


    One of the oldest and strongest artifacts that is known because of its sole owner, a mysterious aristocrat who ruled the strongest city on the continent.<sub> </sub>


    Use this wand to create energy that though ck holes, will destroy everything in its path or make your enemies stay in agony in closebat.


    Any sun is a star, but not every star is a sun]


    "Good. That''s certainly your style. I''ll see what I can do with it." Wain muttered as he looked at the cane.


    Whoooooosh.


    Amelia swung her des as several powerful tornadoes headed toward Wain.


    Wain did not retreat, he pointed at the tornado with a calm look, and the ck sphere at the end of his cane shed.


    A ck sphere appeared in the air as space distorted around it. The tornadoes shuddered, and the wind rushed towards the sphere as though due to the action of the strongest gravity.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The powerful pressure caused the ground to crack as small stones turned into dust, but the sphere suddenly disappeared with the tornado.


    ''No way... He just did that? That tornado could hurt even a Fifth Chronicle creature!'' Amelia inwardly eximed with a dazed look.


    "If that''s all the Arkans are capable of, then I was afraid of you for nothing." Wain uttered with a contemptuous look before stepping forward.


    His silhouette blurred as he appeared in front of Amelia with a cane aiming for her head.


    Amelia''s pupils narrowed as she ducked, so the cane flew over her.


    Crackling.


    Suddenly Wain twisted the cane in his hand as he hit Amelia''s knee with all his might. There was a loud crunch of bones as Amelia''s face contorted in horrible pain.


    "This is only the beginning." Wain muttered in a deadly manner as he thrust the thin end of his cane into Amelia''s leg.


    "Agh!" Amelia cried out in pain.


    Bam.


    Wain''s fist smashed on her face with a thickyer of darkness on it. The impact threw Amelia aside as she was covered in dust and earth.


    "You''re pathetic." Wain muttered while looking at Amelia, "Maybe having Second Rank is a big deal to you, but you blew your chance to kill me. If you hade a few hours ago, I wouldn''t have had a chance, but now... Just die!"


    Wain swung his cane as three massive ck spheres appeared above Amelia.


    Amelia''s eyes widened as she tried to get up and run away, but the pressure from the three massive spheres was as though from an entire, so she didn''t stand a chance.


    Wain continued to infuse the spheres with energy with the pure intention to kill Amelia right now.


    Whoooooosh.


    Above Amelia appeared several small ice crystals that quickly turned into a fiveyer ice barrier that as though a dome covered her. At the same time, the spheres exploded with a deafening explosion that caused a monstrous shock wave.

 Chapter 634 Two Against One

    Whoooooosh.


    The shockwave dispersed hundreds of meters around as the few trees bent to the ground, and some of them snapped.


    Despite the extraordinary power of the st, Amelia was fine, but all that was left of the ice barrier was a fine crumb that was blown away by a random wind current.


    "Hmm? Is it really...?" Wain muttered as he turned around.


    In his direction, with a slow stride, was Dan while drops of blood dripped from his left hand. Behind Dan was a ruined cave as among the rubbley the wounded Ceozi.


    ''She''s alive, though seriously wounded... Well, that''s enough, the Demons are definitely one of the toughest races.'' Wain inwardly muttered with a slight nod.


    Whooooooosh.


    Amelia jumped out of the crater and stared at Wain with a furious look.


    "I knew you couldn''t handle him alone." Dan said in a calm voice before creating several ice crystals.


    "Shut up! I underestimated him, but it doesn''t matter anymore. Against the two of us, he doesn''t stand a chance!" Amelia eximed as new wind des appeared around her hands.


    "I agree. In that case, we should go straight to serious means." Dan uttered as his eyes sparkled, the same thing happened to Amelia.


    Their auras intensified while their elements, wind, and ice covered them as though cocooned.


    "Trying to activate your a Beyonds? Huh, do you really think I''d let you do that?" Wain uttered with a deadly look before turning into a shadow.


    Wain appeared in front of Amelia as he attacked, but suddenly, there was an ice crystal in front of her that blocked the attack.


    "Tsk. What nonsense." Wain frowned as he attacked again.


    The cane, through streams of wind, rushed toward Amelia''s head, but at thest moment, she opened her eyes as a wave of wind moved away from her.


    The impact threw Wain sideways, but he was not hurt as he justnded.


    "Great. No one can stop us now." Dan muttered since his appearance changed.


    His hair turned blue, various tattoos appeared on his body as well as in his hands were two ice axes.


    Amelia''s Beyond didn''t change much in her appearance, but on her feet appeared massive boots that worked from the force of the wind.


    "Maybe there are two of you now, but that still doesn''t mean anything. You''re still weak, so if there were ten of you, I could easily deal with you." Wain uttered in a haughty manner as he pointed at them with a cane.


    Crackle.


    Several dark spheres appeared in front of Dan and Amelia that immediately exerted powerful pressure on them as their feet sank into the ground.


    "Huh, he''s too cocky, though he can''t act any differently, an heir to such a terrifying human." Amelia grinned as she raised her hand in a careless manner.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Next to the spheres appeared wind des that, in a heartbeat, shattered the orb into pieces as their energy dissipated.<sub> </sub>


    "What?" Wain muttered while in disbelief before creating new ones.


    Dan turned into a shadow and appeared beside Wain, raining his axe down on him.


    Wain''s pupils narrowed as he blocked the attack with his cane. The ice axes mmed into it, but it wasn''t enough to break one of the Form''s weapons.


    "Ah? How is that possible?" Dan uttered with a dazed look.


    "Away!" Wain swung his cane as he tossed Dan aside, but suddenly Amelia appeared beside him.


    She stepped forward with sharp eyes, and her winddes left two deep horizontal cuts on Wain''s back as, this time, the coat failed to protect Wain.


    "Agh!" Wain threw up a mouthful of blood as a wave of pain ran through his body.


    Bam.


    Suddenly, one of the ice axes stabbed deep into his left shoulder. Wain''s flesh began to freeze rapidly, and Dan wasn''t going to stop there. He touched Wain''s chest with his palm as the ground trembled.


    Ice crystals burst from beneath the ground that as though a wave crashed Wain and threw him back a hundred yards while leaving dozens of cuts on his body with each passing second.


    ? "Great. It''s just impossible to fight with such horrible wounds!" Amelia eximed with a happy look as she raised her fist upward.


    "Well, he didn''t expect such a leap in our powers, we took advantage of the element of surprise, but you''re right. His left arm is now incapacitated, and you''ve seriously injured his back." Dan said before running forward.


    An icy wave carried Wain to the foot of the mountain as he found himself in the center of a massive crater that was studded with boulders. The situation was far worse than Dan or Amelia could have imagined as rivers of blood literally flowed from Wain.


    Wain was breathing heavily while the coat was recovering as the energy from applying the second appearance of the ck Sun Aristocrat boosted Wain''s regeneration.


    ''Hey! We''re in a hell of a lot of trouble! They''re running here at full speed, and when they get here, they''ll kill you, Wain!'' ck Sun Aristocrat eximed as he tried to reach out to Wain, but Wainpletely ignored him.


    "dius..." Wain muttered in a pained voice.


    ''I hear you.'' dius uttered.


    "It''s been a long time since I met you... but I still haven''t used your main power, have I?"


    ''Exactly. Do you want to do it?


    "Sure. Is there a better time than this?" Wain smirked, "Don''t worry about my wounds, I can take it. Ceozi made an amazing outfit, after all."


    Tremble.


    The inside of the coat, red, glowed brightly as Wain''s regeneration and energy multiplied, then a dark, long sword appeared in his hand.


    Wain slowly rose, nced at Dan and Amelia running toward him, and muttered, "It''s time to show you, Wrath of the King."


    The seal in the crown appeared on dius as a powerful stream of dense gray energy burst forth from the sword that as though a me burned before Wain.

 Chapter 635 The Heart

    The energy emanating from Wain''s sword made Amelia and Dan shudder as a shiver ran through their bodies, but it couldn''t stop them, not now.


    ''No matter what he''s going to do, we have to kill him! Right here, right now!'' Dan inwardly eximed as he brought his axe above his head to attack.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Wain stepped forward as a gray wave of energy erupted from his sword. At the same time, Dan''s face was stained with the blood that burst from his severed arm flying away.


    "Dan!" Amelia eximed with a worried look.


    "Die!" Wain uttered in a thunderous voice before turning into a dark sh.


    He appeared in front of Dan and, with a deadly look, swung his sword from top to bottom. The wave of energy sliced Dan exactly in two as it split the ground behind him. It was instant and unstoppable death.


    "NO!" Amelia shouted in a desperate manner as she stretched her arm forward as though trying to save Dan.


    "Now it''s your turn!" Wain uttered in an ice-cold voice before attacking.


    Amelia was shocked, her mind waspletely lost, but the instincts that she had gained from hundreds of fights took control of the situation, so she reflexively created a wind barrier in front of her.


    The barrier couldn''t block the attack, but it was able to deflect the de, so it flew sideways into the mountain behind.


    "I''m not giving up that easily! Bastard!" Amelia eximed with a furious look as she directed all her energy to her hands.


    Amelia let loose a powerful tornado that threw him back hundreds of meters.


    Crackle.


    Wain plunged his sword into the ground as he halted with a spit-out clot of blood.


    ''Be careful... Due to the regeneration of your cloak and the action of the fourth form, the consequences won''t be terrible, but only if you don''t overdo it. You can''t use that kind of power for long.'' dius spoke in a serious voice.


    ''I know, but from the looks of it, I won''t need much time. She''s broken, I''ll deal with her quickly. Wain inwardly muttered as he stared at Amelia before running toward her.


    Amelia, with trembling steps, headed toward Dan''s body, above which he hovered a huge red Soul that was several timesrger than he was.


    "No... How did this happen...? It can''t be true!" Amelia muttered, dropped to her knees, and touched Dan''s arm.


    Drip. Drip. Drip.


    Tears flowed from her eyes while her appearance gradually returned to normal as her aura weakened.


    ''Great. She no longer has the will to fight.'' Wain muttered to himself while spreading his eerie aura.


    Amelia turned her head in his direction, then at Dan''s body and at his Soul.


    "I can''t die here... If I give up now, what did Dan die for? I can''t do this to him... To keep this from happening, I''m willing to do anything... Even on this, right?" Amelia muttered as though she was coaxing herself as she brought Dan''s hand to her mouth.<sub> </sub>


    She opened her mouth and bit off part of his hand while her whole body shook with the horror of what was happening.


    ''What...? No way...? What the fuck is this!?'' Wain inwardly eximed.


    For a while, he stopped as he was literally petrified of what he saw since his eyes widened.


    "She''s eating him... Why...?" Wain muttered while in disbelief.


    ''Wain! Now is not the time for this! Go ahead! Kill her! This is your chance!" dius eximed, but Wain as though he didn''t hear him.


    ? His power was to devour everything in his path, even space, but he dared not even think of literally eating another human, much less his friend or mate. Moreover, from Amelia''s look, Wain realized that she herself was terrified of what she was doing, but her teeth continued to grind bloody flesh.


    ''This is cannibalism! Why is she doing this? Does it make any sense...? Even monsters can''t suddenly be stronger by eating someone...'' Wain internally uttered.


    Amelia didn''t stop for a second, so she''d eaten practically everything in a minute, leaving only her heart and massive Soul.


    "Wain! Stop standing still! Act, now!" dius shouted as he was finally able to reach Wain.


    "Yeah. You''re right." Wain nodded before running forward.


    At the same time, Amelia took Dan''s heart in her hands and mouthed, "I''m sorry... I didn''t want to do this, but it''s the only way to get revenge for you."


    Whooooooooosh.


    Suddenly the red soul turned into a torrent that prated her heart, then Amelia took her first bite. Droplets of blood ran down her lips while something strange began to happen to the star on her chest.


    The star trembled violently as the number "2" became a blur, as the ink gradually turned into something else.


    Amelia took onest bite as shepletely swallowed the heart of her mate with whom she had gone through hundreds of battles. At the same time, the number "3" appeared in the center of the star.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Beside Amelia appeared Wain as he rained down on her a sword that exuded an enormous amount of gray energy.


    "Dan... I will surely win and save our race from this monster..." Amelia muttered as a snowke pattern appeared in her right eye.


    She turned her head to Wain as an imprable wall of ice appeared between them.


    Because of his unique properties and the huge amount of energy, dius was able to cut through the barrier, but Amelia just created several more, so on the third barrier, Wain stopped as the de was right above her head.


    "Nameless, I promise you... Your death will be so terrible that even I will be terrified." Amelia uttered with an ice-cold look before she waved her hand.


    In a heartbeat, she created a torrent of wind that shattered all the barriers into tiny shards. The impact threw Wain more than a kilometer back as he was buried under a pile of rocks in one of the mountains through which the Dragon''s spine passed.

 Chapter 636 Thorn

    "Agh!" Wain vomited a mouthful of blood as the massive stones fell on him.


    Amelia stared at Wain with a calm look, touched her bloodied lips, and stretched her arms forward. The star tattoo on her chest trembled as a powerful stream of energy burst out of Amelia that raised her scarlet hair.


    In an instant, massive clouds appeared in the sky, slowly swirling right over where Wain was. In the center of the clouds, a torrent of wind formed that gradually elerated and increased in size, turning into a most powerful tornado.


    "What incredible power... but... why did it have to be Dan...? Hell, if I had done more tasks, the elders would have let me eat someone, then I would have reached rank three, and none of this would have happened..." Amelia muttered while filling the whirlwind with energy.


    Due to the force of the whirlwind, hundreds of trees were pulled up by the roots and broken as hundreds of boulders were turned into thousands of fragments. Earth, sand, ash, all of it was thrown far beyond the battlefield,pletely clearing it.


    "Wain Norheim, though you kill my friend... I will take your life! I''ll do it to every human that I can get my hands on!" Amelia eximed in a thunderous voice as she unleashed a whirlwind on Wain.


    Crackle.


    A dark de flew out from under the rocks, leaving a massive cut on the mountain. At the same time, a gray mantle appeared on Wain with a tight bandage over its eyes.


    Wain spread his arms as a massive magical circle with hundreds of ancient runes appeared before him.


    "Argh!!!" Wain cried out as a wide spatial gape opened in the air.


    The whirlwind hit it as the wind began to fade, but an incredible strain was ced on Wain as he transported such a powerful attack elsewhere.


    A clot of blood erupted from his mouth, and crimson lines flowed from his ears and eyes, more and more with each passing second.


    "What...? Is that spatial magic? How the hell many different powers does he have?!" Amelia eximed while in disbelief.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Thest stream of wind disappeared as Wain canceled the action of the form and fell to the ground.


    "Fuck! What the hell was that?! I almost died now!" Wain eximed with a pained look as he pounded his fist on the ground.


    ''Wain, if you have any potions, then drink them now! That girl''s a Third Rank Arkan now, I''m afraid you''ll have to use everything you''ve got if you want to survive, though I''d advise you to run. That''s an opponent you can''t handle yet.'' dius uttered in a serious voice as he turned into a seal.


    "What? What the hell are you talking about? Run? I? Who do you think you''re talking to?!" Wain eximed as his voice shook the air, "I don''t care what I have to do, but that bitch ain''t getting out of here alive!"


    Wain''s ring shone brightly as all the potions he had appeared in his hands, and he began to drink them one by one.


    Normally no one would drink several potions of a simr type at a time, as it would seriously burden the body and could lead to serious consequences, but at the time, Wain didn''t think about such things.


    "If I backed out now, I could never forgive myself. It will be a stigma from which it will be impossible to get rid." Wain said in a confident manner as he tossed the empty sks aside.


    ''Yeah... I know what you mean.'' The Knight of the Bloody Rose uttered in a quiet voice.


    "Do you have something to offer?" Wain asked as he looked at Amelia, that ran in his direction, "If so, do it as quickly as possible."


    ''Well, you have two choices, either you use your Beyond, or you trust me. If you do it right, we can kill her in one single attack. It''s all or nothing.'' The Knight of the Bloody Rose said as scarlet energy emanated from his sword.<sub> </sub>


    Wain had no more than half a minute to make a decision, but he did it in just one moment.


    "Sure. Let''s do it." Wain said before activating the fifth form, thest one whose weapons he had yet to see.


    ''Good choice.'' The Knight of the Bloody Rose grinned with a slight nod.


    At the same time, Wain''s hair turned crimson as he gained two massive wings of hundreds of rose petals.


    Whoooooosh.


    Wain pped his wings as he soared high above the ground while the powerful stream of wind that was Amelia headed toward him with tremendous power.


    "Hmm? Where''s the sword?" Wain muttered with confused looks while looking at his hands.


    ''You won''t need it.'' The Knight of the Bloody Rose smiled, "Remember, you only get one chance. You miss - you die, you don''t pierce her heart - you die, you hit her only slightly - you die.''


    ''I see.'' Wain muttered inwardly with a deadly serious look.


    Everyone knew who the knights were, as well as their main weapon, the long, sharp sword with which they struck their enemies. However, was that the only weapon?


    In Wain''s hands appeared a long thorn shaped like a spear that as though it had been torn from a giant rose the size of a mountain.


    [The Last Thorn (Unique)


    It was one of the hundreds of thorns of a giant rose. This nt had one goal, to bloom with such power to be noticed by the whole world, then to disappear.


    Sometimes all it takes is one movement to make the whole world stop].


    Whooooosh.


    Amelia was already very close and was about to attack as her arms were covered with streams of brutal wind.


    ''Do it! Now!" the Knight of the Bloody Rose eximed.


    Wain''s pupils narrowed as he brought his arm back up to attack, then his wings moved, and Wain turned into a red sh.


    He reached Amelia with an incredible speed that could probably surpass that of the Light Racer. She instantly reacted and stretched her arm forward to stop him.


    Crackle.


    The thorn literally went through her arm,pletely destroying it with flesh, blood, and bone.


    "Die!!!" Wain eximed with a furious look as his eyes filled with blood.


    The thorn advanced further as Wain pierced Amelia''s heart, leaving a wide, through a hole in her chest.

 Chapter 637 Error

    "Argh." A river of blood poured from Amelia''s mouth while her eyes pierced Wain.


    With her other hand, she tried to create a stream of wind, but It immediately dissipated as she had no more strength left, so she fell to the bare ground with a nk stare.


    "I won..." Wain muttered in a quiet voice while trying to stay on her feet.


    Whoooooosh.


    Out of Amelia''s body flew a huge amber Soul that was at least ten timesrger than herself. The soul shone so brightly that the fog around it practically disappeared as people who were ten kilometers away from Dragon Ridge could see it.


    "What is that...?" Someone muttered since the bright light in the distance attracted him.


    "Isn''t that the Soul?" His buddy said while covering his eyes with his hand.


    "That''s a good one. There''s no such thing as big Souls, that''s for sure. It sounds like someone out there fighting and using the attribute of light, though it''s still astounding." The man uttered with a slight smile on his face.


    "Yeah. You''re probably right."


    ...


    The world before Wain was blurring as his eyes gradually grew darker, only the light of Soul could break through the shroud of darkness.


    "Fuck... I can''t take it anymore... I''m going to pass out..." Wain muttered as he fell to his knees with an exhausted look.


    Wain raised his right hand, and at his will, the Soul went to him as it turned into a stream of energy that flowed into Wain, but by then, Wain had already passed out, so he didn''t see what happened next.


    [You absorbed the Legendary Soul of Third Rank Arkan!!!]


    [Received an untold amount of energy!!!]


    [It will take some time to absorb all the energy!!!]


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The energy flowed through Wain''s body and moved towards his Soul Temple, it was no different from any previous time he had absorbed souls, except that there had never been so much Soul Essence, so it attracted the only monster that didn''t run away during their fight.


    Powerful footsteps shook the ground while a massive red eye stared at Wain. The Fifth Chronicle monster''s aura was powerful enough to warp space around it to make everyone shudder with fear.


    The monster''s long-fingered arms reached for Amelia''s corpse, gently lifted it as though it were a precious treasure while the monster stared at her, then the monster''s gaze fell upon Wain, and its pupil narrowed.


    Whoooooosh.


    The monster tossed Amelia aside as if she was useless garbage. It was a simple movement, but the throw was so powerful that Amelia''s body shattered when it hit the stone wall.


    The monster''s hands reached for Wain with slight trepidation, for some reason such a powerful creature was nervous before it ate a mere human in the Fourth Chronicle.


    At the same time, the energy reached Wain''s Soul Temple and made its way toward the dark crown that floated in the center of it. However, suddenly the crown began to shake violently as several messages appeared before Wain.


    [You absorbed energy from Arkan.]


    [You... Error!]


    [Unknown energy fluctuations detected!]


    [Error!]<sub> </sub>


    [In the world... in the... Error!]


    Crackle.


    ? In Wain''s Soul Temple appeared his Soul that instantly absorbed all the energy and released a gray stream of energy outward.


    The energy came out of Wain and turned into a dark silhouette that, for some reason, looked a lot like him, though there were no visible face, mouth, or eyes.


    Tremble.


    The monster shuddered as a wave of fear ran through its body that literally shackled it in ce.


    The dark silhouette raised its hand in a careless manner and touched the monster''s chest with the tip of its finger.


    The monster''s fur stood on end as it tried to flee, but it was toote. The monster was simply torn into tiny pieces that scattered hundreds of meters around, the same thing happened to its Soul. Then the silhouette disappeared as if it had never existed.


    ...


    The girl with ck hair slowly opened her eyes as she, with a frown, spat out a clot of dark blood.


    "Shit... That motherfucker didn''t do me wrong, but he can''t get away from me!" Ceozi uttered in an angry manner before climbing out from under the rubble.


    She stepped outside her ruined forge while spreading her powerful aura, but once she was outside, her eyes widened.


    "What happened here...?" Ceozi muttered with a dazed look.


    The ground was covered with cracks, deep cuts, and craters, all the trees around were destroyed, and the foothills of the nearest mountains were seriously damaged. It looked as though an entire army had fought here, but three men had done it all.


    "Wain... Where is he?" Ceozi eximed as she realized the gravity of the situation before running forward.


    It didn''t take her long to find him, since he was the only one here within a few hundred meters.


    "Shit, how hard a fight did you have to go through to win...?" Ceozi whispered while looking at the bloody ground next to Wain.


    ''Okay, now is not the time to be nervous!'' Ceozi, pull yourself together! Not all is lost yet!" she said inwardly, picking Wain up and heading towards the cksmith.


    The main part of the cave waspletely destroyed, but Ceozi knew that one day someone might attack her, so she had a spare room for emergencies.


    Tap.


    Ceoziid Wain on the stone bed and pulled out some of her best potions from her closet. Even though she knew Wain only a little, there was absolute certainty in her eyes as she was willing to do anything to save him.


    "Good, that should help you." Ceozi muttered with a slight nod and opened the sks.


    She lifted Wain''s head, opened his mouth, and tilted one of the potions.


    "STOP!" Suddenly a powerful voice rang out.


    Ceozi flinched, looked around but saw no one, and said with a frowned look, "Who''s here?"


    "Don''t do that, or Wain will die!"

 Chapter 638 The Return

    The seal on Wain''s hand glowed as a dark sword that exuded a powerful dark aura appeared beside him.


    "You are his weapon...? Can you talk...?" Ceozi muttered with a dazed look.


    "Yeah. Something like that. You''re an experienced cksmith, you shouldn''t be surprised by talking swords, should you?" dius uttered as he, with a few short leaps, reached Ceozi.


    "Sure. It''s just unexpected, anyway. Living weapons are some of the rarest, you know?" Ceozi said while staring intently at dius as though at a rare animal.


    "I do, but this isn''t a good time for that kind of talk, right? We have to help Wain, his condition is extremely serious." dius pronounced as she turned toward the bed.


    "I agree, but why did you stop me? These potions cost quite a bit, they can certainly help him! I''m not trying to poison him, I swear!" Ceozi eximed.


    "I know. The reason is not that I don''t trust you, your intentions are crystal clear, the problem is something else." dius muttered.


    "Hmm?" Ceozi raised an eyebrow.


    "Though you are a cksmith, not an alchemist, you should know what intoxication is, right?" dius asked as he stared at her.


    "Of course, everyone knows that. You don''t need to be an alchemist for that." Ceozi shrugged.


    "That''s exactly what''s happening to Wain''s body right now." dius muttered in a serious manner.


    "Are you sure?" Ceozi frowned.


    "Yeah. The fight was hard, very hard, so he had to use literally everything he had to win. At one point, he drank all his potions at once, over ten of them." dius said in a quiet voice.


    "More than ten?!" Ceozi eximed while in disbelief, "That''s practically a lethal dose!"


    "It is." dius nodded, "If you add those potions, Wain''s body certainly can''t take it, especially given the severity of his wounds."


    "What do we do then?" Ceozi uttered with a worried look as she put the potions aside.


    "Don''t panic. Wain''s condition is severe but stable. We must act properly and clearly. First, we need to wash all his wounds and bandage them. Don''t you have everything you need?" dius asked.


    "Of course." Ceozi uttered before heading toward the chest in the corner of the room.


    She bent down, but suddenly her face contorted in pain as a trickle of blood flowed from the corner of her mouth.


    "I told you not to hurry. Don''t forget, you''re seriously wounded too, the only thing that saved you was that their main goal was to kill Wain, you were just a side issue." dius said as he flew over to the potions.


    He leaned over slightly, tossed one to Ceozi, and said, "Here, drink this. It will be more useful to you now than to Wain."


    "Sure." Ceozi nodded as she caught the potion, "I''m just too worried, this is the first time I''ve had this situation... I''ve never treated anyone this way before."


    "Huh, there''s a first time for everything." dius grinned.<sub> </sub>


    Ceozi smiled, opened the vial, and the green liquid flowed into her mouth as her wounds began to heal instantly with great speed. Ceozi was worried as she wanted to help Wain in any way she could, so dius'' confidence added to her own.


    "Good. Now let''s get to work. We have a lot of work to do. Unfortunately, I don''t have any hands, but you can definitely handle everything." dius uttered as a wave of energy came out of him.


    "Don''t even doubt it!" Ceozi clenched her hand into a fist in a confident manner.


    She pulled out some bandages, a jar of ointment, and several bottles of water from her trunk.


    Ceozi spent the next hour treating his wounds. She washed all the blood off his body, cleaned the scratches and deep dirt cuts, applied ointment to the most traumatic ces, and bandaged him tightly.


    ...


    ''Huh, this girl turned out to be so sensual and caring. I didn''t expect that.'' Light Racer uttered while holding his arms crossed.


    ''Well, it often happens that formidable and cold-looking people turn out to bepletely different.'' Blind Sorcerer smirked.


    ''She had such a strange face when she heard dius'' voice, I wonder what would have happened if she had seen all of us? She probably would have fainted. Ahahahahahaha.'' Code of Light and Darknessughed.


    ...


    "Phew..." Ceozi sighed, took the sweat off her forehead, and said, "Done. What do we do next? Wait for the effects of the potions to wear off?"


    dius was silent for a while, he looked now at Ceozi, then at Wain, and said, "No. I have another option. The outer wounds are no longer a threat to him, but the situation on the inside is much worse than on the outside."


    "What do you mean?" Ceozi asked while in confusion.


    "We can''t use potions, but there is something else here that will have the same effect, but without the risk of lethal intoxication." dius uttered before turning to Ceozi, "It''s your blood! Demon blood!"


    "No! No! No! That''s out of the question!" Ceozi eximed while waving her hands in a dissenting manner.


    "What...? Why?" dius asked in a confused voice.


    "Don''t you know that''s something special for Demons!" Ceozi uttered as she blushed, "Demons only give willingly to drink their blood to those they love! Only those they would like to spend the rest of their lives with, whether it''s home or the battlefield!"


    "I''m aware of that, but Wain is not a Demon, so not sure that rule works in this situation." dius said while swaying from side to side.


    "It doesn''t matter! He''s a human, but he''s still a man! I''m sure he''ll be fine without my blood." Ceozi waved her hands.


    "Ceozi... I understand you, and I respect that you take the traditions of your race so seriously, but if you don''t help him, he will die." dius pronounced in a serious manner, "If he didn''t risk it, he wouldn''t win, in which case those two would surely finish you off. Besides, Wain has a girlfriend, so it would just be a help, without any subtext."


    "Are you sure...?" Ceozi asked as she bit her lip.


    "Of course."

 Chapter 639 Blood

    "Okay. I''ll do it! But it doesn''t mean anything!" Ceozi eximed.


    "That''s more than enough." dius nodded.


    Ceozi headed toward Wain with uncertain steps. For others to hand over their blood to save a man would not be difficult, but for Ceozi, it was a real ordeal.


    "Whew... I hope this helps him." Ceozi sighed, pulled out a knife, and left a long cut on her palm.


    She opened his mouth and brought her palm to it. Scarlet drops of blood fell on his tongue, gradually moving inward as though a small stream.


    "That''s it! That should be enough." Ceozi said as she hurried away.


    Whoooooosh.


    Suddenly Wain''s hand moved and grabbed Ceozi''s wrist.


    "What...?!" Ceozi eximed as she thought Wain was awake, but his eyes were closed, and his breathing was calm.


    "Ahahahahaha, it looks like even his body understands on an instinctive level how important your blood is to him." diusughed in a powerful voice that shook the room.


    "No! Go away! Let me go!" Ceozi shouted while trying to remove her hand, but Wain''s grip was dead.


    Blood continued to flow into Wain''s mouth as his aura gradually intensified, then he, with a sharp movement, brought Ceozi closer to him and leaned his lips against her wound.


    Ceozi flinched as she became even more embarrassed than before. She didn''t know what to do, so she just stood there until Wain was done. He drank all the blood that flowed from the wound then his grip loosened.


    "This is the end... I should have given him a few drops, but this happened instead... What do I do now?" Ceozi muttered with a worried look while looking at her palm.


    "You''re taking this too personally. Rx, you have no feelings, so it doesn''t vite your traditions." dius uttered in a serious voice.


    "Feelings...? Yeah, you''re probably right. Anyway, it''s already happened... I need to rest." Ceozi muttered before heading toward the exit of the cave.


    "Damn... She''s acting so weird... Hasn''t a woman, this tough on the outside, had a man yet?" dius uttered while in disbelief.


    ...


    Ceozi sat on a stone ledge, on the edge of her ruined forge, with a cigarette between her teeth.


    ''Damn... What is happening to me...? That sword is right, it''s only a few drops of blood that will keep him alive, Wain doesn''t even know what happened.'' Ceozi said to herself as she blew out a puff of smoke, ''But... I know, right?''


    After a while, Ceozi shook her head, tossed her cigarette aside, and headed for the wreckage of the forge.


    "All right. It''s time to get this ce back to normal. I need to get back to forging weapons now, but that''s impossible to do in a mess like this." Ceozi uttered with a serious look, grabbed a boulder, and tossed it outside.


    ...


    "Agh! Agh! Agh!" Wain coughed as he woke up.


    "Fuck... That hurts..." Wain muttered while holding his head.


    "Wee back." dius said as he soared in front of Wain.<sub> </sub>


    ? "How much sleep did I get?" Wain asked before extending his arm forward.


    "Quite a lot, but you''d better check with your new friend about that." dius uttered in a mocking manner as he turned into a seal.


    Wain sighed, got out of bed, and his eyes went wide.


    "What the hell! What''s wrong with my body?!" Wain eximed while in disbelief.


    His muscr, athletic body had be emaciated and so thin that some bandages were falling off it.


    Wain touched his face, found a mirror, and was horrified. He looked as though he hadn''t eaten in a year, with only skin and bone left on him.


    ''Ceozi... I''ve got to find her now!'' Wain said inwardly before heading upstairs.


    ...


    "Hmm? You finally woke up...?" Ceozi muttered as she was distracted from forging her weapon.


    "Yeah..." Wain nodded, "How long have I been asleep? From the looks of it, it''s been a hell of a long time."


    The forge was already fully restored, but Wain wasn''t paying attention, all he cared about was what happened to his body.


    "Three months." Ceozi uttered in a serious manner.


    "Shit... That''s a hell of a long time..." Wain uttered with a dazed look as he fell to the ground.


    Ceozi just nodded silently.


    Wain muttered something to himself for a while, then he shook his head, sighed, and said, "Okay. I can''t bring back what happened. Where are the nearest monsters?"


    "What...? Do you want to rush into battle already? Wain, you just woke up, you need to rest and gain strength. You can stay here as long as you need." Ceozi uttered with a worried look as she held out her hand.


    "Are you kidding me?" Wain shouted in an angry voice, "It''s been three whole months! The world could have changed a hundred times in that time, but I haven''t changed at all! On the contrary, I''ve only gotten weaker, so you better answer my question."


    Ceozi gulped as goosebumps ran down her body, she didn''t expect Wain to get angry over the help offer.


    "Okay, if you want to fight, go ahead, I don''t care about you!" Ceozi uttered, crossed her arms, and turned away from him, "There are a lot of monsters outside my forge, but something strange has happened to them."


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?" Wain raised an eyebrow as he paid absolutely no attention to Ceozi''s behavior.


    "After your fight... The monsters gradually returned to Dragon Ridge, especially on the Ash Coast, but they were much stronger than before, as though they ate a more powerful monster than themselves. Also Fifth Chronicle one disappeared somewhere. This has never happened before, so I would advise you to heed my words after all." Ceozi uttered as she stared at Wain.


    "Huh, that creepy bastard disappeared? Great! You should have told me that right away, thank you!" Wain smiled, put his hand on Ceozi''s shoulder, and ran outside the forge.


    "Tsk... He doesn''t care about me at all..." Ceozi frowned, then her eyes widened, "What the hell am I thinking! Time to get back to work!"


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Ten minutes after Wain left the forge, there were sounds of battle outside with powerful explosions that shook the ground.

 Chapter 640 The Mask

    A massive bone flew aside that was the size of a man. However, in the mountain of bones where it flew, there were many bones muchrger than this one.


    Next to the mountain of bones sat a man with thick ck hair in front of him, burning a massive fire of dried tree trunks that made a loud crackling sound.


    Even though it was a deep night, and except for the fire, the blue moon was the only light source no monster dared even toe close to the man.


    "Nice. I''m sure if Ern saw me, he''d be damn jealous of me." Wain grinned as he ripped a huge piece of meat off the bone.


    ''Huh, in those three months, your body has used up all the resources for you to make a full recovery, but despite that, it''s like you''ve gotten stronger.'' dius grinned.


    "Well, you''re wrong." Wain uttered in a serious voice before rolling back another bone.


    ''Hmm?''


    "They were strong, much stronger than the ones I foughtst time on the Ash Coast, but I just can''t stay pathetic and weak, that''s not my style. If I can fight monsters and win and recover, then I have to do it. That''s it. Besides,pared to those two... It''s just a warm-up." Wain muttered, finished thest piece of meat, and rose.


    He absorbed the soul of every monster that he killed, so Wain wanted to see what he could achieve.


    [Wain Norheim


    Ascension: Second Stage (21.45%)


    Race: Human


    Beyond: Cmity (Cocanth)


    Soul: Nameless King


    Title: Savior of the Damned, Echo of Samurai, Mentor Inquisitor, The First, Soul Gatherer, Cartographer, yer of Goliath, Contender, Defeating One of the Four Kings, Killing the Legend, etc...


    Majesty: 10]


    "21.45%... That''s pretty good, but it took me a few days to kill most of the monsters around here..." Wain muttered as he wondered, "Didn''t I devour Amelia''s soul? It was so damn big and Legendary..."


    ''No, it wasn''t. Perhaps you just imagined it, since you would hardly have the power to absorb such a powerful Soul.'' dius uttered.


    "Yeah. Probably you''re right." Wain nodded, "But... then what happened to the Soul?"


    ''Well, I have a theory. Most likely, the Fifth Chronicle monster absorbed that Soul, that makes sense since he wasn''t interested in you, you could see that for yourself. It takes a long time to absorb such a Soul, so that''s why Fifth Chronicle left this ce.'' dius exined in detail as though he was doing his best to convince Wain of this.


    "Damn, I hadn''t even thought of that. Okay, I can probably get more Legendary Souls in the future. If that monster decided to eat Amelia''s Soul instead of me, that''s a real jackpot." Wain uttered with a sigh before heading toward the massive boulders.


    ''Exactly.'' dius smiled.


    ...


    ''Fuck, dius, I thought Blind Sorcerer was in charge of the cunning ns in ourpany, but it turns out you''re not bad at that either.'' Light Racer grinned with a dazed look.<sub> </sub>


    ''Well, as if I had a choice. We can''t let Wain know what really happened, at least not now.'' dius shrugged.


    ''Huh, you''re both right.'' Blind Sorcerer muttered as a sly smile appeared on his face, ''That''s why we still address each other this way, even though the world has already moved. The energy of Arkan was obviously one of the catalysts.''


    ...


    Wain devoted a whole week to battles and training. Day after day, he repeated the same chain of actions - fight - food - training. Thus Dragon Ridge quickly became a pretty safe ce, even for Third Chronicles, as Wain killed several hundred monsters during this time.


    "Good. I''m happy with the results now." Wain said with a slight smile on his face while looking at his reflection in the water.


    Wain had regained his former form, the only difference was the amount of muscle. They were still smaller in volume than before, but they were denser, so that made him seem even stronger.


    ''Maybe it''s time for more serious opponents than mere monsters?'' dius asked in a yful manner.


    "Sure, but I can''t leave here without saying goodbye." Wain nodded, threw on his coat, and headed for the smith.


    ...


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Ceozi, with a serious look, banged her hammer on the anvil. No matter what happened, she always kept working, because she wanted to get as good as she could at cksmithing.


    "Hey, would you mind distracting yourself for just a minute?" Wain said with a smile on his face as he leaned against the wall.


    "You''re back...? It''s been ten whole days!" Ceozi uttered with a dazed look as she turned to him.


    "Huh, were you really worried about me?" Wain grinned.


    "Of course not! Every time you started fighting, my forge shook as though there was an earthquake. Just so you know, it''s not veryfortable to work when dust and small stones are falling on your head!" Ceozi eximed as she puffed up her cheeks.


    "Ahahahahaha, well, then I owe you an apology." Wain said before waving her hand.


    A huge red Soul appeared in the air that made Ceozi squeeze her eyes shut for a while because the light was too bright.


    "It is the Soul of the strongest monster that I have defeated in these ten days. Without your help, I would probably have died, so consider this my small gratitude." Wain said in a serious voice.


    "I have something for you too..." Ceozi muttered with an awkward look.


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?" Wain asked in a confused manner as he tilted his head.


    "One day when I went in to dress your wounds, I saw a broken white mask next to your ring, so... I decided to make you a new one. Here." Ceozi tilted her head and put her hands forward.


    In the palms of her hands was a red mask with a picture of a demon''s face made of red paint.


    "Damn, that''s beautiful. That mask looks so damn cool and dangerous." Wain smiled as he took the mask in his hands, "Well, it looks like I should bring you the Legendary Soul next time. Thank you. That''s what I need right now."

 Chapter 641 The Return Of Nameless

    "Next time...?" Ceozi muttered while in disbelief.


    "Of course. I''ll be back here again. Okay, thanks for the mask, I have to go." Wain nodded, put the mask on, and opened the spatial rift.


    "Where are you going?" Ceozi asked with a worried look.


    "To fight." Wain said before leaving.


    ...


    As soon as Wain left the cave, there was a loud pping with apuse as the Watcher of the Colosseum announced the winner.


    "That was a great fight! One of the best I''ve had in a long time!" A man with short ck hair said while pointing to the girl.


    At the same time, the Ratings of the two fighters changed. The girl received several wounds during the fight, but her victory was unqualified, so her Rating went up 200 lines from 560 to 360.


    ''Hmm? Is the Watcher someone else this time? I thought Vincenz was always here, day and night.'' Wain inwardly muttered as he took one of the empty seats.


    There were thousands of people in the Colosseum, so no one paid attention to the appearance of another spectator. Due to Wain wearing a different mask and coat, so the people sitting next to him did not know that Nameless was back.


    Click.


    Wain opened his status with a table of Colosseum.


    ''I''m still in 97th ce... interesting... Well, that''s good, but who is that?'' Wain muttered while with a thoughtful look looking at the name at the top of the table of most effective fighters.


    Wain, Nameless, used to be at the top of the table, but in his long absence, he''d disappeared, so someone called Reaper had taken his ce.


    Whooooooooosh.


    As soon as the previous fighters left the arena, more and more people began to show up at the Colosseum as though they had alle here now for some purpose.


    ''Hmm? What''s going on?'' Wain said to himself while in confusion.


    "Ladies and gentlemen! The fight you''ve all been waiting for is about to take ce!" The Watcher eximed with an energetic look, "Reaper will fight again today! Let''s see if the new star of the Colosseum can win again! Many already believe that the Reaper has surpassed the Nameless!"


    Whooooosh.


    Two names lit up over the arena.


    "Tom Hamilton (Rating - 170) vs ? Reaper (Rating - 192)"


    Then a young man with thick brown hair, green eyes, and a confident look emerged from the eastern part of the arena. In his hands were two sharp des that held lightning strikes.


    ''Damn, he looks dangerous, his Rating is pretty high. I wonder who Reaper is?'' Wain wondered while holding his chin.


    However, almost no one was looking at Tom, even though his Rating was higher, but everyone was waiting for the second fighter to show up.


    A torrent of darkness erupted from the western part of the arena, then a short girl with ck hair and a dark cape thatpletely covered her body stepped forward. She wore a purple mask with the image of evil spirits that seemed to escape, and her deep, blue eyes were visible through it.


    "It''s Reaper! Damn, I finally saw her!" Someone eximed in an excited manner.


    "I wonder what''s under that mask? I bet she''s pretty as hell." His buddy smiled.


    "Huh, what an amazing coincidence that two of the best rookies in recent memory are hiding their faces." The man uttered while staring intently at Reaper.


    "Are you talking about Nameless? Yeah, that dude was pretty damn cool, but for some reason, I like Reaper even better. She''s like death! Ahahahahaha!"


    Watcher snapped his fingers as the countdown to the fight began.<sub> </sub>


    ? ''Fuck... This can''t be happening, right?'' Wain internally muttered while in disbelief.


    Tom stepped forward as he pointed his de at Reaper and said, ''Many believe that you are as strong as Nameless or even already surpassed him, but I will shatter that myth. You are nothingpared to him!"


    Reaper didn''t answer. With an ice-cold look, she stared at him while exuding a powerful killing intent.


    ''Well, well, looks like I''ve got some real fans.'' Wain said to himself as he smirked.


    "Unlike you, I don''t think Nameless is anything unique. He was just a good fighter, who knows where he is now, so maybe he''s dead already. Who knows?" Reaper uttered in a deadly voice, covered her hands in darkness, then the countdown was over.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Reaper created two des of darkness as they collided in the center of the arena. Tom''s lightning bolts attempted to harm Reaper as they rained down on her, but suddenly the darkness from her hands turned into an imprable barrier thatpletely absorbed the attack.


    "What...? How?!" Tom eximed with a dazed look.


    "You''re just too weak." Reaper uttered in a serious manner as her eyes shed.


    Dozens of shadow knives appeared above her as though a hail of arrows were raining down on Tom. He had no choice but to retreat, but as soon as he took a few steps, Reaper appeared from behind him out of the stream of darkness.


    "That''s enough." Reaper uttered in an ice-cold voice since she grabbed Tom by the head.


    Tremble.


    A wave of darkness rippled through his body as blood poured from his eyes, then Reaper withdrew her hand, and Tom fell to the ground with a nk look.


    "Is this real...?" One of the onlookers muttered while in disbelief.


    "Damn... How long was the fight? Thirty seconds?" His buddy uttered with a dazed look.


    The onlooker was also shocked for a moment but quickly came to his senses and eximed, "The winner is Reaper!"


    At the same time, her Rating changed from 192 to 114.


    "Who''s next?" Reaper asked as she spread her arms to her sides, "Go! I''m ready to fight any one of you! You''re no match for me!"


    "I''ll fight her!" Someone eximed.


    Into the arena, a muscr man jumped from the stands that with a menacing look, stared at Reaper.


    "Wow, we found the next fighter so quickly! Great!" Watcher eximed as he was about to start the fight.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly a shiver ran through the Watcher''s body because of the creepy stare of one man gazing at him. His green eyes literally pierced him.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Above the muscr one appeared the shadow of a fluttering coat of a man with a ck and red mask.


    The eyes of all onlookers widened as the man''s hand blurred.


    Bam.


    The muscr one was buried in the ground as the force of the impact shook the entire arena.


    "Well, well, I haven''t been here in a while, have I?" Wain smirked while looking at Reaper.

 Chapter 642 Nameless Vs. Reaper

    "It can''t be... Is that him?" Someone muttered while in disbelief.


    "Nameless... He''s back?" A spectator from the nearest bleachers uttered with a dazed look.


    "Fuck... He was sitting right next to me, but I didn''t recognize him! Nameless, have a new coat and mask! Why did he decide to show up now?" The woman eximed as she grabbed her head in an angry manner.


    Crackle.


    The muscr man rose from the ground and, with a sharp movement, attacked Wain as his massive fist rushed forward.


    "Huh, are you still here? Go away!" Wain uttered as a devious smile appeared on his face before grabbing the man by the wrist.


    Wain turned as he threw the man outside the arena to the very back of the stage.


    "Don''t get in my way. Don''t you want to see this fight? I bet many of you have dreamed of seeing it happen, so don''t lose this moment!" Wain eximed as he spread his arms out to his sides.


    The Colosseum fell intoplete silence for a while, but a minuteter, there was real chaos. Literally, everyone was discussing the unexpected appearance of Nameless, as well as the uing battle between the two best neers.


    <o>,m "Unbelievable... I didn''t expect this fight to happen right now." The Watcher muttered as he looked up, where the mes were turning into names.</o>


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space trembled as a massive green magic circle appeared above the Colosseum, that made the Colosseum increase in size many times over.


    "Ahahahahaha, who would have thought today would be such a beautiful day?" There was a cheerful voice as someone flew out of the magic circle.


    It was a man with an aristocratic red coat, a ck hat, and a gold cane in his hands.


    "Vincenz? What the hell are you doing here?!" The Watcher eximed with an angry look, "Go away! It won''t be your turn to watch the fights for a few days!"


    "Shut up. Do you really think I''m going to miss this fight?" Vincenz pronounced with an ice-cold look as he pointed at the overseer with his cane, "Let''s do it fair. Whoever the Colosseum chooses will have this fight!"


    Whooooooooosh.


    A green energy beam flew out of the golden cane that rained down on the Watcher.


    "Bastard!" The Watcher eximed as he attacked.


    Two energy beams collided in the center of the arena, which shocked everyone.


    "Fuck! I''ve never seen Watcher fight each other before!" An onlooker eximed with a dropped jaw.


    "Huh, that could only happen when Nameless showed up! I like that guy!" The man eximed with an exciting look.


    Gradually the green beam overwhelmed his adversary as green chains immobilized the Watcher.


    "That''s it. You can take a seat on the bleachers if you want, but I''m the only one who will be here!" Vincenz eximed as he threw the Watcher off the tform.


    Vincenz adjusted his hat, tapped his cane, and said, "Sorry for the inconvenience. I''m d, so many people came to watch this fight, so I''m announcing the start of the countdown!"<sub> </sub>


    Immediately after his words, hundreds of people began to ce their bets. The amount increased with every second as both fighters had many fans.


    "Nameless..." Reaper muttered, "Why did you decide to show up right now? Where have you been all this time?"


    "Well, it''s just a coincidence. I didn''t even know who the Reaper was a few minutes ago, so consider yourself lucky." Wain shrugged in a careless manner.


    "You''re pretty arrogant, just what I''ve heard about you, but that doesn''t help you." Reaper uttered as she prepared to fight.


    "You think you can beat me?" Wain said with a mocking smile on his face.


    "Of course. I don''t care who you are. So far, I''ve only known one man who''s stronger than me, he''s the only one I recognize. You''re certainly no match for him." Reaper said with an ice-cold look.


    ''Huh, you''ll be surprised as hell soon enough.'' Wain muttered inwardly as streams of darkness appeared beside his hands.


    At the same time, the countdown was almost at an end, only a few seconds before the fight began.


    "Nameless vs. Reaper! This will definitely be the best fight in a long time! Come on, show the world what you can do!" Vincenz eximed as the countdown ended.


    Whoooooosh.


    Reaper attacked first. The darkness in her hands turned into massive ws that she rained down on Wain with lightning speed.


    Wain''s pupils narrowed as he lifted the coat over himself with some of his energy. Reaper''s attack hit exactly the target, but her ws couldn''t even scratch her opponent''s coat.


    "What...? How is that possible...?" Reaper muttered while in disbelief.


    "It wasn''t bad, but you could never hurt me with that kind of strength!" Wain shouted as his fist mmed into Reaper''s stomach.


    Reaper vomited a mouthful of blood as the impact threw her to the other side of the arena with plunged her under the stone rubble.


    Wain shook his fist as if kneading it while stepping toward Reaper.


    "Fuck... Was Nameless this strong before? I couldn''t even see anything!" The onlooker eximed in a dazed manner.


    "Huh, no one has seen him in over three months, obviously a lot could have changed in that time. It looks like Nameless has his own unique methods for getting power." The man said in a confident manner while keeping his arms crossed.


    Crackling.


    Reaper climbed out from under the rubble, spat a blood clot, and stared at Wain.


    "Nameless... I underestimated you... That punch was fucking painful, you know?" Reaper uttered in a deadly voice.


    ''Damn, I punched full force, but she recovered so quickly. What''s more, even though I was the one who attacked, my fist hurt as though I''d hit a steel te. Are her abs really that strong?'' Wain inwardly muttered while looking into her eyes, ''Well, that''s good. I wouldn''t expect anything less from her.''


    "You stay silent? Good, let it be resolved by fighting." Reaper mouthed before creating a long de out of the darkness.


    "A sword? Ahahahaha, you dare to fight me with that weapon?" Wainughed, "Nice!"

 Chapter 643 Two Swords

    "Reaper decided to create a sword out of darkness? Ahahahaha. Damn, she made a serious mistake this time." The spectator uttered with a smirk as he anticipated the amazing show.


    "Yeah. Reaper is arrogant, so she doesn''t even know her opponent''s strengths, though learning about Nameless fights is a pretty easy task." His buddy nodded in a serious manner.


    "Hey! What the hell are you talking about? Obviously, Reaper is ready for a sword fight! She wants to show she''ll beat Nameless under any circumstances!" A woman in the back row shouted with an angry look.


    Reaper frowned as she turned around, ''What are they talking about? Is the sword a mistake? A sword is definitely one of the best weapons that ever exists.''


    Whoooooosh.


    The seal on Wain''s hand shed, and gray energy burst out of it that turned into a long dark sword with a terrifying aura.


    "Well, well, let''s see what you can do." Wain smirked, pointed his sword at Reaper, and turned into a dark sh.


    He appeared in front of Reaper with a sword de that pointed toward her neck.


    Reaper''s pupils narrowed as she turned into a blob of darkness that moved back several meters. At the same time, a gray energy de that reached the barrier of the Colosseum erupted from the sword as powerful vibrations rippled through it.


    ''Fuck... If it had hit me, my head would be on the floor by now... He''s serious, damn serious...'' Reaper inwardly muttered as her sword caught fire with dark mes.


    She swung the sword, and the X-shaped de headed toward Wain. The mes from the de were incredibly hot as it melted the ground beneath it.


    Wain just grinned, covered himself with his coat, and jumped over the ming des.


    "What...?" Reaper muttered while in disbelief, "How strong is his coat?


    Whoooooosh.


    Behind Wain appeared a vertical tform of darkness from which he bounced with powerful momentum, so he reached Reaper instantly.


    Reaper flinched as she created a dark barrier in front of her.


    Wain''s sword shed through it easily, and it went for Reaper. She didn''t have time to retreat, so the only thing she could do was block the attack.


    <o>,m ng.</o>


    The two swords touched each other as the de of dius was right at Reaper''s neck, but her sword held it.


    "Huh, not bad, but what about a few more attacks?" Wain muttered as he stepped forward with increased pressure.


    Crackling.


    Reaper''s legs trembled just as her arms were struggling to cope with Wain''s immense strength. He slowly brought his sword closer to her as Reaper had to get down on one knee.


    ''Damn, where did he get that kind of strength? It''s definitely not a skill, it''s pure physical power!'' Reaper internally eximed while looking into Wain''s eyes, which were calm and cold as ice.


    Wain kicked Reaper''s knee sharply as there was a loud crack with her distorted face in pain, then Wain swung his sword, but Reaper managed to deflect the attack''s trajectory at thest moment, so Wain''s sword left a deep cut on her shoulder.


    "Agh!" Reaper cried out in pain as she grabbed her shoulder.<sub> </sub>


    Crackling.


    Wain''s foot mmed into her abdomen with full force as the impact threw her to the side, making her roll over the dusty ground.


    ''Hmm? He didn''t kill her?'' Vincenz said to himself as he frowned, ''Given his sword skills, he surely could have gotten to her neck but instead allowed her to move the attack to her shoulder. Strange... does he really want to y with her longer?''


    The audience was shocked by what happened for a while as neither fans of Nameless nor Reaper fans could have imagined such a debacle.


    "What was that? Once they got close, Reaper got hurt so badly..." The man muttered with a dazed look.


    "Shit... Nameless looks invincible. What will Reaper do now? Her leg appears to be broken, and she can barely move her left arm." Reaper muttered in a thoughtful manner.


    Reaper rose from the ground, spat a clot of blood, and released her aura that gradually grew stronger.


    ''Oh, it looks like she''s decided to fight in earnest. From the look on her face, she''s pissed. Huh, just the thing.'' Wain internally uttered while slowly heading towards her.


    Crackling.


    Suddenly the darkness from Reaper''s arms headed for her wounds as they instantly healed. The blood stopped flowing from her shoulder as her broken knee returned to normal.


    ''Hmm? Does she have healing skills...?'' Wain wondered as his eyes widened, then shook his head, ''No, she just uses the darkness to repair the damage temporarily, but then the wounds will open with renewed vigor.


    "Nameless! You''re finished!" Zero eximed with a furious look as dozens of dark des appeared behind her.


    Her eyes, mouth, and ears bled, but that didn''t stop her as she continued to increase her energy.


    ''Damn, she''s not sparing herself at all. This could end badly, but before it does... I have to see how far she can go.'' Wain thought as his eyes shed.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Wain rushed forward and found himself in front of Reaper. She instantly attacked, but Wain was faster as he grabbed her arm and thrust the sword into her belly. Despite the terrible pain, Reaper brought down all the des of darkness on Wain, but he just covered himself with his coat thatpletely blocked all attacks.


    "That''s enough." Wain said in a calm voice, pulled out his sword, and returned dius to his seal.


    Crackle.


    Wain mmed Reaper to the ground as though she were a dummy, pinning her arms with his knees and grabbing her neck with a thumb press.


    "You''ve already taken a hell of a lot of wounds, while I''m still in one piece, you haven''t got a chance to get over it." Wain uttered with an ice-cold look.


    Bam.


    He pounded his fist into her stomach as though purposely ignoring her mask, that was already covered in blood.


    "Give up. I will beat you until you do. Only you decide when it''s over." Wain mouthed before striking again.

 Chapter 644 The Three Torches

    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Hundreds of people watched as Wain''s fist came down on Reaper, one by one. Blood flowed from her mouth with each blow as her gaze grew meaner, but despite the terrible pain, she wasn''t about to give up.


    "Shit... I even felt sorry for her... Nameless really is ruthless..." Someone muttered with a dazed look.


    "Hey! Nameless! It''s time to end this already!" A man from the front stands eximed in a disgruntled manner, "Everyone already knows how this fight will end! Take her mask off! Show us her face!"


    At that moment, Wain stopped for the first time as he turned toward the man. His cold eyes literally pierced the man, making him shudder in fear.


    "Shut up your filthy mouth. If you don''t like something, get out into the arena." Wain uttered in a thunderous voice, "Afraid? That''s good, sit there and watch or you''ll be next."


    Wain''s words sent a wave through the Colosseum that made many people think about what was happening.


    ''Hmm... So they know each other, right?'' Vincenz wondered while rubbing his chin in a thoughtful manner, ''He doesn''t touch her mask or inflict mortal wounds, though his actions seem ruthless, none of them can lead to death. Furthermore, it seems Reaper still doesn''t recognize Nameless because of the mask... Damn, this whole thing is kind of weird.''


    Bam.


    Wain hit again.


    "Come on, have you really given up? You said there''s only one person stronger than you that you admit to, but it looks like he''s just as weak as you are. It''s just pathetic." Wain uttered in a mocking manner before dropping his fist.


    ''What did he say...?'' Reaper muttered inwardly while looking at Wain''s approaching fist, ''Nameless... You may be strong, but there''s no way you can beat him!


    Crackle.


    Reaper released her hand as she stopped Wain''s blow, then out of her hand came a powerful stream of darkness that turned into thousands of fine needles flying toward Wain.


    ''Nice.'' Wain smirked, covered himself with his coat, and jumped back.


    ''Nameless! I didn''t want to do this, but you left me no other choice! I swear I''ll rip your filthy tongue out!" Reaper eximed as her aura intensified tenfold.


    Her wounds instantly healed, for real, while the darkness on her arms as though the mes burned brightly.


    "Wait... What''s going on?" The spectator eximed, "She''s activating her Beyond or the Form...? This has never happened before!"


    "No. You''re wrong." The man shook his head, "The darkness and energy don''t change her appearance, they just be more, much more... so, it seems Reaper has been fighting with a purposely diminished power the whole time."


    Crackle.


    A stream of energy burst out of Reaper that showed everyone her Stage.


    "Oh, so you have two Torches lit too? Great! That''s what we need!" Wain eximed with excited looks as he spread his arms out to his sides.


    "Second Torch? Huh, unfortunately, it won''t be enough to beat you!" Reaper smirked as she let out a stream of darkness.<sub> </sub>


    ''What?! Has she already lit her Third Torch? How is that possible?! Wain inwardly eximed while in disbelief as he covered himself with his coat against the stream of darkness.


    Wain was not the only one who was shocked. None of the spectators had expected such a turn of events as, among the thousands of fighters in the Fourth Chronicle, there were only a few hundred that were able to light their Third Torch, which meant that they came close to bing Fifth Chronicle creatures.


    "Nameless, maybe you could win, but you definitely shouldn''t have said those things." Reaper uttered in a menacing manner as she waved her hand.


    Beside her appeared two massive beasts of darkness with massive, eerie jaws and violet eyes that burned as if they were ghostlynterns.


    "Go! Devour him!" Reaper gave the order in amanding voice.


    The beasts pounced on Wain as though sharks were on a fresh piece of meat. The beasts quickly reached for Wain as their razor-sharp ws rained down on him.


    Wain''s pupils narrowed as he lifted his coat above him, at the same moment, the ws reached it.


    Roooooooaaaarrrr!


    The beasts roared, trying to tear Wain''s coat apart, but they couldn''t leave even a scratch on it.


    ''Wain... You know this girl, don''t you?'' dius asked in a confused voice.


    ''Yeah... She''s an old friend of mine. I haven''t seen her in a while, I didn''t expect our meeting to happen under these circumstances, but since we''re both humans, we''re better off hiding our identities in ces like the Colosseum.'' Wain internally uttered as he gritted his teeth because the pressure from the monsters was serious even for him.


    ''Hmm? Is she a human too? It''s strange... her aura is unusual...'' dius muttered in an unsure manner.


    ''What? What the hell are you talking about?


    ''I could be wrong, but I''d call her only half a human since she''s definitely a monster as well, her hands proving it.'' dius said in a serious voice.


    ''In that case, it''s understandable why she was able to light Third Torch faster than you. Not only did she consume souls like a human, but she also devoured energy from other creatures'' bodies like a monster. It''s incredible... but how is it possible...? I''ve never heard of such a thing.''


    Then, Wain remembered theb and the girls who became real mutants because of the experiments, but in Last Light, there was a ce for them.


    Crackle.


    The beasts attacked with their jaws as their sharp fangs finally tore Wain''s coat in two ces.


    Wain jumped back as the jaws of the beasts closed in front of his face.


    "You bastards! What the hell are you doing?" Wain eximed with an angry look as he stepped forward.


    The ground beneath him cracked while his palms copsed on the beasts'' heads. The incredible pressure stamped the beasts into the ground as Wain''s hands as if deadly spears had plunged into their heads.


    "Not bad, but it''s only a start." Reaper smirked.

 Chapter 645 Escape

    "What are you going to do now? Will you give up? Don''t even try! I won''t let that happen!" Reaper eximed as she created a dozen dark beasts that rushed on Wain.


    Crackling.


    Wain stretched his arms and neck as his bones cracked and said, "The amount of energy you have is actually astounding, also, you''ve reached the Third Stage, but I haven''t shown anything yet."


    Tremble.


    A powerful wave of energy departed from Wain as a white armor with golden energy lines appeared on him while his ck hair lengthened.


    "Damn! I''m finally going to see it again!" One of the onlookers eximed with an exciting look.


    At the same time, Wain turned into a golden beam that as though aser had pierced all the beasts. The powerful energy tore them apart, then Wain began to run around the perimeter of the arena, gradually narrowing the golden ring.


    "Well, well, you think you can defeat me with darkness? I''m afraid you''ve picked the wrong opponent!" Wain eximed in a thunderous voice that made Reaper flinch.


    ''Fuck! Can he use the Form?! Doesn''t he have to be in the Third Stage to do that!? What the fuck is going on here!? Reaper internally eximed while in disbelief.


    ''Huh, Wain, you''ve gotten a lot stronger since ourst meeting, so we''re capable of a new trick.'' Light Racer said as a sly smile appeared on his face.


    ''Hmm? What are you talking about?'' Wain asked.


    ''Nothingplicated. You just have to do...''


    Whoooooosh.


    The wings on Wain''s boots fluttered as his speed increased significantly.


    ''Huh, you''re crazy. Okay, I''ll try to do it, from the looks of it, it''ll be fun.'' Wain internally uttered while his silhouette gradually blurred.


    "What''s going on...?" Reaper muttered as she threw a dark de at Wain, but the light just destroyed it.


    "Here we go." Wain uttered with a confident smile on his face as he literally split.


    Instead of one beam of light, there were now two in the arena. They rushed towards Reaper, that was confused with great speed.


    "Hmm? Does Nameless know how to create clones? Did he have such skills before?" Someone muttered with a thoughtful look.


    "A clone? That doesn''t look like a clone... It looks to me like he''s moving so fast that he was able to create his copy because of the residual image... Damn, that''s too hard." His buddy shook his head.


    Crackle.


    Wain attacked Reaper from different directions. Reaper''s pupils narrowed as she created a protective barrier of darkness around herself, but Wain''s light-covered fists easily broke through the barrier.


    The high-speed attack was painful for Reaper, but she was ready for it as she created dark chains around Wain''s hands that bound them together. At the same time, one of the Wains disappeared as only the original remained.


    "Well, you seem pretty smart." Wain grinned as he released a powerful wave of light that partially broke the chains.


    "Stillughing? You used the form, so every second, you waste a huge amount of energy, but I haven''t used my one yet!" Reaper eximed before hitting Wain.


    He blocked her blow with his palm, but the impact threw him back several yards.


    "Then what are you waiting for? Go ahead, do it. Activate your form." Wain said with a devious smile on his face.<sub> </sub>


    Reaper frowned as she didn''t want to do it, but she knew she couldn''t match Wain''s speed right now.


    Whoooooosh.


    Dark energy burst from Reaper that as though the veil covered herpletely, at the same time, her appearance began to change.


    Her blue eyes turned amethyst and her ck hair shortened. Instead of her cape, she wore loose dark armor as a ck hoop over her head that resembled a halo.


    "Light and darkness. Let''s find out which one of us is stronger!" Reaper eximed as a long spear appeared in her hand, emanating purple mes.


    "Darkness and light? I think you''ve got something wrong." Wain smirked, "Of the two of us, only I can wield this power decently!"


    Wain swept his hand in front of his face as his ck-red mask reced with white while some of his ck hair turned red.


    ''Nice. Now it''s my turn. Let''s show her that darkness is just an extra stream of energy for us!'' ck Sun Aristocrat uttered as he clenched his hand into a fist.


    ''What...? Haven''t you already used your Form?" Reaper uttered while in confusion.


    "The Form? Oh, dear, you still don''t seem to get it during our fight, but it doesn''t matter anymore." Wain shook his head as darkness covered his palms.


    Whooooooooosh.


    A massive dark sphere appeared above Reaper, which put the strongest pressure on her due to the sheer weight as the ground crackled beneath her.


    "Fuck!" Reaper eximed, clenched her teeth, and swung her spear.


    A de of purple me sliced the sphere in two, but suddenly Wain, with a calm look, appeared in front of Reaper, grabbed her by the neck, and dropped her to the ground.


    "What!?" Reaper eximed while in disbelief as she swung her spear, but Wain tossed it aside with a st of dark energy and pinned her arm to the ground.


    Reaper tried to fight back as she attacked him with her free hand, but he easily blocked her every blow as though he knew everything ahead of time.


    "That''s enough." Wain uttered as he snapped his finger.


    Above them appeared dozens of spheres that contained enormous amounts of energy. They were as though stars could explode at any moment and destroy everything around them with their incredible power.


    "Give up if you don''t want to die." Wain said while looking into her eyes.


    "No way! You won''t be able to break me, you bastard!" Reaper eximed with an angry look.


    "Right answer." Wain smiled, leaned into her ear, and whispered, "That was a great fight. You did good, Zero."


    Zero''s eyes went wide as she began to realize who she had been fighting all along. At the same time, all spheres exploded simultaneously as the barrier of the Colosseum shattered into tiny shards.


    "Fuck!" Vincenz eximed as he diverted energy to create a new barrier.


    Whooooooosh.


    A gray mantle appeared on Wain as a portal opened beneath him with Zero, where they disappeared.

 Chapter 646 Zero

    The darkness from the explosion of dozens of spheres engulfed the entire space, so the arena was covered by an imprable veil as though fog for a while.


    "Damn... Nameless was serious after all. That explosion destroyed the barrier, there must be nothing left of the Reaper." Vincenz muttered with a serious look while directing energy to the damaged parts of the barrier.


    After a while, the darkness dissipated as everyone could see what was behind it. Everyone was curious to know who the winner of this incredible battle was, though most were sure it was Nameless.


    "Wait... What''s going on...?" The man mumbled while in confusion as he rubbed his eyes as though trying to see something.


    "Where''s Nameless... Where''s Reaper..." His mate uttered with a dazed look, "Was the explosion too powerful that they both died?"


    "No! That can''t be!" Vincenz eximed in an angry manner, "They got away! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"


    Vincenz gritted his teeth as he stomped his foot with all his might. The audience had never seen Vincenz act like that, so everyone quickly realized it was true.


    "Phew... I knew there was something wrong here." Vincenz sighed while calming down, "Although this is the most unusual finale that I''ve seen, amazing emotions... but who won after all?"


    Vincenz looked at the lights that flickered strangely as if Colosseum was trying to figure out what to do about the situation.


    "Hey, he''s right. Even though Nameless and Reaper escaped, Colosseum still has to pick a winner." Someone said while pointing to the lights.


    "Yeah. This is a unique case, but there has never been a draw in the Colosseum''s history, so let''s just wait." The woman nodded in a serious manner while keeping her arms crossed.


    Everyone was in agreement with her as hundreds of gazes went to the mes.


    After a while, the Reaper''s name lit up red while a crown appeared over Nameless.


    "Huh, I knew Nameless had won!" The spectator eximed with a happy look as he clenched his hand into a fist.


    "Wait... What is this?" The man pointed to the crown, "Why isn''t it gold?"


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?" His buddy mouthed with a confused look before looking at the crown, then his eyes went wide as though he saw something impossible.


    Everyone was shocked as a diamond crown floated above Nameless that was several timesrger than the gold one. The audience whispered as they tried to figure out what it was, but no one knew the answer.


    "Ahahahahahaha." Suddenly, from the west side of the Colosseum came a powerfulugh that made everyone pay attention to it.


    "You idiots can''t even understand what just happened!" The man uttered in a mocking manner.


    The man had long blond hair, blue eyes, pale skin, and massive snow-white wings behind his back. There was a powerful aura emanating from him that surpassed anyone else in the Colosseum.


    "It''s Odvar Seim!" Someone eximed while in disbelief.


    "What...? He''s number nine on the ranking chart!" His buddy said with an excited look.


    "One of the Top 10 has been here all this time? Damn! How could I not see that?" The spectator muttered as he clutched his head.


    Every strong fighter was a star in the Colosseum, especially neers like Nameless and Reaper, but the Top 10 had a special position. They were practically the ten strongest people in the Fourth Chronicle, so they had tremendous poprity and influence.<sub> </sub>


    "Of course, I watched that fight, and I have to say that Nameless just fucked you all up! Ahahahahaha." Odvar smirked as he spread his wings that were bigger than himself.


    Odvar continued, "I realized in the middle of the fight that Nameless and Reaper knew each other. If you were strong enough, you could see that none of his blows were fatal, moreover he never once touched her mask, it''s just a miracle!"


    "But... what happened at the end?" Someone asked, "You must have been able to see it, right?"


    "Yeah..." Odvar nodded, "Nameless opened a portal as they disappeared into it. Normally, you can''t open a spatial rift in World of Darkness during arenabat, so... Nameless seems to have Spatial Skills."


    Everyone fell silent for a while as they pondered what had happened.


    "The Diamond Crown means that Nameless showed the highest level ofbat. Usually, only members of the Top 10 get the Diamond Crown, but as you can see, there are exceptions." Odvar said with a serious look before rising, "In any case, there''s only one thing left to find out now. Which Rating will Nameless and Reaper get?"


    Whooooooosh.


    At the same time, the lights shed brightly as everyone saw the updated Rating of the two fighters.


    Reaper got 80 instead of 114.


    "What... But she lost..." The man muttered in a confused manner.


    "Yeah... However, she''s already lit the Third Torch, so... that''s probably fair. She''ll easily beat anyone with a Rating of 100+" His buddy uttered.


    Nameless went from 97 to 36, which was an incredible rating for any fighter, even the most experienced.


    "36..." Odvar muttered, "Well, it looks like Nameless will make it to the Top 10 soon... He''ll have to fight one of us for that. Huh, I hope it will be me!"


    Whooooooooosh.


    Odvar pped his wings as a golden portal appeared in front of him in which he disappeared.


    Slowly the audience began to disperse with dazed looks as, for them, this was the most incredible fight in a long time.


    ''Nameless... You have so many powers, and you hide your face so carefully... Are you...?'' Vincenz inwardly muttered while rubbing his chin in a thoughtful manner.


    ...


    Crackle


    A dark gap appeared in the air from which a man in a ck and red coat with a girl in a purple mask fell.


    The mannded on a denseyer of ice as he carefully caught the girl in his arms. The girl wanted to say something but didn''t have time as the man pulled off the mask, revealing his face.


    "Phew... Honestly, hiding your identity is pretty exhausting." Wain shook his head as he smiled, "Isn''t that right, Zero?"

 Chapter 647 A Problem?

    "Wain! It''s really you!" Zero eximed with a dazed look.


    "Yeah. I am." Wain nodded as he ced Zero on the ground.


    Zero shook off the dust, looked around, and muttered, "Where are we? Where did we go?"


    Crackling.


    Several monsters with menacing auras that stared at Zero emerged from the ice caves. Small shards of ice were falling down from the monsters'' sharp ws while more and more of them appeared.


    "Shit!" Zero frowned as she prepared to fight.


    At the same time, a man with ck hair and yellow as though gold eyes appeared next to Wain, then he honed his hand toward Wain.


    Zero''s pupils narrowed as the dark de in her hand headed for the man''s neck, but suddenly Wain stopped her while shaking the man''s hand.


    "Elegan, how good to see you. How long has it been?" Wain muttered with a smile on his face.


    "Huh, a few months, but honestly, I''m used to it. Youe in for a couple of days and disappear for a couple of months, that''s your norm." Elegan shrugged as his gaze fell on Zero, "Who is this young girl? She looks pretty formidable, you know?"


    The dark de was right at Elegan''s neck, so the only obstacle was Wain''s firm grip.


    "Yeah. Zero, will you put that away already?" Wain asked in a calm manner.


    "But... Those monsters... Won''t they attack us?" Zero muttered while looking around.


    "Hmm? It''s not like I hit you in the head..." Wain uttered with a confused look as he tilted his head, "Zero, this is my Void. Every one of these monsters is my ally, so yours is too."


    Zero was silent for a while as she stared at the monsters, then the de in her hand evaporated, and she said, "Okay. I just didn''t know you had Void... Especially with such strong monsters..."


    "Well, for the most part, I had nothing to do with it. It''s a credit to my friends, and he''s one of them." Wain pointed at Elegan, "By the way. You look too surprised. Don''t you have your own Void?"


    Zero looked confused as she shook her head, "I think it would bother me. I mean... I prefer to do everything by myself... Moreover, managing so many monsters... Damn, it''s a total headache, isn''t it?"


    "Hahahahahahahaha." Wainughed as his voice spread far into the depths of the ice caves.


    "What''s so funny?" Zero frowned with puffed-up cheeks.


    "You don''t have to keep track of everyone like Gisle, though even he has helpers. Your main job as head of Void is to be strong and have enough energy to help your monsters evolve at the right moments. That''s all." Wain shrugged.


    "Well... Maybe you''re right, but I''m not going to do it yet anyway." Zero muttered as she folded her arms in front of her.


    "Okay. That''s your business." Wain nodded before turning to Elegan, "I''d like to talk to Zero, she''s an old friend of mine that I haven''t seen in a while, so we have a lot to discuss."


    "Sure. There are several suitable ces in the Magic Forest. Sometimes we all need a break." Elegan smiled.<sub> </sub>


    "Good. Zero, follow me." Wain said before jumping forward.


    Zero looked at the monsters once more, released her aura, and ran after him. She trusted Wain, but not the dangerous monsters.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    A tall man in blue armor appeared beside Elegan. His face was graceful as though the prince, while his white hair was faintly developing in the wind.


    "Oh, Frigus, you''re here already, too." Elegan turned to him.


    "Yes." Frigus nodded in a serious manner, "I''ve been here since the beginning. This girl is pretty strong, too, there''s no way she''s going to hurt Wain. That''s good."


    "Sure. She''s his friend, so that makes sense, doesn''t it?" Elegan muttered with a confused look.


    "Perhaps... but it doesn''t really seem like friendship, at least on her part. She looks at him like an idol, like perfection." Frigus uttered with a calm look, "By the way, why didn''t you tell Wain about this...? We could be in some pretty serious trouble."


    "I know, but I think it''s better to let them talk first. Would a few hours really make a difference?" Elegan asked as he looked up.


    Frigus nodded silently, waved his hand, and disappeared without any noise as though he had never been there.


    "Wain... You came pretty much just in time, right? Huh." Elegan uttered with an awkward smile on his face.


    ...


    "Wow, what is this ce?! It''s so beautiful here!" Zero eximed while looking around.


    p "This is one of my Void territories. It''s quite cozy, isn''t it?" Wain smiled as he sat down at the wooden table that was in the center of the picturesque clearing, next to a stone wine barrel.</anda>


    Zero nodded, sat across from him, and asked, "Is there such an amazing ce in every Void?"


    "Well, it''s a prettyplicated question as it all depends on many factors, but the forest is definitely one of the mostmon types of areas that exist, so it shouldn''t be a problem." Wain said before waving his hand in a careless manner.


    Several monsters came up to them with various fruits, set them on a table with jugs of wine, then went back into the forest.


    "Are they listening to you?" Zero pronounced with a dazed look.


    "Yeah. Don''t get me wrong. I don''t usually take advantage of my position, but right now, I''m too tired to pick fruit on my own. By the way, try some, they''re incredible." Wain muttered as he handed Zero a bunch of grapes that shone in the sun as though they were a rare treasure.


    Zero gulped, took one, and swallowed it. Her eyes went wide as she immediately took another.


    "Ahahahaha, you shouldn''t pounce like that. There''s a lot of different fruit here, but enough about that." Wain said as his voice suddenly became serious, "Zero, how did you end up at the Colosseum?"

 Chapter 648 Angry Skeleton

    "Colosseum? Well, I needed the money right away, so... I found out you can fight fights there and make good money." Zero muttered while eating a red apple, "I didn''t know it would go this far, but I actually even liked it. I got a lot stronger there."


    ''Money...?'' Wain inwardly muttered, ''That''s right, I still haven''t looked at what happened to my Rating after fight...''


    Whoooooosh.


    [Name: ??? (Nameless)


    Chronicle: Fourth


    Rating: 36


    Money: 44.7 M]


    ''Holy shit!'' Wain eximed to himself as his eyes went wide.


    "What happened?" Zero asked with a confused look as she tilted her head.


    "My Rating is 36! And I got a hell of a lot of money for thest fight!" Wain uttered with a dazed look, pped his palms on the table, and said, "Check that too!"


    Zero nodded, opened her status, and the apple fell from her hands to the ground as it rolled down the slope.


    "How is that possible...?" Zero muttered while in disbelief, "My Rating, got higher too... We both won...? No, you definitely won, but then what''s going on?"


    "Huh, looks like the Colosseum decided we both deserve it. Great, that way, I''ll be in the Top 10 soon!" Wain eximed as he clenched his hand into a fist.


    "Hmm? You need to get into the Top 10?" Zero asked.


    "Yeah. I need that for one thing. What about you?" Wain asked with a curious look.


    "Well, I want to do that too. When I got popr, I heard a lot of people discussing my possible fight with someone from the Top 10. So I want to see if I can beat some of them since no one believed I could win." Zero said in a serious voice.


    "Fine. I''ll be watching you. I hope one day you''ll be Top-1." Wain smiled as he crossed his arms over his chest.


    "Hmm?" Zero rested her head on her hand in a thoughtful manner, "Don''t you have the same goal? I''m sure you''d like to be the strongest in the Colosseum."


    Wain shook his head, "No, that doesn''t make sense. What''s the point of being Top-1 at Colosseum if I aspire to reach the Fifth Chronicle?"


    Zero didn''t answer anything. She nodded silently, took another apple, and took a bite out of it while staring intently at Wain as if she was thinking about something.


    "By the way, Zero, you went on a trip, right? I mean, besides Teresa, you''re the only one I''ve met from Last Light outside of our territories." Wain said as he shook his hand.


    "I just got bored." Zero shrugged, "Last Light has be too quiet, I even missed the times when Gisle was constantly handing out instructions as though they were endless, so I went west and reached Dermin."


    "Oh, you''ve been to Dermin, too?" Wain asked with a curious look.


    "Sure. Don''t you know we have a branch there now? I used to vacation there when I came back from a long trip." Zero asked while holding her hands behind her head in a rxed manner.


    "Hmmm...? Last Light is already in Dermin?" Wain uttered with a dazed look, then a sly smile appeared on his face, "Is it by any chance in the eastern part of town, near the Green Cats Guild?"<sub> </sub>


    "Yeah... You''re absolutely right... but how do you know about that?" Zero asked with a confused look.


    Wain smirked, tossed an apple, and said, "Because I''m the one who set it all up. I needed a cksmith, so Teresa, along with one of the heads of the Green Cats, headed to Last Light. Apparently, Gisle was able to negotiate with them."


    "Huh, sure. If Gisle wants, he can convince even the Devil to work for himself, though he''s still trying to hide how big we''ve be." Zero said as a confident smile appeared on her face.


    ...


    For the next hour, Wain and Zero enjoyed sweet fruit and sour wine while talking about their fascinating travels.


    All the while, someone was watching them from afar, but they didn''t notice it as no hostile aura emanated from the creature.


    "These two are talking so nicely, you don''t even want to distract them, they look so much like each other... Two lonely warriors." Someone in a gray mantle muttered while looking at Wain and Zero through the eyes of a small bone beast that sat on a branch in the forest, "But... This is absolutely the wrong time for this!"


    Sarras, with an angry look, threw the crystal ball to the floor as it shattered into small bits.


    "Why the fuck are we sitting here watching them?! We actually have more important things to do!" Sarras shouted as he turned to Elegan, who was sitting not far away from him on a t rock.


    "Hey, calm down. Can''t we let them talk in peace?" Elegan shrugged with an awkward look.


    "Argh!" Sarras clenched his hand into a fist, turned toward the darkness, and shouted, "You too! Enough with the silence! Say something already!"


    Whoooooooosh.


    The stream of darkness dissipated as Frigus emerged from it with a calm look.


    "So you noticed me, right?"


    "Of course! I can see everything! This is, after all, my territory!" Sarras shouted as he spread his arms out to his sides.


    "Well, I trust Elegan. I don''t think it''s worth distracting Wain, a few more hours won''t solve anything. You must be patient." Frigus uttered in a confident manner.


    Sarras frowned, looked at Elegan, then at Frigus, and headed into the woods.


    "To hell with it! I''ll tell him myself! I can''t take it anymore! They can talk some other time!" Sarras shouted while pacing forward in a menacing manner, "Shit! I always have to do everything myself!"


    Step. Step. Step.


    In the bright sunlight, a skeleton in a mantle with clenched fists approached the wooden table in the center of the forest.


    "Wain!" Sarras eximed as he struck the table, which knocked some of the fruit to the ground.


    "Sarras...? What the hell are you doing here?"


    "We''re in big trouble! All because of that new territory!"

 Chapter 649 Pests

    "Who are you?" Zero frowned as des of darkness appeared in her hands while dense energy emanated from her.


    "Girl, you''re very strong, it''s true, but you can''t scare me with that!" Sarras eximed as he pointed at Zero, approaching her, "While you were eating fruit here, our situation was getting worse by the minute! This could be a real disaster! So, don''t try to scare me."


    Zero frowned, looked at Wain, and pounced on Sarras but did not attack as she did not want to hurt Wain''s friends.


    "What''s going on?" Wain asked with a serious look as he crossed his arms.


    "Thest time you were here and erged the Chronicle of Void on the east side, there''s new territory! It''s pretty creepy, there''s nothing but ruins and fog. It looks even worse than my dungeon!" Sarras eximed while pointing to the side.


    "Yeah. I know what territories are in my Void. What''s going on there? Why am I learning about it from you? Where are the others?" Wain uttered with a calm look as he waved his hand.


    "They don''t want to bother you because they think you need to rest, but I think it''s an urgent problem! There are monsters in Misty Ruins!" Sarras shouted while waving his arms in a panicked manner.


    Wain was silent for a while as he tried to understand what Sarras had said.


    "Monsters...? Hey, maybe you overheated in the sun?" Wain asked in a mocking voice as he tilted his head, "What the fuck did you think was going to show up there? Dragons?!"


    Bam.


    Wain mmed the table with his fist as it smashed into the ground while the legs shattered into splinters.


    Sarras shuddered as he had never seen Wain angry, and now he was on the verge of experiencing Wain''s wrath on himself.


    "Wait! I know how that sounds, but I wouldn''t bother you over nothing!" Sarras put his arm out in front as though trying to stop Wain.


    Wain stared at Sarras, sighed, and asked, "There''s something wrong with these monsters, right?"


    "Yeah..." Sarras nodded, "Come on. You should see for yourself."


    "Okay. Zero, sorry we had to interrupt, but it looks like it''s really something urgent." Wain said as he looked at Zero while rising.


    "No. It''s okay. We''ve talked enough already. I don''t want you to get in trouble for this, but... I want to go with you." Zero uttered with a serious look.


    "Maybe it''s better without her...?" Sarras muttered with an awkward look.


    "Sure. Let''s go. I might need your help." Wain nodded, pped his cloak, and headed toward Misty Ruins.


    Zero smirked as she stared at Sarras before following Wain.


    "Damn! I don''t like that girl already!" Sarras muttered as he frowned in a disgruntled manner.


    "Huh, like there''s even one person in this world you like." Wain grinned with his hands in his pockets.


    "Shit... I''m already regretting my decision to do this... This damn zone better go to hell!" Sarras shouted as he kicked the ground with an angry look.


    ...


    After a while, they reached the borders of Misty Ruins. There was a dense fog that created an oppressive atmosphere and partially hid the ruined ruins.<sub> </sub>


    Among the ruins walked strange monsters that, as though soulless puppets, walked from side to side. The monsters looked alike, they had creepy jaws, gray fur, and long arms with razor-sharp ws.


    "Look! This is what I was telling you about!" Sarras eximed while pointing at the monsters.


    ''Hmm... Damn, they remind me something of that monster that I saw in the memory of Light Racer... But they''re not as intimidating as though they were little copies...'' Wain inwardly muttered while rubbing his chin.


    "Hey! Wain! Can you hear me!" Sarras waved his hand in front of him.


    "Yeah." Wain nodded, "Sarras, have you been told you''re too impatient? It''s annoying, you know?"


    Sarras fell silent.


    "These monsters are different from all the others, but what exactly is the problem? Aren''t they monsters of this Void? In that case, they can''t be enemies, right?" Wain asked while staring intently at the monsters.


    "Not really." Suddenly came the voice of Elegan that wasing out from behind the trees.


    "Oh, you''re here already." Wain raised his eyebrows.


    "Sure. We''ve been following you the whole time. I knew you would listen to Sarras." Elegan said in a calm voice as he shrugged.


    "We...?" Wain uttered with a confused look.


    "Yes. I''m here, too." Frigus said while stepping out of the shadows.


    "Well, everyone''s here, just fine. Did it really take me to get Wain to pay attention?" Sarras uttered in a disgruntled manner as he crossed his bony arms.


    Elegan nodded, looked at the monsters, and said, "Wain, these monsters weren''t here when this territory appeared. Moreover, this whole area is very strange. We haven''t found any resources here, yet these monsters are slowly taking over other areas."


    "What?" Wain muttered while in disbelief, "They may look intimidating, but they sure don''t look like invaders."


    "Well, I agree with you, but it looks like they''re doing it for no particr purpose, just out of instinct. Look." Elegan pointed at one of the monsters.


    This monster was the same as the others, but around it was an unnatural amount of mist that enveloped it like a veil.


    Crackling.


    The monster opened its jaw wide and swallowed up all the mist, then white waves of energy went through its body that burst out of its body in a powerful stream and crossed along the ground somewhere deep into the territory.


    The monster grew slightlyrger, its ws longer as more teeth appeared on its jaw. At the same time, part of the forest turned gray, it was only a few meters, but the mist had already appeared there.


    "Shit... It looks like that might actually be a problem..." Wain muttered with a confused look.


    "I wonder how strong these monsters are?" Zero smirked as her aura intensified.


    "Do you want to fight them?" Frigus asked as he touched the hilt of his sword.


    "Sure, isn''t that the only option?" Zero shrugged in a careless manner.

 Chapter 650 The Cause Of The Problem

    "Wain, what shall we do? It''s up to you." Elegan muttered as he waved his hand.


    Wain looked at the gray earth, at the monsters that were gradually getting bigger, and said, "I, Frigus, and Zero will go to Misty Ruins. You and Sarras will go after Lui Bu and Edena at that time. They should explore the monsters, the fog, and the ground, maybe they''ll figure something out."


    "Good, I hear you. You don''t have to worry about their safety, I will definitely protect them." Elegan nodded before disappearing.


    "Good. I''d rather go get the alchemists than stay here with that girl!" Sarras eximed with a disgruntled look as he pointed at Zero, then swung his mantle and left.


    "So... What do we do...? Break into their territory and fight them?" Frigus asked as he looked at Wain.


    "Of course!" Zero eximed with an excited look, "If we kill them all, there won''t be a problem, right?"


    "No..." Wain shook his head, "Zero, you need to calm down. After all, these monsters are still inhabitants of this Void, I wouldn''t want to harm them without a valid reason. Here''s what we''ll do - we''ll head into the depths of Misty Ruins, if someone attacks us, we''ll attack back, but only kill them as ast resort. Do you get it?"


    Wain''s look was calm, but his voice was deadly serious, which made Zero shudder as shivers ran down her body.


    "Sure. I was counting on it from the start." Frigus nodded in a confident manner, "To fight but not to kill. It''ll be great training, won''t it?"


    Zero just nodded as her aura grew weaker.


    "Good. Let''s go. From the looks of it, their energy is going somewhere, we have to find that ce." Wain said before stepping over the border of two territories.


    They prepared for battle as they thought the monsters would attack them immediately, but the monsters kept walking among the ruins.


    "Well, maybe this will be easier than I thought." Wain uttered as he headed onward with Frigus and Zero.


    They walked forward for a while until they reached the unusual ruins that, unlike the others, were intact. They were three arches with different runes on them.


    "Hmm? Maybe the energy ising this way?" Zero muttered with a thoughtful look.


    Tremble.


    Suddenly, right below them, a wave of white energy passed over the ground that split into several streams. Some of them, as though threads, headed toward the arches while the rest passed on. At the same time, the runes on the arches glowed brightly as portals appeared through whichrge amounts of mist emerged.


    "What the hell...?" Wain muttered with a confused look.


    The mist headed toward the other ruins that also glowed, then next to them, gray crystals emerged from the ground. They contained arge amount of energy that constantly fueled the ruins.


    "Damn... This ce is as though alive... Do I understand right that the monsters absorb the mist, then the energy is directed to these arches, which creates even more mist and conditions for other ruins to grow?" Zero muttered in an awkward manner while in disbelief.


    "Yeah. I guess so. Sarras was right, it''s a pretty creepy ce. Why did it show up in our Void? Can territories be hostile?" Frigus said in a quiet voice with a thoughtful look.


    "All right. Let''s check these arches and move on." Wain said, walking over to the arches and touching the runes.


    Whoooooosh.<sub> </sub>


    At the same time, the monsters around them turned in their direction as intense pressure came down on Wain.


    "Fuck... I guess that was a mistake." Wain muttered.


    Crackle.


    Dozens of monsters pounced on Wain as if he were their worst enemy. Even though Frigus and Zero were close to Wain, the monsters paid no attention to them, they just ran forward.


    The first two monsters had already reached Wain, but just as they wanted to attack, Wain''s palms mmed into their chests as the impact threw the monsters back several meters, forcing them to roll over the ground.


    "Let''s go!" Frigus eximed, drew his sword from its sheath, and turned into a blue sh.


    He appeared behind the monsters and swung his sword with an ice-cold look. The de struck the monsters'' legs as they fell to the ground with pained screams, then Frigus plunged the sword into thend, and a wave of cold came from it that froze the monsters to the earth.


    "Great. They''re pretty strong, but stopping them won''t be a problem." Frigus muttered before running toward the next monsters.


    ''Wow... Frigus is a monster, but he''s so strong...'' Zero inwardly muttered with a dazed look, ''He''s no match for Wain, however not sure if I could handle him easily... Okay, it''s my turn!


    Whooooosh.


    des of Darkness appeared in Zero''s hands as she ran forward with a confident smile on her face.


    "I''m here!" Zero eximed as she thrust her des into the monster''s shoulders.


    "ARGH!!!" The monster cried out in pain as it brought its ws down on Zero.


    Zero smiled, turned into a stream of darkness, and was behind the monster''s back. She touched the monster with the tip of her finger as chains erupted from the darkness that hovered around her,pletely immobilizing the monster.


    ? "Huh, great!" Zero eximed with an excited look as she clenched her hand into a fist, "It was easier than I thought."


    Crackle.


    Suddenly three monsters appeared next to Zero. They opened their creepy jaws wide, intending to eat her, but Zero didn''t even look at them as a barrier of darkness appeared above her that prevented the monsters from approaching her.


    "Well, well, you''re pretty cocky, aren''t you?" Zero smirked in a dangerous manner, "I''m so tempted to chop you into little pieces, but you''re damn lucky that it''s Wain''s Void."


    Snap.


    Zero snapped her finger as the barrier turned into chains that covered the monsters'' mouths as though muzzled and nailed them to the ground.


    "Good luck!" Zero smiled while waving her hand before heading on.

 Chapter 651 The Core

    "Well, that wasn''t easy, but it looks like we don''t have to worry about them being deadly." Wain muttered as he stared at the chained monsters while sitting on one of them with a careless look.


    The monsters tried to free themselves, but the ice or chains were too strong as some monsters were unconscious due to Wain''s powerful blows.


    "What do we do next?" Frigus asked as he looked at the arches, "Maybe we should destroy them? Apparently, they''re affecting the fact that Misty Ruins are gradually expanding."


    "No, that''s out of the question." Wain pronounced in a serious voice, "It''s not clear yet if this area is hostile or not. Only when we know for sure will we decide what to do about the arches and the ruins, for now, let them continue to grow."


    "Sure, as you say." Frigus uttered with a slight nod.


    "Shall we go on?" Zero asked as he pointed forward.


    "Yeah... We shouldn''t touch any more arches or ruins, apparently these monsters won''t pay attention to us if we don''t." Wain said before heading forward.


    ...


    They walked forward through the fog, among the ruins, when Zero yawned and muttered, "Eh... We''ve been walking forward for almost an hour! I thought it would be fun, but there''s absolutely nothing going on!"


    "Well, it''s not supposed to be fun. Maybe there were no battles, but we confirmed our guesses. Those arches that we encountered also created fog and crystals, so arches are the main catalyst for the development of this area." Wain said in a serious voice, "Zero, don''t be like Sarras, be patient."


    "What?! Me and that stupid skeleton?! We are absolutely nothing alike!" Zero eximed with a rejected look.


    "I disagree." Frigus shook his head, "Maybe you should be friends. You''d make great friends, you know?"


    Zero frowned, clenched her hand into a fist, and opened her mouth as she was about to say something, but suddenly another wave of energy passed beneath them, then some glint appeared in the distance.


    "What is that...?" Wain muttered with a confused look.


    Whoooooooosh.


    A projectile flew toward Zero as her pupils narrowed, and she created a barrier of darkness in front of her. The projectile bounced to the side as it mmed into the ground nearby.


    "What the fuck...!" Zero eximed in a dazed manner as she stared at the projectile.


    It was a long, gray crystal from which streams of energy emanated. A mist rushed toward the crystal that, along with the energy, began to turn into something.


    "We must destroy it!" Zero eximed as she rushed forward, but suddenly Wain put a hand on her shoulder.


    "What? Why did you stop me!" Zero shouted while in confusion.


    "Wait." Wain said with a calm look, "Let''s see what happens next. We came here to figure out the problem with this area, not to destroy everything here, right?"


    Zero frowned, whiffed, and muttered, "Okay, whatever, it''s your Void, after all."


    Crackle.


    Suddenly the crystal soared above the ground as energy with mist turned to flesh and bone. In time, another monster appeared in front of them, just like the others.<sub> </sub>


    "I see. So that''s how they are born, at least, that''s one way. How curious..." Frigus uttered with a calm look while rubbing his chin in a thoughtful manner.


    "Hey... Don''t you think you''re being a little too calm?" Zero asked in an awkward manner, "I''ve never seen such shit as this."


    "Huh, let''s just move on. That crystal came from somewhere, so we need to find out exactly where." Wain waved his hand before stepping forward.


    Whoooooosh.


    Suddenly the monster opened its jaw wide as it lunged at Wain with powerful killing intent. At the same time, Frigus appeared in front of Wain with a sword drawn in advance.


    "He decided to attack as soon as he appeared? Well, that''s certainly not a wise decision." Frigus spoke before swinging his sword.


    Out of the ground came ice bays that pierced the monster''s legs and arms, then the monster''s body was covered by a denseyer of ice, so it was as though an insect in a cocoon.


    Wain didn''t even turn around as he just continued pacing forward.


    ''Frigus is so cool... Damn, I wish I had a monster like that! I definitely need to make my own Void!'' Zero inwardly eximed as she clenched her hand into a fist.


    ...


    They walked a few hundred more meters into the depths of Misty Ruins and stopped as their eyes went wide.


    "What the hell is that...? Zero muttered while in disbelief.


    In the distance was a massive ball of flesh, eyes, and a multitude of jaws that were constantly closing as if they were ready to devour anything. The orb was huge, as tall as a tower, as in the center of it was a wide gray crystal that constantly exuded energy and thick streams of mist.


    "Damn... Why did something so creepy appear in our Void? What does it mean...?" Frigus muttered as goosebumps ran down his body.


    Around the orb were massive ruins with hundreds of monsters standing beside them. They were muchrger and more dangerous than the ones Wain, Frigus, and Zero had fought so far. These monsters, as though guardians, stood next to the pirs and didn''t even take a step to the side.


    "Well, at least we know the problem, isn''t that a good thing?" Wain muttered as he waved his hand in a careless manner.


    "Don''t you think you''re being a little too calm?" Zero uttered as a de of darkness appeared in her hand.


    "It''s all right. Now that I see those jaws, I''m pretty sure this area came from my energy that I unleashed while raising the Chronicle of Void." Wain shrugged.


    "Are you serious...?" Frigus muttered while in disbelief.


    "Sure. I don''t know how, but from the looks of it, it can happen if powerful energy and the territory of a Void mix. In any case, we''re here to solve the problem, so enough talk." Wain uttered before stepping forward.


    Crackle.


    At the same time, a huge eye appeared on the ball whose pupil narrowed.

 Chapter 652 Ice Sword

    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ground trembled as the ball of flesh emitted eerie energy waves that caused some monsters to move forward. Their eyes with vertical pupils stared at Wain as though at the main enemy while their jaws viciously closed.


    "Hah, you think you can scare me with that?" Wain smirked as dius appeared in his hand, "You may be a little stronger than those underdogs, but that just means I don''t have to be as careful with you!"


    Whooooooosh.


    Wain stepped forward as he found himself in front of one monster. The monster immediately attacked with its sharp ws, but suddenly the monster''s hands fell to the ground as a fountain of blood gushed from its wounds.


    "Well, you''re a tough guy, aren''t you?" Wain uttered as he knocked the drops of blood off his sword de, "Your arms will surely grow back, just like your legs."


    "Argh!" The monster cried out in pain as his legs flew off to the side.


    Bam.


    Wain, with a kick, tossed the monster''s body aside, looked at the others, and said, "Who''s next? I can keep doing this all day long. Still, this huge thing will create as many of you as it needs, right?"


    Roooooooaaaaaarrrrrrr!


    The monsters simultaneously roared as their jaws opened wide before attacking Wain from different sides.


    "Fine. Zero, go ahead. Help Wain on the right side, I''ll take the left one." Frigus said with a serious look as he turned into a blue sh.


    "Yes!" Zero uttered before bing a stream of darkness.


    She appeared next to Wain and created a protective barrier that stopped the attack of the three monsters. At the same time, Frigus severed the legs of two ones, then he, with icy bays, pierced three more.


    "Well, with this coordinated team, I won''t even get a small scratch." Wain smiled with a careless look, then his eyes turned icy as his hand turned into a blur.


    Crackling.


    The three monsters in front of him appeared with deep cuts all over his body, from which powerful streams of blood gushed out that stained Wain''s face and coat. The monsters tried to attack back, but as soon as they took one step forward, they fell to the ground with heavy, intermittent breathing.


    "Good boys." Wain stepped forward as he touched the shoulder of one of the monsters.


    Gradually, they moved forward. The monsters were in the Fourth Chronicle, but they were nothing more than beginners, with no experience or tactics that simply followedmands from the flesh ball, so for Wain, Frigus, and Zero, it was nothing more than training.


    p. p. p.


    Wain shook the dust off his hands while he looked at the dozens of monsters lying on the ground. They were all alive but unable to move because of the heavy wounds, the chains of darkness, or the ice that had bound them to the ground.


    "Now it''s your turn. Freak." Wain uttered with a menacing look as he stared at the flesh ball, "I don''t know how you got here, but even if it''s all about my energy, you don''t really want to obey me, so unlike the others, you will die!"


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A powerful aura burst out of Wain that made the flesh ball shudder with fear as dozens of its eyes narrowed their pupils.<sub> </sub>


    Roooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrr!


    Suddenly all the jaws on the flesh ball opened wide as a piercing scream spread for miles around, then a shudder gradually intensified on the ground.


    "What the hell..." Zero muttered with a dazed look while looking away.


    In the distance, there were gray waves appeared that approached them, eerie roarsing from there, it was all hundreds of monsters.


    "Damn. All of them became aggressive in an instant... I had hoped that this orb could only control the closest monsters, but it looked like I was wrong. What a pity." Wain shook his head as streams of energy headed toward his gloves.


    Wain spread his arms out to his sides as gray spheres appeared in front of his palms that contained a huge amount of energy, forcing the space next to them to distort.


    "Boss, wait." Frigus said as he stopped Wain just before he was about tounch the spheres.


    "Hmm? What is it? There are too many of them. We can''t immobilize them all without getting wounded, I''m not going to put you at risk for them." Wain asked with a confused look.


    "Boss, you''ve gotten a lot stronger since yourst visit, that''s true, but I''m not standing still, so give me a chance to show what I''ve aplished." Frigus spoke in a serious voice while gripping the hilt of his sword tightly.


    Wain looked at Frigus, at the monsters, then shrugged and said, "All right. Do as you see fit."


    "Hey... Are you sure...?" Zero muttered with an awkward look.


    "Thank you." Frigus nodded before letting go of the sword from his hands.


    Blue energy departed from Frigus as his sword glowed and soared through the air, then Frigus'' eyes shed, and the sword flew high up as if a satellite over the battlefield.


    ''Hmm...? What is Frigus going to do...?'' Wain inwardly muttered in a thoughtful manner.


    Crackle.


    Suddenly the sword began to increase in size as it became a hundred times bigger in a few seconds, now it was like a weapon with which a giant could cut a mountain in two.


    "You wretched souls... Freeze forever." Frigus muttered as a thickyer of ice appeared on the sword from which shards began to fall off.


    The shards of ice turned into dozens of small swords that slowly floated around the main one. When thest sword was created, Frgius waved his hand, and all of them copsed on the monsters as though meteors.


    When the swords came into contact with the monsters, they exploded with ice that turned them into frosty statues.


    "Wow... This is so beautiful..." Zero muttered with a dazed look while looking at the blue lines on the sky that left glowing shes.


    When thest monster was frozen, Frigus stopped releasing energy, and the main sword returned to normal as it flew to Frigus'' hand.


    "Done." Frigus uttered with a calm look before returning the sword to its sheath.

 Chapter 653 Jaw

    p. p. p.


    Wain slowly pped while looking at Frigus with a dazed look.


    "That was just incredible, wasn''t it?" Wain said as he turned to Zero.


    "Yeah... So beautiful and so powerful... It only took you one attack to freeze hundreds of monsters, you certainly know how to control that element." Zero muttered with sparkling eyes.


    "You overestimate me. I still have a lot of work to do as this skill has spent almost all my strength..." Frigus muttered before dropping to one knee as he leaned his hand on the ground.


    A trickle of blood flowed from the corners of his mouth that fell to the ground in drops.


    "Frigus... Are you all right?" Zero asked in a worried manner.


    "Sure... I''m just a little exhausted." Frigus nodded.


    "Well, you''ve already done your part. Zero and I can easily deal with this huge piece of meat, so just rest." Wain muttered as he patted Frigus on the shoulder.


    "Whatever you say..." Frigus smiled, snapped his finger, and an ice crystal appeared behind him, against which he leaned.


    "Fine. Zero, let''s go, it''s time to deal with this ''little'' problem." Wain pronounced with a devious smile on his face before heading forward.


    "Yes!" Zero, with a serious look, followed him.


    Flesh ball was in a panic as its hundreds of eyes stared now at the monsters and then at the approaching Wain and Zero. Flesh ball could not escape, so it had no chance of survival without protection.


    "Well, well, looks like those monsters were thest trick. What a pity." Wain shook his head as he thrust his hands forward with directed energy into his gloves.


    Two small gray spheres appeared in front of his palms that merged into onerge one. With each passing second, the sphere became more and more energy as the pressure emanated from Wain''s.


    "Hahaha, I''m just going to blow you up! I''m sure it''ll be a great sight to see your jaws and eyes flying off to the side!" Wain uttered with an insane look as the sphere abruptly grewrger.


    Tremble.


    The flesh ball shuddered in fear as the jaws suddenly flew out of it. They, as though hooks, broke through the Frigus'' ice and drew all the monsters to themselves, then the jaws began to grind them with tremendous speed.


    "What the fuck..." Zero muttered while in disbelief, "What is it going to do?"


    "I don''t know, but I''m not going to find out. It''s going to end right now!" Wain eximed as heunched the orb.


    "Huh, turns out I did all this for nothing...?" Frigus muttered while looking at the empty blocks of ice, then his gaze fell on the orb, "Well, either way, it''s already solved."


    Crackling.


    Suddenly, from the flesh ball, a creepy creature burst through the bones and meat, a few meters high with a strange three-petal flower-shaped jaw. On each of the petals were hundreds of teeth as though on a shark.


    "Roooooaaaaaaarrrrrrr!!!" The monster roared furiously as it opened its jaw wide.


    The monster swallowed the sphere, then it exploded as the monster''s jaw swelled hard as though on a ball.


    "No way... This monster is trying to absorb your attack?!" Zero eximed with a dazed look.<sub> </sub>


    "I doubt it can do it. I didn''t hold back and used as much energy as possible." Wain uttered in a confident voice.


    Crackle.


    There was a deafening explosion as the left side of the monster''s head waspletely destroyed. Streams of blood flowed from its jaw, turning into arge puddle.


    "Nice try, but it''s not enough." Wain muttered with a dangerous smile on his face before summoning dius.


    At the same time, the monster touched his hands to his head as though it was trying to figure out what had just happened, then the monster turned to the flesh ball and ran up to it.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The monster began to devour the flesh ball, regardless of what was in front of it, eyes, meat, or jaws. The flesh ball did not try to resist as it was its only chance to win.


    "Huh, what a bastard, no honor, but I like it!" Wain said with an excited smile before turning into a dark sh.


    Wain found himself behind the monster with his de raining down on the monster. The de hurtled toward the monster''s head, but it suddenly turned around.


    Whoooooosh.


    The monster''s arms became a blur as razor-sharp ws sliced through Wain''s coat, leaving deep cuts on his chest. Blood rushed out of the wounds as Wain''s face contorted in pain.


    "Roooooaaaaarrrrrr!" The monster roared as its jaw was already fully repaired while saliva sshed onto Wain''s face.


    "Wain!" Zero eximed before running to his aid.


    But, suddenly, Wain stopped her with a gesture.


    "Stay there." Wain uttered in an ice-cold voice that sent shivers down Zero''s body, then he stared at the monster with a deadly look and said, "I''ll take care of this bastard myself. Don''t you dare get in my way."


    Tremble.


    Wain''s aura repeatedly intensified as a dark crown appeared on him, and gray energy enveloped his arms.


    "You have quite an appetite, don''t you? Then, how about trying to eat me!" Wain eximed as he attacked with a furious look.


    The monster opened its jaw wide as it intended to devour Wain''s attack, but suddenly the monster''s left chest and arm were gone, they simply disappeared. In their ce was left a phantom silhouette of the jaw that quickly dissipated.


    "That''s not all!" Wain eximed before creating two piranhas that pounced on the monster.


    The monster jumped aside as it began to devour the flesh ball, but the piranhas'' sharp teeth had already sunk into its flesh.


    "Argh!" The monster screamed out in pain as Wain appeared before it.


    ''Unbelievable... It''s Wain''s Beyond, right...? Zero inwardly muttered with a dazed look, ''Now I understand why this area is like this... Those creepy jaws, piranhas... it all makes sense now.''


    For a while, Wain and the monster continued to fight. Wain dealt serious damage to the monster with each attack while the monster absorbed the flesh ball and tried to counterattack, but eventually, the piranhas devoured it.


    Wain removed Beyond, looked at what was left of the flesh ball, and his eyes went wide.

 Chapter 654 No!

    ? "What is this...?" Zero muttered as her eyes went wide.


    During the battle, the monster almostpletely devoured the flesh ball as it hoped thus to survive and win, so only a gray crystal sphere remained of the massive ball.


    "Is that the crystal...? All of this happened through its fault?" Wain muttered while rubbing his chin in a thoughtful manner.


    "Is it just me, or is there something inside...?" Frigus uttered while slowly approaching the sphere.


    "Yeah... I think Frigus is right." Zero nodded as she squinted as if trying to see what was inside.


    Gradually the sphere became more transparent, so Wain, Frigus, and Zero could finally see what was inside.


    They were silent for a while as it shocked them more than they could have expected.


    "Wain... How is that possible...?" Zero muttered while in disbelief as she pointed to the orb.


    Inside was a girl with pale skin, short ck hair, and unusual tattoos on her neck. Her eyes were closed as if she were asleep.


    "Wain..." Zero said as she looked at him, "If these monsters came from your energy like this territory... then this girl is your..."


    Whoooooosh.


    Wain''s hand went to Zero as his palm covered her mouth.


    "Don''t you even dare say it. It''s impossible." Wain uttered while his ice-cold eyes pierced Zero.


    "That means she is your daughter." Frigus said in a confident voice with a calm look.


    "What the hell, daughter?! I''ve never even had a wife!" Wain eximed with an angry look while pointing at the girl in the sphere.


    "Well... Doesn''t that make sense?" Frigus asked in an awkward manner.


    "Of course not!" Wain stomped his foot, "If you follow your logic, then all those monsters were my children too! Do you think I just condemned hundreds of my children to death? That''s nonsense! Total nonsense!"


    "They were monsters." Frigus shrugged, "That girl appears to be a human, just like you, though I can''t be entirely sure of that."


    "No, no, no." Wain repeated while shaking his head, "She a monster, too. For your information, you don''t look much like a monster either. You look more human than a lot of real humans."


    "Hmm..." Frigus wondered, "Yeah... That makes sense... Damn... I''m confused."


    "Hey, let''s deal with thister." Zero said as she waved her hand, "Wain, even if she is technically your daughter, she doesn''t have your blood in her, only energy, so she''s at most your follower. Let''s better get her out of there."


    "Sure. Zero, you''re absolutely right!" Wain uttered, patted her on the shoulder, and walked over to the sphere.


    He tapped the sphere lightly with a thoughtful look and muttered, "The sphere is quite sturdy... but I can definitely cut it."


    "Wait!" Zero eximed in a worried manner, "You might hurt it!"


    "Don''t worry. I''ll do it as carefully as I can." Wain uttered before calling dius.


    He walked around the sphere, sighed, and swung his sword. His hand turned into a blur, then many streaks appeared on the sphere that split into many fragments. Wain gradually chopped off the pieces from the sphere until only a thinyer of crystal remained around the girl.


    Snap.


    Wain struck it with the hilt of his sword as the shell shattered into small shards, setting the girl free. Wain caught her as he looked at her with a strange look.<sub> </sub>


    ''Frigus is wrong, she can''t be my daughter, but she appeared because of my energy... Damn, what an unusual situation.'' Wain inwardly muttered.


    "Okay. Let''s go back, apparently, the problem is solved, right?" Zero offered as she waved her hand.


    "Yeah. I agree. We''ve done enough." Frigus nodded.


    Snap.


    Suddenly the girl opened her eyes, they were gray with a faint violet hue. She looked at Wain, then at Frigus and Zero, and her aura intensified.


    "Hey... How are you feeling?" Zero asked with a benevolent smile on her face.


    The girl, with a sharp movement, jumped off Wain''s arms as her foot copsed into his face. The impact threw Wain back a few feet as a stream of blood flowed from his broken nose.


    "Shit... That was quite a hit." Wain wiped the blood from his nose with a menacing look as his aura intensified.


    "What''s going on...?" Zero muttered while in confusion, "Wait! We''re not your enemies!"


    The girl frowned, recoiled to the side, and prepared to fight.


    "She doesn''t seem to understand you, or doesn''t want to. Either way, she''s not our friend. As I said, she''s a monster like the others. Her looks fooled us, but we won''t make that mistake again!" Wain uttered as he stepped forward.


    "Yeah... It looks like you were right." Frigus nodded, drew his sword from its sheath, and the ground beneath him turned to ice.


    Zero didn''t understand what she had to do, so she stayed still with a puzzled look. Unlike Wain and Frigus, she didn''t have the determination to change her mind dramatically in a heartbeat.


    Whoooooosh.


    The girl''s pupils narrowed as she turned into a gray sh that appeared in front of Frigus.


    ''Shit, that was fast!'' Frigus inwardly eximed as he swung his sword.


    Crackle.


    The girl''s fist mmed into his abdomen, piercing through his armor. Frigus vomited a mouthful of blood, then the girl punched him in the jaw with all her might, sending Frigus flying.


    Frigus was momentarily unconscious but quickly regained consciousness as his eyes glittered, and a bolt of energy traveled to his sword.


    Bam.


    At the same time, a girl appeared above him that, with a deadly look, copsed her foot on him as the impact plunged Frigus beneath the ground.


    "Damn... She''s damn strong. Well, looks like I need to get serious from the start." Wain smirked as a dark crown appeared on him, and his hands were covered in gray energy.


    The girl''s eyes went wide as her silhouette blurred. She appeared in front of Wain while his fist was already reaching down on her.


    Whooooooosh.


    Suddenly Wain stopped as his fist was an inch from her head.


    "No..." Wain muttered while looking at the girl who embraced him with a happy look.


    "NO!"

 Chapter 655 Who Is She?

    Crackle.


    Frigus crawled out from under the rubble with a bloody face as he released his full aura, but instead of attacking, his sword fell out of his hands, and his eyes widened.


    "Wain... How did you do that..." Frigus muttered while in disbelief, "That girl is so damn strong... Why is she hugging you? Is it some kind of hold?"


    "No..." Zero shook her head, "Is your heart as cold as ice, too? Can''t you see she''s smiling as though a child?"


    "Hey, will you let me go already?" Wain muttered with an awkward look.


    "I don''t want to!" The girl suddenly said as she shook her head with pouting cheeks.


    ''Somebody save me...'' Wain muttered inwardly, then shook his head and put his hand on the girl''s head.


    "Why are you here?" Wain asked with a faint smile on his face.


    "Ah...? Why am I here...?" The girl mumbled as she put a finger to her lips in a thoughtful manner, "I... I don''t know."


    p ''Well, I should have at least tried.'' Wain uttered to himself before squatting down.</anda>


    Their eyes met as the girl opened her mouth as if she were mesmerized by his sight.


    "What''s your name?" Wain asked as he took the girl''s hand.


    The girl tilted her head, stared into the ground, and whispered, "I have no name... I don''t even know who I am... I don''t know anything... All I feel is that you and I are alike... You''re my friend, right?"


    She looked at Wain as tears were ready to pour from her eyes.


    ''Damn... She seems like a normal girl on the inside, but with tremendous power. Is it really all my fault? Eh... The tears of a confused girl are not at all what I expected to see in such a creepy ce.'' Wain inwardly muttered before pressing her head against his chest.


    ''Don''t worry. You''re in a good ce, probably the best ce for you... But, you need a name, that''s the first step, pick one." Wain spoke in a calm voice.


    "I want you to do it..." The girl muttered as she hugged Wain again.


    "Ah...?" Wain was puzzled, then he shook his head and said, "Okay. Whatever you say. How about...Nicole, just Nicole?"


    "Okay." Nicole smiled with a happy smile on her face.


    ''Looks like she''d be happy either way... Well, at least she''s not calling me Dad, that''s good enough. Frigus and Zero gave me a big scare with their assumption...'' Wain wondered.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Frigus walked slowly toward them with limp steps. As soon as Nicole noticed it, her aura intensified, and her eyes became sharp as a de.


    "Wait. He''s my friend, so he''s yours, too." Wain said as he waved his hand.


    "Friend...?" Nicole tilted her head in a thoughtful manner.


    "Yeah. You''re contentedly strong. I didn''t expect to be beaten not by a creepy monster but by someone like you. That will be an important lesson for me." Frigus grinned while holding his stomach with a pained look.


    "Frigus, are you okay?" Zero asked in a worried manner as she ran up to him.


    "Sure. I just missed a few blows from the head of the new territory. There''s nothing wrong with that." Frigus shrugged.


    "The new head of territory...?" Wain muttered as he looked at Nicole, "Damn, Frigus, you''re a genius."


    Wain put his hand on Nicole''s head as he asked, "Do you want to be in charge of this ce?"


    Nicole turned around, looked at the ruins, and said, "Sure. This is a nice ce. I''mfortable here."<sub> </sub>


    ''She''s cozy here? Huh, maybe it''s weird for us, but she was literally born here, so this ce is her home. Wain muttered to himself as he smiled.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Suddenly, several silhouettes appeared in the distance that gradually approached them.


    "Wain!" Elegan shouted as he waved his hand.


    "Looks like it''s time for us to get out of here." Wain muttered in a confident voice.


    "What? Am I going to stay here alone? I don''t want that!" Nicole eximed as she pressed herself harder against Wain.


    "Huh, don''t worry, you cane with us. You''re in charge in this ce, but you can always go in friends'' territory, right?" Wain muttered while looking into her eyes.


    "Yeah..." Nicole nodded.


    At the same time, Elegan, Sarras, Edena, and Lui Bu reached them.


    "Who''s that...?" Edena muttered while pointing at Nicole and Zero as her eyes widened.


    "Well, we all definitely need to talk." Wain said with a slight smile on his face.


    ...


    After a while, they were all seated at arge wooden table in the center of the forest. The table was covered with various dishes and drinks, but everyone was already full except two people.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Zero and Nicole sat across from each other while continuing to shovel food into their mouths.


    "You girls have an incredible appetite. It feels like you haven''t eaten in a year." Elegan smirked while swinging his wine ss from side to side.


    "I just can''t stop. I still feel hungry!" Zero uttered as she took a bite of the fruit.


    "Me too." Nicole nodded while chewing the massive apple.


    "So... This girl is in charge at Misty Ruins now, righ?" Edena asked with a confused look.


    "Exactly." Wain nodded, "This territory is developing just like the others. It just went in the wrong direction. Also, Elegan can always help her."


    "I see..." Edena muttered.


    "By the way, Edena, do you have any way of knowing what race she is?" Wain asked in a serious manner.


    "Of course. I just need her blood, it''s very easy to find out. We can do it right now if you want." Edena shrugged.


    "Good." Wain nodded, took Nicole''s hand, and shed her palm.


    Nicole flinched slightly but continued to eat as though she hadn''t even noticed what had happened.


    "Fine." Edena said as some kind of high-tech device appeared in her hands.


    She took some blood from Nicole''s palm, activated the device, and after a while, she was ready to give her answer.


    "As expected, she''s a monster."

 Chapter 656 Long Time No See

    "It''s no surprise. Most of the inhabitants of this Void are monsters, so it''s a good thing, right?" Frigus asked as he waved his hand in a careless manner.


    "Sure." Wain smiled, "Okay, now that we''ve got that sorted out, Nicole is officially in charge of Misty Ruins. Elegan, make sure she doesn''t do anything wrong."


    "As you say. I''m d it ended this way. I didn''t know who the head of the Misty Ruins would be, but it resolved itself." Elegan smiled as he took a sip of red wine.


    Sometimeter, Zero and Nicole finally had enough as they leaned back in their chairs with satisfied looks.


    "I never would have believed that so much food could fit into such small creatures. It''s crazy." Frigus muttered with a dazed look while keeping his arms crossed.


    "Huh, it''s more than okay." Wain smirked as he looked out into the bright sun, "By the way... I just now realized someone is missing. Where the hell is Reto? This is his forest!"


    Wain had been here with Zero, now with everyone else, but the master of the Magic Forest had yet to show himself, despite the fact that they were next to a stone wine barrel.


    "Well... It''s pretty hard to exin..." Elegan muttered in an awkward manner while rubbing his cheek with his finger.


    "Hmm? What happened?" Wain frowned as he became alert.


    "He got too carried away with his favorite thing..." Elegan uttered.


    "I don''t understand, exin more clearly." Wain said in a serious voice.


    Elegan was silent, but Frigus answered instead, "Reto started drinking too much, maybe he''s already turned into a real drinker."


    "What...? But aren''t the wine and the Royal Grape in this forest? Did he leave Void to go to bars?" Wain asked with a confused look.


    "Not exactly." Reto muttered, "A week ago, during a feast, he got so drunk that he actually left the Void, but he didn''t head for the bars, he went to another Void. You know this human, his name is Luar."


    ''Luar...?'' Wain muttered inwardly, then a sly smile appeared on his face, ''Great. He''s the one I want!''


    Tap.


    Wain stood up, drained his ss of wine, and said, "Zero, let''s go. We''re leaving."


    "Ah...? Where to?" Zero asked with a confused look.


    "To someone who will get us home quickly." Wain smirked, opened a spatial rift, and walked through it.


    Zero nodded, grabbed an apple from the table, and followed him.


    "Well, he''s gone again." Elegan sighed while shaking his head.


    "He solved the main problem, the rest is up to us, as always." Frigus muttered as he shrugged before heading out into the snowy wilderness.


    ...


    Wain with Zero were in a dark space as beside them was only an icy door that led into Wain''s Void.


    "Hey... Shouldn''t there be lots of doors...?" Zero asked in an uncertain manner.<sub> </sub>


    "Don''t worry. I cane to Luar''s Void at any time." Wain smiled as a gold coin depicting a lion''s head appeared in his hand.


    Wain tossed the coin up as it glowed, then among the darkness appeared a massive golden gate that burned brightly as though the sun.


    "Wow, is that the gate of Luar''s Void? It looks incredible!" Zero eximed with a dazed look.


    "I agree. They were much smallerst time. Luar did a good job. By the way, when was thest time you saw Luar?" Wain asked as he approached the gate.


    "Hmm... I crossed paths with him a few times in the main base of Last Light two months ago. He was talking to Gisle about something, probably getting another assignment." Zero muttered in a thoughtful manner.


    "He''s with Last Light?" Wain uttered as he raised an eyebrow.


    "Something like that." Zero shrugged, "Right now, all the humans need to stick together. Last Light is the only safe ce for our race in this big world."


    ''Last Light... Well, there''s Human World besides that, but Zero better not know about that yet, moreover... I have to figure out where Alice''s city came from. It''s at least three ces where there are humans, also my home world existed separately from the World of Darkness... Damn, I still know almost nothing. Wain said internally with a puzzled look.


    "Wain? Are you okay?" Zero asked as she approached him.


    "Yeah. I was just thinking. Let''s go." Wain nodded before entering the gate with Zero.


    As soon as they stepped inside, they were blinded by a bright light that forced them to cover their faces with their hands. They found themselves on a stone tform among golden trees whose leaves burned with yellow mes.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Next to the trees, several knights in golden armor immediately appeared and held massive fiery spears in their hands. They simultaneously stepped forward like an experienced army and pointed their weapons at Wain with Zero.


    "Well, I didn''t expect Luar to have such well-trained monsters. It''s intimidating, isn''t it?" Wain said in a careless manner as he waved his hand.


    "Wain, I think you are too rxed. They are serious, and their auras are powerful." Zero muttered as she frowned and prepared for battle.


    Whoooooooosh.


    A bright golden sh appeared in the sky like aet was headed toward them. A woman with long yellow hair, amber eyes, and her athletic body was covered in dense crimson armor with ming shoulder padsnded on the tform.


    ''Damn... She looks menacing. Is that really Luar''s Void? What''s going on here?" Wain muttered inwardly while his eyes examined her.


    "Who are you?" The woman asked in a menacing manner, "How did you get in here?"


    "Hey, rx." Wain said with a slight smile on his face, "We''re not the enemy. I have a pass, so I cane here whenever I want."


    Wain showed her a gold coin.


    The woman frowned as she asked, "What''s your name? I don''t remember Mr. Luar inviting someone like you into his Void in thest few months."


    ''Mr. Luar...?'' Wain muttered inwardly while in disbelief, ''What the hell is going on here?

 Chapter 657 Talent

    With a menacing look, the woman stared at Wain as she waited for his answer while holding her arms crossed.


    "Well, I haven''t actually met Luar in thest few months, but I have his coin, which means I''m someone he trusts, don''t I?" Wain said as he shook his hand.


    "Maybe you''re right, but I don''t trust you. Mr. Luar put me in charge of this area, so if you want to pass on, say your name!" The woman uttered as her me intensified.


    Wain sighed, shook his head, then looked at her. His calm gaze changed sharply to a cold and cruel one that literally pierced her, making her shudder as the shivers ran down her body.


    "Don''t get cocky. You are only his assistant, you have no right to tell another owner of Void what to do!" Wain uttered in a thunderous voice as he released his aura that made the space beside him warp.


    ''What a powerful aura... Could he be right? He has a pass... But, what if I''m wrong?'' The woman inwardly muttered as she frowned.


    After a while, she waved her hand, and all the knights put their spears away, then disappeared behind the trees.


    "Okay, I hear you." The woman nodded, "I will guide you to Mr. Luar, but if you do anything wrong, I will attack you immediately."


    "Huh, as if you could even scratch me." Wain smirked in a mocking manner, "But, it''s a good thing you''re smart enough to make that decision. I''d hate to start a meeting with Luar with your head in my hand."


    "Bastard..." The woman muttered before waving her hand.


    At her signal, a massive chariot flew toward her, soaring in two streams of golden me. She opened the door, bent slightly, and said, "Pleasee in."


    "Zero, go ahead. We''re finally being treated the way we should have been from the beginning." Wain uttered while stepping forward.


    "Yes!" Zero nodded as she followed him.


    The chariot moved out of the way as it headed north of the golden forest. They gradually approached a massive mountain from which a massive pantheon-like structure was protruding with carved columns and various statues.


    ''Luar... He certainly knows a lot about luxury, but isn''t that a bit much?'' Wain muttered inwardly.


    Whoooooosh.


    The chariot stopped at the entrance to the pantheon as Wain, Zero, and the woman emerged from it.


    "Follow me. We''re almost there, this is where you can meet Mr. Luar." The woman said as he pointed forward.


    "Great. I''ll finally get to see him." Wain smiled as he approached the gate.


    The woman poured her energy into the gate as it slowly opened. At the same time, a powerful aroma that Wain knew very well burst out, it was the smell of one of the most popr drinks in the world.


    "Huh, honestly, I was worried that Luar had changed a lot, but it looks like I waspletely wrong. Ahahahahaha!" Wainughed.


    Inside the pompous building was an amazing scene. Two men sat at a long marble table and drank wine from bottles as there were already hundreds of empty ones on the table.<sub> </sub>


    They simultaneously looked toward the entrance as their jaws practically dropped to the ground.


    "Wain?" Luar and Reto eximed with dazed looks while in disbelief.


    "Yeah. That''s me. You two drunks, why the fuck was it so hard for me to get to you?" Wain said with a smirk on his face as he stepped forward.


    "Boss, I''m sorry, I didn''t know you two knew each other so well..." The woman mouthed in a guilty manner.


    "Ah, Linda... Now I see what that powerful aura burst was." Luar said in a careless manner, "Don''t worry, it''s okay. Wain can''t be stopped. One time he just stormed into my office and beat me up. Ahahahahahahaha! Those were the days."


    "In that case, I won''t get in your way." Linda uttered, bowed, and left the room.


    Tsk.


    Wain pulled back his chair, tossed a dozen empty bottles off the table that shattered into small shards, and sat down across from Luar.


    "I couldn''t figure out what was going on here, but now I do." Wain said while looking at Linda that walking away, "You have a real talent for finding strong women that will do all the work for you."


    "Hey, she''s just my assistant, and originally she was a wild monster, I put a lot of effort into getting her to that level." Luar waved his hand as he grabbed a bottle of wine, "What''s more, this ising from someone who doesn''t watch his Void at all. If it weren''t for Elegan, your zone would be gone by now."


    "Huh, you''re damn right." Wain smirked.


    Luar took a sip, looked at Zero, and said, "You here too? Long time no see, have a seat, you''re always wee."


    Zero nodded as she sat down next to Wain.


    "Wain, what brings you here? Did you reallye here for me?" Reto asked with a sly smile on his face.


    "No, though you should go back to Void, a lot of interesting things happened there while you were drinking here." Wain muttered while looking at the bottles.


    "Yeah... You''re right." Reto nodded as he put his hands behind his head in a careless manner, "Even for me, drinking that much wine is too much..."


    "So... you came for me, right?" Luar muttered while shaking the bottle from side to side with his finger.


    "I am." Wain nodded.


    "I see. I''d like to think you just wanted to see me, but you definitely want something from me, isn''t it?" Luar smirked as he rested his head on his hand.


    "Yes. I haven''t been to Last Light in a long time, so it''s time for me to return. I don''t feel like running thousands of miles for it, so I hope you can help me with that." Wain said as he waved his hand.


    "Sure. How can I help you?" Luar uttered.

 Chapter 658 Feast

    "Zero said you were in Last Light recently, so I hope you can open the portal so I can be in Last Light right away." Wain said with a calm look.


    "Well, opening the portal isn''t a problem, but you still have to walk a bit to the main base of Last Light since I entered Void while in Overion." Luar said with a slight smile on his face as he tilted his head.


    "Overion...? What were you doing there? Went back to your office and decided to be nostalgic?" Wain grinned.


    "Huh, Wain, you''ve been gone too long. You can''t even imagine what our cities look like now. The four towns have almostpletely returned to their former appearance, but with a few changes. At the same time, Merge Ind has literally be the capital of Last Light, though it''s not a country yet." Luar muttered as he waved his hand.


    "Yeah. Perhaps you''re right. I should see it for myself." Wain nodded, "Okay, open the portal."


    "Hey, don''t you think that''s a little rude?" Luar shook his head, "We meet for the first time in over half a year, and you''re going to leave so soon? It''s not fair, you know?"


    "What are you suggesting? I can''t linger any longer, I have a lot to do, just an endless list." Wain frowned as he crossed his arms.


    "It''s nothing serious, it won''t take long, just a few hours." Luar said before standing up.


    He shook off the dust, raised a bottle of wine high up, and eximed, "We''ll have a feast! Meeting you is definitely a momentous asion! We should celebrate it!"


    As soon as Wain and Zero heard that, their eyes started twitching as though they saw something abnormal.


    "Are you crazy...?" Wain muttered while in disbelief, "Look at this table! There are more bottles here than an entire army could drink, but you did it in two!"


    "I agree." Reto nodded with a serious look.


    "Look, even Reto realizes this is too much!" Wain pronounced as he waved his hand.


    "He''s absolutely right." Reto uttered in a confident manner, "We can''t split up so quickly. We urgently need a feast! The biggest one we can have! Calling everyone! From both Voids!"


    "Yes! Reto, I knew you''d understand me!" Luar eximed with a happy look as he smashed the bottle on the table.


    "Damn... I''d better get to Last Light on foot..." Wain muttered in a devastated voice, "I ended up walking into a trap..."


    ...


    Wain tried to convince Luar just to send him to Last Light and then hold the feast again, but Luar disagreed, so he with Reto practically forced Wain to stay and open the portal so that the monsters from Wain''s Void could get into Luar''s one.


    Luar was serious, so an hourter, hundreds of monsters and the main helpers of both Wain''s and Luar''s gathered in the center of the golden forest.


    Crackling.


    Luar climbed onto the table, raised his wine ss high, and said, "I''m d we could all get together so quickly here at one big table. I really appreciate it. Now, I want to introduce you to my friend and the strongest man that I have ever met. Let''s drink to him!"


    "Yeah!" A hundred voices rang out at the same time.


    Then everyone poured themselves wine sses and enjoyed the sweet taste while massive monsters drank alcohol fromrge barrels that matched their size.


    "Wain... can I eat it all...?" Nicole asked with an uncertain look.


    "Huh, Luar did his best... Where the hell did he keep so much different food." Wain muttered while looking at the hundreds of dishes, then turned to Nicole, "Sure, eat as much as you want, but aren''t you hungry already?"


    "Yeah..." Nicole nodded slightly, "Everything here just looks so good, I can''t help myself..."


    Crackle.<sub> </sub>


    As Wain gave permission, Nicole pounced on the food as if it were a wild animal. She took a piece of meat on the bone that was bigger than herself and swallowed it in a few bites.


    "This girl is incredible. Looks like I missed something pretty interesting, right?" Reto muttered with a smile on his face while the wine from the bottle flowed into his mouth.


    "If you drank less, you could see it for yourself." Wain said with crossed arms.


    "Tsk, I don''t see what the big deal is." Sarras said with a serious look, "That girl was nothing but trouble. If Wain hadn''te in time, she would have swallowed up the whole Void! It would have been a disaster!"


    p "Hey, Sarras, we''re having a party tonight. Do you really have to be so mean even now?" Reto smiled as he approached him.</anda>


    "Pfff, it''s just a bunch of drunks." Sarras frowned and lifted his head up in an arrogant manner.


    "Heh, are you sure you don''t want to join?" Reto uttered as round candies appeared in his hand.


    A green me appeared in Sarras'' empty eyes, and he immediately ate some of the candy.


    "Ah... This is real bliss..." Sarras'' muttered with a satisfied smile on his face.


    "Huh, only Reto knows how to tame that skeleton, you have no idea how many times he''s helped us with that." Elegan spoke in a yful voice while filling his ss with wine.


    "Reto is the Dark Elf, right?" Zero asked.


    "Yeah." Wain nodded, "Under certain circumstances, not only monsters can live in the Void, but other races as well. It''s individual."


    "I see..." Zero muttered.


    ...


    After a while, some of the monsters were already drunk, but the feast was still far from over, and Luar''s area had its drawbacks.


    "Luar, I don''t mean to be rude, but it''s very hot in here, especially for monsters like me that are used to the cold." Frigus said while sweat dripped from his forehead, "Is there a cooler ce here?"


    "Hmm? Linda, what do you think?" Luar uttered as he turned to her.


    "Unfortunately, it''s pretty hot in all our territories, there are mes everywhere." Linda shook her head.


    "Well... That''s a problem..." Luar muttered.


    "Don''t worry. I can handle it.." Frigus nodded.


    "Hehehe, I can''t let my guests feel ufortable, I know how to fix it!" Luar uttered as his eyes sparkled.


    Hmm?


    Everyone looked at him with confused looks.


    Luar closed his eyes and waved his hands, then everyone heard it.


    [Luar Jacquinot, the owner of Golden Fire Forest, dered war on the other Void, the Azure Lake!]

 Chapter 659 The Drunken War

    For a while there was silence in the forest as no one could believe that this really happened, only Luar smiled and kept drinking wine as though everything was fine.


    "Mr. Luar! What have you done?!" Linda eximed with a panicked look as she smacked the table.


    "I agree... Luar... You''ve made a huge mistake... This is a disaster..." The massive monster with golden fur muttered in an intermittent voice as it was too drunk to even stand still.


    "Shit, shit, shit!" Linda uttered, "We''ve all had too much to drink! Out of hundreds of monsters, only a few at most can fight! We need to figure something out right away! Maybe we can work out a deal with this Void? This is a misunderstanding!"


    Linda was the one who supervised all the territories as well as prepared the monsters for future wars, but there was no way she could have expected Luar to do something so crazy.


    "Hey, Linda, shouldn''t yell like that, or do you want to give everyone here a headache? We have a hangover to go through anyway, so don''t make things worse." Luar muttered in a careless manner.


    "What...? But you dered war..." Linda uttered with a devastated look, "Damn... This is the end... I should have seen thising..."


    "Don''t worry. Maybe I''m drunk, but I didn''t pick the strongest opponent, I didn''t think they''d agree, but it''s for the best." Luar said, rising and looking at Wain, "Shall we put on a show? We as leaders of the two Void''s have to take responsibility for it, don''t we?"


    "Hah, you are damn right." Wain smirked as he stood up in a confident manner.


    "Wait...? Are you two going to fight alone? This is a war of two Voids!" Linda eximed with a worried look, "You''re too drunk to realize how stupid a thing you''re doing!"


    "Well, well, you''re really lucky that your chief assistant cares so much about you." Wain shook his head.


    "Yeah, but it''s a little frustrating that she doesn''t believe we can handle it." Luar uttered as he sighed.


    "By the way, aren''t we going to have a problem with the fact that there are actually monsters of two Voids here? That''s pretty unfair, right?" Wain asked with a confused look as he shook his hand.


    "It''s aplicated question... but considering there''s only two of us it should be fine." Luar muttered while scratching the back of his head.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly space trembled as cracks appeared in the air in the distance that quickly grew as though on a mirror.


    [Error!]


    [In the Void, Golden Fire Forest is simultaneously two owners of Voids! Ordinary warfare is uneptable in such circumstances.]


    [Since Luar Jacquinot was the one who dered the war, the owner of Azure Lake has the right to refuse to conduct the war or to call for help from another Void. In case of victory Golden Fire Forest will be divided in two.]


    "Fuck..." Wain and Luar muttered simultaneously as they felt the alcohol quickly begin to leave their bodies.


    "Oh no..." Linda muttered with a desperate look, "Please... let this be over."


    [The owner of Azure Lake decided to call for help from another Void.]


    [Void, Frozen Hills will join the war against Golden Fire Forest.]<sub> </sub>


    Crackle.


    In the distance, on a stone field where there were some golden trees opened two portals from which rushed out a powerful stream of cold and freshness that was unique for such a hot ce.


    At the same time, dozens of monsters ran out of the portals, some with water powers, others with ice powers.


    "Hmm... Did they decide to pit the weaklings against us first?" Luar muttered in a thoughtful manner, "Who will you choose?"


    "Water. Ice, I''ll leave it to you." Wain said in a calm voice while looking at the monsters running at them.


    "Good." Luar nodded.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Luar''s blue eyes shed and Wain''s green eyes grew deeper as they released their auras that were powerful enough to cause the air beside them to ripple.


    The monsters paused for a moment as a shiver ran through their bodies with a powerful sense of danger that prated their hearts.


    "Huh, looks like it''s too much for them." Wain smirked in a mocking manner, "Luar, I''ve changed my mind. I''ll deal with them all myself, I won''t even have to fight for it."


    Wain waved his hand as a wave of gray energy emerged from him that turned into the massive silhouette of an eerie ghost.


    "Oh, you want to scare them? I don''t think you can, most of them are in the Third Chronicle, some are even in the Fourth Chronicle, they must be pretty tough." Luar muttered.


    "Well, if you knew the effects of my World Impact you wouldn''t be so sure." Wain said with a devious smile on his face as he clenched his hand into a fist.


    The ghost opened its terrifying maw as a piercing scream that reached every creature in all the Voids involved in this war erupted. However, the sound was not the main weapon as the fear that caused dozens of monsters to flee back into the portals.


    "Ahahahahahaha, this might be more fun than I thought." Wainughed while the ghost above him dissipated.


    Whoooooosh.


    Suddenly several daggers flew out of the portals as though arrows were headed toward Wain. There were more than ten of them, but only one could reach him.


    Wain''s pupils narrowed as he caught the dagger right before him, the tip of the de stopping a centimeter from his eye.


    "Well, well, I thought it would be an easy task, you don''t often meet an idiot who will start a war under these circumstances, but it seems your confidence is justified." Someone said in a calm voice, then a man emerged from the portal leading into the Frozen Hills.


    He had gray skin, long white hair, and deep green eyes. His lean body was dressed in a roomy blue coat that did not restrain his movements because of the bones protruding from his knees and elbows.


    "Undead..." Wain muttered, "Huh, this should be interesting. The more opponents the better!"

 Chapter 660 Two Against Two

    [Kobe Luther


    Chronicle: Fourth


    Voids: 1]


    "Aren''t Undeads assassins? I didn''t expect you to decide to show yourself even before the owner of Azure Lake." Luar said with a smile on his face while looking at his opponent''s World of Darkness card.


    "You would have been right in any other situation, but not now." Kobe smirked, "As soon as the portal opened I immediately smelled the powerful scent of alcohol, so I knew what was going on here. You guys are just idiots for getting drunk and dering war on another Void! Ahahahahaha, that''s just ridiculous."


    "I agree." There was a powerful voice as a massive silhouette emerged from the right portal.


    It was a tall man with short ck hair and blue eyes. Water dripped from his bare, pumped torso while his rugged scales glistened in the sun. He had an unnaturally wide mouth with long, sharp teeth as though he were a monster.


    "Hmm? Scales? Is he a monster? I don''t understand..." Luar muttered with a confused look as he tilted his head.


    "No. Look at that." Wain said as he pointed forward.


    Behind the man was a medium-long, thick, scaly tail that swayed slowly from side to side. It reminded Luar of a certain well-known beast.


    "A crocodile...?" Luar uttered with a dazed look as he opened the man''s World of Darkness card.


    [Veltrug


    Chronicle: Fourth


    Voids: 1]


    "Exactly." The man smirked as he pulled a huge axe from behind his back, "I am a proud member of one of the Pirs, a Beastfolk! Since there are four of us here, I propose a 2 vs. 2, that would be fair!" Veltug uttered before hitting the ground with his axe.


    "I disagree." Kobe uttered in a serious voice, "We must seize this unique opportunity and divide this Void, so use everything we have!"


    "That''s not what real warriors do!" Veltrug eximed as he frowned, "We will win either way, but we must do it with honor!"


    "Argh... Well, looks like I''ll have to agree with you." Kobe sighed while shaking his head.


    "Huh, great! We should introduce ourselves, my name is Veltrug and this is my friend Kobe!" Velturg eximed as he pointed at Kobe.


    "We actually already know." Luar said with a confused look, "We just looked at your names on your cards... just do the same. What''s the point of these ridiculous introductions?"


    Velturg''s eyes widened, his mouth wide open as he was shocked at how Luar was imagining this.


    "Huh, Veltrug, they may be drunk, but your words were actuallyical." Kobe smirked before opening Luar''s card, "Pride Lion? What an arrogant nickname."


    "Well, what''s wrong with picking an appropriate nickname?" Luar said as he waved his hand.


    "Now you." Kobe uttered with a sly smile on his face as he looked at Wain.


    Kobe opened his card of darkness as his eyes went wide and a wave of shivers ran through his body, "You are...!"


    Whooooooooosh.<sub> </sub>


    Wain appeared before Kobe with a deadly look. Kobe shuddered in fear as he took a step back to retreat.


    "Yeah, I am Nameless." Wain said in an ice-cold voice while his fist mmed at Kobe''s face.


    Crackling.


    The impact threw Kobe back dozens of meters while a stream of blood gushed from his mouth. He broke several trees with his back, before falling among a pile of rocks with his face distorted in pain.


    "My friend did a serious foolish thing by dering war, but in spite of that, it was you who was unlucky." Wain said with a smirk on his face while pacing toward Kobe, "That''s pretty ironic, isn''t it?"


    "Nameless...?" Veltrug muttered while in disbelief, "Invincible at the Colosseum! I must fight you!"


    Veltrug gripped his axe tightly, unleashed his aura, and rushed toward Wain''s.


    "Not so fast. Didn''t you want to fight 2 vs. 2? I''m ready for those terms." Luar said as he appeared in front of Veltrug.


    Bam.


    On Luar''s arms emerged massive energy ws with that he swung in an X-shaped. Veltrug''s eyes widened as he created a dense water barrier that absorbed part of the attack, but the ws still reached his chest and left several bloody streaks on it.


    "Water? How interesting. Looks like you and I were destined to meet." Luar uttered as his blond hair was covered in golden mes.


    The powerful fire ignited in his arms as the temperature around him rose considerably, forcing the air to distort as though in the middle of the desert.


    "Don''t stand in my way! To fight a Nameless, that is every warrior''s dream!" Veltrug eximed with a serious look.


    "I don''t mind, but you have to deal with me first. If you win you can pass on, it''s simple, isn''t it?" Luar smirked before turning into a fiery sh.


    Veltrug frowned, brought his axe over his head, and streams of water appeared around him.


    "Your fire can do nothing to me! Everyone knows that water can put out any me, even the strongest!" Veltrug uttered as he brought the axe down on the ground.


    Crackle.


    A massive wave burst from the axe that copsed on Luar as though on a ship in the ocean during a powerful storm.


    Luar put his crossed arms out in front of him as he created a ming shield with a lion''s head pattern and went through the wave.


    Whooooooosh.


    The mes vaporized the water that caused powerful streams of steam to fill everything around. The wave was huge, but Luar kept moving forward while his shield only got bigger.


    "What...? How is that possible?! How hot is your me?!" Veltrug eximed while in disbelief.


    "Huh, I''m not doing anything unusual. I''m just stronger, that''s all." Luar said as the lion''s head on the shield opened wide its jaw.


    The shield glowed brightly and with a powerful burst of energy exploded as though a fire bomb. Golden mes engulfed everything around as tiny particles reached Veltrug''s scales and left faintly visible marks on them.


    "Well, well, if you want to fight with my friend, you still have a lot of training to do." Luar smirked while stepping forward among the clouds of steam that was the only thing left of the huge wave.

 Chapter 661 Two Against All

    Step. Step. Step.


    Wain slowly stepped toward Kobe while spreading dark energy that consumed everything around him.


    Crackling.


    Kobe got out from under the rock debris, with a hand he removed the blood from his face and grabbed his broken jaw. With a sharp movement, he slid his jaw back into ce as the bones in his whole body rattled.


    "Huh, you''re pretty tough, aren''t you? I hit full force that''s for sure." Wain said with a devious smile on his face before gathering a huge amount of energy in his fist.


    Kobe frowned as he put his hands out in front of him as though the shield while the temperature next to him had dropped significantly.


    "You want to block this attack? You''re insane." Wain said in a calm voice as he stepped forward.


    Wain appeared in front of Kobe with a fist covered in darkness, aiming for Kobe''s face. Kobe''s pupils narrowed as he sighed and tilted his head slightly.


    Wain''s fist flew right over Kobe''s head, touching his hair slightly as it hit the boulder behind him. The impact created an explosion of darkness thatpletely destroyed the boulder and several trees near it. The ground shook violently while hundreds of tiny shards flew away.


    ''Damn... If that blow had hit me, I wouldn''t have gotten away with a simple fracture.'' Kobe muttered inwardly as three small blue spheres appeared between his fingers.


    Crackle.


    Kobe turned into a blue sh as he crossed a distance of tens of meters in an instant. He turned to Wain and with an ice-cold look threw the spheres at him.


    "Hmm? What kind of pathetic tricks are these?" Wain uttered in a careless manner before swinging his arm.


    Streams of energy became a wall that shielded Wain from the spheres, as soon as they touched the wall they exploded with ice.


    "Nameless, I''m not going to fight you. Do I look like a suicide? My Rating is 225, that''s not bad, but notpared to a monster like you." Kobe said before extending his arm forward.


    He took a deep breath and exhaled a cloud of frosty steam that consisted of hundreds of small particles of ice, then Kobe snapped his finger as the particles turned into massive ice crystals that merged into a wave that copsed on Wain as though tsunami.


    "Huh, this attack is too slow." Wain said in a mocking manner as he took a step forward, but his eyes went wide, "What...?"


    Wain''s legs were covered in a thickyer of ice that chained him tightly to the ground as he even exerting all his strength couldn''t break it.


    "See youter, Nameless. I must say it''s an amazing surprise that you turned out to be a human, this information is worth at least a few million." Kobe said as he ran up to the portal in his Void.


    "Veltrug! Here, take this!" Kobe shouted as he tossed his mate a purple amulet before entering the portal.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Veltrug stomped his foot on the ground that caused massive surges of water that threw Luar back several meters.<sub> </sub>


    "Huh, Kobe, that''s a damn shameful escape, but I sure can''t handle them alone." Veltrug said as he clutched the amulet while running towards his Void.


    In front of his Void appeared a massive purple seal that greatly elerated the closure of his portal as Kobe''s portal was already almost closed, with only a gape a few fingers wide left.


    "Fuck! They''re getting away!" Luar eximed as he hurried toward the portals, but he was too far away.


    Crackling.


    On the side, there was a mighty ssh with hundreds of ice crystals that flew aside due to the powerful shockwave. At the same time, someone appeared next to Kobe''s portal and at thest moment stopped it from closing with his hands grabbing the ends.


    "Bastards..." Wain uttered in a deadly voice, "No one leaves here!"


    A gray mantle appeared on him with an eye patch as the space beside him trembled. The purple seal shattered into tiny shards and the two portals opened a dozen times wider than before as it was hard to see where the borders ended. Because of this, the three zones literally merged for a while as they became one until the portals define the boundaries again.


    "What...? What happened?" Veltrug eximed while in disbelief, "How the hell did he do that?!"


    "Shit... I heard spection about Nameless leaving the arena in thest fight with Reaper as he used spatial magic, but I couldn''t believe it was true..." Kobe muttered as his eyes went wide.


    "Damn, looks like we have to fight anyway! We simply have no other choice!" Veltrug eximed with a serious look.


    "Huh, you''re right. My friend has truly unique abilities." Luar said with a sly smile on his face as he appeared before Veltrug.


    "Get out of my way!" Veltrug said in a menacing voice.


    "Shut up."


    Luar''s hand gripped Veltrug''s face tightly as a st of fire appeared behind him thatunched them forward at tremendous speed.


    At the center of Veltrug''s Void was a huge azureke that for hundreds of monsters was a ce where they filled with energy or trained, but now they all ran from there with frightened looks as though they had seen death, as there was a massive me sh over theke.


    "What a beautifulke, I hope it doesn''t evaporate at the end of our battle." Luar smirked, intensified his me, and with folded fists as though with a hammer mmed at Veltrug''s chest.


    The impact threw Veltrug straight into the center of theke while a torrent of blood gushed from his pain-stricken face.


    ? Ssh.


    The water in theke rose high up as if a very powerful bomb had exploded at its bottom. Drops like heavy rain fell on the trees around theke, one of which had Luar standing there with a satisfied smile on his face.


    "Ah, cool water is actually refreshing. Wain''s monsters will love it." Luar muttered as he tilted his head.

 Chapter 662 Words

    While Luar fought Veltrug, Kobe got a more dangerous opponent that with a furious look was slowly heading toward him.


    "Nameless... Wait, this war is just one big misunderstanding!" Kobe eximed while iling his arms in a panic manner.


    "Agh? Do you really think you can get out of here alive after seeing my face?" Wain uttered as magical circles appeared under his palms, "Maybe that wouldn''t have been a problem when I decided to reveal my identity myself, but it''s not eptable now."


    Whoooooooosh.


    Wain waved his arms as two magical des headed toward Kobe. He created a shield of ice in front of him, but the des just passed through it by thrusting into his chest.


    "Argh!" Kobe cried out in pain as blood whipped from his wounds.


    "Die!" Wain eximed and created a magical circle over Kobe from which dozens of magical arrows flew out that hailed down on Kobe.


    "Fuck! Do you have to be such an asshole?!" Kobe said as his silhouette blurred.


    Kobe emerged from the attack area just before the arrows reached the frozen ground, turning it into a field covered with craters.


    "Hey, you may be one of the strongest in the Fourth Chronicle, but this is my Void! Against you wille hundreds of monsters that are strong enough to handle even you!" Kobe eximed and popped a few pills into his mouth as his wounds began to heal at times faster, "However, I still suggest that we just stop all this!"


    "Huh, if your words were true, you wouldn''t be so desperate to end the fight before it started. You know you''re going to lose and die!" Wain uttered with a deadly look as he pointed at Kobe.


    Kobe flinched as he realized that his words had no effect on Wain, but he couldn''t give up that easily.


    "You''re wrong. If you think I dreamed of fighting you, I don''t. I''m absolutely certain of my victory, but hundreds of my monsters will surely die during the fight, I don''t need that kind of victory." Kobe waved his hand in a careless manner.


    Wain paused for a moment as he looked around. On the hills around him were many monsters with powerful auras, some of them in the Fourth Chronicle, so Wain could not ignore it.


    ''Great, he hesitates! Maybe I can get away with it. I''ve got to keep it.'' Kobe inwardly muttered.


    ''Nameless, I promise you I won''t tell anyone about what happened today! You and your friend just had too much to drink as Viltrug and I were unlucky enough to meet you under those circumstances." Kobe spoke in an excited manner as he ced his palm on his chest.


    Wain frowned, "I can''t trust you. It''s out of the question. No matter how hard you try, you can''t avoid the carnage."


    "Hey, you and I both realize that in any other situation I would never want to be your enemy. I mean, there''s no point in me revealing your identity, because if I did, you''d find me and kill me. All I want now is to end this pointless war and see you in the Colosseum from the stands next time!" Kobe uttered as he waved his arms with a sincere look.


    "Agh..." Wain sighed while shaking his head, "You''d be a great spy or orator that inspires an army, but those techniques don''t work on me. Like I said earlier, no one''s getting out of here, literally no one."<sub> </sub>


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ground trembled as Wain released his entire aura that stunned the weak monsters and made them run away in fear.


    ''Fuck!!!'' Kobe inwardly eximed as blue streams of energy thatpletely enveloped him emerged from under the ground.


    Kobe had not yet reached to Third Torch, so his strongest weapon was not the Form, a Beyond that he activated.


    Two bone daggers appeared in his hands, covered in ice as his white hair turned blue. His coat was reced by loose blue armor that greatly increased his speed.


    "Daggers? Huh, well, have it your way." Wain uttered, removed a Blind Sorcerer, and summoned a dius.


    ''Looks like I''ll be covered in blood today, doesn''t it? Hehehe. dius smirked as a stream of energy erupted from the dark sword.


    ''Yeah. It is.'' Wain inwardly muttered with a slight nod.


    Kobe looked at the monsters, sighed, and yelled at the top of his lungs, "NO ONE GET CLOSE! NO ONE DIES IN THIS WAR EXCEPT ME!"


    At the same time, the blue seal lit up on each monster, so no one could step forward even if they wanted to.


    "Well, well, I didn''t expect you to be so noble. That''smendable." Wain smirked as he swung the sword in his hand.


    "Huh, you have no idea how scared I am right now..." Kobe muttered while trying to keep the trembling in his legs, "I just can''t do otherwise. I''m not a bad guy, you know."


    "I''ll even be sorry to kill you now, but sometimes we have to do not what we want, but what is necessary." Wain said before turning into a gray sh.


    He appeared in front of Kobe as their des came into contact with each other. Kobe used all his strength to block Wain''s attack as the veins in his forehead swelled and the ground beneath him crumbled.


    "Not bad, but is that really all you can do?" Wain uttered in a calm voice before attacking.


    His foot stabbed into Kobe''s stomach, making him vomit blood, then the dark sword as though a sh raced across his chest, leaving a deep cut.


    Kobe, with a painful look, took a step back, then his silhouette blurred. He was instantly behind Wain as his daggers were covered in blood. At the same time, two deep cuts appeared on Wain''s right leg that instantly began to freeze.


    "Huh, motherfucker... That was pretty painful. Well, since you want to die alone, I''ll do it with all the honors." Wain smirked as a dark crown with three creepy eyes appeared on it.

 Chapter 663 Flowers

    "What is this...?" Kobe muttered in a trembling voice as his daggers were covered in a thickyer of ice.


    "I don''t usually like to use my trump cards right away, a rule not only I follow... but I''ve been in a lot of trouble for it recently." Wain uttered with a calm look while walking slowly toward Kobe.


    The three eyes on the crown stared intently at Kobe as though at a victim while the gray energy on his arms gradually covered the sword like a veil.


    "As arrogant as I might be, I have to learn from my mistakes, right?" Wain smirked before swinging his sword.


    A gray wave of energy erupted from the de that consisted of many tiny jaws. They were as though a pack of piranhas was rushing toward Kobe, destroying everything in their path.


    ''Will I be able to block it...?'' Kobe muttered inwardly, then his pupils narrowed, ''No! This attack will kill me!


    Whoooooosh.


    Kobe bounced to the side as a wave of energy swept a meter away from him that left a wide crevice in the ground. The grass near it immediately wilted as from beneath the ground a creeping cold came up.


    "Well, looks like I don''t have any other option..." Kobe muttered as he got goosebumps.


    He threw the daggers at Wain at they turned into two massive ice monsters with wide and creepy jaws that were already wide open.


    ''He decided to use his most powerful attack? Well, I thought it would be more threatening.'' Wain uttered to himself, took a step forward and his hand turned into a blur.


    The ice monsters were shattered into tiny shards that flew apart as they mmed into the frozen ground.


    "Your fighting spirit deserves respect, but this attack was a disappointment." Wain said with a calm look while shaking his head.


    "Heh, are you sure about that?" Kobe smirked as he touched the ground with his fingertip.


    Crackle.


    The shards that stuck in the ground glowed brightly and quickly grew into giant flowers each with thousands of petals on them. The petals were all as sharp as long des as there was a strong chill from them in the form of streams of steam.


    "Flowers?" Wain muttered as he looked up in a curious manner, "Aren''t you Undead...? I haven''t even seen that from nts, though some of the abilities of their race have seriously amazed me."


    "I guess you still don''t take me seriously." Kobe grinned as he waved his hand.


    Crackling.


    All the flowers tilted as the petals aimed at Wain. Thergest petals twisted into a tube that turned into long, sharp spears with icy energy.


    "There are about ten thousand des aimed at you that could easily pierce through any Fourth Chronicle monster. Do you think you can remain unscathed in this situation?" Kobe said with a serious look.


    Wain remained silent. His eyes narrowed slightly as though he was trying to see something in the flowers.


    "Nameless, you hurt me, but I hold no grudge!" Kobe eximed with an excited look, "Everything going on here is a misunderstanding! So, I suggest you settle this matter peacefully for thest time!"


    "You decided to use this as ast resort, right?" Wain uttered as he stared at Kobe, "Well, go."


    "What...? Didn''t you hear me at all?" Kobe said in a panicked manner.<sub> </sub>


    "I listened to you carefully, every single word, but you didn''t seem to hear me. I said to start it. After this attack, everything will be decided, so why drag it out?" Wain uttered in a calm voice as he tilted his head.


    ''Bastard...'' Kobe muttered inwardly as he clenched his hand into a fist, ''Huh, okay, you may be one of the strongest, but I knew I''d be in this situation one day!


    ? Kobe''s eyes went as cold as ciers as a powerful stream of aura burst from him that made thousands of petals as though a hail of arrows were raining down on Wain.


    The petals looked like rain every drop of which was a deadly de, however, their target still stood in ce. Wain turned dius into a seal and undid the action of a Beyond. It was madness, but his look was absolutely calm.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The icy des pierced Wain on all sides as blood gushed from his wounds. Perhaps his coat could absorb most of the attack, but Wain did not pour energy into it, so the coat was torn to shreds.


    The monsters on the hills with dazed looks looked at what was happening. They couldn''t believe that such a serious opponent had been exposed to such a deadly attack. However, some were in no hurry to rejoice.


    Crackle.


    Thest massive petal flew into Wain as it pierced his chest through his heart. A stream of blood erupted from Wain''s mouth which expanded the massive scarlet puddle beneath it that had already soaked the frozen ground.


    Wain''s eyes gradually turned pale while his hand slowly headed toward his neck. He pulled the thin ice crystal from his skin with a sharp movement, then everything trembled.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Hundreds of shards fell from the top, as though from a shattered mirror. Some of them glistened in the sunlight, but the reflection in them was somehow strange.


    "I must say, you even managed to fool me at first. It was an excellent attack." Wain muttered as suddenly all his wounds disappeared and he returned to his former state.


    At the same time, the huge blossoms disappeared, as did the blood on the ground. Nothing remained but two massive ice monsters beside Wain. One of themy at his feet, while the w of the other was at his neck. A purple liquid dripped from the w in sparse droplets.


    "How long have you known this...?" Kobe asked in a desperate manner.


    "As soon as I saw the flowers." Wain said with a calm look before turning into a sh.


    Wain appeared in front of Kobe, knocked him to the ground with a strong grip on his neck, and brought his other hand up to attack. His fist was covered in gray energy that devoured everything around him as though by a demon.


    Kobe tried to resist, but he had too little strength.


    "What would happen if I believed in this illusion?" Wain asked.


    "Then... all those wounds would be real too..." Kobe said with difficulty.


    "I see." Wain nodded before attacking.


    A massive fist rushed toward Kobe''s face, but suddenly, besides the gray energy, he also saw flecks of golden fire.


    "Hey, Wain, don''t be in such a hurry." Luar said with a sly smile on his face as he stopped Wain.

 Chapter 664 Remember The Past

    "Ah?" Luar?" Wain eximed with a dazed look as he stared at him.


    "Yeah. Looks like I got lucky, I made it at the veryst moment." Luar uttered while looking at Wain''s fist that was right in front of Kobe''s face.


    "Don''t you have an opponent of your own? Don''t get in my way." Wain said in an ice-cold voice as he frowned.


    "Well, I finished my fight a little faster than you did." Luar said in a careless manner before turning around, "Didn''t you?"


    Step. Step. Step.


    With powerful steps, a man with short ck hair and dense scales on his body while his thick tail swayed from side to side was heading toward them.


    "Hahaha, you''re right, that was the best fight we''ve had in months! I''m sure if we had fought in the Colosseum, the watcher would have had to increase it since there wouldn''t have been enough seats for everyone who wanted to see us!" Veltrug eximed with an excited look as he plunged his axe into the ground.


    There were many wounds on his body as the scales charred from the mes, but his natural regeneration was very high, so in a couple of hours the wounds wouldpletely disappear as if they had never existed.


    "What''s going on here?" Wain asked as his aura intensified, "Why isn''t this crocodile dead yet?! By the looks of it, you beat him without a problem, so... what are you up to?"


    "Wain, I don''t mean to be rude, but it was me who started the war. It is my Void that would suffer in the event of defeat, and what to do with these two should be up to me, shouldn''t it? Remember our fight, if you would have killed me then, you would surely regret it now, right?" Luar smirked as he looked at the stunned Kobe.


    "What...? Luar, maybe your words make sense, but I can''t let those two stays alive! Not anyone in their Voids! Especially not after you said my name!" Wain eximed in a thunderous voice that rippled for miles around.


    The monsters shuddered with fear while goosebumps ran down Kobe''s and Veltrug''s bodies.


    "Huh, I know you want to keep your identity a secret, I have the same goal as you and Zero." Luar said as a sly smile appeared on his face, "The only reason to kill them is the threat of them telling on us."


    "I swear! I won''t tell anyone about you, not even under threat of death!" Kobe eximed with a sincere look.


    "Shut up." Wain said as he punched Kobe in the stomach.


    Kobe''s face contorted in pain, but his gaze was livelier than before as he realized he had a real chance.


    "Well, well, as much as I''d like to, we can''t believe you, words alone aren''t enough." Luar shook his head, "However, I wouldn''t have stopped Wain if I didn''t have a n."


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?" Wain asked with a confused look, "If you say you''re going to observe them, I can''t agree with that."


    "Huh, I know that, but I have another option." Luar said before looking toward the others, "Linda! Come here!"


    Luar''s voice wasn''t loud enough for anyone to hear, but Linda''s lion''s head seal lit up on her shoulder. She looked at it with a dazed look and ran toward Luar.


    ...<sub> </sub>


    "Mr. Luar are you all right?" Linda asked in a worried manner as she came in.


    "Sure. Wain and I are practically uninjured, unlike our opponents, but that''s not the point now. Kobe and Veltrug, these two, I want you to use your ability on them." Luar said in a serious voice as he pointed at her.


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?" Veltrug asked with a confused look.


    "I don''t like all this..." Kobe frowned as he clenched his teeth.


    Linda looked at them, nodded, and said, "Mr. Luar, you know that for this to work they must not resist otherwise...they might die."


    "Huh, of course, I know that." Luar grinned.


    "What are you going to do with us?" Viltrug muttered as his aura intensified.


    "Nothing serious, you can trust me since if it weren''t for me, Wain would have killed you by now. So, you have two choices, either die right here and now or let Linda use her ability on you." Luar pronounced in a sly manner as he held up a finger.


    Kobe and Veltrug hesitated, but after a while, they nodded as they realized it was the best avable option.


    "Okay. We''ll do as you say." Veltrug said with a serious look, "What next?"


    They stared at Linda.


    "Stand in front of me. Don''t resist. You and I will sign an unbreakable contract. If you try to break the process, you may die, for our energies will be bound." Linda uttered in a confident manner as a red me lit up on her chest.


    Kobe and Veltrug looked at each other, gulped, and stood in front of her. They tried to rx, but their faces were still too tense as though they were at the hangman''s execution.


    "If anything goes wrong, I''ll blow their heads right off." Wain muttered with an ice-cold look while holding his arms crossed.


    "Don''t worry. It''ll be all right." Luar said in a careless manner, "Linda has done this many times before."


    Whoooooosh.


    The red me on Linda''s chest burst out and turned into a massive scroll that waspletely empty. At the same time, three lines departed from the scroll, one thicker line connecting with Linda, while two thinner ones headed toward Kobe''s and Veltrug''s hearts.


    They felt intense heat as they clenched their fists, but did not resist.


    "Do you swear that you will henceforth obey my master, Luar Jacquinot, keep his identity and the identities of his friends secret as well as work for the interest of our Void?" Linda asked while symbols appeared on the scroll.


    "Yes! I swear!" Kobe and Veto answered simultaneously.

 Chapter 665 Home (Part 1)

    The fiery scroll glowed brightly, then it disintegrated into small particles that scattered in the air.


    "All set...?" Kobe uttered while in disbelief.


    "Yeah." Linda nodded, "If you break your oath, your body will be covered in scarlet mes as your heart explodes. Only I can spare you from that, so you had better not break the oath that you took."


    Kobe and Veltrug nodded.


    "Fine." Luar said with a satisfied smile on his face as he spread his arms apart and headed for Linda, "Now,mand your monsters to do the same and surrender. It''s time to end this drunken war, isn''t it?"


    "Sure." They responded simultaneously as their auras intensified while seals lit up on the monsters.


    "Linda, you did a great job." Luar smiled as he moved closer to her.


    "You shouldn''t..." Linda shook her head, "I didn''t take part in the battle. I just used one skill, that''s all I did."


    "Huh, you always underestimate yourself." Luar smirked, grabbed her chin, and kissed her.


    Linda''s eyes went wide as she tried to push Luar away from her, but her strokes were weak and soft which gave away her true intentions.


    ''Well, Luar certainly isn''t the kind of man who would be satisfied with just one woman.'' Wain inwardly muttered with an awkward look, ''Though he seems willing to do more for her than for others... Her fire is quite strong...''


    Crackling.


    Linda stepped aside and with a worried look shouted, "Mr. Luar, what are you doing!"


    "Heh, do you mind? At least I didn''t feel it." Luar smirked.


    "No... I''m not talking about the kiss... your lips, they..." Linda muttered as she looked at Luar''s burnt lips.


    "Oh, you mean that? Don''t worry, my powers have to do with fire too, after all." Luar said as he smiled weakly.


    [The two owners of Voids admitted their defeat!]


    [Luar Jacquinot, owner of Golden Fire Forest won the war!]


    [Azure Lake and Frozen Hills are now part of Golden Fire Forest!]


    [Due to the special conditions of the end of the war, the two previous owners are still in charge of these territories except for Luar Jacquinot!]


    "Just in time." Luar muttered with a satisfied look.


    "Shit... This system is pretty unfair, isn''t it?" Wain uttered as he frowned, "I was in the war, but I got nothing. What the fuck is this? Who came up with that?!"


    "Hahaha, Wain, stop being so mean, we aplished our original goal!" Luarughed.


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?" Wain asked while in confusion.


    "For Frigus there were too hot, so I fixed that problem! Onward to Azure Lake!" Luar eximed as he threw off his outer clothing.


    ''Now I definitely regret not running to Last Light on foot with the Light Racer...'' Wain inwardly muttered while staring at the departing Luar with a detached look.<sub> </sub>


    ''Sure, it might have taken us a whole day, but you wouldn''t have had to go through all this.'' Light Racer said with a serious look while holding his arms crossed.


    ''Heh, I disagree. There might have been difficult trails and dangers along the way as you still can''t fly.'' Blind Sorcerer smirked, ''That was pretty fun, moreover, your friend got stronger, isn''t that a good thing?


    "I don''t even want to know which of you two is right." Wain sighed as he shook his head.


    ...


    After a while, all the monsters from the four Void ended up in Azure Lake. The idea seemed strange to everyone since the war had just ended, but Luar''s optimism gradually affected everyone, so when Frigus plunged into the water the others followed him.


    "My head... Now I''m not sure I should have drank so much..." Frigus uttered with a pained look as he held his hand to his head, "But... Cool water is the best thing to have in this situation..."


    "Though I didn''t think it woulde to this, I have to agree with you." Wain muttered as he ced his hands on the rocky edges of theke in a rxed manner.


    "Ahahahahaha, this is incredible! Look! I''m riding a crocodile!" Luar eximed while floating in the middle of theke on the back of a monster that strongly resembled a crocodile.


    "Damn. It was as if he had turned into a child. His joy is the sincerest I''ve ever seen." Elegan muttered with a slight smile on his face.


    "Hmm? What''s wrong with Mr. Luar rejoicing?" Linda frowned before sinking into the water next to Frigus, "He just won a war against two Voids! That''s a serious achievement!"


    "Yeah. Maybe you''re right." Reto said who finally didn''t have a bottle of wine in his hand, "We''ll have to do something like that too."


    "You think we need to get new territories?" Wain asked as he waved his hand.


    "I don''t know. I just think winning the war is cool." Reto shrugged, "Sarras, I thought you said we needed to capture other Voids, didn''t you?"


    "It''s not critical right now. Elegan said we still haven''t made the most of the current territories and I totally agree with him." Sarras said as he was almostpletely submerged.


    Elegan just nodded in an epting manner.


    "Linda, I don''t mean to be rude, but could you please swim away from me?" Frigus said with a calm look.


    "Hmm? Is there something you don''t like?" Linda frowned.


    "No. It''s that you''re too hot." Frigus said in a confident voice.


    Trgh!


    Elegan and Reto coughed as Wain''s eyes went wide while Linda''s face flushed heavily.


    "W-What!? What are you talking about!" Linda eximed with a confused look.


    "You misunderstood me. I mean, you''re literally too hot. Look." Frigus pointed to the water next to Linda that was already boiling because of the high temperature.


    "Damn, you could have said it differently!" Lina eximed with a confused look, "I just need to control my energy. It''s very simple!"


    Linda sighed, calmed down, and the water gradually became cool again.


    ''Well, maybe I wasn''t wrong after all.'' Wain inwardly muttered as a smile appeared on his face.

 Chapter 666 Home (Part 2)

    "Nameless... Or should I call you Wain?" Kobe asked as he lowered himself into the water next to Wain.


    "Hmm? It doesn''t matter, call me whatever you want." Wain waved his hand in a careless manner, "I thought you''d be afraid toe near me, but it seems you''re not a coward."


    "Well, my legs were shaking a lot during our fight, I''m sure you noticed that, but it''s over now. Now, we''re on the same side, aren''t we?" Kobe said with a slight smile on his face.


    "Huh, you''re pretty cocky. I won''t touch you, that''s true, but you should be grateful to Luar and Linda for that, if you hadn''t made the contract you''d be dead by now." Wain smirked as his aura intensified, "Anyway, what do you want? I don''t think you came up to me just to talk."


    Kobe smiled, shook his head, and said, "Yeah, you''re right. However, it''s just my curiosity, nothing serious. I want to know why you''re hiding your faces. Are you so afraid someone will find out you''re the humans?"


    "You''re an Undead, I think you should understand how important this is to us. I''m not afraid of anyone personally finding out that I''m a human, but if it gets out to too many people it could get me and my mates in very serious trouble." Wain uttered in a calm voice as he waved his hand.


    "Yeah, that makes sense, buttely a lot more information has started toe out about the humans than before." Kobe smiled in a sly manner.


    "Hmm? What the hell are you talking about?" Wain asked while in disbelief.


    "Well, I just have my sources." Kobe shrugged in a careless manner, "Everyone above the Second Chronicle either knew or guessed that the humans were here after the merger of worlds."


    "And...? I''ve known about that for a long time. If you have something important, tell me now." Wain said with a menacing look while ripples ran through the water.


    "Sure. You don''t have to be mad at me." Kobe smirked as he continued, "For a long time there was practically nothing about you, but recently some famous informants have started to bring out unusual news. They say that in fact you already have vast territories in the west and reliable allies."


    Wain stared at Kobe, smiled, andughed with all his might.


    "Ahahahahahahaha, looks like I won''t need to hide my identity anytime soon." Wain uttered as he pounded the water with his fist with an exciting look.


    Ssh.


    The impact made a powerful wave that headed toward Luar and nearly knocked him off the crocodile''s back.


    "Hey! Wain, what are you doing?! Are you still drunk?!" Luar eximed with a disgruntled look while waving his arms.


    "Ahahahaha, sorry, that was just emotion." Wain said with a smile on his face before turning to Kobe, "Is that all you know?"


    "Almost. There''s still very little information, but there''s more data every day. In general, everyone says that soon the leader of the humans will reveal their race officially, but it will happen along with some very important event." Kobe uttered with a serious look, "You know what I''m talking about?"


    "Heh, no, not all the humans are together." Wain said as he shook his head, "However, I obviously know the leader of the humans. It will be curious to know."


    ...


    A few hourster all events came to an end as Wain''s monsters returned to his Void while Kobe and Veltrug talked to Linda about how they would work together.<sub> </sub>


    "Ah, it was a great feast, no, I''d say it was quite a feast." Luar muttered with excited looks while holding his hands behind his head in a careless manner.


    "Well, even though I don''t feel like it, I have to agree with you. Thanks to Linda''s ability, it ended up better than I could have imagined." Wain said as he waved his hand, "But, it''s time for you to open the portal."


    "Sure." Luar nodded and waved his hand.


    A spatial rift opened before him that led into the infinite darkness.


    "Fine. Zero! Come here!" Wain shouted.


    At the same time, a stream of darkness appeared next to him, out of which Zero emerged with a calm look.


    "Are we leaving?" Zero asked as he stared at Wain.


    "Yeah. By the way, Luar, will youe with us to Last Light?" Wain asked as he held out his hand.


    "No, I just won the war, now I have to deal with the management of Void, so I''ll join youter." Luar said while shaking his head.


    "What...? Everyone here understands that all you do is boo as Linda does all the dirty work..." Wain muttered with a confused look.


    "I can''t hear a thing! Are you going to leave or should I close the portal?" Luar eximed as the portal became narrower.


    "Ah..." Wain sighed, looked around, and entered the portal with Zero that followed him.


    "See youter! Hopefully next time I won''t have to wait almost a year!" Luar said with a slight smile on his face while waving his hand.


    Whooooooosh.


    The portal closed as the darkness around Wain and Zero began to dissipate. The one who opened the spatial rift was Luar, so as soon as he decided to close the portal he would return to the ce in the real world where the portal was opened earlier.


    Crackle.


    In the spacious room, a spatial rift opened from which Wain and Zero emerged. The first thing they saw was an expensive wooden table on which stood a half-empty bottle of whiskey, and a panoramic window instead of a wall through which there was an incredible view.


    Wain with a slow step walked to the window and his eyes opened wide as his jaw dropped almost to the ground.


    "What the hell is this..." Wain uttered while in disbelief, "How is that possible?"


    He didn''t realize it at the time, but the view he was looking at was from the tallest skyscraper in Overion, the top floor. It was the best ce to see all the progress of the humans who had returned the city to almost its former appearance.

 Chapter 667 Home (Part 3)

    "Damn, looks like I''ve been gone too long... but how is that possible... What the hell did Gisle do? Did he sell his soul to the Devil?" Wain uttered while in disbelief as he looked out over the city streets.


    Overion had been a highly developed city before the apocalypse, but the sudden appearance of monsters had returned the city to the Stone Age or destroyed it altogether. However, now Overion is almost back to square one and has been transformed by the rules of the new world.


    Among the many houses, people walked through the spacious streets in a variety of clothing. It was like a ssical style crossed with medieval as the usual pre-Apocalyptic style could not be made and there was no point because times had already changedpletely.


    "Shit... They actually learned how to use this world for themselves..." Wain muttered as he noticed something.


    There were no cars on the streets, but people needed something to use as transportation, the logical option would have been horses, but they chose monsters.


    "Yeah. When I first saw it I couldn''t believe my eyes either." Zero said with a slight nod as she approached him.


    At the same time, a huge red lizard was running in the middle of the road with more than ten people on its back and it wasn''t the only one like that.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    A few minutester, the sun began to set, then hundreds ofnterns lit up brightly with yellow mes in the ss form.


    "Hmm? They''re using energy for lighting?" Wain muttered with a dazed look.


    "Sure, it''s not just for the streets, look." Zero said as he pointed to one of the houses.


    Someone there had already turned on the lights as gradually the shining windows in the city became more and more.


    "Hah, this is incredible. This city looks just like Dermin, no, even better in some aspects. It must have been greatly influenced by the fact that humans can adapt to anything." Wain said as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    "I agree, but someone has done a very serious job on this. Also, we are in the middle of the city, the closer to the borders, the worse the situation is." Zero muttered as she waved her hand.


    "Well, that makes sense. You can''t maintain the same level of development everywhere." Wain shrugged as he looked out the window.


    For some time, he admired the evening Overion and the people walking around the city without anxiety, as it was at the beginning. They chatted with each other, bought food, weapons, or even energy crystals in the stores, and returned to their homes from work. For some, life changed forever, but many tried to live with the idea that they would never have to fight.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Suddenly, a bright blue sh that broke through the honeb-shaped energy dome and headed for the square to the west of the city.


    When Wain saw it his eyes opened even wider than before since the sh was a high-tech airne that looked like the spaceship from the sci-fi books.


    "Constructs... has Gisle found allies among this race...?" Wain muttered while in disbelief.


    "Well, as far as I know, Gisle is extremely cautious in his choice of allies, but he has long wanted to establish friendly rtions with Constructs, so he managed to do it with one city." Zero muttered in a calm voice.<sub> </sub>


    "I see... It seems I''ll have to ask him for aplete list of our allies." Wain muttered, turned, and headed for the exit.


    "Hmm? Is that it? I thought you''d be admiring this view a lot longer. When I first saw it, I couldn''t get away from the window for hours!" Zero eximed as she spread her arms out to her sides.


    "Huh, don''t get me wrong, I''m actually amazed by what I saw, but I''m sure I''ll hear more incredible things from Gisle." Wain said as he approached the elevator.


    "Hmm? Is there an elevator...?" Wain muttered with a confused look as he tilted his head.


    "Yeah, but it''s not what you think. Here, I''ll show you." Zero said, appearing beside him and touching the sphere in the wall.


    The orb glowed brightly purple, then the doors opened. Outwardly it was a normal elevator, but without buttons, a magical circle reced them. Zero chose the right height, the magic circle glowed and they felt a strong pressure as though something was pulling them down.


    "Is that gravity magic? Damn, that''s pretty cool." Wain said with an excited look.


    "Sure, but only some buildings have elevators like that. Luar never denies himself luxury, so no wonder his office is at the top of the tallest skyscraper." Zero muttered while shaking her head.


    Crackling.


    The pressure stopped abruptly, the doors opened, and Wain with Zero stepped outside.


    Hundreds of people passed in front of the skyscraper and some of them took notice of Wain. Some looked at him with admiration, some clearly showed their disdain for him, and the rest passed by without even turning around.


    "Hmm? What kind of strange reaction is that?" Wain frowned.


    "Forget it." Zero waved her hand, "They think you''re one of the rich people since you live here. Most people who can afford to live here either have power or are very powerful, most often all together."


    "I see... Some want to be like me, while others are unhappy with the system... Well, it''s inevitable." Wain shook his head before releasing his aura.


    "Hey, what are you going to do? You''re only going to scare the whole nation at this rate!" Zero eximed with a worried look as she pointed at the people.


    Some of them found it hard to breathe, and others could barely stand on their feet.


    "Damn... They''re just people... Looks like Gisle hasn''t had time to execute all his ideas yet. Well, everything takes time. Come on, I want to see him damn bad." Wain grinned as his hair turned golden and lifted Zero into his arms.


    "What...?!" Zero eximed with an awkward look, "Wait! Stop!"


    However, Wain didn''t hear her as though he hadn''t. He stepped forward and turned into a golden beam that instantly passed through dozens of houses.

 Chapter 668 Leader Of The Humans

    "Wain! Damn it! You have to stop, right now!" Zero eximed with a worried look.


    "Hmm? Why? I''m going to burst right into Gisle''s office with you in my arms. I''m sure the look on his face will be unforgettable." Wain smirked as he let out more energy.


    The people next to whom he ran were stunned for a moment as things fell out of their hands and their eyes went wide, so this couldn''t go unnoticed.


    "Hey... What is this?" A man with thick ck hair asked while looking at the golden sh.


    "I don''t know, someone seems to have decided that the city is a good ce to test abilities. Come on, we have to deal with this." The woman said with a serious look before jumping off the city wall.


    "Ah... No day without trouble... I''m so sick of this." The man muttered while shaking his head as he followed her.


    Theynded in front of the passage from Overion to Merge Ind. There was a massive gate that, on the woman''smand, was already closing.


    "All themoners step aside! It''s for your own safety!" The woman shouted in amanding voice as her aura intensified.


    "What do you think is going on?" The man asked as he pointed to the golden beam, "Maybe someone had too much to drink again?"


    "I don''t know. It doesn''t matter, we have to deal with this as quickly as possible or Miss Elsa will reprimand us again..." The woman said as her face darkened as if she remembered something awful.


    "Yeah... I don''t want to go through that again." The man muttered.


    "Get ready. It ising." The woman said with a serious look as she unleashed her aura.


    The city could use brute force at will to deal with trespassers, especially if someone was using a powerful skill in the center of the city.


    Whooooooooosh.


    The golden beam sparkled brightly as their eyes opened wide. Meanwhile, time slowed down and they were able to see everything in slow motion.


    A man in white armor appeared between them with a girl in a dark cape in his arms. His amber eyes shone brightly while an arrogant grin appeared on his face.


    Tremble.


    The man''s foot touched the ground as the tremendous speed created a powerful shockwave that tossed the man and woman aside.


    "What the hell!" The woman eximed, jumped away from the building regaining her bnce, and prepared to fight.


    "No way..." The man muttered while in disbelief as he pointed to the gate.


    The gate was already closed, but steam wasing from the edges as though from a very high temperature.<sub> </sub>


    "Damn, what was that? Do you know this man?" The woman asked as a magic stone appeared in her hand.


    "No..." The man shook his head, "But I have a feeling I''ve seen him somewhere... More importantly, who was he holding?"


    "Never mind. I must report it urgently." The woman said with a serious look and the runes on the stone glowed.


    At the same time, the same stones glowed on many people throughout the city. They passed messages to each other until the chain reached thest one.


    "Hmm? Alert? What''s going on?" A woman with short blue hair and gray eyes muttered as she looked at the glowing stone.


    She touched the stone and dozens of images from different parts of the city appeared in front of her. On all of them was a golden beam that strode toward Merge Ind, the main city of Last Light.


    "Well, since it''s already gone beyond Overion, that''s Gisle''s concern now." Elsa muttered, extinguished the stone, and returned to her work.


    On her desk were several stacks of papers, these were various documents that she had to sign and some of them were so tall that they swayed slightly from side to side as if they might fall on her at any moment.


    ...


    At the same time, in a massive castle, at the very top in a spacious office that overlooked all the cities, there was a guy with thick gray hair sitting in an armchair. His feet were on the desk while an open book covered his face.


    "Damn... What''s going on?" Gisle muttered, tossed the book aside, and stepped out onto the balcony.


    His spacious gray shirt fluttered in the wind which partially exposed his body and showed the many scars on his back.


    "Ah... No matter how many times I look at it, I still enjoy this incredible scenery, every time." Gisle muttered with a slight smile on his face.


    In front of Merge Ind were four cities with more and more lights on as the sun went down. Behind the cities were mountains and fields and forests as the walls of thergest free city on the continent began hundreds of kilometers in the distance. From the back side of Merge Ind came a massive waterfall that led down to Vrifal, the city of the nts, which became one of the first allies for Last Light.


    All towns were connected by amon system of tunnels through which people could reach Terrin, the Vampire City under the mountain to the west. Every day the system grew as well as the hidden influence of the humans on the entire world and Gisle was the one who ran it all.


    "Well, well, what is it?" Gisle muttered while holding his chin in a thoughtful manner as he noticed the golden beam.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Suddenly the golden ray shone brightly and as though a sh headed straight for the top of the castle. Several barriers, like mirrors, were instantly shattered into tiny shards, and a man in a long dark coat, with ck hair, and emerald eyesnded on the balcony pir.


    The man let the girl out of his arms, straightened as he shoved his hands in his pockets, and with an arrogant smile on his face said, "Hey, Gisle, long time no see, isn''t it? That''s one hell of a view from up here."


    "Yeah. You are damn right." Gisle nodded as he smiled with glowing eyes.

 Chapter 669 The Bird

    "Honestly, I was worried that you might have died." Gisle said while sitting at the ss table across from Wain.


    "Huh, how could you think such nonsense as that?" Wain grinned as he crossed his arms.


    "Well, you''ve been missing for months and no one''s seen or heard from you. You as though disappeared, but when Teresa came back from Dermin I realized how wrong I''d been." Gisle smiled, waved his hand, and a tea set appeared on the table.


    "Tea...?" Zero muttered as she raised her eyebrows.


    "Yeah. Lately, I''vee to realize the beauty of this wonderful drink. There''s nothing like a good hour for a friendly chat." Gisle uttered, took the teapot, and filled three cups to the brim.


    The tea of hot red tea emitted steam that spread a strong fruity aroma around the room.


    Wain, Zero, and Gisle each took a sip as they felt a strong but pleasant heat that traveled throughout their bodies.


    "Not bad, though it doesn''tpare to alcohol." Wain said with a slight nod as he set the cup aside.


    "Heh, maybe you''re right." Gisle smiled and took another sip.


    "Gisle, I''ve heard some rumors about Last Light, apparently things are going very well, aren''t they?" Wain asked with a serious look.


    "Yeah, you''re right. You did a good job sending the Green Cats to us, but we''ve been working every day to get better and bigger. We have several important allies now." Gisle said as he snapped his finger.


    A magical circle glowed on the ceiling as images of some people with maps of the area and other pictures appeared above the table.


    Some of these ces were familiar to Wain. It was the eastern area of Dermin where the Green Cats Guild, Vrifal nt Town, and Terrin, Vampire Town had been, but about half of the ces, Wain had seen for the first time.


    "nts... Beastfolks, Vampires, Constructs, and Demons... These are all our allies at this point?" Wain asked while looking at the images.


    "Yeah. It''s a total of four cities and the eastern region of Dermin, so far no one but them knows about us. I''m sure they will definitely support us regardless of the opinions of other members of their races." Gisle said with a shrug, "There are already tunnels and supplies between all the cities."


    "You''re using monsters as transport, I have to say that when I saw this I couldn''t believe it." Wain muttered while looking at one of the images.


    There was a huge worm covered in multiple tes drilling a tunnel underground while several men followed it for protection.


    "Huh, you''re right. Monsters have proven to be incredibly useful allies. Honestly, many of them are even more useful than regr humans." Gisle said as a faint contempt appeared in his gaze.


    "By the way, I wanted to ask you about that. There are many Dungeons in cities, walls and barriers provideplete security, aren''t these the right conditions for townspeople to begin to evolve?" Wain spoke in a thoughtful manner.


    "Well, a lot of people are afraid to even face monsters, though... Let me show you that. Come on, I''ll give you a little tour." Gisle uttered, finished his tea, and headed for the balcony.


    Wain and Zero looked at each other, then followed him.


    Gisle presented his fingers to his lips as a great whistling sound that spread hundreds of yards around.


    "Hmm? What was that?" Zero asked with a confused look as she tilted her head.<sub> </sub>


    "Be patient. You''ll see it all now." Gisle smirked.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Suddenly there was a powerful gust of wind with a rumble that came from the top of the castle. Wain and Zero turned around as their eyes went wide.


    On top of the castlended a massive creature with two broad wings that wererge enough to cover Wain, Zero, and Gisle with shadow. It was a griffin.


    "This is my friend, Guir. I originally thought of taking the monster from my Void, but when I saw it in one of the Dungeon, I couldn''t take my eyes off it." Gisle muttered with a glowering look.


    "How annoying..." Gryphon said suddenly as he turned away, "Does it really have to be like this every time you introduce me? What''s the point of so many words?!"


    "Huh, you''re as mean as ever." Gisle grinned as he looked at Wain and Zero, "These are my friends. I need you to take us somewhere."


    "Hmm? That''s out of the question." Guir suddenly said in a serious voice, "Only someone stronger than me can climb on my back. I''ll help you, but let them walk or whatever, I don''t care."


    "Well, you certainly shouldn''t have said that." Gisle shook his head.


    "What?" Guir frowned.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly a powerful pressure came over Guir from two sources that sent a violent shiver through his body.


    "Hey, little bird, I don''t think you quite understand the situation you''re in." Wain uttered with an angry look while releasing his powerful aura, "Am I right, Zero?"


    "Sure." Zero nodded as her icy eyes literally pierced Guir.


    "Damn it! Gisle, why didn''t you warn me?! They''re fucking monsters!" Guir eximed with a startled look as he lowered his head.


    "Ahahahahaha, aren''t you supposed to have well-developed instincts? Unlike them, you''re a real monster." Gisleughed before jumping, "Okay, that''s enough. Let''s fly."


    Wain and Zero nodded as they jumped onto the griffin.


    Guir resisted no longer as he took off. For each monster the most important thing was strength, they unlike humans did not often resort to lies, psychology, and betrayal. With monsters, everything was simple, whoever was the strongest could do what he wanted.


    "Wow... I thought the view from your balcony was incredible, but this is something..." Zero muttered with a dazed look while looking down.


    "Hah, Wain, maybe you can run really fast, but you still can''t fly. Although, that goes for me, too." Gisle said with a slight smile on his face as he scratched the back of Guir''s head.


    "Well, you''re not quite right." Wain smirked, "But hopefully one day I can fly as much as I want."

 Chapter 670 Problems

    Merge Ind was originally divided into four zones with a neutral center, Ice, Fire, Dark, and Light. However, over time the energy went out of the territories as four powerful monsters disappeared, so the only source of the elements remained Dungeons.


    "Guir,nd over there." Gisle said as he pointed to the foot of the mountain.


    "Sure." Guir nodded, pped his wings, and elerated significantly.


    "Hmm? Why are we flying toward the mountain?" Zero asked with a confused look.


    "One of the easiest Dungeons in all of Last Light is here. Look." Gisle pointed to a cave nearby.


    In front of the cave entrance were several guards who gradually let people in. The queue was long enough for many people to stay in and out of the Dungeon for days, so there was a small area near each Dungeon where people could rest and sleep.


    Whoooooosh.


    Guirnded near the entrance that attracted the attention of hundreds of people.


    "Good. Guir, wait for us here. We''ll be right back." Gisle said before jumping to the ground.


    "Whatever you say, just don''t stay too long. There''s nothing to do here anyway." Guir muttered as he pressed his head to the ground in a bored manner.


    Gisle, Wain, and Zero headed toward the entrance to the Dungeon as a man ran up to them. It was a muscr man with a massive sword behind his back.


    "Mr. Gisle! We were not informed that you wereing. Is there an emergency?" The man said in a respectful voice as he straightened up.


    "Nothing serious." Gisle waved a hand in a careless manner, "I just thought I''d show my friends how training goes for those who haven''t even activated their Soul Altar."


    "Friends? Are you...?" The man looked at Wain and Zero with a puzzled look.


    "This is Wain Norheim and Zero." Gisle said with a slight smile on his face.


    Gisle simply said their names, but the man''s eyes went wide as though he had heard something incredible.


    "W-Wain Norheim...?! Zero! Is it really you?!" The man eximed in a trembling voice.


    Wain and Zero looked at each other as Wain asked while pointing at the man, "Is he all right?"


    "Ah, I''m sorry, I just always wanted to meet you, but I didn''t expect it to happen so... so suddenly." The man muttered.


    "Hmm? Have we met before?" Wain asked as he tilted his head.


    "No. Of course not." The man shook his head, "But, everyone knows that Wain Norheim is the name of the strongest in Last Light, while Zero is the second strongest right after you."


    "Well... I guess I found out about thatst one." Wain muttered with a strange look.


    "I agree..." Zero whispered with a slight nod.


    "Ahahahahaha, why do you guys have such weird faces? There are thousands of people in Last Light that every day are developing and striving to get better, obviously, a ranking chart wouldn''t hurt." Gisleughed as he shrugged.<sub> </sub>


    "I see. Even though I have nothing to do with it, I wonder who number three is?" Wain asked as he stared at the man.


    "It''s Miss Agnes Rygh. Technically she''s number one since you''ve been gone a long time, but it looks like things have changed now." The man said with respect.


    "Okay, take us to the first area. Where the rookie training is going, I want to see what progress we''ve made, personally." Gisle said with a serious look.


    "Sure." The man nodded, turned around, and as though the soldier headed for the entrance to the cave.


    As soon as they stepped inside, a message appeared in front of them.


    [You have entered the Primary Chronicle Void, Light Caves.]


    [In this area works a special spell that increases the strength of the humans by 30%, while monsters be weaker by 30%. Spell only works on creatures that are below First Chronicle.]


    "Hmm? Did you do that?" Wain asked as he turned to Gisle.


    "Yeah. Handy stuff, but it''s kind of hard to set up, however for beginners it''s the best way to finally take the first step forward." Gisle nodded while following the man.


    Gradually they reached the area where there was a group of ten people. All of them were here for the first time, but they came purposefully because they wanted to be stronger, so in and eyes there was confidence. In front of them stood a girl with long brown hair, green eyes, andbat clothes that with a stern look looked at them.


    "My name is Karia Stout! Today I will be your instructor and the one who will help you get your first Soul!" The girl eximed while holding her hands at her sides, "Do you have any questions for me before we go into your first fight?"


    "I do!" The skinny guy said as he raised his hand with an awkward look.


    "Hmm? What?" Karia frowned.


    "We have to fight monsters, right? How safe is that?" The guy muttered while his legs shook slightly.


    "Huh, sure. All the monsters in this Dungeon are in the Primary Chronicle, so, I in the First Chronicle can easily protect you. Your task is simply to follow my instructions. Absorbing Souls is easier than you think, the most important thing for you is to kill your first monster. Everyone, follow me." Karia uttered, turned around, and headed forward.


    The cave was full of brightly glowing crystals, and all the paths had long since been explored by stronger ones, so it was a precisely nned operation.


    "Well, well, that''s rather curious. I want to see what happens to them next." Wain muttered while holding his chin in a thoughtful manner.


    "Sure,e on, let''s hope a third of them escape at most." Gisle said as he waved his hand.


    "Hmm? You mean they''ll be frightened at the sight of a monster even when the attendant is with them?" Zero asked while in disbelief.


    "Yeah. Just watch." Gisle nodded before following the girl.


    They were behind the group and since they concealed their auras it was impossible to see them unless they wanted to.


    ''Hmm, this reminds me of the past.'' Wain inwardly muttered while looking at the group of people.

 Chapter 671 Choice

    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Among the caves walked several massive Golems about three meters tall. They had one eye in the shape of a glowing sphere and a huge crystal in their chest that shed with every step they took.


    "Here. One of them will be your first opponent." Karia said as she pointed at the Golems.


    She and the group were behind a boulder a few dozen meters from the Golems, so they were safe.


    "What...? Are we going to fight them all?" The man muttered with a frightened look, "There are eleven of us while there are five of them... I don''t think we can handle it."


    "Hmm? What the hell are you talking about?" Karia frowned, "We''re not going to fight them all, at least not right away. You''re going to attack them one at a time, one soul per person, simple as that. You can''t divide one soul among ten, is it really that hard to understand?"


    "What...?" The man muttered with a dazed look.


    The others had a simr reaction. In fact, they all knew it as well as Karia did, but when they saw the monsters that were their enemies instead of their helpers for the first time in their lives, they forget all about it.


    ''Damn... The same thing happens every time. Why are they all such cowards? Karia inwardly muttered as she sighed.


    ''Hey, look, I was scared too, but nevertheless, I was able to do it and move on. You can run away if you want, but you have nothing to worry about as in case of danger I will save you." Karia said as she held out her hand as if urging someone to go forward.


    People looked at each other, and someone raised a hand.


    "I want to try to do this..." The guy said with a frightened look, but there was a fire in his eyes.


    "Huh, I didn''t expect it to be you, but it looks like the most cowardly-looking one was the bravest." Karia said with a smile on his face while holding his arms crossed, "Okay, now I''m going to bring out one Golem."


    Whooooosh.


    Karia jumped over the boulder, picked up a rock from the ground, and threw it right into the crystal of the nearest Golem.


    It was the most sensitive spot for Golems, so the monster reacted instantly and headed in her direction with slow steps.


    "Good. Your task is to damage its crystal. The Golem is a very slow monster and not particrly strong, so even if you miss a punch, at worst you''ll break a few ribs." Kaira said as she pointed to the sword in the young man''s hands, "Just stab it into the crystal, that''ll be enough."


    The guy nodded, looked at his sword, and stepped forward. The others looked at him with dazed looks as to them it was something incredible.


    "He''s afraid, very much so..." Zero muttered while staring intently at a guy, "However, his willpower is strong enough to make him go forward."


    "I hope he holds out until the very end. People like that usually aplish a lot." Gisle muttered with a sly smile on his face.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    The powerful footsteps of the Golem made the ground shake slightly as the monster stopped when he reached his opponent who was barely holding his sword in his hands.


    ''Well, this may be my first real fight... but I can''t just lose, right? It''s all just a slow pile of rocks. I''m gonna make it work. The guy muttered internally as he sighed.


    The golem stepped forward and attacked. Its massive arm was as though a hammer came down on a guy, but the attack was so slow that the guy just stepped aside. The Golem''s arm copsed to the ground as it lodged in it.<sub> </sub>


    ''Great! This is my chance!'' the guy inwardly eximed.


    He jumped on the Golem''s arm and ran across it, heading for the crystal. The guy gripped the hilt of his sword tightly as he prepared to attack, but suddenly the sphere in the Golem''s head glowed brightly.


    "Agh!" The guy covered his face with his hand.


    Whoooooooosh.


    The Golem waved his hand as it tossed the guy aside. He fell to the ground and a clot of blood burst out of his mouth with a painful look.


    "Damn, can Golems do that?" Karia uttered in a worried manner, "Is that an evolved monster?"


    Crackle.


    At the same time many yellow crystals that shone brightly appeared on the Golem''s arms, then the Golem with its arms folded in front of it rushed toward a guy.


    "Shit!" Karia eximed as she run to his aid.


    However, suddenly her legs were bound by dark chains that prevented her from moving. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn''t get rid of it.


    "Hmm? Why did you do that?" Zero asked as she turned to Wain.


    "You do realize that this Golem is unusual, don''t you? It could easily kill a guy, one attack is enough." Gisle muttered while pointing at a guy.


    "Huh, apparently you''re not going to help him." Wain smirked, "Well, I just don''t want this inexperienced girl to ruin such a good moment. Just look, I don''t believe some Golem can break a man with that kind of fire in his eyes."


    The Golem was quickly approaching a guy, so he had a few seconds to make a decision on which his life may have depended.


    ''I''m going to get help, right? No! Now is not the time to think about it! I don''t have to rely on anyone, my life is only in my hands!'' The guy inwardly eximed as he rose to his feet.


    The golem was already close, but the guy''s legs no longer trembled as before, for some reason he waspletely sure of himself.


    Whooooooooosh.


    He made a roll as he slid right under the Golem''s massive fists. The monster was stunned as it didn''t understand where its opponent had gone.


    ''This is myst chance!''


    The guy bounced off the ground and thrust his sword into the Golem''s crystal with all his might. The sword, though with difficulty, went in halfway.


    "That''s not all!" The guy eximed as he swung the sword.


    Crackle.


    The crystal cracked as it exploded into tiny shards, at the same time the Golem''s massive body fell to the ground.

 Chapter 672 The Vault

    The guy breathed heavily while staring in disbelief at the Golem''s motionless body as silence hung over the cave for a while.


    "Did I really do it...?" The guy muttered with a dazed look as he stared at the shattered crystal.


    Whooooooosh.


    At the same time a small, blue glow flew out of the Golem''s body as though a star was floating in the air.


    "Wow... Is that the Soul?" The guy uttered as his eyes sparkled.


    "Yes." Karia said since the dark chains disappeared, "This Golem was unusual, it was much stronger than the others, but you still handled it. Go ahead, it''s your Soul, you did well."


    The guy nodded as he headed toward the soul with his hand outstretched.


    "Huh, it looks like there''s nothing more for us to do here." Wain said and headed for the exit with a wave of his coat as a sly smile formed on his face.


    "Yeah. There are a lot of cowards, but there are always people like this guy, so as long as people like this keeping, Last Light will continue to evolve." Zero muttered with a serious look before following Wain.


    Gisle remained in ce for a while as he with a slight smile on his face looked at a guy that was getting his first soul.


    ''Well, maybe I was too pessimistic. This guy definitely made my day, so I just can''t get past it.'' Gisle inwardly mouthed as his ring glowed brightly.


    "I''m finally going to do it..." The guy muttered in a trembling voice as the blue soul turned into a stream of energy.


    Whoooooooosh.


    At the same time, a light stream of wind formed and an azure sword with an incredibly sharp de appeared in front of him.


    "Ah? What is that?" The guy uttered while in confusion.


    "Damn! You''re pretty lucky!" Karia eximed with a dazed look, "Sometimes when you absorb a Soul, you can get an item or a skill. Look, it should be written in the messages."


    The guy nodded, but after a few seconds, his eyes widened, ''But... There''s no such message...''


    ...


    "Hey, Gisle, how long can we wait for you?" Zero uttered with a disgruntled look as she crossed her arms in front of her while standing at the Dungeon exit.


    "Sorry, I got held up a bit." Gisle said with a slight smile on her face as she exited the cave.


    "This is one of the training Dungeons, right?" Wain asked while looking at the people.


    "Yeah. We''ve divided the Dungeons into three categories." Gisle said as he held up three fingers, "For training fighters, for beginners that have to activate their Soul Altar, and my favorite, the third type, for earning souls!"


    Zero''s eyes widened as she muttered, "Damn, given the size of the territories Last Light must have a huge number of Dungeons under control, right?"


    "Sure. Considering the ones in our allies'' territories, we currently have ess to 673 different Dungeons. Unfortunately, there are only a few Fourth Chronicle Dungeons, but that''s enough to get a lot of souls every day!" Gisle eximed with an exciting look.<sub> </sub>


    "Maybe you can show us this?" Wain asked as he shook his hand.


    "Huh, you want to visit the vault of Last Light? Fine, there''s your share of Zero''s just waiting there." Gisle said before heading towards Guir.


    "Hmm? My share?" Wain and Zero asked at the same time.


    "I''ll tell youter." Gisle muttered while waving his hand.


    ...


    A momentter, all of them, on Guir flew toward the massive waterfall that was behind Merge Ind. Guirnded near the entrance to the cave that was behind the fast-flowing stream of water.


    "The cave behind the waterfall is beautiful but quite unoriginal." Wain said while shaking his head.


    "Huh, it''s a repository for all our souls, so the most important thing here is safety. It''s a convenient ce since it''s close to the main base and at the same time pretty close to Vrifal." Gisle uttered as he approached the massive gate.


    The gate was circr andpletely blocked the passage beyond. They bore many different ancient runes as well as magical circles that provided solid protection.


    A lotus amulet appeared in Gisle''s hand as he inserted it into the center of the gate as though the missing piece.


    Crackle.


    The gate shone brightly and a multitude of magical circles appeared around Gisle, like scanners passed through it, so after only a moment the gate began to open.


    "Wow, that defense system is impressive." Wain muttered with a surprised look.


    "Sure. The one who installed it is the best at building barriers, at least of anyone I know." Gisle said before going inside.


    They walked for some time through the long tunnel as torches on the walls lit up with each step they took. Gradually they reached another gate that was muchrger than the previous ones.


    Gisle opened the gate, stepped forward, and with his arms outstretched to his sides said, "Wee to the Soul Vault of Last Light.


    Ahead was a wide chasm from which a bright light emanated. At the edge of the chasm, someone was sitting down with a pensive look. It was a man with short purple hair, dark deep eyes, and a white mantle that was slowly fluttering because of the energy flowsing from the abyss.


    The man turned as several massive lotus petals appeared beside him.


    "Ah... Gisle, it''s you..." Felix muttered in a careless manner, then his eyes widened, "Wain and Zero...? Huh, I can''t even remember thest time I saw either of you."


    "Felix...?" Wain uttered with a confused look, "Aren''t you the head of one of the strongest families in Vrifal?"


    "Well... Leon is doing a great job, also I''m the only one who can create a better protective barrier for the vault." Felix said in a calm voice.


    "So... Do you also protect this ce?" Zero asked as she raised her eyebrows.


    "No... This ce is well enough protected, there is no need for guards, but since besides Gisle, I''m the only one who can get in here, I enjoy this incredible sight." Felix muttered as he looked into the abyss, "Come here, look."

 Chapter 673 Sea Of Souls

    Step. Step. Step.


    Wain with a slow step headed toward the abyss as the light from the souls gradually fell on his body. Then he reached the edge, small stones fell down, and at the same time, his eyes opened wide.


    "What the hell is this...?" Wain muttered with a dazed look.


    Down below was a massive multicoloredke that slowly flowed in some direction. There were so many souls that visually they became one, so it was like rainbow water.


    Crackle.


    Suddenly a magical circle appeared on the ceiling from which several hundred souls of different sizes and colors burst forth, all heading toward theke as they refilled it.


    "These are all souls...?" Zero uttered while in disbelief, "That''s incredible... I''ve seen over a thousand souls in front of me a couple of times, but that''s nothingpared to this... since it''s a whole sea."


    "Yeah. I didn''t even think we''d ever have something like this." Gisle smiled as he walked over to Wain.


    "How many Souls are there in all?" Wain asked while not taking his eyes off the chasm, "You must have a way of figuring that out, right?"


    "Sure. We''re lucky that Vampire has some real pros at making formations out of magical circles, they''re pretty damn useful stuff." Gisle said, summoning a crystal from the ring and tossing it into the air.


    The crystal glowed brightly as several magical circles appeared in front of Gisle, but most of the symbols on them were rewritten into the normalnguage everyone spoke.


    "Hmm? Did the Vampires do this?" Wain asked as he raised his eyebrows.


    On the magical circles were the symbols of the Main Families that ruled in Terrin. Wain remembered them well, as he was familiar with some of the leaders.


    "Yes. The Tran Family and the Dex Family have two real masters. They also worked together with Felix to build protection for the vault. Otherwise, it was impossible to get in or out of here." Gisle said as he waved his hand in a careless manner, "Well, almost done..."


    The magical circles shed as a massive table with various data appeared in front of it. Everything that could be determined was written there.


    Which Dungeon had the most souls? What quality and Chronicle were these souls? How many souls were received per day, week, or month?


    All of these questions were answered in the table. Of course, all they wanted to know was just the quantity.


    "There are a total of 18,171,353 souls. There are eighteen million in all." Felix said in a calm voice, "Most souls go straight to the local vaults where they are distributed to all the people in Last Light and their allies, so here only what is saved for emergencies or special projects."


    Felix had been here quite often, so it wasn''t as surprising to him as it was to the others, especially Wain and Zero.<sub> </sub>


    "Eighteen million..." Zero muttered while in disbelief, "How many soulse here every day?"


    "Well, the vault started about three months ago. It''s taken us quite a while to get it to the highest level." Gisle said as he shook his hand, "So... About 200,000 Soulse in here every day."


    "That''s just the supply." Felix said with a slight nod, "If you take into ount the local storage facilities in the cities, ites to about 400 or 500 thousand a day, however, most of it is immediately used to develop fighters, for smiths and other people."


    "Damn... That''s incredible... Isn''t that crazy?" Zero muttered with a dazed look as she couldn''t believe it.


    "Huh, Zero, it''s not as easy as you think. You have to stop thinking like a child." Gisle grinned as he raised a finger, "Only a fraction of the 18 million are Fourth Chronicle souls, the lower the Chronicle the more Souls of that type. The same goes for Rating."


    "Hmm? Do you think I''m stupid? I understand that, but 18 million is still a lot. Even if we''re talking Fourth Chronicle, there still has to be a lot of souls." Zero frowned.


    "Well, let''s check it out." Gisle said as he turned to the table and his gaze fell on one line.


    "Even though there are 18 million souls here, there are only 134 Ascendant Rating Fourth Chronicle Souls. There are only about 40 of them a month. Do you still think that''s a lot?" Gisle asked in a mocking manner.


    "Agh... Math is not my specialty..." Zero uttered with a disgruntled look.


    "Hmm... Maybepared to 18 million 134 seems like a small number, but it''s still quite a lot. By the way, how many Legendary Souls are there?" Wain asked as he looked into the abyss.


    Theke was mostly dominated by white, but Wain could clearly see all the others, even red, however, he couldn''t see any amber, not even a thin streak.


    "Well, they''re not here." Gisle shrugged.


    "Why?" Wain asked with a confused look.


    "Legendary Souls are too rare. It''s not that there aren''t any, it''s just that sometimes finding a Legendary Monster is a lot harder than defeating it, even with how many Dungeons we have. If someone defeats a Legendary Monster, they use the soul for themselves, or even if that person decides to give the soul to a vault, we quickly find who deserves to get it. Legendary Souls are special, I''m sure you know that better than anyone." Gisle said as he closed the table and walked to the edge of the chasm.


    "However, there is one Fourth Chronicle Legendary Soul." Gisle uttered with a serious look, "That one is in your share."


    Whooooooosh.


    Gisle waved his hand as several magical circles appeared on the walls, that out of theke toward Wain headed a massive stream that consisted of hundreds of different souls ahead of which flew a huge as though sun amber soul.


    "There are 5,683 Fourth Chronicle Souls here. Out of 18 million, that seems small, but in fact here is about a third of all the Fourth Chronicle Souls that we have." Gisle said with a slight smile on his face.

 Chapter 674 The Third

    Wain as though mesmerized stared at the amber soul that slowly approached him.


    "Though you are not a frequent visitor, you have contributed much to the development of Last Light. Thanks to you we got our first two allies, Vampires and nts, then you sent the Green Cats here and that''s not counting everything that came before. Anyway, all those souls are yours now, use them as you see fit." Gisle said in a serious voice with a grateful look.


    "I see..." Wain muttered as he touched the souls.


    [The soul of the Thunder Lizard of the Lands of Darkness


    Chronicle: Fourth


    Rating: Legendary]


    "What will you do with it?" Felix asked as he turned to Wain.


    "Well, in any other situation I would absorb it. I need a hell of a lot of energy to evolve, however, I can''t pass up such an opportunity as I still don''t have any skills." Wain said in a slow voice while looking at the soul.


    "Huh, I wonder what wille of that." Gisle smirked as he touched his chin.


    "Hey, you said there''s also my share here, is that true?" Zero asked as she frowned with her hands at her sides in a disgruntled manner.


    Gisle nodded, "Sure, unfortunately for you I don''t have a Legendary Soul, but I think you''ll be pleased."


    The next moment, a torrent of souls burst out of the rainbowke. It was considerably smaller than Wain''s one, but from each soul came powerful energy.


    p "Here are 2,547 Fourth Chronicle Souls. Your share originally consisted of Third Chronicle Souls, but you came backter than I thought, so the quality went up, but the quantity went down." Gisle said as he waved his hand.</anda>


    "There are twenty-five Ascendant Rating Souls... I''ve never seen more than three... It''s incredible..." Zero muttered with a dazed look while the souls slowly headed towards her.


    "Huh, if it weren''t for you, many of the most important tasks wouldn''t have had anyone to do them or everything would have happened with more casualties. Either way, all those souls are yours now." Gisle shrugged as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Zero waved her hand and hundreds of souls headed toward her. They surrounded her as though a around a star.


    "Wain... What are you going to do now?" Zero asked as she looked at him.


    "Hmm...?" Wain wondered as he touched his chin in a thoughtful manner.


    Wain walked from side to side for a while, looked at Legendary Soul, and said, "I''d like to create a skill, but it takes time. It''s definitely safe here...so most likely I''ll be absorbing these souls now."


    Zero smiled, stepped aside, and said, "I knew you''d say that. Let''s do it, maybe these souls will be enough for me to finally be able to fill the core of my Third Torch."<sub> </sub>


    "Third Torch...? That''s right, you''ve already revealed your form. How does that happen? What do I have to do?" Wain asked in a thoughtful manner.


    "You''ll figure it out intuitively. The mes of the three torches will burn your present soul beneath which your present one is already ready, you just have to help it get out as though a chick from an egg." Zero said in a calm voice with a slight smile on his face.


    "Felix, we won''t have a problem if they absorb energy here? Apparently, Wain wants to light his Third Torch." Gisle asked with a worried look.


    Felix with a calm look looked at Wain and Zero, scratched the back of his head, and said, "Well... They two are very strong, so because of the energy fluctuations it could cause problems, but since I''m here everything will be fine."


    Felix rose up as a powerful stream of aura burst out of him that made his mantle tremble violently. He sighed and waved his arms, creating two purple seals in the air. Then a multitude of lotus petals burst out of the seals and headed towards Wain and Zero. The petals created two massive buds around them.


    "Damn... There''s so much energy in each petal..." Gisle muttered with a dazed look, "I''ve never seen you fight. How the hell strong are you really?"


    "Well, I''m just good at creating protective barriers, isn''t that enough?" Felix uttered with a detached look while his gaze literally pierced Gisle.


    ''Huh... Bastard... What are you hiding?'' Gisle inwardly muttered as he trembled slightly.


    At the same time, Wain and Zero explored their buds. They could not see what was happening outside of it, but their sensitivity to energy oddly increased.


    "Wain, Zero, try to hit your buds with all your might. Before you start absorbing energy I want to make sure the barriers can withstand the pressure." Felix said in a calm voice.


    "Sure. Get ready." Zero said with a serious look as she clenched her hand into a fist.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Her pupils narrowed and her fist, as if a spear, mmed into the bud with tremendous speed. Vibrations of energy ran through the bud and the petals trembled, but the bud sustained no damage.


    "Not a bad blow." Felix nodded with crossed arms, "It''s enough to break through any barrier, so it''s a good thing I''m here. Wain, now you."


    "Fine." Wain smirked, took a step back, and attacked.


    His bud shuddered several times as vibrations traveled throughout the cave, but all the petals remained intact.


    "Okay, that''s enough." Felix uttered with a calm look as he walked back to the edge of the abyss, "You may begin. If anything unforeseen happens, I can handle it."


    "Well, then, I''d better get going." Gisle said as he headed for the exit while holding his hands behind his head.


    "Hmm? I thought you were staying to watch." Zero said in a confused manner.


    "Huh, it''ll take you a few hours to deal with that many souls, so I have things I have to do. Meet me in my office, Guir will be waiting for you at the Vault exit. Good luck!" Gisle uttered while waving.

 Chapter 675 The Form?

    Gisle left, so Wain and Zero set about absorbing souls. They each had different goals as Wain wanted to light his Third Torch while Zero wanted to reach the limits of the Fourth Chronicle to learn how to reach the Fifth Chronicle.


    Souls, one by one, were transformed into streams of energy that were channeled into their Soul Temples. With each soul absorbed, their aura increased, especially Zero''s as she received energy much faster than Wain.


    "Huh, by the looks of things, you''re seriously ahead of me, right?" Wain asked with a slight smile on his face and eyes closed while absorbing two red souls.


    "Yeah. I don''t know why, but I''ve always been able to do it so much faster than even the other humans. I only have a few hundred left. It won''t take more than twenty minutes." Zero said in a careless manner as ten souls exploded around her simultaneously.


    ''Well, she better not know why she''s so good at it.'' Wain muttered inwardly.


    In the meantime, Felix continued to enjoy theke of millions of souls that every few minutes increased by several hundred.


    ''The humans... Their soul absorption rate is unimaginable, I couldn''t believe it, but it turns out that even that isn''t the limit.'' Felix said to himself while biting his finger in a nervous manner, ''I thought that after the Worlds Merger we would need to reunite with the rest of the nts Cities as soon as possible, but now I want to stay here. They''re progressing nicely and there are powerful fighters among them, especially Wain... I knew right away he was different in some way, but what exactly?''


    Crackle.


    After a while, one of the buds trembled violently as if there had been a powerful explosion inside.


    Felix turned around and with a calm look asked, "Do I need to intervene?"


    "No. It''s okay. I''m just finishing up." Zero said in a majestic voice as her aura burst out.


    She approached the bud, sighed, and her hands became a blur, then two dark des sliced the bud into small pieces,pletely destroying all protective barriers.


    "Ah... You could have just asked me to remove it... You didn''t have to destroy everything... I tried so hard..." Felix muttered while shaking his head.


    "Hah, I''m sorry, I just wanted to test my new powers. I''ve never felt better than I do now. To fill the Three Torches is something incredible." Zero uttered in an excited manner.


    "Well... Now you see the conditions for entering the Fifth Chronicle, right?" Felix asked as he raised an eyebrow.


    "Yeah. It''s going to be hard, but one day I can do it. Now I can focuspletely on my training and my skills since I don''t need the energy anymore." Zero nodded in a serious manner.


    "I see..." Felix muttered.


    Zero decided to wait for Wain to absorb all the energy, so while Felix watched the soul stream, she stood against the wall with her arms crossed.


    ''Damn... There''s actually quite a lot of energy in these Souls and there''s still so much of it...'' Wain inwardly muttered while dozens of energy streams were headed his way.


    [Wain Norheim


    Ascension: Second Stage (67.5%)


    Race: Human


    Beyond: Cmity (Cocanth)


    Soul: Nameless King


    Title: Savior of the Damned, Echo of Samurai, Mentor Inquisitor, The First, Soul Gatherer, Cartographer, yer of Goliath, Contender, Defeating One of the Four Kings, Killing the Legend, etc..


    Majesty: 10]


    "Well... I filled the second torch to about 20% and spent a third of all my souls on it... so... that should be enough for me to light the third torch." Wain uttered as he swung his hand.<sub> </sub>


    Crackle.


    Ten purple souls exploded as energy headed for his chest. All the energy turned into one dense thread that gradually filled the Second Torch, whose me grew stronger and stronger.


    ...


    "Damn... Your aura has be much more powerful, but what''s going on in there... looks really dangerous." Felix muttered while looking in Wain''s direction.


    The bud shook as badly as from Zero''s hit, but it was only because of the tremendous pressure that came from Wain.


    "Now it seems to me that my progress was not so incredible... Why is his energy so creepy?" Zero muttered in a curious manner as goosebumps ran down her body.


    "Well, we''ll find out soon enough." Felix muttered in a calm voice, "He''s been in there four times as long as you have, so he''s probably finishing by now."


    "I hope so." Zero smiled.


    At the same time, dozens of messages appeared before Wain, one by one.


    [You have absorbed a small amount of Soul Essence. Your Second Torch is 0.05% full]


    [You have absorbed an average amount of Soul Essence. Your Second Torch is 0.13% full.]


    [You have absorbed arge amount of Soul Essence. Your Second Torch is 0.31% full]


    [Your Second Torch is 99.47% full.]


    ''Excellent. That one will be enough.'' Wain smiled as he waved his hand.


    There were about a hundred more souls hovering beside him, but they were all gone since only one, a massive red soul remained.


    Wain touched it with his fingertip, and the soul shattered into tiny particles that traveled down his arm toward his Soul Temple. Then, Wain''s aura grew several times over, and messages appeared before him.


    [You have absorbed an enormous amount of Soule Essence.]


    [Your Second Torch is 100% full!]


    [Begin the Ignition Process to light the Third Torch!]


    [Prepare to burn your Soul!]


    [When the Third Torch ignites, your Soul will burn to reveal your true Soul!]


    Whoooooooosh.


    At the same time, a powerful stream of dark energy burst out of Wain that even passed through the dense petals of the bud.


    "Looks like it''s started." Felix said as he rose up.


    "Yeah. It''s a good thing Wain is here. Such a powerful aura would definitely attract a lot of monsters." Zero nodded.


    After a while, the rod glowed brightly and the Third Torch lit up. It was a weak me, but it was ready to burn his Soul.

 Chapter 676 False Or True?

    Last time it took a long time for Wain''s energy to turn from him, but now it was different. The bud that Felix created blocked most of the energy from escaping, so it stayed close to Wain and quickly returned to his body. Because of the elerated process, the Third Torch burned brightly with gray mes after only an hour.


    "Damn... That''s a lot of energy." Felix said with a calm look, but his pupils narrowed as though he was preparing for something.


    "Yeah. That''s intimidating. I wonder what kind of form Wain will have? He has a lot of unusual skills, totally unique, but he should have the Form like everyone else, isn''t he?" Zero uttered with a slight smile on his face.


    "Well, you''re probably right." Felix muttered in a quiet voice.


    Inside the bud sat Wain while dark streams of energy swirled around him. They gradually elerated, then Wain opened his eyes, and all the energy headed toward the Third Torch that had badly ignited the mes.


    [Your Third Torch was lit!]


    [You have moved to the Third Stage!]


    [Now you can burn your present soul to reveal the present one!]


    "Ah... Unbelievable... There''s so much energy here." Wain uttered with a satisfied look before slowly standing up.


    He walked over to the bud, sighed, and touched the petal with his palm.


    Tremble.


    A pulse of energy coursed through his chest and out from his palm. At the same time, the bud trembled violently and shattered into tiny pieces.


    "You two have absolutely no manners, you know? You could have just asked me to put it away." Felix said while shaking his head.


    "My bad, I couldn''t help myself. I feel great." Wain said as he paced forward in a rxed manner.


    "Are you going to burn your soul now?" Zero asked with a curious look.


    "Yeah." Wain nodded as a slight smile appeared on his face, "Maybe I should have taken care of creating the skill first, but I can''t wait any longer. Felix, I can do it here, right?"


    "Sure." Felix nodded, "This is the best ce for you to do it. Under my supervision."


    Wain nodded, sat down on the ground, and closed his eyes.


    "Just point the mes from the torches toward your soul, then everything will be clear." Zero said as she waved her hand.


    "Fine." Wain muttered before releasing his aura.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    There was tremendous pressure that sent a shiver through Felix and Zero, but they didn''t react at all.


    ...


    ''Well, well, something interesting is finally starting to happen.'' Light Racer smirked.


    ''This is pretty serious...'' Cursed Swordsman muttered.


    ''I wonder what will happen to his soul?'' Code of Light and Darkness smiled in a sly manner.


    ''Hey, you all need to get a little more serious.'' ck Sun Aristocrat eximed as he spread his arms.


    ''Is it you who are talking about it?'' Knight of the Bloody Rose uttered, "That''s ridiculous.''


    ''Calm down.'' Blind Sorcerer muttered, ''Today is a great day. The first step will finally be taken.''


    Whoooooosh.


    Suddenly there was a muscr man with ck hair and an armored cloak that fluttered in the wind while streams of smoke emanated from a cigar between his teeth.


    "Hey, how are you doing?" dius smirked as he exhaled a puff of smoke before looking at the Blind Sorcerer, "You''re absolutely right, that''s step one."<sub> </sub>


    "Sure. I''m always right." Blind Sorcerer said in an arrogant manner, but with pure confidence in his eyes, "You will be one of the next steps. After all, unlike us, you''re not a human."


    ...


    [You have begun the process of burning your fake soul!]


    [Be careful!]


    [Trust your instincts and your me! It''s the only way you''ll be stronger!]


    Several messages appeared in front of Wain, but he paid no attention. When the gray mes came out of the torches, a massive dark soul that resembled a ck hole appeared in the center of Soul Temple.


    ''Damn... Ever since my Soul Altar was destroyed, I''ve never once seen my soul... It looks really creepy, even to me. Huh, it''s perfect.'' Wain inwardly muttered as a crazed smile appeared on his face.


    Three gray streams of me slowly approached the shower they began topletely cover it. The mes kepting out of the torches as the fiery envelope increased, so after a while cracks appeared on the dark soul.


    ''Nice!'' Wain inwardly eximed with a happy look, ''It''s actually working!''


    "Looks like he''s already started to burn his soul." Zero muttered as he smiled, "Wain handled it a lot faster than I did."


    Felix just nodded. He looked at Wain silently with his calm eyes, but they could literally see everything.


    More and more cracks were appearing on the dark soul as the soul was alreadypletely covered in them.


    ''Well, there''s onest step left to take.'' Wain inwardly muttered as he intensified the mes.


    At the same time, the gray fire exploded thatpletely destroying the outer shell of the soul as shards scattered to the sides.


    Wain''s eyes sparkled as he finally saw his true soul.


    ''What is it...?'' Wain muttered while in disbelief, ''Is it supposed to be like this?


    Even though the mes had destroyed the shell the dark soul had not changed in any way. On the contrary, the dark energy from the soul spread out to the sides with an eerie aura.


    [Error!]


    [Error!]


    [Error!]


    Suddenly, several messages appeared in front of Wain as an indescribable aura erupted from his body.


    "Argh! What is that?!" Zero eximed as she fell to one knee with a painful look.


    Zero tried to rise, but the pressure was too powerful as it pressed her to the ground.


    [Soul Burning Process Disrupted!]


    [Error!]


    [A process that should not exist has begun!]


    [Your soul cannot be purified!]


    [Your soul begins to purify your body!]


    [It wasn''t supposed to happen!]


    At the same time, the dark energy devoured everything and burst out of Wain''s body. Then, every living creature within a radius of a hundred kilometers had goosebumps on their bodies as their hearts shook with fear.

 Chapter 677 The Force Behind The Barrier

    Crackle.


    Zero''s aura intensified as she tried to get to her feet, but the pressure grew stronger by the second, so gradually she lost consciousness.


    ? The dark energy continued to surge out of Wain''s body as itpletely prated him. Wain could do nothing about it, all his energy going to keep from passing out due to the terrible pain that he was enduring.


    "Well, well, my intuition never fails me." Felix said with a calm look while his feet sank into the ground due to the pressure, "However, this is something even I couldn''t imagine."


    The streams of darkness turned into creepy monsters with massive heads and jawed teeth. Theypletely ignored Felix as their gazes were directed toward theke of souls.


    "I see... His energy is out of control... but is that possible? Fine, I can''t let you go any further anyway." Felix said in a confused manner as he waved his hand.


    A transparent wall with a lotus seal appeared between him and the monsters that prevented the monsters from going any further, so they all looked at him simultaneously as though at their main target.


    Roooooooooaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrr!


    The three monsters roared furiously as only their creepy scream was enough to shatter the barrier into tiny shards.


    "Hmm... How curious." Felix tilted his head in a thoughtful manner, "Well, I can''t let anyone find out about this."


    Snap.


    Felix snapped his finger as several barriers appeared at the exit of the cave. They prevented the screams of the monsters from escaping andpletely absorbed them.


    The monsters surrounded Felix and their heads approached him as dark saliva fell from one monster''s jaw onto Felix''s shoulder.


    "I don''t argue, you look quite menacing." Felix said in a careless manner as he removed the dark liquid from his shoulder and looked at Wain, "Unfortunately I don''t know where you got that power, I thought you and I were simr, but we definitely are not. Anyway, I''ll have to take care of it or you''ll eat all 18 million souls, I can''t let that happen."


    Whooooooosh.


    Felix with a smooth move threw off the white mantle that was immediately pressed to the ground because of the pressure.


    "You may look scary, but you know what should really scare you?" Felix asked with a calm look, "It''s that you''re fighting a liar."


    Crackle.


    Suddenly dozens of seals, magic circles, and various ancient runes appeared on Felix''s body. Each of the seals was as strong as the barrier that protected the entrance to the Vault.


    Roooooooooaaaaarrrrrr!


    The monsters ran out of patience as they simultaneously attacked. The monsters opened their jaws wide with sharp teeth.


    At the same time, all of Felix''s seals glowed as he stepped forward and extended his right arm with outstretched fingers.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Violet energy appeared above the monsters, pressing them into the ground.


    "Well, well, I have to use about a third of my power to hold you. That''s impressive." Felix uttered with a deadly look before clenching his hand into a fist.


    The energy ripped the monsters apart as shreds of darkness returned to Wain.<sub> </sub>


    "I the possessor of the blood of the nt Progenitor had to use true power to kill them... Wain''s power certainly doesn''te from the Progenitor... though... do the humans have a Progenitor?" Felix muttered in a thoughtful manner while looking at Wain.


    "ARGHHHH!" Wain screamed out as streams of blood flowed from his eyes.


    "Damn... I guess this isn''t over." Felix uttered.


    ...


    "Huh, I knew it would be hard, but I didn''t think it would look so scary." Light Racer grinned.


    "Well, Wain hase quite a long way to get to this point, so it takes time to put everything in its ce." Code of Light and Darkness said with a calm look.


    "It''s pretty ironic. Everyone else needs to cleanse their soul, but in Wain''s case, it''s the soul that cleanses him." The Blind Sorcerer smirked as he removed the blindfold from his eyes.


    Slowly the darkness headed toward one of the columns in the Soul Temple. The column bore the sign of a broken mirror as it signified the Dimensional Concept. The darkness slowly covered the column as it gradually destroyed it.


    [For some unknown reason you lost your Dimensional Concept!]


    Then the darkness began to cover the rest of the column, at the same time a powerful stream of darkness erupted from Wain''s chest.


    ...


    The darkness turned into a massive monster with many eerie jaws all over its body. The monster had one goal, to get to the soulke.


    Whoooooosh.


    The monster turned into a dark sh as it instantly traveled several meters.


    "Not so fast." Felix said in a calm manner before stepping forward.


    His palm mmed into the monster''s chest with a purple surge of energy. The impact threw the monster to the other side of the cave.


    "Hmm? You''re still alive? Unbelievable, but how about that?" Felix muttered as his eyes sparkled.


    Violet vines burst out of the ground as though chains had bound the monster tightly. Felix clenched his fist as the vines tore the monster apart.


    Crackling.


    Wain''s aura continued to increase as the darkness created many monsters, but now Felix was their main target.


    "Oh, it looks like you can learn, amazing. Unfortunately for you against me you are helpless." Felix said in a confident manner before waving his hand.


    Several energy petals appeared in the air and as Felix swung his finger all the petals as though des pierced the monsters.


    "Well, maybe it''s fate that I''m the one who ended up here." Felix said as he stomped his foot.


    Vines appeared on the ground as they headed toward the walls as though tree roots, then a massive lotus bud grew from the center. At the center of the bud was just Felix, Wain, and the dark monsters, but the petals inside the bud were quickly destroying them.


    "Maybe these monsters are just a surplus from your energy, but even for me it''s pretty hard, you know?" Felix uttered as trickles of blood flowed from the corners of his mouth.

 Chapter 678 The Gate

    "ARGH!!!"


    Wain screamed out in pain, but Felix that was standing next to him didn''t hear it. Wain barely opened his eyes as he saw his Soul Temple up close.


    "What''s going on here...?" Wain muttered while in disbelief.


    It seemed to him as if his consciousness had separated from his body that was being altered by the effects of the darkness.


    Wain turned around as he tried to find some of the Forms, but there was no one here, nor Blind Sorcerer, nor Light Racer, nor dius. In the endless space remained, only he, Soul Temple, and the terrifying dark soul.


    "Where is everyone? Damn, this is crazy... but I don''t seem to have any other choice." Wain uttered, shook his head, and rose from the ground.


    He walked slowly toward the Temple while streams of darkness surrounded him like a veil. Unlike the wild monsters Felix fought, this energy was calm and powerful as though everything superfluous had been removed.


    "Ah... That''s good... However, it''s not enough. I still feel there are impurities here... I don''t need it..." Wain said in a slow voice as his eyes grew much deeper like an abyss.


    ...


    Felix stared intently at Wain while the petals hovering beside him killed the continually appearing monsters.


    "Ah, looks like I can finally get some rest." Felix muttered when the petal cut thest monster.


    For a while Wain''s aura returned to normal, so Felix removed some of the barriers, but suddenly his pupils narrowed as a shiver ran through his body.


    "What is this strange feeling...?" Felix uttered with a confused look, "Shit, I rushed it!"


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A powerful torrent of darkness burst out of Wain that instantly destroyed the bud. Felix swung his arm as he created a protective barrier in front of him, but the impact threw him back several meters, to the edge of the soulke.


    "Well, well, I need to deal with thest boss first, right?" Felix muttered with a serious look while staring at the monster.


    Thest monster absorbed all the energy that emanated from Wain''s body, so its aura was terrifying. The monster had three eerie eyes with vertical red pupils, a massive jaw on its head, and on its palms. From the monster''s shoulders, elbows, and knees protruded long, curved des that sliced through the air with a slight movement.


    "Attack. Whatever you are, there''s no way you can handle me. You''re nothing but a byproduct of Wain''s energy." Felix uttered in an arrogant manner as he stepped forward.


    Roooooaaaaaarrrrr!


    The monster roared furiously, swung its arms, and turned into a dark sh that spiraled along the cave''s walls and headed toward Felix. In just a moment the two ghastly jaws were in front of Felix''s face, but he waspletely calm, while his eyes regarded the monster as a victim, with pity and condescension.


    "There is a cage for every beast, even one as furious as you." Felix uttered as his palms lit up.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The space trembled as tree roots with purple energy threads burst from the walls. The roots surrounded the monster as it was caged, while the threads covered its entire body. The monster tried to reach Felix as the distance between them was less than a palm length, but the threads prevented the monster from making even one step.


    Argh!


    Felix threw up a mouthful of blood, but his face remained unemotional.


    "Even though you couldn''t get to me, I still got hurt because of my actions. I guess for someone who specializes in creating barriers it''s a shame..." Felix muttered while shaking his head as he approached the monster.<sub> </sub>


    Felix took the monster''s hand, looked him in the eye, and said, "Maybe it can''t be seen, but I feel your inner fear as a nt. I will put an end to it."


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Threads pierced the monster and destroyed the monster. The roots absorbed all the dark energy as they gradually transformed into a small purple flower with three ck petals.


    "This will make a great decoration for this ce." Felix muttered in a quiet voice as he touched the flower with his fingertip.


    Wain''s energy finally calmed down as this monster was thest oue.


    ...


    The darkness gradually absorbed into Wain''s body as he sighed when thest bit of darkness disappeared.


    "Yeah... Just what I needed..." Wain muttered with a satisfied look.


    At the same time, his aura intensified several times as a wave of energy passed through his body that seemed even purer than Soul Pearls.


    [Your body is trying to break through the barriers!]


    [Error!]


    [Error!]


    [Error!]


    [Your blood purity has increased!]


    [Your blood purity is now 99.9% for unknown reasons!]


    "Fine..." Wain uttered as he looked at the dark crown that floated in the center of Soul Temple.


    As though at his will the crown headed towards him andnded on his head, then energy burst out of Wain, but not gray as before, but dark.


    [Your Darkness Concept amplified!]


    [Your Beyond has merged with your base element! The boundaries of your energy control have been greatly expanded!]


    Wain nodded, looked at the Dark Soul, and muttered, "Now it''s just us here, right?"


    Wain walked over to the Soul Altar that was alreadypletely covered in darkness and touched it. Wain wanted to absorb that energy, but suddenly the darkness ripped apart as well as his Soul Temple.


    "What...? Is it supposed to be like this? Is my Soul Temple destroyed? No... it doesn''t look like it..." Wain said while in confusion.


    Whooooooosh.


    The darkness with the debris from Soul Temple headed away as only a dark soul and a wide tform remained.


    Then, the debris turned into a massive ck gate with an image of a crown in the center. The darkness became powerful, thick chains that closed the gate as though it were the entrance to hell, and no one was ever supposed to go there.

 Chapter 679 An Important Ally (Part 1)

    Crackle.


    Wain slowly opened his eyes, looked around, and muttered, "Damn... I didn''t expect it to happen like this..."


    "Oh, you''re finally awake." Felix said in a calm voice.


    "Hmm?" Wain turned around as his eyes widened.


    Next to the precipice sat Felix with Zero at a low table. They were drinking green tea whose aroma spread throughout the cave.


    "Wain... What was that...?" Zero asked in an angry manner, but her voice was slow and quiet because of the rxing effect of the tea.


    "Yeah. I have the same question." Felix nodded, "Though you probably don''t have an answer, do you?"


    At the same time, Wain''s pupils narrowed as fragments of how Felix fought, of his abilities and true strength, appeared in his mind.


    "Well, looks like you have secrets too, right?" Wain smirked as he stood up.


    Felix remained silent, he only smiled and took a sip of tea.


    "Hmm? What are you two talking about?" Zero frowned, "Wain, I don''t know why your aura is so powerful...but did you get the Form?"


    "That''s aplicated question." Wain shrugged before sitting down at the table across from her.


    He picked up a cup of tea, took a sip, and said, "I''m not sure exactly what happened, but I definitely got a lot stronger, so that''s enough for me."


    They spent the next ten minutes in silence enjoying the wonderful taste of the tea. Zero didn''t understand why everyone was so calm, but for some reason, she didn''t want to say anything.


    "Okay, Felix thanks for the tea and... well, for everything else. Zero and I should get going." Wain said, finishing his tea and getting up from the table.


    "Sure. If you want to admire the soulke you cane here anytime, I''ll also treat you to tea again." Felix said with a calm look.


    Wain nodded as he headed for the exit of the cave. Zero looked back and forth between Felix and Wain as she couldn''t decide what she wanted to do, but eventually, she followed Wain.


    Felix with an ice-cold look stared at Wain and muttered, "His strength exceeds mine... Though I have the blood of nt Progenitor in me... I should definitely not be an enemy of Last Light."


    ...


    "Hey guys, what the hell was that?" Guir eximed as he was near the entrance to the cave, "Did you fight there?"


    "Ah... You''re talking about energy surges, right?" Wain uttered while shaking his head, "Don''t worry, Zero and I just absorbed too many souls."


    "Damn... You really are insanely strong. Okay, let''s fly to Gisle, I''m sick of sitting here next to this waterfall!"


    "Ahahahaha, whatever." Wainughed as he jumped on Guir with Zero.


    Guir spread his massive wings, pped them, and took off. While the Griffons were veryrge they were also fast enough to travel hundreds of miles in less than an hour.<sub> </sub>


    As the wind currents fluttered their cloaks and Guir flew through the clouds, Wain pondered what had happened.


    "I didn''t get the Form, I lost one of my Concepts, but I increased my blood purity and there was a strange gate in my Soul Temple... Damn, when will this whole mystery end? Why is this happening to me? Because I became the heir of the Nameless King, but how?'' Wain muttered inwardly while looking at the mountains in the distance.


    "Wain, when will you return to the Colosseum?" Zero suddenly asked.


    "Hmm? Why do you ask?" Wain raised an eyebrow.


    "You''ve gotten a lot stronger, I can feel it, so I want to see your fight. You want to be in the Top 10, right? As far as I know, they''re incredibly strong, but I''m not sure they can handle you." Zero uttered in a confident manner.


    "Well, probably right after I create a skill, but I need to talk to Gisle first." Wain said with a serious look.


    Zero just nodded as she clenched her hand into a fist.


    ...


    Whooooooooosh.


    The massive Gryphonnded on the roof of the castle as a powerful current of wind blew aside from the p of its wings.


    "Thanks for it, see youter." Wain said, patting Guir on the back and jumping down onto the balcony.


    "Yeah..." Zero nodded as she followed Wain.


    "Tsk. You''re just lucky you''re so strong!" Guir eximed in a disgruntled manner before flying away.


    Tsk.


    They went inside and saw the same scene as before. Gisle sat in a chair with a careless look while his feet were on the table.


    "Oh... You finally made it, how did it go?" Gisle asked as he looked at them.


    "Well, it wasn''t what I was expecting at all, but all in all, it''s fine." Wain shrugged before sitting down on the couch, "Gisle, I hear you''re nning to reveal Last Light to the world soon, is that true?"


    "Hmm...?" Gisle uttered in a confused manner, then a sly smile appeared on his face, "Huh, you''re absolutely right, but how do you know about that? It''s highly ssified information as I was just about to tell you about it."


    "I found out about it by ident, but some informants somehow found out about it, though they don''t have any details, just a general direction." Wain said as he waved his hand, then his gaze became serious and he asked, "How are you going to do that?"


    "Sorry to interrupt, but why would we do that?" Zero asked with a confused look, "Wouldn''t that only cause trouble?"


    "There is logic in what you are saying, but sooner orter it will happen, or rather it is already happening, so it would be better if we do it ourselves and show everyone how strong we are as it will attract allies. It''s simple. It''s always important to choose the right moment, if you rush, you''re wrong, if you hesitate, you''re wrong too." Gisle said in a careless manner as he waved his hand.


    "Aren''t you afraid of being attacked? I mean, a lot of people think the humans should be destroyed." Wain asked with a serious look, "There''s nothing we can do if we''re attacked by the Fifth Chronicle one."


    "Hehehe, do you think I haven''t a n?" Gisle smirked.

 Chapter 680 An Important Ally (Part 2)

    "So... What''s your n?" Wain asked with a curious look.


    Gisle smirked, put his fingertips together, and said, "You''re absolutely right that after we reveal ourselves to the world, someone is going to attack us. I''m sure it''ll be one of the Fifth Chronicle Angels, as I''ve learned they have a particr grudge against us. However, solving this problem is very simple, we just need an ally from the Fifth Chronicle."


    "Are you serious?" Wain said as he raised an eyebrow with a confused look, "As far as I know, no one from the Fifth Chronicle is among our allies."


    <o>,m "Sure. I managed to find someone, though for the most part I just got lucky. Since that one decided to contact me himself. Okay, let''s go." Gisle said, getting up from his chair and heading for the stairs.</o>


    "Where to?" Wain asked.


    "It''s a surprise." Gisle said with a slight smile on his face.


    ...


    Wain and Zero followed Gisle as they reached the wooden door that led to the meeting room. Gisle slowly opened the door and Wain''s eyes went wide.


    In the center of the room, at the table sat a man with long white hair, amber eyes, and a thoughtful look ying chess with himself. On his head were two swirling horns and white, massive wings on his back.


    "Kadridas... What the hell...?" Wain muttered while in disbelief.


    "Hmm? What is that? Is it a monster?" Zero asked with a confused look.


    At the same time, Kadridas made a move, turned to them, and said, "Oh, you guys. I didn''t believe you wereing, but it seems Gisle always keeps his word."


    "Huh, Zero, did you say he was a monster?" Gisle grinned while heading toward the table, "Kardidas is not one of the Pirs, however, he is not a monster either."


    "Then what is he?" Zero tilted her head in a puzzled manner.


    "A dragon..." Wain muttered.


    "What...? Aren''t Dragons supposed to be big? Hey, stop mocking me! I saw one Dragon! He was the size of an entire mountain!" Zero uttered with an angry look as she puffed up her cheeks.


    "Ahahaha, that girl is pretty funny." Kadridasughed as his voice shook the whole room and cracks went down the walls.


    "Oh... I''m sorry, I''m still not used to everything being so fragile in here." Kadridas uttered with an awkward look while scratching the back of his head.


    ''Damn... He''s strong...'' Zero muttered inwardly with a dazed look.


    "What do you do here?" Wain asked as he sat down across from Kadridas.<sub> </sub>


    "Well, Gisle asked me to wait here, he said he wanted me to meet someone, but I had no idea it would be you." Kadridas shrugged before making a move and turning the ying board.


    "I, like the other Dragons, love ying chess, it''s rxing, keeps you from getting bored, and chess is probably the best training for controlling your power. You have to be very careful not to break a simple wooden piece." Kadridas uttered with a thoughtful look as he picked up a bishop.


    "Anyway, Kadridas will be the one to help us in case of danger." Gisle said with a sly smile on his face.


    "What...? I don''t know much about Dragons, but you don''t usually interfere with other races, do you?" Wain asked while in confusion.


    "Hmm? Do Dragons really have rules like that? This is so strange..." Zero muttered as she frowned.


    "Huh, you''re both right, Dragons have rules and this is one of them, but we''re not the only ones who follow certain rules." Kadridas shrugged with a slight smile on his face, "Last Light is a pretty big organization you have hundreds of great fighters so you can handle any opponent but Fifth Chronicle one."


    Kadridas continued, "However, you have nothing to worry about since there is an unspoken rule between all Fifth Chronicle ones. Any Fifth Chronicle beings have no right to attack those whose Chronicle is lower, otherwise, that one will be attacked by all others. This is very important for the preservation of world order and the Dragons are among those who watch closely of it, so this rule is rarely broken."


    "Hmm? Then why do you want to help us?" Zero uttered with a confused look, "I mean... You''re a Dragon, so that''s how you interfere in our affairs, isn''t it?"


    "Ah... Zero, you''re still a child." Gisle sighed while shaking his head.


    "Hey! You''re not much older than me!" Zero eximed in an angry manner.


    "It''s just that we''re the humans, right?" Wain asked with a serious look as he put his hands together.


    "Exactly." Kadridas nodded before taking hold of the pawn, "In any other situation until someone in Last Light reached Fifth Chronicle, then no one would dare attack you, but because of your reputation the situation changes."


    "Dragons are still undecided as to whether humans should exist or not, so we have a neutral attitude towards you as well as everything in this world, but some races consider you dangerous. That is why I have decided to be the one to watch over your safety until one of you reaches the Fifth Chronicle." Kadridas uttered with a calm look.


    "Kadridas and I have already discussed the general terms." Gisle uttered while tapping his finger on the table, "Since he''s a Dragon, he''ll just be our protector but only in a situation where someone from the Fifth Chronicle one decides to break a rule."


    "Yeah. You shouldn''t have too much faith in me." Kadridas nodded, "If someone attacks you andpletely destroys you, down to the veryst person, but Fifth Chronicle one is not involved, then I will not protect you. You should be able to take care of yourselves."


    "Wow, I thought you were being kind once you decided to help us, but now I''m not so sure about that." Zero muttered with a confused look.


    "Zero, it''s not whether I''m good or bad, it''s my responsibility. Ah, yes... You don''t know that''s not my full name." Kadridas said before taking a king.


    His amber eyes grew deeper as a powerful aura departed from him that gave everyone the creeps.


    "My name is Kadridas, the Watcher, and I will do anything to live up to my name!"

 Chapter 681 Conversation

    p. p. p.


    "Great. That''s what I wanted to hear." Gisle said with a slight smile on his face while pping.


    "Damn... We''ll actually be protected by the Dragon... Only now I realize it''s true." Zero muttered with a dazed look as she couldn''t believe his power.


    Kadridas nodded, put aside the chessboard, and said, "As a Dragon, I will surely keep my word, but I must warn you about something. Among your enemies some can hold me back for a while, even despite my status, it''s the Arkans."


    As soon as Kadridas said this the eyes of all three opened wide as each of them already knew of this mysterious race.


    "Oh, you seem to know already..." Kadridas uttered as he raised an eyebrow.


    "Yeah... Those bastards almost killed me... And twice..." Wain muttered with clenched teeth and fists as his veins swelled.


    "You fought Arkans?" Gisle asked with a dazed look, "Damn, you''re a real monster."


    "I agree." Zero nodded, "I identally met one of them or he found me, but I had to escape... I was too weak then and couldn''t do anything."


    "Wain, I saw your first fight against the Arkans and you won then, though you spent all your strength on it." Kadridas said with a deadly serious look, "What happened the second time? When and where did it happen?"


    "It''s not that important." Wain said in a calm voice, "They attacked me in an area where the Dragons couldn''t protect me, but that didn''t stop me from killing those bastards. Anyone who attacks me will die, even if it''s an Arkan and I don''t care what rank they are First, Second, or even Third."


    "Hmm? Do they have ranks? Shit... I guess I didn''t know as much as I imagined..." Gisle muttered in a slow voice as he touched his chin with a thoughtful look.


    "Were you really able to defeat the Third Rank Arkan?" Kadridas asked while in disbelief.


    "Yeah. I did." Wain said in a confident manner.


    "Hey, tell me more about that! I know practically nothing about the Arkans!" Zero eximed as she waved her arms.


    "Okay." Kadridas nodded, "However, don''t get your hopes up for much, there has been almost no news from the Arkans for thest hundred years... maybe it has to do with something that happened a long time ago, but you should know these few things. The Arkans want to kill you, the humans, more than any other race. You are their greatest enemy, for in their opinion you are the only one who can thwart their ns."


    "ns?" Gisle frowned, "What ns? How the hell can we interfere with them if we''ve only recently learned of their existence?"


    "Well, I don''t know their true purpose, no one does, but you don''t have to worry about that. Something happened years ago that greatly slowed their progress, so now they''re probably trying to gain strength. You can absorb souls even faster than they can, so you''re a major threat to them." Kadridas uttered in a slow voice.<sub> </sub>


    ''Damn... He''s definitely hiding something... but I shouldn''t piss off the Dragon. We''ll probably be able to find out a lot more about it ourselves in the future.'' Gisle muttered inwardly while listening carefully to him.


    "So... You say that even you can''t protect us from them?" Zero asked with a serious look.


    "Not really. I''m sure that after you do what you n to do, they will attack soon. It won''t be one Fifth Chronicle fighter that attacks you out of hate or his beliefs, it will be an army of hundreds of Fourth Chronicle Arkans and several Fifth Chronicle ones." Kadridas said as he held up a finger.


    "No matter how strong I am I won''t be able to handle a few Fifth Chronicle Arkans. Sure, if that happens, I''ll have other Dragons or members of the other races to help me, but by the time they arrive on the battlefield it could be over for most of you."


    "What do we do then...?" Zero asked with a worried look, "Aren''t Dragons supposed to protect this world from outside invasions?"


    "You''re right." Kadridas nodded, "That''s why the Arkans sit in their world and onlye here in special ces like where Wain had fought, where we can''t see. However, it won''t stop them if they find out that thousands of humans live here. It would be nice if you could prepare for that, or find another protector. Unfortunately, I''m not omnipotent."


    There was silence in the room for a while. Everyone pondered what they heard as they did not expect that even Dragon''s protection could not guarantee their safety, so it seemed to them that their situation was hopeless.


    "Damn... Do we really have to keep hiding?" Gisle muttered with a thoughtful look while holding his hands behind his head.


    ? "Arkans... I hate to admit it... but of all of us, only Wain can fight and defeat them. Maybe I can handle one now, but not several..." Zero muttered as her face darkened.


    "Well, you must decide what you will do, but I will protect you from Fifth Chronicle creatures anyway, just like I protect everyone else." Kadridas said as he released part of his powerful aura that was like white streams of energy.


    ''Hey... Wain, I have an offer for you... How about it...'' dius said.


    After a while, Wain nodded.


    ''Okay, it''s worth a try, but I have to test my n first.'' Wain inwardly muttered before turning to Gisle.


    ''I might have a good one. I know someone from the Fifth Chronicle that''s willing to help us, but it''s a very, very long story." Wain said with a serious look.


    "Well, I''m ready for anything." Gisle uttered as a sly smile appeared on his face.


    "Wain, can you really help?" Zero asked while in disbelief, "I mean... I haven''t met any Fifth Chronicle ones yet... Except for Kadridas."


    "Yeah. However, I''m not sure it will work, which is why I need Gisle to hear me out." Wain nodded.

 Chapter 682 Home

    "Kadridas, would you mind if we stepped back?" Gisle asked.


    "Sure, take your time. You''d better find a way to deal with this problem." Kadridas said as he waved his hand, "I''ll stay here for a few more days. There''s a great view from here and that''s the most important thing when ying chess!"


    "Fine. Just what you need." Gisle smirked before turning to Wain, "Well, I hope it will be something amazing."


    Wain and Gisle left, so Zero was left alone with Kadridas.


    "How do you y this...?" Zero asked in an unsure manner.


    "Chess? If you want I can teach you." Kadridas said with a slight smile on his face.


    "Are you sure?"


    "Of course. I''m tired of ying alone. Go ahead, you''re bound to like it." Kadridas said as he waved his hand.


    ...


    Wain and Gisle retired to a room with just them, a round wooden table, dim lights, and two cups of tea.


    The conversation went on for several hours and in that time Gisle had time to experience many emotions, but one came at the beginning and intensified until the very end, it was curiosity at the open possibilities.


    "Agh... Wain, what I just heard is fucking crazy..." Gisle muttered while shaking his head as if he learned how the world was created, "Shit... Who would have thought we weren''t the only humans, on the contrary, they came into this world much earlier than us."


    "Yeah, but since Aurora considers me the heir of the Nameless King, she''ll do anything to protect me. For her, I am the future for all humans." Wain said with a serious look as he put his hands together.


    "So... Do you think Aurora will want to join us?" Gisle muttered with a thoughtful look.


    "Well, politics and negotiations it is your stuff. Right now she''s the ruler of the Human World, so in some ways, your roles are simr, too you''re both dictators." Wain uttered as he waved a hand.


    "Dictator? Hey, I''m actually always up for diplomacy." Gisle grinned.


    "Huh, all dictators say that." Wain shook his head, "I only know one thing. Aurora is definitely our ally as for all humans. Neither she nor we know why our people were separated and why we ended up in different worlds, but we are of the same race, that is the most important thing. She and the Kadridas will be enough to protect our territories from the Fifth Chronicle Arkans before help arrives."


    "Good. Can I talk to her?" Gisle said with a devious smile on his face, "If you get us a meeting, I''ll talk her into anything. What I''ve heard is more than enough."


    "Yeah... You want to go there right now?" Wain asked in a puzzled manner.


    "Nah. I''ve got some stuff to finish up. Let''s do it tomorrow, especially since didn''t you want to create a skill from the soul?" Gisle uttered as he shook his hand.


    "Well, I''ll meet you tomorrow then. Where can I rest?" Wain asked as he looked around.


    "Hah, I''ve been waiting for that question." Gisle smiled as his ring glowed brightly.


    A simple key appeared in his hand that he tossed to Wain, then Gisle whistled as he called to Guir.


    "One day I was thinking that despite how big Last Light has be, you still don''t have your own home, so I decided to correct that deficiency. I don''t know which style you prefer, but I hope you like it." Gisle said with a shrug.<sub> </sub>


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    At the same time, the windows opened with a mighty gust of wind that was invoked by the wings of a griffin.


    "Why did you call me?" Guir asked in a disgruntled manner, "I just thought I''d get a decent sleep... but you ruined it."


    "Don''t worry. Just take Wain to his house, then you can go back to your den." Gisle said with a slight smile on his face.


    "Ah... That ce... Good, that was one of the best choices you ever made." Guir nodded as he looked at Wain, "You ready?"


    "Yeah. I''m curious to see what this ce is all about. I''ll see youter." Wain said before jumping on Guir.


    "Bye."


    ...


    Wain thought his house would be one of the floors in the skyscrapers that are downtown or something simr, however, Guir immediately headed in the opposite direction. To the right of Merge Ind was a small mountain that seemed small because in the distance was the mountain where Terrin, Vampire City was located, but it was still quiterge.


    No roads led to the mountain except a few thin paths that hikers took as they walked there from the town or from the massive waterfall that was nearby.


    "Well, well, we''re almost there." Guir muttered, pped his wings, and turned into a sh.


    He sped toward the middle of the mountain, there was a wide ledge that gave a great view of all four towns and Merge Ind.


    "Here we go." Guir uttered as hended near the edge, "You''ll get to town somehow on your own. I''m not going to carry you back and forth again. I''ll see youter."


    Whoooooosh.


    Guir pped his wings, and in a few seconds, he was a mile away.


    "Ah... The stronger the monsters, the more they resemble humans. Well, at least he''s aplished his task." Wain uttered with a slight smile on his face, before turning around.


    In front of the slope was a two-story stone house with wooden beams for better support and a gray tile roof. Next to the house was a small garden with a veranda looking out onto it and a simple waterwheel, while shade fell from the trees nearby that made it an ideal ce to rest.


    "Hah, Gisle thinks I''m 85? Although... it does look cozy... maybe he really hit the spot." Wain smiled as he stepped forward.


    In his life, Wain had seen many of the views Luar wanted to enjoy. The view from a skyscraper could not impress him or give him something unique, but a simple house, away from the city, in the middle of nature, could.


    Tremble.


    Suddenly a barrier appeared, as the key in Wain''s hand lit up and he passed through it.


    "Well, Gisle made sure no one touched this ce." Wain muttered while looking at the key, "I didn''t know he was so thoughtful."

 Chapter 683 The Skill

    Wain looked around the house, everything was the usual, a couple of rooms, a kitchen vestibule, and a bedroom, but something he didn''t expect to see was an underground training room.


    "Well, I guess Gisle realized I was too young to sit in a chair and look at a waterwheel all day long." Wain said with a slight smile on his face as he waved his hand.


    Whooooooooosh.


    A massive amber shower that shone as brightly as the sun appeared before him.


    "Maybe I should have spent my past soul creating skills instead of gear, but it''s toote to think about that. It''s time to create my first skill." Wain muttered with a curious look before snapping his finger.


    At the same time, the soul glowed brightly and exploded as it turned into a multitude of amber streams. It would have taken a member of any other race days to absorb such a powerful soul, but Wain''s control of energy was too good, all he needed was just a flick.


    The currents slowly made their way toward Wain and he released his aura. The dark energy flows gradually became one with the Legendary Soul as they turned into a round seal with a ck lightning symbol.


    Whooooosh.


    When the seal was ready, it shed and flew into Wain''s chest, then on the tform in his Soul Temple appeared the same sign that took up 1/3 of the total space.


    "Three special skills is still a maximum, right?" Wain muttered with a thoughtful look, "Though... I doubt that when I reach the Fifth Chronicle they''ll make sense."


    [You absorbed the Legendary Soul!]


    [You decided to use Legendary Soul energy to create a new skill!]


    [New skill created!]


    [Wrath of Heaven''s Dark Thunder (Legendary Rating, Fourth Chronicle)


    Use some of your energy to temporarily gain some of the power of nature. Thunderclouds will obey yourmands as they are the ones to unleash their wrath upon your enemies].


    "Good... Skills have fewer limitations. Hopefully, soon I''ll be able to experience it and get the new Legendary Souls." Wain muttered as he headed for the stairs.


    ''Hey, Wain, don''t be in a hurry to leave.'' dius said suddenly.


    ''What is it?'' Wain asked as he stopped on the first step.


    ''How about creating your own skill?'' dius said in an intriguing manner.


    ''Hmm? I don''t mind, but I don''t have too much time. I''m going with Gisle to Aurora tomorrow, can I achieve anything in a few hours?'' Wain asked while in confusion.


    ''Look, you have two more skill slots to spare. I can teach you something very simple, but effective.'' dius said in a confident voice.<sub> </sub>


    "Well, since you say so, let''s give it a try." Wain shrugged.


    ''I suggest you train in your Void. The Ice Caves or the Snow Desert would be ideal since there''s plenty of room.'' dius uttered, ''If you get the gist right away, you won''t need more than two hours.''


    "Huh, now you definitely have me intrigued. Okay, let''s do this." Wain smirked, waved his hand, and entered the spatial rift.


    Ten minutester, Wain was in the middle of a snowy wilderness. His Void grew steadily until it reached its limits, so there was nothing but snow, sand, and the asional cactus around.


    "This is the right ce. Here I may not hold back." Wain uttered while looking around.


    ''Fine. The essence of the skill that I want to teach you is very simple. You must gather arge amount of energy at the tip of your sword and release it in an instant.'' dius said in a serious voice.


    "I see... If I apply enough power, I can cut in two even a hundred meters of ground in front of me, right?" Wain muttered while holding his chin in a thoughtful manner.


    ''Yeah. Something like that. Look, you have a lot of energy, more than most, so for you, this attack will be more effective than for others. No matter how sturdy your enemy''s defense, it can''t stop your attack that contains all your energy in one subtle but deadly sweep.'' dius uttered before turning from seal to sword.


    Wain looked at his dark sword, at the desert, and took a deep breath.


    "Well, let''s try to use just a little bit of it first." Wain muttered as he released energy.


    He only used 10% of his total supply, but the darkness was enough to spread dozens of meters around, which could intimidate any monster.


    ''I have to get it all in one spot... Damn, I didn''t expect so much energy, looks like it might be harder than I thought.'' Wain said inwardly, then his pupils narrowed.


    Streams of aura as if hundreds of threads headed toward dius. They slowly absorbed into the sword as gradually a thin line of highly concentrated darkness appeared on the de.


    ''Nice. That should be enough for the first time. Now it''s time to see what this energy can do in practice.'' dius said in a calm voice.


    Wain nodded, stepped forward, and swung his sword from top to bottom. All the darkness gathered on the sword simultaneously erupted as it turned into a dark de that sliced the ground in front of him in two. However, the de was unstable, so the further it went the more curved the cut was.


    "Damn... Maybe I have a lot of energy, but I definitely need to work on my uracy." Wain said as he frowned.


    "Don''t worry. It''s okay, this is the first time you''ve done something like this, so your result is more than worthwhile. Now I''m pretty sure you can do it in two hours." dius said in a serious manner, "Go ahead, one more try. In one hour you should be able to use 50% of your energy and leave a cut on the ground at least 50 meters long!"


    "Okay, I''m even starting to like this." Wain smirked as he prepared for his next attempt, "By the way, shouldn''t I have already created a skill?"


    "Huh, only when you show a decent result the skill will be created! Moreover, the better you be at it the higher the Rating of the skill will be, so even if it''s something simple it still has great opportunities for further growth." dius eximed.

 Chapter 684 The Guest

    In the midst of the desert, a man in a dark cloak, thick ck hair, and deep green eyesy in the snow. His look was emaciated, but there was a contented smile on his face.


    "You said I''d have to use 50% of my energy in an hour, right?" Wain muttered while looking at the sun, "Huh, I managed that in fucking forty minutes! I bet you couldn''t even imagine that!"


    "Well, maybe you were a little faster than I thought, but that doesn''t mean anything. There''s no need to get cocky. What''s more, you''re lucky to have such an incredible sword as I do. Even Ascendant Rating swords could hardly withstand the amount of energy you use, they''d just disintegrate into little pieces." dius uttered in a serious voice while swaying from side to side.


    "Huh, maybe you''re right, but I''m not going to stop there anyway." Wain muttered as he looked around.


    There were dozens of cuts on the ground in front of him, some quite crooked and short, but the more Wain tried the thinner, tter, and longer they became.


    Whooooooosh.


    Wain jumped up, grabbed the dius by the hilt, and prepared for the next attack.


    ...


    ''dius, you''re definitely a good teacher, but you seem to havepletely forgotten who you''re dealing with." Blind Sorcerer smirked.


    ''I agree. One hour for something so simple? Are you serious? Ahahahaha. Light Racerughed.


    ''Well... Thest time I trained someone was too long ago...'' dius muttered as he appeared beside them with an awkward look, ''However, there''s no way I could have expected it to happen so quickly, though it''s all for the best anyway.''


    ...


    Wain wanted to get a decent result before two hours passed, so he gave it his all. It was hard for him because he was expending a lot of energy and each time he had to feel exhausted until he regained his strength, but that couldn''t stop him.


    [You repeat the same movement many times in a row!]


    [If you want, this movement can be your skill. Rating and title will be selected automatically.]


    "Well, well, it''s been about an hour and a half..." Wain muttered with a slight smile on his face.


    [You decided to create your own skill!]


    [Since you created this skill, under certain circumstances you can change or enhance it!]


    [A skill has been created - Energy Cut!]


    [Energy Cut (Epic Rating, Fourth Chronicle)


    You have a lot of energy, so you can use it to unleash one powerful, deadly attack that will help you break through any armor.]


    "Not bad. I''ll have to work on making this skill better, but now I have two strong skills." Wain said as he clenched his hand into a fist, "Okay, it''s time to go back."


    Whoooooooosh.<sub> </sub>


    Wain opened the spatial rift, entered it, and found himself in his home.


    He went up to the second floor, looked out the window, and as he saw the receding sun into the sunset muttered, "It''s evening... Even though I''m pretty tired, I don''t want to sleep, so... I guess I should see what''s interesting about the city at night."


    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    Wain headed for the exit, but suddenly someone knocked on the door.


    ''Hmm? Is it Gisle? What does he want?" Wain inwardly muttered in a confused manner, ''No... I''d notice if Guir came here, then who is it...?


    Wain shook his head, walked to the door, and opened it, then his eyes went wide.


    Outside stood a girl of medium height, with shoulder-length crimson-gray hair and green eyes. She was dressed in simple, loose, dark-colored clothing.


    "Hi... Gisle said you were finally back, so I thought I''de to see you." The girl muttered in an awkward manner while twirling a lock of her hair around her finger.


    "Eva..." Wain muttered as his eyes went wide, "Damn... With so much going on, I forgot thest time I even saw you."


    "Huh, don''t worry, it is fine." Eva said in a quiet voice as a slight smile appeared on her face, "Are you going to invite me in, or are you going to stand there like a statue?"


    "Well, I have a better offer." Wain smirked as he walked over to Eva.


    He grabbed her chin as their gazes met and kissed her. Eva was slightly surprised, but like Wain, she had waited a long time for this moment, so she wrapped her arms around his head as though she didn''t want it to end.


    ''Damn... What''s wrong with me? Why do I still keep doing this? Isn''t this already my longest kiss?'' Wain inwardly muttered while holding Eva tightly to him, ''I''ve heard several times before that women are like wine... it takes time for the taste to get better, it seems that to understand this you first have to go through a long separation.''


    Only after a while did their lips move away from each other as silence fell. They just looked into each other''s eyes like they were trying to read their thoughts.


    "What shall we do? Why don''t you tell me what you''ve been up to all this time?" Eva asked while looking into his eyes, "You''ve been gone for months... I know there were reasons for that since I''ve been through a lot too... but I was still worried as hell about you!"


    "I''m d at least one of us did." Wain said with a smirk on his face.


    "What...?!" Eva eximed as she was about to yell at him, but Wain covered her mouth with his finger.


    "Hey, the sun is going down and I''m totally free tonight. How about we spend this evening together walking around town? I''m sure we''ll find a lot to see here." Wain said as he looked ahead.


    Eva frowned, crossed her arms, and mouthed, "Okay, I agree, but as an apology, you''ll pay for the first dinner!"


    "Hahaha, sure." Wain nodded before lifting Eva into his arms.


    "Ah? What are you doing...?" Eva asked in an awkward manner as she blushed.


    "Like what? Going to town." Wain smirked as his hair turned golden.

 Chapter 685 Favorite Dish

    "Well, where shall we go first?" Wain said with a slight smile on his face as white armor appeared on him.


    "Wow... Is that your Form?" Eva uttered in a dazed voice.


    "No, but it looks quite like it." Wain shook his head, then looked her in the eye, "Point the way. You probably know this ce better than I do."


    "Hmm....." Eva pondered as she put her finger to her lips as though she was going over her options, "There have been a lot of restaurants opening in Last Lighttely, but I''d like to go to my favorite. It''s in my hometown, Arkadale."


    "Okay. Guide me. I''ll control my speed so I don''t make trouble, but I''ll still go pretty fast." Wain said while looking ahead.


    "Sure." Eva nodded as she smiled.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Wain stepped forward as he turned into a golden beam. In ten seconds, he was down the mountain and in front of the entrance to Merge Ind.


    Energy fluctuations emanated from him constantly, so as he approached the city a protective barrier appeared.


    ''Shit... I totally forgot about that... Maybe I didn''t worry about it the first time, but breaking down the barriers sure doesn''t do any good.'' Wain inwardly muttered while looking at the blue barrier ahead, ''Well, I can''t stop now.''


    Wain crossed the line, but the barrier didn''t break, instead, a transparent shell appeared on Wain''s and Eva''s bodies for a moment.


    ''Huh, looks like Gisle already took care of that. I wonder how many stealthy things this guy has managed to do in all that time? I''m definitely lucky I met him back then.''


    ...


    Arkadale was a neighboring town to Overion, and since it was between the two cities, it was more developed than Overion. Many more people lived here, there were more than ten skyscrapers in the center, and the infrastructure was constantly growing.


    "Five hundred meters ahead, then turn left and to the main square. At the corner, you''ll see a narrow road, and in the middle will be the ce I told you about." Eva said in a calm voice while pointing ahead.


    "Huh, it hasn''t been more than five minutes since we met, but you''re already pointing me out. Well, okay." Wain muttered as he shook his head.


    "What?! You''re the one who asked me to point the way!" Eva shouted with an angry look as her cheeks puffed up.


    "I''m just kidding." Wain shrugged before stopping.


    Wain canceled the form, lowered Eva to the ground, and looked at the building in front of him.


    It was a small wooden house, rather old, but the owners had made sure the ce looked modern.


    "Green Hat? Don''t tell me this ce is for vegetarians. I like meat, you know?" Wain said with a confused look.


    "No, they serve a lot of different foods here. Before all this happened, I used to go to this restaurant a lot, with my family..." Eva said with a sad look.


    Wain grabbed Eva by the shoulder, pulled her close, and said, "Well, let''s see if their food is still as good, right?"


    "Yeah..." Eva whispered with a slight nod.


    Wain smiled, opened the door, and stepped inside.


    The Green Hat was one of the few restaurants that had managed to survive the monsters, of course, renovations were necessary, but the owners managed to maintain a cozy atmosphere.


    Wain and Erza headed to the corner, there was a small table with a wide sofa on which they sat. A short girl with arge menu in her hands immediately approached them.<sub> </sub>


    "Hello, is this your first time here?" The girl asked with a pleasant smile on her face.


    "Not really." Wain muttered.


    "Good, then when you determine your order, activate the crystal, and I''lle to you." The girl pointed to the white crystal in the center of the table.


    "Sure." Wain nodded.


    The girl left the menu and walked away to the next customers.


    "Even the restaurants have adapted to the new world, it''s amazing." Wain muttered.


    "Yeah. It seems to be quite a popr ce, there are so many people here... it''s like it used to be." Eva uttered while looking at the other visitors.


    There were both ordinary people here and those who had already taken the path of power and revealed their souls, their paths were different, but they were all smiling. No matter how much they had to work every day, they knew it would all soon have an effect as the city was constantly growing and life was getting better.


    "What will you choose?" Wain asked as he pointed to the menu.


    "My favorite dish." Eva smiled as she turned the page.


    There was a drawing of a simple pizza with tomato paste, basil, a few slices of ham, and lots of cheese.


    "Just pizza?" Wain asked with a dazed look.


    "Yeah. Why not? Do you think your favorite dish has to be something special?" Eva frowned.


    "Well... That''s what I always thought." Wain shrugged, "I mean... Everyone loves pizza, but how can it be a favorite dish if you eat it a lot?"


    "Huh, when was thest time you had pizza?" Eva smirked.


    Wain thought for a while, then his eyes went wide.


    "Damn... You''re right, it''s been over a year since thest time I was in a ce like this! With everything that''s happened I''vepletely forgotten what a normal life is like." Wain muttered in a surprised voice.


    "Of course, I''m always right." Eva smiled, "By the way, while we''re on the subject. Wain, what''s your favorite dish?"


    "That''s not an easy question... It''s probablysagna. It''s not very easy but it''s not veryplicated either, it''s tender, juicy, and delicious." Wain said as he waved his hand.


    "Lasagna? Damn, I didn''t expect you to answer that." Eva muttered with a dazed look.


    "Do you?" Wain raised an eyebrow.


    "I thought you were going to say steak or ham or something, you know." Eva said while shaking her head.


    "Huh, okay, let''s order." Wain said with a slight smile on his face before touching the crystal.


    After a while and brought their first course, and before touching the pizza, Eva turned to Wain and said, "Wain, can I ask you something?"


    "What?"


    "Tell me about your past." Eva said with a serious look.

 Chapter 686 The Past

    "Hmm? Haven''t we had this conversation before?" Wain asked as he plunged his fork into thesagna.


    "Well... You''re right, but not quite. I spent hours telling you about my life before the souls, then you started talking about yourself, but it wasn''t more than a couple of minutes, and you kept walking away from the important questions!" Eva eximed as she pped the table.


    Wain looked at her for a while, as though he was thinking whether to agree or not, then he picked up a knife, cut off a piece, and said, "No. I don''t want to talk about it."


    "What...?!" Eva eximed with an angry look.


    Wain didn''t react, he just put a piece ofsagna in his mouth and began to chew it slowly, enjoying the taste.


    "Damn, thissagna is pretty good. Good for you for bringing us here, you definitely have a preference." Wain said in a serious voice while swinging his fork down and up.


    "Please... Tell me about your past..." Eva muttered with folded palms together.


    Her eyes widened as she looked at Wain with a pitying look. Eva looked like she was ready to cry at any moment, something no one could resist.


    "No. That doesn''t make sense." Wain shrugged before continuing to eat.


    As Eva heard it her face instantly came back to normal, then her eyes became sharp as des and her aura intensified. Her hand turned into a blur as she grabbed Wain by the chin and with a deadly look said, "Bitch either you tell me about your past now or I''ll make you say it, I fucking swear."


    "Well, well, decided to use your other trick?" Wain smirked, "Okay, it sounds like it''s really important to you, but don''t get your hopes up for much, my story isn''t particrly interesting."


    Eva calmed down as she muttered, "It''s not that critical. The most important thing for me is to learn more about you, I can''t keep guessing forever, you know?"


    "Ah... Then we''ll definitely need a bottle of wine." Wain said while shaking his head before calling for a waiter.


    ...


    There was a bottle of wine and two filled sses in front of them, but Eva didn''t touch it as she waited for Wain to start his story.


    "I don''t really like to talk about myself and especially about my past, so consider it an exclusive." Wain said before taking a sip.


    "Hmm? Was your life before the apocalypse that bad?" Eva asked with a worried look.


    "No, or rather I''m not sure anymore. I''ve thought about the past several times, and every time I keep having this strange feeling that gets stronger and clearer each time." Wain muttered in an uncertain voice.<sub> </sub>


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?" Eva asked while in confusion.


    "Maybe it''s a psychological trick or the tricky workings of our brains, but it seems to me like it wasn''t very real. I mean, it''s been life with its problems and aplishments, but only now do I feel really alive." Wain uttered with a thoughtful look while staring at the wine in her ss.


    "I don''t know what your life was like, but there definitely weren''t any dangers in the form of monsters and different races and territories before, right? I could say that I feel the same way because now my life is much brighter than before because there are more opportunities, but it''s much more dangerous." Eva said in a serious manner.


    "Well, you''re probably right, but I still can''t shake this feeling... Everything happened too abruptly... Once I got my soul and was in this world, it was like everything fell into ce." Wain muttered.


    He thought about it so he didn''t notice how wide Eva''s eyes were open. Her jaw practically dropped to the ground as if she''d heard something incredible.


    "Wain... Did youe from another world?" Eva whispered so that no one but Wain could hear her.


    "Shit..." Wain pped his palm on his forehead, "I guess it''s toote to try to hide it somehow, isn''t it?"


    "Yeah... I don''t even know what to say... I''m just in shock, but for some reason, it doesn''t sound like something incredible right now. I''m too used to Voids and portals and the other stuff like that." Eva muttered while shaking her head.


    "Something like the apocalypse happened in my home world too, so I ended up alone, I should have died, but I was transported to this world, that''s all I can say about that." Wain uttered as he shrugged in a careless manner.


    "I see... Well, I hope someday you find out why it happened." Eva spoke in a quiet voice.


    "Yes... I too. It would make my life easier, or at least clearer." Wain said as he took a sip of wine.


    "I wasn''t expecting to hear that, but we''ve strayed away from the main topic again. Tell me, I want to know about your past." Eva said with a serious look.


    "Sure. My childhood was not easy, I would even say it was terrible. I was born in a slum and the first thing I remember is someone throwing me a dry piece of bread, it was dirty and dusty, but I pounced on it like a dog." Wain uttered in a calm voice as his eyes grew cold as ciers.


    "Oh damn... What about your parents?" Eva asked in a worried manner as she took his hand.


    "I don''t know. I never saw them, and no matter how many times I tried to find out how I ended up in the slums, I got nothing, it was like they never existed." Wain said as he waved his hand, "Honestly, though, I don''t care. I don''t want anything to do with the bastards that threw their kid, in the trash. They''re the worst of the worst and there''s no excuse for them."


    There was silence for a while. Eva wondered if her parents had died during the apocalypse that was a tragedy for her, but that day she realized that some did not have parents on their first day in the world, on the most difficult and terrible day.

 Chapter 687 Doubts

    "Wain... What happened next? What did you do in your world?" Eva asked with a curious look.


    "Hmm... The same thing I''m doing now. I fought and killed. My life wasplicated, but not particrly interesting." Wain shrugged in a calm manner, "I was able to get out of the slums, but I didn''t escape, I became a winner, then I gathered allies around me and gradually built up my strength to move on."


    "What...? Aren''t you the kind of person who doesn''t like to lead? That''s why Gisle is the leader of Last Light, not you, isn''t it?" Eva uttered while in confusion.


    Wain was silent for a while, then he took a sip of wine and said, "Yeah, but I was a teenager then. My reluctance to lead others has to do with not the fondest of memories..."


    "Tell me more about that, please!" Eva eximed with a pitying look.


    "Ah... okay. My world was a little different, as the most important thing for everyone was power. Organizations ran the economy, resources of countries, and so on, so whoever was in charge of the organization owned it all. You could only get to the top if you were stronger." Wain muttered in a slow voice, "In the beginning my organization was fine, butter something happened that made me not want to lead anyone else."


    "Well, your world was different from this one before the apocalypse... Money and politics were the most important things here, though now almost nothing has changed, just added power to that form." Eva muttered while tearing off a piece of pizza, "What happened to your organization? Did you have a bad experience?"


    "No, not really." Wain shook his head, "Everything was going well, it''s even surprised how much. My organization became the strongest in the whole world, but it wasn''t because of my leadership skills, other people were doing it. In the beginning, I wanted to be like Gisle, but when a few of my mates died, I decided I''d had enough."


    Wain''s face darkened as his eyes became cold as ice. Eva could see that this was a difficult subject for Wain, but she didn''t want it to be an eternal stigma for him.


    "If everything in your world was decided by force, it had to happen at some point anyway. No matter how strong an army is, it is impossible that in a few battles none of the fighters die, so you must not me yourself for that. I''m sure you fought to the best of your ability and did everything you could to reduce such incidents to a minimum." Eva said with a serious look as she put her hand on Wain''s shoulder.


    "Huh, maybe you''re right, but I don''t want to take responsibility for anyone else." Wain uttered before removing Eva''s hand.


    "When I fight, even if I die, I''ll know that it''s only my fault and no one else''s. However, if I send people on a mission and they die, it will be my fault, because I sent them to fight, I told them to do it, so I was the one who sent them to their death. I''ve been through it a few times and it will never happen again." Wain said with an ice-cold look as he clenched his ss.


    Crackle.<sub> </sub>


    The ss cracked as the stem fell off of it, that fell on the table, and rolled to the floor.


    "Damn... Good thing I didn''t spill any wine." Wain muttered as he finished the contents of his ss and set it aside.


    "Ah... Wain, you''re even better than I thought you''d be." Eva said with a slight smile on her face.


    "Hmm? Were you even listening to me? Do you think I should have kept sacrificing my people? If they want to follow me, that''s their right, but I''ll never make anyone fight in my ce again. I have killed hundreds of men in my life and will continue to do so, but that only concerns my enemies, not my allies." Wain uttered with a deadly serious look.


    Eva smiled, looked at the visitors of the Green Hat, and said, "Look at all these people. A year ago they were terrified and didn''t know if they could live to see another day, but now here they are, sitting at the table and eating while talking about something. This all happened under Gisle, he''s the leader of Last Light from the beginning until now."


    Eva continued, "You and I are not stupid people, so we understand that all these cities, economies, living standards, allies, and other stuff were literally built on bones and flesh. There are thousands of bodies buried in thesends and even right now someone is fighting."


    "Yes, your words make sense, but Gisle doesn''t care about any particr person, he doesn''t care about people. His goal is to make Last Light great and he''s doing a great job with that. I''m sure he uses every method to do it, even the worst ones." Wain said as he waved as though Eva had said the obvious.


    Eva nodded as a sly smile appeared on her face, "You''re right, but do they hate Gisle for that? Does the fact that hundreds of humans have died in battle make him a bad leader?"


    "Of course not, and he understands that. These people used to have hope that Gisle would make their lives better, despite all the sacrifice, but now they have full confidence that if they keep going with Last Light, every day will be easier for them, their friends, and their family." Eva said in a confident manner.


    She took a bite of pizza, took a sip of wine, and said, "Gisle will always be the leader of Last Light, but you are the strongest I know, so I hope that in case of danger you will protect us. However, always remember that there are quite a few people here that are willing to die in battle with you. Also, you have a Void that depends entirely on you."


    Wain wanted to say something, but Eva beat him to it.


    "Will you stop thinking about what happened years ago? How can you be the strongest if you can''t even ovee your doubts? Just let the others go after you, again." Eva uttered while looking directly into his eyes.

 Chapter 688 Night

    Wain and Eva walked out of Green Hat. Wain was still silent; he hadn''t said a word since then. At the same time, Eva waited patiently for Wain to process what had happened as she realized that it was something very important to him that had appeared at the beginning of his path.


    "Ah... Looks like we''ve been here long enough." Wain muttered as he looked up.


    They arrived in the city at sunset, but it was already night and the streets of the city were lit by the lights in the tallnterns. In the sky was the biggestmp, the massive blue moon that was especially bright tonight.


    "Yeah. Where do we go next?" Eva asked as she took Wain''s hand and snuggled up to him.


    Wain didn''t answer, he just continued to stare at the moon and said, "Thank you. In the pursuit of power, Ipletely forgot that I needed to deal with my own problems first."


    Eva smiled as she murmured, "There''s a coffee shop near here that makes incredible cheesecakes, do you mind?"


    "Sure." Wain nodded as he hugged Eva as though her most precious treasure.


    ''Damn... I''m usually the one who gets listened to, not the other way around, but it was definitely worth it.'' Eva inwardly muttered while a wide smile spread across her face.


    ...


    After a while, Wain and Eva were sitting at a small round table with two sses of coffee and two slices of perfect cheesecake.


    "I''m so d there are so many ces open around the clock. It''s very convenient, isn''t it?" Eva asked as she took a slice of cheesecake with her spoon.


    "Yeah. Honestly, it''s unbelievable... I had a deadly fight recently and now I''m here drinking coffee, it''s weird, but it''s nice to have a ce in this world where you can rx, just like before." Wain muttered while drinking his coffee.


    "Gisle has a talent for finding the right people, they do all the grunt work for him and turn cities into ces where you want to live." Eva said with a slight smile on her face.


    "Hmm? Why did you decide to mention that?" Wain asked as he raised an eyebrow.


    "Well, this town is run by Va, she''s in charge here, and as her assistants put all her energy into developing Arkadale. Since this is my hometown I have sometimes offered to help and then I realized that thanks to people like this many people are starting to enjoy their new life, me included..." Eva uttered while swinging her spoon from side to side with a thoughtful look.


    ''Right... For her, the apocalypse was a real tragedy, and she''s not the only one.'' Wain inwardly muttered as he looked at the people that despite everything that had happened kept smiling, ''Shit... Now I feel like a piece of shit. I have to pull myself together right away.''


    ...


    For the next few hours, Wain and Eva walked around the city at night, chatting and visiting various ces to rx. Eventually, they went to a hill near Arkadale to watch the night sky in silence.


    "Wain, what are you nning next?" Eva asked as she rested her head on his shoulder.


    "Hmm? The same thing I''m doing now. I have a lot of things ahead of me that need to be aplished, and I need to get stronger to know the answers to a lot of questions." Wain said while looking up at the starry sky.<sub> </sub>


    "Is that all you need strength for?" Eva muttered in a quiet voice.


    "Well, maybe now I need the power to protect those I care about, but until I uncover all the secrets that surround me, I won''t be able to rest." Wain said with a serious look.


    "Sure, but then what? I mean... What are you going to do when you reach the Fifth Chronicle and know all the answers?" Eva asked as she pressed herself harder against him.


    "Hmm... I don''t know, if there''s no more reason to fight, I''ll probably take a leave of absence, but it''s too early to tell. Do you have any suggestions?" Wain said as he turned to Eva.


    Eva''s eyes widened as she turned away as if she were trying to hide something from Wain.


    ''What kind of reaction is that? Did I say something wrong?" Wain muttered inwardly while in confusion.


    ...


    "In a couple of hours the night will be over, will we continue to sit here or will we visit some other ces?" Wain asked as he looked at the cities, "I have to go somewhere tomorrow with Gisle, so we don''t have much time left."


    "Huh, we just met, but you''re already running away from me? Don''t you love me?" Eva said with a slight smile on her face.


    "Well, it''s not my fault." Wain shrugged as he waved his hand, "What shall we do?"


    Eva did not answer instantly as she stood in front of Wain, leaned over, and her eyes changed. She looked at Wain as though a hawk were staring at its prey.


    She grabbed his chin as her nails dug into his skin and said, "I''m really d we had this nice talk, but I haven''t had sex in a hell of a long time, I''m a faithful woman, you know? Don''t you want to fuck me?!"


    "Huh, of course, I am." Wain smirked as his hands turned into a blur.


    He lifted Eva, looked forward, and asked, "Shall we try the bed in my house?"


    Whoooooosh.


    Wain''s hair glowed, turning golden, but suddenly Eva stopped him.


    "I have a better option." Eva smiled in a devious manner before waving her hand.


    A space gap appeared next to them, which gradually turned into boundless darkness with only one way out.


    Ahead was a high gate, the left side of which was covered in a thickyer of ash that as though snowkes were flying apart. The right side was dark and bloody as scarlet streams like veins were flowing down and slowly heading toward their mistress.

 Chapter 689 The Way

    On the huge bedy a naked man and a woman as the sunlight that came through the wide window hit the man''s face.


    Wain frowned, slowly opened his eyes, and rose up.


    "Damn... I hadpletely forgotten how crazy Eva can be..." Wain uttered while looking around.


    Wain''s back was covered with many scratches as the room was like a battlefield. Tables were broken, vases had been smashed, and several paintings had somehow ended up partially in the walls.


    "If I hadn''t been involved myself, I''d have thought someone had attacked Eva... Well, it was the best night of my life anyway." Wain smirked, got out of bed, and headed for the window.


    They were in Eva''s Void, on top of a tower that was next to an ashy hill and a forest.


    "Damn, this ce looks magical. Her Void was far more beautiful than I had imagined." Wain uttered with a slight smile on his face.


    Some of the ash flew from the tall trees and was blown in all directions by the wind. Some of them ended up on the wooden houses beside the hill while others decorated a bloody flowers field.


    Crackle.


    Something fell off the bed and a disgruntled muttering sounded, "Fuck... It''s definitely not a good morning..."


    "Oh, you''re up already? I thought you''d be asleep by lunchtime." Wain said in a curious manner.


    "Huh, no... I don''t want to go near that bed again, at least not now." Eva uttered while shaking her head.


    She headed over to Wain, snuggled up against his back, and said in a sweet voice, "What should we do? Shall we continue somewhere else, or just have breakfast?"


    "Hey, wasn''t that enough for you." Wain smirked as he turned to her, "We both need to eat, then I need to meet Gisle, you know that."


    "Yeah, sure." Eva nodded.


    ...


    Wain spent a few more hours with Eva, then it was time to say goodbye.


    "When are youing back next time?" Eva asked with a worried look while standing next to the portal.


    "I don''t know, but I definitely won''t be gone that long this time, I promise." Wain said with a serious look as he took her hand.


    "Uhum, here, take this." Eva said as a red-gray coin appeared in her hand.


    "Thank you, but I have a present for you too." Wain uttered before putting the dark coin in her hand, "You cane to my Void anytime. I don''t know if I''ll be there then, but you''ll certainly get a good wee."


    "Sure. I''ll be sure to stop by..." Eva muttered with a slightly sad look as she didn''t want to separate.


    "Bye." Wain muttered, kissed her, and jumped into the portal.


    ...


    <o>,m Whooooooooosh.</o>


    A spatial rift appeared on the hill, and a tall man in a dark, long cloak emerged from it.


    ''Hehehe, Wain, I didn''t know you liked women like that. She really is special.'' dius uttered in a sneering voice.


    ''Yeah. I thought my feelings would cool down because of the long break, but I waspletely wrong, and that''s a good thing. By the way... You''re the sword of the Nameless King, so you must know if he had a girlfriend or a wife, right?'' Wain asked.


    dius was silent for a while as though Wain''s question had stumped him.


    ''Um... I''m not sure I can answer that question...'' dius muttered in a strange voice.<sub> </sub>


    ''What? Why? What would happen if I found out? What''s the problem?'' Wain frowned.


    ''I''ve done it.'' dius uttered as he disappeared.


    "Damn, instead of helping me, he just ran away. Okay, that''s not what I have to worry about right now." Wain uttered as he stepped forward.


    His hair turned golden, his eyes amber, and he turned into a golden sh that headed toward Merge Ind.


    ...


    Whoooooosh.


    A powerful stream of wind blew sheets of paper off the table that flew past Gisle''s face.


    "Oh, you finally made it. I thought we''d leave in the morning, but it''s almost lunchtime. Where have you been for so long?" Gisle smiled as he turned to Wain that stood behind his chair.


    "Well, I''m a littlete, it''s no big deal." Wain shrugged as he put his hand on the back of his chair, "Are you ready? Human World is waiting for you, leader of the humans, but in another world."


    "Sure. We can leave right now." Gisle said with a slight smile on his face while twirling the pen between his fingers.


    Wain nodded as he raised his hand to open the portal.


    Crackle.


    Suddenly there was a loud bang from the next room as the wooden door nearly flew out of the opening.


    "What the hell is going on in there?" Wain muttered with a confused look.


    "Hahaha, looks like someone is getting some serious training. Let''s go see, it''s pretty funny." Gisle smiled as he headed for the door.


    Click.


    Gisle opened the door and a torrent of darkness burst out that made his hair flutter.


    "Shit! Why can''t I win you?! Just once!" Zero eximed with an angry look as she pped the table with all her might.


    Tremble.


    It was a simple wooden table, so it couldn''t withstand the force of Zero''s blow, but suddenly a white shell appeared on its surface thatpletely absorbed all the damage.


    "Ahahahaha, Zero, you need to learn to control yourself better. You''ve only lost a few hundred times, this is just the beginning." Kadridasughed before snapping his finger.


    Whoooooooh.


    Strings of energy headed toward the chess pieces that set them in their ces, so in a few seconds, they were ready to begin again.


    "Well, well, don''t you have any pity for a simple girl?" Gisle said while standing against the wall with his arms crossed.


    "Oh, you''re here, you want to watch us y?" Kadridas smiled as he looked at Zero.


    She was angry and her cheeks were heavily puffed as though she could explode at any moment, but the desire to win was evident in her eyes.


    "No. We''re leaving." Wain uttered with a calm look, "But, I''d let the neer win at least once."


    "Fine, maybe I''ll take your advice." Kadridas smirked while staring intently at Wain as though through him.

 Chapter 690 Encounter

    Wain and Gisle were in a spatial rift as there was only boundless darkness around them.


    "Huh, that''s amazing, I can''t even remember thest time I was this nervous." Gisle uttered in an excited manner.


    "Well, I hope all goes well. Aurora is the only one of the Fifth Chronicle who can help us in the event of an attack." Wain said as his ring glowed.


    A purple amulet with Aurora''s symbol appeared in his hand. Human World was not Void, for it was a separate space that did not obey the rules of the World of Darkness, but was connected to it, so to get there he needed something special.


    Wain closed his eyes, squeezed the amulet, and released his energy. The dark currents mixed with the purple ones that emanated from the amulet and gradually turned into a narrow passage, just a big crack.


    "Damn... That''s not even a gateway, that''s a real portal. Ah, if we could separate from the world too, it would be incredible. Only with security could we n for development without the distraction of constant external problems." Gisle uttered while shaking her head in a frustrated manner.


    "Going forward. Last Light has grown considerably in these few months, but it''s time for you to see where it''s worth striving for." Wain said as he approached the portal.


    "Ah? You know that developing cities are moreplex than winning a few battles, right? It takes the efforts of thousands of people to make that kind of progress." Gisle uttered as he spread his arms apart.


    "Maybe you''re right, but in order for those thousands of people to have that opportunity, someone strong has to win a few battles first. In this case, strength provides the most valuable resource that cannot be obtained any other way - time." Wain said with a serious look before entering the portal.


    "Damn... Is it just me, or has he finally taken an interest in the development of Last Light? His words make sense. Well, I hope this trend continues." Gisle smiled as he followed Wain.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    They found themselves on a massive stone tform overlooking the hills and mountains in the distance.


    "What...? What is this?" Gisle muttered with a dazed look while staring at the magical circle below him.


    "A portal. There are quite a few here." Wain said in a calm voice.


    "Yeah... It would be nice if we could set one up in Last Light, it would help us a lot." Gisle uttered as he looked up, then he was petrified.


    He was stunned by the sight of the huge city in the center was a huge statue of a man in a long cloak and a crown on his head.


    "No way... This ce has been here all this time...?" Gisle muttered while in disbelief, "Wain, damn it, you should havee running to Last Light as soon as you heard about this."


    The portal that they used was special, it could only be used by people of supreme power, each arrival must be announced in advance, so now the guards headed toward them with menacing auras.


    "Who are you?" One of them asked as his spear covered in scarlet me.


    "Oh, he''s in Third Chronicle, right? That''s not bad. Looks like they''re not only ahead of us in development, but they''re way ahead of us in strength." Gisle said with a curious look while examining the man as though he were a useful resource.


    ''Shit... This guy hasn''t released his aura yet, but his look is so creepy... You can''t expect anything good from those two.'' The guard muttered inwardly as he shuddered and prepared for battle.<sub> </sub>


    However, after a few seconds, all tension vanished as Wain showed them the purple amulet. The eyes of all the guards opened wide as they could not believe what they were seeing.


    ? "Stay calm, we came here because we have the right to do so." Wain said in a confident manner before stepping forward.


    As Wain''s foot touched the ground waves of dark energy departed from him that as though ghosts wrapped around him like a veil.


    "This amulet was given to me by Aurora, though you should have known that by now." Wain eximed with an ice-cold look.


    The guards immediately put their weapons aside, calmed their auras, and leaned in a guilty manner.


    "I''m sorry, we didn''t know someone so important wasing today. May I have your name and that of your friend?" The head of the guards said in a respectful way.


    "Wain Norheim and Gisle Enge." Wain said as he pointed at Gisle.


    "It can''t be... It''s you... Miss Aurora asked me to bring you to her as soon as you showed up." The guard muttered while in disbelief.


    "Fine. That''s what''s needed. Go ahead, show the way." Wain nodded.


    ...


    They headed down the long corridor toward the main room in the castle, Aurora''s chambers.


    The guards were excited by Wain''s appearance as they longed to see him, but they had a very different attitude toward Gisle. He was a stranger that evoked no confidence, only anxiety and a strange sense of danger.


    "Here, Miss Aurora is expecting you." The sentinel said as he pointed to the tall doors that were more like gates, "It was an honor to meet you."


    "Sure." Wain said briefly.


    "Well, well, it looks like everyone here knows you." Gisle said with a sly smile on his face.


    "Yeah... Aurora did something I didn''t want to do, but it could hardly have been avoided." Wain sighed.


    "This castle is so damn big, now I might getplexes. I need to erge my own right away." Gisle muttered while looking around.


    "Okay, it''s time for you two to finally meet. As strange as it sounds, today should be a great day for all mankind." Wain said with a serious look before opening the gate.


    In the center of the room, at arge table sat a woman with long ck hair while her amethyst eyes stared intently in their direction.


    "Wain... You''re finally back, and it looks like you brought someone curious..." Aurora muttered.

 Chapter 691 Conflict?

    "Hey, you have a great castle, it looks like your ego is as big as it is, doesn''t it?" Gisle said in an arrogant manner while heading toward Aurora.


    "Hmm? Watch your words, this castle is one of the great treasures of the Human World." Aurora uttered with a serious look, "Wain, who is this insolent fellow?"


    "That''s Gisle, I''ve already told you about him. We came to see you because we have business with you." Wain said in a calm voice as he closed the door.


    They sat across from Aurora, in two massive chairs, and looked at her intently, especially Gisle.


    "Ah... Are you Gisle... Is a brat like you the leader of the people in the World of Destiny? That''s pretty sad." Aurora muttered with a disappointed look.


    Wain remained silent, he decided to leave it to Gisle as it was his battleground in which he was better than the others.


    "Are you sure about that?" Gisle grinned, "Wain is only a few years older than me, but you believe in him maybe even more than you believe in yourself."


    "Pfff, don''tpare yourself to Wain, he is the heir of the Nameless King, it is his destiny to one day be the ruler of all the humans, there can be no other way." Aurora uttered in a confident manner as she nced at Wain.


    ''Destiny, right? Damn... I don''t like the sound of that at all." Wain muttered inwardly as his aura intensified without his knowledge.


    However, neither Gisle nor even Aurora noticed this because the aura emanated from Wain''s soul that as though responding to his feelings began to tremble.


    "Well, you can''t judge whether I''m doing a good job or not, since you haven''t seen what Last Light has been able to aplish in thest few months and we haven''t revealed ourselves to the world yet." Gisle said while tapping his finger on the table.


    "Hmm? Are you still in hiding? Looks like you''re not as stupid as I thought, but you should keep doing it. Arkans will attack you as soon as they realize how many of the humans are in one ce." Aurora said in a serious voice.


    "Huh, we know about that, but we can''t hide forever, it''s impossible. That''s one of the reasons we came to you." Gisle muttered in a calm manner.


    "What are you talking about? There''s no way you can handle a few Fifth Chronicle Arkans, they''re insanely strong." Aurora frowned as she crossed her arms, then her eyes went wide, "Don''t tell me you came here for this...?"


    "Yeah. You''re very strong, that''s a fact, so if you agree to help us in case of an attack it will keep us safe. I know it may be sudden, but you can''t refuse such a request to the other humans who have no one in the Fifth Chronicle, right?" Gisle said as a devious smile appeared on his face.


    ''Bastard...'' Aurora muttered inwardly as she clenched her hand into a fist.


    ''Okay, see what you can tell me about that.'' She thought.<sub> </sub>


    After a few seconds, she sighed and said, "Well, you''re right, but what''s the point of me helping you? I mean, there are tens of thousands of you out there, so alone I can''t protect you all anyway."


    Aurora turned around, pointed at the city, and said, "If you move all the people here, you''ll be perfectly safe. I promise to find a home for every inhabitant. This is the best option that we, the humans, have."


    p "Oh, thank you for such a pleasant offer I appreciate it, but it''s not necessary, I don''t want to strain your system so much." Gisle shook his head with a slight smirk on his face, "I realize you can''t do this alone, but we''ve already thought this through. Besides you, we have another Fifth Chronicle defender."</anda>


    "Hmm? Who''s that?" Aurora frowned, "You can''t trust anyone but the other humans. If one of the Pirs offers you that kind of help, you''d better refuse."


    "No, it''s all right. It''s not one of the Pirs, but it''s not a human either, it''s a Dragon!" Gisle eximed as he waved his hand.


    "What...? A Dragon? How is that possible...?" Aurora muttered while in disbelief.


    "We''ve seen him once before." Wain said in a calm voice, "This is Kadridas. He gave his word that he would protect us if we were attacked by Arkans."


    "Fuck... Looks like you''ve prepared for this conversation..." Aurora muttered.


    "Yeah. If you and Kadridas defend Last Light, even if someone wants to attack us, you can hold off the enemies until other Dragonse to help. They are defenders of the world, after all." Gisle said in a calm voice as he shrugged.


    "Argh... Damn, you''re a pretty risky guy, you know? You''re only in the Fourth Chronicle, but you''re trying to build a defense against Fifth Chronicle Arkans... Well, you''re pretty good at it." Aurora uttered while shaking her head.


    "So, that means you agree, right?" Gisle asked as he looked intently at Aurora.


    "Yes. Like I have any other choice. We''re all humans, so I can''t help but help you, especially when Wain and you, their leader, ask for it." Aurora muttered with a calm look.


    "Fine. Then I want to make a contract." Gisle said as a magical scroll with various runes appeared in his hand.


    "What...? You don''t trust me? Why the hell are you so suspicious? Can I have any reason to deceive you?" Aurora frowned as her aura intensified.


    "Well, until you heard that Kadridas was helping us you tried to move Last Light here, but I just met you, so I can''t trust you, yet." Gisle said with a serious look as he put the scroll on the table.


    Aurora was stunned for a while, then she took the scroll in her hands and with a slight smile on her face said, "Asshole, you know exactly what you''re doing. All right, so be it."

 Chapter 692 The Trial

    Aurora and Gisle signed the scroll as she vowed to protect Last Light in the event of an Arkans attack.


    She handed the scroll to Gisle and said, "Looks like your mission is already aplished. What now? Will you return home?"


    "Well, I actually have a lot of work that needs to be done, but do you really think I came here just to get your protection?" Gisle uttered with a sly smile on his face.


    "Hmm?" Aurora raised her eyebrows, "If you want to walk around town, go ahead. I think you can learn a lot. Anyway, you''re still too young to be a good ruler."


    "Huh, you truly are arrogant, though it''s not for me to say." Gisle chuckled while shaking his head, "I will definitely do that, but a littleter."


    Gisle looked at Aurora as his eyes became as cold as ciers, "I don''t care how you treat me, I don''t have to be your friend, but we should be allies. That''s what I want to discuss with you. Human World and Last Light should make a connection, just this city will be enough."


    Aurora was silent for a while as she stared intently at Gisle as if trying to see something.


    ''Damn, this guy is serious, looks like the humans in the World of Destiny have a decent leader.'' Aurora internally muttered as she looked at Wain, ''Maybe it was luck, but he definitely has a talent for surrounding himself with unique people as this isn''t the first time it''s happened.''


    "So, what do you think?" Gisle asked as he put his fingertips together in a thoughtful manner.


    "I don''t mind since my main goal has always been to help the humans, at the moment I am their leader, so I have to live up to their expectations, however, I''m still not sure about you." Aurora said with a serious look.


    "Hmm? Why? Don''t tell me it''s because of my age, is it?" Gisle asked as he raised an eyebrow.


    "No. It''s not that. You may be pretty good at negotiating, but I can''t talk to you as an equal, so I want you to prove yourself worthy of it." Aurora uttered in a confident voice as she waved her hand.


    "Hmm? In what way? If you want to see me run Last Light, we can do it right now." Gisle uttered while in confusion.


    "That won''t be necessary, I''m sure you''re good with it. I want to test how strong you are. You are a leader, so besides being able to negotiate, you must also inspire your men with your great power. If you''re weak, you''re nothing more than a clerk, in which case there''s nothing to talk about." Aurora said as she released some of her energy.


    Purple streams of energy moved away from her body and filled the entire space. It looked like a boundless sea of power and majesty.


    Crackle.


    Suddenly there were electric discharges that turned into several lightning spears. They had enormous power as they made space begin to warp.


    ''Shit... I hadpletely forgotten how strong Aurora really is, but... somehow now it doesn''t seem like something unattainable, on the contrary, it feels like I will reach the same level soon.'' Wain muttered inwardly with a dazed look.<sub> </sub>


    Whoooooosh.


    Aurora shook her finger as all spears headed toward Gisle with tremendous speed. He didn''t have more than a second to react to this attack, but he didn''t do anything, just continued to sit in his chair.


    "Oh, not bad. At least you''re not a coward, that''s good enough." Aurora said in a calm voice as she stopped the lightning spears right at his head.


    Gisle raised his head, looked at the spears that hung above him as though Sword of Damocles, and muttered, "Well, you''re wrong. I was scared as hell as I got goosebumps all over my body, and your obvious murderous intent made my heart ache with fear. For a moment I even thought death was near."


    "Hmm? Why didn''t you try to dodge or defend yourself then?" Aurora asked with a confused look before dispelling the spears.


    "Huh, it''s simple, I knew you wouldn''t kill me. It''s just impossible since it doesn''t make any sense." Gisle said with a slight smile on his face as he shrugged.


    "Tsk. Was your faith in this so great? Then why did you think I would kill you, even if only for a moment?" Aurora frowned.


    "Well, I''m just too smart to trust my brain at times like this." Gisle grinned as he stared at Aurora, "I passed your test? Can we discuss the alliance now?"


    "No. That was only the first stage. I want you to fight someone and win." Aurora said with a serious look.


    "Is that really necessary?" Wain asked as he nced at Aurora, "Maybe Gisle isn''t as strong as me, but he''s definitely one of the strongest in Last Light, given that he spends most of his time developing the city, not fighting."


    "Ah, determined to protect him? I didn''t expect you to do that." Aurora grinned, "Well, I''m still not changing my mind. I want him to beat this person."


    She got up, headed for the exit, and said, "Come on. Wain, you''re definitely going to love this fight. Don''t you want to see what your friends were able to aplish?"


    "Friends?" Wain muttered while in confusion, then his eyes widened, "Are you talking about...?"


    "Yeah. Ern, Erza, s, and the girl that Ern brought here recently, I think her name is Alice, if I''m not mistaken." Aurora muttered with a thoughtful look.


    ''Alice is here? That''s right, I wanted to talk to her. If I want to better understand what''s going on here I need to know more about her world...'' Wain muttered inwardly while holding his chin.


    Crackle.


    Gisle got up from his chair and headed toward Aurora, ''Well, I don''t mind. It''s even a little insulting that you think I can''t handle a few fighters."

 Chapter 693 Fighting

    Wain, Gisle, and Aurora went to the training ground that was located in the two castles. It was a vast field that was enclosed by a solid stone wall.


    "Gisle, you look as if you''repletely confident of your victory, however, I don''t feel your aura." Aurora uttered as she approached the entrance to the training area.


    "Well, I''m just too good at hiding it. Go ahead, show me who my opponent will be. If it''s not Wain, I''ll win with easily." Gisle said in a careless manner as he waved his hand.


    "Huh, you''re pretty damn arrogant. I hope you live up to my expectations, otherwise, I''ll be very disappointed." Aurora grinned as she opened the doors.


    Whoooooosh.


    At the same time, there was a powerful current of wind with particles of dark and golden energy. There was a thumping sound that caused shock waves that made the ground shake slightly, all this was the consequence of the battle between the two fighters.


    "Ahahahahaha, good, you''re not bad. Alice, go for it! You can do so much more!" s eximed with an excited smile on his face before turning into a golden beam.


    Bam.


    His fist came down on Alice with incredible speed, Alice didn''t even turn in his direction, but not because she didn''t see it, it just wasn''t necessary.


    Her pupils narrowed as she instinctively swung her scythe, exactly so that the de reflected the attack andpletely absorbed all the energy.


    "Nice, now give him back his power, doubled in size." Dormant Stalker uttered in an ice-cold voice as his de burst into golden me.


    "Sure." Alice whispered with a slight nod as she stepped forward.


    Alice''s hands became a blur as the dark-gold de headed toward s, slicing through everything in its path.


    s'' pupils narrowed as he lunged forward with his spear. The de sliced Alice''s attack in two as the tip was at her face, but suddenly her silhouette turned to darkness as she momentarily found herself behind s.


    "This is the end." Alice uttered while her scythe was headed toward s'' neck.


    He tried to step back as golden streams of wind appeared beside him, but viscous as tar darkness bound his legs.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    s unleashed most of his aura and a powerful burst of energy threw Alice to the other end of the arena as her back mmed into the stone wall.


    "Ahahahaha, you had to raise your strength to deal with Alice, I consider that a defeat for you." Ern eximed as he headed toward Alice.


    "Damn, she''s in Third Chronicle, but her skills are incredible... Why is she so strong?" s muttered while in disbelief.


    "Hah, you''re just overconfident. You men always think women are weak." Erza said with crossed arms.


    ? ''You''re thest one who should be talking about gender discrimination...'' s muttered inwardly.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Aurora stepped forward and everyone turned their attention to her, then their eyes went wide as they saw Wain with Gisle.


    "Wain?!" Erza eximed with a dazed look.


    "Yeah. It''s been a long time, hasn''t it?" Wain said with a slight smile on his face.


    "Damn... You always show up unexpectedly." Ern muttered while helping Alice to her feet.


    "Wain... Shit, how could I lose." Alice uttered as she puffed her cheeks.<sub> </sub>


    "Oh, hi." s smiled as he waved, then he stared at Gisle, "Who''s that with you?"


    Wain smirked, pointed at Gisle, and said, "Let me introduce you to the leader of the humans in World of Destiny, Gisle Enge."


    "Hey." Gisle said with a calm look as he nodded his head.


    ''Huh, what a strange guy. He''s rxed, but for some reason, I feel like if I go near him, I''m dead.'' Ern inwardly muttered while holding his chin.


    "Why did youe?" Erza asked as she raised an eyebrow.


    "We had a serious talk, but so we can go on from here I want Gisle to defeat some of you." Aurora said in a careless manner with a wave of her hand.


    "Hmm? I''m ready!" Ern eximed as he unleashed his aura.


    Dark blue streams of energy came away from him that made the air beside him distort as his eyes became as deep as the ocean.


    "Let''s go! Apparently, you''re pretty damn strong, since Wain introduced you like that. I''m all in anticipation!" Ern said with an excited smile on his face.


    "Well, if that''s what Ern wants, I won''t get in his way." s said as he stepped aside.


    "Uhum." Alice nodded.


    "Stop." Aurora said in a serious voice as she extended her hand, "I have a better idea. Gisle, it was my will for you to fight, so I''m letting you choose your own opponent."


    "What...?" Ern muttered with a disappointed look, "Hey! Pick me! I''m ready!"


    "Well, well, how interesting... A demon, an Elf, a girl with a live weapon and..." Gisle muttered as he nced at Erza, "Who are you?"


    "Pfff, isn''t it obvious?" Erza frowned as she stretched her arms forward to show energy bands, "I am an Inerian!"


    Whoooooosh.


    Gisle stepped forward as gray wind currents appeared beside him, then he was right in front of Erza and grabbed her hands.


    "I know. I knew it right away." Gisle grinned as his eyes literally pierced her, "Your race is quite interesting, the absolute matriarchy that is exined by both biological reasons and social ones."


    "Hmm? So what?" Erza frowned as she twitched her arms, but she couldn''t do it.


    ''What...? He''s only holding me lightly, isn''t he? How is that possible...?" Erza inwardly muttered while in disbelief.


    "You''re a woman, I''m a man, so you must bepletely confident in your victory, right?" Gisle asked with a sly smile on his face.


    "Yes, and?" Erza uttered.


    "I want to make a deal with you. You won''t turn me down, will you?" Gisle smirked.


    "Well, I don''t mind. You can''t win anyway." Erza shrugged in a careless manner.


    Gisle pointed to a hill in the distance and said, "There."


    "Hmm? What...?"


    "If I beat you, that''s where I want our first date to be."

 Chapter 694 The Force

    Gisle''s words stunned everyone here, especially Erza herself, whom he addressed.


    "What?! What nonsense are you talking about?" Erza eximed as her slits turned red.


    "Hmm? Are you really retracting your words?" Gisle uttered as he tilted his head in a confused manner.


    "No... I mean... I''m not sure that''s possible... How can you even ask for something like that...?" Erza muttered in a trembling voice as she looked at Wain.


    He was as surprised as the others, but his eyes quickly became calm as he realized this was his chance.


    "Erza, maybe it''s time to give someone a chance? Also, are you really afraid of losing to a man? Is such a thing possible? Huh, Gisle is just a politician that spends all his time behind papers, handing out orders. For a fighter like you, it would be an easy win." Wain grinned as he shrugged as if saying the obvious.


    ''Hmm? Give him a chance? So he doesn''t mind Gisle offering me this...? Damn this is so weird...'' Erza muttered inwardly as she nced at Gisle, ''Maybe Wain is right, but this guy, is he really capable of making me feel the same way? Shit! What the hell am I thinking?! This doesn''t make any sense! I''m not going to lose either way!


    Gisle squeezed her hands tighter as he grabbed her palms and asked, "So... Are you in or out?"


    "Hah, of course, I agree. Don''t even dream of beating me!" Erza grinned as she crossed her arms with her head back in an arrogant manner.


    "Damn, this is getting interesting." Aurora muttered before waving her hand.


    A massive purple dome emerged around the arena as magical circles appeared on the walls of the training area.


    "I hope you will fight from all your strength, so you may not hold back." Aurora said as she headed outside the arena, "Gisle, don''t forget, it''s not just your date that''s being decided now, it''s also the prospect of our cooperation."


    "Sure, but if I were you I''d already been thinking about setting up portals between our cities since I wouldn''t havee here if I hadn''t been sure of winning." Gisle shrugged as he stepped a few meters away.


    "Huh, you''re too cocky. I don''t know what you''re up to, but even if you win, you''re still not the type that I prefer." Erza grinned as she released some of her aura.


    "Well, a minute ago you were sure you''d win, but now you''re assuming other options, so things can change." Gisle said with a slight smile on her face.


    p.


    Wain pped his hands as everyone turned in his direction, "Maybe it''s time to start already? All that matters now is how you perform in battle, isn''t it?"


    "Yeah. You''re right." Erza nodded as she prepared for battle. Gisle did the same.


    ''Oh, looks like someone''s in a hurry, yes?'' dius uttered in a sly voice.


    ''Well, the sooner they''re done the sooner I can talk to Alice, then I can get back to Last Light and do what we set out. I hope on it.'' Wain muttered inwardly.


    ''It''ll probably be all right.'' dius said in a calm voice.


    Wain, Ern, Aurora, s, and Alice were outside the dome, so they could watch the fight without worrying about their safety. They had all seen Erza''s power many times before, so their eyes were fixed on Gisle.


    "Looks like I''m the main star tonight, right?" Gisle muttered.


    "Hah, I won''t let you shine for long." Erza uttered with a serious look as she released her energy.


    Her ck-red hair rose upward as if from a powerful current of wind as dark spheres appeared beside her causing space near her to distort.<sub> </sub>


    "Wow, impressive. However, such darkness won''t be enough to outshine a bright star like me." Gisle uttered as he turned to Aurora, "You want to see what I can do, right? Well, I''ll show you, the power of a dictator as you."


    Gisle stretched out his hand as his pupils shed.


    Whooooosh.


    At the same time, powerful currents of wind were directed toward his palm. They all connected as a long katana appeared in Gisle''s hand, and an incredible amount of pressure emanated from it.


    The de of the katana was long, with an unusual pattern on it. The garde was like a stream of wind and the hilt was gray with three red crystals.


    Click.


    Gisle snapped his finger, and a description of his weapon appeared above the arena.


    [Wind of Greatness (Legendary Rating, Fourth Chronicle)


    This unique weapon is unlike any other. Like its owner, this katana is the embodiment of arrogance, strength, and trickery with ruthlessness.


    The katana was created by a young cksmith, but who had already touched true craftsmanship, and under the pressure of a tough ruler, the cksmith had to do the impossible.


    No materials other than four Legendary Souls were used in the creation of this weapon.


    Pure power doesn''t need anything else]


    "What the hell is it...?" s muttered while in disbelief.


    "A weapon of four Legendary Souls...? Is such a thing possible?" Ern eximed with a dazed look.


    ''Young smith?'' Wain said inwardly, ''Did Lea really do this? Damn, looks like she''s already be a great cksmith.''


    "Hey, is that katana as cool as you?" Alice asked with a confused look as she turned to Dormant Stalker.


    "Huh, I don''t know... It''s a hard question since my strength is rted to yours, but one thing I can say for sure is that this guy is insanely strong. If you tried to hold that katana, but at best your arm would break, at worst you would lose it as the pressure from the katana would just explode your arm." Dormant Stalker said in a deadly serious voice.


    Gisle stepped forward and said, "I think we should start with something simple, right?"


    Whoooooosh.


    ? Gisle smirked as he swung his katana from bottom to top. He was rxed, but his movement was lightning fast.


    Erza''s body went into goosebumps as her pupils narrowed. She instantly jumped aside and the wind de flew past her.


    The de mmed into the barrier as itpletely absorbed its power, but suddenly a thin crack appeared in the dome.


    Aurora''s eyes opened as wide as they could as she refused to believe what she saw.


    Gisle put the katana on his shoulder in a careless manner and with a devious smile said, "Try not to die before our date, okay?"

 Chapter 695 The Wind

    "What was that...?" Ern muttered while in disbelief, "He was able to damage Aurora''s barrier, wasn''t he?"


    "Unbelievable. Looks like he really isn''t as easy as I thought. Not only is he good at negotiating, but he''s pretty strong." Aurora uttered with a dazed look.


    "Huh, looks like Erza doesn''t stand a chance. His weapons are something different." s said with a slight smile on his face.


    "Don''t be so cocky." Dormant Stalker muttered, "In his case, the weapon is only part of the power. That wind de was justpressed energy, nothing more."


    Everyone stared at Erza as much depended on her actions. Gisle made only one attack, but it was enough to make them believe he had won.


    "That was dangerous, but do you really think that''s enough to handle me?" Erza frowned as she unleashed her aura.


    A golden sheen appeared in her hair while dense streams of energy emanated from her that filled the space.


    "Hmm? Activating your Form already?" Gisle asked in a confused manner, "Isn''t it too early for such serious action?"


    "The Form? Unfortunately, I still haven''t reached the level to discover this power, but I don''t need to. Like you, I have my trump cards!" Erza eximed in a thunderous voice.


    Whoooooosh.


    A golden me lit up her arms as she turned into a sh that rushed toward Gisle with tremendous speed.


    ''Gold and darkness? Why does she have two different types of energy... Oh, she''s an Inerian, that should be normal, but then why is her hair half red?'' Gisle inwardly muttered.


    Everything was happening very fast, but he could clearly see every movement of Erza''s, as though in slow motion.


    ''Well, I''ll have a chance to find out more about it on the date.'' Gisle shrugged before swinging his katana.


    He started muchter than Erza, but despite that was much faster as the tip of the de left a wide wound on Erza''s shoulder before she even had time to strike.


    "Argh!" Erza cried out in pain as blood gushed from her wound.


    Step.


    Gisle approached her, grabbed her arm, and with a smooth move threw her to the other end of the arena. It all happened too fast for Erza to react, so she hit her back against the stone wall.


    "Bastard!" Erza eximed with a furious look, "My skin can''t even be pierced by the ws of Fourth Chronicle monsters! However, all you had to do was take one easy swipe!"


    "Hmm? So what? It''s your problem that you''re so weak." Gisle uttered as he tilted his head.


    "Tsk. What''s the point of fighting if all your strengthes from that weapon? In realbat it''s necessary, but do you want that kind of victory?" Erza frowned as she ran her palm over her shoulder.


    The golden me burnt the wound as Erza''s face twisted in pain, but it had an effect, as the wound began to heal with the redoubled speed in a few seconds.<sub> </sub>


    "Huh, aren''t you asking too much? Where''s your pride?" Gisle grinned, "All right, though, I have one condition."


    Whooooooosh.


    The katana disappeared from Gisle''s hands as he pointed two fingers.


    "I want at least two dates with you, and as a bonus, you have to wear whatever I choose! Gisle eximed with a devious smile on his face.


    For a while Erza was stunned as her eyes went wide, then she grinned, shook her head, and said, "Okay. That would be fair. Go ahead, I want to see your true power, not your weapon."


    Erza folded her palms together as two golden mes appeared beside her that headed toward Gisle, burning everything in their path. Though it wasn''t enough to break the dome, the magical circles on the walls were severely damaged by the too-high temperatures.


    ''Well, well, manipting her was easier than I thought.'' Gisle inwardly muttered as he stretched his arm forward.


    His eyes shed as a wave of energy that flowed through his body rushed to his palm. Gray particles appeared at his fingertips, they instantly turned into an eerie stream of wind that headed toward the golden me.


    The two elements met each other, causing a powerful shockwave that tossed Erza aside, but Gisle remained on his feet. He stared with calm eyes at the particles of me that flew beside him.


    "That sly bastard..." Aurora muttered, "I thought he chose Erza for some special reason, but it looks like it was easier than I thought."


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?" Alice asked while in confusion.


    "He didn''t have any cunning n. He was telling the truth, if someone other than Wain fights against him, he will definitely win, those are his words." Aurora said with a serious look.


    "Well, sometimes even the pure truth can seem like a trick." Wain uttered in a calm voice, "Even if there is he used his talent."


    "Huh, I wonder if he''s actually attracted to Erza. She''s a strong woman, no doubt, but even for me, it''s too much. Is there a man who can handle her?" Ern asked while holding his chin in a thoughtful manner.


    At the same time, Gisle with a slow step headed toward Erza.


    She was shocked that he could beat her mes so easily, but she wasn''t about to give up so easily. Again and again she unleashed sts of golden fire on him, but Gisle nullified those attacks with a torrent of wind each time.


    "That''s enough. In fact, I lied to you about something at the beginning of the fight." Gisle said with a calm look.


    "Hmm? What is it this time?" Erza frowned as she prepared for the next attack.


    "I''m not going to hurt you, much less kill you, but I just have to show you that you''re weaker than I am. That''s the basics." Gisle spoke in a majestic voice as he raised his hand up.


    Massive white streams of energy erupted from Gisle''s body that made the entire arena tremble. The pressure that emanated from him made it difficult for everyone but Wain and Aurora to breathe, but that was only the beginning as thunderclouds began to appear among the clear skies.

 Chapter 696 Beam

    "Damn... It was stronger than I expected... How much energy does this guy have?!" Ern eximed with a dazed look.


    Whooooosh.


    The Dormant Stalker unleashed some of his energy to protect Alice from such powerful pressure that she began to choke.


    "He''s so strong... It''s like Wain..." Alice uttered while in disbelief.


    It hurt her even to breathe, and yet she looked up to Gisle as a hero, as a role model. It was the second human that she had seen and it was critical that it turned out to be Gisle.


    ''I thought Wain was the exception... but I guess I was wrong.'' Alice inwardly muttered while clutching her chest, ''Gisle reach such an incredible level, so... I have a chance too, right?''


    Whooooooooosh.


    Among the thunderclouds appeared a bright white sphere that gradually increased in size. The amount of energy in it was so great that it rippled through the air for miles away.


    "Use every defensive skill you have. That''s my sincere advice." Gisle said in a calm voice, but his eyes were as cold as thousand-year-old ciers.


    Erza realized he was serious, so she instinctively took action. She let loose a golden me in front of her, that gradually formed into a dense barrier of fire.


    She didn''t notice it, but then Gisle deliberately lowered the release of her energy to give her a little more time to prepare for this attack.


    "Fine. That''s enough..." Gisle whispered before clenching her palm into a fist.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    There was a loud peal of thunder as apressed beam of pure energy rained down on Erza, as though divine punishment. The dome that Aurora had set up tried to absorb all the energy as it vibrated, but in a second the dome shattered into tiny particles like ss.


    Erza understood that this attack could kill her, but she still had no intention of leaving as she watched it approach her.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Suddenly a silhouette appeared in front of her with purple lightning discharging over its body. The silhouette extended two arms upward as two massive lightning spears emerged from them.


    The beam and the spears reached each other as there was a deafening explosion of two energies. The magical circles on the walls were destroyed instantly as well as most of the arena disappeared.


    "Fuck!" Wain eximed as a gray robe with a tight eye patch appeared on it.


    He created a massive magic circle thatpletely blocked the purple and white mes of the explosion.


    "Ahahahahaha! Unbelievable!" Ern eximed with an excited look, "Even though I couldn''t fight Gisle, but it makes my blood boil! I''ve never seen such a powerful attack!"


    "Damn... The more I learn about humans, the more I realize how powerful they can be." s uttered while in disbelief.


    "That''s a delusion." Royal Spirit suddenly said, "Those two are just real monsters. I don''t know how Gisle did it, but he has an abnormal amount of energy, as though he consumed thousands, no, several million souls of varying quality!"


    "Hmm? Is such a thing possible? Even if he is a human and can quickly absorb souls, a find a million... is a difficult task for anyone." s muttered with a confused look.


    ''Millions of souls?'' Wain inwardly muttered while looking at Gisle''s silhouette that was among the settling dust clouds, ''Even if he absorbed that many souls, shouldn''t he have reached Third Stage by now?''<sub> </sub>


    Wain did not understand how with so much energy Gisle had not yet revealed his Form, but then he remembered the words Gisle had recently said to Aurora.


    ''I''m just too good at hiding my aura.'' Wain said to himself as his eyes widened, ''Huh, it all makes sense to me now. Not only did he concentrate on training, he also used a tremendous amount of souls for himself and to create a katana, but he still hides his true power.''


    The dust slowly dispersed as everyone saw what had be of the training ground.


    The explosion had destroyed everything there was but two small inds. On one stood Gisle with a calm loo, while on the other were Erza and Aurora, under a purple lightning dome.


    "Is that enough?" Gisle asked with a tilt of his head as he stared at Aurora.


    "Yeah." Aurora nodded before removing the barrier, "You showed even more than I wanted to see. Looks like you actually liked her."


    Aurora shook the dust off her coat, headed for the exit, and said, "When you''re ready to negotiate a partnership,e see me, now I''ll talk to you as an equal. That''s my promise."


    Crackle.


    Aurora walked out and mmed the doors.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Gisle approached Erza. She flinched as she blushed slightly as she thought Gisle would ask her if she was okay.


    "Tonight." Gisle said with a serious look.


    However, she heard it as all her expectations were shattered.


    "What...?" Erza uttered while in disbelief.


    Bam.


    Suddenly Gisle''s eyes darkened as he fainted and fell. Erza instinctively caught as Gisle''s head hovered a few inches above the ground.


    "Well, let''s not get in your way." Ern said with a smirk on his face as he disappeared.


    "Erza, good luck. Aren''t you the kind of person who dreams of a strong man? This is definitely your option!" s eximed before turning into a golden beam.


    Erza wanted to scream at each of them, but they were gone too fast for her to do so, so her gaze fell on Wain, practically the only one still here.


    Wain nodded silently, went to Alice, picked her up in his arms, and just like Ern with s, left the training ground.


    "Bastards!!!" Erza shouted with an angry voice, so it was very loud.


    Even though Gisle was out, he frowned as it was painful for him and when Erza noticed it she stopped for some reason and started to do everything very quietly.


    ''Damn... Is this guy really serious? Maybe it''s really time for me to find a man that won''t reject me?'' Erza inwardly muttered while looking at Gisle''s face.

 Chapter 697 Another World

    After the fight between Gisle and Erza was over, everyone dispersed. Ern with s went out of town to fight someone, he needed to vent the emotions he had umted while watching. Aurora returned to her office, and Wain with Alice came to the spare room, or rather Wain brought her, holding her in his arms.


    "Wain...? Why did wee here...?" Alice mumbled with a confused look.


    Wain lowered her to the ground and with a serious look said, "I want to talk to you. You have to tell me about your world, everything you know."


    "My world...?" Alice uttered as she touched her lips, "Right... I only told you about what happened to my city and how I was then captured by the Ashens..."


    "Yeah. That''s what I want to ask you about. The thing is, I''m not really from this world either." Wain said in a calm voice as he shook his hand.


    Alice''s eyes widened as her mouth went wide.


    "Is it true?!" Alice eximed with a dazed look as she pped the table.


    "Sure. There''s no point in me lying, for some reason you and I are in about the same situation. You ended up in this world because your city was teleported, but I came here through a portal. You''re probably like me, the only survivor of your world, right?" Wain asked while holding his arms crossed.


    His gaze was calm, but cold and frightening at the same time, so Alice could clearly feel the tension building.


    "It''s just like you said." Alice said in a quiet voice as she clenched her fists.


    ''Fine, now I''ve found the answer to one more question. There''s more work ahead, but perhaps my world and Alice''s are more alike than I expected.'' Wain said inwardly with a slight nod.


    "Alice, as I understand it, no one in your world had powers, did they?" Wain asked.


    "Yeah. I learned about the fact that people here can summon fire, lightning, or wind with energy from you and Mr. Ern, before that I had only heard about it in fairy tales." Alice muttered as she tilted her head.


    "Was there anything unusual in your world? Maybe there were monsters somewhere before teleportation or something like that?" Wain said in a curious voice.


    "No." Alice answered quickly as she shook her head, "Before this happened I had a normal, peaceful life. I went to university, helped my parents with work, and chatted with friends. All the students, like me, liked to specte about when the secret of Dark Wall would be revealed."


    "Dark Wall...? What is it? Some kind of technology on the verge of discovery?" Wain asked with a puzzled look as he tilted his head.


    "Hmm? You don''t know?" Alice said in a confused manner as though it were strange, "I thought our worlds were identical, but it seems they were different after all. The Dark Wall is a massive wall of dark mist that was in the ocean, on the horizon."


    ''Dark Mist!'' Wain inwardly eximed as his eyes went wide.


    Alice didn''t notice Wain''s reaction as she continued, "Many scientists, for decades, have tried to figure out what it is, but not one of their theories has turned out to be correct, or rather they haven''t been able to verify it."


    ? "They couldn''t verify...?" Wain muttered with a confused look, "What do you mean?"


    "Are you really curious?" Alice asked in an uncertain manner.<sub> </sub>


    "Yeah. Tell me everything you know. There was no Dark Wall in my world." Wain uttered in a calm voice as he nodded.


    "Good! I know a lot about it!" Alice eximed in an excited manner as her eyes lit up.


    ''Well, looks like I''m in luck. She was definitely interested in it.''


    Alice sighed, waved her hand, and began, "Scientists tried to fly to the Dark Wall in nes or helicopters, but as soon as they got close to it, the equipment malfunctioned and they fell into the ocean, after that no one else wanted to risk it. From space, it was also impossible to see anything as the dark fog as though it felt like someone was trying to uncover its secrets."


    "Of course, they tried to attack Dark Wall with all sorts of weapons, scientists even used nukes a few times!" Alice said with a broad smile on her face.


    "Huh, the scientists in your world had some pretty radical methods." Wain grinned.


    "Yeah, but... they did it out of desperation since it was one of thest ideas that they had. Unfortunately, the missiles just lost speed and went out right before the Dark Wall, so there were several thousand different missiles at the bottom of the ocean that just failed for unknown reasons." Alice sighed with a frustrated look.


    "Hmm... That''s actually weird. The Dark Wall was just in the ocean? Maybe something unusual was going on with it?" Wain asked while rubbing his chin in a thoughtful manner.


    "Nothing interesting. In fact, there have been many theories about the Dark Wall just because of its mystique, but it hasn''t affected our world in any way." Alice shook her head.


    "I see... Then, I have onest question for you." Wain uttered as he put his fingertips together and leaned forward, "Do you know how long ago the Dark Wall appeared?"


    "Well... Scientists have argued about it many times, but the most popr version is that the Dark Wall appeared several thousand years ago. As evidence, scientists have found several drawings on caves where the Dark Wall was and several ancient scrolls left over from the Middle Ages." Alice muttered with a serious look as she tried not to misinterpret what she had said.


    "Fine." Wain nodded, "That''s enough. Thank you for your time."


    Wain got up from the table, headed for the exit, and closed the door behind him.


    "Damn, that guy always struck me as kind of creepy. You shouldn''t get too close to him." Dormant Stalker uttered while looking at the door.


    "Hmm? You''re too untrusting! Wain is our friend!" Alice puffed her cheeks as she pped Dormant Stalker.


    "I''m just being cautious." Dormant Stalker muttered, "If he''s your friend, then why didn''t you tell him about THIS?"


    Alice flinched, tilted her head, and touched her chest as though there was something hidden there.


    "I don''t know... He didn''t ask, right?" Alice whispered.


    ''Next time you see him, tell him that. Maybe he knows what it is. After all, he''s a human too."


    "Sure." Alice nodded.

 Chapter 698 Fate

    Wain wasn''t going to stay in Human World any longer, so he headed straight for the portal he hade from.


    The guards didn''t dare stop him and just let him go ahead, without any checks.


    ''Great, that went better than I expected,'' Wain inwardly muttered while heading towards the portal, ''Thanks to Gisle''s performance, Human World and Last Light will begin to cooperate with each other. I learned about the dark mist being in Alice''s world, that is, in all three worlds, but for some reason, the dark mist is different in each world.''


    ''In my world it was aggressive, destroying all life in its path. In Alice''s world, the dark mist is calm and as if trying to protect something. In Gisle''s world, the fog was part of the world as it contributed to the Dungeons. Agh... It''s all tooplicated. Well, Erza looks like he''ll finally get off my back, at least I hope so.'' Wain said to himself as he stepped onto the stone tform.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Suddenly a silhouette in a ck cape with purple lightning discharges appeared before him.


    "Leaving already?" Aurora asked with a serious look, "Don''t you want to stay here a little longer?"


    "Well, it''s not a bad town, that''s true, but I have things to do, now is not the time to rest. You should understand that better than anyone else, shouldn''t you?" Wain said in a calm voice while his deep eyes pierced hers.


    "Things? With whom?" Aurora asked as she crossed her arms.


    "Hmm? That''s none of your business." Wain uttered with an ice-cold look as his aura intensified.


    "Huh, you''re still as arrogant as ever, I like that." Aurora grinned as her eyes sparkled, "I''ve tested Gisle''s strength, but what about you? If he is the leader of the humans in a World of Destiny, you are their most powerful weapon, aren''t you?"


    Wain remained silent as he just moved forward,pletely ignoring her.


    A sly smile appeared on Aurora''s face as she released some of her aura, then Wain felt incredible pressure.


    A shiver went through his entire body as the stone b beneath him cracked. He felt as if he was at the bottom of the deep ocean, under the pressure of several kilometers of water.


    ''Does she want to fight?'' Wain inwardly muttered as he nced at Aurora, ''No, it doesn''t look like it.''


    Wain continued walking on as if nothing was happening. Each step was harder for him as Aurora released more and more energy, but he didn''t stop until he reached the center of the tform.


    "Well, why did you do that?" Wain asked with a calm look while looking at the tform.


    The footprints of his boots were imprinted on the stone as part of the tform was shattered by massive cracks.


    <o>,m "You''ve gotten a lot stronger, that''s good." Aurora smiled as she touched her lips, "I can''t wait until you reach the Fifth Chronicle. Then you wille close to the power that Nameless King possessed."</o>


    "Aurora... You''re too stubborn..." Wain muttered in a calm voice, stared at her, and darkness appeared between his green eyes, as though in the abyss.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A mighty flood of darkness erupted from Wain, and it seemed no less faint than Aurora''s. His hair rose as his coat fluttered like a powerful gust of wind.


    "Don''t forget, I still haven''t decided what you are to me, friend or foe, but whatever I decide, you must always remember one thing." Wain said in a deadly voice before stepping forward.


    Crackle.


    The stone tform that could withstand Aurora''s pressure shattered into tiny shards as though Wain''s step weighed several tons. The shards hung in the air as thin strands of darkness emanated from them.<sub> </sub>


    "I don''t know how it came to be that I am the heir of the Nameless King, but remember, I have always been and always will be just me! My name is Wain Norheim, and nothing else!" Wain said in a thunderous voice.


    Whooooosh.


    At the same time, the shards flew away in a powerful burst of energy. They pierced the nearest columns as some of them lodged in the walls of the castle.


    "How is that possible...?" One of the guards muttered while in disbelief, "The castle walls are protected by severalyers of incredibly strong barriers!"


    "I don''t know... but it looks like we''re damn lucky not to get hit..." His buddy uttered as he touched the scratch on his face from which drips of blood flowed.


    Aurora stared at him for a moment, then she turned and headed for the exit.


    "I know your name very well, but there is no escaping fate." Aurora said in a calm voice, "Sooner orter you will have to take the path that fate has chosen for you. You will take the throne where the Nameless King once sat."


    ''Tsk. What a bitch. Fate... She brought it up again, do I really have no choice and it will happen anyway?'' Wain muttered inwardly as his aura calmed, ''No! It won''t happen!''


    While the guards were in shock, Wain activated the magic circle and entered the portal.


    "Damn, he''s not afraid to be mean to Miss Aurora... This is unbelievable." One of them muttered with a dazed look.


    "Yeah, I think that''s what Miss Aurora wanted to see. No one can ever control someone like him, though unfortunately, she''s right, there''s no hiding from fate, no one." Guardians Commander said with a serious look as he crossed his arms.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Wain dashed through the purple tunnel and into Gisle''s office. For the first time in a long time, the wooden desk was as empty as the towers of documents.


    "Huh, sometimes I think I''m damn lucky to have Gisle, Elsa, and the others doing this... This job, while important, is too boring." Wain muttered with a slight smile on his face.


    ''Wain, it''s time.'' dius said in a calm voice.


    "Sure." Wain nodded before heading into the next room.


    Click.


    He opened the door.


    "Yes!!!" Zero eximed with a happy look as she raised her hands up.


    "I finally beat you!" Zero said while pointing at Kadridas.


    "Well, I just took some young man''s advice." Kadridas said as he turned to Wain.


    Wain stared intently into his eyes as if to let him know why he had arrived here.


    "Huh, looks like you didn''te here to watch us y, right?" Kadridas said with a slight smile on his face.

 Chapter 699 The Passage

    "What did you want to talk to me about?" Kadridas asked while looking out over the city, from the top of the castle.


    The two of them stood on the highest point in Merge Ind, where the marks of Guir''s sharp ws were clearly visible.


    "Walk me to Dragon World. You can do that, right?" Wain said with a serious look.


    "Well, well, I was wondering what you were going to ask me, but I didn''t expect it to be anything like that." Kadridas grinned before spreading his massive white wings.


    He grinned wickedly, stepped forward, and with a sly look said, "What makes you think I would do as you ask? Don''t forget, you''re just a man, even if you are a human, it doesn''t matter to me, the Dragon. We stand above all races, even the Pirs, which is why we are guardians of the world."


    "I am not interested in Dragons, I want to take from there what is mine." Wain said in a calm voice as if not to notice Kadridas'' menacing appearance.


    "Hmm? What kind of nonsense are you talking about? You may be different from the other humans, but you certainly haven''t been to Dragon World yet, I would know that for a fact since I remember everyone who has entered Dragon World in thest hundred years." Kadridas uttered as his aura intensified slightly.


    It was only a fraction of his true power, but it caused the wind around the castle to elerate considerably as a white vortex appeared around them.


    "Hmm... You can probably tell if I''m telling the truth or not, can''t you?" Wain uttered as he shoved his hands in his pockets, "Go ahead, do it. I just want to get back what shouldn''t be in Dragon World, consider us helping each other."


    Kadridas was silent for a while, then two magical circles appeared in his eyes and he stared at Wain.


    "Damn... You''re telling the truth... How is that possible?" Kadridas muttered as he tilted his head in a confused manner.


    "So, will you take me to Dragon World?" Wain asked in a calm voice.


    "Fuck... You know you could get me in trouble? However, if something of yours is in Dragon World, you should take it from there, it''s better for everyone." Kadridas uttered while rubbing the back of his head.


    Kadridas paced from side to side with a thoughtful look, then stopped, sighed, and said, "Okay, but don''t you dare make trouble there. If any of the Elders decide you''re dangerous, no one can save you."


    "Sure. I''ll be extra careful." Wain nodded as he looked around, "Shall we leave now?"


    "Yeah, but this isn''t the right ce." Kadridas said before pping his wings.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    He took Wain by the arm and took off. Kadridas pped his wings just once, but it was enough for him to cover a distance of several kilometers in an instant.


    ''It''s a simple action for him, but if someone below Third Chronicle were in my ce, that one would be cut by the wind currents.'' Wain inwardly muttered while watching the scenery change beneath his feet.


    They stopped after about a minute as Kadridas pped his wings onest time beforending.


    "Great, this is the right ce." Kadridas said with a slight smile on his face.


    All around, for several kilometers, was a lifeless wastnd with only a few dry trees and massive boulders.


    "Are you going to open a portal?" Wain asked in a curious manner.<sub> </sub>


    "Yeah. Brace yourself, thest time I did this, there was a Fourth Chronicle monster next to me, so... he died almost instantly. I hope that doesn''t happen to you." Kadridas spoke in a careless manner as he waved his hand.


    ''Huh, Dragons don''t really care about the lives of others. At first, I thought Kadridas decided to help Last Light for personal reasons, but it looks like he''s just fulfilling his role.'' Wain inwardly muttered as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    Kadridas extended his arm forward, pped his wings, and said, "I, Kadridas, The Watcher, summon the gateway to Dragon World!"


    Crackle.


    At the same time, before him appeared a huge, white magic circle with many ancient runs. Because of the tremendous pressure that emanated from it, space literally shrank and cracked, as though even the fabric of the world could hardly withstand it.


    "Argh!" Wain vomited blood as his eyes went wide.


    ''What?! I could easily withstand Aurora''s pressure, but that magic circle was just enough to hurt damage me?!'' Wain inwardly eximed, then a wave of pain ran through his body.


    His face contorted as he fell to one knee and everything in front of his eyes went dark.


    "Huh, Wain, this is just the beginning. Don''t upset me, you can take it." Kadridas grinned before snapping his fingers.


    A multitude of magical circles appeared around his hand, and a powerful energy pulse passed through it, like a whiteser piercing the center of the main circle. The runes glowed brightly as the amount of energy increased several times over.


    ''Fuck! I can''t fall now! I have to see this!'' Wain said to himself as he unleashed all his energy.


    The shroud of darkness partially eased the pressure from the magic circle, so he was able to get to his feet.


    "That was unexpected..." Wain muttered with a disgruntled look while wiping the blood from the corners of his mouth.


    "Well, I''m d you got over it since this is the most interesting part." Kadridas said with a slight smile on his face and took a step back.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Space split in two as the magic circle glowed brightly. In its ce appeared a massive white gate that was more than a hundred meters high.


    On top of the gate were two huge wings and horns that symbolized Dragons. Along the edges of the gate flowed white energy as on the bs was a massive silhouette in the shape of an open book.


    "Damn, this might be one of the most majestic things I''ve ever seen..." Wain muttered with a dazed look.


    "Huh, your reaction is expected, even for me it impresses me every time." Kadridas said with a smile on his face.


    "A book? What does that sign mean?"


    "That the world obeys certain rules and the Dragons are the ones who make sure no one breaks them." Kadridas said with a serious look.

 Chapter 700 Dragons

    Kadridas approached the gate, put his palm to it, and there was a loud cracking sound.


    The gate slowly opened as bright light burst forth. The lifeless earth around it suddenly began to cover with grass, tree sprouts sprouted from the cracks, and the tiny insects grew muchrger and stronger.


    "What the hell...? Have these insects turned into monsters as powerful as Second Chronicle?" Wain muttered with a dazed look.


    "Yeah. If I opened a gate in the city, it would be a real disaster." Kadridas nodded with a slight smile on his face, "The pressure from the gate would destroy all the buildings and thousands of people would die, at the same time many of the monsters around would be much stronger."


    "Is that the power of life...?" Wain asked while in confusion.


    "Hmm? No, of course not, it''s just the effects of a lot of energy." Kadridas waved his hand, "Fine, let''s go, I don''t want this ce to turn into a hidden oasis in a minute. Every day there are fewer and fewer lifeless wastnds in this world."


    Kadridas headed into the portal as he disappeared into a boundless stream of light.


    Wain looked at the monsters that continued to evolve because of the incredibly pure energy and wondered.


    ''If I be as strong as the Dragons, will I be able to resist fate? Although... Even they can''t escape death, so... I have to go even higher, right? Is it possible?'' Wain inwardly muttered.


    ''Hey,e on, let''s not keep him waiting.'' dius said in a serious voice.


    "Yeah, you''re right." Wain nodded before entering the gate.


    Whooooooooosh.


    A bright sh of light blinded him, then he found himself next to Kadridas on the massive tform that floated in the middle of nowhere.


    "Hmm? Where are we?" Wain asked with a confused look.


    "Don''t worry, it''ll just be a little test."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly the space shuddered as a massive purple staircase appeared in the distance from which someone was slowly descending.


    "Kadridas? You''re back sooner than I thought."


    It was a tall man, with ck hair, amber eyes, and purple skin. On his head were two long, straight horns and massive ck wings hiding behind his back. He wore a spacious robe that slowly fluttered in the wind and thin white gloves.


    "Well, I have some urgent business to attend to." Kadridas shrugged.


    "Who''s that...?" Wain muttered with a wary look.


    "This is a good friend of mine, Cetid, the Gatekeeper." Kadridas said with a slight smile on his face, "Everyone who passes through the Gate must pass his inspection. He has a special status, for even the Elders should go through it."


    "Argh... Kadridas, you know I don''t like it when you talk about me that way. I''m just doing my job." Cetid said in a calm voice as he approached them.


    He stared at Wain and asked, "You brought a human here? Unexpectedly... Does he have a reason to be here? I can''t let him in here just because you want him to."


    "Sure. I understand that better than most." Kadridas nodded as he pointed at Wain, "I don''t know how, but there is an item in Dragon World that belongs to him, so he must take it, then I will bring it back to World of Destiny."<sub> </sub>


    "Hmm..." Cetid frowned, touched his chin, and asked, "Is that true? If you''ve somehow tricked the Kadridas, you''re in more trouble boy."


    "Yeah. I don''t want any problem, but I really need to get into Dragon World." Wain said with a serious look.


    Step.


    Cetid stepped forward as he came close to Wain. The distance between their eyes was less than the length of his palm as if he were trying to see something in Wain''s soul.


    "Fine... I will remember you, as I will remember all who have passed through this gate." Cetid uttered, stepped back, and snapped his finger.


    Behind them appeared a path of stone bs that led to a replica of the gate through which they hade.


    "Great. Cetid, next time we meet I''d like to have tea with you." Kadridas said while heading towards the gate.


    "Hmm? Today you are more fun than usual..." Cetid uttered with a confused look.


    Crackle.


    Kadridas opened the gate as they left the ce.


    Cetid was left alone on the massive tform and with a calm look muttered, "This guy''s soul reminds me of something... Hmm, very rare to find such people whose Souls I can''t get a good look at, it''s curious."


    ...


    They passed through the gate and Wain finally saw what Dragon World looked like.


    They found themselves on a snow-white bridge that overlooked massive mountains, waterfalls,kes, and dense forests. Among these picturesque sites were massive buildings, each home to one or more Dragons.


    "Wow... It''s not at all what I expected here..." Wain muttered with a dazed look.


    "Hmm? What did you think Dragon World was going to look like? It looks like the best possible one to me." Kadridas asked with a slight smile on his face.


    "Well... It''s very quiet and peaceful, yet majestic... I would think that since you are one of the strongest races you would try your best to show it off." Wain said as he waved his hand.


    "Huh, there''s no point in us proving anything to anyone, the Dragons make sure no one breaks the rules of the world and do something routine in their spare time." Kadridas shrugged as if he was stating the obvious.


    Wain nodded and they headed forward across the bridge. Wain looked around and something caught his eye.


    In the distance, near theke that was at the foot of the mountain, two monsters were fighting. One was a lightning wolf and the other a fire lizard.


    "Hmm? There are monsters here...?" Wain uttered while in disbelief.


    "Sure. In Dragon World, the Dragons rule everything, but that doesn''t mean we''re the only ones living here. Although, monsters are our only permanent neighbors." Kadridas said as he waved his hand in a careless manner, "Sometimes people like youe here, everyone has their own reasons."


    "I see..." Wain muttered with a slight nod.

 Chapter 701 The Road To The Shard (Part 1)

    Wain and Kadridas reached the end of the bridge and found themselves in the square where there was a massive statue of the Dragon, in their fighting guise. The Dragon had a formidable yet wise look and even from its statue emanated a majestic aura.


    "Who is this...?" Wain asked while examining every detail.


    "It''s not a big deal, it''s just that one of the Elders that was more involved in building this bridge than the others. It''s not bad, but... it''s just a beautiful construction, nothing special." Kadridas shrugged in a careless manner.


    "Huh, I thought you were supposed to respect the Elders, but it doesn''t look like it." Wain grinned.


    "Well, I only respect a few beings in the entire universe and most of them are already dead, that''s pretty ironic, isn''t it?" Kadridas uttered with a saddened look.


    "Where are we going?" Wain asked.


    "Hmm? I don''t know... Where would I go?" Kadridas muttered while rubbing his chin in a thoughtful manner, "Right! I''ll head over there!"


    Kadridas pointed to a massive snow-white building that was on top of one of the mountains.


    "When you find what you came here for, look for me there. I will return you to the World of Destiny and our little adventure will be over." Kadridas said, spreading his wings and flying away. Wain didn''t even have time to say anything.


    "What the hell...?" Wain muttered in a confused manner, "He just left me here...?"


    ''Huh, did you think he was going to lug you around like a babysitter?'' dius grinned.


    ''No, but isn''t that weird? They have such serious security at the entrance, but now I can do whatever I want.'' Wain inwardly muttered.


    ''Well, if they let you in here, that means they''re sure that even if you start making trouble, they''ll deal with you quickly.'' dius said in a calm voice.


    ''Sure... Okay, it''s time to get on with what we came here to do. Where is your shard?'' Wain asked as he looked around.


    ''There.'' dius said as his aura intensified.


    Wain felt the direction and looked at the forest that was between three mountains, that as though on purpose were the same height.


    "Damn, that''s pretty far." Wain said before heading forward.


    ''Be careful. I know where my shard is, but I was separated a few hundred years ago, so... I can''t be sure what''s near it. Also, the greatest danger to you is not the Dragons, but the monsters.'' dius uttered in a calm voice.


    ''Monsters? Are you serious? I don''t mean to sound conceited, but I''m sure I can beat someone from the Top 10 on Colosseum now, so could monsters be a danger to me?'' Wain grinned as he thought dius was being overly cautious.


    ''Don''t be so arrogant. Do you think these monsters are interested in fighting at the Colosseum? You know there are those in this world who are strong enough to make the Top 10, but they just don''t see the point in it.'' dius said in a confident manner.<sub> </sub>


    ''All these monsters live in Dragon World, fight, and absorb pure energy. What''s more, any monster that has ever seen Dragons fight gains more knowledge from it than a hundred years of practice.'' dius uttered.


    "Fine, I hear you, and I have the opportunity to test their power right now." Wain smirked as he walked to the edge of the ledge.


    The battle between the wolf and the lizard was not yet over. They were in no hurry to attack each other furiously as though they were wild beasts. Their fight was like a duel between two experienced warriors as they only acted when they were sure they could seed.


    Whoooooosh.


    Wain''s silhouette blurred as he turned into a dark sh. He didn''t resort to the power of the Light Racer, it just wasn''t necessary.


    "Hey, I think your fight has gone on long enough, doesn''t it?" Wain said with a devious smile on his face as he appeared above the monsters.


    The lizard and the wolf weren''t expecting anyone to suddenly interfere in their fight, but they only had to look at each other once to decide what to do.


    The lizard opened its mouth wide as he spat at Wain, a massive blob of magma. At the same time, several blue, lightning spears headed toward Wain.


    They attacked from two sides, while Wain was in the air, so he had nowhere to run. The fire and lightning came quickly toward him as Wain''s pupils narrowed.


    Particles of darkness appeared on his fingertips as he swung his arms up and down. It was enough to create two walls of darkness that absorbed the power of the two attacks.


    Boooom!


    However, it wasn''t enough and there was a deafening explosion that caused a powerful shockwave. Wain covered himself with his coat and burst out of the flood of darkness, mes, and lightning.


    "Well, well, are you sure you were fighting each other, nor waiting for someone like me to interrupt you?" Wain smirked as hended on a massive tree branch.


    "Go away..." The lizard muttered in an ice-cold voice, "You shouldn''t have interfered. This is our business, it has nothing to do with you."


    "Yeah. He''s right." Wolf nodded with a calm look, "If you keep getting in our way, we''ll beat you half to death. You were able to block our attack, but there''s no way you can handle the two of us!"


    Whooooooooosh.


    At the same time, powerful torrents of me gushed from the Lizard''s scales as the wolf''s ws were covered in a denseyer of electricity and his fur rose.


    "Two against one? I thought we were going to fight, all against all, but this is even better!" Wain eximed as a jaw-shaped seal glowed on his right arm, "Go! Show what monsters in the Dragon World can do!"


    The darkness in his palm turned into a long, dark sword, from which gray energy threads emanated.

 Chapter 702 The Road To The Shard (Part 2)

    Dragon World was a huge space, the size of an entire continent, where there were various locations both hot deserts and snowy mountains, so even the Dragons could not keep track of everything that happened there, they just did not care, because their faith in their power was absolute.


    Crackle.


    As Wain summoned dius, purple mes lit up somewhere as the skeleton of the huge creature began to be covered in a thinyer of darkness.


    ...


    Whoooooosh.


    A powerful bolt of lightning struck the tree where Wain stood, and the tree split in two, with a bright red trail of me inside.


    "Did you hit it?" The lizard asked with a serious look.


    "No. He jumped off the branch, at the veryst moment." The wolf said in a slow voice.


    "You are damn right!" Wain eximed as he appeared behind the wolf.


    Wain swung his sword as the dark de struck the monster with tremendous speed. The wolf opened its jaws wide and a massive lightning-like silhouette of four fangs appeared above it.


    Crackle.


    The wolf clenched its jaw as it mped its sword between its teeth. Through dius, powerful lightning discharges passed that pierced Wain''s body.


    "Argh!" Wain cried out in pain.


    Booom.


    At the same time, a massive sphere of fire flew into his back, with a temperature high enough to make the ground melt beneath it. The impact threw Wain aside as he pierced through several trees while blood flowed from his mouth.


    "Fuck! Those bastards! They sure set this up on purpose to fight the two of them against me alone!" Wain eximed with an angry look while climbing out from under the rubble.


    ''Ahahahahaha, I warned you.'' diusughed in a mocking manner, ''The monsters here are quite different from the ones you''ve fought before. It only takes them a few moments to figure out the best way to attack, even if it''s a coordinated attack. They are very experienced.''


    "Well, then, this is a good time to test one of my new skills." Wain grinned, wiped the blood from the corners of his mouth, and ran forward.


    He jumped out from behind the trees again, under the gaze of the lizard and wolf.


    "Hmm? Decided to continue? Fine, I''ll finish this right now!" The wolf eximed with a furious look before releasing his energy.


    The blue streams of energy gradually turned into a massive lightning sphere as the wolf was ready to attack, but suddenly a shiver ran through its body.


    The wolf''s eyes reflected a dark sword that was covered in a denseyer of energy, then the wolf''s pupils narrowed as it instinctively jumped aside.


    Whooooooosh.


    At the same time, next to the wolf flew an energy de that split the ground in two, shredding everything in its path.


    Crackle.


    A thin line appeared on the wolf''s body, from its shoulders to its tail, that opened wide, and a wave of blood gushed from it.<sub> </sub>


    "What...? He could hurt me?" The wolf muttered while in disbelief, but a second,ter it came to its senses and struck the ground with its paws.


    Pirs of lightning appeared next to the wolf that set fire to his wound to stop the bleeding.


    "That''s not all!" Wain eximed before making several swings with his sword.


    Each time a powerful energy de erupted from the sword and some of them seriously wounded the lizards with the wolf.


    They tried to defend themselves, but it was impossible for them since all their skills were concentrated on attacking, so eventually, the monsters were cornered.


    "Well, well, I should have used something more powerful than a simple sword swing and you just didn''t stand a chance." Wain said with a devious smile on his face while stepping forward.


    The tip of his sword touched the ground as sparks emanated from it. Their fight was short, but it was enough to make wide crevices appear on the ground, where water from theke flowed and dozens of trees were broken.


    The lizard and the wolf understood that they could not cope with Wain, so they frantically tried to think how to get away from here as their eyes moved from side to side, looking for a road to retreat.


    "It''s time to get this over with." Wain smirked as he raised the sword above his head.


    The sword glowed brightly in ck me, but actually, it was the effect of the tremendous amount of energy that Wain used.


    Step.


    Wain stepped forward and lowered the sword with a deadly look.


    The destructive de of energy headed forward like a wave destroying everything in its path. The wolf and the lizard didn''t have time to retreat, so they thought it was the end for them, but suddenly someone appeared in front of them.


    The silhouette swung its arms as it clutched the de between its palms, as if it was just a throwing knife, then the silhouette tilted its palms, and the de shattered into tiny shards.


    "Hey, you''ve gone too far, don''t you think?" The silhouette asked with a sly smile on his face.


    He was a man with long green hair that looked as though it were jungle vines and blue eyes. He wore simple leather clothes that only slightly covered his athletic body.


    ''Hmm? Is that a nt?'' Wain muttered inwardly with a frown, ''No, he''s a monster that came through Awareness... just like Frigus or Elegan.''


    "Who are you?" Wain asked with a serious look as he pointed at the man by his sword.


    "No big deal." The man smiled while shaking his hand as though he was trying to chase away an annoying fly, "I watched your fight, but I couldn''t let you kill them."


    "What? It was a fair fight, and they lost! Why the hell are you interfering?!" Wain eximed as his aura intensified.


    "Ahahahahaha, thising from someone who interfered in their fight himself? Anyway, you can fight whoever you want, but don''t you dare kill anyone, at least in my territory, or I''ll have to fight you." The man said with a good-natured smile on his face, but there was a murderous aura emanating from him.


    "Huh, you think I''m afraid of you?" Wain grinned.


    "Well, it doesn''t matter now." The man shrugged as his silhouette blurred.


    The man, with the lizard and the wolf, disappeared as before retreating he threw a green seed on the ground that a secondter glowed brightly.

 Chapter 703 The Road To The Shard (Part 3)

    A seed fell to the ground, near one of the crevices, and shone brightly.


    Wain prepared for battle as he decided it was some kind of unusual attack. He put his sword out in front of him and a denseyer of darkness appeared on his hands.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The seed cracked in several ces as it opened. A small flower with three yellow petals grew there.


    "Hmm? Is that all...?" Wain muttered with a confused look.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly the ground trembled as massive vines burst out of it. However, they didn''t attack Wain, they headed toward the broken trees. The vines gradually repaired the damage that had appeared during Wain''s fight. The tree trunks fused as the vines connected the splits to each other as though stitching the wound with thread.


    "Huh, looks like he wasn''t really going to fight me. What a weird guy." Wain grinned while shaking his head.


    ''Well, it''s for the best.'' dius uttered, ''Come on, we need to find the shard and get out of here.''


    ''You talk like you''re afraid of something, don''t you?'' Wain asked as he frowned.


    ''It''s just that the longer we''re here the more likely it is that some of the Dragons will figure out what kind of soul you have. I don''t know how they''ll react, but I don''t want to find out. You''re still not strong enough to fight them.'' dius said in a serious voice.


    ''Yeah... You''re right. By the way, aren''t all the Dragons in the Fifth Chronicle? Osvald said he fought them and not all of them were at such a high level.'' Wain asked as he put dius back in print.


    ''Sure. Dragons are born in Third Chronicle, but they watch over their children even better than they do thews of the world. Most likely there is a special zone or hidden space somewhere where they develop and grow stronger.'' dius uttered in a confident manner.


    "I see... Well, I have no reason to fight the Dragons, so let''s take your shard." Wain said with a slight nod before running forward.


    The forest was quite far away as even a small part of Dragon World was huge, so Wain had to walk dozens of kilometers before getting there. dius'' words alerted him, so he didn''t use the Light Racer''s power as it might draw unnecessary attention.


    dius guided him as the closer they got the more distinct the energy pulses that emanated from the shard.


    "Well... Looks like we''re there." Wain muttered as he leaned his hand against a tree while looking ahead.


    There were ancient ruins covered in moss and vines. It was unnaturally quiet in this part of the forest, making Wain feel a strange tension.


    "I have a feeling this is a trap." Wain muttered with a frowned look.


    ''You think too much. I''ve been keeping a close eye on the situation around here, it''s definitely safe. I can already clearly feel where my shard is. dius said in a serious voice.


    "I hope you''re right..." Wain uttered as his silhouette blurred.


    He appeared next to the main building in the ruins. There was nothing on the surface, but a long staircase led down, with no end in sight.


    "You don''t even have to talk. I understand we have to go that way." Wain muttered before stepping forward.


    ''Huh, you have good instincts.'' dius grinned.


    Beneath the ruins were catbs, awork of tunnels that Wain had been walking through for more than ten minutes.


    "Damn, if it wasn''t for your help I wouldn''t be out of here anytime soon, it''s a real maze." Wain said with a disgruntled look as he made thest turn.<sub> </sub>


    He reached a spacious room in the center which was a stone altar. Above the altar hung a dark, palm-sized metal shard, from which purple energy emanated.


    "Well, looks like I was wrong. We got here and nothing terrible happened." Wain smiled as he headed toward the shard.


    Every step he took echoed as the sound bounced off the walls. Wain slowly approached the shard and held out his hand to it.


    "Fine. You''re finally going to be a lot stronger." Wain said with a smile on his face.


    "Stop!" dius suddenly eximed.


    However, it was toote as Wain touched the shard with his fingertip.


    Crackle.


    The shard suddenly morphed into a hideous monster head with a massive toothy jaw that instantly closed in an attempt to bite Wain''s hands off.


    Wain''s pupils narrowed as he reacted instantly. An energy pulse was sent to his glove and a gray sphere appeared that with a powerful st tore the monster apart.


    "Fuck! That was fucking close! What''s going on here?" Wain eximed with a wary look.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The whole ce shuddered as the floor beneath Wain tumbled down.


    "Shit!" Wain eximed as he tried to grab onto some debris.


    His hand touched a part of the floor as Wain was about to jump away from it, but suddenly the speed of the fall increased considerably as though something was pulling from below.


    Wain tilted his head and his eyes went wide.


    Below was the bony head of some strange monster with glowing violet eyes. The monster''s jaw was wide open, and above it was a massive dark sphere that was gradually increasing in size.


    "What the fuck is that?" Wain eximed as he released his aura.


    ''Wain! I don''t know what''s going on here, but this creature is dangerous! This attack could actually kill you!'' dius eximed in a serious manner.


    "I fucking figured that out myself!" Wain spoke as his eyes grew deeper.


    A dark crown with three eyes appeared on him as energy covered his arms.


    At the same time, the monster closed its jaw, and the sphere with all its tremendous might headed straight for Wain as though a death star that was destroying everything in its path.


    "Let''s see how you can handle it!" Wain eximed as he swung his arm.


    A massive jaw appeared beneath him with an eerie aura, and one detail immediately caught Wain''s attention.


    ''Hmm? Is the jaw dark, not gray?'' Wain inwardly muttered as he looked at his hands.


    They were covered with a denseyer of darkness in the depths of which one could see horrible jaws and eyes as though monsters from the depths of the abyss.

 Chapter 704 The Road To The Shard (Part 4)

    Whoooooosh.


    The massive sphere approached Wain, but suddenly the huge jaw closed in and swallowed it whole. The orb exploded instantly, but only a small fraction of the force blew the stone debris aside.


    Wain waved his hand as he created a tform of darkness above him. He turned around and pushed off with his feet to reach the bottom like a rocket.


    "Well, well, treasure always has to be guarded by some scary monster, doesn''t it?" Wain grinned as he stared at his enemy.


    It was a massive skeletonposed of the bones of various creatures, the backbone being the head and spine of a Dragon, from which powerful energy emanated.


    "Damn... This one is pretty big... It''s asrge as that statue." Wain uttered as he raised his head to get a good look at the monster.


    Thick darkness dripped down the bones like tar, and the closer it got to his head, the thicker the coating. This puzzled Wain, so he tilted his head as his eyes opened wide.


    ''dius... You bloody bastard...'' Wain muttered to himself.


    ''Ghm! I couldn''t have known that, could I? After all, I pointed in the right direction, so the rest is your job.'' dius said in an awkward voice.


    "Yeah... But why the fuck is your shard in its head!" Wain eximed while pointing at the monster.


    "Last time I fought one of your shards, I lost over a hundred times! The shard was the size of a fingernail then, but this one is as big as a palm!" Wain said in an excited manner.


    ''So? You''ve gotten so much stronger! You can do it!" dius uttered as though trying to encourage Wain.


    Roooooooooooaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrr!!!


    Suddenly the monster roared furiously that made the ground shake. Stctites fell from the top of the cave as thick cracks appeared on the walls.


    "Well, it wouldn''t be good for anyone to know what''s going on here." Wain muttered as a gray mantle with a tight eye patch appeared on it.


    ''The right thing to do.'' Blind Sorcerer said with a slight smile on his face, ''Looks like a dragon died here a long time ago, maybe during a battle and no one ever decided to deal with it.''


    "Huh, sometimes it amazes me how strange Dragons can be. Is it so hard to make a grave for your kin, or at least get rid of such dangerous bones?" Wain muttered as he waved his hand.


    Several magical circles appeared on the borders of the cave that formed a solid barrier, it let no sound, no vibration, nothing out. This cave was now a battlefield for just the two of them.


    "Fine, let''s see who''s stronger, your shard with the dragon''s backbone or me." Wain said before canceling the third form and running forward.


    The monster instantly reacted as thick darkness that turned into long ws headed towards its bony paws.


    Whoooooosh.


    As Wain got close enough, the monster attacked with its sharp ws, copsing them on him. Wain attacked back as he swung his sword with his Beyond energy.


    Tremble.


    Wain blocked the attack, but the pressure from the monster''s paws was incredible as Wain''s hands trembled. It seemed to him as if he was holding an entire mountain above him that was slowly pushing his feet into the ground.<sub> </sub>


    "Fuck! Why is it so heavy!" Wain eximed with a frowned look, "Well, you don''t have long."


    Dark energy, from Wain''s sword, headed for the bones as the creepy jaws opened wide and simultaneously closed around the monster''s paws.


    Wain grinned, but a secondter his eyes went wide.


    Crack. Crack. Crack.


    His jaws tried to bite into the monster''s bones, but it seemed impossible. The jaws'' sharp teeth couldn''t even leave a scratch on the bones.


    "What...? How is that possible? It should have been enough to devour even space!" Wain uttered while in disbelief as his concentration waned for a moment.


    Tremble.


    The monster pressed Wain to the ground as a clot burst from Wain''s mouth and his face distorted in pain, then the monster drove its ws right into Wain''s stomach, but he managed to dodge at thest moment by rolling over the ground.


    Roooooooaaaaarrrrr!


    The monster roared as it swung its paw from bottom to top, cutting through the ground with its ws while heading for Wain.


    Wain''s pupils narrowed as he thrust his sword into the ground, so ws and de met, but the impact was powerful enough to knock Wain to the other side of the cave.


    "What a bastard!" Wain eximed, bouncing off the wall and regaining his bnce.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The monster slowly approached Wain as each of its steps shook the cave. The monster had one goal, to retrieve Wain''s weapon and recover most of the sword that the Nameless King himself had once wielded. Every creature intuitively sensed that this power would elevate it to a new level.


    "Jaws couldn''t hurt it... Does that mean my Beyond can''t even handle the bones of a long-dead Dragon? How fucking strong are they?!" Wain eximed while trying to think of something.


    ''Huh, if the sword isn''t sharp enough to cut through the armor, then what should be done in that case?'' Code of Light and Darkness asked with a smirk on his face, ''You can find a new sword, but isn''t it better to just sharpen the old one, right?''


    As Wain heard these words his eyes widened and a sly smile formed on his face.


    "You are damn right." Wain said as he thrust his sword out in front of him.


    Waves of dark energy departed from Wain, enough to create several hundred jaws, but all that energy was directed at one point. The eyes on Wain''s crown opened wide as above him, out of the energy, appeared a monstrous creature.


    It was a massive piranha that looked more like a monstrous shark with a ferocious stare. The shark moved its tail slightly, from which dark threads of energy emanated.


    "Fine... That should be enough." Wain said with an exhausted look before swinging his sword as though gging tounch an attack.


    At the same time, the shark, like a dark sh headed toward the monster, leaving behind it a dark streak, however it was not energy, but a trail of space absorbed by the shark.

 Chapter 705 The Road To The Shard (Part 5)

    The dark shark headed toward the bone monster as it opened its jaw wide. The monster stared at the shark as though it were a harmless fish as itshed out at the shark with its massive ws. However, the shark just bit off the monster''s arm with arge chunk of space.


    The monster was shocked for a moment and during that time the shark bit off one of the monster''s hind paws.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The monster lost its bnce as it fell to the ground with a loud rumble and a massive cloud of dust that rose up.


    "Well, it''s in the way, isn''t it?" Wain muttered with a slight smile on his face before swinging his arm.


    At his will, the shark took a deep breath as all the dust headed toward it and disappeared into the massive mouth.


    "Huh, that turned out to be easier than I thought." Wain grinned as he snapped his fingers.


    The shark headed toward the monster, but suddenly the darkness dissipated and blood rushed out of Wain''s mouth as he fell to one knee.


    ''Wain, you overdid it.'' dius said in a serious voice, ''Maybe those bones weren''t Dragon''s, but earlier you couldn''t even scratch them, so now you''ve reached your limit.''


    ''Fuck... I guess you''re right,'' Wain muttered internally as he wiped the blood from his mouth.


    ''You just need to get my shard out, then that monster won''t have the strength to attack you anymore.'' dius uttered in a confident manner.


    ''Well, then I''ll do as you say. With only two limbs, it can''t do anything to me.'' Wain said inwardly before turning into a dark sh.


    Wain had almost no energy left which made him feel exhausted, but his physical performance was a little affected, so he reached the monster in just a few seconds.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Wain jumped over the bones to the monster''s head and stood on its nose, right in front of the dark shard that was in the center of its forehead. There was a powerful eerie aura emanating from the shard and a clear murderous intent.


    "That shard doesn''t seem to want toe back to you." Wain uttered with a calm look.


    "Well, it tried to revive, but without me it''s nothing more than a rare artifact, nothing special." dius said in a careless manner.


    Tremble.


    The monster tried to get up, but it was too heavy to hold on to only two paws, so Wain had no more obstacles.


    Wain touched the shard as a powerful wave of energy passed through his body that headed straight for dius.


    "Yeah... That''s what we need." dius muttered in a satisfied voice, "Go get me the shard!"


    Crackle.


    Wain squeezed his hand around the shard.


    "What...? Why isn''t it working?" Wain frowned as his aura intensified.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Suddenly the monster''s skeleton glowed brightly as a powerful pressure came over Wain that made him vomit blood again.


    "Fuck! What''s going on here?" Wain eximed while in disbelief as he tried to pull the shard out.<sub> </sub>


    Roooooooooooaaaaaaarrrrrrr!!!


    The monster roared furiously as waves of sound shook the magic circles and suddenly the monster jumped up.


    "What the hell!" Wain shouted with a dazed look.


    He hadn''t expected the monster to be capable of this, so all he had to do was try to get the shard out.


    The monster pierced the ground with its massive body, the caves, and the mazes of the ruins, so after a few seconds they were outside as for a moment the monster hovered in the air.


    "Bastard! I wanted to do this quietly! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" Wain eximed with a furious look as for a moment he activated a Beyond.


    Dark energy enveloped the shard as several cracks appeared on the monster''s skull and Wain was finally able to pull it out.


    Whoooooosh.


    As soon as the shard was in Wain''s hand, it headed toward dius as the monster''s massive body copsed to the ground. Bones shattered to the sides, destroying the ruins around it.


    Wain fell next to the skull, leaned against it, and sighed.


    "Well, at least we made it, didn''t we?" Wain asked with a slight smile on his face as he raised his hand.


    "Yeah. That''s what it takes. I''m about twice as strong." dius uttered in a satisfied manner as the seal on Wain''s palm shone brightly.


    A long, dark sword appeared in his hand. Outwardly, dius had changed little, save for the appearance of several runes on his de, which emitted powerful energy.


    Whooooooosh.


    The asional breeze rippled Wain''s ck hair as a shadow fell over him.


    "Well, well, I was wondering what kind of an unusual human got into Dragon World. Turns out you have such unusual powers." The man said with a smirk on his face.


    The man had gray skin, two long horns, white hair, and purple eyes as well as two massive ck wings behind his back. He wore a simple dark robe that fluttered in the wind.


    "Who are you?" Wain asked with a wary look.


    "Oh, I''ve been watching you since you got here. You''re pretty weak, so you couldn''t spot me." The dragon said in an arrogant manner, "I was curious why a human came here, apparently you came for the shard, nothing wrong with that, so I was about to leave, but then you used that strange power..."


    Step.


    The dragon stepped forward, spread his wings, and with a wicked smirk said, "This power is dangerous and totally unique, I can''t even see how great your potential is, so... don''t hold it against me because for the good of the world I have to eliminate you."


    At the same time, a powerful aura departed from the man as his arm was covered in white lightning and blurred.


    Wain''s pupils narrowed as he thrust his sword out in front of him. He managed to block the attack at the veryst moment.


    Whoooooosh.


    The impact rippled through his entire body causing his face to twist in pain as it threw Wain back several hundred yards.


    "Hmm? I couldn''t break his sword? Damn, only one of the hundreds of Legendary Weapons can do that." Dragon uttered while shaking his head, "Well, it still won''t make any difference."

 Chapter 706 Defeat

    Crackle.


    Wain crashed into a massive boulder as he vomited a mouthful of blood with a painful look. It was a simple attack, but Wain felt as if he had been pierced through.


    He fell as he leaned his hand on the ground while trickles of blood dripped from the corners of his mouth.


    Step. Step. Step.


    The dragon approached him slowly in a careless manner. Every step he took was light, but it caused a shockwave that threw small stones aside.


    "You have a pretty good weapon and a pretty strong body... Eh, I''m really sorry, but I have no other option. Your power could disrupt the current world, there''s little chance of that, but I can''t take that risk, so you''ll have to die." The dragon uttered with a deadly serious look before extending his arm.


    Crackle.


    A white lightning bolt flew from the tip of his finger that instantly reached Wain.


    ''Wain!!!'' dius eximed as Wain''s hand suddenly rose.


    The lightning struck the tip of the de, traveled lengthwise, and flew sideways into the hill behind. A small lightning bolt came in contact with the rock and produced a massive explosion that obliterated part of it.


    Whoooooosh.


    The shockwave made the tree crowns bend almost to the ground and caused a massive cloud of smoke thatpletely covered the Wain, hiding it from evil eyes.


    "Damn... It was stronger than I expected." The man muttered with a calm look, "Boy, your weapon is truly something incredible, but no matter how hard you try, you won''t survive. You don''t stand a chance against the Dragon."


    ''Fuck... Looks like he''s right.'' Wain inwardly muttered while rising to his feet, ''dius, can we win?


    ''No.'' dius said in a serious voice, ''Even if you were at the peak of your powers, there''s nothing we could do to him. Your only option is to run away and wait for Kadridas to help you. Only another Dragon can stop the Dragon.''


    "Well, I knew that was your answer, but hope always diesst..." Wain uttered before running out of the fog.


    He only had a few seconds before the dust settled, so he ran as fast as he could.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Suddenly a dark silhouette appeared beside him as a palm covered in white lightning touched his chest.


    At the same time, powerful shocks of electricity ran through Wain''s body that caused blood to flow from his eyes, ears, and nose.


    "Do you think the dust can hide you from the Dragon''s gaze?" The man asked with an emotionless look, "You shouldn''t havee here, though it''s for the best that you made such a deadly mistake. If I deal with you now, I can rest assured that there will be no new threat to the world."


    Click.


    The man snapped his fingers as a wave of energy passed through his palm that, with tremendous power, knocked Wain away. In a few seconds, he flew hundreds of meters, breaking trees with his body while a stream of blood poured from his mouth.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Many tree trunks fell on Wain, crushing him with their weight. The dragon stopped as he stared at it, waiting, but after ten seconds nothing happened.<sub> </sub>


    "Hmm, is that it? Although, I had to use a tenth of my power for thest attack... Even for most Fifth Chronicle monsters that would be deadly." The man uttered while rubbing his chin in a thoughtful manner.


    Crackle.


    Suddenly a bloody hand burst from beneath the trees as dark streaks appeared, then the trees were chopped into small pieces and a ck sh flew outward.


    Wain had practically no strength left, but he kept running forward while dark streams of blood flowed off him, onto the ground.


    ''Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Where the fuck is Kadridas? He warned me about monsters, but not about some crazy Dragon showing up and trying to kill me!'' Wain inwardly eximed as he turned back around.


    A man with a slight smile on his face was watching him as though a hunter was after his prey. He was absolutely certain that there was nothing Wain could do to him.


    Step.


    The dragon spread his wings and took a step forward, then his silhouette blurred as he appeared before Wain.


    "This is the end." The man said in an ice-cold voice, "I promise to bury you in a good ce, for your death has been sacrificed to preserve the world."


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    His hand was covered in lightning bolts that were several times earlier as he attacked. The deadly aura emanating from the Dragon made Wain''s heart begin to beat faster as his pupils narrowed violently.


    Suddenly the world as though froze. The man''s hand became much slower, like the falling leaves from the trees, they hardly moved at all.


    ''What is happening? Am I going to die? Is this really going to happen?" Wain muttered inwardly while in disbelief, ''What should I do? Fight? How? It''s a dragon... I have no chance against it... Kadridas must help me, right...?


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly Wain''s aura intensified as darkness with eerie jaws covered his sword.


    p ''NO! Even if I die I must not give up! I''ll only lose when I decide it myself!'' Wain eximed inwardly as he swung his sword with a deadly look.</anda>


    The man''s hand hit the sword des again, but this time dius could only absorb some of the damage, as the energy was too much, so the impact went through Wain''s body and threw him high up.


    "Jaws... Darkness... An indestructible sword...? No way... It''s impossible..." The man muttered with a dazed look as he was distracted for a moment.


    ''I should definitely kill this guy as soon as possible!'' The man inwardly eximed before pping his wings.


    He appeared in front of Wain with a huge lightning spear in his hand. This time the Dragon used most of his power as Wain was now his number one threat.


    Wain''s gaze dimmed as he was on the brink of death so he could not react to this deadly attack.


    Crackle.


    Suddenly the space behind him shattered into tiny shards as a small hand emerged from the crack and touched his shoulder.

 Chapter 707 The Hand

    Crackle.


    The white lightning spear came down on Wain, but the hand that appeared behind Wain snapped its fingers and suddenly a green magic circle appeared. Lightning hit it as the magic circle glowed brightly, but the spear couldn''t get through it, even though it had an incredible amount of energy.


    Snap.


    The hand snapped its fingers once more and the lightning bolt with the magic circle turned into a multitude of blue butterflies that flew apart like the most beautiful creatures in the world.


    The man''s eyes went wide as his hands trembled.


    "You were able to negate my attack...? Dragon attack?!" The man eximed while in disbelief.


    "Huh, you think just because you could handle the Fourth Chronicle one, you''re strong now?" There was an arrogant voice as the crack in space widened, "Although, even for that you needed a few blows. What a shame."


    Step.


    A short girl with red hair and blue eyes stepped forward. She wore a cute ck dress with a white edge and sses as though she were a scientist.


    "Marlis... What are you doing here...?" Wain muttered while in disbelief.


    "You shouldn''t be talking right now. Every second brings you closer to death, so talk as little as possible." Marlis said with a serious look.


    She looked around, sighed, and muttered, "Damn, I ended up having to break through the passageway to Dragon World... That could be problematic."


    "It''s you!" Dragon eximed with a dazed look.


    "Yeah. I don''t feel like staying here a second longer, but..." Marlis muttered as her gaze became as cold as ciers, "I can''t pass up an opportunity to teach such an insolent Dragon that decides to kill someone just because of a possible threat."


    "Watch what you say!" The man eximed with a furious look, "I don''t care if it''s you! No one dares invade Dragon World! You must die!"


    The man''s dark wings were covered in white sparks as his aura reached its limit. A huge lightning bolt appeared in his hand that made space shake because of its incredible power.


    "Well, well, it will be enough to kill several Fifth Chronicle monsters that are on the verge of bing demigods." Marlis muttered while shaking her head, "Agh... I expected more..."


    "How dare you! You''re just a pathetic insect who thinks you''re something more!" The dragon eximed in an angry voice before throwing the spear at Marlis.


    The lightning spear moved with tremendous speed, however, Marlis did not try to retreat, she just extended her arm with a careless look.


    The lightning hit the exact target as a powerful bolt of lightning struck Marlis''s body, but after a second she recovered, spat out a clot of blood, and said, "Huh, it was even weaker than I thought. Looks like the Dragons havepletely forgotten how to fight, don''t they?"


    Snap.


    Marlis snapped her finger as all the absorbed energy burst out in an eerie green me and her hair with her gown rose up as though from a powerful current of wind.


    "You''re not even an Elder, but you think you can decide the fates of others, it''s fucking disgusting." Marlis said with an ice-cold look before swinging her arms.<sub> </sub>


    ? The mes transformed into two long spikes that, at hermand, rushed toward the man. The spikes moved so fast that when Wain blinked he saw two massive holes in the man''s wings as his face distorted with pain.


    At the same time, several ck dots appeared amidst the blue sky that swiftly headed this way.


    "Looks like it''s time for us to leave. Well, I hope I don''t have toe back here again." Marlis said with a calm look, took Wain''s hand, and stepped into the crack.


    Space returned to normal as several Dragons appeared beside the man in particrly long robes that emphasized their status.


    "It was Marlis... right?" One of them muttered with a thoughtful look.


    "Yeah... She saved this guy, so they were watching him..." The other uttered in a calm voice.


    "Damn... Apparently, we haven''t noticed the new threat in this world. We need to keep a close eye on this situation as even They are interested in him..."


    ...


    Wain and Marlis found themselves in a dark space, just like dozens of times before, but suddenly Wain found it hard to breathe as he grabbed his throat.


    "Hmm? What is it...?" Marlis asked as she raised an eyebrow, "Right... You''re still too weak to move freely here."


    Marlis waved her hand as Wain''s body was covered in a green, transparent shell.


    "Argh!!!" Wain immediately took a deep breath as though he had held his breath for several minutes.


    "Where are we...?" Wain asked with an exhausted look.


    "You''re in an open space, nothing special." Marlis said as she shrugged.


    There was nothing but darkness around them. It was a ce Wain had only heard of before, now they were literally between zones, so there were no doors like in the spatial rifts.


    "Why did you save me...? How did you know I was in Dragon World?" Wain asked with a serious look.


    "All questionster, first we have to get back." Marlis spoke with a slight wave of her hand.


    "What makes you think I''m going with you?" Wain uttered with a frowned look as he took a few steps back.


    "Well, you can stay here if you want, my job was to save you, but I wouldn''t advise you to do that. The barrier can only protect you for about five minutes, then you''ll just suffocate or the pressure of the space will break all your bones. Either way, you''ll die." Marlis said in a careless manner while walking forward.


    Wain stood still for a while, wondering what to do, but after a few seconds, he headed for Marlis. He realized he had two choices to die here or find out what was going on, but Marlis certainly didn''t want to kill him since then she just wouldn''t save him.


    ''I wonder if it was Marlis who saved me back then in the Colosseum. Hmm... maybe, but somehow I think someone else did it as the way is too different, but who...?'' Wain wondered.

 Chapter 708 The Bar

    They walked for some time amidst the vast darkness until Marlis stopped.


    "Wain, I''m still not sure how to rte to you, but I only saved you because the one, no... the only person dear to me in this world asked me to, so... You should be very grateful for that." Marlis said with a serious look as her cheeks flushed slightly.


    She waved her hand as she sent a green pulse of energy into the darkness. A few secondster, the same pulse headed toward them, only white, then the darkness trembled as a gray frame appeared.


    Whoooooosh.


    The frame shone brightly as together it became a simple wooden door that led to a ce Wain knew well.


    "Sven''s bar...?" Wain muttered while in disbelief as his eyes went wide.


    At the same moment, various fragments of memories began to form in Wain''s mind into a coherent picture.


    ''It was he who saved me back then! Was it really a mismatch that I met him in the beginning?" Wain wondered with a dazed look.


    ? ''Go ahead, now your only way is this one. Dragon World is a forbidden ce for you now." Marlis said as if she had read his mind.


    Wain nodded as he headed toward her.


    Click.


    The door slowly opened as in the distance was the light from a few dimmps illuminating one of the most mysterious ces in the world.


    Wain and Marlis stepped inside, the door closed, and he immediately felt better. The pleasant aroma of alcohol headed his way and the authentic creak under his feet from the wooden floor let him know that it was definitely safe here.


    Behind the bar was Sven, as always. He was wiping his ss with a slight smile on his face as a mysterious aura emanated from him.


    "Well, well, who is it?" Wain said as he nced at Wain.


    "Why did you save me? Now and... then, in the Colosseum, that magic circle that blocked the dragon attack?" Wain asked with a wave of his hand as his gaze was confused.


    "I''m not sure I can answer all your questions, but at least you''ll get answers to some of them." Sven uttered in a calm voice, "However, it won''t happen now."


    "What...? What are you talking about?" Wain muttered as he waved his hands, "Why not now?!"


    "Huh, sorry, but it''s not my fault." Sven grinned as he shrugged.


    Wain wanted to say something, but suddenly everything blurred in front of him as he fell to the ground. He had no more strength left as he reached here using thest of what he had.


    Marlis stepped over Wain as she headed toward the bar with a pensive look.


    "I still don''t understand why you risked so much for him?" Marlis asked as she stared at Wain, "This guy has special powers, but was it worth the attention? There are a lot of unique people in this world and he''s only in the Fourth Chronicle."


    "Well, he''s the heir of the Nameless King." Sven said with a calm look.<sub> </sub>


    "What...?! Are you serious? Nameless King has an heir and it''s this guy?!" Marlis eximed while in disbelief as she pointed at Wain.


    "Yeah. That''s absolutely right." Sven nodded in a confident manner, "I heard Aurora say it, she has big ns for this guy, and so do I."


    "Hmm....?" Marlis crossed her arms in a thoughtful manner, "I can understand why Aurora needs Wain but does it make any difference to us, we just put ourselves at risk for nothing. Why do we need the heir of the Nameless King? If he finds out who we really are he might be our enemy."


    "You''re absolutely right. Even if the heir of Nameless King could be useful to us, it''s too risky, but I have one very interesting idea." Sven said with a devious smile on his face as he raised a finger before heading toward Wain.


    "Argh... Some cunning n again?" Marlis sighed as she leaned her hand on the bar, "I never understood why someone as powerful as you would spend so much energy creating a n? There are only a few people in this world that can fight you on equal footing."


    Marlis looked at Wain and muttered, "Although... some of them are already dead."


    "Well, if I didn''t rely on my intellect, THEN we''d be in big trouble." Sven said as he walked over to Wain and with a sly smile on his face muttered, "I could be wrong, but maybe this guy is a major figure in one of the ns."


    "What...? Damn, Sven, do you always have to talk in riddles? I don''t understand anything." Marlis uttered with a confused look.


    "Huh, sorry, it''s just a habit, no big deal." Sven shrugged before lifting Wain.


    "Pfff, was there any need to help him?" Marlis said with puffed-up cheeks.


    "Don''t forget, I''m a bartender first, then everything else, so... I can''t have my regr customer lying on the floor, it would seriously damage my reputation." Sven smirked as he ced Wain on the chair.


    "I wish your hands were touching me instead of this guy, don''t you like me at all?" Marlis uttered with a calm look as she said it a hundred times before.


    Sven walked over to her, looked her in the eye, and said, "By the way, Marlis, I promised I''d let you do it if you''d do my bidding. You saved Wain, so...now I''m in your power."


    At the same moment, Marlis'' eyes lit up with a bright me as a happy smile appeared on her face as though she was a child who had fulfilled his dream.


    "Yay!" Marlis eximed as her ring shone brightly.


    A tight bundle of dark ropes appeared in her hand as her cheeks flushed heavily, her breathing quickened and her heart beat much faster.


    "Let''s do it! Right now!"


    Sven just nodded with a slight smile on his face.


    Marlis took Sven by the arms as she began uncoiling the bundle of ropes with a mad look.


    Crackling.


    Suddenly the door opened and a muscr man with long red hair walked into the bar.


    "Hey! I''m here!" Osvald eximed with an excited look as he didn''t yet realize the situation he was in.

 Chapter 709 An Inconvenient Situation

    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A second ago the joyful Marlis had suddenly be incredibly angry as even the devil might have been frightened of her if he''d been in the bar then.


    Her face contorted in a furious as she said while gritting her teeth, "Osvald... Why did youe here...? I don''t care that you''re my friend, I won''t let anyone ruin this moment!"


    Space trembled as green spheres of fire appeared next to Marlis that grewrger and stronger by the second.


    Osvald was at a loss as he didn''t understand what he had done wrong.


    "Calm down, nothing serious happened." Sven said in a calm voice with a slight smile on his face as he pulled Marlis to him in a gentle manner.


    Marlis'' eyes went wide as she clenched her hands into fists, grabbing Sven by his jacket.


    "I just wanted it to be special..." Marlis muttered as she tilted her head in with a guilty look.


    "It''s okay. It''s going to be special since it has to be the two of us to make it happen. It''s rather odd that you paid attention to Osvald, but you didn''t care for Wain." Sven muttered as he looked at the door behind the bar.


    Whoooooosh.


    Sven lifted Marlis into his arms, headed for the door, and turned to Osvald before entering, "Sorry, we''ll have to be alone for a while."


    Osvald just nodded while in confusion. He had seen and heard too many strange things at thest minute.


    "Well... It''s probably best if I don''t interfere with it..." Osvald muttered while scratching the back of his head in a confused manner.


    He looked at Wain and uttered, "Agh... You''re here after all. I wonder what''s going to happen next? It''s one of those rare asions when even Sven isn''t sure what''s going to happen..."


    ...


    Click.


    A few hourster, Sven and Marlis came out of the room. Marlis'' face shone as brightly as the sun and there was a happy smile on her face.


    Sven''s appearance was almost no different, only on his skin, there were red marks from the ropes.


    He adjusted his cor, looked at Wain, and said, "He''spletely exhausted, even though he''ll be alive, we need to bring him to his senses as quickly as possible, or it could cause serious consequences."


    "Huh, don''t worry, I''ve already transferred some of my energy to him, so nothing bad should happen to him." Osvald said with a confident look while holding a bottle of wine in his hand.


    Sven turned to Osvald, and for a moment, his eyes widened.


    There were plenty of empty liquor bottles on the bar, all of which Osvald had drunk, and he wasn''t going to stop there.


    "Osvald... You''ve always beenpletely ignorant of what manners are. Did you really have to empty half my bar?" Sven asked as he tilted his head in a confused manner.<sub> </sub>


    "Hahahahahaha, sorry, I just don''t like to wait, you know. I can''t train here, so... the only thing left for me to do is to take advantage of the bar assortment!" Osvaldughed before tilting the bottle to his mouth as the scarlet liquid poured down.


    "Okay, I can easily recover it anyway." Sven sighed as his ring shone brightly.


    He turned to the bar and waved his hand. Bottles appeared on the empty spots that Osvald drank, as the used liquor disappeared from the bar.


    "Should I cure Wain?" Marlis asked as she touched Sven''s hand.


    "Sure, it would be nice if you helped, but aren''t you supposed to be tired? After all, you broke the barrier in Dragon World, only you can do that, Osvald and I could never have done it." Sven uttered while looking into Marlis'' eyes.


    ''Is he worried about me...? Marlis muttered inwardly as her eyes shed brightly.


    "I haven''t fought anyone there, well... except one Dragon, but it didn''t take me much energy to do it, so I can easily heal Wain!" Marlis eximed in an excited manner as she headed toward Wain.


    She waved her hand as a magical green circle appeared in front of her from which two monsters resembling carnivorous nts emerged. They bit Wain''s hands as streams of blood poured down.


    "Huh, Marlis, I never understood why your healing methods often involve pain? Does it really have to?" Osvald asked with a confused look while looking at Wain.


    "It''s just more effective, I''m a doctor, so I know the best way, not a big deal." Marlis said quickly as she waved her hand in a careless manner.


    ''What a little liar...'' Sven muttered inwardly with a slight smile on his face.


    Gradually Wain''s wounds were recovering as well as his energy reserve during the battle waspletely depleted.


    "All set!" Marlis eximed as she raised her hands, then her eyes closed and she fell to the ground.


    "Agh... I asked her about it..." Sven sighed while shaking his head.


    "Marlis never changes, she''s always trying to impress you and she gives it her all." Osvald said with a slight smile on his face, "Sometimes I envy her tenacity."


    Sven headed over to Marlis, picked her up in his arms, and headed for the door behind the bar.


    "I agree, however, Marlis still can''t understand one simple thing. I have long been impressed enough to consider her one of the most amazing people that I have ever met, no... not even that... To me, she is actually unique." Sven said before opening the door.


    "Huh, why don''t you reciprocate her feelings then?" Osvald grinned as a massive cigar appeared in his hand.


    "Well, since I''ve already started saying things like that, rather than mulling the conversation over in my head, I''m ready to do it." Sven muttered as he raised his head.


    "I''ll be happy for you, tell her that when she wakes up." Osvald said, taking out his lighter and lighting his cigar.


    "Sure." Sven nodded as he went inside.


    Neither Osvald nor Sven noticed it, but Marlis smiled slightly as she woke up almost immediately, but didn''t show it when she realized Sven was carrying her in his arms.

 Chapter 710 Questions

    Wain slowly opened his eyes as he grabbed his head with a painful look.


    ''Fuck... How much does it hurt, but... I feel great... How is that possible?'' Wain inwardly muttered as he looked around.


    He was sitting at the same table in the corner of the bar. At this time, there were three other people in the bar beside him, Osvald, Sven, and Marlis.


    Sven and Osvald yed chess while Marlis watched them from the sidelines. Osvald was losing, but only a little, it looked like they were ying at about the same level, but Sven was just in control, which was given off by a sly smile on his face.


    "Argh... Sven, why do I feel like I''ve already lost? Although... it happens every time I y with you..." Osvald muttered with a thoughtful look.


    "Well, if you keep thinking in that direction, you''ll definitely lose." Sven said before making a move, then he turned to Wain, "Good morning, you slept quite a long time, didn''t you?"


    "Yeah... I didn''t expect to see the three of you here... Osvald, did youe here for me too?" Wain asked in a curious manner.


    Osvald shook his head, "No, I just wanted to see Sven, but it turned out that Marlis was here as well, then I saw you, so I had no choice but to stay here."


    Sven shrugged as he with a serious look made his move.


    "Not bad." Sven said with a slight nod, "You get better every time we y. Maybe one day you''ll beat me a lot more often, but I think we need to stop the game now, for a while."


    "Sure. We have more important things to do now, right?" Osvald smiled as he looked at Wain.


    At that moment, Wain had a strange feeling. He couldn''t fully trust the three of them, since he didn''t even know who they really were, but he felt safe, even though each of these three could have easily killed him.


    "Wain, you probably have a lot of questions, so you can start asking them. I''ll try to answer as many as I can." Sven uttered in a calm voice, touched the chessboard, and moved it into the ring.


    "Who are you?" Wain asked with a serious look as it was something he had long been trying to figure out.


    Sven paused for a moment, and said, "You''re not ready to hear the full answer yet, so I''ll only give you part of it. We are Arkans, however, we are different."


    "Hmm? What do you mean?" Wain asked with a confused look.


    He wasn''t much surprised by Sven''s words since he had long assumed it was because of the incident with the Arkan Girl that tried to kill him in that bar, but he wanted details.


    "Let''s just say we used to be no different from the other Arkans, but we changed our minds about it a long time ago and renounced their ideology, so the three of us are free agents, sort of." Sven said with a calm look.<sub> </sub>


    "I see..." Wain muttered.


    He understood that Sven had only told him what he saw fit, but it was a big step forward.


    ''They''re Arkans, and considering that Marlis can invade Dragon World and get away with it without consequences they''re incredibly strong... so Sven is probably telling the truth, at least his words make sense. None of them have tried to kill me, unlike the other Arkans, that react to me as if bulls to a red rag.'' Wain inwardly muttered while looking at Sven, Osvald, or Marlis.


    ''Why did you save me? It''s already happened twice, once in the Colosseum and now, in Dragon World." Wain asked with a serious look.


    "Huh, you''re the heir of the Nameless King, I can''t let you die." Sven said in a slow voice.


    "What? How do you know I''m the heir of the Nameless King?" Wain asked as he frowned.


    "Well, the very first day we met I felt strange energy that wasing from you. I couldn''t figure out what it was for a long time, but when you got stronger I realized it was the energy of Nameless King." Sven said with a slight smile on his face.


    ''Sven... to me you say one thing, but apletely different thing to Wain... I wonder why you are deceiving him.'' Marlis muttered inwardly while looking at Wain''s confused look.


    "Hmm? Then why are you protecting me?" Wain asked with a wary look as his aura intensified.


    "Don''t worry, there are no bad intentions in my actions." Sven said with a sly smile on his face, "The whole point is that I was familiar with Nameless King, so... so I''m looking out for you, it''s hard to exin, but you might know what I feel."


    ''Huh, sometimes the best lie is a half-truth, isn''t it?'' Osvald inwardly muttered with a smirk on his face, ''Sven, you definitely know this better than anyone else.''


    "Were you familiar with the Nameless King...?" Wain asked while in disbelief, "Wasn''t that too long ago?"


    "Well... When you reach the Fifth Chronicle, you''ll be surprised how long creatures that are at that level can live. We''ve all been known to the Nameless King, however, that doesn''t mean we''re watching you and will always protect you." Sven shrugged.


    He pointed two fingers and said, "These times were just the exception. You were attacked by Dragons, what now, what in Colosseum, that shouldn''t have happened. Also, we were able to spot you because you fought with all your might and emitted an energy that was familiar to us."


    Wain was silent for a while pondering Sven''s words, then he nodded and said, "Fine, I''m sure you''ve hidden something from me, but that''s enough for now. Now, I have onest question, what do we do next?"


    Sven looked at Marlis, smiled, and muttered, "As far as I know, you need to reach the Top-10 of the Colosseum, so isn''t this the perfect time to do it?"

 Chapter 711 Fight (Part 1)

    "So you already know about this, do you?" Wain uttered with a slight smile on his face.


    "Sure. Marlis told me, but I wonder why you suddenly had to go to Death Shore? That ce is the worst of the worst. When I was in the Fourth Chronicle I was afraid to go there, maybe you should reconsider." Sven asked as he waved his hand.


    [To open the next form you must find the Abyss Brush, that is in the depths of Purgatory.]


    "Well... I''m afraid even if I wanted to take your advice, I just don''t have another option." Wain shrugged while looking at the message in front of him.


    ''This will be my seventh form... I don''t know why, but I have a feeling it will be something special, maybe it''s the number? Fine, either way, I''ll find out soon enough, all that''s left is to get into the Top 10.'' Wain muttered inwardly as he nced at Marlis.


    Wain hadn''t been to Death Shore yet, but he knew it was an incredibly dangerous ce, so... he doubted Marlis could get him there, but not currently.


    ''Kadridas had to summon a Gate and go through a test by another Dragon to get into his world, but Marlis... she just broke the barrier, it''s incredible.'' Wain said to himself.


    "So, Wain, what will you do next?" Osvald asked as he crossed his arms.


    Wain thought for a while and said, ''I don''t mind, but can you enter the Colosseum? I mean... you''re Arkans and you''re in the Fifth Chronicle, that would be problematic, wouldn''t it?"


    Sven hesitated as he touched his chin with a thoughtful look, then he looked at Marlis.


    "You can fix that, right?" Sven asked.


    "Yeah." Marlis nodded with a confident look, "It''ll be easier than snapping her fingers. We can''t miss thest fight of the Nameless in the Colosseum, can we?"


    Wain was surprised as his eyes went wide. He answered nothing, just shook his head with a smile on his face.


    "Great! Then let''s go right now!" Osvald eximed with excited looks.


    "Fine." Marlis nodded, jumping off her chair and her palms covered in green me, "Don''t be offended if you don''t like the result. I''ll make it to my taste."


    Whoooosh.


    Marlis waved her hands as the green mepletely covered Osvald, Sven, then, and herself. After a while, the mes disappeared and the appearance of all three changedpletely.


    Marli''s red short hair changed to blue as her eyes became green and deep. Her sses were reced by a long gray scarf and her body was hidden by a brown coat.


    ''Wow, not only has she changed her appearance, but I also don''t feel that creepy energy that used to emanate from her anymore. She''s a normal person in the Fourth Chronicle now.'' Wain muttered inwardly as he looked at Osvald.


    Osvald had an unusual and contentedly striking appearance because of his long red hair and muscr body, so Marlis changed his image a little.


    His red hair was much shorter and greener as he had a ck leather jacket on his bare torso as well as massive metal rings on his fingers.<sub> </sub>


    "What do you think I am, a bandit?" Osvald uttered with a confused look.


    "Hahaha, I just think it makes you look even more brutal. It''ll be interesting to see how you fight in that outfit, ahahahahaha." Marlisughed and looked at Sven.


    His long blond hair turned ck as pitch as his bartender clothes changed to a long white robe with a ck double belt. A simple blue umbre with a wooden handle appeared in his hand.


    Sven twirled the umbre in his hand and with a slight smile on his face said, "Oriental style? I like that, you certainly have good taste, Marlis."


    "Yeah. I did it!" Marlis raised her head in an arrogant manner.


    "Well, well, whatpany... You all look as though you''d escaped from a fair..." Wain muttered with an awkward look.


    "At least no one will be able to reveal our true identities. Wain, I hope you win, I''m going to bet big on you." Sven smiled as though he could do something incredible.


    "Ahahahahaha, I agree! This disguise can''t even be revealed by the Dragon! Colosseum won''t be able to suspect anything! I want this fight to be the most famous fight ever! Maybe it will be even more interesting than Sven''sst fight!" Osvald eximed as he clenched his fists and his aura intensified.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The energy pulses that emanated from him made the entire bar, bottles, and sses tremble, so as soon as Osvald noticed it he calmed down and scratched the back of his head with an awkward look he muttered, "Sven, I''m sorry, I just can''t wait for this anymore."


    "Well, we''re not the ones who have to fight, so you''ll just have to enjoy the fight." Sven said with a slight smile on his face.


    "Sure." Osvald nodded.


    "Okay, Wain, open the portal. We''ll go into the Colosseum with you." Marlis said as she stared at him.


    "Fine. Once I get into the Top 10, you''ll have to take me to Death Shore right away." Wain said with a serious look before he waved his hand.


    "Whatever you say. I always keep my word, but none of us can protect you there, no matter who attacks you. It will be the most dangerous journey of your life." Marlis said as her eyes became as cold as ciers.


    "That means that if I can get out of there, I''ll have nothing more to fear, so... that''s a good deal, isn''t it?" Wain said as he opened the portal.


    "I respect your courage. When I was in the Fourth Chronicle, there''s no way I would have risked going into Death Shore." Sven said with a slight smile on his face as he ced the umbre on his shoulder.


    Wain sighed, took a step forward, and entered the spatial rift.


    Sven, Osvald, and Marlis looked at each other, then followed him.

 Chapter 712 Fight (Part 2)

    Four men appeared at the entrance to the Colosseum. It was as crowded as ever, as many people rushed to upy the spectator seats.


    "Wow, where are they all running to? Is something important happening today?" Osvald uttered with confused looks while looking at the people passing him.


    "Yeah... Looks like Wain will have to wait a bit, it''ll take a while for the arena to clear." Sven muttered as he looked up.


    Above the Colosseum hung two massive stone bs on which two names burned brightly.


    [Odvar Seim (Top-9) vs Zandar Aged (Top-3)


    "Hmm? Is this a fight between two Top-10s?" Wain said in a calm voice.


    "Great!" Marlis eximed as she jumped slightly, "They''ll be an appetizer before your fight! Come on, this should be interesting for sure!"


    Whoooosh.


    Marlis ran forward and grabbed Sven''s hand. He wasn''t expecting it, but he didn''t resist and just let Marlis drag himself away.


    "Well, let''s see which one of them wins." Wain muttered with a slight smile on his face.


    ...


    Wain was in his mask as before, and so were Sven, Marlis, and Osvald. Though Marlis had changed their appearance they still looked like the humans, so for now it was too risky. Gisle had yet to reveal Last Light to the world.


    They sat in the front bleachers and waited like everyone else for the fight to begin. The fighters had not yet entered the arena, but the Colosseum had already erged several times for everyone to watch.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we are going to have one of the most significant fights in months! Thest time you could see something like this was when Nameless and Reaper fought, however, although they are both great fighters, they are not in the Top 10, so this fight will be special!" The man with green hair and a brown hat on his head eximed.


    ''Well, well, Vincenz will be the overseer of this fight, although from the looks of it he takes all the best fights.'' Wain inwardly muttered while looking at Vincenz that tried to raise the interest of the audience to the limit.


    After a while, there was tremendous apuse as the first fighter entered the arena. It was a tall man with long blond hair and massive white wings behind his back, Odvar Seim.


    "Hahaha, I''m d you all came to watch me go straight up to number three in the rankings!" Odvar eximed with an arrogant smile on his face as he spread his wings.


    Everyone who was in the top ten had incredible poprity waiting for them, some wanted to get there just for that, as Nameless or Reaper, were just an exception. For them, Odvar was a role model, as he made it through hundreds of fights.


    "Ah, even though Odvar is at the Top-9, the fact that he was the one who could get to that level adds to my confidence! I hope he wins!" The girl eximed in an excited manner.


    "Yeah, I agree. He''s an Angel, for them wings are the most important indicator that determines their growth potential and two white wings are the mostmon variation, but Odvar was able to reach greater heights than Angels who have four golden wings, it''s incredible." The man who sat next to her said in a confident voice.<sub> </sub>


    Odvar loved the glory, he loved the way hundreds of people looked at him and he looked around trying to show himself to everyone as his gaze spotted someone very important to him, someone Odvar wanted to fight.


    "Nameless....?" Odvar muttered while in disbelief as he stared at Wain.


    The audience noticed his strange reaction, looked up and their eyes went wide. The whole Colosseum went silent for a while until Vincenz''s voice rang out.


    "Huh, I kept wondering if you were going to show up tonight, were you interested in this fight too?" Vincenz asked with a slight smile on his face.


    Wain shrugged and said, "Something like that. Now I''m just a simple spectator like everyone else here, but...I came here to fight, so I just have to wait my turn."


    "Yay!!!" Dozens of people simultaneously eximed with happy looks.


    "Damn, now there will be a fight between two of the Top 10 and then someone will fight Nameless? This is unbelievable! Today is definitely the best day in the history of the Colosseum!" Someone eximed while holding tightly to the stone pir.


    "Huh, you''re more popr than I imagined." Marlis muttered as she tilted her head, "I have a feeling they''re now expecting your fight more than a Top-10 fight."


    "Well, the second fighter should be out soon and then everyone will forget about me, at least I hope so." Wain said with a slight nod of his head.


    The audience discussed the appearance of Nameless as the three people sitting next to him also wore masks until a silhouette appeared in the second aisle.


    The figure stepped out of the shadows as everyone saw the second fighter, it was the current Top-3.


    Zandar had long gray hair, green eyes, and a cold stare. He wore dark armor that emitted energy waves in the form of dark threads while ck mes burned on his arms.


    "Hmm? ck mes? What race does he belong to? I don''t understand..." Wain muttered with a confused look.


    "He''s an Undead." Osvald said in a confident manner, "One of the most unusual that I have ever seen."


    "Ah? Undead? But... where are his bony growths in his shoulders and elbows? Maybe you''re wrong?" Wain asked as he raised an eyebrow.


    "No, he''s right." Sven uttered, "Look at his hands more closely and you''ll see something interesting."


    Wain did as Sven said and his eyes went wide. Instead of bone outgrowths as sharp as des, Zandar had bones a few millimeters long as Wain could barely see them, though he was closer to the arena than the others.


    "I don''t know what happened to him, but perhaps he got rid of them himself." Marlis said in a careless way, "I''ve heard that''s what some Undeads do that renounce the path of the assassin that most of their races take."


    "All in all, this is going to be interesting." Sven said with a serious look.

 Chapter 713 Fight (Part 3)

    Both fighters had already entered the arena and the bout was about to begin, so it was time for the audience to ce their bets.


    "Wow, I knew I was going to see huge numbers tonight, but this is something unbelievable!" Vincenz eximed as he waved his hand.


    As a watcher of the Colosseum, he had special powers, one of which he was now using.


    A table appeared above the arena with various names, opposite them, numbered, and the higher the position was the greater the number.


    "Hmm? Did he decide to reveal what the stakes were?" Wain uttered with a confused look, "Won''t that cause problems?"


    "Huh, maybe in a normal fight it would, but when two Top-10s fight, everyone is ready for it, on the contrary, many willpete to be as high up in the table as possible." Osvald grinned as he looked up.


    Some of the names were reced by ???, since, besides Wain, there were many other people that hid their identities.


    "Damn, people have gotten a lot richer in thest few hundred years... Though it''s no surprise, there are a lot more Fourth Chronicle ones living now than before..." Marlis muttered with a thoughtful look as she nced at the top of the table.


    Someone bet on Zandar''s 70 million Void Souls win, it was only one person, so the total amount had long been over one billion, roughly the same was on Odvar''s side.


    Ding!


    Suddenly a new name appeared at the top of the table as someone bet on Odvar''s 100 million Void Souls.


    "Well, well, looks like there''s more interest in this fight than I expected!" Vincenz eximed with an exciting look.


    "You won''t be cing any bets?" Wain asked as he turned to Sven.


    "No..." Sven shook his head, "I''m not sure which one will win, so I don''t want to risk it. However, I''ll bet a veryrge sum on you since you''re bound to win."


    "Agreed." Osvald with Marlis nodded.


    After a while, the bets ended, and next to each stone b appeared numbers that showed what the bets were and the chances of winning.


    On Zandar they bet a total of 2.5 billion Void Souls as his chances of winning ording to the audience were 60%. On Odvar they bet 1.7 billion while his chances were 40%.


    "Hmm? 60/40? I thought everyone would be convinced that Zandar''s going to win, he''s in the Top 3." Wain uttered with a confused look.


    <o>,m "Well, Odvar seems to have a great reputation." Sven said with a slight smile on his face while looking at him, "It''s for the best, because if the winner was known before the fight started, then what''s the point?"</o>


    Wain answered nothing, he just stared at Zandar. He, unlike the active Odvar, had not yet taken a step forward. They looked like two opposites, one cold as ice, while the other was as bright as the sun.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The Colosseum trembled as a countdown appeared over the arena, only then did Odvar stopmunicating with the audience and prepare for battle.<sub> </sub>


    "Zandar! I have a lot of respect for you, but today you have to go down a few spots in the rankings! I''m going to beat you for sure!" Odvar eximed as his aura intensified.


    "Well, the strongest will win. I have nothing more to say." Zandar uttered with a calm look before stepping forward.


    As soon as his foot touched the ground, pirs of ck me appeared next to him, and a powerful pressure that was felt by every spectator, even despite the protective barrier.


    "Damn... A few more years and he''ll probably reach the Fifth Chronicle, his aura is terrifying." Sven muttered while holding his chin in a thoughtful manner.


    Whoooooosh.


    At the same time, Odvar''s eyes shed as he turned into a golden sh. He instantly reached Zandar with a fist covered in an amber me that came down on Zandar''s head.


    Zandar''s gaze didn''t move as though he hadn''t even noticed Odvar''s attack since everything was too fast.


    Crackle.


    Suddenly there was a shockwave with a loud crack as Odvar''s face twisted in pain as he flew to the other side of the arena. A fist mark was left on his chest, just as the ck me burned him.


    "Bastard... That was quick..." Odvar uttered while trickles of blood dripped from his mouth.


    Zandar just stared at him while the mes on his arms gradually intensified. His gaze was calm and deadly as he literally pierced Odvar with it.


    "Oh... it was so damn fast. I could barely make out that punch." Wain muttered with a dazed look.


    "Yeah. After all, he''s an Undead, so his physical stats are incredible. Perhaps only an Axalt with the same level of strength could rival him in speed." Osvald said in a serious manner.


    Crackle.


    Odvar rose to his feet as he thrust his hands into the ground, then the entire arena trembled as streams of fire erupted from the ground that he willed towards Zandar.


    The amount of energy Odvar used for this attack was immense, so Zandar finally had to move out of his seat.


    He turned into a dark sh as dozens of streams of me rained down on where he had just stood, but at the snap of Odvar''s finger, the mes changed their direction, chasing Zandar.


    Zandar ran forward, next to the arena wall while the mes exploded right behind him, less than a meter away. However, Zandar remainedpletely calm as though he was inplete control of the situation.


    "Damn, that guy is so damn experienced. He doesn''t even turn around as he senses how close the mes are because of the energy fluctuations..." Osvald muttered with a dazed look, "The current Fourth Chronicle ones are really impressive."


    "Yeah..." Marlis uttered, "Though Odvar received the first blow, he seems to have an enormous amount of energy... He continues to keep the mes flowing with a calm look as though it is normal."

 Chapter 714 Fighting (Part 4)

    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Streams of amber me continued to pursue Zandar, destroying the arena along the way, which was almost instantly restored. The Colosseum was practically a living creature, so it adjusted to the changes and preferences of the fighters, especially if it was someone from the Top 10.


    "Zandar! You can''t escape my mes!" Odvar eximed as he extended his hand forward with an open palm.


    At the same time, massive streams of me split into dozens of thin strands that attacked Zandar from different directions.


    Whooooosh.


    He jumped aside at thest moment as the fiery strands shredded the ground and melted it because the temperature was too high.


    "Odvar... You put so much emotion into your attacks as always... Is it worth acting so actively in the beginning?" Zandar uttered with a calm look before bouncing off the wall.


    Unlikest time, he headed straight for the mes as if he wanted Odvar''s attack to hit him, the tips of Zandar''s fingers covered in dark mes as his hands became a blur.


    For most of the audience, Zandar''s actions were too fast, so only a few people were able to get a good look, one of them was Wain who watched it as though mesmerized.


    While in the air, Zandar touched each of the hundreds of threads of fire and connected them together. To do something like that required tremendous speed with incredible control over energy, so in a few seconds all the fire threads disappeared and in their ce an appeared amber sphere in Zandar''s hands that shone as brightly as the sun.


    "What...?" Odvar muttered with a dazed look while in disbelief.


    "You don''t have to put in too much effort, just use exactly as much as you need..." Zandar said in a calm voice as hended on the ground.


    Odvarpletely lost control of the golden threads as they blocked each other.


    "Though maybe it''s time to show something more than simple tricks, isn''t it?" Zandar muttered as his aura intensified.


    The ck mes on his hands covered the sphere as it greatly increased in size. Gradually, the bright sun turned into an eerie, frightening star, like a ck hole that could swallow everything in its path.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    As the orb became as big as Zandar itself, space trembled as cracks appeared in the barrier.


    The spectators that sat in the front stands shuddered in fear as they moved as far away from the barrier as possible.


    "Damn... If he attacks now, won''t that destroy the barrier? Even though everyone here is in the Fourth Chronicle, only a small fraction will be able to survive such an attack..." Wain muttered as his aura intensified.


    "Well, they''re just fools that don''t understand the Colosseum will do anything to keep the spectators out of harm''s way. Just watch." Sven said with a slight smile on his face.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.<sub> </sub>


    Fragments of the barrier began to break off as fragments of me burst forth, but Zandar cared little for what was happening outside the arena as he continued to pour energy into the orb.


    Tremble.


    Suddenly the space trembled as the Colosseum began to change. All of the spectator seats were separated from the main arena and pushed back dozens of meters, however, the seats of those who remained in the front rows were untouched as though Colosseum was showing that they were worthy of watching the fight closer than the others.


    At the same time, the barrier was fully restored as several more protectiveyers appeared above it that could fully absorb all the energy.


    "Hmmm...? Has the Colosseume into motion yet? Damn, we''ve only just begun, I wonder what will happen next?" Zandar muttered with a calm look before extending his hand.


    A dark sphere descended from his palm as it slowly made its way toward Odvar. The space next to the orb distorted as if it was too heavy for even the world to handle it.


    Odvar stared at the orb just like everyone else. He intuitively felt that no matter how much energy he used he would not be able to block this attack in normal ways.


    "Fuck... Are you the one who said I was acting too actively? This is insane..." Odvar muttered with a detached look.


    There were only a few meters between him and the orb as a long trail of cracks and destruction stretched across the ground.


    "Huh, I should have expected that dealing with the Top-3 would be harder than I thought... Well, I was prepared for that." Odvar uttered as his aura increased several times.


    Golden mes covered his body as his appearance changed. His wings became muchrger and violent mes appeared as well as on the massive golden gloves on his hands and a crown appeared on his head that burned brightly with white fire.


    "Zandar! Get ready, I will make you use your Form! Be assured of it!" Odvar eximed as he pped his wings.


    This caused a gust of wind that turned the mes from the gauntlets into a massive fire vortex. The mes collided with the dark sphere and began to engulf it as though a vortex.


    Odvar clenched his teeth as streams of blood trickled from the corners of his mouth because even for him it was hard to handle such an attack.


    Gradually his glovespletely absorbed the entire dark sphere as massive waves of energy passed through his body.


    "Shit... He actually did it." Wain muttered with a dazed look as he couldn''t believe what he saw.


    "Ahahahaha, the fun part''s ahead. Do you really think he used his trump card to just absorb one attack?" Osvald grinned as he crossed his arms over his chest.


    Odvar spits out a clot of blood, stepped forward and said, "Zandar, you won''t have as much time to make a decision as I do."


    Whooooooooosh.


    The crown on his head glowed brightly as a small white sphere appeared above him. It was pure magma with a tremendous temperature that turned into a deadly ray.

 Chapter 715 The Spear

    Both fighters had already used an enormous amount of energy, but so far, all they could achieve was an expansion of the Colosseum and a lot of destruction that quickly returned to normal.


    Their fight had a strange sequence, as first Zandar returned to Odvar his attack, now Odvar absorbed the massive dark sphere and turned it into a deadly ray of white sma.


    Zandar was one of the most skilled fighters that existed, so it only took one nce for him to realize that this ray would burn him to the ground.


    Tremble.


    His aura intensified as his dark armor turned into a thick darkness that quickly traveled to his arm and formed a long spear with a purple de.


    At the same time, the ray reached him as Zandar swung the spear. The tip of the weapon made contact with the ray as it began to absorb energy, however, the ray''s power was too great, so the spear gradually began to melt as clots of darkness fell to the ground.


    "Unbelievable..." Zandar uttered with a calm look as he swung his left arm, "Odvar, you actually managed to make me do this... Looks like our fight will be more interesting than I thought."


    Tremble.


    Zandar''s eyes sparkled as he stepped forward. He used his Form, and five dark rings with different runes appeared on his hand, nothing else happened.


    "Hmm... What an unusual Form..." Osvald muttered with a thoughtful look while rubbing his chin.


    "Five rings, and that''s it...?" Wain spoke as he raised an eyebrow in a confusion.


    "Don''t underestimate him." Sven said in a serious voice, "Maybe his Form isn''t as shy as the others, but that just means there''s great power hidden in each of his rings."


    Whoooooooosh.


    Immediately after his words, as though Zandar had heard Sven, two of the five rings glowed brightly. Then, the spear began to change, it became longer, sharper, and muchrger as the de exuded thick darkness.


    Zandar swung the spear as it reflected the ray sideways. A white sma flew over his head and crashed into the barrier of the Colosseum, instantly prating everyyer. Ray flew further and exploded hundreds of meterster.


    The st was so powerful that it shook space as white mes temporarily engulfed everything around it that made Odvar''s wings shine even brighter.


    Crackle.


    The spear in Zandar''s hand shattered into tiny shards, as did the two rings he used.


    Zandar looked at his hand and with a thoughtful look muttered, "I only have three trump cards left... Well, if you can strip me of them, I simply have no chance of winning."


    "Huh, I''ll definitely do it!" Odvar spoke with a confident smile on his face while trying to get his breath back to normal.


    "Fine, then I''ll use one of those right now." Zandar nodded in a calm way before raising her left hand slightly with a deadly gaze.


    Crackle.


    The third ring shattered as a massive stream of dark me burst from it that turned into another spear, however, it waspletely different from the previous one.


    The spear was very thin with a t de, but it was not it that was the main weapon, it was the dark me that emanated from it in tremendous volumes. Fire could cause a fire or even melt the earth, but this me had very different capabilities.<sub> </sub>


    Zandar swung his spear lightly as though getting used to its weight and the tip of the de touched the ground, then thend beside him was covered in a thinyer of ice that like a spider''s web spread sideways.


    "Ice...? Damn, Ipletely forgot that fire can be hot as well as cold." Wain muttered with a curious look.


    "Yeah. ording to one version, it''s also not hot in hell at all, on the contrary, many people think it''s incredibly cold, though I think either version is correct since fire is multifaceted." Sven said as a slight smile appeared on his face and shrugged.


    Whoooooosh.


    Zandar''s silhouette blurred as he sprinted toward Odvar. He was moving very fast while a trail of thick ice remained behind him.


    "Was that one of your trump cards? Ahahahaha, don''t make meugh!" Odvar eximed in an arrogant way before pping his hands together.


    ? The shockwave from the p mixed with the golden mes of the gloves as the stream of fire came down on Zandar. However, Zandar had no intention of retreating he just used another ring as a shield of dark me appeared before him, and the temperature next to him dropped sharply below zero.


    Gold fire tried to break through the shield as cracks appeared on it. Parts of the shield slowly broke away, but it was enough to allow Zandar to reach his opponent safely.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Zandar tossed what has left of the shield aside and with an ice-cold look swung his spear from top to bottom, and copsed it at Odvar.


    Odvar''s pupils narrowed as a shudder rippled through his body. He reacted as quickly as he could as he put his arms out in front of him and covered himself with wings like a shield.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The de of the spear went through his right wing and arm as it sank deeply into Odvar''s shoulder.


    "Not bad, but not enough to defeat me." Zandar whispered as though the ghost that brought death with his voice before pulling out the spear.


    Whoooooosh.


    The right-wing flew off to the side with his arm as a stream of blood whipped from the wide wound on his shoulder.


    "Argh!!!" Odvar eximed in pain with a face contorted with agony as he grabbed his shoulder with his other hand.


    Losing a wing was more painful for an Angel than having all the nerves in his body ripped out without anesthesia. It might even make many Angels lose consciousness.


    Odvar''s face struck fear into all onlookers as they were made to be hurt by the mere sight of him.


    "This is the end." Zandar said as hisst ring developed, and a dark dagger appeared in his hand.


    The de quickly approached Odvar''s head, and suddenly his pained expression changed to a devious smile.


    "Huh, I disagree. You lose!" Odvar eximed as cracks appeared on his crown.

 Chapter 716 Explosion

    Sometimes the longest battles could be decided in just a few moments, and the battle of Odvar with Zandar was definitely one of those.


    Crackle.


    Odvar mped the de of his dagger between his teeth with a wild look as the white crown on his head cracked.


    Zandar realized what was about to happen as a wave of trembling went through his body, and his eyes narrowed heavily. He put his spear out in front of him, that began to be covered in a denseyer of ice. At thest moment, Zandar swung his dagger as he sliced Odvar''s cheek with a burst of blood that immediately burned.


    Boooom.


    At the same time, the crown exploded, and a powerful stream of me engulfed everything around him as space shook violently. Zandar was in the epicenter, so the stream of me threw him to the other side of the arena, incinerating him.


    Though the spectators were protected by the damaged barrier, the heat from the mes managed to prate even through it. The skin on the spectators'' hands began to burn, even those who were very far from the arena.


    The injured immediately began to use various measures to handle it, but some continued to watch the fight as though nothing had happened. They could not afford to miss a single moment.


    Odvar fell to the ground as he managed to hold on to one arm so he wouldn''t lose consciousness, and looked ahead.


    Gradually the mes settled as the decisive moment came. What state Zandar was in would decide the oue of the battle, as only one would be left on his feet.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Thest bits of me dispersed as Zandar''s silhouette revealed itself and the eyes of all onlookers went wide.


    His entire body was charred and covered in severe burns, but despite this, he continued to stand on his two feet with a proud look.


    "Wasn''t it enough for Odvar to win?" Someone eximed with a dazed look while in disbelief.


    The audience began to whisper as satisfied smiles appeared on the faces of many while others, on the contrary, were seriously upset by this oue.


    "Well, well, he got so many wounds, but he was still conscious. That''s impressive." Sven said with a devious smile on his face as he crossed his arms.


    "I agree, he definitely deserved his victory." Wain smirked while looking at Zandar.


    Bam.


    At the same time, Zandar fell to the ground with a hollowed look as the entire Colosseum fell silent. A wave of shock spread throughout the arena as the audience could not believe what they were seeing.


    "Ahahahahahahahahaha!!!"


    Suddenly, Odvar''s powerfulughter erupted which shook the entire Colosseum. His wounds were bleeding as hisughter caused intense pain, but he kept doing it with a happy expression as though he had finally fulfilled his dream.


    "I fucking did it!" Odvar eximed as he mmed his fist into the ground.


    Crackle.<sub> </sub>


    The force of the blow caused blood to rush out of his mouth and the wound on his shoulder, that covered the ground beneath him, but Odvar paid it no mind.


    Whooooooooosh.


    The Stone bs that soared over the arena shattered into tiny shards as only one name remained that burned brightly in red me.


    [Odvar Seim is the winner of this fight!]


    [Odvar Seim is number three in the rankings!]


    "Well, well, who would have thought this incredible fight would end like this?" Vincenz grinned as he spread his arms out to his sides, "A round of apuse for the winner! Make it as loud as you can, in the meantime I''ll make sure it''s not theirst fight."


    Vincenz''s fingertips glowed brightly as hundreds of runes unfolded on Colosseum that transmitted their energy to him. Then, out of his fingers came green threads that headed toward Zandar and Odvar.


    They gradually repaired their wounds as several threads coiled like vines around severed wing and arm.


    "Wow, is Vincenz capable of this?" Wain muttered with a dazed look, "I mean... Curing strong fighters like Zandar and Odvar must be incredibly difficult, right?"


    "Yeah. Even it took me a while." Marlis said in a careless manner while holding her head with her hand, "However, he uses the power of the Colosseum to do so. After all, he is the watcher, so he has certain powers here."


    Wain nodded as he stared at Vincenz.


    ''I still don''t know how powerful he really is, he must have another job besides being the watcher, mustn''t he?'' Wain inwardly muttered in a curious voice, ''Then, he was able to kick the real Dragon out of this space, I wonder how many powers of Colosseum he used?''


    After a while the apuse passed as the wounds of the two fighters almostpletely healed, it took only a few minutes.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Odvar with a satisfied look stretched his shoulder while in a rxed manner pacing towards Zandar that was still unconscious.


    "Hey! Don''t you dare touch him! Your fight is already over!" Someone eximed with an angry expression while pointing at Odvar.


    "Hmm?" Odvar frowned as he turned around, "What the hell are you talking about? Ah, that''s right, practically none of you know..."


    Odvar shook his head, walked over to Zandar, and threw him on his back.


    "Zandar and I are good friends, I''ve known him for years, and maybe that''s why I tried so hard to win, heh, inbat he acts like death, but the rest of the time he''s so damn calm and closed off." Odvar grinned and headed for the exit of the arena.


    Before disappearing down the aisle, Odvar turned around as his and Wain''s eyes met.


    "Nameless, I thought I would fight you after this fight, but I''m afraid I hardly have the strength to just walk now. Damn, that''s pretty hurtful and ironic at the same time." Odvar muttered before stepping on.


    "I and my friend will be watching your fight! I hope it will be the best one today!" A voice came from the depths of the aisle as Odvar walked away.

 Chapter 717 Who Is My Opponent?

    Odvar left the arena, so gradually the interest of the audience subsided and more people began to look in Wain''s direction.


    "Well, well, now it''s your turn, isn''t it?" Sven smirked as he put his hand under his head.


    "Yeah. I guess so..." Wain muttered with a slight smile on his face and looked at Vincenz.


    His green eyes grew deeper and sharp as the deadliest de, "Can you find me a worthy opponent?"


    Wain spoke calmly, but his voice made the entire Colosseum sink into silence for a while as a shiver ran through Vincenz''s body.


    He smiled, tilted his hat, and said, "You''re talking about someone in the Top 10, right? Hmm, two of them just fought and there''s no way I can connect with the Top-1, but someone''s been talking to me personally about wanting to fight you."


    Wain showed a devious smirk as his aura intensified considerably, "Great! Call him now!"


    Whooooooosh.


    Wain jumped from his seat as he found himself in front of a multiyered barrier. A denseyer of darkness appeared on his hands and he thrust his palms into the barrier as though in a gap between the door.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Multiple cracks appeared on the barrier, the barrier slowly breaking apart under Wain''s pressure. Then, he swung his arms, and the barrier shattered into hundreds of pieces, clearing a passage for him.


    "Ahahahahahaha, great start for yourst fight!" Osvald eximed in a thunderous voice whileughing brutally.


    "Ah... Last fight?" Someone muttered with wide eyes and trembling lips.


    "The man said Nameless would no longer fight in the Colosseum...?" The woman uttered with a frightened expression.


    "No! That can''t be!" Her mate eximed as he mmed his fists into the support.


    Wain turned to Osvald with a frown as he clenched his hand into a fist.


    "Oh... I guess I said a little too much, I didn''t mean to do that, okay?" Osvald said in an awkward manner while scratching the back of his head with a wide grin on his face.


    "Hmm, we can use that. Osvald you''re good." Sven said in a thoughtful way before standing up.


    "My mate is right." Sven nced at Osvald as his voice spread throughout the Colosseum, that was calm butmanding, so everyone without realizing it began to listen to him.


    "This will actually be thest battle of Nameless at the Colosseum. The thing is, his goal is to be in the Top 10, so once he''s done that, he''s going to focus on getting to the Fifth Chronicle. You all should understand that it''s a difficult task that will take up all the free time of even the most talented person." Sven said in a serious voice as he extended his hand forward with his palm open to the top.


    "Go ahead, invite all your friends and acquaintances here, no one should miss this fight." Sven turned to Vincenz, "I hope the opponent will be worthy?"


    ''What a strange look... Those three in the masks are definitely hiding something, but that''s none of my business, at least for now.'' Vincenz inwardly muttered before nodding and saying, "Sure, I''ve already sent him a message. He''s been waiting for this moment since thest battle of Nameless."<sub> </sub>


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly Colosseum began to rearrange because there were too many people who wanted to watch the fight and there were not enough seats for everyone. Several new rows appeared, but it only took one minute for all the seats to be taken, and then the Colosseum stopped.


    "Hmm? Colosseum hase to a standstill? It can''t get any bigger?" Someone muttered while in disbelief.


    "Is that possible?" His buddy uttered with a worried look.


    "Damn... Looks like even the Colosseum has a limit... It''s pretty sad, I have a few more friends that haven''t had time to take the seat..." The man said with a slight sigh while shaking his head.


    Everyone waited for the battle to begin, talking amongst themselves and assuming what they were about to see.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Suddenly a greenyer of energy appeared on Wain''s body, that covered it like a veil, then a long massive crack formed in the center of the arena, growing rapidly.


    "Hmm? What is that?" Wain reached forward, examining the green energy on it.


    "Damn, is this really happening?" Vincenz muttered with a dazed expression.


    Gradually the Colosseum split in two as the ruins continued to sprawl apart. New ces appeared as well asnd for battles, so gradually Colosseum changedpletely.


    The Colosseum now consisted of four identical parts with spectator seats behind each half of the previous arena.


    "There were twice as many spectator seats, but how will I fight here?" Wain muttered with confused looks while looking ahead.


    A massive empty space was left in the center as the four halves of the arena were too far apart.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly green runes appeared on the ground as massive wide bridges appeared in front of the arena halves that sprawled sideways. Gradually, different areas and buildings appeared between the arenas. So on the east side was a forest with a few abandoned viges, while on the west side was a deserted area with rare oases and pyramids.


    However, the empty circle in the center was untouched. Only when all the outer areas were ready did the left half of the central arena begin to fill, and that was Wain''s side.


    There began to line up dark ruins with an eerie aura with sparse bloody flowers that emitted a powerful smell and three massive rivers of flowing ash, then the green veil disappeared from Wain''s body.


    ''Hmm? Is that how the Colosseum sees me? Well, it seems to have sensed Eva''s aura, otherwise, I can''t exin why these bloody flowers and ashy rivers are here.'' Wain inwardly muttered with a slight smile on his face.


    The second half of the main arena was still empty, as the Colosseum waited for whoever owned it.


    "Well, well, it looks like I should be grateful for that special treatment." Wain uttered as his mouth corners lifted.

 Chapter 718 Arrival Of The Second

    Crackling.


    The second half of the arena began to be filled with des that werepletely covered with white flowers, two mountains that as if shielded the azureke before them from too much sunlight, and three tall pagodas from which a stone road led to theke shore.


    Out of the ground, next to the road and the pagodas, came many pirs seeminglycking something, one very important element.


    "Hmm? Eastern style? Is my adversary this...?" Wain muttered with a thoughtful look while surveying the main arena.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Suddenly there was a massive magical circle above, in which a portal opened. A sh of it flew out from there and headed toward the top of the central pagoda.


    "Colosseum has changed to this extent? I can''t even recognize it... Well, I''m d I could be a part of this event." There was a calm, majestic voice that made everyone stare at the same point.


    It was a tall man with long, tar-ck hair that fluttered in the wind. His amethyst eyes could mesmerize any woman with one look at his piercing gaze.


    His athletic body with pale skin was covered by a long ck and purple robe with a wide white belt. There was nothing underneath the robe, so the neckline on his chest partially revealed the massive sign of the midnight moon.


    In his right hand was a katana with a purple hilt and a razor-sharp de that sliced the air into fibers with a light sweep.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same time, two massive stone bs with the names of the fighters appeared above the arena.


    [(????) Nameless Top-36 vs. Reidar Mechle Top-2]


    "Nameless... I knew right away that you are a unique fighter and after yourst fight I was determined that I wanted to fight you. Finally, my wish hase true, I hope we have the best fight of all time otherwise we won''t do justice to the spectators or to the Colosseum. Reidar said with a calm look and real respect in his voice.


    ''Well, well, my opponent turned out to be so polite... Damn, this will be interesting, usually, the calmest can be as fierce as a devil.'' Wain inwardly muttered with a slight smile on his face.


    Whoooooosh.


    Reidar swung his katana as sparks appeared at the tip of the de. Then, massive electric shocks went through his body as powerful purple lightning bolts struck the empty pirs and made them shine brightly.


    "Lightning... You will be my second serious opponent that uses this element." Wain muttered in a calm voice while pacing among the ruins.


    "This is a pleasant surprise." Reidar nodded before jumping off the pagoda, "Nameless, you have many different abilities, that''s amazing, but I''m curious about something else... What is your main element?"<sub> </sub>


    Wain looked around, extended his hand, and with a slight smile on his face said, "Isn''t it obvious? It''s darkness."


    "I see... Nameless, I won''t promise you that I will defeat you, it will be decided in battle, but..." Reidar uttered as he pointed at Wain by his katana, "I promise I will destroy your mask, if this is yourst fight then I must see your face that you hide so carefully."


    Wain just shrugged with a careless smirk on his face.


    "You''ll have to try hard to do it, though I won''t promise you''ll fail, nor will you. However, I will do my best not to let that happen." Wain said in an arrogant voice as he released some of his energy that like dark threads spread sideways.


    Reidar nodded with a serious look, lowered his katana, and took a few steps back, waiting for the fight to officially begin.


    "Great! Since both fighters are ready, I dere the start of the stakes! Let''s go! Last fight, two of the Top 10 fighters fought and the total exceeded 4 billion Void Souls! I hope it will be even more now!" Vincenz eximed with an excited look as he waved his hand.


    A small green portal appeared in front of each person in the arena into which people could shove the desired amount of Souls.


    "Oh, he decided to do it manually? Good solution, not as practical as through the system of Colosseum, but most appropriate for this fight." Marlis muttered while her bored look slowly faded as even she began to wonder what would happen next.


    A few secondster, hundreds of people had already ced their bets. Some bet only a few thousand, but there were those who had already bet several million which was a huge amount. It only took half a minute for the total to exceed one billion Souls.


    "Marlis, will you do me a favor? I want you to be the first of the three of us to ce a bet." Sven said with a sly smile on his face as he turned to her.


    "Sure, but... Do you really think Wain can win? I mean... This Axalt, he looks so damn strong, I''m pretty sure some Fifth Chronicle monsters can''t even hold out against him for ten seconds." Marlis uttered while looking at Reidar with a suspicious look.


    "Well, I''m surprised myself at how powerful his aura is, though he hides it carefully. The current Fourth Chronicle, in fact, is much stronger than those of our time, but Wain is no ordinary persona at all either." Sven said in a curious voice while touching his chin.


    "Okay..." Marlis nodded as a gray me lit up her palm, "He has no choice either way. If he wants me to escort him to that ce... he must win now."


    A multitude of Souls appeared in her hand that, under the pressure of her aura, merged into one. First, a thousand souls became a coin, then a crystal. Gradually, an unknown number of souls turned into a sphere because of which space began to distort.


    "Well, that''s enough for my bet." Marlis shrugged as she tossed it into the portal.


    <o>,m At the same time, a hidden name appeared at the top of the table, opposite that was a number that shocked everyone.</o>


    [ ??? bet - 1,500,000,000]

 Chapter 719 The Final Bet

    "A billion and a half? Not bad, thanks to this bet now the total amount is greater for Wain than for Reidar." Sven said with a slight nod of his head while crossing his arms.


    "Hey! Do you think you''re the only rich person? Huh, you bet over a billion Souls on Nameless! You must be crazy because he''s bound to lose!" The man in the expensive clothes eximed as gray souls flew out of his palm.


    He threw a sphere into the portal that was as big as Marlis''s and another name appeared on the table with a billion souls, only on Reidar''s side.


    "He thinks a billion and a half is all we can do?" Osvald eximed with a slightly insane face as he sped his hands together as though trying to hold the ball.


    Souls began to fly out of his palms that as though the threads were woven together. Gradually the threads turned into a huge sphere that was the size of his head, then he threw the sphere into the portal.


    [ ??? bet - 2,000,000,000]


    "What?!" The man eximed while in disbelief as his jaw dropped almost to the ground, "How the hell do you have so many souls in there? Are you some kind of merchants? Why don''t I know anything about you!"


    "Ahahahahahahaha, did you think a billion could impress us?!" Osvaldughed as he pped himself on the leg with an exciting look.


    "Two billion?" Suddenly came the calm voice of a man in dark blue robes, "That''s impressive, you must have been preparing for this fight for a long time and fully confident in a Nameless victory, but we were expecting it too."


    Sitting next to the man were several other men with light blue robes. On their chests were the same stream-of-water emblems. They pointed their hands toward their leader as hundreds of souls flew out of their palms.


    Gradually a sphere appeared in his hand, too, that was slightlyrger than Osvald''s.


    "Two billion is a lot, but we are willing to bet such an incredible amount on Reidar, he will definitely win." The man said with a serious look before throwing the orb into the portal.


    [Jamel Rottenire bet - 2,500,000,000]


    "2.5 billion, damn, that''s actually a lot. How long did it take you to raise such an impressive sum?" Osvald uttered as he looked up at the table.


    Then, hundreds of people continued to bid, but in muchrger amounts than before. No one could outbid such a high bid, but the total grew steadily and was already approaching 7 billion Souls, which was one and a half times the amount of thest fight.


    "Hah, this is unbelievable... I''ve never seen a bid this high... Though considering how much the Colosseum has changed it''s no surprise." Vincenz muttered with a dazed look while looking at the table where a new name appeared every second.


    Gradually the bets were getting smaller and smaller as everyone who wanted was already done so Vincenz was about to finish taking bets, but suddenly he felt a strong pressure.


    Tremble. Tremble. Treble.


    It came from a man in a white robe with a simple umbre. Sven, like everyone else, decided to bet, but the number of souls he used was enormous, even more than the previous record holder.<sub> </sub>


    The sphere in his hand already surpassed all previous sizes as it suddenly shrunk and glowed brightly as if a small star in the center of which was a tremendous amount of energy, then he threw the star into the portal.


    At the same time, at the top of the list appeared a new name that broke all records.


    [??? Bet - 3,000,000,000]


    "Three billion souls..." The man in the dark blue robes muttered while in disbelief as his jaw dropped almost to the ground, "Can one man have that much money... that''s crazy..."


    "Wait... All three of these people know Nameless... Damn, his friends are as incredible as he is." Someone uttered in a daze with a look at Sven, Osvald, and Marlis.


    "Yeah... The three of them bet six and a half billion souls... In other words, the three of them bet half as many as a dozen people in thest fight..." His buddy muttered as he looked up, "By the way... what is the final total?"


    His words echoed throughout the Colosseum as everyone looked to the top of the table.


    The total was 13,750,625,386 souls, which was three times more than thest battle.


    "Well, well, winning will take just over a billion... That''s actually quite impressive, I don''t even know what I''m supposed to do with that much money." Wain muttered with a devious smile on his face while looking up.


    Hearing his words, the man in dark blue robes smirked, stood up, and said, "Hey, Nameless, if you don''t have any money to spend thene and join us at the Order of the Water Vortex! We can get you everything on the continent, with us it will be much easier for you to reach the Fifth Chronicle!"


    "Hmm...? Aren''t you sure Reidar will win?" Someone asked with a frown.


    "Hahahahahaha, of course, but I can''t pass up the opportunity to invite someone like Nameless, especially since isn''t that good publicity? Just look at how many people are here! It''s an event of unbelievable proportions!" The manughed with a wide grin on his face as he spread his arms out to his sides.


    Reidar stepped forward, stared at Wain, and muttered, "You talk in that way as though you had already won, but that seems to be the minority view.


    That Reidar would win was thought by 73% as only 27% were confident that Wain could triumph.


    "Well, I can understand why they''re so confident in you, you''re Top-2, after all. However, there have been times in history when an absolute majority has been wrong, here it''s only 3/4, so I don''t stand much of a chance." Wain smirked as his aura intensified which made his coat flutter as though from powerful wind currents.


    p. p. p.


    "Great! Since you''re already itching to join the fight, I''ll start the countdown!" Vincenz eximed as the number ''10'' of green mes appeared over the arena.

 Chapter 720 The Strongest Lightning

    "Nameless, I know you have an unusual sword that cannot be broken. I hope you will use it during our fight." Reidar said with a serious look as he pointed his katana at Wain.


    "Sure. I''m not crazy enough to fight a dangerous swordsman like you with my bare hands, in which case I might actually lose." Wain smirked, showed the back of his palm, and used energy.


    The jaw-shaped seal glowed brightly as a thick stream of darkness burst from it. It gradually thickened and turned into a long ck sword with several ancient runes on its de.


    By that point, there were only three seconds left before the battle began.


    "Ah... This sword looks like a weapon that a simple cksmith created, but I feel that it is a masterpiece of historical level." Reidar said in a calm voice while looking at dius as for a moment a madness smile appeared on his face.


    ''Wain... Be careful, there''s something wrong with this guy.'' dius uttered in a worried manner.


    ''What do you mean?'' Wain inwardly asked as he raised an eyebrow.


    ''Fight him full force at once... I mean, you don''t have to use all your trump cards, but if you underestimate him, you''ll have your head off your shoulders before you know anything. I can hardly understand it, but his power is at the lower end of the Fifth Chronicle.'' dius spoke in a deadly serious voice.


    ''Sure. However, I must feel at least a few blows before I use one of the cards, or I will be immediately outnumbered.'' Wain muttered to himself as he prepared for battle.


    Reidar was on the left side of theke while Wain was on the right. They stared at each other, trying to notice every detail while their gazes went to each other.


    Ding!


    The countdown came to an end as each spectator held his breath. They had finally waited for the battle they had waited so long for to begin.


    At the same time, Reidar stepped forward and electric shocks coursed through his body. Then he turned into a purple sh as there was a p of thunder that was so loud it deafened the spectators in the front stands for a moment.


    Whoooooosh.


    In an instant Reidar swept across the wholeke as he appeared before Wain, leaving behind a deep trail of sparks that split theke in two with powerful waves.


    Reidar''s cold eyes looked like harbingers of death while his katana raced with tremendous speed straight into Wain''s neck, on the shortest possible trajectory.


    A shudder went through Wain''s body as his pupils narrowed, and he held the sword out to the ground.


    Tremble.


    The katana struck the sword and there was a powerful shockwave with the impact that threw Wain dozens of meters back. The force of the attack reverberated throughout his body as though from a shotgun st.


    "You were able to block my attack at full speed? Great, now I''m sure I can hold my own against you." Reidar uttered in a calm voice before swinging his katana up and down.<sub> </sub>


    His attack could not reach Wain because he was too far away, but this simple sweep caused several lightning spheres in the sky that dropped a series of massive purple lightning bolts on the ground that as though chased Wain who had not yet managed to stop.


    "Shit!" Wain eximed as he quickly directed arge amount of energy toward dius.


    A dense streak appeared on the edge of the sword as Wain copsed the sword. A massive energy de flew out of the sword and collided with a series of lightning bolts.


    Booooom!


    Darkness mixed with the energy of lightning caused a massive explosion. Energetic particles filled everything around them as powerful wind currents shattered the unstable ruins.


    "Damn, it hasn''t been more than ten seconds since the countdown ended, but we''ve already managed to bring destruction here." Wain said with an excited look as he swung his sword horizontally.


    A sharp sword sliced through the cloud of dust and energy as the wind blew it apart, revealing Wain.


    "Well, I''m not one to wait too long. If I can attack, I''ll do it... though I wouldn''t expect you to get even a scratch in two of my attacks, that''s troubling." Reidar uttered with a thoughtful look as he tilted his head while touching his chin.


    ''Huh, he says one thing, but he''s obviously thinking something else entirely. His attacks could kill almost anyone, but he treats it as a simple attempt to hurt me somehow...'' Wain muttered inwardly.


    How strong he was understood not only by Wain but also by the spectators, who had only needed two attacks to open their eyes wide.


    "Reidar is unbelievable... I thought I was very good at swordsmanship, but I could hardly see anything, isn''t that crazy?" The man with the massive sword behind his back muttered with a dazed expression.


    "Well, Nameless was able to block these attacks, moreover, he appearedpletely unharmed, so now it should be his turn, right?" His mate uttered in a curious manner.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Suddenly there was a loud crackling sound as dark electrical discharges appeared in Wain''s left hand, and more and more in time.


    "Reidar, maybe lightning isn''t my specialty, unlike you, but try to handle it!" Wain eximed in an arrogant way before using one of his two skills.


    He clenched his hand into a fist as the sparks turned into a massive ray that rushed upward. Then, dozens of thunderclouds appeared in the sky, and the sound of lightning rang out among them.


    Reidar with a calm look looked at the scope of theing attack, realized that he would not be able to escape it, and grabbed his katana with both hands.


    "Go for it. Do it." Reidar whispered in a creepy voice as unseen sparks appeared in his eyes.


    The clouds thickened over Reidar as many ck lightning bolts gathered above him that seemed intent on destroying everything beneath them.

 Chapter 721 Spirits

    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The energy among the thunderclouds reached its limit as dozens of ck thunderbolts rained down on the left side of the arena. They simultaneously rained down, carrying with them a charge powerful enough to hurt the Fifth Chronicle monster.


    The central lightning bolts joined together in a few massive ones while the rest destroyed the ground beside Reidar, leaving wide craters and cracks in it that caused one of the pagodas to tilt.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Reidar jumped high up, heading straight for the main lightning bolts. He was quite strong, but a direct hit from such an attack would surely have critically wounded him, but even so, his gaze was perfectly calm and as cold as thousand-year-old ciers.


    He pulled his katana forward as if he intended to pierce the lightning. At the same moment, the tip of the katana made contact with the lightning, and a massive energy shot through his body, then Reidar swung the katana diagonally downward, taking the massive lightning out of its path as it followed the edge of the katana.


    Reidar turned as he swung his katana sharply toward Wain''s as if it were his attack.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Lightning bolts burst from the katana andbined into one massive thunderbolt that headed toward Wain.


    "What the fuck!" Wain eximed with a dazed look before exposing the sword in front of him.


    The Thunderbolt copsed on him as the ground beneath Wain cracked. dius took all the damage, but the energy was too much for him to fully absorb or repel it.


    ''Wain! Do something! I don''t know how, but he doubled your attack andpressed dozens of lightning bolts into one! You only have a few seconds or the pressure will tear you apart!'' dius eximed while trying to block the attack.


    Wain''s pupils narrowed as strange energy that instantly coated the sword de emanated from him. Then, amidst the dark veil appeared several eerie jaws that began to devour the lightning bolts, gradually getting rid of them.


    Crackle.


    Wain swung his sword as he threw the rest of the thunderbolt upward. It reached the barrier and exploded with thousands of sparks that flew apart.


    "Hm? Were you able to repel this attack? No... You absorbed part of the attack, that''s your Beyond, right?" Reidar uttered with a calm look as hended on one of the pirs.


    "Well, I have no choice but to admit that you made me use one of my trump cards." Wain said as he shrugged in a careless manner, then a devious smile appeared on his face and his gaze grew deeper.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A ck crown appeared on him with three eerie eyes as dark energy covered his palms. Jaws and eyes appeared in the midst of the darkness as if ghosts were showing out of the abyss.


    "I didn''t expect you to be so good at controlling lightning that you could turn my attack against myself, it was an unfortunate mistake." Wain uttered in a quiet voice while shaking his head, then his gaze changedpletely and the eyes on his crown opened wide.


    He pointed at Reidar with his sword as a powerful stream of darkness that split into several pieces departed from him.


    "However, making me activate my a Beyond was your mistake!" Wain eximed with excited looks as he raised the sword above his head.


    The dark clots appeared with massive jaws and one eye each as they began circling over Wain''s head like evil spirits that were waiting for a victim to devour it.<sub> </sub>


    Some of the spirits broke out of the swirl as they headed for the edges of the barriers, so the spectators in the front stands had to face them.


    "Damn... What is it...?" The man muttered in a daze while gritting his teeth as shivers ran down his body.


    A strange creature was staring at him, grinning creepily with its wide jaw.


    Crack.


    The spirit clenched its jaws several times as if by a hungry piranha and bit off part of the barrier.


    "Argh!" The man eximed with a frightened look as he stepped back and fell to the ground because of his trembling legs.


    Whooooooosh.


    The spirit smirked as it flew away. The barrier was gradually restored, and the man''s heart was beating fast. All he could think about then was what would happen to him if there was no barrier.


    One of the evil spirits headed toward Sven. He sat on the front row and exuded an unusual aura, so he was the most desirable target for such creatures.


    "Well, well, it looks like Wain has learned to control his a Beyond so well that it matches his emotions... That''s impressive." Sven uttered with a slight smile on his face while looking at the evil spirit in dispassion.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    This evil spirit did the same thing as the previous one, trying to scare the man in front of him, however, Sven did not react in any way, he just kept looking at the spirit with a curious look as though at an exhibit in a museum.


    This angered the evil spirit and it became more aggressive. At the same time, Sven''s pupils narrowed as he let some of his aura out for a moment.


    Tremble.


    Powerful pressure came down on the evil spirit as it shuddered in fear and flew away, not wanting to stay there a second longer.


    ''How interesting...'' Sven muttered inwardly as he tilted his head.


    ''Looks like I didn''te here for anything, as I found what I wanted.'' Sven wondered with a sly smile on his face while his eyes were aimed directly at Wain.


    "You have quite an unusual power..." Reidar uttered while looking at the swirl of hundreds of ghosts.


    "Huh, I don''t know why, but I feel like I can use an infinite amount of energy now! I like this fight already!" Wain eximed with an excited expression before lowering his sword.


    "Go ahead. Make this calm guy reveal his true face." Wain said in a calm voice.


    At his will, all the ghosts stared at Reidar as though a herd of piranhas was rushing toward him with hungry looks.

 Chapter 722 Blade Dissecting The World

    The ghosts pounced on Reidar while grimly cracking their jaws with razor-sharp teeth. The sound would have frightened even a very strong monster, but Reidar was as calm as ever.


    "You think energy spirits can do me any damage? Nameless... Don''t you underestimate me?" Reidar uttered in an ice-cold voice as he stepped forward.


    Electric shocks rippled through his katana before his hand blurred. Then, from the katana flew a de of lightning that instantly reached the ghosts.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    There was a deafening explosion that shook the entire arena as the shock wave caused theke water to ripple and caused the trees to sway.


    Reidar lowered his katana while with a calm gaze staring at the purple cloud that was slowly dissipating.


    "You used so much energy and a Beyond for me to stop your attack with a simple swing of a weapon?" Reidar uttered in a careless manner, "Maybe your power can absorb an attack, making it weaker, but it absolutely does not work against such quick counterattacks."


    "Ahahahahaha, you''ve finally shown your true face, at least part of it." Wainughed as a devious smirk appeared on his face, "Do you really think that''s all my a Beyond can do?"


    Whooooooooosh.


    At the same time, dozens of ck dots flew out of the cloud. They were ghosts that though in no way harmed by Reidar''s attack.


    "What?! How is that possible?!" Reidar eximed with a dazed look while in disbelief.


    The ghosts quickly got to him, so Reidar had to react. Sparks appeared in his eyes as he swung his katana more than ten times in just a few seconds. Dozens of lightning-violet des rained down on the ghosts and Reidar jumped back a few meters.


    "Well, that should be enough." Reidar uttered, but, a secondter his eyes went wide as his katana grip loosened.


    The energy des were able to destroy some of the spirits, but only a few as most simply devoured the des, crushing them with their powerful jaws.


    "They''re eating them... Shit! I totally misunderstood the way his power works!" Reidar eximed as lightning shed near his feet.


    He turned into a purple sh, then thin lines began to appear on the ghosts and they burst into pieces. Reidar was destroying more and more ghosts with his deadly sharp katana with each passing second.


    "Hah, this guy is pretty smart. He knew right away that it was better to use energy to speed up since his katana would be enough to deal with the ghosts." Osvald grinned with crossed arms while carefully watching Reidar''s every move.


    It only took Reidar a few seconds to destroy more than half the ghosts. They tried to get close to him, but Reidar was too experienced for the clots of energy to hurt him. His katana sliced the spirits apart while lightning bolts kept his immense speed up.


    Whooooooosh.


    Reidar cut through another ghost, but suddenly Wain appeared in front of him with a sword aimed at his neck. Reidar''s eyes went wide as his aura rose abruptly.<sub> </sub>


    "Hey, do you really have to kill all my ghosts? It took me quite a bit of energy to create them." Wain uttered in a calm voice before turning his sword.


    At the same time, a wave of energy came from his palm that traveled through the hilt to the tip of the sword, turning into a massive torrent of darkness hitting Reidar.


    Reidar put his katana out in front of him as if he was covered by a shield. A stream of darkness threw him down as Reidar mmed into the ground like a meteor. Then, the remaining ghosts, more than twenty in number, came crashing down on him.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Each ghost''s pupil narrowed as it approached the ground, and they exploded with darkness when they reached their target.


    "Holy shit..." Someone uttered while in disbelief while looking at the ck clots that as though a hail of arrows was raining down on Reidar, "Is it possible to survive such an attack? Even one ghost has an eerie aura, but they literally sacrifice themselves to inflict as much damage on Reidar as possible..."


    Crackle.


    Suddenly several purple streaks appeared in the air.


    "Hmm? What is that?" The man muttered while in a confusion, then he blinked.


    It was enough to make several thousand instead of just a few stripes, then a powerful lightning burst from a single point that tore the ghosts apart, leaving not even a tiny particle of them.


    The lightning burst easily prated severalyers of barriers and it made the entire Colosseum tremble.


    The cloud of dust slowly dissipated as everyone saw what had be of Reidar after such an aggressive Wain attack.


    He stood in the middle of the wide crater while the wind fluttered his ck hair and slightly damaged ck and purple robe in the wind. His gaze remained calm, but now Reidar was fully focused and serious as he too had to use one of his trump cards.


    "Well, well, it looks like we''ve each taken it to the next level now." Wain grinned while slowly stepping forward, "Your Beyond definitely suits you."


    Reidar''s hands appeared with purple gloves, a hoop on his head that gave off electric sparks, and bright lightning shes in his eyes.


    "I''ll take that as apliment." Reidar uttered with a slight nod of his head as he nced at his katana, "I didn''t think I''d have to do it so soon, but I underestimated you, so... now we can give it our best shot."


    Reidar raised his katana as his headband glowed. A tremendous amount of energy headed toward the katana as powerful electrical discharges caused the space next to him to distort.


    Then, a shiver ran through Wain''s body as all his instincts told him that this attack was deadly. Though the watcher usually saved and healed fighters, it was impossible to do so if death came from an instant attack.


    "I hope no one in the audience gets hurt as even I''m not sure how powerful this attack is right now..." Reidar uttered while looking at the katana, then the calm expression disappeared as a cruel smirk formed on his face, and his gaze filled in bloodlust with he muttered, "Though who am I kidding? I don''t fucking care!"

 Chapter 723 The Fault

    Reidar used a tremendous amount of energy with his Beyond, so his katana quickly reached its limit as an almost imperceptible crack appeared on the weapon.


    "Well, well, looks like it''s finally time." Reidar smirked, stared at Wain, and his hand became a blur.


    At the same time, the tip of the katana reached the ground as all the energy rushed out. The de shattered everything in its path, even space, and reached Wain with lightning speed.


    He had only a few moments to react, but Wain already knew what he would do, so at thest moment, his hair turned golden as he was hundreds of meters away.


    The energy de broke through severalyers of barriers with ease and headed for the bleachers.


    "Agh!" The spectators eximed with frightened looks as they tried to run away. They didn''t have enough time to do so as it was very rare for the Colosseum to fail to protect its spectators.


    The de began to shatter the stands apart as it approached the girl who was too scared to move.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Suddenly a man in a long red coat, green hair, and a brown hat appeared in front of her.


    "Damn, who would have thought it woulde to this?" VIncenz uttered as his fingertips glowed brightly.


    Colosseum gave him his power and Vincenz created several magical circles in front of him that slowed the energy de. The magical circles stopped the depletely as Vincenz clenched his palms. Magic circles like seals superimposed on the energy de and because of the great pressure it exploded.


    Booooom!


    st''s power shook the front stands, but the energy couldn''t get beyond the seals as the attack slowly fizzled out.


    "Hah, you don''t seem to be holding back at all now, do you?" Vince asked in a careless manner as he spits out a clot of blood, "That was pretty damn strong, good thing there won''t be any more powerful attacks like that."


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?" Reidar uttered with a devious smile on his face, "It''s not my fault that the barriers can''t withstand such powerful pressure, so the audience should take care of their own safety if they want to continue watching our fight since it was only a warm-up!"


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    His katana glowed brightly as a purple bolt of thunder burst from it and shot toward the sky. It wasn''t an attack, just an overabundance of energy that by Reidar''s will gradually narrowed and thickened.


    "Damn, how much energy do you have?" Wain uttered with a dazed look.


    "Enough to tear you apart as well as your creepy power!" Reidar eximed in a thunderous voice, "Your a Beyond is actually dangerous, to some weaklings you might even seem invulnerable, but... your power definitely has one downside, you have limits like everyone else, so try to absorb it!"


    Reidar eximed before lowering his katana once more. Now, the energy de was twice as powerful as before but just as fast.


    "Well, well, you''re Top-2 after all, right?" Wain said with a sly smirk on his face as his eyes shone brightly.


    He turned into a golden sh and started running around the perimeter of the arena with incredible speed, creating a golden ring.


    At the same time, Vincenz prepared to stop the energy de. Even though he used the power of the Colosseum to do so, such a thing still caused him great difficulty since Reidar was strong.<sub> </sub>


    ''Fuck... I thought I was just going to watch this fight, but why did it have to happen this way? I didn''t even know Reidar could be that reckless.'' Vincenzined slightly as his hands were covered in green energy.


    Tremble.


    Suddenly, several dense barriers appeared in front of Vincenz and his eyes went wide.


    "What is this...?" Vincenz uttered while in confusion.


    The Colosseum had not yet had time to recover and the color of the barriers was not green, but multicolored, which could only mean one thing.


    "Reidar, if you keep destroying the Colosseum there will be less than half the spectators left here, that is not good, so I am willing to help you and let you fight the way you want!" The man in the dark blue robes eximed with excited looks.


    The men beside her poured energy into the barrier to make it strong enough to block Reidar''s attack.


    Gradually a few more spectators joined them, and their number gradually grew. Even though they were weakpared to Reidar, but everyone here was in the Fourth Chronicle, so together they could create an almost imprable barrier.


    Crackle.


    The energy de copsed onto the barrier as it waspletely absorbed. Only a few fluctuations passed over the barrier and were quickly extinguished.


    "The spectators are reinforcing the barrier because the Colosseum doesn''t have the power to do it? Damn, I didn''t think that was possible." Osvald uttered while in disbelief, "It was hard to imagine something like that in our time."


    "Huh, that''s a great fight, probably the best I''ve ever seen at the Colosseum." Sven grinned with a sly look as he bit his lip, "This fight involves not only the fighters but watcher and spectators, each doing their task as though cogs in a machine."


    Whooooooooosh.


    The barrier was now stronger than before, so Reidar and Wain could not hold back.


    "Reidar, your attacks are fast and powerful, but can you handle it?" Wain eximed as the golden circle shrank hard.


    Wain attacked Reidar as he with tremendous speed came up behind him and attacked. Reidar turned sharply and a shiver ran through his body as he saw Wain''s gaze.


    Wain''s eyes were as though darkness from the depths of the abyss was engulfing him while a sword headed toward him with dozens of eerie jaws hidden in dense energy.


    Reidar''s pupils narrowed as he reflexively swung his katana and their weapons crossed.


    "At the beginning of the fight you praised my sword, so I didn''t expect you to do something as foolish as this." Wain said in a deadly ice-cold voice before sighing, "After all, my sword can cut through anything."


    Crackle.


    A thick crack appeared on the katana.

 Chapter 724 The Power Of Lightning

    Crackling.


    The ground beneath Reidar copsed due to too much pressureing from Wain''s side as his katana began to crack.


    "What...? My katana is breaking?" Reidar uttered while in disbelief as he clenched his teeth.


    "Your weapon is actually incredible, the smith that made this katana is a true master so in any other situation I could not even scratch it." Wain muttered with a calm look as he stepped forward, "However, no weapon can resist my sword with my Beyond''s energy."


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Dozens of jaws copsed on the katana as a massive, thick crack appeared on its de.


    "No!" Reidar eximed as he tried to retreat, but suddenly a thick darkness covered his legs, preventing him from moving for some time.


    "You''re a tough swordsman, right? Well, let''s see what you can do without your weapon!" Wain said in a thunderous voice before releasing all his aura at once.


    The de of dius glinted brightly as the dark de sliced the snow-white katana in two and swung toward Reidar''s shoulder.


    Crackling.


    The de sliced into flesh as a flood of blood gushed forth with Reidar''s face distorted with pain. The horrible jaws began to devour Reidar while his gaze was fixed on the broken part of the katana that slowly spun in the air.


    His body reacted to the pain, but not his mind, for he waspletely focused on something more important than pain.


    ''He broke my katana...? Did it really happen...?'' Reidar inwardly muttered in a deste voice while drops of blood stained his face, ''It finally happened!''


    Whooooooooosh.


    Wain attacked again as he brought the sword down. Reidar''s pupils narrowed as he grabbed the broken-off piece of his katana and thrust the weapon in front of him, blocking the attack.


    The impact threw Reidar back several hundred yards as he pierced through several dark ruins with his back before stopping. He touched the ground with his hand, somersaulted in the air, and regained his bncending among the bloody flowers, next to the fast-flowing ash river.


    "Reidar has lost his weapon... Doesn''t that mean the end for him?" Someone muttered with a worried look, "Fuck! I bet a few million on him! Can''t even Top-2 stand up to Nameless!"


    "No, Reidar certainly can''t lose that easily, but if he lost his weapons then he''s only got one trump card left, right?" The spectator uttered in a confused manner while touching his chin.


    His words reached the others, then their eyes wide open as they realized something.


    "I''ve watched almost all of Reidar''s fights and never noticed one detail..." The man said in a slow way, "Has he used his Form before? At least once?"


    "Wait... That didn''t really happen... Reidar made it to Top-2, but he never once showed his full power, right?" Someone muttered while in disbelief with a frightened look.<sub> </sub>


    "Then... What happens if he does this...?" A man in dark blue robes with a slight smile on his face while looking at Reidar, "Ahahahaha, I knew betting on him was the right decision!"


    Reidar took a deep breath, looked up, and muttered, "You know, they''re right, I haven''t actually used my Form yet, not even during training..."


    "Hmm? Why?" Wain asked with a serious look as he prepared for battle.


    "Well, it''s a little different in my case, so I have you to thank for giving me such a great opportunity." Reidar smiled genuinely as his eyes sparkled.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A powerful stream of energy came from him as dozens of lightning bolts struck the ground beside him.


    "I can only use my Form in the most urgent situations, and you''ve given me the necessary conditions for that!" Reidar eximed with an excited look before clutching tightly the hilt of his katana and the broken part in his hand.


    The sharp de sliced his palm and drops of blood trickled down, but Reidar paid absolutely no attention to it as he was finally able to do what he had dreamed of for so long!


    "Nameless, I thank you, so try not to die too quickly in this fight!" Reidar hailed with a delighted smile on his face as he pulled the two parts of the katana together.


    At the same time, a huge purple lightning bolt struck the earth from the heavens struck the katana precisely, and heated it to the limit. The temperature from such strong lightning could reach millions of degrees, so the edges of the two pieces of debris melted and the katana became united again. Then, streams of lightningpletely covered Reidar as the moon sign on his chest shone brightly.


    The purple electric discharges caused a powerful stream of wind that quickly turned into a massive whirlwind, destroying the dark ruins and causing ash to pour out of the rivers in waves covering the bloody flowers.


    The whirlwind was so powerful that it damaged the barrier and Wain had to create a wall of darkness in front of him.


    "Damn, looks like the hardest part is yet toe." Wain uttered in a serious way as he swung his sword.


    A wave of dark energy dispelled the wind beside him and Wain took a few steps forward, staring intently at Reidar that was in the center of the vortex.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Reidar waved his hand and the massive vortex dispersed with several wind currents as electric sparks flew apart, exploding on contact with the ground.


    "Ah, yeah, that''s much better..." Reidar uttered with a smile on his face, "I feel just fine."


    A few bright purple locks appeared among his ck hair, with purple lightning bolts running through them. His katana grew longer as the ancient symbol of three thunderbolts appeared in ce of its fusion and his purple robe changed to a pale blue mantle that fluttered in the wind.


    "Now I''m ready, but there''s onest detail missing." Reidar muttered and the sign on his chest with his mantle shone brightly.


    At the same time, the sun in the Colosseum grew dimmer and headed west as though about to leave.

 Chapter 725 Thunder Moon

    It was always the same weather in the Colosseum as nothing should distinguish one battle from another. No matter who fought, the conditions were always the same as the sun shone brightly without any clouds or rain, however, Wain and Reidar''s duel was unique in every setting.


    Reidar''s power forcibly made the sun disappear and along with it came a massive blue moon just as the darkness that covered the entire Colosseum and a few stars were the only sources of light.


    "The moon...?" Wain uttered with a dazed look as he stared at Reidar, "I didn''t know your race was capable of something like that. It''s all about the moon sign on your chest, right?"


    "Huh, not really. Maybe the sign helped me, but I don''t know any Axalt that''s capable of that, except myself of course." Reidar said with a smile on his face as he pointed to himself and nodded.


    "Arrogant and cruel, I like you much better now!" Wain eximed with an excited look as his aura intensified and his voice like a wave traveled throughout the arena.


    "Hmm? Why? Most people don''t like those qualities you listed, though I''m not sure anyone likes them at all." Reidar asked with a confused look as he tilted his head in a thoughtful manner.


    "Well, in your case, behind those two qualities is what I really appreciate, which is honesty!" Wain spoke in a martial voice as he transformed into a golden beam and headed for Reidar.


    "You attack right away, right?" Reidar uttered as a slight smile formed on his face, "Couldn''t you have let me do it first, I''ve been waiting so long for this moment, though... maybe it''s even for the best."


    Step.


    Reidar stepped forward and his mantle dawned as his silhouette blurred. At the same time, a golden beam reached him as Wain attacked with a sword aimed at Reidar''s neck.


    "How quickly..." Reidar muttered while his all-consuming eyes stared at the de with dozens of jaws peering out of the darkness, "However, the moonlight is faster."


    Whooooooooosh.


    His katana was covered in blue electric discharges as his hand turned into a blur. In just an instant Reidar swung his katana several times as many thin streaks appeared on Wain''s chest.


    "Fine, this power is what I wanted." Reidar said in a calm voice before stepping forward.


    Crackling.


    His palm was covered in lightning as he rained it down on Wain''s chest with a powerful explosion. The impact threw Wain to the other side of the arena, into desert territory as the shockwave tossed ash aside in waves.


    "Argh!" Wain''s face contorted in pain as he coughed up a mouthful of blood.


    At the same time, blood gushed from the cuts on his chest as he flew into the pyramid and was buried under the debris of the massive sandstones.


    "Ah... I hope you''re not dead or it would be too boring an ending." Reidar grinned while walking slowly toward the pyramid.


    Even though Reidar only made one attack, itpletely stunned the audience since Wain couldn''t react or somehow counterattack, he just received serious wounds.


    "Damn... I didn''t even get to see anything..." Someone muttered in a dazed with their mouth wide open, "Nameless was moving really fast, but Reidar beat him to it as Nameless couldn''t evennd one hit."


    "Well, if Reidar didn''t have the Form, Nameless probably would have won, but it seems impossible. If Nameless wanted to make the Top 10, he should have picked a weaker opponent for himself." His buddy said while shaking his head.<sub> </sub>


    "Yeah, it looks like Nameless'' fencing isn''t as high level as Reidar''s now. Anyway, it was a great fight. Nameless needs a little more practice and he can be the new champion at the Colosseum, but it definitely won''t happen now." The man in the dark blue robes said with slight annoyance in his voice.


    Wainy motionless under the rubble while blood trickled from his wounds. He could have gotten out at any moment, but something kept him from doing so.


    ''Fuck... He dealt with me so easily...'' Wain inwardly muttered while feeling every step Reidar''s that he made heading towards Wain, ''His sword is actually fast...''


    ''Huh, this guy definitely has great swordsmanship skills, but it''s still not enough to impress me!'' Suddenly a menacing, arrogant voice rang out.


    ''Finally, you decided to talk, I''ve been waiting for you.'' Wain inwardly muttered as a slight smile appeared on his face, ''Can we beat him? I mean, in a sword fight?''


    ''Sure. Just use my power and trust your instincts. He''s an incredible fighter, but you''re something different.'' The voice said in a confident manner.


    "Whatever you say." Wain smirked as his aura multiplied.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Reidar walked over to the pyramid and raised his katana.


    "Well, well, looks like I underestimated the power of my attack, though that''s what should have happened originally, so it''s time to call it a day." Reidar said in a calm voice while staring intently at the pyramid.


    Tremble.


    Massive blue lightning struck his katana as the weapon filled with power that caused the space to copse.


    "I hope you can survive this attack, for I would like to fight you again in the future." Reidar whispered with a sad expression before bringing down his katana.


    A massive bolt of lightning headed toward the pyramid, destroying everything in its path and turning the sand into transparent crystals.


    Tremble.


    Suddenly blue rays appeared from cracks in the pyramid as the temperature plummeted below zero and a thinyer of snow appeared on the stones.


    "Don''t worry, it''s not enough to kill me, for now, we move on to the final stage!" Wain eximed as the pyramid shook violently.


    Crackle.


    The pyramid split in two as a huge icy de flew out of it that crashed into the lightning one, causing tremendous energy fluctuations.


    Waves of energy spread out as the entire arena trembled as if in a massive earthquake.

 Chapter 726 Ice And Lightning

    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Two huge energy des collided together as a violent ripple rippled through the air that was powerful enough to leave cracks in the barrier.


    The shockwave turned the massive boulders into dust as it tossed the sand aside in massive waves that were more like a tsunami.


    The area on Wain''s side was covered in a thickyer of ice while countless electric shocks raced across the ground next to Reidar.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Two different energies tried to overpower each other, triggering an explosion of incredible proportions.


    "Shit! That looks fucking dangerous!" Wain eximed while looking at the wave of explosioning at him before swinging his arm and creating a thick wall of dense ice in front of him.


    Reidar did the same. He snapped his finger as the energy turned into an imprable barrier.


    "Fuck! That barrier might not hold! If it breaks, most of us will die!" The man in the dark blue robes spoke as he waved his hand with a hurried look, "Hurry up! Use your energy and strengthen the barrier as hard as you can!"


    The audience reacted instantly, then the energy of the st reached the barrier and destroyed severalyers.


    "Well, well, it looks like they''re failing..." Sven uttered in a thoughtful manner while tapping his finger on his chair, "Marlis, I think they need a little help. It would be quite a shame if there were only a small fraction of all the spectators left at the final stage."


    Among the hundreds of spectators, the three of them were the only ones who remained absolutely calm as Osvald watched the fight with curious eyes as though nothing dangerous was going on around them.


    "Sure. I''ve thought about it myself, I have good memories of this ce, so I wouldn''t want the blood of ordinary spectators spilled at the Colosseum." Marlis muttered with a slight nod before touching the barrier with her fingertip.


    Whoooooosh.


    The barrier abruptly filled with energy and became much denser, so it could easily withstand the damage of the st.


    "Great! We did it!" The man in dark blue robes eximed with an excited look, "Although it''s unusual for us to have to take on such a job, but we must see through this incredible battle, or I will regret it for the rest of my life!"


    The others were in agreement with him, so as the problem was solved, all eyes turned to the pyramid that was icy and covered with a thickyer of snow.


    At the top stood Wain, but his appearance was much different from the previous one. He wore a long, dark cloak, massive boots with ice chains, and a bandage that hid his face and eyes as blue as ice. Dark threads of energy emanated from his hair as well as from his sword, giving the audience goosebumps.


    "Oh...? You''ve finally decided to use yourtest trump card, right? This is your form, isn''t it?" Reidar asked with a devious smirk on his face.


    "Well, you''re definitely right about something." Wain smiled as he took a step forward.


    Whooooooosh.


    Ice as though alive rushed toward him and formed adder that led all the way down.


    Wain with an arrogant look descended the stairs in a calm way while staring intently at Reidar, top to bottom. The wounds on his chest were not healed, but they stopped bleeding as Wain froze them.<sub> </sub>


    "Huh, your strength is incredible, you were able topletely negate my attack." Reidar uttered as he pointed the tip of his katana toward the ground, "However, what''s the point? If our energies are roughly equal, the winner will be decided in a simple sword fight, so you will surely lose since your swordsmanship is inferior to mine."


    Reidar stepped forward in a confident manner as his aura intensified. His eyes followed Wain closely, examining his every movement as Reidar prepared to take the attack at any moment. However, Wain did nothing, he just stood still as though he had some kind of n.


    "Unfortunately for me, you''re right." Wain said in a calm voice.


    "Hmm?" Reidar was shocked by his words for a second as he stopped.


    "You must have trained a lot more than I have, so it''s only fair that my fencing loses out to yours." Wain said with a slight smile on his face, "However, I have onest surprise left for you."


    Whoooooosh.


    Suddenly Wain flipped his sword from one hand to the other.


    ''Left hand...?'' Reidar inwardly muttered while in confusion, then his eyes went wide, ''Wait... No! That can''t be! Is he left-handed?!''


    "Looks like you weren''t expecting that. Great, this is going to be much more interesting." Wain said with a sly smile on his face before turning into a dark sh.


    Reidar''s pupils narrowed as their des met momentster. Wain swung his sword sharply once more with tremendous speed as the tip of the sword almost reached Reidar''s neck.


    Crackle.


    Reidar took a step back and blocked the attack as two energy des burst out, one icy, the other lightning that rushed towards the barrier.


    "Ahahahaha, that''s not all!" Wain eximed as he swung his sword several times, forcing Reidar to move to his limits.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Wain didn''t give Reidar a second to rest. He continued to attack as though a wild beast, targeting his most vulnerable points, so any mistake on Reidar''s part could be fatal to him.


    They moved through the arena while the shockwaves from each of their blows shattered everything around them and energy des flew off to the sides.


    "Damn... Each of those des is strong enough to kill a Fourth Chronicle monster, but for them, it''s just a side attack that turns out because of too much energy that they use..." Someone muttered with a dazed look while in disbelief.


    "Fighting strong fighters inspires the weak, that''s the rule that makes more and more strong people appear in this world every day." Wain said as a smirk formed on his face, "It''s a great fight."


    Crackle.


    Sword and katana shed again as the impact threw Reidar back a hundred yards, but now Wain did not pursue him.


    "It''s time to finish, don''t you think?" Wain eximed before thrusting his sword into the ground.

 Chapter 727 The Last Ice

    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Wain''s sword shone brightly in blue light as the ground trembled. Then, out of the ground burst dozens of huge ice spikes that filled the entire space while the biggest of them rushed towards Reidar.


    "Damn, how much energy do you have?! This is not normal!" Reidar eximed as he swung his katana.


    A few blue lightning bolts destroyed the ice spikes, but in their ce, there were immediately others, that were even faster.


    Reidar destroyed the spikes time after time while Wain continued to summon new ones, but even his energy reserves were not infinite.


    ''Wain, you can hardly hurt him this way. You need to change your tactics or you will soon run out of energy and then you will definitely lose.'' dius said in a serious voice.


    ''Well, you''re absolutely right, but I''m not going to stop.'' Wain smirked as he let out even more energy than before.


    ''What?! This is stupid! You shouldn''t lose a fight like this for such an idiotic reason as excessive over-energy!'' dius eximed in a worried manner.


    ''Hah, it''s just that we''re thinking of very different things. Maybe you''re more experienced inbat than I am, but you don''t understand feelings at all.'' Wain internally said as he stared at Reidar that shattered the ice spikes, ''Just a little longer and he''ll reach his limit, and then it will be time for the best possible finale.''


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Reidar was shredding the ice spikes into tiny shards as gradually his face swelled up more and more and his gaze grew angrier.


    ''Shit! What the fuck is this?! Why can''t he fight me normally?! Reidar inwardly eximed as he sliced the massive spike in two, ''Our finale shouldn''t be like this! I must urgently get rid of this ice!


    Tremble.


    Reidar swung his katana as from the de flew a lightning bolt that headed upward, straight toward the moon that brightly illuminated the arena. Then, a massive magical circle appeared in the sky that covered almost the entire Colosseum.


    "Nameless! I won''t let you keep doing this! Our fight must end with swords!" Reidar eximed with a serious look as he brought his katana down.


    At the same time, dozens of lightning bolts flew out of the magic circle as if from thunderclouds, they hit the ice spikes and caused powerful explosions that destroyed everything in their path.


    ''Great. Now the two of us have less than a tenth of our energy left.'' Wain inwardly muttered with a smirk on his face before jumping aside.


    He created a barrier of darkness above him that protected him from several lightning bolts. For a while the sounds of the explosions continued, then Reidar finally decided it was enough.


    "Well, well, that was impressive." Osvald said as a slight smile formed on his face while looking at the arena.


    The entire area was covered in cold, thick steam that slowly dissipated and settled.


    "Yeah. He spent a tremendous amount of energy, but none of those attacks could harm Wain. Those two seem to be thinking the same thing." Marlis uttered with a calm look but her curious look gave her away.


    "Huh, maybe it''s fate that they''re the ones fighting now. Though their powers are different, they wish to end this fight the same way." Sven grinned as he showed a sly smile.


    Whooooooooosh.


    The steam slowly dissipated as everyone saw what happened to the arena after Reidar''s attack. There were hundreds of craters on the ground as there was almost nothing left of the territories. There was only lifelessnd with a few ice crystals lying around.<sub> </sub>


    Wain removed the dark barrier, stepped forward, and said, "How about onest attack?"


    Reidar smiled, tilted his head, and smirked, "You want to end this right now? Okay, your sword against my katana. My lightning bolts against your creepy power. I''m ready to use everyst bit of it!"


    Reidar held the katana out in front of him as he channeled all the energy he had left into it.


    "Sure. What''s better than one attack that will show exactly who''s the winner and who''s the loser?" Wain said with an excited expression before releasing his aura. His appearance returned to normal, as did the ck and red mask on his face.


    The energy transformed into dark spirits with creepy jaws and eyes that as though sacrificing themselves filled the sword de with incredible power.


    "Alright, this is it." Reidar smirked as the moon shone brightly.


    From above came two huge lightning bolts, one blue, the other purple that filled the katana de with thunder energy.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The energy flows began to shatter the space behind them into tiny shards as Colosseum trembled, however, no one and nothing could stop them.


    Wain stepped forward.


    At the same time, they both turned into shes and a momentter collided with each other. Their weapons touched, causing a massive shockwave.


    The ground cracked as it shattered into several massive pieces that flew up in the air due to too much pressure. Damage appeared on the barrier as much of the space was destroyed.


    "That''s not all!" Reidar eximed as he stepped forward.


    The ground beneath Wain copsed as lightning bolts from the katana rained down on him. They tore Wain''s coat apart as Wain gradually leaned closer and closer to the ground.


    ''Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! At this rate, I''m going to lose! I can''t let that happen! I have to get the seventh form if I want to know what the fuck is even going on in this world!'' Wain inwardly eximed as his strength increased.


    Wain had used everything he had, so now Reidar was close to falling and losing the fight.


    Crackle.


    The barrier shattered into small shards as half of the audience fell to their knees while holding their throats, trying to withstand the pressure.


    "What? They broke my barrier?!" Marlis eximed while in disbelief as her eyes went wide.


    ''How is that possible! Where did he get this power from?! Reidar said inwardly with clenched teeth.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Darkness appeared in Wain''s green eyes that remotely resembled a ck thick fog. The next moment, dius'' de shed as the dark sword went through the katana.

 Chapter 728 Leaving

    Crackle.


    The dark sword plunged into flesh as blood gushed from the wide wound on Reidar''s chest while his face contorted in pain.


    Reidar took a step back, trying to stay on his feet as he stared at Wain.


    "I''m not finished yet..." Reidar uttered as he raised his hand to attack.


    Wain should have ducked, but instead, he stood still, staring intently into his opponent''s face.


    Step.


    Suddenly Reidar''s eyes darkened as he fell to the ground with a nk stare.


    "Ah... It was hard, but I could stand it." Wain muttered as he dropped to his knees exhausted and looked at Reidar, "Well, he wanted to make another attack, but his body wasn''t as strong as his will."


    For a while, there was silence in the Colosseum while space gradually recovered. Everyone stared wide-eyed at Wain as he couldn''t believe it had happened.


    Tremble.


    One of the stone bs cracked and broke as massive debris fell to the ground some of which disappeared into spatial rips.


    Tremble. Crackle. Crackle.


    A few stones fell near Wain as they still had the dim me of Reidar''s name written on them.


    [Winner - Nameless!]


    [Nameless is second in the ranking table!]


    At the same time, his name brightly lit up on the remaining b as a massive crown appeared over the arena. Normally when the Top 10 fought, a diamond crown would appear, but this time it was something special.


    "What is it?" A man in dark blue robes asked while looking up.


    Above the Colosseum hovered a huge ck crown with several rubies in it. An eerie energy emanated from it, almost as much as that of Wain. Then, the crown thrived into several streams of darkness that headed toward Wain''s hands.


    "Ah...?" Wain uttered in confusion while staring at it.


    Dozens of dark threads turned into an orb that contained a huge amount of souls. It was as big as Marlis''.


    [You received 1.3 billion Void Souls as a prize for winning.]


    p. p. p.


    Suddenly someone started pping their hands. It was Vincenz, looking at Wain with a slight smile on his face.


    "Come on, where''s your apuse? We just saw one of the best fights in the history of the Colosseum! Nameless, never lost a fight in this arena and every time he showed up here something incredible happened!" Vincenz eximed with excited looks as his powerful voice boomed through the Colosseum.


    "I agree. Nameless, goes undefeated. Isn''t that amazing?" Sven said while slowly pping his hands.<sub> </sub>


    Their words awakened the others and in a second absolutely every spectator began pping. Apuse fell like hail on Wain as the entire Colosseum celebrated his victory.


    ''Well, well, even though I''m not a fan of something like that, it''s really nice, isn''t it?'' Wain inwardly muttered as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    This win was more important to him than most of the others. As Reidar was not only a strong opponent for him to fight but also Reidar was thest hurdle before Wain would make the Top 10.


    Now Marlis is going to take me to Death Shore, so I''ve got to get ready. Something tells me the seventh form is going to be a lot harder than the others.'' Wain uttered to himself as he nced at Marlis.


    Gradually the bright blue moon disappeared as the massive sun returned to its ce, covering the entire Colosseum with its golden rays.


    "Agh... I wish Reidar had kept his promise." Someone muttered with a frustrated look.


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?" His buddy asked as he raised an eyebrow.


    ? "Well... Reidar said that he would reveal the face of Nameless, that he would destroy his mask, but unfortunately, that didn''t happen." The man uttered while shaking his head in a sullen manner.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Suddenly a multitude of cracks went through Wain''s mask as it shattered into small pieces, revealing his facepletely.


    "Fuck..." Wain muttered as an ironic smile appeared on his face, "Looks like a simple object couldn''t take the pressure from our attacks. Ahahaha."


    It only took the audience a few moments to realize what race Wain belonged to, then their eyes opened even wider than before as a shiver went through their bodies.


    "Nameless is a Human!" The man in the dark blue robes eximed, "How is that possible!? I didn''t think they were actually still alive!"


    "Huh, Reidar kept his promise after all." Sven smirked, opened his umbre, and stood up.


    "I agree, I like people who aplish their goals!" Osvald eximed as his aura intensified.


    "But... it''s time for us to leave." Marlis uttered with worried looks while looking around.


    "Sure." Sven nodded as he turned into a sh.


    He appeared beside Wain, covering him with an umbre as though the bright sunlight could burn his skin. A secondter they were joined by Osvald with Marlis.


    "Probably many of you would like to talk to the winner of this incredible fight in person, but due to certain circumstances we will have to leave." Sven said with a sly smile on his face as he put his hand on Wain''s shoulder.


    At the same time, a portal opened beneath them in which the four of them disappeared, then green energy instantly restored the space.


    "Hey! Vincenz, why did you do that?!" The man in the dark blue robes eximed with an angry look while waving his fist.


    "It wasn''t me..." Vincenz uttered in confusion while shaking his head, "That portal was opened by one of them... It was too sudden, so I didn''t have time to do anything."


    "Well, maybe it''s for the best." Someone said in a serious voice, "Nameless turned out to be a human, it''s just a surprise to me, but there are many here who were already ready to attack him, aren''t there?"


    When he said that, the eyes of some of the Angels and Elves narrowed as a shiver ran through their bodies. The man was right, for among every race some despised humans.

 Chapter 729 The Road To Darkness

    Whoooooosh.


    The wooden door opened as four persons appeared inside the pair. Three of them removed their masks and smiled.


    "Your disguise was gone at the veryst moment. It''s amazing, though I don''t understand how your mask could withstand the pressure from your attacks at all." Sven said in a calm manner as he stared at Wain that was still on his knees.


    "Huh, that mask was made for me by a great smith, also Reidar fought fair. He probably wanted to defeat me first, then remove my mask, but he failed in that task." Wain spoke with a happy expression as he rose to his feet.


    He made his way to the bar and struggled to climb into a high chair. He was feeling bright, strong emotions as the feeling of victory gave him strength, but physically he waspletely exhausted.


    "You made it into the Top 10... Damn, honestly, I didn''t think you could do it. Argh...now I have to escort you to Death Shore, that was the worst deal I ever agreed to." Marlis uttered in a regretful manner while shaking her head.


    "Looks like right after a serious fight I''ll have to pass another test..." Wain uttered as a faint smile appeared on his face.


    "Ahahahaha, Wain, way to go! However, you''ll have to wait a little while." Osvaldughed as he smiled widely.


    "What...? What are you talking about...?" Wain muttered while his voice grew quieter and quieter.


    Bam.


    His eyes went nk as he passed out and fell to the floor with an exhausted look.


    "Well, at least I''ll have time to prepare..." Marlis said while looking at Wain as she waved her hand.


    A green sheath shed across their bodies as they returned to their normal appearance.


    "Death Shore... I still don''t understand why he had to go to that ce. You told him you could only get him there, but he has to get out on his own, and that''s almost impossible." Osvald asked with a serious look as he crossed his arms over his chest.


    "Sure, but he doesn''t care about that. Anyway, I promised, so I''ll do it, even though I don''t feel like going there at all, because it''s the creepiest ce that probably exists..." Marlis muttered and clenched her fists as a hint of fear appeared in her powerful gaze.


    Tap.


    Suddenly someone''s hand was on her shoulder as Sven leaned into her ear and whispered, "Don''t worry, you can do it, after all, you''re the best at portals and passages. You''re much better at it than me or anyone else."


    Sven''s praise was a real treasure to Marlis as her cheeks immediately flushed.


    "Hey! Stop whispering! Sven, Wain may be out right now, but we have to celebrate his victory! Only quality alcohol can help us with that!" Osvald eximed with anticipation before rushing to the bar.


    "Well, well, you never change, though I totally agree with you." Sven shook his head and headed forward, after a few steps he stopped, turned to Marlis, and asked with a slight smile on his face, "Will you have a drink with us?"<sub> </sub>


    "Of course!" Marlis eximed as she waved her hand, "I may not like fighting as much as Osvald, but it really was something incredible."


    "Fine, just let''s help Wain first. He needs to recover as soon as possible..." Sven uttered as he approached Wain.


    Marlis nodded.


    They lifted Wain and ced him on the table, then Marlis put her palms together and closed her eyes as her aura greatly increased.


    At the same time, out of the wooden chairs nearby grew long branches that gradually enveloped Wain. The more serious the wound, the more there were branches and green leaves, each containing arge amount of energy.


    "Done." Marlis said as she opened her eyes.


    "Hmm..." Sven looked at it with a thoughtful look while rubbing his chin, "I don''t think that''s enough."


    "Ah? Do I need to create another one?" Marlis asked while in confusion, "It won''t have much effect."


    "No. You''ve alreadypleted your task, now it''s my turn." Sven smirked before touching the branch with his fingertip.


    His eyes sparkled as a small stream of pure white energy traveled through his finger toward the root. If Wain had seen it, his eyes would have opened wide, for this energy was even purer than in a Soul Pearls.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    At the same time, the number of branches increased several times as yellow flowers began to bloom on them that shone on Wain as though many small suns. This light had healing properties, greatly speeding up the recovery process.


    "Alright, that''s what we need. Now I ask you to wait a little while. In honor of Wain''s victory, I will prepare a special cocktail." Sven said with a calm expression as he headed toward the bar.


    "Damn, Sven, how much energy did you use? The healing spell that uses Marlis are some of the best I know, so it must have taken you a whole sea to increase its effectiveness, didn''t it?" Osvald asked as a sly smile formed on his face.


    "Not much at all." Sven gestured as he squeezed his eyes shut, "It''s not like I could discount all the work on Marlis. She already has one of the most dangerous journeys of her life to prepare for."


    "Yeah... Though I hate to admit it, I might not even make it to Death Shore alone, I''ll need Wain''s help. If he makes a mistake, it will be a real disaster." Marlis uttered in a serious voice while looking at Wain.


    "Don''t worry. He''ll be fine for sure. You''ve seen how he fights and what he''s capable of, and besides, he''s still just developing. Officially, he''s Top-2 in the whole Fourth Chronicle right now." Sven said as he shrugged.


    "Right!" Osvald eximed with a thump on the table, "Don''t forget, he''s the heir to the Nameless King!"


    "By the way..." Marlis muttered as if she remembered something, "Do you know who is in the first ce? Who is Top-1 now?"

 Chapter 730 The Road To Darkness (Part 2)

    "Well, it''s probably some secretive but incredibly powerful bastard, isn''t it?" Osvald smirked as his aura intensified slightly.


    "I don''t know." Sven shrugged, "I was curious to know that too, so before Wain''s fight I checked the ranking table, but the Top-1 name was hidden. Anyway, it''s not that important, because even the strongest Fourth Chronicle one can''tpete with a Fifth Chronicle creature."


    "Huh, you know that''s a load of crap yourself." Marlis grinned while walking slowly toward the bar, "Years ago, you were the Top-1 at Colosseum. You were in the Fourth Chronicle, but the usual Fifth Chronicle monsters were too weak to make you use any skill."


    "Well, that''s because Fifth Chronicle monsters are quite plentiful, especially if like me you search them through different spaces. However, even among the Pirs, there aren''t many Fifth Chronicle ones, the same goes for Arkans." Sven uttered with a calm look in a careless manner as though he was just enumerating facts.


    "Agh... It''s true, but there are so damn many Fifth Chronicle ones among the Dragons, it''s just crazy..." Osvald muttered with a bored look, then an evil smirk appeared on his face as he clenched his hand into a fist, "This is exactly why I want to fight them again. Those few days, five hundred years ago, during the great war, were the best days of my life."


    "Hey! You were actually the reason we almost blew our n back then!" Marlis eximed with a frown as she puffed up her cheeks.


    "Come on, there''s no need to quarrel, it''s been a fascinating few days anyway." Sven said while waving his hand before standing behind the bar.


    He tapped his finger on the table as his ring glowed brightly.


    A massive stone b appeared in front of him, emanating cold steam that seemed to freeze even the air.


    Around the edges of the b were many different ingredients, some of which were worth millions or so rare that even the merchant guilds didn''t have such things.


    In the center was something special. There were thirteen hearts there, one of which was considerablyrger than the others. Though the hearts were outside the bodies, they were still beating, very slowly.


    "Damn, what is that?" Osvald asked with a confused look as his eyes went wide.


    "It''s one of my favorite ingredient collections. What you see here are the hearts of each representative of the Pirs, the heart of Arkan, and the heart of the Dragon." Sven uttered in a calm manner as a devious smile appeared on his face.


    "The Heart of the Dragon?!" Osvald and Marlis eximed simultaneously.


    Sven just nodded.


    "Fuck! I thought it was from some huge monster, but it''s actually the Dragon''s heart! I''m already sure it''s going to be the best cocktail I''ve ever had!" Osvald eximed with a happy look as he pped the table.


    Tremble.


    A shockwave went through the entire bar, but such tremendous power didn''t even make the chandelier sway.


    "This is going to be an unusual cocktail, right?" Marlis asked with a serious look as she crossed her arms.


    "Yeah... Your instincts have never failed you. My main goal is to make an unusual and delicious cocktail, but since it requires ingredients of such high quality... for a while even we will be stronger if we drink it." Sven said in a slow voice before taking hold of the red root, "Well, it''s time to get to work. Just watch me and enjoy!"


    Whoooooosh.


    At the same time, four tall sses appeared on the table in front of them as a long, sharp knife came into Sven''s hand.<sub> </sub>


    He began to chop the ingredients, process them, and gradually mix them to obtain the necessary extracts and vors for the cocktail.


    Osvald and Marlis watched him in absolute silence with curious expressions. They had seen Sven make cocktails for them many times, but this time he was going all out.


    "Great, now we can move on to the second stage." Sven spread some of the ingredients across the table as his ring glowed brightly.


    Two crystals appeared in his hands, one of which exuded intense cold while the other burned brightly.


    He used the ice crystal to lower the temperature of one ingredient and the second to set something on fire. Gradually more and more ingredients disappeared from the stone b until Sven stopped.


    "It''s time to do the fun part." Sven grinned as he snapped his fingers.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    There were vibrations in the air as the thirteen hearts slowly flew up as though they were being lifted by some force.


    At Sven''s will, the hearts lined up, then he waved his hand.


    A thin streak appeared on each heart from which blood began to flow, very little at all, just a few drops, but together they formed a massive stream.


    "Almost there!" Sven eximed with an excited smile on his face before returning the knife to the ring.


    Invisible energy divided the stream of blood into four parts that headed toward the sses, filling them.


    "And the finishing touch!" Sven said as he ran his palm over the sses.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Three ice cubes fell into each ss, which raised the level of the liquid to the crown.


    "Damn, you miscalcted everyst detail." Osvald spoke with burning eyes, "I can''t wait to try it already, but before I do, I want to know the name."


    "Me too! What is the name of this cocktail?" Marlis said as she stared at Sven.


    He thought for a while, then nced at Wain, and for a moment his eyes widened.


    "Well, I made this cocktail in honor of the winner, so the name should be appropriate." Sven said before raising the center ss and with a slight smile on his face eximed, "This cocktail is called - True Nameless!"


    "Great name!" Osvald said with a broad smile before taking a sip.


    Marlis followed him and thest one was Sven.

 Chapter 731 The Road To Darkness (Part 3)

    Crackle. Crackle. Crackling.


    The cocoon of branches cracked and shattered into small pieces as the man in the long ck and red cloak moved his hand.


    Wain slowly opened his eyes, stood up, and grabbed his head as if it hurt from a bad hangover.


    "Fuck... I feel like I''ve died and been reborn several times..." Wain uttered with a pained look while shaking his head.


    "Well, well, you''re finally awake, aren''t you?" Sven said with a slight smile on his face while wiping the ss that had several red stains on it as though from blood.


    "Yeah... How long have I been asleep? Probably a few days, right?" Wain asked with an awkward look as he jumped off the table.


    "You underestimate yourself. It''s only been a few hours since you passed out. Your body is much tougher than you think." Sven uttered before putting the ss aside.


    "What...? Just a few hours?" Wain muttered while in disbelief as his eyes went wide.


    "Ahahahaha, you shouldn''t think it''s all your fault." Marlis said with a bored look, "Sven and I used energy and skill to make you recover faster, so without our help, you probably would have slept for weeks, but we don''t have that much time."


    Wain was silent with his mouth open for a while, then his gaze grew serious as he with a slight nod headed toward the bar.


    "Thank you. I can feel it, my mind still can''tprehend that despite all the wounds and exhaustion my body is in perfect condition." Wain uttered as a slight smile appeared on his face, then he stared at Marlis and with a serious look asked, "Now will you take me to Death Shore?"


    "Sure. You''ve fulfilled my condition." Marlis shrugged in a careless manner, "However, prepare yourself, this will be one of the most dangerous journeys of your life."


    "Hmm?" Wain raised an eyebrow as he bowed his head.


    Marlis was about to say something, but suddenly someone interrupted her.


    "Hey! Don''t you think you''re in too much of a hurry?" Osvald said with a broad smile on his face as he put his hand on Wain''s shoulder.


    "What are you talking about?" Wain frowned, "I realize it''s going to be dangerous, but I''m ready for it. I can''t just sit here, I have to act!"


    "Huh, I understand you, however, shouldn''t you be properly prepared?" Osvald spoke before releasing some of his aura, "You''re on Third Stage, but you still haven''tpletely filled it out, have you?"


    "Yeah... After I made my breakthrough I headed straight to the Colosseum... It will take me weeks or even months to get enough souls, I don''t have that much time!" Wain said in a serious manner as his eyes turned deadly cold.


    "Well, maybe you''re right, but you forgot something." Sven said as he waved his hand.


    Tremble.


    The space in front of him distorted as a massive gray soul appeared.


    "You got an incredible amount of souls in thest fight. Void Souls are different from the souls you get from monsters, but they have energy in them anyway, and considering how many you have..." Sven said before handing the soul to Wain.


    Wain caught the soul and muttered, "If I use them I can get to the limit of the Fourth Chronicle..."<sub> </sub>


    "Bingo!" Osvald eximed while pping Wain on the shoulder, "Moreover, this way you will be much stronger and learn the conditions to reach the Fifth Chronicle!"


    "Agh... When I saw my conditions, I thought at that moment my heart would stop..." Sven uttered with a slight smile on his face while shaking his head, "It was a real disaster."


    "Can I do it here?" Wain asked as he stared at Sven.


    "Sure." Sven nodded, "However, you''ll have to follow me. Your energy might get out of control while absorbing so many souls, so since I don''t want you to destroy the bar I''ll provide you with a more suitable ce."


    "Where?"


    "Just follow me." Sven smiled weakly as he headed for the door behind the bar.


    Wain nodded and they found themselves in a ce where Sven kept going to get some, special ingredients for cocktails.


    Whooooooooosh.


    As soon as he entered he was hit with a cold gust of wind that as though it could freeze anything.


    "Damn... What is that?" Wain uttered with a dazed look.


    They were in an icy passageway that led into a vast room the size of which was enormous.


    "Let''s just say it''s my refrigerator. I have to store my ingredients somewhere, don''t I?" Sven grinned as he headed forward, "Come on, I''ll show you your room. That''s where you''ll be able to get out of holding back."


    "Why not use the ring? I''m sure there''s enough room in your ring to fit a whole world in there." Wain asked while looking around.


    On the walls, there were various fruits, herbs, and even monster parts in ss vaults. To the right were the most numerous ingredients as the further they went the rarer the ingredients were.


    "Well, even my ring has certain limits, besides, the ingredients need a low temperature to keep them fresh. Inside the ring, time doesn''t run, but that effect doesn''t work for rare ingredients." Sven shrugged as he stopped.


    In front of them was a massive stone door with icy runes on it.


    Tap.


    Sven touched the door as it slowly opened, with a loud rumble that shook the entire cave. Behind the door was a simple square room with perfectly t walls.


    "In this ce, Osvald has made a breakthrough several times, as have I and Marlis. These walls are strong enough to remain unscathed even after a dragon strike, so you don''t have to worry about anything here." Sven uttered in a serious voice as he waved his hand.


    "Great. That''s what I need right now." Wain nodded with clenched fists, "Now I will devour millions of souls!"


    "Sure. When you''re done, just touch the door and it will open. Well, good luck." Sven said in a careless manner before leaving.

 Chapter 732 The Road To Darkness (Part 4)

    Crackling.


    Wain closed the massive stone doors as he stood in the center of the room.


    "Well, Sven isn''t likely to fool me, but I have to check something first." Wain muttered as his aura intensified.


    The seal on his hand shone brightly as dius appeared before him, floating in the air.


    Wain grabbed the sword by the hilt and a thick dark energy appeared on the de with ck energy threads emanating from it.


    ''Hah, want to test my sharpness?'' dius grinned.


    ''Something like that. You can cut through anything, can''t you? Wain said before stepping forward.


    His eyes grew deeper as his hands became a blur. He attacked with lightning speed as the sword almost instantly reached the wall.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The tip of the sword touched the ice as powerful vibrations ran through Wain''s body, then the force of his hit returned to him and threw him to the other side of the room.


    Bam.


    His back hit the wall and he fell to the ground.


    "Fuck... I was sure I couldn''t do any serious damage to the wall, but I didn''t even leave a scratch! How is that possible?!" Wain eximed with an angry look as he mmed his fist on the ground.


    ''Well, the energy you used was clearly not enough to do any damage at all. I can actually cut even a god, but I''m only a conduit for your power, without energy it''s impossible.'' dius uttered in a serious manner.


    "Agh... Okay, it''s time to get down to business." Wain sighed, rose to his feet, and held out his hand.


    [Name: Wain Norheim (Nameless)


    Chronicle: Fourth


    Rating: 2


    Money: 1.3 B]


    "1.3 billion souls... I couldn''t imagine I would possess such wealth before, but now it''s right in my hands..." Wain muttered before releasing his aura.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Souls began to fly out of his palm, one by one. It only took a few seconds for the gray souls to fill the entire room. They floated like small stars as the amount of energy next to them distorted space.


    "Hah... This is definitely going to be long and hard..." Wain uttered with an exciting look.


    ...


    "Are you sure it''s going to be okay?" Marlis asked while looking at Sven.


    "What do you mean?" Sven tilted his head.


    "Well... He got over a billion souls in that fight, even if he''s a human, that amount of energy could be fatal to him." Marlis said with a serious look.


    "Don''t worry." Osvald spoke as he crossed his arms over his chest, "You underestimate the humans and especially Wain."


    "I agree." Sven nodded, then a sly smile appeared on his face, "Also, don''t forget who he is..."


    ...


    Whooooooooooosh.<sub> </sub>


    Hundreds of souls headed toward Wain''s body while he sat in the lotus position and with closed eyes absorbed energy that flowed throughout his body.


    [You absorbed a small amount of Soul Essence, your energy is increased by 0.01%.]


    [You absorbed a small amount of Soul Essence, your energy is increased by 0.01%.]


    [You absorbed a small amount of Soul Essence, your energy is increased by 0.01%.]


    Damn... I didn''t expect to need that much energy...'' Wain inwardly muttered while crushing souls into tiny pieces.


    [Wain Norheim


    Ascension: Third Stage (3.2%)


    Race: Human


    Beyond: Cmity (Cocanth)


    Soul: Nameless King


    Title: Savior of the Damned, Echo of Samurai, Mentor Inquisitor, The First, Soul Gatherer, Cartographer, yer of Goliath, Contender, Defeating One of the Four Kings, Killing the Legend, etc...


    Majesty: 10]


    "I''ve absorbed a few million souls already, but all I''ve gotten is a few percent... It''s definitely enough for me to reach the limit of the Fourth Chronicle, but it''s too long. At this rate, it''ll take me a few days just to get the right amount of energy." Wain muttered in a calm voice, then he opened his eyes, "I need to speed up!"


    Whooooooosh.


    At the same time, massive streams of ck energy flowed away from him. Wain didn''t hold back as he released as much energy as he could. At his will, the dark energy split into clots that turned into eerie ghosts with massive jaws.


    "Hmm... That''s not really my style, I''ll have to do something about these ghosts, but right now they''re the best helpers that could be." Wain muttered while looking at the ghosts before waving his hand.


    The ghosts began to devour souls like though hungry piranhas. There were more than a hundred ghosts, so now the rate of energy absorption was multiplied.


    Each ghost was connected to Wain by a thin thread that increased when energy flowed through it, heading directly to his soul.


    [You absorbed an average amount of Souls Essence. Your energy is increased by 0.2%.]


    [You absorbed an average amount of Souls Essence. Your energy is increased by 0.1%]


    [You absorbed an average amount of Souls Essence. Your energy is increased by 0.3%]


    "Great." Wain smirked, "If things continue this way, I''ll be done in a few hours."


    ...


    The ghosts absorbed souls while Wain received pure energy that amplified him. Everything went exactly ording to his n and after two hundred million souls his Third Stage was 33% full.


    "Ahahahaha, this is unbelievable! I absorbed that much energy in just an hour! It took others months!" Wain eximed in an exciting manner.


    Crackle.


    Suddenly his heart clenched tightly as a clot of blood flew out of his mouth as though someone had punched him in the stomach with all his might.


    "What...?" Wain touched his lips with wide-open eyes as he did not understand what was happening.


    ''Wain! You must stop now!'' dius eximed in a worried manner, "You''ve overdone it, even your body can''t handle that much energy gained in such a short period!"


    Wain nodded as he was about to stop the ghosts, but suddenly he realized that they were not listening to him. The ghosts didn''t turn against him, but they couldn''t stop eating souls since to them it was their most precious treasure.

 Chapter 733 The Road To Darkness (Part 5)

    "Shit! Why won''t they listen to me?!" Wain eximed with an angry look while looking at the ghosts that continued to devour souls.


    ''You shouldn''t do that.'' Suddenly the voice of a Blind Sorcerer rang out.


    Tremble.


    Wain''s heart clenched again as blood flowed from the corners of his mouth.


    "What the hell are you talking about?! My body can''t take that kind of pressure! I''m not going to die because I absorbed too much energy!" Wain eximed as he clenched his teeth.


    ''You can hardly stop them, since they''re the personification of your a Beyond, so you''re just wasting precious time now.'' Blind Sorcerer said in a calm voice, but with a deadly serious look, ''Instead of trying to stop the river, it''s easier to go against the current.''


    ''Hmm? I think you''re confused about something. It''s usually said to swim with the current, not try to resist it.'' Wain uttered with a confused look.


    ''Well, it doesn''t work in your case, because if you follow the current it will lead you to death.'' The Blind Sorcerer said with an ironic smile, ''Look, right now your body can''t handle that much energy, but that just means you need to raise the limit of how much you can handle.''


    ''What do you think I''m doing? I just can''t handle that much energy! Hundreds of millions of souls were too much even for me!'' Wain inwardly eximed with an angry look while pointing at the ghosts.


    The situation was dangerous and could have led to a real catastrophe, but the ghosts were as though nothing to do with it. They continued to absorb souls and enjoy it.


    ''The more souls you absorb, the stronger you be. However, your body is destroyed faster than you be stronger.'' Blind Sorcerer said in a calm voice.


    ''Then why are you telling me this?! I know very well itself!'' Wain eximed while in confusion.


    ''Hah, don''t forget you''re not alone now.'' Blind Sorcerer grinned as he looked at the other forms, ''We''ve always received some of your energy, which is why you need so much more energy than the others, so now we can just take on more than usual.''


    ''Agreed.'' Light Racer said with a slight smile on his face before extending his hand, ''Maybe for you alone millions of souls is too much, but for all of us it''s what we need!''


    At the same time, the others also extended their arms forward and the energy that was trying to sneak into Wain''s soul headed toward them. The massive stream of energy split into seven strands as the pressure on Wain immediately became much less.


    "Great!" Wain clenched his fist with a broad smile on his face, "Now I can definitely not hold back! Soon I''ll reach the limit of the Fourth Chronicle!"


    [You absorbed a big amount of Soul Essence, your energy is increased by 0.6%.]


    [You absorbed a big amount of Soul Essence, your energy is increased by 0.8%.]


    [You absorbed a big amount of Soul Essence, your energy is increased by 0.9%.]


    Gradually Wain became stronger as well as forms, so he increased the total amount of souls and ghosts, since he did so the energy absorption rate increased several times and after one hour he reached the next key point.


    [Wain Norheim


    Ascension: Third Stage (70%)


    Race: Human<sub> </sub>


    Beyond: Cmity (Cocanth)


    Soul: Nameless King


    Title: Savior of the Damned, Echo of Samurai, Mentor Inquisitor, The First, Soul Gatherer, Cartographer, yer of Goliath, Contender, Defeating One of the Four Kings, Killing the Legend, etc.


    Majesty: 10]


    "Just a little more..." Wain muttered with an excited look, then his gaze calm as he looked at the ghosts, "However, I shouldn''t speed up anymore... They certainly won''t stop until they eat everything."


    With each percent Wain needed more energy than a few minutes ago, so to get to 90% he needed as much energy as total up to that point.


    "Agh... It''s only been a few hours and the problem of over-energy is solved, but I still feel tired, no... even exhausted..." Wain muttered while looking at his status, "Well, only 10% left, then I''ll finally see what I have to do to get through."


    The energy continued to head towards Wain as he gradually approached his limit. His condition was getting worse as he wanted more and more to just lie down and sleep as though he hadn''t slept in days, but he couldn''t afford to do that.


    [Ascension: Third Stage (99%)


    "99%..." Wain uttered with an exhausted look in a quiet voice, "This is thest step..."


    Whooooosh.


    Wain waved his hand as he unleashed a few million souls on which the ghosts immediately pounced. Their hunger was immense, but suddenly some of the ghosts slowed down and after eating a few thousand souls they closed their creepy jaws and headed for Wain, disappearing into him and disintegrating into energy.


    "Hmm? Have they finally had enough? Hah, they''ve consumed over a billion souls! I shouldn''t summon them anymore or they might eat the whole world." Wain spoke with a slight smile on his face while shaking his head.


    The ghosts continued to eat the souls, so gradually they all satisfied their hunger and returned to Wain. Only one soul hovered before him, that the ghosts had purposely left for him.


    "Though I can''t know it for sure, but I have a feeling it will be enough... Damn, I had so many souls, but only a few thousand left..." Wain muttered in a slow voice before approaching the shower.


    Wain squeezed the soul as it shattered into dozens of pieces and headed toward him. It wasn''t enough to get even 0.01%, but given how much the ghosts had absorbed, it was hisst soul.


    [Ascension: Third Stage (100%)]


    [You have reached the limit of the Fourth Chronicle!]


    [Your body and soul are full of energy!]


    [No further progress is possible!]


    [To be even stronger you must reach the Fifth Chronicle!]


    [The conditions for reaching the Fifth Chronicle are open!]

 Chapter 734 Darkness

    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    As many messages appeared in front of Wain then without his control a wave of darkness departed from him. Energy surged out of his body, filling everything around him with dense dark streams.


    "What is this...?" Wain muttered in an exhausted voice as he touched the darkness.


    [The conditions for reaching the Fifth Chronicle are open!]


    [You must achieve 100% blood purity.]


    [You must unlock the seventh form]


    [You must be ??? or ???]


    [You must get ???]


    "Hmm? What does that mean? How can I fulfill the conditions if half of them are hidden?" Wain uttered while in confusion, "Damn, it won''t be easy. Of the two known conditions, I can only fulfill one, I have no idea how to get 100% blood purity, it''s impossible!"


    Wain''s emotions were bright and strong as finally what he had been waiting for so long happened, but his body needed a rest.


    Crackling.


    Wain fell as he leaned his hand on the ground and tried to get up, but his eyes were slowly closing and there was nothing he could do about it.


    ''Well, well, he had so much energy he was physically tired of absorbing it.'' Blind Sorcerer uttered with a sly smile on his face.


    ''That''s rather ironic, isn''t it?'' Code of Light and Darkness said as he look up.


    ''Are you sure you should be doing this now?'' Cursed Swordsman uttered with a serious look as he stared at Blind Sorcerer.


    ''Yeah... I have the same question, we''ve absorbed too much energy too, so we either have to let it out or hope that it...'' Light Racer said, but suddenly Blind Sorcerer stopped him.


    ''Don''t worry, it''ll be fine. Unfortunately, I can''t see the future, but when the seventh one joins us, then Wain wille close to entering the Fifth Chronicle, then we''ll help him.'' Blind Sorcerer spoke as a slight smile formed on his face.


    ''I agree.'' Knight of the Bloody Rose said with an ice-cold look while holding his arms crossed, ''This was the best opportunity to absorb energy. It might take Wain a long time to reach the Fifth Chronicle, butpared to all that''se, it''s only a fraction of the way.


    ''Hah, it''s prettyical that things areing to this...'' ck Sun Aristocrat smirked as he held out his hand.


    A small dark red orb appeared in his palm that exuded strange energy. It was something between normal energy and that found in Soul Pearl, in other words, it was a tiny soul.


    ''Sure, we just have to hope that Wain can make it to Death Shore without getting killed. For that, we''ll have to use everything we have.'' The Blind Sorcerer nodded in a serious manner.


    At the same time, an orb like the ck Sun Aristocrat appeared in front of each form. They were all dark but had a second color, specific to each form.


    ...


    After a while, the darkness emanating from Wain''s body slowly returned to him, then Wain''s eyes unhurriedly opened.


    "Damn, I cked out again, I''m starting to get tired of this. I hope this time I didn''t oversleep for weeks as I did before..." Wain uttered while shaking his head as he got to his feet.


    Whooooooosh.<sub> </sub>


    Suddenly dius appeared in front of him and said, "Don''t worry, you''ve only slept a few hours, I haven''t even had time to get bored in that time."


    "Fine, though the conditions are unclear, I have aplished my goal. I feel ready to go to Death Shore." Wain said as he headed for the massive door.


    "Wait a minute. Don''t you want to test your new powers?" dius said in a calm voice.


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?" Wain turned as he raised an eyebrow while in confusion.


    "Make one attack, just like you did at the beginning." dius spoke before flying up to Wain.


    "Agh... Right, itpletely slipped my mind." Wain said as a smirk formed on his face and he gripped his sword hilt tightly, "Last time I couldn''t even leave a scratch, so it''s time to find out how I''ve changed!"


    Tremble.


    Wain''s aura intensified as he directed energy toward dius. The sword''s des were quickly covered in a denseyer of dark energy as Wain stepped forward.


    He acted as seriously as if he was in a real fight, so the sword de instantly reached the wall and a strange sound came out like a saw slicing ice.


    At the same time, dius left a massive cut on the wall, deep and wide enough to allow a hand to elbow into it.


    Crack. Crack. Crack.


    From the cut went small cracks that as though cobwebs spread all over the wall.


    "Hah, this is incredible, I can''t even feel how much stronger I''ve be, but that''s not all, I need the finishing touch." Wain smirked with an excited look before walking over to the wall.


    Tap.


    He lightly tapped it as if knocking on a door, then the wall shattered into hundreds of shards that fell at his feet.


    "I wonder when Sven or Marlis or Osvald were in the Fourth Chronicle, could they have destroyed that wall?" Wain uttered with a thoughtful look before returning dius to the seal.


    Just as Sven said, the massive door opened easily as Wain headed for the bar.


    Click.


    He stepped inside as Sven nced at him, but he didn''t turn around.


    "I''ve never seen anyone give off such strong energy as you, how many souls have you spent?" Sven asked with a slight smile on his face as he leaned against the bar.


    "Almost all of them." Wain shrugged with a slight sigh.


    "Hah, you spent over a billion souls!?" Osvald eximed as his eyes lit up, "That''s amazing! I shouldn''t have expected anything less from you, though!"


    Wain nodded as he stared at Marlis and with a serious look said, "Are you ready?"


    "Sure. Try not to die as then it will happen to me..." Marlis murmured while contemting a n of action.

 Chapter 735 The Way

    "Do we need anything special to get to Death Shore?" Wain asked with a serious look as he stared at Marlis.


    "No, just be sure you''re at the peak of your strength now and we can go." Marlis uttered before getting off his chair, "Honestly, I wish this would be over already. By the way, don''t forget that you have to get out of there yourself."


    "Sure. Your job is just to get me there. I''ll do the rest myself." Wain said in a confident manner while a majestic aura emanated from him.


    "That''s the right attitude!" Osvald eximed, walking over to Wain and patting him on the shoulder, "Guy, it''ll be dangerous, but if you survive you''ll be a real man!"


    "Hmm? I''m, like, twenty-five already! Although... Damn, how old am I now? Maybe 26...?" Wain muttered with a confused look as he frowned.


    "Never mind." Osvald waved his hand, "I haven''t remembered how old I am in a long time, though that''s true of most who reach Fourth Chronicle or above, we just live too long."


    "I agree. I don''t remember that either, since it doesn''t matter as much as it used to." Marli muttered in a careless manner before turning to Sven and asking, "What about you?"


    Sven smiled and replied, "I remember every single day lived, so I know how old I am."


    "What...?" Marlis muttered while in disbelief, "Then how old are you?"


    Her eyes lit up as her look showed how much she wanted to know.


    "Well, I''ll let myself keep it a secret, but I''m probably a little younger than you or Osvald." Sven said with a calm look with a smirk on his face.


    "Damn! Why are you always so secretive? Is it so hard to be honest and open?!" Marlis eximed with puffed-up cheeks.


    "Ahahaha, I''m sorry, but I can''t change who I am." Svenughed, then his look became serious, "Okay, now let''s get down to business."


    Wain and Marlis nodded.


    "Osvald and I would like to go with you, but because of the specifics of Death Shore it will only make things worse, so you will have to handle everything alone. However, I have a gift for you that I hope will save your life." Sven said as his ring shone brightly.


    A stone cube appeared in his hand, engraved on each side. An eerie aura emanated from the cube that gave everyone goosebumps.


    [Holy Skull Cube (Fifth Chronicle, Legendary Rating)


    This cube contains the energy of hundreds of dead saints who nevermitted a single sin in their lives.


    Can imprison any living creature].


    ? Whooooosh.


    Sven passed the cube to Marlis. She caught it and said, "Thanks, but are you sure we''ll need something that serious?"


    "Sure. Getting to Death Shore might be even more dangerous than being there, so everything should be as safe as possible." Sven said as he nodded his head.


    "Let''s go. We''ve lost enough time already." Wain said as he stared at Marlis with an ice-cold look.


    Marlis turned and a shiver ran through her body that she hadn''t expected at all.


    ''Damn... When did he get so strong? He''s still in the Fourth Chronicle, what will happen when he reaches the Fifth Chronicle...? Marlis internally uttered as she nced at Sven, ''Wain heir to the Nameless King... but what is Sven''s n? What''s he up to?


    Marlis sighed, shook her head, and said, "Okay, let''s go. I warn you, don''t do anything strange or unexpected. If you get in danger because of it, I won''t risk saving you. Do you understand me?"<sub> </sub>


    "Of course." Wain shrugged, "Just get me into Death Shore."


    "Fine. Then let''s go right now." Marlis said with a serious look as she headed for the exit of the bar.


    "Good luck. Come back as soon as possible, Osvald and I will be waiting for you." Sven said with a slight smile on his face while slowly waving his hand.


    Snap.


    Marlis opened the doors as a stream of darkness from the open space burst inside, then Marlis walked on as though it were routine.


    Wain stood still for a while, staring at the darkness, and followed Marlis.


    Tremble.


    Immediately a powerful pressure came upon him, but it did not stop him as he stepped forward.


    ''How strange... When Marlis saved me by taking me from Dragon World, the pressure of open space almost crushed me, but now... I feel only unpleasant tingles.'' Wain muttered as he swung his arm.


    There was nothing but darkness in the open space that was so dense that it sought to disce anyone who came here.


    Marlis walked slowly forward, suddenly she flinched and turned to Wain as if she remembered something important.


    Her palm was covered in green energy as she was about to protect him with a barrier, but suddenly her eyes went wide.


    "What...? Are you all right?" Marlis muttered while in disbelief.


    "Yeah." Wain shrugged in a careless manner, "I''m not quite used to it yet, but I''m even starting to like it. It feels like there''s no one here, just me and nothing..."


    "Damn... This is actually amazing. Looks like after absorbing a billion souls you''re a lot stronger than before." Marlis uttered while shaking his head.


    Wain nodded and they set off.


    Marlis walked slowly through the darkness, asionally looking around as though looking for something or trying to spot something important.


    "Where are we going?" Wain asked, following Marlis.


    "I''m looking for where space is weakest. We''ll have to go to the depths of Purgatory to get to Death Shore, and I''m trying to pick the safest ce." Marlis said with a serious expression.


    "A safe ce? Who are we going to protect ourselves from?" Wain asked while in confusion as he tilted his head.


    Marlis frowned as she took a deep breath.


    Crackling.


    Suddenly her look changed to frightened and she turned around. Tension increased as well as Marlis'' aura grew.


    Cracks appeared in the void, and then, out of nowhere, a massive dark paw with glowing ws emerged.

 Chapter 736 The Monster

    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The cracks widened as a massive monster slowly emerged from them. Darkness enveloped its body, but its ws, eyes, and fangs shone brightly as it was purepressed energyparable to Soul Pearls.


    "What is it...?" Wain uttered while in disbelief as he didn''t expect that in a ce where any creature would be literally crushed by the pressure of energy there could be someone.


    "Fuck! Looks like it noticed our energy!" Marlis eximed with an angry look, "This monster is of the Dimension Guards kind, though most of them are just wild beasts like this one that want to devour our energy."


    Crackle.


    Half of the monster''s body was out in the open as it roared furiously.


    Roooooooooaaaaaaaaarrrrrr!!!


    The sound from its roar was powerful enough to dispel the thick currents of darkness, so the monster was able to move fully here.


    "Run! We can''t handle him here!" Marlis eximed in an urgent manner before rushing forward.


    Her voice brought Wain back to his senses and he instantly followed her.


    "Where are we running to? Why can''t we fight it?" Wain asked in confusion.


    To him, Marlis, Osvald, and Sven were the strongest he had ever met as Marlis easily made a hole in Dragon''s wings, so the fact that Marlis decided to retreat was a shock to him.


    "We''ve been spotted, so others may be here soon. Dimension Guards hide in dimensional sacks, between zones, so they could appear literally anywhere, just out of nowhere." Marlis said in a deadly serious voice as her hands became covered in green energy.


    Whooooooooosh.


    She waved her arms as six massive spheres of fire appeared next to her, and they came crashing down on the monster.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Each orb caused an explosion that shook the space as streams of green me swirled around the monster like ropes.


    "Great. Looks like luck is on our side today." Marlis smirked, reached forward and her eyes shed brightly.


    Space distorted as streams of darkness began to rapidly disperse to the sides, revealing a massive structure that as though it had always been there.


    It was a gate, white as snow. They glowed brightly from the many amber crystals floating nearby.


    Roooooooooaaaaaaaaarrrrrrr!!!


    The monster roared furiously as the green fire immediately dispersed.


    ''What...? How is that possible?'' Wain inwardly muttered as he nced at the monster, ''Marlis'' attack didn''t do it any damage? Fuck! Dimension Guards... They''re fucking dangerous!''


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    At the same time, dozens of cracks appeared around them from which massive monsters with eerie auras began to emerge.


    "Let''s go! We don''t have much time, or they''ll eat us!" Marlis eximed, grabbed Wain by the arm, and ran forward.


    The shining gates opened as a blinding golden light burst forth. Then, Marlis with Wain entered it and disappeared into the amber stream.


    Roooooaaaaaaarrrrrr!!!


    The monster roared furiously and ran after them just as all the other Dimension Guards did. The portal took everyone easily, so it seemed that Marlis'' n hadpletely failed since they had failed to get rid of their pursuers.<sub> </sub>


    Whooooooooosh.


    Amidst the azure sky, next to a massive cloud, a portal opened from which two persons fell out and passed through the cloud.


    "Damn, a minute ago everything was calm, but now some kind of madness has begun." Wain uttered while falling down, "Where are we?"


    "That doesn''t matter now! You have other things to worry about!" Marlis eximed as she looked up.


    "Hmm?" Wain raised an eyebrow in confusion but did as she said.


    Crackling.


    Above them appeared a multitude of ck dots that tore the cloud apart and rushed toward them. They were Dimension Guards and they were not going to let their prey go so easily.


    ''Their auras are so powerful... well Marlis decided to run away, that means we can''t handle them, right? But... what do we do then?'' Wain muttered inwardly with a worried look as he tried to think of a n of action.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Suddenly several magical circles appeared in the air, from which dark chains burst forth. They headed toward the monsters as well as Marlis and bound them tightly together, dropping their power sharply several levels below. The only one the chains ignored was Wain.


    The chains disappeared as a confident smirk appeared on Marlis''s face. She turned to Wain and said, "Attack, now! Destroy those bastards!"


    "Huh, I don''t know what exactly you did, but it looks like I''ll be able to fight them on equal footing now." Wain grinned before extending his arm.


    His hand was covered in dark electrical discharges that gradually became more powerful, then Wain clenched his hand into a fist.


    Crackling.


    Clouds appeared above the monsters as dozens of ck thunderbolts rained down on them, tearing the monsters apart just as the space. That looked like the wrath of the thunder god himself.


    The monsters tried to fight back, but it only took a few seconds for the lightning bolts to leave no one alive.


    Bam.


    Wain and Marlis reached the ground as theynded on an ind floating among the clouds, while monster parts, paws, ws, and heads flew past them.


    "Damn, that was fascinating. When we were out in the open, even your attacks couldn''t hurt them, but now I handled them with one skill." Wain uttered with an exciting smile on his face.


    "Well, that was actually dangerous. I didn''t expect we''d have to fight the Dimension Guards." Marlis muttered in a calm voice as she sat down on the boulder.


    "How did you weaken them?" Wain asked in a curious manner as she stared at her.


    "It wasn''t me." Marlis shrugged with a careless look, "All Dimension Guards, even low-ranked ones like these, are in the Fifth Chronicle, so you didn''t stand a chance against them."


    "Yeah..." Wain uttered with a slight nod as he began to see where Marlis was going with this.


    "So... Though it wasn''t easy, I found the right gateway that led us to the Fourth Chronicle area of Purgatory." Marlis smirked with a sly expression.


    "Agh... I see, now that means you and I are on the same level, doesn''t it?" Wain said.


    "Sure, you want to fight me?" Marlis grinned.


    "Nah, I''m just surprised how you could do it so fast." Wain shrugged, then his look turned serious, "What do we do next?"

 Chapter 737 The Straight Path

    "We''ll be moving on. Even though this is the Fourth Chronicle area, it''s part of Purgatory, so we''d better not linger here." Marlis said with a calm look as she climbed off the boulder.


    "Hmm? How are we going to get to Death Shore? Tell me your n." Wain said with a serious expression.


    "It''s simple. I''ll use zones to get as low as possible. I can sense which zones are connected to Death Shore and which aren''t, so now each zone is literally a rung in a long and dangerousdder for us." Marlis said, shrugged, and looked around.


    A few more inds were floating in the distance as well as massive clouds. There was nothing else in the area, just a picture like the pages of a children''s fairy tale.


    "But, of course, it''s a lot moreplicated than I''m saying. The Purgatory zones themselves are the strongest spaces that exist at all, so to get to them we have to look for portals." Marlis muttered as she looked up.


    The cloud that had been torn by the monsters apart still hadn''t recovered as the many pieces slowly merged into each other.


    "Wait... Does this mean we have to fight the Dimension Guards in their territory again?" Wain asked with a worried look as he realized that without the containment force of the zone, he wouldn''t be able to do anything to them.


    Marlis was silent for a while, then turned to him and said, "Not really. Since technically we won''t be crossing into another zone but out into open space, the rules of the previous zone will work for us, at least for a while."


    "I see..." Wain nodded with a thoughtful look.


    "Gradually the zones will be more dangerous just as the number of Soul Pearls in the zones that will cause us many problems..." Marlis muttered as though contemting exactly what will happen in the future.


    "Right... You''ll break spaces, creating a breach, so Pearls Hunters will feel the energy from Soul Pearls... Damn, it''s moreplicated than I imagined." Wain uttered while rubbing his chin.


    "Yeah, Pearl Hunters have many methods of feeling pure energy, especially those in the Fourth or Fifth Chronicle. However, they are not our greatest threat, on the contrary, Pearl Hunters can be good bait." Marlis said with a serious look.


    "Hmm? Bait? For whom?" Wain said in confusion as he tilted his head.


    "For Dimension Guards. The ones we fought against were the weakest in existence. They were all First Rank, so... imagine what would happen if we faced Third Rank Dimension Guards." Marlis uttered with a troubled expression.


    "How strong are they?" Wain asked in a calm voice.


    "Well, I''d have to use all my strength to deal with two or three, but if I''m attacked by five or more I''ll have to run." Marlis said with a deadly look as she clenched her fists as she hated to admit that she couldn''t handle something.


    ''Hmm, so even Marlis has limits, but what about...?'' Wain muttered internally as he stared at Marlis and said, "How many would Sven handle?"


    Marlis turned around, grinned as a smirk appeared on her face, and said, "Trying to learn as much as you can about us, right? Well, I''ll tell you that ten Dimension Guards certainly wouldn''t be a problem for him."


    Wain just nodded with a meaningful look as though he had heard what he wanted.<sub> </sub>


    "Fine, let''s move on. I already know which direction to go." Marlis said before walking to the edge of the ind and jumping down.


    Wain was surprised as he raised an eyebrow and muttered, "It used to be a real challenge for me to get into the Purgatory Zone, but now I''m willingly going to the most dangerous ce... Damn, I hope the seventh form is worth it."


    Wain took a step forward as he tumbled down. The ce looked magical, but an oppressive atmosphere emanated from everywhere, even from a mere cloud that floated near Wain.


    Whoooooosh.


    Suddenly a green me appeared beneath Marlis'' feet as she headed east. Her energy increased, but she didn''t use more than she needed.


    ''Hmm? Can she fly? Damn, I can use the fifth form to get wings, but it''s definitely not worth it...'' Wain inwardly muttered while looking at the receding Marlis.


    ''That won''t be necessary.'' dius said with a smirk, ''It doesn''t use any skills, it''s just enough condensed energy, though... you''ll certainly need more energy since Marlis is about half as light as you are.''


    "I see, I can do like her, but is there any point? It''s better toe up with your own, isn''t it?" Wain grinned as his aura intensified.


    Tremble.


    Streams of energy came away from him that turned into two small tforms under his feet, then Wain went forward and the tforms appeared right in front of him, disappearing behind.


    ''I use denser energy than Marlis, but her energy looks like a cloud, so her volumes are muchrger.'' Wain said to himself while stepping forward.


    After a while, Marlis stopped. It wasn''t any particr ce, just a certain point in the middle of nowhere.


    "Are we there?" Wain asked as he approached her.


    "Yeah. Now I''m going to break space, be ready, the chains of this area will help us, so attack everyone you see." Marlis said as she nced at Wain''s hands, "I hate to admit it, but if we''re in the same Chronicle, your destructive power surpasses mine...though I doubt anyone but Reidar couldpete with you on this."


    "Reidar, right? Agh, that was actually a great fight. I wonder what he would have done if he had faced the Dimension Guards?" Wain muttered with a thoughtful look as he touched his chin.


    Crackle.


    Marlis gathered energy in front of her as she flicked her hand to create a massive magical circle. It began to rotate slowly as though it were trying to make a hole in the air, then a small crack appeared in the space that quickly grew apart.

 Chapter 738 Purgatory Zones

    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Space shattered into tiny shards as the path into the vastness of darkness was clear.


    "Nice, if I''m not mistaken the next appropriate gate is to the east, it will take us about ten minutes to get to it." Marlis said with a serious look before her feet were covered in green mes.


    She nced at Wain and said, "Run as fast as you can. Even though I said it would only take us ten minutes, we''ll have to walk hundreds of miles in that time."


    "Huh, don''t worry. You watched myst fight, right? So, you should know that I''m pretty fast." Wain grinned as his aura intensified and a golden glint appeared in his eyes.


    "Well, I think you''ll be surprised that you''re not the only one with these abilities." Marlis said in a careless manner, shrugged, and stepped forward.


    Whooooooooosh.


    At the same time, her silhouette blurred as she turned into a sh of green me that almost instantly crossed meters of darkness.


    "Damn, she''s really fast, but I don''t think she canpete with us, can she?" Wain said with a slight smile on his face while his hair lengthened.


    ''Sure, just run after her.'' Light Racer said with a confident smirk with his arms crossed, ''However, you shouldn''t use too much energy. Maybe you can fight the Dimension Guards, but it''s best to dy the moment they show up as far away as possible.''


    "Huh, whatever you say." Wain nodded as he rushed forward.


    It took the golden ray a little over ten seconds to reach the green one that was already very far away.


    Marlis nced at him but said nothing as she maintained a certain speed as if on purpose.


    They moved forward for a while, then Marlis took a sharp turn as Wain followed her.


    "We''re a third of the way through, but the Dimension Guards haven''t shown up yet, which is good. You control your energy pretty well, don''t you?" Marlis uttered in a calm voice.


    "Nothing much." Wain shrugged.


    Whooooooosh.


    Marlis turned once more, then another and another. After about ten minutes, she stopped in front of the darkness and held out her hand.


    The darkness dispersed, revealing a blue gate from which emanated a calm aura.


    "Well, looks like we got lucky. I wouldn''t want the Dimension Guards chasing us this time." Wain uttered while examining the gate.


    "Yeah... But still, it''s kind of weird... Though maybe a lot has changed since thest time I tried to sneak into Death Shore." Marlis said as she waved her hand.


    Crackling.


    The gate slowly opened as in the distance, a thin crack appeared, that was almost invisible, but Marlis'' gaze instantly went there.


    ''Dimension Guard? Just one?'' Well, it took too long to find us.'' Marlis inwardly muttered as she stepped forward with Wain following her.<sub> </sub>


    Crack.


    Suddenly the crack was as big as the gate and a shadow flew out of it.


    At the same time, Marlis and Wain''s bodies went into creep from the terrifying pressure that they felt. Their hearts literally clenched as dozens of chains appeared next to the shadow.


    "Fuck! It''s Second Rank!" Marlis eximed with wide eyes as she ran into the portal.


    Wain stood still for a while as Marlis had to pull him into the portal by force, dragging him by the arm. He hesitated for only a second, and that was enough for the Dimension Guard to reach the portal as well as for Wain to examine his opponent.


    The Second Rank Dimension Guard was much different from the First Rank ones as it was more human than a monster. He had dense dark armor as well as brightly glowing gauntlets, boots, and a sword ofpressed light energy. When Wain saw this, an image of the Code of Light and Darkness appeared in his mind for a moment, which alsobined two opposing elements.


    Whooooosh.


    A portal opened in the sky and they found themselves in the midst of a massive stone forest among which flowed dozens of rivers as the water was literally everywhere. In the center of the forest was a vastke at the center of which were three brightly shining spheres, the size of heads.


    "No! No! No!" Marlis eximed with a panicked look, "There shouldn''t be Soul Pearls here!"


    "What''s the problem?" Wain said as he created a dense wall of darkness above him.


    He pressed Marlis against him, then jumped away from the wall and quickly reached the ground as theynded on the rocky shore of theke.


    "It''s going to be real chaos out here now!" Marlis eximed as she pointed upward.


    At the same time, several cracks appeared in the sky from which eerie auras emanated as Second Rank Dimension Guard entered the area.


    "Well, now our main problem is this dangerous one, isn''t it?" Wain said with a serious look as a dius appeared in his hand.


    Marlis quickly came to her senses, nodded, and said, "Sure, you''re right. Right now, the Second Rank Dimension Guard is the most important threat."


    Tremble.


    The energy headed toward Wain''s sword as it grew denser. Then, Wain raised the sword and with deadly ice-cold eyes swung it upward.


    The dark de with tremendous power headed toward the Dimension Guard as there was no escape, so he did the same in return.


    Whooooosh.


    The de of light collided with the dark one as appeared a powerful shockwave that shattered the tops of the stone pirs.


    "Hah, he managed to react and counterattack so quickly, but it looks like his light isn''t strong enough to get rid of my darkness." Wain said as a smirk appeared on his face.


    The dark de sliced through the light one as it reached Dimension Guar, severing his arm and leaving a massive cut on his chest that gushed with unusual white blood.


    Then several intimidating paws appeared from the cracks in the sky, each one heading toward the wounded Dimension Guard as though to an easy target.

 Chapter 739 Hunters

    Wain''s attack was more powerful than Dimension Guard''s, so he was seriously wounded and lost an arm. Each Dimension Guard contained a huge amount of pure energy as their energy wasparable in purity to Soul Pearl, so for Pearl Hunters, a wounded Dimension Guard was the perfect target.


    Paws with eerie auras and sharp ws rushed toward the Dimension Guard while his wound continued to flow white blood. However, Dimension Guard paid no attention to it as his gaze was focused solely on Wain.


    Whoooooosh.


    The paws came down on the Dimension Guard as they closed in on all sides, tearing him apart.


    "Great!" Marlis eximed as she clenched her fist with an excited look, "They did all the work for us, now it''s time to deal with the Pearl Hunters!"


    Her aura intensified as pirs of green me appeared beside her.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly there was a powerful pressure that seemed toe from nowhere.


    "What''s going on...?" Marlis uttered in confusion while looking around.


    Crackling.


    At the same time, white streaks of energy appeared on paws and a secondter they were shredded into multiple pieces. Then, the wounded Dimension Guard lunged at one of the monsters that were about to flee the zone.


    Whoooooosh.


    The Dimension Guard grabbed the monster by its long tail and pulled it sharply. His strength was enough to drag the massive monster into the zone and bring it crashing to the ground.


    "Fuck! How could he have survived?! Can a Second Rank Dimension Guard withstand such a powerful attack?!" Marlis eximed while in disbelief as she extended her arm.


    Green streams of me rushed towards the Dimension Guard, but it managed to dodge at thest moment and quickly reached the monster that was still stunned.


    Tap.


    The Dimension Guard plunged his sword into the ground as he grabbed the monster by the head, then his eyes shone brightly and the monster howled in pain. The monster tried to resist, but the Dimension Guard was unstoppable as he quickly drained the life from the monster.


    Gradually, the monster''s body became much smaller as it resembled a mummy that had been drained of all its fluid.


    Whoooooosh.


    Dimension Guard''s wounds instantly healed as it grew a new arm that was no different from the previous one.


    "What the hell is that?" Wain uttered while in disbelief as his gaze settled on the Dimension Guard.


    "Damn... Looks like this Dimension Guard is special... I didn''t even know Second Rank ones were capable of this... We need to destroy it as soon as possible!" Marlis eximed as she rushed forward.


    She turned into a green sh as a momentter two waves of me rained down on the Dimension Guard since Marlis appeared in front of him.


    Dimension Guard drew his sword from the ground, stepped back, and put up a block, but it wasn''t enough as one of the streams of me hit exactly the target.


    The left side of Dimension Guard''s body burned as white blood gushed out from many small wounds.<sub> </sub>


    "Hah, I thought you''d be stronger, but I can handle a weakling like you easily!" Marlis eximed as she swung her arm, but suddenly her pupils narrowed.


    Whoooooosh.


    Marlis took a step back as the sword de whizzed a centimeter from her neck. Then, Dimension Guard''s gauntlet glowed brightly as he touched the ground and poured arge amount of energy into it.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ground trembled as a burst of white energy erupted from beneath it, knocking Marlis back several meters.


    At the same time, the Dimension Guard nced at the monsters that were slowly making their way into the zone andshed out in their direction.


    Whooooosh.


    He as though a shadow appeared in front of the massive wolf that immediately attacked him, but Dimension Guard easily blocked the attack and plunged his sword into the monster''s head. Then, Dimension Guard jumped out of the air and headed for the next target.


    Although a second ago the wolf was ready to fight furiously until itsst breath, now it was like a soulless puppet that with a nk stare fell to the bottom, blocking one of the many rivers with its massive body.


    ''Did he put it to sleep? No, it''s something else... it looks like if he doesn''t pull his sword out the wolf won''t be able to control himself for much longer, but what will Dimension Guard do now? He''s lost his weapon.'' Wain inwardly muttered while looking at Dimension Guard with a curious expression.


    Wain took his time to attack as he wanted to better study his opponent and learn what Dimension Guards were capable of as for Wain they were brand new opponents with unique skills.


    Crackle.


    Suddenly Dimension Guard appeared in front of the second monster as his eyes shed brightly, then another sword appeared in his hand that a momentter ended up in the massive scorpion''s head.


    "What...? Can he create another one so easily? Doesn''t that mean that...?" Wain uttered with a dazed look as his eyes went wide.


    ? Whoooooosh.


    The Dimension Guard elerated as he appeared in front of several more monsters within seconds. As a result, six of the monsters had lightsabers stuck in their heads, leaving thempletely defenseless.


    "What''s he up to?" Marlis said with a serious look as her aura intensified. She didn''t want to attack since she could get hurt here, she had no advantage in Chronicle, only skills decided.


    "Fuck, he wants to devour them all! We mustn''t let him do it!" Wain eximed with a worried look before rushing forward.


    He immediately activated the sixth form as the golden beam reached the Dimension Guard, but he was ready for it.


    ng.


    Another sword appeared in the Dimension Guard''s hand as their weapons collided with each other.


    "Marlis!" Wain eximed as he stepped forward and his powerful pressure caused the ground beneath Dimension Guard''s feet to crack.


    "Yes!" They instantly responded as she headed towards him with green mes.


    Dimension Guard realized that he was having a hard time dealing with Wain, so he had no chance against the two of them, so he decided to take a desperate step and let go of his sword.

 Chapter 740 Pearls

    Dimension Guard loosened his grip as he lowered his sword, then the dark sword again cut off his arm that flew off to the side.


    Whoooooosh.


    A stream of green me instantly burned the arm as Marlis appeared in front of the Dimension Guard.


    "Let''s go! Let''s kill him with our next attack!" Marlis eximed in a menacing manner before using the skill.


    Wain was momentarily puzzled by the strange actions of Dimension Guard but quickly came to his senses as his sword was covered in a denseyer of energy and rushed towards Dimension Guard''s neck.


    The whip of green me and the sword simultaneously copsed on Dimension Guard as his silhouette suddenly blurred. Then, Dimension Guard lunged forward, dodging at thest moment an attack that would have surely killed him.


    Boooooom.


    There was a massive explosion at the site of the attack because of the energy surge, as the powerful shockwave forced the nearby rivers over the edges and spilled out among the stone pirs.


    ''Hmm? Did he dodge? But was it worth losing your arm for?'' Wain inwardly muttered while drops of water fell on him as though it had begun to rain, then he turned and his eyes opened wide just like Marlis''s.


    The twice-wounded Dimension Guard reached the center of theke and came close to the Soul Pearls that floated in the center of theke.


    ''He only had to drain the energy out of one monster to fully recover... Damn, that bastard outyed us.'' Wain muttered inwardly as he already realized what was about to happen.


    Whoooooosh.


    He turned dius to the seal, pressed Marlis against him, and turned into a golden beam, moving hundreds of meters away from theke.


    "Stop! What are you doing?! We have to beat him!" Marlis eximed as she tried to get out of Wain''s grip, but since they were now in the same Chronicle, she was inferior to his physical strength.


    Wain nced at Dimension Guard and with a serious look muttered, "We''rete. It''s too dangerous to be around him, we have toe up with a new n of action."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The Dimension Guard touched the Soul Pearl as massive waves of white energy that shook the space departed from it.


    At the same time, the swords to the monsters'' heads shone brightly as white strands of energy flew out toward the Dimension Guard. Energy flowed through the threads from all six monsters, gradually draining them toplete exhaustion. Then, Dimension Guard grabbed the Soul Pearls, opened his mouth wide, and swallowed them as though they were massive fruits.


    Streams of white energypletely covered the Dimension Guard while his aura rapidly increased to incredible amounts.


    "Fuck! This wasn''t supposed to happen! The Second Rank Dimension Guard wasn''t supposed to follow us, and Soul Pearls weren''t supposed to be here!" Marlis eximed with an angry look while waving her arms.


    "Well, we''ll get through this anyway, though I''d rather do it myself." Wain said in a calm voice as he canceled the action of the form.<sub> </sub>


    "What? What are you talking about...?" Marlis eximed as a powerful pressure interrupted her.


    Whooooooooosh.


    A massive stream of white energy dissipated, turning into several rings that slowly settled to the ground, revealing the Dimension Guard.


    His appearance changed as a cloak of white energy appeared behind him. On his hands were des, and on his breastte were many ancient runes that emanated a powerful aura. The thin lightsaber transformed into a colossal two-handed sword, the mass of which made space distort.


    "He''s reached Third Rank, hasn''t he?" Wain asked in a serious manner while his ice-cold gaze literally pierced the Dimension Guard.


    "Yeah... If it weren''t for the restraining power of the Purgatory Zone, his power would beparable to that of a Demigod." Marlis uttered with a slight nod as she frowned.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Pirs of me appeared beside her as she stepped forward and said, "Stay here. I can handle him, though it will be rather problematic."


    ''Her aura fluctuates so much... Does she want to use her Form?'' Wain inwardly muttered as he stared at Marlis, then he sighed, ''Well, I want to check it anyway.''


    Wain stretched out his hand, thus stopping Marlis, "I told you I''ll fight him myself. Just stand here and watch."


    Wain jumped off the ledge as he with a slow step headed toward the Dimension Guard that stood in one ce as though waiting for his opponent to be ready.


    ''Why do I get the feeling there''s some connection between these two?'' Marlis said to herself as she bit her lip, ''Damn, if Wain dies then Sven will definitely get mad, but what if he can actually handle a Third Rank one? In that case, I''ll save a lot of energy... Shit! The choice is too hard!''


    Marlis was confused, then she felt a strange chill as all her attention was drawn to Wain.


    His coat changed to a cloak of darkness, crumbling into small particles as though me. A sword ofpressed light energy appeared in his hand just as the armor and the translucent spirit above it.


    ''What is it? His Form? Hmm... How strange, now they emit very simr energy...'' Marlis inwardly muttered with a curious look while in confusion.


    Wain with a calm look pointed his sword at the Dimension Guard as a streak of dense energy was left in the air.


    "I''m not familiar with your power, but if you want to try to absorb mine, I''m willing to ept your challenge. In the end, only one of us will be left, it''s simple, isn''t it?" Wain said with a deadly ice-cold look as his eyes became as deep as the abyss.


    The Dimension Guard stepped forward as a trail of thick white energy was left behind him that was a real treasure for any creature, but for him, it was only a small fraction of the full force.


    "Well... You''re absolutely right... a carrier of exceptional energy..." Suddenly there was a majestic voice from Dimension Guard.

 Chapter 741 Light

    "Oh... So you can talk? How unexpected." Wain uttered with a calm look while slowly stepping forward.


    "I''m just learning... However, I''m not sure words are necessary, you understand me without them, don''t you?" Dimension Guard said as his aura rose.


    "Well, you don''t need words in battle." Wain shrugged as he waved his hand.


    Whoooooosh.


    Towards the Dimension Guard flew a light de that cut everything in front of him, even space, leaving many cracks in the air.


    The Dimension Guard attacked back as he rained his massive sword of light on the ground. There was a huge de that easily destroyed Wain''s attack and headed toward him with tremendous speed.


    Wain''s pupils narrowed as his silhouette clouded. For a moment he was reduced to a blur of dark me, then appeared a few feet away, on top of a rocky peak.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The de of light destroyed the ground, leaving behind it a wide, deep trail that was like a chasm into which the waters of a multitude of rivers flowed.


    ''Damn, he actually reached the Third Rank... If that attack had hit me, I''d have been seriously injured.'' Marlis uttered with a panicked look while biting her finger, ''Fuck, looks like it was a mistake to go into the Fourth Chronicle area of Purgatory as the power limiting chains get in the way too much.''


    Wain with a calm look looked at the destruction that had urred due to one single attack of the Dimension Guard.


    "Light can actually be a destructive force, but only darkness cane close to it." Wain uttered before stepping forward.


    His silhouette blurred as he split into multiple clots of me, that in a second gathered next to the Dimension Guard as Wain appeared behind him.


    Whoooooosh.


    Wain with a deadly ice-cold look swung his sword.


    The Dimension Guard''s body trembled as he turned and put up a block. The two lightsabers shed, but the pressureing from Wain outstripped Dimension Guard''s own.


    "What...? Why are you so strong...?" Dimension Guard uttered in disbelief while trying to keep from falling.


    Dimension Guard''s sword was much bigger than Wain''s one, but Wain''s energy was much denser due to the smaller size, so the massive sword in Dimension Guard''s hands shook violently.


    "Hmm... I thought you''d turn out much more powerful, though maybe I just got lucky." Wain muttered with an indifferent look.


    Tremble.


    His aura intensified as the spirit hovering over him headed for his sword, filling it with pure and deadly energy.


    Tremble. Tremble. Crackle.


    Many cracks appeared on the massive sword, then Wain stepped forward and sliced it in two.


    "No!" the Dimension Guard eximed with a frightened expression as he tried to defend himself with what was left of his weapon.


    "It''s pointless." Wain said in an indifferent voice.<sub> </sub>


    Crackling.


    The lightsaber plunged into the Dimension Guard''s body, splitting him in two as though he were an unstable blob of darkness that took little effort to do it.


    Marlis'' eyes opened wide as she trembled in disbelief. She was prepared for a bloody hard fight just as much as to do anything to help Wain win, but in the end, it happened.


    Bam.


    Dimension Guard''s body fell to the ground while white blood spilled to the sides.


    "Well, well, it was easier than I thought..." Wain uttered in a careless manner as he ced the sword on his shoulder.


    ''How did he do that...?! Marlis inwardly eximed with a dazed look, ''Even if he were superior to the Dimension Guard in Chronicle, it would be impossible to finish it all in one attack! But, they were on the same level because of the containment forces of the zone!''


    Marlis knew Wain was strong, after all, he was Top-2 in the Colosseum, but she thought at her best Wain wasparable in skill and that, only after decades of experience.


    ''Wait... Doesn''t that mean that right now, right here, he''s stronger than me!? Marlis uttered to herself with a trembling look as she stared at Wain that stood before the corpse of the Dimension Guard as though an invincible being.


    Pieces of dark me separated from his coat as the bright sword looked like a guiding beacon.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Suddenly, dark threads flew out of the halves of Dimension Guard''s body that trying to connect the body in one, bringing Dimension Guard back to life.


    "Agh... Still don''t want to give up? Well, I wasn''t going to leave anyway, since I haven''t gotten your soul yet!" Wain said as a devious smirk appeared on his face that made Marlis flinch.


    The sword shattered into many pieces and his palm was covered in a bright white light that could cleanse anything. Then, Wain pointed his hand at the corpse of the Dimension Guard and the threads trembled. They tried to resist his power but gradually headed toward him.


    ''What...? What is he doing? Marlis inwardly muttered with worried looks, ''He''s absorbing the Dimension Guard?! But you can''t do that!''


    Whooooosh.


    Marlis ran forward as she stretched out her arm and shouted, "Wain! Stop! The energy of Dimension Guards is purer than even the one in Soul Pearls, it will tear you apart!"


    "Hah, I recently get over a billion souls! Do you really think that the energy of one being can harm me? I''ll just absorb it just like everything else!" Wain eximed as the pressure emanating from him increased several times.


    The body of the Dimension Guard turned into clots of darkness as they began to mix with the white blood that soared upwards, gradually turning into a perfect ck-and-white sphere.


    [Soul of Third Rank Dimension Guard


    Chronicle: Fourth (Fifth)


    Rating: Unique


    The soul of the creature that dominates in the open space. It should not have existed since the two basic energies of Dimension Guards, should be collided, but for light and darkness it is impossible, they are opposites, however, because of some unique power it happened.]


    ''Great. Now it will be much easier for us to get to the seventh.'' Code of Light and Darkness said as a slight smile appeared on his face.

 Chapter 742 The Road Of Light

    Tap.


    Wain touched the ck and white orb as the soul turned into a stream of energy, directing it toward Wain. However, the energy did not go to his soul, as Wain had already reached his limit and could no longer absorb energy, so someone else took over the task.


    ''Fine, that''s what was needed.'' Code of Light and Darkness uttered with a slight smile on his face while absorbing the energy flows.


    ''Huh, now it''s your turn to interfere with the course of history, isn''t it?'' Blind Sorcerer said with a smirk while rubbing his chin in a thoughtful manner.


    ''Yeah... This girl has great abilities, but she has no idea what game she''s in. It''s not really her sphere of influence.'' Code of Light and Darkness smiled as he waved his hand.


    ''Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Wain''s energy intensified several times as white strands of energy burst from his body, causing the air to shiver.


    "Hmmm? What''s going on?" Wain muttered with a confused look as he had no control over it.


    ''Don''t worry. I''m just helping you. The sooner you get to Death Shore, the better for all of us.'' Code of Light and Darkness said in a confident voice as his eyes shone brightly, and his ck mantle soared into the air just as his long white hair did.


    ''Just follow his will, as you must work together to make this work.'' Blind Sorcerer said with folded hands together.


    Wain nced at the threads, nodded with a meaningful look, and took a few steps forward.


    "Hey! Wain, are you all right?" Marlis said with a worried expression as she ran up to him.


    "Yeah, the soul of Third Rank Dimension Guard turned out to be more useful than I thought." Wain muttered with a slight nod while looking ahead.


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?" Marlis asked in confusion as she tilted her head, then she sighed and said, "Okay, that''s not important right now. We need to get out of here since this area has lost its Soul Pearls and will soon be destroyed. I can find a new gate, I just need a few minutes."


    "That won''t be necessary." Wain shook his head before extending his arm, "I found another way, that will surprise even an expert like you."


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The white threads headed forward and plunged into space, gradually tearing it apart. At the same time, some of the threads created a frame that looked very much like a gateway to some area of Purgatory.


    "What is this...?" Marlis muttered while in disbelief, "I''ve never seen such a strange gate..."


    "It''s not a gate." Wain said in a confident voice, "It''s a path, straight to Death Shore."<sub> </sub>


    "What?! What the hell are you talking about?! You have to go through dozens of different Purgatory Zones to get to Death Shore! Each one must be more dangerous than thest, only in this way can you go down deep enough!" Marlis eximed with an excited expression while waving her hands like a scientist that doesn''t want to believe in a miracle.


    "Well, that''s exactly what I''m going to do, but instead of running from one space to another, I''ve just made a straight path." Wain said with a serious look as he waved his hand.


    Whoooooooosh.


    The threads shone brightly as the portal in the form of a massive white gate was ready. Ahead was only the vast darkness of open space as well as a long staircase of light that asionally turned and changed direction.


    "That''s..." Marlis muttered with wide eyes.


    "The Road of Light, I think that''s an appropriate name." Wain uttered in a calm voice before stepping forward.


    He stopped in front of the entrance, turned, and asked, "You can go back to the bar if you want, I''ll probably make it to Death Shore without your help, but I wouldn''t mind if you followed me. I might need your support."


    Marlis was confused as she couldn''t believe what she was hearing, but it only took her a few seconds toe to her senses.


    "Hey, you may be different from the others, but you shouldn''t get cocky!" Marlis eximed as pirs of green me appeared beside her, malting the stone and vaporizing the water in the nearby rivers, "I have experience and knowledge, also I am in the Fifth Chronicle, so do not forget that I am the reason you are here! Of course, I will lead you to Death Shore, whatever abilities you may have gained along the way!"


    "Hah, great answer." Wain grinned as he entered the passage with a confident look while exuding a majestic aura, "Then, let''s move on. It''ll be a shortcut, but we''ll be visible to all the Dimension Guards that are waiting for us to show up."


    "Well, now you''re strong enough to fight them, so I won''t have to worry about your safety or hold back!" Marlis said with an enthusiastic smile on her face as she clenched her fist.


    Wain just nodded and started down the stairs. Marlis took onest look around before following him.


    The staircase of light seemed endless, but it only took them a few minutes to reach another gate, whose hiding darkness had already been dispelled by the bright light of the stairs.


    This gate was covered in a denseyer of hot magma as well as red fire that burned even in a ce like open space.


    "This is our first point. Hopefully, there won''t be Soul Pearls here this time as Dimension Guards can be strong surprisingly quickly... if they have an energy of course." Wain uttered as he touched the gate.


    "Hah, you''re thest one who should say anything about the power growth rate, but I wouldn''t get my hopes up if I were you. There were three Soul Pearls in thest zone, so there has to be at least four, or an equal amount of pure energy, or we''ll never make it to Death Shore." Marlis said with a confident smile while holding her hands on sides.


    "Hmm... In that case, we''ll take the Pearls for ourselves." Wain shrugged as he opened the gate.

 Chapter 743 The Fortress

    Whoooooooooosh.


    A massive stream of fire erupted outward, hot enough to make steel boil, however, for Wain and Marlis it was only a pleasant warmth as though on a sunny summer day.


    "Fire is your territory isn''t it?" Wain asked with a slight smile on his face as he turned to Marlis.


    "Well, my fire is different than usual, but in general you''re right. Let''s go, I can''t wait any longer, I want to see where your road will take us!" Marlis said with an excited look before going inside.


    Wain nodded and followed her.


    The gate closed and disappeared as amidst the open space there was only emptiness again. If the Code of Light and Darkness didn''t help Wain, without Marlis'' help he would never get to the right ce as the open space like the World of Darkness was constantly changing.


    Pam.


    Wain and Marlis fell from the portal to a massive fire flower, with massive streams of magma flowing from its petals as though waterfalls.


    "Damn... If this ce wasn''t so bright, I''d think I was in hell." Wain uttered with a dazed look while looking ahead.


    In this Purgatory zone, everything was covered with rocks,va, and fiery flowers as well as in the center was a giant fortress covered withva veins that flowed through it like a small.


    "Well, I have to make my way further, don''t I? We don''t have to explore this area, do we? There''s not likely to be anything of interest here." Wain muttered as he asked the question to several people at once.


    "Hmm? What kind of nonsense are you talking about?" Marlis frowned as she crossed her arms, "First we have to make sure you lead us to the right ce. We have to explore the fortress and find out how many Souls Pearls are there, only after that can we move on."


    ''I agree, that girl is right.'' Code of Light and Darkness nodded his head.


    ''What...? You''re not sure you''re on the right track yourself?'' Wain uttered in confusion as he raised an eyebrow.


    ''No, that''s not it. I''m good at navigating the open space since darkness and light are my domain.'' Code of Light and Darkness said as a confident smirk appeared on his face, ''However, getting to Death Shore is not an easy mission even for me. Anyway, I need Soul Pearls or Dimension Guards Souls as a power source to build the road of light.


    "I see..." Wain nodded with a thoughtful look, then he looked at the fortress and said, "Let''s see what''s there. Hopefully today I''ll see as many Soul Pearls as I''ve ever seen."


    Whooooooooosh.


    Wain''s body clouded as he turned into clots of darkness that moved at tremendous speed.


    "Damn... When did that guy learn such skills? His energy control is getting better every day..." Marlis muttered with a dazed look. She sighed, shook her head, and said, "After all, he''s a human, they''re all terrible... Especially the Nameless King..."


    ...


    A momentter, a dark sh and a green stream of me appeared in front of the entrance to the castle. It was a massive wooden gate, very old, but strong enough to withstand the heat of the mes for hundreds of years.


    "Marlis, am I correct in assuming that because we are traveling through open space we are constantly being chased by Dimension Guards?" Wain asked with a serious look as he ced his palm on the gate.


    "Yeah... That''s right. Your path is unique, but that just means it will take them longer than usual to find us. Obviously, it''s causing a rift in space, and..." Marlis said in a calm voice.<sub> </sub>


    "And the energy from the Soul Pearls will pass through the spatial rifts and attract the Hunters, right?" Wain said in a careless manner as he stepped forward.


    "Hah, hey, don''t forget that I''m the open space specialist here, but, yeah, you''re not wrong." Marlis nodded with a confident expression.


    "Fine... Then there will be chaos here again." Wain smirked, his eyes growing deeper as he channeled power into his palm.


    A crackle.


    The massive gate, for the first time in many years, moved out of the way that shook the entire castle, causing a loud rumble.


    As soon as the gate was opened, a bright light burst forth that stunned Marlis and Wain for a second.


    In the center of the fortress, around a massive sphere of fire, severalrge white orbs of purest energy hovered.


    "Fuck... I thought the past Soul Pearls were too big, but these are several times bigger than them and there are six of them here!" Wain eximed with excited looks as he stepped inside.


    Marlis followed him, but she walked slowly and carefully, looking around as she knew there were no safe ces near Soul Pearls.


    Tap.


    Wain stood in the center of the spacious hall, stared at Soul Pearls, and said, "Looks like we got lucky this time, didn''t we? Marlis, what do you think?"


    "Wain... There''s something wrong here, we shouldn''t act so recklessly." Marlis muttered with a frowned look.


    "Hmm...???"


    Whooooooosh.


    Suddenly dozens of fiery shes erupted from the dark corners of the fortress, each one a ming bat. They swooped down on Wain and Marlis like a whirlwind, but immediately changed their direction, for they had no purpose to harm them.


    "What the hell!" Wain eximed as he waved his arms, driving the bats away from him, but they had already flown away from him.


    The bats split into several streams, each heading for open ces like windows, wide cracks, and a massive gate.


    When they touched, they left fiery runes as they gradually grewrger, since after a few seconds there were more than a thousand of them.


    "Shit...! We''ve been fucked!" Marlis eximed with an angry look as she stomped her foot on the ground.


    "What are you talking about?" Wain asked in confusion.


    "Don''t you get it yet?!" Marlis shouted as she waved her arms, "They''re sealing us in! We''re trapped!"

 Chapter 744 Fire

    The bats were leaving runes as gradually the entire fortress was covered with intricate seals that connected to each other with lines of fire, creating amon system.


    "Well... I didn''t expect this, but was someone really expecting us toe? I don''t believe it." Wain said with a calm look before heading for the wall.


    A lightsaber appeared in his hand as he took a few swings. Thepressed energy of the light could share even space, but the barrier remained perfectly intact, taking all the damage.


    Bam.


    Several spheres of green me flew into the same ce that had enough power to hurt the Dragon, but, once again, there was no result. This barrier seemed indestructible.


    "Damn... It was harder than I expected, but what happens next...?" Wain muttered with a confused look while looking at the fiery bats.


    They sat down on the stone ledges and just stared at Wain and Marlis as if expecting something.


    "Marlis... How strong creatures can live in areas of Purgatory? I mean... In Fourth Chronicle zones, like this?" Wain asked with a slightly worried but at the same time curious look.


    "Strong enough to give us a lot of trouble, Purgatory zones have their own rules, so there can be real monsters for whom entering the Top-10 of Colosseum is nothing to do." Marlis said with a serious look as she prepared for battle.


    Wain just nodded as his aura intensified. They couldn''t get out of the fortress, so the only option that remained was to defeat the owner of the fortress.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    After a while a magic circle appeared beneath the massive sphere of fire, then it glowed brightly and a passage opened in the floor from which something appeared that made Wain''s eyes wide open.


    It was a massive crimson coffin from whichva slowly flowed. The coffin had many seals in the shape of bloody inverted five-pointed stars. A powerful aura was emitted from the coffin that made the air tremble as well as the space.


    Crackling.


    The seals glowed as the lid of the coffin opened.


    Whoooooosh.


    It flew outward with tremendous speed, straight toward Wain. He nned to block the attack, but suddenly Marlis appeared beside him and stepped aside with him.


    Crackle.


    The coffin lid easily broke through the wall of the fortress and flew outward, a hundred meters away, demolishing everything in its path.


    "What the hell...? We couldn''t even scratch it... but, it was enough to do that kind of damage?" Wain uttered in a slow voice while in disbelief.


    "Brace yourself, this isn''t going to be easy." Marlis said with a serious look as her hands were covered in green mes.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.<sub> </sub>


    A silhouette slowly emerged from the coffin, covered in the darkness that slowly dissipated.


    "I thought it would be many more years before someone came to my castle... What a pleasant surprise..." There came a calm but majestic voice that reached the very depths of the heart of everyone who heard it.


    It was a very tall man with long amber hair that burned brightly as though strands of sun. He had scarlet eyes and long fangs protruding slightly from his wide mouth. His lean body was covered by a long aristocratic coat with ck edges underneath it was a simple white shirt.


    "A vampire...?" Wain muttered in disbelief while his gaze examined the man.


    "No... It''s definitely not one of the Pirs, it''s a monster... Incredibly strong... It''s almost impossible for vampires to survive in these conditions withva everywhere, but not for this one!" Marlis uttered with a deadly ice-cold look as shivers ran down her body.


    "This girl is pretty smart..." The man muttered as he stepped forward, "My name is Krakos, I own this castle and area as well, nice to meet you."


    Whooooooooosh.


    Suddenly Wain turned into a dark sh and attacked, exuding a deadly aura. His sword instantly reached Krakos'' neck, but he leaned in slightly at thest moment and the sword left only a shallow cut on his neck. Then, Krakos swung his arm and at that moment the world seemed to freeze.


    All of Wain''s instincts screamed about how dangerous this simple movement was, so his pupils narrowed and he turned into clots of dark me, walking dozens of meters away.


    "Hey, I didn''t want it to start so... so abruptly. We could have talked first, couldn''t we?" Krakos said with a slight smile on his face as he nced at Wain.


    Crackle.


    The wound on his neck instantly healed as if it had never happened.


    "Damn... His regeneration is at a very high level. It''s incredible." Marlis muttered with a dazed expression, then she looked at Wain, "Good thing you were able to dodge."


    "Dodge? Huh, looks like your eyes aren''t as sharp as your mind." Krakos smiled as he touched his pale lips.


    Crackle.


    ? At the same time, three streaks appeared on Wain''s cheek, from which blood gushed out, slowly trickling down in several streams.


    "What...? That''s impossible, I definitely dodged... I was gone before he could do anything..." Wain muttered while in disbelief, then his gazepletely changed as well as his aura.


    He canceled the first form, as the ck-crimson coat returned to its ce as well as dius, from which emanated a thick darkness. Wain''s eyes became like the depths of an abyss that could swallow anything.


    ''So he wasn''t even serious before...? Marlis inwardly muttered, remembering Wain''s previous fight, ''Fuck, what is Sven up to...? This is sure to rm the whole world again!''


    "Oh... Your aura is impressive, it''s so strange and powerful... how unusual..." Krakos uttered while looking directly into Wain''s eyes, then his gaze shifted to the dark drops of blood dripping from Wain''s cheek and Krakos'' pupils narrowed as a shiver ran through his body. It was as though he saw the most important treasure in the world that thousands like him were searching for.


    "Well, then I''ll let you experience my aura on yourself." Wain said in an ice-cold voice as a torrent of darkness burst forth from him.

 Chapter 745 Intervention

    Step. Step. Step.


    Wain walked slowly toward Krakos as well as Marlis, with more than ten green fire spheres hovering around her. Krakos was still stunned as his eyes were wide open.


    ''What''s wrong with him? He''s kind of weird...'' Wain inwardly muttered with a frowned look as he raised his sword, about to attack.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Suddenly, many cracks appeared in the air, from which fearful paws and shining ws with pure energy emerged.


    "Hmm? Dimension Guards and Pearl Hunters spotted us at the same time...? Well, it had to happen sooner orter." Marlis muttered as she extended her arm.


    At her will, the spheres copsed on the monsters and drove some of them away, but it wasn''t enough to deal with all of the foes. In just a second the number of cracks multiplied, then several First Ranked Dimension Guards made their way in.


    "Damn... I didn''t even realize there were so many pests following you in there..." Krakos muttered with a calm expression as he looked at the monsters, "So, I suggest we postpone our fight for a while."


    Whooooooooosh.


    Krakos waved his hand as fire bats rained down on the Dimension Guards. They as though hundreds of red-hot des pierced the bodies of the creatures ruling the open space and turned them into breathless corpses. Krakos himself did not even have to take a step aside.


    "Since this is my castle and I consider myself the sole owner of this area of Purgatory, I will take responsibility for getting rid of trespassers." Krakos said with an ice-cold look as he raised his hand, "You may enjoy the show for now."


    At the same time, many blood-colored magic circles appeared in the air, then more than ten monsters that possessed terrifying auras crawled out of the cracks. For any one of them, six massive Soul Pearls were enough to risk their lives.


    "Well, well, haven''t you ever read a fairy tale?" Krakos uttered while shaking his head, "Valuable treasure is always guarded by someone strong. I''m certainly no Dragon... but that just means you''re out of luck!"


    Crackle.


    All magical circles activated as scarlet threads flew out of them. They pierced all the targets at once, then energy flowed through them and the threads burned brightly, incinerating their enemies.


    The portals continued to appear, but it was as if Krakos was invincible. All he had to do was create new magical circles and secondster the burnt corpses would fall to the ground, whether they were Dimension Guards or Pearl Hunters.


    After a while, the portals stopped appearing and it was not known if it was because Krakos was so strong that he scared the others or because he had already killed everyone who wanted to take his Soul Pearls.


    p. p. p.


    Krakos pped his palms together as if knocking the dust off of them. Then he turned to Wain and with a calm look said, "Now we can get down to business, can''t we? Although... I have to clean this ce up first, just wait a little longer."


    Whooooooooosh.<sub> </sub>


    The bats headed toward the corpses as threads flew from their ws that bound around the monsters and dropped them into a massive sphere of fire. The high temperature burned the monsters, leaving nothing of them, then the six Soul Pearls glowed brightly and became several millimetersrger.


    "Agh... So that''s why he''s so strong..." Marlis muttered while in disbelief with a trembling look, "He killed so many Dimension Guards so easily... Fuck, it definitely won''t be easy..."


    "Hmm... Your strength is held back by the chains of the zone... Also, apparently, you actually specialize in support, don''t you?" Krakos muttered in a calm voice while rubbing his chin with a thoughtful look, "You don''t stand a chance against me. It''s obvious."


    "What...?!" Marlis frowned as an angry grimace appeared on her face and her aura rose, "Maybe I really am a support, but I''m not going to let some under-vampire bully me!"


    Whoooooosh.


    ? Several green fireballs came down on Krakos, leaving a trail of me behind them. Krakos didn''t dodge, he just swung his arm, which caused a strong stream of wind. It was enough to scatter the fireballs and throw Marlis back several meters.


    "You better concentrate on helping someone who can fight me." Krakos said as he pointed at Wain, that despite the powerful wind flow was standing in the same ce.


    "Hey, maybe it''s time to cut to the chase already? You''re strong... You definitely are, but I''ll have to beat you anyway to get through." Wain said with an ice-cold look as he swung his sword. A plume of darkness was left in the air that slowly dissipated with many clots.


    Krakos nodded, stepped forward, and said, "I''m ready to fight you, I''m sure it will be a great fight, however, I have another offer for you!"


    "Hmm? What the hell are you talking about?" Wain frowned as his aura intensified.


    Krakos smirked, "Look, whichever one of us wins, the other will be seriously wounded and this ce will turn to rubble, so even if you beat me, you certainly can''t keep moving forward."


    Wain''s eyes went wide for a moment as he realized that Krakos was more reasonable than he assumed as there was logic in his words.


    "So, how about a deal?" Krakos said with a sly smile on his face.


    "A deal? What can you offer me? And... more importantly, what do you want from me?" Wain asked with a confused look.


    "I want your blood. Not much at all, one full sk will be enough for me." Krakos said as a medium-sized alchemical sk appeared in his hand, "In return, you can take whatever you want from here!"


    "My blood... What do you need it for?" Wain uttered as he tilted his head.


    "Hah, I can''t tell you that." Krakos grinned and waved his hands, "So what do you say? Do you agree to my offer?"


    Wain thought for a while, then he looked at the fiery orb around which the Soul Pearls were floating.

 Chapter 746 The Last Zone

    "Well, in that case, I want this." Wain said as he pointed to Soul Pearls.


    "Hmm? How strange, I didn''t expect you to turn out to be a Pearl Hunter..." Krakos muttered with a confused look.


    "I''m not a Pearl Hunter, however, if you''re serious, I need Soul Pearls, just one will be enough." Wain spoke with a slight smile on his face as he raised a finger.


    "Huh, you really are weird, well I would agree to give you even all 6 anyway if you asked me to!" Krakos eximed with an excited look as he waved his hand.


    Whooooooooosh.


    The white orb headed toward Wain as he caught it like a ball. Then, Krakos tossed him a sk that hit exactly in Wain''s hand.


    "Go ahead, hold up your end of the bargain." Krakos said with a confident look as he crossed his arms over his chest.


    "Sure." Wain nodded as he opened his wrist, preparing to give blood.


    "Stop! Are you really going to do that?" Marlis eximed with a worried look as her eyes went wide.


    "Yeah... You yourself say that every zone on the way to Death Shore will be more dangerous than thest, so this is a good opportunity to save your strength at the cost of just half a liter of blood." Wain muttered with a calm expression before swinging his sword.


    A thin streak appeared on his wrist, then a stream of dark blood spurted from it, the scent of which headed toward Krakos. He took a deep breath and his pupils narrowed heavily, and energy spilled over his entire body.


    ''Unbelievable... Compared to HIS blood, any Soul Pearls, even the purest is nothing more than a piece of dirt...'' Krakos muttered inwardly with a delighted look.


    Drip. Drip. Drip.


    The blood slowly filled the sk, while the wound gradually healed. By the time the wound waspletely gone, the sk was already filled to the brim with blood.


    "That''s enough, isn''t it?" Wain asked as he stretched his arm forward, holding the sk with two fingers by the narrow part.


    "Sure. Pleasure doing business with you." Krakos said with a slight smile on his face as he snapped his fingers.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Two bats flew out of the shadows. They grabbed the sk from Wain''s hands and brought it to Krakos, then, disappeared again into the dark corners of the castle.


    "In that case, we have to go. Marlis, let''s go." Wain said in a calm manner while heading for the castle exit.


    Marlis was still in shock that the situation had turned out this way, but finally nodded her head and followed him.


    "See youter." Krakos smiled while waving his hand as though saying goodbye to old friends.


    Wain and Marlis walked a few kilometers away from the castle, then Wain activated the first form and used the energy from Soul Pearl to open a portal, creating a new staircase of light that led to the next area.


    ''This will probably be thest area before you get to Death Shore.'' The Code of Light and Darkness suddenly said.<sub> </sub>


    ''Great. I can''t wait to see what the seventh form is like.'' Wain inwardly muttered before stepping onto the stairs with a calm look.


    ...


    "Well, well, who would have thought such a special event would happen today?" Krakos muttered with a smirk on his face while looking at the sk, "This guy... If I''m not mistaken it''s finally happening soon. Hah, that''s just great!"


    The ring on his finger glowed brightly as the sk disappeared from his hands.


    "Fine, in that case, I need to move too! It''s time to leave this wonderful ce!" Krakos eximed with an excited look as he spread his arms.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Hundreds of bats headed toward him, flying into his long coat. They turned into fiery runes that gradually filled his entire coat, leaving not a single empty space.


    "Agh... How nice to feel alive again... I am more patient than most, but such a long wait can tire anyone. Well, I''ve finally found a reason to regain my full power." Krakos uttered with a slight smile on his face then he grabbed his chest.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The space beside him trembled as chains, invisible before, appeared around his body. They were exactly the same as those on Marlis or Dimension Guards.


    "The containment chains of the Purgatory zones are actually incredibly powerful... but I have no reason to stay here anymore, so... there''s no need for them now either." Krakos muttered in a calm voice before swinging his arm.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The chains shattered into multiple links and flew aside, then a powerful stream of energy burst out of Krakos that turned into a pir, aiming for the heavens.


    "Fine... How long has it been since I was at the peak of my powers? Quite a while for sure..." Krakos said as he looked at the ming orb, "Well, this toy doesn''t make any sense anymore... nor does this area..."


    Krakos extended his arm forward as his energy surged outward. Nothing happened in the castle, it seemed like Krakos was doing nothing, but he just had a slightly different purpose as then, a magic circle of tremendous size appeared over the entire area.


    "I have found a suitable gift for my lord... so, it is time to leave. If I am right, this guy''s path will change many things." Krakos uttered as he clenched his hand into a fist.


    At the same time, the magical circle shone brightly as hundreds of magma rays that destroyed everything in their path rained down on the ground. It was like the beginning of the apocalypse, ending one of Purgatory''s zones.


    Whooooooosh.


    With a wave of his hand, Krakos destroyed all Soul Pearls and tore the space apart. Then, a path of fire appeared in front of him thaty across the open space.


    Before leaving Krakos turned around onest time and muttered, "That wasn''t a bad temporary home, I''m even a bit sorry to destroy this ce, but we all need to move on sometimes don''t we?"


    Step.


    Krakos stepped onto the fire path and the portal closed.

 Chapter 747 The Gates Of Darkness

    Whoooooooosh.


    Krakos was heading somewhere along the long road of fire. asionally he was attacked by Dimension Guards, even Third Rank, but they didn''t even get to him as the ming threads burned them away, leaving not even ashes.


    "Great. I''m there, now I just have to wait, don''t I?" Krakos grinned while staring into the void.


    It seemed to stop at a random point, but Krakos wouldn''t destroy his zone if he wasn''t sure it was necessary.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Suddenly, two magical circles appeared next to him, in the void, and turned into portals. Two persons emerged from them, and on their chests was a star with the number 4. They walked slowly toward Krakos, exuding powerful auras.


    "What are you doing here? You have no right to be on the edge of the world!" The man eximed with an angry look.


    "Get out of here now, or we''ll have to take action." The woman said in a menacing manner as she crossed her arms over her chest.


    "Hahaha, you''re pretty funny. The frontier of the world? You and I know that''s not true at all." Krakosughed in a mocking way.


    The man and woman frowned, but they did not attack.


    "I''m giving you onest chance. Leave now." The man spoke with an ice-cold look as his hands were covered in purple me, "You should take advantage of my kindness as I give you a chance to stay alive."


    "Decided to move on to threats? How unexpected..." Krakos muttered as a smirk appeared on his face, "You Arkans want to control everything, but you failed once, didn''t you?"


    "Shut up!" The woman shouted as she clenched her teeth.


    "You have spent so much effort to elevate yourself to be stronger than the gods! But, you were overtaken by a single human who discovered a new path to power! Ahahahahaha, that''s bloody ironic!" Krakos grinned with an arrogant look.


    The man''s eyes went wide as he attacked Krakos, with all his might.


    "You''ve gone too far. I gave you a chance, but now it''s over!" The man eximed as his fiery fist came down on Krakos.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Krakos took a step to the side as the attack flew in front of his face.


    "Over the past few hundred years, you''ve rxed. You think you''re the strongest, don''t you? Well, maybe the Nameless King is a unique creature, but to deal with you would be enough of me." Krakos grinned as he opened his mouth wide.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Momentster, the man''s head was in Krakos'' mouth, then he clenched his jaws and the head exploded like a watermelon. The body fell in a fiery path and became a handful of ash, that mated in the vast darkness.


    "Damn... It''s been so many years, but Arkans still tastes as disgusting as ever... Well, at least you have quite a bit of energy in you, at smallest some plus." Krakos muttered while shaking his head as he spat out a blob of hair, skin, and teeth.


    "What...? You just ate him...?" The woman mumbled with a trembling look as her heart was gripped by primal fear.


    "Sure. However, you were less fortunate." Krakos said in a careless manner as he pointed at the woman with his long finger.


    "What are you talking about?" The woman uttered while in disbelief as she took a few steps back.<sub> </sub>


    "You have too much hair, so... I don''t feel like eating you at all." Krakos said with a light sigh.


    Crackle.


    Suddenly blood came out of the woman''s mouth. She looked down and her eyes went wide. Krakos'' hand was elbow-deep in her stomach as his sharp nails clenched tightly around her heart.


    "I think I''ll take that from you." Krakos uttered before pulling his hand out with her heart.


    Tap.


    The woman tried to steady herself, but she was too weak as her whole body trembled, so she stumbled and fell into the darkness.


    Her heart was still beating, slower by the second.


    "Agh... Something stopped me from wanting this..." Krakos sighed, shrugged, and threw his heart into the fire, "Why does this always happen? What you want so badly at one time, once you get it, loses all its value...? It pisses the hell out of me..."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly the darkness in front of him shuddered, a few times, then it came back to normal.


    Krakos grinned and muttered, "Great. Looks like I don''t have long to wait. I wonder who''s behind all this? That guy''s goals are definitely different..."


    ...


    "Is this where...?" Marlis asked as she approached the end of the staircase of light.


    "Yeah... The darkness hasn''t dissipated, how strange... It looks like this is actually thest area on the way to Death Shore." Wain uttered with a confused look.


    "Hmm? Thest zone...? Your way is definitely kind of weird, by my calctions we had about ten different zones to go through..." Marlis uttered as she touched her chin in a thoughtful manner.


    ''Don''t worry, it''s not a problem, on the contrary, it means we''vee to the right ce.'' Blind Sorcerer said with a sly smile on his face, ''Let me handle the rest, this gate needs a special approach.''


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Suddenly a gray mantle appeared on Wain as well as a tight eye patch.


    ''Hmm? What is that? So that wasn''t your form...? Damn, how many powers do you even have?" Marlis muttered as she raised an eyebrow.


    "Well, that would be a difficult question to answer. Step aside and don''t distract me, I have something special to do now." Wain uttered in a calm voice, touched his eye patch, and removed it.


    He opened his eyes, which were now amber instead of green. Deep within them burned a yellow me that transformed into random shapes.


    "Is that... The power of Chaos?! You possess it?!" Marlis eximed while in disbelief.


    "Not really..." Suddenly his voice changed as if spoken by another person, "I''ll need something else to open this gate."


    Wain smirked like a Blind Sorcerer and the left side of his gray hair turned blue and a blue me appeared in his hand that could withstand even chaos.

 Chapter 748 Magician

    "Chaos and Ether... It actually takes two unique powers to unlock a gate... It''s amazing..." Blind Sorcerer muttered while looking at the blue fire in his left hand and the yellow fire in his right.


    Marlis was shocked as she did not help but believe what she saw. Chaos and Ether were incredibly rare powers, but this situation was out of the ordinary.


    ''I know a few people who possess the power of Chaos, and I was acquainted with someone who got the power of Ether... but is it possible for someone to possess these two powers at the same time? Damn... I had no idea that Wain was hiding something like that...'' Marlis muttered inwardly with a dazed look.


    "Alright, it''s time to start... Controlling these two powers is problematic even for me..." Blind Sorcerer said in an arrogant way before swinging his arms.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space trembled as a massive magical circle appeared in front of the stairs of light. It was different from any other that Wain or even Marlis had ever encountered, for every second the runes in the magic circle changedpletely.


    "Wait... This magic circle can''t be broken!" Marlis eximed while in disbelief, "Absolutely all the runes change, which means that a new magic circle appears in front of you every second."


    Wain stared at the magic circle for a while, then he turned to Marlis and with an ice-cold look said, "Shut up. If you want to see what''s behind that magic circle, just step aside and don''t bother me with your annoying yelling."


    ''What...? Wain? No... It definitely wasn''t him talking, did someone interfere with his mind, or did Wain always have helpers...? Marlis uttered to herself while stepping back.


    "Well, it''s time to start." Blind Sorcerer muttered as he stepped forward.


    Yellow mes headed toward the magic circle andpletely engulfed it.


    ''Hmm? Is he trying to use Chaos energy to stop the runes...? It could work, couldn''t it?'' Marlis said inwardly with a curious look.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    ? Suddenly the runes began to change even faster, now it happened several times per second, and that seemed to be aplete failure, however, Blind Sorcerer waspletely calm as if everything was going ording to his n.


    "Fine... Now let''s make it even faster..." Blind Sorcerer muttered as he added a piece of Ether to the magic circle.


    Whooooooosh.


    Now the runes were changing more than ten times per second, which was an enormous speed. Each change provoked arge outward burst of energy, so the space became unstable.


    ''I see... Instead of trying to pick the rightbination, he wants to overload the system... but is that possible? He''s already used Ether and Chaos, however, that''s obviously not enough...'' Marlis muttered inwardly with a confused look.


    "Good, just what I needed." The Blind Sorcerer uttered as he snapped his fingers.


    Tremble.<sub> </sub>


    Several magical circles appeared next to him, all linked together and transmitting their energy to the central one that was right in front of the chaotic one.


    The Blind Sorcerer stepped forward and his hands became a blur as his eyes became as sharp as a pair of des.


    He shifted the order of the runes with great speed, injecting energy and creating powerful new chains that filled the main magical circle with power. It was the work of the greatest magician that ever existed, just a mesmerizing sight, especially for a person like Marlis.


    ''It''s incredible... It would take me a few days just to consider all the magic circles... another as long to make a n and only then would I start acting, but even then I couldn''t guarantee sess...'' Marlis muttered inwardly as her mouth opened wide.


    "Nice... Almost done, just onest thing left to do." The Blind Sorcerer grinned as he stretched out his hand.


    His exhausted look showed that even for him it was very difficult to do, however, there was an excited smile on his face as if of a warrior that after years had finally returned to the battlefield.


    From his finger flew a thin beam of white energy that set all the magical circles in motion. They swirled violently, elerating each other, especially the central magic circle.


    The inertia activated all the runes and forms that were set off by the Blind Sorcerer which led to a massive release of energy outward, just impossible amounts.


    "Ahahaha, this might be one of my greatest masterpieces!" Blind Sorcerer eximed with eyes wide open as a mad smile formed on his face.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    A powerful pressure came upon the chaotic magic circle as it shuddered violently. The runes were changing, creating new defenses, but it also overloaded the system, so after a while, several cracks appeared in the magic circle. They grew rapidly and at one point the magic circle shattered into small shards.


    Each piece on its way sliced through the space, and dispersed the darkness around it, leaving only emptiness.


    At the same time, the gateway that led to thest area of Purgatory on the way to its deepest and most dangerous part, Death Shore, opened.


    "This sight is enough to be my reward for my work." Blind Sorcerer said with a slight smirk on his face as he nced at the gate before disappearing, returning control to Wain.


    His appearance returned to normal as his green eyes stared at the portal.


    The portal was oddly round in shape as if it were trying to scare away any creature with its eerie aura. Thick darkness flowed from the edges of the portal while creepy ghosts like spirits from the realm of the dead flew around it.


    "Hah, that''s exactly how I imagined this ce." Wain grinned before stepping forward,ing close to the entrance, then he nced at Marlis and said, "Why are you standing there like a statue? Come on, we''re almost there."


    With these words, Wain entered the portal as his body disappeared into the darkness.


    After a few seconds, Marlis nodded and followed him. She realized that even though things that had just happened were very strange, she had to keep moving forward, at least until Wain reached Death Shore.

 Chapter 749 Moon

    The darkness slowly dissipated as Wain and Marlis found themselves on a long, wide road that was lit by massive white crystals around the edges. The road led simply forward, there were no buildings, special territories, or anything else.


    "What a strange area... Even for Purgatory, this is too unusual..." Marlis muttered with confused looks while pacing the ruined path.


    "Well, I feel about the same as you, however, this is the end of the path anyway. I guess... we''ll just have to keep moving forward, won''t we?" Wain uttered in a calm voice with an unemotional look.


    "Yeah... You''re right. This is thest area, so there''s definitely got to be something here that leads us to Death Shore, however, we still don''t know what it is..." Marlis spoke in a slow voice as she looked up.


    The clouds in the area were dark, with hundreds of spirits with eerie auras flying nearby. They weren''t paying attention to Wain or Marlis, they were just doing their job as part of the system. Instead of the sun, there was a massive, white moon whose bright light barely illuminated the dark, lifelessnds.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Wain moved forward until suddenly a thick, dark fog appeared in his path. It slowly morphed into a monster that looked very much like a Third Rank Dimension Guard.


    "Hmm? What is that...? Is it an imitation?" Wain muttered with a puzzled look as he tilted his head.


    "Yeah, it looks like it. It''s not the real Dimension Guard, but something tells me it is just as strong. This zone wants to test us." Marlis uttered in a serious manner as she prepared for battle.


    The Dark Dimension Guard looked at her and shook his head as if refusing her a duel, then it nced at Wain and pointed a finger at him.


    "Huh, this area has definitely figured out which one of us needs to get into Death Shore." Wain grinned as he extended his hand in front of Marlis, "Step aside. Your power here is still limited to the Fourth Chronicle, so let me deal with it. After all, this is my way."


    Marlis wanted to object, but for some reason, she couldn''t say anything, so she just took a few steps back with a focused look.


    "I''m ready. You may begin." Wain said with a sly smile on his face as he released his aura.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Powerful pressure fell on the Dark Dimension Guard as the crystal road beneath it cracked, but the Dimension Guard reacted in no way. It just puts its hand forward as its white eyes shone brightly.


    Whooooooooosh.


    On its palm appeared a small white sphere that contained a tremendous amount of energy. The weight of the sphere made the space around it warp what looked like a swirl. Then, the sphere opened and transformed into a whiteser, instantly reaching Wain.


    Wain''s pupils narrowed as his palms were covered in a denseyer of energy. He stepped forward and swung his arm, knocking theser aside. Theser flew up as it hit one of the hovering spirits and caused a powerful st of white me.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The massive shockwave sent a shiver through the ground, dispersing the nearby clouds and knocking the tops of the unstable crystals away.


    Whooooosh.


    At the same time, Wain rushed forward as the seal on his arm glowed brightly.<sub> </sub>


    "That wasn''t bad, but clearly not enough to handle me, was it?" Wain uttered with an ice-cold look while the dark sword cut through the Dark Dimension Guard.


    The Dimension Guard was split in two as the halves of its body turned to darkness and fluttered apart. Only a small, palm-sized Soul Pearl remained in its ce.


    "Damn... It used to be impossible for me to get a Soul Pearl like that, but now... They make no sense at all." Wain muttered while shaking her head as he headed further out.


    Crackle.


    Soul Pearl beneath his feet shattered into tiny shards as pure energy flew out.


    "Huh... How wasteful... He''s right, though. Like for me, Soul Pearls are of little or no value anymore." Marlis said with a slight sadness in her eyes as she followed Wain.


    ...


    They encountered several more monsters of darkness along the way, but Wain dealt with each one with ease. Each fight was more difficult than thest, but in thest fight, Wain received only a few scratches, which healed in a few minutes.


    "Looks like we''re in position, doesn''t it?" Wain muttered with a slight smile on his face while looking at the altar floating in the air.


    Around the altar were several sharp crystals that filled the altar with energy. On the altar was an unusual symbol in the form of a ruined crown and an unfinished path.


    Whooooooosh.


    Several threads flew out of the altar that headed toward Wain. He braced himself for a fight as he thought it was a trap, but the threads just froze in the air, in front of him. They swayed from side to side as if asking him for help.


    "Hmm? Do you want something from me...?" Wain muttered with a confused look as he tilted his head.


    Thread didn''t respond to his question in any way, they just continued to sway.


    "Well, I have no other choice anyway." Wain shrugged as he extended his arm and released some energy.


    The threads felt his energy and trembled, then they coiled around his arm and pulled him down the aisle. The threads didn''t have enough strength to move Wain, but he answered to their call as he stepped forward, walking to the altar.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The lid of the altar cracked as a white glowing disc, a little bigger than his palm, emerged from it. The threads tried to point his hand exactly there.


    "Okay, I understand what you need. Though I don''t know why it''s definitely quite interesting." Wain grinned as he ced his hand on the disk and released some of his energy.


    Powerful energy filled the disc as the entire altar glowed brightly. Then, the crystals nearby copsed and bit by bit turned into a staircase that led directly to the massive, white moon.

 Chapter 750 Hands

    The stair was long as it stopped in front of the moon which seemed impossibly far away.


    "Huh, that looks pretty damn magical." Wain grinned as he removed his hand from the glowing disk and looked up at the stairs, "I thought in thest zone I''d have to fight to the death, it was supposed to be a dangerous ce, but... it''s so much better."


    Step.


    Wain stepped onto the stairs and slowly headed toward the top. Marlis looked at the altar, then at Wain, and with a slight nod followed him. In her rather long life, she had been to hundreds of different areas, but she had never seen anything like this.


    "What do you think is going to happen now?" Marlis asked with a curious and worried look while looking around.


    "I don''t know, we''re going straight to the moon in such a weird zone... I don''t know how long it''ll take us to just get to it... Although, it doesn''t really look like the moon." Wain said with a slight smile on his face as he sped up.


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?" Marlis asked with a confused look as she touched her lips in a thoughtful manner.


    However, Wain did not answer, he just kept walking.


    The closer they came to the moon, the more the spirits paid attention to them. The spirits were looking at them as if they were two rising stars.


    The stairs were actually very long as it took Wain with Marlis over three hours to get close to the top that led to the tform right in front of the massive moon.


    "Great. We''re here." Wain said with a calm look while his deep eyes examined the moon that was ten feet in front of him, "Marlis, there has to be some main source of light in any area, right? Like the sun or the moon, as a general standard."


    "Yeah. You''re right, but why do you ask that?" Marlis uttered in confusion as she raised an eyebrow.


    "Hah, you still don''t get it?" Wain grinned in a confident manner as he stepped forward, stepping onto the tform.


    Wain stared at the moon and said, "On the way to Death Shore we must pass through several zones, each one more dangerous than thest, the same applies in Soul Pearls. But... in that case, where are the Soul Pearls in this zone?"


    Marlis'' eyes went wide as goosebumps ran down her body which made her shudder. She opened her mouth wide while in disbelief and muttered, "It can''t be..."


    "It''s exactly like that. That insanely huge orb isn''t really a moon, it''s Soul Pearl!" Wain eximed as he spread his arms.


    "Fuck... I once saw a Soul Pearl that was the size of a house, but this... is something else entirely..." Marlis uttered with a dazed look, "Maybe the other Soul Pearls are useless to us, but the amount and purity of energy in this Soul Pearl must be beyond belief... What will we do with it? If we absorb that much energy, even despite the limits we can be much stronger."


    Wain was silent for a while, he just stared at the Soul Pearl from which massive waves of white energy emanated.


    ''Hey... Marlis is right. If you take half of that Soul Pearl, you''ll increase your Majesty several times over, and that will definitely trigger the development of your a Beyond.'' dius said in a serious voice.


    Usually in such situations, the Forms would say something, but now they were silent as though they wanted Wain''s choice to be influenced by nothing but his own will.<sub> </sub>


    Whoooooosh.


    Marlis'' aura intensified as she headed toward Soul Pearl, "Let''s start absorbing it. I''ll take my left half, okay?"


    "No. I don''t agree with that." Wain said in a calm voice while walking slowly toward Soul Pearl.


    "Hmm? You may have absorbed a billion souls, but do you really think you can handle more than half? Well, I''m willing to split it 40/60, is that okay for you?" Marlis said with a sigh as she shook her hand.


    "No, I''m not talking about that. Look, I brought us into this area, so only I get to decide what to do with this Soul Pearl." Wain uttered as he stepped close to the sphere.


    "What...? Hey, I''ve been pretty patient, but I''m not going to let you take all of Soul Pearl that size! It''s just not fair!" Marlis eximed with an angry look as her aura intensified.


    "Well, I don''t care what you think. However, I don''t want you to think I''m tricking you or doing this out of greed. Since I''ve already made up my mind what I''m going to do with this Soul Pearl." Wain said in a calm manner, then a devious smirk appeared on his face.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A tremendous amount of energy headed for his hand as he stepped forward. The darkness covered his fist that with all his might copsed on Soul Pearl as a mad look formed on Wain''s face.


    "No! Stop! You sick bastard!" Marlis eximed as she directed a wave of me toward Wain, but then nothing could stop him.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The fist reached Soul Pearl as the impact caused a powerful shockwave that scattered hundreds of dark clouds around it. Then, on the Soul Pearl appeared a multitude of cracks that headed upward.


    Bam.


    Soul Pearl split in two as massive streams of energy burst out of it that was to the limit pure, it was the dream of any creature, even a Dragon, but one human chose just to destroy it because he wanted to.


    "No... That can''t be true... How could you be so wasteful!?" Marlis muttered while in disbelief. She wished that time would turn back so she could stop Wain.


    "Ahahahaha, who cares what happened to Soul Pearl? The most important thing is that I get to Death Shore, and Soul Pearl is definitely thest obstacle before it!" Wain eximed while hisughter shook the air.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly, from the depths of the cracked Soul Pearl, dark hands appeared that pounced on Wain with eerie auras, causing his heart to shrink with fear.

 Chapter 751 Death Shore

    Whoooooooosh.


    Dozens of dark hands grabbed Wain and dragged him into a denseyer of darkness from which it seemed impossible to escape. He tried to resist, but it all happened too fast for him to do anything.


    "Wain...?" Marlis muttered while in disbelief as she looked at the darkness in which Wain disappeared, "Shit! I have to help him!"


    It took Marlis a few seconds toe to her senses, then she rushed forward. She was going to go through the darkness since she thought there was a portal to Death Shore, but... the way was closed to her.


    "What? There''s nothing here? How is that possible?" Marlis eximed with a worried look as her hands were covered in a powerful green me.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    She hit the wall of darkness several times, but nothing happened as if she just attacked the void.


    "No, no, no! Even if Wain hit Death Shore, it wasn''t supposed to happen that way! We were supposed to get into Death Shore through a portal...! Why did some strange creature attack and drag him away?!" Marlis shouted with an angry look while trying to think of a way out of the situation.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly a powerful pressure came over Marlis as a tremor ran through her body and her heart shook violently. However, her soul trembled as if Marlis had stumbled upon a treasure.


    "What...?" Marlis uttered as she looked up.


    The energy from the Soul Pearl that destroyed Wain didn''t dissolve into the air or head to other areas as it usually did. Instead, the energy condensed over Marlis as it slowly headed toward her as if she were their target.


    "Hmm? Is that possible?" Marlis muttered while in disbelief, "The energy from Soul Pearls must go from one zone to another... though perhaps there is too much energy here and I am the only one capable of receiving it..."


    For a moment there was greed in Marlis'' eyes as getting a Soul Pearl this size was every creature''s dream, but then her gaze grew serious as she jumped aside.


    ''I must not give in to temptation. In the first ce, I have to save Wain somehow, even if he''s okay, I have to make sure of it. Second... even if I want to absorb this energy, fuck, it will tear me apart, I could absorb 2/3 at most, but not all!'' Marlis internally eximed before waving her arms.


    She created a massive magic circle in front of her, using a tremendous amount of energy. Then, more than a hundred fireballs burst out of the magic circle with several massive spears that could easily pierce the dragon''s body.


    Whoooooosh.


    All of the attacks just flew through the darkness and pierced the clouds in the distance. The portal or some sort of exit in which Wain disappeared as though there was no such thing.


    "No... It can''t be..." Marlis muttered in a lost voice as she didn''t know what she should do.


    At the same time, the pure energy of Soul Pearl, formed into a sword-like form that shed through Marlis, filling her body with energy and making her eyes glow brightly like ghostlynterns.


    ...


    Crackling.<sub> </sub>


    On the ashy ground studded with the bones of ancient creatures, where there were only a few long-dry trees, a torrent of dark wind blew through the ground as a tall man with ck hair and green eyes appeared. Beside him were several dark arms that pursued him and constantly attacked.


    "Shit! Who the hell are you?! What do you want from me?!" Wain eximed with an angry look as a dius appeared in his hand.


    Whoooooosh.


    Wain stepped forward as dius was covered in a denseyer of darkness. Then, he brought the sword down on his hands, unleashing a de of devastating power.


    The energy tore the hands apart as the dark de cut through hundreds of meters of lifeless earth, leaving a long, wide gap.


    "Phew... That was unexpected..." Wain said with a sigh as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.


    He looked around and with a confused look muttered, "Where the fuck am I?"


    This ce looked creepier than any other ce Wain had ever been. The bones in the ground and the scary trees were only a small part, as thisnd had no end and the only source of light was a gray, half-ruined moon.


    ''Congrattions.'' Blind Sorcerer said suddenly as a sly smile appeared on his face.


    "Hmm?" Wain bowed his head while in confusion.


    ''You''ve made it to Death Shore. Now all you have to do is find the Abyss Brush.'' Blind Sorcerer uttered with his arms crossed over his chest.


    "Right... Only this ce can look so frightening and aloof... But, where am I supposed to find Abyss Brush? It''s empty, there''s nothing but lifelessnd for miles around." Wain muttered while looking around.


    ''Huh, don''t forget that you always knew how to find each of us!'' Light Racer eximed with an excited expression, ''To meet me you even had to be on the brink of death and life.''


    ''Yeah... You just have to feel it... There''s nothing hard about it. You''ve done it many times before.'' Cursed Swordsman muttered while exhaling cold steam.


    Wain''s eyes widened as if he realized something obvious, but he''d forgotten it for some reason. Then, he shook his head, smiled, and concentrated.


    ''You''re right. I had to go through a whole journey to find each of you, but I always knew just about where to look for you.'' Wain inwardly muttered as his soul began to tremble just as his heart was beating.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly he felt a strange flow of energy as Wain turned north. This direction was no different from the others, but Wain knew this was where he needed to go.


    "Alright, it''s time to get the seventh form! Death Shore may be a dangerous ce, but if Nameless King has been here, I can handle it too." Wain said with an excited look, clenched his hand into a fist, and rushed forward.


    ...


    ''Nameless King... Hah, you''re right. Come here, I''ve waited...'' Somewhere in Death Shore, a strange, mysterious voice sounded.

 Chapter 752 Danger

    "Agh!!!" Marlis cried out in pain while trickles of blood flowed from her eyes.


    Her small body struggled to withstand the pressure from the energy that she could barely manage. She could absorb far more energy than most people in the world, but it was an ordeal even for her.


    "Fuck! This is supposed to be a nice and rxing process! Instead, I feel like my body is literally being torn apart! Shit! I''ve dreamed so much about this moment and imagined itpletely differently!" Marlis eximed with an angry look as her eyes became as sharp as a pair of des, "Fucking Wain! Did you really have to destroy such a huge Soul Pearl?!"


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Marlis slowly rose as the tform beneath her feet cracked.


    "Hah, looks like I''ll have to use this on myself... It''s been a long time since I''ve done this, but it looks like I just don''t have any other choice." Marlis said with a slight smile on her face before raising her hand.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same time, massive streams of green energy burst out of her as a magical circle with many intricate runes appeared above it.


    "Fine, I am a support after all, aren''t I?" Marlis said in a confident manner with a smirk on her face before clenching her hand into a fist.


    The magic circle descended on Marlis, covering her body with a dense shell that greatly increased her protection. She was immediately relieved as blood stopped flowing from her eyes, but it was still not enough as her body gradually approached the boundary.


    "Hah, I guess I still remember how to do it." Marlis grinned as she looked up, "When I used all those spells on Sven... Agh, he was like a god no one could stop."


    Tremble.


    Space trembled as more than ten magical circles appeared above Marlis, of various shapes and sizes. All of them fell on her simultaneously, amplifying her.


    Scratches and bruises began to heal at an elerated rate as the pressure from the energy eased so much that Marlis barely noticed it.


    Crackle.


    Marlis grabbed the sword from thepressed white energy and pulled it from her chest. There was no blood as this sword could not harm the physical body, only the soul because of too much pressure, which could cause other damage.


    "Nice, now I''ve had enough. Couldn''t have revealed all my cards to Wain, could I?" Marlis smirked as she tightened her grip.


    Crackle.


    The sword shattered into small shards, then Marlis took a deep breath. The shards turned into streams of energy, heading towards Marlis.


    "Brrr...!" Marlis shuddered while waving her head from side to side as if she had drank very strong alcohol, "Damn, that was hard, but... Damn, that felt good. It''s been a few years since I''ve gotten stronger by even a little bit."


    Marlis took a moment to absorb all the energy, then she looked ahead into the vast darkness and with an ice-cold look muttered, "Well, if my hunch is right about Sven''s thoughts, then I don''t need to sneak into Death Shore, because then Wain will definitely be fine."


    Marlis was puzzled as she thought while rubbing her chin, ''Hmm... I better get back. Even if something urgent happens, the three of us can help Wain.''<sub> </sub>


    Whoooooooosh.


    She waved her hand as space shattered into several pieces as if a mirror. Then, Marlis with a confident expression headed forward, crossing into the open space.


    ...


    "Looks like I''m here... at least I finally got to something interesting..." Wain muttered while looking ahead as he leaned his hand against a tree.


    He was on a high slope overlooking ancient ruins in the distance and a massive, just indescribable river.


    Through all of Death Shore flowed a river whose water was as dark as tar. Inside it sometimes appeared strange arms as if drowned men were trying to get out, body parts of various creatures, and creepy eyes that tried anyone who approached them.


    "Fuck... This is really creepy. If I get in that river, I''m not going to be able to get out of it... Although, it''s something I imagined." Wain uttered with a dazed look as he took a step forward and fell off the cliff.


    Bam.


    Hended on the stone wreckage covered in ash, breaking it into several pieces and pressing it to the ground.


    "Well, well, it''s certainly not the nicest ce, but from the looks of it, the seventh form is worth the trip for it, even to hell." Wain said in a calm voice as he closed his eyes.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    There was a ripple in the air as the rush of wind made his hair and coat wave.


    "So I have to go there...?" Wain looked to his left with an emotionless look.


    The left side of the ruins was full of massive columns, most of them broken and lying on the ground, but some were still standing upright. Among the columns were parts of the walls of some ancient structure and stone bs as though from an arena.


    Wain sighed, took a step forward as his silhouette blurred and he turned into a dark sh, crossing the ashy ground.


    It only took him a few minutes to reach the columns as his senses multiplied. He could clearly feel the currents of energy that wereing from behind the walls in front of him.


    "Fine, looks like I''m getting close." Wain said in a calm voice as he headed forward with slow steps.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    After a while, he felt a strange tremble on the ground, barely noticeable, but it was enough to make Wain wary.


    ''Hmm? Is there someone here? Is that possible?'' Wain wondered as he turned and found himself among the high walls and columns, that looked like an arena.


    Wain''s eyes opened wide as he saw the reason the ground was shaking. He was right, he was not alone there, and the creature''s aura sent shivers down his body.

 Chapter 753 Demigod

    ''What the hell is it...?'' Wain inwardly muttered with wide eyes.


    In the center of the arena, in a circle, an unusual creature with an eerie aura walked slowly, its every step shaking the ground. The creature had two strange wings, one was white and dragon-like, while the other was like the wing of an angel, but ck as tar.


    The creature''s body was covered with gray scales as long sharp bones protruded from its elbows and knees. On its paws were deadly ws that could cut through anything and terrifying fangs that protruded slightly from behind its mouth.


    ''Is that the Dragon...? What happened to it?" Wain wondered while staring intently at the creature.


    Parts of its body were severely damaged, as ribs, weathered flesh, and long-dried blood were visible. The creature could still move around, but it was obvious that it is long dead or critically injured.


    ''No. It''s much worse than that.'' dius said in a deadly serious voice.


    ''Hmm? What the fuck could be worse than a Dragon?'' Wain frowned as he said in an angry way.


    ''It''s a monster. Only they can turn into something like that, insane but frightening...'' dius uttered as if they were facing a deadly foe.


    ''A monster...? Well, we''re in luck then.'' Wain muttered inwardly as he shrugged in a careless manner.


    ''Don''t be a fool!'' dius suddenly eximed, ''The power of this monster is beyond your understanding! Since judging by its aura it is in the Fifth Chronicle!''


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Wain''s eyes went wide as a shiver ran through his body. He had only met the Fifth Chronicle monster once, but then he managed to avoid the fight.


    ''However... It''s not that bad.'' dius said in a serious voice like an experienced warrior, ''It is seriously wounded and seems long dead, for some unknown force is keeping it alive, so the strength of this monster is around the border of Fourth Chronicle.''


    "I see..." Wain whispered as his pupils narrowed, "By the way, it looks something like Krakos... Are all monsters in the Fifth Chronicle so frightening?"


    ''Hah, so you figured Krakos was hiding his true power?'' dius grinned.


    ''Sure. As soon as I saw him, I knew I couldn''t deal with such an opponent now, no matter how hard I tried.'' Wain internally uttered as a slight smile appeared on his face, then his gaze became extremely serious.


    ''Anyway, if I''m not mistaken, this monster was at the level of Demigod when he was alive. In other words, in its prime, this monster was stronger than most Fifth Chronicle beings and even many Dragons. You''ll have to try hard if you want to get out of here alive and get the seventh form.'' dius said as he was ready to turn into a sword.


    ''Demigod... Well, that sounds dangerous. You''re right, it will be difficult, but that''s what you''d expect from Death Shore, isn''t it?" Wain said with a confident smirk on his face before stepping forward, entering the arena.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same time, the monster turned to Wain''s side and its blood-red eyes opened wide, unleashing waves of fear on Wain that could make even the Third Chronicle being fall to the ground.<sub> </sub>


    "Well, well, you look scary as hell. But, I have to beat you anyway if I want to get what I need." Wain spoke in an arrogant manner as the long, dark sword appeared in his hand.


    Wain could clearly feel waves of energy emanating from the monster. He didn''t know if the Abyss Brush was in the monster''s body, but for now, it was his only clue.


    "Who will attack first? You or me?" Wain asked with a mocking smirk as he put his sword on his shoulder while looking down at his enemy.


    Roooooooooooaaaaaaaaarrrrrrr!!!


    The monster roared furiously, shaking the air and causing all the creatures that were hiding in the ashynds within a few kilometers to flee away.


    "Looks like I won''t be able to negotiate with you as I did with Krakos, though it''s for the best. I''m tired of makingpromises. Some things can only be solved with violence!" Wain eximed with a menacing expression as he let most of his energy out.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Suddenly the monster''s silhouette blurred as it appeared before Wain with sharp ws aiming for his neck.


    Wain''s pupils narrowed as he thrust his sword in front of him, blocking the attack.


    The sword and ws tried to cut through each other, but they were equally strong, while Wain''s hands and the monster''s paws trembled violently from too much pressure. They both tried to destroy their enemy, but neither was going to give up so easily.


    "Huh, that''s a lot better. Myst good fight was with Reidar, so I''ve already missed that feeling!" Wain eximed with an excited look as he stepped forward.


    His aura grew considerably while the runes on dius shone brightly. Then, Wain''s strength increased as dius'' sharpness temporarily went to a whole new level.


    ''Decided to use my skill in the beginning?'' dius said with a smirk, ''Good choice!''


    Crackle.


    The sword de shed as the monster''s long ws on his left paw flew to the side and dius copsed on the monster''s chest.


    It was a surprise to the monster, so it recoiled back, trying to retreat, but part of the sword had already cut through its flesh while streams of ck blood flew apart.


    "Ahahahahaha! Is that really all you can do?! Don''t disappoint me!" Wain eximed as he brought his sword to the ground, leaving a wide cut on the monster''s body. Then, he lifted his foot slightly off the ground, made a full turn, and with tremendous speed attacked.


    Crack. Crack. Crack.


    Wain''s foot plunged into the monster''s chest like a deadly spear, causing the monster''s bones to shatter and be covered with cracks. The impact caused a surge of darkness as though dark mes enveloped Wain''s foot and caused a st that threw the monster to the other side of the arena.

 Chapter 754 The Power Of Darkness

    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The monster crashed into the massive wall as its body was almostpletely buried in it by Wain''s powerful kick.


    "Well, well, I''d be curious to kill someone with a God level, but since I haven''t reached the Fifth Chronicle yet, we can limit ourselves to just a Demigod, can''t we?" Wain said with a slight smirk on his face while slowly stepping forward.


    ''Hah, that really was impressive, but you shouldn''t get too cocky.'' dius said in a serious manner, ''Soon my skill wille to an end, and then you won''t be able to act so recklessly.


    "Don''t worry. I clearly understand it, however, my power is not based on you or your skills." Wain said with an ice-cold look as he extended his arm.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    ck electrical discharges appeared on his palm as clouds thickened over the arena that came just out of nowhere.


    "I''m sure you can take it, but can you keep fighting after this?" Wain uttered in a calm voice before clenching his hand into a fist.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same time, a multitude of dark columns of thunder fell from the heavens that attacked a single target. The power was colossal, so the monster''s instincts forced its action.


    The monster with a wave of its hand destroyed part of the wall as it reached up. All of the thunderbolts rained down on the monster at once, but they just passed through its body, transforming into energy. Despite its wounds, the monster''s eyes were impassive as if it had finally be serious.


    Crackle.


    Electric shocks fired out of the monster''s hands, trying to hurt him, but under pressure, they turned into a dark orb, which the monster simply crushed between his palms.


    "Fuck... I spent so much energy on this attack, but he just made it disappear." Wain muttered with a frowned look.


    Whoooooosh.


    The monster''s wings swayed slightly as it flew high up. The monster nced at Wain with a majestic look, then turned toward the river. The monster held out his hand and its fingers swayed slightly, then the dark water by the river bank trembled.


    "No way... He''s going to use the river against me?!" Wain eximed while in disbelief.


    Wain did not see it, but he could feel the shaking.


    The water from the river headed toward the monster with several streams. They were quite massive butpared to the size of the river they were no bigger than a drop in the ocean. The streams of water turned into a long spear that seemingly exuded no aura, but Wain''s instincts told him there was a solid reason for that.


    ''I can''t figure out how powerful this spear is...? Fuck! This is fucking bad!'' Wain eximed inwardly with a worried look as his sword became coated in a denseyer of energy.


    The monster raised his hand to attack and in a few seconds, the spear turned into a dark sh and with tremendous speed copsed on Wain.


    "Get it!" Wain shouted as he swung his sword, releasing the massive dark de.<sub> </sub>


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The spear and de collided, causing massive bursts of energy and shock waves that spread hundreds of meters around. They hovered in the air for a while, trying to fight each other off, then the tension reached its limit and the massive energy caused a st.


    Boooooom.


    A deafening explosion of ck mes shook the entire earth as a cloud of dust rose high while violent wind currents left scratches as if knife cuts on the centuries-old pirs.


    ''Shit... That was dangerous. I need to gather more energy so I can suppress his next attack.'' Wain said with a slight sigh as he looked up. The dark cloud was slowly dispersing, so he had some time to get ready for the next phase.


    Suddenly something flew out of the center of the cloud, shing it apart as Wain''s eyes opened wide and a shiver ran through his body. Another spear flew toward him at breakneck speed.


    Wain had only a few moments to make a decision, so he thrust his sword forward and let the spear sh with it. Wain wanted to toss the spear aside as the previous one had long withstood the collision with the dark de, but not even a second passed before the spear trembled violently.


    ''What...? Why so fast?!'' Wain inwardly eximed with a dazed look while in disbelief.


    Then, the spear broke apart, allowing the energy to escape.


    ''Bastard... He knew I wasn''t expecting such an attack and made this spear less steel! Fuck! I just had to dodge!'' Wain shouted to himself with a furious expression.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    There was a massive explosion of energy, the full force of which hit Wain as he was in the epicenter.


    The impact threw Wain hundreds of meters back as his face contorted in terrible pain while a stream of scarlet blood gushed from his mouth.


    The crackle.


    Wain mmed his back against the column as the pressure broke it in two. Wain fell to the ground with an exhausted stare as the multi-ton column copsed on him, pinning him to the ground.


    The monster pped its wings,nded on the ground, and with slow strides headed toward Wain exuding a calm but majestic aura. Water from the river headed toward the monster''s hand as well as a new spear appeared in his hand.


    ''What...? Can he create another one so easily...?'' dius muttered while in disbelief, then he punched Wain in the chest and shouted, ''Wain! Get up! Damn it, take it! If you don''t wake up now, he''ll kill you!"


    However, Wain didn''t hear him. He was close to the explosion, so it caused him serious wounds, destroyed the gloves that had kept his hands intact, and almostpletely ripped his coat that slowly recovered.


    "Agh... The energy of Nameless King... I can finally get out of here..." Suddenly the monster uttered as if that were the multiple and most desirable thing he could say.


    Whooooooooosh.


    The monster raised his hand and a massive stream from the river, with eyes and bones, headed toward him.

 Chapter 755 The Devouring

    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The new spear in the monster''s hand was quite different from the previous ones. It was as though it was alive as it consisted of many eyes and bones of long-dead creatures that floated among the thick, dark water.


    "Wain! Wake up!" dius tried to wake Wain, but it seemed that the damage from the st was too severe for Wain to continue the fight immediately afterward.


    "He won''t wake up..." The monster uttered in a creepy voice, "This is the end for him and the greatest achievement for me..."


    Step.


    The monster stepped forward as it threw its spear at Wain.


    ''Damn! I must save Wain!'' dius inwardly eximed as he soared toward Wain.


    dius had no choice but to sacrifice himself to protect Wain, for without his energy dius did not have the same power as usual.


    ''Shit... This wasn''t supposed to happen. After all, Death Shore turned out to be too dangerous a ce.'' dius said to himself while looking at the spear approaching him, ''Although, it was to be expected. You can''t get through Death Shore without losing something.''


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Cracks appeared on dius, which was expected due to the tremendous pressureing from the spear, but the real reason was something else.


    "Bastard..." A powerful voice filled with majesty and hatred erupted.


    At the same time, a hand covered in darkness, with jaws swimming in it, grasped dius''s hilt with such force that cracks appeared in some ces.


    "You managed to catch me off guard. My mistake, but... None of that matters because I can just destroy you like everyone else here!" Wain eximed in a thunderous voice as a powerful stream of energy burst out of him as though dark mes covered dius.


    Wain''s left eye became as dark and deep as the abyss as scarlet blood gushed from it while an eerie crown appeared on his head.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Wain swung his sword as two massive bursts of energy collided with each other. The eerie eyes in the spear tried to overpower the jaws in Wain''s attack, then opened three eyes with red vertical pupils on Wain''s crown. The spear''s energy immediately weakened as the two attacks destroyed each other.


    "How could you stand it...?" The monster muttered with a dazed look while in disbelief, "You were in the midst of an explosion... The human body cannot withstand such pressure especially the Fourth Chronicle one..."


    "Hah, so you can talk? Well, I was probably saved by my coat, of which only a small part remains." Wain uttered as he looked at the coat that was slowly recovering and thought, ''Looks like Ceozi saved my life. I''ll have to thank her properly when I get a chance.''


    "That won''t help you... Every second I can control more and more energy from the river while your strength runs out..." The monster mouthed as he held out his hand.<sub> </sub>


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The water in the river trembled as a massive stream headed toward the monster that quickly turned into a new spear that was just as strong as the previous one.


    Wain stood still, looking at the monster with a calm expression. Then, his silhouette blurred and he appeared right in front of the monster as his ice-cold gaze made the monster shudder with fear.


    "You know how to use the river to get stronger, right? Well, in that case, I''ll help you with it." Wain said before grabbing the monster by the neck, then he jumped high up creating tforms of darkness beneath him.


    It all happened too fast for the monster to have time to do anything as he didn''t expect Wain to be able to move so fast despite his wounds.


    "I hope you can swim, otherwise this might not end well for you." Wain spoke in an indifferent voice that made its way to the monster''s heart, restraining it with terror and throwing the monster down with all his might.


    Falling into the river at Death Shore was practically the same as condemning himself to eternal suffering, Wain understood this as soon as he saw this miracle of nature, so the monster knew it better than most and was willing to do anything to keep it from happening.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    The monster''s wings came into motion as he gradually slowed his fall. Each p of his wing created a powerful current of wind that caused a wave in the river that was hundreds of meters away from him.


    "Looks like I was right. Though you can use the water from the river, you are incapable of curbing it all." Wain said with a calm look as he stretched out his hand, "Wings are the symbol of freedom, aren''t they? So, let me take it away from you."


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    At the same time, two massive dark piranhas appeared next to the monster, each with a massive jaw and three red eyes with vertical pupils. They began devouring the monster''s wings, grinding skin, bone, and feathers between their teeth, bringing the monster incredible pain.


    "ARGHHHH!!!" The monster cried out while in agony as he tried to get rid of the piranhas, but no matter what he did they wouldn''t unclench their jaws as though it was the most important goal in their lives.


    Ssh.


    The piranhas gnawed their wings and scattered into several clots of darkness, then the monster reached the river and plunged into it, heading for the bottom.


    "Is it over...?" Wain muttered in a quiet voice while trickles of blood flowed from the corners of his mouth.


    ''Wain, I don''t know where you got all that energy, but your wounds aren''t going anywhere. You''ll need a few days to fully recover from the effects of the st and that''s the most optimistic prognosis.'' dius said in a serious voice while the cracks in the hilt slowly recovered.


    "Well, you''ve been through a lot, too." Wain smirked as his gaze drifted toward the river, "I can still fight since from the looks of things, it''s not going to be as easy as I thought."

 Chapter 756 Water

    Wain raised his sword as he directed most of his energy toward it. Even if the monster was seriously wounded, Wain didn''t believe it was enough to end such a powerful creature, so he needed ast resort.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The darkness turned into a massive torrent of energy that reached the heavens. The eerie jaws in the darkness made even the eyes floating in the river among the bones wary.


    "Come on, don''t make me look stupid. One attack certainly wasn''t enough to beat you, was it?" Wain said with a calm look while letting massive waves of aura out.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Suddenly the water rippled as if from an earthquake, then a silhouette flew out of the river from which a dark liquid quickly flowed.


    "Huh, you made it out of there, after all, that''s what I expected." Wain smirked before he copsed the sword with all the energy that he had umted.


    He did this rather slowly while the energy turned into a massive de that was apanied by several dozen creepy piranhas. On their way to the monster, they destroyed space and caused powerful shockwaves that left more and more damage on the ruins.


    "Thank you." The monster suddenly said with a sincere expression as new wings grew from his back, dark as they were made of water in the river. On each wing was one massive eye with a red pupil like that of a deadly butterfly.


    "For centuries I have been shackled by the fear of this river... I tried to learn to control it... but all I had to do was sink into it..." The monster muttered as he nced at the dark water and lightly waved his hand, "I thank you, so your death will be swift!"


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The water trembled as, at the will of the monster, massive streams headed toward Wain. The currents had no form as before, it was the pure destructive power of one of the most dangerous ces in the world.


    de and the piranha faced the torrents of water as they confronted each other, but the torrents just absorbed and swept away the most powerful attack Wain was capable of.


    Wain''s pupils narrowed as he immediately activated the sixth form and turned into a golden ray. He retreated at the veryst moment or the water would have destroyed him.


    "No way... How do I deal with this...?! My attack couldn''t do anything to it!" Wain muttered in a trembling voice while in disbelief.


    Wain was confident in his Beyond as a unique weapon that never failed him. Only once had its jaws failed to prate the enemy''s defenses, but then Wain managed it by increasing the power, but now his attack just fell away as though it were something insignificant.


    Tremble.


    The ground trembled as water erupted from beneath it that lifted Wain up like a geyser.


    "I will keep my promise. Your death will be swift." The monster said in an ice-cold voice as he folded his arms together.


    At the same time, a second torrent of water came crashing down on Wain, mping him between the two, bringing down a mighty pressure, broking all his bones, and squeezing his organs.


    "This is the end. I will find a worthy use for your energy." The monster uttered in a majestic manner as the eyes on his wings glowed brightly.<sub> </sub>


    Whoooooooosh.


    From its pupils flew two rays ofpressed energy as thoughsers were headed toward Wain with lightning speed. Wain saw it, but it was too fast for him to do anything with it, and the pressure was keeping him from moving freely.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    There was a deafening explosion that left horrific wounds on Wain''s body and threw him a hundred yards away. His sword flew aside and lodged in one of the columns while a stream of dark blood gushed from his mouth.


    The shockwave swept away all the trees that were near the ruins and turned the massive boulders into small debris. Such an explosion was capable of seriously damaging even an old Dragon.


    Bam.


    Wain fell next to the river bank as a massive crater formed at the site of the fall. Wain''s eyes were practically empty as all he could do was barely breathe and move his fingers slightly.


    "You''re still alive? Unbelievable. Your body is stronger than I could have imagined. If you hade here when you reached the Fifth Chronicle, even with the power of the river I wouldn''t stand a chance against you, but... you made a fatal mistake..." The monster muttered while slowly stepping forward.


    The energy in his hand was building up into another spear. It was simple, long, and dark, but it contained an enormous amount of energy.


    No one could help Wain. He was near death, and every second his condition grew worse as the ashy ground beneath him was covered in the blood leaking from his many wounds.


    Step.


    The monster took onest step as he stopped ten meters in front of Wain, at the edge of the crater.


    "This ce will be your grave." The monster said in a calm voice as he raised his spear, preparing to attack.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The waves of energy from the spear made the river wobble as it broke its banks and several streams flowed down the crater, straight to Wain.


    "I give you ten seconds to say yourst words. Perhaps you have the strength to do so." The monster said as his aura multiplied.


    Wain could hear nothing because his eardrums were ruptured in the explosion as well see practically nothing because of the thick veil over his eyes. All he could do was feel the cold ground with his fingertips, which was suddenly wet with dark, eerie water.


    ''Well, well, your situation is really very bad, isn''t it?'' Suddenly there was a mysterious voice that sounded right in Wain''s head, ''You''ve forgotten what your true power is again, it''s quite ironic. It''s not devouring or destroying, it''s... though you know that better than I do.''


    Tremble.


    Wain''s soul trembled as his heart began to beat faster.

 Chapter 757 Fate

    "Fate... It has always been against me..." Suddenly Wain spoke as he was barely audible, but his calm voice made the monster flinch with wide-open eyes.


    "What...? Ah, yeah... I gave you time to say yourst words." The monster smirked as his hand headed forward, "Well, your time is up!"


    "No... Those aren''t myst words at all, I''m justining a little about how stupid I''ve been." Wain uttered in a calm voice as the world stopped.


    The spear was moving toward him with tremendous speed, causing ripples in the air, but now it was moving at the speed of a snail. It was all about Wain''s perception as now he was focused only on his thoughts and the pleasant feeling of the cool water that touched his fingers.


    ''It was my destiny to die in the beginning, but I was able to deal with it, though unknowingly, I opened a portal to another world.'' Wain muttered inwardly as he nced at the streams of water slowly flowing down.


    ''Devouring, destroying, and consuming... all of these are just tools while my main goal has always been to make my own way, to do that, to fight my destiny I have used my power and everything I can, all the time.'' Wain said to himself as his soul erupted as if a dark me had ignited within him.


    Fragments of the memories he''d gone through with each of the forms appeared in his mind. Wain had long ago realized who the dark silhouette was, but what struck him most was an incredible power.


    ''In the memory of the Light Racer, Nameless King said that in order for someone to fight him that someone must reach the level of the Dragon Progenitor, so... if I want to surpass him and know the answers to my questions I must be even stronger...'' Wain said in a slow voice while the water in the river shook harder with each passing moment.


    ''Hah, that''s going to be pretty hard, isn''t it? But... when has that ever stopped me? I can''t die here, especially not at the hand of someone who is no more significant than a speck of dustpared to the Dragon Progenitor.'' Wain muttered as a slight smile appeared on his bloodied face. Then his fingers tensed and he struggled to rise from the ground.


    At the same time, the spear almost reached him as the powerful energy caused his skin to crack because of the strongest pressure that a mere human body could not withstand.


    Wain looked at the monster with a calm look, as if everything had already been resolved.


    ''So he''s already resigned to death. It''s for the best. The monster said inwardly as he narrowed his eyes.


    Whoooooooosh.


    A massive torrent of dark water came out of nowhere as it swept away andpletely engulfed the spear.


    ''What...? Why is the river helping him? The monster eximed to himself with a dazed look, then he calmed down, ''Well, the st will destroy him anyway.''


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Suddenly there was a strange sound of jaws whose terrifying white teeth emerged from the dark water. They crushed the spear into small pieces, preventing the energy from bursting out and exploding.


    The monster''s eyes went wide as his whole body trembled. He couldn''t believe that anyone other than him could control the river in Death Shore, but Wain had also changed it to suit himself.<sub> </sub>


    "Why are there jaws in this water? There should only be eyes and bones..." The monster muttered in a dazed as goosebumps ran through him.


    "Well, I finally realized that they''re just my underlings, not my true power." Wain said with an ironic smile on his face as he waved his hand.


    The water in the river shuddered and headed toward him in a massive torrent,pletely covering him as though a dense veil, leaving only his head outside.


    "I have yet to fully understand what I discovered today, but at least I''ve definitely got my bearings." Wain uttered in a calm voice while his green eyes engulfed the monster. Wain''s gaze was majestic but indifferent, the way someone on the level of the Dragon Progenitor would look at his enemy.


    The water slowly trickled down, washing Wain''s blood from his naked torso and turning into two massive des in which his blood overflowed.


    "I owe you a thank you, just as well as you did before. Thanks to you, I have learned that the purpose of my power and myself is not to devour something like some wild beast, but to make the world adjust to me, or even fate itself." Wain said in a slow way as he held out his hand as if giving an order.


    [You Beyond evolved.]


    [You no longer need Majesty. No one else, not even the energy of the world, can give you an estimate. You know what you desire and will not stop even if fate is against you. No energy can surpass your natural greatness.]


    [Beyond: Cmity (Cocanth) -> Cmity (Untouchable)]


    Whoooooooooosh.


    At his will, the two des headed toward the monster with lightning speed. Behind them remained a dark plume as the des opened two massive jaws that could destroy even space.


    "No! That''s impossible! You can hardly stand on your feet! There''s no way you can beat me!" The monster eximed with a furious expression as he swung his arms that forced massive streams of water out of the river.


    They turned into several spears that copsed on Wain''s des. Before, the spears would have easily destroyed them, but now the des werepletely unarmed as the spears shattered into small fragments before their pressure.


    "Goodbye. That was one of the best fights and probably the most enlightening for me." Wain said with a slight nod as a sincere smile formed on his face.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The des reached the monster and dug into its flesh, tearing it apart along with its bones. The monster tried to resist, but here he was utterly powerless.


    "No! I had to leave this ce..." The monster muttered an exhausted look as he stretched his arm upward while slowly falling to the ashy ground.

 Chapter 758 Brush

    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The des continued to tear the monster''s body apart until Wain decided to finish it. He snapped his fingers and the des dissipated into clots of dark energy that headed toward him.


    The monster fell to the ground as dark blood gushed from its many wounds, staining the ashy ground red. The monster didn''t look at Wain until the veryst moment, he died staring at the half-destroyed moon as though it was the only witness to his death in this lifeless ce.


    Tap.


    The monster''s hand touched the ground, his eyes closed as a huge amber soul flew out of his chest that was muchrger than any other Wain had encountered before.


    "How beautiful..." Wain muttered in a faint voice as he stepped forward.


    He walked over to the shower, touched it, and sighed lightly. The soul shuddered and shattered into hundreds of golden threads that flew apart, looking for a new ce where their energy woulde in handy.


    Wain did not absorb this soul, he decided that for once, he could set aside his desire for power. The value of this fight was not in the soul at all, so it was not a loss, from the word go.


    "Agh... Abyss Brush is not in it..." Wain muttered while looking at the monster, then he turned towards the river, "Although, I already know where it is, so it''s time to finally see the seventh, isn''t it?"


    Step. Step. Step.


    Wain slowly headed toward the riverbank as his feet touched the dark, eerie water that flowed forward at great speed, but now the river didn''t seem dangerous to him at all.


    Whooooooosh.


    A powerful current of wind ruffled his ck hair as a piece of ck and red leather flew in front of him and fell into his palm. It was quite strange as from time to time its edges glowed as if the piece was trying to grow into somethingrger.


    "Hah, you survived, didn''t you? Damn, that''s probably the best thing that could have happened at the end of that fight. Well, let me give you a little help." Wain said with a slight smile on his face as he pressed it to his chest and channeled the energy.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The piece trembled as it began to grow at an incredible rate, covering Wain''s exposed torso. It gradually morphed into a new coat, that differed from the previous one in both color and shape.


    The coat was now almost entirely ck with thin white stripes around the edges that as if as a barrier held back the darkness. There were thick leather tes on the shoulders as the wide cor partially covered Wain''s face from the brutal wind.


    "Fine, that''s much better, it''s actually cold in here." Wain said with a slight smile on his face as he closed his eyes, "Well, it''s time to get what I came all this way for."


    Wain opened his eyes and extended his hand forward, palm up. He released his powerful aura as the water in the river trembled, preparing to obey hismand.


    "I''m lucky that this river is something like my Beyond, it''s just as imcable, just like me. Otherwise, I definitely wouldn''t have had any control over it, and I would have died..." Wain uttered in a quiet voice before stepping forward.


    At the same time, the river stopped as the water in front of him split in two, creating a passage. In the distance, practically on the other bank, a ck brush stuck out in the ashy ground, as though it were an ancient artifact that had been there for thousands of years.<sub> </sub>


    "There you are... Huh, I was finally able to get to you." Wain grinned while walking forward.


    The water at the two edges trembled, trying to keep it flowing further, but Wain''s strength was still strong enough to hold it back.


    Step.


    Wain approached the brush and he stopped a few meters in front of it. From the brush came massive waves of dark energy that temporarily altered the space next to it, releasing outward evil spirits that then disappeared into the void.


    "Well, well, that''s what you look like Abyss Brush... Let''s see who you really are." Wain said with a calm look as he reached out for a brush.


    Suddenly, trickles of blood flowed from the corners of Wain''s mouth as control of the river loosened.


    "Fuck..."


    Whooooooooosh.


    The two streams joined together as they copsed on Wain, pushing him with a brush outward to the right bank of the river.


    Bam.


    Wain went to the ground with a pained expression as Abyss Brush fell in front of him, slowly rolling forward on the ashy ground.


    "No... I must at least touch it..." Wain muttered in a faint voice as he reached forward, but when the tip of his finger almost reached the Abyss Brush, his eyes slowly closed as he passed out.


    After the devastating battle between Wain and the monster, Death Shore returned to its normal state as the half-destroyed moon illuminated the lifeless and dangerous ce.


    Whooooooooosh.


    A powerful current of wind blew that was a strange ck color as if it came from the depths of the abyss, then on the boulder next to Wain, appeared a dark, mysterious silhouette.


    "Well, well, Wain, you were only seconds, no... a moment away from meeting me." The silhouette said as a sly smile appeared on its face that seemingly could fool even the whole world.


    The silhouette looked at Wain, lying on the ground, and muttered, "Maybe it''s for the best, though. You need to be fully prepared for the moment when we meet, as well as the rest of the world."


    The silhouette gradually shattered into small pieces, disappearing as it finally said with a devious smirk, "This is going to be exciting. Too bad some persons have already guessed and prepared for it."


    Wain slept for a long time, breathing slowly while his wounds gradually recovered. Though Death Shore was a dangerous ce, no one went near him, and only particles of ash brought by the wind settled on him.

 Chapter 759 The Artist

    "Agh... Looks like his path was harder than I thought... Damn, I rushed it... This is my eternal problem..." Krakosined lightly while looking ahead into the vast darkness.


    The path of fire had long since disappeared, leaving only the ming tform that kept Krakos from falling.


    "I''ve been waiting for this moment for decades, but I couldn''t wait a little longer... Damn, what happened out there?" Krakos muttered with a thoughtful look as suddenly a shiver ran through his body.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The darkness dawned a few times, then calmed down as though nothing had happened, but to Krakos it was a sign.


    "Well, I have nowhere else to go anyway." Krakos uttered as a slight smile formed on his face, "All I can do is wait, can''t I?"


    ...


    Whooooooooooosh.


    A strong current of wind brought ash that settled on the ground from which the top of the boulder slightly protruded. Under several meters of ash, Wain slept, and the moment for his awakening had finally arrived.


    Crackling.


    Wain opened his eyes as he tried to get up, but his heavy weight prevented him from doing so easily.


    ''What the hell? Has someone buried me? Why am I underground?!'' Wain said inwardly as he frowned.


    His aura intensified and he swung his arm, causing a shockwave that blew away all the ash above him as well as over the boulder.


    "Shit... How long have I been asleep...?" Wain muttered with lost looks while looking around.


    Nothing had changed in Death Shore, it was still the same lifelessnd, but Wain was sure it had taken him long enough to recover.


    ''Where is dius? He must know that. Wain wondered as his eyes widened and he looked in the direction of the ruins, ''Right... He was there alone the whole time, not a good thing.''


    Wain held out his hand as the dark sword caught in the column trembled. It took tremendous strength to pull the sword from such an old column, but since it was theirmon will, dius soon got out of it.


    Whooooooosh.


    The dark sword flew as though a sh across the wide river and into Wain''s palm.


    "Hey, it''s been a while, hasn''t it?" Wain asked with a slight smile on his face.


    "Yeah... It hasn''t been the best time of my life, but it''s good to see you awake. I thought it would take you a lot longer to fully recover, but you''ve only had two months." dius said in a calm voice.


    "Two months, yeah? Well, I''ve had worse." Wain shrugged, returned dius to his seal, and waved his hand.


    A stream of wind swept away all the ash that had managed to umte in that time, revealing the Abyss Brush lying on the head of the earth.


    "Though I was dyed, we finally meet, right?" Wain muttered as he lifted the Abyss Brush from the ground.


    [You got Abyss Brush!]<sub> </sub>


    [You opened the seventh form!]


    [Abyss Artist


    Paintings are art or...]


    "Hmm? What''s going on...?" Wain uttered as the message kept interrupting.


    He tried to open it several times, but it kept stopping at one point as if something or someone was doing it on purpose.


    "Hey, wouldn''t it be better to learn everything from me than to read these boring messages?" A calm and mysterious voice sounded.


    Wain''s eyes widened as he looked at the boulder. There sat a man with long ck hair and eyes as blue as the ocean. His pale skin was covered by a loose dark robe that in ces was wrapped with random stains as if from white paint.


    There was a slight smile on his face, but it seemed trickier even than Sven''s, who had hundreds of different ns in his head.


    "You''re the Abyss Artist...?" Wain muttered with a dazed look.


    "Hah, sure, that''s me. I think my appearance fits my name perfectly, but there''s one final detail missing." Abyss Artist said with a smirk as he snapped his finger.


    At the same time, Brush flew out of Wain''s hands and headed toward Abyss Artist.


    "Well, it''s all right now. It''s been so many years since Ist felt alive." Abyss Artist said as he rested his head on his hand while staring into the void.


    "Since you won''t let me read the message, why don''t you tell me about yourself then?" Wain offered with a curious look.


    "My story is not particrly interesting." The Abyss Artist said in a calm voice, but with a devious smile on his face showing that his words were far from the truth, "More important is not how I got to this point, but what I did and what I can do."


    ''Damn... This guy talks even more mysteriously than Sven... It''s just impossible to understand him...'' Wain muttered inwardly while shaking his head, then he stared at Abyss Artist, "What are you talking about?"


    "You don''t need to analyze my words to understand them, it''s enough if you just see what I''m talking about." Abyss Artist said with a calm look before stepping forward.


    Whooooooooosh.


    His silhouette blurred as he appeared right in front of Wain and took his hand. The Abyss Artist put Brush in Wain''s palm and said, "Be ready. Something is about to happen that will shake your mind."


    "Hmm?" Wain raised an eyebrow as suddenly Abyss Artis disappeared and a dark robe appeared on Wain, as his appearance changedpletely.


    ''Wain, let me ask you one question.'' Abyss Artist''s voice echoed in Wain''s head, ''What do you think is the greatest achievement for an artist?


    "What...? What do you mean?" Wain uttered while in confusion as he touched his chin in a thoughtful manner, "I don''t know, probably create a masterpiece, a painting that will attract the attention of the world."


    ''Huh, not a bad answer. However, it''s not that simple. The greatest masterpiece is to create a painting not to which the whole world will pay attention, but which will be the world itself, or rather its part with its own particr purpose.'' Abyss Artist said in a slow voice with a sly smile on his face before waving his hand.


    The Abyss Brush left a dab of dark paint in the air.


    At the same time, space trembled in many ces around the world.

 Chapter 760 The Awakening

    "What are you doing...?" Wain asked in confusion while Abyss Artist continued to wave his brush slowly.


    Abyss Artist was controlling his hand, but Wain didn''t bother him as he thought it was something important.


    ''Don''t worry. I''m just fulfilling my task, or even... a promise I made to someone a long time ago.'' The Abyss Artist uttered with a slight smile on his face as he drew some strange runes in the air.


    "Was it the Nameless King?" Wain asked in a serious voice as he let out some aura.


    "Yeah. You have no idea how right you are." Abyss Artist said as he drew some more runes.


    Gradually the runes and the strokes of darkness began to form something whole. It was like a magical circle, but as if created by hand rather than with energy.


    "Hmm? Are you done yet?" Wain uttered in a confusion.


    "Huh, of course not. It''s only a small part. I have a lot of work to do before the seal is ready." Abyss Artist said as a powerful stream of aura burst out of Wain, "Help me, I need your energy. That way we can finish much faster."


    Wain nodded as a dark tform appeared beneath him and he rose higher. Wain didn''t know what exactly the Abyss Artist was up to and from the looks of it, he wasn''t going to tell him until the very end, but Wain hadplete confidence in every form, so decided to help him.


    Gradually the number of magical circles increased as Abyss Artist had already drawn hundreds of different runes and formations that filled the gaps between the magical circles. Wain waspletely ignorant of it, but he felt that to create even a few runes of this level required great skill and knowledge.


    ''Strange that Blind Sorcerer and the others have noment on this. I guess all I have to do is wait...'' Wain muttered inwardly while shaking his head.


    The Abyss Artist gradually elerated as space became less and less stable, but Wain did not notice it because the changes were happening outside Death Shore and were watched by special persons.


    ...


    "Ahahahaha, it''s finally happening! My lord, soon I shall see you atst." Krakos eximed with an exciting look while staring at the space that trembled violently, "Well, it certainly is incredible that someone was capable of doing this. Although... only for him it was possible."


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Suddenly several portals appeared in the air, from which the Arkans emerged. Some of them immediately directed their forces toward the space, trying to hold it, while the rest attacked Krakos.


    "Well, well, now you''re not even trying to convince me to retreat, are you?" Krakos grinned as his ws were covered in bright mes.


    "It''s no use. You''re certainly not getting out of here now." One of the Arkans said with a deadly look as he rained his icy sword down on Krakos.


    "Yeah... You''re right, but do you really think a few units will be enough to stop me?" Krakos grinned as he swung his arms.


    His movements were so swift that all that was visible was a blur of fire left by his ws. Then, several streaks appeared on the bodies of the three Arkans as they split apart as if they had been chopped with an incredibly sharp sword.<sub> </sub>


    "What...? Why is a simple monster so strong...?" Arkan uttered while blood dripped from the corners of his mouth as his body was split in two.


    "A simple monster...? Well, you don''t even seem to know who my lord is, though you don''t understand how powerful creatures there are in this world." Krakos said as he shook his head before waving his hand.


    The runes on his coat shone brightly as hundreds of flying ishas turned into des that pierced the Arkans.


    They tried to block the attack, but none of their barriers could withstand the hail of fire bats.


    "Hah, I hope stronger Arkans show up soon. The Fourth Rank is not serious at all. Compared to my Lord, you''re no more important than a speck of dust." Krakos said with a cruel smirk while looking at the Arkans that were falling into the void with wide holes in their chests.


    "I wonder what my lord is doing now...? I hope that guy''s blood will be a great gift for him." Krakos muttered with a thoughtful look as he sat down on the edge of the tform, "Well, I''ll find out soon enough. Space won''t hold out much longer."


    ...


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The sses shuddered as one of them fell from the hands of a tall man with long light hair.


    Tremble.


    The ss shattered as it shattered into tiny shards.


    "Hmm? Why didn''t you catch it...?" Osvald asked with a confused look as he raised an eyebrow high, "I know you well, you can''t stand even a simple scratch on ss, but now... you let it happen."


    "I agree... This isn''t like you at all..." Marlis muttered while in a daze.


    "Well, let''s just say. It''ll be a good way to remember the day." Sven said with a slight smile on his face as he waved his hand. The shards disappeared as Sven corrected his uniform and spoke, "It''s time for us to take a little walk. Let''s be in the first ranks of those who will see the new development of the world."


    Sven headed for the exit of the bar. Osvald and Marlis were shocked for a second, then they nodded to each other and followed Sven. They too felt the shaking and had already figured out what was going to happen, but they didn''t expect it to interest Sven so much that he left his favorite bar.


    "Fine! Atst something interesting is about to begin! I was interested in trying my hand as a teacher, but I''m a fighter, after all!" Osvald eximed with an exciting look.


    Step.


    Sven stepped out into the open space as a white road appeared in front of him that with each step he took continued.


    Marlis walked behind him and with shining eyes looked at him inwardly saying, ''Sven... Will you soon finally fight again and I will be your support again? Even though I think Humans are dangerous, but... we all made the right choice to follow HIS path...''

 Chapter 761 The Way Of The Strongest

    "Well, well, after all this time we were finally able to rest, but it decided to happen now... Agh, what a shame." Kadridas said while shaking his head as he took a sip of hot tea.


    "This will get everyone''s attention." Cetid uttered with a serious look with his arms crossed over his chest, "Looks like the Elders were right, though I doubted it would happen untilst."


    "You thought the world would stay like this forever?" Kadridas grinned as he ced the cup on the table.


    "No... However, in that case, so does another theory of the Elders, doesn''t it?" Cetid muttered in a thoughtful manner as he looked away. His gaze was calm, but then it passed through hundreds of zones, heading somewhere very far away.


    "Well... It''s not certain yet. Although, if we''ve waited until now, we''ll find out soon enough..." Kadridas spoke with a sly smile on his face.


    ...


    "Sven... Where are we going?" Osvald asked with a confused look as he pointed to his left, "The nearest unstable area is over there."


    "I know." Sven nodded slightly while slowly stepping forward, "However, I want to head to the ce they definitely guard the most."


    "You think it''s still there? I doubt it." Osvald said as he waved his hand in a careless manner.


    "Huh, even if I''m wrong, we have to check it out." Sven grinned, stopped, and reached forward.


    At the same time, the road shone brightly as it headed forward with tremendous speed. In the open space, it was hard to see how fast the creature was, but then their speed wasparable to a Light Racer.


    After a few seconds, they reached a point where the space shook particrly hard. There were already several dozen Arkans here, that were trying to restore stability to the space, but they were struggling to do so.


    Each Arkan had a number "5" on his chest, while in front of them stood three persons with numbers "6" who as though were their defenders against sudden visitors.


    "Who are you?" The man asked while electric shocks ran through his body.


    "Hmm? They didn''t recognize us?" Marlis muttered with a confused look as she touched her lips.


    After her word, the eyes of the three Arkans stared at them, then a shiver ran through their bodies.


    "It can''t be... Why are they here...?" The woman on her left muttered while in disbelief.


    "It''s Marlis, Osvald and Sven Hellem..." The man on the right uttered in a trembling voice.


    "Damn... I wasn''t prepared to meet you, but the teacher warned me it might happen." The man in the center said with a calm look as electric shocks headed toward his palm.


    In his hand appeared a massive lightning sword that contained incredible power. Each energy surge caused a loud sound simr to the roar of thunder, spreading for hundreds of meters around.<sub> </sub>


    "You don''t seem to be afraid of us. How interesting." Sven said with a devious smile on his face as he stepped forward.


    "Sven Hellem, are you aware of your current status?" The man asked with a deadly serious look.


    "Hmm? Status? What do you mean? I haven''t had any dealings with you for a long time, and neither has my team." Sven uttered in confusion as he tilted his head.


    "After you murdered you girl to protect a mere human, your identity became of renewed interest, so your sins became public knowledge." The man said in a serious voice as he headed forward.


    "So what? I do what I want to do." Sven shrugged in a careless manner.


    "Well, that''s because the Arkans thought you were a hero, but that''s all changed now. All Arkans, especially the younger generation think you''re a traitor and one of our main goals is to eliminate you!" The man eximed with a furious look.


    "Hmm? Do you really think you can handle me? You''re nothing but a pathetic worm not even worth a nce from me." Sven said in a calm voice as his voice dropped pressure on all the Arkans in the area making it hard for them to breathe.


    "How arrogant..." The man muttered with his eyes wide open, "You still think you''re invincible? You sat in your zone for hundreds of years while the rest of the world evolved and grew stronger, so I have to rid our world of a traitor like you."


    Whooooooooooosh.


    The man rushed forward as a plume of hundreds of blue electrical discharges followed him. In an instant he was in front of Sven, unleashing a thunderous sword with all his might. It all happened too fast to react to as the sword hit its target precisely.


    "Not bad, but surely that was an attack?" Sven asked with a calm look as he nced at the sword.


    The sword should have pierced his shoulder, but despite all its power, the sword couldn''t even damage Sven''s clothes. It just hovered in the air a millimeter from Sven as if something was preventing the sword from going further.


    "What...? What''s going on...? The other day I seriously wounded Dragon with this attack, but.... Why can''t I get you?!" The man eximed with a furious expression as his veins swelled. He tried to break through the barrier, but it seemed impossible.


    "Ahahahahaha, thought since you could wound an ordinary Dragon, you could fight against me? The younger generation doesn''t understand the power at all. Let me show you." Sven said as a devious smile formed on his face before grabbing the man''s hand.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A shiver went through the man''s body as his heart clenched hard and his eyes went wide.


    "What is it...?" The man uttered while in disbelief as cracks appeared on his skin.


    "It''s nothing special. I just let you feel what it means to possess truly powerful energy, not the semnce of power that you have." Sven said in a calm voice as he loosened his grip.


    At the same time, the man''s body exploded as parts exploded apart along with the thick, dark blood. By a strange coincidence, not a single drop hit Sven, they just flew past him as if someone was controlling them.

 Chapter 762 The Power

    The Fifth Rank Arkans were not distracted by the battle as their primary concern was to reim space, but when their leader was literally torn apart, they were forced to look away and shudder in fear.


    "What...? Why did the leader die...? How did this happen?" Some of them muttered while in disbelief.


    "Stop doing nothing!" Suddenly one of the Six Rank Arkans shouted as she pointed at Sven, "We must kill him right now! This is a direct order from the Elders and our duty as a new generation!"


    The Arkans were puzzled for a while, but once they realized who their enemy was, their auras intensified and they all prepared to attack. Although they were not as strong as Sven, but each of them was an experienced fighter and had the strongest skills, so their overall power was enormous.


    Sven didn''t say anything, he just extended his hand forward with a slight smile on his face.


    Tap.


    Suddenly there was a massive hand on his shoulder as Osvald stepped forward, "Sven, you''ve already dealt with their main one, leave the rest to me. It''s been so long since I''ve fought someone even slightly strong, if I don''t do it now, I''m sure I''ll die of boredom."


    Sven''s eyes went wide as he shook his head and with a slight smile on his face said, "Sure. I''m sorry I didn''t think of you. Have fun, they''re all yours."


    Sven took a few steps back as he stood next to Marlis while Osvald walked forward.


    "Is that Osvald...? Damn, he''s strong too, though we should definitely be able to handle him." The woman muttered as her hands were covered in a massive purple me.


    She pointed at Osvald as a powerful stream of fire erupted from her palm and filled the entire space. Her eyes were icy as she was absolutely certain that her attack would produce results.


    "Fire, right? How boring... Couldn''t the younger generation learn something more interesting?" Osvald grinned before taking a deep breath and opening his mouth wide.


    A torrent of me rushed toward him, Osvald just swallowed it whole as his stomach swelled wide. Then, his eyes sparkled as he stepped forward and released a dense stream of fire that was more like aser with devastating power.


    The woman didn''t have time to react as theser pierced her body and she was burned to the ground. The same thing happened to several other Arkans before Osvald ran out of fire.


    "He''s a monster...!" One of the ten surviving Arkans eximed with a frightened look while pointing at Osvald, "Even Dragons wouldn''t dare to block Mistress'' attack, but he used it against us! That''s impossible!"


    "We must run away! Against them, we don''t stand a chance!" The man eximed as he created a massive magical circle behind him.


    The rest of the Arkans followed his example, but it would take some time to open a portal here, which they didn''t have.


    "Hey, don''t upset me. I thought you could at least entertain me... but it looks like I overestimated you. You''re weak as hell..." Osvald muttered while shaking his head before looking up.<sub> </sub>


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Osvald''s aura intensified as his energy flows turned into a massive white Dragon head, exuding eerie energy.


    "Hmm? Why does your energy look so strange...?" Marlis asked with a confused look as she stared at Dragon Head.


    "Damn... Ipletely forgot that I changed it this way... I didn''t want everyone to freak me out, though Dragon Head has surprised almost everyone, even Wain... Well, it''s time to get it back on track." Osvald shrugged in a careless manner as he waved his hand.


    Dragon Head trembled as it gradually transformed into something more dangerous. It was a monster head with two long horns and deadly eyes with vertical pupils, resembling some kind of ancient snake and lizard.


    At the same time, Osvald''s aura intensified several times as Arkans found it hard to even breathe. They felt as if they were in front of the Fifth Chronicle when they were only in the Third One.


    "Guys, if we hadn''te here, someone else would havee who was interested in keeping you out of the way, so you''ve been bloody ill-prepared. The price for your mistake will be death." Osvald said in a calm voice as he stomped his foot as if trying to crush something.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    This caused a shockwave as the snake''s head erged several times and like a ghost swept through the Arkans trying to escape. Energy jolted through them, then hundreds ofcerations opened on their bodies as blood gushed out. One attack was enough to deal with them all.


    "Huh, you just used energy... Unbelievable, Osvald, you seem to have grown even stronger over time." Sven grinned with his arms crossed over his chest.


    "It seems to you. We just haven''t seen either of us fight in a long time, even though it only remotely resembled a battle." Osvald uttered while looking at the Arkans falling into the darkness, "Damn... I remember now when I once saw you fight in rage... Probably the scariest thing I''ve ever seen in my life."


    "Well, I''m not unique in that. A lot of calm people are incredibly scary when they''re angry, that''s the way this world works." Sven shrugged, patted Osvald on the shoulder, and headed forward, "Gradually space is bing less and less stable. At this rate... my theory might actually be confirmed."


    Marlis and Osvald looked at Sven with confused looks, looked at each other, and shrugged while shaking their heads. They knew that Sven would not tell them what he was thinking unless he thought the moment was right.


    ...


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The water in the massive river trembled as in Death Shore appeared an enormous seal thatbined thousands of different magical circles, runes, and formations. Theplexity of this seal was prohibitive, even the wisest mages would need years to fully understand how it worked.


    "Fine, almost done." Abyss Artist said in a sly voice.

 Chapter 763 Land Of The Gods

    "Damn... This is unbelievable. I can''t even believe you did all this..." Wain uttered with a dazed look while staring at the massive seal.


    "Well, we did it together. I''m done now, the overall structure isplete." Abyss Artist said in a calm voice as he pointed to the center of the seal that was nk, "All that''s left is to create the catalyst, onest detail is needed."


    Step. Step. Step.


    Wain headed forward as Abyss Artist guided him. He was puzzled but did as he was told. Wain didn''t want any idental action on his part to ruin this whole structure.


    "Great. Now reach forward, then everything will begin." Abyss Artist uttered in a serious manner.


    "You''re still not going to tell me what''s going to happen?" Wain asked as he tilted his head with a slight smile on his face.


    "Hah, no. Don''t you know that seeing is a hundred times better than hearing is a hundred times better than seeing, so I''m giving you a chance to feel the full range of emotions." Abyss Artist muttered with a sly expression, "Go ahead, do it."


    Wain nced at the seal, nodded slightly, and extended his hand. His fingertips touched the empty space in the seal as there appeared the silhouette of a palm on which Wain ced his.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The seal shuddered as ripples rippled through the air, which quickly turned into tremendous shock waves, causing the water in the river to burst its banks, while dry trees and massive boulders flew apart.


    The edges of the seal gradually began to thicken as it turned into a massive one within which there was only darkness. It looked rather strange, as though.


    ''As though this is a painting that was painted by an artist using only ck paint and nothing else...'' Wain inwardly muttered while hundreds of theories about what the Abyss Artist had just done appeared in his head.


    ''Wain, once, at the request of a good friend of mine, I created a painting that was so majestic it could be part of the world, so... now it''s time to finally get rid of them as a relic of the past and a symbol of a new era.'' Abyss Artist said with an excited look as he snapped his finger.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The painting trembled as the darkness within began to thicken. At the same time, the exact same pictures began to appear all over the world. They were all in the open space where the strongest beings that had been in the Fifth Chronicle for several hundred years were already waiting for them to appear and had almost reached the peak of their power.


    "Ahahahahahaha, it''s finally happening!" Krakos eximed as a picture appeared before him, "My Lord! I will see you soon! I can''t believe it!"


    The same reaction came from several others who had already taken their ce. Among them were both monsters and representatives of the Pirs, only Arkans were unhappy that the paintings had appeared.


    "Fuck! We used so much power, but we could only take control of the three closest sites!" The man with the unusual seven-pointed star on his chest eximed as he clenched his fist, destroying the golden wine ss in his hand, "Moreover, we failed to protect the most important point! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"


    "Calm down." The woman sitting across from him said in a calm voice with her arms crossed over her chest, "As far as I know Sven Hellem showed up in that ce, and not only him, Marlis and Osvald were also with him, so that squad didn''t stand a chance."<sub> </sub>


    "Sven... Damn, I always wanted to be like him... Who would have thought that he was the reason we had so many problems, some of which still follow us." The man muttered with an angry look as he clenched his bloody fist.


    "As far as I know, all of this happened with Sven''s participation. I don''t know how, but he found the heir of the Nameless King and most likely yed no small part in making it happen." The woman said with a serious look as her eyes grew cold as ice.


    "Heir of the Nameless King...? Damn, so he really does exist, doesn''t he?" The man muttered while in disbelief as his eyes went wide, "Nameless King... Even though he died hundreds of years ago, he still gives us trouble. How did the heir evene to be...? I mean... how is it possible...?"


    "We don''t know. Probably no one knows, not even the heir himself. However, if we find out who it is and capture it, we''ll have our questions answered." The woman said in a slow voice.


    ...


    Sven, Osvald, and Marlis looked at the picture of darkness that was thergest of all as if it hid some special ce.


    "Well, well, that''s what it looks like." Sven said as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    "Hmm...? Wasn''t there only one human capable of creating these pictures...?" Marlis muttered with a confused look, "Moreover, this a human died long ago..."


    "Exactly, however, this is actually happening." Sven uttered with an excited look as he spread his arms out to his sides.


    ...


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The space beside the paintings cracked as it became progressively less stable. The picture in Death Shore had already begun to unfold, very slowly, but Wain could not take his eyes off it.


    Behind the darkness was a shroud of white energy as if on a rare exhibit in an auction that had had to be pulled off to see what was under it.


    "Go ahead, touch it, then the final part of this world will unfold." Abyss Artist said in a calm voice.


    Wain nodded as he put his palm to the painting.


    At the same time, the white veil disappeared as a powerful stream of energy fell upon Wain. It was like a flow of wind, strong but not hostile. It was dense and majestic energy.


    "Wee to the Land of the Gods."

 Chapter 764 The Awakening

    Step. Step. Step.


    A girl with long green hair and pointy ears walked in the dark forest, with a viscous purple liquid that was deadly poison dripping from the trees.


    Space trembled, but it didn''t bother her as she waited for this moment.


    "It has finally begun. Great. Now I can avenge what happened hundreds of years ago..." The girl muttered in a calm voice but in her eyes burned a me of hatred while a majestic aura emanated from her that even surpassed the level of Demigod.


    There were many dangerous creatures in the forest, whose venom would have easily seriously poisoned even an ordinary Dragon, but they all kept their distance from the girl as if knowing that against her they had no chance.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Slowly the girl emerged from the forest as she looked at the massive structure ahead. It was a huge-sized castle, ancient and impregnable as no living creature dared enter its territory. From the castle emanated an eerie aura that gave the girl goosebumps all over her body as soon as she saw it.


    ''Damn... This could really intimidate anyone... I''vee such a long way and reached the God Rank, but my legs still shake... Shit, it''s good that I''m prepared.'' The girl muttered inwardly as her ring shone brightly.


    A long dark dagger appeared in her hand, with a straight and indescribably sharp de. From the dagger emanated unusual energy, unlike anything else, the only thing that came to mind from this one was the silhouette of death, inescapable and final.


    ''I only have one shot, but... this dagger could kill even a Dragon Elder... One hit - one death.'' The girl said to herself as she headed for the castle gate.


    At this time in the Land of the Gods, portals were gradually opening in the form of paintings, so this was the very moment the girl was waiting to kill her target, once and for all.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The girl put her palm to the lock as her eyes sparkled, then dozens of magical circles appeared behind her, from which massive magical swords flew out. They easily broke through all the barriers on the gate andpletely destroyed it, while splinters flew away.


    She was an Elf, so her magical power was at a prohibitive point, considering her power level.


    In the center of the castle was a massive coffin, ck with patterns of flowing blood. It trembled slightly as if preparing to awaken.


    ''I''ve tried many times to destroy this coffin, but it''s just invulnerable, but now it''s time, isn''t it?'' The girl muttered inwardly as she nced at the dagger in her hand.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The coffin trembled as a thick dark mist emerged from beneath the lid, the lid lifted slightly and fell to the ground, shaking the whole castle because of its incredible weight. Then, from the coffin, a dark silhouette slowly rose with a calm and indifferent look.


    It was a tall man with long white hair that partially covered his broad shoulders. He had pale skin, eyes as red as blood, a pair of sharp fangs, and an icy gaze that seemed capable of frightening anyone. His athletic body was covered by a long, aristocratic ck coat with crimson edges.


    The man stretched himself after a long nap as the crunch of his bones for a while filled the castle, then he looked at the girl who was standing in the middle of the aisle.<sub> </sub>


    His gaze was as though a sharp de pierced the girl, examining her as her heart clenched and began to beat faster due to a fit of fear.


    "Elf... What are you doing here...? Your blood is disgusting... If you are my gift, the sender made a serious mistake. Come back, an appetizer like you is of no use to me..." The man said in a calm voice as he waved his hand.


    ''An appetizer...? What the fuck is he talking about...?! The girl inwardly eximed as a furious expression appeared on her face. She was in a rage that she wasn''t considered apetitor, or even a living being.


    Whoooooooosh.


    The girl''s silhouette blurred as she turned into a green sh, instantly reaching the man. At the same time, two magical circles appeared next to her, from which flew out energy des that severed the man''s arms.


    It was so fast that the man didn''t even have time to realize what had happened, and no emotion appeared on his face.


    "Die! This is revenge for my family!" The girl eximed in a thunderous voice as she plunged the dagger into the man''s chest.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The energy of death burst from the dagger as the man''s blue veins turned dark as if he had been infected with some dangerous virus,pletely incurable. Then, blood gushed from the corners of his mouth as well as from his eyes, nose, and ears.


    His body was literally falling apart, as his skin, flesh, and blood turned into literally nothing, scattering like dust in the air.


    "Maybe your regeneration is incredible, and you can even grow a new head, but you''re powerless against death! The girl spoke with a devious smile while her hateful gaze stared directly into the man''s eyes before turning the dagger.


    Crackle.


    The dagger shattered into small pieces as well as the man''s body. Itpletely disappeared from the world as not even a drop of blood or a hair was left. Someone as though just deleted him.


    "Agh... Agh... Agh..." The girl breathed heavily while her whole body trembled, "Did I do it...? Did I kill him...? I killed him!"


    It was the achievement of a lifetime for her as she had just killed one of the most dangerous creatures in the world.


    "Unbelievable... I can''t even believe it... It seems impossible..." The girl muttered with a mad look as waves of shivers went through her body.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly space distorted as if some force was literally crushing the fabric of the world. At that time, the girl''s eyes opened wide as her heart began to beat faster than ever before.

 Chapter 765 The Gift

    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space trembled violently as it twisted more and more as if someone was on the other side. Then, out of nowhere, a hand appeared as shards of space flew aside, and out came the same man the girl had just killed.


    Space was quickly restored as the shaking stopped.


    The man shook the dust off his coat, turned his neck a few times, and with a calm look said, "Death Ghost Dagger, right? It''s not a bad toy, but... you don''t seem to know who you''re trying to kill. It''s definitely not your level."


    Despite the fact that the man had just lost his arms and was destroyed to the veryst drop of blood, there were no injuries on his body. Moreover, he acted as if nothing serious had happened.


    "How...? How is it possible...? You''re dead... Even you couldn''t recover from nothing..." The girl muttered in a trembling voice while in disbelief.


    "At the end you said it was revenge for your family, right?" The man asked as he stared at her.


    The girl nodded, though she didn''t want to at all, as though her instincts made her do it.


    "I see... Looking into your eyes I remembered you and your family, it happened about 600 years ago, didn''t it? Well, I must say it was a mistake." The man uttered while shaking his head.


    "What...? Do you regret what you did...?" The girl asked with a dazed look as she took a step back.


    "Yeah." The man nodded.


    ''Does even someone like him understand whatpassion is...? It doesn''t change anything, but if he''s remorseful, then maybe I have a chance to get out of here alive...'' The girl muttered inwardly as she tried to figure out how to use this strange situation.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    The man stepped forward, and he appeared right in front of the girl.


    "Then I was hungry, so I had to kill your family. I did it for nothing, as your family blood actually tasted disgusting, just garbage." The man said with an ice-cold look as he touched the tip of his finger to the girl''s forehead.


    ''Garbage...? The girl inwardly muttered while her body was splitting apart due to the incredible pressure.


    The man''s power destroyed her as her body exploded. All that was left of the girl was a few specks of blood spreading across the stone floor of the castle.


    "Agh... After all these years I woke up and the first thing I saw was some girl, moreover she is an Elf, what a shame." The man sighed as he swung his hand.


    The blood was gone as there was nothing else to remind him that anyone had been there.


    Whoooooooooosh.<sub> </sub>


    There was a mighty rush of wind with a few flecks of me as someone appeared in the castle aisle. It was Krakos, whose eyes shone brightly and there was an excited smile on his face.


    "My Lord, you are finally awake." Krakos said in a respectful manner as he approached the man and knelt down.


    "Krakos... That''s right, I knew you wereing, though someone beat you to it." The man said in a calm voice as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?" Krakos asked with a confused look as he raised an eyebrow.


    "Never mind. It was just a little warm-up. Krakos, I hope you didn''te empty-handed." The man asked as he stared at Krakos.


    "Of course not. Though it happened by ident, I found something special for you." Krakos smirked and pulled a vial of scarlet blood from his belt.


    "What is it?" The man took the vial in his hands and opened it as a powerful aroma of blood rushed to his nose, absolutely special.


    "Human blood? Thest time I tasted it was years ago." The man uttered with a calm expression, then his eyes opened wide as he sensed something, "It can''t be... It''s the blood of the Nameless King... How could you get it? He died a long time ago... Was his blood hidden somewhere?"


    "No. I happened to meet the heir of Nameless King, so I decided to take his blood." Krakos said in a serious voice.


    "The heir of the Nameless King? But, he didn''t have children, I know that for a fact since he wanted to do it when it was over..." The man muttered while in confusion before taking a sip.


    Blood spilled down his throat as he immediately felt a rush of strength. For any vampire, unique blood was like a delicacy, especially at this level.


    "Well, if he has an heir, then that was part of his n. Is it possible to be an heir by ident unless by bloodline?" The man muttered in a thoughtful way as he moved the vial of blood into the ring.


    "I don''t know. The identity of the Nameless King is a true myth." Krakos said as he turned his head toward the lid of the coffin, "My Lord, what will you do next?"


    "Hmm... I guess I''ll just wait for now. More than that, I want to see how the world has changed in my absence. Though it has separated the Land of the Gods from the rest of the world, now all roads are open again." The man muttered while rubbing his chin before stepping forward toward the castle exit.


    "Things are changing rapidly, especially now. It''s not just me who''s awake, but the others as well." The man said in a calm voice as his eyes grew deeper.


    He saw what others were unable to detect. As in Lands of the Gods, several massive pirs of energy of different colors appeared. They were so powerful and dense that they looked like theing of beings for whom the rank of god is but a stepping stone to true power. Above the dark castle was a simr pir of energy that was no smaller than the others.


    "The Arkans have no choice, now they will have to act, they can no longer wait. However, it makes no sense for me to rush, because everything depends on what Sven is up to, his ns are inscrutable." The man told before to leave the castle as Krakos followed him.


    The only thing left in the castle was a coffin with something written on the lid.


    ''Alucard, Progenitor of Vampires, The Immortal.''

 Chapter 766 Levels

    Whooooooooosh.


    Wain walked through the paintings as he found himself on top of a hill with tall, dense green grass that offered a beautiful view of Lands of the Gods.


    "Unbelievable..." Wain muttered while in disbelief as a massive scarlet pir of energy appeared in the distance as if from blood, "The Gods actually live here?"


    ''Yeah... However, you have to understand something. God is not some invincible being, it''s moreplicated than you imagine.'' Abyss Artist said in a serious voice as he separated from Wain and appeared beside the tree, leaning against it.


    ''Well, then be kind enough to tell me more about it. Since it seems best not to rush into action now." Wain said as an excited smile appeared on his face.


    From time to time there was a shaking like that of a great earthquake. In the sky, there were asional powerful shes, each one exuding an indescribable aura that surpassed that of the monster in Death Shore. Wain just wanted to enjoy this sight before moving on.


    "Sure, this isn''t the best time to jump into the thick of things. It''s just chaos, totally out of control." Abyss Artist said in a calm voice as he crossed his arms over his chest.


    "Hah, didn''t you start all this?" Wain grinned and nced at Abyss Artist.


    "Well, you''re right. I did it, and everyone knows it!" The Abyss Artist eximed with a mad smirk on his face as his eyes opened wide, then he calmed down and said, "I''m getting carried away... Okay, let''s begin. First of all, you have to understand that the Fifth Chronicle creatures are many times stronger than the others. The gap between Fifth Chronicle and Fourth Chronicle is bigger than between Third Chronicle and First Chronicle."


    Wain nodded. Even though the monster in Death Shore was seriously wounded and had only a fraction of his true power, it was still a deadly battle that Wain barely won. Then he realized a little bit about how powerful Fifth Chronicle creatures can really be.


    "Fifth Chronicle is the end of the road. There is no Sixth Chronicle or anything like that." Abyss Artist spoke with a serious expression.


    "Ah...? After I evolve I won''t be able to get stronger anymore?" Wain asked with a confused look while in disbelief.


    He had been through many battles, amazing events, and encounters, but he didn''t feel like he was anywhere near the edge of strength. It seemed to him that there was still plenty of room for growth ahead.


    "Not really. Fifth Chronicle, like the other levels, is divided into several stages, so didn''t think that if you reached Fifth Chronicle you''d be invincible. You''ve probably met a few Fifth Chronicle ones before and you should know that they''re not equal to each other at all." Abyss Artist said as he stared at Wain.


    Wain wondered. He saw several Dragons, Aurora and also Sven, Marlis, and Osvald. They were the strongest creatures he had ever met.


    ''Hmm... Aurora was strong, but something tells me she was not up to Sven''s level. His aura is peculiar, secretive but all-consuming...'' Wain muttered inwardly as he nodded slightly.<sub> </sub>


    ''Anyway, the first stage is called Absolute. When you evolve and reach the Fifth Chronicle, you too will be Absolute, that''s the initial stage for anyone who has reached thest Chronicle." Abyss Artist said in a slow voice while staring at Wain as though he was hiding something.


    "They are the weakest of the Fifth Chronicle, right?" Wain asked with a serious look.


    "Yeah... Most of the creatures in Lands of the Gods, especially the monsters, are on the Absolute Stage." The Abyss Artist nodded in a confident manner.


    ''That monster in Dragon Ridge... It must have been Absolute, otherwise, its aura would have been much stronger. Damn, the more Abyss Artist speaks, the more I realize how weak I still am.'' Wain said to himself as he frowned.


    "The Absolute Stage is just the beginning. Nextes what you''ve already been crushed to fight, the Demigod Stage." The Abyss Artist said as his eyes became icy, "I''ll be honest with you. If that monster hadn''t been wounded, causing its power to be severely limited, it would have killed you in a few attacks. That''s the power of Demigod."


    "Sure. I understand that. Anyway, I''m not going to stop. I have to get stronger to get answers to my questions." Wain said with a serious look as his aura intensified.


    "Good answer. Well, now wee to the very end. This is the God Stage. You should already know what you have to do to reach this level, besides the abnormal amount of energy." Abyss Artist uttered.


    "Yeah... Someone with dictatorial tendencies told me that. To be God I must have followers. They have to believe in me as it will turn into a unique energy that will elevate me to a new level, isn''t it?" Wain asked as he waved his hand.


    "You said it right." Abyss Artist shrugged as though God Stage wasn''t worth the time.


    "God Stage..." Wain muttered, "You said God wasn''t an invincible being, but you also said it was the end. Is there something you''re not telling me? I know there''s another way to power besides the cult that''s just as good, maybe even better."


    The Abyss Artist was silent for a while, then he nced at Wain as though trying to pierce him with his gaze, and with a slight sigh said, "Yeah, of course, you know."


    "Nameless King was stronger than those on the God Stage, I''m sure of that, but he had a different path to strength, didn''t he? Tell me what it''s called and how to achieve it." Wain said with a deadly serious look while dense dark energy emanated from him.


    Wain knew from Aurora that it was necessary to achieve 100% blood purity, but for him, it was a condition for evolution, so it was not all that Nameless King did.


    "Okay. I''ll tell you about a level that counts higher than the God Stage. About the power that Nameless King was the first to discover, the power that all the Pir Progenitors, the strongest monsters, and the mightiest Arkans have followed." Abyss Artist uttered as his eyes grew deeper.


    Abyss Artist stared at Wain and said, "I will tell you about the Transcendence Stage."

 Chapter 767 The Target

    "Transcendence Stage...? What is that?" Wain muttered with a confused look.


    "It''s a power that''s separate from anything you''ve heard about before. To be perfectly urate, the Transcendence Stage isn''t above or below the God Stage, it''s just something different." Abyss Artist said in a calm voice.


    He looked into the distance at the massive pirs of energy and continued, "To reach the God Stage you need followers, in other words, your power depends on the number of followers and how strong their faith in you is."


    Wain nodded, "Yeah, that doesn''t work for me. It''s a real headache. Also, if someone kills all my followers who are obviously weaker than me, then my power as God is greatly diminished, isn''t it?"


    "Sure. You''re a quick thinker. However, the main disadvantage of the God Stage is that you are still dependent on this world and its energy." The Abyss Artist uttered as his eyes became deeper, "In order to reach the Transcendence Stage you must achieve 100% blood purity, so you give up the energy of this world. Then, toplete the transformation you must create your own energy."


    "Sounds pretty simple, but it seems to be much moreplicated in reality, right?" Wain asked in a curious manner.


    "Yeah." Abyss Artist nodded, "Many in the Fifth Chronicle know this, and almost everyone in the God Stage has tried to reach the Transcendence Stage, but only a few dozen have seeded."


    Wain thought for a while. He already knew that 100% blood purity was something only the most powerful beings could do, but now he had another condition.


    "Hmm... You said the Pir Progenitors are in the Transcendence Stage, didn''t you? So... What about the Dragon Elders?" Wain asked with a serious look as the Dragons were strong in any Chronicle.


    "They''re in the God Stage. Only the Dragon Progenitor is in the Transcendence Stage, however, don''t underestimate the Dragon Elders. There are certain divisions in the God Stage as well, as everyone has a different number of followers and the quality of the followers also affects a lot." Abyss Artist said in a calm voice with a confident expression.


    "I see... One Dragon follower is far more important to God than a thousand monsters in the Third Chronicle..." Wain muttered in a thoughtful manner as his eyes widened temporarily.


    "Exactly, but... You shouldn''t underestimate monsters. There''s a widely held belief that monsters are far weaker than other races, especially the Pirs, but things change in Fifth Chronicle." Abyss Artist said as he looked at the cliff in the distance, "Look, we''re lucky someone''s fighting already."


    Wain turned as he immediately felt a powerful aura emanating from the two creatures.


    There was a monster and Axalt fighting in front of a rock, in a field of many blue flowers. The monster had long blue hair, a lean body, and many long des on his arms and legs. Axalt was a tall man with short ck hair and an azure sword.


    "They are both on the Demigod Stage. If they were in the Fourth Chronicle, Axalt would definitely win, but in the Fifth Chronicle, it''s not at all obvious..." Abyss Artist said with a calm look as though he already knew the oue of the battle.


    Whooooooosh.


    Axalt''s sword glowed brightly as he swung his sword, unleashing a massive energy de on the monster. The monster responded by putting his arms out in front of him, using his many des like a shield.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble


    The energy de exploded, causing a powerful shockwave to spread for hundreds of meters around.


    The monster iled its arms dispersing the energy and with a calm look muttered, "Is that the best you can do? Your attack couldn''t even prate my shield, though I don''t specialize in defense at all."<sub> </sub>


    "What...? No damage...?" Axalt muttered with a dazed look while in disbelief.


    Whooooooooosh.


    The monster''s silhouette blurred as he turned into a dark sh, instantly reaching the man.


    "Speed attacks are my forte, so... you were unlucky to meet me. Although, you only have yourself and your weakness to me." The monster said with an ice-cold look as his pupils narrowed. Then, two long, sharpest des as if scissors closed around Axalt''s neck.


    Crackle.


    The man''s head flew high up as a fountain of bright blood gushed from his neck, flooding the blue flowers around him.


    "What...? Just like that...? Is that normal?" Wain muttered in a dazed as he could not believe what he saw.


    He had fought monsters many times, but all of his toughest fights had been with someone from the Pirs, except for thest time.


    "Well... This Axalt was weaker than I thought. He seemed to be on the lower edge of Demigod, so against such a dangerous monster he had no chance. All of this monster''s strength is concentrated in fast and deadly attacks." Abyss Artist said as he shrugged in a careless manner, "Watch what happens next."


    Crackle.


    The monster swung his hand as the sharp de sliced through the man''s stomach, then out of Axalt''s body flew a massive red soul that contained a tremendous amount of energy.


    "Ascendant Soul...?" Wain muttered with a confused look, "Was he strong enough to have such a rare Soul?"


    "Huh, that monster''s soul must be Legendary." The Abyss Artist grinned, then his look became serious, "Many creatures in the Demigod Stage have souls that are Legendary, and every God has a soul at least Legendary."


    "At least...?" Wain uttered with a puzzled expression as he was about to ask something, but suddenly the Abyss Artist looked again at the monster, which began to absorb a soul.


    Red streams of energy headed toward the monster as its aura greatly intensified. At the same time, a blue glow appeared on some of the des as the monster grew slightly taller andrger.


    "What...? It evolved so fast...?" Wain said while in disbelief.


    "Yeah. If it had absorbed the Legendary Soul, the changes would have been more drastic." Abyss Artist shrugged, "Okay, viewing is over, let''s get back to the conversation."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly a powerful pressure came over Wain as the monster looked directly at him, even though the distance between them was several kilometers.

 Chapter 768 Aura

    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Powerful pressure came down on Wain as the monster was unhappy that someone was following him.


    "Fuck... This is no good... Against Demigod I don''t stand a chance. My head will fly off to the side like Axalt..." Wain muttered with a frowned look as he took a step back.


    In response, the monster moved forward. Though the distance between them was great, such a fast and strong creature could ovee it in a few seconds and reach Wain quickly.


    "Don''t rush away... It won''t attack you." The Abyss Artist muttered in a calm voice as his gaze became as sharp as a deadly de.


    "Hmm? What the hell are you talking about? You''re safe as only I can see you, but I can''t beat a monster on the Demigod Stage, no matter how hard I try. That''s too damn bad!" Wain uttered with a serious look as he clenched his hand into a fist.


    "Just watch..." Abyss Artist whispered and his eyes became as cold as millennia-old ciers.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A powerful pressure came over the monster that sent shivers down its spine. The monster was puzzled as the pressure was noting from Wain, it was to the left as though from the tree beside him.


    ''Fine, now you can see me.'' Abyss Artist inwardly muttered as his eyes went wide.


    At the same time, the monster saw something terrible. It was a creature whose body was covered in a thick dark mist out of it were visible only two blue eyes that seemed to be able to devour the monster''s soul with just a nce.


    ''What is it...? The monster inwardly muttered as it took a few steps back, ''Does this guy have a keeper or is it just an illusion...?''


    The monster looked at Wain, then at the tree, and turned into a dark sh that headed in the opposite direction.


    ''What happened? Did you scare it away...?" Wain asked with a confused look as he raised an eyebrow.


    "Something like, it decided you weren''t worth risking your life for. However, it might not work next time, so you need to get stronger as soon as possible. When you reach the Fifth Chronicle, a lot of things will change." Abyss Artist muttered as his aura calmed.


    "Well... It won''t be easy. My terms were not at all what I expected..." Wain muttered while rubbing his cheek, "I expected it to be something difficult, but in the end, I don''t even know what exactly I should do."


    [To evolve you must meet the following conditions]


    [You must achieve 100% blood purity.]


    [You must unlock the seventh form]


    [You must be ??? or ????]<sub> </sub>


    [You must get ????]


    ''Agh... Of the four conditions I''ve only done one as about two, I don''t even know what they are.'' Wain inwardly muttered while shaking his head.


    "Don''t worry. Your power is as unique as the situation, so there''s no surprise in that. If you want to reach the Fifth Chronicle as soon as possible, you must follow one simple rule." Abyss Artist said with a serious look as he raised a finger, "Do whatever you can to be stronger, and then the power will find you. There''s no point in thinking of an answer if you don''t even know where to start, do what you can to do."


    Wain was silent for a moment, then he nodded meaningfully as if he had decided on a n for the future.


    "Abyss Artist, tell me, why did you create a barrier between the Land of the Gods and the rest of the world? Why did Nameless King ask you to do this?" Wain asked in a slow voice while looking ahead.


    The Abyss Artist was taken by surprise at such a question, but after a few seconds he smirked and in a mysterious manner said, "You will know it when you reach the Fifth Chronicle, then I will let you see my memory."


    "A memory...? Right, Ipletely forgot about that. What about the special skill?" Wain asked as he waved his hand.


    After the appearance of the seventh form, there were many incredible events for which Wain waspletely unprepared, so he had to learn about this from such a mysterious form as the Abyss Artist.


    "I will reveal it to you during the recollection. It will have to happen at a special moment. Do you have any more questions for me or can we move on?" Abyss Artist asked with a calm look.


    "Nah... I get it. Lands of the Gods is actually a dangerous ce, but I''m used to it now I have no other choice anyway." Wain said while shaking his head as the seal on his palm glowed brightly.


    Whoooooooosh.


    A long dark sword appeared in his hand, its de half-filled with purple runes that shed from time to time.


    "dius, thest shard we got was in Dragon World and I have a feeling the next one is here, isn''t it?" Wain asked with a slight smile on his face.


    At the same time, the Abyss Artist grinned and disappeared, joining the other forms in Wain''s mind.


    "Yeah. I sense where the shard is, it will be thest and most difficult. Are you sure you want to go after it right now?" dius asked in a serious manner.


    "Sure. I''m just following the advice of my new friend. Finding yourst shard is the only and most obvious way for me to get stronger, so let''s do it." Wain said in a calm voice as a ripple rippled through the air beside him and a powerful stream of energy burst forth.


    "Hah, okay. Then we must go there." dius grinned as he directed a stream of energy to the side to show Wain the way.


    Wain looked straight there and his eyes went wide. In the distance was a massive white tree that glowed brightly while the roots of the tree were dark and exuded an ominous miasma.

 Chapter 769 Art

    Whoooooooosh.


    Wain like a dark sh was heading toward a massive tree with an unusual aura. The tree was indescribablyrge, muchrger than the one in the Forgotten Forest of Elves, so Wain had hundreds of miles to cover before he got there.


    ''Damn... I thought I could do this on my own, but it looks like I''ll need help...'' Wain muttered inwardly as he stopped in the middle of the jungle, between several hills.


    His aura intensified as a golden spark appeared in his eyes. Wain was ready to use the sixth form, but suddenly his pupils narrowed as a dark sword appeared in his hand.


    Crackle.


    A shadow appeared in front of him as two massive fists rained down on him from top to bottom, intending to bury him beneath the ground.


    Wain blocked the attack and jumped aside as the shadow did the same.


    "Well, well, I''ve only run a few kilometers, but I''ve already been attacked by someone, it was unexpected." Wain said with a slight smile on his face while shaking his head.


    Tap.


    On massive vines between two trees hung a creature that had just attacked Wain. It was a massive monkey with thick brown fur and massive paws like hammers. The monkey looked at Wain with an exciting smile, examining him.


    "Monkey, right? I''ve never had such an adversary, though that''s not surprising, since we''re in the jungle." Wain shrugged as his aura intensified and energy headed toward his arm.


    ''Hold on.'' Abyss Artist suddenly said as his hand appeared on Wain''s shoulder, ''Don''t be in such a hurry.''


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?" Wain asked with a frowned look as he had no time to talk at all.


    ''You want to fight this monkey, I understand, it''s at the limit of Fourth Chronicle too, but wouldn''t you rather use something other than your energy for that?'' Abyss Artist asked as a sly smile formed on his face.


    ''Hah... I think I''m beginning to know what you''re talking about...'' Wain muttered inwardly while looking at the thick darkness around Abyss Artist.


    "Yeah. I opened the portals to Lands of the Gods, but you still haven''t really used my powers. Maybe you don''t have much skill or a second appearance yet, but... against an opponent like that, it will be more than enough." The Abyss Artist uttered as he nced at the monkey, then disappeared, turning into clots of darkness.


    At the same time, Wain''s appearance changed as he became much like the Abyss Artist, but one detail remained unchanged, the long dark sword in his hand.


    ''dius, I respect you immensely, but this is no time at all for you.'' Abyss Artist said in a sly way as the sword was covered in a dark mist.


    ''Fog...? Damn, it looks almost exactly like the fog from my world... Well, the abilities of the Abyss Artist are heavily crossed with darkness, so... it should be interesting.'' Wain inwardly muttered while looking at the mist that seemed able to hypnotize him.


    Whooooooooosh.


    The fog dispelled as a dark brush with an eerie aura appeared in his hand.


    "Hmm? I roughly understand what your abilities are, but I think you overestimate me..." Wain muttered as he turned the brush in his hand, "I''m terrible at drawing, it would be a shame."<sub> </sub>


    ''Hah, you might be right, but you don''t need to be an artist to use my power, just concentrate and let the energy take the shapes you want, then it''ll go better than you can imagine.'' Abyss Artist said before disappearing from Wain''s mind. He left him alone as darkness appeared deep in Wain''s eyes, very much like fog.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    The monkey got tired of waiting as it jumped high up and put its paws together, about to bring them down on Wain again. The monkey''s paws were covered in a thickyer of ice, which made them much heavier and stronger.


    "Ice, right? Well... Though it''s not really my style, but it looks like I have no other choice, I have to try it." Wain muttered as he swung with a brush.


    He made just a few strokes that left two streaks of darkness in the air. For a moment they just hovered in the air, then they turned into a thick mist that transformed into two unusual creatures. They looked like imps from hell, with wide mouths and cruel eyes.


    Wain raised his hand, pointing at the monkey and the imps immediately understood why they were created.


    The imps opened their mouths wide as two massive streams of bright red me burst forth. The heat made the air ripple and the ground next to the imps charred.


    The monkey''s eyes went wide as it realized that such powerful mes would burn it to the ground, so the monkey had only one way to survive, to lower the temperature low enough.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ice on the monkey''s paws increased dramatically as it quickly turned into a massive ice shield that seemed to be able to absorb any amount of me.


    Bam.


    The ice and fire collided with each other and immediately there was arge amount of steam the ice began to melt at a tremendous rate as the water evaporated, but the monkey gradually approached the ground.


    ''Damn... It wasn''t as easy as I thought...'' Wain inwardly muttered as he swung with a brush once more.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Behind him, a rift appeared from which several dark hands emerged. They dragged Wain into the gap as he disappeared.


    At the same time, the Monkey reached the ground as its massive paws copsed on the imps.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The impact caused a powerful jolt as the ground cracked and split into several parts while a powerful shock wave spread for hundreds of meters around, scaring the birds from the trees.


    Crackle.


    A gape appeared on the branch of one of the trees as Wain stepped out. He looked thoughtfully at the destruction, then at the monkey, and muttered, "I think I''m beginning to understand... I have yet to learn all the possibilities of the seventh form, but I am definitely ready for the battles in Gods of the Lands."


    Wain was calm while the monkey, on the other hand, was incredibly angry because of the severe burns on his paws.

 Chapter 770 Ice

    "That was my first attack, but you''ve already taken some serious wounds, looks like you picked an opponent, not your level, doesn''t it?" Wain muttered with a calm look while looking directly at the monkey as his gaze literally pierced the beast.


    The monkey shuddered in fear, but even though a shiver went through its body, the monkey''s eyes still shone brightly as it had no intention of giving up after receiving such wounds.


    Roooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrr!!!


    The monkey roared furiously as from under the ground, dozens of ice spikes appeared between the cracks, aiming straight for Wain.


    He took a step back as he was about to dodge, but suddenly Wain''s eyes widened. He realized that this was a good opportunity to test his new abilities.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Wain swung with a brush as a dark, dense wall of thick chains appeared before him. Wain wanted to create an imprable barrier, like an impregnable fortress, so he got the desired result.


    The spikes crashed into the wall, but they just shattered into small shards. The wall was too strong for the thin spikes to withstand such powerful pressure.


    Roooooooooaaaaaaarrrrr!!!


    The monkey quickly realized that its attack was useless against Wain''s defenses, so the beast decided to change tactics while it was still possible. Massive waves of energy departed from the monkey as many ice spikes turned into one massive one that started spinning as though a drill.


    "Hah, you want to try to get me with one powerful attack? Well, you can try if you want." Wain grinned as a devious smile appeared on his face.


    Crackle.


    The ice spike reached the barrier as several cracks immediately appeared on the wall, which quickly grew as though a spider''s web. The wall was gradually copsing, but Wain was ready for it as at his will the chains on the wall began to move.


    They struck each other with tremendous speed, creating a sawtooth effect as they approached the ice spike. The monkey could no longer stop his attack, so when the chains reached the spike it was destroyed, shattered into hundreds of pieces.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Wain waved his hand as the wall disappeared. He looked at the monkey and with a smirk on his face said, "You''re damn big and strong, but doesn''t that mean you''re slow? Let''s check it out!"


    Wain swung with a brush a few times as four hellhound-like monsters appeared beside him. Purple electrical discharges appeared from time to time on the bodies of the monsters while sparks were in their wild eyes.


    "Let''s go." Wain said with a calm look as he pointed at Monkey.


    At the same time, the four hounds pounced on the wild beast as though deadly hunters. They moved with tremendous speed as they were followed by a plume of lightning.


    The monkey immediately raised its paws high as it was about to defend itself, but suddenly four identical wounds appeared on the monkey''s body, from which blood gushed. The hounds appeared behind the beast as dark drops of blood dripped from their sharp fangs and one of them had a piece of flesh with thick fur in its mouth.


    "Good job. Now let''s do it again, I don''t think that huge Monkey had time to figure out what happened." Wain said in a slow voice but his words terrified Monkey.<sub> </sub>


    Whoooooooooosh.


    At hismand, the hounds turned into shes of lightning as they reappeared beside Monkey, their jaws wide open. Their fangs were about to reach the beast''s flesh when suddenly a wave of cold steam fell upon them that instantly turned them into icy statues.


    Bam.


    The monkey struck the ground with his paws as the shockwave destroyed the hounds, shattering them into several pieces.


    "Hmm? So that''s not all you can do? Fine, the more you hold out the better for me." Wain muttered while looking at his opponent with a curious look.


    A multitude of icy runes appeared on Monkey''s body that was visible even through his thick fur. The ground around him was quickly covered in a thickyer of ice as all wounds, burns, and minor scratches were frozen and slowly recovering.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A powerful stream of energy burst out of the Monkey as the energy turned into a pir that rushed towards the heavens. It wasn''t as big as the ones that appeared at the beginning, the Monkey Pir looked ridiculous inparison, but there was still a huge amount of energy here.


    Crackling.


    There was a crackling sound as though from the bones as Monkey''s appearance began to change. Its brown fur turned blue, armored shoulder pads appeared on it and icy growths like knuckles grew on its paws.


    The pir of energy disappeared as a powerful current of wind came up, making Wain''s coat and his hair flutter while he stared at the monkey with his eyes wide open as though he had seen something unbelievable.


    "What... The monster used the Form...? Hahaha... Maybe this Monkey is at the limit of Fourth Chronicle, but the monsters in Lands of the Gods, that''s something different..." Wain muttered with a dazed but excited look as he realized how much he had underestimated this ce.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    The monkey mmed his fists into each other several times, causing each time a shock wave of ice to freeze everything around him. One of them reached Wain and left a thinyer of ice on his cheek.


    The monster stared at Wain as if expecting a response from him.


    "Agh... Do you want to know if I agree to fight you now? Well, now our fight goes from mortalbat to a duel, but that''s even better!" Wain eximed with a mad expression as he jumped down and arge amount of energy gathered at the tip of the Abyss Brush.


    From Wain emanated an eerie, dark aura that gradually filled everything around him while his eyes engulfed Monkey with their gaze.


    "It may be a duel now, but I can''t promise you that you''ll stay alive, since I just had a great idea!" Wain eximed as he swung with his brush.


    At the same time, a faint spark appeared in the air, above the jungle.

 Chapter 771 Meteor

    Monkey used its Form, which was a surprise to Wain, but it only increased his desire to fight since he could now use the abilities of Abyss Artist at a higher level.


    "If you can survive this attack, I promise I won''t kill you. So do your best!" Wain eximed with an excited look as he swung with a brush.


    At the same time, a massive pressure came down on Monkey as a pir of dark energy burst out of Wain that was visible from hundreds of meters around. Abyss Brush erupted in dark mes as a spark appeared in the air that began to destroy space.


    Space in Lands of the Gods was much stronger than in any other worlds or zones, so it took Wain a lot of strength to get a few cracks in the air.


    "Damn... It''s pretty strong, but all I have to do is use more energy!" Wain spoke with a smirk on his face as his aura intensified.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Space copsed as a massive dark sphere flew out of a small gap that was like a meteor. Gradually parts separated from the sphere, making its shape non-ideal while a plume of dark energy remained behind the meteor.


    The monkey frowned as it realized that it was impossible to dodge such an attack, the kill radius was toorge, so the only option was to either defend itself or try to destroy the meteor.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    The runes on the monkey''s body glowed brightly as frosty streams erupted from cracks in the ground. They quickly turned into a strong, icy shield thatpletely protected Monkey, so the meteor was sure to collide with it.


    "Hahaha, you think the ice will save you! That''s your big mistake!" Wain eximed as a speck of darkness appeared in his eyes.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Suddenly, a wide jaw with sharp teeth and an eerie aura opened on the meteor. Then, the meteor reached the ice shield as the teeth sank into it and began to grind the ice, destroying it with each clench.


    Monkey''s eyes grew wide as a shiver spread through its body, but it had just enough time toe to its senses and figure out how to act.


    Whooooooooosh.


    The monkey leaped forward, touched the shield with its wide palms, and channeled all its energy into it. The shield became much stronger as the destroyed parts began to recover, but the meteor seemed not to intend to stop.


    "Decided to try to defend against my attack? Well, that was a mistake, there''s no way you can stop it!" Wain said with a devious look as he released energy.


    A few more pieces broke off from the meteor as it became smaller but much more powerful. The jaws began to close faster, breaking the ice and gradually getting closer to Monkey.


    Drip. Drip. Drip.


    Scarlet streams flowed from the corners of the beast''s mouth as drops of blood fell to the frozen ground. The monkey was struggling to cope with the previous pressure, so now it seemed to be over.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Blue runes appeared on the shield, the same as on Monkey''s body, and shone brightly, then the shield began to change, shrinking around the meteor as though an ice prison.


    "Ah... Looks like I was wrong... It was a trap, wasn''t it? Fine, that''s much better." Wain grinned as he took a few steps back, preparing for what would happen next.


    Monkey''s hand was covered in a thickyer of ice as it struck the ice sphere with all its might. The impact caused a shockwave that with an icy wind froze the treetops.<sub> </sub>


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Cracks appeared in the sphere, as did the meteor, which seemed likely to copse at any moment. A wide grin appeared on the monkey''s face as if it were a real achievement for the beast to pull off such an attack.


    "Good luck." Wain said as a slight smile appeared on his face before he swung with a brush.


    Behind him came a gape as dark hands dragged him inside.


    Monkey didn''t see it, as all his attention was concentrated on the meteor that was already falling apart.


    Tremble.


    Suddenly a shudder went through Monkey''s body as his eyes opened wide as he realized that there was something else inside the meteor. A bright, white light burst out from beneath the wide cracks.


    Boooooooooooooom.


    The meteor was destroyed as the energy inside burst out and triggered an explosion of enormous force. The monkey quickly put his hands out in front of him, covering them with ice, as it was the most the beast could do to save his life.


    The explosion threw Monkey back hundreds of meters it destroyed everything around him. Then, a massive crater appeared in the dense jungle, several tens of meters wide as though a real meteor had fallen there.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The monkey dug its thick fingers into the ground, trying to stop as the momentum was too strong. The monkey broke through hundreds of trees and rocks with its back before stopping on the shore of a smallke, scaring away all the fish.


    The monkey''s body was covered with numerous burns, especially his hands, but even though the beast was in the midst of the explosion, it was still alive and breathing slowly.


    Whooooooooosh.


    A gape opened before the monkey as a man in a long dark coat emerged from it. Wain swung with a brush as he undid the action of the seventh form and with a calm look headed toward Monkey.


    Monkey flinched as it tried to get to its feet and defend itself, but it didn''t have enough strength to lift even a hand.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Wain walked up to the monkey, stared into its eyes, and ced his palm on the beast''s chest. Wain''s eyes seemed to engulf the beast, causing its heart to beat faster, then a smile appeared on Wain''s face as his gaze stopped being so frightening.


    p. p. p.


    Wain patted Monkey on the chest and in a benevolent manner said, "Hah, you shouldn''t be so scared, at this rate your heart will burst into pieces. It would be a shameful death, especially after a fight like that, wouldn''t it?"


    Monkey was puzzled for a while, then it began to remember Wain''sst words.


    "I keep my word. You managed to survive thest attack, so I won''t kill you. Good luck." Wain shrugged before heading forward while slowly waving his hand.

 Chapter 772 The Way To The Tree

    In Lands of the Gods, many events were happening every minute. Some were important like the awakening of one of the Progenitors of the Pirs, or quite insignificant like battles between two men or monsters.


    At that time, Wain was heading toward a massive tree, using the power of a Light Racer. The golden beam crossed hundreds of meters, gradually approaching the tree.


    From time to time, Wain was attacked by monsters that were as strong as Monkey, but Wain did not waste time on them since they could not catch up with him anyway. He fought Monkey to see what the power of Abyss Artist was capable of, so there was no need for other opponents.


    ...


    "Damn... That tree is actually very far away. It will take him at least an hour to get there." Code of Light and Darkness muttered with a worried look.


    "Well, that''s not surprising, although I could get there in ten minutes, no, seven would be enough for me." Light Racer said with a confident look as he crossed his arms.


    "Hah, you''ve always been more confident in your speed than anything else..." Blind Sorcerer chuckled while shaking his head, "What a pity he can''t use all our powers, though in that case even his body was torn apart."


    While Wain running, the forms were talking to each other, Wain could not hear them as then he would have many questions to which he could not yet have answers.


    The only one who was silent was the Abyss Artist. He just stared at the dark gate with a pensive look. Several spirits flew beside him as his gaze gradually grew deeper.


    "dius..." Abyss Artist muttered as he turned to the others, "Come here. I need to talk to you. We all need this."


    At that moment, everyone''s eyes became deadly serious as if they were all thinking the same thing.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    A dark stream of wind appeared next to the massive soul as a tall, muscr man emerged from the darkness. dius'' aura was now much stronger than before, as it wasparable to one of form.


    "It''s been a while, hasn''t it?" Abyss Artist said with a slight smile on his face.


    "Yeah... It''s good to see you. Even though it''s been more than five hundred years, I remember everything as though it happened yesterday." dius grinned as he nodded.


    "It''s good that you''re okay." The Abyss Artist smiled, then he took a step forward and his gaze became as sharp as deadly des, "Wain is heading for thest shard... You understand what could happen, right?"


    "Yes." dius nodded in a serious manner, "You think I''m being hasty?"


    The Abyss Artist nced at the gate that held back the eerie dark chains and said, "No... but we must be prepared for it since there is a small chance that a surge of this energy will be enough."


    "Sure. I don''t feel like there''s any serious threat near my shard. I was wrongst time, but now... I can see everything clearly..." dius muttered as his eyes sparkled.


    Whooooooooosh.


    dius'' gaze flickered forward, crossing dozens of kilometers in an instant. It reached the tree, and rushed toward its summit, directly toward the shard.


    The shard was in the body of a massive monster that slept on top of the tree. The shard constantly transmitted energy to the monster, making it stronger.


    "Fourth Chronicle... Fine, that''s it. Although, my shard couldn''t interest a Fifth Chronicle creature in Lands of the Gods." dius said in a slow voice.


    "Fine. In that case, Wain will easily get the shard and be much stronger. That way he can reach the Fifth Chronicle faster." The Abyss Artist muttered with a thoughtful look.


    All forms nodded as silence fell. All that went ording to n as Abyss Artist absolutely trusted dius and hadplete confidence in their abilities, but something still bothered him.


    ''What a strange feeling...Wain is very strong now, also all of us here as well as dius, but for some reason, I distinctly sense danger... but I can''t understand where it ising from. Is that monster that strong...? Nah... it''s impossible... then maybe I''m worrying too much?'' Abyss Artist inwardly muttered while looking at the chains around the gate.


    The chains trembled slightly from time to time as though they were ready to break at any moment, but they needed a powerful momentum to do so.


    ...


    Crackle.


    Space shattered as on the tall stone cliff, three persons appeared with incredibly powerful auras. It was Lands of the Gods, but it was very far away, almost on the edge and next to another powerful space.


    "Well, well... It''s been so many years, but nothing has changed here." Sven said with a sly smile on his face.


    "Damn... This ce brings back memories... Not the best..." Marlis muttered as goosebumps ran down her body.


    "Hahaha, we did a lot of crazy things back then! Although, if we hadn''t, the Arkans probably would have taken over the world by now. It''s a good thing we figured out which side to take in time." Osvaldughed as hisughter shook the air around him.


    Ahead, among hundreds of tall stone pirs and several massive mountains was a very old structure, but from it still emanated a strange, majestic aura, not inferior to the one exuded by Sven.


    It was an old castle, nearly ruined by the battles in which it was involved and the time that like corrosion was slowly destroying away at the stone.


    "Huh, five hundred years ago there were so many battles fought here. Though it wasn''t the main battlefield, it was the main stage for us." Sven grinned as he stepped forward.


    The space beside him distorted as if it didn''t want to prevent him from passing, then they found themselves in the main square of the castle.


    There was nothing here but ruined walls and a massive broken stone altar with a few drops of long-dried dark blood on it.


    Sven looked down as if he could see through the walls and said, "Let''s check out what''s in there before someone else gets here."

 Chapter 773 Nothing

    Sven, Osvald, and Marlis headed down into the depths of the castle. There were wide passageways with many pirs, most of which were ruined. They led to different passages, but Sven followed exactly the same path since he knew what he wanted to find.


    "Hey, are you sure we need this? Isn''t it better to leave this ce alone? Nothing''s happened here for five hundred years, so it''s better not to interfere, isn''t it?" Marlis asked with a confused look as she tilted her head.


    "Soon the rest of the Arkans wille here, and I would not want a battle of historical proportions to happen here again. They could have gotten here before the barriers were removed if they wanted to, but... it wasn''t necessary. I''m sure they would have wanted to wait a few hundred more years until enough energy had gathered." Sven uttered with serious looks as he approached the massive gate.


    On the gate was a drawing of a five-pointed star, the standard insignia for every Arkans except the strongest, that broke the limits.


    Sven touched the gate with his fingertips and the space beside him distorted just as a powerful stream of wind appeared as though due to a vacuum.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The gate shattered into massive debris as Sven passed them along with Marlis and Osvald.


    There was a massive sarcophagus in the room as if someone very important had been buried here. An unusual aura emanated from the coffin,parable to that of the Progenitors of the Pirs.


    Sven approached the coffin, threw the lid aside, and his eyes opened wide for a moment. In the coffiny a skeleton in a white robe. On the bones, there were several smears of dark paint. It meant nothing to the average person, but Sven could clearly see the sign of the star since he knew better than anyone else whoy in that coffin.


    "Hah, this brings back memories. How much effort it took us to make that bastard finally die! Ahahahahaha, his guards were some of the strongest in the Arkans, but we made it!" Osvald eximed as hisughter shook the air, causing dust to fall from the ceiling.


    "Yeah... but it''s a relic of the past." Sven shrugged as he waved his hand.


    At that moment, an unknown force threw the skeleton outward and it fell to the ground. The bones were so heavy that cracks appeared on the floor as shivers ran throughout the castle.


    Marlis nced at the skeleton, as such strength of bones that were over 500 years old was important proof that this skeleton belonged to the one they killed.


    "Fine, now let''s check out what we came here for." Sven muttered with a calm look as he clenched his hand into a fist.


    Energy gathered around his fist, the weight of which made space twist as if Sven were crumpling the fabric of the world. Then, he slowly lowered his fist onto the coffin.


    He did it leisurely, but in a moment his fist had already reached the stone b that concealed the secret bottom.


    Crack. Crackle. Crackle.


    There was a powerful surge of energy as the ground shook as if from a very powerful earthquake. Cracks appeared in the stone b as it shattered into many pieces, revealing the main treasure of this castle.


    A bright blue light burst out from beneath the coffin that filled the entire room, gradually the light weakened as Osvald and Marlis walked over to the coffin and looked at the contents.


    "Well, well, it looks just as magical as before." Osvald said with a wide smile on his face.


    The coffin contained a blue, energetic rectangle to which energy was constantly flowing through special channels resembling veins. They shuddered from time to time, causing the rectangle to re up.


    Marlis, unlike Osvald, was more serious as she frowned. Her explorer instincts told her that something was wrong here.


    Crackling.


    Sven broke the rectangle as a powerful stream of energy burst out. This energy was ten times purer than Soul Pearls and much denser. However, it was just a side effect, not worth their attention.


    "What...? It''s empty...?" Sven muttered with a dazed look as his eyes went wide.


    The rectangle was a barrier that hid the main treasure, but there was only energy here, nothing more.


    "Fuck... So the Arkans beat us to it?" Osvald uttered with a confused look while rubbing his chin in a careless manner.


    "No. That''s impossible. We certainly came here first. There was no point in the Arkansing here before the barrier was removed, especially since they were trying so hard to reim space and keep it from happening." Sven said with a serious look as his pupils narrowed.


    "Then... who took it...? Did some monster do it?" Marlis surmised as she waved her hand.


    "No..." Sven shook his head, "Maybe some monster could havee to this ce by ident, but only the Arkans know what''s here."


    "Hmm... In that case, did someone like us do this? Someone who has his own n and doesn''t obey the general system?" Osvald muttered with a puzzled expression.


    Sven''s eyes went wide as he smirked, "Osvald, you''re a genius. There''s no one like us from the old generation. They were either all killed or couldn''t take the pressure, but... there''s a tiny chance it was someone from the new generation. In that case, it all falls into ce, but I have to make sure."


    Sven took a step back, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. Streams of energy headed toward him as he opened his eyes shining brightly like two stars from whose light nothing could hide. Then, several waves of ripples went through the entire castle and Sven was able to see what others could not.


    He could clearly see the white trails that the silhouette was leaving behind, heading toward this room. The silhouette did not destroy the gate, instead, it just opened it, disassembled the sarcophagus, took the object under the treasury, and left the same way, returning everything to its original appearance. It was all done to the highest level so that no one would ever guess it.


    "Yeah... I turned out to be right." Sven said with a slight nod as his eyes returned to normal, "It was someone from a new generation."

 Chapter 774 Skeleton

    "A new generation, right? Ahahaha, great! I''m d that even after all these years there''s someone who went against the system as we did! How many were there?" Osvald asked with an exciting look while keeping his hands at his sides.


    "Just one." Sven said with a calm look since now everything was under his control again.


    "Hmm? Just one...? Damn... I was hoping for at least ten! Damn! Then it''s no fun at all." Osvald said with a frustrated expression while shaking his head.


    "You shouldn''t be so frivolous. Even if this Arkan went against the system it doesn''t mean he has the same goals as us. Until we prove otherwise, this one is as much of an enemy as anyone else." Marlis said with a serious look as she crossed her arms over her chest.


    "Yeah... I agree with Marlis, however, now we just need to find out who it was. Once we figure that out we can make the right decision. The most important thing is that IT didn''t get to the Arkans. We beat them, but we weren''t the fastest." Sven muttered in a slow voice as he swung his arm.


    Space split in two as a portal opened in front of him, leading hundreds of kilometers away.


    "Come, there is nothing more for us to do here. Though the treasury turned out to be empty, our main objective is aplished. Arkans didn''t get IT and that''s the most important thing. Now we just have to wait, I''m sure we''ll soon find out who was here." Sven muttered before entering the portal.


    Marlis and Osvald looked at each other and followed Sven. The three of them had always followed the same path, though, after the great war, the world had frozen for a while, but now everything was in motion again.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    About thirty minutes after they left, the space next to the castle trembled. A massive seal appeared in the air, and a portal opened from which several people emerged. All of them had star tattoos on their chests with the number six inside.


    Ahead of them walked a tall man, with short red hair and a stiff look. In the center of his star was the number - ''7''. His star trembled from time to time as if it was ready to turn into something more powerful.


    The group immediately headed towards the tomb and as soon as they saw the ruined gate they knew they had been beaten.


    "Fuck! What the fuckers did that?!" The man eximed with a furious expression as he brought his fist down on the wall.


    Crack. Crack. Crack.


    Massive cracks went through the wall as the entire castle shuddered while the air beside the man rippled with the sheer amount of energy.


    "Master... What shall we do...?" The woman standing beside him asked as she pointed to the skeleton lying on the floor.


    "Agh..." The man sighed, calmed down, and with a serious look said, "Nothing. We''ve been outrun and there''s no way we can change that. This skeleton is already useless, it was just an energy bank, but someone has already taken the treasure. Let''s go, there''s nothing more for us to do here."


    The man headed upstairs, shaking his head.


    The other members of the group froze for a while as they stared at the skeleton. They knew who it was and felt awe at the creature that had once been one of the rulers of the entire world of Arkans, but now it was just a very rugged skeleton, nothing more.


    "Well... No matter how great he is, there is always someone stronger in this world. Also, death spares no one, there is no hiding from death, no one." The woman muttered with an ice-cold look as it was hard for her as an Arkan to realize that even such powerful beings could die and it was forever.


    "Miss... What about the Vampire Progenitor? As far as I know, he''s actually immortal. I mean... it''s impossible to kill him, there''s no way to do it..." The guy with light hair asked while in confusion.


    "Yeah... It''s true. Only Alucard could do that since even the Immortal Dragon, fell into madness which caused his mind to destroy himself. However, this is an exception to the rule since even the strongest person in history, the Nameless King, also died." The woman muttered in a quiet voice before turning around and walking away.


    To most Arkans, even to the older generation, Nameless King was akin to legend or even myth. They knew how powerful he was and that he was the greatest enemy of all Arkans, but only a few had seen him and even fewer had fought, so they got most of their information from stories.


    ...


    Crackling.


    The wooden door opened as two girls with powerful auras entered the spacious room. The first had long ck hair and deadly eyes while streams of darkness flowed from her hands. The second had crimson hair and blue eyes that had be much wiser through the hundreds of missions she hadpleted and events she had seen.


    At the table, sat a man with short gray hair and a devious look that seemed capable of controlling an entire country, just with his will.


    "Well, well, who''d have thought you''d get stronger so quickly? I''m even a little jealous." Gisle said with a smirk on her face as he stared at Zero and Maria.


    Their aura was different from his, it was a level higher, since two weeks ago, almost simultaneously, Zero and Maria had reached the Fifth Chronicle and be Absolute.


    Crackle.


    The door opened again as another girl stepped inside. She had long purple hair and an auraparable to God Stage.


    "Damn... I''d never believe I''d listen to some Fourth Chronicle kid." Aurora slightlyined while shaking her head.


    "Hah, it''s not my fault." Gisle shrugged, "Only you can go to Lands of the Gods now, only you are strong enough."


    Aurora stared at Gisle and asked, "Are you sure Wain is there?


    Gisle grinned and with a sly smile said, "Sure. It''s the only ce he can be."

 Chapter 775 The Cult

    "Gisle... What are you going to do in Lands of the Gods...?" Zero asked with a confused look, "Aurora has been leading us on, but this ce still seems strange to me."


    "Find Wain first. I''m sure he''ll find a way to get himself into unique trouble even in such a dangerous ce where it''s worth being damn careful." Gisle said with a serious expression as he stared at Aurora.


    "Don''t worry. We''ll figure it out." Aurora shrugged in a careless manner, "He''s the heir of the Nameless King, even if he is attacked by someone from the Fifth Chronicle, he can fight back for a long time."


    "Heir... right?" Maria muttered with aplicated look, "Wain is a damn strange man, why is all this happening to him?"


    "Hah, thising from someone who is endowed with the energy of the world? It''s a true miracle that you received the energy of powerful space. Without that energy, you would never have reached the Fifth Chronicle." Aurora grinned as she nced at Maria.


    Maria nodded slightly, swung her crayon and a multitude of particles of light appeared beside her that exuded a pleasant aura that seemed capable of inspiring any fighter to go all the way.


    "Gisle... Why did you decide to help me? I mean... You intended to make me the God of the Last Light from the beginning, didn''t you?" Maria asked with a slightly confused look as she couldn''t figure out what Gisle was up to.


    "Well... Not really. I wasn''t able to find out about the fact that faith and cults can be turned into powers until after I met Aurora, but after that day I came up with this n right away." Gisle grinned, stood up, and walked to the window.


    "Except for me, you''re probably the most popr person in Last Light. You''re strong, you''re kind, and you''vepleted a huge number of missions, thereby helping thousands of people. So... I decided that with your unique energy, you could reach the Fifth Chronicle faster than anyone else and take the path of God Stage." Gisle said in a calm voice with his arms folded behind his back.


    "Why didn''t you choose yourself?" Zero asked as a stream of darkness erupted from her body, "You have an enormous amount of resources, if you had taken advantage of that, you probably would have reached the stage of Demigod by now."


    "By the way... she''s right..." Aurora muttered as her eyes went wide, "You are damn strong, especially for the Fourth Chronicle, and the more followers you have the faster you will progress."


    Gisle was silent for a while, then sighed and said while shaking his head, "Perhaps it''s Wain''s detrimental influence, but I don''t want to take Maria''s role at all, in fact, she is the most suitable candidate, not me."


    "I am the ruler. Everyone agrees with that, no one questions my will and decisions since I have shown that I know what I do and can be trusted, but that does not mean I am loved or believed as a person." Gisle turned to Maria, pointed at her, and with an ice-cold look said, "You''re different."


    Even though Maria was stronger than Gisle now, she shuddered at his gaze. A strange aura emanated from him, for Maria understood that part of her merit, and thus of her strength, belonged to Gisle.


    "People love you, you''re a symbol. All I needed was a little aggressive propaganda, elevating your merits to the limit and other such stuff that dictators usually use for themselves." Gisle said in such a way as if it were a simple matter.


    Maria''s gaze darkened. She knew how much Gisle had done to get a whole army of followers who believed in her as quickly as possible. At first, she didn''t think it was anything bad, she didn''t mind the attention, but then she learned that there were dark spots in every story, especially the one Gisle was involved in.


    Maria had a much better reputation than Gisle, but it still wasn''t perfect, so... after Gisle set about executing his n some were not happy with Maria''s candidacy.


    ''Damn... I''m grateful to him... but wasn''t there any other way to enhance my reputation...? Fuck... the most dissatisfied ones he just killed and exined it with deaths during dangerous missions... He even used their deaths to improve my reputation, saying that if I had more powers I would save them...'' Maria muttered internally as she clenched her hands into a fist and bit her lip until it bled.


    It had been a long time since she had been a simple naive girl. Over hundreds of missions, she had learned that what Gisle did was sometimes just necessary, but she still couldn''t ept all of his methods.


    Aurora nced at Maria as she knew almost everything Gisle did. She was helping him to create a sessful cult because she was more experienced at it.


    ''This girl has been given great power, though she doesn''t seem to like it at all, but... the cult has one big problem...'' Aurora muttered inwardly as she looked at Gisle.


    "Hey, you created a whole cult for her and at this rate, she will definitely reach the God Stage, but you must know for sure what happens if she fails, right?" Aurora asked with a serious look as she crossed her arms over her chest.


    Gisle nodded, "Of course. The faith of her followers gives her great power, but if her followers see her fail then her power will begin to wane, it''s natural."


    "Hmm... You say that so calmly as if you had a backup n." Aurora frowned.


    "Hah, of course, I have one. Maria is very strong, but Zero is only slightly inferior. Even if the cult is the way to the God Stage it doesn''t mean it''s the only option. Faith is a useful thing, but at a critical moment, pure power decides everything." Gisle grinned as he looked away, "Moreover, don''t forget about Wain."

 Chapter 776 The Tree

    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Aurora''s aura intensified as her hair soared upward.


    "Hey... Don''t forget that Wain doesn''t belong to you. You''ve settled into this world quite well, but you''re not the only Human. After all, Wain''s ce is in Human World, on the throne!" Aurora said in a deadly serious manner with a frowned look.


    "Hah, Wain belongs to no one. He''s made that clear to you many times before." Gisle grinned as he leaned his hand on the chair.


    "He''s still too young to understand how important his destiny is. He has no choice but to continue on the path of the Nameless King." Aurora uttered as she clenched her teeth.


    "Well... What will you do if he follows his own path? The same way he always has before." Gisle asked with a calm expression as his eye lowered.


    "In that case, I will force him to change his mind. Everyone makes mistakes and he''s no exception, there''s nothing wrong with that." Aurora said with clenched fists.


    "Agh... I wonder what Wain would think if he heard you now..." Gisle muttered while shaking his head, "Okay, enough talk. It''s time to move out. Maria and Zero, explore the Lands of the Gods and find Wain if possible. Aurora... Well, you know what to do."


    "Hah, sure I am! I had to leave Human World for a while, but it was worth it. I will onlye back from there with Wain and help him reach the Fifth Chronicle where he needs to be!" Aurora eximed with an excited look before stepping forward.


    Her silhouette blurred as she turned into a purple sh, crossing hundreds of meters in seconds.


    "Girls, keep up." Gisle said with a slight smile on her face as Zero and Maria disappeared.


    ...


    Step. Step. Step.


    The man in the long ck coat walked slowly forward as he stopped in front of the swamp and looked up.


    "Well, well, I finally got here. Damn... I never would have thought it was possible to run so long that my legs would hurt so much..." Wain muttered with a smirk on his face while staring at the massive tree.


    The massive roots of the tree filled half of the view while a dark liquid dripped from it and fell into the area of the marshes that surrounded the tree. However, through this darkness passed some of the bright light from the golden foliage.


    "It''s time to get yourst shard, isn''t it?" Wain grinned before stepping forward.


    A dense road of darkness appeared before him as he crossed the marshes and headed toward a huge crack in a tree trunk that looked like the entrance to this mysterious ce.


    Tremble.


    Suddenly the water trembled as a massive monster with a long tail and fish-like scales all over its body burst out of it. The monster opened its mouth wide, about to swallow Wain whole.


    "Hah, you''re not as strong as that monkey at all. That was a mistake." Wain grinned and raised his hand.


    He snapped his fingers, which created a small st of darkness that tossed the monster aside, damaging some of its scales.


    At that moment, many eyes appeared in the murky water that stared at Wain as a victim, but none dared to attack him. The monsters felt that they had no chance against Wain, so they just let him pass to the end of the pond.


    "Were so aggressive, but afraid to even try again? How boring." Wain said with a calm look as streams of energy headed toward his hand.


    A dark orb appeared in his palm that was just a huge amount ofpressed energy. Given that Wain was in the Fourth Chronicle this was not a skill, but before he could not so easily create something like this.


    ''His energy control is getting better. That''s good.'' The Abyss Artist muttered with a devious smile on his face.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Wain in a careless manner threw the orb into the water and continued forward without even turning around.


    The monsters shuddered in fear as they tried to run away as fast as they could, but the orb had already touched the water.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    All the energy from the sphere burst out in one moment, causing a powerful explosion thatunched a tremendous surge of water like a geyser. The monsters flew upward andnded as those in the epicenter were instantly killed.


    "Aren''t you going to collect souls?" dius asked in a curious voice.


    "Nah, I certainly don''t need it now. Let those who survived to take them, if there are any. Right now I''m only interested in your shard and the possibility of reaching the Fifth Chronicle." Wain said with a wave of his hand as he climbed the root leading to the entrance to the tree.


    Wain approached the crack, took onest look at the golden foliage, and stepped forward.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    It was dark inside, but as soon as he stepped inside, many yellow flowers bloomed all over the trunk, shining like though small suns, illuminating everything in the huge tree.


    "Damn... That''s pretty high, isn''t it?" Wain said as a slight smile appeared on his face as he looked up.


    There were several tforms he had to walk through to get to the very top, where thest shard was waiting for him.


    ''Hmm... I thought it was just a big tree, but it looks like someone lived here a long time ago, maybe it was even one of the nts, such flowers I''ve only seen in their town...'' Wain inwardly muttered as goosebumps ran down his body.


    Whoooooosh.


    Several long, deadly thorns flew toward him at tremendous speed. Wain''s pupils narrowed as he took a step back and the thorns plunged into the ground in front of him.


    "Well, well, looks like it''s not going to be as easy as I thought." Wain smirked while watching two nts grow out of the ground, which gradually turned into some creatures.

 Chapter 777 Way To The Top

    Only two opponents were waiting for Wain on the first floor. They were massive Ents with long arms of tightly twisted roots. They slowly made their way toward them with menacing nces.


    "The limit of the Fourth Chronicle, yeah...? Well, I have one great remedy against trees." Wain smirked as his aura intensified.


    He waved his hand as a white mask and a long red coat appeared on his face as well as white gloves.


    ''Huh, you decided to finally remember me?'' ck Sun Aristocrat said as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    "Sure. What better way to deal with trees than fire?" Wain smirked before rushing forward.


    His hands were covered in a denseyer of fire as he turned into a sh, instantly reaching one of the monsters. Wain''s fist came down on the left Ent, causing a st of dark me that covered the monster''s entire body.


    The second Ent immediately attacked back with its long arms, that split into a multitude of spear-sharp roots. They headed toward Wain with great speed, but he just grabbed them with his hands and pulled the Ent toward him.


    "Well, well, looks like you turned out a lot weaker than I thought, doesn''t it?" Wain said with an excited look as a sphere of dark me appeared between him and Ent.


    Wain snapped his fingers as the sphere exploded, releasing a massive stream of me outward. The firepletely burned Ent, leaving not even ashes of it while the first Ent tried to deal with the aftermath of Wain''s blow.


    "Agh... That was too easy, though considering you''re first-level guard, it had to be, right?" Wainined lightly while shaking his head.


    He walked over to Ent, clenched his hand into a fist, and attacked. His hand turned into a blur as a momentter it mmed into Ent''s body, crushing the sturdy wooden armor under pressure.


    Bam.


    Ent flew sideways, hitting the wall with his back while the mes slowly brought his life to an end.


    ''Hey, how long roughly do we have to walk to your shard?'' Wain asked as he looked up.


    ''Floors five or six... It all depends on how high they are. The only thing I know for sure is that the shard is at the very top.'' dius said in a confident voice.


    "Fine." Wain nodded before jumping forward.


    ...


    Crack. Crackle. Crackle.


    Many miles away from the tree, in the midst of the ming forest, sat a man with an unusual aura. His legs were crossed and his eyes were closed while particles of ash flew aside.


    He had short white hair, amber eyes, and a simple white mantle covering his athletic body, covered with many scars.


    After a while, he opened his eyes as his gaze strayed forward, straight toward the shining tree that seemed infinitely away from him.


    "There...? Damn... It''s pretty far away, but it looks like there''s no choice." The man muttered before slowly rising.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Suddenly a tall man with long white hair emerged from the forest, and someone with ming arms followed him.


    "Damn... My Lord, it''s really hot in here." Krakos said while looking around.


    "Well, it can''t be otherwise." Alucard uttered with a calm look as he approached the man.


    The man looked at him and said with a smirk on his face, "Mr. Immortal. I didn''t expect you to be the first one I met."


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Suddenly a silhouette appeared behind the man that seemed always to be by his side. It was a girl with ashy hair and unusual gray eyes. A bright white me emanated from her robe, causing the air around her to burn, thereby distorting space.


    "Sir. What shall we do?" The girl asked with a serious look as her gaze pierced Alucard.


    "Hah, Gael, she''s pretty brave. Although, one would expect nothing less from your assistant." Alucard said with a smirk on his face, "However, I take that as disrespectful."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Alucard''s gaze became as cold as millennia of ciers as a powerful pressure came over the girl in ways she could never have imagined. A wave of trembling went through her body as her heart began to beat many times faster.


    Whoooooosh.


    The man waved his hand as several particles of ash swept in front of the girl, releasing the pressure.


    At the same moment, the girl dropped to her knees and grabbed her throat, trying to catch her breath with her eyes wide open. Even though it was an ordinary look, she felt as if she had been imprisoned without water, air, or food for weeks.


    "Hahahahahaha, Alia, you have amazing abilities, but you''re still a long way from the level of the Progenitor. Well, this will be a good lesson for you. Those who are stronger should be treated with respect unless, of course, you want to die." The manughed as though nothing dangerous had happened.


    "I''m sorry... I''ll remember that..." Alia said in a quiet voice as she was still struggling to speak.


    "Gael... You''re going to go there, aren''t you?" Alucard asked pointing toward the shining tree.


    "Yeah... Finally, the barriers have been removed and there''s a reason toe out of meditation, but unfortunately, there''s nothing interesting going on right now. I''m tired of waiting." Gael said while shaking his head as he waved his hand.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space distorted as if something was crumpling it and a sword began to appear in Gael''s hand. The weapon was gradually created from particles of ash that appeared out of nowhere and headed toward him.


    "Wow... That''s impressive." Krakos said with a dazed look, "Although, I wouldn''t expect anything less from the Progenitor of Ashens, Gael, the Invincible."


    "Gael... Your instincts are top-notch. You sense that something interesting is about to happen there, but you shouldn''t go there." Alucard said as he took a deep breath.


    He''d already drunk Wain''s blood once, so now he could sense where he was even if it was too damn far away.


    "Yeah... That''s not your level at all. It would be boring and pointless for you." Alucard said as his hair trembled slightly.


    Gael was silent for a while, then he swung his sword as the tip was at Alucard''s neck and with an ice-cold look said, "In that case, maybe you can entertain me?"

 Chapter 778 Invincible And Immortal

    "Oh... Do you want to fight? Well, it should be curious." Alucard said in a calm voice as he let some of his aura out.


    Alia took a few steps back as she touched her lips and muttered inwardly, ''Sir wants to fight him...? Sir has never lost... but such an opponent... it shouldn''t happen!''


    ''Hah, looks like Lord is bored too. Well, I hope a random attack doesn''t kill me.'' Krakos said to himself as a smirk appeared on his face.


    Each Progenitor had a Title that denoted their unique achievement, iparable to anything else. Alucard was in fact immortal, the only such creature while Gael was considered one of the strongest since he had never lost to anyone.


    "You are Invincible, but that doesn''t mean you always win, does it?" Alucard uttered with an indifferent look as he grabbed Geal''s sword with his hand.


    Suddenly a wave of the me passed over the sword as particles of me ignited, so because of the incredible heat, the skin on Alucard''s hand began to burn as well as his flesh. However, this terrible pain didn''t seem to bother him at all, as he had long since be ustomed to the feeling.


    "Yeah... Unfortunately, you''re right. No one could beat me, but I couldn''t beat everyone, either. I fought a Nameless King once, so... then we had to end on a draw just like we did with the Dragon Progenitor, that old man made me try so damn hard." Gael said with an excited look as momentous battles were literally everything he lived for.


    "Hah, okay, let''s not take too long. Just a few attacks will suffice since not all the Progenitors have lived to see this moment." Alucard said with a slight smile on his face as his eyes grew deeper.


    "What...? What are you talking about?" Gael asked with a dazed look as Alucard''sst words puzzled him.


    "I''ll tell you when we''re done. Some things have changed in thest five hundred years, or rather they''re changing right now." Alucard grinned as he stepped forward.


    He turned in a sh as a momentter his hand went to Gael''s neck. Seconds ago Alucard''s arm had been nearly burned, but now there were no wounds on it, he had just healed his wounds in a heartbeat.


    Gael''s pupils narrowed as he swung his sword. Several waves of me erupted outward, cutting Alucard into several pieces as several wide crevices appeared on the ground behind him as each of Gael''s attacks had crushing power.


    ''Unbelievable... Sir, it only took one second to do this to the Vampire Progenitor himself, can anyone else have this kind of power...?'' Alia muttered inwardly as she ced her palm on her chest.


    ''Hah, looks like Lord actually decided to have some fun.'' Krakos grinned with crossed arms as a smirk appeared on his face.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Suddenly scarlet threads emerged from Alucard''s wounds a momentter he was whole andpletely unharmed again.


    "Not bad, but I thought you''d take a few more swings in a second, or do you just like the number seven?" Alucard uttered in a quiet voice as he tilted his head.


    Whoooooooooohs.


    Alucard appeared right in front of Gael as his hand, covered in a thinyer of blood, reached Gael''s shoulder, leaving a long cut on it that gushed scarlet blood.


    At the same moment, Alucard jerked aside and swung his arm as all the blood from the wound came rushing straight for him.


    It was Progenitor of Ashens blood, so it could easily burn even a creature on the Demigod Stage with a simple touch, especially if it was a vampire, but that didn''t matter to Alucard.


    He took a sip of the blood burning his throat and felt intense heat throughout his body. A torrent of white me burst from his eyes that should have killed him, but as soon as Alucard sighed everything came back to normal as the wounds disappeared.


    "Agh... The blood of Axalts is like a refreshing stream of wind or a bundle of mint while yours isparable to the hottest pepper in the world. Hah, during a fight it''s just what you need to warm up!" Alucard eximed with a mad smile as his aura increased several times.


    ''Sir was wounded...? Alia muttered inwardly while in disbelief, ''Damn... Sir''s attacks have crushing power, but he doesn''t have the regeneration of this monster...''


    Whoooooooosh.


    Alucard''s hair soared upward, his eyes sparkling as he faced Gael with a ferocious look like a wild beast.


    His hands were covered in a thickyer of dark blood as they stabbed like spears into Gael''s chest. Gael''s body had been through thousands of fights and had been trained for hundreds of years, so even Alucard had trouble piercing his chest.


    Gael swung his sword as Alucard lost his arms, they just flew aside.


    "Hey! You don''t have to upset me! Is that really all you can do?!" Alucard eximed with an exciting expression as though his severed hands didn''t bother him at all.


    Crackle.


    The hands exploded as the blood turned into two sharp des that instantly rained down on Gael.


    He had no choice but to swing his sword, destroying the de into tiny shards, but suddenly streams of scarlet blood flowed from the corners of his mouth.


    Gael''s gaze lowered as his eyes went wide.


    Alucard''s hands were elbow-deep in Gael''s chest as streams of his blood flowed down and scorched the ground.


    "Sir!!!" Alia eximed with a panicked look as a sword appeared in her hand and she went to help.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Krakos appeared in front of her, with a smooth movement knocking the sword out of her hands and dropping her on the ground, breaking her hands behind her back.


    "Hah, just now you were afraid to evene near my Lord, but despite that, you rushed to help. That''smendable." Krakos said with a smirk on his face as he leaned into Alia''s ear and whispered, "However, there is nothing to worry about. Is your faith so weak? Don''t forget, the one you follow has never lost."

 Chapter 779 Scars

    "Hahaha, Gael, in thest five hundred years have you forgotten how to fight?" Alucard smirked while looking into his opponent''s eyes.


    Gael was surprised and could barely contain himself from screaming in pain as Alucard''s hands literally destroyed him from the inside out.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Alucard''s pupils narrowed as his hands became a blur. His palms like spears were plunging into Gael''s chest, tearing it apart as flesh and blood flew away.


    "No!" Alia eximed as she tried to help her teacher, but Krakos held her arms tightly, not even allowing her to move.


    "Damn... That''s impressive..." Krakos muttered with a dazed look, but he wasn''t talking about Alucard at all, "Three Lord attacks are enough to end an average-level Dragon''s life forever, but Gael... He has withstood over a hundred attacks already. The strength of his body is actually terrifying."


    Krakos'' voice was calm as though nothing foretold trouble and it affected Alia to make her look at this fight in a different way, "Sir has never lost, not even in the battle with Nameless King, so this is just the beginning, right?"


    Krakos'' eyes went wide, then he smiled and let go of Alia''s hands, "Looks like there''s no reason to hold you back anymore, is there?"


    Alia stood up, held out her hands, and with a serious look said, "Yeah. You''re right. I''ve calmed down now. I still need to work on keeping my emotions in check, sir keeps telling me that."


    "I had no intention of fighting you, it''s just that neither of us should interfere in this fight. If you hade to a few steps closer, Lord would have identally killed you for sure and then Gael would have gotten really angry. I''m sure you know what would have happened then." Krakos said in a serious voice as he crossed his arms over his chest.


    "Yeah..." Alia nodded as a slight shiver ran through her body at the memory of the one time Gael went on a rampage, "That was when Sir fought the Progenitor of Dragons... I don''t know if Sir was worried about my safety then, but I only survived then because of a miracle."


    "Hah, I know about that story. It is said that after that battle the number of mountains in Dragon World increased several times as Gael just chopped them in two, and the Dragon with the energy of nature had to work hard to restore the scorched forests from the ashes to normal." Krakos said with obvious respect in his voice since he respected power like any other monster, no matter who possessed it.


    Crackle.


    A massive stream of scarlet energy erupted from Alucard as if a wave of blood turned into a huge spear. With a wave of his hand, the spear rushed toward Gael and pierced his heart, causing it to beat ever slower, gradually bringing one of the Progenitors closer to death.


    "Agh... What a nice smell... Your blood has a damn strong scent, you know that?" Alucard said, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.


    His eyes shed brightly, a massive burst of energy bursting out of him involuntarily, a shockwave that amplified the mes in the trees.


    Bam.


    Gael with a nk stare fell to the ground while his scarlet blood spread across the ground, scorching it as though something very hot.


    Alucard swung his hand as massive streams of blood rushed out of the ground. They headed to one point, turning into a massive sphere with an indescribable amount of energy inside.


    "Oh... Looks like we need to move further away." Krakos said with a slight smile on his face, took Alia''s hand, and turned into a blur. A secondter they were on a rocky peak, a few hundred meters away from the battle site.


    "What are you doing? I have to help him!" Alia eximed as she hurriedly jumped off the stone peak.


    Tap.


    Krakos grabbed her by the shoulder, pulled her against him, and bending down to her ear whispered, "Don''t move if you don''t want to die."


    "Can''t you stop your Lord? This duel should not be to the death!" Alia eximed with a worried look as suddenly a shiver ran through her body.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The sphere reached its limit as it was the size of a mountain. It consisted of millions of bloody threads through which asional waves of energy passed, making them pulsate like veins.


    It couldn''t go unnoticed even by those tens of kilometers away from the battlefield, so Alucard''s attack was noticed by many.


    "What the hell is going on out there...?" Wain muttered with a dazed look, looking at the orb through the cracks in the glowing tree. He had already reached the middle and had just passed another test as many monster corpsesy behind him.


    ''Looks like some of the Progenitors is fighting...'' dius muttered in a worried manner, ''Despite the distance I can smell strong blood, so... I can assume that one of the fighters is the Vampire Progenitor, Alucard, The Immortal.''


    ''The Immortal... Is he that hard to kill?'' Wain asked while in disbelief.


    ''Hah, that''s not it, Alucard is actually immortal.'' dius grinned.


    Wain''s eyes went wide, after a while he realized that in the case of the Vampire Progenitor this might be true and asked, "Doesn''t that mean he''s the strongest then?"


    "Well, just because you can''t be killed doesn''t mean you can''t be defeated. Just look, one day you''ll have that strength too." dius said as he pointed to the massive orb.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    "Alright! Now let''s see if you can take it!" Alucard eximed as he clenched his hand into a fist.


    The sphere shuddered and sharply narrowed into a massive, long spear with several bloody rings. The closer the spear was to the tip, the narrower the rings and the more energy there was in them.


    "Damn... Lord does not joke, quickly, help me create a protective barrier!" Krakos eximed, "Otherwise we will die!"


    Whoooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, Alucard lowered his hand as if giving the order to the archers to fire, and the spear with all its mighte down on Gael.


    As the spear approached, the world seemed to stand still as the hundreds of scars on Gael''s body shone brightly.

 Chapter 780 Ash

    Every self-respecting fighter should have scars. They are the most important trophies a fighter can receive during a fight, whether it was defeat or victory, a scar meant the fight was worthy or even fatal.


    Gael knew this rule better than anyone else. All of his scars could hardly be counted, their numbers were beyond all norms, and in Gael''s case, his trophies had a special purpose.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    His scars glowed brightly as he suddenly opened his eyes shone as bright as stars, and the sword in his hands zed violently.


    Whoooooooosh.


    His hand turned into a blur as a momentter the ming sword collided with the bloody spear. The force from their collision constantly caused shockwaves that literally destroyed everything around them, ripping trees from the ground and turning massive rocks into dust.


    "Alright! This is it!" Alucard eximed with an exciting expression as if he had been waiting for this moment since the beginning, "Let''s go! This is only the start!"


    Crackle.


    Suddenly the rings around the spear began to explode one by one, releasing energy and thereby strengthening the spear.


    At the same moment, the ground beneath Gael cracked as more blood gushed from his wounds and the pressure from the spear multiplied, but despite this, his gaze waspletely calm.


    The scars from his body began to fade, as did the wounds, and the energy opposite only grewrger. Scarlet streams of energy emanated from the spear while everything around Gael burned with white mes that seemed capable of burning even the world itself.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    By the time all the rings around the spear were broken, only a third of the scars that were left on Gael''s body were gone. His energy seemed to know no bounds, as well as his strength. His sword was impossible to break, so the spear cracked, and after Gael stepped forward the spear shattered into tiny shards.


    "Well, well, look at the mess we made here. It was quite a beautiful ce, but now it''s just ruins..." Gael muttered with an indifferent look while looking around.


    Not a single tree within a radius of hundreds of meters had managed to survive, the forest around them was now a lifelessnd as if a gue hade here.


    "Hah, can''t your helper fix this easily, just ask her to do it." Alucard shrugged in a careless manner.


    "No. I''ll fix it myself this time." Gael muttered as he looked at his body which showed no signs of wounds, "You made me release 70% of my power, impressive. I had no idea our friendly duel woulde to this."


    "Did you really think you could fight me like that?" Alucard smirked as he crossed his arms, "Of course, I couldn''t let you stay at the lower end of your strength. If I hadn''t forced you to reveal some of your scars, it would have been a real embarrassment."


    "Well, maybe you''re right. It''s been a few hundred years since I''ve had to unleash the power under the seals." Gael muttered with a slight smile on his face before thrusting his sword into the ground.


    A powerful white me erupted from the sword that surged upward in a massive stream as if it were a geyser exploding. Then, Gael''s gaze grew serious as his aura multiplied.


    In a heartbeat, all the mes turned into a wave of ash. It split into hundreds of pieces as millions of tiny ash particles fell to the ground as though during a leaf fall.


    "Oh... Thest time I saw that was so long ago... Damn, now I''m nostalgic, you''ve only done that a few times in your life, haven''t you?" Alucard asked looking at the falling ash with a dazed expression.


    "Yeah...something like that." Gael nodded as he stared at Alucard, "You seem to have calmed down by now, don''t you?"


    "Exactly. It was enough toe to my senses. I haven''t fought in so long that I''d forgotten how much fun it is." Alucard replied with a satisfied smile on his face as if he''d done what he needed so badly.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    A torrent of me erupted from Gael as he pointed his sword at Alucard and with an ice-cold look spoke, "Well, unfortunately, I''m only warmed up. However, I only need one blow to let off steam."


    One of the strongest beings in the world was staring at Alucard, but it didn''t frighten him in the slightest. He just smiled, spread his arms, and with an exciting smile said, "Go ahead. Don''t deny yourself anything. Attack as hard as you can."


    Gael grinned as he stepped forward.


    At the same moment, his sword instantly reached the ground and triggered a powerful surge of energy that turned into a huge ming de. It sliced Alucard in two with ease as the white mes quickly burned himpletely, leaving not a single drop of blood.


    It would have been a horrible death for any creature, filled with pain and suffering due to the brutal fire, but Alucard disappeared with a smile on his face as though he helped his friend.


    The de went on for hundreds of meters, leaving behind it a river of ash that passed through the entire forest while new ming trees grew from particles of ash falling to the ground.


    "What happened...? Sir killed Alucard...? Did he really do it?" Alia muttered with her eyes wide open while in disbelief.


    She knew that Alucard was immortal, but she was pretty sure it was because of his abnormal regeneration rate.


    ''Is it possible to be reborn if there isn''t even a drop of blood left? Hah, my Sir just did the impossible.'' Alia wondered as a smile appeared on her face.


    Gael turned as he looked in their direction, but his gaze seemed to be on something behind them.


    Pam.


    Suddenly there was a hand on Alia''s shoulder with pale smooth skin and a shiver ran through her body.

 Chapter 781 The Fate Of The Progenitors

    "Hey, did you really think I was dead?" Alucard asked with a slight smile on his face as he appeared behind Alia.


    Alia flinched, slowly turned around, and said in a trembling voice, "What...? How is that possible? When did you have time to recover...? Sir didn''t even leave a drop of blood from you...!''


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Gael swung his sword as a stream of wind with particles of ash headed in their direction, fluttering Alucard''s hair and coat.


    "Eh... You''re still too young to fully understand what it means to be on the Transcendence Stage." Alucard shook his head, pressed Krakos with Alia against him, and turned into a shadow, finding himself in front of Gael.


    Alia hurriedly removed Alucard''s hand from her shoulder and ran toward Gael with a worried expression. She took his hand and asked, "Sir, are you all right? Your wounds... They were terrible."


    Tap.


    Gael put his hand on her head, rubbing her hair lightly, and with a good-natured smile on his face said, "Sure, if Alucard really wanted to hurt me, he wouldn''t have used such weak techniques, though maybe he just didn''t warm up."


    "Hah, I, unlike you, am perfectly capable of controlling my power, no matter what state I''m in. If I had fought in earnest, one of my attacks would have wounded Alia for sure, you wouldn''t have forgiven me for that." Alucard spoke with a confident smirk as he crossed his arms across his chest, "Thest thing I want to see is you angry. That''s not something even I''m ready for."


    "What...? You didn''t fight to the best of your ability...?" Alia muttered while in disbelief.


    She had been on God Stage for a long time, but she knew clearly that against Alucard she would not havested even a second, now she heard that none of this was serious.


    "Sure. Why would friends use their most powerful skills in friendlybat? It just doesn''t make sense, moreover, if Alucard would have used more power in thatst attack then I wouldn''t have been able to recover that forest so easily." Gael looked at the me trees, which still hadn''t returned to their former appearance, but was gradually getting taller.


    "Friends...? Sir... are you serious?" Alia asked while in confusion as she frowned.


    Usually, Vampires and Ashens feuded or treated each other with suspicion since the hot blood of Ashens was the natural enemy of all Vampires. They could not drink it as it would burn them from within.


    "Yeah. I know your teacher more than you can imagine." Alucard said as he approached her.


    "But... What about the rtionship between the races? I mean... Vampires and Ashens, isn''t that weird?" Alia asked with a sincere look as she pressed a hand to her chest.


    "Hmmm, your words make sense, but it mattered to us, a long time ago." Alucard muttered in a thoughtful way, "As strange as it may sound, we as Progenitors don''t care at all what members of our races do. After the Transcendence Stage, it no longer matters in any way."


    "Alucard is right." Gael nodded with a confident look, "In the days when we didn''t know there was a Transcendence Stage and thought the God Stage was the limit of power, we were forced to act as rulers of our races. Obviously, in that case, there were conflicts between the Progenitors from time to time. I and Alucard fought a few times, which started our friendship."


    "Hah, that was a fun time." Alucard smirked as his gaze drifted to the shining tree far, far away, "However, after the appearance of Nameless King things changed."


    "Nameless King...? Why did you mention him? Didn''t he die a long time ago?" Alia raised an eyebrow with a confused expression.


    "Sure. Even a man as strong as him couldn''t escape death. Though... I''m sure if he were a vampire he''d be immortal, just like me." Alucard uttered as he frowned at the strange feeling that was keeping him confused.


    "Nameless King was the first to discover the Transcendence Stage. Only after him, the Progenitors, the strongest monsters, and the Arkans realized that the God Stage was not the peak of their abilities, it was only a cage that didn''t need to be held as long as we did. Gael said while shaking his head, then his gaze became serious as he stared at Alucard, "Tell me, what happened to the other Progenitors?"


    Alucard smiled, closed his eyes, and sighed.


    At the same time, millions of bats opened their eyes around the world. They were practically everywhere, on the edge of the world, in a simple tree, or some organization''s top-secret base. There were no barriers for the bats as it was useless to get rid of them.


    Alucard opened his eyes, they turnedpletely red with a ck swirl inside as if he could hypnotize anyone just with his gaze.


    "What''s going on...?" Alia flinched as she felt ufortable with his gaze.


    "Well... The most correct exnation would be that Alucard is literally looking at the whole world right now as though it is right in front of him. I don''t know how he does it, but he gets information from thousands of bats looking through their eyes at the same time." Gael said in a serious voice. He had only seen Alucard use this skill a few times and it was always impressive.


    The bats followed hundreds of battles in Lands of the Gods, but some of them headed for the shining tree, one of the upper floors.


    Whoooooooosh.


    A few bats flew in through the cracks in the tree inside.


    "Hm, what the hell is that?" Wain uttered with a confused look as he tilted his head.


    Behind himy a massive, wounded monster whose dark blood drenched the stone floor. There were no more obstacles on the way to the top as Wain had already passed thest floor. All he had to do was climb to the top.

 Chapter 782 Clouds

    ''Hehehe, so that''s what you look like, heir to the Nameless King...'' Alucard muttered inwardly as a devious smirk appeared on his face.


    Several bats stared intently at Wain, examining every detail of him as if he were an exhibit in a museum.


    "Krakos... Well done for bringing me the blood of the heir of the Nameless King, it''s the best gift I''ve ever received." Alucard grinned as his aura intensified, giving Alia goosebumps.


    "Heir of Nameless King...? Gael uttered with a confused look as he frowned, then his eyes opened wide as understanding came to him and he looked toward the shining tree.


    "It is there, right?" Gael asked in a serious voice.


    "Exactly. As I said earlier, your intuition has never failed you. You sensed right away that something interesting was out there." Alucard said in a sly manner.


    "What...? Does Nameless King have an heir? What does he look like?" Alia asked with a dazed look as her eyes went wide.


    "He looks strong... Damn strong, but unfortunately, he is still in the Fourth Chronicle. He still has a long way to go before he reaches the same heights as Nameless King. If he ever seeds, of course." Alucard whispered while looking at Wain through the eyes of the bats.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A powerful stream of energy burst out from Wain as it turned into ck mes that rained down on the bats. Alucard immediately ordered them to get out of there, but by the time his order reached their minds, only charred bones remained of the bats.


    "Damn... He killed my bats... He''s definitely not the type to like other''s gazes." Alucard shook his head as his gaze shifted to the other bats, "Okay, back to business."


    "Gael, over thest few hundred years, some of the Progenitors have changedpletely." Alucard said with a serious expression.


    "What do you mean?" Gael frowned.


    "Well... Right now, an Angel Progenitor is fighting someone... If you concentrate, you can feel how fierce their battle is." Alucard uttered as he turned to the east.


    Gael closed his eyes as thousands of streams of different energies headed toward him. He quickly identified the strongest of them and saw two silhouettes that were fighting many kilometers away.


    "Yeah... I can feel it... It''s definitely two Angels and one of them is the Progenitor... but I can''t figure out which one..." Gael muttered while in confusion.


    He prided himself on his intuition, so not being able to determine the energy of the Progenitor was unustomed to him.


    "You know why you can''t do it, don''t you?" Alucard grinned.


    "Fuck... They are equal in strength... But, how could a simple Angel be as strong as the Progenitor? Though I cannot see their faces I sense that there is no winner in their battle yet. The oue remains unknown until the end..." Gael uttered with wide eyes.


    "That''s what I told you. Come on, let''s go see how this ends." Alucard said before stepping forward and the space beside him distorted.


    "Hmm? What about the heir to the Nameless King?" Gael raised an eyebrow while in confusion, "I mean... Fighting two beings on the Transcendence Stage is curious, especially considering they''re Angels, but I honestly don''t care if that bastard gets killed and someone bes the Progenitor of Angels instead. The heir to the Nameless King is definitely a more interesting figure than those two."


    "Well, you may be right, but this young man is still too weak to participate in the Fifth Chronicle world. Our presence alone might hinder his path." Alucard said with an ice-cold look.


    "What...? Are you saying that because you don''t want to disturb him, you''re going to miss such a show?" Gael asked while in disbelief since it wasn''t at all like Alucard.


    Alucard was silent for a while, taking a deep breath until finally, a sinister grin appeared on his face, "Of course not! It''s just that I''m sure if we leave now, we''ll have to wait too long. The battle of the Angels will be over much faster than the business of the heir of the Nameless King in the Shining Tree.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Alucard''s silhouette blurred as he turned in a sh as well as Krakos, that immediately followed him.


    "Damn... I sure as hell want to go to that tree, but he didn''t tell me about the other Progenitors on purpose, did he?" Gaelined lightly while shaking his head as he nced at Alia, "Come on. Seeing the two creatures fight on the Transcendence Stage will be good for you."


    Alia nodded as she approached Gael. He took her hand and pointed his sword forward as if about to pierce space.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space trembled as waves of ash appeared out of nowhere. Theypletely covered them, then a bright white me lit up. The ash disappeared as well as Gael with Alia.


    After a while, the four of them were in the ce where the Progenitor of Angels had been for hundreds of years. Around it was thousands of clouds and soaring inds, on which grew trees with golden foliage.


    In the center was the most massive ind, which used to be considered the brightest and most magnificent ce in the world. The concentration of light energy here was higher than anywhere else. Even the Progenitors of the other Races envied the Angel Progenitor because of how majestic his castle was like the Pantheon of ancient gods from myths and legends.


    "What the hell is going on here...?" Gael muttered with a dazed look as what he saw struck him.


    "Well, well, it looks like not only the Angel Progenitor is about to change, but also their whole world. Look at that..." Alucard said with a mad smile on his face, "Finally, this ce doesn''t look as disgusting as it used to!"


    The shining ind was partially flooded with thick darkness as the white castle was almostpletely destroyed while every second two shes, white and ck created new copses bringing disaster.

 Chapter 783 Darkness In The Light

    "What''s going on here...?" Alia muttered with a confused look as a shiver ran through her body. She only felt unwell because of the shock waves, a small fraction of which reached them.


    Gael stared at the central ind as his pupils shifted constantly as he literally followed every movement of two shes.


    One sh was a man with long shiny hair, pale smooth skin, and eyes as blue as the ocean. His body wore white armor like that of the greatest and most valiant knight. The most notable detail was the two massive white wings, there were only two and they were not gold, but they had a unique, purity and grandeur.


    "Damn... It''s actually Amitiel. Normally he never fights on his own, but it looks like he had no choice this time." Gael uttered with a deadly serious look.


    His instincts never failed him, but he couldn''t believe that anyone could challenge Amitiel, the Angel Progenitor.


    "Hah, just look at his face! He''s mad as hell! Ahahahahaha!" Alucardughed with a mad smile on his face.


    Amitiel always tried to remain calm, as it was necessary to maintain status, but now, his bloody face was like the look of a ferocious beast whose only goal was to tear his enemy apart.


    The ck sh was a tall man with short ck hair and mesmerizing amethyst eyes. He wore a sprawling mantle as well as many different tattoos on his body. He too had two wings, but one was ck as if it had emerged from the depths of the abyss.


    Even though he was an Angel, in his many attacks he had never yet used the attribute of light, his only ally was darkness, following him as a harbinger of disaster.


    "Hmm? Who the hell is that?" Gael frowned while in confusion as he grasped his chin.


    "Ezrin..." Krakos muttered with a dazed look, "I''ve heard of him. He''s been preparing to attack Amitiel for a long time, but I thought it was just a rumor. How could I, a mere person on God Stage, have imagined that someone would actually challenge the Lord of Angels?"


    Krakos waspletely lost, what was happening seemed impossible to him since the Progenitor''s position had been untouchable for centuries.


    Tap.


    Alucard put his hand on his shoulder and with a carefree smile said, "Don''t worry. Given Amitiel''s personality and the Angels'' multiple problems, it was bound to happen one day."


    "But... My Lord, someone might try to take your Title away from you. It would be a real disaster!" Krakos eximed with a worried look as if this was his worst nightmare.


    "Ahahahahahahahahaha, I don''t know if you were trying to make meugh, but you seeded!" Alucard eximed with an excited expression, "Unlike Amitiel, I don''t try to control my race and I especially don''t resort to reprisals. I don''t mind a worthy opponent, though. A battle between two Vampires on the Transcendence Stage... Damn, that would be interesting."


    "I disagree." Gael shook his head, "That would be the most boring fight ever."


    "What?!" Alucard eximed as he was outraged and approached Gael with a disgruntled look, "You don''t think I could show a decent fight?"


    "Well, you would attack each other constantly, inflict terrible wounds, but in a few moments there wouldn''t be a scratch on you. Fighting without any oue, and therefore intrigue, is pretty boring, isn''t it?" Gael spoke with a mocking expression.


    Alucard didn''t say anything, he just turned and crossed his arms as his gaze headed off into the distance.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Suddenly several white shes headed toward them. They were angels with massive wings, most of them with four or even six wings.


    The angels stopped in front of them as one of them stepped forward and looking at Gael asked, "What are you doing here? This is Angels'' territory! You Ashens, much fewer Vampires, don''t belong here! Leave now!"


    "Boss! Let''s just deal with them! We have to help our master deal with this bastard, we don''t have time for some idiots!" Angel said in an arrogant voice.


    Alucard and Gael held back their auras, it was a habit since because of their immense power in a peaceful environment there was only one problem, so... the Angels just didn''t realize what mistake they had made.


    "Well, well, my friend, it seems we''ve been gone too long. A simple band of Angels didn''t recognize us. It''s a real shame." Gael said with a slight smile on his face while shaking his head.


    The Angels were puzzled as it was a surprise to them that theirbined strength did not frighten the intruders in any way.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly there was a tremendous pressure that as though chains had shackled their bodies, allowing only their heads to move.


    "Not even a day has passed since I woke up, but I have already met with such serious humiliation... It''s no good, I have to show you how stupid and ignorant you are." Alucard said with a deadly ice-cold look as his eerie voice pierced the Angels'' ears, making them shake with fear.


    "What is this aura...?!" The man eximed with a dazed look while in disbelief as he looked at Alucard.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly Alucard became muchrger as if he had turned into a giant while the Angels were on a te like they were his lunch today.


    ''Are we just food to him...?!''


    This thought simultaneously appeared in their minds as their bodies trembled with fear. There was nothing they could do while Alucard''s hand slowly approached them, bringing with it only death.


    "Mr. Alucard, please stop." Suddenly a calm voice filled with respect rang out.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    At the same time, fear let go of the Angels as the illusion was dispelled. The Alucard returned to its former size as the Angels were no longer on the te, they were just floating in the air.


    In front of Alucard, on one knee stood an Angel with long ck hair and wings exuding streams of darkness.

 Chapter 784 The End Of Shining Island

    "Well, well, it seems not all Angels have forgotten what respect for the strong is, have they?" Alucard grinned while looking at the Angel before him.


    "Mr. Alucard, Mr. Gael." Angel said looking at them, "In any other situation I wouldn''t dare interfere in your affairs, but could you forgive them? Just this once?"


    Alucard with a confused expression looked at Gael as if he cared about his opinion. Gael just shrugged, saying with his look, ''That''s your business, it''s up to you, I was just watching.''


    "Agh... Okay, but that''s only as an exception and because I wasn''t going to fight anyone. I came here to see who will be the Progenitor of Angels." Alucard said in a serious voice as he nced at the shining ind, which was already partially covered by thick darkness.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Suddenly several more Angels with ck wings appeared with him. They looked like the exact opposite of the normal Angels who had ruled their society for thousands of years.


    "Say... What are you going to do with them?" Gael asked with a curious look while looking at the frightened Angels as they were now surrounded by their worst enemies, "Are you going to kill them? You have a civil war going on right now or something, don''t you?"


    Angel stood up, looked at them, and with an indifferent look muttered, "No, even though they want to kill us, our main goal is to reunite the Angel society, but with a different leader and a fairer system."


    Step. Step. Step.


    He walked up to the leader of the group, stared at his ice with an ice-cold gaze, and said, "If we kill them, then how are we different from them? We''re all of the same race, but they''re just too focused on the power of light, not realizing that it''s destroying them from within."


    "Hah, what irony." Alucard grinned as he crossed his arms. He looked at the shining ind and with a serious look asked, "Hey, do you really think your leader can win? Amitiel, not an easy adversary at all, he is the Progenitor, after all."


    Angel turned as his gaze went to Ezrin and in a calm voice said, "Sure. If I didn''t believe in him, I wouldn''t be here. Can I count on you not to interfere in this fight?"


    "Hmm? I thought you were going to ask us to help Ezrin win." Alucard was surprised as he raised an eyebrow.


    Everyone knew that the rtionship between Angels and Vampires was strained, so Alucard''s reaction was expected.


    "No. There''s no need for that. Ezrin must win only with his powers. Only then will anything change." Angel said with a serious expression and faith in his voice.


    "Good attitude, I like that." Gael nodded in a confident manner, "Great battles are what our wonderful world is based on, so not only will I not interfere in their fight, I am just as willing to keep thempletely safe. As long as I am here no one will interfere with Amitiel and Ezrin''s fight!"


    Tap.


    Gael stomped his foot as a powerful stream of aura erupted from him. At the same time, the ground around him trembled as in a massive earthquake and something began to appear near the clouds.


    The massive streams of energy turned into ash as they formed many tall pirs with majestic auras. The pirs were on the border of Angel territory, so Gael didn''t trespass on them, but he didn''t give others the opportunity to do so either.


    Ash swords appeared on each pir, they arbitered the situation and wouldn''t let anyone else get near them.


    "Well... That''s impressive. I couldn''t even count on such kindness on your part." Angel said, looking at Gael and bowing, "I appreciate you understanding our situation."


    "Nothing a big deal." Gael shrugged as he nced at Alucard, "Hey, would you like to join me?"


    "Agh... Okay, at least I''ll get a good view." Alucard sighed as he waved his hand.


    His eyes shed a bright scarlet light as suddenly hundreds of crimson seals began to appear between the pirs. They acted as barriers and were ready to attack anyone who dared approach them.


    "I have to leave. I have a lot of work left to do." Angel said with a calm look, looking at the bright shes in the distance, fighting against the dark ones.


    "Sure. You have your tasks, just like the rest of us." Gael uttered in a serious voice.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Angel pped his wings as he turned into a dark sh, crossing hundreds of meters in seconds. His mates bound Angels with white wings and dragged him to one of the inds they already had full control over.


    "Damn, today really is a momentous day for the world, isn''t it? Perhaps today a new Progenitor of Angels will appear, it''s actually a historic event." Gael said with an excited expression.


    "Yeah..." Alucard nodded as he frowned, "I don''t know why, but I think something more incredible is going to happen to the heir of the Nameless King."


    "Well, in that case, we have to hope that Amitiel and Ezrin finish their fight as soon as possible, otherwise we won''t make it to the shining tree in time." Gael muttered while watching the fight intently.


    ...


    Bam.


    Ezrin''s fist covered in the darkness came down on Amitiel as he instantly reacted and created a barrier of dense light energy in front of him.


    Crackle.


    The impact caused a shockwave as the wind currents destroyed the stone pirs of shining stone.


    "You bastard! How dare you do this to my ind and my castle!" Amitiel eximed with a furious look as a tremendous amount of energy headed for his wings, "I will destroy you! You''re nothing but a pathetic semnce of what a true Angel should be!"


    Whoooooooosh.


    On Amitiel''s wings appeared many spheres of light, which turned into deadly rays, simultaneously raining down on Ezrin.


    Ezrin''s eyes turned icy as he whispered, "I will put an end to your tyranny. Though you use the attribute of light, your heart is darker than the depths of the abyss."

 Chapter 785 Darkness Cleansing Light

    A multitude of light rays was heading toward Ezrin at breakneck speed, but he was perfectly calm. For their battle, he had already repelled many such attacks.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    His mantle soared upward as several streams of darkness emerged from the ground. Theypletely absorbed all the energy of rays and dissipated into shreds of darkness.


    "I thought my Progenitor would be much stronger, but I guess I was wrong, wasn''t I?" Ezrin uttered with an ice-cold look. His gaze conveyed the indescribable contempt he felt for his enemy.


    Crackling.


    At the same time, ash pirs appeared around the Angels'' territory as well as bloody seals. Ezrin and Amitiel had an excellent sense, so they immediately sensed two powerful auras and nces directed at them.


    "Well, well, it looks like someone really important showed up in the audience. Luckily, they can''t help you." Ezrin said as he nced at Alucard and Gael.


    "Shut up. This is Angel territory! My territory! They wouldn''t dare interfere in our fight, so don''t count on anyone to save you!"


    "Hmm...? What are you talking about?" Ezrin tilted his head with a confused look, "I don''t need help to deal with you, since even the Progenitors can''t hold their Title forever. On the contrary, now I can show what my true power is!"


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Ezrin''s aura intensified several times as massive streams of dark energy burst out of him that seemed toe from the deepest depths of the abyss.


    The energy turned into a pir of energy, reaching the heavens and causing the sky to be as dark as a starless night.


    "Hah, this is definitely the level of the Transcendence Stage." Alucard grinned as a devious grin appeared on his face, "Is there really going to be a new Angel Progenitor today? This is fucking unbelievable!"


    Before this moment Ezrin and Amitiel had only used simple attacks, their energy, and normal skills. It was enough topletely destroy the castle and turn the huge ind into ruins, but it was not the limit of the Transcendence Stage''s powers. In the Fifth Chronicle there were certain changes with the power, namely, no longer a Beyond, this unique power wasbined with the Form, the greatest power of any creature.


    "It seems I have no choice." Amitiel said with a calm look as he pped his wings and outburst streams of golden energy, "This ind will be your grave. Then, I will build a castle on your bones!"


    "Hey, before we start... Answer me one question." Ezrin muttered while darkness slowly covered his entire body.


    "What?" Amitiel stepped forward as his armor glowed brightly.


    "When we''re done... Where would you like me to bury you?" Ezrin asked with a sincere expression as he was absolutely serious in his intentions.


    "You... Bastard! How dare you ask me such a thing! The only one who will die here will be you!" Amitiel eximed with a furious expression as he activated his Form.


    His wings grewrger as they were covered in a denseyer of light. A massive halo appeared above his head, as bright as the sun while glowing streaks streamed across his armor.


    Ezrin''s Form was less impressive in appearance as all he got was a denseyer of darkness around his arms and a small hoop on his head with barbed spikes that stuck into his skin.


    "Hah, your Form can''tpare to mine, it''s obvious you''re weaker! Although, no Angel could ever reach the same level as me!" Amitiel eximed before pping his wings.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Behind him, several golden magical circles appeared. In front of the circles appeared spheres containing a huge amount of energy, then they turned into hundreds of golden threads which like des came down on Ezrin.


    This attack could have easily killed him, as the light of the Angel Progenitor could dispel almost any darkness, even the densest. However, he did nothing, he just stared at the golden des with a calm look as one of his wings trembled.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Suddenly his right wing, the white one, covered him from the attack like an imprable shield. des pierced the wing, piercing through the feathers as scarlet blood trickled down, but none of the des could reach Ezrin, as one of them stopped right in front of his face.


    "What...? Defended himself with a wing...? Is he crazy?" Amitiel muttered while in disbelief.


    The stronger the Angel was the more important the wings were to him, for they were a conductor of energy and an indicator of status, so Amitiel could not even imagine that an Angel as strong as Ezrin would intentionally put one of his wings under attack.


    "All my followers have ck wings. They chose the path of darkness, for that is the power you tried so hard to get rid of, though darkness is no worse or better than light, it is simply the opposite." Ezrin muttered in a calm voice as he pped his wing, knocking all the stuck golden des off of it, "Why do you think I chose to leave one of my wings white?"


    Amitiel''s eyes went wide as he took a step back, "What the fuck kind of weird question is that! How am I supposed to know what''s in the head of a psycho like you?! You just practically lost one wing, so it doesn''t matter anymore!"


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Behind him, dozens of magic circles appeared as he prepared for a mighty attack. A multitude of ancient runes shone on the circles, exuding ancient energy.


    "Look... I''m not fighting you because I want to take your ce, but because it''s the only way to save the Angels. Unlike you, I have no intention of dividing light or darkness, but to show mercy to each Angel as my kind. That''s why my wings will always be this way." Ezrin uttered with an ice-cold look, "However, for this, I will have to make a sacrifice. That sacrifice will be your life!"

 Chapter 786 Starlight

    Whoooooooosh.


    Out of the magical circles flew millions of golden threads that quickly formed in the sky the silhouette of some creature with a female figure. The silhouette had two indescribably huge golden wings that seemed to be able to cover the whole world underneath, protecting it or destroying it.


    "Though I want to kill you, I must admit that you are actually strong." Amitiel said in an arrogant voice, "Thest time I used this skill and my Form was when I fought against the Nameless King. No matter how strong you are, there''s no way you can reach his level."


    Ezrin said nothing, he just looked up, studying the golden silhouette that looked like an empty shell from Angel.


    "Ignoring it, right? Well, it looks like you''ve already epted your fate. Even though you are about to die, remember, until the veryst moment, that it is a real honor to die from such an attack." Amitiel said with a calm look before waving his hand.


    At the same time, the silhouette folded its palms together like a prayer and a bright glow appeared over it, growing more powerful by the second.


    The space next to it trembled, as even the Lands of the Gods could hardly withstand such incredible power.


    The scene made everyone else freeze. Angels from both sides stood on the inds and stared at the shining ind as if mesmerized. They all felt that this was the moment when the fate of all Angels was to be decided.


    "This actually looks dangerous..." Ezrin muttered with a strange look as if he didn''t believe what he was saying, "But... Is gold the true color of light? To me, it''s just a pathetic parody of pure power."


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    As the silhouette prepared to attack, Ezrin also decided to make his move. He wasn''t going to give up, no matter how strong his enemy was because he was absolutely certain of his victory and new future.


    A stream of darkness erupted from his hands and headed toward the ground. The darkness was so dense that it gradually turned into a massive, sword, the hilt of which Ezrin wrapped his two hands around, then the entire ind trembled as Ezrin tried to pull the sword from the ground.


    "What is this strange power...?" Alia muttered with a dazed look while goosebumps ran down her body.


    "Huh, that''s actually quite impressive. It''s the first time I''ve ever seen someone have so much power that it''s hard to control." Gael grinned as an exciting smile appeared on his face, "Look at his sword. It''s like it''s trying to swallow the whole ind and won''t get out of it. Ahahaha, it looks pretty ironic."


    "But... At the same time, it''s frightening." Krakos muttered, staring intently at Ezrin, "How could a mere Angel achieve such power...? Even for a Progenitor, it would be unique..."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The entire ind trembled because of Ezrin''s power as the golden silhouette already prepared to attack. Above the ind appeared a golden sh that was like a small sun that fell directly on Ezrin, literally burning everything in its path, even space. A dark trail was left behind the sun, which immediately recovered as space could not afford to copse.


    The heat was incredible, so even though the sun was still far away, the skin on Ezrin''s body began to burn while the water in the nearby ponds was rapidly evaporating.


    "Hah, this was harder than I thought, but... can I screw up at a moment like this? It''s uneptable." Ezrin whispered as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    Crackling.


    The veins in Ezrin''s forehead swelled as the sword finally emerged from the dense earth. At that moment, darkness covered everything around as if it were the only force in the world. In the midst of the darkness, only the sun was visible, rapidly burning it away.


    "As far as I know you couldn''t defeat Nameless King, on the contrary, you ran away since you didn''t stand a chance, so... There''s no way I''m going to lose to someone like you since I''m not going to run away!" Ezrin eximed with his sword raised above his head, stepped forward, and swung his sword from top to bottom.


    The sword moved very slowly, but it wasn''t because Ezrin was weak, no, he was making a mad effort to move that weapon out of ce as some veins on his arms exploded and opened many small wounds from which blood gushed out, as if his body could not withstand such pressure.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    A massive de of dense dark energy erupted from the sword and headed straight for the sun. The sun should have easily burned it, but as soon as the de received damage it immediately absorbed the darkness from its surroundings.


    "What...? Isn''t that an endless supply of power...?" Amititel muttered in disbelief as his eyes went wide.


    Crackling.


    The de swallowed up thest shred of darkness as it collided with the sun, causing a surge of enormous amounts of energy. The shockwaves rippled for tens of kilometers around it, and even Alucard''s bloody barrier shook violently. Then, the de went through the sun cutting it in two just as the golden silhouette behind it.


    The de used up all its energy, so it dissipated into waves of darkness that were carried away by a powerful wind current.


    "Unbelievable... Ezrin was actually able to withstand such a powerful attack... Our leader can win!" The Angel with the ck wings eximed with an excited expression while the Angels with the white wings turned pale as hope slowly left them.


    "Ezrin won...?" Alia muttered with a trembling look as she touched her lips.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Ezrin pointed his sword at Amitiel and with an ice-cold look spoke, "Is all you have left gold?"


    "Hey, Alia, do you know what Title Amitiel has?" Alucard asked with a serious expression as his gaze was fixed on Amitiel.


    Alia shook her head.


    "The full name of the Progenitor of Angels is Amitiel, the Shining Star. Alucard uttered in a deadly voice.


    Then, the space next to Amitiel began to copse, but the cracks were not dark but light as though there was a real star.

 Chapter 787 The Last Attack

    "Oh... Looks like you finally decided to show your true power, doesn''t it?" Ezrin uttered with a calm look while looking at Amitiel.


    At the beginning of the fight, his face was fierce, then it became calmer, but now he looked as if everything had already been decided and nothing could change the end result.


    "You forced my hand." Amitiel said in a majestic voice as he raised his hand, "I wouldn''t use this attack even during the battle with Nameless King, but it seems I have no choice now as you were much stronger than I expected."


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The space behind Amitiel gradually copsed as shards as though pieces of the mirror were falling to the ground, revealing a bright white light behind.


    "What...? Why didn''t he use this attack against the Nameless King...?" Alia muttered with a confused look as she didn''t understand how he could hide any skills when fighting such a powerful enemy.


    "He just didn''t have time." Alucard said in a serious voice as his aura intensified slightly, "The point is that thest time Amitiel fought a Nameless King, was during the Great War. However, their fight was not over since I had to intervene."


    "Hmm? You wanted to fight Amitiel yourself...?" Alia muttered in confusion as she tilted her head.


    "Huh, you''re right, but that wasn''t the main reason. During the Great War, I took the side of the Nameless King. I hadn''t nned to fight Amitiel, but it was necessary since then there was an enemy Nameless King had to fight, so I had no choice."


    Alucard continued, "Amitiel was angry and fought me with everything he had. Of course, he couldn''t win, but after that attack, our fight was decided by a draw. He made me stay in agony time after time and disappear under the power of the purest light. I wonder how Ezrin is going to deal with this? Since this will definitely be thest attack."


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Amitiel''s hair soared upward as a small white sphere emerged from the shattered space behind him that shone as brightly as a star. The sphere slowly headed upward while Amitiel''s aura rapidly increased. All of his massive energy was directed towards this attack since not only his life but also the fate of the entire Angel race depended on the oue.


    Ezrin watched as the sphere slowly increased with a calm look but deep inside his gaze there was clear anxiety. After all, his opponent was the Progenitor of his Race, so this was a true test, no matter how strong he was.


    "Ezrin, you have merged with the energy of darkness, it is the greatest sin for an Angel, but... my light can cleanse you, even of the foulest power, just before death." Amitiel said in a sincere voice as he slowly lowered his hand as if giving a signal.


    At the same time, a huge magical circle with many ancient runes appeared above the orb,pletely covering the shining ind. Powerful surges erupted as the orb could at any moment crash down on Ezrin as though celestial punishment. It was a signal to him that it was time to act.


    His pupils narrowed as the prickles on the vein on his head lengthened and dug deep into his skin, causing trickles of blood to trickle down. The blood quickly mingled with the darkness as several ancient runes appeared on the sword. They turned into eerie serpents and made their way along the de of the sword toward Ezrin''s arm. The snakes dug into his veins and seemed to siphon the energy out of him, transferring it to the sword.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The crimson-ck me shed on the sword as everyone within a few kilometers sent shivers down their bodies. The power of the sword exceeded all possible limits as even Alucard and Gael felt it. They couldn''t believe that someone could wield such crushing power.


    "Damn... Looks like that sword isn''t just his energy..." Alucard muttered with a dazed look as his pupils became vertical and his gaze passed over the sword.


    He saw that in the depths of the sword''s darkness was a small, bloody shard the size of a grain. Even though it was tiny it possessed tremendous power and was the foundation for the sword.


    "This shard..." Gael muttered as his eyes widened, "By itself it is weak, but together with Ezrin''s energy this shard bes a weapon of prohibitive power..."


    "Yeah." Alucard nodded slightly and his eyes became sharp as des, "One thing remains to be seen. Will Ezrin be able to swing that sword again, as it will surely be a dozen times harder now? I can''t even imagine how much this terrible weapon weighs."


    Crackle.


    The magic circle glowed brightly as the orb transformed into a shining star. Its bright light blinded everyone on the inds and illuminated the entire area of the Lands of the Gods for a moment. Then, the star exploded releasing all its power in a single torrent that struck Ezrin as the only target.


    Step.


    Ezrin took a step forward as he gripped the sword with all his might by the hilt and tried to rise it. However, the sword felt as if it was chained to the ind and Ezrin felt as if he was trying to lift the whole world.


    "Ezrin... This is the end. Just take my light and die." Amitiel said in a calm voice as the torrent of energy almost reached Ezrin.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The veins in Ezrin''s body swelled as many cracks appeared in the ground next to the sword. Ezrin sighed as cold steam rushed out and with a deadly look uttered, "Progenitor of Angels is Amitiel, the Shining Star, today you will disappear from this world forever, just as your Title, for I will take another!"


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Ezrin pulled his sword from the ground, picked it up, and swung it with all he had. Many wounds opened on his body while blood flowed from his eyes, but he had already done his part as the tip of the sword reached the ground and the whole world trembled.

 Chapter 788 New Angel Leader

    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    "What''s going on...?" Wain muttered while climbing to thest stage of the shining tree.


    Suddenly everything trembled, he had to lean against the wall to keep from falling due to the powerful shaking as if a violent earthquake had begun.


    "Someone is fighting again and it looks like their battle ising to an end." dius said in a serious voice.


    ''Progenitors and Transcendence Stage, right?'' Wain said inwardly as he looked up and spoke, ''Let''s go. We can''t linger here any longer, we have to get stronger as fast as we can!


    ''The right choice.'' Abyss Artist suddenly said in a sly manner, ''If you now face someone with that kind of power, you could die even from a simple shockwave.''


    Wain said nothing, he just sprinted up the stairs and in a few seconds reached the top. Here was thest shard of dius.


    ...


    Shining Ind was in the midst of a collision between the star''s energy and the massive blood-dark wedge from Ezrin''s sword. Their collision caused shockwaves thatpletely dispersed the clouds and even pushed the small inds back several meters.


    Energetic sparks flew off to the sides, destroying space, but everyone''s eyes were fixed on one point, as it all depended on whose attack would be stronger.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Blood streams erupted from the dark de as suddenly the bright starlight began to fade, getting smaller and smaller as though the sword extinguished it with its nearly infinite energy.


    "No... That''s impossible... That can''t be!" Amitiel eximed with his eyes wide open as for the first time in hundreds of years there was despair and fear in his eyes.


    Tremble.


    The energy of the depressed, triggering an explosion thatpletely destroyed the flow of the star. Every particle of light left behind was burned by the dark mes, wisps of which slowly fell to the ground as if ck snow.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Suddenly Ezrin''s silhouette blurred as he turned into a dark sh, instantly appearing in front of the bewildered Amitiel. The most powerful attacks had already been made, but the fight had to be brought to an end.


    "Amitiel, this is the end. Since you didn''t tell me where to bury you, your grave will be right here!" Ezrin eximed with a deadly ice-cold look before swinging his sword onest time.


    Crackle.


    The sword came down upon Amitiel, and the de plunged deep into his shoulder, cutting through flesh and blood right to his heart, slicing it in two. Streams of light blood flowed from Amitiel''s mouth as the energy of darkness quickly seeped into his body, destroying it from within.


    Crackling.


    Suddenly a crack appeared beneath their feet and the ground trembled. The cracks grew rapidly as the huge shining ind was split in two in an instant as if someone had taken it and cut it open.


    Hundreds ofkes and rivers began to flow down like waterfalls while the golden trees gradually disappeared into the void.


    Bam.


    Amitiel with a nk stare fell as if the emptiness should have swallowed him, but Ezrin caught him andid him on the ground, beside himself.


    "Am I really dying... right...?" Amitiel muttered quietly while his gaze rapidly dimmed.


    Ezrin led the way beside him, sighed like a warrior after a hard battle, and said, "Yes, this is actually happening. Don''t worry, I will create a better world for the Angels, we will not repeat your mistakes."


    Amitiel smiled slightly and whispered, "Which Title will you take...?"


    Ezrin answered immediately as he had long known the answer to that question, "Ezrin, The Tarnishing Star."


    "Hahaha, good choice..." Amitiel chuckled and touched Ezrin.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Dense energy headed toward Ezrin as Amitiel handed him whatever he had left. Though they used different attributes this energy suited Ezrin perfectly as his wounded white wing instantly healed and shone brightly.


    Hundreds of golden shes of light erupted from the wing and headed toward the borders of the ind, binding it with threads and slowly restoring it.


    Tap.


    Amitiel''s hand fell and his eyes closed, forever.


    "Damn, that was a great fight. I can''t even believe it actually happened..." Alucard muttered with a dazed look.


    There was silence for a while, as each Angel''s mind was inplete chaos. They couldn''t imagine something like this happening one day, but here they are now, right here.


    "Well, looks like there''s nothing else for us to do here. Let''s stay out of their way, Krakos let''s go, the Angels have to decide what happens next." Alucard said before turning around and heading for the exit from Angels territory as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    "Agreed. Alia, let''s go. We can meet the new Angel Progenitor in a little while when things are back to normal." Gael uttered with a calm look as he waved his hand.


    Bam.


    The ash columns around the Angels'' territory scattered and disappeared as well as Alucard''s bloody seals.


    Ezrin nced at them once with aplicated look, then stood up, looked at the Angels, and muttered inwardly, ''Well, well, I finally did what I wanted. I guess I should feel happy since I''ve done the nearly impossible, but what''s this strange sense inside...? Why do I feel as if our battle wasn''t the most important thing in the world?''


    ''Okay, it doesn''t matter now. I have a lot of work ahead of me.'' Ezrin shook his head, realizing what an important position he now holds and how many others have hopes for him.


    Tremble.


    Suddenly a strange shiver went through the bodies of the three men as their hearts clenched tightly. It was caused by a surge of energy, very powerful, but not yet fully revealed. Only Alucard, Gael, and Ezrin could feel such unique vibrations.


    "My Lord, are you thinking of something?" Krakos asked with a worried look.


    Alucard came to his senses only after a while, he smirked and looking at Gael said, "My friend, it seems we must hurry or we risk missing all the fun.


    At this time, energy bursts were constantly urring around the shining tree which increased their power at an enormous rate.

 Chapter 789 Top Of The Tree

    A few minutes before the fight between Amitiel and Ezrin ended, Wain finally reached the top of the tree.


    "Well, well, it took me this long to get here, but I end up seeing a mere monster?" Wain said with a slight smile on his face while looking at the massive creature sleeping in the center of the hall.


    The monster was a massive beast whose body was covered in solid wood armor. Sharp roots were its weapons as they as though ws covered the monster''s four paws. At the back of the monster''s head was a massive dark splinter, constantly emittingrge amounts of energy.


    ''That''s it, right?'' Wain asked with a serious look.


    ''Yeah... It''s myst shard. I have to say it''s bigger than I thought... Damn, it''s pretty weird, but I guess when the energyes back to normal it will go back to normal...'' dius muttered being slightly confused.


    ''Hmm, it doesn''t matter. The important thing is that it''s your shard, so let''s try to get it, right now!" Wain uttered with an excited look as a devious smile appeared on his face.


    Whooooooooosh.


    His silhouette blurred as he turned into a sh, momentarily finding himself on the monster''s back. Wain hade for the shard, but that alone was his goal, the monster was only a secondary target. His hands reached out for the shard and secondster his fingertip touched the de of the dark sword.


    Tremble.


    Wain felt a strange energy as if he had touched something that didn''t exist, then the monster opened its eyes and a powerful shockwave erupted from the shard. The impact threw Wain aside as the seal in his hand shone brightly and turned into a long, dark sword.


    The monster rose quickly, which was unnatural for such arge creature, and stared at Wain angrily. He was a troublemaker, so the monster was mad as hell.


    Roooooooooaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrr!


    The monster roared furiously as the thunderous sound shook the entire upper floor causing a few golden leaves to crumble from the shining tree.


    "Hah, looks like you liked the hell out of absorbing energy from that shard, right? However, that hase to an end now that this sword belongs to me!" Wain eximed as he pointed his sword at the monster and his aura intensified.


    His hair grew longer and as white as snow while he wore dark armor and a cruel spirit over his head.


    ''Oh, you decided to use my power?'' Code of Light and Darkness grinned.


    ''Yeah... I''m going to finish this as quickly as possible.'' Wain replied with a slight nod as a ck and white amulet appeared in his hand.


    The rare elements of white on his armor were almostpletely gone as Wain''s energy became less voluminous, but much denser as all of his physical stats were now improved to the limit.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Wain took a step as he disappeared and instantly found himself right in front of the monster. The sword plunged into the beast''s sturdy armor and shed through it with ease. Slivers flew aside as tough in Wain''s hand was a saw and the point of the sword reached the monster''s flesh as scarlet blood appeared from beneath the wooden tes.


    Roooooooaaaaaaarrrrrr!


    The monster roared in pain as it struck the ground, shaking the entire floor. The shockwave was very powerful as the beast nned to toss Wain aside, but Wain just broke through the floor with his hand and thus stayed in one ce.


    "Hey, don''t upset me, I was hoping you''d be stronger. After all, I have to fight strong opponents to get better. It''s the only way, you know?" Wain grinned as he canceled the action of the first form and activated the sixth instead.


    His hair turned golden as he turned into a beam of light. Wain circled around the monster like an unstoppable star,unching numerous attacks against it. The wounds were not very serious, but given Wain''s speed, it was quickly bing dangerous and the monster needed to deal with it somehow.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    The monster''s roots spread out in all directions, trying to get to Wain. It was unsessful because it was moving too fast, but then the roots began to separate and there was simply no more room in the room.


    "Hah, you think you can catch me? Damn, you''re practically dying and that''s all you can do?" Wain said in a mocking manner as his eyes turned icy.


    At the same time, the temperature around him dropped significantly as another sword appeared in his hand, it was Ice Terror, the weapon of Cursed Swordsman. The blue runes on the sword sparkled brightly as Wain took a swing.


    A massive wall of ice appeared before him, that froze everything that touched it, so after a while, all the roots turned into ice, they just froze in ce.


    "All right, let''s call it a day then." Wain said in a calm voice, canceled the shapes, and directed arge amount of energy into dius.


    A dark streak appeared on the de that, when attacked, turned into a massive wave of darkness. It passed through the roots, destroying them and heading straight for the monster.


    The beast had no time to retreat, so it took the full impact. The monster''s body opened a multitude of wounds from which streams of blood gushed forth. After a while, the darkness dissipated and the monster fell to the ground exhausted.


    The beast tried to rise, but dozens of wounds prevented it from doing so no matter how hard the beast tried.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Wain paced slowly toward him with a scornful look and a scowl.


    "Well, well, I expected this battle to change my life forever, but it looks like I was dead wrong. I only used a fraction of my power, but you''ve already lost, it''s boring." Wain shook his head, sighed, and looked at the shard.


    He walked over to it and with a calm look said, "This belongs to me."


    Crackling.


    Wain grabbed the shard and tried to pull it out.


    Tremble.


    As soon as the shard emerged slightly from the monster''s body, the beast shuddered and was covered in strange lines as if it were a mirage in the desert or an illusion.


    Only then did Wain feel that someone had been watching him all along.

 Chapter 790 Look

    Wain killed the monster as he finally got thest shard of dius, however, things were not as simple as he thought.


    The monster''s silhouette slowly disappeared as if it had never existed while the hall at the top of the tree slightly transformed.


    ''Was it an illusion...? What the fuck is going on here!" Wain inwardly eximed as his pupils narrowed and his eyes opened wide.


    The damage from their attackspletely disappeared as suddenly thest floor became muchrger, expanding in front of his eyes. Everything was the same as before, except for one detail-the mirrored wall behind which was the real monster. The monster was the same, so the illusion was just a copy.


    Roooooooaaaaaaaaarrrrrr!


    It was slightly wounded and tried to get out of its confinement, but the cage was imprable as the roar of the massive beast did not even pass through it.


    Goosebumps ran down Wain''s body as he began to realize that this was all a trap? No, it was more like a performance, for someone Wain had just now noticed.


    Out of the darkness, two blue eyes were pointed at him that was as pure as the most preciouspiszuli in all the world. Even Soul Pearls would have seemed dirty before them.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    A silhouette emerged from the shadows, keeping its gaze fixed on Wain. The darkness around the silhouette slowly dissipated, revealing the mysterious watcher.


    It was a tall young man with pale skin and thick hair as white as snow. He wore a silver robe with ancient runes as well as a simple tinum ring. The most notable detail of the man was his long, pointy ears.


    ''What...? An elf? But, why is he here? How did he know I''d be here, and why did he arrange all this? We''ve definitely never met him before...'' Wain muttered inwardly as dozens of questions popped into his head at once.


    The man stared at Wain for a while, then he blinked for the first time in a long time and said quietly, "Wain Norheim, I''ve been waiting for you for a long time, but I knew you''de for a shard of... your sword soon."


    "Who the fuck are you?" Wain cursed with a frowned look as his aura intensified.


    "You''re puzzled, I understand that. I''ll be honest with you, you''re my target. I''ve wanted to fight you for a long time, but I could only do it here in Lands of the Gods." The man said in an indifferent voice as he looked around.


    ''Damn... What a strange guy. I can''t feel his whole aura, normally I would think it''s because he''s too weak, but this is clearly not the case...'' Wain wondered before swinging his sword and asking, ''Who are you? We haven''t met before, so why should you have any reason to fight me?"


    There was no way Wain could expect someone to create the illusion of the monster he came for by locking the real beast behind a barrier, it was too weird or even creepy.


    "Well, you''re not quite right. I noticed you at Colosseum a long time ago, moreover, I''ve been following some of your fights. It was actually quite impressive." The man said with an ice-cold look, "At first I wondered who was hiding behind the mask, who the famous Nameless was, but when I found out, I knew I''d found a real treasure."


    "What the hell are you talking about...?" Wain muttered while in confusion as he raised an eyebrow.


    Whoooooooosh.


    The man''s aura intensified as his robe soared upward as well as his hair.


    "Wain Norheim, Nameless, Top-2 of the Colosseum as well as Heir of the Nameless King, I challenge you!" The man said in a thunderous voice as a faint sheath glowed over his body.


    At the same time, the man''s ears became less sharp as they were the same as those of all other races. Nothing else changed except for one detail, a seven-pointed star appeared on the man''s chest.


    ''What?! He''s an Arkan...? How does he know I''m the heir of the Nameless King?! Wain inwardly eximed with eyes wide open while in disbelief.


    "My name is Virion Payne, I am the Champion of the Colosseum, the only one you haven''t beaten yet! However, I doubt you have any chance at all." Virion eximed with a deadly look as white streams of energy burst from his body.


    "Wait... You waited for me just to fight...?" Wain uttered with a confused look.


    The question was strange, and Wain understood that, but for some reason, he did not sense murderous intent from Virion.


    "No. This may be the most important fight of your life and mine because it''s not just a fight to the death." Virion muttered in a calm voice before stepping forward, then his gaze became as cold as ancient ciers and his piercing voice headed toward Wain, "I''m going to absorb your power. You are not a Nameless King, you are merely the sessor to his power, which means that if I am more worthy than you, that power will be mine!"


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, around Virion appeared pirs of white energy that were as though white mes surrounded him. With each step, the energy grewrger andrger until Virion suddenly disappeared and appeared in front of Wain with a silver sword in his hand.


    Wain''s pupils narrowed as he instantly put dius in front of him, blocking the attack. Their swords shed as the shockwave passed through his entire body, testing it for strength.


    Whooooooooosh.


    The impact of their attacks caused a small explosion that threw Wain sideways, a few meters back. His feet didn''te off the ground, but the incredible pressure caused two deep cracked lines to appear on the floor.


    ''What the hell...?'' Wain inwardly muttered while looking at his trembling hands from the recoil, ''He''s so strong it will be dangerous... But, he wants to take my power? Is that possible...? No way...''

 Chapter 791 The New Generation

    "Did you feel that?" Marlis asked with a serious look as she stared at Sven.


    "Yeah... but I can''t figure out the direction... If there are more of those shes, maybe I can figure out where it''sing from..." Sven muttered while staring thoughtfully into the distance.


    ...


    At the same time, the fight between Wain and Virion continued.


    "Hey... I''m not going to ask how you know all this about me, a lot of opportunities havee uptely, but do you really think you can take my power?" Wain asked with a deadly ice-cold look as he prepared for battle, "Even I don''t know why I have this power, so how can you be so sure?"


    Virion looked at him for a while as if trying to figure out if this was a trap and said, "You don''t have to worry about that, I wouldn''t attack you if I didn''t have the right way."


    ''Wain... This guy has tremendous power...'' dius muttered in a serious voice, ''His aura is incredibly dense, it seems he''s only one step short of reaching the Fifth Chronicle.''


    ''I agree.'' The Abyss Artist suddenly said, ''You haven''t met such Arkans yet... He has no Rank as there is no need for it. His star is seven-pointed, which means he could potentially be one of the strongest Arkans.''''


    Wain quickly took in all this information and nodded slightly, "Well, it''s probably for the best that you showed up since the strength of this monster disappointed me. However, you don''t seem to be an easy target, do you?"


    "Sure. I''ll do my best to be your toughest opponent since I''ll definitely be thest one!" Virion eximed as his blue eyes sparkled. Then, massive streams of energy headed toward the silver sword.


    Virion stepped forward as white mes appeared at his feet and he swung his sword, unleashing a massive de rushing at Wain.


    The de had tremendous power but didn''t move very fast, gradually burning everything around it, so Wain could easily dodge. However, he didn''t, he had to realize how strong his opponent was, and his only option was to attack back.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Wain used arge amount of energy as he created a dark de that a momentter collided with Virion''s ming de.


    The des came into contact with each other, trying to suppress, but in the end, no one moved and the two energies exploded, creating a ck-and-white vortex that filled the top of the glowing tree.


    "mes, right...? It''s been a long time since I fought someone with that kind of power." Wain grinned as the vortex slowly dissipated.


    The first thing Wain saw were Virion''s blue eyes, then his pupils narrowed and a shiver went through his body as in the same instant all the mes dissipated and a lightning spear flew toward him.


    Wain''s silhouette blurred as he was several meters away when the spear reached the end of the hall. There was a deafening explosion as sparks from the lightning left a lot of damage on the floor, but despite that, the sturdy walls of the shining tree were not destroyed.


    "What...? The lightning...? Why the hell do you possess two attributes...? Aren''t only humans capable of that?" Wain muttered with wide eyes while in disbelief.


    "Yeah... I possess both the power of fire and the power of lightning, however, I was only able to do it recently, thanks to one artifact, so I''m still not fully ustomed to this power." Virion muttered while looking at his hand, before taking a deep breath, "You are the right opponent for me to learn how to control it."


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    White sparks appeared in his fingers as a white ming orb appeared in his other hand. Virion slowly linked the two energies together as a small me vortex appeared between his palms, sometimes emitting lightning discharges to the sides.


    ''Virion Payne... Though I have a hell of a lot of questions for him, but one thing is clear, he is definitely not inferior to me in strength, though it is not surprising considering he is at the Top-1 of the Colosseum, which means the strongest in the Fourth Chronicle...'' Wain internally murmured as his aura intensified and waves of dark energy came out.


    The temperature around him dropped drastically as the sword in Wain''s hand changed to blue with frost-emitting runes. The ground beneath Wain became covered in a thickyer of ice as even the air beside him froze, turning into blue sparks that looked like snowkes.


    "You seem surprised that someone other than a human can have two attributes, but the amount of power you actually possess is astounding." Virion said earnestly as his gaze became sharp as a de, "I''ve seen you use that power once before... so do you really think I wasn''t prepared?"


    The ring on Virion''s finger glowed brightly as two scarlet runes appeared beside it. They absorbed some of the heat from the swirl between Virion''s palms and burst into an orange me. The runes weren''t meant for attacking, as they were normally used in extremely cold areas to keep from freezing to death, but Virion found them more appropriate.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The sudden temperature change caused cracks to appear in the ice as it slowly began to melt. The temperature next to Wain returned to normal, but it was detrimental to the power of the Cursed Swordsman while next to Virion was getting hotter by the second.


    "Now your ice is not as strong as before, is it?" Virion said with a devious smile on his face as drops of sweat dripped from his forehead, "Well, let''s see if the frost will protect you from my fire!"


    Whooooooooosh.


    Virion opened his palms, letting out a whirlwind of energy that had already reached its limit. White mes with lightning were heading toward Wain at breakneck speed, about to burn himpletely.


    ''Hey, maybe we should duck.'' The Light Racer offered in an indifferent manner.


    ''Hah, don''t be silly, my ice isn''t weak enough for any rocks to interfere with it. I''m right Wain, aren''t I?'' Cursed Swordsman smirked.


    Wain answered nothing, he just took a deep breath and just one look at him made Virion break out in a cold sweat.

 Chapter 792 The Shining Tree Threat

    For a long time it was quiet around the Shining Tree, but as soon as Wain and Virion began to fight powerful waves of energy began to attract powerful monsters that gradually headed toward the tree.


    ...


    A ming vortex with violent lightning bolts was heading straight for Wain, but it was as if he wasn''t paying attention to it at all as his gaze passed through the vortex, heading straight for Virion.


    ''What...? Why is he so calm...? My runes definitely had a strong effect on his ice, shouldn''t that have weakened him?'' Virion inwardly muttered as his eyes went wide.


    ''Hahaha, this idiot thinks a few hot rocks can get rid of my ice? Wain, it''s time to show our seriousness!'' Cursed Swordsman eximed with an excited look as his aura intensified.


    Wain took a deep breath, stepped forward, and with a calm look blew out an incredibly cold vapor that seemed to be able to freeze even space.


    Though the heat from the vortex was terrifying, it rapidly began to slow down as particles of me froze right on the move, turning into in ice.


    ''What the hell...? How can he freeze fire?! It''s fucking impossible! At the very least, a fire should just evaporate!'' Virion internally eximed with an angry look as suddenly he realized what was happening and his eyes went wide, ''Shit... That bastard is not freezing the fire, but energy... But how...? It''s only possible if his energy is an order of magnitude greater than mine...''


    Step.


    Wain took a step forward as his eyes shed and when his foot touched the ground all around him were covered in lines of ice. They spread like threads of spider''s web around him, covering the entire top of the glowing tree.


    "You possess two attributes, and surely you think you can defeat me, for though I have many powers, none of them are at their peak, do you?" Wain uttered in a piercing voice as his gaze became as cold as ancient ciers, "However, you shouldn''t underestimate me, especially if you want to take my power."


    Whoooooooooosh.


    The runes on the sword shone brightly as they transformed into a stream of cold energy that swept over Virion like a wave, destroying its vortex with ease.


    "Damn it!" Virion eximed as his ring glowed brightly and four more ming runes appeared next to it.


    Virion created two streams of mes in front of him, so the temperature next to him rose almost instantly to a breaking point, burning even the air and making it look like a mirage. All that was needed to stop Wain''s single attack.


    Shoooooosh!


    A wave of ice met fire as it began to explode, filling the entire room with it. Virion was an experienced fighter, so even in such a dangerous situation he managed to calcte correctly and his heat was enough to deal with all the ice.


    ''Agh... That hurt like hell!'' Virion internally eximed while holding onto his right arm which was partially covered in ice, ''But... I was able to block his attack. He definitely used a lot of energy, so now it''s my turn!


    Whoooooooosh.


    Suddenly the steam in front of Virion dissipated as Wain appeared in front of him. His gaze was calm as though nothing significant had happened and he was ready to attack again.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "Hey, aren''t you tired already?" Wain muttered with an emotionless expression as the de of his sword shed and his hand turned into a blur.


    Crackling.


    The icy sword came down on Virion with tremendous speed as he managed to take only one step to the side. Virion instinctively tried to move his hand as far away as possible, but the sword de only left a long, deep cut on his shoulder that immediately froze, preventing blood from gushing out.


    Virion was mad as hell, as rage burned inside him like the hottest me. He wanted to tear Wain apart as the years passed since he hadst been wounded. However, he had just enough of a heartbeat to take control of his emotions and instead of attacking, retreat.


    ''Hmm...? Was he able to calm down so quickly? Damn, judging by the look on his face he''s furious, but he did the right thing. Well, I should have expected nothing less from such a dangerous opponent, right?'' Wain wondered before swinging his sword again.


    He directed an icy cross toward Virion that hurtled toward him at great speed.


    Virion had a few more me runes, but he didn''t use them. Instead, he looked at his wound with a multi-digit expression and whispered, "Well, looks like the first round is on you. I couldn''t beat your ice, I admit... but it''s only the beginning."


    Whoooooooosh.


    Virion''s aura intensified considerably as the ice around the cut quickly melted and the wound began to heal. At the same time, massive streams of fire appeared around Virion,pletely covering his body.


    ''Oh... Looks like he''s decided to get serious, doesn''t it?'' Wain muttered to himself, canceled the action of the form, and created a barrier of dense darkness in front of him.


    For a few moments, the temperature around Virion reached its limit as the icy des evaporated just in a blink.


    The streams of me vanished while the steam slowly dissipated, revealing Virion''s new appearance.


    A wreath appeared on his head with a pulsing line of energy as his hair grew a little longer and got a faint glow at the tips. The runes on his robes became scriptural as several symbols hovered around him, each with a unique, iparable aura.


    White mes covered his right arm, fitting tightly around it like a veil, while his left was covered by white lightning, powerful and violent.


    "Decided to use your a Beyond? Hah, looks like I''m winning already. You''ll never beat me at this rate." Wain grinned in a mocking way.


    "Yeah... I hate to admit it, but it''s true. However, I''m not going to lose." Virion muttered with a calm look as he selected one of the symbols. It glowed brightly as the others headed toward the robe, waiting for their turn.


    Step.


    Then, Virion stepped forward and the ground beneath him cracked as if he weighed as much as a mountain.

 Chapter 793 Who Needs Magic?

    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Virion steered slowly forward with a calm look while each step he took shook the whole hall as if Wain were fighting a giant.


    ''Normally a Beyond strengthens the main attribute, however, it seems in his case it''s much moreplicated...'' Wain inwardly muttered, remembering his Beyond that was also unique, ''The mes and lightning stayed with him, but those strange runes hovering around him... It seems the one he chose greatly increased his physical strength.''


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Virion ducked slightly, stared at Wain, and rushed forward. The sheer weight of it caused the floor beneath him to partially copse as cracks split several meters apart.


    A momentter Virion was right in front of Wain''s ming fist. Despite the increased strength, Virion''s speed also increased considerably, so Wain had little time to make a decision.


    Crack.


    He reflexively put the dark sword in front of him, defending himself as his fist collided with the sword de. Wain was worried that the mes wouldn''t seriously harm him, so he wanted to use the second form again, but something made him change his decision abruptly.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The mes became smaller as if they were superfluous here and through the sword, several waves passed over Wain''s body as from a powerful recoil. He felt as if someone had struck his sword with a multi-ton sledgehammer.


    Wain''s face contorted in pain as the shock wave threw him back several meters. Wain had to thrust his sword into the ground to regain his bnce, cutting through the stone floor with his sharp de.


    "Looks like I made the right choice. The quantity and quality of your energy are astounding, however, you can''t be as strong physically, can you?" Virion uttered with a calm look while the mes became fewer and fewer just like the lightning bolts. They slowly disappeared as Virion concentrated fully on the physical stats.


    "Agh... Your punch wasn''t really weak..." Wain grinned as a slight smile appeared on his face, "But...everyone knows that in a fair fight a warrior will never beat a mage!"


    Whooooooooosh.


    dius returned to the seal as a long gray mantle appeared on Wain with a tight blindfold and an old book in his hand. At the same time, behind him appeared two magical circles that began to spin rapidly, gathering energy for the attack.


    "Oh... I went to pure physical strength as you chose to use magic... How interesting." Virion smirked as he took a step forward and there was a powerful current of wind that lifted his robe up, exposing his athletic body.


    At the same time, his silhouette blurred as he appeared directly in front of Wain. Virion''s fist was headed toward him, intent on smashing Wain to the ground.


    ''Damn... he''s strong, but I''ve seen such blows a thousand times in my life...'' Wain muttered to himself before stepping forward.


    Anyone in this situation would have backed away, intending to dodge the blow, but Wain wasn''t nning on running away, he had a more effective way in his arsenal.


    He dashed right in front of the blow, pressed Virion''s fist with his palm, tilted it to the floor, and leaped forward.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    It all happened too fast for Virion to react, so instead of Wain, his attack hit the floor, leaving a hole in the center of the hall through which the very first floor was visible.


    "Hah, now you actually have insane physical strength, but do you really think you don''t need the technique?" Wain grinned, opened the book and two magical circles turned into eight.


    ''Hmm? Copy magic...? Virion inwardly muttered, ''No... he just created illusions... Hah, that''s a pathetic trick!''


    Whoooooooosh.


    Transparent energy arrows flew out of the magical circles. They all headed toward Virion at the same time, from different directions.


    ''These two are real as well as these fakes...'' Virion wondered as his gaze ran from side to side until he decided on a target.


    Virion turned to his left and attacked the first energy arrows, destroying them with pure physical power that magic couldn''t get through.


    "Hahaha, I created the illusion myself to lure you here! Do you really think I couldn''t figure out what''s going on here?" An evil smirk appeared on Virion''s face as his aura intensified.


    Wain with a calm expression looked at Virion as if he were a trapped victim.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Suddenly the other six arrows plunged into Virion''s back, right at one point. The first three arrows scattered as their energy was spent piercing Virion''s dense skin, as the remaining arrows left aceration on his back that gushed blood.


    "Bastard... So those were copies!?" Virion eximed with a furious look as his thunderous voice shook the entire hall causing the glowing tree to tremble.


    "Not really." Wain shook his head as his book reopened, "You guessed right, they were illusions, but they have some of the power of the original, so... get ready for some real hell."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The space next to Wain trembled as dozens of magical circles of varying sizes appeared in the room. The runes on the pages of the book glowed brightly as all the magical circles began to separate, filling everything around them.


    Virion was in no hurry to attack as he carefully watched each magical circle that was an illusion and not the original. He counted quickly, trying to figure out which attacks to repel and which ones to dodge.


    ''Wain... How many more magic circles are you going to make?'' Blind Sorcerer asked in a worried manner.


    ''Well... I don''t feel theck of energy, even now, so I''m going to use all the runes in this book. Even if he figured out how it works, he certainly can''t repel all the attacks.'' Wain answered in a calm voice while the pages of the book flipped quickly.


    ''It will take a long time for the runes to recover. You know that, don''t you? Blind Sorcerer muttered.


    ''Sure.'' Wain nodded

 Chapter 794 Physical Power

    Whooooooooosh.


    Thest runes in the book glowed brightly and disappeared as the magic circles stopped increasing. The total number of magic circles was over three hundred and most of them were illusions, but very powerful as they possessed a third of the power of the original.


    "Hah, are you finally done?" Virion smirked in a confident way as though he had been ready to attack for some time.


    "Yeah." Wain nodded slightly, closed the book, and swung his hand.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    At the same time, hundreds of magical circles began to spin, concentrating energy in the center to unleash their full power on Virion.


    "You don''t seem at all worried about what happens next, do you? Although, given how closely you''ve looked at each new magic circle, you probably already know which ones are the original." Wain muttered in an ice-cold voice, before clenching his hand into a fist.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Suddenly the magical circles were in motion, gradually speeding up and passing side by side like a single mechanism. They quickly formed a dome around Virion, so given that each magical circle looked indistinguishable from the real thing it was now almost impossible to tell the illusion from the real thing.


    ''Bastard... He could have done this all along, right?'' Virion inwardly muttered as he clenched his teeth in anger, ''Shit! There were only eight attacksst time, but now there are forty fucking times as many! I''m definitely not getting out of this dome without serious wounds, looks like I''ll have to use another rune.''


    A few seconds before the magic circles were to activate a white symbol flew out of Virion''s robe that turned into streams of energy when touched. Virion''s aura became much weaker, as did his energy, but a faint transparent shell appeared around his palms.


    ''A second rune...? I wonder how many he has left?'' Wain inwardly muttered as his eyes shed, ''Well, I''ll definitely find out soon enough.''


    At the same time, hundreds of magic circles simultaneously attacked as a hail of energy beams rained down on Virion, following each other.


    It was impossible to escape from the dome, so Virion had only two options, he had to either defend himself somehow or dodge all the attacks. However, Virion decided on a third way.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The first beam had already reached Virion as his pupils narrowed and he took a step back, but he wasn''t going to dodge, it was necessary in order to create the right trajectory.


    ? Virion swung his arm as the beam swept next to his palm. The shell around his hand trembled and suddenly an unknown force reversed the direction of the beam, throwing it sideways. The beam copsed into several magical circles, destroying a small portion of the dome. Then, events began to elerate rapidly.


    Every second Virion reflected the beam with its energy as they destroyed more and more magic circles, damaging the dome.


    The attacks were overwhelming, but until the very end, not a single beam could reach Virion. They all ended up extremely close to him but immediately flew away. His power just prevented the beams from approaching him.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Virion deflected thest three beams, took a deep breath, and stared at Wain with a murderous aura.


    They just stared at each other for a moment, as if the oue of their battle depended on thest one to look away. Virion spent a lot of energy reflecting hundreds of energy beams as waves of hot steam emanated from his body, enveloping him.


    "Impressive... Last time I only needed eight magic circles to wound you, but now even three hundred didn''t leave a scratch on you..." Wain muttered with a dazed look while examining his opponent, "I wonder what power your Beyond has? It doesn''t look like pure physical power."


    "Hah, I''ll answer you if you tell me how many powers you possess!" Virion eximed with an excited expression as he pointed at Wain.


    Wain was silent for a while before he canceled the third form and said, "About seven, something like that. I can''t reveal all my cards to you, it''s not time yet."


    "Sure. I understand." Virion smirked as he shrugged, "Well, actually my Beyond is pretty much pure physical power."


    "Hmm? Are you so low that you don''t keep your word? Do you think I''m dumb enough to believe that? You can''t reflect magic without magic, those are the facts." Wain uttered in an eerie voice as his aura rose. Waves of energy came from him as his gaze became as deep as the depths of the abyss, giving Virion goosebumps all over his body.


    ''Damn... If this guy goes on a rampage, I could be in serious trouble. After all, he is the heir of the Nameless King, so he''s not an easy adversary, is he?'' Virion inwardly muttered before pointing his hand toward the ground.


    They were both slightly exhausted, so they needed a little respite before continuing to fight from all their strength.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Several cracks appeared in the stone floor as suddenly it sank slightly beneath Virion''s palm as if an enormous weight was pressing on it.


    "You''re right. Only other magic will usually do to repel magic. No matter how strong my body is I couldn''t withstand that many attacks, but you forgot all about gravity." Virion smirked as he stared at Wain.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At that moment, the small rocks next to Wain soared upward and crashed to the ground with great speed, shattering into fragments like meteorites hurtling toward a massive.


    "Gravity and an incredible increase in physical capabilities... How interesting..." Wain muttered in an indifferent way as darkness appeared in his green eyes, "So magic is useless against you now, right?"


    "Sure. You have nothing but your sword, but you can''t beat me with that!" Virion eximed in a mocking manner before stepping forward and shaking the ground.


    ''I wouldn''t be so sure of that.'' A voice sounded in Wain''s head.

 Chapter 795 Blood

    Virion with a slow step headed toward Wain as cracks appeared on the ground with each step he took. All the gravitational force was concentrated at his palms, but his total weight was even greater than before.


    ''I hate to admit it, but he''s right. Given that he now has the power of gravity, my skills won''t have much effect. Even if I use the power of Chaos or Ether... it will only use up my reserves...'' Wain muttered inwardly while looking at Virion with a calm look.


    ''You know what needs to be done, don''t you?'' ck Sun Aristocrat said as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    ''Yeah... Luckily, besides dius I have two other ways to fight with just physical strength. That''s what I need now, I have to get him to use as many runes as possible.'' Wain said to himself as his aura increased dramatically.


    Wain realized that Virion had not yet used the Form, which couldpletely change the whole fight, so he had to drain him as much as possible until then.


    ''I have many different powers... but unlike everyone else I don''t have my own Form, so the only trump card I have left is my a Beyond...'' Wain internally muttered withplicated looks while thick streams of darkness enveloped him, ''Moreover, I don''t know why but I have a strong feeling that he is hiding something else besides the Form... He has two attributes for a reason.''


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Darkness covered thest part of his body as powerful waves of energy began to emanate from him, shaking the space.


    ''Hmm? He decided to use his the Form... but then why is the energy diminishing?'' Virion inwardly muttered before waving his arms, creating a gravitational barrier in front of him.


    Clots of darkness from Wain flew off to the sides, some of them leaving serious damage on the walls. The shreds of darkness that hit Virion''s barrier just dissipated due to gravity and lost all their power.


    Whooooooosh.


    The darkness vanished as Virion saw Wain''s new appearance.


    He wore a long, red aristocratic coat, and white gloves, and his hair was half-red. His face had only part of a mask covering his left eye. The most notable detail was a ck cane with a majestic aura as if it were a family heirloom.


    "A cane...? Are you sure about this?" Virion muttered in a mocking way as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    "You think this is funny? Well, you seem to have too much confidence in gravity, which isn''t really just your power." Wain uttered with a deadly ice-cold look before stepping forward.


    Virion was puzzled by his words as he had never seen Wain use the power of gravity.


    ''Does he have that power too...? No, that''s impossible, even for him gravity is something quite unique.'' Virion wondered as his eyes went wide as Wain suddenly disappeared.


    Wain appeared right in front of Virion with a cane crashing down on his head. Virion naturally smirked as he swung his arm and the cane hit his gravitational field. At the same time, the pressure on Wain greatly increased as his cane headed for the ground as it became too heavy.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "Hahaha, idiot! Do you think you can resist my gravity!" Virion eximed with an excited expression.


    Wain remained calm as he took a step forward, approaching Virion closely, and whispered like a spirit of death, "Do you think I''m the idiot? Are you really so stupid that you don''t understand that gravity can be used by everyone? It''s not your power, it''s a natural property of our world, so... get ready."


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Wain flipped the cane to his other hand as the gravity effect loosened slightly, and with all his might he attacked downwards, bringing the cane down on Virion''s shoulder.


    Perhaps after Virion used his a Beyond his physical strength surpassed Wain''s, but he was also damn strong, especially when moments before the blow his cane hit Virion''s gravitational field and became ten times as heavy.


    "ARGHHHHH!!!" Virion cried out in pain as one simple attack was enough to cause his shoulder to crack and blood gushed out from the torn flesh.


    "Do you see? Even if you can change the force of gravity at will, that doesn''t mean it doesn''t work on itself, so try not to die from your own force as it would be a shameful death." Wain said in a calm voice before clenching his hand into a fist and from all his strength hitting Virion in the stomach.


    Crack. Crack. Crackle.


    Wain''s fist mmed into Virion''s stomach, causing his face to twist in pain. At the same time, Virion''s eyes went wide as blood gushed from his mouth when the shockwave hit his body.


    Whoooooooosh.


    The impact threw Virion backward a dozen meters, causing him to roll over the ground until he reached the wall and collided with his back.


    "Well, well, it seems that none of your opponents have been able to resist your gravity before. It''s pretty funny that it was against me that you failed." Wain uttered while slowly stepping forward.


    Virion''s wounds were not critical, especially for an experienced fighter like him, to him they were just scratches, however, his mind was actually shaken.


    ''Fuck... all I achieved by using the second rune was to repel the energy beams, but I immediately lost to him in closebat...'' Virion inwardly muttered slowly rising as his gaze went to Wain''s cane, ''his weapon... it has a longer range than me with bare hands, at this rate I will never get him, he has too good reflexes. Well, it''s a good thing I''ve got something for that, too.''


    Crackle.


    Virion stood up, prostrated himself, and directed energy toward the ring as it glowed brightly. A rather long sword appeared in his hand, different from the one he had originally. It looked very simple, but the few straight lines on the sword, as if it were assembled from parts, made Wain tense.

 Chapter 796 Sword And Cane

    ''What is this...? I''ve never seen such a weapon before.'' Wain muttered inwardly while staring intently at Virion''s sword.


    Within a few rounds of their battle, Wain had already fully realized that Virion had carefully prepared for their fight. It made sense since Wain had long been his target, so every action Virion took carried real danger.


    ''Last time he used fire runes, they gave me a lot of trouble, but in fact, they were just very hot stones, but this... this is a real weapon.'' Wain said to himself as he prepared for battle.


    Virion stepped forward and raised his hand as if he was about to swing his sword, even though they were very far apart.


    ''Hm? What''s he up to?'' Wain raised an eyebrow while in confusion.


    ''Whooooooooosh.


    Virion lowered his sword as suddenly it began to split into several pieces, lengthening considerably and acquiring the trajectory of a whip.


    Wain''s pupils narrowed as he finally realized what Virion was up to and it startled him. He quickly raised the cane above him, and in that instant, thest part of the sword, the sharpest and fastest, came crashing down on him.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The stone floor beneath Wain cracked as the incredible force of the impact caused his feet to sink an inch into the ground, then the sword returned to its owner.


    "Damn... Is your reaction really impressive, or did you figure it out before I attacked?" Virion uttered in a calm voice with an ice-cold look.


    Wain said nothing, he just jerked back as his gaze went to Virion''s sword.


    ''I was at maximum range, so I took the most damage from thest link. This sword works like a whip, the tip is the strongest and fastest, but up close it is much weaker, also its length has a limit.'' Wain inwardly muttered being as focused as possible.


    ''Are you silent? Well, I''ll make you talk!" Virion eximed before swinging his sword once more.


    The sword split again as it whipped at Wain like a whip, but he took a step back at thest moment and the tip of the sword copsed right in front of him, hitting the ground.


    ''Nice... Though it moves damn fast, I was able to calcte the distance correctly. Now I need to wait for the right moment.'' Wain inwardly muttered as suddenly the point of the sword trembled.


    They fought on top of the shining tree and despite all their powerful attacks, the top floor was still generally intact and only slightly damaged. It was because of the sturdy materials and the natural energy of the tree, so Wain quickly realized what had just happened.


    ''It''s stuck!'' Wain inwardly eximed, then his pupils narrowed and his gaze became deathly icy.


    He attacked as quickly as possible, copsing his cane on the gape before thest link to destroy Virion''s weapon in a simple motion.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    From Wain''s powerful hit, the sword shuddered, sinking deeper into the ground as several cracks appeared in the shaft.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    ''Damn... It''s damn hard. It''s definitely a Legendary Weapon, okay, I just need to hit it a few more times.'' Wain wondered as he suddenly realized that Virion had been inactive all this time and a shiver ran down his body.


    Wain nced at Virion and saw a devious smirk on his face as Virion''s arm got a few electric shocks.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    A momentter a mighty white lightning bolt went across the sword and reached the tip, unleashing its full power on Wain. It all happened so fast that Wain didn''t even have time to unclench his hand, so the lightning went through his body bringing him terrible pain.


    "ARGHHHHHH!!!" Wain cried out in agony while his whole body trembled and streams of blood poured from his eyes.


    Gradually the discharge lost its force as hell for Wain finally ended and the sword easily climbed out of the floor and returned to Virion. Wain needed a few seconds to recover, but Virion wasn''t going to just stand there and wait, so he lunged forward as he turned into a white sh.


    Virion with a vicious look swung his sword. This time the sword did not split, but it was affected by the force of his gravity, speeding it up considerably so that Wain had no chance to react.


    ''Wain!'' dius and the ck Sun Aristocrat simultaneously eximed in a worried way and the seal on Wain''s arm glowed brightly as dius was about to help him.


    Crackle.


    But, it was toote as the sword plunged into Wain''s flesh shing it and leaving a wide, deep cut on his chest from which blood immediately gushed. The scarlet drops sshed onto Virion''s face, making his mad smile even more frightening as he was ecstatic that he was finally able to wound Wain.


    "Hahaha, how about that?! Did you really think my sword would get stuck on the stone floor?! I tricked you, and you fell into my trap, again!" Virion eximed with an excited expression before stepping forward.


    His words entered Wain''s head, rushing through like thunderps, shaking his consciousness.


    Whooooooosh.


    Virion paused for a moment as his left leg was covered in a denseyer of white me. Then, he made a full turn and with all the power of his momentum plunged his foot into Wain''s stomach, causing a fiery explosion.


    "AGH!" Wain threw up a mouthful of blood as the shockwave went through his body, throwing him to the other side of the arena.


    All in a matter of seconds Virion made several powerful attacks, all because of Wain''s one mistake that initially seemed to be his chance to win.


    His body and mind were shaken as Virionpletely outyed him, but despite this and all the pain, he did not unclench his fist, holding the cane tightly.


    Bam.


    Wain hit the wall with his back and fell to the ground with a rumble while blood from his wound slowly coated the ground beneath him.

 Chapter 797 The Spear

    ''Fine, I was finally able to get it.'' Virion said inwardly with a confident look while walking slowly toward Wain.


    Virion missed several of Wain''s blows, but his wounds were nothingpared to Wain''s ones. A powerful lightning bolt literally fried him from the inside as dark blood flowed from a wide cut on his chest.


    ''Hmm... His condition is pretty bad, but he definitely has more trumps. He still hasn''t used his Beyond and the Form... By the way, what is his Form? Even in the fight against Reidar, he didn''t activate it.'' Virion wondered as he stopped and stared at Wain with an ice-cold look, ''I must take this chance and inflict as many wounds on him as possible.''


    Crackle.


    Electric shocks went through Virion''s sword as he prepared to attack.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same time, Wain''s aura grew as the red half of his hair began to move slightly, exuding a strong smell of blood. His wounds began to regenerate faster as the bleeding stoppedpletely.


    ''Regeneration...? What the fuck?! I didn''t even know he could do that! How many powers does that bastard have?'' Virion inwardly eximed with his eyes wide open.


    Crackle.


    Wain''s fingers tensed, squeezing the ground hard and leaving streaks on it while slowly rising from the ground.


    ''You only have a fraction of the regeneration I can give you, so... If you get hurt like that again I won''t be able to help you anymore. That was one shot.'' ck Sun Aristocrat said in a serious voice as Wain''s hair came back to normal.


    ''Sure. I understand that. He actually managed to trick me, but blood isn''t a bad thing at all, because it can be used as a weapon, can''t it? Wain muttered inwardly as if he were addressing someone.


    ''Hah, with that attitude you certainly won''t lose. The fourth haspleted his task, now it''s my turn.'' The Knight of the Bloody Rose spoke in a confident voice, ''Use everything you''ve got at once. You''ve lost a lot of blood, so we have to make him feel the same pain.


    Wain shook his head, stretching, and with a slight sigh said, "Yeah... That was damn nasty. I''ve got to get my revenge, haven''t I?"


    Virion was shocked for a while as he couldn''t believe that Wain even without the use of a Beyond was able to return tobat after such serious wounds.


    "Your sword is unique, it''s true, but judging by your surprised look you haven''t gathered enough information about me. You don''t know all my skills, not all the weapons I can use." Wain said in a careless manner with a calm look before waving his hand.


    The red coat, gloves, and cane turned to darkness, disappearing into the void as his hair began to change its color to scarlet just like his eyes. In ce of the darkness, a multitude of rose petals appeared beside him, transforming into two massive wings.


    He wore no armor whatsoever and his torso was bare on which appeared several tattoos in the form of spiky vines with rosebuds.


    "What kind of power is this...? Is this your Form...?" Virion muttered while in confusion as he took a step back.


    "The Form? Hah, of course not, it''s just a power that''ll get you in a hell of a lot of trouble." Wain grinned as he extended his hand forward.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The space in front of him warped as a massive wooden spear appeared in his hand, looking like a thorn from a giant rose.


    "A wooden spear...? Hahaha, you seem to have too much faith in yourself! Even if that spear is Legendary too, it''s definitely not as strong as my sword! I''ll just burn it!" Virion eximed with an excited look before swinging his sword.


    The sword began to split apart as a powerful stream of white me headed across it with the tip aimed at Wain.


    Wain knew that this attack could do him terrible damage, but he did not attempt to dodge. Instead, he stared at Virion with a slight smile on his face with a mocking gaze.


    Whooooooooosh.


    The blood headed toward the spear, soaking into it and filling it with power. Then, Wain stepped forward as his wings pped.


    "Fire against wood, right? Well, there are always exceptions to the rules in this world." Wain whispered as a devious smile formed on his face. At the same time, the tip of his spear collided with thest link of the ming sword.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The shockwaves, white and scarlet, moved tens of meters away as the mes began to try to engulf the spear as though it felt the tree was an easy target.


    ''Damn, his power is as arrogant as he is.'' Knight of the Bloody Rose muttered while shaking his head, ''Well, show him it''s nothing to us.''


    ''Whatever you say.'' Wain smirked as his eyes sparkled.


    Blood rushed powerfully from the spear, pushing the fire away as Wain ducked slightly. His wings drew back for a mighty swing as he stepped forward at the same time.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    ? Wain turned into a scarlet sh as if lightning had shed forward, through the sword, destroying it as many links flew sideways, stuck in the stone walls.


    Virion''s body trembled as his heart clenched with fear. He saw Wain rushing toward him like death, but could do nothing as it happened faster than a single heartbeat.


    "Last time your blood was frozen, but now... Now everything around you will be in it!" Wain eximed with a furious look as he appeared directly in front of Virion.


    Wain''s deadly gaze literally pierced him, while the tip of the spear reached Virion''s chest as drops of blood gushed out. At the same time, Virion''s pupils narrowed and energy shot toward his ring, making it glow brightly.


    Powerful mes erupted from the ring, slightly reducing the damage, but the spear had already reached the bones, putting incredible pressure on them.

 Chapter 798 Fire

    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The spear slowly ripped through Virion''s flesh as cracks began to appear in his chest and his heart began to beat faster. His body could barely withstand the pressure as only the mes from the ring saved him until the momentum from Wain''s attack reached him.


    The impact was like a scarlet st tossing him aside, burying his body under the stone rubble.


    "Hmm? Was he able to block it...? I nned to leave a wide hole in his chest with this attack. Well, looks like it won''t be as easy as I thought." Wain muttered with a confused look as he tilted his head.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    A few secondster Virion crawled out from under the rubble as he scattered it aside with bloody hands. Wain may not have been able to achieve what he originally wanted, but he still inflicted horrific damage on Virion.


    There was a massive st stain on his chest while blood flowed from the damaged flesh. Virion had to use mes to stop the bleeding, which hurt him terribly.


    "Bastard... I''ve watched every fight you''ve had and tried to gather as much information as I could, yet no one told me you had such a powerful weapon... It''s not just a tree, it''s part of some ancient nt, right?" Virion muttered with a calm expression while looking at Wain. However, his gaze was consumed with hatred as murderous intentions enveloped him in a thick, bloody veil.


    ''Damn... Maybe no one wanted to kill me as badly as he did, but he''s still trying to stay calm, and he''s seeding. Well, that''s what it takes. Only one of us wille out of this tree.'' Wain said inwardly as his eyes became as cold as thousand-year-old ciers.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    At the same time, the fire from the ring became much stronger as something began to appear near Virion. It was three silver circles that slowly rotated, gradually speeding up. All the white me went toward the circles, causing them to sh brightly.


    Virion nced at circles and muttered, "I used themst time I was attacked by a young Dragon... I think his bones still lie somewhere. Normally I only use my mes, but you''ll give me a unique opportunity..."


    Virion touched the puddle of blood on the ground with his fingertip as it split into three flows, heading for the circles. They absorbed all the blood as due to inertia it mixed with the mes, making it not white but red. However, it also greatly increased the energy of the circles as well as their power.


    ''Hmm... ming Circles? Well, they don''t look as dangerous as that sword. Looks like he''s already used his main trump cards in a Beyond, but his blood... Damn, that could be difficult.'' Wain muttered inwardly as he prepared for battle.


    Blood was an important resource as it almost directly depended on the life of the creature, but things were not so simple, especially with Virion. Blood was full of energy, so while losing it was critically bad, blood could be used as a weapon, something that was often used by vampires due to their insane regeneration.


    By the rank of the Colosseum, Virion was the strongest in the Fourth Chronicle, so his blood was a real treasure not to be lost, but it was also a deadly weapon.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "You still haven''t used your Beyond, so it looks like I''m losing, doesn''t it?" Virion uttered with a calm look as he stared at Wain.


    "Sure, you are. Do you really think you have a chance of winning? It was clear from the beginning that you were going to lose." Wain said in a careless manner with a shrug, but he didn''t believe his own words at all. He couldn''t take such a dangerous opponent lightly.


    "How arrogant... Well, you and I are alike in that." Virion muttered as he snapped his fingers.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    The mes on the circles intensified as they simultaneously headed toward Wain. They moved slowly, but in just a few seconds their speed reached its limit and made Wain shudder in fear.


    His pupils narrowed as he reflexively jumped up as the only way to escape the danger. At the same time, three fiery circles swept beneath him like scarlet shes, heading toward the east side.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The Circles pierced the solid stone wall with ease, leaving three thin streaks in it, as thick as a finger. The Shining Tree immediately responded to the damage as its golden foliage glowed brightly and the thin roots began to repair the crack as though threads.


    ''Fuck... I felt they were dangerous, but they went through these walls like it was a in piece of paper.'' Wain said to himself in a daze with eyes wide open, ''If I make one mistake, I''ll be left limbless or cut in half altogether.''


    Virion stared at Wain as if he cared about his reaction to what had happened, ''Fine. That''s what I expected. Nameless has many abilities it''s true, he seems to have skills for absolutely any asion, but one thing he is missing - defense!''


    ''Every time he found himself in a difficult situation, he either dodged or suppressed his opponent''s attack with his superior strength. This style of fighting suited a man as arrogant as he is, so he certainly has no way of defending himself. He''s a master at attacking, but nobody in defending!'' Virion inwardly eximed with an excited look before swinging his arm.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Circles pierced through the ceiling as three ming des rained down on Wain. He didn''t even look at them as he distinctly felt how fast they were, so he just took ast-minute step back. The three circles whizzed right in front of his face, going into the ground, out of the arena, to strike again soon.


    ''Wain, he seems to have figured out your weak spot.'' dius said in a serious voice.


    ''Yeah...'' Wain nodded slightly, ''Well, I just need to get rid of these circles. Apparently, he can''t control thempletely, so it won''t be hard.''

 Chapter 799 Circles

    Virion had already used two runes from his Beyond, as well as two unusual weapons, but Wain was sure that his opponent had many more unusual things in his arsenal.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Virion swung his arm as three fiery circles cut through the ceiling and struck Wain again. He jumped aside, ducking at thest moment.


    ''Damn... I thought I could get him at least once, but it seems too easy for him. At this rate he can dodge almost indefinitely...'' Virion internally muttered before snapping his fingers, ''Well, in that case, it''s time to move on to more serious measures.''


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The ming Circles stopped suddenly as they hovered in midair. Then, for the first time in a long time, they split up and attacked Wain from three sides.


    Wain''s pupils dted as he took a step back with a swing of his spear. At the tip of the spear appeared a bloody orb that exploded, causing a bloody wave. It threw one of the circles aside as the other two came close to Wain.


    Step.


    He ducked, practically touching the ground with his back as the circles whizzed right over him. Virion willed the Circles to follow him, slowly circling over his head like three halos.


    Wain regained his bnce as his gaze drifted to the few scarlet hairs on the ground, slightly burned by the mes.


    ''Fuck... He was trying to trick me again. I was sure he didn''t have enough power to control them one by one, but I was wrong... If I hadn''t been so fast, it might have been my head on the ground instead of the hair...'' Wain muttered internally with a frowned look as his aura intensified.


    ''Hey, if I make that move, can I destroy those circles?'' Wain asked in an ice-cold voice while staring intently at Virion.


    ''Hmm... I''m not sure about all three, but you can definitely break one or two, however, then you''ll lose my spear too. I can only make a new one in a few days, so... I won''t be able to help you in this fight anymore.'' The Knight of the Bloody Rose uttered with aplicated expression.


    Usually, the Forms always had a solution to any problem, even if it was a deadly fight, but now they weren''t sure if their skills would work.


    ''Well... This guy actually did some serious work. Getting such rare artifacts is already an aplishment, but he prepared it all specifically for this fight.'' The Abyss Artist muttered in a thoughtful manner, ''Wain, use all our powers before you activate Beyond, but, don''t use my power until then as it will be most effective.''


    Wain nodded slightly, taking a step back as his eyes grew cold as ice. His aura intensified as his wings trembled.


    ''Well, since you''re using all my power for one attack, let''s do it as hard as we can.'' Knight of the Bloody Rose muttered while Wain''s wings split into hundreds of petals.


    The petals headed toward the spear in two streams, infusing it with powerful energy. This was a skill Knight of the Bloody Rose didn''t want to use because it led to self-destruction.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Cracks appeared on the spear from which crimson light erupted. Gradually, the cracks became bigger as the power of the spear rapidly increased, but it also meant that Wain was running out of time.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    ''Looks like he finally decided to get rid of that spear... that''s good... but from the looks of it, this attack will be much more powerful than the previous one.'' Virion muttered inwardly as a shiver ran through his body. He could barely withstand the attack from the spear as he had to cauterize his own chest to stop the bleeding, but all that was nothingpared to the spear''s ability to pierce his heart.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Virion swung his hand as the shards of his sword stuck in the wall trembled.


    ''What the hell...? Can he control them? Didn''t Ipletely destroy his sword?'' Wain inwardly muttered while in disbelief.


    The sword splinters no longer had the strength that they used to have and there was no way Virion could recover the sword during the fight, so he decided to use it in the best possible way. A multitude of shards surrounded by white sparks of lightning headed toward him and formed a dense shield. It seemed unstable as there were gaps between the shards, but the lightning bolts held them firmly together.


    Behind the shield of sword shards, Virion ced three ming circles. They stood in the shape of a triangle, touching each other''s faces.


    ''I wanted to use the sword shards as a secret weapon to seriously wound him, but it seems I have no other choice...'' Virion muttered inwardly as he took a step back.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    A torrent of energy burst out of him as a dense wall of me emerged from the ground in front of him that seemed capable of stopping even a falling meteor.


    "Bastard... He realized what was about to happen and created a three-stage defense... Would I be able to break through that manyyers?" Wain muttered with a frowned look as the spear trembled harder.


    ''Don''t worry. Just trust in yourself, you can definitely get to him I guarantee it.'' The Knight of the Bloody Rose uttered in a confident manner.


    Wain nodded slightly, took a step forward, and his eyes grew deeper. Dense streams of darkness burst from his body with scarlet as the space around him trembled.


    "Forward! Attack! What are you waiting for!" Virion eximed in a thunderous voice as it shook the entire upper floor.


    "Sure... I''m on my way..." Wain whispered with a deadly gaze as he took a step forward.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Wain''s silhouette blurred as he for an instant, several times overcame the speed of sound, causing a powerful shockwave that like an explosion destroyed the wall behind him.


    A momentter he reached the shield of sword debris as the spear with indescribable power was ready to shatter it.


    In a strange way, but to Wain it all seemed very slow, so he was able to pick the right ce to attack, where the threeyer defense was weakest.


    ''This time I will definitely pierce you...''

 Chapter 800 The Pain

    Whooooooooooosh.


    The tip of the spear stabbed into the tiny gap between the shards of the sword. The white lightning immediately reacted to it, heading toward Wain and trying to stop him, but it seemed to have no effect on him at all.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Waves of energy from the spear rippled through the sword''s parts, as many cracks appeared. A momentter, the overpowering energy turned the shards of the sword into dust, through the cloud which Wain swept like a death demon.


    The spear copsed on the circles with ease, destroying two of them, as Wain chose a point where the edges of the two circles protected each other, but the third one did not reinforce them in any way. The debris of the circles flew aside as the shockwave threw the third one away.


    ''It can''t be!'' Virion inwardly eximed while in disbelief as he hurriedly took a step back.


    He didn''t expect Wain to easily destroy two of the threeyers of his defenses, so he tried to run away, but Wain''s silhouette had already passed through the dense barrier of me.


    Virion''s eyes went wide as despite the power of the mes Wain took absolutely no damage. A thin veil of darkness covered him, absorbing all the fierce fire into itself as if sacrificing itself for Wain.


    "Your fire is actually hot, however, my darkness is also very cold, and I seem to use my power better than you, don''t I?" Wain uttered with a deadly gaze as his eyes literally pierced Virion''s Soul.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Wain appeared in front of Virion as his spear, which seemed at any moment to shatter, sank into Virion''s chest. Blood gushed out as Virion''s face contorted in horrible pain.


    At the same time, Virion''s robe shone brightly as two symbols flew out that immediately turned into streams of energy, heading towards Virion and greatly strengthening his body. The previous wounds immediately recovered as Virion''s skin became like the strongest metal in the world.


    "Trying to save your miserable life? Good, go ahead, use everything you''ve got. I want to see how far you''re willing to go." Wain said in a brutal way as his voice like evil spirits had entered Virion''s mind.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Gradually, the spear passed deeper, and deeper, pushing through Virion''s flesh millimeter by millimeter as the tip of the spear touched his ribcage.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Cracks appeared in his bones as the cracking sound rumbled through Virion''s head a hundred times louder. At that moment, he could even hear his heartbeat.


    ''Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! He hasn''t even used his Beyond yet! I shouldn''t have used it so quickly!'' Virion inwardly shouted as he clenched his teeth and his eyes filled with blood. Wain was serious, he was ready to kill, even wanted to, so Virion had a few seconds to somehow save himself.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Whooooooooosh.


    All the writing on Virion''s robe glowed brightly, bing a flood of ink. They formed a massive ck symbol that, unlike the previous ones, was ck. Because of that Virion was momentarily weakened as the spear destroyed one of his ribs and nearly reached his heart as Virion even felt its touch.


    Tremble.


    At the same moment, the symbol trembled as all the energy from it burst forth. The massive st of energy threw Wain and Virion to different sides of the arena as the entire shining tree shook violently. Though the symbol was ck, the energy was white as snow and it seemed to have been created against Wain''s darkness.


    "AGH!!!" Wain mmed his back against the wall as the wooden spear fell out of his hands. It was already at its limit, so as soon as the spear touched the ground it shattered into many splinters,pletely losing its power.


    "Bastard... What was that?! Can he just cause an explosion like that?! Why didn''t he use that before?" Wainined with a furious look as a red, bloody aura appeared around him that was a sign of his incredible murderous intent.


    The white energy from the explosion slowly dissipated, until suddenly Virion swung his arm and all the energy was directed toward him, in a single massive stream.


    Virion was wrenching blood as he put a me-covered palm to the wound, trying to burn it, but for some reason, he was unable to do so.


    ''What the fuck?! Why isn''t my me working?! Virion inwardly eximed and suddenly his eyes went wide as he realized what he had done, ''No way... Having used all the runes I have strengthened my body so much that my fire is now powerless against it...? At this rate, I will die from bleeding!''


    Even the most experienced warrior could get confused trying to save his life when he was literally separated from death by a few moments, so in this fight there came a moment when Virion made a mistake. The energy from the st healed him slightly, but it wasn''t enough to stop the bleeding, it only slowed it down slightly.


    ''Wait... He has no more runes left from his Beyond, also it seems he has no weapons to defend himself... so this is my chance!'' Wain internally eximed with wide eyes before rushing forward.


    Wain removed the fifth form as he wore ck armor and a sword ofpressed light in his hand. Of all the forms he hadn''t used yet except Abyss Artist, he had only Code of Light and Darkness with Light Racer left, so Wain tried to kill Virion before he activated his Form as it was his only chance to survive.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Wain turned into clots of darkness as a momentter he was in front of Virion with his sword drawn to attack.


    Thest circle suddenly appeared in front of Wain, but because Virion was wounded and had difficulty controlling it Wain with a smooth stroke, cut the damaged circle and attacked Virion.


    The fight could have been over in seconds, but Virion had already made his decision as then tremendous clouds gathered over the shining tree.

 Chapter 801 Thunder

    "Ohoho, we have to hurry, it looks like the fun part is starting." Alucard said with an excited look while gazing at the shining tree in the distance before waving his hand.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Bloody streams appeared next to it, quickly forming a sphere. It covered Alucard, Krakos, Alia, and Gael, then the sphere shrank and disappeared. A momentter, on the hill opposite the shining tree, a bloody stream emerged from which four of them emerged.


    "Well, well, you don''t usually like to use this sort of thing, but you seem really interested in seeing this, don''t you?" Gael said as a slight smirk appeared on his face.


    "Sure. What''s more, look, there are already several spectators here beside us." Alucard grinned as his pupils became vertical. His gaze went upward as he saw all that was going on a few kilometers around the shining tree.


    There were already several silhouettes on the mountains, hills, and stone cliffs that were intently watching the glowing tree. Their auras were not as powerful as those of Alucard or Gael, but they were certainly as strong as Krakos and Alia.


    "The heir of the Nameless King... from the looks of it, his battle is a hell of a fight. The guy he''s fighting has a terrifying aura, for a Fourth Chronicle, he''s just a monster." Gael muttered with a serious look as his gaze stared literally through the glowing tree.


    "Ahahaha, their fight would be a great end to the first day at Lands of the Gods! I don''t know why, but I''m sure it will be even more important than the new Angel Progenitor!" Alucard eximed with a frantic look as his aura intensified.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same time, many thunderclouds appeared above the glowing tree as a white beam of energy burst from thest floor. It was dozens of times smaller than that of a Progenitor like Alucard, but the shape and density of the energy were very simr.


    ''Damn! I can still make it!'' Wain inwardly eximed as he stepped forward and brought his sword down on Virion.


    There was a huge amount of energy near Virion, it filled everything around him and was so dense that it slowed Wain down, but despite that, his sword was already moving toward Virion''s neck.


    "I didn''t expect to lose to you that badly, but now I understand something. In fact, the second round only starts now, doesn''t it?" Virion whispered with eyes as deep as the abyss as his pupils shed.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Thunder rumbled through the clouds as thousands of electric sparks turned into massive white lightning. It, passed through the beam of energy, crashing straight down on Virion with all its might.


    The st of energy threw Wain aside, destroying his armor that absorbed all the damage that could cause serious injury to him.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    The white beam slowly dissipated while streams of me and lightning covered Virion''s body. His aura grew stronger by the second until it reached its limit.


    ''Wain... Maybe it''s time to use your Beyond? I mean... From the looks of it, he''s gotten a lot stronger now. Perhaps he can kill you in one attack.'' dius uttered in a worried voice as there was real fear in his voice.


    ''Well, maybe you''re right, but I have someone else whose power I haven''t used. I must first test what my opponent is capable of now before I take such serious steps.'' Wain muttered inwardly with a calm expression as his gaze drifted to Virion.


    Virion was now wearing a long white mantle, with a slightly blue hue. The mantle had electric shocks flowing steadily through it as the edges zed brightly. A massive halberd with a long burning de appeared in Virion''s hand as lightning discharges passed over the hilt. The glowing hoop on his head transformed into a sort of crown with a mixed symbol of fire and lightning.


    "Damn... That looks dangerous as hell." Wain muttered with his eyes wide open as goosebumps ran down his body.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Suddenly, cracks appeared in the wall behind Virion. Something was trying to break through it, as suddenly a massive paw of a monster shattered the wall, ripping a massive chunk out of it. The monster was a huge bird with a creepy beak and an intimidating aura.


    "Fifth Chronicle...? Why did it appear here? Are they interested in our energy...?" Wain uttered in a dazed as he clearly felt that this monster was on the lower edge of the Fifth Chronicle.


    Wain and Virion''s fight attracted the attention of even such powerful beings as Alucard, so hundreds of monsters had already gathered near the shining tree. All of them wanted Wain''s or Virion''s energy, so some of them even fought for the opportunity.


    Virion with a calm look turned around, looked at the monster, then nced at Wain and said, "Oh, looks like my aura attracted uninvited guests, that''s not good. Sorry, I''ll deal with this mess now."


    Crackling.


    Virion slowly raised his hand, pointed at the bird, and clenched his palm into a fist. At the same time, the runes on his mantle shed brightly as from the thunderclouds, a massive white lightning bolt struck the monster. It all happened in a heartbeat as the monster didn''t even have time to realize that Virion was attacking.


    "ARGHHHHH!!!" The bird cried out in terrible pain as streams of blood came out of its eyes as its entire body trembled due to the violent lightning strikes.


    "Well, now we can continue. All that''s left to do is make onest move." Virion uttered in an indifferent voice before snapping his finger.


    A fiery spark appeared beside him, that seemed tiny and weak, but a secondter it exploded with a torrent of me, raining down on the bird. The white me instantly burned the monster''s feathers and skin, charring even its bones. Then, the bird''s massive carcass plummeted to the sight of hundreds of other monsters.

 Chapter 802 Light

    ''What the hell...? He just killed a Fifth Chronicle monster like that...? Is that normal for someone who is in the Fourth Chronicle...?'' Wein muttered inwardly while in disbelief. He understood that Virion was strong, but it seemed to him that the gap between the Fourth Chronicle and the Fifth Chronicle was too great, it was significantly different from the other Chronicles.


    ''Don''t make a big deal about it.'' Abyss Artist uttered in a calm voice, ''Its strength has increased, but when you use your Beyond such weak Fifth Chronicle monsters will no longer be a problem for you. You two are really the exception to the rule.''


    Step. Step. Step.


    Virion turned to Wain as he stared intently into his eyes, as though trying to pierce him, then with an ice-cold look Virion asked, "Nameless... No, Wain Norheim, you are a unique person in many ways, but only now did I realize that you also have a unique w, do you not?"


    A shiver ran through Wain''s body as he took a step back, preparing for battle.


    "Unfortunately, I was too stupid to realize this sooner, but despite all your abilities and vast amounts of energy, you don''t have the Form, do you?" Virion asked with a calm look as his cold voice headed into Wain''s mind, making his heart clench hard.


    Wain answered nothing, but from his confused look it was clear without words.


    "I see... So I was right. Damn, you have more different abilities than any other man, yet you don''t have your own form, that''s pretty ironic, isn''t it?" Virion said as a slight smile formed on his face. He couldn''t believe that being the strongest in the Fourth Chronicle he had to use the Form when his opponent still hadn''t done anything, but now everything was falling into ce.


    He spoke rather quietly, but it was more than enough for the audience to hear it clearly.


    "Hmm...? He doesn''t have the Form...? Is there such a thing?" Gael muttered with a confused look, "Everyone who has reached the limit of the Fourth Chronicle has The Form, so obviously he must possess that power too, is that really true?"


    The others had simr thoughts. None of them had ever heard of anyone not having the Form. This power was given automatically to anyone who passed a certain threshold.


    "Well... Perhaps in his case, it is possible, after all, everything in this world has a bnce..." Alucard muttered with aplicated expression. He knew Nameless King better than most since he had been his ally during the great war, but something was bugging him, "Nameless King''s form is powerful, but I have never heard him use it before Fifth Chronicle..."


    Virion stepped forward as sparks appeared beside him and said, "Still not going to use your Beyond? Although, in your case, it''s yourst trump card, but it could be a fatal mistake!"


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Virion rushed forward as he turned into white lightning, instantly reaching his opponent. Wain had practically nothing left, so he decided to immediately use hisst form before the Beyond.


    His hair turned golden as he wore snow-white armor with yellow energy lines. At the same time, Wain turned into a beam of light, dodging Virion''s attack at thest moment. The lighting was very fast, but nothing could keep up with the light.


    Bam.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    The ming halberd struck the stone wall, destroying it with a mighty st of fire. Streams of me erupted outward, terrifying the monsters below with their power.


    ''Fuck... If I get hit by an attack like that, I might actually die...'' Wain inwardly muttered as a wave of shivers ran through his body.


    ''Oh... I''m quite familiar with that power of yours. You''re pretty fast, aren''t you? Maybe you can outrun one lightning bolt, but what about several?'' Virion uttered in a calm voice before waving his hand.


    A multitude of electric spheres appeared next to him, that in a moment turned into a multitude of violent lightning bolts. All of them struck Wain simultaneously, attacking from different directions.


    Wain immediately turned into a beam of light as he tried to dodge each lightning. He possessed the iplete strength of a Light Racer, so he barely had time to dodge the lightning bolts since they were too fast. They struck the ground right in front of his feet, leaving ck scorch marks on the floor.


    ? ''Wain... He seems to have a hell of a lot of energy. He''s notpletely serious yet, he''s just trying to figure out how best to fight you with my power.'' Light Racer said in a serious manner.


    ''So... What do you suggest?'' Wain asked with aplicated expression.


    ''Use my artifact as well as my second appearance. In that case, I won''tst long, however, you''ll definitely be faster than Lightning and maybe even be able to seriously wound him. That would be the best oue before you use a Beyond.'' Light Racer said as suddenly Wain''s aura increased significantly.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Wain''s hair turned blue as well as his armor. A blue me lit up his palms that seemed to distort space and the massive boots with wings. Last time they had been white-gold, but now they were dark, burning with azure fire.


    ''What the hell...? Virion muttered inwardly as his eyes grew wide, ''He has the power of Ether...? I tried to get it, but this power is too unique, it''s different from all the other attributes. Damn, it looks like getting him to use Beyond won''t be as easy as I thought.''


    The onlookers were puzzled, too. They had seen Aether users a few times, but it was still a rarity.


    ''Hah, I wouldn''t expect anything less from him. We''vee to the most interesting part." Alucard grinned as his aura intensified.


    The Light Racer had used everything he had to help Wain, so now he was ready.


    ''Wait... Abyss Artist will be thest, but I have something left as well.'' Blind Sorcerer suddenly said as a devious smile appeared on his face.


    At the same moment, an amber spark appeared in Wain''s left eye.

 Chapter 803 Two Powers

    Whooooooooooosh.


    ? Wain''s left eye suddenly erupted in amber mes as the space beside it trembled. It looked as if Wain possessed two types of two different fires, but it was actually Chaos and Ether, they were strangely contained within his body.


    "Ahahahahahahahaha!" Alucardughed as his hair spread in waves hundreds of meters around him like thunderps, "He may not have the Form, but after all, he is the heir of the Nameless King! Ether and Chaos, it''s abinationparable to a true miracle!"


    "Well, well, I''ve only seen a few times in my life when someone tried tobine Ether and Chaos, but they all failed. The energy of the two different forces just tore their bodies apart, but he seems to be fine." Gael uttered as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    Everyone was shocked by Wain''s sudden change, but most of all was Virion in disbelief. His eyes were wide open and his lips trembled as he wanted to say something, but he was stunned too much.


    ''No way... Why does he have so many powers?! They''re all powerful and unique! Fuck! Even considering he doesn''t have the Form this could be problematic. I have to make him use hisst trump card before I do this...'' Virion muttered inwardly as he prepared for battle.


    The fire on the halberd shed brightly as Virion swung it, unleashing a massive wave of me on Wain. It didn''t move very fast, but it had incredible power, destroying everything in its path.


    Wain could dodge, he was fast enough to be on the other side of the arena in a second, however, he just stood there and watched the wave of fire with a calm look.


    ''Hey... You''ve given me great power, but I won''t be able to use it for long, will I?'' Wain asked in an indifferent voice as he stretched out his arm.


    A barrier of yellow-blue me appeared in front of him that collided with the firewave. It provoked massive shockwaves, flying off to the sides as the barrier and the wave drained each other''s energy.


    ''Yeah... I won''t be able to maintain a second appearance and boots for more than five minutes,'' the Light Racer said with a slight nod.


    ''I have the same situation. I spent a hell of a lot of energy creating hundreds of magical circles with a book, so myst powers went to the power of Chaos. Use it to wound him as hard as you can.'' Blind Sorcerer uttered as a sly smile appeared on his face.


    ''Wain... This guy sure has some other trump card, so you shouldn''t rx.'' The Abyss Artist spoke in a deadly serious voice as a shiver ran through Wain''s body.


    ''Hmm...? What are you talking about? I mean... I felt something strange too, but hasn''t he already used all his trump cards? I definitely have the advantage. He can''t have two Forms, can he?'' Wain asked with a confused look as he raised an eyebrow.


    ''Yeah... You''re right, though, when was thest time you saw someone with two attributes? He said he did it with some kind of artifact, so he hasn''t used it yet.'' Abyss Artist uttered in an ice-cold voice.


    ''You think he''s going to try to take my power with this artifact? Are his words really true?" Wain worried as he stared at Virion through the dissipating mes.


    ''I could be wrong, but I have no other option, so yes... You must understand that an artifact capable of something like this is something very powerful, something that could be his trump card.'' Abyss Artist muttered as suddenly Virion prepared for his next attack, ''Well, our time is up, just do your best or you will die.''


    Whooooooooooosh.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Several electric spheres appeared next to Virion that headed toward the halberd. They gave the weapon lightning energy as Virion struck the halberd''s hilt on the ground.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The shining tree trembled as hundreds of lightning bolts streamed across the stone floor, heading toward Wain with tremendous speed. The space at the top of the shining tree trembled violently as it seemed ready to copse at any moment.


    ''Fuck! I won''t be able to block this attack!'' Wain inwardly eximed before turning into a blue beam of light.


    Because of his high speed, Wain was able to run along the wall with ease, while the wings on his boots fluttered rapidly, gradually making him even faster. He was ready to attack Virion as his arms lit up with yellow-blue mes, but suddenly hundreds of lightning bolts changed their direction, tearing straight at him.


    ''They''re after me, right? Hmm, I thought I could counterattack right away, but it looks like I''ll have to run away again.'' Wain said to himself with aplicated look as he was about to jump off the wall.


    ''Wait...'' Suddenly the voice of dius sounded in his head as the seal on his arm glowed brightly, ''I think with all the mess you''vepletely forgotten that you have a unique weapon too, don''t you?


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    A long, dark sword appeared in Wain''s hand, and a wave of Ether''s energy was immediately sent through it, casting the sword in blue me. Wain''s pupils narrowed as he instinctively swung the sword.


    A de burst forth from the Ether, rippling space and causing all the lightning to discharge toward it.


    Each lightning bolt had a tremendous power capable of seriously wounding a Fifth Chronicle monster, so one energy de couldn''t possibly handle a hundred such lightning bolts.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    However, the Ether energy just destroyed the structure of the lightning before it could do any damage, so the electric discharges just disintegrated into atoms and gradually disappeared as well as the blue de.


    Tap.


    Wainnded as he nced at dius, ''Sorry, quite a lot has happened in thest few minutes, so my mind has been clouded.''


    ''Hahaha, it is fine. We were able to defend, how about we attack? dius spoke as his runes glowed brightly.

 Chapter 804 Two Spheres

    ''Fuck... What am I supposed to do? I''ve only fought one Ether user once before and it was a real nightmare, but he has two powers, too, Wain is on apletely different level.'' Virion muttered with aplicated look as he bit his lip until it bled.


    Wain nced at the monster behind the barrier and muttered quietly so no one could hear him, ''If I can get the shard, my strength will definitely increase significantly... However...'' Wain stared at Virion, "He won''t let me do that. I have to buy time somehow."


    Initially, Wain was headed to the top of the tree, preparing to fight the dangerous monster dius had warned him about, however, because of Virion the situation changedpletely. The monster was nothing byparison, so Wain was certain that if he got the chance he could quickly retrieve the shard and restore his sword.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly space trembled as massive pirs of me appeared next to Virion. At the same moment, the symbol on his crown shed as two wings appeared behind him. One was of dense white me while the other contained the power of thousands of lightning bolts.


    "Ether can destroy almost anything, so in theory, you can get rid of any attack..." Virion uttered with an ice-cold look as he stepped forward, "In that case, try to block it!"


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Virion turned into a sh of me, with tremendous speed heading toward his opponent. Wain could have retreated, but instead, he decided to attack back.


    ''Even if we both get seriously wounded, it will still be more profitable for me. Activating Beyond will give me a tremendous amount of energy, so because of the powerful energy surge my wounds will recover to a greater degree.'' Wain internally uttered in a calm voice as a crazed smile appeared on his face and a me lit up in his eyes, ''This means I can finally not worry about my safety!''


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Wain unleashed all the energy he had as streams of yellow and blue mes engulfed everything around him.


    ''What the hell...? So he''s been holding back this whole time...? Virion inwardly muttered with his eyes wide open as waves of shivers ran through his body for the first time during the fight, ''Stop... It''s all irrelevant. We both only have one trump card left, so there''s no point in me worrying about my safety either. Hah, by his actions he helped me too.''


    Crackle.


    Virion gripped the halberd hilt harder and with all his might once more bounced off the ground, greatly increasing his speed.


    "Hahaha, go! Show me what you can do!" Wain eximed with an excited look as all the mes of Chaos headed toward dius, leaving only Ether beside Wain. While Chaos infused the dark sword with incredible power, Ether enveloped his body tightly like an imprable veil.


    Virion immediately responded as the runes on his mantle glowed brightly and a protectiveyer of white fire appeared on him while hundreds of lightning bolts filled his halberd with devastating energy.


    "Ohohoh, it looks so intense. I could be wrong, but I have a feeling that if there were monsters on the Demigod Stage between them, they''d just tear him apart." Alucard said with a devious smirk on his face.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "Demigod...? Hah, even someone on God Stage would be seriously hurt. Well, hopefully, this tree can withstand its battle. The other arena won''t be as suitable." Gael grinned as his eyes sparkled.


    At the same time, almost imperceptibly, hundreds of ashy threads emerged from the ground. They moved quickly along the trunk of the shining tree, reaching all the way to the top. The threads fortified the tree, so now only the attacks of the Demigod level could do it any harm at all.


    Crackle.


    A momentter, the dark sword collided with the white spear as the mes of chaos reacted with violent lightning.


    Wain used all his strength to crush Virion as his mad stare literally devoured Virion. Wain clenched his teeth with such force that some of them cracked and the flesh on his arms ripped open, revealing many small wounds.


    ? Unlike Ether, Chaos didn''t have such powerful defenses, so his arms, which Ether had the least on, were significantly damaged by the powerful lightning.


    ''Bastard...! Why are his lightning bolts so powerful?! My Chaos can hardly handle it!'' Wain internally eximed as he took a step forward despite the terrible pain.


    The collision of their energies sent massive shockwaves that quickly spread beyond the tree. They were so powerful that the clouds several kilometers around the tree mixed and then separated into hundreds of rings, increasing in size depending on how far they were from the tree.


    Now the shining tree looked as if the gods were actually fighting for the right to rise to the top of Olympus as if it were now the center of the universe.


    "Ahahaha, unbelievable! I haven''t seen something like this in a long time!" Alucard eximed with a wide smile on his face while his eyes shone brightly.


    For the creatures on the Transcendence Stage like Alucard or Gael, this fight caused only an exciting expression on their faces, while those who were weaker like Krakos or Alia were slightly shaking, not realizing how strong this attack really was.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The particles of yellow me touched the denseyer of white fire protecting Virion''s body as Chaos gradually began to prate his body, destroying it from within.


    At the same time, blood trickled from the corners of Virion''s mouth and his pupils narrowed. He realized that he could wait no longer, and as he willed it, all the lightning bolts struck at the tip of his halberd, forming a sphere of indescribably dense energy.


    Wain did the same, or the st of lightning would havepletely destroyed him, leaving no chance of survival. The yellow me turned into a sphere of pure chaos energy at the tip of the dark sword and in a few moments, the two spheres exploded, releasing all the power outward.


    The bright sh blinded everyone for a moment as Alucard and Gael quickly created protective barriers, knowing what was about to happen.

 Chapter 805 Critical Wounds

    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The top of the shining tree shone brightly as a sh of light appeared, blinding everyone within a radius of tens of kilometers. The monsters beneath the tree, covered their heads with their massive paws, fearing the consequences while others created protective barriers on the hills and cliffs in front of them.


    A momentter, the energy from the two spheres burst forth as a deafening explosion erupted. Waves of Chaos me and electrical discharges exploded outward, destroying everything around them. The top of the Shining Tree was almostpletely destroyed, as only a few walls remained intact that were fortified by Gael''s ashy threads.


    The hills around the Shining Tree were severely damaged as lightning left massive craters on them. The trees in the forest were firstpletely burned by the mes of chaos, then they were strangely changed as their leaves changed color and unusual fruits grew on some of them as the power of chaospletely transformed them.


    Wain and Virion were at the epicenter of the explosion, so they took the most damage. Lightning was the main threat to Wain, but the mes of chaos during the explosion were uncontroble, so it did some damage to him too.


    ''Fuck! This is bad!'' Virion inwardly eximed feeling more and more wounds appearing in his body every moment.


    Chaos''s energy quickly tore his ming armor apart as the energy pulse threw Virion to the other side of the arena. Chaos inflicted terrible damage on him and it would have gone on forever if a new wave of white me hadn''t saved Virion from critical damage. His mantle was destroyed and only a few wisps of blood-stained remained of it.


    "ARGH!!!" Virion vomited a mouthful of blood as waves of pain went through his entire body, but regardless, he continued to breathe calmly as none of his wounds were fatal.


    Wain directed all the chaos energy at Virion, trying to do as much damage as he could, so only Ether could protect him from the lightning.


    The blue mes tried to destroy the lightning as before, but there were too many of them as their energy was on apletely different level. Virion realized that Wain had bet everything he had on this attack before he used the trump card, so he did the same.


    ''No! These lightning bolts will tear me apart! I mustn''t let that happen!'' Wain inwardly eximed as he tried to create more Ether, but it wouldn''t appear, all he was capable of was a few blue lights, very small.


    Wain''s pupils narrowed as he directed the energy to his chest, thus trying to somehow reduce the future damage that was now absolutely inevitable.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    All the me ether was spent as the lightning rained down on Wain''s armor. It absorbed several lightning bolts, then cracks began to appear on the armor until it waspletely destroyed as well as the boots.


    Bam.


    The shockwave pushed Wain to the other end of the arena as the remaining lightning bolts rained down on him as if trying to finish him off while they had the chance. Wain could not defend himself, so the number of his wounds was increasing with each passing moment.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Finally, Wain and Virion were seriously wounded as they got as far away from each other as possible. They both breathed, but Virion felt much better since there was even less blood beside him.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The barrier holding the monster back was also badly damaged as it slowly began to crumble, but Virion with a wave of his hand stopped it. He couldn''t restore the barrier, but now Wain couldn''t just run up to the monster and get a shard.


    The monster was protected by the barrier, so neither chaos energy nor white me harmed it, however, the shockwave from the explosion was so powerful that it practically broke all bones of the monster, so it justy motionless on the ground trying to heal its wounds faster.


    Crackle.


    Virion waved his hand, tossing aside the debris, and slowly rose with a painful expression. He reached up and looked around, looking out over thendscape from the very top of the shining tree.


    There were many stares directed at him, but they didn''t matter at the time. Virion knew that no one would interfere with their fight, at least not until they were finished.


    Whoooooooosh.


    On one of the hills, the bloody dome disappeared as Alucard showed up with an excited smile on his face


    "Well, well, it didn''t exactly happen the way I thought it would, but that only makes it more interesting." Alucard said with a devious smirk as his gaze drifted to Wain, "He''s at death''s door... I wonder what he''ll do to survive?"


    "Hmm...? Hasn''t Wain already won?" Gael muttered while rubbing his chin with a confused look, "I mean... This guy used his Form already, so while he didn''t take as much damage, he doesn''t have any more trumps left."


    "Hah, you shouldn''t underestimate him. Come on, Gael, you of all people should realize that a man who has such a calm look in a situation like this is definitely ready for anything." Alucard said as a smirk appeared on his face and his gaze went to Virion, literally piercing him.


    Virion noticed this but did not react in any way, though Alucard''s gaze could frighten even a creature on the God Stage.


    ''Vampire Progenitor, right? The only Immortal, and unlike stories about such people, he enjoys his life and doesn''t try to find a way to die at all.'' Virion inwardly muttered a slight smile on his face, ''Well, I''m lucky to have him here. Though he was an ally of the Nameless King in the Great War, it has nothing to do with his heir. Alucard, will not allow anyone to interfere until the end of the battle, whatever the oue, that''s for certain.''


    Virion nodded slightly as his ring glowed brightly. He was calm andpletely satisfied with the oue, but his wounds were still bleeding, so he needed to heal them somehow.

 Chapter 806 Jaws

    ? "Damn... I spent so much energy on this, but now it''spletely useless..." Virion muttered looking at the halberd. This weapon could have easily hurt the Dragon, but now it was a flimsy rod, covered in cracks with a ruined tip, practically garbage.


    Crackle.


    Virion channeled energy into the halberd as it shattered into small shards and returned to him just as the rest of his form.


    ''Agh... It will take me quite a while before I can use my the Form again, but it was definitely worth it.'' Virion said inwardly, turned around and his gaze went to Wain.


    Wain was lying on the ground while dark blood spread around him, covering the cold stone floor. He was breathing slowly as his eyes were slightly ajar, but he hardly had enough strength to just get to his feet.


    ''Kill him right now? Damn, it''s such a strong temptation, but then I''d be the world''s greatest idiot to fall into such a trap.'' Virion shook his head as his ring shed.


    A small vial appeared in his hand, containing an unusual white liquid. It was only enough for one sip, but anyone who had ever seen the vial understood how valuable the thing was in Virion''s hands.


    "Well... Looks like in order to win this guy isn''t going to save anything. I''m sure he had to go through seven circles of hell to get that vial." Gael said in a calm voice as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    Click.


    Virion opened the vial, opened his mouth slightly, and a few white drops fell onto his tongue. He leisurely took a sip as if trying to enjoy the unique taste and suddenly his pupils narrowed.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Waves of energy came away from him as his regeneration elerated several hundred times. His terrible burns, cuts, seriously damaged internal organs, and an incalcble number of minor scratches, all healed quickly. In just a few seconds Virion was perfectly fine as only his face was left with slight exhaustion due to too much-wasted energy.


    "Fine... Just what I needed. Good thing I prepared properly, otherwise I wouldn''t have been able to use it..." Virion muttered with a multi-faceted look before clenching his palm into a fist.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    White sparks appeared around it, quickly transforming into a massive lightning spear making a sound like thunder rumbling.


    Virion with a slow step headed toward Wain, while the sound from the lightning spear grew louder, scaring the monsters around the tree and sending shivers down the spine of those who were watching their fight.


    "Hey, stop resting. We both know this isn''t over, so it''s time to move on to the next round." Virion said in a calm voice with ice-cold eyes before stepping forward. His gaze went to the sky as he threw his spear straight up.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    The lightning reached so high with great speed that it was practically invisible as only a bright spark remained of the powerful lightning.


    ''Wain... Are you going to act...?'' dius asked in a worried manner as the seal on Wain''s arm trembled, ''That st hurt me badly, but if anything... I can protect you.''


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The blue sky rippled as it suddenly wentpletely ck, like a moonless night.


    At the same moment, just above the shining tree appeared a white sh as a massive lightning bolt with tremendous speed headed towards Wain. It was several timesrger than the one Virion threw and possessed an incredible amount of energy as space struggled to withstand its pressure.


    ''Don''t worry... I just thought I''d get some rest. This fight has been harder than I thought it would be. So much pain, problems, and victories I have never experienced before, this might be the best fight of my life, so I must show all I am capable of.'' Wain inwardly muttered before rolling over onto his back.


    His face turned white from the very bright light as if he was right in front of a massive star. Although the lightning was still far away, its energy was powerful enough to make the small stones next to Wain tremble and give him goosebumps.


    Even a low-ranked Dragon would be frightened in front of such an attack, but Wain looked at it with a calm look as if it made no difference, only a slight smile appeared on his face.


    ''Well... It''s time to use myst trump card, hopefully, it will lead me to victory, otherwise, I''ll actually die. Hahaha, I should probably be scared, but right now I feel fucking awesome.'' Wain said to himself as he closed his eyes.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly the whole shining tree trembled as massive streams of darkness moved away from Wain. They were bigger than ever before, literally filling everything with themselves.


    "What the hell...? He wasn''t that strong when I met him, that''s for sure... How is that possible? He was ready to fight me days ago and then I would have killed him in one sweep of my hand!" Krakos eximed in disbelief with his eyes wide open as a shiver ran through his body.


    "A lot has definitely happened since then, but none of that matters." Alucard said with an excited expression, "Krakos, the best fighters get stronger the fastest, not during training, but in deadlybat! Don''t forget, even I was once mortal!"


    Wain reached up as all the darkness engulfed him. Then, a simple crown appeared on his head with only one eye, but now it had a ck pupil and was as deep as the beginning of the abyss. His almost destroyed dark coat was quickly restored by the energy of darkness as two jaw patterns with eerie auras appeared on the sleeves.


    ''Agh... That''s much better... Now let''s see what your lightning can do against my true power.'' Wain muttered inwardly as darkness appeared deep in his green eyes.


    At the same moment, the streams of darkness turned into a huge jaw with a phantom body as if an ancient monster had pounced on lightning.

 Chapter 807 Unequal Powers

    The massive jaw rushed toward the lightning as the phantom creature prepared to devour it with tremendous speed.


    "Virion knew that this attack wouldn''t kill me, but despite that, he used quite a bit of force. Maybe he thought it would hurt me in some way? Well, he made a serious mistake." Wain muttered with a slight smile on his face before slowly getting to his feet.


    At the same time, the jaw reached the lightning as it closed. The brutal lightning was squeezed between the creepy jaws, trying to advance further. However, the jaws did not let the lightning advance an inch as they gradually ground the lightning to pieces.


    Normally no physical object could stop the lightning, but the jaws just destroyed the energy, slowly absorbing it.


    "Fuck... Looks like I wasted so much energy, didn''t I?" Virion muttered with eyes wide open while in disbelief. His lips trembled as he clenched his palm into a fist.


    Gradually his jawpletely shattered as the phantom creature disappeared.


    ? "Damn... His Beyond is so powerful... I''ve never seen anyone with the power of devouring..." Krakos muttered in a daze as his gaze went to Wain. He noticed it but did not react, however, the eye on Wain''s crown directed its gaze directly at Krakos, making him shudder in fear.


    Krakos took a few steps back, then another, and it seemed it could go on indefinitely until Alucard left him with a hand on his shoulder.


    "Hahaha, it looks like after this fight he''ll bepletely different and maybe he''ll even be stronger than you." Alucard said with a devious smirk on his face.


    Krakos shook his head, "My Lord... This kid''s aura is actually frightening as well as his Beyond, but I think you underestimate me too much. Even if he reaches the Fifth Chronicle, being on the Absolute Stage he can''t do anything to me."


    "Well, self-confidence is good, but you just don''t see the obvious. I''m rightly assessing your strength as well as his. This Beyond, in fact, is unique as only the Nameless King possessed something like this." Alucard uttered with a deadly serious look.


    "He is his heir after all, is he not?" Gael asked with a raised eyebrow as he shook his hand.


    "Yeah... You''re right." Alucard nodded slightly.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Wain walked slowly toward Virion while the thick darkness healed his wounds. These were the effects of using Beyond, so Wain no longer had any way to rid himself of future damage.


    "In spite of what you''ve seen, you remain calm, so you actually have some more trump card, don''t you?" Wain asked in a calm voice while looking into Virion''s eyes.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Virion only smirked as his ring shone brightly. A number of different objects appeared next to him that exuded unique auras. They slowly floated around Virion as though they were guards ready to do anything to protect him.


    "Hmm? Is that yourst trump card?" Wain muttered in confusion as he tilted his head, "If so, it looks pretty damn pathetic."


    "Hahaha, of course not. However, unlike me, you''ve already used thest trump card, so I''ll just try to exhaust you as much as possible!" Virion eximed with an excited look, "I''ll be honest with you, except for these artifacts I have nothing left! To defeat you, I am willing to give up everything I have!"


    Perhaps no battle was worth the effort, time, and artifacts that Virion expended, however, to him, it was nothing but dustpared to the power of the Nameless King. To possess the abilities of such a unique creature was his ultimate goal.


    ''Hey... You probably know more about this world than I do... Which of these artifacts could give me trouble?'' Wain asked turning to the forms.


    ''Well, I wish I could tell you there''s nothing to worry about, but in that case, I''d seriously lie to you. He''s done some serious work, so each of these artifacts is dangerous enough.'' Blind Sorcerer said in a serious manner.


    ''What about you? What do you think?'' Wain said inwardly.


    ''Agh... The Third is right... You should be more careful, but none of this is as serious as hisst trump card, I can feel it.'' The Abyss Artist muttered with a slight sigh, ''You shouldn''t use my power yet, because no one knows of my existence. It wille as a surprise to him.''


    Virion had been preparing for this fight for a long time, so he gathered as much information about Wain as he could. He knew almost everything as Virion even knew that Wain wanted to get thest shard to restore the sword. However, Chaos and Ether were a surprise to him and Wain had the seventh form only recently.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Virion waved his hand as one of the twelve artifacts flew forward. It was a stone cube with ancient runes on each side. At Virion''s will, the runes shone brightly as six streams of sunlight-like yellow energy burst from the cube.


    The light quickly transformed into six knights with shining armor. Each of them possessed an auraparable to the limit of the Fourth Chronicle as their white eyes were like stars. In their hands were golden spears and on their backs were cloaks of fire burning with white mes.


    "Scared?" Virion said with a sly smile on his face, "Of course not, I''m sure you think these knights can''t even scratch you, but how about this?"


    The stone cube lost all its energy as it disintegrated into small particles and was carried away by the wind like a cloud of dust. The cube was reced by the massive w of some monster. Lightning flickered from it from time to time, making ripples all around it.


    Virion channeled energy into the w as it glowed brightly and split in two. The massive streams of blue lightning began to morph into two huge creatures that were as big as the monster behind the barrier.

 Chapter 808 Energy Against Artifacts

    Roooooaaaaaaaarrrrrrr!!!


    The two lightning beasts roared furiously, shaking the space. Even though they were on the edge of the Fourth Chronicle, it seemed that the two of them were capable of fighting a creature on the Absolute Stage.


    ''Damn... I didn''t expect this guy to be so insane... Though maybe it''s just us underestimating the power we possess...'' The Abyss Artist muttered with an ice-cold look as his aura grew slightly stronger, ''Wain... When he uses about half the artifacts, it will be a good time for me to enter.''


    ''Hmm? Are you sure?'' Wain asked in confusion as the seal on his palm glowed brightly. A long ck sword appeared in his hand, on which three eerie jaws immediately opened.


    dius reacted immediately, ''What a strange feeling... Normally I wouldn''t tolerate someone else''s energy interfering with mine... especially one this creepy, but somehow I feel fine.''


    ''That''s not surprising. After all, you are his sword.'' Abyss Artist uttered in a serious voice, ''Wain, I n that for hisst trump card both you and I have strength left, so using my energy on half the artifacts is the best solution.''


    Wain nodded slightly, stepped forward and his aura rose. There was less and less space among his green eyes as everything was gradually consumed by darkness.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Wain''s energy naturally turned into the silhouette of some creature that seemed to tower above all others, then the eye on Wain''s crown opened wide as the space behind him distorted.


    Next to him appeared two piranhas with massive jaws. Gradually their phantom bodies became more and more real until one big eye each appeared on their heads that seemed to be able to look through their souls.


    ''Hmm... I''ve done this before, though the piranhas weren''t as powerful as they are now, but it''s still not what I''d want... After the battle in Death Shore my Beyond has changed considerably... but, how do I know exactly what I got?'' Wain muttered internally with aplicated expression as he nced at the golden knights.


    At Virion''smand, they moved forward as their every move shook the upper floor, showing just how strong they were. However, they were not the main threat, but the lightning beasts that gave Wain goosebumps with one look.


    ''My piranhas can definitely handle the golden knights without difficulty, but it''s not rational at all. At this rate, I''ll quickly use up all my energy and Virion will have the advantage. Fuck! What should I do?'' Wainined slightly as his gaze suddenly went to dius.


    The three jaws on his de clenched from time to time as if they were missing something. They were looking for more energy simr to their own.


    ''Exactly... Now I am capable not just of creating something, but of changing it the way I want it. My energy synergizes well with dius'' energies, so it should work.'' Wain inwardly muttered with his eyes wide open before waving his hand.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    The piranhas looked at each other, then they rushed toward the sword, turning into streams of dark energy. They were below the de, and all of their energy was absorbed into the sword''s simple guard.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    At the same time, two eerie wings appeared on the sword''s guard, each with an eye. They were small and from the outside, they seemed mere decoration, but the sword''s aura increased severalfold and the jaws clenched harder.


    ''How do you feel?'' Wain asked while looking at the knights approaching him.


    ''Strange... but I''ve never felt stronger than I do now. Go ahead, don''t hold back, I can definitely get all this energy through me. Don''t forget, it''s impossible to break me.'' dius said in a serious voice as his runes glowed brightly.


    "Yeah... I know." Wain nodded with a slight smile on his face before stepping forward.


    His eyes suddenly changed, bing as cold as ancient ciers as a surge of dark energy departed from him. The runes on his sword shed a violet me as the same fire lit up in the eyes on the wings.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Wain swung his sword as the three jaws opened wide. Out of nowhere came a piercing roar as if thunderps spread for hundreds of meters around.


    "Hahaha, this is it!" Wain eximed with an excited look as energy burst from his sword.


    The sword guard shattered into tiny shards as a wave of darkness erupted from the de. This darkness was like the water in a river in Death Shore. In the midst of that darkness were many hidden jaws that seemed capable of devouring everything in their path as well as a few eyes with a piercing stare.


    ''What the hell...? What the hell is that?!'' Virion inwardly eximed while in disbelief as a shiver ran through his body.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A wave of darkness fell upon the golden knights, shattering their armor. They tried to fight back, but the jaws quickly snapped through their defenses as the corrosive effect of the darkness left them no chance. The Lightning Beasts had better instincts, so they jumped aside, fleeing the deadly attack at the veryst moment.


    When the wave of darkness dissipated, only a few pieces of gold remained of the knights, which miraculously withstood the attack.


    "Well, well, just one swing, and it was enough to deal with one of your artifacts. At this rate, I can handle you very quickly." Wain said in a mocking manner as a devious smirk appeared on his face.


    "Bastard... Why is your Beyond so strong...?! It was a legendary artifact specifically designed to summon creatures with incredible protection! They could even withstand a dragon attack!" Virion eximed with an angry look and clenched fists as the veins on his forehead swelled.


    ''Fine, he''s nervous is good. It worked out better than I expected, but I mustn''t rx, Virion has cheated me many times before. I must act as effectively as possible.'' Wain inwardly muttered as new streams of darkness burst out of him while his gaze was directed at the lightning beasts.

 Chapter 809 Intervention

    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Wain was preparing for the next attack while Virion was quickly trying to think of what artifact to use to counter Wain''s unusual power, as suddenly the ground trembled.


    A shudder came from beneath the hills, mountains, and rocks around the shining tree as massive cracks appeared in the center of the forest. From beneath the rubble of the earth, the massive paw of some creature with a frightening aura appeared outward. A simr situation urred in four other ces around the tree with a total of five creatures.


    "What the hell...?" Wain muttered with a confused look as he nced at Virion. Wain thought he did it, but Virion was even more shocked than he was.


    ''Huge Monsters...? Fuck! Why did they show up here?! Wain is unlikely to escape... but nothing should stop us from fighting!'' Virion inwardly eximed as he frowned and clenched his hand into a fist.


    They slowly emerged from beneath the ground with scarlet, eerie eyes burning as though ghostlynterns. Their gazes were fixed on the top of the shining tree, and nothing else mattered to them.


    Beside each massive monster were many others, smaller ones, but they possessed an aura on the edge of the Fourth Chronicle.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Wain took a step forward as suddenly he felt an incredible pressure with shivers running through his body. He turned around and his gaze met Alucard''s. The Vampire Progenitor was staring at him intently, spreading an eerie aura as if he was ready to act at any moment.


    ''What...? Who is that man? Why is he looking at me like that?'' Wain said to himself as Alucard''s gaze shifted to the monsters, then back to Wain.


    ''This is the Vampire Progenitor.'' The Abyss Artist said in a serious voice, ''If you''re wondering how strong he is, he''s only a little finger strong enough to kill you, but in this case, he works as an arbiter.''


    Wain nodded slightly and his eyes widened as he realized why Alucard was looking at him, ''I see... He''s asking me if he should interfere... He doesn''t seem to want to get in our way, but he also doesn''t want anyone else to do it...''


    After a few seconds, Wain shook his head and headed for the edge of the tree.


    "Hey! Where are you going?" Virion eximed as he waved his hand.


    Wain turned around, stared at him, and in an ice-cold voice said, "Don''t bother me. I just want to deal with the uninvited guests. Don''t worry, I''m not going anywhere, at the end of our fight there will only be one survivor and I assure you it won''t be you."


    Virion got goosebumps from Wain''s soul-piercing gaze as after a while a slight smile appeared on his face.


    "Fine, in that case, I won''t stand in your way. If you are foolish enough to waste energy on such powerful monsters, your words are not destined toe true. Dealing with these monsters won''t be easy, so for me, that''s what I need you to do." Virion said in a careless manner as he shrugged. He looked rxed, but his eyes kept ncing at Wain, expecting a sudden attack from him.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Wain answered nothing, he just extended his hand forward as dark electric sparks appeared around his palm.


    "Hahaha, looks like he decided he didn''t need my help. Fine, let''s see what the heir to the Nameless King is capable of with his Beyond." Alucard said with an excited expression as a devious smirk formed on his face.


    "But why are they awake? These monsters are the kind that prefers to slowly absorb energy into themselves, ignoring the fights." Gael muttered while rubbing his chin in a thoughtful manner, "They''re not usually very good fighters, but because of the sheer amount of energy they''re so damn resilient and attract other simr monsters to them."


    "Well... They haven''t acted all this time, but his Beyond has a totally unique energy, so they just couldn''t resist that kind of temptation." Alucard muttered as he stared at Virion, ''Unlike the impulsive Wain, he''s calmer, but really they''re both monsters...''


    Others could not notice it, only feel it, but Alucard''s vision was different, so he could clearly see the two crimson hearths thatpletely filled the top of the shining tree. Their sources were Wain and Virion, as they exuded such murderous intent that it was almost palpable.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly the clouds thickened in the sky as Wain''s gaze fell on the three massive monsters ahead. He clenched his palm in a fist as thunder rumbled. At the same time, the clouds grew much darker, starting to swirl like a vortex.


    ''Agh... It was harder than I thought, but if I don''t try to learn my Beyond''s new abilities, I''ll start to regress...'' Wain muttered inwardly as he pointed his hand at the central monster, indicating a finger at it.


    Suddenly, phantom eerie jaws began to appear among the clouds, which flew around like ghosts as a massive eye with a dark, like an abyss, pupil opened in the center of the vortex.


    Wain let out an aura and a massive lightning bolt burst from the eye like aser from the Death Star. The pir of thunder was covered in ayer of multiple jaws, heading downward with the lightning.


    The monster shuddered in fear as it tried to defend itself from an attack that was sure to kill it. Several pirs of ice emerged from the ground as the massive beast used most of its energy to create the strongest ice shield possible.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The thunderbolt instantly shattered the shield, meeting little or no resistance as dark lightning struck the ground, right in front of the monster.


    "Fuck... I didn''t think it would be this powerful..." Wain muttered as suddenly he was illuminated by a bright sh of light as well as all around the glowing tree.


    The sh of light was reced by a massive ck dome with an indescribable amount of energy inside. The dome shrank sharply into a small sphere as all the power erupted, shaking the earth.

 Chapter 810 Destruction

    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ground around the shining tree trembled while powerful lightning bolts with eerie jaws shattered everything around them, following the energy of the explosion.


    The jaws in a heartbeat tore the huge monster apart, scattering blood and massive bits of flesh around. The jaws didn''t stop there, they continued searching for new victims, while lightning strikes ravaged the area.


    Each lightning bolt provoked a massive explosion, scattering rock fragments aside and blowing trees out of their way. However, it was nothingpared to the effects of the main explosion.


    "Fuck... I should have used that attack against Virion... He definitely couldn''t have survived that..." Wain whispered in a daze with his eyes wide open.


    In ce of the thunderbolt''s impact, there was now a massive crater with high edges instead of a forest, as if a huge meteorite had just fallen there. Nothing remained of the three huge monsters as well as their followers. Electric shocks wiped them out and those lucky enough to survive were devoured by the creepy jaws.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Hundreds of small souls, along with three massive ones, streamed toward Wain. The small souls just entered his Soul Temple as the souls of three huge monsters hovered in the air in front of him.


    "Souls... right? Last time I used more than a billion, so I have no shortage of them anymore, at least not while I''m in the Fourth Chronicle..." Wain muttered in a calm voice before touching the souls with his fingertip, "However, it would be a great way to restore some energy."


    Tremble.


    The souls shuddered, turning into three red streams and prating Wain''s chest. At the same moment, he felt a rush of energy. Energy flowed through his body, boosting his reserves slightly.


    "Well, well, you decided to use such a dirty trick right during the fight, didn''t you? That''s no good, I thought you were an honest fighter." Virion uttered while shaking his head with a mocking smile on his face, "Agh... Looks like I have to do the same or I''ll lose."


    "Hah, you''re thest one who should say that, you know?" Wain grinned as his aura intensified. Streams of darkness slowly spread around while the eye on the crown stared intently at Virion.


    "Why?" Virion asked in confusion with a raised eyebrow as though he didn''t really understand what Wain was talking about, "Just let me do the same. After all, we can''t go on while there are those here who want to stop us."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Virion waved his hand as the space above the two remaining monsters trembled. Several mes appeared here that rapidly increased in size, bing huge ming spheres.


    Their weight distorted the space as the treetops began to catch fire. The monsters instantly reacted to it by attacking the fire spheres, but neither the massive stones nor the strong wind could do anything to the spheres. They just floated in the air like stars in space, waiting for their moment to explode.


    Virion snapped his finger as the spheres exploded. White mes engulfed everything around them and like a tsunami swept away everything in their path. The huge monsters tried to defend themselves while the smaller ones tried to run away, but they were all consumed by the fire.


    Whooooooooosh.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    After a while, a mighty wind blew in, finally extinguishing the mes. Only a few handfuls of ashes remained of the monsters as well as a wide wastnd in the middle of the dense forest.


    "Fine, they weren''t as strong as I thought. Why did theye here...? Weaklings like them were doomed to die in the first ce." Virion uttered with an indifferent look while shaking his head before waving his hand.


    The souls headed for Virion and he immediately absorbed them. Though it wasn''t enough to restore even 1/10th of what he''d spent, it was the best he could hope for in such a sudden break in their fight.


    "Looks like even this time I ended up winning. You sure spent more energy on those monsters than I did, so that''s another failure on your part." Virion said with a sly smile on his face while kicking the dust off his hands as suddenly a shiver ran through his body and his eyes went wide.


    Tremble.


    Virion felt as if someone was watching him as he looked up. Above him was a massive eye with an eerie aura covered in thunderclouds. Virion''s eyes went wide as a momentter a dark lightning bolt struck him, as powerful as Wain''s attack had gone.


    "Fail? How about feeling for yourself what my lightning can do." Wain said in an ice-cold voice as the thunderbolt almost reached Virion.


    "FUCK!" Virion shouted with a startled expression as he swung his arm.


    One of the ten artifacts headed toward him while the lightning beasts moved as far away from him as possible.


    ''What...? They''re not trying to protect him?'' Wain inwardly muttered while in confusion as he found this behavior of the summoned creatures strange.


    Whoooooosh.


    At the veryst moment, a dark mirror with a perfectly smooth surface hovered over Virion. It exuded purple energy with a mysterious aura.


    Thunderbolt collided with the mirror as a massive wide magical circle appeared between them. The lightning energy with its jaws should have created a massive explosion and seriously wounded Virion at the very least, but, for some reason, the lightning didn''t do any damage.


    ''What''s going on...? Is the mirror weakening the power of the lightning...?" Wain wondered as his eyes went wide, "No way!"


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Purple runes shed on the edges of the mirror as the thunderbolt trembled. The mirror absorbed the full force of the attack into itself like a vortex and the mirror began to shake violently.


    "Damn... This artifact was designed to sharpen a powerful evil spirit for a long time or absorb dozens of attacks but look at that... It''s shaking so hard and it looks like I don''t have more than a minute to use my artifact." Virion said with a devious smirk on his face.


    "What are you talking about...?" Wain muttered as a shiver ran through his body as Virion pointed the mirror at him.

 Chapter 811 Nine

    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Cracks began to appear in the mirror as the runes glowed brightly. At the same moment, a massive stream of energy erupted from the mirror, quickly transforming into a violent lightning bolt with ayer of jaws.


    ''He reflected my own attack back at me!'' Wain inwardly eximed as he swung his arm.


    He created a wall of darkness that split into several dark ghosts with eerie jaws. They pounced on the lightning but were instantly destroyed by the jaws of the lightning.


    ''Fuck! It didn''t just repel it, the lightning became stronger because of the energy of the artifact!'' Wain''s eyes went wide as he thrust his sword out in front of him.


    He had an indestructible weapon, but each defense cost him arge amount of energy, too, he always got some of the damage that went through the sword to him, so he had to minimize the damage.


    ''Can you handle it?'' Wain hastily asked while channeling energy into the dark sword beforehand.


    ''Sure. It''ll be difficult, but if you give me enough energy I can handle it, too, the three jaws on my de will seriously help me in absorbing energy.'' dius said in a calm voice with a serious expression.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Momentster a lightning bolt collided with the tip of the sword and waves of energy streamed down the de, trying to reach Wain. However, the three jaws on the sword quickly began to devour the energy. They couldn''t handle the full amount, but it was enough for Wain to reach only 1/10th of the power of the entire attack.


    A wave of pain went through his body as he shuddered from the powerful electric shocks. Wain felt as if he had been electrocuted, but considering how strong his body was, it hardly did him any meaningful damage.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crack.


    Wain crunched his bones, stretching as if he''d been asleep for a very long time.


    "Damn... Where did you find so many amazing artifacts? If someone else were in my ce, that mirror would be thest thing that one would see." Wain said in a careless manner while shaking his head from side to side.


    "Hah... I''ve been collecting these artifacts all over the world. I''ve researched information on every famous merchant, abandoned treasure house, and so on, however, it''s still not enough." Virion uttered in a calm voice with an ice-cold look.


    "What''s wrong? Do you think twelve artifacts won''t be enough to exhaust me? Too bad... You should have prepared better and found at least thirty artifacts." Wain muttered with a mocking smirk on his face.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "No... it''s not about quantity at all, it''s about quality... I may have twelve artifacts, though there are only nine left already, but they certainly won''t be enough to deal with your one." Virion said as his gaze drifted to dius, "Your sword cannot be destroyed. You''re lucky to be heir to the Nameless King, otherwise, you would never have received such an incredible weapon."


    Wain fell silent as he stared at dius and an unusual coldness appeared in his eyes. Wain realized that in Virion''s words was true since he had done nothing to obtain probably one of the greatest artifacts ever. This sword became his faithful partner, simply because it was the will of fate.


    ''Fate...? Damn, I can''t shake this unpleasant feeling that everything was already decided beforehand... I''d give a lot to make sure it didn''t happen, but I can''t give up my Beyond, Forms, and especially dius so easily...'' Wain muttered internally withplicated looks as his aura began to gradually weaken.


    ''Wain... You shouldn''t be thinking about that right now. Those thoughts only disturb you, especially during one of the most dangerous battles of your life.'' The Abyss Artist said in a serious voice as his blue eyes grew deeper, ''I''ll answer your questions after the battle if that makes you feel better, so for now, concentrate on not dying.''


    ''Yeah... You''re right. Virion is a dangerous opponent, I must not be distracted for a moment.'' Wain inwardly muttered with a slight nod of his head before looking at his opponent.


    He actually had a few seconds to attack Wain, but Virion couldn''t risk it either, so instead, he decided to prepare to use the next artifact.


    "I''ve used three artifacts already, so this will be my fourth. I admit you''re pretty good as you''ve only made a few attacks, but it won''t be that easy this time." Virion said in a serious voice as he extended his arm forward.


    A strange orb headed toward him that waspletely covered in creepy tentacles, slowly moving from side to side. At the same time, two lightning beasts began to act as they stood behind Virion and ducked slightly, preparing to attack.


    "Hmm... Do you think another artifact can do me any harm? Even my enhanced attack couldn''t do me any serious damage, so it''s just pointless." Wain said in a careless manner as he shrugged.


    "Well... All of my artifacts have a Legendary Rating, but that doesn''t mean their power is the same." Virion uttered with a deadly expression before channeling energy into the strange orb.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The sphere began to emit shockwaves as if there was a powerful explosion inside every second, then there was a shrill scream like the roar of a monster from nightmares. The tentacles on the sphere opened slightly as if trying to reach out and the space around Virion trembled.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Behind him, many red portals opened from which the tentacles appeared. More and more of them appeared by the second until they were at their limit and pointed their tips at Wain.


    ''What an unusual artifact... It doesn''t look like any monster, but these tentacles have a powerful aura... Each one is on the edge of the Fourth Chronicle... as well as these lightning beasts...'' Wain inwardly muttered as he prepared for battle, gripping his sword hilt tightly.

 Chapter 812 Tentacles

    Whoooooooooosh.


    Several tentacles of the unknown monster swooped down on Wain like spears. Their speed was tremendous, and it seemed they needed only a moment to pierce Wain''s heart.


    ''They''re very fast... but what could be more satisfying than cutting tentacles with an incredibly sharp sword?'' Wain inwardly said with an ice-cold look before stepping forward.


    The tentacles whizzed right in front of him as Wain turned around at thest moment, letting the tentacles pass near his chest. Then, he gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, bringing it down on the tentacles.


    Crack. Crack. Crack.


    The tentacles were very simr to octopus tentacles, but not only in appearance as they were just as soft, so the dark de sliced the three tentacles in two without any resistance.


    Parts of the tentacles flew off to the sides, scattering on the ground while the damaged parts returned to the start of the portal.


    "Well, well, you have fifteen tentacles in all.... and you''ve already lost three of them, surely this is a legendary artifact? More like someone tricked you and sold you useless stuff." Wain uttered in a careless manner as he ced the sword on his shoulder.


    "Perhaps I made the mistake of underestimating how powerful your sword is, but I assure you, this artifact is far more dangerous than the previous two." Virion said as a devious grin appeared on his face.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Suddenly the tentacles at the portal trembled as their wounds quickly recovered. In just a second, they looked as if Wain hadn''t even touched them before.


    ''Regeneration...? Well, I should have known, otherwise, it would have been too easy.'' Wain said to himself, about to attack as suddenly his eyes went wide and he slowly turned around, ''If the tentacles in the portals have regenerated, then what happens to them...?''


    The three severed tentacles began to mutate as their red cells began to proliferate at an enormous rate. Gradually, the mess of flesh began to take some form as three new monsters appeared.


    They looked strange as they were just huge eyes moving on three tentacles. They didn''t look very dangerous as they didn''t have any weapons, wed paws, or sharp fangs, but Wain felt that it wasn''t as easy as it looked.


    ''Fuck... So every time I attack a tentacle it will regenerate and so will those eyes appear? In that case... how do I win?'' Wain internally muttered while in confusion.


    Crackling.


    Suddenly, the monsters'' pupils lit up and the next moment, three purplesers flew out of the massive eyes. Wain reflexively jumped up as thesers whizzed under his feet.


    There were only a few walls left on the top floor that still didn''t break because they were reinforced with ash threads, so thesers flew out beyond the shining tree, reaching the nearest hill in a heartbeat.


    Booooooooooooom.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Thesers exploded as purple energy destroyed part of the massive hill, leaving a wide crater and dozens of fallen trees at the site of the collision.


    ''Damn... Not only are thesesers fast, but they have tremendous power... If they were to hit me, I would definitely be seriously injured.'' Wain muttered inwardly about tond.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Suddenly eight tentacles headed toward Wain, tightly encircling his arms and legs, preventing him from moving. Wain didn''t expect them to be so fast, but he was in no hurry to get out of this trap as he realized that the tentacles would just regenerate.


    ''Hmm? He just let himself get grabbed... Hah, it seems the longer the fight goes on the more he gets used to my methods... I need to change tactics if I want to surprise him again.'' Virion inwardly muttered as he swung his arm.


    The two lightning beasts behind him moved as their silhouettes blurred. A momentter, massive electrical sparks appeared next to Wain and the two beasts attacked him from different directions.


    Wain''s pupils narrowed as he realized he could wait no longer and his eyes became as cold as ancient ciers.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Wain''s hand turned into a dark sh that moved in a circle as a momentter all eight tentacles were sliced in two and the lightning beasts'' paws flew off to the sides. Wain, in mid-air, bounced off one of the tentacles and jumped aside.


    ''Damn... Virion outyed me again, now I''ll have even more trouble than before, but at least I did damage to the lightning beasts.'' Wain inwardly muttered as a shiver ran through his body.


    As he expected, the eight damaged tentacles recovered as many more new monsters appeared, but the lightning beasts also handled the damage easily. The paws severed by Wain joined their bodies with lightning discharges.


    ''Bastard... That''s why he kept these beasts for so long...'' Wain said to himself with aplicated look, ''They can hardly hurt me, but how do I deal with these tentacles. Also, Virion looks like he won''t be taking part in this fight.''


    Virion looked calm as though he was ready for any turn of events, but in fact, he was spending a lot of energy controlling the tentacles. The lightning beasts could fight on their own, but if Virion didn''t control the tentacles then real chaos would ensue.


    There were eleven eye-monsters now, and they all acted as one mechanism, so they attacked Wain again. A plurality ofsers with tremendous speed headed towards him, but this time Wain didn''t even jump up, he just took two steps to the left with a calm look.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Thesers flew past Wain, reaching the rock a momentter, causing a mighty explosion.


    The energy of the elevensers was enough to half-destroy the rock as well as create shockwaves. A powerful stream of wind blew across the top of the shining tree, fluttering Wain''s hair and causing his dark coat to scatter.


    ''Agh... They''re pretty slow, I can easily dodge these attacks, but what will I do when there are more of them...? I need to figure out a way to kill them before they''re done.'' Wain muttered inwardly with a serious expression.

 Chapter 813 More Eyes

    Whoooooooooosh.


    For some time now Wain has been fighting against tentacles, eye-monsters, and lightning beasts, but he still hasn''t defeated a single enemy, on the contrary, there are only more monsters. Now, instead of eleven eye-monsters, there were thirty as Wain still did not understand how he could get rid of the tentacles.


    ''Damn... Gradually I''m starting to get tired... I thought my jaws couldpletely destroy the tentacles by eating their energy, but even so, they keep regenerating.'' Wain muttered inwardly as he nced at Virion.


    Virion had spent a lot of energy over the past few minutes controlling each tentacle, so faint exhaustion was evident in his gaze, though he tried his best to hide it.


    The area around the glowing tree was almost destroyed, as along with the forest, it was now a lifeless wastnd. Everyser st destroyed an area the size of a mansion, so in time even all the monsters fled from the tree.


    The only ones left were the spectators on the hills and cliffs. The area next to them was not affected at all since it was easy for them to block thesers. Alucard was the worst opponent, so no one wanted to piss him off.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly the aura of one of the spectators intensified as a massive green magic circle appeared over the entire damaged area. However, it did not cover the glowing tree, as if unwilling to interfere with Wain and Virion''s fight.


    ''What''s going on...?'' Wain wondered while in confusion as he looked beyond the tree.


    A powerful green glow emanated from the magic circle that had amazing power. At the ces from the explosion, the soil began to regenerate and grow roots, and many sprouts appeared on the ground.


    In a moment, the lifeless fields were covered with tall trees with dense foliage. They were surrounded by many unusual nts, and on each tree was a unique red flower.


    Whooooooooosh.


    One of the eye-monsters decided to attack Wain as theser headed toward him. Wain just tilted his head as theser swept next to his neck, quickly reaching the top of the hill in the distance.


    ''Agh... This forest is quite beautiful, but it looks like someone will soon have to recover it again...'' Wain inwardly muttered, watching for theser to explode the next moment.


    However, suddenly the red flower on the tree opened as a small, palm-sized magic circle appeared in front of it. The petals of the flower lit up as the magic circle in a heartbeat absorbed theser, preventing it from exploding.


    "Damn... Did you really have to ruin all the fun?" Virionined with a frowned look while shaking his head, "Well, at least no one will touch the shining tree."


    ''Hey... Would you like some advice? The Abyss Artist asked in a calm manner as a devious smile appeared on his face, ''It often happens in our world that the solution to a problem is in it itself. Like, in a tree with venomous thorns from whose poison there is only one antidote and it is under the bark.''


    ''What the hell are you talking about...? If you figured out how to kill them, then just tell me!'' Wain inwardly eximed while in confusion.


    Wain wanted an answer to his question, but the Abyss Artist was silent as if on purpose.


    Whooooooosh.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Virion waved his hand as all fifteen tentacles simultaneously attacked Wain. They moved very quickly, but Wain''s reflexes were excellent, so he easily dodged the attack by flinging himself aside. However, Virion knew that this would not be enough to wound Wain, so the next moment eleven eye-monsters attacked.


    ''Fuck!'' Wain dashed back a few meters as most of thesers flew past him, but one flew with a slight dy, so it was aimed directly at him.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Wain''s pupils narrowed, a darkyer of energy covered the sword de and he counterattacked. The sword collided with theser and the dark energy knocked theser aside. On its way theser pierced one of the tentacles, cutting it in two and reaching the hill where it was consumed by a red flower.


    ''Damn... I can dodge it, but I''ll end up with another one of those weird monsters... At this rate, I''ll never get this problem solved.'' Wain inwardly muttered while looking at the severed tentacle with a tired expression.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Suddenly the red tentacle turned gray and broke into several pieces until itpletely disintegrated like handfuls of ash.


    "No way... All this time the decision was right in front of me..." Wain muttered with a dazed look while in disbelief, then his gaze went to Virion who now had a troubled face.


    ''Shit... Why is this happening now? I thought I could drain him even more but it looks like he''ll destroy my artifact soon...'' Virion muttered inwardly while shaking his head as if his n had failedpletely.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Wain took a step forward as he turned into a dark sh, instantly finding himself next to one eye-monster.


    "Hey, be so kind as to help me solve a problem." Wain said in a calm voice with a devious smirk on his face before reaching out.


    Eye-monster tried to run away, but its tentacles were too slow, so Wain easily grabbed it like a very big ball.


    "I don''t think you''ll shoot just because I say so I''ll have to go straight to more radical methods." Wain said with a slight smile on his face as he thrust his sword into the ground and tugged at one of the tentacles.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The monster shuddered as energy headed for its pupils and after a while, a purpleser flew out of the massive eye. It was headed for one of the fifteen portals from where the tentacles attacked.


    Booooooooom.


    Theser exploded as the portal with the tentacle waspletely destroyed. The tentacle failed to regenerate and a gray spot appeared on the sphere in Virion''s hands as if to show Wain''s progress.

 Chapter 814 Barrier

    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    From the moment Wain realized how he needed to destroy the tentacles to kill thempletely, only a few minutes had passed, as the artifact in Virion''s hands was alreadypletely gray. All that was left was a small red stain that held because of the eleven eye-monsters.


    "Honestly, I thought it was going to be a lot harder, but it looks like I found a solution faster than you bargained for." Wain said with a devious smile on his face before turning into a dark sh.


    He used one eye-monster to slowly destroy the others. Virion didn''t even try to control them or waste his energy on them since the oue was already obvious.


    ''Damn... I was too greedy and it caused me to fail. I wanted to wound him and ended up firing all thesers at once... Well, I still have eight artifacts left, so no major problems should be a problem. He''s used hisst trump card, which means I''ve practically won.'' Virion said inwardly with a calm look before swinging his arm.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Two artifacts appeared in front of him at once. One was a break in two old sword, covered in chains, the other was a strange cloud in the center of which was a crystal sphere with a transparent drop that asionally disappeared.


    ''Eighth and seventh... After I deal with these artifacts I will have to activate the seventh form, then I will feel better, but before that...'' Wain wondered as he stared at the two remaining eye-monsters.


    He appeared beside them like a ghost, grabbed their heads, and pushed them against each other. Nothing happened as so Wain couldn''t make the eye-monsters usesers, but he had another n.


    Crackle.


    Wain yanked their tentacles as energy gathered in their pupils, preparing to turn intosers and Wain with a sly smile on his face threw the eye-monsters forward.


    The eye-monsters were right in front of the lightning beasts as the moment exploded. The lightning beasts didn''t expect Wain to do something so crazy, so they didn''t have time to dodge.


    Boooooooooooom!


    Lasers flew out of the eye-monsters as contact with the lightning beasts produced a powerful explosion. There was practically nothing left of the eye-monsters, the electrical discharges just tore their bodies apart while the beasts were split into several pieces.


    Wain knew that the lightning beasts were probably still alive, so he watched carefully to see what would happen to them.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    The torn-off paws, body parts, and even the head joined together as if nothing had happened as the two lightning beasts were ready to fight again. Not a single emotion appeared on Virion''s face, as though showing that it was all useless.


    ''Hmm... Virion would never give me a clue, but now I understand how I can deal with these strange beasts...'' Wain internally muttered with an ice-cold look while his eyes pierced the beasts, ''I thought I was imagining thingsst time, but I was not. They got a little smaller after they regenerated, so their energy isn''t infinite.''


    ''Bingo!'' the Abyss Artist suddenly eximed with a slight smirk on his face, ''If I calcted it right, you need to kill them three or four more times before their energy runs outpletely.''


    Wain nodded slightly, gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, and his aura intensified. Streams of darkness appeared beside him, slowly enveloping him like a veil, preparing to protect him in case of danger.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Virion channeled energy into the sword as the chains around it shook violently. Then, the sword flew high up while many cracks appeared on it.


    ''What is this...?'' Wain inwardly muttered while in confusion.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The chains trembled as they broke into hundreds of links. Each link flew away from one another at the same distance, creating a dome-like structure over their arena, but without any structure.


    "I must say that I have every confidence that you can handle all my artifacts. It would be a serious waste for a great reward, but you certainly can''t do it without wounds!" Virion eximed in a thunderous voice as the broken sword shone brightly.


    Momentster, the sword exploded with crimson light as the sword''s energy headed toward each link, creating a small bloody barrier around it. A phantom sword sign appeared in front of the chain links that seemed like it could be real at any moment.


    "Barrier...? Hah, do you really still think I''m going to run away from you? I''ve already told you several times that until I kill you, I won''t go beyond this tree!" Wain spoke in a serious voice with a confident expression as he pointed the sword at Virion.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    The darkness trembled as it turned into a massive torrent, crashing down on Virion with tremendous speed. In the midst of the darkness, several eerie, clenching jaws opened at once.


    Virion''s eyes widened slightly as he didn''t expect Wain to attack so suddenly, but he quickly realized what to do and with a calm look he leaped aside.


    A stream of darkness swept by him, making his white robe flutter, but Virion didn''t even turn around as he stared intently at Wain.


    ''Hmm... He didn''t fend off my attack? I''ll just destroy his barrier now.'' Wain inwardly muttered as the stream of darkness reached the bloody barrier.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The barrier trembled violently as well as the top floor. The corrosive effect of the darkness with creepy jaws could destroy anything, but the barrier just absorbed all the energy even though it seemed difficult.


    "Shit, it''s pretty tough..." Wain uttered with a frowned look as his eyes went wide.


    Suddenly part of the barrier glowed brightly as a third of the entire sword seals turned into energy weapons. They came down on Wain like real des, aiming at his most vulnerable spots.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Wain''s silhouette blurred as he turned into clots of darkness, heading to the other side of the arena. At the same time, the des reached the stone floor, passing effortlessly through it like it was a piece of paper.


    ''Fuck... I just got rid of one problem as a new one appeared... They''re endless, right?'' Wainined lightly while shaking his head.

 Chapter 815 Drop

    ''Wain... This barrier is dangerous... It easily absorbed your attack as energy swords can easily pass through your coat.'' Abyss Artist said in a worried manner.


    ''Don''t worry. I can definitely deal with it, just like before. I''m more worried about what it is?'' Wain replied as he stared at the second artifact in Virion''s hand.


    At his will, the cloud trembled as the blob inside the crystal sphere becamepletely transparent. At the same time, the artifact disappeared and many small clouds appeared in the arena. They looked like fog, filling everything around them.


    ''Mist...? Isn''t it useless?" Wain inwardly muttered while in confusion as he tilted his head.


    Fog might have been a serious problem for any other fighter, but Wain was on apletely different level. Even if he waspletely blind, he would be able to navigate energy flows like a Blind Sorcerer, but the simple fog did not hinder him in any way. He could clearly see all of Virion''s or Lightning Beast''s movements.


    "You seem to think that this artifact can''t give you any trouble, but didn''t you think so about all the previous ones?" Virion said in an arrogant voice as his aura intensified.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Virion stepped forward as electric sparks appeared beside him. The Lightning Beasts stood behind him, about to attack while the mist suddenly began to thicken.


    ''Hmm? Is he going to fight? Damn, those artifacts made mepletely forget that he doesn''t always have to control them...'' Wain said to himself with a frowned look, ''He must have gathered some energy in this time, so now things are going to get a lot harder.''


    ''Wain! Look out!'' dius suddenly eximed as the dark sword headed to the right.


    Wain instantly turned as he saw the spear rush toward him. It was fast and seemed to have to pierce Wain, but thanks to dius'' warning he was able to react in time and blocked the attack.


    ''What the hell?!'' Wain inwardly eximed with his eyes wide open as he stared at his opponent.


    The attacker wasn''t a Virion or a lightning beast, it was a mysterious smoky warrior that appeared in front of Wain in an instant, just out of nowhere.


    ''Wain, it attacked you out of the mist.'' dius said in a serious voice as his energy increased slightly.


    "Yeah... I figured that out already. Two very strange artifacts, separately they can cause serious problems, but together it''s a terrible headache..." Wain muttered as his eyes turned icy.


    Whoooooooosh.


    He swung his sword, splitting the smoky warrior in two as well as the mist behind him, leaving a loose trail of several meters.


    The smoke knight dissipated, but he didn''t go anywhere as the smoke only moved elsewhere, filling the fog.


    ''Fuck... The invincible enemy again... Hey, do you have any idea how I can deal with it?'' Wain asked turning to someone who seemed to know all the answers.


    ''Hmm... I still need to think...'' Abyss Artist muttered with a multi-valued look, ''You can probably break the barrier with one powerful attack, but you have no way to get rid of that fog...''


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    There was a rumble of lightning as a massive thunderbolt appeared in Virion''s hand. He took a step back, ducked slightly, and with an ice-cold look threw the lightning straight at Wain like a spear.


    Wain could not quite dodge it, but he had no intention of doing so, for the dark sword was already charging toward the spear with a massive stream of darkness.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space shuddered as the darkness turned into several massive jaws that pounced on the lightning along with the point of the sword. From their collision there were shock waves, pushing the fog to the boundaries of the dome while electrical discharges left dark burn spots on the ground.


    ''Hmmm... Not bad, it''s definitely a serious attack, but isn''t that too weak for Virion?'' Wain internally muttered with a calm expression before stepping forward.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    He swung his sword, slicing Lightning in two,pletely destroying it with his creepy jaws. There was nothing left of Virion''s attack except a few electric sparks that quickly dissipated.


    ''Exactly... I''d forgotten that he''s not using his Beyond form right now, he''s waiting for the right moment to use his final trump card... Hahaha, that means he''ll try to conserve as much energy as possible and won''t get in my way!'' Wain internally eximed with an excited look as a devious smile formed on his face.


    ''Tsk... So he gets it. Damn, is it just me, or does the longer the fight goes on the better he understands what I''m thinking? Virionined as he bit his lip to blood, ''Well, anyway, the artifacts are just a prelude before the finale, so there''s nothing wrong with that.''


    Whoooooooooosh.


    The two lightning beasts turned into shes, raining down on Wain with great speed. Their eyes were full of cruelty as their sharp ws, pointed straight at his neck.


    "Hey, I''ve already killed you a few times, how about we end this right now?" Wain said with a slight smile on his face before rushing forward.


    Even though Wain was going to attack, hepletely removed the darkness from his sword, relying only on dius'' physical stats.


    Whoooooooosh.


    The ws of the beasts almost reached their target as Wain''s silhouette blurred. He was between them in an instant as several dark shes appeared around him from his lightning attacks.


    Crackle.


    The beasts copsed to the ground as their ws dug into the ground while Wain slowly continued forward without even turning around. Then, many dark streaks appeared on the bodies of the lightning beasts as if someone had given them dozens of cuts in seconds.


    "Bye, bye." Wain said while waving his hand in a mocking manner, "Maybe three times would have been enough for me, but I decided to kill you more than ten times at once. I hope that''s enough."


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    The beasts looked at Wain with a furious looks as suddenly their bodies shattered into many pieces. The beasts tried to recover as before, but there were too many wounds, so after a while, there were only a few blue sparks left.

 Chapter 816 Four

    "Shit..." Virion muttered with his eyes wide open as a wave of trembling ran through his body, "He was able to dispose of them so easily...?"


    "Hah, it was your fault!" Wain said with a confident smile on his face as he ced the sword on his shoulder, "You called for these beasts from the beginning, but decided to use them only now, so I had enough time to figure out how to deal with them."


    Virion answered nothing, he just frowned and took a few steps back while the fogpletely hid him.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Suddenly two pieces of stone flew out from where Virion had just been. One had a me sign on it as well as a lightning sign on the other. Powerful auras emanated from them, as powerful as any other artifact.


    ''What...? Did he decide to use two more artifacts? Doesn''t that mean he only has four left now?'' Wain inwardly muttered while in confusion as he couldn''t believe that Virion had decided to do something so drastic.


    "Maybe it really is wasteful, but how will you handle it?" Virion asked in an arrogant voice as the two stone fragments glowed brightly.


    From the left rune came a powerful scarlet me, the heat of which distorted space and made the ground seem like it could melt at any moment.


    Whooooooooosh.


    The mes turned into a pir of fire as a massive creature resembling an ancient knight emerged from it. He waspletely made of fire as well as his armor and a huge sword.


    ''Fifth Chronicle!'' Wain inwardly eximed as he felt the fire knight''s aura, ''Shit, this is going to be difficult, moreover, this is only half of my problem, isn''t it?''


    The same thing happened with the second rune as a tall knight with a massive sword filled with lightning energy emerged from the pir of purple lightning.


    ''Shit... They look dangerous. When Virion activated his Form, he easily dealt with that monster that was in Fifth Chronicle, but these two look much stronger...'' Wain took a step back as he gripped the hilt of his sword tighter as a sudden shiver ran through his body.


    Wain was slightly distracted as he forgot about the dome, but it immediately seized the opportunity and unleashed a hail of dozens of swords on Wain.


    Whooooooooosh.


    He lifted his head, covered his body in darkness, and turned into a dark sh. Several crimson swords were sliced in two,pletely broken as the rest just failed to hit their target.


    Wain appeared at the other end of the arena, near the edge of the dome. He stared intently at the knights slowly stepping toward him, wondering what he could do to win.


    "Hahaha, it looks like their fight is finally beginning to approach its final phase!" Alucard eximed with an excited look as he swung his arms. This simple movement provoked two powerful streams of wind that made his long red coat flutter.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "Well, judging by hisplicated look, he was in a tight spot. However, if he can somehow deal with these artifacts, he will take another step toward victory." Gael muttered holding his chin while watching the fight intently.


    "We''ll see soon enough. Either way, either he seeds or he fails, there is no other option." Alucard crossed his arms as a devious smirk appeared on his face.


    Wain prepared for the attack as his eyes moved constantly from the knights to the dome, to the fog, and then around in circles. He had too many opponents whose actions he had to watch closely.


    ''Hey, I figured out a way for you to deal with the fog and that troublesome dome.'' Abyss Artist suddenly said with a sly smile on his face.


    ''In that case, you''d better tell me about it as soon as possible! These knights are slow, but something tells me they will swing their swords with great speed in battle.'' Wain said as he took a few steps back.


    ''Sure. I have the solution to all your problems. All you have to do is just hit with all your might!'' The Abyss Artist eximed as if he had told Wain the secret behind the many seals.


    ''What...?'' Wain muttered with a confused look as he couldn''t believe what he had just heard, ''Are you fucking serious now? Hey, if you want to make a joke on me, you''d better pick another moment to do it!''


    There was silence for a few seconds as if the Abyss Artist had disappeared until suddenly Wain felt an indescribably huge amount of energy trying to burst out of his body.


    "What the hell?" Wain uttered with a dazed look as suddenly space trembled.


    ''Wain, have you forgotten what our n was?'' Abyss Artist said while a massive stream of darkness engulfed Wain.


    "Agh...?"


    ''When your opponent uses the six artifacts, the moment wille for me to enter the fray, it will be most effective. I didn''t expect Virion to decide to activate four artifacts against you at the same time, but that''s even better. He didn''t know about our n, so he made a serious mistake.'' Abyss Artist said in a calm voice with a sly smirk on his face as if everything had happened exactly as he had originally intended.


    ''What''s going on...? So he actually has the form...? No way..." Virion muttered with his eyes wide open as his heart clenched hard for fear that he had made a fatal mistake.


    ''No... It''s not his Form... The aura is very powerful, but it is quite different from the one Wain has... So it''s one of his unique abilities? Virion wondered, gradually calming down as his gaze became serious, ''Shit, he tricked me, but why do I know absolutely nothing about this skill?''


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space shuddered as the flow of darkness dissipated with a few waves, revealing Wain''s new appearance.


    His hair grew much longer as his eyes became blue, deep as the abyss. He wore a long ck mantle as well as a ck brush in his left hand, with an eerie, majestic aura.

 Chapter 817 Drawing

    The sudden appearance of the Abyss Artist was a surprise to absolutely everyone, to Wain, to Virion, and to the audience whose eyes went wide.


    "What is that creepy aura...?" Krakos muttered as a wave of shivers ran through his body.


    "I agree... If he had such a trump card all along, why didn''t he use it...?" Alia uttered as she took a few steps back.


    "Hey... Gael, didn''t Wain start looking like HIM after using that skill?" Alucard said while in confusion as he turned around.


    "Hmm... It''s probably just a coincidence or it should be considering that Wain is heir to the Nameless King, but I see what you mean and that''s impossible. They all died during the great war, a great loss to the world as their achievements so far have not been surpassed." Gael said in a serious voice as a fire lit up in his eyes as if he were recalling fragments from the past.


    Alucard nodded, "Well, let''s see what he''ll do with a piece of the power of the one who for hundreds of years limited Lands of the Gods from the rest of the world."


    Wain stared at the dark brush in his hand while a tremendous amount of energy filled his entire body.


    ''Damn... Now I understand why you decided to act only now. With such dense energy I could easily deal with his artifacts...'' Wain inwardly muttered while in disbelief as thest time was a bit different.


    He was still not fully ustomed to the power of the seventh form, but for some reason, there was several times more energy now than before. Wain felt as if with a simple brushstroke he could destroy an entire world or, conversely, create it.


    ''You shouldn''t be so surprised.'' The Abyss Artist said in a calm voice as a slight smile appeared on his face, ''Last time I had not yet fully recovered from creating the seal that broke the barrier between the two worlds, so only now am I ready to show what I can do.''


    Wain smirked and stared at Virion asking, "Well, in that case, what would you suggest doing first?"


    ''That''s obvious. First, we need to get rid of his current four artifacts, then he''ll have very little left before he uses hisst trump card. I have some ideas, so just try to create them right, I''ll help you.'' Abyss Artist said as a torrent of darkness burst from the brush.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, a smirk appeared on Wain''s face as Abyss Artist told him of his idea.


    "Hahaha, that''s a damn good idea! I might make a few mistakes in the process, but I should be able to do it!" Wain eximed with an excited look before swinging his brush.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The space above the glowing tree trembled as two streams of darkness erupted from the brush. They quickly began to transform into something, taking on an unusual form.


    "What the hell is it...?" Virion muttered with his eyes wide open.


    Above the glowing tree hovered two massive dark spikes, with a circr halo around them. They moved around slowly, like satellites circling their.


    "I see..." Virion uttered with a slight nod as his gaze grew serious, "You think you can bring down this dome with a powerful attack? Well, I admit that I didn''t expect you to have another trump card, but it''s obviously not enough. This dome can only be destroyed from within."


    "Hah, as if I''m interested in your opinion. You know, I prefer not to take the word of an opponent, especially one who has already deceived me several times." Wain said with a devious smile on his face before swinging his brush.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The halos of the spikes trembled as several purple runes shone brightly on them. Then, a dark me erupted, like a rocket at the start of aunch.


    Virion''s goosebumps went up as he realized what was about to happen, so he hurriedly created a barrier of dense white me over himself.


    Whoooooooooooooooosh.


    Two spikes with tremendous speed copsed on the barrier. Their speed was prohibitive, but their power was even greater. Artifact sensed that the dark spikes were threatening them and aimed dozens of crimson swords at them.


    ? If Wain had faced such an attack, he would have had to expend a lot of energy to dodge them all or defend himself, but in this case, there was no need for that.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Spikes just shattered the sword into tiny shards like they were ss. Hundreds of small particles flew away, turning into energy and scattering in the wind.


    "Here we go." Wain muttered with an excited smile on his face as spikes reached the dome.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space trembled as the spikes touched the domes, and many red sparks appeared. They flew off to the sides as if two very sharp swords hade into contact, however, the barrier did not break despite the fact that it trembled violently.


    ''Well, well, looks like he didn''t fool you this time. This barrier is actually much stronger on the outside than on the inside.'' Abyss Artist said with a slight smile on his face.


    ''Hmm? Does that mean we can''t break it?'' Wain asked in a worried manner with a frowned look.


    ''Hah, of course not, we just have to use a little more force. If you increase the pressure, any, even the strongest defenses will break. Believe me, I know that better than anyone else.'' Abyss Artist said as thick darkness appeared among Wain''s eyes.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    At the same time, the spikes began to spin like drills as small cracks began to appear in the dome. At first, there were only a few, but very quickly there were so many that they covered the entire dome.


    ''Fine, this is it. We''ve just started, but we''ve already gotten rid of one artifact!'' Wain inwardly eximed as he waved his hands.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Spikes broke through the domepletely destroying them and copsing into the ground like asteroids falling from space.

 Chapter 818 Spikes

    "Hahaha! You said this dome was impossible to break, didn''t you? Then how''s that for you!" Wain eximed with excited looks while looking at the many crimson shards falling to the ground. They looked as if a huge mirror had shattered as Wain was underneath it.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    The barrier of white me vanished, revealing Virion''s displeased face. He said nothing, just pointed at Wain with a deadly look.


    At the same moment, the two knights, Fire, and Lightning, lunged forward. Their weight was immense, so their every move sent a jolt through them as if a small earthquake had begun.


    "Well, well, looks like someonepletely underestimated me." Wain uttered with a sly smile on his face as he jumped back.


    Earlier, his movements had been severely restricted by the dome, but now nothing prevented him from moving quietly, except for the part of the arena where the beast with the wreckage of the dius was imprisoned.


    ''Fine. Those two spikes are quite powerful, we both spent quite a bit of energy on them, but it''s only a fraction of the total that we have.'' Abyss Artist said in a calm voice, ''These knights look dangerous, but you can easily deal with them with your new weapons.''


    "Weapons...?" Wain muttered with a confused look as his gaze went to the spikes that were halfway in the stone floor, "Right... I don''t have to waste my energy on summoned creatures. I have to act rationally if I want to win."


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Wain waved his hand as spikes immediately flew up and pointed their tips at the knights as the main opponents.


    "Virion, your artifacts are seriously helping you, as you waste almost no energy, but now I can do exactly the same!" Wain said in a confident manner as he snapped his fingers.


    The Spikes began to spin again as they with tremendous speed descended upon the Knights. They immediately reacted and put their swords out in front of them, defending against the attack, but the pressureing from the spikes was too great.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    After a while, cracks began to appear on the spikes as lightning and mes possessed tremendous energy, but the knights'' swords were already nearly destroyed. The knights should have inflicted some serious wounds on Wain, but instead, they fought with what Wain created with a simple wave of his hand.


    "Well, it looks like the advantage is finally on my side now." Wain said in a calm voice with an indifferent look before stepping forward.


    His silhouette blurred as he turned into a multitude of clots of darkness, momentarily trailing behind the knights. They noticed him, but there was nothing they could do since if they tried to attack him, the spikes would immediately pierce them.


    "Shit!" Virion eximed as he held out his hand.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same time, the knights'' aura greatly increased as Virion transmitted some of his energy to them. Next to the left knight appeared several protective pirs of fire and behind the left knight were many electric spheres emitting violent lightning.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Wain was very close to them, so he should have been wounded or retreated immediately, but he would not do so as there was already a denseyer of cold darkness around him as in the farthest corners of hell.


    "Sounds like you''re starting to panic, that''s good. I''m sick and tired of having to figure out how to deal with problems all the time in our fight, now it''s your turn." Wain said in a calm voice with ice-cold eyes before he swung his brush.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Behind him, many particles of darkness appeared, like snowkes as they quickly turned into thousands of needles. They were small but sharp enough to prate even the toughest armor.


    "No!" Virion eximed as he tried to save the knights who were his two artifacts, but he realized that it was already toote, so he just stood there with his arm outstretched and watched what was happening.


    At Wain''s will, needles entered the knights'' bodies as he stepped aside as well as the damaged spikes as if preparing for something dangerous.


    ''Though I hate to admit it, your power is most freeing. All I have to do is think about how I want to attack and then swing the brush.'' Wain said inwardly with a calm look before snapping his fingers.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A shiver went through the knights'' bodies as all the needles exploded simultaneously. Dark mes engulfed everything around them as the st just tore the knights apart, leaving them no chance of survival.


    "So simple... Damn... The more this fight goes on, the more I realize how much stronger I''ve be..." Wain muttered quietly as a shiver ran through his body.


    ''Yeah... you have a point, but don''t forget that these are just artifacts. Even dius, a sword that can''t be broken, can''t do anything on its own without a worthy owner. The only ones with any power here are you and Virion, nothing more.'' Abyss Artist uttered in a serious voice.


    ''Sure. I understand. However, after using myst form, I''ve dealt with three artifacts so quickly... At this rate, we''ll soon reach the end. Wain uttered to himself as he swung his arm.


    A small amount of darkness came out of the brush that repaired all the cracks on the spikes, then they mmed into the ground in the middle of the arena and started spinning with tremendous speed as though trying to make their way down.


    ''Hmm...? What the hell is he doing...?'' Virion wondered with aplicated look and his eyes went wide as he realized what Wain''s idea was, ''Fuck... That bastard...''


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Because of the powerful force of the spikes'' spins, the fog gradually began to head toward them, revealing the smoke warriors that were hiding among them.


    After a while, all the fog gathered around the spikes as Wain finally saw how many opponents he had.


    "Fine... Looks like I found a way to deal with you." Wain said with a devious smile as his gaze went to the white ghost that was hiding behind one warrior.

 Chapter 819 The Last Artifacts

    ''Oh... So all this time there was a puppeteer lurking among the mist... I assumed something like this was possible, but I thought the power of the smoke warriors depended simply on the amount of mist.'' Abyss Artist uttered in a thoughtful voice as if he had found an interesting answer to the riddle.


    ''Well, now I know who I need to fight against to destroy another artifact!'' Wain inwardly eximed before rushing forward.


    He used the seventh form as Abyss Brush was in his hand, but dius and his Beyond were still with him as well as the energy of the creepy jaws. So, being a dark sh he got to the smoky warrior the white ghost was hiding behind and swung his sword.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    A de of darkness erupted from the sword, slicing the smoke warrior in two and rushing toward the ghost. It managed to dodge at thest moment, flying aside and heading toward Virion with a frightened look.


    "Hah, you think he''s going to protect you? No one will save you anymore! I won''t let that happen!" Wain spoke in a thunderous voice as he stepped forward.


    At the same moment, space trembled as two eerie jaws appeared out of nowhere beside the ghost. They pounced on him like hellhounds on a defenseless rabbit as they tore the ghost apart.


    Perhaps Virion could have done something to dy the ghost''s death, but he just stood there with an icy stare. For himself, he had already decided that Wain had destroyed his artifact as he saw no point in trying to avoid the inevitable.


    After the ghost died, the smoke knights began to dissipate until theypletely disappeared as well as the fog at the dark spikes.


    "Well, well, it looks like you only have four artifacts left now, doesn''t it?" Wain said in a mocking manner as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    "Hmm... You''re right... Damn, now you actually managed to trick me and I ended up losing so many legendary artifacts... it''s pretty unfortunate." Virion uttered while shaking his head slightly. Then, he looked at Wain with an ice-cold look and said, "You used that power too soon, for now, I know what I must do to defeat you!"


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Virion waved his hand as two artifacts appeared before him. The first one was a statuette of an almost dry tree, with no leaves, but with a very powerful aura as the second one was an amulet in the form of a ck scythe with a red stone.


    ''Shit... Where did he find these artifacts?'' The Abyss Artist muttered while in disbelief as his eyes went wide.


    ''Hmm? Is it something dangerous?'' Wain asked in a worried way.


    ''Yeah... It could be deadly... Wain, listen to me carefully, for if you act carelessly you might even die.'' The Abyss Artist said seriously as his aura intensified.


    Wain stared at Virion, recoiled to a safe distance, and muttered, ''''That bastard... He said that I can definitely handle artifacts, but the aura of those ones gives me the creeps.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Virion channeled energy into the artifacts as space trembled. The statuette of the tree shed brightly while ck smoke began to slowly emanate from the amulet.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''Wain, your opponent is an Arkan with a seven-pointed star, that means he may be one of the strongest Arkans, but it seems he is a renegade.'' Abyss Artist uttered in an ice-cold voice.


    ''Hmm? What the hell are you talking about? Why should I know about it? Wainined while carefully observing the changes in the artifacts.


    ''I understand your puzzlement, but you must understand the seriousness of what''s going on. I don''t know how he did it, but this guy stole these artifacts from the main vault in the Arkan world. I would say that the rarity of these artifacts is beyond Legendary Rating.'' The Abyss Artist said slowly as his piercing gaze went to the artifacts.


    Wain gulped, nodded slightly, and swung his brush. It created two dark streams that quickly turned into dark knights with huge shields and swords. Also, Wain used some energy from his Beyond, as massive eyes opened on the knights'' heads and a drawing of a massive creepy jaw appeared on their breastte.


    "You thought two summoned creatures could protect you? You handled my knights easily, though I used two artifacts to create them, so they certainly won''t help you." Virion said with a calm look before grabbing the statuette.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space shuddered as the statuette headed for the wall behind Virion. It transformed into a small seed that became the nucleus for somethingrger.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Most of the energy around went towards the seed as Wain for a moment even felt himself breathing harder as the energy began to leave him. However, he quickly regained control and the dark knights stood in front of him, ready to protect him from any threat.


    Gradually roots began to grow from the seed, spreading across the arena. At first, they were small and fragile, but very quickly they became thicker and much stronger with incredibly sharp tips.


    ''Hmm? Roots...? Could a simple tree be dangerous?'' Wain inwardly muttered while in confusion as he tilted his head.


    ''Don''t be distracted!'' the Abyss Artist eximed and at the same moment, the roots came into motion.


    The roots were aimed at Wain as they moved at tremendous speed, but halfway along they suddenly changed their trajectory heading for the spikes.


    ''What...? Shit! I need to save them!'' Wain inwardly eximed as he swung his arm.


    The spikes began to emerge from the floor, slowly taking off, but they were almost immediately embraced by thick roots. The pressureing from them was indescribable as many cracks quickly appeared on the spikes.


    "Tsk... Well, let''s see how strong they are." Wain uttered with a frowned look and the spikes began to spin.


    Wain''s eyes went wide as he muttered, "What the hell...?"


    Even though the spikes were spinning furiously, the roots weren''t taking any damage, so they just shredded the spikes into small pieces like simple weapons.

 Chapter 820 Sword

    Whooooooooooosh.


    Shards of nearly indestructible spikes scattered to the sides and gradually dissipated into darkness. There wasn''t even a scratch left on the roots, it seemed like it was as easy for them as breaking a rock.


    Wain''s eyes were wide open and his lips trembled slightly as he could not believe what he was seeing. It seemed to him as if the fight had suddenly be one level harder and it had happened in a heartbeat.


    ''That''s what I was trying to tell you. If you had used my power earlier, we would have easily handled the previous artifacts, but then I wouldn''t have had enough energy to help you with something this serious.'' Abyss Artist uttered in an ice-cold voice while his eyes examined the roots.


    ''I see... That bastard left the strongest artifacts for the end. Fuck, if I didn''t have you, maybe this would be the end...'' Wain inwardly muttered as a shiver ran through his body and fear shackled his heart like heavy metal chains.


    ''Hey, rx. Maybe I can''t see the future and because of that I couldn''t assume he stole those artifacts from the main vault, but I was prepared for him to do something like that. Our forces will be enough to destroy all the artifacts he has left.'' Abyss Artist said confidently as his aura intensified.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same time, a tremendous amount of darkness erupted from the brush as Wain''s mantle soared upward as well as his hair as if in a very powerful gust of wind. The darkness headed toward the knights, filling them with energy and making them stronger as several purple runes appeared on their armor.


    ''Wain, I thought I could help you in battle when it came to hisst trump card, but it looks like I''ll have to spend all my strength on thest artifacts.'' Abyss Artist said with a deadly serious look.


    ''Don''t worry, it''s more than enough. Whatever his final trump card is, I''ll be sure to deal with it.'' Wain said inwardly with a slight nod before rushing forward.


    He appeared like a dark sh at the two massive roots and swung his sword covered in a thickyer of darkness.


    Not only was dius an indestructible sword, but he was also the sharpest, but only under certain circumstances since everything depended on Wain''s energy.


    Bam.


    The sword struck the root and there was a loud sound as if two hammers collided. They could not hurt each other, but their weight created a powerful shockwave.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Wain''s body went through a wave of shuddering due to the very strong recoil as he was thrown back several meters. Wain was about to cut the roots, so he should have been shocked at how tough they were, but his look was calm and his gaze was icy.


    ''Hey, dius, how long has it been since I used all your power?" Wain asked as he took a few steps back, preparing for another attack.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''Well, well, looks like someone decided to get real serious. Your life was in critical dangerst time too, just like now.'' dius uttered with a slight smile on his face as his aura intensified.


    Whoooooooosh.


    The Abyss Brush in Wain''s left hand soared upward as it transformed into dark particles. They headed toward Wain''s palm, leaving a purple seal on it.


    "Hmm? Did you really run out of energy so quickly...?" Virion muttered while in confusion as his gaze went to the knights standing behind Wain, "No... Looks like you decided to do something else."


    "Yeah... You''re damn right. Maybe I''m lucky I got this sword, but I''m not going to prove anything to anyone. I''m just going to use everything I''ve got to beat you!" Wain eximed as his eyes filled with blood.


    At the same time, the runes shone brightly on dius as Wain''s aura increased several times over. His veins swelled as his muscles grew tense as though he were at the peak of his powers and could move no further without surpassing a certain barrier.


    ''What the hell...? What with this creepy aura...?'' Virion said to himself as he got goosebumps, ''Damn... I was too presumptuous. I hadpletely forgotten that none of my artifacts couldpare to his. It''s the sword of the Nameless King, so obviously it has some unique skill.''


    It wasn''t just Virion who was surprised as a slight shiver went through the bodies of all who watched the fight. The level of strength didn''t matter as even Alucard felt it.


    "Hahaha, Gael, can you feel it?! He may only be the heir of the Nameless King, but I will never forget the aura of that sword!" Alucard eximed with an excited look as a mad smile appeared on his face.


    "Damn, this one is a true treasure of this world. Any swordsman would dream of having a weapon of this caliber." Gael uttered with raised eyebrows.


    "Even you?" Alucard asked in a sly manner.


    Gael grinned and shook his head, "Of course not. My sword and I are one, I''m not going to ept it as anything else. For a sword to be a true masterpiece, it must not just be a killing tool, it must be your partner and it looks like Wain is beginning to understand that."


    "Mr. Gael... Does that mean it will be even stronger?" Krakos asked with a worried look.


    "Sure. It looks like he was just going to use his weapon skill to get a temporary boost, but it went much further... Well, this guy is a real monster. The longer I watch them fight the more convinced I am that fate is never wrong. Maybe he was the best candidate to seed the Nameless King." Gael said in a deadly serious voice as streams of ash involuntarily appeared beside him.


    "You''re damn right!" Alucard eximed as his gaze went to Wain, "But no matter how great his potential is, it will all be useless if he dies! No one can escape death!"

 Chapter 821 The Sharpest Sword

    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Wain''s aura grew to its limit as he stepped forward. The ground beneath him cracked and his silhouette blurred. A momentter, he was in front of the roots with a sword full of energy as he with an ice-cold look rained the sword down on the roots.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Last time it had left only a small scratch on the root, but now, the sharp de went through the entire very thick root with ease. Wain felt how sturdy it was as a wave of recoil ran through his body, but he wasn''t going to stop there.


    "Fine, that''s what it takes. I can definitely handle this artifact with this strength, but I''m a little short on speed." Wain muttered in a calm voice before stepping forward.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    He dashed along the root, cutting it in two before jumping up to climb the root. Wain quickly thrust his sword into it and the next moment the root was split in two with a streak of dark energy. Then, Wain did the same thing again and again until one of the two roots was cut into more than ten pieces.


    "Bastard!" Virion eximed with an angry look as he swung his arm.


    At his will, the four roots attacked Wain simultaneously. They weren''t as thick as the previous ones, but they were much faster and sharper, able to prate almost any armor.


    "It seems that when you''re angry or panicked, you stop thinking at all." Wain uttered in an ice-cold voice as he swung his sword leaving a streak of dark energy in the air, "There''s no way they can get to me, you need to do better than that if you want to stop me."


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Wain took a step forward as his pupils narrowed and his hands became a blur. At the same time, the roots approached Wain, practically thrusting into him. After a moment, the roots stopped as if someone had frozen time, then, they split into dozens of pieces and fell to the ground.


    Tap.


    Wain stomped his foot, applying some of his power that was enough to create a small shockwave that scattered the parts of the roots apart.


    "Well, well, did I catch you off guard again?" Wain uttered in a calm voice before disappearing.


    He wasn''t running or jumping anywhere, he seemed to just vanish and Virion couldn''t figure out what was going on.


    ''What the hell...? Why did he be so strong...? I''m sure I calcted it right. Given his speed, the roots should have been a little faster than him, but in the end, it turned out very different!'' Virion inwardly eximed with a slightly panicked look.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Suddenly a dark silhouette with eyes as icy as ancient ciers appeared behind him, literally piercing his soul.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Did something not go ording to your n? Well, this is only the beginning." Wain uttered before bringing his sword down on Virion.


    Virion flinched as he tried to retreat with a startled expression. He moved as fast as he could as several roots instantly appeared between him and Wain.


    ''Not bad... Considering how quickly he took action, you''re actually a serious threat to him now.'' dius said in a confident way with a slight smile.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The sharp de of the sword went through the roots with ease as the tip of the sword reached Virion''s back. The sword only prated his flesh by a centimeter, but given Wain''s power, it was enough to leave a massive cut on Virion''s back in an instant, from which a stream of blood gushed forth.


    "ARGH!!!" Virion eximed in pain as his gaze went nk for a second, but he quickly regained consciousness and jumped aside.


    "Damn... I''ve made a serious mistake..." Wain muttered while looking at the dark sword in his hand, "If I had been a little faster this fight could have ended right now."


    Tap.


    Virion appeared on the other side of the arena as he fell to one knee in agony. At the same moment, several slender roots were headed toward him, green flowers unfurling at their tips. They glowed faintly, but just enough to make Virion''s regeneration increase severalfold.


    ''I see... These roots aren''t just weapons. They can probably also be a very strong shield as well. Well, that''s to be expected from an artifact of this level.'' Wain muttered inwardly, staring intently at Virion. His gaze was slightly different now as he looked at Virion as one who was already close to defeat.


    ''Fuck! What a bastard! Stop looking at me like that! You almost couldn''t even touch me up to this point! Fuck!!! Virion shouted to himself as he clenched his teeth hard because of the indescribable anger inside him, ''Maybe I should use this right now...? No! I have toe to my senses, I still have three artifacts to stop him. He sure can''t keep that power all the time.''


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    In a few seconds, Virion''s wound had nearly recovered as a long scar remained on his back. Then, the amulet in his hand trembled violently as if something powerful was about to burst from it at any moment.


    ''Wain, don''t rx. This attack was a big step toward victory, but it''s definitely not over yet. Don''t forget, he still has three more artifacts as well as roots that can give you no small problem.'' Abyss Artist said in a serious voice.


    ''Sure. I''m ready for anything.'' Wain nodded slightly as his pupils narrowed.


    The space next to Virion dawned as dark smoke began to slowly billow out of the amulet. Gradually it filled everything around it, so Wain thought that this artifact was simr to the previous one, but it was not as the smoke began to dissipate almost immediately.


    All that remained was a pir of smoke at its center, from which a tall silhouette with a long ck scythe gradually emerged. Its de was seemingly able to cut through even the world itself.


    Under the soft stream of wind, the silhouette''s ck cloak swayed, torn in many ces as if it were very old, while the mysterious creature''s eyes stared at Wain like two fading whitenterns.

 Chapter 822 Punch

    ''What the hell is this...?'' Wain wondered as a wave of shivers ran through his body.


    He didn''t know why, but he felt no aura from the silhouette as if it didn''t exist at all, although Wain could clearly see the silhouette in front of him.


    The appearance of this creature surprised everyone without exception as no one could have expected Virion to have such an artifact.


    "Damn... So this guy is a renegade..." Gael muttered with a dazed look as his eyes widened, "At first I thought he got a tree statue from one of the Arkans leaders as a reward, but now I realize he just stole those artifacts."


    "Hmm? Renegade...?" Alia uttered while in confusion as she tilted her head, "Sir...what are you talking about?"


    "Agh... It''s a long story, and we don''t have time for it, but in short, this creature is called the Death Phantom. It''s probably one of the strongest creatures to summon in a Fourth Chronicle, though as far as I know Death Phantom easily defeats a monster on the Absolute Stage." Gael uttered in a serious voice as his gaze settled on the silhouette.


    "Yeah... Gael is right. There are no such artifacts anymore, at least in the Fourth Chronicle, it ispletely unique, so obviously without special permission it was impossible to obtain this artifact." Alucard said with a calm look as his aura intensified slightly.


    "My Lord, did this guy break into the main Arkans vault and steal this artifact from there?" Krakos asked with a worried look for it seemed to him to beplete madness. He was the closest follower of Alucard and was on the God Stage, but he would never even think of something so unreal.


    "Exactly. Frankly, it''s astounding, since even I wouldn''t take that risk." Alucard said with a serious look as his gaze turned icy, "They couldn''t kill me, but it would be a few years before I could find a way out of their vault and that wouldn''t be a fun time."


    "In that case... How did he do it...? Maybe he''s strong, but after all, he''s only in the Fourth Chronicle... There''s no way he could have survived a battle against one of the Arkan leaders, is there?" Alia asked with a curious look as she put her palm to her chest.


    "You''re right... It must be impossible..." Gael uttered with aplicated expression, "However, he did it somehow. Damn... Did he steal something else before that?"


    Instantly Gael''s face became as if he''d seen something impossible that shouldn''t have happened for another few hundred years.


    "Hahahahahaha! That''s what it''s all about!" Alucard eximed with excited looks as his aura intensified. Blood streams appeared beside him as he with a mad smirk on his face said, "Now I understand what strange feeling I''ve had all this time. So that''s why he''s so sure he''ll win! Damn, this is going to be the greatest fight ever!"


    The others looked at Alucard while his words ran through their heads and transformed into a storm of thoughts and ideas. After a few seconds, everyone guessed what Alucard was talking about and some of them had frightened looks.


    "No... That''s not supposed to happen..." A man with green hair and rough skin like a tree bark muttered with trembling eyes, "If this is true... Then we must stop him right now... Otherwise, this fight will only be the beginning of disaster!"


    Most had simr thoughts, but this man was the first to decide to act as he jumped off the cliff and rushed to the top of the shining tree. His aura was on the God Stage, so he would only need to attack once to kill Virion and Wain, once and for all.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Suddenly Alucard appeared in front of the man with a tremendous amount of energy constantly rushing out of his body like hundreds of blood streams.


    "Hey, are you so stupid that you don''t understand the situation you''re in? No one dares interfere in this fight, even if the Dragonlord were here, I wouldn''t let him get one step closer." Alucard said in an ice-cold voice while his eerie gaze gripped the man''s heart with fear.


    "Stop! Wait! You''re making a mistake!" The man eximed as goosebumps ran down his body. He was on the God Stage, but against someone on the Transcendence Stage, he didn''t stand a chance.


    "Shut up. From the moment you jumped off that cliff, your life was over." Alucard said before attacking.


    His fist, covered in a thickyer of dark blood, came down on the man with tremendous speed. It was as if crimson lightning had suddenly struck the man and space trembled.


    In an instant hundreds of cracks appeared in the air, space did not seem capable of sustaining such power, then there was a powerful shockwave like a ring ofpressed air.


    A simple blow destroyed the forest and a few rocks, practically wiping them into dust, then there was a bloody explosion that threw the man down. The attack caused a pir of blood to reach the heavens while the man''s body was torn apart by the indescribable force Alucard used for this blow.


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    The man reached the ground instantly, touching the center of the massive crater that remained after Alucard''s attack with his back. His gaze was nk as he hadn''t breathed for some time. He felt almost no pain as everything happened instantly.


    "Well, well, it looks like Alucard was actually serious now. That''s good, after a performance like that, no one will risk interfering in their fight." Gael said with a slight smile on his face as he nodded.


    A massive amber soul flew out of the man''s body, shining brightly like the sun. For most people, it was a treasure, but Alucard looked at it with disdain.


    "Tsk... With such a weak soul you wanted to stop them? Looks like I wasted a lot of energy on you, just trash." Alucard said with a frowned look as he waved his hand.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The soul trembled and exploded a few secondster, spreading streams of energy around the world.

 Chapter 823 Blade Of Death

    ''What the hell was that...?'' Wain inwardly muttered while in disbelief as his eyes opened wide, ''Wasn''t that man incredibly strong...? I was practically petrified because of his overwhelming aura.''


    Wain was ready to use everything he had to survive his attacker''s attack as he instinctively knew that he would receive very serious wounds anyway.


    ''Yeah... This nt one was on the God Stage... You''re still a long way from his level, he could have killed you with Virion with a single swing...'' The Abyss Artist said in a serious voice as his gaze turned to the Alucard floating in the sky.


    ''Gog Stage...? What the fuck... That vampire is Alucard, right? Damn... It only needed one powerful blow to end someone on the God Stage... That''s crazy.'' Wain said to himself in a daze as a wave of shivers ran through his body.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Alucard turned as his cold eyes went to Wain and Virion. He looked directly at Wain, but Virion, too, felt a terrifying pressure as if the gaze of some ancient creature was directed at him.


    He stared at them for a while as if to say that they were safe and could fight as long as they needed to.


    ''Damn... I wouldn''t want him to be my enemy. Not only is he immortal, but he''s also incredibly strong... Is it possible to defeat someone like him?'' Wain inwardly muttered as a slight smile appeared on his face, then he shook his head, ''Well, at least I''m lucky he''ll defend our fight.''


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Alucard stepped forward as he appeared on the hill beside Krakos. Gael watched the show with a sly smile on his face as he knew that getting Alucard to be serious was quite difficult.


    Those who wanted to follow the man and attack Virion and Wain now dared not take a single step forward. Many of them were on the God Stage, but they trembled with fear as no one wanted his enemy to be the Vampire Progenitor.


    "Well, well, you are, as always, quite testy. Hah, I''ve heard a thousand times that those on the Transcendence Stage are thought of as sages, calm and wise, it''s quite ironic to realize how much their ideas disagree with reality." Gael grinned as he turned to Alucard.


    "If you live as long as we do, you can go crazy if you constantly pretend to be a wise man. Many people don''t know this, but even the Progenitor of Dragons, that old man, is not at all what he tries to look like. Alucard said with a confident look while staring intently at the top of the shining tree, "Perhaps that''s why I''m so d that so much will depend on the oue of the battle between these two."


    "If Wain wants to win, he must somehow deal with Death Phantom. It''s a dangerous creature, though his power is also unique." Gael muttered with a thoughtful look while rubbing his chin.


    Step. Step. Step.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Wain with a slow step headed toward Virion while the roots gradually surrounded him, sprouting along the walls of the arena. However, this did not frighten Wain at all, for all his attention was focused on the dark silhouette with the menacing aura.


    "I wonder what you would do if you didn''t have all these artifacts?" Wain asked with an indifferent expression as he tilted his head.


    Virion answered nothing, he just took a few steps back, closer to the healing flowers on the roots. There were only four of these roots, so each one was especially valuable.


    "Silent, yeah...? Well, that''s no surprise. You attacked me because you want to take the power of the Nameless King from me, but at the same time, you are incapable of fighting me without external means." Wain said in a calm voice as his cold gaze pierced Virion.


    "Hah, it doesn''t matter how I do it if I can defeat you. Do you think your words have any effect on me? You are so strong only because you possess the power of the Nameless King as well as his indestructible sword. Without those two factors, there''s no way you could be one of the strongest in the Fourth Chronicle!" Virion uttered with a slight smile on his face as his aura intensified.


    Wain frowned. He knew there was truth in Virion''s words, but there was no way he could change it since that was his fate.


    ''Fuck... I hate to admit it, but he''s right. If I didn''t have so many abilities and dius, I would have died a long time ago. What''s more, of all the trump cards I have it''s only a Beyond, I might be the only one without the Form!'' Wain wondered as he clenched his teeth tightly as well as his sword hilt.


    He had been trying to find out the answers from the start, but the closer he got to the answers the more he realized that much of his sess was foregone from the start. Wain was not stupid, so to him, it was obvious that his natural skills were not enough to be the best in such a vast world.


    ''Wain... He''s trying to mess with your mind...'' dius said in a worried manner, ''I can''t maintain this form for long, so you don''t have much time left and he knows it. You must hurry.''


    ''Sure. I was just a little distracted. It won''t help him anyway, in the time I have left I''ll destroy all his artifacts!'' Wain stepped forward with a serious look as his aura intensified.


    Streams of darkness surrounded him while Death Phantom slowly moved toward him. The creature''s gaze was calm, but it gave Wain goosebumps as if to say he didn''t need to fight it.


    "Hmm... You''re actually scary, but I''ve seen some who were more horrible than you and they weren''t even monsters." Wain calmly said before attacking.


    His sword was covered in dense darkness as the massive energy de came down on Death Phantom.

 Chapter 824 Death Phantom

    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    The dark de of energy came down on Death Phantom with tremendous speed. Wain was serious as he attacked as hard and fast as he could.


    Death Phantom watched it with curious looks as if he want to know what Wain''s energy consisted of. Then, Death Phantom swung his scythe, just at the moment when Wain''s attack should have reached its target.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space trembled as the scythe de passed through the denseyer of energy with ease, splitting it in two. At the same moment, the scythe shed a white light and all the energy surrounding Wain''s sword vanished as if Death Phantom had removed it at will.


    ''What the hell...?'' Wain''s eyes went wide as he was in disbelief.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Then, the scythe de collided with the dark sword, shock waves shaking the space as a piercing sound like the cry of a ghost rang out.


    ''Shit... It hurts pretty bad...'' dius muttered with a frowned look.


    ''What...? This is the first time I''ve heard you say such a thing... Is there any way this creature could hurt you?'' Wain asked in a worried manner as a wave of shivers ran through his body.


    ''Not really. It won''t be able to break me, but since I still don''t have my main shard, this scythe could leave some cracks on me if our encounters are long.'' dius said calmly, trying to show that it was okay, but Wain realized that the situation was much more serious.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Suddenly the roots nearby began to move as several of them plunged down on Wain like spears. They aimed straight for his heart intending to pierce it, while Death Phantom held Wain in one ce.


    ''dius, I hear you. I will try to face the creature''s scythe as little as possible.'' Wain inwardly muttered as his pupils narrowed.


    He ducked as the roots whizzed over his head, sinking into the stone floor. Death Phantom felt Wain''s grip loosen, so the ghost applied more force, but Wain''s silhouette had already blurred.


    Wain turned into several clots of darkness as a momentter he was on the biggest root from where he could reach all the others.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    The roots instantly reacted to it and about ten of them attacked him. Wain jumped as the thin roots slithered into the big one, then dark streaks appeared on them and most of them were cut into many pieces. However, the thicker ones were able to remain whole, though with deep cuts.


    ''Perhaps I can cut them now, but I must do it as quickly as possible. Moreover, it will take me much longer on the most massive roots, and they are the ones that protect the grain...'' Wain wondered with aplicated look as he stepped forward.


    His eyes grew as cold as ancient ciers as his gaze drifted toward the central seed from which the roots continued to grow.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''dius... I''m not sure what''s going to happen now, but it''s probably going to hurt quite a bit. I don''t want to do it, but I definitely will.'' Wain said in a serious voice as his aura headed toward the three jaws on the de of the dark sword.


    ''Don''t worry. I had to face the ws of a Dragon Progenitor once. It was bloody dangerous, but I''m still here, so don''t hold back. Do what needs to be done.'' dius spoke confidently as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    "Sure. I won''t let you down." Wain said as a dark me shed in his eyes.


    At the same time, an eerie eye opened on the hilt of his sword, just like the one on Wain''s crown, and the jaws on the de trembled.


    "What is he going to do...?" Virion muttered with a trembling look as he pointed at Wain and shouted, "Go! Kill him!"


    Roots instantly obeyed his will as they rushed toward Wain, but Death Phantom was not so obedient. He turned to Virion, piercing him with his eerie gaze for a while before turning around and walking slowly toward Wain.


    ''Fuck... This artifact is so powerful it practically got its own mind... He''s trying to learn... Damn, I need to hurry or this could be a real problem.'' Virion said to himself as he bit his lip to blood with a frowned look.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The air beside Wain rippled as the three jaws opened wide. At the same moment, there was a piercing scream as if from hundreds of sacrificial spirits. It sounded like a howl at the beginning of the world''s end.


    Virion had to cover his ears to keep his eardrums from exploding. The Scream was so terrifying that some of the audience took a few steps back with frightened faces.


    "Damn... It seems the longer he fights, the closer he gets to the true power of the Nameless King." Alucard said in an arrogant manner with his arms crossed.


    "Yeah... Even though it''s still very weak, like a drop in the ocean, but it''s definitely it... Thest time I felt something like this, my heart was in fear. Agh... This could be one of the best fights of my life." Gael uttered with a slight smile on his face while shaking his head.


    "Sir... What is it...? I''ve never been so scared and cold... Even my mes don''t help me..." Alia muttered with a panicked expression as she was surrounded by streams of white fire. Krakos was in a simr situation.


    "Alia... Does it look like it''s cold out here?" Gael asked with a sly smile on his face as he pointed at the ground.


    Alia used so much energy to get rid of the cold that the stone under her feet had already melted and almost begun to boil.


    "If there were a monster on the Absolute Stage here, so it would instantly burn." Gael said in a careless manner.


    "Then why is this happening...?" Alia asked while in disbelief.


    "This col, this scream, trying to freeze your soul, not your body, so only true power can warm your soul." Gael muttered while looking at Wain.

 Chapter 825 Scream

    The jaws on Wain''s sword made even those on the God Stage shudder with fear, but despite this Virion''s eyes were fully focused on Wain as his look was calm and collected.


    ''Hah, he''s definitely the opponent I need. Maybe I shouldn''t think about it, but I''m d my opponent is so strong. Even though we all have something that isn''t our true strength it doesn''t make us weaker.'' Wain wondered as a slight smile appeared on his face before stepping forward.


    His silhouette blurred as he disappeared. At the same time, many roots dug into the ce where he had just been.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Wain moved as fast as he could, cutting through every root in his path. It was like a ghost going through even the thickest roots as in a moment they were split into many even pieces. In just a few seconds Wain cut through dozens of roots as he came close to the seed.


    In front of the seed were the thickest roots. They didn''t try to attack Wain, as if the artifact realized that it wouldn''t be able to stop Wain, so the roots intertwined with each other, forming a multiyered defense.


    Everything happened incredibly fast as many of the cut roots had not yet had time to fall to the ground when Wain approached the wooden shield. Then, only a few creatures could follow his actions, but even so, Death Phantom''s eyes watched him intently. Death Phantom watched Wain, studying his movements as if trying to learn something from him.


    ''Damn... This creature is too strange... I didn''t expect it to be this fast, but it doesn''t seem to be nning to defend the seed. That''s good, I need to deal with this problem first.'' Wain inwardly muttered as his cold gaze settled on the barrier of many roots in front of him.


    ''Hey... Though I''ve already expended all my energy, I can help you in other ways.'' The Knight of the Bloody Rose said with a slight smile on his face as the world suddenly slowed several times. The multitude of roots heading towards Wain seemed to freeze while his mind was transported somewhere.


    ''Hmm...? What''s going...?" Wain said to himself while in confusion as his eyes went wide.


    The Knight of the Bloody Rose and the Cursed Swordsman appeared beside him. Their silhouettes were vague and unstable as if they could disappear at any moment.


    ''I don''t mean to unnecessarily strain your mind, but you probably won''t be able to get through that shield without the right approach,'' Knight of the Bloody Rose uttered with a calm look as he crossed his arms.


    ''Yeah... He''s right. Maybe your dius'' skill and your Beyond have made your sword several times sharper, but that has a disadvantage too.'' Cursed Swordsman said sternly.


    ''What the hell are you talking about?! I don''t know how you did it, but everything will be back to normal soon, so if you have something to say do it right now, or don''t bother me!'' Wain eximed with a frowned look as he looked around, but suddenly he realized he couldn''t turn his head like it was frozen.


    ''Idiot. Do you really think we have the power to stop time? The Cursed Swordsman spoke in a mocking manner as he waved his hand, ''Not even a third one can do that, so we just used the power of your mind. In short, we''ll give you some advice, then disappear and you''ll have a few moments to do as we say.''


    Wain nodded, but it didn''t show as he couldn''t yet get used to the fact that his mind was a hundred times faster than his body. It was a strange sensation, as though he were outside his body.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''Anyway. Don''t try to cut these roots, you might be able to destroy the first fewyers, but you definitely can''t get to the center that way.'' Knight of the Bloody Rose said while pointing at the wooden shield.


    ''He''s right. Try to attack at one point, as if you were holding a spear rather than a sword.'' Cursed Swordsman uttered in a serious voice with a slight nod.


    ''I see... Do you think it will be enough to destroy the artifact?'' Wain asked with a slightly worried look.


    ''Of course not!'' Cursed Swordsman said loudly as his eyes turned icy, ''Don''t be ridiculous, if you want to do it in one attack then you have to concentrate all your energy on the tip of your sword. I''m talking about your Beyond, one powerful jaw will get you through to the end.''


    Wain was silent for a while before he said, ''Okay, I hear you. Now go away, I can already feel my head starting to hurt like it''s ready to explode at any moment.''


    Cursed Swordsman and Knight of the Bloody Rose said nothing. They just disappeared with slight smiles on their faces as time slowly began to speed up.


    Wain understood that he had critically little time, so he acted as fast as he could.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    At first, he cut all the thin roots that were close to him. They sought to pierce him, so he had to get rid of the threat. Then, Wain stepped forward, and moved his hands slightly to his chest, holding his sword tightly with both hands as if he was going to pierce the shield rather than cut it.


    "Wow, I didn''t expect him to act so smartly as if someone had told him in a moment." Gael uttered with a dazed look.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The dark sword trembled as a dark sphere of incrediblypressed energy appeared at its tip. It instantly morphed into a ghastly jaw with a phantom body as the air rippled and the jaws on the de opened wide, letting out another ghastly scream.


    At the same moment, the sword reached the barrier as the jaw began to devour the roots, tearing them apart.


    ''Fine. Though it was difficult, I am certain of sess now.'' Wain stepped forward with an ice-cold look.

 Chapter 826 The Ghost

    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The horrible jaw was tearing the roots apart while Wain was gradually moving forward. He ripped throughyer uponyer until he reached thest of it, the thickest roots even a Dragon could not prate as it took several attacks to do so.


    The energy of his jaw had already run out, but Wain didn''t worry he just with a calm look stepped forward, plunging the tip of his sword into the center of thest barrier.


    Hundreds of massive splinters flew aside, some colliding with Wain''s face, but they just bounced aside, unable to wound him.


    "Here we go..." Wain passed through thest barrier as he saw the seed that seemed to tremble with fear of imminent death.


    Virion tried to protect the seed using more energy, but it was unsessful. The only one who could change the situation was Death Phantom, but he just stood there as if he didn''t want his fight to be hindered by any roots.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The jaws on his sword opened wide as the pupil of the eye on guard narrowed when dius sank into the seed, piercing itpletely. Wain''s attack was so strong that the sword pierced even the wall on which the seed was secured as that wall was fortified by the ash threads of Gael''s.


    "Damn... Single-point attacks are always stronger than mass attacks, but I didn''t think he could do it..." Gael muttered while in disbelief, "I don''t underestimate him, but isn''t he too strong for the Fourth Chronicle?"


    "Hah, this guy used the full potential of his sword, at least as much as possible." Alucard said with an excited smile on his face while his bloodshot eyes watched every detail of the battle.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Wain swung his sword as space trembled. The jaws roared furiously again, and a powerful stream of energy burst forth from Wain. At the same moment, the seed ripped itself apart as many cracks appeared in the wall.


    "No way..." Gael muttered while in disbelief.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Wain pulled out his sword and with a calm look looked directly at Gael, then behind him, the wall copsed with several ashy threads.


    "Hahahahahaha!" Alucard burst outughing as his voice spread for miles like thunder, shaking the space, "Fourth Chronicle one was able to destroy Transcendence Stage one''s threads! Gael, it looks like you''ve been resting too long! Hahahahahaha!"


    Gael didn''t answer anything, he just looked at Wain and with a slight smile on his face nodded as if epting his achievement.


    ''Wain... You shouldn''t lose such valuable material,'' Abyss Artist said with a sly smile on his face.


    ''Hmm? What are you talking about?" Wain tilted his head while in confusion.


    ''I''m talking about the roots. Soon they''ll be gone since you destroyed the core, but we can use them to get a small amount of energy. Usually, it''s impossible to absorb artifacts without special means, but given the uniqueness of your Beyond and my abilities... we can do it.'' Abyss Artist uttered as his eyes sparkled.


    Whoooooooooooosh.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The seal on Wain''s left palm turned into an Abyss Brush as Wain swung it. At that moment he had no control over his left hand as the Abyss Artist temporarily took control like a phantom inhabiting his body.


    Abyss Artist quickly drew some kind of creature with a small body but a massive head, however, this creature had no eyes or mouth, as if Abyss Artist left this part unfinished on purpose.


    ''Fine, now it is your turn.'' Abyss Artist said cryptically, but somehow Wain understood him immediately.


    ''Hah, sometimes I think you understand how my power works better than I do.'' Wain grinned as he touched the monster with the tip of his finger.


    ''Well, you have no idea how much meaning is hidden behind your words.'' Abyss Artist whispered before disappearing.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Wain channeled energy into the monster as changes began to ur with it. A massive jaw and one eye with ck vertical pupils like a predator appeared on the monster''s head.


    "Very well, now go ahead. I need to get as much energy as possible in time!" Wain eximed with an outstretched arm.


    The monster shuddered and, like a hellhound, pounced on the hundreds of pieces of roots lying on the ground. After a while, they should have dried up andpletely disappeared, but given the monster''s speed, it wouldn''t take him more than a minute to devour them all.


    "Bastard! How dare you use my artifact to get stronger!" Virion eximed with a furious look as the veins on his forehead swelled.


    "Hahahahaha, so what? I know you won''t attack me, those roots aren''t worth wasting your energy, so just stand there and watch me devour your precious artifact!" Wain said with a mocking smirk on his face while pointing at Virion.


    Virion frowned even harder, but he didn''t do anything. He was too smart to go along with Wain''s provocations, however, he was still mad as hell about it.


    Tap. Tap. Tap.


    The monster quickly swallowed the roots as through the seal on its back the energy was transmitted to Wain. It wasn''t muchpared to the total amount he spent, but it wasparable to several massive Ascendant Rating Souls.


    Death Phantom had been watching the monsters all along like on a curious animal. He loved the way the monster jumped from side to side, devouring parts of the roots.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Suddenly the silhouette of the Death Phantom dissipated as he appeared beside the monster. Death Phantom tilted his head, then his white eyes dimmed slightly as though he were bored.


    "No!" Wain eximed as he reached out his hand, trying to save the monster.


    Death Phantom''s silhouette blurred as in a heartbeat the situation changedpletely. The white scythe de plunged into the monster, so fast that only a few people realized what had happened. Then, Death Phantom leaned his head toward the monster as his mouth began to open, and dark smoke erupted from it.

 Chapter 827 Breathing

    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The monster tried to get off the scythe de, but the dark smokepletely restrained his movements. Wain wanted to save the creature he had created, but he was in no hurry to approach Death Phantom, as it was a good opportunity to see what he was capable of.


    Death Phantom slowly let out a sigh as all the dark smoke quickly headed toward him. Passing through the monster, the smoke separated parts of it, gradually destroying itpletely. After a while, there was nothing else on the scythe de as Death Phantom absorbed all the dark smoke along with the toothy monster.


    ''I see... This monster is scary not only for its physical stats but for the fact that it can devour almost anything... Damn, even my darkness is just a snack for it.'' Wain wondered with a frowned look.


    ''Well, I think you can handle him easily. You won''t need your Beyond or my power to do it, save your energy for thest two artifacts.'' Abyss Artist said with a slight smile on his face as if he was up to something.


    ''Hmm? Do you think I can do it? How?'' Wain asked while in confusion.


    ''Hah, haven''t you forgotten about me even though I''m in your hand the whole time?'' dius grinned, ''We have about five minutes left before I can no longer maintain such a high level of strength, so in that time we should deal with this ghost.''


    ''You mean use pure physical power?'' Wain uttered as he looked at Death Phantom, ''Well, maybe you''re right. He''ll just absorb all my energy, so that would be the best option. However, in that case, I won''t be able to avoid a long confrontation.''


    ''Don''t worry. No matter how fiercely you fight, I will be able to withstand powerful pressure for the next few minutes. Fight as hard and fast as you can at all right now, after all, we must not embarrass ourselves in front of one of the greatest swordsmen of this world.'' dius said as the eye on his guard looked at Gael.


    ''That''s him, right? Well, though he is adept at hiding his aura I can see how strong he is since the Vampire Progenitor seems to regard him as his equal.'' Wain wondered as he nced at Gael.


    ''He is the Progenitor of Ashens.'' Cursed Swordsman said in a serious voice, "His Title is invincible, anticipating your stupid question, yes, he''s never lost to anyone, not even the Dragonlord.


    Wain''s eyes went wide as a wave of trembling ran through his body. He hadn''t expected that the one he had so boldly looked into his eyes possessed such tremendous power. However, Wain was not frightened, instead, a maddened smile appeared on his face.


    ''Well, hopefully, someday I can fight him and manage to break his title, but right now I have another equally important opponent.'' Wain muttered inwardly as he turned to face Death Phantom.


    Phantom looked at him as if expecting Wain to act first.


    "Fine, if you want me to attack, I will." Wain stepped forward as his aura became much weaker. Powerful streams of darkness stopped flowing out of his body as the ripples in the air disappeared.


    "Damn... He hid his aura so well that I can barely feel anything at all, how did he do that?" Krakos asked with a confused look, "Could the Fourth Chronicle one have such good energy control? I mean... not even I could do it that well."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Well... He can''t do it either. It''s just that he''s decided to give up energy, that''s all. Look at his footsteps, they literally make the ground shake. He''spletely focused on physical power now." Gael said with a calm look while staring at Wain.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Wain stepped forward as his silhouette blurred. He instantly appeared in front of Death Phantom with his sword pointed at the monster''s neck. Death Phantom did not expect the attack to be so fast as he instinctively defended himself with a sh.


    Crack. Crack. Crackle.


    The two des collided together as dozens of sparks flew out. Death Phantom was able to block the attack, but Wain seemed ready for it as he stepped forward, swung his sword, and grazed the monster''s shoulder with the tip of his weapon.


    A few drops of white liquid flew from the wound as if the monster had special blood and Death Phantom''s eyes trembled. He couldn''t believe someone could hurt him, it was a new,pletely unfamiliar feeling to him.


    "You seem confused. Well, some people think that pain is the worst feeling one can have, but in fact, it is the most rewarding. After all, it''s only through pain that you can understand the somewhat shitty situation you''re in." Wain said with an ice-cold look before swinging his sword.


    dius struck like ck lightning at Death Phantom as the ghost once again had to raise the scythe above him. He had to use the weapon as if it were a shield, for otherwise, Wain would simply cut him in two.


    ''Honestly, I thought he could regenerate, but I guess I overestimated my enemy.'' Wain muttered inwardly while looking into the monster''s terrified eyes. Now it was Wain''s turn to instill terror with his gaze.


    ''Not really. You just found your opponent''s weak spot, so that''s why you''re about to win. If you tried to fight this ghost with energy, you would definitely lose.'' The Abyss Artist said with a slight smile on his face as though everything had gone ording to his n.


    ''Wain... You have about two minutes left. My energy is running out...'' dius said in a slightly exhausted voice.


    ''Yeah... I understand. Don''t worry, I can do it in one minute. I''m sure you will. Wain replied as his pupils narrowed.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    He turned into a dark sh with tremendous speed attacking the Phantom. Wain moved as fast as he could, and more and more small wounds appeared on Death Phantom''s body, and there was already a stream of white blood beneath his feet.

 Chapter 828 Last Ones

    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The dark sword plunged into Death Phantom, leaving dozens of cuts on his body, from which drops of white blood flowed. Death Phantom tried to defend himself, but Wain was too fast for the Phantom to counterattack as his attacks were too powerful for the Phantom to risk missing full damage.


    In dozens of attacks, Wain had not yet gotten past Death Phantom''s defenses, as the ghost always blocked his lunges, but that didn''t stop him from reaching his enemy with the tip of his sword.


    ''Fine, just a little longer and he''ll be finished. If you don''t use the energy he can''t really do anything, though I''m starting to get tired.'' Wain wondered as his foot touched the ground.


    He turned sharply and kicked Death Phantom right in the chest. The monster didn''t expect Wain to suddenly decide to attack with his foot, so Wain hit the exact target. The impact threw Death Phantom back several meters as two dark lines mixed with white blood from the ghost''s feet were left on the ground.


    ''Well, it''s time to end it, judging by his condition, he won''t be able to stand against me.'' Wain uttered to himself as his eyes became as cold as ancient ciers.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    He appeared before the ghost, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly, intent on stabbing his enemy.


    Roooooooooooaaaaaaaaarrrrrr!!!


    Suddenly Death Phantom roared furiously as his voice spread like thunderps hundreds of meters around, shaking the space. The monsters in the forest fled in fear as goosebumps appeared in almost everyone who watched the battle. However, Wain''s face did not change at all, only his eyes were filled with pity as he understood the true nature of this roar.


    ''It''s not a furious roar at all, it''s a cry of despair. Well, no matter how hard you try, it can''t change my mind. Wain said to himself before thrusting his sword straight into Death Phantom.


    A stream of white blood immediately poured from the ghastly phantom''s mouth as he tried to attack Wain with a sh, but he had no strength left at all. Death Phantom''s white eyes slowly faded until his grip loosened and the scythe fell to the ground, jamming the point into the stone floor.


    Gradually Death Phantom''s body began to spread like spilled ink until it waspletely gone. All that was left of the scythe was a red ruby that shattered into a multitude of tiny particles. They turned into energy and were carried away by a random wind current.


    ''Wain... My energy has run out. It''s up to you from here on.'' dius said as his aura began to weaken rapidly.


    The veins in Wain''s forehead returned to normal as well as his tense muscles. He nodded slightly and muttered, "Sure, you''ve done a great job, we''re nearing the end, so the seventh''s help will be more than enough."


    "What...? He was able to handle it...?" Alia muttered while in disbelief as she touched her lips.


    "Sure. Don''t forget that these artifacts are just a prelude to the main trump card that this guy is hiding. He''s good at it because Wain has spent quite a bit of energy already." Gael said with a serious look, "What''s more, he needs to destroy two more,st artifacts before their fightes to a close."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Yeah... Gael''s right. Maybe Wain handled this ghost with ease, but he used one of his skills or something to do it. His aura has be weaker, though he tries to hide it carefully." Alucard said with an excited smile on his face while


    Step. Step. Step.


    Wain slowly headed toward Virion until he stopped and pointed his sword at him, "Go. We both know what''s about to happen, so there''s no point in dying this moment."


    Virion stared at Wain for a while, then sighed slightly and said, "Well, you''re right. Other than those two artifacts I have nothing else. Judging by your look you''re confident of your victory, but I want you to remember that well because then I''ll kill you and take your power!"


    ? Whooooooooooooooosh.


    Two artifacts appeared before Virion. The first was a silver cross with various runes on it, the second was a miniature statuette of a scarlet staff with an azure sphere on the end.


    ''Hmm? Some kind of magical artifact?'' Wain inwardly muttered while in confusion. He didn''t want to get any closer, though he probably could have interfered with Virion, but it was too dangerous, he just couldn''t take that risk.


    Virion stepped toward the silver cross and sliced his palm with the lightning de as a few drops of blood fell on the artifact. At the same moment, the runes on the cross glowed brightly and space trembled.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A massive purple magic circle appeared in front of the cross. It rotated rapidly until it disappeared as the magic circle was reced by a massive wooden coffin.


    ''What the hell...? Has he decided to summon a vampire? Is he really willing to do something like that in front of Alucard?'' Wain wondered while in disbelief as he tilted his head.


    "Agh!" Virion''s face distorted in pain as streams of blood flowed from the corners of his mouth. Activating this artifact was difficult to even for him as he received a serious recoil.


    ''Wain... It''s not a vampire... Fuck! Get ready for a deadly fight. Don''t worry about Virion, he ispletely useless right now as he has spent almost all his energy, just try to get as few wounds as possible!'' Abyss Artist eximed with a worried expression.


    Wain nodded as he jumped back and prepared to fight with his sword out in front of him.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    The symbol for the book shed brightly on the coffin as its lid opened, falling slowly to the ground in a cloud of dust. Then, a silhouette emerged from the coffin, it was a man with shoulder-length white hair, empty eyes, and dry skin as he had long since died. The man wore a long purple robe as if he were a supreme wizard.

 Chapter 829 Wizard

    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space trembled as a powerful aura emanated from the man. He had long since died as his eyes were empty, but despite that, he was still emitting a tremendous amount of energy just floating in the air.


    ''Well, well, I thought that scary ghost would be myst enemy before the finale, but it looks like I was wrong... I hope this staff won''t be as strong... otherwise, I might be in serious trouble.'' Wain inwardly muttered with as serious a look.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Suddenly the Wizard waved his hand as the statuette of the scarlet staff trembled. Arge amount of energy was directed toward it and gradually the statuette grew several timesrger, turning into a long staff of suitable size for a human.


    "Fuck... Is this really happening...?" Wain uttered while in disbelief.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The azure orb on the staff glowed brightly as it headed toward the Wizard. He took a step forward, dropping to the ground as the wooden coffin behind him, flew back several meters as if an invisible force had pushed it away.


    "Is this yourst trump card...? Haven''t you got anything better than a nearly dposed corpse?" Wain spoke in a mocking manner with a smirk on his face as he nced at Virion.


    Virion with a calm look wiped the blood from the corners of his mouth and said, "I wouldn''t be so careless if I were you. Otherwise, you might not live to see the end of our fight. Go ahead, show me what you can do."


    Wain frowned as he took a few steps back. He didn''t like that he had to spend a lot of energy and thest what he had on artifacts, but he just didn''t have any other choice.


    ''Well, at least he got to spend energy to activate the artifacts too. What''s more, now he''s even wounded because of the powerful recoil...'' Wain wondered and his eyes turned icy as he realized that his opponent was definitely not weak.


    ''Hmm... I didn''t expect histest artifacts to be so problematic. This Wizard will give us quite a bit of trouble, moreover... even though he used two artifacts, we will be fighting against one opponent.'' Abyss Artist said in a thoughtful manner as if he was trying to think of a n.


    ''Yeah... I didn''t expect something like that at all. One artifact uses another one as its weapon... It''s strange, but the sight of that wizard gives me goosebumps.'' Wain muttered inwardly with a frowned expression.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    The Wizard looked at Wain as a blue light flickered among his empty eyes. It was unusual as behind the fire were small magical circles. At the same moment, Wizard waved his hand and the space beside him trembled.


    An indescribable amount of energy burst out of his body as three magical circles appeared to his left. Magical projectiles flew out of them, heading at Wain at breakneck speed.


    Wain''s pupils narrowed as he jumped aside. The magical projectiles weren''t capable of chasing him, so they just flew on, toward one of the hills.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''Hmm... They don''t look very powerful. When I use the power of Blind Sorcerer I can create about the same. Perhaps I overestimated my opponent''s strength.'' Wain inwardly muttered while looking at the magical projectiles as they almost reached the hill.


    The area around the shining tree was still protected by reds that seemed able to absorb any amount of energy. The only exception was Alucard''s strike as he just left a massive imprint on the ground.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Several flowers on the trees opened as magical circles appeared above them. They began to absorb energy as suddenly magical projectiles just passed through them, easily breaking the barriers.


    At the same time, the ground trembled as the top of the hill was destroyed by a huge magical explosion. The blue fire spread around in waves, tearing the trees in its path and ripping them from the ground with their roots.


    "What the hell...?" Wain muttered with wide eyes while in disbelief, "Why are they so powerful...? I hardly felt any aura from them."


    A shiver ran through Wain''s body as he realized what could have happened to him if he had chosen to block the magical projectiles instead of dodging them.


    ''Well, now you understand how dangerous your enemy really is, but I''ve already figured out what we need to do to deal with this problem.'' Abyss Artist said in a calm voice as a dark me lit up in his eyes.


    ''Hmm? What are you talking about? Is there any way to defeat such a strong opponent quickly?'' Wain asked in confusion.


    ''Sure. I didn''t expect it to be this difficult, so we''ll have to make some sacrifices. Originally my n was for me to help you in the final stages of your fight, but that doesn''t make any sense now.'' Abyss Artist said seriously as his energy increased.


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    The dark mantle on Wain, soared up as particles of darkness appeared among his eyes. At the same time, the runes on the dark guards glowed brightly and they came into motion.


    ''Wain, I will give you all my power right now. Use it as you see fit, but you must be sure to kill this wizard before my energy runs out or you will most likely die.'' The Abyss Artist said in a deadly serious voice as he held out his hand.


    Dark particles flew from his fingertips, rushing upward, then, ancient writings appeared on Wain''s mantle as his aura multiplied.


    "What the hell...? So he''s been hiding such arge amount of energy all this time...? Is that possible?" Virion muttered while in disbelief as his whole body trembled. At that moment it seemed to him that even the Dragon had less energy than the Fourth Chronicle human before him.


    "Fine, since you''ve decided to give me everything you''ve got, rest assured that I''ll use your power as well as you will." Wain said in a thunderous voice.

 Chapter 830 Art

    "Ohohoho, it looks like things are getting more dangerous. His energy is so intense that I think you can feel it with a touch." Gael said with a slight smile on his face as he crossed his arms.


    "Hmm... Damn, Wain actually has his power, I''m fully convinced of that now as his aura has changed slightly... but does it have to be?" Alucard uttered while in confusion as he tilted his head.


    "What do you mean?" Gael asked with a thoughtful expression.


    "Is the heir of the Nameless King supposed to have these powers? It''s rather odd, isn''t it?" Alucard asked as he raised an eyebrow.


    "Hah, we''ll never know. I was surprised as hell when I found out that Nameless King actually has an heir. I couldn''t believe it, but right now I''m watching him fight, so in this world anything is possible." Gael said as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    Alucard nodded slightly while staring intently at Wain. Unlike most of the rest of the audience, he knew quite well what Nameless King was capable of, as he had even fought him a few times.


    ''This power is incredible...'' Wain inwardly muttered as he looked at his palm, ''I feel that with a simple swing I can create an entire world, but I have to check something first.''


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Wain swung his hand as two dark guards rapped on the Wizard. Wain created the guards back when Virion ghosted the roots, but in the end, he didn''t need them since he just cut them apart.


    Wizard stared at Wain the whole time, but now he had to turn his attention to the two creatures running in his direction. Once close enough, the guards swung their weapons in an effort to cut Wizard.


    Crackle.


    The Wizard just swung with staff as the guards'' swords collided with it. Normally mages were weak physically, and though their staffs possessed mighty strength they could not withstand the massive and sharp swords of warriors, that was the general rule.


    However, the Wizard easily blocked an attack from two guards that were twice his size. Wizard''s hand did not even tremble as if he felt no pressure at all.


    Click.


    The Wizard snapped his fingers as the azure orb on his staff glinted brightly. A massive stream of blue energy erupted from it. The flow simply destroyed the guards as their massive shields and sturdy armor failed to protect them.


    ''I see... It is fast, strong, and possesses an enormous amount of energy. It makes no sense for me to fight to exhaustion because even if I win I will surely lose too much strength. I need something else...'' Wain inwardly muttered while rubbing his chin in a thoughtful manner.


    ''Hey, Wain, do you remember ourst fight? Knight of the Bloody Rose suddenly asked with a slight smile on his face.


    Wain thought for a moment as he remembered when he fought the two Arkans in the Dragon Ridge.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''Yeah... That was one hell of a fight, but in the end, I managed to win...'' Wain uttered.


    ''Well, I think we can do the same thing now. This Wizard''s attacks are definitely strong, you''ve already seeded in that and the seventh has already given you all his energy, so you need to use it somehow.'' Knight of the Bloody Rose said in a calm voice.


    Even though Wain was inbat Knight of the Bloody Rose intervened in it, as if he wasn''t afraid that Wizard might suddenly attack Wain.


    ''Damn... I only just realized that he did that trick again... I must admit it''s quite a useful skill...'' Wain said to himself as he realized he couldn''t turn his head. His mind was faster than his body again and the world seemed frozen.


    ''Even if this Wizard is very strong he shouldn''t have too good a defense, so if you do it right you can finish this fight in one sessful attack.'' Knight of the Bloody Rose said with a slight smile on his face.


    ''Agh!'' Suddenly Wain''s felt a severe headache.


    ''Well, that seems to be the limit. I won''t be able to use this trick anymore, this is thest time. Good luck, just trust your instincts and use some imagination.'' Knight of the Bloody Rose uttered beforepletely disappearing.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, the world began to speed up as the Wizard slowly swung his staff, preparing to attack. Wain only had a few seconds to figure out what to do or he would have to dodge Wizard''s attack again.


    ''Knight of the Bloody Rose is right, this might work, but I need to find a way to use this huge amount of energy.'' Wain muttered inwardly as he tried to think of something.


    Many thoughts popped into his head as he could summon a powerful being or create an entire meteorite to bring it down on the Wizard, but he didn''t feel that was what he really wanted.


    ''Right...'' Wain''s eyes went wide as he recalled the memory of the Light Racer, or rather how Nameless King fought against the Time Guardians then, ''Abyss Artist''s power is almost limitless in its flexibility, while his power has boundless power... That attack... Damn, I definitely want to do it, but in my own way!


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    All the energy that Wain had from the Abyss Artist suddenly erupted from his body as dark streams of energy filled everything around him.


    ''Hey, I''m going to have to tense you up again, you don''t mind, do you? I''m sure you''ll like it.'' Wain asked as he nced at the sword in his hand.


    ''Hah, sure. Though I don''t know what''s about to happen, I can tell by the look in your eyes that it''s going to be something special.'' dius grinned as the jaws on his de disappeared as well as the eye.


    Wain pointed his sword at the Wizard and at his will, all streams of darkness headed toward dius, filling it with an indescribable amount of energy.

 Chapter 831 The Shark

    A huge number of dark streams were heading toward dius,pletely covering him. Everything was happening very fast as the darkness was like a vortex moving with a tremendous speed.


    "Hmm? What is he going to do?" Krakos uttered with a confused look as he tilted his head.


    "Hah, isn''t it obvious?" Gael grinned, "He''s going to finish it in one attack. He had many ways to do it, but in my opinion, he chose the best one. His sword is one of the world''s greatest treasures, so with so much energy this sword can cut down even a god."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The space next to Wain trembled as dius gradually absorbed all the energy. This darkness did not belong to Wain, but to the Abyss Artist, there was only a fraction of Wain''s Beyond in this energy, so dius began to take an unusual form.


    The sword became muchrger because of the denseyer of energy on it. Seven eyes with vertical pupils opened on the de of the sword as the guard began to resemble the open jaw of some creepy, ancient creature. The most remarkable detail was how many sharp des on the back of the de looked like the fins of an enormous shark.


    "How do you feel?" Wain asked with an excited smile on his face as he nced at the sword.


    ''Great. In fact, I''m not even used to feeling this much power... I mean... while I haven''t gotten thest shard yet, so my maximum strength is considerably limited. dius said in a worried voice.


    ''Fine, that''s what''s needed. Now let''s deal with this Wizard. He definitely needs to be deep underground, not here.'' Wain spoke as he stepped forward.


    At the same time, Wizard was already ready to attack. He pointed his staff at Wain as the azure orb shone brightly. In front of Wizard appeared a massive magical circle that was several timesrger than him, then in the magical circle, a five-sided gate opened. From it appeared the head of a massive monsterposed entirely of energy.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    At Wizard''s will, the monster pounced on Wain like an infernal hound. The monster''s aura was terrifying as its ws and massive fangs were capable of destroying a massive hill with a simple swing, but Wain didn''t back down. There was no emotion on his face at all.


    "Hmm... It doesn''t look scary at all. At least not for someone with a weapon as powerful as mine." Wain uttered as his silhouette blurred.


    He turned into a dark sh and a momentter he was right in front of the beast. Even though the beast was a hunter, Wain''s eyes made it wince in fear and freeze in ce when Wain swung his sword.


    Roooooooooooaaaaaaaaarrrrrr!!!


    The jaw on the sword opened wide as a terrifying roar erupted. At the same moment, the energy beast''s body waspletely destroyed as a massive trail of dark energy was left in the air.


    "Hahaha, that was even better than I imagined. So this is what it means to possess superior power!" Wain eximed with an excited expression before attacking the Wizard.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Each swing of Wain''s sword shook the space and seriously damaged the shining tree as more and more cracks gradually appeared in the durable stone floor.


    "Damn... Looks like he''s really starting to enjoy this fight." Gael muttered as his eyes went wide, "It''s amazing. I mean, he understands that his life depends on the oue of the fight, yet he allows himself to be so unconcerned."


    "Hah, Gael, can''t you understand such obvious things?" Alucard grinned as he nced at Gael with a smirk on his face, "There''s no better feeling than enjoying a deadly fight, especially when you have such power!"


    Bam. Bam. Bam.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Wain continued to attack, but he had never been able to hit the Wizard as he constantly dodged. However, Wizard had to expend a lot of energy and use various spells to slow Wain down at least for a few moments.


    "Hey! Stop running!" Wain eximed with a deadly look, raining his sword on the Wizard.


    The Wizard reacted instantly as he created severalyers of barrier in front of him. They seemed to be very strong, but Wain''s sword easily shattered them like fragile ss.


    Crackle.


    The Wizard struck the ground with his staff, sending a st of energy as waves of blue me tossed Wain aside.


    Tap.


    Hended deftly on the ground and looked at his sword and muttered, "Well, looks like it''s time to finish it, or I''ll be the one left without energy."


    Wain took a step back, ducked slightly, and pointed the sword at the Wizard as if it were going to pierce him. Wizard understood the situation and prepared the most powerful attack he could as well.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Seven ming spheres that formed a star appeared in front of Wizard. The center was empty as Wizard decided to use his staff as a kernel for thest and most powerful spell. Then, the seven lights shone brightly and the azure sphere rapidly began to umte energy.


    "Oh, that looks dangerous, however, this attack is definitely not strong enough to stop me." Wain uttered in an ice-cold voice, sighed, and stepped forward, turning into a dark ray.


    At the same moment, a huge stream of energy erupted from the azure orb and was directed at Wain.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Several cracks appeared in the space as if it could copse at any moment, as the stream should havepletely engulfed Wain, leaving him no chance to survive.


    ''Now!'' Wain''s pupils narrowed as he swung his sword.


    The seven eyes on the de trembled as a de flew out of the sword, taking all the energy of the weapon. The de sliced the energy stream in two, leaving a trail of dark me behind it, burning the blue particles.


    The Wizard didn''t even dodge as he realized he had already lost, so he just stood still until the de got to him.


    Crackle.


    The dark de tore Wizard apart and vanished without a trace. Space gradually returned to normal as well as dius. There were only a few runes on his de now.


    Wain looked at Virion and with a calm look said, "Well, what now? Soon only one of us will be left here."

 Chapter 832 Gaze

    While Wain was finishing his battles with the Wizard, three shes were rushing toward the shining tree, across the Lands of the Gods. One was purple like lightning in a violent thunderstorm, the second was as ck as the darkness in the depths of the abyss, and the third was as golden as the light from a bright sun.


    "Is that there?" Maria asked while looking toward the shining tree that was a few kilometers ahead.


    "Yeah, I don''t know what''s going on there, but I can feel Wain''s powerful aura. His aura has intensified many times over the past few minutes, it can only mean that he is in a fierce battle." Aurora said with a serious look as purple sparks appeared near her feet.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Behind her appeared arge magical circle from which three lightning bolts flew out, each heading toward one of the girls. They immediately felt a powerful surge of energy and became much faster.


    "Keep up, we need to hurry. We might already see that tree on the horizon, but it''ll actually take us quite a while to get there since it''s so damn huge." Aurora''s eyes grew colder as her aura rose.


    Zero and Maria just nodded.


    They were originally going to Lands of the Gods to explore the terrain in the new territory, but their other main objective was to find Wain. They weren''t going to rush into it since it was almost impossible to find one person in such a vast area, however, when his energy became distinct and unstable Aurora immediately rushed to the tree.


    ''Wain... Why is it that even in a ce as dangerous as Lands of the God, you find yourself in the middle of nowhere? There are so many dangerous creatures here... Especially Fifth Chronicle ones...'' Zero muttered inwardly as she nced at Aurora, ''Who are you fighting if she''s so worried?''


    Zero and Maria had already reached the Fifth Chronicle, but they were only on the Absolute Stage, so most of the opponents were too dangerous for them and Aurora was dealing with most of them. This increased their concern for Wain, for he was now weaker than they were.


    ...


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The space on one of the rocks around the shining tree shuddered as three silhouettes emerged from the white sh. It was Sven, Osvald, and Marlis.


    "Well, well, looks like we got here just in time." Sven said with a slight smile on his face as the massive dark de came down on the Wizard. They appeared just as the battle between Wain and Wizard came to an end.


    "Damn... Didn''t you go to Death Shore recently?" Osvald uttered with a confused expression as she nced at Marlis. She was petrified as her eyes grew wide as if she''d seen something unbelievable.


    "What the fuck...? Not only was he able to get out of Death Shore, but he became so strong so quickly..." Marlis muttered while in disbelief as a shiver ran through her body, "He''s just in the Fourth Chronicle, but why is his hidden aura at the Absolute Stage level...?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    The dark de sliced Wizard apart,pletely destroying him. The tremendous amount of energy caused the space to shake violently, then gradually returned to normal as the de dissipated and the sword in Wain''s hands returned to normal.


    "Hah, Wain turned out to be much more capable than I had imagined. He was able to survive Death Shore and must have found something important to do there since he was so eager to get there. Moreover, I sense that his aura has only recently gone through several amplifications." Sven spoke as he crossed his arms.


    "Oh, so he''s getting stronger right during the fight? Fine! That''s what it takes! So he definitely has the fire of a true warrior burning in his heart!" Osvald eximed with an excited expression as he mmed his fist on his chest.


    "But... Who is his opponent? It''s Arkan... his aura is somehow strange, too strong and it''s not like the other Akrans, it''s like..." Marlis muttered in confusion while staring intently at Virion.


    "He''s a renegade... His aura is the same as ours... It''s quite weak, but that''s on our side, for the Fourth Chronicle he''s insanely strong." Sven uttered with a calm look.


    "Hmm? Arkan is a renegade with a seven-pointed star from the younger generation... Doesn''t he fit the description of someone who could steal an artifact perfectly?" Osvald asked while rubbing his chin in a thoughtful manner.


    "Well, perhaps you''re right. Though I don''t want to interfere in their fight, but if he did, in fact, steal the artifact then we should deal with the problem as quickly as possible. I have to check it out." Sven said in a careless manner as suddenly his gaze became serious and his eyes as icy as ancient ciers.


    Sven was particrly good at seeing auras as he could even peer into the souls of other beings, though it was usually impossible, which is how when he first met Wain, Sven realized that he had the soul of the Nameless King.


    Now he was about to do much the same. The distance between him and Virion was too great for Sven to see into his soul, but it was enough to see what was in Virion''s ring.


    Sven''s eyes sparkled as he sighed and murmured, "Nothing. If he was the one who stole the artifact I''d definitely notice it. Well, it looks like just two of the strongest creatures in the Fourth Chronicle are meeting and fighting to the death. Isn''t that an amazing ability of fate?"


    "Hey... Sven, it looks like we''re not the only ones here who can make a difference..." Marlis muttered with a worried look as she pointed somewhere.


    ? "Agh?" Sven turned his head as goosebumps ran down his body.


    Two pairs of eyes stared at them, one ruby, the other amber. Both had indescribably powerful auras that were as strong as their own, or perhaps even greater.


    Alucard and Gael looked at them with devious smiles on their faces, as if they were waiting for something.


    Sven smiled and shook his head, showing that he wasn''t going to interfere in the fight, then Alucard and Gael''s attention shifted back to the top of the shining tree.

 Chapter 833 Pressure

    "Well, well, Alucard and Gael are here... The two main fans of the battle are here from the beginning, though it was to be expected." Sven uttered with a slight smile on his face as he stared at Wain, "Show me what you can do. Considering how many powerful persons are gathered here, no one has the power to interrupt your fight."


    "Hah, Alucard, I wish I were immortal too." Osvald said with an excited expression, "Just imagine, he can fight without limits for as long as he wants!"


    "Pff, I don''t believe he''s immortal." Marlis spoke in an arrogant manner as she threw her head up, "Immortality is impossible, it''s against all the rules!"


    "You may be right, but that''s the point of the Transcendence Stage. Only by being on this stage can you aplish something previouslypletely impossible, like bing immortal." Sven muttered, took a light breath, and continued, "However, a unique power cannot save you from death as Nameless King is actually dead. Alucard, just an exception to the rule."


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Multicolored shes appeared on the hill on the opposite side as there were three girls with powerful auras.


    "Here we go..." Aurora uttered as her gaze went to the top of the glowing tree. At that moment Wain had already defeated the Wizard, heading toward Virion with a slow step.


    ''Hmmm...? Arkan with the seven-pointed star? Damn, from the looks of it their strengths are about equal. Perhaps Wain will win, but I can''t risk it, I must stop their fight!'' Aurora''s eyes grew serious as she stepped forward.


    ''Zero, Maria, we must save Wain before the situation bes too dangerous. I don''t know who he''s fighting, but against the three of us he doesn''t stand a chance." Aurora said in an ice-cold voice.


    Zero and Maria nodded as they followed her. They walked a few steps and were about to jump off the slope when suddenly a powerful pressure came over them.


    ''What the hell...?'' Zero thought while looking at the cracked ground beneath her feet.


    "Hmm? Did someone dare to attack us?" Aurora frowned as she turned around. She had juste to the shining tree and all her attention was focused on Wain, so she didn''t have time to realize what a difficult situation she was in.


    Aurora gathered energy in her hands, preparing for battle as suddenly a shiver ran through her body as the girls'' faces turned pale with fear.


    Bam.


    The pressure became several times greater, as it was impossible to describe how powerful a force was pressing down on them as if an entire the size of a star had fallen on them, trying to crush them. At the same moment, they were crushed into the ground, practically buried under it.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''What''s going on...!? Maria inwardly eximed as primal fear gripped her heart.


    They couldn''t even move their fingers as only Aurora had enough strength to raise her head and see who had done this to them. As soon as she saw it her face twisted with horror as her eyes opened wide as if she had seen something impossible.


    Five pairs of eyes stared at her, each possessing no less power than the Progenitor of one of the Races. Sven, Alucard, Gael, Osvald, and Marlis emanated an eerie aura, distorting space and making everyone around them shudder with fear. They did nothing, they just stared at Aurora with their pressure and it was enough to make her bones ready to break at any moment.


    ''What...? No way... What are they all doing here? Sven Hellem...?! The progenitors of two races?! What the fuck is going on? This can''t be real!" Aurora shouted inwardly, trembling in disbelief.


    Even in Lands of the Gods, there were very few creatures on the God Stage, so Aurora was sure of her strength in this territory. She knew that there was only a small chance that they would encounter someone of her level, but there was no way that she could expect someone as strong as Alucard or Sven to be here.


    The Transcendence Stage was special, as only exceptional beings with a special path were on this stage. It was almost impossible to meet even one of them, but now there were five at once, which was more than unrealistic.


    Gradually the pressure on them began to ease as the girls were able to get to their feet even though they were trembling violently.


    "What was that...?" Zero muttered with a startled expression as she looked at Aurora, as well as Maria.


    "Shit... Looks like we were toote. We''re lucky we''re still alive... Well, it looks like the only thing we can do now is watch the fight and hope that Wain wins." Aurora said in a calm voice while shaking her head.


    She hadn''t expected Wain''s fight to attract the attention of such powerful beings, so she simply had no choice but to ept the rules of the game. Zero and Maria were confused, but they too understood what the situation was.


    "My Lord... Why did you choose not to kill them?" Krakos asked as he tilted his head, "Weren''t they going to interfere in the fight? Suddenly they were going to ruin everything at the most important moment?"


    "Nah, don''t worry about it." Alucard waved his hand in a careless manner as he looked at the girls, "They seem to know Wain, so now they certainly won''t interfere him. Moreover, I don''t know what will happen next and I don''t want the heir of the Nameless King to be angry with me."


    Alucard was one of those who had no fear, but he understood that with the arrival of Sven, Marlis, and Osvald, now even he and Gael could not affect the fight. The five men on the Transcendence Stage held each other back, and though it was a mental barrier it was the strongest.


    "Alucard is right. Well, let''s see how it ends. Looks like they''ve figured out it''s time for the finale, too." Gael crossed his arms with a serious look.

 Chapter 834 Wounds

    Wain stopped, looked at Virion, and said, "Well, what now? Soon only one of us will be left here, won''t we?"


    Virion was silent for a while until with a calm look he replied, "Yeah... You''re right, apparently, we really have finally reached the end. Honestly, I didn''t think our fight would be this long and hard, but that just means it''s very important, right?"


    "Hah, I wasing here for apletely different reason!" Wain spoke with a sly smile on his face as he pointed towards the monster behind the barrier, "I just wanted to get the shard to recover my sword, but all of this ended up happening! Just look around, it''s like we''ve be the center of the world!"


    Virion looked around as his eyes went wide for a moment. He knew that Alucard and Gael were here as they hade almost in the beginning, but he had absolutely not expected to see three Arkans here, unique in the history of their world.


    ''Well, well, Sven Hellem, Marlis Layre and Osvald Heid... Three of the strongest Arkans that ever existed. Damn, they''ve been my idols for a while, but times change... It''s a good thing I was prepared for something like this or I''d be dead already...'' Virion inwardly muttered with aplicated expression as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    The tension gradually increased and no one wanted to disturb them as for a few seconds it became very quiet that only the flow of wind could be heard until Wain stepped forward. He pointed his sword at Virion and said with a deadly serious look, "Come on. Show yourst trump card."


    Wain knew that as soon as Virion did so, their fight would enter a phase of no return. He might have escaped now or before, but now they would definitely have to fight to the death. Wain could have easily taken the other''s life, but this was one of the few moments when he realized that his opponent could do the same to him.


    "Sure, I''ll show you myst trump card that I tried to save until the very end." Virion nodded slightly as he touched his ring, "However, I won''t do it now. I want to sword-fight you first!"


    Virion''s ring glowed brightly, and a bright white sh blinded everyone for a moment, then Virion swept through the white veil, heading toward Wain at breakneck speed.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Virion plunged on Wain, swinging his sword at him. Wain''s pupils narrowed as he reacted instantly, fending off the attack. The impact was powerful as their stances were unstable, so the shockwave threw them several meters away from each other.


    ''Hmm? Why was the attack so weak?'' Wain inwardly muttered as he looked at his hand. He didn''t expect Virion to suddenly decide to attack this way, so used more force than usual, but now he realized that it was for nothing as it was very easy to repel Virion''s attack. Then, Wain''s gaze went to Virion.


    In Virion''s hand was a simple silver sword that emitted a weak aura. Although Virion had used many incredible artifacts before, this sword wasn''t even Ascendant Rating. It was a very high-quality but primitive weapon that any master cksmith could make.


    "You seem surprised, don''t you?" Virion asked with a calm look as he ced the de of the sword on his palm, "Well, you''re thinking in the right direction. It''s really just a simple sword and there''s nothing I can do to you with it, but I just have to use everything I have. I want to know that I''ve done everything I can to win, that''s the only way victory will be as valuable as it can ever be."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Wain was puzzled for a while, then a smirk appeared on his face, and waves of dark energy departed from it, among which lurked creepy jaws, slowly floating in it like a river at Death Shore, "Fine! If that''s what you want, go ahead! Do it! However, don''t be surprised if after a few attacks there''s nothing left of your sword as my jaws will simply destroy it!"


    Virion sighed slightly before stepping forward. He ran pretty fast as his feet barely touched the ground, but then for Wain that speed was pretty average.


    ng.


    A momentter their swords shed as a small shard of metal flew from Virion''s one, as dius was infinitely more durable than a simple sword.


    "Hah, that''s too slow! At this rate, you''ll just die!" Wain eximed with an excited expression as he swung his sword.


    The de left a long cut on Virion''s chest from which a stream of dark blood gushed forth. Virion frowned in intense pain, but a momentter his face was icy as he continued his attack.


    Each of Virion''s attacks was aimed at important points as his gaze waspletely serious, but his motives did not match his actions at all. In reality, he failed to leave a single scratch on Wain while he himself was already covered in many deep cuts.


    ''Agh... I can''t take much, but not yet... I must do it right... otherwise, this victory will be worthless...'' Virion uttered to himself as he swung his sword once more.


    Wain reacted instantly, blocked the attack, and punched Virion in the stomach with his fist, throwing him back several meters.


    Virion struggled to stay on his feet as he vomited a mouthful of blood, and given his numerous wounds, his condition seemed terrible. If he had not been an experienced warrior, he would have died long ago.


    "What is this? Did you just decide to die? I don''t know what ideals you''re pursuing, but did you really fight this long to end up like this?" Wain frowned as his aura intensified.


    "Hah... No, don''t worry, it won''t happen again. I will not attack you with this sword, however, I will make another one move." Virion said before gripping the hilt of his sword tightly and pointing the de toward his chest.

 Chapter 835 Soul

    Blood dripped from Virion''s body from multiple wounds as several streams of blood covered the ground beneath him with a crimson disk. His face was contorted with pain and his hands trembled violently as he struggled to hold the sword in his hands, though it was as light as a feather to him.


    However, his gaze was calm as he waspletely sure of what he was doing and the sly smile on his face confirmed it better than anything else, so Wain took his time stopping his opponent as this could be another trap.


    "Hah, what is this guy going to do? Does he really want to stab himself? That''s crazy! Hahahahahaha!" Alucard eximed with an excited expression as hisughter spread out in waves hundreds of yards around him.


    "Looks like he''s going to use some unique skill... but was it worth getting so many wounds for?" Gael muttered while rubbing his chin. He knew that many people had used such skills, but it seemed to him that it was toote for something like that.


    Wain stared at Virion intently, unwilling to attack. From the beginning Virion''s actions seemed weird to him, for there was no sense in getting wounded, so strange a feeling consumed him, ''Well... What is he up to?''


    "You asked me when I would show myst trump card, right? Well, that moment has arrived! Just watch me take your powers and end your life!" Virion eximed before pointing the sword de at his chest.


    His words were loud enough for everyone to hear every word clearly. Sven, too, was one of them as in an instant Virion''s words prated his mind, provoking Sven into a veritable storm of multiple thoughts.


    ''What...? He said he would take Wain''s power? Does he actually have a way to do that...? No, it''s impossible, there are no Legendary Artifacts in his ring as to do something like that he needs something even rarer than this.'' Sven thought as suddenly his eyes went wide, ''Wait...really...?''


    At the same moment, the de plunged into Virion''s chestpletely piercing it as the sword entered his bodypletely, leaving only the sword''s guard outside. However, there was nothing sticking out of his back, as if the de had disappeared.


    ''He pierced his heart...?'' Gael muttered inwardly as he frowned, ''No... That sword was not designed to wound flesh, it went straight to his soul...''


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly space trembled as a huge sphere appeared above Virion, it was like the core of a massive star, burning brightly with white me. It only took a moment for everyone to realize that it was Virion''s soul.


    "Hah, I''ve seen it many times, but this is the first time I''ve looked at it in reality..." Virion muttered as he raised his head. His soul had actually left his body and considering how badly he was hurt, he had no more than a minute to get it back into his body or he would die.


    ''What...? Was he doing all this to separate his soul from his body? What the fuck...?! Why did he do that...?'' Wain thought as a shiver ran through his body. He did not know what to expect, but he knew that nothing good coulde of it.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The appearance of Virion''s soul shocked everyone without exception. The audience had stunned looks on their faces, but one person had a panic attack and this one was Sven. His face was unnaturally pale as if he had seen something he shouldn''t have.


    ''Fuck! That little bastard managed to fool me!!!'' Sven inwardly eximed with a face contorted with wrath as his veins swelled and the space beside him trembled, seemingly unable to sustain his strength.


    Sven stepped forward as the hill on which he stood cracked and began to crumble, disintegrating into massive debris as if a giant whose shoulders could reach the heavens had stepped on it.


    Sven''s gaze was focused on Virion''s which should have crushed him to the ground like Aurora before him, but despite that Virion just stood there as if nothing had happened.


    Alucard and Gael''s faces grew deadly serious as their auras multiplied. They were ready to act at any moment as they had to stop Sven.


    "Hah, I did everything right. As always." Virion smiled slightly before reaching out to his soul.


    The white orb headed toward him, flying into his chest like a stream of energy. Virion easily regained his soul as it was no problem for him, he just did it for something else. At the ce where his soul had just been, there was a small object that Virion had deliberately hidden deep inside his soul so no one would notice it, not even someone like Sven.


    It was an azure horn covered with silver stripes, forming several ancient symbols. The horn did not possess any aura, it seemed to be just an ordinary thing, slowly falling into Virion''s bloody hands.


    "The new generation is always smarter than the old, isn''t it? The hidden hero of the great war?" Virion looked at Sven that was ready to appear before him and rip his head off, but it was toote as Virion brought the horn to his mouth.


    Virion took a deep breath, letting the air fill his lungs before blowing the horn as hard as he could.


    From the horn came a sound like the beginning of the end of the world, a roar that spread for hundreds of miles around, attracting the attention of absolutely every living thing wherever it was. It was heard by everyone, the people around the shining tree, in Dragon World, in Human World, and even in all Voids in which there is someone.


    The vast majority of them felt a primal fear stiffen their hearts, but there were those few for whom the sound was a reminder of something that happened five hundred years ago.


    "So it was him... This guy was the one who stole the Azure Horn... an artifact possessed by one of the two rulers of the Arkans..." Marlis muttered while in disbelief as a shiver ran through her body.

 Chapter 836 The Azure Horn

    As Virion blew in the horn, a transparent barrier appeared around the top of the shining tree. A momentter, Sven appeared next to the barrier as his fist covered in white energy came crashing down on it. His movements were so fast that even Alucard and Gael could not react immediately, since they were shocked by the appearance of the Azure Horn.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The barrier shook as the ground trembled and the space shook like cobwebs, it seemed that the world could copse at any moment, then the barrier suddenly returned to normal and all the energy went back to Sven.


    He was just thrown back by the recoil, sinking deep beneath the hill into which he flew. Then, the top of the hill flew upward from Sven''s fist as he stared at Virion with a deadly gaze, as if he could kill him with one look.


    "Hah, it seems even a man as calm as he is sometimes running out of patience. Well, it''s a good thing I prepared myself and picked the right time." Virion smirked, put the horn to his chest, and said, "Wain, now no one will stop us, even if the Progenitor of the Dragonses here, he can do nothing. Soon your power will be mine!"


    With these words, Virion pressed hard on the Azure Horn as the artifact entered his body a few millimeters, then drops of blood hit the horn and it glowed brightly releasing a huge amount of blue energy outward.


    The energypletely covered Virion as it burst outside the dome, rushing towards the sky as a massive pir. It was almost as big as Alucard or Gael''s during the awakening, only the energy was not as high as theirs, but it was very dense.


    ''What the fuck...? What the fuck is this energy? Why do I feel that its power instantly increased several times...? Is any artifact capable of that...?'' Wain clenched his fists as his heart began to beat rapidly as though sensing that disaster wasing.


    The pir of energy gradually weakened, slowly revealing Virion''s new appearance, which was shocking as he looked as if he had gained all the power in this world.


    His white hair became much shorter and got a faint blue glow at the tips, like the light of the moon as his eyes became much deeper, seemingly capable of drowning in them as in the biggest ocean. He was wearing dark blue armor whose edges were sharp and long as they practically cut into Virion''s chest that remained exposed. There was nothing beneath the armor, just a dense stream of azure energy traveling from his belt practically to his neck like a gushing river.


    On his back was a mark in the form of an azure horn that disappeared into his body after the transformation, at Virion''s will the mark shone brightly as arge amount of energy traveled to his right arm.


    "Look, with this I will not only defeat you, but I will take your power, once and for all!" Virion eximed with a warlike expression as a weapon appeared in his hand.


    The energy turned into a long spear with a shining tip. A wave ofpressed energy, simr to blue sma, ran along the de of the spear that seemed able to cut through even the fabric of the world if the wearer had enough power to do so.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''Fuck.... I didn''t expect hisst trump card to be so powerful... What is that even?'' Wain inwardly muttered as he instinctively took a few steps back.


    Then all his attention was focused on Virion, but not only because of the unusual power of the artifact as it was one of the effects of the dome. Not only did it protect their fight from outside interference, but the dome also kept out any sounds or smells, nothing at all.


    When Virion used the Azure Horn and summoned the dome, then he literally created a new space on top of the shining tree where there were only Virion, Wain, and the monster shaking with fear.


    ''Wain... This is very bad...'' The Abyss Artist frowned with an ice-cold look, ''I''ll be honest with you. The chances of you surviving or being able to win are less than 1%.''


    ''Shit. Is it really that bad?'' Wain asked with a deep sigh.


    The Abyss Artist answered nothing as he decided to let the only one of them all who could do anything to help Wain now.


    ''Seventh is right, no one could have predicted that this guy would find a way to steal the Azure Horn, much less a way to activate it. Not even someone who can see into the future could have predicted that.'' dius whispered in disbelief, trying to pull himself together and speak seriously, but he was struggling to do so.


    ''Azure Horn...? What the fuck is this? Well, I guess it doesn''t matter now. I''ve fought many times against those who were stronger than me, but this situation is different... I hate to admit it, but I feel like an ant in front of a dragon. It''s a damn shitty feeling.'' Wainined slightly before bouncing back, right to the edge of the imprable barrier.


    The eye on his crown opened wide as arge amount of energy from his Beyond headed toward dius, gradually covering him in a denseyer of darkness among which several jaws opened.


    ''The only thing I can tell you is that I will be with you to the very end. Use all the energy you have even if it may damage your soul and body, your life depends on it now.'' dius said seriously as three creepy eyes with terrifying auras opened on his guard at once.


    ''Sure. I appreciate that. Wain nodded slightly, gripped the hilt of his sword tightly with both hands, and said, ''Even if I die today, I won''t let him stay alive either. If necessary, I will blow my soul, but I will tear that bastard apart!"

 Chapter 837 Power

    ? When Virion used the Azure Horn, it became very quiet as only the bursts of sma on the de of his spear and a few gusts of wind crashing against the dome could be heard.


    Everyone realized that no matter how strong they were now, they were just spectators.


    ''Well, well... Wain, will this really be yourst day?'' Sven inwardly muttered with aplicated look as he crossed his arms, ''This guy used Azure Horn... Damn, I can''t even imagine what would have to happen for you to survive, let alone win.''


    Absolutely everyone had simr thoughts. Only a few people knew how powerful Azure Horn actually was, but everyone else understood that Wain was now in a terrible situation. Not only did Virion be much stronger, he also healed all his wounds when he blew the horn and his energy seemed to be endless.


    "You seem scared, but you''re not going to back down. That''s good, I wouldn''t want my victory to be so boring, this fight should be serious until the very end!" Virion eximed as a blue me lit up in his left hand, "Well, let''s see what you can do!"


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Virion waved his hand as several blue shes appeared in the air. They quickly grew muchrger until they exploded, unleashing a multitude of projectiles that came crashing down on Wain, like missiles.


    They were very fast, so Wain barely had time to react and jump aside. He knew that it was impossible to win by constantly dodging, but now he simply had no other choice as he couldn''t risk trying to block the attacks.


    ''Shit, they''re fast, but they look only slightly more powerful than what I can create with Blind Sorcerer''s power, however, my instincts just scream that these projectiles are much more dangerous.'' Wain thought,nding as his feet touched the ground.


    The projectiles should have collided with the stone floor and exploded, but instead, they suddenly swerved, rushing toward Wain again.


    ''So they''re homing in, right? Well, in that case, I have no choice but to destroy them.'' Wain inwardly muttered before stepping forward and swinging his sword, ''Thanks to Abyss Artist''s n, I still have plenty of energy left, so I definitely won''t have a problem with that.''


    At the same moment, a wave of dark energy emerged from the sword, with jaws floating among it. The energy quickly collided with the magical projectiles and absorbed them with ease.


    ''Hmm? Is that it? I was able to dispel this attack so easily?'' Wain''s eyes went wide as he couldn''t believe it.


    The wave of darkness was at the peak of its power, so it should have gradually dissipated, however, suddenly it began to increase in size as if something was growing inside.


    "What the hell...?" Wain took a few steps back, holding his sword in front of him to protect himself from the asional attack.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The wave of darkness shuddered as a huge amount of energy erupted outward in streams of blue me. The jaws shattered the structures of the projectiles, but they could not absorb the energy Virion used, so it triggered an explosion.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Wain immediately created a protective barrier of darkness in front of him while Virion just swung his arm as the wave of fire approached him. The blue mes headed toward his finger as if that was where the center of the vortex was, quickly disappearing into it.


    ''Fuck! Why are those mes so strong?! Wain eximed with an angry look as blood flowed from the corners of his mouth. The barrier was able to protect him from the fire, but it took him too much energy to do so as the huge heat was able to hurt him.


    "Hahaha, was this weak attack really able to wound you?" Virion grinned and snapped his fingers as if he had been waiting for this moment for a very long time.


    A multitude of azure seals appeared on the ground from which many stars flew out. They slowly rose upwards until they began to rotate, gradually speeding up. Each star emitted a small amount of mist, so from the outside, it looked like some incredible cosmic phenomenon that could be seen once in a thousand years.


    ''What the hell is it...?'' Wain wondered with a frightened look as a shiver ran through his body. Unlike the others, he was in no position at all to enjoy the beautiful sight that could actually kill him.


    "I hope you can absorb it!" Virion eximed, waving his hand. Then, each star glowed brightly and became as fast as light.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    A multitude of stars turned into deadly strands that simultaneously descended upon Wain. They were thin, they didn''t seem to be able to hurt even a mere human, but Wain felt that their power was enough to cut the Fifth Chronicle monster apart, so he was as serious as possible.


    ''Shit, I need toe up with some kind of n right away or I''ll get too many wounds from a few of these attacks.'' Wain wondered as he stepped forward with an ice-cold look.


    With sweeps of his sword, Wain unleashed a powerful wave of energy, instantly destroying many glowing threads. At the same time, the eye on his crown opened wide and several phantom piranhas appeared next to Wain.


    The threads damaged the piranhas, but they managed to destroy several dozen threads before disappearing, greatly helping Wain deal with this serious attack.


    Wain swung his sword quickly trying to cut each thread since even a single thread could do him serious damage, he just couldn''t get hurt so early.


    ''Fuck! I have to move faster or I won''t be able to get rid of them!'' Wain clenched his teeth hard as his eyes filled with blood. He began to attack even faster while parts of the threads fell down, surrounding him like blue snowkes.


    After a while, Wain was able to destroy all the threads as he stared at Virion while breathing heavily. However, Virion was not surprised as a sly smirk was on his face.


    Click.


    Virion snapped his fingers and therger portions of the threads connected into two long ones that pierced Wain''s left shoulder with lightning speed.

 Chapter 838 Last Chance

    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Two threads pierced Wain''s right shoulder as scarlet blood gushed out in a mighty torrent. Wain''s face contorted in pain as he with a furious expression squeezed the threads with his hand, shattering them into small pieces.


    ''Bastard... Even now he keeps using various tricks to trick me... Damn, what a nasty opponent he is, if I''m distracted for even a moment, I immediately get kicked for it...'' Wain internally muttered, staring at Virion with an ice-cold gaze as if trying to pierce him.


    ''Well, well, I''ve only attacked twice, but I''ve already managed to seriously wound you. At this rate, you will soon lose, though you have no other option anyway!" Virion said with a devious grin on his face before stepping forward.


    He slowly headed towards Wain, while the tip of his spear left a long streak on the ground behind him as the blue sma burned stone.


    Wain gripped the hilt of his sword with force and released most of the energy he had. Streams of darkness surrounded him like evil spirits as several monsters with eerie wide jaws and massive eyes appeared above him. Wain didn''t know exactly what he wanted to create, so it was just energy taking a rather strange form.


    "Hah, it actually looks menacing. Honestly, I''m impressed." Virion stopped, took a step back, and swung his spear as if preparing to lunge forward, "I say this sincerely as I didn''t expect you to be able to conserve so much energy. It won''t help you though, since all that power will only postpone your death for a few seconds!"


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Virion''s eyes sparkled as he turned into a blue sh, heading toward Wain with incredible speed, it seemed he could easily outrun even lightning in a powerful storm.


    ''Coming!'' Wain''s eyes went wide as he attacked back.


    The monsters hovering above him rushed forward, covering dius with a dense shell of darkness that burned intensely like ck fire, then Wain stepped forward and there was an energy st behind him, giving a powerful momentum to him.


    They turned into two sts, blue and ck that quickly reached each other. Wain used most of his power on this attack, so he was going to cut Virion with a single swing or at least inflict a serious wound on him.


    "It was quick, but not enough." Virion whispered as his eyes looked at Wain, then Virion lunged forward, dashing past Wain''s sword with his spear out in front of him.


    It was too fast for Wain to see anything, but he suddenly realized that Virion was much quicker than him, so his sword didn''t even touch Virion''s armor.


    Wain and Virion found themselves at different ends of the arena, their sh seemed to have gone to no avail, but Virion''s spear was dripping blood that immediately evaporated due to the high temperature of the sma.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Agh!!!" Wain cried out as his face contorted in horrible pain. He grabbed his left side which was bleeding in a torrent while the unpleasant smell of charred flesh spread around.


    "Perhaps if I didn''t have this artifact, I would have been seriously injured in this attack, but now you are one level below me." Virion uttered with a calm look as he stared at Wain.


    "Bastard... That hurt like hell..." Wain spit out a clot of blood with a frowned look before turning to Virion, "If you''re already stronger than me, then why do you need my strength? What''s the point?"


    ? Virion was silent for a while before a slight smile appeared on his face and he said, "Well since you''re going to die anyway, I''ll answer your question. Unfortunately, I''m still in the Fourth Chronicle, so the recoil from using the Azure Horn would practically kill me, but with your power, I will be fine. By the way, don''t try to procrastinate, the side effect won''te until a few hourster, you just won''t live that long."


    "My power...? You''re talking about the power of the Nameless King, right? What''s the point? Do you really think jaws orrge amounts of energy can save you? From the looks of it, you''ll just die." Wain smirked as his hand covered itself in the cold darkness, gradually stopping the bleeding.


    "Agh... Don''t you know what the power of the Nameless King is? Well, perhaps it makes sense since you still haven''t been able to reach its full potential." Virion smirked and stepped forward, emitting a powerful aura that slightly distorted the space around him.


    "What... What are you talking about?" Wain''s eyes went wide as a shiver ran through his body. He couldn''t believe that Virion knew the answer to this question he''d been trying to find out for a long time.


    "I may be inurate since Nameless King never revealed his secrets to anyone, but I simply drew the obvious conclusion from his incredible aplishments, the most important of which is that he was the first who reached the Transcendence Stage." Virion''s eyes grew deeper as he spoke, "The Nameless King was capable of breaking through any barrier, even one that seemed to be the limit of any living creature. With that kind of power, no recoil from any artifact could seriously harm me! I will simply remove all negative effects!"


    ''The ability to break any barriers...?'' Wain inwardly muttered as a shiver ran through his body. The forms were as surprised as he was, but the strange look of the Abyss Artist showed that their reaction was for a different reason.


    "Well, that''s enough. More of Nameless King''s power, I''ll know when I defeat you!" Virion eximed before rushing forward with a deadly stare.


    Wain quickly came to his senses as he put up a block. Virion appeared almost instantly in front of him, raining his spear down on Wain with incredible speed.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    From their collision, there was a shockwave as the ground beneath Wain''s cracked.


    "Too weak!" Virion''s eyes lit up in blue me as well as his spear and his strength increased several times over. He attacked again and this time Wain was unable to block the attack as the spear plunged into his chest, leaving a wide cut on his body.

 Chapter 839 Flowing Blood

    "Argh!!!" Wain cried out in pain as his voice engulfed in agony spread many yards around, even the imprable dome for some reason could not contain it, so everyone could hear how serious the wound was.


    "Wain!" Zero eximed as she rushed forward, trying to help him, but suddenly Aurora yanked her by the shoulder and brought her back to the ground.


    "Stop. There''s nothing you can do." Aurora shook her head with a serious look.


    "But... If we don''t help Wain, he will die!" Zero iled her arms in different directions in a panic. Normally she was cold to people, but Wain was her savior, so she just couldn''t bear to watch him literally die right in front of her.


    Aurora stared at Sven and spoke, "Even he couldn''t break through that barrier, so we don''t stand a chance. If we blow up our souls as the veryst option, we''re not likely to leave even a scratch on that barrier. All we can do now is watch and believe in Wain''s victory."


    Zero''s face went pale as she lowered her head with hard clenched fists as her nails dug into her skin and several bloody streams flowed down.


    "He can do it." Maria said with a careless expression, "If it''s true that he''s the heir of the Nameless King, he just can''t lose to someone in the Fourth Chronicle, it''s impossible."


    "You''re too calm for that situation." Aurora frowned with clenched teeth, "Maria, you know very little of your race''s history. The Nameless King died during the great war, but do you know how it happened?"


    Maria just tilted her head with a curious look.


    "Generally speaking, Nameless King was the victor in the great war, he was able to defeat one of the two lords of the Arkan World, but he ended up dying after a while due to serious wounds and the particr strength of his opponent." Maria said slowly as a shiver ran through her body as she had a hard time telling it.


    "You mean to say that Arkans, are the natural enemies of the Humans? Well, I have studied our history and I can tell that the interests of our races were opposite, but Arkans are as strong as other races, so Wain fights just against a capable opponent." Maria muttered calmly as if she was fully confident of Wain''s victory.


    Aurora and Zero couldn''t understand why Maria wasn''t worried about Wain at all, but they just couldn''t see what she was.


    ''When I reached the Fifth Chronicle, for some reason now I can see a strange energy around people...'' Maria muttered inwardly with a confused look as she stared at Alucard and Gael.


    There was an unusual white aura around them, burning like mes. It was incredibly huge, practically filling everything around them as only Sven had a simr level of energy while Marlis and Osvald had a slightly smaller aura.


    ''They are on the Transcendence Stage, so... it shouldn''t be surprising that they have such powerful auras, but what the hell is it...?'' Maria wondered as she looked up.


    Above Wain too there were mes but only a small part was white, the rest remained gray as if invisible so that no one could notice it before its time.


    ''It''s strange... Wain''s aura can''t be bigger than Alucard''s, can it?'' Maria wondered with a confused look, ''Hmm, maybe it''s the power of the Nameless King, but he has to get it somehow. Wain... I hope you know what you''re doing.''<novelnext></novelnext>


    Crackle.


    Virion''s spear left a deep wound on Wain''s chest, then Virion turned and kicked Wain in the stomach with all his might. The impact caused a shockwave, throwing Wain back many meters, and forcing blood to flow from his mouth.


    Wain hit the barrier with his back and fell slowly to the ground with his face distorted with pain. However, he rose quickly after a second, covering his wound with cold darkness to stop the bleeding.


    "Well, well, despite how many wounds you got, you still keep getting up, that''s amazing. I don''t mind though, I''ll fight you until you can''t even move!" Virion eximed with an excited expression before rushing forward. He turned into a blue sh of me, heading toward Wain at tremendous speed.


    ''Fuck... I can feel myself getting weaker... I''ve already lost too much blood...'' Wain gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, preparing to counterattack.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Suddenly Virion appeared in front of Wain, everything happened so fast that Wain didn''t have time to prepare, so in a moment Virion''s spear plunged into Wain''s right shoulder,pletely piercing it.


    This time Wain didn''t scream, he just clenched his teeth and swung his sword with thest of his strength.


    ''He''s right there, so now I have to get him!'' Wain inwardly eximed while the sword de swung toward Virion.


    "Hah, how silly." Virion smirked, let go of the spear, and took a step back. The ground beneath him cracked as he recoiled a few feet to the side, leaving the spear in Wain''s body.


    Eventually, dius sliced just air, creating a dark streak with eerie jaws that dissipated.


    "Did you really think you could catch me at such a simple moment? We''ve been fighting you for so long, and yet you still underestimate me. Well, that''s your choice." Virion waved his hand as a sly smile appeared on his face.


    At the same moment, the spear in Wain''s shoulder began to spin and lunged outward, toward Virion. The tip of the spear tore Wain''s flesh apart, bringing him terrible pain and simr wounds.


    "Hahaha, things are finally falling into ce." Virionughed as the spear returned to him. He looked arrogantly at Wain, who had fallen to his knees, and said, "This is beginning to get boring. Looks like it''s time to end it."


    Virion with a slow step headed towards Wain, while he tried to stop the bleeding.


    ''Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! I need more strength!'' Wain inwardly eximed as his eyes suddenly opened wide as he realized where he could get power.

 Chapter 840 Barrier

    "Damn... Looks like there won''t be an interesting ending." Alucard said with a disappointed look while shaking his head.


    "Yeah... I don''t think he has any chance of surviving, let alone winning." Gael nodded slightly as he let out a sigh, "Either way it was a great fight. No one could have known that this guy would steal the Azure Horn and hide it in his soul."


    The others had the same opinion as regardless of strength level, everyone understood that Wain''s journey was over. His wounds were too severe, the fact that he could stand on his feet was already a miracle in itself.


    "Are we just going to stand and watch?" Marlis asked with her arms crossed over her chest.


    Sven was silent for a while before he quietly replied, "Exactly. Do you think we can help him? This barrier is impossible to break, at least not right now. Inside it''s pretty fragile, a few attacks would be enough for me, but outside... it''s just impossible."


    "Hey, doesn''t that mean Wain will die? I mean... I''m not willing to sacrifice anything for him, but I liked this kid. Without him, this world won''t be as interesting as it is now. This world needs someone like Nameless King, or someone will definitely take it over one day." Osvald frowned as his aura intensified.


    Sven waved his hand, "Calm down and just watch. Nameless King has also found himself in dangerous situations many times, so Wain should be able to handle it."


    "Hmm... That doesn''t sound like you at all... Didn''t you spend much effort to make Wain stronger? Damn, you even saved him once and made me do it a second time! What are you up to?!" Marlis eximed pointing at Sven while her face grew angrier.


    Sven turned his head as his icy eyes brought a powerful pressure down on Marlis. A shiver went through her body and Sven said, "Marlis, do you think I can see the future? I could not assume that this Arkan had stolen the Azure Horn. All I have is one theory and the longer the fight goes on the less chance I have of being right, but it''s still not 0%."


    Marlis nodded as she looked at the top of the shining tree, where the final action could take ce at any moment.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Virion ran up to Wain, stopped right in front of him, and did a full turn at breakneck speed as his foot rushed toward Wain with a powerful blue me.


    Wain was seriously wounded, but he could have had time to block this attack, however, instead of a full block he just ducked slightly as Virion''s leg came down on his left side, breaking several of his ribs.


    "Hmm? What? Are you already so weak that you can''t block one attack? Well, it''s probably my fault. You''re already at death''s door, so it''s to be expected." Virion said coldly as he looked at Wain lying on the ground. Darkness struggled to keep the blood from gushing out of his wounds while Wain slowly tried to get up.


    "Hah, are you so self-righteous that you can''t see the obvious...?" Wain said with difficulty as a slight smirk appeared on his face.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "What the hell...? What the hell are you talking about?" Virion frowned as he didn''t like Wain''s expression at all, as if Wain had deceived him.


    "You seem to havepletely forgotten where our fight began. That''s your big mistake." Wain uttered with an exhausted look before reaching out his hand to the side.


    Click.


    The air rippled from his fingertip as if he''d touched something, but there seemed to be nothing there.


    Virion''s eyes went wide as he realized that Wain was right in front of the barrier that separated the monster with the sword part from their fight.


    "Hmmm... Damn, I didn''t expect you to be capable of such cunning ns in your condition... but, that doesn''t change anything. You couldn''t destroy that barrier before, do you really think you can do it now?" Virion frowned as he swung his spear, releasing powerful waves of me, causing the air around him to distort.


    "Yeah... You''re right, I''m not as strong as I used to be, and a full sword can hardly help me defeat you, but you know what?" Wain looked directly into Virion''s eyes as his cold gaze made him flinch, "I have nothing left to lose. Either you die or I do, so now nothing else matters but victory."


    Wain shook his head slightly as the crown fell on his hand and rolled to his palm. At the same moment, all the energy from his Beyond concentrated on the tip of his finger as the pupil of the eye on the crown shrank. Space trembled as cracks appeared in the crown, destroying itpletely and releasing massive amounts of energy outward.


    Crack. Crack. Crack.


    The barrier shuddered as it began to shatter rapidly into tiny fragments. At the same time, Wain lunged forward, he could hardly stand on his feet, but he could still stride forward, gradually passing through the barrier and moving toward the monster.


    "No!" Virion eximed as he reached out his hand increasing the pressure on the barrier. He didn''t know what would happen if Wain recovered his sword and he didn''t want to test it.


    "Agh!" Blood came out of Wain''s mouth as he fell to one knee, but he continued forward. He needed to walk a few more meters to get to the monster, but the pressure was getting stronger as Virion used a huge amount of energy. Eventually, Wain fell to one knee, having only made it halfway through the barrier.


    "You arepletely out of energy, so this decision was your fatal mistake! Die already atst!" Virion eximed as he clenched his hand into a fist, unleashing a multi-ton force on Wain.


    ''Fuck... Looks like I''ll really have to use everything I''ve got...'' Wain inwardly muttered as for a moment his consciousness shifted to his soul. It trembled violently, then began burning, releasing an indescribable amount of energy.

 Chapter 841 Fire

    The veryst measure a fighter could take to win a battle was to burn his own soul. This almost always resulted in death, as it took many special artifacts or a huge amount of energy to restore the damaged soul, which could bepared to how much was burned.


    The energy in the souls was special because it was a concentration of all the energy a person absorbed before, so even to restore 1% of a soul, it could take several legendary souls or literally millions of ordinary souls and they had to be used as quickly as possible to avoid death.


    It was a desperate move since fighters decided to burn their souls only in desperate situations, so it didn''t help most of them anyway, however, sometimes it could not only save a life but also help them be stronger after a very hard test.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Wain''s soul trembled at his will it began burning at a tremendous rate. It was hard toprehend how big his soul was, for it was hidden inside his mind and even Wain didn''t fully understand its size, but his soul was certainly no smaller than Virion''s one.


    "What the hell...? What the hell is he doing...?" Aurora muttered while in disbelief as a shiver of restraining fear ran through her body.


    "He''s... he''s burning his soul, isn''t he?" Zero uttered with wide eyes as her face turned pale and a strange chill went through her.


    Everyone who watched the fight felt the same way, even such strong beings as Sven, Alucard, Gael, Marlis, and Osvald. Wain''s actions showed not only how desperate his situation was, but also how much he was willing to give up to win.


    "Damn... He might not realize it now, but he''s not only burning his soul, but it''s also the soul of the Nameless King... or at least what''s left of it..." Sven said while in disbelief as his gaze was fixed on Wain.


    "I didn''t expect this guy to be capable of something like this. They both used theirst resort, but if Wain doesn''t do something soon, he''ll be dead in less than a minute." Osvald stepped forward as he crossed his arms across his chest with a serious expression. He respected those who fought to the very end, but even for him, burning his own soul was something out of bounds.


    "Shit, it''ll be a real disaster if all that energyes out when the dome is gone..." Marlis bit her lip with aplicated look as she was horrified by the amount of energy Wain was emitting.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    As soon as Wain began to burn his soul he immediately felt a surge of energy and was able to take a few more steps forward as there were no more than five meters between him and the monster. Normally he would have been able to cover that distance in an instant, but now it seemed like an endless way.


    ''Fuck... How did ite to this...?'' Wain inwardly muttered as he took a step forward with an exhausted expression, ''It is so weird... I feel so much better immediately as Virion''s pressure got weaker, but I feel like I''m rotting from the inside. Damn, this is bloody unpleasant, but also I''ve actually gotten stronger, maybe with a full sword I can kill the bastard.''<novelnext></novelnext>


    Step. Step. Step.


    Wain slowly stepped forward while Virion used all the strength he could to stop Wain, just to nail him to the ground. Virion could have stuck a spear into Wain''s back and ended their fight that way, but he just wouldn''t have enough time to get to Wain as he would have to relieve the pressure to move forward.


    ? ''Shit, I''d thought almost every development through, but there''s no way I could have expected him to decide to burn his soul just to get through the barrier!'' Virion eximed to himself as he frowned, ''Well, I just need to keep the pressure on him anyway. Even if his soul explodes, I can still absorb his power after the fight.''


    Even though Wain was calm, the forms were in a real panic.


    ''Wain! You shouldn''t have done that!!! Light Racer eximed while waving his arms to the sides, ''This is crazy! You''re actually going to die if your soul ispletely burned!


    The others supported him as even dius joined them and tried to stop Wain since his soul could still be recovered, the damage was not yet critical. However, Wain continued forward as if he hadn''t heard them at all. He only had a few steps left, so he wasn''t going to stop.


    The only one who was silent was the Abyss Artist. He just stared at Wain''s burning soul, as if he were hypnotized. Darkness not only filled everything in this space it was also everywhere around Wain as darkness emanated from him in dozens of streams like uncontroble rivers with a raging current.


    After a while a slight smile appeared on his face as he nodded his head, ''Fine, I was right as usual. Good thing I was prepared for Wain not to change as even in this situation he will go all the way.''


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly several streams of darkness rushed toward the beast as they turned into chains that chained it to the ground.


    ''What...? What''s happening...?" Wain wondered as his eyes grew wide.


    ''It''s the best I can do. Wain, take thosest steps forward, and restore dius. Your soul will soon burn you out in no more than thirty seconds.'' The Abyss Artist said seriously while dark trickles of blood flowed from the corners of his mouth. He could hardly stand on his feet as he had to sacrifice a lot to create a few chains when he waspletely exhausted.


    ''Hah, sure, it''s a good thing there''s another madman like me to back me up, otherwise, I''d be lonely.'' Wain grinned before stepping forward and reaching for the shard of his sword.

 Chapter 842 The Shard

    "No!" Virion eximed as he clenched his hand into a fist with a furious expression. Massive streams of blue fire rushed toward the barrier, burning away the cold darkness infinitely emanating from Wain.


    At the same moment, blood spurted from Wain''s mouth as all of his wounds, covered in darkness, opened. Waves of pain ran through his body, practically exploding his mind, but then all his attention was focused on something else.


    ''Damn... This pressure is tearing me apart, he definitely wants to kill me... Well, maybe he can do it, I don''t know what happens next, but I have no other choice.'' Wain uttered to himself as he reached forward.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The beast tried to escape as for it to lose the shard was tantamount to death. It was its main source of energy that was connected to its body, so if Wain pulled the shard out, the beast would instantly die. The chains trembled violently, emitting a loud ringing sound, but they seemed impossible to break.


    "Well, well, you want to live too, don''t you? I hear you, but as I said before, at the end of this fight only I will leave here, so everyone else will obviously die." Wain muttered with a deadly ice-cold look before clenching his hand around the shard of the sword.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space trembled as Wain clenched his teeth and pulled the shard toward him with all his might. He had struggled a few meters before, so pulling the massive shard out of the beast''s dense flesh seemed like something impossible, but gradually the shard wasing out.


    "Agh!!! Damn it, get out!" Wain shouted as his piercing voice reached the minds of everyone around him and the dark shard camepletely out of the monster''s body with a powerful burst of energy.


    The monster beast''s body shuddered as a momentter its eyes became empty and arge red soul flew out, however, it was immediately destroyed by a random current of blue me that tried to pass through the streams of darkness protecting Wain.


    Wain stared at the shard in his hand as his pupils narrowed. It was an incredible sight, and he wanted to enjoy this moment for as long as possible, but he knew he had a hell of a lot less time, about fifteen seconds.


    "Fine, it''s time for me to get a whole sword!" Wain swung his hand as he struck the shard on the sword, connecting their edges that way.


    The darknesspletely covered the sword and in a moment dius was fully restored. Massive streams of energy emitted from the sword as the de was filled with many runes, however, now they did not shine as they seemed for some reason to be empty.


    "Hah, dius, how do you feel? Surely you have an endless amount of strength right now, don''t you?" Wain smiled with an excited expression as he gripped the hilt of the sword tightly.


    "Hm...? dius, can you hear me?" Wain asked in confusion as he tilted his head. He tried a few more times as his eyes went wide.


    ''What the hell...?'' Wain muttered as everything around him stopped as if the world had been frozen for some reason.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The first thing Wain thought of was that the Light Racer had elerated his mind again, but he immediately dismissed the idea as everything was different this time. Before, the world had slowed down a lot, but it was still moving, but now it had stoppedpletely.


    ''Hey, it finally happened.'' Abyss Artist said with a slight smile on his face as he suddenly appeared in front of Wain.


    ''Did you do this?'' Wain asked. He couldn''t move from his seat as well as move his lips, but he couldmunicate with him mentally.


    ''Yeah...'' Abyss Artist simply nodded.


    ''But... how did you do it and why? Why did you choose this particr moment?'' Wain uttered while in disbelief as his voice trembled. Every moment mattered now, but Abyss Artist did it anyway, so Wain was puzzled. He knew that the Abyss Artist would never hurt him, and that made it all the moreplicated.


    ''Hah, I didn''t do it, or rather not exactly. It happened because you fully recovered dius and your soul is already almost burnt out. In reality, you have no more than ten seconds to live, then your body will explode. The Abyss Artist spoke in a careless manner with a calm look as if it didn''t matter, even though he was saying such serious things.


    ''What...? In that case, is this farewell?" Wain''s eyes went wide as a wave of fear passed through his body, affecting his mind. He was ready to die in any fight, but realizing that it was very close was scary in any case.


    The Abyss Artist was silent for a while before he touched his lips and said with a devious smirk, ''What the hell are you talking about? Have you forgotten that you and I have one unfinished business left?''


    ''Hmm? Unfinished business? With you...?" Wain muttered in confusion as he frowned, trying to understand what Abyss Artist was talking about.


    ''When you and I first met, you were puzzled about one thing, weren''t you?'' Abyss Artist stared at Wain''s eyes.


    ''Right... Are you talking about...?


    ''Yeah, you still haven''t seen my memory. I said I''d show it to you when the time came. It wasn''t actually entirely up to me, but it doesn''t matter anymore since this is the moment.'' The Abyss Artist stepped forward as he held out his hand.


    ''Wait! Wait! I don''t understand anything!'' Wain tried to step back, but he forgot that it was only his mind and he couldn''t really move his feet.


    ''Don''t worry, that''s the way it has to be because right now you''re going to understand a lot of things. You will know the answers to your questions. Just watch.'' The Abyss Artist said softly, practically whispering as he touched Wain''s forehead with the tip of his finger.

 Chapter 843 Path

    The Abyss Artist touched Wain''s forehead as several waves came away from his fingertip, they looked like ripples in water, spreading around inrge rings, then the world shook, distorting and gradually changing into somethingpletely different.


    Wain was puzzled as he in no way expected the Abyss Artist to do something like that, it all seemed to him something unreal. How could remembering one of his forms help him if there were only ten seconds left before his soul exploded? Moreover, the Abyss Artist remained mysterious even in this situation as he did not reveal any details to Wain, until the veryst moment.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    A bright white sh blinded Wain for a moment and after a while, he felt a cold current of wind.


    "Where am I... ?" Wain uttered in a daze with wide-open eyes. He was floating high above the ground, but it wasn''t some city or forest, this ce was more like a real hell that for some reason appeared in the real world.


    Everything below was destroyed, and there was literally nothing left of the formerndscape. The whole area was covered with craters, wide cracks more like canyons, and in many ces,va rivers flowed. There were random energy storms of different elements in different ces, whether it was a vortex, electrical discharges, or ice peaks the size of tall mountains.


    "Fuck... This ce looks like the gods fought here..." Wain spoke while in disbelief as he turned around suddenly sensing someone''s presence.


    "It''s me." Abyss Artist said with a slight smile on his face as he put a hand on his shoulder.


    "Hmm? Can you participate in your own memory?" Wain asked with a confused look as he tilted his head.


    "Well, it''s not just my memory, you''ll soon realize that. Although you''re right about something, I will disappear at some point, but then you won''t need me to exin what''s going on here." Abyss Artist looked around with a meaningful look as if he had returned to a familiar ce, "Agh... Nostalgia is actually a nice feeling."


    The Abyss Artist removed his hand from Wain''s shoulder, took a few steps forward while tforms of darkness appeared beneath his feet, and said, "What you see now is a battlefield days after the final fight of the Great War."


    "The Great War?" Wain muttered.


    "Yeah... this is considered the greatest battle in the history of the world since only in the Great War did many creatures on the Transcendence Stage fight. Not only the Nameless King fought here, but also the rulers of the Arkan World and even the Progenitor of the Dragons." The Abyss Artist said in a serious voice as his eyes grew cold as ice.


    "I see... but, why are we here...? Shouldn''t I see you meet the Nameless King? I mean, all the other memories ended up doing just that." Wain asked as he waved his hand in confusion.


    "Well, you''d be right in any other case, but my memory is special. Anyway, there''s no point in us staying here anymore, I just wanted to show you this as I think it might help you..." Abyss Artist said quietly as he narrowed his eyes as if he was hiding something.


    "What...? What the hell is going on here...?" Wain frowned.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The Abyss Artist just shook his head before snapping his fingers. At the same moment, space began to distort as everything around him was covered in dense darkness. Abyss Artist disappeared as Wain was left alone in the vast space. The only thing that would indicate a way out was the white road going far ahead.


    ''Well, it seems I have no other choice anyway. It''s actually weird, but it looks like I have enough time to fully explore this memory...'' Wain muttered inwardly, took a light breath, and stepped onto the road.


    In the real world, he only had ten seconds left before his life was over, but here he seemed to have an eternity.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Wain walked slowly down the road while his path gradually changed. The longer he walked the darker the road became until it waspletely dark, so after a while, Wain stopped since he didn''t know where to go.


    Suddenly a door opened in front of him, leading to an unknown ce, but Wain had no other choice anyway, so he just went inside.


    "Hmm? Where am I?" Wain found himself in a simple room with dim lighting that seemed to be deep underground like it was a dungeon.


    There were two men in the room. One man was wearing a long ck robe and the same hair. His gaze was deadly serious as he held his arms crossed. Opposite him sat someone Wain had seen several times before in shape memory, a dark silhouette or Nameless King.


    However, this time something was different. His aura was not as powerful as before, also his silhouette was unstable as if he could disappear at any moment.


    ''What''s going on here...?'' Wain asked himself, ''Why are Abyss Artist and Nameless King in this room? Is this his memory?


    Nameless King sighed slightly and muttered in a slow voice, "I didn''t think it would evere to this... Well, it was to be expected."


    "It''s really going to happen, isn''t it? Isn''t there any way we can avoid it?" Abyss Artist asked with aplicated expression as he stared at Nameless King.


    "No... I was able to win, but even I can''t handle the negative effects of the power of one of the rulers of the Arkan World." Nameless King shook his head, "It is eating away at my soul, so soon I will definitely die. There is only a fraction of my soul left, and my time is running out."


    The Abyss Artist was silent for a while until he nodded and said, "You think we can do this?"


    "Hah, wasn''t that your idea? Sure, even if it doesn''t work out, my death won''t be for nothing." Nameless King raised his head.

 Chapter 844 The Key

    ''What...? Am I about to see the Nameless King die?! Wain inwardly eximed with his eyes wide open as he could not believe it. Whether he wanted to or not, he was the heir of the Nameless King, so to know how the strongest man in history died was a true treasure for him.


    The Abyss Artist stepped forward, stared at Nameless King, and with a deadly serious look asked, "You do realize that I was counting on this to be the most desperate step? Your condition is bad, but we still have time to find a way to cure you. Are you sure that''s what you want to do?"


    His answer could have determined his life as Abyss Artist actually had little chance of finding a better solution since he was one of the smartest people in the entire world, however, Nameless King answered almost instantly, "Yeah, I''m ready. Start as soon as possible, as I''m feeling worse by the second. I''m not going to rot from the inside out. What''s more, I''m not the only one running out of time..." The Nameless King''s face became meaningful.


    Abyss Artist flinched at Nameless King''s cold voice, that rippled through his body, then he nodded, "Well, I don''t agree with you, but I''ll ept whatever you decide, including this."


    Nameless King smiled slightly, nodded, and muttered, "Hah, you never change... Well, that''s exactly what I like about you."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space trembled as a tremendous amount of energy burst forth from the Abyss Artist. Darkness emanated from his body in great torrents, filling everything around him. At the same moment, hundreds of magical circles appeared on the stone walls, protecting the ce from total destruction due to too much pressure.


    "I''ve done the math and we''ll probably make it, however, I can''t do it alone." The Abyss Artist said in a serious voice as he turned his head, his eyes fixed on something to the left of the Nameless King.


    Wain didn''t notice it at first since all his attention was focused on the Abyss Artist, but next to Nameless King was a long sword with a powerful aura and Wain knew exactly what it was.


    ''dius... right, he was the sword of the Nameless King, no wonder he is here. Damn, he really is the greatest weapon that belonged to the strongest human... I hope someday I can use its full potential.'' Wain wondered as he got goosebumps.


    dius, too, began to release his energy, and along with the Abyss Artist, theirbined power seemed endless. Though Wain''s attribute was darkness, even he was ufortable with the energy they were emitting.


    "You need my help, don''t you?" dius asked in a majestic voice.


    "Exactly, if my theory is correct then we need two different types of energy, but they should be about the same power and be in the same domain." Abyss Artist exined as he put his palm to his chest.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Streams of darkness rushed toward him, turning into several streams and prating his body with great speed.


    "I see... We all possess the attribute of darkness, so you and I are perfect candidates for your crazy n, aren''t we?" dius rified.


    "Yeah, you''re quick thinking as always." Abyss Artist nodded with a slight smile.


    "So... What do I need to do? Just gather energy in one spot just like you do?" dius asked as even before the answer he directed all the energy to himself.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Right. However, I must warn you that this method has serious consequences for you and me." Abyss Artist said as he clenched his palm in a fist.


    "What exactly are you talking about?" dius uttered in a calm voice as he had assumed from the beginning of their conversation.


    The whole time Nameless King was silent, letting his mates do what they had to do. He knew it would be a serious blow to them, but he also knew that they would never back down if it could help him, so he had no right to stop them.


    "After I activate the spells, there will be tremendous pressure on both of us. I''ll lose most of my powers and energy for a very long time, but something else will happen to you. The Abyss Artist uttered with aplicated expression as he stared at dius, "After all, you are a weapon, so for you, the consequences will be different. You will retain your power, but you will no longer be whole."


    "Hmm...?" dius muttered in a confusion.


    "You will be shattered into many pieces, so until they all be one again you will not be able to regain your power as well as your memory." The Abyss Artist spoke as his words rang through dius'' mind like thunder.


    dius understood that the Abyss Artist was serious, but still, to hear such a thing was something unreal to him since he could not be broken.


    "Shit, so the only one who can break me is me? Damn, that''s what I call irony..." dius uttered in a daze.


    "Yeah... That''s right..." Abyss Artist sighed as he waved his hand.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space trembled as a huge ck magic circle appeared beneath them. It was veryplicated because it consisted of many different runes and formations, even great magicians would be surprised by the unusual structure of the spell behind this magic circle.


    "Well, it''s time to start, isn''t it?" Nameless King asked with a calm expression, but he wasn''t looking at the Abyss Artist, he was looking away as if there was something important.


    "Sure, you''re right. If we can pull this off, we can do a real miracle, though our chances are pretty slim." Abyss Artist uttered before waving his hand.


    One of the walls trembled, turned to ink, and disappeared revealing a secret room.


    "What the fuck...?" Wain''s eyes went wide as a shiver ran through his body when he saw what was inside.


    There were six beds in the room. On beds were men with exhausted looks on their faces. Wain would not have been so surprised if those men had not been the other six forms.

 Chapter 845 The Key (Part 2)

    "What the hell...? What the hell is going on here...? Why are they here and why do they look so bad...?" Wain uttered with wide eyes as his gaze drifted to the Nameless King. He knew they couldn''t see him, but he still wanted answers to his questions as soon as possible.


    Nameless King stared ahead for a while before with a slight sigh he said, "Damn... Isn''t their condition worse than mine?" Nameless King stared at the Abyss Artist with a questioning look.


    Abyss Artist quickly nced at the six, then looked directly into Nameless King''s eyes, "Their condition is stable. They too will die soon, as will I, but only if we don''t find a way to get rid of the power of the ruler of the Arkan World."


    He continued, "However, your situation is different. We won''t die until a few years from now, during which time I will most likely find a way to cure us, but you... You have a few days left."


    "Hah, you said you might be able to find a cure, is it possible to do it in such a short time?" Nameless King smirked as he slowly rose from his chair. He was the strongest man in history, but now he found it difficult to do even something that simple.


    ''Shit... Nameless King is actually dying... In that case, what are they going to do...? Apparently, the Abyss Artist won''t be able to heal Nameless King, does that mean I''ll see how his power got to me?'' Wain wondered as a shiver ran through his body.


    The Abyss Artist had not revealed the details of his n, but Wain understood that this was a powerful spell and sacrifices by the Abyss Artist and dius were necessary to have at least a chance of healing the Nameless King.


    "Well, you know that in my opinion any of my choices is better than the one you chose." Abyss Artist said with a serious expression as he stared at Nameless King.


    "Sure, but if I have the opportunity to save everyone at once, I will certainly take it. I don''t like to rely on luck, you have to be friends with fate for that, but that''s not my case." Nameless King muttered with a slight smile on his face.


    "Yeah... You''re definitely the person fate hates the most." Abyss Artist frowned as he clenched his palm into a fist.


    "Hah, fate could bepared to a jealous woman. Her worst nightmare is that there is no way she can influence the man she is in love with. Well, enough talk. It''s time for you to start, isn''t it?" Nameless King looked at Abyss Artist.


    "You''re right. Stand between me and dius, I''ll do the rest." Abyss Artist said in a serious voice.


    Nameless King nodded slightly as he did as Abyss Artist said. Nameless King looked at the magic circle and muttered, "Those runes look reallyplicated... Unlike you, I''ve never been good at it. Magic isn''t for me at all."


    "Well, that magic circle wasn''t actually made by me. He was helping me." The Abyss Artist looked at the Blind Sorcerer lying on the bed with a ravenous look.


    "I should have known it before... During thest fight he received so many serious wounds, but he still found the strength to help you create it... That''s impressive. Now I''m pretty sure that''s the only way I should go." Nameless King spoke with a slight smile on his face as his aura intensified considerably.


    The Abyss Artist was silent, after a while he stepped forward and his eyes became as deep as the ocean, "It''s time to begin. dius, be ready, soon the energy will tear you into many pieces."<novelnext></novelnext>


    dius said nothing as he just nodded, realizing how serious the situation was.


    The Abyss Artist waved his hand, then his energy went into the magic circle and it glowed brightly. Space trembled violently as two square seals appeared in front of Abyss Artist and dius. They sucked the energy out of them with the tremendous speed it seemed to be an opportunity to create something important.


    "Hold out your hand toward them... I wish I could say that you can stop, but you can''t change anything anymore..." Abyss Artist muttered with aplicated look as he pointed to the six forms.


    "Sure. I wasn''t going to change my mind anyway." Nameless King said confidently as he held out his hand.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, a seal appeared in front of him, but it had a different function. This seal sucked the energy not from Nameless King, but from the six men lying on the beds. However, Nameless King wasn''t taking their power for his own sake, there was no way he could do that to his friends. This seal was taking their energy that destroying their souls, in other words, Nameless King was taking on something that would kill them, making his situation even worse.


    Nameless King''s face contorted from the intense pain he was experiencing, but he wasn''t going to stop until he took all that poison from them.


    After a while, the energy stopped flowing into the seal as Abyss Artist said, "Okay, now on to the most important stage."


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    He snapped his finger as his and dius'' seals glowed brightly as well as the magic circle in the center of which stood Nameless King. An incredibly powerful pressure came over him, but no emotion appeared on his face as this was what he expected.


    "Now!" Abyss Artist eximed as the magic circle exploded.


    It was an unusual explosion, it was the final stage of the spell as the shockwave caused dius, the indestructible sword, to shatter into many shards. Momentster, the shards shuddered and teleported to random locations.


    The impact threw the Abyss Artist aside as many wounds opened on his body from which blood gushed out, and he could hardly stay conscious.


    "It was all done for this, right...?" Nameless King uttered looking at the two key pieces floating around him.

 Chapter 846 The Key (Part 3)

    "Agh... In order to get two pieces of the key that fit only me, you had to make such sacrifices..." Nameless King muttered with a frustrated look as he nced at Abyss Artist. He tried to rise to his feet, but he couldn''t as he was critically weak.


    ''Well, it''s a good thing you''ll be alive too. I sense that your part of the key contains his energy... Damn, I still don''t understand how I was able to defeat such an enemy, his power is something that should not exist.'' Nameless King wondered as he looked at the six in the room, ''I had allies, so I was able to defeat, but why wasn''t my opponent helped by the second one? What happened behind the scene?''


    Wain didn''t know why, but he could hear the thoughts of the Nameless King, clearly, almost feeling the emotions that Nameless King had then.


    "dius... You really are an indestructible sword, but because of me, your shards are all over the world now... Well, I hope one day I can pick you up again." Nameless King muttered with aplicated look before swinging his arm.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    The two pieces of the key headed toward Nameless King as dark strands of energy emerged from his fingertips. They joined the pieces together, creating a full-fledged key that quickly flew into the Nameless King''s chest, heading for his soul with great speed.


    "Hah, looks like it''s almost done, just onest move left..." Abyss Artist muttered with a pained look, but there was an excited grin on his face.


    "Yeah... While I still have some time, I have to ask. Are you going to be all right? I mean... dius was shattered into so many pieces by so much pressure, what happened to you then?" Nameless King asked in a serious voice as he stared at Abyss Artist.


    Abyss Artist shook his head, "Don''t worry about me. We''ve known each other for so long, so you should know that I always have a n. I''ve been ready for this from the moment I starteding up with all this, so... I have my own, unique remedy."


    "Fine... That''s what I wanted to hear..." Nameless King nodded slightly before stepping forward. The space beside him began to distort while his aura grew stronger.


    "Hey... Before you go, don''t forget that everything in this spell depends on the number 3." Abyss Artist said as a sly smile appeared on his face, "There were three of us, and so must you if you want it to work. Two sources and one catalyst on which everything depends, that''s what you have to do."


    "Sure. I knew it without you." Nameless King uttered as his silhouette blurred.


    Everything around Nameless King began to change at a tremendous speed as if he were somehow traveling several thousand miles in a matter of moments. During this time Wain managed to see differentndscapes, buildings, unique territories, and natural wonders.


    ''Damn... It''s like he''s going through so many areas... How does he do it...? No, more importantly, why is he doing it?'' Wain wondered with a curious look as he moved with Nameless King.<novelnext></novelnext>


    As Nameless King moved towards his goal, the Abyss Artist gradually came to his senses as a small amount of energy had already been restored, allowing him to move his arms freely.


    "Fuck... Normally I can destroy an entire mountain with one wave of my hand, but now... I feel as if I''m already in a coffin and all that''s left is to bury me..." Abyss Artist muttered as a sly smirk appeared on his face, "Well, he''ll definitely do it right, so my n will work too."


    Abyss Artist moved his finger slightly as a round blob of darkness appeared before him. Gradually the dark sphere grew smaller until it disappearedpletely as a small egg fell into his palm. It was ck and covered with many scales as if some unique snake was to be born from it.


    "You''re my lifeline. It will take a long time, as it does for all of us..." Abyss Artist looked at the six with a sad look, "Well, we''ll have to wait a while before we''re all together again..."


    Abyss Artist reached out his hand as darkness began to flow from the scales. Gradually it grewrger andrger until a powerful streampletely covered Abyss Artist. The space next to him copsed as he disappeared in an unknown direction.


    ...


    "What is this ce..." Wain uttered in confusion while looking around.


    At the end of his journey, Nameless King stopped at what seemed to be the edge of the world. Everything around him was dark as he was in an open space, but if he took a step forward he would actually end up in a void.


    ''Damn... This is so strange... Darkness is both there and there, but it seems to me that on this cliff it is much darker, no, it definitely is. Will the Nameless King really jump there? Would his body be able to withstand it? Is that how he will die?'' Wain inwardly muttered as many questions immediately appeared in his mind.


    The Nameless King stared into the distance for some time before he reached forward, looking at his palm he muttered, ''Well, well, after the great victory I am forced to stand here. Agh, though I have learned to resist fate, the fates of others can still affect me... After all, I am a human, and no one else."


    ''Resist fate...? What is he talking about? Is it a metaphor or does it have something to do with his power...? It is simr to what Virion said...'' Wain said to himself as his eyes grew wide.


    The Nameless King with a calm look took a step forward. He fell into the infinite darkness as Wain followed him.


    The lower the Nameless King descended, the weaker his aura was, as he became more distant from the world, he literally fell beyond its borders into a ce where there is nothing but emptiness.

 Chapter 847 Three

    The energy was practically the most important thing for every living thing in the universe, so no one would ever willingly go where there was no energy yet. These ces were like bottomless abysses from which it was simply impossible to escape.


    Only beings strong enough could be in the open without risking breaking all their bones, and the borders of the world were an even more dangerous ce, so without energy, there just was no way to survive.


    Wain wasn''t aware of these details, but he still felt the terrible pressure that made him feel quite a bit of pain.


    ''Fuck... What''s even going on here...? Why did Nameless King decide to go here?!'' Wain inwardly eximed while in disbelief. He felt that Nameless King''s energy was gradually bing weaker and it could only lead to death.


    ''Is this really how Nameless King is going to die...? Shit, it can''t be! Abyss Artist activated some powerful spell, so it must all have some meaning, right?'' Wain asked himself, trying to find answers to the questions.


    Meanwhile, Nameless King continued to tumble down with a calm look. His life was threatened by the deadly poison as without energy the pressure could crush him in just a few minutes, but there was no anxiety in his eyes, Nameless King waspletely confident in his actions.


    After a few minutes Nameless King moved as far away from the world as was even possible for a living being, so he entered an empty zone.


    "Agh!!!" Nameless King threw up a mouthful of blood as his face contorted in pain. Now the energy was no longer protecting him, in the empty zone Nameless King was no different than a mere human that for some reason ended up in space.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crack.


    In a few seconds, his skin began to crack as his silhouette trembled, it seemed that he had only a few seconds to live and Nameless King decided tomit suicide, but the sly smile that appeared on his face changed the situationpletely.


    ''Well, well, it''s a good thing that he gave me advice since I probably wouldn''t have made it without it. It would have been pretty stupid to die because of a mistake at the very end.'' Nameless King inwardly muttered before putting his palm to his chest.


    A vibration went through his hand that went toward his heart and gradually moved straight to his soul, burning brightly with thick darkness like a me.


    "Is he really going to do this...?" Wain''s eyes went wide while flying closer to the Nameless King. Wain had already figured out what was going to happen, but he still couldn''t believe it.


    "Damn, it''s usually done in the most desperate situation and it''s not like I have it under control at all. Well, maybe it was bound to happen sometime anyway." Nameless Kingined lightly, then he clenched his palm into a fist.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.<novelnext></novelnext>


    His soul trembled as massive streams of energy suddenly erupted from him. The Nameless King did the same thing Wain did to get through the barrier, he began to burn his soul.


    The Nameless King''s Soul was 99% infected with the power of a ruler of the Arkan World. It was like a poison that made him rot from the inside, so the only way to get rid of the poison was to remove the energy that held it.


    The Abyss Artist and Nameless King knew this way from the beginning, but it could not be a solution since no one could survive after losing 99% of his soul.


    ''He began to burn his soul, but why...? Is that how his energy will get to me?'' Wain wondered as his heart began to beat faster. He was experiencing many emotions at once since no one but him could see how the strongest man in the world was burning his soul and this man was the one from whom he got his power.


    Gradually the massive streams of energy began to separate into two parts. They turned into two dark stars, hovering beside the Nameless King. The energy in them was deadly to him, but not now, as the poison was no longer in his soul.


    "Agh... I feel so weak, but at the same time I feel incredibly light like I''m finally rid of a very heavy load." Nameless King whispered as only 20% of his soul remained.


    In a few seconds his massive soul, unimaginable in size, was no bigger than a grain. It was a dot of pure darkness with no poison in it, it was the only undamaged part of his soul while the spheres beside it became several timesrger.


    "Fine... It is time to begin. My friend, you are very clever, but perhaps I am the first one to actually decide to do this." Nameless King waved his hand as a key appeared beside him.


    The key touched Nameless King''s chest as a wave of energy passed through his body, then many chain-like seals appeared on it, soaking into his body, and gradually disappearing.


    "The catalyst is ready, now there are two sources left..." Nameless King said as a slight smile appeared on his face before breaking the key into two pieces. They flew into the dark spheres at his will.


    Nameless King sighed and closed his eyes. He touched the spheres with his fingertips as they trembled and flew apart at great speed. Nameless King continued to fall down while his body was covered in thick darkness as he gradually transformed into a darket that seemed eager tond somewhere, though there was only emptiness all around.


    "What''s going on...?" Wain muttered with his eyes wide open as suddenly the two spheres got bigger and exploded at the same time. After a while, the same thing happened to theet.


    Wain couldn''t believe it, but spatial barriers and different types of energy began to appear at the sites of the explosions. This could only mean one thing - in the midst of the void where there was nothing, new areasparable to worlds suddenly appeared.

 Chapter 848 The New World

    Everyone who reached at least the First Chronicle could create their own void if they passed a test before doing so. However, this was only possible because of the nearly infinite energy of the World of Darkness, as it took energy to create barriers, spatial zones, elements, and territories.


    The Void Owners just maintained and increased their zones by infusing them with their soul energy, but without the World of Darkness, this would have been impossible, or rather practically impossible.


    Nameless King was the first to reach the Transcendence Stage, which meant he was even higher than the gods. Those on the God Stage were highly dependent on the faith of their followers, while the Nameless King and the Progenitors of Races werepletely independent.


    Their power depended only on them, as well as energy, so the energy from Nameless King''s Soul could survive in empty space, it was the only exception to the rule.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space trembled violently as new worlds emerged from the two spheres before Wain''s eyes. They werepletely covered by a barrier of dark matter thatpletely shielded them from outside influence as well as from the energy of the universe.


    "What the fuck...? Nameless King was able to create worlds before he died?" Wain muttered with a shocked look while his lips trembled and goosebumps ran down his body.


    Wain was infinitely away from the two worlds, so he couldn''t see them properly, but some ces looked pretty familiar to him until he finally realized something.


    "No way..." Wain trembled as if he''d seen a ghost, "That''s impossible... That''s... Overion! It appeared at once!"


    Whoooooooooooooooooosh.


    As soon as Wain eximed his consciousness drifted down, following Nameless King who waspletely covered in thick darkness like aet.


    "Two worlds..." Wain muttered as an image of Alice''s appeared in his mind. Her world had no energy, and she only got it after merging the worlds, "Fuck... If Nameless King was the one who created Gael''s world and Alice''s world then everything falls into ce... So my world wasst, right?"


    Wain had been trying for a long time to find answers to his questions, one of which was the nature of their worlds. He knew that neither Gael''s world, Alice''s world, nor his world originally had energy. It all happened after some disaster that was actually the entrance of energy into their worlds, but Wain didn''t understand that at the time.


    ''Fine, now I see... The Nameless King decided to give his energy to someone this way and somehow I was the perfect candidate. Well, let''s see how he created my world that ended up beingpletely destroyed...'' Wain muttered inwardly with a sad look as his face darkened.


    He hated to realize that he was, in fact, just thest n of someone truly great.


    ''If Nameless King hadn''t been in such a desperate situation, I simply wouldn''t have existed... No, not just me. Gael, Eva, Alice, Zero, and the others... We all only appeared because the Nameless King had no other choice.'' Wain bit his lip to blood with a frown as his pupils narrowed in anger.<novelnext></novelnext>


    At the same time, theet exploded as the creation of thest world that contained a fraction of Nameless King''s power began.


    Wain watched it with mixed emotions as he could not understand whether he should be grateful to the Nameless King for allowing him to be born, or on the contrary hate him?


    ''Agh... Well, no one really controlled me anyway. He was doing his best, I just happened to get his power. Isn''t that called fate?'' Wain wondered while intently watching the creation of his world.


    The worlds didn''t start from ancient times as they were already filled with cities and lots of people who just appeared out of nowhere as it only took a small amount of energy to create them. Everything was just pretty old, about a few hundred years before the advent of electricity and the Wain''s birth.


    "Well, well, that''s it..." The Nameless King muttered in exhaustion while his dark silhouette split into small wisps of darkness until he finally fell into ake at the edge of one city, disappearingpletely.


    Theke went ck until after a while it returned to its former appearance, but the previously clear water was still muddy as a swamp.


    "Agh... Everyone said Nameless King died during the Great War, but I seem to be the only one besides Abyss Artist who knows the truth now... It was impressive, but also so damn sad..." Wain uttered before flying forward.


    The shback wasn''t over yet, so Wain decided to watch his world unfold. It was as if everything was happening in fast motion as gradually the cities and the appearance of the people approached the standard of the time in which he lived.


    ''When will this finally happen...?'' Wain muttered to himself as he stopped. He felt like he was waiting for something, but he didn''t know what.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly theke in which Nameless King died trembled as a silhouette started to emerge from the water, but it was not Nameless King as the silhouette was very low like a kid.


    Wain''s eyes went wide, only then he realized that his first memory was of being wet and cold walking out of the water and heading straight toward the slums. The same thing this kid was doing with a lost look in his eyes.


    Wain thought he would now look at his life, but suddenly the kid was looking right at him. It was a thin boy with thick ck hair and green eyes that were unnaturally deep for his age. Their eyes met as a shiver ran through Wain''s body and his pupils narrowed.


    "This moment has finally arrived... I''ve had to wait a long time, but now I''m finally here..." A majesty voice rang out, however, the one who spoke was not the boy but Wain, whose gaze was suddenly like the ruler of the world while millions of memory fragments filled his mind.


    At the same time, a pir of dark energy burst from the top of the shining tree, shaking the heavens as well as the earth.

 Chapter 849 Nameless King

    "What''s going on...?!" Aurora eximed in disbelief as a shiver ran through her body. Everyone who watched the battle felt the same way, except for a few people.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly an indescribable amount of dark energy began to emanate from Wain''s body. There were only ten seconds left before his soul should have burned outpletely, but now his soul seemed to start growing.


    "It can''t be..." Gael uttered with wide eyes. No matter how strong he was, no one could have guessed that this would actually happen.


    The change wasn''t just happening to Wain, in his Soul Altar after a long time, the dark gate trembled for the first time as well as the thick chains holding it back.


    With each passing moment, Wain''s energy increased in what looked like a whirlwind capable of destroying anything, savage and violent, but Wain''s eyes were calm as if it meant nothing.


    His gaze grew deeper as if of a man who had been through thousands of battles and lived through several hundred years while the world around him gradually regained its speed.


    ''Well, well, what a strange feeling... I have two people''s memories in my head at the same time, but at the same time, I have always remained myself... dius, you are going through the same thing, right?'' Wain inwardly asked as his cold gaze fell on the dark sword in his hand.


    ''Yeah... It feels like I was asleep for a very long time, but at the same time, someone was controlling my body, though, in the end, it was still me... I don''t know how to describe it, but what I am definitely sure of is that my power is the same as before!'' dius eximed as the empty runes on his de shone brightly with violet light.


    No energy came from dius as his de just shuddered, sending ripples through the air.


    ''Fine... I haven''t felt this strong in a long time, though I am far from my former level...'' Wain said to himself as his consciousness shifted to his soul which was slowly growing, ''Though perhaps feeling weak was a good lesson. That''s my soul in the Fourth Chronicle, hah, it was so small when I was first born the second time... Well, it''s time for things to fall into ce.''


    Wain mentally reached forward as he touched the chains on the gate with the tip of his finger, then the chains stopped shaking and many small cracks appeared on them.


    ''He did a good job... This spell might actually im to be the greatest ever created...'' Wain uttered looking at the Abyss Artist standing off to the side. He as well as the other forms watched Wain''s actions with a slight smile on his face as if he had met his friend after a long separation.


    ''Go ahead, show them that the King is back.'' Abyss Artist said with a devious smile on his face.


    Wain nodded slightly as the chains shattered into many shards, falling beside him and slowly disappearing into the void. At the same time, a massive seal appeared on the gate that was identical to the magic circle the Abyss Artist used to save the Nameless King.


    ''Well, I think some of them already figured that out, but first I must finally get what I have been deprived of for so long.'' Wain said calmly as the seal glowed brightly. It burned with a purple me, allowing the gate to finally open.


    Behind the gate floated a simple ck crown on which burned a faint dark me. It was some of that power Wain had used when he entered the new world to deal with its energy.


    ''After all this time I can finally use it again. Now, I even feel sorry for Virion, he stole an artifact from one of the rulers of Arkan World trying to take the power of the heir of the Nameless King, fate is definitely not on his side, for no heir ever existed.'' Wain wondered before reaching out in a majestic way.


    Whoooooooooosh.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The crown headed toward him, slowly settling on his head. At the same time, his aura grew several times as streams of darkness burst from his body.


    ''I used to wear armor, I was quite old-fashioned, but today is the right day to change my image slightly.'' Wain whispered as his consciousness returned to the real world.


    Virion looked at him with a frightened look while dense chains of fear enveloped his rapidly beating heart.


    "No way... Is this real...?" Virion muttered in disbelief as his gaze met Wain''s own.


    "Yes, what you see is quite real. Poor boy, you tried to take the power from the heir, but you actually faced the Nameless King himself." Wain said majestically as a dark crown appeared on his head and a huge amount of dark energy came out.


    [Error!]


    [Error!]


    [Error!]


    [Advancement to the Fifth Chronicle is impossible without fulfilling the conditions! The energy must be restored to its previous level!]


    A powerful pressure came down on Wain that could have easily crushed him into the ground, but that was before as now Wain just stood still with a careless look.


    ''Hm? Conditions? Since when does anyone have the right to restrict me?'' Wain clenched his palm into a fist as if trying to break something invisible.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space trembled as a faint white glow appeared in front of Wain that after a moment it covered the entire world before disappearing. Everyone in the universe felt a strange shudder as if after a long time someone important had returned to the world, someone who once again marked the beginning of a new era.


    "''Fate, you will never be able to restrain me again, and I will definitely reach my final goal." Wain said as his coat was covered in a strong dark me and it was as if a long cape with a powerful aura appeared behind him.


    [Err...! E#@? #!]


    The messagespletely broke as Wain regained some of his true power instantly reaching the Absolute Stage and activating his form.


    [You got your Form - King of Darkness!]

 Chapter 850 The Return Of The King

    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Streams of energy enveloped Wain''s body, rushing toward the heavens at great speed. Wain looked as if his power was infinite, even though he was technically on the Absolute Stage.


    Virion could easily defeat the Fifth Chronicle monster on the Absolute Stage, and after using the Azure Horn he became strong enough to fight even Demigods, however, none of that mattered since he now had Nameless King before him!


    "No, no, no! Nameless King died five hundred years ago! The second ruler of the Arkan World sacrificed himself by blowing up his soul to end it forever!" Virion eximed with a startled look as he unconsciously stepped back.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Virion gathered energy at the tip of his spear as a massive beam of energy flew out of his de. It was like aser with tremendous velocity aiming straight for Wain.


    "Not bad, even Demigod would have been injured by this attack, though you are only in the Fourth Chronicle. Well, what a pity you chose me as your opponent." Wain stretched his arm forward. A thin shroud of darkness covered his palm as theser reached Wain.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The collision of the two types of energy caused shock waves shaking the space as even the dome from the Azure Horn began to be covered in small cracks.


    It seemed that theser could pierce through Wain at any moment, leaving a wide hole in his body, until Wain sighed and the darkness in his palm trembled. At the same moment, theser disintegrated into tiny particles as the creepy jaws ate it from the inside.


    "What...? That''s impossible! Your jaws shouldn''t be able to hurt this power!" Virion''s face went pale as he grew cold as if death itself had already put its scythe to his neck.


    Wain''s face remained calm as he slowly said, "Don''tpare me to who you were fighting a moment ago. You had the power to kill me weakened, but now it''s over, your fate isn''t the same as mine, you will fall by my sword."


    Wain stepped forward and with an ice-cold look swung his swordpletely covered in a thick, seemingly endless darkness.


    Above the Shining Tree appeared a dark sh that immediately disappeared, then the space was split in two with a thin ck streak that appeared after Wain''s sweep.


    "Goodbye, that was a great fight. If you hadn''t been so strong, I wouldn''t have had to burn my soul a second time and I might never have awakened." Wain said calmly as the tip of his sword reached the ground.


    At the same moment, the shining tree was split in two as well as Virion. He didn''t try to escape as fear hadpletely bound him and he had already realized that this ending was inevitable.


    ''Fuck... I was so close to my goal, but in the end, I was wrong anyway. Well, at least I tried...'' Virion thought before the dark de cut through his heart.


    The Dark de kept moving forward even after Virion''s death as it reached the dome. Probably no living creature could break this dome from the outside, but it was much easier to do it from the inside.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crack.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The dome trembled until it shattered into tiny shards under the pressure of the dark de. Wain''s attack moved on, leaving a deep cut in the ground behind it, which could havepletely changed thendscape, so someone had to stop it.


    "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Suddenly there was thunderousughter shaking the air as Alucard eximed with an excited expression, "This is incredible! My instincts told me that something unique was going to happen today, but I had no idea this could be it!"


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Alucard''s silhouette blurred as he turned into clots of blood heading forward, in a heartbeat he appeared before the dark de with a mad smile on his face.


    "I will be the one to stop the first attack of the Nameless King! It''s the best post-awakening gift possible!" Alucard''s pupils became vertical as his nails grew much longer, like the ws of a wild beast.


    His hands were covered in a thickyer of blood as the dark de collided with it. Alucard immediately spat out a mouthful of blood as his face contorted in pain, but then a strange grin of pleasure appeared on his face.


    "Ahahaha, this is what I needed. I can feel this energy trying to devour me, to destroy mepletely, but it looks like Nameless King hasn''t fully recovered yet!" Alucard waved his arms, splitting the dark de into several pieces. Darkness spread around like shards from the ck mirror, hovering in the air above Alucard.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Wain walked to the edge of the shining tree, looked at Alucard, and with a slight smile said, "I knew it would be weak for you, so I made sure it was at least interesting."


    ''What...?'' Alucard gave him a questioning look.


    Wain just smirked before snapping his fingers. At the same moment, the shards of darkness turned into a multitude of eerie ghosts with massive jaws. Gradually there were more of them until exactly 99 were created.


    "See if you can handle it." Wain raised his hand and swung down as if giving an order.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    All the ghosts rained down on Alucard at once, like a mighty hail of dark arrows. The ghosts tore Alucard''s body apart, destroying everything around him and leaving wide craters on the ground.


    "ARGH!!!" Alucard''s face contorted in horrible pain, it seemed that he would not be able to live to see the end.


    When all the ghosts exploded and their energy drained from Alucard''s body, only a third of it remained. He looked as if he had encountered a hungry bear, but this was no problem for Alucard as a satisfied smirk appeared on his face.


    "Fine, that''s different. I haven''t felt that in a long time." Alucard muttered as his aura intensified. After a moment, all of his wounds healed and he turned around, walking back up the hill to Gael.


    Wain nodded slightly before he looked at the rock on which Sven was standing with a devious smile.

 Chapter 851 Plans

    "Well, well, I guess I canmend myself properly. I couldn''t believe it until the end, but I''ve been right since we first met." Sven muttered with a slight smile before stepping forward.


    Marlis and Osvald just stood there with their eyes and mouths wide open, it seemed their jaws could drop to the ground at any moment. They were experienced fighters, so they were used to reacting to the unexpected, but this was too much.


    ''What the hell...? Sven had assumed from the beginning that Wain was the real Nameless King...?!'' Marlis eximed to herself while in disbelief.


    ''Damn... I knew Sven is clever but was it possible to guess...?'' Osvald wondered as a chill ran down his back.


    Sven turned around and said rxedly, ''Hahaha, don''t look so surprised, I was giving this theory a maximum of 3% sess rate. Nameless King was actually able to fool the world, I just happened to be the one who was willing to believe in a miracle."


    Sven''s silhouette blurred, then he appeared atop the shining tree, next to Wain.


    "Hey, Wain Norheim, long time no see, or Nameless King, that would be more correct in this situation, wouldn''t it?" Sven said with a sly grin while slowly waving his hand.


    ''Hah, what a bastard... He might not have emphasized it so much.'' Wain inwardly muttered as he sighed, there was nothing more he could do, everyone heard Sven.


    Even though it was obvious, it wasn''t until Sven said it that the realization came to everyone that they now knew what the famous Nameless King looked like and even what his name was.


    "Wait... That''s right, Nameless King never revealed his identity... Perhaps no one knew what he really looked like at all, but now we can all see it..." The man on the God Stage muttered with a dazed look.


    "Damn... I wasn''t sure if I should havee here, but I actually witnessed a lot of unique events..." The girl flinched as her gaze went to Wain.


    Then, all eyes were focused on him, it seemed that even those who weren''t around the shining tree were looking at him, as this was an event of historical proportions.


    "I have a question. Wain Norheim is that your real name...? I mean, five hundred years ago, was it the same?" Sven asked, continuing to reveal more and more information about the mysterious earlier man.


    Everyone held their breath waiting for his answer, it seemed that the name was somethingmonce and it shouldn''t be that interesting to others, but not when it came to the Nameless King.


    "If I were in a different situation, I would make you seriously regret what you said." Wain said seriously as his eyes became as cold as deadly des, "However, I will answer, consider it a thank you for what you did long ago."


    Sven''s eyes went wide as he was surprised, then a slight smile appeared on his face, "Fine, that''s fair."


    "Yes, Wain Norheim is my real name. It is the name of the one who bore the Title - Nameless King five hundred years ago and today I am back. It is really me, so I want everyone who is here now to spread the news around the world." Wain''s voice was like thunder entering everyone''s mind as people were mesmerized for a moment.<novelnext></novelnext>


    p. p. p.


    Sven began to p his hands slowly with narrowed eyes, "Nice, that''s what I was hoping to hear. You have the right name and look for your status, honestly I imagined you about that, even when you were hiding your body with darkness."


    "You and I will have much to discuss, but not now." Wain said seriously as he looked directly into Sven''s eyes.


    Sven nodded, "Sure, I understand. You know where to find me,e back anytime, but I''d advise you to hurry as things are starting to speed up now."


    "Yeah... What practically stopped for five hundred years is now in motion. I have a lot of work to do, but I''ll be sure toe to you soon." Wain spoke softly so that only Sven could hear him, then he turned around to look at the audience.


    His aura intensified as the massive silhouette of some creature with a huge creepy jaw appeared above him. Many eyes opened on the creature''s head as each was aimed at some viewer inflicting fear on them.


    "The show is over, get out of here, you have five seconds or I will get to each of you personally and I guarantee, you will not like it." Wain said calmly, but his voice was like the whisper of the ghost of death making cold sweat appear on people''s foreheads.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    In a second all the hills and cliffs were empty, and the terrified onlookers turned into shes, walking as far away from the glowing tree as possible. It affected everyone, even those on the God Stage, so now there were only a few people left.


    "Hah, that was really scary. Alia, how are you feeling?" Gael asked as he turned to his assistant.


    Alia stayed where she was, but her legs were shaking violently and her eyes were wide in fear, about the same with Krakos.


    "So his name is Wain... I mean, I knew that before, but I didn''t know it was Nameless King''s name. Damn, that''s pretty confusing but pretty damn interesting." Alucard smiled while scratching the back of his head in an awkward manner, "Well, I guess it''s time for us to go too. The main show''s over, so there''s no point in us staying here anymore."


    "I agree. We can talk to him a littleter." Gael nodded before swinging his sword. The four of them were covered in streams of ash, then they disappeared, leaving the hill empty.


    Aside from Sven, Osvald, and Marlis who hadn''t left yet, the only ones Wain didn''t scare were the three girls he had a special rtionship with.


    ''Aurora... I have something to discuss with you too.'' Wain muttered inwardly as he looked at her.

 Chapter 852 Conversation

    "Well, looks like I''ll be on the way here." Sven looked at the girls in the distance as he took a step back, "I''ll wait for you, try not to be too long."


    "I can''t promise anything, as not beingte will be quite difficult." Wain said calmly looking at the departing Sven.


    "Sure, I understand." Sven nodded slightly before his silhouette blurred. He appeared next to Osvald and Marlis. They nodded to each other, then disappeared in an unknown direction.


    Thus, around the shining tree where dozens of people had just been, only three remained Aurora, Maria, and Zero.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    After a while, when the girls came to their senses, they quickly hurried to Wain. Zero and Maria did not know how they should have reacted to what had happened, but Aurora immediately sprang into action as she knelt before him.


    "My King I am d your death turned out to be false...." Aurora mumbled with aplicated look as she struggled to adapt to her new situation while a storm of emotions got in her way a lot, but she tried to be as serious as possible.


    "Aurora, get up, there''s no need for that." Wain said as he waved his hand.


    "But... You are the Nameless King, or rather you are our King! I never dared to im your role! I was merely performing duties as temporary ruler!" Aurora looked at Wain as she eximed with a sincere look.


    "Well, you just know too little of what happened five hundred years ago. As before I will be the leader of all, it is my duty, but I am the power, even before the great war, the kingdom was not ruled by me." Wain said confidently and looked into the distance as if he remembered something very important.


    "What...? You were definitely our ruler, then what are you talking about...?" Aurora''s eyes went wide, "Please exin!"


    Wain was silent for a while before he said, "Aurora, you probably think you were talking to Wain before, and now you have a Nameless King in front of you, so things are very different, but they are not. I''m still not used to what''s happened myself, but I haven''t really changed at all. Nameless King and Wain Norheim are not two different people who have upied this body at different times, they are one person, that''s I."


    Wain immediately continued, "I achieved my power because I am who I am, as well as I was able to regain my memories because I stayed the way I was. Simply put, if Wain Norheim told you before that he wasn''t going to be the ruler of the Human World, Nameless King tells you the same thing."


    Aurora didn''t know what to say. When Wain refused her, she thought it was because he was inexperienced, and in a pinch, she could use force, but now she was helpless. There was only one right thing to do in such a situation.


    "I see your point, in that case, who was running Human World while you were busy with other tasks requiring your incredible strength?" Aurora asked while pressing her palm against her chest.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Well, unfortunately, I can''t tell you that at the moment since that person can''t yet take over those duties again and I''m not sure if he will." Wain muttered with aplicated expression as he tilted his head slightly.


    "What...? Will Human World be without a ruler then?" Aurora muttered in a worried manner as goosebumps ran down her body.


    "Hm? What are you talking about?" Wain looked at her in a confusion, "Human World has a ruler, it''s you."


    "I...?" Aurora gave him a questioning look.


    "Sure. You''ve been doing quite well these past few years, moreover, when you start working together with Gisle, you''ll be able to achieve more sess than separately. It will be a golden time for everyone, I''m sure of it." Wain nodded before extending his hand to her.


    Aurora, after a brief hesitation, answered and rose to her feet. She looked at Wain and with a serious look asked, "Do you really trust me?"


    "Yeah, why not? Your intentions are sincere and you truly only want a better life for humans. The methods of your rule don''t bother me, as long as it works well enough then it''s eptable."


    "I hear you." Aurora clenched her palms into fists and straightened up, "My King, I will not fail you. From this day forward, I will work even harder and try to cooperate more with Gisle Enge!"


    "Fine, that''s the answer I was hoping to hear." Wain nodded.


    "King, I don''t mean to be rude, but what are you going to do now? I mean, it sounds like even after you wake up you have some very important business to attend to." Aurora asked looking intently at Wain.


    "You are right, though the Great War ended five hundred years ago, this will not be thest war as there is onest threat left for this world. Only after I''ve dealt with it can I breathe a sigh of relief and do something else." Wain said slowly as in every word he spoke there was a weight, a strength, and a pain-filled with time with experiences.


    "Are you talking about the remaining ruler of the Arkans World?" Aurora looked at him as her eyes went wide. She knew how strong the Nameless King''s opponent was during the great war, so she feared for the future.


    "Yes. He has certainly not abandoned his purpose, I am sure that all these five hundred years he has been rebuilding and preparing for the final battle. Most likely he would have liked to postpone this event as far away as possible, but it has already begun since I awakened."


    Wain nodded slightly as his gaze became deadly serious, "In other words, thest major war in this world will be the second Great War in which the dispute between the Humans and Arkans will finally be settled as well as most conflicts between other races."

 Chapter 853 White

    The mention of the Great War was usually taken as just a crucial historical fact, but it was something that had long been forgotten and was forever in the pages of history, but Wain''s words had apletely different meaning.


    Now Nameless King is back, so if Wain spoke of the imminent outbreak of a second Great War, it was almost inevitable.


    "King, do you believe a second Great War is about to begin?" Aurora asked with a worried look.


    "Sure. However, it will take quite some time for such a massive event to begin. Moreover, if you haven''t reached the Transcendence Stage by then, you won''t be on the battlefield." Wain said calmly as he let some of his aura out. He was now on the Absolute Stage, but histent power far surpassed Aurora''s.


    "What...? But, even if I couldn''t reach the Transcendence Stage I will still fight with you! It is my duty!" Aurora eximed in a brave voice.


    Wain shook his head, "That''s out of the question. How long do you think you can hold out in battle against an Elf Progenitor or against someone like Sven? They would only need one swing to kill you, so the best thing for you would be to stay in Human World and protect our people."


    Aurora wanted to object, but she just couldn''t say anything. Wain was absolutely right, she had almost reached the pinnacle of power, but had not yet taken the final step, so those at the very top could easily throw her down just as she had everyone behind her.


    "Well, you shouldn''t be so frightened. The Great War will not begin soon, I, the ruler of the Arkan World, and everyone else need to prepare, the world will be rtively calm for some time yet." Wain sighed slightly as if he was ready to fight.


    "I understand you. I''ll try to make sure you don''t worry about the safety of the Human World while you fight." Aurora said seriously with eyes as deep as the ocean.


    "Hey... Are you really Wain...?" Zero suddenly asked with a frowned look.


    "Hm?" Wain raised an eyebrow as he looked at Zero, her gaze was wary and she clenched her fists hard as if preparing to attack at any moment, "I see... Do you think I took Wain''s body? I didn''t, I can exin, though it''s best if I show you."


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    Wain stepped forward, turning into a blob of darkness as he appeared directly in front of Zero. She wanted to jump back, but didn''t have time since Wain''s fingertip had already touched her forehead, then a piece of his energy headed toward her as Wainunched Zero into her mind.


    In a few moments, her mind was filled with all the memories they had shared as well as Wain''s thoughts in those moments. The whole process took a couple of seconds, after which Wain removed his hand.


    Zero''s body trembled, then she looked at Wain and tears came out of her eyes as she ran towards him practically throwing herself at him.


    Wain didn''t expect this as for a moment he was puzzled, but he quickly answered her, holding her tightly to him with a slight smile on his face.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''Well, well, she has the same type of character as me, she is cold, calm, and suspicious, but when that armores off such a person bes very sensitive for a short period.'' Wain inwardly muttered with closed eyes as he too enjoyed Zero''s sincere feelings.


    "I''m sorry I didn''t trust you... It''s just, it was all too strange... I didn''t know what to do..." Zero whispered that even Wain could hardly hear her.


    "It''s all good. As before, first of all, I''ve always been Wain Norheim, Nameless King is an identity for those I didn''t consider close enough." Wain patted Zero''s head, lightly mussing her hair.


    "Ughum..." Zero nodded.


    After a while, Zero stepped aside. She seemed to be calm again, but now there was a distinct warmth from her as if there was nothing left of the cold.


    ''Agh... I hope someday something will happen to me too that will allow me to feel the same warmth.'' Wain wondered looking at Zero, then his gaze moved to Maria.


    "Hm? Is there something you want to tell me?" Maria bowed her head in confusion. Unlike the others she was not so much surprised since she assumed that there was some kind of power inside Wain, she just didn''t know what it was.


    "Yes, I have a special conversation for you, but not now. Stay in Human World or Last Light so I can find you. As soon as I''ve dealt with all the urgent business, I''lle to you right away." Saying this, Wain stared at Maria as if he could look right into her soul.


    Maria was not usually used to obeying someone''s orders, except Gisle''s, but she realized that Wain was serious, so she had no choice but to nod, "Okay, I hear you. I''ll be in Last Light, Gisle probably has a lot of work for me already."


    "Fine." Wain closed his eyes as he turned toward his already dead opponent. Viriony on the ground with a nk stare while dark blood slowly pooled.


    "Go away. You were thest people I wanted to talk to. Right now I want to stay here alone." Wain said quietly with a wave of his hand.


    Maria, Aurora, and Zero looked at each other, nodded, and walked away in silence, understanding the situation. A powerful wind blew as only Wain remained at the top of the shining tree.


    He walked slowly toward Virion, stopping in front of him. Virion wanted to kill him, but Wain felt a strange sense of gratitude since all of this had happened because of him.


    "Well, we would never be friends, but as a mark of respect for your efforts, I will treat your soul ordingly." Wain uttered as suddenly a massive white soul flew out of Virion''s body.


    "The white color is special, it''s much purer than Common Souls, because only people who are already ready to go to the Transcendence Stage can have such souls, it''s pretty damn rare, especially considering he was in the Fourth Chronicle."

 Chapter 854 Questions

    Wain stared at Virion''s soul for some time before he walked over and touched it. He could have absorbed this soul to gain a great deal of energy, it would have helped him greatly to recover from such a long battle, but he was not about to do so.


    "Maybe the other races are right about something... If you think about it, the fact that humans devour souls instead of purifying them looks pretty awful, but we are what we are, aren''t we?" Wain uttered before sending a pulse of energy through his arm.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The soul trembled, gradually growingrger until it exploded. Wain didn''t destroy the soul, he just split it into hundreds of strands of energy, which spread out like streams all over the world. Even those who were hundreds of kilometers away from the shining tree saw this as energetically the streams looked like shooting stars.


    "Well, well, now I actually believe he''s back..." Ezrin muttered sitting on top of the glowing ind. He looked up at the sky with a dazed look like everyone else. "Agh... Nameless King turned out to be alive, I knew that fate could not affect him, but he cheated even death. Hah, doesn''t that mean that in this he surpassed even Alucard?"


    "Master, isn''t Alucard absolutely immortal? I mean... it''s possible to defeat him, but definitely impossible to kill him." The angel with the massive ck wings asked in a polite voice while darkness flowed down from them with a powerful aura.


    "That''s true, but the point is that Alucard can''t die, so if someone could somehow kill him, he wouldn''te back to life, but Nameless King could. Send someone to him, I want him to know that the Angels have a new Progenitor and I want to be allied with the strongest being in history." Ezrin smirked before he stood up.


    He looked around, crossed his arms over his chest, and said, "I''m sure he still has a lot of work to do as well as we do. We have to make the Angel Society the best version of it ever was."


    The Angels'' eyes went wide as they were shocked by his words, or rather by his attitude. Everyone knew that in the first Great War, the Angels had been one of the opponents of the Nameless King, so Ezrin''s decisionpletely changed the rtionship between their races, of course, if the Nameless King agreed to ept the offer.


    "As you wish. I will go now." The angel with the ck wings leaned in with his palm against his chest before disappearing in a dark sh.


    Ezrin, Alucard, and Gael were not the only Progenitors for whom the appearance of the Nameless King was the most important event of thest few hundred years. Not all of them were happy about it, especially those who, for whatever reason, defected to the Arkans during that time.


    ...


    After Wain divided Virion''s soul into energy streams he sat down on one of the wrecks and closed his eyes.


    ''Now it''s time for me to talk to you, isn''t it?'' Wain asked as his mind moved to his Soul Temple. Here were all the forms that now hadplex expressions on their faces.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''Yeah... We have plenty of time.'' The Abyss Artist nodded slightly as a sly smile appeared on his face.


    Wain sighed, ''I don''t understand something. If your entities are here it means I was able to save you, I took the poison out of your souls, but then why haven''t you found me yet? I mean, your real bodies, not these blobs of energy that are here.''


    Wain knew that the Blind Sorcerer was capable of dividing his own or others'' souls into several parts, but usually, this spell was not necessary as it could only be needed in a specific situation.


    Everyone was silent until Blind Sorcerer decided to answer his question, "The whole point is that we underestimated how dangerous the energy of the ruler of the Arkan World really was."


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?" Wain frowned as he sensed it was something bad.


    "That day you took all the harmful energy that was destroying our souls, so we were saved, however, it took us a long time to recover all the lost energy." Blind Sorcerer said quietly with a shrug.


    "And...? This was nned from the beginning. Even if more damage was done to your souls than we thought, it should have taken you a maximum of three hundred years to recover, the absolute limit. In that case, where are you? What happened?" Wain''s eyes grew cold as his aura intensified. He wasn''t one to like having his ns go awry, especially ones this important.


    "Well, you shouldn''t be angry." Code of Light and Darkness suddenly said with a smirk on his face, "The answer is simple, our souls have fully recovered since 450 years ago, however, they were exposed to too much shock and sealed themselves from outside influence, in other words, we are asleep and cannot wake up."


    Wain was silent for a while until he nodded with a meaningful look. He knew it was true as there was no point in them deceiving him, so Wain simply epted the situation as it was.


    "I see... It makes sense, we couldn''t assume that since we were the first ones to survive the battle with him at all... Damn... even in the best situation there is something bad, isn''t there?" Wain muttered thoughtfully, "Then where are you? How do I wake you up?"


    "That''s a good question." Blind Sorcerer smiled and with a slight nod said, "You''ve been to this ce before, it is in Humans World."


    Wain''s eyes went wide as he immediately remembered the ces on the edge of the world where the six seals with unique marks were located.


    ''Aurora couldn''t unlock them... Hah, it all falls into ce now, though... Wait, the seals were six, not seven...'' Wain wondered as he looked at the Abyss Artist.

 Chapter 855 Seals

    Wain received his first form early in his journey. The Code of Light and Darkness helped him deal with a serious opponent that threatened the integrity of the Overion, and Wain did so with ease.


    Throughout this time, Wain changed his mind many times about what the forms could really be, until he finally decided that they used to be humans, just like him.


    ''But, more than that, they are my closest friends and battle buddies...'' Wain internally muttered with a lost look, ''How strange... All this time they were helping me, but I couldn''t figure it out. Memory is actually one of the most important of a thing.''


    "So your bodies are behind the seals, right?" Wain asked with a serious look.


    "Yeah..." Blind Sorcerer nodded, "As well as the blocked part of the Human World. On the one hand that''s good, since we have someone to keep an eye on, but on the other... it''s been years there..."


    As soon as Blind Sorcerer said this Wain''s eyes opened wide as he just realized something obvious, but very important. Wain''s memory was returned to him in its entirety, however, some parts were not yet connected as it required some trigger.


    ''Right... All the memories I''ve seen before... they''re more than real. All the people, all the ces, all the events... it all happened, in reality, years ago and is kept behind six seals...'' Wain said to himself, stared at Blind Sorcerer, and asked, "How do I break the seals? How do I set you free?"


    "Well, it''s pretty simple, but it''splicated at the same time. Our souls created these seals, so first, you need to get your power back and reach the Transcendence Stage so you be strong enough to do so." Blind Sorcerer said quietly with a shrug.


    Wain let out a light sigh, "Transcendence Stage...? Well, it''ll take some time, but I''ll definitely make it before the second Great War begins."


    "The Last One." Cursed Swordsman''s cold voice growled as frosty mist appeared beside him, "This time the Arkans will be done with. This race is simply a disease of our world that is destroying it from within."


    Wain''s face became serious, but he didn''t say anything.


    "Hey... Aren''t you being too harsh? In Arkan World, everyone obeys the stronger one, so it literally depends on the leader what all members of that race will do." ck Sun Aristocrat interjected as he shook his hand.


    "I agree." Light Racer nodded, "One of the two rulers is already dead, so there is only one person left to kill. There''s no point in wiping out an entire race, it would be true genocide. I don''t approve of that."


    "Hmm? You are too soft. That''s because you haven''t felt the same pain as me and the Cursed Swordsman." The Knight of the Bloody Rose spoke in an ice-cold voice with his arms crossed over his chest, "I do not wish the same for you, but I believe the Arkans should be dead. Even if it''s genocide, I''m willing to go along with it, since then we''ll eliminate the possibility of someone like those two showing up."


    "Hey... I think you all got a little too serious." Code of Light and Darkness entered the discussion with a slight smile on his face, "Arkans are dangerous, that''s a fact, but just because of the idea and their ruler''s ability to take over an entire world, so we just need to kill the leader and that''s it."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "You''re trying to bnce as always, right?" Blind Sorcerer nced at Code of Light and Darkness, "However, it''s not logical. Knight of the Bloody Rose is right, history could repeat itself and then the world would be in danger again. We''ll kill millions but potentially save billions, isn''t the solution obvious? It''s just math."


    Gradually the forms began to argue with each other. Opinions were equally divided and each had his or her own reasons. The only one who hadn''t yet made his point was Abyss Artist, he just stood back and watched with a sly smirk.


    "Enough." Wain said calmly as his gaze drifted to Abyss Artist, "There is no point in arguing. Even if we can win again, no one knows what will happen next, we''ll make a decision when the timees. What matters now is something else... Where is your body?"


    Before being reborn, Wain had taken Abyss Artist''s poison from his soul as well as that of the other forms, moreover, Abyss Artist originally had a slightly better condition than the others, so Wain did not understand why the real Abyss Artist had not yet found him.


    "Well, it is in one piece." Abyss Artist just shrugged, "I put a spell on the others so they could recover faster, I didn''t expect their souls to block themselves, it''s a unique situation after all."


    Abyss Artist continued, "In fact, you''ve been near my body once before, you just didn''t notice it, but you can hardly wake me up now since my soul did the same thing as the others'' souls."


    Wain nodded, "I see... So if I want to finally wake you up, I have to get my power back first, right?"


    "Exactly." Abyss Artist smiled, "Luckily, you don''t have to go through the same difficult path this time."


    "Yeah, you''re right. I had to divide my power for the spell to work properly, so I only have to return the remaining two pieces. However, I want to see your body first, I have to make sure it is safe." Wain said with a serious look.


    Abyss Artist stepped forward, crossed his arms, and spoke, "Well, in that case, it''s time to go back to your new home."


    "Hm? New home?" Wain raised his eyebrows in confusion, not understanding what Abyss Artist was talking about.


    "In Last Light! My body is there!" The Abyss Artist eximed with an excited expression.


    ''Last Light...? What...? But where...?'' Wain asked himself. He could not understand as it was strange because the Last Light appeared muchter than his rebirth.

 Chapter 856 Angel

    Wain took some time to discuss with the forms before being ready to set off.


    "Agh... Lands of the Gods, this ce is still as stunning as ever... Too bad that part of it will have to be ruined again for a few centuries, but there is no better battleground." Wain stood on the edge of the shining tree and muttered as he watched the bright sun illuminate the vastnds.


    Walking into Land of the Gods a few hours ago he was Wain Norheim, a guy with unique powers who was trying to find answers to his questions, but now he was also a Nameless King, and apart from questions he also had a clear purpose.


    ''Will our conflict finally end? I hope I can rest then...it will surely be a wonderful time.'' Wain inwardly muttered before stepping forward.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Suddenly a dark sh appeared in front of him. Wain immediately jumped back and prepared to fight. His powerful aura shook the space, causing ripples through the air with energy flows enveloping him like a veil.


    "Forgive me for appearing so suddenly. I was afraid you would leave and then I could hardly catch up with you." The angel with the massive ck wings uttered in a respectful voice before bowing with his palm pressed to his chest.


    ''An angel with ck wings...? Aren''t they bloody rare? Wain inwardly muttered as his aura gradually returned to normal. The pressure on Angel had eased so he could exhale in relief.


    "What do you want? I wasn''t expecting visitors." Wain called to dius and ced his hand on the hilt of his sword.


    "Please, that''s not necessary. I''m not going to fight you, as all you have to do is one swang with your sword to end me. I''m here to deliver a message to you." The angel pped his wings as his gaze grew serious.


    "A message? From whom?" Wain tilted his head in confusion.


    Angel paused for a moment before solemnly announcing, "From the new Progenitor and Leader of all Angels, Ezrin, the Tarnished Star!"


    "What the hell...?" Wain''s eyes went wide, "The new Progenitor of Angels...? No way... Is there...?


    "Are you saying that Amitiel is dead?" Wain stared at Angel with a deadly look, "There''s no way I''m believing this nonsense. Even I''m not sure I could kill Amitielpletely."


    In the first Great War, the Angels were on the side of the Arkans, as Amitiel wanted a piece of the total power over the entire world.


    Angel shuddered as goosebumps ran down his body, but in spite of that he didn''t back down, staying put, "I know it''s hard to believe, but it actually happened. If you want, you cane with me to Shining Ind and see for yourself."


    ''Hey... It may be strange, but he''s not lying. I''m sure of it.'' Abyss Artist''s voice echoed in Wain''s head.


    ''Yeah... I agree... Just look at him, he''s so proud of his leader''s achievement... Well, new times call for new people, don''t they?'' Blind Sorcerer joined in.


    "Fine. I believe you." Wain nodded, removing his hand from the hilt of his sword.


    Angel''s eyes opened wide for a moment as he smiled, "I''m d my words were convincing."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Anyway, hurry up. What does Ezrin want from me? I just returned, so I have a hell of a lot to do right now, and I can''t waste my time on obscure things." Wain said calmly.


    "Sure. I won''t keep you long. Ezrin''s message is very simple, he wants to be your ally." Angel spoke with a serious expression.


    Wain was silent for a while until he said in a deep voice, "Well, if that is his true desire, then I have no reason to refuse. However, you must understand the consequences if Ezrin chooses to deceive me."


    "Don''t worry about it. It''s a new time for all Angels now, so we too must change to create a better society. Building a rtionship with the most powerful person is a good first step, isn''t it?" Angel uttered as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    "Whatever." Wain shrugged, "When I have time I''ll visit him, now if that''s all, go away."


    Angel answered nothing, he just nodded before disappearing in a dark sh.


    ''Well, the world just heard about your return, but you already have one new ally. A fine start.'' Abyss Artist smiled with a sly expression.


    ''I agree. What''s more, it''s the Angels. Had it not been for Alucard, Amitiel might have prevented you from winning, so it''s good that our enemies are now our allies.'' Blind Sorcerer shook his head in an approving.


    Wain nodded, ''Yeah, you''re right. It''s fine that this Angel showed up here, now I realize I need to pay more attention to what has changed in recent times."


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Wain with a calm look jumped from the top of the shining tree, tumbling rapidly downward while his long ck coat fluttered in the mighty wind. Wain''s feet touched the ground as a ring of darkness spread several meters around him.


    ''Most of the changes will only begin to happen now as Lands of the Gods seals have only recently been removed.'' Abyss Artist uttered.


    "Amazing people always show up." Wain said while looking at the shining tree as he stepped aside.


    Wain grabbed dius by the hilt and his eyes grew deeper, "Virion, I''ve taken care of your soul, so it''s time to do the same to your body to finish our story."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A thick darkness covered the sword making it several timesrger. The dense energy could cut through anything, but Wain''s aim this time was simple.


    "Damn... Maybe sometimes I can be too sentimental about those who wanted to kill me..." Wain shook his head before swinging his sword.


    Several dark des flew out of the weapon, slicing the huge glowing tree into many pieces. They fell on top of each other, partially breaking and creating a massive crypt for one man.

 Chapter 857 Warm Up

    Lands of the Gods was a great distance from the general world and especially from Last Light. Wain entered Lands of the Gods through Death Shore, using the Abyss Artist''s portal, so it took him quite a while to get part of the way.


    ''Damn... This ce is really huge... It''s strange that I acted so careless when I first got here. For someone in the Fourth Chronicle, this ce is pretty damn dangerous.'' Wain muttered inwardly, creating tforms of darkness beneath him and bouncing off them.


    Each time he bounced off a tform he created a shockwave as a ring of darkness spread around before dissipating into wisps of energy. Wain''s energy was very dense, so it attracted the attention of some of the monsters that were already chasing him.


    ''Hmmm... Not bad, five hundred years ago even in Lands of the Gods, it would have been difficult to find so many monsters on the Absolute Stage in one ce, but now it seems to be no problem at all.'' Wain uttered to himself as he turned to look at the monsters. They tried to hide among the tall trees and rock masses, but it wasn''t enough to fool Wain''s gaze.


    tforms stopped appearing above him as Wainnded in the nearest field. At the same moment, all the monsters stopped, trying not to give away their presence.


    "Hey, stop wasting my time. I need to stretch so attack all at once, maybe then you can at least wound me." Wain said arrogantly as his calm voice reached each monster.


    However, no one rushed to act as silence fell. The monsters waited for the right moment to attack until there was a bright sh as if from a glint of metal in the forest.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Several des flew toward Wain''s side at breakneck speed. Wain didn''t dodge, it seemed to be happening too fast for him to react.


    Crackling.


    Suddenly Wain raised his hand as three des nestled between his fingers, stopping a few millimeters from his eyes.


    "Not bad. That''s enough to kill someone on the Absolute Stage, quietly, quickly, and deadly." Wain muttered with indifference and pressed his hand to his chest, spreading his des in a fan shape, "However, it''s not enough to bring destruction."


    Wain stepped forward, covered the des in thick darkness, and with a sweep of his hand threw them forward. The des did not fly straight ahead as they began to spin rapidly into ck discs.


    At the same moment, several shadows flew out of the forest just before the des reached the treespletely slicing through part of the forest. In the end, the des exploded with ck mes shaking the ground like after a weak earthquake.


    "It''s different now, isn''t it?" Wain smirked as he looked at the three monsters in front of him.


    One monster was skinny, whose body was covered with many sharp des. The second was a massive beast with a thick hide and massive paws capable of crushing even a veryrge boulder with ease. Thest one was a lizard with a long body that had white electric shocks running through it all the time.


    "Hah, you''re the only ones who decided to stay, right?" Wain grinned before reaching forward, "Well, I respect you for your courage, but your stupidity will get you killed."


    Goosebumps ran down the monsters'' bodies from Wain''s powerful aura, but instead of running away in fear, they decided to quickly attack Wain before he could do anything yet.


    The skinny monster lunged forward,unching many sharp des at Wain while the lightning lizard pounced on him from the other side, preparing to unleash the most powerful electrical charge on Wain. The ground shuddered from the massive beast''s leap as it folded its paws together about to smash Wain into the ground.


    ''A triple attack? Are these monsters working as a team? Amazing, it seems in the time Lands of the Gods has been isted everyone here has gone through some sort of mental evolution.'' Wain grinned inwardly before taking a step to his left.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Whooooooooosh.


    The sharp des flew past him, they seemed so close that they should have caught him at least a little bit, but Wain calcted it perfectly.


    "You''ll be the first." Wain''s sly eyes said this to the monster with the des before stepping forward.


    Wain''s silhouette blurred as a momentter he was right in front of the monster clutching one of his arms tightly.


    "You won''t need this anymore." Wain whispered, smirked, and with a sharp movement ripped his hand away. Dark blood gushed powerfully from the wound as a few dropsnded on Wain''s face.


    The monster tried to retreat by jumping back, but Wain quickly grabbed the monster''s leg and brought it crashing to the ground, shaking it.


    At the same moment, the lizard should have attacked Wain, but suddenly Wain lunged forward stepping on the skinny monster''s body and trampling it deeper into the ground.


    "Here we go!" Wain swung the monster''s severed arm as if with his sword, releasing a de of wind.


    The lizard''s pupils narrowed as it jumped aside, but Wain was already standing behind it like a silhouette of death.


    Crackle.


    Wain''s palm like a spear plunged into the lizard''s flesh with ease through the monster''s dense scales until it reached the lizard''s heart.


    "Well, you''re going to miss this." Wain said calmly before squeezing his palm, crushing the lizard''s heart.


    Roooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrr!!!


    This enraged the massive beast that with great force unleashed its full power on Wain. The beast''s paws were like huge hammers that were impossible to stop, but Wain kept standing still, he just raised his hand up.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    They collided as the ground beneath Wain cracked and his feet a few millimeters into it, however, it seemed that Wain did not feel in danger at all.


    "You''re so big, but you have no strength at all. Is there nothing but the air in your muscles?" Wain raised his head as one of his eyes turned as ck as the abyss itself, "Well, that doesn''t change anything anyway."


    From his palm came several wisps of darkness that quickly turned into a huge jaw. It closed around the monster like a massive piranha, devouring itpletely, literally tearing it into several bloody shreds.

 Chapter 858 The Beast

    Step. Step. Step.


    Wain walked slowly forward until he created a tform beneath him, bouncing off it with tremendous force. It only took him a few attacks to kill three monsters on the Absolute Stage, which was insane for the average Fifth Chronicle one, but for Wain, it was the norm.


    ''Not bad, I still need to get used to my increased strength and especially the Form, which I haven''t used in over five hundred years. I''ll have to find someone I can be unbounded with to properly prepare for the start of the Great War.'' Wain said inwardly, bouncing off the tforms, and swiftly approaching the exit of Lands of the Gods.


    Wain did not absorb the souls of the monsters he had killed, now he had no need for anyone''s souls as he just needed his power back and he knew how to do it, so free souls attracted the weaker monsters.


    They ran out of the trees, quickly grabbed the souls, and ran away to their shelters to start absorbing them. They were on the edge of the Fourth Chronicle, and in the general world they were formidable foes, but here, they were only approaching their true power.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    After a while, Wain reached the point where Lands of the Gods ended and stopped as there was a barely visible barrier in front of him.


    ''Hmm? Was it here before?" Wain tilted his head in confusion as his gaze went to his mind, ''Did you do this?


    ''No, I had nothing to do with it.'' The Abyss Artist shook his head, ''I blocked Lands of the Gods so your rebirth would be safer, though you''ve ended up in deadly situations dozens of times anyway.''


    ''Well, that''s the natural reaction of any strong space after a shock.'' The Blind Sorcerer waved his hand in a careless way, ''It''s no surprise. This barrier will gradually weaken until itpletely disappears since it no longer makes any sense.''


    Wain nodded, "I see, well, I''m toozy to find a breach in the barrier, so I''ll do it my way."


    Wain clenched his palm in his fist, gathering a huge amount of energy into it. At first, it was a thin dark veil, then it turned into a massive dark me that made space shake.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Wain''s eyes turned icy as he brought his fist down on the barrier. The barrier rippled, spreading for hundreds of meters, then multiple cracks appeared at the point of impact, and part of the barrier shattered into tiny shards like a mirror from a powerful blow.


    The shards immediately rushed to the gap, trying to repair it, but it took some time to do so.


    "Well, it''s time to see your body." Wain said before stepping forward, stepping out of Lands of the Gods, "Guide me. Even though I know it''s in Last Light, you probably made sure to hide it, didn''t you?''


    The Abyss Artist smirked and spoke slowly, ''Sure, could I have done otherwise? The body is our most precious treasure, without it we are practically nothing.''


    Wain nodded slightly, took a deep breath and his aura intensified, "Then let''s hurry."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Wain''s aura intensified as suddenly two dark spheres appeared behind him. They trembled, quickly transforming into massive dark wings, each with a pattern of a creepy eye with a vertical pupil.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Agh... I haven''t done this in so long, it feels incredible to let my powere out." Wain sighed with pleasure before pping his wings.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    He turned into a dark sh with a powerful thunderp-like sound. Wain moved with indescribable speed, crossing several kilometers in seconds, and only someone on the God Stage would have known it was a person, the rest of the people just saw a dark ray heading somewhere.


    "Look... Is that a shooting star?" A girl with red skin and two short horns eximed pointing to the sky while massive snowkes fell on her shoulders.


    "I guess... But why is it ck? Are there any ck stars?" The guy suggested with a confused look, rubbing the back of his head in an awkward manner.


    "I don''t know, but it''s pretty cool either way!" The girl jumped up with an excited look.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly a dark sh crashed into something as some kind of barrier partially copsed, letting out multicolored streams of energy that from afar looked like fireworks.


    Wain was heading straight for Last Light, so on his way he flew over many cities, secret bases, and other various ces that were protected by barriers. Surely, no barriers could stop it, so bright bursts of energy appeared in many ces around the world until the dark sh reached its target.


    ''Well, well, every time Ie here this ce gets bigger and better. Gisle really knows his stuff.'' Wain thought looking up at Last Light.


    The people in Last Light unlike the other races couldn''t live without the electricity and technology they were used to as they were morefortable than recing everything with magic, so at night the cities shone brightly with yellow lights.


    ''I''ll have to talk to him for sure, but first...'' Wain''s gaze drifted to the hill that was a few kilometers from Overion. It was an unremarkable ce except that one unusual beast lived there.


    Wain headed for the hill, stopped at the entrance to the cave, and sighed, "Damn, now I feel stupid, how could I not have guessed?"


    Step. Step. Step.


    Wain slowly stepped forward until he reached the massive ck snake, the one that was supposed to protect Last Light from enemies during Wain''s absence.


    "ck snake... That''s definitely your style." Wain muttered as suddenly the beast opened its predatory eyes that shone in the darkness like green ghostlynterns.


    "Agh... you''re back..." The Snake whispered.


    "Yeah, but, it wasn''t just me. You were talking about having a master, so now I finally understand who it was." Wain said in a calm voice as the darkness from his wings turned into the silhouette that was the Abyss Artist.

 Chapter 859 Snake

    "It can''t be..." The snake hissed in disbelief with his eyes wide open. The silhouette of the Abyss Artist was distinct as if he were actually here.


    "Hey, long time no see. I''m sorry, but I honestly cheated you a little." The Abyss Artist smiled slightly, emitting an unnatural kindly manner as if he''d met a pet he''d long ago lost to an ident.


    The snake was an unusual beast that Wain had met by chance. He was supposed to protect Overion and subsequently Last Light from intruders because he possessed extraordinary strength, yet he did not even know who his master really was.


    "What are you talking about...?" Snake asked, shaking his long tongue.


    "I am not truly your master, for in the fact that silhouette you remember was a doll of darkness created by me." The Abyss Artist shrugged in a careless manner.


    The snake was puzzled for a while, not understanding why the Abyss Artist did this, "Hmm...? Why did you make it soplicated...? Why did you create a silhouette?"


    "It''s simple. Because you had to protect me since I am your parent, not your master!" Abyss Artist eximed with an excited smile on his face.


    "Parent...? Aren''t you a human? How can a human give birth to a beast? Moreover, you are a man." The snake waspletely stunned, not just him since Wain''s eyes were wide open as well.


    ''What the hell is going on...? Don''t I know much about you?'' Wain''s puzzled look asked the Abyss Artist.


    "Hahaha, Wain, don''t make that weird face, it embarrasses me." Abyss Artistughed with a happy expression, "It wasn''t at all what you thought. Snake, you probably don''t remember the time when you were little, do you?"


    "What? No, I have one memory. It''s you and me when you found me in the middle of the woods!" Snake eximed in confusion.


    "Besides that, name one other memory where you weren''t as strong as you are now." The Abyss Artist nodded slightly as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    Snake opened his mouth to say something, but suddenly his eyes went nk as he realized he couldn''t remember anything.


    "That one memory I created so that you wouldn''t torture yourself with questions about your origins, and as you can see, my n worked. Only now do you realize it''s a little moreplicated than that, but don''t worry, I''m here to exin it to you." Abyss Artist said calmly before approaching Snake. He stepped forward and touched Snake''s forehead with the tip of his finger, directing a small portion of his energy toward Snake.


    Snake''s eyes grew wide as suddenly chains with various seals appeared across his body that seemed designed to restrain the divine beast. Then, space trembled as well as chains due to the sheer amount of energy emanating from Snake.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "In fact, you''ve always been strong, even much stronger than you are now. Third Chronicle, this is just the beginning, this is the level of strength you had in the first hour after you were born." Abyss Artist uttered, walking closer to Snake to ce her palm on the beast''s head.


    Abyss Artist began slowly stroking Snake''s head, despite the fact that the beast was ten times his own size, then with a sincere look he said, "I am not normally sentimental at all, but can I not have feelings for one whom I have given life and for one who saved mine in return?"


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space trembled as purple light burst from hundreds of Snake''s scales while chains broke into multiple links and all seals were removed.


    At the same time, the body of the beast grew evenrger, about one and a half times asrge as the cave that could easily fit a giant and could barely keep the Snake inside. The size wasn''t the only change, as in a few moments Snake''s power had grown from Third Chronicle to Demigod Stage, just in a heartbeat.


    ''Wow, that''s really impressive. I''ve never seen such a beast, maybe this snake is just unique, but it looks like the Abyss Artist spent a lot of time to achieve such a result.'' Wain wondered looking at Snake with a meaningful look.


    Wain had fought innumerable dangerous foes, but despite that now he felt shivery and wanted to run away, however, his extensivebat experience prevented that from happening.


    ''Unbelievable, it''s not about strength level, it''s about instinct and experience. If someone on the God Stage were in my ce, who got his strength from his followers and hadn''t been through dozens of death fights, this one would definitely run away in fear.'' Wain muttered inwardly while rubbing his chin thoughtfully.


    After a while, the shaking stopped as Snake''s consciousness returned to him. He looked at the Abyss Artist and spoke, "I see now... You had to absorb my power all this time to survive, didn''t you?"


    "Yeah..." The Abyss Artist nodded in an awkward manner, "However, for the first hundred years or so, it was enough for me to healpletely. The next two hundred years, it took me to get back to normal as before that I was still weak, then another two hundred years I gave you my energy to make you even stronger since I had nowhere to put it."


    "I understand. It took a long time, but in the end, everyone benefited, didn''t it?" Snake muttered, bowing his head to the Abyss Artist, "You are my parent, but also my master. Now I will always be there for you."


    "Hah, well, for that I have to wake up first." Abyss Artist said while rubbing the back of his head, "Anyway, let''s pick a name for you first? Since you''re literally reborn now, aren''t you?"


    The snake was surprised, until after a while he had a satisfied smile on his face, "Sure, that would be great."


    "Fine, in that case, your name is Gen now!" Abyss Artist waved his hand, "Rejection is not epted since I came up with that name all along, five hundred years ago!"

 Chapter 860 Body

    "Hey, I''m really d you guys reunited, but we came here for a different reason." Wain said quietly, staring intently at the Abyss Artist.


    "Sure. Now I''ll show you my body." Abyss Artist nodded and turned to Gen, "Go ahead, you know what to do."


    Gen, hesitated for a while until he asked, "Master, are you sure...? I mean... I don''t know this man. I can''t risk your safety."


    "Well, well, it looks like I didn''t make the wrong choice of partner. Don''t worry, this guy may seem cold, but he''s one of my closest friends." Abyss Artist pointed at Wain, not turning away from Gen, "In fact, this all happened because I decided to save him and he saved us, and... well, it''s a long andplicated story. What''s more important, you can trust him just as much as me, that''s for sure."


    Gen looked intently at Wain as if trying to look into his soul, "Fine... I get it, my Master''s friend definitely has to be strong. I''ll do it now, please step aside."


    The Abyss Artist nodded, turned into clots of darkness, and a momentter was beside Wain, watching the show with a sly smile on his face.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Gen opened his jaw wide, as there was a loud sound echoing off the walls of the cave, then something began toe out of his mouth. It was a massive white crystal in which a young-looking man with snow-white skin and long, tar-ck hair was sleeping.


    "Damn, how hard can it be to get dressed?" Wain raised an eyebrow, carelessly pointing his hand at the crystal.


    "Hey, do you think I had time to think about it? What''s more, I''ve never actually worn clothes!" Abyss Artist eximed, turning his head away.


    "Hmmm...?" Wain was puzzled.


    "I''ve always made all my own clothes." Abyss Artist shrugged, "Even the best tailor couldn''t make clothes thatfortable enough for me to be happy with, moreover it''s just a waste of time. All I have to do is wave a tassel and the perfect mantle would appear on me immediately."


    "Well, well, strange people have strange problems, don''t they?" Wain shook his head, slowly stomping his foot on the ground which seemed annoying to the Abyss Artist.


    "Shall we get back to business?" Abyss Artist frowned.


    "Sure." Wain nodded and looked at the crystal with a thoughtful expression, "Your body is perfectly fine, when you wake up you will have full power, just like before. Also, this crystalpletely blocks your aura, so no one will ever know you''re here."


    "Yeah, unfortunately, there''s no way to break that crystal. I, like the others, will have to wait a while before you regain your full power." The Abyss Artist nodded with a slight sigh and shook his head, "Damn, I''ve waited five hundred years, there''s still some time left, but I still don''t want to wait any longer! I''m tired!"


    Usually, the Abyss Artist was calm, but even his patience had a limit. For before that part of his soul had been many years in Death Shore, where he was all alone. Such a fate befell not only the Abyss Artist but all the others as well. They knew that the spell created by Abyss Artist and Blind Sorcerer would most likely work, even though it was an insane idea, so they too separated a small part of their souls to contact Wain as soon as possible.


    It definitely helped Wain in his journey and in getting back as quickly as possible memory, so it wasn''t pointless, but before that, they had to spend decades alone. That amount of time even for Dragons could have been torture.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I understand you had to wait a long time..." Wain uttered in a deep voice, "Well, to break the seals in Human World I need my power back, but maybe now I can handle what I have."


    "Hmm?" The Abyss Artist was puzzled as his eyes went wide.


    Wain waved his hand as the seal on his palm turned into a long, dark sword with a deadly aura. He stared at the weapon for a moment before asking, "dius, you can cut through anything, can''t you? I know it depends on my power, but we can try to free the Abyss Artist from captivity, right?"


    "Hey, that''s definitely not possible." Abyss Artist waved his hand with an arrogant look as if he was 100% sure of it, "You need to reach the Transcendence Stage and use your Beyond, there are no other ways."


    Wain was silent waiting for a response from dius, which quickly followed, "Wain... He''s probably right, but if you want we can try."


    "Sure." Wain nodded as his eyes turned icy, "One powerful blow. If that''s not enough, then I''ll stop."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space trembled as a vast amount of darkness burst from Wain''s body, causing the air to ripple.


    "Gen... Step aside, or I might identally kill you. I wouldn''t want that to happen." Wain said calmly, but Gen realized that every word he said was true.


    ''Damn... He is on the Absolute Stage but has such power... My Master actually has an amazing friend...'' Gen wondered before crawling back.


    Wain stepped forward, and directed all darkness toward dius, making his weapon several timesrger before he brought his sword down upon the crystal.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The dark de made the entire cave tremble with its immense power as Wain''s gaze grew much deeper. It seemed that the crystal should have broken at any moment under such tremendous pressure as the ground cracked, but a momentter all the energy somehow disappeared.


    ''Hmm...?'' Wain was puzzled as his pupils sharply narrowed.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Arge amount of energy erupted from the crystal, with a white explosion throwing Wain back dozens of meters, forcing him to punch through the stoneyers of the hill with his back.


    "Agh... Why don''t you ever listen to me? It was obvious." The Abyss Artist sighed shaking his head before a slight smile appeared on his face, ''Well, at least you tried, like you always do, didn''t you?"

 Chapter 861 Last Light

    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Wain slowly climbed out from under the rubble, tossing aside the rock debris until the path waspletely clear.


    "Well, well, you had enough of one attack to create a tunnel several meters long, but not even a scratch left on the crystal. That must be pretty frustrating, huh?" The Abyss Artist shook his head with a slight smile.


    "Agh... Honestly, I was hoping I could do some damage to the crystal. In that case, I''d just keep attacking until I could free you, even if it took a few days it would definitely be worth it." Wain sighed, staring at the crystal with aplicated expression.


    "Master... What should I do...?" Gen asked in confusion.


    The Abyss Artist waved his hand carelessly, "Just swallow the crystal. Even if it can''t be destroyed we must eliminate any possibility of anyone being able to do so. Wain won''t take too long to reach the Transcendence Stage."


    Gen nodded and quickly swallowed the crystal, then he looked at the Abyss Artist and asked, "Master, is it possible to reach the Transcendence Stage quickly? I mean... even the Absolute Stage is one of the pinnacles of power."


    "Don''t worry about that. He''s been on the Transcendence Stage for a long time, longer than anyone else since he was the first." Abyss Artist calmly said as Gen''s eyes went wide in disbelief, "Moreover, he doesn''t have to go all the way over again. Wain knows where parts of his power are, so he just needs it restored."


    Wain nodded before heading for the exit, "I should go. Gen, it was nice meeting you, I hope to see you soon as it will mean that I will be strong enough to free my friend from captivity."


    ...


    Leaving the cave Wain made his way to the center of the Last Light, in the Merge Ind. Here was the headquarters of the entire organization as well as the leader who never seemed to leave his office because of too much paperwork.


    Whoooooooosh.


    The massive windows opened abruptly due to the powerful wind flow as a dark silhouette like a shadow stepped inside.


    "Hah, I thought you wereing in a little early. Do I rank so low on your to-do list?" Gisle grinned as he signed some important document.


    Wain''s mouth corners lifted up slightly, "Not really, of those I met in my second life, you''re one of the first." Wain shrugged, sitting down on the leather couch.


    He looked at Gisle whose face remained calm and asked, "You already know everything, right?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Gisle nodded as he set the piece of paper aside, "Sure. Aurora, Maria, and Zero told me what happened. At first, I didn''t understand why they were so surprised, you should have seen their faces, it was an incredible sight, but then that same face became mine."


    "Well, if you weren''t surprised after that, I''d start to doubt that you''re human." Wain grinned.


    "Hah, you''re right. Anyway, I want to hear your story from beginning to end. I hope you don''t mind giving me a little time?" Gisle asked as a sly smile appeared on his face.


    Wain was silent for a while until he said in a deep voice, "Sure. It''ll be quite a long story. I''m even d you asked me to because it will also help me to reconsider what happened."


    For the next few hours, their conversation came almost to an end. Many important things may have happened in the world during this time, but then Wain and Gisle were focused on the story as it was fascinating to Gisle and helpful to Wain.


    "Danm... Even though this isn''t the first time I''ve heard this, I could only hear about so many details from you... So you were only able to be reborn because of a special spell that two of your friends created?" Gisle asked with a burning me in his eyes.


    "Exactly. This spell was created by the greatest mage and most cunning man I have ever known. However, I won''t deny that I was lucky, it only worked because of my special strength and unique spell I had a chance to be reborn." Wain said in a deadly serious voice.


    "I see... Well, just because your power is to resist fate''s influence doesn''t mean you''re not affected by luck. You can be unlucky all your life, but it''s worth it if luck doesn''t turn away from you at the most important moment, isn''t it?" Gisle smiled slightly, leaning back in his chair.


    "Sure... I didn''t think about it before, but now I clearly understand that despite all the factors, my life actually depended on luck. Hah, it''s pretty ironic that it happened to me." Wain muttered with a strange look as goosebumps suddenly ran down his body.


    Gisle was silent for a while, enjoying the silence until he asked, "What do you intend to do now? Do you really think a second Great War is going to happen?"


    "Well... first I have to get my power back, I already know how to do that, but before that, I have a few more urgent things to finish. After that, I''ll start preparing for the Great War." Wain said calmly and his eyes turned icy, "Actually I don''t want there to be a second Great War more than anyone else in this world, but it is inevitable, just trust me."


    Gisle nodded slightly, realizing that sometimes some things cannot be avoided, "You have to kill the second ruler of the Arkan World, right?"


    "Yeah... I still don''t know anything about the first Great War since at the most important moment the second ruler disappeared somewhere, in fact maybe that was the deciding factor since if they were both my opponents I would have died during the battle, that''s for sure." Wain''s eyes became deeper as his voice grew colder.


    "What should we do? I mean, you probably have a n for how humanity should prepare for the most important war in their history, don''t you?" Gisle became serious.

 Chapter 862 The Wind

    The Great War was rightly one of the greatest events in the history of the entire world, but to the vast majority, it was something long gone and already forgotten. In fact, that was true because only in the Third Chronicle did people get enough opportunities to know that the Great War existed at all, while the rest thought that wars on that scale had never happened.


    Gisle was just a student some time ago, so even though he was sessful in ruling thousands of people, he was worried about the Great War. He needed to know as much as he could about it in order to prepare himself.


    "Well, I''m not really one toe up with ns, usually someone else did it, however, now it will be simple." Wain said calmly as if he was talking about something insignificant, "The battlefield will most likely be Lands of the Gods and only those on the God Stage or higher will fight there."


    "Hmmm? Are you telling me that the fate of everyone else will be up to you? Even those in the Fifth Chronicle won''t be able to influence the oue of the battle?" Gisle''s eyes went wide as a shiver ran through his body. He had been the one in control since the energy began, so the thought that nothing depended on him was painful to him.


    "Not really, those on the Absolute or Demigod Stage will also contribute to the war, but you must understand that even a thousand Demigods can do nothing to the second ruler of the Arkan World. It''s the same as if a hundred Second Chronicle ones attacked the Fourth Chronicle one. Wain''s face grew serious as his aura intensified slightly.


    Gisle nodded slightly, realizing that though he was a human, there were many creatures in this world stronger than him many times over.


    "Damn... Perhaps I am being too arrogant... If you think about it, because I am a human, I was able to reach the limits of the Fourth Chronicle in little more than a year. Others take decades to do that, right?" Gisle asked, turning to Wain.


    "In general, yes, however, sometimes there are exceptions. Even if it takes other races a long time to purify their souls and absorb energy from them, that''s not the only way to get stronger." Wain spoke in a deep voice, "In my opinion, fighting and awareness of your power, those two factors are the most effective, even better than absorbing energy."


    "Awareness of the power...?" Gisle muttered with his eyes wide open as if he''d heard something very important.


    "Yeah, I don''t know exactly, but I''m sure that''s the way Ezrin went." Wain nodded quietly, confirming his words.


    "Ezrin... Who''s that?" Gisle tilted his head in confusion.


    ''Looks like my new ally, but I have yet to be convinced of that. He is the new Progenitor of the Angels, Ezrin, the Tarnished Star."


    Gisle was silent for a while as he could not believe what he heard, until he asked, "A new Progenitor...? Is that possible? I mean... Are you saying that an ordinary Angel could be stronger than their Progenitor?"


    Wain nodded meaningfully, "Yes, he does. However, I don''t think he can be called ordinary if he can do it. Ezrin, chose darkness over light, though it is taboo for Angels, and his intentions make him different from Amitiel."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "This is what I told you, he was fully aware of his power, his choices, and went through the most important battle of his life. As a reward, he has climbed to the very top. I''m sure he''s on the same level as the other Progenitors now."


    Gisle sighed and looked up at the ceiling. He needed to think over Wain''s words as well as make the decision that had arisen in his mind a moment ago.


    "About preparing for war... You should talk to Aurora about it. I would advise you to create protective barriers around the cities as well as over Human World to keep the kingdom safe. The battlefield will be far away from here, but you should still be prepared for anything." Wain said with a slight wave of his hand.


    Wain continued, "Also, you need to create units from those who have reached Fifth Chronicle. In Last Light, there are only a few of them, but in Human World, you can build a pretty big team, especially from the leaders of the four territories, like Aurora. They are all on the God Stage, so together they will be a formidable force."


    Wain waited for a response from Gisle, but he remained silent even after several minutes had passed.


    "Hey, are you even listening to me?" Wain frowned.


    Just then Gisle stopped looking at the ceiling as his eyes grew deeper and he turned to Wain with an absorbing look, "Yeah... Don''t worry, I didn''t miss a word. I was just thinking about what you said, the fights, the power, and Ezrin''s aplishments. Honestly, it impressed me a lot more than I expected."


    Gisle put his fingertips together and with a piercing look spoke in a low voice, "Wain, I want to ask you something.


    "Hm...?" Wain raised an eyebrow in a confusion, then his gaze became serious, "Talk."


    "Fight me, but don''t lower your Chronicle to do so. Stay on the Absolute Stage, it''s the only way to be effective." Gisle said confidently, exhaling cold steam, though the temperature was quite high.


    "What...?" Wain was puzzled, "Gisle, I''m not fully used to my power yet, so although I won''t kill you, I might identally seriously injure you. Are you sure you want that kind of trouble?"


    "Sure, would I ask for something I''m not sure of?" Gisle''s eyes grew sharp as deadly des, "Let''s just say, at this point, I think it''s the only way I can get stronger. Wain, I too want to participate in the most important event of this world."


    There was an unusual auraing from Gisle that surprised Wain, so he really had no choice.

 Chapter 863 The Wind (Part 2)

    "Well, I warned you. I''m not responsible for the consequences of your decision." Wain shrugged, stood up, and headed for the exit.


    Gisle took a deep breath and whispered looking at Wain''s retreating back, "Don''t worry, I''ll reach the Absolute Stage soon enough. I may never get your level, but I just want to be able to influence the Great War."


    ...


    In Last Light, there were many ces where Wain and Gisle could fight since each city had several arenas equipped for duels or training. However, none of this was designed for fighters of their level, so they headed to the forest a few kilometers away from Merge Ind.


    "Agh... The simple fresh air... There are many pleasant feelings in this world, but this is one of the best..." Wain muttered, enjoying the taste of the forest.


    "I thought Lands of the Gods was much better, wasn''t it?" Gisle asked with a slight smile on his face.


    "Well, there''s too much energy in Lands of the Gods... In fact, the air is more saturated there, but there''s no lightness. I mean, here I just want to rest, while in Lands of the Gods, I''d like to absorb all the energy." Wain said quietly before turning to Gisle, "Do you need to get ready before we start?"


    Gisle shook his head, "No, all I need is my weapons and an opponent who won''t feel sorry for me. I can rely on you, right?"


    "Hah, sure." Wain crossed his arms across his chest, "You can stop our fight at any time, but until you do, I''ll be serious. I won''t kill you, but be prepared for a few broken bones and losing a few liters of blood."


    Gisle answered nothing, he just smiled and waved his hand as the silver ring on his finger shone brightly.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, a powerful current of wind blew toward him as with a white sh in Gisle''s hand appeared a long katana with an indescribably sharp de that seemed capable of cutting through the fabric of the world in a single swing.


    "Not bad, I''ve always liked your style. Katana plus wind, it''s definitely one of the bestbinations." Wain nodded in confirmation.


    "Well, why don''t you try that too in that case?" Gisle smirked.


    "No, that''s out of the question." Wain shook his head as arge amount of dark energy erupted from the seal on his palm, then a long ck sword capable of striking even a god appeared in his hand.


    Wain looked at the sword and muttered with a slight smile, "I already have the best weapon. Many things may change in this world, but I will always fight alongside dius."


    "Hah, you refer to your sword by name... I wish my weapon had a consciousness too..." Gisle said with aplicated expression as his gaze fell on his katana.


    "Well, that is quite possible. It''s up to you." Wain said calmly as if it were something insignificant.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Hmm? Hey, I don''t mean to say that I''m not happy with my weapon, but it''s strange to hear from someone whose sword is impossible to break. If I had the chance to make my katana into a weapon like dius I''d do anything for it. Also, how did you even get such a sword?" Gisle''s face became serious as his eyes grew icy while a piercing aura emanated from him.


    Wain sighed and looking at dius spoke, "If you can show a decent fight then I''ll tell you my history with dius, but before we start I''ll tell you something. dius wasn''t always like this. That''s all."


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    Gisle wanted to say something, but before he could say a word, Wain attacked. He moved sharply, but slowly enough for Gisle to react to this sudden attack.


    ''Fine, even though you are the legendary Nameless King and are one Chronicle above me, I can still show you how strong I am!'' Gisle internally eximed before stepping forward.


    The katana de shed as a deadly wind de flew out of it causing ripples in the air.


    ''Good, now he will have to jump to the side... Considering he''s holding the sword to his right he''ll most likely choose the left side to do so unexpectedly. Well, in that case, I''ll be ready.'' Gisle wondered as he was prepared to attack, but suddenly a shiver ran through his body as he realized that Wain was not going to dodge.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Wain just kept walking forward, swinging his sword from top to bottom like a ck lightning bolt. It was enough to shatter the wind de with ease and tear toward Gisle at breakneck speed.


    ''Fuck! I''m too used to fighting someone of my level! Against him, my strategies and previous fighting style are useless! I must change it if I don''t want to lose in a minute!'' Gisle internally eximed with his eyes wide open as he swung his arm, creating a wind barrier in front of him.


    The barrier was voluminous since a powerful flow of wind was constantly moving inside, so when Wain''s sword reached the barrier all that force rushed out with a significant repulsive effect. However, Wain didn''t budge, as the ground beneath him just cracked.


    "Hah, not bad. You knew it wouldn''t be enough to throw me out, but the speed of my attack sure slowed down." Wain said with a smirk on his face while the dark sword rushed toward Gisle''s chest.


    "That''s not all!" Gisle eximed in response, swinging his katana.


    Several streams of energy erupted from the weapon, quickly forming three additional wind des that collided with dius.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space trembled as several types of energy caused a powerful explosion. Its energy threw Gisle aside, into the thick of the forest as Wain did not move a single step.


    ''Gisle... Looks like you''re stronger than I thought,'' Wain said to himself, brushing away the streaming drop of blood from the scratch on his face with his finger.

 Chapter 864 The Wind (Part 3)

    The first skirmish ended with Gisle flying aside, disappearing among the massive trees and forest thicket. However, Wain was the one who received the first wound, and though it was only a scratch, it showed that Gisle had potential.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    After a while, Gisle emerged from the woods, kicking off the dust and a few leaves that had fallen on him.


    "Damn, that was stronger than I expected. Usually, the wind is great for reducing enemy speed as well as damage, but even so, it was damned dangerous." Gisle said calmly as a slight smile appeared on his face. He immediately noticed the scratch on Wain''s face and Gisle knew it was a real sess.


    "Why aren''t you regenerating?" Gisle asked in confusion since Wain could heal such a simple wound in a second.


    Wain was silent for a while until he said, "Well, because I had an idea. How about this, if you give me nine more wounds, even if it''s just scratches, I''ll tell you my story with dius. I think it would help you with awakening consciousness in your weapon if you need it."


    Gisle''s eyes went wide and a shiver ran through his body as Wain''s words meant so much more than just useful information.


    ''Wait...Is it really possible...?'' Gisle inwardly muttered while in disbelief, ''Hasn''t dius always had consciousness...? In that case, how did Wain achieve it? Damn, I must find out!" Gisle inwardly eximed, clenching his fists tightly.


    "However, with every scratch I get, I''m going to get more serious. I''m not saying I''m not serious now, but we both realize that if I used all my strength, you''d be dead already." Wain said calmly with a shrug.


    Gisle gulped with a slight nod.


    "Fine, then let''s get on with it." Wain''s eyes narrowed as he took a step forward.


    A the same moment, his silhouette blurred and he appeared next to Gisle with his sword drawn to attack. The attack was simple but very fast, enough to cut off Gisle''s arm.


    ''Fuck! He''s gotten so much faster! I have to do it too!'' Gisle internally eximed as several wind currents formed around his feet. The two whirlwinds made him much faster, so Gisle managed to step aside at thest moment.


    A momentter, the tip of Wain''s sword touched the ground. There was a quake as a wide gap appeared ahead, dividing part of the field in two.


    Gisle stared at it with a frightened look since he knew that if he had been in front of Wain, it would have cut him.


    ''He said he would get more serious after every wound he received...? Damn, in that case, I''d better start using something stronger too.'' Gisle muttered inwardly before raising his katana above his head, gripping its hilt tightly.


    ''Oh... Looks like something interesting is about to happen.'' Wain smiled weakly, preparing to attack.


    Whoooooooooooosh.<novelnext></novelnext>


    A tremendous amount of energy erupted from Gisle as multiple streams of wind appeared beside him, all of them heading toward the katana, endowing the weapon with wind power and greatly increasing its size.


    "You cut the ground with a simple swing of your sword, but with this attack, I can even cut through a mountain, so be prepared to be wounded more seriously than a scratch!" Gisle eximed swinging his katana with lightning speed.


    Wain could have dodged it by jumping aside, but he wasn''t going to do that as he understood that this fight was a test for Gisle that would help him be stronger, so Wain had to let him fight until he ran out of strength.


    "You can cut a mountain? Not bad, but the wind can do more!" Wain said with an excited expression before thrusting the dius into the ground and stepping forward.


    At the same moment, a massive wind de emerged from the katana, destroying everything in its path. The nearby trees were uprooted as well as the boulders shattered into many pieces, unable to withstand such powerful pressure.


    Wain''s coat fluttered violently, it seemed like it could fly off at any moment due to a strong gust of wind while Wain stood firmly in ce.


    "Very nice, with that attack you could easily wound a monster on the Absolute Stage, however, it''s not enough for me." Wain''s pupils narrowed as he abruptly mmed his palms together, clutching the de between them.


    The wind de emitting a piercing sweat tried to reach Wain and cut him, but no matter how hard it tried, it could make no further progress as if Wain was an insurmountable barrier, then Wain tilted his palms slightly.


    Crack. Crack. Crack.


    The de cracked as a momentter it shattered into a multitude of shards, like a mirror. They were carried away by a random stream of wind, merging with it along the way.


    "Not bad, not bad at all." Wain nodded his head in a confident manner, "However, you should have done something more interesting if you wanted to hurt me."


    "Hah, are you sure about that?" Gisle smirked, pointing to Wain''s hands, his fingers had several scratches on them, six in all.


    "I couldn''t catch your face it''s true, but even though you blocked my attack, you still took damage. That''s more than enough to be a sess." Gisle said contentedly with ming eyes.


    Wain shook his head as a slight smile appeared on his face, "You realize what''s about to happen, don''t you? You''ve already inflicted seven wounds on me, so only three are left to win. I can''t lose that fast, so be eptable, use everything you''ve got if you don''t want to die."


    With those words, Wain released some of his aura as massive streams of darkness spilled around him like rivers. Though Wain was far away, Gisle felt the terrifying pressure emanating from him as Gisle began to breathe heavily.


    ''Damn, he isn''t joking. Well, I was going to do it anyway.'' Gisle inwardly muttered preparing to activate a Beyond and the Form at once.

 Chapter 865 A Thousand Cuts

    For Gisle to win he needed to inflict three more wounds on Wain, even if they were simple scratches from random wind currents, it would still count as fulfilling the conditions. Wain was not one to specialize in defense, he had no defensive skills let alone healing skills, so all he could do to protect his body was to cover himself with a denseyer of darkness.


    However, he wouldn''t do that, his favorite fighting style was to put everything on speed and attack, so Wain just stared at Gisle with a sly grin letting out tremendous streams of dark energy.


    ''When you switch to the Fifth Chronicle, besides the increase in overall strength there is one very important change, Beyond and the Form be one, forming something more powerful...'' Wain internally muttered as he stared at Gisle, ''However, even in the Fourth Chronicle you can try to achieve simr results if you activate two powers at once and have excellent control.''


    "I hope you''re ready!" Gisle eximed as he pointed his katana at Wain, with a piercing stare like a brutal wind current.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Wain only showed him a slight smile as at the same moment arge amount of energy emitted from Gisle and something strange began to happen to the space around him. For a moment, Gisle seemed to be a ck hole as all the air around him gradually elerated. Its sphere of influence was spreading and even the wind that was hundreds of meters away quickly rushed towards it as if it was the only possible point.


    ''Hmm...? What an unusual ability... I''ve seen many times someone burn all the air around them, but never one to consume it.'' Wain wondered as suddenly he felt he couldn''t take a breath as he simply had nothing to breathe.


    ''What? He created a vacuum?'' Wain''s eyes went wide as he wanted to say something, but realized he literally wasn''t capable of it either he couldn''t breathe, but for him, even an hour without air was no big deal.


    ''Hahaha, okay, this looks like it''s going to be something interesting.'' Wain chuckled with an excited expression.


    Normally the wind at tremendous speed should have turned into powerful torrents, then into tornadoes, but they all just disappeared into Gisle''s chest gradually increasing his power.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Gisle waved his hand sending a thin stream of wind toward Wain with words that sounded a secondter, "Wain, I know that my Beyond and the Form can in no waypare to yours now, however, I assure you that if you are not serious you will get a more serious wound than a simple scratch."


    Wain couldn''t answer as only Gisle could speak now because of the special situation, but inbat, you didn''t need words to convey your feelings to your opponent. Wain just gripped the hilt of his sword tightly as his eyes grew deeper, at the same moment a bright sh came out of Gisle blinding Wain for a moment and Gisle''s appearance changed significantly.


    His gray hair became snow white, shoulder-length. His body was covered by a vast mantle on his cloak with countless swirls raging on it, a nearly shattered hoop appeared on his head with many cracks in it, but a powerful stream of wind came out of each.


    ''Not bad, but so far there''s nothing surprising about it. If he has no special ability, he can''t hurt me!'' Wain inwardly eximed as he lunged forward, holding his sword with the de down.


    The tip of the sword left a wide cut on the ground behind Wain, whose powerful footsteps made the ground shake.


    Gisle was calm and collected as this time he didn''t duck, he just took a fighting stance, leaning forward slightly and swinging his katana.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Whoooooooooosh.


    The swing of the katana created several whirlwinds in the air, they hovered over Gisle and began to spin violently tossing aside wind des aimed directly at Wain.


    ''A multiple attacks? Do you want to defeat me by inflicting thest three scratches on me? Not a bad n, but I can''t let that happen.'' Wain inwardly shook his head before stepping forward, swinging his sword from the bottom up.


    The streams of the darkness beside Wain followed his will and rushed forward, forming a huge wave along with his sweep. It was several meters high, it seemed that such a wave could easily destroy part of a forest orpletely demolish a small vige.


    Gisle''s gaze grew serious as the wave easily swallowed and destroyed all the des with swirls, so soon it should have reached him.


    ''Damn... His simple swing has such enormous power... However, I have the advantage, for Wain is not one to put all his power into one point, he always acts with a kind of sweep. Gisle''s mind began to elerate,ing up with the best next action as he directed energy to his weapon, ''I may have been lucky, but he''s a handy opponent for me.''


    Gisle took a deep breath and seemed unhurried to swing his katana from top to bottom. Though he acted measured and clear, his real speed was enormous as in a heartbeat katana de was near the ground.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, the massive wave was split in two by a vertical wind de, heading toward Wain with tremendous speed.


    ''Wow!'' Wain''s eyes narrowed as he quickly jumped aside, realizing that blocking such an attack was dangerous.


    The wave of darkness split into two streams that passed near Gisle like ck rivers, but not a single drop hit him.


    p. p. p.


    Wain pped his hands with an excited smile. Though no sound came from them, there was no need for Wain to be able to convey his delight. Then, he showed Gisle his palms, where there were still only six scratches and one on his face as if to say that it was beautiful but useless.


    ''Huh, I wasn''t trying to attack.'' Gisle showed him a smirk, ''The real attack ising now!''


    With those words Gisle''s eyes turned icy as he gripped the katana tightly, holding it horizontally as if he was going to split the world in two.

 Chapter 866 Energy Not Necessary

    ''Eh... Gisle, at this rate you will never be able to achieve what I have with dius. You still rely on your energy more than your katana. You''re just using your weapon as a conduit for energy, that''s not how you should treat your closest ally.'' Wain inwardly shook his head, staring at Gisle with an icy stare.


    Gisle had attackedst time to split the wave of darkness in two, thus not taking any serious damage, but now it was very different. His energy filled his katana with power while streams of wind from the hoop on his head gradually covered it. This attack took a little time to prepare, normally Wain wouldn''t let his opponent do that, but this was a special case.


    ''Wain, you may be the strongest of all, and most likely I will never be even the strongest in Last Light, but I still have a chance to be the one to do something important in the Second Great War.'' Gisle inwardly muttered as he stepped forward. Gradually he began to run at Wain firmly holding the katana horizontally while more and more streams of wind emanated from the de.


    The wind quickly turned into the exact same katana and more and more spears, they literally filled everything around them.


    ''Damn, there are more than a hundred of them already. Even though he is in the Fourth Chronicle, this attack would easily kill a monster on the Absolute Stage, but it''s all energy and his the Form, he absolutely does not use his weapons.'' Wain pondered, staring at the dozens of windblown katanas that hovered over him like Damocles Swords.


    By the time Gisle got close to Wain, there were already over a thousand wind katanas as they formed an imprable dome that covered the entire battlefield.


    "Wain! This is my strongest attack!" Gisle eximed with streams of air carrying his voice to Wain as he swung his katana, sending a wind de toward Wain.


    Wain nced at Gisle as he thrust his dius in front of him, thus blocking Gisle''s attack.


    ''Hmm, that was weaker than I expected. Go ahead, show me what you made those copies for.'' Wain pointed up, thus saying this to Gisle.


    Gisle smirked as his eyes sparkled, "Don''t worry, I''m all done."


    Whoooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, each windblown katana echoed Gisle''s movement, raining hundreds of des down on Wain. The attack was swift and deadly, it seemed that now Gisle was actually capable of seriously wounding Wain.


    Wain raised his sword, preparing to block it, but at thest moment, he stopped when he heard dius'' words, ''You know that won''t help. You must act differently if you want to exin it to him.''


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Thick darkness quickly covered Wain''s body, then the wind des reached their target. They could not pass through such dense armor at once, but gradually the darkness became less as wisps flew apart. Eventually, more than thirty wind des fell directly on Wain, leaving deep, bleeding cuts on his body.


    "What...?" Gisle''s eyes went wide in disbelief as he hurriedly jumped aside, not sure why Wain had done this.


    Drip. Drip. Drip.


    Scarlet drops of blood dripped from Wain''s ck coat, falling to the ground and soaking into it, repainting it a darker color. Wain looked at his hands, then at dius, and stared at Gisle with an emotionless face, as if it all meant nothing.


    ''Damn, this is very strange. Apparently, I''ve already won, but why did he choose to give in to me? And is he really?'' Gisle pondered, trying to understand why Wain had behaved so illogically.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Wain reduced his energy to a possible minimum as all the darkness disappeared. It was just him and dius, the two of them, without a drop of energy. Then, Wain calmly swung his sword, and this simple movement created a powerful flow of wind.


    "dius, you won our argument, that''s obvious since I received more than ten different wounds." Wain calmly said pointing his sword at him, "I will tell you my story with dius, but first I will show you what it means to fight with a weapon since you do not understand it at all."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Wain stepped forward, making the ground shake and splinter beneath his feet, it was pure physical power.


    ''What? I don''t know how to handle a weapon? What the hell is he talking about?! Gisle inwardly eximed in disbelief, ''I may not be as good a swordsman as he is, but I''ve been fighting with my katana since the beginning, I definitely understand what needs to be done!''


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    Suddenly Wain rushed forward at breakneck speed to reach his opponent. Gisle didn''t expect Wain to change so abruptly, so he just put his katana out in front of him trying to defend himself, but a momentter Wain''s silhouette blurred as a stream of blood came out of Gisle''s shoulder.


    "Agh!" Gisle''s face twisted in pain as the ck sword pierced his shoulder through. It all happened so fast that Gisle didn''t even notice anything, it was a whole other level.


    "Can you see?" Wain asked with icy eyes, staring intently at Gisle, "It happens when someone rightly uses a weapon. I don''t need the energy to cut through your flesh, all it takes is a sharp de, no energy necessary."


    "What the hell are you talking about?!" Gisle eximed angrily, swinging his katana, however, Wain just stopped the weapon with his other hand, pressing the de between his fingers.


    "Stop relying on your energy more than your weapon." Wain said calmly, drew his sword from Gisle''s shoulder, and attacked sharply, bringing his massive fist down on Gisle''s face.


    Crackle.


    Crackle.


    Gisle flew back a few meters, hitting the tree with his back, and gushing out a mouthful of blood. Wain paced slowly toward him while the de of his sword gleamed brightly, reflecting the sunlight.


    "Gisle, remember when you fight you must always have priorities. First is yourself, second is your weapon, and only then is energy. Obviously, you''ve messed up the sequence, but I''ll show you how to get closer with your weapons, obviously through pain." Wain''s gaze became deadly serious as his icy eyes made Gisle''s heart shrink with fear.

 Chapter 867 The Painful Way

    Gisle was not the fearful type, for he was sure he would not tremble even in the face of a dragon, but even so, Wain''s icy eyes with his words made him wary as something serious was looming.


    "Tsk." Gisle spat out a clot of blood as he looked at Wain with a frown, "What the hell are you going to do? If you want to help better, tell me your story with dius first, that way I''ll probably understand a lot more."


    Wain remained silent until he thrust his sword into the ground, folded his hands on the hilt, and said, "What are you talking about? You wounded me ten times, so I will surely keep my word, however, no one said anything about the fight being over after that, did they?"


    Gisle wanted to object, but as soon as he opened his mouth his eyes went wide as he realized that Wain was right.


    ''What...? Did he trick me? How is that possible...? This hasn''t happened to me in a long time... Fuck, he took advantage of the fact that this is a friendly fight, however, now he seems to be serious.'' Gisle bit his lip, realizing his mistake.


    "Agh..." Wain sighed as he shook his head as if making an important decision, "There are actually other ways to help you get close to your weapon, but here you and I are simr."


    "Hmm? What do you mean?" Gisle gave him a puzzled look.


    Wain pulled his sword from the ground and stepped forward, "I, like you, prefer to choose the most effective options without regard to suchponents as morale, or in your case the amount of pain you''re about to experience. Don''t worry, you won''t have to sew your hands back on, but that''s the most I can promise."


    Whoooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, Wain swung his sword, turning it into a ck sh. It happened too fast for Gisle to react as a momentter his face creased in pain and a torrent of blood gushed from his chest from a deep horizontal cut.


    ''What the fuck!'' Gisle inwardly eximed quicklying to his senses and jumping back, ''I''ve got to stop him somehow or this will go on forever!


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    He released arge amount of energy as the wind currentspletely covered him, protecting him from possible attacks. In response, Wain just shook his head with a slight sigh as if he was disappointed.


    "I guess you still don''t get it. Well, I''ll have to spill more blood before you start paying attention to your weapons." Wain said calmly before rushing forward.


    He reached Gisle with lightning speed, once again attacking. Gisle was ready for it, so he created a protective wind barrier, but Wain''s sword cut through it with ease, thrusting toward Gisle''s chest.


    ''What? It workedst time! He should have been thrown aside!'' Gisle internally eximed with wide eyes as he held his katana out in front of him, defending himself.


    A ng.


    The weapons shed as bright sparks appeared whose brilliance was reflected in Gisle''s tense gaze as a slight smile appeared on Wain''s face.


    "Fine, you took the first step, but it''s still not enough." Wain smirked, stepped forward, and turned his back on Gisle. He turned his sword and struck Gisle in the stomach with the hilt, causing him to vomit a mouthful of blood, then Wain kicked in the same spot, throwing Gisle aside.


    Gisle was in terrible pain, but it wasn''t the first time he''d been in such a dangerous situation, so he reacted quickly and thrust his katana into the ground, thus stopping.


    "Stop using your wind. Stop relying on energy. How the hell do you want to awaken the consciousness in your weapon if you''re paying so much more attention to your energy?" Wain uttered with a shrug as if he were saying the obvious.


    "Awaken consciousness in a weapon...?" Gisle whispered in disbelief with a dazed look, "What? Is that possible? Only weapons that have be masterpieces by master smiths have consciousness! It certainly is!"


    "Hah, how stupid you are after all." Wain smirked, shaking his head mockingly, "I already told you that dius wasn''t always like this, my sword couldn''t always cut even a god, it''s the result of our hard work together."


    Gisle was puzzled as he did not understand what Wain was talking about, since he had never heard of such a thing, "But you are not a smith...? How could you improve your sword? Can it be done to all items?"


    Wain shook his head, "Only with your weapon. My energy with dius is almost identical as if our souls were twins, only the power is different. However, it doesn''t take years to awaken consciousness, in fact, it can be done in ten seconds."


    "Ten seconds...?" Gisle''s eyes went wide as a shiver went through his body, "You''re kidding, right? I didn''t even know it was possible to awaken consciousness in a weapon until now, but now you''re saying it can be done so quickly... That''splete nonsense!"


    "Not at all." Wain''s mouth corners curved to form a sly smirk, "Before we continue, I''ll give you one piece of advice. Stop using energy and try to defeat me with just your strength and your katana, the sooner you realize that the less pain you''ll have to experience."


    "Wait...!" Gisle eximed as he wanted to ask some questions, but Wain wasn''t going to wait since he was already attacking.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Wain started swinging his sword rapidly, unleashing many attacks on his opponent. Gisle tried to block the attacks with his katana, but gradually more and more wounds appeared on his body since he could hardly stand on his feet.


    ''Shit! Shit! Shit! If this keeps up, I''ll just pass out from bleeding! I have to use the energy, but... should I...?'' Gisle pondered as he was momentarily distracted and immediately received a powerful blow to his chest that threw him backward.


    Wain continued pacing forward about to continue until suddenly he stopped as his eyes went wide.


    ''Well, well, Gisle, you are smarter than the others after all.'' Wain smirked as he looked at Gisle lying on the ground, clutching his katana tightly.

 Chapter 868 Mind

    Every weapon with a mind of its own was a masterpiece, and such weapons were even more valued than Legendary weapons.


    This was no surprise as it was almost impossible to find a weapon of the right type, the right Chronicle and with a mind of its own. Those who managed to do so could be considered as true fortunate ones.


    However, Wain was not one to rely on fate, but he awakened the mind in his weapon himself. Many conditions had to be met for this to happen, but the most basic was to understand that the weapon was the most important thing except for oneself.


    ''Come on. It''s not as hard as it looks, you can definitely do it.'' Wain said to himself, looking at Gisle, ''Your katana has already absorbed a huge amount of energy from you all this time, which is why it still hasn''t broken even though it''s amon weapon. All you have to do is just take the first step and open up ess to your soul.''


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Gisle''s heart was beating fast as waves of shivers ran through his body. Streams of blood still flowed from his wounds, bringing him pain and gradually making him weaker, but then Gisle paid absolutely no attention to it as his mind was elsewhere.


    ''I don''t know how, but when I restrained myself from using energy and fended off a few attacks, I felt something strange, as if someone was trying to reach me. Shit looks like Wain wasn''t actually lying to me. I thought he was exaggerating, but... damn, this is really happening...'' Gisle inwardly muttered a slow step forward.


    There was only darkness all around him as far behind him was his Soul Temple with his massive soul. Normally it was just an endless space with nothing but his soul, but Gisle felt he was getting somewhere soon.


    Time herested differently as everything depended on his mind, so the deeper he plunged into the depths of his consciousness the more time slowed down.


    "Agh... I''ve had enough. Even if there is something here I seem to be going down the wrong path... At this rate, I''ll wipe my feet in powder even if none of this is real." Gisle shook his head.


    Then, he took a deep breath and his gaze turned serious, "Hey, if I can really awaken your consciousness, then that means you and I must be alike, so I''ll be straightforward. Give me some kind of sign, something so I can find you or I''ll just turn around and walk away."


    Gisle waited, but there was no response, so he decided to turn around and was about to take the first step on his way back.


    "Well, well, I thought you were more patient." Suddenly a voice came from nowhere as streams of wind appeared amidst the vast darkness.


    Gisle said nothing, he just smiled slightly and turned around to see whoever was speaking, or else, his weapon.


    It was a tall girl with long white hair and an open dress, not restricting her movements, but leaving her elegant. The girl was beautiful, but she possessed a deadly aura and her grey eyes were as sharp as des.


    "So... It''s you..." Gisle muttered with relief as if he had finally found what he had been looking for for a very long time.


    "Yeah... Honestly, it''s a bit disappointing that you needed the help of the Nameless King, the strongest in history, just to find me!" The girl pouted, puffing her cheeks as she turned away.


    "Hey, no offense, I tried to do it myself, honestly..." Gisle smiled, awkwardly scratching the back of her head, "By the way, how do you even know all this?"


    "Hmm? Have you suddenly gone dumb?" Girl''s eyebrow raised in a confusion, "Obviously I heard the whole conversation, so I know about Wain about as much as you do."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I see..." Gisle nodded slightly as his gaze suddenly became serious, "I may have been dyed, but now we''re finally together, so let''s show Wain what the two of us can do!"


    The girl was surprised as her eyes went wide for a moment, then she said, "Okay, I don''t mind, but you do realize there''s no way we can win, right?"


    "Sure, that''s not a problem since I''ve already won. Most battles happen because someone wants to win to get a reward, so I have already won since you are my reward." Gisle said calmly, perhaps it was trivial, but the girl was still embarrassed with flushed cheeks.


    "Fine..." The girl nodded, "However before we go back to the real world there''s something you have to do."


    "Hmm?" Gisle tilted her head giving her a questioning look.


    "A name... You have to give me a name..." The girl whispered, but Gisle heard her clearly.


    Gisle''s eyes went wide as he crossed his arms over his chest, "As you wish. In that case, your name will be Vexa."


    "Vexa...? Are objections epted?"


    "No." Gisle said seriously.


    Vexa smiled, "Good, I wasn''t going to change anything anyway. A name like that suits me just fine."


    "Well, in that case, we should be getting back, shouldn''t we?" Gisle asked.


    "Yeah..." Vexa nodded.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, Gisle''s energy intensified as he canceled the Beyond action as well as the Form. A huge amount of energy went to his wounds to stop the bleeding and heal them to some extent, as much as possible.


    ''Wain, it looks like he''s made it.'' dius said seriously.


    "Yeah, I wouldn''t expect anything less from him, though." Wain grinned as he gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.


    Gradually Gisle''s energy ran out since he had fully expended it, so he just rose abruptly to his feet with an excited look. He would no longer have any energy in this fight, but now he had a real weapon with a new appearance as runes appeared on the de of his katana and several white bandages on its hilt now fluttered open.

 Chapter 869 The New Frontier

    Gisle had be one of the few people in the entire world who managed to awaken the mind of his weapon. However, this was not his main goal in this fight as he just didn''t expect that such a thing was possible, but sometimes even the most incredible things could happen at an unexpected moment.


    ''How are you feeling?'' Vexa asked in a worried voice.


    ''Excellent. It''s like I''ve fulfilled my biggest dream and that''s not the limit!'' Gisle eximed with a happy smile as he gripped the hilt of his katana tighter.


    Vexa blushed slightly at Gisle''s words, then her gaze turned serious, ''Fine, though you''ve spent all your energy, you''re definitely ready for round two. Let''s show what we can do together!''


    Gisle nodded and stepped forward. Wain still had plenty of energy, an almost unlimited supply, but he wouldn''t use it. Though the energy was necessary for every fight, it was only their physical stats as well as their swordsmanship that decided everything right now.


    "Well, well, you managed to do it after all, impressive. You''re lucky you were with your weapon from the start as it takes a lot of time, energy, and experience to get a mind." Wain said quietly walking slowly forward, "But, what now? I hope you''re not going to end it there?"


    Gisle smirked, "Of course not, I still need to reach the Fifth Chronicle, or have you forgotten that?"


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Gisle rushed forward and attacked as fast as he could. His katana came down on Wain like a torrent of wind, just in a heartbeat. The attack was simple, but it seemed it could easily have sliced Wain in two, had he not been even faster as he raised his sword above his head, thus blocking the attack.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A wave of shivers ran through Wain''s body, going to the ground, but blocking this attack was easy for him as it was Gisle''s hands that were shaking.


    ''Damn, he''s really strong. Though I was the one who attacked, but I think my grip may be loosening at any moment.'' Gisle said to himself before turning around sharply, and attacking from the other side.


    Wain''s pupils narrowed, took a step back, and thrust his sword out in front of him. There was a ringing sound as the de of the katana stopped in front of his eye, unable to advance further because of the dark sword.


    ''Hey, Wain, I know you can end this fight right now, but if you want this guy to get stronger, I need to talk to his weapon.'' Suddenly dius'' voice sounded in Wain''s mind.


    For a moment he was surprised, then nodded, ''Sure, it won''t be hard. I''ll give you plenty of chances to do it.''


    Whoooooooosh.


    Wain swung his sword tossing Gisle''s arm aside and lunged forward with an ice-cold look. Normally Wain preferred to attack as powerfully as possible even if he had to sacrifice speed to do so, but now he was doing the opposite.


    "What the hell!" Gisle eximed inwardly, struggling to block Wain''s attacks which came at him like a hail of arrows.


    Wain swung his sword furiously, gradually bing faster and faster. In a few seconds, Gisle saw nothing but ck shes as he reflexively blocked the attacks.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''Shit! Shit! Shit! Why did he suddenly be so aggressive? At this rate, my arms are just going to go numb!'' Gisle''s eyes narrowed as he took a deep breath, trying to concentrate fully on his opponent.


    This went on for a while until dius finally managed to do what he had originally nned.


    Whoooooosh.


    A spark passed through the dark sword to the katana as the world came to a sudden halt, but for some, it went on.


    "Hm? What''s going on? Why are they frozen in ce...?" Vexa muttered in a confusion.


    "Hahaha, this guy has enormous power but is not at all eager to get as many women as possible, however, they find him themselves, don''t they?" Suddenly a powerful voice rang out in her space as an eerie aura headed towards her in a swift stream.


    Vexa grew wary as goosebumps ran down her body. She looked around trying to figure out who was speaking.


    "No need to turn your head so sharply, I''m here." dius saiding out of the darkness with a smirk.


    He was wearing a long ck coat and dark trousers with a massive belt. There was nothing underneath the coat, just his muscr bare torso covered in a multitude of scars. dius'' eyes were like sharp des while a cloud of smoke rose from the massive cigarette mped between his teeth.


    "You... You are his sword!" Vexa eximed with wide eyes, "dius! A weapon that cannot be broken! The sword of the strongest man in history!"


    "Yeah, that''s me. You know, you were pretty hard to get ahold of. No wonder this guy had to go through a fight with Wain to get through to you. You protected yourself with one hell of a barrier." dius said exhaling smoke in a mighty stream.


    Vexa frowned, "What are you doing here? I respect you, but shouldn''t we be busy with something else right now? Moreover, I didn''t call you into my space, so I''d appreciate it if you''d get out of here."


    "Hmm? Don''t you see why I came here?" dius'' smirked as he narrowed his eyes, "Do you think the fight was 2 vs 2 now?"


    "What...? What are you talking about?" Vexa uttered in confusion.


    "Gisle did a good job of waking your mind, but what about you? Well, I''ll put it simply, at the moment you''re a useless piece of shit." dius pointed at Vexa, staring at her intently.


    Vexa was shocked for a moment as there was no way she could have expected him to say that.


    "Are you delirious? This is utter nonsense! This may be our first battle with him, but I''m trying my best to make sure we put up a decent fight!" Vexa shouted as she clenched her fists tightly.


    "Nah, that''s not true. You act as a weapon now, a mere piece of iron, but you should be his second most important strength after himself." dius said walking slowly towards Vexa, "Well, I''ll help you understand that."

 Chapter 870 Weapon Vs Weapon

    The minds of humans and those of weapons were different, so if dius needed it he could slow his consciousness to almost infinity which allowed him to talk quietly to Vexa while sparks flew sideways at turtle speed in the real world.


    "What are you going to do...?" Vexa''s eyes went wide as she took a few steps back.


    "Nothing bad, though I think you''ll hate me at first." dius shrugged exhaling a puff of smoke, "It doesn''t fuck me either way. Gisle was just beaten by Wain to get a chance to make contact with you, so now it''s your turn."


    "Agh...?" Vexa got goosebumps from dius'' cold stare, "What''s the point? What are you going to teach me? I''m already doing everything I''m capable of! I''m fighting you with Gisle''s hands!"


    dius grinned taking the cigarette out of his mouth, "Exactly, you''re supposed to be helping him, not just being a katana in his hands. He might as well pick up a stick from the ground and not feel the difference."


    "What!?" Vexa was indignant clenching her fists tightly. She wanted to attack dius but realized that against someone of his level, she didn''t stand a chance.


    "Listen to me carefully. Obviously, Wain is holding back, but he''s still attacking much faster than Gisle can defend himself, it''s not that he can''t keep up, he just doesn''t have the ability to notice everything. You have to help him with that." dius said seriously, changing his cigarette.


    "In what way?" Vexa asked.


    "Well, you can easilymunicate your senses to him, thus guiding him in the right direction. If the two of you watch out for attacks and try to fend them off, your chances of sess will increase, but you have to be in the fight yourself first." dius said, lighting a cigarette with a red me lighter and looking at Vexa, "Get ready, it''s going to hurt, but if you stand up to it you''ll both be stronger."


    Whoooooooosh.


    The next moment dius'' silhouette disappeared as he appeared next to Vexa, aiming his foot at her stomach. Vexa reflexively put a block out in front of her as dius'' leg collided with her arms, throwing Vexa back a few meters.


    They were both weapons, yet they had no weapons themselves which made Vexa feel strange. It was her first fight on her own, so it was hard for her to understand.


    ''Damn... What was that...? I feel like a strong fire burned my hands, but it was a simple kick, then why am I so hot?'' Vexa inwardly muttered looking at her hands which had scratches on them from dius'' attack.


    "Can you see? This is only a small part of how Gisle felt taking Wain''s blows. That was only the beginning, I will continue to attack and I will gradually make it stronger and stronger." dius said calmly exhaling a puff of smoke.


    Vexa didn''t want that, but he knew she had no choice since dius was here and he was serious, so she asked, "Fine if this is what it takes to make me stronger I''m willing to endure the pain for Gisle''s sake. However, I want to know what will be the indication that I passed your test?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    dius remained silent until he held up one finger and said, "I want you to have time to repel one of my blows. Not dodge, counterattack, or block, but repel. Because that would mean you have time to react to my punch and figure out which way to attack."


    Vexa gulped, but she nodded as it was toote to go back now. The terms sounded simple, but Vexa knew it was bloody difficult if her opponent was dius.


    "Given that this is your space and I won''t use energy, you''re actually immortal but not invulnerable, so get ready for the most painful fight of your life." dius grinned as he stepped forward.


    Vexa nodded as she got into a fighting stance. She watched every movement carefully, trying to anticipate what dius would do until she blinked and found that he had disappeared.


    ''What...? How could this have happened?'' Vexa was puzzled as a chill ran down her back.


    Crackling.


    dius suddenly appeared in front of her and at the same moment Vexa''s face twisted in pain as dius'' fist mmed into her stomach.


    "Weak. Very weak, now you''re really useless." dius said arrogantly, grabbed her hair, and kicked her in the face with his knee from all his might, literally breaking her nose, "Well, well, has Gisle suffered so much for you? Don''t you want to live up to his expectations?"


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    dius knocked Vexa to the ground as he threw her aside with a palm strike. Normally Vexa would have easily regained her bnce in the air andnded on her two feet, but thest three blows were the worst she had experienced in her short life.


    "You know, the mind of a weapon is like its owner, it''s true, however, we are just as different as, after all, we are separate beings with our own feelings, thoughts, and ns." dius said quietly smoking a cigarette, "I can say of myself that I am kinder than Wain, but I am also sterner."


    ? Vexa struggled to her feet while her wounds were recovering quickly due to the strength of her space. She looked disdainfully at dius and uttered, "Are you kind? Hah, you are insane. Does this look like kindness!? You fucking turned me into a meat chop in a minute and didn''t even blink!"


    "Hahaha, yeah, I''m actually kind. As that''s what it takes to make you stronger. Answer me one question." dius smirked, shook his head, and stared at Vexa, "Do you really want to be that useless? Think of Gisle, he gave you tons of energy, time, and effort, even though he could have found another weapon with a higher Rating. It was all about awakening your mind, so show us what we can do."

 Chapter 871 The Cruelty Of Gladius

    ''Shit... Maybe the bastard knows nothing at all about training, but his words make sense... The most important thing to me is to be the most important partner of Gisle, just like dius is to Wain...'' Vexa internally muttered as she bit her lip down to the blood, ''Gisle... Damn, he actually had a million opportunities to trade me for something more worthwhile, will I really continue to feel sorry for myself?''


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Vexa''s wounds fully recovered as she got to her feet and prepared for battle. She knew she wouldn''t win anytime soon and her opponent would make her go through a lot of pain, but it was all worth it to get stronger.


    "Hm? Did you get up that fast? I''ll be honest I thought you''d be lying on the ground for another five minutes." dius said nonchntly exhaling a massive puff of smoke that was bigger than himself, "Well, that''s good. I''d be sorry if Gisle, had a useless weapon, but it looks like you still have a chance to show you''re not."


    dius was perfectly calm as he hadn''t yet used one of his hands to fight, he was just smoking and seemed to enjoy the smoke wafting around him.


    "Hey, I have a question." Vexa clenched his hands into fists.


    "Talk."


    "Can I use energy? What are the rules anyway?" Vexa waved her hand with narrowed eyes.


    "Energy? Agh... Girl, you can use whatever you want, you can even pray to God if it helps you repel one of my punches. However, I''d rather not rely on gods as I usually cut them to pieces. Hahaha." dius chuckled evilly, revealing a wide grin.


    "Well, it was your choice!" Vexa eximed as she let out a huge amount of energy. It was her space, so the amount of energy was almost infinite, but in this case, it was the quality that was far more important.


    "Just meet the condition." dius shrugged before stepping forward, disappearing in a dark sh.


    A momentter, dius appeared above Vexa, bringing his foot down on her with tremendous speed. Vexa didn''t dodge as she folded her arms in front of her and channeled energy into them creating a dense wind barrier.


    ''Fine, things are going to get a lot easier now. He''ll probably be able to break through my barrier, but the wind flow inside will throw him aside then I attack him. That will be enough to pass the test.'' Vexa pondered as a slight smile appeared on her face, but suddenly her face twisted and there was a painful scream.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    dius'' foot passed through the protective barrier with ease as he met a sharp stream of wind, but it couldn''t even put out his cigarette let alone toss it aside, so his foot copsed with full force onto Vexa''s shoulder.


    Legs were always stronger than arms, it was a physiological fact, so Vexa''s shoulder instantly cracked and eerie waves of pain went through her entire body causing her eyes to go wide.


    "Not a bad idea, but aren''t you capable of more than copying from Gisle? He used the same technique against Wain, you just repeated after him." dius said calmly with icy eyes, "Hmmm... I guess I see what the problem is."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Whoooooooooosh.


    dius narrowed his eyes, grabbed Vexa''s arm, and threw her forward, then he bounced off the ground and raced towards her with great speed literally outpacing her while she was in flight.


    ''What''s going on? What''s he going to do?'' Vexa inwardly muttered looking at dius who was already standing in front of her while she was still flying away, then her eyes went wide as her heart clenched in fear.


    dius stooped forward with lightning speed, balled his hand into a fist, and punched Vexa in the stomach as hard as he could, bottom to top.


    The sharp pain Vexa felt then was hard to describe as she felt that this blow should have exploded her, but since it was her space, such a thing was impossible.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Vexa fell to the floor, sshing blood on the sides that streamed from her mouth. Her eyes were wide open while her body twitched in shes of pain.


    "You know, I thought you were just inexperienced andpletely unable to use your powers as my instincts told me that you were actually a fairly capable kid." dius said coldly, stepping slowly forward as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.


    He exhaled a cloud of smoke and continued, "However, when you used that barrier I realized it wasn''t that you couldn''t and needed to be taught, it was that you didn''t want to."


    Vexa struggled to lift herself off the ground, spat out a clot of blood, and looked at dius, "I don''t want to? What the fuck are you talking about?! If I had the chance I''d tear you apart!"


    "Hahaha, I believe you, but only about what you''d do to me. Say, Gisle''s pretty good, right?" dius asked with a sly smirk.


    "What...? Why can''t you ever ask a normal question? What has Gisle got to do with...? He''s my master, so obviously he''s good!" Vexa eximed with a sincere look.


    dius shook his head slightly smiling as if he''d heard what he wanted.


    "Master, right? Hah, listen to me carefully. You actually have the ability to repel my punch, but you''re subconsciously blocking them, just not using them because you think you''re worse than Gisle." dius pointed at Vexa as his eyes became serious, "You think you''re worse than Gisle, just not worthy for someone like him, do you?"


    Vexa wanted to object, but she just couldn''t say anything as if she had be speechless. Vexa had seen everything Gisle had been doing all this time and it was obvious that she thought of herself as just a weapon in his hands.


    ''No... is he really right? But, how can I... a mere katana be equal to a real ruler like Gisle?''

 Chapter 872 Repel

    "Looks like you''re beginning to understand." dius said as he saw the gleam in Vexa''s eyes, "Look, I already told you that we, weapons with a mind should be more important than energy, number two, right after themselves."


    "I understand you...but, how is that possible?!" Vexa eximed in disbelief, "How can I consider myself equal to Gisle if for his sake I can''t even repel one blow of yours! I mean... My mind has awakened only now, so all that time what he achieved was without me!"


    dius remained silent until he blew out a cloud of smoke and said, "Yeah, I understand you, your words make sense, but what about me?"


    "Agh? You...?" Vexa was puzzled.


    "You probably think I shouldn''t have a problem like you, but is that possible? I am the sword of the Wain Norheim, of the Nameless King. As talented as Gisle is, he still has a long way to go to Wain''s level. In other words, the difference between me and Wain is far greater than the difference between you and Gisle, and yet you still consider yourself unworthy." dius muttered shaking his head.


    Vexa didn''t know what to say, she was just speechless. She understood that dius was right, Gisle had most of his aplishments yet toe while Wain was a true living legend as well as a myth that had been revived, it just couldn''t bepared.


    "Then what should I do...? How do I consider myself equal to Gisle? How do you deal with that feeling of devouring from within?" Vexa asked, hoping dius could help her.


    "I just epted myself for who I am." dius shrugged nonchntly, "They are human, so they have their own goals and objectives, we are weapons and we arepletely different. I''m perfectly capable of my main task, to kill. My de by itself is useless, but if I''m in Wain''s hands, I be a deadly weapon and do anything to cut anyone. Do exactly the same."


    "Right... I have a mind, but I am not a human, I am a weapon... and my main task is to make sure that Gisle can kill any opponent..." Vexa murmured while her voice gradually became a whisper, it was as if she was reading ancient scriptures, then her appearance began to change.


    "Hahaha, exactly. I thought it would take us longer, but you turned out to be quite clever." dius grinned as he prepared for battle, "Think back all your way. All this time you''ve been shing enemies, bringing pain and blood to others along with Gisle. You did it before, so keep doing it now!"


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Vexa''s aura intensified as her eyes became sharp as deadly des. Calm streams of wind began to emanate from her arms, legs, back, and hair as if she could disappear at any moment, just evaporate, but she was inplete control of her power.


    "You''re right, weapons can''t have weapons, for there is simply no need for them, for we are weapons ourselves!" Vexa said calmly before stepping forward.


    She gradually grew faster until she was like lightning instantly reaching dius. Vexa''s eyes were calm as she swung her folded palm like a sharp de.


    dius smirked and jumped back at thest moment as Vexa''s palm swept right before his eyes.


    "What do you say?" Vexa asked with an icy stare, staring intently at dius.


    Crackle.


    At the same moment, the cigarette mped between dius'' teeth split in two as if someone had cut it with an incredibly sharp de.


    "Not bad. Looks like you''re ready to take my test, so I''ll have to get serious." dius tossed his cigarette aside, stretched his neck, and headed forward.<novelnext></novelnext>


    He walked slowly as each step he took made Vexa shudder. She knew she didn''t stand a chance against dius, but she just had to repel one of his blows. Vexa watched his every move carefully until suddenly dius was gone.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Before she knew it, his fist was already aiming at her face, to the left, with tremendous power.


    ''Here!'' Vexa''s pupils narrowed as she leaned back slightly. His fist flew in front of her face, then Vexa turned into a torrent of wind and was instantly behind dius.


    His back was right in front of her, so she instantly attacked, intending to pierce him through.


    "Fast, very fast, but you know, that''s not my top speed." dius chuckled evilly, exuding an eerie aura.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Right before her attack, dius'' hand covered Vexa''s face as he squeezed her head with force, it seemed he could crush her at any moment.


    ''Shit! He got me, but... I can still do it!'' Vexa internally eximed as her eyes shone brightly. Within the appeared whirls as a powerful stream of wind burst out of her hair.


    dius'' grip loosened for a moment, so Vexa had a chance to defeat him. She flung dius'' arm aside in a fluid motion and spun ny degrees, thrusting her leg into his stomach at lightning speed.


    The kick caused a shockwave as streams of wind spread dozens of meters around, however, dius was not thrown back and his face was not twisted in pain.


    "Well done. You were finally able to do it, even though it took you some time." dius smirked, holding Vexa''s leg tightly, "If it were anyone else in my ce, your leg would definitely go through."


    ? Whooooooooosh.


    dius swung his arm, tossing Vexa aside, she prepared to fight, but he wasn''t going to attack as he did so to show Vexa, his wounded palm.


    "You passed. You didn''t just repel my attack, you also managed to damage me. That''s quitemendable. Hahahahaha." diusughed like a teacher seeing his student''s first sesses.


    Vexa sighed with relief, then her gaze became serious, she bowed and said, "Thank you very much. Maybe if it weren''t for you, I never would have realized who I am."


    "You shouldn''t. I haven''t had this much fun in a long time. Let''s keep fighting, Gisle still has to break his barrier." dius said disappearing into the darkness, "However, I''m not going to hold back anymore, so get ready."

 Chapter 873 Fifth Chronicle

    dius and Vexa fought for a long time, but it was all just for them, in the real world only a few moments passed in which sparks from the sh of swords flew a few centimeters away.


    ''I''m all done, now his weapons are definitely ready for the changes that follow.'' dius said seriously, reporting back on the work done.


    ''Fine, now it''s time for him to get stronger. I''m sure when Gisle reaches the Fifth Chronicle things will changepletely.'' Wain said inwardly with a slight smile before stepping forward.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    He swung his sword, throwing Gisle back, then he rushed forward, bringing the sword down on Gisle from above.


    ''Shit! I won''t have time to block!'' Gisle eximed to himself as suddenly the de of his katana shone brightly and his reflexes became much clearer.


    ''Don''t worry. Now I''ll help you the way I''m supposed to.'' Vexa said calmly as the next moment the flow of wind elerated Gisle''s arms, allowing him to block Wain''s attack.


    ng.


    Wain''s sword stopped right in front of Gisle''s face, and the glint from the de reflected in Gisle''s eyes, wide with surprise.


    ''Vexa...? What was that?" Gisle was shocked as he didn''t understand what had happened.


    "Well, well, it would be rude of me not to give you some time." Wain smiled, shook his head, and turned into a blob of darkness, moving a few meters away.


    ''In short, they did the same thing to me as they did to you. dius invaded my space and beat me several times, but thanks to that I am much stronger now and understand what I need to do.'' Vexa said with a serious look as she crossed her arms across her chest in her space.


    ''Hah, looks like dius has been very kind. No one but him would do that.'' Sven grinned.


    Vexa''s eyes went wide as she couldn''t believe what she was hearing, but she sighed and nodded slightly, ''Yeah, you''re right. I can''t believe I''m saying this, but dius actually turned out to be kind. Gisle, we''ve both been through the changes already, but there''s still one more thing left to do. Tell me, what must you do to reach the Fifth Chronicle?''


    ''Well, my condition is very simple, but at the same time so damn unpleasant andplicated.'' Gisle shrugged as if it were something insignificant, ''I must die.''


    "WHAT?! Vexa eximed in disbelief as a shiver ran through her body, ''You''re kidding, right?''


    ''Nah, I''m totally serious, at first, I had the same reaction as you, but that''s not all. It''s myst condition and it would be too easy, wouldn''t it?'' Gisle smiled inwardly as his eyes sparkled.


    ''Hmm? Well, maybe you''re right... If it were that simple, you''d just slit your own throat or throw yourself off a cliff or something like that. What''s the extra condition?'' Vexa muttered with a thoughtful expression.


    ''I have to die it''s true, but it doesn''t have to be suicide. Basically, I have to die inbat, at the hands of the one I want to fight the most. Obviously, Wain is the only appropriate option.'' Gisle said as fire lit up in his eyes.


    ''What...? Are you sure about this? I mean... What happens if you''re wrong? Maybe, Wain isn''t the one you should be fighting... in that case, you''ll actually die, won''t you?'' Vexa asked with a worried look as she pressed her palm to her chest.


    ''Don''t worry. I don''t care what the system or this world thinks, the most important thing to me is my feelings and the only one worth killing me is Wain!'' Gisle eximed inwardly with an excited look before rushing forward.


    He quickly ran at Wain and said, ''Wain! Don''t you dare stop until the very end! Don''t even be afraid to kill me, it''s okay!"


    Wain was puzzled for a while as he tilted his head, but he quickly guessed what Gisle was talking about.


    "Fine! In that case, I''m not going to hold back. Show me a better fight before my sword pierces your heart!" Wain eximed, emitting a majestic aura that would have stunned anyone, but Gisle didn''t stop for a moment. He continued to run forward while the wind gathered around his katana.


    Gisle had no energy, but Vexa still had some reserve, so she could use it to help Gisle inflict as many wounds on Wain as possible before defeat.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Gisle stepped forward, turning into a sh as in a heartbeat he was right in front of Wain, aiming his katana at his neck.


    "Good choice, but too risky!" Wain smirked, sighed, and brought the sword out in front of him, gripping the hilt tightly.


    The katana mmed into the sword, unable to advance further as many sparks flew off to the sides.


    ''Not bad, you''ve actually gotten much better.'' dius said with a sly smirk, ''However, as I said earlier, it''s serious now!


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly Wain''s sword sent vibrations through the air and the next moment there was a shockwave that knocked Gisle aside. He was confused, but quickly pulled himself together andnded on the ground as if he''d nned to do it.


    "Wow, that was dius, right? Hah, not bad, but we can do some things too!" Gisle spoke as his voice spread throughout the forest, then his katana trembled.


    A calm air began to emanate from Vexa, which gradually covered Gisle, making him much stronger and especially faster.


    "Well, well, now he looks more like a weapon than a man. dius, let''s do something simr. Even though I didn''t want to use energy at all, but technically it''ll be you and not me, right?" Wain smirked as he stared at dius, "I just can''t miss this chance. I have to make his death as beautiful as possible!"


    ''Hehehe, I don''t need much convincing. I agree to do it right here, right now!" dius eximed as the runes on his sword de glowed brightly in violet light.

 Chapter 874 Smoke

    Each weapon had its energy, but usually, it couldn''t be used, so the energy just increased the overall strength of the weapon and nothing more. However, if it was a weapon with a mind like dius or Vexa, they had their own energy that they could use if they wanted or give it to their owner to help them, it all depended on the situation.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    ''Hahaha, normally my energy is always mixed with yours, but now I have a unique opportunity to show my pure energy!'' dius eximed with an excited expression asrge amounts of darkness emerged from the runes on his de.


    Previously dius had only a fraction of the power, so this was the first time he had used his energy since recovering and awakening his memory.


    ''Go ahead, do as you like, just don''t forget that it has to be pretty ssy as well. I don''t want to kill Gisle with a simple stream of darkness, that would be too boring.'' Wain said staring intently at Gisle, who was pacing slowly in his direction. A brutal wind was emanating from Gisle''s body, it seemed as if he could disappear at any moment and appear right in front of Wain like a deadly de.


    ''Don''t worry, I already have an idea. Since it''s a friendly fight anyway, I might as well make it so!'' dius shuddered as darkness began to cover Wain, a denseyer of energy.


    "Bastard! You told me yourself that I shouldn''t copy Gisle!" Vexa eximed angrily as she saw Wain''s new appearance, "That''s just not fair!"


    dius heard her, and he just smirked, "Hmm? What''s the problem? What a student can''t have, a teacher may well be allowed. If I were you, I''d rejoice, since I actually liked your idea!"


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    Darkness began to emanate from Wain''s legs, arms, coat, and hair as it split into many pieces before the wispspletely disappeared, however, that was only part of it, as smoke began toe out of the sword after a while.


    "Hmm? Smoke...? That''s something new, I didn''t know your sword was capable of that." Gisle''s said in surprise as his eyes went wide.


    "Well, me too." Wain shook his head as the smoke turned into many different runes on the dark veil that seemed to make no sense, but each rune had immense power.


    ''Hey, you don''t know anything about magic or runes... So, what did you do anyway?'' Wain inwardly asked with a worried look.


    ''Hah, I don''t know. I just did what I wanted to do. Try to finish it in a few attacks.'' dius smirked as he crossed his arms over his chest.


    ''Fine, I will.'' Wain nodded before looking at Gisle and attacking.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Wain stepped forward, transforming into a dark sh that headed toward Gisle with great speed, intending to pierce him.


    ''Quick!'' Gisle flinched as he jumped aside, dodging the attack at the veryst moment.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The dark sh flew on, breaking everything in its path. Trees were smashed into splinters as massive boulders shattered until Wain came to a stop a mile away.


    "Damn... I didn''t expect to be this fast... Isn''t your style a reading power? I didn''t expect that from you at all." Wain asked looking at dius.


    "Hah, I just decided to try something new, it''s an experiment. Well, go ahead and kill it, it''s time to end it." dius smirked.


    "I agree." Wain nodded.


    He attacked again and a momentter a dark sh appeared in front of Gisle again. Gisle turned into a torrent of wind, but this time he could not fully evade the attack, as he was left with a deep, bleeding cut on his side.


    ''Fuck! He''s too fast! Fine, in that case, I''ll do it!'' Gisle internally eximed as he began to swing his katana around himself, creating many wind des.


    ''Hah, decided to create some sort of barrier? Not a bad idea, but it won''t help you against me!'' Wain smirked, stopped, and put his sword out in front of him, gripping the hilt tightly with both hands.


    All the runes turned into streams of smoke, heading for the sword, gradually transforming into a massive dark de.


    ''Are you ready?'' Wain asked Gisle with his serious look.


    ''Sure. I am.'' Gisle just nodded making his most powerful swing, thus sending a massive windde at Wain.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Wain''s pupils narrowed as he took a step forward. From the force of his feet, the ground beneath him cracked as a massive b of stone rose up behind him, as if Wain weighed several dozen tons, then he lunged forward with lightning speed in a heartbeat reaching Gisle.


    On his way, he cut through the wind des with ease as the darkness around his sword became a bit less, but it was enough to pierce Gisle''s heart with ease.


    "Agh...!" Gisle''s eyes went wide with a sharp wave of pain as trickles of blood flowed from the corners of his mouth.


    "Shit... It was stronger than I expected..." Gisle muttered from thest of his strength before he fell to the ground.


    "Only the best for you." Wain smirked, pinned Gisle to the ground, and swung his sword, tearing his heart apart. At the same moment, all the darkness from the sword erupted outward, a powerful stream heading upward.


    The darkness split into many pieces, gradually bing smaller and smaller until the wisps looked like dark snowkes falling slowly to the ground.


    "Hah, it''s actually beautiful..." Gisle muttered with a nk stare, slowly reaching forward as if he wanted to touch them.


    Wain nodded weakly, drew his sword from Gisle''s chest, and stepped aside, watching with a calm gaze.


    The darkness disappeared and when thest snowke fell to the ground, Gisle''s aura suddenly began to increase, multiplying several times.


    "Well, for a moment I was really starting to worry that you''d made a mistake, but you''re not one to do something that stupid, are you?" Wain grinned as he ced the sword on his shoulder, seeing life appear in Gisle''s eyes again.

 Chapter 875 The New Powers

    Streams of energy wereing out of Gisle''s body, like a violent wind spreading hundreds of meters around causing the clouds in the sky to twist into a massive vortex.


    "Hey, does it really have to be so pathetic?" Wain raised his head to look up at the changing sky, "Agh, maybe I''m not the one who should be saying that, right?"


    ''Exactly.'' dius said seriously, ''Your rise in the Fifth Chronicle has caught the attention of literally a third of the strongest beings in this world, but here you are the only one.''


    Click.


    Suddenly there was a snap of the fingers and the vortex dissipatedpletely. The clouds formed a multitude of rings in the sky, floating slowly to the sides. At the same time, Gisle began to rise slowly from the ground with a pained look.


    "Damn, I thought this would be more pleasant, why do I feel like I''ve just woken up from a longa?" Gisle shook his head grudgingly, stretching up, and stared at Wain, "What do you think? Can you feel how I''ve changed?"


    Wain was silent for a moment, while his gaze explored Gisle''s energy. It wasn''t visible to the average person, but there were very dense streams of energy floating around Gisle that were as dense as the monsters on the Demigod Stage.


    "Well, you still have room to grow, but I can call your Fifth Chronicle evolution one of the best I''ve ever seen. You''re lucky, your energy isn''t very expansive, but it''s dense and deadly, just like your attacks and your weapons." Wain said calmly as his gaze fell on Vexa.


    Gisle grinned, put his katana on his shoulder, and headed forward, "Luck? Hah, I prefer to think it''s all my credit since my energy is so because of me, not the other way around."


    "We''re done, right?" Wain nced at him with ice-cold eyes.


    "Yeah, that''s more than enough. I definitely need a rest now, just time to think about how best to prepare for the Great War." Gisle paced slowly forward until he stopped and looked at Wain, "That''s a rather strange thing to say, but thanks for killing me."


    Wain smiled lightly with a slight nod, "Before you go, tell me where Eva is? You must know that, mustn''t you?"


    "Sure." Gisle''s ring glowed brightly as a red coin appeared in his hand, "She is in her Void, most likely she is still there since she left only recently, so you will make it. I think you have much to discuss."


    With these words Gisle disappeared like a torrent of wind in an unknown direction, leaving Wain alone in the midst of the vast forest.


    ''Well, well, your first love in over 500 years, that''s rather curious.'' Abyss Artist chuckled with a wide grin.


    ''Shut your mouth, it''s none of your business.'' Wain replied sharply, clutching the bloody coin tightly.


    ''Hey, there''s no need to be so rude.'' Abyss Artist grinned.


    ''Yeah, I agree, we''re actually just happy for you.'' Blind Sorcerer said with a slight smile, ''Though your meeting was unexpected, Eva is truly the woman who is perfect for you. She can be crazier than you and softer at the same time, isn''t that a greatbination?''<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''Agh, maybe you''re right, but it all depends on her. I don''t know what her reaction will be, so I just have to tell her everything." Wain stared at the blue sky for a while before swinging his hand.


    A dimensional rift opened before him as he stepped inside. There were several doors in the vast darkness, as Wain already had quite a few different keys, some of these doors he needed to go through, butter, right now he was only interested in one.


    ''Damn, I need to visit my Void and also talk to Sven, myst fight was quite long and bloody difficult, but the amount of things to do after that is even greater.'' Wainined inwardly before approaching the bloody gate from which streams of ash flowed.


    Click.


    A momentter Wain found himself on a massive hill covered with a multitude of bloody flowers that exuded a pleasant aroma.


    "Damn, it''s really beautiful here. My Void is much colder and darker than this beautiful ce." Wain said with a bitter smile, looking up at the tall tower in the distance. It was the center of this Void and the only ce Eva could be.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    As soon as Wain took a few steps, several silhouettes with massive red wings immediately appeared in front of him. They were two girls, monsters that had evolved many times, whose long bloody swords immediately appeared in their hands.


    ''Guards? Damn, that didn''t happenst time.'' Wain inwardly muttered, assessing the girls in front of him, ''Wow, they''re pretty strong, both are in the Fifth Chronicle. Then Eva has reached that stage too, hasn''t she?''


    "Who are you?" The girl''s look became serious as she pointed at Wain with her sword.


    ''How did you get the key to this Void? You don''t look like someone from Last Light." The second girl frowned as her aura intensified.


    ''They''re pretty cocky. Agh, good security is always a big deal, but it''s also pretty annoying to have to go through them every time.'' Wain inwardly shook his head as the same was true of Luar''s Void.


    "Answer me!" The girl eximed with an angry look. She didn''t understand why Wain didn''t seem to care about her, even though she was one of the strongest in this space.


    "Agh, you''re too noisy, don''t you think?" Wain asked in a cold voice before stepping forward.


    The girls prepared to fight but in a heartbeat, Wain was already behind them and a terrible pressure came over the girls. Their legs trembled violently and after a few seconds, they were unable to resist and fell to the ground with frightened faces as if they were facing death itself.


    "Good job, but you have to show respect to someone much stronger than you, well, I am not an enemy to Eva, perhaps I am her most important ally." Wain muttered looking up at the tower.

 Chapter 876 Blood

    "So... Who are you?" The girl asked with aplicated look as she realized she didn''t stand a chance against him.


    "Wain. I bet you know my name, don''t you?" Wain smiled as he nced at her with a slight smile.


    At the same time, the girls'' eyes went wide since they realized what a serious mistake they had made. The girls quickly rose to their feet and bowed low as a shiver ran through their bodies.


    "I''m sorry, we didn''t recognize you... Your aura has changed too much, it''s not at all like the one Miss Eva described, it''s much scarier... We thought you were an intruder, trespassing into this space." The girl said sincerely, not daring to look up.


    "Never mind, just be careful next time. You are guards and your job is not just to watch the passage like watchdogs. You must know who is a friend and who is suddenly as well as learn to better sense the auras of others." Wain said calmly then his gaze became serious.


    "What would you do if it wasn''t me, but someone who was a real threat? Sure, you''d attack him, but you''d surely lose because you couldn''t correctly gauge the enemy''s strength. That means that because of yourck of skill, you would have died for nothing, and more importantly, you would have left Eva defenceless." Wain spoke calmly, but his cold voice seemed to pierce the girls'' minds as they realized that this could actually happen.


    They answered nothing, just lowered their heads in shame. No one had dared to contradict them before, but now, it was even good for them as everyone wanted to get better.


    "Agh, I think that''s enough. Eva, is in the tower, right?" Wain asked as he nced at the girl.


    "No." To his surprise the girl shook her head, "She is in the eastern part of the space. There''s nothing there but wide fields of bloody flowers, so it''s the right ce for her to sort out her problems."


    "Problems? What kind of problems?" Wain''s eyebrow rose.


    "Miss Eva recently reached the Fifth Chronicle, at first she was fine, but now... She keeps changing like she can''t control her emotions, so she''s moved away from here." The girl exined as she bit her lip with a frown.


    Wain was surprised, but given that he knew Eva''s features well, he quickly epted it and with a slight nod said, "Fine, then I''ll try to help her. Keep doing your job and don''t forget my words."


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, Wain''s silhouette turned into a wisp of darkness as he headed east in a ck sh. He moved very fast as each step he took could leave a small crater on the ground, but Wain created tforms beneath him as if he didn''t want to destroy the ce.


    After a while, he reached the area the girl was talking about and stopped. Ahead were millions of scarlet flowers and nothing else as the strong aroma of the flowers seemingly could be seen from how dense it was.


    "Hmm... Where is Eva...?" Wain mumbled thoughtfully as suddenly his eyes went wide due to a random burst of energy that urred somewhere in the distance.


    Wain immediately headed there as within seconds he saw several bloody rivers flowing from the massive ash ind. It wasn''t something natural, as the ind and the rivers had been created by Eva, who was sitting in the center of it.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''Damn, looks like she''s actually having some trouble,'' Wain said inwardly looking at Eva.


    Though Wain was a few meters away from her, she didn''t notice him as she tried to control her energy which was trying to rush out of her body like a raging torrent.


    "No!" Eva eximed waving her arms as a bloody streak opened on her back. A stream of blood burst from it that turned into another bloody river, then an ashy orb appeared on her arm, releasing several long spears, one of which flew next to Wain''s face.


    "Well, that was unexpected." Wain muttered touching his cheek as there was blood on his fingertips from the small scratch left by the ashy spear. Then Eva finally noticed him.


    "Wain...?" Eva muttered with wide eyes as energy continued to flow out of her randomly.


    "Yeah. It''s been a while, hasn''t it?" Wain showed a slight smile, "I thought our meeting would start with a conversation about me, but it looks like all the focus should be on you now."


    "Agh...?" Eva was puzzled, but she quickly realized that Wain''s aura waspletely different as his gaze changed. She just feel too unwell as she could hardly think.


    "What''s going on with you? I was told it started after you evolved." Wain turned serious.


    "I don''t know... After I reached Fifth Chronicle I had a lot more energy as it just seemed endless. I was insanely happy about it, but then I started to feel like I couldn''t handle it as well as my emotions. I can change at any time, it''s even worse than before because back then I wanted it, now it''s just random!" Eva eximed in a panic as she looked hopefully at Wain, expecting that he could help her.


    Wain was silent for a while before he threw off his coat, leaving only a simple ck t-shirt on his muscr torso.


    "What are you doing...?" Eva was puzzled, not understanding his intentions at all.


    "Well, I could be wrong, but it looks like you''re trying to contain both yourself and your energy. It''s definitely not right, especially for someone as special as you." Wain''s eyes turned cold.


    "Agh...? But, if I don''t hold back, I''ll destroy everything around me!" Eva shouted.


    "Fine. Do it. You may be afraid of hurting others, but that''s none of my business. Go ahead, let your senses glow, and remember how we fought as immortals, your eyes shone brightest then."


    Eva bit her lip to blood as if trying to resist, but Wain''s words were too seductive, so after a while her gaze became insane.

 Chapter 877 No Boundaries

    The most important moment in the rtionship between Wain and Eva was the first time they fought in the Merge Ind challenge. Maria was also with them, but she just couldn''t stand it for too long, unlike Wain and Eva, who enjoyed their limitless possibilities.


    "Going forward. We were immortal then, just like the Vampire Progenitor. We don''t have that blessing now, but that shouldn''t stop you from pouncing on me." Wain said calmly with a slight smile as he spread his arms out to his sides as if calling out to her.


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    After a few seconds, Eva finally gave up and ran at Wain. Her gaze was filled with fear as she feared hurting him, but deep inside, there seemed to be a pleasure growing with every second.


    The first thing Eva did was create a bloody sword, bringing it down on Wain. He didn''t block the attack or try to dodge it, he just met the de with his chest.


    Crackling.


    The de shattered into small shards leaving only a small streak on Wain''s body, more like a nail scratch.


    "Hey, is something wrong?" Wain smirked arrogantly, "Were you really going to hurt someone with this? You''d better get serious or I might be disappointed in you."


    Eva was stunned for a while, as she was actually afraid that her uncontrolled power would lead to disaster, but Wain was just mocking her.


    "Fine! In that case, you''d better get ready for a worse nightmare! I''ll do anything to make your face contort in pain, you bastard!" Eva eximed in furious as her aura intensified several times.


    The ground trembled as Eva''s energy turned into many bloody pirs erupting from below. Blood wasn''t her only weapon, so many ash des were hovering beside the pirs, aiming at Wain.


    "Hah, that''s my girl." Wain grinned before stepping forward, "However, I''m not going to stand still any longer. We fought each other then, so we''ll do the same this time."


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Wain waved his hand creating a massive wave of darkness. Eva''s pupils narrowed as she immediately attacked, raining ash des down on the wave of darkness. The collision of the two types of energy created a massive st of darkness with ash, temporarily leaving a cloud of ck me between them.


    Eva was about to attack back when suddenly her eyes went wide since Wain''s silhouette passed through the cloud of me, heading towards her with great speed.


    "Hey, don''t you think we got off on the wrong way? Back then we didn''t have as much energy as we do now, just our bodies, so we should respect tradition." Wain uttered with a slight grin, grabbing Eva by the neck.


    "Let go of me!" Eva said with difficulty, trying to unclench Wain''s hand.


    "Hmm? Let go of you? That''s not the kind of thing you say in bed. I''m not going to hold back, so neither should you." Wain said with a wicked grin, squeezing Eva''s neck harder.<novelnext></novelnext>


    She couldn''t breathe, it seemed that at any moment Wain could break her neck, but after a while, a smile of pleasure appeared on her face.


    "Agh... How nice that you can control me..." Eva muttered with sparkling eyes as the bloody pirs trembled. They copsed, raining in a massive stream of blood,pletely engulfing them.


    After a while the blood spilled over the field, leaving many drops of blood on the scarlet flowers. In the center, on an ashy indy two grinning men.


    "Feeling better now?" Wain asked as he turned to Eva.


    "Yeah... I haven''t felt this good in a long time." Eva said in relief, looking up at the blue sky, "Thank you, I think it would have taken me quite a while to get over it myself..."


    "Hah, you shouldn''t try to limit your energy, especially your emotions. It would be real self-destruction for you. If you want to wreak chaos, you can turn to me at any time, I can easily withstand all your attacks." Wain smirked and rxed with his hands behind his head.


    Eva turned to him, ran a finger across his chest, and whispered, "I don''t know if you did it on purpose, but choking is definitely my thing... This may not be the bed, but there''s no one here to stop us from enjoying each other."


    Wain didn''t answer anything, he just pounced on her and with a sharp movement tore off all her clothes with an excited smirk. Eva seemed to expect this as she didn''t resist at all.


    ...


    "Well, well, you and I turned out quite well, didn''t we?" Wain smiled.


    "Yeah. Even though we see each other rather infrequently, we certainly know how to use our time." Eva said quietly as her voice gradually grew quieter, "Wain, tell me, what happened while you were away? I feel like you''re still the same, but you''ve changed a lot."


    Wain''s look became serious as he said, "Agh, it''s a long story, but I originally came here to tell you about it."


    "Don''t worry. We have enough time for even the longest story, so I''ll listen to you carefully. I might hear something incredible, but I''m sure it won''t change our rtionship in any way." Eva giggled, snuggling up to Wain.


    Wain breathed a sigh of relief as these words were important to him. He had been through a lot in his life, but Abyss Artist was right as Eva was his first true love. Obviously, a man of his status had had many women and even more sex, but they were not the kind of women he would be willing to go on with, to build a future with.


    This went on for several hours and all the while Eva listened intently to him, nodding asionally. In the end, her gaze grew much deeper as her eyes shone brightly with how incredible it all was for an ordinary person like her.


    Wain told her everything, about his past life, the death fights, and how he became Nameless King and was reborn.

 Chapter 878 The Future

    "So... You were able to survive a battle against a most dangerous enemy and thanks to your friends you were able to be reborn? Damn, I want to meet them. They must be incredible people to havee up with such aplex and incredible spell! Simply geniuses!" Eva eximed with glowing eyes as Wain''s story actually impressed her.


    ''Hahaha, Wain, I''m starting to like her more and more!'' Abyss Artist suddenlyughed with a wide grin.


    ''Yeah... This girl can really appreciate our efforts.'' Blind Sorcerer smirked, ''You should learn that from her. After all, we''re still waiting for you to wake us up. I hope you can do it soon.''


    ''Shut up!'' Wain inwardly eximed with a frown, ''If it weren''t for me you''d all probably be dead! What''s more...'' Wain was silent for a moment with aplicated expression, ''No words can describe what you have done for me.''


    Abyss Artist and Blind Sorcerer nced at each other before nodding, ''We know that, don''t worry. We were just trying to lighten the mood. You need to get back into the conversation or your girlfriend''s going to get worried.''


    ''Girlfriend... right?'' Wain muttered to himself as he stared at Eva.


    "Hmm? What''s the matter? Is there something on my face?" Eva asked, tilting her head in confusion.


    "Hah, no, not at all, I was just wondering what I''d be doing alone if I hadn''t met you?" Wain said calmly, not even realizing how ridiculous it was in their situation.


    "Hahahahahaha!" Evaughed hard as her voice like thunderps spread hundreds of meters around, "I couldn''t even in my wildest dreams imagine you being capable of saying something like that!"


    Wain frowned as his aura intensified, "Hey, do you think I have no right to be melodramatic or sentimental even sometimes? What''s your problem?"


    However, Eva keptughing, she just couldn''t seem to stop and Wain''s frown face amused her even more.


    "Sorry, it''s not what you said, I mean, I''m even d you stopped being so cold as usual for a moment, it just looked tooical after your story." Eva finally calmed down, wiping the tears from her eyes with her hand.


    "Hmm? I don''t understand." Wain tilted his head.


    "I just heard an incredible story and learned a lot about you. Damn, you are the legendary Nameless King! You defeated one of the rulers of the Arkan World and literally rose from the dead! However, the real you isn''t necessarily a walking majesty, is it?" Eva smiled slyly, touching her lower lip.


    "Agh, I don''t care. Just answer the question." Wain waved his hand,ying down on the ashes, seemingly displeased.


    Eva giggled,id her head on his chest, and said, "I don''t know. Chances are if we hadn''t met, you''d have just found someone else."


    "Hmm?" Wain''s eyes went wide as he in no way could have expected such a strange answer.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Don''t get me wrong. I''m just not one of those people who thinks there''s only one person among millions who would be right for your boyfriend or girlfriend. It''s a little different for me as I believe that if you''re lucky enough to meet someone like that, then you should make sure you never have to look for a new partner again." Eva said calmly with her eyes closed.


    Wain was silent for a while before he said, slowly stroking her head, "Well, your words make sense, but I''m probably the first type of person since in five hundred years you''re the first person I''ve had such strong feelings for."


    "Hah, you''re just a unique case." Eva grinned, enjoying this quiet moment.


    This went on for a while until Eva mustered up the courage to ask, "Wain... When this is over, what are you going to do?"


    "What are you talking about?" Wain nced at her with a puzzled expression.


    "Well... you know, I believe you can win the Great War, after all, you only have to kill the second leader of the Arkan World. You may encounter some more problems, but after the Great War there will definitely be peace for a long time toe." Eva whispered as if she was unsure of her words.


    "Agh, I hope so. It''s rather ironic, but globally, nothing has happened for thest five hundred years precisely because I wasn''t there. The second leader of the Arkan World didn''t need to rush as he was recovering from the war, but now things are back in motion." Wain said calmly, looking up at the clouds slowly floating across the blue sky.


    "Damn... I''ve only just realized how big of an age difference we have!" Eva''s eyes went wide, "You''re over half a thousand years old!"


    "Hahaha, technically yes, but there''s a lot of nuances here. Most of the five hundred years I was asleep before I was reborn into this world, too this body isn''t even thirty yet, so I''m pretty young." Wain smirked holding Eva close to him, "Is that really a problem for you? I don''t believe it."


    "No, not at all." Eva shook her head.


    "Well... In fact, I know what I''d like to do after this is over." Wain said with a slight smile on his face.


    "Hmm?" Eva turned to him with a curious look.


    "I would definitely rest first, since until this is all over I will always only think about how to win the next Great War, then I would start the next great thing in my life in which I am an absolute novice." Wain said calmly as he nced at Eva.


    "A great thing? You mean some kind of hobby?" Eva was confused. She didn''t know what Wain could be a novice at since he was one of the greatest fighters in history.


    "A hobby? No, it''s much more serious than a hobby." Wain shook his head, raised slightly, and stared intently into Eva''s eyes.


    He put his palm to her belly, saying quietly, "I''d start a family. With you."

 Chapter 879 Ice Island

    Eva''s eyes went wide while Wain''s words coursed through her mind time after time like a storm as her cheeks gradually grew redder.


    "What did you say...? Do you want to start a family with me?" Eva muttered uncertainly as goosebumps ran down her body, "Is this a marriage proposal?"


    "Hahaha, maybe, but I don''t think now is the best time to get married. However, I''m totally serious about a family that won''t just be you and me as members." Wain said as his gaze shifted from her face to his palm pressed against her stomach.


    Eva quickly understood what Wain was talking about and she just stayed quiet, being speechless as she just didn''t understand how she should have reacted. She had never been in a serious rtionship, so something like this just stunned her, though deep down inside she was immensely happy about it.


    Wain smiled slightly, giving her some time toe to her senses. He was nervous too, but considering how many dangerous situations he had been through in his life, he had more fortitude.


    "I''m d you decided to offer me this..." Eva whispered as the corners of her mouth rose, forming a joyful smile, "In that case, I hope the Great War ends as soon as possible so you can be free."


    Wain nodded, pulled Eva close to him, and for quite some time didn''t let go, they both seemed to enjoy this moment where words weren''t necessary.


    "You''re leaving already, right?" Eva asked after an unknown amount of time.


    "Yes." Wain nodded confidently, stroking her head, "I still have a few things to work out before I start getting my power back. I don''t know how quickly I''ll do that, but we''ll definitely meet again before the Great War begins."


    "Ughum." Eva shook her head.


    Wain spent some more time with Eva until he opened a spatial rift, disappearing into it. Eva was left alone among the fields of scarlet flowers, as suddenly two red shes appeared beside her, those were the girl guards who had met Wain.


    "Miss Eva, is everything alright?" One of them asked with a worried look.


    Eva nodded, turned to them, and said, "Sure, today is one of the best days of my life. I didn''t know a few words could make it so good."


    At the same moment, tears came out of her eyes, slowly streaming down her red cheeks. The girls were puzzled as they looked at each other but said nothing.


    ...


    Wain found himself in the midst of the vast darkness as there were several doors before him. He looked at the simple wooden door leading to the familiar bar with aplicated expression.


    ''Well, well, I think I''m going to learn a lot, but I have to see someone else first. Agh, I''ve always been a bad ruler, since I can''t even make sure I devote enough time to my own Void.'' Wain inwardly muttered while shaking his head as he turned towards the massive ice gate.


    The gate had changed slightly in recent times as it had be eerier, with multiple eyes and shards of dark crown hovering around it while streams of darkness flowed from the edges.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I hope Elegan was able to manage such arge area because I''m going to make It even bigger." Wain smiled weakly before touching the gate, and slowly opening it.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    A wave of cold rushed out as a bright sh blinded Wain for a moment, causing him to squeeze his eyes shut.


    He appeared not in the standard location that was the depths of the ice funnel but at the edge of an icy bluff overlooking a wide snowy wilderness, a magical forest, and a dark ashynd with a malevolent aura.


    "Agh... In the forest near Merge Ind the air would actually be nice, but here... Damn, I feel like I''m in the mountains. It''s just unbelievable." Wain muttered with a satisfied smile.


    Wain looked around, looking for someone he knew, but he didn''t have to wait long as a blue sh was already headed toward him.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    A tall man with long white hair and a sharp gaze appeared behind him, making the ice crack because of the weight of his armor and the massive sword behind his back.


    "Well, well, Frigus, you''ve grown stronger than I thought." Wain turned with a slight smile, feeling the knight''s powerful aura that actually surpassed the Absolute Stage, "You reached the Demigod Stage even faster than I did. That''s more than impressive."


    "Hah, I won''t hide it was difficult, but I still feel like I have a long way to go to your level. You''ve changed a lot haven''t you?" Frigus grinned intently looking at Wain. He had expected Wain to reach Fifth Chronicle as well, but Frigus could not have imagined that Wain''s energy would be so dense, times stronger than his.


    "Yeah. I must talk to you, I have much to tell you. Where''s Elegan? I need him to get everyone in one ce." Wain asked, looking around, trying to feel his aura.


    Frigus was silent for a while before he crossed his arms and looked up with a smirk, "There. Elegan specifically created this ce for the leaders of the territories."


    Wain was puzzled as he raised his head and his eyes went wide.


    A massive ind floated above the ice zone that was the main one as if an iceberg had separated from the cier and soared high up. Beneath the ind were several purple magic circles, allowing something sorge to float and not fall.


    "Hahaha, not bad, not bad at all. Elegan sure knows how to allocate resources! In that case, let''s go straight to him." Wain eximed with an excited expression.


    "Sure. I''m sure he''ll be d to see you. He''s been worried about you for some reason thest few days, saying you might even die." Frigus muttered with a confused look, "His abilities are rather unusual, you know."


    "Well, I can''t say he''s wrong." Wain grinned.

 Chapter 880 Progression

    Whoooooooooosh.


    Wain jumped high up creating a tform of darkness beneath him to push off of it and advance further. Frigus was puzzled by Wain''sst words, but he decided to wait until everyone was gathered together to ask his questions.


    ''Agh, I wonder what I would do if not this man had one day decided to own this Void? At best I''d be a mere monster, though more likely I''d just die like most.'' Frigus muttered inwardly with a bitter smile before stepping forward.


    He was a monster, so under the right circumstances, he could evolve very quickly, even faster than the humans, however, this was also the reason why for every person from the Pirs killed, there were at least a hundred monsters. Their lives were hard and dangerous, and only one in thousands could hope to be rewarded for their sacrifices.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The ice beneath him cracked as Frigus jumped high up. His physical performance was impressive, so he only had to bounce a few times off the ice crystals to reach the edge of the ind where Wain was already waiting for him.


    "Well, well, even though you''re on the Demigod Stage, it took you three more jumps than it did me to get here." Wain smirked with his arms crossed over his chest.


    Frigus just shrugged, "I''d be very surprised if I were stronger than you physically. I still need a lot of training to reach your level. Honestly, I''m amazed at how you''ve been able to get so strong all the time. I mean, you probably train a lot less than I do, right?"


    Wain was silent until he said with a slight smile, "Well, I''m actually a bit older than you think, but that''s not the point. One good fight will rece three long training sessions, and one deadly fight will rece ten training sessions. Maybe I''m wrong about the numbers, but you get my point."


    Frigus nodded as he nced at his sword, ''I''ve been doing a lot of training and fighting in other zonestely, but I haven''t had a death fight in a while... Perhaps I''ll never get stronger without it...''


    Frigus didn''t realize it yet, but he was already on his way to the Transcendence Stage. Even though his chances were slim, he could reach the God Stage and even go further only through his skill and his own strength. In his case it was possible because Frigus relied only on himself, believing that no followers could save him in battle.


    "I feel that the Demigod Stage is not the limit for you. A few strong opponents and you''ll easily reach the God Stage, I''m sure of it." Wain said calmly as if it was something obvious or inevitable.


    "You actually think I have a chance to go any further? I mean... Apart from the death fights I''m definitelycking in energy. I don''t know how long it will take me to gather the right amount, but I feel like there''s a real chasm between Demigod and God Stage!" Frigus eximed in disbelief as he waved his arms.


    Frigus was one of the leaders of the territories and after Elegan, he was number two in this Void, so he had ess to a huge amount of resources which helped him get a lot of energy quickly.


    "Don''t worry about the energy. Soon there will be a lot more of everything in this Void, from crystals to various fruits and Points of Interest." Wain spoke with a wave of his hand as he looked intently at Frigus. Wain could clearly see transparent streams of energy floating around him as they seemed to be waiting for their moment to break free.


    ''Hah, I have seen Frigus fight several times, once he even saved my life, but only now do I realize how lucky I am to have him as one of my main warriors. If Elegan is a brain and organization, then Frigus is strength and lethality.'' Wain pondered as he inwardly chuckled.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''Energy... Does it have something to do with you being on the Absolute Stage now?" Frigus asked with a curious look.


    Wain nodded, "Yeah. I''ll do that right after I tell you what happened to me. By the way... I don''t understand something."


    "Is something wrong?" Frigus asked as he raised an eyebrow.


    Wain looked around, looked down, and asked, "How will the others get here? I mean, you and I are definitely the strongest physically, and it took us a few jumps."


    Frigus chuckled as if Wain had said something stupid.


    "Hmm...? Something wrong?" Wain tilted his head in confusion.


    "Do you really think Elegan would make the others go to this much trouble to get to the ind? Just so you know, some other monsters sometimese here that couldn''t possibly have jumped as high as we did." Frigus grinned as he pointed somewhere in the direction, "Look, they''re just in time."


    Wain turned around and his eyes went wide at what he saw since there was an ice tform approaching the ind where Edena and Lui Bu were. Beneath it was a purple magic circle that supported it.


    "Shit... You couldn''t have told me that before?!" Wain resented as he stared at Frigus.


    "Hahaha, did you ask? Don''t forget that you were the first one to jump, I didn''t even have time to say anything, it all happened too fast." Frigus shrugged with a slight smile, "Well, I guess that was even better, wasn''t it?"


    Wain shook his head, sighed, and smiled, "You''re right, it would be too boring on the tform. Well, let''s meet up with our slow but clever alchemists."


    Frigus nodded silently, following him to the other side of the ind.


    Edena and Lui Bu were almost up when suddenly two shadows appeared before them. They were puzzled, but wide smiles quickly appeared on their faces at the sight of Wain.


    "Hey, it''s been a while, hasn''t it?" Wain waved his hand in greeting.

 Chapter 881 Void

    ? "Wain!" Lui Bu joyfully eximed with an excited expression as he jumped off the tform onto the ind. Edena with a slight smile followed him. She tried to appear calm, but in fact, she was even more excited about Wain''s return than her partner.


    "You haven''t wasted any time. You''ve grown much stronger." Wain nodded satisfactorily as he looked at them. He distinctly felt that Lui Bu and Edena had already reached the Fourth Chronicle and were near the border.


    ''Hmm, maybe after a while, they can reach the Fifth Chronicle. I don''t know if they will want to participate in the Great War when I tell them everything, but somehow I feel like even if I don''t want to take them with me, they will force me.'' Wain inwardly muttered with a thoughtful look.


    He didn''t want any of his acquaintances or friends to die, it just wasn''t necessary since it was always up to the strongest ones to decide everything. In this world leaders needed an army for power, not to defeat their enemy.


    ''Damn, this is all tooplicated. Last time I almost lost everything at once...'' Wain said to himself as he remembered the forms, ''It ended well in the end, but what will happen this time? Who will be my enemy now?''


    Last time Wain had fought against the rulers of the Arkan World, the Angel Progenitor, and the Elf Progenitor. He had allies too, but the other races didn''t know which side to take, since they had entered the Great War when the real chaos had already begun.


    ''Now Arkan World has only one ruler left, butst time I fought against only one of them too. Agh, I hope Sven can tell me what happened then.'' Wain inwardly shook his head with a slight sigh, ''Moreover, I need to find out what the other Progenitors are doing. Ezrin, as Angels, are my allies now, but what about the others?''


    Wain realized that a lot could have changed in five hundred years, especially considering that no one except perhaps Sven assumed that the Nameless King was still alive. When the strongest warrior disappeared without a trace, everyone had new ns as the world changedpletely.


    "Wain... Can you hear us? Hey!" Lui Bu approached Wain, waving his hand in front of his face as if trying to wake him up after a nap.


    "Agh, sorry, I was just thinking. Looks like you''ll be as strong as Frigus soon, doesn''t it?" Wain smirked as he nced at his alchemists.


    Lui Bu and Edena were embarrassed as Lui Bu scratched the back of his head and said, "We train with Frigus sometimes, but honestly it''s definitely some other level. It''s almost impossible for us to achieve something like that."


    "Yeah... I agree with him." Edena nodded as she crossed her arms over her chest, "We''ve reached the frontier of the Fourth Chronicle thanks to a huge amount of resources and potions."


    "Hmm, by the way, what''s your progress? Potions aren''t likely to help me anymore, but for monsters that haven''t yet reached the Fifth Chronicle they can be very useful." Wain asked with a curious expression, holding his chin.


    "Well, in the time you''ve been gone, we''ve created a huge number of different potions for every type of monster and attribute. If you want we can show you our collection or warehouse, we produce them almost nonstop." Edena said with a confident smile.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Yeah, that would be nice, but a littleter. I have to tell you all something first. It''s very important, so I need all of you. Let''s go to Elegan, he''ll call the others." Wain said heading for the center of the ind. Frigus with a calm look immediately followed him.


    Lui Bu and Edena looked at each other as if trying to learn from each other what Wain was talking about, then joined them.


    The Ice Ind hovering over the first area in Wain''s Void was not really all ice as only the edges and the shell were ice. After the ice, there was sand covered with a thinyer of snow, and there were many stone paths leading to a massive building in the center, like a real castle.


    Around the castle was a dense forest with a variety of trees of almost all colors and sometimes there were dark ces with a menacing aura, this was a part of the area run by Nicole, thest leader in Wain''s Void.


    ''Nicole... Damn, when this girl happened to show up in a new zone, I was seriously nervous. I mean, she was technically born of my energy... Brrrh! I''m not ready for kids yet, when I was talking to Eva, my heart almost flew out of my chest.'' Wain inwardly muttered shaking his head.


    There were many different decorations in the forest and inside the castle, statues, sheared trees, various paintings, and much more.


    "Hah, Elegan definitely has taste. This ce doesn''t seem empty, but it''s also not shy at all, everything is in its ce." Wain muttered as he walked past the two statues of knights next to the main road leading to the castle.


    "Hmm, that doesn''t make any sense to me. He''s wasted too much time on this, he''d be better off practicing." Frigus said seriously looking at the view with a cold gaze.


    "Frigus, you are too strict. Elegan is different from you, he doesn''t need to devote so much time to physical training. His strength is quite different, or rather he has quite a few different abilities." Edena said as she shrugged.


    Frigus was silent, he just snorted, as if he wasn''t going to agree with that position.


    "What is this...?" Wain tilted his head in confusion as he saw a skeleton with massive scissors in its hands trimming the bushes for an even shape, "Since when did skeletons be gardeners? What the hell is going on here...?"


    Wain turned around and realized that many skeletons were making sure that the castle was clean as if they were not monsters but workers.

 Chapter 882 The General Gathering

    Wain as well as all his friends had long ago passed many barriers as all of them were either in Fourth Chronicle or Fifth Chronicle, but Wain understood that they were a minority. The general mass of people hadn''t even reached Second Chronicle yet, so it was strange for him to see a Third Chronicle skeleton, which was a pretty impressive level of strength, trimming a bush or dusting a stone road.


    "Well, when I saw that I was surprised too." Frigus said with a slightly pale face, "Monsters are supposed to fight, but... it''s like a whole different world here."


    "These skeletons were created by Sarras." Edena spoke as she waved her hand, "When he reached the Fifth Chronicle he can now create as many skeletons as he wants."


    "Yeah, as far as I know now he''s trying to learn how to create Fourth Chronicle undead faster as well as Fifth Chronicle." Lui Bu nodded his head with a curious look.


    Wain was puzzled, "Can''t Sarras create undead equal to his Chronicle? He used to do it easily."


    "It''s not that simple." Frigus said calmly as his gaze grew sharper, "I''m surprised, but Sarras is one of those who train almost the most. Obviously, his training is different from mine, but gradually he''s getting stronger."


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?" Wain raised an eyebrow as he walked past the two square bushes that looked like floating cubes, "He''s a Lich, what kind of training can he have?"


    "Well, he''s working on making the undead faster and stronger. Also, he''s learned how to give his undead different attributes, he''s not always good at it, but it''s really impressive." Frigus said slowly with a serious look.


    "Hah, well, I hope he won''t mind showing me how he does it." Wain grinned.


    "Sure, he''ll be d to show you his progress. Sarras said his main goal was to create an undead that could hurt me or you. I don''t know if he can do it, but he''s serious about it." Frigus said with a shake of his hand.


    "If he seeds, it will be incredible." Wain shrugged as his gaze caught a massive blue-crowned tree in the distance, "What about Reto? Do you know what he does?"


    Frigus shook his head, "Not at all. I rarely go to the magical forest since I think Reto''s only purpose is to get as many monsters drunk on wine as possible. He has unusual abilities, it''s not my field at all, so I hope he knows what he''s doing."


    Wain nodded silently as he approached the massive stone gate, it was the entrance to one of the castle halls.


    "Is Elegan here?" Wain tilted his head looking at the unusual patterns on the gate.


    "Yes. I haven''t heard of him leaving the castletely. He must be busy with something." Frigus said before opening the gate.


    In the center of the room sat Elegan with a miniature hat on his head while his amber eyes read some important document. In front of his desk was another, nked by two massive couches where, oddly enough, Reto, Sarras, and Nicole were seated. Reto was next to Sarras as Nicoley rxed alone, taking up all the space on the second couch.


    They all turned at the same time toward the entrance. First, they saw Frigus, who was walking forward as slight smiles appeared on their faces, then their gaze shifted to the left, to Wain, whom they hadn''t seen in a long time and their eyes went wide as if they had seen a ghost.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Wain...? Is it really you...?" Elegan muttered in disbelief as the piece of paper fell from his hands.


    "Agh...? Is he back?" Nicole suddenly became energetic as she stood on the couch, put her hands at her sides, and stared at him intently as if trying to discern every detail of him.


    "Well, well, looks like it''s a very important day, doesn''t it?" Reto smirked as he waved his hand. The ring on his finger shone brightly as several bottles of various wines as well as eight sses appeared on the table.


    "Fine, I''m d you''re here." Sarras nodded with a sly grin on his face, "I just recently managed to create some pretty powerful monsters."


    Wain smiled, nodded slightly, and headed forward, "I''m d to see you all. It''s been quite a while, but we''re all here again, aren''t we?"


    Elegan nodded silently before asking, "Wain, you have grown stronger, and your aura is more powerful than Frigus'' even though he is on the Demigod Stage... How is that possible?"


    "Good thing you noticed that, there''s an exnation and I''m going to tell you about it. It''s quite a long story, so be prepared to hear one of the most incredible stories of your life." Wain grinned, looked at the two couches, and asked, "But before that... Where do I sit down?"


    Elegan was puzzled by this question for a moment until he realized that because of Nicole, two couches weren''t enough for eight people. He grinned and said, "Hey, have you forgotten that I''m a Mimic by nature? If you need another couch, I can easily do that."


    Click.


    Elegan snapped his finger as the amulet on his chest glowed brightly with purple light. After a brief sh, another couch appeared in front of the table, one that was twice the size of the others.


    "Brown...? Damn, that''s not really my style, but I guess I have no choice." Wain shrugged, about to sit down, but Elegan quickly stopped him.


    "Well, I could easily change that." Elegan smirked.


    "Hmm? Really?" Wain asked in disbelief.


    "Sure, do you really think we stole all the statues and decorations from somewhere? The skeletons are quick learners, but there are not yet skilled enough sculptors among them to make statues. I''ve been helping them with that." Elegan said confidently before waving his hand.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    A purple magic circle appeared above the couch, quickly passing over it, changing the couch in a heartbeat. It was ck now, with a high back and a massive crown mark.

 Chapter 883 Wine

    "Well, well, you actually have a lot of different abilities. I''m good at destruction, but you seem to be good at just about everything else." Wain grinned, sitting down in the center of the couch.


    "Hah, everyone has their own peculiarities, don''t they?" Elegan smiled, pressing his palms together and getting ready to listen to Wain''s story. Everyone was ready; only Frigus, Edena, and Lui Bu remained.


    Edena and Lui Bu looked at each other and made their way to the couch, about to sit to Wain''s right.


    "No!" Nicole suddenly eximed with a frown and stared at them as if they had done something wrong.


    "What...?" Lui Bu and Edena simultaneously asked as they shuddered at the powerful pressure that Nicole was releasing.


    Even though Nicole looked like an ordinary teenager, she was on the Absolute Stage, so her power was ten times greater than Lui Bu or Edena as they were still in the Fourth Chronicle.


    "Come here, I''ll give you my seat since I want to sit next to Wain!" Nicole said seriously as she jumped forward, right at Wain. He was puzzled as well as the others but didn''t resist.


    ''Damn... That girl is really weird, but if you think about it that way... There''s almost no one I''d callpletely normal among my friends and close acquaintances.'' Wain inwardly muttered looking at Nicole, who pressed hard against him.


    ''Agh, Nicole, you need to seriously work on your manners. You act too impulsively sometimes." Frigus sighed while shaking his head as he sat down to Wain''s left.


    "I have perfect manners, and what''s more, you said yourself that strength is the most important thing!" Nicole said as she held up a finger, "I''m very strong, you know that."


    "Pfff, you''re just lucky you have that much power. If it wasn''t for Wain, and the area that showed up after one of the zones increased, you never would have been able to reach this level." Frigus grudgingly hummed as he waved his hand.


    He expected his words to put Nicole in her ce, but it had the exact opposite effect as Nicole smirked, "Well, maybe you''re right, but what you''re talking about is just your assumptions. You always have to look at reality, don''t you?"


    Frigus frowned as his aura intensified, but he quickly calmed down, "Damn, I hate to admit it, but you''re right. Anyway, don''t forget that you''re weaker than me or Wain, so, you shouldn''t piss me off if you don''t want to be the loser."


    Nicole smiled slyly, but she didn''t dare say anything else, since she knew that against Frigus, she really didn''t stand a chance.


    "Hey, are you done yet?" Reto asked with a slight smile on his face, "Before Wain starts the story I''d like to treat you to some of my best wine. Stop arguing, that''s not why we''re here."


    For a moment everyone was puzzled, then they smiled and nodded slightly giving Reto the sign.


    "Fine, in that case, let me serve you." Reto said as he took the bottle of wine in his hands and opened it. Out came a powerful, pleasant smell that seemed to be able to enchant anyone like a magic potion.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Damn... Even though I don''t drink often, I love a good one." Elegan muttered with a look of pleasure.


    "I agree. Reto may not be an alchemist like us, but when ites to wine, he does something incredible." Edena nodded confidently as she crossed her arms over her chest.


    "Frigus, what do you think?" Reto looked at him, slowly pouring the crimson liquid into a ss that seemed intentionally colder than the others as there was a thinyer of frost on it.


    "Agh... You and Nicole definitely know my weaknesses. Wine is not my favorite drink, but apparently, this is a special case." Frgius muttered with a serious look before taking the ss from Reto''s hands.


    "Sure. Wain is back and judging by hisplicated look we have a lot to talk about, so a great evening should be brightened up by great wine." Reto said filling thest ss with the wine that belonged to Wain.


    Everyone reached forward and after a brief encounter with the sses, took their first sip. Everyone had a different reaction as for Reto it seemed no different from drinking ordinary water while for Lui Bu it was a real challenge.


    "Damn... I didn''t expect that wine could be so strong!" Lui Bu eximed with difficulty trying to cope with the consequences of the first sip as there was still more than half left in his ss.


    "Hah, you''re just too inexperienced. Come to my woods, I can give you as much wine as you need." Reto smirked taking another sip, "I promise that after a month of my training, you can easily drink even a whole bottle!"


    Frigus sighed as a cloud of cold steam appeared in front of him, "Reto... I understand that your training must be unusual, but this is clearly unlike anything that can make you stronger."


    "Hmm? You don''t think I''m strong enough?" Reto smirked, finishing his ss, "I''m on the Absolute Stage while you''re on Demigod, but that doesn''t mean I''m helpless against you. Let''s y a game!"


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, Reto waved his hand as his silhouette blurred and disappeared before anyone could understand. Then, copies of Reto''s began to appear around them; they looked exactly like him, with no differences.


    "Well, how about this?" The twelve Retos smiled, holding up their chins, "Guess which one of us is the real one. If you can do it then I''ll give you a special frozen wine!"


    ''Hmm, I was worried that Reto would be the type to stop in progression as he was satisfied with his results, but I guess I was wrong. These illusions are actually perfect.'' Wain inwardly muttered looking around.


    The regr illusion was no different in appearance from the original, but Reto''s ones even had an identical aura, voice, movement, and scent.

 Chapter 884 Illusions

    "Damn... I don''t understand anything..." Nicole frowned, also trying to figure out which of the illusions was the real Reto. She narrowed her eyes trying to see some difference, but it was to no avail.


    "Hey, this test isn''t for you, it''s for Frigus. If you want to know more about my abilities thene to my forest and fight me." Reto smirked as one of the illusions came up behind Nicole and rubbed her hair.


    "You''re real!" Nicole eximed, attacking the illusion. She was quick, so in a heartbeat, her palms pierced Reto like a spear, but his silhouette just disappeared like a mirage.


    "Enough." Frigus said seriously as his stern gaze went to Nicole, "Don''t interfere. You''ve already made it easy for me, so don''t you dare say that again."


    Even Elegan had trouble controlling Nicole since she was only doing what she wanted, but when Frigus became serious, she quieted down and clung to Wain with pouty cheeks.


    "That''s interesting." Wain smirked as he put one leg on the other, "Frigus, do you think you can handle it?"


    Frigus was silent until he said with a slight nod, "Sure. These illusions are perfect. Even if I were given a hundred years to consider them as museum pieces, I wouldn''t be able to figure anything out, however, there''s another way to know which one is real."


    "Hmm? How are you going to do that?" Reto tilted his head as well as all the illusions.


    "If you remove illusions yourself, it will be easy. Of course, you won''t do it since it doesn''t make sense, but I can just make you do it." Frigus said calmly while his aura grew stronger.


    "What...?" Reto was puzzled as suddenly his eyes went wide as Frigus gripped the hilt of his sword.


    At the same moment, Frigus with a deadly ice-cold look swung his sword as an icy energy de flew toward the five illusions. All Reto simultaneously flinched as the illusions tried to dodge, but as soon as they took a step to the side their bodies were sliced in two.


    The de continued to fly further, it seemed that it was meant to damage the castle, but suddenly a purple magic circle appeared in front of the icy de and itpletely engulfed the de.


    Elegan sighed slightly, shook his head, and said, "Maybe you won''t try to destroy what I''ve been building for so long. One attack from you could turn this hall into ruins!"


    "Hahaha, I''m sorry, but I have to say no to you. I must show Reto that his illusions cannot fool me!" Frigusughed as he stood up, firmly holding the hilt of his sword from whose de cold steam emanated.


    None of these five were the real Reto, but now there were almost half as many illusions, which made Reto frown.


    "Hey, you know what I was counting on you to guess. That''s not exactly how it''s supposed to go!" Reto said grudgingly with a frown as he crossed his arms over his chest.


    ''Well, well, what will Reto do?'' Wain pondered with a slight smile on his face as he watched their confrontation, ''Reto has unusual abilities, but Frigus... Damn, one more attack and he will destroy the remaining seven illusions, one of which is the real Reto.''


    Frigus looked at the remaining illusions and muttered, "My only task is to find out which one of you is real, so if I destroy all the illusions, then I''ll do it. If you don''t like something, you should have thought of the terms beforehand."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Whoooooooooosh.


    With these words Frigus swung his sword once more, releasing a massive ice de toward the illusions, that was several timesrger than the previous one.


    This time Reto was ready to attack, so the seven illusions bounced in different directions, each dodging the de.


    "Hah, that was too easy." Reto said with a confident smirk.


    "You''re so sure of that?" Frigus grinned as his eyes shed, then the de split into a multitude of icy shards and blue shes headed toward the illusions with great speed.


    "Fuck!" Reto eximed as the shards destroyed four illusions as only three remained.


    Elegan swung his hand and several magical circles made the icy shards disappear so they wouldn''t harm the walls.


    ''Hmm, his energy control has gotten much better. He''s a swordsman, so his physical stats are the most important thing, but he was able to split the ice de into several pieces and turn it into something else in an instant. Not bad, not bad at all.'' Wain nodded slightly, assessing Frigus'' actions.


    "Looks like one more attack and I''ll know which one of you is the real one!" Frigus spoke as he pointed his sword at the central illusion.


    "Pfff, I didn''t want to get serious, but it looks like I have no choice!" Reto snorted as the illusions shuddered, then they started walking in circles while their silhouettes gradually blurred.


    "Hmm...? What''s going on? What is he doing?" Nicole tilted her head in confusion as she looked at Wain, hoping he would exin it to her.


    "Well, Reto shows that twelve illusions aren''t all he can do." Wain replied with a slight smile.


    Whoooooooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, the illusions began to divide as in a few seconds there were more than ten and the number grew steadily.


    "Agh, I think that''s enough." Reto said as he crossed his arms over his chest and three hundred illusions did the same. There were so many that there seemed to be no room left in the hall, as Reto filled everything. Then, all the illusions turned to Frigus, "What will you do?"


    Frigus remained silent, he just took a step forward and tilted his sword to the ground as the tip almost touched the floor.


    "Three hundred illusions... That''s impressive, but it just means I have 299 enemies to defeat. Do you really think that''s a lot?" Frigus uttered in an ice-cold voice before turning into a blue sh.

 Chapter 885 Ice

    Reto made it as difficult for Frigus as he could in this situation as three hundred perfect illusions were enough to confuse any opponent, however, Reto didn''t realize that Frigus wasn''t going to y by his rules.


    ''Hah, usually everyone tries to find the original, but Frigus chose a different way.'' Wain chuckled inwardly as he watched the blue sh destroy many illusions in seconds, ''If you gradually reduce the number of illusions, eventually only one will remain and it won''t be an illusion.''


    Reto was confused for a moment as he didn''t expect Frigus to act so brazenly, but after Frigus destroyed fifty illusions, Reto finally began to act. The illusions'' palms were covered in purple energy as they simultaneously waved their hands, releasing a cloud of sleepy smoke outside.


    Frigus knew well what Reto''s abilities were, so he was ready for it since when the smoke appeared he held his palm out in front of his face, creating an ice helmet. It was airtight, but that wasn''t a problem for Frigus, the most important thing was not to take a single breath of smoke.


    "Agh, how did ite to this?" Elegan shook his head and with a slight sigh snapped his finger.


    A transparent dome appeared above them that prevented any possibility of soporific smoke entering.


    "Shit! Can you y fair or not?" Reto eximed with a frown.


    "Hahaha, are you going to say the same thing in battle? I''m not going to feel sorry for you, since your illusions and tricks actually annoy me!" Frigus grinned as he took a step forward. He got even faster as in a few moments there were only ten of the 300 illusions left, one of which was the real Reto.


    "Well, well, it looks like Reto will have to give back the wine he promised after all, though not in the way he thought he would." Wain said slowly with a slight smile on his face.


    "Damn, why is Frigus so fast...? I don''t know how to do that! I want to do that too!" Nicole eximed as she puffed up her cheeks.


    "Pfff, with an attitude like yours, you''ll never get stronger than him." Sarras snorted as he waved his hand.


    Nicole frowned but didn''t respond. Once Sarras made her angry and because of her impulsiveness she attacked him, but because of the sheer number of undead that was protecting Sarras, she couldn''t even get to him which was a real humiliation for her.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, Frigus continued to destroy the illusions until there were only two left.


    "Damn, can you switch ces with them, or am I really that unlucky?" Frigus tilted his head in a slow step toward Reto.


    Reto didn''t answer he just frowned, waiting for an attack. He could have created just as many more illusions but saw no point in doing so as Frigus destroyed them all without even straining.


    "Fine, get ready for my strike, I hope you can defend yourself." Frigus said calmly before turning into a blue sh, in a heartbeat facing the two illusions.


    Frigus'' eyes grew cold as his sword instantly went through the two illusions. One of them disappeared as it was not the real Reto, while the original stretched his palms forward, clutching the sword de firmly between his fingers.


    Reto was physically weaker than Frigus, so stopping the ice sword this way was impossible for him, but that was only if Reto had no energy as he used some trick again.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Reto''s hands were covered in a denseyer of purple energy that, like jelly, slowed the de and prevented it from advancing further.


    "Shit... If I timed it wrong, you''d cut my hands off..." Reto muttered with a slight sigh, staring at the sword that gave off cold steam.


    Frigus smiled, put the sword behind his back, and said, "I''m waiting for the wine you promised, I hope you have it with you?"


    Reto nodded weakly, "Sure, I knew you''d find a way to beat me, but I didn''t expect it toe to this. Well, at least now I know I can stop your sword."


    "Yeah, that was impressive." Frigus nodded, heading to the couch and sitting to Wain''s left. Reto did the same as he positioned himself to the right of Sarras.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Reto waved his hand as a bottle of wine appeared on the table that was not made of ss but of thick ice. Inside was a scarlet liquid, it seemed that if the temperature had dropped a little more, it too would have turned to red ice.


    "Take it, it''s yours." Reto said calmly, pointing to the bottle.


    Frigus shook his head, "No, I''m not going to drink it alone like a drunk. Pour it for everyone, I think if Wain starts his story with this wine it will be perfect."


    Reto didn''t say anything, he just silently opened the bottle and after a while, all eight sses were filled with very cold wine that gave off steam.


    "Well, in that case, I''ll start." Wain said calmly, taking the ss in his hands. The others nodded and looked at him with curious expressions.


    ...


    Wain told them everything that Eva had told them, perhaps with a few changes, but they fully knew his story and how he had be Nameless King again.


    Everyone had a different reaction to what they heard, but definitely, everyone was shocked as much as they could be.


    "So the Void owner I''ve spent my whole life in is the strongest man in history...?" Frigus muttered with his eyes wide open as waves of shivers went through his body, "Damn, in that case, I have to train even harder so I don''t embarrass your name!"


    "I agree." Nicole nodded vigorously, "If our leader is the strongest, then we have an opportunity to be the strongest after him, right? We should take advantage of that!"


    Edena and Lui Bu looked at Wain with wondering faces as if they had some idea.

 Chapter 886 The Odds

    "Wain... You''re really back from the dead, right?" Elegan asked in disbelief as he stared intently at Wain, afraid of missing something.


    "Something like that. I don''t think there''s any exact name for it, but I''m alive again, or rather I''ve been alive for a long time, but I just got my memories back now." Wain said calmly with a slight nod, "I still have to get my power back, but that''s okay. I won''t have to go all the way to the Transcendence Stage all over again. It''s almost done."


    Reto took a sip and asked, "So the Second Great War is about to begin, right?"


    Wain nodded silently.


    "In that case, I want to ask you something." Reto muttered slowly swinging his frozen ss from side to side, "How many of us can reach the God Stage before then?"


    Wain looked them over, pondering something for a while before answering, "That''s aplicated question, as it depends on many factors, but most likely we can all reach the God Stage if we put in enough effort. Except, for Lui Bu and Edena, you have a different field, so you will need a lot more time and apletely different path."


    Hearing this everyone smiled as the God Stage was their main goal from the moment they realized that this was the pinnacle of power. Lui Bu and Edena were a little upset, but they quickly came to their senses as they realized that this was no surprise. They couldn''t be sessful alchemists and great fighters at the same time, this world didn''t work that way.


    "Wain, you do realize that we will fight with you, right?" Elegan asked with a serious look as he put his fingers together. At the same moment, the others fell silent, realizing how important this was.


    "Sure. It''s your choice, I''m not going to stop you, however, you must choose your opponent ording to your strength. You can count that as an order, I don''t want any of you to die attacking an enemy who can kill you with a simple wave of his hand." Wain said calmly, but his cold voice gave everyone goosebumps as his aura gradually intensified.


    "Do you know when the Great War will begin?" Elegan asked as he waved his hand.


    "No, also I do not yet know who will be our enemies and who our allies are. About some I''m sure, but about most I know nothing. Moreover, I have no idea what the second ruler of the Arkan World does. I''ll talk to someone after our meeting, and hopefully, I''ll learn more about it." Wain spoke as he crossed his arms over his chest, "However, the Angels, Vampires, and Ashens will definitely be on our side, at least their Progenitors."


    Sarras turned to Wain and asked, "Wait... Does that mean Alucard will be on our side? I mean, he''s the only real immortal!"


    The others'' eyes went wide as they only now realized how powerful an ally they had.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Yes, Alucard can''t be killed, however, that doesn''t mean he''s the strongest. All in all, it''splicated, but I think the situation will gradually begin to clear up. I''m sure that this time it won''t be like the first, so before the Great War begins, everyone will know who''s an ally and who''s an enemy." Wain said as he shrugged like he didn''t care.


    "Your main goal is to kill the second ruler of the Arkan World, right?" Reto asked with a confused expression.


    "Exactly. After that, it doesn''t matter what happens anymore since he''s the only one with a real chance to take over the entire world." Wain nodded.


    "But... How? How is it possible to take over the whole world? How can you control all the strongest races and thousands of different spaces?" Elegan spoke in disbelief.


    "Well... If he takes my energy, he can control everyone else. Notpletely, but it will be enough that no one will ever be able to resist him. I don''t know what it would be, tyranny or utopia, but such a world makes no sense. Though obviously, some will disagree with me since a few races will definitely want some of that power for themselves." Wain said slowly, but his aura slowly increased with each word, showing how important this was to him.


    "Pfff, even though I''m a Lich, I don''t understand the point of having total control over the world? What''s the point? I mean, won''t it get too boring with time?" Sarras frowned.


    Wain shrugged, "I don''t understand that either. Even if it''s utopia rather than tyranny, it''s like living in a golden cage. Everything will be fine, but when there''s only good in the world then over time some of it bes a necessary evil and that only leads to disaster."


    Wain''s story exined a lot, but the great war also raised many questions for Elegan and the others, so for the next few hours Wain quietly answered questions and guessed about possible futures.


    "Well... Looks like we''re done, right?" Wain sighed with relief as thest five minutes were silent as everyone reminisced on what they had heard.


    "At the end, I''d like to clear something up." Frigus asked as he looked intently at Wain, "What does it take to reach the Transcendence Stage? Do any of us stand a chance?"


    Wain remained silent until he answered, "I was just about to say that. Frigus, of everyone here, you have a chance of reaching that stage. That doesn''t mean the rest of us will never make it, but I see a special aura only around you, yet. I almost feel that if given the opportunity you will reach this level."


    "The Transcendence Stage is different from anything you know. You have to give up the energy of the world and rece it with your own, but for your own energy to be real, it has to be something grounded, something that only you can do, if you want you can call it a philosophy, like Alucard, did. He was able to be immortal and that''s why he reached the Transcendence Stage, not the other way around." Wain said calmly, trying to exin to them what he himself did not yet understand very well since each case was unique.

 Chapter 887 World

    There was silence in the hall as Wain''s words were something they didn''t understand at all yet. They knew the Transcendence Stage existed, but they had absolutely no idea how such a level could be achieved as for them it was something beyond, just impossible.


    "So unlike the God Stage where you can gather followers or go the way of the loner and concentratepletely on yourself, the Transcendence Stage requires something special, something that allows you to separate yourself from the energy of this world, right?" Frigus asked with a serious look.


    "Yeah." Wain nodded, "In my case, it is my power that is literally the embodiment of myself. My energy can''t be contained as well as fate couldn''t stop me. Sure, everything has limits, I can''t destroy the whole world in a snap, but this is definitely the pinnacle."


    Frigus nodded as he crossed his arms across his chest with a thoughtful expression. For him as a warrior, bing the strongest was one of his most important goals, so knowing that he had a chance to be one of them was the most powerful motivation for him.


    ''Hmm... Something special, right? Philosophy? That doesn''t work for me, I have to find what I consider my specialty or what I want. Surely Alucard didn''t be immortal by ident, he definitely did something for it.'' Frigus muttered inwardly trying to understand himself. He looked like he was just thinking, but Wain saw that gradually his gaze grew deeper.


    ''Good job, it looks like you''re beginning to understand something.'' Wain noted as a slight smile appeared on his face, ''I wish I could tell you more, but that would only make it worse. If I tell you my thoughts and my ways, it will just lead you away and your way is the only right one.''


    "Wain! Can everyone really reach the Transcendence Stage?" Nicole said with sparkling eyes as she gave him a questioning look, "I mean... Isn''t everyone in the Transcendence Stage Progenitors?"


    The others wondered the same as they looked at Wain.


    Wain shook his head, "There are some monsters that are on the Transcendence Stage, but recently one of the angels killed their Progenitors and became the new leader. So it''s not just possible to reach the Transcendence Stage, it''s even possible to be stronger than your race''s Progenitor. There are simply no limits, though, of course, it is incredibly difficult."


    Wain hadn''t expected this, but the conversation about the Transcendence Stage had piqued his team''s interest far more than he had anticipated, so for the next hour he had to answer questions again until there was silence again.


    ''Hah, it seems that by the beginning of the second Great War, not only Frigus will be able to be much stronger. They''ve all be so serious, even Nicole, though up to this point, I doubted she could be.'' Wain chuckled inwardly as he looked at their pensive faces.


    "Wain, can I ask you something?" Edena said suddenly, breaking the silence.


    "Hmm? What is it?" Wain raised an eyebrow in confusion.


    "I... no, Lui Bu, and I need your blood." Edena said seriously as she clenched her hands into fists.


    "My blood?" Wain tilted her head with a thoughtful expression, "Do you want it used to make potions?"


    "Not really, though it''s a good option, too. Maybe you haven''t regained your full power yet, but technically you''re on the Transcendence Stage, aren''t you?" Edena asked with a curious look.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Wain nodded slightly, "Yes. There won''t be any barriers in my way since I already overcame them a long time ago. I just need to get my energy back to get my full power."


    "I thought so. In that case, your blood has great power. I want to take some to make potions, but I also want to do some experimenting." Edena said calmly.


    "I don''t mind, but don''t overdo it. A few drops of my blood will be enough to tear the Fourth Chronicle apart since it just can''t absorb that much energy at once." Wain shrugged nonchntly.


    "Fine, can we do this right now? Lui Bu and I have everything we need." Edena asked as she nced at her partner.


    Wain hesitated, staring at the ceiling for a while until he said, "Yeah... I still have time. I thought I''d take care of the evolution of this Void first, but it looks like I''ll have to put it off for a while.


    Edena nodded with a slight smile as her eyes sparkled. She was an alchemist, so conducting unique experiments and working with such a valuable resource as Wain''s blood was exciting to her.


    "Evolution of the Void...?" Elegan asked as his eyes went wide, "Wait, you want to change this area?"


    "Sure. I did that every time I reached a new Chronicle, didn''t I?" Wain grinned, "It''s going to be a lot bigger this time, but you''ll only get one upside from it. I''m sure the territories will be muchrger as well as the resources, though the responsibilities will increase as well."


    "Hmm?" Elegan was puzzled.


    "Right now this Void is a Fourth Chronicle space, but when we move to Fifth Chronicle the rules of the game will change significantly. Zones at this level are considered half-worlds." Wain said calmly as if it were nothing, but a wave of shivers ran through Elegan''s body.


    "Half-World...? Are you serious?" Elegan muttered in disbelief.


    "Sure." Wain nodded.


    "And... What will change when we''re no longer a mere space among thousands like us? I mean... what does it mean to be in Half-World Void?" Elegan asked with a curious look, but he seemed afraid to hear the answer since it was too important.


    Elegan was the one who ran this Void, so such a change was both an enhancement of his abilities and potential, but it was also a huge responsibility. Unlike Nicole, he couldn''t take things lightly.


    "Well, at least this means that now our zone won''t be closed. Anyone cane here, weak and strong, and now someone can dere war on us even if I, the owner of the Void, am not in the zone.

 Chapter 888 Responsibilities

    "What...? We can be attacked even if you''re not here?" Elegan muttered with a dazed look, "Damn, doesn''t that mean it''s too dangerous to move to the Fifth Chronicle?"


    "Hah, Elegan you should think bigger." Frigus grinned as he crossed his arms over his chest.


    "Hmm? You think it''s a good thing that we can be attacked by anyone who wants to?" Elegan frowned, "What''s more, if anyone cane into our area, it''s going to turn into real chaos! The more people the more problems!"


    "Well, that''s why it''s called Half-World, isn''t it?" Reto smiled slightly as he nced at Wain.


    Wain nodded, "It''s a whole other level, but Elegan, you don''t have to worry about it so much, you''ll be fine. Transferring Void from the Fourth Chronicle to the Fifth Chronicle is a big step, but we can easily handle the consequences. What''s more, we''ll get a tremendous amount of benefits."


    "I agree." Frigus took a deep breath and his gaze grew deeper, "Even though no one has attacked us all this time, but we did it ourselves, didn''t we?"


    Elegan''s eyes went wide, "Yeah... We won a few wars, it seriously helped us grow further. However, it waspletely different. We did it all together, we chose our opponent carefully, and that''s why we won with ease. Now we can be attacked when we''re not ready."


    "Hmm? What kind of nonsense are you talking about?" Frigus frowned as his aura intensified.


    "What...? Did I say something wrong?" Elegan tensed since he hadn''t seen Frigus angry in a long time, this event was as rare as a sr eclipse.


    "Damn, I thought I''d get old and die before I saw Frigus''s face like that! Ahahahahaha!" Nicoleughed suddenly as it seemed something amusing to her. She wasn''t the only one, as only Elegan, Edena, and Lui Bu seemed tense. The others were rxed, especially Reto, as he knew what Frigus would say next.


    "You say we might be attacked when we are unprepared, but is that possible?" Frigus became serious, "We are all on the Fifth Chronicle and ready to take the fight at any moment. There are thousands of monsters in our territories that are ready to fight."


    "Thousands of monsters..." Elegan muttered with wide eyes as if he remembered something he had long forgotten, "Right... Fuck, we have a whole army..."


    Frigus grinned, "Looks like you''re starting to understand the situation we''re in. When our Void bes a Half-World, there will probably be a lot of people willing to invade and take over some of our resources, but that will be their mistake. In fact, we will only have to fight if the enemy is in Fifth Chronicle, the rest can be dealt with by our monsters."


    Elegan just stared ahead for a while as many thoughts ran through his head, then he took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Hah, looks like I''m too used to the world, I shouldn''t worry about us since every monster we have is strong, shouldn''t I?" Elegan smirked as he stared at Frigus, "I think this is what our monsters have been waiting for a long time. All this time they''ve been training and amassing resources to show their strength in rare wars, but now our Void will be more like the real world than a cage."


    "You''re right, but you''re forgetting something." Wain said calmly with a sly smile on his face, "Turning the zone into Half-World, it''s not just sudden wars, new enemies, and invaders wanting to take our resources, it''s also arge number of new allies."


    Elegan was surprised again since before he had only thought of the difficulties that would arise after the evolution of the Void as he hadpletely forgotten that there was an upside to every situation.


    "I don''t mean to sound arrogant, but this Void doesn''t belong to someone who has struggled to reach the Fifth Chronicle. The owner of this area is me, the Nameless King, so do you really think there will be many willing to be my personal enemies?" Wain said calmly with a devious smirk while his aura slowly increased causing the air next to him to distort slightly.


    "Hahaha, I''m starting to like this." Sarras chuckled, "I hope you finish with your experiments quickly as I want it to start as soon as possible!"


    "Agreed." Reto nodded slightly, taking a sip of his cold wine, "Honestly I''m sick of drinking for days and doing nothing. I mean, a lot of people dream of peaceful times, but that''s just not for us. We''ve had enough rest, so it''s time to work."


    "Elegan, you don''t have to worry about wars and security and battles, Frigus can handle that easily, especially with our help." Sarras said with a serious expression as he crossed his arms.


    "Hmm? What are you talking about? How do you think I don''t have to worry about wars?! That''s a lot of responsibility! Even if we''re strong, I still have to keep an eye on everything!" Elegan spoke with an ice-cold look as he frowned.


    "Hah, you''re actually a good leader and that''s why you shouldn''t waste your time on this." Wain grinned as he stared at Elegan, "Look, what''s the difference between politicians and the military?"


    Elegan was puzzled until his eyes grew deeper, he seemed to realize how stupid he was being.


    "You don''t have to answer, I''m sure you know it. Frigus is themander-in-chief, so he will take over all of the war while you can do other, not less important things. After the wars, there will be a new flow of monsters, people, and most important, resources. The pressure will be even bigger than now, so you just don''t have enough time to do everything. It''s time to let Frigus do what he''s best at." Wain calmly said with a confident expression.


    Elegan only nodded silently, he was no fool and understood that Wain was right, it was just all a bit unfamiliar to him.

 Chapter 889 Minecart

    "Fine, now that we''ve dealt with everything, it''s time to move on to the next stage." Wain said as he looked at Edena and Lui Bu, "Come on, it''s time for you to take some blood from me."


    "Sure." Edena nodded, "This will be my first time working with a resource at this level, but I hope I don''t screw it up."


    "Don''t worry. I''m sure you have blood restoration potions, so we''ll have a few tries if you need them." Wain waved his hand, stood up, and headed for the exit, following Edena and Lui Bu.


    The others were slightly puzzled, though they knew this was going to happen, so they looked at each other and followed them.


    "Hey! I''m actually wondering what''s going to happen too!" Sarras eximed stepping forward with his arms crossed over his chest.


    "I agree." Reto finished his wine, jumped off the couch as his silhouette dissolved, and in a heartbeat appeared next to Wain.


    "Damn... I have so much work to do, but I have to waste my time on some experiments... I hope it will be worth it." Elegan shook his head, flying toward them on the purple magic circle.


    Thest people at the table were Frigus and Nicole. Frigus calmly stared ahead as if none of this mattered to him while Nicole stared at him.


    "Agh..." Frigus sighed, "Okay, I''m curious too. Let''s go see what Edena and Lui Bu are going to do."


    Nicole smirked, "Hahaha, I knew it!"


    ...


    The alchemyb was in a cave behind the waterfall as before, it used to be just a few small rooms, but now it looked like a massive base of some secret organization.


    "How many rooms are there? It''s a real maze!" Wain wondered as he raised an eyebrow.


    "Hah, actually most of these rooms are either storage rooms or some kind of greenhouse." Edena shrugged as she stopped at one of the metal doors.


    She was a Construct, so unlike other ces in this Void, everything here was very technological, as if from the future.


    Tap.


    Edena touched the door as the lock twisted on it, inserting the mechanical pieces into the cells as if solving a puzzle, then when everything fell into ce, the door opened.


    ''Wow, when I didn''t know there was energy in this world, having a door like this would have been my dream. It looks so damn cool!'' Wain said inwardly as his eyes went wide.


    Edena stepped inside, turned on the lights with a wave of her hand, and stepped to the side revealing a view of hundreds of blue potions.


    "Hah, these potions are all the same type, aren''t they?" Wain asked with a smirk.


    Edena nodded, "There are a huge number of such rooms here, also besides the storage and greenhouses there are also factories here."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Factories? Greenhouses? I don''t understand." Wain was puzzled, "Is this ab or a separate universe?"


    "You''ll get used to it." Edena shrugged, "I didn''t expect it to get this big myself, but it just has to."


    "Yeah..." Elegan nodded with aplicated look, "We put a hell of a lot of effort into the logistics... Damn, it was the hardest sleepless night of my life, but the result was worth it."


    "Logistics? What are you talking about? Isn''t this just a storage facility?" Wain asked in disbelief.


    "Hah, it seems that if you''re not inbat, your attention span drops off considerably." Elegan grinned, "Haven''t you noticed yet that we''re not alone here?"


    Elegan and Edena looked at each other before heading forward. Wain followed them curiously as he only now realized that the warehouse had another side.


    "What the hell...?" Wain muttered when he saw what was on the other side.


    Several monsters were busy transferring potions from one speeding minecart to another. The minecarts woulde from the left side, and after checking the potions as well as transporting them to the other wagons, they would leave to the right. Sometimes there were a few damaged potions among the potions, so the monsters had to get rid of them.


    "Well... I guess I haven''t been in my Void for too long... First I saw the gardener''s skeleton, now I see the workers'' monsters..." Wain spoke while shaking his head.


    "Hahaha, you saw my guys, right?" Sarrasughed, "At first I thought it was a stupid idea, but skeletons are actually very useful as helpers!"


    "So... This warehouse is just one of many items, right?" Wain asked as he turned to Edena.


    "Yes." Edena nodded, "I and Lui Bu are only involved in makingplex potions where knowledge and precise actions are required. For the more popr and simple potions, we use mechanisms and monsters. All it takes is quality instruction, a few days of training, and discipline."


    "In fact, at first we couldn''t get anything right, it was a real disaster." Lui Bu shook his head with a bitter smile, "However, when Frigus helped us, things became much easier."


    "Hm? Frigus? Do you know anything about alchemy?" Wain turned to him.


    "No." Frigus replied coldly, "Edena and Lui Bu made clear and simple recipes for potions, set up all the mechanisms, and trained the monsters, but the monsters were just too undisciplined. They were constantly distracted, straying from the norms or starting to fight each other altogether, obviously, it was impossible to work under those conditions."


    "After Frigus came in the number of mistakes the monsters made became almost zero, so now out of a hundred potions only about two or three are defective." Lui Bu exined.


    "I see." Wain nodded as he looked at the monsters. They were working pretty fast but still had a hard time distributing potions to the minecarts since there were quite a few potions.


    "Everything else is just a stockpile just in case." Edena said as she waved her hand.


    "Good job, I didn''t even realize that with a lot of resources, alchemy could be partially turned into a real nt." Wain grinned as he was definitely pleased with their results.


    "That''s not all. You''ve already seen one of our warehouses, so it''s time for you to visit one of our greenhouses." Edena said confidently with a sly smile.

 Chapter 890 Thoughts

    Wain didn''t expect theb, which used to have several rooms, to be sorge, but so far he had only seen a small part, so he followed Edena curiously to see more.


    The others were surprised too, though not as much as Wain since everyone had their own things to do and usually they didn''t go any further than Edena''s study if they needed any potions.


    "Edena, how many storages are there anyway?" Wain asked following her.


    "About three hundred." Edena nonchntly replied.


    ? "Damn, that''s a hell of a lot..." Wain muttered in a daze.


    "Not really." Edena shook her head with a bitter smile, "When we had our first ten storages I thought we''d never fill them, but now... now things are different. Right now we''ve got another one or fifty or so storages under construction and that''s not the limit."


    "Hmmm... After I increase the Chronicle of this Void then things get even moreplicated don''t they?" Wain asked with a thoughtful look.


    He was just curious, but his question made Edena, Lui Bu, and Elegan freeze in ce, it was as if they had suddenly turned into statues.


    "Is something wrong?" Wain was puzzled as he raised an eyebrow.


    "Shit... I hadn''t thought of that at all..." Edena muttered with a pale face, "When our Void reaches Fifth Chronicle, there will be a lot more resources and monsters, a lot more!"


    "Yeah... We can hardly manage to create the necessary amount of potions for the current number of monsters, then we''ll have to somehow increase production several times over!" Lui Bu eximed with a slightly worried expression.


    "Damn... we definitely won''t have a problem with resources, especially after the Chronicle increase, but we just won''t be able to cultivate crystals, nts, and other stuff as well as create enough potions..."


    Everyone looked at each other, not quite sure why Edena, Lui Bu, and Elegan were so tense until Sarras stepped forward.


    "Hey, you don''t have to worry so much about that. I''m sure my skeletons and other undead will soon be smart enough to help you with supplies and with making potions!" Sarras said with a confident smirk as he put his hands to his sides.


    "Yeah... I''m sure you can do it, it will help us quite a bit." Edena nodded thoughtfully, "However, the problem I''m worried about is a little different."


    "Hmm?" Sarras tilted his head in confusion.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "If you and Frigus help us with monster training, there won''t be any problem with supplying and creating potions, but that only applies to simple potions. I mean... right now Lui Bu and I have time to create as many powerful potions as we need, but when the requirement increases several times over, we definitely won''t be able to do it alone." Edena said with aplicated expression.


    Sarras nodded deeply as he realized that his skeletons were only capable of simple actions, there was no way they could rece an experienced alchemist, not even partially.


    "Pfff, you''re overthinking this." Wain waved his hand, "I may not know much about alchemy, but one thing I do know for sure. There''s nothing stopping you from just hiring alchemists to work under your supervision."


    "Hmm? Other alchemists...?" Edena muttered as her eyes went wide with bright sparks as if she realized something important.


    "Sure." Wain shrugged, "Right now we can only contact other Voids through wars, but after Fifth Chronicle there will be no more barriers. Our Void has a vast array of different resources, so obviously it will attract many alchemists."


    "Damn... Wain, you''re right!" Lui Bu said as a wide smile appeared on his face, "Alchemists will want some of the resources and if we offer it to them as payment for their work, they will do everything in their power to impress us!"


    "Exactly." Wain smirked slyly as he pointed his finger at Lui Bu, "Just create your own Alchemist Guild, something like that, and constantly recruit new members. That way you''ll have a whole army of alchemists of varying skill sets that will greatly speed up potion production at all levels."


    "Hah, that''s a great idea!" Edena eximed cheerfully, "That way the other alchemists will do almost all the work we spend our time on! That means that Lui Bu and I will be able to concentrate on creating the most difficult potions and the more important things!"


    Wain nodded with a slight smile and headed on, "Now that we''ve got that sorted out, it''s time for you to show me one of the greenhouses."


    "Uhum!" Edena nodded vigorously before following Wain.


    Edena and Lui Bu were already imagining how they would have their own guild while the others were having simr thoughts. At first, they didn''t think much of it, but now they realized that after Void moved to the Fifth Chronicle, their responsibilities would greatly increase as well as opportunities.


    ''Hmm... Edena and Lui Bu will create Alchemist Guilds, but what should I do?'' Reto internally muttered with a thoughtful expression, ''When the barrierse down then my forest will definitely get many Dark Elves as well as a monster with unique abilities. Maybe I should create my own school. I''ll only teach some, but my students will have unusual skills, like me with my illusions.''


    Frigus thought about it too, though he''d had one option for a while now, ''Hmm, to keep the chaos away we need strong and disciplined guardians. I must create a Training Hall and the very best will be my personal assistants, knights that will train the rest and keep the Void in order.''


    Sarras walked forward with a sly grin as ideas immediately appeared in his mind, ''Hahaha, the more monsters and invaders the better! I can''t experiment on our monsters, only my undead, but that rule doesn''t apply to outsiders!''


    Thest one was Nicole, who walked behind with a thoughtful look until a smile appeared on her face since she figured out what she would do in her own territory.

 Chapter 891 The Greenhouse

    After Wain''s words about creating the Alchemists Guild, everyone had simr thoughts. Frigus wanted to train soldiers, Reto to start his own school, and Sarras to conduct experiments, so Nicole was thest to decide her wish.


    ''Wain says that after removing the barriers a lot of people wille here, right?'' Nicole inwardly muttered with a sly smile, ''In that case, I can create an arena in my territory! None of my monsters want to fight metely, that''s not interesting at all! But, if a lot of peoplee to my area, everything will change!


    While everyone was mulling over ns for the future, Edena had already approached the entrance to one of the greenhouses in theboratory. The entrance was the same technological door as the one on the storage, only muchrger.


    "Damn, why is this door so tall? What is it, ten meters?" Wain asked with a confused expression, "Are you growing nts in there or storing nuclear weapons?"


    "Hah, you know that against anyone above Second Chronicle, nukes are practically useless." Edena grinned as she waved her hand, "Do you think I would waste so much space on something so useless?"


    With those words, Edena touched the massive door, opening it and revealing one of the greenhouses. Immediately a powerful flood of different scents burst forth as if from the most beautiful flowers in the world.


    "What the hell...?" Wain muttered as his eyes went wide.


    There were several levels ahead, each one a meter thick. On the levels grew thousands of yellow flowers with several massive petals. Between the flowers were small rows where skeletons could walk to water the nts and monitor their condition.


    "Damn...I thought I was just going to see a beautiful garden, but you took a more pragmatic approach." Wain said with a bitter smile on his face, "How many flowers are there?"


    "Hmm... About twenty or thirty thousand, I''m not sure, but as long as it''s enough to make potions then I''m not too worried about it." Edena replied with a thoughtful look as she touched her lower lip.


    "Shit... That''s quite a lot." Reto said with a dazed expression, "By the way, Edena, you have a greenhouse for grapes, right?"


    "Sure. Those grapes that originally grew on your property are incredibly useful, I really can''t overestimate their qualities." Edena nodded, "Lui Bu and I had more trouble getting those grapes to grow under those conditions, but in the end, we managed, albeit with a few restrictions."


    "Hmm? What kind of restrictions?" Reto asked as he tilted his head.


    "In normal greenhouses where most nts, fruits or crystals grow, there are definitely more than ten thousand ones, that''s the minimum, but for special cases like royal grapes it''s a little different." Edena said with aplicated expression, "I mean, the royal grape greenhouse is just as big, but only three hundred units grow there. I think you realize that''s pretty small."


    Reto nodded, was silent for a while, and then asked, "Isn''t there any way to improve that figure? Maybe the right special conditions or fertilizer? Anything at all?"


    Reto was directly interested in having as many royal grapes grow as possible because in his territory he gets one unit every few days which wasn''t enough to continually enjoy delicious wine.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Edena shook her head, "That''s impossible now. The royal grapes need a lot of energy from the environment as well as space to grow. Perhaps after this Void moves to the Fifth Chronicle, things will change and we can increase the quantity."


    "Sure." Wain said as he put his hand on Edena''s shoulder, "You have no idea how much more energy there will be. The increase will be tenfold, maybe even more."


    "Dozens of times...?" Elegan muttered in disbelief, "Isn''t that too much? I mean... With that much energy, we could all easily go to the Demigod Stage!"


    "Yeah. If you do it right, you''ll be much stronger. You just don''t realize yet that the difference between Fourth Chronicle Void and Fifth Chronicle Void is as big as the Fourth Chronicle creature and Fifth Chronicle one. Remember how much stronger you''ve be since evolution, the same thing will happen now." Wain said calmly as if it was all obvious before moving on.


    "Let''s go. Edena, you showed me the storage and the greenhouse, now it''s time to see the factory, isn''t it?" Wain turned as a sly smile appeared on his face.


    Edena nodded with a serious expression.


    The factory was quite far away since on the way to it they passed through many storages and greenhouses until they reached arge gate.


    Edena opened it with a light touch and again they smelled a strong scent, but not of herbs, but of potions.


    "Well, well, I was prepared to see something massive, but this exceeded my expectations." Wain muttered with a slight smirk looking ahead.


    In the vast room that was sorge you could barely see the back walls, hundreds of monsters were working simultaneously. In the center were many massive cauldrons of various liquids as a few monsters methodically stirred them while others were constantly adding new ingredients.


    Each group of monsters had its own leader who knew how to prepare the potion they needed and oversaw the process.


    Resources for the cauldron came from many minecarts that moved along dozens of rails. Monsters would move the ingredients they needed and carry them to the cauldrons to start brewing potions, then other monsters would pour out some of the liquid through a special tap and distribute it to the sks.


    All these potions were sent to the storages so that hundreds of monsters could get them afterward, and they became stronger every day because of it.


    "Hah, that''s really incredible." Wain grinned, "I couldn''t even imagine that my Void would ever have something like this, but here it is. Our monsters probably get the most resources than in other Voids. Hopefully, they''ll defend their territory when the barrierse down."

 Chapter 892 Irony

    "How many potions are produced here?" Wain asked with a curious look, carefully watching the actions of the monsters who seemed to know what had to be done.


    "Hmm...." Edena wondered, "I don''t know, the sess rate gets higher every day as the monsters learn and make fewer mistakes, but I think several thousand per hour. However, that''s just here, there are far fewer factories than storages or greenhouses, but it''s still more than ten."


    Wain nodded, "Not bad, those are impressive numbers. Well, I''ve already looked at everything, so we can consider the tour over. Come on, it''s time to get on with the experiment, isn''t it?"


    "Sure." Edena smiled, "After we''re done I''ll show you a collection of our strongest potions. These are the potions we have in single copies."


    "Hah, that sounds pretty interesting, but what will you do with these potions? I mean, you must have spent quite a bit of time and resources on them, so it would be wasteful to use them as decorations." Wain asked as he nced at Edena.


    "Don''t worry, we''re not going to collect them. They lie in our personal storage since none of the monsters have earned them yet. I mean, we''ve already created several hundred such potions, and we''ve given most of them away to monsters who needed them to get stronger." Edena exined with a serious look in a confident manner.


    Wain smirked, "I see, these potions probably raise the purity of the blood to a high value or give a powerful burst of energy so that the monster can move on to the next Chronicle, right?"


    "Damn... Wain, how did you figure it out so fast?" Lui Bu was surprised as his eyes went wide.


    "Well, it was easy. There are many different options in this world, but even the best protective, healing, or enhancing potion can''tpare to the one that will let you pass through the barrier. It''s just another level altogether." Wain said with a devious smirk, "What Chronicle could those monsters that used those potions reach?"


    Edena and Lui Bu remained silent as they looked at each other, nodded, and said, "To the Fifth Chronicle."


    "What the hell...?" Wain''s eyes went wide since he couldn''t believe what he heard, "Fifth Chronicle...? I mean... Right now, besides you, there are other monsters in this Void who have reached the Absolute Stage?"


    Edena and Lui Bu nodded as Elegan stepped forward and said, "Yeah, I too was surprised that besides the leaders of the territories, some monsters were able to reach this level, though with the help of potions, but it''s still incredible."


    ''Hah, I definitely made one of the smartest decisions when I brought Edena and Lui Bu here and gave them as many abilities as possible. I didn''t expect them to be able to create potions that would allow a creature to pass into the Fifth Chronicle, honestly, it''s practically the pinnacle of alchemy.'' Wain inwardly muttered with a rather smile on his face.


    ''Edena, Lui Bu, you are well done. I knew you were talented and that you had great potential, but you were able to create potions to go to the Fifth Chronicle while in the Fourth Chronicle Void. Perhaps with your new resources, you can create more amazing potions." Wain smirked as he shook his head, "No, though, I''m fully convinced of that. You have exceeded all my expectations."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Edena and Lui Bu answered nothing since they were too embarrassed to say anything. Everyone knew that Wain was a cold man who quite rarely showed his true emotions, so to hear him praise was something no one hoped for.


    Elegan usually did the job of encouraging the others, but to hear words like that from Wain was the best reward they could get, since anything other than that they had.


    "Hah, no need to be so embarrassed, I rarely praise anyone it''s true, but that''s because I want everyone to be sure of myplete sincerity every time I do it, just no doubts." Wain chuckled noticing the flushed faces of his alchemists before turning around, "Let''s go. Where should I go? Where is your mainb located?"


    Lui Bu and Edena quickly came to their senses as they ran forward, showing Wain the way.


    "Damn... When I heard Wain''s stories and that he is in fact a Nameless King, I thought he would get even sterner and colder, but I guess I waspletely wrong." Reto muttered with a dazed look as he watched the receding back of Wain''s who walked rxed forward with his hands behind his head.


    "I agree... I thought a lot would change after his story, and maybe something for the worse..." Sarras muttered in a confusion, "However, so far it''s the opposite."


    "Hmm... It seems logical to me." Nicole suddenly said with a confused look at the others, "Have you been listening to his story inattentively?"


    "What...? What are you talking about?" Elegan asked as he tilted his head, "I''m sure I heard every word."


    "I agree." Frigus nodded seriously as he crossed his arms over his chest.


    "It seems simple to me." Nicole said with glowing eyes, "Think about it, Wain had been fighting all along, well, it seems he didn''t even have a home or a lover back then. All he was doing was fighting and getting stronger since even in Human World, someone else was running the kingdom since he didn''t have time."


    Nicole continued, "Things are different now. There''s still time before the Great War, he has a home, a beloved, close allies, and hopes for the future that it will finally be over. I mean, he''s much freer now than before, isn''t he?"


    Everyone''s eyes went wide as they were shocked that Nicole was the one who could figure it out, while they hadn''t thought about it at all.


    "Hah, it''s rather ironic that the Nameless King, the one who not even Fate can stop, is freer after death than when he was at the peak of his powers..." Frigus chuckled, then his gaze grew deeper and darker.

 Chapter 893 The Cut

    Edena and Lui Bu''sboratory became huge, but in fact, most of the space was upied by storages, greenhouses, and factories. All of this was rted to alchemy, but Edena and Lui Bu were not involved in these processes, they only made sure that everything went ording to n.


    Their mainboratory, where they conducted experiments and created new and unique potions, was at its deepest point.


    "Well, well, looks like we''re finally getting there, doesn''t it?" Wain said with a slight smile looking at the simple wooden door from whose slits the smell of herbs permeated, "Why is there an ordinary door here? Before there were high-tech ones everywhere... It''s rather strange, no?"


    Edena sighed as a wide smile appeared on Lui Bu''s face, "It was Lui Bu''s idea. He said it looks more aesthetically pleasing and it helps him work, though I think safetyes first."


    "Hah, I hate to break it to you, but he''s right." Wain smirked as he walked on, causing Edena to frown, "I hope there''s something interesting waiting for me behind that door."


    Click.


    Wain opened the door going inside. The main room of theboratory wasrge, but not at all like a storage room or a greenhouse. There were various cauldrons, machinery, sks with unusual liquids, and hundreds of ingredients everywhere. On the tables beside the herbs were dozens of sheets on which were written recipes for potions, most of them crossed out.


    "Damn, you''d do well to clean this ce up, don''t you think?" Wain muttered as he turned to Edena.


    Edena waved her hand, "We don''t have time for that, moreover this isn''t the only room. Everything happens here at once so it might seem like chaos, but it isn''t. Come on, there''s a suitable room up ahead for us to take some blood from you."


    Wain nodded as everyone followed Edena. As they walked past the many rooms, everyone looked curiously at the potions, colorful crystals, and unusual nts that Edena and Lui Bu were saving to make something special.


    "Okay, we''re here." Edena said as she entered the room that looked like a most modern operating room.


    "Damn... Are you taking monsters apart in here?" Wain muttered as his gaze fell on the table, which had the usual tools like scalpels, scissors, needles, and massive saws and axes that didn''t seem to be here to heal anyone.


    "Of course not." Edena waved her hand, "It''s just that sometimes monsters get wounds that require special methods to heal... Many monsters have pretty tough skins, so I have to use more radical methods. Okay, that''s all unimportant, get in the chair."


    Wain was puzzled, but he didn''t ask any more questions and did as Edena said. She quickly prepared some sks, took a sharp knife, and brought it to Wain''s hand. She didn''t ask if he was ready and simply swung the knife across his palm, however, instead of leaving a cut on Wain''s skin, the knife just snapped as if it had hit something incredibly hard.


    Edena looked at the broken knife with wide eyes and muttered, "Well... It was pretty stupid of me to get your blood that way..."


    Everyone understood this, but no one would point out Edena''s mistake, so Elega, Frigus, and the others simply nodded as if in agreement with her words.


    "Edena, I think that in order to wound me you must use something more powerful, though it doesn''t necessarily have to be you, does it?" Wain asked with a slight smile.


    "Agh...? What are you talking about?" Edena frowned in confusion.


    Wain looked at Frigus and said, "Hey, do you want to do it? I''m sure your sharp sword could easily leave a wound on my rough skin."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Frigus was slightly puzzled, but he expected Wain might ask for something like that, so he nodded and stepped forward.


    "Sure. I''ll make it so precise that your wound will heal as soon as Edena takes the necessary amount of blood." Frigus said seriously as he drew his sword from its sheath. Everyone immediately felt the temperature around them drop as the floor beneath Frigus was covered with a thinyer of ice while cold steam emanated from his sword.


    Wain smiled and opened his palm, showing Frigus his target. Frigus was about to swing his sword when suddenly a shadow appeared before him.


    "Wait!" Nicole eximed with a worried expression.


    "What...? What happened?" Frigus'' eyes went wide as he was puzzled.


    ''Hmm? Is Nicole worried that Wain might be hurt?'' Edena muttered inwardly as a slight smile appeared on her face, ''Well, I always knew that girl wasn''t as crazy as she seemed.


    Elegan stared at Nicole, ''Damn... Doesn''t she realize this is necessary? Frigus wouldn''t seriously injure Wain anyway, it''s just not possible.''


    Reto looked at their puzzled faces and said to himself, ''Hah, you''re all too naive. Don''t you understand why Nicole did it? It''s pretty damn obvious.''


    "I want to do it!" Nicole eximed with sparkling eyes as she clenched her fists.


    "What...?" Frigus was so shocked that he took a few steps back as if he couldn''t believe what he was hearing.


    "Fuck... That girl is hopeless..." Elegan muttered in a dazed voice.


    "I want to be the one to hurt Wain! Go away! What''s more, your sword will just freeze his blood, so Edena can''t get anything!" Nicole eximed, staring at Frigus with a sharp gaze.


    "Hahaha, that''s incredible." Wainughed, "Okay, it''s my blood, so I decide who inflicts my wound. Go ahead, do it if you want, but if the cut is weak, I''ll punish you!"


    Nicole smirked as her aura intensified, "Don''t worry. I''ll easily leave a cut on your skin! I''ll be the one to do it!"


    Whooooooooosh.


    Arge amount of darkness appeared around Nicole that headed toward her arm, quickly transforming into a short but very sharp de.


    "Not bad. Well, I''m ready, just make me lose as much blood as I need, not a drop more." Wain grinned.

 Chapter 894 The Wild Beast

    Nicole clutched the de tightly in her hand and headed toward Wain with an excited expression. The closer she came, the crazier her gaze became as well as the wider her smirk, it seemed like she''d been waiting for this moment for a long, too long time.


    ''Damn... If I didn''t know how special Nicole was, I''d think she was actually going to kill me.'' Wain grinned inwardly, holding his palm open as he nced at Edena, "Hey, you don''t have much time. If you don''t want to lose my blood, get the sks ready."


    "Right!" Edena nodded and hurriedly brought out five sks, enough to make quite a few potions and conduct various experiments.


    ''Hmm... Wain is on the Absolute Stage now, but technically he''s on the Transcendence Stage, he''s a Nameless King after all, so even a single drop of his blood could be a real treasure in our hands.'' Edena muttered internally with aplicated expression as she crossed her arms over her chest.


    "I hope you''re ready." Nicole smirked before he swung his de.


    Wain didn''t resist, so the dark de sliced his skin with ease, leaving a long cut on his palm from which dark blood immediately flowed.


    Edena quickly took the sk in her hands, bent down, and began to fill it with the most valuable liquid that she could possibly have. The blood of weak creatures was useless since there was too low energy in it, but if it was the blood of someone from the Fifth Chronicle, things changed considerably.


    ''Damn... The best I had was Frigus'' blood... When he reached the Demigod Stage I was incredibly happy since I could make some incredible potions with his blood, but this... Wain''s blood is on apletely different level.'' Edena said to herself, staring intently at the blood flowing into the sk.


    Gradually the whole room was filled with the strong smell of blood that made everyone feel the power that this liquid contained. Everyone here except Edena and Lui Bu were in the Fifth Chronicle, so they could feel exactly how deep the energy was and understood that in Wain''s blood, it was enormous.


    Everyone had about the same reaction as their eyes went wide with shock, but Nicole''s face was different, she looked at Wain''s blood with hungry eyes as she licked her lips as if she saw something very tasty.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    When three of the five sks were filled with dark blood, Nicole couldn''t hold back any longer and pounce on Wain. She acted like a wild animal, throwing the de aside with both hands grabbing Wain''s palm, and sinking her teeth right into his flesh to get as much blood as possible.


    "What the hell..." Elegan muttered with a tremble as his eyes went wide.


    "I don''t know... Has that girl gone mad?" Frigus was puzzled, then he gripped the hilt of his sword tightly and his aura increased considerably. He stepped forward, ready to pull Nicole away from Wain, as even for her it was too rude to their leader.


    However, Wain stopped him with a gesture, while slowly shaking his head with a slight smile.


    ''What...? But, why?'' Frigus asked with his dazed look as he couldn''t understand why Wain was so calm.


    Nicole continued to drink his blood as her eyes grew crazier and crazier, gradually turning red, it seemed that a little more and she would start tearing pieces of flesh from Wain to satisfy her hunger.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Wain sighed, put his palm on Nicole''s head, and began petting her, lightly ruffling her hair as if she were a small child.


    "You got us in a pretty awkward situation, but... it''s not a problem. You can drink my blood as much as you want until you quench your thirst, or is it hunger?" Wain said calmly in a deep voice, seemingly not at all angry about what Nicole had done.


    In time Nicole began to calm down, her eyes no longer fierce and she began to drink blood more slowly as if she knew that no one was going to stop her.


    Wain smiled, looked at Edena, and murmured softly, so that only she could hear him, "Get the blood recovery potions..."


    Edena could hardly hear him, but she quicklyplied with his request, arriving a momentter with three scarlet potions. Wain drank them as his slightly pale face returned to normal and he felt much better. Such potions had a limited effect since otherwise, Edena could get an infinite amount of Wain''s blood, but it was enough for this situation.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Nicole''s aura suddenly began to increase as well as her energy. She had no control over it since she was still focused on Wain''s blood, so destructive darkness began to flow out of her.


    "Ouch!" Edena eximed in pain as the particles of darkness left a small wound on her skin, as if from acid.


    Though Nicole had no control over it, her energy was powerful enough to hurt someone or even destroy the room they were in.


    "Well... Looks like I won''t be able to just watch..." Elegan sighed, shaking his head before swinging his hand.


    Several purple magical circles appeared around Wain and Nicole whichpletely blocked the darkness from prating outside.


    "Hey... will Wain be okay? I mean... that energy seems to be pretty dangerous." Lui Bu asked with a worried expression.


    "Hah, don''t be ridiculous." Reto smirked, "Maybe this darkness could hurt any of us, but not Wain. The darkness is his closest ally, so I''m sure to him it''s nothing more than a pleasant flow of wind, nothing more."


    "I agree." Sarras nodded, "Just watch, I can feel this girl getting stronger. It might be a strange way to go, but Nicole is definitely no ordinary person."


    ''Well done...'' Wain muttered inwardly, petting Nicole, ''I didn''t expect this, but my blood can actually make you stronger so fast. Are you better than others at absorbing energy, or does it only work with me? Well, it doesn''t matter.''

 Chapter 895 The Experiment

    After a while, Nicole stopped. She stopped drinking Wain''s blood as his wound quickly recovered, however, Nicole did not let go of Wain''s hand, as if it was important to her to continue to maintain contact.


    The darkness that had left her body slowly began to return to her, filling her with new strength. Nicole was the kind of person who relied on her instincts more than knowledge or training, letting her body sometimes decide what to do on its own.


    ''Hah, I still don''t understand how this girl came to be, or rather why instead of the usual monster in new territory it was her, but Nicole can get very strong.'' Wain inwardly muttered looking at Nicole, ''Her body has purposely gotten rid of that darkness temporarily so she can turn my blood into energy and quickly absorb it. It''s impressive, especially her speed.''


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    All the darkness returned to Nicole as the space around her distorted due to the intense pressure and everyone felt a strong jolt as if in an earthquake, then Nicole''s aura began to increase with tremendous speed.


    She was on the Absolute Stage, but that was not the limit, with certain conditions and training it was possible to reach the next stage without followers, but there was another way. The creature could simply absorb an abnormal amount of energy in a short period to break through all barriers, the way Nicole did.


    ''Damn, I''m sure if Frigus tried to absorb that amount of energy in a minute even though he wouldn''t be able to withstand it, his body would just tear itself apart. However, Nicole did it with ease... it seems that even among monsters she is a greater monster than the others.'' Wain pondered, slowly stroking Nicole''s head.


    Gradually Nicole''s aura calmed as she let go of Wain''s hand. She slowly stood up, looked around, and stared at Wain, "Thank you... I didn''t expect this to happen, but it looks like it ended well."


    "Yeah... You sure got a hell of a lot out of my blood." Wain smirked as he watched the dark streams of energy hovering around Nicole, they seemed faint but every time they moved, space warped.


    "Hey... Wain, I want to get stronger that way too..." Elegan muttered with hope in his gaze, but Wain''s shaking of his head ruined all his ns.


    "Unfortunately, that''s impossible. Even Frigus won''t be able to withstand the pressure of such a powerful burst of energy, even though he is on the Demigod Stage and his body is stronger than any of you." Wain calmly said, "I''m not sure a Demigod Vampire could handle that, think of Nicole as just special."


    Everyone frowned as they were frustrated that there was no way for them to reach the Demigod Stage as easily as Nicole did.


    "Well, Edena, let''s get on with it, Nicole interrupted us, so we need to fill some more sks with my blood." Wain said as he nced at Edena.


    "No, that won''t be necessary." Edena shook her head as she crossed her arms over her chest, "Honestly, it''s a good thing that Nicole did it. I realize now that your blood is much more powerful than I thought, so what we''ve collected will be more than enough for weeks toe."


    "Fine, I think by the time you run out of supplies, I''ll be here again. Then you can draw blood from me again if you need to." Wain waved his hand, getting up from his chair, "Now that we''ve dealt with that, it''s time to get on with your experiment, right?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Sure." Edena nodded as she waved before heading to one of the rooms in theirb.


    They made their way down the stairs, into a spacious room that was divided into two parts. One room was small, for observers it was divided by a wide wall-sized window with another room that was ten timesrger.


    "Well, well, it''s a volunteer, right?" Wain said looking at the monster in the second room.


    It was a tall anthropomorphic creature with short ck fur, long paws with sharp ws, and an elongated jaw like a wild wolf. The monster''s gaze was calm, but in its fury, its red eyes could frighten anyone.


    "Yeah... I wanted to choose someone else, but he insisted, I''d even say he literally made me choose him." Edena said quietly as she stared at the wolf who sat on the ground.


    "Hmm? What do you mean? Why didn''t you want him to volunteer?" Wain asked in confusion as he tilted his head.


    "I have several potions that together can have the same effect as a single drop of your blood, so I thought I''d pick a monster that had a lot of trouble progressing. I mean, for this risky experiment to be thest way for a monster to get stronger." Edena said with a worried expression as she turned to Lui Bu.


    "The problem is that this wolf is on the border of the Fourth Chronicle and it reached that level very quickly, meaning there is no need for this risky experiment for it." Lui Bu exined with a shrug, "However, he did everything to get here anyway.


    Edena nodded, "Moreover, this monster is special. He appeared at the border between the two zones, which happens very rarely. Anyway, if he hadn''t been so persistent, there''s no way I would have put him in mortal danger because of an experiment."


    Wain remained silent, he stared at the wolf with a thoughtful look.


    "I see... It makes no sense for him to risk it, as he has a better chance than the others of reaching the Fifth Chronicle, also he has a unique origin, so it all seems illogical, just doesn''t make sense." Wain muttered trying to figure out what the monster was thinking.


    "Maybe he just likes to take risks or doesn''t understand how dangerous it is?" Reto offered as he tilted his head.


    ''Hmm... How interesting...'' Wain inwardly muttered rubbing his chin.

 Chapter 896 The Wolf

    "Hey, maybe someone will answer me?" Reto asked with a frown.


    "You asked just too stupid a question." Edena replied coldly as she waved her hand, "This wolf certainly understands that he could die, I don''t know what the odds are, but given that he is on the edge of the Fourth Chronicle, it would be hard for him to withstand even one drop of Wain''s blood."


    "I agree." Frigus nodded with a serious expression, "I''ve seen this wolf trained several times. His fighting style is special, but he''s definitely not one to take risks and win through sudden decisions. He acts calmly, coldly, and calctedly."


    "Guys... I think you''re contradicting yourselves..." Elegan muttered in a confusion, "If everything you say is true, then that makes this wolf crazy, doesn''t it? If he''s taking a risk even though it makes no sense to him, then it''s all too strange."


    Wain sighed, "Well, you have a point, but really what we''re doing now is just wasting time. The best way to understand him is to ask him himself why he''s doing it."


    "Pffffff!" Edena snorted as she crossed her arms over her chest, "You think I haven''t tried to find out? I''ve asked him about it over a hundred times for sure, but he just says he''s made his final decision and nothing will make him change it!"


    "Hah, maybe he just didn''t want to talk to you about it?" Wain grinned, "Or maybe you don''t know how to ask questions. Either way, I want to ask him about it. Where is the passageway to this room?"


    Edena was about to answer, but Wain stopped her by stepping forward. He looked behind the massive ss that was as thick as a finger and murmured, "Though there''s no need for that. Something that thin I can get through just like that."


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Wain''s silhouette blurred as he turned into many wisps of darkness that easily prated through the ss like ghosts, then the darkness headed toward the wolf, transforming into a silhouette.


    The wolf was surprised as his eyes went wide, but he didn''t do anything about it, since he realized that there were no enemies around.


    "Leader...?" Wolf muttered in disbelief as he did not expect Wain himself to appear before him.


    "Yeah... I own this Void, the space you live in." Wain smirked looking at the monster, "Even though this is our first meeting, but you know what I look like, it''s good since I don''t have to waste time exining myself."


    The wolf nodded awkwardly as he quickly rose to his feet, considering it disrespectful to sit in front of the owner of the area, "I was asking about who rules this ce, so I know a little about you."


    "Good job, however, that''s not why I came here." Wain said calmly as his gaze turned cold, "I want to know why you decided to volunteer for this experiment?"


    "I want to get stronger!" Wolf eximed with a serious expression as his aura intensified as if to show the sincerity of his intentions.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Yeah. I see... that''s a good answer, but there''s one problem." Wain smirked, "Every monster, no, every creature who has broken its barriers at least once, wishes to be stronger, so you are no exception. That''s not the reason you want to risk your life even, especially if you''re pretty talented!"


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Wain took a step forward as he approached Wolf with great speed, then he flicked him on the chest. This simple movement made Wolf''s whole body shudder with pain as the shockwave threw him to the other side of the room, causing him to m his back against the wall.


    "What...? What is he doing? Is Wain going to fight him?!" Edena eximed as her face turned pale.


    "Damn... He''ll kill him in one blow!" Lui Bu flinched.


    "Hah, don''t be so stupid." Reto smirked, "Wain is just using his own method. It''s probably too harsh, but somehow I''m sure it will definitely work."


    Wolf shook his head, slowlying to his senses then he looked at Wain, "Leader... Why did you do that?"


    Wain smirked, letting out massive streams of darkness, "Don''t you dare try to trick me. I''m damned curious why you decided to do this experiment, so answer my question or I''ll actually kill you! You may be special, but you are only Fourth Chronicle being, so your loss will be imperceptible."


    The wolf flinched as Wain stepped forward, bringing massive pressure down on him. With each step Wain took, there was less and less time to make a decision since the wolf realized that Wain was serious.


    "Fine! I''ll tell you!" The wolf eximed when Wain came too close to him, within striking distance.


    "See? That was easy." Wain smirked, easing the pressure and removing his aura. He leaned over, looked straight into Wolf''s eyes, and asked, "Tell me, what''s so special about you that you urgently need to get stronger?"


    Wolf hesitated for a while before nodding and putting his paw to his chest. He brushed aside the fur that concealed the narrow but very deep wound through which his beating heart was visible.


    "Damn... I didn''t expect it to happen like this, but now I see what the problem is..." Wain muttered with aplicated expression looking at the monster''s heart, it was partially covered by a thinyer of ice on the left side while on the right, a thick darkness gradually devouring away at the heart.


    "I appeared on the border of two zones ... Usually in this case, the monster gets one attribute as the energy of the second is absorbed by the first, making this monster stronger than the others, however, in my body remained both attributes." The wolf said with a tremble as his eyes narrowed.


    "Shit... A monster with two attributes... You know that''s impossible? If that happens, the ''lucky'' ones die within hours, but you''re still alive." Wain muttered as he got a bitter smile on his face, "Well, maybe we can actually save you."

 Chapter 897 Chance

    Unlike the Humans, the other races could not use two attributes at once, their bodies simply could not withstand the opposition of two different energies that tore them apart. Even monsters and vampires weren''t capable of that, even though they were the best at absorbing energy or had superior regenerationpared to other races.


    ''Damn, ice and darkness... two attributes, but despite the fact that his heart is struggling to beat, he is still alive. Moreover, he has reached the boundary of the Fourth Chronicle, so were it not for this little problem, he would be one of the strongest monsters that I have ever met.'' Wain inwardly muttered looking at Wolf''s wound.


    "Leader... are you serious?" Wolf asked in disbelief as a wave of shivers ran through his body, "Do I really have a chance of surviving?"


    "Yeah... However, it won''t be easy at all, or rather, the chances of us being able to save you are minimal, but there are." Wain said with a slight nod as he looked into Wolf''s eyes, "Now I understand why you''re so insistent on participating in this experiment. You think going to the Fifth Chronicle will save you, right?"


    Wolf nodded hastily, "Sure, I feel like every day my body is getting closer and closer to its limit, so if I get a stronger body I can take the pressure!"


    "Nah, you''re wrong." Wain shook his head causing Wolf''s face to turn pale with intense fear.


    "What...? Are you sure about this? Maybe there''s something you don''t know?" Wolf muttered with hope in his gaze.


    "Unfortunately for you, I''m sure of what I''m saying. Look, if the experiment seeds and you move to the Fifth Chronicle it will actually help you. You''ll live an extra few months, maybe even a whole year, but that''s the most your body can take." Wain said calmly as he waved his hand.


    "Even if you''re an incredible genius and can reach the Demigod Stage and then the God Stage within that year, it will still only postpone your death. Those who reach the God Stage may live for thousands of years, but for you, it''ll be less than a decade, obviously, that''s not a good prospect, right?" Wain muttered as he nced at Wolf.


    "In that case, what do I have to do to survive? I mean, your words weren''t lies, right?" Wolf asked in a panic as he realized that his n was doomed to fail from the start.


    "Sure, don''t worry about it. If I said you had a chance to survive, then you do, however, it''s going to be a little moreplicated than you imagined." Wain said with a shrug as his gaze became serious, "If you want to survive before you have to enter the path of the Transcendence Stage."


    Wolf blinked with wide eyes trying to understand what Wain was talking about since he didn''t even know there was anything higher than the God Stage.


    "Agh... Damn, looks like I''ll have to give you a long lecture first so we can move on." Wain shook his head before he began to educate Wolf about what was beyond the God Stage.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Wolf was puzzled as his dream was simply to reach the Absolute Stage, but now he learned that there was something that was on top of everything, a real pinnacle.


    "Leader... If I understand correctly I have to reach the Transcendence Stage to heal, but how am I supposed to do that? Is it possible?" Wolf asked with a confused look as he waved his hand.


    Wain shook his head, "I didn''t say that, I only said that you must join the path of the Transcendence Stage, which means that right when you enter the Fifth Chronicle, you must meet several conditions so that you have a chance of reaching the Transcendence Stage in the future."


    "Agh... I see, it''s some kind of preparation, right?" Wolf asked trying to figure out what was something very difficult for him.


    "Yeah. That way you permanently relinquish the power of followers that perhaps you might have had after the Absolute Stage. You will be just like Frigus, that is, you will rely only on your power and your confidence must be limitless." Wain said with an ice-cold look as his aura intensified, "However, if you make a mistake now, you will die right on the spot, it''s up to you."


    Wolf gulped, as Wain''s look actually frightened him, but Wolf made a decision almost instantly since he had no other choice that would suit him anyway.


    "I agree. Even if there''s a 1% chance of sess, it''s still better than living a few more months knowing I''m already dead." Wolf said seriously as his eyes became sharp as des, "Leader, tell me, what conditions must I meet to get on the Transcendence Stage way?"


    Wain smirked, nodded, and said, "It''s simple. Two different energies are eating away at your body, each one trying to be one, so they are gradually destroying you. To get rid of this deficiency, this energy must be yours, stop belonging to this world."


    "But... how am I supposed to do that? If I give up the energy I''ll lose all my powers... maybe I''m willing to do that, but then I''ll never be able to reach even the First Chronicle again... I can''t live like that, it would be worse than death." Wolf muttered with a dark look as a shiver went through his body.


    "Hah, that doesn''t make sense. If you give up your energy, your body will start absorbing it from the environment and it will happen all over again. To get your own energy you have to do something very simple." Wain smirked, "You have to achieve 100% blood purity, then everything gets easier."


    "100% blood purity...?" The wolf muttered in disbelief, "Is that possible? How can I do it in such a short time?"


    "Well... You''re lucky I''m here today." Wain said as a sly grin appeared on his face.

 Chapter 898 Evolution

    Wain was a human, so he never had a problem using multiple attributes at once. That meant he couldn''t understand the obstacles others faced when receiving multiple types of energy, but he knew how this world worked better than anyone else. Wain may have been the only one who could save Wolf and allow him to be even stronger.


    "Usually to achieve 100% Blood Purity you have to go through a lot of training and dangerous battles, gradually increasing your blood purity. That way you reduce the amount of outside energy in your body and increase the percentage of your own, but we''ll have a slightly different method." Wain said with a slight smile as he looked at Edena.


    "We''ll take out the part where I talked about training, we don''t have that much time, however, through mortalbat you have to go through." Wain spoke calmly as his eyes narrowed.


    After a moment Edena went down to the second room and ran up to Wain with the others.


    "What''s the matter? Do you need something? Did you find out why this Wolf wants to go through with the experiment?" Edena asked several questions at once with a curious expression.


    Wain quickly answered her, making everyone wonder because of the real reason why Wolf was doing this, then he said, "Edena, how powerful potions to raise blood purity do you have?"


    Edena thought for a moment before answering, "If he can withstand the pressure of three powerful potions, we can raise his blood purity to 99%, however, that''s the maximum that''s obvious."


    "Sure, that''s more than enough. Our job is to make sure he''s only one step away from Fifth Chronicle, then he''ll get 100% blood purity and he can rece the energy in his body. That''s the only way he can survive." Wain said confidently with a slight smile.


    Edena looked at the wolf with a thoughtful look and nodded, "Okay, I''ll do as you say, but are you sure he''ll survive?"


    Wain turned around, ran his gaze over the wolf, and with a confident smirk said, "Of course, he can, it will probably hurt, but if his body can withstand the opposition of two energies for so long, then it can definitely handle three potions."


    "But... What about thest percent?" Frigus asked in confusion as he shook his hand, "I mean, it took me a lot of time and training to finally get to that level."


    "Don''t worry about it, I have an idea. Now he''ll drink the potions and reach 99% blood purity, then he''ll go through mortalbat and drink a drop of my blood at the most dangerous moment. In this case, he''ll probably go to Fifth Chronicle and get 100% blood purity right away as well as his own energy." Wain exined his n with a shrug.


    "I see..." Reto muttered as he nodded, "We use potions and your blood to speed up the process and the mortalbat will be the catalyst for the breakthrough... It might actually work, but who will he fight?"


    "Yeah, leader, who will be my opponent?" Wolf asked with a worried expression as he looked at Wain.


    "Don''t worry, you won''t be fighting against me, but you''ll know who your opponent will be after you raise your blood purity." Wain waved his hand as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    He looked at Wolf and thought, ''Ice and darkness... He has a goodbination, so I already know who he will fight against, it will be a great fight.''<novelnext></novelnext>


    p.


    Wain pped his palms together attracting everyone''s attention to himself.


    "Well, enough talk it''s time to move on to action. Edena, get the potions and anything else that can help him achieve 99% blood purity without any major problems." Wain said with an excited expression.


    "Whatever you say." Edena nodded as the ring on her finger shone brightly. She and Lui Bu had a whole collection of different potions in their personal rings, so in a few minutes, everything was ready.


    Edena ced three sets of potions in front of Wolf, each with one red one that emitted a powerful aura.


    "Listen to me carefully." Edena said seriously, looking at Wolf as she crossed her arms over her chest, "First you drink a potion to raise blood purity, then to increase regeneration, then to strengthen the body overall, then you go on to the second set and repeat until you''ve drunk all the potions. Do you understand?"


    Wolf nodded with a slightly awkward look since he felt unsure, he had never used potions before, he just didn''t need them.


    "Fine, in that case, let''s get started." Edena nodded as she stepped aside, "Don''t forget that you are a monster, so when your blood purity increases significantly then important changes can happen to you. If you do it right, you''ll be much stronger than you are now."


    "Hah, she''s right, so I suggest you start as soon as possible." Wain smirked, eager to see what would happen next.


    Wolf didn''t hesitate, he knew this was his only chance so he immediately opened the first potion and drank itpletely, the red liquid flowed down his throat, slowly soaking into his body. The wolf took his time, he did exactly as Edena said, as he knew that any mistake could have caused his body to simply not be able to withstand the powerful pressure.


    "He''s doing quite well, I can already feel his aura beginning to grow." Wain said with a slight smile, "Even 1% blood purity can make a monster stronger, so now he has to go through a real change."


    "By the way, Wain, what is his original blood purity?" Edena asked as he turned to him.


    "Hmm? I don''t know." Wain shrugged, "Does it make any difference?"


    "No... or rather not really... The lower the initial blood purity the greater the effect will be, but also the greater the strain on the body..." Edena muttered as Wolf took the third and final potion that was supposed to increase his blood purity to 99%.

 Chapter 899 Fight

    For any creature, blood purity was one of the most important parameters for reaching new heights. It was something that didn''t depend on the amount of energy, strong abilities, or unique body features, but blood purity could enhance each of these aspects.


    Vampires had a whole new regeneration rate, Angels grew extra wings, and Axalts had greatly improved reflexes. Each race and each individual person had their own benefits from the increase in blood purity. However, for monsters, it was more important than for everyone else.


    ''Unlike the other races, every monster is kind of unique...'' Wain inwardly muttered looking at Wolf whose aura had already increased significantly, ''They don''t have an obvious development path as they are all too different, so the same monster with different blood purity, can be apletely new creature.''


    Crackle.


    The wolf had already drunk six of the nine potions Edena had provided him, so now it was time for the final stage. The wolf picked up the third potion, which was to increase his blood purity to 99%, opened it, and drank it, quickly absorbing the dark red liquid.


    "Argh... How unusual..." The wolf muttered feeling a rare warmth spread throughout his body, even around his cold heart. The strength increased with each second, Wolf enjoyed it, until suddenly his eyes went wide with a sharp bout of pain.


    ''Shit! I shouldn''t be distracted! If I don''t drink the rest of the potions, I might die!'' Wolf eximed to himself as he quickly opened the next potion.


    His body was strong, but the chances of him dying were incredibly low, but he could barely stand the pain, which was growing by the second.


    Crackle.


    The wolf drank the second potion and tossed it aside immediately moving on to the next one, which was to strengthen his body onest time.


    "Not bad, even though he was distracted, only a few scratch-sized wounds appeared on his body, but they are already healing. I told you he could definitely handle this ordeal." Wain spoke with a confident smirk as he crossed his arms over his chest.


    "Yeah... I guess so, but you have to understand that this is just the beginning. He has to go through a mortal battle to get to the Fifth Chronicle, but he''ll go through evolution first." Edena muttered a thoughtful look, staring intently at Wolf.


    Though their goal had now changed, since they wanted to save Wolf, it was still an experiment. Edena wanted to see how Wain''s blood would work on monsters, and what effect it would have, but she was also curious about what a monster with two attributes could achieve after drinking her potion. Every alchemist was partly a scientist, Edena, and Lui Bu was no exception to this rule, so they were curious about what would happen next.


    Gradually Wolf absorbed all the energy, it seemed that despite the rapid increase in blood purity nothing happened to him, but that was not the case at all.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    "Agh... What''s going on...?" The wolf muttered in a confusion looking at his hands. Cracks began to appear in his skin, with cold steaming out of them, so many that it was visible even under his fur.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Here we go." Wain smirked, "Get ready, I''m sure you''ll be in a lot more pain now than you were before, however, it will be worth it since for all that pain you''ll get incredible strength."


    "What...? What are you talking about?" Wolf asked with a puzzled look as his pupils sharply narrowed and his whole body shuddered.


    "ARGHHHHH!!!" The wolf fell to his knees, roaring in horrible pain while waves of agony rippled through his body. The wolf felt as if thousands of red-hot needles were passing through his entire body and new ones were appearing immediately after, but they were several timesrger than the previous ones!


    His roar was terrifying so much as Edena and Lui Bu shuddered in fear, they didn''t even want to imagine how much pain Wolf was in since just the sight of him trembling made them feel so bad.


    "Fine, that means he''s going to get a lot stronger, doesn''t it?" Frigus asked calmly as he nced at Wain.


    "Sure." Wain nodded confidently, "Apparently his original blood purity was pretty low, so the changes will be more significant than we thought."


    "That means he''s enduring the maximum amount of pain, right?" Reto asked with a curious look, "I even feel a little sorry for him, but I''m also jealous, because the more suffering, the more valuable the reward, right?"


    After a while, the painful roar of the wolf stopped in theb. He stared at the ceiling with a nk stare that gradually grew deeper and filled with light.


    "Well, well, that''s different." Wain said looking at Wolf''s new appearance that dramatically changed, "If I were in the Fourth Chronicle I would do anything to avoid facing such an opponent."


    "Agh... This is incredible..." Wolf muttered, exhaling a massive cloud of cold steam that was powerful enough to cover the ceiling with a thinyer of ice.


    On his hands now were two massive ice des that seemed sharper than any existing sword. His ws grew longer and more deadly, exuding an eerie aura. Protective tes of darkness appeared on his legs as well as on his chest, they were sturdy and flexible, asionally glowing with violet light.


    A pool of darkness slowly spread out beside Wolf, wanting to engulf everything around him, but at hismand it returned to him, transforming into sharp tips for his ears.


    "Not bad, not bad at all." Frigus nodded confidently, "I could be wrong, but I think he''s the strongest Fourth Chronicle monster we have right now."


    The wolf shook his head trying toe to his senses, then he looked at Wain and asked, "Who will be my opponent? You said someone other than you would fight me, so who is it?"


    Wain smirked, "Sure, I''ll say. I hope you''re ready for a fight."

 Chapter 900 Ice And Darkness

    Mortalbat was the best but most dangerous way to be stronger. If a creature was able to get through such a duel, it became many times stronger, as it had to break through several barriers to win.


    After increasing its blood purity to 99%, the Wolf reached its maximum power, its peak. He no longer had any way to get any stronger being in the Fourth Chronicle, his only option was to move on. He had to reach Fifth Chronicle to get rid of his disease, or he would die in a few months.


    "Look, you are a unique case since you possess two attributes, darkness, and ice. It''s a pretty goodbination, you''re lucky to have such abilities, but you need to understand them better to be stronger." Wain said calmly with a sly smile on his face.


    Wolf nodded, "I understand that."


    "It would be good for you to fight someone who also wields darkness and ice, so you could get used to your new powers faster. Of everyone here, I''m the only one who has that opportunity, so I thought I''d be your opponent until another idea came to me." Wain smirked as he took a few steps back.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Wain waved his arms as a dark stream brought two people forward, they were Frigus and Nicole.


    "They will be your opponents!" Wain eximed with an excited expression.


    "What...?" Frigus muttered in a confusion.


    "Hey! That''s not funny at all!" Nicole shouted with a frown look.


    "Leader... Are you serious? I mean... It''s impossible for me tost one second against Frigus and Nicole, they''re too strong." Wolf muttered in disbelief.


    "Sure. I am." Wain nodded confidently with a wide grin, "Obviously it won''t be that easy. If there are no conditions, they''ll just kill you in a heartbeat, no one here wants that. Our goal is to save you, not kill you."


    Everyone looked at Wain in puzzlement, waiting to hear what he hade up with.


    "Look, you''ve reached the absolute limit of the Fourth Chronicle, so Nicole and Frigus will lower their power to the first stage of the Fourth Chronicle. Furthermore, Frigus will not be able to use his sword as well as his armor and Nicole will not be allowed to defend herself with darkness." Wain said calmly, swinging his hand from side to side.


    "Hmmm... In that case, he actually has a chance..." Reto muttered with a thoughtful expression.


    "Sure. However, obviously, even then Nicole and Frigus will be stronger than you, so it will be a real test." Wain said as his gaze grew cold, "Nicole and Frigus will be weakened, but they will fight with the express intention of killing you, so don''t think of it as training."


    Wolf gulped since he realized that Wain was more than serious.


    p.


    Wain pped his hands drawing attention to himself, "Well, in that case, let''s get started. Only Nicole, Frigus, and Wolf will stay here, the rest of you go back to the viewing room."


    Everyone nodded and followed Wain.


    Frigus and Nicole were slightly puzzled as they didn''t expect Wain to decide to make them fight against the Wolf, but they didn''t really mind.


    Crackle.


    Friugs'' armor fell to the ground as the floor was covered in cracks due to the sheer weight, though the armor looked pretty light on the outside.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Well, it might even be interesting." Frigus muttered letting go of the hilt of his sword. The ice sword shed brightly in blue light and flew aside, hovering in the air.


    "Damn, I didn''t even know you were in such incredible shape..." Nicole muttered looking at Frigus as she bit her lip.


    Frigus'' naked torso was athletic and dry, just the way a great warrior who spends days training should be.


    "Nothing special. For someone like me, it''s just an inevitability." Frigus waved a hand as he nced at Nicole, "It''s time for you to get ready, too. Put away that invisible darkness that won''t even let the Wolf scratch you."


    "Pfffffff, I didn''t mean to leave it, I just forgot, okay?" Nicole snorted as she snapped her fingers.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    A denseyer of darkness appeared around Nicole that quickly disintegrated into small particles, making her skin slightly lighter and the glint in her eyes brighter.


    "Fine, now it''s time to lower our power slightly." Frigus nodded.


    "Slightly? Hah, with the Demigod Stage, we will go down to the first stage of the Fourth Chronicle! We''ll be a hundred times weaker!" Nicole eximed.


    "Well, that''s even a good thing. I realize now that Wain''s decision was the right one." Frigus muttered while his aura was rapidly weakening.


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?" Nicole asked with a confused look.


    "We may have more experience than Wolf, but we will be weaker on stage. It''ll be good training for us too, because the only one stronger than us is Wain, so we just haven''t had a decent opponent in quite some time." Frigus muttered in a serious voice as his gaze went to Wolf.


    "Agh... I see, I agree with you. There isn''t a single monster in my territory who could even hurt me, so this should be fun!" Nicole eximed with a happy expression as she waved her hand. She had a de of darkness that gave off powerful energy.


    "Well, looks like it''s time to get started." Frigus stepped forward as he pointed his sword created from the energy of ice at the Wolf, "Attack at any moment. We''re ready to take your blow."


    Wolf nodded, however, he was in no hurry to act. He looked at Nicole several times, then at Frigus, and took a deep breath.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Wolf''s silhouette blurred as in a heartbeat he appeared before Frigus with a predatory gaze. His icy des headed toward Frigus'' neck with tremendous speed, seemingly unstoppable.


    ''Fast!'' Frigus eximed inwardly, thrusting his sword out in front of him at thest moment.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The shockwave threw Frigus back several meters, causing his back to hit the stone wall.


    "Damn, I guess I''m too used to being strong..." Frigus muttered, staring at the icy sword that was breaking into pieces while blood dripped from the corners of his mouth.

 Chapter 901 The Attack

    "Well, well, things are a lot more interesting than I thought." Wain said with a sly smirk on his face, "First sessful attack behind Wolf, what will these two do next?"


    Frigus cleaned the blood flowing from the corners of his mouth, tossed the broken sword aside, and created a new one.


    "I have to admit it was unexpected, I haven''t seen anyone faster than me in a long time, it''s even kind of weird..." Frigus muttered as he smirked, "Although, that''s exactly what I needed toe to my senses."


    Whooooooooosh.


    Frigus stepped forward as his eyes became like sharp des. He turned into an icy sh, in a heartbeat reaching Wolf, aiming his sword at his neck.


    ''Shit! He''s actually serious! Wolf inwardly eximed exposing a block in front of him as Frigus'' sword collided with Wolf''s icy des.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    From the impact of the des, an enormous shockwave urred, which threw Wolf back a few meters, although in this confrontation he was much stronger in terms of energy.


    ''What the hell...? How is that possible?'' Wolf muttered looking at his trembling hands from the most powerful recoil while Frigus was slowly heading in his direction.


    The Wolf was stronger and faster now, for Frigus had purposely lowered his strength to the lower limits of the Fourth Chronicle, but it had no effect on his true skills. He knew how to attack, at what angle, and at what moment, better than anyone else. A simple strike in his execution became several times more powerful.


    "The first attack wasn''t bad, but you shouldn''t rx." Frigus muttered as another ice sword appeared in his other hand, "Don''t forget that this is mortalbat, not training. You are talented, but youck experience, so if I were you I would focus as much as possible on my opponents."


    ''Opponents...? Wolf inwardly muttered looking at Frigus, as his eyes went wide, ''Right! It''s not just him I''m fighting against!''


    Whoooooooosh.


    At the same moment, a ck sh with a deadly stare and a sly smirk appeared before Wolf.


    "I''m here!" Nicole eximed, raining down on Wolf, a sharp sword of darkness.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The Wolf blocked the attack again, and this time the one who was thrown back was Nicole since unlike Frigus, she wasn''t as skilled with her sword.


    "Pffffff, how can I even fight when I''m so weak?" Nicole snorted as she looked at her hands, "Well, I have an idea how to do it."


    Nicole''s main weapon wasn''t a sword at all, she was by nature a predator who used darkness to tear her opponents apart.


    Drip. Drip. Drip.


    A thick darkness began to drip from her hands, slowly spreading around like a pool whose borders covered most of the room.


    "You''re faster and stronger, that''s true, but what about energy? Are you as good with darkness as I am?" Nicole spoke with a calm look as she pointed at the Wolf.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, a multitude of spikes emerged from the pool, that headed toward the Wolf with great speed.


    ''They''re sharp... but can they hurt me? I''ll have to check it out.'' Wolf muttered inwardly as the dark tes on his chest trembled. Gradually a thin armor of darkness appeared on his body that seemed to be incredibly strong.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The thorns stuck into Wolf''s chest, but they couldn''t get past his defenses, as they just stopped, unable to advance any further.


    "What the hell...?" Nicole muttered in disbelief as her eyes went wide.


    "Hahaha, that was too easy!" The wolf eximed cheerfully, iling his arms and smashing the spikes into tiny shards with his sharp ws. He was about to attack immediately to wound Nicole, but suddenly a shadow appeared before him and his eyes went wide.


    "You shouldn''t be so cocky. We just have to get used to the fact that our options are considerably limited." Frigus calmly said swinging his sword from top to bottom.


    His attack failed to get through Wolf''s armor, but the cut left a thick trail of ice that began to grow quickly, gradually covering Wolf.


    "Shit! What the fuck is that!" Wolf eximed in confusion, tearing the ice apart with his ws.


    "That was one of my weaker attacks." Frigus muttered, lunging forward as the tip of his sword reached Wolf''s chest.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A wave of energy passed through the sword that pulsed back at Wolf, then a powerful stream of ice erupted from the sword, throwing Wolf to the other end of the arena.


    "ARGH!!!" Wolf cried out in pain as his back reached the stone wall.


    "Well, well, the first stage of the Fourth Chronicle versus the absolute limit of the Fourth Chronicle... There''s actually a big difference between us." Frigus spoke looking at Wolf whose body was partially covered in a crust of ice.


    "What the hell are you talking about?" Wolf asked, breathing heavily as he tried toe to his senses.


    "If we were on the same level, this attack should have killed you. My frost flow would have turned you into a statue, and it would have been enough to knock you lightly to shatter you into small shards." Frigus shrugged, "You''re lucky your body is so strong now that my ice can''t freeze you."


    The wolf shuddered in fear as he realized that what Frigus was saying was true.


    ''Shit... If it wasn''t for my fur and the fact that I also possess the ice attribute, this attack might have been my final one... At this rate, I''ll never get to the stage where I need the leader''s blood... If I don''t give my best now, I can''t reach the Fifth Chronicle!'' Wolf eximed inwardly as his aura increased dramatically.


    A wave of darkness passed in front of him that blew away all the ice and elerated the regeneration of the small wounds that remained after thest Frigus attack, then Wolf touched the ground, causing a strong shiver.

 Chapter 902 Destruction

    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    A multitude of ice spikes burst from under the ground, which filled the entire space, making Nicole and Frigus jump up to dodge them.


    "Hey! It''s no good stealing my tricks!" Nicole eximed with a frown as shended on one of the ice spikes.


    "Well, he''s just learning. When you get a huge power abruptly, the most important task is to figure out how to use it." Frigus said calmly, looking at the spikes moving toward him.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Frigus swung his swords, in a heartbeat destroying the spikes into tiny shards and clearing the territory around him.


    ''Fine... It was easier than I thought,'' Wolf muttered inwardly, staring intently at his opponents. ''Ice is pretty easy to control, but I also have to learn how to use the darkness!''


    Wolf''s eyes shed as two massive spheres appeared beside him as if made of dark me. Gradually they began to spin around each other, speeding up considerably.


    "Hmmm...? What is he doing?" Nicole was puzzled as she touched her lips with a thoughtful expression.


    "I''m sorry I took advantage of your skill, now I''ve created something new!" Wolf eximed as magical projectiles of pure dark energy began to fly out of the spheres.


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    Every time the spheres made one full circle, two projectiles flew out, so in a second there were several dozen projectiles containing destructive power heading toward Nicole.


    Nicole could have easily dodged since she was fast and agile enough to do so, but instead, she stayed put as a sly smirk appeared on her face.


    "Looks like you finally realized the situation you''re in, so there''s no point in holding back anymore." Nicole muttered with a slight smile as she stared at Wolf.


    In a moment the projectiles should have reached Nicole, but suddenly there was a massive wall of darkness in front of her, that like a wave came crashing down on the projectiles,pletely destroying them.


    "What...? Shouldn''t my energy be stronger than yours...?" The wolf muttered in disbelief since he had hoped to injure Nicole with this attack, greatly increasing his chances of victory.


    "Hahaha, you''re so funny!" Nicoleughed with an excited expression, "You fight worse than Frigus, and you don''t understand energy as well as I do. You still have a lot to learn so you have at least a chance of beating us."


    "Damn... Aren''t you ashamed to say that? You''re the one who''s never trained... All your strengthes from your wild instincts." Frigus muttered with a confused look as he turned to Nicole.


    "Hah, you may be right, but isn''t that interesting? We''re not just ice and darkness against someone who has those two attributes at once." Nicole smirked, "You rely on your talent and training, while I rely on my instincts and feelings, we are twoplete opposites."


    Frigus remained silent until he nodded, "Yeah... You''re right. Our styles are vastly different."


    "Exactly!" Nicole smiled, "We have to push it to the limit, so let''s do it!"


    Whooooooooooooosh.<novelnext></novelnext>


    At the same moment, Nicole turned into a sh as well as Frigus, who immediately followed her. They were heading toward Wolf from different directions, intending to attack him at the same time.


    "Well, well, Edena, thisb is pretty solid, but I think it''s about to be destroyed." Wain said with a wide grin on his face.


    "Hmm? That''s impossible." Edena shook her head, "Maybe they''ll damage the walls considerably, but it''s easy to rebuild. I don''t think being in the Fourth Chronicle they could bring that much destruction."


    "Hah, I wouldn''t be so sure if I were you." Wain said as his pupils narrowed, "Don''t forget that the real power of these two is on the Demigod Stage, a mere power reduction is incapable of containing their full potential."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Nicole''s fist covered in darkness copsed on the ice barrier that at the veryst moment Wolf managed to create to protect himself.


    "Weak!" Nicole eximed, easily destroying the thick wall of ice as her fist hit right in Wolf''s jaw, throwing him back several meters.


    "Argh!!!" Wolf cried out in pain as for a moment the world before him turned upside down, but no sooner had he recovered than the silhouette of a man with two ice swords appeared above him.


    "Maybe we''re being too harsh, but that''s really what it takes," Frigus said calmly as he with an ice-cold look plunged the swords into Wolf''s chest. Because these swords were flimsy and not as sharp as the one Frigus used as his primary weapon, they could not prate deeply into Wolf''s flesh, but it was still enough to leave two terrible wounds that immediately gushed blood.


    Wolf''s eyes went nk for a moment as the pain was sharp and piercing, all just happening too fast.


    "You bastards! How can you be capable of this when you are weaker than me!?" The wolf eximed furiously, clenching his teeth as energy streams erupted from him in the form of many circles, blue and ck.


    The rings flew off in a chaotic pattern, destroying everything around them. It was impossible to calcte the trajectory of the rings, so they should have hurt Frigus and Nicole, but that didn''t happen, since Nicole and Frigus just dodged, reacting to such an attack with ease.


    "Fine, I am already used to my new speed, so now I am fully prepared." Frigus said coldly as he appeared like a ghost behind Wolf.


    "Agh...? What the hell...?" Wolf muttered with a confused expression.


    "Hey! Look here!" Nicole smirked as she found herself right in front of the wolf. Her gaze met Frigus as they nodded at each other and immediately attacked.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    A secondter a hail of blows came down on the Wolf, each one stronger than thest. Nicole and Frigus deliberately didn''t use swords or des, just their fists, because otherwise, Wolf would have been dead already.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Frigus and Nicole''s blows created shock waves as the stone floor was covered with more and more cracks, gradually copsing.


    "No! How is that possible!" Edena eximed with a frightened stare, looking at the walls that began to copse into massive chunks and fall down,pletely breaking the entire structure of the experimentation area.

 Chapter 903 Seriousness

    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The experiment room was one of the most solid ces in theb since Edena had taken care to make the walls strong enough to withstand any pressure. However, now she had to watch as the stone walls broke apart and fell down, gradually destroying the entire room.


    "Damn... I spent so much time on this ce... but they actually managed to destroy it." Edena muttered as a shiver went through her body.


    "Don''t worry, I''m sure with Elegan''s help you can easily rebuild it." Wain said with a slight smile as he turned around, "I''m right, aren''t I?"


    "Sure." Elegan nodded, "These may be unusual walls, but I can definitely build new ones that are stronger than these. The important thing is for these two to stop soon, otherwise, I''ll have to create the whole room all over again..."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Nicole and Frigus kept throwing punches, seemingly having no intention of stopping. It was a real ordeal for Wolf since he could hardly stay conscious. The dark tes protected him, preventing the blows from hitting him directly, but the overall pressure was devastating.


    ''Fuck... If they continue at this rate I''ll just pass out... Their blows aren''t very hard, I could easily take a few, but this... this is some real hell.'' Wolf inwardly muttered as Nicole''s fist crashed into his stomach.


    "AGH!!!" Wolf''s eyes went wide as blood gushed from his mouth. His face contorted in pain, it looked like he could have died, but no one cared as a momentter Nicole attacked again with more force.


    ''Shit... If I don''t do something, they''ll kill me! The wolf eximed inwardly as he watched the hail of blows that came down on him, ''But how can I act when they''re pressuring me like this? I have to try to defend myself, right?


    Whoooooooooooooooosh.


    Wolf touched the ground with his hand as he directed two streams of energy, ck and blue. The next moment many crystals emerged from the ground that covered Wolf with a massive dome that was additionally protected by a denseyer of darkness.


    ''Fine... now I have some time toe to my senses...'' Wolf said to himself with relief, but not a secondter the ice barrier shuddered as several shards fell on Wolf''s face.


    ''No way... it can''t be!'' Wolf eximed inwardly and the dome shattered into small pieces.


    Crackling.


    Two fists copsed on Wolf''s chest, causing his eyes to empty for a moment from the savage pain that went through his entire body.


    "Well, well, he tried to defend himself, but that idea was doomed to fail from the start." Wain grinned as he crossed his arms.


    "Yeah, he picked the wrong option, defending himself against those two is just impossible... It''s probably the stupidest thing he could have done." Reto muttered with a thoughtful expression.


    "I agree. If he wants to survive, he needs to act riskier." Sarras nodded with a serious look, "Trying to defend himself or run away... that will never lead him to sess. He must do something else to reach the Fifth Chronicle."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Wolf couldn''t hear what Wain and the others were saying, however, with each blow that fell upon him he himself gradually realized what his mistake was.


    ''Agh... I need to beat them somehow... to the limit to be able to evolve, but they won''t give me even a second''s respite. I can''t defend myself, in which case what am I supposed to do...? Hah, it''s pretty damn obvious, right?'' The wolf inwardly muttered as a sly smirk appeared on his bloody face, ''I must attack!''


    Whoooooooooosh.


    The wolf''s pupils narrowed as he rose from the ground, swinging his sharp des in front of him. He was in pain since Nicole and Frigus didn''t stop for a second, but Wolf knew he couldn''t let it go on any longer.


    ''It doesn''t matter if I lose or win, I have to fight while I can!'' Wolf shouted to himself as energy des flew out of the crystals on his arms.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Frigus and Nicole created protective barriers in front of them, but it wasn''t enough to block the des, after all, Wolf had a lot more energy than them now.


    "Shit!" Nicole eximed as the dark barrier in front of her shattered and the shockwave threw her back several meters. The same thing happened to Frigus, however, he took far less damage than Nicole whose arms were now covered in tiny scratches.


    "That''s not all!" The wolf eximed furiously attacking as he pounced on Nicole with a ferocious stare like a predator.


    The wolf created a massive sword from the darkness, raining it directly on Nicole. It was all happening too fast for Nicole to react, but Frigus managed to appear in front of Nicole at thest moment, protecting her with his icy sword.


    Crackle.


    The ground beneath Frigus cracked from the powerful pressure, but despite this, his hands did not waver, although the ice sword was gradually covered in cracks.


    ? "Well done, attacking us was a good idea, now I think you''re ready to move on to the final stage. Nicole, I guess now you can show all you can do." Frigus calmly said and behind him appeared a massive stream of darkness that emanated from Nicole.


    "Yeah, I agree. I haven''t experienced such shame in a long time...he attacked me like I was his prey... shit, I''m not going to take it anymore." Nicole muttered as her eyes filled with blood and a deadly stare descended upon Wolf, causing his fur to rise.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, Nicole''s silhouette turned into a sh as she appeared in front of the Wolf with a cruel stare. Her small palms turned into massive paws of darkness with long, sharp ws like those of the most dangerous beast, then she swung her arms downward, easily prating Wolf''s protective tes and leaving wide wounds on his chest from which blood gushed.


    "Hahaha, great, that''s what it takes. Now Nicole really wants to kill him and no one can stop her!" Wain eximed with an excited smile.

 Chapter 904 Wildness

    Nicole was different from most monsters because she had a special origin and an even more special personality, she was like a sweet girl, a little crazy, with a wild beast sleeping inside that could break free at any moment.


    Crackle.


    The tes on Wolf''s chest shattered into tiny shards as his face twisted in pain. Nicole''s single attack did far more damage to him than all the previous onesbined.


    ''Shit! I''ve got to do something! The wolf internally eximed as he swung his icy des about to cut Nicole, but she just stopped him, gripping the crystals tightly.


    "Hah, you think you can hurt me with that again? Don''t be so cocky! You''re just a simple monster who thought he was stronger than us because of a higher Chronicle!" Nicole eximed, swinging her arms in a heartbeat, thrusting the ice crystals of the Wolf into the ground.


    ''What...? Where did she suddenly get such enormous power from?! Last time she couldn''t even block my attack! Wolf eximed inwardly, trying to pull his des out, but Nicole wasn''t going to wait for him to do it.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Nicole''s ws dug into Wolf''s chest, leaving deep wounds on it, then Nicole abruptly turned and kicked Wolf in the jaw, throwing him back a few feet.


    Frigus didn''t even have to do anything as he just watched the battle with a calm look while his icy sword disintegrated into tiny shards.


    ''Well, looks like there''s no point in me fighting anymore. Nicole can deal with it herself... but it looks pretty dangerous.'' Frigus muttered inwardly as he watched Nicole continue to take many blows at the Wolf, ''I hope Wain knows what he''s doing as there won''t be anyone left to save... Nicole will just tear him apart.''


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    ck fur flew off to the side as well as clotted blood from the terrible wound on Wolf''s chest. Even though his situation was critical he wasn''t going to give up and fought to the very end, though he didn''t stand a chance against the enraged Nicole.


    ''Fuck... I can''t feel my arms anymore... I''ve lost too much blood, at this rate I''ll be dead soon...'' The wolf muttered internally as he swung his de, but Nicole easily dodged by crouching slightly and sinking her sharp ws into his stomach.


    ''No... She''s too fast... After all, our powers aren''t equal at all, if we were on the same level she would actually kill me in one attack...'' The wolf muttered inwardly as streams of dark energy flowed away from him.


    The darkness turned into several sharp des that rained down on Nicole at great speed, but she just brushed them aside with a wave of her hand.


    "Hah, you seemed totally desperate if you decided to use the darkness against me." Nicole smirked as she struck again.


    As time passed, more and more wounds appeared on Wolf''s body, and Nicole didn''t really intend to stop. His ribs were visible through the cuts on his chest as well as his bones through the wounds on his arms and legs, Nicole was literally tearing parts of him off with her ws.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Hey, don''t you think this has gone too far?" Reto asked with a worried expression, "I mean... Nicole is really crazy, in a few attacks she''ll kill him, that''s for sure."


    "I agree. I thought we were going to save him, not watch him get slowly torn apart, maybe it''s time to stop her?" Sarras shouted, crossed his arms, and turned to Wain.


    Wain only smirked, "Don''t underestimate him. He''s been able to survive for so long with two attributes, so his body is much stronger than you think. What''s more, this is exactly what mortalbat should be like, look at his blood, it''s alling to a close."


    The wolf was already struggling to move, but he still tried to counterattack and block Nicole''s attacks, obviously, it was unsessful since Nicole was several times faster than him, but he didn''t give up.


    Whooooooooooooooooosh.


    Nicole threw Wolf to the other side of the room and was about to attack again, but suddenly she stopped and her eyes went wide.


    "What is this...?" Nicole muttered in disbelief as she stared at the distorted space around Wolf. His body was literally absorbing energy from his surroundings, filling his blood with new power. Normally inbat, this would be impossible because it was necessary to concentrate, but in this case, it was not the Wolf, but his body, which urgently needed energy to survive.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Wolf''s aura rose sharply as blue and dark streams appeared around him that covered him and rushed upward like mes. Blood was still flowing from his wounds and his breathing was heavy, but his eyes were sharp and cold, getting progressively deeper. His gaze fell on Nicole, making her flinch in what was an absolute shock to her.


    ''No! How can he get stronger so fast?! I have to end this right now or I''ll actually lose!'' Nicole inwardly eximed as she lunged forward,ing down on the Wolf, like ck lightning.


    Nicole''s ws turned into a massive dark sword that should have cut the Wolf in two in a moment, but suddenly a silhouette appeared in front of her who with two fingers stopped her.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The collision between the sword and the silhouette created a powerful shockwave that sent massive cracks across the stone floor.


    "Hey, Nicole, have you forgotten that we were going to save him, not kill him?" Wain grinned as he nced at the puzzled Nicole, "Hah, I''m just kidding. You did a great job. If it wasn''t for your real rage, it wouldn''t have gone to the limit, but it''s enough now."


    Wain waved his hand, tossing Nicole aside, and walked over to Wolf whose gaze was already almost nk.


    "Here we go. A good fighter deserves a reward for a great fight, doesn''t he?" Wain smirked as a de of darkness appeared in his hand and shed his palm, aiming drops of blood at Wolf''s jaw.

 Chapter 905 The Cure

    Monsters were the creatures that fought the most, so their bodies and regeneration were stronger than any other race except the Vampires, whose regeneration could reach insane levels, so monsters could survive even with the worst wounds.


    Drip. Drip. Drip.


    Massive drops of blood dripped from Wolf''s many wounds, seemingly long since he should have run out of blood, but he was still on his feet. His gaze was almost nk, but deep inside there remained a light of hope, as Wolf felt that the power he had sought for so long was near.


    "You''ve done a good job, now there''s only onest step left to take." Wain said with a slight smile while the blood from his wound trickled down into Wolf''s jaw.


    The wolf could hardly swallow the first drops, but gradually he became more and more greedy, drinking everything Wain allowed him.


    Wain knew that the wolf''s situation was critical, but he knew he couldn''t act too harshly. He gave Wolf exactly as much of his blood as he needed, if he had allowed Wolf to drink a few more drops, his body would have been torn apart by the excessive pressure.


    "Agh!!!" Wolf cried out to the ground, tearing out a mouthful of blood with his eyes wide open, however, this blood was strange, dark, almost ck.


    ''Fine, he''s finally starting to get what''s been killing him all along...'' Wain inwardly muttered looking at the blood Wolf kept getting rid of.


    There was nothing wrong with this blood, normally it would be a great sign if someone started to lose this much blood, but Wolf had a unique case. He had two different attributes in his blood as well as the energy of this world, so he couldn''t just rece one energy with the other when transitioning to the Fifth Chronicle, he needed to get rid of everything extra.


    "ARGH!!!" Wolf''s pupils narrowed as he spat out a massive clot of blood. Each time the blood got more and more, it seemed that Wolf was dying, but in fact, it was his salvation.


    After a while, Wolf could barely keep from falling to the ground as he held on with one arm, but he stopped gushing blood.


    "Well, well, looks like the most unpleasant part is over, right?" Wain looked at Wolf as he crossed his arms over his chest.


    Wolf didn''t answer, he just smiled slightly and closed his eyes. He had already reached the finale and was practically cured, all he had to do was make onest move.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Wolf''s aura began to grow rapidly as a huge amount of energy came out of his wounds. Blue and ck currents enveloped him as if wishing to protect him from the cruel world, while his wounds were rapidly recovering.


    "Agh, we did it." Frigus said as he approached Wain. Frigus stopped holding back his aura as he quickly returned to the Demigod Stage, then he swung his hand and his sword returned to him.


    "Hah, I bet that was the hardest thing for you to fight with swords made of ice,pletely ignoring your weapons, wasn''t it?" Wain smirked as he turned to Frigus.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Yeah, you''re right. I wish my sword was like yours... I mean, if I had a weapon with my own consciousness I could get a lot stronger. I''m sure you would." Frigus muttered with aplicated expression.


    "Don''t worry about it. After we''re done here, I''ll help you with this matter." Wain said calmly as he waved his hand.


    "What...? Is there any way to fix this? I mean, will my weapon have a mind?" Frigus muttered in disbelief.


    "Sure, but enough questions. You''ll be the second person this week to get this kind of help from me... so let''s just leave it forter. Right now we have another task." Wain shrugged.


    Frigus nodded. He didn''t ask many questions about what others would have done in his ce since he knew that if Wain said something it meant it was true.


    "Is everything alright?" Reto asked as he walked over to Wain and looked at Wolf whose body waspletely hidden by streams of energy, "He has a huge amount of energy, definitely should be when transitioning to Fifth Chronicle, but damn... he got hurt so much."


    "Hah, are you really worried about him?" Sarras smirked, "I agree with you though. That crazy girl almost killed him!"


    "Hey! Watch what you say!" Nicole frowned as her aura intensified, "I may not be able to tear the flesh off of you, but then I''ll crush your insolent bones into dust!"


    "Hahaha, I don''t think that will ever happen." Sarrasughed, then he gradually calmed down and his gaze grew serious, "Reto, this Wolf will be fine. Just watch the new Fifth Chronicle creaturee into our zone."


    "Agreed." Elegan smiled with a slight sigh, "He lost a lot of blood but it was necessary for him to survive and be stronger. After all, he''s different from us, he has two attributes and it gave him a lot of trouble, but now he''ll finally start getting the perks of it."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, the currents of energy around Wolf began to rapidly absorb into his body, changing his appearance and greatly enhancing his aura to Fifth Chronicle Level. He had finally made his breakthrough.


    "Not bad. Now you look like a real warrior who''s been through some serious trials." Wain smirked as he looked at Wolf''s new appearance.


    The wolf''s fur became thicker as if to show his majesty and his eyes became different colors, one blue, the other ck. The wolf''s hands still have icy des, but they have be even sharper, and on them appeared runes from which emanated a strong cold.


    On Wolf''s shoulders appeared two massive purple runes from which exuded arge amount of darkness, which like a ck mist enveloped him, while the glint passed over his sharp ws.

 Chapter 906 Name

    "How are you feeling?" Edena asked with a worried expression as she approached Wolf, "Is everything okay?"


    Wolf was silent for a while, then exhaled cold steam and said, "Yeah... I''ve never felt better than this. Ice and darkness... they''re finally my allies, not the ones tearing my body apart from the inside."


    "Shall I examine you...?" Edena muttered with glowing eyes as she touched Wolf''s chest.


    Wolf was slightly confused as his eyes went wide, but he nodded, "Sure. I need some time toe to my senses, but if you want to do it, go ahead. I won''t get in your way."


    Edena nodded vigorously as she began to examine the Wolf from all sides with curious looks. She wondered what had happened to the Wolf since he was a unique monster with two attributes.


    ''Damn... Several times I''ve seen other monsters evolve in Fifth Chronicle, but this is incredible... He''s actuallypletely eradicated all the disadvantages of his situation, now he can use both ice and darkness... It''s like he became a human in part...'' Edena internally muttered as a sudden shiver went through her body, ''Wait... He saved himself, but what about the others... Is it really possible...?


    Edena froze behind Wolf with a thoughtful expression. She was trying to figure out if her idea was just a dream or if an ingenious n had actually appeared in her mind.


    "Hey, you''ve reached the Fifth Chronicle and you seem to have been able to talk for quite some time, so you need to do something toplete your transformation." Wain smiled slightly as he waved his hand.


    "Agh...? What are you talking about...?" Wolf muttered in a confusion.


    "A name. You must choose a name." Wain raised a finger with a confident smirk, "You''ve already climbed higher than millions of other monsters, but you''re still just a simple Wolf, that needs to be fixed, and as soon as possible."


    "Name...?" Wolf''s eyes went wide as if he realized something very important, "Wait... Leader, shouldn''t a member of another race give the monster a name...? Shouldn''t you do it?"


    Wain shook his head, "That won''t be necessary. If the monster is weak and has only gone through Awareness, that is, gained consciousness, then it makes sense to get help from a representative of another race. Ideally, if it''s someone in a higher Chronicle and from Pirs."


    "However, that doesn''t work for you. You''re already in the Fifth Chronicle. Your situation is unusual, so you''ll get a name in an umon way, too. Just, make it up and it will be yours. You have no parents, you were born of energy you''ve already given up, so you''re a true Absolute, which is why you''ve reached the Fifth Chronicle." Wain said seriously as his gaze turned cold.


    Wolf knew too little about the process of getting a name, but like all monsters, he had the desire to have it. Having a name meant that he was no longer a simple monster, though very strong, but someone who was a significant yer in the entire world.


    "Fine... In that case, I''ll do as you say." The wolf whispered as the corners of his mouth lifted slightly upward.


    "Do you know what name you want yet?" Elegan asked, "I remember having to resort to strange ways to exin my name to Wain, but I knew exactly what I wanted from the beginning."


    Wolf nodded, "Sure. I don''t know if it''s supposed to be pathos or not, but I''ll do it my way. Now call me Ferner, that''s my name. I''m not a wild wolf anymore."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Everyone nodded, showing their approval as suddenly Reto ran forward and put his hand on Ferner''s shoulder as if he wanted to say something.


    "Hey, since everything ended well, why don''t we have a feast? After all, there''s a new Fifth Chronicle monster in our Void, but not just any monster but one with two attributes! It''s incredible, isn''t it?" Reto looked at the others.


    "Agh... Reto, can you think of anything other than drinking and feasting?" Wain muttered with a bitter smile, "I don''t think we can refuse, though. You can''t insult the person who gave us such an incredible show."


    "I agree." Frigus stepped forward as his gaze went to Ferner, "In this Void, each territory has its own leader who is one of the strongest among thousands of monsters. You are strong enough to be the leader of a territory, but as you know, there are no vacancies."


    Frigus continued as he pointed his sword at Ferner''s chest, "I want you to be my main helper. The second monster in my territory. I hope the snowy deserts and icy caves don''t get in your way."


    "Hah, of course not. I will dly help you manage your vast territory. With the exception of the Leader, you are the strongest in the area, so I hope I can learn a lot from you." Ferner said with gratitude and a sincere look.


    "Don''t worry. We''ll train and spar often, I''m sure you''ll reach the Demigod Stage like me after a while." Frigus nodded as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Suddenly a shadow appeared between them, that grabbed Ferner by the arm, "Hey, don''t you dare take him all for yourself!" Nicole eximed with a frown, "I actually put a lot of effort into getting Ferner to heal, too!"


    "Agh...?" Frigus was puzzled as Ferner''s face turned pale.


    ''Hey... You almost killed me... You know?'' Ferner muttered inwardly, ''Although... Damn, you''re right. If it wasn''t for your cruelty, maybe I wouldn''t have found the strength and none of this would have happened.''


    "I don''t mind him being your chief assistant, but I don''t want him spending all his time on your property!" Nicole said menacingly with narrowed eyes, "Ferner is strong, I want him to fight me sometimes!"


    "Agh... So that''s the problem..." Frigus sighed in relief.


    "Hah, don''t worry, I''ll definitelye into your territory. You''re very strong, too." Ferner grinned.


    Wain looked at all this and unconsciously a satisfied smile appeared on his face, ''Damn... This is really cool... I hope it ends soon and itsts forever.''

 Chapter 907 The Idea

    Ferner''s cure and evolution proved sessful, which was an important event for everyone, individually and for the zone since Ferner was a Fifth Chronicle monster. Though no one had nned it, Reto made sure that an hourter hundreds of monsters were in the magical forest, next to the massive table at which Wain and the others sat.


    "Well, well, since you always arrange something really big..." Wain muttered looking at the hundreds of bottles of wine and various fruits on the table.


    "I agree. You seem to be wasting too much of your time on something so useless." Frigus sighed as he crossed his arms over his chest.


    "Hey, don''t you like it? I''m sure the wine is great and just look at the other monsters. They''re thrilled!" Reto smirked, slowly swinging his ss from side to side.


    "Ferner, how are you feeling? Is everything all right?" Lui Bu inquired as he looked at Ferner, who was sitting next to him.


    "Yeah, you don''t have to worry about me, but I''m curious about something." Ferner muttered, sighed, and nced at Edena, "What is she thinking? Ever since we got here she''s just been staring at one point."


    "Well, you could just ask her that, couldn''t you?" Elegan said as he snapped his finger. At the same moment, several purple lights appeared in front of Edena, which finally forced her out of her thoughts.


    "Agh... What''s going on...?" Edena was puzzled, then she looked at Elegan with a frown, "What the fuck did you do that for?"


    "Hah, you don''t have to be so rude." Wain grinned, "We were all just wondering what you were thinking? As soon as you saw Ferner''s new look, your gaze went deep, it was like you were hypnotized."


    Edena blinked a few times trying to understand what they were talking about until her eyes went wide, "I see, just an idea came to me and the whole time I was trying to figure out if it was possible."


    "Hmm? Does it have something to do with me?" Ferner muttered as he pointed to himself.


    "Sure." Edena nodded, "Look, Ferner is a monster who was able to survive for a long time with two attributes, and thanks to our mutual help he is now safe from harm, right?"


    "Yeah... You''re right, but this is a unique case, isn''t it?" Sarras shrugged, "Ferner''s body is very tough on its own and we''re lucky to have Wain here. If not for his blood, which is a Transcendence Stage resource, Ferner would have surely died, not now, but in a few months for sure."


    Ferner gulped as his face turned slightly pale. He realized that he was incredibly lucky, as literally, everything had happened to keep him alive.


    ''Damn... If anything had gone wrong I would have died... When you think about it, it feelspletely different...'' Ferner muttered inwardly as he got goosebumps.


    ''Well, perhaps this particr case is unique, but it opens up new possibilities for us. At least I hope so." Edena said as she waved her hand.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Agh...? What the hell are you talking about?" Nicole tilted her head in confusion, "Can someone exin to me it? I don''t understand anything..."


    "Hahaha, you''re not the only one." Wainughed, pulling Nicole to him, who leaned on him, "Edena, stop hesitating, just tell me your idea. Maybe we can help you work it out."


    Edena was silent for a while until she nodded and said, "Fine, I think that with Ferner''s help, we can make more monsters with two attributes appear in our area."


    "What...? Pfff, that''s impossible!" Sarras snorted as he waved his hand, "What we did with Ferner, there''s no way we can repeat it with other monsters. Moreover, Ferner originally had two attributes, so if you try to add another attribute to a normal monster, it will just die!"


    "Yeah, I understand that, but my idea is different. I mean, Ferner isn''t the only monster who is born with two attributes, right?" Edena asked as everyone''s eyes went wide as they realized that Ferner was just lucky to survive, but he wasn''t the only one.


    Edena continued, "We could find these monsters and try to save them, couldn''t we?"


    There was silence for a while, until Wain muttered, "Well... that''s a good idea, but Edena, you must understand that it''s impossible. Even if you have my blood, the monsters that were born with the two attributes have to live up to the Fourth Chronicle. I seriously doubt it will ever happen again."


    "Yeah, even if it''s just one drop, it''ll be enough to kill a Third Chronicle monster, it doesn''t make any sense." Elegan shook his head.


    "Hey, maybe you should listen to me first!" Edena shouted with a frown as she clenched her hands into fists, "I''m not going to create monsters with two attributes and I''m not going to use Wain''s blood to make them reach Fifth Chronicle, I want to make sure their attributes don''t interfere with each other."


    Everyone was puzzled as they looked at Edena with a curious look.


    "I think we can use Ferner''s blood to help the monsters with the two attributes deal with the pressure." Edena said with a shrug, "Look, Ferner''s blood is unusual now too, maybe it would help the same monsters as make the different attributes work with each other."


    "Hmm... Actually, it is quite possible since all the processes in his body have already normalized, so his blood can be a cure, but there is one problem..." Elegan muttered with a thoughtful look, rubbing his chin.


    "Yeah, Ferner''s blood is too powerful as well, after all, he is on the Absolute Stage." Lui Bu nodded, "Monsters would need to make it to the Fourth Chronicle not to die, but that''s impossible... it takes too much time."


    Everyone thought about trying to find a solution to this problem, the only one who wasn''t puzzled was Nicole.


    "Hey, what''s the problem? Maybe you should just dilute Ferner''s blood?" Nicole suggested.

 Chapter 908 Fight

    "Hmm...? What did you say?" Edena muttered in disbelief as she looked at Nicole.


    "If Ferner''s blood is too strong, isn''t making it weaker the most obvious way?" Nicole said as if it were obvious, "When I fight monsters in my territory, I often give them my blood so they can recover faster."


    "Wait... Do you dilute your blood?" Lui Bu asked with a confused look.


    "Yeah. One drop for my monsters can be deadly, but if I mix my blood with water, a monster on the Fourth Chronicle can even drink a few drops afterwards." Nicole shrugged.


    Edena''s eyes went wide as for a while she was stunned as everyone else. The way Nicole had suggested was too simple, so much so that they felt foolish that they hadn''t figured it out themselves.


    "Wait... Doesn''t that mean we can use Wain''s blood that way? I mean, even if it is greatly diluted, it''s still Transcendence Level blood, isn''t it?" Elegan suggested as a gleam appeared in his eyes. Being able to get a lot of Fifth Chronicle monsters was a dreame true for him because then he could not worry about the safety of the area.


    "Nah... That''s impossible." Lui Bu shook his head, "I thought of that too, but you just imagine how greatly Wain''s blood needs to be diluted so it can be used by weak monsters. In that case, Wain''s blood would have the same effect as regeneration potions or something like that, it would be a simple waste of such a valuable resource."


    "Yes, Lui Bu says it right. Wain''s blood should be used to help the monsters on the border of the Fourth Chronicle get a powerful energy burst to break into the Fifth Chronicle. You need a certain amount of energy to do that, if it''s less than that, nothing will happen." Edena exined as she crossed her arms over her chest, "Ferner''s blood situation is a little different, so Nicole''s idea might actually work."


    Nicole smirked, "Sure. I may not be an alchemist like you, but I''m not stupid at all!"


    "Hmm... I''m a little confused..." Ferner muttered with an awkward look, "How exactly can my blood help monsters? Wouldn''t it be useless if diluted with a lot of water?"


    Edena remained silent until she answered, "It''s simple. Your blood is not needed for monsters with two attributes to make a breakthrough into the next Chronicle, your blood is needed to help them adapt."


    Lui Bu nodded, "Your crushed blood will gradually strengthen the monsters, also they will get a unique resource from you thanks to which you now have two energies in your body. Anyway, I''m sure it will work and I want to start experimenting as soon as possible!"


    "Fine, if Ferner doesn''t mind, I''d advise you to do it right now." Wain said with a slight smile, "Perhaps a few days ago, monsters with two attributes appeared on the borders of the territories. If you don''t hurry, they may die."


    Lui Bu and Edena nodded vigorously as they looked at Ferner with hope in their eyes.


    "Hey, you don''t have to look at me like that, of course, I agree to help you. I will give you as much of my blood as you need. I''ll be d if you''re right and we can save those monsters less fortunate than me. It would be the best reward for me." Ferner said sincerely as he put his palm to his chest.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Suddenly Reto jumped up as the space beside him trembled, creating several illusory tforms that could move at his will.


    "Well, in that case, I want to go with you, that sounds pretty interesting." Reto smirked as he swung his arm, moving Edena, Lui Bu, and Ferner onto the tforms.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Reto nced around at the others, as if asking if anyone else was going with them, but no one answered.


    "Looks like the others have too much to do and are busy... That''s not bad since the four of us will be more than enough." Reto muttered with a sly smile on his face before snapping his finger. The illusory tforms came into motion as in a few seconds they had already traveled hundreds of meters.


    "Damn, it''s been a long time since I''ve seen Reto this energetic, it looks like he really wants to see if Lui Bu and Edena can make it." Wain muttered as he looked at their retreating silhouettes.


    "What are we going to do...?" Nicole asked with a thoughtful look as she touched her lips.


    Elegan sighed, "We''ve had enough rest and seen some incredible things, so it''s time to get back to work. I''m sure everyone here has important things to do. I need to get ready for our Void Chronicle increase soon."


    Sarras nodded with a serious expression, "Yeah, I have a lot to do, too. If Edena''s experiment proves sessful, I need to be ready for it. Perhaps then I can create an undead with two attributes, that would be a real triumph! Also, I want to use your blood, Wain, I can heal the undead, so they can withstand more pressure than normal monsters."


    "Fine. I wish you sess." Wain smiled as he nodded slightly.


    After a moment, it was just Wain, Frigus, and Nicole at the massive table.


    "Wain... What about what you were saying?" Frigus asked uncertainly, which wasn''t like him at all.


    "Sure, let''s do it. Everyone''s a little busy right now, so I''ll start raising this Void Chronicle a bitter, we''ve just got some time." Wain nodded.


    "Hmm...? What are you talking about?" Nicole muttered in a confusion.


    "Come with us, you''ll see for yourself." Wain smirked as his aura intensified considerably.


    ...


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Nicole sat on the massive dark peak, watching the two shes, blue and ck, fighting, with wide open eyes.


    "Damn... Frigus and Wain are incredible, but what did he mean when he talked about awakening consciousness in a weapon? Maybe I should find the right weapon, too...?" Nicole muttered in a confusion.

 Chapter 909 The Second Consciousness

    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    For more than ten minutes Nicole watched Wain and Frigus fight. Their fight was friendly, but they were both serious as each of their shes created a powerful shockwave and caused shaking.


    Nicole''s territory was chosen as the battleground. Here in the darknds, there was practically nothing but creepy trees, dry trees, and ck dust, but these were the ces where the strongest monsters were born.


    ''Hah, this is actually the most suitable ce for our duel.'' Wain grinned inwardly as he surveyed the battlefield. There were many craters around from their attacks, but gradually the damage disappeared as the cold wind sprinkled them with earth, giving the impression that this area was self-repairing.


    Whooooooooooooooah.


    Frigus swung his sword at breakneck speed, bringing it down on Wain. It was deadly, but Wain''s simple movement was enough to block this attack.


    Crack. Crack. Crack.


    The ground beneath Wain cracked as Frigus''s hands trembled. He used as much force as he could, but even though he was attacking from top to bottom and Wain was the one defending, it was hard for him to hold the stance.


    "Not bad, you''re actually very strong." Wain said with a slight smile, "However, you, like one of my friends, take yourself too seriously. You must trust your strength not only to yourself but also to your weapons. Well, I''ll show you how to do it."


    Wain stepped forward as he shed his sword. The movement was simple, but the powerful momentum threw Frigus back dozens of meters.


    ''What...? How is that possible!!! He may be a Nameless King, but he is now on the Absolute Stage! Why does it look as if he is several times stronger than me!'' Frigus internally eximed with wide eyes before plunging his sword into the ground. Only after a few seconds, Frigus came to aplete stop, leaving two long streaks from his feet.


    ''Agh, I don''t understand. Wain said I should awaken the consciousness in my weapon, but how am I supposed to do that?'' Frigus thought for a moment as he flinched at the shadow that appeared before him.


    "Hey, I told you in the beginning. You don''t have to think, you have to feel it." Wain uttered, driving his fist into Frigus''s stomach.


    "ARGH!!!" Frigus''s face twisted in pain as he spurted out a mouthful of blood. The impact created a shockwave in the form of a wind st that threw Frigus hundreds of meters away.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Frigus flew forward at tremendous speed, breaking dry trees with his back until he reached the massive rock, deep in which he was buried.


    "Well, looks like it might take longer than it did with Gisle." Wain smirked as he ced his sword on his shoulder.<novelnext></novelnext>


    There was nothing around for several kilometers, so practically all of Nicole''s territory was one big arena for them where they could do whatever they wanted.


    Besides Nicole, who was sitting on a stone peak in the distance, there were several monsters watching the fight as well. They were standing in the distance, hundreds of meters away from the center of the battle, but their eyes were on Wain and Frigus, as it was a valuable lesson for them.


    Nicole learned a lot from them, too, even though the fightsted only a few minutes, but her gaze kept moving to their swords.


    "Damn, I want a weapon, too... I can''t fight all the time with just my bare hands, but it seems pretty hard to get something decent, right?" Nicole muttered with aplicated look while biting a fingernail.


    Wain and Frigus continued to fight for some time until about an hourter when Frigus finally awakened consciousness in his weapon as he was ready for onest, final attack.


    Frigus was covered in his own blood as he breathed heavily, but he had a contented smile on his face and his eyes were as bright as ever.


    ''It actually took longer, though the effect Frigus got might even surpass Gisle''s one.'' Wain thought with a smirk, looking at Frigus.


    Frigus could hardly step forward since he had almost no strength left, but his steps were sure and precise while cold steam enveloped his body. Blue runes appeared on his sword that remotely resembled snowkes, but was sharp and rough, looking like deadly des.


    "Come on. Show me what you can do now. You may be seriously hurt, but you must both have enough energy to do something incredible, right?" Wain said pointing his sword at Frigus.


    "Sure." Frigus nodded, then he closed his eyes and addressed someone, ''We can do it, can''t we?''


    ''Don''t worry, it''ll be the best attack you''ve ever done.'' A girl with shoulder-length blue hair and green eyes said as she crossed her arms over her chest. Her azure armor was seriously damaged, but her gaze was confident, ''dius beat the shit out of me... I didn''t think that right after we finally connected I would be beaten to half-death, but... it definitely made me stronger.''


    Frigus smiled bitterly, ''So I was beaten by Wain and you by his sword, right? Well, in that case, we should at least scratch them. Hah, Wain said I was the second person to approach him about this, I wonder if the first one had to go through this too?''


    ''I don''t know, but I doubt those two are capable of pity. They do things the hard way.'' The girl said while shaking her head.


    Frigus nodded, leaned slightly and a powerful stream of energy burst out of him that instantly froze everything around him. The waves were massive, as they looked like a blue glow covering Frigus.


    "I hope you''re ready to see what we can do." Frigus smiled broadly before he stepped forward, turning into a blue sh with dense blue ice behind him, freezing everything in his path.


    Ice had been Frigus''s greatest strength since he was born, but now he had a close ally who possessed simr capabilities.

 Chapter 910 Where To Find A Weapon?

    Whoooooooosh.


    The ck earth was covered with a denseyer of blue ice as Frigus headed at tremendous speed toward Wain who was already waiting for his attack.


    "Gisle partially became the wind, as if for a moment he merged with his weapon, but Frigus has itpletely different... Damn, that''s beautiful as hell." Wain muttered looking at the blue glow and the snowkes that began to fall after Frigus attacked.


    ''I think we need to respond to them ordingly.'' dius smirked as the runes on his de shed brightly.


    ''Wait. Last time we used only your energy, so now give me a chance to prove myself.'' Wain stopped him as he stepped forward, ''After you turned your energy into smoke, I have an interesting idea. Let''s see if Frigus is really fearless.''


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Wain unleashed his energy as massive streams of darkness erupted outward, among which were a multitude of creepy jaws and eyes that stared intently at every point around them.


    "What is that...?" Nicole muttered with a dazed look as she got goosebumps. All the monsters who watched the fight felt the same way. They had fought Nicole many times, so they seemed ready for anything, but the sheer power of Wain''s energy alone made them flinch.


    The only one it didn''t affect in any way was Frigus as he just smirked, ''Great, he seems to be taking us seriously. I won''t hide it makes me happy.''


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Frigus sped up, intensifying the blue glow around him.


    "Hahaha, I like that already." Wain chuckled as all the streams of darkness abruptly headed toward one point turning into the silhouette of a massive maw with three eyes. It had no clear outline, but its aura chilled everyone who saw it, even Nicole, who seemed fearless.


    ''Shit... How is that possible?'' Nicole''s eyes went wide in disbelief, ''I can''t even budge, am I really capable of being afraid of someone so much...? Then, why has he only gotten faster!?'' Nicole looked at Frigus.


    Crackle.


    At the same moment, Wain and Frigus collided as there was a powerful shockwave that destroyed everything around them. Massive cracks went through the ground as stone bs went up, then it was all frozen by the blue energy surge.


    "Good job." Wain said looking at Frigus''s sword that was a few centimeters into his shoulder. Dark blood ran down the blue de of the sword while a cold wind blew it, fluttering Wain''s hair as well as his coat.


    "Hah, still I was able to get you, but you gave in to me..." Frigus barely said as he used everything he had to this attack, "You were trying to scare me, not attack me... otherwise there''s no way I could have hurt you."


    "Hey, do you really think I''m cruel enough to attack you with all my might in a situation like this? The most important thing is that despite the creepy silhouette you saw, you weren''t scared, so now you can rest." Wain said with a broad smile as he put a hand on Frigus''s shoulder.


    Frigus shook his head, "No I''m not...I''m not the only one... we both need rest..." Frigus muttered before falling to the ground, breathing slowly.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''Hah... It''s actually beautiful... though I always thought that none of this made any sense to a fighter.'' Frigus inwardly muttered looking at the falling snow.


    ''Yeah, we showed a great fight.'' The girl nodded with an exhausted look, but there was a satisfied smile on her face.


    ''Luna... thank you, I couldn''t have done it without you. Now I feel that reaching the God Stage is not a dream, but a reality that seems to being very soon.'' Frigus sincerely spoke.


    Luna''s cheeks flushed slightly as she fixed her hair, ''Sure, I''m sure you can reach even the Transcendence Stage. Don''t worry, all your way next, I''ll be with you all the way.''


    Frigus answered nothing, his lips lifted as he closed his eyes, falling asleep.


    ? "Well, well, even though he''s seriously injured, it looks like he just needs a good sleep and he''ll be fine. His physical fitness is actually of the highest level." Wain smirked shaking his head, then he snapped his finger.


    Their fight was over, the monsters realized this and some of them headed towards Wain as a few secondster several silhouettes appeared beside him.


    "I hope you were able to learn a lot from watching our fight, but now it''s time for Frigus to rest. Take him to your territory, he will surely be better off there than here." Wain ordered as he waved his hand.


    The monster with the short ck fur and sharp des nodded, Frigus rose and disappeared like a shadow. The other monsters followed this one.


    ''Agh, though Frigus is a monster, he has the potential to be one of the strongest creatures. It''s amazing, though... I shouldn''t be surprised by that. Decent warriors will appear in any era, my time wasn''t special.'' Wain said to himself with a bitter smile.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    A cold wind blew as near Wain appeared Nicole, who held her hands behind the back. She looked at Wain with wide eyes as if she wanted to ask him something.


    "Hmm? Nicole?" Wain muttered in a confusion.


    "Wain... I want a weapon too, just like Frigus or you." Nicole said seriously as she stepped closer to him.


    "What...? Do you use a weapon? Moreover, awakening consciousness in a weapon is a very difficult and time-consuming process... Are you sure you have to?" Wain asked with the hope that Nicole would refuse.


    "Sure!" Nicole eximed, then she lowered her head, "But... just a weapon would be enough for me at first... I''ve always fought with my bare hands, so I don''t know where to get it from. Maybe I should buy a weapon from someone in the wide world?"


    Wain was silent for a while before he answered, patting Nicole on the head, "Well, I have one option. We won''t buy a weapon, we''ll order it!"

 Chapter 911 Disappointment

    "Agh...? What are you talking about?" Nicole muttered in confusion as she tilted her head.


    "Look, you''re definitely a special person, so if you really want your first weapon, you need something right for you. It''s unlikely we can find a weapon with an unusual aura and Demigod Stage power from some merchant." Wain shrugged with a slight smile.


    Nicole nodded silently, lowering her head again with a thoughtful expression.


    "Moreover, all merchants get the weapons they sell usually from cksmiths. Rarely can a weapon appear from energy and be Fifth Chronicle grade. It''s only possible in Lands of the Gods, and not very often." Wain said calmly as he sighed, "Anyway if you''re serious we can go to a cksmith I know."


    "Hmm? Do you know any cksmiths in the Fifth Chronicle?" Nicole asked with a curious look as her eyes shed. She understood that such a smith could make good weapons for her.


    Wain remained silent until he answered, "Well, I hope so. A lot of interesting things happened thest time I was there, but she''s very strong and capable. I''m sure she''s already reached the Fifth Chronicle in that time."


    "She...? I thought all cksmiths were men..." Nicole''s eyes went wide.


    "Hahaha, you have too narrow a view of this broad profession. Last time she lifted a huge sword with one hand that I could hardly hold. She''s a Demon cksmith, so her physical training is of the highest level." Wain spoke confidently.


    Nicole thought for a while before answering, "I''ve definitely decided I want a weapon. Your fight with Friguspletely convinced me of that.


    ''Agh... I helped Gisle, then helped Frigus and now Nicole is asking me for a request... It seems it could go on forever. Well, it''s been a long time since I''ve been here, so I have to work things out to be free.'' Wain inwardly muttered with a bitter smile looking at Nicole who was waiting for his answer.


    "Fine, in that case, let''s hurry. The sooner we go the sooner you get your first weapon." Wain sighed, waved his hand, and opened a spatial rift.


    He and Nicole moved into the wide world, for Nicole it was the first time she had left the zone, so she was at first impressed by the differentndscapes.


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    Wain stood on a tform of darkness waiting for them to get to the right ce, which was quite far away, but with his speed, it shouldn''t take more than ten minutes. Wain could have used Blind Sorcerer''s or Light Racer''s power to speed things up, but he wanted to give Nicole time to feel the world.


    Nicole sat on the edge of the tform and watched intently everything that was going on below. She was curious about everything she could see, so for the first few minutes her eyes shone brightly like a child in a toy store, but pretty quickly the shine was reced by coldness and indifference.


    "Hmm? Nicole, is something wrong?" Wain nced at her since he noticed it.


    "No, nothing''s wrong, I just didn''t expect the wide world to be so boring." Nicole muttered with an emotionless look.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''Damn... That girl''s emotions can change in a minute, drastically... Well, she''s not unique to that.'' Wain inwardly sighed as he turned to Nicole, "What exactly don''t you like? Isn''t this ce more diverse than Void?"


    Nicole shook her head, "That''s not it. At first, I was amazed at how many different areas andndscapes there are... everything is very beautiful and unusual, and this ce is very different from our Void, but... it''s boring."


    "Boring...? What do you mean?" Wain asked with a confused look.


    "Well... We''ve already flown over a few big cities, and there''s no one stronger than Third Chronicle. Damn, I haven''t felt anyone with a Fourth Chronicle aura yet, let alone Fifth Chronicle ones." Nicole muttered as she rested her head on her hand.


    ''Agh... So that''s the thing...'' Wain inwardly muttered as he nodded, "I see, well you''re right, there really aren''t very many Fourth or Fifth Chronicle ones in the wide world, they are, but we just haven''t flown over them."


    "Wait... Then where do you find strong opponents?" Nicole asked as there was a fire in her eyes as well as hope that this world was more interesting than she thought.


    "Hah, you know the answer. I''ve mentioned this ce several times before. It''s Lands of the Gods. They are quite far away from here and all the strongest beings of this world are there." Wain smirked as his aura intensified.


    "Lands of the Gods, there are Fifth Chronicle monsters there, right?" Nicole asked with a curious expression.


    "Sure." Wain nodded, "It''s easy to meet someone on the Demigod Stage there, however, I wouldn''t advise you to go there, even if you get a weapon."


    "Hmm...? Why!?" Nicole eximed as she waved her arms.


    "Hah, because you''re too active, cocky, brash, and the list goes on endlessly." Wain said enumerating Nicole''s qualities on her fingers which made her frown heavily, "If you go there now you will definitely attack someone stronger than you and maybe even die."


    Nicole flinched, then a confident smirk appeared on her face, "No matter how strong the enemy is I will never lose! Even if it''s someone on the God Stage!"


    "Hahaha, that''s what I say. Although Frigus or Elegan will probably save you, I''m sure they have a way of figuring out if you''re in danger like any other member of our Void, but it will still cause us all a lot of trouble." Wain grinned, put his hand on Nicole''s head, and said, "I offer you another option."


    "Hmm?" Nicole grimaced.


    "First you must reach the God Stage, then awaken the consciousness in your weapon and after that, you can go to Lands of the Gods. I''m sure that when our Void moves into the Fifth Chronicle, you will have many opportunities to be stronger during the wars." Wain said confidently as his eyes narrowed.

 Chapter 912 Dispute With The Old Dragon

    "Wars, right?" Nicole muttered, "Well, I like fighting. Well, if you can make sure I get a decent weapon, then I''ll listen to you and go to Lands of the Gods only when I reach the God Stage."


    Wain nodded, "Fine, that''s exactly the answer I expected to hear."


    Nicole sighed, puffed up her cheeks, and said, "Agh, though I still feel like you tricked me. Reaching the God Stage is hard as hell! I literally just reached the Demigod Stage, so you put a very difficult task in front of me!"


    "Hahaha, you already said yes, so now you have no choice. Moreover, active people like you be stronger just during battles, in addition, you are a monster, so it will be more effective for you than others." Wain said calmly as a powerful stream of wind blew, making his hair flutter as well as his coat.


    Wain turned around, looking at the mistynds among which was the massive spine of some ancient creature, and said, "Well, it looks like we''re there."


    At the same moment, the tform of darkness trembled as Wain and Nicole fell to the bottom. The darkness just turned into unconnected streams of energy that quickly disappeared.


    "Hmm? What is this ce?" Nicole muttered looking around with a curious look. The mistynds and eerie trees reminded Nicole of her territory, so here she felt even better than in other ces. This was the atmosphere she liked. Then, she looked at the massive ridge that crossed the mountains and she got goosebumps.


    "Damn... What is that?" Nicole pointed to the ridge with a tremble.


    Wain looked up and said, "It''s the spine of a long-dead dragon. Last time I was here I was too weak to realize how strong this dragon was in life, but now I can feel it clearly."


    "Hmm?" Nicole gave him a questioning look since other than Wain''s attack during his fight with Frigus, that was the only thing that caused her fear in a very long time.


    "This dragon was on the God Stage, you might not think that''s very impressive considering you''re on the Demigod Stage but don''t forget that Dragons have a huge amount of energy." Wain said seriously as he crossed his arms over his chest, "Moreover, this one was at the highest level, and if he hadn''t died he might have been able to reach the Transcendence Stage."


    Nicole''s eyes went wide as she muttered, "Transcendence Stage... Wain, how many Dragons are at this stage? They must be stronger than the others, right?"


    Wain was silent for a while before shaking his head, "Well, the Transcendence Stage is something special, so even among Dragons there are only a few who have reached this stage, though perhaps in thest five hundred years someone else has appeared."


    "Hmm... Though this Dragon was on the God Stage, it made me shudder with fear, the kind I only felt from yourst attack..." Nicole muttered looking at the dragon''s massive spine, "By the way, every race has a Progenitor, right?"


    "Yeah... The Progenitor is always the strongest member of the race, but not always the oldest. I told you about that, the Angels recently had a new Progenitor." Wain nodded.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "In that case, how strong is the Dragon Progenitor? Have you fought him?" Nicole asked with a curious look.


    Wain was silent as his gaze grew darker and deeper until he said, "Well, there was a little argument between me and him back in the day, we fought, but it was only a few attacks, neither of us was seriously hurt."


    "Hmm? Why did you start fighting? Did you do something wrong?" Nicole muttered in confusion.


    "It''s a pretty trivial story. The Dragon Progenitor wasn''t happy that I was absorbing too much energy from Dragon World, so he decided to kick me out of there." Wain shrugged as if he was talking about something insignificant, "Anyway, he and I were never friends or enemies, just our interests didn''t align."


    "Hahahahahahahaha!" Nicole suddenlyughed, so hard that she even got tears as herugh shook the air.


    Wain frowned, "Why are youughing? Do you think I said something funny?" Wain had absolutely no idea what had caused Nicole to react so strangely.


    "Look, I may not know much about the world, but everyone knows that Dragons are some of the strongest beings in our world! They are feared or respected or both, especially the Dragon Progenitor. I can not even imagine how strong he is, it''s just creepy! Just thinking about it gives me the creeps!" Nicole eximed with a broad smile.


    "You started absorbing energy from the Dragon World,pletely unafraid of their Progenitor''s wrath. Obviously, any owner of space would be unhappy if someone came into their territory and started taking energy. Doesn''t that make sense? Hahaha!" Nicole said holding her stomach.


    "Pffffffff! I just needed to recover from the fight. I took some energy or a lot... Either way, it doesn''t matter! We have to move on if you want your weapon!" Wain waved his hand, turned around, and stepped forward.


    "Okay, whatever you say." Nicole smiled as she followed him.


    They headed toward the massive mountain inside which was the cave that was Ceozi''s forge. Wain was silent all the way, not because he didn''t want to talk to Nicole, but because his mind was upied with a single thought.


    ''Ezrin... The new Angel Progenitor is now my ally, but what about that old bastard...?'' Wain inwardly muttered withplicated looks, ''In thest Great War, the Dragons hardly participated, they were too busy deciding whose side to take, but what about their Progenitor...? If he had wanted all the Dragons would have obeyed his orders, so he didn''t decide either, or he waited...? Then, whose side would he take now?''


    The Great War was for Wain thest trial after which he expected to solve all questions, so he had to know who would fight with him and who against him.

 Chapter 913 The First Weapon

    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The massive ming hammer mmed onto the red-hot piece of metal, causing a ringing sound that echoed throughout the cave. The blows were so powerful that the potions under the anvil cracked, gradually sagging a little deeper.


    "Pffffff... That was hard..." Ceozi muttered as she wiped the sweat from her forehead and picked up the glowing form of the huge sword. The temperature was enormous, enough to burn her hand to the bone, but it had no effect on Ceozi. She was a Demon with the attribute of fire, so even when exposed to the sun she could endure a few seconds before burning to the ground.


    "Not a bad billet, but I still need to work on turning this piece of metal into a decent weapon." Ceozi smiled slightly before tossing the sword aside. It half went into the wall as well as hundreds of other weapons.


    Ceozi took a short break before she began preparing for her next weapon. The very first and most important step was finding the right materials, so Ceozi needed to look through the hundreds of different metals that she had.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Suddenly a shudder went through the whole cave as the massive door at the very beginning opened, though Ceozi did not give the order to do so.


    ''Hmm? What the hell is this? Has someone decided to attack me? Ceozi frowned since fromst time she had greatly increased her defense, so now even the monster on the Absolute Stage was not able to break through the barrier.


    ''Well, whoever it is, enemy or not, this one is very strong. At least Demigod Stage, though in that case, I could give him quite a bit of trouble.'' Ceozi smirked as her hands were covered in a powerful me.


    She stared intently at the doors ahead, which after a while opened, revealing two dark silhouettes. Ceozi was ready to attack at any moment, but as soon as she realized who it was her eyes went wide.


    "Wain..." Ceozi muttered in disbelief, "Is it really you...?"


    "Oh, Ceozi, it''s been a long time, hasn''t it?" Wain smiled waving his hand, "I see you''ve gotten a lot stronger. To reach the Absolute Stage as a cksmith is a great achievement."


    Ceozi was puzzled, slowlying to her senses since she absolutely did not expect to see Wain and not only him today.


    "Yeah... thanks, I guess." Ceozi nodded uncertainly as her gaze moved to Nicole, "Who is that? Is that your girlfriend?" Ceozi smirked.


    Wain''s face went pale as he began waving his hands quickly, "No, no, no, no, how could you even think of such a thing? We are no match for each other even in theory. She''s a monster, one of the leaders of the territories in my Void."


    Nicole stared at Wain with a strict look, as if she were displeased with something, but she did not say anything.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Hmm...? A monster... in your Void...?" Ceozi asked as she tilted her head in confusion, "That sounds rather strange considering she is on the Demigod Stage while you are on the Absolute Stage... How is that possible?"


    Ceozi was not surprised that Wain was able to reach the Absolute Stage, as for someone as capable as that was only a matter of time, however, Nicole''s stage was inexplicable to her.


    "Agh... Looks like I have to tell the same story again. This is beginning to get tiresome." Wainined slightly shaking his head, "Well, in that case, listen to me carefully, I''m not going to repeat it as I''ve already done it too many times."


    ...


    "Well, now I understand why you have such a creepy aura even though you''re only on the Absolute Stage." Ceozi nodded with a serious look, "I won''t ask you any questions, I think you''ve already told me everything I need to know, so... why did youe here today?"


    Wain smiled slightly, "Isn''t it obvious? Nicole wants a weapon for herself. She''s never had a weapon before, so she thought she could buy it from a merchant, but I convinced her to order something worthwhile from a cksmith."


    Ceozi smirked, crossed her arms over her chest, and said, "Hah, as a cksmith, I am ttered that the Nameless King himself decided to approach me. Aren''t there any cksmiths on your list of acquaintances on God Stage?"


    Nicole gave Wain a questioning look since she didn''t understand it either.


    "Well... Maybe if I wanted to I''d have a contact for every master smith, but I haven''t used their services since I got dius. I mean, once you get a weapon that you''re willing to grow with, then everything else stops making sense. Other less meaningful things like clothes or essories could be found quite easily." Wain waved his hand with a shrug.


    "Yeah... I see your point... Fine, I''m willing to help, how can I refuse to fulfill an order, from an assistant to the Nameless King himself?" Ceozi smirked as she stared at Nicole, "Girl, do you know what kind of weapon you want?"


    Nicole wondered as she touched her lips, "Hmm... Maybe a sword? Wain, what do you think?"


    Wain shook his head, ''A sword is definitely not your type of weapon. You chose to say that because you were impressed by my fight with Frigus, but you could never be a master swordsman."


    Nicole frowned, but she kept going over her options, "How about a spear? Or maybe a hammer would work for me? Abat glove? An axe?"


    Ceozi sighed, "I see... Looks like we have a little problem. Nicole, if you don''t know which weapon suits you best, we need to find out. If I create a sword and it''s a real masterpiece, but you''re not a sword person, it won''t make any sense."


    Nicole frowned as her face became sad, "Agh... I understand that, it''s just that I''ve never had a weapon... I''ve always fought with my bare hands, so I''m a little puzzled..."

 Chapter 914 Choice

    Ceozi was an experienced cksmith, so she knew that a certain type of weapon was suitable for each person, sometimes there were exceptions, but those who could use several weapons at once were very few.


    ''Hmm... Usually, everyone uses something standard, like a sword, spear or hammer, sometimes an axe, but for this girl, it all doesn''t fit...'' Ceozi muttered with a thoughtful expression looking intently at Nicole, ''She has an unusual aura, but she knows nothing at all about herself or her preferences.''


    "Agh... Well, I have one option. Perhaps we can help you make up your mind." Ceozi sighed.


    "Hmm? Really?" Nicole''s eyes sparkled as she clenched her fists.


    "Sure. Since you don''t know what kind of weapon you want, the best way to find out is to see the different weapons." Ceozi said, getting up and heading down one of the aisles, "Follow me. I''ll show you my arsenal, though it''s more like just a warehouse of various junk."


    Nicole and Wain looked at each other before following Ceozi. They walked down the cave until they reached a massive stone door.


    "Damn... Why are these doors so high?" Wain muttered as he raised his head, "What do you keep in there? The core from a star? Or maybe a mini-moon?"


    "Hah, not really. That''s where I put everything I''ve deemed unfortunate specimens. I don''t like to destroy my own weapons, so everything goes in here. I mean, even if it was a failure, it''s still something I put my time and effort into." Ceozi smirked before taking a deep breath.


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    Like a dragon, Ceozi blew out a massive torrent of me that rained down on the stone doors. On it, many runes lit up from the heat of the fire, then the doors slowly opened with a loud creaking sound.


    ''Looks like after we were attacked by Arkansst time, she started worrying more about her safety, but isn''t that too much?'' Wain inwardly muttered looking around, ''Even I had quite a hard time getting through the main gate, so it''s unlikely that any monster inhabiting here can break into her forge.''


    "Wow! That''s incredible!" Nicole eximed cheerfully at the sight of the hundreds of weapons whose brilliance was hidden all that time behind the massive stone doors.


    "Go ahead. You can touch every weapon that is here. I''m sure you''ll like some of it." Ceozi waved her hand.


    Nicole nodded vigorously before rushing forward.


    "Well, well, she''s enthusiastic, I wasn''t expecting that." Wain smirked as he approached Ceozi.


    "Yeah, it looks like it. This girl has wanted a weapon for herself for a long time, but she thought she didn''t need one, I can clearly see it in her look." Ceozi said seriously, "I hope we can do something decent for her."


    "Don''t worry." Wain put a hand on her shoulder, "You''re a great fighter, but you''re an even better smith. Nicole is a special girl, so I''m sure you''ll have to create something extraordinary for her, but you can do it. I know that."


    Ceozi said nothing as her cheeks flushed and she looked away slightly. Most of the time she was here alone since she rarely had customers, so to hear someone praise her was embarrassing.


    ''Well, well, strong and tough on the outside but soft on the inside. I like thatbination.'' Wain said inwardly as a slight smirk appeared on his face.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Nicole looked around for a while until she picked out a few options that she liked best.


    "Hmm? Sickle? Are you serious?" Ceozi muttered with a confused look looking at a few old weapons.


    "Nah." Nicole shook her head as she pointed to the wide sickle in the center, "I''d like something longer and with a creepier de. These weapons look too simple."


    Ceozi nodded meaningfully, "I see... I''ve had these sickles for a long time... I took them from my hometown before I created the forge here. You don''t seem to know what they''re for, sickles are used to cut grass, so they''re not really weapons."


    "Hmm? Then why are they here?" Nicole''s eyes went wide as she tilted her head.


    "Well... It''s just a memory, you know." Ceozi shrugged, "Look, of all the things here, did you really like the simple sickles the best?"


    "Ugum!" Nicole quickly nodded several times, "I can see how these sickles can pierce and tear flesh, quickly and deadly."


    Ceozi was puzzled. She had expected Nicole to pick anything, but not something that wasn''t really even a weapon, but a simple tool used by farmers.


    "Hah, I think I know what Nicole is thinking." Wain grinned, "She wants something longer than a sickle, right? Doesn''t that mean she wants a scythe?"


    "A scythe...?" Ceozi gave him a questioning look.


    "Yeah. Nicole has a very loose, brash, and fierce fighting style. She''s like a wild beast or a deadly hurricane." Wain said with a slight smirk, "I think that''s what would suit her much better than a standard sword or hammer."


    "Hmm... Maybe you''re right." Ceozi muttered with a thoughtful expression.


    "What are you talking about?" Nicole asked as she tilted her head.


    Wain swung his hand as the darkness turned into a long scythe and a sharp de. Wain swung it several times and said, "Here, it''s a battle scythe. Of course, Ceozi can do something much better than I can, it''s just an example to make you understand."


    Nicole was puzzled for a while until her eyes went wide, "Cool! I want to try it too!"


    Nicole quickly created a scythe of darkness. At first, she was notfortable using such a weapon, but gradually she got used to it and became faster.


    "Hah, I knew you''d like it." Wain grinned as he crossed his arms over his chest, "Ceozi, you can make a decent scythe, right?"


    "Sure..." Ceozi nodded as fire lit up in her eyes, "This is going to be interesting. I''ve never done battle scythe before, so this will be a new experience for me."

 Chapter 915 Material

    Nicole decided what weapon she wanted, so now it was time to prepare to make a scythe. Ceozi had a huge smithy, so she had no shortage of different materials since she had almost everything.


    "Agh... Damn, I can''t make up my mind..." Ceozi muttered withplicated looks. The most valuable materials were in her ring, there were plenty of them, but Ceozi was puzzled since she needed to make a battle scythe.


    "Hm? Don''t you have the right materials?" Nicole asked with a worried expression.


    "Nah, the problem is different." Ceozi shook her head, "A lot depends on the materials. You''re an active and entric fighter, so your weapons should be light and sharp, but... given the weapons you''ve chosen, there could be serious problems because of that..."


    Nicole looked at Wain, trying to ask him what Ceozi was talking about, but Wain just shook his head with a calm expression.


    "Ceozi... Exin exactly what you mean?" Wain shook his hand.


    "Agh, look if the weapon is light it gives you mobility, but it also lowers the maximum pressure the weapon can withstand. If this one was a sword or a spear, then there wouldn''t be a problem... but a scythe has a very unstable designpared to other types of weapons." Ceozi said with a serious look.


    "Does that mean that a scythe is a bad option? Maybe we should make it heavier?" Wain suggested.


    "Nicole''s strength is in speed, so if her weapon holds her back, it will be a real failure. I can''t let that happen." Ceozi''s eyes grew colder, "I don''t have the right material... I need something both light and very durable, as well as high energy at least on the Absolute Stage."


    Nicole lowered her head as her gaze grew darker. Her sadness could almost be felt or seen, like a dark cloud thickening over her.


    ''Damn... I have to do something urgently. Light but hard material... I don''t know why but the first thing I thought of was bones...'' Wain inwardly muttered as his eyes went wide, ''Wait, what if I did this? I probably wouldn''t have even thought of it before, but it''s quite possible now, right?''


    "Hey, I think I have an idea." Wain grinned.


    "Are you serious?" Ceozi looked up.


    "Yeah... I know one material that would be perfect for making a deadly scythe. It''s bone." Wain said confidently as he crossed his arms over his chest.


    "A bone...?" Ceozi tilted her head in confusion as well as Nicole, "Hmm... Bones can actually be durable and light, but there''s pretty little energy left in them after the creature dies, so we need someone on God Stage if we want to make a Demigod Stage weapon."


    "Maybe I should go hunting?" Nicole asked with a curious look, "If I try I can definitely find someone strong! I may only be on the Demigod Stage, but I can defeat a monster on the God Stage! I''m sure of it!"


    Ceozi was puzzled since she didn''t know how to react. If they had a God Stage monster bone, she could make a decent weapon, but it was too risky.


    "No, that''s out of the question." Wain shook his head as he ced his palm on Nicole''s head, "You will most likely die if you rush into battle against such an opponent."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "But... This is our only chance!" Nicole eximed as she iled her arms.


    "Hahaha, you''re both too inattentive." Wain grinned, looked away, and said, "There are quite a few God Stage bones right here, one very powerful and ancient creature.


    "Hmm?" Nicole tilted her head in confusion, however, Ceozi realized what Wain was talking about as her face turned pale.


    "No way... You want to take the bone from the dragon''s spine?" Ceozi looked at Wain in disbelief as a shiver ran through her body.


    "Sure. the bone, of the Dragon who was at the limit of the God Stage. Perhaps it is one of the rarest and finest materials of this world." Wain smirked as his eyes narrowed.


    "What...? You mean there was such valuable material around you all the time that you could use it?" Nicole frowned, "Then why didn''t you say so right away!"


    Ceozi shuddered, "Wait... I hadn''t even thought about it. Dragon Bone can be used as material, but do you think I''m suicidal?!"


    "Wain... What is she talking about?" Nicole stared at Wain with a questioning expression.


    "Well, her excitement makes sense. The point is that Dragons are very reverent about those who have died since it is a real tragedy for every Dragon. They can live for thousands of years and have incredible power, so if one of them died, then something terrible happened." Wain said seriously with a slight sigh, "Ceozi knows this as well as she knows that if she tries to desecrate this Dragon''s grave, the wrath of many Dragons will fall upon her."


    "Ouch... Now I understand..." Nicole nodded with a shocked expression, "So... so this option is not avable to us either?"


    Ceozi was silent, she didn''t know what to answer as she didn''t want this scythe to be thest weapon she would make. Against the Dragons, she didn''t stand a chance.


    "Hah, of course not." Wain smirked, "It might actually be suicide for Ceozi, but she won''t have to take part in it."


    "What do you mean?" Ceozi muttered.


    "You don''t have to pick up the bone yourself, we''ll do it for you. Your job will be to turn this bone into a real masterpiece, the best scythe you can create." Wain said as a sly smirk appeared on his face.


    Ceozi gulped as she nodded, "Fine, if you''re really willing to do something that crazy then I won''t stop you. I''ll be honest, I just can''t pass up the opportunity to work with Dragon bone, especially the one on the God Stage."


    Ceozi thought about it several times since she was very close to the dragon''s spine, but for her alone it was impossible, however, now everything has changed.

 Chapter 916 Dragons Are The Enemies?

    Wain made up her mind, so Ceozi began to prepare for work. She started warming up the forge as well as taking a few materials that were needed to work the dragon bone.


    "Well, I didn''t think I''d ever get ready to make a scythe from the dragon bone... Agh, Wain it''s actually dangerous, you know?" Ceozi muttered while shaking her head, but she didn''t take her eyes off the forge.


    "Hah, you have nothing to worry about. Don''t forget that I''m not just a strong guy now, I''m the Nameless King." Wain smirked as he pointed at himself.


    Ceozi sighed, "Yeah... If I didn''t know about your history, I never would have agreed to something so crazy. Every time youe to me there''s some fucked up thing going on and the worst part is that I love it."


    "There''s nothing surprising about that." Wain shrugged, "Eitherst time or now, something unusual and dangerous will happen, but it''s situations like this that open the door to new possibilities. If it hadn''t been for Nicole''s request I wouldn''t have had toe here, which means you wouldn''t have been able to work with dragon bone."


    Ceozi answered nothing, she just smiled weakly, agreeing with his words. Nothing had happened in her life for quite some time, since she was gradually improving her skills, but she needed some kind of leap to be even better.


    "Fine, in that case, we''re off. When we get back then be ready to get to work right away, you may have to do it just before the fight." Wain grinned.


    "Agh...? What are you talking about?" Ceozi''s eyes went wide.


    "Well, we''ll get the bone, then some Dragons will get here, but it won''t happen right away, so we''ll have time to give you the bone. I''d like Nicole to be able to try it out inbat right away." Wain said with a slight smile on his face.


    "Are you sure about that...?" Ceozi asked with a confused expression.


    "Sure, don''t worry. I have a way of making them notice it only after a long time. I think that will be enough for you." Wain said, turning around and walking out of the cave. Nicole nced at Ceozi, showed her thumb with a broad smile, and followed Wain.


    Ceozi stared at one point for a while before she shook her head, "Damn... So I''m about to order for practically the Nameless King himself? Hah, I wish I could do something for him personally... wait... I already did that right...? Agh! It''s tooplicated!"


    ...


    Ceozi''s forge was in one of the many mountains that were shrouded in a thick fog through which it was almost impossible to see.


    "Wain, I''m d you''re willing to do something so incredible for me, but isn''t it too dangerous...?" Nicole asked with a worried expression.


    "Hmm? What are you talking about? Do you really think I''m going to lose to a few Dragons?" Wain raised an eyebrow.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "No... that''s not what I''m talking about." Nicole shook her head, "Before we came to Ceozi, you told me that you had a long-ago fight with the Dragon Progenitor. I mean, wouldn''t that make your rtionship even worse?"


    Nicole was cocky and brash, but even for her it was abundantly clear that the Dragon Progenitor was a superior being. It was no good for anyone to argue with the Dragon Progenitor, not even for Nameless King.


    "Agh, so that''s what you mean. Don''t sweat it, he won''t get mad at me over a little thing like that. What''s more, I''m sure he knows what his Dragons did to mest time I was in Dragon World." Wain shrugged with a careless expression.


    "Hmm?" Nicole gave him a questioning look.


    "When I hadn''t gotten my memories back yet, I was in Dragon World and one of them attacked me for some reason. Perhaps he sensed that I was actually a Nameless King or something like that, rather it was because of my inner aura." Wain said calmly as if it were something insignificant.


    "Wait... Doesn''t that mean the Dragons are your enemies?" Nicole shuddered.


    "Nah, or rather, not all of them. One part even before the first Great War considered me a threat to be gotten rid of, but the rest thought quite differently. The Dragon Progenitor, until the very end, didn''t make a decision, so they didn''t participate in the First Great War." Wain muttered with a shrug.


    "Anyway, don''t dwell on it. If we even kill a few Dragons today, it''s no big deal. It''s their own fault for attacking me then, so I have the right to break their rule once. Moreover, if they are of those who are originally my enemies, it will even be a good thing." Wain sighed as he raised his head, "Well, enough talk for now. We''re almost there."


    Nicole nodded as she looked at the same point.


    They were at the foot of a massive mountain that had most of the Dragon''s spine on it, but not only that, there were also ribs that were stuck into the stone rock. A powerful aura emanated from each bone, which over a long period of time has greatly increased the density of energy in this area.


    "Hmm... How about this one?" Wain pointed at the dragon''s head with a thoughtful expression.


    "What...? You want Ceozi to make a scythe out of a dragon skull...?" Nicole muttered uncertainly.


    "Hah, of course not, it''s too big like the ribs. Even if we take the smallest rib then Ceozi will have to remove most of it, which means we will lose a lot of valuable material. We need something smaller but with the same amount of energy, so obviously that''s what I''m talking about." Wain smirked, opened his mouth, and pointed to his teeth.


    Nicole''s eyes went wide with bright sparks when she realized what Wain wanted to do.


    "Your first weapon will be made from the fang of a God Stage Dragon!" Wain eximed with an excited expression as his aura intensified.

 Chapter 917 The Breach

    Whoooooooooosh.


    Wain and Nicole were climbing the mountain at breakneck speed toward the dragon''s skull. The higher they climbed, the thicker the fog and the thicker the energy around them, but they had only one goal: to get the dragon''s fang.


    ''Damn, I''ve never fought a dragon before, I''ve never even seen one! However, soon I will have a dragon fang weapon! This is incredible!" Nicole inwardly eximed with an excited smile.


    After a while, they almost reached the dragon skull as suddenly the ground trembled as several massive rocks rolled down.


    "An earthquake? Are we that unlucky?" Wain muttered as he tilted his head before swinging his arm. A barrier of darkness appeared in front of him as well as in front of Nicole that tossed the rocks aside. The shaking gradually stopped, but it was not the end, only the beginning.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Huge creatures began to emerge from beneath the ground while soil began to fall from their bodies that for a long time had managed to be practically part of their bodies.


    "What the hell...?" Nicole shuddered as she took a few steps back.


    Several massive stone golems were headed in their direction, their eyes glowing a bright blue me. Every time the golems took a step forward, the ground shook as small stones broke off the mountain, rolling rapidly down.


    "Well, well, who would have thought there would be so many strong creatures..." Wain muttered with a slight smirk as he turned to Nicole, "You said you could defeat even a God Stage opponent, so this is a good opportunity to show what you can do."


    "Agh...? What are you talking about? Those golems are only on the Demigod Stage!" Nicole asked in confusion.


    "Hah, of course, I understand that, but if you can''t even handle them, then you will surely die in battle against the God Stage monster. Consider it your test to get your reward." Wain smirked as he jumped aside. He created a tform of darkness beneath him, watching the fight from afar.


    "Roooaaaaaaarrrrr!!!" One of the Golems didn''t like it as it threw a massive boulder at Wain, however, Wain just swung his arm, easily throwing away an object that was a dozen times bigger than him.


    "Hey, I''m not going to get in your way, so you better ignore me, unless of course, you want to die!" Wain smirked as his aura intensified and an eerie silhouette of a jaw with three eyes appeared above him.


    Golems were creatures of stone, almost emotionless, but even for them Wain''s aura was terrifying, chaining their hearts like prickly, cold chains.


    "Go ahead, fight her." Wain said calmly as he pointed at Nicole, "I will not interfere in your battle. You chose to attack her yourself just as she chose toe here, so everything will be perfectly fair, won''t it?"


    The golems were silent for a while, staring intently at Wain, then one of them nodded and headed toward Nicole. They couldn''t really know if Wain was telling them the truth or not, but they understood that someone with his aura had no reason to deceive them. If Wain wanted to help Nicole, he would have already broken the Golems into small stones.


    "Shit! Are you serious?" Nicole eximed with an indignant expression as she waved her hands.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Hahaha, what happened? Can''t you handle a few Golems?" Wain said with a mocking smirk.


    "No! That''s not what I''m talking about! I wanted to get my weapon as soon as possible, but I end up having to waste time on these walking stones! What are they even doing here?! ARGH!!!" Nicoleined as her aura intensified. A ck mist appeared above her as her arms were covered in thick darkness.


    There were six golems, and each of them was on a Demigod Stage. Nicole was on the same stage, so she had to lose since there were too many opponents, but despite this, there was no fear at all in her eyes, only discontent.


    ''Hmm... Though Nicole usually acts defiantly, she seems clearly aware of what she is capable of. She knows she can handle these golems, but she also knows she can''t do it quickly, so that''s why it annoys her.'' Wain inwardly muttered assessing Nicole''s actions, ''Well, if she can beat those six in less than five minutes, then she actually has a chance against the God Stage Monster.''


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, the preparations for the battle wereplete. The Golems were the first to attack as two of them ran forward, quickly reaching Nicole and bringing their fists down on her.


    "Hah, you think because you''re big you''re stronger than me?" Nicole shouted as she raised her hands in the air.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The stone fists came down on Nicole as the ground beneath her cracked, but despite one golem''s fist being ten timesrger than Nicole''s, she was able to withstand this attack without injury. Her hands trembled slightly, but such intense pressure was no problem for her.


    ''Damn, that looks prettyical. Such a little girl stopping two giants... Well, perhaps that''s the power of energy. Without it, Nicole could never have done something like that. The golems would have just crushed her.'' Wain inwardly muttered watching the fight.


    Crackle.


    Nicole''s legs were covered in thick darkness as she leaped forward, flying past the golems'' fist that copsed into the ground. The impact caused a powerful shockwave that raised a massive cloud of dust, but it had no effect on Nicole since she was already in front of their faces.


    Nicole clenched her hands into fists as she attacked with all her might. Her hands became a blur as in a heartbeat they pierced the golems'' heads with destructive energy. The hole left by the strike was thin, the size of a slit, but a secondter their heads exploded in a st of darkness.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The golems fell to the ground as parts of their heads rolled down like rock debris, one of which fell next to Nicole.


    "Who''s next?" Nicole grinned.

 Chapter 918 The Stones

    Nicole destroyed two of the six golems in one swift blow, so now she only had four more to deal with to get her coveted reward.


    ''It took her exactly twenty seconds for the two golems. Well, at this rate she''ll clear a path in a minute, though that''s unlikely. The others look a little stronger.'' Wain muttered inwardly as he nced at the remaining golems.


    The golems were on the Demigod Stage, but that didn''t mean they were all equally strong. Those who attacked Nicole were the weakest since they were slightly smaller than the others and their auras were not as dense as the others.


    ''Hmm... It will probably take her two minutes to deal with three of them, but to deal with this one... she might have a real problem.'' Wain thought as he nced at the golem who stood behind the others.


    The Main Golem was muchrger than the others as it had many emerald crystals on its body, infused with enormous amounts of energy. His eyes were green, not blue like the others, and he had a massive rune on his chest that shed from time to time.


    "What? None of you want to attack? Fine, then I''ll do it myself!" Nicole eximed with an excited expression as sheshed forward like a ck sh.


    Her arms were covered in thick darkness that turned into massive paws with long, sharp ws while a ck plume of energy remained behind her.


    The golems could wait no longer, and three of them attacked back. They didn''t act like the first two, since they touched the ground, channeling energy into it.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ground shook violently, causing Nicole to lose her bnce for a moment. One of the golems immediately took advantage of this, pounding the ground with its massive fists as hard as it could.


    The ground cracked and shook as if there had been a massive earthquake as Nicole was thrown into the air.


    "Shit! What kind of dirty tricks are these?" Nicole eximed angrily preparing to attack, but suddenly a chill went down her back since the second golem''s fist was already moving toward her.


    Crackle.


    The fistpletely covered her, but Nicole was not thrown aside since suddenly a ck line appeared on the golem''s arm and exploded with a stream of darkness, cutting off the golem''s arm.


    "ARGHHHH!!!" The golem cried out in pain holding onto his severed arm with a frightened look.


    ''Hah, they may be made of stone, but when they get wounds like that, they feel pain ten times worse than we do. Nicole just cut his energy veins... damn, she did it really fast.'' Wain grinned inwardly as a sly smile appeared on his face.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Nicole jumped away from the golem''s arm, instantly attacking it. She swung her arms, tearing the golem''s massive head into many pieces as her darkness passed through its defenses with ease.


    ''Fine, one more ready, only two to go!'' Nicole inwardly eximed as she created a st of darkness beneath her, creating a momentum that greatly elerated her.


    The second golem realized he was too slow to attack Nicole from this position, so it tried to defend itself, crossing its arms in front of it.


    "Hah, it''s no use!" Nicole eximed, sinking her ws into the golem''s hands. Through the ws, Nicole sent arge amount of darkness into the golem''s hands, which just made them explode into tiny shards.


    "ROOOOOOAAAARRRRR!!!" The golem roared in terrible pain, but it seemed to know it wasing since it quickly attacked Nicole, opening its mouth wide.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Given Nicole''s size, it looked to her as if a cave wanted to swallow her, but it was just a desperate attempt by the golem to do something, nothing more.


    "Pffffff, what''s the point?" Nicole snorted letting the golem swallow her.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Within seconds, wisps of darkness began to fly out of the golem''s mouth, and in a few strikes, Nicolepletely destroyed the golem''s head, climbing out of its captivity.


    She stood on the shoulders of the already dead golem falling to the ground, staring intently at thest remaining one.


    "Hah, you don''t seem to know what to do to win at all, right? Well, in that case just die quick!" Nicole eximed with a cruel smirk as she bent down and took a step forward.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Nicole''s jerk caused an explosion of darkness behind her as she rushed at breakneck speed toward the golem, piercing it like lightning.


    The golem just couldn''t withstand such powerful pressure as Nicole''s energy tore it apart. Lots of debris fell around her as a smirk appeared on her face.


    "Well? How long did it take me? I''m sure I could manage faster than five minutes!" Nicole asked as she looked at Wain with a confident smile.


    Wain shrugged, "You did pretty quick, you dealt with those golems in two minutes, but is this the end?"


    "Agh...? What are you talking about?" Nicole muttered with a confused look as Wain pointed in the direction behind her.


    "You only destroyed five golems out of six, so I would advise you not to celebrate your victory before your time." Wain said calmly, looking at thest golem.


    Nicole slowly turned as her eyes went wide, "Wait... How is it possible...? This one is so huge, but I only just noticed it."


    Step. Step. Step.


    The Emerald Golem slowly stepped forward, staring intently at Nicole. There was no fear in his eyes, despite the fact that Nicole had just killed five golems, he simply looked at her as a worthy opponent.


    "Fine! I was just too distracted by the others! Maybe you''re a little bigger than them, but it''ll take me less than ten seconds to beat you!" Nicole said confidently as she lunged forward,pletely replicating her previous attack.


    The golem just stood there, fully epting Nicole''s attack.


    "What...?" Nicole muttered in disbelief since she couldn''t leave even a scratch on the Golem''s chest.


    Bang.


    At the same moment, the Golem''s massive fist mmed into her, sending her down at tremendous speed.

 Chapter 919 The Last Golem

    Crackle.


    Nicole reached the ground as her back hit the dense rock. The Emerald Golem''s impact was so powerful that Nicole was thrown upwards after hitting the ground as her gaze went nk for a moment.


    ''What the hell...?! I didn''t even see anything! How could he be so fast and strong considering his size!? Nicole inwardly eximed, quicklying to her senses as she was about to attack, but just as she was about to umte some energy a massive stone foot headed toward her.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Practically a whole mountain collided with Nicole, throwing her back hundreds of meters. Her sturdy body, which could not be cut even by a very sharp sword, collided with the stone protrusions many times until she finally stopped.


    "Hah, you''ve only missed two blows and yet you can barely move. At this rate, you won''t win." Wain grinned as he looked at Nicole, who was struggling to get to her feet.


    "Shut up! I don''t fucking understand why he''s so strong!" Nicole eximed with a furious look as she stared at the Emerald Golem.


    "It''s simple. This one is at the limit of the Demigod Stage. If we came here in a few weeks, this Golem would reach the God Stage." Wain said calmly with a shrug, "Go ahead, if you can''t beat him, you don''t stand a chance against the God Stage monster."


    Nicole frowned, clenched her teeth, and slowly stood up. Streams of blood dripped from her head as the Emerald Golem''s blows were powerful enough to wound her, but that didn''t make her weaker; on the contrary, she looked at the Emerald Golem as her prey.


    "Bastard. Maybe you could hurt me, but I won''t let it happen again, ever!" Nicole eximed before tearing forward.


    Her aura gradually increased as well as her speed since after a while she turned into a ck beam that attacked the Emerald Golem again. Nicole was serious as she gathered all the strength in her fist and attacked the Emerald Golem right in the knee.


    Crackle.


    The st of darkness destroyed part of the stone, causing Nicole to smile happily, but a momentter her eyes went wide and her face went pale.


    "What the hell...? What the hell is that?" Nicole muttered in disbelief as she stared at the denseyer of green crystals.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Nicole was distracted, and the Emerald Golem took advantage of that, grabbing her with his massive hand.


    "No!" Nicole tried to dodge, but it was toote, so the Emerald Golem squeezed her tightly, trying to crush her.


    "AGH!!! You bastard! How dare you do this to me!" Nicole eximed furiously as her eyes poured blood and became more animal-like.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    From Nicole, massive streams of darkness began to emanate in all directions. Gradually they grewrger until small spheres with white edges appeared among them, then Nicole''s pupils narrowed and all the spheres exploded at the same time.


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    The explosionpletely destroyed the Emerald Golem''s arm as Nicole was released from captivity, flying away due to the shockwave.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Shit... That was hard..." Nicole muttered as she rose to her feet while shaking her head.


    "Hah, looks like your opponent is just now starting to take you seriously." Wain grinned pointing at the Emerald Golem.


    "Agh? What are you talking about?" Nicole asked in confusion as she looked at her opponent and her eyes went wide, "Fuck, so it''s true..."


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Massive stones tumbled down from the Golem''s armor, revealing what was underneath. In fact, the Golem was not stone like the others as its body wasposed entirely of emerald crystals, except for the outeryer of stone.


    "You used more energy, so you were able to destroy his stone armor, now you need to increase your strength even more if you want to smash those crystals." Wain said calmly looking at the Emerald Golem''s arm which was unharmed except for a few scratches left from Nicole''s st.


    Nicole gulped since for her it was the first time she had fought against an opponent whose defense was so powerful. Nicole was used to tearing her enemies apart, winning with speed and strength, since usually, all her enemies were weaker than her, but not this time.


    "Damn... I have to use even more energy to beat him, right? Honestly, I don''t even know what to do..." Nicole muttered in confusion, staring intently at the Emerald Golem.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, the massive rune on the Emerald Golem''s chest shed brightly green as the ground trembled.


    "Shit!" Nicole eximed quickly jumping up as emerald crystals appeared directly below her. They burst out of the ground, rushing toward Nicole at tremendous speed.


    Nicole was fast and nimble, so she easily dodged each attack, but shepletely failed to notice the direction in which the crystals were moving as they gradually surrounded her.


    ''Hmm? What''s going on...? He wants to catch me, but why?'' Nicole inwardly muttered dodging another crystal before looking at the Emerald Golem.


    "Fuck..." Nicole''s face went pale as a massive energy rayunched from the Emerald Golem''s palm.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The power of the ray made the space around it warp as well as shake the air. In the next moment, the green raypletely engulfed Nicole, destroying all the crystals that prevented her from dodging.


    "Damn, that was a pretty strong attack..." Wain muttered with a dazed look, "Honestly, I didn''t expect that from the monster on the Demigod Stage."


    ''Hey... Wain, maybe you should help her,'' dius asked in a worried voice, ''I mean... She''s already defeated five pretty strong opponents. I think she''s passed the test, there''s no point in putting her in more danger.''


    Wain shook his head, "Don''t worry. Nicole is very strong, she can definitely win. It might be difficult since this Golem did a God Stage level attack, but you''re just underestimating her."


    Wain didn''t expect thest golem to be so strong, but he wasn''t worried as he felt Nicole''s aura increase.

 Chapter 920 Fang

    ''Shit... That hurt like hell...'' Nicole inwardly muttered lying under the stone rubble, a few hundred meters from the Emerald Golem.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    With each step of the Emerald Golem, the ground trembled as the sound of footsteps gradually became rumbling and the trembling became stronger.


    ''Agh... He''s pretty close already. If I don''t get up now, I might even die, but how do I defeat him?'' Nicole pondered with a nk stare, ''He''s so strong... What do I do? I''ve never been in this situation before. Why is this bastard stronger than me? Agh, it pisses me off so much!''


    Step. Step. Step.


    In a few massive steps, the Emerald Golem reached the pile of rubble under which Nicoley. He pointed his hands at it with open palms, gradually building up energy for onest attack.


    ''I can feel it, he has so much energy, fuck, this attack will definitely kill me if I don''t do something. I can get out of here and dodge, but what''s the point? There''s no way I can win by running away.'' Nicole said to herself as her eyes went wide, ''Wait... There''s no point in me thinking about it that long, all I have to do is attack as hard as I can, right? If I seed, I win, if not, I lose, it''s simple!''


    Whooooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Two destructive raysunched from the palms of the Emerald Golem''s hands, heading toward the pile of rubble at breakneck speed.


    ''Well, well, for a moment I was worried, but you certainly know what power is.'' Wain muttered inwardly, looking at the wisps of darknessing out of the cracks.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, a giant sphere the size of half a Golem shot toward the two green rays, destroying everything in its path. The thick darkness engulfed the energy beams, quickly reaching the Emerald Golem.


    The Golem didn''t expect Nicole to be able to create such a powerful attack quickly, so he tried to defend himself by creating an energy barrier in front of him. A simple blow from Nicole''s would never be able to break that barrier or harm the Emerald Golem in any way, but this sphere was equal in power to a thousand of her blows.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Crackles went through the barrier, then, because of the tremendous pressure from the sphere, the barrier shattered into small shards, allowing the darkness to collide with the Emerald Golem.


    "Roooooaaaaaaaarrrrrr!!!" The Emerald Golem roared furiously as he used all his energy to maximize his defense.


    From his body, hundreds of small green shards flew aside, but eventually the sphere dissipated into dark streams, never killing the Golem.


    Bam.


    The Emerald Golem fell to one knee, keeping his fist from falling to the ground. He was able to withstand Nicole''s attack, but his body was at its limit, if he received one more powerful blow his defense would fallpletely, leading to his death.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Suddenly a shadow appeared in front of the Emerald Golem. It was Nicole, covered in a massive amount of darkness.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "You made me bleed, though it was damn easy to defeat you. All I had to do was increase the power, nothing more." Nicole said coldly, staring at the Golem with a look as sharp as des.


    Bam.


    She clenched her fist and gathered an enormous amount of energy in one point before she attacked. Her punch looked as if a ck star had copsed on the Golem, destroying itpletely and causing it to shatter into millions of pieces.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The force of the impact caused an explosion as well as a powerful shockwave that spread hundreds of meters around, removing the fog from most of the mountain.


    Nicole fell to the ground, looked down at her bloody hand, and fell to the ground. She stared at the bright sun, which was asionally blocked by clouds while breathing heavily.


    "Agh... Agh... Agh..." Nicole breathed slowly, trying toe to her senses as a satisfied smile appeared on her face, "Well, it was hard, but I did it!"


    At the same moment, a shadow appeared over her as Nicole saw Wain as well as his sly smile.


    "You did it in four minutes and forty seconds. That''s not a bad result, although you got a lot more early than I expected." Wain said calmly as he leaned toward her.


    "Give me a break. I just didn''t know what to do, it was too solid, though I found a solution pretty quickly. I''m a genius, aren''t I?" Nicole smirked confidently.


    "Hah, you think just increasing the power of your attacks by several times is a smart decision? That doesn''t make you a genius." Wain grinned, "Most wouldn''t be able to do the same as you, since few people have as much destructive energy as you do."


    "Well, I made it anyway." Nicole shrugged, "The method isn''t important, the most important thing is the result, isn''t it?"


    "Hmm... Maybe you''re right. At least if we''re talking about mortalbat then yes, it doesn''t matter how, the important thing is to win." Wain nodded with a thoughtful look.


    "You''re right about something, though." Nicole muttered as she looked down at her hands, "That Golem has given me some pretty serious wounds, well, myst attack was so powerful that I wounded myself. What can I do to heal quickly?"


    Wain remained silent until he looked ahead, "Have you forgotten that energy can do more than destroy? Look, this is one of your rewards for winning this fight."


    Nicole was puzzled as she rose and her eyes went wide at the sight of a huge red soul floating in the air. In the distance, there were several purple souls that remained from the other Golems.


    "Right... If I absorb all this energy, I''ll increase my regeneration." Nicole muttered with a dazed expression.


    "Exactly, so go ahead! Don''t waste time, we came here to get the dragon''s fang, fighting Golems wasn''t in our ns at all!" Wain said as he patted Nicole on the shoulder.


    "Yeah, you''re right." Nicole nodded before running to the souls with greed in her gaze.

 Chapter 921 Barrier

    Nicole greedily absorbed energy from the souls to heal her wounds. Though she was not a human, she was a rather special monster, so much of the energy she didn''t even purify and literally ate souls almost instantly, dealing with the side effects.


    Uncleaned energy should have caused her even more damage than she would have gotten from absorbing souls, but Nicole knew how to absorb energy better than anyone else, so she even withstood the pressure from a lot of Wain''s blood.


    "Well, well, it''s time to get it and bring it to Ceozi, right?" Wain muttered with a slight smile looking at the dragon skull.


    ''Do you need my help? Blind Sorcerer asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.


    ''Sure, I definitely can''t do it without you. The dragons will sense that I broke off a fang from the skull of their long-dead mate, so they will rush here to punish me." Wain said calmly with a slight nod.


    ''Yeah... That''s the only thing that will make theme to the grave of one of their own. I wonder how this Dragon died? Apparently, it happened after the Great War, since its aura doesn''t look familiar to me.'' Blind Sorcerer muttered with a thoughtful expression.


    "It doesn''t matter. The important thing is to make sure the Dragons don''t notice it until a few hourster so Ceozi can finish the job." Wain waved his hand.


    ''I can do it, it''s actually pretty easy, I just need some energy and to take control for a while, but are you sure that''s necessary?'' Blind Sorcerer asked.


    ''Hmm? What are you talking about?'' Wain raised an eyebrow in confusion.


    ''We don''t have to fight the Dragons. I can make them understand what we''ve done in ten hours, just enough time for Ceozi to finish the job.'' Blind Sorcerer said calmly as he pped his sleeve.


    Wain shook his head, ''Nah, that''s out of the question. If we do as you say, the Dragons will stille here and if we''re not here, they''ll ask questions of Ceozi. Even if they''re usually calm and judicious, that won''t happen this time. They might even kill her, you know...''


    ''Well... Your point makes sense, I justpletely forgot that this cksmith girl lives here. Honestly, she picked a hell of a strange ce to live... Though considering she''s a cksmith it''s probably not a bad option.'' Blind Sorcerer said rubbing the back of his head.


    Wain nodded, ''Yeah, there are quite a few rare materials here, so she can concentrate on cksmithing. There''s thick fog, scary monsters, and a cold wind all around, but she doesn''t see it. She spends most of her time in front of the red fire.''


    Wain sighed, looked at the dragon skull, and said with a deep look, "Well, enough talk, time to get his fang."


    Whoooooooooooooooosh.


    Wain jumped high up, instantly covering several dozen meters. He had to make several movements to reach the dragon''s skull, and all the while his own words echoed in his mind.


    ''No one but Ceozi or monsters would want to live in this ce, but even they came here for the energy that emanates from the dragon skeleton... Even though no one but she would want to be here that long, this ce still became her home, right? It''s cold and dark around her forge, but it''s hot and warm inside...'' Wain muttered inwardly as his gaze darkened for a moment before his feet touched the dragon''s skull.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Wain looked around, beneath him were many mountains and expansivends that were almostpletely obscured by fog.


    "Well, let''s get started. You can take control from me." Wain said calmly looking up.


    ''Sure. I''ll make it quick.'' The Blind Sorcerer smirked as his energy intensified.


    At the same moment, a powerful dark current erupted from Wain''s body, which gradually turned gray with small flecks of yellow energy. An blindfold appeared on Wain as well as a wide gray mantle.


    ''Hmm? I thought you were going to use the power of chaos.'' Wain said with a surprised look.


    ''Hah, that won''t be necessary. Moreover, a power like Chaos is easier to spot than others, if you know how, so I''ll do it the normal way. Blind Sorcerer shrugged before raising his hand.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space trembled as white streams of energy emerged from his fingers, they were thin and seemed weak, but the shivering air beside them showed that this was quite different.


    ''So you want them to be unable to spot us for a few hours, right? Well, I''ll easilyply with your request.'' The Blind Sorcerer smiled slyly before clenching his hand into a fist.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    The five streams of energy abruptly began spinning around each other, leaving trails of their tips in the air. The Blind Sorcerer manipted them like bones that gradually created a huge magical circle with a hundred ancient runes.


    ''Agh... After I got your memories back and reached the Fifth Chronicle, I have the ability to use much more energy than before. That''s very nice, it''s a pity that I, like the others, had to wait so long for this moment.'' Blind Sorcerer inwardly muttered as he finished creating the magic circle.


    ''Hah, the more energy I have the stronger you are, though that rule only works while bits of your souls are in my mind.'' Wain grinned then his gaze became serious, ''You had to wait hundreds of years for me to get my memories back and you''re still waiting for me to wake you from your sleep.''


    Blind Sorcerer nodded slightly, "Don''t be too bothered by it. We were worried that something would go wrong and you wouldn''t get your memories back, but it''spletely different now. Compared to how long we''ve been waiting, there are only a few moments left. By the way, I''m done now.''


    Click.


    The Blind Sorcerer snapped his fingers, interrupting their conversation and activating a magical circle that glowed bright white like a star.

 Chapter 922 Resistance

    Whoooooooooooooooosh.


    Above the massive mountain as well as over a third of all Dragon Ridge, a magical circle shone brightly. Its light tried to hide the thick fog, but a few rays still managed to pass through it, reaching Ceozi''s cave.


    "Damn, looks like I need to hurry." Ceozi muttered looking at the light from the magic circle, "They''re finishing up already. I wonder if I''ll be able to make a decent weapon out of dragon bone? Well, I should try to make the best I can anyway!"


    Ceozi clenched her fists as fire lit up in her eyes and her heart began to beat faster. This may not have been unusual for others, but for Ceozi it was a significant event, especially since she didn''t yet know that Wain was going to bring her a dragon fang and not a bone.


    ...


    "Well, my work is done here. This barrierpletely prevents any energy flows from entering, so only after it disappears will the dragons notice what happened." Blind Sorcerer said before disappearing, returning control of the body to Wain.


    "Fine, now thest thing left to do..." Wain muttered, turning to Nicole, who was absorbing thest soul and waved his hand.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    A torrent of darkness appeared next to Nicole, which grabbed her and brought her to Wain, straight to the dragon''s skull.


    "Hey! Why did you do that?! I haven''t had time to devour thest soul yet!" Nicole eximed with a frown as she puffed up her cheeks.


    "Forget it, you''re already fully healed, there''s no need for that. No matter how much energy you absorb, it makes almost no difference to your Stage anymore anyway." Wain said calmly as he turned to fang, "Go ahead, do it."


    "What...? I thought you were going to break the fang off, weren''t you?" Nicole tilted her head in confusion as she touched her lips.


    Wain smirked, "Did you really chicken out? That fang is your future weapon, so it would make sense if you were the one to do it, right?"


    Nicole''s eyes went wide as she grimaced with a deadly look, "Don''t you dare say that! Fine, I''ll do it! It''s not hard at all!"


    Crackle.


    Nicole grabbed the massive fang with her hands, which was more than a meter long, and gripped it tightly at its base, trying to break it off. However, no matter how hard she tried, it seemed impossible to break.


    "Hahaha, looks like you only defeated that Golem by sheer luck. Are you really that weak that you can''t do something that simple?" Wainughed with a sneering smirk.


    Nicole''s veins swelled as she clenched her teeth, "Shut up! I just didn''t expect it to be this strong!"


    "Well, you''ve made the same mistake for the second time in one day, that''s a pretty bad tendency, you know?" Wain shook his head.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Nicole released arge amount of energy outward as her hands were covered in a denseyer of darkness. Gradually her strength increased as Nicole was going to use as much energy as was necessary to break the dragon''s fang, even if she used everything she had for it.


    "Shit! Come on! It shouldn''t be that hard!" Nicole eximed as she took a step back, pulling on the fang with all her might.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    A few cracks appeared in the fang and secondster it was in Nicole''s hands. At the same moment, arge amount of white energy emerged from the damaged area, perfectly pure and without blemish.


    Nicole fell to the ground with a satisfied smile on her face, clutching the dragon''s fang tightly with both hands.


    "Good job. I don''t know if you''ll remember my words, but you should learn from your mistakes so you don''t make them again in the future." Wain said calmly looking at Nicole.


    "I don''t care... Even if I made the same mistake again, I still pulled it off, didn''t I? That fang is mine now!" Nicole eximed cheerfully as the white streams of energy reached the magic circle.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The magic circle shuddered violently as if a bomb had exploded in its center, but after a while, the ripples passed and the magic circle returned to its previous state.


    "Hmm? What is this? It wasn''t here before..." Nicole muttered with a confused expression as she pointed up.


    "Well, this is what will give Ceozi some time to forge a scythe for you. Get ready, in a few hours, the Dragons will be here. I don''t know how many, it doesn''t really matter, but one of them will be you to fight." Wain said calmly while the cold wind fluttered his ck coat.


    Nicole gulped with a nod before slowly rising.


    "Let''s get back, I think Ceozi''s ready." Wain muttered looking at the forge in the distance from which a stream of dark smoke emanated.


    "Ughum!"


    ...


    A few minutester two shadows ran toward Ceozi''s cave as Wain and Nicole found themselves in her forge. The furnace was already burning a bright red me that seemed capable of melting any metal, however, it had no effect on Ceozi, who was standing a meter away from the fire.


    "Damn... you really got it..." Ceozi muttered with a dazed look as she stared at Nicole, "Wait... It''s not just a bone, you took a fang!"


    "Yeah. I thought it would be much better than a huge rib." Wain nodded as he put his hand on Nicole''s shoulder, "Is that really a problem for you?"


    Ceozi was silent for a while just staring at Fang in disbelief beforeing to her senses and nodding, "No, you made the right decision. I can make a real masterpiece out of the fang."


    Nicole handed the dragon fang to Ceozi and she began the process of forging the weapon. First, she had to heat it to red before she could start shaping the fang in any way, so she had to raise the temperature of the furnace to the maximum possible.


    "Wow... How can she take that kind of heat... I''m standing a few feet away, but I feel like if I take a few more steps I could burn!" Nicole muttered with a dazed expression.


    "Hah, she''s a demon, for most of them fire is their main ally." Wain smirked as he watched the dragon fang melt.

 Chapter 923 Scythe

    Drip. Drip. Drip.


    Gradually the dragon''s fang turned into a liquid, each drop of which contained a huge amount of blood, roughlyparable to Wain''s blood. Ceozi had already prepared a special mold for melting the scythe, but unlike the sword de, she couldn''t do everything at once since the construction of the scythe was much moreplicated.


    ''Damn... I need to make several different parts and then put them together... Compared to that, making a sword where you only need one straight de is very easy...'' Ceozi inwardly muttered as her ring shone brightly.


    A hammer appeared in her hand one side of which was covered with a denseyer of ice while the other side burned brightly with a red me.


    "Wow, isn''t that hammer the perfect tool for a cksmith?" Wain muttered with a dazed look, realizing how useful such a hammer could be.


    "Hmm? What is she going to do?" Nicole muttered with a confused look as she touched her lips.


    "Nicole, don''t you know anything at all about cksmithing...?" Wain turned to her as he raised an eyebrow, "I''m sure some of the monsters in the Void do it too, though not at as high a level as Ceozi."


    Nicole shook her head sharply, "No. I wasn''t interested, there''s no point in me doing cksmithing, so...I''ve never seen cksmiths work."


    Wain breathed, "Ceozi will use one part of the hammer to lower the temperature thereby turning the molten dragon fang into something solid, a shape for a weapon, then she can use the hot side of the hammer to fix some parts."


    Nicole was silent for a while before she nodded with a nk stare, she didn''t seem to understand anything at all.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, Ceozi began to strike the dragon''s fang with great speed and force, gradually shaping it into a de. She used the two sides of the hammer to do exactly what she wanted, leaving several gaps on the de, creating a semnce of a saw.


    "Phew... Looks like the first part is done." Ceozi muttered brushing the sweat off her forehead before setting the de aside. Now there is a hilt left to make and join the two pieces together.


    ''dius, what do you think of this?'' Wain asked, looking at the de Ceozi made.


    ''Not bad, very good, this de is sharp enough to wound someone on the God Stage, however, the weapon is not ready yet, so too early to give an estimate.'' dius said seriously and after a short pause continued, ''However... I''m troubled by this aura...''


    ''Yeah, me too. The energy of the God Stage Dragon doesn''t seem to want to obey anyone... Well, hopefully, Nicole can sort out the problem.'' Wain inwardly muttered looking at the white streams of energy emanating from the scythe de. Only he could see it, for this energy was of apletely different level than Ceozi or Nicole.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A few hourster, Ceozi made the hilt. It was perfectly white with a powerful yet calm aura, it seemed that it was a weapon in itself since the hilt could be used as a fighting staff.


    "Damn... It took longer than I thought it would, however, now it''s almost done." Ceozi muttered with an exhausted look as she turned to Nicole, "Come here, we''ll take thest step together."


    "Finally! I''m getting tired of waiting!" Nicole eximed joyfully as she ran toward Nicole.


    Nicole smiled slightly, picked up the pieces of the scythe, and handed them to Nicole. Nicole''s eyes shone brightly as it was her first weapon that suited her perfectly and was made of very rare material.


    "Now try to put them together." Ceozi said and Nicole did so, touching the two pieces to each other.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Ceozi nodded as her hand lit up in a bright red me, instantly raising the temperature around her several times over.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Portions of Nicole''s skin began to burn, flying away from her, though Ceozi didn''t even blink.


    "Hey... Can you hurry up?" Nicole frowned.


    "Sure." Ceozi directed the me, gradually turning the two parts into one. Ceozi controlled the me to make it perfect, without any imperfections.


    ''Agh... Am I finally done?'' Ceozi inwardly sighed with relief, easing her me.


    "All done?" Nicole asked in disbelief looking at a scythe in her hands.


    "Yeah... Now you can use it to fight even faster than usual." Ceozi replied with a slight smile on her face.


    ''Hmm? Is it really that easy?'' Wain said to herself as she tilted her head.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly eerie streams of energy began to emerge from the scythe that tossed Nicole and Ceozi aside, with the force of a huge explosion.


    "What the hell!" Nicole eximed furiously with her eyes wide open.


    "No... Why did this happen? Was I wrong about something?" Ceozi muttered looking at the white streams of energy bursting out of the scythe.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Nicole wasn''t going to put up with her first weapon resisting, so she immediately ran forward, clutching a scythe tightly in her hands.


    "Damn! What is this? Why won''t you be my weapon?!" Nicole shouted staring intently at the de as suddenly the energy flows turned into the silhouette of a massive dragon head.


    "Roooooaaaarrrrr!!!" The Dragon''s head roared, making the entire forge shake and giving Nicole goosebumps.


    Then, a beam of energyunched from the dragon''s mouth, which once again threw Nicole aside, but this time it was much more dangerous as many bleeding scratches were left on her body.


    ''Wain... We have to do something. If we don''t calm this energy now, Nicole will never be able to own this scythe.'' dius said in a worried voice.


    ''Hey, I can easily fix this little problem.'' The Abyss Artist said with a sly smirk, ''All we have to do is put their energies together. I have hundreds of ways you can pull off something like that. Just give me control and with a little bit of pain and a sliver of skill, I''ll get it right.''

 Chapter 924 The Flow Of Darkness

    ''Well... Even though you suggest such a thing, it''s like I have a choice.'' Wain replied as he shrugged, ''Do what needs to be done. Looking for a second time for Nicole''s weapon...I don''t have that much energy, it''s just too tiring.''


    The Abyss Artist smirked as Wain''s body quickly became covered in dense ck energy, like ink. His appearance changed as now Abyss Artist had full control of his body, Wain receded into the background almost bing a ghost in his own mind.


    Damn... I never thought about it, but am I not the Nameless King himself now? What do you think of that? Abyss Artist asked with a sly smirk.


    ''Shut up. You can just inhabit my body, you''ll never get my powers.'' Wain frowned.


    Abyss Artist smirked, ''Yeah, I know. Do you really have to react like that to every joke I make? You have your powers and I have mine.''


    Step. Step. Step.


    The Abyss Artist with a calm look headed toward a scythe, from which a huge amount of energy was stilling out. The Dragon Head looked at the Abyss Artist with a disdainful look before unleashing a beam of energy on him.


    "Well, well, that looks pretty powerful. Wain''s body is only on the Absolute Stage, so it could hurt me... I can''t have that." Abyss Artist muttered while shaking his head before swinging his arm.


    White energy followed his sleeve, gradually surrounding him like a thick thread. The Dragon Head tried to hurt him, but the energy just couldn''t touch Abyss Artist.


    Abyss Artist smirked before snapping his finger. The white energy around him split into several pieces, an invisible force seemed to be controlling it, then all the pieces went back into the scythe.


    "You seem to have misunderstood why you were created." Abyss Artist calmly said slowly approaching the scythe, "Well, I''ll help you figure it out. You are no longer a dragon, though you were never exactly a dragon. Earlier you were a fang, a dragon weapon, now you are the same weapon only in a different form and with a different owner."


    The Abyss Artist opened his palm, releasing several clots of ink thatpletely covered a scythe.


    "ROOOOAAAAAAARRRRRRR!!!" The Dragon''s head roared furiously trying to break free from its captivity, but Abyss Artist''s grip was literally invincible.


    Gradually, all white energy was hidden beneath the darkness. Abyss Artist with a slight smirk lifted the scythe and headed for Nicole.


    "Hmm...? Who are you? You''re not Wain...?" Nicole muttered in confusion as her aura intensified. Unlike the others, she hadn''t seen all the forms Wain could take.


    "Oh, didn''t Wain tell you about me? I''m one of his very close friends, though I don''t think you''ll care after what I''m about to do. You''re definitely not going to like me." Abyss Artist smirked as he abruptly grabbed Nicole''s arm.


    "What are you doing? Let go of me!" Nicole shouted with a deadly frown as she yanked her hand back, but nothing happened, Abyss Artist''s grip was still firmly on her arm.


    "You''d better not resist. You may be very strong for a Demigod Stage, but with Wain''s strength, I could easily break your arm, so just let me do it quickly." Abyss Artist calmly said before cing the scythe in Nicole''s hand. He squeezed her fist so that he would hold the scythe tightly and not drop it, under any circumstances.


    The Abyss Artist loosened his grip for a moment as Nicole was finally able to break free of her captivity. She was about to attack the Abyss Artist as her aura intensified, but suddenly she saw a dark sh before her.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Crackling.


    Nicole''s eyes went wide as she lowered her gaze to see the Abyss Artist''s palm that was fully plunged into her chest.


    "What...? When did you manage to...?" Nicole muttered in disbelief as trickles of blood flowed from the corners of her mouth.


    "I can be pretty quick, can''t I?" Abyss Artist smirked with narrowed eyes, "Don''t worry, a wound like that will heal you quickly, but something worse is about to happen."


    Nicole didn''t understand what Abyss Artist was talking about, but she sensed on instinct that she shouldn''t expect anything good from him.


    Abyss Artist kept his promise as, in a few seconds, he pulled his bloody hand from Nicole''s chest. In her palm was a small wisp of ck energy that was shaped very much like a soul.


    ''Is it... Is it Nicole''s soul...? Ceozi inwardly muttered with a dazed expression as a chill ran down her back.


    "Oh...? ck? What a rare color, probably because you were born of Wain''s energy in his Void... That''s the only exnation for such an unusual color." Abyss Artist muttered with a curious look.


    "Give it back... It''s mine..." Nicole muttered, holding out her hand.


    Abyss Artist sighed, "Don''t worry, I only took a small piece. It''s about one-hundredth of your soul, and when it''s over I''ll put it back where it belongs."


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    The Abyss Artist channeled Nicole''s soul into a scythe, then he touched her forehead with the tip of his finger. Nicole tried to resist, but after a moment her gaze went nk and she fell to the ground.


    "Well, since I''ve done this kind of work, I should see the results." Abyss Artist muttered as he turned to Ceozi, "Follow us while our minds are busy. It won''t take long, just a few minutes."


    Tap.


    Abyss Artist dropped to the ground, next to Nicole, whose face was slowlying back to normal while the scythe asionally trembled.


    "What the hell is going on here...?" Ceozi muttered, slowly rising to her feet, "Fuck, when Wain shows up, you can''t expect anything good, he''s a real disaster... Well, I hope he knows what he''s doing... To rip a piece of her soul out like that, it''s terrible."


    Ceozi stared at them for a while before she sighed and walked over to them, sitting down on a t rock.

 Chapter 925 Creating The Mind

    "Didn''t you have any other way to do it?" Wain asked looking at the Abyss Artist.


    "Nah..." Abyss Artist shook his head, "It was the most efficient way. I had to get the dragon fang to admit that it was Nicole''s weapon, but it couldn''t be done forcibly, so I chose another way."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly two bright shes appeared in the thick darkness. One was a scythe above which a Dragon Head hovered, the other was Nicole. She waspletely baffled not knowing where she was. Nicole looked around, and though she looked directly at the Abyss Artist several times, she didn''t see him.


    "Hmm? She can''t see us?" Wain muttered with a curious expression.


    "Yeah. We''re not really needed here. This girl can handle herself, I just wanted to see what happens next." Abyss Artist smirked, "You know, she''s lucky, she''s getting not just a weapon right now, but a weapon with her own consciousness as well. That scythe is actually a masterpiece, that cksmith girl did a decent job."


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    The Dragon Head roared furiously before she threw on Nicole. She was at a loss, but when the fight began, Nicole concentrated all her attention on her opponent.


    The massive teeth of the Dragon Head snapped together, but they couldn''t reach Nicole since she jumped aside at thest moment.


    "I don''t know what''s going on here, but it''s a good thing the two of us are here. You''re my weapon, whether you like it or not. If you want me to show you that I''m strong enough, fine! I''ll do it right now!" Nicole eximed as she rushed forward.


    They confronted each other for some time as for the first time Nicole received several wounds. The Dragon Head was moving fast, Nicole just didn''t have time to react to everything, and the Dragon used energy flows to attack Nicole as if with multiple whips.


    Time inside Nicole''s mind wentpletely different than in the real world, though things were even slower now than before since the Abyss Artist had connected multiple minds in one ce.


    "I see... You put a piece of Nicole''s soul inside the scythe, so you want that scythe to have a consciousness of its own." Wain muttered with a thoughtful look, rubbing his chin.


    "Exactly. What Nicole is fighting now is just a residual aura from that dragon. It doesn''t even have a clear shape, only the head since that''s where that fang has been for hundreds of years. A piece of her soul is just the catalyst that will help them find each other faster." Abyss Artist nodded as a sly smile appeared on his face.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Dragon Head and Nicole continued to fight. Gradually Nicole began to get used to Dragon Head''s attacks as she became faster and stronger. The Dragon Head tried to close her teeth around her, but Nicole just jumped up and punched the Dragon Head with all her might.


    The Dragon Head shattered into streams of energy, but quickly came together and attacked Nicole again, a momentter Nicole struck even harder.


    "Roooooaaaaaaaarrrrrr!!!" Dragon Head was furious. It was trying to get at Nicole somehow, but she already knew all its moves ahead of time. Every time they shed, Nicole came out victorious.


    "Stop growling! I don''t need a wild animal! I''m a lot like you myself!" Nicole eximed once again, destroying the Dragon Head with her fist, "Come on! Be my weapon! No more being part of a dragon that died decades ago! You are mine now!''<novelnext></novelnext>


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    A torrent of darkness erupted from Nicole, raining down on the Dragon Head. It tried to dodge, but the darknesspletely absorbed the white energy, tearing the Dragon Head apart.


    "What''s going on...?" Nicole muttered in confusion since everything suddenly stopped.


    Previously, every time Nicole destroyed the Dragon Head, everything returned to normal after a few seconds, however, now there was nothing on the scythe. Nicole won? Well, she herself didn''t think so at all.


    "No! Hey! Come back! I didn''t mean to hurt you!" Nicole waved her arms with a confused look as goosebumps ran down her body, "I can''t lose you!"


    It was her first weapon, and though the scythe did not yet recognize Nicole as her master, Nicole already considered the scythe her own. She fought to subdue the weapon and rid it of the dragon''s evil aura, but she didn''t want to destroy itpletely.


    "No... Did I really screw up that badly... I don''t believe it..." Nicole muttered with wide eyes as she dropped to her knees.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly the scythe trembled as a powerful flow of white energy burst out of it. Along with the white energy came many ck threads. They were much smaller, but the energy in them was denser, almost as dense as Nicole''s own.


    Gradually the two energies turned into a massive white sphere with another, smaller and ck one inside.


    "What is that...?" Nicole muttered with a dazed look, then she flinched as someone touched her shoulder. She turned around and saw Abyss Artist with Wain there.


    "What...? Have you been here the whole time?" Nicole''s eyes went wide.


    Abyss Artist nodded slightly, "Sure. We''ve been watching your fight closely. It''s been quite interesting, you''re a capable girl, but now is the most important moment." Abyss Artist looked at the orb.


    "Do you know what it is?" Nicole muttered unable to turn away from the bright white star-like orb.


    "Hmm? Don''t you understand? I thought you should have seen more than just a blob of energy in that sphere right away." Abyss Artist wondered, "Well, you''ll understand now, just look carefully."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    After a while, the ck sphere inside began to beat slowly, like a real heart. Gradually it got faster and faster as if something or someone wanted to get out.


    "Pretty soon you will get your weapon and it will be immediately with consciousness. This is my gift to you." The Abyss Artist smirked.

 Chapter 926 The Birth Of The Mind

    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ck orb continued to beat, gradually elerating and increasing in size. Nicole watched it intently, afraid to miss even a single moment, for her this was perhaps the most important event of her life.


    ''Will I get a weapon with a mind too, just like Frigus and Wain? Damn... I couldn''t even dream of that, but now it looks like it will be a reality...'' Nicole muttered inwardly as she got goosebumps.


    After a while, the sphere stopped beating as a small white crack appeared on it. Then, from inside there was a muffled sound as if from the thumps while the cracks grewrger andrger as if on the shell of an egg.


    "Oh, it looks like you''re getting impatient. I''m no expert, but it seems to me that it''s trying to get out of the orb much sooner than it should have originally." Abyss Artist grinned as he turned to Wain, "What do you think?"


    Wain nodded, "Yeah... It literally destroys the orb, though after a while the orb would just disappears. Well, that''s pretty curious."


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Suddenly a piece of the orb flew off to the side as a hand, part of which was covered by a long white sleeve, appeared from within.


    ''I wonder who it will be? The Girl or the Guy...? What does my weapon''s mind look like?'' Nicole said to herself with a curious expression.


    Gradually out came a silhouette whose appearance was obscured by the vast white sphere. When there was practically nothing left of the ck sphere, it disintegrated into small particles and the silhouette stepped forward, emerging from the outer sphere.


    "Well, well, I don''t know if this is how you imagined it, but this is your weapon." Abyss Artist muttered looking at the silhouette walking in their direction.


    It was a tall young man with short hair, one part of which was white, the other ck. His eyes were gray and deep and his gaze was sharp as the de of a dagger.


    He wore a long white coat with many ck straps on both his belt and his arms, hanging down like dozens of snakes. On his hands were dark gloves with white bones from which emanated a powerful aura.


    Nicole stared at the young man with wide eyes for a while, then she nodded slightly and ran straight at him. The young man''s eyes were cold, but when he realized what Nicole was about to do, he flinched and tried to step aside, but it was toote.


    Crackling.


    Nicole jumped on top of him, knocking him off his feet. She hugged him tightly with a wide smile on her face and shining eyes as if she had received the most wee gift of her life.


    "Hey! Leave me alone! I don''t like this at all!" The young man tried to break free of Nicole''s grip, pushing her aside, but she didn''t seem to budge even if she died.


    "No! I won''t let you go! I was so scared when you disappeared! I thought you had decided to run away from me!" Nicole eximed.


    The young man didn''t give up trying to get rid of Nicole, but after a while he gave up since Nicole seemed to have endless energy.


    "Maybe that''s enough already? I have to give you something very important..." The young man muttered as he turned away to the side.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?" Nicole asked in confusion as her grip loosened.


    The young man was finally able to step away from Nicole. He shook Nicole''s ck hair off his shoulders and held out his hand, "If it wasn''t for that, it would have taken me a lot longer to gain consciousness. That''s why I was trying to get out so fast, I wanted to get it back to you as soon as possible."


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    A ck blob of energy appeared in his palm, Nicole knew immediately what it was.


    "It''s part of my soul... right, that sly bastard ripped it right out of me!" Nicole frowned as she turned to the Abyss Artist.


    "You shouldn''t be mad at me. If I hadn''t, it would have taken you weeks if not months to first deal with the dragon energy in your weapon and then awaken your consciousness in it." Abyss Artist grinned slowly waving his hand, "My methods may be rather crude, but they are just as effective."


    Nicole grimaced, puffing her cheeks, but didn''t say anything. She hated to admit it, but she knew Abyss Artist was right.


    "Hey, Nicole, you should pick it up as soon as possible." The young man said calmly, pointing at the clot of darkness.


    "Ughum!" Nicole nodded vigorously before returning a piece of her soul to its ce. She felt a powerful rush of strength as her eyes shone brightly for a moment.


    It took her some time toe to her senses and she sighed in relief.


    "Agh... Damn, I haven''t felt this good in a long time. Today is the best day of my life!" Nicole eximed joyfully as she jumped up.


    The young man remained silent, he just smiled weakly, sharing with Nicole her boundless joy.


    "By the way... You have a mind now, so there must be a name, right? Have you chosen one yet? If not, I can do it for you!" Nicole asked with glowing eyes.


    The young man shook his head, "Well, I''ll trust you, but I''ve already chosen a name. Call me Erder."


    Nicole was silent as she lowered her head, as she really wanted to name her weapon, but she quickly came to her senses as she realized that it was his full right to choose a name for himself.


    "Fine, Erder, I''m d you became my weapon! I hope you and I can fight together soon!" Nicole said confidently with an excited expression.


    "I too." Erder nodded calmly.


    Tap.


    Wain''s hand fell on Nicole''s shoulder, "Speaking of battles. Don''t you think it''s time for us to leave? Nicole, you got your weapon, so it''s time to put your powers to the test, isn''t it? The dragons should being soon enough."

 Chapter 927 Dragons

    "Dragons...? That''s right, I''dpletely forgotten about them." Nicole muttered in a confusion, "I''m ready. Now I can fight them for sure!"


    Wain smiled, "Well, you may be right, but I wouldn''t be so cocky if I were you. If a Dragon turns out to be stronger than you like that Emerald Golem, you won''t be able to defeat it just by increasing the amount of energy you use."


    "Why...?" Nicole tilted her head.


    "Hahaha, that girl can actually be pretty damn stupid sometimes." Abyss Artist chuckled mockingly which made Nicole frown, "Look, there are no Dragons on the God Stage that have less energy than you, it''s just against all the rules."


    "Then how do I beat them?" Nicole asked as she raised an eyebrow.


    Wain shook his head, "Damn, I sometimes feel like we''re from different worlds. Energy isn''t the only source of your power. Use everything you''ve got, especially your new partner." Wain pointed at Erder.


    Eder nodded slightly, "I agree. Nicole, don''t forget that even though you are on the Demigod Stage, my energy is on the God Stage. In any other situation, I''d have to downgrade so you could use me, but you''re good enough at absorbing energy, so there''s no point in me doing that."


    Nicole nodded.


    "Fine, in that case, let''s get out of here. Even though it hasn''t been long enough in the real world, I think even that was enough to make Ceozi tired of waiting for us." Wain said as Abyss Artist snapped his fingers.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Space shattered into tiny shards and everyone returned to their own minds. Wain and Abyss Artist went in one direction while Nicole and Erder went in the other.


    "Damn... He got the job done, but he always does it so entrically... I''m sure there was another way..." Wain muttered, slowly standing up and holding his head like he had a hangover. Moving into other minds for long periods of time was always problematic.


    "Ogh... Are you awake?" Ceozi said looking at Wain and the waking Nicole, "Did you make it?"


    "Hah, wasn''t it clear from myints?" Wain smirked, "Yeah, now Nicole has her weapon, but not just that. Her weapon has a mind at once, she''s really lucky."


    "A weapon has a mind...?" Ceozi muttered with wide eyes, "Wain... By the way, I wanted to ask you. Is it possible to create a weapon that would immediately have a mind?"


    Wain shook his head, "It''s unlikely you could create something like that. Maybe if you''re working with a material that already has the remnants of some creature''s mind in it, you have a chance, but it''s just impossible to create a new mind with a hammer and anvil."


    Ceozi remained silent before nodding meaningfully. She hoped she could learn how to create such a weapon, it would be a miracle, but the reality was not as simple as she would have liked.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Nicole, stop sleeping, the Dragons areing here soon." Wain said as he tugged on her shoulder.


    "Yeah... I know... I just feel kind of weird." Nicole whispered, clutching the scythe tightly in her hand. It looked like before, but now it wasn''t trying to resist, Erder''s energy waspletely in sync with Nicole''s one.


    "Don''t worry. You''ll feel much better soon. Come on, let''s go wait for the Dragons. They won''te here in the best of spirits, so we have to make it worse." Wain smirked, patted Nicole on the head, and headed for the exit.


    Ceozi approached them and with a serious look asked, "Do you need my help? I may be a cksmith, but I can fight, even if it''s Dragons."


    "Nah, don''t bother. We came here and ripped the fang out of the Dragon''s skull, so we have to deal with the consequences. You can enjoy the show, it''s not every day you get a chance to see a human along with a monster fight against Dragons." Wain shrugged as he left the forge.


    Nicole nced at Ceozi and hurriedly followed Wain. She was a little worried about how her fight against the Dragons would go since she had never fought against such strong opponents before, but even more, she wanted to test her new strength.


    ''To see how Nameless King fights against the Dragons...? Ceozi said to herself, feeling the fire inside her light up, ''Hah, there''s no way I could miss such a sight, is there?


    Ceozi put out the bright red mes of the forge and followed them. Her main passion was cksmithing, but like everyone else, she wanted to get stronger. If she saw those far superior to her fight, she could learn a lot.


    ...


    Normally everything in Dragon Ridge was covered in mist, but now the area in front of the mountain that held the dragon skull waspletely empty as if someone had cleared it on purpose. The fog held a few hundred meters away from where Wain and Nicole were.


    Nicole was looking intently around, trying to notice every detail, while Wain with an indifferent face stared at one point. The uing battle with the Dragons did not interest him at all since he was doing it more for Nicole so that she could discover her new strength and be even stronger.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The magic circle, set up by the Blind Sorcerer, began to tremble, cracking as it cracked and the bright white light grew dimmer. On the other side came the muffled sounds of blows, as if someone was trying to break through such a sturdy defense.


    ''Damn, it looks like they resented us more than you thought. They''re trying to destroy my magic circle as fast as they can...'' Blind Sorcerer muttered, but there was no concern in his voice, he was just curious about what would happen next.


    "Well, I''m afraid they don''t even know what''s waiting for them here." Wain muttered looking at the three figures whose silhouettes he could see even through the bright light from the magic circle.

 Chapter 928 Opinion

    Dragons to all creatures in the world were something majestic, something that was on the top that others could not climb. However, for those who were on the Demigod Stage or higher, things became a little different, as now the Dragons had changed from being true gods to being merely worthy opponents.


    The Dragons in turn refused to ept this reality since they believed that even among the Fifth Chronicle they had no equal, but it was not umon for Dragons to lose to someone from the Pirs or even simple monsters who could reach the Demigod Stage.


    "Wain... It''s them, right?" Nicole asked with a worried expression, gripping the hilt of her weapon tightly.


    "Yeah." Wain nodded, "Those three that are trying to break through the barrier now are the Dragons. Don''t worry, they may think they''re the strongest, but they''re not. There are no Elders among them, so it will be easy."


    Wain waspletely rxed as his aura was at zero, as if he was not even going to fight, however, Nicole could not be as calm as him.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The magical circle shuddered violently as the next blowpletely destroyed it, allowing the Dragons to advance.


    In three shes they instantly headed toward Wain and Nicole, but as soon as they saw Wain''s cold gaze, they stopped and flew aside. It only took them a few seconds to realize who their adversary was.


    "What are you doing here?" The dragon with the massive ck wings asked with a dazed expression. Beside him stood a girl with red wings and a muscr man with white scales and armored wings.


    "Are you really asking me?" Wain muttered pointing to himself as if he had absolutely no idea what ckwing was talking about.


    ckwing frowned as his aura increased several times, making the ground beneath him crack, but he managed to restrain himself from attacking Wain in a rage.


    The dragon took a deep breath and said as calmly as he could in that situation, "Wain Norheim, no, Nameless King, why did youe here and take the fang of our long-dead fellow? You surely know that this is a great insult to us Dragons, do you not?"


    Wain remained silent until he tilted his head and pointed at Nicole, "I did it so she would get her first weapon. Is that really any problem for you?"


    "Hey! Have you be an idiot since you got your memories back?" The red-winged Dragon Girl eximed in a disgruntled voice, "Of course, it''s a problem! It''s bloody humiliating!"


    Redwing''s hands were covered in red mes as she was about to attack, but ckwing stopped her with a wave of his hand.


    "Wain Norheim, given who you are, we are prepared to resolve this conflict without a fight. All we need is a simple apology. You knew it was forbidden to do so. Even if you are the Nameless King, you are much weaker now than you were 500 years ago. Out of respect for your status, all we need from you is a few words." ckwing calmly said before pointing at Nicole, "Of course, she will have to give that scythe to us. We have to put the fang back where it belongs."


    Nicole wanted to shout out immediately that she disagreed, but the looks from the dragons immediately stopped her. The dragons were making it clear to her that Wain was deciding everything now, nothing depended on her here.


    "Apologize? You want me to apologize?" Wain said looking at ckwing, "I think you should do it."<novelnext></novelnext>


    The dragons werepletely baffled, so for a moment they were even stunned by such impertinent words.


    "What the hell are you talking about?" ckwing asked with wide eyes.


    "Last time I was in your world, one of the dragons attacked me." Wain said seriously as his aura intensified, "I don''t like to remember the past, but then I actually almost died. I''m lucky I have allies and I still don''t know what the fuck you were doing 500 years ago."


    "Nameless King..." Whitewing muttered, "You must realize that you are a threat to this world, on the same level as the Second Ruler of the Arkan World. You''re lucky we couldn''t decide which side to take then, otherwise, you might have been dead for real by now."


    "I agree! Enough of this nonsense!" Redwing eximed as she waved her hand, "Either apologize or we''ll destroy you right here and now. This world doesn''t really need you, if the Second Ruler of the Arkan World wants to take over the world again, our Progenitor will deal with it easily."


    ckwing was silent, waiting for Wain''s answer, who had not changed his face at all, no visible emotion at all.


    "Well, I can''t say I''m upset to hear an answer like that. Now I know for sure there''s no point in waiting for help from you, though 500 years ago I had hope that you''d take my side and together we''d sort out the Arkans once and for all." Wain sighed while shaking his head before making a move.


    Crackle.


    Huge cracks went along the ground as stone bs rose upward due to the tremendous pressure as if Wain''s step weighed hundreds of tons.


    At the same moment, Wain unleashed his entire aura, which was directed at the Dragons in a ck stream, forcing them to step back so they wouldn''t lose their bnce.


    "You bunch of idiots took the time toe here and break the barrier to find out who broke the fang off the corpse of a long-dead dragon, but you didn''t have time to decide who to help during the most important war of this world?!" Wain spoke furiously as he pointed his hand forward.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space trembled as a huge jaw appeared over the mountains through which the Dragon''s spine passed.


    "No!!!" ckwing eximed fearfully, realizing what Wain was up to.


    "In that case, there''s no point in me wasting my time with you. You are too stupid to understand which path to take." Wain said coldly before clenching his hand into a fist.


    The jaw clenched, engulfing the mountain along with the Dragon''s skeleton. All that was left in the ce of the attack was a void, not a single bone able to survive.

 Chapter 929 Conflict

    "What have you done?!" ckwing angrily eximed, unleashing a ck lightning bolt at Wain.


    Wain raised his head, looked at the lightning bolt, and waved his hand. Several jaws appeared next to the lightning and in a heartbeat tore it apart, leaving behind only a few electric shocks.


    "I did what I wanted. I don''t have to answer you. The only credit to the Dragons is your attack on me in your world, though... there are good men among you, but it certainly doesn''t concern you." Wain muttered memories of Kadridas, without whose help he might not have been able to reach his current point.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Massive streams of energy burst out of Redwing and Whitewing, quickly taking the form of pirs that reached the heavens. The amount of their energy was terrifying even for Lands of the Gods since meeting a Dragon who was furious was the worst nightmare for anyone.


    "Nicole, this will be your first fight against the Dragons. I will take on two, you will be left with only one. Which one do you want to fight?" Wain asked pointing at the dragons with a calm look.


    Before that Nicole had been tense since the Dragons'' auras had put considerable pressure on her, but as soon as things turned to battle she felt immediately better. It was a circumstance in which she could only fight and she loved it, as the wide grin on her face said.


    "This one." Nicole pointed her hand at Redwing, who summoned powerful streams of red me around her.


    "Oh, girl against girl, right? I''d watch that, but I''d have to deal with these two first." Wain looked at Whitewing and ckwing, who were already ready to attack.


    "Wain Norheim... You''re too confident in yourself..." ckwing said with an angry grimace, "I didn''t want to fight you, but you just left us no choice!"


    Step. Step. Step.


    Wain slowly stepped forward making the ground shake as powerful streams of darkness came out with each step he took.


    "Oh... Do you really think you have any chance against me? You Dragons are too self-righteous for someone who naturally gets an abnormal amount of energy." Wain said calmly, but ckwing could easily sense the contempt in his voice.


    "You''re too arrogant..." Whitewing spoke in a deep voice, "You may be a Nameless King, but right now you''re just a human on the Absolute Stage who decided to challenge the Dragons."


    Whoooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, Whitewing lunged forward. Even though he seemedrge and heavy, he moved unnaturally fast, reaching Wain instantly and bringing his massive fist down on him.


    Wain seemed to notice nothing as his gaze did not even move, but suddenly Whitewing''s fist was stopped by Wain''s palm and a shockwave formed behind him. The impulse destroyed rocks and left many cracks in the ground, but Wain himself was not hurt in any way.


    "Not bad. You used so much energy for this attack that a monster on the Demigod Stage would have died by now, but do you really think that''s enough for me? You can''t even scratch me with an attack like that." Wain squeezed Whitewing''s hand tighter as a bone crunch was heard before he stepped forward.


    Cracking.


    Wain''s fist, like a ck sh, stabbed into Whitewing''s stomach, causing the scales of that one to curl inward.


    "ARGH!!!" Whitewing vomited a mouthful of blood while waves of pain went through his entire body, then the impact threw him back hundreds of feet.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Whitewing opened his broad wings to slow down somehow, but it didn''t help him much as he punched through several rocks with his back before stopping.


    "What the hell...? How is that possible? Why are you so strong?!" ckwing''s eyes went wide as a chill ran down his back.


    "Hmm? Am I strong? Compared to how powerful I was 500 years ago, that''s not even 10%. I advise you to use your Forms right away unless you want this fight to be over in a few seconds." Wain said indifferently with a wave of his hand.


    Wain looked at ckwing and asked, "Before we start. I want to know if you are affiliated with Kadridas?"


    "Kadridas...? Why did you decide to talk about him...?" ckwing frowned with a hard stare, "He''s from a different area and reports to a different Elder, so we see each other quite rarely."


    "Agh? Kadridas? This guy who pisses me off?" Redwing snorted with an angry grimace, "He''s sick of telling everyone how incredible the humans are! He''s a Dragon! He shouldn''t like any race that much!"


    ckwing wanted to stop her, but it was toote, Redwing had said enough for Wain to understand their position.


    "I see... So if I kill you I won''t feel bad for Kadridas. I don''t mean to upset him, but it''s clear to me now." Wain said calmly before rushing forward, instantly finding himself in front of ckwing.


    ''Shit!'' ckwing inwardly eximed putting his guard out in front of him.


    "Slowly." Wain uttered, grabbing ckwing''s head, "You''re lucky you''re so tough, otherwise I''d crack your head like a nut."


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Wain threw the ckwing upward and directed arge amount of darkness into his right hand. As the ckwing slowed, the darkness turned into a massive spear with a jaw-shaped tip as Wainunched it at the ckwing.


    The spear was like ck lightning reaching ckwing in an instant, causing a devastating explosion of dark energy. A massive cloud covered part of the sky until ckwing flew out of there, heading straight for the ground.


    There werecerations on his body as if from the teeth of a wild beast and several ck feathers fell from his wings followed him.


    "No way... Has he lost already...?" Redwing muttered in disbelief as a shiver ran through her body.


    "No. If I were at the peak of my powers, he''d be dead by now, but that''s not enough now." Wain shook his head with crossed arms, "If I were you, I wouldn''t distract from my fight."


    "Hmm?" Redwing was puzzled.


    Whooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, Nicole rushed forward in a dark sh, engaging in her first battle against the Dragon.

 Chapter 930 The Bone

    Whooooooooosh.


    Nicole appeared right in front of Redwing, swinging her scythe from bottom to top. Redwing''s eyes went wide as she jumped back, dodging the attack at thest moment.


    ''Damn! That was quick!'' Redwing eximed inwardly, ''She may be on the same Stage as me, but she''s a regr monster! Plus, she''s fighting with this scythe made from the fang of one of us!''


    Redwing as well as the others were on the Demigod Stage, they were not the strongest Dragons since they were very far to the level of the Elders, but that was only inparison to other Dragons. Monsters and even Pirs were usually weaker than some Dragon.


    ''Agh... I knew this was a bad idea! We should have left here as soon as we saw Nameless King!'' Redwingined to herself, ''Although... He''s only on the Absolute Stage. If we beat him, we''ll be rewarded by the Progenitor himself!


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Redwing''s aura intensified as spheres of red me appeared around her. They swirled violently around her beforeunching themselves at Nicole.


    Nicole jumped away from one of the spheres as a deafening explosion erupted behind her. She turned around and her eyes went wide as instead of a rock there was now a puddle of magma slowly flowing sideways. Nicole was ten feet away from it, but she could still feel the terrible heat.


    ''No way... If one of those spheres hits me, I''m finished!'' Nicole was shocked as she got goosebumps. She loved to fight, but the fear of death was frightening to her as it was to everyone else.


    ''Hey, you don''t have to worry so much. I can handle it easily.'' Erder said calmly directing energy pulses toward Nicole to calm her down.


    ''Are you serious? Won''t those spheres melt you down?'' Nicole asked anxiously.


    ''Nah, I''m on the God Stage, so this fire can only heat me up. Anyway, stop being afraid and act normal, with me you can cut her apart.'' Erder smirked, then he got serious, ''We''re out of time.''


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Several fire spheres headed towards Nicole, but this time she didn''t dodge as she swung with a scythe, passing through the spheres with her de.


    The spheres were ready to explode, but there was too little energy left in them after they separated, so they just disintegrated into small particles.


    ? "What...? What''s wrong with your weapon?" Redwing muttered in disbelief, she realized toote that Erder didn''t need to contain her energy to avoid hurting Nicole.


    ''Argh! This wench is annoying me more and more! Damn! I should have realized that if she''s here with Nameless King, she''s an unusual monster!'' Redwing grimaced before touching her chest, ''Well, maybe I should actually use everything I have from the beginning.''


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Her body was covered in the bright fire as her aura gradually increased.


    ''What...? She''s using her Form? I must stop her!" Nicole eximed as she lunged forward.


    Snap.


    Wain snapped his finger as hands of darkness appeared from beneath the ground that grabbed Nicole by the legs, preventing her from moving forward.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Are you stupid? You might be tougher than most monsters, but if you go near her now you''ll just burn to the ground." Wain said seriously, staring at Nicole with severity.


    Nicole flinched, nodded, and stepped back. She wanted to win too badly, sopletely forgot about the basics.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    After a few seconds, ck and white shes appeared in the distance, and ckwing and Whitewing decided to use their Forms, too.


    ''Wain, what will you do?'' dius asked, wanting to join the fight.


    ''Nothing much. Apparently, these three have a negative attitude towards the humans, so I''ll just finish them off and give Nicole the opportunity to engage in mortalbat.'' Wain calmly replied with a slight nod.


    ''Are you sure? You haven''t regained your powers yet, if any of the Elders attack you, you might not make it. You may be a Nameless King, but you''re on the Absolute Stage now.'' dius was concerned.


    ''Don''t worry. If the Elder to whom these three are subordinate wants revenge on me, he won''t seed anyway. The Progenitor, this old man, will not allow the Elder to take such a risk.'' Wain shrugged with indifference, ''This time I will fight without you. I want to feel how strong my fists are on Dragons, their bodies really are strong.''


    dius nodded silently. He preferred to proceed more cautiously, but he didn''t stop Wain.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Secondster, the Dragons finished activating their Forms andunched an attack. Redwing pounced on Nicole, unleashing a hail of a dozen fiery projectiles on her, while white and ck shed toward Wain.


    Even though they had massive wings behind their backs, they ran on the ground, as each of their steps was so powerful that it gave them tremendous speed.


    Crackle.


    The next moment, two fists headed toward Wain, covered in streams of energy. Wain ducked slightly, causing the fists to fly right over his head, then his hands became a blur.


    "Argh!!!" Whitewing and ckwing''s faces, contorted in pain as Wain''s fists mmed into their bellies, throwing them back several feet.


    "Oh, it looks like you''ve actually gotten a little stronger, doesn''t it? Last time you flew as far as that mountain." Wain looked at Whitewing with an arrogant look.


    "Shut up. That''s not all we can do. We have decided that we will not kill you, instead, we will capture you and bring you to our Progenitor! He will decide what to do with you!" ckwing snorted with a frown.


    "It''s your own fault! All you had to do was apologize! Your time has passed! It was too long ago! You can''t do whatever you want anymore!" ckwing eximed.


    Wain remained silent until he shrugged, "Well, you can n whatever you want, however, that doesn''t mean it will happen at all."


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Wain stepped forward, momentarily facing them with a deadly cold stare, his palms like spears pointing at their necks.

 Chapter 931 Defeat

    Wain had not yet regained his powers, and so far he saw little need to do so. He had made a huge leap in his strength since the return of his memories, so he preferred to get used to his current level first before moving on.


    ''No! He''s too fast!'' Whitewing inwardly eximed with wide eyes looking at Wain''s palm that was approaching his neck.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    ckwing and Whitewing appeared as in the next moment, ckwing and Whitewing were several meters away from Wain''s attack.


    "Well, you''re pretty fast, I have to admit that, but what about your strength? Constantly running away won''t help you beat me." Wain turned to ckwing with indifference in his gaze.


    "Yeah, I may not be able to beat you in a direct confrontation, but unlike you, I''m not fighting alone!" ckwing eximed before turning into a dark sh, as well as Whitewing.


    ckwing was somewhat faster as he began to unleash a hail of blows on Wain, but Wain blocked each of them with ease.


    Crack. Crack. Crack.


    Wain stood still, reflecting ckwing''s attacks with the back of his palm with a calm look. ckwing moved as fast as he did, but Wain just saw his opponent''s every move.


    ''Shit! How is that possible?! Even if God Stage Axalt was fighting against me, it would be hard for him to keep up with me, but him! He won''t even let me scratch him!'' ckwing internally eximed in disbelief.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Suddenly, Whitewing appeared next to Wain. His fists were covered with a denseyer of white energy and came down on Wain with great power, like two massive hammers.


    ''Hmm, that''s quite a dangerous attack... I didn''t think I''d have to dodge against a Demigod Stage opponent. Dragons are actually stronger than the others, though... they''re not as survivable as Vampires, that''s for sure.'' Wain said to himself, blocking ckwing''s lunges before taking a step to his right, straight toward Whitewing.


    "What...?" Whitewing''s eyes went wide when Wain found himself in front of him, evading his attack.


    Crackling.


    At the same moment, Wain''s fist came down on Whitewing''s jaw with great power, knocking him upward. Whitewing''s eyes went nk for a moment, but he recovered quickly, ready to try again.


    "Too slow. You''re strong and he''s fast, but you''re worse than me in both of those parameters." Wain muttered as he appeared behind Whitewing like the ghost of death and gripped his armored wings tightly.


    ckwing flinched at the realization of what Wain was about to do and rushed to help his mate, but nothing could stop Wain anymore.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The protective tes on the wings crumpled under the pressure of Wain''s grip as he pointed his arms in different directions.


    "ARGHHHHH!!!" Whitewing roared in pain with the cracking sound of the wings tearing away from his body.


    "You won''t need them anymore." Wain said coldly before finally pulling the wings from the Dragon''s back.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Whitewing was an experienced fighter who had lived for hundreds of years and had been through many battles but never before had he experienced such piercing and terrible pain, the agony burning him like a me.


    Bam.


    Whitewing fell to the ground right in front of ckwing. He was alive, which was clear from his heavy breathing, but hardly a dragon without wings could be considered a dragon.


    "No... How dare you do such a thing!" ckwing eximed furiously as ck streams of energy came out of him.


    "Hmm? What were you counting on? When you came here and saw who your adversary was, you should have apologized and left here. It was your only chance for survival, now none of you will leave here alive." Wain said calmly, stepping slowly forward. Darkness was gathering around him as his staunch ally.


    ckwing didn''t know what he had to do. He had lived a long time, longer than many creatures, but until now he had never found himself so close to death.


    ''I''ve made a mistake... Am I really going to die now...?'' ckwing inwardly said looking at the approaching Wain, ''I was too presumptuous, thinking we could handle him... Even though he''s on the Absolute Stage, he''s still a Nameless King.''


    Whoooooooooosh.


    A shadow appeared in front of ckwing with an icy stare.


    ''Goodbye. That was a pretty easy fight, I expected a little more from the Dragons." Wain stepped forward, plunging his palm into ckwing''s chest.


    "Argh!" A stream of blood gushed from ckwing''s mouth as his eyes went wide. He felt Wain''s hand clench around his heart and all he could do was stare at his assassin.


    "The greatest enemy of Dragons is your pride, isn''t it? Your Progenitor knows this better than anyone, for he is the living embodiment of pride." Wain stared into ckwing''s frightened eyes before squeezing his hand into his palm.


    Dragon''s heart exploded under powerful pressure, forcing him to let out hisst breath.


    Wain followed him with a nce, turned, and swung his arm, creating a massive spear of darkness in front of him.


    "Now it''s your turn." Wain snapped his fingers, forcing the spear down and piercing Whitewing''s chest as well as his heart.


    Two massive orange souls flew out of the Dragons'' bodies. It was a Legendary Rating, which for most was a true dream, but in Wain''s situation, it was a useless resource.


    ''Agh... It''s even a little frustrating that before these souls could have made me much stronger, but now it''s nothing more than scraps of energy.'' Wain inwardly sighed while shaking his head, ''Although, I know who could use it.''


    Wain waved his hand and at his will, the two souls headed in the same direction, towards the rock Ceozi was sitting on.


    "Hmm? What is he doing?" Ceozi muttered with a dazed expression looking at the souls that were already in front of her.


    Wain stepped forward and like a torrent of wind was next to Ceozi.


    "This is my gift to you. You can absorb them and reach the next Stage, or you can create some kind of weapon out of them. It''s up to you." Wain shrugged, exining.

 Chapter 932 Leaving

    Ceozi watched the fight between Wain and Nicole against the Dragons intently. She knew who Wain really was, but she still didn''t fully realize it, so she expected to see a hard and long fight. In the end, it ended coldly and abruptly.


    "You don''t seem particrly impressed, do you?" Wain asked as she turned to her.


    "No..." Ceozi shook her head, "Those two souls... It''s an incredible gift, I am truly grateful to you."


    "That''s not what I''m talking about. You expected something different from the fight, didn''t you?" Wain crossed his arms over his chest.


    Ceozi was silent for a while before answering with a slight nod, "Yeah... I''ve only seen Dragons a few times before, but from afar. Like most, I''d heard a lot about their incredible power, but you... you just tore them apart."


    Wain took a deep breath, "Don''t be mistaken. If you had fought against them, this one with the ck wings would have killed you in the first second. You just wouldn''t have had time to react." Wain pointed to ckwing, under which a pool of dark blood was spreading.


    Ceozi gulped as a chill ran down her back. Wain''s voice was calm, but that''s what showed how confident he was in his words.


    "Anyway. We''re not done yet, since Nicole is still fighting." Wain uttered as he looked toward the two shes, red and ck.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Redwing tried to burn Nicole,unching many fireballs at her, but Nicole was too fast. She moved on an unusual trajectory constantly changing her pace and even if a few fireballs hit her, Erder destroyed them with ease.


    "Bitch! I swear I''ll burn you to the ground so I''ll never see your cheeky grin again!" Redwing eximed furiously as she raised her hands in the air.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    The red mes headed upward, turning into a massive sphere of fire that was several timesrger than Redwing. She was too focused on her fight, so she didn''t notice that Wain had already killed ckwing and Whitewing otherwise she would have lost the will to fight.


    "Take that!" Redwing shoutedunching the orb directly at Nicole.


    "Hah, do you really think that''s going to stop me?" Nicole smirked as she lunged forward. She had already used her Form, so she was ready to use her favorite trick-as much energy as possible.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Massive streams of darkness headed for the scythe''s de, giving Nicole''s weapon immense power. Nicole wasn''t worried about whether Erder could withstand it, she was simply going to make as strong an attack as she could.


    Crackle.


    A huge de of darkness flew out of the scythe, colliding with a sphere of fire. Waves of shock went out as the ground cracked from the terrible pressure until the de sliced the sphere in two.


    "What...? How is that possible...?" Redwing muttered in disbelief as she watched the two falling parts of the sphere crash to the floor and turn into puddles of magma.


    The dark de was rapidly approaching her, so Redwing was forced toe to her senses and dodge as she pped her wings and flew aside.


    "You won''t get away!" Nicole eximed, appearing right in front of Redwing.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''Shit! She''s too fast!'' Redwing put her arms out in front of her, trying to defend herself.


    "That won''t help you!" Nicole swung with her scythe, cutting off Redwing''s arms. Red drops of blood fell onto Nicole''s mad face as she gripped the hilt of the weapon tighter.


    Redwing wanted to scream in pain, but when she opened her mouth, the scythe de went through her neck, causing her head to fly off to the side.


    Bam.


    Nicolended as well as Redwing''s body and with a wide smile on her face put the scythe on her shoulder.


    "Damn, that was better than I imagined! Fighting Dragons turned out to be a hell of a lot of fun!" Nicole said cheerfully as she watched the amber soul emerge from Redwing''s body.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    A cold stream of wind blew as Wain appeared beside Nicole.


    "You did well. Defeated a real Dragon and still only got a few wounds." Wain praised Nicole as his gaze passed over her from bottom to top. There were a few burns on her body and especially on her arms, but they were not critical wounds.


    "Yeah! I want more!" Nicole nodded vigorously with a broad smile.


    "Hah, I think you''ve had enough for now." Wain shook his head, "Those Dragons weren''t the strongest, well, your weapon is on the God Stage, otherwise you wouldn''t be able to get through the Dragon armor so easily."


    "Are you okay?" Ceozi ran up to them with a worried expression as Nicole''s burns seemed terrible to her.


    "Sure. I''m a little disappointed it ended so quickly, though! I was ready to fight a lot longer!" Nicole said confidently as her aura intensified.


    "Nicole..." Wain spoke as he looked at Redwing''s soul, "What are you going to do about it? How about paying your cksmith for the work?"


    Nicole blinked a few times trying to understand what Wain was talking about until her eyes went wide.


    "Agh... Right. Ceozi, it''s your soul. I hope you can make some incredible weapon out of it, just like you did for me." Nicole nodded, directing the soul to Ceozi.


    Ceozi hadn''t expected such gifts, since getting three Dragon souls was something impossible for her, but now it was a reality.


    "Thank you... I will surely find a worthy use for these souls. You can be sure of that." Ceozi said sincerely.


    "Fine. Nicole, it''s time for us to leave. Just before that, take the Dragons with you, I think Edena and Lui Bu will find a better use for those bodies than being eaten by worms in this perilous ce." Wain said calmly before swinging his hand and opening a spatial rift.


    Nicole quickly did as he said as if it were routine and ran up to him.


    Before entering the spatial rift, Wain turned to Ceozi and said, "Good luck. Keep getting better and maybe your weapons will be in the Second Great War."

 Chapter 933 Waiting

    Among the mistynds, where several of the strongest creatures had just fought, there was only one person left - a demon girl with three massive amber souls hovering in front of her.


    Ceozi stared at them for some time with her eyes wide open as if she still could not believe what had just happened.


    "The Second Great War... right?" Ceozi muttered as she touched one of the souls, "If my weapons will be involved in such an event, doesn''t that mean that I will be the best...?"


    ''Hmm... I''m not likely to be able to make something for Wain... I will never be able to create something as level as dius, that sword is the personal treasure of the Nameless King, but I can make something else for it, right? Ceozi pondered watching the moving energy within the souls, ''Or is there no point in me dwelling on it? I could create a weapon for his allies, couldn''t I?


    While Ceozi was making ns the world was undergoing some changes after what Wain had done. The death of three Dragons, at one time, could not go unnoticed.


    ...


    On a high mountain peak that was even higher than the massive clouds was a snow-white temple among which creatures with broad wings on their backs walked from time to time. Each of them had a powerful aura.


    One Dragon had an aura much stronger than the others, its power surpassing even God Stage.


    "Bastard... Was it really necessary to kill them..." The man with a short white beard, amber eyes, and huge wings muttered, clenching his fists tightly. Across the shimmering pond, he watched Wain fight the Dragons.


    "This is terrible... Nameless King is actually an anomaly of this world..." The woman standing next to him said as she got goosebumps.


    "Yeah... I agree." One of the Dragons nodded as he looked at the man, "Elder, what shall we do? Should we tell the Progenitor about this?"


    The Elder remained silent, rubbing his chin with a thoughtful look, then he shook his head, "No, I think the Progenitor has more important things to do now, after all, these three attacked Nameless King themselves."


    "Are we just going to turn a blind eye to that? He killed three of us! Three of our n!" The woman eximed with a frown as her aura intensified.


    The elder sighed, "I understand your indignation, but what exactly do you want to do? Attack the Nameless King? Do you want to attack him in his own Void? Even if he''s on the Absolute Stage, he''ll destroy us!"


    Crackle.


    Elder hit the stone table as the tform shook and the clouds around the mountain moved a few meters away.


    "Don''t let your emotions control you!" The Elder said sternly, "If it had been my will, I would have dealt with Nameless King 500 years ago, but other ns don''t have as adamant a stance as we do!"


    The woman was silent, pissing off her Elder was thest thing she wanted. She bowed low, with folded arms, and muttered, "I''m sorry, I just thought we should do something... He didn''t just kill them... he did it in the most horrible way..."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Dragons considered themselves sacred beings, which most epted, and their greatest pride was not their energy or strength, but their broad wings, showing their importance as well as their majesty.


    "It was horrible. He just ripped his wings out of his back..." The man muttered with a pale face, "I can''t even begin to imagine the agony he felt then... Elder, maybe we should talk to the other ns about this."


    "That makes no sense. They won''t get into a battle with Nameless King over three Dragons who chose to go into this fight themselves. I hate to admit it, but there''s nothing we can do now." The Elder waved his hand with aplicated look.


    There was silence, the three of them were in charge of the Cloud n, and just now Wain had killed members of their n, which made them really angry, but there was nothing they could do about it.


    "Agh... We can''t attack him when he''s in his Void... It''s too stupid, but I''m sure he''ll leave it soon, won''t he?" The man suggested as he looked at the Elder, "If the three of us attack him when he''s alone, can''t we at least immobilize him?"


    "Hmm? That might work, but if Cetid finds out where we''re going, we might be in trouble. Although I like your idea, it''s unlikely we can kill him, but we''ll make him answer for what he did!" Elder spoke confidently as his aura increased causing the clouds around the mountain to spin faster.


    ...


    At this time, Wain and Nicole headed toward the massive ice gate that was the entrance to his Void. They walked in silence amidst the darkness, vast and deep.


    "Wain... I don''t understand something..." Nicole muttered with a confused look as she touched her lips.


    "Hmm? What is it?" Wain turned around.


    "I thought Dragons were huge creatures that could make the ocean go out of bounds with a p of their wings, but except for the wings, they looked a lot like us." Nicole asked with a wave of her hand.


    "I see... You want to know why they didn''t turn, right?" Wain suggested.


    Nicole nodded vigorously.


    "Well, it''s simple. They were on the Demigod Stage, so it would have taken them a long time to transform into their true form. Only the Elders and some other Dragons can do it in an instant, though it doesn''t make much sense." Wain shrugged, "Their power doesn''t change much from that, and their sheer size gets in the way more often than not."


    Nicole nodded deeply with glowing eyes. She genuinely enjoyed her battle with the Dragon and wanted to repeat the experience, so she wanted to learn as much as she could about them.


    "Don''t worry, I''m sure you''ll fight more Dragons in the future, for now, let''s go home." Wain muttered touching the ice gate, "It''s time to make our Void, somewhat stronger."

 Chapter 934 The Crystal

    The dragons weren''t the only ones keeping a close eye on Wain''s movements, or rather on Nameless King''s. When he left his Void, it became easy for others to track exactly where he was, one of those observers being the Arkans.


    "Things are really bad, aren''t they...?" The man with the seven-pointed star on his chest muttered.


    "Well... At least he''s not at the peak of his powers right now, otherwise, we''d have a lot more problems." The woman calmly said with a shrug.


    She took the wine ss and lowered her gaze to the crystal ball and said, "He''s still as cold as ever. I thought there was a chance he might be a different man, but he seems to be the same Nameless King we fought 500 years ago."


    "Fought you say... That was the worst day of my life! Then, those three betrayed us!" The man eximed furiously, clenching his fists tightly, "If it wasn''t for them, we would have definitely won. The Nameless King would not have been able to handle us all! Without him, not even the Dragon Progenitor could have stopped us!"


    "Don''t worry. We outnumber them anyway. The second ruler...no...our only ruler is preparing for the finale. Apparently, the Nameless King knows how to get his powers back, but what about those seven?" The woman muttered as her eyes sparkled.


    "Hah... You''re probably right. He doesn''t stand a chance." The man grinned with a sly smirk on his face, "He just got back so I doubt he can find as many allies as he did then... None of that matters though, we have an ally he has no chance against. Hahahahahahah!"


    ...


    Crackle.


    Wain and Nicole emerged from the portal and they found themselves on the edge of an icy ind.


    "Agh... It''s actually nice here, much better than that oppressive ce." Wain took a deep breath as he turned around, ncing around his territories.


    "What am I supposed to do with this?" Nicole asked pointing to the corpses of Dragons she had been carrying all the way.


    ? "I told you before, didn''t I?" Wain raised an eyebrow, "Take them to Edena and Lui Bu, tell them they are a gift from me. They are alchemists, so they will surely find a use for these Dragons, after all, even their bones are treasures with enormous amounts of energy."


    "Damn... You say such creepy things so calmly... even it makes me ufortable..." Nicole frowned as a chill ran down her back.


    "Well, I''m just telling the truth." Wain shrugged.


    Nicole nodded, took a step forward, and disappeared in a dark sh, heading toward theb.


    Crackle.


    At the same moment, a shadow with a cold aura and a sharp look appeared beside Wain.


    "Oh, you recovered rather quickly, didn''t you?" Wain smirked, turning to Frigus. His body was still bandaged in some ces, but he looked as confident as before.


    "Sure. You knew where to attack, right? Edena looked me over, she said that there were many wounds, even too many, but none of them were critical." Frigus nodded with a serious expression.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Hah, it was a friendly fight. It didn''t make any sense for me to wound you seriously. The best wounds are the ones that make you stronger." Wain smiled.


    "You''re going to do it now, right?" Frigus asked with a hard stare, realizing that the moment had arrived.


    Wain nodded, "Yes. In fact, I''m already a littlete, but I have to do it before I leave. Someone''s been waiting for me for quite some time..." Wain muttered as he remembered Sven.


    "I see... In that case, while you''re getting ready, I''ll gather the others. We should be in position before the protective barrieres down, shouldn''t we?" Frigus''s aura intensified as he ced his hand on the hilt of his sword.


    "That would be good. Perhaps wars will be quite rare, but it will definitely happen now, it always does." Wain nodded with a slight smile.


    Frigus bowed before disappearing without a trace.


    ''Agh... Though I don''t aspire to it, gradually my Void is growing and there are more and more wonderful people in it, but Frigus and Elegan... Without those two there would be nothing here.'' Wain muttered inwardly as he headed toward the castle.


    ...


    Elegan was busy doing paperwork as usual. It might have been strange for monsters, but Elegan had long ago realized that it was the most effective way to keep things under control. The text from the pages and the orders, would not be lost, unlike his memory, as he could simply forget something.


    Crackle.


    The wooden door opened as Wain stepped inside, waving slowly.


    "I''ve only been gone a few hours, but you''re already back to work. Do you ever get any rest?" Wain asked with a curious look.


    Elegan''s eyes went wide for a moment as he hadpletely forgotten that Wain was supposed to be back so soon, then he smiled bitterly, "Yeah... Although, I can''t remember thest time there was a day I could do nothing."


    "Hahaha, honestly I have no idea how you manage. Rest is very important to stay productive, you know?" Wain chuckled, "Well, you can put the papers aside. It''s your day off today since I''ll be working."


    Elegan smiled, nodded, and put his pen on the table, then he looked at Wain, "You''re going to do it right now, right?"


    "Yeah. Tell me where Void''s Crystal is? That''s pretty weird to hear from a Void owner, but so much has changed around here that I don''t even know where the core is now." Wain muttered with an awkward look.


    "Hah, you didn''t even try to find it, because otherwise you would have felt the crystal was right there." Elegan smirked as he pointed down.


    "Agh...?"


    "When we built this ind I moved the core here, all you have to do is walk through the ice cave. There you can finally make our Void stronger." Elegan narrowed his eyes.

 Chapter 935 The New Chronicle

    Step. Step. Step.


    Wain paced with Elegan on the dense ice, heading toward the core of his Void. Eachrge enough Void had its own core on which almost everything rted to energy depended. The more powerful the core, the better the resources grew in the Void''s territory and the denser the energy in the space, which further created stronger monsters.


    "Agh... Brings back a memory. This ce looked very differentst time." Wain muttered with excited looks looking at the core of his Void.


    A massive dark crystal floated above the icy tform, ck energy currents emanating from it, like invisible threads spreading throughout the area, gradually strengthening it.


    "Yeah. That crystal was much smaller back then, though I think it will changepletely now, right?" Elegan asked with a smirk as he folded his arms behind his back.


    "Sure. Last time I promoted Void''s Chronicle I was in the Fourth Chronicle and had no idea who I really was. Now that crystal will turn into the core of the Nameless King." Wain said confidently before ascending the tform.


    Elegan silently stepped aside, standing next to the passageway. He stared at Crystal with a glowering look as he realized that these were new possibilities.


    "Well, in that case, it''s about time we started." Wain sighed, closed his eyes, and put his palm to the crystal.


    He directed a small amount of energy into the crystal, gradually increasing the flow until the crystal began to tremble.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Gray energy streams began to emerge from the crystal, whichpletely absorbed the ck threads. The ice crystals in the cave grew paler as if something drained the life from them, but gradually everything returned to normal.


    ''Fine, now we can get down to something more serious.'' Wain inwardly muttered while streams of darkness passed by him that already filled the entire space.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Wain opened his eyes as his aura intensified, then a tremendous amount of energy flowed through his palm, straight to the crystal. Wain used as much power as he could, practically repeating Nicole''s tactics, for now, it was the most effective solution.


    [The core of your zone is filled with energy!]


    [Stop and let the core stabilize, then your Void will start moving into the next Chronicle!]


    "Hmm? That''s it already?" Wain muttered in disbelief as he nced at the crystal that glowed brightly from the boundless energy that was contained within it, "Hey, it''s not enough to make a truly great zone appear. I''m not going to stop there."


    Wain smirked as powerful streams of energy erupted from his body. They all rained down on the crystal as if they wanted to destroy them, but really Wain was just very aggressively filling the core of the zone with energy.


    ''Damn... Isn''t he going to overdo it? If something happens to the core, we''ll all be in more trouble, won''t we?'' Elegan pondered with a worried expression looking at the crystal, which was shaking more and more with each passing second.


    [You''re using too much energy!]


    [If you continue at this rate, your Void''s core might not be able to withstand the strain and explode!]


    [Stop channeling energy into the crystal immediately, or your zone could have a real catastrophe!]


    Wain ckened his pace for a moment, he took that time to read the messages, then he returned to his previous level as if none of this mattered.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Elegan gulped, he hadplete confidence in Wain''s actions, but he still couldn''t help worrying.


    The core was the most important ce in any Void, for it was the source of all the energy by which the Void existed at all, so it was disturbing for Elegan to see that the crystal was close to being destroyed.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    After Wain ignored a few more messages, cracks began to appear on the crystal as well as tiny particles began to fall off of it.


    "Wain! Maybe you shouldn''t create so much pressure...?" Elegan said with a frightened face as he waved his hands.


    "Hah, don''t worry, I know what I''m doing. Perhaps for a living creature, over-powering can be fatal, but Void isn''t exactly a living creature." Wain smirked as he watched his zone core gradually copse.


    "What...? What the hell are you talking about?" Elegan was confused.


    "A living being had limits, its body that can only withstand a certain amount of energy, but with the Void it''s different. If the space receives more energy than it can hold, then the zone just expands and rebuilds." Wain said with a devious smirk.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, the entire zone trembled and a massive pir of darknessunched from the ice ind, rushing up to the sky. This caught the attention of all the monsters as they instantly realized what was about to happen.


    "Well, well, he finally decided to do it." Reto muttered as a sly smile appeared on his face.


    Some of the monsters were frightened by such a massive amount of energy, but most had excited expressions. The new Chronicle meant new opportunities, which meant they all finally had a chance to take the next step in their evolution.


    [Your zone''s core can''t handle that much energy!]


    [Your zone is trying to adapt to the new conditions!]


    [Your zone needs a stronger core!]


    [The current core will be destroyed!]


    "Hah, just what you need. If my Void couldn''t use such valuable energy, I''d be seriously disappointed." Wain smirked and jumped back.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The crystal shattered into many shards, releasing all the energy inside it all along.


    "Wow... I''ve never seen anything more frightening and majestic at the same time." Elegan muttered looking at the dense cloud of darkness that was actually maximumpressed energy.


    "Yeah. It actually looks pretty good. I haven''t seen this kind of energy in a long time, but this is just the beginning since our Void needs a new core, doesn''t it?" Wain grinned as he crossed his arms over his chest.


    The crystal fragments gradually filled up with new energy, growing in size and taking on a new shape suitable for a more powerful core.

 Chapter 936 The Star

    "What''s going on...?" Elegan muttered with a dazed expression as he watched the slowly rising fragments of crystal.


    The crystals were taking on a new shape, some of them bing sharper while others could bepletely round or square.


    "They are taking the right shape to be the new core. Soon there will be a new center in our Void and it will not just be a Fifth Chronicle core. This one will be endowed with my energy, the energy of the Nameless King." Wain spoke with an excited smile on his face.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The crystals approached the center, enclosing a dense cloud of dark energy. Piece by piece, the crystals sealed the energy within them, slowly bing one whole-the new core of the Void.


    "Well, well, I couldn''t control what form it would take, but it''s pretty good, isn''t it?" Wain grinned as he turned to Elegan.


    "Yeah... It looks incredible. I couldn''t even imagine that the core of our Void would be so majestic." Elegan muttered in disbelief as he gazed at the massive nine-pointed star.


    Thin threads of darkness hovered around the star and were quickly directed to different points in space while dense energy flowed out of the nine vertices of the star, which the threads used.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The threads emerged from the ice ind and headed toward all four territories of the zone. They pierced literally everything, sky, rocks, earth, and even monsters, giving them the energy to move on to the next Chronicle.


    "Looks like it went as you nned, doesn''t it?" A sly voice came from behind at the sound of light footsteps.


    Wain turned around and saw Reto, who was without a bottle of wine or ss in his hand, which was very rare for him.


    "Damn, considering you decided toe here to look at the new core instead of draining another bottle, I actually seeded." Wain grinned with an excited expression.


    Reto shrugged, "Don''t you think I can''t control myself, that''s pretty hurtful." Reto sighed and looked at the star, "I haven''t seen much of the other zones'' cores, but still, I''m sure we got the best of them all."


    Step. Step. Step.


    At the same moment, the others reached the ice cave as the many steps gave away their owners.


    "Frigus, you were faster than I thought." Wain said with a slight smile as he looked at Frigus.


    Next to Frigus were everyone, Nicole, Sarras, Ferner, Lui Bu, and Edena. All of them stared wide-eyed at the slowly spinning star whose energy mesmerized them.


    "It''s quite beautiful, isn''t it?" Reto smirked before pointing to the star as if it were the greatest treasure.


    "How much energy is there? I can feel it, but I don''t know the right words to describe how much it is..." Edena muttered as she got goosebumps.


    "Hah, I don''t know. I just used Nicole''s tactics and channeled as much energy as I was even capable of." Wain shrugged, "Anyway, let''s not linger here because the best part is waiting for us upstairs."


    Wain swung with his coat and headed forward with a confident stride. The others gave themselves a few more seconds to enjoy the view of the star before following Wain.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Elegan was thest, as he was most concerned that nothing should happen to the core. Earlier there were many protective barriers around the crystal, but when the crystal copsed the barriers were gone.


    ''Hmm... Such a core would be very difficult to destroy, but extra caution wouldn''t hurt, right?'' Elegan muttered inwardly as he stretched out his hand.


    A massive magical circle appeared in front of him from which purple runes began to fly out. They headed toward the star, hovering in the air around it. Dozens of runes hovered around the core, gradually creating newyers of protective barriers.


    ''Fine, a little more and it will be enough.'' Elegan said to himself, watching the transparent purple barrier.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Suddenly the dark energying out of the star turned into several eerie ghosts with massive jaws. Like wild beasts, they pounced on the barrier, quickly tearing it apart.


    "What the hell...?" Elegan''s eyes went wide as he waspletely baffled.


    Most of the spirits returned to the core after destroying all the runes, but some remained near it staring intently at Elegan.


    The two spirits with the most powerful aura headed toward Elegan. They looked formidable as their jaws seemed capable of tearing him apart in a single movement, but they did not attack him.


    The spirits examined Elegan as if they were trying to figure out if he was the enemy or not, then their menacing faces changed to knowing smirks.


    ? "Agh... Looks like the new core doesn''t need any extra protection, right?" Elegan sighed in relief, realizing that the spirits didn''t see him as a threat.


    As if in response, the spirits nodded slightly before returning to the core. They were invisible protectors who only appeared when something might threaten the core.


    "Well, maybe that''s even better. Now I definitely won''t have to worry about anything happening to the core it has great guards." Elegan smiled slightly before leaving the room.


    Whooooooooosh.


    As he left the ice cave, the space at the entrance shuddered as a barrier with a massive jaw sign appeared there.


    ...


    Wain and the others stood at the edge of the ice ind watching as the area gradually changed. There were fewer threads as more and more ces were already filled with energy, but there was still a long way to go before the transformation wasplete.


    "How much time do we have?" Frigus asked with a serious look as he put his hand on the hilt of his sword.


    "Not much. Get ready, our Void will soon reach the Fifth Chronicle and then someone will attack us for sure." Wain said calmly as he nodded.


    "Are you sure about that?" Nicole tilted her head in confusion, "I''d be afraid to attack your Void."


    "Hah, they don''t know what awaits them yet. Those who decide to attack us will greatly regret it because they can''t yet determine the type of zone we''re in. Our enemy thinks we''re a weak victim and only sees us as an area with a sudden burst of energy." Wain muttered as a sly smirk appeared on his face.

 Chapter 937 Beasts And Technology

    Each Void, regardless of its size, was in the background of the World of Darkness only a small sphere within which an entire world could be found. Other zones could see each other in the midst of the vast darkness, and those that crossed into the Fifth Chronicle were especially bright.


    "Damn, that''s a lot of energy. There seems to be a very strong core inside this zone, doesn''t it?" The massive Wolf with the wide scar on his chest muttered looking at the gray orb from which an enormous amount of ck energy was emanating.


    There were many other spheres floating around him, all different colors and sizes, but none of them had as much energy as the one he was looking at.


    "Hah, it might be dangerous, but considering they''re just moving into the Fifth Chronicle, it''ll be easy prey! Hahaha, idiots! You should have taken care of the defense when promoting Chronicle!" The wolfughed angrily, already practically tasting the prey.


    Crackle.


    The stone doors opened, causing the wolf to open his eyes, and stepping out of the closed space. He waved his hand and turned around with a disgruntled look.


    "I told you not to disturb me!" The wolf growled before he could even see who hade to him.


    "Hmm? Why so aggressive? Didn''t we have an agreement?" The girl tilted her head in confusion. She had long purple hair, mechanical tes on her arms, and eyes like technical blue stars.


    "Keira... What the fuck are you doing here...?" Wolf muttered, not sure why his ally hade to him at such a moment until his eyes went wide, "Wait... Did you notice that so quickly...?"


    "Sure. Gaur, I hope you remember what we agreed on, don''t you?" Keira asked with an unemotional look; she seemed calm, but blue lightning bolts appeared beside her.


    Gaur remained silent until he smirked with a lick of his teeth, "Of course. We agreed to attack the next zone with more energy, but are you sure it''s worth it?"


    Keira nodded immediately, "There''s enough energy in that zone for both of us to get what we need. Judging by your confident smirk, you think you can handle it alone, but I wouldn''t be so careless if I were you."


    "Agh... I am a person of words, but you''re right, I don''t think this zone is strong enough to require both of us. Can you prove me otherwise?" Gaur waved his hand nonchntly as if he was absolutely certain of his victory.


    "Don''t be so arrogant. You may have less intelligence than I do, but your instincts are definitely sharper. Look at that area again, there''s so much energy there for a reason, raising the Chronicle was done by someone powerful." Keira muttered without emotion, which made Gaur frown, but he didn''t get aggressive.


    "You Constructs can be too direct. If I hadn''t known you for a long time, I would have already attacked you for making such an insultingparison." Gaur shook his head.


    "Hmm? I was actuallyplimenting your instincts. I pointed out your pluses and minuses, but I did the same with myself, what''s the problem? Maybe you haveplexes?" Keira tilted her head in confusion.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The veins in Gaur''s forehead swelled as his bones rattled. The air around Gaur charged while his angry gaze was fixed on Keira, so intently as if he were going to tear her apart. However, Keira herself had no reaction to it, as if she had expected something like this to happen.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Argh! Okay, I''ll check it again!" Gaur waved his hand, quickly calming down before closing his eyes again.


    Endless space as well as many spheres appeared around him and his gaze went to the gray sphere around which there was several times more energy.


    ''Shit... Looks like Keira''s actually right... I didn''t feel it before, but now I''m getting goosebumps. It looks like if I attack this area alone, I''ll take a huge loss... I have to avoid it.'' Gaur muttered inwardly with aplicated look.


    "Sounds like you''ve already made up your mind, doesn''t it?" Keira surmised and without waiting for his answer said, "In that case, I expect your move in five minutes. We must hurry if we don''t want anyone to get ahead of us."


    Gaur wanted to add something, but Keira was already gone, like a sh of lightning disappearing into the dark passage.


    "Argh... Keira is a good ally, but I still can''t get used to Beastfolks and Constructs working together now... Our Progenitors'' decision was a shock to us all, but it seems to make some sense, doesn''t it?" Gaur muttered while shaking his head before heading for the exit.


    He was the owner of his Void which was also on the Fifth Chronicle, it was an areaparable to the real world and now he was about to dere war.


    He was on top of a massive tree that overlooked a vast forest that seemed endless. It looked like a peaceful ce, but it was home to dangerous monsters and the strongest Beastfolks, who had been waiting a long time for a decent battle to begin.


    "Well, Keira has probably already prepared everything and is just waiting for me, five minutes... Hah, that''s too long!" Gaur eximed with an excited expression as he waved his hand.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space trembled as a message appeared high in the sky that every inhabitant of the area saw.


    [Your Void leader has dered war on the new zone that has entered the Fifth Chronicle!]


    [Prepare for battle! The invasion will begin in a minute!]


    ...


    "Well, Gaur did it faster than I asked him to, though that''s what I was counting on." Keira muttered standing on top of the tower while the wind currents fluttered her white coat.


    Snap.


    Keira snapped her fingers and the inhabitants of her zone saw exactly the same messages. Unlike the forest in Gaur''s world, below the tower were a real city of skyscrapers and hundreds of streets with drones flying among them.

 Chapter 938 The Attack

    "Well, well, it looks like it''s starting. It''s only been a few minutes, but we''ve already found our opponent." Wain muttered with a slight smirk as he looked at the massive green magic circle floating in the air.


    In the center of the magic circle was a drawing of a tree with sharp w marks on it. Every few seconds the magic circle shook, causing the space around it to weaken.


    In any other situation, this might have frightened the inhabitants of the Void, but now it waspletely different. The monsters were ready for battle, they had been waiting for this quite a bit since before Wain''s appearance, they were only absorbing energy and making friendly duels.


    All this was good for their development as they became much stronger, but every monster wanted to engage in mortalbat and even Frigus was no exception to this rule.


    "How strange... Even though I fought you recently, it''s only now that I feel such a strong desire to kill someone!" Frigus said with a cruel smirk on his face.


    "That''s fine... but it looks like there will be more than one opponent against us this time." Wain muttered with a slight smile as he looked in the opposite direction.


    On the other side of their space, another magical circle was slowly appearing. This one was blue with a lightning sign in the center. It wasn''t as big as the green one, but it gradually grewrger increasing its power.


    "Hmm... Are we being attacked by two spaces at once?" Elegan muttered in disbelief as he got goosebumps.


    "Yeah. I don''t know what races they are yet, but I can already tell you that their leaders are on the Demigod Stage." Wain said with a slight nod as thick darkness appeared around him.


    "Wain... What the hell are you doing?" Nicole muttered with a confused expression.


    "Hmm? Something wrong?" Wain smirked, "I just figured you could handle this without my help, am I wrong?"


    Frigus shook his head, "Of course not. If you fight with us we will win too easily, two opponents on the Demigod Stage is too easy for you, but for us, that''s what it takes, isn''t it?" Frigus nced at Nicole.


    Nicole was puzzled for a moment before nodding.


    "Sure. If there are only two of them, Frigus will take care of one and I''ll take care of the other. Maybe it''s even a good thing that we were attacked by two spaces at once!" Nicole eximed with an excited expression.


    "In that case, I will defend the ice ind and the caves." Elegan nodded with a serious look as he crossed his arms over his chest.


    "Then I''ll head for my territory." Reto smirked as he looked towards the magical forest.


    "Hmm... What am I supposed to do in that case...?" Sarras muttered with a thoughtful look while rubbing his chin.


    "You can protect Nicole''s territory, can''t you?" Elegan offered as he waved his hand, "Ferner will protect the snowy wilderness since Frigus will be busy fighting. Nicole is the only one besides Frigus who is in the Fifth Chronicle, so she won''t be able to defend her territory either since she will be fighting a strong enemy."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Agh... That girl pisses me off!" Sarras frowned as he looked at Nicole in disbelief.


    "What?! You''re not supposed to say that! I had nothing to do with you at all!" Nicole frowned as she shouted with pouting cheeks pointing at Sarras.


    "h, h, h, I don''t like you anyway. You''re too crazy even for me!" Sarras waved his hand grudgingly.


    Nicole pouted, she didn''t like the hell out of Sarras'' way of treating her like an annoying little kid.


    "Hey, my friend, you don''t have to be so categorical." Reto said with a smile as he put a hand on Sarras''s shoulder, "Protecting the area isn''t just important for Nicole, it''s necessary to preserve our entire space."


    Sarras was silent for a while, it was obvious that he was hesitant, but when Reto asked him something, he just couldn''t refuse.


    "Agh... Well, looks like I don''t really have a choice. Alright, I''ll make sure no one attacks your territory." Sarras said as he looked at Nicole.


    Nicole nodded silently. She didn''t want to argue with Sarras as she actually needed his help, even though she didn''t want to admit it. Her territory was not like the others, this ce was dark, cold, and creepy.


    There were very strong monsters in the mistynds, perhaps the strongest in all of Wain''s Void, but they were too few to defend their territory against attack without a leader.


    "Fine, now I''m sure you can manage without me. You''re actually a good team." Wain nodded with a slight smile on his face before turning into clots of darkness.


    No one could tell where he was headed, Wain seemed to have gone very far away, to the very edge of space, but in fact, he was on the hill on the ledge where his home was.


    Elegan and the others asionally looked directly at him, but they could not see him, for there were several invisible barriers around Wain.


    ''I must admit you picked a good spot to watch the fight.'' Blind Sorcerer smirked with crossed arms.


    ''Yeah. Thank you for your help. Without your barriers, I''d have to go somewhere far away and hide, but now, no one can spot me, allies or foes.'' Wain muttered inwardly as he watched the two magical circles grow, ''Well, looks like it''s time to give them the rest.''


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space trembled as instead of magical circles two portals appeared from which dozens of monsters immediately appeared. On one side were various beasts as well as Beastfolks, while on the side of the blue portal came robots and Constructs with powerful, destructive auras.


    ''Hmm... What an unusual alliance... This is the first time I''ve seen Beastfolks and Constructs working together. Is it something unique or has there been a change between their Progenitors...?'' Wain said to himself with aplicated look.

 Chapter 939 Defense

    Beastfolks were known for their outstanding physical stats and especially their instincts, which were at the level of monsters or even surpassed them.


    Beastfolks were not as good at magic as Elves, their regeneration was far worse than that of Vampires, their physical strength was inferior to Axalts, and their intelligence was far from Constructs, but only they fought so fiercely and wildly.


    "Hahaha, great, this area is huge! Let''s start taking over this area!" Gaurughed wickedly with his arms crossed as his gaze drifted toward the mistynds.


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    Behind Gaur shed many shadows that headed toward the mistynds. Among them were several Beastfolks, and arge number of monsters with menacing auras.


    Several wolvesnded with a rumble as they looked around. The destends were Nicole''s territories, but she was not there now, for she had to be ready to fight one of the enemy leaders. It seemed that without a leader, the Beastfolks could easily take over the mistynds.


    ''Hah, bastards, do you really think you cane here and take over one of our territories at once? It may not be my area, but I made a promise I intend to keep!'' Sarras inwardly eximed as he stretched his arm forward.


    In the distance, in front of Sarras was a group of several Beastfolks, they couldn''t see him because of the thick fog, but Sarras could clearly see their silhouettes and was ready to attack.


    Tap.


    "Agh...?" Sarras turned as someone stopped him, at the veryst moment.


    "What do you want?" Sarras frowned looking at the tall monster whose body was covered in a multitude of sharp des, it was the monster that had taken Frigus for treatment after the fight with Wain.


    demonster shook his head as if to say that Sarras didn''t need to do anything.


    ''Hmm? Do you think you have enough strength to deal with them? I mean, they''re on the Absolute Stage!'' Sarras said with his indignant face.


    In response, demonster simply put a finger to his mouth as if asking for silence before taking a step back, disappearing into the mist like a ghost.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    At the same moment, several shadows appeared beside the Beastfolks for a moment, then there was the sound of tearing flesh as many shes appeared on the Beastfolks'' bodies. They tried to attack, waving their sharp ws, but as blood gushed from their necks, they fell to the ground. It all happened in less than five seconds.


    "Damn... Why are there such strong monsters in Nicole''s territory? I hate to admit it, but I don''t have anyone with this level of skill..." Sarras muttered with a dazed expression.


    "Our Mistress... she... she cannot be stopped..." Suddenly there was a cold voice like a gnashing of metaling from demonster.


    "Oh, so you can talk?" Sarras tilted his head. He hadn''t expected this since the monster waspletely silent.


    "Yeah... I''m just learning... so... it''s pretty hard for me to do that..." demonster uttered, it was obvious that he was expending a lot of energy for every word he uttered.


    Sarras nodded, "I see, but oh what did you mean? Did you really call Nicole, Mistress?" Sarras asked with wide eyes.


    demonster shrugged, "She''s in charge here... and though... fighting her is hell... but it has made us stronger..."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Us...?" Sarras looked puzzled.


    "ARGHHHH!!!"


    At the same moment, painful screams were heard on all sides. They came from the multitude of Beastfolks who decided to attack the mistynds. Shadows appeared next to them, tearing them apart with ease.


    "The others aren''t as strong as me... but... they''ll have no trouble killing a few Absolute Stage Beings..." demonster muttered as he watched the three Beastfolks run toward them.


    Despite the horror going on around them, they had confident smirks on their faces since they thought demonster was an easy target.


    "I see, well, I''m staying here anyway until the invasion is over. I promised I''d protect Nicole''s territory, so you''ll have to ept my help." Sarras shrugged nonchntly before snapping his fingers.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Several sharp bones emerged from beneath the ground, piercing the Beastfolks like a spear in a heartbeat. They had no time to react when blood gushed from their mouths, their hearts already pierced from three sides by the bone spears.


    "You can have their souls for yourself, I don''t need them, but I will take their bodies and vital powers." Sarras said seriously as he looked at demonster.


    "Sure... but I''m not quite sure what you''re going to do..." demonster muttered in confusion.


    "You''ll see now, just watch carefully." Sarras waved his hand carelessly as his aura intensified.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The bone spears rattled as life force began to drain from the Beastfolks. Their bodies quickly dried up as if they were bing mummies until all that was left of them was skin and bones.


    "Agh...that''s pretty creepy...but it looks like something appropriate for this ce..." demonster muttered with a slight sigh.


    "Hah, that''s not all. As I said earlier, you can have their souls, but I''ll send the bodies to my territory!" Sarras smirked as he snapped his finger.


    Suddenly the gray earth in front of the Beastfolks sprinkled down as there formed a passageway leading into the depths of the zone. It was one way of getting into Sarras''s territory if he gave his permission for it.


    Step. Step. Step.


    From the passageway, a number of skeletons quickly came running out. They removed the desated bodies of the Beastfolks'' and carried them down, then with a wave of his hand Sarras closed the passage and everything went back to normal. Only three red souls remained in that ce, hovering above the ashy ground.


    "What are you going to do with their bodies...?" demonster asked with a mild interest in his voice.


    "Hah, Edena and Lui Bu are our chief alchemists, they do experiments sometimes, but I''m a real scientist! They are in the Absolute Stage, so this is great material for a few experiments. Creating strong undead isn''t easy at all." Sarras smirked as he fairly raised his head, it was obvious he liked someone asking him that.


    "Well... in that case... I can only wish you luck..." demonster nodded weakly.

 Chapter 940 Hands

    "Shit! Those bastards can''t do anything! Just as soon as they got into this territory the monsters tore them apart!" Gaur eximed angrily, waving his arms to his sides.


    Even through the thick fog, his keen eyes could see how the monsters were easily massacring his men. Gaur was an experienced fighter; he knew that by attacking the Void with a great deal of energy, it was impossible to avoid casualties, but the sacrifices were not to be in vain.


    ''They''ve already killed over twenty Absolute Stage warriors! Who the fuck owns this Void? Why are his monsters so powerful?!'' Gaur inwardly eximed.


    "Looks like... I need to go into battle already, right?" Suddenly a quiet, deep voice with a powerful aura of danger sounded.


    Gaur smirked, turned around, and said, "Yeah, if you don''t help them, we''ll just lose too many of our fighters without taking even a square meter of ground."


    Behind Gaur stood a massive red wolf whose muscles were even bigger than Gaur himself. On his back were two broad, curved swords that emanated an aura of death as well as from the Red Wolf.


    "Fine... In that case, I''ll head to these mistynds... Apparently, there are some pretty strong monsters there, I''ll take them on myself." Red Wolf muttered with a calm expression as if he was absolutely certain of his victory.


    "Go. It''s a shame this zone came up so early because a little more and you could have reached the Demigod Stage just like I did." Gaur smirked looking at Red Wolf''s broad back.


    "It doesn''t matter. All you have to do is deal with their leader, and what''s more, we have a powerful ally." Red Wolf shrugged his shoulders before jumping out of the portal.


    He headed toward the mistynds with great speed before reaching the bottom. The ground beneath him cracked, forming a small crater as the shockwave tossed several monsters aside.


    "Argh!!!" The monsters roared furiously and, after a brief lull, simultaneously pounced on Red Wolf.


    "Away. I''m not interested in you." Red Wolf swung his arms in front of him, releasing sharp wind des.


    The wind des began spinning around Red Wolf at tremendous speed, for a time, forming a veritable fiery tornado. Any monster who tried to get through the tornado received deep cuts and severe burns and was then forced to step aside.


    Red Wolf looked around, though there was only thick fog around him, he could easily determine who his opponent was.


    "Here... but which of you two is in charge...?" Red Wolf spoke softly with his head down as his gaze drifted to Sarras and demonster.


    "He...noticed us..." demonster spoke as he turned to Sarras, "What shall we do...? If you want I can fight him..."


    Sarras remained silent until he shook his head and said, "No, I''m afraid it would be too dangerous for you. It''s probably one of their strongest fighters, so that''s a problem I have to deal with."


    demonster nodded and took a step back, disappearing among the mist like a ghost.


    Sarras waved his cloak as he with confidence in his gaze headed forward straight for Red Wolf.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Agh...? Lich? How boring, I was hoping for a worthy opponent waiting for me here." Red Wolf frowned as Sarras emerged from the fog.


    "Hmm? I thought Beastfolks was supposed to have amazing instincts. Can''t you feel how powerful my energy is?" Sarras smirked, releasing his aura outward.


    White streams of energy surrounded him as a massive silhouette of a skull appeared above him, as if death had alreadyid its eyes on Red Wolf.


    "Well, I can clearly feel how much energy you have, it''s actually an impressive level, but you Lich, you could never defeat me." Red Wolf said arrogantly before pulling his swords from behind his back.


    "You rely on the strength of your undead, while I fight relying only on myself and my weapons! All I have to do is deal with your servants, then you will be easy prey!" Red Wolf eximed before rushing forward.


    Crackle.


    The ground beneath him copsed as he turned into a fiery sh, instantly reaching Sarras.


    "''Get it!" Red Wolf eximed, raining his des down on Sarras.


    Sarras didn''t dodge, he continued to stand still with a slight smirk on his face that seemed to say that all of Red Wolf''s actions were useless.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Two massive bony arms emerged from beneath the ground, their palms covering Sarras from the attack like huge shields. The des were able to cut through the bones, but only slightly as their tips hovered in front of Sarras''s face unable to advance any further.


    "First of all, I don''t rely on others. I''m strong enough to defend myself. In the second ce, you''re being too cocky for someone who couldn''t cut through two knucklebones." Sarras smirked as he touched the tip of one of Red Wolf''s swords, "Third, you''re right, I am Lich."


    Crackle.


    At the same moment, next to Red Wolf, several passages opened in the ground, from which four silhouettes jumped out. They wore bulky armor and massive swords in their hands that immediately rushed toward Red Wolf.


    ''Shit! He''s got me! I must do something urgently!'' Red Wolf inwardly eximed as he gripped his swords tightly. A wave of me went down the curved des that slightly melted the bone palms allowing Red Wolf to pull his swords out and jump aside, at the veryst moment.


    Four massive swords copsed simultaneously into where Red Wolf had just stood, as they left wide cuts in the ground, more than a meter deep.


    "I don''t know how you imagined our battle or the battle against the Lich, but I am different." Sarras grinned as four massive knights stood before him whose eyes burned like blue ghostlynterns.


    "I evolve in both directions, so don''t think I can''t do anything without my undead. I think our battle will be a real nightmare for you! Ahahahahaha!" Sarrasughed angrily.

 Chapter 941 The Laser

    "Looks like Gaur has already encountered some problems..." Keira muttered, looking at the Red Wolf from the other end of space. Her mechanical eyes could easily see every detail, down to the grain of sand, so the fog was no barrier to her.


    "Miss! We''re ready!" The girl with the short reds eximed as she as if a military man touched her head with his hand.


    Keira nodded, "Fine. If we''re lucky, we''ll finish this right now. Let the robots fight for us while we have that chance, we can build as many of them as we want, though... they''repletely ineffective..."


    The various robots and drones were the first ones that the Constructs sent into battle. Their main task was to explore the snowy desert and take control of part of the territory. However, as in the case of the mistynds, the monsters in the snowy desert proved to be very strong, so much so that Ferner didn''t need to do anything.


    "What would be your instructions?" The girl asked with a serious expression, looking directly at Keira.


    "Run them. Let''s see how good their defense is." Keira said as she carelessly waved her hand.


    "Will do." The girl nodded and pulled out the remote. She pressed the button as the massive cannon on one of the towers came into motion.


    It was thergest cannon in the city and it was aimed directly at the ice ind.


    As soon as Keira gave the order, the Constructs began to activate the cannon. Its long muzzle filled with energy, which was marked by three blue stripes along the entire muzzle, then a huge amount of energy began to collect in the core.


    From time to time, Constructs inserted energy crystals into the cells as the cannon quickly took in all the energy.


    ''Technically, this is the strongest attack our city is capable of... My strongest squad is capable of more, but the cannon attack just needs energy, no life force.'' Keira pondered while the cannon filled with energy.


    When it was ready, Keira took a few steps to the side,pletely freeing the entire portal for the shot.


    Keira looked at one of themanders, nodded slightly and themander activated the cannon.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space trembled as in an instant all the power built up inside the cannon burst out, turning into a massive, destructiveser.


    ''Damn... That looks pretty dangerous.'' dius muttered in a slightly worried voice.


    ''Hah, yeah, they used an enormous amount of energy to create aser, like this, it contains the energy of at least a hundred Fifth Chronicle souls.'' Wain grinned with interest as events unfolded.


    Purple electrical discharges passed through theser, causing the air around it to shake as peals of thunder spread across the area as if to speak of imminent disaster.


    "Shit! This actually looks dangerous! We have to stop it!" Nicole eximed as she hurried forward, but as soon as she took a step a white-gloved palm stopped her, falling on her shoulder.


    "Do you really think an attack like that could destroy the main seat of our Void?" Elegan smirked as theser was about to reach the ice ind.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly the space around the ind trembled as dozens ofyers of barriers Elegan had previously set up appeared.


    "Perhaps the core can defend itself, it has very powerful guards, but it took me a hell of a long time to bepletely sure that even Wain, would have to try hard to get through all the ice ind defenses." Elegan mouthed calmly while several of his barriers copsed under the pressure from theser.


    Nicole wanted to object, she wasn''t the type who was willing to trust everything to a few barriers, but Frigus''s emotionless face silenced her.


    ''Agh...? Would a few barriers really be enough to defend against such a powerful attack...?" Nicole inwardly muttered in disbelief as she turned around.


    Theser had already destroyed about a third of the barriers, it didn''t seem like it was going to stop since theser hadn''t spent much energy all this way, but the defense wasn''t that easy.


    Snap.


    Elegan snapped his fingers. At the same moment, hundreds of fragments from the broken barriers headed toward those that were still intact, quickly reinforcing them.


    "Let me tell you something about the defense system around the ice ind." Elegan said with a wide grin as he held up a finger like a teacher, "For starters, there are only 99 barriers, each one exactly the same in characteristics."


    "Ny-nine... how many..." Nicole muttered with a dazed look, seeminglypletely oblivious to the danger that came from theser.


    "Once the barrier copses it splits into many shards, each containing several runes. However, they don''t disappear, instead, they be part of other barriers and so can be repeated almost indefinitely." Elegan exined with a proud look, "I''d say the total number of barriers is about a thousand, given all the reinforcements."


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Theser kept crashing through the barriers, but suddenly, when it reached the seventieth, theser stopped, unable to go any further. This barrier seemed to be as strong as all the previous ones, but theser had less than one-tenth of its original power left.


    "Agh... right, totally forgot to mention thatst detail. That barrier is practically alive... what does that mean? Well, you''ll see now." Elegan smirked.


    ''Hmmm? It''s not like I asked anything... Damn, he definitely wanted to tell someone about it, even though I didn''t understand anything at all, but it sounds cool anyway.'' Nicole said to herself.


    Theser gradually began to dissipate, disintegrating into small particles, at that moment the runes on the barriers glowed brightly and quickly absorbed all the energy from theser. It was enough for 85 of the 99yers to recover, and they continued to do so, absorbing energy from the outside.


    "How is that possible..." The Construct who controlled the cannonunch muttered with his eyes wide open. He simply couldn''t believe that simple magical barriers could protect against such an attack.


    "Commander... Wasn''t thatserparable to the power of a dragon''s breath on the Absolute Stage...?" His subordinate asked.


    "Yeah... you''re right... it might have been even stronger this time... but they still managed to defend themselves..." Themander muttered with a lowered hand.

 Chapter 942 Trouble

    Almost everyone saw the way the most powerfulser couldn''t prate Elegan''s defense in this Void. The Constructs hadplete confidence that their most powerful cannon could at least do some serious damage to the enemy base, but in the end, nothing happened.


    "Damn... It looks like I took Keira''s advice for a reason. If I had attacked that Void alone I would probably have lost, it would have been a real shame." Gaur muttered while shaking his head with aplicated expression.


    Keira was as disappointed with the result as the others, but even so, she felt no emotion at all.


    "I see, just as I thought we would have to join the fight ourselves." Keira muttered thoughtfully before turning to the girl, "Tell the squads to get ready to attack. Unfortunately, we will have to make certain sacrifices to win."


    "Yes!" The girl eximed as she sprinted toward one of the tallest towers. So far only drones or robots had flown out of the portal, so for Constructs, this would be the first attack.


    ''Hmm... the defensive qualities of this barrier are really impressive.'' Keira pondered rubbing her chin as her pupils narrowed, her gaze focused on Elegan, ''So he owns this Void, right? That sounds perfectly logical, but somehow it doesn''t seem so...''


    Keira watched Elegan for a while until she made her final decision.


    ''No... it''s definitely not him. This Void has very aggressive and strong monsters, it is unlikely that the owner of such a Void could be a person capable of creating such strong protective barriers. In that case, could it be you? Yeah, it looks that way.'' Keira said to herself as she looked at Frigus.


    Frigus was standing with his back to Keira, he was looking toward Gaur''s portal, but then he decided to turn around as their gazes met.


    ''What...? Did he feel me looking at him from that distance? That''s impressive, but it makes it easier for me. If he has those skills, it''s definitely him.'' Keira muttered inwardly as she looked up at the tower. A squad of several Constructs was alreadying out of the main entrance, then she turned back to the ice ind.


    "Agh? What''s going on?" Keira''s eyes went wide since no matter how hard she tried, she couldn''t see Frigus, he just seemed to have just evaporated.


    "Stop watching everyone else, it''s time to get involved yourself, don''t you think?" A cold voice sounded as Frigus appeared next to Keira.


    Keira reacted sharply as she jumped back, but Frigus had already grabbed her arm, hard enough that there was no way she could escape him.


    Crackling.


    Frigus stomped on the ground freezing everything around him before throwing Keira toward the snowy wilderness, to where no one else was.


    "Miss!" The girl with the short red hair eximed as she immediately attacked Frigus. Two sharp des appeared in her hands, with red lightning discharges running through them.


    "Pfff, girl, this is not your level." Frigus snorted carelessly before stepping forward.


    "What...?" Before the girl''s eyes, Frigus''s silhouette blurred as a shadow appeared in front of her.


    Crackling.


    Frigus''s palm, covered in a thinyer of ice, mmed into the girl''s stomach, throwing her back a hundred meters. Blood gushed from her mouth as she pierced several buildings with her back before finally stopping beneath the metal wreckage.


    "Fine, now we can get back to the main objective, but before we do... I think it would be a good idea to give our monsters a little help." Frigus muttered, looking around Constructs City with his eyes.


    ''If you want I can turn this ce into a cier.'' Luna said calmly, it was quite a task for her, though the city was huge.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''No, I''m afraid we won''t be given that much time, let''s do something else, something quicker.'' Frigus replied as he swung his sword.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Several ice crystals flew out of the de and hovered in the air. Frigus didn''t linger any longer as he jumped down, heading straight for Keira, who was already preparing to fight him.


    At that time the crystals began to grow rapidly into the likeness of massive snowkes or stars.


    "What are they?" Construct muttered with a confused expression looking at one of the icy stars.


    "''Doesn''t matter! We have to destroy it!" His buddy eximed.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    At the same moment, the stars began to rotate as hundreds of ice crystals rained down on the city. Each one exploded on impact, wreaking havoc and freezing everything around it.


    The Constructs were not prepared for the enemy to attack their city so quickly, or rather they were not prepared for the situation at all, so their losses were catastrophic.


    "Bastard... You did that on purpose..." Keira muttered angrily, but she made no sudden movements, all her attention focused on Frigus.


    "Hmm? What are you talking about? Of course, I attacked you on purpose, or do you mean my attack on your city?" Frigus tilted his head in confusion with a mocking smile on his face, "You should have been prepared for your losses. Did you really think you could take this Void so easily?"


    Keira frowned but remained silent. She stared at Frigus for a while, as if exploring him, then the ring on her finger shone brightly.


    A massive sword-cannon with a broad de and a rifle on top appeared before her. It was the perfect weapon to engage in melee and rangedbat at the same time.


    ''Oh, how interesting. This is the first time I''ve seen such a weapon, well, it''s for the best.'' Frigus smirked as he stepped forward. He attacked immediately.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Frigus''s sword came crashing down on Keira at great speed.


    ''Shit!'' Keira inwardly eximed as her eyes went wide. She reacted quickly, blocking Frigus''s attack.


    "Not bad, you Constructs have excellent reactions, but how about this?" Frigus said calmly before taking a deep breath.


    He exhaled a cold stream of wind which, like a blizzard, began to cover Keira''s body with a thinyer of ice, then Frigus struck again.


    Keira reacted again, but this time she was much slower, so she could not fully block the attack and was thrown back several meters.

 Chapter 943 Blades

    In every war, there weremanders,mon soldiers, and the strongest fighters. Usually, the strongest came out at the end or when there was a need, but Frigus decided to break that rule, since he had nothing to fear at home.


    "Looks like your mechanical body is pretty bad at handling ice, doesn''t it?" Frigus said with a calm look, stepping slowly forward. The snow crunched beneath his feet, as well as the hundreds of grains of sand that werepletely frozen because of the low temperature.


    Keira didn''t answer anything, she just amplified her aura and summoned electrical discharges to break the thinyer of ice bounding her body.


    ''Damn... I thought he was a simple swordsman, but the power of his ice isparable to a high-level spell... I need to be careful. After all, he owns such a powerful Void, so every attack he makes could be deadly.'' Keira muttered inwardly, watching Frigus carefully.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Frigus stepped forward as his silhouette disappeared and in its ce was left an icy crater with falling sand.


    A shadow with a cold stare appeared behind Keira, about to bring his sharp sword down on her.


    ''What...?! Frigus''s eyes went wide at the sight of the cannon aimed at him, though Keira turned around, she slid the de of her sword under her arm opening a path for the shot.


    Booooooooom!


    At the same moment, an electric sphere filled with lightning energy wasunched from the cannon. It exploded behind Keira''s back, aiming all its power directly at Frigus, who had only a moment to react.


    ''Frigus!'' Luna eximed as several runes on the sword glowed brightly. An ice barrier appeared in front of Frigus, but it was immediately destroyed by the st, tossing Frigus aside dozens of meters.


    Burns appeared on his pale cheeks as well as on his arms as he rolled down the deste slope before stopping.


    "Agh... That wasn''t pleasant." Frigus muttered with aplicated expression before plunging his sword into the ground. Cold waves of ice spread around, covering everything with a thickyer of ice.


    Keira turned around, directing her clear gaze at him. Her mechanical eyes stared at Frigus as a slight smirk appeared on her face.


    "Did you really think I''d fall for the same trick a second time in a row?" Keira smirked as she gripped the hilt of her sword tightly, "You''re fast, but I should have no problem anticipating your moves."


    Frigus shook his head, knocking icy grains of sand from his hair, and nced at Keira with a calm look.


    He looked at the three faded runes on the de of his sword and muttered, "I must admit it was unexpected, but unlike you, I have an ally. Your sword is an interesting weapon, but don''t you think you should make up your mind on a weapon or a gun?"


    "I don''t need it." Keira waved her hand, "My sword is the best weapon I could make. You can only attack me up close and have no explosive power, so you''re definitely losing to me on that."


    Frigus remained silent, he with narrowed eyes ran his palm over the de of his sword, then he said, "You can both shoot and sh, that''s actually an advantage, but is that a benefit?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "What do you mean?" Keira frowned as she was puzzled by Frigus''s calm response.


    "Agh, I can''t shoot that''s true, but you certainly can''t cut better than I can, so that makes half your weapons useless." Frigus sighed letting out cold steam before he slowly swung his hand from bottom to top.


    Tiny particles of ice filled with energy and turned into an icy de, heading straight for Keira. The de left a wide cut in the ground behind it, freezing itpletely.


    ''Shit! That was fast!'' Keira''s eyes went wide, but she didn''t run away since she was already ready for something like this.


    Boooooooooom.


    An explosive projectile flew out of her sword again, destroying the icy de, and leaving behind a cloud of steam.


    Frigus was not upset that Keira could so easily destroy his attack, on the contrary, he had the sly smirk that he rarely got.


    "Fine, if you like your sword so much, I''ll let you use it properly." Frigus''s eyes shed as his hand turned into a blur.


    At the same moment, a multitude of icy des headed toward Keira. They were weaker than thest one, but there were considerably more of them, and Frigus wasn''t going to stop.


    ''Hmm? Why is he smirking? Does he really think it can hurt me?'' Keira inwardly muttered trying to figure out what Frigus'' n was, but she didn''t have time for that since the icy des were already in front of her.


    Keira quickly channeled energy into her sword to fire a few more shots, destroying the ice des, but she immediately had to do it again.


    ''Well, maybe Constructs have high intelligence, but it doesn''t seem to have much effect on the decisions she makes duringbat. She just can''t figure out what fell into the simplest trap.'' Frigus muttered inwardly as he continued to wave his hand.


    Frigus had a lot of energy, perhaps not as much as Elegan, but he could create icy des for a very long time, however, gradually they became smaller. The des became more brittle, not as sharp or as fast, but even more than before.


    Keira was under pressure as she barely had time to destroy all the attacks, so she just didn''t have a chance to realize that the des had be weaker.


    "Well, well, it looks like Frigus is evolvingprehensively, he''se up with a pretty simple but cunning n." Wain smirked, resting his head on his hand and with a slight smirk watching the fight, "She thinks that since he''s a swordsman he''ll soon run out of energy, but in fact, the exact opposite will happen."


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Lightning bolts went off on Keira''s sword as she was about to fire again, but the cannon just jammed and ck smoke came out.


    ''Shit! It overheated! Keira eximed to herself, then her eyes went wide as she finally realized what was happening.

 Chapter 944 The Mistake

    Any technology, especially one designed forbat, had one major w that could not be avoided: overheating. Keira''s sword-cannon had no reload time, so she could shoot as fast and as hard as she wanted, it all depended on how much energy she used.


    Each time to destroy dozens of ice des a massive electric projectile flew out of the cannon. It wasn''t a problem for Keira, she had plenty of energy, but the mechanism on her sword just couldn''t take that kind of pressure, it needed a little break.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    A multitude of icy des rained down on Keira. She was ready to scream in pain, but to her surprise, she felt almost nothing as if the des were ss as they just shattered against her tough skin.


    ''What...? What''s going on? Why are his attacks so weak...?'' Keira muttered inwardly in a confusion until slowly a realization began toe to her.


    "You were sillier than I expected." A cold voice echoed behind the cloud of steam as Frigus passed through it in a sh.


    Frigus swung his sword from top to bottom with all his might, bringing it down on Keira.


    Keira managed to put the sword over herself at thest moment, thus blocking the attack, but she found herself in a very bad position, as this was only the beginning of Frigus''s n.


    "You think this half-sword can stop me? Your electricity won''t help you now." Frigus said looking into Keira''s eyes as if he could devour her with one look as a powerful aura emerged from his body.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Blue streams of energy burst out of Frigus in one powerful burst as the runes on his sword shone brightly,pletely filled with energy.


    ''No! No! No! No! This is bad! I have to do something! Keira shouted to herself as she looked at her sword and her pupils narrowed. Because of the colding from Frigus, the cannon had already cooled and was ready to fire, but Keira just couldn''t move or Frigus would cut her in two.


    "You think too long. Still, experience is more important inbat than intelligence, isn''t it?" Frigus muttered with a serene look as if everything had already been decided.


    He stepped forward, pointed his body forward, and gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, pressing on Keira as hard as he could. Her hands began to shake as the ice beneath her feet cracked causing her to fall deeper as if Frigus could bury her alive with that move.


    Crack. Crack. Crack.


    Keira directed her energy toward the cannon, about to fire. There was no way she could hit Frigus since her weapon was pointed the other way, but that was how she wanted to throw Frigus away.


    "It''s no use. Such a weak st won''t even get me to take a step to the side." Frigus''s voice swallowed up everything around her, even eclipsing the loud sound of the gunshot.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    An electric sphere flew out of the doughnut and immediately exploded to their left. Purple mes along with electrical discharges passed behind Frigus, rippling his hair, but his cold gaze was absolutely unchanged.


    "Let''s stop ying games. I thought I''d be interested in fighting against such an unusual weapon, but I was wrong. A sword should be clean, hilt and de, that''s enough to be the greatest tool for killing." Frigus'' eyes filled with condescension as he removed one hand from the hilt of the sword.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "What are you doing...?" Keira''s eyes went wide as she thought that Frigus was about to attack him. She couldn''t imagine that he would have enough strength to keep the pressure on her with just one hand.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll act fair this time, but you don''t need it anymore." Frigus muttered before clutching the cannon on the sword tightly.


    His grip easily crumpled the very strong casing of the cannon, which had to withstand almost any pressure. Frigus was doing this with pure physical strength, just straining the muscles in his arm to the limit.


    "Bastard... Stop... Do you have any idea how much effort I put into creating it...?" Keira was indignant, but her mumbling indicated that she had already epted her loss.


    Crackle.


    Frigus ripped the cannon away from the sword, freeing the depletely of any technological elements.


    "Well, much better now." Frigus let out a sigh, "I suggest youe to your senses if you don''t want our fight to end so quickly."


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Frigus''s fist mmed into Keira''s stomach, causing her face to contort in pain. Her eyes went wide as blood gushed from her mouth, causing her to lose her bnce for a moment.


    The blue sword tossed Keira''s weapon aside and headed for her chest, leaving a wide cut on it from which a stream of blood rushed out.


    "Argh!!!" Keira cried out in agony and immediately received another blow to her stomach, which threw her dozens of feet away.


    Frigus stepped forward as waves of frosty energy appeared around him. He was about to make a dash to kill Keira with this attack and end their fight, but the glint from Keira''s sword stopped him.


    ''What is it? Have you decided to spare her?'' Luna asked with concern.


    ''No... I don''t want it to end like this. I don''t know if it''s Wain''s influence or not, but right now I don''t want to do everything paying attention only to efficiency. I want to enjoy this fight.'' Frigus shook his head as his eyes grew deeper as if he realized something very important to him.


    Frigus took a slow step toward Keira''s sword stuck in the frozen sand, and after a brief hesitation, he grabbed the sword by the hilt.


    ''Hehehe, it looks like Frigus is finally beginning to break his own boundaries. Training is good, I''d even say it''s necessary, but what''s the point of it if you can''t enjoy your results?'' Wain smirked, watching the fight intently.


    ''Agh... It''s all your detrimental influence...'' Cursed Swordsman muttered as he exhaled cold steam.


    ''Well, even if it is, it''s for the best. I couldn''t stand it if Frigus turned into a copy of you. Two swordsmen like that... it''s too much for me alone...'' Wain shook his head with a mocking smile.

 Chapter 945 Bones

    Keira slowly rose from the ground while her wound was still bleeding. Her pained look said everything about her situation, but the pain was less of a problem to Keira herself than the fear.


    ''Shit, I have to hurry. I don''t know how much time has passed, but if I don''t do something soon, he''ll kill me right here. It will be the end for all of us...'' Keira inwardly muttered as her ring glowed brightly.


    A scarlet ss sphere appeared in her hand, which she immediately crushed. The red liquid, as if alive, headed towards her wound gradually healing it. Inside the orb was not exactly a potion, as each drop consisted of hundreds of little robots that filled Keira''s body with power, giving it all its energy.


    ''I can''t do that again, but now at least I won''t die of blood loss, but... What will I do without my sword? That bastard broke it...'' Keira shook her head with a devastated look before rising.


    She immediately got into a fighting stance as she felt Frigus should have attacked her by now. However, instead of the expected attack, Keira stared wide-eyed at Frigus walking towards her.


    "What the hell...? Why is he carrying my sword?" Keira muttered with a dazed look as a shiver went through her body. She thought Frigus was going to use her weapon against her.


    "Looks like you came to your senses, it was quicker than I expected." Frigus said calmly as he stopped. He nced at her sword and spoke, "You must understand that it won''t happen again. The next time you receive such a serious wound, I will cut off your head at once."


    Keira didn''t understand what Frigus was talking about, it was too strange for her as if there was apletely different person in front of her.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Frigus threw his sword at Keira. For a moment she was stunned as she couldn''t believe what was happening.


    "Why are you doing this?" Keira asked in disbelief.


    "I just want our fight to be more interesting. It''s my sincere wish." Frigus proimed with a calm voice, "You''re capable of more, it''s obvious, so now is the only opportunity to show it."


    Keira gripped the hilt of her sword, which now had only a sharp de, then her eyes shed and electric shocks went throughout her body.


    "Fine. If you were stupid enough to give me a second chance, I''ll make sure you regret it as much as possible!" Keira eximed furiously, releasing her aura outward.


    Purple streams of energy turned into a wide pir reaching the heavens. Everyone in the Void could see it, no matter where they were. It was the full power of the Demigod Stage being in possession of its Void.


    ''Do you regret your decision yet?'' Luna asked anxiously.


    "Hmm? What are you talking about? This is exactly what I wanted." Frigus didn''t notice a satisfied smirk appear on his face while there was a fire in his eyes, "Do you think if I can defeat her without using the Form, will I be able to pass on?


    ''What...? Don''t even think about it!'' Luna eximed in anger, ''You managed tond one good attack, but that''s it for now! No matter how strong you are, you can''t defeat an opponent on the Demigod Stage who used his Form if you don''t return the favor.''


    Frigus smiled bitterly, looked at his sword as if he wanted to see Luna, and muttered, "We shall see. This is the first time I feel there is a better way to get stronger besides training."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Space trembled as powerful shockwaves emanated from Keira. Electric shocks asionally struck the sand, turning it into crystals of ss, while Keira''s appearance gradually changed.


    ...


    "Well, well, it looks like one of your leaders is already in a difficult situation, that''s not good." Sarras smirked as he shook his head.


    Red Wolf frowned. ording to their n, they should have already captured part of the Void to move toward the center gradually, but it didn''t end up going ording to n.


    ''Damn, this is bad. Judging by the energy fluctuations, it''s definitely Keira, moreover, she used her Form... Hmm, if she''s fighting against the owner of this Void, that''s even a good thing. In that case, Gaur will have the advantage.'' Red Wolf pondered closely watching Sarras''s actions.


    In front of Sarras stood four skeleton knights in massive armor through which only their burning blue eyes like lights were visible.


    "I don''t know what your n was or how the situation is progressing in other parts of the Void, but one thing I do know." Sarras smirked as he extended his arm, "You''re not getting out of here alive."


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, the knights lunged forward as their swords simultaneously rained down on Red Wolf. Though they were skeletons, they were one of the strongest undead that Sarras could create.


    "Pfff, do you really think four skeletons can overpower me?" Red Wolf snorted before beginning to spin in one ce at breakneck speed.


    His des were covered in red me as he became the epicenter of a fiery tornado. The knights tried to fight their way through it, but the tornado just tossed them aside.


    "How interesting. Aren''t you afraid that at one point your wool will start to burn because of your fire?" Sarras tilted his head with a thoughtful expression.


    "Shut up. Fire is my main ally and with it I can easily burn your bones!" Red Wolf eximed as he stopped.


    There were four des left of the tornado that headed toward the Knights. They easily blocked the attacks with their swords out in front of them.


    Booooooooooom.


    Each of the des exploded with fire as the swords collided and the Knights'' armor turned red, it seemed that a little more of it could have melted.


    "Hahaha, what are you counting on?" Sarrasughed, "They''re undead, the high heat won''t do them any harm, they can''t even feel pain from such a weak attack."


    To Sarras''s mockingughter, the Knights attacked again, clutching their red-hot swords around Red Wolf.

 Chapter 946 First Victory

    Red Wolf jumped aside in panic as four swords copsed into the ground, making it boil because of the high temperature of their swords.


    As soon as his feet touched the ground, the Knights again lunged in his direction, not giving him even a second to catch his breath.


    ''Bastards... At this rate, I might actually lose.'' Red Wolf muttered as he thrust his des out in front of him, thus blocking the two swords.


    "Argh!!!" There was an eerie roar as behind Red Wolf, the rest of the Knights appeared, ready to attack.


    Red Wolf was ready to jump back to dodge, but at thest moment, he made a different decision as one of his legs was covered in red mes.


    Boooooooooom.


    Red Wolf stomped his foot on the ground with all his might, creating an explosion of fire behind him. The wave of me tossed the Knights aside, heating their armor red again.


    ''Fine. They may be fast and strong, but they are also quite easy to cast off. After all, they are only skeletons.'' Red Wolf pondered, then his pupils narrowed and he took a step forward.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    A fiery spark passed over the des of his daggers as Red Wolf''s hands became a blur. In an instant heunched multiple attacks against the Knights, leaving dozens of glowing cuts on their armor.


    The Knights felt no pain, so they immediately attacked back, this was their chance to wound him. However, Red Wolf was already prepared for this, he quickly adapted to the fight and understood what his opponents were capable of.


    "Hah, this makes no sense!" Red Wolf blocked the Knights'' attack, then he let go of his daggers and ran forward, finding himself behind the Knights.


    The Knights couldn''t react as quickly, so Red Wolf''s sharp ws just severed their heads. The Knights fell to the ground with a rumble, dropping their swords while their heads slowly rolled to the side.


    Red Wolf didn''t stop as he lunged forward in a re of fire along the way, raising his daggers. By then the remaining two skeletons had only just recovered from the explosion, so once Red Wolf was in front of them he plunged his daggers into their heads.


    "Here we go. It was easier than I thought." Red Wolf muttered with a twist of his daggers as he shattered the skeletons'' skulls.


    p. p. p.


    "Not bad. You managed to deal with my undead, though you took longer than I expected." Sarras smirked, slowly pping his palms together.


    Red Wolf wanted to reply, but instead, he frowned at the sight of the two Knights standing up and trying to find their heads to put them in ce.


    "Agh... You seem to havepletely forgotten about those two. Don''t you know how to properly kill the undead?" Sarras tilted his head mockingly, not trying to save the Knights.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Red Wolf appeared next to the Knights and destroyed their skulls like the previous two with a slight frown.


    "None of this matters. I destroyed your strongest undead and I didn''t even have to use my Form, it''s over for you!" Red Wolf eximed as he pointed at Sarras with a ming de.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Sarras was left alone, he had no more defenders, so considering he was a Lich, this was the worst possible oue for him.


    Step.


    Unnoticed by anyone, demonster appeared in the fog. He was ready to attack Red Wolf from behind at any moment and kill him like a professional assassin. All Sarras had to do was distract Red Wolf for a moment.


    ''Agh... Do I look so weak?'' Sarras inwardly muttered looking at Red Wolf, ''I can''t me them for that though. Everyone thinks that because I''m a Lich I can''t fight alone... it''s really starting to get tiresome.''


    Crackle.


    Suddenly a simple worker skeleton appeared in front of demonster, which Sarras had at least a couple thousands.


    The skeleton shook his head, saying that no help was needed. demonster was puzzled as he thought this was a good opportunity to end the fight, but he didn''t argue with Sarras.


    ''Hmmm... He was able to spot me even though I thought I waspletely hidden... Well, after all, he is a territory leader like Mistress Nicole... He knows what he is doing...'' demonster internally muttered before taking a few steps backpletely disappearing into the mist.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, Red Wolf attacked, hurtling forward at breakneck speed. He reached Sarras in an instant, but Sarras just jumped aside as if he''d been expecting such an attack for a long time.


    All Red Wolf aplished was two des of fire that sliced through the air in front of him.


    "I have to admit that for a pile of bones, you move pretty fast, but I have no desire to waste any more time on you." Red Wolf said with a hard stare as his aura intensified.


    Streams of red mepletely covered Red Wolf, rapidly increasing his energy. He decided to use his Form to defeat Sarras in one powerful attack.


    "You said I was already using my strongest undead, right? Are you really that stupid?" Sarras asked with a slight smile.


    "What the hell are you talking about?" Red Wolf frowned.


    "Those knights weren''t my strongest undead, though it doesn''t matter. You''re not a strong enough opponent for me to use everything I have against you." Sarras shrugged nonchntly as if Red Wolf had already lost.


    "Trying to make jokes before you die? That won''t do you any good!" Red Wolf furiously eximed, rushing forward with massive streams of fire circling beside him. After activating the Form, his daggers became longer and runes appeared on his body to amplify his mes.


    Sarras made no attempt to dodge, he just stood still and when the distance between them was reduced, he raised his hands up.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Suddenly two huge bone arms came out of the ground that seemed to be able to lift an entire mountain. They moved toward Red Wolf, destroying ruins and rocks in their path until they reached Red Wolf.


    "NO!" Red Wolf shouted with fear in his eyes as the bone hands squeezed him between them.

 Chapter 947 Pressure

    Red Wolf found himself squeezed between two massive bony arms that tried to crush him like a pesky fly.


    "Argh!!!" Red Wolf cried out in pain as a loud cracking sound was heard from his bones that were ready to break at any moment.


    "Hm? Still alive? Damn, you turned out to be tougher than I expected. That''s not good." Sarras shook his head before putting his palms together.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The hands moved out of the way, heading in different directions, thus trying to tear Red Wolf apart.


    "Motherfucker! I''m not going to die from such a cheap reception!" Red Wolf eximed in fury as a powerful stream of me burst out of him. Then, he plunged his dagger into the bone palms and directed energy across them, triggering a powerful explosion.


    The red me pushed his hands back a little, allowing Red Wolf to escape his captivity with a sharp leap.


    He breathed heavily and trickles of blood flowed from the corners of his mouth, while his hateful gaze was directed at Sarras.


    "You''re not really going to use your Form?" Red Wolf asked, gradually heating his daggers to red.


    Sarras remained silent until he said with a wave of his hand, "Is your memory that short? It doesn''t make sense against you, though I must admit I was wrong about something. You were stronger than I expected, so I''ll have to use something more serious."


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, the bony arms came down on Red Wolf again. This time he didn''t fall into their death grip but jumped high to dodge their attack.


    ''They''re very tough... My st did almost no damage to them, but they''re just bones, right? If I destroy the binding part then the palms will just disintegrate, won''t they?'' Thoughts raced through Red Wolf''s head, quickly bing his one and only best n.


    He pressed the two daggers as close together as possible, then released arge amount of energy through their tips, creating a dense beam of fire beneath him.


    The Bone Hands tried to reach Red Wolf to grab him again, but the fire slowed them down slightly which gave Red Wolf a few seconds advantage.


    ''Alright, now I''m in the lead!" Red Wolf eximed to himself before turning into a fiery sh.


    He went through the wrist of his right hand as he stabbed one of the daggers into it, leaving the dagger wedged between his bones, then Red Wolf did the same with the second bone arm.


    ''Damn... He''s not bad, not bad at all. He''s not just a wild beast, he''s quite clever.'' Sarras pondered watching Red Wolf''s actions with a nonchnt expression on his face.


    Snap.


    Red Wolf snapped his fingers.


    The daggers lit up in bright mes before exploding like bombs. The daggers themselves were not harmed in the slightest, they could withstand any temperature, but the bone hands werepletely destroyed, shattered into many bones.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "That''s it." Red Wolf sighed, jumped up to grab the daggers, andnded with a confident look.


    p. p. p.


    "Well, well, this is the second time I''ve had to apud you in a fight, it''s a pretty rare event." Sarras spoke with a sly smile slowly pping his hands.


    Red Wolf grimaced with gritted teeth, "Shut up. You''re just lucky I have to deal with your minions first. Use your Form!"


    Red Wolf had already realized that he could not defeat Sarras quickly, even if he used his Form. He, like any other warrior, wanted his opponent to take him seriously, but Sarras only shook his head.


    "Not now. If you can handle the next threat, I''ll grant your wish, but that''s not going to happen. All that came before was mid-level undead, now you''re going to have to face someone from the upper ss." Sarras smirked, leaned to the ground, and put his palm on the ground.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, the ground trembled as the thick fog moved aside as if making room for their duel, perhaps thest for Red Wolf.


    From beneath the ground, a multitude of columns sprang up, chained together, then two wide aisles appeared before Sarras, out of which two silhouettes emerged, one by one.


    White crystals shone brightly on the pirs, whose light revealed the silhouettes'' appearance. They were two undead girls, in long ck dresses as if they were personal assistants of death. One of them had dense blindfolds covering her eyes while the other had her mouth hidden.


    One of their hands was bound by dense chains whose sharp tips dangled from their wrists, swaying slowly from side to side.


    "What the hell is that...?" Red Wolf muttered as goosebumps ran down his body.


    Sarras smirked, ran his gaze over the girls, and said, "These twins, the strongest undead I''ve ever created, well... except for one incident, but you won''t live to see that... These two will be the ones who take your life and be sure they''ll love it."


    Hearing Sarras''s voice, the twins turned and bowed with folded hands.


    "Mr. Sarras, what are your instructions?" The first twin, the one with her eyes covered, asked.


    "We... must kill... this wolf...?" The second twin barely spoke a few words, since she was just learning to speak, unlike her sister.


    Sarras touched the second twin''s cheek as a slight smile appeared on his face and said, "Yeah, you got that right. He''s pretty strong and has already used his Form, so if you kill him, you get a lot of energy, a lot."


    Red Wolf had many opportunities to attack Sarras as well as the twins since their backs were to him, but instead, he just stood there with his eyes wide open.


    He didn''t know why, but the two frail-looking girls frightened him, for he couldn''t quite see how strong their auras were. There was an invisible stream of dense energy above the twins that grew weaker and stronger, moving from one girl to the next.

 Chapter 948 The Twins

    ''Damn, those two have powerful auras. How could Sarras even create them? They are also on the Absolute Stage, just like him.'' Wain pondered, rubbing his chin with a thoughtful expression.


    ''Yeah... They''re actually not bad. If they weren''t under Sarras'' control, I wouldn''t even mind having some fun with them.'' Abyss Artist said with a sly smirk as his eyes narrowed.


    ''Shut up. You''re disgusting to listen to. They''re undead.'' The Cursed Swordsman frowned, ''Don''t you know what will happen to you if you decide to go for intimacy with them?''


    ''Oh, my friend, I''m well aware of that, but I also know that there are no barriers for me... Though, if I really want to do it, I need my body back first...'' Abyss Artist pondered while shaking his head.


    ''Sometimes I doubt whether you''re a genius or an idiot because only someone of extremely low intelligence could say something like that.'' The ck Sun Aristocrat looked at the Abyss Artist.


    Abyss Artist remained silent, then a sly smirk appeared on his face, ''Well, if you doubt my intelligence then I''m pretty sure yours is below any standards.''


    ''You bastard!'' ck Sun Aristocrat eximed furiously, he seemed ready to pounce on Abyss Artist at any moment.


    Seeing that they started arguing with each other again, which was almost inevitable and happened from time to time, Wain separated himself from them and concentrated on Sarras''s fight. The only one he continued to maintain contact with was dius.


    ''Those seven can really be very noisy sometimes, can''t they?'' dius asked, enjoying the moment of silence. He was not one for noisypany.


    Wain nodded, ''Yeah, but in some ways the Abyss Artist is right, those two actually look cute, but they''re just as dangerous. This Beastfolk has a hard battle and a cruel fate ahead of him. I don''t envy him at all... unlike Abyss Artist, he can''t handle these twins.


    ...


    Sarras finished his brief conversation with the twins and looked at Red Wolf, "Sorry, I hope you didn''t have to wait too long, I tried to make it as quick as possible."


    Sarras''s words made Red Wolfe to his senses as he gripped his daggers tighter and prepared for battle.


    "Looks like I''m not needed here anymore." Sarras smirked, waved his cloak, and stepped aside with a nce at the twins, "Try to finish this quickly so you can get more energy out of it."


    The twins nodded, simultaneously turning toward Red Wolf and recoiling in different directions.


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    In the next moment, a bright glint of metal appeared beside Red Wolf and he got goosebumps. His pupils narrowed at the sight of the sharp tip that was already at his neck.


    ''Shit! How is that possible?! They were just in front of me!'' Red Wolf inwardly eximed in disbelief as one of the runes on his chest glowed brightly.


    Booooooooooooooooooom.


    The mes covered Red Wolf with an explosion that threw off the tip of the chain as well as the second twin. Her eyes went wide since she was sure that this attack would be enough to kill Red Wolf.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "My sister, our opponent is not so easy to deal with such a simple attack." The first twin uttered as the corners of her lips rose, and she appeared over Red Wolf.


    A wave of energy went through the chains around her arm and suddenly there were several times more chains. She swung them all, showering Red Wolf with a hail of many sharp tips.


    ''Fuck! Isn''t she blind!!! How can she be so marked?'' Red Wolf''s eyes went wide as he jumped back as fast as he could. However, it wasn''t enough as several of the lugs left several deep cuts on his body.


    Red Wolf was in pain, but such cuts could not make him lose control.


    He was about to attack back, but as soon as he turned his head, the Second Twin appeared in front of him. She brought her leg down on him at breakneck speed.


    Red Wolf quickly put a block over him, blocking the twin''s attack at thest moment. From the force of her kick, Red Wolf''s arms weakened as the ground beneath him cracked.


    "Looks like we can actually get through this pretty quickly." First Twin smirked as she found herself behind Red Wolf.


    ''No!'' Red Wolf tried to turn around, but he immediately received a powerful blow to the stomach from Second Twin, causing his eyes to go wide and spit out a clot of blood.


    Red Wolf tried to do something to get rid of Second Twin, as he stomped his foot on the ground causing a stream of mes, but that failed to stop her.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Second Twin just delivered three more powerful blows to the same point. For this, she used only her left hand, which was not covered in chains.


    Red Wolf didn''t even have the strength to say anything, he was stunned and needed time to recover, which he didn''t have.


    "My sister hits really hard, doesn''t she?" First Twin said in a demonic voice as she leaned into Red Wolf''s ear, "Unlike her, I''m not as strong, but I know better than her how to hurt..."


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The sharp tips of the chains pierced Red Wolf''s chest,ing out the other side alreadypletely bloodied.


    "Don''t you say anything? Won''t you even say a few parting words?" First Twin did a full turn on one leg and ended up in front of Red Wolf, gently grasping his chin.


    "Agh... I see, your eyes are already empty, well, in that case, it''s time to end our little show." First Twin closed Red Wolf''s eyes before cing her hand on his chest and digging her palm into it, squeezing his heart tightly.


    First Twin stared at Red Wolf for a while as blood ran down her pale skin, then she sighed and squeezed her hand harder, tearing his heart apart.

 Chapter 949 Defending The Mistlands

    Sarras watched the fight with a satisfied smirk. He knew the result would be this way since he was well aware of how strong his undeads were.


    "Well, well, looks like the Twins were even stronger than I thought or did I just overestimate this wolf?" Sarras smirked as he reflected with a tilt of his head.


    Step. Step. Step.


    demonster emerged from the fog and after a few steps he appeared beside Sarras like a ghost.


    demonster looked at Twins before asking, "Is this your strongest undead...?"


    "Oh, you''re already here, I didn''t even notice you." Sarras waved his hand and made a surprised face.


    "No need to deceive me... Then you noticed me even amidst the fog, so now you definitely saw me... even before I entered the arena..." demonster muttered in a muffled voice.


    "Yeah, there is truth in what you say. However, you''re actually very good at hiding, I''m impressed." Sarras shrugged, then his gaze went to Twins, "As for your question... the answer is no. There''s someone else besides those two, it''s pretty unique, so I''d call the Twins number two in my personal army."


    demonster nodded, "I see... I realize now that it was foolish to offer you my help... You could handle even a stronger opponent than this one..."


    "You''re right. Well, it looks like no one stronger than this wolf ising here, so now this area is safe." Sarras waved his hand and headed for the Twins.


    "Sure... You''ve done an excellent job. Weak monsters will try to take resources from our territory... but I and the others will deal with it...you don''t need to waste your strength on it..." demonster muttered, took a step back, and disappeared like a ghost.


    Crackling.


    First Twin stuck her hand out of Red Wolf''s chest, pulled out a white handkerchief, and wiped away most of the blood.


    "Well done, your punches are as strong as ever. I thought a little more and you''d just run him through." First Twin said with a calm look as she turned to her sister.


    "Thank you... I try... but... that wolf wasn''t strong... There are more dangerous monsters in this area..." Second Twin muttered, it was obvious that she needed to gather her strength for each word.


    Sarras approached them.


    "I see you managed as quickly as you could." Sarras grinned as he ced a hand on First Twin''s shoulder.


    ? "Yeah..." The girl nodded, "Mr. Sarras, do you have any more orders for us or can we go home?"


    "I want... home..." Second Twin whispered as her cheeks flushed, "I''m tired..."


    "Hahaha, it''s amazing how you can be so cute and so scary at the same time." Sarrasughed, "Well, you''ve already dealt with your toughest opponent, so you can go back."


    First Twin nodded as she pointed to Red Wolf, "We can take him with us, right?"


    "Sure." Sarras nodded confidently, "Use whatever you can. I don''t need his soul or his blood or his organs or his skeleton. He''s all yours, you deserve it since you''re the one who defeated him."<novelnext></novelnext>


    First Twin sighed, picked up Red Wolf, and looked at Second Twin, "Sister,e on, you''re tired, so now we must rest."


    "Ughum..." Second Twin nodded awkwardly.


    Snap.


    Sarras snapped his fingers as he opened behind him a dark passage leading deep down into his territory.


    The twins were quickly gone as well as the columns and the massive chains connecting them into one.


    The fog gradually returned to its ce as well asplete silence. Only asionally dark silhouettes would appear in the fog, which quickly turned out to be killed by the monsters of the mistynds.


    "Agh... The Twins are going to have a great dinner tonight, but it looks like someone is seriously pissed off about what they did." Sarras smirked as he looked up.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The space next to the blue portal trembled violently because of the massive currents of energy that emanated from Gaur. His fists were clenched and his fierce gaze was directed at Sarras while the wind currents swirled around him at tremendous speed.


    "Bastard... You''ll pay for what you''ve done!" Gaur eximed in fury, shaking the space with his thunderous voice. Everyone in the Void could hear him clearly.


    Sarras should have been wary as he stood no chance against Gaur, Demigod Stage Being, but he didn''t do anything. Sarras just stayed where he was and with a slight smile on his face, he looked at Gaur as if waiting for him to attack.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, Gaur turned into a deadly tornado and swooped down on Sarras. Its power was immense, nothing seemed to stop it, not even the Twins could withstand the power of the wind and would be torn apart.


    "Damn... That actually looks intimidating, but doesn''t he understand that I won''t fight him?" Sarras tilted his head as his eyes sparkled, "There''s no way I can beat him now, but I don''t have to, do I?"


    Gaur was about to reach him when Sarras''s gaze shifted to his left, then a ck sh collided with Gaur''s, throwing him hundreds of feet away.


    "Hahaha! It''s finally my turn! I''m getting tired of waiting!" Nicole eximed joyfully with an excited expression as she created a tform of darkness behind her, just as Wain did.


    She pushed off the tform with tremendous force, causing a shockwave, and headed toward Gaur, who was trying to recover from the collision.


    "Well, Nicole as always. That girl will never change. The harder and more dangerous the battles the more she wants it, the only thing she doesn''t like is waiting." Wain smirked with interest watching Nicole.


    ''Hah, no one likes to wait. Especially you, I can''t call you a patient person.'' diusmented.


    ''Shut up. Too many things have just happened in my life that I should have been the one to wait, just an unfortunate set of circumstances.'' Wain waved his hand with a slight frown.

 Chapter 950 Observation

    Gaur was knocked back by Nicole, but he quickly recovered as he got to his feet and was ready to fight.


    Crackle.


    Nicole did not wait and had no need to exchange a few phrases with Gaur, so she immediately attacked.


    "Get it!" Nicole eximed, bringing her scythe down on Gaur with an excited smile.


    "Pfff, that''s too weak." Gaur snorted as the ring on his finger shone brightly. A massive sickle with a sharp rounded de appeared in his hand.


    ng.


    Their weapons shed as the ground beneath Gaur cracked, however, he stood still and though he blocked Nicole''s attack, with one hand, he did not tremble at all.


    "You seem to be as fast as I am." Gaur spoke in a deadly voice, releasing his powerful aura.


    Nicole''s eyes went wide since she hadn''t expected her opponent to be so resilient. She sighed, bounced off Guar''s massive arm, andnded a few feet in front of him.


    Crackle.


    Once Nicole''s gaze went forward, there was a sh and Gaur''s fist mmed straight into her face, breaking her nose with a loud crack.


    ''What the hell...?" Nicole thought, flying aside with her eyes wide open, "He just hit me before I knew anything...? Yeah, it definitely happened, but how? Even the Dragon wasn''t that fast!!!''


    "Hmm... Just as I thought. Keira is fighting the owner of this Void since she even used her Form, you are definitely weaker than her opponent." Gaur muttered with a descent before taking a full turn.


    At tremendous speed, his foot mmed into Nicole''s stomach, throwing her backward a dozen feet. Waves of pain ran through her body as a clot of dark blood erupted from her mouth, for the first time since the battle with the Dragon.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Before she could stop, Nicole broke several ruins with her body before stopping on the cold, gray earth.


    "Judging by the way that Lich was looking at me with a rather smirk, it was originally decided that you would be my opponent, wasn''t it?" Gaur spoke with an arrogant look of slow pacing.


    Nicole rose from the ground, shook her head to knock all the dust off, and took a deep breath.


    "Damn, that hurt, you''re not only fast, but you''re strong. I love it!" Nicole eximed as a crazy smile appeared on her face.


    "Hah, girl, you definitely have a fighting spirit, but you''re a long way from my level." Gaur grinned as he swung his sickle, "Judging by your energy you have only recently reached the Demigod Stage, going against me was a big mistake!"


    With a wave of his sickle, Gaur created a tornado of many sharp des of wind. The tornado headed toward Nicole, destroying everything in its path and leaving a wide trail behind it.


    Nicole removed the blood from the corners of her mouth and lunged forward, straight at the tornado. Her weapon was made of dragon fang, so she wasn''t afraid of a few wind currents.


    ''This will be easy.'' Erder said calmly as the scythe''s de shed.<novelnext></novelnext>


    At the same moment, Nicole went through the tornado cutting it in two, making Gaur goosebumps.


    ''How is that possible...? She just couldn''t answer any of my punches! How could she have handled my tornado so easily!?" Gaur inwardly eximed as he reflexively jumped aside when Nicole appeared before him.


    She shed horizontally, but the tip of the de failed to reach Gaur, flying near his chest.


    "Shit! Stop running!" Nicole shouted as she attacked a few more times as fast as she could.


    Her arms turned into a blur and a hail of attacks came down on Gaur like white des trying to cut him apart.


    Gaur''s pupils narrowed, his vision sharper and his reflexes better, and now he was taking this battle seriously, like a Beastfolk.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Gaur tracked Nicole''s every attack and methodically dodged her every swing. He took a step to the side, tilted his body, ducked slightly, or even jumped, everything going so smoothly as if he''d known where Nicole would aim from the start.


    ''Why can''t I hit him?! Is he really that much faster than I am?! I don''t believe it!!! Nicole shouted to herself before herst attack, the most powerful.


    This time it was too fast even for Gaur, he had no time to dodge since the scythe''s sharp de was hurtling right at him.


    Gaur took a step back and raised his sickle above him, blocking the attack and taking full force from Nicole''s swing.


    Their collision sent a shockwave that blew debris all around, but Gaur still managed to remain unscathed.


    "I have to admit it was pretty intense." Gaur said calmly looking at Nicole, "Looks like you''re the kind of person who reaches the peak of your strength right during a fight. Well, that''s good, after all, after Keira''s opponent, you''re second strongest here."


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Gaur swung his sickle, shifting Nicole''s scythe to the side and leaping to the left, in a heartbeat behind her.


    Gaur was ready to cut off Nicole''s head as the de of the sickle was on its way to her neck, but Nicole managed to turn and block the attack.


    "You think I''m weaker than your ally''s opponent, right?" Nicole asked with a frown, holding back the sickle that stopped right next to her face.


    "Yeah, it''s obvious. I can feel much stronger energy fluctuations from there, but that''s not the main factor." Gaur said with an ice-cold stare, "Keira, had to use her Form, that''s saying a lot. You''re confident in your powers, I can see that clearly, but you''ll never make me use my Form."


    Nicole grimaced as her aura intensified several times. Above her appeared the silhouette of a wild beast with a huge jaw that stared at Gaur with predatory intent.


    "Are you sure of your words?" Nicole looked up and down at Gaur.


    "Sure... You''re just a wild warrior with an abnormal amount of energy, not enough to defeat me."

 Chapter 951 The Hidden Passage

    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Nicole''s aura grew steadily as if trying to consume Gaur, but it was easy for him to withstand such pressure.


    He looked at her with a calm gaze as if she were an ordinary opponent who was not capable of making him use all his trump cards.


    "Hah, it looks like Nicole is going to have the toughest fight of all. I haven''t decided which of these two is stronger yet, but this Beastfolk will definitely put Nicole through some painful difficulties." Wain smirked as he watched them fight.


    From his seat, there was a view of the entire area, though Wain could even see what was behind the woods or hills, he only had to use a little energy to do so.


    ''Hmm, Sarras has already won, Elegan has sessfully defended the ice ind, Frigus has forced his opponent to activate the Form and Nicole has engaged in battle with one of the enemy leaders... but what are these two doing?'' Wain muttered internally as his gaze shifted to the snowy desert.


    Frigus and Keira were fighting in the far reaches of the area, a dead zone where no one dared enter. Elsewhere there were dozens of monsters constantly fighting as well as Ferner who was quickly destroying intruders.


    No one of Red Wolf''s level stood against him, so he only had to move fast to defeat as many opponents as possible. He knew his task so his des went through Constructs and Beastfolks time after time who thought it would be an easy win for them.


    Crackle.


    Ferner swung his des, slicing the two monsters apart. His dark crystals were alreadypletely covered in thick blood as well as part of his face.


    "Agh... That''s good, that''s what I''ve needed for so long..." Ferner muttered with pleasure as he took a deep breath. A powerful bloody smell headed his way, filling his lungs and bringing a wide smile to his face.


    Ferner had spent his entire life trying to grow stronger to solve the problems with the two elements in his body, so now was the moment when he could finally rest. Fighting against the others, Ferner finally felt like what he was - a monster.


    ''I don''t know if I deserved anything for the trouble I went through, but now I can fully enjoy all the benefits of my situation.'' Ferner smirked, stepped forward, and turned into a sh.


    He appeared in front of two Constructs who were preparing to attack a group of monsters.


    "What the hell?" One of them eximed, reacting quickly and pointing his cannon directly at Ferner.


    Boooooooooom.


    The shot came instantly, but Ferner was already behind them, like a ghost impossible to catch.


    "Hah, you think an attack like that can hit me? It''s ten times slower than just a step from Frigus!" Ferner chuckled before he swung his des.


    The sharp icy des went through the Constructs'' necks, cutting them off with ease. They didn''t even have time to scream as their lives were instantly cut short.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "It''s simple, very simple, but even so it only makes it more interesting to me, especially nice to get a bonus like this every time." Ferner smirked as he watched the two purple souls fly out of the Constructs'' bodies.


    Even though for him, a monster on the Absolute Stage, two souls of average Rating, gave almost nothing, he still absorbed them every time.


    Compared to how much energy he needed, those two souls were even less than a single drop in the whole ocean, but Ferner enjoyed the process since he didn''t have time for it before.


    "Well, it looks like when he fulfills all his wishes, he''ll be able to move on. That''s good, I didn''t waste so much effort on him, in the future Ferner will be very strong." Wain muttered with a slight nod then he looked to his left.


    The only one of the leaders of the territories, or rather of all the warriors in general, who had not yet fought was Reto.


    His territory, the magical forest, was being attacked by both Beastfolks and Constructs, but he paid absolutely no attention to it. His monsters, as well as the Dark Elves, handled anyone who decided to attack the forest with ease.


    ''Hmm... What the hell is he doing? If he''s not fighting then shouldn''t he be as rxed as ever? Then, why did he decide to go that way?'' Wain pondered, looking at Reto.


    Reto was on the edge of his territory, next to the thorny vines on which Royal Grape grew. He just sat on a rock, staring at one point with a sharp gaze.


    From time to time the ground trembled with explosions and streams of wind reached him that fluttered his hair, but nothing could make him look away.


    "Come on, I''m tired of waiting. If it turns out that I just imagined it, I''ll lose confidence in my intuition, I don''t want that at all..." Reto whispered so quietly that no one could hear him even if someone was near him.


    Time passed, the battles across the Void continued and all the strongest warriors must have been upied by their opponents by now.


    Crackle.


    Suddenly there was a crack in the air as if there was a secret door at the back and a dark dagger appeared through it. Gradually the crack widened and a dark silhouette tried to pass through it. Step by step, the passage grew wider until the secret intruder was able to pass through itpletely.


    It was a man with pale skin and violet eyes. His body was concealed by a long ck cloak through which passed bony des from his knees and elbows.


    With a wave of his hand, the man closed the passage and looked around.


    "Fine... All went well..." The man muttered with a slight smile as a shiver passed over his body due to Reto''s intense gaze.


    "What the hell..." His eyes went wide as he couldn''t believe that someone was waiting for him.

 Chapter 952 The Intruder

    "Well, well, to be honest, I was starting to worry that I was wrong and missing all the fun, but as usual I was right." Reto smirked, jumped off the rock, and headed toward the man.


    ''Hmm? Who is he? Am I unlucky enough to run into the owner of this Void? No... it''s unlikely... his aura is too weak...'' The man inwardly muttered as he blinked.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Once he opened his eyes again, a moment passed before Reto was right in front of him, though there had been a great distance between them before.


    ''No!'' He flinched as he prepared to fight, but stopped because of Reto''s actions, as he simply extended his hand toward him.


    ''Hey, there''s no need to be so frightened. We''re two strangers who just met, so shouldn''t we tell each other our names, for starters?" Reto grinned, "My name is Reto Windon, how about you?"


    The man waspletely puzzled, he couldn''t believe Reto was saying something like that, but for some reason, he responded to the handshake.


    "My name is...Felix Dalton..." Felix said uncertainly, not understanding what was going on.


    "Fine, you have a pretty good name. Felix, may I ask why you came here? Is it all a coincidence that you showed up here when my Void is in the midst of a battle with other spaces?" Reto said in a calm voice, exuding a benevolent aura as if he and Felix were old friends.


    In a strange way, it affected Felix as he no longer felt tense. He didn''t expect anyone to meet him, but he was ready to fight for such an asion, but it all came down to this in the end.


    "No...I just wanted..." Felix said with a smile on his face as suddenly he stopped, he realized he couldn''t tell Reto the truth.


    Reto grinned as he squeezed Felix''s hand tighter, "Don''t worry, you don''t need to answer. You''re an Undead, by all ounts a good assassin, that''s pretty obvious."


    Reto continued staring intently into Felix''s eyes among which fear was appearing, "You came here to quietly take the resources and leave, didn''t you?"


    Felix wanted to object, as the intense tension returned, but he just couldn''t say anything since he was too scared.


    "Agh, I have to admit you had a great n. You noticed that our Void was involved in the war and based on arge amount of energy and the fact that we were attacked by two spaces, you realized that there was definitely something of value here. Am I saying this right?" Reto asked with a sly smile while his calm voice seemingly hypnotized Felix.


    "Yeah... That''s how it was..." Felix replied and only then realized that he had actually said it.


    "Hah, just as I thought. You''re a pretty honest guy, I like that." Reto chuckled as hisughter magically calmed Felix who was already ready to run away after Reto had figured it all out.


    Reto remained silent until he asked rubbing his chin in thoughtfulness, "Hmm, if you could see that, then you have your Void too, right? Maybe you used some kind of special artifact?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Felix shook his head, "No... I don''t need artifacts... I have my own Void, but it''s not as big as this one. I use my space as my personal treasure trove, where I keep everything I could get from the other Voids."


    "Oh, doesn''t that mean you have a lot of rare resources, materials, and artifacts?" Reto''s eyes went wide.


    "Sure, I have arge collection. This Void is far from the first one I was going to rip off..." Felix replied with a smile, he seemedpletely oblivious to the situation he was in, "I try to quickly find the best of the Void and get away unnoticed, it works every time!"


    "Hah, that proves you know how to do your thing, you''re a true master." Reto narrowed his eyes in sincere praise for Felix.


    "Well, I have to admit that every time I''m afraid someone might catch me, but luckily that hasn''t happened yet." Felix shrugged nonchntly.


    He waited for Reto to answer, but he just stared at him as if trying to see something.


    "Hmm? Is there something wrong? Is there something on my face?" Felix muttered as he pointed at himself.


    "Nah, I was just wondering what to do with you. Honestly, I didn''t expect our conversation to get to this point... I think it''s time we moved on to the next phase." Reto sighed, let go of Felix''s hand, and reached over to his head.


    Felix was puzzled, he didn''t understand what Reto was doing, but he wouldn''t back away since he trusted himpletely.


    Snap.


    Reto snaped Felix on the forehead. This simple action caused a small shockwave with the wind flow and threw Felix back a few meters.


    Felix hit the tree trunk with a loud crack. He wasn''t in much pain, but his mind was in chaos.


    "You''re a good assassin and a pleasant conversationalist, but you''d make a damn bad secret agent since you''re too inattentive." Reto calmly spoke looking at Felix.


    "Agh...? What the hell are you talking about? Wait... What''s going on?" Felix muttered in disbelief looking at his hands.


    After Reto''s snap, a purple mist began to emerge from Felix''s body, which all along was covering him like a shell. Then all their conversation passed through Felix''s mind again, only now there was not a slight smile on his face, but a frightened expression as a shiver ran through his body.


    "Hahahaha, Reto may not be the most active member of my Void, but damn, he''s a genius! Hahahahahaha!" Wainughed as he was thrilled with what he saw, "dius, you saw that too, right? That''s incredible! He fooled him so cleverly that even I would have had a hard time noticing it!"


    "Yeah, that''s really impressive." dius nodded, "Now that was the most interesting part for me. What''s he going to do next?"

 Chapter 953 The Game

    A violet mist gradually emerged from Felix, clearing Reto''s influence from his mind. Felix remembered every word, every smile that appeared on Reto''s face, and it made his eyes grow wider.


    "It looks like you''ve finally figured it out now. You''re scared, that''s obvious, but there''s no reason for that." Reto smirked as he stopped a meter away from Felix.


    "You... You hypnotized me!" Felix eximed with a wave of her hands.


    "Hmm... Not really, something like that can''t be called hypnosis..." Reto muttered as he touched his lips with a thoughtful expression, "Although there is truth in what you say. I have relieved you of the tension, gradually, and made you think that I am not your enemy."


    Reto shrugged, "Honestly I didn''t expect you to tell me so much about yourself, it seems like you haven''t talked to anyone in a very long time, hasn''t it?"


    "Shut up!!!" Felix shouted, got to his feet, and jumped back. Several water spheres appeared next to him and were ready to descend upon Reto at any moment.


    "A water Element? How curious, it''s been a long time since I fought someone like you. However, that''s not exactly what I want." Reto smiled slyly as he crossed his arms over his chest.


    "Agh...? What are you talking about?" Felix was puzzled. He took a few steps back, not wanting to approach Reto.


    "Well, I have to exin something to you first. You don''t stand a chance against me. You will lose a hundred battles out of a hundred." Reto said calmly before stepping forward.


    Whooooooooooooooooosh.


    His silhouette blurred as suddenly three Reto appeared next to Felix each with a sharp dagger in his hand. Felix instinctively tried to back away, but as soon as he took a step back he felt the chill from the metal de that almost cut off his head.


    "Hey, you shouldn''t move so sharply, if I hadn''t reacted you would have killed yourself." Reto as well as his illusion simultaneously said with a smirk.


    Felix shuddered as a chill ran down his back. He was an experienced assassin and knew better than most that Reto could have easily killed him now.


    "Are these illusions? Why do I feel that every one of these daggers is real?" Felix asked with a gulp.


    "Hah, it has to be. I learned a long time ago to create copies of myself that would be at least 70% as strong as me. I''m trying to increase the percentage, but it''s pretty hard." Reto said rxedly as if talking about a domestic problem.


    Snap.


    Reto snapped his fingers, thereby removing his illusions and returning the dagger to his belt.


    "Well, now that you realize you don''t stand a chance against me, we can move on to the third part of our unusual encounter." Reto smirked as he reached forward, "Now you have two options, first, I kill you since you''re an intruder, I guess you had to be prepared that one day that would happen."


    Felix shuddered as he got goosebumps. He loved to steal, endlessly replenishing his space with new resources, but he didn''t want to die for it at all.


    "What''s the second option...? I don''t know what you''re going to say, but I think anything is better than what you''re suggesting now." Felix asked with an awkward look.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Felix smirked, "I''ll give you a chance to survive. It all depends on your skills as a thief and of course luck, there''s nowhere in our world without it, isn''t there?"


    "What am I supposed to do? You want me to steal something...?" Felix hesitantly asked, but he was willing to do anything if this was actually his chance.


    Reto remained silent until he turned to the vines and said, "You will have a simple task. You will have to steal one bunch of grapes with your eyes closed."


    "And...is that all...?" Felix muttered in a confusion.


    "Not really. Whether or not you seed will depend on how many grapes there are. If it''s an even number, you lose, if it''s the other way around, you stay alive and even get a reward." Reto shrugged as a sly smile appeared on his face.


    "As soon as I snap my fingers a tight blindfold will appear over your eyes and you''ll have ten seconds to bring me one grape bunch."


    Felix nodded, he thought the assignment was too strange, but he was in no position to resent it. Now he had to try to do his best to find the right bunch of grapes in time.


    "Fine, in that case, we begin...right now!" Reto eximed as he snapped his finger.


    Felix''s eyes appeared a dense purple blindfold through which it was impossible to see anything. He was inplete darkness, but he had plenty of time to look around, so he moved quickly.


    In a second Felix was among the vines, touching several bunches. He didn''t have much time, so he tried to find the right bunch as quickly as possible.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    With less than a second to go, Felix appeared in front of Reto with a bunch of grapes clutched between his fingers.


    The purple patch was gone from his eyes, signaling the end of the ordeal.


    "Well, I hope you made the right choice. Let''s get to the counting, shall we?" Reto held out his hand with his palm open.


    Felix took a deep breath and handed the bunch of grapes to Reto hopefully.


    "One, two, three, four..." Reto slowly counted touching each grape. He did this with a slight smile on his face, but the further he went the more worried Felix got.


    ''Shit! Shit! Shit! Even though he said to choose carefully, was it possible?! It all depends entirely on luck! It''s 50/50, I either die or I live! He''s just messing with me.'' Felix inwardly eximed with a frightened expression.


    The countingsted quite a while, and when Reto came to an end, rivers of sweat ran down his forehead as his lips werepletely dry from the stress.

 Chapter 954 Luck

    "Fifty-four and fifty-five..." Reto muttered, touching thest grape, lightly wiggling the tip of the bunch.


    "What...? What did you say...?" Felix muttered in disbelief, he needed to hear it again.


    Reto smirked, "In this bunch, there are exactly 55 grapes, no more, no less. If your memory is better than your hearing, you know what that means."


    Felix smiled broadly as his eyes shone brightly.


    "It means I''ve won! Doesn''t it!" Felix eximed cheerfully.


    "Sure." Reto nodded, "Well, as I promised, I won''t just let you live, there''s a small prize waiting for you as well, though it''s more of an offer than a prize."


    "Hmm...? I don''t quite follow you." Felix tilted his head in confusion.


    Reto smirked insidiously as he held up a finger, "Look, now you have two choices again. You can leave right now and continue to invade various spaces like amon thief."


    "Or...?"


    "No, not like that. Answer first, do you want to leave? That will determine whether I tell you what my offer is." Reto said as the corners of his mouth went up, forming a sly smile.


    Felix frowned. In their short acquaintance, he had already realized that Reto was the kind of man who preferred to make devious ns.


    Felix doubted what was evident on his face, but eventually, he took a deep breath and said, "Fine. I''m not leaving. I want to hear what you''re going to offer me."


    Felix wasn''tpletely sure of his words, but he decided to trust Reto since so far Reto hadn''t fooled him.


    ''If he wanted to, he would have killed me several times already, wouldn''t he? Moreover, hisst offer saved my life, so that should be more profitable too...'' Felix muttered inwardly.


    "The right choice." Reto smirked, then he turned around, walked over to the rock, and sat on it.


    Reto put one foot on the other and said confidently, ''Since you''ve decided to stay, I want it tost much longer! I want you to stay in this Void and be our ally!"


    "What the hell...?" Felix muttered with wide eyes, "Are you serious right now...?"


    "Of course." Reto nodded, "I mean, you have great skills since you were able to sneak into dozens of areas, evening here wasn''t a problem for you. You''re just unlucky you didn''t manage to hide from my gaze."


    "Well... honestly I don''t even know what to say... I''mpletely confused..." Felix muttered as he waved his hand.


    "Hah, don''t worry, I can exin again so you can make the right decision." Reto shrugged before pointing at Felix, "Don''t you get tired of being a thief all the time? You work alone, your Void is your vault, and I couldn''t spend much time alone. I don''t believe you like it."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Felix answered nothing, he just gulped and clenched his fists tightly. Reto didn''t need his answer, he understood everything from the look in Felix''s eyes, within which there was hope for change.


    "I believe one should try to get the best out of any situation. The worst that could happen would be a battle between us, you would die I would win and that would be it. However, if you ept my offer, we both get decent allies and even friends." Reto said sincerely, fully aware of the points to be pressed.


    "Allies... Friends...?" Felix whispered as if he''d heard what he''d wanted for so long, "That sounds wonderful, but can you make those decisions? I mean, as far as I''m concerned you don''t own this Void, right?"


    "Yeah, you''re right. I''m only the leader of one of the territories, or rather this forest that you decided to invade, but that''s no problem. We can talk to the owner right now." Reto nodded calmly.


    "What...? Are you serious? Shouldn''t he or she be fighting right now?" Felix was puzzled, "It''s quiet here...that''s why I decided to open a portal in this ce, but there are battles going on in the rest of this Void."


    Reto smirked, stood up, and looked toward the hill that was very far away from the magical forest.


    "Not really. In fact, our leader isn''t even fighting right now. He''s just watching us deal with the attack." Reto shrugged.


    Felix''s jaw dropped since he couldn''t believe what he was hearing.


    "Wait... You were attacked by two Fifth Chronicle spaces... Their amount of energy is about the same as what you have now... I clearly identified this, yet your leader is not fighting? Is he insane?!" Felix waved his hands.


    "No, you have to look at it this way. His actions only mean that he hasplete confidence that we can do it even without his help." Reto smirked, "Well enough talk. We have to get to that hill as fast as we can. Let''s go!"


    Felix would have liked to ask a few more questions, but he didn''t linger and ran straight ahead. The situation was still strange, but his instincts told him that it would all lead him to great sess.


    Watching Felix''s distancing back, Reto picked up a bunch of grapes.


    "Well, well, you may be a great thief, but you''repletely unlucky." Reto said with a slight smile before touching the bunch.


    Tremble.


    One of the grapes shuddered and disappeared in purple smoke, so now the total number of grapes was 54.


    ''That''s why I don''t like to hope for luck, you just might not get lucky, to begin with, but what''s worse, anyone can make adjustments.'' Reto inwardly spoke, opened his mouth wide, and ate the entire bunch of grapes in one bite.


    "Agh... but this grape tastes great... It''s a great bonus to me for finding us such an unusual ally." Reto closed his eyes with pleasure, sighed, and followed Felix.


    Felix ran forward like a shadow, gradually moving faster and faster as he approached the high hill from which all the territory was visible. He did so silently, thinking of what had happened, and it made a joyful smile appear on his face.

 Chapter 955 Meeting

    "Reto, as always, sticks to his preferences. I won''t hide it, if I saw someone trespassing in my territory, I would destroy the intruder immediately." Wain said coldly looking at Felix, then a pleasant smile appeared on his face, "In this case, Reto was more pragmatic than me."


    Reaching the foot of the hill, Felix stopped as he didn''t know where to go next. He turned around to ask Reto this since he thought he was following him.


    "Hmm? Where is he? Did he really stay there?" Felix tilted his head in confusion.


    Tap.


    A light palm fell on his shoulder, causing Felix to wince and quickly turn around. He was ready to fight, but when he saw who it was, he sighed in relief.


    "Hey, you don''t have to be so scared, I thought that since you were an Undead you could easily keep track of my movements." Reto smirked.


    "Damn... You don''t move the way I''m used to. I don''t even know how you managed to outrun me... Well, anyway, we have to go upstairs, right?" Felix asked as he waved.


    Reto turned around, looked up, and said, "We need to get to the very top. I''m sure he''s already waiting for us."


    "Agh? I can''t see anything..." Felix narrowed his eyes trying to see the top of the hill.


    "Hah, do you really think you can see anything like that?" Reto chuckled.


    "I actually have great eyesight! Even though I''m at the bottom, but thanks to my skills I can see everything around us, and height doesn''t matter to me!" Felix said proudly as he ced his hands at his sides.


    Felix smiled, "Well, that didn''t help you notice me, did it? So just follow me if you want to meet our leader, I''m sure it will be a life-changing encounter for you."


    Felix gulped.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Reto jumped high up, instantly rising more than ten meters. Felix appreciated his leap and did the same himself. Like two shes they moved rapidly upward until they reached the very top.


    "And... Where''s your leader?" Felix was puzzled as there was nothing around, just a few trees and a massive rock that overlooked the entire area.


    "Maybe it''s time to show yourself? Don''t you think so?" Reto uttered with a slight smile as he looked at the boulder.


    Nothing was happening and Felix was beginning to doubt that Reto was telling the truth, but just as he was about to ask him about it a loud click was heard.


    Click.


    The space around the boulder trembled as a white sphere of several magical circles appeared.


    "Reto, I didn''t know you had such keen eyesight, I didn''t think you could see that I was here." A powerful voice sounded as the orb became several timesrger quickly covering the entire top of the hill.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Well, I can''t see through such a tricky barrier, but I just knew you''d be here." Reto shrugged as he met Wain''s gaze.


    Wain was sitting on a boulder with his hand ced on his knee. There had been battles all around the hill, all over the Voids, but it was peaceful andpletely safe here.


    "You own this Void...?" Felix asked uncertainly since he could not sense Wain''s aura at all.


    "Yeah, that''s me." Wain grinned, "Your name is Felix, right?"


    "Yes." Felix nodded, "By the way, is it just me or do you look a lot like Nameless King? I had a chance to find out what he looks like recently, you''re just the same face." Felix said with a slight smile, not realizing how ridiculous that sounded.


    "Hah, you know, I''ve never been told that before, though I know why." Wain chuckled.


    Felix gave him a questioning look.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, Wain released part of his aura and Felix instantly understood. A chill ran down his back as he shuddered as if he were facing someone infinitely stronger than him.


    "No way... This can''t be..." Felix muttered in disbelief with his eyes wide open.


    Only a fairly limited number of people could know what the Nameless King looked like since only those who were near the shining tree could have a picture of him. However, even if someone like Felix found the picture with someone, it was still unclear when they met him in person as Wain restrained his energy.


    "Yeah... our leader is Nameless King. We''re used to it by now, but when we found out about it we were as surprised as you were." Reto shrugged with a slight smile on his face.


    Felix stared at Wain for a while and couldn''t take his eyes away from him. He looked as if he''d seen an idol he''d dreamed of meeting since he was a kid.


    "Hah, he seems even more surprised than you are. I haven''t told my story to many people, so this kind of stare is not at all usual for me." Wain smirked as he jumped off the boulder, then Felix finally came to his senses.


    "Oh... I''m sorry! I didn''t mean to offend you!" Felix bowed low with a frightened expression on his face.


    "Don''t worry, it''s okay." Wain said as he put his hand on Felix''s shoulder, "Well, I understand you want to join us, don''t you?"


    Felix raised his head, nodded a few times, and said, "Yes, it would be an honor!"


    Felix had been a loner before, for a very long time and Reto immediately sensed this, so he would have agreed anyway. However, the fact that the leader of this Void was Wain, or rather Nameless King, was a real surprise to Felix.


    "Fine, then you''ll be in the territory with Reto, I mean, you can always leave for other spaces or the wide world, but the magic forest is your home now." Wain patted Felix on the shoulder and turned to Reto, "You don''t mind, right?"


    "Sure. Not only will I look out for him, but I''ll be his new friend. I''m sure Felix is a very interesting man." Reto smiled.

 Chapter 956 Compensation

    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A fireball of red lightning exploded next to the hill, then a massive monster with huge paws jumped high up and grabbed a Construct whounched this attack at him.


    "Roooooaaaaaaarrrrr!!!" The monster growled belligerently and threw Construct to the ground with all his might, causing him to crash into it.


    Construct''s eyes went wide as a stream of blood gushed from his mouth.


    He tried to get up quickly, and continue fighting, but the monster wasted not a second as its paws like two hammers came down on Construct, bringing him terrible pain.


    "Roooooaaaaaaaarrrrrr!!!" The monster roared at Construct covering his face with saliva before mming into his palms.


    Ding. Ding. Ding.


    From the p, there was a shockwave that sent shivers through the air. Then, out of the ground came stone spikes that came crashing down on Construct.


    "NO!!!" Construct eximed with a terrified expression, trying to escape, but it was toote.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The stone spikes pierced his body, practically tearing it apart. Construct''s eyes went nk as a blue soul flew from his body.


    The monster smirked, tossed Construct along with his soul into his mouth, and simply swallowed him. A satisfied grin appeared on the monster''s face, and then he moved on, straight into more battles.


    "Wow, that was cool!" Felix eximed with a dazed look.


    "Yeah, that monster did a good job. There are thousands of monsters equal to this one in strength in this Void, so the enemies don''t stand a chance. Attacking us was the greatest mistake they ever made." Reto smirked.


    "Damn... now I understand why you are so calm... This monster is on the Fourth Chronicle as well as his opponent, but victory was so easy..." Felix muttered as his eyes went wide.


    Felix watched the Beastfolks and Constructs monsters fight for a while. He was amazed that he had never seen such arge-scale battle so easy for either side.


    "Well, I think you''ll still have time to enjoy the battles that will take ce in this space in the future, right now we have a few other issues to work out." Wain said with a slight smile.


    Felix turned to him with an attentive look.


    "Felix, I''m d you joined us, you were able to find a breach and sneak into the area, if not for Reto you actually could have gone unnoticed." Wain said calmly, then his gaze became serious, "However, that doesn''t change the fact that you did. If it wasn''t for Reto, you''d be an intruder we''d destroy, I hope you understand that."


    Wain spoke without threat, in a measured voice, but Felix was slightly startled as he realized that Wain was right.


    "I fully admit my guilt." Felix said seriously as his eyes filled with courage, "What will be your decision?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Wain and Reto looked at each other since he hadn''t expected Felix to change and adapt to his new role so quickly.


    "Hah, Felix, you''re one hell of a quick thinker. Well, maybe that''s what made you a good thief." Wain smirked as he waved his hand, "Look, I''m not going to punish you, that''s not my style at all, we''ll do things differently."


    Felix gave him a questioning look.


    Wain pointed at Reto, "I understand you have your own private vault, or rather this is your space, I overheard a little of your conversation, no offense."


    Felix nodded, "Do you want me to give something away? If so, I''m ready! Even if I have to give you half of my treasure, it''s worth it to be a member of your team! You Nameless King!"


    Wain shook his head, "I don''t want your treasure, or rather I''m not going to take what you have except one thing. You invaded Reto''s territory because you wanted to steal something, so I want Reto to pick any one thing from your treasury. That will be enough to make us even."


    "I like that idea." Reto smirked, already imagining taking the rarest and most unique item from Felix.


    Felix flinched slightly but quickly came to his senses, as it was so much better than all the options he had imagined.


    "Fine, I agree. That''s fair." Felix said with clenched fists.


    "In that case, let''s go right now." Wain waved his hand.


    "What...? Do you want me to open a spatial rift right now? You''re in the middle of a war with two Voids!" Felix eximed in disbelief.


    "Hah, don''t be ridiculous, I''m not going to participate in this battle, our opponents are too weak. My territorial leaders can easily deal with this little problem, don''t you get that already?" Wain grinned as if Felix were saying ridiculous things.


    Felix was puzzled, he didn''t know what to answer and decided to look around.


    His eyes went wide from what he saw as he saw hundreds of corpses of Beastfolks, Constructs, and monsters with their Voids in every territory, however, Wain''s defeated warriors were very few.


    "Damn... sometimes I think too long." Felix shook his head with an uncertain smile, "This is the Void of the Nameless King... obviously the monsters here are going to be incredibly strong."


    Felix took a deep breath, waved his hand, and opened a rift in space. Out came a dark, cold mist that slowly enveloped Felix''s body, as if inviting him back.


    "How interesting. This is the first time I''ve ever seen the World of Darkness interact so tightly with someone, it''s unusual." Wain muttered with a thoughtful expression.


    "Yeah... I don''t know exactly when it started, but every day it gets easier for me to move between spaces. Maybe it''s just that I do it too often." Felix shrugged as an innocent smile appeared on his face.


    "Gradually I''ve gotten better as a thief and I''m spending more and more time not in spaces but specifically between spaces since I spend quite a bit of time finding the right target." Felix scratched the back of his head as he slightly bragged.

 Chapter 957 Friend

    Felix entered the spatial rift to the sound of explosions, shockwaves, and lightning from the hundreds of spells the warriors used. Wain and Reto followed him, ncing before him at his Void.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Felix''s footsteps echoed strangely though, in the World of Darkness, this one had nothing to show for it. He walked forward, and the darkness covered his feet like threads guiding him to his desired destination.


    ''Damn... Did Reto just hit the jackpot for our Void?'' Wain muttered inwardly in disbelief, watching Felix, ''I''ve never heard anyone interact so seamlessly with World of Darkness.


    ''I have a theory about that...'' Abyss Artist said with a thoughtful expression.


    ''Hmm? From the sound of your voice, you don''t sound at all sure of what you''re saying, I haven''t seen you like this in hundreds of years...'' Wain was puzzled.


    ''Look, this is definitely an unusual situation. At a nce, Felix is a simple Undead with good thief skills, which is already rare, but that is not the most important thing right now.'' The Abyss Artist waved his hand.


    He continued, ''Apparently, Felix is quite a lonely man and Reto has taken advantage of that, but there is much more behind Felix''s loneliness than one might think.


    ''I''ve never seen it, and I doubt anyone has any information about it at all, but it seems World of Darkness has be Felix''s friend, or at least they''re on their way to it. Sure, not the whole vastness of space, but this particr darkness that always stays in the background.''


    The Abyss Artist as well as the Blind Sorcerer were scientists in certain fields and they knew far more about many things in this world than Wain or anyone else.


    ''I think so too.'' Blind Sorcerer added, ''You need to give this guy as much freedom as possible. Since he should continue to spend a lot of time out in the open. This darkness can provide amazing opportunities, at least that''s my opinion.''


    Felix''s situation was unique in that it was almost impossible to be in an open space for even a few minutes before reaching Fifth Chronicle. However, when a creature reaches the Fifth Chronicle, it either has its own space with hundreds of warriors or was a member of some organization.


    No one had any reason to stay long in an open space as it was a waste of time, but for Felix it wasmonce, also he was alone.


    ''Agh... Unlike Abyss Artist, Blind Sorcerer, or Reto I''m not used to manipting others. Well, I think a few simple phrases will suffice for me.'' Wain pondered what could be said to Felix.


    Tap.


    Wain stopped Felix by putting his palm on his shoulder.


    "Hmm? Nameless King, do you want something?" Felix asked with a respectful tone.


    "No need, just call me Wain, after all, we are allies now. You canmunicate with me just like you do with the others." Wain shook his head as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    Felix nodded.


    "I just wanted to say a few words to you. You''re the first one to have such tight contact with the darkness in the open, so you shouldn''t lose it." Wain looked at Felix''s feet, which were covered in darkness.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Hmm? I thought that happens to everyone who travels between spaces a lot." Felix was surprised as well as puzzled.


    "Hah, no, consider this a unique opportunity for you that you shouldn''t lose. Anyway, even though you''re our ally now, spend as much time as you can in an open space. I''m sure one day this darkness will be able to give you great power." Wain grinned, patted Felix on the shoulder, and moved on.


    Felix stood still for a while and just looked around, inside the vast darkness. There was nothing in the open space, yet at the same time, everything was filled with darkness that was almost alive.


    ''Great power...? Maybe for a Nameless King, it would be possible, but it would be enough for me just to be able to move around more easily in this wonderful ce...'' Felix inwardly muttered as he reached forward.


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    Suddenly a thick darkness, like a fog covered his arm and pulled him along as if it had been waiting for this moment for a long time.


    "What the...!" Felix shouted, but before he could say another word the darknesspletely engulfed him.


    Wain and Reto turned around and immediately prepared to fight, but just like Felix, the darkness covered them and threw them in the same direction. With them, the darkness acted roughly, not at all as gently as it had with Felix.


    The next moment they appeared in front of a circr gate that looked more like a water sphere with a secret passage inside.


    "What the hell was that?" Reto frowned as his aura intensified. There were some creatures living in the open space that could have attacked them, but he had never heard it so strange.


    "Calm down. The darkness did this, not some monster." Wain waved his hand with a deep sigh.


    Wain turned to Felix, "Is this the gateway to your Void?"


    Felix nodded, "Yeah... It took us a few more minutes to get here. It took me a lot of effort to hide my space properly, I have a dangerous job, you know." Felix shrugged.


    "However, this has never happened before. It''s like the darkness helped me get here as fast as I could, and here we are..." Felix muttered.


    "Looks like you''ve already gone a lot further than I thought. Keep up the good work." Wain smirked, headed forward, and stopped a few steps from the water sphere. He looked at Felix and smirked.


    "Felix, I realize something now. If Reto and the others are your new friends, then the darkness from open space has been trying to be your friend for a long time." Wain said slowly pacing toward Felix.


    "What...?" Felix''s eyes went wide.


    "Let''s see what else your most loyal friend can do. Test your friendship, so to speak." Wain put his hand on Felix''s shoulder and the corners of his mouth formed a sly smirk.

 Chapter 958 The Voice

    "Hmm? What are you talking about? I don''t understand you at all..." Felix muttered with an awkward look as he scratched his cheek.


    "Oh, it will only be a small test, so I must also quench my interest. I hope you understand." Wain smirked, clenched his hand into a fist, and stuck it into Felix''s stomach.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The impact created a shockwave that knocked Felix back several meters. His eyes went wide and with a pained face, his mouth opened wide.


    Felix fell onto the invisible tform and struggled to his feet.


    "What are you doing...? Did I insult you somehow...? Why did you do that?!" Felix eximed furiously, but there was no anger in his voice; it was a cry filled with resentment.


    "I apologize in advance, but it seems my actions have already had an effect. We must continue." Wain pointed at Felix, or rather at the darkness that appeared behind him.


    The darkness enveloped Felix from behind as it split into two streams that, like hands, covered his chest. Felix immediately felt better as his eyes sparkled, then he was gone.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Felix appeared behind Wain, he didn''t stride, he didn''t jump or rushed forward, it was as if he teleported away as it happened even faster than an instantter.


    Wain realized it toote, so Felix''s fist came down on his back with all the power he was capable of.


    "Hah, not a bad punch, but you certainly don''t have enough power to make me at least frown." Wain smirked as he turned his head.


    Felix was on the Absolute Stage, so it was almost impossible for him to hurt Wain, especially with his bare hands, his body was just too strong.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly a thread of darkness ran down Felix''s arm, through his fist with a powerful pulse.


    Wain''s eyes went wide as in the next moment, he experienced more powerful pressure and was thrown aside by the st of darkness.


    Wain rolled over the invisible tform, time after time until he stopped as his aura became several times weaker.


    ''What...? I''m sure that even if Frigus had struck at full power, Wain would not have taken such damage. Felix can''t be that strong, that''s for sure, I couldn''t be wrong.'' Reto muttered inwardly in disbelief, looking at Wain lying on the ground.


    His ck coat was torn apart by the powerful explosion and tried to gradually recover, getting energy from Wain''s body, but it was very slow.


    It was also taking energy to speed up the regeneration of the horrible,cerated wound on Wain''s back, it looked as if a bomb capable of destroying a mountain had exploded under his skin.


    ''Hey... Why isn''t he getting up? Was this attack that strong?'' Reto shuddered.


    Just as he began to worry, Wain''s fingers began to move and he slowly rose to his feet.


    "Damn, thest time I was in this much pain was when I fought Virion, that was a glorious battle." Wain shook his head, and stretched his shoulder twisting it back and forth, then he turned his back, showing Felix the result of his work.


    "What did I do...?" Felix''s eyes went wide as he looked at his hands.


    Wain''s wound was healing quickly, but it was still bleeding, though he was a Nameless King, his regeneration was not as fast as that of the Vampires.


    "Yeah, that''s the consequence of your punch, however, it wasn''t just your power that was involved." Wain smirked and turned to Felix, "You didn''t even use your attribute, I mean you hit with your bare fist without energy, such an attack is like a mosquito bite to me, but you were helped by this darkness."


    Wain waved his arms, pointing to the vast space around him.


    "Darkness... Can darkness hurt you?" Reto was surprised; he and the others knew that Wain''s primary attribute was darkness, perhaps he was the strongest possessor of that attribute.


    "Using darkness against you is like trying to put out a volcano withva!" Reto eximed.


    "Hahaha, that''s true." Wainughed in excitement, "That''s why I like it so much! The darkness that helps you, the darkness that fills open space can hurt even me! It just means that this power is different from all the others and you can partially use it!"


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    Wain rushed forward, appearing in front of Felix. His fist came down on Felix with tremendous speed, almost touching his hair.


    Felix blinked as he disappeared and Wain''s fist hit the void. Felix appeared behind Wain, a few feet away from him.


    "Wait, I don''t want to fight you! The first time I just lost my temper, I was controlled by emotion! What''s more, I don''t even know what''s going on!" Felix said worriedly waving his hands in front of him.


    "Don''t be a fool, as long as we have the opportunity we should take advantage of it. Just look at you, you move even faster than I do! Is something like that normally possible?" Wain said as he smirked.


    "Felix, I''m not mad at you or anything, everything I said before was true and remains so. Now, the important thing is different, this darkness is helping you, so try to figure out exactly what caused it and how to get stronger with it!"


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Wain let out his aura as space trembled. ck streams emanated from it, among which were eerie jaws, they swam in the darkness as if in a dark river.


    Felix gulped, unlike Frigus or Nicole, he was not a fan of fighting. He preferred to stealthily and quietly get his own and walk away, he didn''t like direct confrontation at all, especially against such a dangerous opponent.


    ''Argh, all right! I''ll do it! If the Nameless King himself says it''s really unique then so it is!'' Felix inwardly eximed as he stepped forward, or rather not quite.


    ''What...? Why am I not moving...? Felix muttered to himself as he looked at his legs, trembling with fear.


    ''Am I afraid...? Hah, of course... how can I fight against him...? Felix thought with a bitter smile.


    ''Don''t... be afraid...'' Suddenly there was a ringing voice in his head that made his long white hair soar upward.

 Chapter 959 The Spear

    Whoooooooooosh


    Wain appeared in front of Felix who was puzzled by the strange voice in his head. Wain''s fist rushed straight into Felix''s face at great speed, almost reaching him.


    ''No! I mustn''t get hit by that punch!'' Felix internally eximed, and as if answering his call, the darkness made him disappear.


    Felix appeared behind Wain, who had not yet realized what had happened. Felix''s arms were covered in thick darkness, making them move straight toward Wain''s wounded back.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Felix''s palms touched Wain''s bloody wound, again letting a pulse of darkness through them that came out with a powerful st.


    "ARGH!!!" Wain cried out in pain as his eyes went wide. Wain fell to the side, rolling over the ground and spitting clots of blood that came out of his mouth.


    "No way... I did it again... I wounded the Nameless King himself again! This is incredible!" Felix eximed joyfully as he clenched his fists several times, unable to believe what had happened.


    "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! That''s so hot!" Wain eximed touching his back to somehow lessen the ring pain. His previous wound hadn''t healed yet, and he''d gotten another one in the same spot, so he felt worse than ever.


    Wain iled his arms creating ayer of darkness on his back, but it only helped slightly as streams of blood continued to flow from the wound, descending to the ground along the tips of his coat.


    ''Can you hear me...? A ringing voice rang in Felix''s head again, a voice that didn''t sound human at all, though it tried very hard to be.


    ''Yeah... I can hear you clearly, but who are you...?'' Felix asked in confusion as he looked around.


    ''Don''t try to find me... for I am not there where you look... for I am everywhere...'' The voice became quieter.


    ''Is the darkness talking to me from the open space?'' Felix surmised causing him to get goosebumps, ''Wait... If Nameless King, no, Wain, hadn''t attacked me this wouldn''t have happened. Did he really know that this could happen?''


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Wain''s aura intensified as he raised his hand up, directing streams of darkness along with his jaws at one point.


    "Here we go. Looks like you''ve learned to use this power a little already, so we shouldn''t stop there, right? Get ready, with this attack I''ll get back at you for the pain I just had to endure." Wain grinned with an excited expression.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Streams of darkness formed a massive spear that was several timesrger than Wain himself. The tip of the spear was a broad jaw with long, sharp teeth. From time to time the jaw would clench menacingly, letting out an echo.


    Felix had already made two sessful attacks, but as soon as he saw the spear, his fear of Wain returned.


    ''Shit... If he''s serious, this spear will tear me apart! I''m definitely fucked this time!'' Felix shouted to himself with a frightened expression.


    ''Don''t be afraid... Maybe in the wide world, you have no chance against him... but here... here there are no limits for you... You can be strong almost to infinity...'' The voice soothed Felix.


    ''Even if that''s true... what am I supposed to do...?'' Felix asked with a shiver running through his body.


    ''Just fight. You must find the strength not to be afraid and fight to the very end... Look at him...'' The darkness turned Felix''s head toward Reto.


    Reto was trembling, it was obvious that he was frightened by Wain''s power and Felix''s strange abilities, however, his mind was not one with his body as there was a fire in his eyes and an excited smile on his face.


    ''He is afraid, but also enjoys your fight and how strong you both are... Keep fighting and you will achieve the same...'' The voice said calmly as if it was obvious.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The spear trembled and on Wain''s sweep, it headed toward Felix with great speed. Its jaw was wide open, about to devour Felix in one bite, which would have scared anyone, including him.


    ''Shit! It''sing! I must dodge!'' Felix inwardly eximed as he took a step back, but did not move forward as he realized something, ''No... if I run now I''ll do it next time... I''m much stronger now, I can fight even with it!''


    Felix tilted his body forward and put his arms out in front of him as if he was going to catch a spear.


    "What? Is he really going to do that...?" Even Wain couldn''t believe that Felix dared to do something like that.


    ''Good job... it was the right choice...'' The voice murmured as the darkness lurking behind Felix headed forward, down his arms.


    Hundreds of threads of darkness covered Felix''s palms, covering them with unusual gloves, then the spear was right in front of Felix.


    Felix''s pupils narrowed as he stepped forward and grabbed the spear by the hilt, not letting the tip, the jaw, catch itself.


    Wain''s energy tried to tear Felix''s hands apart, but the glovespletely absorbed all the pressure, allowing him to move freely.


    Felix struggled to stay on his feet as the spear sought to break free of his grip, but once he was firmly on his feet, the spear''s attempts were nullified.


    "I stopped his attack... I actually did it... Wait, that''s not all I can do, I can do this as well." Felix muttered, then he abruptly turned around and threw his spear straight at Wain with all his might.


    Wain''s eyes went wide as it was thest thing he expected from Felix. Now, the jaw that should have swallowed Felix was headed straight for him.


    This was the first time Wain had encountered something like this since Felix was the first to have darkness capable of fighting his.


    "Hahaha, Felix, this is incredible! You''re doing great, but I''m afraid I can''t let you be so cocky anymore, or I''ll lose respect for myself." Wain eximed with an excited look before taking a few steps forward and extending his arm forward.

 Chapter 960 The Power Of Space

    The spear flew at Wain, but he was not about to dodge his own attack. Now, he had to show Felix that even if the darkness from open space helped him, he was weaker, much weaker.


    ''Well, since it''se to this, I can afford to have a little fun. I think if I overdo it, this darkness will save him anyway, so I might not hold back.'' Wain smirked as he channeled the energy into his palms, then he pped once.


    From his p, came a shockwave that cleared everything around him, releasing the invisible, ss-like tform they were on.


    "Shit!" Reto eximed, quickly creating a protective barrier in front of him so he wouldn''t fly off to the side.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The shockwave made the spear tremble as it split into clots of darkness, quickly dissolving into the void, then the shockwave reached Felix.


    He didn''t have time to defend himself in any way and was much closer than Reto, so he took on the full force of Wain''s attack.


    Crack.


    Trickles of blood flew from Felix''s ears as his face twisted in pain with his eyes wide open. His head was in chaos with hundreds of ringing sounds as if his brain could explode at any moment.


    ''I''ll fix it... don''t stop...'' The voice prated right into Felix''s mind as several dark threads headed for his wounded ears.


    Felix immediately felt better, the pain was no longer sharp and the terrible ringing was gone.


    "Hey, don''t get distracted, we''re not done yet." Wain appeared in front of Felix with a clenched fist around which rings of darkness swirled.


    Felix tried to put up a block, but it was toote, since Wain''s fist mmed into his stomach, making Felix literally crouch.


    Each of the rings, exploded in an explosion of darkness, leaving horrific wounds on Felix''s body in multiple stages.


    The impact should have thrown Felix backward, but Wain grabbed his shoulder on purpose so that wouldn''t happen.


    ''No way... He''s a monster... If I get another blow like that I''ll just be torn apart!'' Felix inwardly eximed, with a desperate expression on his face.


    "Hah, that''s not all." Wain smirked, throwing another punch.


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    Suddenly, a whip from the darkness struck Wain''s arm, forcing him to loosen his grip. At the same moment, invisible hands grabbed Felix by the shoulders, pulling him back.


    "I see... Defeating you here is no easy task at all..." Wain muttered with a slight smirk as he looked down at his arm, which had a bloody whish wound on it.


    "Thank you... If it weren''t for you, I''d be dead now..." Felix said sincerely, breathing heavily and trying toe to his senses.


    ''Yeah... that sounds about right... He has no control over his power at all... though it''s so much like him.'' The voice spoke in a sad voice.


    ''What... Do you know Wain?'' Felix was surprised.


    ''Not really... I know every creature that''s ever been in open space or just in the passages between zones... However, he''s one of the few who has such explosive energy...'' The voice murmured.


    Felix nodded; he didn''t ask any more questions, as the situation was entirely inappropriate.


    "Hey, Felix, stop being stupid." Wain smirked.


    Felix was puzzled as his eyes went wide.


    "This darkness helps you, that''s good, but have youpletely forgotten that you also have your own power? When you met Reto, I saw you create some water spheres, why don''t you use your attribute? Go for it! Do it or I''ll actually kill you!" Wain eximed with glowing eyes and it was unclear if he was serious or not.


    "My attribute..." Felix whispered, "Right, how could I be so stupid? I''ve only used other people''s power before, but now it''s time to use my own as well!"


    Whoooooooooooooooosh.


    Several water spheres appeared next to Felix and headed toward Wain with great speed. They were fast and strong, but Wain just tossed them aside with a wave of his hand. The spheres exploded behind him, releasing hundreds of drops.


    "Try again, that was some kind of joke, not an attack." Wain said sternly as his aura intensified.


    Felix gulped as a chill ran down his back.


    ''Don''t worry... together we can easily surprise him...'' A voice said as thin hands emerged from the darkness under Felix''s arms like a girl''s.


    At the same moment, Felix created several more spheres, however, this time there were several times more, and inside them was one more sphere, ck.


    ''Well, it looks like I''m going to regret my words now.'' Wain said inwardly as he prepared for battle.


    Felix extended his arm forward and the spheres came crashing down on Wain like a hail of arrows. He tried to block them, but these spheres were much stronger and they didn''t shatter in his palms like the previous ones.


    p¨£§ád¨£ §«?¦Í¨º1,§ã¨°§® "Shit!" Wain''s eyes went wide as several spheres left bloody wounds on his hands, but that wasn''t the worst part as after the attack, the spheres flew up and copsed on him again.


    ''Let''s do it again...'' The voice guided Felix.


    Felix nodded and snapped his fingers. He didn''t have much of a reception, he was just intent on doing what he was thinking, the attack he wanted.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Next to Wain appeared three pirs of water over which ck swords hovered. At Felix''s will, their tips pointed at Wain, then the swords simultaneouslyunched at him.


    ''Damn... he''s a hell of a quick learner... Hah, I can destroy those swords and spheres with ease, but maybe I should give him a chance to get some joy? I''m not a good teacher, but I do know that a sessful attack over a strong enemy can bring the greatest pleasure.'' Wain smirked and put his hands down.


    Felix and Reto''s eyes went wide as they didn''t understand what Wain was doing, then, three swords pierced him.


    ...


    Wain, Felix, and Reto didn''t notice this as all their attention was on the other, but to their point in the open space, for some time now, three silhouettes with broad wings on their backs were headed.

 Chapter 961 Dragons

    Drip. Drip. Drip.


    Dark drops of blood dripped from the ck swords that pierced Wain''s body. His body felt like it was on fire due to the intense pain emanating from the three hearths, however, there was a slight smile on Wain''s face.


    "No... Why did you do that?" Felix asked since he realized that Wain could at least dodge his attack.


    "Hah, I only gave you a chance to feel what power is. Look, it could have been anyone but two or three creatures in this world, you could have hurt anyone!" Wain eximed with his arms spread apart.


    His words entered Felix''s mind and stayed there for a long time until his eyes went wide with genuine shock. Only then did he realize how powerful he really was in the open.


    ''Wait, he''s right, even if he did it on purpose now, before that I wounded him with my own strength...'' Felix muttered internally.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly space shuddered as several shockwaves headed toward them from the north,ing from something very powerful.


    "What? Is someone near us fighting? In open space...?" Wain was puzzled as he tilted his head. Felix and Reto didn''t understand what had happened either until they saw three shadows heading their way.


    Next to the water sphere, three Dragons hovered in the air, each of them on the God Stage. The aura of the central Dragon was much stronger, it seemed that it would reach the Transcendent Stage just a little bit more.


    The Dragons'' gazes went to Wain, and their eyes went wide with surprise. They didn''t understand why Nameless King, was pierced by three swords.


    "What the hell is going on here...?" The woman with the long red hair muttered as she couldn''t believe what she was seeing.


    "I don''t know, but we have to use this to get rid of unnecessary onlookers." The man to the left of the Elder quietly said before looking at Reto, who was now the weakest.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    The man raised his hand slightly and in his palm appeared a windblown dagger that went straight for Reto''s neck like a sh. The speed of the dagger was beyond the speed of sound, leaving Reto no chance to react.


    ''This is bad...'' A voice rang out in Wain''s head as in an instant a golden sh appeared in front of Reto.


    With two fingers, Wain grabbed the dagger by the de, stopping it at thest moment. The tip of the dagger plunged into Reto''s skin, and a trickle of blood flowed from it.


    Reto gulped with wide-open eyes filled with fear.


    Crackling.


    p¨£§ád¨£ §«?¦Í¨º1,§ã¨°§® Wain shattered the wind dagger and turned to face the dragons. The three ck swords were still in his body, but he seemed not to be paying attention at all.


    "Bastards... Who the hell are you?" Wain''s aura intensified as under pressure the ck swords shattered into small shards, then Wain''s gaze fell on the Elder, "Okam... Okam, Free Storm... Is it really you...?"


    "Ahahahahahaha." Okamughed as hisughter like thunderps spread around, "Yes! It''s me! Looks like even after 500 years you remember the strongest of this world!"


    "The strongest...? Hah, you think you are the strongest? You haven''t even reached the Transcendent Stage, you''re weak, much weaker than the real strongest." Wain grinned as he shook his head.


    Whoooooooosh.


    He waved his hand as darkness headed toward his wounds, greatly speeding up his regeneration. Okam and the others could have attacked Wain, they could have taken advantage of the moment, but really they knew it was toote.


    ''Shit... I don''t know what happened here or why Nameless King was wounded, but it doesn''t look like it was anything serious... He only destroyed those swords by increasing his aura, however, they were sharp enough to pierce him.'' Okam inwardly muttered with an angry face as a result of Wain''s insulting words.


    Wain turned to Reto, ''Can you defend yourself? I know you''re strong, but these three aren''t your level, you need to get much stronger so you can fight them on equal footing."


    Reto nced around at the Dragons and took a step back.


    "Don''t worry, I know how to make sure even a god can''t find me. Unfortunately, I won''t be able to help you in this battle, but I''m sure you can manage without me. I''ll be watching." Reto said calmly before waving his hand.


    From Reto''s fingertips came a purple dust thatpletely covered him, then hepletely disappeared remaining invisible to everyone.


    "Pfff, pathetic tricks. Such a weak illusion won''t be able to stop me." The man snorted before attacking again. This time he threw three wind daggers at once.


    They headed forward into the void and flew onward until they became simple, harmless streams of wind.


    "What the hell... I was pretty sure that this Dark Elf was out there... How is that possible?" The man''s eyes went wide as he muttered in disbelief.


    "Hahaha, don''t try to find me. If I don''t want to, you''ll never seed. You may be stronger than me, but you''re certainly not smarter, so I would advise you to concentrate on fighting rather than trying to find me." Reto''s mocking voice echoed from all directions


    The man frowned as he was about to attack again, but Okam stopped him with a shake of his head.


    "Nyren, there''s no need for that, we came here for another. This Elf can''t do anything to us since he''s only in the Absolute Stage." Okam said before turning to the woman, "Aisa, deal with him, no one should stop us from fighting Nameless King." Okam pointed at Felix.


    "As youmand." Aisa nodded and held her hand up. A sphere of bloody wind appeared above her with several rings around it like a, then she threw it at Felix.


    Unlike previous time, Wain wasn''t going to help Felix, he just looked at him with curiosity in his eyes.


    ''Don''t you dare be afraid, you can handle it.'' Wain thought.

 Chapter 962 Cloud

    The orb was heading toward Felix, intent on tearing him apart. The wind rings were moving at tremendous speed, they would have been enough to touch Felix to inflict terrible wounds on him.


    ''Three Dragons...? Every one of them is on the God Stage! No way! There''s no way I can handle them! Felix inwardly eximed as he took a step back.


    ''Fear not... Have you forgotten that you have just wounded the Nameless King himself several times? He may not be at the peak of his powers now, but he''s still Nameless King,pared to him, these three are real wimps...'' The voice echoed in Felix''s head as it became less and less interrupted.


    Felix gulped before extending his arm forward. He was scared as his legs trembled slightly, but he knew that the Voice from the darkness was right.


    ''Fine, even if I''m wrong, it won''t change anything anyway. If I want to survive, I have to help Wain win, because of me he is wounded, so I have to kill at least one Dragon!'' Felix eximed to himself as a water barrier appeared before him.


    ''Hah, it''s useless, do you really think water with so little energy can protect you from my attack? Idiot!" Aisa grinned with a wicked look.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Suddenly a ck streak ran down Felix''s arm as the water filled with the thick darkness, quickly changing color. At the same moment, the wind sphere collided with the barrier.


    The rings shattered as well as the sphere, unable to break through the barrier. Only a few damages were left on the barrier, which quickly recovered when the water came into motion.


    The Dragons'' eyes went wide, especially Aisa''s since they could not believe what they saw.


    "No way... I used far more power than was necessary to kill a worm like him!" Aisa shouted, clenching her fists tightly, "How is that possible?! He''s only on the Absolute Stage."


    Okam and Nyren were speechless, as they too were absolutely certain that Aisa''s attack was enough to kill Felix.


    "Hahahahahaha, what idiots you are after all." Wainughed with relish as he headed toward Felix.


    Wain threw his arm around Felix as if he were an old buddy and said, "Meet this young man, now a member of my Void. As you''ve already noticed he has some unique abilities, so don''t think you''ll have an easy time dealing with him."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Okam''s aura intensified as space trembled. He frowned heavily as his white robe soared upward from the rush of his power.


    "Bastard... You expect me to believe that? His water barrier was filled with darkness, so strong it was enough to block Aisa''s attack. Maybe I''m old, but I''m not crazy! Water is his attribute, darkness is yours, or are you saying that darkness is his second attribute, which is much stronger than his first?" Okam eximed furiously, which gave everyone but Wain the creeps.


    "What a dumbass you are." Wain shook his head, then he raised his head with a sly smirk, "You''ve lived for hundreds of years, but you can''t tell my darkness from the darkness of open space?"


    Okam was stunned as his jaw dropped. His gaze went to Felix, or rather to the darkness that was behind him, enveloping him like a faithfulpanion.


    "What...? The darkness of open space...? Is it possible to use it? Everyone knows that it is the power that is needed to contain all spaces in the World of Darkness..." Okam muttered with a dazed expression.


    "Hah, Felix is a unique case. Well, enough talk, I''ve told you too much already." Wain stepped away from Felix when his wounds had almost fully recovered.


    Wain stood in front of the Dragons and extended his arm forward.


    Whooooooooooooooooosh.


    With streams of darkness, a long ck sword appeared in his hand, on which all the runes shed brightly in violet light.


    "Felix, I understand that you''re worried about whether or not you can handle it, but you''re much stronger here than anywhere else. Since this girl attacked you, she will be your opponent, these two I will deal with." Wain said calmly with a slight smile on his face.


    "What?! Don''t you dare decide for me!" Aisa eximed indignantly.


    "Hah, you think you can handle the two of us? I alone will be more than enough to kill you. You seem to havepletely forgotten that you are facing one of the Dragon Elders!" Okam grinned with his arms crossed over his chest before taking a deep breath.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The space next to Okam distorted, it seemed that by taking this breath he drained space or all the air that was within a radius of hundreds of meters. Then, Okam exhaled it, creating a massive cloud in front of him with two swirls that looked at Wain like eyes.


    "Go ahead, if you can withstand this attack, then I''ll think about whether I should personally fight you." Okam said arrogantly as he swung his arm. He was fully confident in his victory since he didn''t think Wain was as strong as before, well Wain was out of his zone.


    "Well, well, I''ve been gone for 500 years, and a mere Elder now thinks he can beat me. That sounds like a pretty damn unfunny joke." Wain shook his head with a bitter smile.


    The cloud had almost reached Wain, but he did nothing; he just stared at it with a calm gaze.


    Whoooooooooooooooosh.


    Suddenly, Wain opened his mouth wide and took a deep breath, just like Okam. Wain did not have Okam''s abilities, but the strength of his lungs was enough to make the cloud travel to his mouth like in a vortex. Then, Wain closed his mouth and began to chew for a long time, as if he had a very hard pellet in his mouth.


    ''Am I actually seeing this...?'' Nyren inwardly muttered in disbelief.


    Crackle.


    Wain opened his mouth and spit out a small white sphere the size of a candy, then stepped on it, rubbing it on the ground.


    "If you wanted to give me a treat, youpletely failed. That cloud tasted like shit."

 Chapter 963 The Hand

    No one could believe what they saw, not even Felix, though he had fought Wain on equal footing before. Wain was just reliving Okam''s attack as if to him it was nothing more than a piece of unptable food, it was the height of humiliation.


    "Bastard!!!" Okam eximed furiously as several whirlwinds appeared beside him. The whirlwinds headed at Wain with great speed, forcing even the darkness of the open space to move aside.


    "Hahaha, what a funny face you have. You look like an old drunk whosest bottle of wine was broken. Hahahahahaha, that''s just ridiculous!" Wainughed mockingly before snapping his fingers.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Two ghosts with massive jaws appeared beside him. They pounced on the whirlwinds and began to devour them, gradually absorbing and gaining pure energy from them.


    However, the wind was strong enough to wound the ghosts in return and tear them apart. In the end, the two attacks negated each other, which was obviously a victory for Wain since he just snapped his fingers to create them.


    "Well, I think that''s enough joking. Felix, be ready to fight your opponent as I''m about to get serious now." Wain said with a slight smile, then his eyes became cold as ice.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Streams of darkness began to emanate from Wain and covered everything around him. A crown of three eyes with red vertical pupils appeared on his head. His coat became much longer as a jaw sign appeared on it, shining with purple light and emitting dense smoke.


    Everyone got goosebumps as they realized that Wain was using his Form. Of all those present, only Okam had seen it once, hundreds of years ago, and back then it seemed to him to be the pinnacle of power that was impossible to reach.


    "Agh... I already used it a second time after I got my memories back and what do I see? My Form has changed slightly, dius, isn''t that your fault? I didn''t have a smoke before." Wain muttered as he looked at his sword.


    ''I don''t know. Maybe I don''t care much. The most important thing is that your overall power has even increased since you''re not as exhausted now as you were during the battle with Virion.'' dius calmly replied, shrugging his shoulders.


    ''I take it we''re going topletely destroy rtions with the Dragons, so go ahead, make them regret attacking us.'' dius turned serious.


    Wain nodded, ''Don''t worry, the whole world will know what''s about to happen here. Dragons are not reliable allies, what''s more, they chose to attack me themselves, so I just can''t help but return the favor.''


    Step. Step. Step.


    Wain headed forward as a shockwave of ck smoke emanated from each of his steps. The darkness enveloped his legs tightly, rising slowly upward and gradually bing thinner until it disappearedpletely.


    "Agh... If I wasn''t on the Absolute Stage, I wouldn''t have to use my the Form on you, but since this is the situation, I simply have no other choice." Wain sighed and raised his sword high with one hand.


    The darkness headed toward the sword making it much longer andrger, about twice as long, then Wain lowered the sword smoothly. He didn''t try to do it quickly, however, it looked like a sh.


    A dark de, very thin and deadly, moved toward Nyren. He tried to dodge it, but as soon as he thought about it he realized that the de had already passed through him, and that drops of blood had fallen on his face.


    Nyren''s eyes shifted to the right as he saw his arm flying away. Blood gushed from it in a massive stream, staining half of his face.


    Aisa and Okam''s eyes went wide as deep inside they felt a primal fear, Nyren took the oue more calmly as he quickly grabbed his arm and flew off to the side.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Nyren waved his other hand, creating several strands of pure white energy, then he quickly slid the severed hand back into ce and ran his palm across the cut. At that point, a thin streak appeared as if made of foam or a cloud that slowly soaked in.


    p. p. p.


    Wain pped his palms together with a sly smile, "Well, well, what an amazing level of skill. I''ve seen plenty of nts who''ve walked the path of medicine all their lives, but even among them, there were no masters who could sew an arm back together so easily. You acted like a mystical surgeon."


    "Thank you for the praise." Nyren nodded weakly, feeling no anger toward Wain at all, it seemed that he had expected such a thing to happen, "However, now I cannot help but get back at you."


    Nyren extended his arm forward and pped his wings several times. Each sweep created several streams of wind that stopped just outside his palm. At his will, they turned into tiny daggers, gradually bing more and more numerous until everything around Nyren was filled with white dots.


    "Warning. Each of these daggers will be able to pierce you through, even though their size is small." Nyren muttered before swinging his arm.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Hundreds of daggersunched simultaneously at Wain.


    Wain grinned, he thrust the dius into the void and spread his arms vertically apart. He lowered one arm as low as possible, the other higher to create the silhouette of a mouth, then he released arge amount of energy.


    A massive jaw appeared before him whose teeth were very real, then Wain pped his palms together forcing the jaw to close as the daggers approached him.


    The jaw swallowed each dagger, everyst one, not allowing any of them to even touch Wain.


    Nyren was not upset that his attack failed as well as he was not surprised.


    ''Well... That was to be expected... looks like I should think carefully about my next move...'' Nyren muttered inwardly while trickles of blood flowed from the corners of his mouth.

 Chapter 964 Tragedy

    Although Okam was an Elder, he was not the first to receive an attack from Wain, this one was Nyren, who had already used a lot of energy to heal and create hundreds of daggers.


    "Aisa, deal with this guy. I''ll handle this arrogant bastard." Okam ordered as he pointed at Felix.


    Aisa wanted to take part in defeating the Nameless King, but she couldn''t disobey the Elder''s orders.


    "As you say. I''ll try to deal with him quickly enough to join you." Aisa nodded, bowed slightly, and pped her wings.


    Felix gulped, but he was no longer going to back down. Felix understood that he could fight, moreover, he was sure he could win.


    ''She couldn''t break through my barrierst time, so if I give it my best I can definitely take her!'' Felix eximed inwardly as he prepared for battle.


    Crackle.


    Felix and Aisa''s fists collided as a shockwave came from them. A wave of shivers went through Felix and he felt his whole body literally shudder as his bones cracked.


    ''Shit! If I don''t do something, my body just can''t take it!'' Felix panicked.


    The darkness behind him turned into a silhouette with long hair, imprecise, but it was clear that the darkness was trying to be like a person.


    The silhouette supported Felix, helping him cope with the pressure of Aisa''s punch, then the silhouette leaned into his ear and whispered, "Have youpletely forgotten about me? You can''t handle her alone... but if we act together, we can make it work."


    Felix''s eyes went wide as he stepped forward. It was enough to send an energy pulse into Aisa and knock her aside.


    "Bastard... I''ll show you what I can do. I won''t let you take up much of my time! You''re not the main target here! You''re just a small nuisance in front of the Nameless King!" Aisa eximed with her veins bulging on her forehead and began to p her wings quickly.


    A huge tornado quickly appeared in front of her which could even take down an entire city if Aisa had such a target.


    ''Damn... Apparently, she''s serious...'' Felix muttered, looking at the tornado with glowing eyes, however, he had no fear at all, ''Well, I don''t want it to be long either.''


    Felix turned his head, turning to the silhouette, ''I still don''t fully understand who you are and how it came to this, but right now I really need your help.''


    ''Don''t worry. We''ll make it work. Create what you want, and I''ll help it appear in reality... It''ll take time to make this tornado strong enough, so we can take our time...'' A voice uttered in Felix''s head.


    Felix stretched his arm forward as space trembled. Water currents appeared next to him, which, along with the darkness, began to take on some form.


    "Looks like it''s time for us to start fighting. They''re going to finish it all in one attack, so I think we should do the same." Wain said calmly as he gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.


    Okam frowned, he looked at Nyren, "You''ve used a lot of energy and already got a serious wound, so step away. I don''t want you to get hit."


    Nyren stared at Okam for a while, as if he was making a very important decision.


    "Sure. I''m sure you can handle him. If anything, I''ll be ready to engage at any moment." Nyren nodded and flew aside, just far enough to help his Elder if necessary.


    Okam waved his sleeve and lowered himself to the ground. His wings glowed brightly as he used his Form to unleash his strongest attack on Wain.


    "Hah, using the Form against Absolute Stage Being? That''s a real shame for an elder." Wain grinned mockingly, directing energy toward his sword.


    "Shut up. Not a single Demigod Stage Being can match you now, it''s foolish to underestimate an enemy like you." Okam said seriously as the amulet around his neck shed.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    In his hand appeared a long, white staff from the top of which white smoke, or rather particles of cloud, came out. They slowly enveloped Okam, heightening his menacing aura.


    "I''ve only used this skill a few times before, but I''ve never done it with nearly full energy... No matter how strong you are, you can''t survive it now." Okam said calmly before striking the ground with his staff.


    The light from the runes on his wings turned into dense energy that mixed with the particles of cloud, turning into the silhouette of a creature with a strange shape and two long arms.


    The creature had no eyes, but it had a mouth in the form of an empty hole in which it seemed anything could disappear.


    "Just so you know what''s waiting for you." Okam muttered as a crystal of pure energy appeared in his hand, one that was very hard to destroy.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    He threw the crystal next to the cloud, but as soon as the crystal flew near it, the cloud caught the crystal in itself, destroying it.


    "Not a bad demonstration. Well, attack, I''m ready!" Wain eximed with an excited look.


    "You don''t seem to understand at all how bad a situation you''re in, it''s your fault." Okam whispered before pointing his staff at Wain.


    At the same moment, the cloud came in motion, quickly heading toward Wain.


    ''What an unusual skill, so this cloud can destroy anything, right? Should I just cut it? Hah, no, that would be boring and he''d die without even realizing it. I want that bastard who thinks he can kill me to feel what fear is!'' Wain''s aura intensified as a menacing smirk appeared on his face.


    Wain took a deep breath as energy began to build up behind him, dark as the bottom of the abyss.


    ''You created this dangerous creature, right? Well, in that case, I''ll show you what my power can do. What a monster I can make.'' Wain whispered inwardly.

 Chapter 965 The Smell Of Blood

    Whoooooooooosh.


    The first thing Wain did was swing his sword, but not toward the cloud, but along his arm, revealing a wide wound.


    "What the hell...? What the hell is he up to?" Okam muttered in a confusion, "Whatever, it won''t help him anyway."


    Dark drops of blood ran down Wain''s arm, then he swung his arm, making the blood fly high.


    At the same moment, the darkness behind Wain, headed toward the blood drops and began rapidly absorbing them, transforming into some kind of creature.


    ''I have never used so much energy before, especially together with my blood, so this one must be the pinnacle of my abilities at the moment.'' Wain internally muttered with a bitter smile.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    A silhouette appeared behind him, with arge jaw and five eyes with vertical, bloodshot pupils. The silhouette had long arms and legs as well as a lean body that seemed unable to support its total weight.


    All five eyes stared at Okam simultaneously, giving him goosebumps.


    "What is this...? You certainly don''t have the skills of a summoner, the most you should be able to do is just let some of the energy out of yourself..." Okam muttered in disbelief.


    "Hah, that''s just my energy. I just let it take a certain shape, I didn''t even control it since it''s my energy after all, no one has to control it." Wain shrugged as he looked at the cloud, which was already quite close.


    Step. Step. Step.


    The monster stepped forward, stepping in front of Wain. Each step it took created a shockwave that echoed for hundreds of meters.


    The sound of a monster''s clenching jaw sent a chill down everyone''s spine and made Nyren''s forehead sweat.


    ''No way... There''s no way we can fight this monster...'' Nyren muttered inwardly and he wasn''t talking about the silhouette at all as his gaze fell on Wain.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    The cloud pounced on the monster, trying to absorb it into the void. The pulling force was enormous as clots of darkness began to separate from the monster''s body, disappearing into the void.


    ''Hahaha! I knew that even he couldn''t handle my strongest attack! It didn''t matter that he was a Nameless King, he was only on the Absolute Stage! It was the perfect opportunity and I definitely didn''t miss it!'' Okam was inwardly cheering since he waspletely sure he had already won.


    ''Hey, if you don''t know the best way to deal with your opponent, just tear him apart with your hands. That''s the easiest and most effective way. Just giving you some advice." Wain waved his hand as he looked at the monster.


    "Roooooaaaaaaarrrrrr!!!"


    The monster roared furiously as his pupils narrowed, then he stepped forward and grabbed the cloud with his long paws.


    ording to Wain, the monster tried to tear the cloud apart, but despite all the conditions, it just didn''t have enough strength to do so. The cloud stretched hard, but the center remained stationary; the hole continued to divide the monster into clots, gradually defeating it.


    "Well, well, it looks like your paws weren''t strong enough. This is rather unfortunate since you have just learned what failure is." Wain said calmly, holding up his chin, "If it doesn''t work that way, try another way. Besides strong arms, you have a powerful jaw."


    "Roooooaaaaaaarrrrr!!!"


    However, unlikest time, the monster didn''t want to heed Wain''s advice, so he just kept trying to tear the cloud apart with his long arms.


    "Damn, you''re actually a hell of a lot like me, I rarely take advice from others either... though in the end, if I get to the limit, I have to choose another option..." Wain muttered with a slight smile on his face as the monster stopped dragging the cloud in different directions.


    There were already two-thirds of the monster left since the cloud kept trying to absorb it, but now came the critical situation in which everything changed.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The monster opened its massive jaw wide so that it could now swallow the cloud in one bite.


    "Go for it. Do it. I know what you want." Wain whispered with a sly grin.


    At the same moment, the monster''s jaw mmed shut when the most important point in their fight came, the most important one that now made everything clear.


    "No way..." Okam muttered in despair as he looked at the cloud that was now in the monster''s mouth.


    The monster moved his jaw a few times, chewing the cloud, then he did the same thing Wain had done before, he just spits out a massive white blob that now had no energy in it.


    "Hahahahahaha!!! That''s the best you could do!" Wainughed in excitement.


    Okam''s face turned pale as a piece of paper. He didn''t know what to do as he spent most of his energy on this attack.


    ''Wait... He must have little energy left, too. If they help me, together we can overpower him!'' Okam''s eyes went wide as he turned around, about to ask Nyren for help.


    Crackling.


    Suddenly, trickles of blood flowed from the corners of Okam''s mouth as he felt an intense pain in his stomach area.


    "What''s going on...?" Okam muttered as he looked down to see a bloody palm sticking out of his stomach.


    "I''m sorry, it had to happen sooner orter. I didn''t expect it to happen today, but maybe it''s for the best." A quiet voice came from behind Okam.


    Okam turned around and his eyes trembled, for the one who attacked him was not Wain or the monster, but Nyren.


    "Bastard... What are you up to...?" Okam said with difficulty while blood flowed from his mouth.


    "Nothingplicated. The Cloud n needs a new elder since the previous one will die today. Obviously, I will easily take the position. Don''t worry, I won''t disappoint you. You led us into battle against an invincible opponent, so you must take responsibility for that." Nyren said coldly before pulling his palm from Okam''s body.

 Chapter 966 The Chase

    ''Betrayal? How interesting... it used to be impossible for Dragons, but it seems anything can change in hundreds of years...'' Wain muttered inwardly with a slight smile.


    Nyren looked at Wain and said, ''Nameless King, I leave it to you to kill him yourself. I want you to know that today has changed my opinion of you, you really are a consummate being."


    "You think I''m going to let you go?" Wain said menacingly as the monster''s eyes looked at Nyren with predatory intent.


    Nyren was terrified, which was evident in his trembling legs, however, his mind and voice werepletely calm; he had already calcted everything long ago.


    "Sure. It is obvious that you will not let me leave, or rather... you will try to prevent me from doing so. See youter." Nyren nodded slightly before pping his wings.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    In a heartbeat, Nyren disappearedpletely with a mighty stream of wind. A few kilometers away, there was nothing but emptiness, but neither the monster nor Wain could see where Nyren was going.


    ''Damn... Is he so fast that I didn''t see it in time? No... That can''t be, he seems a lot more interesting than I thought. Well, we''ll see where this goes in the future. If he bes the new Elder, the Dragon World will change forever. Hahaha!'' Wain inwardly muttered as he looked at Okam.


    Crackling.


    Okam fell to the ground holding his stomach. He was bleeding profusely and was exhausted, but still alive, as killing the Elder Dragon was truly a challenge.


    ''I can kill him now, but I just can''t miss it...'' Wain muttered to himself as he looked in Felix''s direction.


    Felix and Aisa werepletely focused on each other. All this time they had been creating their most powerful attacks and now they wereing to the final stage.


    "Shit... That''s actually beautiful... I''m even a little jealous." Wain said scratching the back of his head.


    In front of Felix, there was a massive fish with big ck eyes and dense transparent scales. In front of Aisa was a massive vortex of hundreds of wind currents that were as sharp as des.


    "You are finished!" Aisa eximed as she swung her arms, sending the vortex at Felix.


    Felix watched silently, waiting for the moment to make his move while the whirlwind gradually approached him.


    "We''ve done a great job... I''ve never created something so perfect out of water in my life." Felix muttered with a deep stare at the fish.


    ''Yeah... I agree... Now let''s show her how strong we are together...'' The voice in his head whispered.


    Felix nodded and slowly waved his hand, the fish followed and swung its tail from bottom to top.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space trembled as streams of dark water appeared from below which quickly turned into a tsunami that collided with the vortex.


    The wind tried to pass through the tsunami, to destroy it, but all attempts were unsessful since the vortex waspletely absorbed by the force of the water.


    With a mighty surge, the tsunami hit Aisa, crashing her to the ground with tremendous power. There was nothing she could do to defend herself, though she didn''t even try since the attack she had spent all her strength on was useless.


    "Argh!!!" Aisa cried out in pain as there was a loud crunch from her breaking bones, she was ready to scream.


    "Don''t... I have no malice toward you, so I will show mercy." Felix muttered as he swayed his finger.


    Whooooooooosh.


    The fish headed toward Aisa, splitting into several streams of water and entering her body through her mouth. It prevented Aisa from screaming or making any sound, she simply died in silence while the water swallowed her up.


    Thest thing Felix saw before Aisa disappearedpletely was her frightened look, not because of death but because of the unknown.


    "That... that was hard..." Felix dropped to his knees as he shook his head, "Even if you help me, using that much energy is still very exhausting."


    The voice didn''t answer anything, the dark silhouette just clung to Felix as if trying to help hime to his senses faster.


    "Good job." Wain said though Felix didn''t hear him.


    Suddenly, next to Wain, purple smoke appeared from which Reto emerged.


    "Oh, you''re back." Wain raised an eyebrow.


    "Well, I didn''t go anywhere. You know I''ve been here the whole time, I''ve been watching you fight and frankly, I''mpletely shocked..." Reto muttered thoughtfully, then he looked at Okam, "Why aren''t you finishing him off? Are you nning on taking him alive?"


    Whoooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, Okam got up and lunged forward, he seemed to hear what Reto was saying and it brought him to his senses.


    ''Damn! Damn! Damn! I''ve got to run! This is my only chance!'' Okam inwardly eximed.


    "Hey... Aren''t you going to catch up with him or send your monster after him...?" Reto was puzzled.


    "Nah, that won''t be necessary." Wain shook his head with a wave of his hand.


    The monster''s silhouette scattered, disappearingpletely into the darkness. Finally, the monster nced at Wain before closing its five eyes.


    "What...? What are you talking about? You think he''s going to die from bleeding and not make it back to his world in time?" Reto suggested as he tilted his head.


    "Hah, of course not. He''s an Elder Dragon, so even though he''s exhausted and seriously wounded, it''s not enough for him to die." Wain grinned.


    "Wait... In that case, have you decided to spare him?" Reto asked in disbelief. He knew that usually Wain was ruthless.


    "He will die, but not by my hand. Let''s just say it''s a gift from me to one of our allies, someone who defended me during my most important battle at the top of the Shining Tree." Wain crossed his arms across his chest with a confident smile, "Well, I think in a few seconds he''ll realize that ande for his gift."

 Chapter 967 The Gift

    Sharks are among the top predators of the ocean and the entire underwater world. Everyone knows that they are strong, fast, and ruthless, but something makes them different, a very important fact. They can smell even a drop of blood at a great distance, and if they are hungry, it''s the end for their victims.


    However, besides sharks, there were other creatures that were known for their special rtionship with blood - Vampires. They treat blood differently, some consider it a treasure, others a source of food or power, but for every Vampire blood is critical.


    "Agh... What a pleasant smell... Not only is it ancient blood, it is alsopletely imbued with fear, the primal fear of a great rival..." Alucard whispered with pleasure sitting on top of the ruined castle.


    The fog was thick all around as his eyes were closed. He had been here for a long time, in absolute silence since no one dared enter this area except Krakos.


    "Well, he certainly knows how to return the favor. I didn''t even count on getting something so unique today. This is going to be interesting." Alucard smirked before rising.


    He waved his hand and opened a spatial rift in front of him, stepped forward, and disappeared, finding himself in open space.


    Alucard was in the middle of nowhere, he had no map or anything, however, as soon as he took one breath he felt what he hade here for.


    ''Fine, I found you. The wounded Dragon Elder... apparently he''s trying to get to his world as soon as possible... Hah, he''s not only scared, but he''s also furious... what a greatbination. Without his help, I wouldn''t have been able to get such unique blood.'' Alucard muttered inwardly, wanting to taste Okam''s blood as soon as possible.


    Whooooooooooooooooosh.


    Alucard took a step forward as he disappeared.


    ...


    ''Shit! Shit! Shit! Nyren, that bastard! How dare he do this to me! I spent so much effort and time to make him into what he is, but in the end, he betrayed me!!!'' Okam eximed furiously to himself, holding the wound that was bleeding with his palm.


    He had been flying forward for quite some time now, so he had no more than ten minutes left before he could reach his world.


    Normally Dragons couldn''t just go back to their world, since they had to go through the gate that Cetid was watching. However, Okam was an Elder, so he had his own ways of getting back to Dragon World.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly bugs with shimmering shells crawled out of space. Wain had fought them once before, but then he met with weak ones as now, against Okam, there were more than ten bugs on the Demigod Stage.


    "Bastards, don''t you dare get in my way! You''re just simple insects!" Okam was in rage as he swung with his sleeve.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    This created a strong gust of wind that easily passed through the strong shells of the bugs and cut them apart. The bugs couldn''t fight back,pared to Elder Dragon they were like a bunch of ants.


    Purple souls flew out of those bugs, which would have been nice for anyone to get a little stronger, but Okam wasn''t going to use them.


    "Argh! Damn! I have no other choice!" Okam growled as he stopped to turn around and head for the souls.


    It was humiliating for him to use such weak souls, but anything could help him now, anything that contained even a little bit of energy.


    ''Looks like he decided not to follow me or he just doesn''t know where I was headed... whatever, either way, I managed to escape from there... Fuck! Even the fact that I''m happy about it disgusts me!!!'' Okam swallowed hisst soul in a rage, which only took him a few seconds. It wasn''t hard for him to purify it to get the energy without impurities.


    Step. Step. Step.


    There was the sound of footsteps in the void, slow and unhurried as if there was no need to hurry.


    "Agh? Who''s that?" Okam frowned as he turned around, not yet aware of the situation he was in.


    "What the hell...?" Okam''s eyes went wide at the sight of Alucard and his heart immediately filled with fear.


    "You know, getting to you wasn''t as easy as I thought. It''s been a long time since I''ve been out in the open, so I''dpletely forgotten that some people might be unhappy with how brazenly I move." Alucard said calmly as he tossed aside the head of the Dimension Guard. His crimson coat was soaked with the smell of blood and part of his face was covered in it.


    Okam was speechless, only now did he begin to realize the situation he was in and what awaited him next.


    "At first I thought their blood would be a nice snack, however, it tasted awful as hell, bitter, with an unpleasant aroma, it''s probably the worst thing I''ve ever tasted." Alucard shrugged, "Well, it didn''t spoil my appetite in any way before the main dish."


    "The main dish...?" Okam flinched as his wings trembled. Normally his wings were spread wide, showing his majesty, but now they were smaller, clinging to his back.


    "Hehehe, you''re trembling with fear, I thought the Elder Dragon should have more fortitude, though given that you chose to attack the Nameless King, it''s not surprising." Alucard waved his hand, heading toward Okam.


    Okam was silent, he watched as Alucard slowly approached him and could not move, since his body was chained with fear.


    "Don''t worry, it''s not my n to torture you, it''s not my style at all. Moreover, I have no interest in you at all, all I want is your blood, so just go to sleep." Alucard said calmly as he guided his hand to Okam''s head.


    Okam flinched but did nothing, only his eyes went wide.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    In the next moment, Alucard''s finger was inside Okam''s head,pletely piercing his brain.

 Chapter 968 A Slight Death

    A single trickle of blood flowed down Okam''s forehead, passing between his eyes and moving toward the end, toward his chin before dropping down in a few drops.


    Okam tried to shift as his hands headed for Alucard as if he wanted to stop him. However, it was already over, so his hands just fell down, never reaching their destination.


    "Fine, now you''re ready, but first let''s get these out of the way. You don''t need them anymore, for you are no longer a Dragon, you are merely a vessel of blood." Alucard said coldly before swinging his arm.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Many scales flew aside as well as Okam''s massive wings. He was already dead, so he heard or felt nothing.


    "Well, it''s done now." Alucard looked at Okam''s neck and ran his finger over it, leaving a wide cut on it from which blood immediately gushed out.


    The dark blood began to trickle down to Alucard as he slowly began to absorb it.


    ''Agh... Elder Dragon, this is different from anything I have tasted before, perhaps you are one of the best blood I have ever drunk.'' Alucard pondered.


    No one could disturb Alucard, for in the vast void there was only he and his victim, nothing more.


    ...


    "Hah, looks like it''s all over now." Wain smirked as he stopped looking where his gaze had been directed for quite some time.


    "So... Elder Dragon is dead?" Reto wasn''t sure.


    "Yeah, Alucard will drink all the blood he can, so there won''t even be any energy left in Elder''s body for anyone to find him. His fate is now to be out in the open forever or until the bugs eat him." Wain shrugged before heading toward Felix.


    Felix had been trying to make contact with the darkness from the open space all along, which he had been able to do quite sessfully.


    "How are you feeling?" Wain asked with a slight smile.


    "Excellent. Now I''m beginning to understand the power I have... At first, I couldn''t believe it, but now everything has changed." Felix muttered, holding a blob of darkness in his hands.


    He stared at it for a while, then he turned to Wain, "Thank you for epting me into your Void, but I think I''ll be spending a lot of time here from now on. I hope you don''t mind."


    ''Hah, just look at him. He''s gotten so much more confident in one fight, though that''s exactly what should have happened to him, considering the abilities he has.'' Wain said inwardly.


    "Is something wrong?" Felix raised an eyebrow.


    Wain shook his head, "No, nothing''s wrong, I was just a little surprised. As I said earlier, it would be good for you to stay out in the open. Hah, I actually got a great idea now."


    Felix gave him a questioning look.


    "There are severalmanders in my Void, each in charge of a different area or generally keeping the whole area safe. How about you be the one who oversees the outside?" Wain suggested as he stared at Felix with a curious expression.


    For a moment, Felix was puzzled, but when he realized that Wain was serious and considered his words once more, Felix nodded.


    "Sure. Being defenders of the Nameless King''s Void is something I couldn''t have even imagined a few hours ago. A lot has happened today, perhaps even too much for me toprehend properly..." Felix muttered with a happy smile, "Today is actually a good day."


    Wain patted him on the shoulder and pointed to the massive water orb that hung in the middle of nowhere.


    "Be that as it may, we came here for something else entirely. A lot has actually happened, but you still have to give one thing to Reto, depending on his choice."


    "Ah, to be honest, I hadpletely forgotten about that... fine, in that case, follow me." Felix sighed, clutched the blob of darkness to his chest, and headed for the water sphere.


    Felix simply jumped in, gesturing to Reto and Wain. They looked at each other and entered the orb as well. There was only water inside as expected, so they had to hold their breath for a while.


    ''What now...?'' Wain asked with his gaze as he waved his hand.


    Felix smiled weakly and stretched his arms forward, then he began to rotate them slowly in a circle as if he were about to start a whirlpool.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    After a while, the sphere began to rotate, gradually gaining speed. Because of that, there was nothing visible outside the sphere as the fast-flowing water blocked everything.


    "Fine, we''re here." Felix muttered as he stopped moving his hands and stepped forward.


    He stepped out of the sphere, steadily heading forward. Wain and Reto hurried out of the sphere, joining him.


    "Damn, what was that? That''s the strangest gateway to the zone I''ve ever seen in my life." Wain said, shaking his head as he tried to shoot off as much water as he could.


    "Yeah... I agree." Reto did the same.


    "Hah, this sphere is special since only I know how to use it. Anyway, you wanted to get into my Void, so you did." Felix looked ahead as he ced his hands at his sides.


    In front of him was a massive mountain of various treasures around which everything was covered in gold, crystals, or something simr. Among the gold coins, there were many ss jars inside which stored souls of various qualities as well as Soul Pearls.


    "What the hell...? How long did it take you to collect all this? It looks magical... It''s like you made every thief''s dreame true." Wain muttered in disbelief.


    "Well, on the other hand, it sure is hell for a perfectionist. At first, I tried to make all the treasures be separated into sections, but at one point I realized it was useless, so it''s just a mess." Felix shrugged his shoulders.


    Reto scrutinized it, trying to find something that might interest him.

 Chapter 969 Treasures

    Wain talked to Felix on various topics, mostly about how long it took him to collect all this treasure and what the most valuable thing he has here is.


    "Damn, I get that you''re a good thief based on your skills, but haven''t you ever been spotted? I mean... How could you steal this and get away without getting caught?" Wain asked in disbelief as he pointed to a massive statue of an angel with four wings.


    There was an unusual aura emanating from the statue that asionally made the jars of souls sway and the gold coins next to them jingle.


    [Statue of the Merciful Angel


    A special statue that spreads a soothing aura. Some Angels take a long time to gather enough resources to create this piece of art which helps them absorb energy faster]


    "Hah, that was pretty fun. I didn''t even know such things existed, so when I tried to steal it the whole Void came out against me. They were incredibly angry, however, they didn''t manage to catch me." Felix said with a bitter smile.


    "Are you really that fast?" Wain tilted his head.


    "Well, honestly I''m proud of my speed, but then my skills helped me. I mean, even without the darkness from open space, over the years of practice I''ve learned to maneuver between spaces pretty well." Felix shrugged.


    "I see... You were able to find a weak spot in their space, so it allowed you to create a gap and escape..." Wain muttered with a thoughtful expression, rubbing his chin, then his eyes went wide.


    "Hmm? Is something wrong?" Felix was puzzled.


    "Felix... There are weaknesses in every area, aren''t there?" Wain asked as he waved his hand.


    Felix nodded slowly, still not understanding what Wain was getting at.


    "Given your abilities, you could easily find them in our Void, right?" Wain suggested.


    Felix nodded again.


    Wain smirked, "Fine, in that case, I''d appreciate it if you would. If we can reinforce all the weaknesses, it will make our Void an impregnable fortress, no one without a deration of war will be able to enter our territory."


    "Well...it''s not a problem for me, it''ll just take me a while to gradually find each breach, but there is one problem." Felix muttered as he turned to the side.


    Wain looked at him questioningly.


    "I can find the trouble spots, but there''s no way I can fix or reinforce them." Felix looked slightly guilty.


    "Hah, don''t worry about it. I''m sure Elegan can easily reinforce the weak points." Wain grinned.


    "Agh... in that way, I''ll be d to help." Felix sighed in relief.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Among Felix''s vast array of treasures, Reto tried to find something worthy of his attention, for it was his only chance. He had already explored the entire surface, so he had to go further and literally jump inside the sea of gold coins.


    "Damn... Looks like Reto is trying to find your most valuable treasure..." Wain mumbled awkwardly, "I didn''t think he''d be so greedy... This is unexpected."


    "No... it''s strange. I''m pretty sure that all of my most valuable treasures are here on the surface. Only the mostmon and useless things that I have long since forgotten about are down there..." Felix was puzzled.


    They stared at the trembling coins for a while until Reto finally showed himself. Felix and Wain''s faces changed as they thought Reto had found something suitable, but then they could only shake their heads in disappointment.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Reto''s aura intensified as he created several dozen illusions, he hadn''t worked this hard even during the battle with Frigus. Each illusion had its own task, so for the next ten minutes, Reto instead of his illusions checked almost every object in Felix''s Void.


    Felix felt as awkward as Wain, they both didn''t expect Reto to take this task so seriously.


    ''Damn... Now I feel bad for Felix... I mean, he invaded my Void, but I thought Reto would just take some normal item and that would be the end of it. What the hell is he doing?'' Wain inwardly muttered, little by little he already wanted to stop Reto as it was disrespectful to Felix.


    Crackle.


    Suddenly all illusions vanished as Reto appeared not far from Felix. Reto lookedpletely exhausted as if he had been through a deadly long fight.


    "Agh... Agh... Agh..." Reto breathed heavily trying to regain his strength, then his gaze lowered, "Well, at least it was definitely worth it."


    Reto was practically glowing with happiness, the reason for this was a simple sealed jar with some massive seeds inside. Each seed was the size of Reto''s palm.


    "Was he really doing all this for these seeds? What is this stuff anyway?" Wain waspletely baffled.


    "Let''s find out!" Felix eximed with an excited expression before running toward Reto. Wain immediately followed him.


    A tall shadow appeared behind Reto and Wain said, "Reto, what the hell were you doing? Do you have any idea how what you were doing looked like from the outside? I hope those seeds are worth it."


    Reto turned around, immediately startled by Wain''s menacing appearance. He stared at Reto intently, with his arms crossed over his chest.


    "Hey... Don''t give me that look, didn''t you say yourself that I could take anything?" Reto smiled awkwardly, trying to ease the tension, "Moreover, I took exactly what only I could use, without taking Felix''s most valuable treasures that he had spent much effort to obtain."


    Wain raised an eyebrow, then he sighed and his aura weakened, "Well, your words make sense, but it was still strange. What are these seeds anyway?"


    Reto smiled slightly, stood up, and touched the jar.


    [Crimson Grape Seed Jar


    The Crimson grape is one of the rarest nts that is particrly prized by winemakers because of its massive size and unique vor. The only problem is that finding even a few seeds is a very difficult task


    The Crimson grape can surpass the taste of any fruit for wine lovers].

 Chapter 970 Gratitude

    p.


    Wain and Felix pped their foreheads with the palm of their hands.


    "Damn... Reto, you never change. You''re definitely addicted to wine... I guess nothing can ever fix that." Wain shook his head.


    "Hahaha, is that a bad thing? You have no idea how d I was able to find these seeds here! I didn''t believe Felix could have them, but I tried to find them until thest minute!" Reto chuckled as he happily picked up the jar.


    "I''m d my Void turned out to be something useful to you." Felix said with a bitter smile, then he looked once more at his treasure chest.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Felix waved his hand, summoning several water currents that lifted him up. He hovered around his area for a while, looking down at the mountain of gold.


    ''Agh... Honestly, I was hoping Reto wouldn''t take anything of value from me, and he did, but what was the bottom line? For some reason I''m not happy about it at all...'' Felix pondered with a sad look.


    "Hmm... What''s he doing there?" Reto looked up puzzled, "Isn''t it time for us to leave?"


    Wain remained silent, he looked at Reto until he said, "Well... I think we should wait a bit. Apparently, Felix needs some time to make a decision. We can stay here for a while."


    Reto turned to Wain, "Do you think the war is over yet?"


    "Hah, of course not. Nicole may be nearing the end of her battle, but there''s still a long way to go before the war is over. I mean, we haven''t been here long at all. Our opponents aren''t weak enough to lose in less than half an hour." Wain shrugged nonchntly, seeminglypletely confident of the oue.


    Reto nodded weakly with a meaningful look.


    After making a fewps around his treasure trove, Felix returned to Wain and Reto. The water currents brought him down to the ground as he with a slow step headed toward them.


    Wain and Reto were silent, they didn''t want to say anything as Felix''s face was unnaturally dark, as if something very bad had just happened.


    Felix looked at Wain with narrowed eyes.


    "Wain... Tell me... Is there a use for all these treasures in your Void?" Felix muttered in a sad tone.


    Reto''s eyes went wide since he couldn''t believe what he was hearing, however, Wain was ready for it. He assumed Felix woulde back with something like this.


    "Sure. I won''t hide it, there are so many treasures here that every one of them will be useful, from statues with special effects to simple gold coins or armor sets." Wain said confidently, he was aware of how valuable things Felix had.


    Wain continued, "However... Are you sure about this? Look, you don''t have to do this. In fact, I''d even be sorry to see you part with the collection you''ve collected for such a long time."


    p¦Á§ád¦Á-¨¾?¦Í¨º|¡¤§ã¨®§® Felix was silent, he nced once more at his mountain of treasures and muttered, "I clearly understand that, however... I just realized that I don''t quite know what I was doing it for.


    "You''re right, I spent a lot of time getting it all, a hell of a lot, but what''s the point? The vast majority of these treasures I will never need, with the exception of souls and some potions everything here is useless to me.


    "Now I''ve found a way to use it all at once. I hope it all makes your Void stronger... As far as I''m concerned, that would be the best use for all these treasures that would otherwise just collect dust for years." Felix''s voice grew quieter with each word until it resembled a whisper, but he finished.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Wain bowed low, which made Felix and Reto more surprised than ever, they could not believe that Wain had done this.


    "I am grateful for your generosity. Each of these treasures is your time and effort that you took to get them, I actually appreciate it." Wain said seriously as he looked at Felix, "However, I think you are wrong about something, all these things will make stronger not my Void, but ours, for you are now part of our extended family too."


    Felix''s eyes shone brightly. He had previously been invited by Wain, but only now did he fully realize that Wain considered him one of his people.


    "Although even that is not enough for me to thank you properly, so I want to give you something. Be careful, it''s as valuable as it is dangerous." Wain said calmly as he stretched his open palm hand forward.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space distorted, causing powerful streams of wind along with energy to head toward Wain''s palm. Each stream was thin, no thicker than a finger, but incredibly dense, containing a huge amount of energy.


    Slowly, Wain''s face became emaciated and bags appeared under his eyes as if he hadn''t slept in days. Felix and Reto felt Wain''s aura grow much weaker until he finally finished directing the energy to his palm.


    "Here... this is my gift to you. Use it when you decide you''re ready to reach the Demigod Stage... But only very slowly and with darkness from open space... otherwise such concentrated energy will do you irreparable damage..." Wain said with difficulty, handing to Felix the orb.


    The orb of darkness was small, but the darkness in it was thick and all-consuming. The darkness slowly rotated inside as if it had a hole from which eyes with frightening red pupils sometimes peeked out.


    Felix gulped, a little scared, but he epted Wain''s gift appreciatively.


    "Is this your pure energy...?" Felix asked uncertainly looking into the orb as if mesmerized.


    "Yeah... I didn''t know what I could give you in return, but given your special abilities with darkness, this will actually help you. Just be careful." Wain said with a slight sigh.


    Felix nodded and ran his hand over the sphere creating a water barrier around it to move it into the ring.

 Chapter 971 The Second Fight

    Felix epted Wain''s gift with as much gratitude as he was capable of. Because of the events that had urred, Felix had slightly forgotten who Wain really was, but he understood that it was pure energy from the Nameless King himself, especially for him.


    ''Agh... I thought I would have to steal from other zones for many more years before I found something that could help me break through to the next stage... Well, today is definitely a fateful day for me.'' Felix inwardly muttered looking at the disappearing dark orb inside the water dome.


    p¦Á§ád¦Á-¨¾?¦Í¨º|¡¤§ã¨®§® "So... It''s time to go back, right?" Reto asked as he looked around Felix''s treasure trove, "Damn... How are we going to carry all this?"


    "I don''t know, there are many ways, we won''t be the ones doing it anyway. I''m sure Elegan can handle it, given his abilities or Sarras will have to make his skeletons be movers for a while, they''re not used to it..." Wain muttered with pity for the skeletons who definitely weren''t doing what they were supposed to be doing.


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    Wain waved his hand, about to open a spatial rift, but nothing happened, space just shuddered.


    "What the hell...?" Wain was puzzled. He tried a few more times but was unsessful.


    "Hah, looks like your skill with space isn''t at all as good as your fighting skills." Felix grinned as he snapped his fingers.


    Several streams of water headed toward them and turned into a sphere, the same one they''d been through before.


    "Damn... Do we really have to do this again?" Wain sighed heavily realizing that this was inevitable.


    Felix nodded and silently headed forward. Wain and Reto looked at each other as they prepared to feel as if they were in the middle of a whirlpool again.


    The water sphere began to spin, gradually moving them into open space from where they easily returned to their zone.


    They spent less than an hour in the open space, but that was enough time for the war to have already advanced to its logical conclusion, as most battles had alreadye to an end.


    "Well, well, it looks like it''s going to take us quite a while to get things in order." Wain smirked as he looked around his Void with an excited expression.


    There had been hundreds of localized battles among the monsters in each area. The stronger the monsters were, the greater the destruction, ranging from cracks in the ground to craters the size of hills.


    The only ce that wasn''t damaged in any way was the ice ind whose defenders were Elegan.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Dozens ofser projectiles rained down on the ind every few seconds, but they were all blocked by an imprable barrier. The Constructs knew they couldn''t damage the ice ind and it didn''t make much sense, but it kept Elegan in one ce.


    "You don''t seem at all upset that the entire Void has be a battlefield. It will take days or even weeks as well as hundreds of monsters with the earth or water attribute to return the territories to their former appearance." Reto said calmly, he didn''t see it as much of a problem.


    "Well... It''s not that much, in fact, it''s even a little romantic." Wain said with a slight smile.


    "Hmm... What are you talking about?" Felix was puzzled as he and Reto looked at him strangely.


    Wain silently summoned dius and swung his sword, leaving a small cut on his palm from which trickles of blood flowed.


    "Look, all this destruction is as massive as the cut on my palm, all it takes to make it go away is a little time as well as medical attention." Wain spoke when the cut was almost healed.


    Wain looked out across the snowy desert, then his gaze headed toward the mistynds.


    "However... Unlike simple cuts, scars remain forever. Each scar is more than just a painful sensation, it is the memory of a battle that was cruel enough to make you remember it for the rest of your life." Wain said seriously as he watched Nicole fight.


    "There will be two scars left after this war, and right now, we can see how they are created."


    ...


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Nicole continued to fight Gaur furiously. Their fight was slowlying to an end as they both used their the Form.


    "Hah, weren''t you the one who said you''d never use your Form against me!" Nicole eximed with a mad grin.


    Gaur snorted, "You''re hardly standing on your feet. Maybe you turned out a little stronger than I thought, but you can''t fight forever."


    Nicole''s body was covered with many cuts and almost all of her pale skin was covered in dark blood, some of which had already dried.


    ''Nicole... I know you''re willing to fight him for all eternity, but I''m afraid unlike your fighting spirits your body has limits...'' Erder said excitedly.


    Nicole didn''t answer anything, but the smile on her face grew smaller, Erder was probably the only one who could have any effect on Nicole during the fight.


    ''I''ll be honest, your opponent''s condition is much better. His body is stronger, his regeneration is faster, and he has received fewer wounds.'' Erder muttered seriously.


    ''Shit... Are you even on my side?'' Nicole frowned.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Gaur appeared in front of her, raining his sickle on her. Nicole''s eyes went wide as she managed to block at thest moment, but immediately received a blow to the stomach that knocked her dozens of meters back.


    With her back, Nicole shattered several ruins before stopping.


    ''Sure. I just want us to win, even though you''re losing to him in every way, there''s something in which your situation is much better.'' Erder nodded calmly not paying attention to what Nicole was going on, she had destroyed a hundred ruins with her back during this fight.


    ''In what way?'' Nicole inwardly eximed as she stood up and swung with a scythe.


    From the de flew a powerful energy projectile that made Gaur retreat, though he was about to strike Nicole again.


    ''In energy. You have so much more of it. Erder said slowly as if he had a n.

 Chapter 972 Explosion

    ''Hmm? Are you going to help me at all? Instead of this silly talk, you''d better think of something! I already know I have a lot of energy! You''re just so obvious!'' Nicole eximed grudgingly as she looked reproachfully at Erder.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Gaur paced slowly in her direction, spinning his sickle in his hand. The currents of wind swirled around him, preventing any sudden attack Nicole might have made.


    "Well, well, it looks like your powers areing to an end. I''ve never seen anyone lose so much blood but still stay on their feet, it''s actually amazing." Gaur said calmly as he pointed at Nicole.


    A small puddle of blood had already umted beneath her feet, splitting into several pieces, and flowing among the ck earth.


    Nicole didn''t say anything, she just prepared to fight, putting the scythe out in front of her.


    "You don''t say anything? Looks like your business is really bad... Agh, you were a worthy adversary anyway. I didn''t think that a mere girl would be able to bash me so badly." Gaur looked at his shredded torso before lunging forward.


    In instant, their weapons collided as Nicole felt the powerful pressuree down on her.


    ''Shit! Shit! Shit! It''s too hard!'' Nicole inwardly eximed while her hands shook violently.


    "Can''t handle it, right? Well, that''s not all." Gaur muttered with an ice-cold look before taking a deep breath.


    Streams of wind headed toward him, filling his chest, then he released all the wind right into Nicole. Gaur''s energy changed the wind turning it into hundreds of sharp des that swept through Nicole, leaving many cuts on her body.


    "Argh!!!" Nicole cried out in pain as scarlet blood gushed from her wounds.


    "Fine, now it''s time to end our fight. I will make onest attack." Gaur said confidently, plunging the de of his sickle into Nicole''s shoulder.


    Her eyes went wide with the painful shock and waves of agony that went through her body time after time, making her feel an intense heat.


    Crackling.


    Gaur stepped forward as the ground beneath him cracked, then to his outstretched palm headed a wind that turned his hand into a deadly weapon, a spear that was ready to pierce Nicole.


    "See you in the next life, a mad beast in a girl''s disguise." Gaur muttered as his hand turned into a blur.


    Crackling.


    At the same moment, the white de of the scythe rose in front of Gaur''s palmpletely blocking it when Nicole''s face changed.


    "What the hell...? How could you calcte my blow in your condition...?" Gaur muttered in disbelief.


    "Hehehe... Did you really think I wouldn''t be able to withstand a few more attacks? Though I''ll admit, it hurt like hell before." Nicole smirked as she looked at Gaur like a predator who had trapped his prey.


    Gaur flinched, his instincts telling him that something very bad was going on, especially for him, so he hurriedly pulled his sickle from Nicole''s shoulder and repeated his attack.


    Crackle.


    Nicole squeezed Gaur''s hand tightly, not allowing him to move, so hard that she heard the crunching of his bones, which seemed ready to break at any moment.


    "You''re tough... tougher than I am... If we keep fighting further you''ll definitely win, but I have no way to win since I''ve already lost too much blood..." Nicole muttered while her aura grew stronger and the darkness thickened around her.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space trembled as the scythe''s de was covered in a denseyer of energy, so powerful that the mere pressure caused some of Gaur and Nicole''s wounds to reopen.


    "However, I can''t let you be the one left standing when I''m lying in a pool of my own blood. If I can''t win then we''ll both lose!" Nicole eximed thunderously before unleashing a scythe on Gaur.


    She used two hands, so Gaur was finally able to pick up his sickle and try to defend himself when Nicole''s attack was already right in front of him.


    Their weapons shed, a dense darkness with a cruel wind as well as two sharp des with the fierce stares of their owners.


    In the wake of their collision, a ck, hollow sphere appeared at the tips of their weapons, which trembled violently. In a heartbeat the sphere erged a hundred times, covering everything within a hundred-meter radius like a sh.


    "Here we go." Wain smirked as the pressure in the sphere reached its limit and there was an explosion.


    All the energy burst out with streams of ck energy as well as wind des flying off to the sides.


    The darkness destroyed the ruins, and the dry trees and swept away the ashes, exposing the mistynds. The wind des as uncontroble weapons left random cuts all over the area, some of which were truly enormous.


    Nicole and Gaur were in the midst of the st, so each of them had to take full damage, now it was up to whichever attack was stronger.


    "Shit... I can''t see anything... What happened out there?" Reto muttered with his arms out in front of him to protect him from the wind currents. He tried to make out their silhouettes, but the thick fog prevented him from doing so.


    "She used as powerful an attack as she ever could... I can''t say I wasn''t expecting it, but it looked too careless to even for her." Wain said with slight concern, keeping his arms crossed over his chest.


    "You think she won?" Felix asked as he shook his hand.


    Wain didn''t answer anything, he just looked ahead with the hope that Nicole''s fighting style had once again led her to victory.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    A massive silhouette with thick ck fur tried to rise, but as its chest lifted to the ground blood gushed from it and the silhouette fell. At the same time, a second silhouette, much smaller, slowly moved forward, grasping the ground with its hand and crawling forward.


    "Agh... Bastard... Don''t you dare get up... I''ll rip out your shitty tongue as well as your heart with my own hands..." Nicole mumbled with difficulty while everything in front of her blurred.


    ''Nicole...'' Erder muttered, ''Stop, he''s already dead...''

 Chapter 973 Divine Ice

    Every battle had to end one way or another. More often than not, one side would win, or there would be no winner at all, as the battle could not go all the way to the end. Sometimes, both lost, but there was always the one who lost the most regardless of the oue.


    "What...? Is he dead already...?" Nicole muttered in disbelief as she crawled over to Gaur. She flipped him over onto his back with difficulty and ced her palm on his bloody chest.


    Gaur''s body was still as hot as it should be during a fierce battle, but his heart had already stopped beating. It had stopped beating and was the first thing that began to grow cold.


    Nicole blinked wide-eyed several times unable to believe that this had actually happened.


    "Yay! I did it!" Nicole eximed cheerfully with sparkling eyes, but she immediately regretted it as she coughed up blood.


    ''Calm down, in your condition you shouldn''t even be talking, let alone shouting like that.'' Erder said calmly as he directed some of his energy to Nicole to help her in some way.


    Nicole felt better while her eyes sought to close. She breathed slowly, evenly with pleasure smiling at the pleasant feeling of victory.


    ''You need to rest, and so do I.'' Erder said seriously, giving Nicole thest of what he had.


    "Agh... It''s so warm in here... it''s probably a good ce to sink into sleep... sleeping after victory is the best reward..." Nicole murmured softly before closing her eyes.


    ...


    "Fantastic... How the hell did she survive that explosion...?" Reto waspletely puzzled, staring at Nicole with his eyes wide open.


    "Hah, that''s her weapon, that guy protected her." Wain smirked, rubbing his chin, "She''s good, even though her fighting style is dangerous, she manages to win every time."


    "So... Is this the end?" Felix asked as he looked at Wain.


    Nicole''stest attack forced the attention of everyone in the Voids to their fight. Most of the monsters, Beastfolks, and Constructs who were still willing to fight immediately retreated when they saw Gaur lose. No one wanted to experience the power of Nicole.


    Wain shook his head, "Not really. I''d say all the battles are over now, Nicole won, Sarras won, and the ice ind is securely defended. Hundreds of small battles have also mostly ended in victories for our monsters, but there is still one unfinished fight."


    Wain looked out into the snowy wilderness, as did thousands of monsters throughout the Void. They all knew that that was where thest and most important battle was taking ce.


    The oue of this battle did not determine the war at all, for it was obvious that Wain''s Void had already won. However, the oue of this battle could change the direction of one of the fighters - the strongest warrior in the entire Void.


    Whooooooooooooooooosh.


    From the snowy wilderness came cold winds that reached even the farthest reaches of the zone, as well as the hill on which Wain stood.


    "Unbelievable... Such dense energy, it looks like Frigus actually has a chance to exceed itself and all possible expectations..." Wain muttered, removing from his cheek the thinyer of ice that left a red mark on his skin.


    "Damn... Though he is so far away, his energy was able to affect us. It''s incredible." Reto muttered getting rid of the ice just as Felix did.


    "Frigus...? Is that one of the leaders of your territories?" Felix asked as he looked around, "Is he even stronger than this girl?"


    Wain sighed, "Well, Frigus is a special case. He has a chance of bing one of the strongest monsters in history, even though he''s on the Demigod Stage right now, it''s absolutely not his limit."


    Felix nodded meaningfully. He was new to their team, he had yet to get to know the others, but he understood that Frigus was very strong.


    ''Agh, Frgius... You''ve changed, your attitude towardsbat has changed...'' Wain muttered inwardly as he watched the two silhouettes fighting in the distance, ''Before you would never have risked so much to try and grab a ghostly chance at a miracle, but now you are actually doing something so reckless that even I am not sure about it.''


    ...


    Step. Step. Step.


    A tall man in majestic armor radiating frost stepped forward across the dense ice that had previously been sand. Every step he took gave off a loud crunch from the ice as traces were left on it by the weight of his armor.


    His face was emaciated, his body covered in blood as well as the white tips of his hair, but his eyes burned a fire, unlike his cold nature.


    ''Frigus! That''s enough! You must stop doing this! You must use your Form!'' rmed shouts came from his sword straight into his mind from his closest ally.


    Frigus answered nothing he just moved forward, straight toward his opponent who had been expecting the same action from him for some time.


    "Swordsman... Apparently, my n haspletely failed and I have lost the war, even if I defeat you it won''t change anything..." Keira muttered with a calm stare at Frigus, "However, this fight shouldn''t be as obvious. Don''t insult me. I''ve used everything I have against you, but you haven''t done it yet."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Powerful electrical discharges appeared around Keira from time to time, rumbling like thunderps. After using the Form, she transformed into a true lightning lord with a long trident whose sharp des could pierce anything.


    Her aura was majestic, much stronger than Frigus''s, even when he was at the peak of his powers, at the beginning of the battle.


    She could have attacked Frigus at any moment, but her ego longed for him to try his best, too. She didn''t want her victory to be so nd, withoutplexity or any kind of aplishment.


    "Agh..." Frigus took a deep breath, "You both don''t understand me at all... though I don''t me you..."

 Chapter 974 Simple

    "What are you talking about?" Keira frowned, not understanding who Frigus was addressing.


    "Shut up... This whole thing is starting to annoy me already. If you want this fight to end then go ahead and attack me, I''m ready to take any attack you make." Frigus nonchntly replied as he swung his sword.


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    Out of the de flew an icy de that headed toward Keira at great speed. She didn''t dodge, she just reached forward and a purple lightning bolt struck the de, destroying itpletely.


    ''Damn... Looks like my energy has run out already, I couldn''t even finish creating it, though it would have been weak anyway.'' Frigus inwardly muttered looking at the shards of ice on the ground.


    ''I don''t know what you''re thinking, but my patience hase to an end. If you want to die because of your pride and won''t even take the chance to fight a real fight, then I''ll do it. It''s your choice." Keira said coldly as she stepped forward.


    She headed toward Frigus, in no hurry at all to do what she was talking about, but her gaze waspletely serious since her trident des were electrified.


    "Hah, another thing." Frigus smirked.


    ''Frigus!'' Luna eximed with all her might, ''Damn it! At this rate, you''re actually going to die! If you want to use your Form, then at least use my energy! You''re hurt! There''s no way you can beat her with physical strength alone!''


    Frigus heard her every word, for she did not really need to shout, all her thoughts went straight to Frigus''s head.


    ''Luna... I''m not going to do any of what you said. I''ve already made up my mind.'' Frigus said confidently, clutching the hilt of his sword tightly, ''Today, right now, I will defeat an opponent far stronger than me and step forward. You, or my Form, will make it as easy for me as it will take away my chance to advance.''


    Whooooooooooooooooosh.


    Keira appeared in front of Frigus as her trident swung toward Frigus. His pupils narrowed as he took ast-minute step to the side, dodging the attack.


    "Pfff, that''s not all!" Keira eximed, bringing the trident crashing to the ground.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The collision between the trident and the ice caused several powerful electric shocks that threw Frigus back several meters. He put a block in front of him to prevent them from damaging him, but because of that, he weakened his defenses from other directions.


    "That was reckless and too presumptuous." Keira whispered as she appeared behind Frigus like a ghost.


    Frigus flinched. He turned around quickly, trying to attack before Keira did, but just as he turned around, her fist was already embedded in his stomach.


    Frigus''s face twisted in pain as a flood of blood gushed from his mouth as the impact tossed him aside.


    Crackling.


    Keira stepped forward, breaking the ice in front of her. She put her trident in front of her, bent her body forward, and rushed straight ahead.


    Her gaze was fixed on Frigus, who was trying to recover from the powerful blow that knocked him out of the fight for a while.


    ''Fine... This is how it ends. That''s not bad at all.'' Keira muttered as the des of the trident touched Frigus, piercing through him.<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>


    ''NO!!!!'' Luna eximed desperately as she directed her entire aura outward, trying to do something. The runes on the long sword glowed brightly, showing her intentions.


    Drip. Drip. Drip.


    Streams of scarlet blood trickled from the corners of Frigus''s mouth, droplets falling down, smashing on the ice or the trident''s des.


    Frigus''s gaze grew progressively darker, emptying as he lost much strength. It was almost impossible to recover from such a wound, given his current state.


    Before his consciousness should havepletely blurred, Frigus saw something incredible as a simple crystal snowke flew past him.


    ''What...? What is it...?'' Frigus muttered inwardly as he watched the snowke leave a tiny cut on Keira''s palm before disappearing.


    Keira didn''t even notice it, since such a small wound healed almost instantly. Then, her whole mind was focused only on Frigus and the fact that she had won.


    "I don''t know what you were thinking, but you deserve to lose." Keira said calmly as she pulled Frigus''s trident from her body.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Electric shocks headed for her hand, turning her palm into a deadly weapon.


    "I''ll meet you in hell, you arrogant swordsman." Keira swung her hand, creating an electric torch, heading for Frigus, who already seemed to be struggling to stand on his feet and was nearly unconscious.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    A white sh with a metallic sheen swept between them, causing Keira''s eyes to go wide.


    ''What...? What''s going on...?'' Keira said inwardly, staring at her severed arm, flying aside while drops of blood sprinkled her face.


    At the same moment, amidst Frigus''s exhausted look, there was something new, a strange gleam in his eyes whose depth was impossible to determine.


    ''How ironic that only now did I realize it... Ice and sharpness... What''s the point of relying on energy when even an ordinary snowke can leave a cut...? If a tiny snowke can do that, then what can I do with all my power...?'' Frigus sighed to himself with a deep look.


    Crackling.


    Frigus gripped the sword tightly with both hands, raising it above his head and about to bring it down.


    "Farewell. Thanks to our fight, I''ve finally found what I''ve been looking for for so long. As a reward, you will be the first to see an attack from the new me." Frigus spoke, majestically and calmly as his cold tone made Keira shudder with fear.


    She cast aside all thoughts of saving her arm and tried to put up a defense, but it was toote as Frigus lowered his sword.


    The tip of the sword touched the ground, and all the runes on it shed as brightly as ever. At the same moment, a vertical streak appeared on Keira''s body as well as on the ground behind her, hundreds of meters long.

 Chapter 975 God Stage

    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The ground split in two as well as Keira''s body. A perfect vertical cut forever took away her life and changed thendscape of the snowy desert as behind Keira, there was now a cleft the size of a canyon.


    The sand that had been underneath the denseyer of ice and snow began to fall down, partially filling the bottom, which the bright light from the sun could barely reach. Under the pressure, the ice fell down, covering the new canyon with ayer of ice with hundreds of crystals resembling broken snowkes.


    "That''s impossible..." Keira muttered with an outstretched hand before she fell, falling into the canyon behind her.


    Frigus took a deep breath, exhaling a dense cloud of cold steam, and took a few steps forward. He watched the aftermath of his attack as his heart began to beat faster and his aura increased.


    "Agh... How wonderful... I finally got to see the results of my countless training sessions... I didn''t need a win, but a chance to vent all the endless hours I spent honing my skills somewhere..." Frigus muttered as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    ''Are you alright...?'' Luna asked worriedly as the runes on his sword shed several times, trying to get Frigus'' attention.


    Frigus was silent for a long time, he seemed to ignore Luna, which made her start to get nervous.


    "Yeah... I feel great, I''d even say I''ve never felt better in my life. Thank you for staying with me until the very end. You were even willing to give all your energy to help me in my reckless decision, I really appreciate it." Frigus smiled bitterly as he looked down the canyon.


    Luna wanted to say something, but a sudden burst of energy interrupted her since she couldn''t find the words to describe her feelings.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    From Frigus began to emanate streams of frost that rushed upwards with hundreds of threads. Among the threads appeared crystalline snowkes that, as if in a snowfall, spread across the entire Void, slowly falling down.


    One of the snowkes, fell directly onto Wain''s palm, who was watching Frigus intently with a dazed expression the whole time.


    "So fast... Before this fight, he was only at the beginning of his journey to reach the God Stage, but now he has already reached the next stage." Wain muttered as he nced at the snowke that, despite his high body temperature, was not about to melt, instead, a thinyer of ice appeared on his palm.


    "Brrrrr! It''s so cold! How much longer is this going to go on? I''m not sure I can take it much longer." Reto muttered, shivering and wrapping his arms around his body to keep warm.


    The weaker the monsters were the more effective the freezing snowkes had on them, so some monsters literally began to freeze.


    At the same moment, all over the Void, regardless of the territory, pockets of fire began to appear, monsters with this attribute trying to help those who could not cope with the strong cold on their own.


    The monsters joined each other, gathering in a group around those who could give them heat with a me strong enough for everyone.<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>


    "Damn... I didn''t think I''d have to do this, but the situation is really unusual..." Felix muttered as his ring glowed brightly. A bright crystal appeared in his hand, containing a powerful essence of the me inside.


    He tossed the crystal to the ground, releasing a bright red me that immediately raised the temperature around it.


    "Agh..." Reto exhaled in relief,ing closer to the fire, then he turned around, "Hey, Wain,e join us. Though it''s unexpected, this ice works even for you. Do you really want to catch a cold? Hehehe..."


    "Well, sometimes you say damn silly things. I can''t remember thest time I was sick, with the energying in it''s almost impossible... Though that cold creeps in from the inside, it brings back memories..." Wain muttered with a slight smile when part of his face was already covered in a thin crust of ice.


    "I''m going to stay here. This is too important a moment for all of us to miss." Wain sighed.


    Reto just shrugged. His main concern was to keep himself warm, so he didn''t ask any more about it.


    While Frigus''s energy was increasing, almost all the monsters had already managed to cope with the problem of cold with the help of fiery hearths, however, there was one ce where a fire had not yet appeared.


    Among the mistynds, where after one of the most important battles were many ruined ruins, froze one girl. She was badly wounded, and the thick fur of Gaur''s on which shey could not protect her from the frost that was heading toward her from all sides.


    From Nicole''s scythe, a white aura emanated that covered her, trying to help her in some way, but it was obviously not enough.


    ''No, it''s not enough, we need some source of heat, or something really bad could happen...'' Erder muttered withplicated looks as he realized the gravity of the situation.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Several silhouettes with powerful auras emerged from the mist. There weren''t many of them, just over ten since they were the strongest monsters in Nicole''s territory.


    "I''m sorry Miss, but we''ll have to bother you now..." demonster muttered in a harsh voice as he nced at the monster across from him.


    They all approached Nicole, surrounding her, then the monster, whose body had veins through which white sma flowed, ignited a bright me that was perhaps the strongest in all of Void. This fire melted all the ice with ease, allowing Nicole to breathe a sigh of relief.


    "How good..." Nicole whispered without waking up, as a smile of pleasure appeared on her face.


    "Thank you..." Erder said, channeling her energy outward.


    "Sure... After all, it''s our responsibility... If it wasn''t for her, we couldn''t have be so strong..." demonster spoke with an appreciation that was shared by all the other monsters.

 Chapter 976 Frost

    Frigus was a winner, but he received arge number of wounds, however, he didn''t worry about that at all, as he now felt himself growing stronger by the second.


    "I thought it would take me a lot longer, but I still managed to do it... I can actually be proud of myself, right?" Frigus smiled bitterly as his energy reached its limit.


    His eyes sparkled brightly as the frosty stream finally stopped flowing out of him. All the energy concentrated in his soul, taking him to the next level.


    There were only two ways to reach the God Stage, one of which was deservedly considered much more difficult.


    "Either the creature gets its power from its followers and bes dependent on them, or the creature makes its own path and moves straight to the Transcendence Stage." Wain said seriously, looking off into the distance with his arms crossed on his chest.


    Frigus stood still for a long time with his eyes closed. He felt energy spill over his body while his soul returned to normal.


    "This is incredible. Is this what everyone who has reached the God Stage feels like? I have the feeling that with a simple wave of my hand, I could cut a mountain in two, or freeze an entire ocean..." Frigus muttered with his outstretched hand.


    A few snowkes appeared on his fingertips. He blew on them lightly, sending them forward, toward the borders of the canyon, as if they had some special purpose.


    "If I feel such incredible power in me, then what about Wain? Damn, he''s a Nameless King, the first to reach the Transcendence Stage." Frigus sighed.


    ''I''m sure you can reach his level soon, too.'' Luna said, receiving some of her energy from Frigus. After thest attack, she only had a small portion left, so she needed to replenish her supply.


    "Hah, do you mean that?" Frigus grinned as he nced at his sword.


    Luna was silent until she answered, ''Sure. It might be difficult, but really none of the previous steps were easy, were they?''


    Frigus nodded.


    ''Whether it''s God Stage or just First Chronicle, going forward is always difficult. Once we get past some stage we think it used to be easy, but it''s not at all.'' Luna exined with a calm look.


    "Damn... Even though you''re saying some pretty obvious things, for some reason I didn''t think of that before. We shouldn''t forget our past sesses, since it devalues our efforts, doesn''t it?" Frigus muttered, asking the question into the void.


    ''Just keep moving forward. The fact that you were able to reach the God Stage and win without using any boosts sure surprised everyone.'' Luna nodded.


    "Agh... You''re right and I''m tired as hell, my whole body hurts... However, I can''t leave here yet, I have to fix what I''ve done, at least partially." Frigus took a deep breath before snapping his fingers.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, the snowkes that had already settled on the edges of the canyon shone brightly, turning into blue stars. Their glow was visible from all over the Void, attracting the attention of the monsters who were gradually moving away from the frosty stream.


    "I won''t be able to fill this canyonpletely, though it makes no sense... However, I can definitely make it so that even the weakest ones can easily get across this canyon." Frigus said with a slight smile as ripples began to emanate from the snowkes.


    The blue energy quickly morphed into several massive ice bridges that connected all the snowkes together, covering part of the canyon. Now, no matter where the monster was, it could reach anywhere.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Crackle.


    Frigus fell to his knees, staring ahead with an exhausted look. He had a sea of energy after the transition to the God Stage, but after the hard fight, he had almost no energy left. All Frigus wanted now was a good night''s sleep.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly the space shuddered as two portals began to close. Keira and Gaur''s Voids were not destroyed, but they had lost their leaders as well as their best fighters, so now among the Fifth Chronicle Voids, they were among the weakest.


    "That was it. The war took some time, but we won sessfully, moreover, we won the most valuable rewards." Wain said seriously, letting out his aura.


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?" Reto was puzzled, "We were attacked, hundreds of our monsters died and the attackers just walked away. I mean, it was expected, but we can''t take resources from their areas, so we have nothing."


    "Hah, you''re wrong. We got three things for this war." Wain smirked as he showed three fingers.


    Reto raised an eyebrow, he just didn''t understand what Wain was talking about.


    "First, Frigus has reached the God Stage. Now we have an incredibly strong fighter who stands a good chance of reaching the Transcendence Stage in the future. Secondly, we''ve met Felix, he''s our new mate, as well as our zone defender on the outside with unique abilities." Wain stared at Felix.


    Felix didn''t expect Wain to mention him, so for a moment he was embarrassed and looked away.


    "Thirdly, and most importantly, after winning the war, our Void finally made it to the Fifth Chronicle!" Wain eximed with an excited expression as he waved his arms.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, a bright glow appeared in the sky with the silhouette of a nine-pointed star, as if the core of the zone had moved there.


    [You have won the war against two spaces!]


    [Your core has gained enough energy to reach the next stage!]


    [Your space is now Fifth Chronicle Void and reaches the Half-World level!]


    Several energy ripples came from the silhouette of the nine-pointed star, then the space in the distance trembled.


    [The barriers protecting ordinary Voids from invasion have been removed! Anyone can now enter your Void!]


    [Each territory will be greatly expanded! All resources will begin to grow at a greater rate and the energy of the environment will be much denser!]

 Chapter 977 The Next Stage

    In World of Darkness, each space was a small sphere that floated in boundless darkness. It was possible to see the zones that way both with special items and from a unique location when the owner of the Void was about to start a war.


    Each sphere had its own size, color, and aura, which depended on many factors. Sometimes powerful ripples would emanate from the spheres, this was quite rare as it meant that the area was moving to the next Chronicle, which attracted a lot of attention.


    "What is that...?" Someone muttered looking at the huge ck orb. Strong ripples wereing from the sphere that was visible to anyone who was now looking at the other Voids.


    Thousands of other people around the world noticed it, too. Some of them knew what it meant, but for others, it was aplete mystery as they did not understand why the ripples were so powerful.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Many cracks appeared on the ck sphere as if it was breaking the outer shell that had been hiding it from the world for a long time.


    "Damn... Am I really watching a new Half-World being born right now? Damn! I absolutely must go there when the barrierse downpletely!" The girl eximed cheerfully with an excited expression.


    Such was the reaction of almost everyone who followed Wain''s Void at that moment. Every Half-World was a veritable treasure trove of resources, especially in the beginning. Of course, everyone knew that Half-World had an owner, but no one forbade the use of trade.


    "Well, it looks like I''ll have to wait. This area is actually huge, it''s going to take some time before I can head there." The man muttered, staring intently at the ck orb.


    ...


    At the same time, an incredible change was taking ce within Wain''s Void. Energy currents were spreading throughout the area, flowing through the earth and sky.


    Each area expanded rapidly, bing muchrger, all resources grew instantly and points of interest received new effects.


    "Agh... Now I understand what you were talking about. Honestly, because of the war, Ipletely forgot that our Void is in the process of increasing the Chronicle." Reto muttered with a dazed expression.


    "Hah, let''s go see the others. We need to get everyone in one ce, on Ice Ind, we''ll get a better view of the entire Void from there."


    Reto nodded.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Wain leaped forward, in a dark sh heading toward the Ice Ind. Reto nced at Felix, gestured for him, and followed Wain.


    ...


    After a few hours, the energy flows were no longer as strong as they had been initially, but there was still a long way to go. After all, any Fifth Chronicle Void was a huge space, so even with a lot of energy, it couldn''t be done quickly.


    "It''s so beautiful... It was worth going through this war for." Elegan muttered looking at the ck streams of energy, sitting on the edge of the ice ind.


    "Yeah... I agree. Honestly, I thought there would be a lot more destruction, but it feels like it''s slowly getting less and less." Edena said watching intently as the areas expanded.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "It is." Wain said seriously with a slight nod.


    "Hmm?" Edena as well as Elegan and Lui Bu gave him a questioning look.


    "Territories increase, but they also regenerate. Usually, this requires monsters with an earth or water attribute, however, now we are helped by the energy emanating from the core." Wain exined.


    "But... This ce doesn''t change in any way, and neither does this..." Felix pointed to the icy canyon and mistynds, where Nicole had fought were full of destruction.


    Wain sighed, "These ces will stay like this forever. Just think of them as the scars that were left in our Void after the war."


    "Hah, that''s pretty ironic, two attackers, two scars." Reto grinned.


    "What are we going to do now?" Lui Bu asked as he looked at Wain.


    Wain shrugged, "Nothing. Just let''s enjoy the view and then get to work. As you may have noticed there''s a new member of our team, I assure you when I tell you all about it you''ll be surprised."


    ...


    And so a few days passed. Wain decided to stay in Void to deal with thetest urgent matters and to help Elegan manage the new resources.


    The barriers had already fallen and there were even a few waves of travelers who wanted to be the first to see the new Half-World. Some were aggressive, some were trying to steal resources, some were heading straight to Elegan with a business proposition, and some were actually just traveling.


    "Well... It all happened better than I thought it would... Is it just me or is everything too calm?" Elegan muttered sitting at his desk. In front, Wain and Reto sat, they were ying chess with thoughtful faces.


    Wain picked up a pawn, moved it forward, and said, "That''s pretty expected. As I said before, there won''t be any serious problems, just local ones, but we can handle them easily."


    Reto rubbing his chin made his move.


    "Yeah, I understand, but I thought someone would try to attack us. I mean, we don''t have a protective barrier now, we''re more vulnerable than before. What''s more, our monsters still need time to get stronger with their new energy." Elegan was puzzled as he waved his hand.


    Wain shrugged, moving the bishop diagonally, "You''re getting too hung up on this. No doubt some have the ability to attack the new Half-World, but they also have ways of finding out who owns the Void."


    "I agree. There''s no way in hell I''d attack the Nameless King''s Void, it''s just suicide." Reto said nonchntly picking up a rook.


    "Anyway, I''m d we''re doing so well. The monsters are progressing, Sarras''s skeletons are gradually carrying all the treasures from Felix''s Void, with Felix''s help I have strengthened all the weaknesses of our area. I just can''t believe things are even better than before!" Elegan spread his arms out to his sides.


    "Hah, we upgraded our Chronicle, not downgraded it, so it had to happen. Is it just me or did you get depressed?" Wain smirked as he did the castling.

 Chapter 978 Awakening

    Wain continued to y chess with Reto while talking to Elegan about various topics. After about half an hour, Wain and Reto ended their game in a draw. Wain practically lost, as Reto just didn''t leave him much room to move.


    "Damn... You did that on purpose, right?" Wain frowned, looking thoughtfully at the chessboard.


    "Hah, for someone who holds the title of Nameless King, you y chess pretty badly. Although, I still had to make some effort to bring things to a draw." Reto replied with a sly smile.


    "Hmm... I thought I was doing everything right. I don''t even understand what went wrong." Wain muttered, rubbing his chin.


    Crackling.


    The massive doors opened as a man whose body was half-covered with bandages stepped inside. Beside him walked a girl with long ck hair, she was in a simr situation.


    Wain turned and smiled, "Well, well, I thought you''d be asleep a lot longer, but it looks like you''re almost recovered now, doesn''t it?"


    "Yeah... I still feel exhausted, but it''s not bad. It''s better to recover slowly and gradually than to go through a sudden jump." Frigus said quietly as he sat down next to Reto.


    Nicole waspletely silent, which was very rare for her. She just walked over to Wain and leaned against him as if she could fall asleep at any moment and needed support.


    Wain didn''t say anything to her, he felt her aura was strong, but it needed more time toe around.


    "Damn... You were both major war stars, but there''s no joy on your faces at all." Reto shook his head.


    "Agh... I already had time to rejoice at the moment right after the victory... All I need now is rest." Frigus sighed as he leaned back on the couch, "It''s unusual to be so passive, but I even like it."


    "I agree..." Nicole whispered, "It feels like I spent all my energy during the fight, so now I only have the energy to eat something delicious."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly, space near Elegan shuddered as a water sphere appeared, from which a silhouette slowly emerged.


    Frigus and Nicole were immediately alert, but seeing that the others werepletely calm, they didn''t do anything.


    ''What''s going on?'' Frigus thought as he looked at Nicole puzzled to see that she didn''t know either.


    "Oh... I guess this is a bad time..." Felix mumbled awkwardly as he nced at Frigus.


    "Not really." Wain smirked, "It''s actually good that you came, now I can finish onest job before I move on."


    Wain quickly put all the chess pieces in ce, stood up, and pointed at Felix, "Frigus and Nicole, this is Felix, he''s our new mate as well as a leader of the territory."


    "What...? Territory leader? Do we have a new territory after the upgrade to the Fifth Chronicle?" Frigus was puzzled as his eyes went wide.


    "Hah, not really. We''ve always had one territory that didn''t have a leader, it''s the outer territory around our Void." Wain grinned.


    "Hmm...? Are you talking about open space?" Nicole asked with a confused expression.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Yeah, that''s where Felix gets really strong, he can fight on par with even me." Wain nodded, "Also, Felix proved to be an incredibly generous person, as he chose to give up hundreds of his treasures for the good of our Void."


    "I see, though I didn''t expect such an unusual encounter to happen now, Wain''s words were enough to make me understand." Frigus nodded gravely, walked over to Felix, and held out his hand, "I''m d to have someone like you in our Void."


    Felix gulped, then he shook Frigus''s hand.


    "Thank you... I guess..." Felix said uncertainly.


    "Hah, so you''re still pretty humble. I like that. There are too many cunning, insolent, and inadequate people on our team." Frigus smiled broadly as his gaze shifted to Nicole.


    Nicole didn''t like that he hinted at her inadequacy, but she paid it no mind.


    "I''m very happy too!" Nicole waved her hand in greeting, "But, I''m toozy to get up, so I hope you''re not offended."


    "Fine, now that we''ve sorted everything out it''s time for me to leave." Wain said calmly before stretching.


    Everyone nodded understandingly. This time with Wain''s arrival, a lot had changed and they needed to keep working to make their Void truly great.


    "I''ll see you around. Hopefully the next time youe back, I''ll solve the little problems that we have now and our Void will be like the real World." Elegan said confidently as he put his hand together.


    Wain nodded, waved his hand, and opened a spatial rift.


    "Should Ie with you?" Felix asked, he wanted to protect Wain from sudden attacks.


    "Hah, you shouldn''t. I''m thest one to be protected, although I admit that your strength in open space is above reproach." Wain grinned, "Good luck. You have a tough job ahead of you and I have a serious conversation."


    Whoooooooooosh.


    The spatial rift closed as Wain found himself outside the Void.


    He walked forward, slowly making his way toward the simple wooden door behind whichy one of the universe''s greatest mysteries.


    ''Well, well, after a long time, this moment has finally arrived, right?'' Wain inwardly muttered looking at the door in front of him.


    Bringing back his memories Wain had almost no questions left, as now he had only a purpose and even a n to follow, however, one mystery was still unsolved.


    Crackling.


    Wain opened the door and once again found himself inside a simple bar that floated amidst the vast emptiness. Behind the bar was, as always, its owner as well as the bartender and one of the strongest fighters in the entire world.


    "I thought you wereing much earlier. Honestly, we were getting tired of waiting for you." Sven said calmly, wiping his ss down to a shine.


    "You''re still doing the same thing even after hundreds of years, aren''t you?" Wain smiled faintly.

 Chapter 979 Cocktail

    At Sven''s bar, besides himself, Osvald and Marlis were also there. They sat at the bar and asionally drank the cocktails Sven made for them.


    Osvald drank either very strong drinks like whiskey or not strong drinks, but inrge volumes. The ss of beer he was holding was bigger than his head, but this was no problem for him as there were more than ten empty sses on the bar next to him, foam dripping from them.


    Marlis acted more elegant, as she preferred to order only unusual cocktails from Sven or stick to a few ssics.


    "Join us. Even though you were dyed, it gave me the opportunity toe up with a unique cocktail, especially for the all-too-famous Nameless King." Sven said with a slight smile as she set the ss aside.


    Wain walked over and sat at the bar, finding himself between Marlis and Osvald. He took a deep breath and said, "Well, I don''t mind. Now, thinking of all the previous times I''ve been here, I want to know. Did you know it was me right away? From the very first time I got here?"


    Sven smiled with narrowed eyes, then he shook his head, "I wish I could say I did, but no. At first, I was puzzled that a mere human who hadn''t even reached First Chronicle yet had a powerful soul, then I gradually attacked to learn more about you."


    "Hah, so still then you were able to look into my Soul Altar. I would have easily noticed it now, but then I didn''t stand a chance." Wain smirked as he crossed his arms over his chest. He wasn''t angry with Sven at all, since he understood that he''d been saved several times.


    "Yeah, that''s obvious. You''ve gotten stronger over time, and after a few events, I had a theory that you might actually be Nameless King. However, much more I believed you were the heir, as did the others." Sven shrugged.


    "Well, you''ve saved me a few times anyway, each of you." Wain nodded.


    "Pfff, if Sven hadn''t asked me, I wouldn''t have done anything." Marlis snorted as she waved her hand.


    "Sure, that''s not what I expected you to say." Wain grinned.


    Crackling.


    Osvald drained his beer ss, inhaled, and smiled broadly, "Marlis, why do you always react so harshly? Isn''t it interesting that we worked together with Nameless King? Damn, I even taught him a skill and fought him in one of the spaces! It was fascinating!"


    "In that case, it''s about time I got started. I''m sure you want to ask me lots of questions, but first, you have to try a cocktail I made up just for you." Sven said calmly as his ring shone brightly.


    "Of course. Show me how great your imagination is." Wain looked intently at Sven.


    Sven nodded as several ingredients appeared on the bar in front of him. Oddly enough, the ingredients were as in as could be.


    "If I didn''t know you, I''d think this was some kind of joke..." Wain muttered looking at the five fruits and one bottle of whiskey. In front of Sven, there was onerge orange, a lemon, a pineapple, and a green apple.


    "Hah, looks like you were expecting me to get some unique materials and rare nts now, didn''t you?" Sven smirked as he picked up the pineapple.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Whooooooooooooooooosh.


    Once the pineapple was in his hand, several white sparks flew across it, then the entire rindpletely peeled off the fruit, leaving the pineapple clean.


    This show elicited a slight smile from Wain, which quickly grew much wider until heughed so loudly that it shook the whole bar like a thunderp.


    "Hmm...? Why are youughing? I definitely did everything perfectly." Sven said with absolute confidence as he was puzzled.


    "Sorry, I was just thinking how weird it looks from the perspective of someone who hasn''t yet reached Second Chronicle and is just starting their journey. Rookies dream of bing incredibly strong, so strong that they can tear down entire mountains with a wave of their hand. That''s when someone with powers they can''t even imagine uses them to peel a pineapple! Isn''t that funny?" Wainughed with relish.


    Sven frowned, but an understanding smile quickly appeared on his face.


    "Well... I agree, it actually sounds ironic. However, just because I''m strong doesn''t mean I have to use it for something as primitive as pure destruction. I mean, our power has bemonce for us, so there''s nothing wrong with acting like ordinary people." Sven shrugged his shoulders before swinging his arm.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, the peel flew off all the fruit, then a shine went through it again and it was cut into small cubes.


    "Yeah... I guess you have a point." Wain nodded with a serious look.


    Sven methodically squeezed the juice from all the fruit, then poured whiskey over it with plenty of ice. The cocktail was almost ready, but even something as simple as this couldn''t be the way Sven made it.


    "What you said in the beginning about the ingredients ispletely true, as it''s actually just in fruit and whiskey. However, this cocktail is special for you since it will contain one special ingredient." Sven said calmly as he opened his palm.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space shuddered as streams of energy headed toward the palm, forming a small sphere the size of a grain. Sven could have made it bigger, but it just wasn''t necessary, so he tossed the sphere into the ss and stirred all the ingredients again.


    ''I see... The simplest ingredients and something only Sven can give me... Well, it actually looks like a special cocktail just for me.'' Wain inwardly muttered looking at the ss. It was the simplest yet most unusual cocktail he had ever seen.


    Sven''s energy looked even purer than Soul Pearl''s, for though it was a small part,parable to a drop in the sea, to most it would be a real treasure.

 Chapter 980 The Past

    "Hey... Sven... Why didn''t you make those cocktails for us?" Osvald asked with his eyes wide open looking at the ss.


    Sven smiled weakly, "I already told you. It''s a cocktail I invented and made especially for Wain. It also has a special name, the White King." Sven inhaled as he slid the ss toward Wain, "Go ahead, try it."


    Wain took the ss in his hands, immediately feeling the coldness and the pleasant citrus aroma, but all these were minor detailspared to the vibrations emanating from it.


    ''Sven''s pure energy... Now he did the same thing I did with Felix, only in much smaller amounts, but why? Did he really just make a unique cocktail for me?'' Wain muttered looking at the ice cubes.


    Wain didn''t think it was some kind of trap or anything, for he knew that Sven had ample opportunity to kill, capture, or kidnap him. Wain could not consider Sven his friend or close ally, but he was sure that Sven was not his enemy.


    "White King, right?" Wain muttered, "Well, thanks for the treat."


    Wain brought the ss to his mouth and took the first sip. At first, there was nothing unusual, as it was just a delicious, citrusy, alcoholic cocktail. However, after a few seconds, Wain felt something strange.


    Powerful waves of energy passed through his body, weak at first, then they became strong enough to cause him difort.


    ''Damn... I feel like an earthquake is starting inside me. I have to fix it as soon as possible.'' Wain said inwardly as he concentrated and directed his energy into the center of his body. The throbbing became weaker, but it didn''t go away.


    "Hey, I realize it''s not exactly what you expected, but for the full effect you have to drink it all in." Sven said as he touched the ss, pushing it toward Wain.


    Wain nced at him with a serious look, staring intently into his eyes, but eventually epted his offer.


    In a few sips, Wain drained the sspletely, which now had a little bit of Sven''s energy in his body.


    The pulsations grew stronger, but it was no problem for Wain to stop them.


    ''Maybe if there was more energy, I''d have a problem, after all, at this point, Sven is much stronger than me... However, I can easily handle it.'' Wain pondered, trying to understand why Sven had done this.


    "Since we''re all gathered here, I think it''s time we started." Sven said as a sly smirk appeared on his face.


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?" Wain frowned.


    "About the past. You want to ask me about what happened during the First Great War, don''t you?" Sven''s eyes narrowed.


    Wain nodded, "Yeah... I have some questions, and the answers to them only you know. I have to figure it out so I know what to do next."


    "Damn, you are so frank. Aren''t you afraid I might use it against you?" Sven smirked slyly.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Well, I''m just pretty sure that during the First Great War, your actions either saved me or led Arkans to defeat. Either way, since you know what I need you to do, stop wasting my time." Wain said menacingly as his aura intensified, making Osvald and Marlis wary.


    Sven remained silent until he said, "Sure. That''s exactly why I prepared this cocktail for you. I won''t just tell you about what happened back then, I''ll show you. I''ll show you the memories of all of us, the three of us."


    Click.


    Sven clicked his fingers, then his eyes sparkled.


    At the same moment, white magic circles appeared on Marlis and Osvald''s foreheads, stamped with a scarred eye. There was almost no emotion on their faces, for they knew this was going to happen.


    The same magic circle appeared on Wain''s forehead, then he felt the throbbing finally stop.


    "I see... You used the cocktail trick to directly connect me to your energy, didn''t you?" Wain asked with a hint of interest.


    "It''s exactly as you said. Okay, it''s time to go back five hundred years. I didn''t think I''d have to go through this again, but it makes me nostalgic." Sven shrugged and closed his eyes.


    "Hah, will someone finally see what we did back then? I feel a little proud of us now." Osvald smirked, prepared.


    "Agh... That was the most incredible thing left offstage... although that''s what I liked best about it." Marlis said calmly.


    Out of the magical circles flew threads that connected at one point. All that was left to do was for Wain to close her eyes and the process would begin.


    ''Well, I wanted to know what happened then and it looks like now I''ll finally get the answers to my questions.'' Wain inwardly muttered before closing his eyes.


    Sven took a deep breath as a massive magical circle appeared above them that contained more energy.


    "Though I''m confident in the stealth of my space, we shouldn''t be interrupted by anyone." Sven said as the magic circle lowered, passing through them, then a protective barrier appeared around them.


    Increasing the protection, Sven began to channel more of his energy through the threads, directing it to the center, then Wain''s mind began to gradually cloud over.


    ''What a strange feeling... It''s like I''m under hypnosis...'' Wain said to himself, feeling an unfamiliar lightness, ''This is different from what the Abyss Artist did, though it''s understandable... Sven has to do moreplicated maniptions since he''s not in my mind.''


    After a while, Wain stopped feeling that he was in the bar; on the contrary, it seemed to him that he was somewhere very far away and the ce was not so peaceful at all. He felt powerful gusts of wind along with energy pulses that came from all directions.


    Then, for the first time in 500 years, Wain felt the same as he did during the Great War as if he were in the middle of a major battle.

 Chapter 981 The Past (Part 2)

    There were many events in the Great War, the most important of which was the battle of the Nameless King against the two rulers of the Arkan World. However, that was the finale, before that some important changes were taking ce among the Arkans.


    "Sven... Do you realize how important and dangerous your mission is at the same time?" A man with long white hair, deep blue eyes, and a short beard said.


    He wore a spacious blue mantle and a massive amulet around his neck. A most powerful aura emanated from the man, it seemed that he was the strongest being in the universe and anyone who went against him would surely lose.


    Slowly Wain appeared here, like a ghost that no one could notice. At first, he was slightly puzzled, but when he saw the man standing in front of Sven, his eyes went wide and a shiver went throughout his body.


    "No way... Is it really him... Fuck, that bastard almost got me killed!" Wain frowned as he clenched his fists as hard as he could.


    Then he felt the real rage and contempt he felt for this man, absolutely sincerely. At that moment, hundreds of memories shed through his mind, both of the Great War and of other events before it.


    "x, the Heaven Destroyer! That bastard is actually here! I can see him!" Wain eximed angrily, releasing an enormous amount of his energy. For hundreds of years, he had not experienced what he was now experiencing at the sight of one of his greatest enemies.


    Then, hepletely forgot where he was, and without thinking of the consequences, he pounced on x with all his might, unleashing his fist on him.


    However, Wain''s fist went straight through x''s body as if nothing happened. x didn''t even pay attention to him, only then did Wain realize that he was only a spectator.


    "Agh... Damn, Ipletely lost control of myself." Wain muttered while shaking his head. He took a deep breath, calmed down, and flew to the side.


    ''Well, it''s obvious there''s no way I can affect what''s going on, after all, it''s all Sven''s memories... or rather not just his...'' Wain said to himself as he looked at Sven as well as the two silhouettes standing behind him.


    Besides Sven, in front of x were also Marlis and Osvald, it seemed that they had always acted together, in the same team. Five hundred years ago they looked much the same, but their clothing waspletely different.


    Osvald wore massive armor that not even a dragon''s ws could prate. Marlis wore light leather armor that didn''t restrict her movements at all.


    Sven was wearing a spacious, white mantle that was simr to the one x wore. His mantle, as if showing that he was the only one approaching the level of one of the rulers of the Arkan World.


    ''Hm... What''s going on here? Emotions aside, what are Sven and the others doing here?'' Wain inwardly muttered with a thoughtful expression.


    ''Sure. A war is about to break out. I understand that the situation is very serious.'' Sven said calmly as he nodded his head slightly.


    Unlike now, when Sven had a sly smirk on his face all the time, now he looked as cold as an ancient cier. Marlis and Osvald had simr faces.


    "Yeah, you''re right. Arox said we shouldn''t rush into this, but I thought I should tell you our n right now to avoid any future contingencies." x said calmly as his gaze passed over Sven, Marlis, and Osvald.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Do you have an errand for us?" Marlis asked with a serious look.


    x nodded, "Yes. It has to do with the supposed end of the war."


    Sven gave him a questioning nce.


    "Obviously our final opponent will be the Nameless King. I''d be d if someone would get rid of him along with me and Arox, but that''s just not possible." x spoke calmly as if he''d already thought the whole thing through.


    "Hah, I knew it." Osvald smirked as a wide grin appeared on his face for a moment, "I''ve seen Nameless King fight several times. I''m sure he didn''t do it at full strength, but it was still terrifying. It takes special measures to deal with him."


    "Exactly." x nodded, "I have my own n for the worst-case scenario. I hope I don''t have to use it..." x''s face darkened, "Well, we''re off course, that''s not what I was talking about.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    x''s ring glowed brightly as the space beside it distorted as if the object he wanted to retrieve weighed as much as an entire.


    Gradually, everything came back to normal, as a cube-shaped artifact appeared in x''s palm, with a levitating pyramid locked inside.


    "Sven, this artifact I entrust to you personally, as well as a special mission, but it must involve each of you, all of you." x said deadly seriously, handing the cube to Sven.


    "What is it?" Sven asked, taking his time taking the artifact in his hands. He was a little tense, as he rarely encountered things he knew nothing about.


    "Mine and Arox''s is a unique invention, although we didn''t create it from scratch. We were lucky enough to find some incredibly rare materials with the properties we wanted. We called this artifact, ''The Last Seal.''" x exined.


    He sighed and continued, "Me and Arox, we''re not so confident that we canpletely kill the Nameless King. I''m sure he has trumps as well as opportunities to escape, so this is a special solution."


    "Hmm... Are you actually saying that this artifact can permanently seal Nameless King himself? I mean... His power really knows no bounds." Sven asked with a confused expression.


    "Yeah... That doesn''t seem possible to me either. As unusual as this artifact is, the Nameless King is no ordinary opponent. Only brute force will help against him!" Osvald said confidently, straining his massive muscles.


    Marlis with particles of curiosity in her eyes was looking at the strange artifact when the pyramids inside began to spin.

 Chapter 982 The Past (Part 3)

    The artifact in x''s hands surprised Sven, Marlis, and Osvald as well as puzzled them. They were skeptical that some artifact, though special, could defeat one of the strongest beings in the universe.


    "I understand that you can''t believe it, although you''re generally right. The Last Seal cannot really do anything to the Nameless King, however, it has other uses." x said quietly as he nced at the pyramid spinning inside the cube.


    "The Last Seal has two steps or rather two ways in which this unique artifact can be used. First, the target can be sealed, then using all the energy of the artifact, it can be destroyed by causing an explosion of devastating power." x exined.


    "I see... You want to use The Last Seal to keep Nameless King from escaping, right?" Marlis asked with a serious expression.


    "Well, that''s only one oue. Look, if you use The Last Seal immediately against Nameless King, he will easily destroy it with his chaotic energy. However, fighting against me with Arox, he''ll lose a lot of power. He will be at death''s door, perhaps like us, then it will be time to use The Last Seal." x spoke coldly.


    "Hahaha, now I get it!" Osvald grinned, "You will weaken him, lock him in The Last Seal, and then blow him up! That''s how you defeat the Nameless King himself!"


    "Osvald, sometimes you think faster than others, you know how to surprise." x said with a slight smile on his face, "However, you were wrong about something. The one who uses the artifact will be Sven."


    Sven nodded quietly, fully understanding his task.


    "Hmm...? Why Sven? I mean... I''m d you''re entrusting him with such an important mission, but wouldn''t it be easier to use the artifact yourself?" Osvald asked with a confused expression.


    "Agh... Osvald, you never change." x shook his head with a bitter smile, "Obviously I would like to do that, but it takes too much energy to activate an artifact. I''m more than certain that by the end of the battle with the Nameless King, I will bepletely drained. In that case, I won''t even make the artifact glow."


    "Ouch... I understand..." Osvald muttered, scratching his cheek with an awkward look.


    x was silent for a while before he said, "Sven, do you understand your task or do you have any questions?"


    "No. I understand and am ready toplete my task." Sven said with a deadly serious look.


    ''Unbelievable... I''ve never seen Sven so serious... Has he changed that much since the first Great War?'' Wain muttered with a thoughtful expression.


    ''Fine. You''re as fullymitted as ever. Well, now let''s talk about something else, before the war begins we need you to resolve a few issues." x said calmly, handing The Last Seal to Sven.


    "I just realize how important this is. Don''t worry, I won''t let you down." Sven said calmly, looking intently at x as he took The Last Seal.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    x smiled, "Yeah, I know that. I''m sure after a while you''ll be equal to me or Arox. Hahaha, never thought I''d say this, but you are the epitome of perfect."


    x smiled as he touched his chin, "You haven''t failed a single mission, reached the God Stage faster than anyone else, have superior abilities and what''s more, you have a great team. Frankly, I''m even a little jealous, my way to the top was filled with obstacles while your way is a clear road without a single pebble in the way."


    "You overestimate me. There were obstacles in my way, too, but I was lucky enough to encounter small pebbles that you can just blow away, while you had to go through the mountains." Sven said calmly as he moved The Last Seal into the ring.


    "Hahaha, in addition, you''re also very humble." xughed, "Alright, now let''s get down to business. I want you to go to the one space where the Dragons of the group are, the Azure Tail."


    "Azure Tail...? If I''m not mistaken, they left Dragon World recently, didn''t they?" Marlis asked.


    "You''re right. Anyway, your job is to eliminate them. For all we know, Azure Tail has been trying to get all the Dragons to side with the Nameless King, and they say they almost seeded in talking to the Progenitor about it." x said calmly, without tension.


    "Damn... Looks like they might have actually made a difference..." Osvald muttered as his eyes went wide.


    "Well, it helped that there are those among the Dragons who support us. They couldn''t talk to the Progenitor because they were interrupted by the ck Whip. These guys are their real adversaries. In any case, we need to get rid of Azure Tail to avoid possible problems." x shrugged his shoulders.


    Wain watched them like a ghost, listening intently to their every word. Oddly enough, he was unaware of almost anything he heard.


    ''Damn... It''s obvious I didn''t know what was going on behind the scenes with my opponents, but so far I''ve learned a lot. Only Azure Tail and ck Whip seem familiar to me... Hmm... So why weren''t they involved in the war? Am I about to see Sven with Marlis and Osvald destroy a whole group of Dragons?'' Wain pondered as it all seemed rather strange to him, especially Sven, who looked not like a human but like a real living weapon.


    "Do you know where they are?" Marlis asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.


    x shook his head, "No. It''s your job to find them. However, I''m not forcing you into every space with a high concentration of energy, as I have something that can help you."


    x''s ring shed again as a massive blue ke appeared in his hand, strong and sharp.


    "Oh... Now I get it. Well, in that case, I can easily find where they''re hiding. Do we have to keep someone alive?" Marlis asked calmly, taking the scales in her hands.


    "No, that won''t be necessary. Get rid of every member of the Azure Tail to eliminate the possibility of the Dragons helping the Nameless King." x waved his hand nonchntly.

 Chapter 983 Ideology

    Marlis took the dragon scales in her hands and began to examine them from all sides. Of all those present, she had the most knowledge of Dragons, as well as of most creatures of this world.


    "What do you say? Can you find where their space is?" x asked as he looked at Marlis.


    "Yes. That''s not a problem. If you don''t have any more errands for us, we can go right now. I know where to find them." Marlis said confidently with a calm expression.


    x nodded, "Sure, I need to go with Arox to n the start of the war so everything goes smoothly. When you get back,e see me, I''ll give you your next assignment."


    Osvald and Marlis nodded at them and headed for the exit. Sven, staying where he was, stared intently at x, as if he had an important question for him.


    "Hmm? Sven, is something wrong?" x asked with slight concern as he raised an eyebrow.


    "Yes, I just want to know, is the n still the same? I mean, your and Arox''s goal hasn''t changed? Is our race moving along the same path?" Sven asked with a slight chill in his voice.


    x looked at Sven seriously before he said putting his palm on Sven''s shoulder, "Sure. Through ourbined efforts, we can achieve our goal. I and Arox will only handle the most dangerous enemy. I think you understand that this is the only oue left for our race as well as the world."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly a tremendous amount of energy began to emanate from Sven that made even Wain shudder. However, neither x nor Marlis nor Osvald had any reaction to it, it was as if they saw nothing.


    ''No way... Could he somehow be hiding such a powerful flow...? Or am I seeing what only Sven felt then? After all, these are his memories.'' Wain muttered inwardly in a confusion.


    As Wain supposed, no emotion appeared on Sven''s face. He waspletely calm and focused on his task, though a lot was going on inside his mind.


    "Fine. In that case, we are leaving right now. Every mission weplete brings our race closer to a brighter future." Sven said seriously with a slight nod as he turned to Marlis, "Can you open the portal right here? We have no time to waste."


    Marlis turned, about to answer Sven, with a cold look, however, when she met Sven''s gaze she got goosebumps. Marlis had known Sven for decades, she had been through many dangerous battles with him, so she could see a piece of what was going on inside him.


    "Marlis... Is something wrong?" Sven asked absolutely calmly as he touched her cheek.


    Sven''s icy stare seemed to hypnotize her, but given Marlis''s special attitude toward Sven, she was not frightened; on the contrary, a blush appeared on her cheeks.


    "No. It''s okay. I''ll open the portal right now." Marlis whispered with hot breath.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''Well, well, there''s actually an unusual connection between these two. Osvald, on the other hand, just enjoys what he does. Their team is bnced, though in a strange way.'' Wain said inwardly as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    Crackle.


    Suddenly the doors to the room opened and four persons, two women, and two men stepped inside. Each of them had powerful auras, nearly as powerful as Sven, Marlis, and Osvald''s, and they each bore the same mark - a seven-pointed star on their chests.


    "Damn... I wasn''t paying attention to that at all. They all have seven-pointed stars... that means they''re all the elite of the Arkan World, though it''s pretty obvious." Wain shrugged.


    "Silva, Orlina, Nick and Jan... What are you doing here?" x asked with a frown, "I don''t remember calling you here. You have other tasks."


    x had spoken rxedly before as if he were conversing with old acquaintances, but when these four walked in, his aura changed as well as his gaze became sterner.


    The four Arkans, immediately bowed low, pressing their palms to their stars, then one of them looked at x. It was a man with short brown hair and green eyes.


    "Mr. x, sorry to have bothered you, we just heard what you were saying about Azure Tail and ck Whip." Jan said respectfully.


    "So what? I''ve already given Sven, Marlis, and Osvald an assignment to take them down. Do you really think they can''t handle a group of Dragons?" x snorted.


    "No, I had no such thought. It''s obvious that the strongest warriors of our world can deal with the Azure Tail, however, shouldn''t we all do it together?" Jan calmly said as his aura intensified, "After all, all seven of us, are a Shining Star unit."


    "I agree." The woman next to Jan said. She had long silver hair and blue eyes, "What was the point of creating a squad of seven top warriors if these three are increasingly starting to act apart from us? Itpletely destroys the whole point of unity."


    x grimaced as he crossed his arms over his chest, "Silvia... What do you expect me to do? Use all the powers of the Shining Star for one mission?"


    "Yes, I think that would make sense. In the past, it''s always been that way, if we''re one unit we should all act together." Silvia said confidently as a white glint appeared in her eyes.


    "Hah, how curious, they are fighting for power when the greatest war in history is about to happen." Wain chuckled watching the show taking ce.


    x didn''t respond, he thought Silvia''s suggestion was pointless in this situation, but he also understood that there was logic in her words. Silvia acted measuredly so as not to provoke x''s wrath, but only to make him think.


    Silva, Orlina, Nick, and Jan were worried that Sven, Marlis, and Osvald would rise to the next level and surpass them, even though not long ago they were all equals. They couldn''t let that happen.

 Chapter 984 Place

    "Mr. x, what would be your decision? Should we all, the Shining Star squad go to Azure Tail to destroy them?" Silvia asked, staring intently at x.


    x frowned, he didn''t want to agree with Silvia, but he also couldn''t think of a decent answer that was logical and reasonable.


    "If you don''t mind, I can deal with it." Sven quietly didn''t say and without waiting for x''s answer, he headed forward.


    "Hmm? What are you going to do?" Silvia was wary.


    "Nothing much. I''m just going to answer your question. You say that since we''re members of the same squad, we should always act together. However, that''spletely illogical to me." Sven said calmly as he looked contemptuously at Silvia.


    "Are you really so stupid that you don''t understand the obvious? Our squad originally had seven members just because the strongest Arkans have a seven-pointed star on their chest. It was simple and logical, however, a lot has changed since our squad was founded."


    Sven''s aura intensified, "It is already obvious to everyone that I, Marlis, and Osvald, are superior to you. In this case, you are the second ss squad, while we are first ss. We have different tasks."


    Sven spoke calmly, but the endless arrogance in his words sparked a rage in each of the four and made x begin to worry. He didn''t want there to be abat conflict between his strongest warriors.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The tension in the room rose as from Silvia, Jan, Orlina, and Nick, there were powerful currents of energy that could easily scare even a grown Dragon, but Sven had no emotion.


    "You think too much of yourself! The one who should be making decisions is our leader, Mr. x, not an arrogant bastard like you!" Silvia eximed furiously, but she restrained her anger by not attacking Sven.


    "Well, there''s no need for that. Our argument can be resolved very simply. Let''s test yourpetence. If we are members of the same squad we should be equal in strength, shouldn''t we?" Sven said calmly as he waved his hand.


    "What are you getting at?" Silvia frowned, "Do you actually want to fight us right here? Don''t be a fool! Just agree to act all together as you did before. Shining Star is only at its peak when all its members act together!"


    Sven remained silent, staring intently at Silvia as if he were making some important decision.


    "No. I don''t want to fight you all, that doesn''t make sense, just you." Sven sighed, "If you can give me decentpetition, you don''t even have to win, then not only will we act together again, but I''ll also pass my ce as a leader to you."


    Everyone''s eyes went wide as no one expected Sven to offer something like that.


    "Give me at least one serious wound, get my blood flowing, that will be enough to prove me wrong." Sven spoke as he touched his chest.


    Silvia frowned; she knew she didn''t stand a chance against Sven, after all, he was their captain. However, this was her chance, she could use her speed to attack first.


    "Mr. x, what is your decision? Do you give permission for us to duel?" Silvia asked with clenched fists and a menacing look directed at Sven.


    x rubbed his chin for a while with a thoughtful look.


    "Well... I don''t mind. After all, you''re all members of the Shining Tree, so you have to make all decisions amongst yourselves. If Silvia wins, so be it, you will all go to Azure Tail''s space together."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Hah, what a sly old bastard." Wain shook his head as a sly smirk appeared on his face, "He knows she doesn''t stand a chance against Sven, though she looks pretty strong."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Immediately after x gave his permission Silvia''s energy increased several times as her silver hair soared upward. A gray aura appeared around her that looked like hundreds of chains with sharp tips.


    "I don''t need your ce as leader, all I want is for every member of the Shining Star to work together with everyone else!" Silvia eximed as she extended her arm forward.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Her energy turned into massive chains that headed toward Sven with great speed. He watched with a calm gaze as the sharp tips approached him, before taking a step to the side, dodging the attack at the veryst moment.


    The chains flew on, approaching x as he stood behind Sven, who seemed not to be paying attention at all.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The chains came down on x, as the tips touched his skin, but they could not pierce him. The chains just stood still, as if someone had frozen them.


    "Well... Though I had no doubts, I now realize that it is in fact x..." Wain muttered with aplicated expression.


    At the same moment, all the chains shattered into tiny pieces, as if thousands of years had passed for them in a second and they had be too old.


    "Not a bad attack. Looks like you actually have a chance of winning." x said nonchntly with a shrug before stepping aside, "I''ll leave you to it, go ahead."


    Silvia barely reacted to what happened, since they all knew what x was capable of.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Silvia continued her attack, dropping multiple chains on Sven, one after the other. They moved fast and deadly like whips trying to tear their target apart.


    Sven silently dodged each attack without emotion. His face was cold and his gaze calm.


    "Hah, this girl doesn''t really stand a chance against him. Though it''s a little intimidating, her attacks are strong enough to easily defeat the Dragon on the God Stage." Wain smirked watching the fight when Sven suddenly didn''t appear in front of Silvia.


    Silvia''s eyes went wide as she did not at all expect that Sven could reach her so easily. All she saw was a white sh.


    "How did you do that...?" Silvia muttered.


    "It was easy."

 Chapter 985 The Leader

    Whooooooooooosh.


    Sven grabbed Silvia''s arm, stepped forward, and was behind her. There was a loud crunch as Silvia''s face contorted in pain, but she recovered quickly.


    "Well, that''s enough. Obviously, I was right, though, I''m never wrong." Sven calmly said letting go of Silvia''s already broken arm.


    "Arrogant piece of shit!" Silvia eximed furiously as she mmed her fist into the ground. Her aura raged, but she didn''t try to continue the battle as she knew she had lost.


    x sighed, "In that case, it''s settled. Sven, Marlis, and Osvald are going to Azure Tail, with the goal of destroying them. For you four, I''ll have another assignment, since you have so much free time toe here and do some nonsense."


    Silvia frowned, but she had no choice but to go along with it. She had lost in a fair duel, so all she had left was to ept her fate.


    "Marlis, cure her." x waved his hand.


    "As you wish." Marlis nodded slightly, walked over to Silvia, and extended her arm forward.


    At Silvia''s wound, a faint green glow appeared, which elerated the healing of her wounds several times over. Right before my eyes, the broken bone healed, and her arm took on its former appearance.


    "I really don''t understand why you guys are acting so wary." Osvald said with a broad smile, "What does it matter that we don''t all work together anymore? We three are good friends, so let us act together. You''ll have a team of four in that case."


    "Agh... Oddly enough, I believe you say that sincerely..." Silvia shook her head with a bitter smile, "However, we can''t take it as easily as you do."


    "Enough talk." Sven said coldly, then he looked at Marlis, "Open the portal. We''ve been dyed enough as it is, which we shouldn''t be."


    Marlis nodded, "Sure. In a few minutes, we''ll be right there."


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Marlis waved her hand opening a space gap in the air into which she, Sven, and Osvald immediately entered.


    "Agh... What the hell did you alle here for? You''re all a few hundred years old, but now you were acting like little kids!" x shook his head with a frown.


    "I''m sorry... We''re just worried about the future of our race. You give Sven, Marlis, and Osvald the most important missions, but what happens if they fail?" Silvia asked with a serious expression.


    "Hah, you must be joking, right? Sven hasn''t failed a single mission yet. It might be nice to have you all working together, but the fact that Shining Star is now in two parts has its advantages, too." x grinned.


    "You have that much confidence in him?" Silvia was puzzled.


    "Why not? Sven is a genius. After Arox and me, he''s the strongest Arkan, I''m sure he''ll reach the Transcendence Stage soon. In any case, it''s time for you to get to work. Listen to my orders." x said seriously as his moaning changed considerably to a sterner one.


    Silvia and the others gulped with a nod.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ...


    "I thought you were going to act tougher. This isn''t like you at all." Marlis calmly said following Sven, "Considering she wasn''t expecting your attack, you could have even ripped her arm off."


    "I don''t care about that. I''m just thinking about how we can aplish our mission. If Azure Tail is waiting for us toe, we might actually have a problem." Sven waved his sleeve nonchntly, stepping forward.


    "Hah, can they really stop us? If you want you can stand aside, I can handle them myself!" Osvald grinned widely as his aura intensified.


    Sven nced at him, "Don''t be so cocky. As far as I know, Azure Tail has an Elder-level Dragon. Anyway, be careful."


    They walked amidst the vast darkness as they approached a distant space from which asional blue energy waves emanated. They were powerful enough to make Sven''s hair flutter as well as his mantle.


    ''Obviously, Sven is on my side now, moreover, I am fully convinced that he did something very important during the Great War. However, Sven lookspletely different now, even more, intimidating than x or Arox.'' Wain pondered, rubbing his chin, ''When will the change within hime?''


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Upon reaching the right ce Marlis''s energy intensified as she guided her hands forward. In front of her, green streams of energy umted, which turned into a massive magical circle.


    The magical circle glowed brightly, for a brief moment revealing their hidden passageway into the Dragon Zone.


    "Damn, I still don''t understand why Silvia and the others are so intent on making us all work together. We have a great team, we don''t need them! Marlis, you''re a genius!" Osvald let out the praise with a burning fire in his eyes.


    Marlis only sighed while shaking her head; sometimes it was too hard for her to try to exin something to Osvald.


    "Well... Maybe you don''t understand why they did it at all, but your words make sense. The triangle is indeed the strongest shape and we''ll continue to work as a team like that." Sven calmly said before entering the magic circle.


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    A green portal opened on a high hill of blue grass from which three silhouettes emerged, then the magic circle disappeared.


    "Looks like they didn''t see us, that''s good. If we attack stealthily we''ll get the job done faster." Sven calmly said as he gestured to Marlis what to do.


    She nodded, directed her energy forward, and created a transparent dome around them thatpletely silenced all sounds. No energy passed through the dome either, making them practically invisible.


    ''Not bad... If Osvald is abnormal physical power, then Marlis is a real walking arsenal. She has a weapon for every asion.'' Wain muttered inwardly, assessing their actions. He wondered at what point Sven would be what he was now.


    ''Though I have met him many times, I still do not know his true abilities. What is his power?

 Chapter 986 The Attack

    In the distance, on one of the many mountains, was a massive temple of azure pirs. It was there that the Dragons of Azure Tail were, nning their next move.


    "Damn, there are quite a few of them. Looks like we''re not leaving here without wounds." Osvald said in surprise, scratching the back of his head, "What do we do? Attack right now?"


    Sven nodded, "No, let''s get closer."


    "Hmm? Why...?" Marlis was puzzled; she didn''t understand Sven''s strange decision at all.


    "Don''t ask unnecessary questions. Every decision has a point, especially mine." Sven said coldly before stepping forward.


    Marlis gulped. She didn''t say anything as Sven''s reaction puzzled her greatly.


    Osvald didn''t care. If Sven said there was no point in attacking, he was just taking it.


    ...


    Gradually they approached the mountain, the main base of the Azure Tail. Blue clouds hovered over the mountain while powerful winds hit the rock, leaving sh marks on it.


    Sven looked at the temple beside it as Dragons with massive blue wings asionally flew by. Some of them were quite close to Sven, but because of Marlis''s skill, they couldn''t see them.


    ''What is he thinking?'' Wain was puzzled as he tilted his head, ''Azure Tail suspect nothing, he could attack at any moment.''


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly the space shuddered as a massive ck magic circle appeared in the air. A few secondster, a multitude of Dragons with ck wings and menacing auras flew out of the portal.


    Their auras were furious and powerful, just like their menacing stares. Their attack was sudden, and a few secondster, dozens of attacks descended upon the temple of the Azure Tail.


    "What''s going on?" Osvald raised an eyebrow, "Are these Dragons ck Whip? Damn, they decided to attack their opponents right when we got here... Agh... They''re going to take all the fun out of it!"


    Marlis was speechless, she didn''t expect them to be in the middle of a war between two groups.


    "Osvald, you''re wrong." Sven said calmly as for the first time in a long time, the corners of his lips went up, forming a faint smirk.


    Marlis noticed it immediately, giving her goosebumps; Osvald, on the other hand, had never paid attention to such small details.


    "Hmm? What do you mean?" Osvald was puzzled.


    "ck Whip, don''t take all the fun away from us, on the contrary, it''s because of them that something really significant is going to happen here. Come on, let''s go help them." Sven calmly said before jumping forward.


    Crackle.


    Sven''s jump made the ground crack, which puzzled Marlis and Osvald for a moment. They had seldom seen Sven not fully in control of his power.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Hahaha, looks like something interesting is actually starting to happen." Osvald chuckled as he followed Sven, as well as Marlis.


    Sven found himself on top of the mountain, opposite the temple of the Azure Tail, then Marlis''s barrier fell and some Dragons spotted them.


    Sven was not a particrly well-known figure to the masses, however, the strongest creatures were well aware of his reputation and who he was, so one of the ck Whips went straight to him.


    It was a man with thick ck hair and massive wings behind his back that seemed to be able to cover even the sun.


    "Sven Hellem, third among the Arkans, what are you doing here, along with your team?" The man asked as his gaze passed over Marlis and Osvald.


    "We have a mission. We are here to destroy the Azure Tail as they support the Nameless King. I think you understand that the Arkans, can''t have that." Sven calmly exined the situation.


    The man frowned slightly, sighed, and said, "That''s not necessary. I don''t know how it was a coincidence that you came here when we decided to attack, but ck Whip can deal with his rival himself."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Dozens of attacks rained down on the temple atop the mountain. None of the attacks had yet destroyed the temple because it was protected by a barrier, but there were already many cracks in the barrier.


    The dragons from Azure Tail tried to reinforce the barrier, but since they weren''t ready to attack, they didn''t have enough resources to do so.


    "It''s only a matter of time before their defenses fall, then we attack them when they are already depleted. This is the end for Azure Tail, just as it is for supporting Nameless King." The man said seriously as his eyes narrowed, "If you want you can stay here to make sure for yourself, but you shouldn''t help us or get involved in any way. I think it''s a good offer."


    "Damn! What a shame!" Osvald eximed with a frustrated expression, "I thought I could fight today, but it looks like we''re out of luck again... Agh... Sometimes I start to think that these orders are just getting in our way... I wish we could make decisions for ourselves..."


    The man was wary of his reaction, but realizing that Osvald wasn''t going to do anything, he calmed down.


    ''These three have tremendous power, well even they must obey the orders of their leader. People like them should always be kept under control.'' The man inwardly muttered keeping a serious face.


    ''Sven, we can leave. Apparently Azure Tail doesn''t really stand a chance. Their barrier has already lost 70% of its energy, another minute and they''ll run out of energy." Marlis suggested as she was about to open a portal to leave the space.


    However, Sven stopped her by grabbing her arm and then letting her go.


    "Is something wrong?" Marlis was puzzled as she tilted her head.


    "I think our conversation partner misunderstood us. Destroying the Azure Tail is an order from our superiors, it''s an obvious target for the Arkans, however, do I look like a soulless puppet?" Sven said calmly as he held out his hand.


    "What the hell are you talking about?" The man was wary.


    "Nothing out of the ordinary, just that I make the decisions now. It''s been pretty hard to hold back, I''ll admit." Sven took a step forward as his mantle swayed, revealing the sign of the seven-pointed star on his chest.


    The star on Sven''s chest trembled as a slit appeared on it that split the star in two, shattering it as a symbol.

 Chapter 987 Part Of The True Face

    "What the hell...?! What the hell is wrong with your star!?" The man eximed frightened as his instincts told him that deadly danger wasing toward him.


    "Hah, you mean that little detail?" Sven grinned for the first time in a long time as a sly expression appeared on his face.


    ''Fine, now I realize I''m watching the memories of the real Sven. Only he is capable of such a frightening smirk, whose gaze seems to be able to pierce even the soul.'' Wain inwardly muttered with a slight nod.


    "Since today is an important day, both for me and for all Arkans, I''ll tell you what''s wrong with my star." Sven stepped forward as powerful streams of white energy appeared beside him.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The pressure came down on the Dragon, preventing him from even moving and causing him to feel a primal fear as if he were facing an invincible foe.


    "Everyone knows that the star on the Arkan''s chest is an indicator of their power, status, and influence. Such is the peculiarity of our race, where everything is built on rivalry, but the truth is that almost no one knows that we do not receive these stars at birth. They are put on us by force, then they develop ording to our strength." Sven said quietly as he got close enough to the man.


    Sven sighed, "So when I made my fateful decision I thought about it. If this star isn''t what I got at birth, then I can do what I want with it, can''t I?"


    Sven pointed to his shattered star, "The five-pointed star is given to ordinary Arkans, the seven-pointed star only to the strongest and most talented, then, I rightly destroyed my star since I have long ago renounced the ideology of the Arkans, which leads to a world I do not want to live in!"


    Crackle.


    Sven''s palm, covered in white energy, stabbed into the man''s chest like a spear, shattering his dense protective tes with ease. Then, blood flowed from the corners of the man''s mouth as Sven pulled his heart from his chest.


    "You know, I''ve been in so many battles in my life that it''s impossible for me to feel any emotion. But... then why am I enjoying it so much now!?" Sven eximed with an insane smile as his aura becamepletely chaotic.


    "No... Bastard... What are you up to..." The dragon barely mumbled as he was still alive, he only had a few seconds left in this world. He tried to reach for his heart, stretching out his hand.


    "Agh... Don''t worry, you can have it. I''m not cruel enough to deny you such a small request." Sven said calmly, cing a hearth on the man''s palm and pressing it to the man ''s chest, then Sven pushed the Dragon forward slightly.


    The man with an already nk stare fell down, disappearing into the mist that was at the foot of the hill. A few secondster, a massive red soul flew out of his body and slowly rose upward.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Sven... Are... Are we really going this way...?" Marlis asked uncertainly as she nced down, "Once this soul goes higher, the ck Whip will realize what we''ve done and then nothing can be changed."


    Sven turned as he looked intently at Marlis and Osvald, then a sad expression appeared on his face as well as a bitter smile.


    ''It can''t be Sven... I didn''t think he was capable of such emotions, but... what the hell is going on here? Sven betrayed his race and x?'' Wain pondered, trying to make sense of the situation.


    "You both know what our rulers'' n is, don''t you? You both know why x and Arox are preparing for war and why their main target is the Nameless King as well as all humans, don''t you?" Sven said with hope in his gaze.


    Osvald and Marlis looked at each other, then they nodded deeply. They had been together with Sven from the beginning, so they were familiar with some of his thoughts, but they had not expected it toe to this. However, their bond was strong enough that they were willing to go with Sven even to hell.


    "I don''t want to be part of this n that will make our world a ce where it''s just impossible to live. I won''t try to change x and Arox''s minds, their position certainly won''t change, but I will ask you a question." Sven spoke as he stretched his arms forward.


    "Are you ready toe with me against all of Arkan World andmit the worst sin of all? I''m going to help the Nameless King win the war to save our world, to leave it as wonderful as it is now. However, we will operate stealthily, smoothly approaching the main point." Sven said, waiting for a response from his closest and only friends.


    Osvald answered first. He smiled broadly and headed forward, taking Sven''s side.


    "Honestly, I don''t like their idea at all either. If they seed, it will be too boring to live, that''s not what I want. Well, in that case, we''ll be secret agents now, won''t we? This is so exciting!" Osvaldughed happily.


    ''Hah... Osvald never changes. Although I was worried that Osvald wouldn''t dare break orders, it seems I underestimated him, in that way.'' Osvald inwardly muttered with a slight nod, then he looked at Marlis.


    She stared intently with a cold gaze for a while before stepping forward. She did so inplete silence until she stood before Sven.


    Marlis took his hand, pressed it to her chest, and said, "After what you''ve done you''ll be a traitor forever, so the only option to continue to be with you is to join you, isn''t it?"


    "Yeah, you''re right." Sven smiled as he closed his eyes for a moment, feeling a pleasant warmth.


    ''Agh... I finally said and did it... Damn, that was one of the hardest things I ever went through.'' Sven said to himself.

 Chapter 988 Destroying Dragons

    ''Well, now I''m beginning to understand what''s going on here. I knew Sven used to be one of the Arkans, just like Marlis and Osvald. Technically they''re still one of the Arkans, it''s their race after all, but they don''t follow their ideology. However, I still don''t understand what x and Arox are nning, it seems their true purpose was different from what I know.'' Wain pondered, watching Sven closely.


    Osvald turned around, looked at the dome above the temple, which was already almostpletely cracked and sighed.


    "So, what do we do now? Save the Azure Tail or something?" Osvald turned around, "Sven, you know I''m not one toe up with ns, however, I can aplish any n even the mostplicated one. The main thing is to need brute physical force and preferably as much as possible!"


    Sven smiled faintly, "Well, you''re right. First, we''ll kill every member of the ck Whip, then we''ll start a dialogue with Azure Tail. Our first mission will be quite simple since you''re an expert at fighting Dragons, aren''t you?"


    Osvald grinned as his aura greatly increased making his red hair flutter, "Hahaha, sure, for me it will be fun! No more boring missions! In that case, let''s start right now!"


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The ground beneath Osvald cracked due to the powerful pressure as he was about to leap forward, straight into the center of the battle.


    "Wait." Sven stopped him as he put a hand on his shoulder, "Let the soul rise first. It will happen in a few seconds."


    Just as Sven said, almost immediately, a bright red soul appeared over the hill that shone like a star. It caught everyone''s attention, especially the members of the ck Whip.


    They couldn''t believe that one of them had died, then they began to realize that Sven had done it, and that caused them to be even more shocked.


    "Hehehe, they didn''t seem to be prepared for that at all. They think we Arkans came to their rescue, but it turned out to bepletely different than they thought. It''s pretty sad." Sven shook his head.


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, a multitude of ck shes headed toward them at tremendous speed. ck Whip knew how strong Sven was, but they were sure that together they could handle him.


    "By the way, Sven... Before they get here yet... Tell me, how do we destroy our stars? Since we went against the system, it doesn''t make sense for us to wear seven-pointed stars on our bodies anymore." Osvald asked with a puzzled expression on his face.


    "Well, it''s pretty simple. All you have to do is direct the energies to your chests and wish to destroy the star. That''s all. All that matters is your will and confidence." Sven said calmly,pletely oblivious to the impending danger.


    "Got it!" Osvald nodded as he closed his eyes, concentrating. Marlis did the same.


    After a few seconds, their stars shuddered and abruptly split in two. Now they looked just like Sven''s.


    "Agh... What a nice feeling, as if I had removed from my shoulders the massive chains that kept pressing down on me..." Osvald took a deep breath.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Hmm... I feel it too, it''s actually strange, though it''s probably a matter of trivial psychology." Marlis said seriously.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    At the same moment, ten silhouettes appeared around them, each with massive ck wings and menacing auras. They weren''t all of the members of the ck Whip, as the others continued to bombard the protective barrier of the Azure Tail.


    "Sven Hellem, what the hell are you doing?" The dragon with the most powerful aura asked. It was a man with short ck hair and deep eyes as well as several tattoos around his neck.


    "Birit, Leader of the ck Whip, isn''t it?" Sven asked with a slight smile on his face that made the man frown.


    "Yes, that''s me. If you know who I am, so you must understand that you must give me a convincing exnation for what you did!" Birit eximed furiously, pointing to the red soul that floated over the hill.


    "Hmm? Isn''t it obvious? I killed one of you." Sven said carelessly as he touched his lips.


    Birit frowned as the veins on his forehead swelled. He clenched his fists tightly and said, "I''m giving you onest chance to fix this situation. You know that ck Whip is on Arkan''s side, so why the hell are you in our way?"


    "Oh, don''t worry, the Arkans don''t see you as enemies and don''t want to get in your way. The problem is that the three of us have very different opinions on the matter. Let''s just say you''ll be the first part of our n." Sven calmly said then he pointed to Birit, "That''s the menacing guy I''ll take over. Osvald, deal with the others. Marlis, help Azure Tail with the barrier, otherwise, they''re about to lose."


    "What the hell are you talking about?!!!" Birit shouted in rage, then Sven appeared before him, making his eyes go wide.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Sven grabbed him by the neck, "I invite you to a deadly duel. Just you and me. Leader vs. leader, all''s fair isn''t it? Let''s get out of the way of the others and step aside."


    Sven recoiled, turning into a white sh and moving hundreds of yards away from the center of the battle.


    "Good luck." Marlis pped Osvald on the shoulder, stepped forward, and disappeared like a ghost. A momentter, a sh of green me appeared next to the temple from which Marlis emerged.


    "Hehehe, guys, looks like it''s just you and me now." Osvald smirked with an excited expression.


    "Pfff, do you really think you can handle us alone?" One of the Dragons snorted as he prepared for battle, "We''ll kill you quickly and then help themander, and that girl will be destroyed in a hail of attacks from the others!"


    "Well, we''ll soon find out if your predictionse true." Osvald narrowed his eyes.

 Chapter 989 Energy Of Destruction

    A multitude of Dragons of the ck Whip surrounded Osvald, bringing down powerful pressure from their auras on him. The ground beneath Osvald was beginning to crack, as the pressure was too strong that even the sturdy soil of the hill could not withstand it.


    However, Osvald waspletely rxed.


    "Agh, don''t you guys think you''re being too serious? This is just another deadly fight in your life, what''s the big deal?" Osvald said nonchntly as he reached up, yawning as if after a long sleep.


    The dragons frowned as one of them rushed forward with a p of his wings.


    "Bastard! This fight will only be fatal for you! You''re the only one who''s going to die today!" The man eximed as a sphere of darkness appeared in his hand.


    Osvald grinned widely, "You really think so? Well, let''s check it out!"


    Crackle.


    Osvald clenched his fist as his muscles tensed to the limit, growing several timesrger. They looked like they were made of steel with many thick veins wrapped around his biceps.


    "Here we go." Osvald''s smiled as he clenched his teeth, bringing his fist down on his opponent.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Osvald''s fist sank into the man''s head, crushing it practically in half and breaking most of his bones with a loud crack.


    From the impact, a powerful shockwaveparable to a torrent of wind rippled apart, then the momentum reached the Dragon, knocking him back hundreds of meters.


    The Dragon''s rugged body collided with the stone pir in the distance,pletely destroying it and finding itself under its debris, which lifted up a massive cloud of dust as it fell.


    "Not a bad hit, is it?" Osvald smirked as he nced at his fist which was slightly stained with blood, "I don''t know what you''re counting on, when we''re done my hands will be up to my elbows in blood, in your blood!!!"


    Crackle.


    Osvald stomped his foot, causing the entire hill to shake as if in a massive earthquake. The dragons lost their bnce for a moment as a powerful stream of white energy erupted from Osvald''s body. It turned into the silhouette of an ancient serpent-like creature with two long horns.


    "You know very well who Sven is, although it is not surprising, he really is a unique person. However, don''t you know what I am known for?" Osvald chuckled as dense energy built up around his fists, covering them.


    "We know that you have already killed many Dragons, but we, ck Whip, are among the strongest. Even the Elders can''t influence us, so this time you are not confronted by weaklings!" The woman eximed as she pped her wings, summoning powerful currents of wind.


    "Well, if you''re telling the truth, it''s for the best. I''m sick and tired of winning in a few attacks, it''s too boring! I need an interesting and long fight!" Osvald eximed in excitement, clenching his massive fists tightly.


    Wain watched Osvald''s battle with curiosity rubbing his chin. He had never seen Osvald fight at full strength, but he knew that when it came to physical strength, Osvald could surpass even him.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''Hah, I don''t know how he got such strong muscles, but he certainly knows how to use them.'' Wain said inwardly watching Osval''s fistse down on the Dragons, then he looked towards the temple, ''I wonder what Marlis is going to do, I can see that, right?''


    Wain didn''t know how it worked, but suddenly he was right next to Marlis, like a ghost. She walked slowly toward the high wall that covered part of the temple, then she stopped and extended her arm forward.


    Several streams of me appeared in front of her, creating a passageway for her to enter the dome that protected the temple.


    "What the hell...? Who the hell are you?!" One of the Azure Tail immediately spotted her and headed toward her with a wary look.


    It only took a few moments for the dragon to see Marlis''s face, causing his eyes to go wide.


    "Wait... you are an Arkan... Moreover, you are Marlis Layre!" The man with short blue hair eximed as a chill ran down his back. Like all the members of the Azure Tail, he was well aware that the Arkans were not their friends, for rather obvious reasons.


    Whoooooooosh.


    The man pped his wings as he jumped aside, ready to fight. However, Marlis didn''t do anything, she just stared at him with a calm gaze.


    ''Agh...? What''s going on...?'' The man raised his eyebrows.


    ''Well, the fact that you''re puzzled is an expected reaction. Look, I don''t have time to tell you the whole story, but you should just look over here." Marlis pointed her palm toward her armor as green mes appeared at her fingertips.


    Gradually some of the armor disappeared and Dragon could see the shattered star on her chest.


    "What is it..." The man muttered in disbelief.


    "I''ll say it once, and I won''t say it again. I, Osvald, and Sven, have sided with you and will help you get rid of ck Whip. This is not the wish of our leaders, for we are now traitors to the entire race. Do you understand?" Marlis asked seriously as she narrowed her eyes.


    The man gulped, ''Damn, she says such scary things so calmly... Well, I have no choice but to believe her anyway, do I?"


    Dragon nodded, "Fine, I hear you."


    "Good. Now let''s deal with this little problem." Marlis looked up, the dome protecting the temple was almost destroyed, "Looks like your situation is pretty bad, right?"


    "Yeah... We still have some energy reserves, especially among the energy crystals, that''s not really our main problem." The man nodded.


    "Hmm? What does that mean?" Marlis frowned.


    "Agh... We just don''t have time to rebuild the barrier. I mean, we have energy, it''s more than enough to restore the barrier several times. However, we can''t direct it to repair as quickly as ck Whip is attacking us!" The man waved his hands with a worried expression.

 Chapter 990 Solving The First Problem

    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Hundreds of attacks rained down on the blue dome, which was almostpletely cracked every second. The attacks were all different, dark fireballs, energy beams, violent streams of wind, or massive boulders weighing several tons.


    "I see... Well, I think I can help you with that. Honestly, I was worried that I would have to expend all my energy to restore the barrier, so, it''s for the best." Marlis muttered with a thoughtful look.


    "What did you say...? Do you really have that much energy?" The man was shocked.


    "Yeah, my reserves are much greater than yours, that''s for sure." Marlis said arrogantly, which made Dragon frown.


    "Hmm? Why are you staring at me? Take me to your leader, we don''t have much time, do we?" Marlis tilted her head in confusion.


    "Agh... Fine." The man sighed, shook his head, and flew forward. Marlis created a stream of me beside her that carried her.


    They moved toward the center of the temple where most of the Dragons were, as well as their leader, who was a man with long azure hair and a stern gaze.


    The Dragons saw Marlis, they all knew who she was, but they did not attack or break formation as they understood that one of them was near her.


    "Leader! Looks like we got lucky today!" The man eximed as he approached the Leader of the Azure Tail.


    "Laur... Right?" Marlis asked as she looked at him.


    "Yes, that''s me." The Leader nodded, "I don''t know what''s going on here, but it looks like you''re not our enemy now, are you? Or, is it just temporary?"


    Marlis sighed, "Thinking about the future in a situation like this? You''d have to survive for starters, this dome is about to break." Marlis pointed upward, "However, you''re right. Me, Sven, and Osvald are now your allies, all exnationster."


    It took Laur only a few seconds to realize what the situation was, he didn''t even need to see Marlis''s shattered star. He understood that she was only serious because of her sharp and confident gaze.


    "Fine. Looks like my man is right and we got lucky today. What is your n?" Laur was short.


    "He told me that you don''t have time to pull out enough energy to restore the barrier." Marlis pointed at the Dragon, then she turned around, "And now I see that''s exactly what happened."


    There were many Dragons around them, almost all of them engaged in the same thing - channeling energy to the barrier.


    Some Dragons used their own energy, but most used massive energy crystals. All a Dragon had to do was channel a bit of energy into the crystal, then out of it came a massive blue beam.


    "Yes. We''re trying to fix it, but we have too little time. Do you have any ideas?" Laur looked at her intently as he crossed his arms over his chest.


    Marlis nodded, "There''s actually a lot of energy in these crystals, so I think we can do it." Marlis walked over to Laur, "I''ll need your energy as well, so give me your hand."


    Laur immediately did as Marlis said. Their palms joined, then Marlis directed the energy to Laur, and he did the same.


    Gradually their auras grew stronger and when they reached a peak, Marlis made her move.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Fine, now we can begin." Marlis said calmly as her eyes sparkled.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space trembled as a small green magic circle appeared above her, surrounded by mes. Marlis directed some energy into the magic circle as it grew several timesrger.


    Everything happened rather quickly, so in less than a minute the magic circle became so big that it covered the entire temple grounds.


    "What next?" Laur asked with a serious expression.


    "Nothingplicated. Just trust me and give me control of your energy, without that we can''t do anything." Marlis calmly replied as she closed her eyes.


    "Sure. Take as much energy as you need. If it will save my people, I will give it all away irrevocably." Laur said confidently as he squeezed Marlis''s hand tightly.


    Marlis took a deep breath, then among her magic circle, another one appeared, blue, the same color as Laur''s energy.


    ''Damn... If in my team Blind Sorcerer and Abyss Artist are the main experts in magic, then in Sven''s team it is definitely Marlis. The magic circle she''s created looks pretty damnplicated...'' Wain muttered with a thoughtful look.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    The blue magic circle became as big as the green one, then it quickly descended to the ground. The blue magic circle went through each Dragon as well as through all the crystals that still had a lot of energy in them.


    "Well, I''m almost done. Should I activate the spell right now?" Marlis asked as she nced at Laur.


    "Sure. I''m confident in the strength of our barrier, but given its current state, I don''t want to check its limits at all." Laur nodded deeply.


    "As you say." Marlis waved her hand.


    At the same moment, all the crystals glowed brightly as energy rays began to emerge from them, in much greater volume than before. When the rays passed through the green magic circle, they split into several parts and disappeared like threads among the cracks of the barrier.


    The energy wasing out of the crystals quickly, there was no way the Dragons could achieve such a rate with their own powers, so the barrier began to gradually recover.


    "This is incredible..." The man muttered with his eyes wide open.


    "Yeah... It looks magical." Laur said in disbelief, "Well, I would expect nothing less from Marlis Layre. After all, after the Rulers of your world, you are considered the strongest Arkans."


    "Is this true?" Marlis turned to him with a slightly exhausted look.


    "Hah, as if you didn''t know that." Laur grinned, "Since we solved one of the problems. Would you like to tell me more about your n? What''s Sven up to? As far as I know, he''s the most loyal Arkan of them all, though that seems to be a thing of the past, doesn''t it?"

 Chapter 991 Betrayal

    Marlis helped Azure Tail rebuild the barrier, which for a time made the temple a safe ce again. She gave an exhausted look, sat down on the ruined column, and looked at Laur.


    "Well, I can tell you that Sven''s decision was a shock as much to Osvald and me. Of course, we had some hunches, especially me... Osvald is not the type of person who pays attention to small details, so... yes, Sven, like us, is no longer subject to the orders of our rulers." Marlis said with a shrug.


    "I take it x and Arox don''t know that yet, right?" Laur became serious as his gaze pierced Marlis. He trusted her to save the barrier, but the emergency had passed, so he had to get proof to trust thempletely.


    "Rx. Do you really think we''re stupid enough to act so recklessly?" Marlis nced at Laur.


    Marlis sighed, " Obviously they don''t know what we''re doing and it will stay that way until the very end. Going up against them in an open confrontation isn''t as effective as going covert, is it?"


    Laur nodded deeply, "That''s the right decision. I won''t try to find out what you''re going to do next, that''s your business. However, tell me, what are Sven''s ns for ck Whip and especially for us?"


    First of all, Laur was the leader of the Azure Tail, so if Sven was still a threat to them, he wasn''t going to put up with those and had to do something about it.


    "We''ll help you destroy the ck Whip, that''s all Sven told me. Right now Osvald is fighting, simultaneously against a lot of Dragons, Sven attacked their leader, and he told me to go here and help you with the barrier. As you can see, I did an excellent job." Marlis said calmly as she looked at the Dragons.


    There was still plenty of energy in the crystals, but only a small portion waspletely depleted, so as soon as the barrier was damaged slightly the Dragons restored it immediately.


    "I see. In that case, I will help you. You can be sure that none of my people will tell on you, though it is impossible. We are against the Arkans, we have no contact with them." Laur shrugged.


    "That''s good." Marlis nodded, "You don''t have to worry about your safety. Sven certainly doesn''t see you as enemies, so... you can do whatever you want... now I''m going to rest..."


    Even though Marlis didn''t have to expend all her energy to restore the barrier, she was still exhausted as she used a lot of her strength. Marlis nonchntlyy down on the column, thinking of nothing but a short nap.


    ''Damn... I knew they were strange, but how can she trust us? She''spletely defenseless now, though the fact that she can fall asleep so quickly surrounded by Dragons just shows how confident she is in her powers.'' Laur inwardly muttered as he pped his broad wings.


    With the help of Marlis, Azure Tail were able to defend their temple, but they couldn''t rx, so it was time for Laur to lead his men to attack.


    ''Hmm... I think it''s obvious that there''s no way the ck Whip can survive, it''s over for them, but I wonder exactly how Osvald and Sven will do it. I know almost nothing about their powers, especially about Sven''s ones.'' Wain inwardly muttered a thoughtful expression as his silhouette blurred.


    The next moment he appeared beside Osvald, who was already fighting at full strength against the ck Whip members.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Multiple energy projectiles rained down on Osvald every second as the Dragonspletely surrounded him, but their attacks just couldn''t prate his skin.


    ''Damn, I knew Osvald was strong, but it looks like his defense is top-notch too. If that fiery move had hit me, it would have left a burn on my body, of course without the element of darkness.'' Wain pondered, assessing Osvald''s skills.


    "Hahaha, is that really all you can do?! You fly around me like a bunch of bugs and keep attacking without getting any results!" Osvald eximed with an excited expression as his aura multiplied.


    Osvald had only one disadvantage, he was bad at magic, so it was difficult for him to make any kind of mass attack. However, he could always use his favorite way, which was something simr to Nicole''s fighting style.


    "Well, try flying around me after that." Osvald muttered, clenched his fist tightly, and dropped it to the ground with all his might.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The impact caused violent shock waves that rippled like ripples all around, then several rings of momentum went through the entire hill, making it tremble violently.


    "What the hell!" One of the Dragons eximed, quickly pping his wings as he tried to deal with the pressure from the shockwave, "How can one hit be so strong?! It''s impossible!"


    Wain, too, was surprised as his eyes went wide. He blinked, then he saw apletely different scene as half of the hill simply ceased to exist and a third of the Dragons were on the ground, next to the rubble.


    "Heh, looks like only the most resilient are left, right?" Osvald smirked, running his gaze over the five Dragons, "Well, there are still too many of you anyway. I''m sure there are a few more weaklings among you, so let''s have another test."


    The dragons should have attacked Osvald, after all, they were in the middle of a battle, but upon hearing his words they only flinched. Each of them realized that there was no way they could have survived Osvald''s previous strike if it had hit them directly.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Osvald spread his shoulders wide, revealing his muscr back which quickly became several timesrger, then he put his two fists together and strained his muscles to the limit.


    "This time I''m going to use two hands and a lot more energy, so try not to die and let me have some fun. I''m sure Sven will tell me off for what I did, so don''t disappoint me." Osvald said coldly with a sharp look.

 Chapter 992 White Color

    Osvald took a deep breath,pletely filling his lungs with air and bringing his massive fists down. He used them like a hammer, whose weight was enough to destroy anything.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, an energy beam emerged from the point of impact, in the form of a pir heading upwards. The hill was totally destroyed, there was nothing left of the trees or boulders, only dust, and small shards.


    "NO!!!" The dragons eximed as the energy from Osvald''s blow came crashing down on them, trying to channel their uncontroble power.


    ''Hah, Osvald may not be the smartest man, he''s a long way from Marlis''s level, but he can easilye up with a suitable n during battle.'' Wain said inwardly as a smirk appeared on his face.


    His fighting style was not the same as Nicole''s or Osvald''s, as he preferred to use physical strength and energy equally as well as using skills. However, he liked the very fact that Osvald was unleashing all his power to win.


    "No way... How is that possible..." The woman with the wind attribute muttered as she looked around. She appeared to be the only one who could withstand Osvald''s attack, though he wasn''t hitting them, but the ground.


    "Oh, looks like I finally found a worthy opponent!" Osvald eximed happily with his eyes wide open, but the smile quickly disappeared from his face, "Damn... Fate sure doesn''t love me..."


    The woman who could withstand Osvald''s blow was seriously injured. Her wings were torn in many ces, her scales were broken, and blood was leaking from the corners of her mouth that she didn''t even notice.


    "Pfff, well, that means I''ll have to be bored again. Whatever, I''m used to it by now." Osvald shrugged as he jumped forward.


    Crackle.


    Without dy, his fist mmed into her face, breaking it with ease and throwing her hundreds of feet back.


    "Done. I thought that the Dragons who were going to help the Arkans in their battle against the Nameless King must be much stronger. Don''t they realize that Nameless King would kill them in a single swing of his sword?" Osvald muttered in a confusion.


    "Agh... Well, I''ll go help the others. Marlis must have decided to sleep again afterpleting her mission. Maybe she''s smart, but she''s too careless." Osvald sighed, rubbed the back of his head, and jumped forward.


    ''Hah, did I really just hear praise for myself? I won''t hide it''s quite pleasant. Osvald is a worthy adversary, his words are worth a lot.'' Wain said to himself with a satisfied smile, then he looked away.


    Laur along with the other members of the Azure Tail began to fight against the ck Whip. They mostly used the attribute of water, so against the darkness they had an equal chance, the rest was influenced by each Dragon''s personal skills.


    As Osvald suggested, Marlis continued to sleep, under the protective dome of the temple. She had aplished her task, so the rest did not bother her.


    Osvald was upset by his first battle, so he continued to fight every Dragon he saw. However, most Dragons lost or retreated after a few of his blows. There were no opponents here for Osvald, which was a big problem for him.


    "Well, now it''s time to watch Sven''s fight. I think I''ve missed most of it by now, but since I''m in their memories I can pick the right moment, can''t I?" Wain smiled as he closed his eyes.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    His silhouette trembled, then he appeared next to Sven, who was standing opposite Birit, the leader of the ck Whip.


    They were in the farthest part of space, on stone pirs with many wide rivers running among them.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, in the distance, a massive beam of white energy could be seen reaching into the sky, piercing the clouds.


    "What is that...?" Birit became alert as his aura intensified.


    Sven nced at the back and grinned slyly, "Well, it looks like one of my friends decided not to hold back. It''s probably Osvald, however, I''m not sure there''s anyone among your people who can get him to get serious."


    "Pfff, you''re being too arrogant. Sven Hellem, what the hell is your n? Why did you go against your rulers? It''s obvious that one Nameless King can''t handle them!" Birit eximed with a great frown.


    Sven smiled slightly, "Yeah, you''re right. One Nameless King can''t defeat x and Arox at the same time, that''s true. That''s why me, Marlis, and Osvald will help him. Not directly, but it''s even better that way."


    "That''s not what I''m talking about! What was the point of betraying your entire race!? Arkans and Dragons together could rule the world! Our strength is enough to defeat any enemy!" Birit iled his arms as he clenched his fists.


    "Is that so? As far as I know, your Progenitor has no interest at all in the impending war, so... I think it would be only fair if the Dragons had no part in it, at all." Sven said calmly, looking at Birit.


    "Shut up." Birit said coldly, "You know nothing of us Dragons. Though I am one of the strongest Dragons, I have heard nothing of our Progenitor for decades. That old bastard has locked himself in his pce, and no one can go in there except the Gatekeeper, but it''s impossible to know anything from him."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Birit''s wings were covered in dense ck me as ripples rippled through the air.


    "Others may not agree with me, but I am certain that our Progenitor is either already dead or so old that he cannot move on his own. Either way, his era is long gone. He can only me time for not being able to take part in the Great War!" Birit eximed as a long halberd with a ck de appeared in his hand.


    Sven looked at the halberd and sighed, shaking his head, "What a fool you are."


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?" Birit snorted.


    "You seem to have given all your brains in exchange for your power, otherwise I don''t understand how you can think that the Dragonlord is dead. He may not be immortal like Alucard, but he could easily live for hundreds more years." Sven''s face turned cold as he let his energy out.

 Chapter 993 Threads

    "Well, well, will I finally get to see Sven fight?" Wain smirked as fire lit up in his eyes, "I''ve seen him in action a few times, but it was only crumbs. Come on Sven, show me how strong you really are, that''s why you brought me here, isn''t it?"


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    From Sven''s body came arge amount of white, thick energy that surged up his robe as well as his long blond hair. His blue eyes werepletely calm and cold as ancient ciers.


    "Tsk. Whatever, you''ll never understand me." Birit frowned, swinging his halberd. A powerful stream of darkness erupted from the de, rushing toward Sven.


    "It''s true, we will never understand each other." Sven said calmly, reaching forward slightly, "A worm like you, who knows nothing of the world, just can''tpare to one who knows all the secrets."


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    Some of Sven''s energy turned into several strands that copsed at tremendous speed against the flow of darkness,pletely overwhelming it, then Sven swung his arm slightly and the strands changed their direction.


    ''Fuck!'' Birit''s eyes went wide as he prepared to repel the attack.


    The threads struck the halberd de, shattering into small energy particles. A powerful recoil went through Birit''s entire body, making him feel an unpleasant tingling sensation.


    ''Damn, that was powerful, but if that''s all he can do then I can beat him!'' Birit inwardly eximed as he lunged forward.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The p of his wings created a shockwave that shattered several pirs and caused rivers to pour over the edges.


    Sven didn''t duck, he waited quietly for his enemy to get to him.


    "Not bad speed, Osvald would love to fight you, too bad the only opponent strong enough got me." Sven muttered, sighed, and swung his palm.


    His hand was followed by dozens of energy threads that collided with Birit''s halberd. The threads were some barrier between Sven''s palm and the halberd''s sharp de.


    "Shit! Looks like the rumors about your strength were true, such unusual abilities. How did you get your fighting style?" Birit frowned, investing more force and causing the halberd de to glow with dark me.


    The stone pir beneath Sven cracked with great pressure, causing him to lower his gaze for a moment.


    "Combat style? All I use now is my energy, nothing more. However, if you want to see more, I''ll give you that opportunity." Sven sighed, then his second palm plunged into Birit''s belly, so fast that the Dragon didn''t have time to understand anything.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Energy waves in the form of rings bounced from Sven''s palm, gettingrger depending on the distance, then Sven turned his palm 90 degrees, directing the energy to a single point.


    All of the rings shuddered, turning into a powerful pulse that in an instant copsed on Birit, forcing him to go through a veritable inferno.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Argh!!!" Birit cried out in pain as blood gushed from his mouth.


    "I hope you like this." Sven said slowly as another pulse headed toward Birit.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    The impact, threw Birit back hundreds of feet, breaking many stone pirs with his back and ending up in one of the rivers.


    "Bastard!" Birit quickly came to his senses as he climbed out of the water with a powerful st of darkness that destroyed everything around him.


    A gash was left on Birit''s stomach, even his tough scales couldn''t protect him, though it was one single blow.


    "Hmm? You don''t seem at all happy with what happened. Did I strike too weakly?" Sven said arrogantly, looking down at Birit, top to bottom.


    Birit frowned, as the sight of Sven made him truly furious. He wanted to tear him apart and do it in the most horrible way possible so that all his anger would go to him.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Behind Birit appeared a massive magical circle with many ancient runes. The magic circle erupted in purple me, then a ck de began to emerge from it, a de big enough to cut the giant''s head off in one fell swoop.


    Sven watched in silence as a huge halberd emerged from the magic circle, with an eerie aura spreading around it with ck strands of energy.


    "Maybe you know how to deliver painful blows to a single point, but try to handle it!" Birit eximed as he pped his wings, flying upward. At the same moment, the halberd headed toward Sven.


    "Hmm... This power is actually worthy of the leader of the ck Whip. Although I think your ambition is overstated, you are definitely stronger than the other Dragons. Well, it''s a shame your opponent turned out to be me." Sven muttered before extending his hand forward.


    Out of his palm came particles of white energy that quickly formed a magical circle in the air with the sign of the twelve-pointed star. Then, at each point appeared a small sphere that exploded,unching a denseser of energy.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The giant halberd shattered everything around it, turning the stone pirs into dust and causing the water from the rivers to flow hundreds of meters away, leaving the rivers dry. When the halberd reached halfway, its de met twelvesers.


    "Wow! That looks dangerous!" Wain reflexively put up a defense,pletely forgetting that he was in a shback and was literally a ghost. However, his instincts were higher than that, as he understood how dangerous this attack was.


    For a moment, the entire space was covered in a white sh that blinded anyone who didn''t have time to prepare, then from the ce where Sven and Birit were fighting, powerful streams of wind came sweeping away everything in their path.


    "Hahaha! It looks like Sven finally got a little more serious! After all, their leader was no ordinary opponent! I''m even a little jealous!" Osvaldughed with an excited expression, taking the wind with his broad chest.


    "Damn... I can never get a good night''s sleep..." Marlis muttered, gradually waking up, "Sven is fighting, right? Well, this could be interesting, I should see what happens next." Marlis smiled slyly.

 Chapter 994 The Fall Of Light

    Unlike Marlis and Osvald who watched Sven''s fight with excited expressions on their faces, the other Dragons were frightened.


    Dragons, in principle, rarely felt fear, since they were usually the strongest creatures and only other Dragons could make them wary. But, now they feltpletely helpless. The energy emanating from the borders of their space, where Sven fought, was terrifying.


    "Mr. Laur... Can our space withstand this...?" The dragon that had brought Marlis here asked his leader.


    Laur nced across the battlefield, frowned, and said, "That''s not what we should be thinking about, though it seems our enemies are as surprised as we are."


    The ck Whip dragons were staring at the same point, too. They were worried about their leader, for they knew that if Sven won, it was the end for all of them. Only Birit''s unusual strength could save them in this situation.


    After Marlis helped Azure Tail restore their protective barrier, the situation began to change and gradually the Dragons from Azure Tail, led by Laur''s, started to win.


    "Well, it looks like the only thing left for us to do now is to watch the oue of their battle." Laur sighed, while shaking his head, "Don''t worry about our space. If Sven wanted to do it on purpose, he might be able to do it, but our zone isn''t weak enough to be destroyed just by their shock waves."


    "Got it!" The dragon nodded and continued to watch the fight.


    After two powerful attacks collided and a bright sh that blinded everyone in the area for a moment, the shockwaves finally began to fade away.


    The entire area around Sven and Birit was covered in destruction. Nothing remained of the stone pirs, as well as of the rivers, which were now mixed together, and the water flowed haphazardly in different directions.


    Sven was standing on a stone hill in the distance, overlooking a forest of trees fallen from the shock wave, among which was Birit.


    "Damn, it looks like you''re capable of more than just creating a few threads... That attack was actually powerful, but how much energy did you spend on it?" Birit spat out a clot of blood with a pained look, then he had a confident smirk, "Go! Attack me! I can repel your attacks! Spend all your energy on me!"


    "Hmm... Fine, I''ll grant your wish. If you''re so confident in your abilities, I won''t stand in your way." Sven said calmly as he reached forward.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    In the next moment, the space behind him distorted, as if something was squeezing it with a steel grip. Then, several magical circles appeared, each one asrge as the previous one. In the center of each circle was a twelve-pointed star.


    "Fuck me... Looks like I''ll get what I asked for, but isn''t that too much?" Birit gulped, preparing to defend himself.


    He had no special defensive skills like some Dragons, whose armor was nearly impossible to prate, however, he had another way of dealing with the problem. Birit could simply attack back.


    ''Fine, he acts too wastefully. His attacks are actually powerful, but I can suppress them using much less energy. He may be Sven Hellem himself, third among the Arkans, but he can''t have more energy than me!'' Birit inwardly eximed as his aura intensified.


    The ancient runes glowed brightly on his shoulders as the same appeared on the de of his halberd. A soft violet light enveloped him like threads while his keen gaze closely followed each magical circle.


    "Let''s see what you can do. Our fight will help me see how difficult the most important battle of my life will be." Sven muttered as he waved his hand.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    All the magic circles glowed brightly and a multitude of energysers rained down on Birit, they came with a slight dy as Sven activated them gradually.


    ''Heh, I hope I don''t die because of my decision!'' Birit said to himself as he swung his halberd.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Theser collided with the de of his weapon, trying to overwhelm Birit.


    "ARGH!!!" Birit shouted, then the whiteser bounced away, heading for the sky.


    Theser quickly reached its limits, bursting with a powerful burst of energy. The bright sh again covered the entire area, making space shake due to the abnormal force.


    "Hahaha! Now that''s what I call a decent fight! Agh, I hope I''ll be so lucky soon!" Osvaldughed in excitement.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    A stream of green me appeared next to him, from which Marlis emerged. She looked at Sven with sparkling eyes, as if he were her idol, the only one she would be willing to follow even to hell.


    "Oh, Marlis, you seem to enjoy watching too, don''t you?" Osvald smirked.


    "Yeah... Sven is actually beautiful, but... that''s not all... He can shine so much brighter and I want to see it with my own eyes." Marlis muttered as sadness appeared in her gaze, "Maybe if I help him it will happen now?"


    Marlis reached forward, directing the energy to her fingertips. The green mes were ready to turn into magical circles.


    Crackle.


    Osvald squeezed her hand tightly with his grip, so hard that the energy channels were blocked and the magical circles could not form.


    "Hey, what are you doing?" Marlis frowned.


    "Come to your senses. Do you think Sven needs your help? When we''re in the Great War then we''ll all have to put our best foot forward. I don''t know what Sven''s n is, we''ll find outter, but I''m sure it will be something reallyplicated and dangerous." Osvald said seriously, letting go of Marlis''s hand, which had the mark of his thumbs.


    "Pfff, have it your way." Marlis snorted, "Sven will win either way whether we help him or not, it''s obvious!"


    "Hah, I agree, but a fair fight, one on one, is the best thing to watch, so let''s not spoil the experience." Osvald chuckled. A fire burned in his eyes, for she had not participated in such exciting events for a long time.

 Chapter 995 Star Hail

    Sven''s power was overwhelming as eachser that wasunched from the magical circles behind him had enough power to destroy a medium-sized mountain.


    However, Birit seemed fully ustomed to this pace, as he swung his halberd confidently and knocked thesers aside. Each time this happened, theser bounced and reached the edge of space, exploding with white energy.


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    Something like that happened every few seconds, making Sven''s robe, fluttering as well as his hair, almost constantly. Despite this, his gaze did not change at all, he continued to channel huge amounts of energy into magic circles to continue his devastating attacks.


    ''Hmm... How strange, for some reason, I thought Sven would fight in a very different way. Although I don''t know how much energy he has, I doubt his reserves are greater than Dragon on the God Stage...'' Wain muttered inwardly, assessing the battle with a thoughtful expression.


    He, like everyone else, felt and clearly understood how powerful the energy sts were, but eachser cost Sven arge amount of energy, and yet such attacks were ineffective.


    So far, noser had yet been able to hurt Birit or at least hit him as he repelled every attack.


    ''Well... I hope that Sven has some kind of n, otherwise, he might actually lose. Although it''s his memories and that''s unlikely to happen, I can''t know that for sure.'' Wain pondered.


    Whooooooooooooooooosh.


    Aser flew out of the magic circle, which was Sven''sst attack, as the magic circles began to dissipate.


    "Hahaha! Looks like you finally realized that there''s no point in wasting energy on something so useless!" Biritughed confidently as a sly smirk appeared on his face, "Too bad you realized it sote! I''m sure you have less than a third left!"


    Sven looked at him silently with a calm gaze. His eyes were ice blue while a cold wind blew through his hair.


    "I must admit that I actually made some mistake." Sven said calmly, looking at Birit, top to bottom, "However, it has nothing to do with your silly words."


    "Hmm? What did you say...?" Birit frowned as his aura intensified, "What am I wrong? It took me ten times less energy to activate my runes than it took you to create oneser!"


    "Well, I just underestimated your skills. I didn''t think you could repel so many attacks without harming yourself. In that case, I need to restore my energy reserves quickly, don''t I?" Sven spoke in a cold voice.


    "Hahaha, what the hell are you talking about?" Biritughed, "You need to restore energy? Well, do you really think I''m going to wait a few hours for you to recover?! That''s just ridiculous!"


    Sven remained silent until a sly smile appeared on his face, "A few hours? You really think I need that long?"


    "Agh...?" Birit was puzzled.


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    Sven reached forward and slowly opened his palm, and his aura began to weaken. Birit, like everyone else, didn''t understand what was happening, but somehow a chill ran down his back. His instincts told him that Sven''s actions were not leading to anything good.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "As ofte, the Arkans, consider the Humans their greatest enemies. Many races believe that Humans'' ability to rapidly absorb energy from souls is magnificent and terrible at the same time. I can''t say I have a clear position, but I''ve learned a few things over time." Sven muttered as faint currents of air headed toward his palm.


    "Absorbing energy without cleaning it can have dire consequences, however, why should I worry about that if my own energy is pure than Soul Pearls?" Sven said calmly, then his eyes sparkled.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space trembled as the vast amount of energy that was floating around headed toward Sven''s palm.


    Dozens of dense streams of energy, which almost became visible, followed only one point and turned into a small white sphere on Sven''s palm.


    "What is that...?" Wain muttered in a confusion, staring wide-eyed, "Is he really going to absorb this energy...?"


    "The strongest in the world have their own unique abilities. The Vampire Progenitor is immortal, my ruler, x, has the power to destroy anything. Nameless King''s power, allows him to pass through any barriers, which is probably why he was the first to reach the Transcendence Stage. In that case, what should I choose?" Sven muttered, looking at the orb that was slowly growingrger.


    "Wait you don''t mean to say that you...?!" Birit shuddered as he couldn''t believe what was just happening.


    Marlis and Osvald looked at each other. They were puzzled that Sven had decided to do this now.


    "How strange... We used to keep it a secret from everyone to fight the Nameless King and help our rulers win, but now things have changed, right?" Marlis uttered with a nce at Osvald, whose face gradually turned into a wide smile.


    "Marlis, isn''t this wonderful? We won''t have to hold back anymore, ever! I wonder what Sven is up to?" Osvald eximed cheerfully as he crossed his arms over his chest.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Sven''s aura reached its limit and he slowly directed the orb toward his chest.


    "There''s so much energy around, so I''m willing to put in a little effort and clear it, because all I have to do is use a little bit of my power to do it. Unlike you all, I no longer need to take the time to get clean energy, I can do it almost instantly." Sven said majestically as the orb touched his skin.


    Whoooooooooooooooosh.


    A white stream of energy spread throughout his body, passing through every part of it, then rippled through the air beside Sven, as if before something great.


    In the next moment, a massive table of white energy emerged from Sven''s body, this one was muchrger than Osvald''s when he fought, and the energy was many times denser and purer.


    ''Fuck... Was he really that strong already back then? Well, now I''m beginning to guess what happened...'' Wain inwardly muttered, looking at the pir of energy that was onlyparable to the energy pirs of the Progenitors.

 Chapter 996 The Black Color

    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Depending on the Chronicle, the strength of the creatures differed greatly from each other, as the monster from the Third Chronicle, was many times stronger than the monster from the Second Chronicle.


    With each Chronicle, the difference became more and more apparent, as you had to put in considerably more effort to get further.


    Also, each Chronicle was divided into several conditional stages. It rarely happened that a creature would pass from one Chronicle to another without additional gain. However, there was one exception to these rules, and that was the Transcendence Stage.


    ''Transcendence Stage... This is the absolute pinnacle of all power in level format. It''s still possible to evolve by honing one''s skills and other aspects of overall strength, but our Soul Temple has already reached its evolutionary peak when we reach the Transcendence Stage...'' Wain muttered internally as he watched Sven.


    ''I knew he had reached the Transcendence Stage, but I didn''t think it happened so long ago. These events take ce before the Great War, so he already reached the top then, but he was hiding it, right? Well, that''s really impressive...''


    ''Agh... It''s a bit sad, actually.'' Wain shook his head with a bitter smile, ''Sven is right, I was the first to reach the Transcendence Stage and it was a little helped by my strength because I always felt that something was holding me back... However, that feeling no longer exists, because the Transcendence Stage is not only strength but also absolute freedom, even from the world itself in which we live.''


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Sven''s energy continued to increase, making the entire space shudder violently. Birit understood that right now his opponent was getting much stronger, and he wanted to interfere, but he just couldn''t do it because the pressure was too powerful.


    ''Fuck! That bastard is considered the third strongest of all Arkans, but it turns out he''s already reached the Transcendence Stage?! Birit inwardly eximed furiously with a frown.


    Whooooooooooooooooosh.


    Birit pped his wings several times, creating a protective barrier of darkness around him, and his gaze changed. All of his emotions quickly settled as he calmed down while Sven replenished his energy.


    "Maybe my Transcendence Stage isn''t as stable as his, but it will only give me more strength, won''t it?" Birit whispered, taking a deep breath. He was between the two stages, for he could only gain Transcendence Stage''s power if he used the ancient skill of all Dragons.


    ''It cost me a lot of effort to learn this, even for Elders to use it can be problematic, but I''m ready for a powerful payoff if it helps me win!'' Birit eximed inwardly and his aura began to increase, but the energy did not go beyond the sphere.


    ''Hmm...? Is he too...?" Wain muttered in disbelief as his gaze fell on the dark orb, "I haven''t seen a really strong Dragon fight in a long time... Hah, looks like this fight will be more interesting than I thought."


    Gradually, the energy fluctuations calmed and Sven took a deep breath. His blue eyes were deep and cold while waves of energy ran through his body, filling him with power.


    "Hmm? What is that?" Sven muttered, staring at the dark orb, "Are you deciding to go full defensive or are you preparing some kind of powerful attack...? Well, either way, I''m not going to just stand there and watch it."


    Step. Step. Step.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Sven stepped down the hill, striding through the air and moving forward. When he stopped, he held his hand up and his eyes sparkled.


    "You''re not x or Nameless King, you can''t stop me from absorbing energy from my surroundings, so if you don''t have a trump card, it''s over for you." Sven calmly said as a huge magical circle appeared above him.


    This magic circle was different from the previous ones in that it did not contain a star pattern, but this magic circle contained many ancient symbols.


    "This will be a simple but devastating attack that I will spend most of my energy on, see if you can survive after that!" Sven eximed before swinging his arm.


    Whooooooooooooooooooooosh.


    The symbols of the magic circle glowed brightly, then white swords flew out of them, which rained down on the dark orb, destroying everything around it.


    Unlike thesers, the swords had no explosive power, but there were so many that when they collided with the ground, a cloud of dust rose up and the stones were scattered into tiny shards.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Most of the swords, fell on the dark orb gradually destroying it, but Birit was ready for it. His wings, covered with hundreds of protective scales, were great armor for him while he calmed his mind.


    The swords shattered the protective tes, partially pierced his wings, and left many wounds on his body, but Birit did not react to this at all, it seemed that in an instant he was a different person.


    "Hah, this guy is actually a pretty capable Dragon. He knows it takes total concentration to do it, so he''s patient, even though Sven keeps attacking him." Wain grinned with an excited expression.


    "Pffffff, how careless. I thought you would try to counterattack. In that case, I won''t give you another chance." Sven shook his head and stretched his arms forward, creating a small sphere of pure energy between his palms.


    "Damn... This is bad..." Marlis muttered as she drew her hand forward and created a few protective barriers in front of her.


    "Hmm? Do you know what Sven is going to do?" Osvald was puzzled.


    "Yeah... This attack will be much more powerful than all the previous ones and we are pretty close to the fight, so if you don''t want to get hurt get behind me." Marlis said seriously.


    "Hah, who do you think I am? I''m not going to back down! If this attack was headed straight for me, it wouldn''t stop me. Why do I have to hide? I can just do this!" Osvald eximed in excitement as dense energy covered his entire body, making the space around him shake because of the powerful pressure.


    ''Agh... That idiot... He makes the same mistake every time... Although, that''s what he''s all about.'' Marlis shook her head.

 Chapter 997 Full Form

    ?


    Marlis created several protective barriers, while the smile on Osvald''s face grew wider and wider.


    The dragons, whichever side they were on, also sensed that something dangerous was about to happen, so each tried to protect as best they could.


    p¦Ánd¦Á---no¦Í?1,§ão§® "Boss... What the hell is this..." Dragon muttered pointing to the massive streams of white energy emanating from Sven and the ck waves that tried to counteract it.


    Laur sighed, "I don''t know, but it looks like without their help we would have definitely lost. I hate to admit it, but Birit outssed me. I couldn''t have done it without a lot of training, but he handles the pressure right during a fight with such a dangerous opponent."


    Dragon gave him a questioning look, but Laur did not respond. He reached forward with his arm and created several ice barriers in front of the temple. The barriers were dense and multiyered to protect every member of the Azure Tail.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, the sphere in Sven''s hands reached its peak. It became a meter in diameter, and even Sven could hardly manage to hold it.


    "Well... If you can survive even after that, I''ll actually be impressed, and then I might have to get serious." Sven said coldly as he stepped forward.


    Whooooooooooooooooosh.


    A sphere of absolutely pure energy at tremendous speed headed towards Birit, who was still keeping calm for his target. Next to the sphere, space trembled violently, as if it was ready to be torn apart at any moment by the indescribable pressure.


    "Sven Hellem... Your power is impressive, I''m a little sorry we met so early, but still, I can show you all my power." Birit muttered as his eyes opened, then his whole body glowed brightly with purple light.


    ''Hah, he finally did it.'' Wain chuckled inwardly, ''To be honest I was starting to worry he might not make it, after all, he''s pretty young, but he didn''t disappoint me. Birit, you''re really talented, it''s a pity I''ll see you die soon.''


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The white orb almost reached Birit, and the moment all the energy from the orb was about to burst out, a huge silhouette appeared in Birit''s ce, covering the entire forest and several hills.


    The massive jaw opened wide as a stream of purple me burst from it and collided with the orb.


    The orb trembled and exploded into pieces, exploding with a bright sh that covered the entire space for a moment.


    The next moment, waves of shuddering went through the ground as if from a powerful earthquake. Waves of wind cut through the forests and hills, quickly reaching the temple and colliding with the massive ice barriers.


    "Hahaha, things happened more interesting than I imagined! That Dragon, he actually did it!" Osvald eximed with an excited expression, taking the shock waves with his broad chest.


    Cracks appeared on Marlis''s barriers because of the pressure, and Osvald''s entire chest was already covered in small cuts.


    "You haven''t changed your mind? My offer still stands. You can hide behind my barriers if you want." Marlis offered as she looked at him.


    "Heh, you think because of a few cuts I''m going to back down? Don''t be so silly! That searing, vivid pain only adds to the majesty of this scene. Unlike all of you who hide behind barriers, I will see it with my own eyes." Osvald eximed in exasperation.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Massive paws with long ws were on the ground as the huge creature took its first breath.


    "Sven... What do you say now... Am I worthy of you getting serious...?" Birit muttered, being in his true Dragon form.


    Now he looked exactly the way ordinary people imagined when they heard something about Dragons. He was as big as a mountain, and his broad wings could cause tornadoes or waves the size of tsunamis with a single sweep.


    His body was covered with dense protective tes, and his eyes were deep and filled with boundless power. All of this was only necessary to fight with dignity against a man who was a hundred times smaller.


    Sven stared calmly at Birit, while the cold wind fluttered his long mantle.


    "Answer me!" Birit eximed furiously with a p of his wings.


    Sven took a deep breath, "Didn''t you listen at all to what I said before? You managed to survive myst attack, what''s more, you''ve only gotten stronger, so isn''t the answer obvious? I''ll show you that not even your Full Form can stop me."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly streams of energy headed toward Sven as he began absorbing huge amounts of energy from his surroundings again.


    "I won''t allow it!" Birit angrily eximed as he unleashed a stream of me, raining it down on Sven.


    In response, Sven stepped forward, swung his free hand, and hundreds of fments cut the stream of me into small particles that couldn''t hurt Sven.


    "Hey, is this weak fire really all you can do? Don''t disappoint me, for I''m not going to hold back any longer." Sven said coldly, making Birit flinch.


    Birit''s pupils narrowed, then he opened his mouth wide and energy began to build up deep in his throat, turning into a small sphere. Gradually the energy reached its limit, and the sphere exploded, a denseser capable of incinerating anything.


    At the same moment, Sven squeezed the sphere in his hand and turned all the energy into a massive sword that was several times bigger than himself.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Sven stepped forward, with an ice-cold gaze, and swung his sword from top to bottom. The de of his energy sword collided with theser, cutting it in two.


    Part of Sven''s mantle began to burn due to the powerful heat of theser, but as soon as the attack was over wind stream extinguished all the mes, leaving ck spots on his mantle.


    Twosers mmed into the ground, exploding with red fire behind Sven, who never took his eyes off Birit.

 Chapter 998 Flame

    ?


    "Boss... If they continue... Then our zone might actually copse..." The Azure Tail dragon muttered as he looked at his leader.


    Laur frowned, "Well, maybe you''re right... I don''t know if Sven will listen to me, but I''ll try to tell him that."


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Laur spread his massive wings and flew high up, beyond the temple''s barrier. He took a deep breath, filling his lungs, and his wings shed with a sharp sweep.


    Streams of wind headed straight for Sven, but they carried no power or destruction, in the streams of wind were his words that prated Sven''s mind.


    Sven nced at Laur, nodded slightly, and stepped forward.


    "Birit, I have an offer for you." Sven said calmly, holding his sword tip down.


    "Agh...? What the hell are you talking about?" Birit frowned as his aura intensified, making the ground around him tremble.


    "Obviously our fight will decide everything, so given your current size we need a bigger arena. What do you think of that?" Sven said calmly as if he were talking to his sparring partner, not his enemy.


    "Pfff, whatever, it makes no difference to me where to smear your pretty face." Birit snorted, exhaling dark mes through his nostrils, and pped his broad wings.


    Sven nodded calmly, "Well, in that case, I''ll make a pass for us."


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Sven jumped up and swung his enormous sword with a cold stare. The dense light of purest energy cut through the fabric of space with ease, creating a wide spatial gap in the area.


    For a moment, part of the Azure Tail''s sky began to resemble a vast space with endless darkness and a multitude of stars, which were the other Voids.


    Sven flew into the space gap and moved several kilometers away from Azure Tail''s pro-space.


    "Argh... I don''t know why that arrogant bastard needs you, but you''re in luck..." Birit frowned as he looked menacingly at the Dragons of the Azure Tail, "I would dly destroy your Void as well as this filthy temple."


    Birit pped his wings several times, lifting his multi-ton body above the ground and rushing upward. His enormous shadow fell over part of the area, and before he entered the space gap, Birit stopped.


    He looked menacingly at Laur and put his paws together. The next moment, a magical circle appeared before him, from which hundreds of purple crystals flew out, dropping like bombs over the entire area of space.


    "Bastard! Do you think it was worth wasting your energy?" Laur eximed furiously, as he released his energy outward, creating a water barrier around himself.


    The crystals got stuck in the barrier like a bubble, but every time this happened, Laur had to spend a lot of energy to contain such a massive attack.


    "Hehehe, that was pretty easy." Birit smirked, before pping his wings and flying into space.


    Marlis and Osvald looked at each other. They had nothing to do in this area without Sven, so they followed him to watch the fight.


    ''Hmm... Though it''s unlikely to happen, I have to be prepared for any development, don''t I?'' Marlis muttered inwardly as she looked at the Dragons and a green me appeared in her palm.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She left some of her energy in this Void before she left the space and didn''t allow the space gap to closepletely. Between the two edges, she ced her magic circle, as if marking it.


    "Leader, maybe we should use this. I mean... Sven, Marlis, and Osvald are Arkans, even if they have be traitors, it doesn''t mean they are our loyal allies." One of the Dragons flew up to Laur, helping him with his energy to maintain the water barrier.


    "Don''t be silly. Can''t you see that she''s already made sure that doesn''t happen?" Laur frowned, "Anyway, help me get rid of these crystals, and let''s deal with the rest of the Dragons."


    "Do you think Sven will win?" The subordinate asked with a worried expression.


    Laur nodded deeply, "Sure. Birit outssed me, I admit that, but he doesn''t stand a chance against Sven. Haven''t you noticed that Sven hasn''t even used his Form yet? I''m sure he won''t even need it to win."


    The subordinate''s eyes went wide. He was watching the fight carefully, as was everyone else, but this detail just slipped from his sight.


    ''Well, looks like it''s time for me to get out of here, too. The leader of the Azure Tail is right, it''s going to be a no-brainer battle for Sven.'' Wain shrugged nonchntly and his silhouette blurred.


    A momentter, he appeared next to Marlis and Osvald, who were watching Sven and Birit from a distance.


    They were in an open space and given their level of strength, World of Darkness didn''t bother them in any way to be here, it didn''t make any difference to them at all.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Sven stepped forward, disappearing and instantly appearing in front of Birit.


    Birit''s pupils narrowed as he swung his paws,shing his long ws at Sven, at breakneck speed. However, Sven had already attacked, so the sword of light and ws collided with each other, spreading energy ripples around him in multiple rings.


    Sven inhaled and his arms turned into a blur. He began to make one attack after another, gradually destroying the scales on Birit''s paws and breaking off pieces from his ws.


    "Hmm? Is that really all you can do? I thought the Full Form Dragon''s body was supposed to be so much stronger, was I wrong?" Sven looked at Birit arrogantly, running his palm over his de.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    An energy beam erupted from the sword and plunged into Birit''s chest, destroying its scales, which could withstand even the most powerful explosion.


    However, despite all the damage Birit sustained, his eyes shed a violet me after a few more attacks.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space trembled as Birit''s wings were covered in thick darkness and all of his wounds began to recover quickly.


    Sven was surprised as for a moment his eyes went wide and he leaped back.


    "I see... You were able to fool me..."

 Chapter 999 The Divine Incision

    ?


    The stronger the creature was the more valuable every part of it, from blood to fangs or ws, so every one of Birit''s scales was a real treasure. Sven, destroyed them one by one, his sword easily destroying scales that could be used to make truly imprable armor for those below God Stage.


    Birit withstood all these attacks, for despite Sven''s pressure, he had yet to reach Birit''s flesh.


    "Your energy is actually incredibly pure... After all, these weapons consist entirely of it... However, you may be superior to me in quality, but what about quantity?" Birit muttered as he opened his mouth wide.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space trembled as a massive magical circle appeared in front of him and his entire body was covered in purple me.


    Sven''s pupils narrowed as he abruptly jumped back and stood in a fighting stance.


    "Even though you have such a powerful body you still use magic. That sounds like a real shame to me." Sven said arrogantly as a stream of white energy appeared behind him, transforming into hundreds of thin strands.


    "Heh, cut the crap. I''m sure you know that when Dragons use their Full Form, their energy increases manifold. Physical power is only a small bonus." Birit smirked before pping his massive wings.


    The magical circle glowed brightly, and hundreds of skulls began to fly out of it, followed by a plume of purple me.


    The threads pierced the skulls with ease, which brought a slight smile to Sven''s face, but the next moment his face grew serious.


    "Damn... I didn''t see thating..." Sven muttered, looking at the stream of mes that burst out of the skulls and headed towards him like a tsunami.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Sven swung his mantle, creating a barrier of pure white energy in front of him, but the skulls were unstoppable. They dropped like bombs on the barrier and exploded, creating holes in it. There was no way the threads could help Sven since they were already all burned up from the fire.


    "Hahaha, decided to defend yourself? I thought the great Sven Hellem would only attack, how unexpected!" Birit excitedly eximed as the fire on his body began to gradually diminish, turning into dense armor of massive amounts of energy.


    "Let''s see how you can handle it!" Birit swung his paw, showering Sven with a multitude of energy des.


    Sven flinched as he realized he wouldn''t be able to block such a powerful attack, defense was not his strong suit.


    Booooooooooom.


    Stepping closer to the barrier, all des simultaneously exploded as well as skulls,pletely covering everything in a fire, then Birit immediately attacked,unching a dense beam of energy at the same point.


    "Damn... I''m not sure even I could withstand such a powerful attack without damage... Do you think Sven wille up with something?" Osvald asked as he turned to Marlis.


    Marlis frowned, "I don''t know... He had too little time to react, though he definitely could have thought it through beforehand, but he didn''t."


    Osvald tilted his head in confusion, he couldn''t understand what Sven or Marlis was thinking at all.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Pffffff, in that case, maybe Sven just wants to enjoy the fight." Osvald snorted with a shrug.


    "Hah, what the hell are you talking about? Do you think Sven is like you? I''m sure he has some cunning n that even I didn''t think of!" Marlis eximed proudly as she put her hands to her sides.


    Wain watched the fight closely, and he too was slightly puzzled as his experience and senses were enough to know that even he would have been hurt after such an attack.


    ''How interesting... I guess I''m slowly beginning to understand who Sven is...'' Wain inwardly muttered with a thoughtful look rubbing his chin.


    Drip. Drip. Drip.


    As the mes weakened, they began to fade, revealing Sven''s silhouette. The tips of his blond hair were covered in blood while crimson drops trickled from his many wounds, it seemed that Sven had taken all the damage and didn''t even try to defend himself.


    "Agh... What the hell is this...?" Marlis''s eyes went wide as she muttered in disbelief.


    "Well... Looks like Sven was even crazier than I was..." Osvald said, rubbing his cheek in confusion.


    Birit was also shocked, so much so that he just stared at Sven, waiting for his next move.


    The only one who wasn''t surprised was Wain. He had a wide grin on his face as he knew what Sven was doing it for.


    ''Looks like Osvald was right this time, and all Marlis''s theories were shattered against the harsh wall of reality and illogic.


    "Agh... I''d alreadypletely forgotten that feeling..." Sven whispered looking at his bloodied hand, "Hot blood and great battle... That''s what lies ahead of me, but part of it I want to feel now."


    Even though Sven wasn''t a vampire, he still brought his fingers to his mouth and swallowed a few drops. Then, deep in his gaze, something changed; he looked as if he had awakened from a long sleep almostparable to death.


    Birit grew wary. He didn''t understand exactly what was going on, but all his instincts said that now Sven had to show him all his power.


    "Fuck... I want more... but I''ll have to wait until the war starts, and maybe someday I''ll fully feel what full freedom feels like..." Sven muttered with a slightly sad look as the sword in his hand disintegrated into small pieces.


    "Marlis... Create a protective barrier for us..." Osvald said with a gulp.


    Marlis wanted to make fun of him, but when she saw his frightened face, she quickly did as he said. Unlike Osvald, her instincts were not as highly developed.


    Several magical circles appeared in front of them, which could absorb even the most powerful attack of the Birit.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, space trembled, and all of Sven''s energy turned into millions of threads. They all began to coalesce into one oddly shaped sword, it was very long but also thin andpletely without a hilt, like a rapier or even more like a needle.

 Chapter 1000 Needle

    ?


    Sven spent all his energy to create one single thing - an unusual weapon in the shape of a huge needle that floated above his palm.


    "What is that...?" Birit muttered as he grew alert, and the mes on his armor intensified.


    "Let''s just say... It''s my real weapon, something I haven''t used in years and didn''t think I could use before the war, but I''m d you turned out so much stronger than I thought." Sven muttered quietly before clutching the needle firmly to the underside.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, a massive stream of white energy burst from Sven''s body that made his mantle and hair flutter.


    "Get ready. This is the best I can do without using my Form, so I suggest you enjoy yourst moments of life." Sven said coldly as he stepped forward.


    Sven''s silhouette blurred and the next moment, a white sh appeared to the left of Birit. Birit''s pupils narrowed as he swung his paw sharply at Sven, but it was toote, however, Birit hadn''t even realized what had happened yet.


    Crackle.


    A long white needle pierced Birit''s left hind paw, leaving a wide hole where his knee had been, which immediately began to fill with thick blood.


    "ARGHHHHHHH!!!!" Birit''s painful roar echoed for miles around, shaking with its power spaces that were very far away, even despite the open space.


    "Motherfucker! What the hell was that!!!" Birit eximed furiously as streams of purple me covered his entire body.


    Sven let out a light sigh and jumped aside, finding himself hundreds of feet away from Birit. He looked at his needle, dark blood dripping from its tip, and frowned.


    "Well, it looks like even I can lose my skills if I don''t do something for a long time." Sven muttered while shaking his head, "The needle shouldn''t have been covered in blood, it should only be on the tip... Agh, I should be more urate the next time I attack."


    Birit grew wary while fear slowly consumed his heart. Before, Sven had struggled to destroy his scales and that was part of Birit''s n.


    ''Looks like he''s not kidding... Well, if I want to survive, I need to use everything I''ve got!'' Birit inwardly eximed as all his mes headed upward.


    Massive streams of fire flowed into one point, turning into a huge sphere that was like a real star in its size and brightness.


    "Damn... So this will be yourst attack, right?" Sven muttered with a slightly surprised expression.


    Birit didn''t answer anything, but Sven saw everything in his opponent''s confident gaze. Birit, even after the transformation there was no way he could keep track of Sven''s movements, so he had to finish the fight as quickly as possible.


    ''If I kept trying to beat him, he''d just pierce all my limbs! Fuck! What a strange weapon that is! I''ve fought thousands of opponents, but I''ve never seen anything like it!'' Birit inwardlyined as he began to wave his wings.


    Each p of his wings provoked a powerful stream of wind, which, in a small level area, would have turned into a real tornado.


    Sven nced back and seeing that Osvald and Marlis were protected by the barrier he smiled slightly.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''Fine, now that it hase to this, I can worry about nothing. Birit is actually a strong opponent...'' Sven said to himself, then his aura intensified, and he gripped the needle tightly.


    Wain hovered around and stared in amazement at the huge orb and at Sven''s weapon.


    ''Well, well, when that sphere explodes the power of the st will be enough to damage the outer barriers of the nearby zones, it''s an amazing power, but...pared to his gaze it''s nothing...'' Wain muttered looking at Sven''s eyes.


    Wain clearly saw that Sven was absolutely not worried about the oue of their battle, after all, he wasn''t even using his Form, so what he was doing now was enjoying the process.


    ''It''s even a little ironic... Dragons who think they are supreme beings, Dragons who believe their energy is the most powerful... One of them is about to lose to an opponent who is just having fun.'' Wain grinned wickedly, "Though I won''t hide it, I enjoy it too."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The orb began to shake, and Birit''s eyes glowed brightly, then the orb copsed on Sven, heading toward him at tremendous speed.


    Sven stared at the orb for a moment, which cast a beam of purple light on him before stepping forward.


    Tap. Tap. Tap.


    With each step Sven took around, white ripples emanated from his feet as if he was walking on water, making it shiver.


    "It was a good fight, I felt my blood and even called upon my real weapons... Though you are only another of my victims, you will be the first to die at the hands of the new me." Sven muttered with a sincere smile on his face, and his silhouette blurred.


    Whooooooooooooooooosh.


    Sven swept through the huge sphere in a white sh, holding the needle in front of him like a spear. Despite the immense heat, Sven was not damaged in any way and simply split the sphere in two, splitting everything in its path.


    Hundreds of purple mes flew past him, while Sven''s needle slowly plunged into Birit''s chest, releasing streams of dark blood.


    A few drops ended up on Sven''s face as he blinked, and then, he was behind Birit, whose chest now had a wide hole in it.


    "No way... How is that possible..." Birit muttered in disbelief, touching his chest.


    "I could be wrong, but you''re probably looking for this, aren''t you?" Sven said coldly, lifting up a needle at the tip of which was a massive heartrger than himself.


    Birit turned around with an almost nk stare already and whispered, "You''re a real monster... but not outwardly... but inwardly... You shouldn''t exist..."


    "I''ll take that as apliment." Sven smirked as he narrowed his eyes, acquiring his famous sly smile.

 Chapter 1001 Energy

    ?


    The massive body of the ck Dragon, which could inspire terror in almost any creature, weakened and slowly fell into the vast darkness. At the same moment, the me particles left by the orb shed brightly and released all the energy inside them.


    Whoooooooooooooooosh.


    From each fingernail-sized particle, a torrent of me erupted capable of destroying an entire city. All that power spread around, quickly reaching the nearest space.


    "Well, well, looks like someone''s out of luck now." Sven smirked as he released his weapon. His needle turned into white energy, which became a barrier for him, protecting him from the fire.


    Sven watched the mes engulf whole areas with a slight smile on his face and enjoyed the sight.


    "Agh... What an incredible view... It was definitely worth it." Sven took a deep breath, then exhaled cold steam partially covering his silhouette.


    ...


    "What''s going on...?!" Someone eximed with a startled look as the usually blue sky suddenly turned a purple hue.


    "We must be under attack!" His buddy shouted, "Get ready to fight!"


    "Hah... but I don''t see anyone..."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The next moment, the mes collided with the barriers, severely damaging them and leaving thick cracks in them, it seemed that a few more spaces would be destroyed.


    The inhabitants of these spaces quickly took all necessary measures, most of them were ready for the battle, but only after a while did they realize what really happened.


    "Wait... Was it just a shockwave from an alien attack...? I mean... we were definitely never attacked, but at the same time we were hit..." The man muttered with his eyes wide open.


    "Damn... I guess you''re right, though I didn''t think that was possible, but it''s the only option that remains, but in that case... Who were those who fought?" His mate gave him a questioning look with obvious fear on his face.


    "I don''t want to know that... I just hope there are no more shock waves like that..."


    No one wanted to face those who could fight in the open, it was just beyond them.


    ...


    "Well, well, they all managed to survive, it looks like these spaces are at least in the Third Chronicle. They''re lucky." Sven smirked while shaking his head.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Osvald and Marlis approached Sven, who had slightly surprised faces.


    "Damn... I expected something serious to happen, but I didn''t think the fire would be this bad..." Osvald muttered, looking at his shoulders, which were covered in burns.


    "Pfff, if Sven would have used his Form, that Dragon would have died after the first attack and the nearest areas would have been destroyed!" Marlis eximed proudly.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Tap.


    Sven put his hand on her head, petting her, and with a slight smile said, "You overestimate me, though perhaps you''re right about something. In any case, I have a favor to ask of you."


    "Agh... What exactly do you want me to do?" Marlis was puzzled.


    Sven inhaled and looked down, where gradually, amidst the darkness, a source of light appeared, "I''m talking about this."


    Osvald and Marlis turned around, then their eyes went wide at the sight of the huge soul that rose up from Birit''s body. Each soul had a different color that denoted the power of its previous owner, and usually, the rarest was amber. However, Birit''s soul was white, shining brightly like a star in the center of the gxy.


    "Hah, how much energy is in that soul...? It''s incredible!" Osvald eximed with an excited expression.


    "Many, many, and it will be the first in our collection, though no, that''s the wrong word." Sven smiled slyly as he continued to pet Marlis.


    "Hmm... I don''t understand you..." Marlis muttered as she tilted her head.


    "It''s very simple." Sven sighed as his ring sparkled and The Last Seal appeared in his hand. In the center of the cube, a pyramid slowly spun, exuding a powerful aura.


    "To activate this artifact requires an enormous amount of energy, so even I would have to use up all my reserves, and that''s not in my ns." Sven smirked, concealing the artifact, then he stepped forward and spread his arms apart.


    "Marlis, you have a unique opportunity, you are capable of storing the right amount of energy, as much as possible, aren''t you?" Sven turned to her.


    Marlis nodded, "Yeah... With the barriers, I can do it, but they need to be energized sometimes, and after a while, the stored energy will start to be lost." Marlis scratched the back of her head uncertainly.


    "Don''t worry about that. I''ll give you as much energy as you need to maintain the barriers, so now, absorb that soul!" Sven eximed with a mad grin.


    Marlis''s eyes sparkled, "I see... You use the stored energy to activate The Last Seal and save yours for battle, right?"


    Sven didn''t answer, he just nodded approvingly.


    Marlis smiled and stretched her arm forward, creating several magical circles in front of her. Slowly, the magical circles turned into a sphere inside which was Birit''s soul. Then, Marlis clenched her hand into a fist, and the sphere began to shrink, turning the huge soul into an orb the size of an apple.


    p. p. p.


    Sven slowly pped his palms together with a confident smirk.


    "Fine, now it''s time to gather as much energy as possible. I''m sure x will be very surprised when he realizes what a mistake he made." Sven looked at Birit''s soul with glowing eyes, anticipating a future war.


    "What shall we do now?" Osvald asked as he was slightly lost.


    Sven took a deep breath, "Now we will continue to do x''s orders as the strongest Arkans, but along with that, stealthily, we will gather energy, lots of energy, enough to destroy an entire world!"


    Wain hovered around, watching all this with aplicated expression. He rubbed his chin and muttered thoughtfully, "Well, well, I guess I''m finally beginning to understand why x disappeared at the most important moment... Sven must have attacked him... Hah, damn, I can''t wait to see it!"

 Chapter 1002 Offer

    ?


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Sven, Osvald, and Marlis headed back to the area of the Azure Tail. They went through the portal that Marlis had prepared in advance, and when they emerged, it was immediately obvious.


    The ck Whip Dragons had lost looks as their faces became as pale as a sheet of paper. The Dragons from Azure Tail, on the contrary, were happy, now their battle was almost over, and the enemy leader was defeated.


    "Marlis, if I give you some of my energy, can you deal with all the ck Whip Dragons?" Sven asked with a sly smirk.


    Marli''s eyes went wide, and with a glowing look, she replied, "Sure! Your energy, it''s the greatest treasure I can ever get!"


    Watching all this Osvald shook his head with a tired look.


    ''Damn... The romance of these two sometimes goes too far... Can''t we do things like normal people?'' Osvald inwardly muttered as he took a deep breath.


    Sven smiled slightly and put his hand on Marlis''s chest. His eyes shed, then white energy headed toward Marlis, crossing over to her on his arm.


    Marlis''s cheeks flushed as her eyes filled with pleasure. The direct transfer of energy was one of the closest contacts there was at all.


    "Fine... I feel great... You actually have a hell of a lot of energy..." Marlis smirked, looked at the Dragons, and the corners of her lips went up.


    Marlis stretched out her hand with her palm open, and streams of green energy appeared in front of her. At her will, all the energy turned into hundreds of fireballs that rained down on the ck Whip Dragons at breakneck speed.


    "What the hell!?"


    "Fuck! We gotta run!"


    "Shit! Did our leader really lose!?"


    The dragons eximed and rushed off in different directions. Most of them were already desperate, and some were furious, but none of that mattered anymore, since in front of Marlis''s power, there was nothing they could do.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    The fireballs chased each Dragon and exploded on impact, unleashing devastating torrents of me. Hotspots of fire quickly appeared all over the area as well as craters in the center of whichy the already dead ck Whip Dragons.


    "Damn... So they could have done this all along, could they?" Someone from Azure Tail muttered with a dazed expression.


    Laur frowned, "Well... Given that Sven defeated Birit it''s no surprise, though that''s not what matters. They''re all on the Transcendence Stage... To them, we''re the real wimps."


    The other Dragons flinched at their leader''s words. For them to realize that they were nothing more than easy targets for someone else was a real nightmare.


    In a few minutes, each ck Whip Dragon was destroyed, and Marlis with a satisfied smile clung to Sven.


    "How did I do? I didn''t miss any of them! Even the ones who tried to escape!" Marlis looked at Sven, who was much taller than she was.


    He patted her and with a smile on his face said, "Yeah, you did everything I asked you to do. Hah, Marlis, you''re not your usual self today. Have you lost all your seriousness and severity?"


    Marlis''s embarrassed as her eyes went wide, she dipped her head into Sven''s chest and murmured, "It''s just that today is different. If you''re apletely different, new you, what''s stopping me from finally acting the way I want to?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Hey, guys, I think we should be doing something else." Osvald crossed his arms over his chest and looked at them irritably.


    Sven turned around, "Yeah... You''re right. I have something to talk to Azure Tail about."


    Wain, watching Sven and Marlis was slightly confused as they reminded him of someone.


    ''Damn... These two are like a mirror image of me and Eva, though in very different circumstances... It''s even a little scary...'' Wain inwardly muttered.


    Tap.


    Sven, Marlis, and Osvaldnded before Laur, who looked as if he were preparing for the worst.


    "Hey, why do you look so tense? Aren''t you d your opponent was defeated?" Sven said with a sly smirk.


    "Well... Something tells me I''m not going to have the most pleasant conversation, am I?" Laur''s gaze grew serious.


    "Hah, your instincts don''t fail you, though you don''t have to worry about your people, we won''t attack you." Sven shrugged nonchntly, but his words did not reassure Laur at all.


    Sven remained silent, looking around until he said, "Basically, it''s simple. I want you all, to give us your energy."


    The dragons grew wary as his aura intensified. A few of Sven''s words were enough to make them consider him their enemy.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Laur spread his massive wings, raised his hand and shouted, "Silence!"


    His voice echoed throughout the area, making all the Dragons freeze.


    "Don''t get us wrong, we''re not going to kill you or anything. However, you will have to give Marlis your energy, keep 1% for yourself, that way in a few years you will fully recover." Sven said calmly as if talking about something routine.


    "I see... You want us to give you our inner energy... What happens if I refuse?" Laur looked coldly at Sven.


    Sven''s eyes narrowed, and with a devious grin said, "Well, in that case, you will be our enemy. Believe me, you shouldn''t check whether I''m serious or not, if you want to stay alive of course. Make a wise decision, like a true leader."


    Laur gulped.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, Sven released most of his aura, giving the Dragons goosebumps and making them shudder with fear. Marlis and Osvald did the same, releasing green and red streams of energy.


    The dragons looked at each other, unsure of what they were supposed to do. For the first time, they were faced with their instincts screaming, asking them to run away.


    "So... What do you say? Will you give us your energy and just wait until youe to your senses, or will this ce be amon grave for the two feuding Dragon Organizations?" Sven tilted his head with a menacing glint in his eyes.

 Chapter 1003 Gathering Energy

    ?


    Laur took a deep breath, "Suppose I agree, then what? You may not think we''re worthy opponents, but there''s a huge amount of energy in every Dragon! You have to put it all somewhere!"


    Sven nodded slightly, "Don''t worry Marlis has a way to store as much energy as you need. By the way, we''ll also take all the souls of the ck Whip as well as your crystals that still have energy in them."


    Laur frowned, but didn''t object. The only thing he could hope for in that situation was that Sven wouldn''t cheat them and leave after he got what he wanted.


    "Well, now that we''ve agreed on everything, it''s time to get started." Sven smirked and beckoned to Marlis.


    Marlis nodded, and a sphere of many magical circles appeared in front of her with Birit''s soul locked inside.


    Laur''s eyes went wide when he saw this, for he had not expected that it was possible to keep such a powerful soul just between barriers.


    ''Damn... Marlis Layre... Her abilities are truly astounding...'' Laur inwardly muttered with a dazed expression.


    "Hey, you should give your subordinates amand. I don''t want Marlis to waste any extra energy on you, we''re already pretty tired after the battle." Sven said arrogantly, covering each Dragon with his cold stare.


    Laur took a deep breath and gave the order. The Dragons did not resent it and did as he said, releasing some of their energy that Marlis could cling to. The dragons understood that neither their leader nor they had any other choice. After all, being weakened for a few years was far better than dying.


    ''Hmm... Though I could be wrong, as far as I understand there are a few years left before the First Great War begins, so what will Sven do all that time? How much energy will he be able to gather?'' Wain muttered a thoughtful expression, hovering around like a ghost.


    Marlis gradually absorbed energy from the Dragons, causing them to weaken, then she moved on to the crystals and souls of the ck Whip.


    The Dragons'' auras dropped to First Chronicle and slowly recovered. Their Soul Temples were intact, but they would be very weak for a long time.


    "Well, I think we''re done here." Sven said carelessly, shaking the dust off his hands.


    "Hey... What are you going to do now?" Laur asked with an exhausted look.


    Sven shrugged, "Nothing ordinary, it''s all horrible, all that''s left is to act on my n. Good luck, I hope you make a full recovery after the war."


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    Sven jumped, quickly leaving the territory of space. Osvald and Marlis looked at each other, shrugged, and followed him.


    "Agh... This isn''t what I expected at all, but at least we stayed alive..." Laur muttered while shaking his head.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly the whole space shuddered, covered in a green grid. Laur grew wary since he thought Sven had decided to kill them after all, but then a bitter smile appeared on his face.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I see... Not only have they weakened us to the lowest level, but they also made sure we wouldn''t get in their way... Well, I doubt we could..." Laur sighed, looking at his men, "All we can do now is rest and wait for our strength to recover.


    Within minutes, all the gaps in Azure Tail''s Void were sealed as well as the space itself. Marlis''s energy hadpletely obscured it, so now, for the World of Darkness, this area did not exist.


    "Surely they can''t get out of there?" Sven asked as he raised an eyebrow.


    "Sure... Until their powers are restored to the God Stage they can''t break my seal. I did exactly as you said." Marlis calmly replied with a nod.


    "Hey... Guys, I don''t understand something..." Osvald muttered with a confused expression, scratching the back of his head.


    "Hmm?" Sven nced at him.


    "What do we say to x? I mean... We were sent to destroy the Azure Tail, but we ended up helping them and killing all the members of the ck Whip instead, including their leader." Osvald waved his hand.


    Sven grinned, "It''s simple. Let''s just say that Azure Tail destroyed the ck Whip in a sh between the two organizations. We just didn''t get there in time, but we took care of the consequences and dealt with ck Whip, that''s all."


    Osvald''s eyes went wide, "Right... Because of Marlis''s seal, no one can know what really happened... Damn, that''s genius!"


    "Hah, you overestimate me. It''s amon maniption." Sven shrugged, then he looked forward and his face became serious, "Well, it''s time to go back. Don''t forget, no one must know of our secret ns, until after the Great War."


    Marlis and Osvald did as he said and nodded with cold faces. To the world, they were still the strongest Arkans after their leader.


    It was one of the most important parts of Sven''s memories, so until the next major point, things were happening unustomedly fast.


    ''Damn... It looks like something interesting is ahead of me... First, he defeated one of the strongest Dragons, but now what...? Did Sven do anything else before the great war began?'' Wain muttered, looking at the hundreds of events quickly passing before his eyes.


    There was something going on in each memory, but it wasn''t critical. In general, Sven, Marlis, and Osvald continued to do their leader''s bidding. Sometimes it was killing, sometimes it was negotiating, or even participating in a local war between some organizations.


    Each time Sven made small adjustments to the original n and took every opportunity to gather energy. Sometimes for the sake of it, Sven would kill hundreds of creatures that were in the Fifth Chronicle.


    Crackle.


    The white gate opened as three silhouettes stepped inside, heading towards the man standing in the center. x''s white hair fluttered slightly in the wind while he looked out over the shining city from one of the highest points in Arkan World.


    "Well, it looks like we''vee to the end... The Great War will begin shortly and I have onest, easiest task for you." x turned, meeting eyes with Sven, Marlis, and Osvald.

 Chapter 1004 World Of Flowers

    ?


    "When will the war begin?" Sven asked, maintaining an icy stare,pletely unperturbed.


    x took a deep breath, nced around the city, and said, "Soon, Arox has practically gathered enough energy for our main objective. Sven... tell me... Is our world beautiful?"


    Sven nced at x with a slightly puzzled expression, then he stepped, standing beside x as if he were an equal.


    They were on top of a spire, one of several towers overlooking thergest and most majestic city in Arkan World.


    "I don''t quite understand the question." Sven asked quietly, watching the Arkans as they walked among the roads, "Are you asking about our space or some other one?"


    x smiled slightly, "Sven... You need to think on arger scale. I''m talking about the wide world, the universe if that makes more sense to you. I still can''t tell you all the details, but Arox and I will surely save our world... or rather save it..."


    Sven''s eyes went wide for a moment, as well as those of Osvald and Marlis. They looked at each other as they stood behind each other, and they were both greatly surprised. Before this, they knew next to nothing about theing war, only that it was inevitable and that they were to fight the Nameless King himself.


    "What do you mean...?" Sven asked uncertainly.


    x waved his hand, "When we win the war and all the humans just like Nameless King fall, you''ll figure it out for yourself. Sorry, Sven, the stakes are too high for me to say anything. Until the end, this will remain a secret between me and Arox."


    Various emotions raged inside Sven, which was unusual for him, but it wasn''t curiosity at all. Nothing could change his position anymore and he was going to execute his n, but then he wanted to tear x apart.


    ''Bastard... Do you think you can treat me so arrogantly? Do you really regard me as a child who is unprepared for theplexities of this world...? Agh... Well, it just goes to show that by following you, we all fall into the abyss.'' Sven muttered inwardly, ring menacingly at x.


    However, Sven excelled at hiding his gaze and aura, perhaps better than anyone, so even x didn''t notice anything. From his perspective, Sven looked as calm as he did before he spoke.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the top of the spire, there was a hearth from which a seemingly endless darkness emanated, but no one noticed it because Wain was the source. He watched the situation with a cold stare, and his face contorted in anger.


    "So what do you say? Is our world a beautiful ce?" x asked again.


    Sven nced at the city, "Well, I certainly like living here."


    "Hah, you never answer the question directly, do you?" x grinned, "One day it will all be yours, all this light and all these people''s fates."


    Sven''s eyes went wide, "What...? What are you talking about?"


    "Heh, no need to be modest. Even me and Arox can''t live forever, we''re not Alucard. Of course, it won''t happen for a while, but in peace, time will fly by quickly. Obviously, in that case, you will be the only one who can take our ce, forpared to us you are young." x said with a slight smile, truly enjoying the moment.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Agh..." Sven took a deep breath, "I don''t know if you''re serious or not, but it won''t be soon, right now let''s focus on something else. What''s yourst mission for us?"


    x smirked, "By the way, I didn''t answer your question either. You wanted to know when the war will start, right? Well, in about a month, and before that you have to go to one ce."


    "Go ahead. We''ll do whatever you say, it''s our duty as the strongest Arkans." Sven said confidently, pressing his palm to his chest like a true knight.


    x nodded, "You will need to pick up one potion that no alchemist is capable of creating as it is like a fruit itself born in one single ce in our entire world."


    x''s face changed as he became serious. He exined every detail of the mission to them in detail, after which Sven, Osvald, and Marlis, left the spire and headed towards a massive temple-like structure.


    In the center, among many white columns, was a magic circle with many ancient symbols. Sven met his gaze with one Arkan, then they stood in the center of the magical circle.


    "Sven... What are we going to do...?" Marlis asked with a slightly worried look.


    "Well, it depends on the situation. First, let''s just go with the n, then we''ll see." Sven inhaled slightly.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    The magic circle glowed brightly as their silhouettes blurred, disappearing in the sh. Several Arkans watched them with glowing eyes, for to all Arkans, Sven, Marlis, and Osvald were the limit of perfection.


    Every Arkan, wanted to be like them and receive orders personally from x, for them this was the ultimate goal.


    ''Hah, those Arkans look like idiots!'' Wain grinned, ''I wonder what their faces would be like if they knew what Sven was really thinking? Hahaha, I''m sure it would be an incredible sight!


    Wain stared at the town for a while, then his face became serious, ''Well, nothing depends on them anyway. I must find out what happened next, Sven went to an interesting ce.''


    ...


    After a while, three silhouettes appeared on a massive branch that seemed to have hundreds of people on it at once. On the horizon, there were huge trees whose tops were above the clouds, and on one of these were Sven, Marlis, and Osvald.


    "Agh... As before, the air here is the best! There''s nowhere else where the air is this clean! Not even high up in the mountains!" Osvald eximed with an excited expression as he sighed, filling his lungs.


    "Heh, air?" Marlis grinned, "What should matter is the smell! No perfume canpete with that! That''s for sure!"


    Sven said nothing, he just, with a deep gaze, stared at the world covered with literally millions of different nts and flowers that was the center for one of the Pirs.

 Chapter 1005 Plants

    ?


    Before all spaces merged into one under the influence of the World of Darkness, each powerful race had its own world. For the most part, only the Pirs had their own world, the exceptions to this rule being Dragons, Arkans, and of course Humans.


    The nts, as members of the Pirs, had their own world that very rarely had visitors. Unlike the Axalts or Ashens, who were always in conflict with someone and wanted to fight someone all the time, the nts were a very peaceful race.


    They were somewhat simr to the Inerians in that their world was closed and everything inside was subject to their own rules. They only came into contact with other spaces on exceptional asions.


    "We need to go there, right?" Osvald asked uncertainly, pointing to a massive fortress that looked like it was alive.


    It was more of a nt than some kind of castle, as it had flowers, vines, and branches growing on it that changed their location from time to time. The most powerful smell came from it, and the pollen from the castle spread all over the world.


    "Yeah... That''s where the Progenitor of nts must be waiting for us." Sven said calmly with a slight nod.


    "Well... I hope no one attacks us... It didn''t work out so wellst time..." Osvald muttered, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.


    "No need to worry about that, it was just a simple misunderstanding that time. No one just didn''t warn us about our visit, it''ll be different now." Sven waved his hand, "Moreover, no one was hurt that day, so calm down."


    Osvald nodded. He loved to fight and was willing to engage anyone, but only if his opponent had the same desire. However, nts were not the type who liked to fight, they were true pacifists who simply preferred to absorb energy and increase their skill at controlling it.


    "Hah, their guards were actually serious. When nts take up arms, it looks threatening. Anyway, it''s time to go." Sven said calmly as he headed forward, toward the end of the branch.


    "Sven... I can create a stream of fire to get us there faster." Marlis suggested as they had vast distances to cover, practically halfway around the world.


    "No... That won''t be necessary..." Sven waved his hand, "Fire will hurt all these beautiful flowers, after all, we are guests here, so we must be respectful."


    "Hah, since when did you be so courteous?" Osvald smirked as he crossed his arms over his chest.


    Sven remained silent, staring intently at the castle until he said, "I just have a bad feeling about this. x said the mission should be easy, and I have no reason not to trust him..."


    "Hmm? Then what''s the problem?" Marlis tilted her head in confusion.


    "Well, I think everyone knows that the calmest and kindest-looking people, in fact, turn out to be quite different on the inside. Whatever,e on, we''ve wasted too much time as it is." Sven waved and jumped off the branch.


    Marlis and Osvald looked at each other, shrugged, and followed him. Beneath the great trees were practically imprable trails that only nts could navigate, so Sven created ayer of energy underneath him on which Marlis and Osvaldnded.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    They moved forward, while Sven released some energy with each step to support them from above.


    "Damn... I''ve been to nt Cities several times, and they''re always so carefully hidden under other nts... How can you even understand anything here?" Osvald muttered, scratching his cheek and looking around.


    In the distance, on a hill was a small town that was actually dozens of timesrger, but they could only see a few tree towers. This was the situation almost everywhere in nts World.


    Marlis, with her tenacious gaze like a scientist, regarded the various rare nts, while Sven''s gaze was directed to only one point.


    ''nt World...?'' Wain said in confusion, ''As far as I know they had absolutely no part in the war... Then, in that case, what is Sven doing here? Did the nts take sides?''


    Step. Step. Step.


    Slowly, Sven reached the castle as he stepped onto the stone path with Marlis and Osvald following behind him. Until then, they had beenpletely rxed, but as soon as they entered the castle grounds they became wary as they felt the stares on them.


    A multitude of nts with rough woody skin walked around, watching them. Their main purpose was to protect their leader, so they could not allow their guests to start a disaster.


    They reached the massive gate as a man with a long spear in his hand approached them. He looked at them coldly and bowed slightly.


    "Sven Hellem, Marlis, and Osvald, I am pleased to greet you. My name is Arden, and I am a royal guardian. Please follow me, everything will be exined to you from here." Arden said calmly as he raised his hand slightly, giving the sign.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The gateway shed a bright blue light, slowly opening. Arden waited until the gate stopped, then stepped forward. Sven stepped forward immediately, he had no reason to argue with Arden.


    ''Hmmm... Progenitor of nts... By the way... Come to think of it, I haven''t heard anything about it at all during the war... Will Sven decide to attack even those who weren''t going to take part in the war?'' Wain muttered, holding his chin with a thoughtful expression.


    Slowly, following Arden, Sven, and the others came into the throne room. Twenty guards stood at the walls with menacing nces, each one exuding a powerful aura. Most of them were on the Demigod Stage, but three of them, like Arden, were on the God Stage.


    In the center, there was a wood throne on which sat a woman of extraordinary beauty. She may have had the softest skin in the world, and her wise green eyes instantly evoked admiration for her.


    "Polosa, Progenitor of nts, Flower of Life..." Sven muttered and bowed slightly, "I am pleased to meet you."

 Chapter 1006 The Secret Side

    ?


    Each race had its own Progenitor, in most cases it was the strongest and oldest member of the race, however, sometimes there were exceptions.


    The Progenitor of nts was one of the most secretive persons since nts rarely came into contact with other races, but everyone, regardless of their status, showed their sincere respect to Polosa. She was practically a mother to all nts, as it was her unique energy that allowed other nts to be born. It was such a singr case of all the races in existence.


    "Sven Hellem, Osvald and Marlis... x said you woulde." Polosa said calmly, while maintaining the majesty in her voice, "I hope you know the purpose of all this."


    Sven nodded, "Sure. Do you want to discuss it here, or shall we go to a special ce?" Sven looked intently at Polosa as if trying to get inside her mind.


    Polosa remained silent, then she waved her hand, and four guards stepped forward, whose leader was Arden.


    "Mrs. Polosa, what is going on?" Sven looked up with mild annoyance.


    Polosa let out a light sigh, "It''s just a precaution. ording to our arrangement, I''m going to give you the most valuable resource in our world, so I''m sure you''re the Sven Hellem."


    Sven frowned, "Mrs. Polosa... I understand your concern, but right now you are disrespecting the most powerful people in all of Arkan World. Do you really think Mr. x could make such a foolish mistake and allow someone to impersonate me?"


    Polosa stared at Sven for a moment, then she waved her hand, "Well if it makes you feel better, I''m ready to apologize for the inconvenience. However, the stakes are too high, so you''ll have to go through the test anyway. Osvald and Marlis don''t have to participate."


    Sven took a deep breath, gradually calming down and epting the situation, "Agh... Though I don''t like it, it''s not like I have any other choice. What do you want me to do?"


    Polosa grinned, "Isn''t it obvious? Stand one minute against my strongest guards. Four nts on the God Stage against you alone. You can''t use energy, I don''t want your skirmish to destroy my castle. If you''re real, you''ll only get away with a few scratches."


    Sven frowned, looked arrogantly at the guards before him, and with a sigh said, "Fine, I agree. You have exactly sixty seconds."


    Whoooooooooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, one of the guards rushed right at Sven, aiming his spear at his neck. Sven calmly took a step back, dodging the attack, but that was only the beginning. The other three guards attacked simultaneously, mping down on Sven from all sides. His only option was to jump up and retreat, which he did, finding himself a few meters away.


    "Not bad... For your queen''s personal guard, you are well trained. Even if you were attacked by a Nameless King, you could still hold him off for a while." Sven muttered, touching his cheek with a bleeding rune on it.


    ''Hah, Sven... You''re either lying or overestimating these knights...'' Wain muttered as an evil smirk appeared on his face, ''If they would have faced me five hundred years ago, I would have had enough with a few sword swings to cut them apart... Although, you are holding back anyway...''


    He looked at the bloody tips of his fingers with a deep gaze as the four guards again roared in his direction.


    ''Sven Hellem! Show me what the third seedy of all Arkans can do!" Arden eximed with a serious expression.


    Sven narrowed his eyes, then he stepped forward.


    Crackle.


    With the outside of his palm he struck off one spear, then he plunged his palm into the belly of the second guard, causing him to vomit a mouthful of blood. The third guard almost managed to reach him, but Sven leaned in at thest moment and struck the guard in the jaw in a smooth motion, tossing him aside.


    Arden grew wary as he made a sharp lunge, firmly holding his spear which was heading for Sven at breakneck speed.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Sven''s silhouette blurred, in a heartbeat behind Arden. Arden was about to counterattack sharply, but before he could blink, Sven''s palms were at his neck, covered in a denseyer of energy.


    "For all I know... We''re supposed to fight without using energy." Arden muttered with a slight smile on his face as his serious look stopped.


    "Agh... I''m sorry, it''s just that your attack might have put a hole in me... I didn''te here for a death battle, so I had to break a rule." Sven inhaled, dropped his hands, and turned around.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He met Polosa''s gaze and calmly said, "I guess that was enough to prove I was me, wasn''t it?"


    Polosa nodded, "Sure. That''s exactly what I wanted. Now I''m pretty sure we can make a deal. Sven Hellem, follow me, Osvald and Marlis should stay here."


    Marlis and Osvald looked at each other with a frown, they didn''t like that attitude at all, so they were ready to be outraged. However, seeing that Sven shook his head they quickly calmed down.


    "Don''t worry, I''m not trying to deceive you, it''s just that neither you nor the royal guards are necessary." Polosa said before slowly standing up.


    Her body was covered by a lush dress of millions of petals that seemed to be alive and ready to protect their queen at any moment.


    Polosa waved her hand lightly, signaling to her guards, and headed forward. The guards returned to patrolling the area, but they kept their eyes on Osvald and Marlis, who remained in the center of the hall in front of the throne.


    Osvald took a deep breath and stepped aside, leaning his broad back against the wall. Marlis stood silently beside him, assessing everything around him with a keen eye. She could not be rxed as the rtionship between their races was almost non-existent. nts and Arkans were not enemies any more than they were friends.


    ''Hmm... x exined to us what we should do, but it''s still all kind of weird...'' Marlis said to herself, looking at Sven moving away, ''What could x offer the nts that they would agree to give up their greatest treasure? Why would they want it?


    Marlis nced at the guards and shook her head, ''I was pretty sure the nts wouldn''t be involved in the war at all, but now they''ve made contact themselves. Whatever, the important thing is that Sven is okay, without him everything will end, our n and ourselves.''


    Step. Step. Step.


    Sven followed Polosa in a measured step.


    "Where are we going?" Sven asked as he left the throne room.


    Polosa smiled slightly, "To the core of our world, or rather, to its greatest treasure. It is personally under my guard and care, so we will have to take some time to get there."


    Sven nodded slightly.


    Step by step they descended lower, gradually reaching the very depths of the castle. asionally Polosa used a little of her energy to unlock some of the barriers in their path. The defenses were at their maximum level.


    ''Well, well, it looks like just before the war started, x was able to negotiate the best possible deal.'' Sven pondered, looking at the round gate in front of him, from behind which a pleasant aroma was emanating.


    "Hah, I bet there''s something incredible in there." Sven grinned.


    "Yeah, you''re right." Polosa smiled and her eyes sparkled.


    Pink streams of energy headed toward her palm, which made contact with the gate, activating it. The gate quickly glowed brightly as hundreds of runes activated simultaneously, causing the gate toe into motion.


    Sven had no emotion whatsoever. What he saw was quite obvious to someone who is a Progenitor, however, Wain''s eyes were wide open as if he had seen a living ghost.


    ''Wait... Her energy... I hadn''t thought about it before, but isn''t that what Felix from Flower City possesses...? That guy definitely has unusual abilities and possesses part of the Progenitor''s power, but is that possible?'' Wain muttered inwardly in disbelief, trying to understand what happened in the past.


    The strength of the Progenitor could not be simply developed by training or by absorbingrge amounts of energy. It was necessary to defeat the current Progenitor as it had happened in the case of the Angels, however, there was another rather rare option.


    ''Hmm... Given that this is a Progenitor of nts, what happens if Polosa dies her own death? What if she is not killed by one of the nts? In that case, her energy should spread throughout the World of Darkness, shouldn''t it?'' Wain pondered withplicated looks since even he couldn''t be sure of something so difficult.


    The gate opened fully, and out came a bright light from a massive flower with seven pink petals, each one emitting an incredible aroma.


    "I see..." Sven muttered, looking at the crystal sphere inside the flower, which was like a drop of dew.

 Chapter 1007 The Dew

    ?


    In a vast universe of thousands of spaces and many worlds with billions of people in total, there were also many treasures. Some of them might be valuable only to those who reached the First Chronicle or another low level, but some might be important even to those who stood at the very top.


    Crystal Mind Dew was exactly one such treasure, which was something between an artifact and a potion. The drop of dew at the center of a huge colorparable in size to a fortress was the main treasure of all nts World.


    "I had heard of it, but now I realize that no words can fully describe this incredible sight..." Sven muttered with genuine admiration. Even he had never seen something so beautiful and mesmerizing, even though he was in the most powerful spaces.


    "Yeah, I couldn''t agree more." Polosa nodded slightly, then turned to Sven, "If you''re okay with it, you can have it, but we have to sign a contract before then."


    "Contract...?" Sven was puzzled since x hadn''t warned him about something like this.


    Polosa sighed, "It has to be since it will be a special contract. You don''t have to worry, he gave me some of his energy that''s connected to the contract so you can be sure I''m not trying to trick you."


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Polosa waved her hand as a parchment scroll appeared in front of her with gray streams of energy emanating from it. Polosa took the scroll in her hands and snapped her fingers.


    At her will, roots emerged from the ground and quickly turned into a massive table and two chairs facing each other.


    Polosa sat down in a seat closer to the flower and pointing to the other edge of the table said, "Have a seat. You and I may be one of the strongest beings in the universe, but even we can''t get rid of bureaucracypletely. That''s pretty ironic, isn''t it?"


    Sven stared intently at the strip, but sensing x''s energy from the scroll he epted Polosa''s offer after all.


    Sven slowly sat down in his chair without removing his gaze from Polosa, who in his opinion acted suspiciously since she should have told him about it right away or before they had reached the flower.


    Polosa raised her hand slightly as a pen exuding scarlet energy appeared before her. She elegantly took it and left her signature in the corner of the scroll with a bit of energy, then she handed the scroll to Sven.


    ''Well, well... Looks like something interesting is about to happen.'' Wain smirked, looking at Sven, whose aura was gradually increasing. Wain could clearly see the almost imperceptible change in Sven''s face as he slowly read the contents of the scroll.


    "Is something wrong?" Polosa asked emotionlessly, tapping his fingers on the table, "I think my terms are more than adequate considering that I am giving you our greatest treasure."


    Sven nced at Polosa and asked, "Before I tell you my thoughts, let me ask you something. What exactly is this dew of value to nts? What is its purpose?"


    "How interesting... I was sure that Sven Hellem himself must know almost everything about it." Polosa muttered with aplicated expression.


    Sven shrugged, "Unfortunately, I''ve had too many different taskstely, you know. Unlike the Progenitor of Dragons, I haven''t lived for thousands of years, so I haven''t had enough time to learn everything about this world. Polosa, be so kind as to tell me about your greatest treasure."


    Polosa smirked; she liked that the usually arrogant Sven asked her for something and acknowledged her shorings. Sven had a certain reputation among the strongest of this world that drew the interest of others.


    "Fine, it''s actually quite simple. In exactly one year, Crystal Mind Dew will explode and cover the flower behind me. Then, the day wille that we call the Great Blossom." Polosa said confidently as she waved her hands.


    "On this day, all the energy that has been umting in Crystal Mind Dew for exactly one hundred years allows millions of nts to blossom and be so much more. This day is a true celebration of our world and it helps a new generation ze its own path." Polosa proudly dered with glowing eyes.


    Sven took a deep breath and nodded slightly, "I see... Given that you nts it makes quite a bit of sense, but wouldn''t that be a problem for you? I mean, the next time Crystal Mind Dew doesn''t mature until 101 years from now, does it?"


    "Yeah, you''re right." Polosa nodded as she touched her lips, "However, you don''t have to worry about us. nts have enough resources to survive one loss of the Crystal Mind Dew without consequences, moreover, what we get in exchange far surpasses any possible inconveniences and disadvantages!"


    Sven looked away. He knew what Crystal Mind Dew was for x, or rather, this unique treasure was for Arox.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''Arox can use Crystal Mind Dew to increase his abilities, especially his mind by a hundred times for a short period of time. Given his abilities, that would be enough for him to subjugate all space, and the Arkans would be the sole rulers of the entire world.'' Sven muttered inwardly with a deep gaze.


    He didn''t know the hidden details that x and Arox hadn''t even told him about, but that didn''t change the fact that Arox was going to subjugate the entire world to his will, at least for some definite purpose.


    ''I certainly can''t let Arox get Crystal Mind Dew, but what should I do in that case?'' Sven pondered while his gaze grew deeper.


    "Hey, I understand that this flower as well as the Crystal Mind Dew can enchant anyone, even someone as cold as you, but it''s time for you to sign a contract. Otherwise, we can''t move forward." Polosa looked intently at Sven.


    Sven nodded slightly and whispered, "Well, I can think about thatter, right now I have another problem to take care of."


    "Hmm? Did you say something?" Polosa raised an eyebrow in confusion as she did not hear Sven''s words.


    "I''m saying I''d like to rify thatst point." Sven pointed to the bottom of the scroll where several sentences were written.


    "I''m listening to you." Polosa smirked slyly.


    "It says that after the Arkans win the war, our leaders will turn over some territories to the nts as a thank you for giving us Crystal Mind Dew, doesn''t it?" Sven said calmly, showing no emotion.


    "Yeah..." Polosa nodded, then a frantic look appeared on her face, "Isn''t that a great deal for us? nts rarely go to war with anyone, so this way we can gain territories and increase our greatness!"


    Sven closed his eyes and shook his head with a mocking smile, "Now I get it...the Queen of the nts, turned out to be just a ruler with a bunch ofplexes. Hah, it''sical as hell."


    "What did you say...?!" Polosa frowned as her aura intensified, she didn''t like the way Sven was talking to her at all.


    Wain smirked, ''Well, well, honestly I didn''t expect Polosa to have such a hidden side at all... Hah, that only makes it more interesting! The most closed and seemingly peaceful race turns out to have imperial ambitions! Hahaha, this is ridiculous!''


    Sven gripped the scroll tightly with both hands and with cold eyes said, "Isn''t it obvious? Everyone knows you as the Wisest and Kindest Queen of the nts, but who do you really turn out to be?"


    Crackle.


    Sven ripped the scroll in two with a sharp movement, "You''re just another piece of trash I have to get out of my way. I''m going against my rulers because their ideals will lead our world to a state I don''t want to live in, however, unlike you at least they have a purpose. You, on the other hand, are just a pathetic ruler who would like to take over the world himself if you could, but you just don''t have that capability."


    Whooooooooooooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, several sharp roots emerged from the ground and headed toward Sven at breakneck speed. He took a deep breath and let some of his aura out, creating a protective barrier in front of him in which the roots were stuck.


    "Sven Hellem... I don''t know what you''re thinking, but I''m giving you onest chance to change your mind. It''s not toote to apologize and sign the contract again. What''s more, you''re acting illogically, there''s no point in ruining the rtionship between nts and Arkans."


    "Oh... It looks like the Queen of the nts has some hearing issues. Haven''t you realized yet that I don''t obey anyone and now act only out of my beliefs?" Sven said calmly, while his chilling gaze gave Polosa goosebumps.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Tension rose to a breaking point, as now they both knew there was no turning back. Their auras gradually grew stronger, ready to attack each other at any moment.

 Chapter 1008 The Fall Of The Throne

    ?


    For most, the main goal was to reach the God Stage, at this level of power one could live for hundreds or even thousands of years and still enjoy all the benefits of this world. However, those who reached it were disappointed, as they were still helpless before their Progenitors.


    Progenitors remained in their position for hundreds or even thousands of years, until they died or passed their power to an heir. The case of Ezrin''s and Amitiel''s was unique, for no race other than the Angels had ever experienced such a significant change in their hierarchy.


    No one would dare attack them, for even if they were victorious, which was almost impossible, the wrath of the entire race would fall on the attacker. However, for one man following his own path, it wasn''t such a serious problem, and he was willing to go for it.


    "Well... Since you decided it yourself, then I don''t have to worry about the wrath of x''s or Arox''s, do I?" Polosa muttered with a hard look at Sven. Even if she was the Progenitor, there were adversaries in this world that she would not want to conflict with.


    "Sure. If x and Arox find out I betrayed them, I''m sure they''lle in to finish me off themselves and do anything for it." Sven shrugged nonchntly, "However, let''s be realistic. That''s not going to happen."


    Polosa frowned, "Why not?"


    "Isn''t it obvious?" Sven threw his head back slightly with an arrogant look, "The dead can''t talk. That''s what''s waiting for you. Today is yourst day. The world I want to live in doesn''t need people like you."


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Polosa clenched her fists so hard that trickles of blood spurted from them. Her aura gradually grew while her beautiful face contorted into an angry grimace. She looked like a demon from hell that wanted to tear Sven apart.


    "Oh... Did I make you angry? Don''t you like that I think you''re nothing more than nothing?" Sven said calmly, without even looking in her direction.


    "Arrogant bastard... If you want to fight, fine, I''ll show you how wrong you were. Never before has an outsider defeated a Progenitor, do you really think you can do it?" Polosa smirked slyly, but her words didn''t embarrass Sven one bit.


    "I''m going to defeat an opponent much stronger than you and help win the war for someone who could kill you without using the Form, so yeah, I''m confident in my abilities." Sven exhaled cold steam, "Anyway... Let''s end this pointless talk and get down to business. You know my position as well as I know yours, so try not to die too quickly."


    Sven''s mouth corners headed upward, forming a sly smirk that sent shivers down Polosa''s spine. However, she quickly came to her senses, and a luminous green aura appeared around her, filling everything around her.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, everyone in the fortress felt a violent tremor as if the most powerful earthquake in hundreds of years had begun.


    "What''s going on...?" The Royal Guards were puzzled as one of them muttered.


    "Dammit, I knew you were nning something!" The Guard on the God Stage eximed as he pointed his spear at Marlis and Osvald, "Answer me what you did or I will kill you right here and now!"


    Marlis and Osvald looked at each other, they didn''t know anything, but they quickly guessed that something had gone wrong.


    "Hey, no need to be so aggressive, we''re a little baffled too, moreover what makes you think we''re the reason for this shaking?" Osvald said with a slight smile, scratching the back of his head, "It''s probably just an earthquake, that''s all. Calm down."


    Guard frowned as he gripped his spear tighter, "You think I''m an idiot? We nts can easily sense any earthquake, the strongest and the weakest! This is definitely not one of them!"


    The situation gradually became moreplicated, the Guards were ready to attack Marlis and Osvald, while, they did not know exactly what they were supposed to do, however, after a while everyone got answers to their questions.


    Crackle.


    Two shes erupted from beneath the ground, piercing through dozens of floors as well as the sturdy walls of the castle, which could withstand even the monsters of Fifth Chronicle. One sh was green, spreading a pleasant aura, and the other was white, exuding majesty.


    "Well, well, this looks like it''s gone to the worst-case scenario I ever thought of..." Marlis muttered while shaking her head.


    "What are we going to do...?" Osvald muttered uncertainly with a nce at Marlis.


    Marlis shrugged, "I don''t know. Let''s see for starters. We don''t need to be in this fight anyway, Sven can figure it all out on his own."


    "Bastards! I knew you couldn''t be trusted!" The man eximed as several Guards ran up and pointed their spears at Marlis and Osvald as well.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Marlis sighed, "Well, unfortunately, Sven didn''t tell us what we should do in such a case... I guess he didn''t expect it to happen himself... So, let''s just take the best seats in the audience."


    "Yeah... I agree." Osvald nodded. He didn''t really want to fight the nts since it wasn''t their sincere desire, they were only wary because of what happened to Sven and their Queen.


    "What...? Do you really think you can get away from us?!"


    Marlis nodded, "Sure, and I don''t advise you to attack. I think you''d better watch the fight and see who ends up the winner."


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Marlis waved a hand as a stream of green me appeared in front of her. The Guards instantly attacked, but their spears couldn''t prate the barrier.


    "What...? How is that possible? Isn''t she on the God Stage as well as we are?" The man muttered in disbelief as his eyes went wide.


    "Hah, you''re too careless, just as Marlis said, you''d better not follow us. We''ll just watch, and I suggest you do the same." Osvald smirked as the mes turned into a torrent that engulfed thempletely.


    In the next moment, a blob of green me appeared a few hundred meters from the castle, as Marlis and Osvald stood on the tform. They paid no attention to the Guards and watched with curiosity as the battle between the two incredibly powerful opponents began.


    "Shit! We''ve got to catch up with them and stop them!" Guard eximed furiously as his aura intensified. He was ready to use his Form as well as the others.


    Tap.


    Suddenly Arden''s palm fell on his shoulder. Guard turned around, about to be outraged, but Arden''s cold gaze stopped him.


    "Arden... Is something wrong?" The man said with a slight shiver.


    Arden let out a slight sigh, "I hate to admit it, but perhaps these two are right. The battle between Queen and Sven Hellem isn''t really our level. We''d better watch and follow the fight."


    "But... How on earth...!" Guard eximed.


    Arden raised his head, looking at Polosa, "Our Queen will surely win, however... only if she remains as generous and radiant with kindness as before..." Arden muttered, staring at Polosa''s frown, which made him grimace.


    The other Guards didn''t quite understand what Arden was talking about, but they decided to agree with his words. Though four of them were on the God Stage, Arden was an authority to them, they respected him almost as much as their Queen.


    ''Agh... Has this day reallye?'' Arden inwardly muttered, looking at Polosa with a slight sadness in his eyes that gradually grew deeper, ''Was my father right, and does any ruler lose his sincerity sooner orter, and his heart begins to slowly rot?''


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Two of the most powerful energy sources made space shake. All weak creatures within a radius of a few kilometers could easily lose consciousness or shake in fear so much that they couldn''t move.


    "Bastard... You came into my world and decided you could do anything here, decided you could insult me and threaten me... That was your biggest mistake in your whole fucking life!" Polosa eximed furiously as a faint red glint appeared among her green eyes.


    "Hah, what a dirty mouth you really have. It''s even ironic, though it looks like you weren''t always like this. It''s just that over time you''ve wanted to get real power and not just be an idol for the millions of inhabitants who don''t want to fight at all, haven''t you?" Sven smirked, insidiously as he narrowed his eyes.


    Polosa didn''t respond to his sneer, she wanted to let out all her rage, and she was going to do it right now. She hasn''t fought in a long time, but she used to do it quite often and has tremendous power.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ground beside the castle trembled as huge flowers began to grow from beneath it, they were truly gigantic nts capable of throwing shadows even at the Dragon in Full Form.

 Chapter 1009 Flowers

    ?


    "What''s going on...?" Someone muttered, looking up.


    "I don''t know... but aren''t they Giant Sr Flowers? As far as I know, only a queen can summon them..." His buddy said with wide eyes.


    "Damn... Did someone attack us?" The man shuddered with a gulp.


    The nts were puzzled, some were frightened since there were very rarely any battles in their world. Many nts, couldn''t even remember thest time their queen fought an outside invader.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ground trembled as huge flowers with massive petals and yellow cores emerged from it. They continued to grow out of the ground as if Polosa had infinite energy, though that wasn''t far from the truth.


    "Do you think Sven will win?" Osvald asked as he leaned toward Marlis.


    Marlis nodded, "Sure, it won''t be a problem, however, I think this time he''ll have to use more than in the battle with that dragon. After all, this is nts World, and his opponent is the Progenitor of the nts."


    "Hmm?" Osvald gave her a puzzled expression.


    Marlis shook her head with a sigh, "Anyway, all these nts exude energy, and she can absorb it, from that side, she is probably one of the strongest opponents. However, Sven has a simr ability."


    Everyone watched intently as the battle began. Besides Osvald, Marlis, and Guards, there were many other powerful people in nts World. Some of them were in the Fifth Chronicle, and others were not at such a high level, but each of them had a lot of energy and experience.


    Perhaps some of them wanted to take part in the battle and banish Sven from the world, but they were stopped by the influence of the others, those who wished to see the battle.


    "The queen has finally begun to act... I didn''t like this exchange with the Arkans from the beginning." The man with the long beard muttered, staring intently at Polosa.


    "Master... What are you talking about?" The girl beside him asked.


    "Nothingplicated, but it''s too early for you to be thinking about such things. Just remember my words that nothingsts forever, and even an eternal ruler can meet his end because of his own actions." The man said confidently, causing the girl to be puzzled.


    Most nts were slightly lost and just waiting with sparkling eyes for the battle to begin, but those with great power had frowning faces. They understood that the situation was difficult just as much as the fact that their queen was no longer who she had been in the beginning.


    "Well, well, do you really think these flowers can scare me?" Sven smirked, spreading his arms to the side, "None of that matters anymore, though. Go ahead, attack. I''m ready to take your attack. After all, today will be yourst fight in hundreds of years of life."


    Polosa''s face contorted in anger, she was practically furious that someone wasn''t taking her seriously, it hadn''t happened in a very long time.


    "Fine, if that''s what you''re asking, I can give you that. It would be easy for me to destroy an annoying bug like you." Polosa smirked as she waved her hand.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, the nine flowers glowed brightly. They gathered energy from their surroundings, turning it into yellow sparks that gradually grew into spheres. Polosa gave the signal, and energysersunched from the blossoms, capable of burning through anything with their power.


    Sven grinned slightly. Unlike Osvald he was not ready to be wounded for nothing, so before thesers could reach him he made his move.


    Energy began to flow out of Sven''s palms, splitting into hundreds of strands. They intertwined with each other, forming an imprable barrier of a thousandyers, then, thesers reached him.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Thesers burned through the strands, but as soon as they burned through severalyers, Sven created new ones, he could go on like this almost indefinitely. So, gradually thesers'' energy came to an end, and they extinguished as the flowers went to recharge.


    "Is that really all you can do?" Sven smirked, turning the threads into energy, "You know, nts World is actually a beautiful ce, I wouldn''t want to ruin everything here, so I think we should fight over there."


    Sven pointed to the castle, whose walls were strong enough to withstand several of their attacks.


    "Hah, forget it. I''m not going to sacrifice my castle for our fight." Polosa waved her hand irritably, she didn''t even want to hear about it.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I see... You think your castle is more important than the territory of themoners, don''t you?" Sven said calmly with a slight nod, "Well, quite expected from a rotten ruler like you. However, I don''t care much for your opinion."


    Whooooooooooooooooosh.


    Sven''s silhouette blurred as the next moment he was in front of Polosa. She tried to jump back, but before she could even blink, Sven grabbed her tightly by the neck. Sven threw Polosa down with tremendous force, then he went in the same direction.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    With a rumble, Svennded in the midst of the throne room while Polosa, who had fallen beside the throne, rose. She cleaned the blood from the corners of her mouth and stared at Sven with a hateful look. If she could, she would sizzle him right now.


    "Is something wrong? Don''t you want your throne to suffer?" Sven tilted his head in a mocking manner, "Hah, in that case I know how to make you even angrier."


    "No! You wouldn''t dare!" Polosa eximed as she waved her hand. At the same moment, dense roots appeared next to the throne, they tried to protect the throne from impending danger.


    "That won''t help you." Sven created a white sword out of energy, stepped forward, and swung his weapon from the top down.


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    The white de moved forward at tremendous speed, cutting the roots in two, but its energy wasn''t enough to reach the throne.


    "Hah! You''re not as strong as you want to seem! You can''t even do something that simple!" Polosa eximed with an excited expression.


    Sven shook his head, then his hand became a blur. He swung his sword several times in a second, so very quickly, hundreds of white des rained down on the throne. Against such a thing, there was nothing Polosa could do anymore, and her throne was cut into small pieces.


    "Hahaha! Damn, he''s just messing with her!" Wainughed with pleasure as he looked at Polosa''s lost face. To her, the throne was an indicator of her status and today, Sven destroyed it.


    "Bastard! Did you really have to do that?!" Polosa shouted with a lost look.


    Sven took a deep breath, "Hey, enough of this show, I think we''ve had enough fun. Like it or not, your future as a ruler depends on this fight. If you win, you can fulfill your dream and rule by force, and if not, nts will have a better ruler."


    Polosa''s gaze grew more serious as her aura intensified. She nodded slightly and murmured, "Fine, then let''s move on to the next stage."


    At the same moment, severalsers came down on Sven again, but this time they were much stronger, and there were more of them. Polosa amplified the nts with her nearly infinite energy.


    Sven''s pupils narrowed as he quickly created a protective barrier of pure energy around himself, then there was a massive explosion that covered everything in golden mes. Most of the throne room was destroyed, but Sven himself was not harmed, in the least, as he slowly emerged from the massive cloud of dust.


    "Well, well, someone used the same trick twice. Looks like you''re reallycking inbat experience since you thought it would work against me." Sven fixed his hair, stepping forward confidently. The particles of me flying past him didn''t bother him at all.


    Polosa frowned, "Your weapon is a sword, right?"


    Sven shrugged, "Something like that. Anyway, if you''re worthy of it, you''ll see my entire arsenal, though it''s unlikely you''ll live to see the fun part."


    Polosa looked at the splinters, the only thing left of her throne, and her eyes filled with sadness. Though it shouldn''t be this way, it was actually a serious blow to her, and now she was ready to fight to the fullest.


    Whooooooooooooooooosh.


    Polosa stretched out her arm as the ground trembled. Hundreds of roots headed toward one point, next to Polosa, but these roots were unusual in that each one had ancient runes on it, sometimes shing red light.


    The roots twisted with each other as if wanting to squeeze something in the center, then, after reaching a certain point, they went back into the ground, leaving a red rectangr barrier in their ce.


    Inside the barrier hovered a long spear with a crimson tip, with red leaves growing from its hilt. The spear looked simple enough as if it were an ordinary weapon, but its mere sight was enough to make nts'' eyes go wide and Sven grows wary.


    Damn... I''m not sure if my needle is enough this time... Nameless King has an indestructible sword, but it''s impossible to get rid of this spear too... It''s like Alucard, it can regenerate infinitely. Sven pondered with aplicated expression.

 Chapter 1010 The Anger

    ?


    "Agh... Sven Hellem... It''s been a long time since anyone pissed me off like you did..." Polosa muttered as she took a step forward, heading for the spear.


    Sven was silent before he had openly mocked Polosa, not even considering her as an equal opponent, but now things had changed. He had be much more serious and was ready to fight to the fullest.


    For some, the Form was the peak of strength, the Dragons had their own special stage, but Polosa had a special situation.


    "Damn... Looks like the fight went to the next stage pretty quickly..." Marlis muttered with aplicated expression.


    "Hmm? Is that spear that important?" Osvald nced at her, giving her a questioning look.


    Marlis nodded slightly, "Yeah... The Nameless King has a very special sword, everyone knows that, but I''d say this spear is even more dangerous."


    Osvald''s eyes went wide, he didn''t expect to hear such a thing since he knew well what dius was capable of.


    "You shouldn''t be so surprised. Even though I have rather little information about this spear, I know that it also cannot be destroyed, but not because it is indestructible like dius, it will live as long as at least one nt in this world has energy." Marlis said seriously as she crossed her arms over her chest.


    Marlis continued, "Moreover, there is another very important factor. Polosa is the nt, so given her level, she can use her weapons more effectively than the others."


    Step. Step. Step.


    Polosa clenched her spear tightly as her eyes shed red and headed for Sven. His energy was calm as well as his gaze, but his sword trembled slightly as if conveying his owner''s inner anxieties.


    ''Damn... Killing the Progenitor won''t be as easy as I imagined, though it''s to be expected. I still have many problems to solve, so somehow I must deal with her quickly and without unnecessary destruction.'' Sven pondered, clutching his sword tightly.


    "Well... The forey is over... Get ready, I''m not going to hold back any longer." Polosa said coldly, "You destroyed my throne, so...this castle makes no sense anymore."


    Whoooooooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, Polosa swung her spear, top to bottom, so fast that only a red sh was visible. The streak appeared next to Sven, as the solid floor split in two, Sven was not wounded, but someone was right in the path of the attack.


    Marlis''s left arm flew aside with a ssh of blood that left a few drops on her face. Her eyes went wide with iprehension and even a touch of fear reflected in her expression.


    "It was easy, but it wasn''t enough." Polosa said calmly, before swinging her spear a few more times.


    Osvald tried to defend Marlis as he lunged forward, but it was toote. Marlis''s head was severed and his entire body was cut into four equal pieces.


    Everyone was shocked, even the strongest nts'' eyes went wide as no one expected that Polosa would attack Marlis and be able to kill her so easily.


    Osvald was lost, he didn''t know what he had to do in such a situation, Sven was a little worried, but he seemed to be thinking about something other than Marlis''s wounds.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The space around Marlis trembled as streams of green me emerged from her wounds. They connected the wounds to each other, the head and hand fell into ce, and, in a faint sh, the mes went out.


    Marlis stared at Polosa, seemingly as calm as ever, but... the next moment her face twisted in anger as she clenched her fists tightly, so much so that blood gushed from them.


    "Bitch... You think because you''re the Progenitor I won''t fight against you...?" Marlis muttered while her rage grew rapidly.


    Huge streams of green me came out of her body, the ends turning purple, which was a signal for someone to take action.


    "I''ll fucking burn this whole world if I want to and you along with it!!!" Marlis eximed as her energy began to spread chaotically around, with streams of me.


    The nts quickly began to create barriers, though the mes were still far away, the nts had already begun to burn, and themon people felt intense pain from the mere heat. It was not something they could stand at all.


    Tap.


    Suddenly a silhouette appeared in front of Marlis who was not at all afraid of her mes. He touched her cheek with his fingertips, gradually applying his whole palm.


    "Calm down." Sven said calmly with a sincere smile that instantly drew Marlis''s full attention to herself, then, it was as if the world had stopped for her, and without control, her energy began to disintegrate into particles that were no longer dangerous.


    "I won''t let anyone hurt you anymore, I can promise that, but you have to promise in return that you won''t hurt these people." Sven lowered his hand, looking around, "This is a very beautiful ce, and it''s not the nts'' fault that they''ve been in the middle of the most important events of thest few thousand years. It''s not their luck at all to have such a bad ruler, though."


    Marlis stared at Sven for a while, she was speechless.


    "Pfffft, do you really think you can walk away from me right in the middle of a fight?" Polosa frowned as she swung her spear.


    Several scarlet des headed straight for Sven, he didn''t seem to be about to turn around.


    "Sven!!!" Marlis eximed trying to protect him, but he wouldn''t let her go any further, there was no rm on his face at all.


    Whoooooooooooooooosh.


    His long blond hair shone brightly as they split into several bunches, and hundreds of threads tore the des into small pieces, leaving them no chance.


    Scarlet shards remained behind Sven, slowly falling to the ground, reflecting the light of the sun, but then, Sven''s energy was the brightest thing on the entire battlefield.


    "Now, I strongly advise you all to step aside. I didn''t expect my opponent to decide to attack anyone but me, but I know how to learn from my mistakes." Sven inhaled and turned toward Polosa, looking down at her.

 Chapter 1011 Lack Of Energy

    ?


    Sven stared intently at the strip, while the sly smile was fading from his face as he grew more serious. He could wait a long time for the right moment to y with his opponent, but there were some things he could not forgive.


    "For one who holds the title of Wise Queen, you have done too foolish." Sven said calmly as his hair glowed brightly, beginning to move like a thousand snakes.


    Polosa grinned, "Really? If she hadn''t been a fucking monster, I would have killed her. That would be a great start to a fight for me, wouldn''t it?" Polosa struck the ground with her spear.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Dozens of red roots emerged from beneath the ground as if they had long been covered in blood. They headed toward Sven, but some of them were aimed again at Marlis and Osvald.


    Sven noticed this as his gaze grew sharp as des. His hair rushed toward the roots in an attempt to cut them into hundreds of pieces, but they just bounced back as the roots were too strong.


    ''What the hell...? Sven was surprised, clenched his hand into a fist, and directed more energy into his hair. They shone even brighter and were finally able to do damage to the roots right before they had to get to Marlis.


    Wain watching from the sidelines smirked.


    "Hah, he had no problem even fighting the Dragons in Full Form, but Polosa will not be an easy opponent at all, will he?" Wain looked closely at Polosa, "That spear can make even a First Chronicle Creature dangerous, but in her hands, it goes to new limits."


    Wain watched Sven''s reaction with interest. He knew Sven would win, but he wanted to see exactly how, since now, for the first time ever, Sven was in a difficult situation.


    "Well, well, you''re using so much earth energy... Aren''t you afraid it will be bad for this world?" Sven muttered ncing at the chopped roots.


    Polosa frowned, "It''s none of your business. If it''s necessary to destroy an intruder like you, then I''m willing to spend all the energy and resources I have for it."


    Without dy, Polosa struck the ground with her spear once more this time, red petals glowed brightly on the weapon.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ground trembled as hundreds of roots began to transform into something. They transformed into several Ents, each with an aura at God Stage.


    The Ents'' amber eyes lit up like ghostlynterns as they headed forward, straight toward Sven, shaking the ground with each step they took.


    ''Damn... How much energy did she expend to create them out of nothing? It can''t go without consequences.'' Wain pondered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as his gaze shifted to the group of nts who were watching the fight from afar.


    After Polosa summoned the Ents, their faces grew considerably paler. They were among the weakest of the spectators since they were in First Chronicle.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''I see... Polosa used external energy rather than her own, it''s not a bad n, but doesn''t she think about her people at all? After a few attacks like this, those in First or Second Chronicle won''t even be able to be here without serious risk to their lives.'' Wain muttered inwardly as he nced at Polosa.


    Wain himself was by no means the kindest of men, but he treated his men as they deserved, with the full dedication of himself. With his enemies, he behaved as harshly as possible.


    ''Well... It seems that Polosa was the kind of ruler for whom only one thing mattered: to destroy her enemy and thus preserve her power. There are many like her, but not among a race like the nts.'' Wain sighed as he turned to Sven.


    Sven had a calm look in his eyes as if he had already decided what he would do to destroy the Ents, he had many ways to do it.


    "You don''t care about your own subordinates, so... I definitely shouldn''t hold back. Those who don''t want to die or suffocate better run as far away as possible." Sven spoke in a leisurely voice. He spoke softly enough, but everyone could hear him.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, dozens of nts, most of them below Third Chronicle, rushed out in all directions. Their instincts told them to run. Only strong enough nts decided to stay behind to see the fight for themselves.


    Sven''s aura calmed, bing almost invisible, then he stretched his arm forward with his palm open and took a deep breath. His gaze was deep and calm.


    Space distorted as all the energy from the surroundings began to be directed at one point as if there was a real ck hole above Sven''s palm that was absorbing everything in its path.


    "What is this...?" Polosa muttered as a shiver ran through her body. She felt it was something that was not good for her.


    "Nothing unusual, it''s just my power. If you can use the energy of this world as your own, then I can absorb it limitlessly in that case." Sven said calmly when a white dot appeared in front of him, which rapidly increased in size.


    Polosa frowned as she pointed her spear at Sven, additionallyunching dozens of energy des in his direction.


    However, none of that mattered anymore, as Sven had gathered enough energy to make his attack.


    "Yeah, for the first stage, that''s not bad." Sven murmured as the sphere willed itself to split into several tiny needles. Each needle, like a missile, headed for the Ents, at the same time, Sven swung his sword, destroying the des.


    "Hah, you think this is going to do any harm to my Ents? Their roots are stronger than any armor!" Polosa smirked confidently.


    Sven remained silent, he just waited for the needles to reach their target, it was secondster.


    Then, all of nts World, for a moment, was covered in a bright sh, as if foreshadowing disaster.

 Chapter 1012 Explosions

    ?


    Sven had many different abilities, just like anyone else on the Transcendence Stage. However, everyone who reached the top had something inmon, their power centered around amon idea. For Sven, it was threads, light and unlimited possibilities.


    "Having light and a limitless supply of energy, obviously, gives me ess to the same power..." Sven muttered, watching his needles reach the Ents.


    At the same moment, all the energy lurking within burst out of the needles, triggering explosions of indescribable power.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ground trembled like a mighty earthquake as the Ents were torn apart by the explosions, rapidly expanding and destroying everything in their path.


    Space could hardly withstand such pressure, since near the explosion sites gaps opened up, leading into the World of Darkness. This was to be expected in an ordinary zone, but not in World level space.


    "What the hell...?" One of the Fifth Chronicle nts muttered in disbelief, staring at the huge craters that remained together Ents.


    It looked as if a massive meteorite had fallen on them, capable of destroying even an adult Dragon in a single touch. Everything in the radius of the craters was destroyed, leaving only a barren wastnd with no life for several kilometers.


    "Hah, Sven, didn''t you say you didn''t want me to destroy this ce?" Marlis smirked as she put her hands to her sides.


    Sven said with a calm face, "Well, the most important thing to me was that you don''t get hurt, the beauty of this world is only a secondary concern. If the current ruler is not sparing his own world, why should I care?"


    "Bastard!" Polosa eximed furiously, "What was that just now?! Even Elder Dragon couldn''t do it that easily!"


    "Yeah, you''re right, it would be difficult even for Elders. However, the answer to your question is very simple. I am much stronger than the elders." Sven answered without emotion as the sword in his hand trembled.


    Again he used a tremendous amount of energy to create a long needle out of it, the kind he used against Birit at the end of the battle.


    "Enough talk, let us fight in earnest. No need to summon roots, monsters, and massive flowers. I will easily destroy them without spending even a percentage of my total energy to do so." Sven said coldly, as he gripped his weapon tightly, "If you want to win, you need to cut me into pieces. Unlike Marlis, I can''t regenerate like her."


    Whoooooooooooooooosh.


    Sven''s silhouette blurred as he appeared directly in front of Polosa. Sven swung his arm in a swift attack, Polosa didn''t have time to react, so the next moment her left arm flew to the side.


    Polosa''s aura instantly intensified as the tip of her spear glowed brightly. She quickly swung the spear in front of her a dozen times, causing Sven to jump back.


    Wain smirked, "He was able to inflict such a serious wound on her so easily, not bad, not bad at all. However, considering who she is, it''s not enough to win at all."


    Polosa took advantage of the brief hup, grabbed her arm, and one petal on her spear shed, breaking away and heading for her shoulder. She put her arm in ce, then, at the site of the wound appeared a red energy that joined her arm to her body,pletely healing it.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Oh, so this spear also helps you regenerate, right?" Sven muttered, slowly stepping forward, "However, how many more times can you use it? Judging by the number of petals, no more than five, right?"


    Polosa frowned. She didn''t want to admit it, but Sven was absolutely right. Even her weapons had limitations, but regeneration was not the main strength of her spear.


    "Well, you are quite perceptive. However, have you forgotten that I am first and foremost a nt?" Polosa said confidently as her aura intensified. She directed arge amount of energy toward the spear, as the two streams met and headed back toward Polosa''s body.


    Sven frowned, he didn''t attack as he knew what was happening, it was expected and was bound to happen sooner orter.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The soft skin of Polosa''s hand cracked as from it sprouted green shoots that headed towards the roots that began to grow from the spear. Gradually, her hand and the spear became one as her energy becamepletely red, without a dash of green.


    "You said you wanted to fight, right? Well,e on, now I''m fully prepared, and I can show you what the Progenitor of the nts can do." Polosa said seriously before she stepped forward and swung her spear quickly, bottom-up.


    Sven''s pupils narrowed as Polosa''s spear almost split his face. At thest moment, he managed to defend himself with a block.


    "Not bad, but I can go much faster!!!" Polosa eximed with an excited expression as she began swinging her spear like a mad one, unleashing a veritable hail of attacks on Sven.


    Sven was wary for the first time during the fight as he carefully watched Polosa''s every move to sessfully fend off the attacks. He didn''t even have time to counterattack, as Polosa''s was actually getting faster and stronger by the second.


    For everyone below Fifth Chronicle, their movements were no different from the two blurry spots, as everything was happening too fast. Only those on the Demigod Stage or above could clearly see their every move.


    "Damn, Polosa was stronger than I thought. In my present form, I could not have handled her. I would have needed to reach the Demigod Stage at the very least." Wain muttered, scratching his chin thoughtfully.


    "Hahahahahaha! What happened? Where''s your arrogant expression? Why is it gone?" Polosa eximed, putting even more force into her attacks, which made the throne room cringe.


    With each of their collisions, something near them copsed, and some of the attacks created shock waves that headed toward the defenseless spectators.


    "No!" Someone eximed, trying to dodge the consequences, but he had too little time.


    Tremble.


    Suddenly a green barrier appeared in front of the young man, and the red de shattered, then it was gone.


    Marlis sighed while shaking her head.

 Chapter 1013 Regeneration

    ?


    Hundreds of nts fled, they were terrified that a random attack of the battle between Polosa and Sven could end their lives forever. Even if Sven and Polosa were focused on each other, some of the attacks still flew past the target, and no one could protect themon people from them, almost no one.


    "Hah, did you really take Sven''s advice?" Osvald smirked, crossing his arms over his chest.


    Marlis sighed, "Well, Sven''s right, it''s not Sven''s fault these people started the battle. After all, the strong should solve their problems among themselves, while the weak should stand by and wait for their moment, hoping to reach the same level someday."


    Osvald looked around, surveying the battlefields. Among the nts, only those in the Fifth Chronicle were mostly left, the rest were slowly retreating.


    ''That''s not surprising... Right now, in the middle of the nt World, two creatures are fighting on the Transcendence Stage, and unfortunately for the inhabitants of this world, this is only the beginning.'' Osvald muttered inwardly as his gaze grew darker, filled with a slight sadness that was unustomed to him.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Sven blocked all of Polosa''s attacks, as the recoil from them brought destruction, whether it was stone pirs, fallen, or trees growing on the castle grounds. None of this mattered to Polosa now, she was willing to sacrifice everything but to destroy Sven, who humiliated her.


    "Aren''t you supposed to be stronger and faster?" Polosa smirked, "Is that really all the third of all Arkans can do? The great Sven Hellem, whom even the Progenitors fear?"


    Sven didn''t answer anything, he just kept blocking the attacks, each time gradually approaching the edge of the tform. To onlookers, they looked like two shes that moved quickly from one ce to another, leaving massive cracks and destruction in their wake.


    Polosa''s eyes shed as a wave of red energy passed through her spear, turning into hundreds of red petals. They headed upward, split into several streams, and surrounded Sven, crashing down on him from all sides.


    Whooooooooosh.


    Polosa jumped away as her ce was taken by the petals that like a thousand des were about to pierce Sven and take his life.


    Sven stopped, letting the petals surround him. He found himself in the center of a sphere of a thousand des that had no intention of sparing him, they had one goal: to kill him.


    Polosa smiled insidiously. She didn''t expect this attack to kill Sven, she wasn''t that naive, but she was sure it would be enough to seriously wound him and force him to use her trump card.


    "Sven!" Marlis eximed with a worried expression, while the sphere gradually shrank, leaving no chance for Sven to escape.


    Marlis''s arms enveloped the green mes as she was about to intervene, but Osvald stopped her by cing a hand on her shoulder.


    "Hey... I understand that you''re worried about him, but there are only a few people in this world that Sven would have trouble dealing with." Osvald said calmly, watching the fight carefully, "And, we both know that this spoiled queen is not one of them."


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    At the same moment, multiple white streaks appeared on the sphere, then it exploded releasing Sven, who swung his weapon at breakneck speed, slicing through each petal.


    Polosa''s eyes went wide, but, her confident smirk remained in ce.


    "Hah, idiot! Do you think just because you have the speed to cut through thousands of targets it''s going to help you? You just doubled the amount of trouble you''re in!" Polosa eximed with a mad grin as the cut petals headed toward Sven again.


    Sven sighed as he stared intently at Polosa, making her flinch slightly at his strangely calm gaze.


    "I just wanted to show you that you''re not as fast as you think you are. Your speed is average among the Transcendence Creatures I''ve fought." Sven said coldly as the tip of his needle glowed brightly, gathering arge amount of energy.


    "However, there was another reason. Now that the petals are so much smaller, I won''t have any trouble destroying them in one attack, because after they split, they lost the energy of the spear, and only yours remains, right?" Sven said calmly as the corners of his mouth rose slightly.


    Polosa frowned, she wanted to tear Sven apart, but she didn''t attack, instead, she jumped back.


    ''How predictable.'' Sven smirked as he lowered the needle slightly, letting its tip touch the ground.


    The streams of petals were already headed toward him, but as they got close enough, massive streams of white energy burst from the ground, destroying each of them and preventing them from recovering.


    Step. Step. Step.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Sven took a slow step toward Polosa, spreading an echo that echoed in Polosa''s mind every time his foot touched the ground.


    "You merged with your spear, hoping to surpass me in physical strength, however, you must realize that''s impossible. I''m definitely not the strongest or the fastest, but those stats are at a high level." Sven sighed as his silhouette blurred.


    In a heartbeat, he appeared directly in front of Polosa, swinging the needle.


    Polosa''s eyes went wide as he reacted sharply, putting up a block with the spear. However, Sven''s needle went through the spear with ease, cutting it in two and severing Polosa''s left arm.


    Whooooooosh.


    While Polosa was in brief shock, Sven turned and plunged his foot sharply into her stomach, tossing her aside.


    Sven''s gaze moved to Polosa''s arm, which was still in the air, slowly approaching the ground. Sven leaped sharply toward it, grabbed it, and released arge amount of energy from his palm, which at this density was a real weapon.


    "No!" Polosa eximed, jumping out from under the rubble and trying to save her arm, but it was toote.


    Crackling.


    Sven clenched his fist as his energy shattered Polosa''s arm into small pieces. The energy with several streams passed through Sven''s shoulders, fluttering his hair while his cold gaze pierced Polosa.


    "Bastard... How much energy did you use to destroy my arm... That amount must have been enough to destroy hundreds of Ents!!!" Polosa eximed furiously as her eyes filled with rage.


    "Well... We both know it''s no problem for you to grow a new arm, especially with that spear." Sven pointed to the spear, which was already intact, though he had just cut it, "However, it would take you a thousand times less energy to heal your arm than to grow a new one, wouldn''t it?"


    Step.


    Sven stepped forward confidently, "Go, do it, but, don''t forget that I can easily cut you apart whenever I want. Unlike the Nameless King''s sword, your spear can be shattered, if only for a short time. Also, you can''t wait for me to run out of energy, so you''re trapped."


    Polosa got goosebumps. Though she was nt, she had fought many battles in her long life, perhaps she had morebat experience than Sven or even Wain. She knew Sven''s words were true, she had no advantage over him that she could take advantage of.


    Wain smirked slyly, watching the fight with pleasure.


    ''Hah, though she hasn''t used her the Form yet, she''s already scared. If Sven has instilled fear in his Transcendence Level opponent, then his victory is already evident, or rather, it is its beginning.'' Wain said inwardly, hovering around the castle like the ghost he was.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The blood stopped flowing from Polosa''s wound as roots emerged from it, which in a few moments transformed into a new arm, no different from the previous one.


    "Damn... She made it so easy... Even though I have a strong body, I have to wait for even a simple scratch to heal. It''s not bloody fair!" Osvald frowned.


    Marlis chuckled, "Look closely at her face. It took her giving up more energy than summoning flowers, Ents, and the whole fight with Sven, even though she was creating energy des with every attack."


    "I see... Sven is draining her on purpose..." Osvald muttered as his mouth opened slightly.


    Marlis nodded, "Polosa is no easy opponent, but Sven knows what he has to do. After all, his words are true, he will have to fight someone far more dangerous than Queen nts."


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Sven''s silhouette disappeared as he found himself right in front of Polosa. This time she was ready as her spear was covered in a denseyer of scarlet energy, so Sven''s needle couldn''t cut through her spear likest time.


    "Oh... You thought you could defend yourself against me? That was a mistake." Sven said calmly, while the recoil of the blow went through his body, "I don''t have to chop your arms off to exhaust you. Something as simple as this will suffice."


    Sven pointed his arm forward, Polosa prepared to defend herself, but before she could even blink, a long needle pierced her head, causing blood to rush outward.

 Chapter 1014 Holes

    ?


    Every creature had its weaknesses and strengths, even those at the very top, whether it was the Nameless King, the Progenitor of the Dragons, or the Rulers of the Arkan World.


    The strength of the nts was their control of energy and the way they interacted with their environment, any tree could be their ally if necessary.


    However, some nts were able to learn how to use that energy to regenerate, like vampires, only without the serious consequences of exhaustion and thirst.


    Crackle.


    Sven''s needle stabbed into Polosa''s head,pletely passing through it as dark drops of blood fell onto Sven''s cold face.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Polosa swung the spear sharply, causing Sven to pull the needle out and jump back sharply. The de of the spear left a long cut on his neck, from which thin streams of blood flowed.


    Sven put his palm to the wound as the corners of his mouth went up, forming a satisfied smirk. Compared to the damage Polosa had sustained, the shallow cut wasn''t anything significant.


    "Bastard... How dare you do this to me..." Polosa muttered with difficulty as she fell to one knee, holding on with her hand to keep from fallingpletely.


    The nts that were watching the fight werepletely shocked as their eyes went wide. At first, fear consumed their hearts, they thought Sven''s attack would kill Polosa, however, things turned out to be much moreplicated than they had imagined.


    "It can''t be... She survived that...? I can definitely see her brain through that hole..." The man with the long beard muttered while his long green mantle fluttered in the wind.


    "Well... I knew the Queen had very good regeneration, which is obvious given her strength and experience, but isn''t that a bit much? Except for Alucard, no one could have survived that..." His buddy spoke with a dazed expression.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    A mighty stream of blood gushed from Polosa''s wound as if bringing her closer to death, but, the next moment, her spear glowed brightly. Red energy pulses passed through her entire body as her wound quickly healed, not even a trace remained.


    "Agh... That was bloody unpleasant, you know?" Polosa took a deep breath as she stared intently at Sven, then at his wound, "Looks like I was able to get you too, doesn''t it?"


    Sven smirked, "Have you lost your mind already? You just practically died, and yet you''re happy about a simple scratch?"


    Polosa shook her head, then she slowly pointed the tip of her spear toward the ground, striking it once on the ground.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The castle shuddered as energy waves began to emanate from the tip of the spear, spreading around. It did not affect the nts, nor on Marlis and Osvald, however, the waves had a strange effect on Sven.


    His small wound suddenly grew wider as a powerful stream of blood gushed out of it. Sven''s eyes went wide as he quickly covered the wound to stop the bleeding, but that was only the beginning of his problems.


    The blood, caught by the radiation of the wave, like a parasite began to spread along Sven''s neck, heading for his head and bringing him terrible pain.


    In fact, Sven only had a few seconds to make the right decision, otherwise, the situation could have be critical, without a positive oue for him.


    Whooooooosh.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    From Sven''s palm, burst out a white energy, dense enough to cauterize his skin, and cleanse his blood of harmful impurities.


    "Tsk." Polosa snorted with a frown, "Honestly, I didn''t think you''d have time to react. Well, now you know you have to watch out for every attack I make."


    Polosa was already fully regenerated as she confidently headed forward. It took a lot of energy to regenerate, but her spear constantly absorbed it from the environment, gradually replenishing its reserves, and, because her hand and spear were now one, it also made her stronger.


    Sven turned his neck, stretching it, then he took a deep breath, "Agh, I must admit that was unexpected. However, my n of action is very simple, I just don''t need to fall under your attacks, just like before."


    Polosa smirked as she pointed her spear at Sven, "I get stronger, while you will get weaker after each exchange of attacks, sooner orter I will overpower you."


    "Maybe." Sven shrugged, "Although, first you need to find out where to get your energy from."


    Polosa''s eyes went wide as Sven''s silhouette blurred.


    "Since you''ll have to expend arge amount of it in order to heal your wounds." Sven''s voice echoed around him.


    "Wounds?" Polosa muttered in confusion.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    In a heartbeat, Sven, like a ghost appeared before Polosa, waving his weapon. Polosa reacted quickly as she put out a block with her spear, but, Sven''s needle had already pierced her body several times.


    "You''re too slow." Sven said, bouncing back just before Polosa''s spear should have reached him.


    Now only the strongest nts as well as Guards were watching their fight, however, only Wain could see Sven''s every move.


    ''Damn, that''s impressive. She didn''t even have time to blink, but the needle had already managed to enter and exit her body several times, leaving serious damage in its wake. Sven''s speed is impressive, maybe he even surpasses Gael...'' Wain pondered with aplicated expression.


    He felt a little strange, Sven was winning which was obvious, but Polosa hadn''t yet used her Form.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Streams of blood rushed from Polosa''s shoulders as well as from ten other ces, all over her body. She could not even speak, for her throat was wounded too, and there was a wide hole in it as if someone had removed the centerpiece.


    Her spear glowed brightly as streams of energy went to her wounds, quickly repairing them, but, this time Sven didn''t wait until she was ready to fight again.


    "Hey, I saw Alucard fight once, I must admit he''s a real monster, his regeneration is a long way from you. Compared to him, you''re pathetic." Sven said coldly, swinging the needle and leaving several more through holes in Polosa''s body.


    "Agh!!!" Polosa cried out in pain, trying to repair her wounds at the same time.


    However, Sven was not going to stop, he was ready to continue until not even a drop of blood remained of Polosa.

 Chapter 1015 Betrayal

    ?


    Whooooooooosh.


    Sven appeared from behind Polosa, thrusting a needle into her back, the tiping out the back,pletely covered in blood.


    "I''ve heard that Alucard can recover even if there isn''t a drop of blood left. However, I doubt you could do something like that." Sven spoke coldly, slowly instilling true fear in Polosa.


    "Get out!!!" Polosa eximed furiously, swinging her spear around her, but, Sven didn''t even back down. He continued circling around her like a sh, leaving more wounds in her each time.


    As time passed, Polosa''s mind clouded as she could not think clearly, too much pressure was heaped on her.


    "Damn... If this continues, Sven will win. Though there''s quite a bit of destruction left in their wake, it''s pretty much the same outside the castle." Osvald muttered, slightly surprised at how helpless Polosa was.


    "Don''t rx. She just didn''t want to use her Form, but it seems she has no choice but to do so now." Marlis said calmly, with a serious expression.


    "Hmm?" Osvald gave her a questioning look.


    Marlis sighed, "It will take her a very long time to recover, all because of that spear. It gives tremendous power, but it also requires tremendous strength and has the great disadvantage of serious recoil, so... We''d better back off if we don''t want to get hit by an idental attack."


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Sven continued to attack, he didn''t stop for a moment, carefully watching Polosa''s movements, he couldn''t let her spear touch himself again.


    ''Enough, it''s time to move on to the second stage. Your fate is already sealed either way.'' Sven muttered inwardly as his needle pierced Polosa''s heart.


    Sven''s eyes became sharp as des, he stepped forward, gripped Polosa''s heart tightly, and crushed it in one sharp movement, then, Sven quickly jerked aside.


    The faces of the nts that had been watching the fight turned pale as a sheet of paper. Their Queen had just lost the most important thing in her body, her heart was the beginning of everything as well as the end. A chill ran down their backs as their gazes turned dark.


    Sven took a deep breath, turned, and stepped back to the edge of the tform. The castle was almostpletely destroyed, only a third of it remained, so standing on the edge Sven had view of the entire nt World, from a unique spot.


    "Agh...? Why isn''t she rising?" Osvald muttered in confusion, "Is this the end."


    Marlis didn''t answer anything, she didn''t understand why Polosa wasn''t doing anything since it had been quite a while.


    Sven looked around and then looked at Polosa who was lying on the ground, his gaze was calm as if he knew exactly what was about to happen.


    "Hey, stop scaring your people, we both know this isn''t over." Sven said calmly as he ced the needle on his shoulder.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, roots covered in red energy emerged from beneath the ground. They were aimed only at Polosa, surrounding her and gradually creating a cocoon as if for a butterfly.


    With each passing second, the cocoon grewrger andrger, and red light came out of the gaps, with short ripples that gradually grew longer and more powerful.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Oh... I''ve never seen anything like this... This cocoon looks like there''s a heart inside." Osvald muttered with mild surprise.


    "Well... The point is, you''re not wrong. Right now she''s being reborn, but... I''m not at all sure that''s what her form has always looked like." Marlis spoke with aplicated expression.


    Sven did not attack the cocoon; he knew what the consequences would be, and he also knew that this was only the beginning of the cocoon''s growth.


    "Aaaaaaaargh!!!"


    "What''s going on?!"


    "What...? I don''t understand anything..."


    Suddenly there were screams and cries for help in the area around the castle, however, their fates had already been sealed.


    Dozens of nts, all below the Fourth Chronicle, died of exhaustion, their souls instantly transformed into red threads that headed into a cocoon, prating it. Ordinary nts, as well as the beasts that inhabit this world and help nts in life, died, one by one.


    Against this there was no escape, if a weak nt got into the radius of the cocoon, its life was over. Only power could protect them, as the only remedy.


    Sven''s eyes grew colder, he supposed that such a thing could happen, but he was not sure that Polosa would choose to do such a thing since it revealed her true desires.


    Crackle.


    Arden, the head of the guards, fell to the ground with a devastated look. The rest of the guards werepletely lost, they were trembling and unwilling to ept what was happening.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Suddenly a green stream of me appeared next to Arden, it rapidly increased enveloping each guard. They could have easily escaped the fire, but then they just didn''t think about it, their minds were consumed by fear.


    The guards, appeared in the distance, next to one of the great trees, however, one of them showed up next to Marlis and Osvald, it was Arden.


    "What do you want...? Are you going to kill me...? I''m ready..." Arden muttered, looking at the ground with trembling eyes. He looked as if he had learned the most terrible secret he had long guessed, but the reality was too cruel.


    "Come up and see what your queen is doing." Marlis said sternly, as her confident voice had a strange effect on Arden, bringing him back to his senses slightly.


    Arden didn''t mean to, but he lifted his head, looking at the cocoon that had already grown muchrger, absorbing the energy of hundreds of innocent creatures.


    "Though we had a little argument before, we''re not going to kill you." Marlis sighed, "Unlike that corrupt queen that''s willing to sacrifice her people for victory, you''re different."


    "But... Why does she do it...!" Arden clenched his fists tightly.


    Marlis shook her head, "I''ve said it all, though I''m sure you know better than I do. She made a deal with our Ruler for power, and now she is willing to do anything to defeat Sven since he is her main obstacle to it."

 Chapter 1016 Butterfly

    ?


    Arden watched the cocoon gradually grow, and his face grow darker. He clenched his fists tightly, as if he were ready to engage in battle, however, then he was making an important decision for himself.


    "Don''t worry, from the looks of it, all the people have already managed to move to a safe distance, so now Polosa is absorbing energy from the trees and trees." Marlis said calmly as if she was trying to reassure Arden.


    Arden nodded, "Yeah... I can see that... The trees and flowers will recover quickly, but... the lives of our people, as well as our faith, will no longer return."


    Marlis shrugged, "Well, that won''t be necessary. You won''t have to dethrone Polosa or anything, Sven will do that for you."


    Arden nced at her, "You think he can win? I mean, he looks confident, but, Polosa uses more than just the Form. She also uses a special spear skill to greater effect..."


    "Sure. That''s why she absorbs the lives of the nts, it''s very obvious. However, you''re forgetting one thing." Marlis said confidently as she crossed her arms over her chest and stared at Arden, "Sven, hasn''t used her Form yet either."


    "But..." Arden was puzzled, he didn''t believe that someone who wasn''t a Progenitor could defeat Polosa.


    Marlis smirked, "You don''t think even that would be enough, and my confidence is unfounded, right? Well, I don''t me you, though I should warn you that Sven''s Form is something absolutely terrifying, not in appearance but in potential power."


    Arden gulped, he realized that Marlis was absolutely serious, and although Polosa had turned out to be a traitor, he still hadn''tpletely lost his loyalty, it took time.


    "By the way, are you ready to take the throne next?" Marlis asked as she nced at Arden.


    Arden stared at her in disbelief for some time, as his eyes opened wide, "What...? I am...? I can''t be the Progenitor..."


    "Well... What to do with the Progenitor energy is up to you, but your race needs a leader, someone worthy, someone who follows the rules and appreciates every human." Marlis said calmly as if this future was obvious.


    "Agh... You think I can be a worthy ruler?" Arden muttered in confusion.


    Marlis nodded, "Sure, you fit the bill. It''s hard to find someone like you these days, however, that''s not the main reason. In fact, I don''t give a damn about nts, just like all the other races, I hope you understand that."


    Arden frowned, but said nothing; he had no false hopes about Marlis or Osvald, he knew that all their actions had definite reasons. They certainly weren''t concerned about nts having a good life, they didn''t care about that.


    "The biggest war in thest few thousand years is about to happen, so... it''s in your best interest to make sure the nts don''t get involved in it, in any way at all." Marlis spoke confidently as her aura intensified, giving Arden goosebumps.


    "What do you want me to do...?" Arden asked with a serious expression.


    Marlis smirked contentedly, "Nothingplicated, just for the next few months, close the barriers, and don''t let anyone go out or into nt World. Considering you''re one of the most closed races, that wouldn''t raise suspicions, would it?"


    Arden nodded, "Yeah... Sometimes we step away from the world for a few years if necessary... However... Sven has to win first."


    Marlis nodded, "Don''t worry. Before you get in charge here, just rx and enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime show. Sven will definitely kill your queen, you can rest assured of that."


    Arden gulped, he still didn''t want to ept reality, but his spirit was strong, so he clenched his fists tightly and stood beside Marlis. His mind had figured it out long ago, that was exactly what he had to do.


    "Fine. In that case, I''ll stay here. Polosa has been a good ruler for a long time, however, everything ends sometime, doesn''t it?"


    Marlis nodded silently. She understood that it was not an easy decision to make, and a sly smile appeared on her face.


    ''Though I had hoped he would agree, I didn''t think I would actually be able to convince him so easily... Well, that''s good. This way x and Arox won''t understand exactly what happened here... There''s one more problem...'' Marlis muttered inwardly as she looked down into the depths of the castle, where the dew flower was.


    ''We can''t give Crystal Mind Dew to the x... Otherwise, Arox will be able to take control of the world after defeating the Nameless King. Moreover, this dew coulde in handy to thwart x and Arox, however... We mustplete the task lest we be discovered.'' Marlis pondered with aplicated expression.


    They had an opportunity to fight one of the rulers especially since x had passed to Sven, The Last Seal, but, Marlis wanted to be sure of sess entirely. It was too important for them to have anything go wrong.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The cocoon trembled, gradually increasing in size and gathering more and more energy. A multitude of runes appeared on the outside of the root, each containing great power, their energy fluctuationsparable to God Stage.


    Within a radius of a few kilometers, everything around the castle died, whether it was people, nts, or trees, it was now a veritable deadnd, and all because of the decision of one person, one queen.


    ''Damn... This ce was actually beautiful... I hope they restore everything here quickly...'' Wain muttered, looking at the damage the cocoon was bringing.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The tree on the edge between the dead and living earth, wentpletely ck as all the energy from it was drained. The tree became dry as it disintegrated into pieces, copsing into clots of dust that were blown away by the strong winds.


    This tree became thest thing the cocoon absorbed since it stopped. For a moment, everyone held their breath, Marlis, Osvald, Arden, and the few nts on the God Stage who were anxiously watching the fight.


    "All set... right?" The man muttered, clenching his fists tightly.


    "Yeah... She''s gathered enough energy... She''s absorbing it now and will soon be reborn..." The woman with the rose petals on her hand spoke.


    "Well... I hope we can survive this crisis... Even if the Queen wins, I''m not sure if we need such a ruler..." The man shook his head with a dark face. He had lived hundreds of years and already understood what the consequences would be, regardless of the oue of the battle.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The roots began to clench, closing all gaps, and the red light stoppeding out just like the sound of a beating heart.


    "Come on. I''m tired of waiting." Sven inhaled with a calm expression, at the same time, cracks went through the cocoon.


    The cocoon burst open, revealing a tall silhouette with two broad wings lurking inside.


    Spear and Polosa''s hand mergedpletely, seemingly impossible to separate now. Her body was covered in a dense armor of millions of petals, each as dense as the scales of an adult dragon.


    Her wings were massive and beautiful as if denoting her majesty with power. An unusual aura emanated from her, spreading a strange scent around her. It reached one of nt, and he immediately frowned at how horrible the smell was.


    "Hah, looks like it''s all obvious by now, even to this spear." Sven smirked as he looked at Polosa, "I heard that thest time you used your Form to protect the people of this world, you gave off a scent that could enchant anyone, like the most beautiful flower, but... now you smell like a rotting corpse."


    Polosa''s face creased in anger, "Shut up. None of this matters, I was willing to make the sacrifice for a great future, so I did it. For someone who''s about to die, you''re too calm, aren''t you?"


    Sven shrugged, "Well, I have nothing to fear, even after activating the Form and absorbing a huge amount of energy, you are still weaker than me."


    Polosa''s veins bulged as she swung her spear sharply, creating a huge energy de.


    The de was in front of Sven in an instant, as his pupils narrowed and he put out a block. The de mmed into his needle, but the pressure was too much, Sven''s hands trembled as he couldn''t stay on his feet.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    The de advanced further, pushing with it Sven who was still trying to block the attack. His feet were leaving a wide trail on the ground because of the pressure from the de, his back was destroying everything in his path, whether it was massive trees or solid rocks, then cracks went along the de.


    "Fuck!" Sven instantly realized what was happening, but he didn''t have time to do anything as the energy from the de came out with a powerful st whose force came down on Sven.


    The red sh before the explosion was seen by every resident of the nt World, then, the ground shook.

 Chapter 1017 Life

    ?


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Powerful streams of wind came from a single point, blowing everything in its path and leaving wide scratches in the tall trees as if from the ws of some wild beast that had gotten out of control.


    "What''s going on...?" nt of the Third Chronicle muttered, holding tightly to the tree, trying to resist the wind.


    "I don''t know... But if the shockwave is that strong, then whoever was in the epicenter is definitely already dead!" His buddy eximed, struggling to keep his bnce.


    Those who couldn''t defend themselves and were below Fourth Chronicle were thrown aside, and some were seriously injured by the collision.


    Fifth Chronicle ones, defended themselves with barriers as in front of one of them was a shield of many petals that slowly disintegrated in front of the brutal wind.


    "This power is unbelievable... Was he really able to survive such a...?" The man muttered in disbelief, staring at the site of the explosion.


    Marlis waved a hand to remove the green mes that protected them. She frowned and stared at Polosa, who smirked contentedly.


    "Bitch... I expected her to get a lot stronger, but isn''t that too...?" Marlis muttered as she clenched her fists tightly, "She took a simple swing and created an explosionparable to Dragon''s breath!"


    Marlis was angry, rage overwhelming her, she seemed to want to tear into battle again.


    Tap.


    Osvald put his hand on her shoulder as she turned to him. He shook his head and said, "That won''t be necessary. In fact, I''d even move farther away, otherwise, Sven might identally hurt us."


    "Agh...?" Marlis''s eyes went wide, she realized something, "You think he''s using the Form right now?"


    Osvald touched his chin with a thoughtful expression, "Well... It''s possible, but you know Sven. He won''t use his trump card until the very end, he''ll let Polosa have all the fun he wants first."


    Marlis sighed as her gaze went to the site of the explosion.


    A massive cloud of dust slowly settled, revealing the silhouette that was in the center. Sven was lying next to the massive boulder, leaning on it. He had an emaciated look as his left shoulder was seriously wounded, still bleeding even after a long time.


    Sven shook his head, smiled weakly, and rose slowly. He raised his head and met his gaze with Polosa, who was soaring high above the ground, pping her broad wings.


    "Hah, I must admit it was rather painful. You''ve actually gotten stronger, though I think it''s all about that spear. How much energy did you spend on that one swing... however... that''s not the right question..." Sven muttered with a sly smirk on his face.


    "Hmm?" Polosa frowned, "What the hell are you talking about?"


    "That spear... It''spletely merged with you, but that weapon requires more than just energy, doesn''t it?" Sven said calmly, but his words made Polosa really angry, "You just lost a few years of your life, right?"


    Polosa said nothing, she just bit her lip while her aura intensified.


    Arden''s eyes went wide as he realized what was going on, "Wait... I think now I understand why no one dared to fully merge with that spear before..."


    Osvald raised an eyebrow, unlike Marlis and Arden, he didn''t understand what was going on here at all.


    "The infinite spear is the strongest weapon of our world and only the Progenitor can use it, it has always been so, but Polosa was the first to merge with it..." Arden spoke with a slight tremor as if he did not want to continue.


    "Osvald, it''s simple." Marlis said calmly, "Now every time she uses the spear to amplify her attack, she will lose a portion of her life, days, months, or even years."


    "Oh... Looks like they decided to bet everything she has on this fight. Pretty desperate move..." Osvald scratched the back of his head.


    "Yeah, it is. However, she''s not stupid, she knows that if she defeats Sven, there will be enough energy from his soul to saturate the spear and split again." Marlis''s gaze grew more serious as her sharp gaze headed toward Polosa, causing her to feel a slight chill.


    "I get it!" Osvald nodded, "Well, in that case, it''s pretty smart. Sven wasn''t going to let her live, regardless of the oue." Osvald shrugged.


    Polosa frowned as her wings glowed brightly. She began to wave them rapidly, creating a scarlet tornado in front of her, which she willed toward Marlis.


    "Don''t you dare look at me? Unlike Sven, you are not my opponents. You had better disappear right now so you don''t annoy me anymore!" Polosa eximed, shaking the space with her voice, which echoed around her.


    Marlis became alert as her hands were covered in green me, she swung them quickly, forming a strange shaped seal in the air that was supposed to be a shield.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Suddenly, a silhouette with long blond hair that shone as brightly as a star appeared in front of Marlis.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Sven!" Marlis eximed.


    Sven reached forward, out of a huge amount of energy creating a needle, huge, perhaps even bigger than the one he used to defeat Birit in his Full Form.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll take care of this little problem." Sven spoke before swinging the needle like a sword from top to bottom.


    The white sh split the giant tornado in two as well as hundreds of meters of dead earth ahead, heading straight for Polosa.


    "Tsk." Polosa snorted as she thrust her arm forward and created a massive crimson wood shield from the energy.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The energy de tried to break through the dense roots, but it only managed to leave a few scratches on the shield.


    "Hah, looks like you''re getting weaker. My attacks drained you considerably, though you tried not to show it." Polosa said with a confident smirk.


    Sven shook his head as his deep gaze fell upon her, "Shut up. If you want to survive, you''ll have to kill me, or that spear will consume youpletely and quickly turn you to ash. Fight."


    Sven''s silhouette blurred as he appeared directly in front of Polosa, bringing the needle down on her. Polosa''s pupils narrowed as she held out her spear for a block.


    Polosa''s hands trembled, she could barely withstand the pressure that Sven brought down on her, he held the needle tightly as his confident gaze could easily instill fear in her.


    "Hey, even though you can fly, I don''t want to fight in the air at all." Sven muttered as hundreds of energy threads appeared beside him. They split into several pieces and simultaneously attacked Polosa like brutal whips.


    "Argh!!!" Polosa cried out in pain as blood gushed from her mouth.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Polosa copsed to the ground, lifting up a massive cloud of dust. Sven followed instantly, attacking her multiple times before she could even get up.


    "What''s going on out there?" Arden asked with a confused expression.


    Marlis''s eyes shed green fire as she saw through the smoke screen and a slight smile appeared on her face, then, she became more serious.


    "He''s attacking her... Polosa is trying to defend herself with her wings, but... Sven doesn''t have much time..." Marlis muttered with a worried look.


    Sven swung his weapon several times a second, trying to break through Polosa''s defenses, but, her wings were much tighter than he expected.


    ''Fuck! I have to move faster! I have to put more power into my attacks if I want to kill her right now!'' Sven inwardly eximed as blood gushed from his mouth and his eyes went wide.


    Marlis''s face grew darker. She realized that Sven''s body couldn''t take the strain and given his previous wounds, he needed a short rest, but he wasn''t going to stop even then.


    Polosa noticed this and seized the moment, opening her wings and plunging her spear into Sven''s belly.


    Sven managed to grab the spear at thest moment, changing its trajectory, but, it still left wide cuts on his arm and side from which blood gushed out.


    "Hah! Idiot! You overestimated your abilities!" Polosa eximed cheerfully, got to her feet confidently, and swung her spear.


    Sven''s eyes went wide as he barely blocked the attack, however, followed by another and another.


    Polosa attacked like a madwoman without a break, each time she used an enormous amount of energy to wound Sven and be able to break through his block. Each attack cost her a few months to live, especially the strong ones took a year or two at once, but, she didn''t care.


    As a Progenitor of the nts, she could live for thousands of years, perhaps even more if she concentrated on it, so if she lost a few hundred in a fight, it was a worthy sacrifice. Especially considering that if she won, she would recover everything.


    "Die!!!" Polosa eximed furiously, swinging her spear with great force and clenching her teeth tightly.


    The scarlet de passed in front of Sven, leaving a wide cut on his chest from which blood gushed. The impact, threw him back hundreds of meters, plunging him into the debris from the trees and boulders they had destroyed during their fight.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Polosa stepped forward confidently, preparing tounch onest attack while blood from Sven''s wound sshed across the ground.


    ''Agh... That really hurts...'' Sven inwardly muttered looking at the bloody tips of his fingers, ''Well... I''ve had enough fun... Damn, how many years since I used it...?'' Sven smiled bitterly, looking at the brightly shining sun.

 Chapter 1018 Svens Form

    Polosa stopped as she raised her spear high, then her eyes shed. Massive streams of energy headed toward the tip of the spear, making it shine brightly, gathering immense power.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The space next to the spear began to distort due to the intense pressure as Polosa stared at Sven, with sincere hatred.


    "Was it worth it? You could have been on top of this world, I''m sure the next ce Ruler of the Arkan World was destined for you, was." Polosa asked, gathering energy for onest attack to surely destroy Sven and give him no chance to escape.


    "Hah, sure." Sven smirked, as blood gushed from his mouth, his situation was hard since his body was at its limit.


    Polosa frowned, "Really? There isn''t a single goal worth dying for. Only a real idiot would answer that way!"


    Sven shook his head, "You don''t even know what my true purpose is. I don''t want to follow the will of my rulers, as what they are about to do doesn''t suit me at all."


    "Why...?" Polosa asked, clutching her spear tightly, "You have the power to rule the whole world in the future! Even I would have been under your control as an ally of the Arkans! However, instead, you decided to ruin everything, to go against everything, to disrupt all ns!" Polosa waved her hand.


    Deep down inside she wished she was in Sven''s shoes, since all he had to do was the same thing he always did, he would end up with everything Polosa had dreamed of. She had gone to the deal with x and Arox just to get more territories, but even then she wouldn''t be the one to run everything.


    "So what? What''s the point of being in charge in a world where everything is subject to you? Literally everything? Even though I don''t know some of Alox''s hidden agenda, I don''t care. I''m not going to live in a world like that, and that''s what I''m fighting for." Sven said confidently.


    Polosa looked at him arrogantly, top to bottom, "Well, in that case, your journey ends, right now!"


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Polosa swung her arm, bringing the spear down on Sven, shaking with it the space that could hardly withstand the pressure of such a powerful weapon.


    Wain smirked; he knew what was about to happen, for it was the only appropriate moment.


    "I feel sorry for you." Sven muttered as a bitter smile appeared on his face.


    Polosa got a shiver as a chill went through her body. Sven''s silhouette blurred as he was instantly in front of her, passing the spear at thest moment.


    Crackle.


    Sven''s palm plunged into Polosa''s stomach, sending pulses through her body and causing her entire body to feel intense pain. Polosa''s eyes opened as the impact tossed her aside.


    "Bastard!!!" Polosa eximed furiously as she quickly regained herposure and regained her bnce, getting to her feet.


    She nced at the spot of impact as she received a puzzled expression. She was not hurt, not even bruised, as if Sven had used only physical force in his attack, and only its small part.


    "Polosa... I admit you achieved something. I am seriously wounded and considerably weakened, but not being able to kill me with yourst attack has put an end to all your hopes. For now, it is my time to use my trump card." Sven said calmly, slowly raising his hands.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space shuddered as a white sphere appeared in front of him, which began to absorb a huge amount of energy into itself. It was just like thest time Sven wanted to replenish the energy, but, something was different.


    ''What...? There''s something wrong with that sphere!'' Polosa became alert as she instinctively took a step back.


    The sphere in front of Sven did not begin to erge, on the contrary, it gradually became smaller and changed its color, filling with darkness.


    Marlis smirked, waved her hand, and created a protective barrier of green me in front of her.


    "It''s sheer luck that we''ll get to see Sven''s form from the best seats, isn''t it?" Marlis nced at Osvald, who smiled broadly.


    "Yeah! Sven could definitely absorb as much energy as he wanted, even the whole world! Those properties are simr to something, aren''t they?" Osvald smirked as his eyebrow went up.


    Marlis nodded, leaving his words unanswered.


    Arden was puzzled, he had never seen anything like it, space wasn''t just distorted around the dark sphere, it swirled as if the sphere was the center of a vortex and drew everything around it into itself.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Wait... It''s the same as...!" Arden''s eyes went wide.


    Tap.


    Sven touched the sphere, bringing it closer to him with a deep gaze as if everything had already been decided. He looked at the orb as if it were a friend he hadn''t seen in very many years, but it only hardened their friendship, making their bond stronger.


    "It''s been quite a while, hasn''t it? However, I''m ready to use your power again, no... our power..." Sven muttered, pressing the orb to his chest as it soaked into his body.


    Wain''s eyes sparkled as his face filled with excitement and he had a wide smile on his face. He had been waiting for this moment since the start of the fight and was ready to enjoy it.


    Sven''s eyes turned dark as he whispered, "ck Hole..."


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    A ck pir of energy burst from Sven''s body with a bright white sh that attracted the attention of everyone in nt World. They looked at Sven''s transformation as if it were the most important event in the universe as if it were something majestic like an entity capable of consuming everything, even stars, and entires.


    Sven''s hair turned ck as well as his eyes and mantle. However, the light didn''t go anywhere, circting around his hands in a chaotic stream, as if unwilling to leave him.


    Wain smirked, "What a fitting power for him, it''s as if he created this form himself. The ck hole absorbs everything in its path and it is so dense that even light cannot escape it as well as prate it, so, light just spins around, forever freezing to outside viewers."


    Marlis sighed, "Even though it itself is the representation of darkness, that''s probably why light constantly seeks to enter the ck hole. Even though it''s not scientifically correct, it seems as if they maize each other and always will."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ground around Sven trembled slightly, but, it gradually calmed down,ing back to normal. Sven stared at the small rocks that bounced over the ground, getting quieter each time.


    "Agh..." Sven took a deep breath, while his wounds elerated regeneration and stared at Polosa, "Before we begin. Answer me one question."


    "What...?" Polosa murmured, feeling a shiver from Sven''s piercing gaze that seemed to stare directly into her soul.


    "Do you still care about this world? Is it important to you that your people, millions of nts, stay alive and not get hurt even more than they are now?" Sven said calmly, raising his hand slightly and looking around.


    Polosa gulped, it seemed like a simple question, but to her, it wasn''t really. She felt nothing towardsmon people, which was obvious to a Transcendence Stage creature. Polosa looked up as she met Arden''s gaze, who was now looking at her with contempt.


    He couldn''t forgive her for what she had done, regardless of her and Sven''s fight, if she didn''t want even more power she wouldn''t have made the deal with x and then none of this would have happened.


    Polosa''s gaze filled with sadness as she nodded slightly, "Maybe you think I''m a monster, but I just chose my way and I don''t regret anything. About your question, I don''t want any more of my residents to be hurt, they shouldn''t have been harmed by our actions at all. It should be our duty as the strongest."


    Sven nodded, "Good answer. In that case, follow me."


    "Agh...?" Polosa was puzzled.


    "This world is big enough to allow us to fight, but if we keep doing it on the ground, the area of dead territory will only increase." Sven raised his head, "However... Being among the clouds, we can do whatever we want and fight until one of us finishes our path..."


    Polosa didn''t have time to say anything before Sven''s silhouette blurred as he turned into a shadow, heading toward the sky.


    Crackling.


    Wide cracks went through the ground as it copsed into huge debris, tumbling down and raising a massive cloud of dust. One of Sven''s leaps was powerful enough to leave a wide crater as if it had been the result of a very powerful explosion.


    Polosa sighed, preparing for perhaps thest battle of her long life.


    A dark silhouette of one of the greatest powers floated among the clouds and she had to win to continue her way.


    "Well... Even if I waste thousands of years of my life, it will be worth it..." Polosa muttered, directing energy into the spear before pping her wings.

 Chapter 1019 The Power Of Light

    ?


    Polosa and Sven hovered high above the ground, even the clouds were below them. At this height, they could fight at full strength, and only the shockwaves from which the stronger mates could protect them would reach themon people.


    "Looks like we need to change the angle a bit." Marlis muttered, looked up, and jumped, leaving particles of green me behind her.


    Osvald smirked as he followed her. Arden stayed where he was, but after a short dy, he joined them. Deep down inside he knew that everything was already certain, the Queen he had served for hundreds of years had no chance against a monster capable of consuming everything in its path.


    ''Sven Hellem... Your power is incredible... I am quite close to the Transcendence Stage, I only need a few hundred more years to reach it, however, there is no way I can match you.'' Arden inwardly muttered looking at Sven''s cold face.


    After using the Form, Sven''s appearance had changed considerably and his snow-white skin now contrasted greatly with his ck hair and eyes. They absorbed all the light like a ck hole and werepletely dark, like a blur.


    "Are you ready?" Sven asked, like an executioner whose task was to lower an axe to the neck of a condemned criminal.


    "Don''t talk like you''ve already won!" Polosa eximed, swinging her spear, which in fact was an attack creating a massive energy de.


    Earlier Sven would have dodged the attack or at least would have tried to block it, however, this time he simply reached forward.


    The de was caught between his fingers, unable to move any further. Furious streams of energy emanated from the de, tearing the air apart, but, it wasn''t enough to bring any emotion to Sven''s face.


    "You know... I thought I would only use this form again in the battle against x and Arox, however, you forced me to do so, so I am truly impressed by your efforts." Sven said calmly, squeezing his fingers a little tighter, as the de cracked.


    Sven sighed shattering the de into shards that flew away like red petals.


    "I guess that can be considered the beginning of the battle. Now, if you don''t mind, it''s my turn." Sven spoke in a cold voice as he raised his hand to attack.


    Polosa flinched, unlike Sven who knew what she was capable of, she knew nothing of his new abilities. Any attack he made could be herst if she wasn''t careful.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremlbe.


    Particles of light gathered at the tips of Sven''s fingers, fluttering like lightning discharges, gradually moving toward one point to form a tiny sphere of tightlypressed light.


    Sven''s pupils narrowed as he sharply opened his palm,unching the orb directly at Polosa, who had been preparing for an attack that might be herst.


    Polosa swung her spear to block the attack, but no sooner had she done anything than the sphere went through her,pletely destroying her arm.


    All Polosa could see was her hand shattering into particles, literally turning into dust that was immediately blown away by the wind.


    The sphere flew on, gradually slowing down.


    "Well... I haven''t used it in a while so it''s no big deal that I missed..." Sven muttered, looking at his hand with streams of light swirling around it.


    Polosa looked at Sven with a trembling look as well as at her hand. It all happened too fast, and it truly frightened her.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Polosa directed energy to her arm, quickly restoring it, also she strengthened additionally her whole body on what she had spent several decades of her life on.


    "Oh, you think that will help you dodge next time?" Sven muttered with a serene expression.


    "Shut up! That attack wasn''t very powerful! You just caught me off guard!" Polosa eximed, clutching her spear tightly.


    "Are you sure about that? You just got lucky."


    Polosa was puzzled.


    Sven pointed forward and said, "Look."


    Polosa turned around. She was looking at the sphere that had already practically stopped, it struggled to move. Gradually the sphere stood in ce, then it began to shake like a bomb before it exploded.


    "No way..." Polosa whispered as a wave of trembling went through her body, she seemed to know what would happen next.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The sphere rippled as in one moment all the energy that had been inside it for a long time came out.


    After a brilliant white sh, everyone saw a huge explosion shake the sky and tear hundreds of clouds apart, clearing the skypletely, and making it crystal clear, blue.


    The shock waves were so strong that some of the massive trees copsed, crashing down and causing destruction.


    Many nts fled in fear, however, they had nothing to fear as the Fifth and Fourth Chronicle nts protected them from the shockwaves.


    "As I said, this is the right ce for our battle. Even if I use something that powerful it will only cause minor damage, no casualties. It''s much better than what you did, isn''t it?" Sven said calmly and stared at Polosa.


    Polosa bit her lip until it bled, she had nothing to say. All she could think about was how to defeat such a powerful enemy. She needed some kind of n.


    "Say, isn''t that ironic?" Sven asked with an unemotional look.


    "What are you talking about?" Polosa frowned.


    Sven nced down, "Even though I am your enemy and belong to another race, I am more concerned about the safety of your inhabitants than you are yourself. The moment your soul began to corrupt, you should have vacated the throne for a more worthy candidate."


    Polosa''s face twisted in anger as a huge amount of scarlet energy began to emanate from her spear, spreading around.


    "Damn, looks like someone decided to get serious. This amplification is going to cost you a thousand years, maybe even more." Sven shook his head as his light turned into a de, then he immediately took a swing.


    At the same moment, the world split in two, as well as Polosa''s body.

 Chapter 1020 Last Seconds

    The de Sven had created was indescribably powerful, as it took a simple swing, and the world in front of him was split in two.


    The mountains in the distance were sliced open, leaving a broad sh across the ground a few kilometers away. However, the target of this attack was not the destruction of the surroundings, but Polosa, who had just greatly strengthened his body.


    "Hahaha, he''s just messing with her!" Wain eximed with an excited expression. He, like most of the audience, was seeing Sven use his Form for the first time. For him, it was the best show he''d ever hoped for.


    "Damn... If that attack had hit me, I''m not sure I could have survived." Osvald muttered with a wary look.


    Marlis smirked, "Well if you had activated your Form, you would have destroyed that attack. Sometimes I think you underestimate yourself."


    "Hahaha, maybe you''re right!" Osvaldughed with a wide grin on his face while rubbing the back of his head.


    Arden who was next to them waspletely baffled. He didn''t understand how they could be discussing something like this at such a moment and be so rxed.


    ''Fuck... If I had known they were that crazy I wouldn''t have even tried to fight them since this attack definitely wouldn''t have left even dust from me...'' Arden inwardly muttered looking at the trees destroyed by the shockwave.


    Sven watched with a calm gaze as Polosa recovered. She was expending a great amount of energy to splice the two parts of her case into one.


    "Too slow. Alucard could have already resurrected several times in the time it takes you to regenerate one cut." Sven arrogantly uttered as his hand turned into a blur.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    In a second he swung his sword several times, then, Polosa''s body split into several pieces, and Sven kept chopping her until she was a pile of cubes of flesh and blood.


    The nts that watched this frowned as their faces grew dark. They thought it was the end, as it was impossible to survive such wounds.


    "Hey, is that really all? Go ahead, you can still sacrifice your years of life to get stronger." Sven said calmly, looking at Polosa torn to pieces.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    After his words, space trembled as Polosa fully recovered in an instant with a bright red sh that illuminated the entire world.


    "Fine, you asked for it. Either I destroy you in a minute, or I die of old age..." Polosa muttered, clutching her spear tightly before forcing her energy to circte chaotically through her body.


    The energy flows released all of the spear''s energy which instantly increased Polosa''s strength several times over. Her body was covered in red streams, gradually absorbing into her, sending ripples through the air with her every movement.


    "Not bad, now I can fight you like a serious opponent. You only have sixty seconds, don''t you? And every second you''ll spend decades just to maintain that condition." Sven calmly said as the next moment Polosa disappeared.


    The queen appeared right in front of him, swinging her spear with lightning speed. Sven put out his sword, trying to block the attack, but Polosa destroyed it with ease, leaving a long cut on Sven''s cheek that gushed blood.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Hah, this looks like it''s going to be an interesting minute." Sven''s cold face changed as he got a sly smile as if the old Sven had returned.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Polosa swung the spear again, leaving a long cut on Sven''s chest. Drops of blood flew before Sven''s eyes, but, it didn''t bother him at all, for he was thinking of something else entirely.


    The light swirling around his hands, quickly went to his eyes causing them to shine brightly like stars, then two dark spheres appeared in his hands that immediately began to engulf everything around them. They were small ck holes.


    "Come on! Show me everything you can do!" Sven eximed with an excited expression before he brought his palms down on Polosa.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    From the incredible pressure, her body was torn apart, but, thanks to the tremendous power she received, she recovered almost instantly.


    "Bastard!" Polosa eximed, swinging her spear several times, however, Sven dodged each attack with ease. For him, it was as easy as walking.


    The next thirty seconds passed at the same pace, Sven creating new dark spheres with which he tore Polosa apart time after time. She tried to counterattack, but Sven was just too strong and fast.


    "Well, well, it looks like in twenty seconds we''ll see how it ends." Marlis muttered with a calm look. She looked at Arden, "Get ready, after she dies, you''ll have to decide what to do with the Progenitor''s energy."


    "Agh... Doesn''t the Queen stand a chance...?" Arden muttered, in those words was hisst hope that was quickly disappearing right before his eyes.


    Marlis sighed, "You''re not one to give up too soon, are you? However, you should realize for yourself that Sven is just enjoying the battle. In any case, you''ll see in five seconds."


    Arden gulped as he began counting down to himself. It was hard for him to look at Polosa, who had been badly wounded time after time, but there was nothing she could do to Sven.


    Crackle.


    Sven''s fist cracked Polosa''s head, tossing her aside when she had only ten seconds left, after which her years of life would run out.


    "Well, as a reward for your persistence, I will show you what true power is. Only a few creatures possess such might, so it is a rare sight!" Sven said majestically as he spread his arms out to his sides.


    Polosa frowned as she rushed forward, but, no sooner had she taken a few steps than she stopped due to the fear that coursed through her heart.


    A ck sh shed before Sven as space distorted, shrinking to a single point where a tiny ck hole was born, but, this one was different from the previous ones as discs of light swirled around it unable to enter.


    "You have not lived your life with dignity, but you will die of something truly beautiful!" Sven spoke with fire in his eyes.

 Chapter 1021 Death Of The Queen

    ?


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space shook with tremendous force as if it could tear apart at any moment due to the tremendous pressure exerted on it. The ck hole that Sven had created was majestic and huge, gradually bingrger.


    Polosa did not know what she had to do. She just stared at the ck hole, as if it had already epted its death. It was a force against which regeneration or various boosts werepletely useless.


    She didn''t have much time left anyway, the few seconds it took Sven to create the ck hole was pretty much all Polosa could afford. Her journey as Queen and as Progenitor of the nts was about to end.


    "Hey, I can see by your look that you''ve made up your mind, but is this how our fight should end?" Sven grinned, "Come on! You''ve got ten more seconds! Use all your power and at least wound me! Wasn''t your life worth anything that you gave up so quickly!"


    Polosa gulped. Perhaps Sven''s words could have been construed as mocking, but Polosa knew he was right. This was not just herst fight, it was herst decision as a creature before her mind was consumed forever by darkness.


    "Fine, in that case, I''ll do it... I have no other choice, do I?" Polosa smiled bitterly, it was the smile of a person who had already epted her fate.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Waves of energy went down her left arm as it exploded, releasing scarlet threads that covered her entire body. The same thing happened to her wings, she just destroyed them to make her spear stronger.


    "Nice, all for onest attack. I love it! Go for it! You only have a few seconds left!" Sven eximed, before swinging his arms sideways.


    At the same moment, a huge ck hole came into motion, just like Polosa. Like a red sh, it surged forward, at an incredible speed that was many times faster than the speed of sound.


    Of all those watching the battle, only a few could see the details, one of them, of course, was Wain.


    ''Not bad... If I were in Sven''s shoes, I''d probably die. Being on the Absolute Stage alone, I couldn''t have withstood such a powerful attack. For this one, she spent absolutely everything she had, from her limbs and energy to her own life.'' Wain muttered inwardly with a serious expression, ''Honestly, I didn''t expect her to be capable of that. Even though Sven looks confident, it can''t be easy for even him to endure something like that.''


    Marlis and Osvald watched in silence as did Arden. They were worried about Sven''s fate, while Arden was still worried about the fate of his queen even though he had long understood that everything had been decided.


    Polosa was going to die right now, right before his eyes, and he had to ept it, for his own sake, and for the sake of the entire nt World.


    "Aaaaah!!!!" Polosa eximed, clutching her spear tightly, its tip colliding with a huge ck hole that seemed like it could even swallow the sun.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The discs of light around the ck hole were annihted instantly destroyed, with such ease as if Polosa had far surpassed Sven in strength.


    "Hahaha, I would expect nothing less from thest attack of the corrupt queen." Sven smirked, seemingly not at all worried about the consequences.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Fragments of light rushed quickly toward Polosa while her spear tried to pass through the ck hole. Each fragment was as sharp as a de and easily pierced Polosa''s body. On their way, the fragments of light destroyed everything, as many holes immediately appeared in Polosa, as if parts of her body had been removed.


    Crackling.


    Polosa clenched her teeth tightly with a great frown as her body healed instantly, taking only a fraction of a second to fully regenerate. That was enough time for her to continue fighting further.


    The fragments of light gradually ran out, they weren''t endless and couldn''t attack her all the time, so her regeneration brought her a small victory here.


    Sven just smirked, as he knew better than anyone else that the light was only a small part of all the power the ck hole possessed. That was exactly what Polosa was about to face.


    "No way... She can''t do it..." Someone from the Fourth Chronicle muttered.


    "Yeah... It''s just her death dance. However, I''m impressed that our Queen has such power..." The man in the Fifth Chronicle muttered with a serious expression, "However, this is not the most incredible thing we''ve seen today."


    The Fourth Chronicle one gave him a questioning look.


    "I''m talking about this ck hole, or rather who created it... Sven Hellem... I hate to admit it, but if he wanted to destroy our world no one could stop him. Especially if these two would have helped him like they always do." The man nced at Marlis and Osvald, who did not take their eyes off Polosa. They wanted to see her die.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The spear began to shatter the dense darkness that made up the ck hole, and Polosa was able to advance a little further, but immediately afterwards the darkness copsed upon her like millions of des.


    Every moment, Polosa received hundreds of wounds as if she were in the center of a vortex, but, she managed to regenerate using her incredible power, burning hundreds of years of her life.


    Sven nodded.


    "Good job, you''ve done enough, now it''s time for us to say goodbye to you." Sven said in a deep tone, "I was disappointed in the beginning, but towards the end our battle actually got interesting. In the end, I had to use my Form, so it proves that you had real power."


    p.


    Sven pped his palms together, making the ck hole shake. In an instant it shrank to the size of a seed, making the space shake as if it could burst because of the pressure, then all the energy that was inside came out of the ck hole.


    "I hope I only destroy your castle." Sven muttered as the entire world was covered in a bright sh before the most powerful explosion capable of destroying an entire space.

 Chapter 1022 Progenitor Energy

    ?


    Pure energy has always been a tremendous force, but Sven went much further. During his Form, he was able to create ck holes that were literally an incredible amount of energy that was very highlypressed.


    However, even so, the ck hole he created was several timesrger than himself. It seemed that this was the maximum, as the pressure inside the ck hole was so powerful that even light could not prate, but, for Sven, this was no obstacle.


    He was able to squeeze the ck hole even harder, making it much denser and surpassing the level of even the smallest neutron star. Such a great force could notst long in its tiny size, so a moment afterpression, the ck hole exploded.


    Whooooooooosh.


    ¡¤?¦Èm Sven waved his hand, creating in front of him several streams of light that should have protected him from the shockwave and most of the explosion. After all, he was part of the battle and was only a few meters away from the epicenter of the explosion.


    Everyone else did the same as soon as they saw the bright sh that blinded the whole world for a moment.


    Marlis created a barrier of green me that should have protected her, Osvald, and Arden. He was not an enemy to them, nor was he an ally, but Arden had a special role, and Marlis could not let anything happen to him. It would have been too wasteful.


    "Holy shit!" Wain eximed, releasing clots of darkness from his hands, and forming several shields in front of him. He was a ghost who watched other people''s memories, so there was no need. No attack could harm him. However, he did so instinctively because he felt threatened.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    There were cracks in the space, and a momentter there was a ck spot with many stars shining brightly in the distance. In fact, these were all other spaces, as the explosion caused a short period of space rupture in nt Word.


    The powerful shockwave turned the huge castle practically into dust, as well as several nearby buildings. Trees and hundreds of nts were destroyed, smashed into splinters, and ripped out of the ground along with their roots.


    It was a real disaster for every inhabitant of this world, and no one could predict what the consequences would be, for even Sven was no longer in control of anything.


    Polosa''s body was torn apart in the first instant. No one could withstand such an attack, not even Alucard, so Polosa had to die, instantly.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    However, hundreds of scarlet threads connected parts of her body,pletely healing her. This happened several times before all the energy of the explosion ran out, Polosa was able to survive all the energy that had descended upon her, regenerating time after time.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Polosa stepped slowly forward, but her steps were not confident like a winner or filled with fear like a loser, they were something else. Polosa paced like a person who had already lived 99% of her life expectancy.


    "Here we go..." Sven muttered, looking at the real old woman in front of him.


    Polosa''s hair had turned gray, and her skin was covered with considerable wrinkles, it seemed that a little more and she would turn to sand. The spear was still in one piece with her hand, but, the spear waspletely unchanged from Polosa''s.


    Sven stepped forward, meeting Polosa''s gaze.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He took a deep breath and said, "At the end of the fight you became a worthy opponent, so, I will kill you the same way."


    Polosa only nodded slightly, which was all she had the strength for as well as the slight smile that appeared on her face. Deep down inside she felt genuine joy that someone as strong as Sven considered her a serious opponent.


    Sven cancelled his form, as his hair turned white again as well as his mantle, then his arm turned into a blur.


    Crackle.


    For a moment Polosa''s eyes went wide, then she smiled blissfully, feeling simultaneously cold and warm, from Sven''s hand that pierced her chest, pulling out the other side of her heart.


    "This is farewell. I''ll meet you in hell. There is definitely no other ce for us." Sven said with a serious expression, about to crush Polosa''s heart, but, he stopped at thest moment.


    Polosa''s heart began to disintegrate into ashes, and so did her whole body. She disappeared from this world right in front of Sven, under the gaze of the millions of inhabitants of the world she had ruled for hundreds of years.


    Sven gulped, something even he did not expect. Such a scene could impress anyone, whether he was a mere warrior or the ruler of an entire world.


    "Agh..." Polosa gasped, then her head disintegrated into particles of ash that were immediately carried away by the wind currents.


    The spear she had been using throughout the fight fell down, jamming into the ground with its sharp tip, waiting to be found by whoever decided to use it again. It was a majestic and intimidating weapon, one that only a brave enough man could wield.


    For the sake of great power, it was necessary to sacrifice everything, however, sometimes it was just not enough to defeat some opponents.


    "Is it over...?" Arden muttered in disbelief, looking at Sven, who remained motionless for some time. His arm was still outstretched as if his heart was in it.


    "Yeah..." Marlis nodded, "The Queen is dead, the battle has definitelye to an end, however, this is not the end of your story. There should always be a legacy after the Queen, shouldn''t there?"


    "Agh...?" Arden was puzzled; he didn''t understand what Marlis was talking about.


    "Look." Marlis pointed forward.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same time, space trembled as a huge soul appeared before Sven. It was crystal clear, white, which indicated that Polosa was on the Transcendence Stage, however, her soul was different from the others who were also on this stage.


    Inside Polosa''s soul, there was a small pink orb, partially enveloped in red petals that emitted scarlet mes.


    "This is the power of the Progenitor. It''s up to you to decide what to do with it. I''m sure you can absorb this energy." Marlis said seriously, as she crossed her arms across her chest.

 Chapter 1023 A Candidate For The Throne

    ?


    Sven had a great purpose in his importance and the influence he was going to have on the world with his decisions. He had just done what was necessary, for him fighting Polosa was the inevitable obstacle he had to face.


    Sven was impressed by Polosa''s actions, but that feeling would quickly fade as he had more important tasks before him.


    Unlike Sven, who had his own world in mind, it was a real disaster for the others, especially the nts.


    They were forced to watch their queen fight. They had hopes that she would win, but even so, they would not be happy about it, since she was not fighting for her people, but for herself and her ambitions.


    However, against a creature like Sven, she had no chance. He was too strong, and even if all the Fifth Chronicle nts attacked him at once, they wouldn''t stand a chance. Sven would simply wipe them to dust in a few attacks, maybe he wouldn''t even need to use his Form.


    The only thing left of Polosa was the massive soul inside, which was the energy of the Progenitor.


    "Sven... What shall we do?" Marlis asked with a worried expression, looking at the massive soul.


    Sven nced at her, then his gaze went to Arden.


    "He must decide. We''ll take the outeryer of energy, you know what for." Sven calmly replied, referring to The Last Seal, "Where to direct the energy of the Progenitor, that is not our task."


    Wain hovered around slightly nodding with a deep look.


    Sven could not use the energy of the Progenitor to enhance The Last Seal, moreover, with Polosa''s Soul, they already had enough energy to unleash the full power from The Last Seal. More energy just didn''t make sense.


    Arden pointed with a confused expression, "What...? Do you want me to decide...? What should I decide...?"


    Sven smiled slightly, "You shouldn''t make that face. I''m sure Marlis has already prepared you for what will happen after Polosa dies, or did you think she could actually win?"


    Arden''s face darkened, but he didn''t answer. Sven''s words were true, and now Arden had to act on the situation.


    Sven looked around, slowly lowering himself to Arden along with Polosa''s soul.


    He took a breath and said, "It''s simple, and you already know it yourself. You can absorb this energy. In that case, you''ll reach the Transcendence Stage immediately."


    Sven waved his hand, pointing to nt World as well as its millions of inhabitants.


    "Though it is not for me to judge, I am sure you will be a better ruler than Polosa. However, you should not make the same mistake that she did in a few hundred years, to pass on the throne to someone you would deem worthy." Sven said calmly, his words were not a lie, and everyone could feel it.


    ''Hmm...'' Wain rubbed his chin thoughtfully.


    nts had not been involved in the Great War, only small units that had ventured out on their own, so Wain had pretty little information about what had happened to nt World in thest 500 years. He had a pretty good reason for that.


    ''That nt City guy in the cave under the waterfall... Felix... That doesn''t seem to be his real name, and he definitely has Progenitor Energy. However, how could he have gotten it? Will Arden die in a few hundred years?'' Wain pondered, trying to guess what Arden would do.


    Wain could have just waited to find out, but he had a real interest. Now, it was as if he were watching a movie he had once been a part of himself, but he hadn''t seen some of the scenes because other people were filming there.


    Arden shook his head, "I have another idea."


    "Hmm?" Sven gave him a questioning look. Marlis and Osvald looked at each other and just shrugged, waiting for Arden''s next words.


    "I''m not going to absorb the energy of the Progenitor. I''m not going to do that." Arden answered confidently, as he stood up straight, squaring his shoulders. His mind finally came back to normal as he had already made up his mind.


    Sven noticed the determination in Arden''s eyes, so he just nodded.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Sven waved his hand as Polosa''s soul split in two. The white streams of energy headed towards Marlis as she immediately absorbed them, channeling them into the vault to useter for The Last Seal.


    The purple part headed toward Arden, hovering right in front of him.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "About your other suggestion..." Arden muttered, looking at the energy of the Progenitor, which seemed capable of consuming anyone''s mind.


    "Mhm?" Sven tilted his head with a curious expression.


    "I won''t be King of the nt World, I''m not cut out for it, and I don''t want it at all." Arden said quietly, however, his voice spread strangely throughout the world. The very space they were in wanted the inhabitants to hear his words.


    The nts were puzzled. They were ready to ept Arden as their new leader, for he was the perfect candidate.


    The inhabitants were upset by the whole situation, but they understood that it was inevitable and Polosa was entirely to me for what happened to her. Moreover, her actions endangered all the nts, they were lucky that it was Sven who came here.


    If Polosa had made a pact with someone else, it could have been a real disaster for nt World.


    "Arden! What the hell are you doing!" A man with a long beard eximed. He was wearing a long green robe and had purple petals on his body. He was one of the strongest beings in the nt World.


    "Agh...?" Arden turned around.


    The man stared at him intently as he waved his sleeve and eximed, "You must embrace this energy! You understand better than anyone else what our world needs, also you are the most honest man I know!"


    "I agree!" One of the Royal Guars eximed with a sincere gleam in his eyes. The others did the same, and gradually themon people joined in.


    Arden was genuinely shocked. He did not expect there to be such support among the inhabitants, though in fact, he had not yet finished his speech.


    Everyone was there for him, from the strongest who were in the Fifth Chronicle to the ordinary nts who hadn''t even made it to the First Chronicle or had any incredible powers at all.


    Gradually, their emotions and desires turned into something real, something you could not just hear or feel, but see.


    White, pure energy appeared out of nowhere. It moved quickly toward Arden, filling his body with power.


    Wain''s eyes went wide. He had seen this before after his rebirth and many times before the Great War.


    It was the power of a cult, but an umon power that many were trying to obtain, wanting to get to the God Stage. It was a true manifestation of the desires of the followers and there were millions of them. They weren''t just disciples of some master or subordinates of the head of a huge organization, they were inhabitants of a whole world.


    "Well, well, he doesn''t seem to have a need for that energy now. However, he wasn''t going to use it anyway, was he?" Wain smirked, looking at Arden, "Like the old man said, he''s actually a surprisingly sincere person. It''s even a little frightening that a man like him still exists in our world."


    Arden waved his hand, silencing everyone for a while. The inhabitants smiled; they thought it was enough to convince Arden to be their King.


    After all, it was their sincere wish.


    "Hah, I won''t hide it I wasn''t expecting this, but you should have listened to me." Arden smiled, he was literally glowing with happiness, and he couldn''t be med for that.


    Arden took a deep breath, "I understand what you want, but I will not be your King. However, until someonees who is worthy to be our Ruler I will temporarily upy the throne and do whatever is necessary to make nt World a better ce than it has ever been before."


    The vigers were both pleased and puzzled, they did not understand how someone more worthy of bing Ruler of the nt World than Arden was supposed to appear since he had been chosen by the vigers themselves. It was simply illogical.


    "Look. I am a guardian, and I want to be one. I can''t make a good King if I don''t want to be one myself, that''s why I made this decision, and I''m going to do it!" Arden eximed as he waved his hand.


    At the same moment, the purple orb split into hundreds of strands that headed in different directions.


    In that instant, all the inhabitants realized what Arden had done.


    "As I said, I will wait until a worthy contender appears who should be our Ruler! When he appears, I will be a guardian again!" Arden stated confidently.


    Violet threads passed through spaces and traveled with ease into the World of Darkness. All of these events led to the fact that in a few hundred years nt would be born, outside of his world, but he would be the one to wield this power and no one else.

 Chapter 1024 The Trouble

    ?


    The Progenitor''s energy was on its way to find its master. It was definitely going to take some time, perhaps as little as a couple of years, maybe hundreds, but the most important thing was the beginning.


    Moreover, every nt, once again, was convinced that Arden was a worthy ruler. Even though he didn''t want to be King, that could no longer be changed as it was what the people in their hearts wanted. Until the one who absorbed the energy of the Progenitor appeared, Arden would be the ruler of the nt World.


    p. p. p.


    Sven pped his hands slowly, with a serious expression and a sincere easy smile on his face.


    "Unbelievable. I''m actually shocked. Perhaps your heart is purer than my energy, and that''s the highest praise I''m capable of." Sven said quietly, continuing to p.


    Marlis and Osvald exchanged nces, then they joined Sven, beginning to p their hands.


    Gradually, the nts began to do the same, they all agreed that Arden deserved it, he was worthy of receiving a round of apuse in his honor as their new King.


    Arden didn''t know how to respond to this. For most of his life, he had power and definitely power, but in the end, he was a guardian who remained in the shadow of the Queen. It was his role and duty that he was bound to fulfill. However, he was now the center of the whole world''s attention.


    "Arden..." Sven spoke briefly in a deep voice.


    "Agh...?" Arden turned around.


    "I''m d it ended that way, but I think you understand that I can''t leave without a dew. At the very least, it would mean that x would know that something didn''t go ording to n. In that case you will be in for another disaster, and no one will be able to help you." Sven said calmly, Arden straight in the eye.


    Arden gulped. He was not frightened that he had to give up the most valuable resource of all nt World, it was expected since that was what Sven and the others hade here for.


    "Khm! I think you need to make a decision right now." Marlis coughed, "We''ve already spent more time than necessary."


    "Arden..." The man in the long green robe muttered with aplicated expression, "If we lose the dew this century, the next generation will be weak... It will be a great blow to our race..."


    The vigers frowned as their faces grew dark. They clenched their fists tightly and stared at Sven, who floated in the air like a god.


    He had revealed the true face of their queen and perhaps saved them from future disaster, he had made it possible for Arden to be their king, but he was still their enemy. It was Sven, along with Marlis and Osvald, who started the chain of events that led to this result.


    The nts had mixed emotions, they could not hate Sven for what he had done, but he was definitely not their ally either. They just wanted him out of their world as much as possible and never to return. This desire was shared by everyone, the weakest and the strongest.


    "Don''t worry, as your new King I know how to solve this problem." Arden said confidently as if the n was already in his head.


    "Agh...?"


    Everyone was puzzled, as the inhabitants'' eyes went wide. Sven, Marlis, and Osvald were surprised too, they didn''t understand how Arden could solve this.


    ''Hmm, I wonder what he came up with? Crystal Mind Dew is definitely not a resource he can restore. It''s a unique thing.'' Wain pondered, looking at Arden curiously. He was sure Arden wasn''t lying.


    Arden smiled, ''Frankly, a few minutes ago I wouldn''t have known what to answer. But, thanks to the support of all of you, I now have that opportunity."


    Everyone still didn''t understand anything, but suddenly Arden''s eyes sparkled with brilliance, and massive streams of golden energy came out of his body.


    Arden didn''t use his Form or anything else, his energy only increased, the huge currents were only a small part that his body couldn''t contain.


    Sven''s eyes grew wider.


    "I see... You''ve been on the God Stage, and it looks like you''ve been on its edge for a long time, doesn''t it? Now with the energy of all those nts, you''ve reached a breakthrough and broken through the barrier, right?" Sven asked, staring at Arden.


    Arden smiled slightly and nodded, "Can''t hide anything from you, right? I may be a long way from your level, but I know how to use my new powers."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    The space around Arden trembled as he moved rapidly from the God Stage to the Transcendence Stage. It was an event most could only see once in a lifetime, so millions of residents never took their eyes off Arden.


    His appearance immediately changed, as his ck hair became longer and his eyes golden.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Arden iled his arms, pointing one palm toward the other, but not squeezing, as if there were something between his hands, though there was an emptiness.


    At the same moment, huge masses of energy headed toward Arden, as new streams began to emerge from his body. They all followed to a single point, gradually forming a tiny golden orb between his hands that rapidly increased in size.


    Everyone understood what Arden was trying to do. He had a lot of energy, so he was trying to use it to rece Crystal Mind Dew, or rather its effect.


    ''Hmm... As I understood the main purpose of Crystal Mind Dew is to fill the entire nt World, with extra energy that will help all nts to develop especially future generations. Arden cannot create a new Crystal Mind Dew, but he can share his energy. Well... I doubt he can do it.'' Wain shrugged his shoulders.


    He liked the way the situation was unfolding and the fate of the nt World was quite poetic, but they all had to keep in mind that they lived in a brutal real world.


    Wain clearly understood that Arden did not have the energy to do this, even though he was now at the peak of his powers and would no longer have that much energy at the moment.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    All over Arden''s body, tiny cuts suddenly opened up from which blood gushed out. His body struggled to keep enough pressure at one point to create a golden orb.


    The inhabitants shuddered with horror. They could not believe that this was happening and that Arden had already sacrificed himself for them.


    "Wait! Arden! It''s not worth it! One hundred years we can survive without Crystal Mind Dew! Our world will just have a little less energy, but that''s fixable!" A man in a long green robe eximed with a worried expression.


    The inhabitants joined him, in fact, none of them were willing to sacrifice their new King for any resource, even the most valuable in their world.


    However, Arden did not heed them. He continued to siphon energy from his body, increasing the pressure between his hands topress the energy. His gaze quickly became emaciated, and wounds continued to open all over his body.


    Sven''s gaze became deep. Even if he wanted to, he couldn''t help Arden since they were of different races. The energy in the sphere had to be pure to favor nt World.


    ''Damn... Will his selflessness not be rewarded...'' Sven muttered inwardly with aplicated expression, ''I didn''t think I would feel anything like this, but I really would be sorry if it ended so tragically.''


    It seemed that Arden''s fate was sealed since he was the only one who could stop it, but he wasn''t going to.


    Whooooooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Suddenly there was a powerful current of wind that brought with it millions of petals that appeared out of nowhere.


    Each petal headed towards the inhabitants, exactly one petal per inhabitant.


    The nts were puzzled, this had never happened before, and they didn''t understand what was going on, no one did except one man.


    "Hahaha, that''s why I love this world!" Wain smirked, looking at the invisible streams of energy that emanated from each petal and linking them into one unifiedwork, the center of which was headed for Arden.


    After a while Sven guessed what was going on and his eyes went wide.


    "Well... Looks like you''re an amazing man since the world itself decided to use its hidden reserves to help you..." Sven muttered with a dazed expression, though Arden couldn''t hear him, he waspletely focused on his mission.


    Petals and invisible bundles of energy summoned the very core of the nt World. Normally, the world never took part in anything, but in exceptional cases, it could use its energy to restore which would take a very long time.


    Each inhabitant was able to transfer a piece of his energy directly to Arden. He immediately felt a lightness that spread through his body, and the golden orb in his hands began to grow rapidly.

 Chapter 1025 The Rain

    ?


    nt World as well as millions of inhabitants helped their new King create a recement for the Crystal Mind Dew. It was an event that had previously been impossible, even for Polosa, who was much stronger than Arden even now, given that he had moved to the Transcendence Stage.


    Sven, Marlis, and Osvald watched with genuine enthusiasm.


    In their long lives, they had fought many battles and seen many incredible things since they were on top of this world. They could easily enter any territory, even the most hidden and impregnable.


    However, this event was different from anything that hade before. Worlds as if living beings almost never acted, but Arden changed that. His will to give his inhabitants what they deserved exceeded all expectations.


    ''Well... I certainly didn''t expect it to end this way, but maybe this is the best way. Arden really is an amazing man.'' Sven muttered inwardly.


    ''Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space trembled as the golden orbpletely filled the space between Arden''s palms. It was crystal clear with a tremendous amount of energy of the highest level.


    Even for Sven, who could absorb an almost infinite amount of energy, it would be very difficult to create such a thing. It would have required him to drain several spaces of fairly high level, and arge amount of time.


    He may have been one of the strongest beings in the entire world, but when millions of the inhabitants of one world helped their King, it surpassed his abilities, many times over.


    "Agh... Did I really do it..." Arden said with an exhausted look at the golden orb in his hands, then he turned around, and a bitter smile appeared on his face.


    "No... I''m wrong... I only did part of the work, they did the rest..." Arden looked at the inhabitants, who could hardly stand on their feet since they had spent almost all their energy on it.


    However, none of them were upset or angry. They were smiling happily and a fire burned in their eyes, if they could, they would have continued to help Arden.


    "Hah, I''m actually lucky to have been born into this world. To have so much support from the people of my world... That''s the best a ruler can hope for..." Arden took a deep breath, gathered thest bits of strength he had, and straightened his back.


    He took a deep breath, and pointed his palm forward, with the golden orb resting on it.


    A bright light, spread across the world as if Arden wasn''t holding a blob of energy, but a real sun that could easily be the center of the universe.


    "Hah, I didn''t expect to see something so beautiful." Wain smirked, enjoying the show, "However... They all forget that there is one unresolved problem... I think they will be upset when they remember it after Arden spreads the energy..." Wain smirked insidiously as his gaze dropped lower, to where the pce had recently been.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The golden orb cracked as Arden willed it to shatter. Pieces of the sphere fell down, no one was looking at them anymore, as all eyes were fixed on the pure golden energy that trembled slightly with every gust of wind.


    "Fine, it''s definitely enough to rece Crystal Mind Dew. I hope we won''t have to go through such an ordeal again." Arden uttered with a serious look before clenching his palm into a fist.


    The orb split into clots that quickly turned into hundreds of golden threads, spreading throughout nt World.


    They prated the ground, infusing the vast world with power.


    nts were one of the Pirs, so their world was vast, farrger than any other race. However, the golden threads were able to cover everything, they seemed to be endless as they continued to divide.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The earth trembled, and at the same time thousands of flowers bloomed brightly. It was an unusual phenomenon, as the petals of the flowers glittered with gold, as if they were overflowing with energy which could flow out of them at any moment.


    The same thing happened with the trees, as well as with those that easily reached the sky with their branches, and their trunks were the size of entire mountains.


    From afar, the giant trees became like golden pirs, and their massive crowns, which were hidden behind the clouds, emitted a brilliant light as if there was a star above each tree.


    After a while, the golden glitter took on the clouds as they touched the foliage of the giant trees. Then, it rained.


    The rains part came in nt World, for water was needed by nts to grow just as much as the earth, perhaps even more. Water enabled life to grow and emerge, without it there would be only death.


    However, this rain was unique because its drops were golden, but even that was not the most amazing thing.


    Each drop that fell on the barren ground caused golden nts to grow, filling some parts of the world where there was emptiness.


    When the drops fell on the inhabitants of the nt World, their bodies instantly filled with energy and their fatiguepletely disappeared.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "What...? How is it possible...?" The young man in the Third Chronicle muttered, looking down at his hands.


    Streams of wind swirled around him, and more and more of them came out every second, which showed that his strength was gradually increasing.


    The same thing happened to some nts, and they were able to make a breakthrough to the next stage. This was only possible for those who were on the borderline between Chronicles, however, they didn''t have to make any effort to do so.


    Every drop of golden rain was ten times better than any potion whose purpose was to help with the advancement to the next Chronicle.


    Golden Rain had an effect on every nt, as well as three guests from the other world.


    Sven''s, Marlis''s, and Osvald''s bodies were covered in a golden glow as the drops fell on them. Even though they were strangers, the rain still transmitted energy to them.


    Even though they were all on top and were among the strongest of creatures, they immediately felt the miraculous effect of the golden rain.


    "Wow... This is incredible... Though my body may contain an abnormal amount of energy, a few drops were enough topletely replenish my reserves." Sven muttered with a dazed expression looking at his hands.


    "Yeah... I agree..." Marlis nodded with glowing eyes. As a scientist, she had a special interest in this event. She would like to make a potion that would be of the same quality as the golden drops, but she knew that was impossible.


    Osvald''s eyes were wide, "That''s not going to happen again, right?"


    Sven nodded, "Definitely. We''re lucky we could be here. Even if it ever happens again, it''ll be thousands of years from now, maybe it''ll take even longer."


    The rain seemed to have a mind of its own, as the droplets chose their target following a specific system. If a nt was in the First Chronicle then only one drop was enough for it, no more was necessary.


    However, if it was one of the Elders or guards who were in the Fifth Chronicle on God Stage, one drop was not enough for them. They needed dozens or even hundreds.


    This was logical since each person had different energy needs, but one stood out from the rest.


    Of course, it was Arden. He spread his arms out to his sides, enjoying the rain, which literally turned into a waterfall for him.


    Huge torrents of water washed over his body, and it was enough to not just restore his energy, but to make him stronger.


    "Fuck... I guess this really is something incredible..." Wain muttered, feeling Arden''s aura increase.


    It wouldn''t be strange for someone who was in the Fifth Chronicle or below, but Arden was in the Transcendence Stage. It took a lot of effort to get even a little stronger, being that high already. In fact, it was almost impossible.


    "Agh... What a great feeling... It''s like I''m at the center of the universe..." Arden muttered with his eyes closed, enjoying the torrents of rain.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, the endless spear that had been sticking in the ground all this time began to tremble. Polosa died using this weapon to gain power, but the spear was unaffected.


    Whooooooooooooooooosh.


    The spear lunged straight at Arden, soaring right in front of him.


    The eyes of all the nts went wide. They saw what this weapon was capable of and didn''t want Arden to take it in his hands.


    Arden felt it, he knew his inhabitants were worried about him, but he wasn''t afraid at all.


    "Arden! You shouldn''t do that!" The man in the long green robe eximed.


    Arden smiled slightly, "Don''t worry. I feel it''s necessary, that I have to do it. Last time I felt the same way when I wanted to create a golden orb, and it worked out, didn''t it?"


    "Moreover, I can let it go at any time. This spear just wants some of the energy we all got from the rain, too." Arden said calmly, touching the spear.


    At the same moment, the entire world was covered in a golden sh that even creatures from other spaces saw.

 Chapter 1026 Flower

    ?


    As soon as Arden touched the spear, the entire world was covered in a golden sh. Even some beings from other spaces saw the phenomenon, but only the most attentive, with special positions in this world.


    The dark red spear began to change, its outer shell cracked and shattered into small pieces like the shell of an egg. In fact, not even Polosa could fully activate the full power of this weapon that emerged from the very core of the vast world.


    Arden''s hair fluttered in powerful gusts of wind while he stared at the spear. He held it firmly in his hand, not about to let it go.


    With the spear, Polosa lost many years of his life to great power for a short period, but in Arden''s case, it was quite different.


    The spear connected with his energy flows, taking some of his power, but giving him his own in return. The process was cyclical, and gradually Arden''s power grew, it seemed as if it could go on indefinitely.


    "What an unusual feeling... It''s like I can do anything... All I have to do is wish for it..." Arden muttered with a deep gaze, then he pointed the tip of his spear downward.


    Though Sven and Polosa didn''t want to bring much destruction to nt World, it was inevitable when fighting two opponents of this level. In the center of nt World, where Polosa ruled the castle, there was now a wastnd and deadnd.


    The rain had corrected the situation slightly, but this ce was special as if some force did not allow anything else to grow here.


    In fact, it was all about Sven''s energy. Even though the fight was already over, but the pressure exerted by the particles of his energy remained, simple nts simply could not go through such pressure.


    This ce was to remain forever a wastnd as a reminder of an important day in the history of all nts. Today their Queen died, but today a King was also born. The nts took it for granted, but not Arden.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    A golden beam flew out of the spear that reached the ground with lightning speed. The density of the beam was terrifying, its power enough to turn a massive mountain to dust, but Arden used the power for another purpose. He didn''t want to destroy, he wanted to create.


    As the beam touched the ground, ripples of gold rippled from the point of impact, spreading all around.


    The inhabitants were unaffected, but the earth was greatly affected. On the ck wastnd, golden sprouts began to sprout. They grew very slowly, and there were very few of them, but Sven''s energy was no barrier to them.


    "I see... A spear that can take life for the sake of power can also use power to give life..." Sven muttered as his eyes went wide, "Well, Polosa actually screwed up in every aspect. It''s hard to even imagine what opportunities she had, but she didn''t take advantage of them."


    Marlis watched the golden nts with interest. She had already seen two amazing things happen today, and as a scientist, she was excited about it.


    The beam continued to transmit energy to the nts, Arden seemed to have an endless supply as despite the density of the beam it did not tire at all, on the contrary, its power only increased.


    Gradually, the nts grewrger, and they lost their goldenyer, taking on their usual green color for the stem. Their buds were still unopened, continuing to move upward toward the sun.


    "Oh, I think I know what this is going to be. The biggest flower in the world, simple but clear. Considering ites from Arden''s energy, it fits him perfectly." Wain muttered, looking at the sprouts that had spun together.


    It was now one huge flower, ready to bloom at any moment. Then, Arden stopped channeling energy to the ground, and the flower began to slowly open.


    Perhaps some of the nts were expecting something unique or rare, however, it was the most ordinary, though gigantic sunflower.


    The huge flower soaked up the sunlight as its petals shone brightly and the seeds grew quickly, falling out of the center on their own.


    Each seed triggered the growth of another sunflower, but much smaller. This went on until all the dead earth was filled with sunflowers of varying sizes, from a single giant to hundreds of tiny ones.


    "Good. That was a great show." Sven nodded approvingly with a slight smile.


    Arden took a deep breath. The spear stopped shining brightly, though he still held it in his hand, but it retained its new shape, now Arden could always use it, including for battles.


    "Arden... I know this may not be the best time for this, but I can''t stay here any longer. I must fulfill my mission." Sven said calmly.


    Arden''s face immediately became more serious. He looked at Sven and nodded.


    "Sure. Let''s get it over with." Arden said sternly as if he was ready to fight Sven right now, then a kind smile appeared on his face, "Next timee to our world as guests, not as invaders. Only, after the war is over."


    Sven smirked, "Don''t worry. I won''t have time before then. However, when I can finally rest, I will do so at once. I''m sure with a ruler like you, this ce will be more beautiful than ever."<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Arden nodded, then he headed toward the ground. The passageway that led to Crystal Mind Dew was open, all they had to do was go down.


    Sven rxed, hisst mission before the Great War had beenpleted, and he had done everything perfectly. Each time he found a way toplete the task, find energy for Marlis and do it all covertly from his rulers.


    Marlis and Osvald looked at each other, then they followed.


    Sven was about to step onto the stone stairs, but, at that moment, his eyes went wide, and a shiver went throughout his body.


    "Hmm? Is something wrong?" Arden was puzzled.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Sven''s energy spun out of control as his face contorted in anger.


    Arden jerked sharply aside with a great frown. He didn''t understand what was happening, so he braced himself for battle. After all, Sven could be his enemy at any moment and he had to be ready for that.


    The other nts did the same. They were ready to defend their world to prevent such destruction once more.


    Marlis and Osvald were puzzled, they had absolutely no idea what Sven was doing and why suddenly his emotions swept over him like a hurricane.


    The only one who understood the reason for Sven''s actions was Wain, who smirked insidiously. He had been waiting for this moment for some time, ever since the fight with Polosa ended.


    ''Hah, he finally realized he''d missed one important detail. Even you get it wrong sometimes, don''t you?'' Wain said inwardly, looking at Sven.


    ''Agh... I''m sorry. I just lost my temper..." Sven shook his head, while his aura was quickly calming down.


    "Sven... What the hell was that...?" Arden muttered in confusion. He needed answers because for a moment Sven was angry and it was really scary.


    "We have one big problem, or rather me, Marlis, and Osvald." Sven said calmly, but his tone was annoyed.


    Marlis gave him a questioning look.


    "Thanks to Arden we can get Crystal Mind Dew, but... We''ll have to give it to x, or we''ll be exposed, won''t we?" Sven said coldly, staring intently at Marlis.


    Marlis''s pupils narrowed as she realized that despite their best efforts they were in a desperate situation.


    If they passed Crystal Mind Dew to x, it would get Arox and then the Great War would be a real disaster. This was exactly what Sven was trying to avoid.


    "Wait... In that case, what should we do...?" Osvald muttered with a confused expression, "We can''t leave Crystal Mind Dew here since then x will understand everything, neither can we take it away since then our whole n will be meaningless..."


    Sven took a deep breath as he crossed his arms over his chest, "Well... This is definitely a shitty situation. We need to figure something out right away."


    Arden stood back. He didn''t know what to say or do, as this whole situation had gonepletely in the wrong direction.


    For several minutes Sven, Marlis, and Osvald were silent. Marlis had a few ideas, but they were all immediately canceled as Crystal Mind Dew was too special a resource.


    "Hmmm... Will they really have to give up this time?" Wain pondered looking at Sven''splicated face, "Looks like they just don''t have any other option, right?"


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly space shuddered, and a huge purple magic circle appeared amidst the blue sky, which still had bits of gold in it.


    Everyone was wary, as this usually happened when space was attacked, but, then, everyone''s eyes went wide.


    Together with the magic circle, right in the sky, opened a massive gate that led to one of the most powerful worlds in Dragon World.

 Chapter 1027 Possibility

    ?


    Each space had its own size, amount of energy, and resources that could grow in each space. These and some other factors determine the rank of a space, and the highest rank is Half-World.


    If the space somehow managed to expand significantly or to increase its volume of energy by several times, then Half-World was transformed into something bigger, like a real World.


    It was almost impossible to achieve this artificially, as it took too many resources to do so, so even if the owner of the space was someone on the Transcendence Stage, its maximum was Half-World.


    For a space to be a real World, it required the efforts of millions of beings, all of whom had to be alive, going through their own difficulties and gaining achievements.


    This made the world what it was supposed to be. The strongest worlds were obviously those of the Pirs, for they were the most numerous and powerful races. Compared to their worlds, the others seemed weak and inferior.


    However, even among the Pirs, there was one world that was considered more powerful than all the others, although the inhabitants of that world were not one of the Pirs. It was Dragon World.


    Even the gates to this world were special, their appearance alone was a real event, as it could lead to local destruction or conversely, the creation of something new.


    "Hmmm... Is it really him...?" Sven muttered, looking at the huge gate, whose stone bs, were slowlying into motion.


    Sven, like Marlis, Osvald, and many Fifth Chronicle creatures, had seen the gate in Dragon World at least once in their lives, some many more.


    However, the gates that now appeared in the skies of the nt World were different from those that usually appeared. Violet mes burned around them, and the statue on the edges of the gate was a strange shape, even a little frightening.


    "Do you know what it is?" Arden asked, looking at Sven with a worried and curious expression. If his world was going to be attacked by Dragons, he had to do everything he could to prevent it or protect his people.


    Sven nodded, "Yeah. Don''t worry. He''s definitely not here to fight you or bring destruction to nt World, his actions always have a deeper meaning."


    "Agh... He? You mean one particr Dragon came here?"


    Arden gave him a questioning look.


    Sven didn''t answer anything, he just stared at the gate with aplicated expression. He didn''t understand why this dragon decided toe here now, but it was actually a unique opportunity for him. The most important thing for him was to take this chance correctly.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space trembled as the gate slowly opened, releasing massive streams of purple energy, which could be a powerful weapon in itself.


    Behind the light from the gate were two silhouettes, which made Sven''s eyes go wide with surprise, then the silhouettes stepped forward.


    Wain, too, was surprised, but, as soon as the silhouettes revealed themselves, a satisfied smirk appeared on his face.


    "Hehehe, didn''t expect to see that here, but it looks like I got another answer to my questions now. Now I see why he was paying so much attention to me. Long before my rebirth, he was already involved and indirectly helped me." Wain smirked, staring intently at the two dragons.


    A dragon with long ck hair and massive dark wings behind his back walked ahead. He wore a spacious purple robe that fluttered in the wind currents-it was Cetid, the Gatekeeper.


    Even among Dragons, he was unique in that he watched over the passageway to Dragon World, and no one could pass without his supervision. Common Dragons, members of other races, and even Elders, all had to get his permission before entering or leaving Dragon World.


    Obviously, the only exception to this rule was the Dragon Progenitor, but he had not left his temple for a very long time, so there was no need to take him into consideration.


    Behind Cetid, there was another Dragon, with long white hair and amber eyes, and a sly grin on his face. It was he who had saved Wain several times when he was in a critical situation after his rebirth; it was Kadridas, The Watcher.


    Cetid cast his gaze around the world, then he swung his hand, creating adder of purple energy in front of him.


    He and Kadridas stepped onto it with calm faces, gradually descending and approaching Sven and Arden.


    "Looks like you made a mistake, a rather foolish one to note." Cetid uttered, meeting Sven''s gaze.


    "And what...?" Sven frowned, "You decided to break through some spatial barriers to taunt me?"<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Sven turned around, looking towards the gate behind which Crystal Mind Dew was hiding, "Even if I remembered that, I wouldn''t be able to change anything. Arden, with the energy of the world, was able to create an event that reced Crystal Mind Dew for nt World, but it won''t help me with my problem."


    Cetid answered nothing, he just gave a slight nod of understanding and turned to Marlis.


    "Since we''re meeting today, I should warn you." Cetid said coldly, looking at Marlis, "If you repeat what you did a hundred years ago, I will punish you by all the rules of the Dragon World, even though you are an Arkan."


    Marlis gulped. Exactly one hundred years ago, she tried to infiltrate Dragon World. She didn''t have any special purpose, she just wanted to test her skills.


    She was well-versed in magical circles and various barriers, so she wondered if she could break into Dragon World unnoticed.


    However, Cetid didn''t let her get past even the initial stage, she received a powerful blow of dense energy from which she was recovering for months. At that, Cetid didn''t even get close to her, everything happened remotely.


    Marlis nodded, "Sure... I understand that. Anyway, I have no reason to repeat something like that."


    "Good for you." Cetid said calmly, before turning to Sven.


    Marlis usually acted arrogant, it didn''t matter who she was talking to, but now she was quiet and humble. Cetid was not the kind of adversary she was going to feud with, especially in their current situation.


    "Fuck... So he''s still ying this game, right?" Wain muttered with a dazed expression, as he wasn''t expecting this at all.


    When he got into Dragon World and one of the Dragons attacked him, it was Marlis who saved him. She was able to do this as she opened her secret passageway into Dragon World.


    ''I thought it was all about her unique skills and understanding of how the protective barriers of spaces work, however... It''s pretty obvious to me now that Cetid did it. He let her through the barrier... Damn, sometimes we don''t even know who really helped us, right?'' Wain muttered inwardly, scratching the back of his head.


    He and Cetid had only seen each other a few times, even though they had both lived very, very long lives and had hundreds of years to do so. That said, Cetid decided to help him secretly, what now what then in five hundred years.


    Wain was not stupid, he understood that Cetid was doing this because he too was not happy with the current situation with the rulers of the Arkan World. However, he could not act openly, he had a peculiar position.


    "Now let''s cut to the chase. I want to hear your n, your every move, and your subsequent actions if you seed or fail." Cetid looked intently at Sven.


    Sven frowned, "What? If that''s what you''re here for, you can piss off. Why on earth would I tell you that?"


    Cetid nodded, "Well, because right now you don''t have a backup n. You don''t know what to do with Crystal Mind Dew, do you?"


    Sven narrowed his eyes as his aura intensified. He didn''t like the tone with which Cetid was addressing him at all. To Sven, it was uneptable, as he was certainly no weaker than Cetid.


    "I''m your backup n." Cetid said seriously as his eyes grew deeper.


    "Agh...?" Sven was surprised, he didn''t understand what Cetid was talking about.


    "This is yourst chance. Either you tell me your n so I can be sure whether you should help or not, or I leave. I''ll give you ten seconds to think about it." Cetid said coldly, as his eyes became sharp as des.


    Sven frowned. Cetid had just given him an ultimatum, perhaps he was the only one who could afford such a thing.


    Time was passing, rather quickly, so Sven urgently had to make a decision, or it would be a failure, and it would be all his fault.


    "Fine!" Sven shouted, clenching his fists tightly, "I will enlighten you! However, don''t you dare refuse me after this, or you will know my wrath! My true rage!"


    "Sure." Cetid nodded calmly.


    Arden was puzzled, but he had no choice but to ept what was happening. He was d it was just going to be a conversation.

 Chapter 1028 The Copy

    ?


    Cetid and Sven sat at the massive wooden table, with their eyes fixed on each other. They were discussing something with each other, obviously, a n that Cetid had forced Sven to tell him.


    The others remained upstairs. Cetid had a very important decision to make, so he was the only one listening to every detail of Sven''s n, some things even Marlis and Osvald didn''t know.


    "It''s been a long time, hasn''t it?" Kadridas said with a slight smile as he looked at Marlis and Osvald. He was standing next to the passageway to Crystal Mind Dew, with his back against the wall.


    Marlis and Osvald were standing on the opposite side, so they could clearly see and hear each other, but they had no ess to the room where Sven and Cetid were.


    "Well, I can''t say I''m d to see you. Among dragons, you are the most annoying type, though, I dislike every one of you." Marlis frowned as she crossed her arms over her chest.


    Kadridas smirked, "No need to be so rude, now we must be allies lest the greatest catastrophe for our world happen."


    Marlis snorted, she said nothing. In any case, nothing depended on them now, for only Cetid could change the situation, and his decision depended on what Sven would tell him.


    "Hey... I''ve been thinking..." Osvald muttered, scratching his cheek puzzled, "Do the Dragons need Arox to take control of the whole world?"


    Kadridas nced at him, "Go on."


    Osvald sighed, "I mean, I''m sure if your Progenitor sides with the Nameless King, the oue of the war will be obvious. If they fight the two of them against x and Arox, as well as being helped by Sven, it will be an easy victory!"


    Marlis grew wary. She was unhappy that Osvald had started talking to Kadridas about this. She did not want Kadridas to know more than was necessary, for it was not yet clear whether he was an enemy or a friend.


    Kadridas sighed, "You''re right, but what you don''t realize is that Dragons don''t really care, especially our Progenitor. He hasn''t had any part in what goes on in the world for several hundred years."


    "But...!" Osvald was puzzled, he didn''t understand how that was possible.


    "The only thing that matters to the Dragons is that the world we all live in is not threatened. Yeah, if Nameless King loses and Arox gets Crystal Mind Dew, and no one stops him, then he will take control of the whole world, but, can you call that a threat?"


    Osvald was speechless; the Dragons'' logic was beyond his reach. It was as if Kadridas were speaking in anguage unknown to him, though obviously he was not, and he heard every word.


    "It probably seems like nonsense to you, but in that case, the Dragon Society is fine with it. Everyone will be under the control of one being, which means there will be no global wars, abnormal cataclysms, and other such dangerous things. It will be utopia and the Dragons won''t care about that." Kadridas shrugged.


    "However, you and Cetid think differently, don''t you?" Marlis narrowed her eyes as she looked intently at Kadridas.


    Kadridas smirked, "Yeah, unlike the other Dragons, we''re notfortable with eternal utopia. I mean, if Arox were to take control of the world, nothing would change for the Dragons. They will continue to meditate, drink tea, and y chess with the faces of great philosophers. It''s all such crap."


    Marlis''s eyes went wide for a moment. There were very few among the Dragons who were unhappy with their situation, usually rebellious, but Kadridas didn''t seem that way, at least not until this moment.


    "I would just die of boredom, I don''t want to live in utopia, just like Nameless King, just like Cetid, and just like you and Sven. I say this to make you understand our intentions, but you must also realize that the Dragons will not participate without a direct order from the Progenitor." Kadridas waved his hand.


    "There is no threat to our world that wouldpletely destroy it, so the Dragons will simply wait and watch you kill each other."


    Marlis and Osvald frowned. They didn''t like this situation at all, but there was nothing they could do about it, such were the Dragons.


    "Well, at least there''s some good news, right?" Osvald smiled broadly with glowing eyes.


    Kadridas and Marlis looked at him puzzled, they didn''t understand why he looked so positive even though the situation was very bad.


    "If the Dragons don''t care about this war, that means they won''t help x and Arox, will they?" Osvald suggested, squaring his broad shoulders.


    Marlis shook her head, and Kadridas just smiled bitterly. A little positivity was needed in their situation, for the pressure put on them was enormous.


    Sven, Marlis, and Osvald had betrayed one of the most powerful races while being the strongest after their rulers. In the same way, Cetid and Kadridas were ying their own game, even though they were obliged to fulfill their roles.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Kadridas had to watch out for unequal battles when creatures from too high a Chronicle interfered with important events for those whose Chronicle was lower. This happened quite rarely, but given how big the world was, Kadridas always had a job to do.


    Cetid had even clearer tasks, and for Dragons, it was much more important. He had to keep an eye on the gate and space now since so many were trying to break through the barrier. It was hard to do, but Dragon World had many treasures for which many might even risk their lives.


    Thest important character was Arden, he was in the room with Crystal Mind Dew, waiting for Sven and Cetid to finish their conversation. After all, he wasn''t sure what Cetid would do next, Arden just couldn''t give up such a valuable resource.


    Sven''s and Cetid''s conversation took quite a while, though they needed to hurry, but Cetid was persistent, and Sven had to agree to his terms.


    Their conversation ended only when the sun began to set, and the massive sunflowers lowered their broad heads to the ground.


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    Suddenly streams of purple energy emerged from the passageway that split into three mes that headed toward Kadridas, Osvald, and Marlis. The lights soared in the air in front of them, then they came in motion, heading downward.


    "Well, it looks like it''s finally over and we have some good news waiting for us." Kadridas smirked before following the fire.


    Marlis and Osvald exchanged nces and went downstairs.


    A momentter they were all in front of a massive red flower with Crystal Mind Dew inside, emitting an unusual and pure energy.


    "So... What are you going to do?" Arden asked with a serious expression, "I''m willing to give Crystal Mind Dew to Sven, but you have one problem to solve, don''t you?"


    "Yeah... Though it''s been difficult, we''ve already solved it." Sven nodded, then he looked at Cetid.


    Cetid silently stepped forward, approaching Crystal Mind Dew, and opened his majestic wings wide.


    "My task is very simple. I will make sure that no one from Dragon World interferes with your war, and I will also create a copy of the Crystal Mind Dew right now." Cetid said calmly, absolutely certain of every word he spoke.


    Everyone but Sven''s eyes went wide. They couldn''t believe what they were hearing.


    "Wait... That''s definitely impossible!" Arden waved his hand with a worried expression, "I have expended an enormous amount of energy, as well as getting help from all the inhabitants of this world to create an energy recement for Crystal Mind Dew. However, you say you will make a copy?"


    Cetid nodded, "Exactly, I am not wrong in my choice of words. However, you must have misunderstood me, or you wouldn''t be so surprised."


    Whoooooooooooooooosh.


    Multiple runes appeared on Cetid''s wings as dense streams of energy began to swirl around him as if he were the center of the universe. The power that concentrated in his hands sent shivers through the ground.


    "Crystal Mind Dew is a special resource, it needs to be activated right before the moment of use, which means if you create a copy perfect in appearance and energy fluctuations, Arox will only realize the switch at the very end." Cetid exined before raising his hand.


    The tips of his fingers glowed brightly as purple threads emerged from them. They quickly surrounded Crystal Mind Dew without touching it. This went on for a while until the threads dispersed and reassembled into a sphere right in front of Cetid.


    Gradually, the purple threads changed their color as well as their aura and shape to be perfectly simr to Crystal Mind Dew. This was not easy to do, for halfway through the process, Cetid bled from the corners of his mouth, and his gaze became emaciated.


    Crack.


    When Cetid almost ran out of energy as he had to drop to one knee, the copy of the Crystal Mind Dew wasplete.


    "Fuck... This is unbelievable! I can''t believe it!" Arden eximed with a dazed expression, looking at the two Crystal Mind Dew that were exactly alike.

 Chapter 1029 The Seal Of Space

    ?


    Crystal Mind Dew is a one-of-a-kind resource that was impossible to replicate, even with the energy of the world and the efforts of millions of inhabitants, many of whom were in the High Chronicle.


    Even for Cetid, it was impossible, but he was able to create a perfect replica that was no different from the original.


    "It''s a perfect replica..." Arden muttered in disbelief, looking from one Crystal Mind Dew to the other, trying to find any differences. Appearance, energy, shape, density, and even slight vibrations on the surface all matched.


    "Yeah... This is how it should be..." Cetid muttered in a faint voice, gradually regaining his strength.


    Then, he looked at Sven and said, "Now you can have both Crystal Mind Dew. What''s more, the copy I made has a hidden effect."


    "Hmm?" Sven gave him a questioning look.


    Cetid smiled bitterly, "When Arox tries to use it to elevate his abilities to the max for a brief period, he''ll get a st right in his haughty face instead."


    Sven smirked, "Hah, didn''t think you''d be involved in such dirty games, looks like I underestimated you."


    Cetid shrugged.


    Sven nodded, then his gaze changed as he became serious, "Arden, you have no objections, do you?"


    Arden shook his head, "No, do what you have to do. It''s toote to change the ns anyway since nt World has already received the energy that normallyes from Crystal Mind Dew when it explodes."


    "Fine, thanks for your help." Sven nodded, "Marlis, Osvald, we''re leaving. It''s time to report a sessful mission."


    Marlis and Osvald looked at each other as they instantly changed, bing colder and more serious, just as they are in Arkan World.


    The real Crystal Mind Dew, Sven gave to Marlis, as they couldter use its energy to activate The Last Seal.


    The copy Sven took for himself, this is the one he will give to x.


    "By the way, I still don''t understand something." Sven muttered as he looked at Kadridas, "Why are you here?"


    "Good question." Wain muttered. At first, he didn''t understand why Cetid decided toe here, but after that it became obvious, however, it was still a mystery to him why Kadridas came here.


    They were too important people with serious tasks to perform to just go with anyone to another world.


    Kadridas smirked, "Well, I don''t really have any business with you. However, I do have a few questions for him." Kadridas nced at Arden.


    "Agh...?" Arden pointed at himself with a confused expression. He and Kadridas had never even met before, so it seemed strange to him.


    Kadridas sighed, "Look, you do realize that once Sven hands over Crystal Mind Dew to x, it won''t be long before the war starts, right?"


    Arden nodded slightly.


    "You''re not going to participate in it, are you?" Kadridas asked, though he already knew the answer.


    "Of course not. Many important events happened today for nt World, some were good some were not, but we all need a rest. Moreover, nts would never participate in something like this, at least not in our situation." Arden said confidently, he didn''t want his people to die in a war between two of the most dangerous races.


    Kadridas smiled, "Good. In that case, I offer you this. I will seal your world for one year. How''s that?"


    "What...?" Arden muttered with a confused expression.


    "In that case, even by force no one can force you to participate in the war, I think it''s a good offer." Kadridas shrugged.


    Arden was silent for a while before he nodded, "Yeah, you''re right. If you can do it, that would be fine."


    "Fine. Then I''ll get right on it." Kadridas grinned.


    "Wait." Sven said sharply, stopping Kadridas.


    "Hmm?" Kadridas looked at him puzzled.


    "You''ve already done that with other spaces, haven''t you?" Sven stared at Kadridas intently.


    "Yeah. Do you really think many people want to participate in the chaos you''re about to cause?" Kadridas nodded calmly.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, Sven''s aura intensified as his veins swelled and his face contorted with the anger that flooded over him.


    "Fuck... Looks like there are a lot more idiots in this world than I thought." Sven grunted with narrowed eyes, clenching his fists tightly.


    "Well, you think too categorically. It makes no sense for anyone who is not strong enough to take part in this war. We all understand that." Kadridas said calmly, heading for the exit, "The strongest will find a way to join the war and choose their side, the rest will just wait."


    Wain nodded with a deep look. He understood better than anyone else what Kadridas was talking about. All races participated in the First Great War, but far from it. As there were only a few among the Vampires, the rest were just waiting for the finale.


    "Hah, sometimes one strong enough fighter is more than enough to rece an entire army of cowards." Wain smirked as the silhouette of the Alucard appeared in his mind.


    Many representatives of the Pirs, didn''t want Arox and x or Nameless King to win, depending on whose side they mentally took, but they were too afraid to fight.


    The logic was simple. Even if it was someone from the Fifth Chronicle, their actions didn''t affect anything anyway. The main factor was the oue of the battle between the Nameless King and the Rulers of the Arkan World. So the death of this Fifth Chronicle one would be meaningless. Exactly, that''s what the vast majority feared. Unlike Alucard, the others were not immortal.


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    Kadridas spread his broad wings and flew high up, toward the edge of space. He could seal even an area asrge as nt World, but he needed some time and a lot of energy to do so.


    "Sven... Is everything all right?" Marlis asked with a worried expression.


    Sven took a deep breath, "Yeah, it''s just that even after living in this world for several hundred years I still don''t understand how millions of people can be so stupid."


    Sven shook his head, "Well, maybe it''s just that they don''t understand what Arox''s purpose is, but isn''t it obvious that we need to help Nameless King win this war?"


    Marlis didn''t answer anything, she had nothing to say since this was the situation they were in, a long time ago. They had no other way and they weren''t going to change that.


    "Before you go..." Arden muttered uncertainly, "In what world will the war take ce?"


    Sven nced at him, then his gaze drifted to the clouds slowly floating among the blue sky, "Well, there is only one ce in this world suitable for a battle of this level."


    After a while, Kadridas returned. Then, the entire nt World was covered by an invisible barrier. It was almost impossible to see, but it hid such arge world and prevented anyone from leaving it or entering it.


    Cetid was about to do the same. He couldn''t seal Dragon World, even for him it was impossible, but he could easily forbid the Dragons to interfere in the war. Obviously, such Dragons would be few and far between, but it was still a risk for one side.


    "Well, I guess in that case we should go back." Sven said calmly with a deep look as he looked at Marlis, "Open the portal when you''re ready."


    Marlis nodded slightly, then she turned to Kadridas.


    "Don''t worry." Kadridas smiled, "I knew you would need to open the portal, so I left a small gap for you to use it. Of course, as soon as you leave, I''ll close it."


    Marlis turned around, focused, and streams of green me appeared in front of her, which quickly turned into a path into the World of Darkness.


    Sven took onest look at Arden, and Cetid, before entering the portal. Marlis and Osvald immediately followed him.


    Wain''s consciousness shifted to them in a heartbeat as he could see only the memories of the three and nothing more.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Sven, Marlis, and Osvald stepped along the path of the white energy that headed toward the massive gate. It was the entrance to Arkan World, directly to the main castle, where only the most powerful Arkans had ess.


    "Sven..." Marlis muttered with a dark look, "Are you sure we can win?"


    Sven raised an eyebrow, "Hmm? Why did you suddenly decide to bring that up? You need to be as sure as Nameless King! After all, he still doesn''t know that we actually sided with him."


    Marlis nodded, "Yeah, I understand that, however, what about the other Progenitors? I mean, even the creatures in the Fifth Chronicle can''t affect the oue of this war, but the Progenitors are another case."


    Sven smirked, "Don''t worry about it. I''m sure these two won''t let someone take all the fun out of it, which means they won''t let others influence the oue of the war."


    "Hmm? Two?" Osvald gave him a questioning look.


    Sven sighed, "An incredible team. The Immortal and the Invincible."

 Chapter 1030 Two Friends

    ?


    Whatever the world, some things were in all dimensions. Such as love, hate, or friendship, in fact, many other feelings as well. However, friendship was the most unusual, for sometimes there seemed to be far more traitors than true friends.


    Among the ordinary people who could not reach even the First Chronicle, there were probably more sincere people who were good friends and lovers, however, at the higher levels this did not happen.


    Each Chronicle was not just a measure of energy and power, it was also the ultimate power.


    In order to reach the next Chronicle, people could betray their faithful mates or even friends with whom they had gone all the way from the beginning.


    Finding two true friends among Fifth Chronicle creatures who had known each other for a very long time was rather problematic. However, if they were members of the same race, it couldn''t be called very rare, but what about different races?


    Many became temporary allies for some mission or mates, but it couldn''t be called friendship.


    But, at the highest level, namely the Transcendence Stage, these rules changed slightly.


    Polosa, as the Progenitor of the nts, had no friends, for friends must be equal, at least in rtion to each other. Polosa was the queen, she had to rule and the others had to obey her, that''s how the system worked.


    Polosa was not the only example. The heads of powerful organizations, ns, and guilds were all in a simr position. They stood above the others, this did not make them bad people as they could be excellent leaders, but they could hardly be friends with their subordinates.


    However, what happened if the creature that reached the very top was not the head of something?


    Most Progenitors were the rulers of their worlds because it was logical and it was their duty, but some were not going to follow the general rules. Obviously the most unusual of the Progenitors was Alucard, his powers were as unique as he himself.


    He did what he wanted and no one could stop him, after all, he was immortal. What''s more, he enjoyed his life even though he lived a very long time and to some extent, this was because he had a friend with whom he could share all his feelings.


    "The Immortal and the Invincible...?" Marlis muttered as she gave Sven a puzzled look.


    Sven nodded, "You don''t know this, but Alucard and Gael contacted me some time ago. It was after we started our n. Perhaps they spotted me when I was fighting Birit in the open. I didn''t expect that, but you know... Their instincts are on some entirely different level."


    "Alucard and Gael...?" Osvald''s eyes went wide as he raised his eyebrows, "Those two decided to participate in the war?


    Sven nodded, "Yeah, however, as always they have their own goals. The Nameless King is fighting for his race, our rulers want to take control of the whole world to achieve something that is very secret, because even we don''t know about it yet."


    Sven sighed, "Dragons like most other races and their representatives, will not participate in the war for many reasons... Dragons don''t care, and those who are not strong enough are too afraid to die and don''t believe in their abilities. They don''t realize they can make a difference."


    "In that case... What are Alucard and Gael''s goals...?" Marlis asked with a worried expression. She was well aware that Alucard and Gael were strong enough to affect the course of the war significantly. Each of them was stronger than an entire army of the Fifth Chronicle warriors.


    Sven smiled bitterly, "Don''t worry, they are technically on our side. Since Nameless King has always impressed them as a person. I mean, in some ways these three are simr, even with us they have something inmon. However, their goals are different from others."


    Sven stopped, took a deep breath, and said, "It may be strange, to us for sure, but these two are looking for fun. If the world is under the control of the Arox, it will be too boring for them. My attitude is simr, but unlike them, I don''t act like a child."


    Marlis and Osvald smiled. In fact, the reason wasn''t important, the most important thing was that some of the strongest, even among the Progenitors, were now their allies. It was a big step toward victory.


    "However, they will not fight against x and Arox directly." Sven said seriously in a deep voice.


    "What...?" Marlis was puzzled, "Didn''t you just say they are our allies?"


    Sven nodded, "That''s right. I don''t think they''re tricking us, but Alucard told me that the Arkans should be dealt with by Nameless King. He said that should be the most important event in this war and he doesn''t want to be the main star, but a spectator who will see the greatest fight either side can win."


    Marlis said nothing, she didn''t understand this logic, she and Alucard thought very differently.


    "Anyway, they''re doing something very important right now. Since even we couldn''t take care of it." Sven said calmly as he continued pacing forward, gradually approaching the gate.


    "Hmm?" Marlis looked at him.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "They are talking to the other Progenitors. They don''t want the Progenitors involved in the war, obviously, not everyone agrees with that, so... I think they may have had conflicts with some, but this is fine. No one in this world can handle these two without disaster for themselves." Sven''s face got more serious.


    He was one of the strongest fighters in all worlds, even most Dragons feared and respected him. However, Alucard and Gael were the ones he would not want to fight in mortalbat. Because their titles alone said it shouldn''t be done, not by anyone.


    Wain, who listened to all of this, was truly surprised.


    He knew that Alucard and Gael were not his enemies, they had known each other for a long time and had even been allies five hundred years before. After all, Alucard had killed several dozen Fifth Chronicle Arkans during the war, which saved the lives of many Humans.


    "Damn... How much was going on on the other side... Even considering how much information I had, I didn''t know about it. Sven was actually excellent at hiding his actions." Wain muttered with a dazed expression.


    Sven, Marlis, and Osvald were heading for the gate; it would not be long before they would return to their world, then the final stage of memories would begin: The First Great War.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly, space trembled. However, Marlis, Sven, and Osvald did not react at all, unlike Wain, whose head began to split.


    "What the hell...?" Wain growled, holding his head, the pain was tolerable but quite intense.


    "Did something happen to the energy channels? It was fine before!"


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    There was a bright white sh, as Wain''s consciousness drifted off somewhere, as if an invisible force had pulled him from his memories.


    Then, he opened his eyes and realized he was in Sven''s bar, everything was as it should be. However, the memories ended too soon. Sven, Marlis, and Osvald, opened their eyes after him with frowning faces. They didn''t understand what had happened either.


    The white energy currents were still binding their heads, so the skill had not been cancelled. They could return to their memories at any time, but they weren''t going to do it right now.


    Sven turned sideways with a slight frown on his face, then so did Marlis, Osvald, and Wain.


    "What the hell...?" Wain muttered in disbelief, "Are we sure we left the memories?"


    "Well... I wish I could answer ''yes'' to your question, but unfortunately, we''re in reality and it looks like it''s time to take a little break." Sven shook his head.


    Osvald and Marlis said nothing as their eyes went wide with genuine surprise.


    Next to them stood two tall silhouettes, one with long white hair and the other with short hair. The first silhouette wore an aristocratic red coat, while the second''s body was covered with a spacious white mantle.


    "Well, well, looks like we got here just in time. However, we always know how to find the moment!" Alucard smiled broadly, revealing his de-sharp fangs.


    "Yeah. Honestly, I''m a little embarrassed." Gael nodded with a slight smirk, "I offered to warn you about our visit, but you never listen to me."


    "Hahaha! Because you knew I was right! If I''d done what you said, we definitely wouldn''t have made it!" Alucardughed, shaking the whole bar with hisughter.


    Wain, Sven, Marlis, and Osvald were puzzled and didn''t know what to say.


    Alucard and Gael suddenly appeared at the bar and immediately started acting like this was their home.


    Alucard always acted this way, he could be intimidating at the same time and also act like a teenager, even though he was older than 99.99% of the inhabitants of this world.


    "Agh... Okay, what about us joining you?" Alucard smirked, looking at Wain and Sven.

 Chapter 1031 A Quiet World

    ?


    For a long time, Wain watched the memories of Sven, Marlis, and Osvald. He had already seen many events of which he had not even been aware before. Much was behind the scenes, and now he was getting answers to his questions.


    He had already learned a lot, and now all that remained was the beginning of the war, at least Wain thought so. The two men were doing something just as important as Sven, Marlis, and Osvald, but there was no way Wain could see their memories.


    Alucard and Gael showed up at Sven''s bar uninvited. No other creature would have dared to do such a thing, even among the strongest, many were afraid of Sven. If he had wanted to, he could have given battle even to the Dragon Progenitors.


    But, Alucard and Gael had a special position. They could do it, and Sven couldn''t kick them out, even if he wanted to. After all, it was impossible to defeat an immortal and invincible.


    "Hey! Why are your faces so serious?" Alucard smirked as he looked down at the others. Acting arrogant was more than normal for him. After all, he was the only one who had achieved what many people dreamed of.


    "Well... Given that you''re guests, I''d like to see more respect from you in my direction." Sven said calmly with an indifferent face. It was obvious he wasn''t angry, since Alucard and Gael were their allies, five hundred years ago and now.


    Gael sighed, "Alucard, my friend, I think Sven is right. We came with good intentions, but they could have done without us."


    Alucard shrugged and headed for the bar.


    "Anything in particr you desire?" Sven asked with a calm expression.


    Alucard nodded slightly, "I''d like some juice."


    Sven raised an eyebrow, "What...? Aren''t you a major whiskey fan?"


    Alucard shook his head, "The mind strains quite a bit while watching memories, so I don''t want to burden my head in any way."


    Marlis''s eyes went wide, "Agh...? Are you going to reveal your memories to us?"


    "Hah, wasn''t it obvious? That''s what we came here for!" Alucard waved his hand with a wide grin on his face, "Marlis, aren''t you one of the smartest? I thought you''d guess right away."


    Marlis frowned but didn''t say anything. She didn''t want to be rude to Alucard, for someone who acted like a child was incredibly scary in a serious rage.


    "Here." Sven snapped his finger, as a ss filled with red liquid appeared before Alucard.


    On the surface, it appeared to be blood, but in fact, it was the simplest of tomato juices. Alucard could easily get his hands on even the most valuable and rare wine, but when he saw the in tomato juice he was genuinely pleased.


    "Hah, Sven, you really are an excellent bartender! You always know exactly what your guest needs!" Alucard smiled before taking the ss in his hand.


    Then, Sven looked at Gael. Their gazes met as they nodded slightly at each other, then a bottle of sake with a small bowl appeared in front of Sven.


    Gael smiled, took a sip, and sat down next to them, then Alucard did the same.


    "Well, let''s get started!" Alucard eximed with an excited expression, before letting out some of his energy.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Red chaotic streams of energy made the space shake, but, Alucard quickly took control of them, turning them into two threads.


    The threads headed toward Alucard and Gael''s foreheads, then they merged with the white threads.


    Everyone closed their eyes, sinking into someone else''s memories. This time it was not exclusive to Wain, for what Alucard and Gael were doing, only they knew. Sven, Marlis, and Osvald knew only the results.


    "Well, well, a little more, and our part wouldn''t have been as interesting." Alucard muttered, looking at Sven, Marlis, and Osvald as they headed for the gate to Arkan World.


    "Yeah, we had less than a minute. You were right this time." Gael nodded, then he turned to the others.


    Now, they all were ghosts. Wain, Sven, Marlis, and Osvald, were going to see Alucard and Gael''s memories.


    "Can we get started already?" Sven frowned with a slight wave of his hand.


    "Sure. There''s no need to be in such a hurry." Alucard nodded as he turned to Gael, "Well, you and I will have to disappear for a while at this point, won''t we?"


    "You''re absolutely right." Gael nodded, "Honestly, it scares me a little. Usually, all you can do is make endless mistakes."


    Alucard smirked and snapped his finger. His ruby eyes glowed brightly as the space around them began to tear apart.


    Whoooooooooooooooooosh.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Strange energy engulfed Wain, Sven, Marlis, and Osvald as they headed off at breakneck speed. A river of snow-white energy led them into a world inhabited by one of the most unusual races, though their methods were more than standard.


    "Wait... Is this Axalt World...?" Osvald muttered with a confused expression.


    "Yeah. It definitely is." Marlis nodded confidently with a serious expression.


    "Damn... If nt World is the most beautiful world, then Axalt World is the calmest... That''s for sure." Wain looked around, immediately feeling unusually relieved, even though he was only a ghost.


    Ahead were countless stone mountains, tall and narrow, almost like pirs. On them grew pleasant yellow greenery with trees like these, and everything below was covered with a light mist.


    On some particrlyrge mountains were temples, simple in appearance, but they radiated a powerful aura as if they were ancient artifacts.


    "Well, Axalt cannot absorb energy as quickly as other races, but, because of that, their quality is greatly enhanced. Furthermore, with their training, they can actually be very strong." Sven said calmly, then he looked away, "Look. It''s happening everywhere."


    The ce he pointed to was a small vige with pagodas and tall trees. The vige was next to a massive waterfall, and a wideke where several people were fishing right now.


    There was a square in the vige where there were many people. Some of them were young men, some were girls.


    Each stood at an equal distance from the other as they simultaneously swung their wooden swords.


    In front of them stood a man with long ck hair and green eyes. He was wearing a white robe, and his arms were folded in his sleeves.


    "One more time! You must do 1007 more repetitions before you can rest!" The man eximed sternly, staring intently at each of his students.


    "Yes!" The students responded simultaneously. Determination was evident in their eyes, and they were not going to stop.


    This went on for a while until they took the required number of strokes. Most of them, their palms were bloody, and their wooden swords were slightly damaged.


    "Good job. If you continue at this pace, you can easily reach the Second Chronicle! However, never forget to train first, then absorb energy!" The man spoke in a serious tone.


    The students nodded silently as they went to rest and eat. Since they were Axalts, they each had a special sign on their chests, the men had the sun sign, and the girls had the moon sign.


    This was their specialty because this sign consisted of a dense material and was practically a detached part of the body, it was called - "Spirit". It was through the Spirit that Axalts absorbed energy, purifying itpletely.


    Other races also had to purify souls or any other energy before absorbing it, however, they could not achieve absolute purity. The Axalts couldn''t do that either, but the purity of the energy they received was much higher, but therefore they spent much more time than the others.


    "Hmm. Axalts, that''s pretty interesting, but is that what we came here for?" Marlis muttered as she touched her lips.


    "Yeah, I agree. Where are Alucard and Gael, shouldn''t they be here? And when exactly is this happening? Before we entered nt World or even before?" Sven asked himself.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    After a while, the space above the vige trembled as a massive bloody orb appeared out of nowhere in the air.


    The vigers were all at once alert. They prepared for a fight, but in fact, they couldn''t even pick up their swords.


    "What the hell...?" The young man who had just trained was puzzled, he looked at his trembling hands in disbelief, "Why can''t I move?"


    He wasn''t the only one in this situation. Even their teacher, could not move.


    It was because of the tremendous pressure that could actually crush them, killing them instantly. If they had started to resist, that''s exactly what would have happened.


    Whoooooooooooooooooosh.


    The sphere exploded, revealing the two silhouettes that were inside it. It was Alucard and Gael. They were looking around with slight smiles on their faces as if they were looking for something.


    "Agh... It''s so nice here." Alucard took a deep breath, "The air is so damn clean. So much so that I don''t even like it!"


    "I hope he doesn''t mind us barging in so abruptly." Gael looked away.


    Alucard shrugged, "Whatever. Our job is to get him to stay out of the war, so let''s do it!"

 Chapter 1032 Frost Wind

    ?


    Gradually, the pressureing from Alucard and Gael began to subside. The Axalts were able to move again, but no one dared to try to attack the two creatures on the Transcendence Stage. After all, they weren''t suicidal.


    "Wait... They came here to talk to him...?" Osvald muttered with a dazed expression.


    Each of them understood perfectly well who was the ruler of the Axalt World and what title that person had.


    "Yeah, I guess so. Or rather, there are no other options." Sven nodded with a serious expression, "Maybe Alucard is being too erratic, but in fact, he''s a smart bastard. Alucard knows that if he wants to, he can change the course of the war, and he''ll probably side with the Arkans."


    Marlis frowned. They were ghosts now and could only observe, but she was still worried because what they would see now could change things.


    More puzzled than the rest was Wain. He knew that the Ruler of the Axalt World was not involved in the war, which meant that Alucard and Gael had done their job. However, Wain could not believe that he would have be on the Arox and x side.


    Wain didn''t question Sven, who probably knew something about it. Instead, he decided to see for himself.


    Whoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooosh.


    The appearance of two beings with immense power could not go unnoticed by the defenders of the Axalt World, so four blue shes immediately headed toward Alucard and Gael.


    Alucard smirked, it seemed like he had been waiting for this.


    A momentter, two women and two men appeared around them, in long blue robes, with sharp jians at their belts.


    Their gazes were calm and sharp as if they were ready to give battle even to such opponents as Alucard and Gael. One thing was certain, they were not afraid.


    "Mr. Alucard. Mr. Gael." The woman respectfully said as she bowed slightly, "You are wee in our world anytime. However, you should have warned us and gotten permission, then we would have opened a portal for you."


    Gael nced at Alucard, who did the same. Gael looked away, enjoying the view of the huge waterfall near the vige. He had givenplete control of this situation to Alucard.


    Alucard smirked. If Gael had any suggestions, he might have listened to him, but right now, he was alone with the four Axalts on the Fifth Chronicle.


    Whooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooosh.


    In a heartbeat, Alucard vanished like a ghost, then he found himself right in front of the woman who had spoken to them. Before she could do anything, Alucard grabbed her chin and kissed her.


    Gael shook his head. The other three Axalts werepletely shocked. They had expected anything but this, it was just too weird!


    "What the hell is he doing...?" Marlis muttered as she blushed at such a scene.


    "Well... I think the most correct answer is - He''s doing what he wants, with absolutely no thought of the consequences." Sven shrugged.


    "Hah, consequences? I doubt such a thing exists for an immortal. He doesn''t really have limitations, and he takes advantage of that." Wain smirked. He had always liked the way Alucard acted, he was literally the living embodiment of freedom.


    After a while, Alucard pulled his lips away from the woman, and he licked them as if he had just eaten a delicious dessert. His tongue was partially covered in blood as he bit her in the process, drinking some of her blood.


    "Not bad. Axalts have clean and pleasant blood, but I wouldn''t drink it too much. It''s quite strong, like a whiskey from the world of alcohol." Alucard calmly said.


    "Bastard! I''m not a thing to be judged!" The woman eximed in rage as she jumped back. However, she did not attack Alucard. He had humiliated her in front of everyone, but she knew she had to hold back to avoid disaster.


    Alucard smirked, "If I wanted to, I could easily make a doll or a blood bag out of you. However, today my friend and I havee for a different purpose. Take us to your ruler."


    "Agh...? Did you have an appointment?" The man muttered with a confused expression, then he shook his head, "No. That is definitely impossible. Moreover, there is no way the governor can receive you now."


    Alucard nced at him, "Why not?"


    The man was about to answer, but, the second one interrupted him.


    "That''s enough! Alucard, go back to your world! Even if you''re immortal, you still have to obey the rules of other worlds! Stop acting like a child!" The second man said sternly as he crossed his arms over his chest. He stared intently at Alucard without showing any fear.


    Alucard shrugged, then he was right in front of him. With a carefree look, he slowly raised his hand and flicked the man on the forehead.


    Crackle.


    The man''s body rippled as a powerful shockwave threw him hundreds of meters away at tremendous speed.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The man tumbled down the hill, raising a huge cloud of dust in the air as if it were a bomb st.


    "Hey, guys, you don''t have to piss me off." Alucard said calmly, but, his words made the others wince as he was now a bit more serious, "I''m a guest in this world, so I try to behave politely like a true gentleman. However, don''t forget that I am actually a beast. I assure you, you don''t want to check it out."


    The three Axalts gulped. Alucard hadn''t even released his aura, but they realized that they no longer had a say. They could either submit or die, the choice was pretty obvious.


    Tap.


    Gael ced a hand on Alucard''s shoulder, with a slight smile looking at the Axalts, "My friend, I think they''ve already figured it out and made their decision, don''t you?"


    The woman Alucard kissed nodded.


    "Sure. I apologize that my mate was rude to you. We will escort you to our ruler right now." The woman spoke with a serious expression.


    "Good." Alucard nodded.


    Then, they all turned into shes, heading north of the Axalt World at breakneck speed.


    Wain, Sven, Marlis, and Osvald followed them. Everything around them began to blend and distort due to the tremendous speed until they came to an abrupt stop.


    "This is as far as we can take you, though I don''t think it''s a problem for you." The woman nced at Alucard before waving her hand and disappearing just like the others.


    Alucard smiled, "Well, well, when I get bored I can sleep for a few decades. You can do meditation, however, that bastard never stops on the path to power, does he?"


    Gael nodded with a slight smirk, "I must say I respect him. To have that kind of stability and stamina is something no one but him can achieve."


    In front of them were massive mountains with snow-capped peaks where the snowfall never seemed to stop. The cold wind sweeping across the mountains and cliffs was swift and brutal.


    In the mountain pass, there was a huge stone temple, with several levels. It had been partially destroyed, due to time, rain, and wind that for hundreds of years had subjected the temple to the trials of nature.


    The one Alucard and Gael were looking for was at the very top of the temple, which was on the same level as the mountain peaks. From there, there was a view of the entire Axalt World, a peaceful world from the most dangerous and unfriendly ce.


    Around this entire area was a barrier, but not an ordinary one, in fact, there was no barrier, however, few people could enter this area.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Alucard descended to the ground, calmly heading towards the mountains. This unusual territory was separated by a clear border, where the yellow grass ended and the blue grass began, frosty and covered with snow.


    Alucard stopped right in front of the border, there were no barriers, so he calmly stepped over the border. Absolutely anyone could do that, even a child, for it was no different from a normal walk along a forest path.


    Whooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, powerful torrents of wind fell upon Alucard, as if they were trying to drive him out of this ce as fast as possible.


    Obviously, the mere wind couldn''t stop Alucard, so he continued to step forward, but, the wind only intensified, with every step Alucard took, the wind became more violent.


    "Hmm, this is quite interesting. A simple wind, but so strong." Alucard muttered when he had already walked a few hundred steps.


    At the same moment, the wind became several times more powerful, leaving cuts on Alucard''s body that immediately healed due to his incredible regeneration.


    Gael did not venture into the snowy mountain territory, instead, he simply watched Alucard with curiosity in his eyes.


    "To make your way to the temple and then climb to the very top, you have to have real skill in wielding a sword. You must reflect the wind currents, control them, and block them. It''s the only right way. However, you always do things your own course, don''t you?" Gael smirked.


    "Fuck..." Marlis muttered as her eyes went wide, "I knew he was immortal, but doesn''t he feel pain?"


    Marlis was shocked. The brutal wind was literally ripping pieces of flesh off Alucard, but no emotion appeared on his face, in fact, he was already bored.

 Chapter 1033 The Strongest

    ?


    Unlike nt World, where the most important thing was to find peace and coexist peacefully with nts, things were different in Axalt World.


    The people here were notcking in dignity, on the contrary, the Axalt were extremely respectful of the older generations and also put more perseverance into their training than others.


    However, their main goal was to be as strong as possible, but Axalt never forgot to respect others, as getting strong was not their only goal.


    That is why every Axalt respected their Ruler, for he was the strongest Axalt, as well as the other Progenitors of their races.


    They knew what their Ruler was capable of, but the biggest reason for their respect was the temple he was in. Only the most talented of the Third Chronicle could reach the first floor, the Fourth Chronicle could barely make it to the second or even third floor. And, only the God Stage Axalt could climb to the very top with rtive ease.


    However, even God Stage Axalts couldn''t just walk to the top. They had to use their skills and vast experience to prevent the wind from injuring themselves. Not only was the wind dangerous, but so was the ice, since the higher it was, the colder it was.


    "Agh... I thought this would be a bit more interesting..." Alucard muttered climbing up to the second floor.


    He had reached the first floor a while ago and besides the wind, he was also hit by powerful frost currents. His body started to be covered with thin ice that should have held him back, but Alucard just stepped forward with an emotionless expression.


    "Well... I guess that shouldn''t happen, right?" Osvald muttered with a confused expression.


    "Yeah." Marlis nodded, "It''s hard to believe, but if Alucard didn''t have such insane regeneration, he would have died several times by now. Just look at this insanity!"


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    It seemed like the wind was alive, as it became so angry that Alucard didn''t even try to resist. The wind became faster and sharper, revealing Alucard''s bones and tearing up the skin from his face.


    He should have felt a terrible pain that would have made him do something about it, but Alucard didn''t even flinch. For someone who had been an immortal for a long time, pain had long since ceased to be something meaningful.


    "Hmm... It looks like this wind actually has some sort of consciousness. Well, in that case, we can start a dialog." Alucard serenely said before snapping his fingers.


    All his wounds instantly healed, his speed literally increased several times over, and his body became stronger, so now the wind couldn''t even scratch him, though it tried with all its might.


    Alucard stopped, took a deep breath, and raised his hand slightly.


    "If you have a mind, you should realize that against me you simply don''t stand a chance. Everything you do is nothing more than a refreshing stream of air for me, nothing more. Well, I''ll show you that." Alucard''s eyes sparkled as he unleashed some of his aura.


    Crimson energy streams traveled towards his hand, creating a powerful pressure under his palm that quickly turned into a vacuum. The wind shuddered as it at Alucard''s will, headed towards his palm, shrinking into a sphere.


    "See...? I don''t possess the attribute of wind, yet I can still control you simply because of my power. So... You better stop annoying me." Alucard calmly said before hiding his aura once again.


    The wind was given freedom, and as Alucard assumed, it did not attack him. Wind was just afraid of him, or rather this situation since Wind didn''t understand what needed to be done.


    "Well, looks like it''s my turn now. It won''t be good if, because of Alucard, this wind stops putting the others to the test. We need to fix that." Gael calmly said with a slight smile before stepping into the temple grounds.


    The wind did not immediately attack him as it did with Alucard, which caused Gael to smile bitterly.


    "Damn, that was expected. However, I didn''t expect you to be so timid. Come on! Unlike my friend, I will do things by the book. I have the sword and the skills to give you a decent fight! To make you realize that I am worthy to rise to the top!" Gael said as a sword woven from ash particles appeared in his hand.


    His sword was one of the most powerful weapons in the entire world, however, right now Gael was not going to act seriously and reveal his scars like in the fight with Alucard. He just wanted to have fun and get the wind back to normal.


    Gradually, the evening began to try to attack Gael. In response, Gael reflected the currents with smooth movements, nothing serious.


    The farther Gael passed the stronger and more confident the wind became, as if it were a real person.


    Gael was a master with a sword, so it was no problem for him to climb up to the third floor without even getting a scratch. By then he had already caught up with Alucard, who was pacing leisurely. He did it slowly as if he was waiting for his friend on purpose.


    "You decided to waste time on it...?" Alucard asked as he nced at Gael.


    "Yeah. Why not? It''s quite interesting. Maybe you should learn the art of the sword too? Knowing how to use a sword is something every man needs!" Gael said with an excited expression.


    Alucard waved his hand, "Enough of this nonsense. I don''t need a weapon. My body is the weapon."


    "Hah, I didn''t expect any other answer. That makes you pretty predictable, you know?" Gael smirked.


    Alucard didn''t answer anything, he just shrugged and quickened his step, heading toward the top of the temple.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Gael nodded.


    "Well, it''s time to call it a day. Don''t forget that you''re supposed to be a test for anyone who enters this territory." Gael said calmly, addressing the wind, "My friend just doesn''t know how to be polite."


    Whoooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Gael swung his sword, dispelling the currents of wind around him in an instant. He did it with ease, though even God Stage Axalts would probably spend a lot of energy just to get to the top.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Alucard and Gael, together, climbed thest staircase until they reached the end.


    At that moment, Wain, Marlis, Sven, and Osvald finally saw the one that Alucard and Gael hade here for.


    At the top of the temple, in the center of a huge stone tform that looked like an ancient arena, sat a single person.


    It was a man with long ck hair, his eyes were closed and in his ear was a jade earring. He was wearing a spacious white mantle, something simr to the one Gael wore.


    His legs were crossed in the lotus position, as his sword floated in front of him. It was a long de, with a smooth and sharp de, a marble-carved guard, and a long hilt.


    "You havee atst." The man said quietly, but his voice spread for hundreds of meters around, bringing with it majesty and power.


    Gael smirked, cing the sword on his shoulder.


    "You still spend your days training the same way, don''t you?"


    The man nodded silently.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Alucard silently headed forward with a slight frown.


    "Hey, you have visitors, can''t the great ruler of the Axalt World behave like a gentleman?" Alucard said sternly as he stopped, shoving his hands in his pockets.


    "Hm? Did I invite you?" The man replied coldly, "You intimidated the defenders of my world, one even injured, then came here and frightened the frosty wind that for hundreds of years has protected this ce from any unworthy."


    Whooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooosh.


    The man stood up abruptly, grabbed his sword by the hilt, and made a swing. In a heartbeat, Alucard was split in two, everything happened so fast that even he didn''t have time to react.


    Obviously for any creature such a wound would mean inevitable death, however, Alucard simply recovered.


    "What was that?" Alucard frowned, he wasn''t even angry even though a killing move had just been used against him.


    The man slightly opened his eyes which were blue, deep, and cold like ancient ciers.


    "Weren''t you bored when you came here?" The man nced at Alucard, "You came here to talk about the Great War, that''s obvious. However, are you worthy of me listening to you?"


    Alucard raised an eyebrow, "What...? I did not expect to hear something so profound from you. You and I are on the Transcendence Stage, and it is abundantly clear that we both stand at the very top of this world."


    The man nodded, "Yes, but, I''m not talking about power. What about your spirit? Unlike Gael you didn''t take the test, are you so arrogant that you have no respect for nature itself?"


    Alucard smirked, "Nature...? If I want to, I can power the whole world with my energy! And... Hearing that I''m arrogant to you is quite ironic. This world doesn''t know anyone more arrogant than you."


    The man shrugged, "Well, you can think that way it''s your right. Either way, you''re going to have to prove that I''m worth listening to you."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, the man let out some of his aura, and everyone felt a chill go down their backs, even Sven and Wain.


    "Hah, I didn''t expect anything else from him." Wain smirked insidiously as he stared intently at the man, "Progenitor of Axalts, Liang, The Strongest One."

 Chapter 1034 The Strongest (Part 2)

    ?


    Progenitors were some of the strongest beings, as only a few fighters on the Transcendence Stage could rival them in strength.


    Everyone recognized this as well as the fact that each Progenitor had a special Title. It showed the Progenitor''s main characteristic or reminded them of some significant achievement.


    Obviously, Alucard had a Title - The Immortal, the same was true for everyone else and Liang was no exception.


    However, even Titles had to have some limits, right? Well, Liang had held his Title, The Strongest One, for centuries and no one had been able to challenge it yet.


    The Axalts were proud that their Progenitor and ruler bore such a Title, which many considered more significant than Alucard''s one.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    As soon as Liang released some of his aura, a ripple and a slight tremble went throughout the world, which was felt by the residents.


    "Agh...? What''s going on?" The young man that had just finished training muttered as he looked into the distance, to where the frost temple was, "Is the Ruler fighting someone?"


    This was the reaction of most Axalts who were higher than the Second Chronicle, for when an Axalt reached the Third Chronicle, he would immediately make his first attempts to ascend to the temple.


    At the same moment, the guards of the Axalt World headed toward the temple. There were now slightly more of them than when Alucard and Gael had invaded this world. They were anxious, for they knew that their ruler had not radiated such pressure during their training. Among them was also the woman who had led Alucard and Gael here.


    "Tsk." The woman bit her lip with a great frown.


    "Nakano, is something wrong?" One of the guardians asked with a curious expression.


    "No, or rather yes." Nakano shook her head, "Those bastards made me escort them to the Ruler, I assumed they didn''te with good intentions, but I didn''t think it woulde to a fight so quickly!"


    The man shrugged, "You shouldn''t berate yourself for that. Even though we''re among the strongest in our world, there''s nothing you could have done against that monster. If you had resisted, it would have just devoured you like a wild beast."


    "Agh...?" Nakano''s eyes went wide as she nced at Alucard, "Mr. Wang, are you talking about him? About The Immortal?"


    Nakano still vividly remembered the shame and humiliation she had experienced when Alucard had brazenly kissed her, however, now she realized that it was probably the best thing that could have happened.


    "Yeah, I think he''s been more like a beast than a person for a long time now. Moreover, Vampires originally have fangs, some kind of savagery, and sharp ws. He is the Progenitor of all Vampires. He is the one who has achieved what all Vampires, as well as many of us, wish for." Wang said calmly with a serious expression.


    Wang was the chief protector and one of the strongest and oldest Axalts. He knew more about the Progenitors than most, as he had seen and heard what they were capable of on many asions.


    Nakano gulped, "You''re probably right, but that said, he doesn''t look like a beast at all... I mean, he was just toying with me. He looks more like a child than someone truly frightening."


    Wang nodded, "Yeah, that makes sense. However, it should be pretty obvious to you that this isn''t the real Alucard."


    Nakano gave him a questioning look.


    Wang sighed, "The older we get the less we want to bepletely serious when all we have to do is show our true colors and do whatever is necessary. I''m sure Alucard, as someone who can''t die, has very little reason to ever be serious. He just doesn''t need it, it''s much easier to y a role and enjoy it."


    Nakano nodded silently. She hadn''t even thought of something like that since Wang was trying to figure out what was going on in Alucard''s head. Nakano on the other hand was just worried about their ruler, they were thinking aboutpletely different things.


    "You don''t need to worry." Wang replied as if he had read her mind.


    "Agh...?" Nakano was surprised.


    "Have you forgotten what Title our Ruler holds? He may not be able to kill Alucard, for obvious reasons, but he can easily beat him to the point where the great Vampire Progenitor will flee our world in fear." Wang confidently said as he folded his hands behind his back.


    "Yes!" Nakano eximed with a serious expression. Her mentor''s words gave her confidence; there was no doubt in her mind now.


    Nakano and Wang didn''t know it, but Alucard could hear their every word, and if he wanted to, his hearing became truly acute. With maximum concentration, he could easily hear the footsteps of ants several kilometers away from here.


    "Hahaha, damn, those two are real idiots!" Wain eximed with an excited expression, "They don''t even realize what they just did!"


    Sven smirked, "Yeah, I guess I''ll agree with you. In front of Liang, he won''t attack them, but... now he''ll do anything to show them how wrong they are. Just to see their faces full of despair."<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "Damn... I don''t understand your games at all." Osvald frowned as he crossed his muscr arms over his chest, "Either way it''s going to be an interesting fight! I want to see it!"


    Marlis shook her head, "You never change, all you think about is fighting. You should have dived deeper since not all fights are fistfights. Many fight in their minds."


    Osvald looked at her as if she was talkingplete nonsense.


    "What...? How can you defeat someone with your mind? There''s only one effective way! It''s a powerful fist strike!" Osvald eximed, with absolute certainty.


    Marlis just rolled her eyes. Sven and Wain exchanged nces as slight smiles appeared on their faces. They agreed with both Osvald and Marlis, after all, when fighting someone of such a level as Alucard and Liang, everything mattered.


    Whooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooosh.


    The powerful aura that emanated from Liang was like torrents of wind raining down on Alucard, fluttering his long white hair and crimson coat. His face remained emotionless.


    "And? How long do I have to wait? Go ahead and attack me!" Alucard arrogantly said, setting himself up for the attack.


    Liang remained silent until nced at Gael, who was standing to the side, "You''re not going to participate?"


    Gael shrugged, "Nah, I''m fine. You two need to blow off some steam before we can talk without emotion. Moreover, I passed the temple test as required, so by your logic, I deserve for you to listen to me, right?"


    Liang paused for a moment, then he nodded, "Yes, you are right. However, I doubt we can change my mind. I will participate in the Great War and only on the side of the Arkans!"


    "Hmm? What about them?" Alucard pointed back at the guardians that hovered in the air and watched the battle, "Will they follow you too? Just like the people of this world?"


    Liang shook his head, "No. That is only my decision. I have my own motives. Axalt World will continue to exist at the same pace, and the Great War won''t affect it in any way."


    "Damn, you have some damn strange logic, I don''t understand you at all." Alucard said with a confused expression while scratching his cheek, "Maybe it''s a side effect of meditating! Oh, I know! Because of meditation and practicing, your brain started to malfunction!"


    Nakano frowned as she clenched her fists tightly. She was furious that Alucard was mocking her Ruler, whom she respected immensely. However, Liang himself did not have any emotions, he remainedpletely calm.


    "Well, if you earn the right to speak to me, then perhaps you will understand me. It will also be a good opportunity for you to be a little smarter." Liang said confidently, "You possess immortality, but instead of evolving, you''re degenerating, how ironic."


    Alucard smirked. He obviously wasn''t angry, on the contrary, Liang''s attempt to hurt him only made things more fun and interesting for him.


    Liang''s eyes narrowed and at that moment Gael took a step back disappearing from the arena with particles of ash.


    "Agh...?" Nakano was puzzled as to why Gael decided to do that, and after a moment she had an answer.


    Whoooooooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Liang gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, took a step forward, and swung his sword several times.


    Nakano could clearly see three swings, one horizontal, one vertical, and one diagonal.


    However, Sven and Wain saw a lot more, a number far beyond what Nakano could notice.


    "Twenty-one." Suddenly a calm voice sounded behind Nakano as she turned around and saw Gael.


    "What...? What are you talking about?" Nakano was puzzled and surprised. She didn''t expect to see Gael here, she thought he was headed somewhere else since she didn''t even feel his aura.


    Gael smiled slightly, "Didn''t you notice that? Well, you still need to practice. Just now, Liang made exactly twenty-one sword swings, it was swift, faster than a heartbeat."


    "Did...?" Nakano turned around in disbelief, looking at Alucard. Just likest time he didn''t defend himself, so secondster everyone saw the consequences of his actions.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crack.


    Alucard''s body disintegrated into many pieces as they fell to the ground. From a person in an instant to bloody cubes on the ground.

 Chapter 1035 Is It Possible To Kill An Immortal?

    ?


    Vampires were known as one of the strongest races even among the Pirs, for several reasons. They were strong physically, second only to Axalts and Ashens, their magical abilities were also top-notch, but all of this was only secondary effects.


    The most important of course was their regeneration, as well as quickly bing stronger and replenishing energy with the blood of other creatures. Of course, vampires had natural enemies, the most famous of which were Ashens.


    A Vampire could easily drink the blood of an Elf or Demon, but if a Vampire tried to do the same with an Ashen, it would be a deadly mistake. The mes would simply burn the Vampire leaving him no chance of survival.


    It was also one of the reasons why Alucard and Gael''s friendship was so strange and in some parts even ironic. Vampires and Ashens were not open enemies, but the peculiarities of their races prevented them from being allies.


    However, although Vampires possessed amazing regeneration there were plenty of ways to kill them or temporarily disable their regeneration. Moreover, sometimes it was not necessary, as Vampires could not heal absolutely any wounds.


    Different wounds took different amounts of time to regenerate, but to heal a Fifth Chronicle scratch a Vampire didn''t even have to think about it, it happened automatically.


    It took some time to regenerate a limb, arm, or leg, but it was still rtively easy for a strong vampire. However, what about the internal organs, the heart and brain?


    Well, that was a lot harder, and that''s what experienced fighters used to use when fighting against Vampires. They knew that if the critical points were damaged, the Vampire would have two choices, either to run away or to concentrate all its strength on regeneration, thus remaining defenseless.


    This was useful advice for anyone who was with an enemy Vampire on the same Chronicle, however, none of this mattered if the Vampire was much weaker.


    If a Fifth Chronicle Elf fought against a Third Chronicle Vampire, the Elf did not try to wound the Vampire''s heart or brain, the Elf simply turned the Vampire to dust in one spell. This was the advantage of having more power, causing everyone to strive for it.


    Liang, as the holder of the Title - The Strongest One, wasn''t going to use any tactics, he didn''t need to. To achieve all of his goals, his skill was enough, nothing more.


    All the obstacles that were in front of him were not significant, as he could destroy them all using only his strength, which was the greatest in the entire world.


    "Unbelievable..." Nakano muttered in disbelief, looking at what was left of Alucard.


    "You see?" Wang asked with a serious expression, "This is the power of our Ruler. That arrogant Vampire didn''t even have time to react before Mr. Liangunched 21 single attacks."


    Nakano gulped, "Yeah...however, how is that possible? I don''t mean to sound arrogant, but I''m one of the guardians... I believe I''m one of the strongest Axalts, and yet I was only able to see three swings."


    Wang nodded, "Don''t worry, it''spletely normal. You still have room to grow, don''t forget that you haven''t reached the Transcendence Stage yet. When you reach that level, you''ll realize how insignificant everything before was."


    Nakano nodded, then Wang turned around, meeting Gael''s gaze. He wasn''t afraid of him at all since they were on the same Stage.


    "Don''t you regret not staying in the arena?" Wang asked with narrowed eyes.


    Gael said nothing, he just tilted his head as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    Wang frowned, "You came into our world and caused our ruler to be distracted from his meditation. However, you turned out to be a terrible friend who didn''t even help his mate."


    Gael smirked, "Help...? Do you think Alucard needs my help? The best friend is the one who understands exactly what his friend needs, it''s a true art that I''ve fully mastered for what feels like several hundred years now."


    "Agh...? What are you talking about?" Nakano muttered, "You''re so calm even though you just lost your friend... Even if Alucard has high regeneration, it''s impossible to recover from such wounds!"


    Gael shook his head, "You''re right. Liang did a top-notch job. In twenty-one strokes, he cut through all of Alucard''s organs, muscles, tendons, and even the brain. There isn''t a single intact part. Even the most powerful regeneration isn''t enough to recover from something like that, however, Alucard doesn''t have high regeneration."


    Nakano was puzzled as she gave him a questioning look.


    Gael took a deep breath, "Looks like Alucard was right, and your intelligence has actually dropped after prolonged meditation, you''ve lost touch with the real world. Don''t you realize it''s no joke when we refer to Alucard as immortal?"<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, all parts of his body emitted a powerful bloody energy as in a heartbeat, Alucard fully recovered, appearing in the same ce he was standing before.


    Alucard twisted his neck in different directions, making a loud crunching sound as if he was putting it back in ce, then a ringing crack went through all his bones.


    "Damn, I haven''t felt like this in a long time. With your first serious attack, you made me use full recovery. That''s actually impressive. Now, do I deserve you to listen to me?" Alucard nonchntly said without even looking at Liang.


    "You''ve done nothing to earn that right." Liang calmly said, "You''re just using your unique ability, it''s not an indicator of your skills. I can''t respect someone who hasn''t put time and effort into their training, though... I doubt you''ve ever trained at all."


    Alucard nodded, "Fine, then how about a bet?"


    "Bet...? Liang muttered, slightly puzzled.


    "I''ll prove to you that your ideology is nonsense!" Alucard said confidently, pointing at Liang, "I like everyone in this world recognize your status, however, you didn''t get it through training and years of meditation. Otherwise, everyone would be capable of it! Perseverance has a limit, many people are more persistent than you, but they are nowhere near your level!"


    Liang frowned, showing some emotion for the first time, "In that case, what was the reason why I reached this level?"


    Alucard spread his hands apart, "Anything! Philosophy, uniqueness, worldview, partially all of these things that created the one-of-a-kind essence epitomizing your power!"


    "Nonsense!" Liang waved his hand with annoyance, "You''re a Vampire! You know nothing of the true perseverance andbor that every Axalt puts into their training!"


    Liang couldn''t admit that Alucard was right, for then it devalued thebors of the members of his race. It was uneptable to him, moreover, he was absolutely certain that Alucard was wrong.


    "You are simply an anomaly in this world! Immortality should be taboo! Death muste for each of us sooner orter, and all we can do until then is try to reach the greatest heights we can!" Liang said majestically as if his words were a sentence.


    Alucard smirked, he was satisfied that he was able to hurt Liang, and that was one of his goals.


    "That''s why I''m offering you a deal. If I''m just an anomaly, then you can easily prove it by forcing me to leave the grounds of this temple. If you can do that, then Gael and I will leave this world and not interfere with your participation in the Great War."


    Liang became wary, "What about you? What do you want to prove?"


    Alucard shrugged, "Nothing. I have nothing to prove, unlike you, I don''t care what Vampires do in my world. I''m free to do what I want, and use my power how I want! Freedom is me!"


    Liang narrowed his eyes, "In that case... What do you want, Mr. The Immortal?"


    Alucard smirked, "Hmm... Let me think about it. Oh, I know! I want to drink your blood! Maybe then I''ll understand the meaning of hard work and perseverance!"


    Liang nodded, "Then it''s decided. If I force you outside the temple, then you and Gael will leave my world, but if you can drink my blood, then I will listen to you. I hate to admit it, but if you can do that, then in a way it proves that your freedom and abnormality are just as important as perseverance and hard work."


    Alucard nodded, then he turned around, ring at the keepers, especially Nakano.


    "Now that we have the rules sorted out, I think we should get started. The people of your world think you''re the strongest, and they''re not wrong. However, I think it would be good for your guardians to see what the other strongest beings in our universe are capable of." Alucard smirked, slowly folded his hands in his pockets, and took a deep breath.


    Then, everyone but Gael felt a chill go down their backs and their hearts were shackled by chains of fear. They couldn''t even move, staring at the pall of dark red energy emanating from Alucard, which seemed to be endless.


    ''No way... How is this possible... It''s boundless power...'' Nakano internally muttered in disbelief.

 Chapter 1036 Fear Of Hardship

    ?


    What was the most important difference between the First Chronicle and Third Chronicle creature? Maybe in strength? In speed? In the amount of energy? Inbat skills or instincts?


    Yeah, those were all valid answers, but it wasn''t a pure indicator of power. It just meant that more First Chronicle creatures were needed to defeat Third Chronicle.


    If Third Chronicle was ten times stronger than First Chronicle, then a hundred First Chronicle fighters should have easily defeated a single Third Chronicle. However, it didn''t work that way, the rules of this world worked differently because there was a significant difference between their auras.


    A Third Chronicle creature didn''t even need to fight a First Chronicle one to win, it didn''t even need to make a single move since the aura was enough. With its aura, Third Chronicle one could suppress its enemy without letting it even move,pletely disarming it.


    However, if the difference between creatures was only one step in Chronicles, then aura was not as powerful a weapon. Aura alone wasn''t enough to win immediately, but it was unlikely that Nakano and the other guardians would agree with that right now.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The entire Axalt World stood still for a moment. All the creatures below the Fourth Chronicle froze in ce and it didn''t matter if they were sleeping, working, resting, or right in the middle of a fierce battle.


    Their instincts made them stop moving, like victims hunted by a predator trying to deceive its pursuer.


    Then, from the northern side of the Axalt World, a huge bloody pir of energy appeared, raging like an immense volcano. Scarlet streams of energy spread throughout the world, bringing with it the majesty and smell of blood.


    Nakano, Wang, and the other guardians that were right next to the temple couldn''t stop the shivers that spread through their bodies.


    In their minds they knew they had nothing to fear, this was their world, and their ruler could protect them, but their bodies wouldn''t obey them.


    Then, Alucard''s words sounded in Nakano''s head, and she looked at her trembling hands with wide-eyed fear in the midst of them.


    "Effort and perseverance... right?" Nakano muttered, trying to clench her hands into fists, then they couldn''t even move a finger, "I''ve practiced sword swings thousands of times a day, for over a hundred years, my control is almost perfect! However... now I can''t do anything!"


    "Nakano! Silence!" Wang eximed sternly. Usually, after something like that, Nakano would immediately adopt a formal pose and straighten her back, but now she barely reacted.


    "But... Wait... You too... There''s nothing you can do either..." Nakano said in disbelief looking at her mentor.


    Wang was at the Transcendence Stage, he had reached this stage recently, only a year ago, which for this level was equivalent to a few hours of real life. He was much stronger than Nakano, but he was still a long way from Liang''s level, perhaps further than First Chronicle one to God Stage.


    Wang frowned, to him as one of the strongest Axalt''s, this was insulting.


    "Nonsense! I can move just like you, just use your aura!" Wang eximed, then streams of blue energy came out of his body, and the pressure dropped significantly. He still felt some difort, but now it was no problem for him to pull his sword out of its sheath.


    Nakano nodded as she repeated after him, covering his body with white energy. Her results weren''t as impressive as Wang''s, but she felt better. The other guardians did the same.


    Crimson energy continued to emanate from Alucard as if it was infinite. However, Alucard wasn''t really even trying, he looked calm and rxed as if he wasn''t the one releasing the energy, but the energy was trying to get out of his body.


    Nakano smiled as she looked at Wang.


    ''Mentor is right, maybe I''m worrying too much. When I reach Transcendence Stage then such energy can''t harm me!" Nakano inwardly eximed, then she turned around. She wanted to see how Gael was protected from Alucard''s aura.


    But, as soon as she turned around her eyes went wide.


    ''What...? Why is he so calm?" Nakano internally muttered in disbelief.


    Streams of crimson energy were crashing right against Gael''s body, but it seemed that when they came near him they became a hundred times weaker, for even his hair didn''t ripple.


    "Is something wrong?" Gael smiled slightly, looking at Nakano, "If you want to ask me something, I can answer you."


    Nakano said without hesitation, "Why aren''t you trying to protect yourself from the energy streams!"


    "Agh...?" Gael tilted his head, "Protect yourself? Why? I don''t need it, I''m not as weak as you."


    "Weak?" Nakano whispered in confusion as she nced at Wang. Gael and Wang were on the Transcendence Stage, but the difference between them even now was obvious. It was as if there were many other Stages in the Transcendence Stage, and Gael was at the top while Wang was at the very bottom. <novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "You don''t really need that either. You can withstand the pressureing from Alucard without using a protective aura, can''t you?" Gael asked in a calm voice.


    Nakano nodded.


    "So... Why are you making the situation easier for yourself? I''m sure Liang''s words are pure truth, every Axalt puts hard work and perseverance into their training, but what''s the point if in the end, you take the easy way out?" Gael''s words like condemnation echoed in Nakano''s mind.


    Gael sighed, "If you train for decades to make difficult situations be easy, then that''s a real failure. Only by going through hardships can we be better, it''s the basis of the basics, the fundamental truth of our world."


    Nakano gulped, just now she had heard something that could change her worldview. Axalts believed that one had to train and hone their skills until there were no more obstacles left.


    Axalts didn''t smash their fists into blood trying to break down the wall that was in front of them on their way to power, they just chopped it down with one honed swing.


    However, that meant they weren''t prepared for the real challenges. They didn''t have the instinct that other races had.


    "If you want to get better, remove the energy barrier right now and hold it until the end of the fight. Be warned this is just the beginning, Alucard is still ying around, things haven''t gotten serious yet." Gael said calmly as he crossed his arms over his chest.


    Nakano with a nk stare nodded, it was as if she was hypnotized.


    "Nakano! Don''t do that!" Wang eximed in a stern voice, "If you stay here without a barrier, it will seriously harm you. Moreover, you might get hit by a random attack!"


    "And... What next?" Nakano asked while her gaze grew deeper, "Continue to defend yourself? Shiver in fear? Hide and wait until the training is enough? You can''t reach this level just by practicing while constantly avoiding difficulties!"


    Wang''s eyes went wide with great frown, he didn''t know what to reply.


    "Hahahahahahahahaha!" Alucard suddenlyughed, shaking the space with hisughter, "Good girl, don''t listen to that cretin who only took one step forward from the God Stage and somehow ended up on the Transcendence Stage. If you want to achieve something, you fight! Fight while you still have a drop of blood in you!"


    Nakano was not happy that Alucard was telling her this, but she realized that he as well as Gael was right, after all, unlike her or Wang these two were at the true top.


    Whoooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Nakano took a deep breath and removed the protective barrier.


    At the same moment, streams of aura like a violent wind swept over her, leaving a few scratches on her face, and bringing down a powerful pressure on her. It was hard for her to stay in ce, but she held on, with a confident look. She was going to face her difficulties, not run away as everyone else did.


    "Wait... Did you hear everything?" Wang muttered in disbelief, looking at Alucard as fear appeared in his heart.


    Alucard smirked, "Hahaha, of course. My hearing is excellent, as well as my eyesight and charm. Don''t worry, I forgive you. A cowardly piece of shit like you isn''t worth my time."


    "Enough!" Liang said sternly, drawing everyone''s attention, "Alucard, you are fighting me now, not my subordinates. Maintain your dignity and stick to ethics."


    "Sure. I am a gentleman after all." Alucard smirked, putting her palm to her chest.


    Wain got a devious look as he crossed his arms over his chest, "Who do you think will win?"


    "Hmm? Shouldn''t logically Alucard win? I mean, otherwise, we wouldn''t be watching these shbacks." Osvald was puzzled.


    Sven shook his head, "That''s not necessarily the case. There are many other ways they could have gotten Liang to not take part in the war. However, I''m betting Liang, in this case, Alucard''s immortality, won''t be able to bring him victory, the rules aren''t on his side."


    Marlis nodded, "I agree. I''m in favor of Liang as well."


    Osvald shrugged, "I don''t know what about the rules, but Liang is the strongest! Alucard can''t die, but that doesn''t mean he always wins!"


    "What about you?" Sven nced at Wain.


    Wain grinned, "I don''t want to join you, moreover, I see that Alucard will win, and it won''t happen the way you suggest."

 Chapter 1037 Destruction

    ?


    Every great battle could not pass without bringing destruction with it, it was impossible, but destruction always had some sort of limit. Two opponents could not fight constantly at the limit of their strength, but... that was hardly the case for Alucard and Liang.


    Step.


    Liang took a step forward as he made a lightning sword swing, from top to bottom. He did the same thing as the first time he split Alucard in two, but now his look was a bit different.


    They had apetition, so he acted seriously, as he couldn''t lose and let Alucard drink his blood. That would mean his philosophy was true, even if only partially, but that would already be a true failure.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    A ck streak passed on Alucard''s body, splitting it in two, but Alucard sharply elerated his regeneration and didn''t let it happen.


    "Pfft! That was too easy!" Alucard mockingly snorted with a wave of his hand.


    "Oh, are you sure about that?" Liang calmly asked, piercing his opponent with a hard stare.


    "Agh...?" Alucard was puzzled, then his entire body exploded, shattering into millions of drops of blood.


    Liang realized that it wasn''t enough to kill Alucard, he could recover from almost nothing, but that wasn''t Liang''s goal. All he needed to do was throw Alucard outside the temple, and he could do that with ease, right now.


    "Too much arrogance for someone who wasn''t prepared for such an obvious but effective attack." Liang calmly said as he elegantly waved his hand.


    His movements were followed by streams of wind that appeared out of nowhere. They were powerful and swift, quickly blowing all of Alucard''s blood away from the arena area.


    "Is the ruler really going to win now?! Nakano inwardly eximed while watching the droplets of blood flying by the edges of the tform.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    One of thest drops glowed brightly, instantly creating a skeleton, brain, and heart, quickly forming flesh.


    The skeleton was ready to grab the edge, in which case Alucard wouldn''t lose, but Liang supposed that might have happened.


    Crackle.


    In a heartbeat, Liang appeared right in front of Alucard, bringing his palm down on his chest, which had yet to be covered in flesh, it was just bones behind which hid the heart.


    The mere impact of such a powerful creature caused dozens of shockwaves to spread across the temple grounds in the form of air rings. They made theyers of snow shudder, copsing into an avnche and heading for the londs of the mountains.


    Along Alucard''s ribcage, went cracks, then due to the immense pressure his whole body exploded again, going far outside the arena.


    Liang took a deep breath, took a step back, and said, "Your regeneration is impressive, but it''s not enough against me. Still, training and hard work are paramount. I win."


    There was silence for a while until someone spoke up.


    "Are you sure about that?"


    "Agh?" Liang was puzzled as he looked at Gael, who despite the oue of the fight remainedpletely calm. Moreover, there was a slight, sly smile on his face.


    "Look." Gael pointed upwards.


    Liang turned around and his pupils narrowed. He looked at the long white hair that floated serenely over the stone-cold tform, slowly descending.


    Ironically, it was the wind that supported this hair, which Liang was using to defeat what he thought he had already defeated.


    Crack.


    The hair was torn apart with massive red energy waves as Alucardpletely recovered in an instant.


    Then, huge wings made of blood appeared behind him, the pping of which gave him a lightning speed with which he swooped down on Liang.


    Liang shuddered. In a real battle, he would let his opponent make such an attack to receive a normal wound, but, then annihte his opponent into atoms. However, a single drop of his blood getting on Alucard''s tongue was tantamount to defeat in their contest.


    ''Smart and fast! Fine, then I''ll do it!" Liang internally eximed as he pointed his palms at Alucard.


    Air pulses came out from his hands, which threw Alucard away, preventing him from approaching Liang, then, Liang swept his hand across his sword, filling it with the power of the wind.


    "This time, I''ll make sure that not even a hair of yours is left here! Nothing!" Liang eximed, sharply thrusting his sword forward, releasing a powerful stream of wind from its tip, which quickly turned into a real hurricane.


    The hurricanepletely engulfed Alucard. He tried to resist, but it was useless, it was impossible to ovee such pressure.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    ''Oh... This is bad... A little more, and I''ll be outside the arena... This wind won''t let me leave a hair or let a drop of blood fall on the tform...'' Alucard pondered, remaining calm, although the wind was tearing his body apart.


    Alucard recovered quickly, so quickly the wind turned scarlet as if it were a bloody storm, violent and unruly.


    "Looks like we won, doesn''t it?" Marlis smirked, looking mockingly at Wain.


    Osvald nodded, "If this were a real fight we would know the result before long, but the wind is too useful in a situation like this. All Liang had to do was not let Alucard recover, leave him without time."


    Sven said nothing, he only frowned slightly.


    Wain chuckled, "Hey, you guys seem to havepletely forgotten that the creatures in this world have something else besides racial traits."


    "Agh...?" Marlis and Osvald gave him a questioning look.


    "I understand, Alucard''s immortality and incredible regeneration is impressive, but it''s something every Vampire possesses, it''s just that Alucard has elevated it to an ultimatum and unattainable form. However, he also has skills just like the rest of us." Wain said slyly.


    Marlis and Osvald''s eyes went wide as they abruptly turned their heads toward the battle. Wain was right, they hadpletely forgotten about it, they couldn''t be med for that since Alucard had always just had enough of his body''s physical strength and regeneration to win.


    His opponent carried the Title of the strongest in the entire world, so in this case he needed to get serious.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly, the space shook as Alucard''s eyes shed brightly like bloody rubies. At the same moment, all the blood that was in the tornado traveled back to its master, covering his body with a thin scarlet veil, like a crimson me.


    Then, Alucard created wings again, and this time one single p was enough to create another tornado, no less powerful than Liang''s one.


    Space shook as the two tornadoes collided, creating a vortex that was visible from every point of the Axalt World.


    "Looks like the ruler has a tough fight on his hands, doesn''t he...?" The young man meditating on top of the mountain muttered as he watched all the clouds of the world heading to one ce.


    It looked like a tornado that was capable of destroying all living things, and all it took was one sweep of an immortal being.


    "ording to the rules I''m not supposed to leave the arena area, am I?" Alucard said calmly, looking down at Liang from above.


    Alucard shrugged, "Whatever, I can change the rules at any time as I want to."


    "Agh...? What do you mean?" Liang muttered puzzled, unable to understand what was in his mad opponent''s mind.


    "Liang... Do you know what kids like to do the most?" Alucard asked with a calm gaze.


    "What...?"


    "Crushing. It''s a real thrill, especially when you don''t care about the consequences, because kids don''t know about it yet. Adults are different from children, they know the consequences, so they hold back, but... Do I need to hold back? Are there consequences in this world of which I should be afraid?" Alucard said majestically, then he swung his hand, leaving a long bloody cut on his other palm.


    Nakano was surprised, "What...? Did he injure himself? But, why?"


    Gael smirked as he stood beside him, holding his hands behind his back with a serene expression.


    "Nakano tell me if you were fighting against an opponent who can permanently repair your wounds but doesn''t possess enough power to overwhelm you. What would you be afraid of?" Gael asked.


    "Agh...? What a strange question..." Nakano muttered in confusion, then she pondered, "Well if I''m stronger, the worst thing would be if my opponent suddenly had some kind of trump card, or if he got a powerful physical or magical enhancement."


    "Yeah." Gael nodded, "Because in that case you wouldn''t have any advantage, and that''s exactly what Alucard is doing right now."


    "What...?" Nakano tilted her head, then a chill went down her back as she slowly turned around.


    Towards the guards, from Alucard, was energy so thick that it could almost harm them like a real weapon. The source of the energy was Alucard''s fists, which he clenched tightly, increasing the power hidden in them.


    Then, a bloody seal with the ''I'' symbol appeared on the outer sides of his palms.


    "The first gate... The power beyond..." Alucard muttered, then he with the speed of a sh appeared high up, above the clouds.


    His wings disappeared, then he raised his fists above his head like two massive hammers before copsing to the ground.


    "No!!!!" Liang eximed, realizing what was about to happen, and even he had no power to stop it.


    Alucard fell on the temple like a crimson meteor, bringing his fists down on its peak with all his might.

 Chapter 1038 The Explosion

    ?


    Alucard moved quickly, his fists raining down on the temple in just a few moments, however, to those who watched that brief moment, it seemed much longer.


    Especially to Nakano and the other guardians of the Axalt World. Their leader, the ruler of an entire world, was not prepared for this and could not stop the looming threat.


    He may have been the strongest, but that didn''t mean he was omnipotent. Some things were impossible even for him, like saving a temple from destruction.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    As Alucard''s fists reached the ground, a bright red sh appeared, covering the area of the snowy mountains for a moment and even going beyond it. Then, the sh abruptly shrank to the size of an atom, releasing all of its power in a single moment.


    A gigantic explosion with chaotic streams of auras, destroyed most of the temple, leaving not even a mere stone from it.


    Massive cracks appeared in the snowy mountains around it, growing in a web pattern, and affecting the outernd where the snowyer ended and the brutal winds did not rage.


    Anyone who was near the epicenter of the explosion risked being injured, especially Nakano who, on Gael''s advice, had canceled her protective aura.


    "No... no... no!" Nakano eximed fearfully, looking at the st wave that wasing at her like a storm, with tremendous speed. She wanted to protect herself, but she had too little time to create her aura again. Her decision could lead to her death right now.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    At thest moment, a metallic gleam from the long sword of another swordsman on the Transcendence Stage shed in front of her.


    Then, voluminous streams of ash appeared out of nowhere, bing a sure shield for Nakano as well as the other guardians. Aura armor couldn''t protect them from such a thing, so Gael had to step in.


    "Well, well, it seems Alucard has decided not to hold back. It''s curious what this wille down to." Gael said calmly, not at all worried that it might anger Liang.


    "You protected me...?" Nakano asked in disbelief, she realized that the explosion must have killed or seriously injured her.


    Gael nodded, "Yeah, you wanted to use the protective aura again, didn''t you? I don''t think it would have helped you, look at the others."


    "Agh...?" Nakano was puzzled, then she turned around, and her eyes went wide.


    All the keepers, including Wang, were injured, their bodies covered in burns, quite serious as well as smokeing from them. Only Nakano remained unharmed as Gael had used more ash to protect her.


    "Sure, without my help your wounds would have been even worse, but if I gave you advice then I should help you in an emergency, shouldn''t I?" Gael said calmly, "Now answer me. Do you feel fear? Do you want to defend yourself again?"


    Nakano gulped. She didn''t know what else Alucard was capable of, but she realized that this was not the limit of his abilities. There could be more powerful attacks ahead and she had to be ready for it.


    "I... I won''t change anything... You can''t run away!" Nakano clenched her fists tightly.


    Gael nodded, "Good. If you can stay here until he shows it, I''ll be delighted."


    "Agh...? What are you talking about'' And who?" Nakano gave him a questioning look.


    "Just look. I think I know what Alucard is going to do. It''s going to show you something you''ve never seen before." Gael said serenely, "I''ll give you a hint, it''s what made your ruler as strong as he is."


    Nakano''s eyes went wide, ''So it''s true...? A ruler has some kind of secret...? Something other thanbor and perseverance?''


    Step. Step. Step.


    Alucard walked across the scorched earth, the only thing left after the explosion he had set off. He didn''t possess the fire attribute himself, but the speed he had developed before attacking and the power of the blow was enough to create a temperature equal to the sun for a moment.


    "Well, well, Liang, Progenitor of Axalts, The Strongest One, how much greatness is in those words, and yet you couldn''t protect your own temple... What a shame. All you had to do was stop a mere Vampire." Alucard nced at Liang.


    Liang had a great grimace, but despite what Alucard did he wasn''t angry. He was good at keeping his emotions under control and should strive to remain calm at all times.


    "Just look at yourself. You''re trying to keep your anger at me at bay and you''re seeding. You look calm. However, I''m even more calm and you know why? Because I''m doing what I want to do." Alucard said coldly, keeping his hands in his pockets and looking arrogantly at Liang.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "Go away." Liang said with a swing of his sword, "Leave my world right now, and I will forgive you for what you have done. The temple can be rebuilt, but not my patience!"


    "I don''t want to." Alucard shrugged, "However, perhaps I will change my mind if you tell me what your goal is. Why do you want to fight in the Great War on the side of the Arkans?"


    Alucard sighed, "Surely you don''t desire something trivial like power, territory, or worse just to own others like Arox ns. In that case, what is it?"


    Liang frowned, clutching his sword tightly. He pondered for a while, then he nced at Gael and took a deep breath.


    "Damn, you really can''t be persuaded, can you? You always get what you want. Fine, I''ll answer you. I''m doing this because I want to go through the toughest fight of my life, and naturally it will end in a crushing victory!" Liang majestically uttered, as his voice spread around for many kilometers beyond the snowy mountains.


    "Hm? What kind of nonsense are you talking about? You help the Arkans win then they will take control of the entire world. That doesn''t really fit with what you said." Alucard raised an eyebrow in confusion.


    Liang shook his head, "You don''t understand me. I want to help them win so that they control the entire world except for the territories of their allies. Then, I will single-handedly change the situation! I will single-handedly go against the entire world under their control and it will be a fight I can enjoy!"


    When Liang said this, everyone was puzzled. They had expected to hear absolutely any reason but not this. It seemed strange to them, but someone understood Liang and it was Alucard.


    "I see... You''re bored, aren''t you?" Alucard muttered as if it was obvious to him, "Well, boredom is something everyone who has reached the peak of power must face. Whether we want to or not."


    Liang didn''t answer anything, he was good at controlling emotions, but that didn''t mean he wanted to. He needed a fight that would be the greatest in his history, and he wanted to enjoy it.


    Alucard nced off into the distance as if he was pondering something, then he extended his hand towards Liang.


    "Agh...?" Liang was puzzled.


    "Be my friend. That way we can fight from time to time, and against me you won''t need to hold back." Alucard shrugged, "Moreover, I doubt you''ll be satisfied if your wish is granted."


    Liang gave him a questioning look.


    "If you fight against an entire world, it will be years before you reach the capital of the Arkan World. You will have to pass through hundreds of obstacles. Sure, you''ll defeat every opponent, but it will take you a long time, too long that by the middle you''ll be bored." Alucard sighed as if he didn''t want to upset Liang, but he had no other choice.


    Liang''s pupils narrowed. He hadn''t thought about it, as he had envisioned this battle as something great, a war where there was only one fighter on one side.


    Unlike him, Alucard had been through simr feelings before and he knew it couldn''t help the boredom, it just had to be epted.


    "Even though we are the strongest, we are no different from the regr people in this. Sometimes they have fun, sometimes we do, sometimes they''re bored, sometimes we feel the same way. That''s life." Alucard said quietly, giving Liang time to think about it.


    Liang didn''t expect to hear something so profound from Alucard at all, since he thought that Alucard was just a chaotic person.


    "Well, obviously someone who has been an immortal for so long understands some aspects of our world better than others. I guess that''s why Alucard is so rarely serious because it''s boring." Wain muttered quietly, understanding a little of what Alucard was feeling.


    Sven and Osvald remained silent, sometimes they felt the same way, they as the strongest had something inmon.


    "Wait... Where is he looking...?" Marlis muttered, pointing at Alucard.


    "Hm?"


    Alucard''s gaze was directed towards one of thergest cities in Axalt World. His ears moved slightly, and his pupils flinched, then he waved his hand, directing the bloody stream towards the city.


    "What the hell are you doing!" Liang angrily eximed, "They''re just ordinary people!"


    Liang did not expect Alucard to do something so despicable, but, then his eyes went wide. A huge hovering ind, partially made of metal, appeared above the city.


    Then, a very powerfulser containing a huge amount of energy rained down on the city.

 Chapter 1039 The Living Bomb

    ?


    Each race had its own world, depending on the power and numbers of the race the world had variation, so obviously the Pirs had the most powerful andrgest worlds. This also meant that if there was a conflict between the Pirs, the destruction was truly massive.


    However, the races almost never fought against each other in full, often some organizations or individuals, but not the entire race at once. Even the Angels and Demons had only a few wars in their entire history, which was a true record.


    For a war to break out between the two races, very serious reasons were needed, so much so that massive destruction of each other was the only option.


    Because of all these factors, the rulers of worlds or leaders of races might not be ready for a surprise attack unless there was a long lead time of years. That was exactly what the Constructs had done now.


    They were the most technologically advanced race and could easily monitor hundreds of spaces at a time with their devices. However, they were also considered the most bureaucratic race, as they did everything based on rules and strictly on schedule.


    Nevertheless, this did not stop them from invading Axalt World in the middle of Alucard and Liang''s battle, immediately attacking one of thergest cities.


    This immediately became a real tragedy, as it was impossible to defend against it. The ruler was in battle, and all the guardians were just as close to the temple. Constructs chose just the perfect moment.


    "Damn... It''s like they were eavesdropping on Alucard and Liang''s conversation..." Marlis muttered, voicing her assumption.


    Liang''s eyes went wide as the world froze for a moment. He watched as a massiveser rained down on the tower at lightning speed, but as soon as he blinked Alucard disappeared. Just then Alucard was standing right in front of him, but now he was above the city.


    Alucard used his hearing, which was many times superior to that of everyone else to realize what was happening first. He used the bloodstream to switch ces with it, so now theser had to go through it first before it could do any damage to the city.


    "How mean..." Alucard muttered, looking at the oingser, "Looks like you''ve been watching Liang''s every word for a long time, and as soon as he said something you didn''t like you decided to attack, right?"


    Alucard shook his head, "That''s what friends are for, isn''t it? I learned that a long time ago. However, some people don''t deserve to have friends."


    Whoooooooooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Alucard waved his hand, creating a huge magic circle above him. It was a simple defense formation and although it was created by Alucard, such a magic circle couldn''t withstand the full power of theser.


    In fact, Alucard didn''t intend to protect the city with this magic circle, all he needed to do was to reduce the area of theser to the limit so that its thickness was less than a meter.


    "Good... Now let''s see what you can do." Alucard muttered while looking at the center of the magic circle that shone brightly and trembled violently.


    In the next second the full power of theser passed through the magic circle, narrowing considerably, then it came down directly on Alucard''s exposed chest.


    Any creature would have been destroyed in an instant, but that wasn''t a problem for Alucard. He just continued to absorb the explosive energy, fueling his body to the limit.


    "What''s he doing...?" Nakano muttered in disbelief, while the shockwaves from thesers reached her, fluttering her hair.


    "Isn''t it obvious?" Gael pronounced in a strong voice, "He''s saving your inhabitants. The Vampire Progenitor is doing what should have been your job. Aren''t you the guardians of this world? Why didn''t you notice you were under attack?"


    After his words all the guardians lowered their heads in shame and embarrassment, and they realized that Gael''s words were true. They were not to be distracted from their duties.


    "But... Why...?" Liang was puzzled, "Why did they decide to attack right now? Constructs would rather dere war ten years before starting than do something like this! This is barbaric!"


    Gael shook his head, "No. It''s not barbaric, it''s a well-chosen moment in an borate n."


    "What, you know something about it? Tell me!" Liang eximed, clenching his fists tightly.


    Gael sighed, "No. However, I think it''s pretty obvious. Constructs like you are on Arkan''s side, at least they thought so. Then, they overheard your conversation with Alucard and realized that you are not their ally anyway. Whether you ept Alucard''s offer or not, you''d end up attacking the Arkans and going against the whole world."


    Liang didn''t answer anything, he didn''t even suspect that someone could have been following him. If that was the case, Constructs must have been doing this for hundreds of years, stealthily and quietly, so much so that it was all created for the sake of a single moment.


    "I don''t know if it''s a blessing or a curse, but you''re lucky Alucard is the way he is. He''s probably the only one who can protect the city in a situation like this." Gael said calmly, then he nced up.


    Theser wasing from a huge cannon that was at the bottom of the ind. It was a massive structure that consumed a massive amount of resources. That meant the Constructs were ready for it.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Cracks went down Alucard''s skin as a bright light burst out from beneath them as if the sun was inside his body.


    His body was approaching its limit, his defense wasn''t good, but he could absorb energy pretty well, however, everything had limits.


    "Well, well, can''t I do it? Hah, funny." Alucard smirked, then his eyes sparkled.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, his body was covered with bloody threads like a. They kept his body from exploding prematurely, as theser still retained some energy.


    "Come on. We both realize you screwed up." Alucard grinned, looking up. All he saw was a bright light, but, soon it disappeared.


    A huge cannon opened up, just like the bottom of the ind. The end of the cannon was red, red-hot as it was overheated. Due to Alucard''s interference, the attack was longer, but it didn''t have any effect.


    "Hahahahahahaha. This is going to be fun." Alucard smirked, nced at Gael pointing at the city, then tore up.


    Gael immediately sprang into action, he swung his sword, splitting it into thousands of ash particles that headed straight towards the city like a torrent of wind.


    Then, the ash was next to the city, covering it with an imprable dome. The dome quickly grew thicker, providing better protection, but Gael was running out of time as Alucard had already reached the ind.


    Around the ind was a powerful energy barrier that would be difficult for even a God Stage Creature to break through, however, for Alucard, it was not a problem. He just swung his ws filled with blood energy, creating a gap in the dense barrier.


    "Here we go." Alucard smirked, removing the bloody threads that restrained his body, "This is something I''ve never done before. That''s what I like about life! There are still some interesting things going on! It''s just limitless possibilities!"


    As most of the bloody threads disappeared, the world was covered by a bright sh, then all the energy Alucard had absorbed from theser burst out.


    Alucard was a real live bomb, and anyone in his case would have to sacrifice his life to save the others. However, Alucard could do everything at once, it was not a problem for him to die to achieve his goals, because he could die as long as necessary.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The thick clouds that covered the entire Axalt World were instantly dispersed by the powerful shockwaveing from the explosion. The earth shook as if before the end of the world, and the wind currents were torn apart by the crushing power of the explosion.


    The Constructs that were on the ind did not want to die, so they used all their abilities to somehow strengthen the defense, but it was already toote. It was impossible to defeat an immortal kamikaze.


    While Alucard was genuinely enjoying what was happening, the Constructs were terrified. This was the greatest failure for them and in fact, they didn''t even realize that Alucard wasn''t their main problem.


    The energy of the explosionpletely destroyed the ind, splitting it into atoms, and then a small portion of it hit the city that was the closest target to the epicenter.


    The barrier over the city activated but was immediately destroyed, then the ash barrier came next. It was created from Gael''s sword, so its strength was almost limitless.


    However, because it was still just ash particles spread out over hundreds of meters, the barrier was destroyed in some ces, but the loweryers stopped the energy of the explosion.


    "What was that...?" Someone from the town muttered in disbelief, looking at the slowly crumbling ash.


    The barrier of ash disappeared, revealing a bright light from the clear blue sky with a single silhouette floating amongst it.


    Only seconds ago Alucard had been dead, destroyed by the explosion, but now he was floating above the city without any problems.


    Alucard sighed, then he nced at Liang, "So... Looks like our ns are changing, don''t you think?"


    Liang bit his lip as if hearing him, while his eyes were filled with blood and rage.

 Chapter 1040 The Process

    ?


    The Constructs had already made their move, they had attacked Axalt World when they thought that Liang might have changed his mind about his decision to support the Arkans in the Great War. The process had already been set in motion, and it could not be stopped.


    Now the two races had only one way to go to war and exterminate each other for as long as it was necessary forplete victory.


    However... Was this the case? Were there really no other options?


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A short period of time after Alucard had destroyed the floating ind, space shook again.


    Nakano as well as the other guardians were wary, they expected the next ind, or even several to appear. They had to be ready to defend their world, and this time it was up to them, not Alucard and Gael.


    However, instead of an ind, a medium-sized magic circle appeared, spreading electric shocks around it. Then, the center of the magic circle turned into a portal from which a tall silhouette slowly emerged.


    It was a girl with long purple hair, amber mechanical eyes, and a long sword-gun on her belt.


    On her body were several protective tes, harmoniously integrated into her body, not standing out much as in the center of her chest was a massive blue core, containing a huge amount of energy.


    The girl looked around, she looked at the city Alucard was hovering over and frowned. She knew he was the main reason why their n had failed, but there was nothing she could do to him, not to him.


    ''Fucking anomaly... How could there even be an immortal creature capable of such regeneration? Doesn''t he have some sort of limitation? Whatever, he''s not my concern.'' The girl inwardlyined, then he took a step forward, transforming into a blue sh.


    In an instant, she found herself in front of the already destroyed temple, where Liang was located amongst the heavily damaged snowy mountains.


    They exchanged nces, then the girl pressed her palm to her chest and bowed low, showing her respect for him.


    "Mr. Liang, Ruler of the Axalt World, my name is Ynez Trimpast and I am one of the Seven Tree Guardians." Ynez said calmly, feeling no tension as if she hade to negotiate, "I came here on behalf of the Tree to ask your forgiveness for what happened."


    Liang didn''t answer anything, there was no emotion on his face at all. He was cold and unyielding.


    Ynez wrinkled her nose slightly, she was expecting at least some sort of response, but she didn''t hesitate and went straight to the next part.


    "We realize the mistake we made, but we also believe that war between our races is unnecessary." Ynez said confidently.


    "Oh... In that case, what do you suggest?" Liang asked, staring intently at Ynez.


    Deep inside Ynez breathed a sigh of relief, then she continued, "Anything you wish, within reason of course. In the end, your city was not harmed, which I am d of, so you can count on plenty of resources, and help in some missions or future conflicts with other races. Also if you wish, three of your chosen Axalts can head to the Tree for a month-long training session."


    "Damn... Looks like they''re serious if she offered members of another race the benefits of their Tree..." Marlis muttered in disbelief.


    "Yeah, they''re definitely serious. I''m sure they wanted to start a war, but it''s not favorable to them now, especially when their first attack was aplete failure." Osvald said confidently.


    Sven and Wain remained silent, they just watched the situation, waiting to see if their predictions woulde true.


    Liang nodded, and then he said, "There is no need for that. Whatever you''re suggesting I don''t need."


    Ynez raised an eyebrow in confusion, "Hm? I thought you might be interested in such terms. However, that''s not a problem, we can discuss a new contract. Tell me what you want, and I can offer you options."


    "Well..." Liang let out a long sigh, "There is something you can help me with."


    Ynez gave him a questioning look, "Sure. Go ahead, I''ll do my best to help you."


    "My new friend..." Liang nced at Alucard, making thetter grin widely, "Told me I had a problem... You can help me solve it... I want to get rid of the boredom."


    "Boredom...?" Ynez''s eyes went wide with surprise, she didn''t understand what Liang was talking about and what it meant.


    "But... How can I help you with that?" Ynez was puzzled, while a strange anxiety was inexorably growing inside her like a me.


    Liang smiled bitterly, then he took a deep breath, "Fuck... I''m a real hypocrite trying to deceive myself for so many years... You realized that right away, didn''t you?" Liang looked at Alucard.


    Alucard smirked as he crossed his arms over his chest. His eyes narrowed, gaining a predatory glint and anticipation of what Liang had to say.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Then, Liang turned to Nakano as well as to the other guardians.


    "I''m sorry, it seems that my actions have led you down the wrong path. I mean, training, hard work, and perseverance are a must, never give up on it if you want to be stronger. However, you must have something else." Liang calmly said with a slight smile on his face.


    "Tell us!" Nakano eximed trying to learn her ruler''s secret.


    Liang shrugged, "Everyone has their own path. You don''t have to follow me, but you must find something that will give you the strength to go on."


    Liang looked at Ynez, "In my case, there was one feeling that made me reach the Transcendence Stage and obtain my Title."


    Then, the whole world fell silent, everyone was eager to hear Liang''s next word which for most was secret. However, Sven, Gael, Alucard, and Wain already knew the answer and it only made them more curious.


    "Wrath." Liang serenely uttered, then his silhouette disappeared, instantly appearing in front of Ynez.


    Crackle.


    Liang''s fingers dug into her eyes, shattering them with ease, while his firm grip crumpled the protective tes on Ynez''s skin with ease.


    Ynez reacted quickly, as lightning bolts of immense power raced down her arm, but, no sooner had she pointed her hand at Liang than it was shredded a hundred times by a simple swing of her sword.


    Then, a torrent of wind passed near them that tore apart her other arm as well as part of her mechanical body.


    "You followed me... Then, heard the unwanted reply you attacked the inhabitants of my world, and after that, you have the nerve to try to negotiate with me?" Liang coldly looked at Ynez, whose body was trembling with fear.


    "You wanted me to participate in the war, right? Well, you''ll get that. I''ll turn all my wrath on you and there''s nothing you can do to me. You seem to have forgotten how scary a calm person can be in anger." Liang squeezed his palm, crushing Ynez''s head as easily as if it were a simple berry.


    Blue liquid came out, coating Liang''s palm, slowly dripping down.


    Ynez was already dead, but every Construct of her rank was prepared for something like this one day, so they had onest resort.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Ynez''s core shuddered, abruptly releasing all the power that was hidden in it. Normally, she would have used this core to increase her power during battle, but now her body had only one task, to destroy the enemy.


    The core shone brightly like a star before exploding, then all the power hidden inside it burst out.


    The first sh was enough to realize that this explosion would be many times more powerful than the one Alucard had triggered to destroy the ind.


    Even if Liang didn''t die afterward, he would definitely be seriously injured and everything within a radius of tens of kilometers would be wiped to dust. At least that was Ynez''stest n.


    "Oh, it looks like it''s going to be a massive explosion, but... you''re still a long way away from real power. Even though you''re already dead, let me demonstrate it to you." Liang majestically said, then he pointed his hand towards the core, stopping his palm next to it.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    As soon as Liang lightly squeezed his fingers, a tremendous pressure appeared under his palm, causing the space around him to shake and distort as if it was a ck hole.


    Then, Ynez''s core exploded, but all the destructive energy as well as the blue me couldn''t get far enough to spread out in a radius. It headed towards Liang''s palm, endlessly shrinking into a sphere with boundless power inside.


    The explosion just couldn''t escape Liang''s pressure and it wasn''t his unique ability or anything like that. It was pure power that other entities had to obey.


    "Good." Liang nodded with a menacing gaze, looking at the blue orb under his palm. If he released the pressure for even a moment, the sphere would explode, destroying a part of the Axalt World.


    Liang looked up as he swung his sword, cutting through the space of his world, creating a wide gap, but that wasn''t all.


    "Damn, he''s serious..." Gael muttered, looking off into the distance, where another space that was Construct World was also cut, the gap was there, and so the passage was open for a while.


    Whoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Then, Liang threw the sphere forward with all his might, with such speed that in an instant it passed a massive portion of the World of Darkness, prating Construct World through the gap.

 Chapter 1041 Wrath

    ?


    What could be worse than rage? Apparently, it was one of the strongest emotions, dangerous, and uncontroble, but giving incredible power to any, even the weakest being. However, this was not the limit.


    Cold wrath was obviously more frightening than bright rage, as this power lurked inside, slowly bursting out.


    So, to awaken such an emotion in the one called The Strongest One, was perhaps the greatest mistake of the Constructs in history.


    Liang was a calm person who could meditate for months, honing his mind, but that was not why he was given his power.


    He was given this unique title for those fights where he didn''t hold back, and when that happened it didn''t matter to Liang who was in front of him. He was going to destroy until his wrath calmed down, and until then, everyone''s fates were determined.


    "What is that...?" The child pointed at the bright blue sh that appeared in the sky of the Construct World.


    "Damn! Isn''t that a shooting star?! It''s very rare!" His sister eximed with an excited expression as she joyfully jumped up.


    "Hey, in that case, you should make a wish." From behind them, a woman with a kind smile on her face walked up to them, stooping down to them and cing her hands on their shoulders.


    "What would you wish for?"


    "I wish...!"


    At the same moment, a blue sh exploded, being directly above one of the many Construct Cities.


    Just an instantter, the power contained within the sphere burst out. The blue spark covered the entire city as the most beautiful thing the inhabitants had ever seen, then the ce was turned into nothingness.


    Ynez was one of the strongest Constructs, so the power of the explosion of her core was immense, it was more than enough to destroy several such cities, as well as make space shake.


    Boundless blue energy surged beyond the Construct World, filling the World of Darkness with blue mes while space tried to close the gap.


    "Fine. This is a fitting start." Liang calmly said, tightly clenched his sword, and leaped forward.


    Crackle.


    Although he looked calm or even cold it wasn''t like that at all. The me of wrath burned brightly inside him, and every second he controlled his power was getting worse.


    As he jumped forward the ground beneath him cracked, shattering most of the snowy mountains that had previously been severely damaged by Alucard''s attack. It was just a jump, but the power of his every move was immense.


    "Well, well, I definitely have to see this." Alucard smirked as he disappeared, with the same speed as Liang.


    Nakano was slightly puzzled, but when she realized what was happening, she was determined to follow her leader.


    Tap.


    Gael put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.


    "Are you sure about this?" Gael asked with a serious expression.


    "Agh?" Nakano was puzzled.


    "What you''re going to see next won''t please you at all. Even though you''re a guardian, you''ve never seen the real Liang. You must realize that you can''t get his title without doing something creepy." Gael looked intently into her eyes.


    Nakano flinched as she doubted for a moment, but confidence quickly returned to her eyes.


    "Yes! You''re the one who said we shouldn''t run away from difficulties! Could your advice be bad?" Nakano said seriously.


    Gael didn''t answer anything, he just smiled and let go of her shoulder.


    "Just be careful. He doesn''t need any help, Liang can handle everything himself." Gael shrugged nonchntly.


    "Ughum!" Nakano nodded vigorously before following Liang.


    Some keepers did as she did, but most were afraid to follow Liang into another world. Moreover, someone had to stay here anyway to keep an eye on security.


    "Damn... They managed to make him angry and Alucard''s words definitely had an effect on him. Now, Liang would not and would not want to hold back. Constructs are really in a bad position." Sven said seriously with his arms crossed on his chest.


    "Well, this is the worst thing that could have happened for them. They decided to take a risk and made a serious mistake, so now they have to face the consequences of their actions." Wain smirked.


    Gael who was the only Progenitor left in Axalt World looked around. He could have followed Liang and Alucard to watch Liang''s battle, but he had another option.


    Gael nced in World of Darkness, clearly seeing that from one far away space, someone was looking at him. This one was carefully trying to hide, but it was quite easy for Gael to spot it.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "Well... Looks like I have a score to settle with someone, though it''s a long history, but given the circumstances today is the right time." Gael muttered before taking a step forward.


    Streams of ash concealed him, moving him a far distance away, to the entrance of one of thergest spaces in this world.


    Unlike Liang who had cut his way through with his sword, Gael had no such need as he was expected.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A massive green magic circle shone brightly as a gate with a long emerald serpent around its edge appeared from it.


    Gael nodded, and then he opened the gate, entering the world.


    At that moment, for Wain, Sven, Marlis, and Alucard, time stopped for a moment. They had to choose whose memories to see first before moving on to the second part. After all, Alucard''s and Gael''s memories were important for understanding what happened in the past.


    "Well, we started with Alucard, so we will follow it." Wain said confidently before tearing forward, moving towards Construct World.


    Sven, Marlis, and Osvald exchanged nces as they followed him. They had no reason to protest his opinion, either way equally orter they would see everything they needed to see.


    ...


    Step. Step. Step.


    Liang slowly walked across the wastnd that was left after one of the Construct Cities. Now, instead of a thriving part of civilization, it was a huge crater covered only in dust and ashes. Liang wasn''t going to spare anyone, as he didn''t really care.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Two huge mechanical inds appeared out of nowhere with lightning discharges. They weren''t as big as the one that had infiltrated Axalt World, but they were of a higher level. Their cannons absorbed energy not only from resources but also from the environment of the Construct World.


    They were already ready to fire, so a few seconds after the inds appeared, two powerfulsers rained down on Liang. Their firepower was enough to kill a God Stage creature and even wound a Progenitor.


    However, it was useless against Liang.


    Whooooooooosh.


    He swung his sword a few times, then hundreds of streaks appeared on the inds, and they disintegrated into thousands of pieces, copsing to the ground.


    A momentter, thesers reached Liang, but he simply threw them aside with a smooth swing of his sword, heading towards the mountain in the distance. As with the city, there was nothing left of the mountain.


    "It''s been a long time since I''ve been here, but if I''m not mistaken, the Tree is located there..." Liang muttered with a cold gaze, looking to the east.


    Unlike all other races, Constructs had a special body structure. They were partly mechanisms and it was the Tree that allowed them to improve.


    This did not mean that Constructs were helpless without their Tree, but it was a significant engine of their progress and the most important treasure of their entire race. Moreover, aside from the usual, familiar birth method, Constructs could also utilize the help of the Tree.


    There were certain limits to the number and speed, but children born this way were more often than not better than their peers in every way.


    For Constructs, the Tree was the most intimate or even sacred thing, it was the mark of their race and the most important part of their world.


    So, that was why Liang was going there when he reached the tree, he would be able to calm his Wrath and enjoy fighting against the entire race. This was what he wanted, not meditation and training for several years.


    "Stop!" A powerful voice sounded as momentster in front of Liang, a multitude of Constructs soared into the air.


    They were all on Fifth Chronicle at different Stages. They were the defenders of the nearby cities and their main task was to get rid of the intruder.


    "Hmph, why?" Liang arrogantly uttered, not hiding the disdain that each of them felt.


    The man with short green hair frowned.


    "You''ve done enough! War is already inevitable, so I suggest you go back to your world unless you want us to kill you right here and now!"


    Liang tilted his head, "Are you an idiot? You''re just a bunch of weaklings who will forever remain in Fifth Chronicle, this is the absolute limit for you. That said, you decided to piss off someone much stronger than you, that''s your greatest mistake."


    "What...?" The man muttered in confusion, he did not expect that Liang would not react to his words in any way.


    Liang sighed, shook his head, and took a step forward. In a heartbeat, he found himself behind all the guardians, not looking back at them since their lives were already over.


    The guardians didn''t even have time to realize what had happened when their heads flew off their shoulders with a powerful stream of blood.

 Chapter 1042 The Tree

    ?


    Usually, wars between two races happened at the edges of their worlds, as it was the most suitable ce for a bloody battle involving millions of creatures.


    However, what was happening now was not like a war between two races, it was Liang''s personal revenge.


    He valued his inhabitants above all else, it actually made him lose his temper, however, it was the other thing that angered him the most.


    ''I can''t believe they''re so arrogant that they thought they could spy on me... no... It''s not that importantpared to the fact that they wanted to control my decisions!'' Liang internally eximed before swinging his sword.


    The city that was below him while he was heading towards the Tree had been destroyed. Buildings, warehouses, important points, watchtowers, all of it had been cut into perfectly t pieces.


    Then, when the honed mechanism failed, a never-ending series of explosions began all over the city.


    It wasn''t enough to turn arge city into ashes, but considering that it only took Liang a few swings to do so was terrifying to the inhabitants of this world.


    Liang didn''t care what was in his path, he destroyed everything he saw, his goal was to bring as much destruction to Construct as possible. He aplished this task with ease.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Several Constructs tried to attack him, they were like two ming shes headed towards him with great speed. These Constructs were on the God Stage and should have dyed Liang, at least leave burns on his body.


    "Tsk. Trash." Liang frowned before taking a deep breath, filling his lungs with air.


    Then, when the ming shes almost reached him, Liang exhaled, which easily created an extremely powerful stream of wind that simply prevented Constructs from advancing any further.


    The wind des carried away the me particles from their bodies, revealing them. When the wind stream came to an end, the two Constructs stood in front of Liang without their skills, in a daze.


    "Aren''t you the most technologically advanced race?" Liang arrogantly threw his head back, "In that case, why are you so stupid? You can''t defeat the strongest! Fine, I''ll show you what that means."


    Liang took a step forward as Constructs became wary. They were actually ready to die, but Liang didn''t attack them, instead, he soared above the central square of the small town.


    This one was much smaller than the one Liang had destroyed in the beginning, only a few thousand people lived there.


    They all froze in fear as the shadow of Liang''s silhouette fell on them. He stared at them intently, then he once again took a deep breath.


    Perhaps some Constructs wanted to run away, but it was simply impossible. The strongest Constructs in the city were in the Third Chronicle, most were in the First Chronicle, Liang''s aura just restrained their movements like chains.


    Liang opened his mouth with all the volume and seriousness of a single word.


    "DIE!!!"


    Liang''s voice was so powerful that shockwaves came from it, making the tree crowns sway. Then the eyes of all the residents went wide, the sound waves hitting their heads, prating the depths of their minds.


    "Wait... This can''t be..." Construct on the God Stage muttered in disbelief.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    At the same moment, the heads of a thousand residents exploded, instantly turning the ce into a ghost town, an empty and abandoned ce with a bunch of corpses in the streets.


    Obviously, such a move would not work against stronger opponents, as Liang used only his aura and voice to achieve such a result. However, even for God Stage Constructs, this was something impossible.


    "No... No one should have this kind of strength..." Construct was horrified.


    "Shit, how did that happen? We were watching him, he seemed to be the calmest and kindest of all the Progenitors... However, the rumors of his cruelty turned out to be true..." The second Construct muttered with shivers all over his body.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Liang appeared in front of them, "Cruelty? I''m not cruel at all, I''m just getting rid of the parasites, I should have done this hundred of years ago. No one in this world, not even the Dragon Progenitor or Nameless King, dared to control my decisions and hurt my inhabitants."


    "Being the most intelligent, you have managed to do perhaps the stupidest thing in existence." Liang arrogantly uttered, then his hand turned into a blurry blur.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    The heads of the two Constructs exploded, and Liang continued on his way straight towards the Tree. He still had a bit more time to reach the Tree, its massive silhouette was already showing from behind the horizon.


    "Well, well, it looks like he''s actually serious." Alucard smirked, looking at the bloodstains among the towns and viges Liang was flying over.


    "Hehehe, for them the war started earlier than for others. They wanted it for themselves, but they weren''t prepared for one person to be stronger than their best units." Alucard chuckled, watching Liang.


    He wasn''t going to participate in the battle, there was no need for him to do so, he wanted to face Liang again, only at the very end.


    ''Let''s see what the leader here is capable of, although it''s obvious that Liang won''t stop until he destroys everything in his path.'' Alucard sprinted forward, quickly catching up to Liang but keeping his distance with him.


    Wain, Sven, Osvald, and Marlis kept up with them. It was part of Alucard''s memories, so they saw everything the same as him.


    "Damn, Liang is a real madman." Marlis frowned, looking at the destruction that was left behind.


    "Hah! He is the Strongest One! They dared to piss him off, so they had to face the consequences! There''s nothing surprising about that!" Osvald eximed. He was in awe of the pure strength that Liang used. It was of the highest level.


    Sven sighed, "Liang has always been like this, hasn''t he?" Sven nced at Wain.


    "Yeah." Wain nodded, "The calmest people be the most dangerous in critical situations. It seems to me that this truth only came about because of him. Well, I don''t think Liang will be able to emerge victorious without getting injured, though he will win for sure."


    Marlis gave him a questioning look, "Are you sure about that? After all, Liang has only fought God Stage Constructs so far. The progenitor of the Construct has immense strength as well as energy from the tree."


    Wain smirked, "I doubt it will hinder Liang in any way on his path of destruction. I don''t think he''ll even have to use his Form. In fact, he''s one of the most ufortable opponents for them."


    Whooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, Liang sped up, so the same thing happened to Alucard, Wain and the rest.


    They appeared in the middle of the desert, perhaps the only ce in Construct World where there wasn''t some city, buildings, military bases, or anything like that. All of this was necessary for the Tree to have a ce.


    "Damn, even though this world is half made up of machinery and metals, which visually I don''t like at all, but this view is mesmerizing..." Liang muttered, looking at the greatest treasure of the Construct World.


    The Tree was majestic and huge, easily reaching the height of the clouds, but in this ce, the sky waspletely clear. Part of the Tree was organic, and part of it was made up of mechanical parts that had energy waves traveling through them.


    From the tops of the branches, from time to time, powerful lightning bolts would emanate, traveling to different points in the world to create pockets of energy that would then collect Constructs.


    On the branches of the tree, like fruit, hung thousands of cocoons in which Constructs were growing, whose parents had been given this rare opportunity for their future children. Each of these children would be talented and skillful in the future, more so than most of those born in the normal way.


    At the roots of the Tree grew huge blue crystals, one of the most important materials for Construct Cities to function fully.


    A small piece of crystal the size of a palm could easily power a city of a hundred thousand inhabitants for an entire year. The crystals grew slowly, but they were more than enough to power even ten worlds like this one for thousands of years.


    There was a special city around the Tree, mostly only technical or military structures, only the strongest Constructs and Guardians of the Tree lived here. One of them was Ynez, whom Liang easily killed.


    In the center of the Tree was a huge azure core, just like Ynez''s, but much bigger and many times more powerful. The core created a special defense barrier, in addition to the ones Constructs had put around the city.


    The Constructs made sure that the defenses around the tree were strong enough that not even the Dragon Progenitor could quickly break through it. If the Tree was destroyed, it would be a disaster for Constructs.


    "Agh... After looking at it like this, I don''t even feel like destroying it, but... That thought already left my mind a few seconds ago." Liang calmly said, before he stood in a fighting stance and tightly gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands.


    At the same moment, his gaze changed, bing fierce and sharp as he raised his sword above his head, gathering streams of wind covering the sharp de of his weapon.


    "Let''s see how good your defenses are. Bastards!" Liang eximed in rage before swinging his sword.


    Then, the vast desert was split in two, just in a heartbeat, the terrain waspletely changed.

 Chapter 1043 God Of Thunder

    ?


    The Tree was located in a lifeless desert so nothing for many kilometers around would prevent it from creating new Constructs and growing energy crystals.


    More urately, it was the other cities that were protected from the Tree. Since like any Tree, this one had roots, and they were massive, spreading across most of the desert.


    Though it was partially made of metal, the Tree was possibly the tallest nt of all the worlds, even in nt World, there were no trees as massive as this one.


    "Hehehehe, not bad." Alucard smirked as a long sh from Liang''s sweep traveled across the desert.


    Then, the desert split in two as the sh quickly reached the barrier around the Tree.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Severalyers of the barrier were easily destroyed, but the more powerful ones were still able to stop Liang''s attack.


    "Shit... It was just an amplified sweep, wasn''t it?" Marlis muttered in disbelief.


    Sven nodded, "Yeah, if he wants he can repeat it as many times as he wants. What''s more, it''s far from the most powerful attack he''s capable of."


    Step. Step. Step.


    Liang paced through the air, looking at the gorge that was left after his attack. Tons of sand, like streams of water, flowed into the gorge from the edges, trying to fill it, but deep below was only darkness.


    "Hmm... How interesting. Looks like the Tree is much stronger than I thought." Liang muttered, looking at the massive roots of the Tree that ran through the gorge.


    Liang''s attack managed to destroy the first three roots that were in his path, but the rest remained intact.


    "That''s not surprising, though, considering how much energy they have. This is just some kind of madness." Liang frowned, looking at the dense blue streams of energy that wereing out of the damaged roots.


    The energy was so dense that it looked like sma, it was a weapon in itself because of its high concentration.


    Liang sighed, then he rushed forward. This was not his battlefield, everything would happen in front of the city and he realized that, so there was no point in him lingering here.


    However, for someone following him, the energying out of the roots was more interesting.


    With a light flow of wind, Alucard appeared in front of one root, looking at the streams of energy sometimes hitting the air like whips.


    "Hehehehe, let''s see what you can do." Alucard smirked predatorily before reaching out to one of the energy streams.


    Crackle.


    The energy stream connected with Alucard, quickly filling his body with power, however, after a few seconds the situation spiraled out of control and Alucard''s arm exploded.


    "Damn... Though I didn''t try hard, even my body couldn''t withstand it for long... This energy is a true treasure. I wonder how much of it is in the core?" Alucard pondered, as he nced at the Tree.


    "Whatever, from the looks of it, I''ll find out soon enough." Alucard shrugged nonchntly and followed Liang. His arm had already recovered.


    However, Marlis who was following them was not as calm as he was.


    "Is something wrong?" Sven noticed it.


    "Yeah... It''s just that from the looks of it, Liang isn''t going to stop. What happens if he destroys the Tree? If the energy from the corees out, it will be the greatest disaster for the entire world!" Marlis eximed with a worried expression.


    Sven sighed, "Your worries are irrelevant. We''re looking at what has already happened. In any case, it''s unlikely that the Tree waspletely destroyed, so even if it was, which I doubt, it has long since recovered in our time."


    Marlis nodded, nibbling her finger.


    Wain remained silent, he watched the events, waiting for the one who was supposed to stop Liang to appear, at least try to do so.


    Whoooooosh.


    Approaching the Tree, Liang made a few more swings of his sword. They were not as strong as the previous one, but it was enough to destroy a few more barriers.


    Then, he descended to the ground, finding himself right in front of the entrance to the city.


    "Oh... Just as I expected, they''re already waiting for me. Quitemendable." Liang said, looking at the six silhouettes that were on the other side of the barriers. They were the Tree Guardians, one of whom Liang had already killed in his world.


    One of the silhouettes waved his hand, and powerful electric shocks appeared on the barrier, revealing a small passage for Liang.


    Liang shrugged his shoulders, stepping inside.


    He was only one, and there were six Guardians, one of whom was on the Transcendence Stage, but that was no threat to Liang at all.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    The Guardians also realized this, so they were in no hurry to attack Liang, that would be insane and tantamount to simple suicide.


    "Mr. Liang, do you realize there is no turning back?" One of them spoke in a majestic voice, "You attacked the Tree, that is the greatest sin you couldmit against our race."


    Liang frowned, "Shut up. You don''t decide anything here anyway, you can bully others, but in front of those with true power you''re just trash!"


    The Guardians frowned. No one dared to say such a thing to them, it was disrespect in the highest degree, but they couldn''t express their displeasure to Liang, he was much stronger than them.


    "Whatever. You came straight to the tree, to a ce where we have almost infinite energy, and that was your mistake." The Guardian said threateningly, "However, you''re right. We will not fight you, the honor of killing the one called The Strongest One goes to our leader!"


    "In that case, don''t you dare interfere with me." Liang menacingly said with a wave of his hand.


    Whooooooosh.


    This simple action created powerful gusts of wind that knocked the Guardians off their feet and made them fly away from Liang. They remained at the boundaries of the barrier, as they were not the protagonists here.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Suddenly, clouds appeared in the midst of the clear sky, quickly covering the entire space. Lightning discharges passed through each cloud, creating a formidable and dangerous atmosphere throughout the desert.


    These changes could be seen by every inhabitant of the Construct World, regardless of their location. Constructs who had lived for quite some time had seen something like this before, and they knew what it meant.


    "Our Ruler is about to fight... but... Against whom?" Some Construct muttered with a worried expression, pressing his palm to his chest.


    Construct, unlike other races, valued knowledge, and technology more than training, arcane skills, or special body structure. However, like everyone else in this world, they respected power, and clearly, their leader was the most powerful Construct.


    "Here we go." Liang muttered, looking at the blue sh heading straight for him.


    Lightning discharges were spreading around, powerful enough to destroy an entire vige, but right now it was just the residual power that the sh was losing as it moved.


    Crackle.


    The sh mmed into Liang, colliding with his sword, then a tremendous pulse passed through Liang''s body, throwing him back hundreds of meters with tremendous speed.


    With his body, Liang left a long streak on the surface of the desert before the inertia died down, allowing Liang to stop.


    "Not Bad." Liang calmly said, nced at his chest.


    This simple collision had left a burn on his body, quite faint, but the fact that he had taken real damage was important.


    "Still don''t regret your decision?" A majestic, feminine voice spread out, prating Liang''s mind.


    Liang shook his head, "No. Today, either all of you will die and I will make a bonfire out of your Tree, or I will die. It''s as simple as that."


    "What arrogance..." Nitra muttered, descending to the ground.


    She had long purple hair, blue eyes, and a multitude of energy defense tes on her body, each asionally giving off shocks of electricity. She wore a ck, military uniform, loose, not restricting her movements in any way.


    Her weapons were the special gloves on her hands, they weren''t massive likebat gloves, but for her, it wasn''t necessary.


    Nitra only used the gloves to gather momentum at one point, after all, she had more than enough firepower.


    There was so much energy in Nitra that it was trying to constantly burst out, so when she used her power in one direction, it was really something serious.


    "The progenitor of the Constructs, Nitra, God of Thunder. The day has finallye when we will fight." Liang calmly said, gazing intently into the eyes of his enemy.


    Nitra frowned, "Yes, you''re right. However, what is that bastard doing here!"


    Nitra pointed at Alucard hovering in the distance. She was willing to fight Liang despite his Title, after all, they were both Progenitors. However, if Alucard helped Liang, then it would be over for her. These were not opponents that could be defeated alone.


    Liang nced at him, "Oh, don''t worry, my friend just wants to watch our fight and my wrath that I''m about to unleash on your most valuable treasure."


    Alucard smirked. Because of his peculiar hearing, he could hear every word Liang said even though he was so far away that from their distance he looked more like a ck dot than a person.


    Nitra made a great grimace as shocks of lightning went through her body.


    "Bastard. You were our ally! Don''t you realize that there is nothing like a world that will obey the one person!" Nitra eximed.


    "Oh...? Really? In that case, enlighten me." Liang arrogantly tilted his head and cast a disdainful nce at her.

 Chapter 1044 Thunder Of Death

    ?


    Every race that decided to take part in the Great War had some reason, it was obvious.


    Sven''s reason was enough to give up the opportunity to rule an entire world in the future for it. He stood on Nameless King''s side and risked everything for it. If he seeded he could escape a boring world, a utopia that would slowly rot, if not, he would lose everything.


    Alucard and Gael had a somewhat simr situation, however, for them the main reason was simply that they wanted to help the Nameless King. They wanted the world to be interesting, if one person controls everything then their wish would not be realized.


    Polosa had a simple lust for power and territory. She wanted more out of her life than just being the Ruler of a pacifist race whose members don''t want to fight.


    She may have been born into the wrong race or at the wrong time, but it no longer mattered. Sven had forever erased her name from history and revealed some weak and corrupted nts Queen.


    Liang... His reason was the strangest of all, however, considering his position everything sounded logical and understandable.


    In that case, what about Constructs? Doesn''t the most technologically advanced race with high intelligence realize that utopia won''t lead to anything good?


    "What is your hidden agenda? Go ahead, tell me. Do you really think I''ll believe the nonsense you said?" Liang arrogantly said, lightly holding the hilt of his sword. At any moment he was ready to attack, and Nitra understood that.


    Nitra frowned, "Yeah, only an idiot would agree to utopia, but only if that idiot doesn''t have a goal!"


    Nitra waved her hands, "During utopia, we can safely conduct experiments and research across the universe! We will no longer have to negotiate and fight for resources or a short period of time in some unusual location! We''ll have limitless potential."


    Liang nodded, "I see... You''re doing this to fulfill the dream of a scientist, the dream of every Construct."


    "Exactly!" Nitra clenched her fist confidently, "Even if utopia has problems, I with our research we can fix all the ws. We''ll be able to make progress that couldn''t even be imagined before!"


    Liang remained silent as his gaze became deeper, it seemed he was pondering Nitra''s words.


    "Marlis... What do you think about her position?" Sven asked with a nce at her.


    "Agh...? What do you mean?" Marlis gave him a questioning look.


    "Well, you''re a scientist too to a certain extent. I was wondering if you think Nitra''s position is logical?" Sven asked.


    Marlis nodded, "Yeah, it sounds logical. If they don''t have the obstacles and problems of the normal, familiar world, their research will elerate. However... There is one problem that every Construct tries to forget about and doesn''t want to admit..."


    Liang sighed, "I admit it sounds logical from your position, but you''re missing one point."


    "Agh...? What are you talking about?" Nitra was puzzled.


    "Our world doesn''t work like that." Liang said confidently, "Thousands of years have already passed, even given the problems Constructs had plenty of time to create something incredible. And, you did, your level of development is astounding, but, does it all matter?"


    Nitra frowned, "Speak inly!"


    "Sure." Liang nodded, "I''m only stating the simple truth. This technology has not been able to make you the strongest race and never will. In our world, the technological process does not equal realbat power."


    Nitra didn''t answer anything, she just bit her lip until it bled with an angry look. She realized that Liang was right, and he was the main proof that he was right.


    The Axalts were one of the least technologically advanced races, however, they were not weaker than the others, as technology was nothing more than a convenience, and that was different for each race.


    "Well, since we''ve already dealt with everything, let''s get started." Liang calmly said as he took a step forward.


    "What is your goal!"


    Liang shrugged, "I don''t know, how about beating you half to death and destroying the Tree? I think that would be enough to calm my wrath."


    Crackle.


    Nitra''s veins swelled as she clenched her fists tightly, so much so that trickles of blood ran from her palms.


    "I won''t let this happen!" Nitra eximed furiously before she lunged forward.


    The shockwave from her jerk raised a wave of sand behind her, as she seemed to sh disappeared, finding herself right in front of Liang.


    Electric shocks traveled down her arms, traveling to her gloves and concentrating a tremendous amount of energy into them.


    "Oh... This game can be yed by both of them." Liang calmly said, bringing his fist in for a punch. Streams of wind quickly covered his palm, then he stepped forward, bringing his fist down on Nitra.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Their collision sent out shockwaves with chaotic streams of energy. Blue lightning bolts flew off to the sides along with violent wind currents, causing ripples across the vast desert.


    The sand next to them due to the great pressure began to act like water in the sea during a storm, it tried to escape as fast as possible from the two monsters at the epicenter.


    "Agh... Not bad..." Liang muttered and took a deep breath, "But, not enough."


    Liang exhaled sharply, as a stream of energy once again passed through his body heading towards his fist. This was something Nitra couldn''t take, for her it was beyond her strength.


    The impulse threw Nitra back hundreds of meters, while her wide-open eyes filled with iprehension.


    She, like Liang, was a Progenitor and was on the Transcendence Stage. Her weapons were practically bare hands as she always fought in hand-to-handbat, Liang was a swordsman, yet without using his weapons he was able to suppress her.


    ''No! He can''t be that strong!'' Nitra inwardly eximed, pointing her palms towards the ground and releasing electrical discharges from them.


    This way, she was able to stop far before the pulse energy had to pass, and she soared above the cold sand.


    ''Wait...? Where is he?" Nitra internally muttered, looking around. While she was trying to regain her bnce, Liang had already left the battlefield, at least that was the first thought that came to her mind.


    Then, someone''s shadow fell on her.


    A crack.


    Liang''s fist plunged into Nitra''s jaw, contorting her face and sinking her into the sand. Nitra couldn''t do anything at that moment, she just watched as the world flipped before her eyes.


    ''Fuck... What happens when he starts using the sword...?'' Nitra thought while waves of sand were rising around them, triggered by Liang''s powerful strike.


    Then, Liang brought his fist to attack again, intending to finish off his opponent with his next strike.


    ''Well... Looks like our calctions were wrong, and we shouldn''t have angered this monster... However, that will only be true if I lose!'' Nitra''s eyes went wide, her pupils shed, and lightning discharges went all over her body.


    At thest moment, she escaped from under Liang''s oppression, flying high into the air. Her contorted, badly damaged face from Liang''s blow, began to recover.


    The protective tes could bring her body back to its former state, all it needed was a short period of calm, without pressure or damage.


    "So... What''s next? You turned out to be weaker than I thought." Liang arrogantly said, raising his head. Although he was on the ground now, and Nitra was floating high above, he was the one looking down at her.


    "It''s no big deal. I just didn''t expect you to have such incredible physical power in your body, however, it''s not something that will bring you victory."


    "Really?" Liang smirked.


    Nitra put her palms together, channeling arge amount of energy into them. Then an electric sh appeared among her hands, pure sma that slowly grew as she moved her palms away from each other.


    "Interesting... Even the most powerful natural lightning wouldn''t possess such density..." Liang muttered, "That''s an impressive level ofpression."


    Nitra didn''t answer anything, she just sharply ripped the sma fment, shattering it into thousands of particles. Each piece soared upwards, heading towards the clouds and filling them with immense power, then Nitra''s ring sparkled brightly.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Across the entire desert, hundreds of metal pirs containing the power of thunder appeared. Each one was strong enough to kill a Fourth Chronicle Creature or injure a Fifth Chronicle One with one powerful discharge.


    "Hah, this is going to be interesting." Wain grinned with an excited expression. The same look was on Alucard watching the fight, it seemed like they were thinking the same thing.


    "Hm? What''s going on?" Osvald was puzzled.


    "Don''t you realize what''s going on?" Wain grinned, "Nitra is going to y by her own rules. She''s going to use the main feature of all Constructs to win."


    Osvald raised an eyebrow.


    "High intelligence." Sven sighed, "Which means her powers of calction are superior to all of usbined. If we havebat experience, and Alucard has incredible instincts, then she has the ability to see the movements of all objects and know what will happen next. To her it''s pure math, to us, it''s a miracle."


    "Wait... So she uses lightning bolts for more than one powerful attack...?" Osvald was surprised."


    Sven nodded, "Yeah... She''s going to overwhelm Liang with an endless hail of attacks, and he won''t be able to dodge them in such chaos."


    Liang realized this too, but he wasn''t worried about it, he wanted to experience it for himself. Any challenge was like a reward for him.

 Chapter 1045 Calculations

    ?


    The Constructs had a unique society as they were the only race that believed that technology was the future, even though it had already made incredible progress. For them, it was only part of the way to the real progress Nitra spoke of.


    Only in a peaceful world, with no barriers to scientists and their studies, could the Constructs quickly fulfill their dreams. Other races felt that technology was nothing more than a convenience, most often useless, for this world had energy and creatures like Alucard.


    What was the point of a coolser cannon if someone with energy could deflect a devastating ray with a swing of his sword? Or, what was the point of research if in thousands of years, Constructs hadn''te close to the regeneration rate of regr Vampires, let alone Alucard?


    At that rate, it would take them millions of years to achieve something to rival the energy the Constructs themselves thought they had. The other races thought it was impossible, technology could never surpass the basic rules of their world and energy.


    However, the Constructs believed in their abilities, especially the Nitra, for they knew they were already superior in something. It wasputation. No creature could calcte as fast as a simple calctor, much less a powerfulputer, it was simply impossible.


    Considering the peculiarities of Constructs'' bodies, and the fact that they were partly mechanisms, it was quite possible for them. In fact, the stronger a Construct was, the faster it thought, and this could be used in various ways, even in battle.


    "So... What''s next? Using all your strength to wipe me out with one powerful attack?" Liang asked with a calm expression, even though he already knew the answer.


    Nitra smirked, "Don''t y dumb, you know my strength, the strength of every Construct."


    Liang shrugged, "I''m afraid you overestimate your capabilities. Even just to wound me it would take you so many tries you''d get tired of trying."


    Nitra''s eyes sparkled as she crossed her arms over her chest, "Well, we''ll find out soon enough," then she snapped.


    At the same moment, violent lightning bolts emerged from several thunderclouds, heading straight for Liang. There were only a few of them, but they were moving close enough that even the most experienced warrior would have a hard time dodging.


    "Agh... Not impressive." Liang calmly said, taking several steps forward, each time slightly changing his direction.


    Lightning bolts rained down on the ground, right behind him, every time he took a step. However, none of them hit the target, and Liang remainedpletely unharmed, only a few grains of sand hit his mantle.


    "And? Is that really it?" Liang looked at Nitra with disdain.


    Nitra tilted her head, "Of course not! That was just forey, brief but revealing."


    Then, Nitra waved her hands as electric shocks ran through her palms. A multitude of metal pirs activated, attracting powerful lightning bolts falling from the heavens.


    The pirs threw the lightning bolts to the sides, gradually increasing in number, and it could go on like this indefinitely.


    Every second, the number of lightning bolts increased as well as the activated pirs, just as the thunderclouds were constantly unleashing a new wave of lightning on the ground.


    In less than a minute, most of the desert had turned into an area with a thousand lightning bolts, some of which were heading straight for Liang.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Liang dodged each lightning bolt, his experience and reaction was more than enough to avoid several attacks. However, lightning was not his enemy, now they were as natural as wind currents here.


    "Come on! Show me what you can do!" Nitra eximed, unleashing a strike filled with lightning energy on Liang.


    Liang took a step back as Nitra''s fist passed in front of his face, but at the same moment, a random bolt of lightning struck his shoulder.


    No emotion appeared on Liang''s face, but it was obvious that the hit was sessful as part of his mantle was burned.


    "Hahaha, it looks like your reaction isn''t enough for something like that, is it?" Nitra eximed with a crazy smile, unleashing a hail of blows on Liang.


    He dodged and deflected the attacks, however, asionally the lightning bolts would hit him. The difficulty was increased by the fact that Nitra didn''t control them. In that case, he could predict her next action, but she and the lightning bolts were unrted.


    "Oh, it looks like Liang is starting to have a real problem." Osvald muttered, slightly surprised.


    "Yeah, that''s not surprising." Marlis nodded with a deep look, "There hasn''t been any change for Nitra. I''m sure those lightning bolts could hurt her too, but she can see the movement of each lightning bolt."


    "Damn... That''s incredible..." Osvald scratched the back of his head uncertainly, "I can keep track of ten, maybe twenty if I concentrate, the lightning bolts move pretty fast. However, she can actually see each one moving, right?"


    Sven nodded, "Yeah, that''s her advantage as a Construct. However, I doubt Liang will let itst long."<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Nitra began to elerate, unleashing more and more blows on Liang. Liang remained calm, at least there wasn''t any emotion on his face, however, that didn''t mean everything was fine.


    ''I won''t really be able to surpass her under these conditions. She follows every lightning bolt, for her it''s on a reflex level, but for me it''s just shes doing constant damage to me.'''' Liang internally muttered as two lightning bolts mmed into his back.


    Crackle.


    At the same moment, Nitra''s fist mmed into his face, throwing him aside. Blood came out of Liang''s nose with waves of pain spreading through his body, then several lightning bolts struck him again.


    This time they were much more powerful because of the energy particles that Nitra had left on Liang''s body after thest strike, so his body started to shake violently.


    "Hahaha, you''re trapped! Your body might be pretty damn strong, but sooner orter you''ll be finished!" Nitra eximed, pointing her palm at Liang, andunching an energyser at him.


    Liang quickly regained his bnce as he reflected theser with a swing of his sword, but several lightning bolts immediately flew at him, and Nitra repeated her earlier attack.


    "Agh!" Liang gasped as the devastatingser mmed into his back, throwing him hundreds of meters forward, causing him to roll on the sand while hundreds of lightning bolts flew over him.


    p. p. p.


    Slowly pping her hands together, Nitra approached Liang. All the while, she was stepping in special ces so that no lightning would hit her. Lightning bolts flew beside her, over her shoulders and under her arms, but they couldn''t hit her.


    Liang leisurely got up from the ground while several lightning bolts rained down on his body. However, it didn''t bother him at all at the time as all his attention was focused on something else.


    He looked at his reflection, among the scarlet drops of blood partially covering his palm. For every fighter, this would be something normal and natural, wounds were inevitable.


    However, for Liang, it had a deeper meaning, for he could not remember thest time he had seen his blood. It was so long ago that his mind had expunged the event from his memory as unnecessary.


    "Ah... What a beautiful color... I missed this..." Liang muttered with a slight smile on his face, "This is what I wanted to fight against the whole world alone for, but it seems that it''s not necessary..."


    Liang nced at Alucard. Their gazes met for just a moment, but it was enough for them to understand each other.


    "Hahaha, you finally realized that an ordinary war or battle with me would be enough to dispel boredom and feel alive again!" Alucard smirked slyly, "That''s exactly what friends are for!"


    Then, Liang took a deep breath and raised his sword high above his head.


    The lightning bolts continued to attack him, as well as Nitra, rapidly approaching him with discharges of electricity greatly elerating her.


    "It won''t do you any good! You won''t be able to cut all the lightning bolts! They''ll just reappear! ept your defeat!" Nitra eximed furiously, gathering a huge amount of energy in her palms.


    Liang didn''t reply anything, he just gathered streams of wind around his sword before thrusting it into the ground.


    "Hm?" Wain raised an eyebrow in slight surprise. What Liang did was different from his previous attacks and his fighting style in general. He usually cut everything in his path using his skill, but right now, he just stabbed his sword into the ground.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, powerful streams of wind came from the tip of the sword, breaking through the crack in the ground to the top.


    The wind gradually expanded, increasing its area of influence and temporarily driving away the lightning. The wind currents were powerful enough to throw Nitra aside, she simply couldn''t resist the pressure.


    "And what next?!" Nitra shouted, "As soon as the wind weakens everything will go back up! You didn''t change anything!"


    Liang shook his head, "Oh, you''re wrong. Something I did, I gave myself some time for real action."


    Then, Liang pointed his sword forward, with a serious look. He wasn''t going to attack, he had another task in mind.


    The guardians watching the battle from afar didn''t notice it, unlike Wain and Sven, but something changed around Liang. The sand next to him fell slightly as if gravity had increased in this area, and this field continued to expand.

 Chapter 1046 Aura

    ?


    Liang could split the desert in two with a single swing of his sword or turn Alucard into dozens of cubes of meat in a second. The strength of his body was at an incredible height, even for Gael it would be difficult for him to resist such a strong and fast opponent.


    Axalts'' physical stats were always higher than other races, even Vampires, Beastfolks, and Ashens, couldn''t show simr results. This was the Axalts'' advantage and the consequence of having to absorb energy for much longer than other races.


    So, considering that Liang was the strongest Axalt, his body was the peak form, the dream for every Axalt, and there was a reason for that.


    When he killed Ynez, and she was about to blow him up after his death, using the energy in her core, Liang was not affected in any way. He didn''t defend himself, didn''t move away to a safe distance, and didn''t use any special skills. There was no need for him to do so.


    He couldpress the energying from the sphere with the incredible density of his aura, all he had to do was concentrate. Even the densest energy was much lighter than thepressed aura of a strong being like Liang, so such attacks couldn''t hurt him.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The transparent, almost invisible aura continued to spread around Liang like a protective field. In order to maintain it, he expended energy, but the most important thing was his concentration.


    Nothing was to distract him, all his thoughts had to be focused only on the fight. A novice would hardlyst long, but for a seasoned warrior like Liang, even a few weeks of fighting at this pace wouldn''t be a problem.


    Nitra took a few steps back as several lightning bolts flew by her side. They were heading straight for Liang, and if he wanted he could dodge them, but he didn''t need to.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    As soon as the lightning bolts approached Liang, they pressed against the ground, directing their momentum into the sand, and quickly dissolving into it.


    Regardless of how many lightning bolts were heading towards Liang, as soon as they entered the range of his aura, which was no more than a meter, the lightning bolts moved towards the ground.


    "What...? How are you doing that?" Nitra was puzzled, continuing to dodge the lightning bolts to make sure as many of them hit Liang as possible. However, it was to no avail.


    "Are you using some sort of mechanism? How did you create such a powerful gravity field? Wait...? Could it be maic force?" Nitra guessed a few options, although she was smart, she couldn''t understand how Liang was doing it.


    In fact, she could easily guess as well as any strong enough person watching the fight. However, her mind did not want to recognize the obvious.


    "Mechanism?" Liang tilted his head looking at her as if she was insane, "Why would I want that? Everything that is happening now is a result of my power. It''s just my aura, can''t you see that?"


    Nitra''s eyes went wide, then she clenched her fists tightly and swung her hand.


    "No! There''s no way your aura can be so dense that gravity changes around you! It''s definitely some kind of trick!" Nitra eximed as her eyes sparkled.


    Then, more lightning began to fall from the sky, and the electric pirs activated at full power, increasing the amount of lightning each time.


    Liang shook his head, slowly stepping forward, "You think you can hurt me if you increase the total amount of lightning?"


    Nitra didn''t answer anything, she just jumped back, asionally taking steps to the side so the lightning bolts wouldn''t hit her. Now that there were a lot more of them, even she had to strain a bit to calcte everything.


    "Hah, she''spletely confused." Wain smirked, enjoying the hopelessness Nitra was facing. Her global n had failed and Liang didn''t have to use something important or some trump card of his own to do so. His aura was enough.


    "Yeah... It looks like it. If she wants to continue the battle then she needs toe up with something right away, perhaps use her the Form right away." Sven nodded, "Just a little more, and Liang will get close enough to her that even she won''t be able to dodge."


    Liang looked away, at the Tree, "You know, a great tragedy is going to fall on your world today, and it''s all because you pissed me off."


    "Don''t you dare even think about that!" Nitra eximed, causing the lightning bolts to be even faster.


    Now the lightning bolts looked like thousands of shes or energysers creating one singlework where there were almost no safe ces.


    However, ironically it was Liang who was the safest, only there was no endless stream of violent lightning bolts near him. They simply disappeared into the sand, which could easily absorb any amount of electricity.


    If anyone, even a few God Stage creatures, had been in Liang''s ce, they would have died in a matter of seconds. Nitra''s n was dangerous and worked perfectly, just not against Liang.


    "Come on. You and I are adults. We have to take responsibility for our actions and face the consequences. If you would just ept that I''m not on your side, then I wouldn''t have invaded your world." Liang calmly said as he gripped the hilt of his sword tighter.


    "We would have only met in war, or maybe it wouldn''t have happened at all, who knows? But, things are different now. You crossed the line by following me for years and trying to destroy my city and my people!" Liang eximed, swinging his sword.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Nitra''s pupils narrowed as for a moment the world slowed down for her. The lightning bolts practically stopped for her, yet Liang''s arm moved at almost normal speed.


    A shield of dense lightning energy quickly appeared in front of it, then, a wind de came crashing down on it, easily splitting the shield in two and severing Nitra''s left arm.


    Nitra didn''t panic, she knew that if Liang''s attack was sessful, her body wouldn''t be able to withstand it, but, for her, that wasn''t a problem.


    Whoooooosh.


    Nitra soared up, grabbed her hand and put it to the wound. The microparticles in her body quickly connected the limb to the torso and it was one piece again. This was unusual regeneration, not at all like Alucard or Polosa.


    "Not bad, but, it''s not enough to recover quickly in case of emergency." Wain said calmly, looking intently at Nitra.


    "Yeah, you''re right." Sven nodded, "If Liang damages her internal organs, it will practically be the end for her. A few wounds like that she''ll be able to withstand, but not too many."


    "Hmm?" Osvald turned to Sven, giving him a puzzled look, "Won''t she just be able to recover?"


    Sven shook his head, "No, don''t forget, she''s half robot, a mechanism. Losing an arm is the same as a bolt falling out, nothing serious and fixable in a couple of seconds, but, without chips and processors even the best bolts don''t matter."


    Sven sighed, "Anyway, her regeneration is fast, but only on limbs or scratches."


    Osvald nodded.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, Liang tore forward while lightning bolts tried to pass through his barrier. Nitra''s palms were covered in ayer of electrical discharges, she was ready to attack.


    Liang swung his sword like a true master, each attack was precise and aimed at Nitra''s weak point. However, Nitra was the Progenitor of Constructs, so she was not an easy opponent.


    Nitra saw Liang''s every move and even deflected some of his attacks, without any consequences for herself. All she needed was her hands and lightning energy for extra power.


    "Hah, you looked so arrogant when you found a way to counter my lightning, but what now? What''s next!" Nitra eximed with an excited expression, unleashing a powerful strike at Liang.


    Liang swung his sword, blocking Nitra''s fist, but the shockwave went through his body, throwing him back dozens of meters.


    Then, Nitra put her palm to the ground as her eyes shed. All the lightning bolts now began to obey her and Liang could easily recognize where they were going and dodge, but now it was all pointless. His barrier waspletely protecting him.


    So, Nitra decided to abandon the past n and use the full power of millions of lightning bolts to seriously damage Liang.


    Even the first lightning bolts were giving Liang trouble, so if Nitra put them all together, it would be something really powerful.


    Whooooooooooooooooosh.


    The lightning bolts headed upwards, filling the Thunderclouds with extra power, and sending many bright white shes of electrical discharges across the dark, gray sky.


    The thunderclouds began to rotate around a single pulse, while loud peals of thunder rumbled throughout Construct World.


    "Well, well, it looks like we''re finally getting to something serious." Liang said calmly, cing his sword on his shoulder.


    Above Liang, a huge whirlwind of thunderclouds with the most powerful lightning discharges condensed. All the lightning bolts connected to each other, transferring energy to one point, and umting into a sphere that could burst at any moment.


    Even the creatures a few kilometers distant ran away. They sensed how dangerous it was.


    "Come on. Let''s see what you can do." Liang confidently said as the dense aura around him dissipated.


    Then, the energy traveled along his sword, with light currents of wind rippling his mantle and long ck hair.

 Chapter 1047 Seal

    ?


    "Looks like Nitra is serious." Sven muttered, looking carefully at the electric sphere in the center of the vortex.


    "Yeah, this isn''t the end, but she has to hurt him with this attack. If she fails, things will get noticeably worse for her. I doubt she''ll be able to stand up to him in any way afterward." Wain calmly said, "Liang realizes that too."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The space shook due to the power of the vortex and the trembling sphere, it seemed that in a few more seconds it would no longer be able to contain the destructive energy within it.


    Nitra nced at the vortex, then she nodded slightly, and her eyes sparkled. At the same moment, the sphere opened, unleashing a violent bolt of lightning whose power consisted of thousands of others.


    The bursting of the sphere caused a deafening p that was heard by almost every inhabitant of the Construct World, then all eyes were directed at the huge lightning bolt.


    The target of such a devastating attack was a single person. However, Liang was not going to dodge or somehow block this attack, he had another idea.


    "Not bad, but it''s obviously not enough to change the course of the battle." Liang muttered in a deep voice, pointing his sword at the lightning bolt.


    There were light streams of wind around his sword, but Liang didn''t create them. They appeared naturally because of the tremendous energy that he had channeled through the sword de. His weapon was not indestructible like Wain''s or Nameless King''s, so he had to share some of his energy with his partner.


    Then, the lightning reached its target, striking Liang with all its power.


    Nitra took a deep breath as she wiped the trickles of blood flowing from the corners of her mouth. Controlling so much lightning was difficult even for her.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    An empty space was formed between the lightning and Liang''s sword tip. They fought against each other, trying to get closer to each other, but at the same time, they created a powerful pressure. Whoever could advance first would win this confrontation.


    Liang nodded, "You actually put a lot of effort into creating such an attack, it''s top ss, but, I''m not going to give up my words."


    Then, Liang took a step forward, slightly raising his sword. At the same moment, the lightning traveled along the sword de. Electric discharges covered Liang''s entire body, trying to harm him and gradually seeding.


    His skin cracked in some ces, and soon the first wounds might appear, however, Liang was not going to let that happen.


    He took a deep breath and swung his hand. Electric shocks traveled through his body, heading towards his hand, then lightning bolts appeared from his fingertips.


    The lightning bolts tried to attack Liang again, that was their main target, but, they just couldn''t change their direction and followed towards Liang''s sword. Liang used his aura to create pressure on the lightning bolts, controlling their movements.


    "What...? What the hell is he trying to do...?" Nitra muttered with her eyes wide open. She couldn''t believe what she was seeing.


    Instead of dodging, Liang intentionally ducked and put his body under pressure, all for the sake of infusing his sword with lightning energy.


    Liang''s sword trembled slightly, and it intensified, even his weapon couldn''t withstand such power in itself for long, so Liang had to act as soon as possible.


    "Good. This will be enough." Liang muttered before tearing upwards.


    He ran his palm over the sword de filling it with the power of the wind, then he hovered in the air, staring intently at the Tree.


    The six Guardians didn''t take part in the fight, they left it up to their leader, but that didn''t mean they were inactive.


    Over the course of Nitra and Liang''s fight, the Guardians had rebuilt most of the barrier and even installed a few new ones, specifically against sharp attacks like Liang''s. The tree was critical to their race so they had to do everything to protect it.


    Liang understood that, but a few barriers couldn''t stop someone as strong as him.


    "You can create a thousand barriers and keep rebuilding them. However, it won''t change the final result anyway. It''s all decided because it''s my will." Liang majestically uttered before thrusting his sword forward.


    From the tip of the sword came out all the energy that it absorbed along with the violent wind currents. In an instant, it turned into a new lightning bolt with perhaps more destructive power that unleashed Nitra on Liang.


    Liang aimed straight at the core of the Tree, however, despite his best efforts, the lightning was unstable. It shook and abruptly changed its direction from time to time, so eventually the lightning headed towards one of the massive branches of the Tree.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "Tsk. What a shame." Liang frowned, dissatisfied with his result.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Lightning collided with the barriers, making them shake and easily shattering oneyer after another. The barriers were powerful, but they were not prepared to withstand the reinforced attack of their Progenitor, another Progenitor.


    "Damn it, let''s go! We must protect the tree!" One of the Guardians eximed, tearing forward. He was followed by the others.


    They quickly created an energy shield in front of them, using their reserves right in front of where the lightning was about to strike.


    "They are acting selflessly." Wain calmly said, "However, although they are among the strongest Constructs, they are still far from Liang''s level. They should have just stepped aside and let the Tree take some, non-lethal damage."


    Crackle.


    The lightning destroyed all barriers, crashing down on the Guardians. They were ready to stop the lightning, they were sure they had enough power to do so. However, they hadpletely forgotten that part of this attack consisted of the wind that Liang controlled.


    "Useless." Liang calmly said before swinging his hand.


    At the same moment, the wind separated from the lightning, shattering the energy shield and throwing the guardians aside with a powerful stream. The wind left hundreds of tiny cuts on their bodies, from which blood gushed out.


    "No!" Nitra eximed, stretching her arm forward, but it was already toote, she couldn''t stop the lightning in any way.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The lightning struck the Tree with a powerful st, shattering one of the massive branches. Though it was only part of the Tree, and its core was not affected in any way as well as the roots through which the energy traveled, it was a true catastrophe.


    On this branch alone, there were thousands of fruits that would be enhanced Constructs in the future. In a few decades, they would be the basis of the military strength of their entire race and just now, they were destroyed.


    The lightning discharges destroyed the fruits, tearing them apart while the wind cut the surviving pieces. Liang was serious until he quenched his wrath, he would not leave this world.


    "You fucking monster! Why did you have to do that? I''m your opponent!" Nitra eximed furiously, clenching her fists tightly.


    Liang slowly turned his head, giving her an arrogant look, as if she was barely worth him talking to her.


    "You tried to destroy a city where far more people lived than the fruit on this branch. I still haven''t achieved my goal. Today I will definitely destroy your Tree. You will forever remember not to anger someone who can destroy you at any moment." Liang narrowed his eyes, throwing a nce at Nitra.


    Nitra was angry, she was ready to jump on Liang and attack him until she turned his face into a bloody mess. However, she quickly calmed down, taking a deep breath.


    "Fine. I realize now that this is not a conflict or a war. This is a battle for the future of my people." Nitra nodded, then she put her palm to her chest, where the Guardians had their core.


    However, unlike them, there was no core beneath her military uniform, instead, she had a mechanical seal in the form of chaotic discharges of thunder. In the center of the seal was a small crystal, simr to the ones that grew at the roots of the Tree, but much darker and dirtier.


    Nitra took a deep breath, and a dark energy began to emanate from the crystal, it covered her like a ck fog, leaving barely visible symbols on her body and uniform.


    Then, ck electrical discharges appeared next to Nitra. They rained down on the ground beside her, as if foreshadowing something important.


    "I didn''t think I''d have to do this until the Great War, but you forced me to. Mr. The Strongest One, you''re going to lose today!" Nitra said confidently as the crystal in her chest sparkled. Some sort of object slowly began to emerge from the crystal, with a long handle and a sharp tip.


    "Oh... As far as I knew you fight with your bare hands. Was I wrong?" Liang raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised.


    Nitra closed her eyes for a moment, then she reached out and tightly gripped the spear that had alreadypletely left the crystal.


    "Yeah, you are." Nitra said confidently.


    The spear had a dark blue hilt, a ck de, and several strange mechanisms next to it. They looked both modern and ancient at the same time as if this weapon retained all the advantages of different eras.

 Chapter 1048 Information

    ?


    "What is that?" Marlis muttered curiously, looking at the strange spear in Nitra''s hands.


    "Kind of reminds you of the fight with Polosa, doesn''t it?" Wain smirked as he nced at Sven.


    Sven shook his head, "They''re different, it''s obvious even to a blind man. That spear won''t give her regeneration or take anything in return. As far as I know, it''s her personal design from parts of the Tree."


    Osvald''s eyes went wide, "What...? As far as I know, Constructs treat the Tree like something holy. They absolutely have a ban on using it as a material!"


    Sven nodded, "Yeah, you''re right. The thing is, this spear isn''t made from that Tree."


    Sven looked calm, but, the things he was talking about were of critical importance. No one among them, not even Wain knew of the existence of the other Tree.


    "Hmm?" Marlis''s raised an eyebrow in confusion, "In this world somewhere there is a hidden area where there is another Tree only a ck one?"


    "No..." Sven shook his head, "Nitra''s spear is ck because that''s what the materials were and they became that way because of the fire."


    All eyes were on Sven, waiting for his next words.


    "I wasn''t sure of the truth of this information, but in the main library of the Arkan World, I found one ancient book. I don''t even know who wrote it, but, the gist of it is that it talked about the previous Tree of the Construct World."


    Sven continued, holding his hands behind his back, "The Progenitor of the Undeads, he was the one who burned the previous Tree. Apparently, after a fire, only a small part of any tree, even the greatest, remains, just surviving ashes. Nitra gathered it together andbined it with technology to make his spear."


    "The progenitor of the Undeads...?" Marlis muttered in disbelief, "Damn if nts are the most quiet and pacifist race, the Undeads are the most secretive. You never know what''s going on or what they''re up to, they always have their own agenda."


    "You''re wrong." Sven said sternly.


    "Agh...?" Marlis tilted her head, she hadn''t expected such a harsh answer.


    "The Undeads, all of them, without exception, have one single purpose for which they are willing to do whatever it takes, and that is to gather information." Sven said seriously, "They call me an informant, and that is no mistake. I actually know a lot of things that others wouldn''t even think of."


    Sven shook his head, "However,pared to the Progenitor of Undeads, I am deaf, blind, and dumb. The amount of information he possesses... damn, I can barely imagine that amount."


    "Hmm? Information gathering?" Osvald raised an eyebrow, "Could that be the main goal? I mean, it''s not power or might or immortality or control... Information is important, but it''s only a tool, not the ultimate goal."


    Sven nodded, "Sure, from our point of view it is like that. However, it''s different for them. They rarely participate in anything, but, they are constantly watching, always and everywhere, they operate from the shadows. In the end, it''s that style that makes them the best assassins."


    Wain smiled bitterly, "Yeah, I agree. The information allows them to understand what the current situation is so they know what to do. I doubt chaos and total control is what they want. They need the world to stay the way it is, it''s the only way they can continue to do what they love."


    Sven, Marlis, and Osvald nodded silently. In terms of action and influence, the Undeads truly had a peculiar position. If they wanted to, they could even change the oue of a war without being directly involved in it. Sometimes, information could be the greatest weapon of all.


    If someone had informed x of Sven''s ns and treachery before the First Great War, the whole story would have changed because of a few words from a trusted source. However, this did not happen, which also showed the importance of the information.


    Those who were in leadership positions always had to realize how the Undeads treated them. To be the enemy of a race that knew almost everything about everyone was a big mistake.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The random lightning dischargesing out of Nitra''s spear caused ripples in the air. The natural color of Nitra''s lightning as well as energy was blue, however, that changed with the spear. The electric discharges flowing through her hands were now ck, not reflecting light at all.


    Liang was not worried, he stared intently at Nitra, watching her every action. Unlike the Progenitor of Undeads, he didn''t know about the existence of this spear and the history with the previous Tree.


    "What is this spear?" Liang asked with mild interest. He needed to know what kind of weapon his opponent used to choose the right tactics.


    "It is a remembrance of the worst day of our race." Nitra said with a deadly serious look, "You want to destroy our Tree, but you don''t know that once the Progenitor of Undeads already burned one. However, that was a long time ago, and only a few people know about it in all the worlds."


    Liang nodded, "I see. So if I destroy your Tree, a new one will grow after a while, right?"


    Nitra didn''t answer anything, she just frowned, not wanting to give an answer to that question.


    Liang sighed, "Well, in that case, I''ll have to spend time to find a way to permanently destroy your Tree. You must remember not to anger me, forever and ever!"


    Whoooooooosh.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    At the same moment, Nitra rushed forward with great speed, far surpassing the speed she possessed before.


    Liang tilted his head back, dodging the spear de flying directly above his face.


    ''She''s gotten faster... Apparently this spear is giving her a general boost. After all she is a Construct and is connected to the Tree, even if it was burned hundreds of years ago.'''' Liang pondered before swinging his sword.


    Nitra''s pupils narrowed as she instantly reacted and blocked Liang''s attack. The spear and long sword collided, creating a shockwave that caused the air to tremble.


    Liang and Nitra began a powerful exchange of attacks, they both moved incredibly fast as even Fourth Chronicle One would have a hard time keeping up with their movements.


    They looked like two shes moving across the desert area. Gradually, the sand began to walk in waves from their attacks, every time they moved to a certain point, the desert''sndscape would temporarily change.


    "Not bad, you''ve be considerably stronger." Liang calmly said.


    "Hah, even in this situation, you''re trying to bully me! You''re weak!" Nitra eximed, as her eyes sparkled.


    At the same moment, Nitra became even faster as her hands turned into a blur. Liang alerted, taking a few steps back, but it wasn''t enough to dodge the hail of attacks.


    Nitra had intended to pierce Liang''s heart and end the fight in one sessful attack, however, she realized that it was on the verge of impossible.


    So, it was an aplishment for her when scratches and even cuts began to appear on Liang''s body and blood began to gush out.


    Liang simply couldn''t keep up with her movements, with each sessful attack, Nitra used more and more energy, quickly bing much stronger.


    ''Oh... If this continues like this, it could be a real failure. I think I should also switch to more serious methods than just swinging my sword.'''' Liang pondered with a calm look before raising his sword high above his head.


    Then, he brought it down on Nitra with lightning speed.


    "Slowly!" Nitra eximed confidently, turning into a ck sh and dodging the attack.


    Whooooooosh.


    A stream of wind from Liang''s sword swept along the desert, splitting it in two. However, Liang didn''t pay attention to it as Nitra was already attacking.


    She clutched the spear tightly with both hands as electric shocks ran through it, then she lunged forward, intending to pierce Liang through.


    Liang swept her palm across the sword, giving it the power of wind and exposing the sword de in front of her for defense.


    Crackle.


    The tip of the spear collided with the sword, sending powerful electric shocks through Liang''s body, but they could not seriously harm him.


    However, that wasn''t all Nitra had prepared for him.


    Small mechanisms next to the de activated, slightly opening like wings and releasing a huge amount of energy that gave Nitra eleration.


    Liang''s eyes went wide when the mechanisms simultaneously closed, releasing all the power forward in a single pulse.


    ''Shit...'' That was the only thought running through Liang''s mind before a ck lightning bolt emerged from the tip of the spear, crashing down on his body.


    The impact threw Liang aside, tearing his mantle to shreds and leaving many wounds on his body. The sand he flew over turned into ss crystals due to the electrical discharges of the ck lightning trying to tear him apart.


    "That''s not all... We can''t stop!" Nitra took a deep breath again activating the mechanisms on the spear.


    The mechanisms opened up on the other side like miniature cannons, and then five dense cksers flew out of them, raining down directly on Liang, who resisted the lightning.


    As soon as thesers got close to Liang, they exploded, causing powerful streams of ck mes and smoke to spread across most of the desert.

 Chapter 1049 Sheath

    ?


    Nitra didn''t hold back, she used all the power that she had now including this spear. Before their fight would enter itsst and most intense stage, she had to wound Liang as much as possible.


    If she couldn''t do that now, she would lose in the battle of endurance and speed, for Liang also had several trump cards, although he didn''t want to use them at all.


    The explosion thatbined the energy ofsers and violent lightning had terrifying power. ck mes spread for kilometers from the epicenter, leaving dark streaks on the sand while the shockwaves still continued to pass through Construct World.


    The air currents caused by the explosion smashed against the protective barriers of the cities, even those that were quite far from the Tree.


    The inhabitants were baffled and frightened, this had not happened for a long time, and they thought that someone had attacked them. However, all of this was just a consequence of one single attack that would destroy the one they called The Strongest One.


    Even for Alucard, whose eyesight may have been the sharpest of any living creature, nothing could be seen through the thick cloud of dust and ck ash particles.


    ''That was very good, honestly I didn''t expect the explosion to be so powerful... However, even if he''s injured, it''s still not enough! I mustn''t stop!" Nitra internally eximed before thrusting her spear into the ground and taking a step back.


    Energy traveled towards her hand, quickly transforming from electrical discharges into a ck thunderbolt that could explode right in her palm at any moment.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Taking a step forward and tilting her body, Nitra threw the thunderbolt forward like a spear from behind with all her might, provoking another explosion. This one was not as powerful as the previous one, but if Liang was injured it would greatly worsen his condition and help Nitra win.


    "Agh... Agh... Agh... Agh..." Nitra was breathing heavily, she needed a short break to recover. Even though she was partially a mechanism, she had a certain limit on her stamina like everyone else.


    Sheunched a series of powerful attacks that would have easily destroyed an entire squad of the God Stage Ones. However, Nitra realized that her opponent was much higher ranked than a simple God Stage Creature.


    "Oh, it looks like he decided to try something new..." Alucard muttered with a calm look, looking at the slowly rising silhouette behind the veil of dust.


    Liang''s half of his body was covered in blood, the top of his mantle waspletely ripped open, exposing his muscr torso that had been involved in thousands of battles in his long life.


    The blood, every drop of which could have been a treasure in the hands of a skilled alchemist, flowed downward, soaking into the soulless sand.


    The only thing that remained unchanged was his sword. It was not damaged in any way despite everything that had happened and that was because Liang had protected his weapon with wind energy.


    "Hah, you''re seriously injured, but you still look so confident as if you can defeat me at any moment..." Nitra smirked, enjoying her small victory, "Your arrogance really knows no bounds!"


    Liang didn''t reply anything, he silently stared at Nitra as if waiting for her next move.


    "Go!" Nitra waved her hand, "Use your the Form! Show how powerful you are at the peak of your powers!"


    Wain smirked, "Not a bad tactic, she''s trying to get him to use everything he has at once. However, I doubt Liang will go for it."


    "Hmm? You and Sven, you both seem to overestimate Liang''s strength." Marlis raised an eyebrow, "His skills are actually astounding, but he acts overly careless."


    "Really?" Sven tilted his head, with a calm gaze, looking at Marlis.


    "Sure. He could have taken support or tried to lure Nitra to a more convenient ce to fight. However, he instead chose to fight the Progenitor of Constructs in her world. What''s more, their battleground is right next to the Tree! Nitra has an almost limitless amount of energy here!" Marlis said confidently.


    Sven and Wain exchanged nces as Wain shook his head with a mocking smile on his face.


    "You''re naive, just like I used to be before I got my memories back. You''re smart, but yourbat experience isn''t enough to understand some simple things." Wain smirked, "Nitra used weapons and many skills that requirerge amounts of energy."


    Wain stared at the bloodied Liang, "However, what did he use? A few sword swings? Come on, for a swordsman of his level it''s as easy as doing a push-up once."


    Marlis''s eyes went wide as she realized how many things she had overlooked, thinking aboutpletely different things that weren''t really important.


    "You''ve probably realized by now that Liang didn''t use much energy or employ any unusual skills. That''s true, but you don''t realize another detail." Wain said confidently while keeping his arms crossed on his chest.


    "Agh...?" Marlis gave him a questioning look. Wain said exactly what she was thinking, it was as if he was reading her mind even though it was obviously impossible. She would have noticed it.


    Wain grinned, "Have you forgotten what his Title is? The Strongest One! And there''s a reason for that!"


    At the same moment, Liang tightly gripped the hilt of his sword, releasing his all-consuming aura. It was red, not as thick as Alucard''s, but much more frightening, as it could actually destroy a weak creature if it got close enough.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    However, the aura was only a consequence of what Liang was currently doing. Right now, he was using all of his physical strength, the peak of which was absolutely terrifying to any opponent.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crack.


    There were cracks along Liang''s sword from which a light red smoke wasing out.


    "What is that...?" Nitra muttered as her mechanical eyes stared at Liang''s sword, magnifying the images multiple times.


    She could see the cracks slowly trying to repair themselves, preventing the smoke from escaping, however, as Liang tightened his grip slightly, the cracks grewrger.


    Marlis was as surprised as Nitra. Sven and Wain were calm, with sly smirks on their faces as they watched what was happening and how Nitra and Marlis reacted. They were enjoying it as unlike Marlis and Nitra, they were well aware of what was happening.


    "Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!" Alucardughed, shaking the space with his voice. He couldn''t contain his emotions.


    "Against me you didn''t want to use this, but now it''s time for your wrath toe out, isn''t it!" Alucard eximed, with excited expression and a crazy smile on his face.


    Liang continued to remain silent, and along with Alucard''sughter, it made Nitra very wary. The Undeads may have been the best informants of all the races, but Construct had had sess in that direction as well.


    However, Nitra knew nothing about Liang''s sword having any hidden properties.


    "What''s going on...? Answer me!" Nitra eximed, panicking.


    Liang lifted his chin, casting an arrogant nce at Nitra, "Oh, I should have put some force into it, you''re no longer confident. You''re quick to adjust to a situation, aren''t you?"


    Nitra frowned, pulled her spear out of the ground, and prepared to fight.


    "I think you''ve already guessed that this isn''t my real weapon." Liang said calmly, showing her his sword covered in cracks.


    Nitra nodded. She wasn''t in the mood for conversation, all she wanted was to win, but she needed to learn more about it if she had the chance.


    "Let''s just say... What I used before was a simple scabbard... A bit of an unusual shape since itpletely covers my sword, but as you can see it had its reasons." Liang nced at his weapon.


    Then, he took a deep breath, "You know, it would take a lot of force to break these scabbards, even your tensers or three lightning bolts couldn''t scratch them."


    Nitra''s eyes went wide. She didn''t know if it was true, but Liang had no reason to lie, so, such durability seemed incredible to her.


    Whooooooosh.


    At the same moment, Liang''s silhouette blurred as he disappeared. He moved swiftly, so much so that even Nitra''s eyes could not immediately notice the trajectory of his movements.


    ''I see!'' Nitra eximed as a shadow fell upon her from Liang, who held the hilt of his sword tightly with both hands, about to bring it down upon Nitra.


    Nitra reacted quickly, thrusting her spear forward. She was about to block the attack so she could counterattackter, but, something at thest moment made her change her mind.


    A crack.


    Electric shocks ran through Nitra''s body as she turned into a sh, quickly moving away from the attack. As fast as she could.


    Then, Liang''s sword reached the ground.


    Nitra was ready for a powerful cut that would reach the Tree Barrier, so she prepared to reinforce it if necessary.


    However, the cut did not happen, instead, at the point of attack, sand began to fall, while the entire desert slowly began to shake.


    Upwards, tones of sand rose up, bing the harbingers of an explosion of energy that only urred due to Liang''s abnormal physical strength.


    "Missed. Well, it won''t happen again." Liang calmly said as a veritable tsunami of sand rose in the background as a consequence of his attack.

 Chapter 1050 The Old Sword

    ?


    The sword was the most popr weapon out of many and with good reason. The sword, and simr types of weapons, were of optimal length and perfect for attacking, counterattacking, defending, and repelling attacks.


    However, the most important detail was that each sword had a long de that could be used to cut through anything if you had the right level of skill.


    Spears or daggers also had des, but one was too long and the other too short, though this had its advantages. Hammers were blunt in general, though they had much more explosive power.


    The sword was the golden mean, preserving the bnce of all existing weapons. The sword was the beginning for all and the logical end, as even the strangest weapons took something from the sword.


    Liang was obviously one of the best swordsmen in all worlds. His skill was impable, and his experience was perhaps the most extensive and only Gael could rival him. After all, they both used the sword as their primary weapon.


    Wain used the sword as well, but dius was more of a supplement to his core strength and supported his fighting style. In the realm of swordsmanship skills, Wain was significantly worse than Gael or Liang, although his skills were also at a very decent level.


    Liang''s sword was considered a great weapon, however, it wasn''t really swordsmanship that was the basis of Liang''s strength. In fact, now, his sword attack didn''t leave a long cut in the middle of the desert, instead there was an explosion as if Liang''s hands were holding a massive hammer.


    Nitra was wary, clutching her spear tighter. She was already used to the way Liang acted, however, now everything was different. She could see that clearly.


    "Now you''re using your sword as a club? Hah, is this really how a true swordsman should treat his weapon!" Nitra eximed with a mocking smirk.


    Liang tilted his head, "What kind of nonsense are you talking about? I''m using the sword as it will be maximized. What''s the point of even cuts if I don''t release my power through them?"


    Liang shook his head, "Well, I guess I should show you how badly you''re wrong. In any case, I need to destroy these scabbards somehow. As long as they''re restraining my sword, I won''t be able to fight seriously."


    Crackle. Crackle. Crack.


    At the same moment, Liang tightly gripped the hilt of his sword with even more strength than before. His muscles tensed up, bing steely, and his veins swelled. Liang tilted his body backwards so that his attack would have maximum power because of the momentum.


    Nitra quickly tried to think of a n of action. She somehow wanted to stop Liang, but even with her intelligence, it was impossible to do something so quickly.


    Wain shook his head, "Well if I were in her shoes, I would unleash one of my most powerful attacks on Liang without a second thought."


    "Yeah, that would be the most correct decision. Even if Liang was able toplete her attack, the counterattack would have reduced its effect." Sven nodded, "In this case, Nitra should have acted on her instincts instead of her thoughts and calctions."


    Marlis wanted to say something, but after Sven''s words, she fell silent. Though Nitra was their enemy since she was going to participate in the war on the Arkans'' side, Marlis was close in spirit to Nitra.


    They were both scientists and liked to investigate unusual things and do calctions, so Marlis understood how Nitra fought.


    ''Damn... I wish I could prove them wrong, but it seems impossible. Considering Liang''s abilities, it was actually a mistake on Nitra''s part.'''' Marlis muttered inwardly, biting her finger until it bled.


    After a few seconds, Nitra made some sort of decision as energy traveled down her arms, but it was already toote.


    Crackle.


    Liang abruptly took a step forward, at great speed, bringing his sword down to the ground with red streams of aura that continued to emanate from his body.


    At the same moment, the stone scabbard began to copse, no longer able to withstand the pressure from Liang, and his attack showed its impact.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ground trembled as from Liang''s attack, a huge wave of sand rose up. In fact, it was many timesrger than the tsunami he had caused with hisst attack.


    "Holy shit..." Nitra muttered, looking at the wave of sand casting a shadow over her. The wave was so high that it could easily cover half of the Tree and destroy the city around it, along with the crystals.


    "I can''t let that happen!" Nitra eximed as ck electric shocks ran through her body. However, she didn''t attack the slow-moving wave, instead, she headed towards the Tree, or rather towards one of the crystals near its roots.


    "Mr. Nitra! We will help you!" One of the Guardians eximed.


    Nitra nodded, "Sure. Your energy will be useful. Also, try to strengthen the barriers! This wave could seriously harm the Tree! We must avoid it!"<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    The Guardians quickly set to work, while Nitra touched one of the crystals. It was quite smallpared to the others, much shorter than her, not even reaching her waist.


    However, this small crystal had enough energy in it to power manyrge cities for months and fill Nitra''s body with incredible power.


    The tree was a unique resource, perhaps even more valuable than nts'' Crystal Mind Dew.


    The tree was constantly releasing energy densities even higher than Sven''s, even though he was on the Transcendence Stage and could defeat many opponents of the same level.


    In the end, he defeated Polosa, who used all her trump cards and the Infinite Spear, a weapon capable of giving great power for an equally great price.


    So, even Nitra had to realize that her body wouldn''t be able to absorb the energy from toorge a crystal. In fact, for a single attack, that was practically the limit she could absorb.


    If someone from Fifth Chronicle tried to absorb the same crystal as Nitra did now, their body would be torn apart.


    "Agh... The tree is actually our greatest treasure..." Nitra muttered, looking up at the long branches of the Tree spreading across the sky as if an entire world could fit underneath them.


    Blue energy waves passed through Nitra''s body like dense sma, but, they quickly turned ck and headed for her spear.


    Then, Nitra took a deep breath and pointed her spear at the wave of sand that had already almost reached the barrier. Her eyes shed as all the energy from the spear came out, transforming at Nitra''s will into a devastating thunderbolt, heading towards the wave at the speed of light.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The thunderbolt spread ripples through the air every second, and when Wain blinked, the thunderbolt collided with a wave of sand.


    At the same moment, waves of ck mes engulfed everything around them before the most powerful shockwave dispelled them,pletely clearing the entire space.


    The impact from the explosion destroyed the wave, turning most of the sand grains into ss crystals. They fell to the ground in hail, reflecting off the bright sunlight, sometimes with rainbow colors.


    "Damn, while this isn''t exactly what I like, it actually looks beautiful. Doesn''t it?" Wain smiled, looking at the part of the desert that was now covered in tiny ss.


    Sven nodded, "Yeah, I agree. However, he doesn''t seem to care about it at all."


    Sven stared intently at Liang, on whose face no emotion appeared. Then, everyone''s gaze shifted to his sword which was now freed from the sheath that had concealed it for a long time.


    His sword had a ck hilt and a long red de, emitting a dense red smoke that matched Liang''s scarlet aura.


    One detail that set this sword apart from all the others, it surprised everyone, from Marlis to Wain to Nitra.


    Every great person''s weapon matched the status of its wielder. If it was a spear, it had to be indestructible and possess something unique, if it was a hammer, it had to be heavy and powerful enough to withstand the strength of its wielder.


    Obviously, if it was a sword, it had to be wless, from the hilt to the de, perfectly straight and sharp.


    However, Liang''s sword de was not at all as others had imagined it to be. It was damaged in many ces, it was blunt and had some cracks. There were parts missing on two sides as if it was an ordinary, very old, and rusty sword that had not been taken care of by its owner.


    "You were able to protect the Tree, but you had to use your energy to do so. Well, I think I know what I have to do now." Liang muttered with a deep gaze, looking up at the branches of the Tree.


    "No! You wouldn''t dare!" Nitra eximed, waving her hand, then she blinked, and Liang strangely disappeared. A small crater appeared where he had just stood, with sand rolling down into it.


    Tap.


    In a heartbeat, Liang appeared right in front of Nitra, as if he could teleport, but in fact, he was just fast enough that Nitra didn''t notice anything.


    Then, he grabbed her by the throat and threw her upwards with all his might, without meeting any resistance.

 Chapter 1051 Vortex

    ?


    Nitra tried to unclench Liang''s hand that clenched around her neck, but it seemed impossible. Even if she used all her strength, she couldn''t evene close to the level of physical power Liang possessed.


    Crackle.


    The protective tes on Nitra''s neck cracked, then Liang took a step forward and threw Nitra upwards with all his might, straight into the Tree.


    The Guardians would have liked to help their ruler, but the speed at which Nitra flew was too great. Even using the lightning bolts as a means of slowing her down, her speed was reduced only slightly. It wasn''t enough to stop right in front of the Tree.


    So, even though Nitra would never do something like that, because of Liang''s throw, she punched her body through the trunk of the tree, flying out the other side.


    Electric shocks went through the tree, and from the unusual roots that were inside the trunk, like human veins, came out a blue sma, the same one that Alucard had tried to absorb before. As a result, his arm exploded due to too much pressure.


    Every bit of sma that was actually incredibly dense energy was very precious, even more, precious than the crystals growing at the foot of the Tree.


    "Bastard! Stop trying to destroy the Tree!" Nitra angrily eximed, as her eyes filled with anger and arge amount of energy headed towards the spear.


    Liang didn''t answer anything, instead, he approached one crystal that was several timesrger than the one Nitra had absorbed as he lifted his foot off the ground.


    Then, Liang stomped, causing a shockwave that shattered the crystal into rubble due to the powerful pressure.


    The Guardians would have liked to help Nitra or protect the Tree, but they realized that it was impossible to approach Liang. Now, he was definitely strong enough to just grab their heads and crush them, without any resistance.


    "Wait... What is he doing...?" One of the keepers muttered with a trembling look. He couldn''t believe what he was seeing.


    Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.


    Liang began to eat the crystal fragments, simply shattering them into crumbs with his teeth and powerful jaws. The crystals were strong enough that the Third Chronicle Creature couldn''t harm them in any way, but it wasn''t difficult for Liang to do so.


    "Shit... Has he lost his mind?" The other guardian raised an eyebrow, staring intently at Liang, "Maybe on The Strongest Ones, but he''s not a Human. He can''t absorb that much energy like that. His body simply can''t handle it."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    When Liang had already absorbed about half of the crystal, blue waves traveled through his body. The energy was trying to find a free space, but Liang was alreadypletely full. He had to let all this energy out right now or his body would be seriously damaged.


    "Hm?" Liang frowned, "Hey, where are you trying to escape to? I''m not done yet."


    Liang tightly clenched his sword, as his aura stoppeding out of his body. Instead, the scarlet aura, along with the red smoke emanating from his sword, headed towards his chest, towards his Spirit.


    Like all Axalts, Liang had a Spirit, and considering that he was a man, his Spirit was in the form of a sun sign. This meant that he had to be an active, energetic, and emotional person, like everyone with the same Spirit.


    However, Spirit was just a distinguishing feature of their race, something that helped them absorb the energy making it pure and dense. Spirit did not determine the future destiny of a person and perhaps Liang was the first to prove it.


    "What...? What''s going on?" Osvald asked with a surprised expression, "He''s absorbing his aura and the aura of his sword with his Spirit...? Is it supposed to work that way?"


    Sven shook his head, "No, he channels it into his body."


    "Agh...? Doesn''t that mean he''s making it worse!" Osvald eximed, "Even Alucard with his insane regeneration wouldn''t be able to withstand that kind of pressure. He''s just overloading his body!"


    Sven nodded, "Yeah, and if you think he''s lost his mind, you''re wrong. Let''s just see what happens next."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The space beside Liang trembled while he continued to absorb the crystal. Almost all of his aura had already headed towards the sun sign on his chest.


    ''What is he going to do...? Is this some kind of cunning n...? Maybe I should attack him right now...? What if it''s a trap? In that case, I might lose the fight! Doing it near the Tree is too risky!" Nitra pondered, examining every detail with her mechanical eyes.


    After a while, cracks began to appear on Liang''s insanely tough body, some of them even bleeding. This caused Nitra to smirk contentedly.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    ''Hah, I knew that arrogance would ruin him! I admit, he definitely has the right to wear his Title, but just because he''s The Strongest One doesn''t mean he''s omnipotent! He also has weaknesses, and even he can''t absorb that much energy!'' Nitra eximed excitedly internally.


    Then, her spear was covered in ck electric discharges. She prepared to attack, gathering energy at the tip of her weapon.


    As soon as Liang finished and retreated due to the negative effects of the excessive energy absorption, she would immediately attack. This time, Nitra would not miss the most important moment! This was her chance to change the course of the battle.


    However, Liang was not about to retreat as suddenly his aura began to intensify.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crack.


    Along his Spirit, cracks began to crack as parts of the sun sign began to fall off.


    "Ah...? He''s destroying his Spirit?" Marlis muttered in a disbelief. Everyone knew that for Axalt, such a thing was almost equivalent to death, for they would lose the ability to absorb energy.


    "Well... Those aren''t exactly the right words. It''s the normal form of his Spirit that he retains, in normal times, but during a serious battle everything changes." Sven calmly said, but his voice was serious and cold.


    Marlis got goosebumps as her eyes went wide, "Wait... Axalt has only two types of Spirits, the moon and the sun. asionally, some Axalts have mutations and their Spirit bes dual, but that''s pretty rare. That''s about it."


    Sven smirked, "You''re right, the thing is, I''m not sure if you can call what appears a Spirit, but it has a simr function, or rather... the exact opposite."


    Marlis gave him a questioning look. As a schr, she was curious about the unique Spirit that Liang had, but Sven didn''t say anything more.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crack.


    The sun sigilpletely fell apart, revealing another sigil on Liang''s chest. It was a crimson vortex, its tips were bright red while the center waspletely ck like the entrance to the abyss.


    Then, from the tips of the vortex, unusual red threads spread across Liang''s body, very simr to ordinary human veins that flowed blood. However, something else was traveling along these threads, and it was energy.


    At the same moment, Liang''s aura became much more powerful as the wounds on his body quickly healed. It wasn''t enhanced regeneration, just considering his level of strength, scratches and thin cuts wasn''t anything significant.


    "What is this...? You have a unique Spirit...? What function does it have? Why did your body stop copsing due to too much energy!" Nitra eximed, not realizing what was happening.


    She had ess to all the knowledge of the Construct World, one of thergest databases in all worlds. Only the Undeads had more information than the Construct who were constantly experimenting and recording everything, every detail.


    However, she hadn''t even seen any mention that Axalts might have such a Spirit. Obviously, she knew nothing about its functions and capabilities.


    Liang tilted his head while the threads spread throughout his body, gradually bing one with it. After all, to Axalt, their Spirit was practically an extra organ. Their bodies weren''t rejecting Spirits, they were merging with them.


    ''Well, this will take a bit of time, so we can enlighten it.'' Liang thought, looking at the vortex in the center of his chest.


    ''This isn''t a unique Spirit, or rather what you saw before was something like a sword sheath. Since this is my Spirit that I obtained many years ago." Liang calmly replied while the energy spread through his body,pletely free of pressure.


    "Agh...?" Nitra was puzzled.


    "A long time ago I was seriously injured, and my Spirit was damaged, it was malfunctioning, and it was very hard for me to clear energy. Then I thought, if it''s a part of my body, I can change it the way I want. And I wanted to get rid of this weakness because it meant that without my Spirit, I would be nothing." Liang calmly replied.


    "I was gradually destroying my Spirit, it was difficult and even crazy, but then I noticed that something new started to grow under my old Spirit. At that moment, I realized that my body had answered my call."


    Nitra''s eyes went wide, "In that case... What is the function of your Spirit...?"


    Liang smirked, "The opposite. This vortex gets rid of all the excess energy!"


    Nitra was puzzled as well as the guardians, but a chill ran down Marlis''s back. She realized that in Liang''s case, it was a terrifying power.

 Chapter 1052 Second Vortex

    ?


    Liang exined how his true Spirit worked, however, Nitra, Osvald, and the Guardians were still puzzled.


    Spirits were needed for Axalts to absorb energy, it lengthened the process considerably, but the output was the purest energy possible, which had a positive effect on their progress.


    If an Axalt had a destroyed Spirit, his journey was almost over as it became almost impossible to absorb energy. Axalt could still do it like any other creature, but it would seriously pollute his body.


    Axalts as a race were used to their energy being pure and unadulterated, much better than other races. It was a trait they had acquired over thousands of years of existence, so in this case, they had two options.


    Axalt could try to restore their Spirit or they could end their journey and live as a normal person. This was possible to do, but it was extremely difficult and required a huge amount of resources.


    Only a simultaneously talented and rich Axalt could try to do this and if sessful, he would be able to continue his journey to power.


    So, the fact that Liang himself decided to continue destroying his Spirit after its damage was truly insane. With his resources, he could definitely sessfully repair his Spirit, for him unlike other Axalts, it wouldn''t be a critical problem.


    However, Liang decided to choose a different path and obtain a strange Spirit, with a seeminglypletely useless property.


    "What''s the point of this...?" Nitra asked in confusion, "Why do you need a Spirit whose function is to get rid of excess energy?"


    Liang smirked, "Well, with it as with any other Spirit I can absorb energy, and the process has differencespared to other Axalts. But overall, it happens in the same way."


    Nitra wanted to ask again since Liang didn''t directly answer her question, but, something interrupted her.


    "Hahahahahah!!!" Suddenly, a burst of loudughter spread out, echoing all over the desert and even going beyond its boundaries. It was Alucard, who simply couldn''t contain his emotions.


    "Haven''t you realized yet that you''re fucked!" Alucard eximed with a mad grin on his face.


    Then, he waved his hand, "Just now, you were hoping that the excess energy would seriously harm his body! You were waiting for the right moment and preparing to attack, weren''t you?"


    Nitra flinched as Alucard was absolutely right. He was watching the battle from afar, hovering several kilometers away from the Tree. However, his hearing and vision allowed him to see everything as if he were a few meters away.


    Alucard could easily see Nitra''s every movement and, thanks to his experience, could tell what she was thinking just from the emotions on her face. Just a few clues were enough for him to figure it out.


    "Hah, don''t be surprised, it was extremely obvious. However, it''s amazing how stupid and smart you are at the same time. Don''t you realize that Liang can''t have an overabundance of energy now?" Alucard asked with a sly smirk.


    Liang nced at him, he didn''t like that Alucard was speaking for him, but, then he shook his head with a bitter smile.


    He didn''t want to be as arrogant towards Alucard as he was towards everyone else. After all, if he wanted a friend he had to treat him as an equal. Considering Alucard''s strength that would be fair.


    Nitra''s eyes went wide when she realized what Alucard was talking about.


    "Shit... Looks like things have gotten a lot moreplicated now..." Nitra muttered with a great frown.


    At the same moment, Liang took a deep breath as the threads stopped shining brightly. In that short period of time, Liang''s Spirit hadpletely merged with his body after the shell was destroyed.


    Perhaps Nitra could take advantage of his temporary weakness to do some damage, but that time was spent talking.


    ''Bastard! He did it on purpose!" Nitra internally eximed. Now, she understood why Liang suddenly decided to answer her question, even though he hadpletely ignored everything she said before.


    ''''Hah, it seems like you''ve already figured it out. Well, it doesn''t matter. Let''s get on with it. You''ll be one of the few people I decided to reveal my true sword and Spirit against. You should be proud of yourself!" Liang majestically said before leaping to swing his sword.


    A shard fell from the massive crystal in front of him, which Liang caught with one hand. He didn''t devour it like the previous ones, this time he acted more naturally.


    A huge amount of energy was channeled into his body, if Nitra absorbed the same amount of energy, her body would instantly receive critical wounds.


    However, Liang felt great. When the energypletely filled his body, it headed towards the middle of his Spirit, which looked like an abyss.


    Then, the threads all over his body shone brightly again, increasing his power.


    "Hey... Can you guys exin to me what''s going on?" Osvald asked with a puzzled expression, rubbing the back of his head.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Sven smiled, "Sure. Liang and Alucard talked a lot, but theycked rity. First of all, now Liang doesn''t have to worry about the excess energy in his body, all the excess will go into his Spirit."


    "Secondly, as you can see, the excess energy doesn''t actually disappear. Instead, it is channeled through these red threads that have already be one with his body. Thus, by absorbing energy from an external source, he simultaneously enhances his magical abilities and physical characteristics." Sven calmly exined.


    Osvald''s eyes went wide as he stared intently at Liang''s muscles. They hadn''t gotten bigger, but they looked stronger, especially the ones near where the red threads ran.


    At the same moment, his body was full of energy, so each of his magic attacks would be as powerful as possible if he wanted to use all the reserves at once.


    "Wait... Doesn''t that mean he still has a certain limit?" Osvald asked, with curious expression.


    Sven shook his head, "No. Even if there''s no room for energy left in the threads, it''ll just pass through his Spirit and out. Oh, like this." Sven pointed at Liang.


    Therge portion of the crystal was too much even for him, so when all the threads were filled with energy, his Spirit trembled slightly. Inside the vortex, another one appeared, unremarkable and barely noticeable, with purple outlines. This one did not touch the crimson tips and was located in the dark part.


    The purple vortex began to rotate, counterclockwise, so out came a red mist, slowly disintegrating into waves of scarlet energy. Exactly like Liang''s sword and such was his own aura.


    "Agh... What a pleasant feeling... I haven''t experienced this in a long time." Liang smiled, experiencing sheer pleasure.


    Then, he nced at Nitra and a sly smirk appeared on his face.


    Whooooooooooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Liang''s silhouette blurred as he disappeared like a ghost, then Nitra''s pupils narrowed. For a moment, the world around her slowed down, she could see absolutely everything, even the wind currents, and their direction.


    She could use this ability from time to time to speed up her mind and make everything else slow down in her eyes. With this method, she had time to react in the best way possible.


    Crackle.


    However, even with that effect, it did nothing to save Nitra from Liang''s fist that came down right on her face.


    He moved too fast for her or anyone else to notice anything.


    "Shit... That was impressive..." Wain muttered sincerely as his gaze became more serious.


    When he regained his full strength he would be able to see even such fast movements, however, right now he was on the Absolute Stage. He had to concentrate to keep up with Liang''s movements even if he was a mere spectator.


    "Yeah, I don''t know if she can recover from something like that." Sven nodded, keeping his arms crossed on his chest.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crack.


    Cracks went down Nitra''s face while waves of energy traveled down Liang''s arm. For this attack, he used the power of his threads, some of which were no longer shining as brightly as before, but it was definitely worth it.


    The impact, caused a shockwave that threw Nitra high up. In a matter of seconds, she had traveled through the clouds and was near the top of the Tree.


    She could do nothing as her body tried to minimize the damage by spreading the pulses across the protective tes.


    Then, a shadow appeared above her and Liang raised his leg high, bringing it down directly on Nitra''s stomach with a monstrous power that only he could possess in all worlds.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Nitra''s body once again broke through the cloudyer, heading downward until it reached the ground, copsing on it.


    Waves of sand spread around as if from a powerful impact or explosion, while smoke emanated from Nitra''s body as if something inside her had burned. In fact, her defense tes overheated, trying to absorb at least some of the damage from two such powerful attacks.


    "Agh... This is bad..." Nitra muttered, struggling to get up from the ground, holding her stomach.


    The Guardians that had been watching the fight got frightened faces, for Nitra''s wounds were horrifying. She was missing part of her jaw, as well as more than a third of her stomach. She had definitely lost several major organs.

 Chapter 1053 Black Pillar

    ?


    Any battle, especially a dangerous or important one, always had room for wounds, often quite serious or fatal. Sometimes, a single sessful attack could end a fight as a sword pierced an opponent''s heart or severed a head. Well, these were extreme examples.


    An experienced fighter fighting an opponent of simr strength would never let the fight end that way. So, most often the oue was other wounds and the fight between the Progenitors was no exception.


    On the contrary, when Sven fought Polosa, the Queen of nts received dozens of wounds, much more than Sven because she possessed regeneration. When Alucard fought... well... for him, getting wounded was a real fighting style that only he alone had mastered perfectly.


    Everyone had different regeneration as well as defense, so different opponents needed different damage to reach the critical point.


    In Nitra''s case, she had already reached her limit.


    As a Construct, she could easily regrow a new limb or reattach a severed arm or leg. Scratches and cuts weren''t a problem for her either, in time she could repair them, but that didn''t apply to organs.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Tiny mechanical particles, trying to repair Nitra''s wounds. Liang''s fist strike, destroyed part of her face, ripping out her jaw, as his kick with his foot from above, tore apart part of her torso.


    After absorbing an almost limitless amount of energy and utilizing his unique Spirit. Liang''s physical power became too great for Nitra''s body to withstand even a few attacks. It was beyond her capabilities.


    She had lost several crucial organs and they could not be restored, in fact, it could not be done even in a calm situation.


    The Constructs had the best medicine of any race, it was not a problem for them to transnt organs or grow the necessary ones. However, this required a suitable donor, but, there were no Constructs who were as strong as Nitra.


    Before meeting Liang, this wasn''t a problem since no one could do as much damage to her as him, but now things had changed.


    "No... no... no... no..." One of the guardians muttered in fear, "We have to do something... We have to help her right now!"


    The keepers were about to rush forward, but the other keeper immediately stopped him, putting a hand on his shoulder.


    "Let me go!" The Guardian eximed.


    "Calm down. Now we need toe up with a n on how to protect the Tree. We have to think rationally, as we always have. Whether you like it or not, it doesn''t matter, but our leader has already lost..." The Second Guardian said in a calm voice. However, it was difficult and painful for him to utter each word.


    The other Guardians got dark faces. They wanted Nitra to win, it would be a real triumph for them because then their Progenitor would be the one who would defeat Liang, The Strongest One.


    The Guardians were experienced fighters and some of the strongest Constructs, so they realized that for Nitra everything was finite. Liang was too strong and there was no way Nitra could recover, there was simply no such way.


    "But... How can... How can someone as strong as him exist...?" The Guardian fell to his knees in despair, looking at Liang, who was constantly emitting an eerie and overpowering aura.


    "Well, it looks like it''s time to call it a day. I can''t say I enjoyed this fight, you''re too weak." Liang arrogantly said, leisurely stepping forward.


    "It''s actually even a bit disappointing, I thought that the other Progenitor would have enough strength to make me use everything I have for victory. However, our fight was more boring than my and Alucard''s exchange of attacks." Liang coldly looked at Nitra, whose body was slowly disintegrating into pieces.


    Tiny mechanical particles were falling down, disappearing among the sand. The process was slow, but inevitably, her body could no longer function. She was still alive, but her body was already literally rotting and there was no way to stop the process.


    Alucard hovering in the distance smirked, showing his long fangs.


    Nitra did not respond in any way, her mind was nk. She didn''t try toe up with any n, for that was unsessful. She knew better than anyone that all she had to do was wait for her to turn into nothing.


    "Agh... Well, although I''m not quite right." Liang sighed heavily, "During our fight, I saw my blood, revealed my sword and Spirit for the first time in a long time. It''s worthy of me showing absolute seriousness for thest attack in our fight."


    Sven smiled bitterly, "He could have just waited until he was dead, but he decided to expend extra strength for her sake. Well, I think this attack is going to be incredible."


    Osvald nodded.


    Marlis sighed, "Well... Honestly, I''m disappointed it ended this way. I mean, they''re both Progenitors, why is Liang so much stronger? Damn, if he wanted to, in his current form, he would just tear her apart with his bare hands."


    "Wain, what do you think about that?" Marlis turned to Wain as she received a slight chill down her spine.


    Wain''s eyes were wide open as his gaze was directed to one point while an eerie aura spread from him


    Because he was currently only at the Absolute Stage, to Marlis this aura seemed to be of average power, but she could sense its true potential.


    "Ah? What''s going on? Why do you look so serious...?" Marlis muttered in confusion, but Wain didn''t answer her question.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Scarlet energy gathered around Liang''s sword as he prepared for the final attack, the most powerful one he was capable of. The threads covering his body emptied considerably as he used most of his reserves for this.


    His sword emitted vibrations that made the air and space shake, gradually turning into real shockwaves that swept aside theyers of sand.


    However, Wain was not looking at Liang, nor was he looking at Nitra.


    His gaze was directed at Nitra''s ck spear, which trembled slightly. It was almost imperceptible, even Liang and Sven hadn''t seen it yet. But, Zayne could clearly see a lightyer of aura that appeared over the spear, as if it was preparing for some kind of change.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, the aura of the spear disappeared, as if it had moved somewhere. Then, the massive core of the Tree shone brightly with blue light, spreading energy pulses throughout Construct World.


    The pulses were not intended to protect Nitra or help her in any way. In fact, they caused significant damage to multiple cities.


    Each pulse passing through Construct World, destabilized the cities'' defenses, machinery, or even factories that were important to Construct society.


    But, the pulses had a purpose, they were looking for something, something like themselves.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Suddenly the entire world shook as if in a massive earthquake or the rebirth of something significant.


    "What...? What''s going on?" Liang muttered he was as puzzled as the others. He looked at Nitra, but she wasn''t doing anything, in fact, she was more surprised than anyone else.


    Liang frowned, he realized something bad was happening, so he took a step forward, about to bring his sword down directly on Nitra. He wasn''t going to wait for the situation to change out of his favor.


    ''Maybe she''s dying and has no chance of survival, but, I know better than anyone how impossible things are sometimes possible...'' Liang muttered internally, raising his sword high above his head.


    Then, in the distance, at the very edge of the Construct World, something amazing happened.


    A pir of ck mes erupted, easily reaching the heavens in a heartbeat. The core of the Tree stopped releasing pulses, and Nitra''s spear was suddenly covered in dark fire.


    At the same moment, the tip of Liang''s sword touched the ground.


    The entire desert trembled again as the sheer power of the attack caused a devastating explosion, emitting endless streams of dense red aura.


    Everything was finite for Nitra, but even so, there was no longer fear in her eyes, nor were they empty.


    As the ck mes lit up, something else appeared in her eyes, it was hope.


    Whoosh.


    Despite her hopeless situation, Nitra tore forward, dodging the waves of explosions and streams of red aura at thest moment.


    Liang''s energy like a wild beast tried to reach Nitra and tear her apart, but she managed to escape the clutches of death at the veryst moment.


    All that was left behind her were massive waves of sand hitting each other due to the terrifying power of Liang''s attack and red energy chaotically spreading around.


    ''Maybe I''m done for now, but a long time ago this kind of thing was felt by every Construct! When our Tree was burned we thought our race was over, but, our story continued!" Nitra inwardly eximed, looking at the pir of ck mes.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Liang appeared behind her, with a cold stare attacking once more. Nitra had no chance to dodge, so she decided to disengage and st her left arm.


    Liang had to stop for a moment to defend herself, and that gave Nitra a few seconds to increase the distance between them.

 Chapter 1054 The Chase

    ?


    One of the greatest weapons in the world was obviously hope. It was a feeling that could help an ordinary person aplish something impossible, make them go past all limits, or push their body to the limit.


    When there is hope in a person''s eyes, everything changes significantly, and Nitra understands that better than anyone else.


    A few seconds ago, she was ready to die since she had admitted defeat. Liang was stronger, that was an inevitable fact as well as the fact that in two attacks, he had practically turned Nitra into a piece of metal or junk.


    She knew she had no chance of survival, not in this situation, but when the pir of ck me appeared, everything changed.


    Nitra knew where this ce was, she had been there once before and it was one of the few forbidden ces in Construct World. Only the most powerful and influential Constructs were allowed to visit Zero Area.


    There was nothing in Zero Area, just endless darkness, and destruction with ruins and ancient wrecks of some structures. However, it was once the most important point in Construct World, because a Tree used to grow there.


    It was this Tree that the Progenitor of Undeads burned down long ago. Nitra''s spear was made from the parts left over from the fire, it was the only thing Constructs could do with their previous Tree. At least that''s what they thought.


    "Where is she going?" Marlis muttered in a disbelief.


    "Zero Area." Sven calmly replied with a deep look, "That''s where the previous Tree used to grow."


    Marlis frowned, "What...? What''s the point of that? You said yourself that her spear is the only thing left from the previous Tree. With wounds like that, not even Alucard could save her if he wanted to!"


    Sven nodded, "Yeah, I agree with you, and I''ve told you everything I know about Tree''s past. However, she seems to know more than we do. Just look at her eyes, and it will be clear to you."


    Marlis did as Sven said.


    Nitra was running away from Liang, using every means she had to do so. A few seconds ago she wouldn''t have even considered it. Nitra would have just waited until Liang would have made his final attack, but now her eyes weren''t empty, they were filled with hope.


    The spear still continued to emanate a strange energy that for some reason only Liang could see as if its energy had something inmon with him.


    "Hey, do you really think I''ll let you run away?" Liang coldly said, easily catching up with Nitra.


    Liang with a serious expression, stepped through the air, right beside Nitra who was trying to run away from him.


    Nitra didn''t answer anything, she didn''t even look in his direction since the only thing she was thinking about at the time was the table of ck mes. She had to get to Zero Area, even if she had to sacrifice everything to do so.


    Liang frowned slightly, then he pointed his sword at Nitra. It seemed like she didn''t see it, but she actually trusted her instincts.


    Normally Constructs relied on calctions and her mind, but now that she was on death''s doorstep, everything changed.


    Whoooooooosh.


    However, Liang didn''t care about what Nitra was feeling right now. He had a goal to kill her, to finish what he had started and he was going to do it, nothing could stop him.


    Liang''s sword swiftly approached Nitra, almost touching her skin and the already shattered protective tes.


    But, at the moment Liang''s sword was about to tear Nitra apart, the aura around her spear quickly increased, for a moment creating a transparent sphere around Nitra.


    Liang did not see it, nor did Sven or Alucard. In fact, even Nitra could not yet see the power hidden in her spear, only Wain could clearly see it.


    Then, the sphere trembled and Liang''s eyes went wide. Suddenly, he felt a powerful pressure and it was as if some brute force was colliding with him.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    The impact, threw Liang aside, he was heading towards the ground with tremendous speed, unable to stop. As a result, Liang sank deeply into the sand, which quickly covered him as if it was his grave.


    However, not even a few secondster, Liang with a wave of his hand lifted the waves of sand up, and once again rushed after Nitra, who was already very far away.


    He didn''t realize anything, as it didn''t look like Nitra was attacking him. She was using lightning, and this attack wasn''t like that, it was physical.


    ''Hmm... Looks like this spear is a lot more interesting than I thought it would be. Well, it''s actually not good for me at all, but, it won''t happen again.'''' Liang inwardly uttered while staring intently at Nitra.


    His legs tensed up, then a shockwave appeared behind him, throwing him forward, and speeding him up considerably. It was as if he had bounced off something, though there was nothing in the air, just emptiness.


    Thus, Liang quickly reached Nitra, however, this time he decided not to use his sword. He didn''t know what else Nitra''s spear was capable of, so he decided to act more reliably.


    His hand, headed towards Nitra, going to grab her shoulder, then, for her, it would be all but certain. A few powerful blows would be enough to turn Nitra into a lifeless piece of metal and nothing more.


    ''No! That''s not going to happen! Not now!" Nitra eximed to herself, then her eyes shed.


    Lightning discharges went through her legs, severing a part of them, and out of the open wounds came all the energy she had left. So Nitra elerated herself, literally sacrificing her legs to temporarily use them as boosters like a rocket.


    Liang covered himself with his hands, as the lightninging from Nitra was quite powerful, and could seriously harm him.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, without Nitra''s knowledge, some parts of her spear detached from its mechanisms that were right next to the de.


    They flew at great speed into Liang, like projectiles, and exploded with powerful streams of ck mes.


    Liang didn''t have time to react as he didn''t know that such a thing was possible, so he was thrown back again and Nitra got some time again.


    "Shit! When is this going to end?!" Liang eximed furiously as violent torrents of wind appeared around him.


    "Fine, you probably don''t have anything left anymore! You''re literally falling apart! I''ll get to you before you can get to the mes!" Liang confidently said before rushing forward.


    He didn''t go through the air this time, he stayed on the surface. Perhaps this was a mistake, as the sand was difficult to move on, but not in Liang''s case.


    His wind, which had be an unusual barrier for him that went in front of him, threw all the sand aside. All that remained in front of him was the dense, ck granite that was at the base of the desert, beneath the tons of sand.


    Behind him, the sand immediately returned to normal like waves in the sea, however, it didn''t matter to him. There was now a hard surface under his feet and given the power of his muscles, it allowed him to move much faster.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crack.


    The solid granite was cracking and shattering with every step he took, while Liang only picked up speed.


    "Fucking monster..." The Guardian muttered in disbelief, "Looks like he''s acting seriously now, but, does Nitra stand any chance...? Is there something in Zero Area that we''re missing?"


    Each Guardian had been in Zero Area many times, for different purposes, but most often they were exploring something. However, it was obvious since there was nothing left in Zero Area but ashes.


    Liang quickly caught up with Nitra. In fact, they had already passed the desert some time ago, and now Liang was making his way through the dark forest with dry trees, however, his barrier was simply destroying everything in its path, clearing it.


    At the moment when Liang was about to attack Nitra, half of whose body had already disintegrated into mechanical particles, he noticed that the ground beneath him had turned ck. To be more precise, it was ash, not like a bonfire, but like a terrible fire that took away hope.


    Liang quickly returned to his senses as he reached out his hand about to direct the wind at Nitra, but, suddenly streams of ck mes swept in front of him.


    "Get away!" Liang eximed, with a swing of his sword removing the mes from his sight, but, Nitra was no longer in front of him.


    Liang turned around trying to find where Nitra was, but there was no Nitra in the next hundred or thousand meters.


    Then, his gaze traveled to a pir of ck me that gradually began to fade.


    In front of him was Nitra, practically crawling on the ground as only a small part of her legs were left as well as other parts of her body.


    The spear, in her hand, was helping her, dragging her forward.


    It was all for the sake of getting closer to the center of the pir of me, which after a few seconds hadpletely extinguished.


    "Isn''t that..." Wain muttered with wide-open eyes.


    In front of Nitra was a crystal simr to the blue ones that grew at the roots of the Tree, but, this one was ck as the abyss. Inside, streams of ck me moved chaotically, sometimes revealing multicolored dots like stars and gxies in the vast cosmos.

 Chapter 1055 Fire

    ?


    The crystals at the roots of the Tree were an indication of how great the nt or even the entity was. Each crystal was a true treasure and was not just for Construct, but for any race, even the Dragons and Arkans.


    The past Tree also had crystals growing, and they were just as blue as the current Tree, containing just as much energy.


    However, what Nitra was looking at now was nothing like that. This crystal was small, it could easily fit in Nitra''s palm, but the power hidden within it mesmerized even powerful beings like Nitra or Wain.


    Liang was as surprised as the others, however, he was in no position to wait for Nitra to be stronger. Without dy, Liang rushed forward, trying to get to Nitra as fast as possible.


    ''I don''t know what it is, but it''s obvious that if it absorbs this crystal, our battle willpletely change. Even the normal crystal has so much energy in it that I had to unleash my Spirit... Shit, this is bad!" Liang internally uttered, speeding up.


    He didn''t have much time, too little time in fact, as Nitra was too far away. She was in the center of the Zero Area, while Liang was at its edge.


    No matter how fast he ran, no matter how strong his muscles were, he could not cover hundreds of kilometers in an instant.


    Nitra felt Liang''s eerie aura looming over her, but she didn''t react to it. She got close to the crystal with herst strength, clutching it to her, and then she whispered with her eyes closed.


    "I''m here... You''re not alone anymore... I''m ready to take you in... I''m sorry it took so long... I just needed a sign..." Nitra said sincerely as real tears flowed from her mechanical eyes.


    The Guardians watching this scene were perhaps more surprised than the rest.


    "Ah...? How is it possible...?" A guardian muttered in disbelief, "We''ve checked Zero Area hundreds, no, thousands of times! We should have noticed that there was something there!"


    "Yeah... That''s really strange... However, perhaps some of its energy was preserved from the previous Tree..." The other Guardian uttered a thoughtful expression.


    "What? What are you talking about?" The first Guardian was puzzled.


    "Well, I could be wrong, but if the Tree wanted to hide something from us, we wouldn''t be able to detect it from the aura or energy waves..." The Second Guardian uttered with a deep gaze.


    Zero Area was a special zone, and even those who essed it were careful not to stay there for too long. It was more a ce for grieving than for exploration, for it was the grave of the Tree that had given life to many of them.


    For this reason, it was forbidden to dig up ashes and soot or to build anything in the area. Well, thosews didn''t make much sense, since no one was going to do that here anyway.


    Though Construct were partly mechanisms, robots, but notpletely. They had feelings just like everyone else, they were living beings.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Liang was quickly approaching Nitra running at full speed, but it was already toote. He had no chance of making it in time anyway.


    Suddenly, the ck spear trembled before piercing Nitra''s chest as well as the crystal.


    For a moment, everyone''s eyes went wide, no one could have expected something like this to happen, then powerful energy ripples began to emanate from Nitra.


    At first, they were quite calm and slow, but, they quickly elerated and increased in number.


    Liang realized that he had already missed his chance, so he didn''t try to break through them. Instead, he covered himself with his hands, creating a protective barrier of wind in front of him, watching closely what was happening to Nitra.


    The crystal in her hands shattered into tiny shards, quickly turning into an ink-like liquid with tiny stars and even gxies floating among them. Then, the liquid prated Nitra''s body, and streams of ck me erupted around her.


    They weren''t as powerful as the dark pir from earlier, but it wasn''t necessary. The streams of me enveloped Nitra as if they were trying to protect her, slowly dissipating and being absorbed into her body.


    It was only a few minutes before all the mes dissipated and everyone saw the effects of Nitra''s actions.


    "Damn... It looks like she''s been reborn..." Wain muttered with a dazed expression.


    "I agree, I don''t know what''s going on here, but she''s definitely gotten stronger, significantly." Sven said with aplicated expression.


    Though a few minutes ago, Nitra couldn''t even stand confidently on the ground since she was missing most of her legs, now she did so without difficulty.


    Her hair was much longer, reaching her waist and a little darker as well as asionally there were clusters of white dots like stars on the fabric of space.


    Her arms, legs, and all her wounds were fully restored, but all her protective tes were gone and her skin became pale, almost snow-white.


    In fact, now she didn''t quite look like a Construct without the protective tes on her body, though, the main difference from the other races was their mechanical eyes.


    However, Nitra''s eyes had changed as well, they were ck and the pupils white, but infinitely deep like the brightest stars in space.


    The spear that had been her main ally in this battle was nowpletely gone. During the transformation it had finally disintegrated into ash, bing a tree-shaped seal on Nitra''s palm. It was a sign that she was the only one worthy to bear the legacy of the previous Tree.


    Now, nothing remained of the one burned by the Progenitor of Undeads, well, except for Nitra herself, who now carried the legacy of the tree with her. It had be as much a part of her body as she herself.


    "You don''t look bad, it looks like even your greatest treasure has realized that you''re hopeless and can''t handle me." Liang arrogantly said as he ced his sword on his shoulder.


    He could feel how much more powerful Nitra''s aura had be, but it didn''t scare him in the slightest. For Liang it didn''t matter how strong his opponent was, he was ready to fight anyone and knew that the oue would always be the same - his victory.


    Nitra answered nothing, and no emotion appeared on her face, then she looked towards the Tree and the Guardians.


    She nodded slightly as if thanking them for their service, then she raised her hand.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ground shook as a dense barrier appeared around the Tree, covering the Tree and the entire city in an imprable ck dome. However, from within, everything was visible like through crystal clear ss.


    "Hmm? Darkness? Wasn''t lightning your attribute? Has it really changed?" Liang raised an eyebrow, asking.


    "Can''t you see that? It''s still lightning, it''s just that it''s calm and there''s less than 0.001% of it. Everything else is my pure energy not mixed with attribute." Nitra calmly replied, majestic and unhurried.


    Liang shook his head, "Apparently you think things have changed now, don''t you?"


    Nitra sighed, "Well, I feel much more confident now it''s true. However, I don''t know what the oue of our fight will be, it feels like something has changed in me, but I don''t understand it..."


    Marlis was frowning heavily as she intently scrutinized every change that urred with Nitra.


    "Is something wrong?" Sven asked with curiosity.


    Marlis nodded, "Yeah... I don''t understand something... Why are all her mechanical parts gone? Is she still half robot or is shepletely made of flesh and blood like us?"


    "Does it make any difference?" Osvald smirked, grinning widely.


    "Agh...? What are you talking about?" Marlis gave him a puzzled look.


    "She''s a Construct anyway, she was and still is. What''s more, she''s the strongest in the entire Construct World and now her abilities have only increased!" Osvald eximed with an excited expression.


    Then, he waved his hand, "This means that now Liang will have to use more! It''s going to be a great battle! I''m sure today I''ll see The Strongest One use his Form as well as she does!"


    Wain nodded, "I think so too. Marlis, about your concern, I think Nitra has reached the highest point of evolution. Isn''t the creation of real life the ultimate goal of any technology or mechanism?"


    Marlis''s eyes went wide.


    Wain continued, "Her protective tes are gone and her eyes have changed, though you can''t call them organic as much as mechanical. Perhaps she has no metal inside her now, but only organic organs, or perhaps there is a void and vast darkness inside her. By obtaining a part of the burned tree that merged with her body, she has be truly unique."


    Wain sighed, "However, all of us who stand at the pinnacle of power are unique in some way. Liang isn''t at all like the average Axalt either... In case you were wondering, I wouldn''t say his Spirit is the most amazing thing he has..."


    Marlis was puzzled since it seemed Wain knew more than she did, but she didn''t bother to say anything. She silently turned to Nitra and Liang, waiting for their next actions.

 Chapter 1056 Reflection

    ?


    Wain, Sven, Marlis, and Osvald were watching Nitra and Liang''s fight just like Alucard, but he, unlike them was not a ghost who watched memories. This Alucard was real and could change the oue of the fight if he wanted to.


    Nitra recovered, and Liang gradually became stronger and stronger enjoying the fight. The stronger the opponent was, the better it was for him. So, if Alucard stopped being a spectator, things would immediately change.


    He could help Nitra, in which case Liang, The Strongest One would lose which would be an event of historic proportions. Or he could kill Nitra and together with Liang destroy the Tree, it would be a real disaster and tragedy for Constructs for hundreds of years.


    It was unknown how long it took for a new Tree to grow and whether it was even possible again. A third Tree might appear, or perhaps the current one was thest and its loss would mean the end for an entire race.


    However, Alucard decided to do nothing. He just enjoyed the fight, though that didn''t mean he didn''t have a n.


    ''Hah, I wonder how this will end. Somehow I feel like you''ll both lose and win at the same time...'''' Alucard internally said as a wide grin appeared on his face, ''I wonder if it will actually happen. Would it be considered a draw...? Well, obviously not.''


    "Who will start?" Nitra asked, looking majestically at Liang.


    Liang raised an eyebrow, "Damn, it seems that along with strength, you also have arrogance... It seems to be contagious."


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Without hesitation, Liang rushed forward, quickly finding himself in front of Nitra. He brought his sword above his head, releasing a huge amount of red aura, making his next attack truly powerful.


    Nitra was wary, she no longer looked as calm as she had a few seconds ago, but she was confident in her strength.


    "Brute force can''t be the pinnacle of everything!" Nitra eximed, throwing her arm forward.


    A transparent barrier appeared in front of her, shivering slightly as faintly visible ck lightning streamed across it.


    Crackle.


    Liang brought his sword down on Nitra, some barrier could not stop him. There wasn''t a single barrier he couldn''t destroy yet, and this one would be no exception!


    "I see..." Wain muttered with a deep gaze, looking at the shockwaveing from the attack site.


    Then, a st of air rushed towards Liang, as several cuts appeared on his chest. The impact threw him back hundreds of meters, plunging him under a mountain of soot and ash.


    Nitra was not hurt in any way, she with a deep look looked at her hand, and slowly walked towards Liang.


    "What was that...?" Osvald muttered in a confusion, "Liang''s attack was perfect. He definitely couldn''t have missed... no... even if that happened, why did he get injured when Nitra was defending himself?"


    "It wasn''t a barrier..." Marlis said, nervously biting her nails, "More precisely, its main target wasn''t a defense, it repelled his attack!"


    "What...?" Osvald''s eyes went wide, "Doesn''t that mean she''s invulnerable!"


    Sven smirked, "Osvald, you''re jumping to conclusions too early as always. I think her technique has certain limitations. However, that''s not the main drawback. Some attacks are impossible to repel."


    "Hmm?" Osvald raised an eyebrow in puzzlement.


    Sven didn''t give him an answer, instead, he pointed forward, showing that the battle was still going on.


    Whooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, a red sword flew out from beneath the ashes, drawing everyone''s attention.


    Nitra looked up to see the de spinning in the air, not noticing that its wielder was already elsewhere.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Liang quickly ran forward, using the wind barrier to clear the ash and soot out of his path, getting faster and faster with each step, getting closer to Nitra.


    Nitra noticed this as her eyes shifted sharply and she stretched her arm forward slightly. A transparent barrier with several ck lightning bolts reappeared in front of her.


    ''No matter how you attack, I''ll be able to reflect it, and your body will reach the limit faster than I run out of energy. That''s absolutely certain.'''' Nitra inwardly thought, calmly looking at the approaching Liang.


    However, she realized toote that even though Liang was already quite close, he was still not preparing to attack.


    Nitra''s eyes went wide when she realized what Liang was about to do, but it was already toote to do anything about it.


    Crackle.


    Liang came close to Nitra, as there was less than a meter between them, then he grabbed her outstretched arm with ease, passing through her barrier. He didn''t attack, so the barrier had nothing to reflect.


    Then, with his other hand he gripped her shoulder firmly for stability and with a sharp motion ripped her right arm away from her body, throwing it into the air.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Liang''s sword, still spinning in the air trembled slightly as it, at Liang''s will, headed towards its owner. At tremendous speed, the red sword passed through Nitra''s severed arm, destroying it into many pieces with violent pressure.


    "Looks like I was wrong. After gaining new powers, not only have you be more arrogant, you''ve also be considerably more stupid." Liang coldly said as the hilt of the sword was in his hand.


    Then, Liang brought the sword down on Nitra, who had no time to create a new defense barrier.


    At thest moment, just before the sword was about to reach her, Nitra''s pupils narrowed as her gaze traveled to her hand.


    Her body was covered in lightning discharges, as she turned into a ck sh for a moment, escaping Liang''s grip and finding herself next to her hand in the middle of space.


    Crackle.


    Liang''s sword copsed to the ground, raising up a wave of ash with a frown turning to Nitra.


    "What was that?" Liang said coldly, narrowing his eyes and staring at Nitra.


    Nitra silently looked at her hand, grabbed it, and put it on her shoulder. Electric shocks ran through her body again, then, part of her shoulder and the severed arm turned into a ck liquid, bing one.


    "Well... Let''s call it my new ability. As you can see I''m still learning them." Nitra replied calmly, being slightly puzzled. She felt as if she had just been reborn and was just learning to walk, but she was quickly getting the hang of it.


    Liang frowned, ''She can fend off my direct attacks, now she has learned to move away even while in my grip. Surely she can also move much faster than before. Lightning is her attribute, after all, it''s still with her.''''


    Nothing happened for a while, this was the first time this had happened in this fight since none of them were talking. Liang and Nitra were thinking about their next moves, and as always, Liang was the first to act.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    He jumped up, making the ground beneath him break from the power of his feet and quickly finding himself level with Nitra.


    Nitra swung her two arms, creating two reflective barriers. One was in front of her, and the other was above her skin so that Liang would no longer be able to grab her arm.


    However, Liang was not going to attack in the same way as before, he knew that the same move twice would not work. So, he decided to use something else, something more effective.


    "Ah!!!" Liang took a deep breath, as far as it was even possible as massive streams of wind headed towards him filling his chest.


    Then, his aura returned to his body, filling it with power and his Second Vortex started spinning in the opposite direction.


    "Agh...? What''s he doing?" Osvald was as puzzled as the others.


    However, Alucard understood. He, as an Immortal, was well aware of the best ways to fight against an enemy that could easily recover or escape.


    ''She escaped from his grasp, so... if he wants to win, he must stop her somehow. It''s a shame the wind isn''t capable of that...'' Alucard shook his head, then a sly smirk appeared on his face, ''However, physical strength is capable!''


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Liang exhaled all the air with such force and speed that it became more like an icy breath. The wind inside his body strangely became cold and due to the great speed, its temperature became even lower, literally turning into a freezing blizzard.


    Nitra''s pupils narrowed as she quickly tried to create a protective barrier, but it was toote. Her entire body was covered in a thickyer of ice, however, her reflective barriers had done their job and some of the wind was directed at Liang.


    They both turned into ice statues as massive, detailed snowkes fell beside them, slowly spinning in the air.


    Crackling.


    Without difficulty, Liang broke through theyer of ice, bringing his sword down on Nitra while most of his body was still in frosty confinement.


    ''NO!!!!'' Nitra inwardly eximed, realizing what was about to happen. Cracks appeared in theyer of ice holding her back, but it wasn''t enough. There was no way she could manage to get out of the ice faster than Liang.


    Crack. Crack. Crack.


    Liang''s sword shattered Nitra''s ice shell, leaving a wide cut on her body, from her shoulder to her waist, diagonally. Dark blood immediately spurted from the cut, covering Liang''s cold face while his predatory eyes stared intently at Nitra as his prey.


    He was winning again.

 Chapter 1057 Breath

    ?


    During the fight between Liang and Nitra, many events happened that revealed their true strength. This was logical since the stronger a person was, the less he wanted to use his maximum strength, especially if one believed that there was no reason for it.


    If Fifth Chronicle Creature was attacked by Fourth Chronicle One, even if there were many of them, Fifth Chronicle One would never use his trump cards or the Form to do so. There was no need to, as a few attacks were enough to win.


    Nitra realized that Liang was one of the strongest, but even so, it was impossible to use everything she had at once. It was simply illogical and stupid.


    If she used all her trump cards at once, she would lose the initiative and too much energy. Liang would just be able to use her trump cards a littleter and win the battle of attrition.


    However, there was something wrong with this fight.


    Nitra tried to force Liang to use his trump cards, she tried to hurt him somehow and used different approaches and techniques, but it was all pointless.


    When Nitra turned the entire desert into an endless field of lightning, Liang simply turned them into nothing with his aura. When, he showed his weapon, a spear made from the remains of the Burnt Tree, it didn''t change the course of their battle.


    Sure, Liang showed his sword and Spirit, but, it couldn''t be called trump cards or something unique at all. In fact, his sword and Spirit were not some unusual enhancement, he was just using the true form of his equipment.


    His sword had always been like this, and the outer sheath was a scabbard, just like the sun mark covering his Spirit. In fact, it only meant that, only towards the middle of the fight, Liang began to take Nitra seriously and decided to pull the sword out of the scabbard, even though he hadn''t seen the need to do so before.


    If Nitra and Liang had been knights and fought ording to the rules, Nitra would have been humiliated that her opponent halfway through the fight didn''t even bear his sword.


    So, she needed something else, she wanted to use her Form, but suddenly things didn''t go ording to n. Liang almost didn''t kill her, but the ck crystal was able to save her and almost allow her to be reborn.


    Nitra tried not to show it, but she was sure that now Liang was weaker than her and he would have to use his Form to be her equal. In that case, she would definitely win because she would wait for the right moment and use the Form.


    However, even so, she was unable to aplish anything. Having received several enhancements, and having been reborn at death''s doorstep, she was still weak.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    A blunt, rough, cracked de sliced through Nitra''s flesh. Dark blood gushed out, as a few drops fell onto Liang''s cold face.


    His attribute was wind, yet he was able to turn Nitra into an ice statue, and her reflective barriers didn''t help her. For her, the oue was one critical wound.


    "You are pathetic. You''re not worthy of being considered the strongest, even if only in your world." Liang arrogantly said, looking at Nitra''s wide-open eyes that were quickly filling with fear.


    Bam.


    The impact, caused a powerful shockwave that threw Nitra back down like a projectile. Her back reached the ground, as the dense iceyer shattered into small shards.


    "Agh...!" Nitra yelped in pain, spurting out a mouthful of blood.


    "Looks like I was right, and simple ice is quite enough for you." Liang said calmly as a scarlet aura enveloped his body, and he swooped down on Nitra with tremendous speed.


    Nitra''s pupils narrowed as she quickly came to her senses. If Liang''s sword reached her now, it could be the end for her. She couldn''t let that happen and lose so quickly!


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Nitra''s body turned into a sh of ck lightning as she instantly appeared hundreds of meters away. Then, Liang''s sword plunged into the ground, raising waves of ash and soot.


    "Well, well, running away again. Is this really all you can do?" Liang uttered, resting his sword on his shoulder.


    Nitra frowned as she swung her hand, "Do you really think I''ll fall for this again? After that attack, you won''t be able to do any more damage to me! This was yourst chance!"


    When Nitra said that, the guardians watching the fight had smiles on their faces.


    "Yeah, Mrs. Nitra is right! Even if he can create that kind of frost breath a few more times, it''s pointless!" The Guardian eximed happily.


    He was surprised at what abilities Nitra had gotten, but it was good for them. Liang was a very dangerous opponent, especially because of his abnormal power, as a few sessful attacks could end a fight even at such a high level.


    Everyone understood this, and now, Nitra could dodge them without difficulty.


    "Hah, they actually think this will help her." Wain smirked, looking at Liang.


    "What...? What are you talking about?" Marlis turned around, and she gave him a puzzled look.


    "Liang is smart and experienced enough to quickly realize what Nitra''s new skills have weaknesses. Do you really think he''s going to let her continue to evade his attacks so easily?" Wain grinned.


    Marlis tilted her head, "You seem to havepletely stopped thinking rationally...Well, it''s not surprising, that you and Liang are quite simr. He won''t be able to hit her with his frosty breath ever again, that''s for sure."


    Wain lifted his chin throwing Marlis a mocking look, "Aren''t you supposed to be the smartest one here? Where''s your smarts? I haven''t seen those memories, but I already understand what Liang is going to do."


    Marlis frowned. Wain was right, although she realized that she was not the strongest among them, she was sure that her intelligence was the highest. However, right now it was a mystery to her what Liang was going to do, and it annoyed her.


    ''Shit! Why do I feel like the longer this fight goes on, the less I understand?! Is it really all about experience...? Marlis muttered internally, looking around until she stopped at Sven.


    He had been silent for a long time, staring intently at the fight. There was a sly smirk on his face, and like Wain, he was genuinely enjoying the way Liang was ruining all of Nitra''s ns and attempts to win. It was the best show for them.


    "Oh... You really think so, right?" Liang muttered, looking at Nitra, from top to bottom, "Well, in that case, I''ll show you that you can''t escape me. This ce will be a grave for you. I will bury you next to the burned Tree."


    Nitra grimaced great grimace as she was about to attack in anger, but, no sooner had she done anything than Liang bent down.


    Then, he jumped high up, as far as it was even possible, disappearing behind the thick clouds.


    "Agh...? What''s going on?" Marlis was puzzled.


    For a while, Liang seemed to have disappeared from the battlefield or even escaped, although everyone realized that Liang would never do something like that.


    Then, everyone noticed something strange, the sky changed slightly, as if it had started to move, but it was actually distorted due to the wind currents that were heading towards one point.


    "Hmm? Does he think I''m afraid of his wind? Hah, how arrogant!" Nitra eximed as the tree seal on her palm shone brightly.


    A long spear appeared in her hand, but it was different from the past. This one consisted of pure energy of darkness and lightning, as sometimes electric shocks ran through the spear.


    Nitra got into a fighting stance about to take Liang''s attack and created severalyers of reflective barriers around herself. Whatever he did, it couldn''t affect her. At least she thought so.


    Whoooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Suddenly, a mighty torrent of wind tore the clouds apart, quickly approaching the ground. In fact, it was a huge tornado, just very wide, to create something like this, even Liang had to expend a lot of energy.


    "Hah, be prepared to receive your wind in return." Nitra smirked as she pointed her spear forward, sealing her reflective barriers.


    Then, the smirk disappeared from her face as she realized that Liang''s mouth was closed and his cheeks were puffed up.


    ''No way...'' The thought raced through Nitra''s mind.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Liang''s second vortex once again started spinning in the opposite direction as he exhaled, creating a blizzard that was several times more powerful than the previous one.


    The frost quicklybined with the wind, turning into a huge tornado that easily covered the entire Zero Area.


    When the frosty wind reached the ground, along with the snowkes, ice particles appeared, quickly freezing the entire surface of the Zero Area.


    A thickyer of ice covered everything, and only the ground beneath Nitra remained untouched due to her barriers.


    However, the cold enveloped her from all sides, and now frost was everywhere she stepped.


    "Shit... How could I not have thought of that..." Marlis''s eyes went wide when she realized how simple yet incrediblyplicated everything was at the same time. But, not for Liang.

 Chapter 1058 Space

    ?


    Liang''s attribute was wind, but thanks to his Spirit, he could do what was impossible for others. However, more influenced by his incredible physical power, but it all led to one result: the frosty Zero Area.


    Kilometers of surface that for years had been covered only with ash and soot, were nowpletely iced over as if it were one huge cier.


    The cold wind and snowkes now stayed here for a long time as well as the snowkes slowly falling on the thick, dense ice.


    "Bastard... Why do you always have some sort of backup n!" Nitra eximed furiously, as a ck lightning bolt appeared in her hand.


    She threw it straight at Liang with all her might.


    Liang''s most of his body was covered in ice due to Nitra reflecting some of the wind. However, it wasn''t a problem for him to destroy it, and a swing of his sword reflected the lightning that was already right in front of him.


    Crackle.


    Liangnded, splitting the thickyer into pieces and causing cracks across the surface. With every step he took, the ice trembled slightly, but the frost hovering around him quickly repaired all the damage.


    "A backup n? I''ve never had anything like that and I''m not just talking about our fight. I don''t have a need for it. I always only act ording to the situation. Isn''t that the most efficient way?" Liang uttered, looking intently at Nitra.


    Nitra frowned, not answering anything.


    "You got a unique ability and now you can get out of my attacks at any time, however, it just meant that I had to find a way to stop you. Ice turned out to be a great solution, didn''t it?" Liang uttered while raising his hand.


    ''Shit... Even with my new powers, my trump cards are already pretty much at an end. All I have left is just this before I have to use my Form.'' Nitra internally pondered as she looked at her spear.


    Then, she closed her eyes, even though Liang could attack her at any moment. She realized that, but she also knew that Liang would choose to be cautious and not take such a risk for the chance to make a single attack.


    Liang narrowed his eyes, ''Hmph... Looks like she''s decided to move on to something more serious. Maybe I should attack her? Well... yeah, that''s a good idea.''''


    Whoooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Before Nitra could finish, Liang rushed forward, breaking the ice with his heavy steps. He quickly found himself right in front of Nitra, with his sword drawn to attack.


    Nitra frowned slightly, sensing that Liang had decided not to wait, but she didn''t dodge since she had already done what she had nned.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Nitra swung her spear, leaving behind a plume of darkness with stars floating amongst it, like the night sky or real space.


    The sword and spear collided with each other, and a powerful pressure fell on each of them.


    Nitra tried to suppress Liang, while his goal was to destroy his opponent and wound him as much as possible.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The space shook as powerful shockwaves came from the collision point, causing ripples to ripple through the air.


    Then, there was a light air explosion, throwing Liang and Nitra to the side.


    They quickly regained their bnce and stood confidently on their feet, even though the ice beneath them was very slippery.


    "What''s that?" Liang asked pointing at Nitra''s hair. It had gotten darker, almost ck, with stars floating amongst it as if it had be part of the fabric of the vast cosmos.


    "No big deal, I just finally decided to fight seriously." Nitra said confidently, adopting a fighting stance and holding her spear tightly in her hands.


    Liang smirked, "Hah if it wasn''t for the legacy of the Tree''s past, you would already be dead! For someone so weak and inept, you''re too arrogant!"


    Nitra grinned, "Compared to you, I am the most humble person in all the worlds. Your arrogance has no limit!"


    Liang nodded, "Yeah, you''re right. But, there is one difference between us. I have the right to be so arrogant, and you don''t."


    Nitra frowned as anger appeared in her eyes. Liang was constantly overpowering and humiliating her, the worst part was that all she had to do was endure. Throughout the entire fight, she was only able to sessfully attack Liang a few times.


    ''Well, this time it will be different. I can never surpass him in physical power, however, I definitely have more energy now! I have to make him use his Form!" Nitra eximed internally confidently before rushing forward.


    A starry plume remained from her spear and hair as he quickly approached Liang.


    "How strange..." Marlis muttered, staring intently at Nitra, studying her.


    "Hm? What are you talking about?" Wain raised an eyebrow, giving a questioning expression.


    "Why didn''t she create some reflective barriers like before?" Marlis narrowed her eyes, rubbing the back of her head, "Damn, she decided to give up that power... right?"


    Sven smirked, "You guessed it quickly. Normally you can''t sacrifice something, but considering that this power isn''t technically hers, but an external one, she was able to do it to enhance other areas."


    Wain nodded, "Yeah, against Liang, the reflective barriers proved useless as well as the ability to quickly teleport from one point to another."


    Step. Step. Step.


    Nitra quickly approached Liang, swinging her spear.


    Liang with a calm look, raised his sword, blocking Nitra''s attack.


    "You used a lot of energy to make your attacks more destructive, but... what''s the point? You won''t be able to surpass me. It''s impossible." Liang said confidently while looking at the electric sparks flying off from the tip of the spear.


    "Oh, I wouldn''t be so sure if I were you." Nitra smirked slyly, "Space has no boundaries, however, even the universe has a hard time keeping up with all its breadth. However, with my new body, it won''t be a problem for me. How about 1%?"


    "Hmm? 1%?" Liang said in a puzzled manner.


    "Yeah. That''s about twice as strong as it is now!" Nitra eximed with a crazy smile as the spear tip shone brightly, releasing dark streams of bright stars.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ice beneath Liang cracked as he felt a powerful pressure, it was quite different from all the attacks Nitra had made before. Now, it was as if she was ying by Liang''s rules and felt confident in this situation.


    "Well, well, it looks like Liang is getting worried." Wain raised his head with a sly smile, "Nitra was constantly trying to think of something. Act on some n, use a tricky technique, or generally get new powers, but none of it was effective against Liang."


    Wain breathed, "All he used was brute force and pure power, I''m sure Nitra understood that as well, and now she''s finally decided to do the same. If she wants to win, she needs to destroy Liang with his own weapons."


    "Do you think she''ll seed?" Sven asked as the corners of his mouth turned upward, forming a mysterious smirk, "Even though she said her body has no limit, I''m not sure that''s true."


    Wain nodded, "Yeah, she definitely lied. If she releases more power, she definitely won''t be able to maintain that state for long. However, if Liang is careless, he can get too many wounds during that period of time."


    Sven, Osvald, Marlis, and Wain were discussing Nitra''s new strength and her approach to battle, another person was more excited than the rest.


    "Hehehehe, go ahead, if this fight ended in an easy Liang victory, it wouldn''t be any fun at all!" Alucard eximed while waving his hands, "I want to see your blood! Real rivers!"


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Nitra gradually continued to increase her strength level, having already reached 4% and when she went to 5%, Liang could no longer withstand her pressure.


    Tremble.


    The ground beneath Liang fell as the tip of the spear swept across his chest with lightning speed, leaving a long cut on it.


    Nitra red at Liang''s Spirit, as she saw a unique opportunity to inflict a critical wound on him right now.


    ''I can do it! If I destroy, no, just damage his Spirit, I can win! I can kill the one they call The Strongest One!" Nitra inwardly eximed as a me ignited in her eyes that could not be extinguished.


    Nitra immediately increased her strength to 25% as imperceptible cracks appeared on her body, but it gave her momentum which she used to attack directly.


    Liang was experienced enough to realize what she was going to do by her movements, so he quickly grabbed his sword and swung it, but it was toote.


    Nitra''s spear stabbed into the right side of Liang''s Spirit. His Spirit was very strong, able to withstand almost any pressure, but not Nitra''s spear filled with the power of space.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crack.


    Cracks appeared on the Spirit as Nitra''s spear passed through it, piercing Liang. Any warrior in his ce would have been shocked, but he instantly regained his senses and despite the fight, pulled Nitra''s spear from his chest, jumping back.


    Drip. Drip. Drip.


    Droplets of dark blood ran down his chest and fell from his belt onto the cold ice. Part of his Spirit was shattered, and Vortex could no longer rotate, neither the outer nor the inner one.

 Chapter 1059 Heat

    ?


    Damaged Spirit was a problem for every Axalt, it was possible to fix it but only with a lot of resources as well as Axalt''s own talent. The thing was, the recovery of the Spirit didn''t happen on a hospital bed in front of a doctor, but during training.


    The damaged parts had to be not just restored, it was necessary to make Spirit be one whole again. This could only be done with strong physical activity and by using the power of the muscles to make all the pieces fit together like puzzles.


    To do this Axalt had to go through a great deal of pain, but could not stop as all progress could disappear in an instant. To go through such an ordeal required talent and willpower, as well as time, a lot of time.


    Those Axalts who critically wounded their Spirit and then managed to recover it would be extremely strong fighters in the future. As well as their Spirit, which was usually several times stronger than the others.


    Now, in the ce of such an Axalt, was the strongest of them all, Liang. Normally, there was no way Nitra would be able to do something like this, but with her new powers, it was possible. Increasing her power to 25%, her spear had enough momentum to pierce Liang''s chest right through his Spirit.


    ''Unbelievable... I was actually able to do that...'' Nitra internally muttered in disbelief as she looked at Liang''s bleeding wound, ''Increasing my strength to 25% was the right decision! Though I''m less able to maintain this state now, my victory is now a foregone conclusion!


    The Guardians were surprised and truly happy that their ruler turned out to be worthy and strong.


    ''Hah, it''s all over now! Without his Spirit, he will no longer be able to unleash such powerful attacks! Moreover, he has lost arge volume of blood! All Mrs. Nitra has left to do is finish him off!" The Guardian eximed with an excited expression and a glint in his eyes.


    If their race became known for defeating Liang, The Strongest One, it would open up more opportunities for them. In that case, it would be Nitra, who would be considered a virtually invincible opponent that even Liang couldn''t withstand.


    "Agh... That was actually painful..." Liang muttered, looking at his palm covered in dark blood.


    Then, Liang''s gaze traveled lower, looking at his Spirit, the left side of which was split open. It wasn''tpletely destroyed since it was nearly impossible to do so, for Nitra had to rip Spirit off of Liang''s body, piece by piece. Even with all her enhancements, she wouldn''t try to pull something like that off.


    Now with every second, Liang was getting weaker, or rather, it would happen with every action he took.


    Every step he took, sword swing, or attack would waste energy or the red threads that were still full of internal energy. When all the reserves would run out, Liang would be much weaker, as if he was under the effects of exhaustion, spending weeks without a drop of energy.


    Liang could still absorb energy from the environment with his body like all creatures, even considering that he was an Axalt. However, his Spirit would not be able to fill threads with this energy or simply transfer it to his Soul Altar. He would receive unrefined energy that would marginally increase his attacking abilities.


    "Give up!" Nitra eximed, pointing her space spear at Liang.


    Liang didn''t reply anything, he just continued to stare at his reflection in his own blood. It had already been years since he hadst seen such an expression on his face.


    "Hey! You can definitely hear me!" Nitra said confidently, "I''m giving you onest chance! If you surrender right now and let me seal your soul, I''ll keep you alive!"


    Liang slowly raised her head, directing her serene gaze towards Nitra. This slightly confused her, as he absolutely did not panic, even though he had good reason to do so.


    "So what''s next? You''re going to seal my soul and keep me alive? Well, I''m willing to believe that, just as I''m willing to believe that immediately afterward I''ll be ab rat for you to experiment on. There''s no way you''ll miss this opportunity." Liang calmly said.


    Then, Liang shrugged, "But, that''s fine, I''m not judging you, I would be surprised if you would think differently considering the world you live in."


    "Enough!" Nitra eximed sternly, "If you agree to my terms then throw your sword aside! If you wish to die, then kneel down and I will execute you ording to the rules!"


    Wain smirked, as did Sven and Alucard. They all knew that a person like Liang would never agree to surrender without a fight. However, that didn''t mean that Liang had lost.


    "I will only tell you one thing..." Liang muttered, looking at Nitra with a slight and almost happy smile on his face.


    "Hmm?" Nitra raised an eyebrow in confusion, listening to his words, which had to be something very important.


    "Thank you." Liang slowly said as his words echoed for hundreds of meters around.


    Everyone was puzzled, especially Nitra as it was not what she expected to hear after everything that had happened. She had almost won by critically wounding Liang, and he was grateful to her.


    "I can see that you are puzzled, so let me tell you something." Liang said calmly as he stepped forward, continuing to bleed.


    Nitra became wary. She realized that Liang was definitely not going to give up, so the only option left was to fight to thest breath.


    "Blood is a valuable material that is used in alchemy, even in the preparation of very powerful potions. Well, you probably know that, after all, you are a Construct." Liang shrugged, "As well as the fact that the stronger a creature is the more valuable its blood is, as it contains a richer, denser, and purer energy."


    Nitra frowned, "So what? Everyone who has ever heard of alchemy knows what you just said! It''s clear to everyone that blood is very important!"


    Liang nodded, "Exactly. Especially my blood. Well, unfortunately, I''m not a Vampire, blood can''t make me stronger... However, it can be a useful material."


    "Agh...?" Nitra was puzzled, then her eyes went wide when a shiver went through Liang''s body.


    The wind around Liang started spinning faster and faster, but it moved in a strange direction, pressing close to Liang''s body and expanding, then repeating over and over again.


    Liang was shivering on his own as he was moving his muscles and body parts at top speed, in as small an amplitude as possible.


    Thus, his body was quickly bing warmer and the temperature was constantly rising, it seemed that this effect had no limit.


    Nitra was stunned, she couldn''t believe her eyes and didn''t understand why Liang was doing this. She could have attacked him right now, but at that moment, she wasn''t thinking about the fight at all. She wanted to know what Liang''s n was.


    Gradually, Liang''s skin turned red, as the wind currents around became so hot that space began to distort as if in a very hot desert.


    The ice around Liang immediately melted, and the higher the temperature became, therger the area was. Ashes and soot covered his feet again, while trickles of water from the ice ran down them.


    Then, the water began to evaporate rapidly, raising thick streams of steam that partially hid Liang''s silhouette.


    His skin was already red-hot, and if it had been an ordinary person in his ce, it would have long since turned into a pile of ashes, perhaps not even it would be left.


    ''Damn... Even the strongest versions of steel would start to melt if they got on his skin... I''m this far away, but I can feel the intense heat... How much longer is he going to do this? Has he decided to kill himself this way?'' Nitra pondered.


    Nitra nodded slightly, ''Yeah... If Liang, The Strongest One, dies by burning in his own fire, it will sound more majestic than surrendering to the Progenitor of Constructs.''


    Liang raised his head, directing his gaze towards the sun, as a wide smile appeared on his face.


    The temperature had already reached unbelievable heights as steam was emanating from him and even his skin was beginning to burn slightly, being covered in light burns.


    If Nitra approached Liang now, she could burn with him since she didn''t possess the ice attribute and couldn''t quickly reduce the temperature.


    "Damn, it''s beautiful." Wain said with a confident smirk.


    "Ah? I thought he was going to fight to the end, but in the end, he decided to die that way..." Marlis snorted with a frown.


    "Hahaha, what the hell are you talking about?" Wainughed mockingly, "He already gave a clue. Just look at that." Wain pointed forward.


    Marlis did as he said, and her eyes went wide with coldness down her back. Nitra noticed it at the same moment.


    They watched as Liang''s Spirit began to melt like an ingot of iron in a furnace, slowly but surely and irreversibly.

 Chapter 1060 Experiments

    ?


    All races had an anthropomorphic physique, or roughly speaking, all races were simr to Humans. They all had one head, two arms, and legs, but that was where the simrities ended and the differences began.


    Energy absorption, worldview, and natural skills aside, the main difference between the races was their appearance.


    All had different eye or hair colors, but there were exceptional features, such as the vampires'' fangs. However, these were some of the most minor changes.


    Angels had real wings, Elves had pointy ears, Construct had a body part that was a mechanism, and so on.


    Sometimes, the extra body parts were something important, and very durable, like the Demon''s horns. Destroying their horns was very difficult, and for any Demon that it happened to, it was a real shame.


    But, the most durable additional part of the body was the Spirit of the Axalts. That was why it was so difficult to destroy and also to repair, which most often meant the end of the Axalt''s journey.


    ''Wait... It''s melting?'' Nitra internally muttered with her eyes wide open. She had the data of a thousand experiments and observations of various anomalous things, but she had never seen anything like this.


    Marlis nervously bit her nails, and then she felt just like Nitra, like a scientist who had seen something that was possible and simultaneously impossible.


    "Looks like someone''s nervous, doesn''t it?" Wain smirked, casting a nce at Marlis.


    "This is unbelievable... this shouldn''t have happened..." Marlis muttered with a shaky look.


    Sven, Osvald, and Wain looked at her puzzled, they didn''t understand why she was acting so strange.


    "I know that some races have experimented with Axalt Spirits, after all, it is the most unique organ any of the races have..." Marlis said quickly, "Spirit gives to Axalts the unique ability to purify energy almost to the limit, achieving a result far superior to that of other races..."


    ''Hah, good thing I didn''t have to do that. Being a Human, has its advantages, however, we have plenty of disadvantages too...'' Wain said to himself, with a slight smirk on his face.


    ''However... None of the experiments were sessful... The main problem was that after the death of an Axalt, the Spirit was immediately destroyed, and disintegrated into small particles. Just like when Spirit was separated from the body." Marlis gulped, nibbling her fingers nervously.


    Osvald turned to her, "Hmm? Doesn''t that mean that in that case, you should have done the experiments with an Axalt alive?"


    Marlis nodded, "Yeah, you''re thinking in the right direction. That''s why they started doing it when they realized that the Spirits were, being destroyed, irrevocably. However, there was one problem that caused none of the experiments to seed."


    Osvald gave her a questioning look, "What are you talking about?"


    "In order to use Spirit for anything, be it gear or potions, it had to be melted or frozen first. That way, the heads of the experiments were trying to get around the defense mechanism of the Spirits that caused them to be destroyed upon the death of an Axalt."


    Marlis sighed, "However, Spirit proved to be too strong. It took an incredibly high temperature to simply heat Spirit, so much so that an Axalt would turn to ash in a matter of seconds."


    "One day, I learned of several experiments being conducted on Firth Chronicle Axalts. It was being done by the Undeads, decades ago." Marlis muttered with a deep look.


    "Undeads...? Damn, they can actually be scary when they''re interested in something." Osvald muttered while shaking his head.


    "Yeah. Unfortunately, even so, they couldn''t melt Spirit while keeping an Axalt alive. Even using a special skill and various ways to strengthen and cool the body, nothing helped..."


    Marlis continued, "So... In fact, melting Spirit is possible, but only theoretically since it was impossible to keep Axalt alive, but, that was the case until now. Now everything has changed..."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Due to the abnormally high temperature, not only the air but also the space around Liang began to distort.


    It seemed that to help him, even the sun began to shine much brighter, directing its rays directly at Liang. However, perhaps even the sun of such arge space was not as hot as Liang''s body.


    Marlis stared intently at Liang''s Spirit slowly melting, "Anyway, he''s definitely the only Axalt whose body is strong enough not to burn while his Spirit melts..."


    "Oh..." Osvald raised his eyebrows, "Doesn''t that mean that all it takes is hard training to reach that level?!"


    Marlis shook her head, ''''No. There is only one reason why Liang was able to do the impossible again. He is simply a monster. He like Alucard shouldn''t exist, they break all the rules of our world... they go against everything!!!"


    "Hahahahahahaha!!!" Wainughed, echoing for hundreds of meters around, drawing Marlis''s attention.


    "Breaking the rules? I''m familiar with that! You could say I''m an expert at it!" Wain grinned slyly, "But... In fact, I''m not the only one. Isn''t that the point of the Transcendence Stage? That''s what separates the strongest ones from the merely strong ones, isn''t it?"


    Marlis was speechless, she didn''t say anything. She was also on the Transcendence Stage, just like Osvald and Sven, but she realized thatpared to Liang or Nameless King, she couldn''t be called the strongest.


    "Yeah, you''re right." Sven nodded with a slight smile, "While for billions, immortality is an unattainable dream, for Alucard, it has long been routine. Liang is not immortal, but he is capable of what others cannot achieve. It works the same for everyone."


    Streams of steam surrounded Liang''s as his entire body was already covered in burns, to him they were not fatal, though even he felt a strong and vivid pain.


    The blood that covered most of his body had long since vaporized, but, there was a small portion of it left that was particrly thick.


    The blood of a normal creature at this temperature would not have anything left, but it was Liang''s blood. It was saturated with energy and power that ran through his entire body with every breath, every heartbeat.


    Then, the wind currents around Liang, slightly changed their direction, causing the thick blood to slowly flow in one direction - moving straight towards the center.


    For any Axalt, their center was their Spirit, and even Liang was no exception. The cracks of his partially destroyed Spirit, leisurely filled with thick blood,pletely covering all the damage.


    ''No! No! No! No!'' Nitra inwardly eximed with a furious gaze directed at Lian, ''This can''t be! This is impossible! In thousands of experiments, never once has something like this happened! Why does he always find a way out?!


    Nitra stomped her foot on the ground in anger, raising low waves of ash.


    "No, I can''t just stand by and watch him heal! I have to do something!" Nitra bit her lip until it bled, with narrowed eyes as the energy within her began to circte faster throughout her body.


    She couldn''t approach Liang as she would simply burn. She was able to wound him by increasing her strength to 25%, but that was because of the huge amount of energy. Her body was much weaker than Liang''s.


    The high heat would leave burns on Liang''s body, but, for anyone else, it would mean burning in an instant and turning into nothing.


    However, Nitra could try to attack from afar, which she was about to do, but she had no margin for error.


    ''35%... Hopefully, that will be enough...'' Nitra pondered, looking at her right hand, on which several cracks had appeared due to the sheer amount of energy she had released.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The space shook, as several dark spheres appeared beside her, with electrical discharges. They quickly began to rotate, and at their center appeared white stars from which destructivesers wereunched.


    There were tensers in total, each one powerful enough to deal critical damage to a God Stage Creature.


    It was easy to dodge them, but at that moment, Liang could not afford to do so. He had to keep raising the temperature and melting his Spirit, so he could immediately recover it as a material using his blood.


    Liang nced at Nitra, almost imperceptibly, and a slight smile appeared on his face.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Suddenly, the wind currents swirling around Liang expanded, tearing thesers apart like hundreds of sharp des.


    "What...? He decided to turn the heat of his Spirit...?" Nitra muttered in disbelief.


    "Hey, do you really think I want to burn myself? I''ve already practically melted it, so there''s no need for more heat." Liang smirked, stopping moving his muscles.


    Because of this, the temperature began to drop rapidly, but, Liang didn''t need it anymore, instead, he needed to create the desired shape of his Spirit.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Liang abruptly folded his arms in a lock, straining his chest muscles to the limit. In this way, all the parts of the Spirit, moved towards the center, connecting with each other.


    When the correct shape was created, and all gaps were closed, the Second Vortex began to rotate in the opposite direction again, creating cold streams of air.

 Chapter 1061 50%

    ?


    Nitra had already been in difficult situations many times during this fight, and she had almost died once. She had been saved by the past Tree and gained great strength because of it.


    However, until now, Liang seemed invulnerable. All of Nitra''s actions were simply useless against him, except for thest one. She was able to destroy his Spirit and that brought her closer to victory, or rather she had already almost won, she thought.


    However, the reality turned out to be more brutal than Nitra''s expectations. Liang simply did what was only possible in theory andpletely unrealistic in practice, but it was no barrier for him. After all, he was The Strongest One for a reason. Titles like that don''t just happen.


    "Well, well, looks like I''m back on track. What a pleasant surprise." Liang smirked insidiously while his Second Vortex rotated, gradually elerating slightly.


    When Liang melted his Spirit, the temperature around him was abnormally high, so the iceyer just like frost needed to be restored. Otherwise, Nitra could once again use her ability and escape directly from Liang''s grasp.


    "Tell me, how much energy did you use for thest attack?" Liang asked, with a slight smile on his face.


    Nitra remained silent, she just frowned, taking a few steps back. In fact, Liang didn''t need a straight answer, he himself could guess as his eyes headed towards the cracks in Nitra''s arms.


    "I see... Given the circumstances somewhere around 30%, maybe a bit more, right?" Liang suggested, causing Nitra''s eyes to go wide for a moment.


    "Hehehehe looks like I guessed. Alright, let''s continue." Liang chuckled evilly before bending his body forward and bursting into tears.


    Whoooooooosh.


    A wave of sand rose up behind him as he quickly found himself right in front of Nitra, with his sword drawn to attack.


    Then, their weapons shed, causing powerful energy waves, and causing waves of sand to rise.


    "Damn... I thought it would take him some time to recover. After all, besides the destroyed Spirit, he also suffered a lot of other wounds, didn''t he?" Marlis muttered in a confusion. She didn''t expect Liang to be able to actively fight so quickly.


    "Hah, you don''t seem to realize that the more wounds Liang receives, the more active he bes." Wain grinned, looking down at Marlis from top to bottom.


    "Hey. I''m just trying to figure out what''s going on! I still can''t believe he was able to recover his Spirit so easily." Marlis eximed irritably.


    "Calm down." Sven said slowly, "Actually Wain said all the right things. A few cuts or other simr wounds can''t seriously harm Liang. I mean, he doesn''t have regeneration like Alucard, but his body can withstand a hundred times more damage."


    Sven turned his head, directing his gaze towards Liang and Nitra.


    "So... As long as Nitra doesn''t pierce his heart or brain, he will fight. Nothing will be able to stop him and hopefully, Nitra has realized that. If not, we will soon see her death." Sven said calmly as if it was a sentence from the reaper for Nitra.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Every time the spear and sword collided with each other, a shockwave was created. Last time, Nitra was able to inflict serious wounds on Liang with only 25% strength, now she was using 35%. However, she felt that Liang had no trouble suppressing her.


    ''Shit! Shit! Shit! What''s going on? Shouldn''t he have spent a lot of effort to recover his Spirit? Wasn''t he weaker than me a few minutes ago? Why did everything suddenly change? It shouldn''t be like this! It''s illogical!" Nitra internally eximed, trying to figure out what Liang''s secret was.


    Nitra, like any other Construct when exining anything always used logic and calctions. However, she couldn''t use those methods to understand what Liang was doing and what processes were going on in his body.


    Nitra couldn''t ept the fact that she couldn''t calcte everything, not against Liang. His actions weren''t illogical, but it was his logic. He used what others could, and he did what was impossible for others because he was The Strongest One.


    "Hey, what''s wrong?" Liang smirked, unleashing another attack on Nitra, she barely had time to react and block the attack.


    "Go!!! Use more of your power, otherwise, I''ll turn you into a bloody stain in a few seconds! I don''t want our fight to end like this after all we''ve been through." Liang uttered, swinging his sword sharply.


    Nitra''s pupils narrowed as she abruptly swung her spear, the tip deflecting the attack. A violent shiver ran through her body, and her hands went numb for a moment due to the violent recoil.


    "I still want to see the look on your face when you see me destroy your Tree! So, don''t you dare die so early!" Liang eximed, attacking once more.


    Now, Nitra had no way to block or reflect the attack, and Liang acting too fast.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    A stream of dark blood gushed from the long wound on Nitra''s chest while her eyes filled with fear and anger at the same time.


    She couldn''t let Liang do what he was nning, but, she didn''t realize what she needed to do to defeat the monster in front of her.


    ''Damn... It turned out to be much harder than I thought it would be...'' Nitra internally muttered, looking at her reflection in the dark drop of blood flying in front of her. Then, the world seemed to slow down for her, everything seemed to freeze and her eyes filled with sorrow.


    ''Even though I am a Progenitor like him, even though we are on the Transcendence Stage... but I can''t help but get the feeling that we are still on different levels, just like him...'' Nitra''s eyes came into motion as she looked at Alucard.


    Though the world stopped, Alucard noticed Nitra''s gaze and smirked slyly, then his lips moved.


    Nitra didn''t hear him, but she was excellent at reading lips, she understood him without words.


    ''Fight! To the death! That''s what Alucard said, knowing that Nitra would have no choice but to do it and let him enjoy the incredible show.


    At the same moment, chaotic streams of ck energy began to emanate from Nitra''s body as she increased her strength from 35% to 50% at once. Increasing her firepower by one and a half times.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Nitra swung her spear, leaving a star plume, and despite the vivid pain from the wide wound on her chest, she thrust her spear into Liang''s Spirit again. This time she was going to destroy it, not just damage it.


    ''Right. Alucard is definitely not my ally, but that psycho is right. I have to do whatever it takes to win and I have that opportunity. With 50%, even Liang won''t be able to keep track of my movements!'''' Nitra eximed internally, with a slight smile on her face.


    However, her smile quickly disappeared when she looked up and saw Liang''s sly smirk.


    "Is something wrong?" Liang asked without taking any action.


    Then, Nitra looked at the tip of her spear, which to her surprise could not advance any further. This time, she had used 50%, which was twice as much as before when she had damaged Liang''s Spirit. However, now she couldn''t even scratch it.


    "What...? What''s going on? Is it just me?" Nitra muttered in a disbelief.


    "Don''t you know that steel bes much stronger after it''s melted and cooled? Do you think my Spirit is a worse material than in steel?" Liang asked although he didn''t need answers to these questions. He was simply taunting Nitra as he wished.


    Crackle.


    Liang gripped Nitra''s spear tightly, making it tremble slightly due to the immense force he was exerting to crush it. However, Nitra''s spear was strong enough to withstand it.


    Whooooosh.


    Nitra quickly pulled the spear out of Liang''s grip, leaving a light cut on his palm from which drops of blood trickled out.


    Then, before the drops of blood could fall on anything, Liang was behind Nitra before she could realize anything.


    A crack.


    Liang''s sword came down on her, quickly reaching her shoulder. Nitra had only a few moments to react, and then for the first time, she relied on her instincts rather than calctions.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The shing spear and sword caused a violent space-distorting tremor, then Nitra directed energy pulses at the spear, causing the tip of the spear to glow brightly.


    Liang''s eyes went wide as his Vortex swiftly spun, attracting wind and forming a protective barrier in front of him.


    Booooooooooooooom.


    The powerful explosion threw Liang aside, causing waves of ash toe in waves. Nitra was not injured at all in the process.


    "Agh... Unbelievable, even though the explosion happened right next to me I didn''t take any damage, but this is illogical and doesn''t make sense..." Nitra muttered in disbelief while looking at her hands.


    She knew that even those who used the fire attribute had to be careful to hurt themselves. Fighters had resistance to their attribute, but not invulnerability.


    Nitra smiled happily as she turned around about to attack Liang, who was yet to recover from the explosion.


    However, what Nitra saw made her eyes go wide as a huge wind de wasing straight at her, cutting the ground with ash tens of meters deep.

 Chapter 1062 Eternity

    ?


    Nitra had already undergone many changes during this fight, but most of them were about her body, energy, and abilities, as well as her rtionship with Liang, who was even more of a monster than she had imagined.


    However, this was the first time she had gone through a change that affected her mind and perception. As a Construct, she had always relied only on logic and calction, her mind was fast enough for her to calcte all the movements and moves of her opponent.


    She did not need to rely on instincts as others especially beasts did. Nitra like all Constructs, believed that they were above that, that with their intelligence there was no need for it.


    Before she had encountered Liang, however, she had no reason to question that in any way. She could actually calcte all of her opponents'' movements, even if there were hundreds of them.


    Why did she need to rely on risky instincts if she could practically see the future?


    Well, Liang had put her in a difficult and unusual situation, she had to either adapt like monsters do or die. Once, Liang''s sword had already practically turned her into nothing, so now she wouldn''t make the same mistake, definitely not twice in a row.


    This made her rejoice as she had surpassed herself and was even able to block Liang''s deadly attack. However, a smile appeared on her face as the next disaster was already approaching her.


    In the past few minutes, she hadpletely forgotten that Liang was one of the best swordsmen in history. He could not only use his sword to unleash his incredible strength but also to cut through anything.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The Wind de was heading towards Nitra at a tremendous speed, quickly shortening the distance. The cold ground, covered in ayer of ash and thick ice, could withstand many attacks from the strongest of creatures, but Windde passed through it with ease, splitting Zero Area in two.


    At thest moment, Nitra turned her hull to the left, letting the wind de pass through, it passed right in front of her eyes. However, she did take some damage as her left arm flew off to the side.


    Nitra immediately reached for it, going to pull her arm back and repair the damage, but, not even a secondter, the wind de stopped.


    The de shattered into a multitude of random wind sweats that pounced on Nitra''s arm like a pack of hungry piranhas, tearing it apart.


    All Nitra could do was watch her hand turn to nothing.


    ''No... I won''t be able to instantly repair the arm... Unlike Alucard, I definitely need time, even for a small limb like an arm I need at least ten seconds...'' Nitra muttered internally while shivers ran through her body in waves.


    Ten seconds was a rather short time span, many people believed it to be not much longer than a mere moment.


    That was true, but not in a battle between two Transcendence Creatures, especially when one of them was the one who carried the Title - The Strongest One.


    Anything could happen in ten seconds, and each of them could attack over a hundred times if they had the chance.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    A stream of wind lifted ayer of ck ash along with particles of ice as a tall silhouette with muscles as strong as steel and a scarlet sword on his shoulder appeared behind Nitra.


    "Hey, what was that? You definitely couldn''t calcte myst attack, moreover, you reacted so quickly even though you didn''t expect it..." Liang uttered, bringing his sword down on Nitra.


    Without hesitation, Nitra turned around sharply, spinning like a whirlwind as the tip of her foot swept in front of Liang''s face. Then she thrust her spear into the ground, creating an explosion of dark lightning.


    The energy waves threw Liang aside. He could have easily regained his bnce andnded on his feet, but at that moment his attention was focused on something else.


    He was looking intently at Nitra, from whom an unusual one had begun to emanate. In fact, it was the mostmon aura that every creature possessed except Constructs, since they were partly mechanism and thought the same way.


    "Heh, the mechanism started using instincts just like a real beast... Interesting..." Liang muttered, falling into the pile of ash thatpletely covered him, with only the tip of his sword sticking out.


    He did nothing for a while, allowing Nitra to recover his arm.


    ''Agh...? What''s going on? Is he up to some devious n?" Nitra pondered, staring intently at the tip of Liang''s sword. Her eyes quickly calcted the size of the pile of ashes as well as Liang''s body, so she realized that he was still there and wouldn''t be able to stealthily attack her.


    "Wow, looks like we''re not the only ones surprised..." Wain said, looking at the Guardians whose eyes were wide open, "Looks like they didn''t expect Liang to miss his opportunity to suppress Nitra at all."


    "Yeah... This is something no one could have predicted. Liang is actually acting weird..." Marlis muttered.


    Whooooooooosh.


    A stream of wind rushed out from the pile of ashes, releasing Liang who was already standing on his feet.


    "Hey, I have a question for you." Liang asked with a sly smirk, "How about changing the objective of our battle?"


    "Agh...?" Nitra''s eyes widened in a confusion. All the time before, Liang had only threatened or taunted her, he had never once asked something like that.


    "You know, meeting that immortal bastard has surprisingly managed to teach me something important." Liang grinned while pointing at Alucard.


    Alucard didn''t take offense at all. Perhaps he knew better than anyone that words didn''t matter, what mattered was the emotions and intentions behind them and the expression on the face of the one who spoke. And then, Alucard was fine with that, and guessing what Liang was thinking, he got a wide grin with a mad glint in his eyes.


    "What...? What are you talking about? Is there anything that can be taught to you?! You''re a fucking monster that doesn''t obey anyws or rules!" Nitra eximed, with a wave of her hand.


    Even though their fight had stopped for a while and she had a short break, she wasn''t happy about it at all. She realized how she needed to fight against Liang and even started to deal damage to him. Afterst night''s attack, several burns appeared on Liang''s body, emitting streams of ck smoke.


    Nitra didn''t want their fight to change its direction again as then she might be at a disadvantage.


    "Hahaha, you think Alucard didn''t break any rules orws? Have you forgotten that he can''t be killed even if all the Progenitors attack at once?! Maybe you can seal him, but you can''t kill him! I assure you, a person like him knows how to deal with boredom, but... that''s not the point." Liang''s face abruptly became serious and his gaze cold.


    Liang let out a sigh, "Look, like you I wanted to fight on the side of the Arkans, although then I would challenge them, so technically I was never your ally, but that''s not important. What matters is that this was my goal, to go alone against everyone!"


    Liang nced at his reflection in the sword and continued, "Alucard showed me that there was no point in my goal, or rather... I could aplish even more in another way. In my case, he offered to be his friend."


    Nitra flinched as she took a few steps back, she didn''t even want to think about such a thing. The situation was getting crazier and crazier for her by the second.


    "So... Your target also probably has another solution than bing subordinate to the two Rulers of the Arkan World." Alucard uttered in a deep voice.


    "Hm? What does that mean?" Nitra frowned, "Only if the worlds are under Arox''s control can we Constructs reach incredible heights in our research and experimentation! We''ll be able to do it dozens of times faster on peacefulnds!"


    Liang remained silent for a while, he tapped his sword on his shoulder with a thoughtful gaze looking at the sun.


    "Yeah, that sounds logical and if it''s true then it''s the truth, right?" Liang nced at Nitra.


    "Sure. The logic above all else. I''m definitely not wrong in my judgment." Nitra nodded with a serious look.


    Liang sighed, "Then what do you say about this? In one fight, you became much stronger, uncovered the secret of your past Tree, learned about the amazing properties of the unique Spirit, and began to use your instincts instead of just calctions. Thus you discovered new areas and powers you didn''t even know you had. This is definitely the truth as it happened."


    Then, Liang stepped forward, "Now, answer me one question. I''ll give you time to think. How many years approximately would it take to achieve what you aplished in a single fight of less than an hour through experimentation?"


    Nitra shuddered as a chill ran down her spine. Her mind was working at maximum capacity, piecing together all her knowledge and instances from this fight, making monstrous calctions.


    "Hahaha! I''m bad at math, but even I know the answer!" Alucard eximed, as his voice echoed throughout Zero Area.


    Alucard majestically raised his head and spread his arms out to the sides, proiming, "Eternity!"

 Chapter 1063 Eternity

    ?


    What could be the worst thing about making and thinking about ns for a long time? Well, the answer is simple, the realization that initially there was no need for a n, and even the best n would only lead to an unsatisfactory result.


    In such a case it was simply necessary to choose another direction, to look at the situation from a different angle, but even for the wisest and smartest it was difficult to do. Most often it was not even a matter of self-confidence, but of life experience that told them how to act in order to achieve the result.


    So, Liang''s question made Nitra freeze in ce. Just one questionpletely shattered everything she had thought and wished for, everything for which they had prepared to participate in the war on the Arkans'' side.


    It had already taken years and a huge amount of resources as preparation, and the experiments themselves were going to take hundreds of times more resources. It was logical and Nitra as well as all Constructs were ready for it.


    "Eternity..." Nitra muttered in disbelief, "No, that can''t be true..."


    Liang didn''t say anything, he just stood still with a confident smirk. He enjoyed the expression on Nitra''s face, this was a unique scene that would never happen again.


    "Hahaha! That''s right!" Alucard eximed with excitement.


    "For this fight, Liang has already done the impossible possible many times, just like you!" Alucard turned into a bloody stream, moving closer to them.


    Nitra noticed it but did not react. Alucard was still far enough away and she didn''t feel like he wanted to attack. He wasn''t interested in the battle, however, he wanted to be part of this conversation.


    "By the way. You did something impossible too." Alucard smirked.


    "Agh...?" Nitra gave him a questioning look.


    "Come on. You''ve already figured it all out yourself, and even your calctions weren''t necessary. Look, for a fightsting a few hours, you were able to aplish what you couldn''t even in a thousand years, no! Not even a million years! After all, eternity is greater than any value! Is such a thing possible? Is it logical!" Alucard said seriously, with an insane smile showing his long fangs.


    "No! It''s just an anomaly, it''s an exception!" Nitra eximed, waving her hand, "I admit that even if our race''s n had worked, with experimentation we would never have achieved such a thing. However, this only confirms my words!"


    Nitra pressed her palm to her chest, with a sincere look saying, "Perhaps we should reconsider our ns now, but that''s unlikely. I''ve be an exception, but that won''t happen with the other Constructs. We should still participate in the war on the Arkans'' side for the sake of quietly conducting experiments in the world of Utopia!"


    Alucard answered nothing. He looked at Nitra for a long time, then he nodded and looked away, pointing at Liang.


    Nitra raised an eyebrow, puzzled.


    "What about him? Is he an exception too? Is he an anomaly too?" Alucard asked in a calm voice.


    Nitra''s eyes went wide.


    "What do you say about me? Am I the third exception? About Nameless King? About Sven Hellem? About the Progenitor of Undeads who burned your past tree. The Progenitor of Dragons? Are they all exceptions and anomalies, too? Doesn''t that sound weird to you? It''s just an excuse you found for your actions." Alucard said coldly.


    Each of his words was like a de prating Nitra''s mind, gradually forcing her to admit that the world was not at all the way she wanted it to be.


    "There''s no point in following a failed n. There''s always another option and you can still do what Liang did." Alucard said majestically.


    He usually acted like a conniving teenager who just wanted to have fun, but this was his way of rxing and having fun. If he was serious all the time, given his immortality, he would have gone insane long ago. However, right now he was being serious as the situation demanded it.


    "What?! Offer to be your friend like you did with Liang?!" Nitra eximed, showing that to her it was an absurdity she would never agree to.


    Alucard shrugged, "Well, I don''t mind. The rest is up to you, but that''s not what I was talking about. Do you have to be subordinates of the Rulers of the Arkan world to do experiments?"


    "Hmm...?" Nitra tilted her head in a confusion.


    "Look. You can always do experiments on your allies'' worlds, can''t you?" Alucard asked.


    "Pffft." Nitra snorted, "Allies? When was thest time the races allied? Furthermore, do you really think two worlds will be enough?"


    "Two...?" Alucard muttered, "Don''t you know how to count? On the side of the Nameless King, there are already Humans, I am and thus potentially Vampires, Gael and thus Ashens, Liang and thus Axalts and nts. Furthermore, I''m sure the Demons will never side with the Angels, and the Angels support the Arkans."


    Nitra''s eyes went wide as she began to count.


    "One... two... three..." Nitra curled her fingers like a child as she looked at her palm, "Humans, Vampires, Axalts, Ashens, nts and Demons... If you add Constructs to that it makes six..."


    Alucard smirked, "Exactly, that''s already half the universe, even assuming everyone else decides to support the Arkans! Wouldn''t that be enough to do experiments?"


    Alucard clenched his hand into a fist, "More to the point. In the utopia that will be if Arox controls all worlds, there will be no room for battles! You must have already realized that you can achieve in a single battle what cannot be done even in a million years!"


    Alucard''s speech greatly affected Nitra, she even fell to her knees with a nk stare. It was hard for her to admit that everything she was doing didn''t make sense and was actually a big mistake.


    ''What''s the point of bing subordinate to the Arkans if without battles we can''t achieve abnormal breakthroughs like I did today? It will be rare and there will still be experimentation at the core, but sometimes it is necessary. In Utopia, it would be impossible and it is unlikely then that anyone would be able to prevent Arox or all Arkans...'' Nitra pondered, looking at the ashes.


    Then, she raised her head and looked at the huge Tree, the most important thing in all of Construct World.


    "We lost one Tree once before, when we decided to anger the Progenitor of the Undeads, even though we knew we shouldn''t have... Then we paid for it, and we can''t let it happen again..." Nitra muttered, slowly transferring her gaze to Liang.


    He was silent the whole time and just listened to Nitra and Alucard''s conversation with a calm expression. In fact, it gave Nitra some hope, since he usually behaved quite differently.


    "You said that you wanted to change the purpose of our fight... Do you still intend to do that?" Nitra asked with a slightly trembling voice, "Is there a possibility that you won''t destroy our Tree...? I am beg..."


    Whoooooooooosh.


    In a heartbeat, Liang appeared right in front of Nitra, faster than a bolt of lightning. Then, before she could realize anything, his foot came crashing down on her face, throwing her back hundreds of meters.


    "Well, well, that was rough." Wain said while shaking his head, then a wide grin appeared on his face, "However, that''s the most effective thing he could have done."


    Marlis frowned, raising an eyebrow and casting a sharp look at Wain. However, she didn''t say anything, as she guessed why Liang had done it and what his purpose was.


    During this fight, she had be more aware of how The Strongest One thought, as well as Wain or Sven. All of them were higher than her, on all levels.


    The Guardians were furious at what they saw as their veins swelled and anger consumed their eyes.


    "How dare he do this to her!" A Guardian eximed, "After everything that happened, Mrs. Nitra found the strength to go to the treaties, and he just attacked her without warning!"


    The other Guardians thought the same, but one of them remained silent with a calm face. Emotions couldn''t consume his mind, and he looked at this situation from a logical point of view.


    "Agh... Agh... Agh... Agh..." Nitra rose from the ground breathing heavily, Liang attacked full force without holding back.


    "Bastard... What the fuck are you doing?! I agreed to talk to you!" Nitra shouted, mopping up the blood flowing from her already broken nose.


    Liang shrugged, "If you want to agree or discuss something with me, you should behave with dignity. Do you really think that I Liang, The Strongest One, can look at a pitifully begging girl as a worthy opponent? This is an insult of the highest degree!"


    At first, Nitra thought Liang was talking nonsense, but she quickly realized the meaning behind his words, and a slight smile appeared on her face for the first time in a long time.


    Nitra shook her head, straightened her back, stood confidently on her feet, and pointed at Liang with her spear, with a serious look.


    "Liang, The Strongest One, I am Nitra, God of Thunder, I wish to change the objectives of our deadly battle! Before you say anything, I will express my wish for this battle to stop being a deadly battle!" Nitra said confidently.


    "Good job." Liang smirked as fire lit up in his eyes.

 Chapter 1064 New Rules

    ?


    Sometimes battles ended very quickly, in just a few moments or a single attack, perhaps even an entire war could end in just an hour or a few right words.


    However, more often than not, in such a case, the original goal never changed. If it was possible to get the desired result quickly, there was no point in thinking of other options or time to better understand what was going on.


    Nitra and Liang were in no danger of such an oue, as they had already reached a point in their long fight after which their rtionship would no longer be the same.


    Of course, Alucard had a significant impact on the decision Nitra would make, but he only helped her make sense of the situation. In the end, it was impossible for her to believe that her n was wrong and there was another way. She didn''t believe that there were situations that couldn''t be calcted.


    "You want our fight to no longer be deadly... Well, I can agree to that." Liang smirked, "However, there is still a conflict between us that we must resolve."


    Nitra frowned, "What exactly do you mean?"


    "Look. I won''t hide it, I''ve done a lot of bad things just like you. You took your instincts, so I''ll do something for you and run the calctions, something you love so much." Liang calmly said while looking away.


    Then, Liang stretched his hand forward, "First of all, I am offended that you followed me. Secondly, I am offended that you were about to dere war on my world. Third, I am offended that you tried to destroy one of the cities where thousands of my people lived! If it weren''t for Alucard, you would have seeded."


    Nitra became wary. She no longer felt threatened by Liang. He was talking very differently now, but that only meant that their fight had moved to another level. Now, they had to agree to keep moving forward and Nitra was at a disadvantage.


    It was the Constructs who had started it all, if they hadn''t decided to take this risky move, then Liang would have just continued to fight Alucard.


    Now Nitra realized that this was more advantageous for them, but would it be more advantageous now? Were they still enemies or were things changing right now?


    Nitra wanted to say something, she had to defend herself somehow, but Liang interrupted her, continuing his monologue.


    "However, I am an honest man and I admit that I have also done things that you may hate me because of. First of all, I killed one Guardian. Second, I destroyed one of the cities. Third, I damaged your Tree." Liang said seriously.


    Then, he sighed and, looking at his hand said, "That makes it 3-3, or a tie, right? If it''s 3-3, then it''s the same as 0 - 0, so there''s no conflict, right?"


    The math that Liang had done hardly suited Nitra, but she realized that in this case, it was a mere formality. All Liang wanted to aplish was to talk out all the hard feelings and get rid of everything at once.


    Nitra could have objected and continued the argument, but what was the point? They had already moved on, they had traveled an eternity in one fight, so there was no point in going back. It was too illogical and each of them realized it.


    "Damn... How did ite to this..." Nitra smiled, with slight happiness in her eyes, "So... What now? Shall we shake hands and be friends? What n is in your crazy head?"


    Liang smirked, "Well, that''s a possible option, and thinking Alucard would be pleased. Two more Progenitors besides Gael to fight with without holding back... Hah, those are literally his spots. Am I right?"


    Liang looked at Alucard floating in the air.


    Alucard nodded, "Sure. Moreover, I think you should hurry up and finish all of this soon. I''m wondering what''s going on at Gael''s ce. He left us quite some time ago and I think I know where he went."


    At that moment everyone''s eyes went wide, Nitra''s, Liang''s, and the keepers. They had all seen that Gael had been present at the very beginning, but they didn''t remember the moment when he had separated from Alucard.


    "Damn... Honestly, even I forgot about it..." Wain muttered with a dazed expression, "I don''t know what''s going on at Gael''s ce, but he definitely had a good reason to miss the battle of the two Progenitors."


    "Well, we decided to see Alucard''s memories first, so nothing is surprising about that." Sven nodded.


    Liang and Nitra nced over, and the rest of them were surprised. Gael was one of the Progenitors and also carried a rather serious Title that could rival even Liang''s.


    "Yeah, you''re right... But I don''t think it''s right to end it that way. Handshaking is too boring, and it''s not my style at all." Liang scratched the back of his head.


    Nitra tilted her head, "Hm? If you want we can sign a document or treaty. There are other ways to make a truce and get each side of the conflict to fulfill certain conditions."


    "Hey, don''t you see what I mean?" Liang nced at Nitra.


    Nitra was puzzled, she didn''t really know what Liang wanted, since she had offered him all the most suitable options to close the conflict that she knew.


    "You offered a non-lethal fight, but not to end it, so we will continue and fight until one of us can''t stand on our feet! The reason is simple, this is what the strongest do, this is what I, The Strongest One, do!" Liang eximed, with a confident expression before rushing forward.


    His steps were powerful, but he intentionally moved not very fast so that Nitra would have some time to recover. She was ready for their fight to be over, so it was something of a surprise to her.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    After a few seconds, they collided, as from Liang''s sword and Nitra''s spear, powerful shockwaves were emitted causing the ash in Zero Area to fluctuate.


    "Come on! Now we can stop holding back, waiting for the right moment to use our trump cards!" Liang eximed before swiftly swinging his sword.


    Nitra''s pupils narrowed as she barely had time to block Liang''s attack. The impact threw her dozens of meters back, but she easily got to her feet.


    Liang pointed his sword at her, "Let''s be honest. The 50% you''re using, it''s not enough to defeat me! Moreover, use your the Form! You won''t have another opportunity like this soon to use all your strength!"


    Nitra was silent for a while.


    Then she nodded, "Fine, I agree with you. If we are allies now, the Constructs won''t be fighting on the Arkans'' side in the Great War. So most of my time will be spent experimenting on the territories of friendly races..."


    "Hey!" Alucard eximed, "Don''t forget. That you can always fight one of us! Especially me! Although... You absolutely can''t win, and that''s not even my fault."


    "Hah, in a battle with you, the result will always be the same." Nitra smirked, closed her eyes, then her sharp gaze headed towards Liang, "I will show you my full power. However, I won''t be able to withstand such pressure for long, so the final stage of our fight will be short."


    Liang shrugged, "Sure. I understand that it''s difficult to contain such a huge force. Even at 50%, your body has taken some damage, I don''t want you to die so foolishly after all we''ve been through this day."


    "However, I have one condition!" Nitra eximed sternly, swinging her spear.


    "Hm?" Liang raised an eyebrow, giving her a questioning look, "I''m listening to you."


    "I''m using 100% as well as my Form, that''s all the trump cards I have! In fact, I too am curious about what will happen and what I can aplish, but you have to do it too!" Nitra looked at Liang intently.


    Liang tilted his head, "Oh, I see... Do you want me to use my Form too? Fine, but you go first,dies first."


    "Hah, don''t regret it!" Nitra smirked, then her hair surged upwards, with powerful streams of darkness and lightning spreading around like chaotic whirlwinds.


    There were cracks in Nitra''s body, and a bright light came out of them as if there was a star inside her, however, her body was strong enough to withstand this pressure for about ten minutes.


    Then, after increasing her strength to 100% she used her Form. Two long dragonsposed of pure ck lightning energy appeared behind her. They swirled around her like faithful protectors.


    Each dragon could easily deal with a God Stage opponent, but Nitra was using them now to strengthen herself.


    "Not bad." Liang nodded satisfactorily.


    "Now you! I''m waiting!" Nitra pointed her spear at Liang.


    However, Liang didn''t bother to do anything.


    "Hey, can you hear me?" Nitra frowned.


    Liang nodded, "Yeah. If you want to see my Form. Then you''re going to have to make me do it!" Liang smirked deviously, which made Nitra angry. He had tricked her like a child!

 Chapter 1065 Trying To Learn The Secret

    ?


    The Form was the most powerful trump card that every creature had, especially the Fifth Chronicle ones, as their Beyond and the Form became one.


    In most fights, the proper use of the Form, at the right moment, couldpletely change the course of the battle. So, very often, fighters used their Form only in the most critical situations, as this trump card cost a lot of energy and strength.


    If a fighter used his Form, then after a while the one would be exhausted, so great power was given only for a certain period of time.


    Also, many people did not want to use their Form too often, so that their opponents did not know about their strengths and weaknesses. Progenitors, on the other hand, only used their Forms when fighting against opponents equal to them.


    Polosa would never use all her trump cards against someone weaker than Sven, and neither would he. With such strong fighters, the Form had a different meaning than those who had just revealed their power.


    When persons first unleashed their Form, they wanted to use it as often as possible to better experience their power as it was an achievement for them.


    However, for those who were in the Fifth Chronicle or Transcendence Stage, the Form had a different meaning. If they used their Form during battle, it meant that their opponent was strong enough and they were in a deadly situation.


    Thus, what Liang had just done could easily be considered as an insult towards Nitra. She had raised her power to 100%, and used her the Form, it was putting her body under serious pressure.


    She had no more than ten minutes to use her full power after which she would struggle to even move around for several hours.


    "Hey! You promised! Quickly use your the Form! I want to see it!" Nitra eximed, with puffed-up cheeks like any resentful girl.


    "Hah, do you really think lying to someone like me isn''t eptable? I tricked you!" Liang smirked, echoing his joyousughter throughout Zero Area.


    "You!!!" Nitra clenched her fists tightly as the space around her trembled.


    Liang smiled predatorily, "Come on. Didn''t you just be significantly stronger? I''m not refusing to show you the Form, it''s just that you''ll have to make me use it. If you can''t, you have no one else to me but yourself."


    Nitra frowned, "Fine, in that case, I''ll do it in the most painful way possible! You''ll remember not to cheat on me!"


    Then, Nitra gripped her spear tightly, tilting her body backward and staring intently at Liang.


    The lightning dragons continued to swirl around her, and at her will, they headed towards her hands. The dragons became much smaller, condensing their energy to be like a piece of armor, protecting her arms from her wrists to her shoulder.


    As it did, each dragon constantly infused her body with energy, allowing her to fight at her peak, every second, until her body could no longer withstand the pressure.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Discharges of lightning traveled down her spear, causing a powerful shiver in the air.


    "Well, well, this looks powerful. Go for it! Surprise me!" Liang confidently said while pointing his sword at Nitra. Her muscles were strained to the limit, so her spear throw must have been incredibly fast.


    The Guardians were puzzled, they didn''t expect the situation to suddenly change like this.


    "So... Are we allies now? We are now siding with the Nameless King?" One of the guardians muttered in confusion.


    "It seems like but... Liang killed one of us...? Shouldn''t we take revenge?" The man uttered with a great frown.


    "Khm!" The man with a bushy beard coughed, drawing attention to himself, "Ynez was the one who was responsible for this mission. She understood the risks as well as we did. We watched and tried to control Liang, The Strongest One, so we knew what the consequences could be."


    The man continued, "Every one of you is the smartest and most experienced Construct. Surely you realize that there is no point in retaliation in such a situation because both sides have the right to anger. In fact, we are fortunate that Liang was reasonable. Moreover, he is right."


    "Hm? What do you mean?" The woman crossed her arms over her chest, staring at him intently.


    "If we actually be allies, or at least partners, then a few worlds will be more than enough for experimentation. Also, obviously after their fight, we should spend more time studying the battles. As strange as it may sound, Mrs. Nitra was able to go through eternity in just a few hours. It''s anti-scientific, but it''s a fact." The man calmly exined.


    The Guardians fell silent, contemting the situation.


    They were unhappy that Liang had killed many of their residents and one of the Guardians, but they realized that it was mostly their own fault.


    Moreover, what could they do? Were they capable of defeating the one who was the strongest?


    "I hope you don''t die from this!" Nitra eximed, violently throwing her spear forward because of all her strength.


    In a heartbeat, the spear turned into a dark sh, quickly ending up right in front of Liang. There was still a confident smirk on his face as if he had yet to realize what had happened and react.


    However, as his pupils narrowed he quickly tilted his head, letting the ck sh pass beside him.


    Liang''s gaze shifted to the side, looking at Nitra, but she was no longer where she had just stood. Then, Liang turned around sharply, realizing what Nitra was about to do.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Liang''s eyes went wide when Nitra was right in front of him, and the tip of her spear was moving straight towards Liang''s chest.


    ''I''ll make you sorry for deceiving me!'' Nitra eximed internally,unching high-powered electrical discharges along the spear.


    Liang only had a few moments to react, otherwise, he might get seriously injured, but it was not a serious problem for him as his sword quickly came into motion.


    At thest moment, he deflected the attack, and behind him the ground was covered in cracks, and ash was blown aside. Nitra''s attack didn''t hit Liang, but the power of its swing was enough to destroy something.


    "Not bad. You''ve definitely be much stronger." Liang uttered with a serious expression. That look had only appeared a few times during their fight, and Nitra had learned to appreciate it. However, it wasn''t enough for her now, she had to make Liang use his trump card!


    "This isn''t over yet! This is just the beginning and you better get ready!" Nitra eximed, quickly swinging her spear.


    Then, the real hell began for Liang. Nitra was weaker than him in physical parameters, but considering how much energy she used, she was now superior to him, if only temporarily.


    A hail of powerful attacks rained down on Liang, preventing him from even breathing. Nitra attacked as fast and as hard as she could. In one second, she attacked more than ten times, and Liang somehow managed to react to her every move.


    "Damn... She''s actually gotten stronger. In this shape, she can easily handle me, that''s for sure..." Osvald muttered with a dazed expression. After all, even in the Transcendence Stage, some were stronger, and some were weaker. There was no equality anywhere.


    "Yeah... Even though it''s only temporary and her body is already starting to approach its limit, but it''s actually impressive..." Marlis said in disbelief, then she looked at Sven and Wain, "Would you be able to handle her?"


    Sven and Wain exchanged nces, then sly smirks appeared on their faces.


    Wain replied, "Of course. I doubt I could have done it without my Form, though who knows... In any case, Nitra still has room to grow. If she were to face Arox or the Dragon Progenitor, they would destroy her. However, Liang can do that too, but it''s already a non-lethal fight, so she''s safe."


    The Guardians were surprised, they had faith in Nitra but didn''t expect her to be so powerful.


    Alucard seemed to enjoy it the most. There was a fire in his eyes and a crazy smile on his face.


    He enjoyed the fact that Nitra was suppressing Liang. This was an extremely rare scene.


    "Hehehe, it might be hundreds more years before I see such an expression on your face. But what will you do? Will you remain arrogant or will you still show her your Form? Though then the situation will be quite dangerous for her." Alucard chuckled evilly.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Every time Liang repelled Nitra''s attack, something was destroyed near them, craters were left on the ground, and even they were already covered in cracks.


    ''Hm... She''s trying her best, but I''m afraid it''s not enough for me to do it. Perhaps next time.'''' Liang pondered for a moment before reaching forward.


    Nitra''s spear pierced his palm, as scarlet drops of blood rushed out, but Nitra quickly realized that Liang had done it on purpose since his sword was already bearing down on her.

 Chapter 1066 The Power That Shouldnt Be

    ?


    Liang had tricked Nitra, so now she was serious about forcing him to use her Form. She had managed to suppress Liang considerably, but when he received the first wound the fight immediately changed.


    However, it didn''t mean that Nitra was close to victory, on the contrary, she forced Liang to be more serious.


    Crackle.


    Scarlet drops rushed outwards when the dark spear pierced Liang''s palm. Every drop of his blood was a treasure to the creatures in the lower Chronicle, but to him, it was only a consumable item that he could spend at any time.


    ''Shit! If it hits me, even with all the enhancements, I could take critical damage!" Nitra internally eximed as the dragon on her left arm shuddered. Ancient runes shone brightly on the dragon, then she threw her arm forward.


    Liang''s pupils narrowed as powerful currents of wind swept in front of him, trying to protect him from the impending threat.


    All the energy from the runes traveled down Nitra''s arm, releasing a st of incredible power from her palm.


    The massive explosion created streams of ck mes with endless electrical discharges flying in all directions. Part of the Zero Area was immediately destroyed, leaving only a huge crater in the ce of the explosion like after a meteorite fall.


    Nitra remained in the same ce, the dense barrier of darknesspletely protecting her from the explosion, as she remained standing on the small piece ofnd that remained untouched.


    Liang couldn''t protect himself, the wind couldn''t protect him, it was simply impossible. He was lying on the ground, while blood from his many wounds covered the dark earth.


    His breathing was measured and calm, but he had definitely taken damage.


    ''Shit... I was able to seed, but it cost me dearly...'' Nitra internally muttered, breathing heavily.


    She only had ten minutes in total, for the dozens of attacks and collisions that had just happened she had only spent thirty seconds. However, this explosion had taken her at least two minutes.


    Technically Nitra had no time limit, her energy wouldn''t run out even after a hundred years, however, her body had a limit. The powerful energy discharge caused cracks to appear on her body. It wasn''t critical, but she shouldn''t be allowed to reach the critical state.


    ''Well... I can withstand a few more of these sts, the most important thing is that I was able to hurt him!'' Nitra internally eximed with a confident smirk on her face.


    Then, she jumped forward, finding herself on the edge of the crater, and with a confident stride headed towards Liang, who was still lying on the ground.


    "Come on! Stop being so stubborn! You''ve already been injured, it''s time to use your Form! You have no other choice!" Nitra eximed, gathering energy before her next attack.


    She blinked, and when she opened her eyes, Liang was already standing confidently on his feet, with a cold stare. He looked at his hand, then gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, despite the pain, and prepared to fight.


    Nitra frowned, biting her lip until it bled, "Shit! Is your pride really worth it?! Your blood is a true treasure, you definitely wouldn''t have gotten those wounds if you used your Form."


    Liang looked at Nitra for a while, then he calmly said, "I''m sure you listened to me carefullyst time, but I''ll say it again. If you want to see my Form, you''ll have to make me do it. Yeah, it''s not a deathmatch anymore, but you''ll have to be a real threat to me for me to do it."


    "Fine! In that case, I''ll finish this in the next three minutes!!!" Nitra eximed furiously as the dragons on her arms glowed brightly.


    The runes, channeled their energy directly to Nitra, making her significantly stronger, but for a very limited time. Now, along with the original ten minutes, she only had three, and a few seconds had already passed.


    Liang''s eyes widened slightly, but it was almost imperceptible.


    Then, Nitra turned into a deadly sh quickly appearing in front of Liang. Before he could realize it, Nitra had already swung her spear, sessfully touching Liang''s chest with the tip and leaving a long cut on it.


    A powerful surge of blood rushed out, covering part of Nitra''s face, but, she didn''t even pay attention to it as she had only one goal - to make Liang perceive her as a threat.


    Perhaps she shouldn''t have given in to Liang''s maniptions, but none of that mattered at the time. Now it was a friendly fight, so she could do what she wanted.


    "You think I''m not worthy of this!?" Nitra eximed, relentlessly attacking, "I''ll show you I''m not! If you don''t use your Form, I will actually kill you! It will only be your fault!"


    Liang didn''t reply anything, even if he wanted to, he simply didn''t have the opportunity to do so. Nitra attacked, and it gradually became faster.


    While Liang was able to block and deflect every one of Nitra''s attacks before, things had changed. Its strength, speed, and uracy had increased, so now sometimes Liang missed attacks.


    His body was much stronger than Nitra''s, so even after ten of Nitra''s sessful attacks, Liang continued to move at the same speed as before. However, even he couldn''t withstand the endless damage.


    "Damn... Has she actually started to win? Is this really happening?" Marlis muttered in disbelief, intently watching Nitra''s every move, "Her Form is strong. However, if she hadn''t gotten her power from the past Tree and learned to use her instincts, she wouldn''t have been able to reach this level."


    Wain and Sven were silent as their gazes became slightly darker. They knew what could happen if Nitra continued to attack further.


    ''Perhaps it would be a disaster... or perhaps Nitra would finally get what she wanted... The important thing is that she doesn''t regret itter...'' Wain said to himself, as his gaze grew serious.


    Alucard who was watching the fight also for some reason lost his grin. He realized that now Nitra had actually be a worthy opponent for Liang and that had its consequences.


    "Well... Looks like I''ll have to stop being a spectator soon. Something terrible is about to happen and it''s going to be all her fault..." Alucard muttered, dropping his gaze to Nitra.


    There was a confident smile on her face as the ground around her was already covered in Liang''s blood. Two minutes had already passed, and in all that time she hadn''t received a single wound, but Liang had already reached his limit.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Nitra thrust the spear forward, piercing Liang''s shoulder. Normally, he wouldn''t have missed such a serious attack, but now he didn''t have the strength to react. His fatigue and weakness had already umted.


    ''Oh... This is bad...'' Liang thought while looking at Nitra. Her hands turned into a blur when dozens of attacks rained down on him like ck dots.


    With a few swings of his sword, Liang was able to repel most of them, but he immediately received several wounds. Blood was constantly flowing from his wounds, and it seemed that he would soon bepletely dried up.


    ''Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! I can do it! There''s still some time left! Even if he doesn''t use his Form, then I can win! It will definitely be worth it!" Nitra eximed as her eyes sparkled, and she aimed her spear towards Liang''s chest.


    She had less than a minute left, but that was more than enough time for her to finish this fight. Now she was going to win either way.


    Nitra felt strange looking at her spear, heading towards Liang. Since it was the first time his gaze wasn''t cold and arrogant, it seemed that he had weakened a lot and started to faint.


    However, in fact, at that moment, Liang was experiencing somethingpletely different. He felt free and relieved as if dozens of chains with infinite weight had fallen from his shoulders.


    When the spear was about to pierce him, Liang swung his sword, deflecting Nitra''s attack. However, she instantly counterattacked.


    But, then something changed.


    Nitra felt as if the whole world had frozen, or she was in apletely different ce, and with a different opponent.


    She didn''t know if she was dreaming or not, then she saw a man with long crimson hair and all-consuming eyes.


    Behind him was some silhouette that took on his boundless aura and power whose existence should be forbidden.


    Then, Nitra saw a blood-red sword with a sharp glint running down the de.


    For her, itsted a long time, and she couldn''t see all the details. For the others, it was faster than a moment, even Sven, Wain, and Alucard didn''t see all the details.


    At the same moment, between Liang, whose ck hair was fluttering in the wind, and Nitra, for a second appeared a spark .


    As soon as the spark disappeared, the entire ground behind her was cut into massive cubes and destroyed into tiny particles. The power of this attack spread far beyond Zero Area, destroying mountains, hills, and quickly reaching the Tree.


    The energy of the attack split the incredibly strong Tree into many pieces. Such damage was critical, so the Tree rushed towards the ground with a loud crack, in pieces, slowly but surely.


    Nitra didn''t have the strength to be angry or feel any emotion as this attack turned her into practically nothing. Her body was shattered into millions of pieces.

 Chapter 1067 Correcting Mistakes

    ?


    The Form was a formidable weapon that every creature was aware of, as everyone after a certain point on the path to strength gained this unique skill.


    The Form could easily elevate someone''s power several times over, and it could change the oue of a battle as one Form could be vulnerable to another.


    So, in that case, how formidable would the power that someone called The Strongest One would have when activating his Form?


    Well, Nitra, the Guardians, and the inhabitants of the Construct World could only see it for a moment. It was enough to change their world forever. Just one attack could make the entire world turn upside down.


    Liang''s gaze was deep and dark. He realized what had happened because he was the cause of all the destruction that had happened so far. Not even a second had passed since his attack.


    However, there was a slight sadness in his calm eyes that waspletely different from the arrogant me that had been burning in them all along. It was like a dark rain, the sorrow that his soul was feeling then.


    ''Agh... I told you that you would regret it, but you left me no choice... Damn, I didn''t want this feeling to consume me, but I''m actually sorry that after everything we went through, this is what happened...'' Liang internally muttered, looking at Nitra''s destroyed body.


    It was split into hundreds of pieces, and in a moment they still had time to separate, so Liang had onest second to see Nitra before she turned into nothing.


    The same thing was happening to the Tree. The attack miraculously didn''t hit the Guardians, and thanks to their high intelligence they realized what had happened, and it plunged them into an abyss of despair.


    All they could do was wait and watch as their Tree and Progenitor were reduced to mere rubble. One attack, one swing of the sword, was enough to end all their hopes.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, Alucard came into motion. His body was being torn apart by the fabric of space because of how fast he was moving, defying all thews of physics, even of this world.


    Such a move made even him drain some of his strength, as he had to regenerate his body countless times, but that was just the beginning.


    Alucard appeared like a ghost behind Nitra, whose body had not yet managed to split into pieces, though it was eager to do so.


    ''What...? Alucard? How could he move so fast? It even surpasses the speed of my thoughts!'''' Liang inwardly eximed, puzzled, then his gaze headed towards Alucard''s palms.


    On the inside of Alucard''s palms were blood seals, such as when he destroyed the temple amongst the snowy mountains with just one attack. However, they were moreplex, and together ''I'' had a ''II'' mark on them.


    "Hm? Then he mumbled something about the first gate... is this the second one? Liang pondered, watching with interest what Alucard was about to do.


    Liang had time to ponder, but in reality, only a moment had passed. His hair fluttering due to the strong wind moved only a millimeter as if someone had slowed down the world a thousand times, but that was just his perception.


    However, what surprised Liang the most was not that Alucard had somehow managed to be here, but that his gaze was as serious as possible. Liang hadn''t seen that in his eyes even when they fought in the temple.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Then, Alucard''s eyes sparkled, and dark drops of blood appeared on his fingertips, and his hands moved. Alucard moved so fast that even Liang found it hard to follow his movements.


    The drops turned into scarlet threads at a tremendous speed, each one piercing Nitra''s body parts.


    It was impossible to heal Nitra''s wounds, only Alucard himself would be able to regenerate if his body was cut into hundreds of pieces. However, he didn''t really try to heal Nitra, it was out of his power.


    Alucard was fixing what had happened, if he returned Nitra to the state it was in moments ago, then the problem didn''t exist.


    Even the simplest creature would be able to survive seconds or even a few without its head, continuing to move on. Nitra''s brain wasn''t destroyed like her entire body, technically Liang had just split her into many parts.


    So, if Alucard made no mistakes and did everything as fast as possible, he might actually be able to save her.


    ''Didn''t think I''d ever have to do something like this, but it''s good to be prepared. It''s exhausting even for me. Alucard said to himself, continuing to connect Nitra''s body parts together using threads.


    With each movement, due to the sheer speed, the flesh on Alucard''s arms was torn, but with the next movement, the wounds were already repaired.


    ''Hah... How ironic...'' Liang grinned as he looked at Alucard, ''Nitra has called me a monster many times because I did things she thought impossible... In that case, what should I call him? Alucard is the monster of monsters... Only he can fix what I''ve done...''''


    For Nitra, everything was happening rather strangely. She simultaneously felt like she was swallowed by an endless darkness and at the same time, a light appeared in the distance that grew brighter and brighter.


    With each part of her body that Alucard sessfully restored, the light increased until Nitra could see the world she knew so well again.


    There were red threads all over her body, but now she was alive again, and could easily see, think, or clench her hand into a fist. Alucard was able to take her back for a moment, then she was dead, and now she was alive again.


    The first thing Nitra saw was Liang''s sad and infinitely deep gaze that seemed to say to her, ''You wanted to see this, and I didn''t want to show it since there was a reason for it...''


    Then, Nitra''s gaze moved higher as she saw the Tree. It was muchrger and heavier than Nitra, hundreds of times, so like her, the Tree had not yet had time to fall apart. However, it was getting there, slowly but surely.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, a scarlet sh shed in front of her, leaving a trail of blood behind it, no, it was more like an endless river of blood.


    ''What...? Is that Alucard? But, how can he be so fast? Even I couldn''t move at that speed... The pressure and space would just tear me apart...'' Nitra pondered as drops of blood flew in front of her eyes.


    Then, she realized that Alucard''s body was constantly taking huge damage, but his regeneration was simply beyond that.


    In a heartbeat, Alucard found himself next to the Tree, and the bloody spheres reappeared at his fingertips. He didn''t have time to circle around an object as huge as the Tree, so he simply threw the spheres upwards.


    He did this many times, as many times as possible, and it had its effect. Each sphere opened up with a bloody explosion that quickly separated into threads.


    The threads were likes, covering parts of the Tree, pressing them against each other on all sides. Thus, the parts that had fallen out slightly, returned to their ces like jigsaw puzzles, as it was the only free direction.


    After a few seconds passed in real-time, the Alucard stopped. A powerful vapor emanated from him, and his eyes were exhausted as well as his body.


    Alucard had managed to stop the disaster that Liang had caused and now all eyes were turned towards him. Nitra and Marlis were watching especially intently, as for scientists, Alucard''s current state of mind was insanely interesting to them.


    "Unfortunately I didn''t have time to look at every detail, but it''s obvious that Alucard had to put a lot of energy into this... I can''t even imagine how much..." Marlis muttered in disbelief.


    Nitra said with a trembling look, "Wait... Has even he reached his limit?"


    Everyone had different thoughts, but most were only thinking one thing.


    ''Can he regenerate now?''


    That was the question all the Guardians, Nitra, Marlis, and Osvald wanted to know the answer to.


    Alucard turned around, looked at Nitra with an exhausted look, and directed his gaze towards the sun. For a while, he stared at one point as if he was going to die.


    His body had be so thin that organs were visible and all the muscles seemed to have disappeared. On one hand, it was wounded, but on the other, it wasn''t.


    A chill ran down Nitra''s back, she couldn''t believe that such a thing could happen and that it was partly her fault. It was her desire to see Liang''s Form that had led to this.


    Alucard shook his head and took a deep breath. In a heartbeat, his body returned to normal and looked as if he had been in his prime for thousands of years.


    "Damn! That was really hard!" Alucard eximed with an excited expression, like a child, as if it was a game.


    "Agh... It was also interesting. To be honest, I thought I wouldn''t make it. I haven''t had to be this serious in a long time, I''m even used to it." Alucard confidently said with a wide smile while looking at the blue sky.

 Chapter 1068 Consequences

    ?


    Nitra like all Constructs feared the loss of their Tree the most, for them it practically meant the end of their race.


    However, as the battle neared its end, the Constructs no longer feared this as the conflict between Nitra and Liang was over. The tree was no longer threatened and the rest of the battle was amicable.


    Nitra simply could not imagine that Liang had the power to destroy her and the Tree in just one attack. It was something that could not be expected or calcted as well as the fact that Liang knew that this was what would happen.


    Even Polosa, if she was still alive, would not be able to recover the Tree after all the damage. But, for some, it was a difficult but doable task.


    Alucard, with a wide smile on his face, looked up at the sun and at the great Tree, most of which was covered in bloody threads as well as Nitra''s body.


    Tap.


    Nitra turned into a lightning sh, in a heartbeat, finding herself in front of Alucard. Liang nced at her, and then with a stream of wind he approached them.


    "Hey! Looks like your fight is already over, doesn''t it?" Alucard smirked, with a yful glint in his eyes, "Looks like you weren''t prepared for Liang''s full force, even though he tried to warn you."


    Nitra didn''t answer anything, she just stared at Alucard, meeting his gaze. Then, she did something that was impossible for a Progenitor to do.


    Nitra bowed low, like a soldier meeting a general. Alucard could not see her eyes, but he sensed that she was then expressing sincere gratitude, full and boundless.


    "Thank you... Thank you for saving me, the tree, and our entire world..." Nitra struggled to utter, not because of pride or arrogance but because of the feelings thatpletely consumed her at that moment. Even if she was a Construct, she was not a cold mechanism.


    Alucard wanted to say something, but before he did, he felt Liang''s stern gaze on him. He was hovering beside them with his arms crossed over his chest.


    Alucard nodded slightly, then his gaze becamepletely serious as well as his aura, making everyone goosebumps. Even for beings as strong as the guardians, it became much harder to breathe.


    "You''re wee. It is my duty. You''ve decided that you are no longer enemies, so the fact that you died and your Tree was destroyed is just a fluke." Alucard said calmly.


    In fact, he didn''t want to do it in such a serious way, but he realized that by doing so he was showing that he treated Nitra as an equal, as worthy.


    Unconsciously, Nitra''s tears flowed, though she hadn''t expected it at all.


    "What...?" Nitra muttered in disbelief, looking at her tears that were crystal clear. She couldn''t remember thest time she had cried or experienced such powerful feelings.


    "Damn! I can''t take it anymore!" Alucardined as his aura and gaze returned to normal. Being this serious for so long in one day was beyond him.


    Tap.


    Without hesitation, Alucard grabbed Nitra by the chin, and moved closer to her, within kissing distance.


    Nitra was puzzled, at that moment inside her was a veritable chaos of different emotions and she didn''t even realize what was happening or what she had to do.


    "Come on. You had a great fight and you are no longer our enemy. Liang went a little overboard but you wanted it yourself, moreover, I saved you and Tree. So, enough of these dramatic topics!" Alucard vigorously said.


    "Agh...?" Nitra gasped, then her eyes went wide and goosebumps went all over her body. She wasn''t ready for this.


    Without hesitation, Alucard kissed her as their lips made contact. If Alucard had been anyone else, Nitra would have destroyed this one with her most powerful attack, but at that moment she just let her emotions take over.


    The Guardians, as well as everyone else, were in true shock.


    "Hahahahahahaha! Damn! Only that bastard could do something so inappropriate at a time like this!" Wainughed, unable to hold back.


    Even Sven smiled slightly as this scene was truly unique.


    "Well, well... Why do I feel like Alucard is always the winner no matter what the situation is?" Osvald muttered puzzledly, scratching the back of his head.


    He continued, "First he started fighting Liang eventually they became friends, now he didn''t even participate in the fight but still got Nitra''s kiss... How the hell does that work!"


    Crackle.


    Marlis hit him in the side with a menacing look, "Hey, don''t talk about her like she''s a bounty! She''s one of the Progenitors and was able to get Liang to use his Form, even if only for a moment!"


    "Yeah... but, she doesn''t seem to mind being a reward for Alucard at all." Osvald calmly said, not paying attention at all to Marlis''s kick, "Agh... I wonder what will happen next?"


    Liang slowlynded on the ground, approaching Nitra and Alucard.


    "Are you done?" Liang said coldly.


    Alucard turned towards him with a sly smirk, "Hey, I realize you''re jealous, but did you really have to get in my way?"


    Liang raised an eyebrow as if to say, ''Are you serious?''


    At that moment, Nitra came to her senses, realizing what she had just done. Her whole face turned red as she took a few steps away from Alucard. She tried to pretend that she didn''t mean it at all, but it was unlikely that anyone would believe her. Certainly not Alucard.


    "Is there something you want to ask?" Liang said calmly, staring intently at Nitra. He realized that what had happened could be the cause for another conflict between them and he wanted to avoid that.


    Nitra remained silent until she said, "No. I wanted to see your Form, and this moment was enough for me for thousands of years."


    Liang nodded silently, epting her answer.


    Then, Nitra turned to Alucard, she blushed slightly but managed to maintain a serious look, "What will happen to the Tree and me? Those threads still remain."


    Alucard nodded, "Yeah. Don''t worry about it, I''ll fix it now."


    Alucard snapped his fingers and the threads shone brightly. Nitra felt relief and pure energy spreading through her body.


    "Agh... This is incredible..." Nitra muttered in disbelief, looking at the Tree.


    To her surprise, the hole in the Tree that was left after Liang threw Nitra into it, began to gradually heal. The process was slow but sure. The energetic roots and veins that were all over the tree had connected to the threads, using them as material for growth and recovery.


    "Wow... That''s impressive... Barring the destruction in Zero Area... My world only suffered minor damage... Although, because of the mistakes we made, our people had to suffer..." Nitra muttered with a look filled with sadness.


    However, she quickly came to her senses as she realized that this could not be changed. Their conflict was already resolved and there was no point in continuing.


    Nitra turned to Liang and asked, "We''re allies now, right?"


    Liang shrugged, "Something like that. Just like in your case, I realized that to achieve my goal I don''t need to stand on Axalt''s Side, it will only lead to utopia. Nameless King must win so it will be better for everyone."


    Nitra nodded slightly. Their fight was over, but there was a war ahead that would be fought by those she would never fight against alone.


    "I have a question." Alucard uttered as a sly smirk appeared on his face with a predatory glint in his eyes.


    "Hmm? You want to know something?" Nitra suggested.


    Alucard nodded, disappearing and in a heartbeat finding himself in front of Nitra, gently holding her hand. She could have resisted, but she didn''t.


    "How about a date?" Alucard suggested, withplete seriousness and confidence in Nitra''s agreement.


    Nitra blushed again, quickly looked away, and muttered, "Maybeter... I have a lot of work to do soon..."


    Alucard smiled, "Sure. I''ll be waiting. You know where to find me."


    Then, Alucard looked up, seeing the slowly floating clouds across the azure sky.


    His goal was not to savor this view, as his keen gaze was directed beyond this world, into apletely different space.


    "So... Which one of you will go with me?" Alucard asked, looking at Liang and Nitra.


    "Hm?" Nitra gave him a questioning look, "What are you talking about?"


    "I''ll go." Liang immediately replied, "It''s been quite a while since I''ve seen Gael fight. It''s going to be interesting. After all, he and I are both swordsmen, but we havepletely different approaches."


    Nitra''s eyes went wide when she remembered that during the invasion of Axalt World, there had also been Gael there, but now he was gone.


    "Wait... Where is he now?" Nitra asked in a disbelief.


    Alucard grinned widely, "In Beastfolk World! I love those guys! They fight all the time! Hahahaha!"

 Chapter 1069 The World Of Beasts

    ?


    Each Pir had its own world, and they were huge so that millions of members of just one race could live together and evolve.


    Beastfolks didn''t have any unique features like Vampires, Axalts, or Constructs. Considering that all Beastfolks were humanoid, some had horns, some had tails and cat ears, it was no surprise to those meeting them for the first time.


    Beastfolks had no unique body parts, abilities, special intelligence, rare magical powers, regeneration, and so on.


    All Beastfolks had were instincts as close to those possessed by monsters and beasts as possible, as well as a fighting spiritparable to Demons who, like them, loved battle more than anything else.


    However, even though they seemed to be the most primitive and ordinary race, no one argued that the Beastfolks deserved the right to be one of the Pirs.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space shuddered, as a massive magical circle appeared in the sky, amidst the pale green clouds and white sky, from which emerged a gate with a long emerald serpent around its edges.


    The gate slowly opened with a light light as a man with short ash-colored hair and deep amber eyes stepped forward.


    A random flow of wind made his long white mantle flutter, partially revealing his athletic body that had been through many fights.


    Gael looked around, gazing at the beautiful world he had already been to many times, for various reasons.


    "Well, I guess Nitra and Liang won''t be fighting for too long, so I can wait for them. But, just floating around in the air will be boring... Hmm, I guess I should head over there." Gael muttered before lowering himself to the ground.


    Beastfolk World was all sorts of biomes mixed together, creating uniquebinations not found in other worlds.


    Beastfolks like monsters could adapt to almost any environment, which is why there were many ns among this race, each of which was somewhat sub-race.


    There was a Cat n, Wolf n, Crocodile n, Lizard n, Fox n and many others. However, all ns were part of the same race and no one tried to argue that, they were all Beastfolks. However, this didn''t stop the various ns from constantly feuding and fighting each other.


    The ns fought so often over various things that disagreements between them were almost non-stop, but, they were as easy to reconcile as they were to start conflicting. For Beastfolks, it was a normal way of life, because fighting was what they liked and helped them to develop.


    Different ns lived in different territories, as Beastfolk World had everything. From frosty mountains covered in ice to wide deserts where it almost never rains.


    Throughout Beastfolk World there were countless forests, hills,kes, seas, and even volcanoes under which were long caves with seemingly endlessbyrinths that were impossible to get out of.


    Beastfolk World may have been the most alive as the inhabitants of this world were the most active of all, rivaled only by the Demons. Beastfolk World was constantly changing, some territories becamerger, some smaller, and it was a cyclical process with no visible end.


    Tap.


    Gaelnded in a forest whose trees were several hundred meters tall, with red bark and thick white foliage. Although he wasn''t in a cold region, it was snowing in this forest, which quickly melted upon contact with the ground.


    "Not bad... I''ve always liked this world for its simplicity and uniqueness... I''m unlikely to see something like this in other worlds..." Gael muttered with a slight smile on his face, then he headed towards a small town.


    The town was next to a rushing river with many people on its banks, all of them fishermen. Most of them could do their favorite thing for days on end and it wouldn''t bore them at all.


    Beastfolks had one thing inmon. Besides their love of fighting, they also loved to eat. Beastfolks could literally be much stronger if they had a decent meal before battle, for them it was an important factor and part of life.


    Everyone valued food to some degree, but for some races, it was just a resource or enjoyment, for Beastfolks it was a real life-long journey.


    Gael didn''t try to change his appearance in any way, but hepletely hid his aura, leaving so much for others to assume he was a Second Chronicle Creature.


    Of course, this was already a very high level for many people, but on average, it wasn''t something impressive and couldn''t generate too much attention to it.


    "Hey! Hold on tight! You look like you caught something big!" Beastfolk uttered, helping his mate by holding onto the fishing rod together.


    "Damn! You''re right! I don''t think I can handle it! It''s something too powerful!" His mate eximed, breathing heavily. Even with all his strength, it was hard for him to withstand such pressure.


    But, soon, with abined effort, they managed and a huge, long silhouette with two fins jumped out of the river.


    The massive fish fell to the shore, twitching erratically and trying to get back into the water, but it was no longer possible.


    The two Beastfolks with excited expressions, pounced on the fish and hefted it to their shoulders. All they could think about at that moment was how delicious this fish would be when they cooked it. They were going to do it right now, they just needed to get home.


    ''Agh... The simplicity of the world can be seen not only in its locations but also in its inhabitants. This joy of catching an ordinary fish was so sincere and beautiful. Moments like that are really worth living for.'''' Gael pondered with a slightly sad look, but a happy smile quickly appeared on his face.


    Then, he entered the city and headed towards a building located near the central square. From the tiled roof of this building came smoke from many pipes as well as a pleasant aroma from the delicious food.


    It was the biggest tavern in this town, where hundreds of Beastfolks went every day and enjoyed what was prepared by the best chefs who loved their work.


    "Well, a small snack wouldn''t hurt before moving on." Gael smiled slightly before entering the tavern grounds.


    "Hey! You! Stop!" Suddenly a powerful voice rang out as a shadow fell on Gael.


    Gael raised his head meeting the gaze of Beastfolk. It was a massive ck bear with menacing eyes and a confident posture.


    The bear kept his arms crossed on his chest, waiting for some sort of reaction from Gael.


    Beastfolks were not full beasts, so although this guard was from the Bear n, he didn''t look like a bear living in the woods in a corner of some other world.


    The guard had a humanoid build, broad shoulders, arge chest, and arms that were more like hands than paws, although they had ws.


    This guard was no exception, the same way all Beastfolks looked, regardless of their n.


    "Yeah? Something wrong?" Gael asked quietly, puzzled.


    "It''s not often strangerse to our town, especially Ashens, you don''t usually like to travel." The Guard leaned over, looking intently at Gael.


    Gael shrugged, "I don''t know what to say, I guess I''m just different than everyone else. I want to go on ahead and eat at this tavern. I hope that''s not a problem?"


    Guard didn''t answer right away, he scratched his chin thoughtfully and said, "Look. I didn''t stop you because I wanted to pick on you. This is my job, and often among the outsiders were those who came here just to cause us trouble."


    "Hmm... I see..." Gael nodded, "In that case, what do I need to do to pass on?"


    Guard smirked as his eyes sparkled, "If you want to pass into this tavern, you have to prove that you''re strong enough! It''ll also be a great advertisement! Hahahahahahahaha!"


    Gael tilted his head in a confusion. He didn''t understand at all what Guard wanted him to do.


    "Come, follow me." Guard smiled, with a wave of his hand.


    Gael shrugged and did as he said.


    Of course, he didn''t have to do it, but he was actually interested in seeing how ordinary life went. ces like this made him feel really good and rxed.


    "Here." Guard said stopping next to a huge iron disk hanging from two pirs.


    "You must strike this disk. The harder the blow, the better the ringing will be. If the people from the square pay attention to the sound, it means you''re strong enough to pass on." Guard said proudly.


    "Got it, but, the locals don''t pass this test, do they?" Gael asked.


    "Hmm?" Guard raised an eyebrow, "What makes you say that? It''s just that everyone''s been doing it for a while now. We don''t require our visitors to do it every time theye to us, once is more than enough."


    Gael nodded, and thought for a moment, ''Well... That''s interesting... But, exactly how hard should I hit? I doubt he wants to see my full strength. That would be a disaster.

 Chapter 1070 The Ringing

    ?


    Obviously, the Guard didn''t know who was in front of him. Gael didn''t have some unique appearance so that at first nce everyone would realize that he was the Progenitor of Ashens.


    He had an insane amount of scars all over his body, but most of the time they were hidden. Only during battle, when Gael needed extra strength, did Gael reveal his scars.


    So, the Guard thought that Gael was an ordinary Second Chronicle Ashen that had fallen into their world. This was not umon as the Beastfolks were an open race. Anyone coulde to their world after getting special permission, which was easy to do since it was just a formality.


    The Beastfolks let everyone into their world, as they were interested in learning more about other races and fighting their representatives if they had the chance.


    "Hey, what are you thinking about?" Guard smirked, "Have you decided to chicken out and not even make the attempt?"


    Guard looked at the iron disk, "Even if you fail it''s no big deal, I''m sure after a few tries you''ll be able to do it, in the future! Fear shouldn''t stop you!"


    "Fear, right..." Gael muttered with a bitter smile, "I can''t remember thest time I had that feeling..."


    Guard raised an eyebrow in a confusion.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Gael calmly approached the disk and examined it. There were dents and scratches in several ces, and he pointed to thergest of them.


    "Who left it?" Gael asked, pointing to the deep dent.


    "Oh, no wonder you noticed it! We had a Fourth Chronicle Demone over once, that guy was huge! Practically as tall as me! Out of everyone in this town, his punch was the most powerful!" Guard eximed with an excited expression.


    Gael nodded, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. He realized how much power he needed to impress the people around him without identally destroying a street with a few houses. He wanted to avoid destruction by any means necessary.


    "Fine, in that case, I''ll give it a try. I just need to hit it, right?" Gael took a few steps back, getting within attacking distance in front of the disk.


    "Yeah. I suggest you be right in the center, the ringing will be much louder that way and it''ll help you pass the test." Guard smiled, pleased that Gael had decided to do this.


    ''Right in the center, right? Well, I think that will be enough. At least I hope so. Gael internally muttered, clenching his fist tightly.


    He had gathered enough power to make his attack equal to someone from the lower border of the Third Chronicle. Gael thought that was enough to draw attention to himself.


    Step.


    Gael took a confident step forward and delivered a high-speed kick right into the center of the disk.


    At the same moment, a loud, but not annoying ringing from the disk spread throughout the town. Almost everyone from the nearest streets noticed it and got a slight smile on their face.


    No one thought that their town was being attacked or someone was fighting, everyone knew that just now someone was taking a test in front of the tavern entrance.


    The ringing was great, so they were d that whoever came into their town was strong enough to taste their incredible food.


    Guard was surprised as from the shockwaves his thick fur stood up and his eyes went wide.


    "Damn, man, are you sure you''re in the Second Chronicle?" Guard was surprised, "That punch was definitely Third Chronicle level."


    Gael shrugged, "We Ashens train quite a bit, I have good punching technique, I think it affected the end result."


    Guard nodded, "Yeah. Looks like it."


    "Now, can I make my way to the tavern?" Gael asked.


    "Sure. Tell the owner to pour you a free beer, you deserve it!" Guard vigorously replied.


    Gael smiled slightly as he walked past Guard.


    ''Hmm?'' Guard felt strange, he didn''t see Gael''s movements just as he didn''t hear his footsteps, as if Gael was a ghost.


    ''Nah, it just seemed like it. He''s strong, but I outss him in Chronicle, that''s for sure.'''' Guard said confidently to himself.


    Crackle.


    Gael opened the old, wooden door, but it wasn''t because the tavern owner waszy or greedy. It kept the original atmosphere of this tavern that was built a long time ago.


    "Agh... Unbelievable..." Gael took a deep breath, enjoying the pleasant smell of the food and alcohol that filled the entire tavern.


    Inside, there were many round tables, each of which was upied by someone in attendance. There was a huge amount of food, wine, and beer on each table. The waiters were struggling to bring the food from the kitchen in time, but it seemed that by now the food was no longer the most important thing.


    "Hey! Cut the crap!" A girl with cat ears and a tail eximed, with an annoyed look, pointing at Beastfolk from Wolf n. He had ck fur and cold blue eyes.


    "It''s obvious that we Cats are more agile than you Wolfs!" The girl said confidently with puffed-up cheeks. Her face was red as she had already had more than enough to drink.


    "Hah, what a funny joke." Wolf smirked, draining the bottle of wine and pulling his dagger from his belt. He was drunk too, perhaps even more so than the girl.


    "You use your agility for acrobatic tricks, and we use ours to cut our enemies into small pieces! There is a great difference between us!" The wolf smiled, holding his dagger on one finger. Even drunk, he could keep his bnce, effortlessly.


    "Pfft!" The girl snorted, "This cheap trick can be done by anyone! Even a child! If that''s all you''re capable of, no wonder my words hurt you so much!"


    "Argh? What are you implying?" The wolf frowned.


    "Nothing. There''s no way you can beat me anyway, so none of this makes sense! Get over it!" The girl said arrogantly.


    The wolf narrowed his eyes, took a sip of bourbon, and looked at her intently, "You want to fight?"


    The girl smirked, "Yeah, but I don''t feel like leaving here at all."


    "Oh, that''s not a problem. For times like this, everything can be done right now." The wolf set the bottle aside and headed towards the center of the tavern, the girl did the same.


    ''What...? They''re going to fight right here?" Gael was puzzled.


    A crack.


    At the same moment, the door behind him opened as in walked in a tall Lizard, with scales all over his body, a muscr chest, and a long thick tail.


    Lizard scratched his head, looking down at the floor, so he didn''t notice Gael and they collided. Since Gael had purposely weakened his strength, he staggered and lost his bnce fell.


    If Gael hadn''t started to weaken his strength, Lizard would have bounced off him like a steel wall.


    "Oh, I''m sorry! I didn''t see you!" Lizard with a worried expression said, quickly extending his hand.


    Gael was silent for a few seconds, then he smiled and picked up from the ground, "It''s okay. It''s my own fault, I shouldn''t have stood right in the aisle.


    "My name is Marg, nice to meet you!" Lizard said politely. Despite his menacing appearance, he actedpletely different, and Gael liked it.


    "Gael, nice to meet you." Gael smiled, shaking his hand. Gael didn''t bother hiding his name since thousands more Ashens had the same name, so there was no point.


    "You''re an Ashen...?" Marg''s eyes went wide, "It''s not often you meet yours in our world."


    "Yeah, I''ve heard that before. By the way, I was wondering, is it possible to fight in a tavern?" Gael pointed back at the Wolf and the Girl, who were clearly in the mood for a duel.


    "Agh... This is your first time here, isn''t it?" Marg''s smiled, "It was probably your punch that caused that ringing that everyone heard recently."


    Gael just shrugged.


    "Don''t worry, those two won''t stop you from enjoying your food and alcohol, on the contrary, they''re about to put on a show!" Marg uttered with an excited expression.


    "A show...?" Gael tilted his head in a confusion.


    "Look." Marg pointed forward, and Gael turned around.


    The wolf and the girl wanted to fight, but the tavern had its own rules. They could only fight in one format - arm wrestling.


    In the center of the tavern, was a massive stone table, very strong, so no one could break it even if they were very strong.


    Crackle.


    The wolf and the girl stood across from each other and prepared for their fight.


    "Hah, how many times have we done this before?" The wolf smirked, obviously enjoying what was happening.


    "I don''t know, but I''m sure I''ve won more often than not!" The girl eximed.


    Tap. Tap. Tap.


    One of the waiters quickly ran up to them, it was a Fox n girl with pointy ears and narrowed eyes.


    "That''s not true." The girl said sweetly, "This year the score between you is like this - 34/35."


    "Hah, I knew you were a loser!" The wolf chuckled.


    The girl frowned, "Don''t worry, I''ll fix it today, and we''ll have a tie, and tomorrow I''ll defeat you again!"


    Gael turned to Marg, "And... Does that happen a lot around here?"


    Marg nodded, "Sure. Definitely more than 30 times a day. During particrly active times, it happens that this table is always upied by someone."


    Gael scratched the back of his head, he didn''t even know what to say.

 Chapter 1071 The Tournament

    ?


    Of the many people in the tavern, most turned their attention to the uing fight between the wolf and the girl. Normally, visitors wouldn''t be distracted for the sake of a normal fight, as they happened too often, but now there was an important moment.


    If the girl could win, she would even score, and if the wolf defeated her, she would prove her superiority, at least for the time being.


    "Are you ready?" Fox girl asked, with a slight smile on her face.


    "Yeah. How can you not be ready to win?" Wolf smirked, cing his hand on the sturdy stone table.


    "You''re too arrogant, though, as you always are!" The girl eximed, doing the same.


    Marg smiled, "Gael, which one do you think will win?"


    Gael didn''t answer right away, first, he looked at each of the contestants carefully. His experienced gaze traveled over their bodies, examining every detail.


    Then, Gael pronounced, "The wolf. It will probably be him."


    Marg raised an eyebrow in surprise, "Honestly, I expected a different answer from you. I think the girl has a much better chance. I admit she looks weaker, but she''s definitely faster, and with that, she''ll have a decisive advantage."


    Gael nodded, "Sure. That''s exactly what will happen. However, the Wolf will hold out. He''ll almost lose, but he won''t let her do what she wants, then the fight will get to the point where only he can win."


    Marg tilted his head in a confusion. It seemed to him that this was not Gael''s guess, but a retelling of events that had already happened, as if Gael could see the future.


    Fox girl approached and raised her hand high. At the same moment, the girl and Wolf exchanged nces and squeezed each other''s hands as tightly as they could.


    "By the way. I hope you remember the rule. The loser must pay for a full round of beer for everyone in the tavern." Fox girl said calmly, with slyly narrowed eyes. Her fluffy tail wagged from side to side.


    "Sure!" The wolf and the girl replied at the same time.


    "Fine." Fox girl nodded, as a cute smile appeared on her face, "In that case, start on mymand."


    Tension rose quickly and everyone in the tavern fell silent. Everyone watched Wolf and the girl intently. In arm-wrestling everything happened very fast, in a heartbeat. Their fight could be over in an instant and it was important not to miss it. It was a case where an hour''s wait was worth a second.


    Whoooooosh.


    Fox girl quickly lowered her hand and when her palm was below the table, Wolf and the girl immediately went into motion. Their muscles are strained to the limit with swollen veins and clearly visible tendons.


    Then, the girl, with lightning speed, brought Wolf''s arm down on the table. Everyone''s eyes went wide as they thought she had already won, but in fact, Wolf''s hand had not yet touched the table. The distance between the back of his palm and the stone surface was a few millimeters, but it was.


    Gael smirked since it was happening exactly as he had envisioned.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crack.


    Gritting his teeth, and clenching his jaw with force, the Wolf slowly raised his arm, gradually overpowering the girl. It was obvious he was using all his strength to do so, as getting out of this position was damn hard, but he realized that too.


    "Come on..." Wolf growled, "I can do it!"


    Then, Wolf got his momentum and brought the girl''s hand down on the table with a loud crack, showing that her hand had touched the table.


    For a brief brief, everyone went silent, waiting for Girl''s reaction.


    The girl''s eyes went wide, then she eximed, "Shit!!!! How could I lose at a time like this?! No! No! No! No!"


    "Hahaha! Loser! Now I''m so far ahead that you''ll never catch me!" Wolfughed happily, echoing throughout the tavern, "What''s more! You now owe us all a beer! Damn! What a nice day!"


    The girl just turned her head to the side with puffed-up cheeks and an annoyed look. She wasn''t going to argue since it was obvious she had lost.


    Beastfolks never tried to cheat in these situations or somehow used the rules in their favor. She had lost and that was a fact that everyone understood. Beastfolks recognized their defeats just as much as their victories, in that they were sincere and honest.


    "Should I get a beer now orter?" Fox girl asked.


    "Agh... Now... I''m afraid if I wait until tonight, I''ll go bankrupt..." The girl sighed.


    "Sure. I''ll do it now!" Fox girl quickly replied and headed towards the bar.


    "Hey!" Wolf said loudly, causing Fox girl to turn around.


    "Hmm?" The waitress gave him a questioning look, touching his lips.


    "Bring an extra portion, my friend." The wolf pointed at the girl with a smirk, "This one''s on me."


    The girl blushed slightly but didn''t say anything or react in any way.


    "Sure." Fox girl nodded and quickly headed towards the bar.


    "Damn... You didn''t just guess who would win, you predicted how the whole fight would go... That''s actually impressive..." Marg muttered with a dazed expression.


    Gael shrugged, "I didn''t do anything amazing. Come on, let''s go get a drink. Free beer is just what I need."


    "Hah, I agree." Marg grinned, following his new but curious acquaintance.


    They sat down at the bar since other ces didn''t have free seats for the two of them, only here they were rxing together.


    Tap.


    Without hesitation, the Fox girl ced two massive sses of beer in front of them, huge and ssy. Supposedly one ss held about two liters of amber napita.


    "Wow, I''ll be honest, I didn''t expect the portion to be so impressive." Gael said in surprise.


    "Hahahahaha! This is the norm for Beastfolks! We drink and eat a lot, just like we fight and hunt a lot! The more energy you expend, the more resources you need to replenish it."


    "Yeah... You''re right." Gael took the ss by the handle, effortlessly lifting it and taking a sip of the cold drink.


    Marg did the same, in a few sips he drained half the ss and it seemed that for him it wasn''t the limit. He was capable of more.


    "By the way. I couldn''t help but ask, you''re quite rare, aren''t you?" Marg asked with a curious look.


    "Hm? What do you mean?" Gael asked without taking his eyes off his beer.


    Marg scratched the back of his head, "I mean, all the Ashens I''ve met before had brightly burning hair and hands. These mes are as beautiful as they are dangerous. I was surprised to see that you don''t have it at all. If it weren''t for your eye color, and your pale skin, I would have thought you were Human or Vampire."


    Gael shrugged, "Well, I don''t consider it anything special. But, yes, I am part of the minority who chose to follow the path of ash rather than fire."


    "And...?" Marg said cautiously, knowing that this was an important topic for Ashens, "You won''t regret choosing this path? As far as I know, for the most part, the path of fire is much stronger."


    Gael smirked, "Well, maybe you''re right, but I''ve already made my decision, so I definitely shouldn''t give it up. In any case, I''m notining, and I''m quite happy with my result."


    Marg nodded without saying anything more. He''d already asked more than he needed to.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Suddenly there was the sound of thundering footsteps and the cracking of the wooden floor, then a massive door, over four meters high, opened from the kitchen side.


    Everyone fell silent again, and slight smiles appeared on the faces of the visitors. They knew what that sound was and seemed pleased by it.


    The huge door slowly opened, and Bear Beastfolk stepped out. He was even taller than the guard who kept order in front of the tavern.


    Bear had thick brown fur, two bright green eyes, and muscr arms. He looked formidable and seemed to be some kind of bandit, but two details changed the whole perception of him. It was the long chef''s hat on his head and the apron covered in food.


    "Mr. Grot!" Fox girl quickly ran up to him and bowed respectfully, "Is something wrong?"


    "No, Vasa, nothing''s wrong. I should have been out earlier, but I was busy preparing food, our guests have an unexpectedlyrge appetite today." Grot calmly replied. Despite his menacing appearance, his voice was normal, and even rxing, and his manners serious.


    Gael tilted his head in confusion, unlike everyone else he did not know who this Beastfolk was.


    Marg noticed this and leaning close to Gael''s ear whispered, "This is Mr. Grot. A very respected person in this town. He owns this tavern and is also the head cook."


    Gael''s eyes went wide, "I see... Now I see why everyone suddenly calmed down."


    Then, Grot nced at Gael, "Ashen, you''re the one who recently passed the test, aren''t you? The ringing from your punch was powerful and clean, it shows a high level of skill since you used more than just brute force."


    Gael nodded, "Yeah. That was me."


    Grot nodded with aplicated expression, then his facepletely changed, and with a wide smile, he eximed, "Excellent! In that case, it''s about time to have a feast and a tournament!!!"


    "YEAH!!!!" Everyone eximed at the same time, raising their sses of beer up.

 Chapter 1072 Feast Of Food

    ?


    ''Feast... Tournament...?'' Gael internally muttered with a surprised look. This was not at all what he had expected walking into this tavern. If he had to fight, it would be very dangerous, not for him, but for the others.


    One blow in which Gael couldn''t contain his power would be a real disaster, and he didn''t want that to happen in this town.


    Grot saw Gael''s puzzled face and tried to exin, "Hey, obviously you misunderstood me. This is your first time in our Town, isn''t it?"


    Gael nodded silently.


    "Agh... In that case, it''s understandable. Listen to me carefully." Grot sighed, then he raised his head and proudly said, "Every time someone passes the test and enters the tavern, we have a special tournament. You won''t have to fight, no one will, but if you want to participate you''ll have to eat, a lot of eating."


    "Hahaha!" Margughed, "Gael, it''s a food tournament, so you have nothing to worry about, although I think you''ll be full for another week afterwards!"


    "Wow... I see... I''ve never heard of this before. How''s the tournament going to be and what''s the reward?" Gael asked, scratching the back of his head.


    "Yeah, yeah, I see you''re starting to get the hang of how things work around here, that''s good." Grot grinned contentedly, "To start, everyone will get a huge portion of noodles with hot sauce, and everyone will have to eat one portion in 10 minutes. We''ll repeat this until only ten people are left, then the second round with different dishes and rules will begin."


    Gael nodded, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, ''Hah, I''ve been through a lot of fights in my life and participated in all sorts of tournaments, but this... Damn, this is something new even after all I''ve been through. It''s amazing.


    "About the reward. The winner gets to eat for free for a month, as well as amemorative tavern token!" Grot proudly eximed.


    Obviously, the opportunity to eat for free at the tavern wasn''t necessary for Gael, a person with his position, who hadn''t needed money or anything like that for a long time. But, the second part of the reward was interesting to him, for it was a memory or a remembrance of an unusual day.


    "So, what do you say? Will you join us?" Grot smirked.


    Gael nodded, "Sure. How could I miss something like this? What''s more, I like it spicy."


    "Hah, I assure you, you''ll change your mind after you taste my noodles! Even if you''re Ashen, you''ll still burn from the heat! Hahaha!" Grotughed, then he pped his palms and turned to the others, "We''ll start in ten minutes. Vasa, get everything you need ready in the meantime."


    "Sure!" Fox Girl replied vigorously and quickly ran to the kitchen.


    For the next ten minutes, nothing happened. Everyone was in a state of anticipation. It was difficult to prepare so much food, especially considering how many customers there were in the tavern, but Grot was an experienced cook, he had owned and cooked for this tavern for years.


    "Hey, have you participated in something like this before?" Gael asked, turning to Marg.


    "Yeah, I even almost won once." Marg nodded, taking a sip of his beer.


    "Practically? Someone beat you?" Gael raised an eyebrow.


    Marg nodded and pointed to the side, at a huge bull with ck skin and two long horns.


    "That''s Davon, a good guy, but sometimes acts a little too cocky, but that''s not the most important thing. He''s already won this tournament several times and even when he lost, he always made it to thest stages! Anyway, even though he''s a beast, he''s a real monster regarding food!" Marg eximed.


    Gael nodded with a calm expression. He didn''t know how much food he could eat since he had forgotten thest time he felt hungry.


    ''Hunger... Hah, when was thest time I felt the most ordinary hunger for food?'' Gael internally muttered with a bitter smile. Being one of the strongest had its advantages as well as disadvantages.


    The way the world worked was that when one gained something, one always lost something. It didn''t necessarily have to be something valuable, but one could miss anything, even something as simple as hunger.


    A crack.


    The kitchen door opened as Grot walked in with a multitude of tes. He was followed by Vasa. They quickly put the tes on the tables and in a minute everyone had a huge portion of noodles in front of their faces.


    There were streams of steaming from the noodles, while red sauce was spreading on it, which seemed to say how spicy the dish was. There was a variety of seafood among the pasta, from mussels and shrimp to ms, but it was all just details because the size of the portion was huge.


    "Damn... Do we only have ten minutes to eat this? Is that even realistic?" Gael muttered in a disbelief. He even had to raise his head a bit to see the top of the dish.


    "Hah, the first time I saw it I had the same face as you! Don''t worry, I''m sure you can handle at least the first portion!" Marg smirked, then took therge fork in his hands, "Well, there''s no time to waste!"


    Without hesitation, Marg started eating the noodles without stopping. The others did the same, all in a hurry as the faster they ate the first portion the better. Only ten people would be able to go further, so thepetition was huge!


    Vasa and Grot were watching, and their eyes fell on Gael. He was the only one who hadn''t started eating yet.


    "Hmm? Has he decided to give up?" Grot muttered puzzled, rubbing his cheek.


    "No... Damn, there''s something wrong with him, I can feel it." Vasa muttered with a hard stare. She had good instincts, better than the others.


    "What are you talking about? I''ve seen plenty of travelers, and he''s not much different from them. He''s just as puzzled and surprised, though, he''s probably the calmest of them all..." Grot said with a shrug.


    Vasa narrowed her eyes, "That''s exactly what I''m saying... I just hope he actually came here just to rest and rx."


    After a few minutes, when most had already eaten a third of their portion, Gael sighed and picked up his fork.


    He held the fork differently than the others as if it were a sword, then he took a few swings. The massive portion of noodles split into several even pieces and Gael quickly began to devour them one by one.


    With each bite, he clenched his jaw so powerfully that the noodles literally split into particles and practically turned into nothing, heading for his stomach with ease.


    Gael didn''t worry about being too full, since his body could absorb huge amounts of energy with great speed. Food was different from energy crystals, but there was something inmon between the two.


    ''Fine... It won''t be a problem for me.'' Gael internally muttered while a fire burned inside his body incinerating all the food.


    This didn''t mean that the food was going nowhere and Gael was thus cheating, no, he was just digesting it quickly. He would get calories, and gradually it would make him as satiated as everyone else, but how many calories would Gael need to absorb before he couldn''t eat anymore? Well, no one knew the exact value, but it was definitely more than one serving of noodles.


    "Phew, that wasn''t easy, but it looks like I got through it faster than most." Gael muttered, holding his stomach. He had an empty te in front of him with only a few drops of sauce left on it, he ate it all.


    Marg who saw this got her eyes widened with surprise and quickly sped up. After a minute, he also finished, but it seemed that if he ate another bite he would just explode.


    "Damn! How did you eat it all so fast?!" Marg eximed in disbelief, looking at Gael.


    Gael shrugged, "I just divided the dish into portions and ate until I was done."


    Marg shook his head, "Looks like I don''t have to think about winning this time. I honestly didn''t expect you to be able to do it, I underestimated you."


    Gael smiled, "Well, I wouldn''t give up early if I were you, but I won''t hide it. This guy scares me."


    "Hmm?" Marg raised an eyebrow, then he looked at Davon.


    "He ate the whole thing in minutes, I watched him, and he wasn''t even in a hurry. One bite of his was equal to several of mine, he''s a real food destroyer." Gael said calmly.


    Davon sat silently in his seat not paying attention to anyone. After he ate his portion, he simply crossed his arms over his chest and waited for everyone else to finish. He was taking this tournament seriously.


    p.


    After a few minutes, Grot pped his hands together and eximed, "Stop! Ten minutes have passed! Everyone who failed is out of the tournament! The rest of you, wait for the next batch to be brought to you!"

 Chapter 1073 The Tough Trial

    ?


    Grot continued cooking, and soon enough everyone had another huge portion of spicy noodles in front of them. Grot had done an excellent job and everyone had gotten their portion in no time at all, so fast that no one had even felt a speck of hunger yet.


    Crackling.


    Vasa with a sly smile ced two servings in front of Gael and Marg.


    "Good luck. Looks like one of you has a chance of surprising the others." Vasa uttered before heading to the next table.


    "Hah, is it just me, or is she interested in you?" Marg nced at Gael as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    Gael shrugged, "Maybe, to be honest, I haven''t had any interest from women in a long time."


    Marg''s eyes went sideways, "What...? How is that possible? I mean... It''s obvious even to me that someone with your face is definitely popr with women."


    Gael sighed, "Well... Perhaps it''s all about my surroundings. Let''s just say... The women I have toe in contact with are all arrogant, no... they''re just in positions too important for that."


    Marg nodded understandingly. He didn''t question it further since he assumed that Gael was a member of some powerful family in Ashen World, so in that case the girls around him were the same.


    "Fine, in that case, let''s get to eating. We''ve already wasted enough time talking." Marg uttered before pouncing on the spicy noodles with real enthusiasm.


    Gael inwardly chuckled at theicality of the situation.


    ''In the middle of a fight, with bloodshot eyes and sharp ws, Marg would look intimidating, to anyone, but right now, he looks ridiculously good.'' Gael nodded slightly as he took the fork in his hands.


    After a few minutes, they both finished that portion, as did many of the other contestants. Their bellies were full and red vapor wasing out of their mouths due to the unusually spicy food they had eaten.


    However, several of the contestants looked calm and confident, especially Davon. He was taking this ordeal more seriously than anyone else.


    ''Hah, even though I''m still hungry, I''m not sure I can beat him... However, given our difference in strength, if I were to unleash my aura, he wouldn''t stand a chance.'' Gael muttered internally, pondering what to do next.


    If he amplified his aura for at least Fifth Chronicle, all the food he had consumed would instantly turn into energy. To him, it would seem like a drop in the vast ocean, nothing significant.


    However, the situation was different now. He had a certain limit, more than others, but he had a limit.


    Gael smiled bitterly. He didn''t want to cheat in any way, so he wouldn''t strengthen his aura, but he also wanted to win, it was important to him.


    Gradually, there were fewer and fewer participants, and after the fourth portion, there were only ten left. Unfortunately, Marg had dropped out in the next stage, so now he was just watching Gael, hoping his stomach wouldn''t explode.


    "Hahaha, you guys disappoint me. Only four servings and you''ve already given up? This isn''t serious!" Grot eximed with an excited expression, he nced at Marg, "Hey, I expected more from you! You used to be able to eat a lot more!"


    Marg sighed, "Hey... Can''t you see that I just let my new friend win? Although... One more bite, and I would have died..."


    Grot nodded with a wide smile, then he pped his hands together drawing attention to himself.


    "Guys, follow me, I know you can barely walk, but I need your help. I can''t do it alone." Grot uttered, and with a wave of his hand headed for the basement.


    The ten contestants were slightly puzzled as they nced at each other.


    "Fine, let''s not hold up our favorite chef." Davon calmly said respectfully and followed Grot.


    After that, the others did the same.


    Soon they found themselves in the basement, mostly alcohol and food that could be stored for quite a while, but there was something else.


    In the center of the room was a huge ck stone table. It was big enough to seat twenty persons or ten but everyone would have plenty of room.


    "Good, now let''s bring it up. Don''t get overconfident, this table weighs an incredible amount." Grot said seriously and grabbed the edge.


    As they each took their position, Grot gave themand and they lifted the table off the ground. At that moment, everyone felt the weight of the table and the powerful pressure that came down on them. It was possible to move this table, but it was not easy, even for ten people.


    Gael was no exception, because of the strength limitation he felt the same, which was unusual for him.


    The only times he could feel heaviness was while blocking someone''s attack, but not when lifting things.


    ''Damn! Considering our overall strength, this table definitely shouldn''t be this heavy! Who made it!" Gael internally eximed, slowly stepping forward.


    Crackle.


    They stepped inside and carefully ced the table in the center of the tavern, brushing the sweat off their foreheads.


    "Phew, that was hard, but we made it through." Grot took a deep breath, "Now let''s get to the next step. Have a seat and wait a bit while I prepare the food. Vasa, follow me!"


    "Yes!" the girl eximed, heading for the kitchen.


    "Hah, that was hard!" One of the participants said with a wide smile. Obviously, he had no regrets.


    "I agree, but the food is definitely worth it. Grot is one of the best chefs I know."


    "Right, no doubt about it." Someone said and turned to Davon, "Hey, you''re going to win again aren''t you?"


    Davon replied after a short pause, "Well, I can''t be sure of that, but I will try. However, if there is a new winner then I will be happy about it. Change is always good."


    ''Change...'' Gael pondered with a calm look, ''In fact, there hasn''t been changing in this world for a long time, only now something has started to change...''


    Ten minutester, Grot and Vasa came inside, carrying a multitude of dishes, ten in total. It was a huge fried fish, nothing unique, but the meat was juicy and the crust was crispy, everything that was needed for an excellent dinner.


    "Round one, Rainbow Salmon!" Grot eximed, pping his hands together, "You have ten minutes! Let''s get started!"


    Each of the contestants quickly began to eat, without stopping. The fish was huge, so after a few minutes, the first of the contestants gave up.


    "Sorry Grot... I can''t take it anymore, it''s too much for me..." The man uttered, struggling to get up and out of the table.


    Grot nodded, "Sure. You gave a decent performance either way."


    At the end of the first round, there were seven people left, then Grot went to prepare the next course, giving the contestants a short break.


    It helped them recover a bit, but it wasn''t enough to rest, much less feel hungry.


    Crackling.


    Seven tes of massive cuts of meat appeared in front of the participants. The steak was so thick that it seemed to be height rather than thickness. Even the owner of the widest mouth, would not be able to take a t bite out of this steak.


    "Round two, Snow Pig Steak!" Grot eximed, with his arms crossed over his chest.


    The contestants knew the rules, so after ncing around, they proceeded to eat the biggest piece of meat of their lives.


    After this round, only four of the seven contestants remained, so very soon the next course was on the table.


    Grot and Vasa could see by the look on their faces that they were tired perhaps even more than the contestants, but they had to cook until it was necessary.


    "Damn! This is impossible! I''m done!" One of the contestants uttered as he left the table. He had only eaten a third of the steak and he couldn''t fit another bite in him. That was his limit, he couldn''t eat any more.


    There were only three left, Gael, Davon, and Tiger Beastfolk. They ate in silence, asionally looking at each other as if hoping that soon one of them would give up, the important thing was to wait for that moment and keep eating.


    "Argh! You''re both monsters!" the Tiger eximed, with slight anger, hitting the table. Obviously, he wasn''t happy about losing, then he took a deep breath and his emotions returned to normal.


    Tiger looked at Grot and nodded respectfully, "Thanks for everything. Hopefully, there will be a new winner this time."


    "No problem. I hope to see you here again tomorrow."


    Tiger smirked, "You bet I will."


    After a few minutes, Davon and Gael ate their portions, they finished at the same time and took a deep breath.


    "Well, well, judging by your exhausted faces, we''re in for the final round aren''t we?" Grot smiled.


    Davon and Gael didn''t answer or react in any way, they just breathed as if they were in death.


    ''Fuck... I''ve never been so full... This tournament is harder than most I''ve been in, though this is the first tournament where I don''t have to fight... Hah, it''s funny...'' Gael grinned inwardly, staring at the ceiling and breathing, just like Davon.

 Chapter 1074 The Last Dish

    ?


    Gael and Davon were the only ones left who could eat everything Grot had prepared for them, so now it was time for the final round.


    Grot along with Vasa, headed to the kitchen, they had onest dish to prepare. Gael and Davon, at this time, were breathing heavily and trying to recover. This little break was necessary for them, as they wouldn''t be able to eat even one bite right now, their bodies just wouldn''t be able to take it.


    "You''re holding up pretty well... I''m actually surprised..." Davon muttered, sighing heavily after each word, "A few times Ashens has appeared here before, but they didn''t even make it to the second stage and stopped at noodles."


    Gael smiled, "I just really like to eat, and I was hungry, really hungry."


    Davon smirked, "I hope that in the finals you gather your strength and don''t back down. I want to win, but I won''t mind at all if you can do it, in a worthy confrontation."


    Gael nodded, "Yeah, I agree with you. Only a fair and hard win has value, as it leaves memories."


    Davon just smiled.


    There was silence in the tavern for over ten minutes. The Beastfolks were whispering to each other, thinking about what would be the end and who would win. At this time, Grot and Vasa were trying their best to prepare the final dish as quickly as possible.


    "Mr. Grot... I can''t take it anymore..." Vasa said, stepping aside and falling into a chair in the corner of the room. Her face was pale and her eyes were empty.


    Grot nodded, "Sure, I understand. We''re almost done anyway, just a fewst details left."


    ...


    After another ten minutes, Grot and Vasa walked out of the kitchen. Vasa slowly followed Grot, while the tavern owner carried a huge dish that he could barely hold with his massive hands.


    Crackle.


    He set the dish on the stone table, and a shadow fell over the participants. It was a huge cream cake covered in a multitude of fruits and berries on all sides.


    "Apparently, dessert is only served at the very end, isn''t it?" Grot smirked, then he took a deep breath and said, "There is no time limit, but you must not stop eating. Your main goal is to get to the center and eat what''s there."


    Grot continued, "However, you can''t just make a tunnel with your spoons and win, you have to eat everything in your way, every inch of that cake."


    Gael and Davon nodded, they understood the rules, and they were not going to break them. They wanted to win fair, and this was the best way to aplish that.


    Tap.


    Grot gave themrge spoons and confidently announced, "Begin!"


    Gael and Davon exchanged nces, nodded to each other, and started eating.


    The first bite was unusual for Gael. He couldn''t remember thest time he''d eaten something sweet, for he just didn''t have a need for it. Even regr food wasn''t necessary for him, but identally stumbling upon some piece of meat was possible, but not a cake like this.


    ''Damn... This is unbelievable...'' Gael internally muttered, with fire in his eyes.


    He had eaten as much as no other person could before, but despite that, Gael continued to speed up.


    Unlike him, Davon tried something new and unique every day, as all Beastfolks were fans of food, so he didn''t have the same childlike joy as Gael.


    That''s what made them different from each other at that moment and it helped that Gael quickly ate half of his portion. He had a little more to go and he could make it to the center.


    Davon tried to maintain this insane pace but he just couldn''t do it, Gael was ahead and Davon was losing no matter how hard he tried.


    After a few minutes, when Gael was already struggling to hold the spoon, he finally saw something amongst the white cream soaking through theyers of cake. It was a brown sphere, medium-sized, that could fit perfectly on the spoon Grot had given them.


    "Isn''t that..." Gael muttered, pulling the sphere out of the cake, "Chocte... right?"


    "Hahaha, exactly! That''s what I hid in the center! A chocte sphere with hot chocte inside!" Grot eximed as a wide smile appeared on his face, "Looks like we''ll have a new winner today! Go ahead, all you have to do is eat that sphere, and you''ll win!"


    Gael nodded, slowly bringing the spoon towards him. He opened his mouth wide, and in one bite he covered the entire sphere, which quickly broke apart, filling his mouth with a vor long forgotten to him.


    Gael had tasted chocte only a few times in his entire life. Of course, if he wanted to, he could afford as much chocte as he wanted, but he just stopped thinking about such things because it was no longer necessary for him.


    When he wanted chocte he couldn''t afford it, and when it was no longer a problem he just didn''t think about it.


    Everyone waited for Gael to finish to see his reaction and joy at winning, but instead, something else happened.


    "Wow... Why does he look so happy, is it because of the chocte?" Cat girl muttered in a confusion.


    "Hmm... I don''t know, maybe." The wolf shrugged, "Everyone loves chocte, but could it be that it''s causing such an emotion? I think he''s already celebrating victory."


    After a while, Gael finished and looked at Grot.


    Grot nodded and held out to Gael a silver medallion, with a bear badge next to a beehive. It was the mark of the tavern, so it was also what the winner of this tournament received.


    "Thank you." Gael nodded, taking the medallion, then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.


    Everyone was going to celebrate his victory, but at that moment no one could speak as they felt incredibly pressured.


    They didn''t understand where it came from, then they all saw streams of energying out of Gael''s body. With each second they became more and more powerful until they were visible and even tangible.


    White streams passed through everything, touching every part of the town like threads of a spider''s web spreading around.


    Gradually, the powerful pressure was reced by lightness and everyone felt the power within them begin to grow.


    "What''s happening...?" One of the residents muttered, looking up puzzled. The sky was clear and clean, yet there were particles of ash falling to the ground like snowkes.


    The inhabitants didn''t understand what was happening, but they didn''t feel rmed or think that it was a sign of danger. Their instincts werepletely calm, moreover, they could feel their bodies absorbing this energy and bing stronger.


    "Wait... That aura... You''re not from Second Chronicle..." Grot muttered in a disbelief.


    "Yeah, I''m sorry for keeping it from you. However, until the very end, I held back my aura to fight fair. Now, I need to move on, there''s someone waiting for me." Gael nodded, then he waved his hand.


    Whoooooooooooooooooooooooooosh.


    A massive sphere of ash appeared in the center of the tavern and tiny flowers began to fly out of it. Everyone got their own flower.


    "I''m not exactly sure how much energy is in them, but I think it will definitely help you get to the next Chronicle, though most likely in a few at once." Gael smiled before heading towards the exit.


    "Wait!" Davon eximed, "Who are you really and what are you doing here!"


    Gael sighed, "I''m The Invincible One! Hah, maybe that''s why I haven''t lost even now? Who knows?"


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    The next moment, Gael disappeared with a stream of ashes. No one knew where he ended up, Gael just vaporized.


    "What was that...?" Grot was as puzzled as everyone else.


    "Wait... I think I figured it out..." Marg''s eyes went wide with coldness down his back.


    Everyone directed their gazes in his direction.


    "He''s Ashen, and his name is Gael, and he also said he''s the Invincible One..." Marg gulped, "Doesn''t that mean the Progenitor of Ashens was just here?"


    There was silence since no one could believe what they were hearing, but, gradually, they began to realize that Marg''s theory was probably correct since everything fit together. Especially Gael''s incredibly powerful aura.


    "Damn... So I could just defeat The Invincible himself?" Davon muttered with a bitter smile on his face, then he picked up his spoon and continued eating the remaining cake, "Hah, no victory has ever brought me as much pleasure as this defeat. It''s really something unique."


    Grot and Vasa looked over with dazed expressions.


    "So we were cooking for one of the Progenitors today...?" Grot muttered in a disbelief.


    Vasa gulped, "Yeah... And judging by these gifts, he liked everything..." Vasa looked at the ashy flower hovering above her palms.


    "Agh... Well, this is something I wasn''t prepared for, but it''s actually amazing... I''ll never forget this day..." Grot let out a heavy sigh, brushing the sweat off his forehead as a happy smile appeared on his face.

 Chapter 1075 The Throne Room

    ?


    "Oh, did you feel that?" Alucard asked with a smirk on his face. He looked away, seemingly to nowhere, but very far away in that direction was another space, another world.


    Liang nodded, "Yeah, it seems Gael knew it would take us some time to finish, and he decided to take his time. In that case, we''re heading to Beastfolk World aren''t we?"


    "Yeah, let''s not waste any time. I''m sure it''ll start soon." Alucard uttered and with a wave of his hand created a bloody portal leading into open space.


    "Are youing with us?" Liang nced at Nitra.


    Nitra nodded, "Sure, but I don''t understand something. Does Gael have some sort of conflict with the Progenitor of Beastfolks?"


    Alucard sighed, "You didn''t choose the right words, however, you''re right about something. They do have a reason to fight, and it has nothing to do with the Great War. It''s their own. By the way, you can take advantage of that and arrange to use their territory for your experiments."


    "Agreed." Liang waved his hand, "This is a good opportunity for you."


    Nitra frowned as she puffed up her cheeks, "Hey! You don''t have to worry about me so much! I''ll take care of my own problems!"


    "Hah, your attempts almost ended with the destruction of the Tree and your death. If I wasn''t the kindest person in the entire universe, that''s exactly what would have happened!" Alucardughed as his echo spread around.


    "You and kind... That''s something ipatible." Nitra turned away.


    Alucard chuckled, "Really? It seems to me that among the three of us, I am definitely one. You two nearly destroyed each other."


    "We had our reasons." Liang said seriously as she ced her hand on the hilt of her sword, "Or are you devaluing the lives of the ordinary citizens of my world?"


    Alucard shrugged, "Nah, but, you were able to stop it in a few phrases, so obviously, it could have been done before. Whatever, let''s move on."


    Before Nitra and Liang could say anything, Alucard had already entered the portal.


    Liang and Nitra looked at each other and followed him. The portal closed, and they found themselves in the World of Darkness, in front of one of thergest spaces.


    "Hm? Why didn''t we go through further?" Nitra frowned, "I thought you opened a portal directly to their world."


    "Well... I don''t want to draw too much attention to myself. I want to be a spectator, you know?"


    Liang sighed, "Come on. Gael will fight against their Progenitor, so if we stand aside no one will pay attention to us."


    Step. Step. Step.


    Gael took a few steps forward before swinging his sword. A single swing was enough to make a gap in space through which they easily entered Beastfolk World.


    Alucard and Nitra didn''t expect Liang to act so drastically, but it was already done, so they had no other option but to head forward.


    They found themselves in one of the hundreds of locations in Beastfolk World, hovering above a dark forest covered in an unusual blue mist.


    Despite the fact that they had brazenly invaded an alien world, no one paid them any attention. It seemed that the main forces of the Beastfolk World knew that besides Gael, other Progenitors would being here.


    "Well, well, they turned out to be more intelligent than I thought." Liang muttered in a deep tone, then he turned around, "Where should we go?"


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Suddenly, a sh of me appeared in front of them, very powerful, for everyone but them since the aura level was at Fifth Chronicle, God Stage.


    Then, a girl emerged from the mes, she was from Fox n. She had a long fluffy tail, pointed ears, a cute face, and green eyes with vertical pupils. She was wearing a simple dress and didn''t look like someone strong or important at all.


    "Mr. Liang, Mr. Alucard, and Mrs. Nitra... We didn''t expect you all toe at once and together, but I''m happy to wee you to our wonderful world anyway." Fox girl respectfully said with a slight smile on her face.


    "Who are you?" Liang looked at the girl intently.


    "My name is N and I am one of the Royal Knights. My King assumed you mighte, so I was ordered to escort you to where the King and Mr. Gael will fight." N replied calmly, keeping her palm on her chest.


    "Hah, not bad, but what makes you think I want to follow you?" Alucard smirked, with a devious smirk, "Maybe I came here to bring destruction and chaos! What do you think of that?"


    N made a thoughtful look, "Mr. Alucard, if I can surprise you, will you follow me?"


    "Surprise me? Hah, you seem like a contented self-righteous person." Alucard grinned, "Well, you can try. If you actually do it, then I won''t resist anymore."


    N nodded, then she took a step forward. In a heartbeat, she found herself in front of Alucard.


    However, she wasn''t going to attack him, and Alucard realized that, so he decided to give her a chance and see what she would do next.


    Then, N flew up slightly so that she was taller than Alucard, just a few centimeters. That was enough for her little n.


    N smiled, and grabbed Alucard by the back of his head, clutching his long blond hair, then she leaned down and kissed him, but she did it in the most dominant position she could afford.


    Alucard''s eyes went wide, but he didn''t stop N and just enjoyed this unusual moment.


    Nitra, watching this, didn''t know how to react. She felt strange since only recently Alucard had kissed her, but now someone else was doing it towards him.


    ''Is this jealousy...? It can''t be!" Nitra internally eximed.


    After a while N finished as she let go of Alucard and looked at him with a slight smile.


    "What do you think? Was I able to surprise you?" N smirked.


    "Well... You''re not the first woman in my life with dominant tendencies, but I obviously didn''t expect this from you, so... yes, you were able to do it." Alucard replied with a smile.


    N nodded, then he pointed towards the north.


    "Mr. Gael is moving that way, towards our King. We should hurry if you don''t want to miss anything." N said calmly.


    "In that case, let''s not waste any time." Liang stepped forward, with a serious expression.


    "Sure." N nodded and turned into a re of fire and rushed forward.


    Alucard immediately followed her with obvious excitement on his face.


    Liang sighed and turned into a stream of wind. Nitra was thest one left, and after a short pause, electric shocks ran through her body, and ck lightning quickly caught up with the others.


    ...


    Step. Step. Step.


    At the same moment, Gael slowly stepped forward, creating ashy tforms beneath him. This was not necessary for him, as he could stand in mid-air without any external support. However, he liked to spread his ashes like a sign before a great battle.


    After a while, he reached a massive mountain, part of which had been converted into a castle with a huge throne room in the open air.


    The throne room started at the very edge of the mountain and headed ind for over a hundred meters.


    The bright sun illuminated Gael''s path as well as the slightly damaged stone bs and columns of the throne room.


    Unlike the other castles, things were different here as even in a ce like this the Beastfolks were constantly fighting. More often than not, no one got rid of the damage as every crack or scratch was a priceless memory of someone''s battle.


    Even the massive stone throne in the center of the throne room was half destroyed and no one thought it was wrong. On the contrary, it was this attitude towards battles that Beastfolks respected the most.


    ''Oh, there are quite a few people here. The Beastfolks have been waiting for me for some time now. Well, I hope they don''t mind me lingering.'''' Gael smiled as he looked at the multitude of Beastfolks in the throne room.


    They didn''t look like guards, nor did they follow any sort of discipline. They stood at random points, some even on the grounds of the mountain or the towers in the castle rather than right in the throne room.


    However, no one was blocking Gael''s path as well as no one was talking. Everyone was waiting for Gael to meet his opponent and start the great battle in their world.


    After a few steps, Gael stopped and raised his head, aiming his gaze at a person sitting on the throne.


    It was ck Panther, a muscr man sitting rxedly on the throne. One of his legs was draped over the other, as he rested his head on his arm.


    He had a happy grin on his face, and one of his eyes was hidden by a bandage, from underneath which a gruesome scar was visible.


    "Hey, how are you doing?" Gael asked with a slight smile.


    "Hah, not bad, but honestly I''ve been bored as helltely. Good thing you came at a time like this." The man smirked, "I''m just about to get a chance to get back at you for this!" The man pointed to his bandage as a mad grin appeared on his face.

 Chapter 1076 The Long Struggle

    ?


    There were many persons in the throne room, and they were all Beastfolks, only Gael was a stranger here, however, the atmosphere was not threatening.


    It was as if two old battle buddies had met, and there was some unfinished business between them.


    "Ereg, The Unstoppable... It''s been a while, hasn''t it?" Gael smiled without any hatred or malice.


    "Yeah, I''m d you came. It''s time for us to sort out a problem isn''t it?" Ereg smirked, then he slowly rose from his throne.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Ereg rxed stride and headed towards Gael, with a wide grin on his face. The Beastfolks in the throne room nced around, waiting for the great battle to begin.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, near the throne room, four silhouettes appeared on one of the viewing tforms. They were Alucard, Liang, Nitra, and N.


    "Oh, it looks like we''vee just in time." Alucard smirked looking at his friend.


    "Yeah... But why do I think they don''t look like mortal enemies to me? What happened between them in the past?" Liang asked with a slight frown.


    Nitra nodded, "I''m curious too. Alucard, you surely know don''t you?"


    Alucard wanted to say something, but N interrupted him, "I''m sorry to interrupt you, but if I may I would like to tell you about it."


    "Hah, this is the second time you have acted impertinent in my presence. Aren''t you afraid I might get angry and kill you?" Alucard uttered, showing his long fangs capable of tearing apart the hide of any creature.


    Alucard let out a threatening aura, which naturally gave N goosebumps all over her body. She couldn''t resist her instincts, but her mind was capable of doing so.


    "Khm. If you wanted to, you would have done it a long time ago. I realize that no one can stop you, so it all depends on your desire." N smiled, then she pointed at Ereg, "My King, long ago fought Mr. Gael."


    "I don''t know all the details of that battle, as well as who won, but back then Ereg lost his right eye." N calmly exined.


    "Hmm... However, despite the infinite amount of resources he had, he didn''t bother to heal his wound. An unusual decision." Liang muttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.


    N nodded, "The king says he will only heal his eye after he can give a decent fight to his most important opponent. He wants to win, but it will be enough for him and Gael to be equals."


    Besides Liang, Alucard, Nitra, and N, there were also four other silhouettes that no one saw watching the fight.


    "Well, well, it''s gotten pretty crowded around here, hasn''t it?" Wain said, looking around.


    "Yeah... Looks like it. Honestly, I didn''t expect us to get to this point... Alucard and Gael weren''t supposed to show up at all, but now we''re watching one event after another..." Sven shook his head with a bitter smile.


    "Hah, I like it!" Osvald eximed with an excited expression, "I didn''t think I could see something new and learn something, but thest battle managed to surprise me!"


    Marlis nodded, "I''d be interested in talking to Nitra... By the way, what are they even doing in the real world right now...? I mean, these days? After all, we''re just watching memories right now."


    Sven smirked, "They are waiting. Alucard and Gael should have been doing the same thing, but they''re not under anyone''s orders, and they do what they want. However, it''s good that they''re on our side."


    Wain nodded as his gaze became more serious for a moment. He had a short break now, but as soon as he was done with his memories, the preparations for the Second and Last Great War would begin.


    It would be an opportunity for Wain to do what he had started long ago, and this time he wouldn''t have to die and wait five hundred years for his rebirth as he intended to put an end to this story.


    ''Eva... Hah, will there evere a time when I have nothing to worry about and can just live in peace?'' Wain inwardly muttered with a sad look.


    Step. Step. Step.


    After a while, Ereg stopped with a wide smile on his face. He took a deep breath, then his legs were covered in ck mes.


    In a heartbeat, Ereg appeared in front of Gael, delivering a lightning strike.


    Gael with a calm expression blocked Ereg''s attack.


    "Hm... What was that? You acted seriously, but the force of your strike isn''t." Gael asked, tilting his head.


    Ereg smirked and jumped back.


    "Before we begin. I want you to make a promise." Ereg looked intently at Gael.


    "I''m listening to you."


    "I want you to promise that you''ll fight seriously, as seriously as you can and you won''t stop, no matter what!" Ereg eximed, pointing at Gael, "I want a decent fight, after the hundreds of years that have passed since then."


    The Beastfolks nced around as fear appeared on many of their faces. Ashens like all races had their peculiarities, but something about their society was unique.


    Everyone knew that if an Ashen made a promise, he was sure to fulfill it. It didn''t matter what the promise was, the only thing that mattered was that an Ashen gave his word.


    "Are you sure about this? You and I are not enemies, but opponents that want to see each other''s strength... There is no need for such extreme measures." Gael asked in a worried tone.


    Ereg waved his hand, "Gael, don''t insult me. I understand your worries, but this is what I really want. Just say you won''t hold back."


    Gael remained silent. For a very long time, practically several minutes, but Ereg didn''t ask him again, he realized that for Gael this was a very difficult decision.


    With every second the Beastfolks were getting more worried, they didn''t expect their King, to make this fight so serious and maybe even deadly.


    "Fine." Gael said coldly, "I promise I will fight seriously."


    From any other being, those words would not have been as meaningful as they were from Gael, or from an Ashen. Anyone could cheat, Ashens too, but not when they were giving their word on something.


    Ereg smirked, "Thank you. That means a lot to me."


    "Are we going to start right here?" Gael asked, looking around, "I wouldn''t want anyone else to get hurt besides us. Your men have powerful auras, but they still won''t be able to withstand even a few of my attacks."


    "Hah, that sounds arrogant, but it''s true." Ereg grinned, and then he pointed forward.


    Gael turned around and saw in the distance a massive colosseum. It was made of white stone, and it looked like someone was fighting there.


    "In Beastfolk World, it''s the most popr ce for battles, everyone from First Chronicle to Fifth Chronicle Ones can participate there."


    "Hm? So we''re going there?" Gael asked, tilting his head. It seemed strange to him to subject such an important ce to destruction because of their battle.


    "Of course not!" Ereg smirked, "We''ll just turn this beautiful ce into nothing. There''s a better option for the two of us, go ahead, follow me!"


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Ereg rushed in a northerly direction. Gael shrugged and followed him, leaving particles of ash behind him.


    Beastfolks nced around, only a few of them guessing where Ereg was headed.


    "Do you know where we''re going?" Liang asked, nced at N.


    "Sure. It''s a special ce where creatures of incredible power can fight. Part of it is the World of Darkness, but it''s also part of our world." N nodded, then she headed forward.


    Alucard, Liang, and Nitra nced around before following her.


    They flew for a long time until they reached the border of the Beastfolk World.


    It was a snowynd, with mountains, stone hills, and sparse forests with very tall trees reaching the clouds.


    Nearby was a ck shore with a purple sea stretching infinitely far away.


    Between these locations was an ancient structure, it was another colosseum, but it was different from the past as it was obviously much older.


    The space next to this colosseum had been destroyed, and it could not recover because of the hundreds of runes carved on the stones that made up the colosseum.


    "There is a special barrier around this colosseum that ispletely unique. All of our attacks that go outside of the colosseum will be absorbed by the barrier and sent into the open space." Ereg exined.


    Gael nodded, "I see... The arena is big enough for us to not be deterred, and also no matter how powerful the attacks we use, no one will get hurt."


    "Sure, that''s the point." Ereg smirked, with his arms crossed over his chest, "A lot has changed since thest time you and I fought, as well as our powers."


    Gael nodded, "Yeah. Let''s put a point to our story. The Great War will happen soon, and I don''t want any conflict between us. We''ll settle this tonight. I hope you''ve prepared well."


    Ereg sighed, "Don''t worry. I''ll show you that we''re equals now!"

 Chapter 1077 The Axe

    ?


    "Are we equal now?" Gael muttered with a slight smile on his face, "Well, I hope that''s exactly what happens. I made a promise, so you better be confident in your abilities. I wouldn''t want to kill you."


    Ereg smiled, pointing a thumb at his muscr chest, "Don''t worry, I''m confident in my abilities, but I''m not arrogant! I just want to see if I''m worthy of having my eye healed!"


    Gael nodded and with slow steps headed towards the colosseum. Ereg smiled and followed his opponent.


    A momentter, all the spectators had gathered, waiting for the fight to begin. Everyone was outside the barrier of the colosseum, no one wanted to get hit by a random attack.


    Ereg looked around, "I hope you don''t mind that our fight is getting so much attention?"


    Gael shook his head, "No, in fact, my friends are here as well, so it''s only fair that many of the inhabitants of your world look at me that way."


    "Hah, don''t me them, they''re just worried about me." Ereg smirked as he extended his hand forward and his ring shone brightly. A massive axe made entirely of ck metal appeared in his hand.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Then, his axe erupted with ck mes, drawing everyone''s attention.


    "Let''s see whose me is stronger, my ck or your white?" Ereg eximed, pointing his axe at Gael.


    At the same moment, the mes from the axe turned into a powerful stream quickly heading towards Gael.


    Gael took a light breath and with a wave of his hand, created a wave of white mes. Two kinds of fire collided with each other, creating a marvelous scene of ck and white streams of mes.


    Part of the fire reached the massive stones of the colosseum, and the runes on them shone brightly. The mes vanished and ended up somewhere in the open space, disappearing into the void.


    "Not bad, but I don''t think you''re fighting seriously. Maybe it''s your turn to get your sword out? What do you think?" Ereg asked with an excited expression.


    Gael shook his head, "Don''t worry. I''m not going to renege on my promise, it''s just that I didn''t need a sword to repel that attack. Moreover, this is my main weapon, and your axe is just an addition, isn''t it?"


    Ereg didn''t answer anything, he just smirked and leaned his body forward.


    Axalts had the best physical stats of all the Pirs, however, Beasfolks were not far from their level. Moreover, given their instincts, they were better at reacting and dodging dangerous attacks, though their movements were a bit slower and weaker.


    Gael took a step back, as his hands shed with white mes. Unlike most Ashens, he could easily use both ways, though mes were not his primary use.


    "Be ready! I won''t hold back!" Ereg eximed before tearing forward.


    In a heartbeat, he turned into a sh that quickly appeared in front of Gael. A sharp axe de came down on Gael, but he easily deflected the attack with his palm, pushing the axe aside.


    Ereg was prepared for such a development, so he immediately attacked again, with his left foot.


    A crack.


    Gael raised his hand with a clenched fist, stopping Ereg''s powerful kick, which sent a shockwave that kicked up dust from the ground.


    The mes on Gael''s hands tried to harm Ereg, but despite his entire body being covered in thick fur, the mes did not affect him. It couldn''t damage someone with such a high and practically imprable defense.


    "Not bad, but now it''s my turn to attack." Gael said calmly before stepping forward.


    His fist was clenched tightly, like a lightning strike plunging into Ereg''s stomach. He aimed a weak point, at the sr plexus that should have made Ereg squirm in pain.


    However, Ereg only winced slightly, but he recovered quickly. Also, Gael''s blow couldn''t move him, as Ereg easily absorbed all the momentum.


    Gael with wide-open eyes looked at Ereg. He was surprised and puzzled, as he knew that his punch was powerful enough to throw Liang or Nitra back a few meters.


    "Damn... His body is actually that strong...?" Nitra muttered in disbelief, looking at Ereg, who stood with a confident smirk on his face.


    "Yeah, he was able to handle it without difficulty." Liang nodded.


    "Hah, just look at Gael''s face! He doesn''t realize what''s going on! Hahaha!" Alucard eximed happily.


    N nced at him, "You seem to be enjoying this, don''t you? Isn''t Mr. Gael your friend? I thought you were supposed to be worried about him."


    Alucard waved his hand, "Don''t be ridiculous, nothing serious has happened yet. None of them have even shown their weapons, so this is just the beginning. If Gael wants to he can hit much harder. Also, don''t forget he''s a swordsman, not a hand-to-hand fighter."


    Wain grinned as she turned to Osvald, "What do you think of that punch? Would you be able to take it as well as Ereg?"


    Osvald''s face paled, "Hah, you shouldn''t joke like that. If Gael were to hit me with that kind of speed and force right in the sr plexus, I''d be rolling around on the floor with my face twisted in pain. At best, it would only take a few seconds for me to recover and get to my feet."


    "Yeah, I agree." Sven nodded, "Gael gave his word, so he doesn''t cheat and seriously attack. Ereg, actually did a good job, after theirst fight."


    Marlis didn''t say anything, she just watched Ereg closely, especially his muscles. She wondered how his body was able to distribute all the damage.


    "Wow... That''s something I didn''t expect..." Gael muttered with a dazed expression.


    Ereg smirked, "It''s my turn, you said that didn''t you?"


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Ereg immediately attacked, bringing his fist down on Liang''s face.


    Liang didn''t have time to react and defend himself, so the impact threw him to the other side of the arena, causing his back to hit the massive rocks.


    Gael''s body was also very strong, and most rocks or even metals would have copsed under the pressure, but the colosseum was unshakable. Because of the runes that absorbed damage, this arena could withstand an almost limitless amount of energy.


    Ereg swung his axe, throwing it over his shoulder, and took a slow step towards Gael. He realized that this strike did little to no damage to Gael, as he was using pure physical force without any energy.


    Gael shook his head, slowly rising from the ground. His white mantle was now dirty and covered in dust.


    "Is there something wrong? Weren''t you prepared to get dirty? I don''t believe it!" Ereg smirked, gradually approaching Gael.


    "Agh... Well, I thought I could spend a little more time getting our fight in this shape, but you actually managed to surprise me." Gael sighed, then he took off his mantle and turned to Alucard.


    Whoooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Gael tossed his Mantle to Alucard, who caught it with one hand.


    "Damn, what kind of attitude is that anyway?" Alucard grinned, "Although, considering I get to see you fight, it''s worth it."


    Then, several scars appeared on Gael''s wless body. They were tiny, barely noticeable, but his aura immediately increased so much, as if he had used some powerful artifact.


    Ereg became wary as he clenched his axe tightly, and streams of ck mes appeared beside him.


    Everyone who knew Gael, or had ever heard his name. knew that his greatest strength was his scars.


    They were special to him because, somehow he was able to put a certain amount of power into each of his scars. His scars worked like seals.


    The more scars Gael revealed, the more serious his opponent was and the more dangerous the situation. Each scar contained arge amount of energy and could raise his absolute strength to the next level.


    Step.


    Gael stepped forward as the ground beneath him cracked. His silhouette turned into a blur as he, in a heartbeat, found himself in front of Ereg.


    Whoooooosh.


    Ereg immediately attacked, bringing his axe down directly on Gael. However, Gael''s fist had already reached its target, and this time, it was Ereg''s stomach.


    "You won''t be able to stay on your feet this time." Gael muttered, curling his fist and making Ereg feel all the power that wasing at him in a powerful stream.


    The impact with a powerful momentum threw Ereg dozens of meters back, and when he reached the walls of the colosseum, he bounced off them like a ball because of the great speed.


    Ereg didn''t expect the blow to be so powerful, but he quickly got up to counterattack. But, a shadow had already fallen on him from Gael''s high silhouette, who sharply kicked him right in the face.


    A powerful stream of blood spurted from Ereg''s mouth as his eyes went nk for a moment. Gael wasn''t going to stop there and loomed over Ereg like something inevitable.


    "Hah, Gael''s scars are something incredible, but... Ereg should have something extraordinary too, shouldn''t he?" Alucard smirked and nced at N.

 Chapter 1078 The Eye

    ?


    Every Progenitor, as well as everyone on the Transcendence Stage, had something special, a unique power, or even a philosophy towards the rest of the world.


    Obviously, the most obvious example was Alucard with his abnormal regeneration that didn''t obey the rules of this world, but that didn''t mean it was the most powerful feature.


    Liang''s mysterious power or Sven''s devastating power with limitless attraction might have been more dangerous, as well as Gael''s scars.


    Ereg was the Progenitor, and he made Gael give his word that he would fight seriously, so he too, had to have something in response to Gael''s scars.


    Otherwise, it would be the end for Ereg, as Gael would easily defeat him by simply overwhelming him with his superior physical strength.


    "Kha... That punch was more powerful than I thought it would be..." Ereg smirked, getting up from the ground and looking at his bloody hands. He was able to withstand the first blow, but as soon as Gael revealed some of his scars, Ereg immediately became much weaker.


    "Are you surprised? I don''t believe it, after all, we''ve only just started." Gael said calmly, slowly approaching Ereg.


    Ereg shook his head, "Nah, it was obvious. It''s just that as always I get punched in the face first, and only then do I act. It''s been hundreds of years, but some things never change, do they?"


    Gael stopped, then he quickly tore forward, while approaching Ereg, who was still standing against the wall, at a tremendous speed.


    Everyone realized that a few missed punches wouldn''t make much difference. However, Ereg had to respond, otherwise, he would not be able to catch up with Gael, who would only get stronger.


    Crackle.


    Gael stepped forward confidently as the ground beneath him cracked, bringing up his fist for a punch, about to bring it down on Ereg.


    At the same moment, Ereg abruptly turned around, and his single amber eye quivered slightly.


    Then, everyone saw something both frightening and amazing at the same time. A silhouette appeared behind Ereg, like a ghost lurking in the shadows. It quickly disappeared, and a tiny dot-sized rune appeared in Ereg''s amber eye.


    Bam.


    In a heartbeat, Ereg''s fist came down on Gael''s face, and with the same speed, he unleashed two more attacks, aiming for Gael''s stomach.


    Gael tried to block them, but Ereg moved too fast, continuing to attack and damage Gael.


    "Oh... They moved so fast to something so serious. I love this fight!" Alucard smirked, holding Gael''s mantle in his hands.


    "Hmm... I''ve never fought Ereg before... He seems like a rather interesting opponent. I''ve never heard of a power like his before." Liang muttered, looking thoughtfully at Ereg, who continued to attack his opponent, fast and deadly.


    "Is it just me or is Gael starting to lose?" Nitra asked with a confused expression. Unlike Alucard, she knew little of what Gael was capable of since he fought seriously quite rarely.


    Alucard grinned, "Don''t be silly, this is just the beginning and their powers are somewhat simr! They can both get stronger throughout the fight, so... it''ll be a while before we see them pull out their weapons."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The space shook with the air shaking due to Ereg''s powerful attacks raining down on Gael, who stood in a defensive posture. Gael covered himself with his arms, partially blocking every blow from his opponent, but a certain amount of the damage traveled through his body.


    He could afford to stay in this stance for a while, but not too long. Pretty soon, Ereg would be able to get through his defenses, and then Gael would be in real trouble.


    ''Hah... He didn''t cheat, he actually got stronger, though I shouldn''t think about it that way at all. After all, we are both Progenitors and the strongest amongst our races.'''' Gael internally muttered, the pain from the blows didn''t seem to bother him much.


    ''Agh... That''s good. It looks like even though I made a promise, our fight won''t end too quickly or with someone''s death...'' Gael sighed before stepping forward.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Gael''s body was immediately bombarded with many blows, Ereg wasn''t going to release the pressure, but Gael was ready for it.


    Gael''s legs as well as his arms shed brightly with white mes, then he started to move much faster.


    Ereg tried to counterattack, but Gael simply dodged each of his attacks and countered with his own. Now, it was Gael who attacked, making Ereg''s face contort in pain.


    Ereg had several options, but he chose the easiest one when his arms and legs burst into ck mes, he literally repeated Gael''s move.


    The Beastfolks watching this battle were surprised and stunned. They knew that Gael was a dangerous opponent, but they were fully convinced that Ereg was the best in hand-to-handbat. However, now Gael and Ereg were fighting on equal footing and they were getting faster.


    Wain smirked, "If Alucard acts like a crazy teenager and only gets serious in emergencies, then Gael is the exact opposite."


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?" Marlis gave him a questioning look.


    Wain pointed at Gael, "Look. It''s almost imperceptible, but gradually a smirk is growing on his face. He''s enjoying this fight and that feeling is getting more powerful by the moment."


    "Come on! We''re capable of more!" Ereg eximed, straining his muscles to the limit and unleashing several powerful attacks on Gael.


    Each strike was urate and hit Gael''s face, however, it couldn''t stop him even for a moment, since he immediately did the same.


    Their battle continued for several minutes until they stopped and fell to the ground, simultaneously.


    In fact, they could have continued fighting for a very long time, since each of them had many more trump cards and had only shown the low end of their strength.


    However, they both decided that it was enough for the first stage. They didn''t need to discuss it or say anything about that, their nces and fists were more than enough.


    "Wow... I haven''t seen the King this happy in a long time..." N whispered with a dazed expression.


    Ereg was bleeding, and his whole body was covered with bruises. He was lying on the ground and breathing heavily, looking at the bright sun that lit up the arena. Gael was in the same position.


    Every part of their body had been hit with dozens of powerful blows, their whole body ached, but they didn''t mind such pain. It was soft and pleasant, like a catalyst for the mes within them to re up as brightly as possible.


    Alucard smirked, "Gael is a worthy opponent. Anyone who fights him will have the same face! Although, I must admit that Ereg is a lot like him, or rather they resemble each other."


    Ereg smiled slightly as he nced at his opponent without getting up from the ground, "Gael... You went into the same town before, didn''t you?"


    "Yeah... It was interesting to see how themon people lived... It''s something that each of us had forgotten for a long time. Moreover, I even participated in a tournament." Gael sighed, "I had to eat a few tons of food to win, at least it seemed that way to me at the time."


    Ereg raised an eyebrow in surprise, "Hmm... That must have happened at the tavern... What was the owner''s name?"


    "Grot... Big Bear... Beastfolk from Bear n to be exact." Gael calmly replied.


    "Hah... A few years ago, I was there too. You know, there are plenty of ces to eat in this world. Even for me, something is a real discovery every time." Ereg smiled bitterly, then he slowly got up from the ground, "Well, the break is over... It''s time to continue our fight."


    Gael nodded and silently got to his feet.


    They were both seriously wounded, though their organs were not damaged, but they were bleeding. However, these wounds were not a problem for them as they could easily get rid of them, just in a heartbeat.


    Behind Ereg two more ghosts appeared as two more tiny runes appeared in his eye. Gael did a simr thing as more scars opened up on his body. They were as small as the previous ones, but their number had increased several times over.


    Their wounds began to heal quickly as their strength level had increased significantly, so in a few seconds, they would be ready to fight again until they could stand on their feet.


    For those who weren''t at the Transcendence Stage, it was hard to realize how much stronger their auras had be. Since even for N, almost nothing had changed. She had felt that their strength was boundless before, and it was the same now.


    However, Alucard, Nitra, and Liang could feel it andpare it.


    "Three runes and his strength has tripled... Not bad, in that case, soon Gael will have to reveal a lot more of his scars." Alucard smirked, staring intently at Ereg.

 Chapter 1079 Spatial Monster

    ?


    Gael and Ereg continued to fight, unleashing powerful blows on each other, even after they increased their strength, they didn''t use their weapons or any abilities. It was still too wounded for that.


    Every time Gael''s fist came down on Ereg''s face, he felt real pleasure and joy just like Ereg when his attacks were sessful.


    Those who were watching this fight and were much weaker than Gael and Ereg, that is, they were not on the Transcendence Stage, were surprised.


    They expected a bloody battle where each of the two fighters would use everything they had to destroy their enemy, but instead, they saw smiles on their faces.


    "Damn, theypletely miss the point of the battle." Alucard smirked, looking around, "Don''t you see? Those two are just happy to punch each other in the face, if I could I''d join them.


    "I too." Liang calmly said with a slight nod, "It doesn''t matter if it''s mortalbat or not, the most important thing is to have a worthy opponent."


    Nitra, who was listening to it, got a strange expression on her face. She had no desire at all to fight others endlessly, even though she was at the same level as them.


    ''Damn... I don''t know if it''s rted or not, but men are always men no matter how strong or experienced they are... On the contrary, their absolute desire for battles only increases with time."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Gael and Ereg''s blows shook the space with powerful shockwaves. Their bodies were covered in blood again, and very soon theyunched their most powerful attacks.


    Their fists collided with each other, creating a kic explosion and throwing them away from each other to the edges of the arena.


    Gael and Ereg threw up a mouthful of blood from the powerful collision as they red at each other. Neither of them could even move, so they only had one option left - to unleash more of their power!


    More scars appeared on Gael, and more runes appeared in Ereg''s eye as well as invisible ghosts behind him. It was only possible to see them for a moment when Ereg was moving to the next stage.


    The rest of the time, the ghosts behind him remained hidden like an invisible force.


    "Hey, I think it''s time to move on to something more interesting." Ereg smirked, rising from the ground and pointing at Gael, "We''ve used our fists enough already, so let''s show our audience something else."


    Everyone prepared for Ereg to reveal his weapons as well as Gael, however, instead, they saw something else.


    Powerful streams of mes erupted next to them, around Gael was white fire, pure and calm, and around Ereg, streams of ck mes, aggressive and wild.


    Whenparing their mes they wereplete opposites, but, in fact, they were part of the same whole just they had different approaches.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Gael and Ereg shed again, and their attacks were much more powerful than before. It was enough to kill someone on the God Stage or even a whole group of such warriors in a fewbined blows.


    Each of their shes created streams of mes, white and ck, that spread around.


    If it wasn''t for the protective barrier of the colosseum, many spectators would have been hurt by their attacks, however, the colosseum could absorb as much energy as needed.


    Every time the streams of mes reached the massive stones, the runes on them would shine brightly and move the excess energy into the open space.


    Everyone knew that there were also creatures in the open space, and they could attack anyone who crossed between zones just by walking in the open space. This was their territory, and these monsters didn''t like it when someone interfered with their quiet life in the vacuum.


    Gael and Ereg''s fight shouldn''t have affected the open space in any way, however, because the colosseum was partially in two spaces, they could have gotten into trouble.


    They didn''t notice it, but every time the ck and white mes moved into the open space, irritated looks were revealed among the vast darkness.


    The monsters from the open space tried to wait until it was over, they didn''t want to invade someone else''s space without a good reason.


    However, Gael and Ereg weren''t going to stop since they didn''t even think that their battle in Beastfolk World could interfere with anyone. Moreover, they didn''t really care, there was no opponent in this world that they couldn''t handle against.


    "Come on! We''re capable of more!" Ereg eximed with an excited expression as he jumped back.


    Then, Ereg took a deep breath, filling his lungs and making his cheeks puff up hard.


    Gael''s pupils narrowed as he realized what was about to happen. He jumped back sharply and created a protective barrier of white me in front of him.


    At the same moment, Ereg exhaled a stream of ck fire, very powerful and destructive, capable of burning anything.


    Regardless of what was in the path of the ck fire, only ash would be left of it. However, when the dark fire encountered Gael''s barrier, the fire was in serious trouble.


    Ereg''s attacks couldn''t get through Gael''s defenses, all it could do was only slightly damage Gael''s dense protective barrier.


    If someone else had been in Gael''s ce, Ereg''s attack would surely have been sessful, but Gael did a good job with his defense.


    So, ck fire, in powerful streams passed close to Gael, trying to touch him, but the fire just wouldn''t have it.


    Gael smirked, he wasn''t very good at defense, but he was pleased that Ereg''s attack was useless against him.


    "Damn... I thought I could stop some burns on your body." Ereg frowned, then he shook his head with a bitter smile, "Well, next time my attack will be even more powerful. This was just the beginning!"


    Gael didn''t say anything, he just silently waited for the ck fire topletely pass. Colosseum absorbed the mes and channeled this huge energy into the open space.


    The monsters from the open space couldn''t take it anymore. The external energy was annoying them and they wanted to destroy the cause of it.


    At the same moment, a multitude of silhouettes headed towards the colosseum or the Beastfolk World. It was unlikely that the monsters from the open space could defeat Gael and Ereg, but they didn''t care about that.


    They had to get rid of the external power source, so none of them were going to stop.


    The space monsters were very far away, so no one sensed them, not even Ereg, whose instincts were at the highest level.


    Only Alucard could realize what was going on as a sly smirk appeared on his face.


    "Hah... Looks like someone is about to interfere in their fight." Alucard uttered with a sly smile.


    Liang raised an eyebrow in a confusion, "Hm? What are you talking about? Is someone from the Progenitors heading this way?"


    "What kind of nonsense are you talking about?" Nitra frowned, "Even if that''s actually true, that someone is suicidal. There are five Progenitors here, and none of us are enemies of each other."


    Alucard shook his head, "Nah, this is not a Progenitor, moreover, these creatures are very numerous, and they are inhabitants of a unique ce - open space!"


    After a short pause, Liang and Nitra nodded deeply with understanding looks.


    "In that case, we should deal with them. It won''t be good if they interfere with Gael and Ereg." Liang uttered as he turned around and headed towards the edge of space.


    Tap.


    However, Alucard stopped him by cing a hand on Liang''s shoulder, "Wait... I feel like you''re about to make a mistake now."


    "Hm? What are you talking about?" Liang nced back, "I just want no one to interfere with their battle, they are worthy of it. Moreover, from the looks of it, they''ve been waiting for this moment for quite some time, so if someone interferes with them, it''ll be a problem."


    Alucard shook his head with a mocking smile, "I understand you and your intentions are truly good. However, you don''t see some inconsistencies. The fact that you won''t let the open space monsters interfere would be interference on your part."


    Liang''s eyes went wide for a moment as Alucard''s words made sense.


    "In that case... What should we do?" Liang was puzzled.


    Alucard shrugged, "Nothing. Just enjoy and watch the fight. The fact that open-space monsters will being here will only make this fight more interesting. I mean, will Gael and Ereg, fight against them together, or will they use the monsters to hinder their opponent?"


    "Hahaha." N giggled, covering her mouth with her palm, "It feels like you''ve known Mr. Ereg for a very long time. I''m sure the King will be pleased that you didn''t somehow be involved in this battle. It should all go naturally."


    Alucard nodded, "Ipletely agree with you. It seems like you know your leader pretty well."

 Chapter 1080 Throw

    ?


    Alucard, Liang, or Nitra, any of them could easily destroy the spatial monsters. However, they did not interfere and hinder Gael and Ereg. This was their fight, so they had to deal with all the problems and uninvited guests themselves.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Gael and Ereg continued to attack each other as the ground next to them had long been covered in blood, and new clots of blood were gradually added.


    Sometimes Gael and Ereg missed each other, their attacks were only sometimes sessful, but they were powerful and aimed at the weak points of their opponent.


    Crackle.


    Two fists collided with each other, creating a powerful shockwave that would have thrown most creatures aside. However, Gael and Ereg managed to stay where they were. All they did was grin widely, preparing to attack again.


    However, the moment their fists were about toe down on each other, they suddenly stopped.


    "Hm? What''s going on?" Gael muttered in confusion. He felt that there was something wrong and Ereg had nothing to do with it, however, he didn''t understand what exactly it was.


    Ereg was in the same situation, but his instincts were much better than Gael''s, so he closed his eyes and concentrated as much as possible.


    He could sense everything that was going on around him, in the colosseum and even beyond it. At first, Ereg tried to find the cause in the nearest locations in Beastfolk World, but very soon he realized that the threat wasing from somewhere else.


    "Hey, if you figured out what''s going on, I wouldn''t mind listening." Gael waved his hand with a slight frown, looking at Ereg''s smirk.


    "Don''t worry, I''m not going to hide anything from you. Anyway, our attacks caused us to disturb the spatial monsters." Ereg calmly said while pointing at the part of the colosseum that was in the spatial gap.


    Gael was slightly surprised, then he nodded with a deep gaze, "I see... Well, it looks like our battle will have to stop for a while. The spatial monsters aren''t a danger to us, but there will definitely be a lot of them."


    Ereg didn''t answer anything, he just smirked and stepped forward.


    At the same moment, Ereg''s fist was covered in ck mes, raining down on Gael''s face, who didn''t expect such an attack at all.


    Gael tried to somehow stay on his feet, but the momentum from Ereg''s attack was too powerful, so the impact threw him back dozens of meters.


    "Hahaha! Gael, you''re an experienced fighter! How could you rx at such a moment next to your opponent?" Eregughed as his voice echoed throughout the colosseum.


    The audience had different reactions since some thought that Ereg had acted meanly, but most only got slight smiles. They knew that their King would not miss a moment for a sessful attack.


    Gael smirked, wiped the blood from the corners of his mouth, and stared at Ereg as his hands erupted in a powerful white me.


    "So you don''t want to stop, right?" Gael asked, with a sly nce. He didn''t resent Ereg at all for what he had done as he realized he had that right and opportunity.


    Ereg shook his head, "No. If the spatial monsters want toe here, however, they are not worthy of being my opponents, only you are! I don''t want to waste time on them, so... let''s destroy them while fighting each other."


    Gael tilted his head with a devious smirk, "Damn... Your idea is actually interesting. Fine, I agree. However, if someone strong enough shows up, I''d like us to fight together."


    Ereg gave him a puzzled look, "Hey... You know they can''t beat us, right?"


    "Sure. However, we haven''t unleashed our full power yet, and it would be fascinating to see how we work as a team. Anyway, I made a suggestion and it''s your decision to do it that way or not." Gael shrugged before stepping forward.


    In a heartbeat, Gael found himself right in front of Ereg, who hadn''t expected such a sharp attack. It seemed to him that Gael was about to say something else, but it stopped abruptly.


    Crackling.


    Gael''s fists, hailed down on Ereg, covering his body with light burns from the powerful white mes.


    "Damn! You used the same trick! That''s not fair!" Ereg eximed as he pped his hands together, creating a ming sphere of darkness around him.


    The sphere threw Gael off, at least, Ereg hoped he could do it.


    "Hah, did you really think that could stop me." Gael''s voice rang out as his hand passed through the sphere.


    Even though he had to take damage from that fire, however, his hand was protected by the white me, so he effortlessly grabbed Ereg by the throat.


    "Using a defense skill? Well, I guessed you would, but it''s not like you at all. Aren''t you a beast? Where''s your aggressiveness?" Gael said with a slight smile tightly squeezing Ereg''s neck.


    Ereg gripped Gael''s wrists tightly, so tightly that Gael''s arm could break at any moment. However, Gael wasn''t going to choke Ereg, he knew he couldn''t do that against such an opponent, so he had another n.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Gael turned sharply, throwing Ereg forward, but he aimed upwards so that Ereg would fly over the colosseum.


    Alucard, watching this smirked as Gael threw Ereg straight into the open space.


    "Hehehehe, I don''t know if he guessed or sensed it, but they''re already here, and their first target will be Ereg." Alucard chuckled evilly with his arms crossed on his chest.


    Ereg could easily be out in the open. It didn''t make any difference to him what space he was in since even the powerful pressure couldn''t even slow him down.


    However, he tried to get back into the colosseum by creating ming explosions behind him. He was doing this because he didn''t want Gael to win this round, since with the arrival of the spatial monsters, their fight would move to the next stage.


    "Gael!" Ereg eximed, approaching the boundary of the colosseum, "You should have thrown harder if you wanted to seed in throwing me out!"


    Whoooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, white mespletely covered Gael and he found himself in the air, in front of Ereg. Gael had a smirk on his face as if he knew this was going to happen.


    "Though thest time we fought was a long time ago, you''re still as predictable as before. You need to do something about that if you want to defeat me!" Gael eximed as all of his mes headed towards his right arm.


    Ereg prepared to strike with his fist, but instead, Gael created a sphere out of the mes and opened his palm wide.


    Whoooooooooooooooooooosh.


    The sphere exploded with a powerful stream of me, raining down on Ereg. He immediately created a protective barrier of ck fire around him.


    Gael''s attack couldn''t seriously hurt Ereg or stop any damage, especially after Ereg protected himself. However, his goal was to simply throw Ereg as far away from the colosseum as possible and he seeded.


    Ereg, with each passing second, got further and further away from the colosseum, falling into open space.


    ''Hmm... That''s not good enough.'' Gael shrugged, before taking a deep breath.


    As he exhaled, an even more powerful stream of mes descended on Ereg, and he was already in open space.


    "Shit! Stop doing this already! I want to fight in closebat!" Ereg eximed, creating another protective barrier around himself.


    He didn''t understand why Gael was doing this since these attacks were useless and it was just forcing him into defense.


    "Hah, Gael was going to stop the fight to deal with the spatial monsters, but now he''s acting as if he wanted it originally." Wain smirked as he watched the multitude of silhouettes moving towards Ereg.


    Ereg didn''t notice them since he was thinking only of Gael and his instincts couldn''t react to the creatures that hadn''t yet revealed themselves. The spatial monsters were literally part of the open space, so spotting them was almost impossible.


    "Damn... That reminds me of something..." Maris muttered, then with a frown he looked at Wain, "When I helped get you to Death Shore, those guys gave us a lot of trouble!"


    Wain shrugged, "It wasn''t my fault. What''s more, you didn''t have to worry so much about my safety and just wipe them all out."


    Maris began to stomp her foot nervously with her arms crossed on her chest, "If I knew you were Nameless King, I would have done exactly that, but I thought you were an ordinary talented young man! Well... not exactly ordinary, but I didn''t assume you were actually Nameless King anyway."


    Wain smirked, "Don''t ever forget that, though you won''t have that opportunity again. I''m not going to die again! Once, was more than enough."


    Sven smiled slightly but didn''t say anything. He was d that someone who shared his ideas turned out to be a person like Wain.

 Chapter 1081 Bugs

    ?


    The first round was won by Ereg as he was able tond the most attacks and surprise Gael with his decisions.


    However, when their second round came to an end due to the appearance of spatial monsters, Gael was definitely the one who was able to achieve more.


    He effortlessly, threw Ereg outside of colosseum, leaving him in the open space. The stream of white mes gradually ended, so Ereg was able to remove his barrier and finally take a break.


    Ereg frowned as Gael had seriously pissed him off with this action as it was just prolonging their fight. He realized that such attacks couldn''t hurt either of them, so in his opinion, it didn''t make sense.


    Ereg was about to return to the colosseum, but no sooner had he moved than several white eyes appeared out of the darkness. They stared intently at Ereg with obvious annoyance and displeasure.


    "Agh... I get it now. Damn, I should have known... Gael tricked me so easily..." Ereg muttered with a bitter smile on his face.


    Then, spatial bugs, pounced at him from all sides. Any monsters in their ce wouldn''t have attacked Ereg, who was an invincible opponent to them, but they didn''t think about that.


    All the spatial monsters wanted was for Ereg and Gael to stop emitting huge amounts of energy into the open space and not disturb them anymore.


    Most of the time, the spatial monsters would kill their opponents by tearing them apart. Sometimes, the victims of the spatial monsters would sessfully escape from the pursuit and hide in their own worlds.


    Either of these two options suited the spatial bugs, but Ereg wasn''t going to choose one of these options. Spatial bugs definitely couldn''t kill him, and leaving Ereg would as well, so he decided to choose his method.


    "Hah, I don''t know what you''re counting on, but you don''t seem to have the intelligence to realize how serious a mistake you''re making!" Ereg eximed with a devious smirk as his hands were covered in ck fire.


    Gael hovered in the air, above the colosseum, watching as Ereg destroyed dozens of spatial bugs that pounced on him.


    Each time Ereg attacked, he created a powerful st of me that killed several spatial bugs at once, however, there were many monsters.


    The stronger the energy flows were, the more spatial monsters came to that point.


    Considering, that Gael and Ereg were at the peak of power, their energy attracted spatial monsters from the farthest ces.


    Most of the spatial monsters came to kick Ereg out or kill him, even though he had already destroyed hundreds of spatial rings, and it was as easy as breathing for him.


    However, besides spatial bugs, there were many other monsters in the open space, more dangerous and ancient.


    Most of the time, they were almost impossible to encounter, as even the most ordinary spatial guard was strong enough to kill a Third Chronicle or Four Chronicle creature.


    However, those in the Fifth Chronicle often became extremely arrogant and traveled through open space instead of using teleports.


    Sometimes, such people would encounter spatial monsters that others had only seen a few times in their entire time.


    These monsters weren''t that rare, it was just that those who encountered them almost always died and one of those was supreme spatial guards.


    Whoooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Four humanoid creatures with dark bodies and white arms and legs were quickly heading towards Ereg, who was still fighting the bugs.


    Gael was not going to interfere since their fight was taking ce in the arena of the colosseum. Anything outside the arena was of no interest to him.


    ''Well, well, you said that we would destroy them while fighting each other, but you seem to have forgotten about what you said.'' Gael internally muttered, shaking his head.


    "Damn! Why are there so many of you? I don''t want to use anything more than simple blows against you. You''re not worthy of that!" Ereg eximed as his gaze became more serious.


    Ereg stopped.


    At first, the spatial bugs were surprised by this since they didn''t understand why their opponent wasn''t doing anything, and then they decided to take this opportunity and attack all at once.


    Ereg''s eyes were closed, but even without that, he knew where each of his opponents was since his instincts were probably the best in the entire universe.


    Alucard smirked, "Hah, in a situation like this he only has two options, either elerate to the limit and make hundreds of attacks to kill each bug, or... do it all in one go!"


    Obviously, Ereg wasn''t going to waste any more time on those weak monsters, as Gael had been waiting for him for some time now.


    ''Sorry for beingte, but they really aren''t going to leave me alone.'' Ereg internally muttered as a tiny dark sphere the size of a grain appeared between his palms.


    Ereg quickly channeled energy into the sphere, but it didn''t get any bigger, only its pressure and overall power grew.


    The Spatial bugs had already started attacking Ereg, but they couldn''t even leave a scratch on his sturdy body.


    "Agh... It''s your fault, but I just have no choice but to do it." Ereg muttered before pping his palms together, sting the sphere.


    Then, everything within a radius of hundreds of meters was covered in a powerful dark fire as well as colosseum since part of it was also in open space.


    Gael smiled slightly while extending his arm forward. This time he didn''t create a fire barrier to defend against Ereg''s attack, since he had already moved on to the next stage of their fight.


    All of Ereg''s mes followed Gael''s index finger as if it were the center of the universe. Then, Gael swung his hand upwards, causing all the mes to scatter into small particles, falling down like ck snowkes.


    "Come on. I threw you out into open space, but I''m not going to go in there. Didn''t you say that spatial monsters wouldn''t affect our fight?" Gael smirked, staring at Ereg.


    Ereg''s eyes went wide as he was puzzled. Gael was right, it was disrespectful of him, but the open space wasn''t going to let him off the hook.


    The st of ck me destroyed all the spatial bugs, but there were still four opponents who were not affected by this powerful attack at all.


    Wooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Supreme Spatial Guards swept in front of Ereg, aiming his sharp swordposed of light directly towards Ereg''s neck.


    To everyone''s surprise, Ereg dodged, as such an attack could hurt even him.


    Then, the remaining three spatial guards attacked, aiming at Ereg''s weak spots. Unlike the spatial bugs, their goal wasn''t just to kill or kick Ereg out. They wanted to absorb his energy as best they could, even though Ereg was in the Transcendence Stage.


    Wain observing this scene smirked, "Yeah, this definitely reminds me of something. We had simr guys fighting against us back then, right?"


    Marlis nodded, "Sure. Although even then you were able to defeat some of them, it surprised me a lot, but now I realize that there was nothing strange about it."


    Wain didn''t bother to say anything, he just smiled with his arms crossed on his chest.


    Whoooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Four white shes attacked Ereg at lightning speed, trying to inflict at least one sessful attack on him.


    However, Ereg didn''t take them seriously, even considering that he only used a small part of his power, the spatial guards were very weak. They could wound him, but it would be a mere scratch and an embarrassment to Ereg, so he didn''t let their swords touch himself.


    Gael waved his hand, "Hey, I''m getting bored. Come one, show me something interesting."


    "Hah, you bastard, you''re in the middle of a duel just like me not watching the show!" Ereg smirked, "Fine, I''ll do what you ask. This will be your reward for winning the second stage."


    Then, the number of runes in Ereg''s amber eye increased several times. There were more than ten runes, so they began to transform into something else into a single, but moreplex rune.


    So did the creepy ghosts behind his back that now merged together, creating one frightening entity.


    Ereg''s aura intensified, bing as powerful as Gael''s, whose body now bore many more tiny scars. Several scars were on every part of his body, whether it was his arm, leg, or chest.


    "Four spatial guards... Moreover, you are one of the strongest of your kind. You should have attacked a random Fifth Chronicle one if you wanted to obtain pure energy. Going against me was actually foolish." Ereg said calmly, and then his gaze turned cold.


    His feet shed with dark mes as he, in a heartbeat, appeared next to each of the spatial guards, who were moving very fast. However, Ereg easily surpassed them.


    Then, the heads of the spatial guards simultaneously exploded, and their bodies were forever plunged into darkness.


    Alucard smiled and looked into the distance, ''Not bad... But we''re lucky that besides bugs and guards, there''s something elseing this way. Damn, even Ereg hasn''t noticed it yet.

 Chapter 1082 Black Tentacles

    ?


    Spatial bugs and guards weren''t the only creatures dwelling in open space. There were many other monsters, but none of them would attack Ereg after he easily killed four supreme spatial guards.


    For the other open-space monsters, starting a fight with Ereg was like signing a death sentence. To them, he was an invincible opponent, and everyone, especially Ereg, understood that.


    "Damn, they made me spend some time on them. I didn''t expect that at all, but okay. Now I can go back to my real opponent." Ereg smirked, heading towards the direction of the colosseum.


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    However, just as he took a few steps, several objects, long and thin, like ropes or chains, headed towards him out of the darkness.


    Ereg''s eyes went wide as he looked at his hands, around which were twisted dark tentacles, "Hmm? What the hell is that?"


    He wasn''t worried as he felt that these tentacles couldn''t do him any damage, but she was actually as surprised as the others.


    ''Oh... I''ve only seen this thing once, and then I didn''t get a chance to fight it.'' Gael internally muttered with a slight smile on his face, ''Well, that''s good. So our fight will be unique, not just for us, but for everyone else. It will be a part of history.''''


    "What is that...?" N muttered in confusion with a worried expression.


    ''Worried about your king? Well, there''s no need for that. Better keep a close eye on this fight, as it''s unlikely this creature will appear in the next hundred years." Alucard smirked as he looked into the endless darkness of the open space.


    Thanks to his keen eyesight, Alucard could see what others could not, and then he stared at the massive silhouette rapidly approaching Ereg.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Ereg tensed his muscles as his arms erupted in dark mes. It was enough to tear the tentacles apart,pletely destroying them.


    However, not even a secondter, a multitude of tentacles came down on Ereg''s back like several powerful whips.


    The impact, threw Ereg aside from the colosseum, as he found himself back in the arena.


    From his fall, a cloud of dust rose up, while he slowly came to his senses.


    "Damn... That wasn''t bad. If someone below God Stage had been in my ce, it''s unlikely that this one would have survived that attack." Ereg muttered with a calm look, holding his back and straightening up like an old man.


    "Agh! That was a great release!" Ereg eximed in excitement.


    Tap.


    Gaelnded next to him with a sly smile, "Well, well, you tried so hard not to get a single attack from the spatial guards, but in the end, you failed."


    Ereg frowned, "Hey, I killed them as cleanly and quickly as possible! What''s more, what is this even about? I''ve never heard of a monster with tentacles living in the open!"


    Gael shrugged, "It''s an octopus, though no... I''d call this one the Kraken."


    "What...?" Ereg tilted his head in confusion, he didn''t understand at all what Gael was talking about, and this whole situation seemed strange to him.


    "ROOOOOOAAARRRRRRRR!!!"


    At the same moment, a furious roar sounded from the depths of the open space as a huge silhouette approached the colosseum.


    Just as Gael had said, it was a huge octopus with multiple eyes, an eerie jaw, and countless tentacles. This creature was big enough to easily fight several Dragons at once in their Full Form.


    "Yeah... You''re right. This one looks more like a Kraken than an Octopus." Ereg nodded with a slight smile.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    As Kraken entered the colosseum he looked intently at Ereg and Gael. The monster could sense how powerful their auras were, but it couldn''t frighten him.


    Hundreds of tentacles quickly descended on Ereg and Gael, filling the entire arena.


    Gael smirked with a wave of his hand, creating powerful streams of me, effortlessly burning the tentacles.


    Each tentacle was destroyed, but Kraken didn''t care as he could grow new tentacles at any time.


    Kraken''s body was divided into two main zones - the outer zone, consisting of darkness covered by tentacles, and the inner zone, which was his body with thick purple skin and multiple eyes with amber pupils.


    As long as Kraken didn''t take damage to the main area, he could re-create the tentacles and the protective barrier that was the dense darkness.


    "Hey, you wanted us to fight the spatial monsters together, right?" Ereg asked, approaching Gael. He paced rxedly with his hands in his pockets.


    Even though the Kraken possessed an intimidating aura, it didn''t bother him in the slightest because it wasn''t something powerful to him.


    "Hah, you wouldn''t even listen to me before, and now you''re suggesting it yourself. Things can change very quickly, can''t they?" Gael smiled, not giving a direct answer.


    Ereg shrugged with a bitter smile. He was about to say something, but the Kraken wasn''t going to wait for them to talk, so new tentacles were already heading straight for Ereg.


    "Damn, you don''t know how to wait, right?" Ereg frowned as he extended his hand forward.


    A powerful stream of me came out of his palm, which was narrow at first but grew wider and wider as he approached the tentacles, covering the entire space.


    There was no way the tentacles could withstand such an attack, so Kraken had to wait for his tentacles to recover again.


    "Sorry, he interrupted me." Ereg waved his hand nonchntly, "Anyway. I think we should deal with this one together. I think it would be interesting and unique. We''ve never fought together against someone special considering it''s a rare monster."


    Gael sighed, "You know we can kill a Kraken in a few attacks if we release most of our powers, right?"


    Ereg shrugged, "Sure, but there won''t be any interest in that. I want to remember this fight. If we contribute together to one of the victories, it''ll be a small victory for me. If we do it together, it goes some way to proving that we''re equals!"


    "Hah, there''s a rather cunning n born in your head... I agree, but don''t forget that this is only a small break. Whether we''re equal or not, we''ll only be able to find out by bringing our fight to an end, 1 vs. 1." Gael said calmly. Toward the end, his gaze became colder and more serious, showing to Ereg his intentions.


    "Sure." Ereg agreed.


    "ROOOAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!"


    At the same moment, Kraken roared furiously, showing his displeasure and annoyance. The Monster''s roar echoed for hundreds of meters, stunning everyone who was near the colosseum.


    N, who was on the God Stage, received a chill down her spine as well as goosebumps. She instinctively pressed her palm to her chest and took a few steps back.


    A lot of Beastfolks did the same. They knew that there could be dangerous monsters like the supreme spatial knight in the open. However, Kraken''s aura was much more dangerous, and it truly scared them.


    Tap.


    Alucard appeared behind N, cing his palm on her shoulder.


    "Don''t be afraid, this harmless octopus won''t touch you. After all, the colosseum''s barrier can withstand anything, can''t it?" Alucard smirked.


    N gulped. She looked around and whispered, "Yeah... You''re probably right, but I can''t help it, this thing scares me."


    Alucard nodded, "Exactly. By the way, you know that fear is one of the greatest forces in our world, right?"


    N nodded uncertainly, looking at Alucard''s strange gaze. It seemed to her that he had some kind of n and that she was the main participant in that n.


    "Hah, it looks like you''re already starting to figure things out. Don''t worry, I''m not going to hurt you, on the contrary, I want to reward you."


    "Reward me...?" N muttered slowly enunciating each word.


    Alucard smirked, "Look, I''m an impulsive person and I always act the way I want. If I get an idea, I do it right away and don''t think about the consequences. Hah, as if there are any consequences in this world I should fear."


    Alucard turned around, looking at the Kraken, then he got behind N and grabbed her by the cor.


    Then, with a sudden movement, Alucard threw N right towards the Kraken, she was heading towards the monster''s horrible jaw that could easily turn her into nothingness and tear her apart.


    Absolutely no one expected something like this to happen, as a few seconds ago, even Alucard didn''t know he would do this. Beastfolks had no way to influence this, so all they had to do was keep watching.


    "NO!!!!" N eximed in fear, unable to stop the powerful momentum that propelled her forward because of Alucard''s throw.


    Ereg and Gael were no exception as their eyes went wide. They knew that Alucard was capable of anything, but this was beyond all limits.


    Liang threw him a reproachful look, "Hey, didn''t you say you didn''t want to interfere in their fight?"


    Alucard shrugged with an innocent smile.

 Chapter 1083 Fear And Power

    ?


    Some people never changed, and Alucard was one of those people. He always did what he wanted, and the consequences didn''t bother him. On the one hand that was careless, but in Alucard''s case, it wasn''t quite like that.


    Alucard had vast experience and a unique ir for all sorts of things that no one else had. It was as if he could sense where the interesting opportunities were and what needed to be done to make them happen.


    Fortunately or unfortunately, N was part of Alucard''s idea, and now she only had a few seconds to save her life.


    Ereg and Gael nced over with worried expressions. They didn''t expect Alucard to do something so crazy, because without training, there was no way N could stand up to Kraken.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Without hesitation, Ereg tore forward in a torrent of ck me. He moved quickly, like lightning approaching N with the clear intention of saving her.


    However, the Kraken, to whom such a precious gift was headed, was not about to give up this unique opportunity so easily.


    Hundreds of tentacles blocked the path to Ereg. In a few attacks, Ereg had no trouble destroying them, but he wasted valuable time, which he didn''t have enough of.


    N was almost in front of the monster''s jaw, while Kraken''s actual tentacles were rushing toward her. They weren''t made of darkness, but full limbs of flesh and blood with thick skin, protective tes, and many spiked suction cups.


    The tentacles moved carefully since Kraken didn''t want to damage N''s body, the monster just wanted to make sure there was no way N could escape his fate.


    ''No! No! No! No! This shouldn''t have happened!'' N inwardly eximed, ''I shouldn''t have been here in the first ce! Why did Alucard do this?! Is there no one to save me?


    N''s mind filled with more and more questions, while everything around her slowed down and her instincts intensified. Soon enough, she realized that no one could help her, since no one expected Alucard to do something like this.


    Wain smirked, "Well, well, they''re just watching, like they know what''s going to happen next."


    "What are you talking about?" Osvald asked, raising an eyebrow.


    Wain pointed at Liang and Nitra, "Let''s be honest. Those two saw what Alucard did, a few moments earlier than Ereg and Gael. So... They had time to stop Alucard or save N. Damn, they could have just grabbed her leg and that''s it."


    "Yeah... That makes sense..." Osvald nodded with a thoughtful expression.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crack.


    The Kraken''s jaws snapped rapidly, ready to swallow N and absorb the pure energy that was inside her.


    ''Alucard said he wanted to reward me... but, does that sound like a reward? It''s an execution, nothing more...'' N said to herself with eyes empty with despair.


    Then, something changed inside her, and waves of shivers went through her whole body. Her instincts were literally screaming at her for something, but it wasn''t that she needed to escape somehow, it was something else.


    ''Darkness... That''s right... Haven''t I been fighting against darkness all my life? I mean, I''m one of the best at it!" N inwardly eximed as her eyes shed, bright with light.


    Her hands became covered in disks of light, and white streams of energy appeared around her, capable of tearing apart any darkness.


    At the same moment, many of the dark tentacles that were near N were destroyed, but her light was not powerful enough to damage Kraken''s actual tentacles.


    ''No! It''s not enough! I can do more!" N''s eyes went wide as she clenched her fists with all her might and bit her lip bloody.


    She realized that if she did nothing, if she couldn''t surpass herself she would die, right here and now.


    ''Damn! I''ve been through hundreds of fights! I can''t let myself die like this! I will disgrace myself and my n for eternity!'' N eximed inwardly as her aura began to rise dramatically.


    At the same moment, as if sensing a threat from her, Kraken''s tentacles curled around her, preventing N from moving. She couldn''t move even a finger.


    It was quite a long process for N, however, it all happened in a matter of seconds while Ereg fought his way through the endless streams of dark tentacles.


    Ereg could increase his strength by several levels or use some kind of devastating attack, but then he could kill Nitra as well. He felt it was the best and only option to save N.


    Gael was about to help her too, especially since he felt guilty about Alucard''s action, but when disks of light appeared around N''s hands, he stopped.


    ''Well, it looks like he''s done something again that will change the life of one individual person as well as the life of an entire world and race.'' Gael shook his head with a deep sigh, ''Alucard, you always do the same thing, but each time you get a different result. It''s rather ironic, especially since you don''t change, ever.


    "Argh!" N spat out a mouthful of blood, but she immediately came to her senses, and despite the pain continued to fight while her aura grew stronger.


    ''Come on! Light can do more than just drive out darkness! Light can burn away shadows, darkness, and living flesh! It only depends on power and concentration!" N inwardly shouted as her aura reached its limit, and all of her light was directed to one point.


    The disks of light around her hands shattered into small shards, rushing towards her right palm and bing something new. However, the shards weren''t stable and they wouldn''t be able to stay together for long, but that wasn''t a problem for N since she still had plenty of energy.


    Whoooooooooooooooooooosh.


    White streams of energy traveled to the gaps between the shards, strengthening them and turning them into one. It was a massive w or de as if arge shard had broken off from one of the disks.


    However, this w had an extreme concentration of light energy in it, and the tentacles of darkness that were near it began to burn immediately.


    Alucard smirked since he could feel N''s aura moving from the God Stage to the next and final stage.


    ''Not only Progenitors can be on the Transcendence Stage!'' Alucard grinned with a genuinely joyful expression, ''And the more powerful beings there are the better! That way, the world will never be boring, on the contrary, it will only be more interesting andplex!


    "Fine, if you want to eat me, you''ll have to beat me first! That''s what all Beastfolks are used to and I''m no exception!" N eximed with a fighting look before directing all of his power towards his arm.


    It was enough to free one part of her body from the tentacles'' grip and make a single swing with her light w.


    Then, everyone saw a bright sh that took only an instant of time. The tentacles next to N split into several pieces, covered in bright mes and burning skin.


    Kraken''s huge body was split in two vertically, and thousands of dark tentacles burned without a trace under a bright light that was unstoppable.


    Tap.


    Nnded on the ground, as several massive pieces of tentacles fell beside her.


    "Hah... I actually managed to do that..." N muttered, looking at her palm, covered in the blood that flowed from the corners of her mouth.


    N turned around and looked at Alucard, who with a proud smirk was standing in the same spot as his arms were crossed on his chest.


    "Thank you..." N whispered before everything in front of her eyes went ck.


    She had spent all of her energy and strength, both physical and emotional, on this attack. But, there was no regret on her face, only joy for the work done and the aplishment.


    Whoosh.


    Ereg quickly appeared beside her and caught her before she fell. He quickly looked her over and soon breathed a sigh of relief.


    ''Damn... She reached the Transcendence Stage right here and now?'' Ereg muttered in disbelief, feeling how much more powerful Alisa''s aura had be.


    "That''s amazing, isn''t it?" Gael said with a slight smile on his face.


    Ereg nodded silently, and then he turned into a stream of me and appeared next to Alucard.


    He carefully ced her on the ground, then looked intently at Alucard.


    This continued for a while until Ereg said, "I won''t hide it, I''m d it ended this way. Going to the Transcendence Stage is a great aplishment for any being, especially N. I know how important it was to her, it was her dream."


    Then, Ereg''s gaze grew serious and cold, "However, don''t you dare do that again. You got lucky this time, but you can''t be lucky forever. One day, your tricks will get someone killed."


    Alucard smirked as he shrugged, "I can''t promise anything. Also, you''re wrong, I''m always lucky because there are no consequences for me if I''m unlucky. So, there is simply no difference between luck and bad luck for me!"

 Chapter 1084 A New Idea

    ?


    Ereg frowned, he wasn''t happy with the answer he heard, but then he shook his head with a deep sigh. There was nothing he could do but reprimand Alucard. Moreover, as a result of Alucard''s actions, N was able to be much stronger and fulfill her dream. Ereg couldn''t help but consider that.


    "Whatever." Ereg waved his hand with a calm expression, "Just don''t interfere in our fight anymore. I want it to end the way it started. Just me and Gael, no one else."


    Alucard smirked, "Don''t worry. The situation with N was an exception, I have no reason to interfere with you in any way. However, you forgot about something that is still with you in the same arena."


    "Argh...?" Ereg''s eyes went wide.


    Alucard pointed forward, and Ereg turned with a confused expression. To his surprise, Kraken was still alive, even though N had used her most powerful attack against the monster.


    "Oh... There''s no way I could have expected this... That bastard is more tenacious than I thought. Although..." Ereg muttered, and nced at N, lying on the ground. She had a happy smile on her face, even though she had been through a dangerous ordeal and might even have died.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crack.


    The halves of the Kraken''s body were quickly joined together by dense clots of darkness. N''s light de did powerful damage to the monster, however, it wasn''t enough to kill someone so powerful in a single attack.


    "Yeah. She only moved to the Transcendence Stage, so even considering she used the attribute of light, she couldn''t kill one of the most dangerous creatures in the open." Alucard uttered, rubbing his chin with a sly smile.


    His gaze was directed at the Kraken''s wounded tentacles since dark blood, not unlike the blood of other creatures, was pouring from the open wounds.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Ereg turned into a fiery sh as he found himself directly in front of Kraken. This time Ereg''s gaze was much more serious than before. He wasn''t going to use his full strength to defeat such an opponent, but the power hidden in his fist made space warp.


    "I don''t know what else you''re capable of, but I''m sick of it. You''ve been interfering for too long with the fight I''ve been waiting for." Ereg uttered with a cold stare as his fist lit up with ck mes with a massive plume behind it.


    It looked like a darket crashing down at great speed on the Kraken who was trying to recover.


    "ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!" Kraken roared furiously realizing that this attack could destroy him, so he had to use everything he had to stay alive.


    The Kraken''s many eyes on its head and tentacles shone brightly with purple light, painting the world gray.


    Even Ereg and Gael, with their crushing power, were quickly turned to stone, as was everything around them.


    However, the colosseum''s barrier, was able to absorb this power, protecting the spectators and casting the purple light into the open space.


    "What...? What happened...?" Someone from Beastfolks muttered in disbelief.


    "Oh... That''s interesting." Liang nced at Kraken and Ereg, "Even though it turned into a rock and is in the air, it doesn''t fall. How does that work?"


    "Don''t you see?" Nitra pointed to the streams of meing from Ereg''s fist. Like everything inside the arena, they didn''t move, as if they were frozen.


    "Kraken didn''t turn them to stone, he did much more than that. I don''t know how, but the light from those eyes stopped time,pletely." Nitra exined with a serious look, "Damn... I wish I could research that monster, that unique ability."


    Hearing this Alucard smiled again, a devious n had been brewing in his mind that only he knew about. Although, some onlookers had guessed it, not the ones in this ce back then.


    "Well, well, it looks like the fate of this Kraken won''t be as simple as we all think." Wain shook his head, with a bitter smile.


    "Hmm?" Sven gave him a questioning look.


    Wain shrugged, "I could be wrong, but I know Alucard well enough to know what he''s roughly thinking by the look on his face. His smirks are multifaceted, you know."


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Despite the Kraken''s best efforts, he couldn''t keep Ereg and Gael in this state for long. Soon enough, cracks began to spread across their bodies, as stone shells broke off in chunks.


    "Argh... That was unexpected, but it won''t help you!" Ereg eximed as he clenched his fist tightly and tensed his muscles,pletely shattering the stone cover restraining his body.


    The Kraken''s pupils narrowed and his actual tentacles came into motion. He needed this brief pause to regain some strength, though Kraken wouldn''t be able to use his special skill for quite some time.


    The tips of the tentacles glowed brightly, leaving purple lines in space that together formed a massive magic circle. It was veryplex with several levels and all Kraken could do in a few seconds.


    At the same moment, Ereg''s fist came down right in the center of the magic circle, directing all its power at this protective barrier.


    The runes on the magic circle shone brightly, one by one as if testing how much energy it could absorb before breaking.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    To Ereg''s surprise, Kraken''s dark tentacles surged forward, prating through the magic circle from the other side and destroying it.


    Then, cracks went down the magic circle as it exploded, releasing all the absorbed energy outward.


    "Fuck." Ereg''s eyes went wide when he realized what was about to happen. His face was covered in light, then his entire silhouette was covered in ck mes, aggressively attacking its owner.


    Gael watching the fight nodded slightly. He decided not to interfere in the fight for now, as he wanted to let Ereg avenge N. Though she was still alive, Kraken had seriously injured her, and Ereg, as the King, couldn''t just let it go.


    ''Not bad... This monster has such dangerous and rare abilities. I didn''t have a chance to find outst time. Two kinds of tentacles, impressive regeneration, time stopping, and magic circles reflecting damage back into the enemy. That''s a decent list.'''' Gael muttered internally, assessing the Kraken.


    Tap.


    Ereg fell to the ground, the powerful pulse causing the ground beneath him to break, raising a cloud of dust. However, in a heartbeat, Ereg rose up, with a sweep of his arm, clearing all the dust out of his path.


    "Gael... It''s time to destroy that bastard." Ereg said seriously as another medium rune appeared in his eye, and a creepy ghost revealed itself behind him for a moment.


    "Sure. Looks like we''ve moved on to the next stage sooner than expected, but this is fine. I''m ready to do this." Gael said calmly as small scars appeared on his body.


    In his life, Gael had gotten much more serious scars, but these ones were bigger than the tiny ones that covered his body before.


    Then, their fists shed with powerful fire, causing the air to ripple and space to shake.


    Step.


    Gael and Ereg stepped forward simultaneously, as the ground beneath them cracked, and they headed towards Kraken at high speed.


    Kraken''s eyes moved chaotically in different directions, trying to see the weakness in Ereg and Gael''s actions, but all was to no avail.


    Everyone realized that this was the end for Kraken, and not even the strongest barrier would be able to protect him.


    "Damn, it''s a shame he showed up at a time like this." Nitra shook her head with a sad look, "We''re losing such a valuable specimen, but there''s nothing we can do about it. Alucard, what do you think?"


    Nitra turned around, but, there was no one beside N, Alucard had simply disappeared.


    "Agh...?"


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, ahead of the ck and white sh, swept the crimson one with powerful bloody streams behind it.


    "What the hell...?" Ereg''s eyes went wide as Alucard appeared in front of him, his back turned.


    Alucard was quickly in front of the Kraken''s main eye and smirked, "Hey, I''ve always wanted an unusual pet. What do you say?"


    Without waiting for an answer or for Gael and Ereg''s attacks to reach the Kraken, Alucard rushed forward, grabbing tightly onto one of the monster''s main tentacles.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Gael and Ereg''s fists came down, but all the energy went nowhere, all they aplished was to shake the air and create two powerful streams of me capable of burning everything in their path.


    Alucard turned around, continuing to drag Kraken behind him, who was more puzzled than anyone else.


    Even before the deadly situation, Kraken looked formidable and majestic, since he is one of the strongest in the open. However, now he looked like a lost kitten not knowing what to do or what was even going on.


    "Damn... Those mes are very powerful. They actually attacked in earnest." Alucard uttered, looking at the way the skin on his hands was burning, even though the mes were very far away.


    The same thing was happening to the dark tentacles that were quickly disappearing under the immense temperature of the two kinds of fire.


    Alucard sighed, "Well, it looks like I will have to save you once again. I suggest you don''t refuse my offer, otherwise, this fire will seem like a hot springpared to what I''ll do to you."


    Kraken flinched, at Alucard''s menacing stare that would have frightened anyone.

 Chapter 1085 Pet

    ?


    The two streams of mes should have easily destroyed Kraken, even with Alucard grabbing the monster by the tentacle and dragging it very far away from the Colosseum.


    However, their overall speed was not enough topletely evade the mes covering a vast area of open space.


    Alucard frowned, it wasn''t a problem for him to run away from the mes or just take the entire attack on himself. Even if he was burned to the ground, he would fully recover after a few seconds, but that was impossible for Kraken.


    "Fire... Dark and white, especially the mes of the Ashen... Damn, for your sake I''m going to have to go through something really nasty. Don''t you dare run away!" Alucard said seriously before turning into a bloody torrent.


    Alucard appeared in front of Kraken, clenching his fists tightly with a great frown. Even though he was the strongest Vampire, the mes of the Ashen one, especially from Gael, were his natural enemy. He wasn''t in danger of death, but prolonged difort would definitely be hispanion.


    "What''s he going to do?" Nitra muttered in confusion.


    "Isn''t it obvious?" Liang cast an arrogant nce at her, "He''s going to rescue that spatial octopus. All to satisfy his interest and fulfill his desires. Damn, his level of freedom and selfishness really knows no limit."


    Nitra said nothing as at that moment the scenes when Alucard had saved her and their Tree shed before her eyes.


    He didn''t have to do it, and it wasn''t fun for him, but he dared to do it. Nitra could have any opinion about Alucard, but she was grateful for what he had done.


    "Agh... What''s going on?" N muttered, opening her eyes.


    "Oh, you woke up just in time." Liang uttered in a slightly surprised tone, "Look, now Alucard is going to save whoever you wanted to kill."


    "What...?" N didn''t understand what Liang was talking about, but as soon as she looked away, her eyes went wide with a slight shiver throughout her body.


    Kraken was alive, though she was sure that her attack should have plunged the monster into the depths of the abyss forever. Moreover, two streams of me that effortlessly burned the dark tentacles were moving at Alucard, trying to protect Kraken.


    "Why? I don''t understand anything..." N''s gaze went nk as she felt a deep sense of resentment.


    Liang shrugged, "No one knows. It''s Alucard, but he definitely has some idea, and honestly, right now it''s the most interesting thing there is."


    Whoooooooosh.


    Before the streams of me were to reach Kraken, Alucard took a deep breath, directing all of his energy towards his chest.


    There was no air in the open space, but in Beastfolk World there was, so very soon everyone in the colosseum felt that, it became hard for them to breathe.


    Alucard''s breath was powerful enough to absorb everything in its path, whether it was the wind, or two streams of me carrying immense power.


    The ck and white mes, could not resist such a powerful pressure, heading towards Alucard and disappearing into his mouth. Obviously, this process was not painless. The fire was burning Alucard from the inside out, turning him to ash.


    However, Alucard''s powerful regeneration immediately repaired the damaged body parts, or rather organs since they were the main target of the fire.


    "FUCK! It hurts so bad!!!" Alucard shouted, echoing for miles around, and shaking the minds of others.


    Gael''s eyes went wide as he hadn''t expected Alucard to say something like that. Gael knew more than the others about Alucard, but everyone was well aware that pain wasmonce for Alucard.


    Because of his immortality and the number of years he had lived, Alucard had little perception of pain. He had experienced almost everything that was possible, even the worst torture would seem to him something boring and primitive.


    Fire was no exception, Alucard had died many times by burning in the mes, but he had never been in such a difficult situation before.


    Alucard couldn''t just let the fire burn itself since in that case the mes would burst out and kill Kraken.


    So all he had to do was endure and wait for the mes to exhaust their energy. He continued to regenerate while his organs burned away time after time, bringing him a savage pain that no one could endure but him.


    "Argh... That was fucked up..." Alucard muttered, exhaling ck smoke and smelling a foul odor like burnt flesh.


    Tap.


    After a while, the purple tentacle was on Alucard''s shoulder. Gael and Ereg were rmed since they thought Kraken was going to attack Alucard and take advantage of his vulnerability.


    Tap. Tap. Tap.


    The tip of the tentacle tapped on Alucard''s shoulder several times as if trying to see if he was okay.


    "Hah, are you worried about me already? I won''t hide it, it''s been hard, but it looks like it was worth it." Alucard smirked, turning to Kraken.


    Kraken stared at Alucard intently, but there was a look of worry in his eyes. Kraken realized that these mes could easily end his life, and only Alucard could save him.


    "Interesting, I didn''t expect the most dangerous open space monster to behave like this." Liang said with a curious expression, "But... What does he n to do next?"


    Alucard remained silent for a while, just breathing. He needed to regain his strength, more mentally than physically.


    "Damn, that was rough." Alucard muttered shaking his head before turning to Gael and Ereg, "If you had attacked harder, the mes would have just burned through me. Such power is impressive."


    Gael smiled slightly, nodding slightly. Alucard answered him in the same way.


    Ereg stepped forward with a great frown, "What do you n to do now? Do you really just want to let that monster go after all he''s done?"


    Alucard smiled slyly, "Well, let''s be honest. That Kraken only harmed N, but I was the one who caused it. Moreover, because of it, N reached the Transcendence Stage, so you can disregard that."


    Ereg wanted to say something, but Alucard beat him to it, with a wave of his hand, pointing at Kraken, "From now on, this huge octopus is my personal pet! I want everyone to know about it!"


    Kraken''s eyes went wide. He still found it hard to ept that events had turned out this way, but it couldn''t be said that, he was against it.


    Kraken was a monster first and foremost, and it was his decision to join this battle and attack Gael and Ereg, even though he could feel how powerful their auras were.


    Like any other monster, Kraken was ready to die in a fair fight, and he was grateful to Alucard, who decided to save him. Moreover, whether he wanted to or not, it didn''t matter, as he simply had no choice.


    "By the way... Don''t you know how to talk?" Alucard tilted his head in confusion.


    Unlike other races, because of their chaotic origins, monsters had to go through a special process to learn to speak.


    Sometimes the monsters were helped by the members of the Pirs by giving them names, but most of the time it happened naturally as the monsters grew stronger.


    It was almost impossible for a First or Second Chronicle monster to get its own name. However, if it was a Fourth or Fifth Chronicle monster, the situation was already quite different.


    Such strong monsters lived for a long time and went through many battles, so almost all of them had names, a clear mind, and could talk.


    In response, to Alucard''s question, Kraken shook his head awkwardly.


    Alucard raised an eyebrow in surprise, "Well... That''s unexpected, but maybe it''s because you were born in open space... Anyway, it''s no problem!"


    Alucard got an excited expression as he looked at Gael standing in the distance. Gael smiled slightly as if expecting this.


    "Hey, you''ve seen a monster like this before, right?" Alucard asked with a smile.


    Gael nodded, "Yeah, at one time I was traveling quite a bit in open space and then I saw a simr octopus. That one was a bit smaller, with not as many eyes and tentacles."


    "So... Do you know what they''re called?" Alucard waved his hand.


    Gael shook his head, "I doubt there''s any definite name for such rare creatures, but then I gave that octopus a nickname - Kraken."


    Alucard''s eyes shone brightly, "Right! Kraken, that''s a great one!"


    "Wait... You''re not going to name one of the strongest monsters in open space, are you?" Ereg realized an eyebrow in disbelief. He could expect a lot from Alucard, but it seemed to him that things had already gone too far.


    "Hah, sure I will!" Alucard eximed, turning towards the octopus with clear intent.


    Everyone became wary, even Liang and Nitra. They had seen some Fifth Chronicle monsters get names, but Kraken was stronger than most of those on the God Stage.


    Moreover, if Kraken used all of his abilities, he would defeat N, who was new to the Transcendence Stage.


    None of them knew what the result would be.

 Chapter 1086 The Name That Changed Everything

    <h4>Chapter 1086 The Name That Changed Everything</h4>


    "Hmph, a dangerous open space monster who is at the top of the God Stage... Given its unique abilities is even capable of defeating a neer to the Transcendence Stage like N..." Wain muttered thoughtfully while rubbing his chin.


    Everyone was waiting for Alucard to do this, and everyone had their own theories.


    "Marlis, what do you think?" Sven asked, ring at her.


    "Agh... I can''t say anything. Every monster who gains consciousness and a name bes much stronger and is also able to change its appearance. However, no one knows if it''s possible to go to the Transcendence Stage with it. Even if it does, it will be the first and only time. I''m sure of it." Marlis uttered with a serious expression.


    Osvald grinned widely, "Damn... Alucard is actually doing whatever he wants. It''s so exciting! I wonder if I''d be the same if I had immortality?"


    Wain shook his head, "You''re misunderstanding this situation. He didn''t be so free because of immortality, he became immortal because of who he is. Obviously, that''s not the only reason, but you get my point."


    Osvald nodded silently with a deep gaze. He was also at the Transcendence Stage, but he was quite far from Wain''s level or the stage where Alucard was. Even among the strongest, there was no equality. There was always someone who surpassed the other.


    Tentacles slowly moved amongst the darkness, while a multitude of amber eyes were directed at a man in a long aristocratic coat, blond hair, and crimson eyes.


    His long fangs could frighten anyone, and his aura was capable of overwhelming most creatures in this universe.


    However, right now the Vampire Progenitor was not going to fight anyone, on the contrary, for the second time in this fight he was going to help someone.


    The first time it was N, who he threw right into Kraken''s jaw, now it was Kraken himself. Definitely to some this situation looked and was ironic, but to Alucard, it was more than okay.


    "Fine, I''ve made up my mind. I won''tplicate things." Alucard uttered, with an excited expression, looking at his pet, the only one of its kind.


    Alucard pointed at the monster and said majestically, "It used to be a nickname, but now it will be your name. Now your name is Kraken!"


    Kraken''s eyes went wide as powerful energy began to emanate from his body. This was normal in a situation like this, however, something unexpected happened very soon.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Many chains with purple ancient runes appeared from the darkness. They curled around Kraken,pletely immobilizing him and preventing his tentacles from even moving.


    Then, Kraken''s aura began to drop rapidly, returning to its previous value.


    Kraken wasn''t frightened, and moreover, he didn''t even try to get out of the chains. There was a sadness in his gaze, as if he had expected this to happen and it could not be avoided.


    However, unlike Kraken, Alucard was not going to put up with it.


    "What the fuck...?" Alucard clenched his fists tightly while dense streams of red aura emanated from his body, powerful enough to give the audience goosebumps.


    Even those at Fifth Chronicle had only encountered such power a few times in their lives.


    Obviously, Alucard waspletely unhappy with what had happened and there was only one thing he could do - change everything.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space shook as Alucard received a great frown, clenching his teeth tightly.


    "World of Darkness... How dare you interfere with me? All I do is name my pet! There''s nothing about this that concerns you!" Alucard eximed furiously.


    Nitra watching the scene shook her head, "I understand his irritation, but I think it makes sense. Now, I realize that Alucard originally had no chance of sess."


    "Hmm? What do you mean?" Liang raised an eyebrow in confusion.


    "Unlike all the other monsters, spatial bugs, guards, and this Kraken, were born in a ce that is not officially space. World of Darkness doesn''t have a host or any kind of core, in fact, it can hardly even be called space in the manner we''re used to." Nitra sighed.


    Nitra continued, "World of Darkness, it''s just a canvas on which all the spaces in our universe are located, so... it seems monsters born in open space have certain limitations."


    Liang frowned, "It''s still strange to me. These creatures are born in darkness and their only job is to get rid of those who throw out too much energy. Yeah, they''re stronger than most other monsters, but such restrictions, it''s not fair at all."


    "Well..." Nitra shrugged, "Our world isn''t fair. You and I should understand that better than others."


    At that moment, N rose from the ground and with her palm pressed against her chest took a few steps forward.


    "You''re probably right... But, does Alucard realize that? I doubt the rules andws of the World of Darkness matter to him." N muttered in a worried voice, looking at Alucard''s back.


    Even though Alucard''s anger was directed at the World of Darkness, a chill ran down N''s spine. Only then did she fully realize how fearless she had been when she had boldly kissed Alucard.


    It was unlikely that she would be able to do the same thing again without thinking that Alucard could kill her with a flick of his hand.


    Step.


    Alucard took a step forward, and at that moment an energy wave quickly traveled through the colosseums.


    To everyone''s surprise, most of the runes on the colosseum glowed brightly as they tried to absorb the energy. This didn''t happen even when Gael and Ereg''s fists collided with each other.


    Of course, Gael and Ereg hadn''t shown their maximum strength yet, but Alucard didn''t even attack. All he did was simply step forward while an abnormal amount of energy emanated from his body.


    "World of Darkness... I''m giving you onest chance to release my pet or else I''ll destroy all your chains and I assure you. You will have to rebuild them for a very long time and things will happen in this world that break your rules." Alucard coldly said while continuing to walk forward.


    However, the ck chains just continued to twist Kraken''s body. Moreover, it seemed like they were intentionally doing it harder than necessary.


    World of Darkness'' job in such a case was simply to prevent the monster from getting a name if it wasn''t ready for it. Nothing more, and everyone knew that, so, this action only made Alucard even angrier.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Alucard jumped high up, clenching his fist tightly. Alucard didn''t use energy, it was a punch with pure physical force.


    He aimed at the ce where there were the most chains, because of Kraken''s massive body, which was where dozens of chains were intertwined and could be destroyed in one sessful attack.


    The world seemed to slow down at that moment, for everyone, and it didn''t matter who it was, Liang, N, an ordinary Beastfolk or Wain, who was currently a ghost.


    They all realized that no matter the oue, this strike would show some of Alucard''s true power. Unlike all the previous times, now he was serious.


    For Liang and Nitra this scene had a special meaning since recently they had seen what Alucard was capable of if he was serious.


    However, at that time, Alucard was not fighting anyone. His job was to save Nitra and the Tree, that was the reason why he got serious. So, now all they wanted to see was his pure power.


    Whoooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Before Alucard''s fist was to reach the chains, the runes on them shone brightly. Then, a dense purple barrier appeared between Alucard and Kraken.


    Nitra''s eyes went wide when she saw this barrier, the same thing happened to Marlis. They were both well-versed in science and especially in magical circles, so they understood better than anyone how difficult this barrier was.


    "No way... I could be wrong, but hidden inside this barrier are hundreds, perhaps even thousands, ofplex magic circles with multiple formations and millions of runes. It would take me hours to create even one such circle, and I''d know what to do." Marlis muttered in a disbelief.


    Sven shrugged, "Well, that''s not surprising. Anyway, World of Darkness has a lot more time than a few hours. I''m sure World of Darkness could use something more powerful if necessary. Anything to keep its rules in ce."


    Wain smirked, "Hahaha, what an amazingbination. An entity that makes other spaces exist, technically, whose main goal is to follow the rules, and an entity that is used to having no rules for him. It''s a true battle of titans or ideologies."


    At the same moment, Alucard''s fist came down on the center of the magic circle. Powerful energy pulses traveled through Alucard''s body as well as the barrier.


    Then, Alucard''s eyes opened wide, and he exploded with a bloody burst. All that was left of him was a fist stuck in the barrier.

 Chapter 1087 Chains

    ?


    Everyone expected to see Alucard''s blow destroy the barrier and free Kraken from the chains thatpletely restrained his movement. However, the World of Darkness was an opponent that could hardly be defeated.


    At the very least, a single fist strike was not enough to break the barrier that would have taken the best mages in the world years to create.


    Usually, if a fighter failed to break the barrier in one attack, he would just have to try again and again until he seeded. However, this barrier could not only absorb energy but also return it to the one who attacked.


    Considering Alucard''s power and the fact that he was serious, the power of his strike was enough to destroy his own body due to the terrifying recoil.


    "Well, this is what happens when the attack is more powerful than the defense." Liang muttered with a slight sigh.


    "Hah, is that you talking?" Nitra smirked, "I''m still not sure what it was at that moment... but your power is beyond my calctions or even imagination."


    Liang nodded, "Yeah, and we better never do that again. Next time, it''s unlikely that Alucard will be around to fix whatever we''ve done. Damn, it''s even kind of weird that the most entric of us turned out to be the most serious and reasonable at the most important moments."


    "Wait... Is that really all...?" N muttered in disbelief, looking at Alucard''s fist, the only thing left of it after the blow.


    Liang smirked, "Oh, right, you''ve never seen a Vampire Progenitor fight, have you?"


    N shook her head, "I know like the others that he has incredible regeneration, but is it possible to survive something like that? I mean... Even Fifth Chronicle Vampires need to have a head, heart, or at least some organ left to fully regenerate."


    "Hahaha." Liangughed without holding back his emotions, "Even though you became one of the Transcendence Creatures today, it''s obvious that you still have a lot to learn about the top of this world."


    Liang pointed at Alucard''s fist, "Just watch. It''s nicknamed immortal not because of the high regeneration that even the most ordinary Vampire possesses, but because it can''t actually be killed."


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    At the same moment, from Alucard''s fist came a multitude of scarlet threads that quickly began to form a silhouette. First bones and veins were created, then muscles, tendons, organs, and skin.


    There were many processes, but they all happened almost instantaneously. In a heartbeat, Alucard had fully recovered and he lookedpletely normal. It was no different from the thousands of other times he had died. In a way, this had long since be routine for him.


    "Agh... Not bad, with normal strikes I definitely won''t be able to break through this barrier. Well, after all, this barrier was created by the chains of the World of Darkness, so I should have been prepared for it." Alucard muttered with a serious expression.


    Then, Alucard''s aura intensified as an I mark appeared on his hands.


    "The First Gate..." Alucard muttered as his eyes became deeper and every spectator felt a chill go down their spine.


    They sensed that before them was an enemy capable of destroying the world with its power if it wished. Now, this creature had only one goal - to break down the barrier that blocked the path between him and his pet.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Alucard raised his fist to strike again, gathering in it a tremendous force that made space shake. It was felt even in the open space as the chains began to shake slightly, causing them to jingle.


    Kraken''s eyes went wide. He couldn''t believe that there was a creature in this world that could go against the rules of the World of Darkness.


    World of Darkness never interfered with what happened in other spaces, even in open space this entity acted very rarely. Therefore, many people forgot that even Progenitors couldn''t break the rules that World of Darkness followed so easily.


    "Well... Let''s see what you can do." Alucard took a deep breath before unleashing his fist which emitted powerful crimson energy streams.


    Gael''s eyes narrowed as his body revealed a multitude of scars and he swung his arm, creating a wall of me between the colosseum and the open space.


    Ereg did the same, summoning more ghosts and intensifying his mes. They realized what was about to happen, so they did their best to protect the colosseum and the spectators as much as possible.


    Bam.


    At the same moment, Alucard''s fist reached its target, as the scarlet energy released its full power in a single point.


    Electric shocks went through the barrier just like Alucard''s hands. The pressure at one point was too powerful, forcing the energy topress into a form simr to lightning bolts to spread and dissipate faster.


    Then, with a bright sh, the full force of Alucard''s blow crashed down on the barrier, causing it to crack.


    Whoooooooooooooooooooosh.


    The powerful shockwave destroyed part of the ck and white me wall with devastating streams of wind. They were like ghosts, fleeing from a ce where no living thing could survive, demolishing everything in their path.


    Since they were wind currents, the colosseum''s barrier did not absorb them or stop them in any way, but that did not mean they were safe. Wind currents created by a blow of such power were already weapons in themselves.


    The clouds slowly drifting across the sky were torn apart, and the mountains in the distance were left with deep w-like cuts, as was the ground behind the colosseum.


    The spectators had to use defense skills and help each other to avoid getting seriously injured by the wind.


    Even Liang and Nitra were no exception.


    "Oh, such a powerful wind and only from a single blow. Well, in the end, it was with that power that he destroyed my temple and saved the Tree..." Liang muttered, extending his arm.


    The wind that should have cut him apart, obediently stopped in front of him and at Liang''s will, became calm and docile.


    N''s eyes went wide, she was surprised at how easily Liang did it. Unlike Nitra, she hadn''t seen what Liang was capable of if he used all his strength. He was the real monster here whose power could be a threat to a hundred worlds.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crack.


    Cracks quickly spread through the barrier, but the runes in the magic circles shone brightly, causing them to rotate rapidly.


    Each magic circle released outward energy to repair the damage to the barrier, given their total number, the cracks were quickly being repaired.


    However, Alucard knew better than anyone what needed to be done before the enemy could recover.


    Bam.


    Alucard clenched his fist and attacked again, then again and again. Each time, his attacks became stronger, and Alucard took heavy damage from his own blows. However, before the next blow, his wounds were already gone.


    In response, the magic circles continued to spin faster and faster, but it was clearly not enough to ovee Alucard''s hail of attacks.


    Shards began to fly from the barrier, and the runes on the magic circles were gradually running out. The magic circles disappeared one by one and soon the barrier became quite dim and transparent.


    "Hah. World of Darkness, is this really all you can do?" Alucard smirked, delivering the final blow.


    The barrier shattered into small shards, whizzing in front of Alucard and Kraken.


    Kraken''s eyes went wide in disbelief. The monster just couldn''t believe that Alucard could do that.


    Alucard smirked, took a deep breath, and stepped forward confidently.


    "Well, it''s almost done. All that''s left is to get rid of those nasty chains and you''ll get your name!" Alucard eximed, then he tore towards the chains.


    Nothing was stopping him this time, it seemed that the World of Darkness no longer had a way to stop the Vampire Progenitor.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Alucard began to rain down blows, shattering the chains. After a while, he destroyed most of the chains and Kraken was free to move his long tentacles.


    To anyone, Kraken should have looked like a fearsome and dangerous monster, but now he looked harmless and perhaps cute to some. Kraken shook his tentacles happily like a dog shaking its tail.


    Alucard smirked, realizing what Kraken was feeling right now, but he didn''t say anything. First, he had to destroy all the chains and name his pet.


    Craken. Crackle. Crackle.


    The chains flew off to the sides, unable to withstand the Alucard''s powerful grip. Now that nothing was protecting the chains, it was very easy for him.


    "Oh, he did it after all." Gael muttered as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    Then, he turned to Ereg and his eyes went wide. Ereg''s fur stood up, and his gaze was deep and worried as if his instincts were telling him that disaster was about to strike.


    Step. Step. Step. Step.


    Alucard walked up to Kraken, waved his hand, and said again, "Now your name is, "


    Whoooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Before Alucard could finish, dozens of chains emerged from the darkness. However, this time they weren''t aimed at Kraken, but at him, the one who had long since had a name.

 Chapter 1088 Sphere

    <h4>Chapter 1088 Sphere</h4>


    World of Darkness usually acted on monsters who shouldn''t have gotten their names. That''s exactly what happened to Kraken, but Alucard didn''t let that stop him, and he continued forward until he destroyed the most powerful defense barrier.


    It was only one barrier, but he had to get serious to do it, almost like when he saved Nitra and the Tree of the Construct World.


    The chains were broken, and Kraken was free, so now Alucard only had to say the same phrase again that started it all.


    However, before he could finish, new chains appeared, only now they were aimed at Alucard.


    "What''s going on..." N muttered in disbelief, "Is this possible? Why are the chains heading towards Alucard? Is he a monster?"


    Liang frowned, "I don''t know... I doubt anyone realizes why this is happening. Alucard is definitely one of the Pirs..."


    Nitra narrowed her eyes, staring intently at the chains, and then she spoke, "These chains are different, or rather the runes on them. They''re a bit different. Most likely World of Darkness has realized that as long as Alucard is here this will continue indefinitely."


    Gael and Ereg were also puzzled as they nced over.


    "Well... It looks like the fighting is stopping for a while, right?" Ereg asked, pointing at Alucard and Kraken.


    Gael nodded, "Yeah... My dear friend was at the center of things as usual, because of his crazy ideas. This time he managed to piss off the entity that fills our world."


    Gael directed his gaze forward, "I think now we should just see what happens next. I doubt it will happen again in the next hundred years. Such an event should not be missed. Moreover, we have a chance to see what World of Darkness is capable of."


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    A multitude of chains twisted around Alucard''s arms and legs. He tried to get out of them and destroy them, but the chains were strong enough to withstand his power.


    Kraken''s eyes went wide as he stretched his tentacles forward, going to help Alucard somehow.


    "Stop!" Alucard eximed with a great frown, "Don''t you dare do that. Those chains might grab you again and there''s no telling what will happen then. What''s more, do you think I need anyone''s help?! This fight is between me and the World of Darkness!"


    Kraken flinched at Alucard''s stare and after a brief pause, stepped back to a safe distance.


    The reasons were unimportant since everyone realized that Alucard had to deal with this himself. Just him and no one else.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Gradually the chains twisted tighter and tighter, tearing Alucard''s flesh and breaking his bones. It wasn''t a problem for Alucard, his body wasn''t as strong as Liang''s, but healing a broken bone was a matter of seconds for him.


    World of Darkness understood this too, as the main purpose of the chains was not to kill or harm Alucard in any way, but to make him weaken.


    In a heartbeat, sharp spikes appeared on the chains, digging into Alucard''s body. At the same moment, the runes on the chains shone brightly, absorbing all of Alucard''s energy.


    "Oh... I see... Not a bad n." Liang said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "Alucard can''t move, so World of Darkness is trying to drain himpletely, draining him of the veryst drop of energy."


    "That might work...?" N asked with a worried expression.


    Nitra bit her lip. She didn''t want to show it but she was worried about Alucard too. She couldn''t get the scene where he had kissed her out of her mind, nor could she forget his immense gratitude for saving her and the Tree.


    Liang paused for a moment, looking at Alucard. His snow-white, smooth skin, not even the most beautiful girl possessed was beginning to wrinkle and age rapidly.


    Alucard''s blonde hair, strong and thick, was slowly falling out and falling apart, turning into nothing like that of an old man who was near death. Even his fingernails, capable of wounding a Dragon, and fangs perhaps the strongest in the world began to crack and fall out, disappearing into the darkness of open space.


    Eventually, his gaze ceased to be menacing and alive, trailingpletely empty like someone who was very close to death.


    Crackle.


    The chains mped down harder,pletely breaking Alucard''s body in all ces as all light disappeared from his eyes and his breathing stopped.


    After a while, the chains released their victim, allowing Alucard''s lifeless body to fall into the darkness.


    At this moment, Liang turned to N and said, "Of course not. If he could be defeated by simply draining all the energy from him, then he wouldn''t be The Immortal one, and only one."


    Then, scarlet streams of energy emerged from Alucard''s body, powerful and aggressive, obviously annoyed at what the chains had done to the body.


    "Argh... That wasn''t pleasant..." Alucard wheezed, barely moving his lips, "Well... From World of Darkness, I expected nothing less."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space shuddered as the red streams intensified. In a heartbeat, Alucard had fully recovered, and even his tattered coat had returned to normal.


    "Is this really all you can do?" Alucard uttered, keeping his hands in his pockets and staring into the void.


    Obviously, World of Darkness could not give a direct answer, as it was not a living being but a simple entity. However, besides words, there were other ways tomunicate with its opponent.


    Whooooooosh.


    The chains copsed on Alucard, once again curling around his legs and arms. Then, Alucard''s bodypletely dried up like a mummy. Everything happened again.


    However, when Alucard recovered after a few seconds, World of Darkness did not attempt to go through with the n again. It realized that no matter how much the chains drained Alucard''s body, it wouldn''t change the result.


    So, this time the chains became much more numerous. From each chain, a few more appeared, and so on until their number increased to several thousand.


    The entire space in front of Alucard was covered with chains. There were so many of them that through the denseyer of chains, he could not see Kraken, who stood in the distance.


    Alucard frowned slightly but did not take any action. He just waited for the next action from World of Darkness.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Thousands of chains simultaneously headed towards Alucard,pletely covering him from all sides.


    "Looks like World of Darkness has decided to switch to a new tactic." Liang uttered with a serious expression.


    "Is something wrong?" Nitra asked, noticing his uneasiness.


    "Not really. World of Darkness realizes that it''s impossible to kill Alucard, however, just because Alucard is immortal doesn''t mean he can''t be defeated. You don''t have to kill your opponent to lose, whether it''s a duel or a simple training fight." Liang uttered while intently watching the movements of the chains.


    First, the dark chainspletely immobilized Alucard, and then they began to cover him from all sides, ovepping each other.


    Soon, thest chain closed in front of Alucard''s eyes, plunging himpletely into darkness.


    However, the chains were not going to stop there, as it only took a hundred chains topletely cover Alucard. There were several thousand more here.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    The chains continued to cover Alucard, gradually turning into a huge spherepletelyposed of dark chains.


    When all of the chains were used up, purple runes shone brightly on them and sharp spikes appeared, providing extra strength.


    Because of the spikes, it was now impossible to untangle this sphere like a ball of thread, the only option to get out of the sphere was to destroy it.


    "Damn... This already looks like a real problem." Liang frowned.


    "Agh...?" Nitra and N gave him a questioning look.


    "Previously, Alucard couldn''t destroy the circuits that bound him, even though there were only a few. However, now he needs to destroy thousands to get out. With manyyers of chains pressing down on him, it might actually be difficult." Liang uttered with a serious expression.


    "We have to help him!" N eximed.


    Liang cast a stern look at her, "Don''t even think about it. If World of Darkness decides that you are its target, then no one will save you."


    "I realize that... But, there are many people much stronger and more powerful than me! Alucard is one of you, shouldn''t you help him?" N shouted, clenching her fists tightly.


    Liang shook his head as he pointed at Gael, "Until his best and longest friend takes action, no one will budge. Otherwise, it will be the greatest insult and humiliation to Alucard. I''m not going to do that to my new friend."


    N turned toward Gael, and her eyes went wide. Even though the situation was dangerous, Gael didn''t look rmed.


    On the contrary, there was a slight smile on Gael''s face and a confident look on his face. It seemed that he did not doubt at all that Alucard would be able to get out of this realm, and it would happen very soon.

 Chapter 1089 Golem

    ?


    To break the chains of the World of Darkness, it was necessary to exert tremendous strength.


    It was unlikely that the beings on the God Stage possessed the necessary strength, only those who had reached the Transcendence Stage were capable of doing so.


    In order to fight such a massive entity, one had to be different from this world and have their own way. Alucard fell under this definition, perhaps more so than the others.


    However, only by activating First Gate, and striking at full power, had Alucard been able to destroy the chains that held Kraken back. Now, he found himself in apletely different situation.


    "Hah, if the opponent is immortal, but there''s no point in trying to kill him." Wain smirked as he crossed his arms over his chest, "Much better to just seal him up, forever."


    Marlis nced at him, "You don''t seem worried about him at all."


    Wain shrugged, "Don''t forget, it''s only a memory. In our time, or five hundred years after these events, Alucard is alive and well, he''s the same as he was before. Obviously, he got out of that trap."


    Sven frowned, "Well... Honestly, I''m not sure I could have done it alone. Maybe you or Liang could have done it. You, because of your destructive power that no barrier can resist... Liang could simply break even a million chains if he used his Form.


    However... Is Alucard capable of that? His main feature is regeneration, but not physical strength."


    Wain smirked, "Hah, you''re wrong."


    "Agh...?" Sven gave him a questioning look.


    Wain pointed to the sphere of chains, "Immortality also means a virtually limitless amount of internal energy. It''s somewhat simr to your ability, but you absorb energy from the outside, while Alucard, can take it from within."


    Wain continued, "Sure, this method has its limits, but Alucard also has unique abilities like the rest of us. After all, his immortality isn''t his trump card, it''s amon thing for him."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, scarlet streams of energy began to emanate from the sphere, passing through the gaps in the chains.


    Then, above the sphere appeared the bloody number I. It was Alucard''s First Gate, which he had activated earlier. Obviously, it was not enough to escape from such a powerful dungeon that the World of Darkness itself had built for him.


    The chains shook slightly, but there was no damage on them, so Alucard had to use a more powerful tool to solve this problem.


    From the blood, another symbol appeared, so now above the sphere hovered the sign - II.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The chains began to shake much more violently, and some of them began to break. The first to break were the chains on the very edge, as they were the most stable.


    However, when the runes shone brightly on the chains, and several dozen more chains appeared, Alucard''s attempts ceased to have any sess.


    The powerful aura, emanating from within made the chains shake, but no longer was it enough to destroy them.


    "Well, well, looks like I''m going to see something that hasn''t been seen in several hundred years." Gael uttered as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    Ereg turned to him, "What are you talking about?"


    "Gates, Alucard''s special ability. I don''t know exactly how it works, but one thing I do know for sure. Every time he opens a new Gates, he bes significantly stronger. The Third Gates are thest ones he can use without activating his Form." Gael exined, with a slight look and a re.


    He was the only one who knew anything about Alucard''s ability, so everyone else was puzzled, especially the audience. They thought that all Alucard was capable of was insane regeneration and that was enough for them to consider him one of the strongest.


    However, Alucard was someone everyone considered a worthy opponent, only regeneration would be too little for such a status.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The space trembled again, however, the aura stopped leaving the sphere. It seemed that Alucard had given up, but it was only the calm before a powerful storm.


    Another symbol appeared above the sphere, turning into - III. Considering that Alucard hadn''t used his Form, this was the maximum of his power at the moment.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Then, dozens of chains began to break into tiny shards from the invisible pressure that had not yet had time to escape from within due to its immense power.


    "What is this...?" N muttered while her whole body shook in terror. She saw a dense, crimson aura begin to emerge from the chains, so dense that she could touch it and feel it.


    She had never seen anything like it before, and neither had most of the spectators in the colosseum.


    Nitra''s eyes went wide, "Wait... If what he''s using now is superior to the skill he used to save me and the Tree, then how much stronger has he be?"


    Liang shrugged, "No one knows. However, I won''t hide it. He''s much stronger than you now, I can feel it from that creepy aura. In a fight against him, I''d have to use my Form pretty soon."


    Nitra bit her lip. She wasn''t happy with this answer, but she didn''t say anything since she realized it was true. Liang had no reason to lie.


    ''Shit, even after everything that happened, I''m still not strong enough to stand on the same level as those monsters.'' Nitra inwardly uttered with a great frown, ''What''s wrong with this world? How is such injustice in strength even possible?!''


    After hundreds of years of life, this day was the most important day for Nitra. In a moment, she was close to starting a war between the two Pirs, moreover, Liang had almost destroyed the main treasure of her world.


    However, through these events, Liang''s actions, and Alucard''s intervention, she realized a lot of things.


    Even though she was the strongest of her race, that didn''t mean she had already reached her limit. There was always room to grow, even for someone who already seemed to be at the very top of the world.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Gradually, the dense crimson aura grewrger andrger, and with that, the chains began to copse faster.


    At first, only a few chains broke per second, then dozens, until it reached several hundred in one second.


    After about a minute, there was almost nothing left of the chains as everyone saw Alucard''s majestic silhouette again.


    Outwardly, he hadn''t changed in any way, except that the veins on his arms were swollen, and on the back of his palm was a mark - III of blood.


    "Tsk. You made me use something so powerful. Come on, I''m sure you were ready for this! Show me what else you have prepared for me!" Alucard eximed with a great frown, staring into the void.


    Kraken, watching this scene didn''t know what to feel. He was simultaneously d that Alucard was able to get out of the sphere, but Alucard''s aura was actually frightening and even creepy.


    He looked like he was ready to destroy the entire world with a single wave of his hand, and no one would be able to stop him.


    For a while nothing happened, however, the most attentive noticed that the darkness in some ces began to thicken. It was like a fog moving towards one point to reveal something.


    Gradually, the darkness grewrger and thicker. It rose higher, bing dozens of timesrger than Alucard and almost as big as Kraken.


    Alucard frowned as he clenched his fists tightly. Through his instincts, he sensed that this was the final measure from World of Darkness.


    If he could handle this trial, World of Darkness would have nothing left to stop Alucard.


    Several bright purple lights appeared in the fog, behind which something was hiding.


    Then, as if in a current of wind, the dark fog slowly dispersed, revealing a tall silhouette behind it.


    It was a huge golem made of an unusual ck stone that seemed to beposed of the matter of open space and the energy of the World of Darkness.


    However, none of that mattered except for the Golem''s incredible aura. Everyone felt that this was a Transcendence Stage.


    "What do you think?" Liang asked, turning to N, "Is this Golem''s aura more powerful than yours?"


    N gulped with a nod, "Definitely. If I were to find myself in front of this creature, I doubt I would be able to take even a step. Its aura just overwhelms me, even when I''m at this distance."


    Alucard smirked, "Hah, do you really think pieces of stone will be enough to overpower me? Well, let''s put that to the test!"


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, several blood clots appeared behind Alucard. They were active and seemed alive. The blood clots shuddered and abruptly turned into long, massive spears with several desks around the base.


    Then, at Alucard''s sweep of his arm, the arrows tore forward, raining down on the Golem, whose violet-glowing eyes stared intently at Alucard.

 Chapter 1090 Endless Circle

    <h4>Chapter 1090 Endless Circle</h4>


    Two bloody arrows headed toward the Golem at tremendous speed, intending to destroy their target. The arrows were powerful and fast enough that no one in Fifth Chronicle could resist this attack.


    In the end, Alucard used a level of power that he hadn''t had to unleash in a very long time.


    His opponent was the rules of the World of Darkness, and he realized that it would not be easy. If he wanted to break the rules that everyone else obeyed, even dangerous monsters like Kraken, he had to do something unique.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Arrows pierced the Golem''s shoulders, passing through them and exploding with a powerful bloody st.


    Streams of wind quickly came out of the open space in the colosseum, as if trying to escape from a battle that was not to be.


    "Oh... That''s impressive..." Gael muttered while the wind fluttered his ashy hair.


    Ereg frowned, "You''re not talking about Alucard''s attack, right?"


    Gael nodded, "Sure, the fact that those arrows would be so powerful was more than predictable. However..." Gael raised his head, directing his gaze at the Golem.


    The Golem was badly wounded, however, he didn''t seem to care.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    The Golem''s eyes shone brightly, as the two wide wounds quickly healed. The darkness simply increased in size, recing the empty space left by the explosion of arrows.


    Alucard smirked as his eyes shed brightly, "I see... You can''t kill me, you couldn''t seal me, so... You decided to make me fight against someone like me?"


    Wain smiled, "Damn... Though World of Darkness is an entity, it actually knows what to do to keep the rules working."


    Osvald raised an eyebrow in puzzlement, "Hm? What are you talking about?"


    "Don''t you realize that? Do you have no idea what the purpose of this Golem is? I mean, its main ability is already obvious to everyone." Wain asked, sincerely.


    Osvald shook his head. He was good at fighting and swinging his fists, but sometimes it was hard for him to understand what the point of the situation was.


    "Bottom line. World of Darkness cannot allow Alucard to give Kraken a name, as it would be against the rules of open space. You can''t kill Alucard, so World of Darkness tried to seal him. However, we have seen that this has proven to be a failure."


    Wain continued, "So... There is only one option left. If you can''t win as well as lose, then it can be a draw."


    "A draw...? What''s the point of that?" Osvald muttered in confusion.


    Wain smiled, "It''s simple. If they''re both immortal and neither of them can be killed, then their fight will be eternal. In that case, even if neither of them loses, World of Darkness will win."


    Osvald simply tilted his head with a nk stare. It seemed like he didn''t understand what Wain was talking about and his words were some kind of nonsense.


    "They will fight forever." Marlis said irritably, shaking her head, "How can you be so stupid as to not understand such a simple n?"


    Osvald frowned, "Hey! I was just asking! What''s wrong with that?"


    Marlis didn''t answer anything, she just snorted and crossed her arms over her chest, continuing to watch the fight.


    Sven smiled slightly, "There''s no need to swear. This is an unusual situation where a draw for one side will be a defeat for the other because of its duration. Thus, despite the draw, we will have a winner and a loser."


    "Yeah... However, that''s only if everything goes ording to the n of the World of Darkness." Wain smirked, tipping the raki on the back of his head with obvious interest, watching Alucard.


    The golem didn''t wait for Alucard to attack, the monster also had a purpose to show its opponent its abilities.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Golem stretched out his hand, umting a huge amount of purple energy in his palm, and then the sphere increased several times bing a massive fireball.


    "Oh? Trying to burn me? Go ahead! I''ve been through this a thousand times already!" Alucard eximed as he pointed at the Golem.


    This time, from therge clot of blood, came not arrows but a simpler but powerful weapon. It was a giant hammer with spikes on the main part, perfect for smashing rocks into small shards.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Alucard swung his arm and they both attacked at the same time.


    The hammer was quickly in front of the Golem, starting to quickly strike the monster and smash it into pieces that quickly disappeared into the darkness.


    However, Golem''s attack wasn''t as fast and direct, as the purple fireball moved extremely slowly.


    "Hm? What''s going on? Do you really think it''s possible to hit me with something like that?" Alucard raised an eyebrow in confusion. He realized that his enemy was unlikely to have as high an intellect as he did, but Alucard was sure that Golem knew how to fight.


    In the end, World of Darkness decided to summon this creature to stop Alucard from breaking the rules.


    Then, the sphere trembled slightly and split into hundreds of smaller ones. They surrounded Alucard on all sides, creating a dome around him.


    However, the spheres were not trying to lock Alucard in here, Golem as well as World of Darkness knew that even thousands of chains would not be able to hold Alucard.


    So... The only option World of Darkness had to win was to force Alucard to retreat. This could only be done if Alucard realized that this battle was not worth it and abandoned Kraken, leaving the monster without a name.


    Alucard frowned slightly, he realized that the spheres had some purpose, but to find out he only had one way.


    "Come on! I''m ready!" Alucard eximed, spreading his arms apart with a serious expression.


    The Blood Hammer continued to attack the Golem, but every time the Golem took serious damage the darkness quickly repaired it.


    Pieces of stone flew off to the side, disappearing into the darkness, and soon the darkness would move to the side of the damage, and Golem would look as if nothing had happened. Regardless of how hard the hammer attacked, Golem regenerated quickly, mimicking Alucard''s actions.


    Then, one of the spheres trembled slightly and headed toward Alucard at a tremendous speed.


    It happened so fast that it looked like a purple sh that pierced through Alucard.


    "Argh!"


    The sphere''s mes were powerful enough to turn the immortal creature''s body into a handful of ash in an instant, which hovered in open space.


    The sphere returned to its ce, now it was much smaller as it had devoted a lot of energy to destroying Alucard.


    However, as purple runes appeared in the darkness and flew into the sphere, it returned to its previous size.


    Whoooooooooooooooooooosh.


    With a burst of red energy, Alucard revived, much faster than before. It was the effect of him using Third Gate.


    "Tsk. That was unpleasant, but what''s next? Do you think I''m just going to stand here!" Alucard frowned, reaching forward with his hand.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A clot of blood appeared in front of Alucard, quickly taking some form. It was a massive weapon with a long wide de, simr to a halberd or poleaxe.


    "Agh...?" Alucard''s eyes went wide as his arm exploded, and a purple sh went off behind him.


    Then, another sphere headed towards his leg, turning it into nothingness. A third sphere immediately attacked after thest one, passing through Alucard''s chest and burning him to the ground.


    Gael furrowed his brows as he narrowed his eyes, "Damn... I guess now I understand what the n of the World of Darkness is."


    Ereg nced at him, giving a puzzled look, "Is something wrong? Do you really think this could be a problem for Alucard?"


    "I''m not sure..." Gael muttered with aplicated expression, "Alucard is immortal, but his defense is at a rather low level. You, me, or Liang are definitely superior to him in that parameter."


    Ereg smirked, "Yeah, that makes sense since he''s The Immortal one, if he still had the same defense as us, then I would begin to doubt the reality of our world. Such a creature shouldn''t exist, though... I have quite a few questions about Alucard''s immortality as well. Its power is the biggest anomaly I''ve seen in my long life."


    Gael nodded, "Sure. I''m not worried about Alucard dying or anything else impossible. However, now he might actually lose. Just watch."


    Gael pointed to the ashes that were left of Alucard.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    The ash shone brightly, and in a heartbeat, Alucard appeared at that spot. Recovering from this position was not a problem for him. He was going to continue creating weapons from blood, however, the World of Darkness had other ns for him.


    Before Alucard could even blink, he was pierced by three different purple spheres, turning him back into ash.


    Then, Alucard regenerated again, rising from the ashes like a phoenix, but his fate was already sealed.


    Crackle.


    At the same moment, as Alucard opened his eyes, he saw ten spheresing straight at him. The first thought appeared in his mind, and he became ash again.

 Chapter 1091 Defeat in a Draw

    <h4>Chapter 1091 Defeat in a Draw</h4>


    If one wanted to win a battle, facing an immortal opponent would be the biggest mistake.


    It was impossible to win a battle against an immortal unless the opponent could actually be killed. In that case, one could only hope for a draw if the opponent himself wanted to stop dueling.


    World of Darkness didn''t want to admit it, but when the chains and the huge orb appeared, World of Darkness tried to seal Alucard. It was the only way to defeat an immortal being without killing it.


    Everyone realized that this tactic could work, only if Alucard didn''t possess such insane destructive power, this n would definitely leave him in the open forever.


    "Damn... Now I see what you were talking about earlier." Ereg muttered with aplicated expression while looking at the many bright purple shes.


    Every second Alucard tried to revive and seeded, but before he could do anything, the ming spheres turned him into nothing.


    "Yeah... Moreover, given the infinite energy of the World of Darkness, the spheres will never run out of energy." Gael nodded, narrowing his eyes.


    Then, for the first time in several hundred years, he began to worry about his friend, who seemed like he couldn''t possibly have a problem. Alucard always did what he wanted and never had significant problems because of it, he was prepared for anything.


    At least, that was the way things had been going until now.


    ''Hm... If we intervene, we can definitely force World of Darkness to back off and not enforce the rules this time. However... That would be the greatest insult to Alucard, I just can''t do that to him.'''' Gael pondered with a great frown on his face.


    Ereg nced at Gael, he could see how Gael was worried and understood his feelings. It had happened to him when Alucard had thrown N at Kraken''s jaw, but this situation was on another level.


    Whoooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Alucard swung his arm, creating a barrier of blood around him, strong enough that even the ws of an adult Dragon couldn''t cut it in the first attack.


    However, at the same moment, three ming spheres passed through the barrier, leaving wide holes in Alucard''s chest.


    "Bastards!" Alucard angrily eximed, as his pupils shed and his regeneration increased several times.


    However, before his wounds had time to heal, more than ten spheres rained down on him, leaving nothing but ashes.


    "Oh... Looks like we''ll see defeat soon." Liang calmly said while rubbing his chin thoughtfully.


    "Agh...? Don''t you believe in Alucard at all?" Nitra frowned.


    Liang waved his hand, "I''m not talking about him but about World of Darkness. Alucard was already able to find a moment to create a barrier. He didn''t have a second to boost his regeneration. If he can do it right, World of Darkness won''t have any other options left."


    Nitra stared at Alucard, who had died about ten times in those few seconds and sighed heavily.


    "No, you''re wrong." Nitra shook her head in a sad tone.


    Liang gave her a questioning look.


    "I''ve already counted everything. Most of the spheres don''t move, and only 10% of their total number attack, although only 1%-3% were effective before. Thus, even if Alucard bes five times faster, even if it bes seven times faster, it won''t change anything." Nitra sighed.


    Liang didn''t reply anything, he just continued to watch the fight. However, after Nitra''s words, his gaze did not change in any way. It seemed, like he was thinking about something else entirely, and her calctions were unimportant.


    "Fuck!"


    "Enough!"


    "I''m sick of you!"


    "This is stupid!"


    "Fight fair!"


    Alucard shouted something each time he died, only to die again the next moment.


    As Nitra had anticipated, Alucard was actually able to be faster over time, but he couldn''t do anything, not even create the blood barrier once more.


    Almost half of the spheres were constantly moving from one side to the other, given their immense speed it looked like a lot of purple streaks going through the center of the huge sphere.


    Alucard would appear right in the center of the sphere, and the ming streaks would immediately burn him, preventing him from even uttering a single word.


    Alucard would only have time to make a short wave of his hand, but the barrier would not have time to form in that time.


    After a few swings, Alucard''s gaze shifted to his hand and his pupil narrowed before the mes engulfed him again.


    "Oh, looks like he''s finally figured out what needs to be done." Wain smirked, watching the fight as much as the others.


    "What are you talking about?" Osvald asked in confusion.


    "Just watch. I''m sure Alucard has never done this before as only World of Darkness could put him through such a unique Trial." Wain waved his hand with a confident smile on his face.


    Sven nodded silently, seeming to have ideas as well. He knew how Alucard could get out of this situation.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Alucard revived again, and the ming spheres were already in front of him. He had less than a second to make a decision and execute his n.


    Normally, it wouldn''t be enough to even clench his hand into a fist, it was impossible to execute a n in such a time, but for Alucard, anything was possible.


    Crackle.


    He swung his hand, then the ming spheres turned him into ashes. However, the ming spheres didn''t notice something because they were just a normal spell that had a simple purpose - to kill Alucard.


    Alucard died, and his ashes floated in the center of the sphere while his arm flew off to the side, spinning in the air.


    "Agh...? Why did he do that?" N muttered in a disbelief.


    "Well, perhaps meeting Nitra had a positive effect on him." Liang smirked, looking at her, "You''d probably want to do a simr experiment, wouldn''t you?"


    Nitra didn''t answer anything, in fact, she wasn''t even listening to what Liang was saying. Her gaze was fixed on the ashes left by Alucard and his hand.


    Whoooooooooooooooooosh.


    The hand and the ashes shone brightly with scarlet shes. Then, blood clots covered them, and everyone saw two silhouettes that werepletely simr to each other, like twins.


    "Wait...? Is it Alucard...? Or... Should I say Alucards?" N said in a puzzled manner with wide-open eyes.


    "Cloning..." Nitra whispered with a mad grin on her face. She as a scientist had thought about it many times, but Nitra was sure it was impossible.


    "Well, practically." Liang shrugged, looking at the two clones.


    In truth, Alucard hadn''t created his full clone since most of his clone''s body consisted of dense blood, although all the parts were the same. The clone only had Alucard''s real arm, it was the only thing made up of flesh bones, and skin and not just blood.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, the spheres trembled slightly, as if choosing their next target. Then, they made the only possible decision - to split up and attack two Alucards at once.


    Alucard and his clone turned to ash, but now there was no frown on Alucard''s face, but a bright, shining grin. He had finally realized what he had to do to defeat World of Darkness, and his n had worked.


    "Hah, there''s no stopping him now. We just need to keep up this pace, and soon World of Darkness will fall!" Wain eximed with an excited expression.


    Marlis and Osvald had the same faces. Even Sven was smiling without hiding it. However, he was slightly surprised which was obvious.


    "I guess you expected him to do something different, didn''t you?" Wain asked, turning to Sven.


    Sven nodded, "Yeah... Everyone has forgotten about it, but the blood hammer still continues to attack the Golem. Look."


    Wain turned around and nodded.


    Every second, the hammer quickly attacked, copsing on the Golem. The monster immediately recovered, but perhaps Alucard could use it to his advantage. He seemed to havepletely forgotten about the weapon he had created, which was struggling to fulfill its purpose.


    "Alucard could destroy the spheres with his hammer or turn it into a stream of blood and defend himself. He probably had some other options, but honestly, I''m pleased he didn''t." Sven said calmly, with a slight smile.


    Wain nodded, "Agree. Clones from different body parts. I''ve never seen such a thing, and it''s likely the only possibility in the history of our world."


    "Well... It is definitely a unique ability that is only avable to Alucard. After all, these clones can be considered living beings to some extent."


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    The ming spheres were burning Alucard and his clone, he did nothing as he just enjoyed the moment.


    Then, after Alucard recovered, he bit off his fingers and tossed them aside. His clone did the same.


    Thus, the next time it regenerated inside the arena, there were already twelve different Alucards. One of them had almost his entire body, another had only an arm, and ten had only one finger each, but that was enough to be cloned.

 Chapter 1092 Cloning

    <h4>Chapter 1092 Cloning</h4>


    Every scientist one day wanted to do an experiment and try to clone some creature. Of course, the scientists worked with living beings.


    This idea was very simple, but at the same time incredibly appealing. By cloning one creature, the scientist was technically creating a new life simply from nothing.


    However, this was not easy, or rather even impossible. Cloning could only be considered sessful if the two clones werepletely identical, not only in appearance, but also in body, mind, and abilities.


    No one could reach that level, not even Nitra who was the Progenitor of Constructs. She had the best technology and resources, as well as one of the highest intellects in the universe, but there was no way she could clone anyone or anything.


    ''Shit... That bastard... I''m sure his knowledge of science goes no further than the multiplication table, but then why did he surpass me in my own area again?'' Nitra internally muttered with a trembling nce at Alucard and his clones.


    The ming spheres continued to rapidly move from one point to another, trying to burn Alucard and his clones, and Alucard didn''t even resist. At that moment, he was doing something else.


    "Hahaha! Bastard! How about that!" Alucard eximed happily before the mes burned him.


    "It was easier than I thought!" Alucard shouted mockingly before turning into nothingness.


    "You can try all you want! There''s no way you can kill me and all my clones!" Alucard shouted with an excited expression.


    This pace continued for a while. Alucard was just enjoying the moment while the spheres were trying to kill him.


    In fact, Alucard had not won yet, the spheres were moving fast enough to kill him in less than seconds as well as his clones. However, it was impossible to kill an immortalpletely and that was obvious.


    "Hah, it doesn''t matter what happens or who his opponent is. Alucard will always find a way toe out victorious even if it''s impossible to win." Gael smirked, enjoying what his best friend was doing.


    If he had the chance he would have tried something like this himself, but in his case the situation waspletely different.


    "Well, sometimes even a draw is a win, isn''t it?" Ereg muttered with a deep gaze, staring intently at Alucard.


    He was a Progenitor and had heard many rumors about Alucard. They had shed several times over the past few hundred years, but they had never fought as they had no reason to.


    In order for the two Progenitors to start fighting, something very serious must have happened.


    If we exclude Alucard from the list since he could be expected to do anything, almost none of the Progenitors had ever fought each other seriously.


    A fight between Liang and Nitra was somewhat of a rarity since if either of them died in the end it would change the entire world.


    When a race''s Progenitor changed, millions of beings would have their livespletely changed, and there was no telling what it could lead to in the future.


    Watching this scene and thinking about the battles between the Progenitors, Wain remembered something that happened in the present instead of the past.


    ''Ezrin... That Angel who recently killed Amitiel... Damn, I thought that nothing else important could happen besides the Second Great War, but this world knows how to surprise.'' Wain pondered with aplicated expression.


    ''I didn''t pay much attention to it at the time since my life was at its most important stage then, but what Ezrin did is practically an anomaly. I can''t remember thest time one of the Progenitors died, it seemed impossible. Wain internally uttered in a deep tone.


    Alucard was immortal, but the other Progenitors could also live so long that to most beings they seemed immortal. They could not regenerate from their hair, but they could live for thousands of years without even a wrinkle on their faces.


    Once a creature moves to the Transcendence Stage, it no longer obeys the rules of this world fully, creating its own.


    That was why every Progenitor had some sort of Title and perhaps N who had also reached the Transcendence Stage would never get her Title. For that, she would have to be much stronger, strong enough to create her own rules that even the entire universe would be powerless against.


    Ereg continued to carefully watch Alucard who continued to die with a smile on her face, mocking World of Darkness.


    ''Hmm... To be honest I thought he would be quite different. It''s unlikely that even Gael knows exactly how old Alucard is, but it''s obvious that he''s pretty damn old. Probably only the Dragon Progenitor is older than him... However, he''s acting like a teenager or a child...'' Ereg internally muttered with a dazed expression.


    Gael smirked, he understood everything from Ereg''s look since he had seen this sort of thing many times before.


    "You don''t seem to understand why he''s acting like that, do you?" Gael asked with a slight smile on his face.


    Ereg shrugged, "Well... I realize that you can''t always be serious. After all, most of the time I act pretty active and cocky too. However... he smiles even in this situation."


    Ereg continued, "When he threw N at Kraken''s jaw he didn''t look serious, or when he tried to save Kraken from the chains of the World of Darkness."


    Gael remained silent, listening intently to Ereg, he was curious to know the thoughts of his longtime adversary. Their fight had been interrupted for an indefinite period, so they could spend that time talking.


    In the end, only Alucard would decide when it would be enough to destroy the ming spheres and defeat the Golem.


    "I thought he got serious when World of Darkness attacked but him, but I was wrong. He''s just pissed off, and you can''t say he''s acting at full strength." Ereg sighed, "Damn, he''s taunting World of Darkness, even though he hasn''t even used his Form."


    "There''s nothing surprising about that." Gael said calmly as his gaze grew serious, "In hundreds of years, I''ve only seen a few times when he used Third Gate and only once when he used his Form."


    Ereg''s eyes went wide, "What...? Only once? Is that possible!"


    Gael nodded, "Something like that. His Form has a special purpose, so using it in every battle makes no sense."


    Ereg''s gaze grew deeper. He didn''t ask Gael about what Alucard''s Form was like, because he realized that if Gael didn''t tell him, he didn''t need to know.


    "Anyway. You thought he was going to act like an old man, didn''t you?" Gael asked, smiling.


    "Yeah... I mean, he is The Immortal one, the Progenitor of Vampires, and so on. I''m also a Progenitor like you, but there aren''t as many rumors about us as there are about him. Anyway, it was unexpected, but now I realize that''s the whole point." Ereg said uncertainly, rubbing his cheek.


    "Hmm?" Gael gave him a questioning look. He didn''t understand what Ereg was talking about.


    "If he was being serious and acting like an old man, it would be boring. It''s much more interesting to watch a Vampire Progenitor who acts like a teenager,ughs about his death, and tries to make Kraken his pet.


    All while having to fight against World of Darkness because of it. It all sounds likeplete bullshit, fiction, but that''s what''s really going on and it''s amazing." Ereg said as his serious facepletely changed.


    Ereg got a wide smile and an excited expression. He crossed his arms over his chest, turned to Gael, and said, "I want our fight to go the same way. At first, I thought we wanted a serious battle between two old rivals, but now I realize I want something exciting!"


    Gael nodded with a slight smile, "Sure. That''s no problem, I like that option much better myself. However..."


    Gael looked at Alucard, who was surrounded by purple me spheres.


    "First, we need to wait for him to finish and it looks like he''s already enjoyed his temporary victory. Now, it''s time to turn a temporary victory into a full-fledged victory."


    Whoooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Alucard swung his arm, thrusting it into his body. It was hard to do without his sharp nails as he bit off his fingers, but his strength was enough to break through his bones.


    At the same moment, the mes burned him again, turning him to ash, but Alucard had already done what he wanted.


    His bones, organs, and body parts scattered apart, quickly bing covered in a denseyer of blood and regenerating.


    Only the main skeleton, heart, and brain remained of the real Alucard. This time, he cast aside even his skin and hair, all to create as many clones as possible.


    "Hehehehe... Now victory is mine..." Alucard chuckled evilly, looking at the hundreds of clones around him.


    Now there were enough of them that for each clone it was necessary to waste spheres, which slowed down considerably because of this.

 Chapter 1093 Destruction Of The Golem

    ?


    Wain, Gael, Liang, and the others watched the battle intently. All of them were curious to see the final oue of this historic battle as well as Nitra who was the most surprised.


    Earlier, she had done a calction and concluded that there was no way Alucard would be able to escape from the ming sphere because he didn''t have enough speed to do so.


    ''Alucard elerated several times, but if he wanted to surpass the me spheres and escape from them, it wasn''t enough.'' Nitra internally muttered with a dazed expression, ''In order to win he had to elerate several dozen times, but now there''s no need for that!''


    Using parts of his body, including bones and organs, Alucard created several hundred clones. Technically, this meant that the ming spheres now had a hundred times more targets, which meant that Alucard no longer needed to move tens of times faster. Now, his current speed was more than enough for him.


    Whoooooooosh.


    The fire spheres quickly began to attack each clone, intending to turn them into ashes like before, but now Alucard wasn''t going to just die. He was already savoring his brief victory by throwing taunts towards World of Darkness. He needed to move on.


    "Fine! It''s time for you to learn what defeat is! I''ll be the first to show you that rules aren''t everything! There are those for whom the rules don''t matter!" Alucard eximed with an excited expression before swinging his hand.


    All of his clones did the same, dodging the spheres at the same time. The spheres were just as fast as before, they were even trying to be even faster, but there were far fewer of them.


    Alucard used to have several hundred spheresunched at him, but now he only had to dodge one of them. For someone of his level, it was quite easy to do so, just like his clones, they didn''t even need to exert themselves. They did it naturally thanks to their excellent instincts.


    At the same moment, a clot of blood appeared in front of each clone, quickly transforming into some kind of weapon.


    Each clone had a different weapon, as the choice was mostly random. Some had a sword, some had a spear or an axe, it didn''t matter. The only thing that mattered was that now, they all had weapons against which the me spheres were useless.


    "Go! My army! We will destroy these spheres and free my pet! All for the sake of it!" Alucard eximed, swinging a huge greatsword.


    The sharp de of the sword effortlessly sliced the ming sphere apart, then Alucard''s pupils narrowed and he attacked a few more times.


    In a second, he swung the massive sword more than ten times, turning the formidable sphere into almost nothing. All that was left of the sphere were bits of me that quickly dissipated into the void.


    "Damn... I didn''t know he was so good with a sword." Liang muttered with a raised eyebrow, surprised.


    Nitra smirked, for some reason, she was very happy that Alucard was doing well. It seemed like she wanted him to win, but was trying to hide it, until now.


    "Hah, not just with a sword! Just look over there!" Nitra eximed, pointing at one clone.


    In this clone''s hands was a long spear with a thin tip. Such a spear was perfect for piercing one''s opponent, but no more than that. Because of the shape of the de, this spear was not suitable for swinging with it like a sword, only for direct lunges.


    The clone attacked quickly, piercing the sphere that wasing at him with its spear. The sphere only needed one second to reach the clone and turn it into ash, but that was more than enough time.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    About ten lunges with the spear, each time piercing the sphere and destroying its structure. It was enough to make another sphere disappear forever from the arena of death created by World of Darkness, especially for Alucard.


    Wain smirked, "Hehehe, that bastard actually enjoys his abilities. Only he can make a clone from his hand and use his regeneration that way. To be honest, I''m a bit jealous."


    Sven smiled slightly, "Well, I think we all share the same feeling. I''d be interested in experiencing something like that too, damn, that''s pretty ironic."


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?" Wain raised an eyebrow in confusion.


    "Each of us, the Progenitors and those at the top of the Transcendence Stage. We have all created our own powers, we are the anomalies of this world and are capable of performing true miracles that others are not capable of and never will be.


    However, even with all that, we still have envy and interest in things. Now that got me thinking... Is it possible that there is a power that Alucard would want for himself?"


    Wain shrugged, "I don''t know, but I don''t see it as strange. Don''t forget, that even if we are the strongest, we are not omnipotent. No one is omnipotent, not World of Darkness, not me, not Arox, not even the Dragon Progenitor."


    Sven nodded silently with a thoughtful expression. Unlike the others, he was not a race leader, an ancient being, or a Progenitor. He was a simple Arkan who through a long journey had reached the absolute pinnacle.


    In the end, Sven''s powers were enough to kill Polosa, Progenitor of nts.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    The clones continued to destroy the ming spheres, and soon there was nothing left of them at all. From the huge arena that had hundreds of spheres inside, there were now only a few, or rather, there had been until this second.


    The blood weapon effortlessly tore them apart, freeing Alucard from the captivity he had spent quite some time in. It may have been the most difficult battle against an undead opponent in his life.


    "Damn... Anyway, it was impressive. I had to use Third Gate and evene up with something new to win. I never thought I''d have to put in so much effort today..." Alucard smirked, then he took a deep breath.


    Alucard raised his hand, of which only a few pieces remained after the bloody explosion. Then, all the clones looked at each other and turned into clots of blood, heading towards Alucard.


    "Shit... What''s happening to him...?" N muttered with a frightened expression.


    Alucard''s recovery wasn''t going as usual. Instead of healing all his wounds and returning to normal, his blood and body parts, along with his bones, were turning into something else.


    Cells continued to divide uncontrobly, creating new flesh and even organs just like the eyes that were floating on this ghastly mass.


    "Well, it looks like it has some problems regenerating from this position." Liang muttered with deep gaze, as he put his hand on the hilt of his sword, "I might have to help him."


    Liang was about to step forward, since even after a moment Alucard was unable to take control of the process. He thought that cutting Alucard into several pieces was the best option to make it easier for him to recover.


    However, Liang was unable to take the next step because of the immense pressure that descended on him. Liang turned around and saw Gael''s intense gaze, preventing him from even moving.


    ''Oh... Looks like I''ve made a mistake. Yeah, maybe I shouldn''t do this, I understand.''''


    Liang didn''t say anything, but everything was clear from his expression slightly changed and deep gaze.


    Step.


    Liang returned to his seat, next to N and Nitra who were watching Alucard intently.


    The meat sphere continued to grow, and it seemed that Alucard could no longer regain control. It didn''t mean he was crazy or anything like that, but most onlookers were sure he needed help.


    However, some realized that it wasn''t necessary.


    Before this fight, Alucard had never created clones, so technically he had to learn how to do it now, even though he''d had the opportunity before.


    If he was already able to learn something once, why couldn''t it happen again on the same day?


    Whoooooooooooooooooooosh.


    The blood hammer that had been trying to destroy the Golem all this time because that was the order of its master, suddenly stopped.


    Then, the hammer quickly headed towards the meat sphere, exploding and destroying everything into small particles.


    Golem thrust his hand forward, creating a beam of purple me andpletely incinerating whatever was left of Alucard. Golem couldn''t do this earlier, as the hammer would simply get in the way.


    Gael smirked, "That''s it. Now, this Golem, as well as World of Darkness, has officially lost."


    Whoooooosh.


    With a bright red sh, Alucard appeared amongst the darkness, the same as before, wearing a long crimson coat, blonde hair, ruby eyes, and a confident smirk on his face.


    "Ready? This will be ourst meeting!" Alucard eximed before creating a huge spear made of blood, the strongest he had ever created before.

 Chapter 1094 The First Barrier

    ?


    In most cases, the overall power of an attack or spell did not depend on the amount of energy used. That was important, but much more important was how the energy was used and its density.


    Thus, there was a significant difference between a master in the use of lightning skills and a beginner who was just starting out. Even when they reached roughly the same level of density and amount of energy, the master would always be much stronger because of his skill.


    This rule worked for absolutely everyone, including Liang, The Strongest One. He had unique abilities that others didn''t have, but he was also one of the best swordsmen in the entire universe.


    When using his skills or wind power, he did so naturally, but because he had several hundred years of experience.


    Only when he reached the pinnacle and discovered the mysterious power, only then did he stop devoting weeks or even months to practicing.


    To some extent, this rule applied even to Alucard, but he usually didn''t follow it. At least now, he definitely wasn''t going to use someplicated technique or something like that.


    He created a giant spear from the blood,plex in shape as if it had been crafted by a true master capable of forging weapons to kill gods.


    Every moment, the spear was filled with more and more power, making the space shake. Energy waves passed through the spear, causing light ripples with light pulses spreading around.


    "Oh, he seems to be serious." Liang muttered with a calm expression, "Without the aid of the World of Darkness, this Golem won''t be able to withstand even a few simple attacks from Alucard."


    N tilted her head in confusion, "Then why is it using so much energy to attack?"


    "Hah, it''s obvious." Liang smirked, "He just wants to show what he can do and tear that Golem into small shards. Anyway, I have to do something so that Alucard''s selfishness doesn''t get us in trouble again."


    Whooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Liang waved his hand, directing streams of wind toward the gap between the open space and the colosseum.


    Gael and Ereg nced over, nodded to each other, and raised their hands up as well.


    Soon, two more barriers of white and ck me appeared in front of the solid barrier of wind. This was the threeyer defense needed to keep the spectators unharmed.


    After all, Beastfolks hade here to watch Gael and Ereg''s fight, not to watch Alucard having fun using his full power.


    "Hah, get ready! This will be thest thing you see in your short life!" Alucard eximed before swinging his arm, andunching his spear straight at the golem.


    The golem wasn''t going to give up, even though World of Darkness no longer supported it. The golem didn''t want to die like any other creature in this universe.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    The spear quickly reached the golem, piercing its chest and passing through several barriers of purple me.


    The golem touched its chest, trying to somehow get rid of the huge hole, but it was impossible. Everyone realized that.


    Then, the spear that was already behind Golem exploded, releasing all the energy that was inside.


    The bloody explosion covered a huge portion of the bloody space, destroying the Golem and turning it into rubble.


    Alucard grinned widely while the waves of blood passed over him. They couldn''t hurt him, and he didn''t care about the others. He knew that Gael and the others could easily defend themselves, he didn''t need to worry about them.


    "Damn... He''s done so much for this, and yet hepletely forgot about his main goal at a time like this." Wain muttered, looking at the streams of blood that were approaching the huge octopus.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Kraken quickly swung his tentacles, trying to escape from the bloody streams that were quickly approaching him.


    At this moment, Alucard stoppedughing as he realized what a mistake he had made.


    Just as Liang had said, he didn''t need to use so much power to defeat the Golem who was left without the support of the World of Darkness. Alucard did it just because he wanted to and as always he didn''t think about the consequences.


    "Fuck! Run faster!" Alucard eximed, turning into a bloody sh.


    Even though Kraken was born in open space, he couldn''t be faster than the bloody streams that possessed a tiny mass. They were moving fast enough topletely engulf Kraken in a few seconds.


    There was no telling what would happen in such a case, but Kraken''s instincts were screaming at him to stay away from the bloody streams. They were consuming everything in their path, and now even open space wasn''t a safe ce.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Alucard appeared in front of Kraken with a worried face. It was rare for him to worry about anything, but this was the one time when even he couldn''t stand by.


    He had fought the World of Darkness to defend his ideology and principles, to show that he was not subject to the rules of any creature or entity. However, the second reason was to free Kraken from his chains.


    If the bloody torrents from his attack were to kill Kraken now, it would be the greatest failure in his history and would stay with him forever for the rest of his immortal life.


    Given the circumstances, Alucard simply couldn''t let that happen! He had to do everything to protect his Pet from his own attack!


    "Tsk. Why do things always happen like this?" Alucard snorted, before extending his hand.


    Dense clots of blood appeared on his fingertips, they were light-colored, almost white with only a slight tinge of something red.


    Then, the blood grew darker and denser, first scarlet, then crimson, and then almostpletely dark.


    Alucard opened his palm wide, releasing clots of blood forward. Each clot released a multitude of thin threads, connecting to each other.


    The space between the threads waspletely covered in blood, forming a wide dark shield.


    "Get behind me! Hurry!" Alucard eximed, turning back to Kraken.


    Kraken did as he said and quickly found himself behind Alucard''s broad back. Kraken was an octopus, so he was easily able to greatly reduce the size of his body by several times, mping himself down tightly with his tentacles.


    It was enough for the barrier topletely cover Kraken, and the streams of blood wouldn''t hurt him, not even partially.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Streams of blood crashed into the barrier, trying to break it, but it was simply impossible. The barrier that Alucard had created required an enormous amount of energy. Such a barrier could withstand hundreds of attacks from adult Dragons before breaking down.


    ''Damn... I never thought I would have to use something like this. Well, I had no other choice anyway.'''' Alucard internally muttered with a nce at Kraken.


    Gael watching the scene smirked. Soon he couldn''t contain his emotions any longer and started to giggle.


    "Hmm?" Ereg raised an eyebrow in confusion, "Why don''t you tell me what amused you so much?"


    "Sure... It''s just that it''s funny that Alucard had to use a defense skill. I mean, he was creating a protective sphere trying to deal with the fireballs of the World of Darkness, but this is definitely a different case." Gael shrugged.


    Ereg nodded, staring intently at the dark barrier. Bloody torrents crashed against it like massive waves against a rock, but they were just as powerless against something so solid and indestructible.


    "Yeah... If it had the time to create such a barrier, World of Darkness would need to use several dozen spheres to damage it." Ereg uttered, noting the strength of the barrier.


    "That''s exactly what I''m talking about. This situation is like creating clones. All along he could have done it if he wanted to, but it wasn''t until the battle with World of Darkness that the need arose." Gael smirked, watching Alucard''s serious expression.


    Gael continued, "He can create protective barriers just like the rest of us and frankly his ones are some of the strongest I''ve seen. However, why would an immortal creature need defenses?"


    Ereg sighed, "Yeah, it makes sense. If it wasn''t for Kraken, and his desire to name this monster, none of this would have happened. Well, Alucard himself is to me for this, all of this only happened because of his actions. Otherwise, World of Darkness would not have fought against a living creature."


    Whooooooosh.


    Alucard swung his hand, casting aside thest streams of blood. They were weak and slow and definitely wouldn''t be able to harm the barrier or Kraken.


    "Agh... It''s finally over." Alucard shook his head with a bitter smile on his face, then he turned to Kraken, again.


    Alucard ran his palm through his hair, slicked it back, and adjusted his cor. He''d put a lot of effort into it and wanted it to look official.


    "Fine, are you ready?" Alucard asked, with an excited smile.


    Kraken gave a low nod. If he didn''t have a choice before, now he actually wanted to be Alucard''s pet. No monster would pass up such an opportunity. After all, in a way, Alucard was the ultimate monster of them all.

 Chapter 1095 Pet Trap

    <h4>Chapter 1095 Pet Trap</h4>


    This was the moment everyone had been waiting for, or rather it only took this form over time. Initially, no one expected monsters from the open space to appear, not even Gael thought he would do something like this.


    Kraken''s arrival was what changed everything, several fates at once, from N to himself.


    However, Alucard was the one who caused most of the events to happen. A person like him was always in the right ce at the right time. His secret was very simple - if you are in all ces and always, sooner orter the important moment wille.


    For Alucard, many things were surprising considering his personality and how long he existed. World of Darkness was his most serious opponent in decades.


    Yeah, if Liang had fought Alucard seriously and used his Form, there was no telling what would have happened. After all, their power was beyond theprehension of almost all beings of this world.


    Kraken prepared himself, he nervously moved his tentacles, preparing himself for the most important event of his life.


    It was unknown if a single monster from the open space had ever received a name before since they were very rare. Even those who often traveled through open space tried to do so quickly so as not to encounter any open space bugs.


    No one ever made an attempt to talk to them or interact with them in any way. Open space was the territory of the World of Darkness, so everyone here acted ording to the rules.


    Spatial monsters never went into other spaces as only the open space was their zone. They were forbidden to go to other ces, and there was no need for them to do so.


    Alucard smirked and pointed at his new pet, "Now your name is Kraken!!!"


    p.


    Gael pped himself in the face with the palm of his hand, shaking his head. Ereg''s eyes went wide, he couldn''t believe what he was hearing.


    Liang raised an eyebrow, he wasn''t sure if this really happened or if he was just imagining it.


    Nitra''s eyes began to twitch, she didn''t understand how someone could do something so stupid with such a confident and arrogant face.


    "Wait... Did he really call that monster Kraken...? Isn''t that just a random nickname that this monster was given by Gael years ago?" N muttered in confusion.


    "Yeah... You''re absolutely right. However, no one can change that now. I hope that at least this monster will be satisfied, otherwise it will be a real failure, for centuries." Liang said in a long voice. Alucard''s action hit him harder than Nitra''s most devastating attack. It was a blow straight to the soul and mind as well as logic.


    Kraken was one of the strongest monsters, not only in open space but in all worlds. There were definitely monsters that couldpete with Kraken and give an equal fight, but it was obvious that Kraken was at the top of the food chain.


    Even without a name, Kraken was able to reach the top of the God Stage, endure some time in battle against Ereg and Gael, and survive N''s strongest attack.


    Considering that Kraken''s main attribute was darkness and N''s was light, it was almost impossible for Kraken to survive. However, it is what it is.


    If Alucard had given Kraken some sort of majestic name, long and even right off the bat with a title, no one would have minded. Everyone would ept it since Kraken was worthy of it, he was a strong monster and his owner even stronger.


    Wain smiled bitterly, "Well... I guess that''s what we all should have expected. If Alucard would have done things differently, he wouldn''t be the Alucard we know."


    Marlis frowned, "Anyway... that''s terrible. If I were a pet, there''s no way I''d forgive him for that."


    Osvald turned with a dazed expression, "What...? What the hell are you thinking? Damn, I knew something was wrong with your head, but I didn''t think it was thatplicated."


    Marlis''s face contorted in anger as her aura intensified, "How dare you say something like that when Sven is here...? Osvald, I advise you not to make me angry!"


    "Oh? Do you want to fight? I''m ready at any moment! I love to fight!" Osvald eximed in excitement, showing off his strong muscles.


    In fact, he wasn''t lying, if Marlis wanted to, they could actually fight at any time. However, this was not the right ce for such a thing at all.


    "Hey, there''s no need for that." Sven sweetly said, cing a palm on Marlis''s shoulder, "Calm down. Haven''t you learned in a few hundred years that Osvald says whateveres into his head?"


    "Pfffft!" Marlis snorted, but she calmed down, "He''s living proof that people never change, even if thousands of years pass."


    "Never change, right?" Wain said as if asking a question, but in fact, he was speaking into the void. His gaze was directed at Alucard, and there was a slight smile on his face.


    "I can''t agree. Perhaps none of us will ever be another person, but we don''t need to. Sometimes, all it takes is one push, one detail to make a person change significantly yearster."


    Marlis threw him a strange look but didn''t say anything. After all, they didn''t have time to talk anymore.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Kraken''s energy suddenly intensified, as streams of darkness with a purple plume began to emanate from him.


    When a monster received its name, regardless of the method, it received a significant amplification. Kraken was no exception, as particrly powerful monsters could receive the Form, as well as other creatures.


    "All right! Let''s go! Go through the God Stage! Reach the pinnacle where I and others like me are!" Alucard eximed, spreading his arms out to the sides with a mad grin on his face.


    Kraken''s tentacles moved quickly, they began to grow and swell due to the sheer amount of energy. Soon, the purple tentacles began to look quite painful, while the dark tentacles were several thousand in number.


    The more time passed, the stronger Kraken''s aura became. It seemed that Kraken was in a lot of pain, but it was obvious to those with a discerning eye that these were temporary difficulties.


    Before each barrier one had to go through serious pressure, but the reward was worth it and anyone would want to do it if they had the chance.


    It was only because Alucard possessed immense power that Kraken now had such an easy opportunity to reach the Transcendence Stage. Otherwise, even with the name, he would have had to spend a few more decades to do so.


    Whooooooooooooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Kraken took control of thousands of his dark tentacles. They began to ovep forming a huge sphere covering Kraken from all sides.


    Because Kraken had grown sorge from the excess energy, it now looked like a tiny made entirely of darkness.


    Then, the energy streams stopped. There was silence and nothing more.


    Alucard''s eyebrows rose, he didn''t understand what was happening.


    "Hmm? Is this a failure? Did World of Darkness interfere again...?" N asked with a worried expression. She wanted Alucard to seed, even if his ideas were crazy and only avable to him. His actions attracted people and made others ept his ideas.


    Liang shook his head, "I doubt it. Kraken got all the energy he needed, and there can only be one reason why he entered the protective phase."


    "Hmm?" N gave him a questioning look.


    Nitra sighed, "Kraken is evolving. I didn''t think that was possible for a monster that had already reached God Stage, but when Alucard is involved, anything is possible. In any case, there''s only one thing left for us to do: wait."


    Nitra was right, Gael, Ereg, and Alucard realized it soon too.


    Fortunately for them, they didn''t have to wait long, since after five minutes, the sphere was cracking. A faint violet light came out as if it wanted to explore the whole world, to walk through the vast darkness with its phantom steps.


    Gradually, pieces began to fall away from the dark sphere, falling into the abyss and disappearing into the void. After them, they left only a tall humanoid silhouette that was only slightly shorter than Alucard.


    The silhouette was hidden by light and darkness, so even Alucard with his keen eyesight had to wait a while before seeing the Kraken in human form.


    Alucard smirked, his expectations were very high and soon his gaze was able to prate the veil of light and see everything properly.


    Then, Kraken''s appearance was seen by the others.


    An athletic body with violet skin, amethyst eyes, and long hair like hundreds of tentacles, silhouetted in light-dark armor that should not have impeded his movements.


    However, one detail made Alucard''s face go pale, for him it was more terrifying than the battle with the World of Darkness.


    The figure he was looking at had a pretty face andrge breasts.

 Chapter 1096 Pet’s Blood

    <h4>Chapter 1096 Pet''s Blood</h4>


    For the sake of achieving their goal, the people were willing to do anything, including Alucard. To make Kraken his pet and give the powerful space monster a name. He did everything for that, he achieved his goal, but the result he got waspletely different from what he expected.


    "Oh... This is unexpected..." Liang muttered with a gulp.


    Nitra and N''s eyes went wide as they stared intently at Kraken, who actually turned out to be a woman instead of a man, and she possessed a shocking beauty.


    When monsters took the humanoid form they could have an attractive or frightening appearance, each monster had its own unique look. However, very rarely they were cute, beautiful girls with chubby forms, as it contradicted the worldview of monsters where the most important thing was strength and nothing but strength.


    Such looks, which Nitra, N, and the other women in the audience immediately began to envy, were very rare. Something like this was only possible if the monster had unique skills and Kraken fell under that description.


    "Wait... Is this really happening...?" Alucard muttered in disbelief looking at Kraken.


    "I''m sorry... I just didn''t know how to speak..." The girl struggled to utter, it seemed to take a lot of effort to pronounce each word. She acted like a newborn baby, but she quickly adapted to the situation.


    Remaining silent, Alucard slowly turned to Liang, Nitra, and N, then his gaze went to his friend.


    Gael shook his head. There was nothing he could say or advise, everything was already done as it was named. All Alucard had to do was ept the reality that he had been working toward himself through the most difficult of trials.


    Wain''s eyebrow raised, even to him what had happened was a surprise. Sven, Marlis, and Osvald were no exception, they nced over, trying to find an answer, but all they saw in each other''s eyes was puzzlement.


    "Well... It seems none of us expected something like this to happen. Although, in our case, it wasn''t a big deal, but Alucard''s clearly in trouble now." Wain muttered in an awkward tone.


    Sven sighed, "One of the strongest monsters became the Vampire Progenitor''s pet and was given a male-typical name and was actually a girl with an enchanting appearance... Honestly, if I hadn''t seen it, I wouldn''t have believed it. Only Alucard could do something so crazy and end up so wrong."


    Step. Step. Step. Step.


    Alucard slowly approached Kraken with eyes wide open, full of wonder and puzzlement at the same time.


    Alucard stopped, took a deep breath, and tilted his head, "How about another name? Obviously, that one doesn''t suit you at all."


    "Agh...?" Kraken opened her eyes wide. She gasped, asking, "Is it possible to change a name...? I don''t think we can do that..."


    Alucard shook his head, "Nah, your real name will forever be Kraken now. I''m sorry, but there''s no way I could have guessed you were a girl, though that''s pretty weird. I was sure I''d recognize a girl even if I went blind. Anyway, you don''t always have to say your real name."


    "What...? Then how am I supposed tomunicate with others...?" Kraken muttered, pressing her palm to her chest and lowering her gaze downward.


    "You''ll just use an alias or a simplified version of your real name. Nothingplicated or scary about it. Either way, don''t forget that you''re mine now, whoever you are and whatever name you have." Alucard said calmly, looking confidently at Kraken.


    Kraken raised her eyes, meeting his gaze. Kraken had an attractive appearance, but in some ways, she was impossible topare to Alucard.


    From the perspective of the monster that Kraken was, aesthetic appearance and strength were the most important things, to her Alucard was the supreme being, however, she wasn''t the only one who felt that way.


    "Then... What simple name should I have...?" Kraken asked, in a trembling voice.


    Alucard shrugged, "I don''t know. It''s your decision. Pick a name you like. That''s what everyone else will call you."


    Kraken nodded, touching her lush lips. She stared at one point for a while, trying to choose a name for herself. It was obvious that she was worried and wasn''t at all sure of her decision, but after a while the frown disappeared from her face and her gaze became pure and clear.


    "I made it up!" Kraken eximed.


    Alucard raised an eyebrow, "Speak. I''m listening to you. Just like everyone else!"


    Whooooooosh.


    Alucard swung his hand creating multiple streams of blood that spread across the open space. Some of the blood streams went beyond the open space into the Colosseum, heading towards the spectators.


    The Colosseum''s barrier easily protected them, but everyone held their breath, no one daring to speak or whisper. All eyes were on Kraken, waiting for her next words as if their lives depended on it.


    "I want to be called Krana!" The girl eximed with a happy smile on her face.


    Alucard nodded, crossing his arms over his chest, "So be it. You have all heard her, her name is now Krana! I forbid anyone but me to address her by her real name!"


    The audience could only nod, no one was going to argue with Alucard who before their eyes had won the battle against the World of Darkness.


    "Oh, that''s interesting." Wain smirked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "Does this mean that if I do this I can easily piss off Alucard?"


    Sven smiled slightly, "Well, well, it''s kinda weird that we were thinking the same thing, don''t you think?"


    Wain didn''t answer anything, he just threw a quick nce at Sven and went back to watching the battle.


    Gael sighed, "Hey! Are you done? Actually, there was supposed to be a fight between me and Ereg today. Alucard, you''ve taken up too much of our time. That''s not polite at all!"


    Alucard shrugged, "Sorry, I was just doing what I had to do. I won''t interfere with your fight again, I promise. However, there''s one thing I just have to do otherwise none of this will make sense."


    Gael gave him a questioning look, as did Ereg. Alucard often spoke in ways that no one understood, he was a real master at it, all just to end up surprising his audience. He was a Vampire not only because of the blood but also because of his thirst for attention absorption.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    Alucard turned into a bloody blob, quickly finding himself in front of Krana, whose pupils narrowed. She was ready to attack, due to Alucard''s threatening aura, but her instincts were surprisingly calm. She didn''t understand how this was possible.


    A monster of her level naturally felt threatened, Krana waspletely sure that now Alucard was going to harm her somehow. However, at the same time she feltpletely calm, in fact, she had nothing to worry about.


    "Oh, your instincts are at their highest level. That''s good." Alucard smirked, slowly taking Krana by the chin and lifting up.


    Their eyes met, while Alucard looked down at her, arrogant and majestic. Then, in a heartbeat, Alucard turned into a shadow and his long fangs found themselves sinking into Krana''s neck.


    Gael''s eyebrow rose up as he tilted his head.


    "Damn... That asshole never changes. He''s already kissed or drank blood from four different girls this day and they were all from different races... It''s a real marathon in his performance." Gael took a deep breath while shaking his head.


    Ereg just stared at one point, rubbing his cheek. He was the kind of guy who would rather do something like this in a hidden ce where no one would see them. However, Alucard didn''t worry about that. The only thing that mattered to him was the fulfillment of his desires.


    Blood trickled darkly down Krana''s neck while her heart raced. She didn''t know how to react, since no creature had ever touched her before, let alone had a vampire drink her blood. It was simply impossible.


    After a while, Alucard pulled his head back, pulling out his long fangs. With them, he could both rip the dragon''s hide apart and leave two neat dots in the creature''s neck, bleeding slightly.


    "Hmm... What an unusual vor..." Alucard muttered, appraising Krana''s blood.


    "Agh...?" Krana was surprised, as were Gael and the other Progenitors.


    They realized that over hundreds of years, Alucard had tasted the blood of just about every creature in this universe. Even Wain was no exception, though it had happened muchter.


    Krana was one of the few unique cases where Alucard was unfamiliar with the taste of blood.


    "Hmm... It''s pleasant, like an expensive wine, but there''s something else unusual here... It''s like this blood is affecting me somehow." Alucard muttered, trying to understand the secret of Krana''s blood.


    Then, his eyes shone brightly with a violet light and he, in an instant, turned into a stone statue. His posture remained the same, perhaps Alucard himself didn''t realize what had happened.

 Chapter 1097 Battle Continues

    ?


    Krana''s eyes went wide as well as everyone else who had been watching this event. No one expected that after Alucard tasted Krana''s blood something like this would happen to him.


    "Wait... He just turned to stone?" Nitra asked in disbelief.


    Liang nodded, "Yeah, it looks like it. Considering her abilities, it seems logical. However, it''s still strange... Alucard has the highest resistance to various negative effects. Even the strongest poison is unable to harm his body, he doesn''t even need to use his regeneration to get rid of it."


    N gasped, "Doesn''t that mean Krana''s blood will work on any creature?"


    "Sure. I''m not sure if that blood can turn me or someone like Nameless King to stone, but you and anyone below the Transcendence Stage are definitely in danger. It''s a frightening power." Liang uttered, staring intently at Krana, who was more worried than the rest. Although, this was her blood, but she didn''t want this to happen to Alucard.


    True, Liang didn''t need to worry about something like that, but the fact that only Krana''s blood was so powerful could be a big problem.


    "Wow... This actually happened?" Wain''s eyes went wide as he stretched out his words.


    Marlis slowly nodded with a dazed expression, "It''s just as you say, our eyes aren''t wrong. Damn, do you think if I ask Alucard for some of Krana''s blood for experiments, he''ll give it to me?"


    "Hah, sure he wouldn''t." Osvald chuckled evilly, "Chances are he''ll just listen to you carefully, and after a few scoffs, he''ll refuse. No amount of arguments can change his mind."


    "What...?!" Marlis eximed with a great frown, "Don''t you realize that this blood can be extremely useful in alchemy!"


    Osvald shrugged nonchntly, "I realize that, and so does Alucard, but as I said earlier, it''s not important to him. Why would he sacrifice the blood of his pet that he''s done so much for for some potions? He''s immortal, have you forgotten?"


    "Indeed." Sven''s calm voice echoed, absorbing all the attention, "But, I wouldn''t be as adamant as Osvald. You can always try, but the chances of sess are actually slim."


    Wain smirked, silently watching Marlis''s reaction. If she had the opportunity, she would have conducted experiments on Krana and Alucard to understand the nature of their abilities.


    Unfortunately for her, that was not possible. Given Krana''s unique abilities, it was unlikely that Marlis would be able to defeat her, let alone Alucard.


    Gael and Ereg nced over at each other. When Alucard drank Krana''s blood, they breathed a sigh of relief. Their fight was finally going to continue, but suddenly something else happened that they hadn''t expected.


    "What are we going to do?" Ereg asked, looking at Alucard puzzled. He didn''t know how to remove petrification, so figured Gael had some options.


    Gael shrugged, "Right now we have to wait. If Alucard can''t figure it out on his own, I''ll help him. As always, though."


    Thus more than ten minutes passed, and all this time among the colosseum only whispers could be heard going around the audience. Everyone had some ideas and suggestions, but no one would interfere with what was going on.


    The Beastfolks that had reached Fifth Chronicle, were savvy enough to realize that if anyone would interfere in this it would be Gael and no one else.


    "Well... Looks like it''s time for me to kill my friend. As weird as that sounds." Gael muttered before taking a step forward.


    He disappeared in a sh of white me, appearing next to Alucard and Krana.


    "You are...?" Krana muttered with a worried expression.


    Gael smiled, "Don''t worry, I''m not the enemy. I''m his best friend to be exact."


    Krana gulped, "Can you help him? I tried to heal him, but I failed... My eyes and blood can turn someone to stone, but I can''t reverse it..."


    "Yeah, that sounds logical. You have the poison but no cure, it''s amon power form. Well, I''m here to help, so step back." Gael shrugged before extending his arm.


    "Whatever you say..." Krana timidly took a few steps back. Even though she and Alucard had met less than an hour ago, it didn''t matter. Now, Alucard was the most important person to her since he was the only one.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    For the first time since the duel between Gael and Ereg began, Gael''s white me faded. His aura weakened, tending to absolute zero for a while.


    Watching this scene Ereg smirked, he understood what Gael was going to do and it didn''t only rte to saving Alucard.


    Their fight had been stopped, interrupted many times, but now they were finally moving forward. Their fight was ready to move on to the next stage.


    Alucard was the beginning of this and would be the end.


    Faint particles of ash streamed lightly beside Gael, unwilling to leave their creator and lord.


    The ash as a living organism hovered around Gael, only to wait for the order of the creature standing on top of this world along with a few others.


    "Agh... You have done things your own way as usual and I have to help you again. Considering you are immortal, this circle will never end." Gael muttered with a bitter smile.


    Then, his eyes glittered and all the ash rushed towards his hand in a single stream, squeezing it to the limit.


    Thousands of particles intertwined with each other and transformed into a single form, bing the weapon of the one who bore the title - The Invincible.


    A long sword with a double-edged de, straight and perfect, emitted gray energy ripples through the open space. The other worlds, along with the voids, felt a slight shiver as the ripples crashed into their protective barriers.


    Though this was not Gael''s purpose, by summoning his weapon in open space, he provoked panic in a multitude of zones. None of the creatures living in the voids understood what was happening, but to their blessing, they didn''t have to worry about it.


    "Well, well, it''s been a long time since this happened. It brings back memories." Gael''s gaze grew deeper and more serious.


    His hand came into motion, as did his sword, the sharp tip of which could cut through anything. A snow-white plume followed the sword as free and menacing waves,ing only in the path of power, headed straight for Alucard.


    Tap.


    The ash sword touched Alucard''s rock-hard body, emitting a deafening echo from the contact between the two supreme beings.


    Then, Alucard took a step back, brought his arm up to attack, and with the speed of sound thrust his sword straight into Alucard''s chest.


    Crack. Crack. Crack.


    Under the powerful pressure, cracks spread across the stone shell of the captive Alucard. However, it wasn''t enough for Alucard to get out and breathe again like billions of other living creatures.


    Gael had predicted this, as it was only a preparation for the real attack, which would definitely free Alucard.


    Whooooooooooooooooooooooooooosh.


    The ash sword soared upwards, slicing through everything in front of it, including Alucard and the open space, the thick darkness of which was quickly repairing the damage from the gray de.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crack.


    Stone shards flew off to the sides, disappearing into the vast darkness of the open space and revealing Alucard who was hidden beneath them. His body was cut perfectly in two, blood droplets flying off in massive droplets while his body tried to hold itself together in a single form, but it was impossible.


    Gael and Liang both wielded swords at the highest level, but there was a critical difference between them. While Liang used his technique and strength, especially hidden within his Form, Gael always did it naturally.


    He was an Ashen, so the path of the ashes had been telling him how to attack and control his sword for hundreds of years. Gael was a true master who didn''t make mistakes if possible.


    "Hey, hopefully, next time I won''t have to save you too soon. This is starting to get annoying." Gael smirked before swinging his sword a few dozen times always in a couple of seconds.


    Alucard''s body wasn''t split into many parts like it was when fighting against Liang, as there were far more attacks than swings.


    Every time Gael''s sword passed through Alucard, particles of ash traveled along with the de, bringing destruction to Gael''s target.


    So... Alucard''s body simply couldn''t withstand such pressure.


    Booooooooooom.


    With a bloody explosion, Alucard turned into nothingness, all that was left of him were a few clots of blood floating in the open.


    Gael sighed, returning his sword to his belt and turning to Ereg. He let him know that now their fight was serious, they were taking it to a whole other level.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, the blood clots clumped together, beginning to grow rapidly and taking on a definite shape with four limbs and one head.


    Krana''s eyes sparkled brightly, filling with joy when he saw Alucard''s now familiar silhouette.


    "Damn... That was dangerous." Alucard smirked, ring at Gael with a predatory look.

 Chapter 1098 Phantoms

    ?


    After Gael''s attack which was executed by him at full severity, staying alive was almost impossible. Alucard didn''t resist in any way, and it didn''t matter whether he wanted to or not, so every Gael''s swing reached its target.


    Even Liang, in his Form, could hardly stay alive after something like that. A sharp de and free streams of ash following their master''s will would simply turn him into nothing. That''s exactly what happened to Alucard, but Gael didn''t worry since he knew that for Alucard it couldn''t be a problem.


    "How do you like my attack? I haven''t gotten weaker?" Gael asked, staring intently at Alucard.


    A few seconds was enough for from a few clots of blood, Alucard returned to normal again, bing who he had always been.


    "Not bad. Despite the obstacle of the stone barrier, your attacks were just as urate as if I had just stood motionless in front of you. Although..." Alucard''s gaze traveled to the ash sword, a dangerous gleam, calm and deadly, traveled along its sharp de.


    Gael was wary. He wasn''t really prepared for criticism from Alucard, who was a true expert in this regard.


    "You acted even faster than usual. Looks like you enjoyed cutting me apart, are you sure you''re my friend? Hahahahahahahaha!" Alucard''sughter echoed around, reaching the ears of everyone who was in the colosseum.


    Such a response could only be the result of one thing - Gael''s smile, light and carefully concealed, yet extremely obvious.


    Then, Alucard nced at Krana, who was too nervous to approach him. In fact, she felt guilty for what had happened, if it wasn''t for her blood, then Gael wouldn''t have had to kill Alucard, yet again.


    "Hey, you don''t have to worry so much. I''m fine, see?" Alucard slowly swung his arms from top to bottom, following from his torso to his feet.


    Krana nodded uncertainly, biting her lip. She realized that it was exactly as Alucard had said, the cuts couldn''t have left permanent wounds on him, but it wasn''t about the physical damage.


    "Agh... So much trouble with you... Do me a favor - don''t make me regret the decision I made." Alucard shook his head, with a deep sigh before stepping forward.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Alucard turned into streams of blood, finding himself in front of Krana and abruptly taking her hand. His other hand ended up on her waist, pulling her against him, in a special pose like a pair of dancers.


    "I''m sorry, but I promised my friend I wouldn''t bother him anymore, so... We''ll have to get out of here, to a better ce." Alucard smirked, looking predatorily at the puzzled Krana, "After all. We''re all just spectators here, it''s not us who are the protagonists now, it''s these two."


    Step. Step. Step.


    In a few movements, moving from one point to another in a bloody dance, Alucard and Krana left the battlefield and returned to Beastfolk World from the open space.


    A ce had already been prepared for them - next to Liang, N, and Nitra, right where Alucard used to stand, alone, but now he had a pet.


    "You did it after all, didn''t you?" Liang nced at Alucard, not bothering to turn fully towards them.


    Alucard shrugged with a satisfied smirk, "Sure. Could it have been any other way? Although, I must admit that there were some problems with World of Darkness, but they were temporary."


    Liang didn''t reply anything, but a smirk appeared on his face, which was enough to show his feelings and thoughts.


    Then, Gael turned to Ereg, whose gaze became much more serious. The fact that Gael had shown his sword meant that they had moved to the next stage and now he had to do the same.


    Whooooooooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Gael rushed forward, in a sh surrounded by mes heading towards Ereg, who was standing in one ce.


    "Fine, I was ready for this from the start. I didn''t expect us to have to show our weapons under these circumstances, but none of that matters anymore." Ereg muttered as he closed his only eye.


    At the same moment, behind him, the ghosts reappeared, one big one that consisted of ten small ones, but this time their number was not going to increase.


    On the contrary, the dark spirit disappeared, turning into nothingness in an instant, as if Ereg was giving up his power for something greater.


    Then, he opened his eye, which now held two seals. They looked much simpler than the others, in the form of three stripes, jagged and imprecise. However, every reasonably experienced fighter, on the level of instinct, felt that this could not be something insignificant.


    After all, Ereg was one of the Progenitors, with his Title and power over an entire race. He was worthy to fight Gael, The Invincible, who had given his word of a powerful and serious duel.


    "Agh... It was a long time ago, very long..." Ereg whispered as the world around him plunged into immense darkness.


    It wasn''t an illusion or hallucination, that was simply the effect of Ereg''s summoning weapon.


    The entire Colosseum was engulfed in a thick darkness through which nothing could be seen, only his silhouette, around which a red and dangerous aura of powerful energy was umting.


    Gael, who was aiming at Ereg, with his sharp sword capable of cutting through anything, was also the target of the darkness. However, his powerful aura and the ash particles around him prevented the darkness from achieving its goal, all of which was useless against a creature of his level.


    ''Oh... Thest time he did this, it was much easier, his aura was much weaker... Well, that was to be expected. After all, he was sure he could give me an equal fight.'''' Gael internally muttered as his gaze became darker and more serious.


    Then, the darkness quickly returned to Ereg, but behind him remained two silhouettes with a frightening crimson aura. Unlike ghosts, these ones were more like phantoms, capable of killing their target at anymand of their master.


    Liang''s pupils narrowed, his gaze directed towards the phantoms and he suddenly got goosebumps. It was unexpected for him, not even Nitra had ever been able to make him experience something like this.


    ''Not bad. These Phantoms could pose a serious threat... I didn''t expect that a simple preparation for a weapon release could have such a terrifying aura.'''' Liang internally uttered as he nced at N.


    Even though she was one of the loyal servants of Ereg, her King, and was in the Transcendence Stage, she was now trembling with fear. A chill ran down her spine, and her instincts told her to run away, only her mind, which realized that it was not necessary, allowed her to stay put.


    Even Krana was in the same state, only Alucard and Nitra could easily withstand the pressureing from Ereg.


    "Damn... I''ve waited so long for this moment. It''s so good to use you again against the most important opponent of my life..." Ereg muttered as a slight smile filled with happiness appeared on his face.


    Whoooooooooooooooosh.


    The two phantoms transformed into two weapons of thick darkness that were something between brass knuckles andbat gloves. The bands of darkness clung tightly to Ereg''s wrists, covering his palms but not restraining his movements at all.


    Three long ws emanated from the knuckles, constantly emitting particles of thick darkness that could outshine even the brightest light.


    At the same moment, Ereg sighed, and the two runes in his eye became crimson, sometimes pulsing as if they were covered with blood vessels beating in unison with his heart.


    Gael had already gotten close enough to attack as his sword emitted streams of ash,ing at Ereg at breakneck speed.


    Ereg''s pupil narrowed, followed by a lightning-fast reaction. He raised his hands up, crossing his ws, creating a shield of six long and incredibly sharp ws woven from the purest darkness.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Shockwaves spread from the collision, causing chaotic wind currents. Yet, for some reason, instead of growing stronger and moving on, they quickly disappeared, reced by a sepulchral silence.


    It seemed as if all sound had vanished, and that was what actually happened. It was all about the Colosseum that tried to absorb the destructive energy, but it had to increase its power, making even the sounds disappear.


    "What a strange feeling... No sounds except my voice and heartbeat..." Gael muttered, looking at Ereg with a cold stare, "Are you sure this colosseum can withstand our power?"


    "No. I just hope that those who constantly interfered in our fight can take care of it." Ereg muttered before swinging his ws in different directions.


    Sparks came from the ws scraping away, throwing Gael off to the side, who smoothly and gracefullynded first on one foot, then touched the ground with the other.


    Gael''s gaze traveled to Alucard. That brief moment was enough for Alucard to realize what had to be done.


    He smirked and replied with a slight nod.

 Chapter 1099 Fortifying the Colosseum

    <h4>Chapter 1099 Fortifying the Colosseum</h4>


    Gael and Ereg showed their weapons, so now their strength had greatly increased, and the danger of their battle to the surrounding area had multiplied.


    The Colosseum could absorb a huge amount of energy, but it was obvious to everyone that the Colosseum was gradually reaching its limit.


    In the first attack, the colosseum had to intensify so much that not even a sound was left inside the arena, however, this was the maximum as all the runes on the hundreds of ancient stones shone brightly with a violet light.


    If the Colosseum was destroyed, their battle could be an uncontroble chaos that could destroy part of the Beastfolk World. The Fifth Chronicle Beastfolks will not be able to stop Gael and Ereg, who are the Progenitors and among the strongest in the universe.


    So... in that case, they just needed to utilize the unique property of the colosseum that would allow it to absorb much more energy than normal. To do so, they simply needed to strengthen the pure energy runes.


    Firth Chronicle Beastfolks had some amount of pure energy, but this job was not for them. There were three people among the spectators whose energy amounts exceeded all possible limits, this wasn''t a problem for them.


    "Shall we do it now?" Nitra asked with a nce at Alucard.


    "Nah." Alucard shook his head as an excited expression formed on his face, "We wait until the situation bes critical. If the Colosseum can withstand their attacks, there is no point in our involvement for now. However, as soon as it bes necessary, we will help the arena immediately."


    Nitra nodded silently as well as Liang.


    They respected Gael and Ereg''s fight, not only because they were Progenitors, but because the battle had a long history. Also, Alucard''s interference gave them a chance to see how Ereg and Gael would act, obviously, they remained impressed. Alucard acted rudely, but Gael and Ereg just waited for an opportunity to continue their fight. That was all they needed, the rest just didn''t matter.


    "What do you say?" Ereg smirked, pointing his sharp ws at Gael, with a confident smirk.


    Gael nodded, "Not bad. They didn''t have that aurast time, nor were they covered in darkness. Did you change something about your attribute?"


    Ereg shrugged, "I just made it my goal to defeat you, other things took a back seat. Your power, it''s white me and ash, free and light, yet deadly. So I needed darkness, wild and fierce that can break your ashes!''''


    For a while, Gael was silent, as if pondering Ereg''s words that echoed in his head.


    Then, a slight smile appeared on his face, and he took a step forward. Particles of ash appeared with every move he made, swirling around its majestic owner.


    "In that case... I will show you, the full power of ash, the full power of someone no one has ever defeated before." Gael said quietly, raising his sword upwards.


    Whoooooooosh.


    At the same moment, multiple streams of ash appeared out of nowhere, headed towards the tip of the sword. They spun in a chaotic swirl, picking up random wind currents, passing near the colosseum.


    Ereg was wary, his eyes narrowed, and his fur stood up. He had not yet reached the limit of his power, in a way unleashing the weapon was one of the beginning stages in their fight. Ereg had many more wraiths just like Gael''s scars that were waiting for their opportunity to unleash their power.


    However, Gael didn''t use any enhancements, so Ereg wasn''t going to do so either. After all, this wasn''t a battle to the death between two sworn enemies. If it wasn''t for Ereg''s seriousness and perseverance, this fight would have been friendly, but that didn''t suit him.


    All in all, he had to endure this attack, without any additional reinforcements, or else it would be tantamount to admitting defeat in this round.


    ''Fine, I can do it. My ws can do more than just sh... Darkness is multifaceted and fluid, I can shape it into whatever form I want. Ereg muttered inwardly, staring intently at the ash storm swirling over Gael.


    Then, Gael took a step back, bent his body, and attacked with lightning speed, thrusting his sword forward.


    The whirlwind, in an instant, surged forward,shing out at its only target - Ereg, who had no intention of retreating. He was fully prepared to take all the damage and stand his ground without even taking a step back.


    Ereg took a deep breath as his ws trembled, it seemed that the darkness was trying to escape, but that was his will, only he was in control here.


    The darkness began to shatter, literally ceasing to be ws and bing hundreds of particles floating in the air in front of Ereg.


    "That''s a powerful attack, but I also know how to defend myself... I used to neglect it and that was my greatest mistake..." Ereg muttered with obvious sadness in his gaze as the particles of darkness trembled.


    They grew quickly, increasing in size several times over, but their thickness decreased just as much, forming a t and solid shield in front of Ereg.


    Several dark threads emanated from his hands, binding him and the barrier, it was still his weapon, though now his ws took on a different appearance.


    Gael smirked. His attack had yet to reach Ereg, but he was d to see that his opponent had learned from his mistakes.


    ''Well, well,st time because of your confidence and aggressive fighting style you lost an eye... After all these years you still can''t forgive yourself for that mistake.'' Gael pondered, as his gaze grew deeper.


    As strange as it may sound, regardless of wealth or power, every being has their own problems. The biggest problem for Progenitors was loneliness. After all, even if a person could live alone for fifty years after two hundred everyone would get bored.


    In this regard, Gael was a really lucky guy. Not only did he have a friend, Alucard, but also another partner who had been waiting for him for a long time for one purpose - to fight him and find out who was the strongest.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Sharp streams of ash along with the wind tried to cut through the dark barrier, quickly covering it with tiny scratches and cracks. Very soon, the barrier would have to fall, disintegrating into pieces with no way to recover. The vortex simply had too much energy with the destructive power lurking in the ash.


    However, Ereg''s gaze didn''t change in any way, his face remaining unemotional as everything was happening within his expectations.


    ''Damn... If it wasn''t for that barrier, the ash would have just turned me into mincemeat... Agh, I never like to admit my mistakes and learn from them, but I definitely should have done it sooner.'' Ereg shook his head before stepping forward and cing his palm against the barrier.


    ''Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The barrier shuddered as through it, passed the dark threads binding the barrier to Ereg. Now the threads had a very different task. They were like whips against the vortex, tearing the ash apart, weakening the powerful attack step by step.


    Ereg smirked, looking at his barrier that was gradually recovering. The threads were simultaneously attacking the vortex and transferring Ereg''s energy into the barrier so it could heal from the damage. It was the perfectbination to defend against one powerful attack.


    Gael nodded slowly with a deep gaze. He had expected Ereg to be able to defend himself, but he hadn''t expected that his attack, which had taken some time to prepare, wouldn''t be able to do any damage.


    "Well, looks like I need to change my approach a bit." Gael muttered before swinging his arm.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, the vortex split into many small streams, leaving dark threads without a target. Then, the streams of ash turned into several swords, normal with medium des and sharp edges.


    Ereg found himself surrounded on all sides, while his barrier could only protect him from one.


    "Shit!" Ereg eximed, clenching his palm tightly into a fist, thus shattering the barrier into shards.


    Before the first ash sword could fall upon Ereg, his darkness once again took the form of a liquid, quickly heading towards his right hand.


    Crackle.


    Three long, newly formed ws collided with the sword, shattering its structure into harmless ash.


    "Not bad, but will you have the reaction to do the same now?" Gael smirked, swinging his arm downward.


    More than ten swords swept down on Ereg at high speed. Their sharp tips were aimed straight at his weak points, cutting in their path the loose wind currents that happened to be here by chance.


    Ereg tensed his muscles, going to fend off each of the swords. He was capable of it with his ws, but at thest moment, something changed in his gaze.


    Fragments of Alucard''s battle against the World of Darkness shed before him, as ming spheres burned him time after time attacking him from all sides.


    ''Wait... I don''t want to be in the same situation. Those swords won''t burn me, but what if a few of them hit me?" Ereg internally muttered before ncing at Gael with a nk gaze, ''Unlike Alucard, I have a quick way to stop it.''


    Step.


    Ereg stepped forward, the ground beneath him cracked and fell as his silhouette partially became darkness as the spirit of death headed towards Gael, simultaneously slow and unhurried, yet at the speed of sound.

 Chapter 1100 Male Friendship

    <h4>Chapter 1100 Male Friendship</h4>


    Ereg was actually able to transcend his ambition which had long held back his potential, and began to learn from his mistakes. He realized that it was impossible to let Gael gain an advantage. If he stayed under the hail of ash swords, it would be tantamount to defeat, at least in one of the many rounds of their battle.


    ''Fine... In a way I was lucky to see Alucard''s fight, now I know exactly what to do to win!'' Ereg inwardly eximed, finding himself facing Gael, who was clearly surprised by Ereg''s actions.


    The ash swords were still chasing him, but Ereg was considerably faster. His movements were ghostly, there was barely a trace of his footsteps on the ground, light and sure, carrying with them a clear threat.


    Then, a shadow fell upon Gael from two pairs of ws, long and sharp, cutting through the currents of air in their path.


    Gael''s pupils narrowed as he raised his sword above his head, struggling to block the attack of his opponent, determined to win their battle.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crack.


    The ground beneath Gael cracked, while his hands shook violently. It was difficult for him to withstand the strength of the Progenitor of Beastfolks. After all, in terms of physical stats, Ereg was one of the strongest, exactly taller than Alucard, slightly stronger than Gael, and was on roughly the same level as Liang.


    However, it didn''t happen immediately, unlike people who reached the peak of their strength during the middle of a battle, Beastfolks took a very long time to elerate.


    With every minute, with every cut or bruise, Beastfolks grew stronger, until the very end of their battle.


    Gael, as well as everyone else was obviously aware of this peculiarity of the race of which Ereg was the leader. So, he realized that he had to do something right now, otherwise, Ereg could just overwhelm him with force, leaving no chance of victory.


    ''That''s bad... From this position, there''s no way I can attack, but he won''t be able to do anything in a few seconds.'' Gael pondered, as his gaze traveled towards the ash swords that almost reached Ereg''s back.


    It seemed that Ereg didn''t notice it and now his back would be pierced by many weapons, but he didn''t need to worry about something like that as he was already prepared for it and Gael noticed one detail just at that moment.


    ''Wait... Shouldn''t there be three ws on each of his gloves...?'' Gael''s eyes went wide looking at the four ws trying to get through his sword.


    Whoooooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Two dark ghosts with crimson aura appeared behind Ereg. They were a smaller and weakened version of the phantoms that were his weapons. However, Gael didn''t know that Ereg could so freely manipte them as well as split and weaken them for specific purposes.


    Alucard smirked, watching as the phantoms'' long paws reached for the ash swords, clutching them in their long ws.


    "Why are you smiling...?" Krana asked with a confused expression.


    "Isn''t it obvious? Because Gael is in a difficult position! Because he''s losing! Hahaha!" Alucard eximed in excitement.


    Krana got an awkward look, she didn''t understand at all what Alucard was talking about, to her his words sounded wild and strange.


    If Alucard was Gael''s best friend, why was he excited about this? Wasn''t he supposed to be sad or cheering up his friend?


    Krana didn''t understand it, she tried to make sense of it and understand the secret meaning behind his words, but it was impossible for her no matter how much she frowned while thinking about it.


    Liang noticed this, so after, sighing he decided to help her figure it out. Yeah, for all the other Alucard''s actions and emotions were obvious, but Krana had in a way just been born. She had consciousness but didn''t have the ability to speak as well as contact with other beings who could talk. Her level of socialization was as low as a child''s, if not lower.


    "You shouldn''t make that face, from the looks of it in trying to understand what Alucard said, your mind might break. There''s no need for that." Liang calmly said, taking a short step in her direction but continuing to watch the fight.


    The phantoms destroyed most of the swords, among them only two remained that by Gael''s will, tried to fly off to the sides, but the phantoms were ready for it. They grabbed the swords with their long paws and gripped them tightly between their jaws, gnashing their razor-sharp teeth.


    The ash swords, created in a few moments from parts of the vortex, were unable to withstand such pressure, so they shattered into particles, carried away by the first wind current.


    Krana nced at Liang, "What do you mean?"


    Liang pointed at Gael, "You probably don''t understand why he''s happy about his friend''s predicament, do you?"


    Krana nodded silently as a me of curiosity lit in her eyes.


    "It''s all about friendship. If the situation were critical, or if Gael was actually in real danger, Alucard wouldn''t behave like this. In that case, he would try to help him, however, Alucard is well aware that Gael will be perfectly fine no matter the oue of this battle." Liang calmly said.


    Then, he shrugged and continued, "There''s no point in always taking everything as seriously as possible or worrying about every little thing, aster the really important things can get lost in the background. You have to leave a contrast, but obviously, that''s only possible if two people know each other very well and trust each other."


    "I see..." Krana nodded meaningfully.


    In fact, she understood only a small part of what Liang had said, but she wasn''t the only one. Of the four of them, only Alucard wasn''t listening to what Liang was saying, since all his attention was focused on the fight.


    However, Nitra, N, and Krana were listening to him attentively. N was interested in learning more about the rtionship between Alucard and Gael as well as about male friendship in general, while Krana was trying to understand what friendship was.


    There were probably still many questions left for each of them, but they understood the basic idea.


    ''Only if the friendship is at a very high level... Only if both persons appreciate each other... perhaps something like that...'' Krana muttered internally as she looked at Alucard with a slight sadness in her eyes.


    She pressed her palm to her chest and thought, ''I wonder... Will I ever be able to achieve the same thing? Will I always be just a pet to him, though... He definitely won''t treat me as an equal if I''m weaker than him, that makes sense.


    After receiving her name, Krana took on a humanoid form, but she was still a monster. They understood better than anyone that strength was the most important factor in this world, everything else depended on it.


    Whooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooosh.


    The two phantoms returned to Ereg after destroying the ash swords. Then, a devious smirk appeared on his face and the phantoms rushed towards Gael''s chest, with the clear intention of seriously injuring him.


    "Shit!" Gael quickly muttered before stomping his foot on the ground with all his might.


    A slight tremor spread through the colosseum, quickly gaining strength. From the cracks, thin streams of ash rose up, heading swiftly towards Gael, bing a shield between him and the phantoms.


    "Well, well, I didn''t think you''d jump to defense so quickly. Looks like I did the right thing." Ereg uttered in an excited tone as his long fangs showed.


    "However, defense is not what I want to see from an opponent like you." Ereg muttered as his ws quivered, transforming into four more phantoms.


    Sure enough, that was enough for Gael''s sword to sweep further as the ws were no longer there, and nothing prevented the sharp de from slicing its way through.


    Gael instinctively decided to seize the opportunity despite the risks involved. After all, the six phantoms were rapidly approaching him, surrounding him on all sides.


    He might have been injured, but Ereg was in an even more dangerous situation since he had nothing else to defend himself with. Nothing could stop Gael''s sword from heading straight for Ereg''s neck.


    Ereg''s gaze grew deeper, then he smiled mockingly and opened his mouth wide.


    Crackle.


    The ash de caught between Ereg''s strongest teeth, which could hardly be damaged by any weapon, especially his fangs. They gnashed, but barely held Gael''s sword, even though he was exerting great force for this attack.


    Of course, there was no way Ereg could stay in such a dangerous position for long, in less than ten seconds he would run out of strength, and Gael would simply cut his head in two, but Gael didn''t have that much time.


    "ARGH!!!!" Gael eximed in pain as the six jaws of the phantoms bit into his skin, and blood rushed outward, hot as the brightest star.

 Chapter 1101 Battlegrounds

    <h4>Chapter 1101 Battlegrounds</h4>


    Gael had amazing swordsmanship skills, so his instincts told him that this attack might be sessful and, in that case, he would win their battle. However, Gael didn''t have time to think about what Ereg was capable of, as he didn''t know, all of his opponent''s skills.


    The fact that ws could turn back into phantoms was aplete surprise to him, as were Ereg''s fangs, which were strong enough to hold back Gael''s sword. All in all, Gaelpletely lost in this round, he wasn''t prepared for the fact that his opponent had gone through such a strong development since theirst battle.


    "Hahaha! Gael, you should be more serious! Have you really forgotten? You gave your word!" Ereg eximed with an excited expression before abruptly turning around.


    Because the phantoms had sunk their sharp teeth into Gael''s flesh, he was unable to hold the sword tightly in his hands, so Ereg was able to step back without risk or damage to himself.


    Then, before Gael came to his senses, Ereg attacked, filling his fist with the energy of darkness. He had no ws now, but that didn''t mean his weapon waspletely gone. After all,bat gauntlets were also part of a weapon and could do serious damage if used properly.


    "I win this round!" Ereg eximed, taking a step forward and raising his fist to attack.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Darkness gathered in Ereg''s fist as if it were the center of the universe. The pressure was immense making space shake, struggling to withstand such power as cracks appeared in the fabric of reality, revealing a portion of open space.


    Gael''s pupils narrowed at thest moment before Ereg''s fist was about to reach him.


    He had disastrously little time, so all he had time to do was swing his sword and create a thin barrier of ash, light and unstable.


    Clearly, it wasn''t enough to stop Ereg. His blow could crumple the dragon''s scales like a mere skin and tear the Fifth Chronicle monster apart with its sheer power.


    So, Gael had to experience the full consequences of his failure. He had taken a risk and made a mistake, now there was no way to retreat.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crack.


    With a loud crunch, Ereg''s fist plunged into Gael''s stomach, causing him to feel a hell of a lot of pain. Bright agony, waves spread through Gael''s body, his eyes wide open as well as his mouth with bloody clots flying out.


    The impact caused a shockwave that released a ring of wind and threw Gael dozens of meters away.


    The impulse was powerful enough that the phantoms couldn''t keep their jaws on Gael''s body, since the shockwave simply threw him away.


    The phantoms looked at each other puzzled, they didn''t know what to do: pursue Gael or stay put, so soon they looked at Ereg, their master.


    "Come to me. You have already aplished your task, so it is time for you to return to your original position." Ereg said calmly, extending his arms as if showing the phantoms what was to be done.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    The phantoms reacted immediately, nodding and heading towards Ereg''s hands at the same time. Without dy, they transformed into six long ws, easily capable of damaging Gael''s body.


    At the same moment, Gael''s back collided with the colosseum wall, experiencing a deafening pain due to the sturdy stones with brightly glowing runes.


    All the while, the colosseum was absorbing the energy trying to escape outside the arena, as during the attacks, Gael and Ereg couldn''t fully control their abnormally huge energy. Moreover, the energy was constantly emanating from their bodies, so the colosseum was working at maximum power every second.


    "Agh... That wasn''t bad, but honestly, I expected more from you." Gael muttered, slowly rising from the ground.


    Whooooooooooooooooosh.


    His body erupted in white mes, burning away all the blood and making the phantom wounds disappear, without a trace. Such wounds were not worthy of leaving scars on Gael''s body, not even the tiniest of scars, more serious attacks were needed for that. Obviously, Ereg was capable of them, but for that, he needed to act with his ws and not phantoms.


    "What? Did my punch seem weak to you?" Ereg asked with a confident smirk.


    Gael nodded, "You were gathering so much energy, but that punch was nothing special. If you had only used physical power, you could have easily done the same damage, but you did it much faster. Practically at lightning speed."


    Liang, Nitra, and Alucard who were watching the fight smirked, as did Ereg. It seemed like they saw something the others didn''t, but that wasn''t entirely true.


    Only Gael did not see one detail that everyone, including the hundreds of spectators in the colosseum, was looking at.


    Ereg smiled amicably and pointed at Gael, just a little lower, at his torso.


    Gael blinked puzzledly a few times before looking down. At the spot where his fist had struck, floating a tiny ck sphere, calm but dense like a ck hole.


    The sphere didn''t move or do anything, just waiting for its moment, which was right now.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crack.


    The sphere cracked, as all the energy hidden inside it burst out in an instant.


    Gael''s eyes went wide. He realized that this attack would be the most serious of their entire battle since Ereg had shaped his darkness so that Gael wouldn''t be prepared for it.


    Streams of ash appeared beside Gael, intending to protect him, but these attempts were doomed to failure. He had too little time, or rather, he had no time at all as the darkness had already burst forth.


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    A devastating st of darkness covered the entire arena, shaking the space and sending out chaotic streams of wind, sharp as des and wild as beasts. They fled from the site of the explosion, in the epicenter of which it was impossible to survive. For any living thing, it would definitely be death.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space shook as the colosseum shook. The stone blocks could hardly withstand such pressure, and some of them began to crack.


    There was no telling what had happened to Gael, but as strange as it was, that wasn''t the most important thing right now. If the colosseum fell, Beastfolk World would face significant destruction, as Gael and Ereg wouldn''t be able to control themselves during the brutal battle.


    Everyone realized that, but only a few people could fix it.


    Tap.


    Alucard, with a calm look, bent down and ced his palm on the stone block. His energy traveled toward the colosseum, infusing every part of it, of which there were several thousand.


    In a way, the Colosseum was an artifact, a veryrge one, the size of a huge building, but it was. Each part of the colosseum, could absorb energy and use it to provide security to the spectators and the barrier.


    So, if the colosseum had enough energy, it could withstand any damage.


    Alucard realized this, so before the dark smoke cleared and the dust settled to reveal Gael''s silhouette, he was hastily reinforcing the colosseum.


    Thin bloody threads appeared around each of the hundreds of stone blocks, curling around them and making them stronger.


    Liang noticed this, shrugged his shoulders slightly, and ced his palm in the same way.


    "Hey, do you really think I can''t handle this?" Alucard asked as a smirk appeared on his face.


    "No, just thought I''d contribute to this fight. It would be a big mistake to lose such an amazing structure like this colosseum." Liang said with a slight sadness in his eyes.


    Krana curiously stared at him. She was trying to find out why he suddenly felt this way, it was a real mystery to her.


    "We, as the strongest have only two choices during battles between others like us. Either we fight in open space, which feelspletely fake since there''s no earth, no air, no gravity... just nothing..." Liang muttered while streams of wind swirled around him.


    The wind was heading towards the colosseum, creating white threads next to the bloody ones, making each part of the colosseum much stronger. Given that they both used their energy, the colosseum would now be able to withstand almost any damage.


    "The second option is to fight in a world of some sort, specifically a world and not a void. Regardless of how big the void is, the Progenitors will simply destroy such a space in a few attacks. However, even the real world would be severely damaged. To be honest, I don''t like either option." Liang uttered, staring intently at the thick darkness slowly descending towards the ground.


    "However, it turns out we have a third option - this colosseum. If we use enough energy, even Nameless King and Dragon Progenitor can fight here. We shouldn''t miss such an opportunity." Liang''s gaze became more serious. It was obvious that this was important to him. He wanted to fight like everyone else, he wanted to know how much better he had be.


    At the same moment, the darkness almost reached the ground, as well as the dust, revealing Gael''s silhouette that struggled to stand on its feet.

 Chapter 1102 False Attack

    <h4>Chapter 1102 False Attack</h4>


    The explosion that had nearly destroyed the Colosseum, and that definitely would have happened if not for Alucard and Liang''s intervention, had nearly dissipated.


    The darkness dissipated just as the dust settled to the ground, revealing a majestic silhouette behind the shroud of darkness.


    Upon seeing Gael, some of the onlookers were stunned, covering their mouths with obvious fear in their eyes.


    Gael''s body was covered in a cascade ofcerations, bleeding heavily in all ces. Unlike the light injuries inflicted by the phantoms, this was the real deal. Anyone below the Transcendence Stage would definitely die after being in the epicenter of such an explosion.


    "Well, well, it looks like he definitely lost this time." Alucard smirked, looking at his friend whose body was still emitting smoke along with vapor.


    The ground next to Gael was covered in cracks, spreading all over the colosseum, only the scarlet and white threads were able to keep this structure from copsing.


    Liang nodded, ''''Yeah, I didn''t expect the explosion to be so powerful... It''s likely that even I would be very ill after something like that. Ereg doesn''t act at all like I expected."


    "Hmm?" N gave him a questioning look.


    "Ereb is a Beastfolk, so everyone knows you prefer to act aggressively and quickly. However, Ereg uses tactics, defenses, tricky techniques like with phantoms, and even dyed attacks like in the case of this sphere of darkness." Liang shrugged.


    "Yeah... but that means something everyone''s forgotten about for some reason. Or maybe it just seems that way to me." Nitra entered the conversation as she pointed at Gael, "He hasn''t shown anything yet. Ereg is using his arsenal because he realizes that his opponent is strong, and he''s already lost once. However, I think it''s obvious to everyone that Gael is capable of the same, if not more."


    Alucard and Liang nodded silently, casting their gazes at Gael who looked down. His gaze was not visible, and it was unknown what he was thinking right now.


    Wain smirked, "Well, well, looks like it''s time to move on to something more serious than a few tiny or small scars."


    "By the way... Do you know how many scars Gael has in total?" Marlis asked, turning to him.


    Wain shrugged, "I''m not sure. I doubt even Alucard knows the exact number. However, I do know that he only has a fewrge scars. By rge'' I mean those that can cross his entire chest or back. When he reveals at least one of those scars, this fight wille closer to the finals, not immediately, but gradually."


    Sven nodded, "Yeah, this ability is unique and even somewhat romantic. The more he fights the stronger he bes and it''s not just experience or skills, but something physical."


    "Agh, I wish I possessed something like that too." Osvald sighed. He was a true fan of fighting, perhaps he loved fighting even more than most Beastfolks. Gael inspired him, as much as Liang did, Osvald respected anyone who possessed great strength.


    "We all have our own strength, there''s no point in envying anyone. You don''t have magic scars like Gael, but you have amazing destructive power. Many would like to be like you." Wain uttered with a calm expression as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    Osvald nodded, looking at Gael carefully.


    At the same moment, Gael raised his head, ncing at Ereg, who stood confidently in his seat. Darkness was gathering around him as if he was ready for another intensification andplication of their battle.


    "That wasn''t bad... Honestly, I didn''t expect an attack of that type and so powerful... You outyed me, I''ll admit that as well as defeat in this round." Gael said calmly as the space around him distorted like a mirage in the desert.


    His aura became much weaker as medium-sized scars shone brightly all over his body, about a hundred in total. The scars were on every part of his body, be it his back, arms, legs, or even his head.


    In his long life, Gael had fought thousands of battles, so the scars that stayed with him forever were his eternal trump card. They contained enough energy to change the course of a battle in an instant, and often in Gael''s favor.


    Ereg was wary as he took a step back. He knew that Gael still had plenty of scars since medium-sized scars were only the middle of his journey, but Ereg didn''t want to intensify in response.


    ''Hmm, it''s probably a rash and foolish decision, but I can afford the risk. After all, this isn''t a fight to the death, so... I have to figure out how long I can hold out against him now!" Ereg internally eximed, umting darkness around him.


    No new ghosts appeared behind him, nor did the runes in his amber eye, it remained at the same level, but he could umte enough darkness to prepare for Gael''s attack.


    The darkness turned into dozens of arms surrounding Ereg and creating several protective barriers around him. They didn''t cover himpletely, but at any moment they could turn into a solid protectiveyer on one side.


    "You''ve changed since thest time we fought, but you''re still the same in some ways... You''re always trying to know your limits, even though you haven''t gotten to them yourself yet." Gael muttered before taking a step forward.


    Whoooooooooooooooooooosh.


    In a heartbeat, Gael appeared right in front of Ereg with a stare as cold as ancient ciers. His sword was already moving straight towards Ereg, who barely had time to react to such an attack.


    Dark hands moved forward,ing between Gael and Ereg, forming a barrier of hundreds of hands, dense and powerful enough that the dragon couldn''t even scratch it.


    However, there were no barriers for the ashes of the Ashens Progenitor.


    Crackle.


    The sharp tip of the sword, with particles of ash, easily passed through the dense barrier that should have stopped any attack.


    Gael moved freely and casually, as if Ereg was no longer a threat to him, it couldn''t be said that he was wrong, as they were now onpletely different levels.


    ''Shit! That''s impossible! I didn''t stop him for even a split second!" Ereg internally eximed before crossing his six ws, hoping to defend himself.


    In the next moment, Alucard and Liang''s eyes went wide from the scene that unfolded before them.


    Ereg was ready to block the attack, but in fact, when his hands came into motion, about to cross his six ws, Gael was no longer in the same ce as a moment ago.


    In a heartbeat, Gael found himself behind Ereg, holding his sword poised forward while dark drops of blood ran down the long sharp de. It wasn''t much, but it was the quality, not the quantity, that mattered here.


    A crack.


    A massive spurt of blood came out of Ereg''s right side as he promptly fell to his knee, holding the wide wound.


    Even after a few seconds, the cut was slightly, getting wider, allowing more blood to flow outward.


    Ereg''s face creased in pain and iprehension. Unlike Alucard and Liang, who watched the fight from the sidelines and were able to discern Gael''s movements, to Ereg it looked as if Gael had stopped time.


    In one moment, Gael was right in front of him, while his sword gradually passed through the barrier of darkness, then, Gael disappeared, leaving behind only a bright, searing pain.


    "ARGHHHH!!!" Ereg cried out in pain, umting darkness in his palm and creating a dense veil over the cut. Ereg simrly strained his muscles to the limit to narrow the cut and stop the bleeding, but despite this, the pain on his face only grew worse.


    "Something''s wrong..." N muttered with a worried expression looking at Ereg, "This cut was executed perfectly, but is it enough for the King to behave like this?"


    Liang frowned, "It''s not as simple as it may seem at first nce. The cut is most ordinary, though it was executed at incredible speed and with must skill, however... it''s not Gael''s real attack."


    "Agh...? What do you mean? Tell me!" N eximed, clenching her fists tightly. It was obviously difficult for her to watch such savage suffering of her King whom she had obeyed for decades.


    Liang pointed at Gael''s beside which particles of ash were floating.


    "They may look safe, but these are the ashes of the Progenitor of Ashens, the strongest Ashen in general and the strongest Ashen who followed the path of ash rather than me. Every bit of me in his hands is a deadly weapon, near him, they float like snowkes, but against enemies, they be deadly des." Liang said with a serious expression.


    Then, his gaze fell on Ereg, suffering in agony, "In a way, it''s natural that right now, these particles are cutting Ereg from the inside. His flesh, blood, muscles, and organs, I doubt they will stop before they kill their target."

 Chapter 1103 Immunity

    Chapter 1103 Immunity


    Gael slowly turned around with a calm expression, looking at Ereg being in agony. He didn''t continue to attack or do anything, Gael just pointed his sword to the ground slightly holding the hilt, and directed his gaze at his opponent, waiting.


    If Ereg couldn''t handle the ash particles tearing him from the inside, then there was no point in continuing their fight. Only if Ereg seeded in getting rid of the ash would their battle be truly meaningful.


    Ereg had no trouble blocking the cut with darkness to keep the blood from flowing from it, but it wasn''t enough. He somehow needed to deal with the ash that continued to rage chaotically through his body, bringing more wounds with each passing second.


    ''Shit! Shit! Shit!" Ereg internally eximed with his face contorted in pain, "My darkness isn''t capable of dealing with them, that''s for sure... In that case, what the hell am I supposed to do?!


    Liang frowned, "This is bad."


    N anxiously looked at him, while her heart began to beat faster.


    "You don''t have to look at me like that. I can''t help him anyway even if I wanted to, no one can." Liang shrugged his shoulders.


    "But... Could the ash be that dangerous? Why isn''t Ereg doing anything?!" N eximed in confusion, clenching her fists tightly.


    "He just can''t." Alucard said coldly, keeping his hands in his pockets, "Enough yelling, either Ereg will lose or win, there''s nothing to discuss. All we can do is watch the fight, keep doing it, and hope it doesn''t end up so boring."


    N wanted to say something, but at the feel of Alucard''s powerful pressure, her words stuck in her throat, unable to get any further. She just gulped, turning hopefully towards the arena and watching Ereg.


    ''Wait... If he can use his ashes in this way, what''s stopping me from using my darkness in the same way?'' Ereg''s eyes went wide when he momentarily forgot about the pain, then he had an idea that could save his life.


    ''Mere darkness won''t be enough to get rid of the ashes of the Progenitor of Ashens, however... I have an unusual darkness.'' Ereg pondered while looking at his ws.


    The phantoms that were his weapons and ws were special,bining the blood energy emanating from Ereg himself. These two phantoms, he had created and fed for hundreds of years, solely with his own energy and blood, only through such a long process was he able to turn them into weapons that were perfectly suited to his fighting style.


    ''Well, I''ve never done this before, I''m not even sure I can control them properly, but... do I have any other choice?'' Ereg sighed, still feeling the bright pain, before swinging his arms.


    The six ws turned into phantoms, however, they were toorge to safely prate Ereg''s body.


    So, at Ereg''s will, the six phantoms split into two, then another and another, until they were as small as ash particles, being only slightlyrger. Cumtively, the number of phantoms became equal to a hundred.


    "Agh... Let''s go, guys, I hope you can do it. You know your target and I advise you to hurry... I''m not sure how much longer I can hold out..." Ereg muttered as he coughed with massive clots of blood while dark trickles flowed from the corners of his mouth.


    A hundred phantoms nced over, despite their tiny size they retained their creepy ghost form, and then they headed towards Ereg''s head prating his body through his nose, mouth, and ears.


    Wain nodded deeply as he watched Ereg, "Well, well, a little more, and this fight would probably be over, but he found a way to deal with the ash. That''s impressive."


    Sven sighed, "Honestly I thought he couldn''t handle it. Maybe I''m wrong, but Ereg looks kind of weak or unsure, I''m not sure. Gael didn''t see the explosion and got seriously injured, but none of that matters."


    Sven continued, "Ereg is trying to win, you can see that it''s very important to him, so he''s using everything he has, whether it''s defense, tactical attacks, or unique techniques. However, after revealing his weapons, Gael made only one attack, a rather simple, even primitive one. He added some ash and Ereg found himself dying. Lucky he found a way to deal with it, though we still have yet to see the result of his actions."


    Osvald shook his head, "I disagree. Beastfolks get stronger gradually, it''s definitely not the full strength of Ereg. I''m sure of it."


    "I think so too." Marlis nodded, which in a way was surprising since she rarely agreed with Osvald. They usually argued since their personalities werepletely different.


    "Gael may not have shown anything yet, but he''s already revealed medium-sized scars while Ereg hasn''t gotten to the next level yet. To some extent, they are at different stages now and Ereg is trying to fight back. Moreover, Osvald is right that beasts that Beastfolks, get stronger during battle and especially when they find themselves in a deadly situation." Marlis waved her hand with a smart look.


    Sven didn''t say anything, he just continued to watch Ereg. He didn''t believe that Ereg would be able to give a decent fight to Gael, but he listened to Marlis and Osvald''s opinions. After all, they were among the strongest Arkans like him.


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, a hundred phantoms moved inside Ereg''s body, they were small enough to reach every part of it, be it stomach, arm, or heart.


    The ash particles were like tiny des piercing Ereg''s flesh, drawing blood, and causing Ereg serious damage. All this time they had been doing this with impunity, but now dark particles with a crimson aura that were phantoms were heading towards them.


    It was like the body''s immune system using white blood cells and macrophages to destroy a virus or disease. The phantoms approached the ash particles, sinking their teeth into them and tearing them apart.


    The ash particles tried to run away, forgetting their primary goal of injuring Ereg. The phantoms chased the ash like a gue, slowly destroying it.


    After a while, Ereg felt rxed while the phantoms one by one left his body, showing that they had already aplished their mission.


    A small amount of ash still remained in his body, but thest phantoms quickly destroyed them, allowing Ereg''s wounded body to breathe a sigh of relief.


    He didn''t have the same regeneration as Alucard, but he was a Progenitor, and a Beastfolk, so his wounds healed rather quickly, especially the internal ones.


    "Agh... That hurt like hell." Ereg took a deep breath as a satisfied smile appeared on his face.


    Then, a hundred phantoms turned into six, heading towards Ereg''s gloves and bing sharp, long ws capable of cutting through anything.


    Gael nodded, unable to hide a slight smile. He was obviously d that his opponent was able to be resourceful, as Ereg only had one way to get rid of the ash inside his body.


    "Hmm... I wonder what the others would do if they ended up in Ereg''s ce?" Krana asked, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.


    Alucard smirked, "You''re wondering how I would have handled the ash?"


    "Yeah... I think that''s exactly what I said..." Krana mumbled uncertainly, not knowing if she had used the right words.


    "Well, it obviously wouldn''t be a problem for me. I wouldn''t even bother trying to get rid of them, since even a thousand ash particles are incapable of hurting me faster than I regenerate." Alucard shrugged nonchntly,pletely confident in his abilities.


    "Hey... That''s too corny. What would you do if you needed to destroy them?" N frowned, unhappy with such an answer.


    Krana gasped, "Wait, I didn''t mean for you two to fight."


    Alucard nced at her, shook his head, and waved his hand.


    "It''s okay. You don''t always have to focus on just the words, look more at the emotions and tone of whoever is speaking. It will allow you to understand the situation better."


    Krana nodded silently with an awkward look. It was hard for her to make casual conversation like everyone else did. She was still learning.


    "What about your question..." Alucard said thoughtfully, "Well if Gael''s ashes ended up in my body, I would destroy it with blood drops or blood threads. I would do something like that."


    Krana nodded and looked at Liang and Nitra.


    "Damn, looks like we have no choice but to participate in this too." Liang shook his head with a tired look, "Wind. Tiny streams of wind would destroy the ash, that''s it."


    Nitra shrugged, "Just lightning. I don''t think I''d have to use the power of space to deal with them."


    Then, all eyes returned to the arena.


    Gael pointed his sword at Ereg and said, "Strengthen yourself. You were able to deal with the aftermath of my attack this time, but you won''t have that opportunity again."


    "No."


    Ereg smirked, removing his palm from his side where nothing remained of the long cut.


    "I want to test myself. You''re not going to get any weaker, so... Attack!" Ereg cheerfully eximed, preparing for his opponent''s deadly attack.

 Chapter 1104 Battle of the Clones

    Chapter 1104 Battle of the Clones


    Gael smirked with a slight smile on his face nodding. He couldn''t force Ereg to increase his power since only Ereg could make that decision, so he only had one option - to keep fighting.


    "Fine, I''ll do as you wish, but don''t forget you''re not an Alucard." Gael uttered, taking a step forward while particles of ash headed toward his long sword.


    "Unlike my friend, you don''t have such insane regeneration, so... If you''re careless you could die. You might not even have time to use the boost." Gael muttered before disappearing.


    In a heartbeat, he found himself in front of Ereg, who was ready to attack. However, that was not enough.


    A fighter could know his opponent''s every move or even have the ability to see the future, but it was of no use if the opponent was too fast.


    Ereg could know everything ahead of time, but it wouldn''t help him at all, since Gael was moving faster than he could react.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Gael found himself behind Ereg as drops of blood dripped from his sword again, dark and lonely but slowly bringing Ereg closer to defeat.


    "Argh!!!" Ereg spat out a mouthful of blood as a wide cut appeared on his chest from which a scarlet stream gushed out.


    "Come on. I understand your desire, but this is no longer pride or arrogance but stupidity." Gael said calmly, swinging his sword.


    At the same moment, Gael was in apletely different ce, and a deep, perfectly even cut opened on Ereg''s shoulder.


    Ereg tried to fight back, but it was hardly possible. To him, Gael looked like a sh, appearing here and there, with no chance of being caught. From the outside, it looked like a battle between someone in the Fourth Chronicle and the Fifth one.


    The difference in strength between them was too great.


    However, despite the difficult situation, Ereg was smiling, he seemed to be enjoying the fact that every second Gael was attacking him, not even allowing him to take a break.


    "Does he have some kind of n or is he just enjoying what''s going on?" Liang tilted his head in a puzzled manner.


    Alucard shrugged, "I don''t know. Probably neither option or maybe both at once. Either way, we''ll soon find out what''s going on here since at this rate, Ereg will just die of hemorrhaging."


    The Beastfolks watched their leader with worry. They felt no hatred or anger towards Gael as they realized that this was all Ereg''s decision, but they wanted their leader to win.


    ''Damn... This is bad...'' Ereg internally muttered as Gael swept by him again at breakneck speed.


    Gael continued to attack, not going to stop, he was willing to do so until Ereg would admit defeat if it was his opponent''s will.


    Crackle.


    A long sword, with particles of ash stabbed into Ereg''s stomach, this time Gael decided to linger for a moment in front of Ereg, staring intently into his eyes.


    "Is that still not enough? In a few attacks, there won''t be a living spot left on you. You''repletely covered in cuts, and blood is flowing nonstop from multiple gaps." Gael asked with sincere intent.


    Ereg answered nothing, instead, he smirked and was taking a step forward, swinging his ws in an attempt to reach Gael.


    Gael shrugged nonchntly and took a few steps back, inplete control of the situation. The dark ws swept right in front of him, slicing through the air, but unable to reach their target that was so close and so far away at the same time.


    A crack.


    Gael jumped back, then rushed forward, making his most powerful attack in their long confrontation.


    "Argh!!!" Ereg cried out in pain, this time unable to hold back as Gael''s sword practically cut him in two.


    Ereg''s tough hide and dense muscles could protect him from almost anything, but it didn''t work against an opponent of such outstanding skill.


    Gael swung his sword, knocking the blood away while Ereg approached the ground, falling on it with a slight tter and raising a cloud of dust.


    In those few minutes, much of the arena had be covered in the blood of the Beastfolks Progenitor, dark and powerful but singr.


    Gael''s blood that came out of his body earlier had long since burned away, leaving no trace of itself.


    "No way..." N muttered in disbelief, covering her mouth with the palm of her hand while her eyes trembled with fear.


    She, like many other Beastfolks, was sure that Ereg had reached his limit because of the cocky decisions made earlier.


    His blood spread on the ground in many streams, spreading all around him. Ereg seemed to be struggling to breathe, very slowly and intermittently, as if his life wasing to an end.


    Gael frowned, looking at his opponent in such a difficult situation.


    He expected that Ereg had some kind of trump card or that Ereg was just waiting for the right moment to attack, but in the end, neither of those things happened.


    Wain, Sven, Marlis and Osvald were also wary. To some extent, they were worried about Ereg, because now and in the past he had been partially on their side.


    The Beastfolks were not their direct allies, but they were definitely


    not on the Arkans'' side.


    Even though they were memories, the intrigue was still there, since victories and defeats could be quite different as well as their effect on the fighters.


    "Agh... It was painful, but at the same time pleasant and sad at the same time..."


    Ereg''s faint voice spread through the colosseum, reaching the ears and minds of everyone who was there. All eyes were directed only at him, hardly anyone was looking at Gael.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A light pressure came from Ereg, who began to slowly rise from the ground. The pressure was gentle and slow, but with every second it grew stronger, as if Ereg''s strength could grow an infinite number of times.


    The blood continued to flow with hundreds of crimson droplets falling to the ground, with streams of steam passing near Ereg.


    Gael was wary, he didn''t understand what his opponent was doing: was he attacking, or was he trying to continue getting wounded?


    "Thank you. You could have finished me off many times before, but you didn''t do it because you hoped I would show you something worthy of your medium-sized scars in return." Ereg uttered as a sincere smile formed on his face.


    Gael gave him a questioning look. It wasn''t that he didn''t understand what Ereg had said, he just wanted to understand why Ereg had gotten so many wounds.


    "I see... You''re puzzled. Well, before I show you the middle of my power as you did already, I wanted to feel what I felt a long time ago." Ereg shrugged as his gaze became slightly sad.


    "I wanted to feel weak like I was thest time I fought you. Our fight was long, but in the end, you won and took my eye - my main scar and the only one I still don''t want to heal.


    It was painful to admit at the time, but I''ve changed a lot since that day, in some ways I''ve even grown up, though what I am to you is hundreds of years old. I wanted to feel it again since I won''t have that opportunity again." Ereg uttered with a happy smile running all over his face.


    Then, his blood began to shake as out of it came streams of darkness, thick and powerful, like a me wanting to burn the whole world.


    However, this time the darkness was different from what it had been before, or from any other darkness Gael or anyone else had seen.


    "What is this...?" Liang muttered in confusion.


    He had fought thousands of opponents in his lifetime and had seen them use a variety of attributes, from the mostmon such as fire and water, to the moreplex such as gravity, maism, or mixed ones.


    Except for Humans, all races could only have one basic attribute, however, the stronger a creature was, the more freedom it had to use its powers. Especially if it was someone on the Transcendence Stage.


    This is why Ereg''s attacks could create dark mes, even though fire was not an attribute of his. One would assume that he had a mixed attribute such as darkness and fire.


    In fact, Ereg''s attribute was actually a mixed one, but it was a mixture of three attributes at once - onemon, one rare, and one specific.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The darkness, now more like crimson blood, quite dark but notpletely ck, slowly rose up, enveloping the entire arena space around Gael.


    "Blood and darkness... but there''s something else here..." Gael muttered in disbelief, since a few hundred years ago Ereg couldn''t use blood to enhance his attacks.


    Ereg nodded, "Yeah, this darkness is as alive as phantoms, in a some way my bloody darkness is a summoned being."


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Ereg swung his hand, and some of the darkness traveled toward his wounds, healing him quickly. The remaining darkness, most of it, split into many clots that gradually turned into dozens of silhouettes.

 Chapter 1105 Crimson Clones

    Chapter 1105 Crimson Clones


    The Crimson darkness that had received Ereg''s energy by absorbing his blood was slowly transforming into somethingrger, perhaps even intelligent.


    Dozens of clots of darkness turned into silhouettes that looked suspiciously like Ereg himself, they were the same height and size, and the silhouettes even had the distinctive fur that most Beastfolks possessed.


    However, the clones had no faces, and details of their bodies such as muscles were not visible due to the thick shroud of darknesspletely obscuring them. The Clones'' gazes were directed towards Gael - their only target that had been on top in their battle for far too long.


    "Looks like you''ve finally decided to get on my level, doesn''t it?" Gael uttered with a thoughtful expression. In fact, he wasn''t entirely sure, as Ereg''s previously powerful aura was now calm. He didn''t know if it was because of the clones or some other reason.


    Ereg nodded, "Sure. A few more wounds and I wouldn''t even be able to stand up. I already told you that my goal was just to feel weak since I won''t have that opportunity again!"


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, at Ereg''s will, two clones rushed towards Gael. They also had long ws, which they held slightly above the ground to make a deadly bottom-up attack.


    ''Fine... My medium-sized scars against your full attribute and clones... Let''s see which one of us turns out to be stronger.'' Gael internally muttered fully understanding what Ereg''s n was.


    Now their next round had officially begun.


    First, it was a simple fistfight, then Gael showed tiny and small scars while Ereg summoned ghosts, and then after Alucard intervened it was their weapons'' turn. Now, they went even further, but that was not the limit of their power.


    "Clones... That reminds me of something." Liang muttered as he looked at Alucard.


    Alucard smirked, "Why are you looking at me like that? I did somethingpletely different. My clones were something new to me, an unknown ability. Furthermore, each of my clones had a part of me in them while Ereg simply created them from his darkness."


    "But... His darkness absorbed his blood, didn''t it?" Krana asked with an awkward expression.


    "Sure." Alucard nodded, "However, his attribute has been like this for a long time, in other words, this blood situation was just a catalyst for his attribute to unleash its power, but that''s not what created his attribute.


    Surely to make his darkness something like this, he had practiced for decades, just like letting his energy absorb his blood. He shouldn''t have had a chance to seed, but considering he''s in the Transcendence Stage, some rules don''t work for him. Also, it depends on his true power hidden in his Form."


    Krana wanted to ask something, but Alucard said too manyplicated things for her. It would take her a few minutes just to think and understand everything.


    "Hmm... If it wasn''t for my fight with Liang, I would have never thought that the attribute could be changed to some extent." Nitra muttered in a pensive manner, "After all, something like that happened to me."


    N took a step forward, pressing her palm to her chest, "Do you think the King can win this round?"


    Alucard grinned, "It is right that you speak of a round since no one knows what will happen at the end of their fight. Given your worries, I''ll answer your question - Yes, Ereg will definitely win this round."


    N breathed a sigh of relief. Back then, that was all that mattered to her, nothing more.


    "Alucard..." Krana said uncertainly, "You lied just now, right?"


    N''s face instantly changed when she heard that, then she looked hopefully at Nitra and Liang.


    However, it was as if they didn''t see her, watching the battle unfold. Obviously, they did it on purpose, because they too could answer her question the way Alucard did.


    Only N and Krana were not experienced enough to predict the oue of this round, at least based on the information they had so far.


    Alucard smirked, ncing at Krana, "Oh, it''s been less than an hour since you got a name and learned to talk, but you''re already making assumptions like that. Not bad, not bad at all."


    Depending on the person, it was possible to figure out if someone was an enemy or not, the options were many: tone, voice, facial expressions, or random body movements as well as looks.


    Of course, those who often lied in their lives knew all this, so there were plenty of liars in the world who were a real challenge to uncover, even for someone quite experienced.


    Obviously, it was incredibly difficult to know whether Alucard was lying or not, given that he''d been doing it for hundreds of years at every opportunity because he thought it was funny. However, it wasn''t umon for him to tell the truth like everyone else, so N did not doubt that he was being honest with her.


    Krana, on the other hand, was a special case because of her peculiar situation. She was unfamiliar with lying, so she might think that a person was lying when it was obvious to everyone that he was telling the truth and vice versa.


    "I... Just assumed..." Krana muttered as she looked down, thinking that she had done something wrong.


    "Hah, don''t worry, it''s a perfectly normal question, and maybe you''re even right. However, I''ll only reveal it to you when the round is over, otherwise, all intrigue will be lost." Alucard smirked, casting a sly nce at N, who was now even more nervous.


    "Hahaha, Alucard even as a spectator continues to y games." Wain chuckled, enjoying the show revealed before him.


    Sven lifted his chin, rubbing thoughtfully, "Damn, I was sure Alucard was lying, but because of that monster girl, I now doubt it. Sometimes a fresh set of eyes from a newbie, can confuse even a seasoned master, can''t it?"


    Marlis raised an eyebrow, "What the hell are you talking about? This is the first I''ve heard of it."


    Osvald turned around, "Come on, it''s obvious isn''t it?"


    Marlis wanted to say something as did Sven, but their time to talk was limited since the fight between Ereg and Gael wasn''t going to stop.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    The two dark clones swung their ws from bottom to top, trying to leave deep and deadly cuts on Gael''s chest.


    However, to Gael, their movements were as slow as they were predictable.


    "Pffft. If you want to beat me, you''ll have toe up with something more dangerous." Gael snorted before stepping forward,pletely unafraid of the clones'' attack.


    The clones attempted to dodge the sharp sword, bearing right at them as they jumped aside.


    However, when their feet touched the ground, their bodies split in two while particles of ash swirled around them in a light whirlwind. Since Gael had already cut them before the clones jumped aside, it was as easy for him as splitting an apple into two even pieces.


    p. p. p.


    Ereg slowly pped his hands with an excited expression.


    "Not bad, but that was only two clones, can you do the same if all ten attacked you?" Ereg smirked before pointing at Gael, thus giving orders to his clones.


    Without hesitation, eight clones attacked, however, very soon they were joined by two more - the ones Gael had just killed.


    "Oh, so they can regenerate so easily... Interesting. Well, that won''t help you. You know who my best friend is, so using regeneration against me is the worst tactic you could think of." Gael said coldly, slowly cing his palm on the hilt of his sword like a samurai.


    The clones quickly surrounded him as ten pairs of sharp ws headed for Gael''s weak points with the sole intention of piercing them and tearing them apart in the name of their master.


    A sharp glint passed across Gael''s calm eyes before he came to a stop.


    In a heartbeat, with particles of ash, Gael swung his sword several times each time like a true master rivaled only by Liang. However, while Liang possessed abnormal physical power, Gael had a skill that could outshine that of any living being.


    His ashes emphasized his advantages and mitigated his disadvantages, if any.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The ten clones that in a split second should have pierced Gael from all sides were torn into many pieces, like cloth into fibers, disappearing into the void at random wind currents.


    Gael with a calm gaze stood up confidently, looking at his opponent, who seemed unsurprised by the oue of this battle.


    "What now? Recover your clones again? I can cut them as many times as I need to. Until you run out of energy." Gael narrowed his eyes.


    Ereg shrugged, "Yeah, something like that, however... The power of my clones lies elsewhere, or rather the power of my attribute."


    At the same moment, just as Gael had predicted, the ten clones recovered, but now 1/5 of their darkness was crimson instead ofpletely ck.

 Chapter 1106 Trees

    Chapter 1106 Trees


    Many creatures were able to create clones - the quality, purpose, and number of clones varied depending on the strength of a person, but this ability could not be called unique.


    Among Undeads, many were able to summon shadow clones - to distract opponents, to escape, and to conduct stealth attacks. However, such clones, like many others, werepletely weak and could not convey even 1/1000 of the original.


    However, sometimes clones could be quite strong opponents, a real weapon capable of forcing the enemy to use resources to destroy them.


    Gael was a special case, as it was a waste of energy to use clones against such an opponent. After all, no matter how strong the clones were, they couldn''t withstand the swing of his sword that could cut through anything.


    It was obvious to everyone, as well as to Ereg, but that didn''t stop him from using clones because they were different from everyone else.


    "Crimson darkness...? What the hell is that?" Gael frowned, looking puzzled at the clones surrounding him on all sides.


    Ereg smirked, "Nothing, much it''s just a little invention of mine. I identally created them when I was trying to figure out how to best utilize my new attribute. I won''t say they''re my main trump card, but I''m sure they''re unrivaled among battle clones."


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, the ten clones attacked Gael again. Expectedly, they were faster than before, as well as stronger. However, their intelligence had also increased as much as it was possible with non-living creatures.


    The clones weren''t just running at Gael in a straight line, they were trying to trick him into attacking the clone that actually posed the least threat.


    "Agh... I see... Well, like I said earlier none of this matters. Even if these clones be much stronger, I can easily deal with them." Gael uttered before stepping forward and swinging his sword from bottom to top.


    His target was not any particr clone, since he summoned streams of ash that were like sharp des quickly approaching the ten clones.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The clones bounced aside, trying to fight off the streams of ash with their sharp and sturdy ws, but their attempts were unsessful. The ash simply split into many pieces, into smaller des, and pierced the clones from all sides.


    "Hm? How interesting..." Gael muttered looking at the crimson sheath of the clones.


    When a clone was supposed to die, it didn''t, instead the crimson part just disintegrated into particles disappearing and leaving behind only natural darkness. This happened to every clone without exception.


    Ereg wasn''t upset that his clones had died once again, as his face had a satisfied smirk on it, and his arms were crossed over his chest. He wasn''t worried and was confident in his victory.


    "I see. These are truly extraordinary clones. Crimsonyer isn''t just an enhancement, but also an extra life to some extent, right?" Gael muttered, trying to make sense of the situation.


    It was unlikely that the Go opponent would reveal his secrets, but Ereg didn''t mind. After all, this whole fight was necessary so they could figure out who was the strongest now and how much they had evolved over a few hundred years.


    There was no need to hide anything in this fight. After all, they themselves had chosen this format of their fight in the form of rounds. If they used their Forms, none of this would matter, the clones as well as the ashes would simply cease to be anything of significance.


    Each of them realized this, also, they didn''t want to put the audience in danger too soon. After all, even a fortified colosseum would hardly be able to withstand their full power.


    "Yeah, and so it will continue until they arepletely crimson ones. I''ll give you a hint." Ereg smirked, leaning forward slightly, "There may be fiveyers in total, so considering you''ve killed my clones twice already, there are only three left to reach their final form."


    Gael nodded quietly. In fact, he had assumed something like this based on the appearance of the clones. He had enough experience that he understood the essence of many skills at a nce.


    "It''s definitely an interesting ability. I haven''t encountered anything like it before. However, fighting against clones is too boring." Gael calmly said, exhaled a cold vapor, and stepped forward.


    Whooooooooooooooooosh.


    In a heartbeat, he found himself right in front of Ereg, who didn''t seem to be expecting this at all. His arms were still crossed over his chest, and the smirk was still on his face while the sharp sword with ash particles was heading straight for him.


    In a split second the sword should have reached Ereg''s neck, and their fight could have been over, but Ereg had been expecting Gael to try something like that from the start.


    "Nice try." Ereg smirked before his body turned into a blob of darkness, in a heartbeat disappearing and ending up on the other side of the colosseum.


    In Ereg''s ce appeared a clone, as they exchanged ces, the ash de easily passed through the clone that was now 2/5posed of crimson darkness.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The Crimsonyer shattered into small shards, then the clone fully recovered as it had anotheryer.


    Gael frowned as he turned around, casting a hard stare at Ereg. The clone behind Gael tried to attack him, but as soon as the clone came into motion, two streams of ash cut it into multiple pieces twice,pletely killing that one.


    "You thought that was interesting? How many times do I have to kill these clones to get to you? A hundred? Five hundred? Maybe a thousand?" Gael frowned, before stepping forward and channeling energy to his sword that was covered in white energy.


    Ereg was wary as the smirk disappeared from his face. He realized that Gael had had enough of this, and now it was his turn to use something more powerful to fight the clones.


    "Even if there are a million clones, and they have ten crimsonyers each, I can destroy every single one of them. You realize that perfectly well, but if I only use a sword it will take too long. I can''t do that, or I''ll just fall asleep in the middle of the fight." Gael uttered in a majestic tone before thrusting his sword into the ground.


    Whoooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, the sword slowly plunged into the ground, entering it like an etheric space and stopping before reaching the middle.


    Then, the ground trembled as throughout the arena many sprouts appeared, thin and weak, but all they needed to grow was a bit of energy.


    "Technically, I can create clones too, but I''d have to control each of them individually, so... I have a better option," Gael said calmly, as his eyes sparkled and he channeled a huge amount of energy into his sword.


    Ereg became wary and swung his hand, sending all the clones straight at Gael. He couldn''t let Gael finish his skill, or he would be in serious trouble. Ereg had already lost one round, and all he wanted to do was win especially after he said he wouldn''t feel weakpared to what Gael could summon, but it was enough to prevent the clones from approaching the sword.


    anymore.


    However, as soon as the clones approached Gael, the streams of ashing from the sword threw them aside. This ash was rather weakpared to what Gael could summon, but it was enough to prevent the clones from approaching the sword.


    N''s eyes grew darker as she nervously began to nibble her nails.


    "Shit! Shit! Shit! Why does he always have some way to respond to the King''s actions!" N eximed irritably, clearly wanting Gael to lose.


    "Hah, looks like someone lost faith in Ereg, doesn''t it?" Alucard smirked, ring at N.


    N''s eyes went wide, "No! I didn''t mean that at all! It''s just... How''s he supposed to win if Gael keeps finding something to answer with!"


    Liang shook his head, "What did you expect? That Gael would stand still and let Ereg beat himself up? In that case, this fight would have no meaning, for either of them. Only winning a difficult fight can be valuable, and Gael, given his scars, understands that better than most."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Under the energy and protection of the ash, the sprouts grew quickly, bing six massive trees as great as ancient oaks. Their crowns burned brightly with white mes, and their bark asionally emitted particles of ash, hovering around them like eternalpanions unwilling to leave their home.


    The nine clones tried onest time to attack Gael to do some damage and this time Gael did nothing. His sword remained motionless, and he simply pointed his hand forward like amander giving orders to his squad.


    Ereg''s look changed, as if he realized what was about to happen, and he wasn''t prepared for it.


    "In this arena, there is no ce for darkness while I am here." Gael said coldly as dozens of ashy roots emerged from the ground, piercing the clones.

 Chapter 1107 Crimson Clones

    <h4>Chapter 1107 Crimson Clones</h4>


    From each ash tree came a multitude of roots that effortlessly pierced through the clones even when they had two crimsonyers. It took them less than a second to reach Gael just like their ws, but the ash trees were loyal defenders of their owner.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Crimson fragments of darkness-like ss fell down while the clones tried to recover. Depending on the number of crimsonyers, the clones could be resurrected before they were gone.


    The clones tried to do this while nted on roots, but there was a problem they couldn''t do anything about - they couldn''t get out of the roots. Thus, once the crimsonyer fell off and the clone regenerated, it would almost immediately die due to the ash particles cutting the clone from the inside.


    Ereg frowned, his clones were already almost halfway to maximum strength, but that meant nothing to Gael. All he had to do was use one ability and now Ereg''s darkness seemed to be useless.


    Gael with a calm expression, snapped his fingers as the roots came into motion piercing not only the clones but also each other as well.


    Thus, the nine clones were shattered into tiny particles, disappearing into the void. Obviously, this was not their end, for immediately afterward, ten patches of darkness appeared in the arena, from which silhouettes slowly emerged.


    However, there was no longer a satisfied smirk on Ereg''s face. He wasn''t afraid of Gael, but he realized that his clones were no longer a serious threat to Gael.


    "What now? Are you going to keep summoning your clones or are we going to move on to the real fight?" Gael said in a low tone pointing his sword at Ereg.


    At the same moment, a multitude of roots came down directly on Ereg. He had almost no time to dodge, so he was saved by his clones who were now three-fifths crimson darkness.


    The clones stood in front of him like a human shield, buying him an extra second, which was enough time for Ereg to dodge.


    Then, the roots tore all the clones apart without allowing them to recover and mmed into the wall of the colosseum where Ereg had just been.


    "No... no... no... no...!" N nervously bit her nails not wanting to believe what she was seeing. She wanted Ereg and his clones to defeat Gael, but the reality was that now Ereg was running away.


    Krana tilted her head with a curious expression, "Looks like Gael is much stronger now. All Ereg can do is run away with a worried face... Am I understanding this correctly?"


    However, no one was going to answer her.


    Liang and Nitra watched the battle with interest, especially Gael''s skill which they had never seen before. It was something Gael wouldn''t have used in any other battle, but Ereg''s clones had forced him to do it.


    Alucard was doing the same thing, however, he had a sly smirk on his face that was different from the previous one.


    Naturally, neither Krana nor N could get into Alucard''s mind and understand what he was thinking. All they could do was watch the fight and hope for the best, or rather it only mattered to N. Krana didn''t care who won, she just wanted to adapt to society faster.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The ten clones revived again and now they were almost entirely crimson, consisting of it on 4/5, only the center of their bodies remained ck and that would soon be fixed.


    Gael frowned slightly, obviously, he was getting tired of killing clones over and over again. He wanted to fight Ereg specifically, but instead, his opponent was running away from him. The only thing left for him to do was to get rid of the clones as quickly as possible.


    ''Ereg... You disappoint me a bit... I''m sure you could have used your attribute in a more interesting way than some clones that can''t even scratch me!'' Gael inwardly eximed as a long-forgotten feeling of anger appeared inside him.


    At the same moment, the tree roots began to move much faster as if to show their master''s irritation.


    Gael had great patience, but even it had limits.


    First, their fight was interrupted by Alucard, but Gael was ready for that, however now Ereg himself seemed in no hurry to fight his opponent. He let Gael beat himself up, then called on the clones, so far there were only a few moments when they really fought.


    Whooooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Roots was quickly heading towards Ereg, who obviously didn''t have enough speed to escape them. Roots pursued him like hunters, never taking their eyes off their prized target for a second.


    Just likest time, the clones tried to protect their owner, but they failed. Even though they had four crimsonyers, the ash roots easily killed them in just a few seconds.


    However, Ereg was able to evade the attack, once again.


    Gael received a powerful grimace, his patience was already reaching its limit and it was evident from the ash roots. They had be much more aggressive, faster, and chaotic, moving like wild monsters rather than the foundation of nature or any nt.


    "Agh... We need to calm down..." Gael muttered, taking a deep breath, which actually helped him, and the ashy roots became a little slower.


    ''Well... After all, Ereg was just trying to make it harder for me this way. He probably thought his clones would be able to make me expend a lot of energy. His n didn''t work, and that''s the end of it.'''' Gael internally shrugged before slowly waving his hand.


    The roots separated, slowly moving around the borders of the arena and heading towards Ereg, who was trying to run away from them.


    However, the roots were no longer as fast and wild as before, they moved at their own pace and trapped Ereg.


    At the same moment, thest level of clones emerged from the clots of darkness. These clones werepletely crimson ones with 5/5yers, and there was no ordinary darkness among them.


    Gael was alert that he was ready for these clones to do something special, and immediately attack him. But, nothing that came to his mind happened as the clones just stood still as if undead.


    ''Hmm? Why isn''t he controlling them?" Gael was puzzled, but he didn''t have time to think since his roots had already surrounded Ereg.


    N''s heart was beating very fast, looking at her King hopefully. She wished that everything would magically change now and soon something happened that made her eyes go wide.


    However, her eyes filled not with tion or happiness, but with deep despair.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crack.


    Six roots, meeting no resistance, pierced Ereg''s chest from all sides with powerful bursts of dark blood spreading around.


    "Argh!!!!" Ereg cried out in pain, but very soon he lost his voice, it seemed like he didn''t have the strength for it.


    This time, Gael personally controlled the roots, so they attacked critical points in any creature''s body - organs and especially the heart.


    Ereg''s feet didn''t even touch the ground, since the roots had lifted him up, leaving no chance to get out of this trap.


    Gael''s face grew colder as his gaze traveled to the dark drops of blood trickling off Ereg''s body and soaking into the ground of the arena.


    "Ereg... Weren''t you fully prepared to use that skill?" Gael muttered with a grim look, ring at the clones that still hadn''t even taken a step.


    Gael shook his head, "Well, it''s probably because he didn''t expect me to use such an ability. Surely such powerful clones need to be controlled, especially when they''ve reached a fullyer."


    Gael took a deep breath and took a step forward, running his palm over the de of his sword.


    One way or another, he had promised that he would fight seriously, and like any Ashen, he was going to keep his word. Ereg couldn''t even move, bleeding with a nk stare, but Gael had no right to stop.


    "Fine. In that case, let''s finish this." Gael whispered, directing energy towards his sword. Particles of ash swirled around the de, causing it to fill with white light and space to shake.


    "No! Is this really how it''s going to end..." N fell to her knees, trembling with fear and despair.


    Many Beastfolks had a simr reaction, none of them wanted to ept that their King had lost to Gael, especially in this way.


    "I hope you stay alive, I''m not sure of that... as I want to fight you again in the future. This shouldn''t be the end of our story." Gael said sincerely before swinging his sword.


    Tremble.


    With a strange ringing sound that repelled the wind currents, a light de capable of cutting through anything, even the fabric of matter itself, flew forward.


    At the same moment, ten crimson clones came into motion, but they didn''t attack Gael, instead, they turned into ghosts heading straight for Ereg.


    Then, an insidious smirk appeared on Ereg''s face as well as the light of life in his gaze.

 Chapter 1108 Darkness Strike

    <h4>Chapter 1108 Darkness Strike</h4>


    Gael assumed that because of his attacks and the ash trees, Ereg was unable to reach the full potential of his ability, especially in its final stage.


    To some extent, Gael was right, because the stronger the clones became, the more crimsonyers they had, and the more energy they needed to control them.


    However, Gael didn''t even suggest that this could have been Ereg''s n, who was doing all this on purpose, for one purpose only - to unleash all his power on his opponent - at the very end.


    "Hehehehe, Gael, you often act calm and polite to others, looking with disdain at those who act overly arrogant, but what about you?" Alucard chuckled evilly, looking at the confused expression on his best friend''s face.


    "Among the two of us, it is you who is the most arrogant and Ereg seems to have realized it since it is quite difficult to feel it. Your arrogance is different from the others because it''s not based on strength or superiority in skills like the others, the reason for your boundless arrogance is your absolute certainty that you can''t lose. In your world, in your worldview, it''s simply impossible."


    Alucard spoke aloud, though rather quietly, but everyone listened attentively, for this was an opportunity to learn things about Gael that others might not have even suspected.


    Whooooooooooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Before the light de could reach Ereg, ten crimson clones turned into streams, in a heartbeat ending up in front of Ereg and embedding themselves in front of his body.


    Then, Ereg nced around as his eye reflected the glint from the de that had already almost reached him.


    A light plume remained from the de and the space trembled due to the hidden power within it, capable of permanently splitting Ereg into several pieces.


    "Oh... That looks dangerous." Ereg smirked before turning into a bloody whirlwind, easily escaping from the roots that tightly held him, piercing his body in multiple ces.


    The roots tried to hold on to their target, but there was nothing they could do as with a light sweep of his ws, Ereg cut the roots into hundreds of pieces.


    "What do you think? Surprised?" Ereg smirked, spreading his arms out to the sides.


    His wounds were rapidly healing while a powerful crimson aura emanated from his body, like a me burning brightly above him and disying his strength.


    A split second was enough for Gael to realize that it was a temporary power, after a while the mes wouldpletely dissipate and Ereg''s power would return to normal, but he would definitely take advantage of it in time to cause Gael serious trouble.


    "Hah, I see that it is. However, that''s not all. Look!" Ereg eximed before taking a step to the side.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    With scarlet wind streams, Ereg found himself a few meters away, oddly enough right in front of the light de that kept frantically moving forward.


    Gael''s received a puzzled look, for he did not understand what Ereg was doing or what his n was.


    However, those who were watching the fight, or rather some of them already realized what Ereg was going to do.


    ''Well, well, now Gael will have to face the consequences of his actions.'' Alucard inwardly uttered with a devious smirk.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Ereg stretched his hand forward, clutching the light de tightly between his long ws. In a normal situation, the light de should have easily cut him in two, turning his arm into a bloody mess, but that was impossible now.


    Droplets of blood rushed out, due to the vibrating light de, but Ereg didn''t suffer any more damage as the thick crimson aura headed towards his palm. At the same moment, his defenses increased manifold and the light de gradually stopped.


    Gael was shocked, he didn''t understand how Ereg could stop his light de with just his bare palm, and then he began to realize what was happening here.


    ''No!'' Gael internally eximed, throwing his hand forward.


    Out of the trees, new ashy roots emerged, quickly approaching Ereg. There seemed to be no way for Ereg to defend himself as he had to fully concentrate on blocking the light de.


    "Well, it looks like Gael hasn''t realized what Ereg''s new ability is yet, or rather what the essence of the clones he summoned was." Wain muttered, watching Gael''s actions carefully.


    "However... I doubt you can me him for that, realizing that Ereg had such a cunning n and ability that doesn''t fit his character in any way is quite difficult, especially during battle."


    Sven shook his head, "I think it was something else - Gael''s arrogance. He was too focused on the fact that it was Ereg who screwed up, rather than on the fact that he was the one who misunderstood something. Well, now he''s going to have to face the consequences of his actions and lose, and then again and again and again. He''ll have to go through this cyclical cycle until he gets rid of his arrogance."


    Marlis''s eyes went wide as she looked at Gael, "Hmm? Do you really think Gael will losepletely? Why would he give up his arrogance? It seems to me that such a thing is only possible if he actually loses and loses his title."


    Sven shrugged with a slight smile, "Well, I could be wrong. It''s just my guess, that''s all. However, if he continues to think he''s a few levels higher than Ereg, he''s going to fall into simr traps. I have to admit that Ereg surprised me pleasantly. Before this fight, among all the Progenitors, I rated him as one of the weakest, along with Nitra."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The light de trembled, slowly coating itself with cracks in Ereg''s hand, about to shatter, but the ash roots were already too close. Ereg didn''t have enough time to deal with the light de and dodge the roots.


    "Hey, do you really think I''m still afraid of them? I don''t need to run away from the roots or defend myself with the clones anymore, because they''ve already aplished their task!" Ereg smirked before stepping forward, treading on the ground with immense force.


    Such a step, caused crimson streams of energy, throwing the roots aside and preventing them from getting any closer to their target. The roots tried to do so, but Ereg simply used more energy, and the roots shattered into tiny particles, turning into nothingness.


    Gael''s eyes went wide at this scene, but soon enough he was to be surprised once more as the light de clutched in Ereg''s hand began to shatter.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crack.


    Hundreds of shards separated, slowly approaching the ground, but Ereg wasn''t about to let them disappear as his goal was something else.


    Crimson energy, headed towards his palm in an evenrger volume, turning into a small vortex, quickly spinning and attracting everything around him - especially the parts of the light de he had just destroyed.


    The shards quickly entered the vortex, disappearing into it and transferring their energy to Ereg.


    in fact, the same thing had been happening all the time since Ereg had summoned the clones, the only difference was that without the crimson aura, he needed to take damage and sacrifice himself, letting the wounds cover his body.


    "Fuck..." Gael muttered with a dazed expression as a chill ran down his back. It was the moment he realized why Ereg kept running away and why his clones seemed so useless.


    "Bastard... All this time you''ve been absorbing the power of my attacks, that you''d end up turning them against me..." Gael said with a trembling voice.


    It would be wrong to say that Gael was now afraid of Ereg, however, Gael realized that his attacks possessed iparable destructive power. Also, his defense was tens of times weaker than his attack, so... like any of his opponents, Gael had to be careful with attacks of such power.


    "Hah, it seems like you''ve finally figured it out. In that case, I hope you''re ready! Don''t you dare die! This isn''t over yet!" Ereg eximed with an excited expression before turning into a crimson sh, approaching Gael with lightning speed.


    Ereg was right, this was definitely not the end for them, after all, in mortalbat, Gael could activate hisrge or giant scars, however... There was no way he would do that since their round was still not over.


    Even if it was a defeat in the round, he wasn''t ready to admit it himself - only if Ereg forced him to do so, naturally by brute force.


    Crackle.


    Ereg''s ws came down on Gael, who managed to put his sword above him at thest moment, defending himself from the attack.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    With a shudder, crimson streams of energy spread when the ground was left with the marks of dozens of cuts like the ws of wild beasts.


    Then, several scratches appeared on Gael''s body, caused by the overall power of the attack and the random wind currentsing from Ereg''s ws.


    "I see you''re surprised that someone is stronger than you now, right? Well, it''s not over yet. I always wanted to fight like a warrior, like Beastfolk, but not like a wild beast. Agh... You probably don''t understand me, so I''ll show you this." Ereg muttered as he turned around and kicked Gael in the stomach, throwing him aside.


    At the same moment, Ereg''s ws disintegrated into particles, turning into energy enveloping his fists.

 Chapter 1109 Fist vs. Sword

    <h4>Chapter 1109 Fist vs. Sword</h4>


    ws were the weapons of most beasts and animals, as were their jaws, powerful enough to give trouble to any creature even with fairly solid armor.


    However, Ereg was not a beast, he was a Beastfolk and proud of it, he had ws, but right now his main weapon was something else - his energy.


    In this world, only absolute power decided everything, and to arge extent, it depended on the power of a certain creature''s energy. That was why there were stages such as the First or Second Chronicle and Transcendence Stage.


    Ereg was one of the Progenitors and had an impressive amount of power, energy was his main weapon like any other being, so he was going to use it. Especially since he now had the power he had absorbed from Gael.


    "Knights fight using armor and swords, beasts fight using their ws and powerful jaws, and warriors fight with their devastating fists. This is what I need. That''s what I desire." Ereg said seriously while the particles of his ws separated into fibers of energy.


    Crimson energy enveloped his hands, creating a light veil, vibrating slightly due to the immense power hidden within. Likewise, Ereg channeled some of the total crimson energy received from the clones to his fists to make them as strong as possible.


    Gael, watching this scene got goosebumps - for the first time in several hundred years. Thest time was so long ago that he couldn''t remember when it happened.


    Alucard grinned even harder, looking at the confused expression on his friend''s face, which he had only seen a few times in all that time.


    "Hehehehe, Gael, this fight will be one of the best for you. Ereg has done a great job, besides using everything he has, he''s also fooled you a few times already. However... He''s tired of it, after all, he''s a natural-born fighter whose ultimate pleasure is the crackle of bones breaking under his massive fists." Alucard cast a nce at Ereg, striding confidently forward.


    Even though Ereg had thrown Gael aside with a single kick, which meant that there was now a tremendous amount of power hidden in his body, his footsteps did not cause the ground to tremble.


    Ereg walked forward calmly, like the most ordinary warrior, with a moderate aura and a stern gaze, but Gael realized that it was all a kind of illusion. Ereg''s true power was on another level, and until the crimson aura dissipated, it would be like this.


    "Well... Do you say you want to be a warrior? Fine, show me what you can do. Unlike Alucard you are not immortal, your fists will take serious damage from my sword." Gael alerted, adopting a fighting stance.


    At the same moment, roots from the ash trees slowly approached Ereg from all sides.


    Gael realized that right now, Ereg''s instincts were heightened to the extreme, as much as it was possible given their current level of strength.


    Thus, even though the roots were behind him, Ereg knew where each of them was.


    However, that didn''t mean the roots were useless. Gael could use them as a distraction or to deal damage at the opportune moment.


    "You think you can use them? Let me show you how pointless it is." Ereg said calmly before taking a step to the side.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Ereg''s silhouette blurred as he, in a heartbeat, found himself standing next to one of the ash trees. The tree seemed to realize what was about to happen, so its roots immediately attacked Ereg.


    However, before the roots could reach Ereg''s back, he swung his hand, palm splitting the tree in two and turning it into nothing.


    Then, Ereg turned around and rushed toward the other ash trees with the sole intention of destroying each of them.


    Gael just stood there with his eyes wide open, watching Ereg''s actions. In fact, the trees weren''tpletely destroyed, they would recover in time, but in that period of time, Ereg would be able tounch dozens of attacks and there would be no point in the trees anymore.


    "Why is he inactive...?" Osvald muttered in confusion, looking at Gael, who was standing still, "Can''t he use this moment to attack or to restore the trees? I''m sure if he has those trees it will be much easier to fight."


    "Well... It''s not that simple. Gael will fight until he can''t move on his own, only then will he admit defeat and reveal hisrge scars." Wain said calmly, keeping his arms crossed over his chest.


    Wain continued, "He doesn''t know what Ereg is capable of, so Gael will use this opportunity to gauge Ereg''s strength and speed, this is his only chance before their direct confrontation."


    Osvald nodded with a thoughtful expression.


    "Honestly I didn''t expect to see such confusion in Gael''s eyes. He didn''t expect Ereg to do something like that at all." Marlis sighed, looking at Gael with mild interest, "Have I overestimated him?"


    Sven smirked, "Hah, do you really think Ereg is the first to give Gael a decent fight? If all his fights were easy, his title would mean nothing as well as his scars. Gael is used to hard fights, but there is some truth to what you say. Gael is baffled by what Ereg''s fighting style has turned out to be."


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Three quick blows and thest ash trees were torn apart by the aggressive energy.


    Only one minute had passed since Ereg absorbed the clones and the light de, however, his crimson aura had be 20% smaller.


    ''I see... If I can withstand another four minutes, I can counterattack... but, is that possible?'' Gael internally muttered before adopting a fighting stance.


    It didn''t matter if his opponent was superior in strength or not, Gael never gave up, after all, he had found himself in terrible situations, but he had never lost yet.


    Ereg slowly turned around, ncing at Gael as if to signal him, and then Ereg rushed forward.


    In an instant, Ereg was in front of Gael, covering him with his broad shoulders from which a shadow fell, while his fists covered in crimson energy rained down on Gael.


    "A strong blow... but can fists do anything against a sword?" Gael whispered, swinging his sword, fast and free.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The sharp de of the sword collided with Ereg''s fist covered in crimson energy. The energy fluctuations spread around, shaking the space and causing chaotic wind currents, unable to contain such power.


    The ground beneath them was covered in cracks, spreading like spider webs and approaching the walls of the colosseum.


    It was a simple shockwave, but the stones shook, only white and scarlet threads keeping them from shattering since the runes could hardly absorb such a volume of energying from the epicenter of the impact.


    Gael''s sword could cut through anything, and he waspletely sure of that, however, his sword tried to pass through the crimsonyer of energy, but it was simply impossible. Ereg was confident in his strength, and he wasn''t wrong, his fist was stronger than Ereg''s sword.


    "No way..." Gael muttered in disbelief before Ereg''s second fist came down on his face.


    Whoooooooosh.


    The impact, threw Gael dozens of meters aside, causing his back to collide with the solid wall of the colosseum, while a stream of blood came out of his nose.


    His face was contorted with pain, he felt like his skull was cracked and could break at any moment from one of Ereg''s blows.


    "Fuck..." Gael cursed, falling to the ground but stopping himself with his hand. Everything in front of his eyes blurred, he felt lightheaded.


    He needed time to recover, but Ereg wasn''t going to give him that opportunity, since he soon found himself in front of Gael again.


    The moment the shadow fell on Gael, a hail of fists covered in powerful energy was already approaching him. The only thing Gael could do in that situation was to regain his senses and keep fighting. That''s exactly what he did.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Gael blocked several blows, not trying to attack anymore. He realized that in the current situation, his sword was weaker than Ereg under the crimsonyer. He needed to wait for Ereg to weaken.


    "Hmm... He needs to hold out for about three more minutes, but that''s hardly possible. Ereg is acting too aggressively, pretty soon Gael''s hands will go numb, and his defense will fall." Liang uttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.


    "Yes!" N eximed happily, "That''s exactly how it should be! Gael has found something to respond to every time, but now he doesn''t have that opportunity!"


    Krana silently watched the emotions of the others, just trying to get a better handle on them.


    Nitra shrugged, "Well, after all, it''s no big deal if Gael loses this round. The important thing is to win the battle, it doesn''t mean anything."


    "Don''t be silly." Alucard waved his hand, "Gael will fight to the end, and he''s already doing it, right now."


    At this time, the ash from the six trees that were trying to regenerate began to move to one point, transforming into something bigger and more powerful.

 Chapter 1110 Light Ray

    ?


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Ereg''s fists covered in crimson energy rained down on Gael as he tried to defend himself. He only had to wait a few moments before Ereg''s aura dissipated as well as his superior strength with which he easily defeated.


    Obviously, doing this with only his abilities and sword was impossible for Gael. He needed something else that would give him a small break, even if only for a few seconds, or else soon his hands would go numb, and he would suffer terrible damage.


    The only thing Gael had was the ash from the six trees destroyed by Ereg. This ash had already been summoned, so Gael didn''t need to control his actions, he just needed to think about what he wanted to happen with this ash.


    Very quickly, in just a few seconds, in what amounted to a dozen of Ereg''s blows, the ash turned into one huge tree. That one was taller than the Colosseum and big enough to be special even in nt World.


    However, this tree could not bebeled as a nt, as it would burn everything around it, any living thing, or drain even thergestke of ancient water.


    "Agh...?" Ereg''s eyes went wide as he felt an intense heat suddenly appear behind him, something he hadn''t expected at all. It wasn''t enough for him to stop attacking as he was very close to his target.


    ''Come on! Just a little more! A few dozen more strikes and his defense will fall! In that case, I''ll definitely make him admit defeat in this round! Gael, don''t be so stubborn!" Ereg inwardly eximed, trying to speed up, but he hardly seeded, as he had been punching at full force before.


    Ereg waspletely serious, right from the start he was using his physical capabilities to the maximum, all for the sake of defeating Gael - that was his main goal.


    Only if hepletely defeated Gael, forcing him to use everything he had, only then Ereg''s goal be fulfilled.


    "Well... He''s running out of time." Liang said calmly as he watched the ash tree, whose crown and branches were burning brightly with white mes.


    "Yeah, looks like it." Alucard nodded with a calm expression.


    "Shit!" N eximed irritably. What she had feared most had happened - Gael had found something to respond to Ereg''s aggressive attack.


    At the same moment, the mes in front of the tree began to congeal like a vortex, the center of which was so hot it could rival a real star.


    Then, the vortex exploded, releasing its full power in the form of a ray, unleashing it directly at Ereg.


    Crackle.


    Ereg struck onest blow, almost breaking through Gael''s defenses as his hands were already shaking and it only took a few more blows before Gael couldn''t hold the sword anymore.


    ''Fuck! I hit with all my might and still missed!" Ereg inwardly barked out before jumping aside.


    Gael did the same, as the me ray, could hurt even him.


    Fire had no allies or enemies, it destroyed everything in its path as it was its nature.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space shook as the me ray reached the ground, causing a massive explosion. Streams of fire spread around, covering the ground in embers like the aftermath of a great fire and destroying hundreds of threads that held the stones of the colosseum from copsing.


    "Damn... Do we really have to create them again. I didn''t expect this at all." Liang muttered, slightly surprised as he raised an eyebrow.


    Alucard shrugged, "It''s no big deal. We can do it as many times as necessary. You''re right, we should do everything we can to save this ce for future battles. The Colosseum is too important to lose it."


    Alucard touched the colosseum as scarlet threads appeared near the damaged stones.


    Liang, silently did the same, almost imperceptibly summoning wind threads so that the stones with brightly shining purple runes could once again withstand the power of the two Transcendence Creatures.


    Gael and Ereg were too focused on their battle, so they didn''t even notice that it had happened.


    "Two more minutes... no, not even a little less, right?" Gael said with a calm expression, looking at Ereg.


    Ereg frowned, he was unhappy that he couldn''t suppress Gael, especially the me tree annoyed him.


    "Gael, my friend, aren''t you a swordsman? That tree has given me far more trouble than your sword." Ereg snorted, before stepping forward.


    "Well, those are only medium-sized scars. What''s more, you forced me to do something like that. I''m just showing the best I can do as promised, nothing more." Gael shrugged, tapping the blunt side of his sword against his shoulder.


    Ereg said nothing, though it was obvious to everyone that he was annoyed by Gael''s carelessness. Power was on his side now, and it was wrong that Gael felt so free - at least that''s what Ereg thought.


    "Fine, in that case, I just need to destroy your tree. Look, I''ll do it in twenty seconds, no... in ten seconds!" Ereg eximed before turning into a bloody sh and sweeping through the ming tree.


    Unlike the six trees covering the arena earlier, this one was muchrger and stronger, so one attack was clearly not enough to destroy something so significant.


    Gael didn''t attack Ereg, not because he was afraid or anything, no, he had a n since it was a great opportunity to prepare for the attack.


    ''Hmm, he acts really fast. He won''t be able to do it in ten seconds, but in twenty for sure. In that case, he''ll have a little over a minute before his aura dissipates... Well, I can only do this, it''s the only thing I have right now.'''' Gael pondered for a moment before lowering his sword and cing his palm on the de.


    Crackle. Crack. Crack.


    Ereg, as a bloody warrior who had been through dozens of battles and killed hundreds of opponents, was tearing the wood apart with his massive fists. He was fast as lightning, actually unstoppable.


    The tree tried to defend itself and counterattack, sending spheres of fire and streams of me directly at Ereg.


    However, not concentrated mes could not harm him. His skin was strong enough to withstand it, and the crimson aura absorbed most of the damage, so it was just a matter of time before there was nothing left of the tree.


    Wain nodded slightly, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "After Ereg deals with the tree, thenes the most important moment of this round... I wonder what Gael has in store for Ereg?"


    Osvald sighed, "I hope he''s not going to summon anything again. I want to see them sh, their pure power. Ash trees are nice too, but because of the situation, Gael is using them as a distraction rather than a weapon."


    "Yeah... I guess I''ll agree." Sven nodded, "However, it looks like we have nothing to worry about. Gael realizes it himself, he has to hurt Ereg somehow to make the final minute pass as quickly as possible."


    Whoooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Banging his fists against each other, Ereg summoned a powerful shockwave with crimson streams of energy that like a wild wind tore the badly damaged tree apart.


    Eregnded on the ground, staring warily at Gael, who stood at the farthest point of the colosseum.


    "Eighteen seconds... I''ll be honest, I thought it would take you a little longer." Gael sincerely said, showing his sword that was now covered in a denseyer of white pure energy.


    Ripples emanated from his sword, making the air shake due to the vibrations that spread around relentlessly.


    "I see you''ve prepared yourself. But, I will warn you. You won''t be able to use this to gain a full minute for yourself, because I won''t waste another second!" Ereg eximed before rushing forward.


    The ground beneath him cracked as his powerful stride lifted up the stone bs of earth, separated due to therge amount of damage received during their fight.


    Gael''s pupils narrowed, since a momentter, Ereg''s massive silhouette was already right in front of him. The single fist that had been brought in to attack was already bearing down on him, parting the dense wind in its path.


    ''One attack... Considering I''ve revealed medium-sized scars, that''s the best I can show in this round.'' Gael internally muttered before taking a step back like a short jump.


    However, Gael didn''t retreat, he made to then thrust his sword forward, aiming the sharp tip straight at Ereg''s chest.


    Then, all the energy covering his long sword, in a heartbeat, surged outward, aiming for a single point.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    The snow-white energy ray, pierced Ereg, leaving a wide wound in his chest and rushing towards the blue sky that despite its freedom could not escape the destructive power of the ray.


    The sky shattered into splinters like cracks, since at this point, the spatial barrier protecting the entire Beastfolk World was shattered, opening another passageway into open space.

 Chapter 1111 The Hand

    ?


    Any space, any zone, any void had to be protected by a spatial barrier so that the open space would not swallow and destroy it. It was the basis for the voids themselves to exist as well as the creatures within them, like shells and reefs amidst a vast ocean of darkness.


    However, this did not mean that the mere appearance of open space and its darkness could destroy any void. After all, the World of Darkness was not evil or good, it was an opportunity for other entities to exist, to be inhabited by living beings.


    Beastfolk World and the worlds of the other Pirs were no exceptions, however, it was obvious that these worlds were thergest and strongestparable to which only Arkan World and Dragon World couldpare, nothing more.


    One or even a few gaps in the spatial barrier couldn''t seriously harm spaces of this level, especially considering their regeneration. Even a wide gap the size of a rock or thousands of thin cuts would regenerate in such worlds in a matter of seconds or minutes.


    It was simply impossible topletely break a barrier of this level - to do so would require destroying one or more worlds of the same level to use as bombs. Obviously, no one could or would ever do something like that.


    In Beastfolk World there was one ce where there was a permanent gap leading into open space. This ce was known only to the strongest as its purpose was to allow those at the top of this world to fight.


    The Ancient Colosseum was an ancient artifact, and its special protective properties had long ago made a massive hole in Beastfolk World - leading to open space.


    Gael even took advantage of this to throw Ereg outside and put him through a lot of hardship before they could continue fighting onward.


    Round after round, they increased their power, and very soon Alucard and Liang had to use their strength to defend the Colosseum. However, this was hardly possible now as when Gael activated his medium-sized scars, his power grew stronger than the others had anticipated.


    His final attack before he had nothing else left in his arsenal was something no one expected.


    "Holy shit..." Nitra muttered in disbelief, looking at the receding white spark, the only thing left of the white-hot energy ray.


    The sh was gone, and now everyone was looking at a wide hole in the blue sky with only darkness behind it - endless and lonely.


    The edges of the hole were sharp and random like a broken mirror, while hundreds of shards fell down reflecting the sunlight.


    Then, everyone''s eyes drifted down to Ereg, who now had a wide through hole in his chest. Streams of blood flowed downward, filling the ground, crimson clots enough to fill an entire sea.


    Ereg''s gaze tried to remain a full me of life, but gradually it grew paler slowly extinguishing like a lone fire.


    "Argh... That was unexpected..." Ereg whispered while blood dripped from the corners of his mouth. It was difficult for him to say even a few words, as no one in this world other than Alucard could sustain such damage without serious consequences.


    Gael smiled bitterly, "What a pity... Judging from your aura, you still have a full minute left, though it''s more like fifty seconds..."


    Gael sighed, "However, you didn''t make it in time. Admit defeat in this round and reveal more of your power so we can move on. Otherwise, in less than twenty seconds, your life wille to an end."


    He spoke softly, but everyone clearly heard every word he said, since everyone realized that Gael waspletely right.


    Liang frowned, "Damn... He''s won too many rounds already... Ereg did a great job, but it seems it wasn''t enough. That attack was astonishingly powerful... If I were in Ereg''s shoes, the same thing would have happened to me."


    Alucard, oddly enough, remained silent, watching Ereg''s reaction intently. Krana was doing the same, though she had her own goals, different from Alucard''s ones.


    For N, what she saw was a real nightmare as well as all the Beastfolks watching the battle.


    Beastfolks, like Demons, liked to fight more than any other race - it was their way of life and part of their millennia-old culture.


    However, none of them wanted their friend or battlemate to die in friendlybat. When it happened, it was a tragedy for a vige, a town, or even the whole world, depending on how powerful the warrior was.


    The Beastfolks warmly weed Gael, as they realized that he was a long-time rival of their King and after so many years they had be friends. Now the situation became - really serious as there was a risk that their King would die.


    Perhaps many of them wanted to intervene or say something as N had, but none of them were going to do so. It would be the greatest disrespect to their Progenitor and King on their part.


    "Hey... Did you hear me? You only have ten seconds left. Come on, you haven''t lost the battle yet, just a round, nothing serious." Gael said with a slight smile, hoping that Ereg would listen to him.


    Wain watching this scene took a deep breath, "Damn, for Gael this will actually be a serious lesson and a painful experience."


    Osvald raised an eyebrow, "Wait... Do you think Ereg is going to die? That''s impossible... or am I wrong?"


    Marlis shook her head, "Well... For thest five hundred years nothing has happened, I as well as the rest of us had no reason to wonder what was going on with the other races... so... maybe?"


    Sven remained silent.


    "Oh, you misunderstand me." Wain smirked, showing his predatory grin, "Gael''s mistake wasn''t that he would let his friend die, it was that his arrogance ruined him."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, all the crimson aura covering Ereg''s massive body began to tremble. The energy quickly traveled towards Ereg''s wound, rapidly repairing the terrible damage.


    However, very soon, the crimson energy moved elsewhere to Ereg''s fist. The purpose of the energy was simply to stop the bleeding and repair the flesh so that Ereg wouldn''t die, or rather it was all part of his n.


    "What the hell...?" Gael muttered as his eyes went wide.


    In fact, Ereg didn''t have to wait for the crimson energy to dissipate, he could return to his previous level at any time. All he needed to do was to channel all the energy into one point or for one attack, this was a trump card he had saved for a long time.


    "Gael, that attack surprised me, but I was originally one step ahead of you, so... now the victory is mine. Do me a favor, try not to die." Ereg smiled sincerely before attacking.


    Gael shuddered as goosebumps went down his body. He realized that the power hidden in Ereg''s fist surpassed any attack that hade before in this arena.


    Even when Alucard had opened the Third Gate to escape the sphere of the Chains of the World Darkness, or when Ereg had sted the orb of darkness to defeat Gael in one of the rounds, it had all been nothing before that single blow.


    Crimson energy was spread throughout Ereg''s body, amplifying every aspect of his body from defense and speed to strength, but now all of that power was concentrated in a single point.


    However, Gael had no time to dodge as everything happened in an instant, faster than he could even blink.


    Then, everyone saw a bright sh that blinded everyone in the colosseum. Wain, Marlis, Osvald, and Sven were no exception - they had to cover their eyes with their hands to avoid being blinded.


    A huge explosion followed, shaking both space and the ground. Crimson energy together with Ereg''s incredible physical power and his darkness - caused a devastating torrent that destroyed everything in its path.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The Crimson energy ray mixed with darkness swept through Gael as well as through the colosseum, effortlessly making a wide hole in this ancient structure. There were only a few attacks that could damage the threads, but nothing that could destroy the stones that made up the Colosseum.


    Alucard unlike the others was not shocked, he just smirked as if he knew that this was what was going to happen.


    "Hey, you wanted to know if I was lying or not, so... then I told the truth." Alucard uttered as he nced at N, who stood still with wide-open eyes filled with disbelief at what was happening.


    "Ereg won this round, that''s for sure, and my friend lost, mostly because of his arrogance, because he was sure that Ereg was initially weaker." Alucard smiled madly, "Hahaha, I can''t see the look on his face. This will be a masterpiece!"


    Gradually, the dust cloud settled, approaching the ground and revealing Gael''s silhouette behind which was a hole opening up a view of the distant snow-capped mountains of the Beastfolk World.


    Nitra bit her lip as her gaze filled with fear, watching the drops of blood dripping from Gael''s shoulder as his left arm waspletely destroyed.

 Chapter 1112 Scars of the Past

    <h4>Chapter 1112 Scars of the Past</h4>


    Several hundred meters ofnd had been destroyed, making a wide path from the Colosseum to the clearing that was near the snowy mountains. On the ground, here and there, were specks of the crimson me, along with the darkness slowly dissipating.


    One Ereg''s attack, was able to create a wide hole in the colosseum, leaving no chance for his opponent. It was a real shock to everyone that Ereg was able to damage the colosseum and even destroy its part, however, once again everyone had to wonder again.


    "What the hell..." Nitra muttered in disbelief, looking at Gael, steady on his feet.


    Every humanoid creature had two legs and two arms, obviously, Gael was no exception to that rule. However, now something changed as his left arm was no longer there - it had just been destroyed by Ereg''s attack.


    Ereg''s look became more serious as he took a few steps back, allowing his opponent toe to his senses.


    Gael stood still while thick streams of blood dripped from his left arm - all that was left of it - falling to the ground.


    It was a total defeat in this round, nothing could change that. Ereg hadpletely won without leaving his opponent any chance.


    "Damn... Even I couldn''t expect this..." Liang muttered in disbelief, as his eyes went wide, "With one attack to destroy part of the colosseum and Gael''s arm... I''m afraid that none of us would be able to endure something like that."


    "Yeah... That''s bad." Alucard said with a calm expression.


    "Are you worried about your friend...?" Krana asked, unsure.


    Alucard smirked, "No. Not at all. In this case, you should be worried about Ereg, because Gael will never let something like this happen again. Hehehehe, it would be incredible."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, an energy of monstrous power that could scare any creature, even a Dragon, began to emanate from Gael.


    Ereg immediately jumped back as he could not act carelessly in such a situation. Eventually, the crimson aura had already dissipated and his strength had returned to the level at which their round had taken ce.


    He was no longer significantly stronger than Gael, so Ereg had to act carefully so as not to lose because of one random strike.


    "Agh... Ereg... You surprised me..." Gael muttered in a hoarse voice, like an old man who saw something interesting for the first time in hundreds of years.


    "Wasn''t this to be expected? You gave your word that you would fight seriously. Did you underestimate me?" Ereg asked with a great frown.


    Unlike Alucard, he or Gael couldn''t just grow a new arm thanks to his regeneration. Now, Gael was significantly weakened, even if he used his right arm to swing his sword.


    This frustrated Ereg, because his opponent no longer possessed his former strength, which meant their fight would not be as interesting, and would never reach a true peak. Moreover, because of all these factors, Ereg felt that this fight was no longer as important as before.


    "Oh, don''t worry, nothing will change." Gael muttered as if he could read Eregl''s thoughts which made his eyes go wide for a moment.


    "Though, no, I didn''t put it right. Our fight won''t be less serious or important, only one thing will change, the danger, to you." Gael uttered, before pulling his urca forward.


    At the same moment, the streams of energy emanating from him turned into streams of ash, rapidly spinning like a chaotic vortex.


    Then, new scars glowed brightly on his body - the big ones, the practical strongest ones that Gael had, aside from some giant ones.


    Ereg narrowed his eyes as he didn''t understand what his opponent was about to do.


    "Gael, even if your big scars boost your strength to the next level, which is obviously going to happen... it still won''t be enough. You can''t win or give me a decent fight without an arm, it''s just not possible." Ereg said seriously, not trying to mock or joke. He was speaking pure facts and how he thought.


    Gael shrugged, "Well, my arrogance led me to defeat in this round, and the same thing is about to happen to you. Do you think my scars are so useless that they only give me strength?"


    "Agh...?" Ereg''s eyes went wide in confusion.


    The others had the same reaction, no one knew what Gael was talking about except Alucard. There was a sly smirk on his face, he was the only one who knew Gael''s secret, or rather his scars.


    "Everyone knows that my scars are my unique ability... They give me power, but that''s not their purpose, it''s the effect." Gael uttered, with a cold stare, looking at Ereg, who didn''t understand what was happening.


    "In fact - the purpose of my scars is one - to remember outstanding battles, to forever leave on my body the memory of important battles and strong opponents I have fought against. In that case... my scars are a kind of portal to the past, to my past and my battles." Gael exined before snapping his fingers.


    Then, several medium and small scars from his chest and back began to move towards his left shoulder. Cumtively, about 1/5 of all the small and medium scars headed towards his shoulder, but norge scars came to move.


    Ereg''s eyes went wide, watching as ash transformed into a new arm - it was obviously artificial, Gael couldn''t control it like his own.


    However, as the scars appeared on the new arm and shone brightly, disintegrating into particles of light, bones, veins, flesh, and blood began to appear amongst the ash.


    In a few seconds, at the cost of a few dozen scars, Gael''s arm was fully restored, though that wasn''t quite the right way tobel that process.


    "What the hell...?" N muttered in disbelief as she looked at Alucard, "So he too has a way to regenerate like you?"


    Alucard shook his head, "It''s not regeneration. Scratches, bruises, or cuts on Gael''s body regenerate at the same rate as Ereg or Liang. Gael doesn''t have the ability to grow himself a new limb, at least not during battle."


    "In that case... What is it? That arm looks like the real thing... Is it really an illusion or a copy?" N tilted her head, trying to figure out what Gael had done.


    "No, it''s pretty simple. By using some of his scars, Gael has regained the hand he possessed in one of the battles, or rather thest one, perhaps even from the beginning of this duel." Alucard shrugged.


    "Technically, that arm that crimson energy ray destroyed can nevere back. However, Gael just got his own hand back, as he pulled it out of a portal that allows time travel. Something like that." Alucard exined.


    After a while, N nodded uncertainly. It was hard for her to realize that such a power existed in this world, to her it was something that was beyond normal.


    "Damn... Doesn''t that mean he''s immortal like you? If he loses all of his limbs, he can just retrieve them from the past, and that''s it... He''ll continue fighting onward without any repercussions..." N said in a trembling voice.


    Alucard shrugged, "Your words are not without meaning, however, this skill has an obvious price. Gael has spent some of his scars, and perhaps it is one of the most valuable resources in the world. They cannot simply be recovered, they can only be earned in battle."


    Krana took a few steps forward, watching Gael carefully, "Interesting... How does that happen... I mean, just now we saw the scars disappear. But, what has to happen for a new scar to appear?"


    "Well, that''s obvious." Alucard smirked, narrowing his eyes, "Like all other creatures, scars appear at a serious level. Naturally, losing an arm is an appropriate case.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, Gael''s aura became much stronger, and all of his energy traveled towards his shoulder.


    Ereg prepared to fight, disying his long ws of thick darkness in front of him, however, Gael wasn''t going to attack, not now.


    "Ereg, I thank you. Your attack showed me that you are a worthy opponent, and I am very d, that it was I who had the honor of fighting you. You destroyed my left arm, and I had to spend a lot of scarring to repair it, however... I also gained something." Gael smiled, radiating majestic power and genuine joy.


    Whoooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Massive streams of energy, disappeared into Gael''s shoulder, then at the ce where his arm had been lost, a gruesome scar appeared,rge and multifaceted, as if from an explosion or a lightning strike. It was muchrger than the average one and was now one of the strongest in the category - big ones.


    "Hah, if you were to advance to the next stage, your attack could leave a giant scar on my body, but I think it''s too early for that." Gael smirked before stepping forward and raising his sword upwards.


    The small stones on the ground shook from his action, while wind currents gathered around the sword as if it were the center of the universe - heavy and powerful.

 Chapter 1113 Defense of Darkness

    <h4>Chapter 1113 Defense of Darkness</h4>


    "What is this...?" N muttered, pressing her palm against her chest while waves of shivers ran through her body. Her heart began to beat much more frequently than usual as if facing a mortal danger whose arrival was absolutely inevitable.


    The ground as well as space trembled, though Gael didn''t do anything yet, he just raised his sword high up. This time he didn''t even use energy or ash, just pure physical power and a wind that couldn''t get past such an epicenter of power.


    The spectators tried to understand the nature of Gael''s power, while Ereg prepared to take his opponent''s crushing attack. He had to do it as it was the beginning of their next time, and Ereg was already prepared for him to lose.


    ''Damn... More scars... Looks like this is a whole other level, I need to prepare properly.'' Ereg muttered internally before crossing his ws.


    All the energy that Ereg still had after absorbing the phantoms traveled toward his ws, making the darkness much thicker and more powerful.


    "Trying to defend yourself? Well, I''m afraid that won''t help you." Gael uttered with a slight smile on his face before stepping forward.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crack.


    The ground beneath him cracked as if he weighed as much as a hundred-meter giant, though destroying the floor wasn''t even his goal.


    At the same moment, Gael channeled some of his energy into his sword, causing his weapon to tremble due to the array of snow-white essence. His energy now had a much greater concentration and absolute purity as all beings equal to him in power.


    Ereg''s eyes went wide as Gael swung his sword, and a white light de flew forward.


    Gael did not use me or his primary weapon, ash. He realized that it wasn''t necessary, his goal was to show Ereg that they were now onpletely different levels.


    If Ereg wanted to continue fighting and have a chance to win, he had to do something and increase his strength as well.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The light de effortlessly cut through the ground of the arena, leaving behind a wide gap like a giant canyon.


    Ereg hadn''t expected Gael''s attack to be so powerful, so he decided to break his ws, turning them into phantoms. The phantoms gave up their darkness to cover Ereg''s palms with a small but extremely strong, and thickyer of darkness.


    "Not bad... In this way, it reduced the area of defense but greatly increased the quality, about twice as much." Liang uttered in a deep voice, "However, it is unlikely to help him."


    Nitra, watching the light de heading towards Ereg, bit her lip. She was nervous, but not because she was worried about Gael or Ereg, she was worried about something else.


    ''Fuck... They haven''t even used their Forms yet, but their power is already equal to mine even after absorbing the space energy from the dark crystal. How is that possible? Why is Gael so strong...? No, he''s a monster just like Alucard, there''s a reason why these two have gotten such titles and are friends...


    More importantly, how does Ereg manage to keep up? Moreover, he''s already managed to win in two rounds!'' Nitra internally eximed, trying to understand why, with their equal status, their strengths weren''t as equal.


    They were at the Transcendence Stage and were Progenitors, but there was still a difference between them. Nitra wasn''t jealous, she was just annoyed when she couldn''t understand why certain things were happening.


    "Hey, you shouldn''t be filling your head with something so useless." Liang uttered, easily guessing what Nitra was thinking, which made her eyes go wide in shock.


    "What...? What are you talking about?" Nitra raised an eyebrow, not believing that Liang could understand what she was thinking.


    "Agh..." Liang sighed, shaking his head, "I''ll be honest. When I made that attack, after activating my the Form for a second, I was surprised by the result."


    "Hmm?" Nitra gave him a questioning look.


    Liang shrugged, "I thought there wouldn''t be a single piece of you left, not even a drop of blood. However, your body somehow managed to withstand the pressure, though without Alucard''s help, you would have died, but that''s not what I''m talking about. You gained new powers during the battle, so it''s unlikely you''ve fully mastered them yet."


    Nitra''s eyes went wide, she didn''t know why but she felt her heart start to beat faster, not because of Liang but because of his words about her strength. She wanted to go further and get on top with the others and be one of the best among the strongest. All she needed was a n, at least a ghostly image of a n.


    "Perhaps if you fully learn how to use your power, you can even get on the same level as them." Liang uttered, pointing at Ereg and Gael.


    By now, the light de had almost reached its target, and Ereg was ready to block this attack. He had done all he could, so now he was using the most powerful defense he was capable of.


    Nitra nodded deeply, then she smirked and asked, "Hey, what about you?"


    Liang shrugged, "I don''t know. We''ll have to fight again to find out. However, I''m not sure you''re ready for that."


    Nitra frowned slightly, but she didn''t say anything. She realized that if Liang wanted to, he would have killed her in a few attacks. In fact, she had both him and Alucard to thank for the fact that she was alive and could watch the fight now.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Powerful streams of wind reached Ereg, and then a momentter, a light de appeared right in front of him.


    His reaction and speed were enough to grab the de and mp it between his palms, bringing down tremendous pressure. Given theyer of darkness and Ereg''s physical strength, any weapon would have broken in such a situation, however, this was a whole other level and a momentter Ereg''s feet entered the ground.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Being in the center of the arena, Ereg was quickly moved closer to the wall, since the light de simply dragged him forward without stopping.


    The de couldn''t cut through the protectiveyer of darkness, so it would try to do so until it ran out of energy or until Ereg''s defenses fell.


    Ereg''s eyes went wide as he clenched his teeth tightly, straining his muscles to the limit. He expected to stop and break the light de even if it took serious damage. However, he was unable to stop the de even for one second.


    ''Shit! When I reach the wall, I''ll lose my bnce for a moment! I have to think of something right away!" Ereg internally eximed while his mind was working at maximum capacity.


    However, soon all this ceased to matter as Ereg saw a sly smile on Gael''s face, although it was in fact a very ordinary smile.


    Gael thrust the sword into the ground, not intending to use it, and then the scars on his palms shone brightly, filling his hands with unusual power. He pointed his two palms in parallel, keeping a distance between them equal to the length of his sword.


    Then, he slowly halved that distance while his fingertips shone brightly, releasing strands of white energy.


    The threads, like a living organism, created a ghostly copy of the de that Ereg was now attacking.


    Thus, when Gael finished, the light de had sharply be half its size, but its power remained the same as the energy became more dense and concentrated in a single point.


    At the same moment, Ereg''s darkness began to burn and the speed at which he was approaching the arena wall increased several times.


    "Agh... Ereg, you should have gone straight to the next stage and you wouldn''t have to go through this again." Gael uttered, watching as Ereg''s back collided with the dense stone wall of the Colosseum.


    Most of the darkness had already burned away and as Ereg assumed due to the collision he lost control for a short period of time which was a big problem for him.


    The light de continued to press down on Ereg, burning away his darkness and leaving him no choice but to lose.


    ''Damn! Just a little more! Even if I hurt my palms, but I can break this de it will be worth it!" Ereg inwardly eximed, trying with all his might to hold back his darkness, burning particles of it flying before his eyes.


    ''Well, it''s your choice.'' Gael sighed before spreading his palms apart, instantly increasing the length of the light de by over five times.


    The de became much thinner and faster, effortlessly piercing through the barrier wall, slicing it in two, and creating a hole in it that the light de passed through with Ereg.


    Then, there was nothing more left of the darkness and the full power of the light de crashed down on Ereg''s broad chest, causing him to feel intense pain.


    His eyes went wide, his face contorted in agony and a stream of blood gushed from his mouth while the light de dragged him further away from the colosseum and slowly dissipated.

 Chapter 1114 Repair

    <h4>Chapter 1114 Repair</h4>


    Over the course of the long battle, the colosseum had been damaged many times already, but only two of them were so serious that they resulted in the actual destruction of any part of it.


    The first time was done by Ereg with his most powerful attack of the crimson energy ray. However, it didn''t take long before Gael answered his opponent in the same way -pletely crushing Ereg with his attack and unique technique.


    Gael slowly stepped forward, majestically and calmly heading towards the center of the arena. He had a slight smile on his face and his gaze was directed at his opponent who was struggling to stand on his feet.


    Ereg was breathing heavily, while clots of blood crashed to the ground, falling from a wide, diagonal wound spread across his chest.


    In fact, the wide wound was even on his back, since the light de had practically gone through his body. The only thing that saved Ereg was that the dark barrier was able to weaken the light de, so his sturdy body was able to withstand this incredible damage.


    "Agh... Agh... Agh... Agh..." Ereg was breathing heavily, standing hundreds of meters away from the colosseum.


    Between him and the colosseum, there was a long path appeared due to his feet sinking into the ground and leaving a long line behind him. In the end, Ereg didn''t give up, he actually tried to stop the light de, but Gael was just much stronger than him.


    "Hey, are you alright? How are you feeling?" Gael asked with a happy grin on his face. He was obviously happy with the result, not that he was able to hurt Ereg, but that Ereg was still on his feet.


    "Not bad... Although, it''s unlikely that I''ll be able to continue fighting while in this condition. If I were to make even one mistake, your de would cut me in two. It wouldn''t be good at all... to die like that and at such an important moment for both of us." Ereg muttered without raising his head.


    He looked at his palms, shredded in multiple ces due to the particles of light. They were bleeding and Ereg could barely squeeze his fingers, but he felt that it wasn''t the limit yet.


    However, he was not going to continue fighting like this, as he realized that it was certain death. One more attack from Gael and their battle would end with Ereg''s death.


    "Oh, he''s experiencing joy." Krana muttered, looking at Ereg standing in the distance.


    "What are you talking about?" N asked with a slight frown.


    Krana tilted her head, touching her lips thoughtfully, "Hmm... I could be wrong, but it sounds like he''s d his body was able to take it. Apparently, he had some sort of backup n. That''s for sure."


    Alucard smirked, "Well, well. Krana, is it just me or are you learning too damn fast? At this rate, by the end of the fight, you''ll be able to fool me and I won''t even realize it."


    After a while, Ereg walked slowly back into the arena. All this time, he kept his head down, as if he had already admitted defeat, though it was obvious to everyone that this was not the case.


    Then, Ereg looked around and met his gaze with Nitra, who was watching the fight with some uneasiness.


    She didn''t want their battle to end as she had learned so much from it, and she didn''t want it to stop. The longer Gael and Ereg fought, the more information she would gather - that was the most important thing to her.


    "You... You''re in charge at Constructs, aren''t you?" Ereg muttered with a bitter smile, "In that case, knowing higher technology you should have a way to fix the destruction we''ve caused to this wonderful ce. Wouldn''t you?"


    Nitra''s eyes went wide since she was slightly puzzled. However, she soon realized what Ereg was talking about, looking at the two holes in the colosseum.


    "He''s right. If they continue like this, very soon the colosseum won''t be able to withstand it and will copse." Liang nodded deeply, "We must think of something to rebuild and strengthen it once more. Otherwise, we''ll lose such a valuable battleground, the only one of its kind."


    "Well... I guess I can try. However, I need his help to do so." Nitra said, looking at Alucard standing off to the side.


    Alucard pointed to himself with a slightly surprised expression.


    "Hmm? How can I help you? I don''t know how to create anything unless it''s some sort of blood object." Alucard shrugged.


    Nitra waved her hand, "That will be enough. I''ve long ago analyzed what this colosseum is made of, and there isn''t any magic here."


    Nitra pointed to the massive stone on which she stood. The entire colosseum consisted of thousands of these stones, stacked tightly on top of each other, so much so that it was impossible to squeeze a thin de between them.


    "These stones areposed of a very dense material, but I can easily make as many of them as necessary, however, the stones are only the basis of the most important runes. To create a rune-like this you need paint, obviously I''m exining just to make it clear." Nitra shrugged.


    "Paint...?" Krana tilted her head in a confusion.


    Nitra nodded, "Yeah, technically you could call it paint. You need any material that can be applied to stone to turn it into a rune. Naturally, ordinary paint or even Fifth Chronicle molten energy crystal won''t work. It will be too weak to withstand the attacks of strong creatures like Ereg and Gael."


    "However, we have a material that is best suited for this task and that is Alucard''s blood. It is the essence of an immortal creature and a Progenitor with incredible power. If you use his blood to create runes, the stones will be even stronger than before." Nitra eximed confidently, waving her hand.


    Alucard smirked, "Well, I didn''t think it would evere to this, but I agree to do it. If the colosseum copses it won''t be good for anyone."


    Then, Alucard looked at Gael and Ereg, "Hey! How about we take a little break?"


    Ereg and Gael exchanged nces, then they nodded.


    "Sure. The end of thest round has already been decided as well as the beginning of this one. Only when Ereg moves on to the next stage our fight will officially continue. Do what you need to do. I wouldn''t want the Colosseum to copse because of our actions either." Gael said with a slight smile.


    Ereg nodded, "I agree. Don''t worry about me. The bleeding won''t be able to kill me, I feel more than worthy."


    Liang turned to Nitra, "That''s not all, is it? Let''s say you create the stones and make runes out of Alucard''s blood, but they still need to be energized to make it work, don''t they?"


    Nitra smirked, "You''re a quick thinker, right? Well, you''re not wrong, it''s just like you said. That''s why, you''re going to be a part of this too, because your energy is just abnormally powerful."


    "Damn... A few minutes ago, you were listening carefully to my advice, but now you''re calling the shots here. Looks like this is something you''re really good at. Fine, I''ll help you. If my energy is useful, I''ll be happy to do so." Liang sighed while shaking his head.


    At the same moment, Nitra nodded and turned into a blob of darkness, appearing at one of the wide holes in the Colosseum.


    Alucard and Liang immediately followed her, quickly finding themselves in the same spot.


    N and Krana looked at each other puzzled. They wanted to be involved too, but there was no need for them since they couldn''t help them.


    Then, Nitra''s ring shone brightly, and in her hand appeared a spherical mechanism with a ck round crystal in the center.


    She pointed it towards the stone, and the mechanism began to study the object in front of her. Trace, the energy came out of the dark crystal that like a beam of light began to copy one stone after another.


    Nitra added some of her energy to make the ghostly stones real from the same material the other few thousand were made of.


    "Well, now it''s your turn." Nitra smirked, turning to Alucard.


    "Come on. Don''t you want to do it yourself? Take as much blood as you want, I''ll allow it!" Alucard grinned with an excited expression.


    Nitra giggled, "Well if that is your wish, I will do it with pleasure."


    A de of dense darkness appeared in Nitra''s hand, which she swung quickly, leaving a long cut on Alucard''s arm.


    The immortal creature''s blood gushed outward, but not a single drop fell to the ground as Alucard was in control. He realized that in this case, his blood was a valuable material that could not be lost.


    "Not bad. However, if I were you, I''d work on uracy. You missed a few important veins." Alucard smirked.


    "I know." Nitra shrugged, "That won''t be necessary. Go ahead, we need to finish the job as quickly as possible."


    Alucard nodded and swung his hand. His blood came into motion and split into multiple streams. Each stream turned into a rune on a single stone, of which there were dozens topletely cover the hole.

 Chapter 1115 Drop

    <h4>Chapter 1115 Drop</h4>


    The stones and runes from Alucard''s blood were ready, to some extent the hole in the colosseum had been repaired. However, it would break after a light attack by even a Third Chronicle creature because those stones were still nothing.


    In order for this wall to be a worthy part of the Colosseum, energy was needed - dense and pure, as well as inrge quantities. Liang, The Strongest One, was ideal for this purpose.


    Step. Step. Step.


    He walked to the wall and ced his palm against the dark stone and the bloody rune. Then, his pupils narrowed slightly, and he channeled his energy through his hand.


    At the same moment, the stones began to fill with energy, bing denser and stronger. Very soon, all the runes shone brightly, making this part of the colosseum as strong as before.


    "Fine, now let''s move on. We have one more part to fix. Our fighters have done some pretty serious damage to this ce." Nitra uttered, looking in the direction where another wall had been destroyed.


    She turned around and headed that way, however, after taking a few steps and realizing that no one followed her, she turned around with a slight frown.


    "Hey! Did you hear me? Come on! We must not dy Gael and Ereg! This is the second time their fight has been interrupted, it''s not good at all!" Nitra waved her hand.


    "There''s something wrong here." Liang muttered, not letting go of his palm from the wall, "I feel like the Colosseum wants more. It''s trying to convince me not to remove my hand."


    Nitra''s eyes went wide just like the others.


    "Hmm? I regard the Colosseum as an artifact, but does it really have a mind? If so, it''s just some kind of madness." Alucard uttered in disbelief but with obvious curiosity in his eyes.


    "A mind? No... maybe in the future, but it''s a long way from intelligence, it''s more like instincts or desire... like nts. They don''t have a mind, but they know what sunlight is and always seek it, just like colosseum to my energy." Liang muttered, being slightly puzzled. It was the first time he had seen something like this, and so was everyone else.


    Gael nced at Ereg, "Do you know something about it?"


    Ereg shook his head, "Nah... One day, this colosseum just appeared here, it was a long time ago, about a few thousand years ago. I was worried about this structure not harming the world, but it was fine. However, I didn''t think the colosseum had any hidden function."


    "I see... Well, it looks like today we''ll not only find out how much stronger we''ve gotten sincest time, but we''ll also see something interesting. Alucard isn''t the only one who can bring surprises to this world." Gael nodded with a deep gaze.


    "So... What are you going to do?" Nitra asked.


    Liang shrugged, "Nothing much. I''m wondering what will happen next, so I''ll give this unusual construction as much power as it wants."


    Then, Liang became a bit more serious and once again channeled energy into the dark wall.


    Colosseum happily absorbed Liang''s energy, so every rune in the thousands of stones shone brightly as if rejoicing at such a reward.


    Before, the Colosseum had only defended itself and its barrier from the violent streams of energying from the fighters fighting in the arena. However, now it was time for the colosseum to rest and recover.


    The second hole, as if by magic, quickly overgrew, being reced by new stones like copies that appeared from the others.


    However, even after that, Liang did not stop, since the colosseum still wanted to absorb the energy.


    "Hey... What should happen next? All the damage has already been repaired, hasn''t it?" Alucard muttered, scratching his cheek thoughtfully.


    "Well... What about the cracks in the floor? Those would be nice to repair as well..." Nitra suggested uncertainly. She too didn''t know what was supposed to happen yet as the colosseum came to rest.


    Then, as if the colosseum heard them, the ground shook, and the cracks shone brightly, filling with the white energy that the colosseum had taken from Liang.


    After a few seconds, the arena looked the same as before, perhaps even better since it wasn''t dusty and lookedpletely new.


    "It''s definitely done now, right?" Nitra asked again.


    "Yeah, I think my power is no longer needed." Liang nodded, removing his hand from the wall.


    However, as soon as his palm moved away from the wall as well as four of his five fingers, a thick darkness emerged from the stones, enveloping hisst finger.


    Of course, Liang had no trouble pulling his finger out of this light grip, for someone as strong as him it was no problem.


    "What the hell is going on...?" Alucard''s eyes went wide in confusion.


    He wasn''t the only one surprised, Nitra, Ereg, Gael, and all the spectators had a simr reaction. No one expected that the colosseum could actually act on its own, even in such a small way.


    "Interesting... I can feel it wanting to get even more energy, so much so that it doesn''t want to let go of me." Liang uttered in a calm voice, then his face became more serious, "Fine. I will give you as much energy as you need. However, I have a condition. You must show me the exact amount, or else I will remove my hand and nevere back."


    The conditions were harsh and fair, so the Colosseum immediately began preparations for this important event.


    The colosseum trembled as a huge crystal sphere appeared above it,rge enough that an entire rock or giant castle could fit inside it.


    "I see... You want me to fill it, right? Fine, I''ll do it. I hope you didn''t make the wrong choice because my energy reserves are truly limitless." Liang arrogantly said before cing his palm against the wall once again.


    His aura intensified since he realized that the colosseum needed a lot of energy. Thus, he channeled several times more energy into the colosseum than before, however, something that was a surprise to everyone happened.


    Ten secondster, a single drop appeared in the ss sphere,pletely transparent and clear like cier water.


    "What the hell...?" Ereg muttered in disbelief, "Is all the energy Liang used equal to just one drop? Judging by the size of this sphere, it would take several thousand drops to fill itpletely..."


    Nitra''s eyes went wide as her mind began to calcte. She was calcting how much energy Liang would need to use to fill the sphere and how long it would take.


    "Fuck... That can''t be... With that amount of energy, you can create a half-world!" Nitra eximed with a dazed expression.


    The others shared her feelings. They realized that even for someone like Liang, this was too much. However, they were even more surprised that the colosseum was going to absorb so much energy.


    "Oh, that''s interesting. Well, let''s see if you really need that much energy or if it''s just a trick." Liang uttered in a cold tone when his aura intensified, and his mantle surged upwards.


    So much energy was channeled through his hand that the air rippled and space shook as if Liang could destroy an entire mountain with a single movement.


    However, despite his efforts, after a few minutes, the sphere was only 10-15% full. There was still a long way to go, and Liang was not satisfied with that at all.


    "Hey, I can help you as well as Nitra. If the three of us act together, we can fill this sphere in ten minutes, maybe even less." Alucard suggested.


    But, Liang didn''t bother to answer, he just frowned.


    Nitra waved her hand, "Liang, Alucard is right. There''s no point in wasting time and all your energy. Better to make things quicker and let Ereg and Gael continue their battle. That''s the best option we have right now."


    "No. I''m not going to do it that way. It''s not about you, it''s just a challenge to me personally now. Nitra, Alucard, protect the audience, I''m going to take this seriously." Liang pronounced with a great frown on his face.


    Nitra wanted to challenge his decision, but the aura that started to emanate from Liang left only fear and consternation on her face.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    Nitra immediately moved to the spectators on the left side and created manyyers of barriers of darkness.


    Alucard sighed, shook his head, and did the same thing only on the right side.


    "What...? What''s going on?" Ereg looked around in a puzzled manner. He hadn''t expected Nitra and Alucard to suddenly get serious and defend Beastfolks, but he didn''t know from what.


    Gael frowned as he walked over to his friend and summoned several dense streams of ash to protect Ereg.


    "Liang took it seriously. I don''t know what''s about to happen either, but I''ve known Alucard long enough to understand everything from his reaction. Most likely, Liang is going to show his full power to release enough energy into the Colosseum at once." Gael said while staring intently at Liang.


    "Wait... Doesn''t that mean... what does he mean?" Ereg muttered in a disbelief.


    Gael nodded, "Yeah. He''s going to use his the Form."


    At the next moment, the entire Colosseum was engulfed by a monstrous pressure that made even those at Fifth Chronicle gasp.

 Chapter 1116 Crimson

    <h4>Chapter 1116 Crimson</h4>


    Liang needed as much power as possible topletely fill the sphere - so he chose the easiest option. In order to do so, he needed to release the power that had been lurking within him the entire time.


    Only during the fight with Nitra, did he reveal his Form for a moment, and now he hardly needed more time. Liang''s full strength was truly crushing, and if he kept his Form active for long, it would only lead to unnecessary destruction.


    During the battle, it could easily help Liang win, but right now, there was no need for it. There were no enemies around, only spectators and even friends, so he just wanted to deal with this problem as soon as possible.


    Nitra, Alucard, and Gael had created protective barriers dense enough to withstand the Dragon Elder''s breath. However, no one was going to attack these barriers, it was all necessary to withstand the aura and energy flowsing from Liang in chaotic ways.


    "Well, even if me, Nitra, and Alucard were to direct energy at you, it would take us about ten minutes. That''s an insane figure, considering our power. However, I''ll do it all in a few seconds." Liang seriously uttered with a deadly gaze.


    Then, his eyes went wide, and his mantle soared upwards due to the streams of winding from him, along with scarlet energy.


    Liang''s long ck hair waving in the wind turned crimson color, and behind him appeared the silhouette of some ancient creature. It looked like a demon and a god at the same time,bining all the most terrifying and majestic things in this world.


    "Fucking hell..." Ereg muttered, in disbelief, looking at Liang. Although he had not yet unleashed his full power and was at the Transcendence Stage, Ereg doubted that he would be able to defeat Liang if they were both at the peak of their power.


    Gael nodded, "Yeah, that''s impressive. Such fierce and aggressive power, willing to destroy everything in its path,es from someone who is considered the calmest and coldest among us. It''s a rather cruel irony."


    Nitra, containing Liang''s terrifying energy with her barrier of darkness, had a great grimace. At the sensation of that aura, a chill ran down her spine as she remembered the feeling she had felt when Liang had attacked her.


    Back then, there was only emptiness inside her, as if she was an ant trying to lift a whole mountain - apletely impossible and insane idea that was doomed to failure from the start. In her world, she was the strongest, but in front of Liang using her Form, she was nothing.


    ''Even though you said that by getting used to my new power I can be even stronger, but... Is it possible to surpass this level?'' Nitra inwardly uttered while her hands trembled. They were struggling to hold the barrier.


    Alucard felt more free, he didn''t even need to use any of the Gates. However, his face didn''t have his usual smile on it, he was serious and focused.


    "Wow... This power is impressive..." Sven muttered with a dazed expression, "Honestly, I don''t even know who would win if Liang and x fought."


    "They would both die." Wain said seriously with a death stare, "Surely you realize that too, don''t you?"


    Sven nodded slowly, "Yeah... However, I think there''s a small chance that Liang could have survived. Given the aura emanating from him, he''d only need a few attacks to end it all."


    Marlis and Osvald looked at each other silently. They were curious too, but they didn''t say anything as the situation was serious and tense. Wain had yet to find out what happened to x in the first great war before they fought 1 on 1.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The space shook, covering itself with many cracks since it could not withstand the pressureing from Liang. He had no control over his energy and just let it emanate from him in random directions.


    "Fine, I hope you''re ready, this is going to be intense." Ling uttered before taking a deep breath.


    Then, his pupils narrowed and all the energy returned to his body heading towards his hand. The space around his hand immediately copsed the fabric of the world torn apart and absorbed into the darkness of the open space.


    With the amount of power that was now flowing through Liang''s arm, it was easily possible to destroy several huge voids. However, the colosseum was actually able to absorb some of that energy and it continued to do so without stopping.


    "Damn... This is something unusual. The stones, the runes, the energy... these are all just elements, but not the basis of the colosseum." Alucard muttered with a curious expression, "To absorb so much energy without difficulty... My body would have to be torn apart a hundred times before I could withstand this pressure."


    "Is it that impressive?" Krana asked as she tilted her head.


    Alucard nodded, "Yeah... Let me put it simply. If instead of N, you were attacked by Liang using that power, you and I wouldn''t be talking right now. There would be nothing left of you. Liang would just make you disappear from this universe, forever."


    Krana gulped. She realized that Alucard waspletely serious, it was obvious to her. In this time she had learned to understand situations pretty well by the emotions on the faces of others.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, a whole stream of water appeared in the crystal sphere, starting to replenish it quickly.


    Previously there had only been a single drop, however, now it was more like a raging river that was trying to fill the sphere as fast as possible.


    After a while, the colosseum began to shake, as if to show that it could no longer withstand such pressure. However, Liang didn''t remove his hand, he knew that the colosseum would be able to absorb all the energy, and there was still some left.


    "Fine, the job is almost done." Liang muttered before taking a step back.


    He slowly removed his hand from the wall, releasing thest bits of energy into it.


    Liang canceled his Form as his appearance returned to normal just like his wild aura.


    Thest few drops appeared in the sphere,pletely filling it and making it shine brightly.


    "What''s going to happen now? It has to be some kind of upgrade, right?" N muttered, looking around uncertainly.


    "Yeah, most likely." Alucard shrugged, followed by his gaze shifting to the center of the arena where a tiny crimson sphere appeared just like Liang''s aura from earlier.


    The sphere quickly increased in size, bing several hundred timesrger.


    Strangely enough, no one was able to resist the sphere''s influence as everyone who was touched by the sphere found themselves outside of the colosseum. All the spectators floated above the ground, being several hundred meters away from the colosseum.


    Only Gael and Ereg were exceptions - they remained in the arena.


    "Oh, so the colosseum realizes that they''re the ones getting all the attention right now, right? I wonder... Perhaps this entity has some sort of mind, but different from our own." Alucard uttered with obvious curiosity.


    "Hah, I hope it doesn''t end there?" Liang smirked, crossing his arms over his chest, "I hate to admit it, but giving up that much energy was difficult even for me."


    "Are you feeling ill?" Krana said worriedly.


    Liang shrugged, "Nah, maybe a little sleepy and tired, something like that. However, if I were to do it again, I''d have to face some serious consequences."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The colosseum shuddered, beginning to move apart and increase in size. Very soon, the colosseum became several timesrger and slightly taller, making the rows for the spectators looser and morefortable.


    Then, the color of each stone changed from dark or brown to crimson, and the runes glowed white or gold.


    Sharp peaks appeared on the tops of the walls, creating a gothic aura, as if the colosseum were part of an ancient castle that housed evil ghosts or living horrors. However, in this ce, besides the darkness, there was also light.


    Whoooooooooooooooosh.


    A multitude of scarlet lights appeared out of nowhere, hovering over the arena and slowly striving in one direction, like clouds floating across the sky, slow and serene.


    Thest part was the arena - instead of the old muddy ground, it was reced by dark granite covered with many ancient runes. Now, nothing could harm this ce, and the fighters had much more space to fight.


    All the spectators returned to their seats, looking around with interest. No one expected something like this to happen during the fight.


    "Damn... I feel different now..." Someone muttered with a dazed expression.


    "Yeah, it''s as if this fight has moved to a new level, even though none of the fighters have increased their strength yet..."


    Liang nodded happily, "Not bad, now this ce looks worthy for anyone to fight here."


    "Like you and Nameless King?" Alucard suggested with an obvious smirk.


    "Who knows? I would never turn down a fight with a strong opponent. However, it''s unlikely that we''ll have that opportunity anytime soon." Liang muttered with a slight sadness in his voice.

 Chapter 1117 Purple

    <h4>Chapter 1117 Purple</h4>


    The Colosseum hadpletely changed, bing the ce where even thest battle in this world could take ce - an absolutely majestic and grandiose event for which a suitable arena was needed.


    "Well, well,ing here I didn''t expect this kind of oue at all. It actually looks beautiful." Gael muttered with a slight smile on his face looking at the soaring scarletnterns flying over the arena.


    Ereg nodded, "That''s impressive... I didn''t even realize the Colosseum was capable of something like that, though... Just this situation was necessary for us to find out."


    "Yeah, it looks like it. Toward the end of our fight, our power level would have grown so much that the colosseum would break from our every attack. However... now I think the situation is quite different."


    "Hmm? You think the Colosseum has gotten stronger?" Ereg asked with a confused expression. Obviously, he doubted it since he expected that external changes were all that had happened to the Colosseum.


    "Of course!" Gael eximed confidently, "Damn it! Did you see how much energy the colosseum absorbed? Even Liang was tired even though he used his Form! I''m sure there''s nothing in this world stronger than this colosseum, perhaps only the World of Darkness has more resilience."


    Then, Gael rushed forward, gathering energy around his sword. The attack he was about to perform was no different from the one he had used on Ereg before, the only thing was that he used twice as much energy.


    Whoooooooooooooooosh.


    Swinging his sword, Gael unleashed a light de that had previously practically cut Ereg in two, even taking into ount the barrier of darkness.


    "Last time, the colosseum copsed simply because of the pressure exerted by your back due to the light de. However... will that happen now?" Gael muttered with an excited smile.


    In fact, he was slightly upset that the colosseum wasn''t able to absorb an attack of any power. Intuitively, it made him hold back to some extent since this was not a mortalbat, and there was no need to sacrifice everything in his way to win.


    The light de cut the wind currents in its path, but the arena itself was not harmed, in any way. The granite floor covered with runes was strong enough that not even a scratch was left on it.


    This made Gael smile, it seemed like he already knew what the oue would be.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The light de mmed into the wall, trying to split it apart and break through further, but the barrier covering all the walls prevented the de from doing so.


    "Oh, that''s interesting, but what happens if I increase the power a bit?" Gael smirked, cing his hands in front of him and pointing his palms at each other.


    The threads once again created a ghostly replica of the de, and Gael greatly reduced it, several times, increasing the pressure and power exerted on the small area.


    This time, the barrier began to crack, and it seemed that very soon the colosseum would copse under the pressure. However, as the cracks grewrger, the runes on the stones shone brightly, but only the white and gold ones remained dormant.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    In a heartbeat, the light de disintegrated into tiny particles, disappearing into the white runes and leaving only emptiness behind.


    Gael''s eyes went wide as well as everyone else''s, who was watching this scene closely.


    "Damn... Honestly, I didn''t expect the colosseum to be this powerful. Apparently, the golden runes didn''t even need to activate, the white ones were more than enough." Gael uttered in a disbelief.


    Ereg grinned widely, "Isn''t that a good thing? It means that even when we activate our Forms, the Colosseum can handle it!"


    Gael nodded cheerfully, "Yeah, it looks like it, so... I think we should continue."


    Without hesitation, Gael turned into a torrent of ash, in no time at all, finding himself in front of Ereg. He had been injured since the end of the previous round, so Gael didn''t bother to use his full strength to attack.


    Gael''s fist came down on Ereg''s face, nearly breaking his jaw and throwing him dozens of meters away with a loud crunching from his bones.


    Had they been on the past, unimproved colosseum, Ereg''s back would have collided with a solid wall, however, now he simply fell to the ground.


    Not only was the Colosseum sturdier and more inviting in appearance, but it was also muchrger, giving his fighters more room to maneuver.


    "This isn''t fair!" N eximed, grudgingly clenching her fists. However, Gael, or anyone else, did not pay her any attention.


    "Hey, stop saying such ridiculous things." Alucard waved his hand slightly irritatedly, "Their fight didn''t end, but only temporarily stopped until Liang improved the Colosseum. If you have eyes, you can see that Liang and we are here, and the colosseum has changed significantly, so..... their fight should have started a long time ago."


    N wanted to say something, but the oppressive aura emanating from Alucard silenced her. She didn''t know what the reason was, it seemed that his patience was running out. He wanted to see what Ereg would do, more than anyone else.


    Tap.


    Krana stealthily approached N without her even noticing it. Krana touched her shoulder, drawing her attention to him.


    "What...? What do you want?" N was puzzled.


    Krana put a finger to her lips, "Shh. You shouldn''t make Mr. Alucard nervous. His emotions are pretty chaotic right now and I think you realize that in a situation like this, he could do anything."


    N got a strange expression as she thought, ''What...? Why is she teaching me something...? Since when is she so good at figuring out other people''s emotions.''''


    "Stop talking." Liang sternly uttered, casting his aura over them.


    "Y-Yes!" N and Krana simultaneously replied, straightening up like soldiers in front of themander.


    "This is an important point, just watch Ereg''s actions and learn. I''m sure he can still surprise us, after all, he intends to win and after the recent events, I believe in him." Liang said seriously while crossing his arms on his chest.


    N and Krana gulped, nodded, and did as he said. They were at the Transcendence Stage, but they were still a long way away from Liang''s or Ereg''s level. Compared to them, they were beginners who had just stepped into the path of the strongest. Technically, they were the weakest among the strongest.


    "Argh... That was strong... Couldn''t you have at least warned me?" Ereg ironically said while getting up from the ground. He cleaned the blood from the corners of his mouth and with eyes filled with energy looked at his opponent.


    "Come on. We''re fighting against each other, where have you ever seen one fighter warn another about an attack? That''s stupid." Gael smirked slyly, enjoying the fact that his little trick had worked.


    Ereg shrugged, "Well, I guess you''re right. Alright, it''s time to move on."


    "Wait." Gael stopped him, put his sword on his shoulder, and asked, "Care to give me a hint? I mean, my power is pretty simple, fire, ash, and scars. The only thing I was able to surprise everyone with was the ability to regenerate my arm at the cost of scars. However, you have something new all the time, but I still don''t understand what the source of your power is."


    Gael continued, "First you summoned ghosts that were simr in effect to my scars, then phantoms and even clones. When you absorbed the power that you took from me, you became a truly powerful opponent. However, your aura is threatening now, but I don''t see any ghosts behind you."


    Ereg listened to him carefully and nodded deeply.


    "I understand what you''re saying. However, haven''t you noticed one peculiarity? Considering I summoned ghosts, ws, and phantoms, you should have seen it."


    "Hmm?" Gael gave him a questioning look. He''d obviously overlooked something.


    Ereg smirked, "I''ll give you one clue - color."


    "Color...?" Gael mumbled, puzzled, while in his mind''s eye, their fight was going on again.


    ''Yeah... Ereg is right, the ghosts were ck and the phantoms crimson ones, but I thought it was all because of his blood.


    "Hah, I see you''re a little lost, but don''t worry soon I''ll show you everything. After all, my next color will be the answer to your oversized scars!" Ereg eximed with an excited expression as his aura intensified.


    At the same moment, a new rune appeared in his amber eye that was different from the past ones - that one was muchrger and moreplex with many symbols.


    Then, goosebumps went down Gael''s body, as well as chills down the backs of every onlooker. Even Liang or Alucard were no exception.


    "Oh... not bad, not bad at all..." Alucard grinned widely, showing his sharp fangs and the insane mes that ignited in his eyes.


    Liang''s gaze became sharp as des, heading towards the massive silhouette appearing behind Ereg.


    It was a huge purple ghost with an eerie jaw, three eyes, and four arms, each with long ws that seemed capable of cutting through the very fabric of the world.


    "Next is the purple one." Ereg smirked before stepping forward, disappearing like a shadow.

 Chapter 1118 Cloud

    <h4>Chapter 1118 Cloud</h4>


    Every progenitor had their own characteristics and unique abilities, not all the strongest ones were alike, in fact, they differed greatly, especially when they reached the upper limits of their strength.


    A clear example was Liang, whose wind and sword skills were known to everyone, however, that was why most people knew about it. Liang''s true and full strength was not even known to Nitra, though Constructs were some of the best informants. Unfortunately, some mysteries could not be solved because only one person knew the answer, and in Nitra''s case, she had to fight Liang to experience all of his stages for herself.


    Whether it was the sword, his Spirit, his insane physical power, or the still iprehensible Liang''s Form, Nitra didn''t know about it all before the fight, and it became a serious threat to her.


    To some extent, Gael was in the same situation. His power was more obvious and straightforward, he realized it himself, while Ereg had a certain progression he moved through during their fight.


    "First ck ghosts, then crimson phantoms, and now the purple one, but what to call it? Maybe demon?" Liang muttered with a curious expression.


    "Hah, does it matter?" Alucard smirked, "Only one thing matters, the power of that silhouette or shadow and we both realize it''s something impressive."


    Making Liang''s and Alucard''s bodies instinctively flinch like before a deadly battle was a very difficult task. There were only a few beings in this world that could make them act inplete seriousness, and now Ereg was one of them.


    Whoooooooooooooooosh.


    Ereg stepped forward, in a heartbeat, disappearing like a shadow. Gael blinked, only to see Ereg standing right in front of him with his fist raised to attack.


    ''That was fast! Even too fast!" Gael eximed internally before raising his sword, about to block the attack.


    ''Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Purple energy waves spread around, from the point of his fist hitting the long sword de.


    Gael''s hands trembled slightly since he wasn''t prepared for Ereg would hit him with such superior force.


    ''Damn! That''s not good at all!" Gael inwardly eximed, trying to cope with the pressure, but it was toote as Ereg put more force into the blow than Gael could withstand.


    The powerful momentum from the impact threw Gael dozens of meters back, causing him to spin in the air and quickly approach the edge of the Colosseum.


    Osvald''s eyes went wide, "Damn if he collides with the colosseum now, it''s sure to hurt like hell."


    "Yeah... I''d like to see that happen though." Marlis uttered with a slight smile on her face.


    Sven gave her a questioning look, "Now do you want Ereg to win?"


    Marlis shrugged and said, "Not at all. I don''t care which of these two wins, I just want to see everything they can do, as well as the strength of this Colosseum. Five hundred years have passed since then, and I''ve never been here. Honestly, it''s a little disappointing that we missed something like this."


    "Well, you''re not the only one." Wain smirked, "However, I doubt you''ll be able to see the strength of the walls of the colosseum now."


    "Hmm?" Marlis raised an eyebrow.


    Whooooooosh.


    At the same moment, Gael abruptly turned to spin and thrust his sword into the ground, effortlessly cutting through the sturdy granite that the light de had previously withstood, without a scratch.


    Given the strength of the granite and the fact that Gael stabbed the sword in, with the blunt part of the de ncing off, it stopped instantly, right at the point where he did so.


    "Phew, that was pretty good. For a moment I was even worried that my sword might not be able to take it, but that''s hardly likely." Gael muttered with a slight sigh before raising his head.


    Ereg was still standing in the same ce, while the four-armed ghost behind him gradually became less and less visible, seeming to merge with his master.


    Gael blinked and to his surprise Ereg disappeared, in his field of vision, there was only the arena and the crimson walls of the Colosseum in the distance.


    "What...?" Gael muttered in confusion when at the very bottom of his vision, appeared a purple me or crushing energy, so dense that it was visible by mere sight.


    Crackle.


    Ereg''s fist copsed into Gael''s stomach, bottom-up like a steel hammer smashing through his iron abs and multipleyers of dense muscle.


    "Argh!" Gael''s eyes went wide as he spat out a clot of blood, while waves of bright and clear pain ran through his body.


    "Hah, my friend, it seems you''re not keeping up with my movements! You need to do something about this right away!" Ereg eximed with an excited expression, abruptly turning his wrist and along with it, his entire fist.


    Such an insignificant movement could not cause any serious consequences, however, this was only true for those who did not possess the strength to do so.


    In Ereg''s case, it was quite different. Considering how powerful his initial punch was, this movement created a wind vortex, further increasing the speed and twisting Gael''s skin into a vortex.


    Whooooooooooooooooosh.


    The impact, threw Gael upwards dozens of meters, causing him to fly past the scarlet lights that seemed to purposely avoid meeting him, flying apart.


    "Ouch... That looks painful..." N said as she wrinkled her nose slightly. She wanted Ereg to win, but she had a lot of respect for Gael. After all, he was one of the strongest beings in the history of this world, and N like any Beastfolk respected the strong.


    "Yeah, it seems like it. Honestly, I thought that when Ereg used phantoms that was kind of his trump card." Alucard said with a slight nod.


    "You''ve changed your mind too, haven''t you?" Liang asked, casting a nce at him.


    Alucard nodded, "Crimson phantoms or ghosts... yes, ghosts. They gave them a significant enhancement that surpassed Gael in strength. However, this happened because his clones absorbed Gael''s energy to then use it against him. This can obviously be considered a trump card, so I expected the next ghost to be less powerful, but I was seriously mistaken."


    "Hah, you''re right about that. The purple one has already managed to impress me, but that''s not the limit yet, right?" Liang smirked, enjoying the fight and the fact that Gael was once again in a tough situation.


    "Sure." Alucard smiled slyly, "Besides the big scars Gael has a few more impressive ones as well as the Form. I''m sure Ereg has in his arsenal of techniques with which he can counter Gael to such a reinforcement."


    The air currents tried to stop Gael, but Ereg''s punch was so powerful that very soon Gael reached the upper level of the colosseum. A few more meters and the height Ereg had thrown him to would have surpassed the peaks of the colosseum.


    "Ereg... You overestimate yourself. These blows are strong, but there''s no way they can break me!" Gael eximed, before swinging his sword several times.


    In a heartbeat, several ash des appeared, massive and sharp, cutting through everything in their path.


    Five des, capable of cutting a dragon apart, were moving at breakneck speed straight toward Ereg, who stood still with a confident smirk on his face.


    "Well, well, decided to go straight to the ash? I thought you were going to try to deal with me with energy first. Either way, it won''t do you any good." Ereg uttered before the purple ghost behind himpletely disappeared.


    The rune in his eye shone brightly as most of the energy headed toward his tightly clenched fist.


    Purple streams of energypletely enveloped his hand before he attacked, throwing his fist upwards.


    At the same moment, all the energy rushed out in one movement.


    A massive stream of purple energy rushed upwards like a ray, in no time destroying all the ash des and quickly reaching its only target - Gael.


    "What...? How...?" Gael''s eyes went wide in disbelief, looking at the particles of ash as the only thing left of the des he had just created.


    Gael wasn''t the only one who was stunned, Alucard and Liang also had dazed expressions, however, no onlooker could have expected that from Ereg.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    The stream of energy shrank dramatically, bing the size of a normal fist before unleashing its full power directly at Gael''s stomach.


    This attack was several times stronger than the previous one, throwing Gael even higher - almost to the level of the clouds and definitely higher than the mountains.


    Everyone was watching Gael closely, expecting him to do something, however, he was spending all his strength to cope with the pressure felt from the energy attack.


    Ereg smirked, "That''s not all. I won''t let you fall on your own. I''ll help you!"


    Then, Ereg''s silhouette disappeared as his shadow appeared above one of the clouds, quickly approaching Gael, who was in shock.


    Ereg wasn''t going to leave any chance to his opponent, he was intent on winning another round!

 Chapter 1119 Speed Beyond

    <h4>Chapter 1119 Speed Beyond</h4>


    Gael didn''t expect Ereg to show such speed in his attacks, which was actually beyond his expectations. In just a few attacks after the purple ghost appeared, the situation hadpletely changed, and now Gael was above the colosseum, amongst the clouds.


    The past two blows straight to his stomach had failed to do him any serious damage, however, that was Ereg''s goal. He wanted his opponent to lose his bnce for a while, without knowing exactly what was going on in this fight. Ereg made sure that Gael didn''t know how to react, in fact, he didn''t even have time for that.


    "Here we go!" Ereg eximed, passing through ayer of thick clouds while purple energy gathered at his right foot,pletely enveloping it in multiple streams.


    Gael''s eyes came back to normal as he quickly looked up. It only took him a few moments to realize the danger of the situation. His instincts and experience told him that if Ereg''s attack came at him in full force, he might not even be able to withstand it.


    ''Shit! It''s too fast! I don''t even have time toe up with a n of action! I just don''t have time for this!" Gael internally eximed, annoyed by the situation, but he had no choice but to hastily defend himself.


    His sword shed, very brightly like a star before it exploded. Then, the de disintegrated into tiny particles, turning into a practical white ash, different from the usual gray one.


    "What...? What is that?" Nitra muttered in confusion. As the Progenitor of the Constructs and one of the strongest beings, she had spent a lot of time learning the trump cards and characteristics of each race.


    She did so not only because of her research interest but also because the information could be useful in battle. Not only to her but to everyone in her world. Information in itself was a formidable weapon.


    "Practical white ash... Is such a thing possible?" Nitra looked at Gael in disbelief.


    "Hm? Is there something strange about that?" Krana asked, tilting her head.


    Nitra nodded, "Sure. The color of the ash is always the same since it is an indication of the skill of an Ashen. However, that is not the correct definition, the color should not be the same but uniform. If the ashes of an Ashen are simultaneously gray, white, or silver,bining different tones, then it means that an Ashen has failed in the path of the ashes."


    "Yeah. I''ve heard of that too." Liang agreed, "It''s quite difficult to find out since only a small fraction of the Ashens follow the path of ashes rather than mes, about 1 in 1000."


    Krana nodded puzzled, "And...? Does that mean Gael failed? Is that possible?"


    Liang shook his head, "Nah, his ashes are still homogeneous, although the color did change and it only happened when the de of his sword disintegrated. I think that''s what surprised Nitra, isn''t it?"


    Nitra nodded, "Sure... ash shouldn''t have that color, no one does, however, if Gael did, especially in a situation like this, then it''s something important. Hmm... Looks like scars aren''t his only feature."


    Alucard remained silent the entire time. He just smirked, enjoying the way Liang and Nitra were trying to solve this mystery. In his case, it was crystal clear.


    ''Hehehehe, Gael, Ereg was able to take you by surprise. You even had to show some of your ashes. Well, either way, it would have happened sooner orter.'''' Alucard inwardly said.


    The white ash, quickly turned into a dense barrier right above Gael, in an attempt to defend against Ereg''s crushing attack.


    All Gael had left was the hilt of his sword, so now he put everything on his defense, not trying to attack at all.


    Ereg''s eyes went wide since he too had not expected to see another ash from which emanated an unusual aura - as if from something sacred and created to protect or help.


    "I don''t know what it is, but it won''t help you!" Ereg eximed, putting all his power into his next attack when his foot copsed against the ash shield.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Purple streams of energy spread outward, tearing out particles of ash one by one. Slowly, the barrier weakened and copsed, but there was no rm on Gael''s face, instead, he got a slight smile.


    Perhaps the ash shield wouldn''t be able to protect himpletely, but it wasn''t necessary. It would be enough for Gael just that Ereg''s attack had be significantly weaker. The ash shield had already absorbed about a third of the force as well as energy.


    ''Ereg, you surprised me, but you won''t be able to get through this. When you break the barrier, your attack will already be so weak and slow that I will have no trouble dodging or blocking it.'''' Gael pondered,pletely confident in his n.


    Ereg frowned as he clenched his teeth, realizing that Gael had surpassed him.


    "Gael... I don''t know what this ash is, but you underestimated me again, though... it''s more like you overestimated yourself." Ereg muttered as the purple streams of energy dissipated, and the pressure on the ash shield ceased.


    "Agh...?" Gael was puzzled.


    "Do you really think that''s all purple one can do? I''ve been able to use energy to attack before, so... if you''re protected from above, then all I need to do is attack you from the other side." Ereg uttered before vanishing like a shadow.


    Before Gael could realize anything, Ereg appeared to his right as his fist came down on Gael''s face.


    White Ash tried to defend his master, however, Ereg was moving too fast. When the white ash reached Ereg''s fist, gradually covering it, the loud crunch of Gael''s cracked jaw was already spreading.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    The impact, threw Gael aside followed by the white ash like a loyal ally that would never leave his partner in trouble.


    ''Shit! What was that!" Gael internally eximed, trying to regain his bnce, however, Ereg was already right on top of him.


    "Speed and strength are all you need to defeat someone arrogant!" Ereg said confidently, before bringing his foot down right into Gael''s stomach, top-to-bottom.


    "Argh!" Gael''s mouth opened wide in pain, as many clots of blood came out.


    Then, the impact, with a powerful shockwave in a wind circle, threw Gael back down, plunging him into the ground at tremendous speed.


    In any other situation, Gael would have taken damage only from a direct attack, since ordinary earth, or even solid stone, was too soft for him to do damage to his back.


    However, given the unusual properties of the granite covering the entire arena, it proved to be a difficult and painfulnding for Gael.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crack.


    There were cracks in the dark granite, spreading from where he had fallen in a web pattern, while a new portion of bloody clots came out of Gael''s mouth.


    "Ouch... That was hard..." N muttered with a gulp. She realized how hard the fall would have been if the solid granite had sustained such damage.


    It seemed that Gael had pretty much lost this round already and there should have been a pause between them, but Ereg didn''t think so.


    Bam.


    Without hesitation, right after hended, Ereg brought his fist down right into Gael''s stomach.


    The white ash rushed towards the point of attack, managing to create a barrier, but this time Ereg was easily able to break it, and Gael took most of the damage.


    "Hah,e on! Show me the power of your big scars! Or do I have to practically kill you first to get you going?" Ereg smirked contentedly as he continued his attack, unleashing one fist after another at the already seriously injured Gael.


    In fact, everyone realized that Gael wasn''t sumbing or anything, he even summoned white ash, but that didn''t help him. Ereg started this round very well, overwhelming his opponent with an endless hail of attacks.


    ''Damn... This is bad... Well, Ereg did well, I didn''t really expect his purple ghost to give him this much power.'' Gael internally muttered as the white ash returned to the hilt of the sword, transforming into a de.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Gael swung the sword, aiming straight for Ereg''s neck. It took Ereg a split second to get his head out of the dangerous trajectory, so the de passed right next to his skin.


    However, it was enough for Gael to take advantage of the small gap and get out from under the hail of massive blows. In a heartbeat, he found himself a few meters away, quickly approaching the edge of the colosseum.


    Ereg didn''t follow him this time, as the ash particles flying off Gael''s sword hovered in the air like trap des waiting for someone toe within range.


    Ereg could have taken a chance, but there was no point, he had already aplished much more than he had originally hoped for.


    "Running away? That''s not like you at all." Ereg looked at Gael seriously, narrowing his eyes.


    Gael shrugged nonchntly, "You just didn''t leave me any other choice, or your fists would have dug my grave right here."


    Ereg was wary, he sensed there was something wrong, and his instincts were telling him.


    "Hmm... Looks like Gael finally decided to start their round in earnest." Liang uttered, looking at the smirk on Gael''s face.


    Alucard nodded, "Yeah, it''s going to be beautiful. One of the best abilities Gael has."


    At the same moment, Gael''s sword began to quiver, and ash rose from the ground in a whirlwind, about to be something big, perhaps a battlefield just for him.

 Chapter 1120 The Dome

    ?


    The arena of the Colosseum became muchrger, so it seemed each of the fighters had more than enough space to fight.


    Also, none of them could take full control of the area since the arena was wide andrge, there was plenty of room to maneuver.


    However, Gael didn''t care about that, since there were no barriers for his ash. It didn''t matter where he was, in the arena or among the mountains, his ashes could take any shape. Most often it was simple des, sometimes swords, but all of it was something ordinary it was just energy management.


    Obviously, someone of such high status as Gael had many different techniques in his arsenal, and what he was doing now was one of them.


    "Ereg has prepared well for this battle, however, it''s not about preparation but the fact that his power is very diverse. Several colors, each stage with its own unique features as well as several variations of attacks." Alucard said, looking at Gael with curiosity and anticipation, "But, Gael''s arsenal is actually quite extensive as well. He just didn''t have any reason to show it before."


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    With each passing second, the ash grewrger andrger, new streams seemed to appear out of nowhere, and from a single stream, several of the same size could appear at once.


    Sure, Gael had to use massive amounts of energy to do this, most of his scars were shining brightly letting out their power. Well, therge scars were still ineffective, they were just passively increasing Gael''s power, and waiting for the moment toe for them.


    Ereg became alert, distributing purple energy throughout his body. He was ready to take an attack from any direction and defend himself even against Gael''s sword.


    But, there was nothing for him to worry about, at least for now.


    "What''s going on...?" N muttered with a dazed expression, looking at the streams of ash quickly forming a giant dome.


    The spectators were puzzled as they could no longer see what was happening in the arena. The dense domepletely blocked their view, and all they could see was the ash moving in circles as if a vortex was going on inside the dome.


    "What the hell...?" Wain said puzzled, "I wouldn''t mind seeing Gael''s new ability, but... we literally can''t see anything."


    "Well, hopefully, someone was as unhappy about it as we were, otherwise it won''t be good at all." Sven said, rubbing his cheek uncertainly.


    After all, they were only ghosts watching Alucard and Gael''s memories, they had no way of affecting what was happening at the moment.


    At the same time, Ereg''s gazepletely changed as his amber pupil became slightly richer and deeper. Thus, he adjusted his vision to the new conditions to see everything in the dark, since there was no light under the dome and there was no way the sunlight could prate here.


    "Oh, I thought it would take you longer to do this." Gael uttered before getting right in front of Ereg.


    Whoooooooosh.


    In a heartbeat, Ereg bounced aside, quickly finding himself dozens of meters away from Gael, whose sword was about to pierce his opponent.


    "What is this? Your ability is just to plunge me into darkness? If so, I''m disappointed." Ereg frowned, "I am Beastfolk, even in the darkness created by the energy I can see very well, and with each passing second my vision is only getting sharper!"


    Gael nodded, "I know that I''m just messing around. In fact, you have the advantage right now since I can''t see in the dark, or rather only slightly and much worse than you."


    "What...?" Ereg''s eyes went wide in confusion, "Then what''s the point of this ability... I haven''t heard you use it before, it must be something special."


    Gael nodded again, "Yeah, you''re right, however, before I show it to you, there''s one, no even two problems to solve."


    "Hmm?" Ereg gave him a questioning look.


    Then, Gael waved his hand, sending up particles of regr ash. They quickly approached the walls of the dome, aiming for different points. In fact, only Ereg could see them, thanks to his keen eyesight and the fact that he was already used to the darkness.


    "I suggest closing your eyes, though in your case an eye." Gael smirked as the ash particles suddenly red brightly.


    The blinding light illuminated the entire space beneath the dome and also created circles of me at ten different points, wide enough for the onlookers to see through.


    Even though it was daytime, the spectators had to squeeze their eyes shut because of the sh that could blind them. Only after a few seconds did they get used to it.


    "Wow... how beautiful..." Krana muttered sincerely as she looked at the dome and the arena inside it.


    It seemed that after Gael''s ability, there was another arena in the colosseum, but obviously, only Gael could benefit from it.


    "Hey, you know what this dome is for, don''t you?" Liang nced at Alucard.


    "Sure, but don''t expect me to tell you. I want you all to enjoy the first emotion, for it''s one of the most beautiful abilities I know. Compared to this, my blood weapon is ugly and crooked." Alucard said calmly, in anticipation.


    No one asked any more questions, and everyone held their breath, waiting for Gael''s next action.


    "Before you make your move, tell me, what was that ash before this? Why was it white and not the gray one?" Ereg asked with a serious expression, preparing for battle.


    Gael smiled, "Well, you have yet to find out, however, white one I will show you right now."


    Gael stretched forward his hand as white ash began to emerge from his fingertips. The process was rather long and inefficient, at least it seemed so, because Gael could produce many streams of ordinary ash with a simple wave of his hand.


    In a few seconds, he was able to create a bit more white ash than when he sacrificed the de of his sword for it.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    As before, the white ash surrounded its creator, carefully protecting it like a loyal partner.


    "White ash for protection, right?" Ereg asked, while his aura slowly intensified.


    Gael nodded, "Yeah, defense is what white ash does, however, it has just as many other functions."


    "Hmm?" Ereg looked at him puzzled.


    At the same moment, some of the white ash went towards his wounds, mostly to his stomach and jaw where there was still quite a bit of blood from Ereg''s powerful attacks.


    The white ash shone brightly, like a warm sun that healed any creature''s wounds much faster.


    Ereg''s eyes went wide, watching as his opponent''s wounds recovered quickly, after a while only half of the damage was left of the wounds.


    However, it was then that the white ash stopped glowing and returned to normal, once again circling around Gael like a moving shield.


    "Surprised? Don''t worry, I''m not an Alucard, I don''t have insane regeneration. Even with the help of white ash, that''s the most I''m capable of."


    Ereg shuddered as a chill went down his back, and his fur rose up from the realization of how much their fight had now changed.


    "What...? Why does Mr. Ereg have that look on his face...?" N asked worriedly, "Isn''t that weak regeneration? Gael has healed his wound by about half. That''s all."


    "Stop talking nonsense." Liang snorted, causing N to frown.


    "What...?! What did I say wrong this time!" N clenched her fists unhappily, with her cheeks puffed up.


    Liang sighed, "They are both one of the strongest, and before that Ereg had an advantage in physical ability, and it remains until now. This allowed him to constantly inflict more wounds on his opponent than he received. Thus, gradually Ereg was getting closer to victory as Gael would eventually run out of stamina even in thest stage."


    "However, things have changed now." Alucard smirked insidiously.


    "Yes." Liang nodded, "Even if it''s a moderate level of regeneration it puts Ereg in a difficult position. His advantage in speed and strength has been maintained, but greatly weakened because his wounds are no longer as effective as before."


    N nodded silently. She hadn''t thought about it from this side, and now her worry had grown again. One way or another, she wanted Ereg to win, it was her only wish as a Beastfolk.


    "Well, you''ve seen some of the possibilities of Ashes. Now it''s time to move on to something more interesting, isn''t it?" Gael uttered with a sly smile before pointing his sword at Ereg.


    Ereg immediately took a defensive stance, not knowing what Gael was about to do.


    The tip of Gael''s sword shed brightly, and then a multitude of mes appeared all over the dome. There were about ten of them in total.


    Very quickly, each me turned into a replica of Gael''s sword, and they too were aimed at Ereg.


    "Good luck defending against that." Gael uttered before swinging his sword.


    At the same moment, ten ming swords descended upon Ereg, quickly approaching him and leaving a plume of fire behind them.

 Chapter 1121 Swords

    ?


    After Ereg used the purple ghost his physical stats became much greater than Gael''s, he used this to gain a real advantage, and he seeded.


    Gael couldn''t be as strong and fast as Ereg, considering their power was roughly equal, they had their own limitations. Compared to other creatures, Gael was many times stronger, anyone below the Transcendence Stage was nothing to him, just nothing. However, Ereg was strong enough to surpass his opponent in some parameters.


    "Everyone thinks that the basis of Gael''s strength is his swordsmanship skills and speed, well it''s true, but everyone somehow forgets about the ash. Gael is the only one of all Ashens who could reach such a peak by choosing the path of ash instead of fire." Alucard said with a sly grin, watching the fight with genuine interest.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    A multitude of ash swords simultaneously rained down on Ereg, leaving him no other option but to dodge.


    ''Shit! They''re too fast!" Ereg internally eximed, jumping aside at thest moment.


    Several swords flew right over him, almost grazing him with their sharp des. They collided with the wall of the Colosseum and, due to its incredible strength, shattered into small particles. However, just as quickly, the ashes transformed back into swords that attacked Ereg without any dy.


    Then, Ereg realized that there was no way he could dodge this attack - his only option was to destroy the swords.


    ''Damn... I hate to lose my defense, but it looks like I have no other choice. I can only destroy these swords if I strengthen my arms!" Ereg thought for a moment before stopping.


    The massive waves of purple energy covering his body dissipated, heading towards his legs and arms. His arms and legs were covered in a denseyer, constantly circting energy like a vortex imprisoned under a curse.


    Thus, Ereg maintained his previous speed and greatly strengthened his fists. However, now the rest of his body was left defenseless.


    Ereg was a Beastfolk, so given his level of strength his body could withstand hundreds of Fifth Chronicle attacks, but Gael''s ash swords were much stronger than that. Any sword that reached its target could now be fatal to Ereg, for a few critical wounds could push him to his limit.


    "Hmph... If Ereg doesn''t have a trump card, then he will lose." Liang suddenly uttered with a calm expression. He crossed his arms as he watched Ereg beat back the ash swords with his fists.


    "Why do you think that?" N asked with a worried expression.


    "Well, it''s pretty obvious. Gael doesn''t even do anything, he just summoned ten swords and Ereg already had to sacrifice his defense for the sake of not losing. If Gael starts attacking instead of using white ash to recover wounds, the fight could be over very soon." Liang exined with a carefree wave of his hand as if it was obvious.


    Alucard chuckled evilly, nibbling his finger until it bled and enjoying the scene.


    Liang raised an eyebrow, giving him a puzzled look.


    "Are you alright? If you have something to say then I would listen to you. I''m sure you have some interesting thoughts in your crazy head."


    Alucard shrugged, "I just think that what we saw was only part of Ereg''s power. I mean, he was able to create ws out of ghosts and he used crimson ones to do it. In that case... what is the purple one capable of? I doubt that the total enhancement is all the next ghost''s abilities."


    Liang''s gaze changed, bing deeper and more serious, it seemed like he hadn''t thought about it, though it was obvious.


    "Come on. Ereg, is that really all you''re capable of? I''m sure you can surprise me!" Gael eximed, with a maddening smile.


    However, Ereg didn''t answer anything, he was too busy destroying the ash swords. The problem was that every time he shattered one sword, it would regenerate after a few seconds.


    Ereg simply didn''t have the ability to destroy the very ash particles that made up the swords so it seemed there was nothing he could do to win this round.


    His only option was to use an even more powerful ghost to make its energy dense enough to destroy the ash particles. However, that would mean defeat, and he wasn''t ready for that.


    Gael realized that Ereg wasn''t going to move on, so he just sighed, shrugged, and raised his sword high above his head.


    At the same moment, many lights appeared on the dome, quickly shrinking and turning into ash swords - about twenty in total, not including the ten that were attacking Ereg right now.


    "Wait... Even with ten swords, Ereg can handle with great difficulty... What happens if there are thirty of them..." N flinched, as her eyes went wide.


    In fact, it was a rhetorical question, everyone knew the answer to that question.


    "I''m afraid that if Ereg doesn''t show his trump card right now if he has it at all, this round will be over in just a few minutes." Nitra uttered with serious expression, as the gears in her eyes actively moved.


    "Considering the speed of the swords, the power of Ereg''s attacks, his reaction speed, and a host of other parameters... Against thirty swords, he doesn''t stand a chance."


    Gael could have brought the swords down on Ereg at any moment, but for some reason, he didn''t. He just looked at Nitra, grinning widely, before channeling some energy into his sword.


    Then, seventy more swords appeared on the dome, increasing the total number to a hundred.


    N''s jaw practically dropped to the ground when she saw this. Gael did it without any difficulty, his gaze not even tired, it seemed that creating even a thousand swords was no problem for him.


    "Well, Ereg, I''ve given you enough time, so... now you have to face the consequences." Gael said before swinging his sword, giving themand for a hundred ash swords toe into motion.

 Chapter 1122 Purples Ability

    Chapter 1122 Purple''s Ability


    Using all of his strength, reaction, and speed, Ereg had been dealing with ten ash swords. However, with ny swords now flying at him, the situation hadpletely changed. He didn''t stand a chance against so many attacks at once.


    "Damn... I''ll be honest, but considering their speed and the fact that they can immediately recover from destruction, I would hardly be able to deal with them." Liang uttered with a slight frown.


    In his prime, he could swing his sword dozens of times per second, under different directions and trajectories, however, it worked well when there was only one opponent.


    In that case, with his attacks, Liang could anticipate all of his opponent''s movements and simultaneously inflict many wounds with his sharp sword or wind des.


    Alucard nodded, "Yeah... That''s true. I wouldn''t even try to destroy them, I''d just let those swords sink into me and continue fighting that way."


    Nitra''s face creased at how crazy things Alucard was saying, or rather, that''s what they were to everyone but him.


    "Hey, enough of this nonsense. After all, besides the three of us, there are others here who want to learn something from this fight. Only you can fight when you have a hundred swords thrust into you!" Nitra eximed irritably.


    "Pfffft! It''s not my fault you don''t have the same regeneration as me. That''s your problem, not mine." Alucard shrugged nonchntly, annoying Nitra even more.


    "I''m sorry..." Krana entered the conversation, unsure of what was the norm for her, "I may be wrong, but it seems to me that Mr. Ereg is not at all worried about the situation he finds himself in."


    Liang''s eyes went wide for a moment, "Damn... You''re right..."


    Perhaps they would have liked to discuss it a bit more, but they didn''t have time for that, since the swords had already reached their target seemingly piercing Ereg who was standing still. It was unlikely that Ereg could dodge a hundred swords at once, but he could at least try to do so, however, he didn''t even look in their direction, as if he was resigned to defeat or had a n.


    At thest moment, through the veil of dust rising from behind the copsed swords, Alucard saw the smirk on Ereg''s face. It immediately made the corners of his mouth go up, waiting to see the trump card that Ereg had prepared.


    At the same moment, when the main swords were about to pierce Ereg, a stream of purple energy surged upwards.


    In a heartbeat, a powerful st of energy spread from the point of attack, throwing most of the swords aside. The swords mmed into the ground, but it seemed that Ereg''s attempt was a failure, as about twenty swords were able to resist the shockwave. They effortlessly advanced further, piercing Ereg''s body - at least that''s what everyone thought.


    Gael, who seemed to realize what had happened got a dazed expression as a slight shiver went down his back.


    Alucard grinned widely, and Liang lifted his head with genuine interest watching Ereg''s silhouette.


    "Damn, was he deliberately waiting for this moment?" Wain uttered with narrowed eyes.


    "Yeah, looks like it. Anyway, Ereg has turned out to have one of the biggest arsenals of all of us. A little more, and he''ll have more abilities than me or all of us together." Sven nodded, speaking calmly.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Ereg waved his hand, clearing a cloud of dust out of his path and stepping forward confidently, revealing himself.


    He didn''t go through any transformation or activate his Form, nor did he summon a new ghost. What Ereg did was simply use the purple ghost''s ability.


    His entire body was covered in thick, ck armor seemingly created by a great cksmith specifically for him. The armor had a multitude of purple runes on it, connected by bands like cells and blood vessels, only these bands flowed energy instead of blood.


    Each piece of armor gave Ereg a different effect, so his gauntlets with sharp protrusions greatly increased the power of his blows and allowed him to tear flesh apart with his ws.


    His high boots not only fully protected his feet, but also gave him incredible speed that was even faster than the usual use of the purple ghost.


    The base was a chestte - bulky, yet lightweight, and no restraints on Ereg''s movements. So far, a few ash swords had tried to get through it, however, it was useless.


    It seemed that the durability of Ereg''s armor was several times greater than the sharpness of the ash swords, and he had nothing to worry about.


    "Armor...? Damn, there''s no way I could have expected something like that from Beastfolk." Gael muttered with a dazed expression, "I admit, you actually managed to surprise me, however, do you really think I won''t be able to get through your defenses?"


    Ereg shrugged, "You can try, but I assure you, you won''t seed. Defense is only a fraction of the power of purple and I''m ready to show you that."


    Then, Ereg waved his hand, and several runes on his armor shed.


    At the same moment, devastating waves of energy came out, causing the ash swords to shake and shatter into tiny particles.


    Ash tried to regenerate as before, to be a deadly weapon again. However, Ereg was ready for it, since the vibrations,ing from his armor were causing the ash to split into even smaller pieces - so much so that there was no more energy left in them.


    Gael frowned. At that moment, he realized that his main weapon that had caused Ereg so much trouble had lost its effectiveness.


    "You see?" Ereg smirked, the runes faded, and the vibrations stopped emanating from his armor.


    Gael nodded, "Yeah, that''s impressive. However, you just learned how topletely destroy my swords and increased your defense. All I need to do is increase their sharpness to hurt you."


    "Sure. You''re right in theory, but you forgot something." Ereg smiled kindly, "My purple armor gives me more than just protection!"


    At the same moment, Ereg''s eyes sparkled as he tore forward at breakneck speed.

 Chapter 1123 Suppressing the Ashes

    Chapter 1123 Suppressing the Ashes


    Each ghost Ereg summoned had a specific function. They all gave him some sort ofbat advantage or ability. Obviously, the stronger the ghost was the moreplex it was as well as varied.


    Purple one''s main ability was to transform into armor that gave Ereg the ability to easily survive an attack from hundreds of ash swords. However, that was only part of the armor''s capabilities, as it also raised all of Ereg''s parameters even higher.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    In a heartbeat, Ereg crossed dozens of meters, finding himself right in front of Gael, with streams of white ash floating around him. Before, the white ash had slowly but surely healed Gael''s wounds, however, now it had switched to another function - defense.


    Gael''s pupils narrowed as Ereg''s massive fist appeared in front of him,ing at him with abnormal speed. It was unlikely that anyone who wasn''t at the same power level as them could even see this attack.


    ''Quick! I won''t be able to dodge!" Gael internally eximed before the white ash came into motion creating a dense barrier in front of him.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Ereg''s fist copsed onto the white ash, causing it to shake and shatter into small particles. The main power of Ereg''s attack was not in his superior physical strength but in his vibrations. He could use them to destroy ash swords, so now he was going to do the same to the white ash.


    "Gael, stop doing nonsense. Regeneration? Ash swords? None of this is like you! I''m sure the Progenitor of Ashens must have more terrifying power than all this!" Ereg eximed with slight irritation.


    A new wave of purple energy with vibrations traveled down his arm, emerging from his fist. They immediately shattered another part of the barrier, leaving only about half of it as white ash.


    "Hmm... Does Ereg not notice this?" Liang said in a puzzled manner, scratching his chin. His gaze was directed at the white ash lying on the ground, trembling slightly.


    Nitra shrugged, "It''s quite possible. He just doesn''t realize that those vibrations aren''t enough to permanently destroy the white ash."


    At the same moment, Nitra leaned forward slightly and the mechanisms in her eyes came into motion. She examined the white ash in great detail,paring it to an ordinary one.


    Of course, this was no ordinary ash, but one endowed with Gael''s energy and transformed long ago because of his aura. It had been affecting the ash for thousands of years, so Nitra''s scientific approach wasn''t enough to make sense of it.


    However, she had enough information to realize that white ash was many times denser and yet smaller than normal ash.


    "I see... Now I understand why he was creating white ash in such small quantities, it''s just an illusion." Nitra muttered with curiosity in her gaze.


    "Hm? What are you talking about?" N asked.


    Nitra pointed at the ash, "Gael has vast stores of energy and from them he creates ash, I think that''s obvious to everyone. Each unit of energy is a particle of ash and it''s not that it''s harder to create white ash, it''s just that its particles are much smaller. Several dozen times smaller than normal ones."


    Nitra nodded with a serious expression, "Exactly. His vibrations would have to be much stronger if he wants to destroy the white ash, however... I don''t think that''s necessary."


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Ereg used his physical power to quickly destroy Gael''s shield and he managed to do so rather quickly.


    "That''s it. You''re going to have to figure something out again if you don''t want to lose!" Ereg eximed before stepping forward.


    The barrier of ash shattered into small shards, revealing Gael and leaving him unprotected.


    Gael swung his sword, in an attempt to defend against the attack, however, he moved too slowly, since Ereg''s fist had already sunk into his stomach.


    "Argh!" Gael spat out a mouthful of blood as his eyes went wide, filled with pain and iprehension.


    The impact, threw Gael hundreds of meters up, knocking him out of the dome through one of the many rings of me.


    This time Ereg didn''t pursue his opponent and tried to attack Gael in mid-air. He just looked at Gael, at his shocked face and puzzled look.


    When Ereg used ck ghosts, Gael was much stronger, and almost nothing changed even when Ereg used crimson phantoms.


    However, the appearance of the purple phantompletely changed the course of their battle. Now everything changed, and Gael was much weaker, he simply couldn''t do anything to his opponent, who was now immune to ash swords and any other attacks.


    "Damn, I thought Gael would be stronger..." Osvald uttered, clearly upset by such a scene. He wanted to see the full strength of the one who bore the title - The Invincible.


    Sven shrugged, "There''s nothing surprising about that. Ereg is using Liang sighed, "That means that Ereg''s vibrations aren''t enough to destroy white ash, right?"


    what the Beastfolks have always done and are doing - physical power. In the beginning, Ereg used different tricks and abilities, and Gael just fire and ash, but now things have changed."


    Marlis nodded, "I agree. What''s the point of his ash dome if now Ereg is just some invulnerable warrior? His armor, vibrations, and physical strength just overwhelm Gael and prevent him from using his power."


    Wain took a deep breath, "Come on, guys, don''t you realize that''s not all Gael is capable of?"


    Marlis raised an eyebrow, "I understand that you want him to win, but I don''t see him having any chance. Ereg probably has ghosts of other colors and they''re more powerful and serious than purple. That means Gael doesn''t stand a chance, his ash and swordsmanship were useless against Ereg''s ghosts. A lot has changed since theirst battle."


    Wain shrugged, "Well, maybe you''re right, but if it were that simple Gael wouldn''t have earned his title. He has the white ash as well as the gray one. Isn''t it obvious that there''s another color missing?"

 Chapter 1124 The Last Color

    Chapter 1124 The Last Color


    White, gray, and ck, these three colors that have always been in a certain affinity with each other. Everyone knew that without white there could be no ck and that when they were mixed together they produced gray, however, these colors had a much broader meaning than just three colors out of hundreds of possible colors.


    Everyone knew that white meant light, while gray was something in between, something that was like real life, where there were both good moments and bad.


    ck was different from white in that it was theplete opposite. ck always represented darkness or something bad, a harbinger of disaster or a viin.


    Many people found in the darkness a calmness like at night with a starry sky or vice versa, the darkness became something that corrupted people, making them strive for power, for strength.


    No one thought about it, but three colors suited Gael, for he had already shown two of them. Ashes could have different colors, however, it was always gray or some shade of gray.


    For this reason, those Ashens with uneven ashes were considered losers. They had yet to perfect their technique so that their ashes would always be gray without any variation.


    This was also one of the reasons why many Ashens followed the path of me rather than ash. In this path, they could simply seed with a much higher chance and make everything as it should be.


    Obviously, the white ash that Gael could create was not something normal. Even Nitra or Liang had never heard of it and was considerably surprised that such ash existed especially its functions.


    Sven looked at Wain with slightly narrowed eyes, "Hm? What are you talking about? Do you know something about Gael''s ability? About his ashes?"


    Wain shrugged, "Nah, I''m actually virtually unfamiliar with him. What I''m seeing now is the first time I''ve been able to see his true capabilities. However, isn''t it obvious? Gray ash is for normal Ashens, Gael showed us that by summoning white ash. If he has gray and white, then there''s only one left - a ck one!"


    At the same moment, Gael strangely hovered in the air. He wasn''t using flight or anything like that, it seemed like the space around him had frozen, locking him inside this invisible cage.


    Then, his sword disappeared just like the ash dome and white ash. Nothing remained in the arena, only Ereg d in armor and Gael floating in the air.


    From the corners of Gael''s mouth streams of blood flowed, falling to the ground that was very far away, but the blood always reached its target.


    Ereg''s blow had dealt Gael serious damage, one attack was enough to bring him almost to a critical state.


    Gael had only two options now, either reveal his giant and final scars, but that would be considered a defeat in the round, or do somethingpletely different.


    "Ereg... You started with darkness, then moved on to crimson, and got to the color purple. I''m sorry, but I''m going to have to go back to the very beginning of our battle." Gael muttered without raising his head, while the many scars on his body began to quiver.


    It seemed like the scars wanted to break free or move across Gael''s body, but something was holding them back. They didn''t have enough strength to do something like that, though it was obvious that it would happen soon, but not now.


    Gael wasn''t ready to move on to the next round and admit defeat in this one, as he wasn''t about to lose.


    Ereg was wary.


    He didn''t know why, but he no longer felt as confident as before, it seemed that the situation in the arena hadpletely changed, even though nothing had happened yet.


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about, but all my instincts tell me I shouldn''t give you time to do what you''re up to!" Ereg eximed, immediately rushing into action.


    The granite floor beneath him cracked, unable to withstand the gallop from his powerful legs. His speed was unbelievable and all the energy in his armor was directed towards his fist.


    It didn''t matter to Ereg what consequences Gael might face after being hit by Ereg''s full-force attack.


    Ereg was already more than satisfied with the result, so if their fight ended now with him winning after his crushing attack, he wouldn''tin.


    Of course, Ereg was doing so mostly because he couldn''t understand the full level of threating from Gael. He didn''t understand what it was or what Gael was going to do, so in a way it scared him and made him act so hastily.


    At thest moment, when Ereg''s fist was about toe down on Gael andpletely destroy him, Gael raised his head.


    Their eyes met, and it sent a chill down Ereg''s back. Gael looked at him as if everything had already been decided, his victory was certain, and nothing could change that.


    "Serenity... Agh, what a nice feeling... but so dangerous for someone as strong as me." Gael muttered as a torrent of ash flew in front of his face and Ereg''s fist.


    Ereg''s eyes went wide for this ash waspletely ck, as if it was made of World of Darkness, the very fabric of space.


    Then, wounds opened all over Ereg''s body, spurting a torrent of blood. From each wound came only a few drops, tiny and insignificant, however, there were several hundred such wounds, and they were all the same.


    It seemed as if a hundred tiny des went through Ereg''s, leaving behind only a flurry of cuts, and no armor could stop them.


    "Surprised? Well, that''s not all. I''d even say it''s the least my ash can do." Gael said calmly before gathering the ck ash in his palm, creating a thinyer.


    The ck ash could take the shape Gael needed, for now, it was more like a liquid, a true darkness.


    Gael''s eyes grew deeper as his palm dipped into Ereg''s stomach, shattering his armor into small shards.

 Chapter 1125 Black Ashes

    Chapter 1125 ck Ashes


    Gael''s ck Ash was a logical extension of his power, rather expected but still deadly.


    Ereg''s powerful attack which was supposed to end their fight, simply turned into nothing. The ck ash in a heartbeat absorbed most of the damage and threw Ereg aside.


    His entire body was covered in multiple wounds, blood dripping down his muscles, and his sturdy armor would shatter at any moment.


    Thest move was Gael''s palm attack.


    Unlike the other ash that was just a tool for Gael, the ck one was much different as it could take several forms.


    The first stream that swept in front of Ereg was ordinary ash, though the ck ash was much more powerful than the gray and even more so the white one.


    Then, Gael changed the ash, turning it from a ck liquid into pure darkness with super-concentrated energy. This darkness wasn''t just a dense and powerful substance, it also strengthened Gael, making all of his attacks much stronger.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Gael''s palm sank into Ereg''s armor, breaking it into small shards and sending powerful pulses into his opponent''s body.


    The impact, with a shockwave, threw Ereg back a few dozen meters, causing him to fall.


    "Argh!" Ereg crashed into the rugged dark granite, clots of blood spurted from his mouth and his eyes went wide with vivid pain.


    However, the main reason wasn''t his back or even Gael''s kick, but the aftermath.


    "Fuck... Bastard, what the hell was that?" Ereg muttered with a great grimace.


    Gael didn''t answer anything, he just slowly paced through the air while tiny particles of ash covered him.


    His sword was folded in his belt, its scabbard emerging from the in gray ash. Gael was showing that in order to fight Ereg he didn''t need his weapon and seemed to have every right to do so.


    "Shit! That hurt!" Eregined, looking at the ck energy on his stomach.


    The darkness was like acid, trying to destroy Ereg''s skin, flesh, and blood, corroding it with the strongest corrosion.


    Ereg had some time to stop this deadly process. His armor was destroyed in one ce, but he still had quite a bit of energy, and the armor could be repaired.


    ''Fine, I can still fight. I just need to recover!" Ereg internally eximed, clenching his teeth to endure the intense pain.


    His body was powerful and strong, one of the strongest in the universe, perhaps only Liang surpassed him in this regard. However, liquid ck ash could destroy any armor this was one of the abilities of this unique entity.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Arrays of purple energy headed towards the ck ash, gradually destroying it and increasing Ereg''s resistance. The runes on the armor shone brightly, rebuilding it piece by piece.


    ck pieces appeared out of nothing, gradually making the armor one piece, however, he needed to spend a lot more time to dispel the thick darkness.


    "Oh, that looks painful and serious..." Nitra muttered, biting her lip.


    Liang nodded, "This is the first time I''ve seen ck ash, what purpose does it even have? Although... from what I can see it''s pretty obvious. It''s literally trying to turn Ereg into nothing, like a powerful acid."


    Alucard shrugged, "That''s not all. ck Ash is capable of something more serious it''s passing through any object and inflicting gruesome wounds."


    Liang nodded, "Yeah, I can see that. His armor earlier could protect him from any number of ash swords. But, as soon as the ck ash appeared everything immediately changed. A single attack was more than enough topletely destroy all the defenses Ereg had built up."


    "Well... I think the result of this round has already be obvious to everyone." Alucard said in a deep voice, "Ereg will lose. ck Ash is one of the most powerful weapons Gael has, and he''s using it to its fullest potential. That''s for sure."


    N frowned as she looked sternly at Alucard, making him feel a strange pressure. To him it was light and almost nonexistent, however, because of how persistent N was, he could sense her intentions.


    "Hah, you actually want Ereg to win, right?" Alucard smirked.


    N puffed up her cheeks and crossed her arms over her chest.


    "So what? You want Gael to win too, don''t you? He''s your friend and all." N snorted.


    Alucard shrugged, "Well, I won''t deny it, but just about Gael being my friend. I don''t care which one of them wins, you may or may not believe that. I don''t care about your opinion that''s all."


    "Oh, you!" N eximed irritably, raising her fist, but she quickly calmed down when she met Alucard''s intimidating aura. It seemed to her that his aura was a separate being of blood and arrogance that could devour her at any moment.


    "How strange..." Krana muttered, leaning forward and touching her lush lips.


    "Hmm?" Alucard gave her a questioning look.


    "Gael... He looks like it''s all over now. Is the ck ash such a powerful weapon that he is now confident of his victory? A few minutes ago, I would have said that Ereg was the top favorite to win. That''s for sure!" Krana nodded several times as if confirming her own words.


    Liang sighed, "He''s be arrogant again, his position is changing too quickly. At this rate, it will be unclear when he will show his true self. However, I think the ck ash was one of hisst resort, isn''t it?"


    Alucard knew the answer to that question, he was the only one who knew, but he didn''t bother to answer. He had to keep the intrigue alive, for even he was curious to see the end result.


    "Ereg... I hope you still have one ghost left, for if a purple one is all you are capable of, then you are even weaker than Nitra..." Alucard muttered with a devious smirk.


    "Hey! What the hell are you talking about? I just don''t have full control of my power yet!" Nitra eximed unhappily.


    Alucard just chuckled.

 Chapter 1126 Armor Destruction

    Chapter 1126 Armor Destruction


    After a while, Ereg had fully recovered. He had spent quite a lot of energy on it, but the ck ash hadpletely disappeared from his body, and his armor was as intact as the first time.


    However, the few runes on the armor no longer shone as brightly as before, and Ereg''s gaze became more tired.


    "Fuck... To remove the effects from just one attack I had to expend so much energy, this is only making things harder..." Ereg took a deep breath.


    Then, he with a stern face looked at Gael, who was slowly descending towards him.


    The ck ash swept by Gael''s side like his faithful protector that has always been and will always be by his side. It would never leave its master as long as the ck ash had meaning.


    "Ereg... I have something to tell you. I can only use ck and white ash as long as I haven''t activated my Form. In a way, this is my second strongest trump card, because if I use my the Form it means the fight has reached a critical stage." Gael said calmly, holding his hands behind his back like a majestic swordsman.


    The ck ash descended to his feet, creating a step specifically for him.


    It was not necessary since Gael could easily step through the air as well as fly, but it showed that now he was not afraid of his opponent at all.


    Ereg was ready to fight, but only physically and technically. Emotionally he waspletely shattered.


    Yeah, it was just one skirmish and just one attack, but Ereg realized that if Gael attacked him a few more times he just wouldn''t be able to remove all the darkness from him. The system was pretty simple and Ereg was more than experienced to realize that.


    "Silent? Fine, I just want you not to do anything stupid. Use your trump card or use the Form right away. It will most likely be able to wear me down and even force me to use my Form. However, I''ll still be the winner. Just like before and just like now." Gael said calmly, but every word he said stabbed into Ereg''s mind like a dagger.


    Ereg was able to be the strongest in his world, and evenpared to the other Progenitors, he was ranked well.


    However, he was still unable to defeat his main opponent - Gael.


    Sure, Ereg had won a few rounds, but it didn''t make any difference to the overall situation. Only now was Ereg able to force Gael to act even a little seriously since he summoned ck ash and immediately Ereg felt helpless.


    "Damn, I even feel a little sorry for him..." Marlis muttered with aplicated expression, "He tried so hard to impress Gael, he wanted to win so badly, but in the end, Gael looked at him as an unworthy opponent."


    Sven shrugged, "Well, I can say that''s some sess already. Gael acts this way since it''s the real him. Gael has never lost and it''s obvious that he has arrogance inside him. He usually tries to contain it and hide it like the rest of us, but right now he doesn''t see any reason for it."


    "I still want Ereg to win!" Osvald eximed hopefully, "I have nothing against Gael, but it would be too frustrating for me to watch all of Ereg''s abilities just be nothing in front of Gael''s ashes."


    Sven, Osvald, and Marlis continued to discuss the fight, while Gael slowly descended on Ereg, whose mind was going through a veritable storm of emotions.


    Wain was silent, he was assessing the situation with a deep look, as if trying to see something in Ereg, to see what was inside his soul.


    "Hmm... It feels like Ereg isn''t sure of himself." Wain uttered protractedly.


    Sven raised an eyebrow, "What are you talking about? I haven''t seen someone as energetic and confident as Ereg in a long time. He''s been in a difficult situation it''s true, but I can''t say hecks confidence."


    Wain shook his head, "Nah, that''s not what I''m talking about. He is afraid, but not of Gael, but of himself. It seems that he wanted to end things now. To do so, he summoned a purple ghost and armor. However, Gael turned out to be much stronger than he thought, so... now he''ll have to use something that wasn''t in his ns."


    "Pfffft! I don''t know where you got that from, but it doesn''t seem true at all!" Marlis snorted arrogantly, "It seems to me that Ereg has already lost, and that''s it! His only trump card is his the Form, but Gael''s the Form will definitely be stronger!"


    Osvald turned around, "Yeah... Wain, what makes you think Ereg is afraid of anything?"


    Wain said calmly, "I can just see it in his gaze. I could be wrong, but I think that''s what''s going on right now. He''s thinking about what to do, though he has no other choice anyway."


    Step. Step. Step. Step.


    Gael descended to the ground, approaching Ereg with a leisurely gait. He looked at his opponent with calmness and the sole purpose of winning.


    After all, Gael never lost, which meant he could have drawn, but they were very few. Only a few opponents were so strong that none of them could be the winner and one of those was the Progenitor of Dragons.


    "And...? Ereg, what are you waiting for? If you don''t use your Form within the next minute, I will cast my ck ash on you. Ereg, you definitely won''t be able to resist something like that." Gael said calmly, but his every word was imbued with arrogance.


    After a long pause, Ereg smirked and swung his hand.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crack.


    His armor cracked, quickly breaking and falling to the ground, leaving a trail of heavy andrge debris.


    "You''ve be even more arrogant than before... Your ck ash is actually intimidating, but do you really think I have nothing to answer you with?" Ereg smirked as his aura began to strengthen, "I''ve only used it a couple of times before, and I''m afraid I''ll have trouble controlling my power!"

 Chapter 1127 The New Color

    Chapter 1127 The New Color


    Everyone sought power, and everyone had the same basic problem - how to get power? How be stronger? What to do in order to unlock new abilities and gain something new?


    It was logical, because the higher a person climbed on the path of strength, the harder it was to make the next step. In this way, a familiar world was created - the more powerful a person was, the less they were in rtion to others.


    Among the hundreds of worlds and thousands of voids in World of Darkness, there were literally billions of First Chronicle beings. While those on the Transcendence Stage were around twenty and that wasrgely because of how many races there were.


    Even among the Pirs, there were eleven Progenitors, as well as Humans, Arkans, and Dragons where there were very strong beings who had managed to reach the pinnacle of power.


    N or Krana were also among them, but among the Transcendence ones, they were among the weakest. They were new to this stage, and technically they were the weakest among the strongest.


    So... The world could have existed for a thousand years, a million years, or many times more, but the inhabitants of this world always had the same goal - how to be stronger?


    However, in theory, there could have been another problem,pletely opposite to the one the others faced.


    Some would say that it was impossible to have such a problem, but there was someone who had to face it.


    The problem was very simple - how to be weaker?


    For some strange reason, that was the question that came to every spectator''s mind at that moment, after Ereg''s words.


    Alucard, Liang, and Nitra were no exception. Even Sven, Wain, Marlis, and Osvald felt it, although they had never had such a question before.


    "What is this...?" Nitra muttered as her body became covered in shivers. She wrapped her arms around herself as if trying to keep warm amidst a cold blizzard.


    Liang gulped, "I don''t know... How to be weaker...? Why are we all thinking the same thing? Moreover, what possible reason could there be for something so stupid...?"


    Alucard smirked, he was the first to start to realize what was going on. After all, he sometimes wondered about something like this because of his immortality.


    "Well, I think I know what the reason might be. You would only want to be weaker if you have a power that is unnecessary and more trouble than it''s worth. In theory, it''s only possible if you''re already one of the strongest, but is it possible to possess such a strong ability then...? Hah, we''re about to find out!" Alucard eximed with an excited expression.


    Gael bounced aside, which was unusual for him, considering how arrogant he had been, actingtely.


    Eregpletely got rid of his armor since he didn''t need it anymore. There was no need for defense, for he was about to do something he wasn''t entirely sure of himself.


    "I''m warning you. This is one of myst trump cards and I didn''t want to use it. However, you forced me to. You''re a worthy opponent after all, that''s for sure!" Ereg eximed with an excited expression, pointing at Gael.


    Gael frowned as he swung his hand, pointing to the ck ash in front of him. He didn''t attack, but he prepared himself for any random events that might happen at that moment.


    At the same moment, Ereg''s aura began to change rapidly as well as the ghost behind him.


    The purple one had long ago turned into armor, but its aura remained around Ereg, until that moment.


    For a short period of time, Ereg lost all of his aura,pletely, it seemed that he had be a very ordinary being whose body had not even been prated by energy yet.


    But, very soon things began to change rapidly.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A pir of green energy emerged from Ereg''s body, powerful and chaotic, quickly reaching the heavens. An aura was so aggressive and free like a storm that it destroyed everything in its path, spreading around.


    However, none of the spectators felt fear or tried to defend themselves somehow, because then they experienced something new.


    Everyone, without exception, felt only one thing - a lightness of true freedom.


    "A green ghost...?" Nitra muttered in confusion, since she could not discern any silhouette behind Ereg, it seemed that there was no one behind him.


    "Well... Most likely all that energy is the green ghost, but... Ereg can''t control it, or he hasn''t started doing so yet."


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Ereg swung his hand, causing the pir of energy to shrink and return to the subject just like the many green streams around.


    The powerful pulse caused strong currents of wind, causing Laing''s mantle to soar upwards just like his long ck hair.


    Even though Ereg''s energy was aggressive and strong, everyone felt as if they were suddenly on a deserted ind with original nature and a shore that the raging sea was tending to.


    "Damn... I''ve never felt anything like this... I mean, how does this energy cause such emotions?" Nitra muttered in confusion.


    Gael like all the spectators also felt it, moreover for him the effect was the greatest.


    "What is it? What is the meaning of your new power?" Gael frowned, looking at the tall silhouette gradually appearing behind Ereg.


    This ghost was different from the others as it was like a child, a child ghost - extremely free and not yet aware of theplexities of life - the pure essence of life.


    "Well, I can''t say the green one has any special name. Although... if you have to choose I think Freedom would be the most appropriate!"


    "Freedom...?" Gael muttered in disbelief. He didn''t understand how something like that could be a power.


    Ereg smirked, "Sorry if I destroy your arrogance, but I won''t be able to control myselfpletely this time. Safe ghosts are out!" Ereg eximed before taking a step forward.


    Before Gael could realize anything, Ereg''s palm went through his neck - detaching his head from his body.

 Chapter 1128 The Early Scar

    Chapter 1128 The Early Scar


    Everyone who held a high position in this world knew of Gael and his unique ability. His scars were his uniqueness, though everyone knew how his power worked.


    In order for a new scar to appear on Gael''s body he had to take serious damage, so much so that it would permanently affect his powerful bodyparable to the bodies of the strongest. He was one of them, after all.


    During his fight against Ereg, this had already happened once, but then Gael had only received arge scar. Also, it was therge scars that were active now, covering his entire body and filling him with power.


    He could heal almost any injury if he would donate some of his scars, but sometimes the situation could be really desperate.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    In a heartbeat, Ereg crossed the distance of a few dozen meters and found himself right in front of Gael.


    Everything happened so fast that there wasn''t even a sound, it just didn''t keep up with Ereg''s actions, and only a few people were able to realize what had happened.


    Gael''s pupils narrowed as he was ready to act as well as his ashes. He had to defend himself from this deadly attack.


    However, before Gael could do anything, Ereg had already finished his attack. His palm covered in green energy effortlessly passed through Gael''s neck, causing his head to fly upwards.


    Ereg''s momentum was so powerful that he stopped after only a few meters, leaving a long trail of cracks and deep streaks on the rugged dark granite from his feet.


    Gael''s head flew high up, leaving a plume of blood behind it, spinning vigorously in the air.


    It seemed that the world then hovered and changedpletely. The audience''s eyes were wide open as they looked at something that shouldn''t have existed, that simply shouldn''t have happened in any universe.


    They were both Progenitors and were on the Transcendence Stage, by allws they should have been roughly equal opponents. Up until this point, everything had followed these rules, however, suddenly everything changed.


    When two opponents of the same status and roughly the same strength fought, everyone expected to see a long fight. This was logical because a quick victory was only possible if one of thebatants was significantly weaker or stronger. The same applied to serious injuries.


    If Ereg had been stronger than Gael, no one would have been surprised by what he did, but just that he was much weaker! Gael literally overpowered him, because when the ck ash appeared it was obvious to everyone who was the stronger of the two of them.


    However, everyone realized that what they were seeing was reality and not an illusion or fantasy.


    Just one attack was enough to decapitate the one who bore the title - The Invincible.


    "No way..." Nitra muttered while her eyes darted as the mechanisms within them moved rapidly, trying to understand what had just happened.


    "Earlier, he almost lost because of one attack using ck ash, but now... Now... Now... It''s impossible! What kind of power is that?!" Nitra eximed.


    Normally, Liang and Alucard would get into a brief but informative argument with her, trying to find out the truth. However, that wasn''t happening right now.


    They were too focused on what had happened, watching Gael''s head.


    No one could believe what had happened any more than they could assume it.


    Perhaps this was one of the few moments when Alucard and Liang experienced true amazement, like children who had not seen anything in this world yet and marveled at everything.


    Adrenaline began to fill everyone''s bodies, slowing down the world in their eyes, so... with each passing moment, their heads spun slower and slower, almost stopping at the end of the journey.


    Then, the scars on Gael''s body shone brightly just like the few ones on the already severed head.


    "Wait what...?" Alucard''s eyes went wide in disbelief.


    It wouldn''t be a problem for him to recover from losing his head orpletely destroying his body, but he was an exception. Moreover, his defense was dozens of times weaker than Gael''s.


    Alucard didn''t even realize that his friend could recover his head, for it was much more important than other parts of the body.


    A significant number of small, medium, and evenrge scars began to fade away.


    The process was lengthy in the eyes of the onlookers, but in reality, only a fraction of a second had passed, no more than that.


    Gael''s head as if from the past had returned to its ce. This was different from what Alucard was doing, as he was regenerating, and Gael was returning his body part from the past.


    What was surprising was that for a moment, in the reflection of Gael''s eyes, Ereg''s massive silhouette with an outstretched palm appeared.


    This meant that he had regained his head from when Ereg had attacked, a moment before Ereg''s palm had gone through his neck and left him headless.


    Ereg turned around with a devious smirk, ring at his shocked opponent, who obviously had no way of expecting this to happen.


    "Amazing, I thought I had already won, but you managed to outy me again!" Ereg scoffed, as the corners of his mouth went up.


    Gael silently touched his neck, as if checking to see if everything was okay. Then, he took a deep breath and cast a hard stare at Ereg.


    "What the hell was that...? I admit you caught me off guard, but is it possible to move that fast?" Gael frowned.


    Ereg didn''t answer anything, he just stepped forward.


    Gael''s body was covered in goosebumps when Ereg appeared in front of him. His massive fist came at Gael, and all he could do was swing his sword, using it to defend against the crushing attack.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Several shockwaves spread around, as the impact threw Gael aside, dozens of meters back.


    "Hah, this isn''t even my limit. Green one incredible strength, even frightening." Ereg cheerfully said, looking at Gael, who crashed into the wall at a tremendous speed, leaving cracks in it.

 Chapter 1129 The Black Sword

    Chapter 1129 The ck Sword


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    After absorbing Liang''s energy, the Colosseum became muchrger and stronger, so not a single attack had yet been able to damage the wall and only a few had managed to leave scratches on the arena''s solid granite floor.


    However, when Gael''s back reached the wall, cracks went down along it, as if a part of the colosseum was ready to copse, again, even after strengthening and evolving.


    Gael spat out a mouthful of blood, trying to stem the flow by holding it with the palm of his hand. However, even that didn''t help and his hand became covered in crimson blood, while a bright pain spread throughout his body.


    At the same moment, the runes on the stones of the colosseum, the white ones, shone brightly and the colosseum began to regenerate like a living organism. In a few seconds, there was no trace of the damage and it was ready for a new challenge.


    However, it was unclear whether Gael was ready for it.


    The situation in the arena changed dramatically in just a few minutes. The only thing everyone forgot was that by using the green ghost power, Ereg had admitted his defeat in thest round.


    "Damn, this power is astonishing, but it''s worth admitting that just now we saw pretty much the same thing." Liang said calmly, "All that''s different in these situations is that we expected something as deadly as ck ash from Gael, while we didn''t think Ereg would be able to show something like that."


    Nitra nodded, "Yeah, ck ash is a formidable weapon. Even if Green Ghost gives Ereg such insane power, Gael should be able to fight back somehow, right?"


    Liang and Nitra discussed their options, and asionally N and Krana joined in, offering their ideas and options.


    The only one who remained silent was Alucard, for he knew what the ck ash was capable of, so the oue of the battle under these conditions was extremely obvious to him.


    "You are wrong." Alucard said calmly, but there was unprecedented confidence in his voice as if he could see the future.


    "Hm?"


    Liang and Nitra turned around, giving him puzzled looks.


    Alucard held up a finger and with a serious expression said, "Gael will lose, it''s inevitable. However, I''m only talking about this round if he doesn''t reveal his trump card. Other than the Form, Gael has only one other tool left."


    Liang and Nitra were slightly puzzled. They didn''t expect Alucard to admit defeat to his friend so easily.


    It could only mean one thing - Ereg''s strength had really impressed him.


    Step. Step. Step.


    At this time, Ereg was nonchntly moving towards his opponent with a sly smirk on his face.


    He waspletely confident in his strength, and no one could me him for that. Right now, he was much stronger than Gael, who only had to defend himself.


    "What do you think? You probably didn''t expect something this powerful to be in my arsenal, did you?" Ereg smirked, letting out his overwhelming aura.


    It passed even through the barrier of the colosseum, causing waves of goosebumps to run through the spectators'' bodies.


    Gael spat out a clot of blood, wiped his mouth with his fist, and stood firmly on his feet with his sword clutched in his hands.


    All this time, he had been creating ck ash that nowpletely reced the gray one. Of course, the ck ash was still a hundred times less than the normal ash, but it was more than enough topletely cover Gael''s sword.


    The ck ash was actively shaking as if under pressure, turning into a liquidpletely ck with an incredible energy density.


    Even Gael''s sword couldn''t withstand it, so it began to crack, gradually copsing. However, the ck liquid quickly reced the cracks, soon bing Gael''s new sword.


    The hilt and sword guard also disintegrated, leaving only bare metal that also turned ck, for it was nowposed of ck ash.


    "Oh, first a dust or ash form, then a liquid one, and now your ck ash has be ck metal. Not bad, not bad at all." Ereg nodded approvingly, feeling the threatening aura emanating from Gael''s sword.


    Then, Ereg''s gaze changed as he frowned, "However... You did not reveal your next scars. Gael, don''t disappoint me! You know you can''t fight me if you don''t move to the next stage!"


    Gael shook his head, "You''re the one who doesn''t understand. I will only show you myst scars if there is no other option left. Thest time I had to use their power was hundreds of years ago, so... this would have to be an extremely special asion."


    Ereg clenched his fists tightly, gritting his teeth in anger.


    "Go ahead, show everything your green one can do. Maybe you can make me use the giant scars, or maybe you''ll have to lose another round." Gael said coldly, while ck streams of energy began to emanate from him.


    It was different from anything Ereg had seen before.


    Gael''s aura was always calm, arrogant, and lofty. It showed how confident he was in himself and his Title. Sure, he had reason and justification for that.


    However, the only thing Ereg could sense from Gael now was murderous intent. Not bloodthirsty like murdered, but cold like an assassin, as if Ereg''s fate had already been decided.


    Ereg shuddered, staring at the eerie silhouette behind Gael that reminded him of death itself.


    Then, Ereg realized that this was the first moment in their long fight when Gael didn''t just get serious but actually set out to kill his opponent. He was willing to do anything to win.


    "Fine... If you decide to y by those rules, then don''t me me for you having to spend all your scars to recover." Ereg muttered with a bitter smile before bending his body forward and gathering some of the energy at his feet.


    Ereg had been fast enough before that Gael didn''t have time to realize anything, and now he was about to surpass even his own record.


    However, despite this Gael was not intimidated. His gaze was calm, ready to act at any moment.

 Chapter 1130 Black Death

    Chapter 1130 ck Death


    "Oh, is it just me, or does that sword look something like yours?" Sven smirked, ring at Wain, who was intently watching the fight with his arms crossed on his chest.


    Wain raised an eyebrow, "Hm? Are you talking about dius?"


    Sven nodded silently.


    "Yeah, that amazing, indestructible sword that Nameless King himself fights with. A true legend among weapons. If mind weapons had their own society, he''d be king, that''s for sure." Sven said with a slight smile.


    Wain shrugged, "Maybe, I can''t bepletely sure of that. However, you''re wrong. For one thing, Gael''s sword is just a form of his ck ash, not a weapon. Second, dius and Gael''s ck ash have different purposes. dius is my partner and increases my strength, while the ck ash is simply designed to bring only death."


    Marlis nodded, "Yeah, I feel that way too. If Gael has the opportunity, he will actually kill Ereg. To be honest it''s a bit scary. Their fight hasn''t been that serious yet. It''s like they''re no longer friends now, and it''s tense."


    Osvald smirked, "Hah, did it matter to you? I thought you didn''t care which one won, didn''t you?"


    Marlis frowned as she puffed up her cheeks, "I''m justmenting on what''s going on! Nothing more!"


    Sven put his hand on her shoulder, "There''s no need to swear. After all, it''s only memories and we can''t influence anything. In fact, not even Liang, Nitra, and Alucard are capable of doing so. All we can do is just watch and hope that this fight has an ending that suits everyone if that''s possible."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Ereg''s aura grew rapidly as energy gathered around his feet.


    In the next moment, he tore forward, quickly turning into a green sh. It only took him a fraction of a second to reach Gael, who likest time didn''t have time to react.


    ''Hah, Gael, you proved to be too arrogant. Don''t me me, but this is the end of our fight. You should have used yourst scars to keep up with my moves.'' Ereg muttered internally, clenching his fist tightly that was ready to sink into Gael''s stomach.


    ''If you had done that, we would have had another round, and maybe we would have had to use our Forms. But... you decided that your ash could surpass a power that even I feared.


    Ereg attacked as he made his final move,ing to a close enough distance from Gael.


    However, it was at that moment that Ereg felt a strange pressure on him, and his movements slowed down.


    Gael began to move, and his sword, like a harbinger of death, quickly headed straight for Ereg, appearing slightly faster than Ereg''s fist.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    The thin de went through Ereg''s shoulder, releasing a torrent of blood that filled the whole ce like crimson rain.


    Ereg was surprised, but he wasn''t going to stop there, for he needed a split second to make his attack.


    However, when his fist should have hit its target, Gael simply stepped aside, allowing Ereg''s hand to sweep right in front of him.


    "Agh...?" Ereg''s eyes went wide in disbelief. He didn''t understand what was happening or how Gael was able to move so fast.


    "Surprised? Well, you should have been more careful, because moving so slowly in front of your opponent is a big mistake." Gael muttered in a calm voice before stepping forward.


    Before Ereg could even blink, Gael''s palm came down on his broad chest.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    A shudder went through Ereg''s body, making him shiver and feel intense pain. Then, several shock waves with wind rings appeared, sending ripples all around.


    The impact threw Ereg like a projectile dozens of meters back. Because of the smoothness and directness of the impact, a wind tunnel was created, through which Ereg flew straight to the other end of the arena, crashing into the wall of the colosseum.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    A multitude of cracks spread across the stones, nearly destroying part of the colosseum.


    "Your speed is impressive, but only to someone like me, or rather... it''s amazing for a living organism. Death has its own way of looking at time. Time runs differently for such an ephemeral entity, for if we are always trying to catch up with time, time is trying to catch up with death." Gael uttered, pointing his sword at Ereg.


    Then, Gael took a step forward, and together with his aura, he was right in front of Ereg, who was just now recovering from the shock of Gael''s powerful attack.


    However, Gael had already attacked again, raising his ck sword high.


    The only thing Ereg had time for was to put his hands forward and create a dense shield out of energy.


    Crackle.


    Ereg was able to sessfully mp Gael''s sword between his palms, while the energy barrier hastily absorbed the momentum of Gael''s attack, but it wasn''t Gael''s main strength.


    "You always use pure power, but what if I told you that you can aplish the same thing with magic?" Gael uttered before removing one hand from the hilt of the sword and striking the sword de with his palm.


    Thus, Gael threw out a powerful pulse at Ereg that like a stream of ck aura descended upon him.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Ereg was unable to block this attack or absorb all the energy, so the power of the attack traveled through his body and copsed against the wall of the Colosseum.


    The white runes shone brightly, but it was not enough to absorb all the damage, so after a few seconds, Ereg broke through the wall with his body and flew out.


    Liang''s eyes went wide, as he was sure that after he strengthened the colosseum with his energy, breaking it was impossible. However, that was exactly what had happened now, and it was unknown whether the colosseum could be repaired after such a thing.


    "Damn... That was strong..." Nitra muttered with a raised eyebrow, "How much ability do those two have anyway? I''m starting to envy them..."

 Chapter 1131 Blue Rain

    Chapter 1131 Blue Rain


    After a few rounds, the colosseum suffered again, or rather Gael''s attack was powerful enough to break one of its walls, punching through it Ereg.


    Bam.


    As the power of the energy came to an end, Ereg finally stopped, falling to the ground with his broad back and spurting out a mouthful of blood.


    "Argh!"


    Gael cast a calm nce at his opponent, not at all worried about the future of their battle. He knew Ereg wouldn''t stop there.


    "Damn... Scars, partial time travel back, three kinds of ash, and now this weird sword... Not to mention initial physical power and bright mes strong enough to win against most creatures..." Nitra muttered, listing everything she had seen.


    Liang nodded, "Yeah, Ereg has just as much ability, probably even more. However, that aura of death emanating from the ck ash transformation is actually frightening."


    Alucard shrugged, "In fact, he just created a protective area around him so that Ereg can''t defeat him just because of his superior speed. But, it''s unknown if Ereg has a way to counter it."


    Step. Step. Step. Step.


    Gael moved forward at a leisurely pace, getting closer to Ereg but staying within the colosseum. A full minute had passed, but Ereg still didn''t budge, though it was obvious that Gael''s attack wasn''t powerful enough to defeat him.


    "Hm? What''s he up to?" Gael muttered, tilting his head in confusion.


    Ereg took a deep breath, slowly rising from the ground. Since it was the palm attack that knocked him outside, there were no cuts on his body, but there were many small wounds with trickles of blood dripping from them.


    "Shit, that was unexpected. Death energy? A special zone where time runs differently? I wonder... What should I do then?" Ereg muttered then a mad grin appeared on his face.


    At the same moment, some of the green energy covering him somehow turned blue, just a small plume on top, but it was obvious to everyone that the green ghost wasn''t really green.


    "What the hell...?" Gael was wary as he swung his sword, erging the death zone around him.


    Ereg extended his arm, pointing at Gael, and then he snapped his finger.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ground shook as a stream of green energy with bits of blue energy erupted from beneath it. The stream was far away from Gael as if it had no intention of harming him.


    Then, with each passing second, more and more of these streams, or geysers, filled the arena with dozens of pirs of green-blue energy.


    Gael narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Ereg and each of the energy pirs. He didn''t understand what their purpose was, but he didn''t have to let his guard down.


    Ereg nonchntly entered the arena area, pointing upwards.


    Although it could have been dangerous, Gael looked up only to see hundreds of green droplets and a few blue ones that were heading towards him. This was real rain that was going to reach the ground very soon.


    "Beautiful isn''t it?" Ereg smirked as he watched the green drops enter Gael''s death zone.


    As expected, the blobs slowed down, slowly making their way through the ck zone, through Gael''s aura.


    However, somehow, there was no limit to the blue drops, their speed remained the same as they fell on Gael''s shoulders.


    "What...? How is it possible...?" Gael muttered in disbelief, he was sure that nothing could ignore the aura of death. After all, how could death be ignored?


    "Surprised? Yeah, you definitely didn''t expect to see that. Hey, take a closer look, these blobs are safe, at least for now." Ereg offered with a wave of his hand and a kind smile.


    Gael''s pupils narrowed when he saw the inside of the blue droplets a me, though it wasn''t fire but just what looked like energy imprisoned within them.


    "Ether...?" Gael''s eyes went wide with goosebumps all over his body.


    When he said that, everyone was surprised, even Wain and Sven, who were ghosts watching the fight from afar.


    Everyone knew that Ether was one of the three unique powers of this world. That didn''t mean that whoever possessed them was considered the strongest, because there were many other unique attributes and abilities, but Ether, like Chaos, was usually not subject to anyws.


    In fact, technically there were only two forces beyond thews of this world - Ether and Chaos, because the third in its full strength possessed only one person - Wain or Nameless King.


    His ability to destroy all barriers and rules in his path was unofficially named Gluttony, particrly because he was a human and his energy took the form of jaws.


    There may have been many beings who tried to follow a simr path as Nameless King, but none had ever managed to reach the same level of Gluttony''s ability to ignore rules like Chaos and Ether.


    "What...? Ether...? That''s his main power? No, it''s all about his ghost..." Liang muttered in a disbelief.


    Although he didn''t possess any of the three unique powers, his abilities could scare anyone. However, no one dared to underestimate Ether or Chaos, because the appearance of these two powers could change the course of the battle in a moment.


    "Not bad, right? To be honest, when I first ghosted Green One, I was more surprised than you. You can''t be expected to suddenly create an ether, but maybe it was just luck, who knows?" Ereg smirked before stepping forward.


    In a heartbeat, he found himself right in front of Gael, one more step, and he would have entered Gael''s death zone.


    Gael gripped his sword, preparing to attack.


    ''No matter what he can create ether, his body is still mortal! Nothing has changed!" Gael internally eximed, preparing to block Ereg''s attack.


    Then, Ereg stepped forward and brought his fist down on Gael. As he expected, Eregl''s arm slowed as it entered the death zone, so Gael had time to react and counterattack.


    However, a blue blob flew in front of him, falling on Ereg''s fist.


    At the same moment, Ereg''s hand regained its previous speed, crashing down on Gael''s face.

 Chapter 1132 Seven

    Chapter 1132 Seven


    Gael''s face contorted under the pressure of Ereg''s fist, which came down on his opponent''s head with all its power.


    Before that, the aura of death had slowed everything in its path, Ereg''s lightning-fast attacks bing so slow that Gael could dance if he wished. However, the ether obeyed no rules, even if it was death or life.


    If Chaos was the perpetrator of random idents, and Gluttony was the rebel who destroyed everything in its path, Ether was the epitome of freedom, this energy did what it wanted, but unlike Chaos and Gluttony, Ether did not seek to destroy or change anything. Ether simply existed, and no one could affect it, not even other unique forces, not even if it was death itself.


    A loud crunch spread from Gael''s head, and then the impact threw him sideways several hundred meters back.


    Rolling over the ground in a vain attempt to regain his bnce, Gael mmed into the wall with a vivid m.


    A stream of blood spurted from his nose, and his entire face was covered in tiny scratches, showing the obvious force of Ereg''s blow.


    "Kha! Kha! Kha!" Gael coughed, trying to recover from Ereg''s direct hit.


    Nitra''s eyes went wide, "Shit... Now the ck ash is useless... Gael will no longer be able to attack and dodge Ereg''s blows with impunity."


    Liang nodded, "Yeah, the fact that Ereg has the ability to use Ether could not have been foreseen by anyone. I guess that''s what he was talking about when he mentioned that he couldn''t control his power... Now it makes sense... Damn, he managed to surprise us again, I don''t even know what to say now."


    "Hah, this fight is getting harder to predict by the minute. Green and blue... Look, it looks like the green ghost, that''s just the upper shell." Alucard pointed at Ereg.


    Now, the aura around him was about 1/10th blue, which although it was only 10%, was much more than before.


    Liang nodded, "Most likely very soon the green ghost willpletely disappear, and the blue one will rece it. Gael needs to reveal his giant scars right now if he doesn''t want to lose another round. ck ash isn''t enough to defeat Ereg in his current state."


    N stepped forward with her eyes wide with amazement. She looked at Ereg with true admiration, and it brought her true joy, like that of a knight of his king.


    "King... I had no idea you could be so strong... Agh, I still have a long way to go to your level..." N muttered with an almost fanatical look.


    Alucard turned to Liang with a sly smirk on his face.


    "Who do you think will win your fight, you or him?"


    Liang frowned, "I won''t answer something like that. Perhaps I can give some sort of answer when I see Ereg''s full power, for we both realize that while they haven''t used their Forms, it''s only a fraction of what they''re capable of."


    Alucard shrugged, not bothering to argue with Liang.


    Gael slowly rose from the ground, clutching his sword tightly. The aura of death thickened, bing ck and dense. The radius was greatly reduced, but Gael was ready to stop any of Ereg''s attacks.


    "Damn, Gael, don''t you realize there''s no point in this?" Ereg waved his hand carelessly.


    Gael frowned, "Stop talking! Attack! Even if it''s ether, I can stop it!"


    Ereg shrugged and simply stepped forward.


    His silhouette blurred as he appeared right in front of Gael, entering the death zone. However, this time his movements didn''t slow down much, as there were far more blue blobs than green ones.


    Gael attacked sharply, using all his strength, but Ereg was simply much faster. So, before Gael could counterattack, Ereg''s fist plunged into Gael''s stomach, throwing him high up.


    A shockwave of several wind rings spread around, sending Gael flying.


    "Gael... I don''t know if it''s your pride or something else, but I''m going to make you use the giant scars, it''s hopeless. If you continue to be stubborn from here on out, you''ll just die." Ereg muttered before pointing his hand at Gael.


    At the same moment, all the geysers and thousands of droplets, merged into a single stream, then Ereg clenched his hand into a fist, causing the stream to crash down on Gael, unleashing all of its power in a single moment.


    Gael summoned streams of ck ash, in an attempt to defend himself, but it was all to no avail. The ck ash could do nothing against the green ghost and especially ether.


    The attack was not very powerful, it did not have any aggressive destructive power, but it did not know any boundaries and barriers. ck ash carrying only death and killing energy was not something that could stop such a power.


    "Argh!!!!" Gael cried out in pain as dozens of wounds opened up all over his body and blood rushed out in all directions.


    Gael fell to the ground, not even trying to cushion his fall in any way, he just didn''t have the strength to do so.


    Ereg did nothing, he just nced at his arrogant opponent and took a deep breath.


    His aura was already 2/10 blue, and with each passing second, the blue particles were getting bigger and bigger. After a while, but definitely, for sure, Ether wouldpletely rece the green ghost and be a blue one.


    "Looks like we''ve reached the final scars... It''s even a little sad that Gael will have to do this." Alucard muttered.


    "Hmm? What do you mean?" Liang asked.


    "Well... It''s always been a bit of a psychological barrier for Gael... The giant scars are special, you know? He''d rather use his Form than show them, but Ereg just left him no other choice, since he hadn''t used his Form yet. So Gael has to admit that he has to do it to win." Alucard shrugged, speaking calmly.


    At the same moment, all the ck ash disappeared, as well as the sword, while a terrifying energy began to emanate from Gael''s body.


    All of his previous scars disappeared, leaving room for seven giant ones - covering his entire body as a reminder of the deadly battles he had gone through.

 Chapter 1133 Special Scars

    Chapter 1133 Special Scars


    Unlike all other reinforcement stages, giant scars were something special, and intimate to Gael. If he used them, it meant that he was recognizing that the opponent could kill him.


    Before Ereg hadn''t used Ether, and his ghost hadn''t started turning from green to blue one, Gael wouldn''t have even considered such a thing, but now everything had changed.


    Neither white ash nor ck one could help him win, as well as other sizes of scars.


    Ereg''s Ether changed everything because dealing with a force with absolute freedom was an extremely difficult task. The only way to deal with such a force was to use extreme measures.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The space shook while one scar after another opened on Gael''s body. There were seven in all, and each time, the aura around him grew stronger, instilling fear in anyone watching the battle or within a few kilometers of him.


    The arrangement of Gael''s giant scars was as follows - two on his arms, two on his legs, one on his chest, one on his back, and one on his neck.


    Unlike medium or evenrge scars that could simply be long stripes or acerated circr wound, giant scars had aplex shape.


    The giant scar on his arm was curved and wide, running all the way down his arm, from his fingers and palm to his wrist, elbow, and shoulder. The same was true of all the other scars.


    The scar on his chest looked as if a bolt of lightning had struck Gael, capable of destroying an entire space with its force. Many smaller ones wereing from the massive circr scar, spreading out in a circle like a spider''s web or the roots of a great tree.


    The scar on his back looked different - as if from hundreds of sharp ws of an ancient beast that should have torn Gael apart, but he was able to withstand this test of fate.


    The final scar was the one on his neck. Unlike all the others, it had a distinct shape, for this scar covered Gael''s entire neck, reaching down to the level of his chest and his jaw.


    "Damn... This... this is... this is impressive." Liang muttered with a dazed expression.


    Even the one named - The Strongest One, was in awe of Gael''s giant scars because he understood what Gael had to go through to get them.


    Gael couldn''t just create a big scar at will - he had to be wounded ordingly, the more serious the wound, the bigger the scar.


    However, there was one difficulty with giant scars, and that was that an attack that created arge scar was enough to kill Gael.


    Thus, he could only get a giant scar if the attack exceeded his limits, and he had to use all his defenses to survive. Being able to return his body to a state from the past thanks to the scars was one such way for Gael.


    "What a terrifying power, but... I couldn''t even imagine the kind of battles Gael went through to get such scars... Are there so many strong opponents in this world?" Nitra muttered with wide eyes.


    Alucard smirked.


    "Hey, I think you misunderstand how his scars are formed."


    "Agh...?" Nitra tilted her head in confusion.


    Alucard raised a finger, like a teacher ready to exin something to his students.


    "Don''t forget that no one was born the strongest. We all had to go through a long journey back in ancient times to reach the Transcendence Stage. Gael received his scars throughout his life, not just when he reached his current level."


    Nitra nodded, with an understanding look.


    "Hm? Doesn''t that mean that the early scars aren''t as strong as the ones he got in God Stage, for example?" Krana asked with a slight frown. It seemed illogical to her.


    Alucard shook his head.


    "Scars only became a weapon for Gael because of their unique power, because scars aren''t an object or energy - they''re memories. Whether you received a deadly scar in a sword fight or a battle with a Progenitor of Dragons, at the moment, they could be equal to you - equally close to death."


    N, who from the beginning had wanted Ereg to win began to worry. She didn''t know all of her king''s abilities, but it was obvious to everyone that Ereg had nothing left in his arsenal of unknown techniques.


    Right now, his blue ghost had grown to 3/10 of its size. When it reached 100%, Ereg''s only enhancement would remain his Form.


    However, Gael was in the same situation, if he couldn''t suppress Ereg even with his giant scars he would definitely lose, and that was the case.


    Sven sighed heavily as he looked at Wain.


    "What do you think? Do you know anything about his scars?"


    Wain shook his head.


    "I could only assume that the scar on his back he got fighting some dragon or even their Progenitor, but... that''s not urate information at all. Alucard is right, Gael could have gotten those scars while in the Third, Second, or even First Chronicle. We can''t know that, but we can observe the effect."


    "Hahaha! I''ve finally waited for this moment!" Osvald eximed with an excited expression, hisughter spreading around.


    Marlis rolled her eyes.


    "Pfffft! Why do I feel like everyone here has abruptly be a fan of Gael''s?"


    Sven smiled slyly.


    "Do you have a different opinion? Though I haven''t seen them in action, the aura emanating from the scars impressed everyone, not just me, and Wain, Liang, and Nitra were also impressed."


    Marlis waved her hand.


    "As far as I''m concerned the fact that Ereg has Ether is more impressive. If Gael could use Chaos, I''d believe he could make a difference."


    Wain nodded.


    "Chaos is indeed a powerful force, but... Chaos and Ether are not omnipotent entities, otherwise, all the other abilities wouldn''t matter."


    Osvald raised an eyebrow with a slightly surprised look.


    "Hey, don''t you possess one of those three powers? Kind of arrogant to hear you say that, considering your level of strength."


    Wain smirked.


    "I''m not the one who made gluttony one of the three unique powers, the others just decided to call it that, and there''s no way I can change that."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The space stopped shaking as the aura emanating from Gael quickly began to calm down. His hair and robe no longer fluttered, and for the first time in a long time, there was silence in the colosseum.


    No one spoke or made a sound, everyone was waiting for Gael''s actions, for now, all attention was focused only on him.


    "Will you stop being silent? Say something!" Ereg eximed with a wave of his hand.


    In response, Gael smiled slightly and looked at his body - at his scars that he hadn''t seen in over a hundred years.


    "Hah... What a strange feeling..." Gael muttered as a fire lit up in his eyes.


    He no longer looked like a majestic warrior, a proud Progenitor, or someone who carried the title - The Invincible.


    In that moment, Gael felt joy - as pure and innocent as a child discovering something new or receiving a gift.


    Ereg was shocked. He had not been prepared for such a change in Gael and it actually made him tense, for now he did not know what to expect from his opponent.


    Alucard smirked, so much that his expression changedpletely - bing creepy and intimidating.


    N and Krana shuddered at the slight aura that began to emanate from Alucard, as they had never seen him before.


    "Hehehe, finally Gael is behaving as he truly is - free, curious, and dangerous!" Alucard eximed, waving his arms to the sides.


    Then, Gael looked at Ereg, whose blue ghost had reached 40% of his total strength. Soon, Ether would fully evolve and reach his full power.


    However, it didn''t seem to bother Gael, for in his mind he was one level higher than Ereg even though Ether.


    "Sorry, I just needed some time to recover. I haven''t done that in a while, you know?" Gael uttered, looking at Ereg.


    Ereg shrugged nonchntly.


    "Sure. I like you a lot more now than when you used the dark ash. That power was creepy and unpleasant, it''s not cool to feel the aura of death all the time. Unlike Alucard, I can die." Ereg smirked.


    Gael nodded slightly.


    Then, Ereg''s gaze traveled to Gael''s hand.


    "Hey... Where''s your sword? Can a first-ss swordsman like you fight without a sword? That wouldn''t be cool at all!"


    Gael sighed.


    "Well... I''ll show you my weapon that can only appear when I use giant scars. However, only if you can survive my first attack." Gael sincerely said with a slight smile.


    "Agh...?" Ereg gave him a questioning look.


    At the same moment, the scar on Gael''s right arm shone brightly as streams of ash appeared beside him. The ash quickly turned into an eerie paw with three sharp ws, emitting a frightening aura.


    Then, Gael raised his hand and performed a swing.


    In no time, the indestructible floor of the colosseum was split into three pieces - the wless silver des aimed at Ereg at breakneck speed, leaving him no time to dodge.

 Chapter 1134 True Sword

    Chapter 1134 True Sword


    Previously, the Colosseum had already been destroyed many times and had even gone through a transformation using Liang''s energy to be bigger and stronger.


    It seemed that the colosseum was now impossible to damage, as even attacks from strong creatures like Ereg and Gael could only scratch the stones, which would soon recover. They would have to use a very powerful attack to make a hole in the wall or destroy part of the Colosseum.


    However... for the des heading towards Ereg, this was no barrier.


    "What are those... ws? Isn''t Gael a swordsman? Why does he have such a wild attack in his arsenal like he''s a beast?" N muttered with her eyes wide open. Her heart began to race, in worry for Ereg''s fate.


    Alucard smirked, but he didn''t say anything, he wanted the others to figure it out for themselves, after all, the ws weren''t the most interesting detail.


    "No, what is more important is his ash... You may not have noticed this, but Gael''s ash has changed color again. Take a closer look, it''s no longer the usual gray ash, but silver, calm, and majestic." Nitra said, pointing to the ws that had almost reached Ereg.


    N and Krana leaned over, even Liang narrowed his eyes to make sure of it.


    "It seems that in Gael''s case, his giant scars are a whole new stage of strength. New abilities, a new kind of ash, and he''ll most likely have a new weapon, right?" Liang spected as he nced at Alucard.


    Alucard nodded.


    "Gael already said he''ll show his weapon if Ereg can withstand this attack. Honestly, Ereg has a good chance of failing, his blue ghost has to reach 50% strength if he doesn''t want to die right now."


    Whoooooooooooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, Ereg''s eyes shed as he turned into a blue sh. The silver ws should have cut him into three even pieces, but Ereg managed to dodge.


    One of the ws, sliced off part of his fur, a few more centimeters to the side, and Ereg could have been left headless.


    The silver ws continued to move on, and when they reached the wall of the colosseum they simply passed through it - without meeting any resistance.


    "Hah, looks like we''re back to the beginning, doesn''t it?" Ereg smirked, looking at the damaged colosseum. It was using energy to recover, but that process wasn''t fast, it needed at least a few minutes.


    Gael nodded.


    "The colosseum has now be as fragile as before, or rather... my attacks have be so powerful that the walls can no longer withstand them. However, what about you? Can you be even stronger?" Gael asked with genuine interest. His slight smile strangely radiated kindness and calmness, even though there was a creepy paw hovering over him, terrifying everyone.


    Ereg smirked.


    "You don''t have to worry about me. I''ve been able to fight you before for a long time and will continue to do so from here on out!" Ereg waved his hand with an excited expression, "Damn! You promised you''d show me your weapon if I could withstand this attack. Keep your promise!"


    Gael nodded, but none of his scars glowed, instead he raised his hand again, about to attack with his ws.


    "Hey!" Ereg eximed irritably.


    "I''m sorry, butst night''s attack wasn''t serious, I did it so you''d realize the situation you''re in. If you can keep fighting after that, I''ll definitely show you my sword, I promise." Gael uttered with a slight smile, then his hand came into motion.


    In no time, Gael stepped forward and swung his arm several times in different directions at different angles.


    Ereg''s eyes went wide. He clearly hadn''t expected Gael to be able to do that several times in a row so quickly.


    As a result, dozens of silver ws rained down on him, filling the entire space and destroying any object in their path.


    Gael''s n was simple - he made it so that Ereg had no way to dodge the attack because there was simply no safe ce anymore.


    If Ereg didn''t want to be cut into meat cubes, then he had to defend himself somehow. He had to stop the silver des and find a way to do it as fast as possible!


    Sven tilted his head.


    "Silver ws... Honestly, their power is impressive. I wouldn''t have to use my the Form to deal with them, but I could be in trouble."


    Osvald smirked, "I''m afraid I''d be too arrogant and try to block them."


    "Pffft! You would have just died!" Marlis snorted.


    Osvald shrugged.


    "Yeah, that''s probably exactly what would have happened. Wain, what do you think? Will Ereg be able to defend himself, or will he have to use his Form?" Osvald asked with genuine interest. He didn''t want Ereg to lose so quickly.


    Wain smiled.


    "Well... Thanks to the abilities that I got from my friends during the time I recovered my memories, I could use Chaos and Ether. I''m surepared to Ereg, my experience using Ether is quite small, but I know that Ether can''t just be destroyed. He can use it to change the rules of theirbat."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, the fur on Ereg''s body stood up as his aura intensified. He was burning arge amount of energy, releasing it outwards - for one purpose: to make Ether absorb the energy and be bigger.


    In this way, Ereg could greatly speed up the natural process, and the blue ghost quickly reached 60% strength. Pretty soon there would be nothing left of the green ghost, but before that, Ereg had to rid himself of the deadly threat in front of him.


    Ereg''s veins swelled as he held his hands out in front of him, creating a dense cluster of the Ether at one point.


    Ether was a unique power whose main effect was the inability to affect it. Ether was extremely difficult to defend against, as well as attack, because Ether could not be weakened or dispersed. This power existed in a different parallel from all the others.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space shuddered as the first silver de reached Ereg. Upon colliding with the tightlypressed Ether, the silver de deformed and shattered into small shards.


    Then, other silver des followed, but all of them met the same fate.


    Ereg was under a lot of pressure, for he had to maintain the density and quantity of Ether while dealing with the recoil from the silver des.


    Gael didn''t attack anymore, but not because he kept toying with Ereg and acting unserious - he just couldn''t do it anymore.


    It was as if his giant scars, like individual living things, had their own supply of energy. The giant scar on his right arm had practically run out of light.


    He would still be able to use the silver ws, but first, the scar had to absorb some energy to restore its reserves.


    "Agh... Agh... Agh... Agh..." Ereg was breathing heavily while the blue ghost was rapidly increasing, it had already reached 61%.


    Even though it was only 1%, it was having its effect.


    Once the total number passed 50%, then the process slowed down, and with every 1/10 it would only get slower, but those percentages would have a greater effect on Ereg''s strength.


    When it reached 90%, every 1% would have the same effect as before as much as 20-30%. However, Ereg had to live to see this moment, for Gael was going to fulfill his promise.


    "Come on! I''m not going to wait any longer!" Ereg eximed irritably with a wave of his hand.


    Gael nodded.


    "Sure. Just warning you, it''s going to be different from what you expect." Gael smirked as the scar on his right hand stopped glowing, and the ash ws dispersed, awaiting his next summoning.


    Then, the next, scar shone brightly - on his neck, one of the most gruesome and seemingly painful events Gael had gone through in the past.


    At the same moment, the space next to his hand shook as dark ash appeared out of nowhere.


    It wasn''t the ck one that Gael had used before as this ash didn''t give off an aura of death.


    If youpared it to the silver ash that the ws were made of, this one was like hardened steel.


    Then, the dark steel ash quickly turned into Gael''s new weapon - a massive two-handed sword with a wide de and several serrations on the back. The sword had a long hilt and no guard, just a few white bandages covering the cold metal hilt.


    Ereg''s eyes went wide just like everyone else''s. None of the onlookers could hide their surprise.


    The reason was simple, Gael''s new sword looked not like the weapon of a talented swordsman but like a butcher''s cleaver or a mad killer whose only desire was to kill and tear the flesh of his enemies.


    Such a weapon was not suitable for someone like Gael - that''s what many people immediately thought.


    However, Gael didn''t worry about it, just a slight smile on his face, filled with memories.

 Chapter 1135 Splitting the Ether

    <h4>Chapter 1135 Splitting the Ether</h4>


    "What kind of sword is this...?" Liang muttered as he cast a nce at his weapon. His sword was also unusual and had two stages, but regardless of the stage, it was still a sword - perfect for swordsmanship.


    "How would someone so calm, someone with such a high level of skill fight with this weapon of a butcher or a mad killer?" Liang said in confusion.


    Sure, Gale and Liang could even fight with a branch or fork if they wanted to, given their level of strength and swordsmanship it would be enough for them to defeat most opponents.


    However, Ereg was not an easy foe, moreover, his Ether kept growing and soon it would reach 70%. When that happened, he would move to a new stage of his power.


    Not every weapon was suitable for swordsmanship - a sword de could be long, but not too wide and t. This was necessary for bnce and speed.


    However, Gael''s sword was a real nightmare for any swordsman. It was huge, wide, uneven, slightly curved, and had crooked teeth on the outside of the de.


    Virtually none of the parameters of this sword were suitable for fencing.


    "Hi! I see you are surprised, well, I won''t argue, it does look unusual. However, don''t worry about me, this weapon will help me win!" Gael uttered as he swung the sword and ced it on his shoulder.


    At the same moment, an eerie aura naturally began to emanate from the sword, as if millions of souls who had died the most brutal deaths were imprisoned inside the sword like an eternal prison.


    This aura contrasted with Gael''s easy, even happy smile like a child who could finally use his old toy.


    Nitra, N, and Krana flinched, as did most of the onlookers.


    "Damn... How can that sword have such a creepy aura... Moreover, why does it keep smiling so innocently? It''s so strange." Nitra muttered in a disbelief.


    Alucard smirked.


    "Just watch. None of you have ever seen Gael in this state before. This may be your first and only opportunity in hundreds of years, so you better watch carefully!"


    Step. Step. Another Step.


    Gael walked slowly forward,pletely calm and serene.


    His footsteps didn''t shake the ground, didn''t leave cracks, and there was no heavy pressure that showed his power. Everything was normal, even too normal for someone like Gael.


    However, Ereg constantly felt a growing threat, as if with every step Gael took, death''s grip was tightening around his neck more and more, and soon he would be headless.


    "Alright. It''s time to begin." Gael smiled, then she pointed at Ereg, "Behind you."


    "Agh...? In the back? Are you trying to trick me?" Ereg smirked as he blinked.


    But, Gael was no longer where he had just stood. It seemed that Gael had simply vanished, or... moved to another ce.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    As fast as possible, Ereg turned around, creating a dense barrier of Ether in front of him.


    At the same moment, a ck de collided with the Ether, trying to break through it. Strangely enough, the Ether slowly disintegrated into threads, slowly weakening Ereg''s defenses.


    ''Shit! What kind of power is this!!! All the past silver des weren''t as strong as this!" Ereg inwardly eximed as his feet started to go into the ground.


    ''''Hah, looks like I didn''t warn you for nothing, otherwise our fight might have ended after my attack. I''d be disappointed if you only saw two of my scars." Gael smiled slyly, "However, I won''t give you any more hints!"


    Then, Gael swung his sword, and his silhouette trembled. He quickly appeared to the left of Ereg, attacking his opponent from a strange angle.


    This time, Ereg didn''t have time to put up a full defense, because he didn''t know where the attack woulde from. He was able to block part of the sword, but the tip of the sharp de still reached his shoulder, leaving a deep cut.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Before Ereg could realize anything, Gael abruptly turned around and kicked him in the face, throwing him dozens of meters back.


    "Hmm... I still don''t understand what the point of that sword is..." Marlis muttered in confusion.


    Osvald nodded.


    "Yeah... Doesn''t it look like just a sword? I thought it would have some special abilities."


    Sven lifted his chin.


    "Didn''t you notice that?"


    "Hmm?" Marlis and Osvald gave him questioning looks.


    Sven pointed to the spot where Ereg''s feet had begun to enter the ground. On the floor of the colosseum, though almost imperceptibly, it left streaks like thin cuts.


    "And...? What does that mean?" Osvald asked, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.


    Sven was about to answer, but Wain beat him to it.


    "Energy. It seems the sole purpose of this sword is to conduct Gael''s energy. Yeah, technically every weapon does that, but Gael''s sword converts his energy into another, wilder and more random, in some ways even chaotic."


    Wain continued pointing to Gael''s sword.


    "Hah, he said it''s Peace Nightmare, right? Damn, that''s an ironic name. For those two attacks, Gael only used a fraction of the power, he decided not to unleash all of his power on Ereg at once and let him get used to it. Right now, he''s really acting like a child."


    At this time, Ereg''s blue ghost was gradually growing, reaching 67% already.


    ''If he exerts a little more force, this could end badly for me...'' Ereg internally muttered while climbing out of the rubble and dusting off his shoulders.


    Then, his gaze traveled to his hands.


    ''Well... I couldn''t do this before, but I have enough Ether now. If I fight with my bare hands against this sword, I''ll soon lose.'''' Ereg pondered for a moment before taking a deep breath and closing his eyes.


    Gael raised an eyebrow.


    He expected Ereg to immediately attack him, trying to correct the situation and seize the initiative. However, instead, Ereg stood idly by.


    "Hey! That''s uncultured, you know?" Gael frowned as he rushed forward at a tremendous speed.


    His speed, or rather his method of movement had changed after he summoned Peace Nightmare. Not only did he be faster, but he was also able to practically teleport, taking very long steps with a distance of several tens of meters.


    Sure, it wasn''t teleportation, but it almost looked like it, and the speed was appropriate.


    Thus, Gael was right in front of Ereg in a few fractions of a second, sheathing his massive sword, clutching the hilt tightly with both hands.


    At the same moment, Ereg opened his eyes, taking full control of his Ether.


    The dense, blue energy that had been covering his body like an azure me now pressed against him, and some of the energy traveled to his hands.


    Previously, ayer of the Ether had just covered his hands, but now the ether had turned into long ws that went from his fingers to his wrist. In a way, these ws could be used as knuckles and as a shield, because they only extended slightly beyond his hand.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Ereg swung his arms, disying them above him and defending himself from Gael''s sword.


    This time, Gael was annoyed andpletely unrestrained, so Ereg had to face all the power Peace Nightmare was capable of.


    The wall behind him was destroyed by random des of energy that came out of Gael''s sword using his power.


    However, Ereg was unharmed, for if Gael couldn''t destroy his ws, the energy couldn''t travel any further to harm him.


    Ereg grinned widely, for at that moment his blue ghost reached 70%, and his eyes shone brightly.


    ws became a little longer, Ereg''s body filled with power, and he took a step forward, throwing Gael off of him.


    Gael frowned, clenching his teeth tightly.


    He had been prepared for Ereg to get stronger at the blue ghost''s growth, but he hadn''t expected it to happen so soon.


    ''Shit... Maybe I should use the next scar? After all, Peace Nightmare will stay with me until the end... Hmmm...'' Gael pondered, being airborne from Ereg''s throw and gazing serenely at the sun.


    ''No. Peace Nightmare still hasn''t shown what he''s capable of. Well, Ereg, you''re going to have to try harder if we want to end this fight with our Forms.'''' Gael inwardly muttered as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    He somersaulted,nding confidently on the ground.


    At the same time, Ereg stepped confidently towards him, not hiding his increased strength. The ground beneath him crackled, and the space shook.


    The Colosseum tried to recover, but it was taking too much damage.


    "What do you think? You got a new weapon, but I got something, too. Use your next scars, or else when my ghost reaches 90%, you won''t have time for it anymore!" Ereg said confidently with an excited smile on his face.


    Gael sighed heavily, then he swung his sword and to everyone''s surprise, pointed at his neck, leaving a long cut on it.


    His blood covered Peace Nightmare, running down the dark de and making it shine brightly.

 Chapter 1136 Red Flame

    <h4>Chapter 1136 Red me</h4>


    Peace Nightmare was an unusual weapon, and many mistook its only ability for converting Gael''s energy into a devastating one. It was enough to impress spectators and experienced fighters alike, as such a power posed a threat to Ereg, but in reality, Peace Nightmare was far moreplex.


    Drip. Drip. Drip.


    Gael''s blood, flowing from a wide cut on his scarred neck, coated the ck de. Gradually, faintly at first, then bright as a star, Peace Nightmare shed with crimson light.


    Blood stopped dripping to the ground as Peace Nightmarepletely absorbed it, soaking up all the power.


    Ereg stopped as he took a few steps back. A slight shiver ran through his body, and anxiety stirred deep within his heart.?He didn''t know what to expect, but it was enough that his instincts were telling him of grave danger.


    "What the fuck is this...?" Ereg muttered with a dazed expression, the tips of his fingers trembling.


    Gael smirked, cing his palm against the cut and stopping the bleeding.


    "Hm? I''m just going to use my sword''s ability." Gael uttered as he touched the center of the de of his broadsword.


    At the same moment, many tiny blood me lights appeared on the de. They were slightlyrger than a grain and could not pose a threat, though they emitted a formidable aura.


    There were quite a few fires and they grew in a circle, following each other and swirling to create ayered sphere on Peace Nightmare.


    "What...? Fire? Aren''t they too small to harm Ereg? After all, his Ether is growing, he keeps getting stronger." Osvald asked puzzled rubbing the back of his head.


    Marlis shook her head.


    "No, those lights aren''t weapons, they''re probably charges. Look closely, there are 99 of them and they are all the same size, even the outermost and center ones are no different. They are like batteries that have the same amount of energy." Marlis exined looking intently at Peace Nightmare.


    "Charges...? But for what?"


    Sven sighed with a slight smile on his face.


    "We''ll find out now. Surely Gael won''t wait for Ereg to get even stronger. He doesn''t have much time if he wants to wound Ereg using only his two scars."


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, Gael stepped forward, but he did not attack Ereg. His goal was something else as he stood right in the center of the arena.


    "Alright, I think you can spend a little more in the beginning." Gael smirked, swung his sword, and thrust it deeply into the ground.


    Ten lights out of 99 immediately extinguished, releasing all their energy outwards - through Peace Nightmare.


    ''Shit, what''s going on here? After he revealed the giant scars, then he''spletely changed! Since when did he use such weapons, red mes, and techniques like this?'''' Ereg internally pondered with great grimace.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    After a few seconds, the ground shook as from beneath it, ming geysers appeared, like tiny volcanic vents spewing out mes and magma particles.


    "Fine, this is it. Now it''s time to have some fun!" Gael eximed, swinging his sword to the side.


    Strangely enough, a pir of me from one geyser headed towards Peace Nightmare, in a way as if Gael''s sword possessed a natural attraction. It seemed as if Peace Nightmare was a massive, with other objects tending to it to be itspanions.


    Then, Gael raised his sword high above his head like a god of fire.


    The mesing from Peace Nightmare were as bright as a star, and the temperature distorted space like a mirage in the desert.


    Ereg gulped.


    He felt that if he made a mistake, Gael''s attack would simply burn him, leaving nothing left of him.


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    Using all his strength, Gael brought his sword down to the ground, it seemed that after absorbing the magma, Peace Nightmare became a hundred times heavier because even for Gael, it wasn''t easy.


    A massive ming de with a wide stream of fire flew forward, heading straight for Ereg and destroying everything in its path.


    Colosseum could no longer withstand their attacks, even after the improvements, so the ground quickly began to melt, and the walls shook.


    Ereg took a deep breath.


    ''Alright, it looks scary, but I have a stronger element than fire. All I need to do is focus on my defense!" Ereg eximed internally before crossing his arms and pressing them against his chest.


    His ether ws trembled, absorbing most of Ereg''s ether and creating a dense barrier in front of him.


    Then, the ming de collided with the blue barrier, causing a crushing explosion like the aftermath of a supernova star bursting.


    Colors of the entire spectrum covered the Colosseum, not only red and blue, but also orange, yellow, purple, and even green in waves of energy.


    It looked like a rather strange, cosmic rainbow, but it was no less appealing than a normal one.


    "How beautiful..." N muttered with her eyes wide open. She should have been worried about Ereg and wanted to be, but she just couldn''t help herself.


    Her eyes just didn''t want to leave this uniquendscape, as if for a moment, she was in the middle of a cosmic void of stars and nebe.


    Almost everyone was trapped in a simr trap, only Alucard, Liang, and Nitra did not dwell on the starry rainbow. They only gave it a quick nce and returned to what mattered - Ereg''s condition.


    Gradually, the dust settled, the iridescence dissipated, and everyone could see the aftermath of the collision between fire and ether.


    Strangely enough, Ereg was virtually unharmed. There were steam streamsing from him, for some of his fur was slightly burned, but nothing critical, his skin was intact, and so was he.


    However, the same could not be said of the walls and floor of the colosseum. There was nothing left of them, for the mes had burned them into nothingness, even the ashes had burned away.


    The runes in the colosseum shone brightly, trying to recover, but even a renewed colosseum would need several hours to repair even 1/10th of all the damage it had received in a short period of time.


    "Agh... That was strong, but what''s next? I''ve already reached 72%, and I suggest you hurry up if you don''t want to lose!" Ereg smirked confidently, spitting out a clot of blood.


    The fire may not have been able to harm him, but the pressure from the collision was intense and it was impossible for Ereg to withstand it without repercussions.


    Gael raised an eyebrow.


    "Oh, you were able to block it so easily, but... Did you still not realize that?" Gael raised an eyebrow with a curious expression.


    "What? What are you talking about?" Ereg said worriedly, for Gael didn''t look like he was worried about the unfortunate result at all.


    Gael simply pointed at Peace Nightmare''s de. 88 out of 99 lights were burning brightly, which meant that Gael had only spent one fire on this attack.


    Ereg''s eyes went wide, a shiver went through his entire body, and fear even appeared within him. He realized that he could hardly do anything if Gael unleashed 88 more of these attacks on him. This was beyond all limits.


    "Damn, he''s in a difficult situation." Nitra frowned, "He doesn''t have any more trump cards left besides his Form and 100% blue ghost, right?"


    Liang nodded, "Yeah, it looks like it. In fact, Gael shouldn''t act so arrogant. A few more percent and Ereg will be even stronger. It''s unlikely that Peace Nightmare has any more hidden potential."


    Alucard nodded slightly with a calm gaze, which was strange for him.


    "At the moment, it''s a needle for Ereg to survive. He needs to use all his energy to give Ether time to grow. However, does he realize that?"


    "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"


    Suddenly, Eregughed, hisughter echoing throughout the colosseum, watching the shocked faces of the spectators.


    "Hah, so 88 more attacks like thest one, right? Well, I''m ready! Go ahead, I''ll destroy every single one of them, and you''ll end up running away from me, hastily using your next scar!" Ereg said confidently while staring intently at Gael.


    Gael frowned. He didn''t want Ereg to be afraid of him, but he expected Ereg to be worried and act cautiously. However, Ereg''s reaction was different from his expectations.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Gael swung his sword, absorbing several more mes. This time, Gael decided to gather a lot more energy.


    Then, he jumped high up and began to make one sword swing after another. Each time, a few lights on Peace Nightmare went out, because these me des were much more powerful than the previous ones, but their price had also increased.


    So Gael would be able to make not 88 attacks, but about twenty, but it was still enough to burn some medium-sized Void, and blocking this hail of fire was up to one person.


    Wain, silently watching this stage of the fight, smirked slightly. He saw Ereg''s ether growing and knew that in a few more minutes Gael would have to defend himself, revealing his new scars.

 Chapter 1137 Luck or Instincts?

    Chapter 1137 Luck or Instincts?


    The ming des, one after another, rained down on Ereg, not allowing him to dodge or escape anywhere. All he could do was defend himself and try to destroy the ming des that used the full power of the Peace Nightmare.


    In fact, Ereg wasn''t going to run anywhere. He knew it was dangerous, but it was also an opportunity to evolve further! After all, his blue ghost was different from all the others and took a long time to reach the peak of its power.


    ''Come on... Just a little more...'' Ereg inwardly muttered, reflecting the second ming de of many, ''Just a few more particles, and I''ll reach the next stage!''


    N watched her king''s battle with a trembling gaze and a look filled with anxiety. To her, everything was happening very slowly, and somehow, she could discern Ereg''s every move.


    She saw the first ming des leaving burns on Ereg''s body, and the ming sparks falling on his skin, trying to burn it.


    However, after a few me des, when Ereg''s defenses were about to fall and he was about to take serious damage, something changed.


    There was more blue energy around him, the density increased dramatically, and his ws became longer and wider. His blue ghost had reached 75%, and it continued to grow at an elerated rate.


    "I see..." Osvald muttered with wide-open eyes.


    "Perhaps Ereg can''t increase the amount of the Ether by his own will, but... External pressure can help him do so."


    Marlis nodded.


    "Well, now I understand why he didn''t worry about it, even though it was quite risky. If his Ether had grown a little smaller, the me des would have turned him into a handful of ashes."


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Ereg retracted the barrier, returning all of his energy to his ws, right when the next me de was about to m into him.


    Then, Ereg grinned widely, making Gael feel a slight shiver, and stepped forward, swinging his ws.


    Ether ws, effortlessly passed through the ming de, tearing it apart, leaving only clots of fire flying off to the sides.


    "Hahaha, that''s it! It''s already 77%!" Ereg eximed with an excited expression, gradually moving forward.


    For those who were watching the fight from the outside, especially the spectators who didn''t have such sharp eyesight as Wain, Sven, and the others, things looked different to them.


    At first, the spectators saw only the red mes that filled the left side of the colosseum, Ereg''s ether was not visible, it was simply lost under such powerful pressure. However, now, they could clearly see Ereg''s blue me, moreover, the ether continued to grow and take over more and more territory.


    It wasn''t that the ether was spreading like a me, no, it still stayed around Ereg''s body just like before.


    Ereg simply moved forward, destroying the mes and showing the spectators more and more attacks with his wsposed of ether.


    Gael frowned heavily as he gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.


    He didn''t expect that all he could achieve was a few burns on Ereg''s body. This result was nothingpared to how much energy he had expended on this!


    ''Shit... I should hurry up, if I want to achieve any result with two scars, I should do something right now, after all, he''s already reached 79%!'' Gael internally grumbled irritably.


    His mind tried to find a suitable n, then his gaze traveled to his right arm. Ereg had already used his first scar, however, there was still about 10% energy left. Also, while Gael was using Peace Nightmare, his scar absorbed some energy, so the total reserve reached 15%.


    That wasn''t much, 15% would only be enough for one swing of his silver ws. However, all Gael needed was one powerful attack and he could do it right now before it was toote!


    Gael swung his sword, aiming it at Gael who was about to destroy thest ming des. Then, he ced his other hand on the hilt, channeling the energy from the first scar to the sword.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Peace Nightmare shuddered, sending ripples through the air, and then a long streak of silver me traveled along the ck de.


    Liang''s eyes went wide for a moment as he realized what was the true power of Gael''s sword.


    "Oh... What a curious weapon. Well, surprisingly, this sword lives up to its name." Liang muttered with a curious expression.


    "Hm? What are you talking about?" Nitra asked in confusion.


    Liang sighed, pointing at Peace Nightmare.


    "Earlier, at the first swing, Gael''s sword turned its energy into destructive power, we all saw that. Then, Gael used his blood to activate the sword and use its ability, however, it was a mistake on our part to think so."


    "What...? Gael used his blood!" Nitra waved her hand, "There are millions of weapons in this world that be stronger by absorbing the blood of the owner!"


    Liang nodded.


    "Sure. It''s quite a popr technique. However, Gael''s sword ability was activated from the beginning. I would call it a transformation. The blood became red me, and the energy from the first scar became silver fire. His sword equates the other powers to one form, me as if pacifying them."


    Nitra wanted to say something, but she quickly realized that Liang''s words made sense and turned around to take a closer look at Gael''s sword.


    Alucard smirked, chuckling evilly.


    "Not bad, not bad at all. I''m sure besides you, only Nameless King would be able to understand it if he were here."


    Liang snorted, looking away to the side.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Gael''s gaze turned cold as he muttered something and raised his sword slightly.


    At the same moment, a silver me beam flew forward at tremendous speed, destroying everything in its path.


    Ereg had just destroyed thest ming de, surely he expected to be able to take a short break afterward. However, Gael wasn''t going to let him do that, he had to keep suppressing Ereg until he became too strong.


    "What the hell...?" Ereg muttered with wide-open eyes, staring at the fiery stream that was already almost getting to him.


    The only thing Ereg could do in that situation was to block that attack because it was toote to dodge!


    Ereg ced his wrists against each other, leaving his palms open to let the me stream hit his hands as it did just a momentter.


    The silver me quickly began to burn everything in its path, In a few more seconds, Ereg''s skin would burn, followed by his flesh and even his bones.


    Ereg centered his ether at one point, but it seemed it wasn''t enough. The mes slowly passed through the ether, because theyer was too thin and the ether was not dense enough.


    ''No! No! No! No! I''ve already withstood all the other attacks! All I have to do is hold on for a few more seconds! Come on... it has to happen now or I''ll lose my hands!" Ereg inwardly eximed, begging for the ether to grow right now.


    Perhaps, in his case, it would have been more logical to let the ming beam copse on his chest, get a serious burn in a rtively safe ce, and then continue the fight. It would have been a pragmatic decision, however, Ereg was not known for doing everything based on logic and cold calction alone.


    Ereg, like many, liked to take risks and often acted on emotion. However, unlike others, it never had negative consequences for him.


    Somehow, he always sensed the edge he could reach before he lost and stopped right at thest point as if standing on a sharp de. One more step sideways, and he''ll fall into the abyss, but it''s not for Ereg, for he''s never had to take that step before.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    Bits of burnt skin flew aside, almost exposing Ereg''s flesh, but... The moment the mes were about to touch his flesh, a gentle, blue energy covered his hands.


    Gael''s eyes went wide, for Ereg had just reached 80% blue ghost, which meant he had moved to a new stage of power!


    "Alright... I got lucky again, though maybe it''s all down to my superior instincts. Although, such instincts I have are partly because I''m a Beastfolk, so I''m still lucky, right? Hah, whatever, the important thing is that I was right again!" Ereg smiled widely before directing all his energy to his palms and squeezing them together in an instant.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    The energetic blue pulse spread around destroying the beam of silver me and rendering everything within a kilometer radius soundless.


    For a few seconds, there wasplete silence, people forgot for a moment that they had ears and focused all their attention on their eyes.


    "No way... Just like that...?" Nitra muttered tightly clenching her fists.


    Clots of silver me flew off to the sides, sweeping over Gael''s shoulders, who stared wide-eyed at Ereg.


    "Alright." Ereg smirked, slicking his hair back, "It''s your turn to get punched in the face, isn''t it?"

 Chapter 1138: The Third Scar

    Gael tried to win quickly and deadly, or rather, he hoped that his two scars would be enough for Ereg to get seriously wounded.


    In fact, his haste was of strategic importance, for if he were to dy even a few seconds, he wouldn''t even stand a chance.


    However, none of that mattered anymore, for Ereg''s blue ghost had already grown to 80%. Sure, it wasn''t the full power of the ether, yet. When the blue ghost reached 90% and even more so 100% then the change would be more significant.


    "Alright, I destroyed all of your attacks, which means it''s my turn now, isn''t it?" Ereg smirked before running forward.


    He already had too much Ether to channel energy solely into his ws, he could do that, but there was no point right now. Thus, after a few steps, blue mes enveloped his legs, making him faster.


    Gael didn''t move, he just lowered his sword, waiting for Ereg to reach him.


    Ereg didn''t stop and ask Gael what was going on, he just stepped forward and clenched his fist tightly.


    His ws on his right hand fused, bing a denseyer of energy covering Ereg''s fist. Now, this attack wasn''t capable of cutting anything, but the kic power was immense, enough to destroy an entire rock.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crack.


    Ereg''s fist came down on Gael''s face, throwing him dozens of meters away. The impact, caused a powerful shockwave with a wind ring, quickly spreading around. Even the ground beside them shook, being covered in tiny cracks.


    Blood spurted from Gael''s nose, for it was definitely broken after such a powerful attack.


    N smiled happily as she pressed her palm to her chest like a loyal knight of her king. She couldn''t help it, for every Ereg''s sessful attack was a real treat for her.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.


    The debris of the colosseum was falling on Gael, who was lying under the rubble of stones. He did not move and just stared nkly ahead. It seemed that Gael was actually frustrated that he had not seeded with the two scars.


    Sure, Gael could still use Peace Nightmare, but as with the first scar, he needed energy to summon mes.


    If Gael could do so, he probably would have waited until his reserves were restored, but he didn''t have time for that.


    As long as they didn''t fight, Gael could idle for a long time, because after 80%, the blue ghost would grow even slower. Well, the blue ghost always grew much faster during battles.


    Ereg, wasn''t going to let Gael rest, he knew about his opponent''s weaknesses and his own. The situation was great for him, for he needed to fight to grow ether, while it would be more beneficial for Gael to take a break.


    However, the only thing left for Gael was to use the third scar, for Ereg was quickly heading towards him.


    "Well, well, it looks like someone is rejoicing at Ereg''s victory, though it''s still a long way off, isn''t it?" Alucard smirked, casting a nce at a happy N.


    N flinched. She hadn''t expected her reaction to get Alucard''s attention.


    "But... I just want the King to win! Nothing more than that! Besides, his ether has already increased to 81%, and Gael has nothing against that. He''ll have to use his Form. Mr.


    Ereg will exhaust him, then use his Form and win!" N exined with an excited expression.


    "Hehehehe." Alucard chuckled evilly, "Not a bad n, almost as simple as an 8-year-old child."


    "What...?" N frowned.


    She respected Alucard, as did everyone on the Transcendence Stage. However, she had recently be one of them and had been on the God Stage for decades before that. She was clearly annoyed at beingpared to an 8-year-old child.


    Sure, Alucard could afford it, because to him, N really was like a child, especially since he was the one who helped her grow up. Though his methods were strange and risky, they worked, and that was what mattered most.


    "Come on. You make it sound like Gael has already used everything he has. Don''t forget, he has seven giant scars, and so far, he''s only used the first two." Alucard smirked.


    Nitra cast a hard stare at him as she stepped forward.


    "The next scars will be stronger? Is that what you''re saying?" Nitra asked with obvious interest.


    Alucard shrugged his shoulders.


    "Stronger? Well, I don''t think that''s the right word. All of his giant scars are strong and have a unique ability. However, I can say that among them, the third one is Gael''s least favorite." Alucard exined, looking at Gael lying under the rocks.


    "But... Why?" Krana tilted her head in confusion, "These scars are his memories, right? Moreover, they''re his main power, so every scar should be important to him, shouldn''t it?"


    Alucard shook his head.


    "That''s not the point. It''s just that the third scar has an ability and shape reminiscent of someone''s power. It''s just a coincidence and in fact, their powers are different, but Gael never liked that. However, when you see his next scar, you''ll see for yourself."


    Alucard could tell them a lot more if he wanted to. After all, he was the only one who knew anything about Gael''s giant scars. However, getting the information out of him was impossible.


    "Hm... Sounds interesting." Liang muttered thoughtfully while rubbing his chin, "Well if I were Gael''s, I would have gotten up by now since Ereg is definitely ready to attack right now."


    Whoooooooooooooooosh.


    At the same moment, Ereg changed his quick step to a sprint, channeling all his energy into his ws. His ws became muchrger, and his des longer and denser. The Ether they consisted of shone brightly like a frosted star, spreading waves of energy around.


    ''Damn... If these ws touch me, they will most likely cut me apart. That won''t be good at all, right?" Gael internally muttered as a bitter smile appeared on his face.


    He tossed the wreckage aside and with a calm look brushed the dust off his shoulders. Then, he extended his left hand, while firmly holding Peace Nightmare in his right one.


    Energy traveled to his scarred left hand as it shone brightly, unleashing its hidden power.


    Gael''s corners of his lips went up, in anticipation of what was about to happen.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Space shuddered as clots of ash appeared above him, quickly taking on a strange shape. It wasn''t a sphere, disk, sword, or w, like the first scar.


    However, this object as well as its purpose was recognized by everyone. It only took a moment to realize who else had a simr power.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crack.


    The massive jaws quickly snapped together several times, emitting a distinct snapping sound. Their power and sharpness were clear to everyone at a nce.


    Liang and Nitra''s eyes went wide, for now, they understood what Alucard was talking about.


    "Jaws... Gael''s third scar looks like the strength of someone... That someone, it''s Nameless King, isn''t it?" Nitra asked in a slightly trembling voice, slowly turning to Alucard.


    Alucard shrugged with a slight smile.


    "Yeah, it''s not hard to understand. However, Gael''s jaws areposed of ash and not gluttony energy like Nameless King''s. Moreover, as I said earlier, they are only simr in appearance and basic attacks, but they are just as different. Well... I won''t say anything more, just watch." Alucard chuckled.


    Nitra frowned but didn''t ask any more.


    "Damn... Those jaws look scary..." Osvald muttered with wide eyes as he turned, meeting Wain''s gaze.


    Wain shrugged.


    "Something like that. Now that I''ve gotten my memories back I know I''ve heard of it, but I''ve never seen Gael use that power in battle. It will be something new to me as well as all of you." Wain calmly replied, though he too was slightly surprised.


    Gael''s jaw didn''t look as wild as his, it was tter and possessed a calm aura. However, Ash''s jaw looked no less threatening.


    Ereg''s pupils narrowed. He hadn''t expected to see something like that, but he didn''t stop because he needed to take a few more steps to attack.


    ''Alright, I was ready for him to use the next scar. All I need to do is destroy this jaw, or at least immobilize it for a while!


    Gael smirked as his fingertips trembled, and he clenched his hand tightly into a fist.


    At the same moment, the jaw and Ereg''s ether ws collided with each other, causing energy fluctuations.


    Strangely enough, the ether could not pass through the jaw, for its ash was strangely destroying the ether, notpletely, but the ether was turning into a shapeless mass.


    ''What...? What the fuck is going on here...?'' Ereg internally muttered.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Gael suddenly appeared right in front of Ereg, swinging his sword. After all, he didn''t have to control his jaw every second.


    The dark sword de was heading towards Ereg''s chest, and he had to make a choice - block the sword or the jaw that was about to devour him.

 Chapter 1139: Jaws

    Sometimes amongst the many options, there was no good choice left. Ereg found himself in just such a situation, either Jaws'' sharp teeth would sink into his flesh or Gael''s sword would leave a long cut on his chest.


    Sure, in a way, the least worst option,pared to the worst one, was the better option. However, then whenparing the two, essentially neither option was anything good for Ereg.


    ''Shit! It''s better to block what I know, isn''t it? I have a strong body, I can take it, even if partially!" Ereg inwardly eximed taking a step back and swinging his arms to the left towards Gael.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The sword collided with the ether ws, causing ripples in the air and a slight shiver. Gael was strong, and Peace Nightmare was a dangerous weapon, but it wasn''t capable of getting through 81% of ether ws.


    "Hah, you probably think you made the right choice. Well... You guessed right." Gael smirked, not like an opponent, but like Ereg''s old friend, "Your instincts never fail you. They''re your most powerful weapon, but even they can''t help you escape the inevitable."


    Crackle.


    At the same moment, a massive jaw with its own sharp teeth sank into Ereg''s shoulder. As he had assumed, the jaw had a hard time prating through his skin, but that only saved him for a second, and then the sharp teeth did their job.


    Everyone waited for this moment with genuine interest, and for good reason, for then they immediately saw the difference between Gael''s jaw and Wain''s.


    If Wain''s most powerful summoned jaw was now in the same ce as Gael''s one, that is, sinking its teeth into Ereg''s shoulder, Ereg would most likely lose part of his arm. It would have been a massive chunk of flesh or bone damage, not aplete tear of the limb, but the damage would have been horrific.


    However, Gael''s jaw did not have the same destructive power andpression force, for it had a different target.


    There was not a single trickle of blooding out of Ereg''s many wounds from the sharp teeth. It was strange, for such a thing was not possible, however, it was logical, for the jaw was absorbing that blood.


    "What...? Do these jaws work like vampire fangs? Something like that?" Nitra raised an eyebrow with a confused expression.


    Alucard nodded.


    "Yeah, how did you figure that out? Do you have eyes like the rest of us? Maybe you should be a professionalmentator so we don''t miss anything?" Alucard smirked, answering mockingly


    Nitra frowned.


    "Damn it! That was a normal question! Why can''t you ever just answer normally!" Nitra eximed irritably, clenching her fists with a menacing expression on her face.


    It was quite difficult to put up with Alucard''s temperament and manner of speaking, for one had to either be the calmest person in the world or be his equal in strength. In that case, the one could make jokes about Alucard in return, but Nitra couldn''t afford it.


    As a Construct, she didn''t take humor very well, though she understood when someone was joking or mocking. However, she wasn''t sure she could respond in kind. Weapons like sarcasm were simply not in her arsenal or at a very early stage, while Alucard was a master with thousands of years of experience.


    Liang cast a quick nce at Nitra before returning to watching the fight.


    He knew that her request would not be heard by Alucard, it was simply useless. On the contrary, such a reaction would only increase Alucard''s excitement, opening up new opportunities for him. Unfortunately for Nitra, she didn''t realize that.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Alucard took a few steps, slowly approaching Nitra. Then, his silhouette blurred, and he appeared right in front of Nitra. Before she could realize anything, Alucard kissed her, even more insistently than the first time,pletely confident in his actions.


    Liang shook his head with a heavy sigh. In fact, this time spent with Alucard had been enough for him to predict this. However, it seemed that for women, Alucard actedpletely unpredictable.


    N and Krana''s faces flushed, one of them having technically been born in her new form only an hour ago, and N having been in the same situation earlier.


    Nitra''s eyes went wide. Like the others, she hadn''t expected Alucard to do something like this. However, this time she didn''t even try to resist. In fact, she decided to let her feelings sit deep inside and try to savor this moment rather than reject it.


    Alucard smirked, he was more than experienced to realize whether Nitra liked it or not. Not that it mattered to him, but he could use it to build on.


    "What the hell...? Didn''t you just recently kiss me...?" N muttered with a devastated look. She didn''t know why, but at that moment, she felt a mix of jealousy and envy, even though she didn''t want that at all.


    Alucard turned to her.


    "Don''t worry. I''m enough for everyone, both emotionally and physically. With my regeneration, I can satisfy you all, and not get tired at all." Alucard said bluntly,pletely unashamed.


    N and Nitra''s faces turned as red as tomatoes. They didn''t need to exin to understand what Alucard was talking about, it was all very obvious.


    However, what scared them the most was that they weren''t ready to give it up. Deep inside, they wanted to say that Alucard was crazy and it would never happen, but something stopped them.


    Alucard narrowed his eyes, licking his lips predatorily.


    The look on their faces told him everything, and it couldn''t help but make him happy.


    "Hey! I want one too!" Krana suddenly eximed, sping her hand to her chest.


    Perhaps because she was just getting used to the norms of society and socializing she was just learning, she didn''t realize how awkward it would be for other girls.


    Krana saw the situation differently - N and Nitra were going to enjoy themselves with Alucard, and she was going to be left out. Naturally, Krana couldn''t let that happen!


    "Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!" Alucardughed without holding back. Obviously, even he hadn''t expected such a result.


    Then, he smirked with a sharp look, staring intently at N, Nitra, and Krana as his targets.


    "Three at once, right? Well, I can''t say this will be my record, but you''re all from different races and are on the Transcendence Stage... I definitely haven''t had that yet." Alucard chuckled insidiously.


    "Agh... However, that puts some obligations on me, doesn''t it? I can''t skimp on any of you." Alucard shrugged before stepping forward, appearing in front of N.


    N''s eyes went wide when what she so desired happened. Alucard kissed her, and then he headed over to Krana and did the same.


    Liang sighed heavily again.


    ''They just fell under his influence so easily... Well, I can''t me them, there are hardly many women in this world who could resist Alucard''s insistent attempts.'' Liang pondered while directing his gaze towards the battle.


    At the same time, Gael''s jaw had absorbed quite a bit of blood, turning red by a third. Then, Gael smirked and kicked Ereg aside with his foot.


    Ereg''s face creased in pain. He sighed andnded confidently on his feet, holding onto his shoulder. He had no trouble using his right arm, for the jaw teeth had not pierced his bone or tendons.


    However, that wasn''t what he was worried about. He wasn''t as seriously injured as he would have been if Peace Nightmare had sliced through his chest, but that didn''t mean he was happy with the situation.


    There was a wide grin on Gael''s face as he cast a nce at the jaw hovering above him. From the jaw, an increasingly powerful aura gradually emanated.


    "Well, well, looks like now is the time to find out if you made the right choice or not," Gael said with eyes sparkling with anticipation.


    Ereg snorted with a great grimace.


    "Come on. We both know you''d find a way to get me to set my jaw to bite. You better show me what your third scar can do before it''s toote!" Ereg uttered as the blue mes around him intensified.


    His blue ghost had reached 83% strength and was only a little bit away from 85%. This would be his next barrier, after which, Gael would not be able to act so confidently, at least with three scars out of seven.


    Wain, Marlis, Sven, and Osvald watched Gael with curiosity, and the jaw that at his will began to quiver, first weakly and slowly, then quite strongly and quickly.


    At that moment, Alucard stopped teasing N, Nitra, and Krana and returned to his spot to watch the fight. He couldn''t miss it because Gael had been using his third scar for quite some time.


    N, Nitra, and Krana nced over, blushed, and moved closer to Alucard, not too much, but they stayed near him.


    Alucard paid no attention to this, for he was watching the jaw from which the pieces began to break off, turning into other jaws - smaller but with the same sharp teeth.

 Chapter 1140: Division

    Nameless King''s power was known to every strong enough creature. Not many had had to fight him, but almost everyone knew of his jaws and their properties.


    The main purpose of Nameless King''s jaws was to pass through and destroy any barriers and obstacles in its path. Ereg''s arm would have been torn to pieces of flesh if Wain''s jaw had gotten the ability to tear it as long as Gael''s.


    Gael''s jaw did not possess such powerful destructive power. After all, Ereg''s body was one of the strongest in the world because he was a Beastfolk.


    However, Gael did not look upset, for he had aplished his task and let his jaw absorb some of Ereg''s blood.


    Of all the creatures living in this world, many used blood as their weapon, defense, or even healing techniques. Vampires and their fangs came to mind, for to them blood was everything - attack, defense, health, magic, and life.


    However, Alucard aside, one thing Vampires couldn''t do with their regeneration was divide themselves into equally exact copies.


    Yeah, Alucard already knew how to do that, but he had to learn it to save Krana from the grip of the World of Darkness.


    Gael''s jaw was doing it right now, using Ereg''s blood.


    "Not bad, not bad at all. Now Ereg is going to be in real trouble." Alucard smirked, chuckling evilly.


    Crackle. Crackle. Crack.


    Cracks went down the massive jaw, releasing blood. The volume was enough to split into three identical clots, each about five times smaller than the main jaw.


    Then, gray ash covered the blood clots, forming the jaws around them, slowly, but they were just as strong and deadly as the main one.


    Ereg smirked.


    "Hah, is that the best you can do?" Ereg spat out a clot of blood with an excited smile since his blue ghost had already reached 84%.


    Gael raised an eyebrow.


    "You seem pleased with your result, don''t you?"


    Ereg shrugged.


    "I thought this jaw would turn into something terrifying or use my blood against me, turning it into some kind of weapon. However, all you aplished was to create a few more small jaws."


    Ereg continued with a slight smirk on his face.


    "Do you really think I can''t handle onerge jaw and three small jaws? Furthermore, once I have more ether, you won''t be able to get my blood and create new jaws anymore!" Ereg eximed.


    Gael was silent, it seemed he wanted to fully hear Ereg''s opinion before dashing his hopes.


    "Wain, what do you think?" Sven smiled slyly, turning to Wain, "Would you use jaws like that if you had the chance?"


    Wain shook his head, "Nah, it definitely doesn''t suit me. Moreover, I can create jaws from my pure energy, after all, it''s one of the foundations of my power. For Gael, it''s a unique power that only awakens when the third giant scar is activated."


    Wain sighed.


    "However, I realize the potential of this ability, unlike Ereg. He hasn''t realized yet that his words didn''t make sense, or rather... his assumption is full of errors." Wain calmly replied going back to watching the fight.


    At the same moment, Gael smirked and nced at the jaws that hovered above him. Three small jaws were on the bottom, and onerge one was on top.


    "Hmm? Did I say something funny?" Ereg frowned.


    Gael shook his head.


    "Nah, you just don''t realize that I don''t need your blood anymore. I mean... It would speed up the process, but I can manage without it. I only needed a few drops to start the fission, and it won''t stop anymore."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The main jaw quivered again as ash condensed around it, covering it tightly on all sides. Gradually, there was so much ash that the silhouette of the jawpletely disappeared under the sphere, which quickly began to take on new details.


    After a while, the ash turned into a massive heart within which the main jaw was running like an engine.


    Then, in three small jaws, drops of blood appeared out of nowhere, and the heart shone brightly as the main jaw began to work, creating blood for its children.


    Only then did Ereg realize the situation he was in and how stupid his earlier assumptions had been.


    ''Shit... Looks like I''m in real trouble now... If I get to 85% I can probably destroy them easily, but I feel like I''ve reached a certain barrier. I either need a lot of time to gather energy or a deadly situation... However, even so, I might not make it in time, because if these jaws get too many, they''ll just eat me up!''''


    Ereg was in a difficult situation, as he currently had no way to destroy the ash jaws, at least the main jaw.


    "Wait... Can these jaws just grow like mushrooms after rain?!" Nitra eximed in confusion.


    Alucard nodded.


    "Yeah. Such is the effect of the power of the scars, the power of the memory of them, and the long-ago battles that became the foundations and basis of Gael''s strength. In fact, Ereg has done an incredible job since he got Gael to use three of the seven scars so quickly. However, now he needs to think about how to get out of a situation like this."


    N tilted her head.


    "Apparently the blue ghost has almost reached the next stage. I could be wrong, but Mr. Ereg will just have to endure for a while, won''t he? It''s unlikely that the three jaws will pose a threat to him." N suggested.


    "Stop talking nonsense." Liang coldly said, causing N to feel a slight shiver.


    Liang waved his hand.


    "Don''t you realize that it''s not Gael who needs to hurry but Ereg. Agh, just watch."


    At the same moment, enough blood had umted in the three small jaws toe out. It was three tiny clots that merged into one. A new small jaw began to form around that clot, and now blood was being generated in all of them at once.


    Ereg''s eyes went wide, for not more than ten seconds had passed since the heart had appeared, and already a new jaw had been born!


    "Wait..." Nitra muttered with a slight shiver while she made calctions, "At this rate, in eight seconds, a new jaw will be born, and gradually they will appear faster and faster! In a few minutes, there will be several hundred jaws, and they will continue to appear!"


    Alucard nodded with an excited look.


    "You''re not wrong, however, your calctions are only correct if Ereg doesn''t start destroying them, but that won''t happen."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    At the same moment, Ereg decided to change the direction of his energy to create a weapon suitable for destroying the jaws.


    The jaws had an unusual shape, so they were difficult to cut, shoot, or blow up without enough power. However, they could be broken, and that required brute strength, not long sharp ws.


    Thus, his entire ether turned intobat gloves, thick and massive. Their sole purpose was to increase Ereg''s outgoing physical power as well as allow his simple blows to be truly devastating.


    Gael smiled.


    "Not bad, not bad at all, let''s find out if it will be enough!" Gael eximed as a fifth jaw appeared above him. The sixth was already ready to appear, it was only seconds away.


    Ereg became wary. The small jaw should be much weaker and not as strong as the main one, however, he wasn''t sure about that.


    All Ereg could do was put all his strength into his punch and try to destroy the jaw. He had no other options left.


    ''Alright, let''s see what I can do. If my strength is enough to break them, then I can wait until the blue ghost reaches 85% of its power.'' Ereg pondered with a slight frown before stepping forward.


    The fifth jaw ripped towards him, about to devour his arm, up to the elbow.


    However, Ereg was ready for it. At thest moment, he pulled his arm aside, allowing the jaw to close right in front of him. The distance between them was less than a meter.


    Then, Ereg clenched his fist tightly and with all his might, brought his punch down right into the teeth of the jaw.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The shockwaves spread out to the sides, removing a denseyer of dust from the arena, and clearing itpletely.


    The bright blue sh from the impact blinded every spectator, and then they saw the result of Ereg''s attack.


    The jaw cracked, while the kic energy mixed with the ether gradually shattered it into small shards. The ash and aura of the jaw tried to resist as the main jaw did earlier, but it wasn''t enough to stop the dense ether.


    "Excellent!" Ereg eximed, thrusting his fist forward andpletely destroying the jaw. It disintegrated into tiny shards and drops of blood that managed to appear inside in a few seconds.

 Chapter 1141: The clap

    Ereg had sessfully managed to destroy the first jaw and that was just the beginning. He had put quite a bit of effort into it, but it was worth it because now Ereg knew that he just had to hold on a little longer!


    The blood that fell out of the jaw hung in the air for a moment before heading to the other jaws that continued to create new ones.


    While Ereg was preparing his strike, waiting for the right moment and storing energy, Gael''s jaws had changed.


    Previously, there were five of them, while the fifth attacked Ereg, only the sixth was being created at the time. However, now there were already ten of them, and a new jaw would appear every 3-4 seconds! Moreover, this wasn''t the limit, because the more jaws there were, the higher the blood generation rate was!


    "Nitra, what do you think? When the jaws be several hundred or even thousand?" Liang asked with mild interest.


    He could do the math himself if he wished, but Nitra would do it much faster. After all, that was something she was unrivaled at.


    "At this rate... less than a minute to a hundred and less than two minutes to a thousand. I''d say Ereg only has five minutes until there are so many jaws that we can''t see anything but them in the arena. They''ve been filling up all the space!"


    Nitra continued, "Right now it takes three seconds for one jaw to appear, but soon there will be several jaws appearing once a second and the number will only increase."


    Alucard smirked as he nced at Nitra.


    "Hey, I think you forgot to take into ount something important."


    "Hmm?" Nitra gave him a questioning look. She was sure she wasn''t wrong. More than that, she doubted Alucard could help her in any way.


    Alucard pointed at Ereg. Liang and Nitra turned their gazes.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Ereg brought his fists down on the jaws, shattering them one by one. The jaws were constantly staying, for, so far, Gael had an almost unlimited supply. He used the jaws as his soldiers, the number of which was constantly increasing.


    However, the speed at which new jaws appeared depended on their number, meaning the more Ereg destroyed them, the slower new ones appeared.


    "You see? Perhaps if Gael already had a hundred jaws instead of just ten, Ereg wouldn''t be able to stop this endless stream. However, so far, he''s doing fine and even winning a little bit." Alucard said quietly, clearly expecting more, "But, obviously, Gael has other ways to speed up the process. He''s on a timer, because when Gael reaches 85% then only a fourth scar and nothing more will help there."


    No one started to say anything, everyone just looked at Ereg''s destroying jaws and the calm Gael. It seemed that he had envisioned this development and had a backup n.


    "Not bad, not bad at all. I was hoping you wouldn''t have the power to destroy them, but as always you found a way out of a tricky situation." Gael uttered while jaws flew over him, heading into battle.


    "Hahaha! Of course, I am!" Ereg eximed with an excited expression.


    In fact, he enjoyed tearing those jaws apart, because he had never had that opportunity before. Gael was a strong opponent, and the best Ereg could hope for was to wound his opponent, not destroy him in one attack as he was used to doing before.


    Even a God Stage creature could hardly withstand a single attack from Ereg in its current state. An almost fullypressed 84% ether, would blow up any opponent, no matter if it was a Dragon, Arkan, Vampire, or a Human.


    "Well, looks like I''m going to have to help my warriors out a bit, or you''ll be destroying every single one of them soon. It would be a shame to lose the effects of the third scar so easily" Gael muttered before swinging his sword, leaving a long cut on his arm.


    A trickle of blood spurted from the cut, thin and few. However, given Gael''s strength, every drop of his blood was a treasure for both weaker creatures and his jaws.


    Whoooooooooooosh.


    Before the first drop of blood was about to hit the ground, a jaw swept under his hand, grabbing the drop of blood on the fly and absorbing it.


    The rest of the jaws did the same, they couldn''t miss out on such a valuable resource that would help them evolve. Although the jaws were not fully living creatures, they had instincts.


    They knew they could get stronger with Gael''s blood, and they seized the opportunity.


    At the same moment, the torrent of jaws stopped raining down on Ereg, causing him to stop. The path was capable, but he wasn''t sure he could go any further, for something strange began to happen to the jaws.


    The five jaws that had consumed Gael''s blood began to turn into blood crystals that were several timesrger than the smaller jaws.


    The blood crystals did not attack Ereg, for they had another purpose. They soared over Gael, aiming for the ashy heart and hovering around it, connecting in bloody threads.


    Alucard smirked, and Ereg''s eyes went wide with a slight shiver. He understood what the blood crystals'' task might be, and it was definitely bad news for him.


    At the same moment, the other jaws shuddered and began to elerate the umtion of blood inside them.


    There were only ten jaws - that was all that was left after turning into blood crystals and Ereg''s attacks. However, it was enough for a new jaw to appear once every second, and soon this process would be even faster.


    ''Shit... I don''t know if he can use this technique again, but it''s already too strong!'' Ereg internally eximed in disbelief.


    Whooooooooooooooosh.


    He didn''t have time to ponder as the jaws descended on him in a hail.


    "Oh... That looks problematic, doesn''t it?" Sven said calmly, watching as Ereg smashed one jaw after another.


    However, it was obvious to everyone that Ereg didn''t have enough firepower to be able to destroy the jaws in time. There were too many of them, and they were gradually surrounding him.


    "Yeah..." Marlis nodded with a serious expression, "With the appearance of the blood crystals, the rate of blood umtion inside the jaws has tripled. At this rate, even with Ereg''s attacks, there will be over a hundred jaws in thirty seconds."


    Osvald sighed heavily.


    "Damn, if I were in Ereg''s shoes, it would annoy me greatly. You spend effort, energy, and time destroying the enemy, but they just get bigger. Is that fair?" Osvald shook his head. He actually felt bad for Ereg.


    Wain shrugged.


    "I think you''re forgetting that not only does Ereg have little time left, but Gael does as well. Gael can create even a million jaws, but if Ereg''s blue ghost reaches 85%, all that will cease to matter."


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Ereg attacked as fast as he could. Each of his blows shattered one or more jaws, however, as soon as he got rid of one jaw it was reced by three!


    ''Damn! I feel like I need a little more, but... If I just wait, soon they''ll just eat me!" Ereg eximed inwardly, grabbing the jaw that was embedded in his shoulder.


    He gripped it tightly, shattering it into particles of ash, but a few shallow wounds remained on his shoulder and this happened all the time.


    It happened constantly - while some jaws distracted Ereg, and blocked his view, others took the opportunity to sink their sharp teeth in. The wounds were minor, but sooner orter there would be too many.


    ''Wait... If all I need is to hold on a little longer, I don''t need to destroy every jaw...'' Ereg muttered internally as his eyes went wide as if he realized something very important.


    Then, he stopped fighting, and the jawspletely covered his silhouette.


    The spectators watching the fight couldn''t see Ereg anymore, because there were so many jaws that only gray ash and hundreds of sharp teeth were visible. It seemed that in a few more seconds they couldpletely devour Ereg like a pack of piranhas. Not even bones would be left of him.


    However, many people did not panic immediately, including N. At thest moment, she saw Ereg''s surprised look in which there was no anxiety or fear. Ereg looked like a person who didn''t understand how he could not see the obvious.


    After a few seconds, out came Ereg''s hands spread apart. His palms shone brightly with blue energy that was ready to reach the next stage, but for now, it was too soon. A little more time was needed.


    Then, Ereg''s hands came into motion, like des sweeping through jaws, slicing them open in their path.


    In a heartbeat, the palms collided with each other creating an energy st, throwing the jaws dozens of meters away.


    Along with the shockwave came three energy rings, each damaging multiple jaws.

 Chapter 1142: The Last Jaw

    "What...? What happened?" N muttered in confusion, "Mr. Ereg was able to destroy all the jaws with a single attack? He just needed to p his hands together to do that...?"


    Liang shook his head.


    "Take a closer look. All the jaws are still alive." Liang sternly uttered, pointing at one of the hundred jaws.


    It had lost a few teeth and it had a damaged right side from which several drops of blood flowed out. However, the jaw was not destroyed. It was making attempts to move and was gradually recovering.


    "Yeah." Nitra nodded, "With this attack, Ereg was unable to destroy any jaw. However, he immobilized each of them for a while, but... Looks like he miscalcted a bit."


    Ereg''s n was sessful, he was able to get rid of all the jaws for a while, but there was no joy or excitement on his face like before.


    The reason was simple, the blue ghost had not grown to 85% as he had expected it to. Everything depended on it, and he had made a significant bet, but his luck had failed him this time.


    "Hmm... He probably doesn''t have much left." Alucard muttered thoughtfully, rubbing his chin, "But... after what happened, Gael isn''t likely to give him time to develop since he realized what this could lead to."


    Gael shook his head.


    "I don''t know if I got lucky or if you made a serious mistake, but I''m going to take advantage of it!" Gael said majestically, waving his hand.


    At the same moment, all the damaged jaws disintegrated into ash and blood. They quickly began to merge into each other, creating new jaws.


    There were slightly fewer than before, about eighty, but new jaws were appearing every second, so now, there were even more opponents than before aiming for Ereg!


    "Tsk. Decided that this time would be enough? Fine, I can repeat the same thing many more times!" Ereg frowned as his hands shed blue mes once again.


    In a heartbeat, his palms collided with each other, causing powerful shockwaves with rings of aether. This time, Ereg decided to focus some of his power in the middle to create jaw-destroying rings.


    In fact, his n was sessful, for among the jaws that were cast aside were now destroyed.


    Ereg had never used such an attack before, nor had he found himself in such a situation before, but it was never toote to learn something new.


    Gael smirked, it seemed he expected Ereg to be able to improve on his new technique, and it didn''t bother him.


    "Fine, looks like it''s time to show you something new, right?" Gael smirked before pping his hands together.


    At the same moment, the one hundred and twenty jaws stopped and looked at each other. They quickly split into thirty grippy four jaws each and began to sh.


    "What? What''s going on?" Krana tilted her head in confusion.


    Alucard smirked as he threw her a hard stare.


    "Isn''t it obvious? I thought a monster like you should have realized it right away, but I guess I was wrong."


    Krana frowned as she puffed up her cheeks.


    "Oh, you already know how to feign offense? Where did you learn it and when did you learn it? Well..." Alucard''s eyes went wide, "Is it the natural ability of all girls? Hahaha, that would make sense and exin a lot of things!"


    Krana didn''t answer anything, she just sighed heavily, wanting an answer to her question.


    "Well, Gael makes small jaws into bigger jaws. He didn''t want to do it before since it didn''t make sense, the bigger jaws wouldn''t have been able to eat Ereg anyway. It was much better to send dozens of small ones at him that he couldn''tpletely fight off." Alucard exined.


    "I see..." Krana muttered as her eyes went wide, "However, now that the small jaws have shown their weakness, he decided to rece them. That''s pretty smart."


    Alucard shrugged.


    "Maybe. It''s just, it''s what anyone in Gael''s shoes would have done. The shockwaves from the ether stunned all the little jaws, and the second time, Ereg was even able to destroy some of them. At that rate, he wouldn''t even need 85% blue ghost to win."


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The thirtyrge jaws were fully ready, and at Gael''s sweep of his hand, they descended upon Ereg.


    Ereg was wary. He didn''t know how strong therge jaws were, but he felt he could handle them.


    ''Hmm. Sometimes you don''t need to change your tactics or n of action, you just need to tweak it a bit and do better thanst time, don''t you think?'' Ereg pondered, looking at his hands.


    Ether trembled slightly, like a timer that would take Ereg''s strength to another level. However, it wouldn''t happen in the next ten seconds, and Ereg understood that.


    Therge jaws approached him,pletely surrounding him and opening their mouths wide. Their teeth were muchrger, and the big jaws also had long fangs. The fangs were not needed to cut through flesh like a sword, but to get as much blood as possible with a sessful attack.


    Ereg couldn''t let the jaws get any more of his blood. The reason wasn''t just because it made the jaws stronger, the loss of blood was weakening him.


    Right now, he felt fine, but if severalrge jaws sank their fangs into his shoulders and drank his blood, the situation would get much worse.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Ereg focused as much energy as possible into his palms before mming down again.


    The shockwave failed to stun therge jaws, they only paused for a short while before continuing onward.


    Gael smirked. His n had worked perfectly, for all he needed for a sessful attack was for his jaws to get a little stronger.


    However, soon the joy was gone from his face, reced by puzzlement and anxiety.


    p. p. p.


    Ereg didn''t stop at one attack and continued to p his hands. Not very fast, once every few seconds, because he needed time to umte energy. However, it was enough to keep his jaws from moving.


    Moreover, after the fifth p, therge jaws were covered with cracks. They started to copse, and it seemed Ereg wasn''t going to stop.


    ''Shit! I didn''t expect him to have so much energy! Can he keep doing this forever? Gael internally eximed in disbelief.


    In fact, after the tenth p, a quarter of all the big jaws were broken, and even Gael started to feel a bright pain in his ears. He had to smash the ether rings with his sword to keep from taking damage from them, and it seemed that this was just the beginning.


    A fire burned in Ereg''s eyes, for he didn''t even realize he could use Ether in such a way, it was a new discovery for him, like some explorer.


    "Hahaha, it looks like his jaws were useless in front of ether, that wouldn''t happen with yours, would it?" Svenughed, casting a nce at Wain.


    Wain nodded with a slight smile on his face.


    "I won''t hide it, since our jaws are based on different forces the result would have beenpletely different in my case."


    Wain sighed as he looked at the ashy jaws breaking under the effects of ether.


    "My jaws would tear the ether apart, preventing it from connecting to be a real threat. After a few minutes, the jaws would reach Ereg, and he wouldn''t be able to defend against them. Though... if it reached 100% blue ghost, I''d probably be in trouble."


    Marlis''s eyes went wide as she looked with disbelief at Wain, then at Ereg.


    She and Osvald, spoke to Wain in a casual tone, as an equal, and that suited everyone. However, she realized thatpared to the full power of the Nameless King, she was nothing, just an empty space.


    She was surprised that Wain had said that about Ereg, which showed how strong Ereg was.


    ''Well... It makes sense, right? After all, Ereg and Gael, they''re both progenitors and are among the strongest beings. Me and Osvald, we also stand at the top, but there''s always someone higher...''''


    Marlis internally muttered, then she cast a quick nce at Wain.


    ''Almost always...''


    Gael waved his hand, as all remainingrge jaws flew back. In over ten ps, Ereg had managed to destroy almost a third of therge jaws and now there were sixteen of them left.


    "Fine, looks like I have no choice but to put everything on one attack, right?" Gael muttered before clenching his hand into a fist.


    At the same moment, all the jaws turned into ash and blood clots, but they did not merge into a giant jaw, but headed towards the heart and the blood crystals.


    Blood crystals shattered, covering the heart with blood and using all the remaining ash to transform into something bigger and more intimidating.


    The heart became the base and everything else the material, leaving no more energy in Gael''s third scar.

 Chapter 1143: Piranha

    Gael could create hundreds, thousands, and even millions of jaws if he had enough time to do so. Jaws could grow and divide, that was the main ability of Gael''s third scar.


    However, he didn''t have that ability now, for at any given moment Ereg''s blue ghost could reach 85%. Gael knew that in that case, he would immediately have to use his next giant scar and the potential of the third one would be lost.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The ash quickly moved around the heart, forming a massive ancient monster. It was something between a snake and a piranha, for the monster''s body was covered in scales, and the monster had a huge jaw like a piranha.


    The long tail slowly swayed from side to side while the piranha''s four eyes stared intently at Ereg, with the sole intention of devouring him.


    "Oh, that looks terrifying..." Ereg muttered while running his gaze over the piranha''s entire body.


    Besides the main jaw, the piranha had about a hundred other jaws located all over its body. However, they were not moving as if they were waiting for something.


    "Ereg, I know I don''t have much time left, but I don''t advise you to rx. This is the final form of my third scar, and it is the best I can do in a battle of 1 vs. 1. Well... Jaws didn''t go anywhere." Gael smirked before extending his arm and swinging his sword.


    The sharp tip of the de traveled down his arm, allowing clots of blood to flow out in a light stream.


    Before Gael or anyone could blink, the piranha swept in front of him, consuming all of his blood without a trace.


    Ereg flinched.


    He already knew that Gael''s jaws could get stronger when absorbing blood, in which case - what was the piranha capable of?


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The piranha''s body trembled as all its jaws began to snap rapidly as if devouring invisible flesh. Then, smaller piranhas began to emerge from its jaws, quite tiny but with hard jaws and sharp teeth.


    "Bastard... I thought I was finally in for a 1 vs. 1, after what you said. However, you just changed the form of your power! The effect is still the same!" Ereg eximed with a great grimace.


    "Not exactly. Well, you''ll find out soon enough." Gael smirked before waving his hand, sending the piranha into battle.


    The piranha opened its massive jaws wide and along with dozens of smaller piranhas descended upon Ereg.


    The little piranhas appeared continuously, it seemed that the speed of their creation was much faster than the jaws as they had a single center.


    "Alright. I''ll show you how stupid that was." Ereg muttered before mming his palms into his hands as hard and fast as possible. Such an attack would have destroyed half his jaws had he done it sooner.


    Whooooooooooosh.


    The shockwave along with the ether rings spread around. However, just as the rings were about to reach the small piranhas and destroy them, the small piranhas stopped and returned to the jaws of the main piranha''s body.


    "What the fuck..." Ereg''s eyes went wide in disbelief, watching as the ether rings passed through the main piranha.


    To the main piranha the shockwave and ether rings were no barrier, so the monster just continued moving forward with no intention of stopping.


    Crackle.


    The massive jaw came into motion, about to close and devour Ereg. However, Ereg was not going to give up or stand idly by. His hands were covered in a thickyer of ether, which meant he had nothing to fear.


    Ereg took a confident step forward and grabbed the main piranha by the jaws, stopping the monster.


    "Well, well, impressive physical strength." Alucard smirked, looking at the surprised piranha.


    The monster''s eyes were wide open with iprehension, looking at Ereg, who somehow could withstand the full power of the jaws. The monster sensed Ereg''s dangerous aura, but the piranha was sure that no one could resist its jaws.


    Still, for a creature of ash, energy, and a little bit of blood, it was too arrogant. After all, Ereg wasn''t an easy opponent, but someone who made Gael use everything he had.


    "Yes, but... what will he do next?" Liang said with a slight wave of his hand, "Ereg was able to stop the piranha''s jaws, and the ether protects his hands, but it''s a double-edged sword. Neither of them can move."


    "Is it bad...?" N asked in confusion.


    Liang raised an eyebrow.


    N sighed.


    "I mean, even though it''s weird, this way, Ereg can buy himself some time for the blue ghost to grow up." N suggested.


    "Well, there''s logic in that, but you forget that there''s more than one opponent against him." Liang uttered before turning towards the arena.


    At the same moment, the jaws on the piranha''s body opened again, releasing hundreds of small piranhas. There were both those who had taken cover from Ereg''sst attack and those who had appeared in this short period.


    Ereg couldn''t defend himself against these piranhas because his hands were full, and he was immobilized. Neither he nor the main piranhas could change their stance, but unlike Ereg, the main piranha had a way to attack.


    "No...! Ipletely forgot about them! Is it really that hard to fight 1 vs. 1!?" N eximed with a worried expression. She realized that now the little piranhas would sink their sharp teeth into Ereg and gradually start gnawing at him.


    In a few seconds, Ereg would bepletely weakened, and that would cause the main piranha to eat him!


    Alucard shrugged.


    "You don''t have to worry." Alucard nonchntly said with a calm look, "These piranhas won''t be a problem for him, because right now they aren''t going to defend themselves. Their only target is Ereg, and he knows it."


    At the same moment, the small piranhas came close to Ereg, then a smirk appeared on his face. It seemed like he had been waiting for this moment and it was part of his n.


    "Well, not that I intended this from the beginning, but I have no other way to get rid of you." Ereg uttered before redirecting some of his ether downwards.


    This weakened him a bit, and after a while, Ereg would no longer be able to resist the jaws of the main piranha. However, he had enough strength to withstand this pressure for a while.


    Then, Ereg raised his left leg to where part of his ether was headed, covering it with a denseyer of energy.


    N''s eyes went wide as she realized what Ereg''s n was. She wasn''t the only one surprised though, Gael hadn''t expected this either, and he realized what it could lead to.


    Bam.


    Ereg stomped his foot on the ground with all his might, releasing all the umted ether. The ground cracked, and a powerful destructive wave quickly spread around.


    The shockwave was followed by a stream of ether that looked like blue mes, destroying everything in its path, unlike the rings.


    The little piranhas stopped and pointed sharply backward. They realized that they had to hide in the main piranha to survive, but it was already toote...


    Whoooooosh.


    The blue mes destroyed every single small piranha and even threw the main piranha a few meters away.


    It was a big blow to the main piranha, as it lost all of its subordinates, but it was not the end as the jaws could create new piranhas. At least for now.


    "You won''t get away!" Ereg eximed before rushing forward with an excited expression.


    He knew he had an opportunity to destroy the main piranha, and he decided to take it now.


    Ether covered Ereg''s fists as he began to attack the jaws on the main piranha''s body. Each of his punches destroyed one jaw so that they could no longer create little piranhas. It seemed like an endless process, but in less than ten seconds, Ereg was able to destroy more than half of the jaws.


    "Alright. Looks like the power and effect of the third scar is finally,ing to an end." Alucard smirked.


    "Hmm? Ereg''s jaws are shattering, but it looks like his attacks can''t damage the scales of the main piranha." Nitra said with a slight frown, "Surely he can destroy it, but it''ll take him a long time to do so.


    Alucard chuckled evilly.


    "Don''t be silly. Can''t you see that Ereg has already reached his local limit? When you reach the barrier there''s only one way to go - forward, onward to power." Alucard smiled widely as his eyes sparkled.


    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    After a few more attacks, Ereg destroyed all the jaws and flung the main piranha away from him. The monster lost all of its jaws and was left all alone, against one of the strongest creatures in the world.


    The piranha roared furiously and attacked Ereg with all its speed with its jaw wide open. However, Ereg wasn''t worried, because his blue ghost had just reached 85%

 Chapter 1144: The Fourth Scar

    The moment for which Ereg had to endure tons of damage and pain had finally arrived - his blue ghost continued to grow at an elerated rate and finally reached 85%!


    There was only a 1% difference between 84% and 85%, but it wasn''t the math and power of one of the Progenitors. That 1% was a certain barrier, only by breaking it Ereg could ess the next stage of his strength.


    "Hah, that''s it. Now you don''t look scary at all." Ereg smirked as the blue mes around him increased several times in size, and his eyes shone brightly.


    At the same moment, Ereg bent his body forward slightly and clenched his fists tightly together as if preparing to throw something.


    Piranha didn''t realize that now it couldn''t handle Ereg, the monster was acting instinctively in a torrent of rage. Piranha was sure that its jaws were powerful enough to devour Ereg, but... now they were onpletely different levels.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Dense blue energy condensed around Ereg''s fist, shining brightly as if he were clutching a tiny star.


    Then, Ereg took a step forward, bringing his fist down directly on the piranha, whose wide-open jaw was in front of his face.


    The bright sh blinded everyone for a moment, and then a deafening st of pure energy spread for miles around, causing some onlookers to cover their ears.


    The piranha didn''t even have time to think of a n of action or react, as the energy simply turned it into dust, leaving nothing behind.


    The powerful energy st traveled onward, leaving a streak on the ground and destroying part of the far wall of the colosseum, which was not far from Gael.


    Gael''s eyes were wide open, for he hadn''t expected the change in Ereg''s power to be so significant. At that moment, Gael could only think about how much stronger Ereg could be until they used their Forms.


    ''Fine... If he''s at 85% now, he should be fine. I still have four scars left. However... What will happen when he reaches 100%? Will any of my attacks be able to affect him if all his energy is reced by ether?" Gael pondered while Ereg with a slight smile on his face kneaded his shoulder.


    "Unbelievable..." Nitra muttered, her fingertips trembling and her heart beating faster, "It was a simple fist strike, but because he released so much energy at once, it had such a devastating effect."


    "Ordinary?" Alucard raised an eyebrow in confusion, "Are you alright? Maybe you''re blind?"


    Nitra frowned as she clenched her fists tightly. It didn''t seem to matter what their rtionship was, Alucard''s taunts would never stop, and it was impossible to get used to it.


    "What do you mean? You think this was some kind of special technique! Ereg just used a huge amount of energy!"


    Alucard nodded.


    "Yes, and so far his body hasn''t had time to adapt to it yet. That problem will be solved soon, but while the blue ghost is growing, Ereg''s body is hurriedly trying to get used to the new power. Anyway, for now, he won''t be able to use this kind of attack again, but... it won''t be for long."


    Liang looked at Gael, at Ereg, then turned to Alucard with a deep gaze.


    "Hey, Gael uses his scars in that order on purpose, doesn''t he? Each sessive scar is stronger than thest, but by how much?"


    Alucard chuckled.


    "Sure, you''re right. If you ignore his second scar, summoning Peace Nightmare, the first scar is much weaker than the seventh. It also means that the fourth and fifth are much more dangerous than the third."


    N flinched as fragments of Ereg''s fight with Jaws shed through her mind. She couldn''t understand what could be more dangerous than hundreds of jaws capable of devouring even a Progenitor!


    "In that case..." N muttered with concern in her voice as she stepped forward, "What is the next Gael''s scar capable of?"


    Alucard shrugged with a mocking smile on his face.


    "I don''t know. Let''s watch together!"


    "Pfffft! Don''t you feel sorry for me at all? I''ve been nervous too much this day!" N snorted as she crossed her arms over her chest and turned away.


    "Nah. Why should I feel sorry for you? You''re standing here watching two great beings fight. Receiving priceless knowledge and my attention. You should be happy to be in this situation." Alucard waved his hand carelessly.


    N''s face flushed at Alucard''s words, but she didn''t say anything. She knew she could not influence him in any way, for Alucard was unchanged, both externally and internally, physically and mentally.


    "My friend, it seems we must move on to the next stage, don''t you think?" Ereg smirked, finished kneading his shoulder, and headed towards Gael in a calm stride.


    His fists, as well as his entire body, were covered in bright blue mes, powerful and intense enough to exist even if there was nothing left of the world. Ether didn''t burn like normal mes, but it was more dangerous, for mes with pure destructive power were the most dangerous.


    Gael smiled as he stepped forward and nced at his right leg. He still had four more scars - two on his legs, one on his chest, and thest one, on his back...


    Each scar had its own unique history and memory that had turned into abilities under the influence of Gael''s power.


    ''Hmm... I wonder if after today''s battle, I''ll have one more giant scar, or will it stay the same? After all, getting a giant scar while fighting a Transcendence Creature might be too much...'''' Gael pondered with a bitter smile on his face before stepping forward.


    Ereg''s aura was very powerful, but the mes around him were gradually calming down, although that didn''t mean that Ereg was getting weaker. No, on the contrary, his ether was thickening covering his body with a thinyer of energy.


    A light me remained on his fists, not at all as bright as before, but much more dangerous.


    Though Ereg and Gael were just walking towards each other, Ereg''s blue ghost had grown slightly, already reaching 86%! The growth would continue and would continue at a rapid pace until it reached 89%.


    Then, Ereg would face his next barrier, and Gael would have to catch up to what he was capable of until then.


    "Hey, aren''t you going to use your fourth scar? That could be a big mistake." Ereg smirked, already knowing the answer to his question.


    Gael smiled slightly, pointing his sword at Ereg.


    "One attack. First, I want to see what you''re capable of now. Honestly, I didn''t expect you to be able to destroy a piranha in one strike. It was even a little frustrating."


    Ereg shrugged.


    "I can''t help it that I''m so strong, can I?" Ereg smirked, then a wide grin appeared on his face, and a me of anticipation lit in his eyes.


    "Well, can''t say I mind. However, I won''t hold back! If you don''t want to use your fourth scar now, that''s your choice!" Ereg eximed before bursting forward.


    Gael nodded slightly with a slight smile.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    In a heartbeat, Ereg appeared in front of Gael, bringing his fist down on him.


    Gael reacted instantly, blocking Ereg''s attack with his sword. However, it was not enough, because now Ereg''s strength was on apletely different level. The impact, pushed Gael back a few meters while his hands shook from the powerful recoil.


    ''Damn... If he''s attacking at full power, then I''m definitely inferior to him in strength. Well, that''s not surprising. In order to fight further I must use the next scar.'''' Gael pondered as he raised his eyes, intending to continue this short skirmish.


    Bam.


    Before Gael could realize anything, Ereg''s fist came crashing down on his face, throwing Gael dozens of meters aside with a loud crack.


    Ereg''s eyes went wide as a stream of blood rushed from his nose, and his face creased in pain. Some of the ether passed through his body, causing him to feel a vivid pain for a brief period.


    Then, Gael crashed into the wall, raising a cloud of soap and not in the power to do anything for the next few seconds.


    "That''s not all!" Ereg eximed as he attacked Gael again, plunging his fist into Gael''s stomach.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The shockwave spread out to the sides, knocking Gael out of the arena and punching the wall of the colosseum with his back.


    Gael flew hundreds of meters out of bounds, crashing into massive rocks and destroying them on the way beforeing to a stop next to the shore.


    Liang narrowed his eyes, he could feel how powerful this attack was.


    Gael spat out a clot of blood, looked at the purple sand passing through his fingers, and smiled slightly.


    "Yeah, I shouldn''t have done that. Well, I just wanted to see how much stronger he got, and I got the answer to my question." Gael muttered as the scar on his right leg shone brightly.


    At the same moment, the wind began to elerate, and the weather began to change.

 Chapter 1145: A Thousand Winds

    Every giant scar contained some sort of ability and the fourth one was no exception. On the contrary, the fourth one immediately proved to be the most massive and spectacr, for as soon as the scar on Gael''s right leg shone brightly, the weather itself began to change.


    Powerful torrents of wind appeared out of nowhere, while the bright sky was covered in storm clouds like a powerful storm.


    "What''s going on...?" N muttered as her heart began to race, "Is it an ability or aplete climate change?"


    "Well, like I said, each scar will be stronger than thest. We''ve already seen half of them, so the fourth one is a transitional phase. Though, that doesn''t mean the next scars will be any less effective." Alucard said with a slight smile on his face.


    Gael slowly rose from the ground, while the wind fluttered his hair and fluttered his long robe. The wind had be his ally, for it was the effect of his fourth scar, now this power was ready to help him win.


    Ereg was wary he had not yet seen the full effect, but he sensed that the threat was significant and perhaps even deadly.


    "Wind? I thought all your powers would be tied to some monsters." Ereg smirked looking at Gael slowly striding in his direction.


    Gael''s gait was serene but for some reason with every step he took there was a clear threat growing, and Ereg could feel it. His instincts told him that he had to stay alert, even though he had just dealt Gael a crushing blow with his fist.


    Gael''s body was strong enough to continue to withstand almost any amount of damage. The most important thing was that he still had the will to fight and the energy. However, the same was true for Ereg.


    Ether, was his main strength at the moment, but it was actually his spirit, unwilling to give up. His instincts were always with him and he trusted them no matter what situation he found himself in.


    "Monsters?" Gael tilted his head with a calm look, "Agh, you''re talking about ws and jaws, right? Well, the second scar was not rted to a monster. Moreover, there''s nothing scarier in this world than the power of nature, or do you disagree with that?"


    At the same moment, Gael swung his hand causing a powerful stream of wind that carried him forward, bringing him back to the Colosseum.


    Whoooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Then, the wind began to move with tremendous speed, spinning around the colosseum and creating a kind of dome that covered the entire area and the spectators.


    All that remained was the storm clouds high above, slowly swirling and forming a tiny vortex in the center. It wasn''t ready to descend upon Ereg yet, but at some point, that moment was definitely going toe.


    "And...? That''s it?" Ereg raised an eyebrow in confusion. He could feel that a powerful aura was emanating from the vortex, capable of harming even him, but the vortex was still too weak.


    The vortex needed some time to reach its peak power and help Gael in battle. However, if Gael had nothing else in his arsenal, it was an easy victory for Ereg.


    Gael shook his head.


    "Of course not. I realize you think I have nothing to surprise you besides the vortex, but you''re wrong. When the vortex gains speed and power, it will be my weapon, that''s true, but... You''ll have to try harder to live up to that moment." Gael said majestically as his eyes shone brightly and a powerful aura began to emanate from him.


    This aura was different from what the audience had felt before, it was free, yet all-consuming. It was as if everything that would happen in the arena was under Gael''splete control and will.


    "The wind...? But, could the wind be dangerous in a situation like this?" N muttered in disbelief, "What is he going to do?"


    Alucard chuckled evilly, for he was the only one who had seen Gael''s fourth giant scar in action.


    "Hey, maybe you should just tell us everything so you don''t have to keep it to yourself?" Nitra suggested with the clear intention of learning as much as she could about Gael''s giant scars.


    Alucard merely waved his hand.


    "Just look. Gael went through serious, deadly trials to get his scars. If I just tell you, I''m insulting the effort he put in. You need to understand that as much as the others."


    Nitra didn''t answer anything. She just snorted and crossed her arms over her chest with puffed-up cheeks. She knew Alucard was right, but that didn''t mean her interest in the information was gone.


    Liang looked intently at Gael, who had a slight confident smile on his face.


    "He doesn''t seem to be worried at all that Ereg''s blue ghost has already reached 87%, and I think it will soon reach 88%." Liang suggested with a hard stare.


    Alucard shrugged.


    "To be honest, Ereg has been through a lot of trials already as well as Gael. He''s already adapted to almost everything, but this wind has a unique purpose."


    Liang raised an eyebrow with curiosity.


    At the same time, Sven, Marlis, Osvald, and Wain were discussing Gael''s fourth scar.


    "What do you think?" Sven asked with a sly smile, "Do you feel any threat from the wind?"


    Wain shook his head.


    "No, but this wind is kind of weird like it can move a lot faster than it is now. I mean, not just several times its speed, but practically reach infinity. It''s a feeling that''s pretty hard to exin."


    Sven''s gaze deepened as he went back to watching the fight


    Marlis and Osvald were arguing with each other about something as usual. Their opinions about this fight changed quite often as well as their favorites. However, it didn''t matter whose victory they were betting on, it was never one person.


    Gael looked around, looked at the dome from the raging, at the spectators awaiting his next action, and let out a slight sigh.


    "Alright. I think we should get started, don''t you?" Gael suggested before reaching forward, slowly clenching his fist.


    At the same moment, streams of wind traveled towards his hand, transforming into a dense sphere with powerful energy.


    Ereg was alert as he got into a fighting stance. He expected Gael to throw that sphere at him. He thought it was a bomb or something.


    However, it didn''t happen.


    Gael continued to squeeze the sphere for a while until arge white rune in the shape of open wings appeared on it. Then, Gael smiled, opened his palm. and the sphere flew high up.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Without his intervention, the sphere began to move rapidly around the circle of the arena, getting faster and faster until it turned into a snow-white disk.


    "Alright. That''s enough." Gael said calmly, and the sphere stopped.


    Strangely enough, instead of the snow-white energy disk, many more of the same spheres appeared. They were exact copies of the first one.


    The spheres trembled slightly as if the speed inside them was trying to escape.


    Ereg, once again, prepared to attack, but again nothing happened. Instead of pouncing on Ereg as the jaws would have done, the spheres stood in a pir, one beneath the other.


    Then, they began to move quickly around the arena again, creating several snow-white disks.


    When the spheres stopped, the entire perimeter of the arena was covered with hundreds of spheres - the purpose of which was still unknown. Only Gael and Alucard knew what was happening, for the rest of them it was a real mystery.


    "What the hell...? Why did you create these spheres...?" Ereg muttered in confusion, looking at the spheres.


    They began to separate from each other leaving the strict rows and spreading across the arena. This time, Ereg did not expect them to attack, for he realized that was not their purpose.


    The spheres just floated serenely around the arena, moving in random trajectories, but they never collided with each other as if there was an invisible barrier between them.


    "Alright, let''s get started." Gael said confidently, swinging his sword the space around him trembled. His second scar had managed to umte some energy during this time, so he was going to use it to make his attacks more powerful.


    "Tsk. I don''t know what those spheres are supposed to do, but I''m not going to wait for them to pounce on me and destroy me!" Ereg eximed before rushing forward.


    He didn''t run at Gael as he would have wanted him to but at the nearest sphere. Ereg''s fists were covered in thick ether, causing ripples in the air as he unleashed an attack on the sphere.


    Gael smirked. He stopped in ce, wanting to watch Ereg''s reaction, for he knew what would happen.


    Bam.


    Ereg attacked with all his speed so the sphere couldn''t dodge, even for Gael it would have been possible.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    However, the sphere just shifted, seemingly at supersonic speed.


    "What...? I hit it, I almost hit it... there was less than a fraction of a second left..." Ereg muttered in a disbelief.

 Chapter 1146: Teleportation

    Many creatures in this world possess high speed.


    Some of them could easily move faster than the speed of sound, and some, like Light Racer, were trying to reach the speed of light, an absolute and unattainable value. After all, even approaching the speed of light was already incredibly powerful due to inertia and kic power.


    However, what about teleportation? Was it possible in a world with multiple races, Dragons, and humans who could create ck holes or mes out of nothing?


    Sure, but not everyone could achieve it to the fullest extent because it usually either required high speed or some sort of ability.


    More often than not, teleportation required a great loss of energy and a certain amount of time. Even Alucard, creating a stream of blood had to take a few seconds to get out of position, summon the blood, and end up in the desired location.


    Gael decided to change that and use the power of the fourth scar tobine the two necessary conditions in order to achieve a better result.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    While Ereg stared wide-eyed at the sphere that was able to dodge his attack in a split second, Gael disappeared.


    At the same moment, the sphere shuddered, and they switched ces with Gael - instantly, it took him less than a second to do so, and it was insanely fast for such an action.


    "Hey, you should stop thinking about your failure, because you have a more important task! You need to tackle me!" Gael uttered with a sly smile, sheathing his sword at Ereg.


    Ereg''s pupils narrowed as his ether once again turned into a pair of long, sharp ws. He could no longer rely on his fists when he had to fend off Gael''s sword.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The space shuddered from their collision, as the ground beneath Gael''s feet cracked. His hands trembled slightly, for Ereg now surpassed him in physical power.


    "Hah, it looks like someone miscalcted their strength. Gael, have you forgotten that your scars give you abilities, but each one doesn''t increase your strength? I, on the other hand, am constantly striving for the top, strengthening my body and increasing my energy density!" Ereg majestically uttered, feeling that just a little more and Gael would no longer be able to hold the block.


    Gael smiled bitterly.


    "Hey, do you really think that''s all my fourth scar can do? I mean, the time of the vortex hasn''te yet, but the spheres have several purposes."


    Ereg got a puzzled look on his face. He didn''t understand what Gael was talking about, because like most of the audience he knew nothing about Gael''s fourth giant scar.


    Gael shrugged, loosened his grip on his sword by removing one hand, and swung it slightly.


    Ereg was wary. He realized that Gael had done it for a reason, because he had to release his hand to do it, so he was controlling something!


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Before Ereg could realize it, one of the wind spheres turned into a t, wind de. Ereg didn''t see it since the de was behind him, but his instincts told him that he had to dodge right away!


    However, before Ereg could even take a step, the wind de shuddered and ended up on the ground, in front of Gael''s feet.


    "I decided not to aim this time, but who knows what I''ll do next one?" Gael smirked, looking at Ereg''s shocked face.


    Ereg touched his shoulder, where a thin trickle of blood wasing out from a thorough wound running through his entire shoulder.


    It took him a moment to realize that the de had gone through his shoulder. In fact, since Ereg was the target, the wind de had only been able to do a fraction of the damage, as his wound looked as if a thin needle had gone through it, not a sword. However, it was only one de out of many, and there was no telling how much damage Ereg could take without consequences.


    N, watching the battle and wishing with all her heart that Ereg would win again, began to worry. She shuddered as she looked at the dozens of spheres floating in the arena.


    She realized that under the wind dome covering the entire Colosseum, Gael had limitless possibilities. Moreover, the vortex at the center of the storm clouds was slowly gaining strength and soon would be a serious threat to Ereg.


    "Hmm... How curious. It can not only change ces with the spheres but also turn them into weapons that travel at sonic speed or even faster." Nitra muttered, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.


    Liang turned to Alucard with a slight me of curiosity in his eyes.


    "Hey, is the scar capable of anything else?"


    Alucard shrugged.


    "I don''t know. Isn''t that enough? I feel like it would be difficult for any of us to resist such a power, even Ereg is starting to gradually panic."


    Liang sighed heavily.


    "Well... I hope that''s it because this is getting too much. I can see that Ereg is confused. His instincts didn''t help him dodge the de, he didn''t know what to do. I don''t think any of us would have it easy, though. Not even you, right?" Liang looked intently at Alucard.


    Alucard smiled carelessly.


    "My regeneration would be useless, because with so many weapons, Gael would just kill me every second. If Ereg wants to win and live to see the whirlwind, he needs to do something of the two options."


    Liang, N, Krana, and Nitra looked at him, listening intently.


    "Either, Ereg will learn to dodge the wind des and adapt to Gael''s teleportations, or he will find a way to destroy the spheres or even the dome."


    Alucard continued.


    "However, he has little time for that, for Gael will no longer be deterred."


    At the same moment, Gael''s silhouette shuddered in its ce a sphere appeared, and he found himself behind Ereg.


    Whooooooooooooosh.


    Gael swung his sword, leaving a long cut on Ereg''s back from which streams of blood rushed out.


    "Argh!" Ereg clenched his teeth due to the vivid pain, as Gael used his energy to make the attack more devastating with Peace Nightmare.


    Ereg turned around sharply, trying to counterattack and grab Gael. This way, he would be able to dy his opponent and make some attacks.


    However, as soon as their gazes met, Ereg''s eyes went wide because Gael waved his hand twice, causing the two spheres behind him to shake.


    At the same moment, Ereg saw two shes that aimed straight for his chest. Gael wasn''t kidding, this time he was going to pierce Ereg''s heart with one of his des.


    Ereg didn''t have time to think ande up with a n because the des were moving too fast. After Gael swung his arm, Ereg had no more than a second to do something.


    At times like this, Ereg had his own way of solving problems - to trust his instinctspletely. Over his long life, over hundreds or even thousands of battles, Ereg had learned to do this naturally.


    When he realized that he didn''t have time to react, he gave up control of his bodypletely to his instincts.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    Ereg''s pupils dted due to the great adrenaline rush, then ether ws trembled turning into a blob of energy that headed straight for Ereg''s chest.


    His blue ghost had already reached 89%, so he had enough energy topletely cover his body with an extremely dense barrier if he wanted to.


    However, his instincts felt that it wasn''t enough, so his body naturally condensed most of the energy into where the wind des were directed.


    Gael frowned slightly, as he realized that now his attack would not be as effective as it should be.


    Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.


    The wind des, moving at great speed, mmed into Ereg''s chest, but could not pierce it because they were stuck in the barrier of blue energy.


    However, even this density was not enough topletely block the wind des, throwing them aside or breaking them. No, the des were able to pass through the barrier, but only slightly, leaving minor cuts on Ereg''s chest that didn''t even bleed.


    Still, the speed of the wind des was enough to create a powerful inertia. The impact, threw Ereg backwards, causing him to hit the solid stone wall of the colosseum.


    There were several spheres in his path, but when he should have collided with them, they quickly changed their location to avoid him.


    Bam.


    A trickle of blood flowed from Ereg''s mouth, but he had a satisfied smirk on his face as he was able to partially block Gael''s attack and also realized a lot about Gael''s fourth scar.


    Alucard chuckled evilly.


    "Looks like Gael lost his opportunity to surprise Ereg, for his opponent was just able to see the weaknesses of his ability."


    "Weaknesses? But, I didn''t notice anything." N muttered with a confused expression.


    "Of course, you are. If you were fighting against Gael you would have died long ago, but Ereg is different." Alucard said nonchntly, causing N to puff up her cheeks resentfully.

 Chapter 1147: Flaws

    Everyone strived to achieve the ideal, to be an absolute, but it was impossible. Even if someone removed all the ws in themselves or their technique, it was just an illusion.


    Every person or ability had ws, and Gael with his fourth giant scar was no exception.


    Wind spheres were dangerous tools, and wind des were deadly weapons, but Ereg already realized what Gael''s limitations were.


    "Well, well, it looks like you should have ended things much earlier if you wanted to win. When you shot me in the shoulder you should have aimed for the head, then you would have won!" Ereg eximed with an excited smile, rising from the ground.


    With a wave of his hand, Ereg threw away the wind des and pointed the ether to his hands. However, this time Ereg decided to create something new rather than just ws or a denseyer covering his fists like mes.


    The ether, turned into massive gloves, with long edges reaching up to his elbows. The fingers were pointed with spikes, like ws, but not as long. Threads emerged from the back of the gloves, waving in the wind and waiting to be used to protect their wearer.


    Gael shook his head.


    "Not a bad use of ether, but I wasn''t going to spare you when I attacked you in the shoulder. Although, from the outside, it might seem that way."


    "Hm? Then why didn''t you attack the head!" Ereg said with a wave of his hand.


    Gael shrugged his shoulders.


    "Instincts. Now, I decided to end things by piercing your heart, I was counting on the two des flying behind me to be enough. However, as always, your body took control of the situation and maximized your resources. Moreover, your ether has started to grow again..."


    Before continuing, Gael nced at the lightyer of blue energy around Ereg. Before defending against the Wind de, Gael''s ether had stopped growing, for it had reached 89%. However, due to the severe stress on his body, the energy began to increase again, slowly approaching the next milestone of 90%.


    "If I were to attack you in the head, you would most likely somehow manage to survive. It was too much of a risk, so instead I chose to wound you."


    Ereg grinned contentedly. He liked the fact that Gael took him seriously and considered his instincts as a powerful weapon.


    "Alright, actually your ability turned out not to be as omnipotent as I thought it would be. First of all wind des need time to dispel and turn back into spheres." Ereg uttered as he cast a nce at the spot where he had previously stood.


    The wind de was almost dispelled, only its tip sticking out of the ground. It needed a few more seconds before it would return to its original form, a sphere.


    "Second, you can''t control your des, can you?" Ereg smirked, looking intently at Gael.


    Gael didn''t answer anything, but he frowned slightly, and his gaze grew sharper. It was enough to show that Ereg waspletely right.


    Ereg chuckled as he stepped forward. This part of the fight gave him confidence, however, he didn''t forget that his opponent was the strongest he had ever faced.


    ''Damn... I may have found a way to deal with des, but what about this scary thing?'' Ereg pondered, ncing at the vortex that had already gotten much bigger since the battle began.


    "Pfffft. I''m disappointed." Nitra snorted in an arrogant way.


    "Hmm?" Alucard raised an eyebrow in confusion.


    "He only needed one attack to realize the weaknesses in Gael''s ability. Moreover, his ether has already started to grow, and when it reaches 90% there will be no other option for Gael, but to use the next scar."


    Alucard wanted to say something, but N beat him to it. Unlike Nitra, she was genuinely worried about Ereg and tried to learn as much as she could about the situation.


    "Maybe Nitra is right, but what if Gael can use two scars at once at the same time?" N suggested.


    Nitra''s eyes went wide with a slight shiver throughout her body. For some reason, she hadn''t even considered it, though it was entirely possible in theory.


    Alucard waved his hand.


    "Nah, if he does that then the effect of the past scar will cancel out. You can rest assured of that." Alucard nonchntly said, making everyone believe him.


    Liang turned to Alucard.


    "Either way. Even if it''s all Gael''s abilities, he hasn''t shown the full power of the fourth scar yet, has he?"


    Alucard smirked, chuckled evilly, and red at Gael. This time, he didn''t bother to answer but just focused on the fight, causing the others to do the same.


    They couldn''t get an answer from Alucard, so they could get an answer by watching the fight.


    "Furthermore, although it''s not a serious w, this ability has another one!" Ereg said confidently, pointing at Gael''s hand.


    Gael narrowed his eyes.


    "To control wind des you need to use your hand, don''t you? You can''t do it with your mind, as these spheres are pretty free entities." Ereg uttered, looking around.


    He realized that if all the spheres turned into wind des at the same time and rained down on him, he wouldn''t be able to defend himself. However, Gael didn''t have that option. He couldn''t control all the spheres at once, because he couldn''t swing his arm more than a hundred times in an instant.


    Gael let out a heavy sigh. He was about to say something, but Ereg had other ns!


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Ereg tore forward, in a heartbeat, finding himself in front of Gael, whose eyes went wide with surprise. Before he could realize anything, Ereg''s fist was bearing down on him.


    However... Gael remainedpletely unharmed, for at thest moment he was able to switch with the sphere and was ten meters behind.


    "Running away? Alright, you won''t be able to do that all the time anyway!" Ereg eximed, dashing off


    Then, Ereg continued to chase Gael all over the arena, while Gael dodged time after time.


    It was quite difficult to reach Gael, for every time Ereg''s attack had to reach him, Gael would change with the orb.


    It seemed like this could go on indefinitely, for even after a hundred different attacks, Ereg couldn''t hit Gael once.


    Sure, Gael didn''t attack either, he only asionallyunched wind des and defended himself with his sword. However, in his current state, Ereg had no trouble dodging every one of Gael''s attacks.


    However, in this situation, it was Gael who was winning, not Ereg. Ereg was expending much more energy than Gael, and also, without a mortal threat to himself, his blue ghost wasn''t growing as fast.


    At this rate, the vortex would reach its full power before Ereg got to 90% and didn''t break the next barrier in his strength!


    "Oh, it looks like Gael has found the right tactic for him. He realizes that even if he is behind Ereg''s back, he won''t have time to inflict a mortal wound on him. Ereg will defend himself with instinct and ether and take Gael down. Then, if Gael can''t escape, he will be in big trouble." Liang uttered while rubbing his chin thoughtfully.


    Even though he was The Strongest One, it didn''t mean that he considered retreating as cowardice, because in this case, it was part of Gael''s tactics. Besides, he wasn''t running anywhere, just waiting for his main weapon to gain strength - it was a strategy, nothing more.


    Alucard chuckled evilly.


    "Yeah, but that will work until Ereg is no longer afraid. If you follow his gaze, you''ll realize he''s focusing too much on harmless spheres. He needs to act more confident and risky, and then Gael will have to do something to survive."


    It seemed that Ereg had heard Alucard, for that was when his actions changed slightly. Sure, he didn''t hear Alucard, for he waspletely focused on the fight and his opponent. Then, everything outside the arena simply did not exist for him.


    Ereg could not afford to be distracted by anything or anyone when he was facing one of the strongest creatures in this world.


    Whoooooooooooooosh.


    Ereg stopped right in front of Gael when the threadsing out of his gauntlets came into motion. In a heartbeat, a dense ether curled around Gael''s hand preventing him from swapping with the sphere.


    ''Hehehehe, I knew it. If something was holding him back, he wouldn''t be able to swap with the sphere. I wasn''t sure about it, but now... I can attack!" Ereg internally eximed, clenched his fist tightly, and brought it down into Gael''s face.


    This time, he couldn''t dodge, though the sphere in the distance trembled, but the ether threads prevented him from doing so.


    Gael''s nose bled as the ether threads released him, and the shockwave threw him back dozens of meters.


    However, no sooner had Gael regained consciousness or reached the wall than Ereg appeared behind him, kicking Gael in the stomach with all his might.

 Chapter 1148: Blades and the Whirlwind

    Ereg realized that he was running out of time, he had to overwhelm Gael as fast as possible and was seeding.


    A few attacks from his opponent were enough for him to realize what Gael''s Fourth Scar''s weaknesses were. There were a few, but the most basic one was that Gael couldn''t change with spheres when something restricted his movement.


    Whooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Ereg''s foot plunged into Gael''s stomach, throwing him dozens of meters forward. Wind spheres flew off to the sides to prevent Gael from colliding with them, clearing a passage for him.


    "Argh!" Gael cried out in pain as a stream of blood spurted from his mouth with his face distorted.


    N, watching the fight smiled happily. She asionally looked at the vortex, thus she realized that Gael had not yet reached the peak of his power. Ereg, on the other hand, used his physical power to literally beat Gael as he wanted.


    Step. Step. Step.


    Ereg stepped forward majestically, shaking the ground beneath him and ring menacingly at Gael, who was slowly rising from the ground.


    Blood dripped from Gael''s nose, as crimson trickled from the corners of his mouth. Two direct blows were enough to do him serious damage, for now, Ereg''s physical capabilities were almost at their limit.


    However, it was not only his limit but the limit of all other creatures. In this state, he could only be rivaled by Liang, who was known for his incredible power.


    Sure, Ereg had not yet reached the absolute maximum, for his blue ghost could still grow, and he still had his Form. However, Gael would definitely never be able to catch up to him in this parameter again.


    "Come on. Is that all your fourth scar can do? In that case, I suggest you use the fifth one right away! Otherwise, you might die, right now!" Ereg eximed before tearing forward at a tremendous speed.


    The ground beneath him cracked, in a heartbeat, he shortened the distance by more than ten meters.


    At the same moment, Gael''s vision, blurred after the severe damage, quickly returned to normal. It became sharp and clear, allowing him to see every movement of his opponent and everything that was happening on the battlefield.


    It wasn''t a special ability or anything like that. Gael simply took a deep breath, focused, and trusted his instincts. In his condition, that was enough for his body to start working at the peak of its strength.


    Whoooooooosh.


    Ether threads from Ereg''s gauntlets headed towards him, but before they could touch him, Gael''s pupils narrowed.


    At the same moment, he and the wind sphere in the distance switched, leaving Ereg no chance for a sessful attack.


    "Tsk. Come on. We both know there''s no point in running away from me. You can no longer block my attacks the way you used to! Either unleash that whirlwind on me or use the fifth scar! You have no other choice!" Ereg eximed confidently, staring intently at his opponent.


    Gael did not respond. Instead, he looked around, at the ground covered in many cuts and injuries, at the partially destroyed walls, and at the wounds that were on his body.


    Then, Gael smirked insidiously, returning his gaze to Ereg.


    "You''re right. I can no longer run away and try to drain your energy reserves. Sooner orter you''ll catch up to me, that''s for sure."


    Ereg smirked. To him, this was the same as Gael admitting defeat in this round and talking about his helplessness. To him, this was a true aplishment.


    Unfortunately, his joy wasn''t destined tost long, for Gael''s next words,pletely removed the smile from his face.


    "However, I don''t need to run away. Do you think that des and spheres are some sort of subordinates to me? Every scar I have is a weapon, and the fourth one is no exception!" Gael said majestically as dozens of spheres trembled.


    Half of the spheres remained idle while the rest turned into wind des and headed towards Gael at high speed.


    However, the des were not going to pierce him, because their goal was not to damage Gael, he was their master, not their enemy.


    Thus, the dozens of des stopped in front of him and split in two, transforming into massive, white wind des with cross-shaped guards and long handles.


    Now, Gael had three swords, and obviously one of them was extra.


    "Alright, it''s time to show what else my special sword can do." Gael smirked before swinging with Peace Nightmare and stabbing the de of the sword into his palm.


    However, unlike when Gael had shed his neck, Peace Nightmare was unable to do any damage to him now. Instead, the dark sword simply shattered like ss into a multitude of shards that retained the dense energy of darkness.


    "Hey... Didn''t you say he can''t use two scars at once?" Nitra raised an eyebrow in confusion, staring intently at Alucard.


    "Yeah." N nodded, "I hadn''t noticed it before, but during the third scar''s activation, Gael was still using his ck sword. However, he got that sword after activating the second scar."


    Alucard smirked.


    "Well, there''s an exception to every rule, isn''t there? That''s the point!" Alucard waved his hand nonchntly with a predatory smile, "Anyway. I could always lie to you, though... I could tell you the truth. Just think of this sword as a special weapon, and you won''t have a problem."


    N and Nitra nced over at each other. They didn''t like Alucard''s answer, but there was nothing they could do. All they could do was watch the dark shards fly in front of Gael''s face.


    Whoooooooooooooooooooosh.


    Gael''s eyes sparkled as the shards turned into darkness and headed towards the white wind swords, creating dark thin crosses within them. In shape, the crosses were the same as the swords, only much smaller and thinner, like a skeleton or base.


    Then, he took a deep breath, stepped forward, and grabbed the white swords by the hilt, waving them in front of him.


    Streams of wind rushed upward, kicking up dust and small stones from the ground, as well as leaving hundreds of small cuts in the arena that rippled toward Ereg''s side.


    Ereg frowned, for he could hardly see Gael''s attack. The damage left hundreds of tiny wind particles that appeared after Gael swung his white swords.


    "Alright, you can try to defend yourself this way, but I won''t let you do it!" Ereg eximed before rushing forward.


    His instincts told him where the wind particles were, sharp and thin as needles but fast.


    Thus, he had no trouble dodging or destroying them with his ether gloves. The unstable wind particles would simply vaporize upon collision with the ether because the difference in energy density was too great.


    Ereg ran forward, ring at Gael.


    "I mustn''t let him escape!" Ereg muttered, clenching his teeth.


    Whoooooooooooooooooosh.


    In no time, Gael disappeared, and a gray sphere appeared in his ce. It took Ereg only a fraction of a second to realize what had happened, then another fraction of a second to feel his opponent''s aura.


    At the limit of his powers, Ereg turned around, meeting Gael''s cold gaze.


    "Hey, didn''t I tell you? There''s no point in me running away. This dome, swords, and whirlwind, are my domain. Here, you are the prey, and I am the hunter." Gael said majestically, bringing his swords down on Ereg.


    Normally, Ereg would have had time to block such an attack from Gael, but this time, something went wrong.


    "Agh...?" Ereg''s eyes went wide while watching the white swords.


    For some reason, the white swords moved much faster than all of Gael''s previous attacks. It seemed like the swords were moving faster than Gael''s hands, even though it was the hands that were supposed to set the swords in motion!


    Crackle.


    In the next moment, the swords stabbed into Ereg''s shoulders, drops of blood rushing outward while the dense wind tried to cut through some more flesh and even reach the bones.


    Soon, the white swords stopped, for Ereg''s body was extremely strong, but this attack was enough to do him immense damage, leaving him with a shocked look.


    A bright pain spread throughout his body, but Ereg hardly noticed it, he didn''t pay attention to the pain. His mind was immersed in thoughts.


    Gael''s gaze was cold. He was definitely going to inflict as much damage on Ereg as possible until his blue ghost reached 90%. Then, it was unlikely that his swords would be able to pass through ether''s protective barrier.


    Ereg flinched, for he realized that although he was physically superior to Gael, he was slower now, as the force of the wind helped Gael.


    Gael smirked, drew his swords, and kicked Ereg in the face, throwing him dozens of meters away.


    Then, he swapped with the sphere and attacked again and again.


    Ereg did his best to defend, and sometimes, he even managed to dodge or reduce the damage with a solid ether, but it was obvious to everyone that he was losing.

 Chapter 1149: The Whirlwind

    Bam. Bam. Bam.


    Gael ruthlessly attacked his enemy, an old friend and one of the strongest creatures in the entire world.


    Ereg could do nothing, he moved at the limit of his physical capabilities to dodge Gael''s massive swords.


    ''Fuck... If this keeps up I''m just going to lose all my blood...'' Ereg internally muttered, seeing only ck and white shes in front of him.


    Ereg''s body had been working reflexively for a long time now, thanks to his sharp and incredible instincts. His mind didn''t have to control every movement or muscle just to defend himself from the endless hail of attacks.


    Gael only used four of his scars and it seemed that was more than enough to win.


    Everyone who watched this fight, whether it was Wain, Sven, or Alucard with Liang. Sure, there were hundreds of strong Beastfolks here at Fifth Chronicle, but... their opinions didn''t matter.


    The fight between Gael and Ereg was far out of line and had already dragged on considerably. Everyone realized that it was worth ending it as soon as possible and preferably with Ereg''s victory - well, this was Beastfolk World, and he was their king.


    Whooooooosh.


    Gael swung his swords from bottom to top, cleaving Gael''s chest and causing streams of dark blood to rush out.


    No one said anything, everyone just watched as Gael was fast approaching victory, and that was considering he still had three giant scars and The Form. However, Ereg also had The Form, but he had almost no trump cards left.


    All Ereg could count on was his Ether, and more specifically the blue ghost that there was no way he could reach 90%. Sure, after 90% his power would be much stronger, Ether was an unstoppable power, but... it seemed that Ereg just didn''t have enough time for that.


    ''Shit... I have yet to deal with this...'' Ereg internally muttered, ncing at the huge vortex that had already almost reached its peak power.


    Then, after about half a minute, Ereg finally stopped wallowing in his thoughts and moved on to some action.


    However... what he did was not at all what one would expect in such a situation.


    Crackle.


    Ereg mmed his forehead into Gael''s head with all his might, causing him to lose his bnce for a moment. Gael''s wind swords may have made his movements faster, but Ereg was still physically stronger.


    Gael tried to recover quickly to counterattack, but it was not necessary.


    Crackle.


    Ereg grabbed Gael''s arm and thrust the wind swords into himself, right into his chest, he didn''t seem worried that it might damage his organs.


    "What the hell...?" Gael''s eyes went wide, looking at the blood dripping down the des of the swords and his hands, only for massive drops to fall to the ground and soak in.


    Ereg smiled bitterly, while his gaze quickly grew weaker, losing the me of life.


    "I''m sorry... I''m tired of constantly running away and defending myself from your attacks. No matter what I did, you constantly found a way to outmaneuver me or suppress my abilities." Ereg muttered, coughing up clots of blood.


    Well, that didn''t change Gael''s reaction in any way. He stared at Ereg with disbelief, really not understanding how he was supposed to act in such a situation.


    Moreover, Gael was sure that it wasn''t some cunning n of Ereg''s, but... he realized that Ereg had done it for a specific reason.


    "Unlike you, I don''t have that many different abilities..." Ereg whispered, his voice was extremely weak, and only a few besides Gael could hear it. Among them were Wain, Sven, Alucard, and Liang.


    They listened attentively to Ereg''s every word as if the fate of the entire world depended on it.


    "My power is quite simple, even too simple for some of my status. Sure... I have various ghosts, but each new ghost is just a stronger version of the past, nothing special... Other than The Form, I only have Ether, the only unique power... that I managed to obtain..."


    Then, Ereg looked up and raised his gaze to meet the vortex that was clearly ready to descend upon him and destroy him. The only reason it hadn''t happened yet was because Gael didn''t want it to.


    Gael had nned to severely exhaust his opponent with shing swings of his swords, and then deal critical damage with the vortex... However, that was now impossible, as his swords pierced Ereg.


    "It''s either all or nothing... Unleash the vortex. You will either kill me or I will be strong enough to defeat you... I will no longer run away, defend myself, and act on your ns... for that is why I lostst time. I won''t let that happen again." Ereg uttered while his strength was quickly leaving him.


    However, Gael did not take this opportunity. Perhaps if it were him, someone else would have immediately unleashed a whirlwind on Ereg, but Gael just felt that there was something wrong here.


    Even if Ereg was injured, it was his n that wasn''t working, though... he had almost won, hadn''t he?


    Crackle.


    Ereg suddenly frowned heavily and grabbed Gael by the neck, squeezing it tightly. He had almost no strength left, he used thest of what he had to do it. Ereg''s grip was strong enough to break any creature''s neck, but Gael was able to withstand this abnormal pressure for a while.


    "What the hell are you doing... Bastard?" Gael frowned, trying to unclench Ereg''s hands, but it seemed that it was simply impossible here.


    Ereg smiled bitterly.


    "Now you only have two choices: either you bring this vortex down on me and most likely kill me, or I kill you! If I break your neck and rip your head off your body, you won''t be able to use your scars to go back in time. Isn''t that right!" Ereg roared furiously like a madman.


    Gael resisted for a few more seconds but soon realized that he had no choice.


    Gael swung his hand slightly, and the vortex went into motion.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!